Trip Report Fears, Firsts, and Learning to go with the Flow- COMPLETE

Hello, everyone!

As many of you know (and for those that don't), earlier this month, I surprised my niece with a week long trip to Walt Disney World! This plan had been about 8 months in the making, and man, did it feel great to finally let her in on it. I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't come dangerously close to spilling the beans a few times, but I'm SO glad that I didn't; being able to see the sheer joy and shock that swept across that girl's face was worth more than anything in the world!

As a brief recap:
Who: Myself (D) and my niece (S)
Where: Originally scheduled: AKL; Actual resort: keep reading to find out!
When: July 8th to July 14th
Why: My niece's 12th birthday plus just because she deserved it

Travel Day:
With pup all squared away to be spoiled, my niece and I got everything ready the night before; laid out our clothes, placed bags at the door, etc., and set alarms for 4:00 AM, 4:15 AM, and 4:30 AM, which would give us plenty of time to reach the airport for our 7AM flight...except that they never went off... I just so happened to roll over at 5:03 only to give myself a mini heart attack. After bursting into my guest room and sufficiently scaring the %^$# out of my niece, we somehow managed to be downstairs and in the Uber by 5:30! While the street traffic Gods were on our side, we, of course, came to a complete standstill once we turned onto the ramp for our terminal; getting to the doors just in time for the agent to tell us that bag checking for our flight had finished, and that we would not be able to board.

(literally me in front of the curbside bag check person)

*To divert for a second, my niece is, without question, the greatest kid I know. Like myself(my hands we shaking like leaves at this point), she suffers from anxiety, and there was no convincing me that I hadn't "ruined everything" by over sleeping. My wonderful, thoughtful, and amazing niece, who always thinks of those around her, gives me the biggest hug, and says "Auntie, we're here and we'll figure it out!"

There's no doubt in my mind that she was panicking as well, but she put her feelings aside to make me feel better. Have I mentioned how much I love this kid?*

Shoutout to Delta Airlines, because after a few deep breaths, they happily rebooked us on the next flight out (about two hours later) free of charge. Someone out there was really looking out for us, because once we breezed through TSA (pro tip- if you're traveling with a child under 13, and you have TSA pre-check, they automatically do as well), we got to our gate, only to discover that there was both a Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts directly across from our gate, and neither had a long line

!
By the time we got our breakfast and walked the length of our area (I don't know what it's called where all of the gates are lined up) to finish calm down, it was time for boarding! While we were technically on stand-by, and waiting for them to call you up to gate for a seat assignment is worse than waiting for college acceptance letters, the lovely gate agents quickly got us two neighboring seats with no one in the middle!

Continuing the trend of having a guardian angel, the flight attendant must've seen the stress on my face, because throughout the course of the flight, he proceeded to bring me two of these; stating that he could tell I needed them:

By noon, the Uber was pulling up to baggage claim, and we were on our way! Like some people advised, I put a note into the Uber request for the driver not to mention Disney since it was a surprise. He adorably responded with concern that she might figure it out when we go to the sign. Yes, kind sir, that was the plan. Thankfully, S was nose-deep in her phone for most of the car ride, and I pretended to be answering work emails; as we approached the sign, the adorable driver "stealthily" cleared his throat to let me know. It was then that I asked S to look out of the window to check which exit we were getting off of.


You guys...this kid did the most hilarious double take I've ever seen, and then screamed "WHAT?! WAIT...WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS? LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!!" all while she, myself, AND the Uber driver fought back happy tears!

Our original Disney home was set to be Animal Kingdom Lodge, and as much as I LOVE it there, I made a last minute switch (one that would work out to our advantage many times this trip; gotta love that Monorail access) to what it is truly my favorite resort. As it turns out, an old family friend works for Disney, heard about the trip, and just before leaving my sister in law's baby shower, gave me the option of upgrading to the Polynesian at no additional cost. Once I managed to get over the utter shock of what she'd just said, I fervently said YES and thanked her profusely! My last trip to WDW was seven years ago, when I took another of the tiny humans in my family, so to pull up in front of the Poly again, mixed with the pleasure of seeing S take it all in filled me with an array of happy emotions and memories that I won't ever forget.

No room ready text just yet, so we dropped our bags off, and did some exploring. Frankly, I don't care how many times I've been here, this place never fails to take my breath away. Especially after having gone to Aulani earlier this year, I have to say that Poly really captures the vibes perfectly!

