Agent Education Program at Walt Disney World® Resort
🎄December 12, 2021-December 15, 2021
First let me say, what an honor it was to represent my agency at one of the first AEPs post-Covid! To say I was excited, is an understatement! What’s an AEP? It stands for Agent Education Program. It involves extensive training, special experiences and hotel tours. My AEP included accommodations, tickets, meals and more magical extras. So, Christmas came early for this Disney travel agent. Our AEP group was small to keep in line with social distancing which I was quite happy with at the time. If you recall, facial coverings were also still required at all indoor locations at WDW.
I was the only agent from Destinations to Travel at this particular training, but it was such a joy meeting all the other agents. We had a blast together! Since this was held mid-December (one of my favorite times of the year to visit), I was beyond grateful that I got to enjoy the Christmas festivities. On top of that, I got a room all to myself at the fabulous Grand Floridian Resort! It was my very first time staying there, and was I ever impressed. Disney really rolled out the red carpet for us. #disneymagic
Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself…let’s start from the beginning of my 3-day adventure!
Day 1: Sunday, December 12th– I was up bright and early like a kid on Christmas morning! I mean who really sleeps before their Disney trip. lol. I departed Salisbury, MD Airport at 6:30 am, with a 2.5-hour layover in Charlotte, NC and arrived in Orlando, FL at 1 pm. As Magical Express was coming to an end (sad), I decided to enjoy 1 last ride. The line looked scary long, but it moved so quickly. Thankfully, I only waited about 10 minutes. Even better, there wasn’t anyone in the line for the Grand Floridian Resort! At this point, I am feeling beyond special. Thank you Magical Express for a wonderful last ride.
I stepped off the bus, and oh, what a sight…the Grand Floridian in all its splendor and glory! The Lobby was breathtakingly beautiful and smelled like “Christmas”. I think the scent is one of my favorite things about this resort! #facts. The holiday decorations were gorgeous and the gigantic Christmas tree…so pretty! It’s a must photo spot. Don’t forget to stop by the life-size Gingerbread house and look at all the incredible details. The gingerbread house makes the Lobby smell even more delicious. Guess what, you can even buy some gingerbread items to take home or just enjoy while you are there.
I took the afternoon to explore the resort a little bit before my check-in and first training session. On this trip, I brought along my little Remy plushie, and we sure had fun taking pics all over Disney World. He accompanied me everywhere. I was eager to see my room so away we went. It did not disappoint. Elegant, luxurious and beyond beautiful…it was love at first sight. The color palette was full of rich golds, creams and reds making you feel like royalty. My favorite thing… the BED! I slept like a Princess, obviously. Enjoy this room tour/walkthrough. *Since this visit, the rooms have been refurbished. You’ll find a Mary Poppins theme with lighter colors: white, pale blue and rich teal green.
Our group met at 5 pm in the Grand Floridian Ballroom for a quick get to know each other session. We received a durable 50th anniversary cinch bag, a WDW 50th pen, a sparkly 50th Notebook and cool 50th Luggage Tag! On top of that, we got a WDW Lanyard with our name/agency ID. Very VIP. Then, we were off to Animal Kingdom Park. Did I mention we had a chartered bus! How Sweet. We arrived shortly before closing time and caught a very colorful 50th Celebration Winter-themed projection show on the Tree of Life. Then, we were escorted to a delicious catered buffet dinner outside at the Harambe Market. I loved it: lots of curry, spice and exotic flavors! The foodie in me was so satisfied.
After dinner, we got to ride Avatar: Flight of Passage…after hours, no wait! It felt pretty spectacular. This attraction is in my TOP 3 List in all of WDW. We enjoyed a gorgeous bioluminescent nighttime walk out of Pandora and left via a “secret entrance/exit” (behind the scenes) to our awaiting private chartered bus. How cool, right?! We didn’t get back too late, so I found my way to the Enchanted Rose to enjoy a nightcap. Bubbly before bedtime, yes please! I enjoyed a French 76: Grey Goose Vodka, Bubbly & Lemon Twist. As I’m sure you know, Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney film and Belle is my favorite Disney Princess. So, I was in my happy place here. I walked around to look at everything and snap some pictures. It’s definitely in my TOP 5 favorite lounges at WDW. Off to sleep in my dreamy bed. #princessvibes
Day 2: Monday, December 13th– Early wake-up call for a private catered buffet breakfast! This time we dined inside Citricos…and it had been recently refurbished with Mary Poppins-theming! The colors and decor here are gorgeous, serene and very chic. I enjoyed Mickey Waffles and a perfect morning view. It was going to be a busy, full day. In the morning hours, we had a training session all aimed to better serve our clients & learn about all the new happenings at WDW. I learned a lot and was so grateful to our Disney facilitators: Tommy, Bailey and Mariam. Just outstanding.
Next up, lunch at Three Bridges Bar & Grill at the Coronado Springs Resort. Again, we were offered a special menu and let me tell you, it was phenomenal. Have a look. Guacamole. Steak Frites. Churros. Tres Leches. 5 Stars, just YUM. The weather was perfect: sunny and 75, a dream come true. Perfect for dining al fresco.
