Our resort only 1 night, no wait, 1 night 1 park, no wait, 2 night 1 park, no wait 2 park 2 night...

Our resort only 1 night, no wait, 1 night 1 park, no wait, 2 night 1 park, no wait 2 park 2 night...oh good grief trip report!

Hi all!

So we can get this out of the way...on the count of three...one, two, three....I told you so! That is what all of you are currently screaming at computer screens!

Here's the history....the DH and I are visiting my parents on Hilton Head and to get away (we lived there for 2 1/2 years so yes, getting off the island is necessary) we decided to head to WDW for one night/2 days and we are staying at Beach Club and since we had so little time at the resort back in September, we decided to do a resort only trip. I was very excited, love the YC/BC pool and made dining ADR's for Cape May to see some characters and get that fix. and we got a great rate - Lagoon View - with a AAA discount. So it was settled...one night, two days at a resort. Ahhh....bring on the lazy river.

Well....my amazing DH surprised me 4 days ago and told me that we are going into a park! I was shocked! He told me I could pick the one and of course, I "NEED" to see the new Fantasy Land so I picked Magic Kingdom. So it was settled...again. One night, two days at resort and one park. Yeah!!!! Get to see Fantasy Land!

Well....my amazing DH suggested, we are going to be so tired so why don't we stay at like Art of Animation or some where if we can get a great rate. So I hopped on the computer, took a look see and got a great rate at Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid room. So it was settled...again. Two nights, three days, at resort and one park. Whew! I'm really just shocked with how this has changed and yes...very excited!

Well...after a bit of a ruckus, a ker-fluffal if you will, which included getting locked out of our room, with every bit of ID and proof we were who we are locked in the room, b/c they deactivated our keys and spending almost an hour with the concierge getting everything sorted out...we got comped tickets to a park ... for an evening. Like the old school half day tickets or the convention tickets you can buy. So....you guessed is....We went into a park...to Epcot...tonight! So there you have it....2 parks, 2 resorts, 2 nights, 3 days, totally random and spontaneous "resort only" trip.

 

[disneygirl76]

Great trip report!!! Wow! I just loved all your pics!! We are staying at AOA in December for our 2 year old twins 1st visit. What section do you recommend after having seen them all? We are booked for Lion King, but now I'm wondering if Cars would be better. We have a boy and a girl btw. Are they all pretty much the same distance to Animation Hall?? Thanks so much for any input!!

Cars and Lion King are the same distance as one is on each side of Animation Hall. Cars is amazing. i loved it. The whole theme is just over the top and amazing. I feel, more then Lion King. If you want the best location, go with Finding Nemo.

 

[disneygirl76]

Awesome TR Carey! BC looks like an awesome resort but I don't know if I'd stay there. I have a thing with windmills.. They creep me out and they're gross. I know, it's weird... But whenever we go near BC and I see that windmill I get freaked out. And I don't think Boardwalk is an option either cause my sister hates clowns. lol At least the clown pool isn't able to be seen all over like that windmill!

I would have been excited to meet Bert, too. Doesn't seem like LTM was all that magical that week. I think this is the absolute worst promotion they have ever done

Good luck with IVF! Hopefully you'll have a new little Mouseketeer soon to share your Disney trips with

Thank you!!!! I'm cracking up! Clowns and Windmills! Yeah, Epcot Resorts are not your thing then! HA! Love it!!! Thank you for the good luck. Sadly, we found out Saturday that it was unsuccessful. We are healing but not giving up!!! I agree - worst promotion ever. And it could have been amazing if given a bit more effort. But yeah, total flop!!!!!

 

[38053WDW]

So off to Magic Kingdom!

Wednesday, February 13th

We had much discussion, including with many of you sharing advice on how and what to do with 1) a car 2) parking and 3) switching resorts.

We decided to check out of Beach Club and take the car to TTC and park and then drive over to AOA that evening. This might not have been the easiest or best thing to do but in the end, it saved us from the hassle of buses and moving cars and finding luggage.

We got up and got ready and were in the car around 8:30. We had thought of catching opening ceremony again, but since we saw it in September, and we had the whole car/luggage/TTC thing to do, we decided that if we caught it, great and if not, thats fine too. We missed it. So I watched it here instead - (this is from last September!)




So we packed up the car, grabbed mugs of coffee and hit the road to Magic Kingdom! It was actually nice coming through this way, I haven't seen this in such a long long time!!

The Magic Kingdom was doing True Love week. Before I begin the trip report, let me rant for a moment. I like the whole hidden surprises and weekly specials. However, they are doing a TERRIBLE job explaining what is happening and when. I read and researched that they would have special meet and greets - but did not specify where - and there would be special merchandise - HA! There were also special places to take pics, like in front of Cinderella's Castle. If I would have known that the meet and greets were not through out the park, but at the theater, I would have grabbed a fast pass first thing and been able to have that experience. However, they said "throughout the park" so I figured some princes would be with the princesses at the theater but there would be stuff throughout the park. This was not the case. I searched for Tiana and Naveen 3 times, they were never in the gazebo. I did see Mary and Bert and got to meet them. Aladdin was with Jasmine as usual in Adventure Land. And there were NO other "throughout the park" meet and greets. So by the time this was figured out, the wait time at the theater was 85 minutes and all fast passes were gone. I don't get disappointed often, but I was pretty disappointed. Also, you couldn't get autographs, they gave you little Valentine's instead. Which was cute but would have been nice to have autographs. Any way, on to the merchandise. So we searched and searched for anything that said Valentine's day and the merchandise they were talking about, yeah, that was the true love stuff that they already had with Minnie. So nothing new. We did find an ornament at the Christmas Shoppe at Downtown Disney. So that its - all my griping! On to the magic!!

We are here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (That's my DH's ear! )

We arrived about 9:30. Parking at the TTC was super easy. We got a really close parking spot and then onto the monorail. Then to the park and through security - it was fast and easy. They did have two different entrances. Paper tickets to the left and then the new RFID for resort guests to the right. If people knew how to use the system, it would have been super fast. But people were all confused and not listening to the cast members so it was a bit of a cluster. But once people figure it out - it is going to be so fast and easy. Basically you just put your key up to the Mickey and then put your finger on the scanner and it turns green and you are in. Super easy and fast!

First stop - new Fantasy Land. We normally head to Adventure Land and work our way around.

We hadn't eaten breakfast so we were planning on getting something at Gaston's after we rode Little Mermaid and then do Belle. This was the "plan". So we headed to FL via the Castle, stopping for a fast pass for Littler Mermaid by Mickey's Philharmagic and per the great Disney app on our phones, My Disney told us that the wait time for Little Mermaid was only 15 minutes. So we grabbed the Fast Pass, and headed to Little Mermaid. Little Mermaid was really really well done! We loved it!!!

@5:30 in you Opening Park Video would be my wife ! We were actually the Family shosen to open the MK one year and Oh My !!! What a memory we will never forget !

 

[disneygirl76]

@5:30 in you Opening Park Video would be my wife ! We were actually the Family shosen to open the MK one year and Oh My !!! What a memory we will never forget !

You were the family? Or your wife is in the background? How funny!

 

[38053WDW]

You were the family? Or your wife is in the background? How funny!

No, we were chosen to open the park one year - not in your video

 

[disneygirl76]

No, we were chosen to open the park one year - not in your video

How fun though! Exciting!

 

[FlaggNL]

great TR! Love it!!