DisneyKates
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 23, 2015
Also, yay for teachers! That's one of the most important jobs on the planet. I hope the start of the year is treating you well!
-
Controversial Topics
Several months ago, I added a private sub-forum to allow members to discuss these topics without fear of infractions or banning. It's opt-in, opt-out. Corey Click Here
With Every Passing Hour, I'm So Glad I Left My Tower! My Solo Birthday Adventure *NEW 3/5
- Thread starter PippiDancer
- Start date
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
Sunburns really sneak up on you!
We put on our spray sunscreen every day religiously, and I thought I was doing pretty good until we spent an afternoon in the poolYou really need real sunscreen for that, not just spray.
Plus, I realized that foundation just doesn't cut it when you're in the Florida heat for hours! Next time, I'm bringing face sunscreen so I don't look like a tomato in the later pictures...
I don't know if it's still there, but POR used to have this too, and it was easily my favorite food thing from our family trips to Disney! Glad to hear the create your own pasta is still awesome - I may have to try and find some on a future trip, especially since my husband keeps talking about visiting POR to see how it's changed
I put sunscreen on in the morning but apparently it wore off or I didn't use enough. After that I reapplied diligently and, luckily, didn't have any other problems. I stayed at POR on my 2013 trip and had create your own pasta a few times there, it's always delicious!
It didn't help that I was already cranky from my feet hurting, but I still wouldn't have been as annoyed if that lady didn't keep shooting me looks. I think the photographer realized what happened after the fact and tried to make it up. She was wonderful and definitely turned my mood around!
I hate people who cut in front of you. I've learned that its sometimes better to say something. It often doesn't make a difference, but sometimes it does - even if the people who went in front of you refuse to allow you to go first, sometimes the photographer will insist that you go first if its brought to their attention.
But overall ... people are not always so nice and that's frustrating.
Ouch, that sunburn looks painful
I would have said something but that group made it seem like they were with the family before me and we're just joining them for a few photos. By the time I realized it was too late. I usually try not to let those things bother me but I was already cranky from my feet hurting. Luckily the sunburn looked a lot worse than it felt.
A blister and a sunburn and rude people aren't the best combination, especially when you are exhausted from lack of sleep. I definitely needed that extra sleep!
I burn super easily! I always tell people that I go from ghost to lobster and back to ghost, there is no in between. Luckily I can usually get by with coppertone sunscreen because I try to stay in the shade whenever possible. Standing in the direct Florida sun for so long did me in, if only I had remembered to reapply the sunscreen.
Thank you so much! That is really great to hear, I definitely needed it. It's been very stressful so far, but I love it.
Tatania
Disney Foodie
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2007
What I like about your TR is that you're honest about what's good and NOT so good in a WDW trip. When I'm actually at Disney I sometimes find myself thinking that the thought of it is better than the real experience which almost always includes insane heat & torrential rain, aching feet, crowds that wouldn't be out of place during a Haj in Mecca, high prices - esp. for basic foodstuffs like water, rude/inconsiderate people, and far too much time standing in queues for attractions that are short or that you've seen dozens of times already. But you do it all because of the idea of Disney and the few magical moments that do occur. What days where you there in April that the place was so packed?
Really enjoying reading your TR. I am planning my first solo trip for Jan 2016, so I enjoy reading other solo's TR's. Too bad you were freezing, that is always my fear when I go to a hotel. sometimes the air conditioning is so cold and you can't sleep. hope the other days were better. Too bad there were so few places to eat late at night.
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
Congratulations on your first year as a full time teacher.
I am a teacher and my daughter just started teaching full time this year as well.
I'm really enjoying your report. Looking forward to more.
Thank you! It is always great to meet fellow Disney loving teachers!
Thank you! When I was getting ready for my first adult trip I read a lot of TRs and they really helped me plan. I try to write my TRs for people who are new to Disney and trying to figure out what to expect on their trip. There are definitely not so great moments in every trip, but to me they are worth it for all of the magical moments and memories.
