An almost-girly trip ~ February 2009 TR!

[jewels1916]

Great update! I feel the same way about Dinosaur as you do! I love all the Valentine's Day stuff that you took pics of. *sigh* I will have to plan a trip at some point to go around Valentine's Day. I love seeing all the different holiday stuff.

 

[MeMom]

That's the glory of park-hoppers. Hop here to ride a few rides and then hop somewhere else to see a show or fireworks. This coming short March trip we will not have hoppers (budget trip), so it'll be one park each day. I'll let my friend choose the repeat park for the fifth day, since she doesn't go as much as I do.

I'm secretly hoping she chooses Epcot so I can Soar one last time before we come home. Then again, Animal Kingdom would be great for another safari. It wouldn't be awful to leave with the music of Main Street lingering in my ears and a fresh something from Main Street Bakery to eat at the airport while waiting for our flight. Of course, a stop at Hollywood Studios to laugh our way up and down Tower of Terror would be a fun way to end a trip, too. I guess whichever park she chooses, she can't go wrong for me!

I would gladly have eaten tie-dyed cheesecake with you. The last one I got was kind of dry, but it won't stop me from getting it again. It's just something I have to do when I'm at Pop. It would seem wrong not to partake of the swirly goodness!


Don't you just wish you could jump back into those pictures and be there again?

 

[Charleston Princess]

What a great first night! We love Dinosaur -- all four of us -- we have been known to ride it a couple (maybe three times) in one day. Everest is a favorite for some of us -- we all ride it though.

Love, love, love all the Valentine's Day stuff -- I was thinking while I was looking at your pictures that maybe if I take lots of photos of stuff, that will help me not buy quite as much.

Oh, how I adore the tie-dyed cheesecake -- it just screams "Fun at Pop Century!" to me.

 

[MeMom]

Oh, how I adore the tie-dyed cheesecake -- it just screams "Fun at Pop Century!" to me.

That's strange. My tie-dyed cheesecake has never screamed at me.
It has always just sat there quietly and obediently while I devoured it.

Running for cover now, while CP goes and finds something to throw at me all the way from GA to TN.

 

[Charleston Princess]

That's strange. My tie-dyed cheesecake has never screamed at me.
It has always just sat there quietly and obediently while I devoured it.

Running for cover now, while CP goes and finds something to throw at me all the way from GA to TN.

You're lucky I never had much of an arm!

 

[kschafer]

See, now I would be with your sister on this one. I am NOT a fan of brightly colored foods unless they are mother-natures colors. the tye-dye cheesecake does not appeal to me at all (more for the rest of you I guess)

 

[tinkerbell87512]

Great update! I feel the same way about Dinosaur. I have to do it every trip because it's 'tradtition' but then again it scares me to death.

Don't you just love the park hopper option?! I love the fact that you can do just what you did. One park then head to another to hit a ride. Sounds like a great first day!

 

[Megablocks]

Ok, now I really want the Mickey Ears Pirate Pin....thanks.

You're welcome

They are quite cute...I should have gotten them, but then I probably wouldn't have come home with my FIVE SHIRTS. I have a problem.

I don't know whether to think you are crazy or just be really impressed that you were in AK and decided before calling it a night to do one last ride....IN EPCOT!!! I just can't imagine hauling my butt through all that just for 1 ride good for you though.

And you are completely normal about procrastination. I managed to get through college doing just about EVERYTHING at the last minute. I taught a college class for the first time last semester...I assigned the semester project the second week and not a single student asked any questions about it until after Thanksgiving It drove me crazy as an instructor but I sort of had to remind myself I would have done the same thing (although I had NO sympathy for those who complained in the last 2 weeks that the project, the last unit test and a final exam were too much. Obviously these were freshman who thought that!)

Probably crazy -- when I was typing it out, I was like, "wow, I can't believe we did that!"

