You And I Are A Team! Newbie Best Friends Take On The World- A Feb 2018 Report

[once_upon_a_melora]

Helloooooo and Welcome to my Trip Report.

It's been almost 5 months since I got back from my FIRST EVER Walt Disney World vacation and honestly I didn't want to write this up for the longest time because I was so sad that it was over. BUT I may or may not have started planning a trip for next year so I'm ready to get pumped up again on all things Disney so I decided to get this party started.

Before I begin, how about some introduction?!

My name is Melora, I'm a 31 year old mom of 2 toddlers. I am from a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada and I'm married to an amazing gentleman who is super supportive and took time off to stay home with the kids while I went on my magical journey.

Favorite Disney Movies: The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Tangled and the new live action Beauty and the Beast.
Favorite Characters: Ariel, Rapunzel, Flynn, Minnie and pretty much all of the villains.
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.
Favorite Ride: Flight of Passage, all of the Mountains, Expedition Everest and Haunted Mansion
Favorite Restaurant: Skipper Canteen and 50's Prime Time Diner

I’ve been obsessed with Disney and the idea of going to Disney World since I was 5 years old but was never able to go because my parents were never able to afford that for us. That didn’t keep us from ordering the free Disney planning DVD every year as a child (I kept ordering it well into adulthood). I’m the person who gets goose bumps over Disney commercials and cries when parents surprise their kids with trips. So you can bet that this trip meant A LOT to me and I didn't take one second for granted.

My partner in crime is one of my best friends in the whole world...

Breagh is 25 and she is a goofy, free spirited geek, who is the perfect companion to travel with. Breagh lives about 3 hours away from me just outside of the city and I see her every once in awhile when she visits her parents in our home town, where I still live! We’ve managed to stay best friends despite the distance for the majority of our friendship.

Favorite Disney Movie: Hercules (She knows every line from beginning to end.)
Favorite Characters: Ariel, Belle, Merida, Naveen, Hades, Megara, Eeyore, Periwinkle
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom!
Favorite Ride: Flight of Passage, Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion
Favorite Restaurant: 50's Prime Time Diner and Crystal Palace



Now for our trip info:

Breagh and I spent 7 nights in a preferred room at All Star Sports resort from February 21st to the 28th. We also ran (walked) the RunDisney Princess 5K which was awesome (but I probably wouldn't do it again haha)

And so, without further ado ....

​

 

[once_upon_a_melora]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
We're On Our Way
Bon Voyage? But We Just Got Here​

 

[once_upon_a_melora]

We're On Our Way


About a week before leaving, my cousin treated me to a gift certificate for a manicure so that I could join her and her daughter and of course I got Minnie red with a Minnie Mouse stamp. It was done with shellac and lasted perfectly for the entire trip which I was very impressed with.

The night of February 20th I ran around making sure all of my things were together, bags were fully packed and the weight was well under the allotted 50lbs. Sleep did NOT come easily and I kept trying to convince myself that this night was like any other night and I should get some sleep...It didn't work. After all of these years, I was finally going to Disney World and the anticipation was killing me.

My flight was at 5 pm on the 21st and the airport is almost 4 hours from where I live, so at about 9am we piled into the car and hit the highway. We dropped the kids off at my in laws house about an hour into the drive so that they wouldn't have to be in the car all day and my husband planned to pick them up on the way back. After a quick visit we were on the road again and by approximately 2:30pm we were pulling up to the drop off area of Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The hubs dropped me off (so he wouldn't have to find parking) and we had our hugs and said see ya later, and finally it started to feel like it was becoming real. At least the fact that I was getting a vacation.

On the road

I text Breagh as I was arriving and when I entered the building I saw her vibrant blue hair from across the airport. Hugs were had and excited squealing was abundant. We chatted as we made out way upstairs to the U.S. departure area and checked our luggage. I had done online check in the evening before so I knew that we had our seats and that they were together which was the important part (I'm kinda super anxious about flying...among other things even though I've done quite a bit of travelling in the past.) Security was quick and painless, as was customs, which we were happy to see that we could deal with before leaving Canada. Halifax airport is quite small but really modern and lovely and I'm pretty partial to it but there isn't a whole lot to do once you're past security. I grabbed a snack at the little store near our gate and Breagh had to find a new pair of earbuds which tends to be difficult for her due to her "dainty earholes!" Those are her words, not mine and I thought it was HILARIOUS. I referred back to her dainty earholes many times throughout the trip and it never got old hahaha.

Waiting at the Gate

Time flew by and soon we were boarding. Breagh got the window seat and took a few photos while we were in the air and guess what? The flight was perfectly fine. No turbulence and very little worries from me. I watched a movie and jotted down some things in my notebook and before I knew it we were landing. The flight got into Orlando about a half an hour early so our time in the air was only about 3 hours, which is fantastic for me.

