When A Tourist Becomes A Local! A Full Year (2019) TR! *CANCELED!*

That's interesting that one of the Voices of Liberty members is in Nemo too... I would think they would only specialize in one position... That would be hard to do two... At least for me it would...

Glad you're finally down there and settling in!!! Hope you're getting lots of park time!
 
A beautiful AK day! The sky is so perfectly blue in all your pics!! I cannot wait to get to WDW TOMORROW!!!!!! :) I'll be there on the EPIC DIS girls trip with Lesley and lots of other ladies on the boards. Are you planning to be in the parks at all over the next few days?
 
What a lovely first day at DAK! It sounds like everything went smoothly and you got all you wanted done. Always so fun introducing Disney newbies to Disney. :)

We really got a lot done in a short period of time. Everything literally ran according to plan which was nice...My friend had been before, but not under the current fastpass system or to see Pandora or TSL.

That's interesting that one of the Voices of Liberty members is in Nemo too... I would think they would only specialize in one position... That would be hard to do two... At least for me it would...

Glad you're finally down there and settling in!!! Hope you're getting lots of park time!
There are a few members that have learned other shows on property. Some do Beauty and the Beast, Festival of the Lion King, and Finding Nemo. Some of the members also are one of the Dapper Dans. They have also participated in some of the stage shows during the Holiday Parties. Full-time Voices of Liberty performers might not be called as often to do these shows, but they are sometimes needed.

My stuff finally arrived 3 days ago so it's been a few days finally getting settled into my new place. So far, I am loving it, and I "might" have been in the parks everyday since moving here. :D

A beautiful AK day! The sky is so perfectly blue in all your pics!! I cannot wait to get to WDW TOMORROW!!!!!! :) I'll be there on the EPIC DIS girls trip with Lesley and lots of other ladies on the boards. Are you planning to be in the parks at all over the next few days?
It was a beautiful day and the sky was perfect!

THAT'S AWESOME! I have already met with Lesley since she has been out here already. I have heard a lot about your trip that is for sure. it sounds like it is going to be epic! :)

I will be in the parks at some point everyday this week. The question is where I will be. The only place I know for sure is I will be in DHS all day tomorrow for obvious reasons (30th Anniversary). I think I have fast passes in AK on Thursday and MK on Friday. Those will be the only days I will be in the parks this week. However, I will end up at VOL at some point. Probably on Thursday or Friday.

If you would like to meet, I would definitely be open to doing so. Just private message me your schedule and we can figure something out if you are interested.

I'm a little late on updates, but thank you for posting pics of Saratoga Springs. My family is staying there in June.
You are welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay! it is a very peaceful resort. Are you staying in a Preferred or Standard room?
 


4/11/19: Magic Kingdom Disney After Hours - Part 1!

After some resort time and watching animals from our balcony, we would make our way to the Magic Kingdom. That is because my friend and I would be attending the Disney After Hours event this evening!







We would finally make it inside the Magic Kingdom!





Does this view ever get old?



I had set up a 4th FastPass for my friend and I. We would adventure over to Adventureland to ride Pirates of the Caribbean.



Next, it was time for a classic! We would adventure to the Enchanted Tiki Room.





We had enough time for one more classic before the fireworks. We would make our way to the Carousel of Progress.



After experiencing the great big beautiful tomorrow, we would make our way to the Hub. I would also mobile order some hotdogs from Casey’s Corner. So, I left my friend to man the fort in the Hub while I went to retrieve our dinner.



We would eat quickly after I returned with a tray of hotdogs.

It was then time for Happily Ever After!!!







Definitely a show that I can see over and over again.

My friend and I still had a little bit of time before the Disney After Hours event officially began. So, we would adventure to watch Mickey’s Philharmagic. There was literally nobody in this theater which was honestly a little freaky.







We would then make our way to It’s A Small World. The event would officially begin while we were on this ride.