Oh my gosh, those complaining about all the stuff in the last couple of weeks reminds me of a girl that was in my math class last year. It must have only been her first or second semester, because she was whining to someone on the phone, "I have TWO three-page papers due for TWO different classes on the SAME DAY! That's on TOP of my math class!" (which really was NOT a lot of work, at all.) I was thinking, girl, that's nothing. I also had a lot less sympathy for her because I was working on a ten-page research paper and a 3-5 page analysis paper at the same time for my college writing II class. Oh, and during her complaining, she said that the professors should talk to each other and determine what's due for their classes on what days so that students don't have to deal with that. Um, what? My teachers in high school did that -- college is not high school. Not to mention it's a HUGE school and not all the teachers know each other, let alone which of their probably hundreds of students have which teachers.

Okay...rant over.

I have to give you sooo much credit -- 2- or 3-year-olds are about the oldest ones I'll teach.

I love that you hopped over to Epcot for a ride on SE! Good for you, I hope I can be like that during my solo trip!

The eeyores are so adorable.

Thanks! It was really nice. We realllllly wanted a nice, relaxing ride after being so wound up on Dinosaur and Everest, and since the safari was closed by then, it only made sense to go to Epcot.

I LOVED the little Eeyores! I was hoping that they'd mark down Valentine's Day stuff but no luck. They also have "baby" versions of characters wrapped up in blankets -- I saw many of those, and they were adorable.

Great update! I feel the same way about Dinosaur as you do! I love all the Valentine's Day stuff that you took pics of. *sigh* I will have to plan a trip at some point to go around Valentine's Day. I love seeing all the different holiday stuff.

I'm so glad that someone understands. Kailyn is only terrified of it because the first bad dream that she can remember involved dinosaurs. I had no such dreams but I still get so scared!

There was SO much cute Valentine's Day merch. I wish I had gotten something to commemorate it, but if we go the same week next year, I will have to make it a point to.

That's the glory of park-hoppers. Hop here to ride a few rides and then hop somewhere else to see a show or fireworks. This coming short March trip we will not have hoppers (budget trip), so it'll be one park each day. I'll let my friend choose the repeat park for the fifth day, since she doesn't go as much as I do.

I'm secretly hoping she chooses Epcot so I can Soar one last time before we come home. Then again, Animal Kingdom would be great for another safari. It wouldn't be awful to leave with the music of Main Street lingering in my ears and a fresh something from Main Street Bakery to eat at the airport while waiting for our flight. Of course, a stop at Hollywood Studios to laugh our way up and down Tower of Terror would be a fun way to end a trip, too. I guess whichever park she chooses, she can't go wrong for me!

I would gladly have eaten tie-dyed cheesecake with you. The last one I got was kind of dry, but it won't stop me from getting it again. It's just something I have to do when I'm at Pop. It would seem wrong not to partake of the swirly goodness!

Don't you just wish you could jump back into those pictures and be there again?

Oh, yeah, we definitely maximized our hoppers.

I totally agree -- whatever park your friend decides on for your last day, you can't go wrong. I thought of you on Soarin' when we got to ride it, and whenever we'd hear the music, I'd be like "OH MY GOSH THE SOARIN' MUSIC!" and have to stop and listen. My mom got a CD with park music on it, and I'm pretty sure that that the Soarin' music is on it. I'm planning on borrowing the CD and putting it on my laptop if you'd like me to try to send it to you that music.

I'm so glad that you would eat the cheesecake with me! My mom is kind of weirded out by it, Kailyn is VERY weirded out by it, and my dad...well, my dad will try anything, but I think even he'd be a little leery.

I totally wish I could jump back in the pictures. Sometimes, though, I can imagine right where I was standing and what I was doing when I'm looking through the pictures. We need to come up with something to make people able to jump back into their pictures!

What a great first night! We love Dinosaur -- all four of us -- we have been known to ride it a couple (maybe three times) in one day. Everest is a favorite for some of us -- we all ride it though.

Love, love, love all the Valentine's Day stuff -- I was thinking while I was looking at your pictures that maybe if I take lots of photos of stuff, that will help me not buy quite as much.

Oh, how I adore the tie-dyed cheesecake -- it just screams "Fun at Pop Century!" to me.

