Has it been 30 years already? A Magical NYE Trip Report! (Complete - 1/25/18)

Trip Report, Episode XIV: What If We Made Another Death Star, But With Two Lasers? (a.k.a. A Personal Disney World History Lesson)
Memory is a curious thing.

Up until a few years ago, if you'd asked me about the first time I went to Disney World, I would've told you the following facts about the trip:
- It was in December 1988
- It was me, my sister, my parents, and my grandmother
- We stayed in a hotel in Kissimmee
- We visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and the newly-opened MGM Studios

As it turns out, three of those four "facts" would've been wrong on some level -- in part because I was essentially combining the memories of my first TWO trips to Walt Disney World.

Obviously as true WDW fans know, MGM Studios -- what we now know as Disney's Hollywood Studios -- didn't open until 1989. And my family was in fact there that first year with my grandmother, who, as it turns out, hadn't joined us on our 1988 trip -- a trip where we actually stayed in one of the many hotels in Orlando on International Drive. The first time we stayed in Kissimmee was 1989, after my parents had bought a time share at Orange Lake the previous year.

But that first trip was definitely 1988, and that's seared in my memory for one of the weirdest reasons: "Oliver & Company".

That was the most recent Disney Animated film to have come out when we visited the parks in 1988, and my sister and I both came home with stuffed animals from the movie. She got Oliver and I got Tito, because 8-year-old me thought Tito was the coolest thing on the planet. Sadly, when I went looking for pictures of us with those stuffed animals, I came up empty, but I did find this picture from when my parents told us we'd be going to Disney World:

dis_1988_home.jpg

That's me with Pluto and my sister with what I believe is Winnie the Pooh (or a generic knock-off). I know for certain that this picture was taken in 1988 and not 1989, not just because of that amazing vintage TV and VCR in the background, but because this picture was definitely in the house we lived in when we first moved to Connecticut, not the one we lived in from 1989 until, well... now (I bought it from my now-retired parents a couple years ago, which is how I ended up with piles and piles of vintage photos to dig through in the first place).

And while I can't seem to find any pictures of me and my sister with our Oliver & Company swag, I did uncover this picture of what I'm fairly certain is that 1988 trip, way back when you could encounter characters just out and about throughout the Magic Kingdom.

dis_1988_wdw.jpg

To borrow a line from Anna, looking at my expression in that photo, I don't know if I'm elated or gassy, but I'm somewhere in that zone. Also, why did my parents let me, a redhead, wear a red shirt? That's just terrible fashion planning.

On the subject of fashion, I found this earlier photo that shows that my love for all things Disney predates my first visit to WDW way back when:

dis_1986.jpg

Honestly, I'd love to have that MMC T-shirt now in an adult size. That is some vintage awesomeness right there (and I feel the need to protect my childhood reputation by pointing out that weird color blotch on the neck of the T-shirt is on the surface of the photo, not actually on the shirt in the photo. I was a very neat eater as a child, mostly because all I would eat were chicken nuggets).

And, in my photo research, I even found evidence of my long-forgotten trip to Disneyland way back in 1983. I still have no actual memory of this trip (so my signature will remain the same), but it was cool to see both how happy I was at my Mickey Mouse-themed third birthday party and to meet Chip and Dale at Disneyland (at least I think that's happiness... it could also be abject fear).

dis_1983_party.jpg dis_1983_dl.jpg

That trip was seven months before my sister was born, and nearly a full 35 years before this upcoming trip, so as it turns out, I've been going to Disney Parks for nearly my entire life, and I'm excited to ring in a new year at one for the first time.

And, since that trip is getting closer, let's do some just-about-three-weeks-to-go updates.

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE: As of this morning, I'm down to 413, which means I've lost 28 pounds since I started trying to lose weight. It's not quite on track with where I wanted to be, but it still represents significant progress, and with a good next three weeks here, I can still slip under 400 by the time I leave for WDW (which, in theory, should be exactly three weeks from now).

TATTOO UPDATE: About half of the background has been laid down -- we ended up going with a design that looks like the sky in the logo at the opening of every Disney movie. I have one last appointment to finish up the other half of the background on Dec. 26, the day before I leave.

