DaveInTN's Lame Attempt at a Trip Report - NOW COMPLETE

[FansoftheMouse]

I'm digging this report. Can't wait to hear what's next.

 

[dblr]

More More Great trip report feels like we are there.

 

[blm2003]

Great TR so far! Can't wait to hear about your Snow White adventure!

 

[CampingBandit]

Dave this is a GREAT trip report. Now I know why we never crossed paths.

TSM is fabulous isn't it? I can't believe I missed it on our trip last year.

We LOVE AK. It's probably at the top of our list of DW parks - there is alot to do there. And you can have beer.

Keep it comin!

BTW, what's up with that pic - you two don't even look wet at all....

 

[Judy in Texas]

Did you see Festival of the Lion King at AK? It's definitely my favorite live Disney show. It's on my top 5 WDW list.

 

[BradyBz12]

Totally agree about the Everest queue. I actually spent much of our recent trip just taking tons of pics of the little details (signs, props, etc..) I think the theming here is among the best in all of WDW and I actually don't mind waiting in line here. Plus I just LOVE the ride!!

Also gotta agree with you about Fantasmic. DH and I saw it in 2000 and just weren't impressed. I love shows and parades (Spectro is my most fave ever) and could watch fireworks every night - sometimes we run around just to watch them at 2 parks in one night - and this show just did nothing for me. We actually haven't had any desire to see it again in the past 9 years - and especially not now with the crazy crowds and needing to line up so far ahead of time just for a chance at a seat.

Great TR - pics or not.

 

[DaveInTN]

Keep it comming, since I was living vicariously through you last week I want to see what else we did.

Well Bob, hate to break it to you, but you gained 6 pounds last week.

Sorry, we were sitting there when you and one of your dd's walked by. I was in a tan golf cart with a Musket Mickey on the windshield. I'm sure we'll be there again at the same time.

BTW, you're trip report is great. Keep it coming.

Considering I was with my DD, I'm glad you didn't say hello...I try to shield her from politicians.

Hey there Dave!

This trip report is not lame at all!

You are doing great.

I love the headlines.

And the photos are great!

Sorry about Snow White. I have always found her to be very sweet.

Must have been you.

TCD

This means a lot coming from the King of TR's. And yes, I'm sure it was my fault that Snow White was an Elusive Biotch.

I'm digging this report. Can't wait to hear what's next.

Thanks!

More More Great trip report feels like we are there.

Thank you...hope to post more later today.

Great TR so far! Can't wait to hear about your Snow White adventure!

Well, my Snow White story may be somewhat anticlimactic...it was just one of those not-so-magicial Disney things...

Dave this is a GREAT trip report. Now I know why we never crossed paths.

TSM is fabulous isn't it? I can't believe I missed it on our trip last year.

We LOVE AK. It's probably at the top of our list of DW parks - there is alot to do there. And you can have beer.

Keep it comin!

BTW, what's up with that pic - you two don't even look wet at all....

We got wet...about 5 seconds after that pic was snapped! We were so wet we had to take DD's clothes into the restroom to use blow dryers on them!

DW and I passed your site in the 500 loop a couple times on our morning walks...you were either gone or sleeping. Since I banged on your door for 10 minutes straight yelling obscenities, and you didn't come out, I can only assume you were at the parks already.

Did you see Festival of the Lion King at AK? It's definitely my favorite live Disney show. It's on my top 5 WDW list.

No! We missed that show...gotta put that on the list for March!

Totally agree about the Everest queue. I actually spent much of our recent trip just taking tons of pics of the little details (signs, props, etc..) I think the theming here is among the best in all of WDW and I actually don't mind waiting in line here. Plus I just LOVE the ride!!

Also gotta agree with you about Fantasmic. DH and I saw it in 2000 and just weren't impressed. I love shows and parades (Spectro is my most fave ever) and could watch fireworks every night - sometimes we run around just to watch them at 2 parks in one night - and this show just did nothing for me. We actually haven't had any desire to see it again in the past 9 years - and especially not now with the crazy crowds and needing to line up so far ahead of time just for a chance at a seat.