Dinosaur is definitely a family favorite, at least for some of us -- I guess for Kailyn and I, it's our favorite "love/hate" ride. Michael, my dad, Kailyn, and I all LOVE Everest. I think it's my dad's favorite.

Taking pictures of stuff definitely helped me not to buy too much!! I made sure to take pictures of things that I couldn't justify buying, even if I really wanted it. I am the kind of person who must justify all my purchases (except for when it comes to books.) I always ask if I really need it, or where I would put, or what I would do with it. That does not extend to shirts, though.

That's strange. My tie-dyed cheesecake has never screamed at me.
It has always just sat there quietly and obediently while I devoured it.

Running for cover now, while CP goes and finds something to throw at me all the way from GA to TN.

You're lucky I never had much of an arm!

You girls are hilarious!

See, now I would be with your sister on this one. I am NOT a fan of brightly colored foods unless they are mother-natures colors. the tye-dye cheesecake does not appeal to me at all (more for the rest of you I guess)

I think a lot of people feel that way about it -- I got several questions about it from people at work who are on my friends list on Facebook and saw it. I didn't end up getting any after that first night. I ate a little more than half, and put it in our cooler for the next day, but it didn't stay well, so I had to throw it out. Kailyn was relieved.

Great update! I feel the same way about Dinosaur. I have to do it every trip because it's 'tradtition' but then again it scares me to death.

Don't you just love the park hopper option?! I love the fact that you can do just what you did. One park then head to another to hit a ride. Sounds like a great first day!

I'm SO glad that you and Jewels feel the same way about it as I do, because I always feel so silly screaming my head off and being terrified when there are kids on there NOT screaming and being terrified.

The hopper option is always a must on our trips -- we love it! I was so glad to have the chance to ride something so nice and relaxing after being on crazy rides!

 

[koolcatshelby]

Hey Meg, Glad to hear you are back safe and sound. Sorry your Dad was sick and you guys didn't get to do the fun extra things. I had a slight touch of the stomach sickness from Chef Mickey's the first full night, but I think it had alot to do with the plane crash back home .
We used our park hoppers alot also. I am not a fan of dinosaur, but the boys love it. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[Megablocks]

Hey Meg, Glad to hear you are back safe and sound. Sorry your Dad was sick and you guys didn't get to do the fun extra things. I had a slight touch of the stomach sickness from Chef Mickey's the first full night, but I think it had alot to do with the plane crash back home .
We used our park hoppers alot also. I am not a fan of dinosaur, but the boys love it. Can't wait to hear more.

HEY! I'm glad that you're back safely, too -- sorry to hear that you had the stomach thing, too. Kailyn got sick a few days later, too, at the MK bus stop. We think that the danish she had didn't sit well.

Uggh I was so freaking out about that, too. It was in the back of my mind the whole way down there, and the whole way back.

Did you guys have a good time? I was on the lookout -- I so wish we had run into you!

 

[CanadianWDWfan]

The sunset in AK was so pretty.

I was scared the first time I rode Dinosaur too, I grabbed to protect my DS. I wish we had gotten that pic, cause it was hilarious how scared we were. (your DMom pretending to sleep is too funny)

I would buy the Yetti w/ears too!

Don't you just LOVE park hopping, it's the best.

I like the crazy face in your SE pics. I wasn't able to ride it last time cause it was closed so I look forwad to seeing it and getting my own future.

You should have bought a VDay item, that Eyore is so sweet. My DD has the Webkinz Love Frog. (she is a huge Webkinz fan)

I can't wait to find out if you saw Tom Cruise & family.....

I would/will try the tie-die cheesecake one day, bright foods don't scare me.

 

[Megablocks]

The sunset in AK was so pretty.

I was scared the first time I rode Dinosaur too, I grabbed to protect my DS. I wish we had gotten that pic, cause it was hilarious how scared we were. (your DMom pretending to sleep is too funny)

I would buy the Yetti w/ears too!

Don't you just LOVE park hopping, it's the best.

I like the crazy face in your SE pics. I wasn't able to ride it last time cause it was closed so I look forwad to seeing it and getting my own future.

