Trip Report Livin' La Vida Local

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

For those of you that have been following my adventures for awhile now, welcome back! For those of you that are just joining my adventures, I'll do some quick introductions before we jump on in!

I'm Brittany and this is my prince, Dylan. We are from Pennsylvania and got engaged at MK a little over a year ago. We took a page from Walt's book shortly thereafter and chased our dreams, leading us to central Florida. I teach 1st grade and Dylan works at the Magnolia/Palm (Disney) golf courses located across from the Poly and Grand Floridian. After living in FL for a full year now, we are 100% certain that we won't be moving back to PA. We are Floridians through and through and can't imagine living our crazy life together anywhere else.

You'll see lots of faces in my report (including some of yours!), but this is the one you'll see most often. This is my very best Disney friend, Brooke (@wishes2013)! We met through this site and were brought together when we realized that we would both be teaching 1st grade at the same school. I'm not exaggerating when I say that you can either find us at school or Disney... we're together more often than we're not.

You can find the ongoing trip report that chronicles our first year living in FL and being passholders here. This report will serve as more of a "highlight reel," rather than detailing every moment of every trip we take to the parks. But fear not, there will still be lots of report to read! If you're looking for your Disney fix or a way to chase those Disney blues away, you can most certainly find it here.

To all who come to this happy place, welcome!

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, August 24

Happy Fall, ya'll!

Unintentional matching outfits and pumpkin milkshakes from Auntie Gravity's (delicious!)

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, August 30

When Disney announced the unlimited MNSSHP pass for this year, my initial reaction was "that's something I'm going to save for and buy next year."

Fast forward to a few weeks later...

The crowds were pretty much nonexistent with Dorian looming off the coast, so I really took advantage and accomplished a lot! I arrived around 6pm and went to Columbia Harbor House for a quick dinner before the party officially began. Soon, it was 7pm and it was time to get spooky!

Me when 7 Dwarfs is a 10 minute wait.

I had such an amazing interaction with Donald and Daisy! I told Donald how adorable he looked in his pumpkin costume and told him that I planned to put my fall decorations up that weekend, but I had a problem... I don't have any pumpkins that are as cute as he is!

He was loving all of the attention, but Daisy was not having it. She grabbed Donald and I's hands, put them together, and shooed us away. I asked her if she wanted to trade guys, which prompted her to grab my hand to examine my rings and get on Donald's case about it. I told her that Dylan is great and he even cooks and cleans! She was 100% on board with the trade, but Donald ran to hide behind the CM, saying that he wasn't going to take over those jobs.

Daisy continued to scold Donald for not cooking, cleaning, or proposing.. I apologized to him and said that this conversation had taken a really quick turn! We had started by talking about how cute he is, and now here he was getting in all kinds of trouble. I told him that he's still the #1 duck and with that, all was forgiven.

I also met the gravediggers, which I think is an amazing addition to the party this year! They were actually terrifying.. they don't talk, so it makes things even more uncomfortable. I told them that I was dying to meet them and that they looked dead tired from all of that grave digging. They did not find my puns amusing.

They "threw me out" after our pictures, and I thanked them for hanging out with me. I went to grab my belongings, and I realized that my bag of candy was gone. This wouldn't typically be a big deal, except for the fact that my WALLET was in the bag of candy. I was freaking out and got the attention of the character attendant to assist. She did not seem concerned or inclined to help me whatsoever. I just stood there staring at her as she continued to pump guests through the line, kind of in shock that she wasn't doing anything.

One of the gravediggers walked up to me, obviously wondering why I was still standing there. I told him that someone had taken my wallet so I had to hangout with them for a little longer until I got it back. This earned a half smile from him, so I think that means we're friends now. I was thankful for the brief distraction from my panic. A few minutes later, the man that had been in line in front of me came running back to the meet and greet with my bag of candy in his hand. He apologized over and over, saying that he hadn't realized that he grabbed the wrong bag. I knew it was an accident, but that didn't make me feel better in the moment! After he walked away, the CM came up to me and asked me to check to make sure nothing was missing. As I was doing that, a manager came by to verify that everything was okay, and soon I was on my way, candy and wallet in hand. Crisis averted!

