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 #204: Walt Disney World Trip Planning!!
The countdown is on—just four days until our family's epic Walt Disney World adventure begins! After months of anticipation, we're pulling back the curtain on our meticulously crafted vacation strategy that balances maximum fun with minimal stress.
Our journey starts with a strategic overnight in Atlanta before heading to Blizzard Beach on arrival day. We're excited to experience both Disney water parks across different trips, having conquered Typhoon Lagoon last year. This time, we're staying at Coronado Springs' Grand Destino Tower, where we'll celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary at Three Bridges Bar & Grill overlooking the resort's beautiful lake.
One major change this trip? We're abandoning our traditional rope-drop routine! After years of early morning park rushes, we're embracing a more relaxed approach with Disney's new multi-pass system. At over $700 for our family, it's a significant investment we'll be evaluating throughout our stay. Is the convenience worth the premium price? We'll be reporting back!
Each park day has been thoughtfully planned: Epcot with extended World Showcase exploration (where our boys have finally developed an appreciation for international experiences), Hollywood Studios with substantial time in Galaxy's Edge and catching the new Little Mermaid show, Animal Kingdom's safari adventures, and a perfectly-paced Magic Kingdom finale. We've incorporated strategic rest days, including pool time and a split day where half of us will venture to Universal while the others enjoy a character breakfast and resort exploration.
The Disney Dining Plan adds another dimension to our experience. Is it truly the value proposition Disney promises? We'll be conducting live dining reviews throughout our trip at spots like Connections Eatery, La Cantina de San Angel, and Flame Tree Barbecue to find out! After our park adventures, we're capping the vacation with four blissful days at Disney's Vero Beach Resort—the perfect blend of Disney magic and coastal relaxation.
Whether you're planning your own Disney getaway or simply enjoy vicarious vacation thrills, join us as we navigate the parks with insider knowledge gained from multiple trips. We're excited to share what works, what doesn't, and how our Disney strategy continues to evolve!
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Hello and welcome to Circle of Parks podcast, episode number 204. Today we are going to talk about our trip, planning for our upcoming trip that's just around the corner, to Walt Disney World. There is far too much to see and do. We are here to help guide you through, but before we do that we must talk Disney merch. So this week DisneyStorecom has released some new Star Wars Starbucks coffee mugs featuring there's three separate ones. They're $24.99 each, featuring Tatooine.
Speaker 2:Tatooine. That's where Luke is from.
Speaker 1:Okay, Geonosis.
Speaker 2:Geonosis is where they made the droids during the war.
Speaker 1:Okay, clone war, and then Kashyyyk.
Speaker 2:Kashyyyk is where the Wookiees live.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, so they have exactly pretty much what Zach just said on the mugs. Besides the names and everything it has, those characters, or the droids, or the Wookiees. Yep, so again, a new collection. It's the Discovery Series, priced at $24.99, and that is this week's Disney merch.
Speaker 2:Thank you everybody for joining us. We're trip planning. We are. It's been so long.
Speaker 1:It has been like a year for me and the boys Long.
Speaker 2:Well, I've been a couple of times but it hasn't been like Like a vacation, Like no. It's been. I know you're working in Disney, but it's.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It's work right, right, right. Yeah, it's work. Right, right, right.
Speaker 2:Things you have to get done where this is different, yeah yes, as you listen to this, we will be on our way to atlanta on wednesday yes, we're recording this on sunday.
Speaker 2:Uh, we'll be driving halfway to atlanta on wednesday. I have to work wednesday morning and then, as soon as I get home, get the car packed up and driving to Atlanta. We're staying at a different hotel this year than we have in the past just because, honestly, I have a brand new car and I just don't want to leave it in an unsecured lot by the airport.
Speaker 1:I just don't, and it puts us on an on another side too. That might, may or may not help with traffic in the morning the next day and right downtown right and it is close to some restaurants.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're staying at the Marriott Marquis. If you watch Adam the Woo at all on YouTube, he stayed there recently and they used it. It's really unique architecture on the inside and they used it in the film the Matrix and quite a few other like sci-fi films, so I think it'd be really cool. Yeah, so just a short stay and then the next morning. The next morning, oh, I didn't say what we do here.
Speaker 2:Did I no we're ready to go, man, yes, uh. So if you're just new here, we have a lot of new listeners. Thank you so much for joining us. We have two main goals here. One break your week up, take you to walt disney world helps us. We hope it helps you and from some of the messages from listeners it does and we appreciate that and we're glad to know that we are able to help you with that and help you have a better Walt Disney World vacation. That's what we want to do.
Speaker 1:That's what we want to do. And he's Zach. I'm Brittany.
Speaker 2:Yep. So all right, Moving on to Thursday. We To Thursday. We're going to wake up early. I think Thursday may be our most stressful day.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, just a tad. So we need to wake up early to leave Atlanta to head to Walt Disney World, because Disney is doing this thing where you know if you're staying on property, then the day you check in you can go to the water parks that they have and this is the first year they're going to have this summer Both of them open at the same time again Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. So on the day of check-in you can go to those parks.
Speaker 2:Yes, and so we did. Typhoon Lagoon last summer Loved it Great. This summer we wanted to try. This would be the only opportunity we're going to have.
Speaker 1:So we're going to have, uh, so we're going to go to blizzard beach. So hopefully we'll leave atlanta six, no later than six o'clock in the morning, and get down there noonish, noon, one o'clock maybe, and then they'll give us a few hours before they close at six to maybe not do all the things but get some of the bigger slides in for you and the boys, and I'm just going to enjoy their lazy river. They, I thought typhoon lagoon's lazy river was big.
