Trip Report You Can't Beat This Deal...Two Trip Reports for the Price of One! *COMPLETED*

Hi Everyone!

As some of you may know, it's been a very busy, Disney filled, end of the summer for us! After scrambling to find new vacations plans thanks to Hurricane Lane and having just returned from a solo trip to attend the Disney Institute Approach to Quality Service course, I have almost been able to get all of the photos downloaded and I'm nearly ready to report on our adventures.

Both trips we're remarkably different from what our typical Disney trip would look like but both were fantastic experiences and I'm really looking forward to sharing them with you.

I am planning on uploading the last of our pictures from the camera tonight and will start diving into the details very soon!
 
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PacNWTigger

PacNWTigger

Well-Known Member
So did the girls say that Lottso smelled like strawberries? ;) Inquiring minds want to know...
th_lotsoanimated.gif
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
PacNWTigger said:
So did the girls say that Lottso smelled like strawberries? ;) Inquiring minds want to know...
th_lotsoanimated.gif
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HA! I did ask Lennon after the photo was taken, she said he did not smell like strawberry. By the looks of a few of those pics she was definitely close enough that I believe her!

riverside said:
You and me both!!:)
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It's really beautiful there. I'd stay there in a heartbeat if I had the chance.
 
Longers

Longers

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
Day Five – EPCOT

With our late night, we had planned to let the kids sleep in a bit before heading over to spend the morning at EPCOT. The moms knew we were going to be taking it easy and we’d message them when we were getting up.

The girls were sound asleep but I was up shortly before 8 am. I wanted to get another run around the Port Orleans resorts in before everyone else got up so I quietly got my run stuff together and slipped out the door. The sun was shining, the weather was perfect and I was off running around the river.

It was such a peaceful, quiet run around the resort with a few families up and about heading from their rooms to the food courts or to catch a bus to head to a park. I really enjoyed running around the Riverside area. French Quarter is great because it’s smaller and certainly more convenient with the single bus stop but Riverside just has this great ambiance that I would really like to check out on a future trip.

Even early in the morning, the humidity definitely got to me and my short 3K run had me sweating like crazy once I got back to the room. The kids were stirring at this point and Kelly was already in the shower getting ready. I woke the kids, got Ella her insulin and prepared breakfast for them before hopping in the shower myself and getting ready for the day.

We ended up meeting the moms somewhere around 9 am and made our way to the bus stop to hitch a ride to EPCOT. Sounded like the moms really enjoyed their quiet evening of exploring and shopping. The kids told them all about what they missed at the Halloween Party as we waited for the bus.

The bus arrived, we jumped on and took our seats and arrived at EPCOT around 930 am. Food and Wine had just kicked off and we noticed lots of new signage that wasn’t displayed just a few days earlier.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The land was our first stop to use our FP+ for Living with the Land. Before we made it to the queue, we stopped by Soarin’ to get a return time for when we were done with LWL. We made the short walk back to scan our bands and wait for our boat.

LWL is not the flashiest ride or anything but I always enjoy riding just to see all the cool stuff that Disney is doing to try and produce sustainable food within the resort. It’s impressive to see all the different crops/fish they are growing and to hear about how they are being put to use at different restaurants.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

When our ride was complete, the return time for Soarin’ was open so that was our next stop. Easily one of the moms top attractions and Lennon had now completely come around to the ride which she was leery of leading into the trip. I’m not sure what I would consider my favourite scene in the new version but I do really dig the scenery and scents of the savannah and the Fijian island.

After Soarin’ we made a quick stop at Sunshine Season to grab a free water and a quick snack. Kelly was all over a cupcake and the girls were happy to grab a cookie so Kelly wasn’t eating alone. We pulled up to a table quickly to eat the snacks before heading out to our next stop.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Because we were close enough we decided to head over to Journey into the Imagination which had essentially no wait time.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Before heading in we had to take a washroom break which allowed me to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of the park while waiting for everyone to reconvene.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Once everyone was back together, off we went to sing along with Figment. Hopefully I wouldn’t be humming “Imagination…Imagination” all day but it always seems to get caught in my head no matter what!

After Figment we had a bit of a discussion on what to do next. Ella really wanted to ride Mission:Space, which was good by me, but the rest of the group had no interest. We ended up deciding that Ella and I would go ride and the rest of the group was going to ride the Grand Fiesta Tour, something the moms had never done and something we had only done for the first time last December.

