Springtime is the Best Time- Flower & Garden, a taste of Dapper Days and Earth Day -April 2024

[vamassey1]

Welcome one and all to our Springtime trip report.

If you're new please introduce yourself and join right in. If you've been with us before Welcome Back!

Springtime has become one of my favorite times to visit Disneyworld. Everything is so pretty and there is so much to see and do. I'm finally getting to posting this trip report as we get ready for another Springtime trip report to see Flower and Garden again. Our trip this year is a little latter and bordering on an early Summer trip. I want to get this report done as we build excitement for this years trip.

We need to cover the basics before we get too far.

Who?
This trip was another Girls Trip. The Girls are me (Vanessa), my co-worker, friend and fellow Disney fan Robin and my youngest daughter Danielle.

I tried to find individual photos of each of us from this trip but most pictures were of at least 2 of us. So here we are.


Robin is on the left, Danielle is in the middle and I'm on the right.

I'm Vanessa to my friends Mom to Danielle and Minnie to my grandkids. I have always loved Disney and I have passed that love to 2 of my 3 kids. I passed it to Danielle so well that she works at Disney and has been there since June 2021. I'm a little extra but I learned it from my girls.

Robin is my friend/co-worker and fellow Disney fan. Her husband doesn't really care to go to Disney so us making trips together works out really well. My husband, Dennis likes going to Disney but not as often as I do. Robin has a Club Wyndam timeshare and up until this trip had never stayed on Disney grounds. I went with Robin, her sister, daughter and daughter-in-law in September 2023 and stayed at her timeshare. She also got me to go to Universal for the very first time. We are so much alike so we travel well together. I was really looking forward to showing her how much easier it can be when stay on grounds.

Danielle is my youngest and most spoiled child. She had always dreamed of working for Disney and finally got to do it by doing the College Program in January 2020. She was part of the crew sent home in March 2020 when the parks shut down. She was devastated. She came home and finished up her degree at LSU and then went back with the first wave of CPs in June of 2021 and has not come back home yet. I say yet because she almost came home last July and it's still on the table to come home this July. She did the Professional Internship for Food & Beverage when her CP ended and accepted a position as a leader at Backlot Express at Studios. She was still working there when we made this trip.

When
Our trip was from Thursday, April 18th thru Tuesday, April 23rd. Our main goal was to be there for Flower and Garden at Epcot and we lucked out that Dapper Days was going on and Earth Day/Animal Kingdom's Anniversary.

Why
Robin and I both were itching to get back to Disney and see Flower and Garden. Our last trip together was during Food and Wine. I of course will look for any excuse to go visit Danielle and spend some time in the bubble.

We both wanted to go to Disney but had to do a budget trip so the husbands wouldn't complain too much. I really wanted Robin to experience staying on grounds even if it had to be at a value resort. She also had not eaten at many table service restaurants. She had never experienced early entry or entered Magic Kingdom without taking a bus or boat. Looking back we only actually made it to one true early entry. Danielle use to be my rope drop buddy, but not that she lives and works there she doesn't have a hurry bone in her body. She loves to say "everyone wants a pretty daughter, but they don't want to wait on the pretty daughter to get ready".

Since this was budget trip we had to go Value. I really wanted to stay at Pop Century but there were no room available with Danielle's CM discount. She get 50% off resorts when she stays in the room with us. I'm sorry but I can't pass that savings up, so All Star Sports it was, at least it was a Preferred room. I'm just going to go ahead and say that I'm cheap and save when I can at Disney to I can get going to Disney. Between Danielle's CM discount and my AP discounts we try to max what we can. This would be Danielle and I's third stay at Sports, but our first since the rooms were updated. Robin was just happy to finally stay at a Disney resort.

The original plan was to fly down Thursday night and fly back late Tuesday afternoon. We were flying Southwest our of New Orleans (boy and I going to miss this). Robin usually works 3 days a week so she had Thursday off. I had to work and was trying to save as much of my vacation time as I could so our flight was at 8:55 pm arriving in Orlando at 11:35 pm. We would be leaving from Central time zone and arriving in Eastern time zone.

