Trip Report The Magic is Back! It's Just More Expensive. May 2023

Hi! It's been a minute.



WHO: Me K, husband R and daughter (4) LP
WHEN: May 15-20
WHERE: Coronado Springs, Gran Destino Tower

I went back and forth about doing a trip report. I haven't done one for my past couple of trips, and honestly it was freeing not worrying about keeping up with all of our activities, but I kind of missed documenting it. I didn't keep notes or anything, so I'm sure I'll miss some of the action, but hopefully it'll still be fun to read!

Another thing that I've debated is whether to share pictures of my daughter. I typically don't share images of her in public places, I only do on my private personal instagram and private FB. I'm going to go ahead and share some here though since I feel like this forum is pretty niche. If I feel weird about it later, I'll just take them out.

Ok with all that out of the way, let's get started!

Arrival Day: May 15, 2023

I forgot to upload any photos from our travels, but it all went smoothly. We flew out of Memphis and got to use the new part of the airport, which is super nice. We got our rental car when we arrived at MCO at about 5:30pm. First up was a Publix run. LP fell asleep in the car, so she and R stayed outside while I loaded up on snacks and a case of water (and subs!)

We dropped our stuff off at Gran Destino Tower, scarfed down our subs and headed to....



Epcot!

Now you may be wondering WHY would we go to Epcot at 8pm on our first day. Surely that's not a good use of a ticket?! You'd be right. But we had other plans.



The sensible thing to do would be for just R and I to get annual passes, but since LP was with us, we justified getting her one by planning to take her for her 5th birthday, which would make the purchase worth it. Me and R will be going for Wine & Dine, but we're not taking LP because it'll be such a quick trip with me waking up VERY early to run a race. But now our plans for these passes are May '23 (this trip), Nov '23 (R & K only), Jan '24, May '24. Then we'll probably go another year before we go back.

This was an expensive night

LP was adamant she wanted to ride a dark ride...R must have been trying to explain dark rides to her and why they weren't scary? I don't even know. I was trying to figure out our passes and how to get refunded for the memory maker we'd purchased since we added photo pass to one of the APs. That'll come up again tomorrow.

I got LP to a dark ride pronto. Meanwhile R hit up the Mexico booth for a margarita (not sure if he got any food?)






She loved it. So much so that she insisted we do it again with R when he met us at the exit with his marg. I helped him finish it




We talked her into moving on after this. I was surprised she was still so spry for how late it was! She did have that little car nap, so I'm sure that helped. We stick to a pretty steady schedule at home, but so far I was pleased she was not breaking down at a shift in things. Perks of getting a little older!

We wanted a little snack on the way out, so we went to the Honey Beestro and got the chicken and waffle


Chicken and Waffles: Crispy honey-brined chicken and honey sweet cornbread waffle with whipped honey butter and spicy honey. I give it a 6/10. It had some good flavors, but the chicken was not the best quality.


B. Nektar New Wave Lemonade Mead (very good!) and Florida Orange Groves Winery Orange Blossom Honey Wine (decent)



LP gets my best angles



Saw the fireworks as we were heading out. Fireworks were not on our agenda for this trip because of how late they are, then the long journey to get back to the room after. Maybe next year.



Step count for the day (which is skewed because I push the stroller most of the time): 8571

Let me quickly address the sleeping arrangement. This is the first time all three of us have slept in the same room since she was a newborn. This first night was TOUGH. She did not want to settle down and sleep while we were reading/playing Zelda. So eventually we put away our Kindle and Switch and just settled in for sleep. Thankfully it was just this first night that she wouldn't settle. She still needed the sound machine and darkness to fall asleep though, so there was no staying up watching tv after she was asleep. But we mostly stayed out until later so it was fine!

Also, my allergies have been horrible this year, and the few days leading up to this trip were especially bad. I hoped being in a new environment would help, but I was at my worst this night. I couldn't breathe all night, and I apparently don't possess logic when I'm half asleep, so I didn't get up to use my inhaler until morning. Once I did that and took a zyrtec, I was fine.

Next: Day 1

 

[Tiggertoo56]

Love the close-up photo of LP infront of the castle- she looks so cute!

 

[RememberWhen]

You all could try Akershus for some Princess interaction next time. We had a great time there on our last trip, but the lighting was terrible. Ariel was the best. LP is so cute. My DD really wants to do BBB. We’re planning to go next time with cousins, so theoretically there would be four kiddos getting done! So much adorable. Sooo much money…

 

[littleroo]

I love all the pictures of LP. She is so dang cute! My favorite is with her holding Tink!

