cindianne320
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2010
Count me in!
Characters vs. Pin Traders: It's Heated War! A Pixie-Dusted Nerdventure (COMPLETE)
- Thread starter PlutosRHM55
- Start date
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Oh yeah, I was so excited! But the disbelief I had kind of counteracted that. Still, my reactions to certain things were... On another level let's say. I promise this will be quite the entertaining read.
Too bad I only went to one of the many I was invited to :/ I'll update as soon as I get back from my second vacation!
YAY!
So glad you're here!
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
I'm joining in. Sounds like you had a great trip, despite the brutal FL heat. 
Frozen is the perfect pre-Disney trip movie. Mainly because you have to familiarize yourself with all it's nuisances because every guest you pass in the park will tend to one be quoting it, talking about it, or wishing they could buy something that's related to it.
Frozen is the perfect pre-Disney trip movie. Mainly because you have to familiarize yourself with all it's nuisances because every guest you pass in the park will tend to one be quoting it, talking about it, or wishing they could buy something that's related to it.
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
I'm joining in. Sounds like you had a great trip, despite the brutal FL heat.
Frozen is the perfect pre-Disney trip movie. Mainly because you have to familiarize yourself with all it's nuisances because every guest you pass in the park will tend to one be quoting it, talking about it, or wishing they could buy something that's related to it.
YAY!
And yes, I most definitely did. That Florida heat definitely does take some getting used to, but I learned to embrace it.That's so true! And the Frozen craze is still VERY real down in the World. Because of my friend who watched Frozen with Nate and I the night before, we kinda thrust ourselves into the thick of it and... Let's just say I have concrete proof of how insane this Frozen craze actually is.
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Hello all my fabulous readers!
Again, I cannot believe there are already so many of you. It makes me a very happy trip reporter so thank you again so much for hopping on this train because "this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" And trust me, it will turn out that way... eventually.
Anyways, I hope everyone had a lovely Fourth of July! I had a FANTASTIC time up at a friend's lake house with my family, other awesome people I love and adore plus some new super-friendly faces; it was honestly so much fun! I got to wear all the shirts I had bought at Disney, which really became some great conversation starters. I mean, we talked about my trip, the DCP, Frozen (we actually watched Frozen twice while I was there and Frozen Summer began the second to last day I was there) and lots of other things. I also got to help put together an amazing fireworks show (not to the level of Disney, but there was some fancy pyrotechnics going on at the lake) and was able to wake up to a gorgeous view every morning. To say the least, I was very sad to leave. Luckily, I had this update waiting to be posted when I got home to keep me occupied.
BTW, if you would like to see some of what was going on while I was up at the lake along with some previews of this trip report and anything else I'm doing with my life, check out my Twitter and Instagram. My username for both is @goofy_disnerd.
Alrighty then, update is rearing and ready for reading. Let's get this show on the road.
And.... here we GOOO!!!
Rise and Shine, Sleeping Beauties! Today's the Day!
June 23rd, 2014
It had finally arrived. The day was here. After three long years of begging, pleading and asking, I finally was making my grand return to Disney World. Happy would be a huge understatement for what I was feeling that morning. Excited might've been to if it weren't for the fact I basically pulled an unwarranted all nighter. I really did need that sleep last night, but hey, that's what's planes are for so let's get going!
After Nate and I both woke up, took showers and headed downstairs, we were lugging all of our bags in the dark early morning to my mother's Acura. With a push, pull, shove and throw, the luggage was all in the care and we were ready to head to the airport.
From earlier that morning. Notice how I matched my outfit with my iPhone case (better image of that below).
Our driver/my mom throwing up the deuces!
The drive to the airport was much shorter than we anticipated so we got there very early with a lot of time to check-in and go through security. Nate had gotten a bloody nose in the car, something I know he gets all the time so it's no big deal, but it'll come up again quite a few times during this trip so I thought it was worth noting here.
My mom helped us with our luggage then with a kiss goodbye, she was gone and I had to relinquish my Peter Pan status for a moment and be a grown-up for a moment. If you aren't acting like a grown-up in an airport, it's a lot less detrimental than if you were acting like a child so here we go.
Check-in was quick and smooth. No issues there. We printed off our boarding passes the day before (we did that after getting our Universal tickets) so it was only just getting the bag checked. This would be the only time of the trip I actually had to worry about any of this thanks to Disney's Airline Check-In.
Security was also very quick. We luckily were not the chosen ones to have to go through an extra pat down or secondary scan or whatever. YAY US!
The airport we chose (Manchester Airport in New Hampshire, if you were so obliged to know) only has three or four airlines that fly into it on a daily basis so it was very empty. Our gate was right there as we entered the airport so we immediately sat down. We decided to chill for a moment. Nate and I had been up and moving since we woke up so it was nice to hang out for a moment. We also needed to charge some things so we used that time to do that. Oh and take a quick photo to remember the moment:
After the photos, I heard my name and who would appear but Sam! Sam is a girl who just graduated with me that I've known for many years. She was leaving on the same flight as us, but connecting to California to visit some friends. Her mom was there too and she stopped by later. It was nice talking with them made the time past since we did have a little bit of time before our flight boarded. She also hadn't seen Nate in awhile so that was a nice little reunion.
After that, we noticed our phones and my camera were charging well and decided to go to Dunks for the morning. I didn't take any food pictures of this, but I got a small Strawberry Coolatta with Whipped Cream and some Hash Browns while Nate got a donut and a Dunkaccino, but I don't remember which flavor. He paid for it all himself.
