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 #209: 7 Days at Walt Disney World
Imagine experiencing Walt Disney World without the stress, phone battery anxiety, or exhaustion that often accompanies a theme park vacation. That's exactly what we discovered on our recent seven-day adventure through Disney's magical world.
Our journey began at Blizzard Beach water park, taking advantage of the free entry offered to resort guests on check-in day. Unlike the sometimes overwhelming Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach proved more navigable and family-friendly, setting the perfect tone for our vacation. Afterward, we checked into the elegant Grand Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, where Spanish-inspired design and relaxing ambiance created an upscale retreat from park excitement.
The game-changer for our trip? Lightning Lane Multi-Passes. Yes, we spent an additional $725, but the freedom this investment provided transformed our experience completely. Without constantly checking our phones for return times or standing in lengthy queues, we discovered a more relaxed approach to Disney that we didn't know was possible.
Each day brought new delights as we explored the parks at our own pace. At EPCOT, we walked right onto Soarin' while others rushed to Guardians of the Galaxy, savoring the often-overlooked attraction without crowds. Hollywood Studios surprised us with impressive new shows featuring The Little Mermaid and Disney Villains, both showcasing technology and storytelling that exceeded our expectations. And Animal Kingdom delivered perhaps the best safari experience we've ever had, with nearly every animal visible and active.
One unexpected revelation: taking occasional breaks from each other made our family time more meaningful. Those 30-45 minutes of "me time" – whether wandering Galaxy's Edge with a Gold Squadron Lager or people-watching from a bench near Cinderella Castle – prevented friction and recharged everyone's spirits.
From watching fireworks at the Polynesian beach to discovering what might be Disney property's best burger at D-Luxe Burger, our unhurried approach uncovered magic we'd previously rushed past. We followed our Disney adventure with four days at Vero Beach Resort, where we discovered buffalo-tossed Disney chicken tenders that should absolutely make their way to the parks!
Ready to experience Disney differently? Let our journey inspire you to slow down, prioritize enjoyment over exhaustion, and discover the true magic that happens when you're not checking the time. What will you discover on your next Disney adventure?
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Hello and welcome to Circle of Parks podcast episode number 209. Today we are going to talk about our recent seven day trip 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. We must talk Disney merch. So this week DisneyStorecom is full of the happiest arrivals on earth for Disneyland. I know we're talking Disney World for our episode, but Disneyland is celebrating their 70th anniversary and there's a really cute line for this on the DisneyStorecom.
Speaker 1:One is some ears by Loungefly celebrating the 70th. I think they're very classy looking. You know you do have characters on it, but it's just it has like glittery golden sequin bow. The background on the ears is gold as well, but there's still a lot of color to it. And then they have a spirit jersey. A Loungefly backpack that matches the ears is gold as well, but there's still a lot of color to it. And then they have a spirit jersey, a lounge fly backpack that matches the ears. The lounge fly mini backpack is $80. The ears are $44.99. And the spirit jersey is $84.99 for adults. But I do like this line a lot and again, I know it's a little confusing.
Speaker 1:We're talking Disney World on the show but disneyland no on the show oh but for merch doing the disneyland 70th anniversary. So uh, go check that out. And that is this week's disney merch thank you everybody for joining us.
Speaker 2:We're back, we're home we home, we're in our studio, slash office, slash spare bedroom. Yes. We're not on the road, we're not talking on those crappy portable microphones.
Speaker 2:Yes, sorry, but yeah, we're back and it was a great trip, a good two-week trip. We're mainly going to be talking about Walt Disney World. We did seven full days. We did four days in Vero Beach and then went to my brother and sister-in-law's house for a few days to kind of wind down from all that, and then we're back. We got back yesterday two days ago and glad to be home though. It was a great trip, but I think two weeks it's a long time is a long time.
Speaker 1:Yes, we missed the doggies.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think after like a week and a half really okay, yeah, all right so we're gonna get right back, uh, right into this, uh, oh, before we do that, I'm Zach, yes.
Speaker 1:We missed the doggies.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, after like a week and a half, really Okay, yeah, all right, so we're going to get right back right into this. Oh, before we do that, I'm Zach, I'm Brittany and we do this show every single week and our goal is to break up your week, take you to Walt Disney World and help you have a better Walt Disney World vacation. And I think we took our own advice on this trip and I think this is a great trip that we had. Like, I don't feel like we got burnt out, we didn't get tired of anything, we took our time.
Speaker 1:I only got one blister this time, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I think this was a really good trip. And I think seven days if you want to do four full park days, I think seven days is a good.
Speaker 1:Good way to spread it out spread it out.
Speaker 2:Take your time, don't get overwhelmed, don't rush all that. Yeah, we did have multi passes for every park in single pass for everything. We're going to do a separate episode breaking all of that down uh, quickly though, talk about it a little bit it was worth it. Yes, we spent 725 dollars extra. I think it was worth it I think so too.
Speaker 2:I mean, that is a pretty penny, but uh it, it helped us not have to rush and relax no, and I wasn't on my phone, like I never, I never took the battery charges with us to the park right, yeah, after like that first day normally we're like we need our phones. Phone chargers didn't need them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because without that that's what you have to do, just to constantly be looking. And what can we do next? What do we need a book next? But, with this. It was you, know you, I think you.
Speaker 2:You only got it out maybe two times maybe, yeah, um, we were on the free dining plan with our resort. We stayed at the grand destino tower at cornoa springs we're going to break down in a separate episode. Was the cost of buying the package with the park hopper tickets worth it for the free dining? And right off the bat, the package saved us like 20%. Yeah, then if we had bought everything separately? Right.
Speaker 2:So we're going to break all that down. We'll do the best we can. We've got most of the receipts from all the quick service places we ate at and see if we got the values worth out of it. Convenience wise, I think we just did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think, convenience and knowing right off the bat, like with the overall package. You know saving a good percentage, so, but we'll talk more. You know saving a good percentage, so but we'll talk more. I mean, you know there were times that we didn't use the dining plan and went to a couple of sit downs.
Speaker 2:We did. Yes, all right. So day one, we did drive to Atlanta the day before this and spent the night at the Marriott Marquis, which was a really cool hotel. Yes, you did not like where we were staying at that.
Speaker 1:Well, so the hotel itself is very, very nice and it's a good way, you know, to split up the drive for us, so it's not such a long drive, but we stayed really high up.
Speaker 2:We stayed on the 46th floor and there's 47.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that elevator is quick, which is good. I mean you don't want it to take forever, but I was like oh, I'm not looking down because it was like a glass elevator and, yeah, your ears pop.
Speaker 2:Yes, your ears do pop, but yeah, it's cool. So the marriott marquee was used as the tva, the time variance authority in the movie or in the in the show on disney plus loki. So they did do a lot of cgi stuff to add to it, but the basic structure inside it's very sci-fi looking right it was.
Speaker 2:It's fairly unique, yeah, really unique. I liked it, yeah, all right, but we left Atlanta early because our goal was we wanted to do Blizzard Beach this year, because if you're staying at a resort hotel, on your check-in day, you can go to one of the water parks for free.
Speaker 1:Yeah, If you're staying at a Disney resort. Yes, so and the water parks, I think open at 10. Yes 10 am, so yeah.
Speaker 2:So we left Atlanta. I want to say it was like 5.30, 6.
Speaker 1:5.30, 6 o'clock.
Speaker 2:We got to Blizzard Beach right around 12.30. It was a good, easy drive. That may have been the easiest drive into Orlando I think I've ever had. Yeah, we didn't4 problems Right and I loved Blizzard Beach. I loved the steaming. I'm glad we did it. We stayed till around four about five o'clock. I liked this better than Typhoon Lagoon because there were more water slides.
Speaker 1:Yeah, y'all did water slides. I did get in the wave pool a little bit and this wave pool has smaller waves than Typhoon Lagoon. I know lately a lot of people have been like, wow, those waves at Typhoon Lagoon are no joke.
Speaker 2:They're massive.
Speaker 1:They're massive and if you're not prepared it's going to take you down. So Blizzard Beach wave pool is just like smaller waves, you know, just to kind of bob up and down. And then I did the Lazy River which, the lazy river, which, oh, the lazy river. It's crowded but it's a good size, gives you time to relax, take everything in yeah, I was not.
Speaker 2:So if we're comparing this to typhoon lagoon, I was not overwhelmed at blizzard beach like I was when we first walked into typhoon lagoon. Typhoon Lagoon is so large and spread out. I was like whoa, where? Like where is everything? Yeah.
Speaker 2:But here you could kind of see like it's not that spread out. It is, but not an overwhelming I wasn't like I was like oh, that's that, that's that OK, like it was very easy to navigate. Typhoon Lagoon was, I felt, was just more spread out and overwhelming Blizzard Beach. I didn't get that impression. I really liked Blizzard Beach a lot better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now, when you look at the maps, though, it looks like Blizzard Beach is bigger. I don't think it is.
Speaker 2:But yeah, if you want more water slides, blizzard Beach, if you want that huge wave pool, then do Typhoon Lugar, that'd be my opinion, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:But yeah, we were there and I forgot the name of the quick service place we ate at there, but I had a bowl and it was.
Speaker 2:It was really good yeah, and I just you know they had basic chicken tenders and burgers and stuff like that, which we'll get more into chicken tenders a little bit later in the episode. Yes, game changers somewhere else, yeah, the disney chicken tenders, um, and after that we left around 4 4 30.
Speaker 2:I think we got everything done that we wanted to do, like me and the boys did Polar Plunge and we did the Matt Racers and then we did do the Lazy River and there are some really cool slides here. I really did enjoy this really thoroughly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's a good way to you know, since it's offered while staying at a Disney resort, you know, I think it's a good way to you know that, since it's offered while staying at the at a disney resort, you know, I think it's a good way, like, if you are there early enough in the day, you know that, you know it's it's definitely a perk, it is for sure, all right.
Speaker 2:Then we left and we went to go check into our resort, where again we stayed at these, uh, cornota springs in the grand destino tower and I I really liked this hotel. We're going to do a full review next episode, so I'm not going to get too into detail. But, britney, what was your first impression checking in here?
Speaker 1:yeah, so the grand destino tower, it's, it's beautiful it is beautiful you know I just the lobby itself is beautiful, and then the lower lobby, um, the theming is very, um, what's the word I'm looking for? Um, elegant, yeah, it's elegant. You know, you do see, you know bits of disney here and there, but it's not in your face, in the music as well music is very beautiful here it's very beautiful, it's, it's relaxing yet a little. I don't know like.
