So guess what's next? My family came down to visit me! Jonathan wanted to look at some colleges down in Florida so that gave them the perfect excuse to spend a few days in Disney!
I worked all day the day they arrived. When they finally got to Disney and checked in, I didn't have to go far because we were all staying at Coronado! It was Dad and Jonathan's first time!
We went to Portobello for dinner that night which was a first for all of us! I had really been meaning to try it so I'm glad we got to! Everyone was a fan.
Finally my spaghetti craving had been fulfilled!
For dessert I got a cake called the Chocolate Paradise which was incredible. It was chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and toffee.
I love my family.
After dinner, Miranda met up with me because we went to go see Monsters University! It was officially coming out tomorrow but the AMC movie theater had a showing of it tonight! We were both dressed for the occasion.
We went into the theater and it was PACKED. We had to sit in the back row of the front section which actually ended up being a pretty good spot. The funniest part about this experience was that the entire theater was full of CP's. So basically during the previews and during the entire movie, the theater was just ROARING with laughter and reactions. Miranda and I were cracking up.
The short before it with the umbrellas was ADORABLE. Between this and Paperman... I don't know how much cuter these shorts can be.
I LOVED this movie. It was from a totally different perspective than I thought it would be and I was pleasantly surprised. The lesson of friendship and hard work were spot on and you could really relate it to real life. (especially if you're a college student!) I was laughing SO much. A movie hasn't made me that happy in SO long and once it ended I already wanted to see it again!
The next day I spent the majority of the day just chilling out at Coronado. My parents and brother went to go look at colleges, so since I had the day off I really just wanted to relax around the resort and go to the pool.
Here's the view from our room!
The hammocks are probably one of the best parts of Coronado!
Then when they came back that night we went to Turf Club for dinner!
All Natural Lemonade with Wildberry Foam is my favorite.
Prime Rib:
So then the next day I had to work but then Mom, Jonathan, and I went to Maya Grill for dinner! I'm glad I finally went there because it was REALLY good.
This is called the Three Amigos. LOVED IT. Devoured it.
Fried Ice Cream:
Then on their last night we went to Via Napoli which is Jonathan and Dad's favorite! They always ask to go there every time they come to Disney.
We each had a table service dining credit to use (plus one extra!) so we just decided to get one of every dessert on the menu!
Gelato Frizzante:
Ugly But Good:
Tiramasu:
Zeppoles:
Pistachio Gelato:
We took some pictures out in Italy since the park was pretty much empty by the time we got out of dinner!
My family left the next day, and after work I met up with my friend Rachelle at Epcot and we used up the remainder of the quick services and snacks from our dining plan!
I got some chicken teriyaki in Japan:
Strawberry Ice Cream:
Then we went over to Sunshine Seasons. DESSERTS FOR DAYS!
On June 25h, Sergio and I decided to knock something off both of our bucket lists. We grabbed the hidden mickey guidebook and went to Magic Kingdom! We were on a search!
I'll post pictures of my favorite ones that we found!
This one is from the Emporium - my hint is to look at the men's ears!
A window in Agrabah!
WE FOUND MICKEY.
Hidden Oswald!
Hidden Sorcerer Mickey!
This looks familiar, doesn't it? Remember a little place called Toontown? Look up when you're in the gift shop directly after meeting the Mouse!
Train tickets!
Look at that lock!
Adventureland is full of priceless jewels!
The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse!
This was probably one of our favorites! It's worked right into the bench!
It seems as though Peter is floating right over a Mickey shaped cloud!
During this whole process I realized that Pecos Bill had a new menu with SWEET POTATO FRIES. So I got those and some ribs for dinner. (It's a HUGE portion!!)
The PeopleMover is a must... especially with views like this!
Her belt is VERY interesting....!
Mickey's Star Traders had seven Hidden Mickey's in the wall mural! You'll have to go there to find the rest!
Tomorrowland details!
So many details worked into the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pool queue!
In Memory of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea...
And lastly, to switch things up, I will leave you with a hidden MOLE!
This morning I got up and got all of my stuff ready to go to the beach! Lindsay, Alex, and I were going on a little road trip today!
We all left around 12 pm for Cocoa Beach! It was about an hour away from our apartments but it was such a GORGEOUS drive. Florida truly is beautiful! (especially when you're spending your time looking at it from and air conditioned car!) We spent the entire time just chatting and listening to the radio! I heard this song on the radio that I fell in love with on the way called "Bruises" by Train and Ashley Monroe. Look it up! It's such a cute song and I got super obsessed with it.
On our drive there it was raining on and off. It was sunny for the first huge stretch and then there was a DOWN POUR. However, we decided if it was really bad, we would still dance in the rain (again) and make the best of our day!
We arrived at Cocoa Beach and I really had no idea where to park. But we found this lot that only cost $5 to park and it was pretty darn close to the beach! So we went there and it ended up being a really good spot.