We would then use a little more time to let those that were not staying for the event to leave some of the attraction queues. So, we would adventure to one of my favorite rides in the Magic Kingdom. That is the PeopleMover!



After resting for 10 minutes, we would encounter the Evil Emperor Zerg and battle it out on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin! I am really not that good at the Walt Disney World version.





For a while, my friend was actually beating me. I don’t know what happened though, but I pulled off a miraculous comeback victory!



We were very focused on getting the highest scores that we possibly could!



Next, we would encounter space travel in a different way. That would be on Space Mountain!





We would then fly through the air on the Astro Orbiter!



It was time to enter Fantasyland!

I don’t know what we were thinking next. But it was time to get dizzy on the Mad Hatter Teacups!



We were feeling like eating something sweet. So, we would go find some honey on the Winnie the Pooh attraction.



We would then wait in our longest line of the event for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We waited about 10 minutes for this attraction. That’s a lot better than waiting 90+ minutes though!



It would then be time to go under the sea on the Little Mermaid attraction!



When we got off this attraction, we would make our way to Peter Pan’s Flight. However, it was down. So, we sadly would not make it onto this attraction during the event.

We would then make our way into Liberty Square!

More in my next post!
 
4/11/19: Magic Kingdom Disney After Hours - Part 2!

It was time for my friend and I to encounter some ghosts at the Haunted Mansion!





It was time to adventure to Frontierland!

We would then get wet on Splash Mountain!



Now it was time for my favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom! Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!



That is definitely the wildest ride in the wilderness!

We had time for maybe one or two more attractions. So, we would make our way back into Adventureland.

This time we would ride the Jungle Cruise!



When we entered the Jungle Cruise, we had time for one more attraction. We couldn’t go far. So, we would go explorer the Caribbean one more time on Pirates of the Caribbean!







There is nothing like walking out of the Magic Kingdom while the “Kiss Goodnight” is going on Cinderella Castle.



It was sadly time to leave the Magic Kingdom, and it was past 1 a.m.



Here are a few pictures of my friend and I on Main Street. It is not sweat on my shirt. I was still really wet from Splash Mountain. :D











We definitely got a lot done in the Magic Kingdom with the 3 hours of the Disney After Hours Event! I still think this event is worth it for the Magic Kingdom. I haven't tried it in the other parks, but you really do get a lot done in the Magic Kingdom with the lower crowds.

We would then leave the Magic Kingdom on a ferry boat, make our way to the car, drive back to Animal Kingdom Lodge, and finally get some sleep. We would have another long day ahead of us.

Stay tuned for more updates from our Walt Disney World adventure!
 
You hit up so many of my very favorites right from the start of your night at MK!! I would love the lower crowds and short wait times for sure. I definitely think this event is so worth it, even though I haven't done it myself yet.

we would encounter the Evil Emperor Zerg and battle it out on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin! I am really not that good at the Walt Disney World version.
You need to ride with Ariana @Pluto0809! She schooled me on the higher point targets to shoot for in reach room, so I finally broke into the 200,000 level of points!! :)
 


You need to ride with Ariana @Pluto0809! She schooled me on the higher point targets to shoot for in reach room, so I finally broke into the 200,000 level of points!! :)

Yep, I know all the secrets. :D I also ride it a lot which helps gain skill with the guns. I rode it four times last week.

I'm going to bookmark this TR in the hopes that I can get some free time soon to get caught up. I was reading another of yours but I'm pretty sure I'm three or four TRs behind right now. :confused3
 
You hit up so many of my very favorites right from the start of your night at MK!! I would love the lower crowds and short wait times for sure. I definitely think this event is so worth it, even though I haven't done it myself yet.


You need to ride with Ariana @Pluto0809! She schooled me on the higher point targets to shoot for in reach room, so I finally broke into the 200,000 level of points!! :)
It really is an awesome event and worth the cost for sure! It's amazing how much you can get done in 3 hours!