Speaker 1:Looking at the park map for blizzard beach, this is like massive double the size, it seems, so you will find me there all afternoon so we're planning around four hours here, no more than four hours.
Speaker 2:Um, the boys they want to do the one big one that goes straight down like through the mountain. Yeah, and then they want to do like the slide racers, which I always usually beat them on that just because I'm bigger, right, but yeah now. We're looking forward to that, and then we will go to our resort. We are staying at disney's coronado springs now. We stayed here before yes, several years ago a long time ago, probably the worst trip to disney took.
Speaker 1:Not because of where we were staying, just how we planned the trip out.
Speaker 2:But we are not staying in a normal room. We're staying in the Grand Destino Tower with a water view room. Yes, so it's a different experience. Yes, and we're actually going to enjoy the resort this time.
Speaker 1:Yes, because we didn't experience like any of the restaurants or the pool or anything last time, so we will have plenty of time to do that this trip.
Speaker 2:So Thursday, May 29th is Brittany and I's 15th wedding anniversary.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And we are going to eat dinner at Three Bridges Bar and Grill At Coronado. At Coronado, it's in the middle of the lake there and there's literally three bridges that take you there, right, so it's called Three Bridges. I don't have the menu put up, but it's got some very unique items there and I'm looking forward to eating outside.
Speaker 1:Yes, on the lake, on the water, yeah, and I mean it has unique items, but then some of them I remember, like they still have like burgers and like chips and queso, because, of course, being a parent, a mom, I try to look for like, well, what are the boys going to eat? Parent, a mom, I try to look for like, well, what are the boys going to eat? And they have like steak frites and all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's going to be a delicious anniversary dinner, and then the boys will probably want to go back to the pool. Yes, and I'm going to go. Yeehaw, bop.
Speaker 1:You're leaving me on our anniversary. I'm going to leave you on anniversary to see yeehaw bop.
Speaker 1:Well, I'll just be at the pool bar because this may be the last time we see yeehaw bop for a long time, yeah, so all right, but that's our thursday that's our thursday, friday, epcot, epcot, and we're not going to rope, drop you know, you guys that have been with us for a long time know that we typically rope drop all the parks. And then, um our last year's visit, when we came back, we were like I think we're done rope dropping ryan was like I'm not doing rope dropping anymore.
Speaker 1:Our oldest dude's like I'm done yeah, we just want to sleep in a little more and uh, but we're, we're going to try some things while we're there with the multi-pass and all of that as well, to to report back to you later on and how all that goes.
Speaker 2:Yes, and we didn't say that in the beginning. We will be using multi-pass for all four parks and lightning lanes, or single passes for all the attractions. Erica, travel planner erica, hooked us up with all that well, we paid for it, but she took care of all of that right and, uh, we're going to do a separate episode after the trip to tell you how much we paid for it, which was more than I I was expecting.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And did we think it was worth it.
Speaker 1:Right. But you know, when we say we're not going to rope drop, like we're not going to get there late, late either, but you know we're not going to be there so early waiting in line to rope drop, but we'll probably be there shortly after regular park hours start.
Speaker 2:Well, let's talk about it. So our first lightning lane is living with the land at 10 30 yeah, so I see us getting there maybe 9, 30, 10 o'clock yeah, something like that. Um, so I don't want to get in the multi-passes, but the only reason why I'm saying no to nine is that's when the park opens.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna be crowded, so I want to wait till at least nine maybe we get on the bus to leave coronado at nine yeah maybe we go to the quick service place get a little breakfast. Right, then go yeah.
Speaker 2:That'd be better. Yeah, probably, okay, yeah, all right. And then at 1130, we have Spaceship Earth. Yes, and then at 105, ryan and I are doing Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind.
Speaker 1:Correct. And then during that time I'm sure, like Nolan and I, we might go to the Moana exhibit or maybe ride Spaceship Earth again, if it's a slower day, or we'll find something else to do and we can get a figment between these times and get our picture with Walt hang out with Walt for a bit Right.
Speaker 2:And then after that, after Guardians, we're going to eat lunch at the contemporary, not the contemporary.
Speaker 1:Connections.
Speaker 2:Connections Eatery. Yes, not the cafe, the eatery which is the quick service restaurant, because we have the quick service dining plan and this is the first place we're going to do a live dining review.
Speaker 1:And you said this is after Cosmic Rewind. After Cosmic Rewind Because Ryan. We won't be the only yeah because Ryan loves Cosmic Rewind as much as Zach does. But just yesterday he was like, oh, because I was telling him the times for y'all and he's like I don't know if I should ride that right after eating lunch and I was like, yeah, we might need to push the lunch time back.
Speaker 2:We'll do lunch after this, so lunch will probably be around 1.30. Okay, but we will do a live dining review from the Connections Eatery. And their food there is good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and they have like what burger pizza salads they have burger pizza, but they're elevated.
Speaker 2:Right, it's not your burger from Cosmic Rewind and it's not your. You mean from Cosmic Rays, sorry, cosmic Rays, thank you. And it's not your puffy pizza from Pizzafari. Right, it's elevated. Yeah, so is it going to be as good as a pizza window? I don't know Right, but we're going to tell you about it while we're eating it. Yes, so look for it. We're going to do quite a few of those at some of the quick service restaurants that are more unique that we haven't been to yet. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:All right so. So then and after that we have some time to kill, kind of just walk around, stroll, walk our food off.
