Trip Report 10 days goes too fast in Disney World! July Trip Report

So.. I debated back and forth on whether or not I should write a trip report! Bringing back all my Disney memories is bittersweet, I wish I was still there! However, I do not want to forget anything about my wonderful, amazing trip so here goes! Hope you enjoy

I went to Disney from July 14-23, got stuck in Orlando so we didn't really leave until the 24th, with my best friend. This is my fourth trip to Disney and this was her probably 14th, haha. We had never been on vacation together, but we are inseparable at home, so we knew we'd have no problems!! I'm an Ariel lover, Disney World obsessed fan, who comes on these forums WAY TOO MUCH My name's Nicole and the girl with the brown hair is my best friend! Her favorite princess is Aurora, and is pretty upset there isn't a sleeping beauty ride, or show, or really anything in Disney World! We had tons of plans, we wanted to do the cupcake challenge, where you eat a different cupcake everyday, we wanted to drink around the world, we had a ton of things on our must do lists. Disney here we come!

Day One:

Our flight to Disney was at 6:00 AM from Newark so we had to be at the airport around 4 AM! We TRIED to go to sleep early, but all our adrenaline and excitement made that impossible! Finally around 10 PM we fell asleep, and set our alarms for 3:15 AM to go to the airport. When my alarm went off, I was a little cranky and wondered why we picked such an early flight, but then the excitement of going to Disney World crept up, and I was fully awake.

I'm the blonde!

Our flight there was super fast, and we arrived at 8:40 AM. We planned this right! We'd have a full day!! Off it was to find the magical express, did I mention, my friend and I are directionally challenged.
We went all the way downstairs and saw a bunch of Disney cruise buses only to find out we were on the wrong side of the airport, the magical express in on the B side just so everyone knows Back up the stairs and off to the other side we went.



We found the magical express area right away, and since it was early, it wasn't crowded at all! I remember when I went to Disney in November the lines being super long, but the lines were really short when we arrived! We hopped right on the bus, and we were off! Driving through the Walt Disney World sign gave me goosebumps, I could not believe I was really here! My level of excitement increased with each big purple sign with Mickey ears on top we passed.

Stop one was Old Key West Resort, stop two was Saratoga Springs, and stop three was our new home, Port Orleans French Quarter! I had never stayed here before, but just seeing the signs saying "Welcome Home" made me all teary-eyed. I'm such a Disney sap.

We checked in immediately, there was no lines at all, and since I had done the online check in, our room was ready! We were in building 4, room 4309, near the bus stop and food court. We had a garden view, and the room was so pretty! We couldn't have asked for a better room!







We quickly unpacked our carry-ons since our luggage hadn't arrived yet, and then began exploring! We each packed all our headwear in our carry-ons, so for our very first day we decided to wear matching minnie-ears. While we unpacked, we watched Stacey! What kind of Disney trip is it if you don't watch her must dos! Unt pretzel, unt beer!





We walked along the Sassagoula River, checked out the pool area, and checked out the food court. This resort is BEAUTIFUL. It's small and easy to get around, and the landscapers were even the friendliest people. They offered to take our picture in front of the fountain. Thanks again!











After we made our way full circle around our resort, it was off to Magic Kingdom! It was around 1130 AM when we hopped on the first Disney bus to the parks! Hearing the themed music, where the horns are blaring to welcome you to the Magic Kingdom, made me instantly emotional! We put our key to world card up to the new Mickey turnstiles, watched Mickey light up green, and were inside! AHHHH!!!

We hurriedly picked up our photopass and continued on. That first walk down main street is still a blur in my mind. As soon as I saw that castle, I realized I was truly here, my happiest place on earth. The tears started welling up in my eyes, I could not believe it! After months of visiting these forums and looking at everyone's pictures, it was finally my turn! I was so happy and overwhelmed and then BAM the "move it, shake it, celebrate it" parade started going on. I swear it's like they were celebrating our arrival We both were laughing and dancing, and waving at every character that passed by. It was the best entrance I've ever had.









We couldn't decide what we wanted to do first, we had no plan! So we started wandering! We took as many photopass pictures and we could, and then decided to head to new fantasyland. We both had last visited in 2011, so we were excited! On the way, we saw a Tiana, and there wasn't a line, so we had to meet her right away! She was extremely nice, and really pretty!



New fantasyland did not live up to my expectations, I guess because the huge mine train is in the middle of everything. It kind of takes away from the whole immersive experience. I think I may have rathered they open everything up at once, instead of in stages. Don't get me wrong, all the detailing in this area of the park is one the reasons I love Disney World so much.. they truly go that extra mile.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

One of my dreams is to get my picture with the Robin Hood characters! I especially love Prince John.

