"If I Was Any Better, I'd Be Twins!" - A Diabolical, Divalicious September '24 Solo Trip *UPDATE 02/01*

[VAtink]

I don’t know how many of you have ever lost the amount of weight I’ve lost/am still trying to lose, but the one thing that all of the professionals have told me about over the past several years is to cherish these “non-scale victories,” these wins that come separate from the milestones of actual pounds lost. Getting back the ability to ride Mine Train without any pain… THIS has been one of my biggest non-scale victories so far!

I hear you on this! I've been on my own weight loss journey this year after a health scare put me in the hospital back in January for a few days. While I still have a ways to go, I've made good progress, and the difference in this past trip vs ones in recent years was surprising (in a good way). My ride victory was FoP, while I've always "fit" it hasn't been easy, usually there's a lot of adjusting and the CM always had to come over and push the back restraint until it clicked into place. This past trip was the first trips where I easily slid into the seat, and the back restraint clicked in with no help from a CM! I was so giddy afterwards, I couldn't believe it! Definitely makes it easier to drag myself out of bed in the morning to workout having that experience in the back of my mind. Also, awesome job on your own weight loss, that's so great you can ride Mine Train without pain!

 

[HappyGal]

I can’t wait to see how you personalized your pumpkin ears!!!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

You already had me sold on the embroidered tote bag and personalized Mickey ears since they were so cute! Can’t wait to see these Halloween Mickey ears.

 

[piglet1979]

Brooke Hyland walked by! I did a total double take I went to her social media to see if she had been in Florida recently, and she was definitely here in Orlando per her stories!

I loved watching this show. Elizabeth and I watched all the seasons (me for the second time) over 2020. I would have been so excited to see her.

Pictured above: a very happy girl on a pain-free ride I don’t know how many of you have ever lost the amount of weight I’ve lost/am still trying to lose, but the one thing that all of the professionals have told me about over the past several years is to cherish these “non-scale victories,” these wins that come separate from the milestones of actual pounds lost. Getting back the ability to ride Mine Train without any pain… THIS has been one of my biggest non-scale victories so far!

I am so proud of you. You have been doing a great job. This is defiantly a big win. I need to get moving on my end to lose weight. I am the heaviest I have ever been. I am almost 80 ponds heavier then when I got married.

 

[Newsies]

I hear you on this! I've been on my own weight loss journey this year after a health scare put me in the hospital back in January for a few days. While I still have a ways to go, I've made good progress, and the difference in this past trip vs ones in recent years was surprising (in a good way). My ride victory was FoP, while I've always "fit" it hasn't been easy, usually there's a lot of adjusting and the CM always had to come over and push the back restraint until it clicked into place. This past trip was the first trips where I easily slid into the seat, and the back restraint clicked in with no help from a CM! I was so giddy afterwards, I couldn't believe it! Definitely makes it easier to drag myself out of bed in the morning to workout having that experience in the back of my mind. Also, awesome job on your own weight loss, that's so great you can ride Mine Train without pain!

Debbie, that's epic!!! Congratulations on your FoP milestone!!!

I read this comment yesterday but didn't have the chance to respond while I was at work, but I thought about it this morning! It was 40 degrees and dark at 6:30 in the morning, and I thought to myself, "ugh, do I really have to get up and go for my morning walk?" and then I remembered your comment and how great it felt to get on Mine Train and how being able to do these fun things at Disney is the ultimate motivator for me to stay active at home!

I can’t wait to see how you personalized your pumpkin ears!!!

Eeek can't wait to show you!!

You already had me sold on the embroidered tote bag and personalized Mickey ears since they were so cute! Can’t wait to see these Halloween Mickey ears.

They're all so cute!!! I can't wait to show the Mickey pumpkin ears!

I am so proud of you. You have been doing a great job. This is defiantly a big win. I need to get moving on my end to lose weight. I am the heaviest I have ever been. I am almost 80 ponds heavier then when I got married.

You are the best Stephanie!

I know how tough it is to get started on this journey! If we're being real: I couldn't motivate myself, change only happened when I spoke to my doctor. I did so many diets/"life hacks" that I saw on social media, started a renowned fitness program in my area, followed what felt intuitive to me... nothing happened. I had to tell my Doctor how I was feeling and ask for help. We had to go through different rounds of medication and talk to different specialists and it was a year of waiting for an appointment to do an intake with my health provider's true "Weight Management" program that had an endocrinologist, lifestyle coach, and dietician I could speak to. You are not alone! There are so many professionals out there and in your network who can help you make the chance you want to see in your life! I'm rooting for you!