By the time we arrived we were all getting really hungry, so our first order of business was to get some food. (especially since it was still raining a little bit) We ate at a place called Coconuts on the Beach and it was actually REALLY good!! What a find! The food was delicious! I got a grilled chicken sandwich with AMAZING sweet potato fries! I ate every bite - everything was so good!
Lindsay got a chicken Cesar wrap with sweet potato fries and Alex got a hawaiian style chicken burger with regular fries. Everything was delicious!!
We really took our time eating and chatting about life, and then we finally decided to go down to the beach! Lindsay, Alex, and I found spots on the beach and pretty much just went right in the ocean! The water was WARM (and very salty) and it was just beautiful! We're all little mermaids at heart so it was super fun to just relax and go swimming in the waves! They were so much fun. It's such a nice beach and the waves were a good size.
Lindsay and I brought Ariel towels because OBVIOUSLY.
We swam for a good long time and then spent some time sitting on the beach. We took some pictures and chatted all day long, because I mean... that's what girls do! It was just so fun!!
It felt good to go off property and do something new and different! Especially for the girls because they hadn't been to a beach for as long as they could remember! They don't live close to a beach at all since they are both from Utah!
During one of those conversations I just said "YOLO TO COCOA" and the name just stuck for the rest of the day!
Once they were done, we went to use the shower to rinse off. Then we stopped at a frozen yogurt place and got pineapple, raspberry, and guava smoothies! Yum. They were very delicious.
Then it was time to trek back to Patterson! The drive home seemed super quick and before we knew it, we were back. We all decided to take an hour to shower and clean off, and then we all went to walmart to do a little grocery shopping.
We went back to the apartment and then put everything away. Then I decided to go to the gym! Lindsay came with me for part of the time too. I walked on the treadmill and did a lot of other little exercises - it was SUCH a good workout. I haven't done that much exercise in a long time.
After that I pretty much laid in my bed and passed out from exhaustion. It was an awesome day!
I enjoyed your beach pics. My sister lives in Palm Bay and she takes me to Cocoa when I visit. Once I even still had sand in my shoes and clothes when I made it back to Kansas. Beach days are really special.
I loved seeing the Beast enjoy Splash Mountain! Cute photo.
And I liked imagining you and your friends watching the fireworks from the tree house. Doing things in a different way makes you feel more connected to that place. And who wouldn't want to be more connected to Magic Kingdom?!!
Thanks for the updates Princess Jess.
Once my shift ended at 7:30 I changed and went over to Studios to meet up with my friend Ryan! The first thing we did when we got to Studios was go to Rock N Roller Coaster! He got us some fastpasses earlier in the day so that was very much appreciated!
After that I needed to get some dinner! So I got a hot dog with mac and cheese and THE STRAWBERRY CUPCAKE!! What can I say, I like to eat.
So then we went on Tower of Terror! (Yes, immediately after my giant meal. LOL I can handle it.) Then Star Tours was our next ride! I seriously need to see Star Wars. It has to happen in my life very soon. Ryan was explaining to me which parts of the ride was from which corresponding Star Wars movie. It was starting to piece together in my mind! ...Kind of.
We took a little walk through streets of America after that and I showed Ryan where Mama Melrose is! He literally had no idea it was there. His mind was blown.
Then we decided to go to Fantasmic at 10:30!!!! YAYAYAY FANT IS MY FAVORITE!! The show was incredible and I just loved it!! I could seriously watch it every night. We had some pretty awesome seats!
Then after that we headed out of the park and headed home! I had to work early tomorrow but watching Fantasmic was so worth it.
Today I had my first day of training in Coronado's Coconino Cove Business Lounge.
After work I went home, took a nap, and then got ready to go to Magic Kingdom with Ryan. We both had the night off so it was time to take over another park!
We decided to go on Mansion and we got stopped SIX TIMES. SIX. Not only that, but literally we got stuck at the least interesting spots. We stared at a wall every single time. It was hilarious because if we were 6 cars back we would've gotten amazing views of the ballroom and the attic and the cemetery. But nope, we got to look at the black walls and hallways. It was so funny!
We walked through Frontierland and I pin traded with Duffy!! This bigger Duffy just started making pin trading appearances for the first time today, so I had to take a picture with him!! The cast member asked if he could take a picture of me too, which was pretty cool!
We went to Pecos Bill for dinner and both got burgers. YUMMY. I love burgers. And the sweet potato fries were delicious!
After we ate we did a new pirate adventure scavenger hunt in Adventurelandl! I've never done it so we had to do a map! We apparently got a really good one and it took us all over Adventureland to find the clues - near the tikis, near the gift shop, etc. It was fun!
Back to Fantasyland!
Then we went on Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean! Then we headed into Fantasyland and rode the Little Mermaid ride. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Seriously it's just one of my favorite things to do. We also looked in the Storybook Gifts!
The sunset was awesome tonight!