I went April 18-26, which was during my school's break. It actually wasn't very crowded at all, especially the first part of the week. I was able to ride almost everything with little wait time. There were a few exceptions (like an hour plus wait at Dumbo
) where it seemed like the park was packed, but those were just flukes.Thanks for reading! I read as many solo TRs as I could find when I was planning my trip, they really helped a lot.
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
I had a very early morning today. And I was very stressed because I was worried about getting to my destination on time. I woke up at 6:30, got ready quickly, and ate my chocolate croissant while I walked to the bus stop. I did pause to admire the gorgeous sunrise.
I got in line for the bus a 7:10, the line was already pretty long for almost 2 hours before park opening. I didn’t have to wait too long and the bus was on the road by 7:25.
So where was I headed so early? The Magic Kingdom of course! I know, I know, it was my third day at Disney and I had only been to Magic Kingdom, but this time I had a very good reason! I was going on the Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour!!
I got to MK and found the check-in for pre-entry. There was a huge line that I assumed was for people who had ADRs that were a little later. There were a few CMs with clipboards that were checking names, so I checked in with one of them and was directed to the line.
The very large line that was not moving.
At this point I was starting to panic a little (because I’m a worrier). The tour started at 8, but I was told that I HAD to check in at 7:45 and latecomers wouldn’t be permitted to join the tour. And it was about that time, hence the panic. It turns out that they weren’t even letting the line enter the park until 7:45, which is why it was so long.
I was looking forward to some empty-park-pictures with the castle, but by the time I got into the park it was 7:50 and I decided that I really needed to check in. So I didn’t even get to see the castle.
I checked in at the Town Hall, which in the corner right next to the entrance.
(I took this picture later in the day, which is why there are people there)
When I checked in, the CM gave me a headset, a complimentary bottle of water, and a name tag and told me to wait in this little garden area between the Town Hall and another building.
Apparently I didn’t have to stress about checking in right at 7:45 because I was the first to check in and the only one there until right before 8. It was a really pretty and peaceful place to wait, but I wished I had taken the time to grab a quick picture on an empty Main Street.
I got in line for the bus a 7:10, the line was already pretty long for almost 2 hours before park opening. I didn’t have to wait too long and the bus was on the road by 7:25.
So where was I headed so early? The Magic Kingdom of course! I know, I know, it was my third day at Disney and I had only been to Magic Kingdom, but this time I had a very good reason! I was going on the Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour!!
I got to MK and found the check-in for pre-entry. There was a huge line that I assumed was for people who had ADRs that were a little later. There were a few CMs with clipboards that were checking names, so I checked in with one of them and was directed to the line.
The very large line that was not moving.
At this point I was starting to panic a little (because I’m a worrier). The tour started at 8, but I was told that I HAD to check in at 7:45 and latecomers wouldn’t be permitted to join the tour. And it was about that time, hence the panic. It turns out that they weren’t even letting the line enter the park until 7:45, which is why it was so long.
I was looking forward to some empty-park-pictures with the castle, but by the time I got into the park it was 7:50 and I decided that I really needed to check in. So I didn’t even get to see the castle.
I checked in at the Town Hall, which in the corner right next to the entrance.
(I took this picture later in the day, which is why there are people there)
When I checked in, the CM gave me a headset, a complimentary bottle of water, and a name tag and told me to wait in this little garden area between the Town Hall and another building.
Apparently I didn’t have to stress about checking in right at 7:45 because I was the first to check in and the only one there until right before 8. It was a really pretty and peaceful place to wait, but I wished I had taken the time to grab a quick picture on an empty Main Street.
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
Right at 8:00 we met our amazing tour guide, Megan. There were about 15 of people on the tour. Megan introduced her self a little bit and helped everyone get their headsets set up. In case you are wondering what the headsets were for, Megan had a microphone and we could hear everything she said through our headsets in case we weren’t close enough or there were other noises around. Once everyone was set up and made sure the headsets were working, we were off on our tour!