Everyone seemed happy with the plan and we set off on our separate ways. On our walk to MS, I tried to convince Ella to ride the orange side but sadly no dice! Ella was very excited to blast off into space again but wasn’t quite ready for any more g-forces on her body.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

As is the case most times when we ride MS, the line for the green side was posted at 5 minutes. We rolled right through the queue and were placed in our line for our mission almost immediately. Our flight team was rounded out by a pair of older ladies who seemed up to the task of completing a successful mission.

Jessica Pearson (for any Suits fans) gave us our marching orders, assigned us our roles and led us to our ships.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

I’m a fan of the ride, just like Ella, though it’s not a must ride for me on every trip. That said, we did have fun and even though I wasn’t sure those older ladies would get us home safe, they came through and we survived our space flight.

Ella and I then walked into the world showcase and found the group hanging around the Mexico pavilion. The moms really liked Donald’s boat ride (according to Lennon) and were pretty surprised to see what was going on inside the pavilion. Like us, they had never really spent much time going through and seeing what the pavilions actually hold, outside of attractions and restaurants.

We decided to walk around the World Showcase for a bit to find some adult snacks/bevvies but before we got rolling we ended up stopping in Norway to meet Anna and Elsa as the wait time was only about 15 minutes. The moms decided to keep going to explore some of the other pavilions and we’d meet up after the meet and greet. I do enjoy the detail of the queue that leads you to the sisters. Lots of cool Frozen stuff around which Ella and Lenny are quick to point out.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The wait was less than ten minutes before we were next in line and the girls were in their glory. They had nonstop questions for both Anna and Elsa and the characters were quick to indulge their goofy quips. Lennon was really excited that her dress was similar to Elsa’s which made her day.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

When we said our goodbyes I received a text from the moms saying they were sitting near the water in Germany with a giant pretzel and a beer for me. I was quick to load up the girls and get to the goodness that was waiting for me!
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Like Stacy says - un pretzel, un beer...... this made me chuckle
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Knowing I had a tasty treat waiting for me, we seemingly glided through some of the countries in the World Showcase to find the moms parked on a bench, sharing a pretzel and enjoying a beer. I love the massive pretzels from Germany but the mustard just doesn’t cut it so I set off on a very quick search to find some plastic cheese to dip it in.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aC86H9]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I ended up at the American pavilion and bought two cheese sauce packages to take back, one for me, one for the moms. While I was away Kelly was exploring the German pavilion looking for chocolate. She ended up coming back empty handed but was talking about stopping by France to pick up a sandwich and a macaron when we finished our snack.

The sky was starting to cloud over and we could see some lightning in the distance. We were hoping it would hold out as we had FP+ for Test Track coming up.

We enjoyed our break, the food, the beer, and the views.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29BcYUf]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bdnhzr]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we were about finished, the rain started to drizzle. Instead of making our way to France for Kelly to grab a bite, we decided we would try to head over to Test Track with the hopes the rain would subside quickly and we could get on. The girls were beyond excited as TT has become one of their favourite attractions since our last trip. The moms were a tad nervous, again with the neck issues, but have yet to ride TT since the refurb was completed a few years back.

We were definitely getting wet as we walked back around WS towards TT. Sadly it looked like the storm was only getting worse, and not better. As we approached the ride it was clear it was closed due to the storm which was a major bummer. Kelly was even more bummed as she passed up her macarons!

The rain was coming down really heavily at this point so we decided to duck into Mouse Gears to stay dry and do some browsing/shopping. With nothing but time on our hands we definitely had a thorough tour of the store. I didn’t end up buying anything but I was really tempted to pick up a new notebook for work and a really fancy Mickey pen. Kelly, the girls, and the moms, on the other hand, were far more successful than I was. Ella even picked up a new purse that she could use at school to carry her diabetes supplies while in class. They were pretty happy about it even more stuff to take back with them.

It was still raining but kinda letting up by the time we finished paying. I decided to head back to TT to see if they were open again, which it was not. There was an announcement made that the ride was operating but only for the guests already in line and because of the lightning in the area, they would not be opening the queue anytime soon. Bummer.

