The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway - But I'll Still Go to WDW For Feb Break! My 2/18-23 Trip Report!

[Dug720]

Hi all! So this is my trip report for my just-completed Winter Break trip!!

Cast: Me! Solo traveler!!

Thanks to some predicted winter weather, it actually started on 2/17 with an early flight - that almost didn't happen...

**2/17 - Let's Fly!**

As I stated my last post, I changed my flight, so I went to my Weight Watchers' meeting, then back home to grab my stuff and head to Newark. I got to Penn Station and got on a NJ Transit train that would stop at the AirTrain station. As we were beginning to pull into the station, my FitBit buzzed with a text and I saw "Flight Cancelled" on there.

WHAT? It is perfectly sunny and the snow is not supposed to start until about 7!

I was immediately on the phone with JetBlue rather than wait for them to contact me. The agent was very nice, and she did say that the one I was booked on was cancelled due to weather - still incredulous at that - but she could book me a seat on the 7:25pm flight. Which was NOT cancelled. Making the original cancellation make even less sense. The 2pm one, which I asked about as I was there in plenty of time, especially since I have PreCheck, was sold out completely. I asked her if I could do standby, but she couldn't do it over the phone. She did say I could check when I was in the terminal.

So that's what I did as soon as I got to the hub. I went to the JetBlue Questions counter and asked. The guys there were super nice and said I could absolutely go standby and not lose my seat on the 7:25. I heard one say "Ok, yes. Priority." when they were setting things up, and he asked me the Exit Row questions, so I was hopeful but trying not to be too hopeful. My app was showing the 7:25 flight as my boarding pass. I'd been told that they will not assign the standby seats until the flight has been closed out, but to stay close. As they were beginning the boarding process, I randomly looked at my app and saw that flight but without a seat assignment as my boarding pass. I was sitting near an airline employee who had already told one on the flight crew he was in a jump seat for the flight, and I politely asked him if that was a good sign that I now had that one. He tried to get into the company roster for the flight (or something) but he'd already been locked out of it. He did say he thought he had seen one standby and the first three letters of the last name were Str. Still, I was really trying not to hope because all too often standby means you end up standing there going "Bye" as the flight leaves.

BUT just after they closed the flight, they called my name!! I got a boarding pass with a seat number!!!

But then it was "Wait. It was at 151. Why did it just go to 152?" and they sent someone down to make sure the seat really was there.

It was, and I was escorted onto the plane!! Hooray!!!!

Landed in Orlando and grabbed some food to take to the Embassy Suites with me, then called for the shuttle. Spent the evening chilling and watching the Olympics, then went to sleep, setting my alarm early. I mean, since I was already in Orlando, might as well catch an early Magical Express, right?

Of course right!

 

[Dug720]

It's going to be photo-heavy. Just letting you know!

 

[dnllmz]

Following along

 

[Dug720]

2/18 - Getting there and Epcot

I woke up early as per my usual - in general I seem to have been absent the day they handed out the “ability to sleep in” genes, but add in Disney Day and, yeah. Normally breakfast on weekends at Embassy Suites starts at 7:30. The shuttle driver said that because there was a big travel group staying that was heading to Daytona for the race (I’m enough of a non-car girl that I had to look it up…apparently the Daytona 500 was last Sunday) so he thought it was going to be starting earlier. I could have asked, but I knew it would probably be mostly stuff that is questionable (eggs at those kind of breakfasts are often the powdered type that are not always gluten-free), so I stuck with coffee and a Weight Watchers Protein Stix in my room. The food did smell good - I could smell the bacon in my room and that WAS tempting, but I resisted.

By about 6:30, I was ready to go, so I headed downstairs to catch the 6:40 shuttle. Just me on there, so I got to ride in the front seat. He asked what airline and I said “Disney’s Magical Express” and he laughed and said “I know right where to take you.” And literally dropped me off right next to the buses.

