I’m back…I’m back in the saddle again – Trip Report
Basic Info: Solo Trip (as all have been since 2015)
Dates: September 24 – October 1, 2025
Resort: Coronado Springs – The Villages
Room Type: Standard View – Casitas Building 4 Room 4423
Park Tickets: IncrediPass with Memory Maker add-on
Once again, many thanks to Denise Keeler @ Magical Journeys for all the help in getting this trip going. As always, your help, as well as all the Magical Journeys crew, is immeasurable.
Recap of my Pre-trip report:
I was able to book a ‘Room ONLY’ stay at Coronado Springs for my trip at a price only $50 more than the same dates at Pop Century, so I just HAD to do it. I have never stayed at Coronado Springs before, so this will be something ‘new and different’ for me. I understand that the only transportation options are buses or drive myself which is kind of a bummer, but I can deal with that.
There are a couple ‘events’ that I am going to be attending while I am there and lead to my choice of dates. One is directly Disney related – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and one is not – Disney Day Drinkers (D3) 4th Anniversary Party. The latter is an after hours party to be held in the Pandora area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom with a pre-party at the Rainforest Café on site. As those who met/saw me at the INTERCOT 25 event can attest, I’m not a big socialite, so this could be ‘interesting.’
On to the actual report…..WARNING: IF YOU ARE AVERSE TO ADULT BEVERAGES, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY NOT READ THIS REPORT!
September 23 (Tuesday):
Decided to drive my own vehicle (2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport) instead of flying for a couple reasons…#1 – I haven’t made the drive to FL in over 20 years and nothing so long since I got this vehicle brand new almost 9 years ago. (“This is a test…This is only a test…”) and #2 – I had a ‘shopping list’ of things to bring back for myself and family members. Couldn’t do that if I had to pack things up as ‘baggage’ for my flight home.
So, after over-packing and loading up the ‘beastie,’ I headed out to my ‘back cracker’ appointment to get this trip started.
Finished up my ‘adjustment,’ filled up the gas tank, and started the drive down about 11:30am. Fully expecting traffic around the DC and Richmond areas, I was hoping to get into SC before calling it a day and finding a place to stay for the night. To my surprise, there was VERY LITTLE traffic in either area. Went from York, PA to the NC line in less than 4 hours…and still had plenty of gas in the tank!
NC and SC were my ‘slow down’ areas. Lots of construction on I-95, with lane constrictions and speed limit drops, but really not all that major. I was able to make it to the Fayetteville, NC area by 10pm and decided to stop for the night there.
September 24 (Wednesday – Arrival Day):
Left the hotel/motel at around 9:00 Wednesday morning, filled up the gas tank and headed for Coronado Springs.
If you’ve ever done this type of drive before, it seems like SC and GA go on forever! LOL As I stated earlier, SC had a lot of road construction, so it was a bit slower going than I had hoped for. GA wasn’t too bad, but their road construction seemed to be more stripping the top coat at this point, so the road was a bit rougher…and noisy! Given all that, I made it into FL before noon. By the time I hit Jacksonville, it was time to fill up again and take a bit of a ‘get blood back into the extremities’ break. Took this time to wash the road dust and dirt of the beastie and within a half hour was on to the final stretch of the drive down.
Orlando and points west were the only ‘real’ backup points of this trip, but even so, I arrived at the WDW ‘gates’ around 3pm. Since I had never driven ‘on property’ before, it took me one wrong turn, and a little help from my phone navigation to get to Coronado Springs. By 3:30pm I was walking into the Tower to check in and get a property map. My room wasn’t ready, so I found a place to park and hopped on a bus to EPCOT – my ‘reserved’ park for the day.
I was still in heavier clothes from my trip down – heavy jeans and a thicker t-shirt – so was not really ready for the FL heat and humidity. After activating my IncrediPass, I entered EPCOT proper and just wandered around for a bit. Abut 5:30pm I got notice that my room was ready – Casitas, Building 4, Room 4423 – so I did a little more wandering and headed back to Coronado Springs to unload my vehicle and get a feel for my room and location. After a couple spiced rum and pineapple juices, which I brought with me, I called it a night.
"The game never ends
When your whole world depends
On the Turn of a Friendly Card"
September 25 (Thursday):
Got up, showered while the coffee was brewing, (the single pod Keurig brewers are a nice touch in the Moderate resorts! But they could have come up with a ‘double pod/two cup’ system!), had my breakfast of Cranberry Oatmeal bars from the Stauffer/Meiji outlet at home, and proceeded to AK for mid/late morning activities.
Rides/attractions were not my main focus on this trip…I wanted to check out the lounges. Had a ‘walk up’ to Yak & Yeti Lounge and got the ‘hidden’ menu due to my Disney Day Drinker Challenge Coin(s) and enjoyed a very good snack (Thai Chili Duck Wings) and drink (The Fortune Teller) as well as a normal menu drink (Himalayan Sunset – I just wanted the cocktail shaker, honestly!)
