Look, it's the Animal King! - Family Vaca, 2013

Hello, lovelies!

I’ve been home for less than a week – fully suffering from Disney withdrawals. Luckily, the weather’s been beautiful and I’ve had visits from friends, so there are many distractions!

This trip was one of the good ones – you can’t go wrong with family vaca. Carly was on me all week, suggesting that I would make fun of her and post unattractive photos, but I would NEVER do that *shifty eyes*. Just kidding. We’ll see.

The trip started for me the day before we flew. I went to work in the morning at My Gym, and taught some cute four year olds how to do forward rolls and hit balloons using tennis rackets. I was home briefly to finish packing my stuff up, and then I went to say goodbye to Andrew. Unfortunately, he was in meetings so we said a quick goodbye and that was the end of that! I was a little early, so I went and got frozen yoghurt before I left.. with cheesecake bites.. unreal.


I'm on my wayyyy! by kz208, on Flickr

It took a little longer than anticipated to make it to my aunt’s place. Especially after I was blaring Rise Against and cruising along, and almost got pulled over by the popo. Oops. My GPS took me all over the sketchiest back roads of Truro, but eventually I made it to Lisa’s at the same time as the fam!

We went to Swiss Chalet for supper and had some catch up moments before heading on to our ritual stop: “The” Pre-Trip Tim Hortons. We actually got Cold Stone ice cream cookie sandwiches, but it’s more the principal of the thing..


Classic family stop! by kz208, on Flickr


Boo rah! by kz208, on Flickr

Soon enough, we made it to the Hilton that’s right by the airport. We all trucked our gear upstairs and chilled out for a few hours before bed.


Four adults and one room at the Hilton. Iffy. by kz208, on Flickr

I was trying to figure out how to turn my data off - quite the go ahead with a loaner phone – but it got sorted out and then it was time for sleep. Unfortunately, sleeping with C is like sleeping with a baby eel and pre-Disney excitement doesn’t mix well with sleep. Got a few hours eventually..

 

[tiaragirl]

But then, the alarm went off at three. Wah! But also, woo! We were in the car and on the way at the following time:


Yep. That happened. by kz208, on Flickr

Gross. When we got to United, we were greeted by this beautiful sight..


HELLO? IS ANYONE THERE? by kz208, on Flickr

Thanks, Dadder. I really appreciate you getting me out of bed and to the airport so early that no one is even there to check us IN! We were so early that the computer kiosks weren’t even started.. oh dear. We were there for about five minutes before another crazy couple joined us, and about twenty after that we were on our way to security.

Going into security, the guy was really nice. He was teasing both Dad and I, which is unusual, even in a smaller airport like Halifax. What was even more unusual is how friendly the American custom’s officer was when he realized that we hadn’t signed our passports. Major oops. He just laughed at us and let us sign them, and moved us along. Quite the start!

Last Tims of the trip! by kz208, on Flickr

We were at the gate an hour before take off, so we got one last Tims and creeped my cousins on Facebook. The flight was on time, so we headed outside to board the little United plane – Dadder dubbed it as “cigar tube with wings”. Basically, that’s what it felt like, so I did my best to sleep my way through it.

Long layover times in New Jersey meant some McDonalds and wanderings. It was nice to have wireless.


Skylinin'. by kz208, on Flickr


Too much waiting in NJ! by kz208, on Flickr

On the plane, I watched The Impossible and bawled the entire way through. It was so good, but so emotional. Holy. I always seem to choose inappropriate movies to watch on airplanes and cry my face off. I think I cried to much that the pilot wanted me off – we landed in Orlando about twenty minutes early. Our luggage had actually arrived on an earlier flight, so Mom, Carly, and I picked it up and went to meet Dadder at the Alamo counter.


Hellllooooo Orlandoooo! by kz208, on Flickr


Luggage much? by kz208, on Flickr

No Magical Express this trip, which Carly and I were pretty sad about.. until later in the week when we got to shop at our leisure. Mom actually booked the car with air miles, so it was an excellent deal. Carly wanted a Mustang, but we ended up with a Dodge Avenger.. and some exciting new pamphlets!


