This Land is MY Land!!! A July 4th PTR ~ Updated 7/2: When is the fun gonna start??

[magichusky]

Welcome to this absolutely sizzling (as advertised) July 4th PTR. I just made my ADRs and now it's official (a new trip never really becomes official until you've made your ADRs, right?). My Mom and I are planning a secret adventure to our "happy place" in early July, and yes, there are other people in our family but we're voting them off the island this time. Mom and I are very much alike b/c people always write us off as friendly and harmless but we are actually highly evolved haha. We have excellent mental fortitude and endurance; in other words, we tour WDW commando style and we LOVE it.

Since Mom and I are warriors, I thought that what could be more awesome for us than navigating a dilapidated rope bridge precariously suspended over a sinister pile of crocodiles Indiana Jones style? So yes, I'm considering surprising Mom w/ a Wild Africa Trek (I just came up w/ the idea last night!).

So, how did this Independence Day extravaganza come about? Read on, folks, for the "who, what, where, when, and why!"

NOTE: Not only will I be posting PTR material here, but I also wanted to post some pics from our December 2011 trip since I wasn't able to write a TR for it. My pics from the MK Christmas parade came out so well that I need to post them!

***THE WHO (aka the Cast of Characters)***

My MOM (I will from now on refer to my mother as Maureen, since she is "Mom" to me but "Maureen" to all of you!): Maureen is a third grade teacher and loves to watch "Once Upon a Time" and "Downton Abbey." Experience has proven that she is somehow a magnet for crazy people in WDW; she was rammed by a stroller from behind (I saw the whole thing, it was incredible) and had to defend our territory when some crazy lady tried to steal my curb space before the MK Christmas parade while I had gone to get us lunch. But, as I said before, Maureen is a warrior and prevailed. She's also a mean power walker.

ME (LAUREN): I'm 27, a grad student (yes, I'm almost done!), and made my first excursion to WDW when I was 25 (the anticipation was pretty extreme). My dream is to visit DL Paris, Norway, and Nepal (amongst other places) and I like to watch "The Amazing Race." Some of my must-do's at WDW are: searching for paint brushes on Tom Sawyer Island, Living w/ the Land, Maelstrom, and the Flights of Wonder show in AK.

VOTED OFF THE ISLAND- HEATHER (my sister): Heather is 35, my sister, a school counselor, and a tad bit crazy! She went to WDW once w/ my parents and me when we made our first trip in December 2010. I think my 4 yr old niece, Lily, has more patience than Heather does. Heather almost decided to come w/ us in July, but recently decided against it b/c she and her husband, Dave, are already going on 2 trips in the next few months. They have an evil parrot named Sushi who attacks houseguests from the air. Maureen and I refuse to set foot in that house. Heather was a bit of a cranky pants at WDW (I mean just look at her beating up this troll), so Maureen and I were surprised that she was interested in another trip- I guess I underestimated the Disney magic!

Heather & Dave:

Evil Sushi:

VOTED OFF THE ISLAND- My DAD: Dad aka Joe is a grumpy Marine/scary half German (that pic of him w/ the Beer stein is in the Biergarten, his favorite dining experience) who has even less patience than Heather does. He was so obnoxious on our last trip that he practically ruined our 'Ohana dinner. He usually just stays at SoG and plays golf all day. When he would venture out, he would almost always fall asleep at some point. I've compiled a few pics of him sleeping in weird places that I've displayed below. The weirdest place he fell asleep was probably in the middle of the Kilimanjaro Safari, but unfortunately I don't have photographic documentation of that particular incident. Needless to say, he is not allowed on our upcoming, "stress-free" escape trip!

HONORARY CAST MEMBER- LOKI: Loki is my best little buddy in the world. He's a 105 lb Siberian Husky and is regularly described by neighbors and onlookers as "noble," "regal," and "handsome." He has a particular way of walking that reminds me of the royal, white horses from Cinderella. We first met on February 2, 2008 and his adoption was finalized on 2/9/2008! Every time I drive to my parents' house for the weekend, he hears my car come up the street and absolutely KNOWS it's me. Maureen opens the door and he barrels down the driveway and body slams me!

***THE WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN***

Maureen and I will both fly into MCO from DC and CA, respectively, and will spend the next 3 nights at SoG. Then we'll stop in TX on our way home to visit my bro and his family. Here's our itinerary so far:

***THE WHY***

Maureen found out that she is going to a teacher conference in Washington DC at the beginning of July. Us silly Californians, well we're so far away from practically everyone, that whenever we travel ANYWHERE we always say "well, if I'm going all the way to X then I might as well go to Y, too." In fact, that's how we wound up visiting WDW for the very first time back in December 2010. My brother, JG, and his family did the unthinkable and moved away to Texas, so we decided to go visit them over Christmas. Suddenly Maureen declared: "Well, if we're going all the way to Texas then we might as well just go to WDW, too." I was like yeah right, since I had been desperately campaigning to see WDW for pretty much my entire life. Maureen was somehow stirred to action by my disbelief, and she stopped what she was doing and literally at that very second, picked up the phone and called Shades of Green (SoG). After she made our reservation she hung up and we just sat there, blinking at each other. "I can't believe you just did that," I blubbered. Memories!

In fact, here are two pics of Heather and I from when we saw the castle for the VERY first time EVER!!! I just realized that these pics do a hilariously great job at distinguishing between our personalities!

We traveled to WDW for the week before Christmas in both 2010 and 2011 but haven't been able to get back over there since (I stayed at the WL for one night last May but that's a whole other can of worms actually). Anyway, we've been very sad that we couldn't go for Christmas 2012. One day, Maureen was carrying laundry upstairs and suddenly stopped and declared: "I need to see the new Beauty and the Beast castle at WDW." Then, a few weeks later, Dad was watching a golf tournament on tv that was being held at SoG. We could hear the monorail's whistle in the background and it made Maureen and I SO very sad! Sometimes Maureen claimed that she could smell the Polynesian. But alas, we could not go!

