The Wells Family Disney Adventures - Summer 2018

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Day five

Unsurprisingly it was a pretty late wake up this morning. After being out at Magic Kingdom After hours I think we all deserved a bit of a lay in. Ben didn’t wake up till almost 11am, not that it really mattered though.

We did quite a few of the cultural activities and other resort activities today. It’s worth noting that if you want to do the cultural activity, there’s usually a sign to show you where it is. For each activity, you collect a bead on a necklace, and if you collect them all, you get a special one as well.

We decided to repeat the cookie decorating workshop as the boys wanted to have a go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much icing and so many sweets on one cookie in my life! The kids also wanted to do the face painting. The ladies doing it today were much better than the last one. They spent ages dong some really intricate designs.

One of the activities was by the pool at Jambo house. This was where I saw what a big difference there is between Jambo and Kidani. A lot of the rooms overlook the pool at Jambo, whereas at Kidani, the pool is off to the side of the resort, and is surrounded by greenery. Jambo is definitely much busier as well. I like both resorts, but I’m pleased we chose Kidani, it just has a much more relaxed feel to it.

We also did the culinary tour at Jambo. This is another freebie, and well worth doing. There were about 25 people, much more than any of the other activities we’ve done. They showed us round Jilko and Boma, telling us about the design of the restaurants and details about the food they have on offer. It really was interesting, and as with all things Disney, there was a story and a reason for every single design element there. A highlight was getting to try some of the foods. At Jilko we were offered a few different breads and dips, at Boma we had a sample of soup, and one of their famous zebra domes. I’m guessing this is why so many people were on the tour! Everything we tried was really delicious, and it’s definitely worth giving the tour a go.

We didn’t spend quite so much time in the community hall today, but I had promised Ava she could paint one of the ceramics. There’s a small fee for this, but considering it kept her occupied for week over an hour, it was well worth it.

That evening we went to the pool party. The kids had so much fun and they played some great games. It’s just so peaceful by that pool, even when there’s a lot of people there. The temperature was perfect as well, and it was a great place to sit for a few hours while the kids played (the addition of an adult beverage helped too!).

We didn’t stay up too late since we’d had such a late night the day before. Even though it was still a pretty busy day, it was very chilled out and relaxing.
 
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Day six


Today was our last full day at Kidani. We had a few of the cultural activities to do to finish our bead strings and there were some other bits and pieces we wanted to do too.


Thanks to the wonderful Tim Tracker (our favourite blogger), we’d bought passes for the Crayola Experience. This is located at the Florida Mall, and we thought it’d be something that Ava in particular would enjoy. We’d gone on the website a couple of weeks ago and found that we could buy an annual pass for the same price as a normal day pass, so seemed like a no brainier!


We went over there after breakfast. It took about 40 minutes or so to drive there. Even though it’s not actually that far, we had to join the car park lovingly known as the I4! We were there for opening but it took a fair while to get in as non of the two staff seemed to care very much about getting people in.


When you go in, you get a plastic bag to keep any artwork you make, and two tokens, which can be used for various paid activities. I’d totally recommend this place to anyone with children who enjoy art. I say the ideal age would be around 2-10, but even though Ben is 11 he actually admitted he enjoyed it too.


There were some wonderful activities! One of my favourites was where you colour and cut out a little creature, they then stick paperclips on its legs and put it on a ‘stage’. Due to some clever magnetism trickery it made the insects dance! So much fun! There were also some activities which melted the crayons and created artwork from them. There really was lots to do. We spent about three hours there, which was just about perfect. Since we’ve got the annual pass, we might go back later on in the trip. As passholders we also got 20% off in the shop. There was this amazing wall of crayons and pens. Imagine the Lego shop that has the wall of Lego where you can just fill a bucket full. There was a similar thing here where you could fill a tin. As our little artist, Ava’s eyes lit right up! It was advertised that the tin would fit every colour of crayon and pen they made, and they weren’t wrong. We managed to get masses in there! With the discount, it worked out as just over £15, which was a total bargain for what you got. That’ll keep Ava amused for ages!


On the way back, we treated the kids to a McDonalds. We went to the one near Animal Kingdom. It was ok. As much as this surprised me, it wasn’t as good as the ones we have in the UK. There was a very limited choice on the menu, just the basic things really. We really like the chicken legends at home, and the specials they do, but there were none of those there, which was a bit disappointing. The kids enjoyed it though, which was the important thing.


The afternoon was spent with the kids and Anthony doing their remaining cultural activities and filling their bead chains up. I got the washing done. There’s only three washing machines at Kidani. Someone was using them all, when I got there, which was fine, so I went back a bit later. The annoying thing was that whoever used them didn’t return to empty them. This really winds me up! It tells you how long the cycle is, so it’s not hard to know when it ends. Eventually I got fed up and emptied one of them.....that only had three pairs of kids pants in! I had a few loads to do, but I didn’t mind. I went and sat in the library and read my book (making sure I returned to the washer as soon as it was finished of course haha!).


After a bit of time in the community hall, we went to the pool. Again, it wasn’t especially, and I managed to finish my book! Back in the room, we got some more packing done.


I’m really looking forward to getting into the parks tomorrow. However, this week has been really fantastic. I don’t know if it’s just because there’s so much to do at this resort, but I don’t feel like we’ve wasted a week by not going into the parks. Kidani is a really wonderful place, and to wake up to that beautiful savanna view every morning has been such a treat. We’ll definitely be back to this resort, possibly in the same way as we’ve done this week, when we want a bit of time out of the parks.
 
It sounds like a wonderful week to start your vacation! The food tour sounds awesome! I love learning all the little details behind the themeing and designs at Disney.
 


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Day seven

Time to check out of Kidani today We’ve really had a wonderful time here and it’s been perfect for a non park week. We’ve all really loved being able to see the animals from outside our window. We’re in the process of buying a DVC contract here too, so we’ll soon be able to call this our home resort too.