Our park day plans were:

Friday, April 19th Epcot for Flower and Garden
Saturday, April 20th Disney Hollywood Studios
Sunday, April 231st Magic Kingdom & Dapper Day
Monday, April 24th Animal Kingdom & Earth Day/Anniversary

We were flying back on Tuesday, April 25th leaving at 5:25 pm. We had some time to either enjoy a little more park time, have a late breakfast or go to Disney Springs.

We had ADRs at Mama Melrose's, Oga's, Beaches & Cream and Kona.

I had left some room on our ADRs for Danielle's friends/roommates to join us.

Up Next will be travel day.

 

[vamassey1]

Travel Day

I wish I could say that today was a perfect travel day with no hiccups, but I can't.

It looked like it was going to start well. When Robin and I did our fight check ins at 24 hours, we both got group A



I never get Group A, I should have know then something was wrong.

The next morning while I was getting ready for work I was so happy to see this.



I was not happy to see that from the very first time I checked our flight status it was showing a delay. That delay got worse and worse as the day went on. Robin and I were texting back and forth. We checked the other flights for the day and they were not showing a delay. We started thinking we should try to get on another flight standby. I have never done standby and Robin had not done one in the modern age of apps and cell phones. We made the decision to head to New Orleans and see if we could get on an earlier flight. I left work early and met Dennis at home. He had the day off so it was no problem to bring us early. We picked up Robin and headed to the airport. Keep in mind we did not know what we were doing. We waited in line at baggage check to see if we could get on standby there. It was a long line and there were others trying to do what we were trying to do. There was also the option to pay to change your flight to an earlier flight, but the group in front of us and already taken the last fights that could be purchased. We were shown how to request standby in the app, checked our bags for the fight we wanted and were instructed to check in at the desk at the gate and hope for the best. The worst was that we would be on our original flight that was now not leaving until 11 pm or so but our bags would already be there waiting for us. We checked in at the desk and then grabbed some seats in the crowed terminal to wait to see if we made it. I was going to feel really horrible if I had left work early to only end up on a later flight. While we were waiting I got our room ready text. I was happy to see we would be in Surf's Up and not the Football area.


Right before boarding our names were called and we were given our boarding passes. We went from Group A to Group C position 52 & 53. We just barely made it on the plane. We had to grab seats were we could and of course they were no where near each other.




I was in contact with Danielle letting her know what was happening. She was working and would not get off until 8:30 her time. If we had been on our original flight this would have left her time to go back to her apartment, change and pack before coming to pick us up. Of course she had not packed ahead.

The flight was fine except for there being lots of kids on our flight, it was a flight to Orlando so that is to be expected. Those kids were excited and very vocal. I ended up with one behind me that kept kicking my seat. It could have been worse and I was just happy to be on my way.

We were very happy to finally see this.



Our first selfie of the trip was on the fake Monorail. See how happy we were?



Danielle came straight from work to pick us up. There must have been some other flight issues because there was a big back up for picking up arrivals. I was very happy to finally see her. We loaded up and headed to her apartment. She was living in apartment with 4 other CMs at the time that was right by Disney Springs. We visited with her roommates while she packed up. She had also picked up some water and tea for me to have in the room, so we loaded that up too.

It was after 11 before we saw this.


We were all hungry and it was late so we hit up the McDonald's drive through right by Sports. I had always wanted to go there but not this late. We got some food but we had so much trouble with the person working the drive through so our order was wrong but it was food. We were tired and just ready to unload.

We parked in the lot we thought would be closest to our room and started unloading. We were greeted by this bunny and it really cheered me up. He stayed there for a long time.


Disney animals are not shy.

It was nice to see this Welcome too.





I didn't take many photos of the room but here is one. If you've stayed in one of the value rooms they are pretty much all the same.






We ate our food and tried to get settled in. I was the only one who unpacked. I like to get comfortable and be able to find my stuff when I get ready. I hang up my outfits, put my other clothes in a drawer and set my bathroom stuff up.

I know it was after midnight before we all were in bed and the light were out. The next day was our first park day, Epcot.