Then we met Goofy and Donald back in Storybook Circus. They're so great. Tomorrowland was after that where we went on Buzz Lightyear! I did absolutely AWFUL. I don't even know why!
Then we went on the PeopleMover, Buzz Lightyear, and Splash Mountain! There were no lines today and it was awesome!
We left the park a little after closing and I grabbed an iced mocha from Starbucks for tomorrow morning since I had to get up super early! It was a brilliant idea.
We took the monorail back to the TTC and then it was time for me to go to sleep! I had another early day tomorrow!
July 1st, 2013 - Fourth of July Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom!
July 1st was my second day of training in lounge, and then after work I changed and I went to Rix Lounge to see my friends Emma and Georgina before they headed off! Emma reads my trip report and they were staying at Coronado, so I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting them. We chatted for a good hour all about their trip, about England, about friends and life and a little bit of everything! I enjoyed their company so much and I'm just so glad that we actually got to meet! These girls are hilarious, they're lovely, and they have the greatest accents I have ever heard. I can't believe I have friends from England. That blows my mind.
That night Ryan and I decided to go to Magic Kingdom to see the first night of the 4th of July fireworks!
It was SUPER rainy that night, so Magic Kingdom was #PONCHONATION.
Alright, so at this point I am going to get the back story out of the way. This is Ryan. We have been friends since November 2011 when we met at my first college at a DCP information booth he was running. We've hung out/ran into each other in Disney a few times over the past two years. Ryan moved down to Orlando permanently in May during my DCP, so we met up and started hanging out for the remainder of my college program.
We were together from mid-July until the end of September and now we are back to just being friends.
Considering I did decide to finish the entirety of my trip report, I just wanted to brief you all now that this was the outcome of the situation. Ryan will still be included in some pictures and stories because, the fact of the matter is, we had an awesome summer! However, if you could all do me a favor and refrain from any comments regarding the relationship, that would be great.
Alright so now it's time to talk about the Magic Kingdom!
We had no idea why people were lining the streets in their ponchos, but apparently there was supposed to be some sort of dance performance happening soon. However, it got cancelled because of the rain. Nobody was surprised.
We ate at Pinocchio's for dinner! And then after that I'm pretty sure we went on PhilharMagic, which is my favorite thing in the world. I'm pretty sure we sang along to the whole entire thing.
Then it was time for the FIREWORKS!!!!!! They had 4th of July fireworks going all week because of Limited Time Magic and this was the first night! Good thing I brought my camera!
I loved the stars that were projected on the castle!!
After the fireworks, we rode Space Mountain and met Ariel! Then it was time to go back to Main Street USA. We were going to head out but I had to take some pictures first! Main Street was GLOWING after all of that rain.
I also noticed that the castle had awesome star projections on it, but before I got my camera out the projections all went away. So we decided to wait it out until the stars came back. It took a while but it was WORTH IT!
July 2nd, 2013 - Epcot Character Hunting with Lindsay!
This morning my alarm went off at 9 and I turned it off.. And I ended up sleeping solidly until 10 o'clock. Oh my gosh I felt so bad because Lindsay and I had to go character hunting!! Time to go, time to go!
We drove to Epcot to begin our character hunting day! Of course the first thing I did was check out the pins with the pin traders in front of the pin central. I wasn't going to trade but I saw a pin with Chip n Dale in the MONORAIL. I saw a few others that I liked, too. GAHH PINS.
Then Lindsay and I went into mouse gear and I bought the same journal Mark did for an autograph book and then I bought some more pins to trade. I went back to pin central and traded for a Jasmine pin and a Philharmagic pin. YES YES YES.
So then from there we went to La Cantina for lunch! I got Empanadas and they were AMAZING! But I forgot to take a food picture because I was so dang excited. Sigh.
Then we started on our character hunt! We walked through all of the countries and then ended up in Morocco. We got there 2 minutes before Aladdin and Jasmine came out but it started lightning and pouring and they would not be visiting. The character attendant told us we could hang out inside there to take shelter, so that's what we did!
#STUCKINAGRABAH2013!! I just got to sing along with the Aladdin soundtrack. Life was good.
Instead of meeting Aladdin and Jasmine, we just met each other.
We stayed in there for a good long time and then we walked over to France! Belle was meeting today and she was the whole reason we came to Epcot!!
She was in her rain location which was inside Impressions de France. She was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Oh my goodness it was so wonderful to see her. I was so happy. We all had so much to talk about and we took such cute pictures together!
Then we went back to Morocco and got in line for Aladdin and jasmine again! They were coming back out soon and we ended up being the 3rd or 4th family in line. It was perfect!!
They were really sweet and I loved meeting them!
So then we got gelato. We both tried the profiterole gelato which was SO GOOD! Oh my God! What an amazing addition to this pavilion. We ate inside the French bakery and then continued on our way.
Then we went to the UK and Mary Poppins was greeting in her rain location - the gift shop! She was FUNNY.
