Just Keep Swimming - March 31-April 7, 2013 - Closing Thoughts (Updated 5/17)

[jecskc]

Well that was a nice surprise, getting to the park and it not being open yet! Of course, having to put up with the grousing of the fam is never fun. Haha!

I thought we were going to be late !! Turns out .. we were early !! Yay !!!

I have to try and get to MK for rope drop one day. That looks great and so many characters.

I think the first time we made rope drop and got to see the opening show was last year.

 

[jecskc]

Aww, this is the day I left. I slept in a little that morning but yeah, I do think they went back to their regular hours because we could hear the welcome show going on from our room.

Man, I want to go back! Gotta love the opening show...it never gets old.

I know. It is so happy. And I have to admit, even though I am not a super emotional person, I teared up a little.

Agreed!

Good Morning !! Good MORN-ing !!

LOVE the giraffe pictures...you can NEVER have too many giraffe pictures.

I love the giraffes. My favorite animal.

for making the welcome show at the MK despite the kids not being happy about it.

They just didn't want to wait to get into the park. I turned out to be fine.

jecskc --- did you find the crowds managable? we are probably going Spring Break (the week before Easter) next year and just curious on your thoughts thank you!

It really just depends upon your family's touring strategy. We hit rope drop whenever we could and fast passed everything we could. I thought it was crowded, but we managed very well and had a great time !!!

I am determined to see the MK opening show this June. Glad you got to see it even though I'm sure your family did not feeling like waiting for the park to open. Kudos to you for getting out the door and all packed so early on your departure day.

You have never seen it ?? It is really cute. We didn't see it for the fist time until last year. We had to get packed up so we could get the most of our park time since that was our last day.

 

[wilma-bride]

You know giraffes are boring, right

Great that you are spending your last day at MK, where else? Love the pictures of (an almost empty) Frontierland

 

[jecskc]

You know giraffes are boring, right

Great that you are spending your last day at MK, where else? Love the pictures of (an almost empty) Frontierland

Giraffes are awesome .....'nuff said

The crowd that morning wasn't bad. We got a lot done !!!

 

[jecskc]

Day 8 – Part Two

Fast passes for BTMRR in hand, I headed back towards Storybook Circus to meet DH and DD.









On the way, I got some more photos of the Tangled bathrooms.













DD loves the Barnstormer and we took advantage of the low crowds to ride several times. DH rode with her twice and I rode with her twice.







After that, DD rode the Tea Cups.







DS met up with us there and then DH and DS headed over to get FP’s for Peter Pan while DD and I rode Little Mermaid.







DH obviously had the camera while DD and I enjoyed our ride.



There wasn’t a wait for the Mermaid ride at this point, so we quickly met back up with them. We headed over to ride BTMRR with our FP’s.

 

[teekathepony]

Rapunzel's tower is just so gosh darn cute. So are the pics of your DD on the teacups! She looks like she's having a blast!

 

[jecskc]

Rapunzel's tower is just so gosh darn cute. So are the pics of your DD on the teacups! She looks like she's having a blast!

I know, I love it !! To tell the truth, I wish they had done more with Rapunzel's tower besides making it a bathroom area. It is very nice and it really helps to have that place opened up through there. It was a terrible bottleneck before.

DD loves the teacups. But she is the only one in our family that does. She got DH sick last trip and now he refuses to go on with her again.

 

[tazdev3225]

I love when the parks look empty. I rode Barnstormer once in 2001. I was there with my aunt and it was one of the few rides she and her partner would go on. It was a magical trip - I learned how great it was to stay on site and travel alone.

I don't do Tea Cups. My DH likes them but I turn a lovely shade of green and then the migraine hits. Not fun for anyone. I tell him to go on alone because I then practice my movement photography but he won't do it. He will sit and people watch while I try and get the pics I want though.

I like the Rapunzel Tower theming just wish it wasn't just a rest room.

 

[jecskc]

I love when the parks look empty. I rode Barnstormer once in 2001. I was there with my aunt and it was one of the few rides she and her partner would go on. It was a magical trip - I learned how great it was to stay on site and travel alone.

I love staying on site. It makes the trip so much more magical. Barnstormer is a short, but fun coaster.

I don't do Tea Cups. My DH likes them but I turn a lovely shade of green and then the migraine hits. Not fun for anyone. I tell him to go on alone because I then practice my movement photography but he won't do it. He will sit and people watch while I try and get the pics I want though.