The second that we stepped foot into MCO It was like a wave of happiness came over me. It's so weird to be somewhere that feels so familiar (from all of the trip reports and vlogs I've seen) even though I've never been. We also commented that despite how similar the U.S. and Canada are, you can actually FEEL the difference when you're in the other country, it's kind of strange.

I made this face A LOT!

Fake-o-rail selfies

DISNEYYYYY

The airport was pretty easy to navigate and before long we had our luggage and we were making our way onto the Magical Express.

Dreams coming true!

All Star Sports was the first stop for the Magical Express and we quickly unloaded our bags, with the help of our lovely driver, and headed into the lobby. There were quite a few people and it was about 9:30pm at this time but we got through super quick and we got our room request to be in the Surf's Up section. Neither of us are very sporty so we thought Surf's Up would be great because it's tropical looking and beachy, not to mention super close to the pool and main building.

We made our way to our room in Building 1 and I have to say, our room was in the absolute perfect location possible. We had a great view, it was close to everything and luckily it was super quiet the whole time we were there.

Once we had checked out our room and settled in a bit, we got into comfy clothes and headed to the food court to get some late night dinner. This is one of my favorite pictures of me, despite the lounge-y clothes and how tired I was at the time. I feel like my joy was palpable and it really comes through in this picture.

I grabbed some mac 'n cheese and garlic bread because I love pasta and it was yummy. Nothing super special but it definitely hit the spot. After eating we went to the gift shop and as we walked up I exclaimed,

"Hey aren't those supposed to be hard to find?!?!"

Turns out, they had just put out an entire rack of the coveted (at the time) ROSE GOLD EARS! We had both wanted them but were fully prepared for the disappointment of not being able to find them and there they were in all of their glory... on our first night... without even having to leave the resort.

Turns out this stroke of luck turned into a streak of luck, and for the remainder of the trip everything just happened to go perfectly our way. Maybe it was the power of the ears or maybe it was just first timers luck but it sure did make for a memorable trip!!!

Rose gold ears selfie!!!

Despite the travel and being exhausted we just couldn't fall asleep. WE WERE AT DISNEY! and we had the entire trip ahead of us, which is the best feeling in the world. But finally we managed to drift off dreaming about our first day at Disney!!

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Following along!

The second that we stepped foot into MCO It was like a wave of happiness came over me. It's so weird to be somewhere that feels so familiar (from all of the trip reports and vlogs I've seen) even though I've never been. We also commented that despite how similar the U.S. and Canada are, you can actually FEEL the difference when you're in the other country, it's kind of strange.

I totally felt that same way! Once I started walking down the jetway to my plane headed to Orlando, I just couldn't stop smiling! And then when I arrived, it was like everything was familiar but new too - like I had seen it in a dream!

Oh and also agree about Canada/US. I am from the US (but a dual citizen), and went to McGill for university, so experienced a lot of that difference between travelling between similar, yet distinct, countries.

Turns out, they had just put out an entire rack of the coveted (at the time) ROSE GOLD EARS! We had both wanted them but were fully prepared for the disappointment of not being able to find them and there they were in all of their glory... on our first night... without even having to leave the resort.

Woohoo! That is always exciting!

 

[dianachaney77]

Following along!

I can't wait to hear about your streak of luck!

 

[Belle stitch]

Great start. I can feel your excitement! Can't wait to read more.

 

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

Following! We had a lot of first-time luck on our first trip to Disneyland, so I love these kinds of stories! Can't wait to read the rest!

Also, just curious. I've not been to Canada (but have been to other countries)...just wondering, in the airport, besides the American flag, what else made it feel "different"? (The warmth, I'm sure! ha!)

 

[cinderaimee]

Following along! I love your report so far!

I have two small boys and I would L-O-V-E to leave them at home and go to WDW with my bestie for a week. You're living the dream. Is the trip you are planning for next year with the kids?

 

[once_upon_a_melora]

Following along!

I totally felt that same way! Once I started walking down the jetway to my plane headed to Orlando, I just couldn't stop smiling! And then when I arrived, it was like everything was familiar but new too - like I had seen it in a dream!

Oh and also agree about Canada/US. I am from the US (but a dual citizen), and went to McGill for university, so experienced a lot of that difference between travelling between similar, yet distinct, countries.

Woohoo! That is always exciting!

Thanks for joining in! It really is like I'd seen it in a dream. So strange and awesome.

Following along!

I can't wait to hear about your streak of luck!

Thanks for coming along!!

Great start. I can feel your excitement! Can't wait to read more.

Can't wait to share even more. Thanks for joining in!!

