Circle of Parks Podcast: Talking all things Walt Disney World
Because there's far too much to see and do. We're here to help guide you through. We are a married couple with two boys age 9 and 6 talking all things Disney World. This podcast will cover the tips and tricks we've learned along our journey, history of the parks and attractions, and most importantly why and how Disney makes us feel how we do while in the parks and that it's ok to feel that way.
Circle of Parks Podcast: Talking all things Walt Disney World
Episode #183: Saying Goodbye to 2024 and Looking Forward to 2025
We reflect on our 2024 Disney adventures and share plans for 2025, highlighting our kidless trips, experiences at festivals, and lessons learned along the way. Join us as we celebrate the magic of Disney and anticipate exciting upcoming journeys.
• Reflection on Disney trips of 2024
• Highlights from the Festival of the Arts
• Importance of behind-the-scenes tours in Disney experiences
• Experience of Disney's Vero Beach Resort
• Lessons learned about vacation pacing and family bonding
• Preview of upcoming plans for 2025 trips
• Excitement about character dining plans
• Embracing the magic of Disney and future aspirations
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Hello and welcome to Circula Parks podcast, episode number 183. Today we are going to recap our Disney trips in 2024 and talk about our trips we have planned for 2025. There is far too much to see and do. We are here to help guide you through. We are here to help guide you through, but before we do that, we must talk Disney merch. So this week, disneystorecom. I don't know why my eyes just kept going back to this particular item item, but it is a mini mouse exercise dress for women, priced at $59.99. Super cute, comfy, sleeveless dress made for play, with a built-in bodysuit and a, you know, exercise lining that we're accustomed to, and it has an embroidery of mini signature which adds to the finishing touch. And again, for some reason maybe it's because it's New Year's, you know thinking about what New Year's resolutions are, I don't know, but this was a super cute exercise dress that I could see several people wearing in the parks. So again, please go check that out. And that is this week's Disney merch.
Speaker 2:So it's a mini workout dress it's a mini workout dress.
Speaker 1:It's still red, with the polka dots, all of that, but for some, I don't know why, but my eyes just kept drifting back to it so you know what they.
Speaker 2:You know what they need a goofy workout suit got. We're going way back, right? Okay. To the goofy shorts when he was doing the workout stuff. No, I'm that old, this is still like.
Speaker 1:No, I'm just saying this dress, though, like it's like what you see women wearing, you know to work out in, or even in the parks, but for some reason it was just super cute so or you can just get bicycle shorts and paint them like mini mouse right. That too, that too Okay Again, it was. It was just cute.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, thank you everybody for joining us. Happy new year.
Speaker 1:Yes, when you are listening to this, it will be new year's day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, new year's day. Yeah, happy new year. We hope you had a great christmas. If you're anything like our family and other families, we know you were sick at some point in the last week.
Speaker 1:You can tell in our voices, we sound a lot worse than we actually feel now. Yes, that is correct, like we sound super nasally still, I feel, but I don't think we are no but then the weather here is changing too. It was like 60 degrees and sunny yesterday, and then today is like all this cold air and wind. Welcome to snow next week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Welcome to Tennessee winters yeah, they're awesome. So, yeah, I hope you had a Merry Christmas. Hope you had a happy holidays. Whatever it is you celebrate. Hope it was great. We enjoyed our break A couple weeks off. I'm ready to get back to the social media, though, with the Daily Walt Disney quote trivia, posting stuff. It was a nice break, but I'm ready to get back into it.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, as far as for the podcast. Yes, as far as work, work. I'm not ready yet, but I still have a few days. Anyway but I do want to echo off of everything Zach said. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, happy holidays, all of that, and even though we said we'd been sick like Christmas, only one, only one kid was sick and he was still able to enjoy, and then it just kind of trickled on to all of us after that.
Speaker 2:So I gave Brittany a look because I'm still working. I don't get a break. There is no breaks for me.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:All right, so if you're new here, I'm Zach.
Speaker 1:I'm Britt.
Speaker 2:And we do this show every week Usually usually we skipped last week.
Speaker 1:We skipped last week, it was Christmas, you know jinx. You can't talk anymore.
Speaker 2:And we just our goal here is to help you have a better walt disney world vacation or disneyland and really break your week up. I know everybody has stressful jobs. This is a 45 minute to an hour break during the week. Listen to us when you're out, running, walking in the car, whatever. We just hope to bring you to walt disney world for a week helps us get through the week. I hope it helps you going into the new year. Great stuff coming up. This is not a news podcast. I know we always say that, but big news will be dropped tomorrow, january 2nd.
Speaker 1:No, that's not tomorrow.
Speaker 2:When this is released, it will be.
Speaker 1:Sorry, yes.
Speaker 2:Free dining is back released. It will be. Yes, free dining is back, which tells me that their advanced bookings are not what they wanted to be. Maybe epic universe is oh. We can't talk about that on this podcast, though, can we? We don't the park we can't talk about but it just kind of makes you wonder.
Speaker 1:You know like, yay, all these specials. But then it's like, okay, there there's a. There was there's a reason um, however I would, I would be okay with it being a little less crowded yeah, I'm okay with that too.
Speaker 2:All right, so we're going to get into our 2024 recap. It was a big year for us. We didn't take as many vacations as we have in the past, but the ones we did take, or the one we took, was big.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And it was a great vacation. I would do it again, with a few changes Okay but we're not there yet.
Speaker 1:We're not there yet.
Speaker 2:And then we're going to talk about our 2025 vacations that have been completely changed than what we had originally planned on. We're going to get to that. All right. So our first trip we took in 2024 was our first kidless trip last February.
Speaker 1:Now a little history Kidless trip to Disney, To Disney World.
