To start things off, this trip was to celebrate my (gasp) 30th birthday. It’s something I never thought I’d do because if falls at the end of August and we try to avoid going in the summer. But when I found out that a Star Wars convention was in town that was more than enough reason for me to book a Disney trip as well!
Ready everybody? ‘Cause here…we….goooo!
8.24 - DEPARTURE DAY Today was the day! Around 5 in the evening we loaded the suitcases in the car and were on our way. I slipped my WDW mix in the CD player and, with the original monorail loop playing in the background, we hit 95N. Needing a pre-flight meal we found an Arbys along the way and I must say that original roast beef hit the spot. The rest of the drive to Dulles was pretty uneventful. Once we arrived we didn’t have to wait long for the shuttle to pick us up and bring us to the main terminal. The only problem was Brandon and I had to walk clear to the other end of the ticketing area to check-in (oops.) Security was fast and easy. There was a lady in front of me who couldn’t get the concept of moving her bag down the line on the conveyor belt. So I tried to push it forward and got caught by the security guy. Heh heh. He said rather loudly, “You do not need to shove the bags.” My bad. Once it was my turn I got a little thrown off because a woman from the other line stepped in front of me with her kid. So the same security guy, who must have noticed my Star Wars hoodie, said to me: “Boba Fett, step over this way.” Thanks dude! Since it’s been a couple of years since I’ve flown I was curious if I’d get the pat-down or the scanner. The scanner won out on this one and it took a total of 10 seconds to do. Not too shabby. Once the shoes and belts were back on we caught the “mobile transport” across the tarmac to our gate. As we disembarked the transport I was hit with the lovely aroma of Dunkin Donuts coffee and knew I had to get some before I boarded the plane. Brandon and I settled in at the gate and I anxiously watched the clock.
Brandon busy with his PSVita
Waiting for a jet plane...
So…the flight landed and they deboarded the passengers but we were still sitting there waiting for a boarding announcement. As it turns out there was a maintenance issue they found after the plane had landed. Oh joy. At this point I called my aunt and uncle who were supposed to be picking us up in Orlando and let them know of the delay. I’m so lucky that they were cool with waiting up for us. Finally we changed gates and were given a boarding time: 11:40pm almost two hours after the scheduled time.This meant that we wouldn’t be in MCO until after 2am. Ugh.
Appropriate MST3K is appropriate "Here we're flying in another trumpet section."
We got on board and after cramming my suitcase in the overhead, I buckled up and was never more ready to take off.The good thing about having a delay that late at night is not having to wait in line on the runway. MCO - here we come! The flight was fairly typical. Once we landed and got the all-clear, Brandon and I retrieved our bags and blearily headed to the tram.
Yup, that's almost 2:30am.
It was so weird riding the tram at night.Every single time I’ve flown into MCO it’s been in the morning so needless to say I was tripping out a little at it being so quiet and well – dark!
Once we got to the main terminal it was strange not heading for Magical Express after we got down to the baggage claim level.Instead we went straight outside and looked for our ride. The trip to my aunt and uncle’s house was short and I thanked them profusely for picking me and Brandon up so late.We chatted for a little bit then it was time to hit the hay because in a mere four hours we’d be heading out the door for breakfast.
8.25 – STAR WARS CELEBRATION AND OUR MAGIC KINGDOM EVENING
It’s amazing how fast time flies when you’re really tired.I awoke to the chime on my phone and took a minute to realize where I was and where I’d be going today…Star Wars Celebration!
My aunt and uncle suggested Cracker Barrel for breakfast, which Brandon and I happily agreed to.I haven’t eaten there in forever…love me some grits!After a lovely meal and some great conversation it was time to head over to Coronado Springs to officially check-in!
Almost there!
We pulled into the drop-off area and said good-bye to my aunt and uncle.I really couldn’t thank them enough.Then Brandon and I made our way to the lobby.
