Tag Archives: 365atDisney

Day 43- Magic Kingdom

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We are having beautiful weather this week! It is chilly in the morning, hot in the afternoon, and back to chilly at night. I love Florida weather.

Magic Kingdom is beautiful as we walk down Main Street USA, and see the sun shining on the buildings! There is a nice amount of people; it’s not very crowded today and seems to have a more laidback atmosphere. Oh, listen, the Mainstreet Philharmonic band is playing, and a crowd of people have gathered to listen and dance! Fun!

We have a little time before our first FastPass+, so we go through Adventureland toward Frontierland. As we pass through Adventureland, I see the lines for Dole Whips are so very, very long! I don’t remember ever seeing this many people in line for a Dole Whip.

Now, on around to Frontierland. I watch people taking pictures with Splash Mountain in the background, and listen as children are playing and having a wonderful time. I walked into Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café, and noticed that somehow, I missed that there is a Texas flag on the wall. Inside, there is this old west saloon that you can eat in, an indoor courtyard, and even more seating outside. It is a fun place to eat.

Now off to Pirates of the Caribbean! I love this ride! We have a full boat, and a little girl sitting between her dad and mom behind us said, “I feel like a sandwich sitting between you two!” I turned and said, “And a very pretty sandwich you are!” She giggled and thanked me. “…and your sister!” Both of her parents chuckled, they were a cute family! The ride was great, but this time, the cannons went off and when the “cannon ball” landed in the water, it soaked my side of the boat. Then, one hit near Twinkie and her side of the boat got soaked too!

We get off the boat and there is a moving sidewalk (or “gangplank,” as the announcer says) that takes you back upstairs to exit. I like the moving sidewalk going uphill! Very fun!

It was in the mid-80’s this afternoon, so the Tiki group was misting people!

As we are walking to the front of the park, we can hear the music coming from Cinderella’s Castle for the Dream Along with Mickey show. We catch a glimpse as we turn towards the Crystal Palace on our way to Main Street USA. Such a beautiful day!

Day 42- Epcot and San Angel Inn Restaurante

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Today is an absolutely beautiful day! We are off to Epcot to have lunch in Mexico. The trams are running at a quick pace as the parking lot is filling up quickly.

I love seeing all the happy faces as we scan our MagicBands and enter into Epcot! There are people lining up to get their photo taken with Spaceship Earth and the Food and Wine Festival display in the background. It is busy today.

We pass by several Food Kiosks on the way to Mexico and the air is full of delicious aromas. We have reservations at San Angel Inn Restaurante. As we walk into the indoor marketplace and there is a young lady painting one of the handmade animals that are for sale. I have never seen someone paint these before. There is so much detail in that little painted animal.

While we are waiting to be seated, we noticed the line for the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride is the longest line we have ever seen. However, the line is moving quickly.

Soon we are seated, and it is like you are sitting in the courtyard between the buildings, under the night sky. There is a river that runs beside the restaurant (a part of the Gran Fiesta Tour), flanked by Mayan ruins and a volcano! If you sit by the river, you can see the boat full of people go by periodically. Oh, look, the volcano is erupting! It is a bit dark in this area, recreating a beautiful night in Mexico.

The waitress is really great and soon we have our tortilla soup. Even the chips here are gluten free! Yay! Oh my gosh, it is so very good!

We walk up the ramp to the main area, toward the exit; it kind of looks like the museum in Mexico City. Now, we exit the building toward the World Showcase Lagoon. The area is so busy.

I love being so close to Disney World that we can go and grab a bite of lunch there!

Day 41- Magic Kingdom & Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge

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The sky is so blue today and there’s not a cloud in the sky! Magic Kingdom is beautiful as we arrive on the Monorail. There is a steady stream of people arriving, and the weather is a bit cooler today, under 80 degrees and sunny!

I love seeing little children so happy to be here, and the happy faces of first time visitors getting pictures with Cinderella’s Castle in the background. There is a bustle of strollers passing by as families make their way down Main Street USA.