Speaker 2:February is always a big month for Brittany and I. I proposed to her on Valentine's Day. We got engaged. I know it seemed a little hokey, but for us, we try to always make it a big thing. Right. So this past year we're like we're going to Walt Disney World, our kids were finally old enough to not be so pissy about it that they didn't get to go.
Speaker 1:Is that I wouldn't? Have used that word, but I mean they weren't upset, they weren't like't like no, you can't go without us.
Speaker 2:But in the years prior they're like you can't go without it.
Speaker 1:You know, they were at that age where and I think too because we weren't going to all the parks and when we were telling them what we wanted to to focus on when we were in the parks, they were like, oh, okay yeah, it's a completely different trip right you can go back and listen to those trip reports and dining reviews, but we stayed at a non-disney resort for the first time.
Speaker 2:We stayed at the dolphin hotel, great resort yes, a great location great location, especially for the price. You're getting all the deluxe amenities for half the price, essentially as a deluxe resort. However, there was no theming. I mean a little bit, but.
Speaker 1:A little bit here and there, but I mean, it's like you're staying at a.
Speaker 2:An upscale Marriott at anywhere else in the country that has a huge convention center. Right, that's what it was like.
Speaker 1:But I mean again not to take away the Like, if we'd had more time, there were so many restaurants that they had there in the hotel itself again, not Disney, but quite a bit of a selection of different types of restaurants that we've heard good things about yes and you know it just didn't even though it's right there, like on the Epcot side and everything it just it didn't feel like you were in that Disney bubble.
Speaker 2:Here's a great analogy If you were this is dating me too way back in high school. It's like you got invited to the popular kids party but no one was talking to you when you were there. You were just still like. You were kind of there, but not really. Right. Does that make sense? Yeah, that's what it felt like to me, because that's how the kid, that's the kid. I was in high school. I was included, but not really.
Speaker 1:Right and again, not to take away from it because some people love staying at this one in Dolphin and it is a very nice resort hotel, but it just, you know, we like to feel the more disney vibes we do all that, so so that was missing some, uh.
Speaker 2:But you know, if you're one that enjoys, you know those type of properties and the price and everything, I would recommend it yeah, if you're wanting to take advantage of the deluxe resort amenities and extra magic hours and all that stuff, to take advantage of the deluxe resort amenities and extra magic hours and all that stuff that you get with the deluxe resort, but you're not going to really be staying at the resort much, I would do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is on price on par with moderate resorts but it's a deluxe resort and the room was very nice and very comfortable.
Speaker 2:It was great, yes yeah, all right, we enjoyed farts and did our first tour with behind the scenes. If you have boys, you are welcome, like we do. Festival of the arts known fart, known as farts. We did it and I must say this is my favorite festival yes sans food yeah, zach can only handle so much sweets.
Speaker 1:I can't do sweets.
Speaker 2:I know that's probably a good thing that I can't handle sweets, but I'm out for the food. But I enjoyed the artistry. I enjoyed the sidewalk chalk. I enjoy painting the number thing. I enjoy all of the that's a good word to put it not worshiping, but all of the appreciation that figment gets, that I appreciate the imagination. They're celebrating figment and the and imagination right which I think is essentially what every all of this is, so I really enjoy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I enjoyed seeing the different type of artwork because there's all kinds and you know, like Zach was saying, you know getting to paint some of that mural and the food booths. You know some of the items are very unique to keep it on par and theme with the Festival of the Arts. So I do like how some of the foods were presented. I would say it's not one of my favorite festivals for the food.
Speaker 2:No, it's not, In my opinion. It's not for the food, it's for the arts. Right yeah, the food is supposed to be artsy, but if we're talking about food, as far as festivals go, I think the flower and garden probably has the best food in my opinion yeah, that's tough but it's not. We're not talking right, no, but yeah we did the behind the seats tour, yes, which I loved.
Speaker 1:If you even have a hinkling of liking living with the land, do this tour it was very informative in different ways than what you hear on the ride, and it was more interactive than I thought it would be as well it was.
Speaker 2:It was great. I'm sorry I cut you off there. You were gonna say something. You're gonna move on, okay? Um, I it's very, as far as tours go, very affordable and I like that. You get to see what other people look like. When, when you're on living with the land, you get to see what other people look like, when, when you're on living with the land, you get to see what those people look like right.
Speaker 2:I just find that kind of I know I'm a little goofy, but I just find it. Hey, this is what you look like when you're on living with the land to the plants and stuff, but I thought it was. They had a lot of very unique techniques and developed technologies and I really think that the Land Pavilion, especially Living with the Land, still embodies what Walt's concept of Epcot Center was supposed to be Innovate, develop and move forward in the future, and that's what this does, and they do a really good job of showing that, I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think so too, and again, I didn't really know what to expect from from the tour and of course, zach is the one that loves the ride so much, but I I definitely enjoyed it. It was very informative. Our tour guide was amazing.
Speaker 2:She was great, yeah and I'm not a green thumb person, I don't have an inkling of growing crops or vegetables or anything and I love this, absolutely loved it. I love the technology part and that they're keeping with Walt's original idea of what Epcot should have been. I think that's what I really appreciated the most about it. Right, because it's very unique the techniques that they use.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I agree. And the amount just. I know you hear it on the ride and stuff too, but just the amount of food that they produce is amazing.
Speaker 2:It's a lot Yep.
Speaker 1:What's on your list for this trip? I enjoyed this is where I felt a little guilty without the kids but getting to experience the Moana attraction in Epcot for the first time. What is it? Journey Through Water? Yeah, time. What is it journey through water? Yeah, and it was. It was just fun because we were we were being big kids without the kids. You know like I go back sometimes and watch a couple of like videos that you took of me like doing things with the water and I really did look and act like a big kid with it, like I was just having a good time yeah, I really enjoyed this too.
