Disney World 2013

So last year I was surprised with a trip to Disney World for the very first time! You can check out that adventure in this blog post. One thing that happened last year was our flight was delayed in New Orleans for FIVE hours! It sucked! So Southwest Airlines gave me and my dad $200 vouchers each to use before April 30, 2013. So of course we wait to the last minute to decide where to use our vouchers to and end up picking Disney World again! I really wanted to go back to see the new changes to the Magic Kingdom and spend more time there. So we made it happen!

Last year I carried Minnie Mouse with me on the plane, and this year my parents got me a Mickey 🙂

Lots and lots of pictures after the link!!

I didn’t know anything about Pin Trading last time. So I bought a starter kit on eBay and brought my pins with me to trade. By the end of the trip I traded all of mine for new ones! It was so much fun talking to the cast members (employees) and picking out pins I liked. I almost got an entire set of the “princess shoes” .. I recommend doing pin trading if you go to Disney. It’s like you’re on a quest for treasure the whole time!

(I’m wearing a poncho because it rained nearly the entire trip! So excuse my frizzy hair!)

We went to Downtown Disney for the Pin Trading place and also for Goofy’s Candy Co. A friend of mine told me about this candy store where they make whatever you want!! I picked chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles. It was great watching them make my dessert 🙂

Also at Downtown Disney I got a glimpse inside the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I wish so badly I was 10 years old so I could get my hair done there.

This was inside the Wilderness Lodge Resort where we stayed. This hotel was huge! It had a very cozy feel to it. Lots of waterfalls, rocks, and totem poles.

The best part of staying at the Wilderness Lodge is the boat that takes you to and from the Magic Kingdom. Last year when we stayed at the Grand Floridian we rode the monorail. It was packed with people and would take awhile to unload everyone. This boat was incredibly handy. It ONLY carries people from the Wilderness Lodge. And there was almost always a boat ready there. So no long lines and a very scenic trip.

In front of Cinderella’s Castle!

This is part of the new Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. That’s the Beast’s castle behind me from Beauty and the Beast. In the mountain is the amazing “Be Our Guest” restaurant.

There were 3 different rooms to the restaurant. This was the grand ballroom. It was so exquisite! I am so glad we were able to eat lunch in here. The wait was about an hour, but the dinner reservations are booked up for like the next 6 months! So it was worth the wait.

This picture and the one below are from the movie Tangled. It’s absolutely my favorite Disney movie ever. This part of the park wasn’t here last year so when we stumbled upon it I squealed! At night the lanterns and Rapunzel’s tower lit up. It was beautiful. The sad part was this was a bathroom!! Can you believe that’s all they made this out to be????

Alas, I wasn’t the chosen one! The sword remained in the stone.

This was Terrence from TinkerBell’s magical nook. He was hilarious. He asked me about my “artwork” (meant my tattoos), and I told him I loved his hat. 

While eating at Tony’s Town Square restaurant, I saw Mary Poppins outside my window. I left my dad in there eating so I could run out and get to meet her! She was so lovely. I bought an autograph book this year so I could include my photos with the characters next to their signature.

Ariel’s grotto was also new to Fantasyland. Her ride was a lot of fun (my favorite part was the room where they sing Under the Sea), and her grotto was gorgeous. There were seashells and colorful marbles in the ground and walls. She took the time to tell me how she enjoyed decorating the room. 🙂

You can’t go to DisneyWorld and not meet Mickey Mouse! He was so kind! 

Since Tangled is my favorite movie, you can imagine how excited I was to meet Rapunzel herself. I met her last year, but this year she greeted me with a BIG hug and called me “blondie” like herself! When I told her I was a hairstylist she said she’s always wanted her hair done into an updo! I said I would have to book extra time for her. She laughed :p

I like asking the characters how to stand. They always look so cute! 

In this picture it was Aladdin’s idea to stand this way. He was a babe 😛

Buzz Lightyear was probably my favorite to meet. I was able to catch him right when he came out so I got to the front of the line before it formed. I yelled “To infinity and beyond!” and he put it arms up then gave me a hug. Then we started doing the Cha Cha Slide together (it was playing in the distance). It was epic!

Of course, the day we left the rain finally cleared and the sun shined. I was sad to leave, but really had a blast. I am so thankful I can say I have visited Disney World twice! It’s truly a magical place.

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Do you have a big vacation planned this year?

Have you ever been to Disney World?

Who is your favorite Disney character?