I briefly considered staying up extra late on Christmas, waking up just before my tattoo appointment on the afternoon of the 26th, then doing an overnight drive to Orlando on the 26th/27th, so I could spend the night of the 27th and morning of the 28th with my parents, but I realized my chances of successfully doing that are about zero. So the plan now is to do the tattoo on the afternoon of the 26th, go straight home and go to sleep, then wake up early on the 27th and leave by 6am, hopefully putting in somewhere between 12 and 16 hours of drive time that day. And yes, I am still planning on streaming the drive via a dash cam, so you can track my progress, join me in singing along to an endless playlist of Disney soundtracks, and even listen to silly narration as I recall long Disney drives of years past.
 
Congratulations on meeting a special someone! It always happens when you least expect it! I met my significant other two months after I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease - so I was more focused on trying to figure out my new life with an auto-immune disease, not work on a relationship - but, it all worked out, here we are almost 5 years later, and I'm marrying him in 33 days! I wish you both nothing but happiness - and I'd love to see a trip report after your February trip!

I love that you've made a schedule of Disney movies to watch every night before your trip! We haven't been watching one every night (two-thirds of the hockey teams we cheer for have been playing great, so there's a game to watch almost every night haha) - but we have been working our way through quite a few Disney movies. We didn't set a schedule or anything, it's just whatever we feel like that day - which was Tangled and Captain America so far this week.

Also - congratulations on your weight loss thus far! 28 pounds is something to be very proud of!

I can't wait to see a picture of your finished tattoo! It sounds amazing!
 


Congratulations on meeting a special someone! It always happens when you least expect it! I met my significant other two months after I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease - so I was more focused on trying to figure out my new life with an auto-immune disease, not work on a relationship - but, it all worked out, here we are almost 5 years later, and I'm marrying him in 33 days! I wish you both nothing but happiness - and I'd love to see a trip report after your February trip!

I love that you've made a schedule of Disney movies to watch every night before your trip! We haven't been watching one every night (two-thirds of the hockey teams we cheer for have been playing great, so there's a game to watch almost every night haha) - but we have been working our way through quite a few Disney movies. We didn't set a schedule or anything, it's just whatever we feel like that day - which was Tangled and Captain America so far this week.

Also - congratulations on your weight loss thus far! 28 pounds is something to be very proud of!

I can't wait to see a picture of your finished tattoo! It sounds amazing!

That's so cool (not the Crohn's part, obviously, the meeting your future husband part), and I hope your wedding is everything you want it to be.

It's funny, now that my December trip is only 17 days away -- and all the plans that can be made have been made -- I'm getting way more excited about planning the February trip. FastPass day for that one was just last week and I customized our MagicBands today.

Also, I've managed to drop another 6 pounds since my last post, which was cool. Doing my weigh-in this morning and seeing a "0" in the second column brought a smile to my face. Now to get it down to the point where the first number is a "3"...
 
I found this thread this morning and have been reading it off and on today. I am finally caught up. Great report so far. Love your plans, your tattoo (and I have to say this is the first time I have ever truly loved a tattoo), your enthusiasm, and the fact that you've met someone special. Teepublic does have great designs. We used to be a Redbubble family, but Teepublic's designs have won us over. Congrats on your weight loss success, too. I'll be following along from here on out and hope to catch some of your live stream drive on your trek down.
 
I found this thread this morning and have been reading it off and on today. I am finally caught up. Great report so far. Love your plans, your tattoo (and I have to say this is the first time I have ever truly loved a tattoo), your enthusiasm, and the fact that you've met someone special. Teepublic does have great designs. We used to be a Redbubble family, but Teepublic's designs have won us over. Congrats on your weight loss success, too. I'll be following along from here on out and hope to catch some of your live stream drive on your trek down.

Welcome to the Trip Report Party! (It's like a Disney Dessert Party, but with fewer desserts, drinks and fireworks and people and being at Disney... so not like that at all).
 


Trip Report, Episode X: Kessel Run 2 - Run Harder (a.k.a. "The Too-Far In Advance Minute-By-Minute Plan")

Friday, December 29th
- 9 a.m.: Leave Orange Lake
- 9:35 a.m.: Breakfast at Cape May Cafe
- 11:00 a.m.: Enter Epcot via International Gateway, Meet Mary Poppins in the U.K.
- 11:30 a.m.: Meet Alice in the U.K.
- Noon: Meet Mulan in China
- 1 p.m.: Take Friendship boat from Epcot to DHS
- 1:30 p.m.: Arrive at DHS
- 1:45 p.m.: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FP window 1:20-2:20)
- 2:25 p.m.: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (FP window 2:25-3:25)

- 3:30 p.m.: For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- 4:15 p.m.: Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (FP window 3:55-4:55)
- 5:00 p.m.: Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Holiday Dessert Party at Disney's Hollywood Studios
- 6:00 p.m. (I think): Disney Movie Magic
- 6:30 p.m. (I know): Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
- 7:05 p.m.: Voyage of The Little Mermaid
- 7:25 p.m.: Leave DHS
- 7:45 p.m.: Finally arrive at Port Orleans - Riverisde
- 8:00 p.m.: Pool time maybe?

