Walt Disney World Day 1 Part 1

Sorry for the delay. We have had a few personal things going on that kept me from editing my videos. But here is Day one of our first day in Magic Kingdom! I hope you enjoy! 

All Star Sports Resort Review

In the past we have had the opportunity to stay at several of the Value Resorts at Walt Disney World, but this was the first time for us staying at the All Star Sports Resort. I had heard mixed reviews on this resort in comparison to the others but when we went to book our rooms the All Star Sports Resort was actually cheaper then some of the other value resorts. I must say I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it almost as much as the All Star Music and All Star Movies Resorts. And although Pop Century is by far my favorite value resort, I would be perfectly ok with staying at the Sports Resort again if the price was cheaper.

It didn't hurt that we got such great treatment on our arrival day!

My one complaint which was actually a complaint from my daughter, was that she found a hair inside the sheets of her bed the day we checked in, but housekeeping came and stripped the whole bed down and gave her new sheets. During the five days we were there we didn't encounter a lot of noise, our room was always cleaned up by the time we came back for break and parking was never an issue even after a late night at the park (on average we would return to the room around 11 pm or later).

Originally I had requested a third floor room in the hoops building, but surprisingly I ended up appreciating being on the ground floor (especially after a long day on my feet in the hot sun at the parks). I also appreciated the fact that the All Star Sports Resort was the first of the value resorts you reached after going through the gates, and the parking area where we parked was the first turn into the resort.....so within minutes we were at our building and only steps away from our door. 

We were at the back of the resort (which most would consider the farthest as far as walking distance to the food court and the main building), but I had requested that area in advance because I knew we would be using our own transportation to and from the park each day. We did stop in each morning before heading to the parks so that Marc and Quisha could get coffee but we would just drive from around the back and park in the parking area across from the main building where people check in upon arrival. 

I'm not a sports person by any stretch of the imagination. But even I enjoyed seeing all of the sports icons at the various buildings! 

It rained a lot while we were there but the pools were being used when the sun came out (I mean, it is Florida and when the sun is out, its extremely hot. Especially in August. LOL)

We grabbed drinks everyday from the beverage station and one night Quisha and I shared a meal from the Food Court. Most of the time we grabbed meals off property before coming back to our room at night. We kept snacks in our room, plenty of water and some fruit as well to grab on the go in the morning before heading to the parks. On a few occasions we would use the microwave in the Food Court to heat up leftovers from a meal we had had (I really wish that Disney provided microwaves in the rooms like they do the mini fridge). We never had any issues doing this and we even sat at the tables a few times to eat before going back out to the parks or our rooms.

The gift shop where we did some major damage on our first day at Disney. LOL

Like I said, if given the opportunity I would stay again. It will be interesting to see how prices will change after all of the value resorts have been renovated. I know a lot of people prefer the larger and more deluxe resorts for their different amenities, but honestly for our family the value resorts are a no brainier especially since we spend very little time in the room except to sleep and although the pool is nice on a hot summer day in Florida, with the exception of my husband none of us swim so a cool pool is not even a thought. I still dream about staying at the Grand Floridian one day but because of the cost I don't see that happening. Thank goodness I can resort hop and get my fix! So what is your favorite Disney resort to stay at and why?

Our 1st Day in Magic Kingdom Part 1: Peter Pan

We started each morning off by stopping at the All Star Sports Cafe so that my husband and daughter could get coffee, and then would immediately head to the parks. We drove to the park most of the trip and only used Disney Transportation to get around internally within the parks. Our first day at Magic Kingdom was on Sunday and we arrived just as the park opened for resort guest. We hopped on the trolley in the parking lot and headed for the monorail at the TTC (one of my favorite modes of transportation at WDW). I guess because it was the start of the day the monorail was waiting to fill up with as many people as possible before heading to Magic Kingdom. We did get to talk with some mates from England while waiting in line, but it seemed to take forever for the first rail to come along! I didn't get any photos but you will get to see how crowded it was in my videos later.

Our goal that day was to get to Peter Pan because we did not have a fastpass for it and knew from the research I had done it would be crazy busy later in the day. If you have seen my trailer for my YouTube channel you will know how excited I was to be walking onto to main street and seeing the castle for the first time in 6 years! LOL

We made a beeline for Fantasyland and although the line wasn't too long, it still took us a minute to get in. 

Hubby had a great time snapping pictures of us with his camera.

This was the first time I had seen the new queue area for Peter Pan, It was really, really cute and the little ones (and those of us who are young at heart) seemed to enjoy it.

