Day 4 AM: EPCOT

Since we did not have any plans we took our time walking around the resort enjoying the decor.  I love all the larger that life toys!  We both have great memories growing up with a Big Wheel!  Colin wore the tires down and rode that things like crazy on our street! 

EPCOT can be reached from our hotel by taking the Skyliner so since we were at EPCOT last night and rode all the rides we wanted all we had left to do today was eat and just sort of waste time!  Again, it was H-O-T today!  The sun was just pounding down on the pavement and there wasn't a lot of share to retreat under.  I know I keep saying that but man it sure does make you want to just stay indoors.  We did escape for a couple inside rides to enjoy the air conditioning.  The one thing that I did enjoy today was the Flower and Garden Festival displays!

After a tasty late lunch at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada we packed our bags and headed back to the airport, but we would not be getting on a plane.  We would finally get to do something we have waited two years to do . . . and Colin has been counting down the days!

Miles Walked:  5.3

Day 3: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

The heat yesterday was brutal!  I lowered my expectations for the rest of our time at Disney.  There were only two things I wanted to check out at Hollywood Studios; Toy Story Land and the much hyped Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride.  If you ever think you are going to just show up and spend the day at any Disney park you will be sadly disappointed.  Due to COVID not only must you buy tickets in advance you must also make a park reservation for each day.  When I started thinking about this trip back in April, many days in June were already booked with no reservations available.  I swear I have planned more for a Disney trip than multiple week trips to Europe!  True story I tell you!  Toy Story Land was just show up and wait in line but this Star Wars: ROR ride was no joke and required some planning and skill and luck too.  If you had a reservation for the day you could get on the app at 7am sharp and try to join the line . . . yes, I did and was ready to go well before 7am.  I hit join the line at 7:00am on the dot and within that second it was full . . . like FULL . . . no slots to ride the ride.  Thankfully, I was still in the bed in the cool, comfortable resort room.  So I went back to sleep knowing there was no sense of urgency to get to Hollywood Studios this morning.  We eventually made our way to the park and enjoyed a few rides like the no line Star Tours which was fun.  I lost my prescription sunglasses on the ride and realized it about 1 minute later so ran back . . . thankfully the person sitting on our row saw them and picked them up . . . we met on my frantic run back and he held them up.  I was so happy because man those things are expensive!  And then explored Toy Story Land.  I just love the Toy Story movies.

 

We were hungry so decided to put our name of the virtual wait list for one of the sit down restaurants, The Hollywood Brown Derby.  As we waited it was close to our final chance to get a boarding group in the virtual line for the Star Wars: ROR ride.  I swear at one second past 1pm there was a collective sigh and cheering . . . you knew who got a boarding group . . .

Now let me just say if we didn't get a boarding group it wasn't the end of the world . . . we would have moved along to something else and never knew what we were missing BUT we now had 280 minutes to waste.  First up was eating lunch inside with air conditioning!  Colin had a nice beef filet while I had a delicious Cobb Salad.  At this point, we had rode all the rides we wanted so we came up with the plan to walk to Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course.  It wasn't that far so off we went . . . we both get a little competitive and I have never been one to let my kid win . . . so it was game on!  And on hole 4, Mother Nature decided to strike with lightning which shut down the course.  We tried to walk to the nearest resort to catch the boat back to Hollywood Studios but that shut down too.  So it was off we went on our own two feet . . . about half way back the bottom fell out of the clouds and the wind was whipping but we pushed on in the rain laughing and trying to not get blown away.  We found shelter and let the storm pass before entering back into the park.  Outdoor rides were shut down but Star Tours was indoors with no wait.  I am not a Star War fan but the theming was super cool.

We found a few more indoor shows and just sort of hung out and FINALLY almost 5 hours later, it was our boarding groups turn.

I am not going to lie the hype was huge and I was going to be super disappointed if we had waited all day and this ride was not good.  It is all anyone talks about on travel and Disney sites . . . I was expecting it to be overhyped but well it was super cool!  The ride is in stages and from the minute we walked past Magic Band check it was 44 minutes long . . . there was some standing in line waiting of course but for the most part you move from room to room and then board the ride.  I am glad we did it but it wasn't like we need to do it again this trip!

