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

[englishrose47]

Have to give this a BUMP!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Just an aside: am I going crazy or did the DIS have a software update? It kind of looks sleaker than what I am used to. Or am I imagining things???

Yay, you're writing about something that is currently much on my mind:
I bought me some Disney SCA shares last week and have already received my confirmation e-mail for the Shareholders Club, now all I'm still waiting for is the club card.
So in September, we'll check out Salon Mickey ourselves!

The shareholder's club is really great! I think Katharina got hers pretty soon after signing up and the card does look very nice! Much nicer than my DVC membership card which required a way bigger investment!

What we did and what worked pretty well: get to the park at 8 am for EMH and then on to Salon Mickey around 9-9:30am for a coffee break. The only problem is that you have to leave the park again to get into Salon Mickey and we had to exit to the other side from Salon Mickey and then walk around all the turnstiles back towards Salon Mickey. In hindsight we thought we should have just told the CM at the turnstiles that we want to get to Salon Mickey and they might have let us exit there?

What wonderful pics!! I love the idea of Salon Mickey, sort of like the private entrance to World Showcase/EPCOT but much cooler!!!! Loved all the details, it is so gorgeous!!!

Thanks Jen! Salon Mickey is very special, it is a truly private entrance. I remember reading about all the lounges attractions with sponsors used to have at WDW and thought that those were very cool as well. But since most sponsorship deals have gone away, this has ended, too. I know that Siemens still has one at Spaceship Earth.

Ok how did I miss this update??? Loved all your pictures Magalene! Especially the Salon Mickey ones! Love the Victorian theme just beautiful!

Hi Wendy, I guess it must have been my fault for updating so seldom that people are no longer expecting an update...

These are the pictures that I knew you would love! There will be a bit more Victorian theme to see in the restaurant updates, we had a meal on Main Street...

 

[Flossbolna]

Beautiful pictures!! Love the idea of the arcade Very excited to see the Fantasyland pictures now!! The detail in what you have shared has been beautiful!!
October 16 will indeed be a very popular Diser MNSSHP As with the entire week it seems!!

Tracy

Hi Tracy, I hope to get more pictures into photobucket soon, but I think I will do the lands clockwise - and that does not mean I will be starting with Adventureland... But Fantasyland is still a few updates away.

Interesting about the October 16 party! I hope that does not mean it will be so crowded. I am very curious about Pat's theory about October and DISers...

Thanks for sharing those pictures Magdelena! The arcades at DLP are absolutely gorgeous! It does seem very convenient like you said.

I am glad that you enjoyed them! The arcades are so great, I know that I will truly miss them at WDW once again with the fresh memory from DLP. I kind of had gotten used to the WDW Main Street during my last trips...

I have always wanted to go to DLP, but your pictures are making it an obsession! It is just so beautiful!

I am glad that you are enjoying it! I hope you will be able to travel there once and experience it!

 

[Flossbolna]

And I can assure you that you will find a clean bathroom, plenty of food and best of all the BEST of conversation and company!! It would be WELL worth the time and money to make the trip, Marv!

I couldn't agree more Liesa! Two very lovely ladies indeed.

Thanks for the high recommendations as hosts!

Well, knowing your propensity for restroom evaluations I will take it that the facilities will be more than adequate for a man, at least as compared to those in airports and Disney parks/resorts......

So, when is that trip going to happen??

 

[Flossbolna]

Hi Magdalene !! Too tired to be witty or chat much, but I am following along as I nod off !!

I think this is the explanation for the following post:

I am so sorry Magdalene I read your update and DUH didn't spot the link to the pix !!I was wondering what everyone was talking about Now I can say the pix were great!!

I am really glad that you found the link and enjoyed the pictures!

HI Magdalene! I feel like I'm running all over the DIS apologizing for being so absent lately. I see I've missed some fun chatter AND an important update. I haven't looked at the pictures yet, but will in a bit; the descriptions already have me quite intrigued!

Don't worry, I am doing the same at the moment... Can't keep up with chatter somehow. The great thing is, though, the update does not go anywhere and I love to read your comments, even if they would be weeks after the update was written.

