Intro
I am so excited to share with you all how my birthday trip went! This trip was the perfect way to celebrate at the Most Magical Place on Earth. We were able to stay at my dream resort and try so many amazing restaurants! If you want to read about our original plans for the trip, check out my blog post here.
So now, follow along as I go through what went well, some of my new favorite things, and a few things that didn’t go as planned.
PS: I am writing this as I finish the last of my leftover Gideon’s, so you know it was a good trip for me!
Breakdown
- Theme: Birthday
- Length: 3 days
- Age and Group: Four adults
- Cost: $$$
Check-In
Typically, I like to fly into Orlando bright and early on my Disney trips, however for this trip we did something a little different! We found a later flight and landed at MCO at night. We also tried out Mears Connect for the first time on this trip. It was a great experience! The check-in process was extremely simple and there was absolutely no one else in line, so we got on the bus immediately! We did a standard bus, so we did have to wait for our stop (we stopped at about 4-5 other resorts on the way). Mears does also offer private transportation. So, I would suggest finding the option that works best for your budget and schedule. If you’re flying in to MCO for your Disney trip, I would definitely recommend using Mears Connect.
Once we arrived at All Star Music, we dropped our luggage off and grabbed some dinner at the Intermission Food Court. I love the atmosphere at the All Star Resorts. Even late at night, the pools and food court were very lively!
Day 1: Disney Springs & EPCOT
Our EPCOT day is finally here, meaning we woke up early to get our Lightning Lanes and our place in the Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind! We were so happy to get both an Individual Lightning Lane and Virtual Queue for Guardians. This is a brand new roller coaster at EPCOT and being able to ride it twice is really exciting! Learn more about the ride here.
We then checked out of All Star Music and took a ride share over to Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village. Our room wasn’t quite ready, so we checked our luggage and ordered some breakfast.
After breakfast, we hopped on a Disney bus over to Disney Springs while we waited for the room to be ready. Once we were done at Disney Springs, we headed back to the resort and checked out the room. Then, we grabbed another Disney bus to EPCOT!
Rides
We had a great night at EPCOT and were able to ride Guardians of the Galaxy twice! This new ride features six different songs, so you never know which one you’ll get when you ride. We were lucky enough to get two different songs, one of which being Everybody Wants to Rule the World (my favorite!). There has been a lot of excitement about this ride and I can definitely say, it lives up to all the hype.
Later in the night, we were able to get over to the Land Pavilion and hop on Soarin’ and Living with the Land.
Food
We were so excited to have our first meal at Animal Kingdom Lodge! During breakfast, Sanaa provides unique options and classics like Mickey Waffles, with a view of the savannah! This was one of the best quick-service experiences I have ever had at breakfast. If you are ever over at Animal Kingdom Lodge, I highly recommend this meal!
At Disney Springs, you know I started my day at Gideon’s! There was a little bit of a line, and no virtual queue, but I was able to get the newly brought back Banana Bread Chocolate Chip cookie. This cookie is amazing and I would eat one every morning for breakfast if it was possible!
Lunch and Dinner were had around the world at the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival! I am so happy we made it just before the end of this amazing festival.
- Germany – Toasted Pretzel Bread and Potato Pancakes
- China – House-made Cheesy Crab Wontons
- Japan – Chicken Yakitori
- Karamell-Kuche – Chocolate Covered S’more*
- La Isla Fresca – Arepas
- Pineapple Promenade – Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade
- Sunshine Griddle – Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites
*not part of the festival, I just couldn’t resist!
The plan was to end the night with Harmonious, however we ended up missing it because of a delay with Guardians of the Galaxy (totally worth it though to get on this ride twice). And we still could see some of the fireworks when we got off the ride, making it extra magical!
Day 2: Animal Kingdom, Resort Day, Hollywood Studios
Our second Disney day is packed full of rides, resort time, and amazing food! We start out nice and early to rope drop Animal Kingdom. We spend some time at Animal Kingdom, then go back to explore the resort a bit, before heading out to Hollywood Studios!
Rides
At Animal Kingdom, we head straight to Pandora to get in the queue for Flight of Passage. This is a great ride to rope drop, because even if the line seems really long it will go quickly!
Our first lightning lane of the day is for Kilimanjaro Safaris. The animals on the safari were super active and we even got stopped by a Rhino! I love that this ride allows you to get up close and personal with the animals!
We were wanting to see some more animals after the Safari, so we went through the Gorilla Falls Trail. I love checking out the animal trails while at Animal Kingdom. We got to see a baby gorilla playing with its family on this trail and it was so adorable!
We hoped to ride a few other rides while we were at Animal Kingdom, but the Florida rain had other plans! So we headed back to the resort for a little break, then hopped on a bus to Hollywood Studios.
Disney Genie+ definitely helped us out today and we got right on Millennium Falcon after arriving at Hollywood Studios. A couple of us even got to be pilots (though I definitely should not be allowed to fly the Falcon ever again)! Luckily, we also got an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, so after piloting the Falcon, we headed that direction. To make sure we got on every Star Wars ride, we booked a Lightning Lane for Star Tours before leaving the park!