Lotso agreed to come to my classroom so my kids had a new toy to play with at recess.

I told Terk that I love to watch the tumble monkeys perform and thought that maybe she should audition. She agreed, and Tarzan said that he thought he would make a good tumble monkey as well!

I grabbed an Apple Cider slush to enjoy while I waited for fireworks to start. It was really good, but also really sweet. I wasn't able to finish all of it, but it was a good snack and a pretty good value!

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, August 30

Boo to you, and you, and you! I always do the second parade so I don't have to fight the crowds as much.

As always, the gravediggers and ballroom dancers were amazing. I didn't get any pictures of them this time because I was too busy videoing.

Meeting Pooh and friends in their Halloween costumes has been on my bucket lists for awhile, but I've just never been willing to wait in line for it. The line tonight wasn't terrible, so I hopped in! I told them that I barely recognized them in their costumes and I couldn't believe how cheerful Eeyore looked! I asked if they had been trick or treating, and Pooh said that he had gotten lots of honey!

Not only did I have low waits for all of the characters that I met throughout the night, but I was also able to walk onto PeopleMover, ride Space in total darkness, and ride 7 Dwarfs twice! I hit a few of the trick or treat locations, but it wasn't a priority since I'll get plenty of candy between all of the parties I attend!

The new fireworks show is AMAZING. I really, really love it and think that it was a much needed update. I did like HalloWishes, but this show is great. Jack Skellington isn't a favorite character of mine, but I do think that adding him to the show was a cool idea. The only thing that I don't like about the show is that the 360 fireworks are gone.

I felt a little guilty about spending the money on the party pass, but that all went away after this party got started! Walking around being able to do whatever I wanted without fear of "wasting valuable time" reminded me of how I felt when I first got my annual pass. There are things I've always wanted to do at MNSSHP that I was never willing to sacrifice party time for, but now that's not a concern because there's always a next time.

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, August 31

Using Dorian to our advantage became the trend of the weekend! We were off to Studios for a Tower of Terror FP after MONTHS of not being able to get one! The wait times have been obnoxious since they started the refurb, so we were really excited to get to finally ride again!

After dropping in, we decided to go check out Galaxy's Edge. I said that I wouldn't venture there for months until the crowds die down a bit, but again, we figured the Dorian crowds would probably be the lowest we would see for awhile.

We wandered around for awhile, completely shocked by how big the land actually is! I wasn't expecting much, especially because Pandora and Toy Story Land are both so small. I've never seen Star Wars (and have no desire to). Dylan enjoys the movies, but isn't a mega fan. We both thought that that the land itself was extremely well done and is totally immersive. There are so many awesome details that I may not understand, but I'm sure true fans love. I noticed things like water stations and fans to help guests stay cool.

The wait for Smuggler's Run was 110 minutes, so we decided to hop in the single rider line instead. We only waited for 15 minutes before we were boarding the ride. I felt that the boarding process was hectic and unorganized and the CMs were basically just ushering people from room to room. There are 6 seats in each ride vehicle, so after you're put into a group of 6, you're handed your "job" and then sent into an open room. There were just a bunch of people standing around, with no lines or any explanation of what to do. Eventually, I heard a CM calling "all guests in the brown boarding group" and gathered that we would be called in by color. I didn't hear the CM calling my group, but luckily saw them heading into the next room so I hurried to catch up. There wasn't a preshow or anything (Dylan said they had some sort of preshow so I'm not sure why we didn't get one), so I felt really confused until the ride started and I figured out what you're supposed to do. It really just felt like they were focused on pumping as many people as possible through the ride, rather than actually creating a memorable experience for the guests.

The exit hallway was completely empty, and I was concerned that I had gone the wrong way until some other people eventually came down the stairs.