Once the adrenaline had officially worn off from the day's hectic events, we headed to Captain Cook's for lunch (I am the absolute worst at remembering to take pics of my food, so I apologize for the lack thereof). While my order was blasphemous for a place like Captain (I'm not officially in Disney until I've had chicken tenders and fries. Yes, I know, you can get them literally everywhere, but it was always what my Nana and I split as our first lunch at Disney, so it is a tradition that I will continue for the rest of my life), S, on the other hand, after looking at me like I was nuts, got the Aloha Pork Sandwich; "crazy good" as she referred to it. As luck would have it, our room was ready right after lunch, but we weren't done exploring this oasis (and the Dole Whip at Pineapple Lanai was calling our names). After indulging our eyes and stomachs, we headed to the room to get settled in for the week. I gave her the rest of her birthday gift, which was a beach bag filled with a new water bottle, Moana ears (when I tell you that this kid is the spitting image of Moana, I'm not even joking), a MagicBand+, and her half of the somewhat matching shirts that we wore to Magic Kingdom(the black one is my half).

Since we were arriving late, I pushed back our dinner reservation at Maya Grill while we were still in the airport, and thank goodness I did, because it would be another few hours before we were hungry again. Once we finished relaxing in the room, we decided to take a Lyft over to Coronado and walk around the property until dinner. This was my first time being back since the tower was finished, and I have to say, it looks great. Somehow, I always forget how beautiful the views are from this place until I'm actually there, and it is now the next resort on S's list of places to stay. After our stroll, we headed to the restaurant, and wow, did they not disappoint! I consider myself a bit of a Mexican food "snob", as I grew up eating very authentic Mexican, and am now located geographically close to the country itself; making crossing the border for a great meal quite easy. From start to finish, Maya Grill was a thumbs up for both S and myself. There was live music being performed at the perfect volume, with an excellent mix of Disney and cultural classics. There was a nice variety of cocktails to choose from, and I went with the Prickly Pear margarita; so good. The guacamole was fresh and flavorful, the salsa roja was amazing, and my chicken enchiladas were very good. S had the fish tacos and just about licked her plate. For dessert, she had the Mexican Chocolate Lava cake, and I the Tres Leche, and both were amazing. I know this place is off the radar for a lot of people, but I'd suggest giving it a try.

S insisted that we walk around CSR a little more, because, as I would come to learn on this trip, selfies at different times of the day are very important,

but after about 30ish minutes, I called an end to the photo shoot, and was ordering the ride home. It had been a LONG day, and we (meaning I) had to be up extra early to make my first ever attempt at snagging a popular attraction Lightning Lane at 7 AM.

 

[Minnie1986]

Magic Kingdom Day cont'd:

After dragging ourselves from the Critter Co-op, we made our way over to Adventureland for our Pirates of the Caribbean lightning lane. One of the things I love about this ride is that while there are so many different iterations around the world, they all evoke that same sense of fun, and, well, adventure! After catching up with Jack Sparrow, it was time for another of S's Disney initiations; catching a show at the Enchanted Tiki Room. I know this attraction is hit or miss for a lot of people, but it really makes me happy; plus, who doesn't love an air conditioned room to enjoy their dole whip in?

From here, we headed over to Jungle Cruise for a leisurely trip down the river; once I convinced S that this sign was in fact just for decoration, and that no one was actually going over a waterfall. Normally, I love the pun filled banter, but the skipper seemed to be off their game this go 'round. Nonetheless, the back side of water was as lovely as ever.

Just as we exited our boat, the trusty afternoon VQ alarms I'd set were going off. After finding a bench, we were easily able to grab a boarding group for Tron (once you get the hang of it, the virtual queues are pretty easy to handle). With our spot in tow, we decided to reward ourselves with an especially delicious snack...

999 happy haunts were calling our names, so while making our way to Liberty Square, we stopped by the beloved Eggroll Wagon for some cheeseburger spring rolls! I don't know what they do to those things, but they are, in my opinion, the best thing currently offered at Magic Kingdom. I think it's safe to assume that S agrees, since she exclaimed "why are these so good?!," as she hopped back in line to grab us another order (we did eventually learn to just grab two orders of certain things the first time around). Still a few minutes early, we decided to wander around Liberty Square for a bit, something I hadn't done in quite some time.

Both S and I have a love for all things spooky, so we had a great time checking out all of the headstones and carriage in the queue; also had to take the obligatory photo of my personal favorite.

Thankfully, no one spoiled the opening monologue in the stretching room, and S was able to get the full experience. By this point, S seemed to have mastered the art of catching when the ride photo would be taken, because while she managed to make the perfect funny face, my captured expression was an interesting mix of fear and confusion.

For reasons that even I don't fully understand, eating lunch with Sonny Eclipse is an absolute must for me. What can I say, something about the smooth sound of that alien's voice brings a smile to my face. On our way to Cosmic Ray's, we decided to spend some time checking out the statues; especially the ones that interact with MagicBand+. When I was a kid, my nana and I used to watch The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh whenever we could. With her favorite character being Pooh bear, and mine being Piglet, I had to capture this photo that's now framed on my desk.

