Trip Report: Park Hop to Epcot (Day 1, Part 3| January 2021)

 Slinky Dog was running again so we used our Fastpasses to ride. It’s a fun ride too, but I won’t lie: it scares me. It’s extra beautiful at night with all the lights.

The wait for Toy Story Midway Mania was only 15 minutes so we got in line. Dad beat me which doesn't happen often. It was only by like 4,000 but he was trash talking anyways.

Next, we made our way to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. It’s definitely a new favorite attraction for me. It just makes me so happy. 

Then, we went down Sunset Boulevard. I just like taking in the lights of Hollywood Studios at night. 

My stepmom video-chatted with my nephew, too. He was excited we flew on a plane. He’s a big fan of airplanes. 

Epcot was open for an hour later than Hollywood Studios so we boarded the Skyliner and headed over.

We were pretty hungry so mobile-ordered at the Regal Eagle and went right there. I got the North Carolina pulled pork platter with the mac-n-cheese as my side. It was very good and definitely better than the salad I got on my last trip. The restaurant was mostly empty which was cool, but also kind of creepy. 

We finished eating at 7:50 and Epcot was closing at 8 PM. We booked it to Frozen Ever After. As long as you get in line before the park closes, you can ride. So, we thought it was a good use of our time. I do think this is a fun ride, but the line is often too long for me. The barriers for safety do hinder some of the views, too, 

Of course when we got out the park was closed so we wandered over to the International Gateway. We decided to take the boat back to the Yacht Club instead of walking. I love being on the boats-especially at night.

Our room was 2053 and we actually got upgraded from a standard view to a lake view. I really loved sitting on the balcony. That free upgrade and discounted room is probably going to pay dividends for Disney going forward. I’m now a huge Yacht Club fan. I called Bell Services to have our bags delivered.

My parents went to the gift shop while I checked out the room and waited for the bags. Dad brought me a banana-very nice of him since I was denied bananas constantly during our November trip. 

I unpacked and then sat out on the balcony taking in the view and updating my trip notes. Dad joined me and soaked his feet in ice water. He swears by this in Disney and brings a tote to make it easier than using the bathtub. 

Then, I took a shower and went to bed.

Today’s Highlight: Getting to ride Rise of the Resistance

Steps Walked: 16,933

Going to Disney World in the Summer

 After saying I would never do it, I went to Disney World in the summer. I can barely handle New York summers so I was definitely anxious about how I would handle it. I’m also not a very small person. And you know what? It wasn’t that bad. In fact, I would definitely go in the summer again. But I wanted to talk about my experience.

Florida is definitely hot and humid. That’s just a fact. I’m not sure I’ve ever sweat that much in my life. I’ve seen people recommend bringing a change of clothes. I never felt like I needed that. I did wear mostly tank tops and denim skirts. To avoid chafing, I wore Jockey slip shorts or bike shorts. Both of those I highly recommend. 

I brought a rechargeable fan, but I never really used it. I also ended up buying one of those cooling towels, but never used it either.

There was one rough day where I think I almost got heatstroke. I thought I was taking care of myself, but apparently not. After some rest and upping my water intake, I never had a problem again. I also added a Powerade to my daily routine.

Water and rests are two of my biggest recommendations. Drink water and drink it consistently. Maybe throw in a Powerade or Gatorade. Also, take breaks. The breaks can be going back to the hotel room or pool. But it can also just be sitting on a bench or seeing a show that’s in AC like Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, or the American Adventure. 

I also made a video talking about this topic. You can check that out on my YouTube channel or below if you are interested:

Thanks for reading!

Holly 

Trip Report: Galaxy’s Edge (Day 1, Part 2| January 2021)

 My stepmom had to activate her annual pass so I headed into Hollywood Studios while my parents did that. Rise of the Resistance had gone down earlier in the day so our group was called just as we entered. After they got settled, we were off to help the Resistance.

The First Order CM was very intimidating-like they always are. He kept asking about my Baby Yoda shirt. Like how would I eat him: eyes or ears first?

