Trip Report It Is What It Is... Our Journey To The Dark Side...Sept 2023 (Completed)

Hey there everyone!

We are back! I have to say, it was a Disney trip that was VERY different from those in the past. I am happy and excited to share it all with you all, as long as you are patient with me. Lol. You know – me -the one that takes 4 plus years to finish up a report!

That being said, I need to take care of some unfinished business before I start this epic tale. If you don’t know what I mean…. Here is the link to September 2019 trip which I am desperately trying to wrap up.

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/from-droids-to-toys…-texting-the-boy-and-can-we-just-blame-it-on-captain-hook-our-september-2019-disney-journey-including-another-ross’-return.960569/

Thanks to all of you who helped get me excited for this trip and gave me such good advice and tips for our journey!

Here we go…

 

[Figment Forever]

I love the fact you went into Country Bears after hearing about the bear in the tree.

I never thought about that!!! lol

 

[Songbird76]

I agree! I will say that Nick has told Julia he is happy to visit "sometimes", but does not want this to be their "go to" vacation. In the meantime, he said she can go whenever she likes. And I agree I think they should trying the cooler months. We went last December... (Maybe one year I'll get that posted. lol) and it did feel different.

That's really nice that he supports her going without him. I was really nervous about that with my husband, because he was so ademant that we must be together at all times on vacation. But he realized how much E and I love it, and that we were going to want to go, and he didn't want to have to go, and while A enjoys it for a little bit, he doesn't like the big long trips. So I was really happy when he suggested E and I make a girls trip. Granted, I think he thinks that was a one and done thing and I definitely am not done going to Disney. But hopefully he'll support us going in a few years for my birthday in December, and he can either choose to make it a family trip, OR he can just let us go without him. But I think by then, A is going to want to come for a while, because of the Star Wars stuff that wasn't open last time he was there, and because of Epic Universe opening next year. He's going to want to check those things out. And DH does seem to like Universal more because it has the thrill rides, and it doesn't take weeks to visit, So maybe we can convince him to come for the first week and we can spend a few days at Universal, then he and A can do a couple of days at Disney and then fly home and E and I can stay at Disney longer.

But what is Nick's definition of "sometimes"? My husband originally said he didn't mind going sometimes, but he didn't want to go there for every vacation, which obviously we couldn't afford anyway, but he really made our last family trip there kind of a bummer a lot of the time because he really didn't want to be there. He doesn't even want to go once every 5 years. I don't know about you, but I don't think once every 5 years is that often, and falls well within the definition of "sometimes". But that being said, if he doesn't like it and he's just going to be a grouch and ruin it for me, I'd rather he stayed home. But I WOULD like to see if going in December would make a difference to him.

 

[Figment Forever]

Tuesday September 18,2023

Oh good grief…. I guess that’s the result in writing a trip report a year later…. Today was NOT an EPCOT day…. Epcot would be the following day! Today was supposed to be an AK day, but we changed our plans to Studios.

We didn’t wake up until after 8:00AM (there was no VQ to worry about) and we took our time getting ready.

We walked into the Studios just after 11:00am and just in time to see Beauty and the Beast.

 

[Figment Forever]

MMRR was next.

Then we watched Indy! Believe it or not, Hope had never seen the show! It was fun – exactly as I remembered it from 30 years ago. But nice seeing something original to MGM Studios.

We all needed the bathroom so we walked over to the restroom by Launch Bay which was deserted. It was weird how everything over there was so quiet.

I told Hope I hope they reimagined the area soon. It seemed like such a waste of an area since Galaxy’s Edge opened up. Although I missed VOTLM - I thought it was a great show and I didn’t understand why they never reopened it. Hope told me that she thinks Disney will turn the area into Monstropolis complete with a door coaster and move Laugh Floor from MK over to Studios. I, of course, laughed and `told her she was dreaming…

We rode R&R. Hope was hooked!!

We were hungry and I asked if we could go eat in Galaxy’s Edge. We mobile ordered from Docking Bay 8. I thought it was really good, except Hope wasn’t too crazy about the chicken. I had to agree with her – it was a bit dry.

 

[Figment Forever]

We were early for our MFSR time, so we meandered around a got a few pictures.

We entered the line and walked towards the loading area. We got as far as the room where they would assign you your roles when we were sent through a detour and they told us we had to leave. The next thing we knew we were outside in the courtyard. But they were not just making us exit the ride, they were ushering EVERYBODY out of the entire courtyard. They was an entire line of CM’S walking wall to wall moving everybody else of the area. We found our way back into TS Land and up to a blue umbrella. They told us they was a fire in the building!!!

