#USAnumber3: Helen & Andy - Nov2018 - Day 1: Epcot & Magic Kingdom

[ely3857]

I felt every moment of your frustration with the Bon Jovi tickets (having secured Little Mix tickets for my children for Christmas. I neither wanted them myself and considered them expensive!).

So glad you pulled the day back by switching from EPCOT to MK, last Aug we had issues with EPCOT that we’ve never had before, rides going tech was a big issue.

[collybird]

I had the same saga the last time I tried to buy tickets for something. Why do they have to make it so difficult!? Just show me a seating plan, I’ll pick a seat, then let me know what it costs, then I’ll decide. I didn’t even realise there was so many different classes of tickets now, TicketMaster actually did themselves out of money with their silly systems because I thought the seats I actually wanted were sold out, when it turns out they were just in a different category, but didn’t realise until after I’d bought cheaper ones. Well, that was a diversion from the matter in hand. P.S. I cannot buy you didn’t actually buy the tickets in the end, I’d have been fuming.

You would think that Disney would be a bit better at communicating things and someone would tell you when you’re being held before rope drop that Frozen is down. If I was one of those people who had marched there from the main entrance, I’d have been furious!

I have the Cat Lady t-shirt, I do agree it’s disappointing about it only being in white, it’s not really my colour.

Glad you enjoyed Garden Grill, we are big fans. It’s nice to see they have sausages now, as last time we ate there it was ham yuck!

I believe the rocks in Tomorrowland have always been there but they have recently been painted that blue colour.

I think we’re going to take a similar FP approach to you this year, I was debating not booking any apart from headliners and just picking them up on the day, but that’s just silly. So I’ll book a few with loose plans then just play roulette on the day and see what comes up, rather than being confined to a plan. It’s good to see you had a lot of luck with decent rides.

HAHAHA Hand platters.

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by loldis

I saw this pop up as "do not read" - do you know how tempting it is to sneak in and read it?

Chip has the brown nose, like a chocolate chip. Can't remember who told me that (probably a CM) but it's stuck with me for years. Glad you loved the breakfast.

Great first day, love all the FP hopping - that's definitely how to do MK.

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Haha, I am sorry about that. It’s because I post my photos straight from my phone rather than using a hosting site so posting is always a bit of a protracted affair.

That is a good tip re Chip & Dale. Thanks! Nice and easy to remember!

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by sheluk

Wow what a first day!

Yes to breakfast at GG- we loved our visit last year. Also lucky to get one of those booths. Can’t wait to go back!

Sounds like you made the right decision leaving Epcot. I saw it coming in the sweat fest build up you mentioned.

And first evening in Magic Kingdom is just magic! Some great fastpass skills shown there & apart from the massive queue at Starbucks sounds like a wildly successful evening.

Here’s hoping work and your social life calm down in Feb for the next instalment

Also, if you get chance would love some thanksgiving related tips as looks like we will be covering that week (as our final week) next year. Thank youuu xx

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Thanks! Yes, GG was just as good as everyone told me it would be. Wish I were going there for breakfast today...

We had a great MK evening. It just goes to show what you can accomplish when there are only a couple of you and you have no plan. Would be harder to do in other parks I think as MK has the most rides.

Yes, I am so sorry. I have seen your message - I am desperately behind on everything (other than work!) at the moment. Will ping you a reply soon xx

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by Redrach1903

Omg what a faff with the tickets! I could feel the frustration!

Such a treat being able to walk along to Epcot. The Boardwalk is sooooo beautiful!

Question – has Frozen moved to Mexico? Seriously though, what a bummer it was down! Not a great start! Yay to Soarin' though!

Can't believe you have never checked out the aquarium before! I love it! Especially the rescued manatees! Love the Bruce pics! I can never get in about cos of all those pesky kids that seem to hang around

Totally agree about the dining plan. It's too much planning (and I like to plan!). We will defo do QS if we ever stay onsite again!
Oooof that cinnamon bun looks AMAZING! So glad you enjoyed the breakfast and Chip is the one with the brown nose (chocolate chip – see?).

Very happy to see the annual Canadian PJs were purchased, very cute!

Well done on the nap. Although 45 minutes is pretty pathetic in my book Hahaha! Seriously though, it is nice to sometimes just take some time out and chill rather than feeling like you have to stay in the park!

Ahhh MK Love that Photo Pass you got at the top of Main St! Such a keeper!

Ahahahahaha hand platters! Oh Andy! What a lad!

Such a lovely night at MK, you were so lucky with the Fast Passes. Hilarious that you rode the Goofy coaster together! Hehe!