She asked us where we were from and we said that we were roommates. And she asked where our apartments were and when we told her she was like "oh the royal palace of Patterson Court!" YES. And then when I put my autograph book down she was like "good idea, books don't tend to smile in pictures!"
Then we met Pooh and Tigger before leaving the UK! I LOVE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN'S ROOM.
Our last character of the day was Duffy! Lindsay never met him before and he was just so cuddly and cute! I'm glad he was still meeting even though it was rainy!
Then I had to head to work for the rest of the night and got trained in the lounge in the afternoon. When I went home after work, I cleaned for our inspection and then Lindsay helped me work on Mark's birthday present!
July 3rd was a work day so we will skip to the 4th!
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYBODY! By some MIRACLE I got this holiday off. I have no idea how it happened but I am so incredibly thankful because it was one of the best days of my entire program! Get ready for a jam packed day!
I got up and got ready. I decided to wear my Prince Eric Magical Ribbon today because IT'S PERFECT FOR FOURTH OF JULY!!
I met Ryan at Epcot around 10:20-10:30ish. We were ready for our big day off! The first thing we did was go to Sunshine Seasons so Ryan could get some breakfast! He ate that and we chatted, and then we headed to the American Adventure to get in line for Chip and Dale in their patriotic costumes!
The line was already INSANELY long but they gave us little American quizzes to do for prizes consisting of caramel, a certificate, and mickey stickers! While we were in line I had one of my instagram followers come up and say hello, and I found out that the girl standing next to me in line does a bit of Disney/Star Wars blogging as well!
The line for Chip and Dale took at least an hour, and we definitely got there at least half an hour before they even came out. The sun was just BEATING down on us. Ah well, it was totally worth it. Once we finally got up there, Chip and Dale were ADORABLE. I was so happy we got to meet them!!
Right after our greet, the Fourth of July show was going on so we went over to go watch it at the American Garden's Theater. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were coming out in their patriotic gear for the finale and they were ADORABLE.
The show itself was completely mind blowing. I don't think I have ever seen something more well done. The Voices of Liberty were singing and I was in complete awe. Holy cow. And then Mickey, Donald, and Goofy went onstage and it was just so moving and so perfect. Phenomenal job, American Adventure. I am proud to be an American!
So next up was our venture to France where I got the most DELICIOUS ham and cheese croissant. I want it again, it was SO amazing. On top they had the cheese that they definitely use in the macaroni and cheese at Chefs de France so I was just in heaven.
We went over to see Aladdin and Jasmine next! We got there a little bit before and lined up in the room. But when they walked into the room I FREAKED OUT. Like worse than a five year old. I was like "OH MY GOD IT'S ALADDIN. OH MY GOD!!!!!!" I couldn't have been happier, really. I was jumping up and down during the entire wait.
Once we finally got up there, Aladdin and Jasmine welcomed us right into Agrabah! Right when I walked up, Aladdin told Jasmine "hey Jasmine, she looks like she could be your sister." GUYS. WHAT. And Jasmine was like "are you an Arabian princess too!?" Yes Jasmine, in my heart I am.
They had me pose with Aladdin and Ryan pose with Jasmine and it was AWESOME. Ahh I love meeting them so much!!!
Once that greet ended I was literally just skipping through World Showcase because I was SO excited. I absolutely love meeting Aladdin and Jasmine more than words can describe. It's hard to explain the adrenaline rush I get when I meet them... but ask anyone who has met them with me. It really happens. (It's the same with Pluto. Just saying.)
Ryan and I walked back through World Showcase going the France way. We stopped in the UK and listened to the band play for a little bit. We also looked in the gift shop!
Then we continued on and looped over to Mexico! We were going to pass through, but it started raining so we ducked inside the pavilion and went on the Three Caballeros ride! It was great. The Mexican pavilion at Epcot is my second home because it's pretty much Coronado Springs' twin.
Then we went to Norway and went on THE MAELSTROM. Ryan and I both really know how to appreciate the Maelstrom, so it was very enjoyable to go on with a fellow fan.
After NORVAY we continued on through the countries. We went to Italy and had a little photo shoot. Ryan is really into photography just like I am (especially Disney photography!) so he had a cool angle in mind in Italy. Here are the results:
Not too shabby!
When we got back into AMURICA we got some American Dreams! Perfectly appropriate and delicious for Fourth of July!
We walked through the rest of the countries and then went back to Future World! I really wanted to ride Nemo so that's what we did! We also went and looked at the aquariums. I LOVE the aquariums! We saw a dolphin swim right up against the glass and it was so cool! Dolphins are my favorite animal.
Then we went into MouseGear to look for a Peter Pan mug that I told Ryan about! OF COURSE since the mugs were brand new and so incredibly adorable, they were gone. The only ones they had left from that set were the "Be Our Guest" ones. Oh well. We stayed and looked around at a bunch of other stuff anyway.
Then we decided to go to the Beach Club! It was a nice little break in the middle of the day so we could take a leisurely stroll around. We went into the lobby, smelled the lobby, and looked at the pins in the pin books.