OH I forgot to mention. The money my parents had given me for this trip was the money Nate used to pay me back for his plane ticket. I only received this a little over a day ago and it had not been put in my savings yet so I wasn't able to transfer money over. Nate was great about adapting to this, especially when he wanted a Dunks run. He really is the nicest guy out there.
Anyways, back to the report.
We got our nourishment and sat back down at our gate, trying to keep each other occupied while our flight prepared to board.
The sun had finally begun to rise about this time:
Yeah, THAT'S how early our flight was.
Enjoying our Dunks, Nate took out his laptop tablet and played around with that (mostly, he just watched random Japanese anime). I told you he LOVES his technology (and really likes to show it off).
A few bathroom breaks, Instagram scrolls and nerd rants from Nate later, our flight was finally boarding. Southwest does not have assigned seating, but you still board by certain groups and Nate and I were pretty close to the end, which really wasn't a big deal to us. It's not a long flight and usually the back seats are open, which are the best in my opinion aside from extra leg room, but those are hard to get. In short, I wasn't too worried about getting an early boarding time.
And WE GOT THE BACK! I was happy.
Nuff said.
Okay, I need to go on a little rant here. A little extra background on myself, I am a generally happy person with a big cheesy smile and have been since I was a wee one (or so I'm told), but I didn't have always the nicest looking array of teeth. I had braces for four years and before then, my teeth were a huge mess, my two front teeth especially. I was actually called the "trouble patient" at my orthodontist. Nevertheless, I always kept that big toothy grin going and still do. Needless to say, it really bothers me when people have nice teeth, but always do closed mouth smiles. It's so fake and honestly is unattractive. My friend Nate here does this a lot in our photos and did it throughout the whole trip. He never used to do this before and it's sad because he actually has a really nice smile. Not to say his photos didn't come out good, but they could've been better since it makes him look not genuinely happy at all to me anyways. It just goes to show, hiding your smile is unattractive and a nice toothy smile makes all the difference. You can really brighten someone's day with a nice toothy grin.
Anyways, I really enjoyed our choice in seating. Nate took the window seat and I sat in the middle, which turned out to be a bad idea for someone like me who is always putting on some balancing act for a flight or getting things. We had a third grade in the aisle in our row who literally took up half of my seat during the flight. It was a bit uncomfortable, luckily I am so skinny I take up half a seat, but I was stuck in one position most of the flight. Still, take off wasn't anything horrendous and I had a very enjoyable flight otherwise. I got listen to my Disney playlist and showtunes along with actually having time to read some of Marty Sklar's new book: Dream It! Do It! Good times, good times...
Oh, there's the airplane snacks I never ate!
I'm just in love with the fact that that's the actual cover. I look forward to the day I get a name tag like that with MY name on it.
Nate was just enjoying his tablet, watching movies and playing video games I didn't care to ask questions about. He told me about them anyways.
We also decided to model our Magic Bands for the flight. A pretty snazzy accessory to say the least.
Some photos through the window for good measure. I love the so-small-they-look-like-ants-view you get from airplanes. So cool!
It was about this time, our captain let us know we were now landing in Orlando. The skies were blue and the sun was shining bright, but the captain was too polite not to alert us to the gorgeous weather we were heading into.
After a quick circle over MCO, we landed, got our carry-ons together, walked into the terminal and...
No explanation needed.
Following a quick bathroom break, we saw this:
To be honest, I was pretty pumped about going there for the first time, this trip. #noshame
Alright onto the fake-o-rail!
And here's a link to a video of me freaking out over the fact, we were nearly a bus ride away from my happy place: http://youtu.be/F_5APMEmins
And where were we headed? To the Magical Express, of course! I actually was pretty worried about this aspect of our arrival day since I know when I went with my parents, we had some trouble finding it. Before that actually became of huge concern, I had to stop by the EarPort. I did desire a nice little window shop, but Nate advised against it so I just settled for a quick photograph.
Side Note: We did get a picture of the both of us thanks to a nice lady and her daughter, but I could not seem to find it/it didn't come out to great. Whatever.
Or a few...
Tiana and Belle <3
And one of the Universal store for good measure. We were going there, weren't we?
Okay, TWO, ONLY TWO! IT'S HARRY POTTER PEOPLE, C'MON!
Did I mention I took about 3000 photos? Now you know why!
After my little photo sesh with the EarPort, we headed on down to the Magical Express, which really was not an issue finding. I don't know why it was such a problem in the past, but we found it easily and after two quick Magic Band swipes, we were put in this line:
That's Nate's "really Timmy, really, you had to take a picture of the sign?" This was only day one of six, people.
Our line consisted of people going to Art of Animation, Pop Century and, if my memory serves me right, Caribbean Beach too. We weren't whisked away unfortunately, there are lots of early birds who head to Disney on occasion apparently.
And to give you a taste of the waiting game that plagues Disney trips... sometimes, I'll leave you here to ponder the long wait and what happened after.
Stay tuned!
Continued Here
Again, I cannot believe there are already so many of you. It makes me a very happy trip reporter so thank you again so much for hopping on this train because "this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" And trust me, it will turn out that way... eventually.
Anyways, I hope everyone had a lovely Fourth of July! I had a FANTASTIC time up at a friend's lake house with my family, other awesome people I love and adore plus some new super-friendly faces; it was honestly so much fun! I got to wear all the shirts I had bought at Disney, which really became some great conversation starters. I mean, we talked about my trip, the DCP, Frozen (we actually watched Frozen twice while I was there and Frozen Summer began the second to last day I was there) and lots of other things. I also got to help put together an amazing fireworks show (not to the level of Disney, but there was some fancy pyrotechnics going on at the lake) and was able to wake up to a gorgeous view every morning. To say the least, I was very sad to leave. Luckily, I had this update waiting to be posted when I got home to keep me occupied.