We wanted to get in our way early, but unfortunately we’d forgotten to pick up Ava’s ceramic butterfly last night after it was fired, so had to wait until the community hall opened at 9am. As soon as we had that, we were off to Animal Kingdom. Seemed like the perfect choice for our first park day, since we were staying right next door. It took ages to get into the car park as the lines to get in were huge. Seemed as though everyone in our line was paying with cash, rather than having magic bands and just getting waved through. Ah well.

Our first FP was for the safari. In the way round we wanted to trade in our fuel rod so went to find one. A fuel rod is a portable charger that once you’ve bought, you can trade for a new one as often as you need it. Unfortunately, between the car and the shop, we’d managed to loose the cable! Think it must have dropped out as Anthony went through security. It’s not a problem as we’ve got plenty in the case, but we won’t be able to use it until we have it.

The safari was superb. It always helps to go on this as early as possible as the animals are much more active. It did seem strange to be seeing so many of the animals we’d just seen on our balcony that morning though. Managed to see the cheetah, which is never easy. The lions were having a great time chilling out on their rock, fast asleep. For those of you who don’t know, the rock the lions usually sit on is air conditioned......really! We were told all about it on the Wild Africa Trek. So to give guests the best experience, the rock where the guests have the best view is air conditioned, so the lions are more likely to hang out there. There’s plenty of other places in the area for them to go, but for obvious reasons, that rock is their favourite area!

After the safari we went for a wander round gorilla falls. We were in for a real treat there! Right next to the glass we’re two babies with their dad. The dad was fast asleep and the babies were being very naughty. It was so funny, every now and then, when they were getting a bit boisterous, the dad just walloped them! Was so much fun to watch them!

We went to Flight Of Passage next. Joe Rhode (lead imagineer for the area) has done such an incredible job of the World Of Pandora. I have no interest in the film whatsoever, but the land is so incredibly beautiful. Flight of Passage is perhaps one of the best rides Disney has ever done. I still can’t bring myself to wear the 3D glasses (I hate 3D), but it really doesn’t matter. I usually hate rides like this as I tend to get motion sickness but this ride doesn’t bother me. It does make me feel a tad wobbly when I get off it, but it’s worth it. We spent a bit of time wandering through Pandora, just taking in how beautiful it is. It didn’t seem especially busy round there today, although Pandora does have a great way of eating up crowds, since there’s so many little areas to explore.

In total contrast, we went to Dinoland USA next, which couldn’t be more different from Pandora. Since it’s set up like a travelling carnival, beautiful isn’t exactly what would refer to it as. We had a FP for Primeval Whirl, which is basically a wild mouse ride, the sort you’d see at a funfair. I really enjoy it, and it certainly threw us around!

We managed to get another FP straight afterwards for Expedition Everest. The trick is, as soon as you’ve scanned your third FP, get on the app and see if you can find a 4th. We usually do this when we’re in the line for our third FP, and it usually works a charm. I’m not a fan of Everest. I’ve done it many times, but the bit that goes backwards is just a bit too much for me, so I tend to sit this one out. They were through the ride within a few minutes as the FP line was moving really fast.

As so often happens, Animal Kingdom had become hotter than the surface of the sun, so we decided to leave and go for some lunch. We decided in Chic-fil-a, and was so pleased we did. It was so good! The kids both had the chicken nugget meal (which for future reference would be great for me too), I had chicken strips and Anthony had a spicy chicken burger. They also did waffle fries instead of chips. It was really good, and about a billion times better than yesterday’s McDonalds! It also cost less for all four of us than two meals at Disney would have cost.

After lunch we went round to Target to get some shopping for the week. We’ve been doing really well using the studio kitchen and have really find what works for us. We spent an hour or so wandering round before heading off to Old Key West.

It was so nice to be back, and this time it was our first stay as owners at this resort! We’d booked a room in the Hospitality House area, as that’s where the community hall and the main pool are. We got to our room and it was absolutely perfect, and had a wonderful view over the golf course. Unfortunately the balcony door wouldn’t open, and only the kids magic bands worked to open the door. So, back to the reception desk to get that sorted (definitely pleased were right next to it). They sorted the magic bands, and maintenance arrived a few minutes later to sort the door. Seemed as though the lock had been put on backwards. The room feels massive compared to Kidani. Don’t get me wrong, the Kidani room was really big, but the floor space of the OKW Studios is so much larger. The kids love the fact they get a proper bed as well, and not a pull out couch.

We decided to spend some time by the pool before tea. It’s a lovely pool and the kids think it’s one of the better pool slides too. It’s also massive! Have to admit, the loungers aren’t as comfy as the ones at Kidani though.

Back at the room, time for one of my guilty pleasures. I really love Shark Tank, and it appears to be on most evenings here, made me very happy watching some of the idiotic (and occasionally clever), inventions they have. It’s just like Dragon’s Den really

So tomorrow, it’s Hollywood Studios, and our first experience of Toy Story Land, so really looking forward to that :-)
 
Enjoying your trip report! Would love to have a few non-park days just to enjoy a resort sometime - we usually try to have one day in the middle of our stay to just relax at the resort but loving your idea of more days. Kidani seems to have so much more to offer for resort days than other hotels too!
 


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Day eight


Today was going to be a Hollywood Studios day. Can’t say it’s my favourite park to be honest. I’m not really a fan of the rides there, and so much of it is under construction, it’s a bit of a mess. The first two FP were for Rock and Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. I’ve never been on either, and don’t really want to either! So Anthony and the kids left, and I stayed back for a bit. Yesterday I noticed that for some reason my photopass pictures weren’t working on my app. The photos were there, but they all had the watermark on them. This hasn’t happened before, so I went to the front desk to see if they knew what was happening. They could only call the photopass helpline so I decided to leave it for now, and catch the bus to meet everyone else. The new bus arrival times on the app is really useful!


I’d forgotten what a wonderful location OKW is, and I was there within about 19 minutes. Pulling into Hollywood Studios, I was amazed by how much of a mess it looked. The car park and the bus lanes are all over the place. However, the construction for the new sky train is coming on really well!


