I Can't See a Thing and Tiger Lady, Oh My! A Nov Mother & Daughter TR Update 5/7

[PhoenixStrength]

I saw that same D&B purse at the gift shop in POP while I was there and almost bought it myself! And that's a big deal as I'm not into purses, accessories, etc at all. I buy my purses at Walmart for $10-12 thank you very much. But I actually came back to look at it several times, but never bought it.

The food at WC looks very yummy!!

Enjoy your trip!!!!!! Can't wait to hear about it when you get back. :

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Oh yummmy~ I am so hungry now. I actually have a Country Bears movie night planned out (for whenever that one is drawn from the jar), and Whispering Canyon was the inspiration for my menu ideas. I even have the recipe for the WC cornbread that I intend to make. Every time we draw for a new movie I hope beyond hopes that that one will be drawn...no such luck so far.

 

[Pluto0809]

I saw that same D&B purse at the gift shop in POP while I was there and almost bought it myself! And that's a big deal as I'm not into purses, accessories, etc at all. I buy my purses at Walmart for $10-12 thank you very much. But I actually came back to look at it several times, but never bought it.

The food at WC looks very yummy!!

Enjoy your trip!!!!!! Can't wait to hear about it when you get back. :

That's funny about the purses because that's exactly how I am! Before I got my first D & B I carried the same cheap purse for about 10 years. But now I have 3 Disney Dooneys.

The food was really good!

Thanks! On my way to finish packing and then get some sleep (if I can).

Oh yummmy~ I am so hungry now. I actually have a Country Bears movie night planned out (for whenever that one is drawn from the jar), and Whispering Canyon was the inspiration for my menu ideas. I even have the recipe for the WC cornbread that I intend to make. Every time we draw for a new movie I hope beyond hopes that that one will be drawn...no such luck so far.

Whispering Canyon was soooo good! I bet your Country Bears night will be awesome whenever it happens. I actually own that movie but have never watched it. I have a few like that but am always too busy to catch up.

 

[ronnmel]

I'm glad you found a purse you liked. It looks nice!

It would be interesting to see who's the pickiest eater between you and me.

Have a magical trip!!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Goodbye Friend...have a wonderful week in our magical happy place!!!!! :

 

[KatMark]

I am in love with your D&B bag and may have to look for that when I'm there in April. Mark would love the fact that Dumbo is on it.

Sounds like you and your mom had a great day at the MK and got some shopping done obvivously.

Although I'm not a fan of the WL, I really had hoped to get there for the Christmas decorations and we never made it. I must rectify that on this Christmas trip.

I'm glad you and your mom enjoyed your meal at the WCC. We ate there in 2007 and it was the second wore meal we ever had at Disney and we've not gone back. I love the indian and cowboy chairs too.

 

[katt789]

Aw! Love the photopass pics! And the princess posing! Cute!! Aloha Isle! Of course that’s what that is! Yay! Yum! Ugh, I could use one right now! Om nom! I have to say that I like the pineapple vanilla swirl the best, and without the float, it’s cheaper and just the right amount of pineapple!

I have to admit that I didn’t like the Tiki room too much, and I wish I would have seen it when it was “under new management” it seems like I might have liked that better? Who knows, lol. I also have a love for the jungle cruise now, the cheesiness is just the right level for me bahah!

There’s a mermaid in the water?! I totally missed that one! I wish there was more cool mermaid stuff in there, the skeleton was a little icky! Ugh! Never noticed those creepy fish before! I usually skip the graveyard, but it is fun to go play around in for a bit! You miss Mr Toad’s ride?! I have to say, when I went on it in DLR last year I was creeped out, haha!

The castle is so gorgeous!! Especially at Christmas, I’ll never get over how amazing it looks with all those lights on it! *sigh*Ah! I’m in love with that bag!! There’s so much I want to buy at Disney that’s just too pricey, and a Dooney and Burke bag is one of them! Also, one of the glass slippers, but that’s for after I get cast! Lol.

Good call on having the confirmation numbers with you!! I always make sure to have the emails with me at the very least, I never want to be turned down something because they can’t find my name! This restaurant really seems like my kind of place!!! I love the interaction type places, and have to admit, having worked on the server side of it for a few years, it’s so much fun!!

Looks like a great dinner! And those desserts are HUGE! Hooly!!

 

[Pluto0809]

I'm back from my Disney trip. I had a wonderful trip and I'll give you a few highlights below. I'm not going to start the TR until I get my PP CD which I ordered last night.