We're off to the New Fantasyland! by kz208, on Flickr


YES, LET'S MOVE! by kz208, on Flickr

 

[tiaragirl]

We were on our way to the World! Trusty Lorraine, the GPS, took us the long way around and got us MOSTLY lost, before we saw the wonderful gates.



In case anyone was questioning where we were going on family vaca.. by kz208, on Flickr



MADE IT! by kz208, on Flickr



We arrived to Pop Century earlier than anticipated. Unfortunately, the systems were totally down. It took about 40 minutes to get checked in. The girls at the front desk were apologetic and very sweet, but it was still an extremely long process. In the end, we got the first official Key To The World cards of the day – which was très thrilling.. until they didn’t work. Mom and Dad got into their rooms fine, but Carly and I couldn’t get into ours.



Come back home! by kz208, on Flickr



The view from our door. by kz208, on Flickr



That was annoying, but we were at Disney, right?! No time for Cruella moments. So Carly and I made our way back down to the front desk and the food court. They printed new cards almost immediately and, thankfully, they worked. Carly and I ordered a pizza to bring up to the room as we snacked, unpacked, and got ready to head to Magic Kingdom.


Pizza pizza! by kz208, on Flickr


How to destroy a room in 60 minutes. by kz208, on Flickr

Something about travel days make showers feel that much better. The kind of showers that don’t make you feel better? RAIN SHOWERS. Especially, TORRENTIAL RAIN SHOWERS. We went to leave for the bus at 5:30PM and it was pouring. Eventually it slowed, and we headed out. Mom was the only one to bring a jacket. She’s obviously the brains of the situation.

Once we got to the empty bus stop, it was pretty clear that we’d just missed a bus. Oh well, first in line! It was still spitting rain at this point, so Carly and I spent most of the time alternating between covering our bangs to prevent frizzage and stealing Mom’s jacket for the same reason. When the bus finally arrived, there were only a few crazies ready to get rained on.


Off to MK! by kz208, on Flickr


Bangs, please don't get wet this early in the voyage. by kz208, on Flickr


First bus ride of the trip! by kz208, on Flickr

 

[tiaragirl]

It’s always such a happy moment when you step out of that bus and onto the walkway into Magic Kingdom, even if the cement is wet. Once our feet hit the ground, there was only one thing on our minds: the New Fantasyland! It was pretty surreal to be there and see all the changes – I hadn’t been in Magic Kingdom for two years, so everything seemed that much more impressive.


It's happening! by kz208, on Flickr


The king and queen. by kz208, on Flickr


WE ARE HERE! by kz208, on Flickr


Soooooo excited, squint eyes everywhur. by kz208, on Flickr


Me and my girl. by kz208, on Flickr

Our first stop was the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Though I was careful not to look at pictures and videos before I left, but I was expecting great things from the queue, based on everyone’s reports. I definitely wasn’t disappointed, it was amazing! The inside of the ride was excellent as well – we got stopped a few times, but it was nice to see details that likely would have been missed otherwise. I think my favourite part was the “kiss the girl” scene, with the fish and their little spit-water fountains. Impressive and cute.


Prince Eric? Come steal me away? by kz208, on Flickr


Beauty queue. by kz208, on Flickr


Photobombed. by kz208, on Flickr

When we came out of the ride, Ariel had a 10 minute wait. Mom and Dad tapped out, but Carly and I decided to take the time to check out the new grotto. I was a fan of the old grotto, mostly for nostalgic reasons – nothing says Disney quite like slipping and falling in the splash and play area while waiting to meet Ariel – but I liked the new set up. Also, Ariel was a babe. Seriously, Ariel is always one of the prettiest princesses, and this girl was no exception. One complaint: she insisted on a princess pose. What is it with Ariel and princess poses? Hard on the head. I know we waited in line to see ya, girl, but we have to look at these pictures for the rest of our lives and honestly.. those who are not “friends” of the princesses usually look terrible doing princess poses.