Speaker 1:Right Go, do the Coca-Cola, do Beverly Go do the Beverly Challenge?
Speaker 2:No, I'm not doing the Beverly again, I am not doing it.
Speaker 1:Y'all have seen it on video twice now. I think I am not doing the Beverly again, but go to what is it called Club Cool, club Cool.
Speaker 2:Yes, I know, taste good, yeah, and just relax a little bit like, yeah, like sit in that area where the music's playing and everything in the garden, with walk, yeah, and just hang out, because we have remys at three o'clock and so I think we can stroll a little bit through the world showcase, so just take our time, right chill well, and I think like like uh, after eating and stuff and after chilling and everything, I wouldn't mind, while we're on that side, any other rides that we haven't done, like Soarin'. I forgot about Soarin'. Definitely do Soarin'.
Speaker 1:You know, like once we get all of those in, then maybe just the whole evening on stay in the World Showcase side. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm good with that. Yeah, because the boys are actually now enjoying right world showcase. They want to go into these countries and get these weird unique snacks. They want to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, three years ago they did not right right so we're going to take advantage of that, and they do like looking around at the shops and they're a little more than they used to too. They do, yeah, and then the evening, we're going to take advantage of that, and they do like looking around at the shops in there a little more than they used to too.
Speaker 2:They do, yeah, and then the evening we're going to eat dinner at the Mexico Pavilion, at the quick service restaurant, which I cannot think of the name of because I don't have to pull it up. We did not do any planning for this.
Speaker 1:No, but I thought that was the reason why you wanted to pull this up your computer out.
Speaker 2:No, your computer out, though, but there we are also going to do a live dining review, because we haven't eaten there before and everybody says that's probably the best quick service place in world.
Speaker 1:Showcase yes, I'm trying to. Is it la cantina de san anhel?
Speaker 2:as long as I don't have a hundred and forty five dollar steak on my menu, then yes, that would be it I just typed in quick service and that popped up. Let me just see the that would be it yeah, okay, and let's see lunch and dinner.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, like an entree, like you can get a rice bowl with like chicken for 15 dollars, or beef, or barbacoa beef or shrimp for 15.75 they have tacos day, barbacoa, and, yes, everything's like 15, 16 dollars um, and then their kids meals there, um, they have empanadas con queso, chicken tenders, chicken tacos for like 9, 50 so I can see nolan getting chicken tacos, yeah, and then, well, he's on a kids menu, he's on full adult now and then they have churros.
Speaker 1:Hey, I got, I got a point to prove what churros and Disney were all in certain places, so you know.
Speaker 2:You and Erica are going to be, which will be on their podcast after our trip, and I think it may get a little heated between you two.
Speaker 1:When it comes to churros, yeah.
Speaker 2:Once Upon a Park podcast for Erica and her husband, johnny Great podcast. They've wanted us on before, but our schedule has just been so crazy. But after we get back from our trip I think it will be better. So, and then we're going to watch Luminous. Yes, I'm giving it another shot. Right, I want to, because I'm still confused with it.
Speaker 1:Okay, and I think we need to sit in a different location than we did last time.
Speaker 2:I think we need to be on the non-World Showcase side.
Speaker 1:Okay, what do you? Think Like where it splits.
Speaker 2:Yes, kind of like over there yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:What do you think, although it gets really crowded there too.
Speaker 1:It does, but I think that might would be possibly better. So like where you choose to go Mexico or Canada.
Speaker 2:Correct. Okay, yeah, so we'll see Okay, and yeah, so we'll see Okay.
Speaker 1:And then the next day, saturday, yes, we picked a Saturday for Hollywood Studios. Well, hey, it's okay. Hey, the weather right now, though, currently.
Speaker 2:You're going to jinx it.
Speaker 1:I'm knocking on wood. Right now it is like all the other days are going to be like 90, humid, all that, but the hollywood studios day next saturday. It's showing a height of 83 degrees and if you know, this time of year in orlando and in the theme parks, that sounds marvelous.
Speaker 2:So yeah we'll see, I know it'll probably be like the hottest, 90 and humid and thunderstorms all right. So we're doing ho Studios Again, not rope dropping, no, the park opens at 9. Our first Lightning Lane is for Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at 11.15 am. So I think we get there. Like we do at Epcot, we leave the hotel at 9.
Speaker 1:And then arrive around 9.30. Either eat before we leave the hotel or eat something when we get here, just to kind of tie us over. I think before we leave the hotel or eat something when we get here, just to kind of tie us over, I think, before we leave the hotel. And then, since our first ride isn't until 1115, there's a couple of things I may do at an earlier time, but I need to look up the show times.
Speaker 2:You want to do the new Mermaid show. Yes, what a Mermaid show. We can do that.
Speaker 1:As of May 27th there will be two new shows in Hollywood Studios and they've done cast member previews and like the previews for like social media creators and stuff. And so the Little Mermaid one is like a live musical and there is a separate video that I didn't share in our stories that had Jodi Benson who was the voice of Little Mermaid, the original Little Mermaid in 1989, 1990 timeframe, and she was tearing up and just so proud of it and everything like that actually choked me up when I was watching that. But she, she seems to be very proud of how they did it, so that made me a little more excited to see it. And, um, then there's a new villain show that took the place of where you had lightning mcqueen. Um, like when you walk past, uh, the rock and roller coaster and um I the things that I was reading.
