I Can! I Can Stink at 9am! A January TR - 3/8 New TR Link!

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Alicia! I have been sooo behind that I keep trying to read in order of when I signed in to TRs. Busy Spring and our trip, so tired lots of reasons. Anyway I'm working on catching up. So happy your hubby is okay, and you enjoyed your Vegas trip. I'm loving your updates! You little man is so adorable! I'm also looking forward to hearing how you liked your road trip to PNW. My old stomping grounds. Of to work now but I just finished your Epcot day.

 

[alrushton]

Loving the TR. I never have been that interested in staying at GF but those pictures look awesome.

 

[heathsf]

I am waaaaaaaaaaay behind so I'm going to start by just responding about your road trip. I've been reading bits here and there for a couple days and I'm hoping I can get all my replies in before Ryann wakes up from her nap. We'll see....

Wow! Stunning!

Oh and something crazy about Oregon. You’re not allowed to pump your own gas for whatever reason. I hated it. I felt like I was being lazy just sitting there watching them pumping my own gas.

NJ is like that too! It's always exciting when we are somewhere else (usually Boston) and I get to do it myself! Unless the weather isn't nice...
Like every time I get gas in the winter I'm glad I can stay in my warm car! But I had no idea that Oregon is the same. I thought only NJ had that law!

DS is so big!!!

I had found a deal through Living Social for $18 for 2 adults and since DS was under 3, he was free!

What a great deal!

DM: Is that Eagle Real?

Me: Yep!

DM: Oh wow was Calvin intrigued?

Me: Mom that wasn’t real

DM: Oh you

Me: Mom that thing’s like 30 feet wide!

DM: I thought it looked LARGE but then I thought it was the photo

And DH holding the GoPro

That video was awesome! DS was LOVING it!

Holy crap those look unbelievable. Is that a donut person I see in there?

I also want to eat this. Yum!

What a view!

Another great view!

This is such a cute picture

Wow! Gorgeous shot!

Beautiful family photo

That is quite impressive! And DS is too cute in the background!

Dinner was at a pizza place called Pegasus Pizza where we shared a Greek Salad and Medium half Combo, half Tom’s Special (Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Onions, Olives, Feta and Mozz cheese, Garlic, Diced Tomatoes, Spinach, Sunflower seeds and shredded pepperoni

Umm.... I don't think there were enough toppings on your pizza. You should complain.

Okay... on the right side of the picture under the tree, I totally thought there was a hidden mickey. It took a couple of minutes of looking at it for me to figure out that it was a bird! I was somehow blind to the beak, or maybe my brain is just trained to look for Mickeys everywhere

Our main focus today was the Oregon Coast Aquarium. We arrived at the best time possible, around 3:30, an hour and half before closing time and hardly any one was there so we were able to view without having to wait on anyone or need to worry about people waiting on us.

Awesome plan! It's just like going to AK for the end of the day after the park is already empty!

MINE! MINE! MINE!

When we got home DH and I talked so much about our trip and talked about how much fun we had.

It looks like your trip was a blast!

 

[Baklava]

Holy crap those look unbelievable. Is that a donut person I see in there?

No, that's a donut VooDoo Doll!

 

[heathsf]

Wow Alicia, you must have been slacking on your TR because I'm already caught up!

And someone pointed out that since our FP wasn’t until later in the morning, that means we wouldn’t have to show up until that time

A common misconception, but definitely wrong!

I should have just went to the MK by myself earlier that morning,

By the time we left the room (10:28am) and saw this, it was 10:45am! Seriously, I love the monorail.

That's amazing. What a convenience.

I have no pictures of our meals, but I distinctly remember taking a bite of my pepperoni flatbread, remembering I needed to take a picture, chewing more, then realizing how gross it was and decided I did not want to document this atrocity.

This just makes me want to see it even more!

And I was very, very excited to see this show up on my MM!

So Bobby just happened to walk by as I was watching the video and he stopped and wanted to know what it was. His response was "Wow, that's pretty cool" but then quickly added "...But expensive. Ya know, because you have to pay for the trip to get it." I was like, you just had to put that disclaimer on it!?