 

[Newsies]

Diva-ing Out with the Steps​

So then I went on Pirates. It was a blast. Then I basically immediately went back up towards Frontierland to see the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree and look who I ran into!

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He’s so cute! Had to get a pic with him because I was wearing my Trixie bear/Sabrina Carpenter t-shirt. It’s a lyric from her song Espresso– “I’m working late ‘cause I’m a singer.” It’s funny because Trixie’s a singer. We’ll come back to this shirt in the next paragraph.

Then I went in to see the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree for the first time. I had a lot of fun! It felt longer than the OG show and while I missed the OG songs, I really enjoyed the updated costumes and animatronics. I can’t wait to see it again with my family next time we’re at the Parks!

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Once that was over, it was getting close to 10:45 and I really wanted to take some photos with the Step-Sisters, so I went back to Cinderella’s fountain, where there were a few families in line already. The Step-Sisters soon arrived for some photos and after several fun interactions with the parties ahead of me, it was my turn to say hi to Drizella and Anastasia.

“You’re working late?” Drizella asked as she read my shirt. “That’s so sad.”

“It’s ‘cause I’m a singer!” I finished the line for her.

“Can you sing something for us?” She asked.

“Siiiing, sweeeet Nightingaaaale… fa-la-la-la-laaaaa!” I riffed, putting my finger up to an imaginary ear piece like a true pop diva.

“Oh, we sang that!” Anastasia said.

“Yes, and you were amazing. Wait, one of you sang and one of you was a flute player. Who was the flute player?” I asked.

“Oh, that was me. I wanted to sing but my mom encouraged me to try other things.” Anastasia pouted.

“Not Lady Tremaine blocked you from releasing the song of the summer!” I gasped.

“Is it still summer?” Drizella wondered. “I’ve been telling fall jokes for two weeks now.”

“Let’s hear one!” I encouraged her.

“Okay, what do Cinderella and corn have in common?” She started.

“They’re both corny.” I nodded.

“No. Well, yes, but no. It’s that they both have ears but don’t listen.” She explained.

“Oh, that’s a good one!” I said.

“I don’t have any fall jokes.” Anastasia pouted.

“You could fall over.” Drizella riffed. “That could be funny.”

“Wait, I have a scary joke.” Anastasia remembered. “Ready? What did the ghost say to the other ghost?”

We waited with baited breath for the answer.

“Boo.” She said as she ran off to hide in a corner.

“Not you jump-scared us!” I gasped.

“Wait, I have another scary joke.” Drizella continued. “What’s really scary?”

Again, we leaned in, waiting for the answer.

“Cinderella.” She whispered.

“NOOOO!” Anastasia and I gasped.

Then it was time for us to take our royal portraits.

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As I said goodbye to them, I could hear Drizella in the background pout and say, “Wait, this was fun.” I’m pretty sure that’s the highest compliment the Step-Sisters can legally give a guest. It was the best character interaction of the trip, although I had some really great ones!

Then I went to my next LLMP at Haunted Mansion, where I asked a few CMs what their bats were named. This would be the start of me asking every single CM wearing a bat headband what their bats names were this entire trip. I knew it was tradition for the Halloween Party costume-d CMs to have bat names, but I didn’t know that all Mansion CMs named their bats too!

The two CMs at LLMP greeter told me their bats were named Neil Batrick Harris and Bat Benatar. They also told me that when the first ever HM CMs got their costumes, they got a note with their Bat headbands that said, “This bat is a CM too, you should give it a name!” The more you know!

After my HM LLMP, it was FINALLY time for me to experience Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the very first time! I couldn’t get over there fast enough!

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There are simply not enough words in the English language that can properly express how much I love this ride. I love the animatronics. I love the fresh life it breathes into the mountain. I LOVED the scene where we were shrunk down! They were so creative with the original track – there is just nothing to not love about this ride!

At this point, it was time to start wrapping up my morning. I didn’t want to stay in the park too long, as I was looking forward to a nap before my party, but I was just having too much dang fun! By this point, I had gotten the text that my custom ears were ready at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, so I went to pick them up. Drumroll please…

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I couldn’t love them any more!!! The bats with the hearts are especially cute, definitely my favorite part of the ears! Do I love them more than my birthday ears? … Maybe.

