Trip Report And At Last I See the (rivers of) Light: A Much Too Short Trip Report *COMPLETED*

Hello Humans!

For those just joining, my name is Nicole. (Sorry if you were expecting Buddy Boil!) :p

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I am just a wee bit toooooo obsessed with Disney World and all things Disney, but is there ever really too much of a good thing? I’m just one of “those people”. The kind that doesn’t understand the need to travel anywhere else on this planet besides Disney, the kind that has more Disney clothes than work attire, the kind that stalks cast members instagram profiles… but we’ll gloss over those more intimate details. :p

I just returned from an extremely short trip to the World. And although short, I still feel the pain. It’s like when someone loses a limb, such as an arm or a leg, and they say they can still feel it. That is exactly how I feel about the removal of my Mickey ears. I have phantom limb pain from taking off my Mickey ear headbands. The ears are off, and the pain real. You mean to tell me I can't wear my rose gold ears to go grocery shopping? What kind of world do we live in?

After throwing a temper tantrum on the ground to my fiancé, complaining he doesn’t love me because he’s dragging me to Hawaii for our honeymoon, I decided the more mature, adult way to deal with post Disney depression is to share my story with you fine people. So let’s begin.

Who: Myself and my Bestie (we went in 2013 and 2014 previously)

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Where: All Star Music (We nicknamed this trip the budget trip. No park hoppers, no dining reservations, no dining plan, carryon luggage only so we wouldn’t come home with a bazillion souvenirs. A budget in Disney… that didn’t work so well. You mean that green Mickey lighting up was racking up my credit card? WHO KNEW?! :)

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When: Friday, January 19th to Tuesday January 23rd

Why: Why not? The best way to escape wedding planning is Disney planning! :p

Jan 19th
Our flight wasn’t until 7 PM out of Newark, New Jersey. I currently live right outside of Philadelphia with Joe, go Eagles :p but it was easier for me to get to Newark than my friend to get to Philly. And me flying alone is never a good idea. I once found myself in an airport closest. Yeah, no idea. I decided to work a half day instead of using a vacation day, because I’m trying to bank all my days for my honeymoon and secretly another Disney trip come fall. Don’t tell anyone. It can be our little secret. Hardy har har! ;);)

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Did not sleep a wink the night before, not sure if it was the excitement, the nerves about my carryon being TSA compliant, or the fact that I was fighting off laryngitis. Ursula, take my legs but give me back my voice!!!!! Some people were too ecstatic I was speechless, cough JOE cough. I could not rub in his face that I WAS GOING TO DISNEY WORLD.

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Wore my little mermaid leggings to work because I am a child. I work for an orthodontic team and having all my patients ask me about going to Disney World just amped up my excitement level. My age category is definitely 8-12 because that is who I most relate too. HA!

Clocked out early and made my long trek to North Jersey. Got back in record time, must have been those pixie dust fumes in my gas tank. :p My friend’s brother was our designated Uber and I’m sure he kicked himself for offering to drive us two crazy loons.

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Strapped on my magic band and admired the beauty of all that is Mickey’s outline. I love the new shape, didn’t think I would! It actually looks like a watch, IT’S MICKEY TIME.

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On the ride there, we received a text message that our room was ready! Don’t judge me that I never deleted my 2016 room notification message.

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My friend and I had been joking all week that we’d be put in country. NOT THE COUNTRY BOOT! And lo and behold, there we were. She called up Disney to see if they could switch us to jazz, we’d been practicing our jazz hands for months! The cast member laughed, and apologized that the resort was fully booked; we could maybe switch our room later on during the trip. TOO BAD OUR TRIP WAS SO SHORT. :(

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Nothing screams Disney World more than a pair of country boots! Am I right?! :p

We got through security quickly and made our way to the gate. Upon arrival, our flight is delayed. From 7 PM to 8:30 PM. WHAT! Lose an hour and a half of Disney time!? I cannot deal.

The terminal was packed. There was not a seat to be found. We circled round and round, myself rolling my carryon like I’d had one too many drinks. It’s hard steering a suitcase! We were antsy and then it hit us. One little spark of inspiration. LET’S SEE IF THE EARLIER FLIGHT HAS ANY SEATS AVAILABLE.

