It’s EXHILARATING in the BIG BLUE WORLD! *NEW VIDEO- EPCOT DAY* 1/22

[Happy Duck]

Day 1 Video Link

Hi all!

First of all, thank you for reading and commenting! As a lurker of many, many months, I am so excited to finally have the courage to write a report.

In addition to writing the report, I've started making videos about our trip! Video editing is one of my favorite things to do for fun, so I hope you enjoy it!

I'll update the chapters page to house all of the links, but for now, there is only the first one.

Day 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F9NDK9EiDM

PS- Don't miss my previous TR updates. Woody wanted to put me in jail!

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[emilyindisney]

Your Toy Story updates are awesome! All the pictures are great. Isn't the queue so fun!?

What great character interactions! I love trying to ask the characters questions to really get them to do different things for you. Thank goodness you didn't have to serve any time!

 

[Happy Duck]

Your Toy Story updates are awesome! All the pictures are great. Isn't the queue so fun!?

What great character interactions! I love trying to ask the characters questions to really get them to do different things for you. Thank goodness you didn't have to serve any time!

I'm now obsessed with meeting characters!!!! My problem is thinking of clever things in the moment, though. I don't know how the face characters do that all day!

 

[Happy Duck]

I'm a musician, not an artist!
April 14

After posting bail at toy jail, we went over to the Animation building. As the budding artist, Sarah was looking forward to the drawing class!

There was a wait for the next show, so we decided to do some exploring! We played the "Which Character are You?" game. First, we each did our own, and then we found out the characters for our other family members, too! I am Belle and Sarah is Cinderella. Mama is Cinderella, Daddy is Buzz Lightyear, and Bryan is Aladdin. Fairly accurate!

Sarah tried out the painting game, we looked around, and pretty soon, we were heading into our first ever animation class!

The artist, ready to draw!



I don't remember our animators name, but she was very nice and full of information.



The only awkward thing was that there were only 2 other groups of people in the class. So there were only about 7 people total. It was great, because we got a lot of attention, but not everyone was into talking. Just a few awkward pauses.

We drew Mickey Mouse! It was great choice for my first drawing class!



Good thing I am a musician and not an artist!

Sarah's drawing:



After our class, we wandered through looking at all of the art.

Sarah's favorite!











Sarah's other favorite!



MY FAVORITE!



After the animators class, we decided we were hungry for some breakfast. From STARRING ROLLS! (We're on vacation, right?)

Here are a few of their selections:









Which did we choose???

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[Happy Duck]

Cupcakes, Movies, and MORE Toys!
April 14

Of course, we had to try the cupcakes! In the interest of a well-rounded breakfast, we decided to choose two and split them both! (This is what happens when the kids go off by themselves. No rules!)

Chocolate Peanut-butter



Red Velvet



The moment has arrived!!!



Both cupcakes were delicious, but I have to give the edge to the red velvet. That cheesecake frosting is heavenly! Angels were definitely singing. Id say that cupcakes were an excellent breakfast choice!

The aftermath.



Next, we headed on over to see another first: The Great Movie Ride!



After reading many TRs, I FINALLY know what "We got the gangster" means! And guess what? We got the gangster!

Hello Mickey!



Why, hello there Elphaba! (If you havent seen Wicked, you should! Its awesome!)



Drink up me hearties yo ho.



Hello! My names Bruce!



After our trip to the movies, we noticed it was almost 10:55 and we could pull more FPs! We went over to Tower of Terror and collected our prize.



Gold.

Since our Toy Story FPs were almost ready, we went back to Pixar Place.

On the way, Sarah stopped to trade some more vinylmations!

This one was a mystery box trade. Sarah chose two random numbers and the cast member pulled vinylmations from those specific boxes. Then she could choose if she wanted to trade for them. Unfortunately, you cant see the rest, but it does add an air of mystery and excitement!



She traded for Donald!!



Soon, we were back at Toy Story Mania for Ride #2!

I cant get enough of this queue!





A wonderful CM took our picture for us!



My goal in life is to ride in the Rex car. Still hasnt happened yet!



I won again! 2 for 2!



Almost a 5000 point increase from the morning!

And&



Yay!

Sarah found the green crayon!



Next, we headed back to Sunset Blvd!

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[Happy Duck]

My Happy Birthday lunch forgot the "happy"
April 14

We headed back to Sunset Boulevard. We had a very important concert to get to!

Along the way, we stopped for a bottle of water. Mickey was so kind and gave it to us for free! PIXIE DUST.

