Walt Disney World Diary (Week 2)
6 April 2019
Guess what? The Disney blues are still real.
Day 8
EPCOT. Our first full day there! We arrived fairly early and wondered around the world (clockwise of course). I bought my 3rd pair of ears (so cute they were white with flowers and sequins). As we walked round we ran into Baloo and King Louie so we stopped for some pics, it was such a cute meet as I hate queuing and taking photos for characters it's usually so awkward! We then ate Katsu Curry from Katsura Grill in the Japan pavilion which was 1. the most amazing quick service meal 2. the most tranquil place to eat. We loved it so much we actually went back!
After lunch we headed to the Frozen ride, thank God we had fast passes because the queue was looong! We carried on walking round and laughed at the UK pavilion (the price of chocolate digestives, the royals merch, how pretty it is). Then we went on a couple of rides, took some pics by the bubblegum wall and headed back to the hotel.
After freshening up we went to the Magic Kingdom to watch Happily Ever After. We ate at Casey's Corner (I chose corn dog bites and chilli fries (the corn dog bites were meh but the chilli fries were 11/10)). We then rode Winnie the Pooh and watched the next show at the castle (not worth it) and rode Thunder Mountain. Honestly, we would've stayed later but I was so exhausted - I was like a tired toddler and wanted to lay on the ground crying - so we headed back (which seemed like the longest journey ever)!
Day 9
Back at Universal and obviously we headed straight for Diagon Alley; we rode Escape from Gringotts and ate lunch in The Leaky Cauldron (it was one of the worst meals we ate the whole trip but at least the theming was on point). We rode The Mummy and bought the big pink doughnut from Lard Lad Donuts in The Simpsons area, it was so worth it but took me all day to eat!
We hopped on The Hogwarts Express to go to Islands of Adventure and I held up the line because I couldn't remember which finger I used for the fingerprint! Real talk: I cannot cope with the Florida heat so we didn't spend long at IOA! However, we decided to go on one last ride: the rapids. At this point I was thanking God for the heat I was earlier complaining about because we were soaking. We grabbed a Dippin Dots and sat drying in the sun.
Day 10
AKA one of THE BEST DAYS EVER! Another day in The Magic Kingdom where we at lunch at Be Our Guest (which was average at best). I finally found the purple wall so obviously we took some shots and then we had a wander around. I noted Buzz was out for a meet so I went to join the queue but they were closing... gutted! I turned around and who was there? Only TOM FLETCHER FROM MCFLY!!!! I was so so so excited but didn't want to interrupt his holiday... however... McFly are one of my all time favourite bands and I couldn't miss the opportunity. The fact that he took the time to take a photo with me honestly meant the world and was probably the highlight of the entire trip! I was on a high the rest of the day and couldn't stop smiling!
That evening we headed to Hollywood Studios... now, I didn't do my research here and thought the only show was the fireworks by the theatre. I had no idea about Fantasmic!! We ate dinner at Mama Melrose's which was pretty good then went to watch the fireworks (where some snarky mother told me to move because her kids couldn't see? not my problem lady) but we moved anyway because we had only stopped to check something on the app! We watched the fireworks then headed back to the resort... totally oblivious to Fantasmic!
Day 11
Volcano Bay day! Personally it was my least favourite water park... the queuing system wasn't great and it made me feel uneasy that at the top of the slides you were right next to a road! Also, how do you get on the lazy river? It took us a long time to figure it out as there are a lot of exits but not many entrances. But the theming was cute and I got a cocktail with a free cup.
In the evening we had a dinner reservation at Coral Reef in Epcot. I loved this restaurant! It was so nice watching the fish in the aquarium as we ate (I had lobster mac & cheese which was SO GOOD). Afterwards we walked to the Boardwalk where I bought some Mickey salt and pepper shakers which are probably one of my favourite holiday purchases! We then went to Ample Hills Creamery where I obviously got an ice cream cookie sandwich! YUUUM!
