Trip Report Shortest Trip Report Ever and the Time I Finally Swam in Stormalong Bay (COMPLETED)

Hey WDWMagicers!

This is seriously going to be so short. I debated even doing one, but there's some pretty big news I wanted to get out there to those of you who read my reports. How about I just lead with that?



On my social media I said we were adding a new Woody to the toy box (that's our last name), but @TrolleyFollower91 had the cutest idea since I go by sheriff here: We're adding a deputy!

So anyway, that has nothing to do with the trip other than the fact that I went to Toy Story Land just to take that picture.

The reason for this trip was to volunteer at Give Kids the World again! You can read about my last volunteer trip here. This one was solo and I only planned to volunteer one day since it was just over the weekend.

Who: Just me!
Where: All Star Music for 2 nights, Beach Club for 1 night
When: July 20-23
Why: Give Kids the World and to get my Disney fix

I decided to try out Frontier Airlines because it's cheap and goes straight from Memphis to MCO. They fly Friday and Monday, so it was perfect for a long weekend...or it would have been if Frontier didn't suck so hard.

Friday was going along just fine. I spent my lunch break packing my things (I wait until the last minute despite always planning to start early), and I was working along that afternoon when I got a text from Frontier than my flight was delayed. Ok, it's fine, that happens. At least it was early enough I could spend the extra time at home. It ended up getting delayed again after I was at the airport.



At the airport pretending I'm not annoyed by the delay.

The plane was actually still in Orlando when I got to Memphis, so I waited in the airport for a WHILE. I think we finally boarded around 10pm, but didn't actually leave the ground until 11pm.

This was what we were all greeted with on this airplane.



The whole thing looked like this. It was filthy! I understand a little mess from having to change over quickly, but this is beyond anything I've ever seen. I was not thrilled when my pea sized bladder (this is a new development...thanks, baby) decided it needed me to go. There's no telling if that bathroom has ever been cleaned.

We finally landed a little after 1am.



This is what the fonorail looks like on this side. Weird!!

I had rented a car through National, and I was able to just walk out there and pick one out. Emerald Club meant that I could pick anything on that aisle even though I just booked a mid-size. I ended up getting a Toyota Rav4 because I've been looking at one to buy in the next few years. It's between that and a CRV! Unfortunately it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to start it with the keyless start

I finally got the car started and headed out.

I had to pull over at one point because I couldn't figure out if my lights were on...and I also couldn't figure out how to turn the radio on! This was way too fancy for me . After a while I knew something was going on because my GPS was taking me a super wonky way. I investigated and saw that it was set to avoid tolls (from when we were in Naples). UGHHHH this is not the time of day you want to be wasting time! Construction on Osceola set me back a bit too. They had my exit completely closed, so I had to take a pretty long detour.

at 3am...yes you read that right...THREE AM, TWO HOURS AFTER MY PLANE LANDED...I finally got to All Star Music.



Thankfully this room was a lot fresher than the room we had a Movies. Everything seemed fine and it felt great to lay down and close my eyes.

Up next: Volunteer day!
P.S. Sorry this is so much text.

 

[Songbird76]

I think I got my room ready text before I even got to MK that morning. Can you believe that?! When you don't need it, it's ready. Poor @Tuvalu and @TrolleyFollower91 actually needed theirs and had to wait

Anyway, I headed off toward Liberty Square for my first fast pass. Of course I took pictures along the way.









I got to Haunted Mansion and there was a kid absolutely LOSING it outside the line. He was screaming and crying like I've never heard before. Telling his mom she was a jerk for making him ride...etc., etc. I scanned my FP hoping they would hash it out a little longer and put some space between us. Unfortunately they came in right behind me, so I tried to stall by taking pictures.



Well it was so early no one else was coming through the line, so I just went on in. Thankfully he calmed down slightly. He was still whining and yelling but not as severely. I was not looking forward to his reaction to the stretching room I don't remember hearing him though, so maybe he just closed his eyes. He ended up not being super loud on the ride, so I don't know what they did to calm him down, but I guess it worked. I suppose I have those kind of moments to look forward to I'm hoping my kid isn't scared of stuff...I never was, so maybe he or she will take after me.

I went in Momento Mori looking for a new book I thought was out, but it doesn't come out until sometime this month

While I was in the area, I went to the pin store and bought a few things. I also went to the guest services spot in Liberty Square and got a new AP card. I've used my expired one for 3 trips...it was time.

After all that, I headed to my next FP in...