Speaker 2:I didn't know what to expect, but this is going back to again the edutainment that Epcot Center is supposed to be. For those that say this should be an animal kingdom, I'm sorry you're wrong. This should be an Epcot, because it really talks about the journey of water actually through, like the rainforest and everything like that, and it's just a fun attraction. And the key to this is doing it at night. It is beautiful at night.
Speaker 1:It is. I mean, it's beautiful during the day too, but it just takes on a more magical glow.
Speaker 2:Very magical.
Speaker 1:Yes, completely agree, but it's so fun. Definitely recommend whether you're by yourself with kids any time of day. Really, it was just truly fun. Another highlight of this trip was eating at Boma.
Speaker 2:Yes, Early early, early in the morning.
Speaker 1:So we had an early, early morning reservation one of the days we were there for Boma, which is an Animal Kingdom Lodge, for breakfast it's a buffet, so good, the theming there, everything. It just you know, one of these days we will be taking the kids as well, but I was glad we got to finally experience it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was good. So I had a couple of things more on this trip. The key to riding expedition everest thoroughly is having two tempting tigresses at nomad lounge prior to it. That takes it to a whole nother level.
Speaker 1:Man, that was awesome right and we thoroughly did, as you as, what he just said. We did get to thoroughly enjoy and take our time at Nomad Lounge as well.
Speaker 2:We were there for a few hours.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't say a few hours but maybe two, a couple hours. Yeah, and it was just. You know, it's just a relaxing vibe and, I guess, something you're wanting to do every time you go right.
Speaker 2:So I really enjoyed just relaxing in Animal Kingdom. I think Animal Kingdom I know people say Animal Kingdom is only a half-day park and that reputation probably is going to grow with the closure, starting January 6th, of Chester and Hester's like the games, the gift shop and Triceratops Spin, which I get it, but it's still like you need to read.
Speaker 1:This park is meant to help you relax, right and if you're focusing just solely on the rides, then yes, half day, but there's so much more to it dare you. No, I'm saying for the people that just go for the rides only, but that the park isn't meant for just that.
Speaker 1:No, you know it's to. It is to relax. Go do a ride, relax some more, go do another ride or do a few rides and then relax for a while. You know whether it's on those trails we've talked about several times, you know. Or just going to places like Nomad Lounge, and you know, taking it easy. Or walking around the Tree of Life and stuff, or yeah, yeah Tree of.
Speaker 1:Life. That sounded wrong for some reason, but you know. But that's what it's for. It is to just have you slow down, take it easy, because so many of the other parks are go go, go, go go, so you can get everything in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So my favorite thing about this trip was just the more relaxing pace. We just went at our own flow. I don't think we ever got really tired.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:And then the behind the scenes tour I think was absolutely amazing. Go check it out, get a reservation. I highly recommend it. It's worth the money, it's not expensive and it will give you a more, better appreciation for what they do, not only in Walt Disney World, but for just for living with the land.
Speaker 1:I think it was great right, and if you're looking for like a time to go, maybe you want to do a couples only trip or something, you know.
Speaker 1:I think February is a great time and the weather's great, you know it wasn't cold it wasn't cold like you needed, like maybe a long sleeve shirt, but um later in the day it would warm up, you know it wasn't cold. It wasn't cold like you needed, like maybe a long sleeve shirt, but um later in the day it would warm up, you know. And back to t-shirt and shorts and stuff, but it was. It wasn't as crowded I mean, you are still gonna have to wait in line and stuff but it wasn't as crowded and the weather was very pleasant.
Speaker 2:So all right. Moving on, we went to disney's vero beach resort in june. I said this back then. I'm reiterating it now. This is a deluxe resort without the stress of the parks, no crowds, in an amazing beach. That's what this place is. Yes, it is amazing. I love, love, love, love this place yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:It is disney without being in that huge disney bubble in orlando, you know, but the theming, the theming's on par, it's very relaxing. There's still a lot of those same perks and stuff that you get at the disney resorts in orlando, you know. You have movies at night, you have arts and crafts activities, you have trivia at the pool, things like that, and they even have like areas for games and puzzles and they have what am I trying to say when you not really rent officially.
Speaker 1:But you have to like borrow DVDs, borrow games, like they have some TVs downstairs in the main in where you know they have a couple of different gaming systems like Xbox and PlayStation stuff like that, and you go to the front desk and and they just give you they give you a game and you play it and you return it.
Speaker 1:You just have to sign it out. So you know, they know who has it and so, yeah, I mean it, it was. It was so pretty, though in the beach there they really support the local like turtles and it's just I don't know. It was so fun and relaxing and the food you know a lot of the food is like your Disney food, especially the pool. The quick service food is like what you would get at quick service pool bars and stuff and other Disney resorts the chicken tenders, all of that stuff.
Speaker 2:So yeah, my favorite thing was they said they were fully booked and it felt it was empty. Right. It was completely empty and the beach was not crowded at all. We were there on late Memorial Day. There's nobody there.
Speaker 3:It was completely empty and the beach was not crowded at all.
Speaker 2:We were there on late Memorial Day. There's nobody there. It was amazing.
Speaker 1:I mean, we did have like one of the days there were quite a few people on the beach, but it didn't feel overcrowded in any way, you know, in the spacing like there was still, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're used to going to the Gulf Coast off of Highway 38.
Speaker 1:If you know anything about that, that you know how packed. That is right. This is the exact opposite of that. Yeah, it's so great, love it, love it, love it. And you know they do like rental chairs there for the beach and everything too, and the prices are very reasonable yes, yes, all right, moving on to the oh, that's all you're gonna say.