I went in and they scanned my Magic Band, sent me down the path, and I was immediately put on a bus. The driver said we’d be hanging for maybe 15 minutes, but within 5, one other girl - she was going to Music (or Movies) got on, no one else was in sight, and the driver got the go-ahead to go.

We were off!!

It was your standard Magical Express ride, and she was nice enough to slow up when we got to the sign…


Being at Sports, I was the first drop off. I knew my room was not ready, but I went ahead and stopped by the desk to make sure everything was good to go. I was told I’d get a text when my room was ready - I thought to myself “We’ll see…doesn’t usually happen, but hey. At least I’m here!!!” I stored my luggage, and then decided to get something to eat since my lunch was not until 2:50.


LOVE that they can do gluten-free Mickey Waffles!!!

Then it was off to the line for the Epcot bus!! I had planned to be there around 10:30 or 11 (which would have been the timing on the flight I originally booked - but ironically went out completely on time, no delay), so getting there early was a bonus!! I noticed there were two Guest Relations windows open, and only one had a person in front of it. So… Over I went and a few minutes later…


Hooray!! My Magic Your Way package had a 6-day plus hopper ticket, and that was exchanged at the 2017 value, AND she was able to roll the cost of Memory Maker I’d purchased into the payment to the Annual Pass, so it was even less than I had anticipated to upgrade!

I scanned in and then it was time.






Yes, I know that you don’t have to do Spaceship Earth first, but it’s kind of a family tradition. Funny story - one time my dad was leading a church family trip to Disney World - back when it was just Magic Kingdom and Epcot - and he’d hand out the tickets as we disembarked the bus. We’d have 3-day hopper tickets, and the bus would park one day at MK, one day at Epcot, and then at whichever the majority wanted to visit (knowing that you could monorail to the other regardless of where the bus parked) the third. Epcot parking must have been the first day. Daddy had been there before (we had too actually), and he was explaining it to the bus. He said “Now, just because Spaceship Earth is the first thing you come to, that doesn’t mean you have to do it first.” Then as people were disembarking the bus, he’d give them their tickets. So we were always the last to head in. Well, where did we head first? You guessed it. Spaceship Earth. And we got busted by one of the families walking by. So…it’s sort of a tradition to go to it first.

It was the final weekend for Festival of the Arts, so I had a great time walking around.






After meeting Joy and Sadness…






I met up with a friend and her mom, and we walked around a little bit before K and I headed off on our own. When we were walking through World Showcase, I had to recreate a picture I’d taken in real Venice…


I knew that Paige O’hara was signing her artwork that weekend at 1:30 and 4:30, and it was a good idea to get a wristband for it - which you’d get if you purchased one of her prints. But I could not find where she was. My friend C who had told me about her being there very helpfully said “At the tent”. Gee, thanks…everything is tents!! And she was on a cruise so I couldn’t call her and say “Which tent??”, so K and I headed to the Festival Center and I asked a cast member who told me exactly where it was. We headed over there, and I bought my print. I asked if it was possible to get a wristband for 4:30 rather than 1:30, and a quick phone call later, I had the 4:30 band on my wrist.

I had a FP+ for Mission Space, and K doesn’t do that, but she was fine hanging out while I did. After that, we wandered a bit and then rode Spaceship Earth together. We opened the MDE app to see wait times as it was pretty busy - everything was pretty long, so we opted to go and walk around the aquarium. We kept checking the app and finally saw that Imagination was only 15 minutes so we headed over. Clearly we were not the only ones with that idea, as the line quickly filled in. Once we were off that, The Seas was only 15 minutes, so we headed over there figuring that the timing would work out super well for my ADR. Which it did.

K needed to head home, so we said TTFN. And I headed to The Coral Reef for lunch. I had the Disney on Broadway Concert Series package and my food was yummy!!


