Trip Report August 2015 Trip Report! *COMPLETED*

Hi Everyone!

So it's been a few months (okay, like five) since I got back from the BEST trip to WDW. And i'm just now getting around to the trip report. Shameful, I know.

That being said, PLEASE be patient with me as this will probably take a while to complete. Also, all pictures were taken with my iPhone 5S and although I felt like I took a million, I didn't take nearly as many as I thought (read: the food was gone before the camera even had a chance). Disney trip report newbie mistake numero uno. Also, I have no idea what I'm doing with uploading these pictures so it may be a little trial and error.

So, now that you have been sufficiently warned - to the report!

BACKGROUND:

I did write a Pre-Trip Report which you can read through if you'd like but here's a quick rundown:

Who: Myself - Ashton (25)
DH - Jonathan (25) also called J for the sake of this report
***We also were joined for 2 days by my in-laws, J's brother, & J's brother's girlfriend***

When: 8/1/15 - 8/7/15

Where: Resort - Star Island Resort in Kissimmee, FL
5 WDW Park Days

Day 1: Travel

We left our house in GA around 7am on Saturday, August 1st. Of course stopping by Dunkin' Donuts for necessary provisions for the 7 hour drive. **Side note: There is a DD 2 minutes from my house and when I walk in they have my order ready before I even get up to the counter to pay. It makes me feel simultaneously awesome and a little bit embarrassed by my addiction. haha.**

We made really good time until we got to Jacksonville where we hit pretty terrible rain. We stopped for lunch at Chipotle and made our way towards Orlando.

And then we were in Disney! Oh wait no because we spent TWO HOURS in Orlando traffic. I think it was a combination of rain, wrecks, and afternoon traffic but it was the epitome of that so close, yet so far away feeling.

BUT we finally did make it to our resort which again was Star Island Resort in Kissimmee. So as I mentioned in my pre-trip report, I really, really, REALLY (did I say really?) wanted to stay onsite but my in-laws were going to Orlando at the same time and offered us use of the condo they were renting for free which was hard to turn down.

By this point it was 4:30 and we had 6:00 ADR's at Fulton's Crab House in DTD so I was starting to stress because I had read about the traffic that all the construction has caused. And everything I read ended up being oh so true.

First Disney related picture! Albeit rainy and blurry and from inside the car but what can ya do? I was just excited!!!

HI MICKEY!!! WE'RE HERE! WE FINALLY MADE IT!

And then we proceeded to sit in traffic for another 30 minutes. At this point I was freaking out that we were going to miss our very first planned Disney dinner so I called Fulton's to see what we could do.

I swear the CM I talked to probably thought I was on drugs the way I was talking but he was so kind and courteous and said to not rush, that there would be a table for us when we arrived.

And he was right! After we booked it from the parking garage to Fulton's, we were seated right away and I was finally able to relax.

We were seated by a window with a nice view of Saratoga Springs.

If you can't tell, it was a little dreary out still.

I did manage to take snap one food picture though!

This was my dinner - a crab cake with a fried green tomato and a salad on the side (not pictured). It was good! J had the Alaskan king crab legs which he said were good but not quite as good as he was expecting for the price.

After dinner we made our way to the World of Disney store and picked up a few souvenirs and then headed over to the Pin Traders to get our Magic Bands. We may not have been staying on side but I did not want to be left out of the Magic Band fun!

I made him put this on. These type of pictures became very common during this trip but he was a good sport!

At this point it was close to 9pm and we had an early start so we headed back to the resort to get some rest.

Coming next: Magic Kingdom Day 1!!!

 

[WDWDarling]

Thank you for reading @Matty30! What part of August is your trip planned for? We went the first week and it was crowded but not to a point where I felt it was unbearable. I've heard the last two weeks are a little less crowded as some school districts start back to school.

As far as the weather, it is pretty hot & humid but if you plan a little bit it is manageable. I'm from Georgia so I'm no stranger to heat & humidity but when you're out in it all day long it can be exhausting. Also, be prepared for pop up showers in the late morning/afternoon. I think it rained on us at least for a little bit everyday but we kept going with ponchos/travel umbrella and it was never to a point where we felt like we needed to leave. Shops/shows gave us enough time to let it pass.