Also, we have a video like this on ToT from our trip last summer but he doesn't remember seeing it. But now he wants me to find it and show it to him!

Amazing picture!!! Pure joy! And this is why WDW is not just for kids

When I looked back as we were walking past the check in, DH was still looking for ‘Jasmine’.

 

[heathsf]

No, that's a donut VooDoo Doll!

Oh!

 

[Leshaface]

People are dumb. A few people told me DS had an old man name. Yeah well it's my Dad & grandpa's name so it is kinda for old men but that's okay. His name is Charlie BTW.

One of my friends (who's name is Alicia too!) went into labor the same day as me in the next room over, had a girl and named her Charleigh. Such a cute name for both boys and girls!

That was my Grandpa's name and my Uncle's. I don't see anything wrong with it! Nor do I see any "white" about the name Calvin.

Thanks Alison. I don't either.

Awwww - you look like you are having way too much fun on Mine Train! I agree that its a cute ride, but I would never stand in line 90 minutes for it. It's not THAT cute!

That being sad I did make Denny get up at 9am the morning that he arrived to our room at 4am thanks to major flight delays. I said I was leaving without him to ride mine train if he didn't get up.

All your PP pictures turned out great. Calvin is just TOO cute in all his pics!

Hi MEK!

Totally not that cute to wait that long!

Who needs sleep at WDW right?!

Hi Alicia! I have been sooo behind that I keep trying to read in order of when I signed in to TRs. Busy Spring and our trip, so tired lots of reasons. Anyway I'm working on catching up. So happy your hubby is okay, and you enjoyed your Vegas trip. I'm loving your updates! You little man is so adorable! I'm also looking forward to hearing how you liked your road trip to PNW. My old stomping grounds. Of to work now but I just finished your Epcot day.

Hi Tammie!

You do have a busy, busy life. Thanks for taking the time to read my TR!

Loving the TR. I never have been that interested in staying at GF but those pictures look awesome.

I had never been interested in the GF either. Well, before becoming a DVC member that is. I think knowing the price and knowing we could never stay there, unless we saved for 3-4 years, just made me less interested. That and the decor. Then as I got older and wiser :yes: I realized with DVC we could stay there and the decor grew on me. Honestly, it is AMAZING and want to stay there on our next trip if I can convince DH

I am waaaaaaaaaaay behind so I'm going to start by just responding about your road trip. I've been reading bits here and there for a couple days and I'm hoping I can get all my replies in before Ryann wakes up from her nap. We'll see....

Uh, cause you just had a baby, of course you've been busy!

NJ is like that too! It's always exciting when we are somewhere else (usually Boston) and I get to do it myself! Unless the weather isn't nice...
Like every time I get gas in the winter I'm glad I can stay in my warm car! But I had no idea that Oregon is the same. I thought only NJ had that law!

It made me totally uncomfortable having someone do it for me. Like I was too good to touch the nozzle

DS is so big!!!

It's crazy comparing WDW pics and PNW pics! Makes me sad

That video was awesome! DS was LOVING it!

I literally never use my GoPro and figured that would be the best time to use it

Holy crap those look unbelievable. Is that a donut person I see in there?

They really are crazy flavors! And you already got your answer

Umm.... I don't think there were enough toppings on your pizza. You should complain.

Right?! When I read the description, I was thinking how is this all going to fit on there? But they made it work!

Okay... on the right side of the picture under the tree, I totally thought there was a hidden mickey. It took a couple of minutes of looking at it for me to figure out that it was a bird! I was somehow blind to the beak, or maybe my brain is just trained to look for Mickeys everywhere

I just checked it on my phone and was like, what are you talking about that IS a Mickey head It took me a few seconds too to realize it was a bird! Good eye!

MINE! MINE! MINE!

For reals! There were really noisy!

It looks like your trip was a blast!

We had the best time. Great Summer road trip!

Wow Alicia, you must have been slacking on your TR because I'm already caught up!

That's cause I was waiting on you to catch up of course. Didn't want you to fall too far behind

A common misconception, but definitely wrong!

I knew you would understand, my friend

I should have just done what you did and bounce out on everyone. Peace out people!

That's amazing. What a convenience.

