Always
This is the correct answer at Disney!
DFM is hilarious.
I worry about this friend.
She’s gorgeous!
Not cool, Disney. We need our snackity snacks!
Wrong team, but I’ll permit it since it is your TR.
It really is! I could easily sit on a rocking chair with a coffee for a few hours and just watch the safari!
Noodz! Did you see Mark? I really dislike that he was moved there from Enchanted Rose.
This sounds like a perfect #wolfpack trip!
Actually last I knew he was at Geo
Did he get moved again?
If they can’t find the right spot for him, maybe he’s in the wrong job… 
Oh- you are correct. I think he is at Geo. He moves around everywhere!
Trip Report yay! Saving to read at lunch later.
Also, need to write mine up!
These Epcot night time pictures aww wonderful! Looks Like such a fun night!
…is definitely better than…
Day 5: 4P1D for me and DFP
Today was going to be a BIG day! Especially for an inexperienced park-goer! As we planned this visit to the World, DFP was all-in on a 4P1D adventure! I tried to make sure we hit some of the key experiences in each park while trying to keep to my promise that it would not be a death march She was excited though and was sure she was up for it!
Our morning started bright and early, meeting outside of our connecting rooms at 620am:
We got to the bus stop at 625 but the bus didn’t show until 645. We definitely had missed the first one, which I expected, but I didn’t think it would have been that long before the next one came. 
We were still half asleep but still cute
We arrived to the gates and the line was waaaaaaaay back, almost to the Joffrey’s stand! 
I’ve never been that far back before, and I was a little worried about what this might mean for our first attraction.
We were through the gates, and by 725 my Tree was reassuring me that the day was going to be great
Although I knew it might put us behind the pack, I thought it made good sense to get our first park pic before heading to our first attraction while we were looking fresh and the line was short
We arrived to the entrance of FOP at 741
We were constantly moving, and it still took us until 754 to get here
Preshow at 803
And onto the ride we went! When we got off she just kept saying, “That was so awesome! That was so awesome! I loved it!” 
We took some photos on our way to NRJ
And waited only a very short time before we rode
So far so good! But it takes a brief turn here…
We headed over to Safari which had about a 20 minute wait when we arrived. We were about 5 mins from the ride vehicle and they encountered “techinical difficulties”. I explained to DFP that this is often an animal in the pathway, and they generally just have to wait them out. So we stayed put and kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting. We were planning to see the first FOTLK of the day and the longer we stood the more the wait was going to impact that plan.
I offered DFP some options: we could continue to wait and enjoy KS, which is variable based on animal behavior so it might be outstanding or it might be just okay, or we could skip out of line and snag a quick breakfast before the show. The one time she had been to WDW many years before she had done the safari but not the show, so she chose for us to skip out.
We got breakfast from Kusafiri and sat undercover at Tusker House area. And that line? It never moved and grew and grew until it was almost to the FOTLK building! While I was very disappointed to miss a key attraction at AK, we had made a good call!
The show was, as always, fantastic!
As we made our way toward the park exit, I explained that to minimize variability related to bus transfer to our next park, I was getting us a Lyft, which she thought was wise as a timesaver. On the way out we met D’Vine! I was so excited for her and explained that she can be very hard to find, because she isn’t always around when you expect her to be!
Park 1 summary:
We rolled into the guest drop-off area at HS at 1115 - right on time for the schedule I had built!
We were through the tapstiles quickly and got our photo done right away by a fantastic cast member, Vlad:
I had set up our LLMP to start here so that we could for sure get Slinky Dog. We headed that way first!
We walked right on and were off the ride by 1140
Even as a person who doesn’t like “rides with drops” she found this coaster to be fun and chicken-friendly
I started playing the slots/fiddle-faddle (depending on your vlogger of choice) to try to get us a MMRR for later on. We headed to TSM and walked by all of the peasants
I explained that it is a personal flaw that I am unable to allow anyone to win at anything. If they win on their own, fair and square, that’s fine (well, it irks me but YKWIM). But, I could not moderate my performance to let her win. She did great though!