What I would recommend to combat both is probably the same advice most people give - get to the parks for rope drop, take an afternoon break, and come back to the parks at night when it's a little more bearable. I think that's especially important if you have little ones to get them away from the heat for a little while. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water! It's so easy to forget as you're enjoying the park but not drinking enough water in the Florida heat will ruin your day.

Also, we used Frogg Togg Chilly Pads when we were feeling especially hot and they are wonderful. If you haven't heard of them, they are a type of towel that you pour water on and they keep you cool without getting you all wet. You can get them from Amazon.

At the end of the day, if you go into it with the right expectations and a good touring plan you'll have a great trip!

Sorry for the SUPER long reply but hopefully it helps a little. I don't know if you're planning on doing a trip report but I'd love you hear your experience and I hope your family has a great time!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Thank you for reading @Matty30! What part of August is your trip planned for? We went the first week and it was crowded but not to a point where I felt it was unbearable. I've heard the last two weeks are a little less crowded as some school districts start back to school.

As far as the weather, it is pretty hot & humid but if you plan a little bit it is manageable. I'm from Georgia so I'm no stranger to heat & humidity but when you're out in it all day long it can be exhausting. Also, be prepared for pop up showers in the late morning/afternoon. I think it rained on us at least for a little bit everyday but we kept going with ponchos/travel umbrella and it was never to a point where we felt like we needed to leave. Shops/shows gave us enough time to let it pass.

What I would recommend to combat both is probably the same advice most people give - get to the parks for rope drop, take an afternoon break, and come back to the parks at night when it's a little more bearable. I think that's especially important if you have little ones to get them away from the heat for a little while. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water! It's so easy to forget as you're enjoying the park but not drinking enough water in the Florida heat will ruin your day.

Also, we used Frogg Togg Chilly Pads when we were feeling especially hot and they are wonderful. If you haven't heard of them, they are a type of towel that you pour water on and they keep you cool without getting you all wet. You can get them from Amazon.

At the end of the day, if you go into it with the right expectations and a good touring plan you'll have a great trip!

Sorry for the SUPER long reply but hopefully it helps a little. I don't know if you're planning on doing a trip report but I'd love you hear your experience and I hope your family has a great time!

We are headed down August 4 till the 13th. We have gone in September which was pretty hot, so if it is similar to that they I know we will survive lol. But the positive with September it wasn't as crowded. We're from Alberta, Canada so when it's hot it hits us hard. We're definitely not use to the heat and the humidity.
Thanks for the great tips! Our kids don't really sleep in, so that's our goal hit the park first thing in the morning and then pool break and head back at night. Our oldest daughter is diabetic so we really have to be careful with the heat with her.
We have reservations at ohana as well as well as Via Napoli, good to hear they were good. Can't wait to read more!

 

[WDWDarling]

@Matty30 I think August & September are pretty similar weather-wise. I think you're going to encounter more crowds with those dates but still not as bad as June/July.

DH and I want to plan a trip that's not in the summer months but that always seems to work best with our schedules. Honestly though I don't even care, as long as we get to go .

Yes, Ohana & Via Napoli are great!

I just found your pre-trip by the way and your girls are just the cutest! Also, so jealous that you're staying at the Poly . That's my dream resort and I will stay there one of these days! I hope the time passes quick for you guys but August will be here before you know it. Happy planning .

 

[WDWDarling]

[We interrupt this trip report for a brief anecdote. I'm about to ramble a little bit so if you're only interested in the trip report feel free to skip this part.]

I often wonder at the lengths that my Disney obsession has grown over the past few years. I have always loved Disney movies and went to WDW several times with my family when I was younger but the last time I was there before this trip was in high school and Disney was put on the back burner for a little while.

Fast forward to 2014, two years into being married, when my cousin started talking about wanting to plan a trip for her family. I have always loved to plan so she recruited me to help her. I started researching and pouring over every Disney website/book I could find and became obsessed and had to plan a trip of my own! Thus, this August trip was born and ever since I have been a crazy Disney person as my husband so lovingly calls me. The lengths I will go to to get my Disney fix surprises even ME sometimes!

