Introduction
The Walt Disney World Resort (WDW) in Orlando Florida, home to 4 theme parks, 2 water parks and a dozen resort hotels. There is nowhere else on this planet I rather spend a vacation. My family and I have cruised the Caribbean, gone on road trips, traveled to different places, but there is no other place like Walt Disney World. This year’s trip just seemed to fly by to fast; the ironic part is that we stayed longer than we usually do. I usually start getting depressed on the first day of the trip, because I know I’m that much closer to leaving and returning back home. It’s always so depressing to return home. I feel as if a part of me goes missing when I come home. Thank goodness for discussion forums, videos, and music from the parks! Without them I’d just go through WDW withdrawal.
Magical Express
The most exciting part of the trip is the one week countdown before you leave. By that time, Disney has already sent you your vacation vouchers, luggage tags, information, and magical express tags and information. Disney’s Magical Express is just one more way Disney makes your trip extra special. Prior to your trip you’ll receive Magical Express luggage tags in the mail. The tags depict your information and what resort you’re staying at. You place these tags on the luggage you’ll be checking at your airline. Once you check your luggage with your airline, at the airport, it goes on your plane with you and the next time you see it is when you get to your Disney Hotel room. So when you arrive at Orlando International airport you don’t have to go looking for your luggage. It will just “magically” appear in your hotel room.
Once we arrived at Orlando International Airport, we took their monorail and walked down the stairs to the Disney Magical Express desk. It’s funny, because we’ve done this so many times, we know exactly where everything is. This year they seem to have streamlined the Magical Express process a bit. Last year, and the years before it, my mom would have to stand in a line to make sure all the paper work was correct. It would take forever, and my sister and I would just get so bored/annoyed. After that they would put you on the line for the bus. There are several lines, and several busses; each of which take you to a different resort area. This year, they just glanced at our paperwork and put us on the bus line. It literally took 5 minutes. We were the only people online for the Grand Floridian/Polynesian and Contemporary resort bus line. We boarded the bus, but it never filled up. These resorts are known as ‘Magic Kingdom Resorts’ because they sit right next to the Magic Kingdom, on Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Arriving at WDW
We began our bus ride through Orlando. Orlando, and all of Florida for that matter, is just so beautiful. It’s like a tropical paradise, but still an urban center. I wish I lived there, lol. We soon passed through the gates of WDW. That’s when I glued my face to the window. Every year I’m like a 4year old child. I look at everything with shear wonder and amazement. This is my happy place, my heaven, and the perfect place I dream about. I don’ have to worry about anything going on in the real world; there’s nothing I have to worry about. All I have to do is have a fun time with my family. There is nowhere else on the planet that could make feel even close to what I feel like while at WDW.
The Grand Floridian
Usually the bus ride takes forever, but since the bus was relatively empty, we got to our hotel faster than we ever had on previous trips. As usual, we stayed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa; one of the several deluxe resorts. My mom is a very, well, shall we say, particular person when it comes to where we stay when we go on vacations. I love the Grand Floridian, I really do. The hotel is gorgeous. When I’m there I feel like I’ve escaped to some turn of the century Victorian fairy tale. Just walking through the doors and hearing the men playing the piano, watching people walk around all dressed up going to dinner, or watching little children run around with coach sandals and Lacoste’ shirts- it’s just an interesting hotel. It’s beautiful though. We have stayed at The Polynesian a few times, and the Beach club once, but no matter what, we always find our way back to the Grand Floridian. I would love to one day stay at all the resorts, but as long as I travel with my mom that’s not going to happen.
We were actually planning to stay at the all-new Bay Lake Tower this year. The Bay Lake Tower is the all-new Disney vacation club resort next to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The building is gorgeous and offers one-of-a-kind views of the Magic Kingdom, Bay Lake, and the seven seas lagoon. The new hotel had just opened a few days before our trip. My mom was nervous that God forbid something went wrong and the opening had to be delayed, that there would be no room at another resort and we’d be forced to stay somewhere we didn’t want to stay. I understood where she was coming from, but I was still upset. We were able to visit the Bay Lake Tower during the trip and it is GORGEOUS! My mom promised that on the next trip we would stay there, so we’ll see.
Dining Issues
The last few trips, when we checked into the Floridian, we were usually upgraded to Concierge service because of how many trips we take. Usually, if there’s room in the concierge service buildings they’ll upgrade us. This year they didn’t. The one great thing about concierge service is that you get reservations anywhere you want, as well as free drinks, coffee and food anytime you want.
