Post-Trip Report: Danielle’s First Annual Passholder Trip (April 2026)

[00:00:11] Welcome back to Where I Long To Be, a Magical Trip Report Podcast. My name is Virginia and I am your host. Thank you so much for choosing to be a part of this podcast community. Whether you're a listener or someone who helps promote the show by sharing it with others, a past guest or a future guest, you are helping to grow this show and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[00:00:32] If you haven't left a review before or if you'd like to leave another, I would greatly appreciate it. You can do that on the podcast platform you are listening on now or by going to my website, whereilongtobepodcast.com. If you leave a review, you might even hear it read on the show. You can also leave a personal voice recording for me through the website if you want to do a recorded review for me to share.

[00:00:55] On today's show, I have the pleasure of welcoming Danielle from AskTheMouse.com to follow up on her most recent trip to Walt Disney World with her husband, Danny, and her mom and dad. Danielle has been going to Disney for years thanks to her parents taking her while she was growing up, so she is excited to be a part of her parents' first time back since 2022. They plan to stay at a good neighbor hotel that Danielle and Danny have stayed at before and have really enjoyed, the Holiday Inn near Disney Springs.

[00:01:23] I have the link in the show notes in case you're interested in checking it out. As a good neighbor hotel, they had access to early entry and the hotel also offered breakfast and included shuttle transportation to the parks. A nice bonus is that it's only a 10-minute walk to Disney Springs, so it made taking advantage of that super easy. That should be all you need to know for us to get started. So let's welcome back to the Where I Long To Be podcast stage, Danielle.

[00:01:52] Welcome back, Danielle. Welcome back, Danielle. Thank you. I'm glad to be back. How are you doing this week? I'm doing well. I'm having a wonderful week. It's not the same as waking up at Walt Disney World, but it's as good as it can be. Everything feels a little bit more magical when you're in Disney. Yes. And I mean everything. Yes, everything.

[00:02:13] Including, like, I don't know, using public restrooms, refilling your water bottle, doing laundry. Like, the mundane becomes magical there. Yes, it does. And then the time goes by faster and I'm like, no, you can actually slow down today. This is not an in-office day. Slow down. Right. Slow down, take it all in, enjoy it. Did you do that? Because you and Danny tend to kind of go hard.

[00:02:40] Mm-hmm. Were you able to slow down and enjoy? I felt like I did. I think it was a combination of me being excited there with my family and wanting to show them things they hadn't seen in a while. And then some of the crowds forced a little bit of that as well. Yeah. Overall, though, it was a good feeling. Some spring break type feeling while you were there, I imagine. Yep. Now, mom and dad, it was their first time since 2022. Right, right.

[00:03:09] Overall, what were their thoughts about being back after multiple years of not going? They loved it. They thought it was such a great trip for, you know, them together as they spent time like going to dinner, doing other things. And then as a family, just regrouping. It was nice for Danny and I to lead the charge, kind of flipping how it was years ago when my mom would take over and leave. So it's like, take a back seat, mom. I got you. So they loved it.

[00:03:37] Yeah, it's always interesting. I've been talking about this so much lately with friends about sort of becoming the adults in our families. Not that we have not been adults for years and years and years, but you know what I mean? Like, we're all starting to be of the age where our parents are slowing down or in my case, like my parents are no longer with me, taking care of my father-in-law. Yeah. And kind of like looking at our parents in a different way.

[00:04:03] And it's interesting when you think about things like vacations and how that works and becoming the person who's doing the planning and the logistics, in some cases doing the paying. And, you know, it's just a different dynamic and it's equally wonderful. It's just very different. I enjoyed it. And I know my parents did. And it was such a huge compliment for my dad at the end of the trip where he said,

[00:04:28] But I knew we were in good hands because you were planning it. And I just have to say, where are we going now? So that meant a lot, too. Well, let's get into everything. So April 1st, April Fool's Day. I know. It could have been a joke that we didn't even go. Well, I was going to ask, were there any jokes on you at the airport with your flight going wrong or anything like that?

[00:04:51] Thankfully, it was the first day at our airport that TSA pre-check was brought back. So that made it very seamless for us with some of the challenges that we were having here in Texas. I enjoyed that. And then our flight was the most emptiest flight to Orlando that I've ever been on. We were able to, I think I want to say max, there were probably about 40 passengers spread across the plane. Wow.

[00:05:20] So there was a lot of open seating. It felt like you're on this extra large private jet. Everybody gets their own row. Yes. We even moved up a row just so we could spread out and not being like super close behind people. So it was an enjoyable ride. And Danny and I like just enjoy watching Looney Tunes. We're like, you know what? We're just gonna be kids right now and watch Looney Tunes before we go to Walt Disney World. All right.

[00:05:48] So you got into MCO before noon and then you're going to lift an Uber. I made a note that you had planned to perhaps activate your brand new annual passes this day. Did you end up doing this or saving it for another day? We did. So after checking into our hotel at the Holiday Inn, Disney Springs, we walked over to Disney Springs, about a 10 minute walk. And then we found guest relations, which is kind of right in the middle of Disney Springs.

[00:06:16] And we worked with a nice cast member who activated all of our passes and even sprinkled some pixie dust for us to give us a lightning lane pass for that Friday. So that was nice. Oh, that's nice. Yeah. As brand new annual pass holes are all four of you. Yes. Yes. Okay. We are. What time was this at? Because you had dinner plans. And what did you do sort of in the interim while you were leaving your Topolino's reservation? It was around 2 p.m.

[00:06:45] So we ended up making our way to Revere Resort from Disney Springs via the bus. So we took Disney transportation to get there. We had to show our dinner reservation to get on the bus because I think that week Disney started cracking down on some guests trying to bypass, I guess, a more economical way of parking.