Speaker 1:People said they did a pretty good job well, we'll go to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll all go to it so um.
Speaker 1:So, in some of the times that we don't have a lot going on on this day and again, maybe one of them we can do before our first ride yeah, I think we could probably do both okay because while me and ryan go do tower of terror twice because you and no one are not going to do it, what y'all can go do pew, pew or something oh, I'm sure we'll be doing. I am known to do that with nolan at least three plus times each time.
Speaker 2:So and then we after that. We planned it so we would have the afternoon in galaxy's edge. Like we wanted to spend some time in galaxy's edge. So we have single passes for all four of us for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance at two o'clock yes. And then we have reservations for Oga's Cantina at 425.
Speaker 1:Yeah buddy Can't wait. They're not rushing me out this time. No, they haven't really ever done that. No, they haven't.
Speaker 2:And then we are going to do dinner at Docking Bay 7.
Speaker 1:Around. What time are we doing that so?
Speaker 2:I see Toy Story.
Speaker 1:Mania is at 6. I mean, it's just right there, it's right there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then we didn't talk about lunch. We're going to have lunch at ABC, commissary.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, and Ryan is super excited for that.
Speaker 2:We had debated either this or Pizza Rizzo, because Pizza Rizzo is closing like two days after this.
Speaker 1:I know, but I don't want the fluffy pizza, I don't want puffy pizza.
Speaker 2:No, it's just puffy pizza. I said fluffy, fluffy pizza, yeah, and I know, johnny, I know you love this stuff.
Speaker 1:But If it's like pizza bar-y, then no, it's just puffy pizza.
Speaker 2:He calls it like pizza, it's just puffy pizza yeah, he calls it rat pizza. No, yeah, I know it's closing, but you know what I want to get that buffalo, chicken, buffalo.
Speaker 1:Grilled cheese Grilled. Oh so yeah, because when you told Ryan reminded him we were eating there, he's like, yes, so good.
Speaker 2:And I don't think we'll do a live dining review from there. No, because we've eaten there before and talked about it. Yeah, but Docking Bay 7, we will be doing a live dining review because we haven't eaten there before and it is a very unique quick service dining menu as well.
Speaker 1:So will we do that after Toy Story Mania? After Oga's or after Oga's. Okay, because at Oga's, though, we do want to try to share they, because, at Oga's, though, we do want to try to share. They added a couple of things to their snack menu. Now remember.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we wanted to try just to see if it was similar to what we had in California. Okay, well, here's the thing.
Speaker 2:Do you want to try to move Toy Story menu to seven, because it's at six. We have Slinky Dog at eight. Why don't we try to move that to seven so we have more time in Galaxy's Edge, like ask.
Speaker 1:Erica, or you're going to try, I can do it right now, okay, anyway, so while he's looking at that, but that's what we plan, you know, because, even though we've gone to Galaxy's Edge before and everything, usually how things have worked out is, you know, oh yep, we're going to go do this, this, but now we got to go back on the other side of the park and things like that. Uh, so now we can spend more time, starting at two o'clock until like six-ish maybe, when you include the rides and ogas and docking bay seven yeah, and we can, I want to do, uh, star tours as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we got to do one man's dream we got to go through the waltz. Well, we'll figure it out but we'll have time, but we're gonna have time we can have time even before star wars, like going into galaxy's edge yeah, so we'll have time for all that stuff yeah and then we're not closing the park with slinky dog, but we wanted to do it at night, so we have this, uh lightning lane for eight o'clock and then britney's on a mission this trip I sure hope so.
Speaker 1:It's been since the very first time that we went to disney in 2019 as a family. I have not seen phantasmic since then, because was it two trips ago? Or last trip Two trips ago.
Speaker 1:Two ago yes, got through like five minutes of it and then we don't know what happened and they had to just stop the show. We don't know if one of the actors got hurt or what, but anyway. So I was like, oh, I was going to finally see it again and then didn't get to. So, hopefully, hopefully, hopefully, this time we will see Fantasmic.
Speaker 2:Toy Story Mania has been moved to 705.
Speaker 1:All right Yay.
Speaker 2:So that's that. So, yeah, we're going to end the night with Fantasmic and, yeah, I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to it because we haven't done it in a very long time and it is a really good show.
Speaker 1:It is, and they incorporate so many of the characters from movies and everything in it too, not just what the main show is.
Speaker 2:um and like when the boat goes through, and they're all on there and everything that just really stuck out to me, uh, the first time that we saw it, so and while we're talking about travel planner erica doing all this stuff for us, let's talk about her for a minute planning a vacation can be overwhelming, but that's where our new sponsor comes in.
Speaker 2:You've heard us talk about her for a long time and now she is the official sponsor of this podcast, travel planner Erica with Wishes Co Travel Planning. As a travel planner specializing in Disney destinations, she takes care of every detail, from finding the best resort options for your family booking, dining reservations to park strategies and now offers a special, lightning-ling booking service to your park days. She truly offers top-tier service from start to finish and the best part is her planning services are free when you book your room and ticket package with her.
Speaker 1:We're thrilled to have Travel Planner Erica as the official sponsor of this podcast, and exclusively for Circle of Parks listeners. When you plan your next Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation or your next run Disney racecation with Erica, you'll receive a Disney gift card based on the value of your trip on your arrival day to put towards your Disney snacks.
