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

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEOS: New Years Countdown Fireworks!!!​

Happy 2018 everyone!!!

Here are 2 videos that I took of the New Years Countdown Fireworks at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. These fireworks finales are amazing, and are definitely two of the best fireworks shows I have ever seen.

Make sure you watch my videos in HD.

Magic Kingdom: Fantasy In The Sky: New Years Countdown!

Here is the video of the New Years Countdown apart of the Fantasy In The Sky Fireworks Show at the Magic Kingdom. This video was filmed on December 30, 2017 at the first showing of the night. The Magic Kingdom does Fantasy In The Sky on the 30th and the 31st giving guests the opportunity to go visit EPCOT or another park the next day.

EPCOT: Illuminations: New Years Countdown!!!

Here is the video of the New Years Countdown which is apart of Illuminations at EPCOT. This fireworks countdown is amazing. The finale is spectacular in itself. I actually prefer to experience any holiday at EPCOT just to see the 20 second finale at the end. This video was filmed on New Years Eve, and this is how my friend and I greeted 2018.

I hope you enjoyed the videos!

Happy 2018 everyone!

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

What a great way to ring in the new year! All the parties around the world and in the world showcase look like a lot of fun. Those fireworks really lit up the sky!

 

[Capang]

Glad you posted the pics and video because based on that fun attraction called traffic I may never go there for New Years looks amazing though!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Glad you posted the pics and video because based on that fun attraction called traffic I may never go there for New Years looks amazing though!

If you stay at any of the monorail resorts, that is the best. That or staying in the Boardwalk area. The monorail would bypass any traffic going to EPCOT or MK. That’s what my Dad and I did in 2016. We stayed at the Poly, and we were in our room around 12:40 a.m. after ringing in 2017. Hopefully I convinced you now.

What a great way to ring in the new year! All the parties around the world and in the world showcase look like a lot of fun. Those fireworks really lit up the sky!

It’s a lot of fun until you realize it took me 40 minutes to walk around World Showcase.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Your videos are making me itch to see the NYE fireworks!

security was definitely noticeable

We just watched the new show for the first time this past week and I noticed the security as well. Right when you walk into the building there was a security guard and I noticed another came up as the curtain opened on all the animatronic presidents.

I definitely enjoyed the new version, though. I agree that the screens are better and I appreciate their focus on what the presidency means.

The fastpass line was a 40 minute wait, but that is a lot better than a 300 minute wait.

Okay maybe second-guessing the whole Disney on NYE thing...

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Your videos are making me itch to see the NYE fireworks!


We just watched the new show for the first time this past week and I noticed the security as well. Right when you walk into the building there was a security guard and I noticed another came up as the curtain opened on all the animatronic presidents.

I definitely enjoyed the new version, though. I agree that the screens are better and I appreciate their focus on what the presidency means.


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Okay maybe second-guessing the whole Disney on NYE thing...

Go, go, go!!!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Hi everyone. Just letting you know that my next updates from this trip report will be posted in a couple days.

Also, here is something random...My favorite football team just won the Super Bowl!!! LETS GO EAGLES!!! FLY EAGLES FLY!!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Hi everyone. Just letting you know that my next updates from this trip report will be posted in a couple days.

Also, here is something random...My favorite football team just won the Super Bowl!!! LETS GO EAGLES!!! FLY EAGLES FLY!!!

Congrats! I'm honestly happy it was anyone besides the Patriots! And the Eagles did have a great story.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Congrats! I'm honestly happy it was anyone besides the Patriots! And the Eagles did have a great story.

It was incredible!!!

 

[lucas]

Wow! Good thing I came back to check on this thread. Somehow I missed your installment of New Year's Eve! I just got caught up. What a fantastic day/night you all had! (Although I don't think I could do it, with all the people and traffic - it sure was fun reading about it.)

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Wow! Good thing I came back to check on this thread. Somehow I missed your installment of New Year's Eve! I just got caught up. What a fantastic day/night you all had! (Although I don't think I could do it, with all the people and traffic - it sure was fun reading about it.)

It definitely is crowded, but it’s awesome at the same time! I don’t know if there is anything like celebrating the New Year at Walt Disney World!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Hi everyone. I would like to thank everyone for your patience since I haven’t posted an update in a long time. I have been having a lot of personal things happening this month that has taken me away from posting more updates. I’ll try my best to start back up again tomorrow or Friday.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 4: Going To Hollywood On New Years Day - Part 1!​

Welcome to day 4 of our amazing and cold vacation to Walt Disney World!

After a long evening the previous couple days, it was time for my friend and I to sleep in. So, we slept until about 11 a.m. We would finally leave our hotel room around 11:30 a.m. and make our way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!



I really enjoyed the Christmas decorations as I walked into the park.







We would make our way to Backlot Express since it was already lunch time, and we were hungry.



Next, it was time to see the Beauty and the Beast musical!





Enjoy some pictures of the show:













We were experiencing a rainy day at Walt Disney World, but that didn’t stop us from making our way to Toy Story Midway Mania after the show. This would be our first fastpass of the day.





