After the Tiki Room, we headed through Liberty Square towards Fantasyland. In the continued tribute to September 11, the colony flags surrounding the Liberty Bell in the square were also at half mast.
Hailey started misbehaving, so we put her in the stockade!
We're back in Fantasyland, and the crowds were still pretty light. I guess people were visiting other parks since
MNSSHP was tonight. Also, Night of Joy was tonight at the Studios, so two parks were closing early.
We were moving at a fairly quick pace. First was a ride on Cinderella's Golden Carousel. Afterward, we took Hailey into Sir Mickey's for a pair of ears. She picked the pink ears with three princesses on them. Naturally, we had her name embroidered on the back. She already has a pair of traditional pink ears from when my wife and I went to
Disneyland, so we were looking for something different this time. We also got one of the special fonts instead of the traditional script.
After finally getting these ears, we went back to our favorite 3D movie, Philharmagic. And of course, the valuable lesson we all learn at the end is "don't upset the instruments... they will get you."
9/11/2009 12:49 PM EDT Did the carousel, got Hailey some ears, and watched Philharmagic again. Now waiting in line for Pooh. 10 minute wait.
As usual, I don't think this line was actually 10 minutes long. Maybe 5.
After Pooh, we headed back to Toontown, but made a quick detour first:
9/11/2009 1:03 PM EDT Stopping at the Tea Cups on the way to the Barnstormer.
Everyone got nice and dizzy again, and we stumbled our way into Toontown looking like we snuck booze into the park. Hailey rode the Barnstormer two more times. The second time, I decided not to ride and try to get a shot of her on it.
The next time we're in WDW, the Barnstormer probably won't be known as the Barnstormer anymore. I think I can deal with that when I weigh it against what the Fantasyland expansion is bringing though.
After finally getting Hailey to decide to move on, we headed down the "Concourse to Tomorrowland". I don't understand why this is the Concourse to Tomorrowland. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Tomorrowland begin just past the Tea Cups? So, in my esteemed opinion, this walkway should be the Concourse IN Tomorrowland.
Anyway, as we're heading down the Concourse in Tomorrowland, I start to hear a sound. It's a familiar sound, but not one I've heard in a while. As we get closer, I can make out what it is...
"Now approaching... Mickey's Star Traders!"
I look up to see a familiar blue vehicle moving on the track overhead. At this point, I naturally have to yank out my iPhone and post an immediate tweet:
9/11/2009 1:40 PM EDT TTA IS OPEN!!!!
The refurbishment was scheduled to end tomorrow. The TTA is not only open, but it's open a day early! I really thought we were going to just miss it, so naturally we immediately head for it.
The next set of thoughts runs through my mind: what is Space Mountain going to look like? Well, here's my thoughts right after the ride:
9/11/2009 1:56 PM EDT Lights are on in Space Mountain. Can't see much other than the big ship on the lift hill and the roof. Construction walls everywhere.
9/11/2009 2:08 PM EDT As far as I can tell, TTA is exactly the same but the sound system seems improved. EPCOT is still there as well as the hairdresser scene.
9/11/2009 2:09 PM EDT Skyway station demolition is easy to see. The whole area in front of Space Mountain is a mess.
After the ride on the TTA, we headed over to ride Buzz Lightyear one more time. We're not quite sure what happened, but my wife somehow scored over 700,000 points. When we came out of Buzz, Stitch was having a somewhat impromptu meet and greet by the Carousel of Progress.
While in line for Stitch, we also noticed that Buzz was set up at a meet and greet right next to the Carousel with his own background. This is when my memory card filled up, so I didn't really get pictures of Buzz. Fortunately, the Photopass CD, my parents' camera, and my sister's camera made up for that.
When we were leaving the line for Buzz, we had a CM ask us if he could ask us a few questions about our character experience. My dad ended up answering most of them as I was fooling with swapping cards. Once the CM was done, we decided on a second ride on the TTA.
This time, I got some better shots because I had a ballpark idea where my settings should be. Of course, by now you've all seen the demolition and the inside of Space Mountain, so I won't drag you through those again. Here's the lift hill with the astronauts though.
9/11/2009 2:26 PM EDT Got plenty of shots inside space mountain. Will be posting after I get home.
Turns out I wasn't so quick on posting those shots.
We hung out in Tomorrowland a bit longer, and while we were just taking in Tomorrowland, there was a loud clap of thunder. Immediately afterward, the entire Magic Kingdom groaned in unison, and naturally I thought it was hilarious.
Finally, we decided to split up. My wife and I were going to head back to the room to pick up my tripod. Everyone else was going to go ride Aladdin one more time and then take the monorail to EPCOT. We would all meet back up at EPCOT.
On the way down Main Street, my wife and I stopped in Uptown Jewelers again. The other night we had looked at the Precious Moments figurines, and she decided she wanted the one of Minnie and a girl in a tea cup, called "You Are My Cup of Tea"
Since we were headed back to the room, we picked it up in order to bring it back with us.
Coming up: the final evening of the trip at EPCOT and Illuminations
at the Hanes comment
Such a lovely attraction, and I'm really loving the photo of the little Emporium model. It's making me nostalgic for the America I certainly never even experienced! Plus, I spy an HSM3 poster behind that Parisian castle model!
, and I also hate it when we arrive in the MK and don't accomplish anything within the first hour and 1/2. 
And as for the TTA new audio? I must have been so excited to just ride it that I didn't notice. But now that I think about it...I didn't hear the page for Mr. Morrow!