I'm glad you found a purse you liked. It looks nice!

It would be interesting to see who's the pickiest eater between you and me.

Have a magical trip!!

I really do love my new purse!

I'm sure I could give you a run for you money on being picky!

Goodbye Friend...have a wonderful week in our magical happy place!!!!! :

I did have a wonderful time, thanks! I really enjoyed texting with you.

I am in love with your D&B bag and may have to look for that when I'm there in April. Mark would love the fact that Dumbo is on it.

Sounds like you and your mom had a great day at the MK and got some shopping done obvivously.

Although I'm not a fan of the WL, I really had hoped to get there for the Christmas decorations and we never made it. I must rectify that on this Christmas trip.

I'm glad you and your mom enjoyed your meal at the WCC. We ate there in 2007 and it was the second wore meal we ever had at Disney and we've not gone back. I love the indian and cowboy chairs too.

Well, I read your post while at Disney, so I kept my eye out and I saw the D & B bag at almost every location they carry them. And quite a few had Dumbo on the front. I don't think you will have any problem finding one. And they did have several different styles in that pattern.

We did get some shopping done!

The decorations at the WL were beautiful. My pictures don't even come close to doing them justice. Definitely try to get there this December.

What a bummer that you had a bad experience at WCC. Mom and I really enjoyed it. Maybe they were just having an off night like when Mom and I went to Raglan Road.

Aw! Love the photopass pics! And the princess posing! Cute!! Aloha Isle! Of course that’s what that is! Yay! Yum! Ugh, I could use one right now! Om nom! I have to say that I like the pineapple vanilla swirl the best, and without the float, it’s cheaper and just the right amount of pineapple!

I have to admit that I didn’t like the Tiki room too much, and I wish I would have seen it when it was “under new management” it seems like I might have liked that better? Who knows, lol. I also have a love for the jungle cruise now, the cheesiness is just the right level for me bahah!

There’s a mermaid in the water?! I totally missed that one! I wish there was more cool mermaid stuff in there, the skeleton was a little icky! Ugh! Never noticed those creepy fish before! I usually skip the graveyard, but it is fun to go play around in for a bit! You miss Mr Toad’s ride?! I have to say, when I went on it in DLR last year I was creeped out, haha!

The castle is so gorgeous!! Especially at Christmas, I’ll never get over how amazing it looks with all those lights on it! *sigh*Ah! I’m in love with that bag!! There’s so much I want to buy at Disney that’s just too pricey, and a Dooney and Burke bag is one of them! Also, one of the glass slippers, but that’s for after I get cast! Lol.

Good call on having the confirmation numbers with you!! I always make sure to have the emails with me at the very least, I never want to be turned down something because they can’t find my name! This restaurant really seems like my kind of place!!! I love the interaction type places, and have to admit, having worked on the server side of it for a few years, it’s so much fun!!

Looks like a great dinner! And those desserts are HUGE! Hooly!!

That batch of PP pictures turned out really cute.

I wasn't a fan of the Dole Whip but for me it's got to be chocolate. I didn't get any Mickey Ice Cream this last trip. Too cold!

I think I like the Tiki Room so much because I have great memories associated with it from growing up.

Yep, right before you see the mermaid skeleton, there's mermaids swimming in the water next to the boat. As soon as you hear the Mermaid song start, look over the side and you'll see them.

Mr. Toad's ride is another one I remember from a child. I was probably 13 the last time I rode it. Maybe if I rode it today, it would creep me out, who knows.

I really think you will like WCC. It was a lot of fun and I think would be even better with a large group.

I really enjoyed meeting you and Paige. I wish I could have gotten out and danced with you guys but as you'll see by me trip notes below, that was just not possible.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

So, a little bit about my trip last week......

I have to admit that I really did not feel the magic on my first day. I woke up on Thursday feeling a little off. My stomach was bothering me and I was just not enjoying anything (last time I eat Zaxby's the day before a trip. If you don't know what Zaxby's is, they have the best chicken tenders ever. But you get an entire year of salt intake in one meal). When I got to Epcot, I felt like I was forcing myself to have a good time. It wasn't until the next morning at MK while watching the Welcome Show that everything clicked and I began to truely enjoy the trip.

I watched all three night shows, Wishes, Illuminations and Fantasmic. One of those has now become a must do for me, one I enjoyed and will probably catch every third or fourth trip. And the third one? I could care less if I ever see it again.