Day 12
Back at Animal Kingdom for the 20th Anniversary... it was busy and the merch was disappointing but any day at DAK is a good day, amirite? We rode Na'vi River Journey which I loved! We ate lunch at Yak & Yeti where I had honey chicken and chicken fried rice which was one of the best QS meals I had the whole trip (do I say that too much?). QS is not just burgers and chips like people think!
That evening we were back at Disney Springs. We drank cocktails at House of Blues and grabbed a Sprinkles cupcake (I wanted to use the ATM but it was card only). I had the sprinkle cupcake and thought it couldn't get better until I realised that the sponge was multicoloured! Do not go to WDW if you're on a diet!
Day 13
Our last day at Universal. We started at Islands of Adventure where we rode the Harry Potter rides, the flume, King Kong, Jurassic Park, and Daniel went on The Hulk whilst I got a hair braid. We got a Voodoo Doughnut (which I didn't rate) and then went to the outlets and McDonalds (I had a triple cheeseburger).
You won't guess where we went that evening: Disney Springs! We ate at Blaze Pizza again and used a lot of our remaining credits on snacks snacks snacks (cupcakes, Rice Krispie treats, bags of sweets, the lot).
Day 14
Our last full day. We wanted to make the most of it so in the morning we went to Hollywood Studios to ride Toy Story Mania (our fav ride) and Daniel went on Rock'N'Rollercoaster whilst I ate a Mickey Cookie outside. We then got the bus to Epcot where we ate katsu curry and I got a brioche ice cream bun from the French pavilion.
We lounged by the pool before packing and heading to The Magic Kingdom one last time to watch Happily Ever After. It was such a bittersweet end to the trip - I was so glad that we ended our trip in my favourite park but I was so sad when we left, not knowing when I'd be returning.
Day 15
Our last day. We decided to stay at the hotel to finish packing and grab lunch before going to the airport. For lunch I decided to get a create your own pasta and I don't know why I hadn't tried this before - it was amazing! After lunch I decided to go to the resort shop and spend my change on a Minnie pen (we ended up with a lot of change because American coins are so confusing, why do they have weird names rather than the actual value? Why are they all similar sizes and colours?). I'm pretty sure the guy serving was not happy with me and my bag of change trying to work it all out!
Then it was time to board the coach and head home *sad face*
It's almost been a whole year since our trip and the Disney blues are in full force. I'm trying to work out how we can afford to go back in 2020 even though I'm fairly certain I definitely can't afford to. 2021 here I come!
Day 9
Back at Universal and obviously we headed straight for Diagon Alley; we rode Escape from Gringotts and ate lunch in The Leaky Cauldron (it was one of the worst meals we ate the whole trip but at least the theming was on point). We rode The Mummy and bought the big pink doughnut from Lard Lad Donuts in The Simpsons area, it was so worth it but took me all day to eat!We hopped on The Hogwarts Express to go to Islands of Adventure and I held up the line because I couldn't remember which finger I used for the fingerprint! Real talk: I cannot cope with the Florida heat so we didn't spend long at IOA! However, we decided to go on one last ride: the rapids. At this point I was thanking God for the heat I was earlier complaining about because we were soaking. We grabbed a Dippin Dots and sat drying in the sun.
Day 10
AKA one of THE BEST DAYS EVER! Another day in The Magic Kingdom where we at lunch at Be Our Guest (which was average at best). I finally found the purple wall so obviously we took some shots and then we had a wander around. I noted Buzz was out for a meet so I went to join the queue but they were closing... gutted! I turned around and who was there? Only TOM FLETCHER FROM MCFLY!!!! I was so so so excited but didn't want to interrupt his holiday... however... McFly are one of my all time favourite bands and I couldn't miss the opportunity. The fact that he took the time to take a photo with me honestly meant the world and was probably the highlight of the entire trip! I was on a high the rest of the day and couldn't stop smiling!That evening we headed to Hollywood Studios... now, I didn't do my research here and thought the only show was the fireworks by the theatre. I had no idea about Fantasmic!! We ate dinner at Mama Melrose's which was pretty good then went to watch the fireworks (where some snarky mother told me to move because her kids couldn't see? not my problem lady) but we moved anyway because we had only stopped to check something on the app! We watched the fireworks then headed back to the resort... totally oblivious to Fantasmic!