Then we went over to the YaCHt Club! My friend Primo from college works at Y&B and we saw him working front desk at the Yacht Club! It was awesome to see him! I congratulated him on his recent engagement with my friend Keirsten and we chatted about Disney life for a little bit! Afterwards we went into the gift shop and Ryan found the Peter Pan mug! We didn't even expect to see it there! I also found a YACHT CLUB WATER BOTTLE. This resort specific merch is killing me, I love it SO MUCH.
While we were at the Yacht Club Ryan and I both realized that we were starving so we walked over to the Boardwalk and got ourselves some pizza from the Boardwalk pizza window! It was delicious. We sat there for a good long while - we needed a break after our big and crazy day! We sat there scrolling through my instagram for quite a long time.
We took a few pictures after that with the Yacht Club in the background! THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.
Once we were done with that, headed back to the Epcot parking lot.
On the way out I got distracted by the pin people.
Action shot.
I traded for a SPECTROMAGIC PIN. Yes, my life is magical.
Goodbye Epcot!
Then we both drove over to Hollywood Studios! I almost went the wrong way and got myself lost but NO WORRIES. At the last minute I decided to take the right road. Ahh the life of a directionally challenged human being in Disney. It's an adventure alright. Some days more than others, but I digress.
Guess what the first thing we did was? EAT. Obviously. We went to Pizza Planet and actually split ANOTHER pizza because we were still hungry. It was DELICIOUS.
But the main reason we were there was because of the Apple Pie cupcake that they had for Fourth of July week. This cupcake was GOOD. It was the perfect cupcake texture and flavor and the frosting was light and delicious. Then the filling itself was the PERFECT apple pie resemblance. I never thought about the possibility of an apple pie cupcake but that was it!!
When we finished up eating, we decided to do the animation drawing class! We got there in time for the 9:30 class and we drew Grumpy! I was pretty happy with the way mine came out. I really liked his eyes for some reason.
Then after that we booked it over to try and find a spot for the fireworks! I really wanted to do fireworks at Hollywood Studios for 4th of July because I have NEVER seen fireworks there before! They only have them on major holidays and since this is my last major holiday on my CP I figured this would be awesome!
Boy, was I RIGHT. I was so right. First off, the fireworks are set off to LIVE MUSIC. Live. Not prerecorded whatsoever.
Not only that, but the people playing the music were Mulch, Sweat, and Shears. So basically, that's a MAJOR win. Oh my goodness. They were absolutely phenomenal.
The music was a bunch of classic songs all mashed together and the fireworks were going non-stop! They were so good. Oh my GOODNESS.
Right before the finale, MM&S was like, "HERE'S WHERE IT GETS EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!" Best introduction to a finale EVER.
So after my mind was blown, Ryan and I RAN over to Sunset Boulevard. Our first order of business was Tower of Terror! The line wasn't all too bad at all and we had SO MUCH FUN. Sammie Jo loaded our elevator which was really cool! I haven't ever seen her in that position before and it was pretty funny that she had my specific elevator!
Ryan told me to look up while we were riding and it literally intensified Tower of Terror by SO MUCH. It was so scary! But now I want to do that all the time. What can I say, I'm apparently an adrenaline junkie.
Sleeeeeping picture!
When we got off of that and went over to TOY STORY MANIA. I ended up doing pretty well! It had been a while since I went on that ride!
LOVE THE STUDIOS.
Then we went back to Tower of Terror and the couple in front of us asked us if we wanted some fastpasses! Umm... YES. YES WE DO. Then when we got into the lobby they asked us if we wanted ANOTHER set because they were given so many extras by a cast member that they weren't going to use. YES YES AND YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
We went on Tower twice in a row and it was equally awesome both times. The second time there was this girl who was TERRIFIED to go on the ride. Like, we were just watching her and being like "oh no... this is gonna be bad..." So the ride happened and it was CRAZY and I was so worried about her the whole time. And then right at the end we heard her say "that.... was.... AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" We DIED laughing. It was so funny.
Looking up!
Thumbs up!
So anyways, after that it was about time to get going. We had such an incredible day. We left the park a little after 12 but I was stuck in traffic for such a long time. I finally got home after one and fell asleep by 2!
July 5th, 2013 - Princess Breakfast with Victoria!
This morning I got up, got ready, and headed over to Epcot AGAIN. But this time I was meeting up with my lovely friend Victoria! We planned MONTHS ago to have a princess meal together however we had to cancel it for one reason or another. However, Victoria was on her way to Daytona this morning and was passing by Disney on her way, so this morning would be the perfect one to get together!
I met her and her Mom at Epcot and we walked to World Showcase! Victoria's Mom went to do some exploring on her own and we lined up for our 11 am reservation. Unfortunately we had about a 20 minute wait standing in the sun, but we didn't mind too much because PRINCESSES!!!