Incredibleland? They really have taken over the land! I do like The Incredibles a lot, so I didn't mind too much. All the photo opps were cool. Wish I could have seen the characters.



I hopped on the PeopleMover first.





I got last car! Since there was no one there to judge me, I took some selfies.



I was really hungry since I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I decided to eat lunch before 11am

Stopped at this photo op on the way over.





I love this magic shot!! The photographer was super friendly. He saw my camera and we started talking about Sony.

Next I made my way into Cosmic Rays for the only food I was determined to try this trip.




Super Stretchy Burger Inspired by Mrs. Incredible
Flame-broiled 1/3 lb Angus Burger topped with Bacon, Cheese Sticks, American Cheese and Garlic Ranch on a Brioche Bun served with French Fries.

It was SO GOOD! I added some toppings to mine, but I think it would have been good with the standard stuff. It was not only super stretchy it was SUPER expensive . It was a one-and-done for that reason, but dang that was a good burger.

I had prime seating too.



Up next: Last of MK

Poor kid!! How old was he? I don't understand why people force their kids to go on rides...it just makes everyone around you miserable!! My DS has Autism and is terrified of elevators and a lot of the darker rides like HM. We asked about rider switch at haunted mansion last time, and they assured us there IS rider swap, but you have to go through the stretching room to get to the swap area, which kind of defeats the purpose because the stretching room is the scariest bit in my opinion. DS screamed bloody murder and he was NOT going to go in the building and I had to exit back the way we came while DH and DD did the ride. I was not happy with the way the CMs handled it. There's got to be a better way. But if your kid is scared to ride some rides, you'll deal with it. You have an advantage in that you are an AP holder....you go often and your child will grow up with those rides, so probably won't even realize there's anything scary about them....it will be normal to your child. And if not, you'll figure it out. You'll learn what works with your kid and what doesn't, and what triggers them and what doesn't. Don't sweat it...cross that bridge when you come to it!

 

[fractal]

Congratulations @sheriffwoody ! and I love the camera strap.

 

[wdwfamilynh]

Congratulations! Very happy for you!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

Never too many trolley pictures

 

[WDWDarling]

Congratulations!!! And if that’s not the most fitting announcement picture ever, I don’t know what is.

 

[PineapplePrincess]

Congratulations on your new deputy! I saw it on IG and have been waiting for you to reveal it on here!
As far as making kids ride things...while I don't condone disturbing everyone around you, some kids are afraid of absolutely everything. If you don't force them to try some things, they'll never do anything.

 

[sheriffwoody]

You had to make it “forum official”...can’t do just Instagram! And if you think your bladder is bad now, just wait!!! You’ll go then 10/15 minutes later you’ll HAVE TO go again! (And you don’t even have to drink a lot of liquid for that to happen!)

It's so annoying I really thought it would start a little later, like when I was a lot bigger! I guess it's good we're not planning to drive to Orlando in October...we'd never get there!

Congratulations! Hope everything goes well throughout your pregnancy! Do you plan on finding out the gender, or are you gonna wait and let it be a surprise? So happy for you!

Thank you!! Yes, we will definitely find out. I'm dying to know already

Congratulations!! Saw this on IG when you posted and the photo turned out so cute! Can’t wait to hear about the rest of your trip (and future ones starring your little deputy)!

Thank you!!

I have tried on these Vans multiple times since reading your raves about them in a previous report . They have never had the colour I want though in the right size! I will have to look again in fall.

I was really shocked when I got them! I would check every few days, and they were finally in stock online.

Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you & R!! I wish both of you & your precious bundle of joy all the best!! Such exciting news!!
Side note—I believe you were looking for the Donald passholder magnet awhile back?? If you’re still looking for one message me. I’ll get it to you.

Thank you so much! I managed to snag one from a giveaway on Instagram, but thank you

Poor kid!! How old was he? I don't understand why people force their kids to go on rides...it just makes everyone around you miserable!! My DS has Autism and is terrified of elevators and a lot of the darker rides like HM. We asked about rider switch at haunted mansion last time, and they assured us there IS rider swap, but you have to go through the stretching room to get to the swap area, which kind of defeats the purpose because the stretching room is the scariest bit in my opinion. DS screamed bloody murder and he was NOT going to go in the building and I had to exit back the way we came while DH and DD did the ride. I was not happy with the way the CMs handled it. There's got to be a better way. But if your kid is scared to ride some rides, you'll deal with it. You have an advantage in that you are an AP holder....you go often and your child will grow up with those rides, so probably won't even realize there's anything scary about them....it will be normal to your child. And if not, you'll figure it out. You'll learn what works with your kid and what doesn't, and what triggers them and what doesn't. Don't sweat it...cross that bridge when you come to it!

