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]

Wednesday, June 20

Next, we ducked into Carousel of Progress! This is my favorite scene. Can somebody explain the family dynamic in this show to me? The young girl in the first scene has dark hair and Patricia has blonde hair, so I don't think it's the same person? The aging of the kids also seems off. Who is the dark haired little girl and where does she go? What am I missing here? Lol

When we exited the theater, we stopped for some Incredibles inspired pictures!

We finished fighting off the villains but had to stop for some glamour shots for our fans.

After seeing Incredibles 2, I am absolutely OBSESSED with Jack Jack.

They had a lunch reservation at BOG and though I initially planned to go grab food elsewhere and entertain myself until they were done, Dana asked if I wanted to join them. DUH. I was able to get a reservation 5 minutes after theirs while we waited in line for Monsters Inc. We checked in and were soon headed down the left side of the bridge and into the castle! WHY DON'T PEOPLE PREORDER!? I literally made my reservation like an hour beforehand and was still able to preorder. I don't understand it.

I've got to stop ordering so much food but I can't help myself. French Onion Soup, French Dip Sandwich, and The Master's Cupcake! Everybody enjoyed their meals and this remains the best QS on property in my opinion.

 

[blreinsel]

Wednesday, June 20

We finished up at lunch and then headed for our first FP+ at Splash Mountain! It took some convincing, but Jason finally agreed to ride. We ended up having a terrible experience due to technical difficulties lol. We were stuck here for a sold 15-20 minutes. I really thought we might get evacuated, but no such luck! We finally started moving again, but then of course we dealt with bumper boats for the rest of the ride.

We (mostly me) had gotten SOAKED by another boat going down the hill right. The amount of water it threw on me was insane lol. We finally took the plunge!

The window for our Space Mountain FP+ had opened up so we crossed back to the other side of the park for that. We paused briefly to watch Friendship Faire before continuing on.

Jason wouldn't ride Space, so Dana took his magic band and used his FP+ to ride by herself while I waited for Dylan to join us now that he was off of work. Then, the three of us rode together. I have no idea how he survived the heat in jeans all day. He had grabbed an outfit to change into when he was half asleep the night before, so I guess that's what he gets lol.

We exited into this mess... what are they doing here exactly? We were routed way out around the side of the building and all the way down a long ramp. I didn't think to take pictures until we were almost back out into the regular park area.

It was almost time for Festival of Fantasy, so we made our way to Main Street and sat right outside the Ice Cream Parlor. Dana and Jason stood up to take a picture and immediately a mother shoved her kids into their spots. I stuck my arm out and told them that my friends were just taking a picture and weren't giving up their spots, but they didn't understand me. I don't think it would have mattered even if they could. They stood overtop of us the entire parade, kicking us, bumping into our backs, and stepping on our hands. One of the kids dripped ice cream on the back of Jason's shirt and a man told him after the parade that the kid nearly dropped the entire ice cream cone down his back at one point. People are just unbelievable.

I know that these pictures are very similar, but I just couldn't help myself.

 

[blreinsel]

Wednesday, June 20

More FOF!

This Tink wasn't very sassy, but she was still spunky.

@sheriffwoody I couldn't get a good picture but I'm pretty sure this is your favorite trolley gal.

RIP Maleficent.

The dwarfs stopped by and gave us high fives.

 

[blreinsel]

Wednesday, June 20

Finishing up FOF!

After the parade, Dana decided to upgrade her tickets to an AP because she's planning on coming to visit again this fall AND my bachelorette party is going to be at Disney... it just made sense. It took a little while to settle everything but she's officially a passholder!

Since we were nearby, we decided to pop into Hall of Presidents.

When we passed by the carousel, Jason said "what is that? A big cake?" I wish they'd finish whatever they're doing and take that horrid scrim down.

We had a FP+ for 7 Dwarfs and as soon as we got in line, the weather announcements started. We were hoping that we'd make it through before they shut things down, but OF COURSE when it was our turn to board a train, they stopped running the ride. We sat on the floor and decided to try and wait it out. We waited quite awhile but the storm didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. We finally gave up and 7 MINUTES LATER the ride came back up. I'm still salty about it.

What's the best way to get rid of a salty taste? Replace it with a sweet one. This was absolutely incredible.

We got a FP+ for Little Mermaid shortly after so we finished our ice cream and then journeyed under the sea!

 

[Captain Barbossa]

We exited into this mess... what are they doing here exactly? We were routed way out around the side of the building and all the way down a long ramp. I didn't think to take pictures until we were almost back out into the regular park area.