I tried out a lot of new things this time. The new Test Track, Reflections of China, Fiesta Margarita, Captain EO, Goofy's Barnstormer, BOG restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Belle, The Plaza Restaurant, Animation Class, Starring Roles cupcake, new Pirates Experience at DH. I'm probably forgetting some others right now. Some have become new favorites, others I will probably never do again.

I've definitely come to the conclusion that I would rather be on a ride than anywhere else while at Disney. There were some pretty hefty crowds but I still managed to do some serious riding. Here's my ride count:

7 times (yes 7) - Space Mountain
6 times - Buzz Lightyear
4 times - Pirates
3 times - Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Little Mermaid, Dumbo, TTA, Expedition Everest, Soarin.
2 times - BTMR, Test Track, Goofy's Barnstormer

There were many more rides that I did just one time.

It was COLD and windy!!! On Saturday and Sunday I wore two hoodies and bought a cheap pair of gloves at the Emporium. They were cheap in quality but not in price. Best $10 I've ever spent though. Despite the layering I still spent the whole day both Saturday and Sunday shivering. But, I didn't have one drop of rain the entire time and the weather didn't stop me from doing what I wanted.

As for going solo, I loved it and will do it again in a heartbeat. The only time I felt slighty uncomfortable was at the sit down meals that I did. If I was looking around at the scenery I felt like I was getting looks for "staring" at other tables. Next time I may skip the sit down restaurants or pick ones that give me more to look at. Coral Reef was the best because everyone was looking at the aquarium.

I think the only real down side of the trip was the pain I was in. I've been having trouble with my hip for about 6 months now. I was hoping that it would work itself out but it's been getting steadily worse. After five days of walking at Disney, I could barely walk yesterday. Today is a little better but it's still hurting pretty badly. So I'm off to the Doctor tomorrow to see what's going on. So any prayers or good wishes you could send my way would be appreciated! I'm so tired of being in pain all the time.

I'll probably get back to updating this TR either tomorrow or Monday. It's just going to depend on how things go at the Doctor's and work tomorrow.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Welcome back!!

Yay for you getting to do BOG, I can't wait to hear what you thought of it.

You are giving me a run for my money on doing Buzz and Space Mtn multiple times.

I hope you find out what's wrong with your hip at the doctor's. My friend Steve that's going to Disney with me has a pinched nerve in one of his hips that's been causing him problems for weeks now and will probably impact how we do our trip to WDW. But more on that on my TR! Good luck at the doctor's and I hope you are feeling better soon!

 

[KatMark]

Welcome back, and prayers for good news from the doctor.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

So glad you had a great trip, Arianna. Can't wait to read all about it and see more pictures. Thank you for sharing the magic with me via text and picture messages!!!!

Will definitely pray for your hip! I pray the Dr's will know exactly what is going on and just the right treatment to bring pain relief and healing!

 

[Pluto0809]

Welcome back!!

Yay for you getting to do BOG, I can't wait to hear what you thought of it.

You are giving me a run for my money on doing Buzz and Space Mtn multiple times.

I hope you find out what's wrong with your hip at the doctor's. My friend Steve that's going to Disney with me has a pinched nerve in one of his hips that's been causing him problems for weeks now and will probably impact how we do our trip to WDW. But more on that on my TR! Good luck at the doctor's and I hope you are feeling better soon!

I will say that I really enjoyed BOG. I didn't get the best pictures though because it is dark in the restaurant.

I did give you a run didn't I? I was obsessed with Buzz this time. I wanted to get a good score but unfortunately I never did. I need to find the article again that tells you were the high targets are so I can impress DH when I go in Oct. As for Space Mountain, 4 of the rides were in a row one night when it was a walk on.

Thanks, I'm pretty sure this is more than a pinched nerve. I'm going to update below.

Welcome back, and prayers for good news from the doctor.

Thanks, update below on the doctor's visit.

So glad you had a great trip, Arianna. Can't wait to read all about it and see more pictures. Thank you for sharing the magic with me via text and picture messages!!!!

Will definitely pray for your hip! I pray the Dr's will know exactly what is going on and just the right treatment to bring pain relief and healing!

Thanks! I took almost 1200 pictures! I did narrow it down to 985 by deleting that bad ones but that's still more than I took last trip.

Thanks for the prayers, I'm going to update below

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I'm back from the Doctor's office. It went pretty much as I expected. She sent me for x-rays and gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammitory. She's going to call with the x-ray results and also gave me a referal to an orthopedic specialist. No answers yet but at least I'm on the way to getting some.

