I See a Line, I Wait In It ~ A January 2016 TR - Completed 12/29

[rteetz]

Sounds like a nice and relaxing morning and afternoon.

The rain was kind of annoying that night as we planned to go see the Star Wars fireworks but it all worked out in the end.

I don't remember the last time I took the monorail from TTC to Epcot. We mainly use the monorail from MK to the resorts.

The Grand is grand. I don't really have a strong desire to stay there though like I do some other resorts.

The electrical Water pageant is something that has been around since the Magic Kingdom opened and it's one of the little things I hope never goes away but maybe gets plussed.

 

[Elevationist]

I wonder if I’m finally learning to use this phone that I’ve had for over 2 years

Perfect, just in time for an upgrade to a new one!

Once we reached the Epcot station, we were told to get off the monorail.
We did not. We stayed on the monorail to head back to the TTC.
Yes, that’s right, we broke the rules. Don’t expect it to happen again.

You rebels, you!

Looka you, flashin' that BLING BLING!

Since we had a no-park day, we figured that the Electrical Water Pageant was a great way to spend that night.

Great idea!

After some consultation with the DISboards (coordinating this with other events for the night), we decided that the GF boat dock would be a great place to watch – so that’s where we went.

I've managed to catch it a few times, the first time from outside of MK near the buses, and also from the beach at the Poly and from inside Ohana while having dinner. But your view was definitely WAY better!

It’s a cute little tacky thing, and while I’m not going out of my way to see it every trip, if I get a chance to see it again, I certainly would.

I completely agree! Everytime I've seen it, it's just been sheer luck.

 

[natebenma]

I had picked up a coffee-like beverage from the food court the day before (illy issimo Cappuccino for those who are curious), so I grabbed that out of the fridge and had that with my chocolate chip cookie (from Erin McKenna Bakery NYC) for breakfast. Breakfast was definitely a hit - the cookie was absolutely fantastic (my favorite thing we got from the bakery), and the cappuccino (which I've had at Disney before) was pretty good.

Breakfast of Champions!

We got to ride on the Star Wars: The Force Awakens monorail! This probably would have been more exciting if we were Star Wars fans, but even as regular people, we (okay, I) thought it was kinda cool.

Definitely cool.

On one of our past trips, there was a Tron overlay on the monorail. Although we didn't see the movie, riding the Tron-o-Rail was still pretty neat.

Even though we weren’t using a park ticket this night, we wanted to spend some time in a park. And that meant monorail through Epcot.

I am so glad you decided to do this!!!

I tried to quote the picture of Spaceship Earth like 5 times, and it failed, but that really is a great picture! We take the monorail from MK to EP frequently when we are returning to the Beach Club, but we have never done it at night. So pretty!!!

I still have not stepped foot (or glass slipper) in the Grand Floridian hotel.

Beth got an excellent picture of it:

Yes, she did! That is a fantastic picture!!!

I like the EWP, too. Nice pictures. It is worth going a little out of the way for. Not a lot, but if you can fit it in, perfect.

Coming Next: Things That Go Boom In The Night

Pretty sure I know what. I just don't know where, but I have a guess...

 

[afwdwfan]

(For the record, we probably would have been better off with the express monorail, but I’m stupid)

As our monorail pulled up, I realized that we wouldn’t be riding on just any monorail …

For the record, I'm not the one who said you're stupid, but...

Really, I don't even think that's a valid point to make here. You got to ride the Star Wars monorail so that's a win! The express is only a better option if it is there before the resort monorail and there's no line for it anyway.

We did not. We stayed on the monorail to head back to the TTC.
Yes, that’s right, we broke the rules. Don’t expect it to happen again.

You rebels!!!

I'm sure you're the first ones to have ever done that!

So … what did we think?
We liked it. It’s no Main Street Electrical Parade. It’s a cute little tacky thing, and while I’m not going out of my way to see it every trip, if I get a chance to see it again, I certainly would. If you’ve got a free night and want to take the time to see it, I definitely recommend it. Make it a monorail hopping night and watch this from somewhere on the lagoon. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s definitely cute.

Looks like a very nice evening. Not a bad way to spend a few hours without going into a park.