Anyway, Maureen pulled another fast one on me last week. I had known that she was going to the teacher conference and she was thinking about stopping in Texas to visit my bro on her way back home. But then suddenly she said to me on the phone one evening: "Why don't you meet me in Orlando and then we can go to WDW for a few days, then visit JG on our way back?" After about a 15 min discussion, I had already drawn up a list of possible flights, drafted a sample WDW itinerary, and assessed ADR availability (I'm like a firecracker when it comes to booking flights and putting together itineraries- I LOVE any excuse to get on a plane and go somewhere, anywhere). I was worried that all the flights would be horribly expensive, since we'd be flying right around July 4th, but I somehow found some great deals, plus I found two flights from DC and CA that arrived in MCO within 20 min of each other. Sold!

***QUICK LINKS***
3/8/2013: Thunder Cake and Wild Africa Trek! (pg 1)
4/24/2013: Disneyland July 2012 (pg 1)
6/3/2013: Disneyland March 2013 - PART 1/3 (pg 1)
6/3/2013: Disneyland March 2013 - PART 2/3 (pg 2)
6/3/2013: Disneyland March 2013 - PART 3/3 (pg 2)
6/5/2013: Planning Conundrums Regarding Breakfast (pg 2)
6/13/2013: Final Draft of the Itinerary & MK Christmas Parade Pics! (pg 2)
6/13/2013: MK Christmas Parade Pics - PART 2/3 (pg 2)
6/13/2013: MK Christmas Parade Pics - PART 3/3 (pg 2)
6/21/2013: A Schnauzer in Disneyland - PART 1/2 (pg 3)
6/21/2013: A Schnauzer in Disneyland - PART 2/2 (pg 3)
7/2/2013: When is the fun gonna start?? (pg 3)

 

[Eight]

You probably already know I'm excited about this, as I mentioned yesterday, but I'll say it again, I am excited for you!

Your touring dynamic with your mom reminds me of me and my mom. Both the commando touring style and kicking dad out of the trips. Speaking of, I do love the collection of you dad sleeping in various places. That's hilarious! But how could you sleep at Beaches n Cream?!

And Loki looks as handsome as ever. Such a beautiful dog!

I totally approve of all of your ADRs. I did the exact same ones on my last trip, with the exception of eating lunch at Be Our Guest and SoG, but replace SoG with CSR, and yeah, our ADRs were almost exactly the same! I tried so hard to find a reservation at BoG, but it never worked. Actually, I did have one but the timing ended up not working out so I had to cancel it. I'll do it next time!!

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[magichusky]

You probably already know I'm excited about this, as I mentioned yesterday, but I'll say it again, I am excited for you!

Your touring dynamic with your mom reminds me of me and my mom. Both the commando touring style and kicking dad out of the trips. Speaking of, I do love the collection of you dad sleeping in various places. That's hilarious! But how could you sleep at Beaches n Cream?!

And Loki looks as handsome as ever. Such a beautiful dog!

I totally approve of all of your ADRs. I did the exact same ones on my last trip, with the exception of eating lunch at Be Our Guest and SoG, but replace SoG with CSR, and yeah, our ADRs were almost exactly the same! I tried so hard to find a reservation at BoG, but it never worked. Actually, I did have one but the timing ended up not working out so I had to cancel it. I'll do it next time!!

Can't wait to hear more!

Haha, thanks! Yes, my dad actually had a temper tantrum on our way to B&C b/c getting there from SoG using Disney transportation is sort of a pain. It would make sense to go there while you're at Epcot, but I think the chocolate moose from Le Cellier beats out the No Way Jose every time.

I tried to look for dinner ADRs at BoG but they're all gone for July 4-5 at this point. I haven't researched it on the DIS thoroughly yet, but my friend who went to WDW in Dec said that people were lining up at 10am so they could get in for lunch! My mom and I are determined though to get lunch there so we'll see how it goes!

 

[magichusky]

March 8, 2013: Thunder Cake and Wild Africa Trek!!!!

Hello everyone! Firstly, I have to share that I am still recovering from a basically terrifying incident that occurred last night. The night before I had pulled an all-nighter. Grad school encourages horrible habits, so after several years of this nonsense I've wound up a vampire i.e. I've been going to sleep at 6am and waking up at 2pm. It was fun for awhile but now it's downright inconvenient and I've been feeling like a Norwegian in the winter and I probably have a vitamin D deficiency. Anyway, I've been trying to wake up an hour earlier every few days but it hasn't worked. I even tried fasting for 12 hrs, which NASA does to acclimate astronauts to low earth orbit (in LEO the sun rises and sets every 90 minutes!), but that didn't work either! Enough was enough so I just went to sleep at 5am and got up at 6am. I cleaned, did laundry, got groceries, and walked the dogs at the shelter since I of course wasn't functioning well enough to actually do anything that required thinking. I started dimming the lights at 9pm and was asleep by 11pm (that's INCREDIBLE for me). I was so excited and planned on waking up this morning at 6 or 7am again. But then...I SHOT out of bed at 1:10am to the sound of a HUGE explosion!! I realized after about 2 sec that it was a random clap of thunder but wow was that the loudest most thundery thing I've ever heard! It pretty much thunders about once a year around here so I certainly wasn't expecting it. I was so mad b/c I went to all that effort to get to sleep early and then, an explosion? Really? I was so freaked out and my heart was pounding so it took awhile to get back to sleep. I woke up at 11am. So at least I managed to move up a few hrs. Which reminds me, has anyone ever read Thunder Cake, by Patricia Polacco?? One of my favorite stories ever!

Besides thunder cake, I have some exciting news! I called Disney to schedule Maureen and myself for the Wild Africa Trek!!!! We're going on 7/4 at 9:30am. I was happy w/ the 9:30 time b/c any later and it would've been so hot that it would've been more like the "Australian Outback Trek" on Christmas, and any earlier and I would've been traversing the crocodile bridge thinking "I'm tired. I'm so tired. Look at the pretty crocodiles. I'm tired." I had to make sure that Disney wasn't going to charge the $250 per person on 7/4, but it was the $189, so I booked our trek! The guy on the phone said that he went on the trek recently and he LOVED it but it was HOT HOT HOT. He also said that the trek guides made everyone take off their name tags before crossing the crocodile bridge, b/c they didn't want other guests on the KS to catch ominous glimpses of the tags floating in the crocodile enclosure haha.