I hope one day you'll be able to stay there. Just convince DH that Ryann deserves all the best that WDW has to offer, which includes a stay at the GF

This just makes me want to see it even more!

It was a big fake out! It looked fine, but the taste was so yuck. Rubbery and nasty.

So Bobby just happened to walk by as I was watching the video and he stopped and wanted to know what it was. His response was "Wow, that's pretty cool" but then quickly added "...But expensive. Ya know, because you have to pay for the trip to get it." I was like, you just had to put that disclaimer on it!?

Also, we have a video like this on ToT from our trip last summer but he doesn't remember seeing it. But now he wants me to find it and show it to him!

Dang! You've got a quick one on your hands You should have just added, memories are priceless

Hmmm, he is getting the itch for another Disney trip?!?!


Probably not

Amazing picture!!! Pure joy! And this is why WDW is not just for kids

Exactly!

He thinks he looks most like Aladdin (which I guess he does if you had to choose a character?!) so i'm sure he wanted to see if Jasmine would be the perfect mate for him

 

[Leshaface]

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Magic Kingdom!

I Hate Waiting.


Now that we had used all of our FP slots up, I wanted to grab another FP so I had DM and DH sit and wait for me while I headed over to the kiosks, after our 7DMT ride.


This is when we really started to feel the crowds





The lines at the kiosks were very long, except for one line that only had two people at it selecting their FP’s, so thinking I’m being smart, I get in that line. Bad decision. It was two older women who had absolutely no idea what they were doing AND they weren’t just selecting one FP. No no no. They were selecting 3! After looking at some of their choices, they proceeded to pull out a large file with paperwork out of a backpack, trying to find the time of their dinner reservation so they wouldn’t schedule a ride during dinner. Then they slowly put the file back in their backpack, very neatly so as not to crinkle anything. When that got figured out, they FINALLY selected their final FP of choice and the CM says, “You should take a picture of that to remember your times.” So they both pull out their FLIP PHONES and try to find the camera on their phones. And for a good while mind you! “Maybe we should just write them down.” Back into the backpack they go, pull out a piece of paper from their file and write every single word out. Seriously, not just ‘Pirates’ but ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, because there’s so many rides at the MK with the word Pirate it in.


I was irritated but amused. And to answer any further questions you may have regarding this situation, I’ll address them now.


Q: Why didn’t you just switch lines?

A: Yes I could have moved 7 minutes ago but you know what would have happened. I move into a different line and then they suddenly know what they’re doing and move at lightening speed and I’m stuck in line again.


Q: Couldn’t you have offered to help them?

A: No


Q: Why not?

A: They were angry older ladies. You don’t mess with their kind. I think they would have looked at my 'help' as a 'please hurry the heck up!' Also, I really wanted to see them succeed, oddly enough.



Ten minutes later, it is finally, FINALLY my turn! Did I mention:



But there’s a problem which was totally my fault. I did not scan my MB when doing the Rider Swap at BTMRR and DM didn’t scan hers at 7DMT. But we were also never told to scan them either when handing over the pass So this meant that DM and I hadn’t checked in for those rides, meaning we never rode them, leaving us unable to make FP selections for a 4th FP. I explained to the CM that we were using Rider Swap and said that this was happening a lot, that CM’s weren’t asking folks with the pass to get scanned so she was able to override it and let me make a selection. DH wanted PotC so I chose the first available time.


(you can see how DM’s name doesn’t show up under the 7DMT because she never checked in)






I walked back to a very confused family on what took so long to get FP’s and told them about my fun adventure.


We still had lots of time before our next FP but DS was napping. I told DM and DH they could get on something and I’d stay with DS, but DM wasn’t interested in going on anything. I suggested that me and her go on my favorite ride and she said, “Doesn’t that just go around and around, not doing anything?” Uh no, you get to see all of Tomorrowland and get some great views of the castle! Poor DM just doesn’t get it. So I whisked DH away for a nice, relaxing ride on the Peoplemover












When we got off going ‘around and around’, DS was up. Perfect timing! And this is when DM made a request for her favorite ride. IASW.