 

[lindawdw]

First, I have to tell you what a great TR writer you are because you truly put the reader in the park/resort with you! I remember when we brought our two daughters to WDW at the age of 3 and 5 it was so exciting but also, I felt stressed a lot of the time. I wanted to do so much with them but also it just felt overwhelming at times. The BBB is so expensive but the memory of seeing your little girl all dolled up is not only a memory for her but for you both too. I'm sorry that you got such a crappy table at CRT because the table location in most restaurants at WDW is key to having a good overall experience. I have actually gone back to the hostess after being seated to ask for a better table and they almost always change it for you if possible. We've never stayed at Gran Destino since we are DVC owners but I love visiting that resort because I just find it so beautiful. Can't wait to read more.

 

[Wicked Sisters]

LP is adorable in her Princess dress and she is so photogenic in your pics. Loving your TR.

 

[sheriffwoody]

You all could try Akershus for some Princess interaction next time. We had a great time there on our last trip, but the lighting was terrible. Ariel was the best. LP is so cute. My DD really wants to do BBB. We’re planning to go next time with cousins, so theoretically there would be four kiddos getting done! So much adorable. Sooo much money…

I am hoping to try the story book dining at Wilderness Lodge next, then we may do Akershus down the road. I have heard good things about it! Yeah four doing BBB will be a LOT of money, haha...and a lot of glitter. I mean pixie dust

First, I have to tell you what a great TR writer you are because you truly put the reader in the park/resort with you! I remember when we brought our two daughters to WDW at the age of 3 and 5 it was so exciting but also, I felt stressed a lot of the time. I wanted to do so much with them but also it just felt overwhelming at times. The BBB is so expensive but the memory of seeing your little girl all dolled up is not only a memory for her but for you both too. I'm sorry that you got such a crappy table at CRT because the table location in most restaurants at WDW is key to having a good overall experience. I have actually gone back to the hostess after being seated to ask for a better table and they almost always change it for you if possible. We've never stayed at Gran Destino since we are DVC owners but I love visiting that resort because I just find it so beautiful. Can't wait to read more.

Aww thanks! Yes the memories from BBB make it so worth it. It was precious! At most restaurants, I might have asked for a better table, but that place is just so packed all the time, I figured it wouldn't help. Plus then someone else would get stuck with the crappy spot. It's just a lose/lose. I wish the only tables were in the center, even if that made the reservation even harder to get.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 3: Slow start

We chose Epcot for this day, and since we'd experienced a few things already on day 1, we decided to start off the day with a pool morning. Except...the cool pool doesn't open until 10. Oops! When I checked online, I saw 8am opening, but realized later that wasn't an official Disney site. So we ended up at one of the quiet pools.

I felt a little bad as there was a man there sunbathing, but we did keep noise level to a minimum. LP is not a super loud child when it's just me and her, she only gets loud when she's playing with other kids.



This was right behind the Tower as we left to walk to the pool. It's a cool area back there! I should have explored the resort more, it's nice.





She played on the steps and walked around the edge while I swam alongside her. She can swim, but she's lazy We do ISR self-rescue swimming lessons, which means she can't wear any floatation devices. When we're in the pool we SHOULD be practicing her swim-float-swim, but she never wants to. Oh well, we had fun on the steps.

When we got out, I took her to the bathroom and when I put my shoes on, I noticed the bottoms of my toes hurt. Skip this part if you're squeamish...

Spoiler: gross description

The bottoms of both big toes were SHREDDED. Like it looked like I'd put them in a cheese grater. I guess the bottom of the pool was rough? I didn't even notice until I'd dried off and put shoes on, but holy crap it hurt!

I had to walk back to the room with my big toes raised up. It's been a week and a half, and they're still not fully healed. This did not bode well for two more park days, yikes.

Walking back...






With bandaids plus socks and tennis shoes, I didn't feel the pain from the injury, whew. Me, LP and R went down to Panchitos to get her some milk to eat with her froot loops from Publix. I didn't realize there was a cooler at the Barcelona Lounge, but just FYI if you stay there, you can get stuff cooler drinks there! We found that out because we got a couple of coffees in the lounge before heading back up to get ready for Epcot.




No pictures of the coffees since they put them in to-go cups, but R tried this from the Spanish coffee menu:

Café Bombon​

Espresso and Sweetened Condensed Milk

It wasn't mixed at all, so first drink was basically just espresso. Then he mixed it and it was so sweet, he couldn't drink it. I got this:

Café Con Leche​

Espresso and Warm Milk

Pretty straightforward. I ended up mixing half of mine in with his, so he could drink his, haha! I think his drink would have looked cool in a clear glass mug, but alas.

