Trip Report Meet the Floridians

Hello humans!

Most of you know me by now, but for those of you who haven't followed my past TR's (particularly my most recent), I'll do some brief introductions. Feel free to check out my past reports (in my signature) if you'd like!

Who: I'm Brittany! I'm 25 and completely Disney obsessed. My better half is Dylan, also 25 and not quite as Disney obsessed. Prior to meeting me, he had never been to WDW! It was obviously top priority to remedy that.

This is our baby, Tink. She also loves Disney.

We got engaged in Magic Kingdom in June.. my dream come true! Though our wedding won't take place in Disney, it will be Disney themed.

While we were enjoying our time in the World, I accepted a 1st grade teaching position in Osceola County, Florida. Fast forward a month, and we packed up a U-Haul to relocate from Pennsylvania to the Sunshine State!

We currently live 20 minutes from Disney property, and one of our first purchases should come as no surprise. This report will be a collection of our adventures as annual passholders, and I'll update it with a Table of Contents as we go. Now, without further ado...

To all who come to this happy place, welcome!

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 29 cont.

One simply does not attend MNSSHP without riding Haunted Mansion, so we were off to see 999 happy haunts! We didn't wait long at all, which was surprising!

We enjoyed listening to these two interact with guests after we exited. Sorry for the poor quality.

He was HILARIOUS! I could have listened to him all night. At one point, he asked somebody to throw him some Skittles and then opened his mouth as wide as he could. They threw a whole pack at him and he was not amused. He also called the gummy Lifesavers "the gift that keeps on giving."

At that point, we started making our way to Main Street to claim a spot for the fireworks. I love these balloons!

We got to Main Street about 20 minutes before the fireworks started and were able to get a great spot! Since it was my first time seeing Hallowishes, I tried to make myself just watch and enjoy it rather than watching through my phone screen. I posted a few things to my Snapchat and Instagram stories, but other than that I did pretty well with following my own rules.

 

[Tiggerish]

Wednesday, September 13 cont.

We hopped in line and were fortunate enough to have this view while we waited.
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Can't see well enough? Here's a better one.
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There's an okapi in this picture, but I took the next two in an attempt to show some of the Irma damage. It kind of blends in, but it was much more apparent in real life.
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I can't stop laughing at that outfit! Who does that?

I mean at least she tried with the animal print right?! lol some people's fashion choices just cannot be explained!

OMG... How is that outfit even allowed

And that outfit was allowed? You're not even allowed on the BUS to the waterparks without coverups and THAT is allowed? My bathing suit covers MUCH more than that.

Ladies, ladies...she's clearly Disneybounding Shenzi. Right? Seriously, that's the ONLY explanation for that outfit. @Songbird76 I'm with you, I don't know how that outfit got through the turnstiles.

Another Epcot experience that Dylan hadn't had yet was Club Cool.. we ventured inside and he was intrigued! Unfortunately, I missed him trying Beverly. I saw him going for it but I knew if I got my camera out he wouldn't drink it. You'll just have to trust me that his reaction was everything I hoped it would be.

Dang! What a missed opportunity! Of course we trust you and all, but that would have been a sight to see!!

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 29 cont.

After the fireworks, we moved closer to the castle to get ready for the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! The show was delayed a few minutes and there were a bunch of CM's onstage mopping the water off. There was a little boy standing near us who asked his dad what time it was and how much longer till the show started literally every 30 seconds. He was adorable. You can imagine his disappointment when the announcements came on saying the show was delayed... his excitement when it finally started was equally as humorous.

My pictures are pretty bad but I'll share them anyway.

The show was great! I love seeing all of the villains and Disney really knows how to put on a show. I overheard somebody say that the earlier show had been cancelled due to weather, so I'm thankful that the rain eventually stopped and we were able to see it.

We then moved back into the hub area to claim a spot for the parade... This was what I was most excited for! We found a spot with a front row view that allowed us to sit down to watch - major bonus!

Again, my pictures are all blurry and terrible, but I'll share them anyway.

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 29 cont.

More Boo to You!

My main man.

Minnie's outfit was so cute! Mickey never came around to our side.

Peter Pan's float is just awesome.

Jack was... weird. He kept mumbling and you couldn't even understand him lol.

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. And of course I only took one crappy picture.

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 29 cont.

I'm absolutely obsessed with this part of the parade. I can't handle the awesomeness!

Literally would still watch if these guys were the only part. They were AMAZING!

These two effectively scared the dole whip out of me when they screamed and lunged toward us.

So. Freaking. Cool.

The smell coming from her float...

Floppy hyenas.... SO weird.

More strange parade participants...

Why do we love villains? Lol

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, September 29 cont.

Finishing up the parade...

