Trip Report Princess Half Marathon 2014 - #4 Post Race, Wilderness Lodge, Magic Kingdom

After the race we got on the bus and in no time we were back at Pop Century.  We had asked for a late check out time because we were not sure what time we would be done with the race.  We had plenty of time to shower and change.  We then packed up and said good by to Pop and got a cab to Wilderness Lodge.  The options to get from one resort to another with luggage are not that great.  The buses all go to parks, so you would have to switch buses at a park if you wanted to avoid paying for a cab.  The cab was about $15 and quick.  Checking in to Wilderness lodged was more of a challenge then it should have been.   The lady at the desk was concerned that we were wearing the wrong Magic Bands.  I was wearing the one that I got from Port Orleans Riverside and Doug was wearing one from the last trip from Art of Animation.  With our Hotel hopping we had learned that the bands are only tied to your online account.  If you have 1 or 5 it doesn't matter they will all do the same thing.  Doug tried to explain it to the lady but she was not buying it.  So, we dug through our bags to find the Wilderness Lodge ones and surprisingly they gave the same problem.  Finally a manager came over and fixed something and they finally worked.  The manager told us that only the ones for Wilderness lodge would open our door and get us into the park.  Doug said "Ok" and put them back in the bag.   We liked wearing our bands that were already broken in from the longer trips.  We also like to switch based on colors to go with outfits.  Doug did come back to the desk the next time past to let them know our old bands did indeed open our door.  (he couldn't let it go)

The rooms at Wilderness Lodge are very nice.  They are the smallest of the Deluxe resorts.  They only sleep 4 in stead of the 5 at most others.    There are neat wood carvings on the head boards and bead posts.  

Lots of little "rustic" touches throughout the room.

Animal friends join you in the shower.

Our balcony.

Our view straight across.

the view to the right.   We could see old faithful from our balcony.  

The grounds are very elaborate The pool is feed from a stream that starts in the hotel lobby.  

Once in the room we headed over to Roaring Fork for lunch.  We were starving by this point.  

I got a flat bread pizza and Doug got a Burger.   This was a very nice quick service location.  Several options but not so many that your head spins.  Some of the Disney Food courts at resorts have, may I say, too many options and it is hard to find the simple burger and fries.  Because of that many people get the burger with shrimp on top simply because that is a #2 and the burger is listed under "additional items"  Sorry rant over.   We enjoyed our meal and knew we would be back for a snack at some point.   

Now we were off to the Magic Kingdom.   There are two ways to get there from the Lodge.  One is by bus the other is by boat.  When given the choice the boat is lots more fun.

All the moisture from the morning had burned off and it looked like a beautiful day.   It was hot for February.  Upper 80's We were melting just a little.  

It seemed odd leaving a hotel room wearing a metal, but trust me everyone that has one will wear it.  And lots of people was say congratulations and ask how you did.  It was fun to walk a round with a metal on like a 6 year old soccer player or Olympic medalist.  I'm sure it falls somewhere between those two.  

We headed into Tomorrowland we wanted to get off our feet and watch a few shows.  We really enjoy Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor.   I was "lucky" enough to be part of the show.  It was quite hilarious and Doug still randomly brings it up.  I had to think of a number and then the monster guessed it.  He usually gets it right but some how he miss heard me so he got it wrong and it made for a one of a kind moment.  

Next up in the get off your feet tour was Carousel of Progress.

It had been a while since we had done this one and it is good for a true Disney fan to do it every now and then.

Next was our FastPass+ for Buzz.  Doug maxed out his score.  No one needs to see my score.  

And yes he wore the button the rest of the trip.  This button is like being a member of a secret club.  If you are waiting in a line you are guarantied to be asked how you got it.  Also any one with this button will gladly talk your ear off to tell you.  When one Galactic Hero passes another they seem to have a secret wave, like motorcycles on the highway.  He is kinda a nerd.   

At this point the miles were adding up.  The adrenaline was starting to wain and the feet were getting heavy.  We headed over to the Liberty Bell.  

This picture truly shows how I felt at this point of the day.  I should have drank more water, but I didn't.  So after a short nap it was actually time to head over to the Poly for dinner at 'Ohana's 

We stopped to get our picture with the Number Cruncher, Roy.  