Bell was lovely and she was so excited to welcome us to Akershus!
We were brought into the main room and we were seated right near the buffet. LIFE WAS GOOD. Our server's name was Daniel and he was so sweet! He took really good care of us and the chef also came out to talk to Victoria about her sesame allergy. The service was really fantastic this morning. Also, we always found people to take pictures for us! The chef offered, people from other tables offered, and the character attendants offered as well! It was so nice!
Our first character was Aurora and she was SO sweet. She loved Victoria's crown because of course it was an Aurora inspired crown!
Our second character was Cinderella and she met us right before the princess procession! She was SO sweet and I was so happy to meet her. Seriously, what an angel.
After we met her we went up to the buffet. Everything tasted so GOOD. I had a cherry danish, a croissant, and a cinnamon roll that were all perfectly fresh and wonderful. Then I had strawberries and blackberries that were the exact PERFECT ripeness. There was also strawberry yogurt that I loved!
Ariel came to our table next and she was so CUTE. She's one of the cutest and bubbliest people I have ever met! She made so many cute mermaid puns.. AH she was great!
Our last visitor was Snow and she was wonderful as well! It is always so much fun to meet the princesses. It's my favorite thing to do!!
They brought us the platter of hot breakfast foods too - potato casserole, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs. Everything was AMAZING and the potato casserole was my and Victoria's favorite!
Victoria also asked if they had any mickey waffles and they made them special just for us! We each got two and they were literally PERFECT. You could tell how fresh they were. They were so light and fluffy! And the syrup they gave us was the really good syrup.
We took a few last pictures inside of the restaurant!
Once we finished our meal, it was time to go! However, it was DOWN POURING. Once the rain let up for a little bit, we ran across the path to the gift shop to meet up with Victoria's Mom! They both bought ponchos because they didn't want to be soaked for their ride to Daytona, and then we headed towards the park exit!
I said goodbye to both of them and then headed on my way back to Character Spot!
Pluto was super spunky today and freaked out when I told him he was my favorite! God, I just love him so much!!!
I love Minnie!
After that, Chip and Dale were in their rain location right at the end of Character Spot! HOW CONVENIENT!
Then I made the trek over to Morocco to meet Aladdin and Jasmine AGAIN. Guys, this is the third time in the past four days. I have a problem, I know.
After I met them, I finished off the full loop of the World Showcase and headed back to Future World. I thought about meeting Donald in Mexico and Duffy, but the lines were a little bit too long and I would've cut it pretty close to work. So I got myself a water because the heat was intense and I made it back to the car.
I worked for the rest of the day and then went home. I fell asleep a little after 11 pm tonight which is really pretty early for me! I was so tired!!
July 6th, 2013 - Magic Kingdom. All Day Every Day.
I got up at 7:45 am today and got ready to go to the Magic Kingdom! I had some characters to meet and some pictures that needed to be taken! All week I was working on Mark's birthday present and that's why I was meeting so many characters.
Ryan met me at the TTC and we took the ferry boat over to the park. (the monorail line was terrifying) The good thing about the ferry is that I got to see the gorgeous progress of the Grand DVC Villas. WOW they are going to be insanely beautiful!!
We got to Magic Kingdom and the first thing we did was go right to Frontierland to meet Woody and Jessie! The two of them were REALLY cute. Woody was making fun of Jessie because he had to hang out with her all day and she talks too much. LOL. This was the first time I met them in this greeting area and they were adorable!
Peter Pan was coming out at 11 am so we were second in line to meet him! Ryan LOVES Peter Pan. It's his absolute favorite. So it was like a celebrity sighting for him. Peter Pan is to him as Aladdin and Jasmine and Pluto are to me.
After our group photo, we took a funny faces photo. It is WAY too much fun to play with Peter Pan!
So then Ryan and I were both STARVING so we went to Tortuga Tavern we went! We both got burritos and they were delicious. I'm glad it was open!
Then we went to Town Square Theater and met all of our princess friends!
Once we finished, we were off on our next mission! We went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!! I requested the back and they gave it to us which was PERFECT! So we looked out the back of the train and it was so fun!!
Then our next ride was Splash Mountain! Thankfully we were sitting in the back so I didn't get too wet, which is good because I had to get to work in a little bit.
We met Tiana in Liberty Square next!
Then we walked to Fantasyland and I got the 4th of July limited time magic strawberry shortcake ice cream sundae! It was delicious and it was HUGE. We stopped in front of Winnie the Pooh and just ate it there because there were no tables, but it was super good! It had shortcake, blueberries, strawberries, ice cream, whipped cream, and red white and blue sprinkles! How patriotic!
Once I finished eating, we went on the PeopleMover before it was time to go! We took the monorail back to the TTC. WE LOVE THE MONORAIL. Then we took the tram back to the Simba parking lot, said goodbye, and I went to work! I was in the lounge tonight.
When I got home, I pretty much got ready for tomorrow and fell asleep right away.
