A Birthday Trip without a Birthday - 2/16: Conclusion and Bonus Birthday Tea

[glennbo123]

Yes, I agree that it'd be nice if there were a little bit more behind all of those facades. It seems like DHS should/could be a bigger park.

We had some great streetmosphere interaction last time, I hope they aren't meddling with that too much.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

It still has some of my favourite attractions, but as I said in the previous update about the MK, it also lacks the immersive environment. At lot of it is just facade. Very pretty facade, I love the look of the old Hollywood, but lets be honest, behind those beautiful fronts there just are shops selling the same things as Mousegears at Epcot or the Emporium in the MK.

I agree, and I think that's why HS doesn't quite grab me either. The theming just doesn't feel as immersive there. And I do wish the stuff in the shops was more varied as well, but that's a problem across WDW.

However, even a fourth place at WDW makes it a pretty great park overall!!

Of course we did get to ride on Star Tours II!! I was very impressed with this update. The queue looks wonderful again and there are a few fun things to watch while you wait! The new films have crystal clear quality and the 3D here is up to modern standards, not at all the disappointment I had at Philharmagic. The trick of this attraction is that you get a random flight combined out of several different elements. This is exciting because you get to experience something different everytime – well, unless you ride with us!

I guess we'll chalk that up to bad luck! I'm glad the ride is fun, though. I can't wait to try it out!

And I am very ashamed to report that we actually did not make any effort to get on Voyage of the Little Mermaid...

Don't be ashamed. I don't think you missed much.

But one thing which we definitely enjoyed: The ability to walk there.

 

[Flossbolna]

Sending warm wishes to you and your family for this Christmas Season. Please say it isn't so that your thread seems to be coming to an end. What is next on the horizon of adventures for the wonderful Magdalene and Katharina we have grown to love? Lovely pictures of Christmas trees and celebrations I hope

Hi there and thanks for the greetings! There is still plenty to report from this trip, don't worry! I have already written a very detailed report about our day at Universal and there will plenty more things to write about!

I was wondering about doing another "bonus update" about life in Germany, but it seems that I covered Christmas quite well in the previous reports... Maybe I will venture out to another city and there Christmas market one of the next weekends...

Yes, I agree that it'd be nice if there were a little bit more behind all of those facades. It seems like DHS should/could be a bigger park.

We had some great streetmosphere interaction last time, I hope they aren't meddling with that too much.

I am really sad that I seem to have lost my love for that park to a certain degree... For me DHS has become much more of a half day park now...

I am not really sure what was going on with streetmosphere... I hope that we just got them at odd shows.

 

[Flossbolna]

I agree, and I think that's why HS doesn't quite grab me either. The theming just doesn't feel as immersive there. And I do wish the stuff in the shops was more varied as well, but that's a problem across WDW.

Yes, seeing the same merchandise everywhere gets boring at some point...

And I think we have very similar tastes in theme parks - well, besides the fact that you aren't so keen on Splash Mountain if I remember correctly?

I guess we'll chalk that up to bad luck! I'm glad the ride is fun, though. I can't wait to try it out!

The ride is really great! I wasn't so sure about it since I had read quite a few reviews which weren't impressed, but I find it very enjoyable.

I just wonder what the probabilities for going to the same place over and over again are - I rather would prefer that very unlikely things happen to me when I buy a lottery ticket...

Don't be ashamed. I don't think you missed much.

I am relieved to hear that!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Dear Readers!

I know that you are out there, I can see that this thread is viewed not by only three, four, five people. And I would love to hear from you! Don't be shy, leave a comment, this is much more fun for me when I get to talk to you! So stop lurking!!

And there is still plenty more to come: some "Special Features" - we will start with the first one right after this announcement, resorts, food and other stuff.

 

[Flossbolna]

Special Feature #1:

The pre-trip-report had details about three special features that we planned for the trip – and the first one was: visiting both water parks! More about our plans can be found here.