Pretty soon, we were at Rockin Rollercoaster! We went through the Single Rider line (best line EVER) and bypassed what was a 45 or 60 minute wait. I got placed in the last row. Normally I cant get enough of this ride, but Ive determined that I like the front a lot better. I felt like a bobble head doll! I did have a breakthrough though: my eyes were open the entire time! Success!

Next was Tower of Terror! We got in line at 12:20 exactly. (LOVE fastpass!) This ride has definitely grown on me. Before, it was all about dreading the drop. Now, I look forward to that, and along the way, notice all of the awesome details of this ride. Sarah held on the entire time, but my hands were up in the air!

After escaping the hotel, we went BACK to Pixar Place. For what, you may ask? MORE TOY STORY FASTPASSES! They were good for 7:30-8:30. Perfect! We planned on riding again before Fantasmic.

Our lunch was coming up, so we headed that way. Can you figure out where we were going?





I dont know if a quote can be people, but this comes as close as it gets to Sarah and I. The musician and the artist!





Have you guessed yet?

Well, Ill give you a not so subtle hint:



Now, to warn you, this will not be the most positive of dining experiences. Dont worry, it hasnt turned me off from Prime Time (in fact, I am going again in August) but I really didnt enjoy this particular experience.

We checked in about 20 minutes early for our ADR, and were seated in about 5 minutes.

Smile Sarah!



(Oddly) showing off her new pin!



Smile Lauren!



Now, if youre wondering why we had so much time to take these pictures, it is because it took quite a while for our waiter to make himself known. He called out to us from across the room at some point, telling us hed be right there. Not quite.

Once we got our menus, we had plenty of time to peruse.



I was definitely trying a Peanut Butter and Jelly Milk Shake!



We both got the chicken pot pie. In retrospect, I should have insisted that we share it.



Sarah also talked me into an order of onion rings.

Now, as most of you know, you expect a certain type of service at 50s. While the food is good, it is really the atmosphere that brought me in.
I wasnt too excited when he came back to take our order. It was so cut and dry. It was service that I would expect at any chain restaurant. There was no interaction, even the basics such as How are you? Hows your trip? Basically just, What do you want?

One common trick at 50s is for the waiters to make a big fuss about having elbows on the table and then having someone set the table.
This was all that was said on the subject (said very dryly and with no emotion) Who had their elbows on the table? Great. You can set the table. Puts the plates down and then walks away.

Now, I know that I am here for a meal and the primary purpose is to eat food. But can I have just a bit more interaction? Please?

My half of the onion rings. It didnt take Sarah long to divide them!



Peanut butter and jelly milkshake. Isnt it supposed to come in a glass? I drank this right out of the metal cup.



As I recall, I actually didnt drink much more than this. It was very filling!
Sarah drinking her chocolate shake.



Chicken pot pie!



I think shes in love.



We both ate about ½ of the chicken pot pie, and maybe ½ of our milkshakes. Overall, the food was good, but we definitely should have split everything!

At some point, our waiter brought a birthday cupcake. He placed it on the table, said to me, Your friend can sing Happy Birthday to you, right? and walked away. NOTHING ELSE. (Not to mention, if he had actually talked to us at all earlier, he would have found out that we were sisters and not friends.)

After eating, we waited a very long time to get the check. It was at least 15 minutes, if not 20. By this time, I was getting very frustrated. This was the ONLY meal that I had actually put my birthday on the reservation (Crystal Palace was Sarahs celebrating and I got a cupcake at Akershus only because of my pin) and I had been really looking forward to having a birthday celebration here! It was very frustrating and I was extremely sad. I had been looking forward to this specific lunch for so long and I was very disappointed. Ill admit to shedding a few tears after we left.

After lunch, we decided to go back to the resort and rest for the afternoon, which definitely helped my mood.

On the way out, we stopped at Guest Relations and added something very important to Sarahs ticket: A PARK HOPPER. What did we need that for? Youll have to keep reading!

PS. Just so you know, I did send along information about my not so stellar experience, and my comments were heard. Im looking forward to August!!!

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[Happy Duck]

BOOKING A BOUNCEBACK!
April 14

Back to the resort we go! We had a pleasant bus ride and pretty soon we were walking up to this sight:



Hello friends!

Awwwww!



We also saw this:



Seeing that envelope is one of the saddest things ever. Good thing we still had a LOT to look forward to! THAT FROWN TURNS UPSIDE DOWN REALLY SOON!

In no time at all, Sarah was changed and off to Ol’ Man Island for some swimming. I decided to stay behind, take care of a few things, and have a rest. That was one thing that I loved—a pool with lifeguards! She could go swimming without me worrying!

While Sarah was swimming, I did some packing. Exciting, right? I did not want to have to pack when we got back late, so this was actually helpful to have some break time during the day. Luckily, it didn’t take long at all.

