The weather on my visit on August 23 was much more pleasant than the thunderstorms I encountered on August 22. I got off to an early start, arriving at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort before sunrise. I then took a boat to Magic Kingdom before heading over to Disney Springs to be one of the first to see the new “Nightmare Before Christmas” customizable headband plushes.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Picture it! The Sun has barely risen and you opted out of the normal hustle and bustle of the Transportation and Ticket Center, or TTC for those savvy Disney readers, for a calm lowkey Polynesian Village Resort boat ride to the Magic Kingdom.
Pro tip! If you park in the TTC, you can walk to Polynesian and use that boat dock to get to Magic Kingdom. Walk through the resort and beyond the pool area towards the beach to find the dock. For anyone who has never been to Polynesian but has always wanted to go, this is a good way to see a lot of the resort.
There is also a walking path that you can take from Polynesian past Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and to Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, that walking path is currently closed due to the construction of the DVC Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. The walkway from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom is still open.
Magic Kingdom
Gold Sequin Loungefly Backpack – $98.00
When I got to Magic Kingdom, my first stop was Emporium where I found this gold sequined Loungefly backpack. The backpack, of course, has Minnie’s signature bow in gold, and ears on either side. In the gold sequins, you may notice a familiar pattern, as darker gold Mickey heads are found all around the front and sides of the backpack. The back of the backpack is not sequined but is made of a pleather gold that reminds me of the gold on the Thanos Ears.
Main Street Confectionary
I stopped in the Main Street Confectionary to see that they had already set up stanchions for August 23rd’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The treats are always tempting. My favorite is the freeze-dried Skittles. Sometimes they are even good as a topper for Dole Whip.
Princess Symbols Hat – $29.99
I spotted this black and pink princess hat in Main Street Cinema. It’s very low-key as the princess symbols can only be spotted in certain light.
Rebbecca Hook Mickey Bracelet – $175.00
I spotted this Rebecca Hook bracelet in Uptown Jewelers on Main Street, U.S.A. I love how simple this piece is while still allowing guests to show their fandom.
“Aladdin and Jasmine” Swarovski Figure featuring Abu and Carpet – $45,000
I spotted a new addition to the limited edition Swarovski figures we’ve been seeing out of Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers on Main Street, U.S.A. According to the figure’s certificate of authenticity, it took 355 hours and 57,703 crystals to create the figure. The figure available on Friday was number four out of 200.
The Plaza Restaurant Refurbishment
Over at The Plaza Restaurant, refurbishment progress continues to be made. A railing has been installed on the second floor. Even for all the progress made, the walls and scrim remain on the rest of the facade.
Sonny Eclipse
Even if I’m just passing through and not eating in Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe, I always stop and see Sonny Eclipse. Sonny was kicking his little feet and singing his heart out to an audience of one on Friday morning. It was nice, but also a little eerie being there alone.
Concrete Work
Strictly covering heavy news here, I am happy to report that concrete work is being done on the retaining wall on the pathway that typically holds the queue for meet and greets with Mirabel. The line forms on the opposite side so there is no issue there.
Adventureland Thematic Pathways
Earlier this week I wrote an article on the Adventureland path becoming a more thematic walkway. Since that article was published, I noticed that not only has the area with new theming been expanded but prep work is also being done to extend the path even further. I like this change over that basic gray concrete we’ve had. Do you like the change? Let me know in the comments.
Resort Monorail
I took the resort monorail back to the TTC after my brief morning in Magic Kingdom. The escalators at Contemporary Resort were still closed to guests, but there are alternative exits available for guests who want to get off at the resort.
Disney Springs
Once I made it to Disney Springs I knew exactly where I needed to be: Disney Ever After. Yesterday, Disney Ever After teased that they would be releasing new “create your own headband” characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” I was one of the first in line which was both convenient and inconvenient as I got destroyed by the blazing sun. As soon as they opened the door, I was stoked to see what they had inside.
Create Your Own Headband featuring “Nightmare Before Christmas” Characters
THREE! We got Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero! As a firm believer that dogs are the best thing to ever happen in this world, I was very excited to see that he was one of the three additions today. The headband alone is $9.99 and the characters are $11.99 each. Are you a fan of the new create your own headbands? I think the aliens are still my favorite characters to add to the headband.
That’s it for today! I’ll end it how I started and pose a simple question: Can you name a better way to start an early day than with a sunrise on a boat to Magic Kingdom? If you can think of a more perfect start to a morning, please let me know in the comments below.
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