Thoughts on Boo to You... LOVED IT! The soundtrack is catchy, I love seeing all of the villains, and parades are just awesome. I was disappointed that the Haunted Mansion section wasn't longer. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it left me wanting more because it was that amazing. The headless horseman didn't come through, which was also disappointing. Does that only happen for the first parade? Anyway, this is one that I could watch again and again! Good show Disney!

We followed the last float out and stopped for a few pictures before leaving.

Nice and blurry.

Better, but still terrible lighting.

We were trying to get a picture of this and there was a girl standing in the middle of it. Another girl walked up beside us and commented on how she'd like a picture, too, so my mom went and asked her to move. Super embarrassing, but happy I got the picture lol.

Thoughts on MNSSHP... It was lots of fun! The special entertainment is obviously the highlight, but low wait times were great, too. The candy lines were a fun way to reminisce on trick-or-treating as a kid and they're SO generous! MK definitely had a different feel during the party than on a typical day, so that was exciting. Maybe not something I need to do EVERY year, but definitely something I'll do again in the future. Maybe every other year?

Goodnight, MK!

 

[blreinsel]

*slowly raises hand*

We shared that. Totally agree, it is RICH. Glad we only got one

I wish I had your self control... I'm working on it.

Ladies, ladies...she's clearly Disneybounding Shenzi. Right? Seriously, that's the ONLY explanation for that outfit. @Songbird76 I'm with you, I don't know how that outfit got through the turnstiles.

Dang! What a missed opportunity! Of course we trust you and all, but that would have been a sight to see!!

Lol! How could I have missed that? That's definitely what she was going for.

I'm still so bummed that I didn't get the picture lol. It would have been one for the wall.

 

[Zipadeelady]

I just love Boo to You Parade!

 

[becca_]

You convince me more and more with each post that I need to live where you live

 

[AKemily]

Loving your report! This is only my second comment on this site but I had to comment on your pictures from MNSSHP! I got to go to the party last year and it was so much fun! HalloWishes blew me away! I also loved how they lit up Main Street after the fireworks.

The headless horseman didn't come through, which was also disappointing. Does that only happen for the first parade?

I heard the headless horseman doesn't come out when it has rained recently. I guess because he has trouble seeing (being headless and all ) while also being on a horse - the reflection of water and the potential for slipping is considered too much of a hazard

 

[Bullseye1967]

I got in so late but I love your TR. We lived in FL for a bit and lived very close to disney.. We were AP holders also and miss it so much. So glad that we can see it through your posts until we get back. Believe me we will be back.

 

[blreinsel]

I just love Boo to You Parade!

Me too!!!

You convince me more and more with each post that I need to live where you live

I'm telling you... it's the BEST.

Loving your report! This is only my second comment on this site but I had to comment on your pictures from MNSSHP! I got to go to the party last year and it was so much fun! HalloWishes blew me away! I also loved how they lit up Main Street after the fireworks.

I heard the headless horseman doesn't come out when it has rained recently. I guess because he has trouble seeing (being headless and all ) while also being on a horse - the reflection of water and the potential for slipping is considered too much of a hazard

The Halloween party was amazing! I'm so glad we finally got to experience it. That makes sense about the headless horseman.. dang rain.

I got in so late but I love your TR. We lived in FL for a bit and lived very close to disney.. We were AP holders also and miss it so much. So glad that we can see it through your posts until we get back. Believe me we will be back.

Welcome! I can't imagine ever moving away from here.. you're stronger than me! Lol. Fingers crossed that you make it back sooner rather than later.

 

[Songbird76]

My wife told me about people that do this thing called Geocaching . People "hide" things and then upload and share the coordinates of the item they hid so others can find it and add to it, keep it or replace ti with another. We read some cool stories about people hiding things behind dresser drawers in the resorts or in the gardens at the parks. Maybe that rock was geocached.

https://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=8d82f41a-4962-4dd5-bee3-2302139355a6

http://www.chipandco.com/new-disney-treasure-hunt-really-rocks-276856/

 

[blreinsel]

Tuesday, October 3

One of Dylan's work friends had asked for us to join him and his girlfriend for drinks, so I made a conscious effort to leave school "early" to allow us to do just that. The plan was to meet at the Poly, so we grabbed drinks at Tiki Terrace before joining them on the deck that leads into one of the buildings. We hung out there for a while, enjoying our drinks and chatting.

I had a Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum. You can see the deck that we sat on in this picture.

Next, we walked to the Grand Floridian to stop by Mizner's. I've had a negative perception of this bar because it appears stuffy to me. However, our bartender was extremely friendly and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I had some kind of pineapple cider... it was really refreshing! We sat outside on the balcony/patio and enjoyed our drinks, as well as the yummy trail mix that our bartender put in a to-go cup for us.

Next up, we caught the monorail to the Contemporary for one last round as well as a late dinner from Contempo Cafe.

I had a Buffalo Chicken Flatbread.. very good but VERY spicy.

Dylan had the Contempo Pasta with marinara sauce.