[00:07:08] So if you didn't have a pass or reservation taking you to the hotel you're trying to get to, they wouldn't let you get on the bus. I think that's temporary. Yes. Like just for visit times. So that worked out for us. My dad just ended up relaxing at Revere Resort for those few hours before reservation. And then my mom, Danny, and I end up going to Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner. And we only had time for one attraction.

[00:07:37] So we got on Smuggler's Run. Oh, fine. Okay. What role did you play? My mom and I were the, let's see, pilot gunners and engineers. So we were the engineers in the back. And Danny was a gunner. But then we had our full experience. Honda finked us, gave us our small credits at the end. And the ride went into we are not ready to open the doors mode.

[00:08:03] So they activated like the additional videos that Honda says where it's like, oh, you brought an additional critter with you and all those things. So I've seen that once before. Yeah. We were stuck in for about a minute, a half, two minutes. Yeah. And the cast members were like, we're so sorry. You couldn't complete your ride. We were like, we did. But they ended up giving us a lightning lane. Oh, wow. Okay. So that worked out. We had a lightning lane to use that night. So we decided to go back after dinner.

[00:08:34] Okay. All right. Let's get to dinner then. Topolino's always good. Much, much revered for their breakfast. But I think that their dinner is amazing. So tell me all about it. It was great. I started off with one of their French rosé cocktails. Danny had, it was a twist on a gin and tonic. I forgot the name of it. But we both enjoyed our cocktails. We absolutely love the olive oil that they feature. We've even gifted it to family members.

[00:09:01] So seeing that at the table brought back was kind of cool. And my parents had the lamb gnocchi appetizer. Danny and I didn't do an appetizer, but we all ordered the filet mignon. Of course you did. Yes. It was great. However, I will say it was not as hot as it usually is. So that was a little sad. The mashed potatoes weren't as hot. The flavor was good. I wonder what that was about.

[00:09:31] But yeah, it was busy. So maybe they were a little booked in the chef's kitchen. But otherwise, it was really good. Do you all have your steaks prepared in different ways? Or were you all the same temperature? My mom and I had similar temperatures. And I think Danny and my dad did as well. So it wasn't like there were too many variances. Varieties where they were having to deal with it. Okay. Did you do dessert? No, we were so full. After all the bread we stuffed our faces with, we were like, next time.

[00:10:01] You're going to have to pass. Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Did you go straight from there back over to Hollywood Studios? We did. So we decided to use it on Rise of Resistance. And my dad loves the ride as well. Being that we only have the three lightning lane passes, we ask if... I'm trying to remember. Actually, no. It's been that long. I forgot. So we did standby for Rise of Resistance, all four of us. It was about 50 minutes.

[00:10:28] And my dad waited for us, the three of us, to ride Tower of Terror. So we waited to do Tower of Terror last to kind of let the stakes sit on the stomachs. But yeah, that's how he wrapped up the night. Is he somebody who would not have ridden Tower of Terror anyway? Or... Yeah. He's not big into like the rides with Dropson, the thrill rides. But that's one of the great things about my dad and my family as a whole. Like Disney has something for everyone.

[00:10:56] So him waiting for us when we're on rides is not a problem. He's just like enjoying the scenery, like being able to just sit down. It's nice. Yeah. No. I love just sitting there and taking in the vibes and watching the world go by. Yes. That's a wonderful way to slow down in your vacation.

[00:11:15] Even if you are doing the running around thing, if you just set aside, you know, 10 minutes, 15 minutes just to sit on a bench and enjoy the vibes, it will make everything else feel a little bit slower even though you're running around. Right. All right. Was that the last thing you did that evening? We did. That was the last thing because we were not even expecting to go to the park. So yeah, quite a change in plan. How was, I know you've stayed at your hotel before over at the Holiday Inn by Disney Springs, but how was your room location?

[00:11:45] Was there anything that you weren't expecting? It was great. We were, Danny and I were located on the 14th floor in the tower section of the hotel. And then my parents were on the sixth floor. So we all enjoyed it. I mean, between the all you can eat breakfast with the omelet bar, like that was so easy for us to wake up and know you can go downstairs and not have to jumpstart your day and go straight to a park.

[00:12:15] Like that was, I think, what made it more relaxing for all of us. Did you take advantage of the transportation they have through the hotel for the parks? We did. So this second day, April 2nd, we decided to try it out. The booking of the transportation was easy. You follow the QR code link that the hotel provides. Make reservation for your party. It's free. You just have to make sure that you arrive by the time you book your reservation for.

[00:12:45] And I think the surprise about the transportation, since I didn't know anything about it, was that it seems some of the hotels along the Disney Springs Parkway area, they share the transportation charter. So it stopped at our hotel and then made its way to one other before going to Animal Kingdom. Okay. How long did it take you to get over to Animal Kingdom from there, including the stop at the other hotel? The stop probably lasts maybe three to five minutes.

[00:13:14] And I would say beyond that, the regular time it would take from Springs to Animal Kingdom. So I don't think it was more of a delay. Right. I think it's kind of like that break in continuity of being on a Disney bus versus a charter bus. And you kind of like, oh, it's a difference. But honestly, it's not anything that's going to take away from the trip. And if you don't want to ride share, highly recommend that free option. You were planning to rope drop. Did you make it there in time for rope drop? We did.

[00:13:44] So we did rope drop. And actually, hold on, Virginia. See, this is the problem with going to Disney and then the plans we originally had. I'm trying to remember if we rope dropped or not. I don't know. We didn't rope drop because we would have gone to Flight of Passage if we did. My mom and I, before the trip, we had booked Lightning Lanes and purchased the multi-pass for Animal Kingdom. So we took advantage of that. I think our first multi-pass redemption started around 10 a.m.

[00:14:14] So we definitely did rope drop Animal Kingdom. Sorry about that. I think the first thing we did as a family of four, so we had three experiences, Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition Everest, and then the Zootopia Better Together. That was booked for later after launch at Sanaa. So we only got in two rides at Expedition Everest, one Kilimanjaro Safari, and then we headed over to Animal Kingdom Lodge for launch.

