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]

Saturday, April 14

I've said it before and I'll say it a million times again.. Flower and Garden is THE BEST festival. We just couldn't stay away. Somebody else mentioned this and I have to agree.. the display at the entrance is impossible to get a good picture of. It's just SO big.

Our first stop was a FP+ for Living with the Land. I love all of the special touches they add during the festivals.

We then made our way toward WS for some food booth action! First stop: Pineapple Promenade for Violet Lemonade. I will literally dream about this until next year's festival. It needs to become a regular menu item somewhere... and also I would like an option to buy a full sized glass instead of the fun sized version that lasts all of 30 seconds.

Next, I tried the Watermelon Cucumber Slushy (non-alcoholic) from the Florida Fresh booth. It was okay, nothing special.

And last up today, Fried Cauliflower with Capers, Garlic Parsley, and Chili-Ranch Sauce from Morocco. This was one that @wishes2013 peer pressured me into but it was SOOOOO good. Positive peer pressure happens at Disney. I was also impressed with the amount of food you get with this one.

 

[wishes2013]

First stop: Pineapple Promenade for Violet Lemonade. I will literally dream about this until next year's festival. It needs to become a regular menu item somewhere... and also I would like an option to buy a full sized glass instead of the fun sized version that lasts all of 30 seconds.

It shouldn't be considered "fun size" if it's so small it makes you sad. I miss it already

 

[sheriffwoody]

You are KILLING me with your food choices! Between the nachos, the violet lemonade and the fried cauliflower, I just want to eat my computer screen.

 

[blreinsel]

Tuesday, April 17

Dylan and I made a quick after-work trip to AK since his work schedule has made going together difficult lately.

We started with a FP+ for Everest.

Before we headed to Pandora, we stopped off so I could grab a drink. I went with a Himalayan Ghost (Snow Leopard Vodka, guava, and Odwalla lemonade) after seeing @imahistorygeek have it. It was SO GOOD.

I enjoyed my drink as we leisurely walked over to Pandora for dinner at Satu'li Canteen. I love this restaurant and they give you more than enough food to share! I didn't share the dessert, however.

After dinner, we hopped in the standby line for Flight of Passage. I can't remember how long we waited, but it's typically just over an hour.

After our flight on a banshee we headed home for the night.

 

[blreinsel]

FYI, @sheriffwoody has a perfect southern belle twang that matches her charm.

It shouldn't be considered "fun size" if it's so small it makes you sad. I miss it already

TRUTH. Countdown to F&G 2019!

You are KILLING me with your food choices! Between the nachos, the violet lemonade and the fried cauliflower, I just want to eat my computer screen.

Right??

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, April 21

@wishes2013 and I were off to MK for a very special occasion today! What was the occasion? You'll have to wait to find out. This guy made a bold statement as we rode the monorail over. The polish matched his shirt, in case you were wondering.

We had a FP+ for Pirates so headed there first. We don't wants the redhead!

We crossed the park for our next FP+ at Haunted Mansion and passed several CM's pushing these noisy contraptions on the way. It was bizarre and seemed very uncharacteristic for Disney.

We were greeted with this lovely FP+ line when we arrived.

We were hungry for a snack and Brooke had her sights set on a Lefou's Brew. We passed this random wall/stage on our way. It has since been taken down, but we still aren't sure what it was for.

I was tempted to get a Lefou's Brew for myself but refrained in hopes of getting a different sweet treat. Spoiler alert: I didn't end up getting what I wanted. Stay tuned. We did watch a guest get loaded onto a stretcher in one of the seating areas while we waited in line. Not sure what happened but there were a lot of official looking CM's hovering around.

We continued our walk and circled around to Tomorrowland so I could get a millennial pink milkshake from Auntie Gravity's! I was extremely disappointed when I was informed that they were sold out for the day. The CM said that you have to get there early in order to get one because they always sell out quickly. I settled for a hidden-Mickey sundae instead.

We finished our snacks and then made our way toward the flagpole for a special kind of meet up. But what were we celebrating?

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, April 21 cont.

Awhile back, I randomly came across an event on Facebook called "2nd Annual Bubble Walk" taking place at Magic Kingdom. I was intrigued, marked myself as "interested" and soon after @wishes2013 hopped on board. All we knew was that we needed meet at the flagpole with bubbles. DONE.

Before we walked to the flagpole, we stopped by guest services to get buttons to commemorate the occasion (this is when the button collecting for my wedding began ). Anyway, we asked the CM for buttons and she asked what we were celebrating. Brooke excitedly responds, "BUBBLES!" The CM looks at us with no emotion and says, "I hate bubbles."

We walked away laughing, buttons in hand. So much for the "Disney way."