Seriously though, I knew it was coming. DS loves it and DM really loves it so let’s get it ove - I mean, Yay!


These next two pictures was a pivotal moment for us. This was the first time DS was able to walk through the queue by himself. We always had the pleasure of holding him as a little baby and even at One he wasn’t walking






But today was different
















But he’ll never be too old to sit on his mommy





Well unless he’s 30. That would actually be a fun photo to recreate













We didn’t have anything else to do after IASW until our Pirate FP at 4:55. And that’s when I realized that I had booked PotC 15 mins before our BOG dinner I figured we’d get there at 4:50, hopefully the line wouldn’t be too long and bust our butts over to BOG




For now, we wanted to check out the Dumbo situation, where the wait was only 10 minutes! However, I really wanted to see the waiting area and let DS run around for some exercise.





It really was so cute in there! And I love that they have the burning building where Dumbo had to jump off of it in the movie






This is what we were handed when we checked in and it would go off when it was our turn to get in line. Seriously, it was awesome! Wish they could do something like this for all the childrens rides. It’s their very own FP system




















We ended up staying for a few minutes after our buzzer had gone off because he was having so much fun. We did have to be ‘bad’ parents and drag him away crying cause he wanted to stay and play


But dude, look what you’re going to get on!








We didn’t take actual photos on the ride but DH took video that I’ll show at the end of the TR
​

 

[dizneeat]

Now that is ONE story to tell about being in the "short" line!

Love the photos of Calvin playing, so cute. And all the photos through "the years" of Calvin riding IASW. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DisneyAndrew]

Maybe if you kept your dining reservations neatly in a folder, uncrinkled in your backpack, and had taken the time (10 or 15 minutes) to look at it before you made your FP+ selection, then you would've known that you didn't have time...Hahaha! Sure hope you made it in time. Really enjoying your TR!

 

[Fastpassminus]

DS was a Dumbo addict at that age. DUMBO DUMBO DUMBO. I think we went on 4 times at 21 months and 4 times at 2.5. I love that story about the little old ladies and their paper binder. So cute ( unless your waiting behind them in line)

My DM thinks TTA is a THRILL RIDE. She's always like " Oh my goodness this moves too fast" and then says " DO YOU THINK IT"S OKAY TO TAKE THE BABY ON THIS? " LOLOLOLOLOLOL! She will still be calling him " the baby" when he's 42.

 

[Leshaface]

Now that is ONE story to tell about being in the "short" line!

Love the photos of Calvin playing, so cute. And all the photos through "the years" of Calvin riding IASW. Thanks for sharing.

Don't ever let those short lines fool you! They are short for a reason

Thanks Karin, I had fun looking back on all our Disney trips with DS

Maybe if you kept your dining reservations neatly in a folder, uncrinkled in your backpack, and had taken the time (10 or 15 minutes) to look at it before you made your FP+ selection, then you would've known that you didn't have time...Hahaha! Sure hope you made it in time. Really enjoying your TR!

This is so, so true!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Good for those ladies eventually figuring it out and having a plan, etc. ... though didn't realize at first they were angry about the whole thing. Definitely would have been like you and not tried to help if they were already angry

Oh gosh, looking at those pictures over time realized how big your son has gotten! Also that i have been following your TRs for quite some time now

Aw, how does your DM not "get" the people mover?!?!?!? I mean, there are two types of people in the world: Those that appreciate the greatness of the People Mover and those that are wrong.

Haha, always love the "stop having fun! It's time to have different fun!!!!!" moments

 

[MrsSkellington]

Funny, I was coming on to FINALLY ask if Calvin is his real name. I have been calling my son Calvin in my PTR for some semblance of anonymity (On the internet! Ha!) and because of his uncanny similarity at times to the mischievous little devil of Calvin & Hobbes. But I do like it as a real name.

And oh my god. Do I hate waiting too. This is going to be interesting!

Can you get back into that Dumbo play area without riding? Just thinking that if I tried to drag him away he would flip his lid.