Day 11
Volcano Bay day! Personally it was my least favourite water park... the queuing system wasn't great and it made me feel uneasy that at the top of the slides you were right next to a road! Also, how do you get on the lazy river? It took us a long time to figure it out as there are a lot of exits but not many entrances. But the theming was cute and I got a cocktail with a free cup.In the evening we had a dinner reservation at Coral Reef in Epcot. I loved this restaurant! It was so nice watching the fish in the aquarium as we ate (I had lobster mac & cheese which was SO GOOD). Afterwards we walked to the Boardwalk where I bought some Mickey salt and pepper shakers which are probably one of my favourite holiday purchases! We then went to Ample Hills Creamery where I obviously got an ice cream cookie sandwich! YUUUM!
Day 12
Back at Animal Kingdom for the 20th Anniversary... it was busy and the merch was disappointing but any day at DAK is a good day, amirite? We rode Na'vi River Journey which I loved! We ate lunch at Yak & Yeti where I had honey chicken and chicken fried rice which was one of the best QS meals I had the whole trip (do I say that too much?). QS is not just burgers and chips like people think!
That evening we were back at Disney Springs. We drank cocktails at House of Blues and grabbed a Sprinkles cupcake (I wanted to use the ATM but it was card only). I had the sprinkle cupcake and thought it couldn't get better until I realised that the sponge was multicoloured! Do not go to WDW if you're on a diet!
Day 13
Our last day at Universal. We started at Islands of Adventure where we rode the Harry Potter rides, the flume, King Kong, Jurassic Park, and Daniel went on The Hulk whilst I got a hair braid. We got a Voodoo Doughnut (which I didn't rate) and then went to the outlets and McDonalds (I had a triple cheeseburger).
You won't guess where we went that evening: Disney Springs! We ate at Blaze Pizza again and used a lot of our remaining credits on snacks snacks snacks (cupcakes, Rice Krispie treats, bags of sweets, the lot).
Day 14
Our last full day. We wanted to make the most of it so in the morning we went to Hollywood Studios to ride Toy Story Mania (our fav ride) and Daniel went on Rock'N'Rollercoaster whilst I ate a Mickey Cookie outside. We then got the bus to Epcot where we ate katsu curry and I got a brioche ice cream bun from the French pavilion.
We lounged by the pool before packing and heading to The Magic Kingdom one last time to watch Happily Ever After. It was such a bittersweet end to the trip - I was so glad that we ended our trip in my favourite park but I was so sad when we left, not knowing when I'd be returning.
Day 15
Our last day. We decided to stay at the hotel to finish packing and grab lunch before going to the airport. For lunch I decided to get a create your own pasta and I don't know why I hadn't tried this before - it was amazing! After lunch I decided to go to the resort shop and spend my change on a Minnie pen (we ended up with a lot of change because American coins are so confusing, why do they have weird names rather than the actual value? Why are they all similar sizes and colours?). I'm pretty sure the guy serving was not happy with me and my bag of change trying to work it all out!
Then it was time to board the coach and head home *sad face*
It's almost been a whole year since our trip and the Disney blues are in full force. I'm trying to work out how we can afford to go back in 2020 even though I'm fairly certain I definitely can't afford to. 2021 here I come!
Walt Disney World Diary (Week 1)
17 February 2019
I'm having major Disney blues lately (probably because it's been almost a YEAR since we were there) and I figured what better way to try and get through the blues than by reliving my trip? It was literally the BEST holiday ever, so, sit back and relax cause it's gonna be a long one!
Day 1
The wait was finally over and travel day was upon us!! We flew from Gatwick (I hate travelling all the way to Gatwick (cause 3 hours and M25) and always say I'm not going back but we always seem to go back) so we stayed over at the Premier Inn the night before. Love a good Premier Inn... we even bought one of their mattresses for at home! The flight was due to depart at around 11am so we took our time in the morning and had breakfast at the airport. We flew with TUI which meant we didn't fly into Orlando International but to Sanford. The flight was good (aside from landing when I felt super sick and almost threw up into the sick bag... well done, Claudia) and once we landed we had to wait what felt like an eternity at passport control, but once we were through we got on the coach and headed to our hotel...