Speaker 2:So if you're dreaming of a magical Disney trip, she's the expert you want, on your side, ready to plan. Reach out to Erica at TravelPlannerEricacom or follow her on Facebook and Instagram at Travel Planner Erica. Yeah, she's great. She booked all of this for us. We just gave her our credit card number and said this is what we want. She did it all.
Speaker 1:Yep, we didn't have to keep up with the day wake for anything nothing, all right.
Speaker 2:So sunday is our first off day. Yes, and this is our family off day, correct? Uh, pool day at coronado yeah buddy lunch. We haven't talked about disney springs in a long time. We're gonna be going to disney springs a few times on this trip yes for lunch For lunch with the quick service dining plan.
Speaker 2:I think if you go back to one of the other getting the value out of the dining plan, johnny said that polite pig is the best value for your quick service dining plan at Disney Springs. We're going to go there for lunch.
Speaker 1:We are, and Zach and Ryan really like barbecue, and all that too. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:And then back to the pool hanging out. Yeah. And then back to Disney Springs for dinner.
Speaker 1:Yes, a little bit later, dinner at 7 o'clock and we're going to Summer House on the Lake.
Speaker 2:We've watched so many YouTubers eat here.
Speaker 1:It just looks really good, it does.
Speaker 2:It does look delicious. The service looks great. I was trying to pull up the menu to keep talking. It just looks really delicious. And yeah, we looked at Wine Bar George, but this had such a much more of a variety on the menu that I just for everybody's happiness yes, we decided to go here instead of back to like boathouse, right? Yeah, the menu pulled up.
Speaker 1:I sure do so. I mean, and you have starters, you know um, truffle fries, prime beef meatballs. You have potato salad, deviled eggs, spinach, artichoke dip, guacamole, and then you know, you have your shrimp cocktails. You have pizza, different pizzas to choose from, different salads, different pastas, tacos. You have summer comfort like picnic fried chicken basket, crispy chicken, sandwich basket, prime cheeseburger. There's steak frites here as well. And then you have things such as florida fish of the moment, crab cakes, mahi grouper fish and chips and more yeah, oh also, we'll be doing a live dining review at polite pig as well correct the summer house on the lake.
Speaker 2:We're going to do a full dining review afterwards.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I am sure our youngest especially will want to also take on the cookie bar here the cookie?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, no one. No one in cookies.
Speaker 1:So this is still at Summer House. They have a cookie bar cookies made fresh daily and there's tons of varieties. I mean, you're going to have your chocolate chip and everything as well, but then they have strawberry, snickerdoodle, lemon, m&m, birthday cake, apple, oatmeal, peanut butter, wild Thai banana and more. So I'm sure we will be getting something, and it looks like they even have things like Rice Krispie treats and brownies also. Ooh, they have a gluten-free fudge brownie.
Speaker 2:I'm out on dessert. I know, fudge brownie. I'm out on dessert. I know I'm just.
Speaker 1:I can see him, nolan for sure, yes, yeah, and then I'm sure we'll be back at the pool I don't know for a third time that day, but maybe maybe you know the boys are, I know. So monday another off day, well, kind of for y'all, for nolan and I yes, not for zach, and what are you and nolan going to? Do in the morning. We have reservations at 9 o'clock for Chef Mickey's Character Breakfast Buffet.
Speaker 2:Y'all have fun.
Speaker 1:We will. So we have eaten at Chef Mickey's once before, but it was when it wasn't a buffet. They were doing like family style dining at the time. So now it's back to its traditional buffet and you can interact more with the characters and everything, and nullen's really wanted to go back to this, which I just noticed. We need to make a correction on something for that what's that um on my end.
Speaker 2:It just says you and me.
Speaker 1:I don't think it matters we need to talk to eric on that I'm on it right now, oh, because it's under mine.
Speaker 2:We'll, yeah, we'll, get that figured yeah.
Speaker 1:so anyway, nolan and I will be doing that and, uh, looking forward to it, and I think after that, because we're going to be on like the monorail loop of resorts, we may take the monorail around to grand floridian and to the polynesian for a little while, just kind of look around their lobbies, maybe grab a little treat to take back or something, and then we'll head back to our resort and have a pool day.
Speaker 2:Meanwhile, ryan and I are driving down the road to Schmurner Versal. Yeah, first time going to Universal. Yes, and Travel Planner Erica booked everything for us. Correct. Me and Ryan have. We're not doing Epic, thankfully, because that thing looks like a mess now, that's what I'm hearing.
Speaker 2:But I'm sure the other parks will be plenty busy at. I forgot Universal and Islands of Adventure. Ryan's been wanting to go, and so we have park hoppers and we have the unlimited express pass on top of that so we can do everything in one day, uh, so I don't even know what time the park opens, but we're not staying on property, so we're not going to get early entry and we have to go to will call because I don't have the technology to do e-tickets, so we got to go get physical tickets at the will call booth when we get there. So, whatever time that is, we're going to go straight to Hagrid's and get in line in whatever it is an hour and a half, two hours, whatever we're there, because the express pass will get us through the lines for the rest of the day.
Speaker 2:You just can't use the express pass at Hagrid's Right, and I've actually been watching the Harry Potter movies and know what this stuff is now, which is good. I'm not huge on it, but I at least know who Hagrid is.
Speaker 1:Right, and why it's a motorbike yeah.
Speaker 2:And I know what Diagon's Alley is. I at least know what this stuff is. Right. So I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to riding Hulk and Velocicoaster and doing Minions Land and I've heard the Mummy's really good and the original, the OG ET.
