When A Tourist Becomes A Local! A Full Year (2019) TR! *CANCELED!*

4/22/19: I Meet My Favorite Disney Imagineer!

***EXCITING TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT!!!***

Before I get into this update, I would like to let all of you know about a very special trip that I just booked. Some of you know that I grew up in California, and my love for Disney started at a very young age by having my parents take my to Disneyland. Well, over the past several years living away from California, it has made me miss my home park more and more. I have literally tried to find any excuse to go to California whenever I can since I have a lot of friends out there still. So, you might have guessed it, but I AM GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!! Now you might be wondering when?

Well, here is the story. There’s this land opening up this week that nobody is going to care about at all, and I want to go see it since I actually care about it. Of course I couldn't wait until this new experience opens at Walt Disney World in August. So, sure! I will fly out 3 months before it opens in Florida just to see it. Sounds good! Right?

Well, you probably guessed that the whole reason for this trip is to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!!! I get to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on June 8th from the 5 p.m.-9 p.m. time slot. Words can’t express how excited I am and continue to get a little teary eyed whenever I think about it!!!

@Lesley Wake made a reservation for me, as well as, @dina444444 for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on June 8th when she was out in Florida visiting a few weeks ago. Lesley would then start texting me saying, "You are going to book a trip…I know you are going to book a trip…You really think you will be able to hold off spoilers until August…etc.” So, this trip is courtesy of @Lesley Wake convincing me with the Celebration of the Lion King going on, Disneyland Forever Fireworks returning, Soarin Over California returning, and of course, Star Wars!!! So, thank you Lesley for pestering me and talking me into coming out to my favorite Disney Theme Park even if I was adamant that I WAS NOT GOING TO COME for the past month.

Anyways, I am so excited to experience all of these things and updates will follow shortly after on this Trip Report!!! So, stay tuned!!!


***BACK TO REGULAR SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING***


Hello everyone and welcome to April 22, 2019. This is a very special day in the world of Disney. That is because it is Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Birthday!!! So, I would adventure to my favorite Disney Theme Park on their 21st Anniversary for something very special.



I would be very excited to be here for the Party for the Planet celebration even if it was just for the morning.



I would get to the park at 7:30 a.m. and the park opened at 9 a.m. I was stuck in the area where normal guests were being held (and I was also at the front of this pack), because there were Extra Magic Hours this morning for hotel guests.

I had one thing on my mind this morning. That was to finally meet my favorite Disney Imagineer, Joe Rohde!




I would have to buy the print to secure my place in line. You can see the print on that picture above.

Anyways, I was able to buy a picture which means I was officially going to get to meet Joe Rohde!!!

After I purchased the print, I had some time to walk around. So, I would make my way around the park just taking in the atmosphere.




It was finally time! The moment had come! It was time to meet Joe Rohde!!!





So, something funny happened while meeting Joe. He signed my print upside down. Anyways, he was gracious to let me return and have him sign the correct way. This got me a very unique print since I have the same information written on the corners.





Anyways, one of my Disney dreams came true today. I would unfortunately have to leave Disney’s Animal Kingdom at this time because my Dad surprised me by being in town for Easter. So, I had to drive to meet him.

Happy 21st Anniversary to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!!! :)

More in my next post!
 
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4/24/19: Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays!

Welcome to April 24th! Here is another update heading your way from off Disney property.

As many of you have probably guessed by several of my attire wearing in posts on my Trip Reports, I moved from Kansas City. Kansas City is a city that I absolutely loved, and it was really hard for me to leave. However, I knew I would get small doses of Kansas City on occasion while living in Orlando. That is by going to some sporting events! My first Kansas City sports event in Florida would take place on this day.

I would drive to Tampa Bay to see the Kansas City Royals take on the Tampa Bay Rays. The stadium is about an hour and a half away from me without traffic which isn’t horrible. I have never been to the Tampa Bay Rays stadium. So, I was excited to mark another baseball stadium off of my list that I have seen a game at.

After a relaxing drive, I would arrive at Tropicana Field!






It had been a very long time since I had been inside a domed baseball stadium. I would have really great seats for the game though!







It was time to play some baseball! LETS GO ROYALS!!!