I am really happy that we made it to both water parks! Since Katharina arrived at WDW with a cold, she did not feel up to water parks during the first days. But we managed to adjust our plans and still got to go.

I truly enjoyed both parks. We did not stay a full day at any of them, I think more like about 4 hours and that was nearly the perfect time frame. We had some time to do the slides we wanted to do, eat some lunch, take the lazy river, read our books, nap and swim a bit. We might have stayed a bit longer, but both days we had plans for the rest of the day. But even though I might have wanted to go on the one or the other slide once again, I was perfectly fine to move on to do something else.

I really can't say which water park I prefer, both have some elements which I truly enjoyed.

I like the slides in general at BB better, I loved the family raft ride, but also the others were interesting enough. However, Crush n' Gusher at TL is really great, too! That's a not to miss water slide for me!

I don't like the massive waves at TL, therefore we never made it into the big pool there. But we did enjoy to float around in BB's wave pool for some time.

We found that BB has less space where you can get chairs. We really had some trouble finding a spot there at first. Later we saw some very empty areas way towards the back of the park, but those did not look very nice either...

The lazy rivers were great fun, too! However, I seem to be lazier in the river than Katharina, she always kept floating away from me, while I seemed to get stuck and did move only at the pace of a snail... We quickly figured out that we could prevent floating away from each other if I kept my feet hooked under her tube and then we had a lot of fun floating around, giggling like teenage girls every time one of us got hit by one of the water features. Wonderful memories!

We also thought that the chair lift at BB was very funny! I was actually a bit worried how getting off would work since all my chair lift experiences are with skis under my feet and then you just glide away easily. But fortunately the lift is really slow, so getting out is not difficult at all. Actually the whole BB was very funny for us because it plays with that Alpine ski resort theme – and I have spent many winter vacations at places just like that in real life. They even have some real alpine music in between the beach music, with real German texts!!

We had lunch at both parks and both time the food was pretty tasty. But we did stick with the classic options: burgers at Blizzard Beach and a tuna sandwich at Typhoon Lagoon. Actually, the fries at BB were much better than the ones we had sometime later at Pecos Bill's at the MK.

All in all, I am really happy that we made it to the water parks. I really want to make sure that I get to go there again on my next trip!!

 

[Poolrat]

Checking in to find not one but two updates to read.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with DHS. I do love TSM, ToT and RnR. I loved the new Star Tours too but I am afraid to say, I had a similar trip where I ended up at the same place a few times.


My hate comes in when touring mostly. I think DHS has too many dead ends. Well really, Sunset Blvd. I feel like when I want to go down Sunset Blvd. I feel so far away from everything else and have to trek to go onto the next thing.



Ahhh the Waterparks. I can't spend the whole day there either. I like the slides and the theming but dragging the tubes up to the top of the hills takes some of the magic away for me.


Thansk for sharing.

 

[glennbo123]

I haven't visited Blizzard Beach yet, but enjoyed our day at Typhoon Lagoon. I agree that Crush 'n Gusher is a "do not miss" ride at that park. I thought the theming was top notch on that ride.

 

[marvali]

I am so irate that your mail hasn't arrived yet! I can't do it before Friday but I plan to be at the Post Office then with all of my receipts and ask them what the heck is going on! It isn't the lost DVD with the pictures that bothers me as much as the Birthday Card with your birthday wishes for such a special occasion. I can replace the DVD, or as you suggested just post the pictures on Photobucket and give you access. Still, the whole thing drives me nuts since this Friday will be four weeks since I mailed it.

 

[lovealldisney]

I was wondering about doing another "bonus update" about life in Germany, but it seems that I covered Christmas quite well in the previous reports... Maybe I will venture out to another city and there Christmas market one of the next weekends...

This would be very very very nice..... I would love to hear about Christmas again...... Just saying..


Glad you liked the water parks! I have to say I prefer TL over BB. Sounds like you had a lovely time.