A word of caution… I sadly was not able to wear these on any other day of my trip They will tell you multiple times when you pick your ears up that you cannot wear these when it’s raining, you cannot get them wet because they paint will come off. As I’m sure you all know, last month was very wet at Walt Disney World. During my week in particular, it rained every day at one point or another, so these hung back in my room for the rest of the trip. But now they live on a special place on my vanity in my bedroom and I get to love them all the time!

Once I picked up my ears, I made my way to the front of the park for a quick bite at Casey’s Corner, where I found a table to stand at while I ate the street corn french fries:

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Casey offers seasonal “toppings” for their nuggets, hot dogs, and french fries. The fall offering is this street corn/elote, pulled pork, jalapeno ranch, and cilantro. Now, I hate jalapenos and I’m not a fan of ranch, but after seeing the photos and reviews from Casey’s this month, I knew I had to try this and I’m so glad I did! The pork and corn together were so good, the corn added a little bit of sweetness that balanced out the spiciness of this dish. I’m also very glad I got these on fries instead of a hot dog or corn dog tots – the fries were hot and fresh and were the best possible base to really enjoy such heavy toppings. Overall just a great lunch that wasn’t too heavy!

So then I really went back to the front of the park to leave… and stopped at the confectionery to get some of that custom popcorn mix to snack on in my room later. I got some type of halloween mix that had M&Ms and an orange chocolate drizzle. THIS was diabolical, I’ll show photos later.

Then I REALLY went to leave the park… and saw that Mickey had a 5 minute wait and nobody in the queue.

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So then I REALLY, REALLY went to leave the park… and Snow White wanted to say hi to me as I was walking out of town square theatre. We had a conversation about different types of pies for fall.

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Then I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY went back to Animal Kingdom Lodge!

Click here to continue​

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Great character interactions! And you got do much done. The Halloween ears are adorable! I love your pink bag. Where did you get it from?

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Love those Halloween ears! Seriously so cute

 

[Newsies]

Great character interactions! And you got do much done. The Halloween ears are adorable! I love your pink bag. Where did you get it from?

I was so surprised at how much I had done that morning!! I think this was my first time ever being at Magic Kingdom on the morning of a party without being at the actual party -- the rumors are true, this is the best time to be at the Parks!

Sooo glad you love the Halloween ears!!!

Thank you so much! My pink bag is a custom bag from Stoney Clover Lane (this is the Jumbo Fanny Pack in Bubblegum, built through the Customizer on site -- they have so many Disney patches and bag patterns to customize your bag with!). If you love it, you should sign up for emails on their website now because they don't do a Black Friday event -- they'll do a "SCL Friday" event towards the beginning of November with their best deals of the year!

Love those Halloween ears! Seriously so cute

Thank you so much!!

 

[piglet1979]

I know how tough it is to get started on this journey! If we're being real: I couldn't motivate myself, change only happened when I spoke to my doctor. I did so many diets/"life hacks" that I saw on social media, started a renowned fitness program in my area, followed what felt intuitive to me... nothing happened. I had to tell my Doctor how I was feeling and ask for help. We had to go through different rounds of medication and talk to different specialists and it was a year of waiting for an appointment to do an intake with my health provider's true "Weight Management" program that had an endocrinologist, lifestyle coach, and dietician I could speak to. You are not alone! There are so many professionals out there and in your network who can help you make the chance you want to see in your life! I'm rooting for you!

I just need to start moving. Yesterday I think I only had 1000 steps. I have been lazy. My other issue is DD. I was doing really good losing weight at the beginning of 2021. Then DD got a really bad concussion in the fall, then got really sick with months of trying to figure out what was wrong and then they put her on meds that caused her to have suicidal thoughts. It was a really bad end to 2021 and the beginning half of 2022. I was just so stressed out and didn't have as much time. This past year has been bad again. she has been in the ER 8 times since the beginning of May. She has been finally diagnosed with POTS and then this summer she got whooping cough that took months to figure out. The stress just kills me and I need to get that under control. I did lose 10 pounds in September and the early part of October so I am trying to keep it up. I lost in not a great way though. I got whooping cough from DD and then a virus from DS and then went on a cruise and was seasick with bad side effects from the patch that I was hoping to not make me seasick.

 

[piglet1979]

I loved your meet with the step sisters. It sounded so fun.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Oh, those fries sound delicious. Anything potato related is right up my alley. I had no idea they did seasonal toppings. Will definitely keep this in mind the next time I want a snack!