We did a bit of wandering around before heading over to the new Toy Story Land. Everything I’d heard was that it was quite small, but I was actually quite surprised at how large it was. The slinky dog coaster definitely takes up the majority of the land though, it’s huge! I’m so pleased we had a FP for it though as the wait was over 90 minutes. The wait was also almost totally in the sun. Pretty brutal! The ride itself was fantastic, and much longer than I expected. It’s a lot of fun. It’s not especially intense, but then it’s advertised very much as a family coaster, it’s very similar to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The land as a whole is themed so well and was a lot of fun to look around. We also stopped by the counter service place, which is pretty much just a window. We got one of the Nutella and one of the raspberry pastry things. They’re like a shortcrust pastry, filled, then with icing on the top. Sounds disgusting, but is actually delicious!!!! A lot of the food being served there looked pretty good to be honest. The only issue was there was only outdoor seating, and there was very little of it. We luckily got a table, but a lot of people with full meals were finding it difficult to find somewhere to sit, as people weren’t moving on from their tables.


We did a couple of other things, but I honestly can’t remember what they were......yesterday was so long ago ;-)


Ben had spotted a BB8 toy that he wanted, and at $30 it looked pretty reasonable, so we said we’d pick it up on the way out. Now, of course, none of the shops we went in on the way out had it, so he seemed happy to get it next time we came.


We had lunch back at the room, then popped out to Disney Springs to the photopass place to try and get the watermarking problem sorted. There were also a fair few ride photos that were missing, so we wanted to sort those too. We got the ride photos sorted, but they had to put in a technical request to fix the watermarking. While we were there we also popped into Ghiradelli for a free choccy Square.....it has to be done!


Ben wanted to see if the BB8 toy was at the Star Wars shop, which it was, but it was 54.99. He queried it, and they said it must have been wrong at the other shop. They suggested going back to Hollywood Studios to get it, as there must be some mistake in their pricing. So I told Ben I’d take him back over to get it.


Back at Hollywood Studios, and the price was 54.99! Now, I knew the price was 30 earlier as there was no way I’d let him spend 54.99. The box we’d picked up earlier was gone though. So either just that one was labelled wrong, or they’d spotted their mistake and relabelled them. Meant I had a disappointed Ben though. Not much I could do about it unfortunately. To his credit, he was really good about it.


I’d managed to find a FP for the stunt show, so we went round to see that. It was a lot of fun as always, and we like to (spoiler alert) try and spot who the stooge is going to be!


After that I told Ben I’d take him for his favourite strawberry smoothie at Starbucks. This made him very happy as I’d told him we weren’t gong to be having any this year, since we’re not on the dining plan, and they’re hardly cheap. We got to the order point, and disaster, they no longer do them! It was still on the menu, but the cashier said they’d stopped doing them about a week ago. He said they could make him a chocolate one though, which he had. He said it was ok, not as good as the strawberry though.


We left soon after that. Anthony had cooked a lasagne in the microwave for tea, and it was surprisingly good! Will definitely be having one of those again!


Anthony decided to go to Magic Kingdom for extra magic hours. Our boss is visiting for the first time, so he went to meet up with her.


So, I thought today was wonderful. Considering I don’t really like Hollywood Studios, I’d spent rather a lot of time there today! It was kind of annoying about the BB8 toy, the smoothie and the photopass things, but it’s hardly the end of the world :-)


We had a nice early day planned for Magic Kingdom tomorrow so I made sure the kids were in bed at a reasonable time. Fortunately they both got to sleep before the massive storm hit! So much thunder and lightening, love the storms here, they’re spectacular!
 
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Day nine

Kids were up nice and early today, so we decided we’d go to Magic Kingdom for park opening. We’ve learned in the years we’ve been coming that this is the best way to do things if possible. Firstly, it’s never that busy at opening, and secondly, it’s so much easier to get used to the temperature!

We don’t tend to drive to the Magic Kingdom since the bus drops you off right at the front. It’s a pain to drive, park, get the tram to the boat or monorail, then get the monorail or boat to the front. Much easier to just go on the bus. With the new timetable on the app, it’s so easy to know when the next bus is coming as well.

We got to the park just as the opening show was starting. We’ve never seen the new castle opening show, so stopped to watch it. It was quite nice, but I have to say I prefer the old one with the train. So funny to watch people as soon as the show ends, trying to leg it to the biggest rides. We don’t tend to do that....because everyone else is. We prefer to go to the less popular rides in that first hour or so, then book FP for the big rides from about 10am onwards.

We went on Winnie the Pooh first. It said it was a 10 minute wait, but we just walked straight on. I love how Ben, even though he’s 11 and desperate to be a sulky teenager, still sings all the way around this ride! It’s kinda cute! He also even wanted to go on the carousel! Not sure what they’re doing on here, but it’s been covered up for months now. Guessing it must be a pretty major refurbishment, I’m sure it’ll look beautiful when it’s done. Philharmagic was next, and we were literally the only ones in the ore show area for a good five minutes. Cue Ava dancing around in all the space to the Disney music in the background.

Our first FP was for Splash Mountain, so we decided to head round there next. I never used to go on this, and the drop petrified me. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of it, but I definitely enjoy it much more now. I don’t think we’ve ever been on this without at least one period of a prolonged stop. Today as no exception. We stoped right at the bottom of the final lift hill for a good few minutes. Well, at least it was at the bottom, rather than the top. Off we went, and got stopped again, half way up the lift hill. Ah well not too bad, at least the sun wasn’t blinding us. Off we go again, and get stuck right at the crest of the hill at the top! Now that was not fun! We knew as soon as it started, it was straight down that 60ft drop! We waited, and waited, and waited! Several announcements for us to please remain seated came and went, and we were still there. The emergency lights were on for the steps so we were half expecting to be evacuated. We were there for a good five minutes. Doesn’t sound like long, but it was! Then came the ‘the ride motion will begin immediately’, and we were off! Suffice to say, the ride photo was not flattering! We got a good soaking. I always sit in the right hand and always get drenched by the waterfall at the bottom. I should learn to sit on the left next time......