For example, my husband and I took a weekend trip to Hilton Head Island, SC this past weekend and while we were driving around the island looking for a Dunkin' Donuts to get coffee at (my love for coffee is right up there with my love for Disney ) we just so "happened" to drive by the Disney Hilton Head resort (keep in mind that I was holding the GPS). I casually ask J to turn in so I can take a look around and that's when he looks at me and says, "wait, you took us by here on purpose didn't you?!?". Guilty as charged . I just needed a little Disney in my life again, so sue me!

[END RAMBLE]

Day 4, Part 1 - EPCOT

It was just J and I during our last two days in the parks and we had plans to get a lot done! This day was going to be all about EPCOT as we really rushed through it the day before.

A few days before, I was looking through the "snacking around the world" post on disneytouristblog and J happened to see a link to the "drinking around the world" post so he knew what he wanted to accomplish! Unfortunately, we were so caught up in the day that I didn't take too many pictures but there are at least a few .

We were starting to drag a little bit so we didn't make it to the park until 10am which ended up being fine because we only had two Future World rides we wanted to do and we had FP+ for both! We hit up SSE and Soarin' back-to-back then made our way over to the World Showcase to start our adventure!

First stop - Mexico!

J had the avocado margarita and we got chips & queso to share. I didn't try it but he really seemed to enjoy it! We spent a little time looking around the pavilion and rode the Gran Fiesta Tour again.

Not great quality but it certainly is beautiful in there! Next up... Norway!

We shared the School Bread and Viking Coffee. After all the hype around the School Bread, I honestly was a little disappointed. It wasn't bad by any means but I probably won't be getting it again. The Viking coffee on the other hand was really good! J could not understand why I ordered a hot coffee when it was 90 degrees outside but my love of coffee knows no boundaries!

My memory of this day is a little foggy but based off my pictures, we visited China next. We looked the China museum and watched the Circle-Vision Reflections of China movie which we both really enjoyed as well.

J got some sake from one of the kiosks and we took a quick break for him to enjoy it. Next stop was Germany where we split a beer (so sorry, I can't remember any of his beer choices) and a pretzel.

We took a few pictures in between enjoying our snack and drinks.

 

[WDWDarling]

Day 4, Part 2 - EPCOT cont.

As we were making our way to the America Pavilion, we stumbled upon some friends!

We didn't stop but it was fun to see the characters unexpectedly! We hurried on over to the Italy pavilion as I was able to secure a last minute ADR at Via Napoli. J loved it so much the day before that he had to go back one more time! We split a pepperoni pizza and he got the tiramisu martini which he still raves about. Tiramisu is his favorite dessert so putting that in drink form was pure heaven for him.

I'm a little out of order here I think but we did also look around the Japan pavilion for a quite a while. One of our good friends loves all things Japanese and is saving for a trip there soon so we bought him a nice set of chop sticks from the huge Japan store. I also did the "pick a pearl" which was quite an experience! I do NOT like to be the center of attention but it was a fun experience and unique souvenir to get. I had my pearl set in a necklace and wear it often. I originally wanted it set in the carriage but that thing is HUGE and I was much more expensive than the setting I went with.

We also spent a good deal of time in Morocco.

 

[WDWDarling]

Day 4, Part 3 - EPCOT cont.

We made our way through the remainder of the countries stopping to get Strawberry Sorbet for me at L'Artisan des Glaces for me and a Grand Marnier slush for J. I ended up drinking most of the slush since it wasn't quite his taste and I thought it was good but balked a little at the price.

It was starting to rain a little so we stopped in to watch Impressions de France. It was definitely a great way to relax and get out of the heat for a little while. By the time the movie was over, the rain had slowed to a sprinkle so we kept going through the rest of the countries.

J had a few more drinks at the UK and Canada pavilions but I can't remember what he got . He put forth a valiant effort but we missed getting drinks at a few countries. Another reason to plan another trip!

 

[WDWDarling]

Day 5 - Part 1: Magic Kingdom

This was our last day . I couldn't go home without seeing Magic Kingdom one last time and what better way to start a MK day than with breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table!

We had a wonderful table - I wish I could have this view everyday!

Food just tastes better when it's Mickey shaped!!!

