The Trip Report That Never Was and Always Will Be ~ UPDATED 8/8

[__disneygirl]

"Why do you go away?
So that you can come back."

*TAPS MIC*

... Is this thing on?

Hi! Umm. Does anyone remember me?

I'm Lia!!!!!!!! I enjoy getting stuck in Walt Disney World, Flynn Rider, Livin' it Up (love that feeling), Annual Passholding, all-natural lemonade with wildberry foam, resort hopping, paying higher and higher prices in larger and larger crowds to do the same things over and over, refusing to accept that #MissonSinise now lacks the Sinise, taking photos of my feet, refilling my mug, Stacey, Evie Starlight, Bob Jackson, Josh D'Amaro, walking during a race, bursting into tears at any moment, Rapunzel, sleeping in beds that come out of the wall, dancing with Prince Phillip, Violent Lemonade - Quentin Tarantino's drink of choice, the Crest O' the Wave, feeling comforted as soon as the screams from The Hollywood Tower Hotel are in earshot, kissing Mickey Mouse on the nose, Haunted Mansion ballroom dancers, and not requiring a defecation bag while riding the Skyliner.

Whew... close one.

I'm an actress, character performer, and small business owner living just outside of New York City and I used to write Trip Reports here on the DIS.

Actually, I wrote six extremely long winded, exciting, thoughtful, and uproarious detailed accounts of my trips to Walt Disney World. One of them, in fact, was the most popular Trip Report that entire year... except for my friend Jess's College Program report, of course. I'm actually really proud of that one - it's about when I got *stuck* in Disney during Hurricane Sandy. Literally. (Find the link below!)

If you remember me, YAY! Thank you. That new haircut.... looks.... um, great on you! Really! It's... no, no I couldn't even tell you did it yourself! Wow. Looking great. Wow.

If you DON'T remember me... you may be new(ish) here. But that's all good, we have plenty of time to get to know each other!

This will be a long one. As usual. I don't know why I even felt the need to mention that as if every Trip Report I've done hasn't been an unnecessarily extensive diatribe about my life-changing passion for Disney. However... I've never done a 3-in-1 Trip Report before!

Disney, Walt Disney World, The DIS, Trip Reports, Disney Characters, The Disney College Program, and everything all of this is related to has shaped, changed and continues to be a huge part of my life.

If you're here, reading about a stranger's trip to Disney World on the internet, you know exactly what I am talking about.

You know how special it is. You're well aware that it isn't just a fun place to go or something to suffer through for your children. You realize it is not just entertainment, a money grab, or a vacation destination. You go back time and time again because to you, it's real magic, or the closest thing to it. You know that there is some strange tear in the space-time continuum that kicks in as soon as you sail under the gilded arches. There is something - some combination of design, detail, technology, storytelling, and innovation that has gripped you; whether it started when you were just a young child or appeared later in life. You believe in Walt's ideals and dreams of a place where parents and children could truly enjoy their time together, feeling a deep sense of joy and inspiration along the way. Sure, you have to reserve a spot on your favorite ride 741 days in advance and will most likely experience the wrath of multiple "Karens" during your trip, but ultimately, the complications and annoyances are deeply outweighed by the moments where you look around and truly feel a specific sense of enchanted contentment that you really can't experience outside of a Disney park.

My passion for Disney has guided me in more ways than I could ever really explain, but I will try as I go through the events of the three trips I took during the period of a year: March 2019, November 2019, and February 2020: just before the longest "See ya real soon" Disney Parks has ever experienced. We now have a re-opening date, but it's safe to say that the parks will not be the same anytime soon, so I'm insanely thankful I spent so much time in the World just before everything went down the rabbit hole.

Prior to that first trip back, I had not been to Disney World in 3.5 years, and not written a Trip Report since our cruise in Spring 2014. Since then, my life has completely changed. All for the better... and heavily, heavily because of inspiration from Disney. This has just reaffirmed my belief that you should ALWAYS follow your passions, even if the symbol of your passion is a large rodent that demands you be fully aware of what you will consume during each meal six months in advance. We all have a Rome-style fire that burns inside of us for certain things, and I think it's important to follow where that light leads us.

Disney Magic is like Merida's wisp. It floated around me before disappearing down a path... and I had to go too. Long story short, I just needed to experience other adventures for awhile and build my life into what I had always dreamed of it being before returning to my happy place.

At times, it seemed like following my passion for Disney was silly and irresponsible, until it turned into a lifeline that reached into deep and dark water to pull me back to the surface. All the trips I went on and the time I spent being obsessed with Disney actually inspired me to do so many things that I'm not sure I would have done without it. Some of them weren't even directly related to Disney parks or movies, and in many ways you would never even know that the inspiration for it came from Disney. However, I think for those of us who "get" the magic, it really goes beyond the surface level and causes us to think in bigger ways. For me, Walt's messages of following your dreams just rings 100% authentic and the creativity and attention to detail in the parks has deeply affected me.

There are a lot of dark things going on in the world right now and I hope this TR can be a bit of relief from all of the anxiety-inducing news. With all of this free time in quarantine, it's finally time for me to sit down and share some new stories with you. However, I highly recommend (if you are not familiar with my reports) to at least skim some of the following links to have a vague idea of what you are getting yourself info. Just TRY not to become addicted!!!