[00:14:42] We got all the bread service. I tried their new lunch menu with the salad, so it was really good. It had a lot of fruits on it. My mom had the same thing, and then it was just a nice way for us to try their new seasonal menu, but know that we had a day ahead of us at Animal Kingdom for Dole Whip and any other snacks, so we wanted to fill our tummies. Yeah. You had also said that you might take a break back at your hotel. It sounds like maybe because you didn't rope drop, maybe you did not do that, or did you?

[00:15:12] That's right, yeah. With the later start, we were energized enough that after lunch, we just headed back over to Animal Kingdom, and there we did Zootopia Better Together. And there was rain in the forecast that day, slightly around an hour after Zootopia, so that was around like 2 o'clock. We were able to purchase lightning lanes for the three of us because my dad was like, I'm good. So we purchased that for a flight of passage.

[00:15:40] The lightning lane was scheduled for an hour after Zootopia Better Together, but it was thundering and rain was starting to happen, so more pixie dust was sprinkled upon us. The cast, one of the cast members just said, go ahead, go in early. So we were able to get in, fly to passage, and then leave as it started raining. Good. Okay. Yeah. I want to hear about Zootopia Better Together because I haven't had a chance to do it yet. Did you like it?

[00:16:09] And had you seen the Zootopia 2 movie? Yeah. So Danny and I are fans of Zootopia, so I was excited about the change with the ride. I love A Bug's Life, so I'm always a little bit sad and nostalgic when Disney upgrades an attraction, but because it was Zootopia, it made sense being at Animal Kingdom. We'd seen both movies, so we were kind of open to whatever storyline they adapted for the attraction.

[00:16:37] The attraction itself in terms of the physical part of the ride with the seats and everything, that wasn't changed. Of course, you have some new animatronics in the way that the layout looks inside, but it was really fun. I liked it. I didn't ask my parents after. It's a shame on me because I know they have not seen Zootopia, so I'm sure they were just like, this is cute, but we don't know too much of what's going on.

[00:17:31] Yeah. We're to Neverland and not come back. No. I get you a feeling on an attraction. Yeah, you're like, what's about to happen? But I think it was a great duration, not too long. It was very cute, and if you are a fan of Zootopia, you just kind of want to see what the new ride looks like. Just do it once. Yeah, I really liked the Zootopia movie, but I have not yet seen Zootopia 2,

[00:17:59] so it is on my list to try to watch that before I go in a few weeks. But yeah, I think it's such a cute movie, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like. I have to say that it is the 4D elements that scare kids, and I think a lot of people blamed A Bug's Life and whatever the bugs were that were supposedly running beneath your feet and whatever. They were like, oh, it's the bugs that are the problem. And I was like, no, it's the water shooting at you. It's the feeling like something's touching you. Yes.

[00:18:29] So I'm not surprised to hear that there was still some fear among the kids, even though it's Zootopia-themed. Yeah. I mean, it was such a quick turnaround for an attraction from that timeline perspective of how fast they changed it. So you're like, well, they probably didn't remove all of that. You know, the seats are built in with the water function as well as the vibration under the seat feel.

[00:18:57] So that didn't change, and it made sense with the storyline because it's Zootopia. So I think as a parent, as you and I have said, like before you take your kids on any of the attraction, just do some research. Yeah. Know your kid. Know what they're going to like or not like. I am really going to miss when I go back and see that the posters for Bugs Life that used to be there, like the fake Broadway posters. Yeah. What have they done in that area now that it's Zootopia? So it's a little similar.

[00:19:25] So you see some of like the gazelle posters. Oh, okay. And it's kind of the same. So they've taken that like country jamboree bear signage appeal to it. So it's so fun. I think if they would have changed the tree of life, then we'd be talking right now. Yeah. That would be a problem. The Jane Goodall signage is there. Yeah. So all of that, that makes the tree of life its heritage. That's it. So that helps. Okay.

[00:19:54] Where did you go after Animal Kingdom? Because you were probably going to hop because you love to hop. Yeah. Instead with the rain, we all made our way back to the hotel. So that was one of the things of the trip that I think made it a lot enjoyable, the napping or just being able to go back to the room, wind down and then refresh. But that night, Danny and I did go back out to Magic Kingdom. Okay. What did the two of you get into at Magic Kingdom?

[00:20:22] We have like these top four that we always experienced. So being Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion. And then now for us is also Tiana's Bayou Adventure. It's not as kind of like a coin toss depending on how long standby is, but we love Tiana. So I always now bring a poncho or a handy dandy shower cap from the hotel. I love that. I would love to see a picture of you riding. Oh my gosh.

[00:20:50] Tiana's wearing a shower cap. I have some, but none of them show my face because I'm like holding the hood of the poncho. So it's like a celebrity who doesn't want to be seen on a ride. Sure. I'm like, that's me though, you guys. You know, it's funny. I hardly ever remember my dreams, but Tiana's was in my dream last night. Oh my gosh. And it was so weird. So pause for a moment. This is going to feel off track.

[00:21:17] But I was riding Tiana's and I got to the place where you're going up to do the big drop. Oh, like the heavenly drop. Yes. And I got stuck. And then we finally made our way to the top and it was not a drop out into the open like of the park. It was like I was at the top and there was like a VR type screen. Okay. And suddenly it was Spider-Man themed. And some people came and exited us from the ride. And they're like, oh, you can ride again.

[00:21:47] That wasn't supposed to happen. I was like, yeah, that wasn't supposed to happen. That was Spider-Man. You're like, where's Mama Odie? I know. Gee. It was so weird. I hardly ever remember my dreams, but I have to remember that. That is so vivid. I love that. That would be that Neverland feeling for me. I'm like, what is it all to happen? Yeah. And I was in my log by myself. Like nobody else was there. It was just me. So I was like, oh, I really saw something I was not supposed to see. Yes. You're like lightning lane for the entire park, please.