Nothing compares to the first hit of air conditioning when you walk into a Disney hotel.I still haven’t figured out what makes the air so different but I wish I could bottle up that scent.I approached the Online Check-In counter and the CM quickly found my reservation.She stepped away for a moment and came back with my packet along with a Vinylmation. Hmm…very interesting.Turns out it was a gift thanks to the fact that I booked our room as a guest of Star Wars Celebration. Nice!Right before the CM finalized everything, I asked her if she had a birthday button.She smiled and put my name on one.It was ridiculous how happy I was to get that thing and I pinned it right on.We thanked the CM and left the lobby out the back doors to find our way to Casitas 2…our home for the weekend.
I agree with you about the amazing scent of disneys AC. Same with the water on rides.I think its the smell of beautiful freedom and relaxation ahhhhh....
Loving the way this trip report is going. I was already on board with the Star Wars celebration spin...and then throw in that you're a MST3K fan and you have me COMPLETELY enthralled.
patiently waiting.............
I agree with you about the amazing scent of disneys AC. Same with the water on rides.I think its the smell of beautiful freedom and relaxation ahhhhh....
Loving the way this trip report is going. I was already on board with the Star Wars celebration spin...and then throw in that you're a MST3K fan and you have me COMPLETELY enthralled.
patiently waiting.............
We finally found our room, third floor right on the end…awesome! Sadly we didn’t really have time to soak up our surroundings because we pretty much headed right back out the door. We had a convention to get to!
Always glad to see the Welcome Mickey
The mouse is in the details
Surprise Threepio Vinylmation I got at check-in
I led us to the bell services CM at the curb and she hailed a taxi for us. It did feel a little strange taking a cab off property just 30min after we checked in. The taxi dropped us off right in front of the Orange Co. Convention Center where we saw a whole bunch of people in costume walking in. Yup, we were definitely in the right place. We queued up and waited to be released into the main hall.Luckily it was fairly organized, letting one line of people go at a time so there was no stampeding.Once inside my little Star Wars heart nearly exploded.Merchandise booths, costumes, displays, so much to look at!First things first….get the ticket for my Carrier Fisher autograph!
[I took these pictures before we went inside]
And here we have two very happy Star Wars fans
[okay, back inside now] With the ticket info in hand we started our walk around the hall.I was curious to find where I’d have to go to see Carrie fisher, turns out we were walking right through it.Ha!There were a bunch of booths lining the left and right sides of that area with voice actors who worked on The Clone Wars as well as actors from all of the movies.Brandon noticed Jake Lloyd who played young Anakin in the Phantom Menace.We walked over to say hello.My husband said he was awesome and Jake Lloyd gave each of us a “thumb-touch” (kinda like a fist-bump) which was a little strange but I can say I touched the guy who played Little Darth Vader.
I wanted to see what the Disney booth had in store since I was really excited to ride Star Tours on this trip.We meandered around the hall and saw some of the big props and set-ups where you could have a picture taken.
Oh no! It's a Rancor!
We finally made it around to the front of the hall and I watched this really cute mini-movie that the fine folks at Lego put together. They had a massive display and we got to see someone building a gigantic Darth Maul sculpture.
After looking at some more booths filled with action figures, t-shirts, and other Star Wars swag the time came for me to join the giant queue for Carrie Fisher. I waited by myself since I only had one ticket. Brandon killed some time and apparently went on the search for a Bespin Leia action figure for me. Yay! Turns out that Ms. Fisher was running behind from her break and we were definitely getting anxious to see her. I had my book ready to go and I didn’t see her at first because of the four people in front of me in line, but as soon as I handed it off to one of the handlers I caught a glimpse.My brain had a delayed reaction but when the synapse fired I realized: “OMG…that’s PRINCESS LEIA sitting right there!!”Needless to say I had to try really hard not to look like a crazy person as I got to the end of the table. One of the handlers slid my book down to Carrie Fisher who looked at me then asked if I wanted it signed on the inside or outside.I told her inside was fine.She flipped through a few pages and put a big ‘ol signature on the title page.Then she closed the book, gave it a look before handing it back to me, then told me to have a good rest of the day.My fangirl brain was going CRAZY!I just had to keep it together enough to get out of the autograph area without spazzing out.
SQUEE! My first autograph!