When I started writing this update, I wasn’t sure how much of the tour to share because I know that some people like to be “surprised” by what they do on tours. But when I was deciding if I wanted to do this tour I couldn’t find much information on it and wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. I decided to include the basics of what we did and maybe include some more interesting stories, but not to share too many details or give away anything.
We started on Main Street and Megan told us some stories about Walt’s childhood, but we didn’t spend a ton of time there. I remembered reading that pictures weren’t allowed on tours so I wasn’t sure if I could take any or not, but I did sneak a few on Main Street.
After spending a little time on Main Street we moved to Liberty Square, which was not open to guests yet. Before we went in, Megan did tell us that pictures were ok but asked us not to take any pictures of anything that may ruin the magic (like a truck in Liberty Square, which would never happen because trucks didn’t exist back then). As we walked through we saw a bride and groom with their photographer and we could see them sending empty logs down Splash Mountain, which was pretty neat.
Megan told us some more stories about Walt Disney when he was first starting Disneyland. Including the making of the birds for the Enchanted Tiki Room, his first animatronics. I had never seen that attraction, but hearing about the inspiration behind it made me decide that I needed to see it. We also talked about the Hall of Presidents and how that was created, which made me glad that I had seen it the day before.
And then we headed to the Haunted Mansion, where we spent a lot of time.
We spent a lot of time in the queue.
Fun Fact: these busts are actually a murder mystery.
Megan pointed out the names on different headstones and told us about the Imagineers that they were dedicated to. It was all very interesting.
By the time we made it to the end of the queue the park had opened and there were some very confused people passing us in line. Next we rode the Haunted Mansion while Megan talked through the headsets. She explained how some of the effects worked and pointed out some things she had mentioned in the queue. In order to hear her over the Ghost Host and other sounds we had to cover one ear and cup our hands over the ear that had the earpiece in it to amplify the sound. So if anyone could have seen me riding they would have thought I was terrified with my hands over my ears.
After that came my absolute favorite part of the entire tour. Megan took us underneath the Haunted Mansion and we got to see how the Ballroom Ghosts work. It was so amazingly cool to be standing right next to the ghosts and watching the ride vehicles go by from that perspective. I could have stood there for hours!
I’ve always liked the Haunted Mansion, but it was never my favorite. After spending so much time learning about it on this tour I have a whole new appreciation for the attraction.
After we returned to the living, we had a bathroom break at the Tangled bathrooms where I decided to take a headset selfie.
While we were waiting for everyone, a few of us talked to Megan about her history working with Disney. She told us that tour guides are given a huge handbook of history and stories about Walt Disney and the parks and they don’t have a hard and fast script of things to say during tours, just a basic guideline. So different tour guides give different storied based on their own interests. Which means you could go on the same tour more than once and hear different things each time.
After the break we walked through Fantasyland and heard some more stories about Walt Disney. We walked through the castle and looked closely at the Cinderella mosaics. And the we went through the fastpass line for Winnie the Pooh, this time Megan didn’t talk through the ride, she just told us some things to look for. I ended up riding with Megan, which was kind of nice because I could point out the things she told us to look for.
While we were at the ride exit waiting for everyone to get off the ride I noticed that my name tag was missing. I was pretty upset because I wanted to keep it as a souvenir. I retraced my steps a little bit and found it on the floor of the dump shop. Phew!
Next we walked over to Carousel of Progress. While we were waiting, Megan told us that the lyrics to A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow were inspired by Walt Disney.
Man has a dream and thats the start,
He follows his dream with mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality
Its a dream come true for you and me
I never thought about it before, but it really makes sense. Those lyrics describe Walt Disney perfectly. That really stuck with me. All week those words and their meaning were stuck in my head. Even now, they pop into my head and I think about all the things that Walt Disney has done for the world and how thankful I am to him.
Anyway, we went on Carousel of Progress with our own private theatre and Megan pointed out a lot of things throughout the attraction. During the part where they blow a fuse and the stage goes dark, Megan shone a flashlight around to show us that the animatronics still move around as they would after losing power. How cool is that?