I love all your pictures of DLP. Salon Mickey sounds really neat and I like the idea of the arcade.

Thanks! It's great to know that people enjoy what I am posting!

Wow, great pictures! I think the arcade areas are fascinating. (Maybe because I went to the Statue of Liberty recently?) Seems like a great place to wander and get caught up in the themes and details. Now I'm starting to wish they were present at WDW.

I was thinking of you when taking the Liberty Arcade pictures, I think I had read already the first installment of your trip report. Which reminds me that I need to see if there are any new updates about the New Hampshire report.

I wish for those Arcades all the time at WDW when I am on Main Street during parade time. They would even be fantastic after the fireworks!

 

[Flossbolna]

No, there won't be 40 special features to celebrate my birthday, but three is always a good number, so here is the last one - and I think it is also the best. Even though that might be a bit strange for a WDW trip... It is also the most time consuming and the most expensive one...

I am really excited about this one because it is something new which I get to experience for the first time together with Katharina. And it is something which connects to something else which I have enjoyed since the late 90s.

Can anyone figure it out from these clues??











I was thinking of making it a contest, but I am too excited about this feature, so I really want to write about it and not make you wait any longer! We will spend one day of our trip at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The big motivation is of course the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I started to read those books when only the first two had come out, so I am an old fan of the books. Used to be less of a fan of the films, but kind of got used to them. I still think that they focus too much on the big events and lose lots of the charm along the way. But from everything I have read and seen about WWOHP it looks like there is plenty of charm! So I am looking forward to that. The other big thing we want to make sure to see there is the Simpsons Ride - Katharina's DH is a huge fan and perhaps lots of great tales about the Simpsons Ride can convince him to take a trip to Florida. But Katharina and I really want to see the ride ourselves as well! Besides that we are still in the early planning stages of what to see...

We already have the logistics figured out a bit. We will make use of a deal which is offered by Dreams Unlimited (the travel agent which sponsors the DIS). It's a one day two park ticket which includes round trip transportation via shuttle from a WDW resort to Universal and back. It is only a few dollars more expensive than the same ticket without transportation. And since the Simpsons Ride is in Universal Studios while WWOHP is at Islands of Adventure, we would need that type of ticket anyway. The shuttle does get ok reviews here on the DIS. Our plan is to arrive very early for rope drop at Islands of Adventure, head over to WWOHP and then afterwards use the rest of the day for further exploration of those two parks. We are aware that this will be quite a lot of running around and we will certainly miss a few things, but it should give us a good overview of what it is like and maybe a future trip will have us return for a longer period of time... I have heard rumors that WWHOP Part 2 will break ground this year, so there might be even more of an incentive to return. We will end the evening with a meal at City Walk, Universal's version of Downtown Disney, either at Jimmy Buffett or at Bubba Gump. Both places sound pretty exotic to us!

The day we scheduled for this is Tuesday, October 18, one week after our arrival day. Supposedly mid week is less crowded there and this will give us one full week at WDW before venturing over to "the Dark Side". So, that's the reason why we can't go to the MNSSHP that day, but it looks like the DISers prefer the Sunday party anyway.

Any tips and recommendations would be extremely welcomed from those who have been to Universal! We are still trying to find out which rides have to go on our must see list etc.

 

[kid-at-heart]

My tip, do not buy a chocolate frog until late in the day. We went last Nov and bought our daughter Sarah a choc frog very early during the day, by the time we opened it back at the resort, it was melted and did not resemble a frog at all. She still enjoyed eating it.

 

[Poolrat]

Just an aside: am I going crazy or did the DIS have a software update? It kind of looks sleaker than what I am used to. Or am I imagining things???

I agree I think we have a new "look". Now all the issues here on the Dis I have been having of late make sense.

Interesting about the October 16 party! I hope that does not mean it will be so crowded. I am very curious about Pat's theory about October and DISers...

I think I will spill the beans here since really I won't get to it on my TR until the Oct trip and well that could be a while.