Maybe they will do long lost characters again sometime! I wish characters didn't have to get lost!

I think you just convinced me to drag my husband to the Hopp De Doo Revue when we visit in February!! I love your trip report by the way....I wish I had a girl friend that I could visit WDW with and do all the girlie things my husband doesn't want to do. I am 27 and absolutely love Hannah Montana (do you are not alone) haha

Glad to find another Hannah Montana lover! That show was amazing, I still miss it! I don't watch the Disney channel too much anymore And going with a girl friend is def a fun experience, while I loved going with my boyfriend, it was just a totally different trip with a friend. And try Hoop-dee-doo!! It's so cute!!!!

This is an awesome TR!!!! Love it!!! You guys look like you had the best time. I am going with my best friend in November and her daughter (my god-daughter) and we are staying at POR Royal Room... this TR made me even MORE excited than I already am for this trip! Like you guys, we are also inseparable so I know a whole week we will be fine.

Are you wearing Tom's in your pics? Are they comfortable enough for the parks? I ordered a pair of Disney World hand painted Tom's so that I can wear them on my trips and I really hope they don't destroy my feet.

I loved wearing my toms! In all honesty, they were the most comfortable shoes I wore all trip! My sneakers hurt my arches in my feet after being in them so long, and my flip flops were awful when it rained! I would have slid everywhere! I ended up wearing my toms a majority of the time! And they weren't so dressed down that I couldn't wear them with my dresses. Where did you get hand painted disney world ones? I want to order more and would love to have one of those!!!

 

[Tinkerbella16]

I loved wearing my toms! In all honesty, they were the most comfortable shoes I wore all trip! My sneakers hurt my arches in my feet after being in them so long, and my flip flops were awful when it rained! I would have slid everywhere! I ended up wearing my toms a majority of the time! And they weren't so dressed down that I couldn't wear them with my dresses. Where did you get hand painted disney world ones? I want to order more and would love to have one of those!!!

That is good to know! I am bringing those, sneakers and my yoga mat flip flops so I will have plenty of choices just in case they do hurt but from what I've read, Tom's are one of the most comfy shoes to wear in the parks.

I got them online. A guy on Etsy does them and he is AMAZING! He seriously paints ANYTHING from the parks on Tom's and his paintings look almost life like! He is painting Cinderella's Castle on one shoe and the other he is doing the monorail with Mickey & Minnie in the "front window" of it with the "Please stand clear of the doors..." saying painted around it lol. Can't wait to see the final product. They aren't cheap but I want to treat myself to something that I have wanted for a while.. he goes and buys the Tom's for you and paints them so they are included in the price.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

We had to wait just a few minutes before they called our names. I felt like I had been up for awhile already, so I was hungry!! I'm usually bad at home and never eat breakfast, I'll grab just a granola bar or something. In Disney though, I need my three meals! I need that extra boost of energy! Crystal Palace was really pretty inside, it reminded my kind of like a greenhouse with various plant life, or a sunporch that you could sit in and sip tea and read books all day long in a rocking chair. That's the kind of vibe I got. My descriptions are weird, I know. I filled up my first plate until there was not any room left, and began to dig in!









I couldn't eat much though, because soon I was being hugged! Eeyore snuck up behind me! It's so funny in the picture it looks as though I'm petting his nose. I really think some characters I treat like dogs, I want to pet them and cuddle them. I really must stop!





Eeyore is my friends favorite character from Winnie the Pooh, so I tried to capture some candid moments. I'm not a great photographer, and this is blatant proof!







We kept joking that we wanted to ask a character to take a selfie with us, where you hold the camera in front of yourself and take a picture, but we never went through with it. I think that kind of photo would be funny to have. Maybe next time I'll have the courage! We ate for a little and then Pooh was there! He gave such good hugs. I think his little belly makes his hugs the best.





Continued eating, oh man I love Mickey waffles! I love waffles, and to make them in the shape of a Mickey, just makes them 1000 times better. Again, nothing in Disney is average. They truly go above and beyond, and the shape of their food is just another excellent example of something "magical." Soon Piglet was at our table, he was really bright! Pink is my favorite color so I could have stared at Piglet all morning long. I wish I had a shirt in the color of his skin LOL.