Back I went to Mouse Gears to inform the rest of the crew. We tried to figure out what to do next and as we browsed MDE, we found the line for the Character Meet and Greet to be relatively manageable. We decided to make that our next stop as it would keep us dry and check off Kelly’s desire to meet more characters.

The posted wait was about 30 minutes which was fine, we had nothing else to do and I’m always happy to meet Mickey! We made our way through the queue but not before Ella got in a bit of trouble for not properly thanking grandma Deb for the thoughtful purchase of the new purse. That led to a bit of a stern talking to about how she should be a little more gracious and grateful for some of the things she received which was not overly well received and resulted in some tears. We were able to mostly talk it out while in line and things got a little better just before we were up to meet the characters. At very least she did apologize for her rude behaviour and made sure to finally thank her grandma.

With that behind us, we made our way through the lineup friends, Goofy, Minnie and Mickey.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29PXVLH]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P5B2AJ]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2boN36r]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bjkMmy]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CDnkf]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CDmCJ]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CDm9s]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28smtG7]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bjkJYh]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b8Xw9U]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

With some of the big wigs now check off the list of characters to meet, we tried to figure out what’s next. It was still a tad rainy and the app was still saying that TT was closed. The kids were a tad restless waiting for the ride to re-open and it was early-ish afternoon so we figured maybe it would just be best to head back to the resort, get out of the rain and take it easy.

On the way back somehow Kelly had the idea to head back to another Target since we had nothing else to do! I, somehow, was convinced to tag along with her. I guess making the jaunt with her to yet another Target location would score me some brownie points and while she is clearly obsessed with that store, at least it wasn’t as bad as our quick four-day trip to Denver last year to watch the Patriots destroy the Broncos when we hit up three different Target locations.

She beamed on the bus ride back to the resort while I thought of ways to put limits on the credit cards and hide what cash we had on hand.
 
slipperalwaysfits

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
Glad to hear you're a PAT's fan (hubby is from New England) and I hope you enjoyed your TARGET tour of my fair city!! Rain is tough in Epcot, but we managed one year by hiding out in various pavilions! So glad you were able to meet so many characters!! I hope Ella is using/loving her new purse in class! Having something fun to manage your daily challenges is the best! I have worn hearing aids since I was 5 and I have always loved making them fun colors, which still makes wearing them fun (enough :geek:)
 
Spash007

Spash007

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
Once everyone was back together, off we went to sing along with Figment. Hopefully I wouldn’t be humming “Imagination…Imagination” all day but it always seems to get caught in my head no matter what!
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Imagine getting stuck on that part of the ride for at least 10 minutes with the song, going, and going, and going and never stopping... I still get nightmares :in pain:
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
slipperalwaysfits said:
Glad to hear you're a PAT's fan (hubby is from New England) and I hope you enjoyed your TARGET tour of my fair city!! Rain is tough in Epcot, but we managed one year by hiding out in various pavilions! So glad you were able to meet so many characters!! I hope Ella is using/loving her new purse in class! Having something fun to manage your daily challenges is the best! I have worn hearing aids since I was 5 and I have always loved making them fun colors, which still makes wearing them fun (enough :geek:)
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I do love the Pat's, well mostly Tom Brady. It earned me a little heat from other members of this site after they lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl but that's ok, I can handle the high's and low's!
 
MegRuss626

MegRuss626

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
Kelly was super jacked up to find her other sign for our Disney wall waiting for her when she got him yesterday.



I’ve committed to paining the hallway this weekend so things should start to take shape in the coming weeks. Looking forward to seeing what she has in mind for this!
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Yepp....def the same girl I follow on Instagram! Kelly is super lucky to have gotten two of her signs! Tell her to check out thepaintedmouse and faithtrustsawdust too!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We arrived back at the hotel with a little drizzle still coming down. Likely meant the girls wouldn’t be able to go to the pool while Kelly and I went to Target but they seemed ok with spending some time in their grandmas’ room playing with some of the new toys they had accumulated on the trip so far.

We got back to our room to grab a few things before we hailed a Lyft and the girls discovered their toys were waiting for them, courtesy of Mousekeeping.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NyNvBG]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Such cool little touches that make a big difference during a holiday. This had been an ongoing game the Mousekeepers were playing and it made Ella and Lenny look forward to coming back to the room each day to see what new surprise was waiting for them.