After we finished eating, we got on the elevator and went up several floors before going outside to stand on a deck with a great view of the castle and fireworks with no other people blocking our view. However after standing there for a few minutes, I remembered that it was a MNSSHP night which meant no HEA.

We decided to walk the rest of the way up to the observation deck just for the sake of taking in the view. We stayed for a few minutes before heading back downstairs to the Wave Lounge for one last drink.

Is there any better way to end the night than with a Pina Colava??

We had a fun night with great friends exploring some "off the beaten path" places around Disney. Nights like these are a great reminder of the fact that WDW is more than just the parks!

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, October 7

Dylan and I met at Epcot after he got off of work to enjoy some F&W festivities!

First stop was the Festival Center to admire the chocolate sculptures! We were given free chocolate as we walked in just like they do in the Disney Springs location.

Absolutely obsessed with everything about this.

It's amazing that they can create these sculptures with that much detail... out of chocolate. They were so neat and pictures really don't do them justice!

We left the Festival Center and made our way to WS. I had spent some time earlier in the day going through my passport and highlighting all of the things I'd like to try before F&W ends.. doing that gave us a lot better direction and allowed us to try more.

First stop was Hawaii!

Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour DOLE Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise ($4.75)

Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine ($6)

The wine was okay.. I loved the slider! I would get it again.

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, October 7 cont.

Next, we tried the Almond Orchard booth.

Cauliflower Risotto with Pulled Chicken, Artichokes, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese and Aged Balsamic ($4.75)

The risotto was just okay.. I wouldn't get it again.

We continued along and decided that we wanted to stop at Canada even though we'd already tried the things it had to offer.

“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce ($8)

We loved it just as much the second time, though we agreed that it seems like the portion got smaller since last time we had it.

We had some company as we ate @DisneyShe

I was ready for something sweet and Ireland had the perfect dish!

Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard ($4)

Oh my word... this was AMAZING! I would get it a million more times! Dylan only asked for a couple of bites and then left me to enjoy it in all my chocolate glory.

I had eaten a late lunch, so I was starting to get full already. Dylan was still hungry and wanted to get an actual meal from one of the QS spots.

You can see how busy it was in this picture.

We had eaten at Lotus Blossom Cafe on our June trip and enjoyed it, so that was where Dylan requested we go next. He ordered the Shrimp Fried Rice and thought it was surprisingly good! I ate a few bites of rice and have to agree.

We got in line at the Brazil booth to get something else to try, however it started raining pretty hard as we were waiting. We ran for cover until it let up enough to make our way to the exit. It was too busy to ride anything and we were just done with crowds at that point.

Guys... Disney date nights are the BEST. We're so stinkin' lucky.

While I was on MDE looking at wait times, I noticed a FP+ for Toy Story Mania that seemed to be calling our names. Wait times at HS were just all around better so we decided to pop in there to end the evening!

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, October 7 cont.

It was misting as we drove to HS, but in true Florida fashion, the skies opened up and we got POURED on as we walked from our cars to the gate. We were completely soaked through... dripping, soaking wet. We looked like we had just gotten out of the shower.

We suffered through the rainy walk to TSM and then froze in the AC once getting inside. This picture doesn't even show just how wet we were lol.

I felt a little happier after beating him once again.

We rode RnRC in the single rider line but the pictures weren't working for some reason so I have no proof.

We walked right onto Tower of Terror and were surprised by some new/different features during the drop sequence. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't gotten to ride yet. They're very subtle changes, but they really add to the overall experience I think!

The Star Wars fireworks started as we were walking out, so we stopped to watch since neither of us had seen the show before. It was.... bad. I'm not a Star Wars fan at all so I'm not really surprised that I didn't like it. It was basically like watching parts of the movies projected on the Chinese Theater with occasional fireworks, pyrotechnics, and lasers. Even just having more fireworks would have kept my attention better, but it was just bad. Dylan likes Star Wars and agreed that it wasn't worth watching. We left before it was over. I hope I don't offend anybody with my opinions.

We were still soaked and cold so were more than happy to leave for the night.

 

[12in12]

That chocolate cake with Irish cream sauce looks amazing. I wish I could eat that right now.
The risotto also sounds and looks tasty, why didn't you like it?

 

[blreinsel]

That chocolate cake with Irish cream sauce looks amazing. I wish I could eat that right now.
The risotto also sounds and looks tasty, why didn't you like it?

The taste and texture were both strange. My only other experience with risotto was at California Grill and this was nothing like what I had there. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the quality at CG.

 

[12in12]

The taste and texture were both strange. My only other experience with risotto was at California Grill and this was nothing like what I had there. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the quality at CG.

That makes sense, CG is pretty amazing. I love risotto and often make it myself but the best one I ever had was a chestnut risotto in France. I measure all my risotto against that one and none are ever as good.