[00:22:17] All right. How late did you end up staying that night? We stayed until the park closed. We were able to see the 1030. Well, no. We saw part of the 1030 showing of the Starlight Parade on Tiana's. Okay. We'd done the large 50 foot drop and then we could see Moana on the parade route. Okay. So we stayed until 1030 and then we got a sundae down on Main Street and then made our way back. Yes. Love a good sundae.

[00:22:46] Which one did you get? Traditional chocolate fudge? Caramel? That with the peanut butter drizzle. I didn't. Yes. The peanut butter drizzle. Yeah, that one. I didn't eat too much of it, but because I think I was still just like full. Full from dinner? I was still like, yeah. What did we do for dinner actually? I'll get back to you on that. I know we ate. Oh, I think we did like Earl of Sandwich or something at Disney Springs. Okay. Yeah. All right. That brings us to Friday, April the 3rd, which was a Magic Kingdom day.

[00:23:16] So I have a note here. My very first note is that you were planning to take your mom on Tiana's for the first time this day. Yes. So we rope dropped Magic Kingdom. So Danny and I returned seven hours later from the night before. Because we didn't get that much sleep. And that was the first experience we got my mom on. So we did Tiana's Bayou Adventure with her and she loved it. So I was happy to see that all the animatronics were wide awake and working too.

[00:23:46] Good. Mom Odie can sometimes not work at the end. And I was glad she was moving with voodoo. But she got to see the entire attraction as it's programmed to be. Did you get splashed too much? We were right behind Danny. He was on the front of our log. So we did get splashed. But ponchos were our sidekick throughout that journey. So it helped. Was your dad on the ride with you? No. Or no, not because of the job.

[00:24:16] Yeah, he just chilled. But it was fun just seeing the songs. I didn't tell her about the celebration at the end where you see the room of everyone in the restaurant. So she loved that. I was like, yeah, I was keeping it a surprise. That's so sweet. I love that movie so much. Yeah. So happy that it's getting the love that it deserves. And the merch is so cute. Oh my goodness. Yes. Love the merch.

[00:24:41] I don't know if it's just me, but every time I see Charlotte at the end in the restaurant and she's waving at you, I'm like, that looks like a real person. You're like, it's my friend. Yes. Yes. I'm like, oh my gosh, they made her a real person. So she does this stuff. Like, it's her expression. It's like, she's just so happy to see everyone. And I just love that. They made her energy from the movie come to life in a silent figure. I love that. Love it. Where did you head after Tiana's?

[00:25:11] Oh, let's see. So after Tiana's, we did the Haunted Mansion. So all four of us did it. So we had two buggies for us. So two doom buggies. And then after that, we headed towards Tomorrowland. Okay. So we were going to experience the new Buzz Lightyear Lightyear Lightyear Light? Oh gosh. It's a tongue twister. Please help me in Virginia. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. There we go. I'm saying the wrong thing.

[00:25:41] That's why. It was scheduled to open on April 8th, which was once our trip ended, but they were opening the ride. So soft opening. We wanted to get on it, but Space Mountain was calling our names with a 40 minute wait. So that just seemed more appealing. So we did that. And I have learned that I don't have a knack for the Tower of Terror glam shots, but I have a creepy knack for smiling at the camera on Space Mountain. Okay.

[00:26:10] All right. Do you just smile or do you pose? I just smile, but I look right at the camera. So you just see my eyes and it's just like, I know where you are. I know where the camera is too. I'm never looking directly at it. Oh, I do this creepy direct smile. Side. I love it. So that was fun for me. So I have a lot of photos that I will share with you, not with the general public, but I'll share my creepy photos. I love a good creepy photo. Yes.

[00:26:39] And then after that, we got my mom on Tron. This was like the debatable one to see if she would ride it or not. And it wasn't that she doesn't like thrill rides, but it was just the position of the coaster. And seeing the example of the bike with the brakes on the back, that kind of helped put her at ease. So we did not have a lightning lane for that. But the standby was around 50 minutes.

[00:27:06] So it wasn't too bad at the time of the day. So seeing the Raikyu, once you're inside the digital world, all of that, the lockers was like a nice touch that she enjoyed. That was super fun. So she loved it. She thought it was great. Oh, my gosh. What did she think about that launch? I think she was okay with it because she loves rock and roller coasters, which, of course, we'll see how that goes pretty soon with Muppets take over. So she wasn't surprised about it.

[00:27:34] And I was telling her that's probably the most exciting and thrilling part of the ride. And once you experience the launch, you want to keep going. And then it ends shortly after. So, yeah. Blink and you'll miss it. But such a good ride. It really is. Yes. All right. What did you do after that? After that, we ended up making our way to Disney Springs. We got lunch.

[00:28:01] Just kind of casually wiring down our energy because this was our night at Victoria and Albert's. And then my parents had dinner. So we decided to just re-energize back at the hotel. Okay. And your parents were having dinner at STK. So did they enjoy that experience? They did. They enjoyed it. My mom had a crab cake. My dad had a steak. He said the flavor was good.

[00:28:27] I forgot to ask if it was better than Topolino's filet mignon or about the same. But STK is different in the sense that you order your entree and any other side is going to be separately included. So that was the route that they took as well. So they just picked their mains, added some sides on. I don't think they did dessert. They liked it. All right. Let's get into Victoria and Albert's. Something that you have been wanting to do for a really long time. Yes.

[00:28:56] So did it live up to every expectation you had? It did. And I'm so happy to say it did too because I am not a big foodie, but I love food. And I know that this came with a higher price ticket. So I was going to scrutinize the meal a little bit more. We arrived around 630 for a 720 reservation.

[00:29:18] So we were just super early and just ready to be on time because when it comes to a restaurant like this, I understand the theme. But I didn't know, do we need the Tiffany's Table Manor etiquette? What's expected? And you sit in the lobby. I think it's shared with Parking Fair, I want to say, at Grand Floridian. Oh, 1900 Park Fair. Yes. Thank you.