My biggest issue with the trip, this year, was having to make reservations. We’ve been coming every year since 1994, and were always able to just walk right up, wait and be seated. This year that was impossible. There were a lot of repeat guests who were very upset over this. Thank goodness we were able to get dinner with the Tremaine Family at 1900 Park Faire at the Floridian. Unfortunately we could not get in at the California Grill, on the roof of the Contemporary. I know it sounds selfish, but you really don’t understand. Every single time you went to a restaurant, if you waited, you would be able to get a table. This year that was impossible. We were talking to other repeat guests, and they were just as upset. Some of the restaurant experiences are the best thing about WDW. The only restaurant we ate at during the trip was 1900 Park Faire, but as always, it was well worth the experience.
Dinner With The Tremaines
Dinner at 1900 Park Faire is so much fun./ Imagine getting the chance to dine with the Tremaines- Cinderella, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, and Prince Charming. It’s a fun time. Anastasia and Drizella just scream randomly and get into fights, while their mother tries to calm them down and maintain her dignity at the same time. It’s just to funny. At one point during the dinner, Anastasia takes all the children in the restaurant and plays follow the leader. They walk around the restaurant, dancing to ‘Bibbid-Bobbidi Boo’, and at the end, Anastasia tells them all to scream at the top of their lungs. So Anastasia, along with the children, scream. It’s so ear shattering, but it’s a good time!
The first character to visit us was Prince Charming. My sister and mom thought he was cute. He asked us how our trip has been, where we were from and what we did that day. When he heard that we rode Splash Mountain, he told about how much Cinderella Loves Splash Mountain. He told us that when the park closed, he and Cindy would sneak out of the castle and get wet on Splash Mountain. Apparently Cindy screams at the last big drop, and that amuses him.
Cinderella herself came over next. It’s always an honor to meet a Disney Princess! The first thing she did when we posed for a picture, was turn to me and say “oh my, don’t you smell good!”. I thanked her. She asked what I was wearing, and I proceeded to tell her ‘Fierce’ from Abercrombie and Fitch. She said, “oh, you must tell Prince Charming! I want him to smell like that!” Then we both laughed. It was really cute, and made me smile.
Anastasia came up next. You see, I was eating, when someone grabbed me from behind. It was Anastasia. She flirtatiously asked if I was eligible. I told her yes, and she gave me this huge hug. She also told me I smelled good! We planned the wedding for the next day, but nothing ever came of it, lol. It was too funny. I took the best pictures with her.
Drizella was next. The first thing she asked was if I was eligible. She then asked if I was extremely wealthy. I told her no. She said, “oh, then it’s not going to work out. Sorry. Let’s just take this picture then. Come on”. It was really funny. Then she turned to my sister and said, “here’s some advice. Marry rich, or don’t marry at all. That way, you’ll never have to want for anything.” She was really funny. I just can’t put into words. It was a good time.
The final visitor was Lady Tremaine. She walks over all snooty, and gives us this eye roll. She said, “Shall we take this picture, I have other people to visit”. She was not very talkative. I told her that I loved the villains, and she went, ”great” in her snooty monotone voice. It was really funny. She left as soon as she came. At the table next to us was this little girl. She handed Lady Tremaine her autograph book. As lady Tremaine was signing, this little girl went on and on about Cinderella III and how cool Lady Tremaine was. Then, Lady Tremaine turned around and said “what”, as if she hadn’t been listening to a word the girl said. The little had the most disappointed face on. It was really funny. She was really in character.
Toon Town Hall of Fame
The Toon Town hall of fame is a giant “tent”, home to characters and merchandise. Earlier this year, Tinker Bell and her friends moved in with the other characters. Prior to the fairies arrival, the Princess had a room and Mickey and Pals had two rooms in which meet and greets were conducted. The entire area and entrance to the meet and greets have been changed. There are now two lines; one with the fairies logo, and one with the princess logo. Tinker Bell and her friends took over Mickey’s two rooms, and the princesses remain in their one room.
The lines for the fairies can get up to 3 hours long. That’s insanity! It’s also why the fairies have two rooms. Each family is shifted into a different room. Each room contains a Tinker Bell and two of her fairy friends. The kiddies never know. These characters are extremely popular, and I think they even begun to outshine the princesses.
One morning, we got up early and did the character breakfast at the Grand Floridian. Then we hoped on the monorail and arrived at the Magic Kingdom about a half hour after it opened. We booked it to Toon Town, but realized it hadn’t opened yet. For some reason it opens about 40mins to an hour after the rest of the Magic Kingdom. We waited about 10 minutes, and we were some of the first people let into Toon Town. We ran to the tent and waited on line. We had a 10 minute wait, but we knew that if we wanted to meet the fairies we had to get there early. The sad part is, during this time, the princess line had only 3 people on it!
Meeting Tinker Bell & the Fairies
What I like about the Toon Town meet and greet is that you get to spend your own personal time with the characters. You enter the room with the characters while the other families wait. It’s one family at a time, and I really like that.