Speaker 2:What do you?
Speaker 1:no, it's just I. I though more of Vero Beach in the location of it. I think it is a good way, like if you could and then we said this before If you could go to the parks and then save a few days in your trip towards the end, to take this drive down to Vero Beach and use those last few days for relaxing, this would be. This is the perfect resort for that.
Speaker 2:More on that in a bit. Okay, coast to coast big trip in July. I love staying at the Grand Californian. It was so relaxing and I loved the entrance into DCA right from the hotel. Yes, that was so awesome.
Speaker 1:That was a huge, huge perk, and Grand Californian has similar vibes to like Wilderness Lodge and the pool chairs. I know you're thinking what? What about pool chairs? But I'm surprised Zach's not jumping in, because he ranted and raved about these pool chairs being some of the most comfortable at any resort. They were awesome. They were awesome.
Speaker 2:They were awesome and the Yacht Club was an amazing resort. Loved everything about the Yacht Club. I just enjoyed experiencing both resorts I mean resorts, I mean Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World in the same trip. I think that was really cool to be able to, I guess, compare the two. Right.
Speaker 2:And I said this last time when we did our trip report. I'm going to say it again it felt like we were visiting Disneyland. But the second we walked into the Yacht Club Resort I was like, oh yeah, like once we were in Disney World.
Speaker 1:It felt like we were home. I was like okay, we're home yeah.
Speaker 2:Disneyland was like visiting, but when you're at Walt Disney World you're like okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would agree, like Disneyland, love it, love it. You know the history of it. Some of our favorite rides and lands are even out in Disneyland in California Adventure. But we just for us our home parks. Our home resort as a whole is Walt Disney World. Now, cars Land still might be one of my favorite lands though ever in Disney's California Adventure. I'm glad we had the amazing opportunity, kind of, like Zach said, comparing in a way, you know, even comparing Because it was on the same trip Food items such as churros and which ones were better, which, I'm afraid to say, it's still Nomad Lounge In Walt Disney World. But it was just, I don't know, like the appreciation for both. You know I definitely have On both coasts, but I think it just made me appreciate the love that I have more for Walt Disney World.
Speaker 2:Yeah, made me appreciate the love that I have more for Walt Disney World. Yeah, I would agree to that. And Cars Land is. We need to rank the lands again. We did it a long time ago, a couple years ago. I think we need to go back and redo that now that we've done Disneyland as well and. California Adventure.
Speaker 1:So all the lands from both coasts? Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:And I've been listening, so I'm doing a lot of book research. Still I'm listening to a lot of interviews with Tony Baxter because I'm still working on Frontierland and in that interview, because he worked on Cars Land, tony Baxter did and he said one of the greatest compliments you could ever get as an Imagineer was when he was in Cars Land. He overheard a little boy ask his mom is this where they filmed Cars?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:That's how real Cars cars land is.
Speaker 1:It is especially at night wow, well, and you know, we said it, so he's 12 now, but the first time we went was he 10 or just turned 11 he was 10, uh, our oldest. So he loved, loved loved.
Speaker 1:Cars as a toddler and having him like just when we were in Cars Land, going back to like his three-year-old self. You know I mean that should say a lot too, and compliment Baxter, because you know I think it does that for a lot, a lot of kids and adults. I mean they did such a great job. It really, really, truly feels like you're there in a part of the movie, so. But yeah, I agree, sometime we'll need to rank the lands again, but yes, it was an amazing opportunity Again appreciate both coasts so much. In this same trip, besides doing the parks that we've done before and, you know, staying in nice resorts, we also experienced Typhoon Lagoon.
Speaker 2:A lot larger than I thought it would be.
Speaker 1:Yes, a lot larger, a lot nicer than I thought it would be. I don't know, and I don't mean that in any condescending way or anything I just I don't think I knew what to expect.
Speaker 2:We've never been to a Disney water park. We've always been to a Disney water park. We've always been to water parks around here and they're just you know, yeah, and the Lazy River.
Speaker 1:It was very, very nice and I would definitely be up to going again, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one of my favorite things from this trip was me and Ryan closed out our DCA night with Incredicoaster timed it perfectly. We got to watch the Disney and fireworks from the Incredicoaster at California Adventure. I thought that was great. One thing I would have changed is I think we should have taken a rest day after our cross-country trip due to the jet lag and as long of a day as it was, because we got there and went right into the parks and it it was like it took a toll on us, I think a little bit, I think.
Speaker 1:Well, so, for those of you wondering exactly so, yes, the, the, there was a travel day, obviously, but between going from california to florida and what originally was going to be like a five hour flight ended up with storms and all that turning into a lot longer and having to fly into another airport refueling and then flying into Orlando. So we got in much later than anticipated and you know, with the, the time difference and all that, yeah, I think I think it did affect us some, but I don't think we realized it in the midst of it until later in the trip.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, well, so when we left California, it was breakfast time, and when we got to Orlando, it was like 9 o'clock at night, right, and so that's a big toll on your body that you don't realize is actually happening. Yeah, so that's one thing I think I would have changed is that, other than that, it was a great trip. I don't recommend it for first timers, though. Right. So, but yeah, all right. So lessons we learned in 2024. Brittany, what is one lesson that we learned in 2024?
Speaker 1:We are no longer a rope dropping family.
Speaker 2:We are not, nope. I'm glad to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean there is something to be said for rope dropping, though, like it is excitement, you know you want to be one of those first ones there, get a couple of rides in before anyone else comes to the park and and there is a lot of fun in that, a lot of stress in that sometimes too. But you know, I think if you, if it's one of your only times being able to go, or your only time it is, it is worth it to rope drop. But the fact that we go several times now and our kids are getting older, you know that extra hour, hour and a half, two hours of sleep and not having to get up and rush and go, I think is what's going to start happening for us in the future.