He was probably 8 or 9? His age made me think this was probably something his parents have been trying to get him to overcome. He seemed to calm down once he realized he was OK in there, so they probably did the right thing making him go. But I can imagine it could be traumatizing for some! But hey, those parents know their kid much better than I do. I just try to keep my distance if I can

Congratulations @sheriffwoody ! and I love the camera strap.

Thank you! And thanks on the strap too...I looooove it for my Disney trips, although I should probably use the Mickey one I have at some point too

Congratulations! Very happy for you!

Thanks so much!!

Never too many trolley pictures

I knew I would have your support!

Congratulations!!! And if that’s not the most fitting announcement picture ever, I don’t know what is.

Haha thanks so much!! It took me forever to come up with something, but I like how it turned out.

Congratulations on your new deputy! I saw it on IG and have been waiting for you to reveal it on here!
As far as making kids ride things...while I don't condone disturbing everyone around you, some kids are afraid of absolutely everything. If you don't force them to try some things, they'll never do anything.

Thank you!! Yeah, I agree, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Congratulations on the addition to your family! What a fun way to announce it!

 

[joshsprincess921]

Congrats!! So happy for you and I love the announcement photo!

 

[Tiggertoo56]

Congratulations to you both

 

[MinnieM123]

Would like to extend my congratulations to you and your hubs. (I kept reading about all the congrats and it took me a while to figure out what everyone was referring to?!) I'm a little slow . . .

 

[sheriffwoody]

Congratulations on the addition to your family! What a fun way to announce it!

Congrats!! So happy for you and I love the announcement photo!

Congratulations to you both

Would like to extend my congratulations to you and your hubs. (I kept reading about all the congrats and it took me a while to figure out what everyone was referring to?!) I'm a little slow . . .

Thanks you guys!!! @MinnieM123 you sound like me...I tend to skim read and miss things

 

[becca_]

I am so so so happy for you!! I know I already told you but I really cannot say it enough

Congrats again

 

[sheriffwoody]

I only had one other thing on my agenda for the day, and it meant I needed to head over to Animal Kingdom.

Not much traffic and I got parked and in the gates pretty quickly. Where was I headed?





I was without R, which meant I needed to go wild with the character photos! I mainly wanted to get a picture with Donald and then with Chip and Dale in their dino outfits, but I ended up seeing them all.

First up was Donald!



He liked my shirt, as you can see. We had a wonderful interaction. He liked me purple hair and told me I needed to show it to Daisy.





Clearly I'm enjoying myself




The true #1!



Next I headed over to Launchpad McQuack. This line was in the hot sun, so that was a bummer. There was a CM offering people umbrellas while they stood in line, but she didn't offer me one Launchpad left for his break and miraculously came back with his sweaty pants all dried up



I honestly don't remember the last time I watched Duck Tales, but R used to love it, so I told Launchpad my husband was a big fan. He wondered why I wasn't a big fan haha oops!





I must have said something about being hot because he proceeded to dap my forehead with his scarf. Such a gentleman!







I really enjoyed this meet! Even not being a big Duck Tales fan, it was a lot of fun.

Up next: More character fun

 

[sheriffwoody]

I headed to Daisy next. The line was pretty short for her.





She was really boring, so this was short. She still cute tho

Chip and Dale's line was right next to Daisy, so I hopped in there. It was definitely the longest so far and moved very slow. They interacted a lot with people, which is fine. I wasn't in a hurry, thankfully. They took a break and came back much more subdued than before, so that was a bummer, but they still ended up being really fun.



Once again they weren't fans of my Donald shirt.

Chip was trying to use my hair to cover up my shirt for the picture, but they decided to just stand in front of me to solve our problem




But Donald can not be tamed! He still made it into the shot

The last character to meet was Scrooge McDuck, who was also boring. I know it's hit or miss with all these characters, so I was just happy three of the five were so great!




After this I was feeling a little hungry, so I headed out of Dinoland. I looked at menus in line for Scrooge McDuck, and nothing sounded good enough to sway me from Satu'li Canteen.

I stopped in a store on the way and bought two American Adventure mystery pin boxes that have been impossible to find. Wouldn't you know it, they both had the same two pins That was so disappointing! That's the risk with mystery boxes though.