After that, I went on Safari and stopped at Dawa Bar for a ‘short slurp’ before heading back to the room to get ready for MNSSHP this evening.
A swim in the Casitas pool, shower and dressing for MNSSHP left me raring to go! Call me a big kid, but I wanted to fill a bag (small insulated backpack) with candy this evening!
I took my time getting there, as I didn’t need, or want, to deal with the early entry throngs, so I got there around 6pm, got my wristband, and walked right in. Was disappointed that they didn’t have the PhotoPass spots along the entry path. Did a quick walk around the park, looking for where the Trick or Treat stations were going to be set up, then made my way to The Beak & Barrel for my 7:20pm reservation. I’m not going to go into detail about this establishment, as many have already posted, but I did like the atmosphere of the venue and the CM I had ‘serving’ me was quite on point with his presentation. I had two drinks – Plunderer’s Punch (mainly for the mug) and Lit Fuse. All menu drinks are pre-made, but surprisingly strong, if a little on the sweet side. I also had the Cook’s Corn Griddle Cakes with Chipotle-braised Chicken. The Griddle Cakes were a bit overly dense, but the chicken filling was decent. Nothing to write home about, but sufficient at the time.
It was a fun night and I found a spot near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to watch the Boo To You Parade as it started. No Headless Horseman (either he didn’t ride or I was too late to see him.) One thing that surprised me, though, was that the path between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland was blocked off. You had to ‘take the long way home’ to get between these two areas. I only got a couple of the PhotoPass/Magic Shots. Strange, for me, as I love those things!
September 26 (Friday):
Morning routine covered, I set out for DHS, my ‘reserved’ park. Only hit a couple attractions, but Rise of the Resistance was one. Did the ‘Single Rider’ entrance and missed the entire ‘pre-show.’ The Single Rider entrance ‘loads’ at the StormTrooper room. The ‘Cannons’ were not moving, so it was a bit of a downer. Stopped by the Tune-In Lounge for a PB&J Cocktail before heading over to EPCOT to meet up with someone I had worked with for years who had moved, with his wife, to the Lakeland area.
We met up, had a nice lunch from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. Then, we wandered around the park, rode Soarin’ and Living With the Land, and had a great visit. It was good to catch up with an old friend.
[Probably not the best place to do this, but he and his wife are going to be opening a franchise of The Anchor Bar near Kissimmee soon. They finally found a good venue and are hoping to open up within a year. “The Anchor Bar” is a restaurant out of the Buffalo, NY area, purported to be the origin spot of the Buffalo Hot Wing phenomenon.]
September 27 (Saturday):
MK morning. To be honest, I don’t think I did anything here but walk around.
Tonight is THE night. My main reason for this visit. The Disney Day Drinkers 4th Anniversary Celebration. I found this group from one of my facebook feeds and, even though I am NOT a big drinker, found them to be quite enjoyable. Once I started seeing their “Challenge Coins” I became even more intrigued, so I joined. This was the first of their events that I was able to attend. It started off with a pre-party at the RainForest Café at Animal Kingdom. The place was packed and I felt like “a fish out of water.” Luckily, there were a few people I had conversed with online and I got to talk to a few of them to ease my anxiety. Around 10pm we headed into the Pandora area of AK and the main event started. Since we had this entire area to ourselves, it was easy to spread out and do our own things. Both rides were open and had no wait times! There were about 20 ‘mini bars’ set up around the area and I could have been ‘in trouble,’ but I only had a few singles on me for tips! Like at the ICOT 25 event, I mingled a little, but kept pretty much to myself. You would think, at 63, I would have been able to open up more. After it was over, there was a little confusion over where the bus back to the resort(s) was, but since I drove myself, I took a couple other members to their resort before returning to Coronado Springs.
September 28 (Sunday):
EPCOT was booked for the morning. Got a few character shots, walked around, then got hit by a typical FL rain cloud. Why was today the day I forgot to bring a throw-away poncho?!? Got a walk-up to Space 220 and enjoyed a couple drinks and the Short Rib Sliders.
I was able to book a reservation for Oga’s Canteen for 8:15pm. I was a little more than damp when I got there, but didn’t let it bother me, as many others were worse off than I was. I really like the atmosphere at Oga’s and to get in there late in the evening like this has the bonus of coming out to an (almost) empty park.
"The game never ends
When your whole world depends
On the Turn of a Friendly Card"
September 29 (Monday):
DHS for the morning even though I was just there the night before. Did the full ride of Rise of the Resistance through the StandBy line. Missing the first part of the attraction by going through the Single Rider line seems almost criminal!