Next was Big Thunder, which dried us off nicely! Ava wanted to do Country Bear Jamboree as well. It’s so awful, it’s good! Listening to the actual words of the songs always makes me chuckle! They took the redhead out of Pirates of the Caribbean as it wasn’t politically correct, but they’ve kept the Country Bears hahaha!

We were all a bit peckish, so decided to have a ridiculously overpriced Disney snack. A Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce was our choice, and we grabbed a couple of ice waters from Pecos Bills and chilled out in the air con for a bit. I think the snacks are the only thing I miss about the dining plan. I’ve not missed the meals at all, as we’ve all preferred having ‘normal’ food in the studio. I’ve missed not being able to get an ice cream or a cookie on a snack credit though....although I’m sure my waistline thanks me!

Time for our Haunted Mansion FP. I absolutely love this ride. I love the history behind it, and the massive detail around every corner. Since this was our third FP, as soon as we scanned into Haunted Mansion, I got on the app to see if we could get another. I knew we wanted to go on Small World next, since it’s right next door, and there was a FP available immediately so I booked it. So pleased I did, as when we walked round there, there was a massive queue.....which we walked straight past.

After Small World it was time to leave. It was getting pretty hot, and very busy. We’ve decided this is a pretty good way to do things, get there early, leave around lunchtime

Upon returning to the resort I took Ava to get a hair wrap while Anthony made lunch. She’s wanted a hair wrap all year. I wouldn’t let her have one last year as she had waist length hair, and wraps are charged by the inch. However, in May she did a charity hair cut for a friend of hers at school, which means her hair is now significantly shorter. It took about 25 minutes to get the wrap done, and it looks really good!

After lunch the kids wanted to go to the pool party. Unfortunately we discovered Ava’s UV swimsuit had a big hole in it! So Anthony took her off to Target to replace it, while I took Ben to the pool. They had some great games going on, so it was a shame Ava missed it When they got back, she wasn’t so upset as she’d managed to find the brightest orange swimsuit I think I’ve ever seen!

We had a FP for Soarin at Epcot, but this was when the heavens decided to open. So we delayed the FP and stayed at the room for a bit. I actually managed to switch it to Test Track. The reason I did that was because if the rain continued and Test Track was shut (which is always does in the rain), the FP would be converted into one of the magical ‘any ride, any time’ FPs.

The rain stopped and we got in the car and headed over. Test Track had literally just opened, so we just used the FP we’d booked. While in line, I managed to get another one for Soarin. After that we got another one for the FP area of Illuminations. We’ve never seen the fireworks from there before so thought we’d give it a go. This really shows you how dead it was there though. Three of the most popular FP within the space of 2 hours. Seems as though the rain had encouraged everyone to leave. Suited us!

Before the fireworks we went on Mission Space. We did the less intense version, and then spent some time in the playground afterwards. It was almost fireworks time, so headed to the FP area. This was right on the lake, on the Future world side. We’ve always watched from the World Showcase so this was new to us. It was actually a great place to watch as the area there is slightly slanted, so everyone gets a great view. Also, since it was in future world, there weren’t any trees blocking the view like you get in World Showcase. I was really impressed. I’d definitely go in this area again if I could get a FP for it.

The fireworks were spectacular as always, it’s my favourite of all the night time shows, and it didn’t disappoint tonight. We wanted to change the fuel rod on the way out, but the machine wasn’t working, so we’ll do that tomorrow. We ambled back to the car, and we’re back at our resort in 5 minutes. I always forget how well placed OKW is, it’s pretty close to everything.

Kids were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Back to Epcot tomorrow, and we’re hoping to get to go into the DVC lounge!
 
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Day ten

We were up slightly later this morning, and headed round to Epcot. It wasn’t especially busy so we managed to get on Spaceship Earth with very little wait. I love this ride. It’s so classically Disney, with great anamatronics and a super story. We had a FP for Test Track next. We designed some pretty bonkers cars, but they were fun.

We swapped a FP to go round to Journey into Imagination next. The ride is really twee, but I love the character of Figment. Since he’s the unofficial mascot of Epcot, he appears on a lot of the merchandise, which I have a fair bit of haha! The real reason we wanted to go on this ride was that at the end, there’s the DVC lounge! We’ve never been up there before, so we’re excited to see what it was like. It didn’t disappoint! The ceiling is amazing, as it’s basically the top level glass panels from the pavilion. It’s got an amazing view. You can see across the whole land, and the monorail going past. There’s lots of comfy seating up there, and also a coke freestyle machine. There’s computers and TVs, and also some DVC member services employees, so if there’s anything you need DVC related, they can help you out. Apparently they occasionally have snacks up there too, but we must have missed those.

After some relaxing in the lounge, we headed out into the World Showcase. Ben is completely obsessed with Pokemon so wanted to go into Mitsukoshi in Japan. We got caught in some rain, but fortunately managed to get to Japan before the worst of it hit. Ben spent ages looking at Pokémon but couldn’t make a decision on anything so we told him it was time to leave. This did not make him happy, so he had a good grump about it for a while.

We didn’t really do much wandering around the World Showcase, but we did stop in Mexico to go on the ride. Before we left, we also took a spin on Living with the Land.

We’d planned to meet a friend at Disney Springs, so hopped in the car, and were there within a few minutes. Bee is who we bought our DVC contract from, and she’s since become a a good friend, and we were meeting at Blaze pizza for some lunch. It’s usually very busy in there around the traditional lunch time, so we’d purposefully arranged to meet for a later lunch so we’d have chance to catch up without worrying about hogging a table. We had a lovely time and a good chat.

We had a bit of a wander around Disney Springs after our lunch, stopping at Ghiradelli for a free chocolate square of course. Ben spent some of his dollars on Lego too.....so much better than Pokemon cards!

We headed back to the room and I noticed Magic Kingdom was open until 11pm that night, so decided to go there for the evening, while the others went for a swim. Ava was desperate to wear her new swimming costume!