Saturday, December 30th
- 8:45 a.m.: Leave Port Orleans, probably via Uber/Lyft
- 9:10 a.m.: Breakfast at Boma
- 10:10 a.m.: Finish breakfast, take bus to MK
- 10:30 a.m.: Arrive at MK
- 10:45 a.m.: Splash Mountain (FP window 10:15-11:15)
- 11:15 a.m.: Haunted Mansion (FP window 11:15-12:15)

- 11:30 a.m.: It's a Small World (depending on wait time)
- 12:20 p.m.: Peter Pan's Flight (FP window 12:20-1:20)
- 12:55 p.m.: Lunch at Be Our Guest
- 2:20 p.m.: Post-lunch milkshake at The Plaza
- 3:30 p.m.: Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade
- 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: TBD pending what I can get for same-day FP selections
(I'll pretty much take the "next available attraction" any time I can get it, but my priority order, would be something like Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Under the Sea, Enchanted Tales, Winnie the Pooh, PhilharMagic and so on...)
- 8:05 p.m.: Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen Dinner
- 9:15 p.m.: Probably one last stand-by ride
- 10:40 p.m.: Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing
- Midnight: Fireworks!
- 12:30 p.m.: Take bus back to hotel

Sunday, December 31st
- 7:45 a.m.: Leave Port Orleans via car
- 8:00 a.m.: Arrive at Epcot
- 8:25 a.m.: Princess Storybook Dining Breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
- 9:45 a.m.: Standby on Frozen Ever After (if less than 90 minutes)
- 11:15 a.m.: Mission: SPACE (FP window 10:35-11:35)
- 11:30 a.m.: Single rider Test Track
- Noon: Spaceship Earth (FP window 11:35-12:35)
- 12:25 p.m.: Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
- 1:00 p.m.: Soarin' (FP window 12:40-1:40)
- 2:00 p.m.: Chefs de France Lunch
- 3:15 p.m.: Impressions de France
- 3:40 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: TBD pending what I can get for same-day FP selections
(Again, I'll most certainly settle for "next available attraction", but my priority order would be: Mission SPACE again, Figment, Nemo, and the Film Festival again - still not crazy enough to think I could get a same day FP for FEA, Soarin or Test Track)
- Also sometime between 3:40 and 6:30: Take a break in the DVC Members Lounge
- 6:40 p.m.: IllumiNations early show
- 7:15 p.m.: Enjoy some of the New Year's Parties around World Showcase
- 8:15 p.m.: San Angel Inn Dinner
- 9:30 p.m.: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- 10:00 p.m.: Grab an adult beverage or two, find a good spot for the midnight fireworks show and sit back, relax and watch a movie on my phone
- 11:40 p.m.: Fireworks!
- 12:30 a.m.: Leave the park
- Much, much later, thanks to traffic: Arrive back at Port Orleans

Monday, January 1st
- 8:10 a.m.: Leave Port Orleans via car
- 8:25 a.m.: Arrive at T&T
- 8:50 a.m.: Arrive inside MK
- 8:55 a.m.: Let the Magic Begin Welcome Show
- 9:00 a.m.: Fairytale Dining Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table
- 10:15 a.m.: Do the attraction with the shortest wait time in the area of CRT (looking at you Prince Charming Regal Carrousel)
- 11:00 a.m.: Leave MK, drive to AK
- 11:30 a.m.: Arrive at AK, do a character meet (there's usually one going on right near the entrance with a short wait time)
- Noon: Na'vi River Journey (FP window 11:50-12:50)
- 12:15 p.m.: Grab some of those ridiculously good hamburger pods in Pandora, plus one of those weird adult beverages with the bubbles in them
- 1:00 p.m.: Festival of the Lion King (if the standby wait isn't terrible)
- 1:45 p.m.: Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (FP window 12:50-1:50)
- 2:00 p.m.: DINOSAUR (FP window 1:50-2:50)

