Trip Report "I hope you're not on your honeymoon!" - 10 days of Disney - WDW and DCL

Please check out my Pre-trip report!

Who: Me, Husband (A)
When: July 27-Aug 2
Where: Disney's Boardwalk Villas
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Who: Me, A, Mom (R), Dad (K), brother (S)
When: Aug 2 - Aug 5
Where: Disney Dream

Day 1: Hello everyone, and welcome aboard the Walt Disney World transportation system. We're on our way to the Magic Kingdom.

Ahhhh, we made it! I flew home from work travel at 7pm on the 26th of July, and we were on our way to WDW at 7am on the 27th of July. I did the smart thing and didn't pack until that night!

Easy 2.5 hour flight, which I slept through, and we were at MCO!!! We took DME and soon found ourselves passing under the greatest welcome sign ever!

A quick stop to BWV to drop off our carry-on bags, and we immediately ventured out to the Boardwalk for some food. We were so hungry! NOTE: It's important to pack your Mickey (or Minnie) ears in your carry-on!

Lunch included a pulled pork sandwich and a pulled pork cheeseburger basket from The To-Go Cart. It definitely wasn't something to write home about, but it did the job.

With bellies content, we took a bus to the Magic Kingdom! This trip already felt so much more relaxing than our Feb. 2018 trip together. There was no rush to do everything in one day. 7 park days this time around!!
I teared up as soon as we scanned our magic bands...walking into Main Street USA just brings back so many good memories and feelings!!

Our first FP+ was for Space Mountain - a personal fave. We then made our way to BTMR and had a wild time! Heading back to Tomorrowland, we hopped on Buzz SRS...and I (yet again!) got my butt kicked! I need to know the secrets! I think A spun us around too much! With plenty of time left before our dinner in DS, we opted to do the POTC treasure maps. After we completed the first map, the game told us to go do another one...which we did. Once we completed the second map, the CM gave us a POTC FP+ each and two collectible cards! It was a fun game, but it got redundant! We opted to go straight for the POTC FP+ line and hung out with Jack Sparrow. Still, a ton of time in our afternoon, we opted to do some rides and shows we have never done before. We rode Journey of the Little Mermaid. We watched the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor - WE LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

It was time for a break as we had been running around the park for a few hours now and it was HOT. What better ride than the PeopleMover!

On our way out of the park, we stopped at Storybook Treats for a Peterpan Float and a cone! We both have a soft spot for the lime soft serve.
We slowly strolled out of the park and caught a bus back to BWV - our room was ready! Our room was FAR from the elevators..and it was on the fifth floor. We had views of Luna Park and ToT in DHS. We opted to take the stairs for most of the trip.
Finally it was time to head to Disney Springs. Tonight, we were eating at Raglan Road! It's become a tradition of my family to eat here since I started coming in 2006. A and I have adopted the tradition as well! We ordered the fish and chips and the Bangers and Mash - can't go wrong with these staples! They were amazing and we finished our plates. Our seating was less than ideal though, and we were sat in the far corner of the restaurant. There was no dancing happening while we were eating, but it was sad to be away from the excitement.

Since it had been a long day, we went back to BWV and passed out...the next day we were going to rope drop Hollywood Studios to get a chance to ride SDD...but the plans didn't quite work out that way.

Stay tuned!

 

[StitchSNK]

A and I ordered the Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch-Chicken sandwich and the Fudge Mud Slide (2 scoops of vanilla and a scoop of mint) to share. We asked our CM if they could come out at the same time because we really just wanted the ice cream, but the chicken added some sustenance. We watched 4 kitchen sinks get made and wished we had the guts to try the challenge alone.

You know we devoured IT ALL! We basically licked the bowl clean and wished that we had each ordered our own.

 

[StitchSNK]

Day 5 Final WDW Fireworks
After our late lunch, A was wiped out. He had enough of the parks, of the heat, of the crowds, and opted to hang out at the resort. Being the crazy person I am, I headed over to EPCOT, again! Today was last full park day for what could be over a year! (or so I thought that day...) I packed my mickey backpack with my popcorn bucket and water bottle and headed straight to Choza de Margarita. My goal was to circle the WS twice...and then watch IllumiNATIONS. I booked a FP for Frozen Ever After, as I still had not visited this ride. I focused less on rides and more on being at the park. I relaxed and people watched, window shopped, and took PP photos, of course. I look 1. really awkward in this photo, but 2. really tan for me! The second photo is another of my failed tipsy margarita photos on the terrace outside the Italy pavilion. If you refer back to my previous trip report , I did another awkward margarita PP photo here as well.

The skies were looking like they could open up any second...I set full speed to Tangierine Cafe in Morocco Pavilion.

I ordered the Mediterranean Sliders Combo and it did not disappoint!! I ordered harissa on the side. The harissa was not as hot as it had been in the past though. Next time I would just order the falafel as it was my favorite of the sliders.

