Disney Bubble Here We Come!

Welcome to the first of a few posts documenting our recent return to the Disney bubble otherwise known as Walt Disney World.

Where shall we begin...

So for context this was our first visit to Walt Disney World since August of 2013 and was long overdue. Our Disney fix had been satisfied with two short trips to Disneyland Paris and two Disney cruises in the intervening years but this was our return to the place where my love of Disney and its parks had started.

It was also the first time visiting WDW on our own since 1996! And it was a trip that we were determined to make the most of. Now ordinarily when planning a vacation you have to factor in work commitments which can determine not only when you travel but also the length of your trip, but now being 'a retired couple' we had much more freedom in picking the when and the how long! 

With that our trip started on Tuesday 25th February 2025 as we made our way from our home in the middle of the UK to London and then onto Gatwick airport by train. 

First train of our trip...London here we come!

Arriving at Gatwick we checked into our first hotel of the trip; the Bloc hotel. The hotel is located in the south terminal of the airport and was great for a convenient overnight stay; smart and compact room meant we had a comfy nights sleep ready for the following days travel.

Small room but it did the job!

We were able to grab breakfast at one of the airport restaurants before checking out of the hotel and taking advantage of their complimentary 'fast pass' through security. 

Full English brekkie to start the day

Bags were dropped, security cleared and a Starbucks acquired all by 8.50am ready for our flight leaving at 11.20am. We couldn't have asked for a smoother and more relaxing, stress free start to the day.

Pre-flight Starbucks

Our plane on a grey and wet day in London

And we are ready for take-off

Best get comfy!!

Our flight left on time and a mere nine and a quarter hours later we landed at terminal C at Orlando International airport. With thanks to my friend Michelle we had downloaded the MPC app which meant that we could 'skip' the border control main line once we had our bags and we sailed through with ease. We made our way down a few levels and found the Mears Connect reception and checked in for the transportation to the first Disney hotel of our trip; Coronado Springs. 

On the bus to Coronado Springs

Back in 2013 we were booked to stay at Coronado Springs but upon arrival we found ourselves upgraded to the Wilderness Lodge! So when planning this trip we decided that for the first couple of nights we would stay at the place that we'd planned to stay at all those years previous. 

Arriving around 6pm we took the evening to get settled into our room, grab some food and explore the resort. It had changed a fair amount since 2013 with the addition of the Gran Destino Tower, new restaurants and lounges and the landscaping was much more vibrant and plentiful than back in 2013. It is a truly beautiful resort.

New to us on this trip was the 'My Disney Experience' app and all that that entailed. This meant that prior to arriving at the hotel (in fact prior to leaving the UK) we had completed an online check-in so when we arrived we received a notification telling us our room was ready. We were also able to magically open our hotel door via the app as well. Although more on this in a later post!!

Our first full day started rather early as our body clocks adjusted to the 5 hour time difference and we found ourselves awake at 5.30am. Simon decided to go out for an early morning run completing 5 km by running four laps of Lago Dorado. We then both made use of the resorts gym, which happened to be quite close to where our room was. 

Up and about bright and early

After grabbing some quick service breakfast at 'El Mercado de Coronado' we headed out for the day jumping on a Disney bus to Disney Springs.

This is when I had 'a moment'...one of those 'I'm home' moments...one of those moments that catch you unawares and before you know it you're getting all misty eyed and choked up. We were on the bus making our way to Disney Springs and I was taking in the scenery around me and experiencing a deep feeling of familiarity as I watched the roads pass by and then I saw something that I'd never seen in person and it triggered a surprising reaction. What was it?...the Skyliner (Disney's cable car system that links a number of hotels and a couple of the parks). And as I looked out the window I felt all the emotions come over me and I began to tear up! And I knew then I was home and in my happy place.

Back in 2013 Disney Springs was called Downtown Disney and in the intervening 12 years had undergone an extensive expansion and while some areas were very familiar others were all brand new to us. We had a lovely day exploring all that the Springs had to offer and ended up spending much more time there than I think we had imagined.

We enjoyed some quiet time drinking iced coffee in Starbucks (just days before it closed for a refurbishment) while Simon created one of his many drawings that he completed over the course of the trip (we will devote a post to his art at a later date). Bargains were purchased at Zara! Shops were perused and lots of money was spent in my head! We enjoyed a salad from Earl of Sandwich and then later in the day discovered D-Luxe Burger and enjoyed a French Onion Soup burger, which was delicious!

As we waited for our bus back to Coronado Springs we discovered the magic of bus wraps! A good percentage of the Disney bus fleet have been wrapped in different themes and we rode our first one back to the hotel; it was Frozen themed.

I then gave myself the challenge of photographing as many of the bus wraps as possible over the next few weeks! Another post I think will be devoted to my collection of bus wraps and more!

Arriving back at the hotel we dumped our shopping bags in the room and headed out for another explore of the hotel. We grabbed some decaf coffee and enjoyed the resort as the light faded and the hotel lit up. 

Once back in our room we had the task of making sure we were packed and ready for the following days adventure...

Where to next?

A couple of links that may help to explain my love of Disney (plus there are lots of other posts talking about Disney, as well as those documenting past trips!);

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