Speaker 2:Spanish.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Spanish.
Speaker 2:It is Spanish.
Speaker 1:But I don't know Like it's relaxing, but it has an upbeat tone to it as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so yeah, I mean, but the check-in process was very easy and you know the elevator system. Now, once you get used to it, it's very easy. Now we saw some people, especially a little bit older, like getting confused by the elevator system because you have to hit this like a computer screen, and what floor you want to go to, and then it tells you which elevator to get on. So just make sure you're paying attention to that and you're hitting the right number, and if it tells you to go to elevator B, that's the one you need to take. So, but I, I, I thought it was, it was beautiful. And then when we went to our room, we were on the seventh floor. Yeah, we were on the seventh floor and we had a resort water view, and so you're looking out over this lake that they have there and you see a lot of the resort and it was beautiful. And even in the room there is some detail that's Disney themed as well, but not overwhelming.
Speaker 2:My first impression. It's beautiful, very elegant, busy. It's busy. We'll talk more about it in the resort review in the next episode. I did really like it. I didn't get that feeling when you walked in, but we'll talk more about it. All right, then we had dinner at Three Bridges Bar and Grill at around 7 o'clock and we timed it perfectly.
Speaker 1:With weather.
Speaker 2:With the weather. So you cannot get reservations for this. You can only do walk-up reservations and I'm glad we did, Because I did it from our room Right and it was about a 30, actually like 20 minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was less than what it gave us. I think it said 40 minutes, but it was more like a 20 minute and it poured down, but I think it added to the ambience of the restaurant.
Speaker 2:It's on the lake and there's literally three bridges that take you to it right and it's a very beautiful restaurant and bar. We're going to do a full dining review on this as well, and after that I went to porter lean's riverside of course, because he had to go see had to see ye hob. He is iconic, a legend. I'm glad I did. You know you're going to a special place when every time you've been there, the bartenders and servers are always the same notes. Yeah.
Speaker 2:They're not leaving that place. And they're not leaving that place for a reason Bob Yeehaw. Bob, love him, just love him. It was a long day, though.
Speaker 1:Right and you weren't there for his whole show. You stayed for a good portion.
Speaker 2:Well, about 75% yeah.
Speaker 1:And then during that time, me and the boys we went to the pool. Now, I did not get in this night because I was thinking it was going to be the water was going to be cool and stuff because of the rain. But they heated that pool and you could see the steam coming from it.
Speaker 1:So the boys thoroughly enjoyed it and that pool it's. It's beautiful in the daytime as well, but at night it just added to it. So they had a good time, while I just, you know, sat back, chilled, watched them play and stuff um, and so that was a good way to end the day yeah.
Speaker 2:So the next day, day two, we went to epcot and we weren't planning on rope dropping, but we did get there just before official park opening for early magic hours, which was fine, right, like there was no line to get in. And, uh, we had lightning lane multi passes for living with the land, spaceship earth in remy's reddit to adventure, and then me and ryan had single passes for guardians of the Galaxy, cosmic Rewind. Right. So when we first got there, well, we did have breakfast at the resort that morning and did take our time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we did do quick service at the resort first.
Speaker 2:But we got there and of course everybody's going to Guardians, right Guardians, or Frozen, or Remy's.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:No one was going to Soarin'. Correct, and we didn't do a multi-pass yet for Soarin' so we just went right to it, yeah, and literally walked right on it, and I don't think anybody talks about Soarin' anymore. I still love that attraction.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's still great, yeah, and later in the day it did get like a line and stuff, but this was a walk-on, just to that for the first thing in the morning and, yes, I love it. I love all the scenes, I love the smells, everything that gets pumped in there.
Speaker 2:um, I believe they did uh, correct a little bit the eiffel tower yeah, the eiffel tower scene is fixed, and then the end scene at epcot is the new epcot, it's not the older, so there are some little updates there's some refreshes there. Yes, every mom's favorite ride yes, loved it, loved. It was a great way to start the day yeah, and then after that we went right to, uh, figment, figment. And then, right when we literally walked right on that, yes, yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:That was for sure a walk on figment. We love you, but ride still needs some love it needs some love and I love figment.
Speaker 2:I don't. I don't think there's people if you ask me what. No one doesn't love figment. But everybody will agree that the attraction needs updating yes, it really, especially with it being imagination. Come on, let's be a little more imaginative about it right yeah, uh. But then our first multi-pass was for living with the land and everyone's dad's favorite, everybody's dad's favorite.
Speaker 2:Everybody's dad's favorite ride. But when Chapel Planner Erica booked this for us because she did all of our multi-passes, I was a little like do we really need it for living with the land? Yes, we really did need it for living with the land. Because it was a 30-minute wait.
Speaker 2:Yes, A 30-minute wait, which, again, no one's paying attention to me. This is this is the most overrated ride in all of Walt Disney World. Stop riding this ride. He's kidding. It's his favorite but he just doesn't like the lines getting longer for it. I appreciate that people are enjoying this attraction, but I don't want to wait 30 minutes for this attraction.
Speaker 1:So it worked out that we got him all the time.
Speaker 2:We walked right on and still love it Again. I could just stay on that ride. It's like the People Mover Right. Yeah, I could again.
Speaker 1:I could just stay on that ride.
Speaker 2:It's like the people mover Right. Yeah, I just want to stay on it. Just chill, relax. Just cruise chill, and then after that we did Nemo in the aquarium yes, the Nemo attraction has grown on me. The queue is great. I think it may be the best queue in Epcot. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Honest Well besides Guardians. Right well besides guardians. But the attraction has grown on me a little bit. But we did take our time in the aquarium because our multi-pass for special birth wasn't for a little bit longer, so we did take our time in the aquarium and then after that we did moana yes, we did walk through moana, uh, and that the that's just a beautiful area and the way they did it. It is Very beautiful. The music is very chill.
Speaker 1:Yes, and everybody can be a kid. You know, everyone, like the adults are having just as much fun as the kids with trying to get the different water features to hop around or go up and down or make the wave. You know, I think everyone thoroughly has a good time in there. And then after that we did our second multi-pass, which was for spaceship earth and we needed it.
Speaker 2:I'd never seen the queue wrapped around both. Yeah, I thought the queue on the left side was for the multi-passes, like wow, this is a long queue. No, it was the queue for the standby wait and it was like 40 minutes. I was like whoa, yes, but we walked right on with the multi-pass love spaceship, earth and one of the most confusing parts in walt disney world is why is the newspaper boy yelling at the wall? Who is he yelling at?
Speaker 1:yeah, I don't know now I heard something I forgot like which vlogger it was, but here in the last couple of weeks, that said, at one point he used to face outward.
Speaker 2:Was it Tim?
Speaker 1:Tracker Maybe.
Speaker 2:I don't remember.
Speaker 1:But and so, yeah, I don't know why they have him turned around. So because you would think he'd be facing everybody else like hey, read all about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, who is? There's no one in that alley, like if there was like a crowd of people they had painted on the background, ok, a crowd of people they had painted on the background, okay, I can get that no it's just a dark alley.
Speaker 1:Who is he yelling at? Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Stuff that confuses you and Disney. Yes, all right, then. After that we did Club Cool.
Speaker 1:I did not do the Beverly, I did Beverly. I'm not doing Beverly again, but I did that other yucky one too.
Speaker 2:Oh, the one that tastes like the room burning scene in spaceship earth.
Speaker 1:This one, the barbecue yeah, it's a chinese one yeah, but it kind of it tastes like barbecue slash soy sauce yeah, it tastes like the room burning smell.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in a spaceship you don't talk about right, yes, it's that smell.
Speaker 1:It's the same taste yeah, I just I don't know if that one's worse than beverly or beverly is worse, but I did not do beverly again no, all right.
Speaker 2:And then after that we just hung out for a bit, got pictures with walt and one of the most disappointing things on this trip I thought there was no photo pass photographer for walt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was upset because you had went just like a month or so ago and there was one.
Speaker 2:I didn't go to epcot. I thought you did.
Speaker 1:No, I went to animal kingdom oh well, on one of your last trips, like after our last family trip, there still was a photographer I think it was back in the fall yeah, so um I was.
Speaker 1:I was like really, yeah, so there was another nobody there either, right? So there was like a couple ahead of us that we took their pictures, and then they took our pictures, right, you know? So if you want like everybody in a photo together, hope that somebody else is up there and do that, because at least the day we were there, there wasn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we did. And since I don't no longer have an annual pass, I wasn't even thinking about this my annual pass. I had the photo pass included on it. We didn't have photo pass, so we had. On the way down there I called Erica. I was like, hey, we don't have PhotoPass Because she forgot about it, I forgot about it, we all forgot about it, and so that was another $200. Yeah. But I think it was worth it to get those pictures. That's what I cherish, right.
Speaker 1:Right, right, those are the more memorable pictures. I mean, yes, the ones that we take on our phones and everything are fun too, but these are the ones. For example, if y'all aren't sure what it, what might be included, like it puts your pictures from your rides on there, right? You know so, any of the rides that take photos, um, like if you get photos in front of the castle, spaceship, earth, tree of life, chinese theater or tower of terror, like all those pictures, there's also some other setups throughout the parks too, where you see a photo pass photographer is going to include all of those yeah.
Speaker 2:So I think it is worth the money now if you wait till the day before or the day of, like we did. It costs a lot more than if you book it when you do it, if you get it when you book your original package, but anyway, uh, then after that, me and ryan had a single pass for Guardians and again, best coaster on property, loved it. I love everything about it. I have one, not one complaint. But today, on that day it was even the single pass line was very long. I think we still waited like 30 minutes.
Speaker 1:I wonder if it had went down at some point, no.
Speaker 2:So here's what happened the elevator. Oh, you told me yeah, that uh took uh the wheelchair accessible guests up and down and all that stuff wasn't working so they were having to bring them back down through the single pass queue, okay, when they would get off the attraction. So they were only allowing about half of the people in the pre-shows to go through that Right to allow space.
Speaker 2:And so when they would come back down that last hallway or that hallway before you got on the attraction, they had to stop us, okay, and they had to bring the wheelchairs all the way down. So I think that was really holding things up Right. So it's not really a complaint, but it's like it can happen.
Speaker 2:It backed everything and that backed up the standby queue, because they prioritize the lightning lanes obviously right and so, yeah, I think the wait time for this, if we didn't have a lightning, it was like 95 or it's like 100 minutes right, we'll just be glad you had that.