 

[SarahDisney]

That Electrical Water Pageant is something that I wanted to see but never managed to squeeze in on our trip. It's one of those things I think that's great if you have the time...but I didn't want to make it into such a huge production to go that everyone's like...we travelled 45 minutes for THAT? Because my family is like that lol...while "I" on the other hand...would travel 45 minutes at Disney for a lot sillier reasons lol as I think would a lot of the peeps around here lol

Next trip you'll just have to plan a monorail-hopping evening, and then it will fit into your schedule perfectly and nobody would complain!

Ooh, the Star Wars monorail! I, for one, think that that is very cool!

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Although you are much more of a Star Wars fan than I am...

And what a great idea to take the mono through Epcot so you go inside the park without going inside the park. Love Spaceship Earth at night. What rebels for not getting off the monorail, hee hee!

Thanks! I'm always all for seeing Spaceship Earth at night ... I love seeing it all colorful like that.

Great photos of the Electrical Water Pageant! I've only seen it once because we had friends staying at the Poly so we met them at Tambu Lounge (I will never turn down a Tambu invitation) and then watched the show. You had a great view from GF! Looking forward to the upcoming booms.

Thanks! We definitely had a great viewing location. I've actually never been to Tambu Lounge ... I'm not a big drinker, so I tend to miss the fun drinking spots.

Sounds like a nice and relaxing morning and afternoon.

It definitely was! After the crazy first few days, it was nice to relax for a day.

The rain was kind of annoying that night as we planned to go see the Star Wars fireworks but it all worked out in the end.

The rain definitely got in our way, but oh well. A rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day not at Disney.

I don't remember the last time I took the monorail from TTC to Epcot. We mainly use the monorail from MK to the resorts.

Next trip you'll just have to stay at a monorail resort so that you have an excuse to take the monorail to Epcot

The Grand is grand. I don't really have a strong desire to stay there though like I do some other resorts.

I'm not jumping to stay there, but I think that if I had the opportunity to stay there, I would. I'd probably end up wearing dresses and heels half the time, though, because I'd feel weird walking around the Grand Floridian in sneakers and jean skirt.

The electrical Water pageant is something that has been around since the Magic Kingdom opened and it's one of the little things I hope never goes away but maybe gets plussed.

I like it just the way it is, mostly because it has been almost the same for 45 years, but I think they could potentially do something better with it. Maybe.

 

[SarahDisney]

Perfect, just in time for an upgrade to a new one!

Yeah ... I'm not ready to move on to a new phone yet. I don't do change. Thankfully, this one still works okay.
Of course, my brother just upgraded, and his phone was only a little older than mine...

You rebels, you!

Well, I've always been a troublemaker. And I guess I'm a bad influence on Beth.

Looka you, flashin' that BLING BLING!

Welcome to life with runDisney medals

Great idea!

Thanks!

I've managed to catch it a few times, the first time from outside of MK near the buses, and also from the beach at the Poly and from inside Ohana while having dinner. But your view was definitely WAY better!

It was definitely a great view - if you're ever in the area and watch to catch it, I definitely recommend the GF boat dock as a viewing spot!

I completely agree! Everytime I've seen it, it's just been sheer luck.

I'm definitely glad we made plans to see it this once, but I wouldn't have been heartbroken if we missed it. It really isn't something I'd plan a night around.

Breakfast of Champions!

Anything with coffee is the breakfast of champions

Definitely cool.

On one of our past trips, there was a Tron overlay on the monorail. Although we didn't see the movie, riding the Tron-o-Rail was still pretty neat.

I also have not seen Tron ... but I looked up pictures and that monorail looks awesome!

I am so glad you decided to do this!!!

Thanks! It was definitely a great idea

I tried to quote the picture of Spaceship Earth like 5 times, and it failed, but that really is a great picture! We take the monorail from MK to EP frequently when we are returning to the Beach Club, but we have never done it at night. So pretty!!!

Thanks! It really is beautiful to see everything at night, and if you get a chance to take the monorail at night, I highly recommend it!

I still have not stepped foot (or glass slipper) in the Grand Floridian hotel.

That's okay, there are plenty of hotels that you've been to that I've never visited (like the Beach Club...)
It's a nice hotel, some interesting stuff to see, but it's a little too fancy for me.

Yes, she did! That is a fantastic picture!!!

Thanks!

I like the EWP, too. Nice pictures. It is worth going a little out of the way for. Not a lot, but if you can fit it in, perfect.

I'm glad we saw it - I wouldn't go too far out of my way for it, but if I was in the MK area anyway, I'd defintiely take the time to see it again!

