A Little Bit Of What You Fancy Does You Good

[rndmr2]

Great update! Looks like you had a great time at the party. Love all the character pics! Sorry the one Photographer was cranky.

That's awesome you got some interaction with 2 Royal couples at the same time. I just LOVE Tiana's dress and jewelry, I think it is my favorite of all the Princess costume/dresses.

Was that the Talking Mickey? How do you like him?

 

[Pinkocto]

That was such a fun evening!!! I'm so glad we were able to get together, thank you for sharing your vacation time

You did quite a lot earlier too. Love the trees at Disney Springs, I couldn't find them when we went in December.

I will have to put the Jungle Canteen on the list, that dessert looks so yummy.

 

[franandaj]

While I had a better experience at Disney Springs this last trip, I could agree with Graham. None of the stores there interest me, the only reason to go there for me is food and drink.

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal at T-Rex.

You got a LOT done at MVMCP! Lots of great character photos, yummy treats and even a bunch of rides. Someday I need to go back to one of these parties with a good plan.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I have to agree with Graham about the changes to DTD - not a fan.

This seems to be a love or hate thing.

However, I do really like T-Rex.

We enjoyed our meal there.

How nice that you were able to meet up with Pam.

It was great getting to spend time with her.

Looks like you had a great time at the party.

I did enjoy the parties.

That's awesome you got some interaction with 2 Royal couples at the same time.

I am really glad they started to do this again.

Was that the Talking Mickey? How do you like him?

Yes, it was. This was my third time meeting him. When this was first announced, I was not at all sure, but I really like meeting him.

I'm so glad we were able to get together, thank you for sharing your vacation time

It was great to get to spend time with you.

Love the trees at Disney Springs, I couldn't find them when we went in December.

What a shame.

I will have to put the Jungle Canteen on the list, that dessert looks so yummy.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

While I had a better experience at Disney Springs this last trip, I could agree with Graham.

I remember that you had a pretty strong reaction to this.

None of the stores there interest me, the only reason to go there for me is food and drink.

I agree with you about the stores, but I love it from an architectural point of view.

You got a LOT done at MVMCP! Lots of great character photos, yummy treats and even a bunch of rides. Someday I need to go back to one of these parties with a good plan.

I love the parties. I really want to do the Halloween party at Disneyland Paris one year.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Day 20

I was not overly happy about the prospect of getting up at 8:00 after getting to bed at nearly 1:00 AM, but it was not actually that bad. We got up and ready. We headed out just before 8:30. I double-checked that I had all the paperwork before we set off. We were on our way to cheat on Mickey with Harry. Graham had wanted to visit Universal Studios on our last two visits to Florida, but was discouraged by the high ticket prices. So when I was struggling with ideas for a birthday present, I decided to get us multi-day two park tickets for Universal so that we could enjoy this together. We had been to Universal Studios during our honeymoon in 1998 and at Islands of Adventure in 1999 and I never really had the urge to go back. A lot of the rides are too thrilling for me liking. Having said that, being a big Harry Potter fan, I did hear the call of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter loud and clear and therefore was happy to go with Graham.

We had a clear run to Universal and the parking structure looked relatively empty. We had to walk through City Walk to get to the parks and decided to stop at Starbucks for some breakfast. Graham had an Americano, a bacon, Gouda & egg breakfast sandwich and a slice of cinnamon swirl coffee cake. I had a Chestnut Praline Latte, a sausage, cheddar & egg breakfast sandwich and a slice of chocolate marble loaf cake. I made use of the free Wi-Fi to update my status on Facebook. We also had a bit of amusement when a grown woman complained very loudly that Starbucks does not have a “potty”. She kept saying, “You should have a potty.” Eventually she gave up and we left shortly afterwards.

We then headed over to the parks. I had made no plans which park we would visit first and left this up to Graham. He wanted to start with Islands of Adventure. I was fine with that. We had our tickets, but I had purchased Universal’s version of Photopass and the way this was handled was quite strange. I purchased this online and received a confirmation with a barcode. The instructions stated that I had to take this confirmation to a will call kiosk at either of the parks. I assumed that this would be manned and I would get what I needed there and then. Not so. The will call kiosks were machines. I had to insert the card that I used to order this and type in a code and then I was given a receipt with another barcode. This I then had to take to the photo store inside the park where I got everything I needed. Unfortunately due to the way they are doing things, I missed out on some photos. We had some photos taken on the bridge as we were approaching the park and we were given a temporary card. When exchanged the receipt for my proper card, the photos had not been transferred to the temporary card yet and when I tried to have them added a couple of days later, they had already been deleted. Still, I don’t think they were anything special and I did get plenty of photos in the end. Indeed, just as soon as we came out of the photo store, there was a photographer there offering to take some photos.













