September Solo Trip Pictures

Select photos from my September solo trip to Disney World.

My room at All-Star Music. The walk was pretty lengthy but I insisted on being in the Broadway section. 

Back at All-Star-Music 

Confession: I love taking photos of people I don't know on Expedition Everest. You never know what you're going to get. 

 The human yeti and the scared little kid steal the show.

I absolutely LOVE Enchanted Tales with Belle. Watching guests interact with Belle is really a special experience. On top of that, Imagineering really pulled of some cool tricks with this one.

The last thing I did before leaving Orlando was meet up with friends, Gaby and Ric, along with their kids. We checked out Enchanted Tales with Belle together. It was so fun watching two of their kids perform in the "show." 

Nice To See You Again, Friend!

I think it goes without saying that it has been well over a year since I last updated this blog of mine. After having a few chats with my husband and some friends, I decided that it is high time I get back on this horse that I call "Disney rambling."

To get you all up to speed on my Disney World vacation life, I will recap (very quickly) my last few Disney World trips. I embarked on a second solo trip last September. My husband and I trained for our first 5K and took part in the very fun 5K through Epcot during Marathon Weekend in January. That trip was the first trip in a long time where it was just my husband and I. It was a really really REALLY wonderful. End recap.

Next month, my Disney-loving mom, Nancy, will be my traveling companion as we set out to eat everything in sight during the International Food and Wine Festival. While food is all well and nice, I am actually most excited about seeing The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios for the VERY FIRST TIME! I have always wanted to see the Streets of America all lit up and beautiful. I cannot believe that it's only a month away!

Fast forward in time four months and I will be enjoying Disney World again with my husband and our best friends, Barbara and Ben. As you might recall, my husband and I wrangled them into a Disney trip with us a few years ago and we had an absolute blast! We are going to celebrate Matt's 30th birthday in Disney World and we could not be more excited. I know Matt's a little nervous about turning 30 and I really think that getting in touch with his inner child is going to be perfect for him. Granted, he acts like a big kid 99% of the time anyway, but still. :)

Fast forward later into 2014 and at a currently unknown date... we are off to..... DISNEYLAND! This is honestly all thanks to Southwest Airlines and their killer credit card sign-up bonuses. We are getting the Companion Pass soon, which means that I will fly free wherever Matt goes. We can use Rapid Rewards points to book Matt's flight, then I just tag along without having to pay for my ticket. This will not only be my first trip to Disneyland, but my first trip to California. Actually, it's going to be my first trip out west! I have NO idea what to expect, but I am so excited to plan a Disney trip from scratch. I really have very little knowledge of Disneyland. Time to get researchin'!

Be prepared for a very long upcoming post with TONS of pictures of my past few trips. I think you will enjoy seeing all of my Disney World fun. :)

9 Days of Work!

That's it!  Just nine more days of work and trust me, it cannot be over fast enough.  I'm anxious as heck to get outta Michigan for a long weekend. Work seems to be more and more of a serious ache an pain in my bones and in my mind.  It's like an infection that brings me down with every passing day.  Luckily, I have more things to look forward to than just Disney that will help take my mind off of my day to day job and boring surroundings.

While the plans for my upcoming Disney trip hasn't become much more laid out, I'm really excited and looking forward to it.  If there's something interesting that's going on before I leave (related to my trip) then I'll make sure I update you.

My husband and I have decided to do a Couch to 5K program with each other.  Matt's really fit now.  While he doesn't do regular cardio, he lifts 2 or 3 times a week.  I'm not so motivated.  Haha!  A few years ago I got into running and actually started to feel good about going out and working out.  Then, the cold came and I just stopped cold turkey.  The program is really smart because you start off small and then work your way up to more jogging and less walking.  Matt will DEFINITELY push me and I think having me next to him will challenge him as well.  My goal is to lose weight and get in a regular routine of running.  Matt's goal is to just see how fast he can run a mile at the end of the program.  He doesn't have any intention to take up running.  I, on the other hand, would really like to enter my first 5K and finish it.  While I've never been overweight, I've always struggled with my endurance.  Fact: Skinny girls can be out of shape too.

