A Magical Disney Vacation

Anyone who has been within five feet of me has already heard about our Walt Disney World vacation, but those snippets that you catch at the office door or in passing as you try to avoid eye contact with me just do not encompass how great of a time we had. You might be rolling your eyes so far into the back of your head that you're basically taking inventory of your own skull, but please, bear with me and my superfluity.


This vacation started in September 2012 while we were at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. I know that you're thinking, "Why would someone start planning a vacation while they were on vacation?" and I understand that sentiment, but it was while we were at the original Disney park when the wheels in ours heads started turning with Disney nostalgia and excitement. Neither of us have been to Disneyland since we were children, and we planned this particular leg of our trip on a whim, so we didn't know what to expect as adults.

I had also done zero research prior to this trip, so there was a HIGH PROBABILITY that we would have had a terrible time. I had no idea how Fast Passes worked. I had no idea where were good places to eat at either park. I didn't even look into hotels - we ended up staying at a place across the street that had a questionable mattress. The only thing we had going for us was that we were visiting right after Labor Day weekend during the week, so school was in session and the crowds were definitely low.

In spite of everything, we had a really great time! We probably only rode or saw maybe a quarter of all the attractions that both parks have to offer (again, because of my lack of research) so it left us wanting more...and how much more Disney could you ask for than Walt Disney World?

The mouse trap caught me, and as soon as we got home from the Disneyland trip, I started researching WDW. I didn't want to make the same mistakes that I had made in California since we would be spending a lot more time and money in Florida. Based on our deployment schedules, we also wouldn't be taking this trip for at least another year, so I had a better opportunity to plan.

Now, I may have gone a little overkill on the whole research front, and many people told me that much when they asked what I was reading ("A biography on Walt Disney!"). Many people also told me that WDW was overrated and the crowds are just too monstrous and the lines are just too long for rides that aren't all that thrilling. Well, if you're going to a Disney theme park because you want an exciting, hair-whipping rollercoaster marathon, then you're definitely going to have a terrible time. Go to Six Flags or even some people's backyards - I've seen some seriously unsafe (but probably super fun!) tire swings in my day.

(Similarly, if you're not willing to do at least a little research to determine how to skip the lines (Fast Passes!) and beat the crowds (park schedules!), then yes, you will have a horrible time with everyone else who didn't do their homework. Is it that obvious that I was a straight-A student?)

We wanted to go to WDW because we wanted to spend time with each other in a fun bubble of Disney nostalgia. We wanted to compare Magic Kingdom with Disneyland, our only Disney theme park frame of reference. We also wanted to be kids again. I wanted to make sure we could do all of those things, no matter when we were able to go, so I got my nerd on and researched this vacation like my SAT score depended on it.

While I was deployed, Andy got to hear about my research every time I called him. While Andy was deployed, he still got to hear about my research every time he called! I really don't give his patience enough credit, but the fact that he was willing to listen to me plan this still-unscheduled vacation for months on end just shows how nice of a person he is and how lucky I am to have married him.

If you're wondering what Andy's contribution to this research was, then look no further than the subtle reminders he mentioned regularly:

"I don't think we should try to visit all 4 parks in one day, Shasta."

"Maybe you shouldn't schedule an advance dining reservation for every meal."

"That sounds great, but have you read anything else lately?"

"OK, Disney literature is not food. Please go eat breakfast."

Needless to say, he was the voice of reason in my planning process and without him, I would have been a veritable maelstrom of constant go-go-go activities that would have killed the both of us and ruined the vacation.

Our window of opportunity to finally take this trip fell on the busiest time of the year: The week between Christmas 2013 and New Year's 2014. If you want to avoid crowds, long lines, and general craziness, this is not the week to visit WDW. Unfortunately, we didn't have any other choice based on our leave schedules. This would have totally put a damper on our trip HAD IT NOT BEEN for the months of research I had already logged. I knew it was going to be crazy with hordes of people and kids and strollers (Do not get me started on the Stroller Brigade), but I also had a pretty good plan on how we could avoid most of the madness.

I know this post is getting lengthy and all of my readers (Hi Dad!) are bored silly, but at least you know the ending will be great because I already told you we had a fantastic time. If you're like us and had only traveled to Disneyland as a kid, then make no mistake: WDW is ginormous. There are four theme parks, all of which could swallow Disneyland and California Adventure up in just one of their many, many parking lots.

WDW can also swallow and absorb you up in their nearly-impenetrable Disney bubble because of their vast transportation system they have in place. If you're staying on one of their 31928 hotel resorts (which are worlds unto themselves because of the vast amenities they provide), Disney will pick you up from the airport (Disney Magical Express). There is a bus system dedicated to all four parks - you can catch a ride from your resort to a park within 20 minutes. Depending on your hotel, you could even ride the Monorail, take a ferry or canal boat, or walk over a bridge to at least one of the parks. We liked not having to drive anywhere, but this might not be every person's cup of tea since you're at the mercy of the mouse, so to speak.

We stayed at Port Orleans Resort Riverside. This is listed as a "moderate" tier resort (So, expensive compared to non-Disney hotels, but middle of the road for Disney.) and it is located near the Downtown Disney area, which is a separate Disney-owned shopping and nightlife area. If you want to pretend that you're a southern belle out of Gone With the Wind or a slow-moving fisherman with a nice glass of sweet tea on the river, then this resort is totally for you in terms of the details, atmosphere, and grounds. We really enjoyed our stay here, but because WDW has so much to offer, we will likely not stay here again because we want to stay closer to either Magic Kingdom or Epcot Center.

