“That’s just a weird thing to be happy about”: A Backstage Magic ABD TR! UPDATED 11/24 X3 & COMPLETE

[dolewhipdreams]

​

 

[pkondz]

In all my planning I had intentionally avoided video or detailed photos from SWGE so that I could experience it all first hand.

I did the same. I knew I had to rope drop Smuggler's Run but...

Guys it’s so cool.

[It's also very photogenic]​

It still had that new ship smell.

It was time to get space crunk.

Is that a combination drunk and cranky?

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about being at the bar because my feet would much rather have had us seated. But one unexpected upside to the bar was that it had the best lighting, because the bar itself is lit up.

But... you can shoot the lit bar from your seat...

they told me that if I wanted that drink then I had to get the souvenir mug. But at $44 it was definitely not worth it

Wow. Quite the scam they've got going there.

Both drinks were really good and the foam definitely made my lips tingle.

Were you expecting that?

nothing says classy lady that has her life together quite like drinking alone in a Star Wars bar.

I’m so glad we stuck around because he ended up playing a remix of the song from the Cantina in A New Hope.

What??? I didn't know that happened!!

The last time we were at DCA it was still called Paradise Pier so it was really neat to see it all Pixar-ed up.

I haven't seen that yet.

All in all I don’t mind the Pixar. It makes it fun and colorful, which I’m all about.

I totally believe this.

It was really neck and neck but I pulled through in the final round and won!

Good for you! Way to kick butt.

It also brings back a lot of nostalgia for me because I remember watching Cars with my little brothers over and over again when they were young.

Awww...

Doesn't he make a great test subject?

Well, being a dude... I'll just say... sure.

You're much prettier than Jon. Just sayin'.

The cavalcade was pretty much just a bunch of characters and a lot of them were fairly rare.

Hmmm... I'd probably pass, then.

As the parade was reaching us a CM darted out and took off running down the parade route. Like a full-on sprint, wither her radio pack bumping up and down. I have absolutely no idea what was going on but she was on. it.

Huh. Wonder what that was about. You never see CMs sprinting.

When the parade came into view a little girl next to me pulled on her mom’s arm and said “Look Mama, a fiesta!” and it was probably the cutest thing ever.

Awww.

Whoa. That looks good.

As ugly as the ride building is,

But... yeah.

I absolutely love this ride.

It's a great ride.

Just... do not change the DHS version.

we were behind a really big group of high school students that kind of had the band kid look about them (as a former band kid, I feel like I’m allowed to describe other band kids as such).

I believe that's the rule, yes.

The wait for Buzz was pretty short so we decided to take a shot (get it? Because you shoot…lasers…)

Nope. Don't get it. Please explain it.

Trevor used to be an attractions CM on the ride so he told us his tips and tricks, which I promptly put into practice to dominate Jon once again.

Yusss… good for you.

Trevor told us about The Goat Trick, which I had never previously heard of (those CMs coming in clutch, I tell ya). In case you are like I was and are ignorant of the goat trick, it is simple. At the top of one of the lifts there is a goat. Then you go down the hill and it’s one of those hills that curves. The trick is to keep your eye on the goat for as long as possible. It makes the drop feel weird since you are focused toward the center rather than the front.

Huh. I'd never heard of that.
With my luck, I'll try doing that and wind up puking on the people in front of me.

As we were going down another drop that passed near a viewing area Trevor started yelling, “Mom, mom, mom, hey mom!” just to see how many people would turn to look.

That Trevor is a hoot, y’all. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much on BTMRR.

But the guides surprised us with some birthday cake Rice Krispie treats as a way to continue the birthday festivities.

mmmm…. Rice Krispie treats...

Love this!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Is that a combination drunk and cranky?

I was going to say no but for me personally that's not an inaccurate combination.

But... you can shoot the lit bar from your seat...

Not when it's surrounded by scruffy looking nerf herders!

Quite the scam they've got going there.

Right? And of course they put the yummiest looking drink in the souvenir mug.

Were you expecting that?

Yeah I had read about it. It's quite the sensation.

What??? I didn't know that happened!!