Lobster Bisque


Shrimp and Grits


Chocolate Wave

Then it was time for Soarin’. My first time seeing the new film. I’d read people complaining about distortion if you weren’t in the center rows, but I didn’t realize that it really is noticeable. This ride I was on the far right and it was REALLY noticeable. It really does surprise me that they didn’t notice that and figure out some way to correct it when they were making the new film. Not really like Disney to let something that major go.

I noticed the time and bolted over to line up for meeting Paige and getting my print signed. She was so super cool!!



I headed back towards World Showcase and met Donald




Anna and Elsa were showing a 20 minute wait, so I figured I’d go for it.

Turns out “20 minutes” was “Go to the red carpet and we’ll be right there” and the door immediately opened.



Headed over to get in line for the concert. When they opened the ropes, we were told we could sit anywhere in the front right section. No one was picking front row, so I did.

It was amazing. I’d seen Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins and Josh Strickland as Tarzan, and they did not disappoint!


(sorry it’s a little bright on their faces)

Then it was time to say goodnight to Epcot


and head back to the resort to drop off my print (oh yeah, I’d gotten a text that my room was ready!! I got 6364, which was only 2 doors from what my technical request was - the only thing not met was a King Bed, and that was so far down on the list, I was fine with it)


Dropped my print and headed off for a night at Magic Kingdom (which was open until Midnight).


I did a few rides I’d gotten FP+ for - Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Small World…

First time I encountered the ride saying goodbye to me…


Then got my Dole Whip


And then headed over to the lantern shot…


By this point, I was pretty tired, and I knew I had an early morning coming up, so I decided to say goodnight to Magic Kingdom and head back to the room to get some sleep.

It was a great first day!!

 

[Araminta18]

Following--what luck that you were able to get on the earlier flight!

 

[Dug720]

2/19 - Animal Kingdom

After a good night’s sleep, I was up early to catch a Lyft to Animal Kingdom Lodge


for breakfast at Boma. The ride was pretty painless - the driver let me know immediately that he didn’t speak English, but he could follow the directions so all was good. I was super early, so I wandered around a bit, but most of the animals were not out yet. I’ve stayed at AKL once, and this brief visit reminded me how much I loved it. It is definitely high on the list for my pre-cruise stay next year.

I did make a quick stop at The Mara to ask for some gluten-free Zebra Domes


(basically they have a chocolate wafer rather than cake in them. YUM!!!)

And then went to check into Boma. They do have a really cool thing now at buffets where if you have an allergy they have a chart showing what is safe for what on each pod. You can still consult with a chef if you want. I felt comfortable enough without it, and I did order some gluten-free Mickey Waffles from my server.



After breakfast, I went to the bus depot to catch a bus to Animal Kingdom. I was getting there after opening, but I was ok with that since I’d snagged a FP+ for Na’vi River Journey that day and Flight of Passage on Thursday. It was clearly busy when I got there.


I got some pictures early including the “Pocahontas” magic shot.


It was off to the Safari, where we got in a holding pattern for about 20 minutes because one of the Ankole Cattle decided to park his rear in the road. There was a keeper out in a vehicle putting treats out for the giraffes


and eventually he drove over and was able to coax the Ankole off the road - just enough for the safari vehicles to begin moving again. I couldn’t get a shot of him as he was on the other side of the vehicle, but trust me when I say he looked quite proud of himself for stopping traffic.

Some other safari shots...









Then it was off to the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail to see meerkats




And gorillas



And then it was time…



Pandora!!

Other than listening to the WDW Radio podcast review of Pandora - which I did because I know Lou is pretty good about not totally spoiling things, plus listening is not the same as seeing - I had avoided all spoilers about this land, which I had eagerly anticipated since I first heard about it. I was NOT one who was upset about it when the partnership with James Cameron was announced because I had loved the film and I got that the message of conservation and protecting the environment and how nature impacts life really did fit in perfectly with Animal Kingdom. And I generally trust the Imagineers to do things right, so I had little doubt it would be spectacular.

I was NOT disappointed…




Trust me…I have a TON more pictures!! I don’t want to overload though.