April 2010: The McLovins Hit the World - HARD!!!!
December 2011: This is the Dawning of the Rest of Our Lives... AT DISNEY WORLD!
Oct/Nov 2012: "I'M STUCK IN DISNEY!!!!!" A Delightfully Unliveable TR
May 2013: Young At Heart: The #BirthdayFestivus13 Adventure!
Oct/Nov 2013: Lia & Jess's Hot and Fancy Halloween & Christmas Party Trip!
April 2014: A Whole New World of Disney: Lia's Shore & Sea Dream Trip!

CAST

The iconic co-stars of this report should be pretty familiar to you, since they are my ride or dies.

In addition to myself, there are two major players here. We all know them, we all love them:

JESS AND GINA!!!!!!!!

Jess is one of my favorite people in the world. I'm so thankful that almost 10 years ago, she found my first TR and, astutely recognizing that we would be best friends, reached out. Before I met her, I had never encountered anyone who was more passionate about Disney than I. In fact, I'm always the weird one: that fiery intense psycho who just can't shut up about whatever she loves? That's me. But Jess... whew. I met my match and then some. Not only could she keep up with me, but was planning a Disney LIFE, not just her next Disney trip. Since then, she has had too many incredible jobs within the Walt Disney Company to name and is currently killing it in VIP Tours. By "currently" I mean, before the pandemic. I could go on and on about the amazing person that she is, but here's a great example: when we were planning her birthday surprise this year, there had to be two separate group chats because Jess has too many friends for one. We've been in Disney together many many times from 2011 til just a few months ago, and I know for a fact that someday we will be there together in our ECVs as old ladies. Some of her favorite Disney things include: the Peoplemover, Yacht Club, Sanaa, being hot and fancy, Aladdin & Jasmine, Epcot (are there other parks?), and basically all merchandise.

Gina is my BBFFAEAEAE, oldest friend, and has been there through it all! She is the person I can be my silliest, realest self around. We have known each other so long that often I don't even have to explain what I'm about to say because she already knows. If we both see something weird, we just look at each other burst out laughing because we don't need to point out what is funny - it is simply understood. I swear, we can have an entire conversation with no one else around having any clue what we are saying. Like Jess & myself, Gina is a lifelong Disney fan, but didn't get to go much during her childhood. We first went to Disney together on our Birthday Festivus trip in 2013, and she has been a part of every trip since then - plus more! Gina has lived in Florida for years now, and even did a DCP herself in 2015 where she worked in Sunset Merchandise at Hollywood Studios. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences. Some of her favorite Disney things include: All things Cinderella and Pocahontas, Dole Whips, Ichabod (especially when he is on pins), getting tattooed in front of Rock n Rollercoaster, Port Orleans: Riverside, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Obviously, there is SO MUCH story we have to unfold here over these three trips. For someone like me who went to Disney so often to take over three years off and then go three times in a year.... GIRL! There are a LOT of firsts on all of these trips, so get ready to hear my hard-hitting hot takes on exciting topics such as themed ice cream cones, warring stars, and walking vs. running during a 5k. Yes, we did the Princess 5k this year! It was quite the experience and in approximately 738 chapters, we will get to that. Another fun fact: over the course of these three trips, I stayed in 10 different resort rooms (including Jessica Faye's Jungle Cruise Suite). I hop so flawlessly, bunnies envy me!

Slather on some sun screen, grab a snack, glue pixie dust onto each and every one of your fingertips, move all the way forward and fill in all available space, pull on that yellow tab for me, push down on that lap bar, and get ready for a CA-LASS-IC Lia, Jess, and Gina DISNEY experience!

* * *
Table of Contents

THE LOST TRIPS
SEPTEMBER 2014: Part 1
SEPTEMBER 2014: Part 2

NOVEMBER 2015: Part 1
NOVEMBER 2015: Part 2
NOVEMBER 2015: Part 3
NOVEMBER 2015: Part 4
NOVEMBER 2015: Food Bonus

TRIP #1:
DAY 1: MARCH 24, 2019
Day 1, Part 1 in Which I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!????!!!
Day 1 Part 2 In Which I Find Zero Pascals
Day 1 Part 3 In Which I'm Queen of the King Suite
Day 1, Part 4 In Which I Walk Around in A Daze Saying "Tarnation!"
Day 1 Part 5 In Which There Is A Painfully Small Amount Of Sleeping in Disney

DAY 2: MARCH 25, 2019
Day 2, Part 1 In Which Like All You Lovely Folks I've Got A Dream
Day 2 Part 2 In Which The Mermaid is Missing
Day 2 Part 3 In Which Timon and Pumbaa Are Reunited!!
Day 2, Part 4 In Which Snow White Screams

TRIP #2: NOVEMBER 2-9, 2019
TRIP #3: FEBRUARY 19-26, 2020​

 

[aubergine]

This is the best TR intro of all time and I cannot wait to read these with the Adventureland loop playing in the background on my computer at work while I should be doing my job instead of daydreaming. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

I think it’s been about 7 years since I have posted anything on the DIS... and this is the perfect opportunity for a comeback. I am SO EXCITED for this TR. It’s so refreshing to be graced with your creative and immersive writing style again. And to be able to relive these trips is going to be a huge bonus. (I feel honored to have been there!!) YAYY thanks for writing, I can’t wait for updates!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

THE GAG OF THE SEASON OMG

Welcome back Miss Lia! So hype to have you back. You have been missed. And omg three in one what a treat but also HOW ON EARTH DID I MISS YOU WHEN YOU VISITED TWO TIMES?!