They loaded up their toys to take to the grandmas’ and Kelly made sure to stock up with cash/credit before we made our way to the lobby. We called for a Lyft and made our way to a new Target location. It was still raining but only slightly. It took us about 25 minutes to get to the Target and I assumed my usual shopping position, following along trying not to get lost.

Eventually, I broke from Kelly to quickly check out the guys' clothes before heading to the in-store Starbucks for something to keep me moving. I will say, I did find a cool pair of shorts and some face wash from a company I order my shaving products from so the trip wasn’t a total loss.

During my quick escape I did end up losing Kelly so I just wandered aimlessly around the store until I finally found her. To my surprise, her cart was somewhat bare and she was a little disappointed that she wasn’t able to find more. Sensing I was done and that she wasn’t spotting something she missed while darting through the girls' section for the fourth time, we made our way to the checkout. The damage was minimal which made me very pleased.

We called for a return Lyft and waited outside the store. The rain had stopped momentarily but the sky was still dark and cloudy. Our 90 minute escape from the WDW compound was a nice break and gave us some time to get excited about our upcoming dinner reservation at ‘Ohana. During the ride back we tried to figure out what we wanted to do with the rest of our evening and as the rain returned we weren’t sure if we should try to head back to MK after dinner or simply call it a night due to the wet weather.

We arrived back at Port Orleans with about an hour or so to spare before our reservation. Just enough time for Kelly to change before meeting up with the rest of the group and heading to the bus stop to grab a ride back to MK.

I mentioned the details around the resort adding to the experience, I got a big kick out of the street signs just outside our building.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29B8JN7]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We had decided before leaving that we would take our time at dinner and just head home afterward. It was a nice break from hauling the stroller with us as we loaded onto the bus and made our way back to MK. The debate during the ride over was monorail or ferryboat?

It was raining pretty good when we arrive and the ferryboat was just departing the launch so we hoofed over and caught the resort monorail. While waiting for the next monorail to arrive I was already thinking about my return in just over a week. Hello Grand Floridian!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29iCevF]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz1ayG]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We ended up arriving at the Poly right on time for our reservation. I love everything about the Poly and I could tell the moms would love to have the chance to stay here if they could. They love Hawaii and have made several trips to Honolulu together. This place is right up their alley.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nyo1bA]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The construction on the Tambu Lounge made for a congested waiting area but thankfully we didn’t have to wait long before we were escorted to our table. I was beyond excited for what is likely my favourite meal on the property and for the moms to experience it for the first time.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz6bUN]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We were sat at a round table next to a window, which was nice even with the gloomy weather outside. We started with the bread and waited for everything else to start arriving. We knew the kids wouldn’t eat the standard fare so it was grilled cheese for them. We ordered a round of drinks and for the life of me I cannot remember what Kelly’s was called (I’m sure someone can refresh my memory) but I elected to go with the Backscratcher over the Lapu Lapu. We still have the backscratcher at home, too!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NyZhWj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NySHgW]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGCphz]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Now I fully admit that I dropped the ball on taking photos of our meal but I can assure you it was just as good as it always is. Every course, from the salad to the dessert was terrific and enjoyed by all. The moms commented several times how good the food has been throughout the trip so far and this was near the top of the list. Even the kids grilled cheese looked pretty tasty and must have been as they both nearly cleared their plates. Len was happy.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz4oeA]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As is typically the case for us at ‘Ohana, every time the dessert arrives we always say we can’t cause we’re too full until we turn around and somehow every last bite of the bread pudding is gone. One bite always turns into another and another until there’s nothing left! So good!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29AXxYw]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

With the meal done, and us feeling like we could barely move, we paid the bill and explored the Poly for a little before heading to catch the monorail back to MK.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29AWRhG]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

It was still raining pretty good when we did make it back to MK but with the lack of people around I was super tempted to head into the park. Of course we were not prepared at all with no coats or ponchos or anything so that was quickly vetoed and we instead made our way back to the resort. By the time we got back it was probably close to 9 and it we were all just fine with calling it an earlier night.

As we slowly wandered through the resort we stopped for some goofy pics before finding our way back to our rooms.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29B9vJu]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz2M8f]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29iCgrp]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The rain had let up so before calling it a night for sure, me and the girls threw on our swimsuits and jumped in the hot tub for a bit. We were the only three in there so it was nice and peaceful. They lasted maybe 10 minutes before heading back to the room together while I stayed behind to soak for a few more minutes. Terrific way to end the day!