BTW, if you would like to see some of what was going on while I was up at the lake along with some previews of this trip report and anything else I'm doing with my life, check out my Twitter and Instagram. My username for both is @goofy_disnerd.
Alrighty then, update is rearing and ready for reading. Let's get this show on the road.
And.... here we GOOO!!!
Rise and Shine, Sleeping Beauties! Today's the Day!
June 23rd, 2014
It had finally arrived. The day was here. After three long years of begging, pleading and asking, I finally was making my grand return to Disney World. Happy would be a huge understatement for what I was feeling that morning. Excited might've been to if it weren't for the fact I basically pulled an unwarranted all nighter. I really did need that sleep last night, but hey, that's what's planes are for so let's get going!
After Nate and I both woke up, took showers and headed downstairs, we were lugging all of our bags in the dark early morning to my mother's Acura. With a push, pull, shove and throw, the luggage was all in the care and we were ready to head to the airport.
From earlier that morning. Notice how I matched my outfit with my iPhone case (better image of that below).
Our driver/my mom throwing up the deuces!
The drive to the airport was much shorter than we anticipated so we got there very early with a lot of time to check-in and go through security. Nate had gotten a bloody nose in the car, something I know he gets all the time so it's no big deal, but it'll come up again quite a few times during this trip so I thought it was worth noting here.
My mom helped us with our luggage then with a kiss goodbye, she was gone and I had to relinquish my Peter Pan status for a moment and be a grown-up for a moment. If you aren't acting like a grown-up in an airport, it's a lot less detrimental than if you were acting like a child so here we go.
Check-in was quick and smooth. No issues there. We printed off our boarding passes the day before (we did that after getting our Universal tickets) so it was only just getting the bag checked. This would be the only time of the trip I actually had to worry about any of this thanks to Disney's Airline Check-In.
Security was also very quick. We luckily were not the chosen ones to have to go through an extra pat down or secondary scan or whatever. YAY US!The airport we chose (Manchester Airport in New Hampshire, if you were so obliged to know) only has three or four airlines that fly into it on a daily basis so it was very empty. Our gate was right there as we entered the airport so we immediately sat down. We decided to chill for a moment. Nate and I had been up and moving since we woke up so it was nice to hang out for a moment. We also needed to charge some things so we used that time to do that. Oh and take a quick photo to remember the moment:
After the photos, I heard my name and who would appear but Sam! Sam is a girl who just graduated with me that I've known for many years. She was leaving on the same flight as us, but connecting to California to visit some friends. Her mom was there too and she stopped by later. It was nice talking with them made the time past since we did have a little bit of time before our flight boarded. She also hadn't seen Nate in awhile so that was a nice little reunion.
After that, we noticed our phones and my camera were charging well and decided to go to Dunks for the morning. I didn't take any food pictures of this, but I got a small Strawberry Coolatta with Whipped Cream and some Hash Browns while Nate got a donut and a Dunkaccino, but I don't remember which flavor. He paid for it all himself.
OH I forgot to mention. The money my parents had given me for this trip was the money Nate used to pay me back for his plane ticket. I only received this a little over a day ago and it had not been put in my savings yet so I wasn't able to transfer money over. Nate was great about adapting to this, especially when he wanted a Dunks run. He really is the nicest guy out there.
Anyways, back to the report.
We got our nourishment and sat back down at our gate, trying to keep each other occupied while our flight prepared to board.
The sun had finally begun to rise about this time:
Yeah, THAT'S how early our flight was.
Enjoying our Dunks, Nate took out his laptop tablet and played around with that (mostly, he just watched random Japanese anime). I told you he LOVES his technology (and really likes to show it off).
A few bathroom breaks, Instagram scrolls and nerd rants from Nate later, our flight was finally boarding. Southwest does not have assigned seating, but you still board by certain groups and Nate and I were pretty close to the end, which really wasn't a big deal to us. It's not a long flight and usually the back seats are open, which are the best in my opinion aside from extra leg room, but those are hard to get. In short, I wasn't too worried about getting an early boarding time.
And WE GOT THE BACK! I was happy.
Nuff said.
Okay, I need to go on a little rant here. A little extra background on myself, I am a generally happy person with a big cheesy smile and have been since I was a wee one (or so I'm told), but I didn't have always the nicest looking array of teeth. I had braces for four years and before then, my teeth were a huge mess, my two front teeth especially. I was actually called the "trouble patient" at my orthodontist. Nevertheless, I always kept that big toothy grin going and still do. Needless to say, it really bothers me when people have nice teeth, but always do closed mouth smiles. It's so fake and honestly is unattractive. My friend Nate here does this a lot in our photos and did it throughout the whole trip. He never used to do this before and it's sad because he actually has a really nice smile. Not to say his photos didn't come out good, but they could've been better since it makes him look not genuinely happy at all to me anyways. It just goes to show, hiding your smile is unattractive and a nice toothy smile makes all the difference. You can really brighten someone's day with a nice toothy grin.
Anyways, I really enjoyed our choice in seating. Nate took the window seat and I sat in the middle, which turned out to be a bad idea for someone like me who is always putting on some balancing act for a flight or getting things. We had a third grade in the aisle in our row who literally took up half of my seat during the flight. It was a bit uncomfortable, luckily I am so skinny I take up half a seat, but I was stuck in one position most of the flight. Still, take off wasn't anything horrendous and I had a very enjoyable flight otherwise. I got listen to my Disney playlist and showtunes along with actually having time to read some of Marty Sklar's new book: Dream It! Do It! Good times, good times...
