Can adults really have FUN on a Disney vacation? This is a question a ton of Travel Agents who specialize in Disney Destinations are asked almost daily. This is a question my business partner, Tricia, and I were on a quest to prove was true…
We we fortunate enough to work with a group of nearly 20 women who were interested in taking a 3 night Disney Cruise Line vacation- WITHOUT their husbands and kids. Tricia and I arrived to Orlando a day earlier with another member of this group to stay in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge’s concierge and visit the Magic Kingdom.
The time has come and the plan is now in motion…
I arrived at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge around 4:30pm on Thursday, January 8th. Tricia and our friend, Sandy, had arrived hours earlier- checked us all in and left my pink Magic Band at the front desk so all I had to do was show up, drop my bag, and hop the boat to the Magic Kingdom to make our Fast Passes. Well, finding my Magic Band took nearly 20 minutes. Not sure why, but a lot longer than I was hoping for. I ran up to our room, took pictures of our room, grabbed iPhone chargers (as per the girls’ request) and ran down to the boat – which to my surprise was already there boarding guests headed to the Magic Kingdom.
I had to stop at Guest Services and have my ticket linked to my band (for all of you who are familiar with my blog posts about visiting WDW with Magic Bands know that I can never seem to have as seamless trip with them) and ran over to Big Thunder Mountain to meet the girls’ for my first Fast Pass of the day.
It.Was.Awesome. The last time I rode this was August 2013 with my husband and kids. It was my son’s first time on it and I was so focused on their reactions- I really didn’t take time to react myself to the ride. There are a ton of touches I never saw before. Sandy and I were bounced back and forth so hard in our seat we swore we were bruised but if we kept our arms down and didn’t scream in laughter, I am sure we would have been fine. 😉 This ride kicked off my mental mantra for the next 4 nights- “Live in the NOW”.
Vacationing with your family, most parents are 3 or 4 steps ahead of what they are actually doing to appreciate the DOING.
Next up- the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Now, the last time I rode this was just this past November with my husband and three kids. Sandy and I were seated next to each other again and Tricia was paired with a gentleman from the single riders line. Poor guy, but he congratulated us for taking this sort of trip and even took a selfie with us!
This is my favorite ride on WDW property. For decades it has been Its a Small World- but this edges it out. So cleverly done, everyone can ride it, not too fast, not rough, it is just perfect.
Next up, what I had felt most guilty about- we had Fast Passes to meet Anna and Elsa from Frozen. Something that in prior visits to Walt Disney World with my family, I was unable to obtain. But, we decided we needed to meet the princesses (it was a Girls’ Weekend after all), take pictures, and love every minute of it….
Now it was time to head out to Disney’s Contemporary Resort for our dinner reservation at California Grill. Not an easy feat with a show in front of the castle going on and we were pretty much in the back of the park. We wiggled through to Main Street USA and then headed in to the shops to walk through them while headed towards to exit. On our way out, Princess Aurora was holding court, so we stopped and said hello…
To our luck, a monorail was waiting for us headed to the Contemporary Resort. We jumped on board and were on our way! We made our way up to the California Grill and checked in nearly a half hour early for our reservation- and they were able to seat us in one of their most magical tables…
We started dinner with a fabulous cheese plate. No, this is NOT on their main menu. This is on their dessert menu that you are presented after dinner. My tip- ASK for it. This cheese plate is incredible and really sets the tone (in my opinion) for the rest of your meal. If you choose another way to start your meal, you may not have enough room to enjoy this after dinner… just sayin’. 😉
Next up was sushi and flatbreads, California Grill must haves!
Tricia and I ordered the Filet Mignon with Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Baby Vine Tomatoes, Tiny Basil, Tomato Butter…
Sandy ordered the Bison Tenderlion…
For dessert, we were treated to an amazing view of the Magic Kingdom’s Wishes!
After dinner, we headed downstairs to grab a taxi back to the Wilderness Lodge and the Old Faithful Club for their cordials and dessert.
We filled our glasses and plates and headed to our room to watch the Electrical Water Pageant and headed to bed early. Tomorrow was going to be a big day!
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