Taking A First Timer To Walt Disney World! Dec. 29, 2017-Jan. 6, 2018! *COMPLETED 4/8/18*

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 7: EPCOT!​

Welcome to day 7 of our trip to Walt Disney World!

We would begin our day by taking our luggage to Bell Services since my friend and I were transferring to Caribbean Beach Resort on this day.

After dropping off our luggage, we would make our way to EPCOT!

We would start our day by going to the Land Pavilion and going on Soarin Around the World.





Next, we would make our way to Norway to ride Frozen Ever After. It was a posted 60 minute wait, but we ended up waiting about 40 minutes.





Next, it was time for my friend to experience my least favorite attraction at Walt Disney World. That is Journey Into Imagination with Figment. We did have a fastpass for this attraction so it wasn’t that long of a wait. I rarely wait in the stand-by queue for this attraction. Before some of you get mad at me for not liking this attraction, I really like Figment. I just think Figment deserves a much better attraction.



We would then make our way to Living With the Land which is another attraction we had a fastpass for. This is actually one of my favorite attractions at Walt Disney World. It is just really unique.





My friend and I would then walk over to The Seas and walk around the aquariums.











We would then make our way to Mexico to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour.





I really like the Coco display they have in the pavilion.



We would then go see Reflections of China.



There is something I also noticed on this day that I found rather interesting. As we walked to each pavilion around World Showcase, there were at least 4-6 security officers standing out front of each pavilion. I don’t know what was going on, but I was a little freaked out since I had never seen that before.

It was time for our lunch reservation, and we were going to Teppan Edo in Japan! This is one of my favorite table service meals at Walt Disney World.



I like the show that the chefs do right in front of you.





I would get the chicken and shrimp combination. It was really good!!!



It was now time for my hours of listening to the Voices of Liberty. My friend would join me for a little bit, and would eventually go elsewhere.





My friend and I had a fastpass for Test Track, but we decided to leave EPCOT and experience something I have never done at Walt Disney World before.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 7: Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf!​

My friend and I would leave EPCOT out of the International Gateway exit and walk all the way past the Swan & Dolphin Resort. That is because we wanted to play some miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf!



This was a 15-20 minute walk from EPCOT, and that whole area around EPCOT is one of my favorite walks to do on property.

We would have to wait about 20 minutes due to the line waiting to start. Before we knew it though, we were playing miniature golf!





The first thing I realized about this miniature golf course is the story at each hole!

Hole #1!





Hole #2!





Hole #3!





Hole #4!





My friend and I playing miniature golf.



Hole #5!





Hole #6!





Hole #7!







More miniature golf in the next post.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 7: Mini Golf (cont.) and Fantasmic Again!​

We were almost half way through, and I think my friend was just beating me. Would I catch up? Keep reading to find out.

Hole #8!







Hole #9!





Hole #10!





Hole #11!





Hole #12!





Hole #13!





Hole #14!





Hole #15!





Hole #16!





Hole #17!





Hole #18!





So, my friend would beat me.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this miniature golf course a lot. As a musician, I liked all of the music touches that they had around the course. I also thought the theming was awesome. I highly recommend giving miniature golf a try especially if you would like a midday break from EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

So, my friend and I made a decision to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The next thing we did might surprise you especially if you know me well.

We were off to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

My friend and I decided that we would see Fantasmic…AGAIN! If you know me well, you know how much I like to criticize this show. Anyways, I would enjoy it a 2nd time especially since we were able to get a fastpass for it.





The last thing that my friend and I would do today is see One Man’s Dream one more time. I really like the film they have on Walt Disney, and I really wish Disney wouldn’t change it out for movie previews.



So, since my friend and I changed resorts on this day, we would make our way to the Caribbean Beach Resort bus. I was very interested to give this resort a try since I had heard so much about it in the past several months.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEOS: Voices of Liberty!​

Here are a couple of my videos that I took of the Voices of Liberty on this vacation. Many of you know that the Voices of Liberty are my favorite thing to see and do while at Walt Disney World. I can sit for hours in the American Adventure just listening to them, and I have also created many friends while sitting around the red circle. I hope you enjoy these 2 videos of the Voices of Liberty.

Make sure you watch my videos in HD!

Voices of Liberty: Railroad Medley!

Fun fact about me…I was a train kid growing up. I loved everything about trains. So, this medley that the Voices of Liberty sing takes me back to my childhood. I hope that you enjoy it.

Voices of Liberty: Somewhere Over the Rainbow!

Many of you know that I now live in the great state of Kansas after moving from Southern California. I still don’t know why I decided to go to school in Kansas, but I did. So, when the Voices of Liberty sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” I just have to film it.

Fun fact…the two soloists in this song came from the California group when Disneyland had the Voices of Liberty as well. I have had the pleasure of getting to know the male soloist really well over the years after seeing him many times when he sang in the California group and when I now go to Walt Disney World. Many of the Voices of Liberty singers now know me by name, and it has been great to get to know many of them.

I hope that you enjoy “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

I hope that you enjoyed the videos!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEO: Fantasmic Finale!​

Here is a video of the finale of Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that I filmed on the first evening of our vacation.