Turns out, it did! And for a mere fee of $75.00 each, we could arrive in Disney at 8:30 PM. We went back and forth… if we got there early we could eat in the food court, we’d have more Disney time, we could get to sleep earlier and be less cranky for parking opening. Budget trip my behind.

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We were soon on the plane, vowing to not tell a soul we paid $75 to arrive in Disney an hour and a half earlier. Whoops!

The flight attendants asked if we could be the heroes of the flight, and of course we obliged.

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Throw the plane door out the window and save all the innocent lives on board? Ain’t no thing for Princess Nicole. Watch out Mr. Incredible. I’m coming for your costume.

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Heroes need their nourishment, so cheers to the first food pictures of the trip!

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Touched down in Orlando much earlier than expected… money comes and goes but Disney memories are forever. That’s what I keep telling myself at least!

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The Magical Express area was dead, and we hoped we didn’t just miss the bus. Turns out the bus was waiting right outside for our arrival. What great service! I don’t know if I credit this to the fact that I’m now a hero? Hopped aboard that big beautiful red beauty of transportation and prepared myself for my ride back home. The butterflies were fluttering about in my stomach, I could not stop giggling, and I felt it deep down to my core that I was back in my happy place. You know that warm fuzzy feeling of being on property? That moment where you know your trip to come is filled with endless possibilities? Don't ever take waiting in the Magical Express line for granted!


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Would our room be the very last room in the very back of our resort? Did they separate us from the general public on purpose because we are certifiably insane? Would my jazz hands feel betrayed about nothing getting their moment to shine?
:)
 

clarabellej

Well-Known Member
I too love Outlander. Jamie!!!!!!!! And being in the midst of another Droughtlander, I will be sure to check out the merch. Spice Road looks yum, so wonder what the deal is. I thought about making an ADR at Via Napoli, but we always have such a big lunch at Sunshine Seasons, not sure if I should. Cool that you were able to get in spur of the moment. Love your coverage of Festival of the Arts! Great TR!!!!
 

Captain Barbossa

Well-Known Member
Exiting the Germany shops, we spotted a rogue Photopass photographer. OH SIR! Here we are!

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We booked it to Italy for our own personal photo shoot. :p

He was super excited because the globe for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth was making it's way out onto the lagoon! He kept telling us, JUST ONE MORE SECOND, WAIT FOR IT, ONE MORE SECOND. WAIT FOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR IT. We didn't have a clue what he was referring to, just shrugged and decided to go along with it.

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Talk about timing! I love that he was able to capture this moment. I always get extremely excited the moment I see that beautiful float make it's debut. Just thinking about this night time spectacular gives me the chills. ROE music makes me cry. (Sorry Happily Ever After) The wondrous Earth Globe that transforms into a movie screen. To fathom just how much goes into a show for each and every night just blows my mind. That's the Disney Difference.

Thought I would take my own artsy pictures, and yep, they are terrible.





Wait for this one... guys...



Am I @fractal or @sheriffwoody status now?! :p

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There I be, the next best photographer of the WDWmagic boards.

We decided to sit and relax in Italy. We marveled at the architecture, watched people chug limoncello (don't ever do that!!), and basked in a few minutes of sunshine. It wasn't as cold as Philadelphia!

Italy is so realistic, so picturesque, an almost too real replica right now to the intimate details. Why travel to the real thing when you have Epcot's Italy?





Sergio, the comedic juggler, soon made an appearance and we were immediately mesmerized by his show! He had a father trying to shoot baskets who kept missing, and then his son shot and made it right away. Everyone was cracking up. I can still hear his little whistling tune in my head.

Although Disney offers "Times Guides" I always fail to look at them. The fact that you can wander around and just so happen to stumble upon a random act of entertainment adds to the overall magic. Everyone was clapping and smiling, just enjoying life in the present moment. I'm so thankful for these small but meaningful Disney touches.

We headed off to America. Christopher Columbus crossed the ocean blue, George Washington crossed the Delaware, and we crossed country borders in a few steps.

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We paddled like madwomen for this picture, and the Photopass man was about to wet his pants. He kept yelling "YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO PADDLE THIS IS NOT A VIDEO."

I about died of laughter. And as you all know, laughter is basically an ab workout, so we were hungry again. :)

We decided to play ADR roulette and see where would be available to eat within the next half hour. Cue the jeopardy music.



DO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM?



WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE, SOMEBODY'S WATCHINGGGGGGGGGGGGG ME?!
If you guessed Via Napoli, you'd be correct! They had an available dining reservation for that very moment! It felt like we had just stepped foot in the great old US of A before we decided to backtrack it to Italy! Oh the convenience of the World Showcase :)

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SAIL AWAY HOME!



I ordered the Carciofi pizza, and my friend decided on the Margherita. We decided we could share because we just could not make up our minds.





Artichokes might be my favorite food EVER. And that's a pretty bold claim. But put artichokes on pizza? YES. I AM LIVING.



I had been to Via Napoli before, but I didn't order pizza. Why? I'll never know. GET THE PIZZA. I'm a spoiled North Jersey gal, I have had NYC style pizza all my life... and I thought Via Napoli pizza was amazing. It came out bubbling hot on a metal pizza tray, and the aroma made my mouth hang open with drool. When I finally took a bite, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. If my friend wasn't nervously screaming at her phone watching the Patriots/ Jaguars game, I would have truly been in an ultimate state of bliss.

We sat and savored our delightful meal. Well maybe only I did, my friend was biting off all her nails.

It was then time for more Arts!

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The Scream and Mona Lisa!

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Mona Lisa probably would of cracked a smile if she got to wear Mickey ears for her portrait. :p

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We HAD to take a break from posing in paintings, because we HAD to sit on a wall in America, because my friend HAD to watch the end of the Patriots game. Can you tell how thrilled I was?

It ended up being a blessing in disguise, because while we sat on the wall, we had a perfect view of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series. We listened to musical numbers from Kevin Massey and Kara Lindsay. How cute is it that they are married in real life!? I belted out You'll Be in my Heart while my friend cheered on Tom Brady. It was a good compromise. :p

They won, she was normal again, and we continued our tour of the world. We got lost in the Japan stores, they just go on forever and ever!





Have I ever looked better? That, my friends, is a rhetorical question. :p
Upon leaving Japan, darkness was setting in. It was strange for it to be getting dark so early, another difference with going to Disney World in January!

We sauntered though Morocco, and I failed to snap any pictures. I looked longingly at Spice Road Table, I must eat here my next trip. :) I have read such rave reviews, but each trip when I've walked by it's been so empty. I hope I get a chance to eat here before they change it some way. It is in such a prime location, and it's new, so I don't understand why the general public does not see any appeal. Who knows, maybe each time I've walked by it's just been slow and it isn't always that way.



France always looks so romantic at night, and we reveled in it's beauty. I wanted a Grey Goose slushie but I was still too stuffed from dinner. Me stuffed? I know, it's a rare occurrence. I hate when my stomach betrays me like that in Disney world. :arghh::arghh:



Sleeping Beauty was out meeting guests, but the line was at least 50 people deep. It broke my friend's heart that we probably wouldn't make it to see her, so we took awkward selfies from afar. Yep, totally awkward.





Even though we were stuffed from dinner, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a dinner party. :p The Photopass woman told us to pretend we were laughing, and oh we were not pretending. I was cracking up. These photo ops were hilarious and I love these pictures so much.

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We leisurely continued along World Showcase promenade, stopping at various booths to admire the art. So many Figment pieces, and if I wasn't getting married this year I easily would have dropped my life savings on art pieces. There was one booth where they were painting Toms shoes with original Disney art. I have spent countless hours on Etsy debating back and forth between buying a pair of my own, how cool would it have been to have gotten a pair in Epcot?

These are not my photos, because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to photograph the art. :p Plus, we all know I wouldn't capture it anyway!

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I really wanted in the above image on the right side, the image of the tree. The tree contained hundreds of hidden objects, from Cinderella's slipper to Mickey's face and so on. It was such a fun piece! I don't think Joe would mind having all of our walls plastered with Disney art? Maybe I'll wait til after he says "I do" to start intensely decorating. Shhhhhhhh :p He does already know my fondness for Thomas Kincade, and one day I will own the Little Mermaid painting. Mark my words!

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I DIE. IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I don't even think the face of my first born will compare. :p

We still had a good two and half hours until Illuminations, and we were starting to feel that giddy, over tired, in a food coma, feeling. At least that's what I'm going with.



If that doesn't scream I LOVE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, I don't know what does.



Jazz hands for my friends in the UK.