You should have bought a VDay item, that Eyore is so sweet. My DD has the Webkinz Love Frog. (she is a huge Webkinz fan)

I can't wait to find out if you saw Tom Cruise & family.....

I would/will try the tie-die cheesecake one day, bright foods don't scare me.

I love AK at night -- it is almost like a whole new park.

I think that part of the reason I am so terrified on Dinosaur is that Kailyn sometimes infects me with her own fear. When we rode HM together (which is really not scary) I kept on getting scared by the heads popping up from behind the gravestones, which in turn scared Kailyn. Another time we rode it, she got the bejesus scared out of her by a CM who was reallllly into his job, and SHE kept on scaring ME whenever she'd scream. It was hilarious.

I have to search Ebay for an Eeyore with the diaper, because I really regret not buying it! I have decided that I need it. I already have a little Disney spot set up around and on my desk and I am sure I could find a good spot for him.

I didn't see Tom Cruise and family, BUT my mom told me that Johnny Depp was at DHS!!! She was reading the boards and read a post from someone who has a son on the CP -- he works the Great Movie Ride and JOHNNY DEPP WAS ON IT. I think it might have been one of the days that we were there, too, or it was the day that my mom and I couldn't handle the crowd there (it was the official AI experience opening) and headed to Epcot instead. I couldn't believe it! I don't have a schoolgirl crush on him...well maybe a little bit, but I think he's an amazing actor and I'd love to meet him.

Speaking of JD -- did you hear that they are making a new Alice in Wonderland movie? Tim Burton is directing it and JD is going to play the Mad Hatter. I will watch anything that Tim Burton directs because I love pretty much every movie that he has directed.

 

[DisKate]

I love AK at night -- it is almost like a whole new park.

I think that part of the reason I am so terrified on Dinosaur is that Kailyn sometimes infects me with her own fear. When we rode HM together (which is really not scary) I kept on getting scared by the heads popping up from behind the gravestones, which in turn scared Kailyn. Another time we rode it, she got the bejesus scared out of her by a CM who was reallllly into his job, and SHE kept on scaring ME whenever she'd scream. It was hilarious.

I have to search Ebay for an Eeyore with the diaper, because I really regret not buying it! I have decided that I need it. I already have a little Disney spot set up around and on my desk and I am sure I could find a good spot for him.

I didn't see Tom Cruise and family, BUT my mom told me that Johnny Depp was at DHS!!! She was reading the boards and read a post from someone who has a son on the CP -- he works the Great Movie Ride and JOHNNY DEPP WAS ON IT. I think it might have been one of the days that we were there, too, or it was the day that my mom and I couldn't handle the crowd there (it was the official AI experience opening) and headed to Epcot instead. I couldn't believe it! I don't have a schoolgirl crush on him...well maybe a little bit, but I think he's an amazing actor and I'd love to meet him.

Speaking of JD -- did you hear that they are making a new Alice in Wonderland movie? Tim Burton is directing it and JD is going to play the Mad Hatter. I will watch anything that Tim Burton directs because I love pretty much every movie that he has directed.

Want me to pick up an Eeyore if they still have them when I go?

I would most likely pass out if I was ever on the same ride as Johnny Depp

I have an irrational fear of Alice in Wonderland. My mom says when I saw it as a little girl the part where she falls down the rabbit hole freaked me out because I couldn't understand why she was falling. All I know is that I can's stand the movie. Not one bit. I am 21 and am terrified of Alice in Wonderland.

 

[Megablocks]

Want me to pick up an Eeyore if they still have them when I go?

I would most likely pass out if I was ever on the same ride as Johnny Depp

I have an irrational fear of Alice in Wonderland. My mom says when I saw it as a little girl the part where she falls down the rabbit hole freaked me out because I couldn't understand why she was falling. All I know is that I can's stand the movie. Not one bit. I am 21 and am terrified of Alice in Wonderland.

If they do have them that would be amazing...thank you!! If you do, just let me know so I can get you the monies.