We finished getting ready and headed to Epcot (via car) around 11. We were getting hungry for lunch!

Up next: Epcot

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 3: Epcot

We got GREAT parking at Epcot, it was the first row behind preferred. We headed on back to World Showcase so we could get a few things from the booths for lunch. All my photos are so hazy for some reason. I don't think it was that humid, so I may have had something on the lens.








First stop was the Citrus Blossom inside The Odyssey building. I wanted so much of the merch in there! I'm pretty much over merch these days, but there were several things I was eying. Especially the orange bird hat, so cute!


Citrus Baked Brie with preserved lemon marmalade, limoncello-macerated blueberries, and spiced marcona almonds (this was so good! I love brie, so I was intrigued and it did not disappoint)

Pretty sure the beer was the Parish Brewing Co. Drive Thru: Orange Octane Imperial Sour. Knowing R we wouldn't have passed up a sour.

R wanted to try the other margarita at the Mexico booth, so we stopped there next.


Taco Vampiro: Barbacoa Beef in a Corn Tortilla with crispy grilled monterey jack cheese, salsa ranchera, and esquites (we had this last year and it's just as good this year! Couldn't cut it in half though, we had to just take turns taking bites haha)

The marg was the Mala Hierba Margarita: Centinela Tequila Reposado, elderflower-chamomile tea, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, and UNA Flower-infused Vodka with a chile salt rim (I didn't care for it, I liked the other offering better)

It was at this point that I noticed something, but I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me



Nope, it's for sure THE TACO BARGES ARE GONE! Or rather were in the process of being removed. I was so excited! Best part of my day



No surprise we ducked into the pyramid to ride Gran Fiesta Tour. LP got the royal treatment since she was wearing her Aurora dress again. One of the CMs outside the ride said they had a special entrance for princesses and sent us down the handicap line. There were only like 15 people in line, but it was still sweet






After we left, R went off to get some food or drink and I took LP toward Norway. We saw Donald on the way and stopped to see him. I never stop here because there's always a long line, but LP didn't seem to mind waiting. He left right as we got there, but he was back in like 4 minutes. The handler cracked me up, as they were walking backstage she said "Donald is going to polish his maracas and will be back in less than 5 minutes! If you can't wait 5 minutes, you're in the wrong theme park, my friend!"



This was him walking back to his spot






I had to jump in, Donald is my fav.

When we were done, R was there but I can't remember if he had a drink or anything? He walked the rest of the way to Norway with us.

Up next: More Epcot

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 3: Epcot continued

We hopped in line for the sisters. It said 25 minutes I think, similar to last time, but it seemed to move faster this time. There was another little girl and her mom that walked in at the same time as us and I chatted with them a bit. That always helps the time go faster!




I wasn't going to get in these, but Elsa invited me over, so why not?!



LP was excited to show Elsa her doll since she'd gotten it after the last time we met them.




These were both great interactions. I particularly remember this Anna actually spoke up so I could hear her. I swear I can never hear what the princesses are saying. It's fine for the most part, but a lot of times, I try to help LP along with the conversation, otherwise she just smiles and nods at them

We continued our walk around the world. BTW we had virtual queued for Guardians again and we were EXCITED!




Training LP to be my instagram photographer



(ignore the boat dock) look at at that unimpeded view!



We'd tried a photo before (the one with her back turned) and it was too bright. I eventually thought of putting her sunglasses on so she could smile at the camera and it worked!


Pretty sure she's doing a curtsy here




BEAUTIFUL



Here's that better photo of Tiana

R wanted one more thing from Magnolia Terrace in America, so we grabbed a table while he hopped in line.


Bananas Foster Bread Pudding (this was my pick here, and it was tasty! I LOVE a bread pudding. LP ate some of this with me)


Spicy Chicken Gumbo with Andouille sausage and BEN’S ORIGINAL Long Grain & Wild Rice (This was what R wanted, and I would assume he got this last year. I tried a bite, it was good! Decently spicy for a Disney dish. I don't like these hot soup type dishes when it's 90 degrees out)


Still taking pictures of the lagoon

Up next: more Epcot

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 3: Epcot continued
We stopped at La Isla Fresca and tried the oxtail dish, but I forgot to take a picture. We sat on the curb to eat it. Belle was due to come out soon, so we hopped over there to queue up. R stayed in the shade. Belle was a few minutes late, but we eventually got up there to meet her.










Love this picture so much!!