Pretty sure I know what. I just don't know where, but I have a guess...

You'll find out soon ...

For the record, I'm not the one who said you're stupid, but...

Oh, I will readily admit that I'm stupid. I'm plenty book smart, but I have no common sense.

Really, I don't even think that's a valid point to make here. You got to ride the Star Wars monorail so that's a win! The express is only a better option if it is there before the resort monorail and there's no line for it anyway.

I think we actually just missed an express monorail. I thought the express would be faster, but didn't have that thought until too late. But the Star Wars monorail was a nice consolation prize.

You rebels!!!

I'm sure you're the first ones to have ever done that!

I know, right? I'm sure the only reason we didn't get in trouble is because there was no precedent and the monorail CMs didn't know what to do with us.

Looks like a very nice evening. Not a bad way to spend a few hours without going into a park.

Yep, it was definitely a great non-park night!

 

[Saphire5742]

Good thing you had Shabbat after all that racing and (insane) early mornings so you could get some much needed rest!
That was a great idea to ride the monorail at night to Epcot. I'll have to try that next time.
I was actually at the GF one evening for dinner and caught the boat back to MK but didn't think to stay for the electrical water pageant (I actually quite forgot about it). Another thing for next time. You got some great pics.

 

[disneywlf]

Sorry I am late but I just had a chance to read your report . Your Marathon racing was pretty amazing and I agree with Saphire5742, your timing could not have been better as it helped to get some much needed rest! I also loved seeing you visit all of the resorts and go to Erin McKenna's at Downtown Disney, oops, I mean Disney Springs, as I love their kosher/vegan/gluten-free treats, which works out well for me as I am allergic to wheat and eggs. Can't wait to read more!

 

[NJlauren]

I'm a little behind hit catching up now!

Nice to have a relaxing day in the middle of the trip so you can catch up on sleep and take time to do nonpark things!

Sorry you missed your walk.... It leaves something on the must do list for the future!

I really enjoy the electrical water pageant. I also agree it isn't life changing but it's cute and not a bad way to kill sometime. We have seen it a few times from boats or 2 trips ago when we got upgraded and could see it from our hotel.

Some great pics! Even the ones from your phone!

 

[SarahDisney]

Good thing you had Shabbat after all that racing and (insane) early mornings so you could get some much needed rest!

Yes! A "day of rest" is EXACTLY what we needed!

That was a great idea to ride the monorail at night to Epcot. I'll have to try that next time.

It's a really cool way to see Epcot - I definitely recommend it!

I was actually at the GF one evening for dinner and caught the boat back to MK but didn't think to stay for the electrical water pageant (I actually quite forgot about it). Another thing for next time. You got some great pics.

One of the great things about Disney is that there's always something new to do next time ... that's why you have to keep coming back!

Sorry I am late but I just had a chance to read your report . Your Marathon racing was pretty amazing and I agree with Saphire5742, your timing could not have been better as it helped to get some much needed rest! I also loved seeing you visit all of the resorts and go to Erin McKenna's at Downtown Disney, oops, I mean Disney Springs, as I love their kosher/vegan/gluten-free treats, which works out well for me as I am allergic to wheat and eggs. Can't wait to read more!

I totally understand falling behind ... thanks for taking the time to read! The rest was definitely appreciated and came at just the right time.
I really love that they have a bakery in Disney Springs that's good for people with special diets and allergies. Everyone deserves a cupcake, and it's great to have a place where people with special diets can get cupcakes!

I'm a little behind hit catching up now!

I totally understand falling behind - thanks for taking the time to catch up!

Nice to have a relaxing day in the middle of the trip so you can catch up on sleep and take time to do nonpark things!

It was definitely great to have a day where we didn't have to get up early, weren't running around the parks ... we could just sit back, relax, recover, and re-energize for more park days!

Sorry you missed your walk.... It leaves something on the must do list for the future!

That's an awesome way to look at it!

I really enjoy the electrical water pageant. I also agree it isn't life changing but it's cute and not a bad way to kill sometime. We have seen it a few times from boats or 2 trips ago when we got upgraded and could see it from our hotel.

I would love to see it from a boat - I think that would be a fun view.
And being able to see it from your hotel is definitely not a bad thing!

Some great pics! Even the ones from your phone!