Anyway, we arrived at the flagpole and others wielding bubble wands quickly started gathering. We couldn't believe how many people actually showed up lol. The original plan was to watch Move It, Shake It and then as the floats came back through, blast the CM's with bubbles. Apparently this is what they did last year and it was a huge hit. But for whatever reason, the parade went down Main Street, around the hub, and came right back without doing the dance party like usual. Plans changed to blowing bubbles all the way down Main Street and ending in Tomorrowland for the dance party that happens over there in the evenings. And we're off!

It was hilarious seeing the look on peoples' faces as we all walked down Main Street, bubbles flying everywhere. There was a middle aged man there alone and every couple of minutes he would hold his wand up in there air and just yell "BUBBLE WALK!!!!" It's still undecided if he was our favorite participant or if it was the chihuahua "service dog" (@wdisney9000 ) that slept in its owner's shoulder bag the entire time.

We paused at the castle for a group picture. The photopass CM said that she had planned on doing the bubble walk but then got scheduled to work lol. Here we all are!

Brooke and I decided to break off from the group after the picture and grab some dinner, but not before a quick photo shoot with our hippos!

We got so many compliments on our hippos lol. Who would have thought that $1 bubble machines would be the stars of the show?

We stopped by Friar's Nook for dinner, feeling pretty salty that they no longer serve mac & cheese. We both had the Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tots.

We decided to set sail on a happy little cruise.. again with the ridiculous FP+ lines today.

My hippo spotted a relative!

Our last FP+ was for Splash where we secured the most epic ride picture ever.

The picture actually didn't show up on our account so Brooke submitted a lost photo request. She described us as "two girls holding hippos.. one wearing a grey t-shirt and one wearing a blue tank top." Her mom made fun of her and asked why she felt it was necessary to describe what we were wearing because the hippos made us pretty easy to pick out. Fortunately they were able to find it right away!

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, April 21 cont.

We headed for the hub and claimed a pretty good spot for Happily Ever After. I've been trying to be better about just watching the show and being "in the moment," but I can't resist snapping a few subpar pictures for all of you fine people.

I think that this is the night we finally figured out why kids can't read when they get to us in 1st grade... correct me if I'm wrong @wishes2013. There was a lady holding her grandson(?) and she started singing the alphabet song to him. As she was singing, I heard her say the wrong letter at one point but then she just kept on going. I figured it was just a slip up and didn't think much of it. Then, @wishes2013 and I heard the following...

"Q, R, S, T, O, V...." - We looked at each other and stifled a laugh until the lady moved away. There were two guys standing next to us who had also heard her and made a comment about it, so we all had a good laugh together. I mean, she BELTED it out. No shame in her game. You do you ma'am.

We headed out of the park after the show ended. We loved our first bubble walk and can't wait for next year!

 

[wishes2013]

I’m crying remembering that dog

It’s a shame you can’t see the bubbles that were coming from the hippos in our picture

I think that this is the night we finally figured out why kids can't read when they get to us in 1st grade... correct me if I'm wrong

It’s also the night that teenage girl threw up all over Main Street

 

[Captain Barbossa]

It’s also the night that teenage girl threw up all over Main Street

Details?

 

[eb3257]

The hippo on small world is my favorite!

 

[wishes2013]

Details?

She just stopped and threw up in he middle of the street. There were a lot of people around waiting for HEA, but she didn’t really even try to get to a trash can. We moved away pretty quickly, then we got to hear the little kid sing the alphabet all wrong, so I guess it worked out for us!

 

[Songbird76]

Saturday, April 21 cont.

Awhile back, I randomly came across an event on Facebook called "2nd Annual Bubble Walk" taking place at Magic Kingdom. I was intrigued, marked myself as "interested" and soon after @wishes2013 hopped on board. All we knew was that we needed meet at the flagpole with bubbles. DONE.
View attachment 287249

Before we walked to the flagpole, we stopped by guest services to get buttons to commemorate the occasion (this is when the button collecting for my wedding began ). Anyway, we asked the CM for buttons and she asked what we were celebrating. Brooke excitedly responds, "BUBBLES!" The CM looks at us with no emotion and says, "I hate bubbles."

We walked away laughing, buttons in hand. So much for the "Disney way."

Anyway, we arrived at the flagpole and others wielding bubble wands quickly started gathering. We couldn't believe how many people actually showed up lol. The original plan was to watch Move It, Shake It and then as the floats came back through, blast the CM's with bubbles. Apparently this is what they did last year and it was a huge hit. But for whatever reason, the parade went down Main Street, around the hub, and came right back without doing the dance party like usual. Plans changed to blowing bubbles all the way down Main Street and ending in Tomorrowland for the dance party that happens over there in the evenings. And we're off!
View attachment 287250

It was hilarious seeing the look on peoples' faces as we all walked down Main Street, bubbles flying everywhere. There was a middle aged man there alone and every couple of minutes he would hold his wand up in there air and just yell "BUBBLE WALK!!!!" It's still undecided if he was our favorite participant or if it was the chihuahua "service dog" (@wdisney9000 ) that slept in its owner's shoulder bag the entire time.
View attachment 287256