Make sure you watch my videos in HD.

Walt Disney World: Fantasmic: Finale!

I hope that you enjoyed the video.

 

[Templemom]

Great updates! The March magic just started and I smiled when I saw the liberty harmonizers.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Great updates! The March magic just started and I smiled when I saw the liberty harmonizers.

I saw some of the March Magic, but I didn’t know the Voices of Liberty made it in!!! You shouldn’t have told me that. I now want all of the merchandise for them lol!!!

 

[Templemom]

I saw some of the March Magic, but I didn’t know the Voices of Liberty made it in!!! You shouldn’t have told me that. I now want all of the merchandise for them lol!!!

If anyone should have it... Just saying.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

Looks like a great start at Epcot!

As we walked to each pavilion around World Showcase, there were at least 4-6 security officers standing out front of each pavilion. I don’t know what was going on, but I was a little freaked out since I had never seen that before.

That is a little freaky, but at least you know there's someone there keeping an eye on things.

Btw, I don't like Figment that much either. . .

I don't see a lot of people on here going to the mini golf. I even had a coupon for a free game last time I was there and didn't go. It looks like a cute course though.

I love Fantasmic! I saw it twice on my last trip too.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Looks like a great start at Epcot!

That is a little freaky, but at least you know there's someone there keeping an eye on things.

Btw, I don't like Figment that much either. . .

I don't see a lot of people on here going to the mini golf. I even had a coupon for a free game last time I was there and didn't go. It looks like a cute course though.

I love Fantasmic! I saw it twice on my last trip too.

That’s what I was thinking. I was hoping it was some type of drill.

I love Fantasmic as well...at Disneyland.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: A Morning At Animal Kingdom!​

Welcome to day 8 of our vacation to Walt Disney World.

The day before, my friend and I transferred to Caribbean Beach Resort. One thing that I realized was we were really close to a viewing area of the new Riviera Resort being built. So, this morning, I walked over to take some pictures of the construction.









After I got some pictures, we made our way to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As we arrived, we noticed Rafiki was meeting outside the entrance. I was surprised since I have never seen him meet and greet outside of the park before. I have only seen him at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.





We would finally make our way into the park.



Our first ride of the day was for Dinosaur. We would wait stand-by for this attraction.







We would then make our way to Pandora where we would have a fastpass for Flight of Passage.







Next, it was time to see Festival of the Lion King once again. We had a fastpass for this show.



After seeing a great show, we would make our way out of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We would then catch a Lyft, because we were on our way to Disney Springs!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: Star Wars Virtual Reality Experience!​

We would arrive at Disney Springs. The plan was to get lunch here before my friend and I would be meeting another DISer to try the new Star Wars Virtual Reality Experience.

As we started walking around Disney Springs, we would find ourselves right next to the brand new restaurant area, the Edison.



I really like Disney Springs a lot. It is a really great place to walk around.



My friend and I would make our way to D-Luxe Burger where we would get some lunch.



I would end up getting the chicken sandwich. I found it really tasty. However, I would recommend getting an actual burger. The burgers I have had here are amazing. I was still dealing with some health issues at the time so this is the only thing I was willing to try.



Disney Springs still had some Christmas decorations up.



It was now time for the Star Wars Virtual Reality Experience. My friend was really excited about this, and I was too.



We would meet up with a fellow DISer ( @rteetz ), and it was time for us to get in line.





There were a couple of issues I had with the whole experience:

1. We got in line, and we probably had 20-25 people ahead of us. Eventually, the line was 20-25 people deep behind us and growing. We later found out that there are two “rooms,” and they only had one open. They were working on getting the 2nd one open. What should have taken about 15-20 minutes to get started took us about 45 minutes.
2. As someone who has glasses, I experienced quite a bit of blurry vision to start, and it was really difficult to get a clear image. I didn't really have a clear image for the whole thing, but I was still able to see what things were.
3. It is 30 dollars for a 15 minute experience. I was hoping it would be longer.

Overall, this is an awesome experience. I have experienced it a second time since doing it on this trip, and I planning on doing it again on my next vacation. I had a much better experience the 2nd time I did this which I will get to in my other trip report.

I highly recommend giving this experience a try if you are a Star Wars fan. I don’t know if it would be worth it if you are not a Star Wars fan.

@rteetz …It was great getting to see you again! Congratulations on completing the Dopey Challenge!

After saying farewell to @rteetz, my friend and I made our way to the Christmas Tree Trail since it was right next to the Star Wars VR Experience.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: Christmas Tree Trail!​

I was really excited about the Christmas Tree Trail. That is mostly because I missed it the year before.



Mickey & Minnie Tree:



Pluto Tree:



Sleeping Beauty Tree:



Beauty and the Beast Tree:



Frozen Tree:



Snow White Tree:



Cinderella Tree:



Princess and the Frog Tree:



The Little Mermaid Tree:



Pinocchio Tree:



101 Dalmatians Tree:



Fantasia Tree:



Villains Tree:



Robin Hood Tree:



Dumbo Tree:



Tangled Tree:



Peter Pan Tree:



Lilo & Stitch Tree:



The Jungle Book Tree:



The Muppets Tree:



Mulan Tree:



Mary Poppins Tree:



Alice In Wonderland Tree:



Why was there no Lion King Christmas Tree?