Speaker 1:we had that, yeah, yeah. And then, while, uh, zach and ryan were doing guardians nolan and we walked around some of the shops and then we went through Moana again, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's really the music is beautiful. Go through it at night. It is breathtaking. Yes, At night. Yes, really highly recommended at night. But then we had lunch at Connections Eatery, which we did do that live dining review.
Speaker 1:Yes, and that place gets packed at lunchtime.
Speaker 2:But they do have a lot of seating. They do have a lot of seating, but try to go at off times. I know we didn't do that on this trip at all. Yeah yeah but for those more popular places, try to go at off times and mobile order. Please, please, please, mobile order, because I couldn't imagine waiting 20 minutes in line to order and then waiting 20 more minutes to get the food, to get the food, and then, oh my, gosh, like it's it, but it was really good.
Speaker 2:You can go check out the down review on that. I think it's episode 205 or something.
Speaker 1:Now, the sound wasn't the best because of those other mics and stuff that you know all right then. After that we did go to world showcase and we started on the canada side which is normally the side I don't like to start on, but we had dinner plans in Mexico.
Speaker 2:And we had a multi-pass for Remy's that was coming up after lunch.
Speaker 1:Yes, which is closer to the Canada side.
Speaker 2:And I loved every time we do Remy's. I just love the music, I love the attraction and I'm glad again we had the multi-pass for it because the wait was, you know, about an hour Outside in the extended queue. It was a hot day. Yes. Off and on. Rain showers, yes, which when it rains it cools down, but when it stops it immediately just gets steamy. The humidity spikes up Like it can get miserable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because during the rain it did cool down quite a bit, like Zach just said. But when that sun comes back out, oh, it's brutal.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is brutal.
Speaker 1:But Remy's always, always a good time. Loved it, loved it, loved it. And then we went to.
Speaker 2:Hold on. Before that I did notice I had a single rider line for Remy's. Oh, this may be what you need to do if you don't want to wait in that line, because the cars or the mouse yeah sits six right. This is like test track. Most parties are parties of two or four.
Speaker 1:Most of the time right so this is where that that single rider line makes sense yeah, because they, we had two with us, one we or any party of two yeah we had two single riders with us on this.
Speaker 2:So I think this is, if you're wanting to do Remy's and your kids are old enough, you don't mind separating from them and you don't have a multi-pass single rider line. This I'm sure it is probably and it's a popular ride, so it's still probably a little bit of a wait, but I wouldn't think it'll be an hour plus like the standby line.
Speaker 1:Right Now we're plus like the standby line, right yeah, but yeah, remy's totally fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so then after that we went to the ice cream place. Can you pronounce it?
Speaker 1:La Jala Patel. I don't have it up right now.
Speaker 2:And you wanted to go there because I've always talked about it and you're like we're going here. Yes, right, yes. And I got my raspberries sorbet nolan got sorbet, ryan got chocolate ice cream, and what did you get?
Speaker 1:that's what I was trying to remember, was it this?
Speaker 2:you got sorbet too in a cup oh, yes, I did.
Speaker 1:I did get the sorbet. Uh, was it strawberry? Yes, yeah, and it was delicious, but I didn't want it. It was.
Speaker 2:They gave a lot it was a lot, and didn't finish it. I don't think any of us finished it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because we were still kind of full after lunch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were full after lunch and with the heat and everything, like yes, it's something cold going in your body. But at the same time it was like well, this is too much. It was a lot of sugar. I ate about a little more than half.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And then we just kind of was like whoo after this.
Speaker 1:So we went and chilled. Yes, we wanted to get out of the heat and we were feeling full, and so we went and chilled in the American pavilion.
Speaker 2:Yeah and the uh. The voices of Liberty were singing and they are awesome. They are amazing.
Speaker 1:We didn't get crowded with up to them like everybody else was, but we could just hear them and it was just beautiful we'd wanted to do the american show, but it wasn't for like another hour, yeah, like the time of day we were in there.
Speaker 2:It was just yeah. So we were thinking, oh, it's just 30 more minutes I thought they just ran them continuously, but nope, apparently not at least not that day.
Speaker 1:So um so, after hanging out in there for a little bit and cooling down, then we walked over to china and did for the first time the China 360 show. I liked it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was good it was. I did enjoy it. I would have rather sat down Right, but I get why you don't have chairs in there. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, you're standing up in this room but it's a 360 degree view, so like it would be hard to sit and be able to see everything, where, when you're standing up, you can turn and look. So but it was good. It showed you all sorts of parts of China and how it's grown, and all of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really enjoyed it. And then we just kind of strolled around the shops there, hung out right in the China Pivot because it was starting to sprinkle again, and one place I want to go eat at next time we go is the quick service place here.
Speaker 1:Yes, it looked delicious. I know I feel like we say that almost every single time, like it just doesn't. We don't think about it when we're planning.
Speaker 2:Cause you can get Chinese food anywhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but the food always smells and looks delicious when we walk by it.
Speaker 2:And it's not a super popular place.
Speaker 1:There's always seats there yeah, yeah, um, but then after this we went and walked around in norway and stuff too and I tried the viking coffee the adult viking with the baileys.
Speaker 2:I was like you're gonna be okay because it's hot.
Speaker 1:Yes, it was. Oh, it was so good. I am why, all these years, have I never tried the Viking coffee, until now.
Speaker 2:So yeah it was.
Speaker 1:It was delicious and I thoroughly love Bailey's so I didn't feel like it was like too much in it, but it really could have been. Bailey's is one of those that sneaks up on me, but it was, it was so good and I think even without the Bailey's like I would enjoy the Viking coffee. Now I got the frozen. You can do hot or cold, obviously on this very hot day I was like frozen please. And yeah, it was delicious.
Speaker 1:And it wasn't like. It looks like it would be way too sweet, but it's not like, because I was worried about that and I think if it had been sweet plus theileys I probably would not have felt very well, but it wasn't overly sweet at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I had that. I went to the beer cart in Norway and I had their Norwegian lager. I like it. It's very unique, right, I did enjoy it. And then we went to the Mexican pavilion after that and did the three caballeros yes, and it that.
Speaker 1:And did the three caballeros yes, and it was after the updates, so they did refurbish it and it's more fresh, like it's more vibrant. Yeah, I enjoyed it more this time erica.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's. Uh. I, I did enjoy it. Uh, it is more vibrant. After the refresh, the screens are more vibrant, it's just. It just seems like it's not run down right like, Like it has been in the past right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I think that's why I was like, eh, you know on my opinions about it before, but this was the first time where I feel like I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then we did have dinner at La Cantina Descent in Hell across the way there at the quick service.
Speaker 1:And that place is busy.
Speaker 2:It is busy and we did do a dunning review on that so you can go back and listen to that if you're interested to hear how it was um, it was good I was disappointed I mean it wasn't the best, but it was good I'd rather go try china yeah, no yeah, so uh, then after that. You know we've always said we're gonna stay and watch illuminus. Right, we never do. Why can't we make it to the end of epcot? At the end of the day, we can't do it.
Speaker 1:I think just the combination like the last few times that we've been it's, or a couple of times it's been in the summer and it's been rainy, and then that steaminess of the heat when the sun comes back out. I think that's part of it, because it can be overwhelming with that heat so I think that's part of it, because that adds to how your body is feeling in your tiredness.
Speaker 2:Well, and then the boys like we could just go and hang out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right.
Speaker 2:And just do nothing, right? The boys don't want to do that.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, they want to either go, go, go or go back to the room.
Speaker 2:Right, like they can hang out and do nothing at Animal Kingdom, not at Epcot, right, that's. That's not what they can do. So we were kind of having discussions about what to do, because I wasn't ready to go back to the resort and just do nothing right. Neither were you, not really, but and Ryan definitely wasn't ready to go to the resort and do nothing yes and, but no one was kind of.
Speaker 1:I think no one was done he, he was, and as a, as a parent, you, you know, you learn what's going to be best for your children, to where they're not miserable, and in turn make you feel miserable. So me and Nellie went back to the resort.
Speaker 2:And went to the pool.
Speaker 1:Didn't you go back to the pool? I don't think we went to the pool that night. He was just done, he was done and we just literally chilled, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, ryan, me and Ryan had a discussion, because he wasn't ready to go back to the resort, but he was. He was done with epcot, though, and I was like okay, we've got the park hopper, it's like seven o'clock, what are we gonna do? Right? And I had the thought of well, we don't have a multi-pass for rock and roller coaster tomorrow, and by the time we go do our first multi-pass, they would probably be out for the day. So I was like, why don't we take? Because he was asking if we're going to ride the skyliner in the day. I'm like no, we're not running out of the skyliner. But I was like why don't we ride the skyliner to hollywood studios and just wait in line for rock and roller coaster? Because we're not doing anything else for the rest of the day, right? So if it's 90 minutes, it's 90 minutes.
Speaker 2:If it's whatever, it's whatever, right yeah and he's like, okay, let's go do that right. So we split, we part, parted ways and we took the skyliner over to hollywood studios and I I'm gonna say hollywood studios may be overtaking upcott for me, I don't know. There's just something about hollywood studios at night, in the evening it's beautiful the music strolling through there I mean at night, it's definitely night, it's, it's beautiful yeah and so we went and got in line for, uh, rock and roller coaster I think it was like a 50 minute wait, but we weren't moving.
Speaker 2:We were moving very slowly and we made two switch backs and then we didn't move for about 15 minutes. So this is probably about a 30 minute wait at this point. And uh, nobody.
Speaker 2:No announcement was made, nothing was said, but I started noticing people just leaving, getting from the front of the line, starting to move out, and I looked on the app and it was down, and so I was like ryan, it's down and it was already it was like eight o'clock at this point and they still hadn't made an announcement well, I don't know if you can even hear it outside.
Speaker 2:okay and okay. And it was like 8 o'clock. The park closed at 10. I could tell he was starting to get a little tired and I looked on the app and I was like, oh, rise of Resistance is a 45-minute wait. You want to go do that? And he was like, yeah, let's go do that, right, because it's probably not going to be that long. Right.
Speaker 2:So we went into at night. There's just something about it. I really truly love it. We're on only on day two of this day two I know we got to get through it and so we did do riser resets to end the night and it was, uh, didn't really ended up being ended up being about a 30 minute wait. Um, as we were leaving, we got the popcorn bucket, the death star popcorn bucket, which is right behind me and it lights up there's like the whole time during the day we were there the next day huge line for it, big long queue.