We paused at the castle for a group picture. The photopass CM said that she had planned on doing the bubble walk but then got scheduled to work lol. Here we all are!
View attachment 287247

Brooke and I decided to break off from the group after the picture and grab some dinner, but not before a quick photo shoot with our hippos!
View attachment 287251

We got so many compliments on our hippos lol. Who would have thought that $1 bubble machines would be the stars of the show?
View attachment 287252

We stopped by Friar's Nook for dinner, feeling pretty salty that they no longer serve mac & cheese. We both had the Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tots.
View attachment 287253

We decided to set sail on a happy little cruise.. again with the ridiculous FP+ lines today.
View attachment 287254

My hippo spotted a relative!
View attachment 287246

Our last FP+ was for Splash where we secured the most epic ride picture ever.
View attachment 287248

The picture actually didn't show up on our account so Brooke submitted a lost photo request. She described us as "two girls holding hippos.. one wearing a grey t-shirt and one wearing a blue tank top." Her mom made fun of her and asked why she felt it was necessary to describe what we were wearing because the hippos made us pretty easy to pick out. Fortunately they were able to find it right away!

 

[blreinsel]

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, April 22 - Happy birthday Animal Kingdom!

My parents were in town and decided to join us for AK's birthday celebration! Dylan had to work so will join us later in the day, as will @wishes2013

We made it through security and passed by this guy who was ready for an intense day of park touring. Not sure why 2 Go Pro's (or even 1) were necessary, but to each their own.

We stopped for a picture before heading into the park.

We wandered around for a little while before heading to It's Tough To Be a Bug. It had been awhile since I'd done this one but I hadn't forgotten to sit forward in my seat to avoid being "stung."

We took a quick bathroom break and then utilized mobile ordering to grab lunch from Flame Tree. My parents shared the platter while I had the mac and cheese.

We also got cupcakes... who could pass this beauty up?

We didn't want to ride anything until the rest of our crew arrived, so we decided to walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek to pass some time. We stopped to watch these guys for a little while first. They were really active today! Later on, we actually heard them calling back and forth to each other... it was a weird sound and it took me a minute before I even realized where it was coming from.

Apparently I didn't take any pictures until the end of the trail.

Even the birds were celebrating!

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, April 22 cont.

Finishing up on our jungle trek!

Brooke texted me to say she was in the park so we met her outside of our first FP+ of the day.. Dinosaur! Our ride picture never showed up so I don't have any proof, but we did make it back with one extra passenger, extra large.

Our next FP+ was for Everest and our window had just opened. Luckily, Dylan was arriving and met us there. Brooke refuses to ride Everest, so she serves as the mom and holds my stuff while waiting in the gift shop. The rest of us were off to find a yeti!

Next, we made our way over to Pandora so we could wait standby for Flight of Passage. We grabbed some beverages from Pongu Pongu before hopping in line. This was Brooke and my parents' first time riding and everybody enjoyed it!

We were cutting it close, but we made it just in time for our last FP+.

The animals were all really active today and our driver, Ryan, was phenomenal!

If you look closely, you can see a CM standing on the hill feeding these beauties.

The giraffes were all over the place today.. they ventured away from their usual stomping grounds and were exploring other areas of the savannah. We also saw the crocodiles walking around as we crossed the bridge.. proof that they are indeed real.

Our last attraction of the day was Festival of the Lion King. As always, it was a great show, however there were only 3 tumble monkeys and they completely skipped their part of the show.

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, April 22 cont.

We started making our way out but stopped for some pictures first. We also ran into one of the gift shops to get 20th anniversary pins.

And a few more outside. I was really happy with how these ones turned out, however most of them were crooked. I had to zoom and crop them quite a bit to get them to look decent. Not sure how you manage to take a crooked picture when the camera is on a tripod.

We had a ton of fun celebrating Animal Kingdom! The crowds were surprisingly manageable and the weather was great. We accomplished everything we wanted to and enjoyed the time spent together.

 

[blreinsel]

Monday, April 23

Not much to say because I'm so behind and @wdisney9000 beat me to the punch, but Dylan and I got to have another Magic meet up!
We had a lovely evening sitting outside on the Tiki Terrace enjoying drinks and the good company! Keith reminded me that we basically already met last year when our June trips overlapped and we rode a bus to AK together. That was back when I was too shy to say hi to people from the forums. I really tried to sell C on Florida life so they can move here and do Disney all the time with us, but she wasn't so sure. I'll keep working on her.

We popped upstairs to grab the most epic of Magic meet up pictures before parting ways. I'm so happy we were able to make our schedules align and look forward to their next trip so we can do it again!

 

[LisaBelle]

The 20th anniversary cupcake looked yummy! My son can’t wait to try the Flame Tree Mac & cheese. It looks sooo good!!

 

[Tuvalu]

@wdisney9000 would a legit service dog be wearing two Go-Pros?