Tyler’s July 4th Disney World trip - PREP 419

Tyler brought his partner and an infectious energy to his second adult trip to Walt Disney World. He shares about their stay at the Grand Floridian, how they celebrated a special occasion, and as a theme park person what he thinks Disney does well. His advice: “Be happy you’re there and live in the moment.”

Post trip begins: 36 minutes

In this article

The Basics

Tyler and his partner had a week-long trip to Walt Disney World over the 4th of July holiday. This is his second adult trip, but his first trip as an adult was just in December and he had a wonderful time.

Tyler utilized Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes to make the most of the busy week. They are also spending a day at SeaWorld and celebrating Tyler’s partner’s birthday!

They stayed at the Grand Floridian for their trip and had a theme-park view. They were there from June 30-July 6.

Tyler absolutely loved the Grand Floridian. He felt very taken care of and loved the Victorian inspiration. He said that transportation was great including the monorail and buses.

Arrival (June 30)

Tyler and his partner flew out from Newark and their flight was delayed about an hour. They took off at 12:20 p.m. and as they were on their descent to Orlando, they were circling for about an hour due to thunderstorms.

After circling for about an hour, they finally landed around 3:30 p.m. This was quite a bit later than expected. When they finally landed, Tyler was so happy!

They waited for their luggage, which also took quite a while. While they were waiting, Tyler made friends with a little girl who was also going to Disney. It was a precious moment.

Once they got their luggage, they took an Uber to the Grand Floridian. It was about $65 to get to the Grand Floridian.

They didn’t arrive until after 5 p.m. which was much later than they expected. They’d originally planned to go to Disney Springs before their dinner reservation but they did not have time to do that.

They got the text that their room was ready as soon as they landed at MCO. They checked into their room and had the most spectacular room. They were on the 4th floor in the new DVC villas. It was a theme park view and it was wonderful.

They got cleaned up and rested in the room for a little bit before taking the monorail to the Contemporary for their dinner reservations at California Grill at 7:10 p.m.

They were taken up to the restaurant and seated, but then they waited about 30 minutes before they were even approached by a server. Tyler called over a server and was very nice, asking for service.

After that, they had incredible service. They had wonderful food and a great experience. After their meal, they went back to their room to watch the fireworks.

They watched the fireworks from their balcony and it was absolutely magical. This was a wonderful way to start their trip.

SeaWorld (July 1)

Tyler and his partner took a 25 minute Uber to SeaWorld. They bought tickets and the Ride Quick Queue for that day at SeaWorld. They arrived around 10 a.m. and they went right to Manta, a flying coaster.

Tyler was scared of this coaster, so he wanted to do it first. They went on a lot of really intense coasters, including Mako and Pipeline: The Surf Coaster.

They went on a family coaster that was really fun. Tyler did not like Kraken at all. He did like the theming of Journey to Atlantis.

They also did a dolphin encounter that was really fun. It was a 30 minute experience that included feeding dolphins and playing with them. You didn’t get to swim with them, but you did get splashed, which was nice on a hot day.

Tyler says he enjoyed SeaWorld but it was a one and done for him. The rollercoasters are very thrilling and not the best option for families or people who do not like extreme coasters.

Tyler also notes that SeaWorld is very expensive and you cannot bring in your own water. The food was all very expensive as well.

They took an Uber back to the Grand Floridian and got a late lunch at Gasparilla Island Grill. Tyler loved the food here and it was one of his favorites of the whole trip.

They had an Instacart delivery and had some issues getting it delivered. Tyler does not recommend Instacart deliveries. They got their delivery and then took a tour of the resort.

While they were touring, Tyler decided to change their birthday reservations from Cinderella’s Royal Table to Narcoossee’s.

They had plans to go to Epcot for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, but they opted to stay in after their long and hot day. They watched the water pageant from their room and loved it.

Animal Kingdom (July 2)

Tyler purchased Genie+ at midnight the night before and made their selections right at 7 a.m. this morning. Today is Tyler’s partner’s birthday and they were so excited!

They purchased individual lightning lanes for Flight of Passage and Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind. They took a bus to Animal Kingdom at 7 a.m. and were able to get right into Animal Kingdom.

They went immediately to Na’vi River Journey without any wait at all. Tyler really loved this and they had a boat to themselves. At 8:10 a.m. they started to walk to Kilimanjaro Safaris to use their lightning lane. On their way they got coffee and a breakfast sandwich.

Tyler’s partner had never been on the safari before and it had been a very long time for Tyler. They had a really great safari and got to see a lot of animals.

They had a 9:10 a.m. lightning lane for Expedition Everest, so while they were waiting for that, they did Gorilla Falls Trail. Tyler really enjoyed this. They got to see some of the baby gorillas which was really cute.

At 9:10 a.m. they went to Expedition Everest. The posted wait time was 25 minutes and they didn’t have any wait with their lightning lane.