Yes! I was surprised too. Next time you're in there be sure to stick around and hopefully it will come on the loop

You never see CMs sprinting.

Exactly. Still have no idea what it was but she was going going gone.

Whoa. That looks good.

All the carbs in a cone. It's a masterpiece.

Just... do not change the DHS version.

amen

Love this!

I just realized how fun and perfect it is that they're riding single carousel horses (although I don't remember if they went up and down so it's possible they were merry-go-round horses)

 

[SimplyGoofy]

It sounds like a wonderful afternoon in Disneyland, between seeing SWGE and multiple rides and snacks and a good fireworks view.

Is your Little Mermaid shirt also a Hamilton reference? (After reading your shirt I immediately started humming "Aaron Burr, Sir".)

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Is your Little Mermaid shirt also a Hamilton reference? (After reading your shirt I immediately started humming "Aaron Burr, Sir".)

Yes it absolutely is!! It's one of my favorite shirts.

 

[missangelalexis]

What a great time! You guys got on a lot of rides and got to see the parade and fireworks! Love all the photos

 

[dolewhipdreams]

What a great time! You guys got on a lot of rides and got to see the parade and fireworks! Love all the photos

It was an awesome end to an awesome day, for sure!

 

[Cloe Colton]

So wait, how do you not go through security every time?? Do you get a stamp or something! Definitely need to know for next week!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

So wait, how do you not go through security every time?? Do you get a stamp or something! Definitely need to know for next week!

You go through security once to get into the whole complex (so both parks & DTD). Then once you're in, you're in! There are at least two security checkpoints, one off of Harbor and one off of Disneyland Dr.

 

[pkondz]

I was going to say no but for me personally that's not an inaccurate combination.

Just as I thought...

Right? And of course they put the yummiest looking drink in the souvenir mug.

Scoundrels!

Yes! I was surprised too. Next time you're in there be sure to stick around and hopefully it will come on the loop

I can see it now.
Pkondz arrives at rope drop and makes a bee-line for Oga's. The waiting begins. Finally, an hour after park close, CM's ask pkondz to leave.
As he walks dejectedly away, he can just make out the first few notes of the cantina song...

I just realized how fun and perfect it is that they're riding single carousel horses (although I don't remember if they went up and down so it's possible they were merry-go-round horses)

Let's not get on this merry go round again!!! Unless you're very adamant and are going to go up one side of me and down the other... in which case it's a carousel.

 

[Cloe Colton]

You go through security once to get into the whole complex (so both parks & DTD). Then once you're in, you're in! There are at least two security checkpoints, one off of Harbor and one off of Disneyland Dr.

I did not know that! That's awesome! Have fun in Disneyland!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I did not know that! That's awesome! Have fun in Disneyland!

Thanks friend! If there's anything you want me to check on while I'm there just let me know! Probably easiest to do it via Insta since I don't know how often I'll get on the boards.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

We’re soarin’, flyin’

Hey guys! So remember that I will be spoiling many surprises about the Backstage Magic ABD in this TR. I’m going to do my best to change the text to alert you that something is considered spoiler-y (meaning it’s not information that’s readily shared by ABD or just generally known). So if you see the text change to THIS COLOR, that’s a SPOILER. So if you want to avoid spoilers, skip over until it goes back to the main color. But just a warning that I may forget to mark something or might consider some information not a spoiler that actually might be, so read with caution if you are trying to avoid spoilers.

We got a whole extra hour of sleep the next morning and didn’t need to meet until 7:30am. Ah the luxury.

Today our meeting place was different. Instead of gathering at the vahse we went straight to breakfast, which was at Storyteller’s Café, right there in the hotel. This breakfast and character loving girl was PUMPED for another great morning meal.

Storyteller’s features Mickey and friends and that morning we had hijinks with Chip, Dale, and Pluto. They were sassy as ever.

​

Someone brought a little stuffed Pluto and Pluto decided to play with it and set it on his nose. It was precious. Mickey and Minnie also came over but they were kind of boring. Definitely not as energetic as the Plaza the day before, but still really fun.