 

[Newsies]

I just need to start moving. Yesterday I think I only had 1000 steps. I have been lazy.

I feel this... it's been tough for me lately, too! The changing seasons/cold weather/later sunrises really put me in a funk and it's hard to do my AM walks now. I need to figure out a creative way to get steps in... I'll let you know what I figure one out!

The stress just kills me and I need to get that under control. I did lose 10 pounds in September and the early part of October so I am trying to keep it up. I lost in not a great way though. I got whooping cough from DD and then a virus from DS and then went on a cruise and was seasick with bad side effects from the patch that I was hoping to not make me seasick.

s to you!!!! I'm so sorry it's been stressful! Sending love and good vibes your way.

I loved your meet with the step sisters. It sounded so fun.

It was one of the best character interactions I've ever had! So much fun!

Oh, those fries sound delicious. Anything potato related is right up my alley. I had no idea they did seasonal toppings. Will definitely keep this in mind the next time I want a snack!

They were so good!!! And yes -- Casey's changes their toppings every 2-3 months or so. I always recommend checking out the Foodie Guides that Disney posts before every month because they'll talk about everything new coming to the park, including the Casey's menu!

 

[Newsies]

Let’s Boo This​

The only note I have from my few hours at the hotel was “Pool,” I really wanted to get some pool time in before I got ready for the party, so I swam around for a little while and I said hi to the flamingos at their habitat in between the pool and the hot tub. I really liked the pool area here because it was never insanely crowded. And I fell into this routine of getting out of the hot tub and drying off while I watched the flamingos in their habitat every time I visited – they were so much fun to watch! I’ve never been so close to flamingos before, they’re so funny.

So then I took a quick shower, did my makeup, and then I was ready for my 4th ever Not-So-Scary!

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So after snapping some pics and swapping some fuel rods, I was at the bus stop for Magic Kingdom by 4:15. This would be the worst bus experience of the trip – we started with 5 or 6 people at the stop, by 4:30, the bus rolled around and there were at least 50 of us. The bus driver opens up the bus, lets a scooter party off, lets us know that he will not be able to fit all of us but will do his best. Even at the front of the pack I barely made it on, was the second to last person on the bus and the guy behind me was standing right on that yellow line at the front of the bus and the bus driver was giving him very specific instructions on how to stand for optimal safety. Was definitely the most brutal bus ride and didn’t get to Magic Kingdom until 5:15, with tons of bumping around into other standing guests and a little bit of stand still traffic as we approached the Contemporary resort. Big oof. But everyone did our best to keep each other in high spirits, there was a grandmother singing nursery rhymes to keep an infant baby calm and we all joined in after some point.

Once we got to MK, it was a brisk walk through security and the tapstyles for wristbands. No hold up there. Then it was time to go through the “entrance trail!” There’s a weird side street behind the Confectionery that toes the line between “backstage” and “onstage” that you’ve seen if you’ve ever been to the Halloween Party OR if you’ve ever been stuck at Magic Kingdom on a particularly crowded evening, sometimes it’s an overflow walkway that they use to funnel people out of the park. Anyway, during the party, they bring out statues and a DJ and make it feel all spooky-like. This year, they also had CRUELLA DE VIL!

“Hi Diva!” I said to her.

“THAT’S RIGHT! HELLO!” She greeted me.

“Love you!” I shouted back.

“I KNOW.” She confidently responded.

One thing that’s changed is that they made this trail so much longer. You don’t want to miss out on it because you get your trick-or-treat bag and a full-size candy bar from this trail, but this used to be just in this little walkway and you’d all just exit out onto Main Street. Now, they guide you up through Tomorrowland Terrace and you get your full-size candy bar there before exiting out into Tomorrowland. It’s very strange. I guess it’s fun because it gives them the opportunity to do more fun things like character sightings and DJs, but Tomorrowland was not where I was hoping to be at this point, so I booked it over to Liberty Square.

First, I wanted to get some photos taken on the bridge. I LOVED my outfit and makeup and needed to document it before the rain came in/sweat ruined everything! Plus, there was an adorable confetti magic shot happening here.

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So at 5:30, I ended up getting in line for the Winnifred Minnie Mouse sipper at Sleepy Hollow. I was quite far back in line (probably close to 80-85 people, my starting spot in line was past the seating area and across from the exit doors for Hall of Presidents). However, I made fast friends with the people who were in front of me and behind me! It was great talking to them about our different experiences at Disney.

