When I left off I was just finishing a trip on the wildest ride in the wilderness I actually did the goat trick for the first time (after finally finding out what it is about a week before my trip) and it definitely worked! I was getting a bit hungry at this point so I went to Refreshment Corner for a stuffed pretzel. I had the regular pretzel and a coke and sat down in the tiny seating area to enjoy it
I hadnt been there five minutes when all the brats from the Big Thunder Mountain line arrived and took over two tables with a group of 12-15 and proceeding to make and ton of noise and disturb everyone who was enjoying the peace and quiet there (there were many heads turning in their direction to give them dirty looks) Not wanting to be around them again I quickly finished my pretzel and moved on. I wandered through the shops on that side of the street and debated heading back to my room for a break but then I remembered that I still had my Space Mountain fastpass and I wasnt sure if Id get a chance to use it after I came back for Fantasmic so I wandered a bit more just enjoying the atmosphere. I know I rode a couple more rides (probably Pirates and HM as I seemed to be riding them every couple of hours or so on this trip hence the TR name) then finally it was time to head over to Space Mountain for my ride. I went through the fastpass line and got on basically right away though not without laughing at the idiot teens in front of me: one of whom managed to drop his hat while we were on the bridge part of the line over the tracks right in front of a ride vehicle and couldnt get the attention of the CM manning the launch before he launched the next rocket which made the hat disappear from view. The really dumb part about this: theyd stopped here for no reason as the line didnt stretch that far and had obviously been fooling around to drop the hat over a wall that high. I enjoyed the ride as usual then Im really not sure what I did
Pretty sure I went to the Kodak store and bought the gallery CD for the free Photopass CD (which I am happy to report included free international shipping too at least as far as Canada!) but I really have no idea what I did for a while (Mental note: Actually use the notebook to take notes next time!!!) My fastpass was for 1:30-2:00 and Im pretty sure I used it around 1:45ish but I dont remember going back to my room until around 3pm so I have no idea how I filled the next hour or so
Photopass pictures were definitely involved though as I have a bunch from this morning.
(I just realized this was the day that Id forgotten to put in earrings so this gave me the excuse I needed to buy the ones Id been eying since last summer in WDW. Scroll Mickey heads. I checked the shops in DL but couldnt find them so I headed into World of Disney. I couldnt find them so I hung around a display case in the jewelry section until a CM finally asked if she could help me. Id tried to ask a couple of different CMs in the section but they were very involved in a personal conversation and completely ignored me (a MAJOR pet peeve of mine) She directed me to the right area and I found them immediately. I took them to the cash and bought them declining the bag as the little jewel box would fit better in my purse without it. I put the earrings in right after paying for them which delighted the CM at the cash she also really liked the earrings and didnt recognize them which we shared a laugh over when I pointed out the display they were in literally five feet from her till.)
So around 3pm I was exhausted and really ready for an afternoon break. I walked back to the Sheraton and changed back into my PJs and read/napped for a couple of hours. I set my alarm for 5:30 or so I believe and when it went off I was feeling a whole lot better. I got dressed (in a whole new outfit that I never really showed off) through my heavier sweater into my purse (with great difficulty but eventually it fit!) and headed back to the parks. I thought I stopped for a picture on my way in but not according to either my camera or photopass so I guess not.
Not sure if I mentioned this recently or not so in case youve all forgotten: I splurged this time and got the dessert package for Fantasmic! as Id never seen the show in DL and really wanted a good spot. Since I knew I needed to be at the check-in area at 8pm to get my seats assigned after a quick stop at City Hall to pick up my ticket and find out exactly where that was I headed over and found the podium then got in line for Haunted Mansion. I was behind a family in line with two boys probably 9 and 14 the youngest said something about being afraid of the ride and someone else in the family asked him why and he said that looking up and seeing the hanging body in the stretching room scared him. I had to laugh when his brother pointed out a possible solution so dont look up I chatted a bit with the family through the line and rode behind the older son in my Doom Buggy (I was really tempted to knock on the back of it and see if I could scare him but I resisted the urge) I dont think I mentioned a story from my first ride through the Haunted Mansion from this trip. After we got out of the stretch room groups kept trying to cut through each other and everyone was getting all mixed up I didnt really care as I was solo so I was just continuing through the line but one group kept assuming that I was with another group ahead so they kept grabbing their kids and trying to let me pass I finally said that I wasnt with anyone I was there solo prompting the son (probably 15 or 16) of the group in front of us (who they thought I was with) to turn to me and say you can ride with me if you want I choked back a chuckle and told him thanks but I liked riding solo. After this trip through HM I headed over to Pirates (are you sensing a theme yet?) and rode that. I got chatting with another family in line like usual but laughed and waved when I spotted the family Id been talking to at HM about 15 people in front of me in line. The woman I was talking to at the time offered to let me cut through to my group but I told her the story about teasing his little brother in line for HM and explained I was visiting solo.