Watching a game in a domed stadium has such an echo to it. You can hear the crowd, and you can hear the players talking on the field. It was a totally different experience than I remember experiencing a baseball game. Tampa Bay also didn’t have that great of a crowd at the game today. It was a weekday and a day game so it makes sense I guess.





Whit Merrifield is probably my favorite player on the Royals.



The roof of the stadium.



Proof I was there! I still hadn’t received my stuff from Kansas City. So, I was unable to wear my Royals jersey to the game. However, I still represented with the hat!





Tampa Bay Rays achievements over the years:



Center field:



Tropicana is heavily represented in this stadium. I wonder why?



I definitely enjoyed getting to watch a baseball game inside an air conditioned dome. :D



It was a great day to be a Royals fan. The Royals beat the Rays 10-2!!!











Tampa bay definitely has a unique stadium, and I look forward to seeing more baseball games here.



If you like baseball, I think it’s worth it to drive to Tampa Bay for a game if you are looking for something to do on a “rest day” while at Walt Disney World.

It was time for my drive back home which would end up taking two and a half hours due to some insane traffic!

Stay tuned for more updates from my time being a Florida resident!
 
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Who said Peer Pressure was worthless?

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Those Easter eggs are amazing!!! Maybe someday I'll make it down there to see them!!! For now I'll just live my Disney dreams thru your trip reports... :goodvibes
They are definitely really cool to check out if you get a chance. I hope you are enjoying my adventures! I’m glad I am able to share them with you and many others.

Who said Peer Pressure was worthless?

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Not funny...haha!

I had a hand in there too!!
Yes you did but you didn’t pressure me as hard lol.

Love all the pics of the Easter eggs.
I wonder what they do with all of them when they remove them.
Thanks. That’s a great question that I don’t know the answer to.

Indirectly I had a hand in there as well. But I think you two were a bit more persuasive/aggressive about it. I was trying to lead him to the decision. :rolleyes1

Granted all of us have been fairly big enablers between the group of us.
Yes we have...LOL! :D
 


I was fortunate to travel around to several of the resorts to see their Easter egg collection this year.

Man, I need to move down here just for stuff like this! It's going to be a long while before I can though because we have good jobs in Atlanta and we won't be moving until we retire.

Everything on these eggs were made of chocolate. Absolutely incredible!

Thank you so much for sharing all the pictures. Those eggs are amazing and I wish I could have seen them in person. I couldn't pick a favorite, there were too many awesome ones.


They definitely didn't have them up this year. I looked for them specifically! And thought Zach would be annoyed when they weren't up!

I could have swore I saw them but I probably just assumed they were there. :rotfl:

I will fly out 3 months before it opens in Florida just to see it. Sounds good! Right?

Makes absolute sense to me and once again I'm jealous! I probably won't be seeing the land until next year sometime. I am going to be down there for a very short weekend in Oct/Nov to run the Fall Feast 5K but I'm not even planning on going to HS.

I had one thing on my mind this morning. That was to finally meet my favorite Disney Imagineer, Joe Rohde!

Ah man, that would have been an awesome meet! I was super excited this last trip because Jackie and I found the hand prints on the way out of FOP.

It had been a very long time since I had been inside a domed baseball stadium. I would have really great seats for the game though!

I don't think I've ever been inside a dome for a baseball game. It doesn't seem like there is a lot of seating compared to regular stadiums.
 
Congrats on going back to your "home" park!!! It definitely sounds like there will be lots of amazing events while you are there. We are a SW family, so I may be a tiny bit jealous. :tilt: <<<That is me being green wtih envy. :D
 
So exciting! Can't wait to hear all about Galaxy's Edge. I'm really hoping to get in during one of my Fall trips but I don't know if it will happen or not (which just means another trip next year!)
 
You did drop the ball to me on this DLR trip on my TR and I totally guessed from Lesley's hinting but still how exciting! You're gonna be there for so many things. What a way to return to your home park! I'm so looking forward to hearing all about it.

Joe Rohde is also my favorite imagineer so I'm envious af about this. I'd probably need a sit down dinner to meet him because I'd have way too many questions lol How sweet of him to resign your print twice, what a guy!
 