After we left the theater, Megan told us the last story of the tour. When Walt Disney was alive he had a meeting with the Sherman brothers every Friday at 2:00 and at the end of the meeting he would ask them to play his favorite song, Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins. (The Sherman brothers wrote the songs for many movies and attractions, they were in the movie Saving Mr. Banks) After Walt Disney died, the Sherman brothers kept that appointment every single Friday and played Feed the Birds. That story really struck a chord with me for some reason. It made me remember how extremely sad and tragic Walt Disney’s death was, and still is.
And then the tour was over and it was time to hand in our headsets. I was truly sad when I handed my headset to Megan and walked away. I didn’t want it to end! When I was deciding if I wanted to do a tour I wasn’t sure about sacrificing 3 hours of park time, but I wished it could have been longer! I would have followed Megan around the park all day listening to her stories if I could have.
If you ever think about going on the Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour, DO IT! I couldn’t recommend it enough! I loved it so much and learned so many things about Walt Disney. And it was only $27 ($30 without the Disney Visa discount). It was so worth it.
When I started writing this update, I wasn’t sure how much of the tour to share because I know that some people like to be “surprised” by what they do on tours. But when I was deciding if I wanted to do this tour I couldn’t find much information on it and wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. I decided to include the basics of what we did and maybe include some more interesting stories, but not to share too many details or give away anything.
We started on Main Street and Megan told us some stories about Walt’s childhood, but we didn’t spend a ton of time there. I remembered reading that pictures weren’t allowed on tours so I wasn’t sure if I could take any or not, but I did sneak a few on Main Street.
After spending a little time on Main Street we moved to Liberty Square, which was not open to guests yet. Before we went in, Megan did tell us that pictures were ok but asked us not to take any pictures of anything that may ruin the magic (like a truck in Liberty Square, which would never happen because trucks didn’t exist back then). As we walked through we saw a bride and groom with their photographer and we could see them sending empty logs down Splash Mountain, which was pretty neat.
Megan told us some more stories about Walt Disney when he was first starting Disneyland. Including the making of the birds for the Enchanted Tiki Room, his first animatronics. I had never seen that attraction, but hearing about the inspiration behind it made me decide that I needed to see it. We also talked about the Hall of Presidents and how that was created, which made me glad that I had seen it the day before.
And then we headed to the Haunted Mansion, where we spent a lot of time.
We spent a lot of time in the queue.
Fun Fact: these busts are actually a murder mystery.
Megan pointed out the names on different headstones and told us about the Imagineers that they were dedicated to. It was all very interesting.
By the time we made it to the end of the queue the park had opened and there were some very confused people passing us in line. Next we rode the Haunted Mansion while Megan talked through the headsets. She explained how some of the effects worked and pointed out some things she had mentioned in the queue. In order to hear her over the Ghost Host and other sounds we had to cover one ear and cup our hands over the ear that had the earpiece in it to amplify the sound. So if anyone could have seen me riding they would have thought I was terrified with my hands over my ears.
After that came my absolute favorite part of the entire tour. Megan took us underneath the Haunted Mansion and we got to see how the Ballroom Ghosts work. It was so amazingly cool to be standing right next to the ghosts and watching the ride vehicles go by from that perspective. I could have stood there for hours!
I’ve always liked the Haunted Mansion, but it was never my favorite. After spending so much time learning about it on this tour I have a whole new appreciation for the attraction.
After we returned to the living, we had a bathroom break at the Tangled bathrooms where I decided to take a headset selfie.
While we were waiting for everyone, a few of us talked to Megan about her history working with Disney. She told us that tour guides are given a huge handbook of history and stories about Walt Disney and the parks and they don’t have a hard and fast script of things to say during tours, just a basic guideline. So different tour guides give different storied based on their own interests. Which means you could go on the same tour more than once and hear different things each time.
After the break we walked through Fantasyland and heard some more stories about Walt Disney. We walked through the castle and looked closely at the Cinderella mosaics. And the we went through the fastpass line for Winnie the Pooh, this time Megan didn’t talk through the ride, she just told us some things to look for. I ended up riding with Megan, which was kind of nice because I could point out the things she told us to look for.