By the time I finished PotC it was about 7:30 and there were several people in line to get their seats assigned for the show so I queued up too. I wasnt in any big hurry to do much walking. I decided before I left home to save some weight in my suitcase and some heat on my feet and bring my light pull on Sketcher sneakers and very light socks. Unfortunately I have really bad knees and find they hurt a lot when I do a lot of walking (like at DL) when I dont have good arch support (and these shoes have practically none) so my knees were pretty sore when Id headed back to the room. Instead of putting those back on Id put on my flip flops which actually have arch support but I dont walk in them a lot normally so I was a little worried they would start to rub. Long story short I got in line and waited to get my seats assigned at 8.
I was only a couple of groups back (and a couple of people ahead of me were checking in for the second show) so when I got to the front of the line there were lots of options left including one seat in the front row in the section farthest to the left when youre facing RoA (closest to the center of the show) so I jumped on that one. They seemed surprised I was there by myself asking for all of my tickets when I checked in. I explained that I was solo and the girl checking me in thought that was a great idea. After checking in they suggested that we return 15-20 minutes before the show to get settled and I looked around and decided that in 45 minutes I could probably ride both PotC and HM again
So I did.
When it was time to check in I returned to the podium and had my only
not really bad but strange
experience with a CM. I brought my ticket back and checked in and the guy whos name I cant remember and who of course had to be the helper/waiter person for my section said my whole group had to be with me to go to my seats. I told him I was my whole group that I was there by myself and he made a really shocked face and seemed almost offended by that. It was so over the top that my occasionally very big mouth ran away from me for a minute and I asked him Is that okay? with lots of sarcasm. He spent the rest of the experience really treating me weirdly and making a big show of offering me everything making sure that he addressed the family sitting beside me (the seats are in a group of five and a family had the first four) then would ask me separately and kind of sarcastically. He would offer them the drinks and they would answer then it would be my turn maybe it was me or I was over-sensitive to him because of the first reaction but it really bothered me through the whole experience every time he was around. I was so happy when Fantasmic! started and he stopped talking to me!
My dessert tray
Speaking of Fantasmic! here are a few of my pictures
And an explanation of why some of them are a little strange. So that morning I had turned off the option to view my photos after taking them so that I could take pictures faster
This came back to bit me during Fantasmic! because it took me a long time to figure out that instead of switching my camera to nighttime or a similar setting it ended up on Fireworks so I have some very interesting shots of the show and then finally some decent ones after I figured out why it was taking a minute for each picture.
These are actually a couple pretty neat pictures of Pan and Hook fighting
Oh not fireworks got it!
The water is on fire how cool is that?!?
Steamboat Willie!
Dopey for my sister
After the show was over they suggested we stay in our seats for the fireworks and brought anyone who wanted one another drink. (Yay more hot chocolate!)
Fireworks do photograph well on the fireworks setting
Pretty sure this next one is Flora and Merryweather fighting over pink and blue (my sister and I were colour co-coordinated red and blue as kids so our parents could tell us apart so we always loved this part of the movie!
After the fireworks were done I wanted to ride a couple of things in Fantasyland
Okay mostly I wanted to ride Dumbo. So I walked over to FL and looked around and realized to my dismay that Dumbo was closed. So I jumped on the carousel instead.
Self-portrait on my horse
By the time I got off the carousel Dumbo was running again so I quickly jumped in the almost empty line and was on the second flight
Self-portrait in my Dumbo
The castle (sorta) from Dumbo
I figured Id had enough for the night and it was around 11pm or so and I had a VERY early morning the next day so I headed out of the park
but not before stopping for one last Photopass shot and I actually got him to use my camera too (he was very impressed that I actually had it on the night setting)
I headed back to my hotel and set my alarm for 5:30 am
and called it a night.
Up next Would I make it through checking out of the Sheraton and checking into PPH all in time to get to MMH and ride Star Tours 2 again?
But seriously, the ones where you got your camera all figured out are really good. It's so hard to get decent nighttime shots sometimes. I really like some of your fireworks photos too. 
) I'll even have a rip off Dole Whip 
