We’re back with an early edition of Going Beyond the Castle — mostly because we’re old, exhausted, and desperately needed to go to bed. But we rallied, and this week we’re diving into Ashley’s full trip recap from her six-day Walt Disney World vacation with the kids!

From Typhoon Lagoon wipeouts to monorail races, missed drops on Rise of the Resistance, birthday buttons that weren’t ours, and the emotional roller coaster of taking kids through Disney parks, this episode has ALL the stories.

Join Fred, Lori, and Ashley as they laugh their way through a week filled with Disney highlights, parent struggles, and some truly magical moments.

🎢 Trip Highlights & Park Days

🏨 All-Star Sports

• Baseball section victory! Close to the buses and perfect for pool time

• Kids made pool friends immediately — peak Disney kid magic

• Mystery birthday buttons magically appeared in the room… for the wrong people

🌊 Typhoon Lagoon… for 90 Minutes

• Huge waves, semi-dramatic rescues, and an early rain-induced retreat

• No ice cream bucket… sadness

🚂 Hollywood Studios

• Rise of the Resistance with a frozen screen

• Eli becomes a thrill seeker (“Any big drops?”… every ride)

• Droid Depot with no reservation needed

• Wookie Cookie split + Oga’s Cantina for DJ Rex super-fans

• Stuck on Midway Mania, new Villains show, and soaked during Fantasmic

• Kaiser caught taking pictures of strangers’ butts on his iPad (yes, that happened)

🍩 Rest Day Shenanigans

• Disney Springs lunch at T-Rex

• Surprise “you helped someone on the bus” free dessert (they were never on a bus)

• BoardWalk treats including the famous deep-fried Hawaiian roll

🌐 EPCOT

• Guardians? Not for Ashley.

• Test Track down.

• Kidcot cards were… meh.

• Remy’s, poutine, brioche ice cream, and a lot of snacking

• Left before fireworks to save energy for Animal Kingdom

🦁 Animal Kingdom

• Eli LOVED Flight of Passage — favorite ride of the trip

• Everest “never again” reactions

• Boys featured in Festival of the Lion King (core memory unlocked)

• Early exit because the kids were DONE

🍦 Beaches & Cream Sendoff

• Skyliner lap

• Celebration milkshake

• More Skyliner stickers than anyone could ever need

❤️ Favorite Moments

• Eli’s pure joy on Flight of Passage

• Kaiser starring in Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue

• Afternoon football in the All-Star Sports courtyard

• And of course… free birthday treats. Always.

📢 What’s Next?

We’re picking our next episode topic — and letting YOU weigh in!
Options include:

• Disney Adults: Magic Isn’t Just for Kids

• Ride or Skip: Overrated vs. Underrated Attractions

• The Art of the Disney Rest Day

Drop your vote on our socials!