How to Turn 21

Oh my goodness was my weekend awesome!

Okay, so on Saturday I turned 21 and to celebrate my sister came over. She goes to FSU in Tallahassee and took a bus on Thursday to get to Tampa where I picked her up and we drove back to Sarasota (I had to go to class the next day).

Thankfully I got to leave at 4 instead of 6 and therefore we got to Downtown Disney by 7 as opposed to 9.

And guess what! Though Halloween had been only 2 days ago the Downtown area was all Winterized and they were already playing Christmas music!

Downtown Diney

Dinner was not healthy - Ghirardelli ice cream - then window shopping and some pictures before heading to the other end to see Wreck it Ralph in 3D (got tickets online before we left when we realized we could leave sooner).

The movie was awesome and I think everyone should watch it especially if you play any type of video game.

We didn’t get to the hotel until 12:30 and no sleeping till nearly 2 as we were talking to Katie’s friends who would be driving her back to school come Sunday but for now we were just rooming with them.

Now onto the main event.

My birthday was not short of awesome.

We were up by 6:30, eating breakfast (of Mickey waffles) but 7, and waiting for our bus by 7:30. We got to the Ticket and Transportation center (basically as close as you can get to Magic Kingdom on a bus) by 8:30 and went to pick up our tickets that Katie ordered online through her school.

There was a hiccup were they were saying the wrong date but we got it straightened out. Of course we had to wait 20 minutes but during that time the person gave me my “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY” pin to ware and gave us a magic Fast Pass that we could use at any time on any ride at Magic Kingdom that day.

Still we were at the parks before they opened and the running began.

We first hit Buss Lightyear, then got Fast Passes for Splash Mountain, pictures with Chip and Dale, went on Haunted Mansion, checked Pirates and found it was closed, back to Splash Mountain, had orange ice cream, went on Jungle Cruse, the Philharmonic, went by the new Fantasyland, saw a show at the castle, did window shopping, and signed up for the Sorcerer’s game before running over to the Crystal Palace for our lunch reservation at 1 with Pooh.

Lunch with Pooh and friends.

By now we were hungry and a buffet with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet was just what we needed. 

We then left the park to head over to the MGM park (now known as Hollywood Studios) and got there around 3. 

More running. Started at Toy Story Mania and say they were out of Fast Passes with a 1 hour wait so moved on, ran through New York and it’s Christmas display to get to the updated Star Tours to get a Fast Pass there instead, Great Movie Ride was too long a wait so we did an character drawing lesson, drew Woody, got pictures with Sorcerer Mickey, Wreck in Ralph, and the Girl character who’s name I forget. Then a quick dinner, picked up something for my brother, then went to the 7:30 show of Fantasmic. Amazing as always. Then ran to Toy Story Mania and got in line for 40 minutes because it was worth it.

So that park was done - we stayed there until it closed at 9. But out day wasn’t done. Magic Kingdom was open until 12 so we went back. Pirates still wasn’t open so we used our magic Fast Pass to go on Splash Mountain again in the dark this time which was really cool. Then we took the long way around to get back to Main Street seeing the Electrical Light Parade on the way. We then did 2 lands worth of the Sorcerers game which if you don’t know is a interactive-scavenger-hunt-trading-card game they established in the Magic Kingdom park. The locals are addicted and the passer-bys find it cool. The day then was capped by a stop at the bakery before getting back to the hotel around 12:45.

An awesome birthday if I do say so myself.

But it didn’t end there!

The next day we didn’t wake up until 8 when we meant to get up by 7:30. We scrambled and was dressed, packed, checked out, grabbed food, and was in the car to EPCOT by 8:20. Disney is a really good motivator.

Okay, so Sunday we drove to the park since Katie’s friend wanted to leave around 12 and our hotel’s bus didn’t like that. But to park there was cheeper than parking at 6 Flags in New Jersey. Anyway, we were both sore from the day before so took the day at a slower speed. First was Spaceship Earth, the the Mission: Space game twice, toured the new Inoventions House of the Future which was replaced in April as a go green house, the over to The Sea to look at the manatees, shopping for Christmas gifts, the the ride with Figment, lunch and ice cream before meeting Katie’s friends in the parking lot and parting ways. (Test Track was closed).

Actually the Magic Kingdom the day before but who cares.

I got back to school at 2ish and found nothing to do since I did all my homework on Thursday thinking I wouldn’t be back until 8-8:30. On top of that I had canceled dinner for the week also thinking I would be back too late. Oh well. 

Later I helped Millie (on of my roommates) shoot some reference video for her animation. It only took a few minutes before we went back to the Quad (the building name of our dorms). 

We walked in, I gave the memory card to her, and I moved to go to my room when suddenly there was banging and screaming and people coming at me! I was so scared I started crying! Everyone that comes over for dinner had come by to surprise me for my birthday. They brought me my favorite cookies and some milk and gave me a coupon for a dinner out to eat where ever I wanted on them. 

So that was my weekend, my 21st birthday weekend. And what an awesome one it was.