Okay I know that I said I didn't have a schoolgirl crush on Johnny Depp, but I think I would pass out too. Or just cry.

I can see why that would freak a little kid out. It's definitely a weird movie, especially for a Disney movie. Wasn't the writer of the story said to be on something? I can't see why else someone would be able to come up with that kind of stuff.

If it makes you feel any better, I am almost 25 and completely terrified of clowns. At the grand opening of my new store back in October, there were clowns, and I was freaking out. I really only have a problem with the ones that are in full makeup, or full masks, and one of the two were. A few years ago, I went to Six Flags for a friend's birthday, and we saw the Batman show. In the beginning of the show, there were clowns with full masks wielding guns. I was so terrified that I was almost in tears. Another time, I went prom dress shopping with another friend (she's four years younger), and at the mall her mom took us to, there was a clown doing face painting. I grabbed my friend's hand and walked with her on my left side AND covered that side of my face with my other hand so I wouldn't have the clown even in my peripheral vision. Her mom was walking ahead of us and didn't realize that I was terrified of clowns, so she turned around and said, jokingly, "do you girls want to get your faces painted?" My friend was like, "Mom..." in a kind of "don't mention clowns in front of Meghan" tone, and she looked at my face and felt SO bad. I had to keep on telling her it was okay, that I understand it's a strange phobia.

 

[CanadianWDWfan]

There were a lot of celeberties at WDW during your visit. Micheal Douglas and Kathryn Zeta-Jones were there too. TMZ had video of them eating at the Moracco restaurant in Epcot.

I don't like clowns either... They are kinda freaky looking....

My friend had one come to her childs B-day one year. I was okay because he was hilarious and I had a regular conversation with him pre-party. He made balloon animals, the kids were overjoyed. I think he was even hitting on one of the Mom's.... so inappropriate but funny.

I was going to add the "clown" smiley to my post but I didn't want to give you nightmares.

 

[Megablocks]

There were a lot of celeberties at WDW during your visit. Micheal Douglas and Kathryn Zeta-Jones were there too. TMZ had video of them eating at the Moracco restaurant in Epcot.

I don't like clowns either... They are kinda freaky looking....

My friend had one come to her childs B-day one year. I was okay because he was hilarious and I had a regular conversation with him pre-party. He made balloon animals, the kids were overjoyed. I think he was even hitting on one of the Mom's.... so inappropriate but funny.

I was going to add the "clown" smiley to my post but I didn't want to give you nightmares.

That's crazy! I just know that my mom told me about Johnny Depp and I was just shocked!!

That's so funny that he was hitting on one of the moms! Charles's dad hates clowns too. He works at Children's Hospital in Boston and told me once that some of the kids there have "no clowns" signs on their doors, because they're afraid of them. He isn't afraid of clowns like I am, but he hates them because they stay in character, even when there's no children around. He said that he's gotten stuck in an elevator with them before (which is horrifying to me,) and that they were telling him jokes and stuff because they just did not break character.

If any of my future children's friends ever have a party with a clown, Charles will be taking them. And if they want to go to the circus, Charles or the grandparents are taking them. I wouldn't want to inflict my fears on my kids.

 

[Megablocks]

Day 2, part 1 -- Thursday, February 12. Epcot and DHS!

Dad still wasn't feeling up to doing much today, but he let us know that we should go out and enjoy ourselves as much as we could.

You will find throughout this TR that Epcot is my mom's and my true park love. Kailyn likes it, but I don't think it's her favorite. My mom and I are perfectly content to walk around, shop, and take tons of pictures of all the little details. My dad doesn't care for it much at all.

On this day, I woke up at 7 AM, after having gone to bed just after 9:30 the night before. This might have also been the morning that I woke up shivering (and woke up shivering a few times during the night), because I found out that my darling little sister is a blanket hog. She was cocooned in them. I pulled as many over me as I could and curled up in a ball and managed to fall asleep again, only to wake up with NO blankets over the lower part of my body, and about six inches of blankets on the upper half. I think that was when I finally got annoyed enough to not really care if I woke her up, so I pulled as hard as I could to get some blankets, managed to get just enough to cover me, and then woke up with most of them gone again. After that night, I followed my mom's advice and anchored the blankets under my body.