When I went in July and even Sept. I noticed I could avoid any crowds (Sept. was pretty empty but still ) by using my good Dis sense. Certain section of a park or the park even may be crowded but I would always the go to low crowd predictor park or work counterclockwise so to speak and really be fine. Also I noticed and enjoyed the gasps, oohs and ahhhs at all the attractions that accompany first time or those who are not in the world often.

All that changed in Oct. Even though it was pretty low crowd wise it seemed like I was always in the middle of them. I noticed less oohs and ahhhs and more people were in my out of the way favorite places.

How could that be?
After having the pleasure of attending a few events with others from the Be our guest podcast ( courtesy of Maroo) and other groups of Disney fans I realized that many people were there for the race, the start of Food and Wine and of course they were experienced and were doing the same thing I was at the same time. No wonder I felt it was crowded. Every time I zigged to get away from the crowds, everyone else did too.

So there is my theory! If you feel like you are bumping into crowds, just act like a tourist and you will probably avoid them.

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Magdalene !!the 18th is the day we go home !!So your Universal day will not affect out Meet!!! Carol has been saying she wants to do Universal soooo I asked People and Places and as we are such GREAT Escorts we will get a Universal trip next year sooo I will be asking you for tips !!

 

[glennbo123]

Hi Magdalene, I haven't made it to those parks yet either, but want to someday....so I don't have any advice for you, but will follow what you do with interest. That ticket w/ transportation sounds interesting. Do they have one that would just be Islands of Adventure + transportation to/from Disney resorts?

My tip, do not buy a chocolate frog until late in the day. We went last Nov and bought our daughter Sarah a choc frog very early during the day, by the time we opened it back at the resort, it was melted and did not resemble a frog at all. She still enjoyed eating it.

That sounds like some good advice, right there.

 

[jenbear123]

How exciting to go to Universal! Ever since WWOHP opened, I've been eager to go there. I haven't been since I was the size of a lima bean so my memory is a bit foggy. I'm sure I'd appreciate it a lot more now that I'm older. I can't wait for you to check it out. Make sure you try some Butter beer for me

 

[Flossbolna]

My tip, do not buy a chocolate frog until late in the day. We went last Nov and bought our daughter Sarah a choc frog very early during the day, by the time we opened it back at the resort, it was melted and did not resemble a frog at all. She still enjoyed eating it.

That sounds like a very good tip! I have read that actually all the Harry Potter merchandise is also available at the big shop at the entrance to IoA. So I was planning on picking things up there at the end of the day... However, I will make sure to have a look inside the sweet shop, it looks great. But Katharina and I have already decided not to wait for the wand shop show.

I agree I think we have a new "look". Now all the issues here on the Dis I have been having of late make sense.

Thanks! The changes are rather subtle, so I was afraid that I was imagining things.

I think I will spill the beans here since really I won't get to it on my TR until the Oct trip and well that could be a while.

When I went in July and even Sept. I noticed I could avoid any crowds (Sept. was pretty empty but still ) by using my good Dis sense. Certain section of a park or the park even may be crowded but I would always the go to low crowd predictor park or work counterclockwise so to speak and really be fine. Also I noticed and enjoyed the gasps, oohs and ahhhs at all the attractions that accompany first time or those who are not in the world often.

All that changed in Oct. Even though it was pretty low crowd wise it seemed like I was always in the middle of them. I noticed less oohs and ahhhs and more people were in my out of the way favorite places.

How could that be?
After having the pleasure of attending a few events with others from the Be our guest podcast ( courtesy of Maroo) and other groups of Disney fans I realized that many people were there for the race, the start of Food and Wine and of course they were experienced and were doing the same thing I was at the same time. No wonder I felt it was crowded. Every time I zigged to get away from the crowds, everyone else did too.

So there is my theory! If you feel like you are bumping into crowds, just act like a tourist and you will probably avoid them.

That's interesting! However, you were there the first weekend of October, weren't you? I think that might even be more crowded with DISers than our time frame. But I had been wondering about the same issue as well and will keep your advice in mind: If the TTA has a long line at 5 pm, go to ride Space Mountain with no wait at all.