Back to EPCOT for the evening. (Yes, I spend a lot of evenings in EPCOT. I just enjoy being able to visit the countries and have a few ‘adult’ beverages.) From the time I got off the SkyLiner until I got to GEO-82 it poured!!! I was in the Festival Center and could not see Spaceship Earth from the exit on that side of the building! Even though I had a throw-away poncho on, my feet, legs and arms got soaked. The walkways were rivers. I hadn’t been in a park during one of these ‘gully-washers’ since my first trip in 2003.
I had a GEO-82 reservation for 6:25pm this evening. I’ve got to say that, even though it is not cheap, it is a nice venue to relax and have a couple drinks and a bite. Philippe brought me my Brown Butter Old-Fashioned while I was waiting for my charcuterie board to come out. It wasn’t a bad drink, but I’ve had better. The charcuterie board was delicious. Probably fit for two people, but I finished it on my own. Then I had the Brulee Banana Highball, which was better than I would have expected. The banana with a brulee ‘coat’ and espresso bean went well with the drink itself, highlighting the flavors. I put in an order for a pair of the ‘rocks’ glasses to take home to my elder sister and as I was waiting, I saw a CM (Ranger) making up what looked to be an espresso martini, so I asked her about it. She said it was an ‘off menu’ drink that was devised by a Disney Day Drinkers member and has become a crowd pleaser. She called it a Banana Bread Espresso Martini. So, I asked her to make one up for me. Probably the best drink I had there. She used the same banana brulee/espresso bean garnish from the highball. Highly recommended!
Since my shoes, socks and feet were still soggy, I didn’t hang around for long after that.
September 30 (Tuesday):
Back to AK for the morning shows….which I didn’t do. LOL Walked over to what was DinoLand to see if I could get shots with Donald and/or Chip & Dale. No go. They were just finishing up a set and wouldn’t be back for an hour. A little more walking and ended up having lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue.
Last night of the trip in DHS. Another Oga’s Canteen reservation. This time, I got in for 9:45pm. Snacked on the Batuu Bits while sipping on a Yub Nub, followed by a Bloody Rancor with Candied Meat.
After finishing up at Oga’s, I took my time wandering as much of the park as I could to take photos of the empty ‘streets.’ What a way to end a day!
October 1 (Wednesday – Departure Day):
I WAS planning to load up my vehicle then go over to MK for a while before heading up the road, but decided against it, so after clearing out the room, I checked out and started heading toward home.
Got as far as Brunswick, GA before needing to gas up again. Stopped at Buc-ee’s and finally saw what so many people are talking about – the bathrooms! LOL The layout, the cleanliness, and THE LIGHTS OVER THE DOORS TO SHOW WHETHER OR NOT THE STALL IS OCCUPIED! Yes, it’s funny, but also much needed in any public restroom facility! The store itself was huge, but well laid out. I won’t laugh about all the hype they get anymore!
My trip home had a side stop at my younger sister’s place in Beaver, PA, so I headed slightly west of my normal route and made it to Elkin, NC before calling it a day. Nice room in a Fairfield Inn for the night.
Morning broke and I started the last leg(s) of my trip. Gas and go, until I hit the Pittsburg area and up to my sister’s. Spent a few hours delivering her Jack Skellington Popcorn Bucket, Stitch Mummy Popcorn Bucket and NBC Mayor Sipper – only available at MNSSHP, as well as a pair of NBC Starbucks Tumblers.
One last tank of gas and it’s time to ‘head east young man’ and make my way home. Finally pulled into my garage around 1am, unloaded the vehicle and went to bed.
Trip complete! Now to plan for my December trip!
Summary and notes:
Parks were NOT crowded. Not ‘empty’ but more than manageable.
Beak & Barrel has nice atmosphere, but they COULD do better with the menu.
GEO-82 is expensive, but very nice to visit.
Oga’s Cantina is still one of my favorite ‘in park’ venues.
I did not do much as far as attractions go, but still enjoyed every minute of my trip.
Cast Members, at least in my case, stepped up their game. Not a sour face or attitude to be found.
MNSSHP is okay every 5 (or more) years, but is not a ‘must do.’
The ‘event’ I went down for was well worth it!
Coronado Springs is lovely and the Three Bridges Lounge is quite comfortable and serves good food and drinks!
Comments are welcome and everyone’s opinion counts – to them! LOL
There are ‘albums’ of photos from this trip on my facebook page…
Until next time….
In the words of Spider Robinson (from the Callahan’s series):
“Shared pain is lessened.
Shared joy is increased.
Thus we refute entropy.”
"The game never ends
When your whole world depends
On the Turn of a Friendly Card"
Very pleasant trip!! Thanks for sharing it all with us - I enjoyed reading!!
Linda aka: Faline
INTERCOT Staff: Vacation Planning,Trip Reports and Disney Camping
faline@intercot.com
I enjoyed your report and hope the atmosphere of the December trip makes it fun.