Since we both have iPhones, we decided to create a shared photo album, and while going through it earlier this week, I found this one of Mickey and Walt; S said that between them holding hands (something we used to do all the time when she was little) and the title, "Partners," (everyone calls us partners in crime),it reminded her of us

We decided to mobile order lunch once we got to Tomorrowland, and thank goodness we did, because the line was to the ramp inside. Since we had a special dinner planned, we both decided to keep it simple with chicken tender platters. S chose the Sully slush, which she really enjoyed, and I went for the Lunar lemonade (surprisingly delicious). Once Sonny closed out his set, we decided to stick with the stage performance vibe, and head over to Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. From there, S wanted to check out the infamous purple wall for her next photo session. Our boarding group had now arrived, and it was time to scan in for our inaugural spin on Tron!

You guys weren't kidding when you warned that even with a boarding group, there would likely still be a substantial wait. Thankfully, we resoaked our cooling towels and filled up our water bottles, because the outside portion of the queue lasted a little more than 20 mins.

Inside, with all of the models and details of ride, was a much more enjoyable experience. I've always enjoyed the Tron movies (both original and Legacy), so it was cool to see a lot of it come to life. Figuring out how, exactly, to get on the bike was an interesting experience in and of itself; once the cast member explained what I was doing wrong, we were all set to take off. Turns out that straddling a motorbike is not the most comfortable way to ride a roller coaster; but as a whole, both S and I really enjoyed the ride (and the unique view of the park it gives you), and were anxious to ride it again on our park hopping day.

At this point, the humidity was starting to get to us, so we decided to call it for now. Once we got back to Poly, we decided to take a pool and smoothie break. After about an hour and a half, it was time to start getting ready for our most anticipated dinner of the trip...Steakhouse 71!!

Next up- Steak, Small world, and fireworks!

 

[Minnie1986]

Just realized that I forgot to wrap up the EPCOT part of the trip report. I'll finish that up tomorrow morning!

*Apparently, work is in fact warping my brain, because after checking, I already finished reporting about EPCOT round one.*

On with the rest of Day 4 after I walk my dog!

 

[Swissmiss]

Since we both have iPhones, we decided to create a shared photo album, and while going through It earlier this week, I

I’ll have to look into how to do this - will certainly make sharing photos with family members easier!

 

[Minnie1986]

I’ll have to look into how to do this - will certainly make sharing photos with family members easier!

1. Click on the Photos app on your phone
2. Look for the "Albums" button on the bottom of the screen; towards the righthand side
3. Click the plus sign (+) on the top lefthand side of the screen
4. Click "New Shared Album"
5. The phone should prompt you to name the album
6. After doing so, click "Next"
7. Add whomever you'd like share the album with by typing in their contact name like you would if you were choosing who to send a text/call
8. Add whatever photos of yours that you want in the album; they will get a notification to accept the invitation and do the same

Hope this helps!

 

[Swissmiss]

1. Click on the Photos app on your phone
2. Look for the "Albums" button on the bottom of the screen; towards the righthand side
3. Click the plus sign (+) on the top lefthand side of the screen
4. Click "New Shared Album"
5. The phone should prompt you to name the album
6. After doing so, click "Next"
7. Add whomever you'd like share the album with by typing in their contact name like you would if you were choosing who to send a text/call
8. Add whatever photos of yours that you want in the album; they will get a notification to accept the invitation and do the same

Hope this helps!

Thank you!

 

[Minnie1986]

Magic Kingdom continued:

At 5:30, we hopped onto the monorail and headed for the Contemporary for our 5:50 pm reservation. The restaurant seemed to be PACKED that night, and we ended up waiting about 15 minutes, but it was well worth it. Both S and I love steak, so we decided to share for our other courses to save room. The shrimp cocktail came out fairly quickly, and it was *chef's kiss.* I let S have the last shrimp, but man, did I want it for myself . We both loved our drinks (Sherbert Punch for S and the 1971 Sunset for me; if you ask, they can make it as a single serving, although I kinda wanted another one).

**Second one not my photo**

As I've mentioned, the sister and BIL are both chefs (they actually met at school), so while my nieces are used to a wide variety of cuisines, S, sometimes, can't remember which of certain things she likes. After conferring with the experts, she decided on the NY strip with bearnaise sauce and mac and cheese, while I went for the Filet Mignon with red wine sauce and the potatoes au gratin. For dessert we chose the signature chocolate cake, which was so decadent, but in the best way possible.