​

The food at this meal was slightly different than the normal fare. One thing I took special care to take note of was the Fruit Loop flavored milk that came in these little plastic bags, which was weird. But don’t worry, the plastic bag was balanced out by a paper straw. There were also some dishes that had a little spice to them and more savory things than normal. I neglected to write down details or take too many photos but trust me when I say the food at Storyteller’s takes a nice break from the usual breakfast buffet!

​

After breakfast we were all given the pin of the day…from the day before, since apparently they forgot to give it out. This one said Walt’s World and had the castle on it. Once again, terribly appropriate.

Our focus for the day was DCA and so we headed straight in using the hotel entrance. This entrance is – and I can’t stress this enough – almost worth the out of pocket cost of these rooms. Especially being used to WDW where the closest you get in a Disney hotel is still a 10-15 minute walk to the park. To literally take like 50 steps and be in a Disney park is incredible. I have been ruined for all other locations. Thankfully for our bank account, Jon felt no such ruination and will therefore prevent me from spending our life savings on GC rooms in the future.

​

We made our through the park and back toward Pixar Pier, stopping for photos along the way.

​

I thought we would go straight backstage but instead we stopped to ride TSMM as a group. But the stakes were raised for this one. Whomever got the highest score out of our whole group would win a ~prize~ Now, I mentioned before that I’m not very competitive but I am highly prize-motivated (gifts is my love language, after all), so when I heard a prize was involved I put my game face on.

We went through the ride and I did my best to get all the secret points that I knew of, but it still wasn’t enough. While I scored higher than I normally do, I was no match for the winner, a WDW CM in our group who rides TSMM several times a week. She walked away with a brand new pair of Slinky Dog ears!

I thought we had a few more rides in store but after TSMM it was time to head backstage!

I knew ahead of time that our backstage experience at DCA was going to be Radiator Springs Racers since it’s the usual attraction. But knowing it was coming didn’t make it any less cool! Just like with Indy we went back to the maintenance bay for the ride and got to talk with one of the mechanics and learned a lot about how the ride system works.

One way they improved on similar ride systems was that in the maintenance bay they have a separate track they can pull cars off to that need extra work. With Indy, they don’t have a separate track. So if a vehicle comes off to get checked and ends up needing significant work and another car gets pulled in behind it, even if the second car gets fixed before the first, it has no way to get back on the ride. With the RSR system, that doesn’t happen.

The mechanic also mentioned that the ride has a separate loading area for people who need extra time to load and unload, that way it doesn’t slow the ride down and more importantly, those guests don’t need to feel like they have to hurry to get on the ride. Supercool.

We also learned that one of the most common reasons the ride breaks down is mobile wifi units. If someone has one in their bag and they set their bag down too close to one of the internal components, the wifi will disrupt the communications from the car and the whole ride will shut down. When the ride shuts down, the CMS have to walk the entire track to help assist guests off the ride, then once everyone’s off and they fix the problem, they still have to do a complete check of the system before they can restart.

So please, turn off your mobile wifi unit if you go on RSR.

But, even with all that, they told us that RSR has an up time of 96%, which is really good for such a complex ride system.

After looking around the shop and getting to touch and feel some of the cars, it was time to go out and ride it!

Except we couldn’t.

Because it had literally just shut down. We walked by the ride toward the entrance and noticed a car stuck and not moving. So instead of RSR, we explored Cars Land instead. We took a bunch of photos and had some time to explore, then we rode Luigi’s all together, which is always fun.

​

Before leaving Cars Land, we stopped at Filmore’s for a snack (on ABD, of course). We were told we could all get one thing and it could be anything they offered. I got some mango and Jon got a Peace Tea and we ate our snacks on the way to our next stop which was….

Carthay Circle!

​

We got a tour of the restaurant and got to learn a lot about its background a theming. The exterior is obviously modeled after the Carthay Circle Theatre. It doesn’t exist anymore but was the site of the premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the movie that was the make or break project for Disney. Each room in the restaurant is themed to a different stage in the movie process, from filming, to the premiere, to the awards. The walls are covered with photos from Disney movie events and the furniture is all really posh.