How old is too old for princess poses? by kz208, on Flickr


Nooooo ooooone spits like Gaston! by kz208, on Flickr

Momma and Dadder were waiting for us after our meet and greet, and we headed over to Tomorrowland. Time for the family favourite and classic – Buzz! I rode with Momma J, and she dominated.. I was feeling pretty bad about myself (though, it might have been a personal best score) until I found out that Dad scored 9,000. We’re talking about the man who hunts fairly regularly and watches like, Wild TV in his spare time. Les Johnson was SO not impressed with his efforts that night.


Mom destroyed us all. by kz208, on Flickr

 

[tiaragirl]

As we were heckling Dad about his “broken” gun, we ran into a little dance party. I got down with Chip and Dale. Basically, I make an effort to put on a show wherever possible.


Futuristic dance moves. by kz208, on Flickr


Dance dance. by kz208, on Flickr

It was a short wait for Space Mountain, somewhere around 20 minutes, and Dad, Carly, and I hopped in line. A necessary classic. There was a family behind us in line with a girl, probably somewhere around 10 years old, who was nervous about getting on. We were talking to them, and her, telling her that it would be fine. She’d done RnRC and the Tower, so you always just assume they’ll be fine. Well, Dad, Carly, and I got on and had our crazy little ride and when we disembarked, we saw her waiting as we RAN AWAY, rushing to get out in case their car came in behind us quickly. I always forget how terrifying that ride is, and that girl would have freaked out. Props to her for knowing our limits – something I clearly still need to learn at 23!


Heyyyyy Dumbo! by kz208, on Flickr


Flyin! by kz208, on Flickr


So many smiles. by kz208, on Flickr

Mom was waiting for us when we got off Space, and we went for a wander through Storybook Circus. Since it was so quiet in the park, Dumbo was a walk on. I hadn’t done Dumbo in years, so I rode with Mom and Carly went on her own. Dad tapped out – either he was still sore about his loss on Buzz or he’s just TOO COOL for Dumbo. It was quite pretty in the dark. I liked the new set up in the tent, though I expected the play area to be larger.

 

[tiaragirl]

Wait, who's castle is that? by kz208, on Flickr

After our magical, very Disney ride on Dumbo, we headed toward Be Our Guest. Carly had secured a reservation somewhere around Christmastime for our first night in the World. The girl that checked us in at Pop was very complimentary to our efforts, and suggested that it was impressive that we had gotten one at all. Funny, because it really wasn’t that hard. While we waited, Mom made friends and Carly snap-chatted Bryce (a theme this trip), and Dad and I chatted.


Anticipating food. by kz208, on Flickr

When our buzzer went off, it was verrrrrrry exciting. They led us through the doors, and I carried the candles because obviously I was the most shameless and the most visibly excited. It really is incredible inside. The ballroom is breathtaking, and walking through it was like sensory overload. Just like the movie! In the end we were seated in the West Wing, which was an experience onto itself. Not going to lie, I totally teared up. All my trip reports should be called “Crying through Disney” and the year.


A rose without thorns. by kz208, on Flickr


Checking out the eats. by kz208, on Flickr

Honestly, I found the food mediocre. Mom and I had the salmon, Carly had the Cornish hen, and Dad had the pork. The best part of the meal was easily the cupcakes. I had the strawberry one, and my goodness – heavenly! I’d happily eat it right now, actually, but I’m a little far away and I heard reservations are just miserable to secure..


Om noms. by kz208, on Flickr


The West Wing is OFF LIMITS! by kz208, on Flickr

On the way out we stopped and met our lovely host. He bowed and danced with me, and then with Carly. There was a little girl dressed up as Belle behind us, and he made her feel pretty special, kissing her hand and the rest. It was adorable, and I might have gotten a little teary. She was the MOST excited.