I rode Na’vi River Journey and loved it. The detail…the beauty…the Shaman… OMG, the Shaman. Amazing!!! And the song is beautiful!!!

I took a brief break to get a Mo’ara Margarita


And get a Banshee shot

2
(Yes, I’m doing the “Disney point” - former Disney Store CM here…some things you never unlearn)

I wandered around in Windtraders and decided on my special souvenir for the trip. Stay tuned…

Then I decided to just wait in the line for Flight of Passage. It was “only” 140 minutes, but I had nothing to do until Rivers of Light, and I’d heard the queue was worth it. It was…















Fun fact: While there is not technically a single-rider line for the entire ride, there is when you get to the part where they send you down the lanes just before going into pre-show.

It only took around an hour for me to get through the line and… I flew!!

My face right after getting off…


Joyful tears… Speechless… Absolutely awed!!

I went back to Windtraders to pick up my purchase…


Na’vi me

And went to Satu’li for lunch. OMG, I could eat there every day!! This day I opted for the tofu with rice base and the onion chimmichurri. Delicious!!! Also the sangria.


I decided to take a break from the beauty of Pandora and go to Asia. Rode Everest. Watched Finding Nemo the Musical, which was supposed to still be down while I was there, so I was super happy that it was up and running as it’s a favorite!! Walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek - baby tigers!!!





I noticed before going on the Trek that there were already people sitting in what looked like the FP+ line for Rivers of Light - at 4:15!! So I asked one of the CMs putting the ropes up about it and she told me that they don’t overbook the FP+ area and as long as I was there about 30 minutes ahead I’d be fine. And that most of those people sitting were not even in line - there just aren’t a lot of places to sit in Asia.

I also went to meet Mickey and Minnie…


In this particular shot, we were talking about cruising since they clearly like to travel and I mentioned chocolate soufflé and Minnie was swooning. Haha!!

Also met King Louie and Balloo


Then Rivers of Light. Which I found beautiful!! I love that they use water in place of the fireworks because of the animals (though I did notice you can hear the fireworks from other parks, so…that’s odd).







Then it was over to Pandora to see and hear it at night. I love how the sounds there are totally different to the rest of the park. And the day sounds are totally different to the night sounds!

I rode Na’vi River Journey again, and then got in line for another Flight of Passage. Line said 75 minutes. This time it was about right on. Both still absolutely amazing.


The park was closed by the time I was off the ride, so it was a quiet walk back to the buses. This was the one time where the All Stars were sharing a bus, but it was not a big deal.

I set the Mickey Wake Up call, took a hot bath, and went to bed for Magical Dreams!!

 

[Dug720]

For those with sharp eyes… Yes, I did have a costume change partway through the day at Animal Kingdom. I love that REEF Moana shirt, but the neckline is really wide, and I felt like it was too stretched out as the day went on, so I changed into my Pandora shirt.

And now…

2/20 - Disney Springs and Epcot

I woke up and walked over to the food court to fill my cup with some diet Coke, then went back to my room and had a WW Protein Stix for breakfast before heading out to Disney Springs.

It’s been a couple of years since I was there, so there were lots of walls up then. It’s changed a lot. I’m not really a shopping mall person (inside or outside), but I really like just wandering around there.









It was a windy day, so the balloon was grounded. I wasn’t planning on it, but there was a wedding that was clearly supposed to have happened on the balloon that was going on in front of the balloon instead.



What I was MOST excited about, I have to admit, was lunch at The BOATHOUSE!




I listen to Lou Mongello’s podcast all the time, and I know he is a big fan of this place. I’m not a seafood person as a rule (though I realize my Coral Reef lunch sort of contradicts that…lol), but listening to his live dining review and other times he’s discussed it, I knew that there were non-seafood options as well. I also knew from some research that while they do not have an allergy menu, you can consult with a chef and they will work with you. About 98% of the menu either is or can be made gluten-free. My server Scott was awesome, and Chef John (I think that was his name…either John or David) was super nice as well. I decided on my order, and enjoyed the view…



The margarita was yummy!!