Speaker 2:Well, and I think, now that we've done most everything, there's not a rush to like.
Speaker 1:we have specific things that we want to do and then after that it's like yeah, right, you know it's not like we're trying to squeeze everything in because we don't know when we're going to come back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I learned couples only trips to Walt Disney World are amazing when we're going to come back. Yeah, I learned couples only trips to Walt Disney World are amazing.
Speaker 1:They are so much fun, so much fun.
Speaker 2:And people are like, are you going to Walt Disney World without your kids? I'm like, yeah, and it's going to be awesome, it's. There's so much to do for couples. We did a show like two years ago about it, yeah, and I think we probably need to do another one right, kind of re because stuff has changed you know, I hate doing episodes again, but I think because things have changed, we need to bring it up again well, yeah, and I mean we're.
Speaker 1:What is this? Episode 183 so I mean it's okay to kind of revisit, rehash them yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeehaw Bob. Still awesome, still awesome, go see. Still awesome, still awesome, go see him. He's at the Port Orleans Riverside, I think, thursday, friday and Saturday nights.
Speaker 1:Go see, check the schedule though.
Speaker 2:No, call him. I don't think there's an actual schedule. Call the front desk, they'll tell you Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one thing just how much we love Nomad Lounge, even with the kids, because it is that time to relax and, if it's a hot summer day, you know, to just have that time to unwind and chill for a bit. Also another thing pool days for those longer trips are a must.
Speaker 2:Yes, for sure. One other lesson I learned. This is for the guys boxer shorts and theme parks, not a combination. You know what I mean. Just saying it's a long day, all right. Anything else you learned this year?
Speaker 1:Just as always in Disney, this isn't necessarily for this year, but pack your patience.
Speaker 2:Pack your patience pants.
Speaker 1:Everyone's experiencing a lot of what you're experiencing, whether it's the joy of being there or the stress of it, or having kids throwing tantrums. Don't feel like you're the only ones going through it, because you're not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I will say this, and I noticed this on my solo trips when I go for book research If you stop and look around, there are like 20 parents with kids having meltdowns all at the same time. Right.
Speaker 2:No one's paying attention to you. I'm not judging you, I'm busy doing my thing. But when you're so involved with your family, you think everybody is like all eyes are on you. No, they're not. Yeah, everybody's paying attention in their own world. Don't sweat it. Don't feel like everybody's judging you. They're not their kids melting down whatever. Just it's okay yes it is okay you are fine.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, all right. So what do we have planned for 2025?
Speaker 2:well, get ready for a roller coaster, because we're about to take you on one about what was originally excuse, excuse me originally supposed to be planned, and we changed our minds again. So let's talk Disney Cruise Line for a bit. We were going to go cruising in 2024, this past year. Yes we were, but we decided on the coast to coast trip instead.
Speaker 1:Yes, which I'm glad we did.
Speaker 2:I'm glad we did too. So 2025 was going to be our cruise year and we were going to do a couple of park days before and then go sailing on the Disney Wish in concierge level and that was going to be it for this year. That was it. Due to the high price tag of concierge level, it is not cheap.
Speaker 1:It is not cheap, it is not.
Speaker 2:But why were we going to do concierge level Brittany?
Speaker 1:Oh, you're making me sound all bougie over here. I'm not. No, I'm not.
Speaker 2:There's a very legitimate reason.
Speaker 1:I'm nervous about being on a cruise for many reasons, and it's not because Titanic or anything, but it's just like what.
Speaker 2:It's in the caribbean icebergs?
Speaker 1:no, I know, but I mean like I think some people like when they think, oh, I'm gonna be on a ship for a long time and stuck or something, then that pops in their head, I don't know.
Speaker 2:But they have luxury lifeboats now too, so it's more it's more of I don't know.
Speaker 1:I've heard mixed reviews, and not so much from any particular cruise line. But just you know, when you are on some choppier waters, like if it's a little stormy out or something like I don't know how it's going to affect me, because there's times I can get motion sickness very easily and other times not at all, and so I guess part of it is I don't want to feel that way for several days in a row. Obviously I do have like just a slight bit of vertigo as well, which I mean I can take some medicine to help control that medicine to help control that. But the combination of possibly feeling sick from the bigger waves and and then that vertigo stuff, it just kind of worries me and then I sound so horrible.
Speaker 1:But then a little bit of claustrophobia as well, which I know these ships are huge, they're magnificent, they look beautiful, gorgeous, there's so much to do on them, but the rooms, like the regular rooms, just seem so small that I just I don't know how I would feel. So that's when Zach started looking at different options of rooms and the concierge level and how you have like little like balcony and stuff. So I wouldn't feel so claustrophobic. Claustrophobic if I needed to like get some fresh air.
Speaker 2:So the main reason there's several reasons we were going to do concierge level one. When we were planning this or looking at it, I was like we need to take as many of these stresses that could possibly be like instances that could possibly be stressful for Brittany away. It's like boarding the ship, deboarding the ship, getting on and off, for that could possibly be like instances that could possibly be stressful for Brittany away. It's like boarding the ship, deboarding the ship, getting on and off for excursions, breakfast, like all that stuff that can cause anxiety and cause worry. Concierge level takes those away.
Speaker 2:Right, you have expedited boarding, expedited deboarding. You have your own little like club lounge area with like continental breakfast drinks, all of that in your own little area. The rooms are a bit bigger. You do have the balcony and then you have your own little like concierge level deck with chairs and stuff like that and I think like a pool stuff, stuff like that. So my thought was, if we're gonna do it, let's do that and try to help britney take some of those worries and concerns that you don't think are worries and concerns, but when you get in those situations they are stressful, right.