I love eggs and my friend HATES them. I always joke with her whenever she sleeps over that I am going to serve her breakfast in bed of scrambled eggs. She gets so angry. Muhahaha. I made sure to eat scrambled and hard-boiled eggs that morning. I kept trying to offer her some, and let's just say she wasn't having it! Here I am being a brat, eating my hard-boiled egg.



We were both stuffed, but we had not yet met Tigger! The CMs are really on top of everything, and they make sure each character comes to your table. They have a little clipboard with them, I guess they mark off where they've already been. It's really no big deal if you get up to get food and the characters are headed your way. They will come back! Tigger was over soon enough. I wanted to bounce away with him. I think I have a secret crush on Tigger. Don't tell!



Got this nice shot of his tail.



We thanked our waiter for being so attentive, and bringing us about 10 glasses of orange juice each, and made our way back into Magic Kingdom. Sometimes, when I'm in a restaurant, I totally forget I'm still in a theme park. Oh the magic. All we had to do was walk out the door and we were transported back to Magic Kingdom. I loved Crystal Palace and would definitley eat there again!!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

We decided to head on over to Splash Mountain and get fastpass for later, we were both too stuffed to ride it just yet. I think they must have just started up the ride when we walked over, because no one was on it! I think the picture I took is pretty cool. It looks like ghosts are riding!



Then we headed towards Adventureland. We had only ridden pirates here on the first day, so we had a lot to get accomplished!







The line for Jungle Cruise was only 10 minutes, so that was our first ride of the day! I love Jungle Cruise, it's another one of those things that is incredibly cheesy, but you can't help smiling through it. Our skipper was funny, she had a sort of dry sense of humor. Everyone on the boat was laughing. I love laughing with strangers. I don't know why but it makes you have a shared bond. There was a little boy on our boat who had a necklace of fruit loops. His mom strung fruit loops on dental floss and tied it as a necklace. She said it was the only way she could get him to eat his breakfast. I thought it was pretty cool, and wished I had a snack for the ride!









All the little kids were so excited, it was hard not to be excited with them. They truly believe these are all real animals, pointing them out and screaming about them to their parents. This ride is genuinely great for all ages.










I love the little baby elephants, they are so cute! I wish you could hop of the boat and join them in the water. It was starting to get a little warm at this point, so the thought did cross my mind once or twice.



After our silly safari ride, we kept on with the animal theme and headed to the tiki room. This is another attraction you have to watch out for. That song will be stuck in your head for days to come. You could be going about your daily life, and BAM "in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room, in the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room" is stuck in your head on repeat. I couldn't help singing it for hours to come, and I still burst out in song every so often even now that I'm home.













This is another one of those amazing attractions that I wish I'd experienced as a kid. The little ones who thought all the birdies were real, were probably so amazed! I'm amazed at how detailed everything is, and how lifelike it actually look. They blink, move their feathers, sing.. it's just crazy to me. I would be scared to death if I was stuck in there alone around midnight.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

I love when it gets dark and stormy, I think that's my favorite part. My neck is always sore from looking up and around all the time. There's too much to look at!! LOL





We left the enchanted birdies, and saw Aladdin and Jasmine were meeting over by the magic carpets. They had to go check on Abu, but would be back in 15 minutes, so we decided to wait. Another princess! Score! And Aladdin was okay too. Haha.



Jasmine was pretty upset I wasn't wearing her crown. I told her Ariel was my favorite, but I would consider checking hers out. I think she was a little upset. I'm sorry Jasmine! Aladdin had on more make than me.. his skin was perfect!



We stood awkwardly far apart in these photos. Aladdin and Jasmine look nice though.





We then headed over to the country bears, I have never seen the show. My friend told me her family used to watch it when they wanted to cool down in the AC, so I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised.








The show was fun, this is definitley a classic Disney attraction. I loved the finale when the bear came down from the ceiling. She was all dressed up like a Southern Belle. I'm still amazed at the animatronics. I love these sort of Disney classics, they are so much better than the computer screens that they now used in some attractions. Little mermaid ride, I'm looking at you.

Left my new found bear friends, and got a fast fass for big thunder. This is another one of my favorites! I think I say everything is my favorite, I'm sorry haha.


That rock reminds me of grade school when I used to play Oregon Trail in computer class. I remember making it to chimney rock on the trail and they would play this upbeat pioneer tune, oh those were the days. We had time before we could ride Splash, so we headed to Tom Sawyer's Island!









Adventure awaits!

 

[englanddg]

Country Bears for the Win!