They're doing work on the main exit. The giant moving walkway will most likely be gone, unfortunately.

 

[blreinsel]

Wednesday, June 20

We got another FP+ for Small World just a few minutes later! We rode behind this lady who was carrying 4 or 5 bags full of who knows what. She was with an older couple (presumably her parents) and her daughter who looked to be around 9. What could you possibly need that requires that many bags? Who wants to carry that around all day?

We continued our FP+ streak and grabbed one for Pooh!

Philharmagic was next! I loveeeee this show, but do kind of wish they'd update and include some other songs. Just as long as they don't remove Be Our Guest or I Just Can't Wait To Be King.

We had about a half an hour before we wanted to claim a spot for fireworks so hopped in the 35 minute standby line for Haunted Mansion. I don't think it ended up being that long.

We made our way to Main Street and started the battle that comes with every viewing of Happily Ever After. We lucked into a pretty great spot!

Dylan headed out after HEA and the rest of us went to use our FP+ for Pirates before doing the same.

 

[blreinsel]

They're doing work on the main exit. The giant moving walkway will most likely be gone, unfortunately.

Thanks for the info! Hopefully they replace it with something cool.

 

[blreinsel]

Thursday, June 21

We had a later start today and what better way to start than with a safari ride? The standby line was really long and the FP+ line was REALLY backed up, so our driver really buzzed through the reserve. I understand, but it was disappointing to not get the full experience.

This sweet girl was cooling herself off by throwing mud on her back.

The rhino got extremely close today.. it was so cool!

The zebras were also pretty close.

We ventured over to Pandora for lunch from Satu'li Canteen.

SO FREAKIN' GOOD.

After lunch we caught Festival of the Lion King and had a great show! I was happy to get to watch the tumble monkeys since they didn't perform last time I saw the show.

Our Dinosaur FP+ window was now open so we made the trek to the other side of the park. I find it interesting that they painted this on with it being a summer promotion and not a permanent offering.

We were greeted with this obnoxious FP+ line and nobody knew where the end of the line was.. it was mass chaos. Eventually a CM came with a sign to show people where to get in line. It wrapped the whole way around the front of the ride.

Nailed it.

 

[blreinsel]

Thursday, June 21

Next, we watched Finding Nemo. It had been awhile since I last saw this show and I didn't really miss it. It's fine, but not one I feel the need to see often. Dylan fell asleep and I almost joined him.

Our last FP+ for the day was FOP! We convinced Jason to ride, but he ended up keeping his eyes closed the whole time. Dylan and I agreed that FOP is getting less and less "shiny" for us now that we've ridden it so many times. It's still amazing and we love it, but it doesn't hold quite the same appeal as it did for us a year ago.

Next up was It's Tough To Be a Bug! I'm really surprised that they haven't replaced this, though I do enjoy it!

We stopped at Flame Tree for some dinner and I made a very cute friend. We secretly shared a few fries!

LOOK AT THOSE FEET.

Our last attraction of the day was Everest in the single rider line. Dylan and I lucked out and got put in the car together.

We grabbed some Mickey bars to enjoy on our way out of the park.

We decided to end the evening with a round at Fantasia Gardens!

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, June 22

Dana and Jason started the day a little earlier than us, but we met up with them in time for our FP+'s. The first was for Star Tours, but after riding using Jason's magic band, Dana didn't feel the need to ride again with her own. Dylan and I don't really care for it either, so we decided to just cancel ours and move on. Jason wanted to meet Groot, so that was our first stop!

Ben was performing today, so we made our way to Arendelle!

After the show, it was time for our RnRC fast pass! We were greeted with another ridiculously long line, and since we were already near the end of the window, Dana didn't have time to go back and ride with Jason's FP+. They had the single rider line closed, which I thought was weird.

We hit up ABC Commissary for lunch.. everything was fine and we enjoyed the break in the AC!

We finished lunch and then went to use our last FP+ for TOT! Continuing the trend of the week, we were greeted with a long FP+ line.

The people on our elevator were obnoxious so that was annoying but we still had a great ride. When the window opened, I could see Toy Story Land and the Slinky Dog coaster was running! They were doing CM previews and we could see inside just a little bit when we passed by later on. I CANNOT WAIT!

Next, we caught Beauty and the Beast!

We made our way to Indiana Jones after but were disappointed when they cancelled the show due to the impending storm. We opted for Toy Story Mania instead. The wait time was posted way higher than what it actually was.