Those jazz hands are for you @Longers and @RedNoseMickey :inlove:

We walked through all the quaint little shops, I love looking at all the tea and smelling the perfumes. I had been on a tea overdrive since losing my voice, and it was nice to see all the options I'd have for the next time I came down with laryngitis.



I am obsessed with Outlander, and my good friend back home is marrying a man from Scotland come September, so I sent her a picture of this shirt! :)

I then made my friend snoop around, to see if we could see any construction flags or any hint of a ride coming to the UK. Ninja stealth mode activated. I've heard Brave or Mary Poppins, and I want both. Ha! After peering under bushes and walking as far back as we could go, they mystery remains yet to be solved!

Our final destination on this tour was OH CANADA.







We tried and failed to take a cute photo with the totem pole. Canada might just top my list of countries because of it's native attributes. I was reading about the totem poles here (there are three in total) and they are based on the story of the Raven and the Sky Chief.

Summary from wikipedia: "The Raven came to a world covered in darkness, where men and women lived in an area of dark and cold. The Raven felt bad for the people living in the dark and resolved to search for the light. The Raven flew across mountains, rivers, and valleys until finally, he saw light. He had arrived at the house of the Sky Chief, which was shining brilliantly in the horizon. The Raven snuck into the house of the Sky Chief by turning into a pine-needle and fell into the water of the Sky Chief's beautiful daughter. The daughter drank the water and unknowingly swallowed the Raven. Time passed and she soon gave birth to a child, that bore a striking resemblance to the Raven. The Raven used his child disguise to locate and secure the Sun, stealing it from the Sky Chief and returning to the land of darkness. The Raven threw the Sun into the sky, where it stayed filling the area a bright light. People feed the Raven today as a way to say thanks for bringing light to them."

GUYS. THEY AREN'T JUST TOTEM POLES. They tell a story. THIS IS WHY I FREAKING LOVE DISNEY WORLD. Every little detail tells a backstory, every detail adds to the overall experience. I loved enjoying all these little moments in World Showcase. There is not a place like it on this earth. Where else can you travel around the globe in a day and gain a new appreciation for different cultures? Where else can you sample another country's foods, try other country's drinks, purchase their everyday goods, and have genuine conversations with citizens of that actual country all within a 12 hour time period? THERE IS NO WHERE LIKE WORLD SHOWCASE.

Although I failed to take a nice totem pole selfie, I got this winning shot of my friend transforming into a lumberjack.



O CANADA!
Holy cow, I didn't realize that I was this far behind! Have I been living under a rock the last 24 hours? That's so cool that you got your picture made right as the globe was passing in the background. I've always wanted to see it go through the drawbridge, but never have. Your pizza at Via Napoli looked so good!. I haven't eaten there before, but really want to. The picture of you and your friend with George Washington crossing the Delaware might be my favorite. I've never been to EPCOT during Festival of the Arts, so I didn't really know what all they had going on. Sounds and looks pretty awesome. Guess I'll have to add it to my WDW goals. And I'm with you when it comes to WS. Why travel the world (not WDW ;)), when you can just travel WS? In my book, the CMs, and the detail into each country, are the key ingredients for the authentic atmosphere that WS gives. That's what I love about it.
 
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Tuvalu

Premium Member
I love Outlander! But...it's not Disney...? I'm surprised they have Outlander merch at Disney. I am (impatiently) waiting for the 9th book. But now I will have to make sure to check out the UK shop next time we go to Disney!!
The U.K. shop also has Beatles and Doctor Who merchandise....definitely not Disney! :joyfull:

Actually all the “country” stores in World Showcase don’t have much Disney in them at all, but rather items unique to each homeland.
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Exiting the Germany shops, we spotted a rogue Photopass photographer. OH SIR! Here we are!

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We booked it to Italy for our own personal photo shoot. :p

He was super excited because the globe for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth was making it's way out onto the lagoon! He kept telling us, JUST ONE MORE SECOND, WAIT FOR IT, ONE MORE SECOND. WAIT FOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR IT. We didn't have a clue what he was referring to, just shrugged and decided to go along with it.

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031B6670-B710-4421-995D-F499A81C3C57_zpsvsny7wc1.jpg


Talk about timing! I love that he was able to capture this moment. I always get extremely excited the moment I see that beautiful float make it's debut. Just thinking about this night time spectacular gives me the chills. ROE music makes me cry. (Sorry Happily Ever After) The wondrous Earth Globe that transforms into a movie screen. To fathom just how much goes into a show for each and every night just blows my mind. That's the Disney Difference.