Speaker 1:I want to do that. That ride when I was a little kid freaked me out. It's the same. It hasn't changed. It freaked me out. For sure it has not changed.
Speaker 2:I'm looking forward to going to Simpsons Land, because I grew up on the Simpsons, you know. So we're going to eat lunch at Krusty Burger, and I've heard it's just a burger.
Speaker 1:Yes, I know, but it's just saying you went but it's Krusty Burger.
Speaker 2:I want to get a Duff beer. Go to Moe's and get a Duff Right and get a Flaming Moe, that's just, you know. Are they going to be good? I have very low expectations that they're not, but it's just to do. And then for dinner we're going to eat at Three Broomsticks because they have like ribs and Ryan loves ribs, he does. And then I want some fish and chips, and then, of course, we'll get the butter beer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you'll have to tell me about that. I've been told to get the frozen. If it's like LeFru's brew, it's going to be really sweet and I'm not.
Speaker 2:I know Ryan don't like it, but that's the one thing like for some reason, you having better beer, like, oh, without me, I think it's mainly gonna be Ryan. Okay, I'll have a sip, but that'll be it, and then I think we're gonna end the night at Velocicoaster at night.
Speaker 1:I think that's what we're. Y'all. Have fun with that right.
Speaker 2:I will never do that right and then drive back down i-4, which is always so much fun.
Speaker 1:I-4 at any time of the day yeah, and me, and I'll just be chilling and be chilling at the pool.
Speaker 2:Huh, are y'all gonna maybe go to disney springs or something?
Speaker 1:I don't know I don't know, since we're doing it the day before we're gonna wilderness lodge and hang out that has crossed my mind. Yeah, um, even a certain area to eat at for dinner has crossed my mind.
Speaker 2:Oh no, fair enough okay we will see.
Speaker 1:It's fair, that's fair I know, exactly geyser point.
Speaker 2:I know, all right, fair enough.
Speaker 1:But like the quick service version of it maybe it's only yeah, that's, it is quick service yeah, even even the sit down, ge sit-down.
Speaker 2:Geyser Point's the most confusing restaurant in Walt Disney World, I know.
Speaker 1:That's why I'm like, because you have to pick up, but then it's a bar Okay. It's the pool bar.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's a quick service restaurant.
Speaker 1:So, like where we sat, you can get it to go and sit down there.
Speaker 2:So it's all, it's, it's everything.
Speaker 1:Oh, so I can use the quick service credit you can yes. Oh, because I was like, oh, I'm going to have to pay more out of pocket.
Speaker 2:I would assume you could.
Speaker 1:Well, let me see you keep talking.
Speaker 2:All right. So after that Tuesday we decided not to end the trip with Animal Kingdom, we decided to end the trip with Magic Kingdom. So Tuesday is our Animal Kingdom day and early entries at 7 am. I'm going to tell you right now we are not doing early entry at 7 am for Animal Kingdom and they keep changing the park hours. It is now 7.30 am to 6.30 pm.
Speaker 1:To 6.30?
Speaker 2:6.30 instead of 6. Huh, interesting Still doesn't change the plans that we've talked about.
Speaker 1:No, but it does change. Though What'd you find out? I'm still. You keep talking for a second.
Speaker 2:So we have our first lightning lane internet's confused too,
Speaker 1:at 8 30 am for kilimanjaro safari, because we still want to do the safari in the morning right yeah, so I'm confused me too, because one thing says quick service food in an open air bar setting, but then the other says it will be considered A table service meal. So I don't know.
Speaker 2:We'll just ask a cast member when we get there, alright, kilimanjaro Safari is 830 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Yes, Love the safari Safari go to the trails, get those breakfast sandwiches. So in a way we are kind of Rope dropping this part and then love the safari, safari, go to the trails, get those breakfast sandwiches.
Speaker 1:So in a way we are kind of rope dropping this part.
Speaker 2:No, not no Rope droppings at 730. Okay. Early entry no seven.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we'll get here at like eight. We'll get here at eight.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, yeah, we're not doing Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, eight o yeah, 8 o'clock, all right. And then, yes, kilimanjaro Safari, and I love riding it earlier in the day because for me that's when I've had better experiences it has.
Speaker 2:That and late in the evening is really nice too, right, and then we do the Gorilla Falls Trail. Yes. And we get our breakfast sandwiches, yeah. Oh yeah, I don't know what it is about.
Speaker 1:I don't know it's so good so good. Nothing special to it, but it tastes wonderful.
Speaker 2:Just that little stack cart right outside the Safari. Yeah, it's the In front of Yuri Sweets.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it's got the same name as the whole. But anyway, it's just a little cart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then at 1015, we have Expedition Everest. Yeah, I'm not riding it, though you need to go through the queue.
Speaker 1:I don't know, but I'm not riding it. No, I did my time. Fair enough, those first few trips.
Speaker 2:And then at 1240, we have Cali River Rapids Probably just me, and Nolan Ryan said he would go depending on how hot it was.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then, if not, you and Nolan can ride it again. We can.
Speaker 2:Doesn't matter, we're going to try it out. It's gonna be a hot day, but it's okay.
Speaker 1:And then, in between these times, we're gonna be relaxing yeah, and there's like some in between, some of these times we're going to go to some of the other trails too yes like the marajaha and the like the otters area and around the tree of life and you know, and just soaking it all in, and I think after we do cali river rapids we're going to eat lunch at flame tree barbecue yes live dining review at flame tree bar.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because we've only eaten there one other time and I remember really thoroughly enjoying it um, and I know y'all are like well, you're having barbecue a few days before this too, but this is just something that I've wanted to go back to for a while and maybe we can compare them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, yeah, and then we have our lightning lane for avatar flight of passage at two o'clock, yes, and then I think after this is when we just stop right nomad lounge do dinosaur? Yeah, stop. Right Nomad Lounge Mm-hmm Do.