Cleary someone did not visit my home planet enough.

Lol I'm just kidding. Only teasing you with what you missed out on.

Excited for a fabulously long winded TR! We have been overdue and I'm READY.

 

[amyrella]

Yay! I rarely come on the boards anymore, but saw your IG post and knew I needed to follow! Can’t wait!

 

[DLo]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.

 

[__disneygirl]

The Lost Trips

WELCOME EVERYONE!!!! Thank you for your comments. So glad to have you here! It's so good to be back.

As previously stated, the last Trip Report I wrote was about my 2014 birthday trip in which we had a blast in WDW for a few days before Jess & I headed out onto the high seas for our first cruise! The report you are reading this very moment is about my triumphant return to Disney in 2019 & 2020. However, I went to the World twice in between the cruise trip and the return trip: in September 2014 and November 2015. I look back extremely fondly on these two trips. Not only did my friends & I have an utter blast, but I was going through a major transformation in my life at the time.

Before, it kinda felt like I was living for my Disney trips because I wasn't happy with where my life was. Of course we all look forward to our trips immensely, but I've definitely made a transition from being DESPERATE to go as an escape from a life I wasn't satisfied with to having my trips just be another wonderful element a magical daily existence! Working hard on yourself pays more dividends than you can even imagine, so if you are going through a rough time, please plow forward. Fight for your dreams and use your passion for Disney as fuel and inspiration in your daily life. You WILL find the correct path for you, even if you've gotten lost a few times. I always think of my favorite quote from American Beauty: "Both my wife and daughter think I'm this gigantic loser, and they're right. I have lost something... but it's never too late to get it all back."

I think this was my phase of getting it all back, and then some.

Sometimes, I get all personal and philosophical during these reports because I figure if you just want to see pictures of Galaxy's Edge and stuff, you can check out any other number of TRs on here. Since you're reading mine, I like to personalize things a bit. For example, this isn't even the first time I have quoted American Beauty on these boards, so, ya know. I get deep from time to time. One of my favorite TR writers back in the day was ZZUB (who remembers?!), and he told incredibly personal stories between bringing the humor and Disney content we all love and that still sticks with me to this day.

I've dealt with depression on and off since age 14, and the healing from that started around summer 2013 for me, so by fall 2014, I felt a lot different and I was in place where I was truly taking action on my thoughts, dreams, and ideas rather than letting them go stagnant. I had a lot on my plate (I laugh now saying that, because it was nothing compared to how busy I would eventually get!), and I LOVED that. Others would marvel at my schedule, but to me, I had spent a lot of time depressed, anxious, and confused about how to gain control of my life and become the person I was always meant to be... so for me, I was catching up and it didn't really feel like a lot. It was, for the first time, kind of a big interruption for me to go to Disney for a week.

I think this trip was the first time I wasn't just TOTALLY escaping everything. I was really excited about what I had going on in my life, and yes I was dying to go to Disney, but I wasn't crushed about coming home either. It just made the trip that more magical because I wasn't desperately grasping to every tiny drop of the trip before going back! I could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. And by that I mean... wear multiple costumes, park hop dawn til dusk, and overall just take full advantage of the place!

Because of these fond memories, despite it being a long time ago, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos with all of you.

Unfortunately, Jess couldn't join us on the September 2014 trip, but she had quite a good reason for missing it. She was on her first Disneyland College Program in California, performing her dream role of Jungle Cruise Skipper! Gina, and my other friend you may remember, Lee-Anne, joined me on this trip and we had adventures at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Hollywood's Dapper Day, the Epcot Hanson shows, and so much more! We stayed at All-Star Music and a Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation.

I Disneybounded as Rapunzel. Hey... they say dress for the job you want, not for the one you have, right?

A few months later, I'd become a character performer with a local company that provides character entertainment for children's parties & events, and a few years later... I became owner of that company! Dreams come true, you know.

Actually, when we were walking into DAK, one of the parking Cast Members said "Excuse me, Rapunzel, aren't you supposed to be at Magic Kingdom?!" which was just a joke, but made me happy. At the time, I had been rejected more than once for portraying princesses in the parks, so I felt like this was one of the few times I would be called that name! Oh, how wrong I was.

At the gate, another CM had to check with someone to make sure I was allowed in the park. You're allowed to Disneybound, but you can't dress up as a Disney Princess unless you are going to MNSSHP because they don't want guests to be confused. I didn't actually look THAT close to the real deal, but I guess they just wanted to double check. I was approved to go in. These little nods from the universe can be perceived as nothing, just coincidences, or you can let them plant a seed in you that grows a massive tree. Your choice.

As you can see these were the early days of Olaf being placed everywhere, apropos of nothing.

I remember this interaction with Rapunzel well because she actually told me that she could finally get a break and I could take over! She literally left the space and stood near the Photopass and I did a whole act standing in her place pretending to meet people, LOL! I love when characters are up for fun and silliness like that.

We ate at Kona that night and it was an INCREDIBLE meal. Prior to this, I had only been to Kona for breakfast so it was absolutely great to finally try the dinner. I know everyone wants 'Ohana, but I love Kona so so much too. Here is me with the ICONIC bread.