 

[Leshaface]

DS was a Dumbo addict at that age. DUMBO DUMBO DUMBO. I think we went on 4 times at 21 months and 4 times at 2.5. I love that story about the little old ladies and their paper binder. So cute ( unless your waiting behind them in line)

It wasn't the cute old ladies that you're thinking of. They're the kind you want to stay away from when they're angry

My DM thinks TTA is a THRILL RIDE. She's always like " Oh my goodness this moves too fast" and then says " DO YOU THINK IT"S OKAY TO TAKE THE BABY ON THIS? " LOLOLOLOLOLOL! She will still be calling him " the baby" when he's 42.

Seriously, I remember my mom asking if it was okay for DS to ride when he was 2 months!

Good for those ladies eventually figuring it out and having a plan, etc. ... though didn't realize at first they were angry about the whole thing. Definitely would have been like you and not tried to help if they were already angry

I'm all for helping people, but they were the kind where if you looked at them sideways, they would have slapped you Not getting involved was better for everyone I think

Oh gosh, looking at those pictures over time realized how big your son has gotten! Also that i have been following your TRs for quite some time now

Yep, we've been 'hanging' out for quite some time now It's funny how time flies here.

Aw, how does your DM not "get" the people mover?!?!?!? I mean, there are two types of people in the world: Those that appreciate the greatness of the People Mover and those that are wrong.

Totally! And you'd think being 'older', she'd want a more relaxing ride to enjoy the scenery. ESPECIALLY if she enjoys IASW so much

Haha, always love the "stop having fun! It's time to have different fun!!!!!" moments

It's so funny, cause that's exactly right! I kind of want to try this line out sometime in front of people to see what they say

Funny, I was coming on to FINALLY ask if Calvin is his real name. I have been calling my son Calvin in my PTR for some semblance of anonymity (On the internet! Ha!) and because of his uncanny similarity at times to the mischievous little devil of Calvin & Hobbes. But I do like it as a real name.

And oh my god. Do I hate waiting too. This is going to be interesting!

Can you get back into that Dumbo play area without riding? Just thinking that if I tried to drag him away he would flip his lid.

The first time I was asked about Calvin& Hobbes was from my Doctor. She thought that name was so cool and kind of old school and asked if we would be buying a stuffed Tiger for him

I'm usually pretty patient while waiting, but this was. killing. me!

I don't see why not! You can grab a pager anyway in case he wants to ride and turn it in whenever you feel like.

 

[MEK]

OMG - That reminds me of the time that I was in a QS line at Pizzafari and the man in front of me asked for the ingredient/allergy book. Have you ever seen one of those????? Seriously?????? And instead of stepping off to the side and letting a few other people order he held up the entire line. It was SO painful. I'm so glad you were able to find amusement in your line situation, because I was NOT......

That play area in Dumbo must just be a kid magnet. It looks perfect for toddlers. What a great distraction - that is until the buzzer goes off.

I have no doubt you will make it to BOG in plenty of time!

Watching Calvin walk through the line is just too cute!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

The lines at the kiosks were very long,

I hate those kiosks. I would want to scream if I had to do my FPs at the kiosks everyday instead of doing them online. Thank goodness for MDE. It helped me tremendously during my trip, and my friends were very thankful!

except for one line that only had two people at it selecting their FP’s, so thinking I’m being smart, I get in that line. Bad decision. It was two older women who had absolutely no idea what they were doing AND they weren’t just selecting one FP.

Oh my, that does seem like a problem. That would make me very frustrated too.

Seriously, not just ‘Pirates’ but ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, because there’s so many rides at the MK with the word Pirate it in.

They were angry older ladies. You don’t mess with their kind. I think they would have looked at my 'help' as a 'please hurry the heck up!' Also, I really wanted to see them succeed, oddly enough.

Such a cute selfie! SO nice and clear and you got the castle perfectly in it!

But he’ll never be too old to sit on his mommy

Adorable. And yes! That would be a great picture to recreate, when he's older. maybe even each time you go to Disney, you would have a lot of pictures, but it would be cool to see how much he rows in each of them! I have done that type of thing with pictures with my family, its always fun t look at.

One of the greatest Christmas films, ever.