By the time they got off, the posted wait time was only 15 minutes so they decided to get right back on. They waited about 10 minutes. They both really loved this ride a lot.

Their next stop was to ride DINOSAUR. Tyler really likes this ride and it reminds him a lot of his childhood.

After DINOSAUR they went over to Flight of Passage for their 10:30 a.m. individual lightning lane. This is Tyler’s favorite ride. Tyler’s partner did have some motion sickness on this ride.

Tyler loves that you can feel the banshee breathing and things this simulation is really incredible. By the time they got off the ride, it was very hot.

Tyler didn’t want to leave Animal Kingdom before getting Buffalo Chicken Chips. After Tyler got his chips, they took a bus back to the resort to get some rest and air conditioning.

After a relaxing time at the resort, they hopped to Epcot. Tyler’s partner got a lightning lane for Soarin’ at 2:40 p.m. so they gook the monorail over to Epcot at 1:30 p.m.

They did some shopping before going to Soarin’. They enjoyed this even though Tyler was on the last row.

Tyler’s partner made him a lightning lane for Mission SPACE. He loves extreme rides, but he went on the orange side and it was so intense. Tyler doesn’t typically get motion sickness on any rides, but this really made him ill.

After some walking and water, Tyler was starting to feel better. It was very hot as they walked to Frozen Ever After. They were very excited to be in the air conditioning!

This was Tyler’s first time on Frozen Ever After and he was so excited. He thought this ride was really fun.

Then it was almost time for their 4:45 p.m. Cosmic Rewind individual lightning lane. This is Tyler’s favorite roller coaster at Walt Disney World, if not anywhere! Their song was Disco Inferno.

They both really loved Cosmic Rewind. After they got off, they had a lightning lane for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. It was a very hot walk over there.

Tyler thought this ride was cute, but he didn’t love it. After this, they walked all the way back up to the front of the park, got on the monorail, and went back to the resort.

Tyler and his partner had dinner reservations at Narcoossee’s for his partner’s birthday. He ordered a Mickey cake when he made the reservation. It was about $39 and the cake was very large.

The cake was so large that Tyler was able to share it with the table next to them. They were also celebrating a birthday and Tyler felt really good to be able to share it with them.

They had incredible service at Narcoossee’s and they were seated near a window. This gave them a great view of the fireworks as they ate their meal. It was just magical.

Hollywood Studios (July 3)

Tyler had purchased Genie+ at midnight and at 7 a.m. they made their Genie+ selections. They got an individual lightning lane for Rise of the Resistance.

They took a bus to Hollywood Studios at 7:55 a.m. and went immediately to Tower of Terror without a wait at all. They used a lightning lane shortly after and were able to ride twice in a row.

They tried to get a lightning lane for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster but they were gone. They opted to wait in the standby line. The posted wait time was 50 minutes but they only waited about 30 minutes.

Tyler says they really cleaned everything up and the lightning is different. The signs are a little different but the ride is mostly the same. It’s still a pretty rough ride.

When they got off Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, it was 9:45 a.m. and time to start back to the Polynesian for their 10:40 a.m. reservation at Ohana.

They got on a bus and arrived at Polynesian around 10:20 a.m. They did some shopping while they waited for their reservation to be called at 10:30 a.m.

They were seated and they had really delicious food. Tyler really loved the pineapple pull-apart break and the characters.

At breakfast, the little girl from the airport tapped Tyler on the shoulder. They had a great interaction and connected with her mom as well.

After breakfast they rested for a bit and then around 2 p.m. they took the bus back to Hollywood Studios. They had a lightning lane for Smuggler’s Run at 2:50 p.m. and Slinky Dog Dash for 3:10 p.m.

Tyler hadn’t been on Smuggler’s Run before and he really loved it. It did make him a bit dizzy, but he thought it was so cool.

It was very hot today as well, so it was a hot walk to Slinky Dog Dash. They enjoyed the ride, but it was very hot. Even though they only had a 10 minute wait, the line was not pleasant.

On their way to their Rise of the Resistance individual lightning lane, Tyler was so hot that they got a pretzel and stopped into Walt Disney Presents.

They had a really great experience. Tyler loves the cast members and the experience at Rise of the Resistance because it’s such an immersive experience.

They took the monorail back to their resort. At 6 p.m. Tyler booked a virtual queue for TRON. They relaxed at the resort for a few hours before heading back out to the Magic Kingdom.

Originally, Tyler had planned a spa experience but he ended up canceling it. They had the Fourth of July fireworks at the Magic Kingdom and they were able to watch them as they were walking into the park from their resort.

They arrived to Magic Kingdom around 9 p.m. and went immediately to Space Mountain for their lightning lane. Tyler really loves this ride.

Tyler’s partner wanted to ride Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh so they got a lightning lane for that. Tyler said it was really cute.