Speaker 2:They had like this is the end of the line, people standing there Walked right up and got it. Yeah, it was great, and then we made the night yeah.
Speaker 1:All right. Then the next day, day three.
Speaker 2:Well, because, I don't know three minutes and we're just now entering day three.
Speaker 1:So day three, all of us went to hollywood studios. We did not rope drop and it did rain the first half of the day so when we first got there um we got some rainy day pictures we did.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was cool. Yes, and uh, the new shows had just opened up, like the week before, right uh, a couple days, a couple days I had not seen. 27th was the first day I had not seen any of the youtubers uh shows about it, so I went into it completely with no idea what they were.
Speaker 2:Right, let me had an idea of what they were I had watched, but yes, um, but to start today, we had multi passes for tower of terror, slinky dog and pew pew, and then we all had single passes for rise or resistance. Um, we got in line for, right off the bat, the Little Mermaid Show.
Speaker 1:Yes, and be glad that we did first thing in the morning, because later in the day-.
Speaker 2:It was backed up all the way to Municiburg. Yeah, it was-.
Speaker 1:It was crazy because and this show is continuous- yes. And so where he just said it was backed up to, I mean that's probably three shows. Maybe you're waiting on.
Speaker 2:It was a full theater when we were in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's what a 15-20 minute show, yeah, and I loved it. I loved it. They did a really good job and, like you know, it is screens, it is real life actors and it is some puppets and, yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed it it.
Speaker 2:I did enjoy it too. I thought it was good. I like how they make ariel look like she really is swimming. That was really cool right uh, I did close my eyes during the ursula part. I'm not kidding, nolan had to tap me. I saw you nolan had to tap me when she wasn't, when she went on there because I think she grew next.
Speaker 1:It's like 90, next now okay it's terrifying but that's a animatronic that they did a really good job with. Couldn't tell you or puppet, or whatever. Yeah, I thought it was good. It was really really good, Really well done, and then after that we did the other new show.
Speaker 2:We timed it perfectly, walked right on in.
Speaker 1:Yes, so the villain show, which is where the lightning mcqueen show used to be, and that show was very, very well done as well. I was impressed. I'm usually one that's not huge on villains and I left there afterwards like, oh, I kind of like some of these villains now so, again, I'm not big on shows and I really could care less about the villains.
Speaker 2:this show was awesome. I think it was better than little mermaid. I loved how uh, I'm not going to give any spoilers on it, but it is told from the viewpoint of the mirror Right, so I thought that was really cool how they did it. The music they did was really well done. Yes, I thought it was. I would go back and watch this show. Yeah, I may not go back and watch Little Mermaid. Right. But I would go back and watch the villain show. I thought it was really really well done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, really impressed with it. Yeah, I liked it. Nolan really got into it, the music and stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I thought it was great. That may be maybe one of the better shows.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really enjoyed it yeah, yeah, so very, very, very good, uh.
Speaker 1:So then, at this point, uh ryan and uh me did rock and roller coaster because we're right out there and it was supposed to 40 minute wait and it almost took about 20 yeah, and during this time, nolan and I we got in a very long line for toy story midway mania, and halfway through waiting in the line it went down, or one side went down and that side never came back up, but they of course they were prioritizing lightning lanes like the single passes, um, but we eventually got on there and, as always, had a blast.
Speaker 2:Yeah uh, meanwhile, while y'all were doing that, me and ryan did do one man stream and just kind of hung out there, looked at walt's desk and all the cool artifacts and everything in there and then it was time for our first multi-pass for tower of terror and that was not including me britney did not do it.
Speaker 2:I am proud of nolan. He wanted to do it, yes, and he did it. And then afterwards he goes that was it. I was like, yeah, but did y'all not have as big of drops as like when I, when he did it, and then afterwards he goes that was it.
Speaker 1:I was like, yeah, but did y'all not have as big of drops as like when I, when he wrote it with me? It was pretty good drops oh okay, it wasn't just.
Speaker 2:yeah, it was pretty good drops. It's still nowhere near Guardians of the Galaxy at DCA. Yeah. Which, if we ever go back, I think he would enjoy that one much more, because it's a party.
Speaker 1:Right. Oh yeah, he would enjoy it, but he was like that was it.
Speaker 2:But, I'm proud he did do it.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, that's good for him and he did enjoy it. But I think he was thinking like, oh, that's what I was afraid of.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, he was like oh, that was all.
Speaker 1:That was it. And then during ate lunch there, and this time I joined you and Ryan with what y'all had ordered there before.
Speaker 2:The buffalo chicken.
Speaker 1:Grilled cheese. Oh my God, sandwich. It was really really good, so good.
Speaker 2:So creamy, buffalo-y it's just so good.
Speaker 1:And then Nolan got his kids ham and cheese grilled sandwich. Yeah, it was delicious and it wasn't over.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was delicious and it wasn't over like we went right at lunchtime and ABC, commissary, wasn't that crowded?
Speaker 1:It wasn't, I mean. And there's a lot of seating inside and they have several tables outside too. Well, and here's going back.
Speaker 2:I just had a thought about Epcot. I think the reason why those places were so crowded is there's not a lot of options on the non-world showcase side to eat at. That's true, you got Sunshine. Se always packed right or connection here. That's it. Yeah, there's nowhere else to eat at on the non-world showcase side.
Speaker 2:Once you get to the world showcase, the mexican pavilion is very popular, but it's not but you have more, there's more options to go, so I think that may be why, and here at uh um hollywood studios, I think there are more options for people to eat at as well, in my opinion.
Speaker 1:No, no, I agree, there are not just your sit down table service but, also your quick service and little snack shops and all that yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then after that we weren't far from Star Tours it was a 20 minute wait and I love that queue, the outside part of it in the ewok village and then the at it's the back part of the ad. It's a state, it's a prop, it's not full you know, and there's the tour going through with c3po and and all the animatronics and stuff. It's just a really cool queue.
Speaker 1:I really do thoroughly like it and we got an older video yeah we did the pod racing right, because the ones we've gone on lately have been newer, I mean, but you never know what you're going to get.
Speaker 2:No, but I loved it. I loved the older video with the pod racing and all that. I thought that was really, really fun. Yeah, I thought it was good. Yeah, and then it was time we did walk through Muppets courtyard at Pizza Rizzo, but it's Puffy Pizza.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's what we did, abc.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it is now closed, all of it is so. Rest in peace. Yes, but we did go do Rise of the Resistance next, and it's just so much fun. Still love it, it is the.
Speaker 2:Lightning Lane Fort. So much, just easy right in. It was good. Now they do have a single pass or, I'm sorry, a single rider line. That's new. It came out earlier in the year and what you do is they put you. You skip all the pre-show stuff and they put you right in when you're in the hangar with all the stormtroopers.
Speaker 1:You go right there. Yeah, so you miss a little bit Some of it yeah, but I thought that was cool.
Speaker 2:And then we did hang out in Galaxy's Edge for a bit. It was starting to get really hot so we wanted to relax, and then we did do Smuggler's Run. Yes. Which we got two things at Coaxium this time, and the boys are pilots. Yeah. They either care more or they were doing a better job.
Speaker 1:I know, in the beginning I was like, oh, how's this going to go? Is this gonna go? But they, they did good they did a good job, and then we had reservations at ogis cantina yeah, I will say I still enjoy the environment at ogis, but I don't know if I can do the drinks anymore at ogis uh, okay, I didn't.
Speaker 2:I don't like standing up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is what it is, and most of the time you're gonna get the stand-up tables or bars. You know we the last two times we've gone we got lucky that we had sit down yeah, and I got the jet juice with the bourbon. I do not remember it being like a small shot glass no, but they said that could be if you had it at the west coast versus this coast.
Speaker 2:But even before I thought it was in a normal like I don't know if you've you got it there before.
Speaker 1:I think you've only gotten it in disneyland.
Speaker 2:Okay, but I could be wrong I was a little put back by that right. Not put back, but just like huh right, yeah. But yeah, it's because they're pre-made drinks. They're really sweet, right, but it's a good. I love dj rex, I love the atmosphere.
Speaker 1:It's really fun I think if, if we go again, I'm not gonna get alcohol there and plus I think I was just I was hot were hot.
Speaker 1:And so when I'm hot, alcohol and hot does not go well with me at all so I drink a little more than half of the drink that I normally get there, the Outer Rim, but yeah, so the environment's always great. And then slightly later we ate dinner at Docking Bay 7. This is the first time that the boys and I have eaten here zach has before and the theming in docking bay seven is awesome it is on point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it really truly is, and I was telling y'all that when we walked in, you were like whoa yeah, it is awesome it is.
Speaker 1:And then the food was.
Speaker 2:I was I was not shocked, but I was surprised a bit on um how, how good the food was yeah, we did a full dining review on that, uh, on the food here in, uh, in docking bay seven and it's very you, it's different, very delicious, very unique and I think it is don't be put off by the menu because, the menu can be a little intimidating right, especially for little kids, and I think that's why, like we haven't gone before, because of the boys, like Ryan now, like eats, different things, more and more and more.
Speaker 1:But Nolan is just now getting to that point, you know, and so that's why we hadn't before.
Speaker 2:But we thoroughly enjoyed this. I loved this place.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then we went. We had a multi-pass for mickey and minnie's runaway railway and this ride for me grows on me every time. It does, it does, yeah. And then after that we had a multi-pass for toy store midway mania. So we all did. So I have, I have, a complaint only because he lost I lost and I never lose my stringy thing that you pulled a sheet, that you pulled a shoot was getting stuck.
Speaker 2:Like every time I pulled it, it wasn't like registering that I was shooting the thing, yeah, I had to like, really pull it for it to like it I'm being serious.
Speaker 1:It's just you're not used to losing on that one, no it's not that I'm used, not used to.
Speaker 2:It's wasn't working. There was a little bit of a technical issue. There you go.
Speaker 1:But yeah, Meanwhile the boys and I had a blast, as always. And then you and the boys did a multi-pass for Slinky Dog.
Speaker 2:Yes, sans.
Speaker 1:Brittany, yes, so I was going to do it. But you know, as a parent with two children, and even though they are older, there were times on this trip where it was harder than when it was, when they were younger, because every little thing they were arguing about I mean, he's looking at me, he pushed me, he tripped me. So I was just like, hey, I need some me time yeah, we're 13 and 10.
