Trip Report **COMPLETED** A (Love) Bug's Life

Hi everyone!
Happy Mother's Day!!!
We just got back from Disney yesterday and it is cold and raining here so seems like a good time to start our TR!

Who?
My Mom (Mary), my Dad (Jeff) and myself (Megan)
This photo is from our trip last year

Where?
Grand Floridian - aside from a very brief stay at the Poly during a race weekend my Dad has never stayed at a Deluxe. So, with a nice AP discount we let him pick any place he wanted and he decided on the Grand

When?
May 3 - 11, 2019

Why?
No big reason - we usually go around this time every year to help with the depression of the never ending winter here at home (and its still cold BTW...)

The title?
We have seen love bugs before but we have NEVER seen this many. I know they don't bite or anything but they were everywhere and at times the amount of them was just disgusting. We could not even sit on our balcony and if we were by the pool the only place they did not bother us was in the water. Ew This is the very reason I do not live in Florida...bugs.

Day 1 May 3, 2019
Our flight was pretty early so I got up at like 2:20 am
My parents picked me up just before 3 and we were on our way! I ALWAYS email Southwest to ask what time their counters open and this time I forgot. So, we got there at 3:20 and it was not open...whoops

Everyone was lined up in the full service line but we waited by the self tag kiosks and we ended up being the first ones done with our luggage. Since it was so early the TSA pre-check line was not open yet so we had to go through regular security which is only annoying when you have have a computer and an iPad to drag out

Be prepared for my Dad not cooperating for photos

Around 4 am the food places open so we grabbed a bagel

I spy our plane

The time flew by at the airport and very quickly we were boarding the plane! Our flight was on time for once!
Gang is all here..

Next up: more travel

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 2 continued

Prepare yourself for stalker like photos....

Funny story - Peter Noone could totally tell I was taking excessive photos I could see him looking at me (through my very apparent long lens )

Next up: more Peter Noone creepy up close photos

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 2 continued

He was super close to us at one point and went around the crowd singing with everyone it was cool!

Next up: more stalker photos - but almost done

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 2 continued

What a fantastic show!
We had an absolute blast - after the show we headed out since we had an early morning the next day

So...we got off the Epcot monorail just as it started to rain and luckily made it on the resort monorail before it started to look like this...

This picture can't even do it justice. I'm talking hurricane like winds - like I watched a grown man struggle to walk! It was nuts!
Anyway- it stopped just as fast as it came thankfully and we safely made it back to our room for early bed

Next up: Day 3!

 

[Swissmiss]

LTT seems to be our new place to go at the beginning of a trip...we are doing it our next trip too
I wish everything was Mickey shaped at home too

You can, but it takes some effort

 

[MerMom1981]

Along for the ride!

 

[wiscbugs]

Peter Noone is great in concert...and a super nice guy. I've seen him many times live.

 

[donnylambb]

GREAT REPORT !

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

My aunt and I used to sing "Mrs. Brown you've got a lovely daughter" all the time when I was little. She loves Herman's Hermits!

Spice Road table looks really good! We always toy with the idea of trying it out but always stick with the good old choices that we know we like since we're not very adventurous eaters. BUT - your photos have convinced me we need to give it a try!

 

[Doc Disney]

You can, but it takes some effort

View attachment 373988

That would require basic cooking skills which I don't have a ton of

Along for the ride!

Thanks for following !

 

[Doc Disney]

Peter Noone is great in concert...and a super nice guy. I've seen him many times live.

He was fantastic !

GREAT REPORT !

Thank you

 

[Doc Disney]

My aunt and I used to sing "Mrs. Brown you've got a lovely daughter" all the time when I was little. She loves Herman's Hermits!

Spice Road table looks really good! We always toy with the idea of trying it out but always stick with the good old choices that we know we like since we're not very adventurous eaters. BUT - your photos have convinced me we need to give it a try!

It was really good!! My Mom and I are the opposite of adventurous eaters and we did ok so give it a try!

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 3 May 5 2019
We got up at 6:30 am because we had a very special day planned!
My Dad's 65th Birthday was in January and the gift I got him was the Wild Africa Trek! This was finally the day! For years my Dad talked about the Trek after having major FOMO when my sister, brother in law and I went on it several years ago. My Mom initially said she did not want to go but I kept saying she could get a "check" for it so she eventually decided to come Anytime we try new things at Disney we give ourselves checks - it started as a joke but now my whole family does it
I dressed my penguin Petey in his safari outfit....yes I am 30 years old ....