You know when an amphicar is about to launch because you hear the driver blow the horn, and a photographer goes down the dock to take pictures of the car going into the water.


Then my lunch started arriving.

The Wedge Salad. OMG amazing!!!

1
The BOATHOUSE Barbecue Bacon Burger. No. Words. SOOOOOOOOO delicious!!! As a note, the fries are made in a shared fryer, but I was early enough in the day AND I am not celiac - it’s a wheat allergy for me - that I took a chance and was fine. If you’re super sensitive or celiac, you can pick among the other sides.

And then…

This is NOT on the menu, but it is their “Allergy Brownie Dessert” that is AMAZING!!! Fun fact: You don’t have to have a gluten/wheat allergy to order it. It’s sort of a secret menu thing. Chef Kevin on Thursday night (spoiler alert!!) said he will tell his friends to ask for it as he thinks it’s their best dessert!

It was an amazing lunch - I did not have to eat anything else the rest of the day!!

I walked around a little after lunch, and then the plan was to take a bus somewhere that would get me to Epcot. As it happened, the bus to the Contemporary was there, so I took that and then Monorailed it to Epcot for the afternoon and evening.




Met Baymax





Met Mickey


Met Goofy!


Met Minnie


Found Figment!


Got to see them sailing the globe into the lagoon - complete with the bridge raised…

I rode Frozen Ever After finally. LOL.

Visited Mulan. (She is sometimes inside the temple and other times in the bamboo garden.)



And then I did some TaeKwonDo with Pluto at his suggestion! Who knew he knew TKD???






Then I watched Illuminations. My favorite!! I just took it in rather than taking pictures.

I did Single Rider for Test Track and had to laugh when the little girl next to me bit her father as we went down the small drop to go outside. He was like “Why did you bite me??” and she said “You said it didn’t go down!!” Rode Soarin’ again, and was able to get in the front row of the center section, so I didn’t have the distortion issue this time.

I didn’t quite stay until the end because I knew I had an early morning the next day, so I headed back to the resort where I took a hot bath and went to bed.

 

[Dug720]

2/21 - Magic Kingdom

As I said, the next day was going to be early. I had a 7:30am ADR at Kona Cafe.

Now, as I said, I took Lyft to AKL for my Boma breakfast on Monday. I was not staying at a Minnie Van served resort, and I’d heard mixed things about asking for the code when just visiting, and since it was just me and Lyft in general is much less, I didn’t bother. BUT at some point during the day when I was at Animal Kingdom, I got a pop-up about adding it in, so I went ahead and did it. I’d planned to take Lyft to the Poly, but figured why not splurge and give the Minnie Vans a try, so I tried to request one. Three times it timed out. I don’t know if the fact that I was at All Stars is why or if it was just a super busy time of day for them and there weren’t any available - I’m guessing the second thought as I’ve read on other forums that people who stayed at participating resorts and then stayed at non-participating ones but had the code were able to use it. So I just went with a regular Lyft. Saved myself $15. LOL.

Breakfast was good. I started with a mimosa flight…

liloko’i, orange, and pineapple juice from left to right.


Gluten-free Mickey Waffles with strawberry sauce and bacon.

It was good. The flight made the meal. I’d probably go back at some point - especially if I was with someone who eats gluten and wanted Tonga Toast - but I’d probably return to other places first. My server’s name was Debbie and her last initial was D - I joked to my FB friends that I had to wonder if the D stood for “Downer” - she was efficient, but nowhere near as chatty as the other servers I saw around.

Then it was over to Magic Kingdom! I made it in time for the opening show, and was actually right up front without having to fight for a place.