Oh, there's the airplane snacks I never ate!
I'm just in love with the fact that that's the actual cover. I look forward to the day I get a name tag like that with MY name on it.
Nate was just enjoying his tablet, watching movies and playing video games I didn't care to ask questions about. He told me about them anyways.
We also decided to model our Magic Bands for the flight. A pretty snazzy accessory to say the least.
Some photos through the window for good measure. I love the so-small-they-look-like-ants-view you get from airplanes. So cool!
It was about this time, our captain let us know we were now landing in Orlando. The skies were blue and the sun was shining bright, but the captain was too polite not to alert us to the gorgeous weather we were heading into.
After a quick circle over MCO, we landed, got our carry-ons together, walked into the terminal and...
No explanation needed.
Following a quick bathroom break, we saw this:
To be honest, I was pretty pumped about going there for the first time, this trip. #noshame
Alright onto the fake-o-rail!
And here's a link to a video of me freaking out over the fact, we were nearly a bus ride away from my happy place: http://youtu.be/F_5APMEmins
And where were we headed? To the Magical Express, of course! I actually was pretty worried about this aspect of our arrival day since I know when I went with my parents, we had some trouble finding it. Before that actually became of huge concern, I had to stop by the EarPort. I did desire a nice little window shop, but Nate advised against it so I just settled for a quick photograph.
Side Note: We did get a picture of the both of us thanks to a nice lady and her daughter, but I could not seem to find it/it didn't come out to great. Whatever.
Or a few...
Tiana and Belle <3
And one of the Universal store for good measure. We were going there, weren't we?
Okay, TWO, ONLY TWO! IT'S HARRY POTTER PEOPLE, C'MON!
Did I mention I took about 3000 photos? Now you know why!
After my little photo sesh with the EarPort, we headed on down to the Magical Express, which really was not an issue finding. I don't know why it was such a problem in the past, but we found it easily and after two quick Magic Band swipes, we were put in this line:
That's Nate's "really Timmy, really, you had to take a picture of the sign?" This was only day one of six, people.
Our line consisted of people going to Art of Animation, Pop Century and, if my memory serves me right, Caribbean Beach too. We weren't whisked away unfortunately, there are lots of early birds who head to Disney on occasion apparently.
And to give you a taste of the waiting game that plagues Disney trips... sometimes, I'll leave you here to ponder the long wait and what happened after.
Stay tuned!
Continued Here
Disney Khaleesi
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2014
Yay for arriving and Orlando! Yay for Magical Express! 
Love your phone case! I have a shirt that combines the image of the portrait and Star Wars.
Looking forward to the rest!
Love your phone case! I have a shirt that combines the image of the portrait and Star Wars.
Looking forward to the rest!
cindianne320
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2010
Whoo hoo! You made it!
amazingact21
Upendi
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
Sounds like you had a wonderful 4th of July.
Hooray for arriving in FL! The trip is under way.
I love that store inside the airport. It was always especially nice to see the merchandise when I wasn't going to Disney. A little taste of the magic outside of the parks.
I understand how you could be excited about Harry Potter. I'd be, too, if I knew I was going there soon enough.
Hooray for arriving in FL! The trip is under way.
I love that store inside the airport. It was always especially nice to see the merchandise when I wasn't going to Disney. A little taste of the magic outside of the parks.
I understand how you could be excited about Harry Potter. I'd be, too, if I knew I was going there soon enough.
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Yay for arriving and Orlando! Yay for Magical Express!
Love your phone case! I have a shirt that combines the image of the portrait and Star Wars.
Looking forward to the rest!
Thank you! And that's awesome! I think I have seen that shirt. HM rules!
WOOT! WOOT! I will update ASAP!
I did! I did! It was a nice follow up to this trip.
YAY! Thank you!
It looks like such an awesome store. I really wish I had been able to go in for a sec, but getting to the parks was a bigger priority so... Maybe my next trip!
Harry Potter basically shares the same level of love that I have for Disney. It was almost like going to Disney for the first time when I went. It was just something I always loved and enjoyed from a very young age.
Have you not been yet? Because you need to go! It is a place every Potterhead should visit at least once. Universal did an incredible job recreating the World of Harry Potter!
Tanks for waking me up this morning...Seriously in love with your report already and so look forward t reading more as it comes. You just have an energy about you and how fun to go on a trip with a good friend...Awesome.
We also try to watch a Dis movie before our trips...going to have to be a cartoon short this next one as it is a school night.
Can not wait to read more...love the phone cover
We also try to watch a Dis movie before our trips...going to have to be a cartoon short this next one as it is a school night.
Can not wait to read more...love the phone cover
lauren_elizabeth
Disney World Lover
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2006
I'm definitely along for this ride! I love how detailed your report is and I know it will be one I love! 
Stitch2012
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2014
I love this! It sounds like you had an amazing trip! I can't wait to read more!!!! 
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Haha, you're welcome! And
So glad you're enjoying it so far! to that! It really is the best way to prep for a trip. But really, even with just a cartoon short, you're prepared for the magic. YAY! I'll be excited to read your comments. And thank you!
I'm definitely along for this ride! I love how detailed your report is and I know it will be one I love!
Fabulous!
Thank you! I hope it will be too.
I love this! It sounds like you had an amazing trip! I can't wait to read more!!!!
Glad you could join in! And it was, so much pixie dust! I'll update as soon as I get all these photos uploaded.
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Yay for arrival day! I am glad you found everything ok, and look forward to hearing about your arrival at the resort.
So happy we weren't wandering around that airport, thank goodness! And I'm working on an update as I type so... GET READY!