Great TR - pics or not.

Thanks! Glad to hear we are not the only anti-Fantasmites around!

 

[Tnbob]

You mean I've lost my girlish figure?????

 

[DaveInTN]

You mean I've lost my girlish figure?????

Sorry to break it to you Bob, but yes.

 

[DaveInTN]

Ok, time to get this story behind us, as I don’t want to create high expectations for a story that isn’t really funny….it was just beyond belief to us.

On this trip, 2 of my 4 DD’s were really into the character interactions. DD3 is completely into the princesses, to the point that we actually broke down and bought her a Sleeping Beauty dress at the Toon Town Gift Shop! Cha-ching….funny how we do things for our "baby" that we never did for our older 3 DD’s. Oh well.

DD9 was into the character interaction by way of an Autograph Book. She used her own money to buy a book when we arrived our first day….notice how I dropped $54 on DD3’s dress but made DD9 buy her own $6 autograph book? Life just isn’t fair, is it?

So we were pretty focused on seeing and meeting characters. We did some character meals, including Chef Mickey’s and 1900 Park Fare. We went to the Princess greets in Toon Town, and stopped in the lines throughout the parks when characters were there. We met and got autographs from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Ariel, Tinkerbelle and other Fairies, and a host of non-princess characters. But we were determined to meet Snow White….the fairest of them all.

On our first park day….last Friday, as we were making our way out of the Magic Kingdom, what should we stumble across underneath the Main Street train station? It’s Snow White! And the line to see her is not TOO long. So we move to get in it. And a CM comes up to us and announces “I’m sorry, but Snow White is done for the day”.

Ok, that’s understandable. She does have to go home and cook for those 7 dudes at some point. So we moved on.

So Monday came, and we were back at the MK. We did our thing…met some characters, but still no Snow White. And as we were leaving the park in the early afternoon, who should be in her spot again near the train station??? Jackpot! We’ve got her now. So we moved toward the line and…what’s this? Another jackazz Cast Member?? And he came up to us and, pointing to the last family in line, said “this is the Johnson family. They will be the last family to meet Snow White today.”. What?? That seemed like a pretty condescending way to tell us Snow White was leaving. And at 2:00 in the afternoon no less. Must be nice. Oh well. We left and went on with our day.

Forward to Wednesday. We were at EPCOT, strolling around the World Showcase. We were tired, and starting to think about leaving, when who should be holding court near the American pavilion but Her Heinous herself….Snow White! Finally! So we dashed toward the back of the line and….uh oh. A Cast Member is approaching! “I’m sorry, but Snow White is going on break. She’ll be back at 3:30.” You have GOT to be freaking kidding me!!! I said to the CM “wow, this has happened 3 times to us now”. She wasn’t moved. “I’m sorry”. Yeah , sure you are.

Ok, so as unbelievable as this all was, we did get one more opportunity to meet the elusive biotch. Our last park day, Friday 12/4, was a very rainy day. We spent a short time at the MK. And as we were leaving the park to head out, like a gift from above….holding court in her spot near the train station…..was SNOW WHITE!!! Yea, dreams DO come true. We went to get in line…and…..

Well, you know what happened. They don’t call her the Elusive Biotch for nothing. Just how many breaks does this chick get, anyway??

So we left. Empty handed. For now. I will make it my personal mission on our next trip to stalk that girl and get my picture with her. And I will post that picture here on these boards for all to see. It could be the makings of an all-new Disney movie....Dave and the Elusive Biotch!

So for now…this is all I have to show:

Yeah, keep waving girlfriend. Keep waving....

Next up...our magical Magic Kingdom Monday!

 

[DaveInTN]

Maybe next time you should play "hard to get"...