The first fairy to greet us was Iradessa who was hiding behind a tree. She jumped out and yelled “Hello Mainlanders!”. The she asked us where we were from and if we were fairies. She asked my sister if she was a garden fairy like Rosetta, but my sister didn’t realize what Iradessa meant. You see, my sister’s hair color is a dark red just like Rosetta. My sister told Iradessa she wasn’t a fairy, and then Iradessa turned to me. She wanted to know if my sister and I were a couple. I was like, No, we’re siblings. She then asked if I protect my sister. So I said yes. She asked me to do a muscle pose, and then told me I should do more sit ups, lol. She then asked me what I would use to protect my sister. She asked if I had a sword or a pot, and then my cell phone vibrated. So I said, “I have a cell phone”. She said, “A cell phone! Oh well, I guess that will do”. She was very sweet and pretty, and totally in character.
Tinker Bell was next. She was all excited to see mainlanders. She asked where we were from. When I told her New York she went, “where’s that”. So I told her it’s across the ocean from London, the place where Wendy lives. Tinker Bell then started to talk about how she didn’t like Wedny, and she would much rather if Peter Pan didn’t visit her.
Silvermist, the water fairy was the third and final fairy we saw. The first thing she said was, “oh, someone smells nice”. So I told her it was me, and she sniffed me =). Se asked what I was wearing, where I got it, and if it was some type of fancy water. I told her I purchased it at Abercrombie, but they didn’t have any water there. She was disappointed that the store had no water in it for her.
You can see video of all of this by scrolling down to the end of the report.
Meeting the Princesses
After we saw the fairies, we looped around and went on to the Princess line. We walked right through with no wait.
Cinderella approached us first. When she heard that we were from New York she asked if we knew Giselle. You see, Giselle and Cinderella are very good friends and Cinderella loves the stories that Giselle tells her about New York.
The beautiful Princess Belle was next. This Belle was the REAL DEAL. She was so in character, it wouldn’t surprise me if she went home thinking she was Belle. I was enamored by her. She was so pretty and sweet. I asked her what her favorite story was, and she told me it was ‘Sleeping Beauty’. She also loves talking with Aurora about the story because she loves it so much. Belle said that the story of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ had everything she looks for. She went on saying “far off places, daring swordfights….” Then I started to join her and say “…magic spells, a prince in disguise”. Belle laughed and said “oh I see you know my story quite well”. I really enjoyed spending time with Belle. She was truly one of the best, genuine cast members I’ve ever met.
My love, Princess Aurora was next. Anyone that knows me knows how in love I am with Aurora. I love her so much it’s borderline psychotic! The first thing I told her was, “you have no idea how much I love you”. She smiled and offered me a hug. I got hugged by Princess Aurora! Love it! She asked if this was our first time at WDW. I told her no. She said, “oh then perhaps we’ve met before. Once upon…”, and then I finished off with “…a dream”. She laughed, and we posed for a picture.
You can see video of all of this by scrolling down to the end of the report.
Four Parks, One World
I’ve lost track of all the trips my family and I have taken to WDW. If possible I would never leave, unfortunately there’s a little thing called reality.
The Walt Disney World Resort is divided into four theme parks:
- The Magic Kingdom
- Epcot
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
When we travel we don’t do one park a day. Instead we constantly park hop. Sometimes we even visit all four parks in one day. The majority of this trip was spent at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The Animal Kingdom and Epcot, while beautiful, do not have a lot to keep us there more than a few hours.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
We only visited this park once out of our entire week there, and we only spent a few hours there. We were planning to go back later on in the week but just never did. Which is a shame. The one thing we rode was Expedition Everest. I love coasters! Everest is one of the greatest rides on property. The themeing is like no other. That is what I love about Disney; they go above and beyond to transport you into an entire new world. We also took some time to just walk around the park that day. The entire theme park is so beautifully themed. I love just walking around and taking in all the detail.
We were planning to return to the Animal Kingdom one afternoon to watch ‘Festival of the Lion King’, visit ‘Dino-rama’, ride ‘Dinosaur’ and meet some characters, but we just never ended up going back.
Part 2 is coming Tomorrow, with videos over the Weekend
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Every summer, around this time, I always post an in-depth trip review with tons of pictures and a few videos from my trip to WDW. This year will be no different.
My family and I will be taking our annual summer trip to the Walt Disney World resort from Sunday August 9, 2009 through Sundy August 16, 2009.
I am very excited; I always feel like a two year old right before I leave. I can hardly contain my excitement. We will be staying for a week at the Grand Floridian Resort (like we always do...mothers
)This year, instead of just posting an in-depth text report, I plan on filming my entire experience. From every character interaction, to every magical moment. I realized, after I posted my report last year, that a lot of people were really interested in how I interacted with the characters. So this year, I plan to get it all on film.
I'll also be posting videos and pictures from the various parades and shows. You can see some of my other park video on my site (look in my signature) I will also be typing another detailed trip report like I do every year.
Does anyone have any video or photo requests?