July 7th, 2013 - Magic Kingdom. All Day Every Day.
I worked from 6:45 am - 1:15 pm today. After work, for some reason I felt the need to be productive. I went home, threw my laundry in, and then I went to Publix so I could go grocery shopping. I did that, switched out my laundry, then took a shower and got ready. Then I went and got my laundry and folded ALL OF IT before heading out! Dang, I'm good.
I met Ryan over at Downtown Disney! I hadn't been there in a while so that's where we decided to go tonight! The first thing we did was get some Ghiradelli's chocolate. YUM AND YUM. They gave us dark chocolate with caramel and I loved it!
Then we went into the pin store and looked around there! Then we went into Art of Disney and literally stayed there for like half an hour. We spent a long time staring at the Thomas Kinkade pictures so we could find all of the little Disney characters that are hidden in them. Oh my goodness it was so cool! I didn't even know they existed as part of the paintings! You learn something new every day.
Then we went through World of Disney and wandered around a little bit. Then I was hungry (major surprise, I know) so we went to Wolfgang Puck Express and I got my mac and cheese. It was SUCH a good batch and I ate the entire thing. No one was mad at all.
I was so tired from getting up so early that Ryan was like "we should just go to Starbucks and get you a coffee." So that's what we did. Brilliant idea.
We went straight to Starbucks at Magic Kingdom and I got my iced mocha! It definitely did the job and woke me up, so that's all I cared about!
We walked towards the castle with our coffees and had a little photo shoot. Everything is so beautiful at Disney. It's so much fun to try and capture it in different perspectives!
FRUMP CAM.
Then we went through the castle and went on some rides. We did Little Mermaid, Pirates, and Mansion. Maybe a few others... I'm not really sure. We usually do the same things every day so I figure that's a pretty good guess!
We even found the hidden Steamboat Willie! It's super hard to spot but this is a picture of it!
Journey of the Little Mermaid is one of my favorite things in the world.
A little bit before park closing we started heading out because of the whole tiredness factor. As we were leaving the last night of the 4th of July fireworks were going off!
July 8th, 2013 (Part 1) - The Day in Which Our Lives Were Perfect.
Today was my day off and I woke up not having any plans. I knew Lindsay had the day off today too so I went over to her room and asked her if she wanted to join me in finishing off Mark's birthday present! She said yes, and little did we know how much fun was in store for us that day!
We got ready, hopped in the car, and pumped up the Disney Mania Jams. AWW YEAH. Then we arrived at our destination - Epcot! We got inside the park and Lindsay realized that she left her blue ID in the car! So I went ahead and got in the super long line for Goofy while she grabbed it.
I literally met Goofy only a few minutes before she got back but it was worth saving the time. He was adorable and he was so excited to help be apart of Mark's birthday present!
I got lots of hugs and we took a few photos, and then I waited for Lindsay by his exit. Then we headed into the park!
It was SO incredibly hot out today but we saw something REALLY random - Pinocchio was greeting right by the Fountain of Nations! YAY!!! We got right in line and got our picture with him! He was so cute and little!
Then we went into Character Spot since we were right there. I love how I had NEVER been in here before and then within the past week I went there three times. It's fine.
We met Mickey first and it was Lindsay's FIRST TIME meeting Mickey. The girl has been here since JANUARY and she hasn't met the boss man yet! I don't get it. She's crazy! It was magical, though. She was so excited.
God, I just love Pluto. He's so darn CUTE!
Minnie was last!
Then we met Duffy. OH DUFFY!!!!
The character attendant there, I believe his name was David, literally made our entire experience. He usually works over at another park but today he was with Duffy, and geez, this guy was magical. He LOVED me and Lindsay.
He thought my idea of Duffy holding up the "D" for Mark's birthday present was absolutely adorable. The picture came out AMAZING, too. It's probably my favorite one and I'm actually going to post it because I love it so much.
Then David let us have a little photo shoot with the Duff. OH MY GOD. He just kept giving us poses and just milking the whole experience. I loved him. Lindsay and I left there SO happy. That made my entire day.
Bear kisses!
"Now pop the foot!"
Work it, girl.
Then we walked over to Mexico and met Donald Duck in his sombrero!
Then we something that I have never done before - we took the ferry boat from the start of World Showcase over to Morocco! It was really cool and a REALLY good option because the heat was unbearable that day. While we were on the boat I was on the line with the dining reservation system setting up a special dinner reservation for tonight! I was so excited!!!!!!!
Once we got to Morocco we walked over to France so we could get some lunch! Lindsay and I both got the ham and cheese croissants, aka my new favorite food. Seriously guys, why did I not know that this existed sooner? SO GOOD.
Alice was next and she was just lovely!
I also met one of my followers, Rachel! We ran into each other in the UK. She was so sweet and I'm so glad she said hi!
Once we finished up there, it was time to head on over to Studios! We had two very crucial characters to meet for this birthday project - RALPH AND VANELLOPE! They were crazy!