Certainly not the most action-packed day we’ve ever had at Disney but this trip was just different from what we’d normally do. Much slower paced, no big rush to go places and get things done, just enjoy what we could, while we could. Days still seemed to fly by but we still had a lot ahead of us as we turned in early and rested up for a return visit to MK in the morning.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 7 – Magic Kingdom / Hollywood Studios

On our way back from dinner the night before the moms decided to take the morning to sleep in and hang out by the pool. Our intention was to get up early and head to MK for park open and they didn’t seem to be feeling that, which was totally fine for all of us. They would get to relax and enjoy some sun, and we would get to the park bright and early and rip around on our own. Win/win for everyone!

Our early night was not without its surprises though. When Ella gets super tired she tends to have some interesting sleepwalking episodes, just so happened that we were all witness to this one in our hotel room. She awoke in the middle of the night to go to the washroom which is pretty standard. However, as she got out of bed and was talking to herself, instead of heading towards the toilet, she had started to unlock the room rood and head outside towards the open corridor. Kelly and I sat in bed in silence, amazed by what was going on! When she actually got the door open and started to walk out I jumped up and pointed her in the right direction. She did her business, jumped back into bed and was back asleep in no time. Never a dull moment.

Kelly and I got up early to start getting ready. I ran to the food court for my morning coffee while she showered and got dressed. I returned to get the girls up and ready for the day. As I was making their breakfast I explained what happened during the middle of the night. Lennon thought it was hilarious but Ella had no memory of it and thought I was lying. It was pretty funny to see her reaction when both Kelly and I confirmed the story.

Once the kids were all fed, dressed and ready we made our way to the bus stop to catch a ride to MK. Kelly and I were kind of excited to not have the moms with us for the simple fact that we could rip around and accomplish a bunch of things a little quicker than we could if the full group was with us. I was definitely a big fan of the resort. It had grown on me during our stay and I appreciated the details, the colour, the spaces more and more each day.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LWuVwp]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29Audk7]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We arrived at MK around 845, 15 minutes before the official opening. There was a good amount of people around but nothing too crazy. We were looking forward to a busy, fun-filled morning.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGwn98]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we walked through the front gates, we stopped for a traditional family castle picture before getting ready to make a mad dash to thunder mountain to start the day.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bjkePL]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CCPK1]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a1b8Lk]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CCMEj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We ended up catching some of the opening castle show before the park officially opened and off we went.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29jgJYz]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aavfgb]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGCwkH]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Kelly and the kids made their way towards Frontierland and I made a quick detour to Fantasyland to score a return time for the mine train. It was a beautiful morning already and while I wanted to catch up to the group, I made sure to take my time a little bit and soak in the Magic Kingdom along the way.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGzmfP]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29iCGoP]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LWuV5H]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

While I was taking my time, Kelly had text me to let me know she had taken the kids on Big Thunder which was fine by me. I arrived at the attraction and made my way towards the exit area to see if I might be able to see them while they were on the ride. A few wild trains went by before I spotted them and was lucky enough to get a photo as the sped by.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29BcShh]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

When they made their way out of the ride they were clearly pumped up to have started their day with a thrill and they wanted to go again since I missed it. 5 minute wait so why not? We jumped back in and made our way through the queue. When we loaded up, we were sent to the very back…the best place for Big Thunder! Off we went again. Not a bad way to start the day with back to back trips through Thunder Mountain.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGp8VD]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Since we were already there and the wait time was also 5 minutes, Splash Mountain was next.

We flew through the queue and were next in line in no time. We were the first two rows and Ella was talked into jumping up front with me as long as I blocked her during the big drop. I agreed and we all got in our log and set off. During the ride, I tried to take some different pics like I'm some kinda artist or something, which I most certainly am not!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aBYKuj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29BasE1]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/PfNBsj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We survived Splash with little to no water damage and decided to hoof our way towards Adventureland. There were a few rides we’d yet to do over there and the girls really wanted to hop on the Magic Carpets. Along the way we ran into the Country Bears wandering the streets. No chance we’d pass them without a quick photo.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/27WDSqE]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aFZhEk]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The day had only just begun but we were off to a great start.
 

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