Speaker 1:They are, and our youngest, every once in a while, can feel some of those too. He can get a little motion sickness as well, and so I think it would also help him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And so, after talking about it more and realizing that's the only trip we're taking next year, we got to thinking about it and we realized we've been doing California the past few years. Right, we haven't done just a I say this with quotation marks a good old fashioned seven night, four day park day in Walt Disney World. That can be relaxing. It is, we've done it before and save some money and go a few more times this year and we thought that would be a much better use of our money and time instead of doing a four night cruise, a couple of days at the park and that's it for the year. Right, right, money and time, instead of doing a four night cruise, a couple days at the park, and that's it for the year, right, right.
Speaker 1:So we shelved the cruise and decided to that and a few other trips.
Speaker 2:So here's what we have planned for 2025 yes, so in february we are doing a kidless trip again. Yay, I can't wait. It is fully booked. Done, done, it's happening.
Speaker 1:So this time now Zach had to pull my leg a little bit on where we're staying. You know he said but we probably wouldn't stay here with the kids when there's a few other resorts they want to stay at as well, so why not do it in our couples only trip? So we are staying.
Speaker 2:We've stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, now we're going to stay at port orleans french quarter so the reason we've been hesitant on port orleans french quarter is we're just not big and I know we're probably one of the few outliers on this opinion, and that's okay we're not big into like the new orleans theme right, we, we're just not Like Marty Girl and all that. That's just not us Back in.
Speaker 1:Zach's younger days. I think he was yes, but I'm not 21 anymore.
Speaker 2:I'm 42.
Speaker 1:So the theming has really you are not 42 yet. Yet who's even counting at this point? Because then you rush my age when you jump through. Who's even counting?
Speaker 2:When you get in your 30, like late 30s and 40s, no one cares anyway. Um so this has not been a resort that's been high on our list to stay at right, and so for our couples trip, we're not really going to be enjoying the resort for like a. We're not having a resort day, so let's just go and stay there. We will have some night time. You know we're going to enjoy scat Cats. We'll get the beignets.
Speaker 1:So let's clarify real quick. So there's Scat Cats Club Cafe that you can eat at earlier in the day for the Mickey beignets. You can get traditional beignets. They have some other like versions of it as well.
Speaker 2:The boozy ones.
Speaker 1:Well, no, but I think there's. I wasn't. I was getting to that.
Speaker 2:Oh sorry.
Speaker 1:There are some bougie, yeah, bougie like adult Bougie. I know we're bougie, but those are bougie, well, I kept saying it in my head and I'm like that doesn't sound right. Bougie ones, but I think they sometimes bring out different flavors as well, but the Mickey Beignets. But then at night you have the Scat Cats Club Lounge that has like jazz and cocktails.
Speaker 2:I want to. You know I'm not a big jazz. I know we live in Nashville. Oh, you don't like live music. No, we can't stand it.
Speaker 1:We don't go downtown at all, but we want to experience it.
Speaker 2:We want to experience it and I think, because we have such low expectations going into it, we're like, oh man, that was a great resort, that was I don't know what we were so hesitant about, right, you know? Yeah, who knows?
Speaker 1:though, who knows?
Speaker 2:We're going to thoroughly enjoy farts again. For those of you with boys listening, you're welcome.
Speaker 1:Yes, festival of the Arts at Epcot. So, and yes, we want to enjoy the festival for all the artwork, do the painting, all that stuff again. You know we may hit up one or two of the food booths.
Speaker 2:I'm not, I'm out. No, like you can.
Speaker 1:But you know, but we will be eating elsewhere in Epcot. Yes. And then we'll be doing enjoying Animal Kingdom as well.
Speaker 2:Yes. And so for food, we are at Epcot. We're going to eat lunch at Space 220 Lounge, the Lounge caught. We were going to eat lunch at space 220 lounge, the lounge. Now, if you go way back to our first episodes, you will know I was so excited and pumped for this restaurant to open after the covid closures. This was like the number one thing I was looking forward to. And then they came out with the food and the prices and I was like I don't think so. And then, after watching several of our favorite youtubers go there and like, yeah, it's a steak, like I don't think so. And then, after watching several of our favorite YouTubers go there and like, yeah, it's a steak, like there's nothing special about it. So we still want to go experience it, but not pay those outrageous astronomical. Did you see what?
Speaker 2:I did there Prices, so we're going to go to the lounge Now.
Speaker 2:They do have some small bites and get some drinks for lunch and get some drinks for lunch Right, and for dinner we're going to eat in the Japan Pavilion at Shikisai Izakaya House. I'm glad you said that I do not like sushi, but I love, like, skewered meats and that type of stuff, which is what this place has. Yeah, and we've wanted to eat here in the past and our oldest Ryan loves all Japanese food, but our youngest Nolan does not, and there's nothing on the menu even the kids menu that he would like here. So we decided this would be a good time for us to eat there.
Speaker 1:Yes, and what. I will order. I don't know. I will let you know after the trip, because so much of of the menu sounds good to me and I have been very critical of what's that show in Epcot.
Speaker 2:again, the Fireworks show Harmonious. No, that's the one we love.
Speaker 1:That's the one we loved. Luminous, luminous, yes.
Speaker 2:I'm going to give it another try. I don't understand it. I'm going to give it another shot.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I want to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think you may enjoy it more the second time around, Like I haven't seen it as a whole since that one time either, but when I'm on this was it the summer trip, I guess, when Nolan and I went.
Speaker 2:I went back to Epcot.
Speaker 1:We went back to Epcot when we had all four of us had kind of separated you with Ryan, me with Nolan, and after we were doing what we went there for and we were walking back to the resort, uh, what little we caught of it.