We then headed towards Marvel Super Hero Island. I have to admit that I did not remember a great deal about our previous visit to Islands of Adventure, but one thing that I did remember is that I really enjoyed The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Indeed, at the time, I thought this was the best ride I had ever done. I have had the pleasure to do some amazing rides since, but doing this again was high on the list of things I wanted to do. Well, we got lucky. When we got there, it turned out that the ride was a walk on. We still really enjoyed the ride. When we came out, there was a member of staff opposite trying to get people to come in for a meet and greet with Spiderman. I did not need to be asked twice and we got into a very short line. This is the shortest line I had seen for Spiderman up to that point as in Disneyland Paris he tends to pull quite a crowd. To my surprise, even Graham joined in. When we came out, there was a photographer nearby and asked if we wanted some photos so we stopped before moving on to Toon Lagoon.











This was probably the area I remembered the most of from our previous visit, if only for the reason that I got absolutely drenched. I had not learned from this though. After Graham asked me to stop in a random spot so he could take a photo, we headed over to Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, I enjoy this ride, but we were doing our best drowned rat impressions afterwards. It was not actually the drops that got us wet, but various implements that shot or dumped water on us. Still, it was a nice warm day and I did not mind. I was only glad that I had decided to put my Apple Watch in my bag and in the container in the middle of the raft. I am not quite sure if my watch would have survived that ride if I had left it on my wrist. Graham really likes log flumes so we headed over to Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. I remembered that this totally freaked me out in 1999 as it featured quite a steep drop and no restraints. So I offered to look after Graham’s stuff and waited for him near the exit. Graham told me that the ride now has lap bars and I would probably have been OK, but I was quite wet enough for one day and I was quite happy to have started the drying out process. We got Graham’s ride photo added to the photo card, had a quick bathroom stop and then headed for the newest land at Islands of Adventure.











Skull Island had only opened in summer and consists of a single attraction, Skull Island: Reign of Kong. The theming of this area is amazing and this carries through into the queue. The posted waiting time was 10 minutes and this was pretty accurate although we may have waited a touch longer. In terms of ride vehicles and physical ride experience, this very much reminds me of Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom and Indiana Jones at Disneyland. However, where this really comes into its own that on top of animatronics and physical special effects, it uses 3 D technology. The end result is pretty stunning. It was definitely worth the wait.

By that stage, we had both dried out nicely. So what do we do? Go and ride Jurassic River Adventure of course. The waiting time for that was listed as 5 minutes, but we walked right up to the loading dock and just had to wait until the raft currently there had been dispatched and a new raft had arrived. Then we were off on our adventure. I had done this at Islands of Adventure before and also at Universal Hollywood and seemed to recall that I was fine with this including the drop. My memory had served me right and I enjoyed this. We only got splashed very mildly and did not take long to dry out again. We got the photos added to our card and then headed out. I really wanted to check out the Raptor Encounter, but this was closed at that time so we pushed on and planned to come back.

 

[dolphingirl47]

For the time being, we followed the path around and not long after, Hogwarts and Hogsmeade were in front of us. We took some photos from the bridge leading to Hogsmeade and had some photos taken by one of the photographers there before heading into the village. We listened to the Frog Choir for a while and they were really good. When they had wrapped up their set, we moved on. Our next destination was Hogwarts. Hogwarts houses the Forbidden Journey ride. I knew that this would be too intense for me, but gave Graham the option to do this by himself. He passed on this. Instead, we both did the walkthrough. I had read a while ago that this is worth doing and that you can ask to use the chicken exit just before you get to ride. I am glad we did. We first walked through the herbology green houses and then through the castle itself. The theming is amazing, especially considering that this is essentially just the queue for the ride. Unfortunately it is very dark inside the castle so taking photos was next to impossible.





