Aurora would be meeting somewhat soon, but I didn't want to just sit around, so we decided to go wait for Remy instead. The wait was around an hour, but I was hoping it was inflated. It wasn't. I figured that out once we saw the queue, but it's ok. We didn't have a big agenda, so we just chilled in the line. I was glad once it got to the inside part.





LP didn't love this last year, but I was hoping she'd like it since we waited so long. She didn't. She didn't hate it, but she didn't like it. Oh well! After that, Aurora was done meeting (oops) but we hadn't mentioned it to her, so she was none the wiser. We kept heading around World Showcase. We had some friends coming to the park to see us, but we still had a lot of time before they would be there, so we were trying to find things to do...besides eat.



Bathroom break in the UK pavillion



R wanted to stop at Northern Bloom and we got:
Chocolate Maple Whisky Cake (so good! LP ate a lot of this, so she was mostly eating the desserts, of course)
Maple Popcorn Shake with Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky (this was all R's, I don't care for it)
Collective Arts Brewing Honey Lager (I don't remember if I liked it...haha)




We had just gone to the bathroom, so I don't know why we stopped again by Figment. I think maybe R went at the UK pavilion, then LP said she needed to go? So we stopped by Figment. After the bathroom break, we saw Pooh!


They played peek-a-boo. My heart

The reason we were over there was to meet Mickey, so we hopped in line.





Couldn't talk R into joining us! He's not a character person.

Up next: More Epcot

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 3: Epcot continued



Now I remember Nemo was the reason we were over in that area. She specifically wanted to ride that. We walked around the Seas Pavilion after that.






We were just kind of killing time until time for our VQ and our friends getting there, and we decided to do a monorail ride.



Headed out





I wanted some cold brew, and of course LP spotted the pink donut. She's on a roll with the sweets today! She ate a good bit of this thing, I was surprised.

When we got back to Epcot, we stopped for a photo pass shoot





He also had us do a silly face photo, but I'll spare you. I need a new silly face...crossing my eyes is too creepy

LP wanted to ride Spaceship Earth again, so on we went




Her face showed up this time! She was excited. I was surprised how much she liked this ride, honestly.

After this is was time for Guardians again! And our friends were headed into the park, so I sent R on first again and I took LP to get some chicken fingers at Connections Eatery. When we got our food, Kelly and Joe were there! We sat with them and chatted while LP picked at her food. She mostly ate her fries and that was it. YOU NEED PROTEIN, KID. It was so fun catching up with my friends! Kelly and I are running Wine & Dine together in November. I am slow, so we'll have a LOT of time to chat that day, hahaha

When R was done, he met us in the eatery. We made our way out and I headed over to ride Guardians while R took LP to the playground. Kelly and Joe took the opportunity to go get some food and drink in World Showcase.




Got my picture this time! No idea at what point they take it.



Same song this time, "One Way or Another"

We all met back up by the playground and I wanted to get the avocado toast from Brunchcot. I ate it while I walked, so no picture. LP had requested Figment, and even though Kelly really can't stand Figment, they agreed The avocado toast was good! The avocado isn't super fresh, but I like it with the tomatoes on top.

Up next: Finishing up Epcot

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 3: Finishing up Epcot



Me and Kelly took a picture outside Figment before we went in because it definitely looked like rain and we didn't want to forget later. We met through instagram and bonded over running. I don't run nearly as much now, but I used to, so when she was just getting into it, I shared some of my experiences with her and we formed a friendship. Now she's incredibly athletic and I've loved watching her improve and grow! She recently had knee surgery so she's easing back in. I'm sure by Wine & Dine she'll be back up to he peak and she'll have to slow herself way down to stick with my slow, old self. She says not to worry, that we're aiming for "party pace"



Oh yeah we got photobombed. ha



Selfie fail! Figment was fun as usual.

I had one more thing I HAD to get at Pineapple Promenade before leaving Epcot.


violet lemonade! This is my absolute favorite item from any festival. R likes the spicy hot dog from there, but he was not feeling up to more food at the moment, so he ended up skipping it. But I'm glad I got my favorite drink! I get it without the alcohol. I tried it with one time and didn't like it.

We stood around and chatted while I drank it, which ended up being a mistake. By the time we made our way out, it looked like this



Kelly and Joe broke off to go to the pin store. They were looking for a pin for a friend, and we headed on out to the parking lot. As we were passing through the exit, it started raining. Not SUPER hard, but hard enough that we were going to get drenched on that walk.

I had brought what I thought were two ponchos, but it ended up being one poncho OOPS! To be fair, R chose not to bring his jacket. He didn't know I thought I had two ponchos. I did have the stroller rain cover, so LP was fine. Though it makes me nervous covering it while she's in there. I'm scared she'll suffocate. It wasn't a long walk since we'd gotten a good spot though.