[00:29:46] So the check-in for Victoria and Albert's is interesting because there are cameras everywhere. And no one, there's like a hostess, our host is not outside of the restaurant. They come to you. So they come out the doors, they greet you when it's time though, because they were like, oh, you're a little early. If you come back like 10 minutes more, we'll seat you earlier. So we did that whole thing and it was really great.

[00:30:13] We had a 720 reservation and there were a few other guests who joined the dining restaurant afterwards. We were seated in the main hall of the restaurant. So 40 people max that night. We had two posts. So we had Lazar and Matt as our wait staff that night. One was a sommelier. So Matt did an amazing job with pairings. And Lazar knew every detail about everything we were eating, of course, because they're Michelin and Forbes.

[00:30:43] I learned that Forbes provides more of the service reviews. And Michelin is, of course, more of the food. So the fact that Victoria and Albert's has them both, it shows through the wait staff. Because they didn't feel stuffy. They didn't feel like they were trying to sell you on something that you may not enjoy. They really asked questions. They also detailed everything we were eating.

[00:31:10] So highlights were the Glacier 51 toothfish, which is a white fish similar to a cod. But they source it sustainably from Glacier 51. And the fish is found, like, I think a mile or so deep in the water. It was only sautéed because the chef wanted you to taste the essence of, like, the fish itself. It was delicious.

[00:31:34] And then the other highlight for me was, and I don't want to mispronounce it, the Miyazaki Wagyu beef. Okay. So that's, I guess, one of the highest grades of Wagyu beef you can enjoy. And we had two nice fillets of it. They were probably about the size of, well, that doesn't sound right to say. I was going to say it's larger than a Cheez-It, but that sounds really weird to compare that to each. It does. It was like a square. It was like a nice, larger square, round size.

[00:32:03] But it was delicious. Both were highlights of the mill as well as everything else we enjoyed. But I keep saying that we got there at 720 because we were there for four hours. The general manager was amazing. He's like, you have the table for the night. Go watch fireworks and come back. We didn't because we were the last people to leave the restroom. Oh, and you felt like I'm preventing these people from going home. It just took that long.

[00:32:31] I think it was nine courses that we went through with dessert. So the breaks in between were perfect to digest. But I loved it. The harpist was playing really great music. Oh, tunes, new tunes. And all of the portions are pretty small, right? So you're eating over this period of time. You're eating lots and lots of courses. But everything's like the perfect size. So you're not overstuffing yourself. Yes. You're not overstuffing. And I would recommend it.

[00:33:00] So yes, when you get a chance to go, I think you'll love it. I want to. I'm definitely going to try to do that. And at some point, not this summer, though. We got other things that we're doing this summer, like hopefully doing Keys to the Kingdom and things that cost more money. Oh, my gosh. I would love to hear how that goes. I have my eye on that. And I'm like, as you know, we park hop so much. So I'm like, would I ever dedicate a day to just like five to eight hours of the tour? Yeah.

[00:33:30] Alex will be turning 16 at the end of June. And so he will finally be old enough for it. And so I have. Wonderful. I had said that I would wait until he was old enough to go on it for me to go on it too. Otherwise, I would have gone a long time ago. But he's finally old enough. So, of course, the first thing we're doing is heading there to do that tour. Oh, my gosh. I'm so excited for you. Yeah. Well, crossing my fingers. We're not at our 60-day mark yet. So not booked in. You'll get it. You'll get it, though. But I don't care what day we do it.

[00:33:59] Like, I'm really open. So I feel like we'll get it. All right. So that brings us to Saturday, April the 4th. And this was a Hollywood Studios day. And you were doing Lightning Lanes for this day as well. Yeah. We end up starting the day at Epcot. And silly me forgot that I had Hollywood Studios books. So as we were making our way to scan in with our magic bands, it's like, you don't have a reservation here. So I quickly changed it over to Epcot.

[00:34:29] Nervously, though, because it's like the day before Easter. It's Flower and Garden Festival. Reservations might be booked. So just so happened that we were able to get in. But I felt like it was overdue. Like, we haven't been at Epcot yet? Come on. So I have a technical question about that then. So if you had planned to go to Hollywood Studios, you had a multi-pass book for Hollywood Studios. They let you change everything over to Epcot. And it did not affect your multi-pass? I'm trying to remember if we had multi-pass.

[00:34:58] I think it was for later. Yeah, we did. So we had our multi-pass for later in the afternoon. So it didn't affect anything. So they're like, sure, you can start your morning here. But if you don't redeem your multi-pass, it's on you. But I did notice, and you probably know more, after a certain time in the day, if you have multi-pass purchased for a park, I noticed I could purchase another or redeem another ride at a different park.

[00:35:26] Is that a role, like multi-pass kind of like drops the rope on whichever park you want to use it for? I mean, my impression was that you had to either tap into one of your multi-pass reservations or that it needed to be enough time has passed normally, like for in between. But for the very first one, I think you just have to tap into one of them. So if you were able to book a multi-pass for Epcot without having done any of your Hollywood

[00:35:55] Studios lightning lanes, that I would have been surprised about. Yeah, that didn't happen because we ended up just standbying any of the attractions we experienced. And I think it was just a strategic decision because we weren't able to redeem a lightning lane either day for Guardians. The only way we could experience it was to rope drop. So that's exactly what we did that morning. Oh, okay. So what song did you get? The first song we got was neither of our favorites.

[00:36:25] It was Disco Inferno. Okay. All right. But we did end up writing it again later and it was your favorite. So Everybody Wants to Rule the World was our second time writing it. Oh, fun. I wonder if they'll ever change up the songs. And if they do, will people revolt? No, I think that would be cool if it does, even if it's just for a day or a weekend type of thing.

