You are now on Spring Break! What are you going to do next? I'm going to WDW March 2018 Complete

Sad that another trip has come to an end! I found myself thinking how nice it must be to have the option to take a bus ride versus having to fly all the way to the magic!! :) (cheaper, too!) This trip sounded like a perfect way to spend Spring Break! Thanks for sharing
 
Sad that another trip has come to an end! I found myself thinking how nice it must be to have the option to take a bus ride versus having to fly all the way to the magic!! :) (cheaper, too!) This trip sounded like a perfect way to spend Spring Break! Thanks for sharing
Hello again @missjackiemcg ! :D I feel the exact same way but don't worry, I still am going to compile some trip statistics and write some thoughts so the TR is not completely over. It is pretty nice to have the bus as an option when you don't have a car, which I didn't at the time. Where I live, it wouldn't make sense to fly as by the time all is factored with checking in, security, and the flight itself even though it is only an hour tops from West Palm or Fort Lauderdale, it would take as much time as driving from where I live or the taking the bus. Not to mention, in that case, it is a lot easier for the shorter distance. Now flying longer distances, like I did when I used to live in New York makes more sense, even though it is more money. I would admit for long distances a luxury coach bus would be nice! :) I cannot agree more this trip was a great way to spend Spring Break! :D You're welcome it's my pleasure to share about this trip! :D
 


Trip Statistics
Just like my previous overnight trip report in January 2016, I decided to look at some statistics of my trip just for fun as I am a statistics nerd. Some of the statistics I opted to explore include the characters I met, the types of attractions I enjoyed, and the types of restaurants I visited. Without further adieu, here are trip statistics:

1. For my first chart, I looked at the types of characters I met. I based the categories of characters from the character section of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2016 by Bob Sehlinger. I made a couple of changes to the Miscellaneous category, as it was a bit ambiguous, so I split it into "Big Hero 6" Characters, Pixar Characters, and Hundred Acre Wood Characters. With respect to this category, I only included the Hundred Acre Wood Characters, as I met Winnie the Pooh and Friends at the Crystal Palace character breakfast. Out of the 13 characters I met, the highest number of characters were in the Mickey and His Posse category at 38.5%. However, Disney Royalty (Princesses, Princes, Suitors, and Such) and Hundred Acre Wood Characters were tied for second place and close behind at 30.8%.
WDW March 2018 Character Stats.png
2. For the second chart, I looked at the types of restaurants I visited. I based the categories of restaurant from the categories at www.disneyworld.com. I ate/drank at WDW Restaurants on this trip a total of nine times. Of the nine establishments I visited, the two most prevalent categories at 22.2% were Quick Service, American and Quick Service, American, Mexican. The reason for this was because both Aloha Isle and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor in the MK are both classified the former and I visited Pepper Market, classified as Quick Service, American, Mexican twice thanks to its delicious fare and the convenience of being located at the hotel where I was staying. I visited the following types of restaurants once each, taking up 11.1% each five times: Quick Service, American; Table Service, Mexican; Quick Service, Mexican; Buffet, Character Dining; and American, Quick Service, Lounges.
WDW March 2018 Restaurant Stats.png
3. For my final chart, I looked at the types of attractions I visited. I based the categories of attractions at Walt Disney World on an old "USA Today" article I found online, as the categories made a lot of sense However, I added three categories for Live Shows, 3-D Shows, and Special Events. In all, I visited 34 attractions on this trip. At 52.9%, the majority of attractions I visited were Rides for Everyone (i.e. Dumbo, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan's Flight, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Spaceship Earth, World Showcase and Future World Pavilions, Frozen Ever After, Toy Story Mania, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Wilderness Explorers, etc.). In second place were
Live Shows (i.e. Magic Kingdom Flag Ceremony, stage shows, performers in Epcot and DHS, parades, fireworks, etc.) at 20.6%. Finally, tied for last place at 5.9% were Rides with other Restrictions (i.e. Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Kilimanjaro Safaris, etc.), which may be rides that everyone can enjoy but may have a factor that could be scary for some guests like special effects of the Haunted Mansion or bumps, like on Kilimanjaro Safaris.
WDW March 2018 Attractions Pie Graph.png
 
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Thoughts on this trip/Conclusion
Wow! After over a year since my March 2018 trip to WDW, I cannot believe that I have reached the end of this TR:sad:. However, like anything in life, all good things must come to an end. At this time, due to my life being crazy due to a busy work schedule and a lot going on, I do not have any WDW trips in the cards even though I live about 3-hours away. Hopefully, that will change at some point and if it does, I will definitely post a link to the next PTR/TR here. Anyway, I will first start off with some thoughts on Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, as this trip marked my first stay at a Disney-owned resort, since my previous overnight stays were at the Buena Vista Palace (January 2005, November 2007, January 2012, and January 2016) or the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista (January 2011 and January 2014) due to lower pricing. Here are my thoughts...