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Omigosh, SOOO MANY NEW READERS!!! Hugs and barrels of pixie dust to you all for being here! Love you guys! Now, onto the update...
Sitting in the back of a Mears Bus... A MEARS BUS!
June 23rd, 2014
Let's begin with a quick video: http://youtu.be/PZP0TPoqqaQ
I'm picking off right where we left off, waiting in line to get on the Magical Express. There was a pretty decent line in front of us and a lot of buses. This was the first moment I realized I might've not picked a "down" week for Disney. Whatever, I didn't care, I was in DISNEY WORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER THREE YEARS! Nothing could ruin this vacation. NOTHING!
And I really mean nothing.
After waiting a few minutes, we were finally ushered down the line, asked to scan our Magic Band and sent to a bus station. Here is where that all happened:
Before I continue, I would like to note that there was a VERY long row of pristine classic Magical Express buses. So many I turned to Nate and said, "We're bound to get an actual Magical Express bus."
Fast forward to after being called down and we are walked straight to a lovely, super magical and I'm-ready-to-take-a-gazillion-pictures-of-you...
Mears Bus.
Over three years of waiting for one of the best ways to get to your destination from an airport and I get... a Mears Bus. And with my luck, I agreed with Nate that we should not try to shove our way into line so that our luggage is put at the front instead of the back like those who get on the bus first. To make it short, after all that boring bus loading procedure we all do, we ended up... sitting... at the back... of the Mears bus.
I'm waiting for that Pixie Dust, Disney! Still, WAITING!
Of course that was not at ALL how I reacted to the situation. I thought positively, thinking that I would be arriving at a resort I dreamed of going to since it was in construction. If I got an actual Magical Express bus, it would've been a plus, but I can deal. It's not like the Magical Express movie is any less magical.
Yeah, let's just stick to the fact that I was sitting in the back on a Mears Bus and only minutes away from being transported to my oh so magical happy place!
I, of course, took the moment of lag time while the bus driver and attendant loaded our luggage on the bus to take some photos of that beautiful Magical Express bus I should've been on, but you know those Disney gods... they get confused sometimes.
The edit that explains what I was feeling so well at that moment.
And we were on our way, following the herd of obviously-better-than-us legit Magical Express buses. Pfft, the Mears bus is one-of-a-kind, let's get it straight!
OK, ENOUGH arguing, the movie's starting!
I was so excited to see the movie! Literally, the reason why Magical Express is always optimal transportation rather than getting a car. It's free, it's pretty efficient and it has a fantastic movie to explain to you what happens after you "disembark your Magical Express motor coach." Of course, as my foreshadowing suggested, this wasn't exactly what I was treated to because...
They changed THE MOVIE!!
I recall hearing a little bit about this change, but did not expect such a huge downgrade. I mean, they trick you into thinking it's going to be all adorable and cheesy and super magical with the whole "Best Magical Express Driver" guy (I forget his name), but then it turns into a Stacey Must-Do rip-off hosted by some blonde lady.
No, just no.
Did Disney not know how super magical and super feely the whole Mickey and his gang demonstrating how to check into various Disney resorts is? Or that it actually got people's attention and allowed for a very quiet bus ride too? Apparently, not. But I still enjoyed it nonetheless for what it was worth. A little preview to what I would be entering into soon enough: http://youtu.be/h4ElLdRZHQs
I also saw this off in the distance:
Then, we were about to enter into the "gates of heaven", which usually is one of my favorite things, but because of where I was and a driver that didn't allow for a build-up or time for people to prep and take a picture... (Yeah, a Mears bus with a crappy substitute for THE MOVIE, a lackluster driver and too many people not focused on the magical that lay ahead (okay, SOME were talking about Disney). If this wasn't going to get me down out of my impenetrable Disney bubble of happiness, NOTHING would.) ...and because I was at the back of the bus, this is what I mustered up for a "gates of heaven" obligatory photo:
Emphasis on the mustered-up part. And while this travesty occured. This was my ready-for-action Disney partner-in-crime:
Say it with me y'all: NO SLEEPING IN DISNEY!
Gosh, would I have to work on him this trip! We had a three hour plane ride above who knows what and he sleeps on a bus to Disney. I'm still trying to make sense out of this. I give up, people. I. Give. Up.
Again, I let it slide after a moment and tried to get at least a solid pic of another landmark that most take photos of... The Disney Vacation Club van!
Yeeeeaaaahhhh... no such luck with that either.
But looked what appeared on the DME TV screen!
THE HAUNTED MANSION!
If you guys don't already know, I have a major love affair with this ride. I've probably killed most of my life savings with the love I have for it and I still don't think twice about it because... HAUNTED MANSION! I was so happy to be reunited after all these years. *sigh*
The bus driver, with his so-not-up-to-Disney-standards drone, let this packed bus know somewhere along the way that we would be stopping at Disney's Pop Century Resort first followed by Disney's Art of Animation Resort which preceded Caribbean Beach (still not sure about that one). And soon enough, we were pulling into Pop Century:
Being the Disney expert I am, I knew we'd be only a small trail of pixie dust away from Art of Animation so I woke Nate up. He was confused since he knew we were at Art of Animation, but I told him about the bridge that connects them and that they literally are right next to one another. Knowing Nate would've probably fallen asleep after this, but we had some lovely entertainment playing on the screen just about then courtesy of Donald Duck and gang (yes, I did say DDuck and gang): http://youtu.be/w1xYML6N7PA
Honestly, if my heart was not already split into four, thanks to my beloved Pluto, Olaf, Tiana and Haunted Mansion, Donald would fit in right with them. Unfortunately, he'll just have another special place in my heart and my Aunt's and Danielle's (IheartDDuck) heart. They are much more devoted to him than I am.