We moved on to the next ride and this one was more to our liking. Flight of the Hippogriff is for all intents and purposes a kids’ coaster, but it is surprisingly quick. The queue there is worth looking at as well as this is themed around Hagrid’s garden and includes his hut. We then headed into the village. We used the bathroom with Moaning Myrtle, but there was a very noisy family in the ladies’ bathroom and I did not hear a thing. Graham had better luck. We then checked out Olivander’s Wand Shop. They do a cute little show there with a young volunteer before you end up in the shop where you can buy your own wand. We passed on this, but I bought us both some butter beer nearby and we sat down for a while and enjoyed it. I love the stuff, but Graham is not so keen. However, it took him a couple of tries to cement that knowledge.











We then headed back to Jurassic Park as the Raptor Encounter was supposed to be back open at that point. We were in luck, but we encountered the longest waiting time of the day. I think in the end, we waited about 30 minutes. However, I was so glad that we did. When we got closer to the front of the line, we saw an enclosure with what we were told was an 8-year-old female velocity raptor. We were given some safety instructions and then we were allowed to meet her and her trainer. We had been able to see two or three interactions before ours and they were all different. I ended up making a new friend. It was absolutely amazing.











We stopped at a photo opportunity near the exit of Jurassic Park and then we cut through Hogsmeade and The Lost Continent to the final land I wanted to see. Seuss Landing was already decorated for Christmas or “Grinchmass” as it is called there. We met The Cat in the Hat and then were lucky enough to spot the Grinch and Sam I Am. So we stopped to meet them, too. I really wanted to ride The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride, which had not been open in 1999 so we headed there next. As we entered the line, there was a photographer there so we stopped for some photos. Then we headed up the ramp. We had about a 10-minute wait and this is quite a fun ride. We then did the Cat in the Hat ride, which was a walk on before having a look around at all the crazy theming.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Then we backtracked to Hogsmeade. There was one thing we had left to do and this was the reason why I had bought two park tickets. We wanted to ride the Hogwarts Express. We had a 15-minute wait and then we were on our way to London. We took a few photos around Kings Cross Station and then we headed up to the platform for the trip back. The waiting time here was shorter. The train journeys are very different. I liked both, but had a slight preference for the trip from Hogshead to King’s Cross, which is just as well as we were doing this twice.















Once we got back to King’s Cross, we decided to check out Diagon Alley. We took some photos of the entrance and also of the dragon at Gringotts. We then found ourselves somewhere to sit where we could soak up the atmosphere and watch the world go by. I had read before the trip that the ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour was very nice. So I went to get each of us an ice cream. I got apple crumble and clotted cream ice cream for Graham and clotted cream ice cream and strawberry and peanut-butter ice cream for myself. I did really like mine and Graham seemed to be happy with his as well. Once we had finished our ice cream, we checked out the Gringotts Money Exchange. Graham asked the goblin a question, but the goblin was being grumpy and told us to move along. As we had no intention to exchange money, that is precisely what we did.















We headed towards the exit of Diagon Alley knowing that we would be back for a closer look. On the way, we checked out the robe shop. We also had a look at the Knight Bus and saw Kreacher. Then we made our way around the lake towards the exit. We spotted a bird of prey that was sitting on one of the buildings across the lake. We passed Men in Black Alien Attack and I was seriously tempted by this until I realized that we had to put our stuff in a locker and I could not be bothered with this at that stage. So we decided that this could wait until our second visit and pushed on towards the exit.







Untitled by dolphingirl47, on Flickr

We headed back to the car and went to get some dinner. We had decided to go to Sweet Tomatoes on International Drive. We both started with a plate of salad. Graham had some ice tea and I had some Coke. Graham tried some chicken potpie stew with buttermilk biscuit; Deep Kettle House Chili and some penne. I had fiery quinoa and black bean chili; split pea with ham soup and Deep Kettle House Chili. For dessert, we both had the coconut muffin. I had some chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream with it and Graham went with the vanilla soft serve ice cream. This had hit the spot.









We decided to drive down International Drive to see how much this had changed. Some locations that had been there as long as we have visited Orlando have disappeared, but a lot of new stuff had appeared as well. We never got around to having a closer look.