It was of course a great ride. We were in our own car, but there also wasn’t anyone else around us. The whole experience is thrilling in the best way.

When we got out, Smuggler’s Run had a 25 minute wait so we got in line. They put another party on our ship this time. My parents were the pilots and I was a gunner. It was fun, but I think Rise outshines it. And your position can impact the enjoyment level.

Then, we walked to Toy Storyland which is right next door and got in line for Slinky Dog Dash. Right before we boarded, the ride went down. We waited about 30 minutes because we were so close, but at 4:50 we had to call it. We had reservations at Oga’s at 5:05. They gave us a FP to use later which was nice.

We checked in at Oga’s and were seated pretty quickly. They were only allowing you to stay for 45 minutes, but that was fine with us. Our table ended up next to Rex, but I didn’t realize that until we left. We split the Batuu Bites and charcuterie plate. The bites were very good, but the plate was unimpressive especially for the price. 

Denise got the Fuzzy Taun Taun which I tried and didn’t really like. I don’t remember what my dad got. I don’t really drink alcohol so I went with the Carbon Freeze which is a non-alcoholic drink. I really liked my drink, but it was pricey. Maybe if I went to bars more often I would be used to it. Because of the dry ice it was a little hard to drink and you couldn’t put it down on the table, but it was good. I asked the waiter for some coasters and he gave me a bunch. I’m sure people ask all the time.

We finished our food and drinks and our time was almost up so we headed out. We did walk around a bit first which is when I learned DJ Rex was next to our table.

Up Next: Park Hop to Epcot

Trip Report: Traveling to Disney (Day 1, Part 1| January 2021)

 Saturday, November 23rd & Sunday, November 24th

Originally, this was a father-daughter trip. We were going to stay at Caribbean Beach, but some really great deals came out and we got Yacht Club for like $250/night. I was excited because we’ve never stayed there before. 

Since my stepmom couldn’t join us on the November trip, she joined this one. It was also going to be a shorter trip: 4 nights, 5 days.

We were again flying out of Buffalo, Since it was winter, we wanted to drive to Buffalo the night before. To us, it’s worth it in case bad weather comes up on the actual travel day. We booked a room at the Red Roof this time and planned to park at the airport instead of doing Park and Fly. Buffalo even offered preferred parking for the price of economy-thanks Covid! We went to the Cracker Barrell for dinner-perhaps a new tradition? I got the vegetable platter which is your choice of 4 sides. It’s a great option for picky eaters like me. 

I set my alarm for 6:55 because today was our only Hollywood Studios day. Even though we would be traveling we wanted to try for Rise of the Resistance boarding passes. And we didn’t think we would get to the park in time for the 1 PM release. I ended up awake at 6 and couldn’t fall back asleep. I guess you could say I was too excited to sleep. I was able to #fiddleffaddle my way to boarding group 64. Hopefully we’ll get to ride with no issues.

We got around and headed to the airport. We got food at one of the restaurants-I just got a bagel.

The flight boarded pretty fast-there were about 80 people. I actually got a row to myself. We pushed back from the gate around 9:50 and were off to Florida. My dad had issues with his early bird check-in, but the gate agent was very helpful. She fixed it for the return flight and gave him pre-boarding for this flight. We landed at MCO around 12. We picked up our bags from baggage claim and then headed to Magical Express. That’s always a longer walk than I think it’s going to be. Especially now that you have to cart your own bags. We were definitely spoiled before. But we practically walked right onto the bus. It stopped at Boardwalk, Beach Club, and then Yacht Club.

Our room wasn’t ready which made sense so we left our bags with bell services. Then, it was park time. We walked to the Epcot International Gateway so we could get on the Skyliner. It’s a pretty short walk and we like the Skyliner. Although this was my stepmom’s first time. I don’t think it was her favorite. This isn’t much of a surprise because she also doesn’t like elevators either. It isn’t her favorite form of transportation, but she isn’t going to refuse to ride it.

Up Next: Galaxy’s Edge