With my first major celebrity encounter in the books we made our way out of the convention taking some pictures along the way.
It's someone dressed as Vader, in action figure packaging for Vader! How meta!
This is the face of someone who met Carrier Fisher.
OMG! Muppet Stormtroopers!
The Death Star took over the lobby at the convention center.
Now it was Disney time!
After another cab ride we were back at Coronado Springs.I desperately wanted to freshen up before we hit the Magic Kingdom.Feeling much better, we collected our things and we were out the door.
The Three Caballeros
Hola Panchito!
Being the creature of habit that I am I wanted to ride the monorail in to the park rather than take the bus.This meant a stop-over at Downtown Disney so we could hop on a bus to the Contemporary.I know it seems a little ridiculous to do that, but hearing the monorail spiel and walking down the monorail ramp are two of my “I’m here!” moments.
It really was a beautiful day.
Sure it took a little longer to get there but once we were walking up Main Street it felt like I was home. First stop…our picture in front of the “Partners” statue.
Next up was Pirates. I always smile when I hear the Adventureland music for the first time on a trip, something about it puts me in a good mood. We quickly made our way to the queue only to find that the ride was down for an unknown issue. Hmm…change of plans. On to Haunted Mansion! As we went around the backside of Frontierland Brandon said we should probably grab a Fastpass for Splash Mtn just in case. We took a quick detour and snagged the Fastpasses then it was onward to Liberty Square. The wait for the Haunted Mansion was only about 15min and we decided to walk through the cemetery side of the queue, since it was new to us.
You might say this queue is "busting" with character.
Hmm...wonder what'll happen when I touch this?
We had a really cute little boy in front of us who loved all of the interactive elements. The best part was watching the lady in front of his family try to get the elements to work. Try as she might, the timing was off. And every time the little boy touched them, they would work. The lady couldn’t help but laugh and say: “You must be magical.” Soon we were at the doors to enter the foyer and start our visit with those oh so happy haunts.As we boarded our doom buggy the butler said to me: “Congratulations on another year, and good luck in the next.” Nice.After our trip through the Mansion we wanted to see if Pirates was up and running before we used our Fastpasses for Splash. Sure enough it was!
Now that Pirates was done it was back over to Splash.Thanks to the Fastpasses it was practically a walk-on.Brandon and I were right in the front row and didn’t get as soaked as I thought we would.As we were walking into the gift shop, a CM scared the crap out of me by popping out from the side of the door and exclaiming: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”I was mid-yawn when he did it so he really caught me off guard. It was pretty hilarious.Now that I was totally awake, we went next door to Big Thunder and grabbed Fastpasses.
By now I was absolutely starving.We hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and I couldn’t last much longer.We went to Pecos Bill’s, a place I haven’t been in years.The topping bar definitely won over my husband. I had never been so happy to see a taco salad and a Coke in my life!I loaded up at the toppings bar and then we made our way outside to eat.
It was now just after sunset which meant the Electrical Parade would be starting soon. We used the cut-through to go back to Adventureland because I wanted a Citrus Swirl. Thanks to my Twitter I started obsessing over this delicious looking treat at the Sunshine Tree terrace. And I gotta tell ya, it lived up to the hype!
Little Orange Bird!
With my orange-goodness in hand we walked to the bridge that leads back out to the hub. I wanted to sit down and finish off my Citrus Swirl because I can’t eat and walk in the dark. We took that moment to relax for a little bit considering we had been running almost non-stop since that morning. I suggested heading to Tomorrowland because we wouldn’t be able to make it into Fantasyland before Wishes started.
Next up was the Peoplemover! After our trip on the Metroliner I needed a pit stop so I visited the restroom by Space Mtn then met up with Brandon over at the arcade. He surprised me with a new set of Mickey ears! So cute! We took the trail back to Fantasyland to see what we could ride before the fireworks started. Lucky us -- small world had no wait!