Thank you GINA for capturing that magical moment. You know what, this may have been almost 6 years ago but I do remember that meal. I had steak and Hawaiian beer, plus the bread, and it was all so delicious! This is why we go back to Disney time and time again, haters! Because you think of your food SIX YEARS LATER.

I remember this magical day so well!

Nowadays, there are more slushies and specialty non-alcoholic drinks in Disney than you could possibly drink in one trip, but in my day... it was all about the LEFOU'S BREW!

Gotta always have a photoshoot at my Flowergleamandglowrooms.

Gina & I in our animal-themed outfits for breakfast at Boma! This is actually one of my favorite pics we've ever taken.

If you love my other TRs, you may remember my legendary Haunted Mansion Ballroom Dancer costume that I handmade seven (!) years ago when Jess & I spent the most epic MNSSHP night ever. Read about it here. I decided to wear the same costume because I just adored the look so much that I had to reuse it and I'm sure I will again someday! (Gina & I are already planning for MNSSHP 2021 and Gina has... charts. We take this seriously.)

I spruced the costume up a bit and made my makeup even more ghastly & scary. I love how it turned out! You're supposed to keep your MNSSHP costumes on the less scary side cause it's Disney, so I think I was kinda just teetering the edge here. I push boundaries, people.

Lee-Anne went as one of her favorite characters, Tink, and Gina went as Briar Rose! She and her mom handmade this costume so it was quite satisfying to see it all come together.

They look gorgeous and I am the creepy weirdo... welcome to my life! I actually love these pictures cause I think it looks genuinely spooky that these two happy girls are standing next to someone practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!

Jack & Sally are some of the best characters to meet, especially if you have a lifelong obsession with all things spooktacular.

SKELETON JACK MIGHT CATCH YOU IN THE BACK AND SCREAM LIKE A BANSHEE MAKE YOU JUMP OUT OF YOUR SKIN!!!!!!!!!!!

This graveyard-dwelling CM made feel seen & understood.

I feel very comfortable at the Mansion, probably because of all the banshees.

Briar Rose met Aurora! Unfortunately, the photo is blurry because it began to rain (this whole trip was quite a rainfest), but Aurora was very impressed and excited about how great Gina looked!

We also met Snow White, and this photo just cracks me up because of all the cute smiling and then... the morose specter that is me.

While waiting for The Best Parade Ever sometimes called Mickey's Boo To You Parade, I ran into MY SISTER!!!! THE BRIDE!!!!!!!!! Til death do us part.

Beware of hitchhiking ghosts, princesses in hiding, and pixies...

The third day of our trip was DAPPER DAY! Which took place at Hollywood Studios. We just thought that was perfect since Hollywood glamour requires that dapper vintage look!

I am obsessed with all things showbiz, so I was happy to theme my costume to an old school movie musical 30's/40's outfit inspired by Broadway. I was actually, by this day, very tired of wearing elaborate costumes... but it was good practice for my future job.

I can safely say these are my favorite vending machines in the entire world. And I've SEEN some vending machines.

I fit right in among the glitz and the glitter of a bustling young movie town at the height of its golden age... if I do say so myself.

​

 

[__disneygirl]

THE LOST TRIPS
Sept 2014: Part Two

Lee-Anne & Gina in their awesome vintage looks! I kinda think Gina looks like someone who would be working at 50's Prime Time if it were real.

Not that it isn't real... umm... restaurant integrity.

We met this random guy who matched really well with me so we instantly befriended him, obviously.

Does anyone remember these limited edition Halloween mugs?! It may not be #Refillable4Life but I'm a huge fan of all the spooky Disney Halloween shorts so obviously, I had to instantly buy this. I love to drink out of it to become refreshed after rising from the dead and crawling out of my grave.

MUPPETVISION! It's 3D.

RIP The Magic of Disney Animation!!! One of my favorite attractions. I'm really good at drawing the animal characters, but this time we did my boyfriend Flynn Rider, and mine came out offensively bad. But that doesn't matter because I WON the artist's rendering of my loving swashbuckling rogue due to my instantaneous answering of the trivia question!!!!!!!!

We had to get up super early to go to the Hanson Meet & Greet at Epcot.

For those who don't remember, Hanson is my favorite band. As of today, I've been to about 79 Hanson shows in 14 states since age 13, so it's kind of a lifestyle. Luckily, I chose the perfect musicians to be a Band Aid for because they love Disney almost as much as I do so I frequently get to see them in the most magical place on earth!

After the M&G, they were doing a press event in front of Spaceship Earth so naturally we showed up. They talked to us from the stage which was so much fun! Oh how I love those boys.

In addition to being genius musicians, Hanson also runs their own beer company! So of course, I have to support them! Yes... it is called MMMHops. You have to love people that aren't afraid to poke fun at their epic '90s MMMLegacy!

Hanson does shows every year at Eat to the Beat! I'm not sure if that will be able to happen this year, but I sure hope so.

Did you notice my Ariel t-shirt? It's from the cruise Jess & I went on earlier that year. It's still one of my favorites! I just love cruise merchandise.

Just a bunch of Hanson fans happily eating around the world!

At some point, being the resort hopping Queens that we are, moved to our Art of Animation Little Mermaid room. I just love the over the top theming here, it really takes you right back to childhood... especially when, at the end of the night, you can lovingly tell Prince Eric about your day. He might even talk back if you have enough Lapu Lapus.

Thinking of putting this photo of me under the snarfblat on my dating profile.