After packing, I also did something so incredibly exciting! AHHHHHH. It was EXHILARATING! I’m getting excited again just thinking about it!!!

I got to call the BOUNCEBACK NUMBER! Yay!

Mama and I had already planned on coming in August and staying 2 weeks at a moderate resort. We were happy and content to be going “home” to POFQ.

THEN I came across the details for the Bounceback deal and a dream was born. What if the prices were so good that we could spend 1 week at a moderate and 1 week at a DELUXE? Well, the numbers were crunched, and debated. Spreadsheets were made and options were considered. It was determined that we could do this for less than $200 above our original budget. No question there!

And now the big moment had arrived!

A very kind CM answered (she seemed almost as excited as I was!), I confirmed that I was indeed still a guest of Disney, and I told her the offer code (R90). Then I explained our situation. You see, we had already made the original reservation, and had already paid some money on the account. I didn’t know how that would work with the deposit required. She said it would be no problem!

Then I said that I was hoping to make 2 different reservations, for back to back stays. She said that I couldn’t do more than one reservation.

My heart broke just a little bit. I tried to tell myself, “At least you are getting a better deal than you planned on. And you were already planning on staying at POFQ for 2 weeks anyway.”(We couldn’t afford 2 weeks at Deluxe, even with the Bounceback, so we would have to stay at POFQ)

THEN she said that she would go check with a manager.

Those moments on hold were near torture! It only took a minute or two, but it seemed like forever!

When she came back on the phone, I was overjoyed to hear that YES, they could take 2 reservations! YAY!!!!! The dream returned!!! (I am trying to think of more words to describe this emotion, but it is seriously indescribable!)

I ended up changing the original POFQ reservation to only a week and I was able to use the money already on the account to cover the deposit required. I made the second reservation, with a new deposit, for the YACHT CLUB!

I originally wanted the Beach Club, but there were only suites and club level available. Anybody have a few grand they are willing to part with??? I call every few days to see if any BC rooms open up, but if they don’t, I am certainly content with the Yacht Club!

After the April trip, Mama and I actually decided to fly to Disney on August 10th instead of the 11th for scheduling purposes, so we added a night in a Little Mermaid room at AOA because we wanted to see it.

That’s right! We are staying at 3 levels of Disney resorts! 1 night at AOA, 7 nights at POFQ, and 6 nights at the YC!!!!!! IS THIS REAL LIFE?????

After jumping around the room in pure excitement like a child, I finished packing, got everything ready for the evening. Sarah came back around 4pm. She had a wonderful time!

I told Sarah to come and meet me at the lobby when she was done changing. I had to go and pay our room balance, as we had gift cards to use and didn’t want them charging all of it to the card on file. Along the way, I had a little photoshoot!

Oak Manor!



Our room is just beyond the tree, third floor, on the right. There are no rooms in the middle section because that opens up to the elevators, so no room is dead center to the river. It is a beautiful courtyard and it was so peaceful coming and going.

Royalty are present!



Benches made up the seating area around the courtyard.



The bridge in the distance connects the food court/lobby area to Ol’ Man Island.



It is a beautiful place to go walking!



Where am I?



This little guy stands right in the middle of the entrance to the bridge. I think I patted his head every day.



This is the bridge that connected our side to the Lobby area.



More signs.



The Lobby.



More Lobby.



After paying an amount of money on the credit card that I wasn’t prepared for (apparently, we had been a little too eager to charge to the room….) we headed to the bus stop. We arrived at the bus stop right at 4:30 and a Hollywood Studios bus pulled right up!

Off we go! Back to the movies!

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[Happy Duck]

Real Life Update!

If you’ve been wondering why there have been a whole lot of updates recently, it is because summer time has arrived! I officially finished my first year as a teacher on June 7th, and have spent the week in bliss. I have enjoyed being able to go through pictures, write updates, and start my trip video. As much as I enjoy my job, these are much more relaxing than writing lesson plans!

I really want to get everything finished before going on my August trip, because that trip report is certainly going to take a lot of work. I’m already a little nervous. This trip was only 4.5 days…I can’t imagine how long it will take me to do 15 days!

I am the music director for a drama camp all of July, so that doesn’t leave me a lot of time to finish all of these updates. I’m hoping to finish this report before camp starts, and then finish the video during the month of July. My whole family goes on vacation to NH August 3-9th and then Mama and I leave from NH to go to DISNEY WORLD! I feel like summer is going to go so fast, but it will be amazing!

Last night, we had a little “Disney night”. I decorated by taking our Disney animals and setting them up around the living room. I am so sad I didn’t take any pictures! I dressed Mickey and Goofy up as Woody and Buzz Lightyear. I found those outfits at Build-a-bear and they are so cute! They were playing Toy Story Monopoly Jr. along with Rex. Goofy won!