I had the Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast which WOAH MAMA that stuff is SWEET. It was really good but I had to steal some of J's shrimp and grits to prevent going into a sugar coma.

We aren't huge character meal people but I did get one princess picture...

After breakfast we rode Big Thunder Mountain and Prince Charming's Carousel before slowing making our way out of the part and onto our next destination. One more picture heading back out to the TTC.

 

[WDWDarling]

Day 5, Part 2: Animal Kingdom & Final Thoughts

After leaving Magic Kingdom, we ventured over to Animal Kingdom to ride Kali River Rapids and see Festival of the Lion King & Finding Nemo - The Musical since we missed those on our first day there.

The whole time we were on Kali River Rapids I just knew J and I were going to be on the side that got soaked but just as we were about to go down the slope our raft turned and we were saved! I did feel bad for the couple across from us though because even though they had on ponchos, they were still soaking wet.

Festival of the Lion King was great as always and we really liked Finding Nemo too but I can't think about it without getting the "Big, Blue World" song stuck in my head for days.

Around this time we were starting to get hungry again so I pulled up the My Disney Experience app and found an open ADR at Yak & Yeti. We split the lettuce cups and the crispy honey chicken, both of which were very good. We would definitely come here again.

We walked around for a little while afterwards until I could find what I wanted for dessert...

I'd gone the whole trip without one and that just would not do!

We walked around a little more and then said our goodbye to Animal Kingdom.

After leaving AK we went back to our resort to pack and get ready for the long drive home the next day.

Overall, this was a really great trip. We accomplished a lot and J's family still has good things to say about the days we spent in the parks together. Being the first week of August it was crowded, hot, and rained for at least a little while everyday but I don't feel like any of those things took away from our trip. Good planning and FP+ helped with the crowds and ponchos and indoor rides/shows got us out of the rain.

So while August would not be my first choice times to go, I don't think it was terrible either as I feel like planning and a good attitude are the things that make or break your trip.

So the biggest question I had as we were leaving is if J would want to go back. At first he said yes but maybe not for a while. Then, around Christmas, we were talking about a family trip we are planning to take with his family to Daytona in July and he says "You know Orlando isn't that far from Daytona. Maybe we could go back to Magic Kingdom for a day."

And that my friends wraps up my August trip! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and keep an eye out for my next Pre-Trip report coming up very soon for July 2016!

Here are a few last pictures for you:

This was my desk at work when I got back from my trip. Maybe I talked about this trip a little TOO much to my co-workers .

They think they're cute with that sign. Work is CLEARLY not my happy place. However, my little Mickey tsum tsum I keep on my docking station helps.

Continuing my Disney loving at work, I convinced my team to dress up as Disney characters for Halloween and we won our costume contest! Here's my impression of Mary Poppins:

That's all for now folks - See ya real soon!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Awesome report! Thanks for sharing.

 

[disneypearl]

Thank you for sharing! It looks like it was a great time.

 

[FlaggNL]

Thanks for sharing! Was fun to read! Great pictures!

 

[blreinsel]

Thanks for sharing! Loved your report.

 

[Dave Z]

Love your report!

 

[Figgy1]

Great TR Thank you

 

[WDWDarling]

Awesome report! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for sharing! It looks like it was a great time.

Thank you for sharing! It looks like it was a great time.

Love your report!

Great TR Thank you

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read it!

 

[WDWDarling]

Thanks for sharing! Loved your report.

Thank you so much! Getting excited for you - your trip is going to be here before you know it!

 

[blreinsel]

Thank you so much! Getting excited for you - your trip is going to be here before you know it!

You're welcome! I know, I can't believe it's almost here!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

loved your report!!!! Thanks for sharing

 

[Juneau Biscuits]

Loved your Mary Poppins costume!....Loved this entire trip report! @WDWDarling

 

[LisaBelle]

Don't know how I missed your TR earlier but I did! Glad I found it because it was a joy to read! Great job with your planning to be able to fit in 3 parks in one day! Beauty & the Beast is my favorite, too! Love the French onion soup and Master's Cupcake at BOG! Loved how your co workers welcomed you back. Your Mary Poppins costume was great! Looking forward to reading about your next trip!