This was another marvelously fun day of eating, BBFFAEAEing, and Hansoning.

I love these pics of us in Morocco!

We missed Jess a lot though, so we asked Aladdin if he'd make a video for her that we could send! We were obsessed with princes at the time (don't you love how I say that as if we aren't now) so she was super excited!

Epcot Character Spot!

It's good to know that if I never get married, there's always Goofy.

On our last day, we met Aladdin & Jasmine again and I wore Mickey Mouse suspenders.

It's called fashion, look it up.

We love taking fun ride photos... not sure what we were looking for, but we sure didn't find it in Space!

​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

I've always loved how you've made this all so personal rather than just a recount. It's a much more authentic read and I missed that so much. I loved always talking about the movies you mentioned or quoted in your old TRs, it always inspired me to watch more movies when I was just getting into that type of stuff. So glad you're now in a better place where you can be even more open about all of this.

I remember when I was reading your TRs back in the day and you posted about Le Fou's Brew, I was like "I really need to try that!" and then it took up about 50% of my earnings during my first CP lmao It also resulted in me seeking out its west coast twin the Red's Apple Freeze in Disneyland, of which I had too much of for being a duplicate of the OG brew.

Omg these throwbacks are hitting me right in the feels. Animation Academy (although that's back now technically, but it's quite the adventure to go there). Jasmine's old dress. Mickey pre face lift. THE HAT AND GREAT MOVIE RIDE. Gosh, excuse me while I'm in my feelings for a bit.

I've been talking so much lately about how I'd love to see Aurora out in the parks in her Briar Rose dress. Gina absolutely NAILED it. Can you say 'legendaric'? Amazing. You all look great. Those Dapper Day looks were SERVES too.

P.S. I forgot to mention this earlier but you saying how much you love Josh D'Amaro in your bio had me screaming. We love only one Disney Exec King.

 

[__disneygirl]

I've always loved how you've made this all so personal rather than just a recount. It's a much more authentic read and I missed that so much. I loved always talking about the movies you mentioned or quoted in your old TRs, it always inspired me to watch more movies when I was just getting into that type of stuff. So glad you're now in a better place where you can be even more open about all of this.

I remember when I was reading your TRs back in the day and you posted about Le Fou's Brew, I was like "I really need to try that!" and then it took up about 50% of my earnings during my first CP lmao It also resulted in me seeking out its west coast twin the Red's Apple Freeze in Disneyland, of which I had too much of for being a duplicate of the OG brew.

Omg these throwbacks are hitting me right in the feels. Animation Academy (although that's back now technically, but it's quite the adventure to go there). Jasmine's old dress. Mickey pre face lift. THE HAT AND GREAT MOVIE RIDE. Gosh, excuse me while I'm in my feelings for a bit.

I've been talking so much lately about how I'd love to see Aurora out in the parks in her Briar Rose dress. Gina absolutely NAILED it. Can you say 'legendaric'? Amazing. You all look great. Those Dapper Day looks were SERVES too.

P.S. I forgot to mention this earlier but you saying how much you love Josh D'Amaro in your bio had me screaming. We love only one Disney Exec King.

Thank you Timmy!!! It's extremely comforting that I inspired your love of Lefou's Brew. I really have made a mark on the world, it's clear.

The throwbacks are killing me too! Just wait for the 2015 post... as a fellow lover of Studios... sigh. They've removed too many ca-lass-ics.

Gina looked amazing!! She has big plans for next year too... we are excited!

Josh... Thank God he is in charge of Disney Parks as a whole now. I'm so excited to see what he does!

 

[PrincessFelisha]

Love that you are posting reports again Lia! I saw your Instagram post and that brought me over here! Love your writing style! Looking forward to more!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Hi Lia, welcome back! I remember reading all of your trip reports. I'm so happy you're writing more. I look forward to reading them.

 

[mommyburns]

As someone who has read all of your reports (and Jess’s) I am excited to read another report from you. Welcome back.

 

[awdwnut]

Thank you for taking the time to share another epic trip report with the WDW nerd community. As someone else has already stated, I do not really visit the DIS Boards that often anymore. However, when I saw the news on IG, it was not even a question if this was going to become a new "Must Do" for our family. Your gift for making TR's come to life has not diminished one iota and the timing could not be perfect.

 

[becauseimnew]

Following along the fun adventures!

 

[suse66]

I am definitely joining in on the fun! I love the enthusiasm, the details, the outfits and the unabashed love of our happy place. Looking forward to more!

 

[Isabelle12345]

Joining in!
We definitely need some happy uplifting memories these days! Your enthusiasm in contagious!
Can’t wait to read more!

 

[__disneygirl]

The Lost Trips
November 2015

HELLO EVERYONE!!!! Thank you for all the replies - I'm glad to have you here! WELCOME to my report or should I say a warm welcome BACK to those of you who made it from my past reports to here. You guys are the MVPs of my Disney lovin' aordic pump.

Next, we have our 2015 holiday trip! Yes, this took place almost five years ago and now you will AT LAST experience it along with me. I promise we will get to the recent trips... uhh... soon? This was a BIG TRIP as I say every single time I visit Disney World, but it really was because unbeknownst to myself and everyone else, this was the last time I visited Disney for three and a half years. That's okay though because it kicked rear so the memories satiated me for quite a while.

This time, Jess was back - YAY! Gina and Lee-Anne joined in on the trip for a few days as did Jess's adorable friend, Michaela.