Look at the cuties! by kz208, on Flickr


Some New Fantasyland love. by kz208, on Flickr

We took some more pictures and slowly made our way out of Magic Kingdom, enjoying the lights and the magic. We hit the busses and waited for a bit – we were exhausted by this point, so we were happy that we got seats. By the time we got back to the room, I was basically a zombie – I’m the girl that needs 8+ hours of sleep. We were up for 20 hours from start to finish – magical hours, yes, but 20 hours are too many. It was off to bed at 11PM, and on to Animal Kingdom in the morning!

 

[LeCellier.Lover]

Kenzie.. Omg.... I cannot tell you HOW FREAKING EXCITED I became when I saw this TR pop up! Seriously love LOVING it already! You and your family are just too cute! I love all the pictures, you guys always look so cute and happy! Can't wait to keep reading! <3

 

[Raven66]

I am seriously excited for you to finish this report. I think you all are so adorable. Your writing is so witty and I enjoy it a lot. So hurry up!!

 

[TheMouseFan]

Yay!! You started your TR! Can't wait to read more!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

LOVE this TR so far, girl!!

I too should title my TR's "Crying Through Disney" .. Glad I'm not the only one who tears up over everything while I'm there!!

 

[plaz10]

KENZZZZZ. Yes I'm very excited to read this TR. I agree with Darolyn - I totally cry at everything in Disney."It's all so magical..." Yes. Magic tears, dear.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Kenzie! Y'all are too dang adorable for words!

Yay for Pop Century! Feelin' the love. Will be there in just over a week....

I loved the pic of your room when you finally got there. As the mom who walks around the house muttering continually about cleaning things up I took one look at your picture and thought, "Holy chit! That was FAST!" So where do you sleep??? LOL!

Getting in and out of the Space Mountain ride vehicle with the short skirt. Please describe this maneuver to me because I'm wondering how this is done without offering up a peep show to someone.

Love that y'all got to eat at BoG your first night. That's cool! Believe me, I tried so hard, many times daily for over a month, to find us a ressie there. Just not meant to be, I suppose.

First day sounded totally exhausting but fun! Can't wait to hear how the rest played out!

 

[LindsayLoves]

A trip report with a Swiss Chalet AND Tim Horton's mentions... I'm in! You and your family look like so much fun.

 

[Zman-ks]

Great pics!

 

[angieandtrevor]

YAY, I was waiting for this, can't wait to read more !! How the heck did you possibly get lost in Truro.....you really are a true country girl, haha

 

[fractal]

I'm looking forward to finding out the meaning of the title to this TR. Great pictures - especially like the one on Dumbo!


- also interested to know how golf went.

Good stuff!

 

[WDW_Princess24]

Woo hoo, so glad you got stared so soon on your TR Kenz! I left Pop for MCO shortly before you arrived, had I been in NJ I could have saved you from your layover in Newark, I am only 5 minutes from the airport! I love that this is a family vaca, I can't even remember the last time my family took one!
So glad you were not disappointed with Mermaid. You are one strong chicky to stay away from all the videos and pictures before you got to ride, I couldn't help myself. Love the pics of you and your sis around New Fantasyland, they are so stinking cute! I too often forget how crazy Space Mountain is! When I was 5 my uncle and father took me on with them, needless to say I was 13 before I ever went on a ride again. Still till this day every time I ride Space I wonder how little kids do it!
Reservations at BoG for dinner are super hard to come by, so you guys were lucky. I am so jealous you got to eat in the West Wing, and don't feel bad about the tears, your not the only one who cries throughout your trips haha!
Keep the awesomeness coming girly!

 

[ShookieJones]

Great TR! Your family looks like they know how to have fun at WDW.
Can't wait to read more!

That's a very cool atmospheric shot of the carousel at the end there. Nice job.

 

[farrellbarrel]

Awesome TR so far!! I like the pictures, and your outfit with Dale!

 

[wishes2013]

I might have teared up a bit at BOG too! It was beautiful. We didn't get any reservations either, but decided to wait in line for lunch. It was soo worth it sweetpea! I can't wait to read the rest of your report Kenzie