DH always likes to say that accuracy matters more so she won in that regard.
We made our way out through the gift shop and I continued playing the slots/fiddle-faddle
I booked us something over at Epcot - Soarin maybe? - to take one of the slots up and kept trying for a MMRR that worked for us. I could easily get something for 5pm onward, but earlier - before 2pm, was elusive.
We headed to Frozen, stopping on the way to get a Joffrey’s, and met up with an old Liner pal who joined us:
The show was great and hilarious as always! One of the best things about this show, IMO, is how they keep it fresh, incorporating new trends/fads/etc into the script. It ensures that you can re-experience the key, favorite elements without it becoming stale.
We were hungry by now so we headed to Baseline for some drinks and snacks, and our Liner pal joined us:
Truly, the weather was absolute perfection: warm, breezy, and dry. Just the kind of weather you want when you just want to sit outside, watch people, enjoy great conversation, and have some drinks and food. I could have stayed all day.
But we had places to go and people to see
Meeting Pinocchio was a highlight of the day for me! I was so excited since he is such a rare character! I was explaining this to DFP and the guest ahead of us in line was like, “Oh, really? Huh.” The excitement was lacking!
Pinocchio asked if my Oswald was my conscience the same way that Jiminy Cricket is his And before we left I reminded Pinocchio to be good and to stay away from Pleasure Island! He held his hands up in defense as if to say, “I am definitely not going there!”
We exited the park, parted ways with our Liner pal, and hopped the Skyliner to our next destination at 222pm
We were only about 20 mins behind my planned departure time, not bad in the scheme of things!
Park 2 Summary:
Transporation mode: Skyliner
Photo:
Food: Joffrey’s (coffee only), Baseline Taphouse
Rides: Slinky, TSM
Show: Frozen
BONUS: Pinocchio!
We enjoyed our flight over the headwaters of the Everglades, and had great conversation with another family flying with us.
It’s kind of a pain to have to switch cars at CBR, but it’s also easy and in this case was seamless.
We were through the gates at Epcot by 245pm
Somehow now ahead of schedule We popped into the shop right beyond the gates to get my friend some water (I was carrying mine) as she was wilting a bit.
We ran into Daisy on the way in and had to stop for a photo!
I explained to Daisy that it was nice to see her out and about on her own, and that we, too, were having a day free of the men. Sometimes you just need a little girl time, right?!
We headed to Remy for SR
The standby line when we entered was 55 minutes, and our wait for SR was a solid 30 minutes We were seeing VOL at 345 and I was sweating it a bit. But I played off cool and collected and we enjoyed our ride with the little chef!
We arrived to VOL right on time and even still snagged spots on the floor in the red circle!
They were stunning as always, and DFP had a little pixie dust in her eyes by the end (as did I - like always). She understood - as folks usually do! - why this was a non-negotiable element in our day.
We were ready for a beverage when we left and stopped in Germany for some Shoefferhofer (?sp). That line was LONG!
It was quite a bit warmer now at 430pm and the cold light citrusy beer was just the thing.
We headed toward Connections where we mobile ordered something to eat - stopping for a photo at “Egypt” on the way which we texted to the rest of our #wolfpack
We stopped on our way to admire the Moana topiary
and got some pics at the F&G topiary too!
Our food was being made ready when we got to Connections, so we stopped into Club Cool and I made DFP try Beverly. She didn’t understand my affection for that particular flavor, but she did like the one from ?Russia (cucumber?)
We shared the chicken sandwich and fries - I was so sad the Impossible burger was not there as it was the best one of them all in my experience - and found it was just enough to fill us up to carry on. While we were eating my friend mentioned how much she loves butterflies. Oh? Butterflies? Noted 
After we ate we got some pics with the man himself, Mr. Walter E. Disney:
And then I surprised her with a visit to the Butterfly tent!
She was so happy that we got to go in there and thanked me again and again! How could I not, when only a short time before she mentioned how much she loves them!
It was time for our LLMP for Soarin and we headed into the Land Pavilion
And then we started making our way out of the park.
