~Without knowing why, they always say “We must go!” A May 2014 TR~ UPDATED 07/21

TinkerBelle_325

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 21, 2001
INTRODUCTION​

Et, sans savoir pourquoi, disent toujours: Allons!/Without knowing why, they always say: We must go! – Charles Beaudelaire, Le Voyage

Welcome to my May Trip Report! Bonus points if you know where that quote is heard at WDW......

......Did you say Impressions de France? Yup! That's it! My whole family loves this quote and the idea of a nagging feeling that you just *need* to travel. In our case that nagging feeling always leads to WDW! And we are going back to the World in just 18 short days!

For those of you that don't know me my name is Meg, and I am a 29 year old Marketing professional from Toronto, Ontario. I am also absolutely obsessed with Walt Disney World. My first trip to WDW was at age 2 and I have been 46 times since then! This is trip number 47 for me. I have written a few Dining reports and Trip reports here on the DIS and I also write a blog (which I am in the process of re-launching) The Disney Foodie. My passions at WDW involve people watching, soaking up the atmosphere and area music, photography around the parks and, of course, Disney Dining!

This trip is particularly special. You see, both of my parents are celebrating a milestone birthday this year and I wanted to surprise them. I always figured I would throw them a big party, but they put a stop to that by telling me expressly “No Parties”. Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t surprise them *somehow*. Those 50+ trips I mentioned above? Well they are the ones that have allowed me to visit our favorite place on earth so often, it is only fair that I reciprocate.

So, I booked a trip to WDW from May 18th – 25th at Coronado Springs as a surprise and told them this one is on me! Last year was particularly intense for our family. I completed my Master’s thesis, graduated from an MBA program and successfully tackled the job hunt post-MBA. My mom lost her mother in May and my Dad lost his father in December. It was a year of ups and downs, very tumultuous and for 2014 we need comfort, magic and joy. What better place to find those things than at the most magical place on earth?

I’m inviting all of you to follow along for the adventure! – Planning and the anticipation are so much fun and I love sharing them with everyone here on the DISboards. During my trip I often tweet live from the parks @thedisneyfoodie and update my Instagram thedisneyfoodie. I’ve tried keeping live TR’s in the past and I have failed miserably lol so your best bet for updates will be those 2 sources. Would anyone be interested in a few vlogs or day-by-day trip videos? I’m loving AGPrincess’ vlogs and I’m feeling inspired! Let me know!

For those interested, I will also be writing a Dining Report ~First we eat, then we do everything else! May 2014~


CAST

Myself :tink:

I introduced myself above – I’m a marketing-loving, Disney-going, food-reviewing, people-watching, picture-taking kind of person! My favorite parks are Epcot and The Magic Kingdom. I always cry during the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show and Illuminations. I know the entire Haunted Mansion stretch room monologue by heart.

DMom ::MinnieMo

She is the time keeper of the family because Dad and I are always running late. She loves Coronado Springs and France at Epcot. She could watch Impressions des France a million times. She prefers champagne or red wine over any sweets and desserts (unless it is caramel!).

DDad ::MickeyMo

He loves Disney as much as me, but isn’t quite as outwardly enthusiastic (I squealed when I saw our first set of MagicBands – I guarantee he was pretty excited too, just on the inside ;) ). If it were up to him we would spend every single night at Epcot’s World Showcase, and I don’t just mean on vacation, I mean EVERY night. He adores Via Napoli pizza and on a nearly weekly basis complains that no pizza near us comes close.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: PRE-TRIP

Single Digit Dance
One Week To Go!
Leaving in 26 hours


TABLE OF CONTENTS: LIVE UPDATES

TABLE OF CONTENTS: ITINERARY
Sunday, May 18th
Travel Day - "Put that seat back where it came from, or so help me!
Monday, May 19th
Magic Kingdom Day
- rope drop & my beloved welcome show!
- crossing my fingers for 7DMT
- lunch at Liberty Tree
- afternoon break at Coronado
- evening at Epcot
- dinner at Spice Road Table

Tuesday, May 20th
Hollywood Studios Day
- rope drop (Meg only)
- morning spent at DHS
- lunch at 50s Primetime Café
- afternoon break at Coronado
- evening at Wilderness Lodge
- dinner at Artist Point
- Wishes from Polynesian beach or GF

Wednesday, May 21st
Epcot Day
- rope drop
- breakfast at Sunshine Seasons
- morning in Future World
- World Showcase for opening
- lunch at Teppan Edo
- afternoon break at Coronado
- evening at Epcot
- dinner at Via Napoli

Thursday, May 22nd
Laid Back Day
- shopping at the outlet malls
- afternoon tea with DMom
- evening at Epcot
- dinner at La Hacienda
- after hours wind down at Tutto Gusto

Friday, May 23rd
Animal Kingdom Day
- rope drop
- breakfast at Kusafiri
- morning in Africa & Asia
- lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
- afternoon break at Coronado
- evening at Animal Kingdom Lodge
- dinner at Jiko

