Trip Report: Let the Vacation Begin!

Want to check out the Pre-Trip report for some background. You can find it here.

Day 1 was pretty low-key. Actually now that I the whole trip was fairly low-key and easy going-at least for us.

I had trouble falling asleep the night before so of course, I woke up late. This really just meant I was able to blow dry my hair. I was in the middle of brushing my teeth when my parents picked me up.

We got to the airport on time. My dad dropped my stepmom (Denise) and I off with the bags and then parked. He had a reserved parking spot in the garage because he's become spoiled in retirement. 

As I was getting out of the car I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and saw Areana (my cousin's daughter) running toward me for a hug. She's 10 and this is her and her dad's first Disney visit so they were excited-as they should be. Her parents are Amy and Jorge. We met up with them a lot throughout the trip so you'll probably hear about them a lot.

The five of us waited inside for my dad. We were all on the same flight so it made sense to stick together. When he showed up he and Amy pulled out nearly identical folders with the necessary paperwork for the trip. For now, they were pulling out our respective boarding passes. It's just funny how some behaviors seem to be genetic.

Our group (Dad, Denise, and I) were TSA prechecked, but it was so early we all got through security around the same time. It is great not having to take stuff out of your bag or take your shoes off. There was a little drama because my stepmom had a mini MM container with quarters and pennies in it for the pressed penny machines. It set off some warning to security so we so we had to wait a little while to figure that out.

Then, we grabbed some breakfast and Dunkin Donuts. My parents gave Areana and I each one of the Disney Lip Smackers. We spent some time chatting outside of the airport Dunkin. Most of the family was driving down so we were getting text and Facebook updates from them too.

Up next: More TSA Drama & Turbulence 

Packing for Disney World

I love packing and prepping for vacation. That may be weird, but it's true.

This isn't going to be my whole list, but it does have some guidelines. Maybe someday I'll post my whole list. I'm just too lazy to do it right now.

Typically I separate my packing list into several categories/sections.

I. Clotes

-Tops (2 more than the # of days)

-Bottoms (1 more than the # of days)

 *If I have jeans/jean shorts then I won't bring this much because those are easy to re-wear.

*Lately I've been exclusively wearing leggings though

-At least two sweaters/hoodies

-Socks (2 more than the # of days)

-Underwear (2 more than the # of days)

 -Andy closthes for specialty meals/events

II. Toiletries

There are basic shower things in the Disney hotels and most hotels, but I bring my own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

This is a pretty individual section like I bring most of my skincare and hair care products.

*But the most important things to remember: deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush

III. First Aid

-RX and daily medications

-Sunscreen/Aloe

-Pain Reliever

-Tums/imodium/stomach meds

-Feminine products (if needed)

IV. Technology

This is another individual one. Since I try to film/vlog I have to be prepared for that

-SD Cards

Camera

-Charging Cords/cables

-Extra camera batteries

-External phone charger

V. Everything Else

-Money/credit cards

-ID/passport

-Physical copies of your reservations

If there's anything you think I missed let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Pre-Trip Report (October 2017)

Guess what?

I'm going to Disney World!!!

When: October 7-14th

 Where: All-Star Music

Who: Most of my extended family (over 20 people)

This trip has been years in the making. And we haven't taken a big family trip like this since 1995.

And a bunch of my cousins have kids now which will probably add a different feel to the trip. The kids range form 8 months (I know that's young) to 10 years old.

While we are going as a family we aren't doing everything together. Mostly, because that's crazy! But we have two meals planned together: dinner at Hoop-Dee-Doo and breakfast at Crystal  Palace. We also have matching shirts my cousin designed and made. They are super cute!

I haven't been in two years so there are things I haven't been able to experience. Here's some of the new or new-to-me things for the trip:

-Pandora: The World of Avatar

-Soarin' Over the World

-Frozen Ever After

-Eating at the Coral Reef

-Happily Ever After Fireworks

Here's a look at our itinerary:

Stay tuned for a trip report which should start in a couple weeks.

 Want to check out the trip report. The first post is here.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Planning 101: A Park Primer

I've talked hotels and food. Now, it's time to talk parks. Disney World has 4 theme parks and 2 water parks. This will focus on the theme parks. 

So here we go.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the first park. And there is a lot going on. It's a two-day minimum, but you could easily do four or five and still not see everything. The park is divided into 6 themed lands. Each land has a focus like fantasy or the future. They also go off Main Street like spokes on a wheel. Disney is known for creating this theme park style.

MK is probably the most kid-friendly park wihtthings like Dumbo, It's a Small World, and the Carousel. But teens and adults can have tons of fun too. It's also home to my favorite attraction: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Epcot

Epcot was the second park and has changed a lot over the years. It was conceptualized as a city and was supposed to be more educational. It does have bits of education, but has become more character heavy.

It's divided into Future World and the World Showcase.

Future World is a little lacking these days, but there are some fun attractions. The big things there are Soarin' and Spaceship Earth.

World Showcase has over 10 pavilion showcasing countries from around the world like Mexico, France, Norway, and Morocco. There aren't a ton of attractions but the food and shops help emerse you in the countries.

Hollywood Studios

There is a ton of construction going on here (as of Fall 2017). In a few years this will be a must-do again, but for now isn't much to do. There are a few shows, but a lot of them are pretty dated. There are also some thrill rides like the Tower of Terror.

Animal Kingdom

This is the newest park and recently opened Pandora: The World of Avatar after 5 years of construction. Animal Kingdom is not a zoo, but it has a lot of kid-friendly zoo-like elements with the animals. 

This park is like an adventure. You can go on safari or down nature trails. That gives a unique feel and lets you make it hwat you want.

So, those are the parks! This post could go on for days, but I tried to keep it short and sweet.

If you want to know my must dos for each park click the name of the parks above and you'll go to those posts.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Disney and Anxiety

I made a video talking about this and it probably wasn't very coherent. So, I've been putting off writing this because I'm worried this will be just as random.

So, as a little background, I'm an introvert with generalized anxiety. And social interactions especially with strangers definitely triggers me. Like I even avoid social events locally. I've also been taking an anti-anxiety medication for just over two years. It has definitely helped, but I still deal with my anxiety daily.

But I actually have less isues with it in Disney World. I'll even talk to people and initiate conversations.

After my last trip I starting thinking about why.

So, what I've come up with is knowledge. Having a strong understanding of the situation(s) I'm in makes me more comfortable and helps alleviate my anxiety. This comes from years of visiting the parks. But I'm also able to learn about things I haven't experienced through podcasts, message boards, and YouTube.

It's sad but in my daily life at home my anxiety causes me to retreat into myself and hide parts of myself. But in Disney World I can be my truest self and that makes me so happy.

If you've struggled with anxiety let me know how you deal with it. Especially if you've dealt with it in Disney.

Thanks for reading!

Holly