Just sitting on the coach was soo exciting; we were finally in Orlando and heading to WALT DISNEY WORLD! The drive was around 45 minutes but we didn't mind, our hotel, Port Orleans French Quarter, was the first stop which meant we didn't have to waste time stopping off at all the other resorts first (although it would've been nice to see a few)! WE WERE AT THE HOTEL! AFTER 367 DAYS OF WAITING! EEEE!
We headed straight to check in and picked up our Magic Bands (mine pink, Daniel's blue) and they told us everything we needed to know. We got our room number and headed straight there. The resort was PERFECT, it was so pretty and quiet. We got to our room (a corner room) which was newly refurbished and we couldn't have asked for anything better. It was a dream come true!
After a quick freshen up we went straight to the food court (Sassagoula I think it's called?) and grabbed pizza and beignets with caramel sauce. YUMMM! I'm kinda sad cause when we were there they weren't Mickey shaped... guess we'll have to go back! We had a quick look around the resort before heading to back to the room where I basically passed out at around 8pm.
Day 2
We were up bright and early, around 6am, because of falling asleep so early and because I was so excited that I couldn't wait to start the day. Once we were ready we decided to have a stroll around the resort and it was beautiful; we walked along the river which was so tranquil. Then we were on the bus to the Magic Kingdom!
I'd booked breakfast at Crystal Palace (so I could be reunited with my bae Tigger) so when we arrived we had a quick mooch around the shops where I obvs bought a pair of millennial pink ears. Then we headed to the castle for some pics and watched the morning show before heading to breakfast. Breakfast was goals with all the Mickey waffles and Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. It was the perfect start to the trip.
After breakfast we headed for the rides! First up was Small World (because we walked through the castle and it was one of the first rides we saw) and then Space Mountain! We grabbed a Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich before riding Dumbo and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I then found the millennial pink Magic Band so OBVS had to get it!
We headed back to Main Street and grabbed a free starbs (vanilla bean frappuccino yas) before watching the Festival of Fantasy. We were originally going to watch from near the castle but we had a Splash Mountain fastpass which we didn't want to miss so headed over there. I completely regret not staying near the castle because we didn't have a good view at all. After Splash Mountain we were soaked and tired so headed back.
We relaxed by the pool - I read Eleanor Oliphant - and then got the boat to Disney Springs. We were pretty exhausted from getting up early so we ate some pasta, had a look around, then went back to the resort to get a good night's sleep!
Day 3
Now, this was probably one of our worst day... I was super excited when we arrived at Hollywood Studios (the last time I'd been it was MGM and the Sorcerer's Hat was still there) and couldn't wait to be back... although I preferred it with the hat. We headed straight to Toy Story Mania because we couldn't get a fast pass so waited in the hour long stand by queue. It was our FAV ride and was so worth the long wait!
After that we hit a bit of a lull. We were starving but nowhere seemed to be open (?) so we went and met Mickey and Minnie because there was no queue and then waited for the ABC Commissary to open bc FOOD. I had chicken strips and chips which were really good but the decor was weird; it was so old fashioned and I couldn't decide if that was the style or if they just hadn't refurbed in 30 years!
We then went on Tower of Terror... WORST RIDE EVER, I don't know why people like it! We then treated ourselves to a snack from Hollywood Scoops and I had the yummiest ice cream sandwich ever. I still think about it! We then caught the Beauty and the Beast show and went on our final ride of the day... Rock N Rollercoaster. I don't really like big rides anymore because they make me feel sick and very uncomfortable about being stuck in and not being able to get out if I want to! But it still wasn't as bad as ToT!
Afterwards, we had an afternoon of drinking cocktails by the pool (that I knocked over) and then went to eat at Disney Springs where we had Blaze Pizza for the first time, yum yum yum!