We got breakfast at the food court. I got the child breakfast platter, because I wasn't sure how much I could eat.

You might remember how I said that Kailyn made fun of me for taking pictures of things that I wasn't going to buy. I think that picture was the start of her making fun of me for taking pictures of all my food.

Mom, Kailyn, and I headed to Epcot after eating. The park opened at 9, and we got there right around 9:30. Test Track had a posted ten minute wait, but we skipped that and headed straight for Soarin'. We grabbed some FP's, and then waited in line. By this time, the standby line had a posted 40 minute wait, but it was definitely under a half-hour.

I LOVE the queue.

We didn't request the front, but we got it! We were seated to the right. I had forgotten about the golf ball part and it scared the crap out of me.

Kailyn had a case of motion sickness afterwards, so we went to find a place to sit, and then headed back to the room. We hung around there for a bit, and then Dad decided to try to join us at DHS. Naturally, we found a photo op. One of those things that most people wouldn't think twice about, but that we found was a good photo op.

This was to be the day of the American Idol parade. We got there not long after 12:30, and the parade was starting at 4:30. People were already camped out for it. I passed people with towels to sit on, hoodies being used as pillows, people napping, and people playing cards. I like American Idol, I'm highly amused by the auditions, and I have a fondness for David Cook, but I just couldn't see spending four or more hours waiting for a parade.

I don't know how long Dad lasted, but it wasn't long at all. He barely made it past the gates and then had to turn back.

I had to stop and take this picture on the way to wherever we were going.

I guess that we headed over to TSM to see the wait. It was a 70 minute wait, and, not surprisingly, there were no FP's left. Sadly, we didn't get to ride it on this trip...next time...

Since TSM was a no-go, we headed towards an almost-family favorite.

I say almost-family favorite because my mom doesn't really care for it. She loves the queue and the storyline and all the details, but the up and down part makes her queasy. Kailyn was over her earlier motion sickness and wanted to ride. It had a posted ten minute wait, and we managed to walk right into the library to watch the video. The line moved so fast that I didn't get any pictures from inside. Ah well, another installment...

I had to snap this picture of a little Zero toy in the gift shop. As everyone knows, I LOVE the Nightmare Before Christmas, and this little guy was calling my name, but I couldn't justify dropping $18 on him.

Up next -- technical difficulties?!, and mommy and Meg time at Epcot!

 

[DisKate]

Uh-oh.....now I'm worried that we won't get on TSM....of course that would me that we will just have to go back again

The child's breakfast platter looks like more food then I want on a typical morning....

 

[Charleston Princess]

Front row of Soarin'!!! Woo hoo!!!

Still laughing about the Will Call photos! We may have to "borrow" that one from you!

 

[Megablocks]

Uh-oh.....now I'm worried that we won't get on TSM....of course that would me that we will just have to go back again

The child's breakfast platter looks like more food then I want on a typical morning....

I think that if you make it a point to get to DHS for opening, you won't have a problem with getting to ride it. We never really thought enough to get there that early, but I know it's on MY to-do list for next year. We rode the Space Ranger Spin our last night -- it was my first time on it in years, and I forgot how much fun it was, so I'm dying to try TSM!

It was a good amount of food. I gave my mom the bacon and didn't finish all the scrambled eggs. I forget what I got after that, but I know that I became addicted to the Pop waffles topped with strawberries. Those were big, but they were the only thing on the plate (nothing else could fit on it ) I know I also started waiting a little while to eat after I woke up since I have a hard time eating first thing in the morning.

Front row of Soarin'!!! Woo hoo!!!

Still laughing about the Will Call photos! We may have to "borrow" that one from you!

It was AWESOME. I had asked my mom if we should request the front, and she said that she just wanted to get on and ride, but we still ended up with the front! It was sooo nice.

Oh, borrow away! I wanted to borrow Chelsea's idea of posing with her man Beau...