 

[KatMark]

Good to know that you are at least on the way to getting some answers and hope the meds help.

 

[ronnmel]

Welcome back! I'm glad you had a great trip, and I can't wait to read about which new experiences you liked and didn't like as much.

 

[Pluto0809]

Good to know that you are at least on the way to getting some answers and hope the meds help.

Thanks! I sure hope the meds help. I will be on my feet all day tomorrow at the local animal shelter where I volunteer so it will be a good test.

Welcome back! I'm glad you had a great trip, and I can't wait to read about which new experiences you liked and didn't like as much.

Thanks! My Photopass CD shipped today so the new TR won't be too far off.

 

[Pluto0809]

We slept in a little this morning after our late night and didn’t get up till 6:30 am. We decided to head straight to Epcot and have breakfast at Sunshine Seasons.

When we headed out, I finally remembered to take pictures of our view. Looking to the left, the sign at the end was where the ice machine was:

Looking straight ahead. There's a lot of bushes but on the other side was a quiet little courtyard:

And to the right (hey I know that person!):

The location was perfect for us, quiet and out of the way of the pool and main walkways.

I don’t remember what time we left our room but we caught a bus pretty quickly and arrived at Epcot around 9:05 am. No rope drop again! We headed straight to the Land and got Fast Passes for Soarin’ with a return time of 11:45 am. The standby was already 40 minutes so we didn’t get in line. Instead we headed over to Sunshine Seasons and got some breakfast.
Mom got a breakfast Panini, home fries and a coffee:

I got a plain bagel, a banana and a soda (boring!!!!!):

Mom made me take a second picture of her Panini so you could see it from the side (like I said earlier, she was taking the food pictures very seriously):

Mom really liked the Panini except for the bacon. She picked it off because she said it was too fatty. I helped her eat the home fries and they were really good.

I took a picture of the pretty balloons while we were sitting there:

I used my phone to zoom in on one of the light fixtures and sent this picture to my Cousin with the caption “Guess where we are today?”

She knew immediately that we were in the Land building near Soarin’. Can’t fool my fellow Disney expert!

After we ate, we headed out of the Land building and towards The Seas. We didn’t get enough time in there on our first day. It was an absolutely beautiful day:

Ah, here we are at our destination:

We skipped the Nemo ride this time since we rode it our first day and headed straight into the aquarium. We went into the room with the small tanks first and of course I took some pictures.

I swear this guy is not real. He is always in the same position in ever TR I’ve seen him in:

Then we visited with the Manatees. They were busy wrestling under the water. Mom thought they were doing more than wrestling but I didn’t really want to know for sure. I took one picture but if I hadn’t told you what it was, you probably couldn’t have figured it out.

Then we headed to our main destination, the big aquarium. Mom really wanted to visit with the 75 year old sea turtle. We enjoyed watching him in 2010 while we were having lunch at the Coral Reef restaurant. The CM who waited on us during that meal told us all about him and we were anxious to see if he was still around.

I took some pictures as we walked:

Hidden Mickey:

There’s a turtle.

Not the one we were looking for though. The CM by this one told us there were three in the tank including the old guy. We finally did find the old guy, but he was in an area where I couldn’t get his picture. There was a diver in the water hand feeding him so the other fish didn’t steal his food. The CM told us that they catered to his every need including hand feeding him since he was so old.

We watched the old sea turtle for a while and then walked some more in the aquarium. I found another Hidden Mickey:

Uh Oh Mickey, watch out for that shark:

A few more aquarium pictures:

By the time we finished with the aquarium, it was time for our Soarin’ fast passes so we headed out and back towards the Land building.

Up next: Soaring, Boating and Imagination Time

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Sunshine Seasons is the only place where I have to eat breakfast. Otherwise I just do a granola bar, but I love their platter.

Great pictures in the aquarium! Interesting though as the CM I spoke to told me that there are five turtles in that tank. I only saw two last trip, the big old guy, and a smaller one.

 

[cheekypoppins]

oh i love looking in all the tanks,I spend alot of time in there with my girls n usually whoever is with us gets annoyed LOL but we are just amazed in there

 

[ronnmel]

You slept in yet were still up before 7am?

I love the Seas so much. Both Ron and I could spent hours in there.

Thanks to this past trip I now have a love/hate relationship with breakfast at Sunshine Season.

 

[KatMark]

A great start to your morning. We love spending time at the aquariums (truthfully, if I didn't drag hubby away we'd be there all day). I'll be sure to look for that sea turtle next visit.