We then headed back to the hotel. We opened the bottle of wine that we had brought all the way from Southampton. For some reason we never seem to finish the wine that we have brought on a cruise. We decided to head out on the bath by the like to watch the holiday drone show. This was running a little late. When it was due to start, some boats were patrolling the lake. It did start a few minutes later and it was truly spectacular. Once it was over, we headed back to the room. We finished our wine and them we got ready for bed and had a reasonably early night.

 

[Malia78]

What a fun update! I get to relive memories from our trip a month or so prior.

Wasn't the raptor encounter awesome!--that was one of my favorite experiences at IOA.

Universal has some nice photo opportunities with their photo package--really like the Sneetches pics

So you could actually step into the Knight Bus? That's pretty cool--didn't realize that.

--Karilynn

 

[kittymamma]

Graham seemed particularly full of childlike enthusiasm ( a very good thing ) on this venture although you both seemed to enjoy it. You guys always have a good time together and that is special to see and read about.

 

[tiggrbaby]

What a thoughtful birthday gift! You once again managed to fit in so many adventures!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Loved the Universal update! We haven't been for a while either. They had diagon Alley but not Hogswort Express.

The Photopass system sounds strange. But you did get some great photos. I recall loving Spider-Man too. Great ride photo. Wet twice lol!

I love the look of the raptor enclosure! I would be all over that like a rash.

The Hogswort train sounded fun. Annoying you need a two park ticket when I work out the cost and how few rides I can do I can't bring myself to pay it!

Fun to go to sweet toms looks like a nice meal. I love your Alaska t shirt! Looks like a great day at Universal.

 

[Pinkocto]

What a fun day!!!

I tried doing the water rides one day and there was lightning... then when it was safe to go on them it wasn't hot enough. I will have to go back.

The Raptor Experience is so cool! I had no idea there was something interactive, I will have to do that too.

I also had no idea you could look inside the Knight Bus. I'm looking forward to a repeat trip!

We missed the holiday drone show, only because we didn't want to go to Disney Springs just for that, but it sounds like it was worth it.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Wasn't the raptor encounter awesome!--that was one of my favorite experiences at IOA.

It was one of mine, too. It is really quite simple, but so effective.

Universal has some nice photo opportunities with their photo package--really like the Sneetches pics

I definitely felt I got my money's worth out of my photo card. There are a couple fun photo opportunities yet to come.

So you could actually step into the Knight Bus? That's pretty cool--didn't realize that.

No, this was taken through the back window. You can however get up on the platform at the back to get a better look.

Graham seemed particularly full of childlike enthusiasm ( a very good thing ) on this venture although you both seemed to enjoy it.

We did have a great time.

You guys always have a good time together and that is special to see and read about.

Fortunately we both love travelling and if we do, we enjoy doing a lot of the same things.

What a thoughtful birthday gift!

I was in two minds about this, but when I saw his face on his birthday, I knew I had made the right decision.

You once again managed to fit in so many adventures!

The fact that the parks were pretty empty helped with that

They had diagon Alley but not Hogswort Express.

I had not realized that Hogwarts Express did not open at the same time as Diagon Alley.

The Photopass system sounds strange.

It was. They had to take a photo of my card every time they took photos. It is not as sophisticated as the Disney version.

I love the look of the raptor enclosure! I would be all over that like a rash.

It was really amazing. This is in the same spot that the Triceratops exhibit used to be.

Annoying you need a two park ticket when I work out the cost and how few rides I can do I can't bring myself to pay it!

For us it actually worked out. I got a great deal on ticket that is only sold in the UK.

I love your Alaska t shirt!

That is one of the t-shirts I got at Orlando Premium outlets.

Looks like a great day at Universal.

We thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Raptor Experience is so cool! I had no idea there was something interactive, I will have to do that too.

You definitely should try it.

I also had no idea you could look inside the Knight Bus. I'm looking forward to a repeat trip!

You can only look through the windows, but there is a lot to see.

We missed the holiday drone show, only because we didn't want to go to Disney Springs just for that, but it sounds like it was worth it.

If they do it again next year, I would recommend you go.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Day 21

We had a leisurely start to the morning. We got up around 09:30 and then headed for the pool. We swam for a while before going to relax in the hot tub. Once we were close to grow fins, we got out and headed back to the room. We got showered and changed and then headed over to Disney Springs. I wanted to have another look at Festival of Trees and was hoping to get some more Photopass photos. This was not open yet so Graham found himself a seat in the shade and I ventured out to do some shopping. I started out at the Pin Trading Station. They did not have any pins I fancied this time round. However, they did have one of the drones that they use for the show on display.



