First Disney Keeno Day and First Water Park

11th August - Magic Kingdom with Giss

When Giss and me realised we both had the same days off we decided to have a Disney Keeno day at Magic Kingdom. Upon arrival first on my list was to purchase some Minnie Mouse ears, I had originally thought I'd want the sequinned ones but when I tried them on I found them to be really scratchy so opted for the felted ones instead which were much comfier. Then time to pose for a quick snap with my new ears in front of the castle!!! Eeeek!

We had no real itinerary for what we wanted to go on so just casually joined lines for any rides we were in the mood to go on. We ended up going on most of the rides and I also got to meet my first Disney Princess Tiana!! I was concerned about meeting her as everyone in the line before us were children all under the age of 10, and her interactions with them were so cute. So I figured as Giss and I were older she wouldn't really interact with us much but boy was I wrong, I had so much fun talking to her about Jaffa Cakes, bacon haha  she was so much fun to meet.

Giss had to go and collect something at Epcot so we said goodbye to Magic Kingdom and hopped onto the monorail over to there, our home park.

We joined the single rider line for Test Track which was at 20 minutes, but we somehow ended up just walking on to the ride and having a car to ourselves...madness but hey I'm not complaining :P. Then after some exploring around Future world and going on some more rides we headed over to our workplace the World Showcase and had a mooch around. 

Yet again, another wonderful day in Walt Disney World.

12th August - Typhoon Lagoon

 The sun was shining, the temperature was soaring so what better than to spend a day at a water park - Typhoon Lagoon!

From memory I think this was my favourite of the Disney water parks as a child so I was keen to return, but this time with my Mexican flatmates Anilu and Giss. 

After getting ourselves a locker and finding the perfect spot to set up base, we headed on out to explore the park, and we ended up spending a lot of our time out on the lazy river - one of the best things there is as well as spending some time in the wave machine pool. It was so nice to sunbathe and relax, then on our way out of the park who should we bump into but Stitch doing a meet and greet, so of course we had to stop for a photo with him (even though if I am honest I'm not really his biggest fan - shhh!)

In the afternoon we ventured over to Coronado Springs Resort which is where Anilu had worked previously as a Concierge Cast Member, so we were able to have a guided tour around which was really cool and Anilu got to meet up with some familiar faces which was lovely. 

We finished the day by heading to Cast Connections, which is an exclusive cast member only place where you can purchase discounted merchandise. You want to take the whole shop home but your bank balance soon reminds you to calm the heck down and take control of your finances haha otherwise it would be so easy to take so much away with you.

Days out with two Hollie/Holly's at two wonderful Disney Kingdoms

Walmart Shopping and first trip to THE Magic Kingdom with Holly - 3rd August

The bus to Walmart from Disney Housing takes foreverrrr THEN when you get there you lose hours of your life, that is if like me you have no real plan/idea on what you need/how to navigate around. Whereas my friend Laura from my arrival group is quite the pro and can be in and out in 30mins whereas it takes me a minimum of an hour and that's on a good day (Mental Note Made: I need to learn lessons from Laura).

The things you find in Walmart are most bizarre so not only is there an aisle dedicated to 'gun accessories' a sight you would never see back home you can find baked beans in a tin which are MAPLE flavoured?!?!

Like that is NOT okay, and Vodka Pasta Sauce? It baffles me to be honest. Not forgetting the fact that you just cannot fully explain the size of the place and the size of the things they sell. So say you wanted a loaf of bread or some grapes or a carton of juice? over here (well in Walmart at least) you can only purchase things that will feed a family of 4 for a fortnight. So shopping for one is very hard especially when you know your flat only has one fridge/freezer for 6 of you. What fun!


So after my Walmart adventure, three hours later I had returned home and was preparing to leave for an evening of magic. I had arranged to go to Magic Kingdom for the first time this program with Holly (who I had interviewed with back in Oct'14). We arranged to meet after she had finished work and she would get the Monorail over to Magic Kingdom and meet me at the bus stop (as I would have been clueless as to which direction to head in). As we wondered over I caught the far off views of Space Mountain and my excitement began to build. Stepping through those gates/check in area for the first time as a cast member was just the best feeling ever!! I had finally arrived. All those wishing on stars and all the stress and emotional roller-coaster it took to get here it was now a reality. Seeing Cinderella's castle even though having seen it before when I was 6 years old and 15 years old was just as magical and exciting as the first time.

We managed to pack in quite a bit and Holly being the pro had sorted us out for fast passes so we managed to go on quite a few rides such as Ariel's (Under The Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid), Peter Pan's Flight and I went on Haunted Mansion for the first time which was cool. I had previously avoided Haunted Mansion thinking it was a creepy house you walked around...oh what a fool was I or should I say foolish mortal ;). It ended up being lots of fun to ride. 

Then the magical moments of the evening included being Pixie dusted for the first time which is just amazing, you can get it done at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and if you are a Disney Keeno like myself then it is simply a must! Then I got to see Celebrate The Magic for the first time which was just incredible. Without sounding too old, the whole phrase of "kids these days don't realise how lucky they are", the technology that Disney has access to now only enhances the Disney experience and if you ever visit it is a must do alongside Wishes. Wishes is definitely one of those tear jerker's for Disney Keenos there is just so many feels when you watch and listen to it. Yet again a must do to anyone who visits.

We got to also see the ending of Main Street Electrical Parade which I remember being in awe of as a child. Overall it was just a magical evening and big thanks goes out to Holly for planning such a magical time :).

Animal Kingdom with Hollie - 4th August

From one Kingdom to another and time to meet my FIRST Disney character - of course my favourite - POCAHONTAS!!!!!!! This was the highlight of the day for me 

We of course took the obligatory selfie with the Tree of Life then headed on our merry way to It's Tough to Be a Bug 4D which is full of special effects and some creepy crawlies too! After the show we braved it and went to Expedition Everest of which we opted for the single rider queue and practically were able to walk on. I love the buzz you get after coming off this ride, as I am one big wimp it's always a sense of achievement when I get off this ride. Then time for my first ride on Dinosaur, a lot of people had gotten me nervous about this ride saying how terrifying it was, so I spent the majority of my time on the ride anticipating something really bad to happen, only it never did and I got off like what the hell was everyone on about? They are clearly quite the pranksters. 

After a lot of fun going on all the rides it was time for a pit stop and grab some food. We chose Flame Tree BBQ, where I got to try corn bread for the first time, and I wasn't that much of a fan of it to be honest but pleased I got to try it, then I had some BBQ beans with some ribs. Now it being Animal Kingdom and all it was only right that as Hollie and I were eating we were joined by lots of wildlife how very Disney of us. 

In the evening we decided to go shopping at the Outlets and I ended up wanting to party in Forever 21 as the music selection they play in store is very much on point!