Ross and I looked at each other… first a bear in the MK and today a fire on the Falcon! Were we bad luck???

The CM gave us a LL for TSMM since she couldn’t give one for MFSR while it was down.

 

[Figment Forever]

Then Hope was FINALLY able to visit Potatoland!! At which point Ross finally understood her t-shirt! Lol

 

[k8einwdw]

I told Hope I hope they reimagined the area soon. It seemed like such a waste of an area since Galaxy’s Edge opened up.

Hopefully this is where they’ll be putting the new Monsters Inc. land! It’s definitely a wasted space right now.

 

[Figment Forever]

Hopefully this is where they’ll be putting the new Monsters Inc. land! It’s definitely a wasted space right now.

It looks like it will be either there or Muppets. It's just so funny that Hope seemed to have it all planned a year ago! lol I never thought they would do it!

 

[fractal]

It looks like it will be either there or Muppets. It's just so funny that Hope seemed to have it all planned a year ago! lol I never thought they would do it!

Maybe she should work for Disney.

 

[Figment Forever]

Maybe she should work for Disney.

To be honest... she would like to work for Disney or Lego in one of the parks... I think she would be excellent as an Imagineer and I think she would be fantastic if she could just work through some of her Autistic hindrances. We all pray she can have a job she loves one day....

That being said, our play is to move to Florida in three years. We are waiting for Hope to turn 18. And we would love to be within 30 min from the parks so if she is able to get a job at one of the theme parks, it will be doable.

So if anyone out there wants to suggest areas for Ross and I to look into, let me hear them!! (I was hoping to move to The Villages, but alas, it's too far.)

 

[Figment Forever]

We saw Frozen – the female historian was HYSTERICAL!!!

Hope wanted to see Lightning McQueen… It was cute, but nothing I would have to see again.

Then we decided to give the Falcon another go. Unfortunately, Hope was scared. She thought maybe the place would catch fire again, so it was a bit tricky convincing her to get in line. I didn’t want her to be afraid because of what had happened. I assured her we would never put her in danger and neither would the CM’s.

On the line, she was a little shaky…. But once on board, she did fine. Although, she did make quite a few announcements about the fire (to everybody in earshot). Most people seemed clueless, so no harm done.

 

[Figment Forever]

We had time before Fantasmic! – Yes, we wanted to watch it again! And no rain was in the forecast. Lol

We headed over to Woody’s Lunchbox. We had heard good things so I placed a mobile order.

Hope ate a grilled cheese sandwich – it was the first time she ate a sandwich!!

Ross and I split the brisket sandwich and some tater tots. Sadly the food was not that great. It was all pretty cold and tasted like it was sitting around for a while. W were also excited to try the pastry but I was surprised that it was basically just a naked and raw pop tart. Could they at least toast it?? Sorry Woody, we just were not impressed your BBQ was much better! Lol

After, we rode TSMM one more time.

 

[Figment Forever]

Fantasmic! Was amazing as always

I was happy and quite thankful that the line for the Skyliner was not that bad.

We were back at POP and stopped at the food court for a minute and then off to dreamland.

Up next – Our Last full day!

 

[Figment Forever]

A few photos i think I missed...

 

[Figment Forever]

Wednesday September 20, 2024

Our Last Full Day …

I was up bright and early at 6:55AM. At 7, I squinted my eyes because I could not find my glasses, and managed to get a VQ for GoG! I got group 96.

Hope and I walked over to the food court to get some coffee and shop a bit…

It was a beautiful morning…

Such a cute window…

 

[Figment Forever]

There was no line for the Skyliner and we were walking into Epcot by 10:30am.

 

[Figment Forever]

Daisy Duck was at her meet n greet at the international entrance and Hope asked to meet her. Ross didn’t really want to wait, but I said this was the first character Hope even asked to meet, so I was fine with it. Of course, as soon as we got on line, Daisy went on break! Lol. No matter, we waited and soon she was back.

 

[Figment Forever]

We headed over to France and rode Remi. Can I rant a bit? Why do people need to talk all through the rides?? I can’t tell you how many rides we went on where people just talked the whole time!!!

After that, Ross wanted a crepe – it was delicious.

Hope wanted to see the Beauty and the Beast show – we had never seen it before. It was very cute!

 

[Figment Forever]

After the show, we walked around World Showcase and got some tasty treats.

When we got to Norway, we sailed off to the land of Frozen.

 

[Figment Forever]

Then back out to eat some more! Lol

At last it was time to Julia have her dream come true!!! We headed over to the Imagination Pavilion to meet @dizfan917 and Kevin.