Day 4
We decided to grab breakfast at the hotel before going to Blizzard Beach for the day. I had a giant Mickey Waffle which was basically breakfast goals! But I still don't get the waffle/meat combo.
It was the first time either of us had been to Blizzard Beach and I loved the theming! We spent a couple of hours at the water park and went on all the slides (except Summit Plummet cause I'm not cray). As we headed out of the water park we decided to go to Winter Summerland and play crazy golf which was so much fun but it was so hot! So after a game of golf we were pretty excited to get on the air con bus and back to the resort!
We decided to chill in the room for a while as we were both exhausted and then ended up ordering room service pizza! We then went to Animal Kingdom and went on Safari before watching Rivers of Light (which was amazing)! I love the parks at night, there's a different feel and they're somehow more magical than the day!
Day 5
We'd planned to go Universal this day but decided against it because the weather was supposed to be terrible and to be honest we were totally exhausted. We ended up having a good look around Disney Springs where we ate at D-Luxe Burger and of course had burgers, chips, and milkshake. It was so good I'd 100% recommend!
We were then going to relax by the pool but as soon as we walked in they were closing because of thunder and lightning, typical ay! So we headed to the bar for some cocktails (complete with colour changing glow cubes) and ended up playing a game of chess like the cool people we are.
Our final stop of the day was Sanaa for dinner. Animal Kingdom Lodge is my DREAM resort, how amazing would it be to wake up and go sit on the balcony watching giraffes and zebras? When we arrived it was still light and we had a seat near the window so we saw some zebras and other animals outside!! The food was incredible; we shared the bread to start and then I had the butter chicken. It was all so yummy!
Day 6
Our first full day at Animal Kingdom, can you believe we waited until day 6? We first headed to Dinosaur which ended up being one of my favourite rides and then continues into Dino-Rama which I just love because it's so fun and colourful! We then went to the Bug's Life 4D experience in the Tree of Life because we had some time to kill before our next fastpass.
Then it was time to go on the one ride everyone raves about: Flight of Passage. I appreciate why everyone loves this ride but it made me feel really sick so I didn't really enjoy it much. After we grabbed lunch at Satu'li Canteen which was one of the best meals we ate the whole trip. I had a rice and chicken bowl which was just.. YAS! Then we shared a Night Blossom slushy which exceeded all expectations (because I kinda didn't expect to like it). Disney World has THE BEST food!
We then got our caricature done and whilst waiting for it we got a starbucks and had a wonder round. I just love AK so much; it's such a peaceful park to walk around amongst the trees and animals! We LOVED our caricature and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone - you can even personalise them so we asked for ours to be wearing Mickey/Minnie outfits and have a sausage dog somewhere! It was probably the best souvenir we bought!
After relaxing at the resort for a while we then headed to EPCOT which was the first time we'd been the whole trip! We ate in the Mexico pavilion (which wasn't amazing) then wandered around world clockwise ofc. We got a cupcake from Wothers Original in Germany a Snow White bauble for the Christmas tree! As we get to Japan we watch the fireworks then walked around the rest of the park and headed back to the resort.
Day 7
We set off to Typhoon Lagoon fairly early and had soon been on all the slides and the wave pool! We found the water parks were really quiet so we didn't have to wait long for anything which was great. We then ate lunch - where I bought a crush cup with a raspberry slush puppy in - and then we found DIPPIN DOTS!! We were both so excited to eat them again as you can't get them over here and honestly a part of me thought I'd imagined them when I'd had them as a kid!
We then decided to head to Universal Studios since we cancelled a few days earlier. We went on the Simpsons ride and at ice cream from Florean Fortescue in Diagon Alley (I had butterbeer flavour yaas). I massively regretted this though because after a couple more rides we headed to The Hard Rock Cafe but I wasn't hungry because of all the ice cream so didn't really enjoy it in the end. Although gotta get my souvenir cocktail glass!
If you made it to the end... well done! I'll post days 8 - 14 over the next week or so. I thought this would help me get over the Disney blues but honestly it's making them so much worse!
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