My friend was really looking forward to this attraction on this trip.



This would be the first time I would ever experience the 3rd track. I really liked the theming of the area set up like Andy’s Room.







With how tall I am, this door makes me feel like a toy.



My friend and I would finally get on the ride, and I would beat him pretty comfortably. I guess I have had a lot of practice. I would also get best in vehicle.





I like the marquee outside underneath the exit from the 3rd track.



As we exited, we realized that Cruz Ramirez meet and greet had no line to get a picture. So, my friend and I got a picture with Cruz Ramirez.



We would then make our way towards my favorite location in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 4: Going To Hollywood On New Years Day - Part 2!​

It was time for my friend to experience some Disney history so we made our way into Walt Disney Presents! This is probably my favorite thing to see at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.



A couple of my favorite pictures of Walt Disney:





One of the displays in Walt Disney Presents:



I hope to get to Marceline, MO at some point.



KANSAS CITY!



Mickey as a band director. I love it!



Another great picture of Walt Disney.



Some more displays in Walt Disney Presents:











I’m going to miss Paradise Pier so much!









You can see a model of Toy Story Land inside Walt Disney Presents!



You can also see a little bit of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge inside Walt Disney Presents!



It was time to see the film One Man’s Dream! I wish Disney would keep this film year around instead of showing movie previews throughout the year. I was happy I got to see One Man’s Dream though!



Join D23 if you haven’t!



My friend and I would then make our way to Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. I don’t know what was epic about this show since they didn’t do a lot of the show due to the rain.





It was time for our second fastpass of the day and that was for Star Tours!









We would then make our way towards the Muppets area, but first, it was time for me to see something new.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 4: Going To Hollywood On New Years Day - Part 3!​

The new tap house recently opened along with a street that will lead up to being the entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.







I love the musical instruments display.



I can’t wait for this to open!





We would make our way to Muppets Courtyard, and I was happy to see the fountain back.



We would head into Muppet Vision 3D. This is really old, and is in need of an upgrade in my opinion. I still like it though.



It was time to brave Tower of Terror! This would be our 3rd fastpass.







After riding Tower of Terror, we would make our way towards Star Wars Launch Bay.





My friend and I would first meet Chewbacca. I really like the queue for the meet and greets, because they have displays with some Jedi lightsabers.







We would then meet Kylo Ren. I also enjoy this queue, because they have storm trooper helmets.







It was now time to leave Disney’s Hollywood Studios, because we had a dining reservation at one of my favorite restaurants.



We were off to the Polynesian!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 4: A Cold Evening At Walt Disney World!​

My friend and I would arrive really early to the Polynesian since we had no wait for a bus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So, we would wait in the lobby for about 30 minutes before we could check-in for Ohana.



It was finally time for dinner.



I have had some health issues going on so my meal was drastically different from what you would normally receive. It was still good, but I wouldn’t pay the price of Ohana for what I got.







I like how they cook the food in front of you.



So, my friend LOVED Ohana. He thought it was the best meal on our trip for probably one reason…Ohana supposedly has the best shrimp that my friend has ever had.

We would then board the monorail and make our way to the Magic Kingdom!



We would arrive at the Magic Kingdom, and we would easily find a spot for Happily Ever After. It was literally freezing inside the park, and there was no one. Happily Ever After would start, and people could have easily walked up to the Hub and found a spot.



Enjoy pictures of the show:





















Sadly, Tinker Bell did not fly this evening due to the winds.

The original plan was to stay in Magic Kingdom for a couple of hours, but it was so cold that my friend and I decided to go to Disney Springs and try and find a jacket for colder weather. We live in a climate, but for some reason I didn’t think about bringing a heavy coat when the highs said in the 50’s the night before. You live and you learn.



We would check any store that we could, but if you wore an XS, S, or M, you were in luck. Every other size seemed to be sold out in every store that we looked in.

So, my friend and I would make our way back to our hotel, and hopefully be able to brave the cold weather for the rest of the week.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

VIDEOS: Happily Ever After!​

Here are a couple videos that I filmed of Happily Ever After which is the firework show at the Magic Kingdom. This is an amazing show that has a really powerful message. I hope you enjoy the two videos I filmed from this evening.

Make sure you watch the videos in HD.

Happily Ever After - Pirates Scene!

This scene is really cool, because I don’t know if I have ever seen Cinderella’s Castle look like it was on fire before.

Happily Ever After - Finale!

On this particular evening, Tinker Bell did not fly. This video includes Mufasa, “Go the Distance,” and the finale.

I hope you enjoyed the videos!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 5: Be Our Guest!​

Hello everyone and welcome to day 5 of our great trip to Walt Disney World!

My friend and I would sleep in again today, and we would get on our way around 11 a.m. We were on our way to the Magic Kingdom!

My friend and I had fastpasses scheduled for the Magic Kingdom, and we also had a very special lunch reservation.