Following! We had a lot of first-time luck on our first trip to Disneyland, so I love these kinds of stories! Can't wait to read the rest!

Also, just curious. I've not been to Canada (but have been to other countries)...just wondering, in the airport, besides the American flag, what else made it feel "different"? (The warmth, I'm sure! ha!)

The only way I can explain the difference being in the two different countries is it's really just a feeling. Like you know you aren't in your home country but everything is so similar. Also we're used to having everything written in English and French so all of a sudden seeing Spanish throws me off a bit. I'm like, "wait I can't read that." (I'm bilingual English/French) haha

Following along! I love your report so far!

I have two small boys and I would L-O-V-E to leave them at home and go to WDW with my bestie for a week. You're living the dream. Is the trip you are planning for next year with the kids?

Thanks for joining in!!! It really was like living the dream haha. My husband is amazing and I'm thankful he was able to take the time off to stay home with the boys. My trip for next year is going to be kid-less too!! Me and my husband will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary so the kids will be staying with my parents and his parents throughout the week. We'll bring the kids when they're a bit older!

 

[Nakkira]

Despite the travel and being exhausted we just couldn't fall asleep. WE WERE AT DISNEY! and we had the entire trip ahead of us, which is the best feeling in the world. But finally we managed to drift off dreaming about our first day at Disney!!

​

Sounds like you are off to a great start!

 

[rdkeim]

Love it when things just fall into place! Following along!

 

[LeiaIsAPrincess2]

So exciting! I can't wait to read more

 

[once_upon_a_melora]

Sounds like you are off to a great start!

Thanks! It really was the best start we could have asked for.

Love it when things just fall into place! Following along!

Isn't it the greatest!? Thanks for joining in.

So exciting! I can't wait to read more

Thanks for following along!!!!

 

[once_upon_a_melora]

Day 1- Bon Voyage? But We Just Got Here

After what felt like not nearly enough sleep, we awoke to our alarms going off and started getting ready for our first Disney day! It was about 6am when we got up and we decided to do a bit of dressing up and we wanted to our makeup nicely now because we both knew that after a day in the heat we probably wouldn't end up doing it again this trip.

My make up and outfit for the day.
I went for a vintage vibe in Rapunzel colors (the dress is a purple with pink and yellow flowers).

Ready for our early morning reservation. But where could we be going?

We requested a Lyft and headed to the front of Stadium Hall, to the opposite side of where the buses pull up, which happened to be about a 2 minute walk from our room in the Surf's Up section. This was our first time ever using a car sharing program as they aren't available in our province. We were a little nervous about it but it turned out to be a great option. We never had any issues except for a minor glitch with the app that we figured out pretty quickly. We used Lyft a few other times during the trip and will definitely be using it on my next trip.)

Within minutes our driver pulled in and we were on our way!

Our stop?

Boardwalk Inn!!! By this time it was about 7am and we were a bit early for our breakfast reservation so we had decided to walk around the resort and sight see. As soon as we stepped out of the Lyft it's like all of the excitement that I'd had for the past year planning this trip came crashing over me. There was a completely different feeling in the air than I had ever experienced, and as we headed down the stairs toward the main boardwalk it's safe to say I got a bit emotional.

Maybe it's because it was my first taste of a fancier Disney resort but Boardwalk is my ultimate dream trip resort. When we arrived it was early enough that all of the lights around the resort were still on and everything glittered. It was truly magical. I am obsessed with aesthetic of this place and it felt like I was stepping into a movie. Can you tell I was a little bit smitten?

We walked from one end of the boardwalk to the other taking photos and I snapchatted some of my cousins and friends.

During our exploring we even found a retro photo booth that could link to our photopass! So clearly we spent a little time in there.

After that we continued walking along the boardwalk and taking a million more pictures. There were a lot of people running and we assumed many were getting in their training runs before Princess Half Marathon which led to laughing about how little we prepared for our own 5k the next morning. HAHAHAHA



It was getting close to our 7:30am reservation so we took a few more photos...

And finally we headed towards our breakfast destination.

Trattoria al Forno!! Our first Disney meal would be the Bon Voyage character Breakfast
​

 

[dizneefan13]

Love your report so far! Your excitement is contagious....can't wait for our next visit to the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[SweetSerenity]

Hi! I'm joining in!

Your friend reminds me very much of my best friend who lives all the way on the other side of the country. We still communicate almost daily, though.

Looking forward to reading more of your trip!

 

[deedeezee]

Following along! I can feel your excitement in the writing. So fun!

 

[suse66]

I am following along as well. I'm a fellow Maritimer (grew up in PEI and went to university in Halifax). Now I live in southern Ontario. Looking forward to reading about your adventures!