That's awesome! Hopefully one day I will get better at the WDW version!

Yep, I know all the secrets. :D I also ride it a lot which helps gain skill with the guns. I rode it four times last week.

I'm going to bookmark this TR in the hopes that I can get some free time soon to get caught up. I was reading another of yours but I'm pretty sure I'm three or four TRs behind right now. :confused3
Welcome! I'm glad that you are joining in! I look forward to having you read along!

I'm used tot he Disneyland version of Buzz. I haven't gotten accustomed to not being able to hold the gun like you can at Disneyland. It's a lot easier for me to aim when I am able to hold the gun.
 
4/12/19: A Short Trip To EPCOT!

Hello everyone and welcome to day 2 of my time taking a good friend to the Walt Disney World Theme Parks! This was a unique day, but we were able to get a lot done!

I say it was a unique day because the beginning of the day was “not really planned.” I kept thinking to myself as I was planning this trip that I really couldn’t take my friend to Walt Disney World without taking him to EPCOT which was the normal plan. So, after some discussion with him while traveling down to Walt Disney World, we decided that we would spend a couple hours in EPCOT. This would require for me to upgrade his ticket to a park hopper for just one day of the trip. I thought it was worth it so that he can experience a portion of the Flower and Garden Festival, as well as, see many of my favorite areas of Walt Disney World.

We would arrive at EPCOT before rope drop, and they had everyone waiting up until Spaceship Earth.



This view doesn’t get old!





We were ready for a fantastic day of exploring!



Well, when the park opened, we had our first experience of “change of plans.” Test Track was closed and Frozen was closed. So, guess where everybody was going to?



I would have preferred to get my friend on Test Track, but that ride would not work for this adventure to EPCOT.

While we were in the Land Pavilion, we would also ride on Living With the Land!







Up next, it was time to ride inside the golf ball!





After traveling through the past, as well as, through space, we would then walk to another attraction to encounter space. This is where we would notice a monorail travel overhead!



We would then fly around the Earth on Mission Space (green side).



EPCOT is very beautiful during the Flower and Garden Festival!





We would then walk into Club Cool where I would tell my friend that “Beverly is the best drink on Walt Disney World property.” Since I may have said a little white lie, I would drink Beverly at the same time as him. I was actually pleasantly surprised though. Even though it was still bitter, it wasn’t as bad as I remember it. :D



World Showcase had now opened. So, how about a trip through Mexico on the Gran Fiesta Tour!





We would walk into China to try and see the Reflections of China movie. However, it was getting really close to the first showing of the Voices of Liberty and the end of our time in EPCOT. So, we both agreed to make our way over to the American Adventure!





It felt great to be “home” around the red circle and listen to some great music!!!



We would then walk around the rest of World Showcase as we made our way back towards the front of the park.

We would encounter the fountain that I always enjoy walking by when I’m in EPCOT.



It was then time to say farewell to EPCOT and make our way back to the resort for a break.



More in my next post!
 
4/12/19: An Adventure To Hollywood - Part 1!

After some resort time, my friend and I would then make our way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. My friend is a big Star Wars fan. So, we had a lot of Star Wars experiences in our near future.

This would mark the first time I would see some of the gondolas that were uncovered.



It was time to enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios!



It was a beautiful day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!



We would enter the park right before the March of the First Order.





After hiding on the streets since I am definitely apart of the resistance, we would make our way to our first FastPass of the day. That was for Tower of Terror!





Up next, we would adventure to Toy Story Land!!!



It was time for our 2nd FastPass of the day which was for Toy Story Mania. If you know me well, I am very competitive on this attraction.



I would take the victory, as well as, best in vehicle.





When we got done with Toy Story Mania, we would make our way to experience a Galaxy Far, Far, Away on Star Tours. On our way though, we would stop by the picture of the Millennium Falcon at the future entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!



It was time to ride Star Tours! This was also our final FastPass for the day.