It was a cool tour but definitely not the most exciting backstage magic I would have thought to offer on the trip but we did learn a lot and it was pretty relaxing.

Our guides told us we had a short break until our next magical experience and our tickets were loaded with 5 more anytime FPs, plus one for GOTG at 1pm. Since we didn’t have a whole lot of time, we decided to use one of our FPs on Incredicoaster.

​

On the way to our meeting place we stopped and watched Grizzly River Run for a while. I was trying to get a good picture of the geyser but it kept turning off! Jon spent the whole time trying to convince me to ride later. In my old age I’ve come to enjoy water rides less and less so it’s an endeavor to get me on one.

​

Before long it was time to meet up so we made our way to the meeting spot, which was outside Soarin’.

Side note: I was SO excited when they extended the dates for the Soarin’ Over California run. The first dates ran through the end of June and I was bummed that we would miss it, but then they let it go for the rest of the summer. Score!

Our next magical experience was – you guessed it – backstage at Soarin! We met with one of the CMs who has worked on the ride for a while and he told us a lot about how it was filmed and how they edited the sound for the theatre. He also talked about the structure of the theatre and how everything was constructed. Then he told us about the hidden Michael Eisner in the Over California version. Does anyone know where to find him??

After that spiel we all got to ride. I can’t express my love for Soarin’ Over California enough. I don’t see why we can’t keep Over California in Disneyland and Around the World at WDW. Or have one theater of each in each place. Both versions are super cool, but I would appreciate the chance to watch Over California more.

Before loading we were told that when the ride was over that we were supposed to gather at the front of the theater instead of exiting the room. Once we did that we were led behind the screen, where we got to watch the next ride. Because of the lighting, we could see through but they couldn’t see us. We could go up and touch the screen, which is actually really hard. It didn’t feel like a normal fabric screen but some kind of hard plastic or metal.

The speakers for the show were all in the space where we were watching so it was really loud, especially when the jets fly by and then at the end when the fireworks go off. It was so cool to see and hear everything from that perspective, but we weren’t done with Soarin’ yet!

When that ride was done we went outside to an outdoor backstage area where they had bottles with all the scents from the two versions, including the beloved orange groves. I remember that we talked a little more about the ride but I don’t recall specifically what it was about.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Now I present Ann's Cars Land photofest, Vol 1:

​

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I don't do water rides

And with that we were done with the ABD stuff until dinner so we had a few hours on our own! We had a reservation at Lamplight Lounge and found out that a couple other people from the group had one at around the same time. But first, we had a GOTG FP to use! We decided to ride it with or Lamplight Lounge buddies and make it a little mini group thing.

I seriously love this ride so much.

I think there was a delay or the FP line was long or something but whatever the cause we ended up being late to our Lamplight reservation. Thankfully both girls with us are CMs at WDW and worked their customer service magic to not only get us in past our time, but to combine our two reservations into one.

​

We were seated downstairs right by the water. I mean, can you beat this view??

​

If you’ve never been to (or heard of) Lamplight Lounge, it’s a Pixar-themed restaurant and bar where The Cove/Ariel’s Grotto used to be. Most of the secret menu drinks from the Cove are still available and I started with one of them- the Fun Wheel.

​

Normally it’s prettier. But it was still delicious.

We also all got food. They have a full menu but it’s somewhat limited. All the items have a Pixar theme, which I think is awesome and one of the reasons I wanted to eat/drink there. I would say the drinks are definitely the highlight, although the food was fine. We started off with some potato skins to share (which came with some yummy dipping sauces), then I got the cheddar burger and Jon got the chicken sandwich for our mains. The potato skins were really good, the sandwiches were just fine, and the fries were incredible.

​

Seriously great fries. Well done, Lamplight.

Halfway through the meal I got a second drink (big deal for me at Disney- their drinks are not cheap). My notes say I got a 2319 but I’m looking at the menu now and that’s definitely not what I got. Maybe I ordered it but they were out of something? What I did end up drinking was the Open Ocean With a Splash, which is very blue.