My sister made our shirts (as usual)

Well not my Dad's shirt that was from Kohl's

We ate some cookies and banana nut bread that we grabbed from the lounge the night before and soon enough we were on our way. We took an Uber since we had to be at the park by 7:30 and I was worried we would not make it with a bus.
We ended up getting there around 7:15 am
Empty parking lot!

We had to go through security before we could meet up with our guides but security did not open yet so we had to "rope drop" security

The security guards did try to check our stuff early but they kept having to move tables so they were told not to do that. Security opened right before 7:30 and we were literally through in seconds and met up with the CMs taking us into the park
P.S. I feel like its time to take these banners down Technically we are in year 21

Empty park photos!

Next up: more AK

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 3 continued
More empty park photos

Next up: more photos

 

[Darstarr]

Day 3 May 5 2019
We got up at 6:30 am because we had a very special day planned!
My Dad's 65th Birthday was in January and the gift I got him was the Wild Africa Trek! This was finally the day! For years my Dad talked about the Trek after having major FOMO when my sister, brother in law and I went on it several years ago. My Mom initially said she did not want to go but I kept saying she could get a "check" for it so she eventually decided to come Anytime we try new things at Disney we give ourselves checks - it started as a joke but now my whole family does it
I dressed my penguin Petey in his safari outfit....yes I am 30 years old ....
View attachment 374187
My sister made our shirts (as usual)
View attachment 374195
View attachment 374196
Well not my Dad's shirt that was from Kohl's
View attachment 374197
We ate some cookies and banana nut bread that we grabbed from the lounge the night before and soon enough we were on our way. We took an Uber since we had to be at the park by 7:30 and I was worried we would not make it with a bus.
We ended up getting there around 7:15 am
Empty parking lot!
View attachment 374202
View attachment 374203
We had to go through security before we could meet up with our guides but security did not open yet so we had to "rope drop" security
View attachment 374205
The security guards did try to check our stuff early but they kept having to move tables so they were told not to do that. Security opened right before 7:30 and we were literally through in seconds and met up with the CMs taking us into the park
P.S. I feel like its time to take these banners down Technically we are in year 21
View attachment 374206
Empty park photos!
View attachment 374207
View attachment 374208

Next up: more AK

Rope drop security

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 3 continued

There was a sign for a speciality cupcake for the new baby gorilla Grace which our guide Alex did not even know existed yet. The speciality cupcakes became a joke the rest of the trek (and how they make one for everything).

Ok this is the end of my photos since I did not bring my camera with me this time The rest will be the official Trek photos!

Next up: more Trek

 

[Doc Disney]

Rope drop security ✔

True! Can't say we ever rope dropped security before

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 3 continued
We had a nice small group of 5 which was awesome! We got all our gear on and checked and we were ready to go.

I was the only one who had been on the Trek before.
While we were walking around the usual path (before off roading) we happened upon the keeper for Cletus the African bullfrog. He was feeding Cletus and let us watch. It was so cool! Our guides Alex and Jake were even super excited to see this.

We headed off road right after the birds and immediately spotted some zebras (fun fact my medical brain wrote seizures instead of zebras initially )

Then it was hippo time!!! Our keeper was very chill but very informative. My Dad actually got really nervous here and would not go close to the bank at all or let go of the attachments

Hans and Henry

Next up: more Trek

 

[LadyBelle]

I keep trying to convince my family to at least do the Caring for Giants tour in November and I can’t.

 

[Doc Disney]

Day 3 continued

After the hippos it was time to walk the bridges!

We were there during "croc-a-palooza" - aka all the crocs were out getting their medical checks so we did not have to walk over them which I think made my Mom happy
All the crocs have to get their exam at the same time due to aggression reasons (They can not leave several behind because they will become too territorial and not let the others back in).

My Mom went first so she could "get it over with"

My Dad went next

Next up: more trek

 

[Doc Disney]

I keep trying to convince my family to at least do the Caring for Giants tour in November and I can’t.

Aww really ? Thats a bummer! We did Caring for Giants and it was fantastic