Maybe you're on to something. I'm too pushy. Come to think of it, I could be the 8th dwarf....Pushy!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

So we left. Empty handed. For now. I will make it my personal mission on our next trip to stalk that girl and get my picture with her. And I will post that picture here on these boards for all to see. It could be the makings of an all-new Disney movie....Dave and the Elusive Biotch!

So for now…this is all I have to show:

Yeah, keep waving girlfriend. Keep waving....

Dave, I am so sorry about that EB,, but I'm splitt'n a gut at your expense !!
Just think how much ammo you'll come up with between now and the time you actually catch up with Ms.White ,

Love your report and pics,,beautiful family,

 

[liv luvs disney]

I've been away for a few days so it's wonderful to come back and see this!!

I'm elated to finally put a face with a name and to be reading this wonderful, not lame at all, trip report! Your family is beautiful and it sounds like ya'll had a wonderful time..despite Snow White.

 

[DaveInTN]

Dave, I am so sorry about that EB,, but I'm splitt'n a gut at your expense !!
Just think how much ammo you'll come up with between now and the time you actually catch up with Ms.White ,

Love your report and pics,,beautiful family,

Thanks Frank. Maybe you could reel her in for me.

I've been away for a few days so it's wonderful to come back and see this!!

I'm elated to finally put a face with a name and to be reading this wonderful, not lame at all, trip report! Your family is beautiful and it sounds like ya'll had a wonderful time..despite Snow White.

Hey Liv! Good to hear from you, and thanks for reading.

 

[DaveInTN]

Ok, on this trip there were two days in particular that I had planned months in advance, and I was most excited about. The first was Monday, our big MK day…where I had planned a morning at the park, a late lunch at Tony’s (mixed reviews not withstanding), a break back at the Fort in the afternoon, and then culminating with an evening at the park including the Wishes Dessert Buffet!!! So, let’s get to it.

The first thing we noticed upon arriving at the park on Monday morning was how un-crowded it was compared to the day after Thanksgiving. It was awesome! We were getting on rides like BTM, Splash Mountain, and Pirates with 5 minutes waits. Even Dumbo only had a 10-15 minute wait. Space Mountain, being recently reopened and all, required fastpasses…no big deal there.

We did the usual Small World, Peter Pan and Pooh rides in Fantasyland. Did not ride Snow White’s Scary Adventures. I am, of course, boycotting her.

We saw lots of characters.

Sleeping Grandmother (my kids call her the Fairy Godmother....I like my name better)

Sleeping Beauty

Cindy

Belle

Hmmm, any princesses missing? Nope, we got to see all the good ones.

We rode the train around the MK, ending back at Main Street for our Tony’s Town Square ADR. Our plan was to eat a big lunch, so we could skip dinner and stuff ourselves with desserts at the Wishes party that night.

I know Tony’s gets mixed reviews on the dining boards, so I was a bit nervous about this meal. But, we really enjoyed it! DW comes from an Italian family in NY, so she knows good Italian food. This wasn’t the best…but it was pretty darn tasty! We enjoyed ourselves. And I highly recommend the Tomato and Mozzarella Salad. Yummo!

Notice my little one...all those princesses tired her out. This is why we take afternoon breaks...

After lunch, there were a couple character interaction opportunities in the town square along Main Street. We met Daisy! She’s a sweetie.

We then had one of our Snow White close encounters as I previously posted about, and headed to the boats to go back to the Fort and rest up for our big night.

Around dinner time, we headed back to the MK. We had Space Mountain fastpasses to use, before having to check in for the Wishes Dessert Buffet at 6:45. Check in was smooth, and everyone is given a wristband for access to the party, which is held at the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. We could see the CM’s setting up the buffet inside….and it looked great! We were getting excited! Remember, we skipped dinner so we could pig out here. And we were up to the challenge!

Next up…The Wishes Dessert Buffet….and She Looked Like She Hit A Wall!

 

[campingpug]

Loving your trip report, not lame at all. Snow White and all.

 

[FansoftheMouse]

Your Snow White story was well worth the wait. Stinkin' hilarious.