It really was so cute in there! And I love that they have the burning building where Dumbo had to jump off of it in the movie

I still haven't seen this yet. I have been to the world twice since Ne Fantasyland opened, but I still haven't experienced the new Dumbo area. It looks and sounds so cute though! My friends and I joked about trying it, but since we had only one day at MK, it was sadly missed.... Hopefully I will be able to do it the next time I am there.

 

[hokieinpa]

They were angry older ladies. You don’t mess with their kind. I think they would have looked at my 'help' as a 'please hurry the heck up!' Also, I really wanted to see them succeed, oddly enough.

Yes, I know their kind.

But seriously, that would have been majorly frustrating! I would have possibly been huffing and puffing, arms crossed.

My favorite kind of People Mover shot!

Seriously though, I knew it was coming. DS loves it and DM really loves it so let’s get it ove - I mean, Yay!

I know Small World is a love or hate thing...we love it! We did get stuck in the "goodbye" room for quite a long time on our last ride so I got my fill of that song at incredibly high volume!

But he’ll never be too old to sit on his mommy

Sweet picture!

For now, we wanted to check out the Dumbo situation, where the wait was only 10 minutes! However, I really wanted to see the waiting area and let DS run around for some exercise.

That play area is great! I wish that more of the "kid" rides had a set up like that. So perfect for families!

We did have to be ‘bad’ parents and drag him away crying cause he wanted to stay and play

Hmmm, this kind of scene played out a few times for us last trip. It's hard to convince them to give up that freedom of running around!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Love the pictures of Calvin growing up. What amazing memories to have as he gets older and older.

Seriously cool ride pictures.

And what a shame about having to wait.....for reserving a FP+!

 

[afwdwfan]

This is when we really started to feel the crowds

Oh, wow...

It was two older women who had absolutely no idea what they were doing AND they weren’t just selecting one FP. No no no. They were selecting 3!

Oh, I'd be so frustrated...

After looking at some of their choices, they proceeded to pull out a large file with paperwork out of a backpack, trying to find the time of their dinner reservation so they wouldn’t schedule a ride during dinner.

the CM says, “You should take a picture of that to remember your times.”

You gave that CM the death stare when they said that, didn't you?

Q: Why didn’t you just switch lines?

A: Yes I could have moved 7 minutes ago but you know what would have happened. I move into a different line and then they suddenly know what they’re doing and move at lightening speed and I’m stuck in line again.

It never fails... I'd move lines and get stuck behind something even worse. Once you're committed, you might as well stick it out.

Q: Couldn’t you have offered to help them?

A: No


Q: Why not?

A: They were angry older ladies. You don’t mess with their kind. I think they would have looked at my 'help' as a 'please hurry the heck up!' Also, I really wanted to see them succeed, oddly enough.

Of course you wanted to see them succeed. You're stuck waiting until they do!

But there’s a problem which was totally my fault. I did not scan my MB when doing the Rider Swap at BTMRR and DM didn’t scan hers at 7DMT. But we were also never told to scan them either when handing over the pass So this meant that DM and I hadn’t checked in for those rides, meaning we never rode them, leaving us unable to make FP selections for a 4th FP. I explained to the CM that we were using Rider Swap and said that this was happening a lot, that CM’s weren’t asking folks with the pass to get scanned so she was able to override it and let me make a selection. DH wanted PotC so I chose the first available time.

You know, we had this situation where not all of our bands were scanned a few times as well, but we never had a problem making the 4th FP+. It was always after our window was closed for an FP+ that somebody didn't get scanned on, so I'm not sure if that is why it worked or not, but it didn't seem to be a problem for us.

Wow, those shoes must stick out after dark.

Seriously though, I knew it was coming. DS loves it and DM really loves it so let’s get it ove - I mean, Yay!

Wow... you really started him off early! I think this must have been before I found you on the TR boards.

But he’ll never be too old to sit on his mommy

Um... you never know how big he'll get...

Well unless he’s 30. That would actually be a fun photo to recreate

I think you're gonna need a bigger boat.

This is what we were handed when we checked in and it would go off when it was our turn to get in line. Seriously, it was awesome! Wish they could do something like this for all the childrens rides. It’s their very own FP system

It is a cool system. I like the fact that there's a way to keep the kids distracted while you wait, even though we've never really used it yet.