I can't beat him anymore. We're usually neck and neck most of the ride but he kills me on the last part every single time.

 

[blreinsel]

Friday, June 22

We returned to the Indiana Jones theater for the last show of the day and though they informed us that they wouldn't be doing the full show (since it was wet from the storm), it was still great! This was my first time seeing it and I can't wait to go back and see the other stunts. The dad in the family sitting behind us got picked to be in the show so the kids stood on the back of our seats and SCREAMED the entire show, as well as stepped on our fingers. I get that you're excited but SIT DOWN. This teacher has no patience for kids in the summer months.

We had just a little bit of time before our dinner ADR so went to watch the Incredibles 2 preview to kill the time. It just made me want to watch the whole thing again!

Finally it was time to check in for dinner at 50's Prime Time! We had separate reservations but they were only 5 minutes apart. When I asked about being seated together the CM was super dramatic and told us it would be "a lot longer" if we wanted to sit together. I said it was fine and she seemed surprised. A whole 10 minutes later we were being led to our table. I don't understand why it would make a difference.. are there even any 2 seater tables in this restaurant?

I went with my usual.. Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie. It was just as good as I remember, though it seemed like there was less chicken and more mushrooms. I also had a chocolate milkshake and it was delicious!

Our server, Cousin Stephen, was AMAZING. I set the table as soon as we sat down and he acknowledged it when he came over to greet us. He asked if we had dined there before and I said that only I had. He asked if I knew the rules of the restaurant so I started rattling off the do's and don't's. Then, he sat down on the bench and handed me his pad, telling me to go ahead and just take the drink orders while I was at it. He forgot to bring Dylan's Sprite later and blamed it on me, saying that I didn't write it down correctly lol. The people next to us asked for a drink to go and he came back with a big plastic bag full of soda. I can't even remember everything that he did to make us laugh, but he was the best server I've ever had here. He gave everybody Clean Plate Club stickers but I was still eating so he taunted me, saying that I couldn't have one because I wasn't done. He almost forgot to give me one when I did finally finish, but I was quick to remind him.

One last thing.. another CM stopped by the table next to us after it had been cleaned and sat her iPad down while she typed something on it. Dana told me to tell Cousin Stephen that the CM was using electronics at the table, so when we came back I did. He scolded me for being a tattle tale and I informed him that Dana was being the typical big sister, coming up with the idea but making me do the dirty work. He disappeared and then returned carrying a special hat for her.. it says "tattle tale" on both sides.

Our dinner was phenomenal.. the food was great and obviously the service was top notch. How do I contact Disney to tell them about how fantastic Cousin Stephen was? I always say I'm going to do it but then never do.. this time I really want to follow through!

We stopped outside for some pictures before heading out of the park for the night. They took some nice ones too, but I couldn't resist sharing this one lol.

The sky was gorgeous as we left, highlighting TOT in all her glory.

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, June 23

Our first FP+ today was for Soarin' and again, it was a really long line. Unfortunately, we were on the far right hand side so didn't have a great view. When we returned from our journey around the world, the window for our next FP+ was now open. We got to ride with kids who wouldn't sit down and a grandma who "wasn't impressed with their zucchini." Other than that, we had a great boat ride!

Since we had started a little later again today, we were pretty hungry by the time we finished our fast passes so headed for China!

The skies opened up just as we finished eating, so we stayed put for a few minutes, hoping it would die down. It did briefly, but picked back up after we started walking. We ducked into the gift shop in Norway to wait out the remainder of the storm.

We headed for The Seas and used our last FP+ for Nemo. If you guessed that we would be greeted with a long FP+ line, you guessed correctly.

We watched Turtle Talk with Crush afterwards and it was probably the funniest show I've seen! Today's Crush was killing it with the snarky jokes.

We went to Club Cool for some refreshments and to get Dana and Jason a special anniversary treat! A CM had told us earlier to stop by the counter in Club Cool for something to help them celebrate. We weren't sure what that meant, but it ended up being free full sized slushies! They just walked up, the CM acknowledged their buttons, and asked what flavor they wanted. I'm not sure if this is an everyday thing or something special they were doing that day, but I couldn't believe it!

We had gotten another FP+ for Spaceship Earth so made our way to the front of the park to ride!

The ride kept stopping, so I managed to get a few somewhat decent pictures.