If I was as devoted to him, I probably wouldn't have gotten these great photos of Pop (I just love the colors and throwback style it has going):
For the many of you who didn't follow along with my PTR (and shame on you too... JK, but you did miss out), Pop Century was basically the back-up to Art of Animation. Art of Animation tends to book up VERY fast and Pop always seems to be the go-to for most when it comes to Value Resorts so if the price did not bode well or we couldn't get a reservation I, for sure, was going to book Pop. Of course, the Fairy Godmother was watching over me the day I booked the trip and I was able to book a six night stay at AoA and although it WAS a tad more expensive than Pop, it was like a penny in Disney terms so... Art of Animation, it was! But I digress (A LOT).
With that, little digression and Disney being always efficient Disney, we were pulling into none other than...
Disney's Art of Animation Resort
AKA MY HOME FOR SIX WHOLE DAYS!!!
And...
OH MY GOSH A DISNEY MOTOR COACH!!! *HYPERVENTILATING/SWEATING/HEART ATTACK*
I probably was looking pretty calm to the innocent bystander, but I was so pumped to be back! And honestly, I was in full-on disbelief. I was so afraid that I would wake up and this would all be a dream. I guess the whole Mears bus thing was just the Disney god's way of saying, "You need to believe it's real before it seems it's not." And they had perfect timing especially since they decided to bless me with none other than a PLUTO CARTOON: http://youtu.be/F0O_gGlHlTs
Freaking out, people, I was FREAKING OUT!
Nate was pretty excited too. I think I saw some tooth in this shot:
Maybe not :/
I was taking photos like a mad man! I would show you them all, but most are duplicates and probably would overload the DISBoards system and that would not be good. I did get this wonderful photo of the gorgeous facade for the Cars section of the resort that I'm sure you'll like:
Oooh aaahh Porsche YAASSS!
I sadly didn't get many photos of that section since it was so far away from where my room was, which I barely spent time in anyways so really take this one in.
Feel it. Smell it. Taste it. Live it.
Moving along, we did have some time to enjoy the Pluto cartoon before the mob formed and we were off the bus. Our luggage didn't exactly end up near the front like we hoped and the guy helping us unload was a bit all over the place so it took an extra minute or so to get my carry-on, but before long we were heading through the automatic doors of Animation Hall and...
BREATHE, TIMMY, BREATHE!
Omigoodness, it was even more lovely than in the gajillion gazillion photos I'd seen of it. It was unreal. (Unreal was really the theme of the first couple of days.)Everything was so perfect and I was so mesmerized I forgot to get some photos of the check-in area (Don't worry they're coming!). I had done online check-in WAY in advanced so we got in line when a nice lady Cast Member (I forget her name, it was a tricky one. She was hispanic, I believe.) came up to us to help. I don't remember much about the conversation, but I let her know my name and some of our reservation information. With a flick of Tinker Bell's wand and some happy thoughts, the sweet CM came back, asked if I was already receiving texts or emails about our room to which I said, "Yes" (I had been receiving them before I even left) so she let us know that we could check our bags in and go. We did not need to check in.
WHAT?!?!
Pixie dust, it was falling like snow already. We thanked her immensely, asked where the bag check was and we were on our way! YAYAYA!!!
Bag check was pretty easy. I did some transferring of certain objects from my carry-on to my Mickey Park bag (one of the free goodies I got for performing in Disney on my last trip) then checked my bag in. The guy checking my bags was not the happiest looking guy and spelled my last name wrong. I really don't have a complicated last name, but some people just struggle with this one letter that makes all the difference. He was an efficient CM and got our bags tucked away quickly. His demeanor wasn't a huge deal, we just wanted our bags out of our hands (Nate also put his backpack in with my carry-on).
Free of some heftier items, we headed towards the buses. Of course, I was enamored with a few particular facade set pieces at Art of Animation and got some photos with them:
The Nemo one was actually featured on the Art of Animation account on Instagram (artofanimationresort). Personally, I liked the one I took with Ariel (my third favorite princess) best. It was the one I edited and instagram'd after Nate took the photo. In all honesty, these three were some of my favorite captures of the trip. I love how the sun was shining down upon me so brilliantly. It happened quite a bit this trip. It was as if the sun was feeding off my bright and shining joy.
BUT I digress... again.
Soooo... Where were we? Oh yes, buses.
We were heading to the buses, a bus that would take us right into the inner sanctum of the spirit... Ooops, not there yet. And a quick edit on the word "bus", in Disney it is now a MOTOR COACH. I have to remember that. It doesn't matter all that much here, but I must remind myself. What DOES matter is where that so-called Motor Coach would be taking us... WHICH you'll find out about another day.
Yeah I know, but my fellow happy haunts have FINALLY received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They are assembling for a swinging wake and are expecting me. I must be there! (albeit fashionably late to write this update for y'all)
I'll continue this tale as old as time (it's really only a week old) a little bit later...
Continued Here
Sitting in the back of a Mears Bus... A MEARS BUS!
June 23rd, 2014
Let's begin with a quick video: http://youtu.be/PZP0TPoqqaQ
I'm picking off right where we left off, waiting in line to get on the Magical Express. There was a pretty decent line in front of us and a lot of buses. This was the first moment I realized I might've not picked a "down" week for Disney. Whatever, I didn't care, I was in DISNEY WORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER THREE YEARS! Nothing could ruin this vacation. NOTHING!
And I really mean nothing.