I headed over to World of Disney and got a DVC Pandora charm and a Pandora Bangle. With a 20% discount with my DVC membership card, this was a pretty good deal. By then Festival of Trees was supposed to be open so I went back to Graham and we went over there. This time round there was no photographer so Graham decided to play photographer. Once we had made the rounds of all the trees, we started to make our way to the landing for our lunch reservation. We had one last stop to make. I wanted to get the Dooney and Bourke tote from Cherrytree Lane that I fell in love with on the Sunday. Graham got me one of the DCL Dooneys as a belated birthday present. Then we went for lunch.

































When I had originally made dining reservations, I had made some for every day, but ended up cancelling most of them. However, there were two that were must dos for me. The first of those was the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen and the second one was The Boat House. Graham has a very low opinion of the restaurants at Disney always commenting that they combine mediocre food with high prices. All the people I know who have been to The Boat House have given it glowing reviews including some that normally agree with Graham’s assessment about Disney food. So I decided it was worth a try. Graham grudgingly agreed on condition that I pay for the meal, which I was happy to do.

We got there a little early, but they were happy to check us in and we were given the option to sit inside or outside. We opted to sit inside. We had a nice view over the lake. We were given the menu. I did not really need one, as I knew precisely what I wanted. Shortly afterwards, our server brought us some bread and water and took our order. Graham had ice tea and I had orange soda. We shared the 28 ounce Porterhouse steak for two as well as some truffle Fries with lemon aioli and some Mac’ N’ Cheese. When the food arrived, our server took the meat off the bone for us and divided it between two plates. Everything was delicious. We finished all of the meat, but we did not even make a dent into the sides. So Graham took the rest of them and the bread to go and this was his supper.













When we had finished our lunch, we walked over to the boat dock and took the boat over to Saratoga Springs. I wanted to get some pins anyway so stopping at the Coach House on the way fit in with those plans. I had a look around the shop and then purchased the regular resort pin and the holiday pin. We sat down for a bit and enjoyed the holiday decorations before walking back to the room. I still had a bit of time before I had to head out again so I read for a while.

 

[Malia78]

one of the drones that they use for the show on display

Hey that drone lives in the Cars universe--the eyes give it away

Festival of Trees was supposed to be open

I hope the Festival of Trees are back this year-I'd like to see them in person.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Around 15:30, I headed out to the bus stop. The bus for Magic Kingdom pulled up shortly afterwards. I arrived slightly early again and they had already started to let people in. I stopped for photos in front of the big Christmas tree before heading towards Main Street. They were directing people with the part wristbands backstage again I stopped for some photos and got my snowman sugar cookie. I then stopped for some photos at the hub before heading over to Tomorrowland for my first Fastpass.













Space Mountain is a ride that for many years I have avoided like the plague. When I first did this at Walt Disney World, I don’t think the safety bar had locked properly and I was sliding around in the seat. That this freaked me out was the understatement of the century. I have always done this ride at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris as the ride vehicles are completely different, but I could not bring myself to give this another go at Walt Disney World. Then came the ride challenge for Give Kid’s The World in 2013 and I had to try this again. I actually really liked it. For one reason or another, I had not had the chance to do this since. So this time round, this was high on my list of must do rides. I really enjoyed it again.



Then a little speedy legwork was required as my Fastpass window for Big Thunder Mountain was about to open. I was pretty excited about this. I love what they have done with this ride at Disneyland. As this ride had a fairly extensive refurbishment, I had high hopes. Well, those hopes were cruelly dashed. The ride felt a bit smoother, but that was the only thing that changed. After the right, I decided to get a Dole Whip. Unfortunately I was out of luck. They were using this location as a treat station for the party and it had closed at 17:00. I was a little disappointed especially as I had missed it by a matter of minutes.