We stop at the Starbucks inside of the Main Street Bakery and grab a tea and coffee. A few months ago, when we moved here, I realized that I could just run to Magic Kingdom and get my hot tea! I love to grab a cup of tea and get to see many happy people before heading home on those days.  Next though, we are off to lunch by boat!

We’re off to go to Wilderness Lodge for lunch. Tooti has talked about getting a Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Sandwich at the Roaring Fork quick service restaurant. I cannot wait to get to ride the boat from Magic Kingdom over to Wilderness Lodge. We sit in the front of the boat, the Mermaid I, and are joined by a family who we chat with as we are traveling across the water. Once we dock, we disembark and walk to Wilderness Lodge, enjoying the path through the trees.

Lunch was great! We absolutely loved their gluten free Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Sandwich, and my Turkey and Swiss sandwich. The homemade potato chips were amazing, and I loved the cucumber salad!

Now, back to the boat. We sat at the back, soon to be joined by a family; they were really nice. We enjoyed talking on the nice trip back to the Magic Kingdom Boat Launch. I love days like today when we get to meet so many young families visiting Disney World for the first time, and get to hear how they are enjoying their trip. The common topics that come up in these conversations are: the amount of walking, how tired their kids get just walking, the 8-10 hours spent at a Disney Park in a day (if not longer), and yes, it is about 1.1 miles around the World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot. That was a question today, “Should we think about renting a stroller for Epcot?” My answer is, “Yes, I would, it is a long way around the park. After you rent the stroller, you go up and around Spaceship Earth, and then down a long path to the World Showcase Lagoon. There are so many hills in Epcot and so many countries to explore, the 1.1 miles around the World Showcase Lagoon is just the beginning!”

Day 40- Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream at Hollywood Studios

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Today, I am heading to Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream – From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdom! It tells of Walt Disney’s life and you can see so many facets of his walk to become the one man who I feel changed the world by believing, “Dreams do come true.” I wish I could convey the power of One Man’s Dream.

We enjoy the pictures; they tell such a wonderful story as they outline the timeline of Walt Disney’s life and accomplishments.

Walt was born in 1901. Main Street USA is fashioned after the town he lived in for four years of his childhood (Marceline, Missouri).

Main Street

He began taking drawing lessons at the age of 14 years old. He was such an innovator, constantly coming up with new ideas and inventions.

As I see the picture that shows, “Walt Comes To Your Living Room,” I remember seeing this program on TV growing up. I didn’t get to watch it very often since it was aired on Sunday evenings.

The Mickey Mouse Club influenced so many kids when I was growing up! Did you know that when Mickey Ear Hats were first released, they sold about 24,000 pair per day?

At the end of the hallway is of the story of Walt’s life, inside the theater that shows a short movie in which Walt tells his story in his own words.

If you have not been to Disney World, it is a magical place. I said that I feel Walt Disney has changed the world. If you have never been to Disney World, you can see many people that have traveled from all over the world to see and enjoy the result of, as this attraction calls it, “One Man’s Dream.” I love seeing “First Visit” buttons on little Grandmas, children, and adults alike, all laughing and enjoying Walt’s dream.

You see, it was at Disney World that I could begin to see life from a very different perspective. For me, it was in January 2012; we came and as I hugged Eeyore at the Crystal Palace, I found that I could laugh again. I could feel my heart smile again after losing my husband to cancer 2 years earlier. For that, I am forever grateful that one man, Walt Disney, dared to dream.

Main Street

Day 39- Animal Kingdom & Sanaa

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We decided to go to Animal Kingdom today, it is our 39th day in a row! It is a beautiful sunny day as we park and walk to the gate. I love how friendly the people are at Disney and the cast members are so wonderful! We stop at the stroller rental to see their pin stroller, and then go around the Oasis.

We get to Discovery Island and stop to look at the kangaroos! As we watched, there were two male kangaroos sparring! It was so cool to see how they use their tails to balance as they spar and box with each other. Their tails are so very strong as the boxing and balancing is happening. What a wonderful thing to get to see and experience! As I was watching, there was a vulture sitting near the kangaroos, and it looked like it was refereeing; the moment seemed so surreal.

I wanted to find how to get to the other side of the kangaroos. We found the path that wraps around to the other side, and watched the kangaroos hanging out in the shade.