 

[Flossbolna]

Checking in to find not one but two updates to read.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with DHS. I do love TSM, ToT and RnR. I loved the new Star Tours too but I am afraid to say, I had a similar trip where I ended up at the same place a few times.


My hate comes in when touring mostly. I think DHS has too many dead ends. Well really, Sunset Blvd. I feel like when I want to go down Sunset Blvd. I feel so far away from everything else and have to trek to go onto the next thing.

Isn't it sad how many people feel like that: a park with a few really great attractions, but somehow it does not really work as a park. I very much understand your issue with the dead end. I often was annoyed about having to walk all the way back to ToT only to figure out that the wait is really long because they only have one elevator operating...

I think a lot of its issues are from how it was built. From what I have heard it was built very quickly as a response to Universal building in Orlando as well and they wanted to open MGM Studios before they opened Universal. And a huge part of the park was only accesible via the Studio Tour, you were never supposed to wander around the Streets of America as you are now. Now the park is burdened with a less than perfect concept and I think maybe it really needs a totally new master plan...

Ahhh the Waterparks. I can't spend the whole day there either. I like the slides and the theming but dragging the tubes up to the top of the hills takes some of the magic away for me.


Thansk for sharing.

I thought oyu would like the water park update!! I wish we had more opportunities to spend time there... This is one of the things that make me want to rent a car next time I am there, just throw the bathing suit in the trunk and then I can head directly from a park to a water park.

Dragging the tubes up the hills is not fun, that's why Katharina and I did opt out of the family raft ride at TL, much nicer at BB, where they have a lift for the huge rafts!

 

[Flossbolna]

I haven't visited Blizzard Beach yet, but enjoyed our day at Typhoon Lagoon. I agree that Crush 'n Gusher is a "do not miss" ride at that park. I thought the theming was top notch on that ride.

Being back home in cold, grey Germany in November I could daydream about the water parks all day right now!! They are both fantastic. And if you enjoyed Crush 'n Gusher, I am sure you would love BB, there are lots of great slides there and the theming is more whimsical. Maybe something for the next trip? Which you must be planning right now - so where is your pre-trip-report?? You know that we are all waiting impatiently for it!

I am so irate that your mail hasn't arrived yet! I can't do it before Friday but I plan to be at the Post Office then with all of my receipts and ask them what the heck is going on! It isn't the lost DVD with the pictures that bothers me as much as the Birthday Card with your birthday wishes for such a special occasion. I can replace the DVD, or as you suggested just post the pictures on Photobucket and give you access. Still, the whole thing drives me nuts since this Friday will be four weeks since I mailed it.

Marv, I am so sorry that you being so nice to send me birthday card and the photos results in you being in a bad mood!! I can't imagine why it takes so long, I really am afraid that it got lost somewhere. Every evening I hope to find it in my mailbox and yesterday I was really excited because there was a larger envelope which looked like it might be it, but it was something else again...

And even if it never arrives, I really appreciate that you sent it!!

 

[Flossbolna]

This would be very very very nice..... I would love to hear about Christmas again...... Just saying..

Hmmm, I just had an idea what I might post about... But you will have to wait until next Tuesday!

Glad you liked the water parks! I have to say I prefer TL over BB. Sounds like you had a lovely time.

It was truly wonderful! And you are in good company: Katharina said that she prefers TL as well, while I really can't make up my mind which I like better...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I'm the opposite of Glenn--I've been to Blizzard Beach, but never TL. Hope to get there on the next trip.

That being said, it sounds like you really enjoyed your time there. We were looking at other water parks (non-Disney) when we were doing trip research and were struck by how much Disney theming makes a difference! At the "other" parks it was just concrete, stairs, scaffolds, and waterslides.

So I guess Crush 'n Gusher is the can't-miss attraction at TL. Did you try the shark swim?

 

[Flossbolna]

I'm the opposite of Glenn--I've been to Blizzard Beach, but never TL. Hope to get there on the next trip.