Our tickets included the Park Hopper option which meant we could hop over to any of the other parks so Colin wanted to go to EPCOT.  The buses were a disaster, the Skyliner closed due to weather so we decided to walk . . . oh man we got soaked . . . our shoes and socks were awful but we had a goal and off we went!  All we could do is just laugh about and continue walking.  We rode every ride we wanted to ride because the wait times were like 10 minutes each or less.  The park was getting ready to close as we headed to the bus stop back to the resort.  There were literally hundreds of people in line and the attendant said it would be a least an hour wait just to get on a bus.  Umm no thanks so off we went to the ride share line and were back at our resort in no time!  Best $10 I spent so far.  Colin was starving and we managed to arrive back to the POP Food Court with two minutes to order food!    

 Miles Walked:  11.7

Day 2: Magic Kingdom

I know it might sound weird, but I just love Disney World.  My first trip was when I was 16!  I was old enough to enjoy it and appreciate the trip.  What I don't understand are people that take babies or little kids . . . I just don't understand who the trip is really for but to each their own.  Totally random but this made me laugh this morning.  Can you guess which towel belongs to me and which belongs to the teen?

I guess I should be happy it was hung up on the bar and not the floor!  Actually, Colin always hangs his towel at home because that is just how our house runs.  I started at an early age and it stuck.  So we are off earlier than I expected.  Let me just say it is H-O-T!  Wow, the heat and humidity are no joke, and I can already tell the day is going to be shorter that planned.  

Disney is also not a very economical trip no matter where you stay.  Tickets can be expensive but we are very thankful that Disney offers very discounted tickets to military families.  Yes, we qualify and I also take advantage of the discounted Disney Resort rooms!  Since we only have military ticket vouchers, it was required to check in at guest services and validate our tickets by showing the proper military ID card.  It really wasn't that big of a deal and there was no line!

I grab a map and off we go.  Colin's favorite part is Tomorrowland so we immediately head right after we enter the park and stroll down Main Street USA.   Magic Kingdom's capacity level is low and the crowds are not bad.  I mean the wait for Space Mountain was only 30 minutes so off we went.  If you have ever been you know that is super short.  We didn't believe it so we timed it, and we actually only waited 18 minutes.  We then headed to another one of Colin's favorites, Tomorrowland Speedway but we rode solo!

I just noticed Colin has on his A&M cap and is car number 12 . . . for all you Aggies could that be a good sign for the college application we will submit soon?  After two rides we both decide to lower our daily expectations.  I told Colin let's both pick two rides and call it a day!  He agreed.  Colin picked Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which I love too) and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.  At this point we are hungry and due to COVID the lines for food in park are insane and you must order quick service meals on the app . . . which is nice but it's hot and limited seating.  I made an executive decision to exit the park and catch a boat to the Polynesian Resort for lunch.  Best.Decision.Ever!  It was only 5 minutes and not crowded at all and nice and cold inside!  After a nice lunch with a lot of cold water, we were refreshed and ready to go back to enjoy my two rides and some of the famous Disney snacks!  I picked two classics that are super old but I just love them; Enchanted Tiki Room with a Dole Whip float of course and Country Bear Jamboree.

I loved my Dole Whip float and some how Colin managed to get two of his favorite churros!

 

We were anything but Disney warriors today but called it a day and headed back to the hotel to relax in the cold air conditioned room!

Miles Walked:  8.2

Day 1: to Orlando, Florida

The airport was more crowded than I expected and our flight was sold out . . . packed!  If I heard it once I heard it a hundred times to keep your mask on . . . make sure your nose and mouth are covered . . . blah, blah, blah.   But we were on a plane!  It seems to be getting back to normal as we had a beverage and snack service.  