After an amazing dinner, we hopped back onto to Monorail for what we later dubbed "Magic Kingdom after dark." Thankfully, we'd been "stacking" lightning lanes whenever possible, so while we waited for our Space Mountain window to open, we decided to check out Fantasyland. We were able to knock out Winnie the Pooh, the Teacups, and Small World pretty quickly. The travel bug bit S at a very early age, so she really loved being about to see the cultural representations, and, shockingly, loved the song.

From IASW, it was time to blast off into space, both around the mountain, and with Buzz Lightyear. I may have let S win this time around, and while riding on a competitive high, she requested a popcorn refill as her reward; which, I happily obliged. At this point, it was getting close to 8:30, and after checking the app, I let S choose whether she wanted to head back to the hub to grab a spot for Happily Ever After, or ride either seven dwarves or Big Thunder and watch the fireworks from a coaster. She decided that since it would involve standing around for about an hour, and then being in a large crowd of people, she (wisely, in my opinion) chose option B, and Big Thunder Mountain.

On our way back to Frontierland, we stopped in the famed Tangled section both for the bathrooms and the scenery. The line for BTMRR was surprisingly short, and after maybe ten minutes, we were approaching the vehicles. Since our goal was to watch the fireworks, we asked the CM how that might be possible. She said that doing so was her favorite way to enjoy HEA, and that she knew exactly when to get us loaded. After having us stand off to the side for about five minutes, we were on our way! The CM was not kidding when she said she knew just what to do, because we had the most amazing view of the fireworks while riding. It was such a cool experience for S and I to share, and we haven't stopped talking about since.

We caught the end of the fireworks from the nearby walkway, and then made our way back towards the castle.

On the way, we noticed how especially beautiful Tiana's Bayou Adventure was at night, so we stopped for a brief photo session. With around 40 minutes of park time left, we decided to take one more ride on Mine Train, and then slowly make our way out of the park; stopping at whichever rides had a short wait. Personally, I've never been a huge fan of Prince Charming's Carousel, but riding it at night was a really nice time to do so. Trying to avoid the mad dash for the gates, we decided to stop at just about every store on Main St.; picking up more merch and snacks as we went. S had a blast making a custom bag of popcorn at the Confectionery, while I picked up one of the cupcakes they had on display.

*If you notice, there are two stars on the crown, which according to one of the CMs represent Ray and Evangeline*

With our goodies in tow, we decided to sit near Casey for a bit longer; soaking up the last bit of what was an amazing day, and giving the monorail crowds a little more time to die down. Eventually, we drug ourselves away from the park, and made our way to the resort. We were both still beaming from ear to ear by the time we went to bed, and spent the next hour recapping everything we saw and did.

Next up- Animal Kingdom!

 

[Minnie1986]

View attachment 807174

Thank you!

Any time!

 

[Tuvalu]

@Minnie1986

Turns out we were thisclose two more times on Day 4!

Em and I had dinner at the Contempo Café while you were eating at Steakhouse 71. We also hopped on the monorail afterwards for evening time at MK.

We watched HEA from Frontierland and the moment the show ended we made a mad dash to ride Big Thunder - we likely passed each other as you were leaving and we were arriving.

This must be rectified in April.

 

[Minnie1986]

@Minnie1986

Turns out we were thisclose two more times on Day 4!

Em and I had dinner at the Contempo Café while you were eating at Steakhouse 71. We also hopped on the monorail afterwards for evening time at MK.

We watched HEA from Frontierland and the moment the show ended we made a mad dash to ride Big Thunder - we likely passed each other as you were leaving and we were arriving.

This must be rectified in April.

Three times in one day?! Yes, an April meetup is a must!

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 5- Animal Kingdom:

Continuing my streak of early rising, I again decided to take a walk around the resort and pick up breakfast. There's something especially relaxing about starting the day this way before embracing the hectic nature of the parks. After waking up S, and enjoying some Mickey waffles, we decided to take it slow this morning. Flight of Passage was our top priority for the day, so we decided to throw money at the problem, and purchase ILLs for later that afternoon. Leaving the room at 8:15 got us to the park around 8:45, and first on our list was Dinosaur; but first, a stop at the Tree of Life, the nearby bird demonstration, and the ever so important Kevin sighting.

Once we reached Dinoland, we noticed that Moana's meet and greet was getting ready to start with virtually no line, so we decided to say hello. As I've mentioned, S and the Moana character are quite similar, in both personality and physical appearance. Watching their interactions was heartwarming, and after finishing up with photos, we got another video message for S's little sister, and continued on to Dinosaur.