After waiting a few minutes, we were finally ushered down the line, asked to scan our Magic Band and sent to a bus station. Here is where that all happened:
Before I continue, I would like to note that there was a VERY long row of pristine classic Magical Express buses. So many I turned to Nate and said, "We're bound to get an actual Magical Express bus."
Fast forward to after being called down and we are walked straight to a lovely, super magical and I'm-ready-to-take-a-gazillion-pictures-of-you...
Mears Bus.
Over three years of waiting for one of the best ways to get to your destination from an airport and I get... a Mears Bus. And with my luck, I agreed with Nate that we should not try to shove our way into line so that our luggage is put at the front instead of the back like those who get on the bus first. To make it short, after all that boring bus loading procedure we all do, we ended up... sitting... at the back... of the Mears bus.
I'm waiting for that Pixie Dust, Disney! Still, WAITING!
Of course that was not at ALL how I reacted to the situation. I thought positively, thinking that I would be arriving at a resort I dreamed of going to since it was in construction. If I got an actual Magical Express bus, it would've been a plus, but I can deal. It's not like the Magical Express movie is any less magical.
Yeah, let's just stick to the fact that I was sitting in the back on a Mears Bus and only minutes away from being transported to my oh so magical happy place!
I, of course, took the moment of lag time while the bus driver and attendant loaded our luggage on the bus to take some photos of that beautiful Magical Express bus I should've been on, but you know those Disney gods... they get confused sometimes.
The edit that explains what I was feeling so well at that moment.
And we were on our way, following the herd of obviously-better-than-us legit Magical Express buses. Pfft, the Mears bus is one-of-a-kind, let's get it straight!
OK, ENOUGH arguing, the movie's starting!
I was so excited to see the movie! Literally, the reason why Magical Express is always optimal transportation rather than getting a car. It's free, it's pretty efficient and it has a fantastic movie to explain to you what happens after you "disembark your Magical Express motor coach." Of course, as my foreshadowing suggested, this wasn't exactly what I was treated to because...
They changed THE MOVIE!!
I recall hearing a little bit about this change, but did not expect such a huge downgrade. I mean, they trick you into thinking it's going to be all adorable and cheesy and super magical with the whole "Best Magical Express Driver" guy (I forget his name), but then it turns into a Stacey Must-Do rip-off hosted by some blonde lady.
No, just no.
Did Disney not know how super magical and super feely the whole Mickey and his gang demonstrating how to check into various Disney resorts is? Or that it actually got people's attention and allowed for a very quiet bus ride too? Apparently, not. But I still enjoyed it nonetheless for what it was worth. A little preview to what I would be entering into soon enough: http://youtu.be/h4ElLdRZHQs
I also saw this off in the distance:
Then, we were about to enter into the "gates of heaven", which usually is one of my favorite things, but because of where I was and a driver that didn't allow for a build-up or time for people to prep and take a picture... (Yeah, a Mears bus with a crappy substitute for THE MOVIE, a lackluster driver and too many people not focused on the magical that lay ahead (okay, SOME were talking about Disney). If this wasn't going to get me down out of my impenetrable Disney bubble of happiness, NOTHING would.) ...and because I was at the back of the bus, this is what I mustered up for a "gates of heaven" obligatory photo:
Emphasis on the mustered-up part. And while this travesty occured. This was my ready-for-action Disney partner-in-crime:
Say it with me y'all: NO SLEEPING IN DISNEY!
Gosh, would I have to work on him this trip! We had a three hour plane ride above who knows what and he sleeps on a bus to Disney. I'm still trying to make sense out of this. I give up, people. I. Give. Up.
Again, I let it slide after a moment and tried to get at least a solid pic of another landmark that most take photos of... The Disney Vacation Club van!
Yeeeeaaaahhhh... no such luck with that either.
But looked what appeared on the DME TV screen!
THE HAUNTED MANSION! If you guys don't already know, I have a major love affair with this ride. I've probably killed most of my life savings with the love I have for it and I still don't think twice about it because... HAUNTED MANSION! I was so happy to be reunited after all these years. *sigh*
The bus driver, with his so-not-up-to-Disney-standards drone, let this packed bus know somewhere along the way that we would be stopping at Disney's Pop Century Resort first followed by Disney's Art of Animation Resort which preceded Caribbean Beach (still not sure about that one). And soon enough, we were pulling into Pop Century:
Being the Disney expert I am, I knew we'd be only a small trail of pixie dust away from Art of Animation so I woke Nate up. He was confused since he knew we were at Art of Animation, but I told him about the bridge that connects them and that they literally are right next to one another. Knowing Nate would've probably fallen asleep after this, but we had some lovely entertainment playing on the screen just about then courtesy of Donald Duck and gang (yes, I did say DDuck and gang): http://youtu.be/w1xYML6N7PA
Honestly, if my heart was not already split into four, thanks to my beloved Pluto, Olaf, Tiana and Haunted Mansion, Donald would fit in right with them. Unfortunately, he'll just have another special place in my heart and my Aunt's and Danielle's (IheartDDuck) heart. They are much more devoted to him than I am.
If I was as devoted to him, I probably wouldn't have gotten these great photos of Pop (I just love the colors and throwback style it has going):
For the many of you who didn't follow along with my PTR (and shame on you too... JK, but you did miss out), Pop Century was basically the back-up to Art of Animation. Art of Animation tends to book up VERY fast and Pop always seems to be the go-to for most when it comes to Value Resorts so if the price did not bode well or we couldn't get a reservation I, for sure, was going to book Pop. Of course, the Fairy Godmother was watching over me the day I booked the trip and I was able to book a six night stay at AoA and although it WAS a tad more expensive than Pop, it was like a penny in Disney terms so... Art of Animation, it was! But I digress (A LOT).