Thankfully it was only about a 2 hour 30 minute flight and everyone complied.  I am one of those people that loves to stay at on property at Disney Resorts.  I also don't like to stay at the same place so this trip we are staying at the budget friendly POP Century Resort.  Have you ever looked at the price of some of those Disney Resort Hotels?   I will admit that I was a bit hesitant to stay at one of the cheapest resorts but it was really good.  I mean when you go to Disney it isn't like you spend a lot of time in the room so the cheaper the better.  Plus the resort is divided into centuries and we were in the 1970s which is the decade I was born!  The main reason I picked the resort was for the Disney Skyliner.  It seemed like a good option to get from park to park without having to ride a bus!  Since we travel light, we were able to get right on the Disney Magical Express at the airport and were at the resort shortly after!  Due to COVID, they encourage contactless check-in which was super nice.  As we pulled up to the resort I received a text with our room number and headed that way.  No keys, not person just unlock the door with my phone and/or Magic Band!  It was pretty simple.  We dropped out bags and headed out for dinner!  Our room was in a nice location and close to the Skyliner!  As we entered room 6156, this is what we saw . . .

. . . and we were both like how are we going to sleep in that small bed . . . together.  I was certain that I requested TWO beds.  Then it hit me that one was a Murphy Bed so then our room looked like this . . .

. . . there we go that was much better and we both let out a sigh of relief and said let's go find dinner!  Of course I secretly already knew we would be taking the Skyliner to the Riviera Resort for a quick meal at Primo Piatto.  The Skyliner was really pretty neat . . . 

A few days before we arrived Disney modified the mask policy that only required mask while on transportation which was super nice.  It was not the most fun to wear a mask on the bus or other transportation since it is super hot and humid but it could have been worse!  I had read that Primo Piatto had amazing tomato soup so I got a Croque Monsieur (ham and cheese sandwich) with a side of tomato soup.  I must say the soup was very good and almost wish I had just got a bowl of soup!

With our bellies full, we headed back to the room to rest up for our first day of Disney magic . . . but I was fascinated with these beautiful mosaics at the Riviera that were massive and each tile was super small!  

 

I promised Colin we would not be there at rope drop (park opening) and there was no hurry.  I might regret that as he tends to sleep half the day away!

Miles Walked:  2.8

Day 3: DL and CA mix up

Today is our last day in California so we are hitting both parks to ride what we missed.  First up was the early morning Magic Hours at Disneyland and by early I mean we were at the ticket scanner before 7am!  I do like to crack the whip and go early at least one day.  I had promised those in our group that we could ride all the rides in Fantasyland in less than an hour without all the crying little rugrats or strollers!  They didn't believe me but we did.  One key was to be there before the park opened and make a mad dash to Fantasyland!  No, we did not run but I will admit I have before.

Someone was not so impressed!

As you can see the rides were empty and we loved it!  We even had some time to venture over to the new Star Wars area . . . I mean how cool is this photo?  Look at the Storm Troopers behind us!

The themeing was really cool!  This section hasn't been open very long so not all the rides are open.  We enjoyed just walking around looking.  Will have to go back in a year or so when the hype dies down.  It was not super crowded but the line to ride the only ride open was over 2 hours!

We left and headed back to the hotel for our tea reservation.  I was looking forward to the tea party and some tasty treats!

Never mind the less than thrilled boy in the background . . . look at the tray of treats . . .

The current theme was Alice in Wonderland and the treats were all so cute . . .

. . . but we left hungry!  I must admit they did not taste as good as they looked, but I enjoyed the experience.  Next time I will leave Colin in the room and enjoy without him as he did cause me some stress . . . how you ask?  Well look at his plate . . .

He acted as if he had never been to a restaurant and played with his food.  I was not happy with him!  I know it was not food he liked but doing this is not acceptable.  I will say the variety of teas were all good!  We took a little break in the room for a nap before we hit the parks again.  We headed over to California Adventure to ride some of our favorite rides again and can you believe this is our only character photo . . .

Yes, today we all wore matching green shirts . . . notice Colin's shirt is plain but same color.  We then park hopped over to Disneyland!  I know we can't get enough.  Just a few rides we had missed so we checked the blocks and a couple repeats too.  The lines were short so we could just hop right back in line and ride over and over.  We ended our list of rides with Splash Mountain.  I love all the critters in Splash Mountain, but I don't like getting soaking wet so we saved it for the end . . .