The skies did in fact open and it POURED! My Frozen FP also turned to a multiple experience FP and I was sad. I changed it to a FP for IllumiNATIONS, since I had never watched it from the other side of the WS before. It was a fantastic spot too! I put on my rain jacket and walked around to the FP viewing area, but along the way filled my popcorn bucket! I haven't mentioned it earlier in the report, but I ate a bucket of popcorn a day...it's just so good! The popcorn cart in AK must've added too much salt because it burned my tongue. I didn't have that issue elsewhere at MK or EPCOT.

My night was quickly coming to an end. Knowing this was my last ever IllumiNATIONs, I took only a few photos and just really enjoyed the show. I did not want it to end!

I slowly made my way - the long way - around the WS to the International Gateway back to BWV. My heart was happy to be here, but heavy knowing it was almost time to say goodbye!

I made it back to a sleeping husband and I set my alarm to rope drop MK one last time!

 

[Maelstrom Troll]

Great TR so far, my wife and I have been loving it

 

[StitchSNK]

Sorry for the HUGE delay! Life can get so so so so busy and before you know it, YOU'RE 46 DAYS FROM YOUR NEXT DISNEY TRIP!

Day 6 - Magic Kingdom - Disney Dream - Endless Ice Cream
We woke up before the sun and packed our bags for transport to the Disney Cruise Line terminal. YIPPEE!! But first, I had to go to the Magic Kingdom - one. more. time.
Crowds were low this morning, especially for a Friday. I hopped on the horse-pulled-trolley and thoroughly enjoyed the casual ride down Main Street U.S.A.

GOOD MORNING!!!

My FP+ plans were for EPCOT, but clearly plans changed. I had to be back at the resort by 10:30 to catch the 11:00 DCL bus to Port Canaveral.
After watching the Welcome Show in front of Cinderella's Castle, and Mickey welcomed us with "Let the magic begin!", I made my way to Space Mountain! As I mentioned, the crowds were super low this morning and SM was a breeze.

It just makes the most sense to take a ride on the TTA PeopleMover next!

I spent the latter half of my time walking around the park, enjoying the atmosphere of Magic Kingdom. My heart was so full of happiness!! One final walk down Main Street U.S.A. (at least for 3 days), and I made my way out of the park...with no time to spare!!

The bus to Boardwalk was no where to be seen, and it was nearing 10:30! A cast member informed me that a bus wasn't coming for some time and chartered a van to take me back to my resort. Thank you!! My husband was waiting for me in the lobby, with a furrowed brow of concern considering how close it was to 11. Sorry!! BUT, we made it. And before we knew it, we were seated on the DCL bus to Port Canaveral for 4 magical days on the Disney Dream!!!

 

[StitchSNK]

Day 6 - DISNEY DREAM - Will my clothes fit me after 3 days?
WE. HAVE. ARRIVED! Part - 2 of the trip commencing! My family joined us today as we were cruising with them - room neighbors! I could hardly contain myself. This was A's first time aboard the DCL! He had cruised with me in the past on RCI. I assured him this was beyond exceptional. Every few minutes, I'd look through the bus window and wonder if I could see the cruise terminals yet...are we there yet?

FINALLY!!!!

The boarding process was easy as a Castaway Member - we had a separate line. A and I had all applicable documentation out and ready to go. The boarding groups were already complete, so we were able to board whenever we were ready. My family was still on their way from the airport, so we would meet up in about an hour.

Practically grinning from ear to ear, "Welcome the StitchSNK family!" and we walked into the lobby of Deck 3. It's like walking down Main Street U.S.A. - a feeling of - ahhhh, I am home.

Our room was open, but our luggage was not yet available. Pictures courtesy of A. We had a Navigators Verandah. We dropped off our bags and toured the ship.

Lots and Lots and Lots of stairs the next 3 days. Waiting for the elevators took a long time, especially during busy periods. We were only 2 decks below Cabanas anyways, so it wasn't so bad! Had to burn off some of those calories in any way possible. More ship photos!!

Before we knew it, my family was arriving! We head over to deck 5, overlooking the lobby.

"Welcome back the StitchSNK family!"
I shouted down to them from above.

Up next: so much food; and exhaustion hits

 

[StitchSNK]

Day 6 - Continued
The rest of day 6 is text heavy. I left my phone in the room as all 5 of us were together anyways.

A and I went up to Cabanas while K, R, and S dropped off their carry-ons to their room. We mounded the food on our plates and found a table big enough for all of us. Then, for the first time I felt pressured into purchasing an alcoholic beverage with Disney. I understand that many people enjoy an adult beverage as soon as they begin a vacation as a sort of "ahhhh", but I was not interested at this time. (ahem, I love Choza margs) The servers were everywhere with trays of drinks and we were asked 4 times if we wanted to purchase one. I held my own and politely declined.