With that, little digression and Disney being always efficient Disney, we were pulling into none other than...
Disney's Art of Animation Resort AKA MY HOME FOR SIX WHOLE DAYS!!!
And...
OH MY GOSH A DISNEY MOTOR COACH!!! *HYPERVENTILATING/SWEATING/HEART ATTACK*
I probably was looking pretty calm to the innocent bystander, but I was so pumped to be back! And honestly, I was in full-on disbelief. I was so afraid that I would wake up and this would all be a dream. I guess the whole Mears bus thing was just the Disney god's way of saying, "You need to believe it's real before it seems it's not." And they had perfect timing especially since they decided to bless me with none other than a PLUTO CARTOON: http://youtu.be/F0O_gGlHlTs
Freaking out, people, I was FREAKING OUT!
Nate was pretty excited too. I think I saw some tooth in this shot:
Maybe not :/
I was taking photos like a mad man! I would show you them all, but most are duplicates and probably would overload the DISBoards system and that would not be good. I did get this wonderful photo of the gorgeous facade for the Cars section of the resort that I'm sure you'll like:
Oooh aaahh Porsche YAASSS!
I sadly didn't get many photos of that section since it was so far away from where my room was, which I barely spent time in anyways so really take this one in.
Feel it. Smell it. Taste it. Live it.
Moving along, we did have some time to enjoy the Pluto cartoon before the mob formed and we were off the bus. Our luggage didn't exactly end up near the front like we hoped and the guy helping us unload was a bit all over the place so it took an extra minute or so to get my carry-on, but before long we were heading through the automatic doors of Animation Hall and...
BREATHE, TIMMY, BREATHE!
Omigoodness, it was even more lovely than in the gajillion gazillion photos I'd seen of it. It was unreal. (Unreal was really the theme of the first couple of days.)Everything was so perfect and I was so mesmerized I forgot to get some photos of the check-in area (Don't worry they're coming!). I had done online check-in WAY in advanced so we got in line when a nice lady Cast Member (I forget her name, it was a tricky one. She was hispanic, I believe.) came up to us to help. I don't remember much about the conversation, but I let her know my name and some of our reservation information. With a flick of Tinker Bell's wand and some happy thoughts, the sweet CM came back, asked if I was already receiving texts or emails about our room to which I said, "Yes" (I had been receiving them before I even left) so she let us know that we could check our bags in and go. We did not need to check in.
WHAT?!?!
Pixie dust, it was falling like snow already. We thanked her immensely, asked where the bag check was and we were on our way! YAYAYA!!!
Bag check was pretty easy. I did some transferring of certain objects from my carry-on to my Mickey Park bag (one of the free goodies I got for performing in Disney on my last trip) then checked my bag in. The guy checking my bags was not the happiest looking guy and spelled my last name wrong. I really don't have a complicated last name, but some people just struggle with this one letter that makes all the difference. He was an efficient CM and got our bags tucked away quickly. His demeanor wasn't a huge deal, we just wanted our bags out of our hands (Nate also put his backpack in with my carry-on).
Free of some heftier items, we headed towards the buses. Of course, I was enamored with a few particular facade set pieces at Art of Animation and got some photos with them:
The Nemo one was actually featured on the Art of Animation account on Instagram (artofanimationresort). Personally, I liked the one I took with Ariel (my third favorite princess) best. It was the one I edited and instagram'd after Nate took the photo. In all honesty, these three were some of my favorite captures of the trip. I love how the sun was shining down upon me so brilliantly. It happened quite a bit this trip. It was as if the sun was feeding off my bright and shining joy.
BUT I digress... again.
Soooo... Where were we? Oh yes, buses.
We were heading to the buses, a bus that would take us right into the inner sanctum of the spirit... Ooops, not there yet. And a quick edit on the word "bus", in Disney it is now a MOTOR COACH. I have to remember that. It doesn't matter all that much here, but I must remind myself. What DOES matter is where that so-called Motor Coach would be taking us... WHICH you'll find out about another day.
Yeah I know, but my fellow happy haunts have FINALLY received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They are assembling for a swinging wake and are expecting me. I must be there! (albeit fashionably late to write this update for y'all)
I'll continue this tale as old as time (it's really only a week old) a little bit later...
Continued Here
Disney Khaleesi
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2014
Great update! I don't think I've ever seen a person so excited about arriving at their Disney resort!
I remember in April I was all excited to get on ME and see the movie I heard everyone on the DIS talk about, and I was a little confused when they showed the new one, since I had never even seen the old one! Ah well. At least I had a window seat!
Yay for arriving at AoA!
I remember in April I was all excited to get on ME and see the movie I heard everyone on the DIS talk about, and I was a little confused when they showed the new one, since I had never even seen the old one! Ah well. At least I had a window seat!
Yay for arriving at AoA!
PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Great update! I don't think I've ever seen a person so excited about arriving at their Disney resort!
I remember in April I was all excited to get on ME and see the movie I heard everyone on the DIS talk about, and I was a little confused when they showed the new one, since I had never even seen the old one! Ah well. At least I had a window seat!
Yay for arriving at AoA!
Thank you! Well... I guess it was just everything coming out at once. I just burst when I saw that I was arriving at AoA and not just to visit, but to LIVE IN FOR SIX DAYS! See, still gets me excited!
Yeah, the old one was THE BEST! It didn't talk about the parks just explained how to check into your resort, but with various Disney characters demonstrating. I miss it.
Woot! Woot! AoA = THE BEST
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