Speaker 2:Like it held my attention, Like I, I was like so we'll be eating a late dinner in the Japan pavilion. Yeah, I think we just hang out right there, cause that'd be a good spot to watch it from. Okay. Yeah, to watch it from? Okay yeah, I'd be up for that. And there's a slight chance, depending.
Speaker 1:I may agree to go to Yeehaw Bob with him at Port Orleans Riverside for a little while.
Speaker 2:For a little bit. Yeah, yeah, I completely agree, and we are going to be doing again. We're just doing Epcot and Animal Kingdom, because those are our two favorite parks, and we're going back to Boma.
Speaker 1:Yes, not as early, though, like an hour later For breakfast. Yeah.
Speaker 2:On our last day. So that's our couple's trip in February. And another restaurant in Animal Kingdom Lodge too. Oh, we're going to Jiko our first night. That's like our Valentine's dinner. Yeah, I am looking for I don't know why I can't believe I forgot that. I'm looking forward to Jiko. They have a very unique, some unique meats on their menu and I'm a sorbet guy, their palate cleanser between courses sorbet.
Speaker 1:I can't wait.
Speaker 2:I am so looking forward to this I'm surprised you forgot about that I completely forgot about it. Oh my gosh, I can't wait for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that will be in February, and so looking forward to that again. Just a short little like weekend trip.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:But still plenty to do and relaxing time as well.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm chilling. You can find me at Nomad Lounge with the Tempting Tigress outside.
Speaker 1:I'm hanging, yeah, we will be spending time at Nomad Lounge. I'm hanging outounge and also having their delicious churros. Yes, so then, a little bit later in the year, the end of May into the early part of June, we are doing a seven-day Walt Disney World trip in June with another family.
Speaker 2:More on that later. We can't divulge any details yet Followed by four days at Vero Beach. Yes, this I cannot wait for. So we're staying in the tower at Coronado Springs.
Speaker 1:Yes, the Grandestino Tower, and so we haven't booked it yet. So hopefully that is where we're staying. And we've heard we've stayed at Coronado Springs before. So some of you that have been listening for a while and stuff like yes, we have stayed at Coronado before, but not in the tower. In the trip that we did stay at Coronado, that was the trip. That was like a complete blur to us Almost broke us.
Speaker 1:And so this will be a different experience, with the tower and actually having like a pool day and everything and being able to enjoy the resort in the pool and the restaurants. They have.
Speaker 2:We have a couple of days to do that. Yeah, three Bridges Bar and Grill, can't wait. Ryan and I will be taking a day and going to the park we do not speak of. Rhymes are universal. So Ryan is turning 13 this year and he is getting a little bit older, you know, and he loves roller coasters and when we were planning this, he's like I guess we're going to Disney again. Same old thing going to Disney, which I get it he does love it, but I get it.
Speaker 2:He's 13. He wants more thrilling. He will be. He wants more thrilling attractions. I get it, I. So we're going to be taking a day just me and him and going to Universal. It's going to be right when Epic Universe is opening up, which means we're not doing Epic Universe, no, which means either the other two parks are going to be completely dead or 100, like just nuts, Everything nuts yeah. So it's one of the two, but I think it'd be a good time to good day I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 1:I've never been. Yeah, and nolan and I like will. We'll probably do the pool at some point for a little bit. While they're doing that, um, possibly me and him and maybe some others we are with might uh, head over to chef mickey's yeah, I'll have fun with that since zach and ryan don't really we're out don't really want to go there, so that might be the day that we do that and we'll find some other fun things to do as well.
Speaker 1:Um so, and that's the thing you know, whether it's within your own family or if you're going with others, like we're not going to do everything together no, that was one of the.
Speaker 2:When we first talked about this. That was number one rules. Like we don't have to do everything together, like yeah. Because you don't want to get sick of your friends either.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Just like your family, you don't want to get sick of them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I mean, you know there will be several things that we do together, but there will be times where we might not see each other for several hours and just meet at dinner time or something. Who knows.
Speaker 2:And then afterwards we're renting a car and driving to Vero Beach the way Michael Eisner intended for us to do, and spend four days at the beach.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:He can't wait. He cut me off before. Oh, I'm sorry. What were you going to say?
Speaker 1:Well, besides Chef Mickey's, though, when talking about this trip, somebody across from me that I'm staring at right now agreed to some more character dinings.
Speaker 2:Yes, there's two that I agree to Topolino's Terrace for breakfast and Garden. Grill yes. Those are the only two that I agree to Topolino's Terrace for breakfast and Garden.
Speaker 1:Grill yes.
Speaker 2:Those are the only two that I'll ever agree to.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right.
Speaker 2:We'll leave it at that.
Speaker 1:Yes, but then, as Zach said, then renting a car and going to Vero Beach, yes, For four days of just nothing. Relaxing at the beach, enjoying the pool there, just taking it all in, maybe going up to the room napping, getting back out.
Speaker 2:We do have a ocean view room that is 100% booked done.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So, when I say the way Michael Eisner intended for us to do when this resort was built, the intent was that most people road trip Now, most people fly, but a lot of people would road trip and that, after they're watching the world of vacation, they would take a few days and go to the beach and relax before going home. Yeah, that was the intent. Now it's a DVC place, you know, but that's what I mean, yeah, and then, yeah, coming home, all right, and now we have planned a two day trip for fall break and we're going to stay at Pop Century.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And we're going to do two park days Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and, if the time is right, go to the Halloween party again, because it's been a long time since we've been.
Speaker 1:Right since the blur of the trip in 2019.
Speaker 2:Yes, we would want to experience again. We would not rope drop, but we would be there most of the day and into the night. And then Hollywood Studios. We're only doing two parks because we're planning to go again for Christmas. We missed it this year.