The line started moving ~6:30 PM and the friend in front of me said that his partner was getting the Nightmare Teddy popcorn bucket and asked if I’d like one as well, since she could have purchased 2. I originally wasn’t going to get any buckets, but watching people walk by with the Teddy bucket was giving me FOMO, so I said I’d love that and we coordinated that.

We got to the front of the line at 7:10 after a stressful hour and a half of Sleepy Hollow managers spieling that we might not get one, and I walked away victorious with both a Minnie Sipper and a Teddy bucket. And a bottle of water that came with my Minnie Sipper.

Afterwards, I ran to the Turkey Leg cart in Liberty Square for some dinner. I started thinking to myself that maybe this was not my finest idea – rope dropping Magic Kingdom, coming back to the hotel for no nap/swimming/shower/getting ready, then heading back to MK for the party – and I was starting to feel the burn. Hungry, tired, a little stressed out/overwhelmed from the brain fog that was starting to set in. I was so stressed and hungry that I got a Turkey Leg for dinner. That alone should have told you everything you needed to know about how rapidly my mental state was about to decline, since I haven’t had a Turkey Leg in quite literally over a decade.

Anyway, the sweet CM at the stand upsold me into a party-exclusive Sally Cake Pop as well and I sat down at this table at Sleepy Hollow and I looked at the Sipper and Popcorn Bucket I had just spent 1 hr 40 minutes in line for and I think $100 for the both of them and I just kind of ate my dinner and contemplated all of the life choices that have lead me to this point.

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Both items on my tray were great, actually! The Turkey Leg was much better than I remember it being, although some of the more “leathery” parts of the skin were still impossible to eat. Still, the dark meat was moist and flavorful, I desperately needed the protein here.

Also a big fan of the Sally Cake Pop. This was a vanilla cake with a strawberry (or raspberry?) jam inside. The cake was nice and moist, the jam was sweet, the whole ensemble was delicious if not a little messy. This wasn’t even on my radar for the evening but it ended up being a hit – I absolutely would get this again!

So after a few minutes of resting my feet and re-charging, I decided to get a start on the REAL party fun. I went through the treat trails in Liberty Square and Adventureland, asking every single party CM what their bat’s name was. Then I went back to the hub to take some photos with my new children:

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So divalicious. Face card never declined.

I decided to head to Tomorrowland to do Space Mountain, AKA my favorite thing to do at a MNSSHP. They turn all of the lights off for Space Mountain during the Halloween Party and it’s epic!!! It feels faster somehow. IDK how those physics work but it’s just something you have to do if you love Space Mountain and you’re visiting the Halloween Party in the next 5 days.

I saw that Tron had a 20 minute posted wait, we got held up in that one room between the merge point/linking room and the lockers for a while and it ended up being closer to 40 minutes.

Here’s where I overshot my confidence a little bit – I decided to try the lightcycle coaster instead of the modified seat that I sat on with dad back in May. I did fit, but it was tight. Definitely not comfortable, just barely manageable for 90 seconds and not really worth the squeeze.

After Tron, I really wanted to meet Ariel & Eric. I went to their M&G spot and they were in between sets, so I had to walk around for a little while. I tried the party-exclusive cold brew at Aunty Gravities with the pumpkin cold foam and it was absolutely awful. The cold foam was chunky. Not in a curdled/alarming way, just in a weird way where I was like, “Hmmm, this is a really odd thing to serve to guests.”

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Eventually I made it back to Ariel & Eric’s line and waited ~30 minutes for them. They were just too cute! Ariel saw my bag and asked me if I had gotten any good treasures, I said yes, Eric told me that Ariel was his favorite treasure. It was so sweet.

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When I wrapped up with Ariel & Eric, it was a little after 10 in the evening. It was raining, I was exhausted, and I was honestly feeling a little grumpy, so I decided that I was going to head home before I fully crashed.

I stopped at the Emporium on my way out of the park to grab a few party souvenirs (namely the party-exclusive spirit jersey, the sanderson sisters spirit jersey, and the party exclusive ornament), then I went back to the bus stop. I waited about 15 minutes for a bus, then I dragged myself back to the room and after another shower and a quick snack while watching TV, I went to bed.