Saturday, May 24th
Magic Kingdom Day
- rope drop
- elusive Anna & Elsa FP+
- morning in New Fantasyland & Tomorrowland (covered Liberty Square, Adventureland & Frotierland first MK day)
- lunch at Columbia Harbour House
- afternoon break at Coronado
- evening at Epcot
- dinner at Chefs de France

Sunday, May 25th
Resort Day
- Breakfast at Coronado
- Time by the pool
- Pack and depart in the late afternoon
- Late evening flight

Well that's all for now. I'll be back with a few more countdown photo posts in the next few days. Remember to follow me on twitter and instagram for LIVE updates from WDW :thumbsup2
 
Wait.. am I your first reply??? Yay me... :surfweb:
Hello Hello from a fellow Canadian, from Guelph, ON.
Can't wait to read your new TR.. 18 days must be killing you, so close!
Aren't you an awesome daughter. :worship:
 


I'll be at Coronado for the same dates as you'll be. Though my schedule (well, if you can call it that... we're not planners) is a lot different from yours, the one thing they have in common is the daily afternoon break at the resort... or as I call it, nap time! :)
 
Hey you! I know its been a while since our trips have coincided and sadly it looks like we are just missing each other again. (I'm there May 1st to 4th & May 30th to June 1st) I'm only doing trip reports for my May trips as the focus is less on food and instead on either Flower & Garden or Star Wars.

Enjoy your trip! Your plans look like they are coming along too.
 


You've sucked me in with your title; LOVE that! It's always a must do for our family, and we can't really say why. Just so relaxing. And, I should send DD a link to this TR so she can start planning… ;)
 
Wait.. am I your first reply??? Yay me... :surfweb:
Hello Hello from a fellow Canadian, from Guelph, ON.
Can't wait to read your new TR.. 18 days must be killing you, so close!
Aren't you an awesome daughter. :worship:

Hi! Yup, you're first! :thumbsup2 Thanks for joining in. The excitement has definitely kicked in! I have soooo much to do at work in the next 2 weeks but I can't stop thinking about WDW. Aww my parents are wonderful and have taken me so many times that I wanted to return the favour :lovestruc

Came over here to follow along too.

Have a magical trip. :)

Thanks for reading both reports!

Subbed in and ready to read!!

Yay! Welcome :goodvibes

I'll be at Coronado for the same dates as you'll be. Though my schedule (well, if you can call it that... we're not planners) is a lot different from yours, the one thing they have in common is the daily afternoon break at the resort... or as I call it, nap time! :)

Too funny! I know so many people going to Florida this May! Two of my close friends are going the week before me, a coworker is there the same week, ans another coworker is there the week after I get back! We often use the afternoon break at Coronado for naps too....but the pool calls our name quite often as well!

Joining in! :wave2:

Thanks for reading!

Hey you! I know its been a while since our trips have coincided and sadly it looks like we are just missing each other again. (I'm there May 1st to 4th & May 30th to June 1st) I'm only doing trip reports for my May trips as the focus is less on food and instead on either Flower & Garden or Star Wars.

Enjoy your trip! Your plans look like they are coming along too.

Hi!! Oh that's too bad that we will just miss each other! :( You must be excited though....May 1st is tomorrow!!!! :rotfl2: It will remain to be seen if I can pull off a TR and a DR....I've never finished a TR but there's no time like the present! Have a great time :yay:

You've sucked me in with your title; LOVE that! It's always a must do for our family, and we can't really say why. Just so relaxing. And, I should send DD a link to this TR so she can start planning… ;)

Haha thanks! My mom and I will random look at each other and say "we must go!" with a slight French accent because we love Impressions de France so much. It is a great sentiment for those of us that love to travel and have comfort in returning to the same place year after year.
 
Joining in. Your trip is getting really close, you much be so excited!! Hope you are able to give us update and some pictures. We are thinking of Coronado Springs for our next Disney Trip, so I am anxious to read all about the resort.

have a great trip!
 
Joining in. Your trip is getting really close, you much be so excited!! Hope you are able to give us update and some pictures. We are thinking of Coronado Springs for our next Disney Trip, so I am anxious to read all about the resort.

have a great trip!

Hi! Thank you for reading :) Your best bet for LIVE pictures and updates are my twitter & instagram (in the first post and in my signature).

Coronado Springs is our favorite resort! It's a great choice.
 
SINGLE DIGIT DANCE

:yay::yay:9 days....9 days.....I am leaving in 9 DAYS!!! pixiedust:pixiedust:pixiedust:

Wow, that snuck up on me quickly!! I cannot believe that I am in the single digits already. It feels like yesterday that I surprised my parents and booked this trip. :goodvibes

I have a fantastic workplace and I adore my job but it has been nuts the past few weeks. However, as a result, this week and next week *should* be relatively calm for me. I am going to be working a half-day from home next Friday and then, as of 12:30 p.m., I will officially be on vacation!