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Thoughts:
Overall, I very much enjoyed staying at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and I would definitely stay there again! :D First off, as is the norm with Disney, the service from all of the CMs I encountered was top-notch! Shout outs to Lou at the security gate, Marc from New London, CT at Bell Services, Natalie from Orlando at check-in, Eddie from Brooklyn, NY, and Jared and Joe at Pepper Market. These CMs and every CM I encountered was friendly, polite, engaging, and excellent at their jobs. I also enjoyed the theming of the resort, as the bright yet muted colors and architecture definitely contributed to the Latin American theme that this resort aims for. From what I have seen of the newly opened Gran Destino Tower, which looks great, it looks just a bit less themed but I love all of the subtle Disney touches and artwork that makes it almost feel like a hotel in Las Vegas. At the time, there was construction going on, but it was not too disruptive. Also important was the fact that based on my observations, the resort was immaculate and well maintained. I also loved the hotel room, which may have just been one of the best hotel rooms I have stayed in, thanks to its impeccable cleanliness and no wear and tear. This may have been due to the fact it was recently renovated, but still, I have stayed in a lot of hotels and it definitely is one of the best if not the best hotel I have stayed in on this fact alone (I usually stay in three to four star hotels when I travel). Also of note was that the bed was very comfortable, there was ample lighting in the room (many hotels in the US fall on this measure), and also ample USB ports/outlets. The bathroom was not too shabby either. To be honest, except for its slightly smaller size, which was still plentiful for me at 314 square feet, it was likely not far off from a Deluxe Resort. While I only went to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the bus service was very good as buses were on time and did not take too long to get from the hotel to the parks. I used the pool once and enjoyed it, as I loved the Latin American theming with the Mayan pyramid as a centerpiece and the lush landscaping. As far as hotel restaurants, I only ate at Pepper Market, but it may just be one of my favorite food courts at WDW thanks to its delicious and varied fare and excellent service! Overall, if the price and availability worked in my favor, I would definitely stay at Coronado Springs again! :D

My Trip In a Nutshell
Day 1 (Saturday, March 3rd, 2018):
Today would mark the tenth time I would go to WDW and the third time I would go solo. I woke up at 4:45AM, got ready, and since I was not able to drive as my Mother needed our primary car at that time, left home at 6:30AM for the Lake Worth Service Plaza along the Florida's Turnpike, where I would catch the Orlando-bound Jet Set Express Bus to the Walmart on Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee at 7:30AM. The bus arrived on time and after a smooth and relaxing ride, I even arrived earlier than expected. I then took another Uber from Walmart to Coronado Springs and arrived there at about ten to eleven. After a quick and easy check-in, I then had an epic day at Epcot enjoying many attractions, meeting many characters, having a delicious dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel, and then having the unexpected treat of seeing Night Ranger, one of my favorite bands due to the fact that I happened to be at Epcot for the Flower and Garden Festival. Finally, I ended off the day by seeing Illuminations: Reflections of Earth and shopping at MouseGear.

Day 2 (Sunday, March 4th, 2018):
On this day, I would spend most of my day at the Magic Kingdom. I arrived at opening and already, the day began on magical note as Cooper, from Trenton, NJ, sprinkled some pixie dust by offering me a Front of the Line pass for 7DMT! :D I rode many attractions from that point on, had the pleasure of meeting Pluto as well as Aladdin and Jasmine, enjoyed a delicious lunch at Pecos Bill where I even saw Ed, a CM from my past trip, had a refreshing Pineapple Float, and ended off the first half of my day with the superb Festival of Fantasy parade. After that, I then relaxed at the Coronado Springs pool and had dinner at Pepper Market until 6:30PM, when I would head back to the Magic Kingdom. I spent the evening seeing the spectacular Happily Ever After and visiting many attractions. Finally, I ended my evening on a sweet note with an All American Sundae.

Day 3 (Monday, March 5th, 2018):
This day marked my last day at WDW :( . I started off my morning by waking up at 6:30AM, doing last-minute packing and then preparing to check out before I left my room at about 8:15AM. Unfortunately, the line at Bell Services was a bit longer than normal, so I missed my original bus and had to switch my FP+ for Space Mountain for later in the day. I was a bit late in getting to the MK and got in a little after opening, but even with that hiccup, I had a fantastic time dining at Crystal Palace's character breakfast! :D From about 12:00PM-3:30PM, I then enjoyed more attractions. After another magical day at the Magic Kingdom, I then headed back to the Coronado Springs, where I enjoyed a refreshing Strawberry Margarita from Laguna Bar, had another delicious dinner from the Pepper Market, and bought a t-shirt from Panchito's Gifts & Sundries. At about 6:15PM, I then left Coronado Springs by Uber for the Walmart in Kissimmee and left on a Miami-bound Jet Set Express bus to go back to the Lake Worth Service Plaza at 7:30PM. I arrived at the Lake Worth Service Plaza about two hours and fifteen minutes later and then got an Uber home to Delray Beach. I arrived home at 10:15PM after another amazing trip! :D

Conclusion
While this was a short trip, it was another fantastic WDW trip as always! :D As always, the attractions were awesome, my character interactions were fantastic, and the food I ate was delicious. Plus, the parks were well maintained as always and all of the cast members I encountered went above and beyond in my experience. Since I had limited time on this trip, I focused on the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, which are my favorite parks (not that I don't love DHS and the Animal Kingdom which are amazing). When I return, I am hoping I can go a little bit longer and visit DHS and AK as well, especially due to the fact that I have not seen Toy Story Land or Galaxy's Edge at DHS and Pandora-The World of Avatar at AK, which all look amazing! :D Since life has been very busy as of late, another WDW trip is not in the cards at this time, but I am hoping that changes soon. Thank you to everyone who has been apart of my TR as it was my greatest pleasure in writing this TR and reliving the happy memories it brought me! :D Have a magical day! :D
 
Thanks again for sharing! I love that you include trip stats and a conclusion at the end. It's a nice way to wrap things up. Hope life settles down a little and isn't too busy to keep you away from the magic for too long!!!
 


Thanks again for sharing! I love that you include trip stats and a conclusion at the end. It's a nice way to wrap things up. Hope life settles down a little and isn't too busy to keep you away from the magic for too long!!!
You’re very welcome @missjackiemcg! :D Thank you including the trip stats and conclusion just adds to the fun of writing the trip report and wrapping things up. I cannot agree more I look forward to life settling down a bit so I can make another trip back to Walt Disney World! Thank you for being a part of my TR! :D
 

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