I had one Fastpass left and this was an anytime use Fastpass. There is a bit of a story behind this. I had made my Fastpass reservations as soon as my window opened. I was delighted that I got a Fastpass for every attraction I really wanted to do including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. About a month before we got on the cruise, I got an email, advising me that they had to cancel my Fastpass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train between 17:55 and 18:55 for that day. Instead they had booked me a Fastpass for Splash Mountain between 12:30 and 13:30. Now, they could not know that I detest this ride. However, they should have been able to see two other problems. It was very clear that the only ticket linked to my account was the party ticket and as such, I would not have been able to be in the park for this time. We also had a reservation at Disney Springs at 13:30 and this did show up in My Disney Experience as a conflict. I spent a few days huffing and puffing and then reached out to Disney, They provided me with a toll-free number for technical support in the UK and I decided to call them. The cast member I spoke to was very helpful. She was not able to reinstate the original time for my Fastpass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but she added a Fastpass for this that I could use at any time during the official park opening hours that day. I still had my doubts if this would work as I could not actually see this on My Disney Experience, but when I touched my Magic Band against the Mickey head, it turned green. I am really glad that this worked out and enjoyed the ride.







There was one thing that did not quite go according to plan. I have another friend in Orlando and we had plans to meet up that day. She had been kind enough to pick up a pair of Run Disney Ariel shoes for me that she needed to get to me. When we were at Disneyland Paris together, we had talked about potentially going to the party together. We had not talked about this again and I was not sure if she had got a ticket. Around the time I finished Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, I got a text from her that she had been held up, but would get there as soon as she could. I told her that this was fine and I would spend the time playing The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. I went to the fire station to pick up my party card and my pack of cards for the day. The cast member gave me quite a few packs when she saw that I had just finished the easy level and set up my first mission on the medium level for me. I chose to start on Main Street. This is fiendishly difficult and I gave up after a while. Just before 7:00 I got the text from Michelle that she was at security and they would not let her in. I asked her where she was and went out to meet her. It turned out that she had forgotten about getting a ticket until earlier that day and when she went to buy a ticket, the price was silly expensive. So she passed. I headed out and after looking around for a bit, I found her. We spent about 15 minutes chatting and then she gave me my shoes and we went our respective ways.

I have to admit, I felt ever so slightly deflated. I decided as I was in the area, I may as well go and see Tinkerbell. I waited maybe 15 minutes and Tinkerbell did cheer me up. By then it was nearly time for the castle lighting ceremony. As we had missed this during the first party I went to, I wanted to see it this time. I browsed some more in the shops, stopped for some Photopass photos and took some photos of the castle before moving up to the hub to see the show. It was quite cute and the castle looked stunning at the end.















After the show, I headed over to Tomorrowland. I stopped at the treat station there where they served hot chocolate and peppermint bark cookies. They hot chocolate tasted a little strange. I suppose it had been made with the good Orlando water and the taste of this came through, but the cookies were delicious. I went to ride Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. When I came out, I spotted two characters from Zootropolis near the exit so I got in line. This ended up being a fun meet and greet. I then rode Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover. There was hardly anybody around and I rather enjoyed getting an almost private ride.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Then I crossed over to Storybook Circus. I wanted to check out what else was in the area. Scrooge McDuck had a huge line and as I had seen him fairly recently at Disneyland Paris, I passed on this. Outside the circus tend was a treat station and I got some apple cider and sugar cookies. I checked out who was meeting and greeting next to it and it happened to be the seven dwarfs. The line did not look too bad so I decided to get in line. I enjoyed my snacks while I was waiting. The fireworks happened while I was in line. I did enjoy meeting them again. Once I was done, I took a look around the area and ended up meeting Days and Minnie in their Christmas outfits near the train station and Santa Goofy near Barnstormer. Around that time, I came to a realisation. The way I enjoy the parks has definitely changed. Yes, I do enjoy doing some rides, but focusing on rides actually does not do anything for me. Once I started to focus on the characters, I had a fantastic time. This is of course my approach at Disneyland Paris. I tend to make sure I do 4 rides per day and for the rest of it, I enjoy the parks and the characters.









Once I had done the rounds of the characters in Storybook Circus, I crossed over into Enchanted Forest. Ariel's Grotto had a 5-minute wait so I went to see Ariel. I then checked out the waiting time for Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid and that was showing as 10 minutes. I decided that I fancied this. In the end, it was not only a walk on, but I was the only person there. I did love my private ride. I took the opportunity to take some photos.









When I had finished the ride, I pushed on towards Fantasyland. I spotted a photographer on the bridge near the Beast's castle and stopped for some photos. I then headed over to Princess Fairytale Hall. I wanted to meet Cinderella and Prince Charming. I had never heard of Princess of Avalor before, who was sharing a room with them. I have to admit I was won over. This was a great meet and greet.