We watched the Three Caballeros, had Taco Bell for dinner, and Haagen Dazs Carmel de leche for dessert! It was very simple, but very fun!

Other than Disney, I have a few other obligations this summer. As I said, I’m the music director for a camp, but I also teach summer lessons, I am a church organist, and I am the music director for a community theater production. It may not be the most relaxing summer at times, but it will certainly be musical! Luckily, nothing really gets started until July, so I have a few weeks of nothingness.

Keep on the lookout for updates. I’m in a writing mood today

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[Happy Duck]

Hollywood, HERE WE COME!
April 14



It is amazing when you really stop and think of the differences between the parks. You are truly transported. Even noticing the small details of Hollywood Boulevard, you realize how much care goes into each and every part of the magic!



I see a hat!



On the way down Hollywood Boulevard, we decided to stop at the hat for a photopass picture. The photographer was very nice and took many shots with my own camera. This is my favorite!



I love how both of us match the hat!

We continued on our merry way.

Gertie feetprints!



It's all in the details!

Shhhh. Hide and seek.



We were headed to go see some of our very best friends: the MUPPETS!

Fozzie is so practical with his umbrella.



3Deeeeeeeeeeeeee



I freely admit that we walked with the glasses before we were supposed to

Funny moment. Sarah didn’t remember the ending to this show, and was fully expecting Mickey Mouse at the end! She was a little disappointed to see Rizzo instead. Poor Rizzo!

The Muppets were never an obsession of mine, but one of my absolute favorite Christmas movies is “A Muppet Christmas Carol”. (“I know the story like the back of my hand.” “Please, sir, I want some cheese.” “You can fit through those bars???”) It is not the Christmas season without that movie! I heard somewhere that there will be a Muppets 2, as a sequel to the latest Muppet movie. Fun!

After the show, we explored the area, looking for the key under the mat.
Along the way, we found:

a snowman!



Pizza Planet! I have to eat here someday!



Sweetums!



Maybe someday Sarah will be tall enough to touch it. That will make for a great photo comparison!

As it turns out, the key is just inside the entrance to Muppets! We found it! And forgot to take a picture!

Next.

Next was Star Tours!



It was basically a walk-on. We just had to wait for the previous riders to disembark. Sarah ended up sitting next to the rebel spy. (I was the rebel spy on our January trip!) Neither of us have watched Star Wars and we had no clue what was going on, but it is a fun ride! We went to the Wookie planet, if that means anything to anyone.

As we moved through the dump shop, we suddenly came upon a huge traffic jam in the doorway. Apparently, it was raining outside! We took a few seconds and analyzed the situation. We could wait, we could dig our ponchos out, we could just go and get wet. We opted for just leaving! A little rain wouldn’t hurt us!

As it turns out, the rain wasn’t as hard as it seemed, more like a light drizzle, and it was actually refreshing!

As we had been about 5 hours without food, we decided to stop for a snack. Of course, we chose a Mickey Bar! The hard part was finding an open cart. During our search, the rain stopped, which was great. However, the carts were still closed from the rain. Eventually we found one at the end of Pixar Place, towards the Backlot Tour. It was delicious! (You’ve probably seen many Mickey bars, so I’ll spare you a picture. Or again, I didn’t take a picture. You choose the reason )

We headed back towards Animation Courtyard. Along the way, Sarah spotted a pin that she had to trade for. While she was trading, I spotted one that I wanted as well. While I was putting the pin on my lanyard, I stabbed myself with it! It didn’t draw blood or anything, but it definitely startled me. The CM we were trading with said if they accidentally stab themselves with a guest’s pin, they have to get a tetanus shot. Safety first!

Sarah really wanted to see Little Mermaid, so that’s where we were headed. We walked in just in time for the 6:20 show. This show is okay. Of course, I’ll go see it, but my musical brain picks everything apart. It could definitely use an update. I'm looking forward to seeing Beauty and the Beast in August! (Also, Indiana Jones. I haven't seen that yet either!)

After going under the sea, we decided it was time to go check in for our next reservation… where do you think it was???

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[dtr_angel]

Loving all the updates! I'm stuck in the car (not driving) on my phone so will reply for real hopefully tomorrow. Just wanted to let you know I'm reading

Yay for THREE resorts.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Happy Duck]

The Terror of the Tower
April 14

We headed down Sunset Boulevard for our reservation at the Hollywood Tower Hotel!

Actually, it was a walk-on! I think the rain scared a few people (it had started raining again while we were at Little Mermaid) and the crowds had started thinning out a bit.

