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]

Hey teacher friends... do yourself a favor and buy this book! I got it from Amazon. I’m SO excited to use it next year! How convenient that I checked the mail on our way to AK and it was in there.. I was dressed for the occasion.

 

[LisaBelle]

Hey teacher friends... do yourself a favor and buy this book! I got it from Amazon. I’m SO excited to use it next year! How convenient that I checked the mail on our way to AK and it was in there.. I was dressed for the occasion.
View attachment 289926

Must. Have. Opening Amazon now, lol!!!

 

[dieboy]

Lol! It’s one of the best AK days I’ve ever had, despite the rain! That safari was incredible.. I guess the animals love the rain!

They so do, the tiger cubs were out rolling around right by the windows on the trail. (look close for mom ) It was near glorious.

 

[blreinsel]

Must. Have. Opening Amazon now, lol!!!

I knew you would appreciate this! Lol. We’ll have to do a little bit of modifying for our little friends, but it’s doable. I teach the enrichment kids during our intervention time and this stuff is pure gold for those little brains!

They so do, the tiger cubs were out rolling around right by the windows on the trail. (look close for mom ) It was near glorious.

This is such a cool picture! Mom does NOT look amused.

 

[Gurt]

Yachtclub anniversary looked amazing

 

[LisaBelle]

I knew you would appreciate this! Lol. We’ll have to do a little bit of modifying for our little friends, but it’s doable. I teach the enrichment kids during our intervention time and this stuff is pure gold for those little brains!



This is such a cool picture! Mom does NOT look amused.

Can’t wait to read it! Great thinking on using it with your enrichment kiddos. I have a few students (one in particular) who will lose her mind over Disney related activities!

 

[blreinsel]

Can’t wait to read it! Great thinking on using it with your enrichment kiddos. I have a few students (one in particular) who will lose her mind over Disney related activities!

Yay! I'm not sure who will get more excited over these activities... the kids or me.

 

[blreinsel]

Wednesday, June 13

We started our day at Sea World, hitting up all of their coasters and the dolphin show.

We also stopped by to visit the seals and sea lions.. I love these guys!

We stayed for a few hours and then headed out when it started getting too hot for our liking. We hung out at home for a little while before continuing our adventures at AK. We saw two black swans as we were walking in... I've never noticed them before! This guy was busy cleaning the sand out of his feathers.

We continued across the bridge, taking in the beautiful sights.

It had rained earlier and really cooled things off, making for a gorgeous evening!

We had a FP+ for Dinosaur so headed toward Dinoland USA. The Rivers of Light floats were starting to come out as we passed by. Dylan told me that I needed to zoom in and take a better picture so "people can tell what it's a picture of." I assured him that you would all be able to identify exactly what these were.

Continuing on! That crazy duck sure knows how to throw a party!

Chip and Dale had crashed the party by the time we arrived so we took a minute to watch their antics.

The CUTEST!

 

[blreinsel]

Wednesday, June 13 cont.

We eventually moved on to use our FP+. In a shocking turn of events, our ride picture didn't show up. Dylan and I agreed that it seemed like they had really turned up the wind power throughout the ride.

Our next FP+ was for Everest, so we started making our way to Asia. When we arrived, the fast pass line was more like a mob. There were people EVERYWHERE and no true line was being formed. I couldn't stand the chaos, so we continued walking and made a pitstop at the bar right beside the ride. I had a Himalayan Ghost and it was just as good as last time!

We stood off to the side to enjoy our drinks and by the time we were finished, the line had calmed down and people remembered how to stand in an orderly fashion. We were in the front seats and though we typically prefer the back, we did enjoy having an unobstructed view throughout our trek!

Our last stop of the night was Pandora for our Flight of Passage FP+.

The line moved quickly and soon we were boarding our banshees!

We had a great ride as always and after we disembarked, headed out for the night.

 

[blreinsel]

Thursday, June 14

I think that we can all agree that MK is a different park at different times of the day. For me, the happiest and most magical moments in MK take place first thing in the morning. The only problem with that is that I am NOT a morning person... at all. But today I decided that I would roll myself out of bed to spend my morning with the castle. I was early enough to get to park in the Heroes lot, and since it happens so rarely, I get pretty excited when it does.

I scanned my band at the turnstiles at exactly 9am and made my way into the park. The passholder entrance was actually useful this morning! Side note: the CM told me that I didn't need to scan my finger today (and then continued yelling it at other people as I walked away). Not sure what that was about or if it's going to continue. I also noticed that there's a new entrance loop.. I forget what song was playing but it's definitely not part of the old loop.