Then we impulsively decided to meet Frozone and Mr. Incredible! Oh man, they were FUN. They both signed our books and then Frozone posed us all as super heroes. It was AWESOME.
Also, I traded for a Year of a Million Dreams pin with their character attendant. IT'S FINE.
July 8th, 2013 (Part 2) - The Day in Which Our Lives Were Perfect.
After that it was time for the Magic Kingdom!! We listened to A*Teens and Disney Mania all the way there and then we parked in the Aladdin parking lot! BEST DAY EVER GUYS.
We went into the park and the first thing we did was get princess fastpasses! Then we went to our dinner destination - THE CRYSTAL PALACE!!!
I haven't been to Crystal Palace for any meal besides breakfast in ages and Lindsay had never been there, so it was the perfect choice for us tonight! We had been trying to find a night to go to Crystal Palace together for weeks and tonight was finally the night!!
Our reservation was at 5:05 pm and we were seated on the left side of the restaurant! I ordered some lemonade and water to start - I was SO THIRSTY. The heat was intense that day.
We went right up to the buffet and I was READY guys. So ready. I got mac and cheese, corn dog nuggets, (YES THEY HAVE THEM AND THEY'RE UNLIMITED) penne pasta with meatballs, mashed potatoes, meat, etc. It was an AMAZING plate of AMAZING food and I was so happy about it. I needed to stuff my face because I was starving at that point.
Eeyore came to visit us first and he was adorable and oh so gloomy! Ahh he gave great hugs!
Pooh Bear was next and he was THE BEST. Oh my goodness. We got some adorable standard pictures...
But then we got to take a kisses picture! WHAT A LADIES MAN!
Piglet was our third character and he was precious.
I got dessert during the parade and I got vanilla ice cream with sprinkles, chocolate cake, (aka THE BEST. I was channeling my inner Michelle Tanner. "Sarah are you really going to eat ALL of that chocolate cake?!" Oh yeah. That happened) some bread pudding (which I didn't even end up eating), and something else. Everything was SO YUMMY.
Tigger was our last visitor of the night and I just love him so much!!!
Once we finished, we booked it down Main Street!
We got in line to meet the princesses! They were all very lovely!
Tiana and Naveen were next. HEY Y'ALL!
Then we just HAD to meet Ariel. Because, you know, I was with Lindsay and we are both in love with Little Mermaid. We grabbed fastpasses for the ride and then we went to wait for her. The line only took around 30 or 40 minutes and then soon enough we were in the grotto! She was absolutely ADORABLE and completely bubbly! Oh I love her so much!! She was so excited to meet us!
Then we went on the ride, which is my obsession. I just love it so much and it never gets old!
July 8th, 2013 (Part 3) - The Day in Which Our Lives Were Perfect.
UNDER DA SEA!
I want her wedding dress SO bad.
By that point, WISHES WAS GOING ON.
We left our little spot after the show and had a mini photoshoot with the castle at night. SO PRETTY. SO BEYOND PRETTY IN EVERY WAY EVER.
Once we made our way out of there, it was back to Adventureland we went! We NEEDED to meet Tinkerbell because she was the last piece to Mark's birthday present!
Thank goodness there wasn't a line this time so we were able to get right in! We met Vidia first. She just can't STAND Tink's peppy nature. It's SO funny. Her sass level is just perfect.
We met Tink second and she was all sparkly and adorable. She rambled on and on and on and it was perfect. She said "next time you see Vidia you're going to have to give her a big hug so you can see her hug face!" Needless to say, Vidia doesn't really like hugs.
We forgot to get Vidia's autograph so we had to interrupt her very in depth conversation with a snail. She literally was sitting on the floor talking to the snail for like FIVE minutes. It was absolutely HILARIOUS. Tink was making fun of her and it was just so funny. Also, right before we left Tink got a little girl to hug Vidia so we could see her hug face. SO PERFECT.
So then we left and Lindsay and I had the same exact idea - DOLE WHIPS. I got the best dole whip of my life. I got the float with the twist ice cream, as per usual, but they put it in a GIANT extra large cup. Oh, I was in heaven. SO MUCH YUM.
We walked to Main Street and then watched Celebrate the Magic while eating Dole Whips. Perfection. Seriously, it was the perfect day.
We had a MAJOR 90's jam session on the way home. Oh my goodness, it was so much fun. We were just loving life so much.
We got back and I just CRASHED. That was one of the best days ever!!!
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Also, as a side-note I just wanted to post the outcome of Mark's birthday present! I drew and colored all of the character inspired letters and then went all over at got the characters to hold them up during those insane character hunts! By the end, I had enough character pictures to spell out "Happy Birthday Mark!" Then I put them all together, got it printed out, framed it, and gave it to him for his birthday! He loved it.
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Tink was making fun of her and it was just so funny. Also, right before we left Tink got a little girl to hug Vidia so we could see her hug face. SO PERFECT.