Our final opinion? We weren't impressed and both agreed that we don't feel inclined to go back and ride it again (I'm sure that I will, but I won't wait in the standby line like I'm willing to do for FoP). This is a single rider line only type of ride for me. The best way that I can describe Smuggler's Run is a Star Tours and Mission Space collab. It's Star Tours with a better ride vehicle, better graphics, and an interactive feature like Mission Space. The buttons you push and driving skill of your pilots does actually impact your ride experience, but honestly the interactive feature was more distracting than anything. I had no idea what was going on because I was too busy paying attention to what buttons I needed to push. It's a pretty big flop, if you ask me. I'm holding out hope for the second attraction when it opens, but I don't anticipate myself returning to Galaxy's Edge anytime soon.

We headed out of Studios and stopped by Disney Springs for some drinks and music to end our evening!

 

[blreinsel]

We spent a few hours at AK on Sunday evening, but I didn't take any pictures.. just a few videos of the tumble monkeys.

Monday, September 2

I found FoP fastpasses in the morning, so we were headed back to AK for a flight on a banshee! We, of course, watched FoLK and also did Na'vi with a short wait. Our last FP was for Everest, and we were ready to head out after that. It was still early in the evening though, so we decided to hop over to Epcot for some F&W action.

Le Cellier Filet Mignon [Canada]- amazing as always

The Appleseed Orchard is a new booth this year (inside the Canada pavilion), and it brings with it some great options!

Cider Flight [Appleseed Orchard]- they were all pretty good, but I think the Lemon Cello was my favorite.

Cheese Bread [Brazil]- literally what F&W dreams are made of

Illuminations was cancelled because of the Dorian winds, so we headed out a little before closing.

 

[blreinsel]

Tuesday, September 3

I woke up unsure of whether or not I would venture to a park today (school was cancelled Tuesday & Wednesday due to Dorian), but when I opened the app and saw how low wait times were, I knew I had no choice. I grabbed a BOG lunch reservation and was off to MK! The park was only open until 3pm, but that was plenty of time to get some things done!

I used my FP for Space Mountain, walked on the PeopleMover, and then headed over to check in at BOG.

I had French Onion Soup and a Master's Cupcake.. I somehow managed to convince myself that I didn't need a full entree as well. Lunch was amazing, as always!

My next FP was for Haunted Mansion, so I went to use that next. I decided to head out after my ghostly tour.. it was about 2:30pm so I figured I could beat the rest of the crowd.

Speaking of crowds...

I was surprised that they were still doing the parade, especially because they were closing so early. No fighting for a spot today!

It was amazing being able to enjoy the parks with such low crowds for a few days! It's going to be an adjustment going back to normal crowd levels now that the threat of a hurricane is over.

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 6

MNSSHP #2, and this time with friends!

We grabbed dinner at Columbia Harbor House again before the party began. Our first stop was to meet Minnie! We waited longer than anticipated for her, but before too long it was our turn. She was flattered that I chose to dress up like her.

We hit a lot of the treat trails, rode Pirates (with real pirates!), and ate some snacks. I tried the Pirates Horizon from Aloha Isle (orange juice, passion fruit, and pineapple juice). It was really good, but a pretty small portion.

We paid Mickey a visit and walked right in to see him! It's odd to me that Donald and Daisy meet together, but Mickey and Minnie don't. They even have matching outfits!

We ventured toward the hub to claim a spot for fireworks, Hocus Pocus, and Boo To You. We lucked into a spot right on the curb, which wasn't a terribly great spot for fireworks or Hocus Pocus, but it was perfect for the parade!

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 6 cont.

Headless Horseman!

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 6 cont.

I love these guys! They have so much energy.

After Boo To You, we hurried toward Fantastyland and hopped in the 10 minute standby line for 7 Dwarfs!

When we exited, it was 11:59 so we circled right back around and went again! We ended up being the last people through the line, putting us on the last train of the night.

Brooke's ears fell off and ruined our picture.

We headed toward the exit, enjoying an empty Fantasyland on the way.

We stopped for a few final pictures on our way out.

 

[blreinsel]

Whew, all caught up! Thanks for sticking with me.