While we were at the ride exit waiting for everyone to get off the ride I noticed that my name tag was missing. I was pretty upset because I wanted to keep it as a souvenir. I retraced my steps a little bit and found it on the floor of the dump shop. Phew!
Next we walked over to Carousel of Progress. While we were waiting, Megan told us that the lyrics to A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow were inspired by Walt Disney.
Man has a dream and thats the start,
He follows his dream with mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality
Its a dream come true for you and me
I never thought about it before, but it really makes sense. Those lyrics describe Walt Disney perfectly. That really stuck with me. All week those words and their meaning were stuck in my head. Even now, they pop into my head and I think about all the things that Walt Disney has done for the world and how thankful I am to him.
Anyway, we went on Carousel of Progress with our own private theatre and Megan pointed out a lot of things throughout the attraction. During the part where they blow a fuse and the stage goes dark, Megan shone a flashlight around to show us that the animatronics still move around as they would after losing power. How cool is that?
After we left the theater, Megan told us the last story of the tour. When Walt Disney was alive he had a meeting with the Sherman brothers every Friday at 2:00 and at the end of the meeting he would ask them to play his favorite song, Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins. (The Sherman brothers wrote the songs for many movies and attractions, they were in the movie Saving Mr. Banks) After Walt Disney died, the Sherman brothers kept that appointment every single Friday and played Feed the Birds. That story really struck a chord with me for some reason. It made me remember how extremely sad and tragic Walt Disney’s death was, and still is.
And then the tour was over and it was time to hand in our headsets. I was truly sad when I handed my headset to Megan and walked away. I didn’t want it to end! When I was deciding if I wanted to do a tour I wasn’t sure about sacrificing 3 hours of park time, but I wished it could have been longer! I would have followed Megan around the park all day listening to her stories if I could have.
If you ever think about going on the Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour, DO IT! I couldn’t recommend it enough! I loved it so much and learned so many things about Walt Disney. And it was only $27 ($30 without the Disney Visa discount). It was so worth it.
DisneyKates
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 23, 2015
YAY! I am so glad you liked this. We are gifting my sister and brother-in-law with the keys to the kingdom tour on our next trip, coming up in April. Their 10th wedding anniversary is in July, and we thought this would be a fun way for them to celebrate. They will totally love this! I'm so glad to read this review. Thanks for sharing!
SarahDisney
So ... Yeah
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2014
Thanks for sharing all that info about the tour - it really sounds amazing!
Gracefulskinny
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
Or as little miss just called it, "Look Mama! It's a Mickey Frog!"I traded for a very cute Pascal pin
FOF can be brutal! DH and I have decided that we wouldn't make it a priority this trip for this reason. There just aren't many good shaded spots for it.While I was at dinner I realized just how badly I got sunburnt during FoF.
Do you remember what channel its on? I meant to turn it on for Little Miss but never found the channel. Might be good to remember for our March Trip.
Gracefulskinny
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
How cool!
Neat!
Okay now I want to go ride and shine a flash light at them and see for myself! ( I won't though, unless I end up in a theater by myself. )
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
The tour was so incredible. It was really neat to hear so much about the history of Disney. I'm sure the Keys to the Kingdom tour is even more amazing!
The tour was amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone
Or as little miss just called it, "Look Mama! It's a Mickey Frog!"
FOF can be brutal! DH and I have decided that we wouldn't make it a priority this trip for this reason. There just aren't many good shaded spots for it.
Do you remember what channel its on? I meant to turn it on for Little Miss but never found the channel. Might be good to remember for our March Trip.
Mickey Frog, haha that's adorable! I don't remember what channel it was on, I found it from the guide channel. Also, I appreciate the Full House gif
purplelover88
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2014
I'm here and have gotten all caught up. So far your trip sounds pretty great. I love art of animation and seeing your pictures takes me back there. Can't wait to read more!