. . . and we all got soaked . . . like our shoes were dripping wet and squishy.  We were all so hungry so made a quick stop at my favorite quick service meal joint, Bengal Barbecue . . .

. . . because we were starving!  We called it a day and headed back to the hotel to enjoy fireworks and desserts from the lounge!  It was much easier to see the fireworks from the top floor than on ground level plus all the yummy desserts were sweet too.

Day 2: Disneyland

Today we are off to Disneyland but first we change hotels!  Our room wasn't ready so we dropped our bags and headed out!  Apparently we were having so much fun I hardly took any photos.  One of my favorite escapes at Disneyland is Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room.  It is absolutely nothing fancy or new age technology but I just love it!  I mean grab a Dole Whip float (or in Colin's case a churro) . . .

. . . and head inside to escape the heat or crowds for some chirping good fun!

We took a mid afternoon break and checked into our new hotel which I had me so excited since I have never stayed at the Disneyland Hotel!

Our room was in the Adventure Tower . . .

. . . and I decided to kick the trip up a notch and booked a concierge level room.  Which really only means we have access to the lounge for food and drinks all day!  I have never done this as usually it is just the two of us and didn't seem worth the cost but with four decided to give it a try to see if it is worth it.  Oh my goodness the room was nothing special but was larger than expected and the headboards had me at first twinkle . . .

Y'all the headboard had lights to do fireworks and play a song too.  We have our own fireworks show above our bed.  It was adorable!  We saw the pool from our room and decided to take a break from the parks and go for a nice relaxing swim!

It was back to the park we went to ride a few more before calling it a day.  Colin's favorite ride is HyperSpace Mountain . . .

We caught the fireworks show and jumped on the monorail back to the hotel because we were tired!  Tomorrow we are starting super early!

Day 1: California Adventure

It is no secret I love Disneyland!  I mean California weather is usually perfect no matter what time of year.  I have visited Disneyland solo, with Colin, and now with a small group.  Our group is me, Colin, Lisa (aunt), and Katie (cousin).  We start our Disney Adventure at the California Adventure park . . . our start was a bit delayed because I had to wait in a super long line to get our tickets but we were good since the military tickets save so much money.  The gang is all here and ready to go!

Oh the matching shirts?  I used to think they were silly but let me tell you they have been nice!  You never have to remember what everyone was wearing and I don't know how many times it made it so much easier to locate our group so I guess I have become one of those Disney people!  Oh and Colin wanted no part of the matching shirts but agreed to same color but plain.  It is a very warm day for California but nothing compared to what we left behind in Texas!  So here is one of my Disney hacks . . . MaxPass . . . it isn't free but cost (I think) $15 per person but saves so much time!  You link your tickets on the app and schedule your FastPass rides!  No time wasted you just show up to the ride at your scheduled time, scan the app, and on the ride you walk!  So no more walking to each ride to get a ticket you just scan the app and done!  I also love that the fee includes the PhotoPass which are a lot of the photos from our trip.  There are photographers around the park and will take your photo for free!  If you have MaxPass they are linked to your account and automatically show up in the app to download.  Many would say it is too expensive, but I think it is worth it!  My favorite area in California Adventure is Carsland . . .

And my absolute favorite ride is Radiator Springs Racers . . .

The line for this is always long . . . usually at least 75-90 minutes long which I would never ever stand and wait but there is a trick to cut that wait time to less than 15 minutes.  The single rider line is awesome even if you are a group and don't mind splitting up on the ride!  You basically stand in the single rider line and they fill the empty seats with you!  Not all rides have this but the popular rides usually do!  If you can't bear to split up and ride solo then don't get in this line!  I just love this area and feel like I am in the movie . . .

We did explore the rest of the park too.  It was fun to have Katie along because she would ride the crazy rides that I would not!  Colin loved having her so he didn't have to ride alone.

It was a long hot day so we tried to find inside rides and activities to cool off.  There is tired and there is Disney tired . . .

What do you do to celebrate so many steps on a super hot California day?
You reward yourself with a super sugary milkshake at Black Tap Burgers & Shakes!  This is the Churro Choco Taco with was full of cinnamon greatness!

 PS  Calories don't count at Disneyland!