Speaker 2:I thought we were over this and.
Speaker 1:Zach had already, earlier in the day, had a little bit of his me time. Yeah, we're 13 and 10. I thought we were over this and Zach had already, earlier in the day, had a little bit of his me time, like for 30 minutes walking around seeing shops, whatever. So I was like, hey, it's my turn and it's nighttime and I don't get to always enjoy this park at night like in those two boulevards where they meet.
Speaker 2:Hollywood and Sunset.
Speaker 1:Yes, and so I got some popcorn and just sat on a bench kind of in that intersection area and just people watched and enjoyed the music and all the theming around me and stuff, and that was my me time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's a point I want to make real quick at take some breaks from your family. I love y'all, right, but I want to just walk around Galaxy's Edge with a Gold Squadron lager and just chill, yeah, and Brittany wants to just chill, yeah, like you need that time, right, mm-hmm. So if you're starting to get on each other's nerves, well, not us, but you need a break and take that 30, 45 minutes. It makes a world of difference. It really, really does. Yes.
Speaker 2:But me and the boys we did do Slinky Dog Dash Now because it was raining the first half of the day. They don't run Slinky Dog when it's raining, right, not because it was lightning, it was just like a light rain all day and so it didn't come up till noon or one o'clock. So all the lightning lanes from earlier in the day got pushed back, got pushed back, and so this is like 120 minute wait, and even for the lightning lane or the multi-pass.
Speaker 1:Sorry, we still waited like 30 minutes for this. Yeah, that was fine with me.
Speaker 2:I had plenty, you had plenty of time and it was great at night, you know, it's still fun, uh, but we did do that. And then we met up and you finally got to do something you've been wanting to do since 2019 yes, so finally, for the second time, finally got to see phantasmic in all its glory.
Speaker 1:Um, because, you know, a while back we tried it again and there were some issues that happened and they had to cancel the show. So, um, watched it all, loved it, loved it, loved it. I feel like a little kid when I'm watching this show. Um, it is definitely one of my favorite nighttime shows, for sure. I mean, you see so many characters, hear so many of your favorite songs, you know, sorcerer, mickey Defeating the Villains, just you know, I'm so glad that we got to see it and you enjoyed it.
Speaker 2:I enjoyed it too. This is a really good show. I'm glad we did do it. Leaving it afterwards is not fun, but I'm glad we did do it and uh, yeah, I think it's a fun show. I think the boys enjoyed it too. Maybe not ryan, but I think nolan was into it yes I think it was a fun show with the pyrotechnics and and all that, because I forgot about that. Right, it is a good show. I do enjoy it and it was a glad.
Speaker 1:It was a good thing that we ended the night with that yeah, and it's one of those like on our next trip will we do it? Maybe not, but I'm glad you know I would be happy to do it every once in a while yeah, and then the next day was our first off day, pool day in disney springs.
Speaker 1:We did sleep in yes, we did sleep in headed to disney springs um on the bus around 10. Uh, our family is a soccer family, so the boys went to pele soccer store, um, and then we went in the world of Disney, and let me tell you that the world of Disney there is is just one of my favorite stores, but you could spend all day in um. So but we had, we had fun looking around, and then we ate lunch at Polite Pig very delicious.
Speaker 2:We did do a dining review on it, so if you want to go check that out. It's the last episode before this one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it definitely surpassed my expectations.
Speaker 2:Highly recommend it. Yeah. And then we went back to the resort and just chilled at the pool for most of the day, hung out Great pool, yeah, water was good. Yeah, not overly crowded.
Speaker 1:No, it was crowded, but yeah, not overly.
Speaker 2:No, it was crowded but, yeah, not overly. It was a good day for the pool. It was a good hot day Sun was out no clouds, typical Florida, 95 degree day. Right yeah, so it was a great pool day. And then we went back to Disney Springs for dinner at Summer House on the Lake. We'll do a full dining review on that. It was delicious, I loved it.
Speaker 1:It was delicious and the theming inside and everything just I loved it all, I would highly recommend it.
Speaker 2:And then, when we walked down, I was immediately reminded why we don't go to Disney Springs.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It was so crowded.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dinner time at Disney Springs is very crowded, but again the restaurant was delicious Very beautiful.
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Speaker 1:Yes, it was all just wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Speaker 2:So the next day um was a resort day for nolan and I, but another park for you and ryan so we went to this place down the street called smirnaversal, right, we went to universal for, uh, the first time. And, um, talk about your day first and we'll talk about okay, like my whole day you're yeah, just go ahead all right.
Speaker 1:So nolan and I, we uh, we went to chef mickey's in the contemporary for breakfast. Now we have gone to chef mickey's before as a family, but it was back during the pandemic and everything, where it was like family style and stuff. Now it's back to buffet and so Nolan really wanted to experience it in full and so the food was delicious. I forgot how big, just from what I've seen on like vlogs and stuff, how big that buffet is. So plenty of food, it was good. Now the characters you know depending on the timing of where you get seated, you might wait a little bit before any characters are in your area, but once that first character comes through, then they're all coming through. Within 15, 20 minutes you get to see all of them. So be patient, because for the first little bit Nolan was like they're not coming, they're not coming, and then all of a sudden it was like, oh, they're here. They're here.
Speaker 1:They're here, so had a great time doing that. He loved it. Then we took the monorail.
Speaker 2:Well then, you and Nolan are going to do a full dining review on Chef Mickey's. Yes, Just you two. Okay Sounds good.
Speaker 1:Then we took well, we walked around the contemporary a little bit, looked at the shops and stuff. Then we took the monorail to the Polynesian and thoroughly enjoyed the Polynesian. We walked around, we went and looked at the new tower that they have built there. Nolan had to sit on the hammocks and stuff like that. We did play a little bit of some like cornhole and things, and then we ended up heading back to Coronado and relaxing for a little bit before hitting the pool, and then we spent a couple hours there at the pool while Zach and Ryan were at Universal. And then you want me to go ahead and say where me and Nolan ate dinner and everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can do it Okay.
Speaker 1:And then Nolan and I later in the evening we had originally talked about going to Geyser Point. I later in the evening, we had originally talked about going to Geyser Point, but I think he just didn't want to go back and ride several different modes of transportation to get to Wilderness Lodge. I think after being in the pool and everything he'd gotten a little tired and so we decided to stay at Coronado Springs and we ate at Rick's Sports Bar and it was good. He had barbecue wings and I had the nachos and it was good. Was it great? No, but for the convenience and everything, it was good food.
Speaker 1:And then, after we did that, we went to the arcade on property there by the pool, did a little bit of arcade games we really like. What is that one? The ski ball, where you're trying to roll it and hit the certain numbers. Ski ball, yeah, ski ball. We did that in sorry. And um, the basketball mainly. And then he's played shuffleboard before I never had, and so they have this big shuffleboard um outside, and so he taught me how to play shuffleboard and, um, we ended up doing really well with it. So, um, so that was our resort day yeah.
Speaker 2:So ryan and I went to universal and we didn't get there. We got actually we did get there before, uh, park opening. Um, because I didn't know how long it was going to take on i4 to get there or not. So we did plan for extra time. First impression get with the technology. We paid, we had paper tick, we had the park what they call it park to park and then we had the express pass. We did pay money for the express, so that's, we were only gonna be here for one day. They were paper tickets and they weren't even on the same ticket.
Speaker 1:We had two separate tickets yeah, yeah, that that was surprising to hear, right.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:Like you couldn't put it on an app or anything. You had to go to a window to get them and then they were paper tickets.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they were yeah, yeah, okay, anyway, uh, so we had the limited express pass and like the day before, they finally, uh, put Hagrid's on the express pass, because before it wasn't, but when we got there it was. So that was huge, right, but it was down when we first got there, like it didn't open with park opening. So we went and rode Velocicoaster the first time, which I love roller coasters. I really do. This is intense. Yeah.
Speaker 2:This was wow, yeah it not having the shoulder harnesses and being upside down for as much as you were upside down on this. It is very unnerving yeah especially because my waist support thing, or my to keeping me in, had a little bit of a play in it. Not a lot, but just enough a little room a little room, so that was coming out of my seat upside down. That can be unnerving, yeah, and there's not like right, nothing holding you in except for that, yeah, and that's surprising that they don't have the shoulder.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, there were other attractions that did not have shoulder, attractions that went upside down, um, so that was a little. I was like I don't know if I'm gonna do that again. I was like that was that was too like. I love roller coaster because they're fun. That first ride was not fun, it was just too intense. Yeah. And then we did hulk after that, which was fun. It was good. The launch as soon as it's it's, you go out of the launch, you're upside down. So it was pretty intense too. Not nearly as intense as velocicoaster, but it was fun. And then, after this, hagrid's had opened. Okay, now, hagrid's was fun. It was. It was a it's up there. It may be better than guardians. Okay, wow, it was so much fun it's. I'm gonna say haggard's is better than guardians.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna go ahead and say cosmic rewind, yes, wow it was fun.
Speaker 2:It's a good long coaster. It's different. It was just a lot of fun. Yeah, it's, it's unique. It has different right like you go, like you go up and then backwards and then it drops, like it's got different ride tech in it than just being a coaster. But it was just a lot of fun. I really thoroughly did enjoy it. Well good, since it had been down in the morning, it was like a 250-minute wait time. Oh wow, we only waited 20 minutes with the Express Pass, so it was worth it.
Speaker 2:We did all that before 10 30 am awesome that we were like yeah, yeah, so I wanted to go eat at crusty burger and get a duff beer for lunch, because you grew up on I grew up on the simpsons right.
Speaker 2:We went to simpsons land. I went in this with extremely low expectations. They were not low enough. Not low enough. The burger wasn't. It was not good. They use a cheese sauce instead of cheese and then the duff beer I get. It's just like light beer, not good. It was. None of this was good, not good at all, which I guess goes with it, because after you get crusty burger you're supposed to feel like crap anyway and you did we, me and Ryan.
Speaker 2:Both are like oh, did not feel good, yeah, um. So after that we slowly made our way to men in black, which it was like uh, toy store midway mania, but just a little bit better, okay, but it was okay. Um, we did do et. Now I know this can be creepy for people and I understand there are some creepy parts in this ride, right yeah, well, I wrote it when I was like eight years old and I remember yeah, creeped out and I've seen the movie and the movie creeped me out a little bit too.