Matt and I are starting the program tomorrow (Monday) and will continue on Wednesday and then again Friday morning or Saturday afternoon.  Not sure.  That being said, I'll be... drumroll please... running on my own the following Friday at Disney World!  Gonna have to test out the All-Star Resorts jogging trail for myself.

Okay, that's all of my info for now!  Check ya laterrr! (Dazed and Confused reference)

I'm Almost There, Florida!

I feel really lucky to be going to Disney World again in less than three weeks.  It's my happy place.  It's where I ALWAYS want to be.  Just fifteen more work days and I'll be back there.

When I'm at Disney World, I have a specific thought often that I don't think I have EVER talked about publicly before in my blog writing.  Right now, I'm watching a Disney Parks show on Netflix and it made me think of it again.  There are times that I'm absolutely amazed at my surroundings and the first thing that comes into my mind are the Imagineers.  It takes just seconds for me to imagine all of the people that put time, brain power, body power, creativity, imagination, and endless research into something SO simple yet so complex.

For example, the pavement in between the Fountain of Nations and Spaceship Earth.  If you're a person who pays attention to detail, you probably already know what I'm talking about.  At night, the ground is illuminated with what looks like tiny Christmas tree lights.  It's a detail I remember from my first trip to Epcot when I was just 9 years old.  I'm sure it didn't take just one person to create this "finishing touch." Someone had to think of the idea.  Someone had to figure out how it was going to look with the overall theme.  Someone had to come up with HOW this was going to work mechanically and survive the elements.  Then, someone okays the budget on this tiny magical detail.  All of this work was put into something that isn't even an attraction.  It's simply "plussing" the ground with detail.  It's the things that no one needed to do, but they did so that way the guests could feel that much more immersed in the Disney magic.  THAT is what makes me see how different Disney is from other theme parks.  Details like that seriously bring me to tears and I'm so thankful to be there in that moment.

I appreciate so many things about the parks and I think that's why I'm able to go back so often and have it feel new every time.  It seems that there is something new to be discovered with every visit.  There's just never enough time in my book.

Wanna know some details about my upcoming trip?  Alright, so, it's starting to unfold a little bit more since my departure day is getting closer.  However, there's still no real itinerary due to the unknown of who I'm going to see and when.  Thursday, my arrival day, I know I have to pop over to Magic Kingdom at some point to meet up with a family member of a "family member."  It's my lifelong honorary big brother's older sister, Jennifer.  She's a big Disney fan and will be visiting WDW with her family at the same time I will be.  The next day is the Touring Plan's meet in Morocco.  I'm sure I'll be hanging with Touring Plan's folks for most of Friday.  Saturday, my free day with no plans to see anyone.  If I do, cool.  If not, no biggie!  On my last day, Sunday, I'll end at Magic Kingdom so I can visit with the Robbins family.  They're awesome people that I met through my love of Kelly Clarkson.  Ric was a band member of Kelly's for about three years.  Being friends on Facebook, he saw my love for Disney and connected me with his gorgeous wife, Gaby.  Throw in their three kids and you've got a huge Disney loving family.  My kind of people!

I have a feeling that this trip is going to feel really short and go by really quickly.  I wish I had an abundance of vacation days to use so I could stay a few days longer.  However, I only have 4 1/2 days left for the rest of the year and I have to use them wisely.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter, @Stacey87, if you don't already so you can watch me tour WDW in a few weeks!

Holy Crap!

I haven't been in hiding or anything but I have been away from Blogger for quite some time simply because I've been so busy with other things and me blabbing about Disney nonsense is simply on the backburner.  I could update you on all the things in my personal life but, let's face it, that's horrifically boring.  However, I will tell you that I've been keeping very busy writing about Disney World still over at the TouringPlans.com blog.  This past month, I've had overwhelmingly awesome responses to my posts and it keeps me motivated to write more. 