The main events of this lovely vacation were resort hopping, Hanson shows and the first night of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! The resort hopping really intensified and was performed with extremely skilled precision: we stayed in 4 resorts within a week, dropping a level every time. First we stayed in a Boardwalk Club Level Room, then moved to the Contemporary, then Coronado Springs, and one last night at All Star Sports. I REALLY wish there was an Olympic event for Resort Hopping because no one does it like your girl right here.

If you're new to my reports, you may not know that I include my tweets from the trip! It's a fun way to recall important hilarious or profound things I have said in the moment such as this from the day before my 2015 trip:

@capriamoon: I really don't want to go to school today. But I'm going to Disney World tomorrow, so whatever.

I actually remember that day vividly because my "Acting for Filmmakers" professor was not impressed that I was taking a week off from school so he told me that in order for that to be okay, I would have to perform a monologue that wasn't due for two weeks THAT DAY. This is a small act of terrorism on any young actress but did he KNOW he was talking to the future "Cute College Girl" from the 2019 underperforming basketball betting dramedy, Inside Game? No, no he didn't. But I'm a professional and I HANDLED. THAT.

With a great performance under my belt and the pressure slowly draining from my body, I sailed on outta there. I'm sure you're all familiar with that awesome moment where you're heading home the day before your trip having finished all of your adult real word responsibilities and knowing in a matter of hours your main concern will be getting a good spot for the Trolley Show.

My flight was at like 6:45am and I actually ended up having to stay up extremely late the night before to write a shot-by-shot analysis of a film for a take home exam... but that didn't matter because we all know there's no sleeping the night before Disney anyway, so you might as well be productive.

@capriamoon: I JUST SUBMITTED BOTH PARTS OF MY EXAM I AM DONE I AM DONE. I DID IT!!! AND I AM GOING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD IN A FEW HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so NOW I was done with my adult world responsibilities. OFF TO NEVERLAND!

That 13 minutes of rest I ended up getting was luscious.

It was beyond surreal taking the Magical Express to the BOARDWALK RESORT because this was the first time I stayed in a Deluxe - which was mind-blowing enough but we were CLUB LEVEL BABY!!!!!!! Those of you who, like me, are into astrology will recognize that this is a big Aries move, to skip normal Deluxe and shoot straight up the CLUB LEVEL. Gotta go big or go home and also TOTALLY overdo it: which is why I stayed at 4 resorts total that week.

When Jess & I plan our Disney trips, since we are beyond blessed enough to have spent so much time there, we are pretty flexible and basically just see whatever we can get at a reasonable price. We will be on the phone and she'll let me know which resorts are popping up with availability & good discounts. She had texted me saying there was a good rate for Boardwalk Club Level - which never happens - but I was busy at the time. When I texted her back awhile later and told her to YES OF COURSE just book it... she was like, "HAHA GOOD BECAUSE I ALREADY DID" and THAT is why we are friends. You can't pass these opportunities up, people!!

I just remember arriving at Boardwalk, sitting on a bench waiting for Jess to meet me there and just feeling beyond amazing. It was that "I've left the real world & my entire trip is ahead of me" vibe mixed with "I am rich for the next 24 hours, please bring me a hot towel."

If you remember our Hot & Fancy trip, you'll understand the following pic...

Checking in to Club Level is very official and makes you feel EXTREMELY Hot and Fancy. It's NOT like the regular check in for all the LOSERS staying *dreadful music* below Club Level. They take you into a little room where I expected aged whiskey that had gone down with the Titanic and an up-to-the-second list of insider trading tips, but instead there was a bowl of free taffy and a CM who treats you like if they smile just hard enough you may invite them to live in your luxurious guest home back in Monte Carlo.

Jess, Michaela & I kept acting rich and snotty (jokingly, of course). For instance, we would say, "Excuse me, you don't seem to be on the level of Club." to absolutely no one, acting like we caught a NON-Club Level person on OUR Club Level floor. Of course, we would never actually do that to someone even if we did know they weren't supposed to be there, but that didn't stop us from saying it multiple times and exploding into laughter.

They give you this cute card when you check in, sealed envelope and all! This is NOT your typical one-sheet they give to all the broke people staying in the $500 a night NON-CLUB LEVEL dumps. It's a CARD!

When you stay here, whether you like it or not you are immediately a member of "The Innkeepers Club" which, if you ask me, with my new "Level of Club" attitude... this just didn't fly. I can't be an innkeeper, that is a peon's job. Must I keep the inn when I prefer to simply lounge?

But it was a nice card.

(Hopefully you have registered my satirical sense of humor and understand that 3 college students could only afford this room because of a CM discount split 3 ways for a single night and decided to have as much fun with it as humanely possible.)

Taffy is a lifestyle.

While we were checking in, they were getting our Magic Bands ready and a giggly CM said that there was a guest who'd just checked in and didn't speak English, which caused this guest to call the Magic Band the "Powerful Bracelet". So naturally, we lovingly called it the Powerful Bracelet for the rest of the trip. And look, I'm not making fun. This isn't a game. We ALL know how powerful that bracelet can be.

We love being millionaires!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were many cute little details of the Boardwalk room that I adored, especially the fact that you got a hot and fancy chocolate box.

This Minnie lamp was my favorite!