Speaker 2:I understand. Yeah, I understand that, but it's the same ride technology they use for peter pan, blue peter pan out of the water right. This is so much better and it's a same ride technology they use for Peter Pan Blew Peter Pan out of the water, right. This is so much better.
Speaker 1:And it's a longer ride.
Speaker 2:It is, it's probably three times as long. So good, I did thoroughly enjoy this. Ryan enjoyed it too. Ryan was like I actually really enjoyed that yeah. Then we did do a good. Did it have a weird smell in?
Speaker 1:there too. It did have a little bit of a weird smell that added to the creepy factor for me when I was a kid. I liked it, though I didn't mind it at all.
Speaker 2:I thought it was really good. It just I, just as an eight-year-old kid, I was like, oh yeah. And then we did do that hogwarts express to go back and forth between the two parks, and then we did, uh, rip red rocket. I would never do that again, which is they're going away with it. But it was another lap bar that goes upside down. It was so rough and so janky I thought I was gonna throw up afterwards, especially after eating, like it wasn't this wasn't like right after eating, but still.
Speaker 2:But I was like I don't know and then we did do mommy, mommy was, it was kind of like dinosaur okay but elevated, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:It was like a dark ride but a coaster at the same time. So it was all right. I was expecting something different after what coworkers had told me about, but it was all right. And then after that Ryan was like I'm starting to get tired and this is like two o'clock. I was like, well, what do you want to do? He goes. I want to do Hagridggards and velocicoaster one more time. Okay, it's like all right. So we took the hot works express back over, did haggards. It was again. We waited like 20 minutes. So much fun again. That may be my favorite coaster in all of orlando. Okay, the theming's on point. The coaster's on point. They really did a really good job with the harry potter theming at universal.
Speaker 2:The rest of the park man but harry potter yeah they did such a great job, did velocicoast one more time, now that my lap harness was way tight, and then it was a lot more fun. Then I was like okay, because you weren't coming, I wasn't coming out of my seat, so I I did enjoy it more the second time. Okay, then we just we left. After that Ryan was just like 4.30. Ryan was tired. I have, besides, the paper tickets. I understand why you can't take backpacks on these attractions because they're just too intense, but the locker system. I busted my knuckles because, like I have a north face backpack barely fit in there yeah they need a little bit bigger a little bit bigger lockers.
Speaker 2:I I get why they have it. I don't have a problem with the lockers because they have it at uh tron bigger lock, a little bit bigger yeah, yeah but, the bigger locks they did have were paid. You had to pay for them. So that was my one complaint about Universal. It's more fun, but it's no Disney. I prefer Disney. It's just not as the theming is not there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because for y'all to come back as early as y'all did, I mean I got y'all being tired, but I was like, really You're back.
Speaker 2:The theming's just not quite what it should be, except for the Harry Potter stuff, like that. Stuff's on point, yeah, and it's just that magic is just not there, you know Mm-hmm, but we did have a good time. And, ryan, before y'all decided what y'all were going to do for dinner, we left early enough, ryan's like. So we're going to Geyser, point right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because that was the plan for me and Nolan too. That was the plan. I was like well, we'll just meet them at Geyser Point.
Speaker 2:And then Nolan again was done, and so Ryan was just dead set on going to Geyser Point. So that's what we did. Yeah. We went back and then took the bus to Magic Kingdom and took the boat to Godger Point ate dinner. There had the buffalo or had the bison burger Delicious and we just it was a good dinner for me and him. You know he's turning 13. So it was a good kind of adult conversation, just a father-son time, and I think it was. I think we needed that break as a family as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Because the boys, I mean they're great brothers with each other.
Speaker 2:They really are, but I mean, they're brothers, so they go from being best buds one minute to arguing the next. You know so yeah, but yeah, I thought it was a, it was a good day. Will we go back to universal? I don't know. We'll see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll see all, right now day six my, my favorite day. Animal Kingdom. So again, no rope dropping, but we did arrive at park opening and we had multi-passes for Kilimanjaro Safaris, expedition Everest, cali, river Rapids and single pass for Flight of Passage. So when we got there we did take our time going through the entrance of the park. Usually when you're rope dropping you're rushing through all that, so we did take our time. We saw the otters. Yes, they were playing.
Speaker 1:Yes, the otters, they were like in this very small little area all together playing. They have this big habitat. But yes, it was good to see the otters first thing, and that's over, closer to the Tree of Life. And then we walked to africa and did kilimanjaro safaris as our first multi-pass I think it may have been one of the better safaris we've done that's what I was about to say. Like we saw almost all the animals you know um, some that are harder to see, like we could actually see it was lightly raining.
Speaker 2:Yes, that, I think, had a lot to do with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because even like the hippos, like yes, they were still in the water and stuff, but they were where you could see them and plenty of animals crossing the path and you know, giraffes we saw one of the baby giraffes and, um the lions were out moving around a little bit.
Speaker 2:We saw two lionesses in the in the um the male lion and uh, just like popped right up on the on the rock, just like chilling yep and uh, elephants.
Speaker 1:I mean just, I honestly think we might have seen almost everything yeah, yeah, I agree so it was a it was a great, uh safari ride, thoroughly enjoyed it. And then when we got off the safari, we, you know, right there is Gorilla Falls Trail and the gorillas were out.
Speaker 2:The family were napping.
Speaker 1:The family was napping One was right up on the glass in the corner, just passed out, and so you know it was good to see the gorillas. And of course the bachelor ones were moving around a little bit.
Speaker 1:I don't think we saw the bougie one this time, or he just wasn't doing anything, bougie yeah and um, that's the one that has to like, usually wash his food and drink from a certain thing. So, um, and then we stopped at that cart that's outside of gorilla falls in the end of the safari ride, um, and got those breakfast sandwiches we talk about why are they so good?
Speaker 2:I?
Speaker 1:don't know, because even while we were eating them, we're like there's nothing special it's just a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit it's just delicious though it's so.
Speaker 2:Is it because we're just right in the environment we're in?
Speaker 1:I think it's partially the environment, and I think the biscuit has a slightly more buttery taste to it.
Speaker 2:It's just so yeah, good, let us know. Are we have you? If you've had this, are we crazy yeah or what I don't know.
Speaker 1:They are so good though yes, they, so we ate that. And then you had booked a multi-pass for dinosaur once we had tapped into the safari.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you can book another multi-pass after tapping into your first multi-pass for the day. And we did this for dinosaur and I think this will be our last time doing dinosaur. I think it's gone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, after this year.
Speaker 5:That is sad Because we enjoyed it and it felt maybe it's because it's been a little while we say this every single time.
Speaker 1:But it felt a little more bumpy.
Speaker 2:It's the same but we just thoroughly enjoy doing this and having so much fun. Right, and I did get Grant Seeker's dinosaur last time I was there on my own.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Hello yeah, the hand puppet, little puppet, here he is the dinosaur?
Speaker 1:there he is, yeah. Well, they can't see him.
Speaker 2:They can't see him, but, hello, it's on his hand. Yeah, I had to get, it had to.
Speaker 1:I was so surprised, though, that you did um so anyway, so thoroughly enjoyed dinosaur, and then zach and the boys. They then did expedition everest while I just chilled around the Tree of Life. I did look in both the shops, but then I found my spot under the Tree of Life around the waterfall area and just took it all in. You know, you hear the music being played in the background, the water I love. Every time I go and look at the Tree of Life, I'm always seeing new animals on it. You know, I mean they're the same, but I'm always catching more than um. You know, like, oh, I never saw that animal before. Um, and just people watching, really, you know, as they're coming up close to the tree of life and maybe it's their very first time seeing it and just, oh wow, look at that. You know um and over in that area too, you have kangaroos and stuff, so a lot of people don't know there's kangaroos there, no, I didn't until like a year and a half ago.
Speaker 1:So, um, so yeah, so did that. Uh, then we all met back up and we ended up watching feathered friends in flight yes, uh.
Speaker 2:So we had the lightning lane the first time, me and the boys for x-mas. Neverest the queue through there. There's some. There's like one room that has some really cool stuff in it that goes along with the story of of uh the.
Speaker 2:The attraction loved it. I, I love, fully loved the theming of x, bitch and everest. I think this is the best queue in all of walt disney world so good. I've said that over and over and over again, but we did meet up and we did watch feather friends ryan's like I want to watch feather friends in flight, yeah now, we didn't catch it from the very beginning, but even while one is going on you can still walk in.
Speaker 1:So we caught the second half of it and and still enjoyed it and uh.
Speaker 2:Then after that we walked through the marajaha jungle track but we missed baby back, so although he was out, but just not not where we could see him now um.
Speaker 1:One of the cast members said he's not so baby anymore, so he's starting to look bigger apparently now and everything, but we still wanted to catch him, but didn't. The only one that we did see was dad dad was napping yeah, but he was where you could see him um, and then you guys did everest again and I was like a 50 minute wait.
Speaker 1:It was about 30 yeah yeah, and actually I got this backwards. So this is when I enjoyed the tree of life the first go around. I was more in like the asia area, just taking it all in all the music and all that yeah, sorry. So so I did that the first time for expedition everest, and then this time I was around the tree of life, um, and then you got to hang around the tree of life and me and the boys went in shops, so I went to the Discovery Island area grabbed me.
Speaker 2:I wasn't going to have a beer so early on. But they have new music in this area and it is beautiful, Very inspirational, very Animal Kingdom-ish it's hard to describe it and I was like, wow, I just want to sit down yeah and grab a, grab a drink and just soak this up, and I did, and it was beautiful and kevin was out meeting with kids and stuff.
Speaker 2:I saw him quite a bit and uh, yeah, I love that new music that they're playing there. Um, I want to find it somewhere and listen to because it's beautiful, it is beautiful yeah, between the shops there.
Speaker 1:The music there has always been nice though, but it's different than the tree of life music.
Speaker 1:So it's just in that one area there between the shops yeah absolutely beautiful so and then, yeah, the boys and I, we looked at, you know, at the gift shops, kind of just chilled in that area too. Um, and then zach and nolan did cali river rapids, and while they were doing that, ryan and I like he wanted a pretzel as a snack, and so we sat around doing that, uh, while zach and nolan did cali river um beautiful queue.
Speaker 2:This queue is on par with expedition everest. Okay, um, it's very short the ride, the ride itself was very short. We didn't get drenched, we didn't get wet, but on a good hot day I think it is a good attraction. Would I ride it again? Probably not. Would I use a single pass or a multi-pass for it? Definitely not. I would choose either Dinosaur or it's a small world in pandora yeah, oh, the boat ride navi river um, but yeah, I mean we now we've done all the attractions, right?