Food
We headed to Tamu Tamu for a fast breakfast at Animal Kingdom, before our ride on the Safari. They have giant Mickey cinnamon rolls along with a nice variety of other pastries!
Lunch was at Nomad Lounge, one of my personal favorites. Our meal was amazing and it was a great escape from the afternoon storm! Spending a rainy day at Animal Kingdom in Nomad Lounge is really something special. Back at the resort, I grabbed a few snacks at the Mara – including the fan favorite Zebra Domes!
At Hollywood Studios, we are super excited that we got a reservation at Oga’s. The atmosphere in Oga’s is so unique and I love to come here to enjoy some Star Wars themed mocktails!
Probably what I am most excited about for today is our splurge dinner at Topolino’s! We hopped on the Skyliner to the Riviera Resort. I know that I am currently staying at my dream resort on this trip, but the Riviera is definitely another one on that list. I would love to stay here one day!
Dinner at Topolino’s, which started with a rooftop view of Harmonious, was one of the best meals I have had at Disney! The service, atmosphere, and the meal itself was all outstanding. If you are looking for a meal to splurge a bit while visiting Disney, I could not recommend Topolino’s more!
Day 3: Magic Kingdom
This is a very big day, Pascal! It’s my birthday! I have never spent my birthday at Disney and I am so happy to get to check this off my bucket list. Magic Kingdom is my favorite park, so we spend the entire day here. It is a super hot day, so we had to fight the heat a bit, but overall it was an amazing birthday!
Rides
After walking into Magic Kingdom, something really special happened and we were able to hop on the Main Street Trolley to be escorted down Main Street! I have never had this experience and it was one of the coolest things I have ever gotten to do at a Disney park. If you see the Trolley, ask a cast member if you can have a ride!
We did purchase Genie+ today and it really was helpful. My opinion is that it is typically worth it to purchase Disney Genie+ for your Magic Kingdom day, since there are so many rides. I don’t always use it in other parks, but I think Magic Kingdom is a great place to use it!
It was a great day for rides, even with the park being so busy. We got on everything we wanted to ride and then some! Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was first, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean, Philharmagic, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion. The day was super hot, so we took a quick break in the shade before continuing to ride some more favorites.
Next, we hopped on Pirates of the Caribbean again, then Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress, Mad Tea Party, and Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid.
We closed out the night with a couple rides on the People Mover. We even got to see Space Mountain with the lights on! *Check out the WDW highlights on my Instagram to see a video.
Food
The day started with a wonderful, family-style breakfast at ‘Ohana. I love the Polynesian, so being able to have a meal here on my birthday was so fun!
Throughout the day we snacked on a few favorites; like a Mickey pretzel, some Joffrey’s coffee, and a cake pop from the Confectionary!
My birthday was made so much better, because were able to grab a last minute reservation for dinner at Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (also simply known at Skipper Canteen)! This restaurant is a super uniquely themed spot with diverse food options. We were lucky enough to be seated in the secret bookcase room!
The fireworks tonight are the special Fourth of July show and it was definitely busy in the hub. It was a great show, but I am excited to see Enchantment again next time I visit!
Check Out
This was a quick trip, so check out day came way too quickly. I also now definitely feel spoiled after staying in a Deluxe resort! I will always love the Value resorts, but staying in my dream Deluxe resort was really magical.
Food
Breakfast on check out day was at Boma, over at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House. This buffet style breakfast was so good and actually a pretty good value. However, between Boma and Sanaa breakfast, I would definitely recommend Sanaa! It was a lot less crowded and it is the only place at Animal Kingdom Lodge where you can dine with a view of the savannah.
Getting back to the airport was extremely easy, using Mears Connect. We even got picked up in a smaller van, instead of the standard bus, so it was super comfy and relaxing!
Overall, this was such an amazing bucket list trip! The Florida heat and rain definitely impacted the trip a bit, but that is to be expected traveling to Disney in the summer. I plan to do a post soon sharing some tips on how to handle the Florida weather during your trip!
Overview
- Check-In
- Food: Intermission Food Court
- Day 1: Disney Springs & EPCOT
- Rides: Guardians of the Galaxy (x2), Soarin’, Living with the Land
- Food: Sanaa, Gideon’s, Flower & Garden Festival
- Day 2: Animal Kingdom, Resort Day, Hollywood Studios
- Rides: Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safari, Millennium Falcon, Rise of the Resistance, Star Tours
- Food: Tamu Tamu, Nomad Lounge, The Mara, Oga’s, Topolino’s Terrace
- Day 3: Magic Kingdom
- Rides: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean (x2), Philharmagic, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress, Mad Tea Party, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, People Mover (x2)
- Food: ‘Ohana’s, Mickey Pretzel, Joffrey’s, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
- Check Out
- Food: Boma