Thought I would take my own artsy pictures, and yep, they are terrible.

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Wait for this one... guys...

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Am I @fractal or @sheriffwoody status now?! :p

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There I be, the next best photographer of the WDWmagic boards.

We decided to sit and relax in Italy. We marveled at the architecture, watched people chug limoncello (don't ever do that!!), and basked in a few minutes of sunshine. It wasn't as cold as Philadelphia!

Italy is so realistic, so picturesque, an almost too real replica right now to the intimate details. Why travel to the real thing when you have Epcot's Italy?

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Sergio, the comedic juggler, soon made an appearance and we were immediately mesmerized by his show! He had a father trying to shoot baskets who kept missing, and then his son shot and made it right away. Everyone was cracking up. I can still hear his little whistling tune in my head.

Although Disney offers "Times Guides" I always fail to look at them. The fact that you can wander around and just so happen to stumble upon a random act of entertainment adds to the overall magic. Everyone was clapping and smiling, just enjoying life in the present moment. I'm so thankful for these small but meaningful Disney touches.

We headed off to America. Christopher Columbus crossed the ocean blue, George Washington crossed the Delaware, and we crossed country borders in a few steps.

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We paddled like madwomen for this picture, and the Photopass man was about to wet his pants. He kept yelling "YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO PADDLE THIS IS NOT A VIDEO."

I about died of laughter. And as you all know, laughter is basically an ab workout, so we were hungry again. :)

We decided to play ADR roulette and see where would be available to eat within the next half hour. Cue the jeopardy music.

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DO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM?

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WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE, SOMEBODY'S WATCHINGGGGGGGGGGGGG ME?!


I see lots of potential!
 

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
The U.K. shop also has Beatles and Doctor Who merchandise....definitely not Disney! :joyfull:

Actually all the “country” stores in World Showcase don’t have much Disney in them at all, but rather items unique to each homeland.
Huh...when we were there in 2016, Norway had been Frozen-fied. There was very little left of the previous merch. But I admit, we didn't get much time to explore the WS, which is my favorite part of Disney, so I was kind of sad not to get to see much. Next trip, I plan to rectify that. But I would not have expected Outlander stuff anyway!
 

krause

Well-Known Member
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I am obsessed with Outlander, and my good friend back home is marrying a man from Scotland come September, so I sent her a picture of this shirt! :)

ACK! I would have definitely gone into the store in the UK if I knew they had Outlander merch :inlove: Love love love. I read the first couple of books and binge watched it while I was pregnant and I mayyyy have gotten my sons name Malcolm from it (don’t tell my husband :joyfull:)
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love Outlander too!what is the Disney tie in?? Did you read the books? I’m not sure I could choose between Prince Eric or Jamie Fraser.

I read all the books in a summer! LOL! I cannot wait for the next one to be out!!!!! Jamie is smoking hot on the show haha.. but Prince Eric will always be my first love. :inlove::inlove: Was surprised to see it in the UK pavilion but hey, I ain't complaining!

AHHHHH there was Outlander stuff in the UK pavilion?? I didn't even check, and now am kicking myself!

There was only a small table! But I should have bought it all! I am still holding out hope for a Brave ride. :p

Well if you're going to blame me for that then I'll give you more ammunition - Disney Dooney FB pages where you can buy and sell Not sure if you knew but they do exist :) You can get them cheaper there than on eBay. Just in FYI in case you are interested. But don't join the groups unless you really want to be tempted. Seriously.

UGH! I am going to be so poor! HA! I am already obsessively looking for Flower and Garden Ears, and I'm tempted to buy the Figment Food and Wine and just remove the hat, I cannot have a purse obsession too! WHY YOU TEMPT ME LIKE THIS :)
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I too love Outlander. Jamie!!!!!!!! And being in the midst of another Droughtlander, I will be sure to check out the merch. Spice Road looks yum, so wonder what the deal is. I thought about making an ADR at Via Napoli, but we always have such a big lunch at Sunshine Seasons, not sure if I should. Cool that you were able to get in spur of the moment. Love your coverage of Festival of the Arts! Great TR!!!!