​

And very strong. The server didn’t tell me until after I started drinking it that it’s one of their strongest drinks. Which wouldn’t be a big deal if it wasn’t my second drink and if I wasn’t such a lightweight. But it was delicious and the massive burger and fries definitely helped absorb some of the rum.

Before we finished up our server came over with a surprise order of donuts. She saw our anniversary buttons and brought them over to give us a little pixie dust! We were all pretty full by that point but they’re pretty small donuts so it was nice to have a couple bites of something sweet (and free!) to finish off the meal.

​

We paid and said goodbye to our dining buddies and headed off in the direction of Grizzly Peak. Jon had convinced me to ride Grizzly River Run but I had two caveats: I would only do it if we could find a locker to store my camera and we had to go back to our room immediately so I could change out of my wet clothes ASAP. He agreed to both, we found a locker, and scanned one of our FPs to get in line.

​

Throughout the ride I managed to stay reasonably dry. Until that twice-cursed geyser. When we stood watching it earlier in the day the geyser was hardly ever on when the boats were near it so I thought we would be fine.

Never have I been more wrong.

​

I got absolutely drenched by that confounded geyser. But thankfully I had stored my camera and we were only steps (literally just steps) from the hotel so it wasn’t too bad.

After a quick wardrobe change we were ready for some more action. We made a game plan to do the Redwood Creek Trail, ride Soarin’ again, then try to meet Captain Marvel.

​

Jon specifically wanted to do the trail because we had never done it before. He loves things that you get to explore, so this was perfect. It’s really pretty and even has some educational aspects. By the time we got done we only had time for one thing and we chose to meet Captain Marvel. Okay *I* chose to meet Captain Marvel, but my ride on Grizzly River Run gave me some leverage.

We got there about 10 minutes before her set but there was already quite a line. She ended up coming out about 10 minutes late, then really took her time with each group. Which is great. It’s amazing. It’s good to know that there are interactions you can count on to be more than just a one-liner and a photo op. But it’s less great when you’re on a time crunch. As time went on and the line barely moved we finally had to throw the towel in and head out. If we waited until it was our turn we would be late meeting the group for dinner.

So instead we went back to the hotel, which was once again just steps away.

Man we were getting pretty spoiled.

We had a little extra time in the hotel before meeting so Jon chilled in a comfy chair and I went to buy a Grand Californian pin. Over the last couple trips I’ve gotten much more into pins. Now I just need somewhere to put them all…

Once everyone was at the vahse we were off to a super secret, very glamorous…conference room! The guides put together a slideshow of some of the photos from the week that we all watched then went around and shared some of our favorite memories. It was all horribly touching.

Then there was some logistical stuff to go over, like confirming everyone’s departure plans the following day. They also airdropped the slideshow video and a few photos to us all. After all that was squared away we went off in the direction of dinner, which was at (you guessed it) Carthay Circle.

​

The restaurant had a nice big room sectioned off for us so we wouldn’t disturb the peasants ~oops~ I mean other guests. It was a set menu, which made decision making much easier. This meal included beer and wine (which I think is only the second one on the trip?) but I was already feeling pretty sleepy so I went for a Coke instead. Jon got his signature lemonade with a splash of Sprite.

To eat we both got the pork chop, which was delightful. But honestly we were both still pretty full from the Lamplight Lounge meal. I think I only ended up taking a couple bites of dessert before calling it quits.

​

During dinner there were a couple of surprises, one of which was an absolute and complete surprise for me and probably my most favorite souvenir from the trip. They got us each personalized Mickey ears! I don’t have any classic Mickey ears, let alone ones with my name on them and it made me so, so happy.

​

I mean look at this happy face.

We also got another pin of the day, which said Adventure is out there! And has Walt and Mickey looking out over Grizzly Peak.

When dinner was finishing up we got our instructions for the rest of the evening. If we so desired, we could meet later that evening for reserved viewing of World of Color. We wanted to try to fit a few more rides in before then so we split with the group and went over to Disneyland to ride Hyperspace Mountain.