As we were leaving, the Electrical Parade was going on and Brandon and I fought against the crowds to get over to Big Thunder to use our Fastpasses. This is, hands down, my favorite nighttime attraction. I laugh like crazy every single time and I can’t help it! Since we were back on that side of the park it was time to put in one last trip on Pirates. I was debating about running to see Wishes, but we had done a ton of running around and I think we were on fumes. And there’s nothing fun about being completely tapped on the first night.
I was singing along with Wishes while we walked from Adventureland toward the Crystal Palace.The plan, at least the one I had in my head, was to be heading out of the park before the fireworks ended.Well, that didn’t exactly happen.Brandon and I found ourselves right in the middle of Main Street as the last shells were going off.Ha!We had that “Oh crap!” moment when we looked around at all the people heading the same way we were. Then the two of us high-tailed it to the turnstiles and down to the boat for the Wilderness Lodge. I wanted to see the resort again and catch a bus to Downtown Disney for some late-night browsing. Once again…my timing was a little off. Okay that’s an understatement. It took forever for the Downtown Disney bus to arrive, which I guess isn’t too much of a surprise. Then when we finally pulled up to the Marketplace the driver didn’t let us off because the shops were closed. I thought they were open to midnight, oops. So we were taken to the Pleasure Island stop instead. Ugh. I told Brandon we’ll just take a bus back to Coronado. I think we made it back to the room before 1am for some much needed sleep.
8.26 – EPCOT, THE WAVE, AND LATE NIGHT AT THE MK Whew, 7am came way too early! But no time to dawdle…we had theme parks to visit! While I was getting ready I noticed Brandon wasn’t feeling well. He said he woke up with what he hoped wasn’t a severe migraine. We slowed down a little then headed to get something to eat. The initial plan was to visit Hollywood Studios then EPCOT. This changed due to the sheer amount of people heading to the Studios that morning. Two Magic Kingdom buses later we boarded one for EPCOT and this was the only time we were packed in like sardines. After we arrived I knew Brandon wasn’t doing well. He was not real talkative and immediately had to sit down before we got to the entrance gate. Turns out the headache medicine he took and lack of food made for a bad combination. Yup, it’s pretty much what you think happened. I felt so bad for him! Afterwards, he did feel a little better and we made our way to the bag check. I took the bag from him and let him go through ahead of me. The security guard noticed my button as he was checking my stuff and asked: “So, are you turning 22? 23?” I smiled and replied: “You sir, are very kind,” which became my response to just about every male CM who asked about my birthday. I met up with Brandon and took a couple of traditional pictures before we made the trek to The Land for our Soarin Fastpasses.
The return time was between 12 and 12:30 which worked out almost perfectly. We had a lunch ADR at Le Cellier around 1:15. I did notice that the standby wait was only 20min but I knew Brandon still wasn’t up to full-power yet so we took a nice relaxing ride on Living with the Land instead. We still had some time to kill so we walked toward World Showcase and headed straight for Mexico.One of my husband’s favorite rides is Grand Fiesta and we were unable to ride on our last trip, so this definitely made up for it.
Close-up on the way to Mexico (wish I wasn't so squinty)!
I enjoy World Showcase right when it opens because it’s not as busy. But that day at EPCOT wasn’t really crowded to start with. Brandon and I continued our walk and Norway was next with a trip on the Maelstrom, always a classic.
You are not the first to pass this way...
Yep, that's my husband. I can't help laughing at how serious he looks in this picture. I double checked the time and decided we should see Reflections of China, given the fact Brandon had never seen it. This is one pavilion I never seem to take pictures of, time to change that!
The clay warrior exhibit was really cool. We only had a few people running through doing the Agent P challenge.
I liked the face on this guy.
I realized while we were walking around waiting for the movie to start that it had been at least 10 years since I'd seen it. Glad we were able to cross that off the Circlevision movie list. Afterwards we headed back to Future World to ride Soarin.’ This time we had great seats with no feet dangling in front! By now we had to book it back over to Canada for our lunch ADR at Le Cellier. I was beyond excited for this meal!!
Found this little gem as we cut through Innoventions on our way to World Showcase. I'm still kicking myself for not seeing the set-up they had during EPCOTs 25th.
Why hello there obscure-Canada-shot!