At this point, I was needing some caffeine. So, we were off to Starbucks!



I was mostly trying to find a way to be productive before experiencing the Star Wars show on the stage. This would actually be the first time I saw this show.









It was time to see another show! That show is the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!





















After a great show seeing some epic stunts, we would make our way to our next Star Wars adventure!



That is in Star Wars Launch Bay!!!



We would see the movie before making our way to see some characters.

First, we would encounter Chewbacca!!!





My friend would then experience Kylo Ren.

Then we would meet one of my favorite droids. That is BB-8!





More in my next post!
 
4/12/19: An Adventure To Hollywood (Part 2) + Disney Springs!

It was time to go back into Toy Story Land!!!



We would experience Alien’s Swirling Saucers.







My friend and I on Alien’s Swirling Saucers.



It was time…It was time to ride on a Slinky Dog Dash!!!





Slinky Dog was trying to hide, but he wasn’t successful.





After a ride on Slinky Dog, I would get a picture with the Pixar ball.



Then I would challenge my friend to one more round of Toy Story Mania.



We would also get to see Mr. Potato Head!



I would get the victory once again, as well as, best in vehicle.





Unfortunately Toy Story Mania took a little longer than I thought. So, we missed Disney Movie Magic. However, we would find great spots for Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.



Here are some pictures of the show:











After the show, Disney’s Hollywood Studios was closed. That means that everybody was leaving the park.



Well, you might have noticed that my friend and I hadn’t had dinner yet. That’s mostly because we decided to have a late evening and go to Disney Springs for dinner.





Our first stop would be the Coca Cola store!



We would then get a coke on the top level.





This store really has a great view of Disney Springs!







It was then time for dinner! We would decide to have dinner at Homecomin!



I would get the fried chicken, doughnuts, and mac n’ cheese.



Homecomin’ is a delicious restaurant. Definitely one of my favorites at Disney Springs!

This is how we would end our evening. We would make our way back to our resort and it was time to sleep. We would have an early dining reservation the next day!

Stay tuned for more updates from our adventure to Walt Disney World!
 
4/13/19: Boma Breakfast + Farewell To My Friend!

Hello everyone and welcome to my next update! This would be my final morning with my friend in Orlando.

My friend and I would wake up early one more time. That is because we had an early breakfast reservation at Boma!



I was really excited to try breakfast at Boma since I absolutely loved having dinner here a few months back.

We would arrive and get our table quickly.

Then it was time to get full on breakfast food!!! :)

Here is what the buffet at Boma looks like:

































The buffet definitely had a nice array of breakfast foods. I only wish one thing and I can see my little complaint being a positive for others. I don’t know exactly what breakfast food is like in Africa. However, I would have liked to see more African inspired breakfast food. This was definitely to American, and I was actually wanting to be a little adventurous this morning.

This is what I would get on my plate:



I might have fallen in love with these Simba waffles. Too bad I had to eat them. :(



I got pretty full on my first plate. So, my 2nd plate was rather small.



There was one main reason why I wanted to eat at Boma again. That was for the juice that I can only get on the Wild Africa Trek tour or by eating at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I like to call it the jungle juice (not sure if that is what it is really called). I believe it is a mixture of Orange, Mango, and another kind of fruit juice. It is so good!!!



Overall, if you ever want to eat at Boma, I would go for dinner instead of breakfast. It was still very good. I just think you get more for your money at dinner even if dinner is more expensive.

My friend and I would make our way back to our room. It was time to pack, and say farewell to Animal Kingdom Lodge!





This would be the time I would drive my friend to Orlando International Airport and say farewell as it was time for him to fly home.



Thank you for going on this adventure with me, Matt! It was definitely great having you around and helping me with the moving process!



My friend would head through security, and I would make my way back to Walt Disney World.

I would stay a few nights at Saratoga Springs in a DVC Deluxe Preferred Room Studio. That is due to not having my furniture in the area yet.