I walked down Main Street and ducked into Starbucks. The line was surprisingly short, especially being first thing in the morning. Doesn't everybody need coffee to function before noon? I continued on, drink in hand!

I parked myself in a completely empty hub and that's where I stayed... for over an hour. It was INCREDIBLE. Sitting on the hub grass drinking coffee and reading makes me want to be a morning person so I can do this everyday.

Living my best life.

It was interesting to watch the hustle and bustle of a MK morning from the sidelines... everybody has a destination in mind and everybody is rushing to get there. We've all done it, and I continue to do it from time to time. But today I just sat and observed. I got quite a few looks from people passing by... "What in the world is she doing? Doesn't she know that wait times are low? Mine Train is only 75 minutes! RIDE THE RIDES LADY."

Soon some friends came gliding down the street and I attempted to get a picture for @sheriffwoody... this is the best that I could do without leaving the comfort of the hub grass. I did enjoy watching them, regardless of my obstructed view!

Eventually a young family joined me to give their little ones a chance to run around on the grass. Mom was following around the little girl, snapping pictures as her wobbly "just learned to walk" legs carried her all over the place. She was PRECIOUS and I couldn't help but watch her and laugh as she ran around. She gradually got closer and closer to where I was sitting and I started talking to her when she got close enough. Next thing I knew, she was giving me a big ol' hug! Her mom said "Wow, you make friends quickly on the hub grass!" Lol. She was so stinkin' cute and made my morning!

I also witnessed a proposal and contemplated going over to welcome her to the "engaged in MK" club. However, that would have required her to get off of her phone sometime in the next 30 MINUTES. There were a bunch of people with them (presumably either his or her family), but she was on and off of the phone for a solid half an hour. I get it.. I really do. But it bothered me that she couldn't just be in the moment and continue on with her day, making phone calls here and there. I felt bad for her new fiancé and the rest of the people in their party because she just walked away from them and stood along the fence to make her calls.

Ironically, the chapter I was reading in my book focused on Walt and how he was always "in the moment." It drew attention to the day that he dreamt up the idea of Disneyland, sitting on a park bench, completely free of distractions... completely focused on his dream. Would that have happened if he'd had his nose in a figurative cell phone? Or any other host of distractions? That being said, I decided that today was about being "in the moment like Walt" and set out to notice new things about this beautiful kingdom (with the exception of snapping some pictures for all of you).

Anyway, I had a 10:10am FP+ for Big Thunder so headed that way shortly after my window had opened. Love this view.

I love the path to Frontierland... it offers some of the most scenic views in all of MK in my humble opinion.

It's crazy how empty this area looks without the riverboat.

 

[blreinsel]

Thursday, June 14 cont.

I arrived in Frontierland and entered the FP+ queue.. people were having difficulty understanding that you can use both sides of the ramp to get down to the loading platform. I listened to a group of girls complaining about somebody snapping at them for "cutting line." Oh Disney drama.

A blurry train arriving to take me on a wild ride! I'll exclude this one from the summer challenge since @wishes2013 wasn't with me.

Another of the many MK views that I love.

I had gotten another FP+ for Little Mermaid while I waited in line, so I started walking that way. I made a pitstop at Bonjour Village Gifts on my way.

These new additions had me struggling to keep my wallet closed. They smell like roses! I thought it was odd that they didn't have Belle, though I do wonder if they were maybe just sold out of her? The "deal" being offered was buy 4 at $6 each.. but there were only these 3 to choose from.

I NEED THEM ALL!

I managed to leave the store without spending any money and continued on my way. The wait for Ariel was already 45 minutes.

The ride stopped briefly, allowing me to get a non-blurry picture of the mermaid herself.

I gave my most enthusiastic wave to @prfctlyximprct, Joe, and Papa @prfctlyximprct as we floated by. It was only fitting, seeing as her wedding is just DAYS AWAY!!!

 

[blreinsel]

Thursday, June 14 cont.

I made another FP+ for Pooh, but still had a little bit of time before the window opened. Since I was in the park early for once, I decided to FINALLY try a millennial pink milkshake from Auntie Gravity's. I was quite disappointed when the CM informed me that they're no longer on the menu. Okay fine.. new plan.

I walked around, snapping some pictures of Tomorrowland: Incredibles edition.

There are a bunch of these types of photo ops scattered around Tomorrowland.

Edna and Frozone were out and about! Sorry for the bad quality pictures.. they were cruising pretty quickly.

I opted for a ride on the PeopleMover to get a break from the sun (and the crowds)! I'm so happy that they fixed the lighting in Space Mountain so that it's dark again.. makes for a much more relaxing ride on both attractions!

Have I mentioned that I have a lot of "favorite views" in MK?

More Incredibles takeover.