The line was longish when I got there, so I mobile ordered. I probably didn't get my food that much quicker, but it's still just simpler.



I got my usual except with a different sauce because chimichurri was gone . It was good, but not as good as the last couple of times. Still a great meal!

And with that I headed out of the park! Didn't ride a single thing




Looks like I got to the car just in time!

Since I'd had to cancel my first shift the day before at Give Kids the World, I had called that morning to see if there were any shifts available for the evening. I ended up picking up a dinner shift, so that's where I headed next. I stopped by the resort to change though. Unfortunately the monsoon started while I was in the room, so I got completely soaked walking to my car (it's a long walk!).

Up next: Give Kids the World evening

 

[sheriffwoody]

I drove over to Give Kids the World and made good time despite the storm. There was lots of puddling on the roads, so traffic was slow! The rain slowed down once I got to the village, so I didn't get too drenched walking from the volunteer lot. I checked in and went over to the dining area.




I sweet talked the shift manager into letting me work in a food line instead of helping with trays, which is boring. She put me in the salad area with a 15 year old guy. He and his parents and sister volunteer there weekly. We seriously talked nonstop for the whole 3 hours He was one of those kids that you can tell spends a lot of time with adults.

The village does a party almost every evening, and Sundays is CandyLand. They have a life size board in the village around a playground, but since it was raining, they did it inside across from the cafeteria. The characters came walking through and I recognized Princess Lolly! She runs a shop that donates proceeds to charity, so we've connected through out shops on Instagram. It was so fun to meet her in person! ChariTEE Designs in her shop name.



It was a great shift! My feet were on fire from standing that long, but it was totally worth it. It was just beautiful out when I left (I mean...rainy but beautiful). I'm so glad I ended up going back for this. It was a perfect end to my day




Somehow I wasn't hungry, so I headed straight back to the Beach Club. Illuminations was going while I was walking in.




I watched for a second, but you really don't see much of the fireworks over the buildings.

I went in to the shop at the Beach Club for a snack. I picked out a sweet treat and while I was in line there was a HUGE thunderclap and lightning. The storm was apparently right on top of us! Also they were having a hulahoop party in the store and all the kids in there hollered when the thunder scared them I nearly jumped out of my skin myself!

I got back to my room and got ready to dig into my strawberry trifle treat.



It was DELICIOUS! I took it onto the balcony and watched the storm while I enjoyed my pre-bed snack. I wish I had one right now

I'm going to stop here and get to my departure day tomorrow Hope you've all had a good Saturday!

Up next: Toy Story Land and Pool time!

 

[Fankle]

Congratulations. That’s wonderful news.! Sounds like your trip was super-fun.

 

[Sabrina1705]

Said it already on IG but again congratulations!
Frontier wasn't a good experience (let me say a very bad one more or less), I know what is coming

 

[Cetta]

Congrats! The best thing in the world is being a mommy! I showed my Incredibles obsessed 4 yo son your Jack-Jack photo and he was amazed! “She met the REAL Jack-Jack?!?!?!”

 

[Swissmiss]

I can't remember exactly when I woke up, but it was probably around 7. I felt rested so I got up and got ready. I was moving resorts so I packed everything back up as I got ready, and soon was ready to head out.



I don't know why I look so unimpressed in this picture. I was excited! I debated whether I should drive to the Beach Club and take a bus to MK or just drive on to MK. The other time I drove to MK was kind of terrible, but I took a chance and thankfully it wasn't so busy this time.

I parked in Simba and took the tram in. I thought about walking, but as the tram was going along I was glad I didn't. It was farther than I thought!

The line for the monorail wasn't super terrible, so I did that. I got on the second one and I think I made it into the park by about 9:15! Not too shabby.



Caught these guys performing as I was coming in. I watched most of it from the sidewalk so I wasn't standing in the middle of main street, but when a group of people congregated for a minute, I hopped out there for some pictures.



They are so good! One of these days I'm going to be brave and ask for a selfie with them.



The absolute best place to spend a morning!

Now prepare yourself for a trolley show picture overload...






These girls were so sassy, I loved it.








Never. gets. old.

Up next: More MK

We love the Dapper Dans and for our trip in January my sister had done all sorts of blinging out themed to different things we like to do. My daughter had been wearing her Dapper Dan sweatshirt every day of our trip ... except the day we finally caught them. I was wearing my Dapper Dan Blue ears and he posed for a picture with me after their performance.

We've never seen the Trolley show though, so I promise to rectify this @TrolleyFollower91 on my next trip to WDW