K, R, and S joined us shortly after and we all ate until we could be rolled out of Cabanas. A and I changed into our swim suits since K and S were ready to ride the AquaDuck! The line took 40 minutes, but our moods were so happy from finally being back on the Dream after a year of planning, that we didn't care. A rode with S and I rode with K (dad). He insisted on trying to flip over the tube the entire time!!! #CanYouNot

The lot of us went back to our rooms to change since we had the first dining slot. Tonight we ate at the Enchanted Garden. We were seated with a couple and their daughter, who was about the same age as S. Every night he had to make sure to sit as far away from her as possible...because, ya know, COOTIES.
I ate exactly what I ordered last year - I had the Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower and Caramelized Sea Scallops. YUMM! We skipped dessert and traded for endless ice cream cones on the pool deck. Our assigned waters were...awkward at best. They had good service, but did not get the social cues we were all giving off - aka leave us be!

S had been RAVING about the Midship Detective Agency game since last year, so we decided to play after dinner. We had previously completed the Case of the Missing Puppies, so we chose the Case of the Stolen Show. We found this case to be a good challenge compared to the Missing Puppies. We ran up and down and across and around the entire ship for over an hour and FINALLY completed the case!

These were the only 2 photos I took that night.

Exhaustion had hit me. 6 full Disney days later, I needed to go to bed.

 

[StitchSNK]

Day 7 - Nassau
Ahhhh, I had slept over 10 hours and woke up to my little bro pounding on the connecting door to our room - "are you guys up yet?!"
We told him we'd meet them on deck 9 aft to watch the ship back into the port and the ropes tied to the dock. It's one of our favorite parts of coming to port.
Good morning Nassau!

We went up to Cabanas for breakfast. I loaded my plate up with Mickey waffles and Strawberry Soup!! R (mom) had 4 just for herself!! Full and ready to go, we walked down to deck 2 to disembark. Last time A and I went to Nassau (honeymoon 2016), it was right after the Hurricane Matthew, and the city was hurting. We were happy to see the steady progress since then! While there was the usual collection of locals trying to lure us into an island tour, or to go to Atlantis, we just wanted to walk around and then head back to the boat for a relaxing afternoon.

Once satisfied with our walk, we all headed back to the ship. R, K, and S gave me and A some time to relax on our own. We changed into our swim suits and went to hang out in Quiet Cove - this spot is an oasis!!!! We spent some time in the hot tub, which has a clear bottom! You can see down to the port docks below! We went in the pool, which was actually really cold after getting out of the hot tub. Then we wandered to a lounge chair in the sun to dry off a bit. I lathered on more and more sunscreen. The sun bathing only lasted about 10 minutes before I complained to A that I was melting.

We met up with the family again and had lunch at Cabanas, loaded up on seafood. Alllll the shrimp cocktail. And mac n cheese!

Tonight was pirate night. Dinner at the Royal Palace!

 

[StitchSNK]

Bonus photo of the ship from the port --she is so beautiful!

Day 7 - CONTINUED - Pirates Life For Me
After a relaxing afternoon, we met up with the rest of the family and prepared for dinner. BUT FIRST, we played shuffleboard!! K talks a lot of smack and thinks he's the best, but we put him through the ultimate test!! A and S were a team and I paired up with K. Though it was a tough game, me and K won!! HOORAH!

We donned our pirate bandannas and went to dinner at the Royal Palace. I had my sights set on the fried brie and the buttery escargot!
Views from our table.

Pirate A with his escargot! S was so grossed out that we were eating snailsssssss. They were just as delicious as last year.

For dinner I ordered "just chicken". I had almost no appetite to be honest. And just wanted some plain chicken breast for some "healthy" protein. 7 days of eating whatever, whenever was starting to hurt. I don't eat like this at home!! So, for dinner, I was given:

The awkward waiters tried to hard to get my to order something else. Really - I did not want any more food. I was STUFFED. Then they tried to tell us jokes. But when none of us knew the punchline, nor had we taken a guess, he just stood there, waiting, and calling our names one by one...it was SO AWKWARD, it was painful. R finally piped up and said, just tell us, we don't know! And he again, waited....hoping we'd guess. I don't remember the joke (because it wasn't very good), but he eventually gave up.

A ordered 3 desserts - he ate for the both of us.

Note my Expedition Everest shirt!! Summit Leader at your service! We had plans to go to Beauty and the Beast tonight! We rushed out of the restaurant, just happy to be away from the awkward waiters. They were so bad, that we almost skipped main dining...

 

[ChuckElias]

Do you remember what those desserts were? They look good and I don't remember them on the Pirate menu!

Sorry you didn't like your servers. That can really make or break your dining experience

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Really digging your TR Don’t feel badly for taking awhile to finish - I legitimately took 5 years to finish my wedding TR