Such a classy place.



Sarah almost got her hands in the air!



Well, we got off the ride, and decided to head back for another drop!

At least, that was the plan. Until I met Audrey, the terror of the tower. Oh, Audrey. He was big, he was in character, and he stood right in front of the entrance to the Tower of Terror. And he wouldn’t let me through! Not anyone else. Just me. I tried every trick I know. I asked politely. I offered him a pin. I even bribed him with a Mickey bar! He was very, very stubborn! All the while, he was letting others step around him. His fellow CM was getting quite a kick out of this. Eventually, I “snuck” past him and got to ride!

This time, we were right up front!



Notice the woman squeezing the life out of Sarah’s hand? Apparently this was her first ride on Tower of Terror. She was a tad nervous. Good thing Sarah didn’t mind!

I’m in love with this ride!!!

At this point, it was about 7:15. Fantasmic was at 8:30. Now, logical people would grab some dinner and head to the line. It’s right around the corner from ToT after all. Not us! We had to go BACK to Pixar Place.

That’s right! Remember those fastpasses that we pulled earlier that morning? It was time to ride TOY STORY MANIA. AGAIN.

THREE RIDES IN ONE DAY. With our longest wait being about 15 minutes. We’re awesome.

We walked up and saw the 60 minute wait. Uh, no thank you!

We had to wait a few minutes for our fastpass time to become valid and then we headed in right at 7:30!

Toys, reporting for duty.



Just a few games.



Barney barked for his biscuit. I thought this was the funniest phrase!!!



Instructions. Very important.



I was Player 2 this time. I won again, but just barely. In the interest of full disclosure, she was beating me in every game up until the bonus round. That bonus round really saved me.



AGAIN!



We were interrupted by ride movement mid picture. I think it’s awesome!!!!!



Coming back to Andy’s room.



We said good-bye to Toy Story and went to Fantasmic! It was about 7:45 and Fantasmic started at 8:30. I sent Sarah in to find seats while I grabbed us dinner. Per advice of Mama, I got myself a healthy kid’s turkey sandwich. I got Sarah chicken nuggets and fries. I also picked up one of those kid’s power packs, because I was curious. And I figured it’s always good to have a few extra snacks for a show!

I called Sarah and she said that she was in the Pocahontas section. How appropriate! She was seated all of the way down in the splash zone, so I had us move up a few rows. I didn’t need to be splashed tonight.
We ate our dinner while we waited for the show to start. There is an audience pre-show that I had never seen before. That was mildly entertaining.

Pretty soon, the lights were going down and it was time for the show!

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[Happy Duck]

FANTASMIC is FANTASTIC
April 14

Mickey!



The start of my favorite section of the whole show!!!!



I am so glad that the movie Pocahontas plays such a large role in this show. Though I think she is starting to make a comeback, I feel like she is overly ignored.

If you can make him out, John Smith is standing on the rock ledge.



I think the rain and possible lightning caused them to do another version of the show. He didnt swing across on his rope! It was actually kind of silly. He came out, stood there, and then walked back into the mountain!

THERE SHE IS! Look at her, standing strong like a sycamore.



Beautiful dancing.



I think the rain affected the dragon too. See how the dragon is now? Thats how it stayed during this whole section. It didnt rise like it is supposed to.



The best boat ever.



Wingapo!!!!!!



Thank you for a great show, Mickey!



I've seen this show 3 times now, and I love it every time! There are so many different elements: classic movies, fireworks, characters, suspense, and, of course, PRINCESSES. There is a little bit for everyone and it is a great way to end your day.

After it was over, we tried to get out as quick as possible. As we were leaving, Sarah tripped and fell down 3 rows! I turned my head at the sound and saw her still, with her head on the bench. Panic starting.

I was imagining the worst in that moment. I thought she landed on her head, broken her leg, or anything that would require immediate 911 assistance! Praise the Lord she only scraped her knee. I am so thankful that it wasnt anything serious. She didnt twist anything, break anything, or cut anything beyond her knee. It took a few minutes to diagnose that obviously. I certainly wasnt moving her too quickly, just in case something was wrong that I couldnt see. Plus, I think she was in a bit of a shock.

There were a few wonderful women nearby who offered us a few things to clean the cut and stop the bleeding. I am so thankful to them, as all I had were a few insignificant band-aids.

In the end, we walked slowly out of the theater and out to the exit. I wasnt rushing her, though she kept insisting that she was fine!

We headed out to the bus stop, but we werent heading back to the resort.

Magic Kingdom was open until 1am and we planned on taking advantage of every minute!!! NO SLEEPING IN DISNEY.

