Episode 18: MIssion Accomplished

In this exciting episode, I’m recapping my latest adventure to Walt Disney World! I went with 3 mission objectives in mind—did I succeed? Tune in to find out if the mission was accomplished! 🎢✨
This episode is brought to you by the Ears2Ears Podcast where hosts Steve and Mickey take you behind the magic and share expert travel tips to make your next Disney trip unforgettable!
Need help planning your dream vacation or Disney getaway? Contact me, Steve Cohen, your personal Travel Advisor, at [e-mail]!
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-18-mission-accomplished--62063504

Medic2Medic is back, bringing authentic voices, untold stories, and the human side of Emergency Medical Services and beyond.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello, travelers and adventure seekers.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome to Magical Destinations by Steve, a podcast that takes
you on a journey around the world without ever leaving.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
The comfort of your headlines.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
I'm your host, Steve Cohen, and I'm feel to be
your guide through the exciting realms of.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Travel, culture and exploration.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Whether you're a seasoned traveler or an armchair explorer, this
podcast is your passport to a world of fascinating stories,
fitting gems, and the cultures that make our planets a
rich and diverse I'm here to ignite your boat charting
and inspire your next adventure. Join us as we navigate
the twist in terms of travel, offering practical tips, firsthand experience,

(00:45):
and expert.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Insights to help you make for most of your own journeys.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a dreaming of
an epic expedition, Magical Destinations by Steve is here to
be your trustee compass.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Coming from the Fern Down, Washington studios of Magical Destinations
by Steve podcast. It's episode number eighteen of this fine
travel podcast. I am your host, Steve Cohen. You can
reach me at s cohenat curated travelcollection dot com on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram,
and also my website at Magical Destinations by Steve dot Com.

(01:25):
I'm very excited to be back in the saddle after
a couple weeks off and a trip to Disneyworld, which
I'll talk about in a few minutes. I just want
to let you know that this podcast is sponsored by
another podcast as called Ears to Ears. The Ears to
Ears podcast is about me and my co host Mickey

(01:48):
as we dive into the enchanting world of Disney, from
the magic of Disneyland to the thrills of Disney World
and the exciting world of Adventures by Disney, as well
as the cruise line. Our podcast, we'll cover it all.
Each episode explores a different aspect of Disney magic, part tips,
character spotlights, and behind the scenes stories. We might talk

(02:09):
about some movies as well. Whether you're a lifelong Disney
fan or just discovering the magic, myself and Mickey will
bring you all the wonder I enjoy of Disney. That podcast,
Ears to Ears is on your favorite platform. Of course,
you can also download this podcast on your favorite platform

(02:29):
including speaker, Apple as well as Spotify. The podcast is
also executive produced by my golden rechiever, Bailey Bell. Bailey
Bell is here in the studio watching me, and she
is gonna go ahead and pub just take a little nap. Well,
like I say, this is episode number eighteen. Again, I
appreciate all of you listening and downloading. I've also gotten

(02:53):
some inquiries, some hopefully potential guests that will be coming
your way very soon working out some details, so that'll
be exciting. Some PR firms have reached out to Magical
Destinations by Steve to see if they can have their
travel experts come on the podcast, so I'm extremely excited
about that. It continues to be popular both here in

(03:15):
the United States and last week the downloads from Australia
were also increased. So thank you again for listening to
this podcast and given this podcast the chance to grow.
It's been three years since my last visit to Walt
Disney World. I was there during COVID as the parks
were just starting to open and capacity and the parks.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Were less than usual.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
People were wearing masks, but again the Disney cast members
did a really good job of controlling that as well.
Then moving out here to the Pacific Northwest, it was
time for me to make another trip out there. As
you know, I grew up on the East Coast, spent
nineteen years in North Carolina, so Walt Disney World was park.

(04:00):
Now since living got here in the Pacific Northwest, Disneyland
has become my home park. But I can tell you
that I had a mission and it was accomplished. My
objectives were to dine at Space two twenty, ride Guardians
of the Galaxy, cosmic rewind, and try something new. That
new turned out to be decorating a Mickey Mouse domecake.