A side note... some of you already follow me, but if you'd like to keep up with my Disney adventures outside of Magic, I post frequently on my Disney Instagram: @enchantedtaleswithbrittany I'll still be posting here, of course, but you're welcome to follow me there as well!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Just followed you! I’m so glad you are all caught up. I love all the character pictures you got from the Halloween party! Also I will be curious how many times you get to go.

I honestly can’t even remember the last time we saw the lion king show, I live your dedication to it lol and now I will for sure go next trip!
Kelly

 

[Sillysidewalker]

Great report! Now following your adventures on the gram

 

[blreinsel]

Just followed you! I’m so glad you are all caught up. I love all the character pictures you got from the Halloween party! Also I will be curious how many times you get to go.

I honestly can’t even remember the last time we saw the lion king show, I live your dedication to it lol and now I will for sure go next trip!
Kelly

Yay! Characters are my jam so meeting all of these exclusive and specialty outfit ones is amazing! I’m hoping to get to at least a few weekday parties at least for a couple of hours, but this girl needs her sleep so that probably won’t happen often. I plan to be at most of the Friday night ones, though!

Lol! That show gives me life.. I love it so much! I’m keeping track of how many times I see it this passholder year, so I’ll be sure to report back.

Great report! Now following your adventures on the gram

Yay welcome!

 

[Sabrina1705]

Love to read your adventures! Following along on Instagram!

 

[Oh bother!]

Whew, all caught up! Thanks for sticking with me.

A side note... some of you already follow me, but if you'd like to keep up with my Disney adventures outside of Magic, I post frequently on my Disney Instagram: @enchantedtaleswithbrittany I'll still be posting here, of course, but you're welcome to follow me there as well!

Thanks for reading!

Following along on insta as well now! Thanks for sharing x

 

[blreinsel]

Love to read your adventures! Following along on Instagram!

Following along on insta as well now! Thanks for sharing x

Yay! Welcome to you both. Thank you for reading!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Sunday, July 14 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

We were trying something new for dinner tonight!
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We started with some bread and I ordered French Onion Soup as well. It was really good!
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I believe Dylan had the roasted chicken. His stomach didn't feel great and he didn't eat a lot of it, but he enjoyed what he did eat.
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There was no question about what I was ordering... the baked macaroni. It was good, but honestly wasn't amazing like I thought it would be.
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Our waitress brought me a birthday dessert and they sang to me (which was really embarrassing ). But my gosh, this was AMAZING. I was really full, but I forced every last bit down- it was that good lol.
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Some pictures of the restaurant.
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Our overall thoughts on Chefs de France- it was fine but isn't somewhere we'll likely return. The food was good but wasn't anything that has us dreaming about having again. I was surprised by how noisy it was throughout our dinner, so I didn't love that. I'm glad that we ate there and checked another restaurant off the list, but I don't see us returning.

We had the exact same meal there I could have stopped at the soup! It was so filling.

 

[blreinsel]

We had the exact same meal there I could have stopped at the soup! It was so filling.

Same! I was stuffed before my entree even got there.

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 13

MNSSHP #3! I met up with @DocDisney, Mary, Betta, and Max for the evening and had a blast! I didn’t take many pictures, but we did some trick or treating, Buzz, PeopleMover, met Mickey, and watched fireworks (am I missing anything @DocDisney)? It’s always amazing to me that when I meet up with Magic friends, I feel as if we’ve been friends for years and don’t fee uncomfortable whatsoever. Disney magic.

Anyway, here are the few pictures I took from the night! The party was busier than the others I had been to.. I guess everybody wanted to go on Friday the 13th!

I absolutely love the Haunted Mansion part of this show.

I also love this Ursula part!

It started raining near the end of the show, so we decided to just head out a little early. I hopped on a bus and had it all to myself!

One other family did eventually join me, but it was still way better than a crowded monorail or ferry.

I also discovered that the new busses have charging ports!

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, September 14

Dylan and I started the evening at AK for obvious reasons.

None of my favorite monkeys were performing, so that was a little disappointing.. but I love watching them all the same.

We met up with one of Dylan’s friends right after this and just walked around for a bit. We eventually made our way over to ride Dinosaur and then decided to hop to Epcot for the rest of the evening!