We stopped for some pics with Spaceship Earth, of course, though
And a pic of the TS topiary at the front of the park
Then we headed up the ramp to the monorail to head for our fourth and final park!
Park 3 Summary
Transportation mode: monorail
Photo:
Food: Germany Pavilion (beer), Connections
Rides: Remy, Soarin
Show: VOL
BONUS: Butterflies!
On the way over to MK on the monorail I explained that the Epcot line ends at TTC and you have to transfer. I offered DFP a choice here: transfer to the resort or express monorail line, or take the ferry. I added that the ferry ride from TTC to MK was the way Walt intended visitors to first experience the park, and she jumped right on that fact and said, “Let’s do it!”
The sun was beginning to set and the temperature was once again more comfortable. The view was spectacular and I can understand why Walt wanted it this way:
Side story: I don’t think I mentioned this - but scroll ahead if I did. While we were at dinner on Tuesday at Cali Grill, DFM was looking out the window and saw the lights below. She said, “What are those lights? The Poly?” I clarified: “Those lights off in the distance?” She responded, “No - the ones right there below us that look like little huts!” I died laughing as I explained: “Those lights are the MK bus depot!” So on the ferry ride over I snapped her a photo of the actual Poly huts (bungalows) and sent it to the #wolfpack
She asked how much those are per night, and I explained the cash pricing was too high for someone in the senior leadership group we worked under together to book
Once in the gate we stopped for a pic in front of the train station
and then the castle
as we made our way toward Tron for our LLSP
We were a few minutes early arriving there so we stopped for an attraction photo too
I’m mega bummed but my attraction photo did not come out 
We had a LLMP for HM next and snaked our way there. I had forgotten about the early parade but that kind of worked a bit to our advantage because the hub pathways had to be kept clear as the parade route, so it wasn’t all squishy as it gets for fireworks. I started to mull over, though, that we might run smack into the parade after HM
The mansion was, indeed, haunted - and we were both very scared:
When we came out, indeed the parade was right there. I was frustrated for a moment. But hold that thought: we used that boardwalky pathway that runs from Lib Sq to Frontierland as our next stop was POTC. We were not walking briskly, but at a moderate normal pace, and ended up? At the corner where the parade exits, right as the first float was getting there! It was the absolute BEST situation and we had a FANTASTIC view!
We got to watch the entire parade, which relieved any sense of pressure we might have felt later to get our B&B in and still get to a viewing point before it ended. MAGIC!
We headed to POTC next to use or LLMP:
These were our very best Pirate faces. I don’t think they’d take us in their crew…
We walked out into the POTC plaza area where I planned for us to watch the fireworks. I was momentarily worried we were in a slightly obstructed spot, and planned to move if necessary. But no need: the spot just to the left of the stage where they do the pirate show, and just before the roofline to Tortuga Tavern, is the perfect spot
No projections here, obviously. But perfect view of the fireworks themselves and PLENTY of room to move and breathe - not at all peopley!
When the show ended it was time to check in for B&B (which was why I kept us in this spot for the show)
We didn’t wait very long, but we ended up with a pretty crummy spot, in the back of the captain’s quarters at the wall counter. At least now they have stools there. And we were able to have a great conversation, but we weren’t in the action. She did get up with the “shows” happened and walked over to view the bar area. Food and drinks were great even if service was meh
We got the chips and dips and the griddle cake with chicken, and it was a perfect late snack.
We made our way through the Emporium, and exited the park at 1119pm
Everyone and their sister was also leaving, so I made a quick decision: there was a resort ferry waiting which we jumped on and left right away (vs waiting for the TTC ferry or waiting for a bus for an interminable amount of time). We got off at Grand Flo, which was deliciously quiet at that hour, and called a Lyft to take us Home.
Park 4 Summary:
Transportation mode: TTC ferry and resort ferry!
Photo:
Food: B&B
Rides: Tron, HM, POTC
Show: Starlight Parade, Happily Ever After
Bonus: Starlight first show!
What a perfect day! So glad it all went as planned and the bonuses sound particularly magical.
I especially love that you got to surprise your friend with butterflies!