 

[harleebug]

Fort Wilderness is our home with POFQ coming in second. Staying in an RV is a lot of fun, but they also have the cabins. They are a bit pricey and small but it's all about the feel. We always rent a golf cart. Staying at the Fort makes you feel like you are no where near the crowds. It's truly very relaxing. The transportation isn't always the best but it has never been a deal breaker. We went to River Country all the time when I was growing up and it is very sad to me to see it wasted! A lot if great memories. You should try and stay there one day. You will love it.

 

[dkaudio]

Again... Great pics!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Country Bears for the Win!

I'm a fan. One show and I'm hooked!

Fort Wilderness is our home with POFQ coming in second. Staying in an RV is a lot of fun, but they also have the cabins. They are a bit pricey and small but it's all about the feel. We always rent a golf cart. Staying at the Fort makes you feel like you are no where near the crowds. It's truly very relaxing. The transportation isn't always the best but it has never been a deal breaker. We went to River Country all the time when I was growing up and it is very sad to me to see it wasted! A lot if great memories. You should try and stay there one day. You will love it.

Do you need a certain number of people to stay in the cabins? I would love this!! I am going to look into it! Fort Wilderness was really fun, I wish I had been there before!

Again... Great pics!

Thank you

 

[dkaudio]

 

[englanddg]

Loving your trip report!

 

[pumpkin7]

Ahh!! It's so nice to meet another fellow Disney World obsessed photographer! I swear I could have taken more but my friend restrained me! Atleast I'm not as bad as the people with their ipads videoing everything through the huge screen!

And no, I never got a muppet plush.. they were all too stiff and skinny! I need something comfy to cuddle with at night! What else are stuffed animals for!

The alien must not have worked on my other trips, I don't remember him at all! I wouldn't be surprised tho if I just wasn't paying attention. And there's an alien in the wall? WHAT?!?!?

Thanks for the Youtube hint! I will def go check it out! I wish River Country could come back in some way

I can't stand people who use their Ipads for photographic purposes! You look like a fool!

You should have got a pillow pal. They are soft and a pillow so win win!

Yeah there's an alien on the right hand wall, but if you're in the front car, you miss it.

And to save you searching, here's the AdamtheWoo video. He has loads though so make sure you check them all out.

 

[harleebug]

I'm a fan. One show and I'm hooked!



Do you need a certain number of people to stay in the cabins? I would love this!! I am going to look into it! Fort Wilderness was really fun, I wish I had been there before!



Thank you

You do not have to have a certain number-the cabins sleep six. The bedroom has a full bed and bunk beds. The living room has a full hide away bed. They have a full kitchen with pots, pans, etc. Every cabin has a grill. It is the most relaxing part of our trip. I will stress that the cabins are far away from the Marina. We have a young child and would not want to stay in cabins without renting a golf cart. BTW-the picture you took on the boat is River County....RIP.

 

[mklively]

Awesome TR!!!

 

[MichelleMyBelle]

I really love your TR! It's getting me so excited for our trip in 46 days. We have the photopass+ and I can't wait to take hundreds of pictures!! Can't wait to see the rest of your trip

 

[Jtlively]

Great TR, keep it up

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Loving your trip report!

Thank you so much. It's my first one but I'm trying!! I didn't realize how much time these things take! LOL

 

[prfctlyximprct]

I can't stand people who use their Ipads for photographic purposes! You look like a fool!

You should have got a pillow pal. They are soft and a pillow so win win!

Yeah there's an alien on the right hand wall, but if you're in the front car, you miss it.

And to save you searching, here's the AdamtheWoo video. He has loads though so make sure you check them all out.

Thank you so much for posting! That video is awesome!!!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

You do not have to have a certain number-the cabins sleep six. The bedroom has a full bed and bunk beds. The living room has a full hide away bed. They have a full kitchen with pots, pans, etc. Every cabin has a grill. It is the most relaxing part of our trip. I will stress that the cabins are far away from the Marina. We have a young child and would not want to stay in cabins without renting a golf cart. BTW-the picture you took on the boat is River County....RIP.

I thought I spotted RC and I was so excited! I wanted to ask the boat driver to go closer, but he might have thought I was crazy!! I want to try Fort Wilderness so bad! I guess I have to go back!

Awesome TR!!!

Thank you You make me smile!

I really love your TR! It's getting me so excited for our trip in 46 days. We have the photopass+ and I can't wait to take hundreds of pictures!! Can't wait to see the rest of your trip

Photopass+ is really awesome! I am so glad I did it! Have so much fun when you go!! I'm jealous!!

Great TR, keep it up

Thank you, I'm trying! I didn't realize how many pictures I took lol! This may take awhile...

 

[dkaudio]

Lol!