That being said, it sounds like you really enjoyed your time there. We were looking at other water parks (non-Disney) when we were doing trip research and were struck by how much Disney theming makes a difference! At the "other" parks it was just concrete, stairs, scaffolds, and waterslides.

So I guess Crush 'n Gusher is the can't-miss attraction at TL. Did you try the shark swim?

As I said before, I love both water parks. So if you have never been to TL, I can definitely recommend a visit! Do you go on water slides?? I mean, they include a drop into water...

I have looked at pictures of Aquatica in Orlando (it belongs to Seaworld) and it looks like a very nice water park as well. Not as themed, but definitely not in the concrete, stairs and scaffolds category! I am very tempted to try it out when I am in Orlando the next time.

And the first ever water park Katharina and I went to was in 1992 in New Braunfels, Texas. I think Disney might have copied a bit of their theme when building BB since this is supposed to look like an Alpine village. I remember it looking a bit strange and definitely not as pretty as Disney, but it was not too bad either...

We did not do the shark swim. Katharina wasn't interested - she has never tried to snorkel and felt like it isn't something that she could easily just do since she has huge troubles to exhale when her head is under water. I have done it on a previous visit and wasn't impressed. I am pretty certain that I would love snorkelling, but there it was just swim through, don't stop and neither could you deviate from the set route. I did not feel like I got to really see anything.

 

[Flossbolna]

Special Feature #2: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Ever since we knew that the trip would be in October,we were certain that we wanted to experience the party. Halloween is not a holiday celebrated in Germany and we thought it would be really funny to explore this. You can read our plans here.

Originally we had no plans to get any costumes for the party, but then on our first morning at the MK I saw this lovely Mickey Ears hat:

And wanted to get it... And convinced Katharina that those Mickey Ears would make perfect costumes for the Halloween party!! I got mine embroidered with my name on them, Katharina declined that... But at least we are able to keep our hats apart now.

Since we now had our hats, we decided that we needed to wear clothes that matched the hat and since none of us has any orange, we decided to go with black and this is us as we arrived at the MK for the party :

Yes, and we did something which I promised Katharina that we would never do: We wear matching outfits!!!! But I guess for Halloween dressing up is kind of mandatory, so it does not really count!

We also got another picture with Marv during the party :

We were really impressed by the many elaborate costumes we saw during the party, especially some which looked far too warm for that day!! But it was fun to watch people and see how many Fred Flintstones we did see – or to discuss with Marv and Jonathan whether we all saw the same blinky Tinkerbell or whether there were several of them around.

We did some trick and treating and figured out that there is a lot of American candy that we had never tried before. We have m&ms in Germany as well and the same counts for the mini Snicker bars we got. But neither of us ever had a Tootsie Roll before – they seem to come in many different shapes and even tastes! And while Milky Ways taste the same, they have a much nicer wrapper in Germany! Katharina also got to try candy corn for the first time. When she saw it in a shop for the first time, she thought it did look very unappetising, more like a rotten tooth than a kernel of corn... So that is our name for candy corn now... And, no, getting a taste of it has not improved our opinion...

We met Marv and Jonathan just before the fireworks which we watched together from the end of Main Street. Beautiful, fantastic show!! It is by far my most favourite Disney fireworks show now. It is a lot of fun, has lots of colour and just great to watch.

I am not sure whether what we did after the fireworks, but I think I convinced the others that we ought to find a place from where to see the second parade. Even though I am not a parade person, I wanted to make sure to see this – and wanted to see the Headless Horseman who rides before the parade. Unfortunately I made the mistake of thinking that the parade would start 15 minutes earlier than it really did... That's why we found such a great spot in Frontierland so easily. I felt a bit sorry for my blunder, but we really had a perfect first row spot to see everything and were strategically placed to get away immediately after the end of the parade to get on the Haunted Mansion.