It never fails that every time I get to the pre-show, someone always exclaims, "MRS. COSBY!," whenever Phylicia Rashad appears on the screen, and it always makes me laugh. S especially loved this one, and kept repeating "THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" throughout the day. From here, it was time for our turn on Kilimanjaro Safaris, and we seemed to have picked a great time of day. The animals were really active (probably because the humidity was the lowest thus far) this morning, particularly the rhino that decided to hang out in the middle of the road . While some people seemed a bit stressed about it, most of us onboard thoroughly enjoyed the photo and video opportunity. Giraffes have been my favorite animal for as long as I can remember, so getting the chance to see them up close and personal is always greatly appreciated.

After the safari, we decided to do the Gorilla Falls trail, and hop on the Wildlife Express to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Originally, we thought about stopping by the petting zoo, but after checking the app, and realizing that the next session of the Animation Experience was about to start, we headed there instead. My artistic abilities cease at drawing stick figures, but S is extremely talented, especially when it comes to freehand drawing. This session was Simba, and S did a phenomenal job, while I chose to simply be an observer.

The heat had picked up, and was starting to get to us, so we headed for Harambe, and got drinks at Dawa Bar. Once we'd ordered(coke for her and a Jungle Juice for me), S noticed that the people next to us were talking about the Buffalo Bills. Having been raised in a big Bills household, she started up a conversation with them and the bartender, cracking everyone up, and becoming the life of the party. After saying goodbye to our new friends, we decided to walk around and check out some of the shops. S picked out a really cool Lion King 30th anniversary pin, and I grabbed these Mickey and Minnie bottle stoppers.

FlameTree BBQ was calling our names, so we made our way there; mobile ordering lunch on the way. FTB is a must for me every time I'm in Animal Kingdom; every item I've tried just hits the spot! We decided to make a bit of a smorgasbord, choosing the pulled pork mac and cheese, ribs and chicken combo, and a side of fries (with two Island Breezes, one sans rum for S), and dig into everything at once; an idea that I strongly recommend.

Now satiated, we made our way to Asia, with a few merch stops in between. Once we got to Kali River Rapids, S decided that she would be riding sans poncho; a decision she would come to regret. Thankfully, the LL queue moved steadily and we were boarding in no time. Unfortunately, where S sat was the prime spot, and she got just about drenched.

Having always been a water baby, she took her lesson in stride and changed into the spare set of clothes I convinced her to bring. Up next was our date with a certain Yeti, which S seemed to love...right up until we started going backwards. As it turns out, that's where she draws the line with her new found love of roller coasters. After assuring her that there were no more rides of the sort, we started to get a bit peckish, and stopped by Mr. Kamal's for a snack. After recharging our batteries with some dumplings and a water bottle refill, we made our way over to Pandora by way of Dinoland(and a quick stop at Trilo-Bites to try the Buffalo Chicken Chips that we overheard a group raving about .

*not my photo*

We took our time walking around Pandora, and really taking in all of the details. I'd forgotten how many pre shows there are to FoP, but once we were loading onto our bikes, neither of us could've cared less. Without fail, I get a bit emotional on this ride. There's just something about the air you feel, the occasional spray of water, or the overall feeling of a relaxed thrill, but I can't help but leave with smile, and so did S. Navi River was next, and between the calm from FoP and the music on Navi, we were both so incredibly relaxed and zen for lack of better wording.

After Navi, we decided to call it for the day, and head back to the resort for a break before our dinner reservation at Yak and Yeti.

Next Up- Animal Kingdom part 2

 

[Minnie1986]

Animal Kingdom cont'd:
Once we got back to the resort, Pineapple Lanai was calling our names, so, with dole whips in tow, we headed back to the room for an AC/TV break. Around 4:45, we were making our way towards the buses for both of our first meals at Yak and Yeti. As we scanned back into the park, I checked the app, and couldn't help but notice that the wait time for FoP was rather low; and we would soon come to find out why when we got there. Once we approached the ride, our dreams were dashed; as both FoP and Navi were being evacuated (I had no idea that they shared a building). We decided to hang around the entrance for around ten minutes, but it simply was not meant to be.

As soon as we checked in, we were seated for dinner, and got to work making our way through the menu. Drinks were first up; Frozen wild berry virgin daiquiri for S, and a Pink Himalayan for me; both of which were incredibly refreshing. The bang bang calamari was delicious; fried perfectly and the sauce was SO good. We also went for the lettuce cups, which turned out to be a great pick. For mains, I couldn't resist the Bhaktapur duck, S went with the teriyaki chicken, and we both picked from each. We were both eyeing the pineapple upside down cake, so we got that for dessert and nearly licked the plate. Full, happy, and with the park now closed, we slowly made our way to the entrance; taking a few more photos near the gate.