With it being a Friday, and also one of the last holiday days for some schools, it was pretty busy at Magic Kingdom. So I decided to start off with things that never had much of a wait. Carousel of Progress was first, and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it full. Unfortunately there was a very rude man sat in front of me who decided he wanted to film it. This isn’t usually a problem, except when said person holds his phone way above his head to do so! Also, as always seems to happen when I come on this ride alone, it got stuck, so we ended up seeing the twenties scene three times! Ah well, good job I enjoy this ride haha!

Went on the Peoplemover next, and it was the perfect time, as it was just starting to get dark. It’s perfect for just chilling out for a few minutes, and people watching.

I’d booked a FP for the Haunted Mansion, and the time had started, but I thought I’d try and catch the last showing of Hall of Presidents first, as this shuts at 9pm. It was closed when we came last year as they were refurbishing it. I am not a Trump fan at all, but the show is a real guilty pleasure of mine. While I was sitting waiting for it, I had an email come through that Haunted Mansion was closed, so my FP had concerted to a multi experience one. Fantastic! What was also good was that I could also schedule another FP, which I did, for Pirates of the Caribbean. The Hall of Presidents film had been completely redone in the refurbishment, and it was really good. I did miss the Morgan Freeman narration though. You can tell they’ve had some trouble since it reopened though, as there were two security guards present throughout the show. I think they’d done a great job of the animatronic model of Trump. They’d got his mannerisms and movements absolutely perfect. The head was not good at all though!

As I left, the fireworks were just finishing, so I nipped over to Small World before it got busy. After that, I decided to use my bonus FP to go on Big Thunder Mountain. I always love this ride, but it’s especially good at night! It certainly didn’t disappoint. Even though I was near the front it felt so fast with it being in the dark.

I went for my FP on Pirates next. I’m sure you get wetter in here than you used to! It’s the scene just after the drop, where they have the water cannons. I got pretty soaked, as did everyone else on the boat! Didn’t help that there was a girl in front of me who was riding for the first time and was totally petrified. Her mother had promised her it wasn’t scary, and she wouldn’t get wet......hmmmm!

After that it was time to head back to the resort. Anthony had text me earlier in the evening to let me know Ben’s pyjamas had gone missing. When you stay DVC you don’t get daily cleaning. They pick the rubbish up daily, but towels are changed every 4 days and then sheets are changed, and the room had a full clean every 7 day. We thought it’d be a towel change day today, but it was actually a full clean for some reason. Anyway, seems as though Ben’s PJs had got caught up in the shed change and had gone. This had actually happened before, but with a toy a few years ago, and after reporting it, it was returned. So before I headed to the room, I stopped by the main desk to fill in a report. That’s all I expected to do. However, the lady on reception credited our account $50 so he could buy some more! I said that wasn’t necessary, but the lady insisted, so I wasn’t going to argue. She even whispered that we’d be able to find some for much cheaper than that, so just enjoy the rest of the credit! Wow, was no expecting that! However, it was definitely appreciated!

Back at the room I told Anthony all about it, which made him, and his spreadsheet very happy! It had been an excellent day. Even though Magic Kingdom this evening was busy, being in my own I was able to pop in and out of places as I wanted. The timing actually worked out really well, and I got lots done. Perhaps need a bit of a lay in tomorrow morning though :-)
 
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After last night’s late night, we had a bit of a lazier morning today. Also, the forecast didn’t look great, with a lot of rain forecast, so we decided to let that pass over before we went out. Of course, as with all Florida weather, it changes quickly, and it changed so many times that we decided just to go for it. We did decide to take our umbrellas with us though, just in case!


We drove round to Epcot this morning, literally took all of five minutes. We never use the tram to get to the entrance here, as it’s never a very long walk. Seems as though the weather had scared everyone else off too, as there was hardly anyone there. We went to the character spot first, and got some fantastic photos. Ben is trying to take selfies with the characters and they seem to enjoy it. Ava wanted to use Ben’s phone to take a selfie with Minnie, but Ava doesn’t really know how to use a phone yet, so Minnie was helping her, it was very sweet!


The rain had started to fall whilst we’d been in there, and since the lounge was so close, we decided to wait it out in there. My app said it’d be heavy rain for at least 30 minutes, so definitely a good call! We managed to get up just as the snack cart came round too, bonus! They had all sorts of crisps and sweets, which was wonderful! Also, the benefit of the lounge having a glass roof was that we could see when the rain stopped!


We left as it slowed down, and headed over to Norway for our Frozen FP. This is always a lot of fun, and Ava always sings at the top of her lungs! There was a young boy who was not at all happy to be on it, and showed his displeasure throughout!


When we came out, the weather was absolutely perfect! Quite cloudy, but the rain had really cooled things off, so we decided to make an afternoon of wandering around the World Showcase. This is one of my favourite things to do, especially when the weather is so pleasant. Ava wanted to try out the new Kidcot stations as well. This is basically a desk in each country with colouring. It used to be that there was a big Duffy bear on a stick, and every country had a stamper, that stamped the stick as you went through. It was such a pain to carry round! Now they’ve changed it to a little postcard sized colouring card in each country, and you’re given a ziplock bag in the shape of a suitcase to put them all in. This is so much better!


Even though rain was threatening for most of the afternoon, there wasn’t any, and we had a really lovely few hours just wandering round. One of these days we’ll do the drinking and snacking as we walk round, but it’s not really something that interests (or is legal for) the kids at this age.


We spent quite a while in the China pavilion, which is one of our favourites. We all love the show, and the shop is probably the best one in the World Showcase. We always find lots of lovely things in there, and it’s nice just to wander round. I love looking around the gardens in that pavilion too. No matter how busy it is in Epcot, nobody ever seems to be in those gardens, and they’re so lovely and quiet.


We did stop and see the new Guardians of the Galaxy show at the American theatre though. It was actually really good fun, which I wasn’t expecting, since I’m not really a Guardians fan. We also treated ourselves to a funnel cake since we were in the area. These things are massive, especially when you have the one with ice cream and cookies on! It’s not the cheapest of snacks, at $11, but it easily went round all four of us, so didn’t seem to bad.