We hopped on the monorail to head to the Poly.

We got off at the TTC.   There is a short walk way over to the Poly from the TTC.

It was a nice stroll through the grounds.  One really nice thing about the Polynesian is the fact that you have transportation options, but most people don't realize how short of a walk it is to the TTC to get the large fairy or monorail to Epcot.  

We were planning on meeting a large group of people from "lines" but it seemed like the people we knew the best didn't recover from the race in time to make it.  So, we left to find diner elsewhere.  Doug was a little disappointed but also didn't really want to eat with all total strangers.  

Back at the Magic Kingdom we went to Sleepy Hollow.  Doug got Nutella Waffle and I got the Strawberries Waffle.   This is a great place to fill up.  Doug also made a friend while in line.  A girl the same age as Samantha just started talking to him, and he is use to talking to kids at work so he talked right back.  They mom apologized for her bothering us but we really didn't care.   We got seated with our food then here came Doug's new friend to sit with us.   They were on a mother/daughter trip.  By the end of the meal they mom said it was nice to talk to an adult.  So, in a way we did sit with complete strangers but it was lots of fun.  Sleepy Hollow has never disappointed.  

Over at pirates this picture shows where Goofy meet as a pirate.  He stopped meeting there in 2012 but the props have not moved or changed.  

He now meets in the back of New Fantasyland.  We Meet Pirate goofy on his last day and the new goofy on his first day in October of 2012.

We decided it would be really nice to get on a Disney Cruise right after the race, so we went with It's a Small World.  It is not quite the Dream or Fantasy.

Then hung out with a few spirited friends.

After more wondering around and attractions we ended up at Gaston's Tavern.  We shared a Cinnamon roll.  It is not the same as what once was at the main st. bakery.  It was still good.  Doug wanted the frozen drink, but they but a fluffy stuff on top and that had mango in it so it was a no go for him.

We watched Wishes from New Fantasyland then slowly headed back to our resort.  We took the boat back because there was not much of a line by the time we got out of the park.  We lingered a bit after closing to enjoy the atmosphere and let the masses get out.  If we were in a hurry we would have taken the bus.  While the boat is cool the bus is more practical.

Back at the room and ready to sleep after just a few steps today!

Disney Speak - Magic Bands

Welcome to the modern Walt Disney World!  With the addition of loads of technology we now get a new fashion accessory.  A Magic Band!  

So, let's answer the what, why, how, and do for this high tech wristband. 

How do you get them?

This one is simple. When you book a room at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel you get one band per person on the reservation. If you book at two different resorts during your stay you will get two sets.  Getting a Magic Band is solely based off your room reservation.  You get to pick you colors in advance and they are shipped to your home a couple weeks before your trip. 

Not staying at a Disney resort?  You can still buy one once you get to the parks. 

What does the Magic Band do?  

Well during your stay at Walt Disney World it is your key to just about everything. So let's start from the beginning of the trip. 

The first thing your Magic Band will do for you is get you on the Magical Express!  It is your ticket to get from the airport to your resort. The important thing to remember is to pack the bands in your carry on so you have it when you arrive in Orlando. Or set a fashion trend and wear it on the plane. 

Your Magic Band also is your park ticket. No more paper tickets that you have to worry about losing. Now you wear your ticket on your wrist. Also gone are the traditional turnstiles. Now you find Mickey readers.  

These new style "turnstiles" are much quicker because they allow more people in and take up less space. You scan your Magic Band and then scan your finger. Just remember which finger you use the first time you use you ticket, because you will use the same finger the whole time.  

Thanks to the Magic Band it is easier to get the kids and the stroller through the gates. This has made Rope Drop much less stressful.  With tickets we always got nervous when handing them to the kids to get in.  Now with the band they wear it all the time and you do not have to fuss with getting tickets out. It makes it much simpler going through the gates. After over 30 park days of Magic Band use we  have never had one fall off(including a four year old).   If you do lose a Magic Band do not worry.  None of your information is stored on the band.  Go to guest services and they will deactivate the band and help you get a new one(you may have to purchase a new one)  The Magic Band is more of a key to access your My Disney Experience account.