​

It was the first time for both of us since it had either been the normal version or Ghost Galaxy on previous trips. And it’s so much fun! I love the overlay, and I’m even a little sad to know that it’s going away.

Once we got off we evaluated our options and decided to go ride Soarin’ since we weren’t able to before dinner. We also wanted to ride RSR, but we were in line for Sorain’ a little longer than we expected so we didn’t have enough time to get back there, ride, then make it to the meeting spot for WOC.

Instead we walked around Pixar Pier and took some photos of it with all the lights turned on. My camera’s not amazing in low light but I did manage to get at least one decent shot. Aside from the mass of people waiting around for WOC it’s a pretty chill place to be at night.

​

The meeting spot was right in front of Under the Sea and it was a walk on when we got there so we decided to take a dip before the show.

We walked right off the ride and into our ABD group and we all made our way to our viewing spot which was, naturally, incredible. And the best part of all these amazing viewing spots is that we got to the show like 10 minutes before it started, so no waiting around forever or throwing elbows to keep anyone out of your space while your husband goes for a snack break. It’s incredible.

WOC was as beautiful as it always is. I didn’t take a ton of photos because a) it’s a difficult show to get really great photos of and b) I just kind of wanted to enjoy it, ya know? Once the show ended we dragged our tired feet out with the masses and went back to the hotel to pack up. The fact that it was the last night of our ABD was really hitting me hard at that point. So much magic and it was already almost over!

​

Next up, our final meal with ABD before we head out to the parks on our own!

 

[pkondz]

We got a whole extra hour of sleep the next morning and didn’t need to meet until 7:30am. Ah the luxury.

You must have been soooo rested!

This breakfast and character loving girl was PUMPED for another great morning meal.

we had hijinks with Chip, Dale, and Pluto. They were sassy as ever.

Sassy chipmunks. Check!

Mickey and Minnie also came over but they were kind of boring. Definitely not as energetic as the Plaza the day before, but still really fun.

Well, they hadn't had much sleep either you know...

Fruit Loop flavored milk that came in these little plastic bags, which was weird.

Um... what?

But don’t worry, the plastic bag was balanced out by a paper straw

To literally take like 50 steps and be in a Disney park is incredible.

While I haven't stayed there, I have cut through a few times.

Whomever got the highest score out of our whole group would win a ~prize~

oooohhhh...

Now, I mentioned before that I’m not very competitive but I am highly prize-motivated

Yes. I know.

a WDW CM in our group who rides TSMM several times a week. She walked away with a brand new pair of Slinky Dog ears!

This seems patently unfair. A ringer!

Just like with Indy we went back to the maintenance bay for the ride and got to talk with one of the mechanics and learned a lot about how the ride system works.

Cool!

The mechanic also mentioned that the ride has a separate loading area for people who need extra time to load and unload, that way it doesn’t slow the ride down and more importantly, those guests don’t need to feel like they have to hurry to get on the ride. Supercool.

I like that. A lot.

We also learned that one of the most common reasons the ride breaks down is mobile wifi units. If someone has one in their bag and they set their bag down too close to one of the internal components, the wifi will disrupt the communications from the car and the whole ride will shut down.

Huh! I'm very surprised by that. I wouldn't have thought it would have that much of an effect!

But, even with all that, they told us that RSR has an up time of 96%, which is really good for such a complex ride system.

Wow! That's really good!

Each room in the restaurant is themed to a different stage in the movie process, from filming, to the premiere, to the awards.

Huh. Wasn't aware of that.

I was trying to get a good picture of the geyser but it kept turning off!

Stupid natural phenomenon...

Then he told us about the hidden Michael Eisner in the Over California version. Does anyone know where to find him??

Never even heard of that! One of the golfers?

I don’t see why we can’t keep Over California in Disneyland and Around the World at WDW.

I second this!

We could go up and touch the screen, which is actually really hard. It didn’t feel like a normal fabric screen but some kind of hard plastic or metal.

Really! I wouldn't have expected that.

When that ride was done we went outside to an outdoor backstage area where they had bottles with all the scents from the two versions, including the beloved orange groves.

Oh, man... I'd love to smell that one more time.