I am a HUGE fan of lists. I have those large lined post-it notes all over my desk at work with daily and weekly "to do" lists. Of course, I also have a pre-vacation to do list.


DAILY DAYS BEFORE DISNEY TO DO LIST
-check accuweather/myforecast/weather.com/theweathernetwork/wunderground daily (even though I know that advance forecasts are FAR from accurate and it will only likely stress me out....plus it's something I can't control)
-check flight stats daily (and realize that my flight has an arrival gate closest to the MCO monorail practically every day but I know it will be just my luck that we will end up at the gate furthest away...always happens)
-start laying out my clothes, carry on items, toiletries two weeks in advance (which results in me setting out way too much stuff, having to prioritize what I *really* need to bring...and inevitably I always end up packing a few hours before we leave regardless of my efforts to be prepared in advance)
-listen to Live365 daily (which only serves to get me worked up into a ball of hyperactive excitement, leading my coworkers to categorize me as "The Disney Whisperer" :rotfl:)

Seriously, I do each and every one of those things :blush:

But in reality my to do list looks more like:​
-get more US cash
-remember AP vouchers
-bring TIW card
-don't forget glasses (I have on more than one occasion and then I wander around the room blind as a bat at the end of the day as I've removed my contacts)
-get a mani pedi
-charge all technology (iPhone, iPad, Camera, Nook...I have a hard time disconnecting ;))
-make a Wal-Mart run for plane snacks, trashy magazines etc...
-set out of office alert (with emphasis on the fact that I won't be checking email...AT ALL....yet I will still return to at least one "why didn't you respond to my email" :badpc:)

I also know that everyone loves pictures, even in pre-trip updates. So I thought I would do a....

COUNTDOWN TO WDW

Today's theme: Epcot!


I adore Spaceship Earth...in fact, I credit it with instilling my love of history at a young age!


No matter how many times I ride Living with the Land, I still take pictures in the Greenhouse every time.


Even though this trip isn't during Food & Wine (the next trip is though!) I just love how beautiful the cranberry bog is.


There is something so peaceful about World Showcase just after it opens.











Well that's all for now. I'll be back with a few more countdown photo posts in the next few days. Remember to follow me on twitter and instagram for LIVE updates from WDW :thumbsup2
 
ONE WEEK TO GO!

Technically it is less than 1 week now, as our flight lands at 8:30 a.m. next Sunday! I actually love the travel day. I love....waking up excited, usually well before the sun has risen....flying and airports (yup, I'm weird!)....reading trashy magazines inflight....landing at Orlando International and spotting my first palm tree....riding the MCO monorail....feeling the Florida heat and humidity and smelling the "Florida smell" (don't ask, but my family swears there is a Florida smell (humidity, grass & greenery)....there is also a Disney smell! (mostly fountains indoors or water attractions))...and....



Driving under these gates and saying "We're home!"

Today I am pulling together my summer clothes, the new clothes I've bought specifically for this trip and my toiletry and carry on items. Then I might make a walmart run today...or one night this week.

I'm also watching ride videos and listening to area music loops on youtube. My favorites are the Innoventions Loop, the International Gateway Loop and the Main Street USA Loop.

As promised...here is another installment of....


COUNTDOWN TO WDW

Today's Theme: Magic Kingdom



















 
LEAVING IN 26 HOURS!

Hi All! I am officially on vacation :cool1: and we are leaving our house in 26 hours. We live in the Greater Toronto Area and it is much more affordable to fly out of Buffalo. As a result, the airport is about 1 1/2 - 2 hours away. Our flight is 6am (and we get into Orlando at 8:30am! Gotta love early flights) so we need to leave around 2:00 or 2:30am :scared1: At least there isn't much traffic at that hour :lmao:

I can also print our Southwest boarding passes as of 6am tomorrow. We bought Early Bird Check-in, which has been hit and miss in the past. I know that A 1 - 15 are held for Business fares or A-listers. So I'm always hopeful we will get A 16 - 30. We usually do, but we have found recently we are getting further and further down the list as more people buy EB. Ideally we like to try for row 11 (the exit row) as it has TONS of extra leg room and the people in the row in front of you can't recline.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people that recline on short flights. I mean really, what's the point? And 9 times out of 10 it is me that gets stuck with someone that reclines ALL the way back and is practically in my lap for the entire flight. If you do that, I'm not a fun passenger to deal with. I lower and close my tray table several times, jam items into the seat back pocket etc. That might get me flamed, but really in my mind there is no good reason to recline on a 2 1/2 hour flight :rolleyes1

Other than obnoxious reclining people, I love flying! I love the entire first day of a vacation! In fact, the anticipation and excitement are building already. I know I should be getting a good nights sleep tonight as I won't get much at all tomorrow, but.....


I'M TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP!

Who else loved that commercial?! :cloud9:

I'll try my best to post some live updates, but please follow my twitter and instagram, because there will be LOTS there!
 
I'm too excited to sleep, too! (And my next trip isn't until September!) So, I'm subbing ...;)
 

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