I've been wanting to do the WAT for years now, and I remember having a discussion w/ Maureen about it and she was super enthusiastic, but it was super expensive so we decided to do the Wishes Cruise instead at that time. Since it'll only be Maureen and me this time, it's not a small fortune w/ just 2 people. I made the final decision to book the WAT after watching these YouTube videos:

(Disney's WILD AFRICA TREK The Complete Experience)

(Interview with Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, by DisneyParks)

(Behind-The-Scenes: Wild Africa Trek, by DisneyParks)

This DIS Unplugged podcast featuring the WAT was also really awesome:
(Disney World Backstage Tours, Disney Tours)

I'm SO excited!!!! I'm not planning on telling Maureen until we arrive at the AK on 7/4! I told her the other night on the phone that I had scheduled a "special event" on 7/4 but it was almost 9pm and if I don't call her before 8pm on weekdays then I'm basically just talking to myself (Maureen has to get up at 5am). Consequently, Maureen wasn't at all suspicious of anything and I think she probably doesn't even remember having that conversation anyway haha. After I told her about the special event I cackled w/ anticipation while thinking about the crocodile bridge. She said "Uh-oh I hope we're not riding EE again." When my family rode EE for the first time in Dec 2010, we had no idea it was so crazy! I felt a little bad b/c Maureen gets terrified on rides like that (she's more of a BTMR kind of gal) and would've refused to participate had she known about the backwards part.

Here's Maureen and my Dad freaking out on EE:

Here's my family in total shock after we staggered off EE (I think this pic is so funny):

Meanwhile I was just delighted:

The last time I surprised my family w/ a "special event" was on the 2010 trip when I booked a surprise Holiday sleigh ride through Fort Wilderness (I highly recommend this if you're going during the holidays- you roll past all of the RVs where some people set up really awesome Christmas light displays in their "front yards"!). Book the sleigh ride as early as possible; my parents requested another sleigh ride for our December 2011 trip but I waited too long and couldn't get a reservation (and I called multiple times, even while we were at WDW). Our horse's name was Phil:

The sleigh:

Phil:

Us w/ Phil and Phil's handler, Stephanie:

NEXT TIME: Some photos from DL w/ Maureen, Heather, me, and my brother's family. Also, maybe changing my Kona breakfast ADR to earlier in the morning so we can make it to MK rope drop on time!

 

[Enchanted]

Haha, I love that you and Maureen voted the others off the island for this trip. That's what me, my mom, and my aunt like to do. The men (my dad, my brothers, and my uncle)...they're like your dad. They tend to be a little impatient. And they've been known to pout and be annoying. Haha. So we ditch them quite a bit for girls only trips.

I'm so excited to hear about your Wild Africa trek! I've never known anyone who's done it! I bet it'll be a blast!

And omg, I LOVE Thunder Cake! I took a Children's Literature class in college, and we did a class on it. Such a great book!

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Eight]

Oooh, the Wild Africa Trek, that sounds awesome! And I love that you are surprising your mom, that'll be fun! I've never done it, but it sounds pretty great, from what I've heard. I really hope you do a TR, because I would definitely want to hear about it.

And I like the idea of the sleigh ride. I think if I were to go back during the holidays, I would like to do that.

Looking forward to the next update, I want to see some Disneyland pictures!

P.S. Finished my Tinker Bell Half trip report and posted the start of Princess Half one. Admittedly, it's not super exciting yet, but it'll get there.

 

[magichusky]

Haha, I love that you and Maureen voted the others off the island for this trip. That's what me, my mom, and my aunt like to do. The men (my dad, my brothers, and my uncle)...they're like your dad. They tend to be a little impatient. And they've been known to pout and be annoying. Haha. So we ditch them quite a bit for girls only trips.

I'm so excited to hear about your Wild Africa trek! I've never known anyone who's done it! I bet it'll be a blast!

And omg, I LOVE Thunder Cake! I took a Children's Literature class in college, and we did a class on it. Such a great book!

Can't wait to hear more!

Hi Emily! Thanks so much for visiting! I just realized that you are currently right smack in the middle of your April trip! I hope you're having a blast! I find it hilarious that the men in your life also have tantrums! I think that women generally have more endurance haha.

Oooh, the Wild Africa Trek, that sounds awesome! And I love that you are surprising your mom, that'll be fun! I've never done it, but it sounds pretty great, from what I've heard. I really hope you do a TR, because I would definitely want to hear about it.

And I like the idea of the sleigh ride. I think if I were to go back during the holidays, I would like to do that.

Looking forward to the next update, I want to see some Disneyland pictures!

P.S. Finished my Tinker Bell Half trip report and posted the start of Princess Half one. Admittedly, it's not super exciting yet, but it'll get there.

I am SUPER excited for the Wild Africa Trek! I was just watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on tv the other night and I got the warm fuzzies when it came time for the rope bridge crocodile scene. Reading your 1/2 marathon TRs I find so inspirational- puts me in the perfect mood to go work out! I've been lifting weights twice a week since Nov and still can't do a 100% push up. I think my arms are too long!

 

[magichusky]

April 24, 2013: Disneyland July 2012

Hello again, friends! I've been meaning to post a new DIS update but& school is taking over my life. As my grandmother used to say: "This too shall pass." I have to get as much work finished as possible before July 4th so I don't feel guilty while hiding in WDW! I also visited DL last month right before my AP expired (probably won't be able to renew this year), so I'm planning on posting a few pics soon.

In the meantime, here are some pics from July 2012 when my bro and his family (my sister-in-law Sarah, niece Lily (now 4), and niece Baby Avery (now 1)) visited us from TX. I have separated the pics into multiple "series."