I checked us in at the podium then headed down the path to wait, hoping that the sprinkles I felt wouldn't turn into a full-blown rainstorm. We only waited about 20min before we were taken inside and seated.
Beautiful gardens
More pictures while we were waiting for lunch.
Deliciousness awaits!
Our server Jen was very friendly and explained the menu to us since we had never been there before. I ordered the Miso Glazed Salmon and Soba Noodles and Brandon went with the Filet and Cream Cheese Potatoes. I automatically liked the atmosphere of Le Cellier it didn’t seem too dark and we were seated in the area where we weren’t on top of other diners. I grew to like it even more when the bread basket showed up on our table.
The first one I grabbed was, obviously, the pretzel bread. Simply delicious! I think my next favorite was the sourdough. Then came the entrees and oh did they look lovely.
My salmon was amazing, nice and seasoned, the chili sauce wasn’t too overpowering, and the soba noodles were a very nice touch. I savored every bite.Brandon offered me a bite of his steak and potatoes before he cleaned his plate.They were both very tasty, especially the potatoes.We didn’t opt for dessert so we settled the bill and made our way out.
I had planned a meet up with Shelley (Fashionista007) for a Gran Marnier Slush after Brandon and I left Le Cellier. Unfortunately I missed her messages while we were in there and, due to Tropical Storm Issac (boo!), she had to cancel. If we were staying just a day longer I could have rescheduled. *le sigh* I know we'll meet up at some point in time, my friend. I'm hoping for another trip in 2014. As I was texting her back the rain started rather quickly. Luckily we packed an umbrella. I was feeling pretty bummed at this point and before we left Canada I did some retail therapy and bought a new Maple Leafs sweatshirt. Brandon and I decided to walk the rest of World Showcase before heading out of the park.As we were walking I noticed some characters doing meet and greets off to the side.And as soon as I saw B’rer Bear I knew I needed a picture.
He was trying to count how many years I was turning. I winced and told him, "a lot." Ha!
Can you tell I'm happy? Pretty obvious right?
As I was walking away a group of four asked me who the bear was.And I said: “Have you ridden Splash Mountain yet?That’s B’rer Bear.”I was kind of surprised they didn’t recognize him.Oh well.
While walking through to Future World because I wanted to visit the Imagination pavilion and see Captain EO.As ridiculous as it is I can’t help but like that show.You can’t help but laugh at how 80s it is.Then we went next door to visit Figment and reminisce about how good this attraction used to be.After this I knew we had to head back to the resort to change for dinner, and make a side trip to Downtown Disney.
It kept raining off and on but I didn’t let that deter us. We freshened up, got all neat and pretty, and waited forever for a Downtown Disney bus to come.
Us on the DTD bus. It's been a very happy birthday indeed...
It was nice walking around the Marketplace. This is usually something we try to do at least once on a trip, which started back on our honeymoon. Almost every night we were hanging out at DTD looking in the shops, getting a late night bite to eat, and just people watching. On recent trips it seems to be harder and harder for us to find enough time to do this. I think we’ll be staying for a longer period of time on our next trip. I did miss those relaxing evenings walking along by the water then catching the boat back to the French Quarter. But I digress…
Brandon and I meandered through World of Disney and I was on pursuit for what type of plush character I wanted to take home with me. I kept looking at the little bean bag style ones, Lotso in particular. He just looked so cute sitting there in the rack and he did smell like strawberries. Then of course Chip and Dale caught my eye too. I decided to think on it. I also checked the pin area to see if I liked any they had for our resort. Not so much. I was kinda striking out on this visit. We left and went across the way to Pin Traders. Still nothing was jumping out at me. By this time we had to start heading to the Contemporary anyway. We didn’t have to wait too long for a bus and we sat across from this dad with his two adorable kids. Had a nice chat with him about having kids at Disney. Then one of us threw out the phrase in regards to keeping children in line: “Yeah, and if you misbehave they’ll put you in the ‘small world’ ride.” Needless to say all of had a good laugh at that one. Once we arrived Brandon helped the dad with his stroller and we wished them a good day. Now we were off to my birthday dinner!