On our first full day, we made the mistake of getting up early and visiting Animal Kingdom. Of all four parks, AK is the least loved by a landslide. Some people see it as a glorified zoo. Some people just don't get the magical, Disney feeling they get from the other parks, especially Magic Kingdom and its beautiful Cinderella Castle. We were also not that crazy about AK, and those three or so hours we spent there that morning were all we needed. Now, our "mistake" wasn't visiting AK, per se, because we had park hopper passes and WE WERE GOING TO SEE ALL FOUR PARKS, DAMNIT, but rather, getting up early.

You see, I am not a morning person. I am basically a child: if I have an immediate urge to eat, sleep, or pee, then that is all I can focus on. (I guess I also just described a bear...) I feel like we would have spent more time at AK had I been more alert, but after a 5-hour flight, 3-hour time difference, and only 4-hours of sleep, I needed to hibernate. This ended up being our M.O. for the whole trip: visit a park earlier in the day (though not as early as this first time!) then take a nap at the hotel followed by a visit to another park late into the night. This really suited us, but we also weren't on a super strict timeline and we don't have kids, so experiences will vary.

Epcot Center, or the park with that giant golf ball thing, was a very adult-oriented park from what we could tell. This isn't to say that topless women were hanging off the attractions, but rather, a good portion of the park is not catered to children. Specifically, the World Showcase Lagoon is a huge semi-circle that houses a detail-infused area of the following countries: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. Now, we can make all sorts of socio-political comments on the choice of these countries and how Disney chose to portray them, but really, let's just appreciate what is most important about this part of Epcot: THE FOOD.

We did our best to sample at least a snack from each of the "countries" during our two different days there, but we didn't even make a dent in what there is to offer. I can't even imagine how delicious everything must be during the Food and Wine Festival in the fall. By a land slide, our favorite thing we consumed was the infamous Cronut, or the doughnut made of croissant dough devised from a New York bakery legend. Nearly every country also had some kind of engaging film that I geeked out to because I like these documentary-type films. The other half of Epcot includes Future World, the classic Epcot Center. We didn't get to experience as many rides and attractions here because of time slash our interest in buying more cronuts, but other than that TERRIBLE Mission Space: Orange ride, I really enjoyed Future World too.

OK, Mission Space is a "cool" ride in terms of the science and technology used to actually simulate going into and being in outer space, but one of my biggest fears in life is to go in space. Why would that possibly happen to me? I don't know. I should have known better than to go on this ride because there were MULTIPLE warnings that people who are prone to motion sickness (me) and people who don't like small, dark spaces (also me) should not be on this ride, but I did it anyway and I vow to never to do it again. Andy thought it was awesome, natch.

Hollywood Studios reminded me strongly of California Adventure - or is it the other way around since Hollywood Studios came first? I don't know. In any case, the Hollywood Tower of Terror is significantly scarier and more terrifying at Hollywood Studios than at California Adventure. I do not really like this ride at all, but I had to compare the differences in the name of...a non-existent science? Or something? Not to spoil the fun, but just know that there is a lateral, hallway-type movement in addition to the constant elevator drops. I was crying at the end of it. Andy thought it was awesome, again.

Last but certainly not least (We visited every single evening!) we have the Magic Kingdom. I had a sneaking suspicion that I would love this park the most based on my wonderful memories of Disneyland, and I was not disappointed. Cinderella's Castle is truly majestic, especially with the holiday lights and decorations. It took my breath away every night, and yes, we pretty much only visited at night because that is when crowds were lowest or non-existent (especially during Extra Evening Magic Hours until 3AM!) and there is something really fun about running around the park at night.

We made a point to experience nearly every ride and attraction, and some of my favorites are not even the big headliners, like any of the mountain rollercoasters. Instead, I really enjoyed The Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and pretty much anything else with audio-animitronic technology. Yes, I'm basically and obviously a huge nerd.

Nearly everything we did on this vacation was memorable. OK, that's hyperbole, and not actually possible since our brains regularly "delete" unnecessary information while we sleep so we can't really remember EVERY detail, but you get the idea. Every ride, every attraction, even every meal (Andy would say, "ESPECIALLY every meal" because we ate some pretty delicious things.) was a significant memento for us. This was all underscored by the fact that we had barely seen each other in the last 13 months, so maybe even a trip to our local Target would have been just as exciting, though doubtful what with the recent security breach.

The Disney parks are all about making memories at their establishments so that you will want to continue visiting and continue making these memories with them (and spending more money, as you pessimistic people will remind me) and that is something I can really get behind. I'm a very goal/destination/results-oriented type person, and this WDW vacation satisfied that part of my psyche because the destination was so grand: Walt Disney World! The Most Magical Place on Earth! The vacation also allowed me to enjoy the journey each and every day, which is what a family trip is all about in the first place.

You might scoff and insist that we could have made just as many meaningful memories somewhere else, or without a vacation, or at least without such a significant amount of money, and I will agree with you because that's definitely true. However, the planets aligned in such a way that we had the time, money, and resources to plan such a trip, and I'll be damned before I let an opportunity like that pass me by when we spend the better part of most years separated from each other. I also believe that all of our research paid off in the end because we didn't conclude this vacation "needing another vacation" to recover. Instead, we were excited to start planning for our next one!

Well, maybe Andy is a little Disney-ed out, but considering how long it takes us to plan and schedule a trip, he should be ready for our next vacation!