The Before & After Series:

BEFORE: Here's Lily waiting to board the Mickey & Friends tram to DL. At this point, she's never been to DL and has no idea what to expect! Lily's wearing a special tutu that I had bought for her at the DTD World of Disney a few weeks prior- I also bought her a stuffed Minnie Mouse who was wearing a matching tutu! I saved them so I could give them to her when they all arrived from TX. By the time I drove down to my parents' house from Los Angeles, they had already been there for a few hours. JG & Sarah told Lily that I had a special surprise for her but that she couldn't open it until I arrived. When I finally walked through the front door, I hadn't seen them for over 6 months, and within 20 seconds Lily said: "Lauren- do you have my surprise??":

AFTER: As we approached Main Street, we told Lily that there was a huge pink castle in which Sleeping Beauty lived. She was SO excited as we turned the corner and the castle came into view! We took her to the little princess boutique inside the castle and she picked out the Cinderella costume (she initially went for the Aurora dress b/c it's pink, but she absolutely HAD to have the Cinderella glass slippers (not in this pic b/c the castle didn't have her size and I had to hot foot it over to the Fantasy Fair area where they had more shoes for sale), so she wound up w/ the entire Cinderella ensemble.

We all got a great spot to watch the parade near IASW, and it was hilarious b/c Baby Avery woke up and was literally kicking her legs to the beat of the music. Lily was completely mesmerized. When the princess float passed us, Cinderella noticed Lily decked out in her Cinderella costume and she placed her hands over her heart and blew Lily a kiss and waved! Lily gasped and her face just lit up like a Christmas tree- it was ADORABLE and it absolutely melted all of our hearts.

The Classic Series:

These photo-ops are pretty much no brainers for any day at DL, but boy did I have to fight to get these! I had to get them as early in the day as I could b/c otherwise everyone would've been too tired and cranky to bother. I was bummed that the strollers made an appearance in our castle photo, but it was pretty hot and by that point all Lily wanted to do was sit in her chariot w/ the visor down blowing her handheld pink personal fan that I gave her (well, she sort of stole it haha, but thank goodness for that fan! For anyone taking a small child to Disney, a fan alone will prevent numerous meltdowns in hot weather).

Sleeping Beauty Castle:

Monstro at the Storybook Canal:

The train station:

The Twin Series:

For some reason I wound up w/ a bunch of photos in which various pairs of people looked scarily similar...

JG & Baby Avery (waiting for the Mickey & Friends tram in the morning):

I was actually really impressed w/ how long JG lasted at DL. He had a meltdown at Pinocchio's Village Haus b/c suddenly he needed lunch within 30 seconds or else (a low blood-sugar crisis- it happens to everyone!), but he actually lasted until we had dinner right before the fireworks. After dinner, Lily accidentally cracked him over the head w/ one of those MM lollipops on the long stick. Like, I heard the crack. Everyone heard the crack. I of course roared w/ laughter for about a half hour afterwards but JG wasn't particularly enthused. That's when we knew it was time to leave. Sarah wanted to stay but JG was on the edge. You'd think that after 8 yrs of marriage she'd be able to read the signs? My Mom, Heather, and I are for obvious reasons extremely skilled at reading the signs haha.

Sarah & Lily (on the Storybook Canal; I love this little ride!):

JG & Lily (on the teacups):

Lily & Me (well this isn't at DL but it really needs to be included in the twin series. Wow, do I ever look like a big beluga):

NEXT TIME: Updated July 4th plans and our must-do's! Plus, a new park bag!

 

[benji2012]

Joining in! Your stories are hilarious...can't wait to read more. I'm so jealous about the trek! One of these days!

 

[Eight]

Aw, your nieces are adorable! I am amused by the picture of JG and Avery, they look so serious. Didn't anyone tell them they were at the Happiest Place on Earth? And the picture of Lily in her Cinderella ensemble is so sweet. Little kids in costumes at the parks make me smile, because a) it's adorable, and b) I feel like it takes this weird super human dedication to wear one of those costumes all day in the heat. I wore a kid's Cinderella dress to a costume party once, they are not comfortable!

And that story about Cinderella waving at Lily. This is why I want to go with kids someday, because they appreciate things in a totally different way that is so fun to watch.

And I really like your Tinker Bell tank.

And I am looking forward to your next update because I want to hear about your new park bag. That's how you know you are a Disney person, you're always looking for the perfect park bag.

 

[Eight]

I am SUPER excited for the Wild Africa Trek! I was just watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on tv the other night and I got the warm fuzzies when it came time for the rope bridge crocodile scene. Reading your 1/2 marathon TRs I find so inspirational- puts me in the perfect mood to go work out! I've been lifting weights twice a week since Nov and still can't do a 100% push up. I think my arms are too long!

I used to love that movie when I was kid, though I haven't seen it in years (although looking back, wasn't it a bit violent for kids?)! I keep thinking I should watch it.

And I am glad you find them inspirational! That makes me feel inspired to keep working hard. Although I'm not sure I could do a push up either. Maybe like one. And then my arms would give out. I plan to start doing more cross training in then next few months though.

Also, since your AP expired, can we still meet up at Downtown Disney when I come in August? I know that's like several months from now, but you know me, I am a planner.

Sorry for the weird two post response. I wrote one, and then decided I had more to say.

 

[VBsHustla]

I LOVE the book Thunder Cake! My 4th grade teacher used to read it to us whenever there was a thunderstorm. So good! Lily looks so cute in her Cinderella dress. The full dress with crown and wand looks particularly adorable with the tiny running shoes haha. How magical to get to dress up right in Disneyland! Also love how perplexed the baby looks in all of the pictures haha. Clearly you'll need to bring her back immediately now that she's 1!

That pic with your mom in front of the castle is also amazing with those pink flowering trees! I hope that's still available next week?! I assume they're already bloomed, sadly, but it's just so pretty! Your dad's napping abilities are pretty impressive. Great collage haha. Also, I don't think I've ever seen that evil bird before! He does look kind of creepy!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi Lauren!

I'm hopping on board because we're going to be at WDW for July 4th too!! (I still can't believe we're tackling WDW over a major holiday!)

I laughed when you were describing your Dad -- my hubby is often "Grumpy" on our Disney trips and your Dad reminds me of him (minus the golf!)

I love Mother-Daughter trip reports! Looking forward to more....


Kathy

 

[magichusky]

Joining in! Your stories are hilarious...can't wait to read more. I'm so jealous about the trek! One of these days!