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So moral of the story: do not plan to do both MNSSHP and a regular-degular day at Magic Kingdom on the same day, even if you’re only planning on being at the park for a few hours in the morning. There are just not enough hours in a day to truly “rest” between touring the park in the morning and touring the park during MNSSHP, even if you don’t arrive at the party until 5 or 6. Later on in the TR, I’ll show you how a real MNSSHP is done! Wake up late, yummy breakfast, pool day, then off to an epic party – it made the world of a difference!

Click here to continue​

 

[Newsies]

Luck be a Lion​

Despite going to bed later than normal the night before, I was up and ready for DAK rope drop. This was the nicest part about staying at DAKL – I was at the DAK bus stop at 7:30 and made it into the parks before 8!

I decided I was going to get some Tree of Life photos first. The light seemed perfect in front of the tree and the line wasn’t a trillion people long.

There was a CP named Lana taking photos and she was the absolute best! So sweet! Look at these shots!

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After thanking her, it was time to head over to my first ILL+ of the day at Kilimanjaro Safaris.

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It started out as a really normal Safari. Peaceful, quiet, animals are just starting to wake up. The Elephants were still mostly asleep, so no Corra today!

Then we got to Pride Rock where both of the lions were awake and active. You can see the male in this picture, he’s right above that guest’s hat!

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As we drove away from Pride Rock, we heard this low, rumbling noise. It took us a second to realize what it is, but then it happened again… and again… and again… and we realized that the lions were roaring back and forth with each other! I had heard a lion roar like this once on a safari back on my first DCP, but I had never heard them “conversing” with each other like this! It went on for a good 3 minutes, we could hear them as we drove past the ostriches!

Our safari guide explained that it was good luck to hear a lion roar on the safari, so to hear two lions roar over and over again must have made this the luckiest safari ever!

When I got off Kilimanjaro Safaris, I saw Lana again! She had moved and was now taking photos in front of this cute little truck. She was like "Oh HEY!" and I was like "Oh HEY!" and we took some more photos and had some conversations about Photopass and her time at DAK. She was so sweet and I loved all these photos!

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I was ready for some coffee, so I got in line at Kusafiri Coffee Shop. I heard the best iced coffee at Walt Disney World was here! This is the Coconut-flavored Iced Coffee. It’s a Joffrey’s cold brew mixed with coconut, milk, and drizzled with sweetened & condensed milk.

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You know I’ve been very honest about food this entire report… and I’m here to report that this is the best coffee and maybe the most underrated snack in all of Walt Disney World! It is so sweet, light, and creamy. I love the coconut flavoring as a switch up on the usual caramel or vanilla offerings you get around the Parks. All-around just a 10/10 drink and the perfect walking companion for my next adventure, which was just walking around Gorilla Falls for a little bit. I somehow don’t have photos from Gorilla Falls, but I loved just standing around for a bit and watching the gorillas do gorilla things. One of them sat in the water and ate some leafy greens. A very young one started running around his mother. It’s just nice to watch them.

After I was finished enjoying my iced coffee and watching the Gorillas, I headed over to Asia and went on Expedition Everest 3 or 4 times (once with LLMP and a few times through Single Rider)!

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Having done Gorilla Falls this morning, I also wanted visit Maharaj Jungle Trek to see if I could see the tigers. Sadly, the tigers weren’t out on this morning (a few days later they announced one of the ladies was expecting… I wonder if they were at the doctor when I visited!) but I did see a few cool birds walking around.

Then, I decided to go on Kali River Rapids for the first time in well over a decade. After all, I had LLMP, I figured I might as well use it.

Remember that lucky safari I went on earlier? Turns out it really was lucky and I didn’t get wet at all. #NotSoHumbleBrag!

And that is where I will leave you for this lucky morning at DAK. Will my luck continue throughout the day? Who knows!

Click here to continue​

 

[ExpeditionEmily]

Luck be a Lion​

Despite going to bed later than normal the night before, I was up and ready for DAK rope drop. This was the nicest part about staying at DAKL – I was at the DAK bus stop at 7:30 and made it into the parks before 8!

I decided I was going to get some Tree of Life photos first. The light seemed perfect in front of the tree and the line wasn’t a trillion people long.

There was a CP named Lana taking photos and she was the absolute best! So sweet! Look at these shots!

​

After thanking her, it was time to head over to my first ILL+ of the day at Kilimanjaro Safaris.

​

It started out as a really normal Safari. Peaceful, quiet, animals are just starting to wake up. The Elephants were still mostly asleep, so no Corra today!