We didn’t quite visit all of the countries as we were starting to tire, so went back to the lounge for a quick drink, before having a last ride on Spaceship Earth. When rain is forecast is definitely the best time to go out. It tends to scare people off! Even though it was a Saturday, I was really shocked as to how dead it was. However, as we were leaving, there were a lot of people coming in for the evening instead.


Anthony fancied some chicken for tea, so went round to the supermarket to see if they had any rotisserie ones. Unfortunately they didn’t, so he just got a couple of pieces of chicken instead. He also got some Bud Light. I can’t believe we’ve been here almost two weeks and it’s the first time we’ve got any!


Decided on an early night tonight, as we were going to be up early to go to Hollywood Studios in the morning.
 
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Day twelve


So today was so busy! Wasn’t expecting it to be, it just became that way.....through no fault of our own of course ;-)


We had fast passes at Hollywood Studios this morning, so after a quick five minute drive, we were there. Due to the mess that is the car park, we decided to take the tram to the entrance. It’s actually doesn’t look that far to walk, but you have to wind around so much that taking the tram actually does become the quickest way.


Anthony and the kids went on Star Tours first. As a simulator hater, I sat out of it and went to sit on a very comfy bench on Grand Avenue and watch the world go by. When they’d finished, Ava announced she was never going on it again as she’d been the rebel spy and hated being up on the screen. Ava is such a drama queen I thought she’d have loved that, but apparently not. Seems she thought the Storm Troopers were going to come and find her, and she really dislikes them!


Into Muppet Vision 3D next, it’s always good fun, if a bit old. I kinda hope they don’t change it for a while though. It’s so cheesy, and that’s what makes it fun.


We had a FP for the new Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land next. This was so much fun! I was worried it’d be like the tea cups, which I hate, but it really wasn’t. It did some around, but not so much it made you feel nauseous. It was very short though. I prefer the Slinky Dog coaster, but it was still fun.


Last night I tried something to do with FP that I’d heard about on a podcast. Basically, if you’re in the park or not, and it looks like rain, book a FP for a ride that you know will close. Then, the FP will convert to a ‘multiple experience’ one, and you can use it pretty much wherever you like (with a few exceptions). Last night, when there was a storm, and we were tucked up in our room, I’d booked a FP for Aladdin’s Magic Carpets (which always closes when there’s rain). The trick worked, and we had a bonus FP to use at any point today. You have to be careful though. Depending on the time of the closure, sometimes you get a FP for that same day, sometimes it rolls over into the next day. The FP I’d booked was for just before park closing, so it rolled over into the next day. Perfect! Ben and I were going to go to Magic Kingdom that afternoon, so we saved ours, but Anthony and Ava used theirs on Rock and Rollercoaster. Ben and I went to watch some Star Wars film instead. In no Star Wars fan, but it was actually quite good, gave an decent overview of some of the storylines.


We headed back to the room after that for some lunch. Anthony took Ava back to the Crayola Experience again with their annual passes while Ben and I headed out to Magic Kingdom. It was incredibly hot, and I have just about given up on trying to do anything with my hair now. Until recently it was really long, but I had it cut short for charity a few months back. When it was long I could just tie it up, but not so much now, so thank goodness for hats! My hair is poker straight in usual climates. Florida humidity does not agree with it remaining like that though!


Magic Kingdom was no where near as busy as I thought it’d be. It was the last day of summer for a lot of Florida schools, so I was expecting it to be really busy, which it wasn’t. Not that we were complaining. There wasn’t such a good forecast though, so maybe that kept people away.


Ben and I did so much. Since there were only two of us, we managed to get loads of FP. We also used our bonus one from last night to go on Big Thunder Mountain while the parade was going on. I even managed to get another bonus one by booking Aladdin’s Carpets while we were in Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. Worked a treat! We then used that bonus one to go on the Speedway when the rain passed. It really is worth trying that if you can. Even though rain was forecast for the majority of the afternoon, it really was only showering occasionally. Not bad enough to take cover or need to leave. The temperature dropped right down as well, and it really was lovely just wandering around.


We decided to break our rule of no park meals since it was just the two of us and went to one of our favourites, Columbia Harbour House. The portions are huge there so we both had a kids meal. We both had the chicken and fish combo, which came with a drink and chips. Only cost us $15 for both, total bargain!


After a few more attractions, we headed off back to the hotel. What we’d planned as just being a couple of hours out certainly turned into way more. I think we’d managed to do at least ten attractions, most of those with use of FP. Highlight of the day was definitely the Speedway. I am totally petrified for the day Ben turns 17 if his driving skills (or lack thereof) is anything to go by on the Speedway. Who knew you could get whiplash on a car only doing three miles an hour haha!


Such a busy day, the Bud Light I had as soon as I got in was well needed, and the Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups Anthony had got me from Target were much appreciated too!
 
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Day thirteen


Hummm, ok. What day is it? I really have no idea! I’m thinking Monday, but am not entirely sure to be totally honest! The kids were not best pleased about getting up this morning, so we let them have a little longer in bed, but when we told them we might miss out Flight of Passage FP, they were up!


Driving round to Animal Kingdom definitely takes a lot longer than the other parks, as it’s really out there on its own. In saying that though, it really didn’t take too long. I guess we’re just used to everywhere being just five minutes away!


Ben and Ava have really got into pain trading on this trip, but the lanyards are a bit of a pain, so we offered to by them both one of those little bags, which means it’s much more likely not to lose anything! Ben is trying to collect some of the retro Epcot ones, whereas Ava just wants to collect anything pretty!


We went round to meet Mickey and Minnie first, and I believe this is the only place you can actually meet them together, which is nice. Both of them were especially playful today and insisted on many hugs! The photographer took masses of photos, and I was hoping for some candid ones, but to be honest they didn’t actually come out that well, aside from one or two. Ah well, at least he tried.


Time for Flight of Passage. Words can’t express just how amazing this ride actually is......or how dull the ore show is when you’ve seen it as many times as we have! We were lucky to get pretty near to the top of the screen this time. Although to be honest, we’ve not found a bad spot yet.....unlike on Soarin where if you sit in the wrong place, the effects go wonky! I really like looking around on this ride, to see what effect it’s having on other people. I think no matter how many times we ride this, it’ll just keep on getting better. Who knows, I might actually wear the 3D glasses one of these days!