Hi Ellen- thanks so much for visiting! I keep forgetting that I actually signed us up for the trek! It always seemed so "not gonna happen" b/c of the price, but then I thought well, how many times am I going to walk over a dilapidated crocodile bridge? Might as well do it now!

Aw, your nieces are adorable! I am amused by the picture of JG and Avery, they look so serious. Didn't anyone tell them they were at the Happiest Place on Earth? And the picture of Lily in her Cinderella ensemble is so sweet. Little kids in costumes at the parks make me smile, because a) it's adorable, and b) I feel like it takes this weird super human dedication to wear one of those costumes all day in the heat. I wore a kid's Cinderella dress to a costume party once, they are not comfortable!

Haha yes! I was honestly so impressed w/ how long JG lasted at DL. But I totally agree about the itchy costume thing- as a child I refused to wear anything except spandex and t-shirts. I would've most certainly refused to wear a costume to DL. Lily just absolutely refused to take her costume off all day- her plastic glass slippers were even fogging up b/c it was so hot and we were like how is that comfortable? Apparently she even wore them at their hotel the next morning when she went w/ JG to get breakfast for everyone!

And that story about Cinderella waving at Lily. This is why I want to go with kids someday, because they appreciate things in a totally different way that is so fun to watch.

It was SO SWEET! Yeah, my sister and I had a mini-meltdown around 2pm b/c we had been in Fantasy Land for way too long, but we got over it.

And I really like your Tinker Bell tank.

Thanks! It was like $35 or something ridiculous in DTD, but I HAD to have it. I never see attractive Disney tank tops for sale, which is annoying b/c I don't really like wearing t-shirts.

I used to love that movie when I was kid, though I haven't seen it in years (although looking back, wasn't it a bit violent for kids?)! I keep thinking I should watch it.

Omg, IJ & the Temple of Doom is such a classic! I don't find the IJ movies to be violent at all b/c they're more like light hearted adventure films, not super serious, dramatic sagas.

And I am glad you find them inspirational! That makes me feel inspired to keep working hard. Although I'm not sure I could do a push up either. Maybe like one. And then my arms would give out. I plan to start doing more cross training in then next few months though.

You should start weight lifting!! Once I started doing lower body strength conditioning (like leg presses and calf raises and stuff) I found that I became an even stronger runner w/out running more frequently, which is awesome.

Also, since your AP expired, can we still meet up at Downtown Disney when I come in August? I know that's like several months from now, but you know me, I am a planner.

Haha you know it! Now that my AP has been renewed we can hang out in the parks!

I LOVE the book Thunder Cake! My 4th grade teacher used to read it to us whenever there was a thunderstorm. So good! Lily looks so cute in her Cinderella dress. The full dress with crown and wand looks particularly adorable with the tiny running shoes haha. How magical to get to dress up right in Disneyland! Also love how perplexed the baby looks in all of the pictures haha. Clearly you'll need to bring her back immediately now that she's 1!

Lily was SO excited! She still hasn't watched all of the classic Disney films yet, so I'll have to bring some w/ me when we visit them in July! I hate it that Disney keeps putting everything back in the vault, b/c then I can't buy them for Lily. And yes, little Avery was very observant. I feel like I don't even know the poor child b/c I've only seen her twice. At least Lily lived here as a baby so she always remembers who we are and stuff. When we see Avery in July she'll probably be like who the heck are you??

That pic with your mom in front of the castle is also amazing with those pink flowering trees! I hope that's still available next week?! I assume they're already bloomed, sadly, but it's just so pretty! Your dad's napping abilities are pretty impressive. Great collage haha. Also, I don't think I've ever seen that evil bird before! He does look kind of creepy!

Can't wait to read more!

I have no idea how it's possible to fall asleep on the Kilimanjaro Safari. The last time we were on it that April we were bouncing around so much that stuff was coming out of my bag!

Sushi is such a jerk! I do not approve.

Hi Lauren!

I'm hopping on board because we're going to be at WDW for July 4th too!! (I still can't believe we're tackling WDW over a major holiday!)

I laughed when you were describing your Dad -- my hubby is often "Grumpy" on our Disney trips and your Dad reminds me of him (minus the golf!)

I love Mother-Daughter trip reports! Looking forward to more....


Kathy

Thanks for visiting, Kathy! How absolutely exciting about July 4th- I'm going over to your TR now! Yes, I'm definitely worried about the crowds, especially since my mom and I are going to try and get to the MK for the July 3rd fireworks. My dad was complaining about being left out so we had to arrange for him to meet us in TX for the last leg of our trip, but my mom put her foot down and banished him from WDW!

 

[magichusky]

June 3, 2013: Disneyland March 2013 - PART 1/3

Greetings everyone! I just don't understand how time flies these days without a DIS update! Even though I should probably draw up a finalized itinerary for our July excursion and post it, I've got a bunch of DL photos that should of course be shared immediately. I visited DL twice recently: once in mid-March and once at the beginning of May. I went by myself in March to get one last adventure in before my AP expired. I wasn't planning on renewing, but I discovered that Disney has a great monthly payment plan for APs w/ 0% interest! Additionally, my excellent friend Laura (VBsHustla here on the DIS) decided to come visit! We were only planning on doing 1 day at DL, but upon further discussion and logical reasoning decided that 2 days would be more appropriate (haha). Another friend also decided that she needed to do DL on a later date. That meant at least 3 days at DL in the foreseeable future. With ticket prices soaring at $117 per 1-day park hopper (w/ a student discount), all one needs to do is visit three times in order to save $$ w/ the cheaper southern CA resident APs. I really do wish they would make the AP card more attractive however. Gosh darn it, I miss my golden Premium Passport.