Man, I need to move down here just for stuff like this! It's going to be a long while before I can though because we have good jobs in Atlanta and we won't be moving until we retire.



Thank you so much for sharing all the pictures. Those eggs are amazing and I wish I could have seen them in person. I couldn't pick a favorite, there were too many awesome ones.




I could have swore I saw them but I probably just assumed they were there. :rotfl:



Makes absolute sense to me and once again I'm jealous! I probably won't be seeing the land until next year sometime. I am going to be down there for a very short weekend in Oct/Nov to run the Fall Feast 5K but I'm not even planning on going to HS.



Ah man, that would have been an awesome meet! I was super excited this last trip because Jackie and I found the hand prints on the way out of FOP.



I don't think I've ever been inside a dome for a baseball game. It doesn't seem like there is a lot of seating compared to regular stadiums.
- The eggs really were amazing. I just stayed true to my favorite animated movie lol. That's the only way I could pick a favorite, but there were way to many that could have been my favorite.

- I think they were here two years ago.

- I think a short trip to DHS is in order this fall... :D

- Yep. It's always nice to see those hand prints when exiting FoP (if you are on the right side).

Congrats on going back to your "home" park!!! It definitely sounds like there will be lots of amazing events while you are there. We are a SW family, so I may be a tiny bit jealous. :tilt: <<<That is me being green wtih envy. :D
I am so excited especially after seeing the Dedication Ceremony last night! There is no need to be jealous. :D I know you will see Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge eventually. :)

So exciting! Can't wait to hear all about Galaxy's Edge. I'm really hoping to get in during one of my Fall trips but I don't know if it will happen or not (which just means another trip next year!)
I'm looking forward to telling all of you about it! It's a very short trip. So, we will see how much I get done at Disneyland and how much I get done in the 4 hours I have inside Star Wars.

You did drop the ball to me on this DLR trip on my TR and I totally guessed from Lesley's hinting but still how exciting! You're gonna be there for so many things. What a way to return to your home park! I'm so looking forward to hearing all about it.

Joe Rohde is also my favorite imagineer so I'm envious af about this. I'd probably need a sit down dinner to meet him because I'd have way too many questions lol How sweet of him to resign your print twice, what a guy!
- Yep. You were the first trip report to get word of this upcoming trip lol. Not even my own was the first location! :D Words can't express how excited I am, and I continue to get teary eyed a few times a day right now just thinking about it.

- We didn't really have enough time to ask questions, but he was very nice. I would definitely try to meet him again.
 
So, thank you Lesley for pestering me and talking me into coming out to my favorite Disney Theme Park even if I was adamant that I WAS NOT GOING TO COME for the past month.
LOL I'm glad I was there for the lunch that got this peer pressure ball going!!

I had one thing on my mind this morning. That was to finally meet my favorite Disney Imagineer, Joe Rohde!
I would have to buy the print to secure my place in line. You can see the print on that picture above.
This is just incredible!! I love that you got to meet him, and since you're such a lover of the Lion King, this is the perfect print.

If you like baseball, I think it’s worth it to drive to Tampa Bay for a game if you are looking for something to do on a “rest day” while at Walt Disney World.
Ha! No rest at Disney!!! But seriously, have you ever been to Miller Park? They have a retractable dome. It's so awesome! Put it on your list if you haven't been yet!
 
LOL I'm glad I was there for the lunch that got this peer pressure ball going!!




This is just incredible!! I love that you got to meet him, and since you're such a lover of the Lion King, this is the perfect print.


Ha! No rest at Disney!!! But seriously, have you ever been to Miller Park? They have a retractable dome. It's so awesome! Put it on your list if you haven't been yet!
- Yes you were...yes...you...were... :D

- Meeting Joe was easily one of my favorite "Disney" moments ever!

- I have not been to Miller Park. Maybe I will someday.
 
April - Dining Reviews - Part 1!

***One thing of note: I am going to incorporate all of my dining reviews into one update each month. That way I can keep them organized, and you can find them easier.***

Welcome to my dining review update for the month of April! I definitely gave a lot of restaurants a try this month. Some restaurants being some of my favorites, and there were a few that I had never been to before! So, lets dive into the update that is going to make me very hungry!