Whenever this happens I send a photo request through MDE, and they have always found my photo for me. You can upload a picture of the two of you from the day and easily give a pretty precise time range thanks to your photos in front of the ride.
Me too.
It helps that you have good sense of time of day and can provide other ride photos for AI to match clothes.
The 4P1D went decidedly well with quick response time to changes. What a fun fun day.
It really was!
I could have shut the park down and done the kiss good night but my friend was fading
Ain’t no tired like Disney tired!
Such a perfect day! I’ve never done four parks… three is my max. You definitely showed off the highlights! Willing to bet that your friend will be a return visitor!
They have a trip booked for the fall!
Let’s bring this thing home…
Day 6: Departure Day
After being on the go-go-go all week, it was nice to sleep in a tiny bit. Today both DFP and I were heading home with her flight at noon and mine at 830pm. We had some time for a good breakfast first, and I was able to score a table at 'Ohana at the last minute the day before!
With the Springtime Surprise 10miler that morning, traffic was all messed up, though fortunately for us not in the direction heading toward the Poly. We left POFQ just a few minutes before our reservation and arrived right on time.
We headed right upstairs to the reception area and our table was ready within moments! We no sooner sat down than we saw a celebrity!
Our server was a bit quirky and sort of kept disappearing for long stretches but it gave us time to meet some friends
I thought breakfast was fine. Nothing was spectacular and it was your basic breakfast foods, which I knew going in. I did not think it was worth the spend - but character meals almost never are. Here, though, I was very disappointed by the character interaction. They breezed by us so fast and did not linger at all, even as we tried to engage them. At one point they took a break, and when they came back they were completely lost as to where they had left off and almost missed us completely. I was disappointed to the point of being a bit embarrassed to have brought my friend there and so I picked up the check.
And the view wasn’t even nice because of the scaffolding in place for the refurb.
Oh well.
We did a little shopping in the two shops before heading out
The GPS took us the looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong way around, outside the bubble, behind MK, and past a bunch of apartment and condo complexes. I believe that was to avoid the mess of traffic we had passed on the way TO Poly because of the race. It was a nice ride.
When we got back to POFQ, we said our goodbyes. DFP finished packing her things and said she was going to lay down for an hour before it was time for her to go.
Meanwhile I decided to spend the morning poolside, dozing, and reading and relaxing in the hot tub.
I had plans to do a bunch of different things - AK, MK, DS - and I skipped them all in favor of just chilling out for a while. It had been a busy week and I just needed to be still for a while. It was a smart move.
By about 2pm I was done being still. I had packed my things so as to have toiletries and fresh clothes to change into. I had a nice hot shower in the pooside locker room which was not nearly as big or as nice as the locker rooms at other (deluxe) resorts. But it got the job done. I felt fresh and ready to spend the afternoon out and about.
I first went to the Pro Shop at the Magnolia and Palms Golf Courses. It was much MUCH bigger than the one at LBV at SSR, but still the ladies department was miniscule. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!
After that I decided to head to DS for a late lunch and a little shopping.
I enjoyed some lovely conversation with two different couples at the bar at Homecomin, where the service is always fantastic and the food and drinks never fail me.
After lunch and some browsing around, I headed up to the top of the Coke store
for a 24oz Beverly to take on the ride back to the airport 
Traffic was heavy on the ride back, but not terrible. Rental car return was smooth and uneventful. Bag drop was busy but ran smoothly. And TSA Pre had me back to the faux-norail in no time. I wasn’t at my gate for long before boarding began, and just like on my flight down I successfully upgraded to a free extra leg room seat and had the middle seat open for my flight back home.
I was ready to get on that plane. Not ready to go home, per say - I’d have been happy to stay another few days in the World - but for the first time ever I regretted having a flight so late in the day. I think I was just so tired from the week that I’d have preferred to be either able to stay at the resort (and with a room) all day, or to have headed back to the airport earlier.
Still it had been a nice solo afternoon, and when I did get on the plane and fell asleep, I did so with a smile on my face. This business or pleasure trip had, indeen, been both. Both is good.
Sounds like a good wind-down from all the conferencing and excitement.