Do you see the walrus?

You can hear the music of Africa as we head over the bridge. This evening is cooler with the sun beginning to set.

Russel and Dug!

We walk for a while and as we are going back across the bridge to the Oasis, there are so many birds roosting in the trees. I love seeing so many ibis in one area. If you watch for a short while, they will flutter around and sit on another limb of the trees, or a stalk of bamboo. Beautiful!

Now? I think that Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge would be a great place to get dinner! It is beautiful to see the animals that are right outside. First, you can see them through the windows, and then, you can go out onto a walkway and watch as they eat and move through the large open area. If it is late at night and chilly, there will be a fire in the fire pit.

Gluten Free Naan is our favorite and it has been perfected! You can get the bread service with Gluten Free Naan and 9 different dips. The flavors are so varied and delicious! It is worth the wait, and I cannot wait until we get to go again! Naan! Naan! Naan! Oh, did I say that I love Naan?

Day 38- Hollywood Studios

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Today started early as we dropped the pups off for school. Since we were out, we decided to stop by Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter to pick up some gluten free breakfast. Chef Raphael came out of the kitchen, and was happy to see us, as we got to meet him at a gluten free venue a few weeks ago! He took our order of gluten free Mickey waffles, and reminded us that they also have gluten free beignets… we had to order some beignets too! These are probably the best gluten free waffles I have ever had on Disney property, and I love the beignets! Yummy!

The weather is cooler today and we are off to Hollywood Studios! It is 85 degrees here in Florida and it is beautiful. There are blue skies and a soft wisp of clouds as you look through the palm trees.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is nice, and the crowd is light today. Yes, there are still a lot of people, but there is room to enjoy walking and looking around during the day! Toy Story Midway Mania is our first stop! The FastPass+ line is really long; a family of 16 is in front of us. I love this ride!

At Toy Story Midway Mania, I met a really nice lady and her husband. The lady was sharing about her kids and grandkids. She said that one of her daughters stayed home until she got married at age 30. The lady shared that she loved those years with her daughter being home. I had to hug her neck; she is so sweet and shared a special love for her daughters! I love meeting people and hearing their stories!

We walk towards the Brown Derby and see the Mulch, Sweat, and Shears band driving by and setting up for their concert! The other evening we got to see them play! This is a fun show to watch. However, we remember it is dinnertime, and a quick place to grab a bite to eat is Backlot Express. We go up the indoor ramp and find a nice table by the windows. I didn’t know we could see the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy through the windows! This is a great place for your kids to participate in the activities and get to be a part of the show. (Note: There is an area nearby to sign up for the show early in the day if your kids want to participate. If you ask a cast member, they can help point you in the right direction.) It is so much fun to watch!

Fish near the Little Mermaid Show!
Another fish…
Jedi Training!

QUESTION!!! How many miles will you, or can you, walk in a day at a Disney Park?

One of the cast members at Backlot Express checked to see if we were doing fine, and we got to talk for a couple of minutes. I mentioned that a little girl was asking about how far we would walk today. I told her about 2 to 4 miles! The cast member smiled, chuckled, said that you can easily walk 7 to 10 miles a day! I totally agreed with him and said that I know we have walked at least that many miles in a day before. When you start your day at a Disney resort, you can easily walk half a mile to the restaurant for coffee, and half a mile back to your room. Then, half a mile to the catch the bus, then a quarter to a half a mile from the bus to the park gate. Before you even begin to enjoy the park, you could have easily walked 1-2 miles. If your children are not used to walking 8 to 10 hours a day, a stroller might be a good choice. My good friend and her family came with children, 5 and 10 years old, and by the end of the day, the 10 year old was in the stroller and the little 5 year old was being carried to the car. If your daughter isn’t a fan of strollers, maybe call it a carriage like Cinderella uses! If you have a little boy, maybe a chariot. It works.

There’s a beautiful sunset as we leave the park!