I seriously love this ride so much.

Tell us how you really feel!

Thankfully both girls with us are CMs at WDW and worked their customer service magic to not only get us in past our time, but to combine our two reservations into one.

Okay... they're forgiven for having won the prize earlier.
And no... it doesn't matter if it wasn't the same one.
I'm painting them all with the same brush.

We were seated downstairs right by the water. I mean, can you beat this view??

Score!

Seriously great fries. Well done, Lamplight.

Noted. Great fries.

And very strong. The server didn’t tell me until after I started drinking it that it’s one of their strongest drinks.

Ruh Roh….

Before we finished up our server came over with a surprise order of donuts. She saw our anniversary buttons and brought them over to give us a little pixie dust!

Nice of her.

Throughout the ride I managed to stay reasonably dry. Until that twice-cursed geyser.

Oh, noooo!!!

Jon specifically wanted to do the trail because we had never done it before.

I've never heard of it. Huh!

As time went on and the line barely moved we finally had to throw the towel in and head out.

Well, that's too bad. Sorry you didn't get your meet in.

The guides put together a slideshow of some of the photos from the week that we all watched then went around and shared some of our favorite memories. It was all horribly touching.

Awww... That must've been really nice.

They got us each personalized Mickey ears! I don’t have any classic Mickey ears, let alone ones with my name on them and it made me so, so happy.

Good for you!

And the best part of all these amazing viewing spots is that we got to the show like 10 minutes before it started, so no waiting around forever or throwing elbows to keep anyone out of your space while your husband goes for a snack break. It’s incredible.

Very nice.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

I had a ton to catch up on but two things stuck through all of it:

1) I need to do this ABD trip
2)I love all of your photos! Thank you for sharing them !

 

[dolewhipdreams]

You must have been soooo rested!

I hardly knew what to do with myself!!

Um... what?

It was delightful but very, very weird. Call me old fashioned but I prefer to drink my milk out of a cup.

While I haven't stayed there, I have cut through a few times.

It's incredible. On my trip last week I got sad every time I had to pass it by.

Yes. I know.

Where's my maple syrup??

Huh! I'm very surprised by that. I wouldn't have thought it would have that much of an effect!

Yeah it's such a strange thing to take the ride down. And obviously not something that people thought of when they were designing the ride. I would love to have seen their faces when they realized what was causing all the downtime.

Never even heard of that! One of the golfers?

Yeah! The one who hits the ball that comes at the screen.

Okay... they're forgiven for having won the prize earlier.
And no... it doesn't matter if it wasn't the same one.

Actually it was the same one

I've never heard of it. Huh!

It's one of those areas that I think is primarily designed for kids to run off extra energy but it's really pretty and the theming is nice so if you can avoid said kids, it's a pretty pleasant experience. During Christmas it gets all Santa-fied.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I had a ton to catch up on but two things stuck through all of it:

1) I need to do this ABD trip
2)I love all of your photos! Thank you for sharing them !

1) Yes you do!! It's such an amazing trip. Absolutely worth every penny.
2) Thanks so much. I still have a lot to learn about photography but Disney parks are some of my favorite places to practice!

 

[pkondz]

I hardly knew what to do with myself!!

I know the feeling.

It was delightful but very, very weird. Call me old fashioned but I prefer to drink my milk out of a cup.

Glass for me... unless it's hot... with chocolate...

On my trip last week I got sad every time I had to pass it by.

Where's my maple syrup??

I'll be posting an update soon... probably Saturday. I'm waiting to see if one more person PMs me their guesses. I'm thinking not, so... Saturday morning. It's ready to go. Then you can see how you're doing.

I would love to have seen their faces when they realized what was causing all the downtime.

Yeah! The one who hits the ball that comes at the screen.

I guessed right!!

Actually it was the same one

It's one of those areas that I think is primarily designed for kids to run off extra energy but it's really pretty and the theming is nice so if you can avoid said kids, it's a pretty pleasant experience. During Christmas it gets all Santa-fied.

Sounds great! I finally did Tom Sawyer Island at MK and... it's for kids... and I had a great time.