- 2:15 p.m.: Leave AK, drive to DHS
- 2:45 p.m.: Disney VISA Cardmember Character Experience
- 3:45 p.m.: The Hollywood Brown Derby Dinner Fantasmic 1st Show
- 5:00 p.m.: Some attraction at DHS that I get on a same day FP after getting in the DINOSAUR line (Star Tours on standby is the backup plan)
- 5:40 p.m.: Voyage of The Little Mermaid (if I get that same day FP and don't have a long wait)
- 6:15 p.m.: Head over to the Fantasmic theater
- 7:00 p.m.: Fantasmic!
- 7:30 p.m.: Grab an adult beverage and a snack and find a good spot for Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
- 8:00 p.m.: Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
- 8:30 p.m.: Leave DHS head to Epcot for EHM
- 9:00 p.m.: Arrive at Epcot
- 9:15 p.m.: Single rider Test Track? Or do some other attraction? No same day FP option during EMH so that's out
- 9:45 p.m.: Character meet (probably Mickey and Pals, since that's definitely open late, but I'll flip to Baymax if he's still meeting this late)
- 10:30 p.m.: Leave Epcot
- 11:00 p.m.: Arrive back at Port Orleans, get some much-needed sleep

Your plans look great! I'm not sure yet if my family can sustain a full entire day in the parks like you've planned. I'm planning that we'll be able to get up for Park opening, but I'm not sure how long we'll last!

We'll be in DHS on the 29th as well--but we'll be watching Fantasmic! and then SWAGS.
I have the Star Wars Tour booked that morning...still debating if its worth the cost to bypass the crowds.

I'll definitely look for you at the Dessert Party on the 30th! If you are willing to talk shop with DH (your shop, not his) you'll get along quite well--he's a sports nut!

We'll also be at Epcot on the 31st as well. I just scored a Via Napoli ADR that evening--thanks to Touring Plans Reservation Finder! Super excited and a little scared of the crowds that await us that night.

Great plans!

(Although you mentioned you mainly write about the NBA, and we're more into NHL - we gotta fulfill those Canadian stereotypes!).

LOL! I have no idea what stereotypes you are talking about??!:rolleyes1:P:rotfl2:

Trip Report, Episode XI: The Rise of Emperor Jar-Jar (a.k.a. "Gearing Up With New Gear")

For a while now, New Balance has had a line of Disney-themed sneakers. I’d never considered buying a pair, because the designs didn’t appeal to me (mostly Cars and Toy Story themes), and I hadn’t actually worn a pair of New Balances in decades. But earlier this year, the company sent me a pair from their new Fresh Foam line (perk of the job). I wore them for my D23 trip, and they were easily the most comfortable shoe I’d ever worn at a Disney Park. I was all set to wear the same pair again in December when I got an email about their latest Disney collaboration: Beauty and the Beast themed sneakers!

Sadly, upon visiting the site, I discovered they were only available in women’s sizes (seriously, companies need to realize there are dudes like me that like Princess stuff too). But the line went up to size 12, which is a men’s 10.5. I normally wear an 11, but based on how the previous NB shoes fit me, I figured a 12/10.5 might work. So I bought the one design that used the Fresh Foam midsole:

View attachment 281120

They arrived today and they fit great, and I’m so excited to wear them at the parks. I’m going to give them a good breaking-in next week, just so I know there won’t be any trouble spots in them. Assuming they pass the test, I’ll finally be able to say I’m in the Disney spirit from head (with my Elsa Ears) to toe (with my Belle shoes).

Those sneakers are fab-u-lous! Don't be mad if we meet and I have the same pair! I'm loving the black and gold! Also love the white and gold pair as well! I'd have to get them shipped to Port Orleans, not sure about that.

The tattoo looks awesome by the way!