Speaker 1:Dinosaur.
Speaker 2:Yeah, chill.
Speaker 1:Maybe do the Lion King show. Lion King show Maybe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we just chill, mm-hmm, do nothing. Okay. And then around, since the park closes at 6, 5.30, dinner time. It's a Tuli Canteen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I will do the Cheeseburger Pod again because I thoroughly enjoyed them, like Zach still does, until just one random time I had it and it was just too bready for me, so it might have just been that one batch.
Speaker 2:So do we do a live dining review to see your reaction after trying them again? It's up to you, because I've talked endlessly about it right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe.
Speaker 2:Okay. Maybe, Okay, maybe that's a maybe, we don't know, yeah, and then we close the park down with Avatar Flight of Passage. What better? Way to end it with that, and then, since it's probably 7 o'clock-ish, yes, 7.30.
Speaker 1:Park Hop.
Speaker 2:Park Hop.
Speaker 1:To Magic Kingdom yes, hop Park, hop To Magic Kingdom. Yes, mm-hmm. And for me especially, to watch the Happily Ever After fireworks.
Speaker 2:I don't know if we are going to me and Ryan I know well Nolan may not want to. I don't know because we're doing two nights in a row. Nolan doesn't like fireworks, so I would like to maybe watch them from Mind Train. Hmm, we've done Big Thunder Mountain, which is closed.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't want to get the. The timing wouldn't be right for Tiana's. That'd be too hard to time it. Or watch them from the People Mover.
Speaker 1:Ooh yeah, that'd be nice too.
Speaker 2:Or we just sit there and get Casey's and just yeah. Watch the fireworks.
Speaker 1:Either way, people move her when we first get there, but my main thing is, I want to see the fireworks, though, or maybe the Tom Sawyer's tree, not Tom Sawyer's tree. Swiss family Swiss family tree.
Speaker 2:That might be cool, because you get to the top.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:You get a good view.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know, I don't know, but anyway the fireworks somehow shape or form there. I don't know, I don't know, but anyway the fireworks somehow shape or form there are some options, yes, and you know, just depending on how the crowds are and stuff. Maybe you know a couple other things while we're there too, but we do have, with the package that we got, park hopper and we're not really using that, but this would be an opportunity to use it at least once.
Speaker 2:Correct. Yeah, all right. And then Wednesday, june 4th, our last full day. We're ending with the Magic Kingdom. The park hours are 8.30 am to 9 am, early entry, and then 9 am to 10 pm.
Speaker 1:Yep, so we'll probably get here around 9.30 or so. Yeah. And the first multi-pass that we have is for Pirates. Yes and yes, looking forward to that at 1010. And then, right after that, we have Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And then, right after that, we have Haunted Mansion.
Speaker 2:Bam, bam bam.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but then we have a little break and then it'll be Tiana's.
Speaker 2:Yes, at 2 o'clock. Yeah, so I think after Haunted Mansion we eat lunch. And we're going to go to Columbia Harbor House and we're going to do a live dining review at Columbia Harbor House, because it's been a long time since we've eaten there Very, very long time. Yes, yeah, so we're going to do a live dining review there. Tiana's is at 2. And then we don't have anything else planned until Ryan and I are doing Tron at 8 o'clock.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we may get more of the multi passes. Yes, all those are used up.
Speaker 2:Definitely do Space Mountain. We're definitely going to do the people mover, but I think we need to go see Country Bear Jamboree. I know it is the last thing that we have not done in the parks. Just once you may, you're going to love, you're going to go. That was the best show ever. After we leave, we will see, I, you may you're going to love you're going to go.
Speaker 1:That was the best show ever. After we leave, we will see. I just the boys, I don't know they may like it too.
Speaker 2:They like they surprise you sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true too.
Speaker 2:They do surprise you. And then definitely got to see the Carousel of Progress.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Definitely got to go to the Tiki Room.
Speaker 1:Tiki Room With a Dole Whip.
Speaker 2:they have my favorite one with the pineapple and coconut swirl yeah but I think this is giving us more time to just relax yes and do some of the, and then well we say that.
Speaker 1:But in the past ryan's been like I want another ride, another ride, another ride, another ride. But he's getting older.
Speaker 2:Now too he's starting to want to chill out a little more too yeah, do little mermaid we got to do that right, yes, we got to. Peter Pan don't care about, don't care about. It's a small world, you know? Yeah, but yeah, and then we're going to eat dinner. Where are we eating dinner at? We haven't had this. We still have not decided going to eat at.
Speaker 1:Casey's. Casey's is crazy, though it is Like later in the day. It is very crazy there. It's good, but it is crazy.
Speaker 2:Cosmic Rays, you can at least get a table.
Speaker 1:Yeah, or or.
Speaker 2:Wheels are turning here. We get Casey's and take it to Tomorrowland Terrace, where all those empty tables are and just chill there.
Speaker 1:Maybe, but you got to get through the crowd with all the food in your hands and stuff.
Speaker 2:We, you mean me.