Also, if you have any dining reviews that you are wanting me to do, let me know. I will put those restaurants on my list.


April 16: Teppan Edo!

I would travel to Teppan Edo on April 16th. Teppan Edo is one of my favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World. I think you get a lot for your money. You get a little bit of a show, and you also get some really good japanese cuisine.

You start off the meal with a small salad.



Eventually the chef comes out to cook your food to put on a show. Hey look! A Minnie head!



Then there is Mickey made of vegetables!





The vegetables and the noodles were cooked to perfection.



I would order white rice with my meal instead of brown rice.



I would order the chicken and shrimp combo. I really like the shrimp at Teppan Edo.



The chicken can be hit or miss for me though. I’ve had them dry, but this time they were perfect.



You do get 2 sauces with your meal, but I can’t remember what they are. Both of them are very good, and these sauces definitely enhance the chicken.



Overall, my experience at Teppan Edo was excellent. I will continue to come back here over and over again!


April 20: Aunt Polly’s!

It was now April 20th, and it was time for a new experience for me! I would travel to the Magic Kingdom and sail over to Tom Sawyer’s Island, because I had never eaten at Aunt Polly’s before! This restaurant was open for a limited time but has since closed.



I would order the barbecue sliders with chips. Definitely a very good meal. I enjoyed the chips more than the actual sliders since they were a little messy. However, I would come back here agin if Disney decides to open this restaurant again.



April 23: Flying Fish!

Time to review my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World. That is the Flying Fish!!!



The decor inside this restaurant is very modern but with a fancy feel to it.





I would order my favorite dish on property which is the scallops. I don’t know what it is about these scallops, but they are delicious!!! Definitely worth the price. I really enjoy the sauce and the grits that they have on the dish as well. If you go to Flying Fish, I highly recommend this dish.



I would then order a non-alcoholic peanut butter freeze for dessert. This drink is always really good. Definitely give it a try if you like peanut butter.



Flying Fish continues to be my favorite restaurant on Disney property!


April 24: Be Our Guest Dinner!

On April 24th, I was able to get a dinner reservation for Be Our Guest. This would be my first time trying the new prix-fix menu.





You get to choose one appetizer, one entree, and a non-alcoholic beverage. For dessert, you are given a dessert trio.









I would get a table in the corner of the ballroom.



You get bread and butter with your meal.



I would order the lobster bisque as my appetizer. Not the greatest lobster bisque I have ever had, but it was still very good. I might be interested to try a different appetizer next time.



For my entree, I would order the steak. I came away from saying that this is my favorite steak on Walt Disney World property (at this time). I don’t always get steak, but it is very rare that I eat the entire thing. I ate this entire steak dish. I thought it was delicious.



It was time for the moment I was waiting for. That was dessert!







I’ll be honest when I say that I was really looking forward to eating Chip. :D





I thought the desserts were ok, but the stand-out was the white chocolate Chip!

The nice thing about eating dinner at Be Our Guest is you get to meet the Beast after dinner!



More in my next post!
 
April - Dining Reviews - Part 2!

Here is the continuation of my April dining reviews:

April 27: Rose & Crown!

On April 27th, I was able to walk-up to Rose & Crown!



I came here for one reason. That was to get the fish & chips! This is one of my favorite dishes at Walt Disney World. I enjoy the large portion size, and the fish is always cooked perfectly.



April 28: Tiffins!

On April 28th, I was able to have a DIS meet with a great friend, @Lesley Wake! While we were enjoying Walt Disney World, she mentioned that I could join her for her dining reservation at Tiffins. I agreed. So, she and I would end up going to Tiffins for dinner!





We would receive pomegranate bread with a molasses oil and vinegar. I actually thought the bread with the oil and vinegar was very good. It is definitely an acquired taste. If you want to try the oil and vinegar, definitely don’t put a lot on the bread.



I would order the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was very spicy, but I really like spicy food. So, it didn’t bother me as much. I thought the grits were delicious. This is easily the best shrimp dish I have had on Walt Disney World property. Yep…This shrimp beats Teppan Edo.



Lesley would order the lobster mac n’ cheese. She was gracious to let me have a few bites. I thought this mac n’ cheese was really good. However, I don’t know if I would pay extra for this dish.