I cycled between walking and running, and R just strolled. He was already drenched, why run. ha.

I just realized I forgot to share about the Dahlia lounge last night. I'm pretty sure it was after MK that we went up there. We got a couple drinks and took them to the room. They don't have to-go service, but if you're staying there you can take your drink to the room and housekeeping will collect the glasses. On this Epcot night, it was pretty late already so we just showered and got in bed. Hoping our shoes would dry!

Up next: Last park day

 

[RememberWhen]

I am hoping to try the story book dining at Wilderness Lodge next, then we may do Akershus down the road. I have heard good things about it! Yeah four doing BBB will be a LOT of money, haha...and a lot of glitter. I mean pixie dust

Definitely do story book dining! It was great. Plus it’s always fun to go over to wilderness lodge.

 

[LSV]

Your photos are amazing.

I did have the stroller rain cover, so LP was fine. Though it makes me nervous covering it while she's in there. I'm scared she'll suffocate. It wasn't a long walk since we'd gotten a good spot though.

I would be the nosy stranger eyeing your stroller to see if any fresh air could get in.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Your photos are amazing.


I would be the nosy stranger eyeing your stroller to see if any fresh air could get in.

Hahahaha it really can’t! That’s why it freaked me out. I was holding the back up with my hand so there was air coming in around the handle. But as it’s designed, it doesn’t have a breathable window. It’s just meant to keep the stroller dry while it’s sitting there.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Day 1 continued: Epcot Evening

We continued around World Showcase and stopped to watch the last bit of Sergio's performance.





We ended up back at Magnolia Terrace even though R had already stopped there. LP wanted a picture with the Tiana topiary, but she didn't want to get out of her stroller. Which is rare. Getting her to actually ride in it was a constant struggle!


Such a pretty topiary! I think I took one with my camera instead of my phone on another day.


Muffuletta Panini with ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss with olive salad (yesssss so good!!! I was not happy to have to share this with R. LP even took a bite, she does like deli meat!) 99% sure the beer is Central 28 Beer Co. Pretty Things Ale. It was ok.



We continued on after this and stopped in Morocco




I was asked to pose with Elsa.



Tangerine Cafe

Orange Blossom-Saffron Cake (probably my favorite of the festival, this was soooo good!)


This lamb kebab was not on the festival menu online, so not sure if it's a recent addition. It was good!


More photo shoot

Kept walking to France, and I'd heard good things about one item from Fleur de Lys


Croissant au Fromage de Chèvre, Herbes et Ail Rôtie: Croissant with goat cheese, herbs, and roasted garlic (I was a fan, R was not. LP took a bite of just the croissant, but that was it. I think you have to like goat cheese a fair amount to like this!)


La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush: Vodka, Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, and white and red cranberry juices (we all know this is good! It's also frickin expensive, but we had almost $300 on our Disney Visa Rewards card to spend so I let myself splurge)

We just continued on walking. Big thing I forgot to mention, after we were in Epcot for a bit (it was maybe 3:30?) I remembered Guardians of the Galaxy! Derp. I checked and got us a boarding group! I'd checked earlier, but couldn't do anything until we scanned in, then I was caught up with getting to Norway, I forgot for a while. But that boarding group I'd gotten us was getting close, so we were headed that way.




I sent R through the virtual queue since he said he'd rather wait in line longer than entertain LP longer Lazy.

Me and LP went to the playground over near Test Track and she enjoyed that.




This bunny hopped around me for a while.

I think he waited like 45 minutes? Soon enough it was my turn! I was nervous. I didn't know if I'd get motion sick. I don't typically, but Everest does make me ill these days and it has the backwards thing like Guardians.

Up Next: Finishing up Epcot

I need to travel with you. The last few times I was in World Showcase, you could not *move* to the point that I was considering skipping it entirely on our next trip. This looks much more pleasant.

 

[joshsprincess921]

All caught up! LP is growing so fast. I love all of her little dresses. So cute!

 

[Pirate Magic]

She looks absolutely beautiful I that dress. She has such a sparkle in her eyes!!!

 

[Darstarr]

Hoping our shoes would dry!

Life changing! They make two kinds, one with a standard plug and also a car charger type plug (for the car).

 

[belledream]

Love all the impromptu character moments on your Magic Kingdom day! So magical for a little one! Also appreciated the looks and insight into BBB and CRT… always going back and forth on whether or not those would be worth it someday. And love your pictures as always!