Any time the characters have themed outfits to the location, my heart soars. My personal favorite are the old timey Tomorrowland space costumes (if u know u know) but really ALL of it sends me into a tizzy.

Yeah, that's right. A TIZZY. I have said that word... maybe never? but it ALL comes out in these reports.

We got some snacks on the Level of Club because WE COULD!!! These were our favorite chips.

I'm telling you, these were amazing chips. It's always the little things on your trip that pop up in your mind 5 years later, you know? And by the little things I mean, every single meal and snack. They were kettle cooked to perfection and we kept referring to them simply as "THE chips".

All of the Boardwalk merchandise and graphics COMPLETELY gets me. I am such a sucker for some turn of the century WHIMSY.

I even love those terrifying Twilight Zone-reject chairs in the lobby... you know the ones. I'm not even posting a pic because I know the unforgettable image is burned into your brain and will keep you up tonight. John Carpenter, Wes Craven (RIP!!!!!!!!!), and Jordan Peele have nothing on those damn chairs.

BTW, I really wish they would have a not-so-backstage tour called "The Magic Carpets of Disney". Keys to the Kingdom Tour WHAT? Wild Africa Trek WHO? I need DETAILED INFORMATION on Disney carpeting which is clearly made by the geniuses who create movie theatre carpeting across the globe. Please don't let me down, Disney, by re-opening prior to this tour being created.

We went straight to Epcot after checking in and getting some snacks on the Level of Club, because YOU CAN WALK THERE.

If you stay at an Epcot Resort and you don't say over and over that YOU CAN WALK TO EPCOT and also repeatedly reference THE CHIPS then it didn't really happen. I think when you grow up going to Disney but not staying in Deluxes, its really such a PROCESS to get to each park, and that's great because it builds anticipation and Walt wanted it this way, etc. However, when you just take a lovely walk of a few minutes and you're at the gate, it's so so satisfying.

#views

"Mickey.... Mickey's my boy."

"Girls ROCK!"

At some point, Michaela arrive so we met her at the blessed Boardwalk Bakery and got cupcakes. ​

It's amazing how Disney cupcakes used to be such a thing and now there are so many specialty treats, I really don't even remember if I had one on my last trip. I must have, but there are so many cool snacks now that you barely have room for that. If you remember my old TRs, Disney cupcakes were just everything. You'd plan your morning around one... or at least I did. If you think I'm not going to extensively complain during this entire report about the closure of Starring Rolls, you are VERY WRONG. I've thought about getting the "Can I speak to the manager?" haircut just so I could fully be in character to demand they bring it back.

We also stopped in the Beach Club to pin trade and... sigh. Of course my flip flop broke because wardrobe malfunctions like that ONLY happen when you're either 1. At the 8th grade dance during the one moment your crush actually acknowledged you were alive 2. Performing during the Superbowl 3. At an extremely classy place.

It's just a rule of nature! I had to walk barefoot to the gift shop where I prayed with every step I took that they would have non-embarrassing shoes. I was already getting side eyes from multiple Karens for being barefoot in their shiny seaside resort. Luckily, they had plain black flippies that, when removed, revealed a Minnie design.

I was actually sad to see the previous flip flops go because I bought them in Epcot one random day years prior and they were the MOST COMFORTABLE FLIP FLOPS OF ALL TIME. If anyone knows what distributor was providing Epcot footwear in 2008, please tell me because I miss them (and no, they weren't Crocs!).

Just want to point out that I just went on for 2 paragraphs about a shoe story and this isn't even the actual report yet, this is stuff that happened almost five years ago.

This is just what you are in for with a Lia TR. Get used to it.

Whew. ANYWAY Mousekeeping leaves taffy on your pillow at night!

I always find it funny that it's called Mousekeeping, like, yeah I get it but it sounds like the housekeepers are all creepy keepers of mice or maybe wear gigantic costumes like beekeepers while they clean your room. Actually, right now that sounds like a really efficent way to avoid COVID-19, so I say lets get those Mousekeepers their PPE before the resorts open!

...Anyway, they also left this very cool postcard on my pillow and I found it very unique and kinda mystical, just another nice Disney touch I appreciated.

The next day, we went to DAK.​

@capriamoon: Ad for Animal Kingdom... "Animal Kingdom: The Other Kingdom"

I still think they should use that! Free of charge Disney, that one's on me.

I believe we hit Everest early and found the SASSY YETI!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A vital part of every Disney vacation is finding the Sassy Yeti, who will bless your trip. There is an ancient Asian proverb that states all Ye who find the Sassy Yeti will not have any flight troubles on the way home. Take it from me, someone who did NOT find the Sassy Yeti on her last trip and ended up stuck in the airport until 2am which was not as fun as #StuckInDisney12 at ALL.
The legend of the Sassy Yeti is real, folks.

Our ride photos continue to be everything... although nothing tops the iconic hot & fancy nun photo of 2014.

I just... love my friends so much.

This tweet also happened...

@capriamoon: Me: if I had to date a lion, it would definitely be Kovu. Jess: Kovu's hot. He's a hot lion.

Umm. We aren't proud of our attraction to an animal, but in our defense the actor who plays him is actually pretty cute in real life so I really blame that attractive voice mixed with the rebellious animated swagger of Kovu and... nevermind, I just realized I was spending my precious life defending that we think Kovu is a hot lion so I'm going to stop.