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
The tour was really amazing! I definitely recommend Marceline to Magic Kingdom if you are thinking about it. But I'm sure Keys to the Kingdom will be amazing also. I don't think you could go wrong with either of them
Thanks for reading! I love AoA!! You really feel like you are walking through the movies. The themeing and details are wonderful!
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
It was 11:00 when the tour ended and I was starting to get hungry, so I decided it was time for some lunch. I went to Casey’s Corner and got some corn dog nuggets with cheese sauce.
The corn dog nuggets were pretty tasty and the cheese sauce made them 10 times better.
I was hoping to find a table inside and get out of the heat for a little while but they were all taken. I did find one outside though, and you can’t really complain about this view.
After I finished eating, I headed out of the Magic Kingdom. But first I stopped for a few photopass pics.
It was finally time to move on to another park. Epcot! I got on the monorail and had an entire car to myself!
I love riding on the monorail. I always try to make an excuse to ride it at least once a trip. The views are amazing, you get a whole new perspective of the Disney property. So, of course I had to take some pictures.
I switched over to the Epcot monorail and this time was on a packed car, although I did get a seat. For some reason I put my camera away and didn’t take any pictures from the Epcot monorail. I don’t know why since the view of Epcot is amazing, especially during the Flower & Garden Festival.
The corn dog nuggets were pretty tasty and the cheese sauce made them 10 times better.
I was hoping to find a table inside and get out of the heat for a little while but they were all taken. I did find one outside though, and you can’t really complain about this view.
After I finished eating, I headed out of the Magic Kingdom. But first I stopped for a few photopass pics.
It was finally time to move on to another park. Epcot! I got on the monorail and had an entire car to myself!
I love riding on the monorail. I always try to make an excuse to ride it at least once a trip. The views are amazing, you get a whole new perspective of the Disney property. So, of course I had to take some pictures.
I switched over to the Epcot monorail and this time was on a packed car, although I did get a seat. For some reason I put my camera away and didn’t take any pictures from the Epcot monorail. I don’t know why since the view of Epcot is amazing, especially during the Flower & Garden Festival.
LindseyJo22
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2014
Love the monorail! And I adore your Snow White shirt and the castle picture - so cute!
I am thinking I may have to take that tour sometime soonish - this sounds like just my kind of thing, and I like that they have a shorter version as well as the longer, more in-depth tour. Hopefully some day I can say I've done both
Can't wait to read more!
I am thinking I may have to take that tour sometime soonish - this sounds like just my kind of thing, and I like that they have a shorter version as well as the longer, more in-depth tour. Hopefully some day I can say I've done both
Can't wait to read more!
PippiDancer
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2012
It was halfway through my third day at Disney and I finally made it to another park. My second favorite park, Epcot!
Spaceship Earth is so photogenic, I can’t help but take a million pictures of it every time I pass it.
How cute are those topiaries?
My first stop was Finding Nemo.
I didn’t wait long, it was practically a walk on. Such a cute ride! And then I wondered around and looked at the tanks.
There was a very adorable little girl standing next to me at the clown fish tank who was very excitedly telling me about how she found Nemo.
I love looking around The Seas, it is always a nice peaceful break away from the choas.
Spaceship Earth is so photogenic, I can’t help but take a million pictures of it every time I pass it.
How cute are those topiaries?
My first stop was Finding Nemo.
I didn’t wait long, it was practically a walk on. Such a cute ride! And then I wondered around and looked at the tanks.
There was a very adorable little girl standing next to me at the clown fish tank who was very excitedly telling me about how she found Nemo.
I love looking around The Seas, it is always a nice peaceful break away from the choas.
Share this page
-
All New 'Springs in Motion' Entertainment in Disney Springs
-
May The 4th Be With You and The Newest RSVLTS Collection
-
New Flavored Croissants Coming to Walt Disney World in May
-
Disney Cruise Line Shares New Details on Entertainment at Lookout Cay
-
Disneyland Releases New Room-Only and Park Ticket Discounts
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