Thank you for following along! We can share Jamie! The king of men :p You must try Via Napoli, make a late late ADR! :) I must try lunch at Sunshine Seasons! I need to switch up my timing with riding Soarin'!

View attachment 262999
Totally bought that tree photo on our trip in 2016!!! OBSSESSED with it! Plus, the artist was in the store that day so we were able to get it signed! It sits beautifully on our sofa table in the living room! ❤️ (Next to our Sams Club sized hand sanitizer because Ryleigh! 😂)

I FREAKING LOVE THAT TREE PICTURE!!! WHAT A CUTE SET UP I AM UBER JEALOUS! And you got it signed?! That's awesome! I want to buy it, I wonder if I can find it somewhere on line!

Holy cow, I didn't realize that I was this far behind! Have I been living under a rock the last 24 hours? That's so cool that you got your picture made right as the globe was passing in the background. I've always wanted to see it go through the drawbridge, but never have. Your pizza at Via Napoli looked so good!. I haven't eaten there before, but really want to. The picture of you and your friend with George Washington crossing the Delaware might be my favorite. I've never been to EPCOT during Festival of the Arts, so I didn't really know what all they had going on. Sounds and looks pretty awesome. Guess I'll have to add it to my WDW goals. And I'm with you when it comes to WS. Why travel the world (not WDW ;)), when you can just travel WS? In my book, the CMs, and the detail into each country, are the key ingredients for the authentic atmosphere that WS gives. That's what I love about it.

I was at my parents this weekend so I had a bunch of time to sit and write! Now I'm back in Philly being forced to go to work :( LOL hope to update soon!

Via Napoli was soooo yummy! It may have even been better than the pizza in North Jersey but I cannot let anyone know I feel that way! You should def at it to your list! And I crack up at the Delaware crossing picture sooooooo much. I want to print it out on a canvas and hang it in my living room. It'd be a great conversation piece! :p

Glad you feel the same way I do about traveling the world when World Showcase exists. I love it so much! The only other places I want to travel are Hong Kong, Paris, Anaheim, Shanghai, Tokyo...... :p
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love Outlander! But...it's not Disney...? I'm surprised they have Outlander merch at Disney. I am (impatiently) waiting for the 9th book. But now I will have to make sure to check out the UK shop next time we go to Disney!!

I am waiting impatiently too! WHEN WILL IT BE OUT! COME ON!!!! Droughtlander is rough! Def check out the UK shop! I hope they continue to sell merchandise and I hope it comes to the App so I can order it!!!

The U.K. shop also has Beatles and Doctor Who merchandise....definitely not Disney! :joyfull:

Actually all the “country” stores in World Showcase don’t have much Disney in them at all, but rather items unique to each homeland.

Which is what I love so much about them! No IPcot!!! Gimme my genuine country feelings! :p

I see lots of potential!

I am blushing! :p

Huh...when we were there in 2016, Norway had been Frozen-fied. There was very little left of the previous merch. But I admit, we didn't get much time to explore the WS, which is my favorite part of Disney, so I was kind of sad not to get to see much. Next trip, I plan to rectify that. But I would not have expected Outlander stuff anyway!

You must rectify this! I could spend a whole trip in World Showcase... maybe I should join you :p

ACK! I would have definitely gone into the store in the UK if I knew they had Outlander merch :inlove: Love love love. I read the first couple of books and binge watched it while I was pregnant and I mayyyy have gotten my sons name Malcolm from it (don’t tell my husband :joyfull:)

OMG! I love the name Malcolm and it's so unique and a nice subtle hint to Outlander! I cannot wait for the new season to come out! I am mesmerized by Jamie! :)

Omg I totally did not know you went to Via Napoli!!!! It was SOOOOO yummy!!! I'm glad you liked it too!