Hi Magdalene !!the 18th is the day we go home !!So your Universal day will not affect out Meet!!! Carol has been saying she wants to do Universal soooo I asked People and Places and as we are such GREAT Escorts we will get a Universal trip next year sooo I will be asking you for tips !!

Wow, a Universal trip as escort sounds exciting! The DIS Universal section is really pretty helpful, I have been lurking there for quite some time now.

Do you have a plan about which day at which park for your October trip already? We should check if we are at the same place on any day for that meet!

 

[Flossbolna]

Hi Magdalene, I haven't made it to those parks yet either, but want to someday....so I don't have any advice for you, but will follow what you do with interest. That ticket w/ transportation sounds interesting. Do they have one that would just be Islands of Adventure + transportation to/from Disney resorts?

I am really quite excited about Universal and have read quite a bit about it since we decided to go there. The more I read, the better it sounds. They are also at the moment really expanding their offerings. They just announced a new mini-golf course, a rehab for the Spiderman ride and a new attraction themed to Dispicable Me. There are strong rumors that Harry Potter Part 2 has been greenlit and will start being built this summer with an official announcement next year (most likely around the time frame of the opening of the New Fantasyland at WDW ) and there is a rumor about a new water park. They really try to be much more a real resort to compete with WDW. I think if we like it in October my next trip to Florida might include a few nights at Universal.

The ticket with transportation is only available for the two-parks-ticket. I think if you are a family of five, the most economic way to get there would still be to rent a car. Supposedly driving there is pretty straight forward. The Mears shuttle which is included in the deal I mentioned is about $ 30 (or a bit more) per person per round-trip.

How exciting to go to Universal! Ever since WWOHP opened, I've been eager to go there. I haven't been since I was the size of a lima bean so my memory is a bit foggy. I'm sure I'd appreciate it a lot more now that I'm older. I can't wait for you to check it out. Make sure you try some Butter beer for me

Oh, the butterbear is definitely a must do for us!

I think Universal is really more geared towards a slightly older audience than MK's Fantasyland. Possibly that is why it appeals to me so much at the moment?

 

[nodnol]

and a new attraction themed to Dispicable Me.

I didn't know that!!! This might convince Remy even better than a Simpsons ride...

 

[Flossbolna]

I didn't know that!!! This might convince Remy even better than a Simpsons ride...

It was just announced on May 19, here is the report about it.

 

[All7OfUs]

OH wow! That IS an exciting Special Feature update! That is fantastic you get to enjoy one of your other shared loves! maybe someday I'll get over there and check it all out too. Meantime, I can't offer any advice, but will have to just be a watcher of how things unfold. I know your stories and pictures are going to be the BOMB!!!

 

[PennyLane1084]

Magdelena, your plan for Island or Adventure and Universal Studios sounds great! It got me thinking and I'm planning my trip around a bit to focus more on IoA and Universal towards the end of my trip.

I'm also a BIG fan of Harry Potter and WWoHP looks AMAZING!!! I'm sure you will enjoy it! The Simpsons Ride looks really fun too!! I've been excited about that ride ever since it opened. I highly recommend the Spiderman Ride at Marvel Island in IoA. It's really really fun!!

 

[jenjolt]

WOW a day trip to Universal!! What fun!!! I really really want to go to WHOP so I will have to live through your pics and TR until I can get over there!!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Cool! I haven't seen the new WWoHP, but it does sound like a cool place. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

 

[Poolrat]

That's interesting! However, you were there the first weekend of October, weren't you? I think that might even be more crowded with DISers than our time frame.

I have been slowly creeping back from the end of Oct to the beginning of October. The first week for sure was full of Disrs and other people in the "know". Towards the middle and end of Oct. it was a bit slower. For EPCOT as I probably have mentioned before Monday - Thursday is much slower than Fri- Sun.

But I had been wondering about the same issue as well and will keep your advice in mind: If the TTA has a long line at 5 pm, go to ride Space Mountain with no wait at all.

EXACTLY!!!! Seriously, I was finding weird stuff like that.