(04:22):
And let's not forget the Florida humidity. I felt it
as soon as I got off the plane. I did
to take the Red Eye here from SeaTac arrived at
MCO the Orlando Airport around eight eighteen. After d planning,
I headed to Terminal B, where I had pre arranged
transportation with Mears. Mears Transportation will take you to your

(04:49):
resort as well many other places in Florida. I pre
arranged that as a travel advisor. If you're thinking about
going to Walt Disney World and you need transportation, you
don't want to run a I can do that for
you and arrange it through Mers it's very inexpensive, and
it was very efficient. Depending on how many other guests
are in the transport vehicle, it could take about thirty

(05:11):
to forty minutes, maybe a little bit longer to get
to your resort. But by nine fifty four I was
in one of the parks. I'll get back to just
the Florida humidity. Like I said, I felt it right
the moment I stepped off the plane. This PNW person
hadn't faced that kind of heat for four years. But hey,
it's all part of the adventure. Again. For all those

(05:32):
that are new to the podcast, welcome. You should know
that my left for all things Disney runs deep. Back
when I lived on the East Coast, Walt Disney World
was my happy place. I celebrated countless birthdays, I made
tons of memories at both Walt Disney World, and I
also traveled to Disneyland on a pretty regular basis. I
ran my first races at Walt Disney World. It was

(05:57):
the half Marathon. It was fantas if you've never run
a race at any Disney parks, It's so much fun
with the music, the atmosphere of the Disney magic, the
characters along the course, so I highly IIH recommend it.
I've done five k's, ten k's and half marathons at
both disney World as well as Disneyland. Though my running

(06:20):
days are done due to my knees, I do do
miss that and I think I do miss it, And
if you enjoy running, it's actually a great place to
do it. As I mentioned before, you know, Walt disney
World was my home park when I was on the
East Coast, and Disneyland now being just a quick plane

(06:40):
flight to Orange County. Now that I've settled in the PNW,
Disneyland has become my go to. But seeing that iconic
Walt disney World sign on my ride from the airport
brought me the biggest smile to my face, incredible smile
and a very comfortable feeling inside my stomach. So it
was very excited. Like I said, I did take the

(07:03):
red Eye flight from Seattle to mco Or arrived by
eight eighteen, and by nine fifty four I was already
walking into Hollywood Studios, and by ten thirty my tradition
continued as I conquered the Tower of Terror. It is
still my all time favorite, but the Hunted Mansion, both
Walt disney World and Disneyland is moving up the ranks.

(07:24):
Now back to the mission. Scoring a reservation at Space
two twenty. It is not easy, but with a great
travel Advisor shout out to me and a bit of
pixie dust, I got in. Let me tell you this
just isn't any dining experience. It's an intergalactic adventure. Space
two twenty takes you on a space elevator up to

(07:47):
the space station with a panoramic view of Earth from
two hundred and twenty miles above Epcot. The prefixed menu
was delicious and the desserts were out of this world.
Pretty soon, I'll have some videos on my Facebook page
and probably Instagram, especially the elevator. Uh Now, I will

(08:07):
tell you that the food I was very surprised because
it was delicious, the service was outstanding, and of course
the view was fantastic. So again, stay tuned to my
Facebook page and my Instagram as well as TikTok. You'll
probably see some pictures coming up soon. Next on the

(08:28):
list was trying to get on Guardians of the Galaxy
Cosmic rewind. First hurdle was joining the virtual queue for
those who are unfamiliar with For those unfamiliar. The Disney's
Virtual Queue system is like a digital race where guests
can compete for a spot in line via the My
Disney Experience app. It opens twice a day, and after

(08:52):
a few intense moments of refreshing the app with my
wife's help, I actually snagged a boarding group. Of course,
a traction decided to break down multiple times. My boarding
group was to thirteen and when I got to Virtual
que they were on I believe boarding group thirty five

(09:14):
to forty five. So I knew I had some time.
How much time, I don't know, but I figured it
was gonna be about at least four or five hours.
So we were able to hang out at Epcot, do
some soaring, ate some good pizza at Via Napole, which
is actually my favorite pizza at disney World and I
highly recommend it. So we did all kinds of things,

(09:35):
and then it was getting closer. And then every time
you would check the app and you get the message
that the ride is the attraction is temporarily closed. That
happened numerous times during the day. Then it would come
back up, and then it would break down again. Every
time it broke down, it kept pushing my return time
back by the time. Of course, the attraction decided to

(09:56):
break down multiple times, pushing my return time back over
four hour hours. But I was determined and trust me,
the weight was really worth it. I figured my boarding
group was going to be called around six point fifteen
because of all the breakdowns, I did not get in
line till close to eight o'clock and by the time
I got inside the building it was about eight twenty

(10:19):
and didn't get on till close to quarter to nine again,
and I've got some pictures of the queue as well.
The line was long. It took almost fifteen to twenty
five minutes for me to get through the queue and
just into the area where all the props were. As
I said before, the weight was worth it. The rides

(10:40):
Omni coaster technology spins you three hundred and sixty degrees,
launches you on a thrilling, story driven adventure with the Guardians.
It's just pure fun. Terry Cruise is in the pre
show and it is just so much fun. Now some
people think that that turning of three six it could

(11:01):
make you dizzy. It's very controlled. I did not feel sick.
I did not feel dizzy, but it's also very fast,
So it's a pretty cool indoor roller coaster. Two of
the mission objectives Space two twenty and getting on Guardians
are accomplished. As a travel advisor, it's my duty to

(11:21):
explore new experiences for my clients and of course you
the listeners. And this time I found a hidden gem
cake decorating experience. Aaron and I took part in the
small group session where Disney pastry artists shared their secrets.
We learned how to create the magic behind some of
the Disney Springs most enchanting desserts. If you want to

(11:43):
take your dessert game up a notch, you should sign
up for a special ninety minute cake decorating experience. Not
to give away all the secrets, but we did decorate
a Mickey Mouse domecake. We got to do some pouring,
we colored d ears, buttons and tail, and we put
it all together. It's a very cool process. It was fun.