Anyway, let's travel back in time to Friday, March 15th, when I stopped by DL on my way down to my parents' house (it's so convenient that DL is located between school and my parents' house!). I parked in DTD b/c you can park there for free for 3 hrs. The only other option is parking in the Mickey & Friends parking structure for a flat fee of $15. I wasn't expecting to encounter any crowds, but I found this when I arrived at CA Adv:



I think at that point I had only been inside CA Adv around 2 or 3 times since it had been remodeled, so things were still new. I came across this "Trolley Treats" window display and immediately zeroed in on these marshmallow chocolate swirl "ice cream" cones:



I was on the verge of getting one, but then decided that I'd prefer an actual ice cream cone. In an adjacent window display was the "candy Matterhorn":



I stopped and stared at this thing for quite awhile; it's very detailed! It reminded me of "ice cream mountain" from that miniature golf Rugrats episode (thank goodness the Rugrats DVD box sets were recently released on Amazon!!). There was a little trolley that zoomed around the mountain through chocolate tunnels and lollipop forests. The base of the mountain had a candy corn-field, ice cream sandwich boulders, and gingerbread houses:









I love window display photos b/c then you can see random peoples' reflections in the glass along w/ your own! Here's a view of the candy Matterhorn from the inside of the shop:



I decided that I'd walk through the Carthay Circle area and head towards the Tower, b/c I was in the mood to accelerate at 9.8 m/s^2:





This CS place reminds me of Starring Rolls!!! Oh how I miss my Starring Rolls!!!!



I went inside "Off the Page" in Hollywood Land and admired these items:







When I went to DL again in May, I actually wound up purchasing the "All Aboard" shirt in Elias & Co.! I had forgotten that I had seen it and even photographed it during this visit. The shirt is actually super soft and towards the bottom is Pluto speeding off in a trolley w/ Mickey running after him on the back of the shirt yelling "Wait for meee!". So cute!

At some point I got carried away and started contemplating purchasing all sorts of things and became concerned b/c it's not like I'm rolling in dough at the moment. My old friend Helen's voice reverberated in my ears: "Walk away." Whenever I need to thwart a major spending spree, I always hear Helen counseling "Walk away. Walk away." I wonder where Helen is now! Before I continue, I simply must recount one of my favorite Helen stories. Laura and I were just cracking up about it in May while in the Peter Pan queue:

************beginning of tangent

On President's Day weekend in 2007, Laura, Helen, Angie, Kendra, Suzanne, and I somehow managed to simultaneously clear our schedules in order to do a DL day (Helen and Suzanne truly had the nuttiest schedules ever). We arrived around 10:30am. Here's Helen dancing in the Timon & Pumbaa parking lot:



Eventually it was 11:45pm (the park closed at 12am). Somehow, Helen was able to take a photo of all 6 of us in front of the castle (pardon my strangely shiny teeth- I had Invisalign at the time):



Laura and I were appalled b/c the others absolutely insisted on riding Star Tours, which we don't really like b/c simulated rides make us feel a bit strange, plus we hadn't been on Peter Pan yet! While waiting in the short ST queue, the others were quickly becoming comatose due to the late hour. Laura and I, on the other hand, spontaneously became extraordinarily hyper and plotted and schemed that once we got off of ST we were going to SPRINT to Peter Pan so we could jump in line right at 11:59pm. It was going to be close but we were convinced we could do it. We of course never considered that our friends would be too tired (or unwilling haha) to make a mad dash to Peter Pan at midnight.

Once ST was over, Laura and I started screaming to everyone about Peter Pan and OMG it was 11:57pm!!!!! We BUSTED out of the space ship and absolutely exploded down the corridor, down the ramp, and through the gift shop. As we were sprinting away, I looked back and saw Helen grimly shuffling down the ramp, her backpack bouncing almost angrily and her lips pursed. The look on her face said it all: "I'm tired, I've been at DL for almost 14 hrs, it's midnight, and I am NOT in the mood to run ANYWHERE."

At that point, at least for Laura and me, it was every man for himself. Upon exiting the ST gift shop, I started running and didn't look back until I was almost across the castle drawbridge. I looked over my shoulder and saw Laura just approaching the drawbridge and could barely see poor Kendra who was yelling after us, her hair flying everywhere, enshrouded in darkness and still running through the hub. I couldn't even see the others (haha).

Laura and I arrived at the PP queue at exactly 12:00am (yup we're that good: 2.5 minutes from being seated on ST to the PP queue). But, the CM had JUST taken up her post to cut off the queue and absolutely did NOT care that we had gone to all the trouble of running from ST to make it to our very most favoritest ride in the entire land (yes, we told her we did it in 2.5 min- she wasn't impressed).

Once we realized that our well-laid plan had been foiled, poor Kendra finally arrived w/ a twisted ankle. We discussed what had happened and Laura and I furiously declared that if we hadn't been compromised by the ST simulation effects on our psyches then we would've made it. Helen, Suzanne, and Angie were still absolutely nowhere in sight. We realized that each one of us had noticed Helen angrily shuffling down the ST ramp and then yes, we all laughed. Kendra was able to meet Laura and I at DL in May and when we arrived at the Peter Pan queue at 11:45pm, 6 yrs later, we laughed even harder.

Another funny photo I found- Instead of partying in college, Laura, Helen, and I watched baseball and had rally monkey fights (well, to be precise: a San Diego Padres rally lemur, a NY Yankees rally bear, and a LA Dodger rally chimpanzee):



************end of tangent

Anyway, continuing on, I heeded Helen's advice and walked away. I took a quick pic of my favorite 101 Dalmation window display. I wish I could get one of those crowns for my dog, Loki, but his head is probably larger than all 3 of those dog mannequins combined:




PART 2 CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST

 

[magichusky]

June 3, 2013: Disneyland March 2013 - PART 2/3

Once I reached the Tower, I was horrified to see that the queue was 60 min! I refused to participate in such nonsense so I headed to CA Screamin' and waited in the single rider line for 30 min w/ a few really obnoxious tweens. I then headed to visit ARIEL!!!





I got stuck here for a little while so had a photo shoot w/ King Triton. I LOVE this ride (especially the part when your clamshell descends into the sea in a spray of blue bubbles!) but I wish they would've made Ariel and Eric more attractive. Eric was probably my favorite prince as a child (except for the Beast… before he turned human again… does that make sense? I remember, even as a child when seeing B&theB for the first time in the movie theater, being disappointed in the Beast's human appearance. Maybe it was the ponytail or something?). Anyway, I had high expectations for Eric. I also think more mermaids and mermen should have been waving farewell alongside Triton in order to make the scene more dramatic. Oh well, it's still pretty darn awesome.