I’m doing a photo-a-day challenge, and the theme for this day was “Twirl” so seriously, how could I not…


Then it was off to a family favorite

Our first trip, my sister was 3, and this was the first thing she wanted to ride. Back when there was only one. And no fast passes. And no shade in the line. I don’t even think they were estimating wait times then because I’m pretty sure we would not have waited as long as we did. But an hour later we had flown with Dumbo.

Today’s wait was much easier. And with a FP+ - I did that one rather than Cinderella and Elena as I was in the park. Um, that proved to be kind of a mistake. More on that later.

Then I had a FP+ for Tiana and Rapunzel.




Walked back over to Storybook Circus and met the Great Goofini and the Astounding Donaldo…





Then went to meet Merida. Love her - the interaction is always stellar!



I walked around a little and soon it was time to check in for lunch.

Be Our Guest!


I sat in the West Wing




I opted for the French Dip and used 2 snacks - one for the French Onion Soup and 1 for the Lemon Cream Puff.

I got the soup planing to dip the sandwich in it since the allergy menu when I pre-ordered specifically said “no jus” with the sandwich. But they ended up putting - you guessed it - French Onion soup minus the cheese on the plate as the sauce for dipping. Lesson learned - if you’re gluten-free you do not have to order the French Onion soup (it comes with the cheese but without the crouton) for something to dip the sandwich in. It was good! The pastry was a little blah - I could have skipped that as well. But live and learn.

I did Enchanted Tales with Belle which was great. I love the mirror…enough said to not spoil!!

Then I saw that the line for Cinderella and Elena was relatively short at 15 or 20 minutes and decided to just do it. I’d given up that fast pass for Dumbo for some reason and was not able to get another one until late that evening. So I waited. And waited. And waited. While the standby line for Tiana and Rapunzel was moving pretty consistently - though BOTH were out of FP+ by this time. I get that there are different ratios, but if it’s going to be that glaring, they might want to consider putting the FP+ lines side by side and the standby lines where they can’t see each other. Because trust me, the natives were getting restless by the 4th time R&T’s line had moved but ours had not even had one person go in. FINALLY we had some movement and started getting fed in more quickly…



I was not super familiar with Elena, but we made it work. She is super cute and so bouncy and bubbly! I’m going to have to watch some Disney Jr and learn more about her.

Also visited Tigger and Pooh (some of these visits might be out of order…)

Tigger was VERY happy I wanted to bounce with him!




Then I went in search of a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Found one at a lamppost in front of Town Square Theatre.

It turned out to be a GREAT spot. With a lamppost right behind me, I was automatically protected from people pushing me forward. I had to laugh when they were clearing the road for the Grand Marshals. This guy would NOT move…


Sir! Where is your Magic Band?? Sir! Please clear the parade route, sir!

Anyway, I LOVED this parade!!








This dragon is AMAZING!!!




After the parade, I took a break from the park briefly and headed over to the Contemporary for some dinner at the Contempo Cafe.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread on gluten-free crust.

I was taking the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom, but we kept getting delayed or held because of traffic ahead. At the TTC, I opted to hop off and debated doing the ferry or the Express Monorail. Opted for the Express which did still stop, but we made it.

I had not seen Happily Ever After before - I hadn’t been there since it started, and I was a huge fan of Wishes! (and the Main Street Electrical Parade…but that’s another sadness for another time) - so I decided to not have to fight for a spot I’d splurge on the dessert party with Plaza Garden viewing.

As expected, my gluten-free desserts were a bunch of Erin McKenna stuff. Not my favorite - there is so much better gluten-free stuff out there I don’t get the love for hers. But I supplemented the small nibbles of that with chocolate covered strawberries and cheese and ice cream.


I must have eaten one of the cookies because there were two of them.

My view at least was not too shabby…


I did laugh that I’d had to pretend to be cold when they took this shot

but could have not had to act at this point. I’d just gotten more sun than I’d thought and was a bit chilled.