(12:07):
We really enjoyed it. If you're looking at something different
to do while you're at Disney World instead of going
to the parks, you should check out this experience. Our
Mickey Mouse dome cake even made it. When we were
done decorating our dome cake, it was displayed in the
case so other patrons could take a look at our masterpiece. Oh,
by the way, it was delicious. Of course, as a

(12:31):
travel advisor, I can help you to book that tour
for you. So, oh no, we packed a ton of
magic in our four day stay. I say mission was accomplished.
Some other things we did. We stayed at the Yacht
Club resort that's in the Epcot area. Walt Disney World
has a great transportation system from buses to monorail to

(12:54):
water transportation to the skyliner. But if you're staying at
the yacht Club and you're thinking about taking a bus
to Hollywood Studios or Epcot, well I'm going to tell
you that you can't take a bus to Epcot or
Hollywood Studios from the yacht Club. You have to take
the water transportation or walk to those theme parks. I

(13:18):
did both, head down to the Beach Club, which is
a joint to the Yacht Club, and catch the skyliner
to other resorts and other stations among the skyliner route.
We did that too. It's actually was kind of fun.
And if you are going to get on the skyliner
just to ride to see what it's like, ask the

(13:38):
cast member for a clear car because this way you
can take some pictures and see everything, take some pictures
without having the car being bubble wrapped. We ate pizza
at Epcot in Italy at viat Napoli, that's our favorite place.
That is another tradition that aaron I started a few
years back. We deviired the pizza. I had a caesar salad,

(14:03):
had some diet coke delicious. Again, the service was great.
We also went a really good time. The crowds were manageable,
easy to get dinner reservations to certain places as well.
The other thing we also did. We ate at the
Beach Club. And I'm telling you right now, if you
like some good Hamburgers, French fries, good friendship. But if

(14:25):
you really like ice cream, oh my god. I had
a banana split, and I've not had a banana split
in such a long time. Oh my god, I just
ate it up. There was nothing left in the bowl. Now,
if you go with a group of people, they have
a kitchen sink. We saw a few tables get that.
If you got the appetite, the kitchen sink is something
for you to do as well.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
If you've been.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
Listening to this podcast, you know, I went to China
with Adventures by Disney. So while we were at Epcot,
we did stop at the China Pavilion and saw the film.
Aaron and I looked at each other because in and
the film they do show a whole bunch of places
that we did visit, like the terra Cotta Soldiers, the

(15:07):
Great Wall, the Lee River, as well as sits in
Hong Kong and Shanghai. It just was great memories for
us when we were watching that film. I've had a
pretty good year of visiting Disney parks, starting with Walt
disney World, or starting with Disneyland. Of course Walt Disney
World also got the chance to experience Adventures by Disney

(15:30):
and went to China, and while I was in China
got the two new parks as well. I went to
Hong Kong Disneyland as well as Shanghai Disneyland. Unbelievable, both parks.
That only leaves one park for me to achieve, and
that'd be in Tokyo and I hope to do that
sometime in the near future. From a Disney twenty twenty four,

(15:51):
I had a blast. And if you are thinking about
vacationing anything with Disney from Adventures by Disney and Disney
Cruise Line or any of the parks. Reach out to
me at ses coo and at Curated Travel Collection dot com,
go to my website at Magical Destinations by Steve dot com.
Of course Instagram, Facebook, and of course this podcast. As

(16:15):
you can tell, I do love Disney and that's why
this podcast has been sponsored by Ears to Ears. It's
the new podcast that it's all about Disney, and I
hope you go ahead and take a few minutes and
listen to that podcast and join me and Mickey as
we bring you all kinds of cool tips. If I

(16:35):
didn't tell you before, Mickey is a fifty year cast
member who just retired and oh my god, some of
the stories he has or just fantastic. So again, besides
this podcast, go ahead and subscribe to Ears to Ears Podcasts.
That's Ears, the number two Ears. You can catch it
on any of your favorite podcast platforms. Again, thank you

(16:58):
for joining me on this podcast, Magical Destinations by Steve,
and I hope to you and I will talk to
you soon.