After getting back to the resort, we decided to walk off our bountiful dinner, and hang out on the beach. With the sun setting soon, we decided to cap off the night with the Electrical Water Pageant. Once it was done, we took a leisurely stroll to the room, where we finalized the game plan for tomorrow, which would serve as our park hopping day. Would we make it to all four parks?

Next up: Day 5- Park hopping extravaganza

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 5- Park Hopping

Throughout the week, S and I kept a running list of our favorite rides from each park. Before bed on Friday, we combined them and chose 2-3 per park to tackle on Saturday. Still feeling a bit defeated from not getting to ride FoP that second time yesterday, we decided to start our day off attempting to do so during Early Entry at Animal Kingdom. My niece is, by far, one of the most determined people I've ever met; so, once again, she was up before me, and ready to go. Breakfast would have to wait because by 6:10, she was all but pushing me out of the door.

By 6:45, we were at the gates, and S got her first real taste of "camping out" for rope drop; which she didn't seem to mind at all (pretty sure the adrenaline and TikTok had a lot to do with it ). CMs started letting people through security not too long after, and leading people to Pandora around 5ish minutes before the start of Early Entry. The Disney gods were smiling on us, because we were only 6 people behind the cast member, and by 7:37, we were starting pre-show number one; by 7:50, we were one ride down.

Feeling accomplished, we decided to explore a bit more of Pandora before moving on to LL number one, Dinosaur(by way of Discovery Island, and a stop at Isle of Java to share a Colossal Mickey Cinnamon roll). Having narrowly escaped the clutches of the Carnotaurus, we decided to walk around and enjoy the scenery before bidding farewell to Animal Kingdom, and make our way to park 2; Hollywood Studios!

We'd grabbed a Rock n Roller coaster LL after Dionsaur, and had about an hour left to kill, so our first stop in HS would be Toy Story land; not for a ride, but for two more helpings of Breakfast Tatchos. After checking the app, though, we noticed that the wait time for Midway Mania wasn't that bad; so we figured why not. Currently posted at 30, it was actually closer to 20, and I just beat S by a few points. Slightly annoyed, she shook my hand, decided that she was "over" TSL for the day, and wanted to head to a different part of the park (I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't giggling under my breath at this point).

Making our way to Sunset Blvd, we stopped for a photopass session near Grauman's theater, and made a note to add Runaway Railway to the list. Thankfully, the lightning lane queue for RnR moved quickly, because the humidity was rough(my heart went out to the standby folks, because that line was near a standstill).I have to say, I was really proud of S for tackling her fear of roller coasters head on, because not only was RnR one of her picks, she loved every second of it.

After double checking that she didn't want to make a stop at the ToT (the dirty look she cut was both hilarious and worth it), we headed back up to Runaway Railway for Lightning Lane number 3. The pure happiness that this ride evokes is top notch, and beyond worth the wait, in my opinion. Earlier this morning, my sister called to check in, and to ask us to pick up something for her from Galaxy's Edge. Without much else to go on, S chose a "May the 4th be with you," sweatshirt; a day that is heavily celebrated in her house. Last, but not least, we made our way to Grand Avenue for a break at Baseline Tap House. I've seen a lot of people rave about the Blood Orange hard cider, and I'm definitely glad that I got the chance to try one before we left. Besides blood orange being one of my favorite flavors, the drink itself was very refreshing and exactly what I needed.

On our way out, we stopped at a few shops on Hollywood Blvd. picking up some more merch on the way. While I'm not the biggest believer in "signs", I couldn't help but notice yet another reminder of my nana. When I was a kid, she and I used to go to Woolworth's(shortly before they all sadly went out of business), which she used to refer to as the "five and dime." About halfway up the road, I looked to my left, only to see this:

Going in was, of course, a necessity, with both S and I purchasing a pair of the churro ears, and few bags of candy for the room.

Next up- park no. 3- EPCOT!

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 5 cont'd

Another must do item for us was to use every form of Disney transportation. Having utilized the monorail multiple times, a friendship boat on day 2, and the buses on both journeys to and from Animal Kingdom, we decided on the Skyliner to make our way to EPCOT. After taking one more view around the world on Soarin', we headed over to the World Showcase to finish up the rest of the countries. Since the countries we had left were in that direction, we committed a cardinal sin...by starting...in Canada

Upon recovering from the blasphemy, we headed over to Kidcot station to get our passport stamps, and continued to explore the pavilion. I must admit, I have a soft spot for this pavilion; having gone to school 30 mins from the Quebec border, and having spent a lot of time exploring the country as a whole. S especially loved the carvings, and the maple popcorn and pand-ade we decided to get as a snack. From here, we headed to the Trading Post to check out the merch, and for me to finally try some ice wine; the Inniskillin Vidal was amazing.