After a quick ice water stop, we went round to see Finding Nemo The Musical. This is such an amazing show, West End quality. The thing about it is, I know the film isn’t a musical, but the music in this is so good, you end up thinking the film is a musical, and wonder where all the songs are when you watch it! We had some especially good performers today and were sitting in just the right place to see everything brilliantly! Before we started watching, I got on the app to see if I could get an Everest FP. I managed it, then kept pressing the ‘modify’ button to bring the time forward. I ended up getting a time for immediately after the show, perfect since they’re right next door to each other.


We managed another FP for Primeval Whirl too. It really threw us around today, not so much in a good way. We all love this ride, but sometimes it can be a bit too rough, which it was today.


It was starting to get insanely hot, so we decided to call it a day and head back to the resort for a late lunch. Once we’d had our lunch we relaxed in the community room for a while, while I did a load of washing. I really wish they had more washers here, it’s so rare to find them available. We also played a bit of shuffleboard, although none of us really know what we were doing we still had fun.


The idea was to go to the pool for a while, which we did, and as soon as we got there.....it closed! Even though we’d checked the weather app before leaving, it was still closed as there was a storm in the area. The storm never did arrive, but the pool stayed closed unfortunately.


On a Monday there’s a special DVC member get together which we decided to go to. It was pretty rubbish to be honest. All they did was some of the events from during the daytime timetable. We’d hoped it was more of a social thing, which it wasn’t. Not to worry, we spent some time playing pool then going outside to play some tennis, since it had cooled down quite a bit.


Since the kids hadn’t really wanted to get up this morning, and we had an early start tomorrow, we made sure they had a nice early night. Even though we didn’t seem to have done that much, we really did. I guess that’s how our trips have changed now. It’s not go, go, go in the parks. We’re more relaxed about what we do. We still have plenty to keep us occupied, but we’re not so fussed about being in the parks all the time.....I kinda like it :-)
 
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Day 14


Everyone was up at a decent hour this morning, so we decided to try and get to Magic Kingdom for park opening. The buses however, had other opinions on that! As much as the timetable said the bus was due, it didn’t arrive. In the end we ended up waiting for about 40 minutes which is very strange. It seems as though one had just missed us out completely. When the bus did finally arrive, it was full and had no spaces. Fortunately there was an empty one right behind it, so we went on that.


It did mean we missed out on getting there for opening ,but it didn’t really matter as there weren’t many people around anyway. Our first FP was for Peter Pan, which, as always, had a ridiculously long standby wait. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely ride, but I just don’t see why people would wait upwards of an hour on a normal day for it.


It was early enough still to be able to do Space Mountain with very little wait, so the boys did that while the girls did a couple of loops of the TTA. Ava decided she wanted to film and narrate all the way round. Considering most of this ride is in darkness, I shouldn’t imagine it came out particularly well.


We had a FP for Mine Train next, which, as always, was a lot of fun. Then it was over to Enchanted Tales with Belle. Ben didn’t want to take part this time (I think he’s finally got a bit too old for this one). Ava was Mrs Potts, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I really enjoy this as it’s so different every time. There was a baby who was dressed as Belle, and Belle spent so much time with her, it was absolutely adorable.


We got a FP for both Haunted Mansion, followed by the Laugh Floor. We’re really making good use of these rolling 4th FP this year. As soon as our 3rd ore booked one is used, we get straight on the app and book another, then another, and so on. If you book a time you don’t like, or a ride you’re not bothered by, just modify it to something you do like. People cancel FP all the time, and more often than not, you get a good choice, even at the busy times.


It was really starting to heat up, and get busy, so it was time to leave and go get some lunch. We decided to go ‘somewhere proper’ to eat today. Anthony had got a voucher through for kids to eat free at Sweet Tomatoes, so thought we’d give that a go. We were actually really impressed! When you get there, you have a salad buffet, then at the end of that aisle you pay and find a seat. Then after your salad, you an go back and have more, or choose from the other things that are available. This is mainly a vegetarian place, so there were baked potatoes, soups, pizzas and a great dessert area. For $33 for all four of us, it was an absolute bargain. Also, you don’t pay a tip here, which saves a few dollars. Everyone really enjoyed the meal, and I think this is another one we’ll be back to.


Our plan was to go to Vineland for a bit of a wander round the outlets, but we couldn’t find a parking space, so gave up. We popped to Publix for some bread and milk. It’s soooo much more expensive here. Imagine Waitrose rather than Tesco and you get the idea!


Ben and I fancied a wander, so we went over to Disney Springs for a bit. There was a storm due so we took the brollies with us. We even got a private boat over there. Ben wanted to search for a few more of his Epcot pins, and he managed to find three, which was a result! We didn’t buy anything, but we did get a bit wet, so we were pleased of the brollies!


Back to the room for an early night. It’s DVC Moonlight Magic tomorrow night, so it’s going to be a late one!
 
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Day fifteen


I was up at a ridiculous hour this morning, so thought I’d take the opportunity to get some washing done. It was busier around and about the hospitality house area than I thought. Seemed as though there was a fun run going on, although it didn’t look like much fun to me to be honest!


We didn’t have to be out too early this morning as we were going to a water park, and they don’t open until 10am anyway. This is somewhere we always drive to if we can, otherwise you have to go on two buses to get there, which is a pain. Stopped for some petrol on the way, and I’m always very jealous of how cheap it is here!


Got to Blizzard Beach just after opening. Saw that my favourite ride, Teamboat Springs, was shut! To be honest, that’s pretty much the only thing I go for. I’m not really a water park fan, so was pretty disappointed to see it closed. Found a nice shady spot to park ourselves and headed off (only taking up one sunbed, as it’s probably only be me using it). The kids played on the icebergs for a while, and then went off to do some rides. That did not appeal to me at all, so I decamped to the sunbed and spent some time catching up on some podcasts. We only spent a few hours there, and when we left we decided to attempt the Vineland outlet again.