Speaker 1:Well, anyway.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a me problem.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:We'll figure that out that day, yeah, and then Ryan and I want to do Tron at night. It's a must do at night eight o'clock. Going to do Tron at night. It's a must do at night 8 o'clock. Going to do it and then watch the fireworks. Yes, I'm watching from the back.
Speaker 1:Like closer to the train station.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah. What do you think?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm fine with that.
Speaker 2:See the projections down Main Street and not be huddled up there with 50,000 people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm fine with that, and yeah, and then that's our last full day, like Zach said, and then Thursday morning we check out from Coronado and we're going to go back to Disney Springs one more time.
Speaker 2:Another live dining review. We're going to eat at Deluxe Burger.
Speaker 1:Yes, now Zach's eaten there before.
Speaker 2:I want to go again and I think it may be the best burger on property. Maybe it's up there with Geyser Point. It's up there with Steakhouse 71. Mm-hmm. But I think it may take it.
Speaker 1:Well, the rest of us will try.
Speaker 2:We're going to eat there, live down review from there, and then we are driving two hours back to disney's real beach resort. Yes, for four days, correct? We will be incognito that you're not time yes, thoroughly relaxing, enjoying, taking it all in.
Speaker 1:You know we've talked about it before. You know they still do like your disney activities, you know, like at the pool and you know, if you wanted to do s'mores and stuff like that, they do movies on the lawn and, uh, just a lot of, a lot of different things and their prices for rentals like for chairs and stuff to take on the beach are very reasonable. So we're thoroughly going to enjoy our relaxing time there yeah, we've done.
Speaker 2:You know full trip report and all the stuff from it. So we're not going to do that again. But imagine a Disney deluxe resort right With maybe 150 people. Yeah.
Speaker 2:No stress, with the parks and a beach and you've got Disney's Real Beach Resort Right. It's just amazing. Yes, love it, love it, love it. And then we're doing that for a few days and then we're driving north on the coast and going to my brother and sister-in-law's and you know what I'm looking forward to most about that bones occasional sorry too loud homemade pwned occasional yes thank you just spending time with them and everything.
Speaker 1:I'm joking, yes spending time.
Speaker 2:They got a new house and just spending time with them and and the I'm joking, yes, spending time. They got a new house and just spending time with them and the family. And yeah, so you won't hear about us, hear from us during any of that time, but we're going to document the travels down the road trip, how, whatever mess it can be, and then we're not going to document our days in the parks, we just want to enjoy our day in the park, but we'll do the the dining reviews, we'll do, but as far as like social media during the day on instagram and stuff, we're just not going to do that right.
Speaker 2:So it's a big family trip. We're going to enjoy it with the family and, uh, yeah, anything else you want to add to that?
Speaker 1:no, just looking forward to it. You know, this morning you know you got to get that countdown calendar pulled up on your future plans on the app and you know, when it said four days, I was like all right.
Speaker 2:It's hitting me now because our life has been so crazy this past month that it hasn't even like. I haven't even thought about it right but now it's hitting me now like I'm excited to go. It's gonna be a great trip. We're really gonna do what we preach and just take it easy. I'm looking forward to the new multi-pass system. Yes, it was. It was over 700.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll go ahead and say it over 700 sticker shock definitely but, but we were hoping, while we're there, what we've just talked about is it truly does give us that time to slow down and you're and not have to be on our phone constantly trying to book this stuff while we're there, and everything too right and uh, we teased we talked about on the last episode.
Speaker 2:Did we save money booking the free dining package? And, on face value, if you break everything down separately, we saved uh 18 already okay with the dining plan, but if we had booked everything separately, it would have been more. It would have been more so that's good to know right off the back just on the face of it, yes, but we're also going to do an episode where we talk about what we ordered, how much we it would have been, and if we would have, if it saved us money yeah, we're going to break it all down yeah, and you know, in the dining plans in general, depending on how it turns out.
Speaker 1:You know. One thing, though, is it is a little less stress off of you in the moment it is because unless it's something that has an asterisk on it on the menu, you know you don't have to be like oh well, that's 20 bucks. You know, because it's in the plan already, that you've already paid for.
Speaker 2:And the good thing is I'm not budgeting as much this trip because of that.
Speaker 1:We've already paid. It's already paid for yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, so we're not worried about food. Now we are paying out of pocket for Summer House on the Lake and going to Chef Mickey's and Three Bridges and Oga's. Yes, we're paying for that out of pocket, but everything else no, but it's already paid for. So I think the convenience of it may make it worth it. Right yeah, so we will see, but look forward to those episodes. Anything else you want to say?
Speaker 1:No, just we'll talk to you soon. Yeah, and looking forward to some churros at Nomad Lounge. Looking forward to Nomad Lounge and yeah, best churros ever.
Speaker 2:I'm done, and if you want to book your next vacation Travel Planner Erica, go check her out wwwtravelplanterericacom. She did all this for us. Yes, we just told her what we wanted and she did. Right. You can go check her out on Facebook and Instagram. Travel Planner Erica. Our email is wwwcircleofparksgmailcom. I'm all messed up here.
Speaker 1:And talking about Travel Planner Erica, she already talked to me about that reservation and, yeah, we're good.
Speaker 2:I figured it'd be done. Yeah and so, yeah, we will talk to you live, if you listen to this, when it comes out Friday or Wednesday to you live. If you listen to this, when it comes out Friday or Wednesday, we'll talk to you live Friday from the yes, from Epcot Connections Eatery. We'll just talk to you then. All right, all right.
Speaker 1:Talk to you soon. Thank you, bye.