I would have a pretty nice view at Saratoga Springs from my balcony in Congress Park!







I would then relax in my room for most of the day before going to a Theme Park later in the evening!

More in my next post!
 
Animal Kingdom Lodge - One Bedroom Savannah View DVC Room - Kidani Village!

Here is the look at the room my friend and I had at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We stayed in a one bedroom savannah view DVC villa.

This is the view as we entered the room:



There was a washer and dryer to the right as you came in.



There was a smaller bathroom with a shower/tub to the left as you came in.





Here is the kitchen:







The living room area:











This is the main bedroom:









This is the main bathroom.







Now if you know me, there is one thing that I was looking forward to seeing the most in this room. That is the tile along the spa tub and the shower.











The couch in the living room can become a bed as well.



This is our balcony:



The details in this room was absolutely amazing.



















This is probably my favorite room that I have stayed in one Disney property. It’s hard to beat all of these details, as well as, waking up and seeing animals outside your window.

If you have the chance to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge in a Savannah View room, do it!!! It is worth it!!!

More in my next post!
 
Animal Watching At Animal Kingdom Lodge!

Animal Kingdom Lodge is filled with many areas where you can go and view the animals! Whether if that is specific animal viewing areas or your guest room balcony.

Each guest room has an animal guide in it:









My friend and I would wake up one morning and was able to watch the sunrise from our balcony. We might have started singing the “Circle of Life” at the top of our lungs. :D











We would do most of our animal watching from our balcony.





























You can also view the animals from outside the lobby areas of the two resort areas.

Kidani Village Lobby:







Jambo House Lobby:



If you have the chance to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, make sure you have the chance. It is a breathtaking resort with so many details!

Stay tuned for more updates from my time being a resident of Orlando, Florida!
 
4/12/19: A Short Trip To EPCOT!

Hello everyone and welcome to day 2 of my time taking a good friend to the Walt Disney World Theme Parks! This was a unique day, but we were able to get a lot done!

I say it was a unique day because the beginning of the day was “not really planned.” I kept thinking to myself as I was planning this trip that I really couldn’t take my friend to Walt Disney World without taking him to EPCOT which was the normal plan. So, after some discussion with him while traveling down to Walt Disney World, we decided that we would spend a couple hours in EPCOT. This would require for me to upgrade his ticket to a park hopper for just one day of the trip. I thought it was worth it so that he can experience a portion of the Flower and Garden Festival, as well as, see many of my favorite areas of Walt Disney World.

We would arrive at EPCOT before rope drop, and they had everyone waiting up until Spaceship Earth.



This view doesn’t get old!





We were ready for a fantastic day of exploring!



Well, when the park opened, we had our first experience of “change of plans.” Test Track was closed and Frozen was closed. So, guess where everybody was going to?



I would have preferred to get my friend on Test Track, but that ride would not work for this adventure to EPCOT.

While we were in the Land Pavilion, we would also ride on Living With the Land!







Up next, it was time to ride inside the golf ball!





After traveling through the past, as well as, through space, we would then walk to another attraction to encounter space. This is where we would notice a monorail travel overhead!



We would then fly around the Earth on Mission Space (green side).



EPCOT is very beautiful during the Flower and Garden Festival!





We would then walk into Club Cool where I would tell my friend that “Beverly is the best drink on Walt Disney World property.” Since I may have said a little white lie, I would drink Beverly at the same time as him. I was actually pleasantly surprised though. Even though it was still bitter, it wasn’t as bad as I remember it. :D



World Showcase had now opened. So, how about a trip through Mexico on the Gran Fiesta Tour!





We would walk into China to try and see the Reflections of China movie. However, it was getting really close to the first showing of the Voices of Liberty and the end of our time in EPCOT. So, we both agreed to make our way over to the American Adventure!





It felt great to be “home” around the red circle and listen to some great music!!!