Thanks!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

I started this report a while ago, and then got behind but I just caught up! Looks like a really fun trip you guys had! Both the 5K and 10K look so great! Marathon weekend is definitely on my bucket list, but I fear it's a still a few years off.

It's nice you had a day to rest after such early morning!

I've never done the water show. It looks cute!

 

[SarahDisney]

I started this report a while ago, and then got behind but I just caught up! Looks like a really fun trip you guys had! Both the 5K and 10K look so great! Marathon weekend is definitely on my bucket list, but I fear it's a still a few years off.

Thanks for taking the time to read through! Marathon Weekend is definitely a fun atmosphere, and I hope you get a chance to do it soon!

It's nice you had a day to rest after such early morning!

Definitely ... rest is very appreciated after those wakeups!

I've never done the water show. It looks cute!

If you find yourself in the MK resort area at night, I definitely recommend it. It's super cute!!

 

[fallonkendra]

We were actually at Disney Springs when it was raining that day, so it didn't allow us to properly see everything that's there. It was coming down hard for awhile!

I think I need to put that water parade on our list for our next trip! We plan on spending one night Monorail-hopping, so we'll put that parade into our plans for the evening as well!

I like the way you do breakfast! You could always say you had a serving of dairy from the chocolate chips, although they were vegan so I guess not... But vegan = healthy right? Whenever anyone questions me on eating a bag of chips for breakfast, I always tell them I'm actually just eating well-seasoned hash-browns.

 

[SarahDisney]

We were actually at Disney Springs when it was raining that day, so it didn't allow us to properly see everything that's there. It was coming down hard for awhile!

Yeah, I was definitely glad we spent a lot of that day indoors - the rain was pretty crazy at some points!

I think I need to put that water parade on our list for our next trip! We plan on spending one night Monorail-hopping, so we'll put that parade into our plans for the evening as well!

Definitely a good idea! There are a lot of fun places to see it from (but if you're near the Grand Floridian, the boat dock really was a great view), and it's a really cute thing to see!

I like the way you do breakfast! You could always say you had a serving of dairy from the chocolate chips, although they were vegan so I guess not... But vegan = healthy right? Whenever anyone questions me on eating a bag of chips for breakfast, I always tell them I'm actually just eating well-seasoned hash-browns.

There was dairy in my coffee ... and the cookie had carbs to fuel my day. And yes, vegan is definitely healthy (I hope).
I'm usually so focused on eating healthy and balancing out my meals ... it's nice to have a fun breakfast sometimes!
And chips are an excellent starch!

 

[SarahDisney]

Day 5, Chapter 2: Things That Go Boom In The Night
Saturday, January 9th, 2016​

The next part of our plan for the night was Wishes: A Nighttime Spectacular. I had asked the DISboards for a good place from which to watch both Electric Water Pageant and Wishes without having to move, and that’s where I got the idea for watching from the GF boat dock. Since we had a decent (albeit far away) view of the castle, we figured that the boards people were right and this would be a nice alternative to our usual viewing area (aka outside BOG waiting for our ADR ).

As we were waiting for Wishes to begin, a few interesting things happened. Let’s see how many of them I can remember:

• We made friends! These two awesome women were sitting on the bench next to us and we got involved in a conversation. They had been to a dessert party earlier in their trip and they showed us these cool glasses they got that create lines of Mickey heads everywhere. They were cool (both the glasses and the women). Also, I think we talked runDisney a little.
• There was a guy setting up his tripod and camera to take pictures. A CM approached him and asked if he thought he could take pictures from a moving boat. The guy said he thought he could. The CM asked if he wanted to test that theory. He said sure, so he and his family followed the CM onto a boat so that they could go out and see/photograph the fireworks from on the water. Yeah … Beth and I were a little sad that we couldn’t find a way to magically be a part of his family. Seriously, fireworks from on the water (and for free) … how awesome is that? (Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to get any pictures because I’m terrible at pictures, but the experience would have been worth it)
• A boat (my theory was that it was a pirates fireworks cruise) passed by. The CM on the boat said (and I quote): “Wave to all the rich people.” I was a little offended … but I guess that’s what we get for hanging out at the fancy hotel.

Finally, 10 PM arrived, and it was time for some loud booms.
Before we get to that … I was under the impression that the music would be piped in for the fireworks. It was not. Definitely changes the experience a bit. The fireworks were still nice, but you miss some of the story without the music.