We were sat in the room right next to Nomad Lounge.











Overall, Tiffins continues to be one of my favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World. Very good with a lot of exotic flavors. I would say this is more of a culinary experience where you can experience flavors that you aren’t used to having.


April 30: Morimoto Asia!

It was now April 30th, and it was time for another dining reservation with @Lesley Wake! We would also be joined by @chunkymonkey and her sister. This evenings dining reservation would be at Morimoto Asia! This is a restaurant I was really wanting to try for a while, and I just never made it there until this evening.





Here is the menu:







The decor was definitely really nice inside the restaurant.





Table setting:



We would get the ribs as an appetizer. These were delicious. The meat would fall right off the bone and they were seasoned perfectly!



I would order the orange chicken. Definitely higher end orange chicken, and I really enjoyed this dish overall.



I also got white rice with my entree.



We would also order duck. This would actually be my first time eating duck. I thought the duck was tender and very good. I don’t know if I would order it again though. My thought from this was it seemed like we were eating mexican food in an asian restaurant. That is because we ate the duck with tortillas.





It was nice to have some great company at this meet. It’s always great getting to see @Lesley Wake. It was also nice getting to know @chunkymonkey and her sister. Thank you for the wonderful DIS company! :)



Moriomoto Asia was definitely delicious. I know I will be coming back to this restaurant. I would eat here over Nine Dragons in EPCOT.

This completes my dining reviews for the month of April. Stay tuned to see where I ate in the month of May!

More in my next post!
 
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April - Voices Of Liberty Videos - Part 1!

***One thing of note: So that I don’t keep posting Voices of Liberty videos, I will post videos of my favorite singing group once a month encompassing all of the videos that I took from that specific month. I might post special posts of them, but I figured this would be the best way to showcase my favorite thing to do at Walt Disney World!***

Here are videos that I took of the Voices of Liberty throughout the month of April! The Voices of Liberty are by far my favorite singing group, and I sit in the American Adventure all day when I go to listen to them. I highly recommend seeing them at least once on your trip. Each set is different depending on the demographic of the crowd. So, I hope that you enjoy watching several videos that I took of the Voices of Liberty throughout the month of April.

Make sure you watch my videos in HD!


Voices of Liberty - “Battle Hymn of the Republic!”

One of my favorite songs that the Voices of Liberty sing, and this was my first time hearing this soloist do the solo! He did an awesome job!


Voices of Liberty - “Shenandoah!”

This is arguably my favorite song that the Voices of Liberty sing! This was also the first song ever to be performed under the rotunda.


Voices of Liberty - “You’ll Never Walk Alone!”

Another song that is arguably my favorite. This song has a lot of personal meaning for me.


Voices of Liberty - “This Is My Country!”

One of my favorite openers that the Voices of Liberty sing.


I hope that you enjoyed the videos!

More in my next post!
 
April - Voices Of Liberty Videos - Part 2!

Here are videos that I took of the Voices of Liberty throughout the month of April! The Voices of Liberty are by far my favorite singing group, and I sit in the American Adventure all day when I go to listen to them. I highly recommend seeing them at least once on your trip. Each set is different depending on the demographic of the crowd. So, I hope that you enjoy watching several videos that I took of the Voices of Liberty throughout the month of April.

Make sure you watch my videos in HD!

Voices of Liberty - “Seize the Day!”

If you know me, I like the Broadway Musical, Newsies! So, it’s a given that I like this song.


Voices of Liberty - “Red River Valley!”

This song is probably a song you have never heard. However, it is quickly becoming one of my favorite Voices of Liberty songs. It is so beautiful.


Voices of Liberty - “This Is Me!”

I love this arrangement from the Greatest Showman!


Voices of Liberty - “Danny Boy!”

One of my favorite ballads ever written and this is a great arrangement of this song.


I hope that you enjoyed the videos!

Stay tuned for more updates from my time being a Florida resident!
 
You're making me so excited to see VoL again with all those videos. The soloist on "You'll Never Walk Alone" was amazing omg Gosh, they're all so talented.

So many fun eats too! Tiffins looks just as delicious as everyone says it is wow You're really using this time well as a local. Love it!
 

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