Since the millennial pink milkshake was out of the question, I decided to try a different drink instead: The Purple Wall Slushy! This one is tricky to get ahold of too because Tomorrowland Terrace has such wacky hours. I wouldn't consider it a slushy at all.. it was definitely more of a milkshake in my opinion. Very sweet and tasted like cookies and cream. It wasn't at all what I expected, but I enjoyed it. What I did NOT enjoy were the boba balls in the bottom. They were NASTY. The boba balls in the Night Blossom at AK are light and pop in your mouth. These ones were thick and chewy.. I don't know how else to describe them. I spit them back in the cup every time I got one lol.

Had to maintain my millennial status somehow.

 

[blreinsel]

Thursday, June 14 cont.

As I sat and enjoyed my drink, I got an email that Pooh was temporarily down and my FP+ was now a wildcard. I decided to use it on Space Mountain so finished my drink and was on my way! While I walked, I heard some commotion over by the stage so I went to see what was happening.

FREAKING. BABY. RACES. If this isn't the funniest thing you've seen today, you're lying.

Another photo op that I forgot to include earlier.

The race ended so I finished my stroll over to Space, only to be greeted by another closed ride. Alright then.. Splash it is. I wasn't feeling the long, hot walk to Frontierland, so chose to take the train instead.

I had just missed a train, but another one pulled in shortly after. I had a whole bench to myself!

I disembarked in Frontierland and walked over to Splash... only to be greeted with this obnoxious fast pass line.

I started walking, searching for the end of the line. I kept walking and searching, walking and searching, walking and searching.... Found it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Yes you're seeing correctly.. the line ended on the other side of the bridge, basically in Adventureland. Nope. Ain't nobody got time for that.

I considered just leaving, but I'd been wanting to ride Haunted Mansion after reading something about it in my book that morning. I arrived and was FINALLY able to use my wildcard FP+. This is a much more manageable fast pass line.

Happy that I was finally able to cool off inside for a few minutes, I waved goodbye to my ghostly friends and headed for the front of the park. I couldn't resist these guys as I passed by.

And with that, my magical morning at Magic Kingdom came to a close. I left just shortly after 1pm and crowds had really started to grow.. and the temperature had really started to climb. I absolutely loved my relaxing morning on the hub grass and can't wait to do it again!

 

[*Flynnderella*]

Sounds like a wonderful morning just enjoying MK
One of my favourite memories from my trip last May was on our last evening cry we just slowed down and got an ice cream from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlour and ate it on the grass in the hub while watching the Kiss Goodnight. It was so magical!

 

[Gurt]

What a nice MK morning so chilled. Chris bought me a pack of 4 Thomas Kinkade jigsaw's last time we were in Disney we just finished the Lion King one the other night I will take a snap of it when I get home, it's so beautiful we are going to get a frame for it and hang it the house.

 

[sheriffwoody]

LOLing at your reaction to the boba I'm pretty sure those are traditional boba, the tapioca pearls. They are super weird...I agree. I didn't like them at all the first time I had them, but they've grown on me. I do like the juice boba better though! Much less offputting

Thanks for getting a trolley show photo for me I'll see it soon!!

 

[DisneyJeff]

We stood off to the side to enjoy our drinks and by the time we were finished, the line had calmed down and people remembered how to stand in an orderly fashion.

Spoken like a true teacher!!!

 

[blreinsel]

Sounds like a wonderful morning just enjoying MK
One of my favourite memories from my trip last May was on our last evening cry we just slowed down and got an ice cream from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlour and ate it on the grass in the hub while watching the Kiss Goodnight. It was so magical!

Sounds like a very similar experience but at the opposite time of day. It’s definitely a nice change from the usual hustle and bustle!

What a nice MK morning so chilled. Chris bought me a pack of 4 Thomas Kinkade jigsaw's last time we were in Disney we just finished the Lion King one the other night I will take a snap of it when I get home, it's so beautiful we are going to get a frame for it and hang it the house.

That’s what I would like to do too! Gotta get a house with more walls for all of them first.

LOLing at your reaction to the boba I'm pretty sure those are traditional boba, the tapioca pearls. They are super weird...I agree. I didn't like them at all the first time I had them, but they've grown on me. I do like the juice boba better though! Much less offputting

Thanks for getting a trolley show photo for me I'll see it soon!!

they were just awful! I’ll stick to the juice ones in the future.

Can’t wait till you’re here to see it for yourself!

Spoken like a true teacher!!!

we’re a special breed, as you know!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Your stay at the Yacht Club looked amazing, and so did the Yachtsman! What a lovely tradition!

 

[becca_]

You are toooo cute in your purple outfit with your (gross) purple drink!!!