I was so happy we found a last minute ADR! It was pure luck and satisfied my pizza cravings! LOL.. I will def go back! But I must explore all the other restaurants! There just is not enough time.. let's move :p


HOORAY!!! LET'S START SAVING NOW. How Epic would this trip be?!
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After being extremely tempted to buy onesie pajamas in the Canadian store and just call it a night, we decided to take a quick "power sit" on a nearby bench. We debated sitting there until Illuminations began, but realized we had way to much time to kill. I was checking the Eagles score, and I admit I was super surprised they were winning! I refrained from texting Joe, because I knew if they lost, he's somehow say I'd jinxed it! :p

Got our behinds up, and kept on moving. You can't rest for too long in the World! Those feet won't feel tired if you just KEEP EM MOVING. :p

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Do I look thrilled or WHAT! Bahahahah! I was sad there was not anywhere left to paint! My friend back home was texting me all day to go find the mural but because my phone was on airplane mode, I never got them in time! :( This only means I must return! Disney is dying for these artistic skills. Trust me, that monorail could have been worth millions. ;)

We decided to go check out MouseGears, the store you walk into empty-handed and leave broke. They should really change the name of this store to MouseTrap. TAKE ALL MY MONEY.

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So we're bopping along, I'm trying to convince my friend that I needdddddddddd a black hat with Minnie ears, and I do a double take. I think I must have walked by her twice, making slow eye contact, just in case my mind was playing tricks on me! But nope! Another WDWMAGIC meetup! By pure chance! It was meant to be :)

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Chatted for a bit with @becca_ and her boyfriend, Daniel! We'd been messaging back and forth on instagram all week, but since my phone had been on airplane mode, I didn't see that she had made it to Epcot that night! The power of Disney brought us together. OR THE POWER THAT IS MOUSEGEARS. :p

My friend told Daniel I'd been having her meet up with all my "Disney friends" and that she didn't understand the power of the @wdwmagic forums until just now! He felt the same so I am glad they were in the same boat :p We talked about our trips so far, @becca_ told me all about her Animal Kingdom day, and how she felt about Rivers of Light. :inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove: I could not believe I had only one sleep left until I WOULD SEE IT FOR MYSELF. It felt like we were old friends, and that's the thing I love about all the people that share their trip reports, and their common love for Disney. There's no awkwardness, it's like we are all one big happy Disney World family.

We soon parted ways, :( Illuminations was starting soon and I, of course, had to make a pitstop before it began.

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BEHOLD THE CRONUT. THE CRONUT TOPPED WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM. THE WARM CROISSANT DOUGHNUT TOPPED WITH THE COLD ICE CREAM. POLAR OPPOSITE TEMPERATURES COMING TOGETHER TO FORM A SCRUMPTIOUS, DELICIOUS, DELECTABLE PIECE OF HEAVEN. (I'm soooo sorry 'Ohana bread pudding.)

Even though I was chilled to the bone, the warmth of the cronut made the ice cream just the right bit of melty, and I do not think I've ever tasted anything so good; my insides warmed up from the pure feeling of bliss. My friend wanted a bite, and I admit, I filched away from her spoon. GET YOUR OWN. :p

We watched Illuminations near the boat launch, and although it was not a perfect view, it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

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I was so engrossed by the laser usage! I teared up as the Earth made it's way out onto the lagoon, celebrating all the accomplishments of humanity. This show always gives me a newfound feeling of hope, that one day people will be less quick to judge, be more open and accepting, and more appreciative of the fact that we are all different, from different parts of the world, but we are still all human.

My friend and I noticed Morocco wasn't lighting up, and I made a mental note to google what was going on! I thought it was due to the Skyliner construction, but learned that is not the case! The buildings of the Morocco pavilion are replicas of buildings that have religious significance, so they do not light up! Never knew!

I watched in awe, swayed back and forth with my best friend, and just enjoyed the moment.

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"Every evening, brings an ending. Every day becomes a legacy. Every sunset leads to morning, with the promise of opportunity. We can reach for the stars we find along the way, dreaming as we learn to love everyday. Promise you will take my hand as tomorrow comes, We'll go on."

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We slowly trudged back to the bus stop, today would be one for the books. (or the inter webs :p )

Our ride was short and sweet, and we were soon back to our musical home. I talked with Joe a bit on the phone, THE EAGLES WERE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL, and begged him not to get arrested.

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Oh wait, we're in COUNTRY. :)

The night ended in typical Disney fashion, shower, Stacey, and snapping pictures of my HAD TO BUY purchases. I told my friend I'd wear this all the time, THIS WAS AN INVESTMENT GOSH DARN IT.

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It now sits with my ear collection, tag still attached. :p

I tried my hardest to close my eyes and get some much needed rest, but who can rest when RIVERS OF LIGHT awaits you? Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the best was still yet to come.

:)
 

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