In my next segment I will talk about where we headed after Peter Pan. I had a set schedule in my head and on my phone as to which rides we would hit that day. The App from Disney was a lifesaver because it allowed us to check wait times before traipsing all over the park only to find out that the wait time was too long (at least longer then we were willing to wait). 

I know a lot of people (especially adults) skip the Peter Pan ride. But since we are not big thrill ride people this is right up our alley. I can't explain why but I get excited when we "fly" over London and see Big Ben. And frankly I love the classic Disney rides that Walt created all those years ago. One of the reasons I love Disney World is because there really is something for everyone. Yes, new things are great but the old classics hold a special place in my heart. What is your favorite classic ride at Disney?

Be Our Guest Review

Our first day in the parks we had lunch reservations (PS) for the Be Our Guest Restaurant.. I had heard so much about this place I was excited to try it out (even if it was just to see the inside).

This was also the first time we have been back to Magic Kingdom since the refurb of Fantasyland so needless to say I was very excited! 

Check in was easier then I originally thought it would be because I had heard that you may have to wait outside in a long line with very little covering (and let's face it, in the middle of August that can be miserable). Surprisingly we did not have to wait long at all and were ushered right in!

The entrance! 

This mural is gorgeous in real life! 

The line waiting to get to the stations where you can place your order. We actually knew in advance what we wanted to order but I still wanted to see the process in person. 

I won't spoil the surprise but be sure to pay attention when you enter the "hall" where these are. LOL 

We chose to stay in the Castle Gallery with the large music box of Belle and the Beast dancing. I had heard that it was the most quiet area of the three you can choose from. I dubbed it the "Green Room". LOL

My favorite part of the room was the paintings. 

My daughter and I both ordered the Croque Monsieur. And to be honest we probably could have shared the meal it was so large. 

I had suggested to my husband that he get the Braised Pork, only because everyone had raved about it. 

And of course we got the Gray stuff, because it promised to be delicious! 

At lunch time you can pretty much sit where you choose. As beautiful as the Grand Ballroom is, I still preferred the smaller dining room.

I had to take a picture of the light! LOL 

The West Wing is cool, but it is very dark just as others have stated and yes, we all come in to the room to take a photo of the rose and see the "show".

All in all it was a great experience, but if I don't ever get to make a reservation again I won't be disappointed. Its definitely worth experiencing at least once. The atmosphere and the theming is Disney at its best. The food, while not bad was nothing to write home about. So would I suggest it to friends? Yes. But I would warn them in advance that the food by itself is not the reason to put it on your most do list. I give you a few more details about our experience here .

Character Meet and Greets

It wasn't planned but somehow we got to see a ton of characters on this trip! Its actually one of my favorite things to do at WDW. And meeting the princess is at the top of that list. 

I loved meeting Elena for the first time. Sadly, I still have not seen her movie....so Quisha and I will have to make a date to check her out!

Everyone knows that Cinderella is my favorite Disney princess (well you should know). But I don't know if the wicked stepmom had gotten under her skin that night, but let's just say that Cindy wasn't very friendly!

Olaf!! You can't be in a room with Olaf and not be happy!!! Just sayin!!! 

It was very nice to meet Tiana for the first time.

There were a lot of first for us! Meeting Rapunzel was a first as well. And she didn't mind chatting with us! 

I couldn't come to Disney and not meet the "Frozen" sisters!!! 

Don't ask me why, but being around Mickey kind of leaves me speechless. I couldn't seem to think of anything to say! Glad he wasn't the talking one. This was awkward enough!!! 

Me trying to explain to Joy and Sadness why I had never seen their movie. LOL 

These guys were so much fun!! Pooh (or maybe it was Tigger) gave me a lot of kisses! And Marc was worried about Mickey! LOL

Daisy was very hospitable.

Minnie reminded me of my friend we call Ms. FUFU. LOL

Donald is always good for a little meeting and greeting!!! 

One of the few characters Marc wanted to take a pic with! I guess Pluto really is a man's best friend! We also took photos with some of the Star War's Characters. I just don't have their photos uploaded at the moment! 

I got to meet Tinkerbell for the first time ever. And when I told her that she and I had a great conversation!!! Wish somebody in my family had taped it!

Meeting Alice was a delight. She really wanted to understand why I was wearing a hat with a hole in it. LOL

Our last day at Epcot we ran into see Jasmine (not really sure where Aladdin was) just before the sky opened up and the rain (and thunder) rolled in! 

Everyone thinks the Meet and Greets are just for children, but most of the characters are just as eager to "hang" with the adults as they do with the children. Disney really is the place where even adults can be a kid! What's been your most memorable character meet up?