 

[pkondz]

Welcome one and all to our Springtime trip report.

Look at me! First!

Is that... a real miniature bonsai Tree of Life???

I'm Vanessa to my friends Mom to Danielle and Minnie to my grandkids.

I like "Minnie"


But now I'm wondering what you are to your enemies!

I'm a little extra but I learned it from my girls.

Danielle is my youngest and most spoiled child.

ooooohhh...
Does she know that????????

a position as a leader at Backlot Express at Studios. She was still working there when we made this trip.

"was" being the operative word. Hope she's enjoying her new position.

I of course will look for any excuse to go visit Danielle and spend some time in the bubble.

Danielle use to be my rope drop buddy, but not that she lives and works there she doesn't have a hurry bone in her body.

She loves to say "everyone wants a pretty daughter, but they don't want to wait on the pretty daughter to get ready".

She get 50% off resorts when she stays in the room with us.

Nice perk, there.

Can she stay with people she's never met but who are online friends with her mom?

Asking for a friend.

We were flying Southwest our of New Orleans (boy and I going to miss this).

Why? Does Southwest no longer fly out of MSY?

I wish I could say that today was a perfect travel day with no hiccups, but I can't.

D'oh!
So often... hiccups...

When Robin and I did our fight check ins at 24 hours, we both got group A

Yay?

I never get Group A, I should have know then something was wrong.

Uh, oh...

There was also the option to pay to change your flight to an earlier flight

Flight's delayed... should be no charge IMHO.

I was happy to see we would be in Surf's Up and not the Football area.

Did you pay for preferred? Is Touchdown preferred?

Right before boarding our names were called and we were given our boarding passes. We went from Group A to Group C position 52 & 53. We just barely made it on the plane.

But you made it!

The flight was fine except for there being lots of kids on our flight

As you said... to be expected.
MCO (both to and from) is one place that (at least WestJet) doesn't do the "Passengers with small children may board first" thing.

Those kids were excited and very vocal. I ended up with one behind me that kept kicking my seat.

Too bad they were unaccompanied minors. Of course their parents weren't there, otherwise they'd have made them stop, like any good parent would do.

Our first selfie of the trip was on the fake Monorail. See how happy we were?

You ladies look pretty darned happy!

It was after 11 before we saw this.

Best view ever.
After 11... but would've been much later if you hadn't switched flights.

Poor thing was kicked out of Splash Mountain by Tiana.

 

[vamassey1]

Look at me! First!

Congratulations! You win the prize! But I don't know what that prize is.

Is that... a real miniature bonsai Tree of Life???

Sure it is!



It was an Earth Day Magic Shot.

But now I'm wondering what you are to your enemies!

I don't want to know what they call me behind my back.

Does she know that????????

Of course she does.

"was" being the operative word. Hope she's enjoying her new position.

She is really enjoying her new position. I love hearing her talk about it. Epcot is her favorite park,

Nice perk, there.

Very nice. It's a big reason we go to the parks.

Can she stay with people she's never met but who are online friends with her mom?

Asking for a friend.

Maybe.

Why? Does Southwest no longer fly out of MSY?

They still do but starting at the end of May they will start charging for bags and they are making a lot of other changes that is making them not the preferred choice. I will have to find out what it's like to fly another airline.

Flight's delayed... should be no charge IMHO.

There was no charge to do standby, but I you wanted to change your flight and it was more, there was.

Did you pay for preferred? Is Touchdown preferred?

Surfs Up and some of the Touchdown buildings are preferred. I really wanted to stay in Surf's Up.

But you made it!

Yes we did!

MCO (both to and from) is one place that (at least WestJet) doesn't do the "Passengers with small children may board first" thing.

Passengers with small kids board after Group A.

Too bad they were unaccompanied minors. Of course their parents weren't there, otherwise they'd have made them stop, like any good parent would do.

You would think so .

You ladies look pretty darned happy!

Yes we do!

Best view ever.
After 11... but would've been much later if you hadn't switched flights.

We would not have even taken off yet with all the delays.

Poor thing was kicked out of Splash Mountain by Tiana.

I think he was happy with his new home.