Fortunately we managed to find a parking space this time, although that was only because we followed someone that was leaving. They’ve got a massive indoor parking structure there. It used to be free, but now they charge $10 to park in there! There was literally nobody in it, and since the outside spaces are always full, I really wish they’d change it back to how it was and not charge for parking in there.


We went round to the Disney Outlet first. This really can be hit and miss. There were lots of lovely things in there, but sometimes you really have to search for a bargain. We definitely found some. On the pin stand they were selling off pins for 99c. The kids stocked up on these to use as traders. Also found some really nice ones which I think they’ll actually keep. Ava also found a Frozen playset for $2.99. So overall, we did really well!


We spent a bit of time wandering round, but none of us were really that interested. We used to spend hours here, but that was before having the kids, and before the exchange rate became so bad!


Back at the hotel we had some lunch and showers and we encouraged the kids to have a nap, as we were off out to the DVC Moonlight Magic party that evening. Fortunately they both had an hour or so of sleep, and we went round to the hotel concierge to pick up our wristbands.


When we got to Epcot there was a separate line for people who already had their bands, so we went through that and collected our meal vouchers. Each person gets a voucher for a free meal, which can be used in several different places around the park. There’s also free ice cream throughout the evening. The event didn’t start until 9.30pm, so we went round to Norway, where we had a FP for the Frozen ride. I think the people in front of us were riding it for the first time, although how they enjoyed it, I have no idea, they only saw it through their phones.


We headed round to meet our friend Bee, who’d organised a little meet for a Facebook page we’re part of. Was lovely to put some faces to names. Bee has been insisting on treating Anthony to a Grand Marnier slushy in France, so we headed there next. I’m not really a fan of spirits, so it was a glass of Rose for me, which was delicious! We wandered the World Showcase for a while, and then found a great fireworks viewing place in Germany. To have honest there are very few bad places to watch the fireworks in the World Showcase, but this was a particularly good one, which we’ll remember for the future! Bee bought some Worthers popcorn for while we were watching, it was soooooo good!


After the show, we all split up and we headed to Norway again, we’d seen on the party map that Kristoff and Olaf were joining Anna and Elsa in their meet and greet. We know the lines would get really long for that, so we went there first. The line opened dead on 9.30pm when the party started, and we were in within about 10 minutes. The characters were so much fun. Kristoff was messing about with Ben and making both of the kids laugh....and Anna for that matter. All of them were wonderful! They spent so much time with us as well.


We had a bit of a wander round after that. We went by some of the other character meet and greets but their lines were pretty long, so we didn’t both at that stage. We went into Sunshine Seasons to use our meal voucher. It was so late by that point that Ava and I were pretty much past it to be honest, and she was really starting to flag. We went on Living With The and Ava was almost asleep. I offered to take her back to the hotel. Bless her, she said she didn’t want to ruin my night, but I didn’t mind. I could tell if she’d stayed she just wouldn’t have enjoyed herself, so we headed back and left the boys to it.


Our room is in such a great location that I actually saw the special party fireworks from our window, which was wonderful. The boys managed to do a few more rides after we’d gone, and also met Goofy and Mickey in their Test Track outfits. They got back just after 1am. We thought the party would be really busy, but it wasn’t as bad as we were expecting. Although Epcot is my favourite park, I’m not sure it’s the best one for a party like that, since most of the World Showcase is shut, and it’s only really Future world that’s open. In saying that though, it’s a freebie, and we’ll never turn our noses up to that!
 
Ahhh the joys of being teachers and getting a long summer break :-)
I am a teacher too!! However, during the summer I teach academic writing at a university in Beijing. I get to take my daughter with me, but it isn't as good as having the whole summer off. But since I have lived in China every summer for 5 years, we were able to go to the opening of Shanghai Disneyland an back every summer for a week. :sunny:
 
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Day sixteen


After the DVC party last night we all had a lazy morning. Anthony and Ben popped out to Target for a few groceries. Aside from that, we spent the morning relaxing.


After lunch I was a bit bored, everyone else was enjoying relaxing though so I went on the boat round to Disney Springs. It’s such a pretty boat ride, although I always seem to get bitten on it. Every time I go on, i try and remember to put insect repellent on, but always forget. I didn’t really do much, just wandered around really. Being on my own I could go where I wanted, when I wanted, which was very nice! I have a wine tasting event booked next week, so wanted to go find the location for that as well, which I did. It looks very nice, so I’m very much looking forward to it!


When I returned, it was time to head out to Hollywood Studios. We could really tell we’d not been out much during the morning as the heat felt really intense. Yes, it was hot anyway, but we’d not acclimatised to it. We usually stay out of the sun at this point in the day too, but we had Slinky Dog FP and we weren’t missing those!


We were a bit early, so stopped to watch One Man’s Dream and soak up the air conditioning, before going over to Toy Story Land. The Slinky Dog coaster was just as much fun as we’d remembered. We split up then. The boys went and did Star Wars (four times), Tower Of Terror (twice) and Rock and Rollercoaster. Suffice to say it wasn’t a particularly busy day!


Ava and I went to meet Pluto in the Disney Junior area. He was so much fun! He insisted in looking at Ava’s pins, and was most upset when she didn’t have any Pluto ones! Then the Star Wars show started and he got scared. He ran to see the Storm Troopers, then hid behind Ava, it was so cute! I live when the characters take a real effort to spend time with the kids, it was lovely.


We saw the Disney Junior show next. Even though Ava is seven, she still loves this, and she’s trying to see it as many times as possible as it’s closing in a few weeks to be replaced.


We also saw the Little Mermaid show then went round to the Frozen show. This was probably the best one I’ve seen! The narrators were hilarious! I’ve seen this show enough times to know the script, and these two were constantly going off it. I love it when that happens. They were trying their hardest to make each other giggle and were clearly having a wonderful time. Most of the jokes were ones the adults appreciated more, and the laughter in there was wonderful.


We met the boys and headed back to the car. It was unbelievably hot, and could tell there hadn’t been any rain for a couple of days. That was remedied that night by a massive thunderstorm though!
 

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