I had never been to The Wave before but I read some good reviews and checked out the menu online. It all seemed right up my alley and it would be interesting to try a new place. We checked in and were given our pager and prefaced with the fact they were running a little behind. I wasn’t overly concerned. There was a plush lounge area and a bar so I made my way over and figured I’d put a drink order in. Brandon sat down in the lounge to wait for me. I flipped through the menu and ended up ordering the Superfruit Margarita. The bartenders were funny. The younger guy asked me my age and the woman whirled on him and said: “You NEVER ask a woman her age!” I chuckled as I pulled out my ID and said: “Well, since you need to see it anyway, you’ll get your answer.” Right after they took my money, Brandon came around the corner and said our table was ready.I waited for my drink and had that awkward moment where I scanned the dining room looking for him.Luckily it didn’t take me too long.Our server was beyond kind.She explained the menu, letting us know that they used locally grown produce as well as some organic items.I was feeling something of the pasta variety that night so I decided on the Whole Grain Penne.It came with scallops, clams, and shrimp in a tomato broth.I was told that the broth can be spicy if I’d like, which I totally would!Brandon ordered the Lump Crab Cakes for Two.That man will always go for the crab cakes if they’re on the menu.Soon bread was brought out and I continued to enjoy my drink in that relaxing atmosphere.
My yummy margarita
While we waited for our entrees I looked around the restaurant and was definitely impressed. It wasn’t too crowded or too noisy. I also had that moment of “Wow. Here I am at Disney World celebrating my 30th birthday with my husband and having the most amazing time. Everything is pretty much perfect.” This thought stuck with me through dinner. And speaking of which, the food was absolutely fantastic.
I couldn't wait to dive into this. (Heh, see what I did? Little pun there.)
We took our time and enjoyed every bite. Then our server came out with a dessert trio with a candle for me. She wished me a very happy birthday and went to settle the check.
We then rolled ourselves out of The Wave and decided to walk to the Magic Kingdom.
Nice detail heading out of the Contemporary.
It was such a lovely evening.We strolled down the pathway, hand in hand, talking about future plans (kids, our next trip, etc) and really just enjoying being together.The Magic Kingdom had EMHs that night and we arrived on Main Street just as Wishes was starting.Since we missed it the night before I wanted to stay and watch.We found a spot near the flagpole, dead center.
Get ready for some crappy fireworks pictures!
As I listened to the song I’ve heard so many times I realized that the lyrics were ringing very true.As cliché as it sounds I knew that my wishes had come true and I couldn’t wait to see what future wishes would be granted.My husband was standing with his arms around me as we watched the fireworks and I almost completely lost it by the end.“Now let’s all put our hearts together, and make a wish come true.”Such an amazing moment. (Got chills just typing that!)
We headed over to the Emporium to let the crowds thin a little before hitting some rides. I wandered around and came across those adorable Artist Collection princess dolls. So cute! I was this close to taking Ariel home with me but I wasn’t sure if she’d fit in my suitcase.
As we came to the last room a CM approached me and said: “Erin! I see it’s your birthday today.” “Why yes it is,” I replied. He then went to shake my hand.
“On behalf of the 64,000 cast member of the Walt Disney World Resort I’d like to wish you a very Happy Birthday.”
Then he took my other hand, crossed it over and we had the most hilarious handshake moment. I couldn’t stop smiling! I wish I got his name, he was so sweet!
Okay, let's see...LOVE: the agent at the airport calling you Boba Fett, your aunt and uncle for picking you up so late (how sweet!), the action figure photo-op and the Muppet Stormtroopers at the Staw Wars convention, and your Coronado pictures! That resort looks so pretty...I really need to stay there someday!
So sorry that Brandon wasn't feeling well, but it sounds like he toughed it out. And that stinks that you couldn't meet up with Shelley!
Glad to read another good review of The Wave. I'm planning on trying it out for lunch in January.
I have to say, you look so adorable in your pictures, especially the ones with you and Br'er Bear/the CM in the Emporium! Too cute.
Yup, that's almost 2:30am.