Over here on my "confessions" blog, I believe I left off somewhere around me leaving for a WDW trip for my birthday in April.  Yeah!  I did that and it was awesome!  Mom and I had a lot of fun touring the parks and eating at awesome places on property.  We stayed at All-Star Sports and had a decent experience.  It was pretty good other than the noise level in our "Football" section and the really bad food court.  My friends threw me a birthday party at Sanaa which was a highlight of my trip.  I was insanely overwhelmed the whole time since no one EVER throws parties for me.  While I grew up loving being in the spotlight, I've definitely come to realize that I enjoy keeping to myself a bit more as I grow older.  It's funny what we learn about ourselves as we mature and evolve. 

In exactly (how on, let me count) ...40 more days I'll be going down to WDW for my third trip this year.  Three trips in one year is a record for me!  As some of you may remember, I took my first solo trip to WDW in January and had the time of my life.  Honestly.  I can't explain how perfect that trip was.  It was so wonderful that I've decided to do it again.

WHEN: September 6th-9th - I'm leaving early in the morning out of Chicago Midway Airport with a non-stop flight to Orlando International.  When I leave Orlando, I'll take a 6pm flight out and have a short layover in Baltimore before finishing my trip in Grand Rapids, MI.
WHY: Solo trip round two!  Some other TouringPlans.com folks will be vacationing around the same time as me as well so it'll be fun to meet some of them for the first time.  Also, my friends, the Robbins family, will be there so I'll get to see them!
WHERE: All-Star Music Resort - I have never stayed here before.  With my Annual Passholder discount, I could have chosen All-Star Sports or Music and after looking at the Broadway section online, I knew I had to give All-Star Music a shot.

Here's the trippy thing about this vacation... I'm not planning a thing.  No, really.  Super anal planner Stacey is cooling her jets.  I'm basically forced to not plan anything because there are a lot of people that I want to meet up with when I'm down there and it's going to be impossible to know a schedule for things like that.  I don't have a dining reservation anywhere and I'm not doing day plans like I usually do.  I'll simply wake up and go wherever I want.  Most likely, I'll be taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours where I can since I'll only be there for less than 4 full days. 

What I'm a little nervous about is forcing myself to not ride EVERYTHING that I like.  I'm really not sure how people that live down there do it.  I feel like I still have that little trigger in my brain that tells me that I need to do everything and see everything even though I've already probably done it in the past year.  For some reason, I have this thought in the back of my head that every trip to WDW could be my last and I need to make sure I get the most out of it when I'm there.  It's crazy.  I know.  On my last solo trip, I had this big idea of touring all around the Epcot resorts and taking pictures.  I didn't even set foot inside one of thos resorts!  I was too busy in the parks.  This time, I really need to just do what I want and not feel forced to ride things out of obligation because I'm walking by them.

I have two goals to accomplish before I leave for Disney in September.  Ready to hear them?  Okay, the first is to lose 10 pounds.  I really just want to feel better in my clothes and in my own skin and I figure that no motivation is as good as Disney World.  My second goal is one I've already started working on.  I want to learn the words to "Canada, You're a Lifetime Journey" from the Circle-Vision film in Canada at Epcot.  I LOVE this show and this song.  I've known the English lyrics for the longest time but I always stumble on the French part... even though I took a few years of French in high school.  I can do the majority of the French lyrics flawlessly but I still have a few lines that I slip up on.  I should record myself lip syncing the words when I'm actually watching the movie in Epcot.  Ha!  That'd be hilarious proof that I did it.

That's enough of me yapping.  Have an awesome day!

A Disney Filled Birthday Celebration

It's finally April 1st!  That means in just 12 days, on April 13th, my mom and I will be heading down to Walt Disney World.  Words cannot express how excited I am.  This morning, my mom and I watched the Top 7 Must Sees in WDW together.  Something about that video that gets me really pumped to tour the parks. 