Speaker 1:like I've done every attraction, all the parks, right you have yeah, yeah and then, um then we all met back up and ate lunch at flame tree barbecue delicious very good very good.
Speaker 1:And then after that we all met back up and ate lunch at flame tree barbecue delicious, very good, very good. And then after that we had single pass for flight of passage and, as always, that ride is just breathtaking. I love it. You know, I'm one. I'm usually eyes closed when you're going through drops and all that, but when you're riding on the banshee, like, my eyes are open the whole time, like I'm taking it all in. I'm not screaming or anything. It is just breathtaking beautiful. It's, it's the thrill of it, the just all your emotions and everything, like I just love it. Like every time I ride it it's like it's my first time again. Um, just the smells, everything.
Speaker 2:Now I definitely got splashed with the water feature we did get a little more wet on this one, yeah, but again, everything she said it's great. It's still my favorite attraction I love about Disney World and it probably always will be Right. It's just. It's a different level.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is. And then after that we went and chilled for a while at Nomadland.
Speaker 2:It was like an hour and a half.
Speaker 1:And enjoyed the churros. So delicious, so good. That's like three orders of churros. That's the only food we got here this time, um, because we were going to eat dinner a little bit later, but, um, so good, so good. In the atmosphere here, whether it's inside or outside, it's just very chill we had like a huge lounge couch and it started raining outside.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I could have fallen asleep right there yeah, and I'm not one that falls asleep to rain, but that particular day I could, it was it wasn't like a heavy rain, but it's just heavy enough to just you could hear it and it yeah yeah yeah so so beautiful, thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed nomad lounge and then after this we did a show.
Speaker 1:We went and watched festival of the lion king great show, great, great show. Just love everything about it, from the music, the acrobats, the fire, like just all of it. Um, and then it was time for dinner at satouli canteen and we all had cheeseburger pods and who was right the whole time stop.
Speaker 1:So you know, the last couple of years I've been like I don't know what it is but I haven't enjoyed. I didn't enjoy cheeseburger pods anymore because I had loved them before and then, like two or three years ago, I had a batch that I guess just didn't have enough of the meat and stuff in it. It was just very felt, very dry. Um, so I thought, well, let me just try it again and I'm back to loving them again. So delicious, yes, so, um, and you had the margarita there too.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, yeah, the margarita was good. Had to have hox rago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the margarita was was very good. It was lime and no, no kiwi.
Speaker 2:Yes, kiwi, you were a little iffy on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I'm not huge on kiwi, but not overly sweet, just uh, it was really good, yeah, yeah. And so nobody wanted to do flight of passage after that. Well, you were even like, hey, let's, let's just probably go ahead and go.
Speaker 2:And so we decided we're going to go to a magic kingdom to watch the fireworks, because part magic, because animal kingdom closes early yeah and we did not no, so we did park, hop to. Magic Kingdom. We did go to Magic.
Speaker 1:Kingdom and we rode People Mover and then after that we called it a night because, yes, we originally were thinking of doing fireworks and you know I'd already gotten Nolan. He was like oh well, if you get me Skittles, I'll stay for the fireworks, because he's just not big on fireworks. So I'd already gotten him the Skittles and everything. But it was just so busy because I think a lot of people do what we we do you might park hop to catch the happily ever after fireworks at the end of the day and it was just getting way too crowded already and we were going to be at magic kingdom the next day and we were all just like, okay, let's go we were done, yeah.
Speaker 2:So we called it a night, yes, and the next day was magic kingdom day and we changed up our day based on what happened the night before yeah, so we didn't rope drop and then, because of how crowded it was, everything, we were just like let's ease into going to magic kingdom.
Speaker 1:And so we went to the polynesian for breakfast and ate at captain cook's. We had that, ah, for a couple of minutes and then fire alarm went off in the main Polynesian building and everybody had to exit the building. But there's outdoor seating out there as well, so we ate outside and then we waited and took a boat to Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 2:It's just awesome taking a boat across the seven seas again.
Speaker 1:I just love it. That is a good way to start your day.
Speaker 2:It is a very great way to start your day, yes, so we took the boat to Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 1:It is a very great way to start your day, yes. So we took the boat to Magic Kingdom and on this day we had multi-passes for Pirates of the Caribbean, haunted Mansion, tiana's Bayou Adventure, and then we got additional ones for Space Mountain, tomorrowland Speedway. We also had single pass for Mine Train, and Zach and Ryan had a single pass later in the day for Tron.
Speaker 2:But we first started off with the Walt Disney World Railroad. But we first started off with the Walt Disney World Railroad and because I was going around showing y'all all like the cool details of the railroad station and stuff like that, and then Nolan goes, let's just ride the train. I was like, great, yeah, that's another great way to start the day off. Yes. We took the boat to the Magic Kingdom from the Poly and then rode the train right off the bat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we rode it all the way around.
Speaker 2:Great way to start the day.
Speaker 1:Yes, I like that. I think I want to do that again.
Speaker 2:It's just so chill.
Speaker 1:Yeah, get to see the whole park. We've ridden the train before, but just starting the day that way.
Speaker 2:It's just a great. Yeah, You're easing into the craziness that is the Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 1:Yes, so rode the train all around and then these multi passes happen pretty quickly. How they were booked?
Speaker 2:We wanted Erica to do this because we wanted the rest of the day to relax and take our time Right.
Speaker 1:Yes, so we did pirates thoroughly enjoyed it. I love pirates, I did not sit on one of the edge seats this time, but somehow I still got wet. I got a little wet. And then we did haunted mansion and good thing we had it's like a 45 minute wait.
Speaker 1:Yes, and we did mine train and mine train. We don't do every single time because it is a short ride. That is our one complaint about it. It's a very short ride. For how long you wait? But to have it with the multi uh, the multi pass was great well, that was a single, single pass, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Well, and it was never more than like a 50 minute wait all day. So has is it starting to go down now? Wait times like the popularity, of the popularity.
Speaker 1:But it was fun. You know, got some, you know good pictures on the photo pass from it and everything. And then we did ride the Little Mermaid. The queue for the Little Mermaid. Love it, love it, love it. Yes, so read the Little Mermaid. And then we did something we had never done before.
Speaker 2:And you were very skeptical about this.
Speaker 1:Yes, so we watched Country Bear Jamboree for the first time Now. They have recently, in the last, what six months or so redone Country Bear Jamboree and it was better than I expected.
Speaker 2:You were surprised, I was. Yeah, I think this is a good show. This is geared more towards the families and kids. The old show I've never seen it, but I've watched it on YouTube and, yeah, it needed to be redone. I know people love the original, but yeah, kids can relate to this one. Kids don't know what blood on the saddle means yeah this was fun? Yeah, it was fun.
Speaker 1:There were some newer songs, things like that you laughed out loud a couple times especially this song from aladdin yeah um it was enjoyable for a family.
Speaker 2:This is a good show I would recommend like.
Speaker 1:Would we watch it again? No, but we've experienced it now, you know. Um, then we watched, uh, the tiki room you got your dole Whip Not then?
Speaker 2:Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so watched the Tiki Room.
Speaker 2:Classic.
Speaker 1:And then we had lunch at Columbia Harbor House. Now, this is where we used to go a lot, the first couple of trips, but I have not been in several years.
Speaker 2:Mobile order. Yeah, it's nuts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mobile order. It was very busy now. It was right at lunchtime. That's true, we ate upstairs where, in the past, we have said, oh, that's where you need to go, it's nice and quiet. Well, not at lunchtime, because everybody's up there too.
Speaker 2:But I had the salmon.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I had it as well and it was very good.
Speaker 2:It was good. Is it the best salmon you're going to have? No, but from a quick service place that you don't want something heavy on, fine, yeah, yeah it was good.
Speaker 1:And then the boys had chicken chicken tenders yeah, chicken tenders, and uh, so yeah, so it was good.
Speaker 1:And then, after this, um, we walked around a little bit and then it was time for tiana's bayou adventure it was raining at this point, yes, and I was getting a little nervous because there were some storms off in the distance and I was like, oh no, are they going to end up shutting it down? Because they even started making announcements like at any time if there's like lightning in the area, we will have to shut it down. You know, um, but we were able to write it and even though we bypassed a big portion of the queue, even where we were walking, though, there were things to see. So, even though we walked through it very quickly, I was like, oh, that's a cute picture. Oh that you know like, I liked what they had, um, on the walls and all of that, and, um, it is fun. We didn't get super wet, but we had our rain jackets on because of the rain and uh, but yeah it was.
Speaker 1:It was a fun ride it's still fun yes, and nolan, he didn't remember that extra little like whoop-de-doo in it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's new, though they didn't have that with little like whoop-dee-doo in it. Yeah, that's new, they didn't have that with uh splash mountain.
Speaker 1:No, but I guess he didn't remember it from before because he was like I don't know if you could hear him. He was like mommy, mommy, when they had that, so um, so yeah, so that was fun. And then zach and the boys did space mountain love it and this is I could.
Speaker 2:It was a 15 minute wait and I'm like sure you don't want to wait in the queue boys? And they were like, no, yeah, I could sit in that queue all day. The music is Love it.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love Space Mountain. I think anybody that's been listening to our show knows that.
Speaker 2:Everything about it, from the beginning to that crazy music at the end, as you walk out of it with the different scenes, I love, love, love, every bit of it. I always will. That'll never change.
Speaker 1:All right, during this time I got my Dole Whip. Now, remember, my favorite Dole Whip is the one here in Magic Kingdom and it's the Coconut Pineapple Swirl. Correct and delicious. I ate it in the little covered area at the exit of the Tiki Room. And then I proceeded to go to the People Mover because I was okay, I'm just gonna spend time on the people mover, I'm gonna take it all in, relax. I stepped on the moving platform where you go to get on your vehicle, and the ride shut down. So then I had to back up and get behind the gate and wait, and after waiting like 15 minutes, it never came back up. They were thinking it was gonna be probably another 10 minutes or so, but by this point I was like well, hey, I wrote it the night before. So I met Zach and the boys, cause they were getting off of space mountain, and we wrote carousel progress.
Speaker 2:Love carousel progress. I've sat on the very right corner cause I could see. I want to see all the post-it notes and the final scene and the messages and stuff.
Speaker 1:Love it.