After I returned from the sea, I headed out to DL. On the way, I stopped for my ice cream cone at Clarabelle's:



One of my favorite things to do on occasion is to pick up a cone in CA Adv and finish it on Main Street in DL on one of the benches around the flag pole. Unfortunately, there were no available benches in the square so I just continued on down towards the castle. I stopped at the Jolly Holiday Bakery to pick up some Matterhorn macaroons for my mom (she's obsessed w/ them). I want a stained glass window like this:



I picked up my macaroons and continued into Adventure Land. I climbed up into my favorite Swiss Family Robinson tree (I try to ignore the Tarzan stuff as best I can). I was delighted that the suspended rope bridge was empty and took the opportunity to run back and forth across it and jump up and down like the nerd that I am:



A mother and her little boy then appeared and they looked at me like I was crazy, so I retreated, making sure to mind my head:







I headed back towards the castle and it was crowded!






PART 3 CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[magichusky]

June 3, 2013: Disneyland March 2013 - PART 3/3

I noticed that the new Fantasy Land area was open so headed over there to check it out:















This little thing is a music box display that lights up and plays a lovely melody if you turn the crank at the bottom. I love it b/c as you turn the crank, the scene inside turns from day to night and a bunch of twinkling stars come out:





Rapunzel's tower:



Thought this was funny w/ the little turret symbol:



Actually I miss the old stage that used to be there w/ the live band and swing dancing at night- it was very picturesque and full of life. It sort of feels like all that new stuff is sort of jammed in that small space. Additionally, that area is really useless unless you have a small child who wants to watch the stage show or meet some characters. Laura and I stopped in May for a few minutes to watch the B&theB stage show- unfortunately, it was not appealing to either of us (and I LOVE the B&theB show in DHS). Anyway, there wasn't much going on in the new Fantasy Land at that hour, so I walked to Frontier Land through my favorite secret passage that runs through Rancho del Zocalo:





I emerged from the secret passage to find some people working on the Columbia and climbing around on the masts:





I can't believe BTMR is going to be closed until the fall!



I saw a woman carrying around something in Frontier Land that I absolutely HAD to have, and I had a feeling I knew where she got it, so I was on a mission…

On the way:





MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!





Yup, I couldn't resist the White Rabbit, and found him in the gift shop inside the castle. Loki was pretty excited about White Rabbit, too, after I brought him home!

My 3 free hrs of parking were just about up, so I had to hot foot it back to DTD in order to avoid paying a fee! I took a last glimpse of the castle through these fabulous pink trees- I love how happy all of these people look! It really is refreshing to be around joyful people instead of all of those cranks who cut you off on the highway and shake their fists at you haha.






NEXT TIME: Photos from Laura's and my May 2-day DL extravaganza! Then I guess I should get back down to business and post an updated itinerary and other such practical info since we're now exactly 1 month away from departure! I can practically smell 'Ohana!

 

[Eight]

Yay for renewing APs and being able to hang out in the parks! 86 days until I arrive, not that I'm obsessively keeping track or anything like that...

I agree the APs now are kind 'eh'. I liked the design I had in 2009 and 10, I think it was, with the castle on it.

Off the Page is my favorite store in DCA. I love the All Aboard t-shirt, excellent purchase! But then, I love pretty much all the Red Car Trolley stuff. It's a little embarrassing how much stuff related to it I've managed to collect, even though it's only been a year since opening! It's kind of weird to think Buena Vista Street has only been open a year. Feels like a lot longer to me for some reason.

2 and half minutes from Star Tours to Peter Pan? Nice! Too bad the CM wouldn't let you on. Especially since Peter Pan really is the best Fantasyland ride, even if it is too short.

The only thing that interests me about the new Fantasy Faire are is that music box. To be fair, if I had time and nothing I wanted to do more, I would see one of the shows, but I think it's sad they got ride of Carnation Plaza Gardens.

And yes, you need to post about your itinerary! It's technically less than a month away now, I think.

 

[magichusky]

Yay for renewing APs and being able to hang out in the parks! 86 days until I arrive, not that I'm obsessively keeping track or anything like that...

I agree the APs now are kind 'eh'. I liked the design I had in 2009 and 10, I think it was, with the castle on it.

Yeah- the castle design was so much more attractive!

Off the Page is my favorite store in DCA. I love the All Aboard t-shirt, excellent purchase! But then, I love pretty much all the Red Car Trolley stuff. It's a little embarrassing how much stuff related to it I've managed to collect, even though it's only been a year since opening! It's kind of weird to think Buena Vista Street has only been open a year. Feels like a lot longer to me for some reason.

Totally- suddenly I've found myself to be a super huge fan of the trolleys! I really liked the trolley show in front of Carthay Circle actually- I've got that "I'm in the money" song stuck in my head!

2 and half minutes from Star Tours to Peter Pan? Nice! Too bad the CM wouldn't let you on. Especially since Peter Pan really is the best Fantasyland ride, even if it is too short.

Peter Pan really is quite awesome. Apparently there was an event within the past few years during which AP holders were allowed to walk through the ride w/ the lights on. Idk if I'd have signed up for that even if I knew about it- I prefer the illusion!

The only thing that interests me about the new Fantasy Faire are is that music box. To be fair, if I had time and nothing I wanted to do more, I would see one of the shows, but I think it's sad they got ride of Carnation Plaza Gardens.

Yeah I don't know why they did that since there's a gigantic princess meet & greet area over by IASW. Why are there like fifty million character meet & greet locations in all the parks these days? I want them to bring back the Pocahontas stage show- I never got a chance to see it. I hate it when they lump all of the princesses together- they all live in completely different places and are from completely different eras.

And yes, you need to post about your itinerary! It's technically less than a month away now, I think.

I've got the new itinerary ready to post!

...

 

[magichusky]

June 5, 2013: Planning Conundrums Regarding Breakfast

Greetings once again, friends! I finally have some practical information to present. I decided that I should cool it for just a second on the DL photos, since this is a PTR after all!

