Our First Disney Vacation - 301

Our first Disney vacation is in the books! This episode of the Soul Forge is a day by day recap of our exciting adventures. At the end of each day, Shawn and Leah sat down and recorded their memories of the excitement. Florida in September is still quite warm. Walt Disney World requires a lot of walking. Here is the story... The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, or simply abbreviated WDW, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km2), of which half has been used. The resort comprises four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom), two water parks: (Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon), 31 themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, several golf courses, a camping resort, and other entertainment venues, including the outdoor shopping center Disney Springs. Shawn and Leah tell you about the nightmare that was getting from their Washington layover into Orlando. The weather did not cooperate so the flight was quite late. One common thing on the entire adventure was the lack of comfort in the seating, both on the jets and the buses. The humidity was off the charts. One of the best parts of our first Disney vacation was visiting with friend Jarman and his wife Jolie. Shawn and Leah went to Icon Park where they rode the Wheel of Orlando. They also visited a wax museum and the Sea Life Aquarium. The Florida Mall still has an operating Sears store! The Disney Character Wearhouse was always busy.  The food at most places was decent. The actual Disney part of the trip was exhausting due to so much walking and the heat. Fun parts include the ferry ride, the Skyliner, Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. The 50s Prime Time Cafe had wonderful food and ambience. We enjoyed Soarin' as well as Mickey's Runaway Railway rides. We got to see dolphins, lizards, manatees and a hammerhead shark. We were disappointed in Woody's Roundup BBQ and the lack of a direct route to Hollywood Springs from our hotel. Getting the park hopper option is a definite must. The Epcot food and wine festival was the favourite part of our first Disney vacation. This week's podcast promos: Earth Station One, Earth Station Who, Epsilon Three, and the ESO Patreon promo.