**not my photo**

With it now being lunchtime, we decided to tackle that next. Fish and chips is a big favorite for us, so we made a beeline for the Rose and Crown. Before too long, we were going to town on the UK staple; with a Shirley Temple for S, and a pear cider for me. The UK as a whole, has a special place in mine and my sister's hearts. London, Dublin, and Edinburgh were not only the places we first visited together sans parents, but the first cities in Europe that the girls visited. As we were waxing nostalgic about our trips to the actual UK, the 1pm VQ alarms went off; allowing us to snag spots for the top ride on our list, Guardians! Since we had a while to go before we boarded, we decided to meander around world showcase, and see what other snacks, drinks, and merch we could get our hands on.

France was calling our names, so on we went. Curiosity got the best of us, and we headed over to Remy to see just how crazy the stand-by line looked. After heartily laughing at the 80 minute posted wait, we turned right on our heels and walked away. As I've mentioned, I have a weakness for all things french, so my nose lead us straight to Crêpes À Emporter. We decided to share at the Rose and Crown, leaving plenty of room for snacks. We could't decide between the Hazelnut and chocolate spread, the ice cream crepe, or the option with brie; so we decided to marry the three. In total, we got one brie, one hazelnut/chocolate spread, and a scoop of vanilla on the side, which we put on top of the hazelnut. Why choose between sweet and savory when you don't have to?

S requested a stop in Morocco to take some more photos, and I happily obliged. The architecture throughout that pavilion is beautiful, and it's a really great place to rest and sort of take it all in. After picking up some more room treats from Oasis Sips and Sweets (pack of three- pistachio baklava, almond crescent cookie, and the third I, unfortunately, didn't write down, but there was chocolate in it), we continued on to S's personal favorite pavilion, Japan.
The line at Garden House was surprisingly short for a Saturday at EPCOT, so we grabbed an Iced Green Tea for S, and a Violet Sake for me. This was my first time trying one, and I have to say, it's now one of my favorites; so light, refreshing, and all around delightful. We stopped in the Mitsukoshi store so that S could pick up an anime plushie she'd been eyeing since our second park day, as well as a smaller version for her sister.

After checking the progress of our boarding group, we decided to take our time walking through the rest of World Showcase, stopping whenever we wanted/needed to. Once we reached Mexico, we still had around an hour to go, so S proposed a trip to the pyramid. Since there was no line for the three Caballeros, we decided chase Donald around Mexico (I will never stop loving that ride), and have one more round of chips and salsa from La Cava(with another Mentirosa for S, and a Lily Margarita for me).

After bidding farewell to the World Showcase, we decided to kill some time with another trip to Club Cool. S made it very clear that she would not be trying Beverly again, but we made our way through the other, and decided that we both liked the Madagascar and Dominic Republic options best. With around ten minutes left, we decided to hang around the front of GotG to take photos of and with the Starblaster; which did the trick, because it was time to check in at the Nova Corps. As always, the ride made us laugh and smile from start to finish; with September as our song again. Once we touched back down on Terra, we wrapped up our time in Epcot, and made our way to the monorail station. One quick transfer at the TTC (man, do I love not having to deal with general park security), and we were headed down Main St.

Next up- conquering the park hopper challenge and a last minute change with dinner

 

[Tuvalu]

Day 5 cont'd
Since the countries we had left were in that direction, we committed a cardinal sin...by starting...in Canada.

Our paths would have crossed if you'd gone the other way.

 

[Swissmiss]

Our paths would have crossed if you'd gone the other way.

If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this the third miss?

 

[Tuvalu]

If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this the third miss?

Fourth (or 5th if you count monorail possibility).

 

[Minnie1986]

Our paths would have crossed if you'd gone the other way.

Yet another reason for me to always start in Mexico

 

[Minnie1986]

Day 5- Park Hopping Day cont'd

Pirates of the Caribbean was our first Lightning Lane, but not without a stop at the Eggroll Wagon for some more cheeseburger spring rolls. After sailing the seas, we headed to Liberty Square for a ride through the Haunted Mansion. On our way, I noticed Columbia Harbor House, and had to stop to give a moment of silence to my beloved hush puppies. Thankfully, a woman coming out of the restaurant overheard me explaining to S what the fuss was about, because she walked right up to me, and let me know that they were indeed back! According to S, I left tire marks on the ground from taking her and running inside so quickly. They weren't yet back on the menu, so I was cautiously optimistic when we approached the counter; and I'm sure many of you can imagine the sheer joy I felt when the CM assured that they were in fact available, and rung up our two orders of them for us.