Day 37- Flag Retreat Ceremony and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom

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Someone asked me what my favorite thing is out of all of Walt Disney World. Today, we walked into Magic Kingdom and the Main Street Philharmonic band was standing off to the left, by the Main Street Chamber of Commerce. My kids said that they must have been waiting to start the daily Flag Retreat Ceremony. Oh, I love this. As the band starts playing the patriotic music, you will see people stop and honor our country’s flag. These are some of the most heartfelt moments of the day. Look, there is our veteran that is being honored, an older man, a hero of our country. Today, I am able to step close and see the face of this man that has served our country. He is very emotional as they hand him the American flag that flew over Magic Kingdom today. When the enormous group of patrons begins to sing “God Bless America”, he can barely hold back his tears. As they turn to walk down Main Street, he is so full of emotion as he sees all that have come to honor him! I wish you could see this and hear those that say, “Thank you!” This is my most favorite part of Disney life! I love this moment to honor our country and those who served!

Next, we are heading for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland.

Wait! Where’s the driver?
Oh noooo!

Lunchtime! We stop at Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Café for a salad and a cheeseburger! We were enjoying our food indoors when this (big) little white Ibis came flying into the restaurant. Of course, a little dude had to chase it, just as the cast member came to let it out the doors. Then, it became really funny as they bird flew across the room. Twinkie headed for the door to hold it open as the Cast Member helped move the bird towards the door. The little dude just started to chase the bird again, just as the Cast Member shooed the bird out the doors.  Cheering was heard all around us as the bird flew outside! Funny stuff! Thanks, Twinkie!

Now, we can split a Dole Whip Float on our way towards the front gate. From there, we catch the Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center, ride the tram to our car, and drive home! Oh, Florida has such wonderful sunsets!

Day 36- Smash Mouth at Epcot!

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What an absolutely fabulous day! Epcot is in our sights and the sun is shining. It is busy, but nice! There is a steady stream of people arriving during lunchtime.

Smash Mouth is playing later today and we got reserved seats with the Eat to the Beat Dining Package. We chose Teppan Edo for lunch! This is a place we have never been and I am looking forward to seeing the Hibachi Chef cook at our table! We are seated at a table with a young family of four. Of course, I have to ask, “Where are you from?”

They were a very nice family, and as we talked, I found out that their son is going to be 10 soon! The waitress overheard us talking about his birthday, which made me very happy! You see, if it is your birthday they celebrate with you. Today, the boy was given a Chef’s hat, a candle in his dessert, and a song with the table across from us! He was so very happy! His sister has a birthday soon, too; her dad said that she wanted me to know!!! She was so cute and sweet! I loved getting to visit with that family.

After lunch, we have a little time, so we grab a Kaki Gori in Japan and sit in the American Adventure Pavilion to eat our shaved ice with sweet milk.

Cute origami!

It’s almost time for the concert; we have our tickets, and get in line about 30 minutes early. The lady behind us is really nice, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to talk with her. She was from New York and worked with special needs kids. I thought I knew what that meant, but I am totally impressed with her heart for the kids she worked with. She is an amazing lady. Then, a lady behind her began talking, too. I like when people enjoy talking to each other!

Yay! Time for the Smash Mouth concert! We sit on the front row and it is so fun!

Great concert!

Now, we make our way from The American Adventure through Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, Canada, and out to our car. What an amazing, beautiful day!

Day 35- Magic Kingdom

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Magic Kingdom parking is so very busy at 4pm. There are two lines of cars going into park. The tram is very busy, but we are parked close to the Transportation Center and it is only about a 5 minute walk to get to the Monorail. As we get close, we see the Monorail is not running at this time, so we are redirected to the Ferry Boat. The Ferry Boat is a few minutes out, and the dock is filling up, but the Ferry Boat can hold a huge group of people.

The little girl behind us is a little hesitant to go on the Ferry, so I said, “If you go upstairs to the front, the breeze blows through your hair and your (Elsa) dress. It is so much fun!” Her mom repeated it to her. Soon, we were on the boat and her dad was walking up the stairs with her, heading for the front of the Ferry Boat! It is so much fun this time of the year.

Line for the ferry…
Lots of coins!
We’ve docked!