Thanks for sharing, I can't WAIT for day 2! xxx

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No, Frozen is not in Mexico, as well you know. Only Frozen margaritas there (boom boom). But that’s where they’d roped it off from.

I thought 45 minutes was excellent work on the nap front. Must do better.

Hand platters 🙈😹

What’s so funny about the Goofy coaster? Apart from the sight of me trying to get out of it at the end...?

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by mick

A great day
Crikey it was hard work trying to get tickets I would have given up long before you did


Joan

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Thanks Joan.

Well, I’m a type A completer-finisher so not getting the tickets was making me furious!

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by Cazzius

Bad Epcot, don't they know you have a plan and rides that need to be ridden?

Your breakfast at Garden Grill looks really good and is now firmly on the list for our next trip. Can't believe Mickey blanked you though, how rude!

"She never drinks the water, makes you order French Champagne" nice to see a bit of Ricky Martin, Livin La Vida Loca make an appearance

A shame that Epcot was letting you down today, but at least it meant you were able to check out Hurricane Hanna's, have a nap and head off to the Magic Kingdom feeling refreshed.

Good work on the FP+ roulette, lots of fun rides with hardly any waiting.

OMG, the "Ah'm 25" comment would have had me in fits, did you crack up in the queue.

What's the new mug like? We already have Magic Kingdom but there's no harm in getting the new one just in case.

I swear Starbucks at Disney has the slowest staff. Don't know why as they are super busy but I would hate to see that lot working in one of the London City branches of a morning.

Hand Platters?! Excellent.

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Yeah GG was super. Pastry with gooey icing, Tater Tots & bacon. What’s not to like? The coffee was good too.

Totally cracked up in the queue at the boy’s Scarlett O’Hara impression. Andy was almost crying.

It’s a Tomorrowland mug. I must take a pic so I can include it in the next instalment. I thought that about the staff in Starbucks too. Lovely, but sooooo slooooow.

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by moosha

I could feel your pain at the ticket (not)buying debacle...I spent an hour each on three consecutive mornings last summer trying to buy Twenty One Pilots tickets. Then after school each day I found myself on the receiving end of a minor teenage strop as Seren couldn’t understand why I hadn’t just been able to get them 🙄. Got there in the end but those ‘I am not a robot’ things are the work of the devil and pre-sales are not what they once were...back in the day you were pretty much guaranteed some good tickets by 9.05 at a reasonable price. Very frustrating start to the day for you.

Shame Epcot wasn’t behaving itself either, what a pain that so many rides were down. Epcot has definitely become my least favourite park and Future World is really in need of some new rides. Glad you enjoyed your breakfast though, the cinnamon bun looks great.

I love the idea of FastPass roulette, sounds like a fun way to enjoy an afternoon at Magic Kingdom.

The Starbucks in the parks (especially Magic Kingdom) are always so busy, we tend to have at least one Starbucks coffee a day at Disney so I dread to think how much of our precious holiday time was spent in those queues (although in fairness I tend to send Mat in and have a browse in a nearby shop). Gotta get those mugs though, last year I had to get all four new park ones and I also got the Florida ‘Been There’ series one with all the writing on. I’m sure there are a couple more new ones for this trip too (there’s definitely a Been There’ Universal one that’s on the list.)

The hand platter conversation had me laughing out loud 🤣 and the kid saying he was 25 would have had us in hysterics too.

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more (when you get a chance) . I know how it is, I’m further behind than you on my August report .

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Oh the ticket anguish. It’s just such hard work and I swear it’s all just to make you go “FINE!” and grumpily stump up for the “best available” which are inevitably the same price as a mortgage payment, out of sheer irritation and panic.

We have the Universal mug, plus all the first and second iterations of the park ones. And the Orlando & Florida ones you can get in Starbucks in Disney Springs. I didn’t know there was a Universal one til some kind Dibber pointed it out in my 2016 comments. There are now two others available, a Fantasyland specific mug, and a Tomorrowland one.

“Hand platters” still cracks me up. I hope the report didn’t peak on day two but I fear it may have done. 😹

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by Palm trees

Respect for the sustained, if unsuccessful, effort to get the tickets! It sounds like a great first day even though Epcot was a bit of a fail in parts. We've got garden grill booked for our next trip and I'm looking forwards to it even more after reading your report.

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Thanks! Definitely a bit of a false start at Epcot but the breakfast more than made up for it!

[HelenJNT]

Originally Posted by princess allie

Wow what a busy first day. I love reading your reports, they always make me laugh x

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Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying it!