Speaker 2:Got some pictures of it. It's awesome.
Speaker 1:So we rode that and then we had the multi-pass for tomorrow Land Speedway and I rode with Nolan, you rode with Ryan. Now there were some people in the car in front of Nolan and Ryan that I don't know if they knew how to work the thing or what. They were going super slow. So it was them, and then Zach and Ryan, and then Nolan and me and Nolan and me we were like making sounds like honk, honk, press the gas.
Speaker 2:Well, and Ryan's learning to drive now, and so he like does a good job driving. It's not fun anymore, it's just like riding in the car.
Speaker 1:Nolan didn't do a lot of like clanking around like normal. There was like the video I took of him while we were on there, like he was just being like ah and stuff, but he wasn't like jerking the car around and stuff.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and then after that we left the Magic Kingdom because it was starting to get crazy again. Yes. And then we took the monorail to the Polynesian. For dinner we ate at Captain Cook's Again. Again had the pulled pork nachos.
Speaker 1:I was disappointed had the pulled pork nachos.
Speaker 2:I was disappointed.
Speaker 1:Because they changed the chips.
Speaker 2:They no longer have the wonton chips anymore. That made it.
Speaker 1:So I thought they were still good, but I'd never had the wonton chips before. That's what set it apart.
Speaker 2:Okay, now it's just sweet barbecue with cheese sauce on it.
Speaker 1:That's all it is, yeah because I was like these are all right, but he was ranting and raving about them. The wonton chips, it was a game changer.
Speaker 2:They're gone. I'm sorry, no more oh well, oh well, and then we were at least at polly we were at the polly hanging out uh, walked to the grand floridian kind of walked around there for a bit, hadn't been there in in a minute. We got our, our uh ornament yeah, so um in what?
Speaker 1:the last three, four years we started collecting ornaments. Whatever resort we stayed at but we hadn't. We hadn't started that at the time that we had stayed at grand floridian several years ago. So we did get an ornament this time, and then, at this point, zach and ryan took the monorail back to magic kingdom so they could ride tron yes.
Speaker 2:So when we first got there we were a little bit early and uh, ryan was like let's go do jungle cruise. It's like a 30 minute wait for jungle cruise. I have to say the the skipper redeemed my love for jungle cruise. However, they stole my dad joke right off the bat. So here's a dad joke I've been telling for years. So I tried to catch the fog once. Do you know what happened? What I missed you? I can hear everybody listening to this. I can see everybody rolling their eyes. Yeah right, the skipper right off the bat. When it's kind of misty, he goes. I hate the fog, I really hate it, and he tried to catch it like he was physically trying to catch it and he goes. I missed. I was like what?
Speaker 1:they stole my joke. Did you say that too?
Speaker 2:no, I did not, I didn't want to he was great. They stole my dad joke. That's how good that joke is. They're using on the jungle cruise now. I've been saying it for probably what? 10 years, over 10 years maybe not quite that long.
Speaker 1:I was thinking seven, eight, but yeah, anyway, moving on trent was his name.
Speaker 2:He did a fantastic job. He wasn't like overdoing it, but he wasn't just like going through the motions either, and he threw his own little spin like it was. So I was like, okay, he has reignited my love of jungle cruise okay but then we walked over and did tron and so much fun. So it's just it's so short it's so short, but man it's it's so much fun at night, it was so much fun.
Speaker 1:And then, uh, we went back and met y'all at the poly to watch fireworks yeah, because nolan and I we we'd stayed around at the poly relaxing and stuff, uh, got some chairs on the beach at the poly, um, and so, yeah, uh, the boys like they acted like how they did the first time we did that. What year was that? 2019?
Speaker 2:yeah, that's a trip that broke us right, but that night changed it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so 2019? I mean, they took their shoes off, chasing each other, running around, playing hide and seek, all that stuff on the beach until the fireworks started and I mean, and they pump in that music for happily ever after, you can see the fireworks perfectly from across the water and everything. Um, I teared up several times on on the fireworks.
Speaker 1:I always do, especially watching it from the poly, like you know, it takes you back to that first trip, that second trip yeah, because, like that trip when we stayed at the poly that one night and Ryan getting out of the pool and standing there with me watching it, you know, like that trip when we stayed at the Poly that one night and Ryan getting out of the pool and standing there with me watching it, you know like that was so emotional and everything. And then, you know, he made sure he chose the chair beside me again, um, to watch them this time too, because there was like something on it and I was like, well, ryan, that other chair doesn't have anything. He's like no, I'm sitting here. I was like, oh, okay, so I think like all of that. Um, so okay, so I think like all of that. So it was great. And then we went back to our resort and then the next day was checkout day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we did sleep in because we were driving to Vero Beach but we couldn't check in until four o'clock, right. So we took our time packing and checking out. And then we did go to Disney Springs to have lunch at Deluxe Burger. Go to. Disney. Springs to have lunch at Deluxe Burger. Now have I been over-exaggerating the burger at Deluxe Burger.
Speaker 1:No, because it was really delicious.
Speaker 2:Is it the?
Speaker 1:best burger on property.
Speaker 2:So you got three options. You got the Bison Burger at Geyser Point, I know, you got the Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger and then you got Deluxe Burger. Yeah. I think this is it. I think this beats them, it's so good.
Speaker 1:I think this one has a slight edge.
Speaker 2:It's so delicious. But all three are delicious they are.
Speaker 1:All three are delicious, but I think this one does have just a slight edge to the other two. So yeah, I would say best.
Speaker 2:Best burger. Mm-hmm, I agree. I think it is slightly better than the Bison Burger. Just I mean slightly Now environment-wise Geyser Point, all the way.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, Like, if you're going for that, then yeah, I would say Geyser Point, Steakhouse 71, and then Deluxe, but for the burger itself, though, Deluxe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so after the burger itself though deluxe, but yeah. So after that we uh drove around celebration. If we ever do move to orlando, I think celebration is where we're going to move to yes, very nice, beautiful, very nice.
Speaker 1:And then after that we drove to disney's vero beach resort about an hour and a half drive not bad at all no um, we're not going to talk too much about it because we always.
Speaker 2:We've did a trip report on it last year beautiful beach, beautiful resort, not a lot of people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you get the deluxe hotel theming and amenities, but on a smaller on such a smaller scale, with the beach and no parks yeah, and the beach is right there, because I know some people are like, oh, do you have to like ride something to get to the beach? And no, like you walk right out to it, you know, and, um, we had a room with a beach view this time as well, and just watching the sunrise every morning and stuff was, was great you could see the turtles out in the ocean.
Speaker 2:You could see the manatees and the dolphins.
Speaker 1:Like it was awesome yeah, it was beautiful and the pool like they do things like the other deluxe resort pools do too, so just keep that in mind. So like if your kids like doing like disney trivia in the pool and the songs or they do water slide races here and things like that, um, and they have, you know, the uh the pool beach bar and the quick service restaurant right there as well yeah, uh.
Speaker 2:So we did nothing for a couple of days. We did one day drive down to miami and do the miami thing. Um, won't do that again the boys enjoyed it um, but I'll quickly want to mention one thing. Walt disney world do what vero beach does they toss their chicken. These are Disney chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce. Yeah. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:They were delicious.
Speaker 2:This is a game changer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I thought, like when Zach first took a bite and was like, oh my gosh, I'm like, oh, he's exaggerating, whatever.
Speaker 2:And then I took a bite and I was like oh, yeah, no, yeah, walt Disney World, you can do this, you can do this. Offer it separately. Offer it separately. You can do this.
Speaker 1:Because they still had the regular traditional chicken tenders, but then you could also or get them tossed in buffalo sauce and it was very good.
Speaker 2:Oh my God.
Speaker 1:So at the quick service they can do like where you like. It's almost like a salad bar, but they make it for you and you choose the toppings you want on your salad. And so the last day zach asked if they could do buffalo chicken on it, and they're like well, you'll, you can, we can do the kids buffalo chicken tender. So you're getting two tender tenders and they went ahead and cut it up and put it on the salad for me, and then I still got a side of fries that way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, but yeah, it was very good and after that, after a few days here, we drove to my brother's in South Carolina, did some family things for a couple of days and then came back. So that was our two weeks, and so what was your favorite memory?
Speaker 1:Oh gosh, oh, out of the whole trip, or? At each place. The whole trip. That's a tough one, because there were so many good memories, so many great ones, I think this was a great trip we took. Yeah. So do you have a favorite memory or no?
Speaker 2:I can't think of like one that stands out.
Speaker 1:No, because there was something every day that that was great, just because we took our time. Yeah, you know we didn't do the rope dropping at the parks, we took our time more. You know we were okay leaving early on some of the days, you know, and stuff and that saved on some breakdowns we normally get with kids and you know there were times where the rides were fun, the shows were fun, the beach was fun, the pool was fun. You know family, all that, so I don't know it was a great trip.
Speaker 2:Least favorite memory.
Speaker 1:The boys constantly arguing with each other when we're waiting in line.
Speaker 2:Driving in South Florida.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, oh, the drivers down there in Miami.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to complain about Nashville drivers anymore, yeah. So yeah, I think it was a great trip. I think we did it right. We didn't push it, we didn't push it, we didn't go hard. You know, I think the multi passes was worth it, but we're going to do a separate episode for that, and yeah, Better yet in Disney World do you have a best restaurant?
Speaker 1:we ate at Favorite restaurant on the trip.
Speaker 2:Oh, in Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World Deluxe Burger was delicious. Geyser Point's always great. Docking Bay 7. I'm going to go with Docking Bay 7. It's unique. The theming is just on it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm going to say Docking Bay 7 or Summer House on the Lake.
Speaker 2:Because I've done Satouli Canteen.
Speaker 2:So much I didn't want to say that right, right right, yeah, and Summer House on the Lake was really good too. So, yeah, yeah, all right. Thank you everybody for joining us. Sorry this was a longer episode, but we didn't want to break it up. If you want to support the podcast and the team, the best way to do that is to book your next vacation with Travel Planner Erica. Go check TravelPlanterEricacom. She's on Instagram and Facebook. At TravelPlanterErica, tell her again we sent you, take care, take advantage of that gift card. You can email us CircleOfParks at gmailcom. Our website's wwwCircleOfParkscom. We're on Facebook, instagram and X. And again. Thank you so much for listening. Our episode next is going to be the hotel review. Yes, so we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1:Talk to you soon. Bye. Freya, freya, freya, thank you.