Magic Kingdom is bustling as we arrive, and there are so many people just getting there. If you plan to come for the Not So Scary Party, you will need to plan ahead! Tonight’s party is sold out again. Now, we are off to our first FastPass+ for Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. It is fun to hear the parents and kids laugh in what is a very fun, interactive attraction!

Our next destination is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin! The lines are really moving fast today, we have our FastPass+, and just as I step onto the moving sidewalk, the ride stops. My spinning car is just behind the rail. I stopped and froze, just as the Cast Member advised me to step back towards him. Oh, good, I didn’t know what to do! In less than a minute, it was up and going once again. I got on my spinning car and was off, looking forward to playing this game! Tooti had the highest score of the day, Twinkie had a good score, and mine was way off today.  We exited onto the moving sidewalk after the ride. Then, we see several TV screens and we have to find the funny faces we made when they took our pictures during the ride!

We are thirsty, so we go towards Adventureland to get a Dole Whip! It is cool and creamy, perfect with a hot, sunny, Florida day! While we are waiting in line, I see a very young family of five with a Dole Whip Float. It is so sweet, they had their 5 straws and the little girls were helping put them in the float. The mom got a sip and gave the littlest boy a sip. I remember when we would share our special treats when the kids were little. Makes me smile to see how kind the family is as they share!

Yay! We got through the long line. Now we look for seating, but it is full, so back across Main Street USA. We see the yellow umbrellas standing over the tables outside of the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. What a wonderful place to see the costumes! Look! That whole family is dressed like mimes! We saw some absolutely great costumes, and more are going by as we see eggs and bacon, peanut butter and jelly, Mary Poppins and a penguin, and so many others.

Now, it is after 6pm and we must exit Magic Kingdom before 7pm, when the Not So Scary Party begins. The Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party is starting and we get watch as we are leaving. Oh, there Waldo and Ms. Waldo! Picture, please?

There is an amazingly huge crowd of people leaving, and as I turn to look back, there is an amazingly huge crowd of people going into Magic Kingdom for the party! Wow!

What a wonderful afternoon of rides, dole whips, and sunny weather!

Day 34- Epcot & Captain EO

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Today is a pretty day, so we are off to Epcot! We are parking in the Wonder parking lot; I have never seen this area! As we pull in, the tram is filling up quickly and is taking off as we get out of the car. We have about 3 minutes before the next tram comes and it fills up quickly, too! Off we go! Soon, we are at the entrance and getting off the tram. A quick bag check, a scan of our Magic Bands, and we are in Epcot!

Our first stop is Captain EO! I am surprised that we have never see this. I really liked the 4D and the story line of “Change the world!” He, Captain EO, was freeing the people from the dark side with his music. It was a fun 4D experience!

We headed toward the exit as a young girl found a lone pair of sunglasses and tried to catch the owner, but she lost him. I suggested maybe she could turn them into the cast member that was down front. Her family seemed pleased to know what to do with a lost/found item.

My favorite jumping water fountains are just outside Captain EO. I watch as so many kids, young and old, try to catch the water as it jumps over the sidewalk. There are little ones trying to jump up and catch it. A sister uses her brother’s ball cap to catch the water as it jumps over! Then, her brother has to try to catch it with is hat! Funny stuff!

We decided to sit for a minute as we were going towards the World Showcase Lagoon. As we were sitting there a guy came up and put his hand out running past us saying, “One for the home team!” We don’t know what that means, and as we sat there looking at him walk off, he yelled back, “Is it because of Ebola?” We laughed and said, “No! Food Allergies!” EW!

After our laugh over the awkward situation, we head towards Canada! There is the new Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, but the shows stop at 5:15pm. Again, we sit to decide what we want to do next. As we watch the floods of people go by, we find ourselves enjoying watching people that go by. There are so many people and so many accents! It is fun hearing so many different people talk, and watching as kids see Twinkie’s Frozen backpack and smile at her! The Food and Wine Festival is in full swing; all of the countries are so packed with people eating and drinking their way around the world.

As we head toward the front of Epcot, we catch the water in the fountain dancing to the music! It is spectacular! We look at the new pin releases on our way out. The new Snow White pin even has red rhinestones! We had a wonderful early evening at Epcot!