We would arrive in the park, and we would immediately get on the Walt Disney World Railroad.



We would get off at Frontierland, because we had a fastpass for Big Thunder Railroad. However, the fastpass queue was not moving and was going outside the queue. We had a dining reservation scheduled for 20 minutes later, and I quickly realized we wouldn’t make it. So, it was time to improvise.

My friend and I would get back on the Walt Disney World Railroad, and we were on our way to the Storybook Circus Train Station.



During this time, my friend and I decided to cancel our fastpass reservations for the Magic Kingdom and make some for Animal Kingdom instead. So, it was time for me to search for fastpasses. I did a lot of refreshing. I had gotten 2 of the 3 rides that I wanted at Animal Kingdom (my expectation was that I wouldn’t get Flight of Passage). After refreshing about 100 times looking for the perfect time for one attraction, I magically scored a same day fastpass for Flight of Passage instead! My friend looked at me really funny. That is because we were walking toward our lunch reservation, and I just stood in shock. So, I was one very happy person.

My friend and I would arrive at Be Our Guest Restaurant where we would finally have some food.



We would order and we found a table in the ballroom.





I would get a turkey sandwich that was modified to my health needs.



After a nice lunch, we would make our way out where I would get to see the stain glass artwork.



We would then make our way through Fantasyland and head towards Liberty Square.



The goal was to ride the Liberty Bell. We just missed it though, and I was not going to wait another 40 minutes to ride it.

Instead of riding the riverboat, we decided to look at some of the decorations of Liberty Square, and we came upon a replica of the Liberty Bell.



Since we decided to change our plans, it was time to make our way out of the Magic Kingdom.







I can’t believe we went to the Magic Kingdom just to eat lunch, but that is what happened.

We were on our way to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 5: Lets Go See Some Animals - Part 1!​

We would arrive at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and seeing the Tree of Life never gets old!



We would walk by Pandora on our way to Africa, and I had never seen this sign out before. I know Pandora had lines to get into the land when it first opened, but I never heard reports of there being a stand-by queue just to enter the land at any other point. At this point in the day, people were allowed to go in and out of Pandora freely.



We were on our way to go on Kilimanjaro Safaris, but we were greeted with this line.



I will say that I was grateful that I was able to pick up a same day fastpass for the safari!



Instead of waiting 75 minutes, my friend and I were on the safari in 10 minutes.





Hippos!



African Wild Dogs are so cute!



Every time I see wildebeests, I always think of the scene Mufasa died.







Hey! It’s me! (Those of you who have seen me know how tall I am.) Giraffes!!!







The lonely male elephant!



We found some more elephants!





Baby Stella!!!



Flamingos!



Rhinos!





Cheetah!



I don’t remember what this is called.



After going on the Safari, we made our way into Gorilla Falls.



We would come across the bird area.



We would also come across my favorite animal in this area. That is the meerkat! It’s a lot of Timons!!!





Unfortunately, it was to cold for the gorillas so we didn’t get to see any of them on this day.

My friend and I would then take the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.





After exploring the area, we would take the train back to Africa.



It was time for something that I had been looking forward to this whole trip!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 5: Lets Go See Some Animals - Part 2!​

My friend and I would start making our way toward Asia, and we would come across my favorite photo location of the Tree of Life.



Flights of Wonder closed a couple days prior so I took some photos of the construction.





My friend and I would make our way to the Maharajah Jungle Trek for a very special reason.



It was time to see the new baby tiger cubs!!!











The baby tiger cubs were so cute, and I could have stayed for much longer to watch them. They were really active and playing. Seeing them was definitely a highlight for me from this entire trip to Walt Disney World.

It was time for our 2nd fastpass of the day. That was for Expedition Everest.



After riding Expedition Everest, my friend and I would make our way to see Finding Nemo: The Musical!





This musical is really cute. I find several aspects of it to be really geared toward kids. However, this show is still worth seeing in my opinion. I do like some of the songs, but not every single one. The puppetry is amazing.

It was then time to take a break. My friend and I made our way to Nomad Lounge where I would get my favorite non-alcoholic beverage on property, as well as, the churros (not pictured) as a snack. My favorite non-alcoholic beverage is the Hibiscus Henna







It was then time for our same day fastpass for Rivers of Light. This was also nice for my friend to experience Pandora at night.



Flight of Passage is simply an amazing attraction.

While in line for Flight of Passage, I was able to pick up a 4th fastpass for Rivers of Light. So, we made our way to the theater where we would get some great seats for the show.

Eventually the lotus flowers would come out.





The show would begin.

Enjoy some pictures of the show:



























I find Rivers of Light to be a great show. I really love the music score, and I listen to the soundtrack often. I feel like this show fits Animal Kingdom really well. Do I wish there was just a little something extra in the show? I do. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying each performance that I have seen of this show.

At this point, Animal Kingdom had closed for the evening. So, it was time to leave and head back to All-Star Music. My friend and I would then rest and get ready for our 6th day at Walt Disney World the next day.