We decided to sit upstairs and bask in the views while enjoying the deep fried goodness. S mentioned on the way out that now that she'd tried them, she understood the hype. The people watching was top notch, and we ended losing track of time for a bit; nonetheless, we got to Master Gracey's place just before time ran out for our Lightning Lane. Just as we met our hitchhiking ghost, the doom buggy came to a hard stop for around five minutes; not convenient for our plans, but certainly allowed for some great photo opportunities for S. Space Mountain was next on our list, but we had quite a bit of time to kill, so we checked the app for a show or two, and chose Mickey's Philharmagic. I guess since there's generally no line for it, I'd never stopped to look around the theater lobby, and notice the cool posters and themed decor.

For whatever reason, this one really cracked us up

Between the worn in seats and the free flowing AC, we really relaxed during the show (and nearly feel asleep at least once); and once it was over, we were a bit disappointed to have to leave. While I'm not too huge into TikTok, I did see a video just before leaving for the trip, showing that you can get silhouette style portraits done; and the content creator had one done of her dog. Anyone who knows me knows that my black lab is my heart (my camera roll is 95% pics of her and her daily adventures). Since we still had quite a bit of time, we headed to the stand near Main St to get one done. Surprisingly, the whole process only took about fifteen minutes, and I was admittedly shocked at just how much it actually looked like her. After thanking the CM profusely, we slowly made our way to Tomorrowland, admiring our surroundings, and again using our MagicBands to interact with some of the statues.

After one last trip around Space Mountain, we once again made our way to the infamous purple wall, so that S could also get pics with it in her current outfit. Once we found a comfortable spot to sit, we noticed that it was after 6. Since we had dinner reservations at 1900 Park Fare, I let S decide whether she wanted to head to the Grand Floridian or stay in the park. Ultimately, since she was having such a great time, coupled with the sad fact that we would be leaving tomorrow, she decided to stay.

We managed to snag a buzz lightyear LL after fully scanning in at Space Mountain, so we headed there next. After beating me by quite a few points, S declared that she officially liked Space Ranger Spin much better than Midway Mania (I wonder why). From here we loaded popcorn refill number who even knows at this point, and decided to spend some time wandering around; stopping at whichever shops, attractions, etc. and soaking up the last bits of our final park day. Before calling it, S requested one more visit to the many nations and their tiny representatives, It's A Small World; the queue was posted at only 20 mins (ended up much closer to 10), and I never could say no to that kid, so off we went. The app said that the teacups was nearly a walk-on, so we decided to close out the day with a spin in the Mad Hatter's garden.

Again, S decided against staking out a spot for HEA, and I was pretty glad, because with it being a Saturday, I was in no mood for a crowd that would likely be that much more intense than during the week. No trip up Main Street is complete without at least a few goodies, so we stopped in the Emporium for gifts for people back home, and some more goodies from the Confectionery. Originally, we'd changed the dinner plan to grabbing something from Captain Cook's, or checking out Kona Cafe, but on the monorail ride home, I had an idea. Knowing that we'd have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into Ohana on a Saturday night(she'd expressed interest in possibly going), I showed S the menu for Tambu Lounge, and let her choose between the three. Tambu was the winner, and as soon as we dropped off our stuff, we headed straight there. Thankfully, the wait for seating was only about 15 minutes, so we decided to do some people watching in the Ohana reception area while we waited. Soon, we were enjoying some tropical mocktails and cocktails (virgin Piña Colada for S, and a Rum Swizzle for me), and going to town on the beloved noodles, wings, and bread pudding.

We finished eating close to 9, and S asked if we could watch HEA from the beach. With the much needed boost of energy from dinner, and having been pondering it myself, I agreed. Sitting on the beach, watching the fireworks, and listening to the music, I was able to recap everything we'd done, and all of the amazing memories that we'd made together. Seeing the amazement and awe on S's face, I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed; she was just so happy and content, and I want that for her then and always. Honestly, there were a few points during the day where we each weren't sure if we'd make it to all four parks, and the day was an absolute journey; but looking back on it, I'm so glad that we did.

Next Up- Our Final Day at Disney

 

[Minnie1986]

S asked me to pass along that she has now also inducted someone into the Beverly club. About two weeks ago, a friend of hers went to WDW with their family, and asked S for some tips, recommendations, etc. After providing good ones, she told her friend to make sure to stop by Club Cool and try the samples, especially Beverly; she raved about it. The next day, her friend called her completely grossed out; S tried so hard to act like she couldn't possibly understand the problem, but ultimately couldn't keep it together. After laughing it off with her friend, S then immediately FaceTime'd me, beaming with pride (and then we proceeded to laugh for about three minutes straight).

 

[Tiggerish]

Your report reminds me.so.much of.my 2015 trip.with my own niece.

And I absolutely love your writing style, I feel like I've been reading the best kind of novel!