When I had met the assorted royalty, I was done. I stopped for some photos with the castle and with the Christmas tree in the background. I also did some shopping. I bought a couple of Alex and Ani bracelets. One has the DVC logo and the other has an Olaf medallion. Then I headed towards the exit. There was a photographer near the exit so I stopped for some photos.









This time the buses were a lot busier. I had to wait for the third bus. Fortunately the next bus pulled up just as soon as one left. I did manage to get a seat. Even with this, it was an uncomfortable experience. I think the driver thought he was a racing driver. I was very glad when I arrived at my bus stop. I put my shopping bag down as soon as I arrived in our room and got ready for bed.

 

[Pinkocto]

What a magnificent day!!!!!

I LOVE those trees at Disney Springs. I will look for those this year, and catch the drone show if they do that again. I will make an evening of it with dinner.

I laughed out loud when Graham said he would go only if you paid for lunch sounds like he enjoyed it though? What were your thoughts?

I like your party shirt, I should have gotten one as well, very cute.

I'm sorry your friend wasn't able to do the party. Any chance for a picture of the shoes?

How lovely a private ride on both the Peoplemover and The Little Mermaid. That would feel surreal to me.

Great pictures all around!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Enjoyed reading about day 21.

The trees at Festival of the trees aren't at all what I imagined. I don't know what I thought but they are quite dinky!

How nice to get Pandora fix and with discount.

That was nice of Graham to get you the D & B tote.

Glad that you liked the Boathouse I have to admit the price scares us a way. The steak looks nice but Jo says we can eat steak at The Longhorn for a third of that.

Nice photo of you at the start of MK Main Street.

Cute Olaf pic.

Big Thunder was down when we were there I love that ride too at DLP I was hoping it would be as smooth as this.

That was great 7DMT worked out. I hate Splash too!

Oh my re Michelle I am sorry but nice you got your run Disney Ariel shoes. Hey do Mermaids where shoes lol..

Tinkerbelle always cheers one up!

I love those cookies too. Oh my I love the movie Zootopia as it was released here!

Well you are a woman after my own heart I am all about the characters now. I never thought I would be! Great photos of 7D, Minnie and Daisy , Pluto and Ariel. I love watching Princess of Avalon ( I have outed myself) so I am envious you have meet her! On my bucket list.

I love the photos of you and the castle.

Sounds like a winner day! Thanks for sharing.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Hey that drone lives in the Cars universe--the eyes give it away

I had not even spotted this until you pointed it out.

I hope the Festival of Trees are back this year-I'd like to see them in person.

I hope so, too. This is such a nice idea and I would hate for them to disappear again.

I LOVE those trees at Disney Springs. I will look for those this year, and catch the drone show if they do that again. I will make an evening of it with dinner.

That sounds like a great plan.

I laughed out loud when Graham said he would go only if you paid for lunch

I was more than happy to comply with this request.

What were your thoughts?

I absolutely loved it. I think we will definitely be back.

I like your party shirt, I should have gotten one as well, very cute.

I love both the shirts I got. The other one will turn up in the next update.

Any chance for a picture of the shoes?

I have to admit that I have no clear idea where they are at the moment. We have just remodelled the bedroom and now the spare room is being done and things are not always where they are supposed to be. Here is a photo I found online:

How lovely a private ride on both the Peoplemover and The Little Mermaid. That would feel surreal to me.

It felt that way for me, too.

The trees at Festival of the trees aren't at all what I imagined. I don't know what I thought but they are quite dinky!

They are relatively small, but so cute.

Glad that you liked the Boathouse I have to admit the price scares us a way. The steak looks nice but Jo says we can eat steak at The Longhorn for a third of that.

IT was pricey, but worth every cent. The steak there is amazing.

Big Thunder was down when we were there I love that ride too at DLP I was hoping it would be as smooth as this.

What a shame. It is even smoother at DLP now.

Oh my I love the movie Zootopia as it was released here!

I still have not watched it, but we have the DVD at home.

I love watching Princess of Avalon ( I have outed myself) so I am envious you have meet her!

We don't have the Disney Channel so I have had no chance to check it out.

Corinna