Both Beth and I took pictures during the fireworks, and I think we both got some decent ones. I’ve had a lot of trouble with my camera and fireworks (to the point where last trip I used the iPad Mini instead of the camera), but I actually got some good ones this trip. Here are a few of my favorites (some are mine, some are Beth’s):

Overall, we enjoyed, and we thought it was a nice outside-the-park viewing area. However, I think we would have liked it better with the music … not having the music definitely changes the experience a bit. But it was nice to see some pretty fireworks, and I’m definitely glad we took the time to watch. Next time, however, I think we’d try a different spot to see if we can get one where they play the music.

Wishes may have been over, but our night certainly was not. I had a fun plan, and I managed to convince Beth to go along with my plan. So, where were we headed? You’ll have to wait for the next update to find out!

Coming Next: Yeah, Let’s Just Drink Outside

 

[KathyM2]

That's so cool that the family got to get a free boat ride....hope his pictures were good! Too bad you couldn't join...sigh. I get what you mean about the music. Though I do like the idea of watching from the GF because then you would not have to be part of the mass park exodus after the fireworks...hopefully that was a plus with the next part of your plan

 

[Saphire5742]

Those are great fireworks photos! I especially love the reflection on the water. Although I do get it about the music, that was a big part of my (very) emotional reaction to it.
Looking forward to read about the rest of your plans for the night.

 

[rteetz]

I've never watched wishes from one of the MK resorts. The GF boat dock looks like it was a great view though.

Looks like I need to bring my tripod next time to Disney and try to get a free boat ride! That's really cool that they did that though. You got some good photos yourself! The wave to all the rich people comment was kind of funny.

I'm going to guess you went to trader Sams since you said yeah let's just drink outside.

 

[SarahDisney]

That's so cool that the family got to get a free boat ride....hope his pictures were good! Too bad you couldn't join...sigh. I get what you mean about the music. Though I do like the idea of watching from the GF because then you would not have to be part of the mass park exodus after the fireworks...hopefully that was a plus with the next part of your plan

I was actually really curious to see how his pictures came out - I hope he got some good ones!
And we usually avoid the mass exodus out of the park post-fireworks by watching from Fantasyland and then waiting a while to leave ... but we've gotten stuck in the mass exodus a few times, and I definitely appreciate not having to do that!

Those are great fireworks photos! I especially love the reflection on the water. Although I do get it about the music, that was a big part of my (very) emotional reaction to it.
Looking forward to read about the rest of your plans for the night.

Thanks! Seeing the reflections of the fireworks on the water definitely made for a special new view of the fireworks, and I love that we got some great reflection pictures.

I've never watched wishes from one of the MK resorts. The GF boat dock looks like it was a great view though.

Looks like I need to bring my tripod next time to Disney and try to get a free boat ride! That's really cool that they did that though. You got some good photos yourself! The wave to all the rich people comment was kind of funny.

I think that if you have an extra night, it's a nice way to get a different perspective on the fireworks. And don't forget to bring your tripod just in case a CM is looking to make some magic
I'm glad that we were able to get some good pictures - the pictures definitely made the different perspective worth it.

I'm going to guess you went to trader Sams since you said yeah let's just drink outside.

Definitely a safe guess. You'll find out soon(-ish)!

 

[stacy~**]

Sorry I am ridiculously behind in commenting! I'm going to keep it short so then I can be caught up but just know I have been following along the way!

I enjoyed hearing about your Erin McKenna experience. We tried a few things there last summer and were less than impressed. We have an amazing vegan bakery in Columbus and it just didn't compare at all. Now I'm hoping we just caught them on a bad day and we should try them again. It is great that this option is there for people with dietary restrictions.

I'm bummed that you didn't feel the magic at POFQ/POR. POFQ is my absolute favorite moderate. It's just so charming (the pool isn't my favorite but actually even with POFQ being our most repeated resort I don't think we've swam there more than once). I do get the disappointment over the outward princess theming at POR. I think you would love the princess rooms at POR, though!

Happy your monorail touring evening worked out and you got to sneak in some Epcot time. I agree with you on the water pageant. It's cute and something fun to see but nothing to really go out of your way over. That's a bummer about Wishes not having the music at GF. I've watched it from the Poly Beach (before the construction) and they did have the music although it wasn't perfect. I don't think it was very loud, etc...so really it just isn't the same there in my mind either. Again a great thing to do on a non-park day but not the same magical experience as in park viewing!!