[00:36:50] I also love the fact that regardless of what song is playing, they have an amazing ride. Because if the ride sucked and the only good thing was the music, then we'd be in trouble. Right. That would be a problem. Yeah. No, I think it would be fun to have some kind of variety at some point in the future. But I don't know. Oh, like a Michael Jackson day? Yes. Oh, my God. Oh, a theme day. I love that idea. Today is Michael Jackson day.

[00:37:17] And you're going to get sort of like, you know, on Rock and Roller Coaster. Like, what Aerosmith song am I going to get? Or now what Muppets song am I going to get? Oh, that would be so good. I love that idea. Oh, man. And wasn't Michael Jackson went to Disney World a few times? Yeah. He had a ride a long time ago. He had Captain EO over there near the Imagination Pavilion. I think it's where the little film festival thing is. That would be amazing. What other artists would you want to see have a day? Hmm. That's a good question.

[00:37:47] I'm going to say Queen for sure. Yes. Oh, my gosh. I just watched Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time. So, yes. I had seen that before, but I actually watched that again probably like three or four weeks ago myself. It's so good. It's a good movie. Yeah, I would say Queen as well. That's a good one. Yeah. I still don't know why we've changed Aerosmith. I love Aerosmith. I mean, I do too, but I think partly it's my age maybe.

[00:38:14] But a lot of kids don't know who they are anymore, I think. Besides being the singers that are on Rock and Roller Coaster, you know? But that's also cool too because now thinking about the ride structure, that's the same ideology between the change in songs on Cosmic Rewind. Because you had a different song every time almost for Rock and Roller Coaster. Yeah. I mean, you're still going to have that variety. They just were here. We're talking on Sunday, April 19th.

[00:38:42] And they just this Friday, I think, announced what the songs would be. So I am looking forward to hearing all of those and hopefully getting all of the rotation in. Yeah. Checking them off just like we all did for Guardians. Yep. So it's going to be good. I love the Muppets and I'm excited to see what they do. And I heard a rumor that there's suspicion that maybe great moments in history with the Muppets might be coming back to Liberty Square. That would be nice.

[00:39:12] I feel like I like Liberty Square. I like the experience of the Hall of Presidents. That's always fun. It's a tearjerker for me. I get emotional. So I have to like temper whether or not I want to get on and base that on how I'm feeling at the time. But to bring more excitement to that area, I think that would be good. Because people just walk right past it as they're going to like Haunted Mansion. And Harbor House is good. It's right there. So if you want clam chowder, shout out to Harbor House. Yeah.

[00:39:41] But when they had it before, it was just so much fun to have these little moments where you would just stop and be like, oh, now I'm going to hear the story of Paul Revere told by the Muppets. Yes. And the kids will be able to like that. So it becomes an educational moment that also attracts their attention. Yes. It's edutainment as Walt Disney intended. Yes. All right. What was next in? Yeah. So let's see.

[00:40:08] After that, we just enjoyed the festival a little bit more. Mm-hmm. So we made our way to World Showcase and got magnetically attracted to the Pineapple Promenade kiosk for Dole Whip. That was awesome. That ended up becoming a staple for the remainder of the trip. My parents had Dole Whip like twice in a day. It was like eating a cracker for us. It's so good. Uh-huh. Yeah. You got to get it while you can. We did that.

[00:40:37] And then I also tried one of the other kiosk had beef tenderloin tips. Oh, Canada. Yes. At Northern Bloom. So I did that. That was really, really good. Yeah. I've had that in previous years. And it's on my list again this year. Yes. And I love how the, if you are interested in just going for the festival, the prices of the foods are overly expensive. Like you can try a few things. Mm-hmm.

[00:41:03] It probably will equate to the same as like a sit-down meal if you just wanted to try from every kiosk. Right. So I like there is something for everyone. And then it also immerses people a little bit more into the World Showcase of stopping at one of the pavilions instead of just like passing through it. Right. Yeah. You know, that's what World Showcase is built for. Like you have to stop and do something. I mean, maybe not in every country every single time.

[00:41:29] But, you know, experience what the country has to offer, whether it's the food and the flavors or just the vibes that they have. And then get a chance to speak to the amazing cast members because in World Showcase they are from the country that you're visiting. And that's always fun to hear a little bit of their perspective of what it's like in their home country. Yes. I stopped in England to see, of course, the Peter Pan and Captain Hook Topiary.

[00:41:57] But my brother-in-law loves England and everything UK. So I got him some like favorites from one of the shops. So the shortbread and the toffee and the caramel. So that was nice to like get stuff that actually comes from there. Yeah. Have you ever been? No. That's, you know, we plan to do some trips internationally. That is one of the bucket list items to cross out. But I've heard so many great things about it. Yeah. And it's an easy trip, in my opinion. Okay.

[00:42:26] I mean, easier from New York than it is from Texas in terms of distance. But it's an easy trip to do because you speak the language already. So it's very easy to navigate. And it's very, I mean, it's different. It's its own thing. But if you've ever spent time in cities in the U.S., like, you know what a city is like. And so I think it's fairly easy to figure out. Like, if you want to use their public transportation and all that kind of stuff, you can figure it out. It's doable.

[00:42:55] That's a good, like, first international trip if you want to just get your toes wet trying to dabble into a new country. For sure. All right. Anything else here at Epcot before you eventually park hopped? So we were definitely interested in going to the Paris Pavilion to experience Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. So we were all going to get on the ride, four of us, but standby was 50 minutes. And the single riders had a no wait.

[00:43:24] So my dad still had Dole Whip. So it was going to be a let's do standby, enjoy Dole Whip. Or if we did single riders, he was going to finish his Dole Whip and then the three of us just did it. So that's what we opted in for. And correct me if I'm wrong, but there was a time where 3D glasses were on the ride, right? They just recently removed those. Okay. They changed it. Yeah, you're not going crazy, Daniel. My vision is either better and I can see 3D and not. I don't need the glasses. I have 3D eyes to begin with.

