Snapshots from Disney World
📍 EPCOT and Magic Kingdom
Dress (Similar) (Similar) || Sneakers || Hat || Earrings
Although I have so many fond childhood memories from Disney World, I wouldn’t exactly call myself a “Disney Adult.” Yes, I always like to watch the latest Pixar flick and sometimes have a hankering to watch old favorites, but that’s pretty much my limit. It’s been years since my last visit to the Happiest Place on Earth. With all of the recent changes that have taken place around the parks, it’s incredibly different from my previous visit. Still, when one of my dearest friends, Sydney, told me she was taking a long weekend, I just had to visit myself. After all, it’s just a short 90 minutes away. Let’s look at a few snapshots from our Disney World trip.
Check-In at Coronado Springs
I’ve stayed at many different Disney properties throughout the years, but this is the first time I received a “Welcome Home” at Coronado Springs. The resort received extensive renovations over the past few years, and it feels like a brand new hotel. The space is absolutely gorgeous! I wish I could go into details about the hotel, but it was just a place for us to lay down our heads for the night. In fact, we didn’t even get to our room until 10 pm, after a long day of navigating the parks. Coronado Springs has a great location, pristine rooms, and the beautiful grounds you expect from Disney. If we ever take an extended trip, I would have no problem re-booking here.
Start the Day at EPCOT
After a quick breakfast from our hotel, we began our day at EPCOT. Although it’s a favorite, there’s a lot of growth and change going on here. In the next few years, I’m sure it’s going to be incredible! We opted to pay a little extra to access Genie Plus. Consider it a new and improved answer to the Fast Pass that my family could take advantage of when I was a kid. If I’m being frank, I don’t think the App is as user-friendly as it could be, but maybe I would have gotten used to it if I had been there for more than one day. I loved being able to see wait times around the park and being able to “book” a Lightning Lane pass every two hours. At EPCOT, we had passes for Soarin, Space Ship Earth, and Mission: SPACE. We had to skip Test Track, but I know there’s always next time!
Lunch Around the World
My favorite element of EPCOT is easily the World Showcase. Visiting each Country’s Pavilion is such a treat and something that seems to get better the older I get. If you enjoy an adult drink, you’ve probably heard about the Drink Around the World Challenge. As someone who has attempted it before, it’s not for the faint of heart. Since we were meeting friends, David and I were satisfied with just a few drinks to help us cool off in the warm Florida sun. Since the crowds were insane this weekend, we found the spots that had the shortest line. Because that means Cherry Limoncellos in Italy and Chai-Mint Mimosas in Morocco, I’m not complaining! We ended with Lunch in Morocco and Dessert in Germany before finding our friends at Magic Kingdom.
A Magic Kingdom Evening
After lunch and several miles, we took the monorail from EPCOT straight to Magic Kingdom. Honestly, is there anything more Disney than that? Because we booked the Park Hopper option, we could visit any other park we wanted after 2 pm. The timing worked out perfectly because we found our friends right on Main Street USA, enjoying the afternoon parade. From there, we booked a few Lightning Lanes and enjoyed our time in the park, although the 2 hours wait for Haunted Mansion wasn’t ideal. Eating any Mickey Ice Cream isn’t required, but still highly recommended. The evening ended with fireworks on Thunder Mountain and at least one more dessert. It was certainly a magical day if you ask me. David and I finally got back to Coronado Springs at around 11, and it was lights out. I think we walked about 20 miles and we were exhausted!
This blog post is just a quick PSA to listen to your inner child and make plans for the sake of nostalgia. Although I have a lifetime of childhood memories from Disney World, the 24 hours I just spent with friends may very top that list!
Love from Florida,
Katie
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