Then we got to Pride Rock where both of the lions were awake and active. You can see the male in this picture, he’s right above that guest’s hat!

​

As we drove away from Pride Rock, we heard this low, rumbling noise. It took us a second to realize what it is, but then it happened again… and again… and again… and we realized that the lions were roaring back and forth with each other! I had heard a lion roar like this once on a safari back on my first DCP, but I had never heard them “conversing” with each other like this! It went on for a good 3 minutes, we could hear them as we drove past the ostriches!

Our safari guide explained that it was good luck to hear a lion roar on the safari, so to hear two lions roar over and over again must have made this the luckiest safari ever!

When I got off Kilimanjaro Safaris, I saw Lana again! She had moved and was now taking photos in front of this cute little truck. She was like "Oh HEY!" and I was like "Oh HEY!" and we took some more photos and had some conversations about Photopass and her time at DAK. She was so sweet and I loved all these photos!

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I was ready for some coffee, so I got in line at Kusafiri Coffee Shop. I heard the best iced coffee at Walt Disney World was here! This is the Coconut-flavored Iced Coffee. It’s a Joffrey’s cold brew mixed with coconut, milk, and drizzled with sweetened & condensed milk.

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You know I’ve been very honest about food this entire report… and I’m here to report that this is the best coffee and maybe the most underrated snack in all of Walt Disney World! It is so sweet, light, and creamy. I love the coconut flavoring as a switch up on the usual caramel or vanilla offerings you get around the Parks. All-around just a 10/10 drink and the perfect walking companion for my next adventure, which was just walking around Gorilla Falls for a little bit. I somehow don’t have photos from Gorilla Falls, but I loved just standing around for a bit and watching the gorillas do gorilla things. One of them sat in the water and ate some leafy greens. A very young one started running around his mother. It’s just nice to watch them.

After I was finished enjoying my iced coffee and watching the Gorillas, I headed over to Asia and went on Expedition Everest 3 or 4 times (once with LLMP and a few times through Single Rider)!

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Having done Gorilla Falls this morning, I also wanted visit Maharaj Jungle Trek to see if I could see the tigers. Sadly, the tigers weren’t out on this morning (a few days later they announced one of the ladies was expecting… I wonder if they were at the doctor when I visited!) but I did see a few cool birds walking around.

Then, I decided to go on Kali River Rapids for the first time in well over a decade. After all, I had LLMP, I figured I might as well use it.

Remember that lucky safari I went on earlier? Turns out it really was lucky and I didn’t get wet at all. #NotSoHumbleBrag!

And that is where I will leave you for this lucky morning at DAK. Will my luck continue throughout the day? Who knows!

DRY?! On Kali River Rapids?! Unheard of!! I can't even tell you the last time I went on that, but I have a VERY vivid core memory of riding it on repeat in pouring rain as a kid. Literally not a single soul on this ride and here was 7-year-old Emily just riding it in loops getting utterly dumped on. My mom had to buy my sister and I towels leaving the park, that's how intense the storm was. Pretty sure my sister cowered in a gift shop while I just vibed out on KRR solo until my dad told me I had to leave

 

[Paulaparm]

Great update! Your pictures are fun!!

 

[Newsies]

DRY?! On Kali River Rapids?! Unheard of!! I can't even tell you the last time I went on that, but I have a VERY vivid core memory of riding it on repeat in pouring rain as a kid. Literally not a single soul on this ride and here was 7-year-old Emily just riding it in loops getting utterly dumped on. My mom had to buy my sister and I towels leaving the park, that's how intense the storm was. Pretty sure my sister cowered in a gift shop while I just vibed out on KRR solo until my dad told me I had to leave

Hahaha THIS is an epic memory! You lowkey were on to something... if it's already pouring rain and you're going to get soaked regardless, might as well make the best of it by riding an empty Kali River Rapids as many times as possible!

Great update! Your pictures are fun!!

Thank you so much!! I had so much fun with Lana, definitely giggled every time she told me to put my paws up and roar!

 

[LoveToDisney]

Wow, your photo in front of the Safari truck with your arms by your side REALLY shows how much weight you have lost!! Great pic!
Enjoying your trip report and looking forward to hearing more!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Wow, your photo in front of the Safari truck with your arms by your side REALLY shows how much weight you have lost!! Great pic!
Enjoying your trip report and looking forward to hearing more!

I thought the same thing. Great work!