[00:43:54] Yeah, take that, Clark Kent. I've got 3D glasses. It's nice. But that was fun. I love that ride. I love how it's not too long. And it's funny too because that's a slightly milder version of a 4D ride for kids. But I feel like it's more enjoyable for kids than Zootopia or Bug's Life used to be. Right. Well, nothing's like poking you. Right. You go under the vent and you get the water splashed and the heat.

[00:44:23] But it makes sense because you are interpreted as a rat the entire ride. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. All right. What else did you do here in Epcot? We just ended up making our way to the friendship boats so that we could park hop to Hollywood Studio. So that was about it. Oh, wait. I have a note that you had a dinner reservation for Chefs de France. Did you cancel that because of all the other food? We canceled it. Yeah. We canceled it and ended up booking it. Let's see.

[00:44:53] Chefs de France was later that night. Oh, okay. So we ended up going to Hollywood Studios that day after Epcot. And there we got off. What did we do there? Like we had been there. So where were we going? Oh, we did Mickey's Runaway Railway. That's cute. I'm like, how did I forget that? Nothing can stop us now. So we did that. And then afterwards, it was time for lunch. So we did have reservations for Hollywood Brown Derby.

[00:45:21] Danny and I end up going and my parents just were attracted to the smell of the burgers. So we ended up doing burgers instead, which worked out because the menu changed for Hollywood Brown Derby on the lunch side. Oh, did it? Yeah. Yeah. So what we were probably going in for wasn't there, which was fine because we also just like going in for cocktails. But the bread service is still there.

[00:45:46] And they had a plant-based ravioli that we tried as well as the au gratin potato. So we just did like light appetizers knowing that we had Chefs de France later. Yeah. You don't want to make it so that it's uncomfortable to be walking around the parks with how much you've eaten. I'm just pulling up the Brown Derby lunch menu just because I'm like, do they still have things that I... Yeah, this is still looking good for me. Okay, good, good. Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Because I love, obviously, their Cobb salad.

[00:46:16] Yes, that's still there. But if that changes, we're arguing again. Yeah. But the short rib is so good. And it's still here on the menu. So I feel much relief. Okay, I can ignore that now. All right. What else did you get into on this day? And did your parents stay the whole time with you? They, after lunch, they split ways, went back to the hotel. I think Danny and I, we end up riding star tours.

[00:46:45] And then we eventually also made our way back to the hotel to just take a break. Mm-hmm. And then we all re-energized after like a two, three hour nap. It was really good. And we made our way back to Epcot, enjoyed Chefs de France. And then this was our last full day at the park. So we had to bring my mom out to Magic Kingdom for a full all-nighter there.

[00:47:11] So after dinner, my dad went back to the hotel room. And then we park hopped the night away at Magic Kingdom with my mom. Aw. Yeah. That's really fun. Now, you said this was your last park day. But we were talking about Saturday. Well, full park day with the night. So we ended up going on Monday as well. Because Sunday you went to the park as well. Just maybe didn't stay the whole time? No, we stayed the whole time. Wait, see. Are we on the 5th or the 6th?

[00:47:41] What day am I on? Well, we were talking about the 4th where it was Hollywood Studios and your Chefs de France reservation. So Sunday the 5th. Are you totally mixed up? Have I caught you in a mix-up? Oh my goodness. You're fine. You're fine. I was on the... You skipped a whole day. You skipped a whole day. That's okay. So Saturday was the day that you ended up going to Epcot first, even though you were scheduled for Hollywood Studios. Correct. You wrote a bunch of things. You did Chefs de France for dinner.

[00:48:10] So that wrapped up Saturday. Okay. All right. I'm not going to let you skip over Sunday. We're going to talk about Sunday, whether you like it or not, Danielle. Sunday was... I noted to be an Epcot day. That's right. Did you stick with that plan? We did. Okay. That's why you're getting it mixed up. Because you spent a lot of time at Epcot this go-round. Yeah. Everything that I thought we did, we did. But the last night confused the next morning. Okay. Because we were like at that same park the last night. So I'm like, wait, we already did that. Yeah. Okay.

[00:48:41] So lunch at Tepaneto, right? Oh my gosh. Yes. That was incredible. I think it was one of our favorite meals, the four of us, that we enjoyed together. And then I have this thing for the frozen mint juleps at the American Pavilion. So I got that. And then I also got the caramel popcorn from Werther's at the Germany Pavilion. So that was nice. Of course. Yes. So good. Have you had the maple popcorn that's over in Canada? No.

[00:49:10] And I always want to try it. So next trip we go on, I'll just have to substitute caramel for maple and just do that. You know, I was nervous about it too because I love the caramel so much. And I think what I thought the maple would be, would be very similar to the caramel and be like a thicker popcorn and that it would be like way too sweet. And I got it, I think when Alex and I were down there for Labor Day, I said, I'm going to finally try this.

[00:49:38] And I was so pleasantly surprised because it was not thick. It's a very light popcorn, very crunchy because of what the maple flavoring. And it just, it had a totally different feel. And I was really happy with the flavor and everything it turned out to be. Cause in my mind, it was going to be like this chewy popcorn, which I love when it comes to caramel, but I did not want chewing maple flavored popcorn. That's not what it turned out to be at all. It was so light and delicious. Good. Okay. I'm going to have to try that.

[00:50:06] Cause I think you made an excellent point when I'm eating the caramel popcorn, I don't consume the whole bag right away because it is a little heavier. So, and you don't want to eat it three days later. It's not as fresh. So I think I'm going to try the maple. Yeah. Give it a go at least once. Yeah. Okay. All right. What was, what was after lunch that day? We did also do living with the land. So that was a staple and it was fun to experience that ride on the boat instead of on the tour from behind the scenes.