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[Happy Duck]

Loving all the updates! I'm stuck in the car (not driving) on my phone so will reply for real hopefully tomorrow. Just wanted to let you know I'm reading

Yay for THREE resorts.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thanks for reading! I just posted my last one for the day. 8 total over 2 days. CRAZY.

 

[dtr_angel]

Oh my goodness ONLY 6.5 hours of sleep? That sounds amazing. I can assure you I have not slept more than 2-3 hours without an interruption in over 10 months. I'm glad you were able to convince Sarah to get up! You didn't do too bad getting there either. I agree, that would be an amazing game room ceiling. In fact, the whole room could be themed like that! I love all things Toy Story. I can't wait to teach my son how to "rawr" like Rex. Anyway, getting off subject... I don't think I've ever payed attention to which car we have gotten in, now I'm sad!

Your drawings of Mickey Mouse turned out good. I've never done the "what character are you" game, I need to do that next time! Cupcakes are a perfectly acceptable breakfast food when you are in Disney World, or without adult supervision. It's scary being the mom now haha. Good choice on the cupcakes. I've had the peanut butter, red velvet, and butterfinger. AMAZING. Glad Sarah found the green crayon. That is my favorite color too.
Sorry about your less than stellar 50s prime time meal. We ate there on our honeymoon 5 years ago. Our waitress didn't do any of the things I had read they are supposed to do, but was a decent waitress. Sorry yours was sub par, that's awful. I think we are going to try to eat there again our next trip and hope for a good experience.

Out of curiosity, what was the current bounce back offer? Do you have to book it at the resort you are staying at? I've never done it before. We're planning 3 trips close together and the bounce back offer would be a great savings, depending on what it is.

Ooh, definitely worth the park hopper option....

You have a busy summer! Looking forward to reading about all your adventures in August!

 

[Happy Duck]

Oh my goodness ONLY 6.5 hours of sleep? That sounds amazing. I can assure you I have not slept more than 2-3 hours without an interruption in over 10 months. I'm glad you were able to convince Sarah to get up! You didn't do too bad getting there either. I agree, that would be an amazing game room ceiling. In fact, the whole room could be themed like that! I love all things Toy Story. I can't wait to teach my son how to "rawr" like Rex. Anyway, getting off subject... I don't think I've ever payed attention to which car we have gotten in, now I'm sad!

Your drawings of Mickey Mouse turned out good. I've never done the "what character are you" game, I need to do that next time! Cupcakes are a perfectly acceptable breakfast food when you are in Disney World, or without adult supervision. It's scary being the mom now haha. Good choice on the cupcakes. I've had the peanut butter, red velvet, and butterfinger. AMAZING. Glad Sarah found the green crayon. That is my favorite color too.
Sorry about your less than stellar 50s prime time meal. We ate there on our honeymoon 5 years ago. Our waitress didn't do any of the things I had read they are supposed to do, but was a decent waitress. Sorry yours was sub par, that's awful. I think we are going to try to eat there again our next trip and hope for a good experience.

Out of curiosity, what was the current bounce back offer? Do you have to book it at the resort you are staying at? I've never done it before. We're planning 3 trips close together and the bounce back offer would be a great savings, depending on what it is.

Ooh, definitely worth the park hopper option....

You have a busy summer! Looking forward to reading about all your adventures in August!

Believe me. When your son is 13, you'll wonder if he'll ever wake up willingly! Sarah was absolutely excited about Disney and she STILL grumbled a bit when she had to wake up. It's just the age.

Please teach your son to "rawr". That's adorable.

Our last trip to 50's was fabulous, so I'm 99.999% sure you will have a wonderful time! I recently read somewhere that 50's might be toning down their antics because of possibly offending people. That gave me an idea. It might be a good idea to let the server know that you're ready to "play" to ensure some extra good fun!

Here's a picture of the current offer (found in your welcome packet): http://whatsupwiththemouse.com/walt-disney-worlds-bounce-back-offers/

You don't have to book it for the same resort. We were staying at POR, and I booked a week at POFQ and a week at YC, which was AWESOME! I just used the resort phone to call. It was super simple, just like making a regular reservation, except that the price is so much better! Just make sure you do it before you check out! All you would need is enough for a deposit on the account, which I think was $200, but you might want to double check that. I will warn you that the weeks available for the bounceback can "sell out". Beach Club was available for the offer, but all the rooms available for the offer were booked...so we "settled" on the Yacht Club. Not a bad way to settle!!! I also know that you can also change your mind about the resort at a later date. As long as you've booked it once, you can change the resort later. I think you can change the specific dates later as well, but don't quote me on that.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Happy Duck]

August Pin Trading Update

In my preparations for the August Trip (occurring in 1 month, 3 weeks, and 2 days!!!!) I decided to buy pins off of Ebay. Back before the April trip, I did my research and found a trusted seller who would not send me a bag of scrappers. I bought a set of pins from bizzybee1, 25 pins for $50. They were all new pins and awesome for trading! You dont get a choice of which pins, but that didnt matter to me. Most would be traded away anyway.