I'm sooo excited! I can't believe our trips are so close!:yay::banana::cheer2:party::cool1:
Hazel
 
Trip Report, Episode XIII: Vader vs. Jason (a.k.a. The Not-Quite-Final Countdown)
Here's the schedule, which will start tonight once I get home from work:

11/28/2017: Pinocchio
11/29/2017: Big Hero 6
11/30/2017: Wreck-It Ralph
12/1/2017: Snow White
12/2/2017: Cinderella
12/3/2017: Cinderella (Live Action)
12/4/2017: Sleeping Beauty
12/5/2017: Maleficent
12/6/2017: The Little Mermaid
12/7/2017: Beauty and the Beast
12/8/2017: Beauty and the Beast (Live Action)
12/9/2017: Aladdin
12/10/2017: Saving Mr. Banks
12/11/2017: Mary Poppins
12/12/2017: Pocahontas
12/13/2017: Mulan
12/14/2017: The Princess and the Frog
12/15/2017: Tower of Terror
12/16/2017: The Country Bears
12/17/2017: Brave
12/18/2017: Tangled
12/19/2017: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
12/20/2017: The Haunted Mansion
12/21/2017: Frozen
12/22/2017: Moana
12/23/2017: Tomorrowland
12/24/2017: Flight of the Navigator
12/25/2017: The Nightmare Before Christmas
12/26/2017: Lilo & Stitch
12/27/2017: Enchanted

That's an impressive line up! Were you able to keep up? I tried to get to get through all of the Harry Potters again (heading to Universal Jan 1-4 as well). We only got about 3 in so far.
 
Those sneakers are fab-u-lous! Don't be mad if we meet and I have the same pair! I'm loving the black and gold! Also love the white and gold pair as well! I'd have to get them shipped to Port Orleans, not sure about that./QUOTE]

So one of the writers I work with directly is our sneaker writer, and he was in town today and brought me these:

disney_kicks.jpg

So now I have two pairs of Disney shoes to alternate when I'm in the parks!

And definitely come and say hi at the dessert party on the 30th. I'd love to have a board buddy to talk to.

That's an impressive line up! Were you able to keep up? I tried to get to get through all of the Harry Potters again (heading to Universal Jan 1-4 as well). We only got about 3 in so far.

So far I've been able to keep up with the movie plan, but it might get messed up tomorrow. I'm working late tonight (until 3 a.m. ET), then working mid-day tomorrow (1 p.m. ET), then seeing "The Last Jedi" after work, so I'm not sure when I'm going to squeeze in my daily Disney movie, unless I just have it playing on my phone at my desk at work. Even if I can't do that, "The Last Jedi" is technically a Disney movie, so I can always count that.
 

@adamreisinger

Hi Adam, these pictures are awesome. I'm going on the 31st with my GF to WDW & Universal and was extremely worried about fitting into rides and embarrassing her. For me it's fine, I've lived with it for 20 years. But it's her I'm afraid for. I don't want to put her through the shame of having to be thrown off rides.

I see you're ok with Disney. How about Universal? Are roller coasters out of the question? Hulk? Duelling Dragons? Harry Potter?

I'm 350 6'0...my waist is small 42-44. It's all in my belly and upper buddy.

I enjoyed your post and appreciate any help/advise!

Thank you
 
@adamreisinger

Hi Adam, these pictures are awesome. I'm going on the 31st with my GF to WDW & Universal and was extremely worried about fitting into rides and embarrassing her. For me it's fine, I've lived with it for 20 years. But it's her I'm afraid for. I don't want to put her through the shame of having to be thrown off rides.

I see you're ok with Disney. How about Universal? Are roller coasters out of the question? Hulk? Duelling Dragons? Harry Potter?

I'm 350 6'0...my waist is small 42-44. It's all in my belly and upper buddy.

I enjoyed your post and appreciate any help/advise!

Thank you

Universal? What is this place you speak of? As a TWDC castmember, I only acknowledge one theme park in the Orlando area.

Kidding... but in all seriousness, I've never actually been to Universal as an adult -- getting to go to WDW for free makes it hard to get motivated to pay to go to Universal.

As for the rides at WDW, besides Flight of Passage the ones that give me the hardest times are:
- 7DMT (like you, I carry most of my weight in my belly, so if I sit down just right I can make it work, but it's a tight squeeze -- and generally not worth it for what I've found to be a really short ride)
- Space Mountain (getting in is fine, getting out is hard)
- Astro Orbiters (same)
- Kali River Rapids (the belt JUST fits, if I squeeze it under my gut)

Most other rides I honestly don't give a second thought, since I've found I fit just fine. On the rides that use seatbelts (like Soarin', Tower of Terror, Star Tours, etc.), I've found that pulling the belt all the way out before I sit down, then sitting, then buckling, works best.
 