Now that we are in the parks what does it do for us?  Lots, lets start with FastPass +.  You can book up to 3 FastPass + experiences a day for the number of park ticket days you have.  Once in the park you go to the FastPass+ entrances for the attraction you booked at the time you booked and get to skip the line.  If you stay at a Disney Resort you get to book your Fastpass+ 60 days in advance.  If you are staying elsewhere you only get 30 days in advance to plan you park visit. 

Here Alden is scanning his Magic Band at a touch point to enjoy the Tomorrowland Speedway.  It lights up green when you are good to go.  The best thing is it saves you from running back and forth across the park to collect a traditional paper FastPass. 

Samantha enjoying a drive while sporting her Magic Band.

In true Disney fashion the touch points are not just a boring black box.  This is the touch point to meet Ariel.  

Waiting to tap our bands for the Character Spot in Epcot.  Themed to match future world.

So you have used your 3 Fastpass+ experiences now what?  You go to an in park kiosk and can get another one.  This one is located by the international Gateway in Epcot.

Just outside of Buzz Lightyear.

Sometimes the cast members let you work the controls and find your fourth FastPass+. 

One of the best features is your band acts as your room key!  This is far and away the best thing the magic band does.  After a long day at the parks you do not need to look through your purse to find a key.  The kids often run to the door to open it.  It is easy to do when your hand are full.  This is the feature that we wish we could take home with us.  We would love to unlock our door at home with a wrist band.  

The Magic Band also links up to your Memory Maker!  When you have a picture taken by a PhotoPass photographers you just have them scan your Magic Band and you picture is linked to your account.  No more carrying around a special card to have them scan.  Your ride photos link up to your Magic Band as well.

One of the best parts of the Memory Maker is getting the ride photos.  The magic band makes it so convenient because you don't have to do anything at all.  Just go on the ride and wear your Magic Band.  

Thanks to the Magic Band we got this photo without doing any thing other then setting up our My Disney Experience on line.  Just make your all your reservations are properly linked before you go.

I think it may have been the Magic Band that took out these stormtroopers, not the force, but we know for sure it was the Magic Band that linked the photo to the account. 

Screen shot of MDE

As mentioned above most of the "magic" of the Magic Band results from you setting things up in advance on the line.  The My Disney Experience web site is where you go to link reservations, make dining reservations, and FastPass+ reservations.  This is a screen shot of the App.  It help you remember that you made a dining reservation 180 days ago and what time you get to ride Toy Story since you planed that 60 days ago.  

We like to also type it out before we go just in case we have a dead phone battery or the sort.  Also we set the screen shot as our lock screen so we have quick access to our days advents.  

Worried about how junior will keep from destroying his Magic Band?  Forget about it.  Disney knows your kids are bound to get into things.  So, they are water proof!

Clearly surviving the water.  This makes the trip to the pool so much easier.  No longer do you have to worry about your key sitting somewhere pool side.  You now wear it into the water with you.  Your water proof Magic Band is all you need for a trip to the pool.  You can even make pool side purchases with your band.

It is also chocolate shake proof.  Not only did this Magic Band survive the chocolate but it also payed for it.  You can choose to link your Magic Band to a credit card.  If you elect to pay for things with your Magic Band you must enter a pin number that you set when you check in.  If your band is lost or stolen they would need to know the pin to be able to use if.  

The Magic Band is also how you use your Disney Dining Plan credits.  It is stored on you account that the band links to.  So to use a dining credit you simply have the waiter scan your band.  You can then use the credit card on file to pay the tip.  You can truly go the entire day with out getting out your wallet.

The Magic Band is now the way to complete any princess.  

While the Magic Band does lots of great things it does not prevent headaches, but it does make the over all experience much smoother.  

Lets sum up what this little beauty can do:  Magical Express ticket, Theme Park Ticket, room key, credit card, Dining Plan, Memory Maker, Fastpass+, water proof, and fashion accessory.

That is an impressive list and one that I feel will grow over the years to help create even more magic.  

Meanwhile at sea:

Disney Cruise Line is now using Magic Band for their kids club.  They lock them on so their is no way to take them off.   

They link them up to your stateroom when you check in the first time.  The kids loved using Magic Bands in place of the old plastic strap things they had to wear before.