I'm fairly new here and am learning the ins and outs of the board. I think its great that y'all get on here and post your trips. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[DaveInTN]

Ok, at just before 7:00 we were let into the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station to find our tables. They assign tables, and we had a great one right near the railing. We enjoyed this party a lot! The desserts were very good, and there was a nice selection. They had a variety of beverages to choose from, including milk! (a must with dessert for me!) And we had great seats for Wishes. What more could you ask for?

The party started at 7pm, which allowed us to get some dessert and take our seats to watch Spectromagic. You see the parade from a distance, but it was close enough to see the floats and make out individual characters. It was SOOO worth it to me when DD3 jumped out of her chair yelling “Goofy! Goofy! I see Goofy!”. The look on her face was priceless. There is nothing like viewing the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of a child.

After Spectromagic, we had a little time to chill before Wishes, so I worked my way back through the buffet 2 or 7 times…I had to try it all! Most everything was delicious. Finally, when I couldn’t stuff anything else in, I made a couple cups of tea for DW and me and settled in for the fireworks. DW snapped some castle shots.

We were very excited about the prospect of seeing Tinkerbell come down, as the wire comes right to the roof of the Noodle Station building. We would have gotten an up-close and personal view. Wishes started….but no Tink! Oh well, the show was awesome as usual. We watched the fireworks, and when they ended there was the usual mad rush of people to leave. We decided to stay put for a few minutes and help clear our table. A very nice CM, an older gentleman, came by to collect our plates. He told us to stop helping him as he needed the job! And then, we mentioned how it was too bad Tink didn’t fly that night.

He proceeded to tell us some things we didn’t know. Now, the biggest revelation to me, and I realize I’m probably the only dope in the world that didn’t know this, is that Tink is a real person! I always thought it was just some Disney lighted animatronic thingy. I had NO idea a real person came down on that wire. Holy crap!

He then told us some other tidbits….which I realize must be filed right there in my box of things I’ve heard from bus drivers and the lady behind the counter at Trails End. But they are interesting nonetheless. First, there are 3 girls that take turns being Tink. They have to weigh 125 pounds. No more. They get weighed each time they arrive to perform, and if any less than 125 pounds the ballast has to be adjusted. There are no brakes, but there are guys that “catch” her at the end, and there is a foam wall to crash into if need be.

They get paid $700 each time they perform. They sign a waiver and cannot get insurance. Not sure how much of that I believe!

And he was a funny old guy. He said “they have to be skinny, but if don’t matter what they look like. I saw one coming down the stairs once…she looked like she had hit the wall! Good thing she performs 185 feet in the air. Can’t see the face up there.”. This guy was a hoot!

Ok, so after that enlightening conversation, we headed out to hit some more rides before our evening came to an end. The Dumbo line wasn’t too big, so DW and DD3 went there while the rest of us hit Space Mountain.

We then all rode the Peoplemover, or TTA or whatever they call it now. That was actually more interesting than I ever realized. I insisted we all hit the Carousel of Progress, and that too was more interesting than any of my family expected. And it was a blast from the past for me. We closed out the night with Buzz Lightyear. This has been one of my faves in the past, but I think it now pales in comparison to Toy Story Mania.

So, that was it for our Magical Magic Kingdom Monday. We needed to get back to the Fort and get to bed to rest up for our Tuesday morning ADR at Chef Mickey’s……

 

[DaveInTN]

Loving your trip report, not lame at all. Snow White and all.

Thanks campingpug! And enjoy your trip in 10 days!!

Your Snow White story was well worth the wait. Stinkin' hilarious.

I'm fairly new here and am learning the ins and outs of the board. I think its great that y'all get on here and post your trips. Thanks so much for sharing.

Thank you. I love reading other folks' trip reports, so figured I'd try to pull one together. It's pretty fun to write, as you get to relive your trip in your own mind. Glad you are enjoying it!

 

[kaguilbeau]

Really enjoying reading this!

So, do you think Tink didn't fly because she weighed in at over 125 lbs?