May the 4th Be With You -- Pre-trip Report

May the 4^th Be With You – Pre-Trip Report

“A short time from now, in a galaxy near and dear to our hearts…”  Okay, this is a poor reinterpretation of the opening scroll, but you should know how ‘corny’ I can be by now!

Basic Info:

Dates:  April 29 – May 6, 2026

Resort:  Coronado Springs – Villages

Room Type:  Preferred  (‘Bounceback’ Offer)

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.

This will be my third trip on the IncrediPass that I activated on my September trip. I just can’t stay away and the ‘Bounceback’ offer was just too good to let go. It will be my third consecutive trip stay at Coronado Springs in the Villages area. First was in a ‘standard’ room in Casitas 3; Second was in a ‘King’ room in Casitas 4. Where will they put me up this time?

I have a few things planned that I had not done before and am hyped to be in DHS for the May the 4^th ‘festivities.’ I’ll get into these in my ‘dailies’ below.

Leaving home on the 28^th and, once again, driving from south-central PA. Thank goodness I won’t have to worry about the heavy snow conditions through Virginia and North Carolina I had on my December trip!!!!

Now for the ‘details’…..

April 28 -- Tuesday:

Hoping to make an early start and get this ball rolling. Load the vehicle, fill the gas tank and hit the road. Knowing me, it will probably be around noon when I hit I-83 South and settle in for the long drive…bottle of water in the cup holder, snacks in the passenger seat.

If things go as planned, I will make a few stops to stretch my legs along the way and end up just short of the South Carolina border before calling it a day about ten hours in.

April 29 -- Wednesday:

Try to get up at a reasonable hour (before 9am! LOL) grab a bite and start the second (and last) leg of the drive down. I should be pulling up to Coronado Springs between 3:00pm and 3:30pm, drop my things in my room (if available) and head to EPCOT for the evening.

I have a reservation booked for 7:50pm at GEO-82, so I will wander around the park and get in a couple attractions before I go there for drinks and snacks. Whether I stay for the fireworks or not will depend on how tired I am from the drive.

April 30 -- Thursday:

I have Magic Kingdom booked for the first part of the day. Depending on crowd levels, I will get on as many attractions as I can. No priority for them, just hit what seems to have reasonable wait times. I fully expect to leave MK around 2pm, head back to the room, freshen up and head back to EPCOT for the evening. I have another reservation for GEO-82 at 5:00pm this evening and am hoping to hang out in the park until after the fireworks.

May 1 – Friday:

Booked Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the early part of the day. Not really planning on the Star Wars part of the park until my 1:00pm reservation to Oga’s Cantina. Hope to get a lot of the rest of the park taken care of before my Ressie, but we’ll see what happens.

Evening is planned for Magic Kingdom. Other than MVMCP last December, I haven’t spent much time in MK after dark on my last few trips. ‘Happily Ever After’ just doesn’t ‘call to me’ like ‘Wishes!’ did. Sorry, that’s just my own feelings.

May 2 – Saturday:

First trip over to Animal Kingdom this morning. As much as I love this park, it takes a lot out of me to do it too often. Heat and humidity are NOT my friends! Hoping to get a safari in and the Lion King show before heading for Asia and a ride on Everest and maybe the Nemo show. If I get a ‘munchie’ on, I have plenty of Free Appetizer coupons for Yak & Yeti, so that will give me a break to rest my feet and take in some AC. I would LIKE to hit the Nomad Lounge, as I have heard a lot of good reviews, but I have never taken the time to stop in.

My first new experience happens today. I have booked “Sangria University” at Toledo in ‘The Tower’ at Coronado Springs at 1:30pm. This just sounded interesting and you get to mix your own version of sangria at the end of the ‘class.’

Another EPCOT evening is in the plan. ‘A Flock of Seagulls’ is playing at the America Gardens stage, so I might stand behind the venue to catch the show. (I am NOT standing in a queue for an hour or more for a seat!) Maybe a stop in Space 220 for a sip (or two) with “Space Christopher” (Wolverton) at the bar. He’s great behind the bar and a favorite of Disney Day Drinkers fandom.

May 3 – Sunday:

Figuring that I will already be ‘feeling’ this trip (I don’t have nearly the ‘stamina’ I used to have.) EPCOT is my reserved park for the day. I don’t feel the need to rush and get in at ‘rope drop.’ When I get there, I get there. Spend most of this part of the day taking the time to actually ENJOY the Flower and Garden Festival, take in the topiaries and get tons of photos of the topiaries. (I’m sure you all have seen the tons of photos I post on these trips! LOL)

Today is the second new ‘experience’ for me on this trip. At 1:00pm I am booked for the “La Cava Experience.” This is a tequila tutorial and tasting event. I’m not big on tequila, but I am thinking that I need to broaden my horizons and thought this might be an interesting way to do it.

My evening is planned around DHS and maybe ‘Fantasmic!’ if I can hold out that long.

May 4 – Monday:

“May the 4^th Be With You”

This will be my first time in DHS for the “May the 4^th Be With You” ‘festivities.’  No, I will not be wearing any kind of Star Wars related outfit. I am just interested in anything that might be ‘special’ about the day. Hopefully there will be special characters roaming about that I can get photos with/of. I have an early – 11:00am – reservation at Oga’s Cantina for sips and snacks.

The evening is planned for EPCOT. Yes, that is my ‘go-to’ evening park. “Plain White T’s” is the band for the evening. Never heard them, so I might hang out and listen for a while. Maybe another stop in Space 220 before the evening is done.

May 5 – Tuesday:

Winding it down on my last full day. Starting my day at AK, primarily looking at Pandora and maybe a safari. Maybe use another Free Appetizer coupon at Yak & Yeti or hit up Nomad Lounge before I leave. A lot will depend on how my feet and legs are doing at this point.

[NOTE: I complain a lot about my feet and legs, but it is mainly because I wear rigid orthotics for scoliosis and having one leg longer than the other. Typically it’s not a big deal, but when I’m on my feet, on hard surfaces, for hours on end, it takes a lot out of me.]

Final evening is planned for, you guessed it, EPCOT. No reservations for anything, I figured I’d just ‘wing it’ and let thing play out ‘naturally.’

May 6 – Wednesday:

I have MK booked for the early part of the day, but I might cancel that and just take a walk in Disney Springs. I don’t normally spend any time there since the ‘reimagining’ of the area, so it might be time to check it out again. Since my car will be loaded up after checking out of Coronado Springs, I can just start my drive home from there.

May 7 – Thursday:

Home Sweet Home!

Whether or not I ‘white knuckle’ the trip home, I will be pulling in sometime today. Offload the vehicle and get ready to go through all the photos from the trip. Post-trip blues will hit and things will be back to (ab)normal!

I welcome any feedback and might adjust my plans accordingly…but don’t count on it!  LOL