Many people that know me also know that I love Disney. It is a weird obsession since I am also very anti-capitalism and somewhat of a Marxist (there I said it). I love Disney for the story telling and fantasy elements. There is something that connects us as humans and I believe it has a lot to do with how we connect ourselves to non-human elements such as magic, mermaids, and fairies. We love thinking of the impossible and dreaming of the future, and if that is what makes us more human and likeable then why would I push against it? When you are in Disney World, you are prone to become a blind consumer, but you also have a chance to shrug off worries and indulge your imagination (and your tummy).
When my family goes to Disney it is a working vacation. While there are times for relaxing, we push ourselves to experience as much of each park as possible. This last trip was especially difficult because we were all so tired from our every day lives (we all work pretty long hours). We did not see fireworks one time because by 7pm we were ready to take a real break before the next day started. Even though the crowds were chaotic and there was a chance that my husband and I got a touch of food poisoning, it was still the best trip that we have had in a very long time. Here are some of the highlights from our trip that hopefully you can enjoy too:
Tower Of Terror is one of my favorite rides, and now Disney uploads a video of your time on the ride! It will be on your photo pass for purchase and it is so fun to rewatch! I didn’t purchase mine…. but I did screen record it.
The Toy Story area has some really cute places for pictures, my favorite being under this vintage sign. It makes me so excited for the Toy Story Land expansion!
Pandora is the obvious draw to Animal Kingdom now and while most of the crowd headed there, we waited until dusk to visit. Seeing the land slowly light up was magical. Definitely go at sunset to catch the transition!
We rarely stay on Disney property, which means we rarely explore the wonderful restaurants at the Disney resorts. This time I made it a priority to visit Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Village. The big draw is their breakfast, however their dessert was AMAZING. My Passion Fruit Coconut Mousse was so light and fruity. The best part was the portion. It was the perfect size after a big meal.
We we’re celebrating my sister’s graduation and also my 4th wedding anniversary so we decided to go by guest services and get some buttons. So many cast members congratulated us! Many people say you get free food and fast passes (which we didn’t), however it did make it feel even more like a celebration when cast members would say a kind congrats.
Our last stop on the trip was at Epcot and it was such a slower pace than the other parks. Walking around World Showcase was just the remedy I needed after days of non-stop action. As usual, we at Tokyo Dining in Japan and the sushi was unbelievable. We love the interactions with cast members from different countries, so we made sure to talk to many in every country. Mikey in GB was the nicest and we could have talked with him all day.
Sorry for the low res photos, but I had to include the Magic Kingdom Christmas tree and the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. We saw Chandra Wilson during the show and I cried because I was so happy.
This is a walking tour of Living with the Land. It was a gift for my parents and they LOVED it. I don’t have photos, but they highly recommend it!
We has a cold spell on our AK day and we decided to take silly pictures on rides and get extra snacks. It’s little things like this that kept us from falling into the downward spiral that is apt to happen on any vacation. We saw many unhappy families and it was all the more important for us to keep good attitudes and not let the cold bother us.
If you or a family member have a Disney Visa Credit card you can find the secret photo spot in Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There’s no line and it’s a surprise character depending on the day you visit. We met Kylo Ren (I was so sure it was going to be Rey) and it was so fun! Waiting for characters isn’t my jam, so walking right into a room with Kylo was my type of meet and greet (even though he was super intimidating).That’s everything! It was a great trip and I hope to hear your favorite parts about Disney in a comment below!
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