Of course, with our next trip coming up so fast, I needed to stock up again. Id need a lot more trading pins for a 2 week trip. Im obsessed! So recently I went back and bought a set of 50 pins. They just arrived and are awesome!







Im actually keeping all of these. One of my goals for this trip was to find as many cupcakes as possible. Guess Ive achieved that goal already!





The mystery pin was Rowlf.







These are my current pins. They are tacked to a piece of canvas. Easy art!

Im taking the far right 2 on the bottom row for trading again. But the rest are staying!



I totaled the price that it would have been to buy all of these packs new and it came to $218. I got them all for $99.90, with FREE shipping. Cant beat that!

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[Happy Duck]

It's Enchanting. And Exhilarating!
April 14

It is April 14th. We've just seen Fantasmic, I doctored Sarah after her fall, and we slowly made our way out of Hollywood. Now, we are off to the Magic Kingdom! We were at the bus stop for the TTC at Hollywood around 9:20 and we waited through 3 buses. Luckily, they were coming along pretty regularly.

Can I say that I was loving this addition to our evening? Not only did we get to go to the Magic Kingdom again, but we got to go on the MONORAIL! And I got to know what the TTC looks like, since wed never been there before. But seriously, I got to ride the MONORAIL! I was so excited to get a chance to ride it, even once, during this trip!

When we pulled up to the TTC, it was as if the heavens opened! Pouring rain. Luckily, the trip to the MONORAIL can be accomplished mostly under an overhang and we sprinted the last bit up the ramp to the MONORAIL. We got on about 30 seconds before the doors closed and soon we were on our way!

By the time we were off the MONORAIL (AHHHHH- love saying that!) it had thankfully slowed to a very light drizzle. We waited in a largish mass (NOT a line) to go through bag check and walked into the Magic Kingdom while Wishes was going on!!! How perfect is that????

We oohed and aahed all the way up Main Street. I am so glad I got to see (at least part of) Wishes again!

Our first stop was First Aid, which is next to Crystal Palace. I wanted to get a large bandage for Sarah's knee. They were also able to clean a few lingering pieces of dirt which was very helpful.

It was now about 10:30 and we had until 1 am!!! (Apology- I wanted to just be in the moment so I took significantly less photo evidence.)

Our first stop is one of Sarah's new favorite rides...Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! It was such a cool experience at night. I think we were in the last row, which was awesome! Such a great ride.

Next was Splash Mountain!!! There was NO ONE on the ride. It was insane. I might be crazy, but I think the lighting looks a little different at night. Try it.

All this time, the wind had been picking up, the temperature was dropping just a bit, and it was starting to get a bit cold. We had discussed finding somewhere to buy a sweatshirt along the way to the mountains, but hadn't stopped yet. As we were leaving the Splash dump shop, Sarah suddenly spotted the most perfect long sleeves! Sarah found a sweatshirt and I got a long sleeve crew neck. It is now my absolute most favorite shirt in the world! It is so soft and comfy, and it was just enough to keep me warm.

Newly long-sleeved, we continued on our way. Haunted Mansion was next! Along the way, we stopped for pin trading. We met some high school age girls in line and they were so nervous! I reassured them that all would be well, though the stretching room freaked one of them out a little bit. The hitchhiking ghosts switched our heads! So cool!

Next we decided to try for Enchanted Tales with Belle. Hey, we might get lucky!

That was the most amazing walk. Just enjoying Magic Kingdom at night. All of the lights, and colors. So pretty!

We passed through the gates of New Fantasyland about 11:45 and found out that Enchanted Tales with Belle had a 5 minute wait!!!! EXHILARATING MOMENT PEOPLE.

We SKIPPED up the EMPTY queue line and giggled and smiled directly into the workshop!

That was our wait. The workshop.

Let me tell you, even though we are children at heart, normal adults should all see this at least once. It is amazing technology and lots of fun.

Explaining the story.



Magic!!!



After giving out parts to kids, they take volunteers. Don't be shy!



Sarah was given the part of Wardrobe



I was given the part of Fifi, the French maid. Am I missing something?



Hello Lauren!



Beast was played by an absolutely adorable little girl. It was so cute!



Sarah is part of the story!