Trip Report, Episode XV: Yes, The Force Totally Works That Way, Okay?! (a.k.a. "One Week to Go!")
It's almost here! At this time next week I'll be riding "Frozen Ever After" following a dessert party and VIP viewing of Illuminations as part of my first of six days at Walt Disney World -- which means at this time six days from now I'll be finishing a very long day of driving, settling in for the night somewhere hopefully in Georgia or northern Florida.

At this point, the "pre-trip" part of my trip is basically done. I've finalized my dining reservations (save for still needing to decide between BOG and The Plaza on the 30th), moved around a couple FastPass+ selections, entered my custom touring plan into the app... heck, I've even done most of my packing.

I've also managed to keep up with my Disney movie watching -- as I type this, I'm watching "Frozen" -- and even though most of them aren't great, the movies based on Disney attractions got me even more excited for the trip. "Tower of Terror" is such a cheesy movie, but you can't deny how awesome it is to see the ride on screen. I definitely need to make sure I visit it more than once on this trip.

My weight loss has stalled a bit, as I abandoned my plan to go 100% carb free, but plateauing for a week or two has been pretty common on every weight loss journey I've made in my life. I'm still very encouraged by the progress I've made, particularly as I've noticed in the past week that my clothes fit much better. I'm down four total notches in my belt, which is something I'm proud of, even if the scale isn't rewarding me with continuous downward movement in the numbers.

Mostly, I'm just so excited the trip is so close. The next time you hear from me, I'll probably be on the road to Orlando!
 
Trip Report, Episode XVI: Hyperdrive Highway (aka “Live-streaming The Drive to WDW”)
For this, truly final, pre-trip report entry, I have three updates.

1. I did it!

3DA7F2FA-5973-4523-BD47-E465A3AC8615.jpeg

I made it under 400 before my trip begins. That was this morning, so I’m sure I’m back over after the lunch I just had, but that’ll get naturally burned off the rest of today.

2. I’m not driving solo!

Say hello to my co-pilot:

D37A31C0-D2D7-49F1-9090-4F343F38D85A.jpeg

Ok, so he kinda sucks at driving, but he is cute and fluffy.

3. I’m leaving early!

The big update: my tattoo appointment had to be rescheduled due to a dental emergency (the tattoo artist’s not mine), so with my afternoon suddenly freed up, I decided to leave today!

I’ll be hitting the road in a few minutes, and once I do, you can join me on this journey on Periscope (follow me here: https://www.pscp.tv/AdamReisinger/follow).

Also, while I’m sharing social media links, you can stay in touch with my adventures at Disney World on Twitter and Instagram (@adamreisinger on both platforms).

Thanks for following along and I’ll see you soon from the road, then from Disney World!
 
Trip Report, Episode XVII: Jedi Master Flo Rida (aka “I Made It!”)
After almost 23 hours of driving in a 31-hour span, I’m finally here — sort of.

Since I don’t actually check in to Port Orleans until Friday, I’m staying with my parents at Orange Lake tonight and tomorrow, and squeezing in a visit to Epcot (and maybe MK) tomorrow in between.

I ended up not live-streaming the second day of the drive, because I wanted to focus more on the actual getting there part and less on talking to people from the internet (or myself, which happened a lot on Tuesday night).

After leaving around 4pm on Tuesday afternoon I stopped for the night in Petersburg, Virginia, then picked up the drive from there at 10am. I ended up hitting significant traffic in South Carolina, but most of the rest of the ride after that was pretty smooth — and I was super excited when I saw that first Epcot billboard when getting on to I-4.

Toward the end of my drive on I-4, there was an accident blocking traffic, so Google Maps rerouted me off the highway — and onto the Disney road system. There were roadside signs saying “All Parks Open”, which was VERY tempting, but given that it was already 11pm and I’d been in my car for basically 13 hours, I decided just to wait until tomorrow and get to bed.

All in all, the drive wasn’t that bad, but I’m not sure I’d do it alone again (you know, aside from having to do it to get home). It was long, and pretty boring, but now I’m here and I’m so excited!
 
Day 1 at the parks is complete, and it was so much fun. I can’t wait to share all the details in a trip report entry (well, technically I can wait, otherwise I’d actually be doing it now).

I do have to say neither Magic Kingdom nor Epcot were as crowded as I expected, but maybe that’s just because my expectations were absurd. But I had a great time, and the Frozen Dessert Party was well worth the cost.

Until tomorrow...
 

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