Disney Summer 2024 Wilderness Lodge Trip 14
This trip was the trip planned for the year that I retired. Brad met us there also since it was a trip for me. It started kind of shaky. There was a hurricane coming and it was to hit in South Texas the day we were flying out. We weren’t going to get the brunt of it, but it was going to stop air traffic for our area. We were at the airport and they kept canceling planes and moving us to different gates. I was getting really nervous. It didn’t effect Brad because he was meeting us from Dallas. They pushed our plane back twice. I thought we were doomed. At the time we were to board they were saying that would be the last plane out before the next day. I was kind of panicking. It got kind of serious because they were rushing us during the boarding process. Announcing us to hurry and saying if we don’t get on board and seated, they would not be able to takeoff. Well, we finally loaded and took off. The only thing was we had to go to Montgomery, Alabama, deboard and get on another plane. So we get to Montgomery late that night. It is a tiny airport and there are about 10 people waiting at our gate. That would be the only people on our plane so we had a ton of room. I had an entire row to myself. We get to Disney way later than anticipated. So when we got to Wilderness Lodge, it was baron. I was like wow we were the only people in the place. So the next day we kind of slept in and waited for Brad. We did go to Whispering Canyon for lunch. The food is great there, but they also do some fun stuff. For example, if you ask for ketchup, you have to yell “we need ketchup” then everyone there brings the ketchup from their table to yours. I have two pictures showing our table from years ago and from this trip. (Here’s a video https://photos.app.goo.gl/EgMeD52E16ootTwN8)They also do that about straws. Also, if you asked for a little more tea, they bring you a tiny glass of tea. That day we went to Disney Springs, Brad wasn’t going to get there until late that night. We had a dinner plan for that night. It was a character dinner about Snow White called “Storybook Dining”. All the food resembled what was eaten in the movie, wild mushrooms, hunters harvest, things described that way. There were also drinks with names associated with Snow White. I got the “enchanted apple“ it was a green martini with sour apple. Not all the Snow White characters came out. They didn’t have all the seven dwarfs, but you had Grumpy and Dopey. We got pics and saw Snow White herself. Then the witch or evil queen came out. She was fantastic. https://photos.app.goo.gl/F1Z4Sny63sq65EmGA Her facial expressions and how she acted was great. I even imitated her when I got a picture with her. We also saw some good friends from Colorado. Kari Cochran and her husband Scott and their two kids. Kari was a trainer at Deer Park in the early 2000s. Great people! They have their kids and we visited with them before dinner. They are huge Disney people as well. The next morning we went to Animal Kingdom early. Brad got there about two that night. We did all the Animal Kingdom things. I even got a “ I’m retired” button. It was great having all four of us on the trip. I really can’t wait to have Jai and Jaicy with us, but Brad hadn’t been in a few years so it felt like “home“ having him there.https://photos.app.goo.gl/xKZAB4zAK6CWh35G7 They even videoed me the entire time on the yeti ride. Of course we went to Ohana that night for dinner. I wore my “I’m retired“ Disney shirt that I got from the Lounsbury’s. Then we went to Magic Kingdom just to see the fireworks. We met Kari and Scott there and spent some time waiting for the show. It was as magical as always, and we got some really good pics. The next day we went to Epcot and had breakfast at the “Garden Grill“. It had Chip and Dale and Mickey and a great breakfast. Tressa made us all the shirts. Mine said “I’m retired“. Everyone else said “with the retired guy”. We did all the Epcot stuff and I did ride guardians again and thought I could master it. https://photos.app.goo.gl/inwQX3qBowxZd2hf6You can see in the videos that I did not master it.https://photos.app.goo.gl/MV9kvxgBxfuDqamF7 Unfortunately, I feel like that is the last time I will ever ride that ride. We ate in France. I like it there, the food is great and it feels kinda open. Hollywood was next the next morning. It was kind of rainy, but that’s OK. It seems to always be. Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster, Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror. We did them all and we got to take all our yearly pics. Star Wars was a little different. As we watched some of the show outside, there was some whacked out guy that seemed to act like it was real. He had a plastic Lightsaber and he was pointing it and talking to the characters like he was in the show. His underwear was hanging out and everything. Anyway, we got pics with frozen and Edna and Mr. Incredible. And even road the original “Star tours”. Brad used to love that ride. One year he wanted to ride it over and over. So even though I hated it, I rode it about five times in a row. Then we went and met Darth Vader and ate at “Sci-Fi Diner“ the food is not great and the cars are sometimes too tight. But man, what a drive-in movie experience. I love it. We hit Magic Kingdom the next day. We head to “Tiana‘s Bayou“ first thing in the morning. It was the first time we ever road it I think. It used to be “Splash Mountain“. They reimagined it after the “Princess and the frog“ movie, and it was basically the same ride but a different theme. It was really cool how you start off normal size then get small then back to normal size and end up at Tiana‘s party. The grandma is funny in it as well. We did people mover and road Tron (I did not). Then of course, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean and of course I ask the kids what’s in Davy Jones locker question and they made jokes which I loved as you can see in the videos I added it. It took four videos for them to participate correctly.
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Whatever the case THAT!! is another thing that makes Disney special to me. Seeing my kids have fun at Disney with us and making jokes. The laugh floor is always a blast especially when you see some of us in the jokes or videos. That year we also spent extra and went to the dessert party at Magic Kingdom and you get a special roped off area where you can see the fireworks and it isn’t crowded. I like the special area part but the dessert part was not special.https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xi9sHQXNLkmXtD8N9 I would rather just have the roped off area. It also kind of takes away from all those years standing and waiting by Casey’s corner. Whatever the case it was still magical. That was our last night so we were all sad and took the “we are sad picture”. The next day, though we ate breakfast at Whispering Canyon. We all got the “all you can eat skillet“ and also had dessert. It was the perfect meal and ending to another great trip. It doesn’t matter how many times I go there is always something new and magical that makes me want to keep coming back. This trip it was when the kids jacked with me on “Pirates”, or the funny comments on “Tiana“ or the laughter at “France“ or mine and Tresses “Toy story pic“ like always. Whatever the case, when I am with my family, it always is special. It makes it feel like “Home“ https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wc8GLZN7grj9jdaL7
Y’all be safe out there!!