We would then walk around the rest of World Showcase as we made our way back towards the front of the park.

We would encounter the fountain that I always enjoy walking by when I’m in EPCOT.



It was then time to say farewell to EPCOT and make our way back to the resort for a break.



More in my next post!
Are you sure HE wanted to see EPCOT? I think you just wanted to see Voices of Liberty!:rolleyes1
 
Are you sure HE wanted to see EPCOT? I think you just wanted to see Voices of Liberty!:rolleyes1
I told him that I would practically force him to see the Voices of Liberty if we went to EPCOT.

The main reason for going to EPCOT is I would have gone crazy if I had to spend an entire day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I did want him to see a few other things at EPCOT.
 
32789874237_e2f70b37a7_z.jpg
Those flower and garden signs were all bent over after that wild thunderstorm that passed through last week when we were there!! I happened to be in line for Spaceship Earth as the storm began and it was WILD with all that crazy wind!! When I came out, I couldn't believe it had been so bad that the signs were actually bent over.

This would mark the first time I would see some of the gondolas that were uncovered.
I was super excited to see some of them unwrapped, as well!! Now it seems from what I've seen online they have some character ones unwrapped as well. I can't wait to give them a try when we come back in December.
 
Sorry, been a bit busy and haven't caught up with this yet!
There was one main reason why I wanted to eat at Boma again. That was for the juice that I can only get on the Wild Africa Trek tour or by eating at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I like to call it the jungle juice (not sure if that is what it is really called). I believe it is a mixture of Orange, Mango, and another kind of fruit juice. It is so good!!!
So, I'm going to blow your mind - first the juice is POG juice - Passionfruit, Orange, Guava juice. At AK and AKL, you can also get it at Tusker House (for all meals). And a slushy version at The Mara (all day long). The slushy is sometimes at Mahindi popcorn cart in AK too. And Dawa Bar sometimes has it.

And it's at more than just AK and AKL. It's also at the Polynesian (Ohana breakfast and the club level lounge), Kona Cafe (Liliko'i Juice), Cape May Cafe (POG juice), Garden Grill (POG Juice), and Trail's End Brunch (non-alcoholic moonshine). It's also at the Happily Ever After Dessert Party. It seems they have been expanding the locations, just sometimes giving it a different name!

And... a homemade recipe!
https://thymeandlove.com/disneys-jungle-juice-recipe/
 
Those flower and garden signs were all bent over after that wild thunderstorm that passed through last week when we were there!! I happened to be in line for Spaceship Earth as the storm began and it was WILD with all that crazy wind!! When I came out, I couldn't believe it had been so bad that the signs were actually bent over.


I was super excited to see some of them unwrapped, as well!! Now it seems from what I've seen online they have some character ones unwrapped as well. I can't wait to give them a try when we come back in December.
- That's crazy! I heard about that storm. We've had a few good storms roll through the past couple days, but I guess that is Florida for you.

- I'm excited for the Skyliner to open! I have walked from DHS to EPCOT way to many times lol.

Sorry, been a bit busy and haven't caught up with this yet!

So, I'm going to blow your mind - first the juice is POG juice - Passionfruit, Orange, Guava juice. At AK and AKL, you can also get it at Tusker House (for all meals). And a slushy version at The Mara (all day long). The slushy is sometimes at Mahindi popcorn cart in AK too. And Dawa Bar sometimes has it.

And it's at more than just AK and AKL. It's also at the Polynesian (Ohana breakfast and the club level lounge), Kona Cafe (Liliko'i Juice), Cape May Cafe (POG juice), Garden Grill (POG Juice), and Trail's End Brunch (non-alcoholic moonshine). It's also at the Happily Ever After Dessert Party. It seems they have been expanding the locations, just sometimes giving it a different name!

And... a homemade recipe!
https://thymeandlove.com/disneys-jungle-juice-recipe/
My mind is blown!!!
 

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