Speaker 1:We really did. Oh my goodness. Yes, we really really did, yes. And so at Christmas time, the plan is to most likely stay at Contemporary and get a theme park view room because you're going to yell at us.
Speaker 2:I can hear people yelling at us right now when we say this.
Speaker 1:We're not going to go to Magic Kingdom during Christmas time. Why, why, why? I mean, I find myself asking that sometimes myself when we discuss this, but we, we've experienced it. It is beautiful, breathtaking, magical, all of those things at Christmas, yes, and our memories of it that we have already are wonderful, but we're doing some other things.
Speaker 2:So we're going to go back to Animal Kingdom because I think they have really underrated Christmas decorations and activities.
Speaker 1:They do and the Merry Menagerie are oh, those puppets are just so adorable, like the polar bears, arctic foxes, the uh, penguins and more. Just something that that I I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed when we were there a couple years ago at christmas time in animal kingdom. And then we also want to experience epcot we've never done festival of the holidays we've never done festival of holidays and if we time it right, I would.
Speaker 2:I want to do kind of like procession. I don't care who the narrator is, but I think it'll be really, really cool to see. Yeah, yeah, uh. Also, we're talking about the mary menagerie. I like the steel band drummer that they had. Oh yes, it was so so good, yeah, and you only get that in animal kingdom, right, but you're not getting that experience anywhere else. So we figured if we get a theme park view room at Contemporary, that'll kind of like satisfy our Christmassy Magic Kingdom stuff.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Because we'd be able to see the fireworks yes, from the you know. So I think that we'd still get a part of that right, right.
Speaker 1:Some of the vibes. Some of the vibes. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I want to. That's what we have planned in 2025. A little bit of a book update. I am moving through it. I am now in Frontierland. Hopefully we'll be done with that soon. I've got to talk about the train station Zach. It's just a train station. There's a lot of stuff in that train station that is research. Talk about Big Thunder Mountain, which is going down January 6th for an entire year. They are retracking the whole thing. Hopefully, hopefully, we get the dynamite scene from Disneyland. It would be nice. It would be nice, it would be nice. I'm going to talk about I still got to talk about Tom Sawyer's Island, and then I have Frontierland. I've already done research on Frontierland. I'm sorry, not Frontierland.
Speaker 1:Fantasyland.
Speaker 2:And that's going to take a long time to write just because there's so much in.
Speaker 1:Fantasyland yes, there is.
Speaker 2:And then I have to do Tomorrowland and I'm going to end with the castle and the Walt statue. So I hope to have the book done by next year. I hope to. I work six days a week with my normal job and it's hard to sit down and find time to write. I will have some schedule changes. I'm trying to get too personal, but I think I will have more time to write.
Speaker 2:Another thing that I want to change in 2025 is I have let some things that I can't control take time away from the podcast, take time away from producing good social media content, writing all of that stuff no more. I'm done with that. Things are going to happen. Things are going to happen, but I am making a change and I have made this change. That stuff that I cannot change or control I have just completely written off at this point and I'm going to focus on the things that I can control and be positive about and move forward. So look for I want this podcast to be better. I want us to do. There's always room for improvement, right? Right.
Speaker 2:I want us to be better. I want, I want to do better social media content. I used to do a lot of hey, that's pretty cool. I haven't done any of those really lately.
Speaker 1:Well, you did one a few weeks ago.
Speaker 2:I did one, but I want to get back into that. I want to really focus on the writing and focus on just more positive things that I can control in my life instead of things that I can't. And I had a hard time. Look forward to next year, brittany, what about you?
Speaker 1:I mean, I think I mean everyone is guilty of stuff like that. And you know I, for part of the year anyway, uh, let a lot of things get to me as well. But, um, yeah, you know I, I think we want to grow the show some more. Uh, the content, what we bring to you, hopefully having more of these trips. You know, yes, a bigger trip, but then some of these smaller ones will help with that as well.
Speaker 1:And then you know, zach still working on the book and maybe going out another time or two for some research trips, just because when, yes, we are there with our family and stuff, but there are times where we do take pictures or whatnot, because it's like, ok, yeah, we better get that, because that would be such a nice social media post later on, or who would have thought that that was there and I just realized it myself.
Speaker 1:You know things like that. So, but you know we want to continue to bring this, you know show to you every week. You know, on occasion we may miss from time to time, just like last week. You know it was Christmas. But you guys that have been with us for a while, you know we typically don't, if anything, it's maybe two or three times a year, you know, but we still want to be consistent with with doing our episodes and, as we say at the beginning of every episode, break from our week and I hope it is for your week, whether it's a stressful work week or whatever might be going on just to take you to Disney.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and for those who've been listening for a long time or new listeners thank you so much. We really do appreciate you. Yes, every time we talk about taking a break from the show or something, we get just a ton of feedback, so we really do appreciate it. Moving on to Disney trivia no trivia. This week we took a break again, but we will be back next week, so look for that tomorrow, if you're listening to this. When it comes out, we'll continue with the series the secrets series with Hollywood Studios oh yes, next week okay, so look forward to that.
Speaker 2:So I just want to say thank you for everybody for listening. If you're new here, thank you so much. If you've been around a long time, we really do appreciate you. If you want to support the podcast, the best thing to do is to go leave us a five-star rating review on Apple podcast. Really helps us to grow the show. Thank you so much. You can email us circle of parks at gmailcom. Our website is wwwcircleofparkscom. We're on Facebook, instagram, circle of parks and again, please share the show with your friends. We really do appreciate it and we will talk to you next week.
Speaker 1:Hope you have a happy new year happy new year, thank you, we are Bye.