 

[blreinsel]

Saturday, June 23

We looked around in Mouse Gear for a little while before going to get in the single rider line for Test Track. It was posted at 40 minutes, though I didn't think it would actually take that long. We weren't in line long before the weather announcements started. NOT AGAIN. The ride shut down shortly thereafter so we sat on the floor and waited. We sat there for probably 40 minutes before a CM came out and told us that when the rain stopped, they would have to reset the ride and test all of the ride vehicles... this process would take 30 minutes from the time that it stopped raining. WHY would you not share that information right away? We were so irritated and immediately left the line. When we got outside, it had stopped raining temporarily but was pretty windy. We high tailed it to the car and luckily made it before the skies opened up again!

And with that, the trip came to an end! My stamina for park touring is definitely not what it used to be, but I did enjoy being in the parks all day for the week. As I'm sure you all can agree, Disney just never gets old.

 

[blreinsel]

Well ya'll, Dylan and I are off tomorrow to visit my brother and family in TN before continuing on to PA for a little over a week! I'm excited to see everybody, but I'm not excited about being away from the parks for that long. I'm also super bummed that I can't be at HS for opening day of Toy Story Land. I have a FP+ right after we get back for the Alien Saucers, but until then I'll live vicariously through those of you lucky enough to be there!

See ya real soon!

 

[RoliePolieColie]

If you have Twitter (or possibly any other social media, I have only done it on Twitter), you can contact them at @wdwtoday and give Cousin Stephen his kudos! I've done it before with a Jungle Cruise skipper and they will tweet you back with a picture of the Cast Member with a print out of your tweet! Love your trip reports (I'm a lurker, not a writer ), but I am soooo jealous that you get to experience the magic all year round

 

[joshsprincess921]

We got free slushies on our honeymoon at Club Cool, so maybe it is an everyday thing! We enjoyed it!

Have a safe trip! Can't wait to hear about Toy Story Land when you return!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Have fun with family and safe travels!

Also, yes that looked like the trolley girl I like best She does that role too, so I just assume. I'm such a stalker.

 

[Songbird76]

Wednesday, June 20

My best friend visited back in November and lucky for me, she was bitten by the Disney bug after just two days in the parks. She immediately began plotting to get her husband to come back with her and soon they had booked a trip to celebrate their 1 year wedding anniversary! They stayed in a preferred room at All Star Movies and did one day at Universal as her husband is a huge Harry Potter fan. I met them at MK bright and early Wednesday morning to kick off a magical week of friendship and celebrations!

After the monorail drama on Monday I decided to take the ferry right away today. I arrived before them so sat on a bench to enjoy the scenery until they got inside.
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Soon some trolley car friends pulled up right in front of me!
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I never realized that some of them went up to dance on the train station.
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I used to have these Disney sing-a-long VHS tapes and one of the songs on my favorite one was the one that says "I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street USA" - You're lying if you say that you didn't sing that. I'm not sure what the actual name of the song is but you know what I'm talking about! Anyway, I get SO happy when they start singing that song.
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They finally made it through security and we headed right down the middle of Main Street USA. Good morning beautiful!
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We stopped for some pictures before our appearances started to deteriorate in the hot Florida sun. There was a running joke all day about me being the third wheel with them in their anniversary shirts lol.
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We started in Tomorrowland with Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. Jason has issues with motion sickness and doesn't ride much at all, so a show was a great way to start. I appreciate the fact that they're constantly modifying/adding things to this show to keep it fresh. Our "that guy" was lame for the majority of the show but then right at the end he started participating. We joked that his wife must have yelled at him for being a poor sport so he turned his act around.
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Next up was the People Mover! I could really ride this around for hours and not get tired of it.
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I heard yesterday that Tomorrowland is getting a big refurb, and this is one of the things they will be updating, as well as CoP, and I think also the speedway. I hope the People Mover and CoP are still open next Summer when we get there!!! My daughter is NOT going to be happy if CoP is closed!

 

[Megbutnotmegan]

If you have Twitter (or possibly any other social media, I have only done it on Twitter), you can contact them at @wdwtoday and give Cousin Stephen his kudos! I've done it before with a Jungle Cruise skipper and they will tweet you back with a picture of the Cast Member with a print out of your tweet! Love your trip reports (I'm a lurker, not a writer ), but I am soooo jealous that you get to experience the magic all year round

I love doing this because the cast members always look so excited to get their tweets! Also if you’re ever in a bad mood I suggest going to twitter and searching #castcompliment. Then you can read all the nice things that happened to people in Disney recently!

 

[LadyBelle]

Who is the dark haired little girl and where does she go?

She dyed her hair blonde as a form of rebellion.....