This was a trip that almost didn't happen.  Flight prices were all over the place and just when I found a REALLY good deal (like $140 round trip) the prices shot up the next day and then a few days after that, the airline filed for bankruptcy and cancelled every flight until May!  Every other airline was so expensive out of every city and I just became discouraged.  That is, until I found a flight out of Grand Rapids, MI through AirTran.  For about $220 round trip and with decent flight times.  We've never flown out of Grand Rapids before but the airport will be really simple to get to and will be shorter drive than we're used to going to Detroit.

The flight leaves at 12:10 p.m.  I'm a supporter of really early morning flights because that means more time in the parks that day.  However, I really didn't have a choice in this situation.  12:10 was far better than the other options I was given with more expensive airlines.  We should arrive into Orlando International Airport at about quarter 'till 3.  A quick potty break and then we'll be on Disney's Magical Express bound for All- Star Sports Resort.

We decided to stay at a value because we're trying to go cut costs where we can.  All-Star Sports was our cheapest option with the help of a friend's cast member discount.  If you can remember, I've stayed at A.S.S. (haha) before.  Last year I took a trip down in March and stayed there.  I actually find the rooms inside of the All Star resorts to be nicer than the rooms at Pop Century.  The grounds are just okay but I don't spend that much time at the resort to really care.  I really like the big surf themed pool but didn't get to use it last time.  I have a feeling the weather is going to be scorching hot in a few weeks so we'll definitely want to partake in some swimming.

My mom surprised me and told me that I got to pick a meal to celebrate my birthday and she'll pay.  I went back and forth, back and forth.  It took me two weeks to decide on California Grill only to see that I can't get a reservation.  Fail.  I really wanted to try something NEW but due to the schedule and difficulty with Disney transportation, I decided to do Boma (my 3rd time, mom's first) a day after my actual birthday.

We'll also be doing some other cool things throughout the trip.  On our first night, a large group of people from the Disney online community that live in Flordia will be getting together at Biergarten to celebrate three birthdays!!  There will be another friend dinner at Sanaa one night and even some mini golfing at some point.  I'm doing another solo meal one night at my new favorite restaurant, Jiko.  Mom didn't have any interest in it so she'll hang out at the hotel while I'm feeding my face.  On top of all of that, a super fun Touring Plans meet is being planned!

I'm REALLY excited about seeing my friends again at La Cava del Tequila.  I fully intend on trying even more things on the drink menu, including the new Coffee Margarita.  My favorite guacamole in the whole world is served at La Cava as well.  I think I should treat myself to a shot of Don Julio 1942 for my birthday since it's my favorite.  :)

My actual birthday is April 15th and on that day the Magic Kingdom will be open until three in the morning for Extra Magic Hours!  I don't think I can get my mom to go that long but hopefully we'll get to enjoy a good amount of nighttime at Magic Kingdom. 

I think that's all of the important details to share with you all!  Will report back soon!

2 Months Later...

Instead of getting into WHY I haven't blogged in 2 months, I'd rather just get back into it full force.

My solo trip was where we last left off.  My first solo trip ever.  So, how did it go?

Outstanding.

If I said life-changing then it probably would sound a little corny but it also is entirely accurate.  I never knew that I really was so capable of having a great time by myself.  I did what I wanted when I wanted.  I took my time and really enjoyed just BEING in Disney World.

I did so many cool things on my trip including a tequila tasting, TWO solo dining experiences, my first signature dining experience, my first Touring Plans meet, and also discovered a love for Animal Kingdom that I never knew I had.

I could go into detail of everything I did on each day but I'd rather create a picture book for you guys as sort of a walk through experience.  I have written a handful of articles on the Touring Plan's blog so feel free to read them and learn about some of the things that I did in January.

A Solo Trip Recap

La Cava del Tequila: A Taste of Mexico

Solo Dining Review: Jiko

Solo Dining Review: Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano

Animal Kingdom Appreciation 

On April 13th, my mom and I are doing our 3rd mother/daughter trip to Walt Disney World!  We're going to have so much fun!  I've never celebrated my birthday in Disney World before if you can believe it.  I'll post some details on the upcoming trip very soon so be on the look out!