They were called for their virtual queue for TRON around 11:30 p.m. They really liked this but said it was too short. Tyler thought it was a much better experience riding at night versus riding during the day.

After that, they waited 10 minutes for Space Mountain. They shopped their way out of the park, getting a rice krispy treat at 1 a.m.

They took a boat back to their resort and purchased Genie+ on their way.

Magic Kingdom (July 4)

Tyler was so tired from the night before that he slept until 8:30 a.m. Thankfully, his partner got up and got lightning lanes and virtual queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

They also booked lightning lanes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON. Their first lightning lane wasn’t until 11 a.m. so they took it easy in the morning.

They got breakfast from Gasparilla Island Grill before taking the monorail to the Magic Kingdom around 10:30 a.m. They went immediately to use their lightning lane for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Tyler loves this ride, but says it was too short. When they got off, they met up with Tyler’s dad’s girlfriend’s daughter and her family. They met at Casey’s Corner and spent some time together.

After their lunch, they had to stop and watch the parade. Tyler really loved the parade, especially the Maleficent float.

Under The Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid had a 10 minute wait, so they went there and enjoyed the air conditioning. Tyler really likes this ride as well, especially Ursula.

They also got a Peter Pan’s Flight lightning lane for 1:15 p.m. They went straight there from Under The Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

Tyler hadn’t been on Peter Pan’s Flight since he was a child. He remembers being evacuated from it as a child and it was very scary.

They really enjoyed this ride, but are grateful that they didn’t have to wait. After Peter Pan’s Flight, they went to it’s a small world. Tyler loves this ride.

It was time for their 1:45 p.m. lightning lane for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. They were in the front row, which was so fun.

At 2:20 p.m. they had a lightning lane for Pirates of the Caribbean. The park was very crowded, but they were able to avoid lines by using Genie+.

Then they had a 2:40 p.m. lightning lane for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Their virtual queue had not been called yet. Tyler loved this ride, especially the theming and animatronics.

Tyler notes that the ride is relatively the same but with the incredible Tiana theming. He said they were in the back and got completely soaked. The second time they were in the second row and they also got very wet.

Being soaked was so nice because it was incredibly hot. They dried out very quickly because of the heat.

At 3 p.m. they got on the monorail and went back to the resort. They got dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill and had incredible food again. Tyler’s partner got a Korean chicken bowl and it was delicious.

They debated watching the fireworks again or doing rides during the fireworks in hopes to get lower wait times. They went to the Magic Kingdom at 9 p.m. and went right to Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.

After that, they went to Space Mountain and used a lightning lane at 9:15 p.m. They were able to get right back on without any wait at all.

Then it was time for their 10:05 p.m. Jungle Cruise lightning lane. They had an individual lightning lane for TRON at 10:30 p.m. and Tyler was worried about them being so close together but they did it!

Tyler really enjoyed being on Jungle Cruise at night. They were able to get to TRON by 10:40 p.m. because the crowds had mostly dispersed. They loved riding TRON again at night.

After TRON they walked back to their resort. The lines for all other forms of transportation were very long which is why they opted to walk, but it was very humid.

They didn’t get back to their resort until 12:40 a.m. Tyler played on his Nintendo Switch on the balcony to relax.

Typhoon Lagoon (July 5)

Getting to Typhoon Lagoon was difficult because buses for Disney Springs don’t come too often to the Grand Floridian. They took a bus to Disney Springs, transferred to Typhoon Lagoon and arrived around 11 a.m.

The waterpark was very crowded. They waited about an hour for a raft ride. They did a few other rides and then they were done. The lines were all over an hour long.

They did have some really good food at Typhoon Lagoon. They got a barbecue chicken sandwich and it was incredible.

They were only there a couple of hours and then they were done. They went back to the resort to relax. Tyler went to the pool and went down the water slide. He says it goes really fast!

They had booked individual lightning lanes for Rise of the Resistance and Cosmic Rewind. Because they were going to both Hollywood Studios and Epcot that night.

After relaxing, they took a bus to Hollywood Studios and went immediately to the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along at 5 p.m. Tyler says this show is really amazing.

They had stacked lightning lanes for Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Rise of the Resistance, and Cosmic Rewind all between 5:30-7:30 p.m.

They were off of Rise of the Resistance by 6:20 p.m. and needed to get to their 7:20 p.m. Cosmic Rewind individual lightning lane. They took the skyliner from Hollywood Studios to Epcot.

Tyler notes that this is a great form of transportation! This was their first time on the skyliner and they loved it.

They were on Cosmic Rewind at 7:20 p.m. and that was the end of their park time! They went back to their resort, got dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill.

Departure (July 6)

They were so sad to leave. They got to the airport at 10 a.m., on their flight by 11:42 a.m. and they were walking into their home at 3:30 p.m.

There weren’t any delays and they got home earlier than Tyler expected.

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