So, my friend and I would start making our way to the Disney Springs Bus Stop, but we would go in the World of Disney Store before leaving Disney Springs.



We would then take a bus to the Yacht Club, because we were on our way to EPCOT!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: A Final Evening At Walt Disney World!​

My friend and I would make our way to the International Gateway Entrance to EPCOT.

This would sadly be our final evening in the parks. So, I had to go to the American Adventure to say my farewell to the Voices of Liberty.



After saying goodbye to the Voices of Liberty, we would make our way out of EPCOT, because we were going to my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World which is the Flying Fish.

We would hop on a Friendship Boat to the Boardwalk.



It was time to eat!!!



We got a really cool view of the kitchen from our table. This was really cool because the chefs would actually talk to us.



I really like the decor of the restaurant.



So, due to my health concern, I couldn’t have any of the actual dishes on the menu. I really wanted the scallops so that is what I got, but instead of getting noodles, I got vegetables. I will say that this was not worth $45 to me. However, this restaurant is amazing, and I will be back once I don’t have any health concerns anymore.



My friend and I would then make our way back to EPCOT where I would get a picture in the telephone booth in England.



We were mostly walking through EPCOT, because we wanted to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.







My friend and I would then take a picture with Spaceship Earth in the background.



It was time to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom!





We would arrive at the Magic Kingdom, and I was happy to see the Christmas decorations were still up.



In my opinion, the best time to go to any Disney Theme Park is during the Christmas Season.





We would have a fastpass for the Haunted Mansion so that is where my friend and I went to.



It was then time to find a spot for Happily Ever After.



We were ready for the show!



The show would begin!





I really like Happily Ever After a lot. I actually think it is a better show than Wishes. I really like the story of the show.



My friend and I would then make our way to Big Thunder Railroad where we would finally get to ride it at night!





I was able to pick up a same day fastpass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, so that is where we went next!



Our final ride of the night was on Winnie the Pooh.



To end the night, we would make our way through Cinderella’s Castle and down Main Street one final time.











My friend and I would make our way back to Caribbean Beach where we would begin to pack, because we would make our way home the next day.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEO: Festival Of The Lion King Finale!​

Here is a video of the finale of my favorite theme park show at Walt Disney World, the Festival of the Lion King!

Make sure you watch my video in HD!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Festival of the Lion King: Finale!

This video was filmed from the warthog section!

I hope that you enjoyed the video!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEO: Happily Ever After Finale With Tinker Bell!​

Here is another video of the finale of Happily Ever After at the Magic Kingdom. The difference between the last video and this one is that Tinker Bell does fly in this video.

Make sure you watch my video in HD!

Magic Kingdom: Happily Ever After: Finale!

I hope that you enjoyed the video!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Overall, this is an awesome experience. I have actually done it again since and planning on doing it again on my next vacation. I had a much better experience the 2nd time I did this which I will get to in my other trip report.

Yay we did!

Why was there no Lion King Christmas Tree?

I imagine you were very annoyed! Maybe next year? If not, you'll have to start your own one!

I really like Happily Ever After a lot. I actually think it is a better show than Wishes. I really like the story of the show.

I never got to see Wishes. But I watched videos on youtube and I was a bit underwhelmed. I think I've been spoiled with all the awesome Disneyland fireworks shows!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Yay we did!


I imagine you were very annoyed! Maybe next year? If not, you'll have to start your own one!


I never got to see Wishes. But I watched videos on youtube and I was a bit underwhelmed. I think I've been spoiled with all the awesome Disneyland fireworks shows!

Lol...Thanks for giving a slight spoiler.

I wasn't that annoyed lol. Just a little surprised. I don't have a designated Lion King tree, but I do have a Disney Tree with some Lion King ornaments.

I have enjoyed the Disneyland fireworks a lot more. That is mostly because I have enjoyed the music scores more with them. I know Disneyland shoots off less fireworks for obvious reasons, but I really enjoy Happily Ever After. Part of me still likes Disneyland Forever and Magical more though. I don't know how much I'll like Together Forever, but I'm looking forward to seeing it.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Lol...Thanks for giving a slight spoiler.

I wasn't that annoyed lol. Just a little surprised. I don't have a designated Lion King tree, but I do have a Disney Tree with some Lion King ornaments.

I have enjoyed the Disneyland fireworks a lot more. That is mostly because I have enjoyed the music scores more with them. I know Disneyland shoots off less fireworks for obvious reasons, but I really enjoy Happily Ever After. Part of me still likes Disneyland Forever and Magical more though. I don't know how much I'll like Together Forever, but I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Hey, you spoiled it in your live updates!

Yeah I think Together Forever will be technologically cool and I’m sure heartwarming (Up beginning and Toy story 3 ending still make me cry). But I still get chills when I watch Remember and hear all the sounds of Disneyland past and present. I can even remember the first time I ever saw it, over 12 years ago!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Hey, you spoiled it in your live updates!

Fair enough.