I'll begin with the basics.
Trip Dates: May 20th-27th
Accommodations: Pop Century Resort (preferred room, 4th floor, 70's section)
Meal Plan: Quick Service (2 meals and 2 snacks per person per day)
Transportation: We decided to fly a couple of weeks before our trip. A splurge for sure but totally worth it. We used Magical Express to get back and forth from the airport.
Dog Boarding: Pampered Pet Resort
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Park Schedule:
Sunday - Animal Kingdom
Monday - Epcot
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom
Wednesday - Hollywood Studios
Thursday - Magic Kingdom
Friday - Epcot
Travel Days:
We spent our first Saturday (5/20) at the resort and our second Saturday (5/27) at Disney Springs.
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A few firsts (things we did not experience last year):
Animal Kingdom
Lilly rode Expedition Everest 3 times and loved it!
Flights of Wonder
Finding Nemo - The Musical
Rivers of Light was initially delayed but ultimately cancelled the only day we were at AK (we did not purchase park hoppers). Sad to have missed this!
[Pandora: World of Avatar opened the day we checked out so we will have to see it at a later date.]
Epcot
Kidcot (World Showcase)
The Land
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
Turtle Talk with Crush
Hollywood Studios
Lilly almost got to participate in Jedi Training. It started to storm as the kids were getting ready so the show was cancelled.
Magic Kingdom
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (Ellen really got into this)
Journey of the Little Mermaid
Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Enchanted Tiki Hut
Country Bear Jamboree
Festival of Fantasy Parade
Happily Ever After Fireworks (these are new but we did not get to see Wishes last year)
Miscellaneous
Pin Trading
Disney Springs - We went to Disney Springs for a quick dinner on our last trip but this time we actually spent the better part of a day walking, shopping and exploring the area.
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We also met several characters for the first time: Flick, Pocahontas, Anna & Elsa, Baymax, Olaf and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. We did not get to officially meet Mary Poppins but we got to say goodbye as she headed inside.
I wanted to see more characters but Phillip and the kids were not really into it. Who are you people?!
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The stroller we borrowed from Andrea and Caleb was a lifesaver last year but this year we were stroller-free and it was so nice. I thought we would end up renting one at least a day or two but Lilly was a trooper.
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Ellen was planning on getting Minnie ears last year but ended up choosing a different souvenir. Much to my surprise, she has been talking about wanting them ever since. Finding the perfect Minnie ears was top priority. After searching in multiple shops, both girls purchased a pair in Hollywood Studios. (And all was right with the world.)
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Compared to last year, I was a lot more prepared this go round. And not just because this was our second big trip. I listened to Disney podcasts and found a great website that helped me develop a good touring plan. Knowledge is power.
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I am somewhat conflicted about the food situation at WDW. Specifically, meal plan or no meal plan? We chose the quick service plan this time because we thought it would allow for more flexibility and because we did not use all of our table service credits last year. We used all of our meals and snacks this trip but it took major planning and effort. Not sure if the meal plan is really worth it for us financially speaking, but it was nice having our meals paid for in advance. We definitely would not have purchased two snacks per person per day if we were paying for them on the spot. Maybe if we had more dinners in the parks I would feel like we got our money's worth (we ate at Pop Century's food court more than I anticipated). Not sure. Next time we go, Ellen will be considered an adult so we'll have to crunch the numbers and see if paying out of pocket makes more sense.
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Magic bands!
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Saturday, May 20th
Early flight. Never again.
We packed sunscreen and bathing suits in our carry on so Ellen and Lilly could swim while we waited for our room assignment.
I did some exploring since we had quite a bit of time to kill.
I walked over to Art of Animation - it's so close!
The theming was spectacular. I only went to a few areas (it's huge!) but would love to spend more time there.
Dinglehopper!
Back to Pop Century...
View from outside our room.
We all walked over to Art to Animation later that evening for dinner.
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I really liked Pop Century. I wasn't sure what to expect but I liked the decades theme, the grand scale of the decor (Giant cell phone? Yes, please.) and the Hippy Dippy pool was fun (although no slide). The Bowling Pool was great too. The room was basic but that worked for us. I would definitely stay there again.
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Up next: Animal Kingdom!