Same her on the tea cups. Makes me

I like the Rapunzel Tower theming just wish it wasn't just a rest room.

It just seems like they could have done so much more with such a popular princess.

 

[KatMark]

Great upate; I love the empty looking park. I can't believe there was no line for Mermaid...you did good.

Your daughter looks like she is having a blast spinning herself on the teacups.

 

[LifeIsDis]

MICKEY WAFFLES! The noms.

EEEEE MARIE! She was like my childhood favorite.

So like Liberty Square and Frontierland look dead. Works for moi!

Storybook Circus is my FAVE. I am so sad we didn’t get to go there in November

So um Rapunzel’s tower is beautiful. That is all.

 

[jecskc]

Great upate; I love the empty looking park. I can't believe there was no line for Mermaid...you did good.

I guess everyone was leaving this day and most of them didn't have time to hit the park. We got a lot done that day.

Your daughter looks like she is having a blast spinning herself on the teacups.

She loves the tea cups. The rest of us ... not so much.

MICKEY WAFFLES! The noms.

Dat's right. Noms.

EEEEE MARIE! She was like my childhood favorite.

I love Marie, too. Sooo cute.

So like Liberty Square and Frontierland look dead. Works for moi!

Worked for us as well. It was a good day.

Storybook Circus is my FAVE. I am so sad we didn’t get to go there in November

You need to make a point of seeing it in August then !!

So um Rapunzel’s tower is beautiful. That is all.

Yes ...... yes it is.

 

[jecskc]

Day 8 – Part Three

When I last posted, we were about to get our ride on

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad



Next, we got another set of FP’s for BTMRR and headed over to ride Haunted Mansion.





Used our fast passes for Peter Pan



We had lunch at Columbia Harbor House.

We had our standard chicken and shrimp and apple crisp

After that, we rode BTMRR again and then Pirates of the Caribbean.



Ironically, the above photo is from January. We had no wait for it on this morning.

Then, we headed over to get a Dole Whip.



This was about 12:30 PM or so and the crowds were picking up.







DS got a rootbeer float



DH and DD got vanilla,



I got the pineapple



After that, we headed out.





Goodbye castle !!



We stopped to watch the parade.







DH bought some pens at the Emporium



Goodbye monorail !!





Goodbye train !!



And our bus came … and we rode it back to Animal Kingdom Lodge and got in the car and left for home

Stay tuned for closing thoughts !!!

 

[tazdev3225]

The crowds really did start to pick up.

I hate that last day good-bye to everything feeling. I wish I could do a little in the parks on my last day but with a 15 or 16 hour drive home it's impossible.

 

[jecskc]

The crowds really did start to pick up.

I hate that last day good-bye to everything feeling. I wish I could do a little in the parks on my last day but with a 15 or 16 hour drive home it's impossible.

Yes, it got a bit crowded. Nothing like the mob scene at the beginning of the week though.

We have been in the parks as late as 4 PM and still made it home by midnight. We live a moderately easy distance away.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Noooo, not good-bye! I always hate leaving the parks for the last time on a trip. It's so sad!

Can't believe your report is almost over but atleast you have another trip in a few months!

 

[KatMark]

It's over?

You got a lot done after lunch and caught the parade too!

Looking forward to your wrap-up.

 

[jecskc]

Noooo, not good-bye! I always hate leaving the parks for the last time on a trip. It's so sad!

It really is sad !! Disney Depression is a very real thing. But you know this.

Can't believe your report is almost over but atleast you have another trip in a few months!

I have yet to master the fine art of making my trip reports last more than a few months. I just love to get an update posted every day if I can. So much fun to write them and relive our trip through them. And then talk Disney with all my Dis friends.

105 more days until we go back !!

It's over?

Yes. I'm very sad.

You got a lot done after lunch and caught the parade too!

We did get a lot done. Rope drop is key. I am glad I got mixed up on the time and we got there before it opened.

Looking forward to your wrap-up.

I still need to write it up. Will post that soon !!

 

[daisymomof4]

No, no, no, no, it's not "goodbye", it's "see ya real soon"!!!!!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I'm late to the party as always been to busy to Dis much but its week pre trip and reading your TR's is one of my favorite ways to pass the last few days. Can't wait to get caught up!