Photo-op with Belle! At the end, they give you a Photopass card so that you can see all of the pictures from your story. We didn't want to buy the whole CD though. (Mama and I have already pre-purchased Photopass+ for August. 14 days of all ride pics, dining pics, and every photopass we want? No brainer!)



Princess!



Lumiere is amazing.



Au revoir Belle! Thanks for the memories!



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[Happy Duck]

Under the sea, in the woods, and out in space!
April 14

Backtracking a little bit, here are some night time Fantasyland pictures.





Not the best, since they were pulled off my video, but I think it they still show some of the amazing lighting effects. Especially at the entrance to New Fantasyland. It was very obvious that a lot of thought was even put into the lighting plot of the area.

We continued through New Fantasyland to the Ariel ride! We had a fabulous time under the sea! I love this ride. It is now an absolute must-do for me. Also, this ride has rekindled my love for Ariel.

We headed back into old Fantasyland for one of Sarahs must-dos: Winnie the Pooh! We had a fabulous time in the hundred-acre wood.

Next was Tomorrowland for SPACE MOUNTAIN! Still jerky, but it was definitely fun. I could tell that they were trying to limit repeat rides because the moving sidewalk was turned off! I dont think you fully comprehend the slope of that walkway until it is turned off! Quite a hike.

We hurried along because we had a goal. We wanted to get to Buzz Lightyear just one more time! We escaped from Space Mountain, and ran across Tomorrowland. Our efforts were rewarded because we entered Buzz at EXACTLY 12:59 am. GO US!

Again, we were the ONLY people on the ride. It was actually a little creepy. Such a different environment. Fun fact. You know all of the laser shooting sounds? They arent actually tied to anyones laser gun. You hear that regardless of the number of people!

I also dont know if having other people helps your score. Or maybe we were just tired. Either way:

My score.



Sarahs score.



Thats right, folks. Sarah finally won something. And she wasnt about to let me forget it!

After saving the galaxy, we decided it was time to leave. We meandered out, admiring that oh-so-beautiful castle. We sang the Mickey Mouse march going across the bridge from Tomorrowland to the hub.

Ahhh, Main Street.



Happy!



I had to make one last visit to my girl. I will see you soon!



Closing down Magic Kingdom yet again!



As soon as we got to the bus stop, a Riverside bus pulled up. We were both in bed at 2am. Good night/morning!

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[Happy Duck]

Recap of Late EMH

I am now a huge fan of late night extra magic hours! I know that the threat of rain and slightly dropping temperatures contributed to the lack of crowds, but this was really quite amazing. We walked on almost everything, with the longest wait being only 5 minutes. It was fabulous!

In 2 hours and 30 minutes we accomplished:

Big Thunder Mountain

Splash Mountain

Trying on and purchasing sweatshirts (Oh yeah! I forgot to mention. We got both an AP discount and our Disney Visa discount! We got both of these shirts for around $60. We saved $20!)

Pin Trading

Haunted Mansion

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid

Winnie the Pooh

Space Mountain

Buzz Lightyear

It was quite EXHILARATING and totally worth the $60 to add the park hopper onto Sarahs ticket. I felt like we had the whole Magic Kingdom to ourselves. We were happy, immersed in the magic, and had a fabulous time!


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[dtr_angel]

wow you did so much during evening EMH! That's great! My husband and I stayed at the magic kingdom once until 2am for emh. We were so tired (more like delirious!) but it was amazing. I felt like we were the only ones in the MK! We hopped on the carousel at park closing and a bunch of characters were on there as well! It was like something you see on commercials with characters just hanging out with guests. It does happen in real life!

Thanks for the info about the bounce back offers. We are planning 2 trips close together after we got back next year. We've been trying to do some mickey math and are looking at doing some split stays to get to experience more Disney resorts (our goal is to stay at all of them!) and since we are planning on driving those trips, the split stays will be awesome. Anyway, we were looking at renting DVC points since we want to stay deluxe but I'm having sticker shock at the prices right now LOL. We're going to play it by ear and see what discounts come out. When we go in December 2014 hopefully we can get a good discount for our trip in May 2015. We're looking at getting AP and squeezing in a 3rd trip before they expire... we're probably crazy, but our little one will only be little once and I think he will have a great year of Disney at 2-3 years old

You mentioned that you didn't actually have to have the AP to book a discount using the AP? How does that work? Depending on what we do (booking room only, or renting DVC points) I wasn't planning on buying tickets in advance, just buying the AP when we get there. Or do I need to order it online before we go? Can you even do that? Oh my goodness I have a lot of research to do... we've always booked a package straight through Disney (tickets, room, dining) and flew so these next few trips are going to be totally different.

Sorry for writing my entire life story here