First off, I've updated our itinerary:



Notable changes include the official addition of the Wild Africa Trek at 9:30am on Thursday, July 4th and a slight change in our Kona breakfast ADR on Friday morning. It used to be 8:00am- now it's 7:30am. My mom/Maureen and I discussed it and we decided that if we want to make it to the MK rope drop at 9am sharp, then an 8am breakfast ADR probably wouldn't quite cut it. Obviously, getting to the MK right when it opens is imperative since we want to explore the entirety of New Fantasy Land first thing in the morning due to crowds and we also want to eat lunch at BOG, which will probably have a huge line. We'll likely have to get in line for BOG by 11am or so if we want to bypass a 30+ min CS queue. That would be ridiculous to wait 30-40 min for a CS lunch, even if it was at BOG.

Recently, I also noticed that there is a new Summer deal for the Wild Africa Trek. If I book a trek for 11:45am, 12:30pm, 1:15pm, 2:30pm, or 3:15pm, then I get a $50 discount off of the total price of our trek. Currently, our 3-hr trek is scheduled for 9:30am. The park opens at 9am, so if we do the 9:30am trek, we'd have to go straight to check in upon entering AK, then would be finished by 12:30pm. We would then have 3.5 hrs to do the rest of AK before we had to leave for Epcot. Since it'll be July 4th, I really wanted to be at the American Pavilion by 4:40pm so we could watch the Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps at 4:45pm and Voices of Liberty at 5pm; both of those are the final performances for the day.

Since we need to be at Epcot by 4:40pm, the last trek we could sign up for would be the 12:30pm trek. That would mean that we'd have 3.5 hrs in the morning to do AK, which would be nice b/c then we'd ahead of the crowds. If we did the 9:30am trek, our 3.5 hrs of AK time would start at 12:30pm, which might be annoying b/c by then the crowds would've built up. However, the only rides we'd need to queue up for would be EE and Dinosaur. The other areas of AK are just trails and shows, which wouldn't be affected by crowds. Plus my Mom refuses to ride EE so I'd be doing single rider for that anyway, leaving Dinosaur as the only possible thing we could miss if its queue was too long once we finished the trek. I could handle that, since we have Indiana Jones here at DL which is way more fabulous.

Additionally, I'm sure it'll be super hot at 9:30am but by 12:30pm it'll be most certainly blazing- that may not be a great time of day to begin a 3 hr trek. Plus, the trek gives you a meal and there are different meals for the morning and afternoon treks. After looking at the menus, I probably wouldn't eat much from the afternoon meal.

Finally, I really want to see the Jammin' Jungle Parade at 3:45pm, which is my favorite parade in all the land. However, if we stayed to watch the JJP then we would run the risk of missing the Fife & Drum Corps and Voices of Liberty performances.

My first inclination is to leave the trek for 9:30am and miss the JJP since how often will we get the chance to properly celebrate July 4th in the American Pavilion? Plus I've seen both the regular and Christmas JJP versions a few times already. I guess the Wild Africa Trek will have to make up for missing the JJP! But I don't know, is the difference in temperature between 9:30am-12:30pm worth $50?

Anyway, I've been thinking about my "MUST-DO'S" and my "MUST-HAVES." I feel like my lists of musts will have to be realistic to account for our short trip and the inevitable insane crowds:

THE MUST-DO LIST (in chronological order):
-Spirit of America fireworks show (MK, Wed night)
-American Pavilion on July 4th
-MK rope drop on Friday
-Explore new Fantasy Land entirely
-BOG lunch


THE MUST-HAVE LIST (in no particular order, subject to change):
-Mickey Mouse domino set



-Cottontop Tamarin cupcake from the Kusafiri Bakery in AK (photo courtesy of the Disney Food Blog)



-Belle t-shirt from Mouse Gears (photo courtesy of therussells08 TR: "The Greatest Hits: A Trip Like This Needs a Soundtrack!-A July 2012 TR"):



The last thing I'm considering is whether or not I should make a breakfast ADR for Saturday morning, departure day. Our flight leaves at 3:30pm, so we won't have time to do anything except eat breakfast and dash to DTD (we'll have to find presents for my nieces at World of Disney if we haven't picked up anything in the parks by then). The breakfast ADR would have to be at one of the nearby resorts (to remind you, we'll be staying at Shades of Green, which is adjacent to the Poly). I've always wanted to eat at the Crystal Palace since they're apparently the only location in all of WDW that serves those chocolate Mickey waffles, but then Mom and I would have to burn the 4th day on our 4-day PHs in order to get into the MK. We were planning on converting our 4th days into 2 DL PHs.

That leaves the Poly, GF, Contemporary, or WL as potential breakfast destinations. I was researching the Whispering Canyon, which I've always been curious about, however I really don't know if I'd appreciate someone throwing straws in my face and I'm POSITIVE that my Mom would despise the noise. She's a 3rd grade teacher so always runs in the opposite direction whenever her teacher-radar picks up on a potential obnoxious kid situation. The Contemporary has Chef Mickey's, which also has a noise problem, so that's out. The GF doesn't really have anything special. We already have a breakfast ADR at Kona so the only other option at the Poly is the 'Ohana Best Friends Breakfast, which we actually adore and have done twice! But is it too much to have breakfast at the Poly on back to back mornings?

The final option is to move our Kona ADR to Saturday morning and then schedule the Crystal Palace for early Friday morning on our MK day…I just checked and the only possibility for the CP is 9:25am, which would make us very late for New Fantasy Land! Plus, if we have a later breakfast then we probably won't be hungry for lunch by 11am when we'll probably have to get in line for BOG. However 'Ohana has availability for both Friday and Saturday mornings, and is a CP breakfast really worth $60 per person? I guess I'll keep checking for earlier CP ADRs, but at this point I wouldn't expect ADRs for next month to move too much.

S0 anyway...

PLANNING QUESTIONS THAT STILL NEED ANSWERING:

1) Should I reschedule our 9:30am Wild Africa Trek for 12:30pm to get the $50 discount?
2) Should I schedule a third breakfast ADR for Saturday?
3) Should I skip my favorite parade ever, the Jammin' Jungle Parade, in order to get to the American Pavilion in time to see Voices of Liberty for July 4th?

NEXT TIME: Either photos from Laura's and my 2-day Disneyland adventure -OR- photos from the MK Christmas parade circa December 2011!