So the show… It seems a bit schizophrenic to me - like they couldn’t decide if they wanted a fireworks spectacular or a projection show. And I guess since they have Once Upon a Time (which did show this particular night, but I didn’t bother sticking around for it) I wonder why they put so much emphasis on the projections for HEA. The musical jumps and cuts were weird to me also. I did love the fireworks part of it. But overall I was left going “Meh” which has NEVER happened to me after a Disney fireworks show before. I know I’m weird for not liking it, but I now know that I can take advantage of shorter lines on things while everyone else is gaping at “Not-Wishes”. At least I know.

I rode Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain during evening EMH, then called it a night and went back for my hot bath and bedtime.

 

[Dug720]

2/22 - Animal Kingdom with Caring For Giants Tour

It was another morning of my Protein Stix and then heading off to Animal Kingdom. My FP+ for Flight of Passage was not until the afternoon, and I had the Caring for Giants tour booked for 9:30. So I decided to go on the sane side of the line area and not this one





I headed to Dinosaur and there was only one person in front of me…

Rode it, rode Primeval Whirl, rode Everest…and then walked over to check in for Caring for Giants.

The Caring For Giants Tour is a 60-minute experience that takes you through backstage areas to a viewing area just behind the elephants’ section of the Kilimanjaro Safari ride - about 80-100 feet away. You ride back to the platform in a van. It is a 100% wheelchair accessible experience, but the spaces for wheelchairs in the van are limited, so you definitely need to make advance reservations if you can’t walk small distances. You are met by an animal specialist who talks a little about the care of the elephants as well as a cultural representative from one of the countries elephants are native to in Africa. We learned about efforts to protect elephants not just from poachers but from farmers who were threatening elephants who came onto their property to get food from the fields.

You know what they are teaching the farmers to do?

Make a honeybee fence!

Elephants are scared of honeybees, and they have discovered that if they make a fence of honeybees by placing hives and prescribed intervals around the perimeter of the fields, they not only keep elephants out but they are also helping with cross pollination and also gaining an additional revenue source in selling honey and beeswax products.

The tour is $30/person. You must be at least 4, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Every cent of the money goes to elephant conservation efforts. So it’s one tour I’m proud and glad I did. And I’ll likely do it again.

I’ll just put some photos here to let them speak for themselves…















It was an absolutely amazing tour!!

Right after we got back, I went on the safari again and saw the elephants and other critters from the other viewpoint!










I watched Festival of the Lion King, and then headed back to Pandora!!






Lunch in Satu’li again. Went with the beef as my protein and the pinot noir to drink.

Then it was time for my Flight of Passage FP+. Still speechless after the ride, but I am definitely glad I went through the queue twice before - you miss so much of the exquisite detail with the FP+.

I had debated what to do for the evening, but the more I thought about it, the more it was clear there was only one choice.

Remember a the report from a couple of days ago and I said there was a spoiler?




Yep! Back to The BOATHOUSE!! This time I was paying out of pocket, so I limited myself a little more (plus I did not want to end up going to bed stuffed.)

I had the Wedge Salad again, this time with a protein side of chicken. Still amazing!


And of course this bit of deliciousness!! Tonight Chef added blueberries, so it was healthier! Right!?!?!

I walked around a bit more and then it was time to head back to Sports for the sad part of the trip - packing to go home. Of course, I also made time for my nightly hot bath and bed.

 

[Dug720]

2/23 - Magic Kingdom…and Departure

I woke up and finished packing, then took my luggage to store with Luggage Assistance and then got on the bus to Magic Kingdom for most of the day.


It was Early Magic Hour, so I figured I’d ride Space Mountain since I hadn’t done it this trip yet.


BUT not even 15 minutes into EMH, the ride broke down. You know it’s going to be a while when the lights in the queue come on and you hear them announcing for people to remain in their vehicles until someone comes for them. So I bailed and went to the Speedway. My car was so hard to control - I definitely got my arm workout in!!

I headed to Starbucks - um, Main Street Bakery for some coffee and got a picture that sums things up…


Coffee, Castle… Perfection!