After our time in the park, Jess had to go... somewhere? It's been 5 years, I don't know! Sidebar: Actually, is anyone else impressed at how much I remember for this being 2015 and me having no notes? Not to pat myself on the back but sheesh, I expected to blow through the old trips with minimal detail! I should have known better since it's me.

So Jess was... let's say she was working, Michaela wasn't there at the moment either and Gina & Lee-Anne had not arrived yet... which meant I had some alone time after checking into DISNEY'S CONTEMPORARY RESORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes yes, it was sad to check out of the illustrious Club Level Boardwalk room, but the next adventure was pulling me in like a magnet so I dumped three bowls of the chips into a large satchel and high tailed it on over to the Magic Kingdom Resort Area!

This was another totally surreal, dream-like thing because the Contemporary is so iconic and - I don't mean to be mentioning money every two seconds here but - expensive, I really didn't even think about staying there until there were 4 of us in a room and the discounts were great. This trip was just so full of highs, I couldn't believe it! It's hard to describe the feeling when you open your door and see the monorail sailing by! It's just so iconic... almost like if you stepped onto the set of your favorite TV show.

We named this section of the trip "Contemp & Chill"... I think because the phrase "Netflix & Chill" was just getting big. Yes, this was that long ago!

If you know us, you know the hostess with the mostess Stacey J. Aswad is the absolute Queen in our minds, so of course I had to sit back, relax, and marvel at her beauty and grace!

I just realized that this is the second photo of my bare feet in a single update. I deeply apologize for that and feel we should take a break. I'll finish up the 2015 trip shortly and then we shall get to MY TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO DISNEY!!!!!!!!​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

​

I forgot about this and at first glance, this gave very "Is he... ya know?" meme vibes lmao

Also, yes Kovu is hot. I speak on this often. He just... is. I don't know how to explain it, but like 4/5 year old Timmy was obsessed with him for a reason that clearly involved that smug grin. Ok, I need to stop here.

 

[__disneygirl]

The Lost Trips
November 2015: Part Two

Once the others joined me, it was time for my FIRST EVER Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party which also happened to be the first one of the season. Though I am always reluctant to say goodbye to Halloween, celebrating Christmas in the first week of November is very wise because you kick that spirit in right away and then the cheer lasts two full months!

We were super excited and super Christmassy!

Gina joined us, yay!!!

Ahh, I miss our Contemp & Chill balcony.

We just casually walked to Magic Kingdom from our room via the walkway. Just like walking to Epcot from The Boardwalk, I swear, it just adds so much magic and ease when you get to do that!

AND HERE IT IS!

The number one thing I was excited about regarding the party was meeting the Sandy Claws version of Jack Skellington! The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my all-time favorite movies so of course I think a skeleton dressed as Santa Claus is the best addition to any Christmas party!

Of course, that spooky kook once again snuck up behind me!!!!

Just because it's Christmastime, that does not mean you stop scaring! Especially when its your job.

Talking about all our plans to have a horrible - I mean... JOLLY! Christmas.

He's very dapper! You know, for a skeleton dressed as Santa Claus.

The gang's all here! That's Michaela with Jess, who I mentioned earlier. She had brought those matching costumes for her and Jess which was adorable!

Aladdin is in his PRINCE ALI costume for the party, how exciting!

Jess swooned, but of course we all did. However... I was saving all my love for my main man, Flynn Rider, so we headed over to the Fairytale Hall to meet my faves, him and Rapunzel!

If I remember correctly the line said an hour, but being the experienced Disneygoers that we are, we knew that during the party it probably wouldn't be that long. We've had really great luck with short character lines at MNSSHP, so we thought it would end up being way shorter.

We were wrong.

So wrong, in fact, that Jess, Gina, and Michaela all totally ditched me in line when it was inching toward the 45-minute mark because we knew how much more line was ahead of us from being there in the past, and we had wanted to eat before the parade and fireworks. I couldn't blame them really, but you know how I love my Flynn and Rapunzel so damn much!!! I ended up waiting almost 90 minutes, and I don't know if I've waited that long for anything at Disney...ever.

WORTH IT!

It actually completely worked out because the rest of the gang went to Casey's Corner, and I think there was some mistake or someone dropped their food because the CMs ended up giving them a ton of extra corn dog nuggets (my FAVE) and fries, so when I met them in front of the castle to wait for the fireworks, they had a huge bag of delicious fried baseball park goodness waiting for me.

Smiling and full of corn dog nuggets.

I had to buy the specialty party pin since they wisely used the best Prince and Princess on it.

Princesses during the parade!

So, I feel like it's been noted many times in the Disney fan discourse that the free cookies and hot chocolate they give out at the parties are lackluster, but I remember them being great! The night we went the cookies were perfectly soft baked & tasty.

Ahh, the magic of snow on Main Street.

No matter what anyone says, there is always time for a round of Be That Statue.

Waiting for the monorail back to Contemp & Chill!

Overall, the Christmas Party was so much fun and I would love to do it again! It's main flaw was that it isn't MNSSHP, but that is the biggest issue plaguing most events worldwide.

Okay guys... this was the next night but I figured I'd include it here to continue the Christamassy mood. The following photo may cause some tears...

I get that y'all needed more Star Wars, but it is NOT okay that there are no more Osborne Lights. I'm so thankful I got to experience it one last time.

CAN THEY BRING THIS BACK? There has to be somewhere on property that this winter wonderland can be recreated. Someone call SIEMENS!​