Afternoon naps FTW! Girls Only June 2019 TR :)

[Kbmas0n]

First, a prayer. Dear Lord, please help me complete this trip report.

Now, onto the show...errr...us! I am going to buzz through introductions in hopes that less words = more finishing. I have started and stopped too many trip reports that I am BOUND AND DETERMINED to finish this one! I would also beg for spelling and grammar immunity, please and thank you.

I am Keri. Hello. My very first trip to WDW was in 2011 with my husband, Dave, and four-year old daughter, Hallie. I was very pregnant and swollen. I celebrated my 30th birthday under the fireworks at MK, cried, and was completely and utterly hooked. It was supposed to be a one-and-done trip (famous last words), but we then went again in 2017, 2018, a Disney cruise in 2019 and then this trip. And have one planned already for March 2020 .

2011:


2017:


2018:


2019:


So...who was going on this trip?

ME!
Favorite Character(s): Chip and Dale! I also love Eeyore
Favorite Park: MK
Favorite Fast Ride: SDD or EE
Favorite Slow Ride: LWTL or COP

My daughter, Hallie (12 yo), fought the Disney bug, but this trip bit her hard and she is thoroughly infected. YESSSSS.
Favorite Character: Pooh!
Favorite Park: AK
Favorite Ride: EE

Hallie's BFF, S (14 yo), 6'1 and a stellar kid.
Favorite Character: Pooh, too!
Favorite Park: MK
Favorite Ride: RNR

My new BFF, B, mom-to-S. She has been to Disney her whole life, has a son who did the CP, and is hopeful that any and all of her three (!) daughters will follow in his footsteps.
Favorite Character: Pooh...again. Geez, so much Pooh love!
Favorite Park: EPCOT
Favorite Ride: COP

This was our first trip going with non-family. Hallie's BFF's mom asked if we could plan a trip for the girls and "give" it to them at Christmas. She is a Disney FREAK, as much as I am...maybe more....and I said yes immediately. I thought it would be so fun to go with someone who was as Disney-obsessed as myself! And I was right. It. Was. A. Blast. I was seriously worried about traveling with someone I really didn't know well, and that the girls would get sick of each other and fight. But nope. It was perfect, and we will be planning more of these trips in the future!

Okay, so many more words than I meant to write. Moving on.

Skipping all of the pre-trip planning...changes...etc. Let's get started!

DAY #1 (PART 1): TRAVEL + DISNEY SPRINGS + MAGIC KINGDOM​

Our flight left at 5am, so we stayed near the airport in a Hampton the night before. We are about two hours from STL, so yeah. There was no way I was getting up in the 2's to get there by the 4's. Instead we woke up at 3:30am (WOOF), hopped on the shuttle and grabbed some Starbucks at the airport.

(Me and B!):


Before long we had lift-off and were cruising toward our favorite place in the world!


We arrived on time, made our way to the ME and headed to...the Grand! Now, we are more Pop Century people, but B is most-certainly NOT. She is deluxe or die . And after staying at the Grand...I get it. (but still loyal to POP). It also helps that she has a nephew who is a cast member, so we got a screamin' deal on our room. Anyway.

The room wasn't ready at 10:30am (duh), so we checked our carry-ons with Bell Services, met up with her nephew, and buzzed over to Disney Springs!

This was my FIRST time at DS. I have never wanted to "waste" time shopping or eating offsite. We have always had every second of every day planned out. This trip really taught me the value of down/flex time.

Anyway, we had a blast shopping, but it was H-O-T and the girls wanted to swim before our dinner reservations. We got our room assignment shortly after returning to the Grand (Boca Chica, 8318) and the girls changed and ran down to the pool. B and I crashed. Completely, 100% dead asleep in the dark, cool room wrapped in crisp, cold sheets. What a glorious nap. Sigh. I woke up with a jerk, checked my watch and it was 4:38pm. YIKES! We had a 5:10pm reservation at the Crystal Palace. B was still asleep, the girls were still in the pool. WOULD WE MAKE IT?

Heck yeah, we made it.



It was loud and chaotic as usual, but this is one place that we won't miss. The food is...fine, but we sure do love those WTP characters!

WELP, hit my photo limit, so will continue in another post!

 

[Kbmas0n]

DAY #1 (PART 2): TRAVEL + DISNEY SPRINGS + MAGIC KINGDOM

We left off at the Crystal Palace, but first please indulge me as I travel back in time...

2011


2017


2018


Sigh. They really do grow up fast.

Anyway.

We had a great dinner. We had fast passes for Splash,


7DMT,

and Space Mountain.


and had a great time. We jetted out before the fireworks ended, hopped on the monorail and glided back to Grand. The girls went swimming while B and I relaxed. A perfectly lovely day.

Tomorrow, we head to Animal Kingdom and MK for DAH: Villains! ​

 

[Kbmas0n]

Day #2 (PART 1): Animal Kingdom, Naps & Villains!
​

We were up and at 'em for rope drop at Animal Kingdom. It was pretty steamy during our time in the World, so we did our best to minimize the time at the parks during the hottest parts of the day.

We were first at the rope leading to Asia, and it was pretty fun watching the masses head to Pandora while we chilled with a handful of people headed to EE (or elsewhere). We ended up getting to be the first riders and the very first row. Some lady tried to cut in front of our slow-walk to the attraction, so the cast member leading the way took us through a different line and lead us to the front. Sweet revenge.



B & I rode twice, while the girls rode 5x's...






...before they just couldn't ride anymore. They were WHITE as sheets and I thought we were screwed for the rest of the day.


But, they rallied on the Safari (I won't bore you with animal pictures we have all seen before), and It's Tough to Be a Bug (such an underrated attraction - I love it so much!), before we met up with B's nephew in Pandora for some seriously rock star treatment.



His job is coordinating or something similar at FOP. Which meant we just walked on. And then walked on to NRJ. And then did it again. And again. And...again. It was amazing. And I felt like royalty, LOL.

After Pandora we were H-O-T and the girls wanted to swim. We sent them to the busses while best-nephew-ever took us to Cast Connections, home of super-cheap Disney merch. We shopped around with his discount and then he dropped us back off at the Grand.

And we took a sweet, glorious, nap in the delicious air conditioning. AHHHHHH.

PART 2: DAH, Villains coming right up! ​

 

[annie170]

What a great trip so far! How amazing to have CM connections, too!

I'm a value or moderate kind of Disney goer, so I wish someone would force me to stay at a deluxe!

 

[Kbmas0n]

What a great trip so far! How amazing to have CM connections, too!

I'm a value or moderate kind of Disney goer, so I wish someone would force me to stay at a deluxe!

Ha - it was pretty awesome, but we are planning at March 2020 trip back to POP! The Grand was pretty awesome, but I'm all about saving money on the resort to spend on more trips!