The parade was truly wonderful. This is a parade which I would make sure to watch when I get the opportunity again. It was so much fun. I really loved the atmosphere of it, the music, the costumes. Great entertainment!!

We did get to ride quite a few rides during the party, most with not so long lines. And we did enjoy the added spookiness of the Haunted Mansion CMs as well as the projections of a big spider onto Space Mountain.

But what we did not enjoy was the rather hectic and crowded atmosphere of people running from A to B. While the lines at attractions were rather short mostly and the lines for the candy were only long during the first hour of the parade, it just felt that lots of people were out on the walkways. Maybe the fact that the former Toontown is closed now added to that feeling. Strangely, it was not at all crowded on Main Street during Hallowishes.

Also, we did not see any of the shows, dance parties nor did we queue for any of the character meet and greets – the lines for those were exceptionally long!!

So, in the end, what did we think of it? It was really fun to celebrate Halloween that way and the fireworks and the parade were outstanding. But that was all. So in the end the question is really: is it worth $ 56.40 per person (that is including taxes but with a pre-purchase and DVC discount)? Most likely not – at least not for a repeat visit very soon. I am really glad that we did it and don't regret that we spent the money on it. But I think I will be content with watching Hallowishes from the Poly beach if I am back at WDW during October in the next few years...

 

[lovealldisney]

Love it! You look adorable! I really do like your hair this length.

To funny about the candy corn! Rotten teeth..... My sister and I had a favorite candy growing up they were called candy rasins well they didn't look like rasins at all more like boogers..... So that is what we call them... unfortunatly the company that made them is no longer around so no more boogers for us....

What was your impression on tooties rolls? Dave loves the flavored fruit ones I like the chocolate ones... Did you have any tooties pops in your Halloween bag? Glad you like the party, and I agree I don't know if I would spend that much to attend. When I can have a Halloween party of my own and you and Katharina are more than welcome to attend for free...

Great update! Thanks for sharing....

 

[Flossbolna]

Love it! You look adorable! I really do like your hair this length.

Thanks! This picture was originally only taken because there wasn't any mirror around and I wanted to see what I looked like with the Mickey Ears in the shop. So I asked Katharina to take the picture... In the end I think it is one of the nicest pictures of me in recent years.

And when I posted it yesterday I was thinking that I need to get a hair dresser appointment soon because it looks much better when it is short as in that picture!

To funny about the candy corn! Rotten teeth..... My sister and I had a favorite candy growing up they were called candy rasins well they didn't look like rasins at all more like boogers..... So that is what we call them... unfortunatly the company that made them is no longer around so no more boogers for us....

I always love it when you have your own secret names for things to share with someone else. Your candy raisin name is pretty funny, too! What a shame that they aren't around any longer.

What was your impression on tooties rolls? Dave loves the flavored fruit ones I like the chocolate ones... Did you have any tooties pops in your Halloween bag? Glad you like the party, and I agree I don't know if I would spend that much to attend. When I can have a Halloween party of my own and you and Katharina are more than welcome to attend for free...

Great update! Thanks for sharing....

The tootsie rolls were ok, I like chewy candy. But I wasn't that impressed either. I prefer my German Maoam! Even though it never is chocolate flavoured...

Thanks for the invitation to your Halloween party!! Will there be fireworks and a parade as well?

 

[glennbo123]

I've never been there for MNSSHP but I'd like to see the parade, however I doubt that it's worth the money just for that.

I'm not a big fan of tootsie rolls or candy corn. Reese's peanut butter cups and Mounds are a different story.

I agree, that's a really good picture of you in the pumpkin-ears hat!

 

[rndmr2]

Glad you had a good time at the Halloween party, I would love to go if only for that parade and to see all of the costumes, but DH is not a huge fan of Halloween so it would take some convincing to get him to go with me. I love those pumpkin Mickey ears! I Love tootsie rolls and candy corn but with the candy corn I can only eat so much of it.