[00:50:36] So just, yes, that was the first time I've been back on it. I liked it. It just makes you appreciate food more. And I think that also drove us into our hunger because we ended up, I forgot we did that before Teppanito. So we were like ready. So seeing the zucchini and all the vegetables on the udon noodles for lunch, we're like, yes, give it to me. Yes. I want locally grown vegetables. Yes, exactly. I love it.

[00:51:04] There's just something about living with the land that is just so peaceful. It is, it is really like, I don't know, massage for my senses. I feel like with the guitar and the pan flute. And I was just about to say that Danny and I Shazam songs all the time. So he tried to Shazam that song and it wouldn't like find the song. I was like, don't worry. We know how to find this. Yeah. Everyone can tell us the name of this pan flute song. Oh my goodness.

[00:51:31] I saw, I was scrolling through TikTok the other day and there was some guy playing the guitar part. It was so good. I was just like, keep going. I love it. New ringtone. Yes. All right. What was after that? Okay. So I apologize for the confusion on my part. April 5th, Easter Sunday was my mom's big magic kingdom day. Yes. Okay. So that's the day that we brought her back to the parks.

[00:52:01] And we ended up kind of just doing that. We didn't go anywhere else except Epcot that day and then magic kingdom. Okay. And we wanted to experience the starlight parade with her because previous night, Danny and I ended up seeing the full parade instead of just seeing part of Moana on Tiana's fight adventure. It was raining. So they actually didn't have the performance, which makes sense because there's a lot of technical and electrical things a part of that.

[00:52:31] You don't want the cast members wet. So instead we did a full day's worth at magic kingdom in the sense that we did Tron, a standby. We did Space Mountain, Pirates, Magic, sorry, Tiana's, Haunted Mansion. So like everything that she would have wanted to do, we were trying to accomplish that night battling the rain. And that was really nice. That was probably one of my favorite nights with her. That's so nice.

[00:53:00] So Monday, April the 6th, you were not sure what park you were going to do from my notes and you were going to let mom decide. We did. Yeah. We ended up going to STK for lunch. It was very early lunch around 11 a.m. They liked it enough. They wanted to go back for a whole nother meal at STK. That in the sense that they had the $10 burger that I really wanted to eat. Oh, okay. So this was all you. It was me and them because I was trying to think of something that everyone would enjoy.

[00:53:31] And we sat there at lunch and just said, mom, mom, it's your favorite ride. What would you want to experience again one last time? And I quote her. She said, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind was excellent. That sealed it right away. So we headed over to Epcot for that ride. Okay. That was the only thing we did that day because we had to do another standby for it. And it was the entire one hour and 20 minutes that it was choked up to be. And this is when you got Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

[00:54:01] Yes, that's right. Okay. And did you go straight from the park to the airport? Because you had a six o'clock flight time, I think. Or did you go back to the hotel? Well, I guess you had to go get your luggage. Yeah, we went back to Disney Springs. We got Earl of Sandwich since they aren't local at all here and where we live in Texas. So we got sandwiches to bring to the airport. And I love how tightly sealed and packed Earl of Sandwich makes it. So it's like, you don't have to worry what this is, TSA. It's a sandwich.

[00:54:31] So we got food and then made our way to the airport. And it was nice to just sit at your gate instead of like run to it and just have time to eat a full meal before you get on the plane. And did your flight leave on time? Everything good on this end? It all worked out. Yeah. So the entire transportation logistics of that worked out exactly how we wanted to. So it made it overall. It was a perfect trip. Well, it sounds like it.

[00:55:01] And it sounds like now that mom and dad are also annual pass holders, they're going to need to take advantage of those annual passes. So what is your plan for the next time you're going? And what is the plan for the next time they're going? Will it be together? Are they going to go separately from you? What's happening? So Danny and I are booked for Ode Key West in August. So we're excited about that. And then the four of us again are booked for Boardwalk in November. But I have a feeling we're going to throw in like a three-day weekend sometime.

[00:55:30] I'm not sure when. You got to. So that's going to happen. And it's like just be on the lookout for a good price on a flight and then just do it. Go from there. The beauty of annual pass holder life is when you see a good price, then you just jump on it. The downside is you think, oh, I'm saving all this money. But really, especially as an out-of-state pass holder, you keep adding hotel stays. Yeah. It happens. But you know what? I don't do a whole lot else for entertainment besides like Broadway shows. Broadway shows and Disney.

[00:56:00] Those are my two things. Yes. Yeah. I'm excited. I'm excited for you and I'm excited for your family. I love that mom and dad finally got back and that you're getting to experience this together all over again. It's just always so much fun talking to you, Danielle. Likewise. I can't wait to hear about your trip and the Keys to the Kingdom tour. Oh, my gosh. I'm excited to see like how that goes and if I should do it. Oh, my gosh. I'm just like so excited.

[00:56:30] So hopefully. You get to know where all the utilidors are. I know. I know. And, you know, all three of us are going to do it. And it's funny because I don't think I don't think Charles or Alex really know like what what it's about. You know, like I've talked to people to read people who have done it before. So I have a little bit of an understanding of what we're going to see. But I'm just so excited to see them be surprised with everything. Oh, my gosh. You get to be Pascal like untangled when her hair starts glowing for the first time and

[00:57:00] Flynn sees it. And he's just like, yeah, that's what's happening. So when they go down the tour, you're like, yeah, I knew this was going. She's going to raise the eyebrows like, uh-huh. Exactly. Yes. Love it. All right, Danielle. Well, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend, a wonderful week. And I know it's not too good in the future. So looking forward to that. Thank you so much as always, Danielle. Don't forget to check out askthemouse.com and give Danielle a follow over on Instagram,

[00:57:30] YouTube, Facebook, all the things. And now I must get myself ready to kick off this week. I have two busy days of work and then I'm heading to Disney Tuesday night for three park days of fun with my friend Jeanette. I absolutely cannot wait. And with that, I'll simply say, have a magical week as I know I'm going to and keep daydreaming about where you long to be.