I headed towards the front of the park to wait for Chip & Dale


Those boys always make me laugh!

And then Pluto!





I followed Mary Poppins to Liberty Square and caught a little of the Muppets telling of the ride of Paul Revere before heading to my FP+ at Haunted Mansion.


I rode Pirates again - one last salute to the Red-Head - and then went to the Enchanted Tiki Room (it reminds me of my Grandaddy who took us there on the trip he made with us) and explored the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse before taking another Jungle Cruise. My skipper for that cruise was hysterical - and clearly over the ducks. We did survive the most dangerous animal in the jungle though.

The hippo-surfing ducks!!

And then it was time for lunch at the Jungle Navigation Company Skipper Canteen. Tyler seated me, and he was hysterical and totally in character. I was seated in what I now know is the SEA room. When he showed me my table, he said it was the best in the place. Not lion.


Haha! I went with sangria for my DP beverage and paid for diet Coke out of pocket.


Did an appetizer out of pocket - the falafel! I’d debated a couple of things, but getting gluten-free falafel is pretty rare, so…


SOOOOO good!

For my entree, I went with the steak…


Which was yummy!!

And my non-sorbet option for dessert was Quicksand! and it was beautiful AND delicious!!



After lunch it was a visit with Mickey. I absolutely LOVE these shots they got…

(yes, I look like a little kid here)





i got a Pluto mug in the Emporium and then got my spot in front of my favorite lamppost for the parade.


My parade shots are all pretty similar, so I won’t post them again. LOL. Spare you scrolling through and thinking “Didn’t I see this before?”

After the parade I went to line up for the bus. It took a little while, but I had in mind that if one came for Music of Movies before Sports, I would just hop to it and walk. But Sports came first.

I got my bags from Luggage Assistance, then used my last snack credit for a Mickey Bar.

I was already in the waiting area when the Tragical Express pulled up for the 5:25 trip. Mine was 5:55, but since I was there, the guy offered to take me since he didn’t have a full bus. While I hate leaving Disney World, I would rather be at the airport early and not have to stress about running late (hey, being there early helped get me down quicker!!) even with PreCheck, so I took him up on it.

No flight delays for me this time - though the ones before were all delayed. I had an exit row to myself, which was cool. The only glitch came when I was back in Newark and SuperShuttle first said a van was on the way and then called to basically say “Whoops. My bad. It’s not coming for you.” They were “trying to find one for me” which was absurd since I had made a reservation so they knew I was coming. I ended up going way over budget and getting a Lyft, but at least that took me right to my door rather than to a hotel in Manhattan where I’d take the subway home because Super Shuttle charges a ridiculously high rate for residential pick ups or drop offs - and the rate to Brooklyn hotels isn’t much better.

My cat Mo was happy to see me. And I’m glad I scheduled things so that I have a couple of days to come back to reality. I have not managed to lock myself out of my apartment yet - but I’m making sure my keys are hanging on the coat pegs on the door so they are right in my face when I’m at the door and I don’t forget them. My Magic Band doesn’t open the apartment door! LOL.

Overall it was an amazing trip! This was my first time using a Travel Agent - I used Jacki York with https://mousefantravel.com, and she was incredible. No matter how many changes I wanted to make, she always did it happily and quickly. I’ve already got my cruise for next year booked with her! And she’s helping me with my upcoming Disneyland trip for my birthday this summer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my report!! I’m happy to answer any questions you have!

 

[Neptune's Fork]

You've outdone yourself, excellent trip report!!

 

[Dug720]

You've outdone yourself, excellent trip report!!

Thank you!

 

[Araminta18]

What a fun trip! Thanks for sharing

 

[Dug720]

What a fun trip! Thanks for sharing

Thank you for reading!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Fun trip! Hope you also have fun at Disneyland this summer!

 

[Dug720]

Fun trip! Hope you also have fun at Disneyland this summer!

Thank you!!