WDW Trip Recap – January 2020

This particular Disney vacation’s going to stand out in my memory for a number of reasons…all of them great! Our first Dopey Challenge, nearly perfect park-touring weather, new experiences, old favorites – lots to love! I’ll provide tons of details on specific experiences in later posts. Today I want to share the highlights.

WDW Trip Recap – January 2020

First, let me remind you of the reason for this trip – The Dopey Challenge. After The Fam completed the Natchez Trace Ride early last May, Joseph and I started training for Dopey. Having completed several other runDisney challenges, we knew we’d have to plan early dinners and skip evening activities in favor of sleep. I booked dining reservations and FastPasses accordingly.

The Planning Paid Off!

In a nutshell, the Dopey Challenge was a fantastic experience! Worth every bit of effort; we could not have been happier with every magical mile. Unfortunately, the weather for Sunday’s marathon was incredibly warm (especially for January) and made that one event extra difficult. We felt mostly well-rested each morning and still managed to have a great time in the parks.

Dining Pros and Cons

Boy, did we put our Tables in Wonderland card to good use! We may have eaten dinner unusually early every day, but we went all out! Morimoto Asia (Disney Springs), The Wave (Disney’s Contemporary Resort), Il Mulino (Disney’s Swan), Citricos (Disney’s Grand Floridian), California Grill (Contemporary Resort), and Shula’s Steakhouse (Disney’s Dolphin) – all delicious with wonderful service. More details later, but I have to admit…even at 5:30 or 6:00 in the evening, we were often too tired by then (having had to wake up between 2:30 and 3:15 am each morning) to do justice to our excellent meals. Our lunch ADRs at Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom), Kona Cafe (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort), and Yak & Yeti (Disney’s Animal Kingdom) were all outstanding – probably because we were not as tired at lunchtime and extra hungry after all the running.

When We Weren’t Running or Eating…

We used the “keep moving” school of thought. Some runners chose to stay off their feet between races, we opted for park-touring in moderation so our muscles would have less time to stiffen up. We enjoyed plenty of attractions, snacks and beverages. We hung out at Jock Lindsey’s (Disney Springs), the lounge in The Wave (Contemporary) and Enchanted Rose (Grand Floridian) between park touring and dinner reservations. We may have had to turn in early and, in spite of Joseph and I having to cover those 48.6 Dopey miles, we still felt like we were truly enjoying a Disney vacation.

Sure, the weather on Sunday during the marathon felt like we were 7-inches from the sun, but the rest of the time that warm weather was amazing! The sky was unbelievably blue and it made for some beautiful pictures.

Finally, let me mention that we had one day where riding Rise of the Resistance would be possible and we were able to make it happen. Come back tomorrow for the entire (spoiler-free) story, but let me just say…HOLY MOLY! Even if you’re only passingly familiar with Star Wars, this experience is not to be missed! Try it at least one time and tell me it’s not one of Disney’s most unique and special experiences.

If you have any questions about the Dopey Challenge, our touring or dining plans, or anything else, ask away. I still have so much to share about this amazing trip! Please stop by again soon…Lisa

Disney World – January Winter Blues Cure

Nothing beats the post-holiday winter blues like a Walt Disney World vacation! In 2015, 2016, and 2018 we vacationed in February for runDisney’s Princess races. In 2017, we went in April for Star Wars races. This year? We picked January and not for the runDisney events. In fact, our carefully chosen 5-day getaway is (supposedly) during an uncrowded week. Fingers crossed!

Disney World – January Winter Blues Cure

Raymond and I have planned plenty of dining and FastPass+ action (more on that in a second), but we’ve also left extra-generous, unplanned blocks of time for being completely spontaneous. This does not mean we will be wasting this precious Disney time. Oh, no, quite the contrary!

We’ll be staying at the Villas at the Grand Floridian, so we’ll have easy access to the Senses Spa’s fitness center. We like exercising on vacation and, on this trip, we’ll have plenty of time in the morning on most days.

Unplanned time means we can indulge in one of our most favorite Disney vacation activities – Resort Exploration! I’ve mentioned the Resortloop Pub Crawl (highly recommend this!) and enjoying lunch and/or dinner at resorts other than where we’re staying. During these leisurely visits to our favorite resorts, we’ve had some of the best, most memorable vacation experiences. (I think this entire topic deserves its own blog post, so watch for it coming up soon.)

Free time in the parks means we can snack, shop, and people-watch at an unhurried pace. At Disney Springs, we can grab a cocktail and check out the different and varied musical entertainment offered there. Look, we were once among the believers in hard-core, 15+ hour days of non-stop attractions and park-hopping. Our family motto was: We’ll rest when we’re dead. Now we know that a slower pace isn’t any less fun. In fact, we have time to discover previously unnoticed magical details (and more Hidden Mickeys too).

What DO We Have Planned?

Let’s start with food. We’ve booked meals at Narcoossee’s (on the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian and one of our favorite places to end a park day), Rose & Crown (hearty, reliably tasty, and the UK Pavilion is among our favorites in World Showcase), Wine Bar George (new to us in Disney Springs), Yak & Yeti (haven’t eaten at this particular Animal Kingdom gem in too long), Sanaa (the bread service!!!), and The Hollywood Brown Derby (giving it another try after a disappointment).

Now on to the FastPasses. We may not have booked three per day, but quality over quantity was my driving factor. We’re visiting Magic Kingdom a couple of times and locked in Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain. The absence of Splash Mountain may seem like a glaring omission, but January weather is often unpredictable and we don’t want to be soaked and freezing.

In Epcot, we snagged Frozen and Spaceship Earth, choosing to spend most of our Epcot time enjoying the Festival of the Arts rather than attractions. In Animal Kingdom, we’ve got Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, and Flight of Passage. Finally, we went a little crazy with the Studios and over a couple of visits managed to book Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror (x2), Rock’n’ Roller Coaster (x2), and Slinky Dog Dash. If park attendance is low-ish (as predicted), we should be able to fit in plenty of other attractions everywhere as we please.

Now that you know what we have planned and unplanned, what do you think? What restaurants and attractions or activities would you have chosen differently? If you’ve been to Wine Bar George, we would love some recommendations!