After our lunch, we visited 5 Disney Resorts: Coronado Springs (Gran Destino Tower), POP Century, Art of Animation, Contemporary and Polynesian Village. I really enjoyed the room tours. I love being able to share my personal experience with my guests. So please, have a look at the photos and videos! I’m still dreaming about that over-the-water Bungalow at the Poly! If you have a chance, visit with the Disney Vacation Club and get a tour! You’ll often get a free swag bag.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort: Grand Destino Tower
Disney’s POP Century Resort: Preferred Room
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Cars Family Suite
Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Main Tower Accessible Room (above)
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Pool View
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Bungalow Room Tour
Our tours came to an end around 5 pm and you know what that means…happy hour! Better still, I was at Polynesian Village. So, I grabbed a barstool at the Tambu Lounge & had a wonderful appetizer-only dinner. Did you know that they have a great little bar menu, and you can even get some food items from Ohana ie. noodles, dumplings and bread pudding! Go here! I ordered the dumplings and a Lapu Lapu (it’s served in a pineapple!). I was in Hawaiian paradise. Afterwards, I hopped on the monorail back to my hotel room at the Grand Floridan. I decided to go all in and head to Magic Kingdom for some nighttime fun! Did I tell you that my favorite time in the parks is at night?
I arrived at Magic Kingdom at 6:45 pm and was so ready for the MAGIC! It was my first-time seeing Cinderella Castle all decorated and lit up for the 50th Celebrations! Enchanting. I rode my favorites: Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean. Thanks to Disney Genie+ and my smart stacking skills, I was able to ride a lot in just 2 hours. I also watched Mickey’s PhilharMagic. I left Magic Kingdom around 9:30 pm and hopped on the monorail to EPCOT for the Disney Deluxe resort’s Extended Evening Hours! 10pm to Midnight.
Spaceship Earth was shimmering and sparkling all night long! I took some fantastic photos! Now, I only had 2 hours, so I went straight to Test Track. After that, we trekked to France to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. I just love this attraction, it’s so much fun and oh-so-cute. As a pet rat owner, it has my heart. Remy and I ventured to Soarin (rode it twice!) to close out our night. I walked out of EPCOT a little after Midnight. I was back in my hotel room by 12:30 am, quick shower and then ZZZZZ.
Day 3: Tuesday, December 14th– Rise and Shine! We had a very early meet time, 6:30 am! Off to a Hollywood Studios, before the park officially opened! This just gets better and better. We had another yummy private catered buffet breakfast. This time we ate inside Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy’s Edge. I was geeking out! I’m a big Star Wars fan and walking into Batuu with zero people around was freaking cool. Now, here comes the galactic wish come true…we got to ride Rise of Resistance…as the very first guests of the day! When we finished breakfast, the line for Rise was already extending out of Galaxy’s Edge…and our crew got to sneak in via a special entrance to the FRONT of the line. Epic.
We had the rest of the day to ourselves, so naturally I spent it at Hollywood Studios. Again, Disney Genie+ enabled me to ride a lot before I headed to EPCOT later in the afternoon. I rode Smuggler’s Run via Single Rider Line. NO Wait. Squeezed in Toy Story Midway Mania, Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror. Remy loves Hollywood Studios! We also saw some friends like Goofy & Max, Woody & Buzz and Mickey & Minnie. My lunch consisted of a Mickey Pretzel & Margarita from Sunset Market…it’s a tradition. I also enjoyed an oh-so-delish Reindeer Mousse treat from Trolley Car Cafe on my way out of the park. I headed back to Grand Floridian about 2 pm.
I made a quick outfit change & donned my Minne ears before I hopped on the monorail to EPCOT. I lucked out and got a Space 220 Lounge reservation for 4:15 pm. What an experience! I loved every second of it. I enjoyed some Blue Moon Cauliflower (fried cauliflower w. buffalo sauce & blue cheese crumbles) & a Stargarita (sweet, sour space-y margarita) before I went back to Earth. 100% recommend. After my little happy hour, I explored the Festival of the Holidays. I rode Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, again. Grabbed a Grey Goose Limon Slush on my way out of France. Bonjour! I took my time making my way back to Mexico and stopped in La Cava for a margarita before our last AEP group dinner. Best margaritas ever. Salud!
Our AEP dinner was in an event room above Mission Space. It was a WORLD SHOWCASE specialty buffet with menu items from each country. WOW! After dinner, we were escorted to a private viewing area in the Italy Pavilion for Harmonious! On top of that, it was a DESSERT party! Look at these treats. What a spectacular way to end our AEP adventure! We were escorted out a “secret” passageway behind the American Adventure Pavilion to our chartered bus. More pixie dust! I was happily ever after exhausted.
Day 4: December 15th– I slept in and let me say, it was so needed at this point. I packed up and dropped off my luggage with Bell Services before I boarded the monorail to the Polynesian Village. I scored a walk-up reservation at Ohana! Sooo goood. POG juice and Pineapple Coconut Bread…all the YES. I did some shopping before I headed back to the Grand Floridian to say my temporary Disney “goodbye”. I was headed to Univeral Orlando Resort (Royal Pacific) for a 1-night stay and then back to WDW (Coronado Springs: Gran Destino Tower) for a 1-night stay to conclude my week-long visit!
What can this travel agent say…but BEST Work Trip Ever! Thanks again to Destinations to Travel for this incredible opportunity to learn more about WDW and to Disney for a truly enchanting experience!
Angie Baycura💖
I’d love to help you plan your next Disney Adventure! 🥀
Enchanted Nook 