Auto Train to College Program w/24hr at MK & SWW(new!SWW '14 rope drop/sci fi brkfst)

[poison ivy]

Thanks for the feedback. Trying to decide if I will do a dining review or a full trip report for my upcoming trip

You're very welcome! Tough decision to write the full report or just concentrate on the dining portions. Whatever you decide, I'll be keeping an eye out. Looks like your Oct trip will overlap with the tail end of our land - sea - and tree adventure sept 27 - oct 9. Great planning!

I just found your trip report today and got all caught up. It is great! I couldn't put it down. We love the Liberty Tree Tavern. Your pictures make me wish I was there. Can't wait to read more.

Thanks so much and Welcome!!! So glad you are enjoying it! I'm happy to hear you love Liberty Tree. We do too.

Especially my parents who are big fans of Colonial Williamsburg and never knew this little gem existed at WDW until we took them there for the first time about 5yrs ago. We booked an early dinner around 4:30 before the start of the MNSSHP that night. Back then they still had the characters who would dress in Halloween costumes. My dad was a riot interacting with them. They still talk about it.

I wish I was there too!

I never knew the story about the tree and the themed rooms. Too busy filling up on that great food I guess. I always enjoy eating there...it's comfort food in a comfortable setting...and delicious. Next time I'll stop and enjoy the atmosphere more.

Stick with me kid! "I've been around".... "ya know!"

 

[Bayoumama]

I glance up and see Walt smiling.



What a day!


This is truely awesome !!!

Loving the whole day so far.....you really got a lot accomplished and it's not even over.
I've never been to Tom Sawyer Island but definately on my list for my 2014 trip.

 

[poison ivy]

This is truely awesome !!!

Loving the whole day so far.....you really got a lot accomplished and it's not even over.
I've never been to Tom Sawyer Island but definately on my list for my 2014 trip.

Thanks! I really thought it was amazing how that cloud happened to be right there all by itself just as I looked up. The whole experience was so surreal.

Glad you're enjoying the day. I can't believe how long it really is when you put it all together. Funny how it didn't feel that way though. Probably because we were playing the game.

Yes! check out Tom Sawyer Island. you'll be able to take in so much of the spirit from 40 yrs ago. The fort has a few old animatronic surprises. Enjoy!

I found a few of my old trip photos from the early 70's. I'm thinking of putting them up at the end of this segment.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 3 - 5/24/13

24 - Take X

Extra Innings

After dinner at Liberty Tree, "24" kicks into high gear!

It's 9:20pm - 8.5 hrs to go!

We were focused on a heavy concentration of characters as quickly as possible.
The biggest problem was, they weren't going to be all that easy to find - and we needed to locate 11 of them.

We pour over the Monster Brochure for the remaining character times available:

Ariel at Ariel's Grotto - 5 am
Jack Sparrow - Intermittently - 5 am
Classic Disney Characters - at Pete's Silly Sideshow - 11 pm
Tinker Bell - Tinker Bell's Magical Nook - 5 am

Everybody else listed til 5 am - Mickey Mouse, The Princesses and Winnie the Pooh and Friends we had already visited. The rest were all done for the day.

Yeah, were waaaay short. We hoped there were other characters randomly out and about - like Mike and Sulley in Tomorrowland but this could be a major game changer.

Ok. so Pete's Silly Sideshow it is! We of course have never heard of this place and have no idea where it's located. Turns out it's in a place called Storybook Circus which is also part of the New Fantasyland - past the Dueling Dumbos. (It didn't connect around yet to Ariel and Belle and has a whole different entrance)

We also weren't sure which characters would be there.

This should be fun!

As soon as we walk out of Liberty Tree Tavern, the Main Street Electrical Parade arrives. We duck into "Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe" to position ourselves for a quick exit and realize there's no escape!

(photo courtesy of the Dis - the Christmas store encompasses all three colonial buildings.)



The parade has reached Liberty Square and is stretched all the way down Main St!!
All pathways were now completely blocked off in the direction of Fantasyland!!

I scanned my park map here - to show what we were up against. The route cuts off all access points behind the castle to anyone viewing from the left side. (yes, you are allowed to cross at certain places, but not once the parade arrives - no way!)

Notice our current position (black dot) and our destination (orange square) and the little hidden pathway (red arrow) we plan to use to break away from the massive parade crowd once it's over to quickly get to this "Big Circus" Area. Pete's Silly Sideshow is marked as tent number "50".





But for now, we are holed up inside the store, and Mark of course gets drawn right in to check everything out! Who could blame him. It's a beautiful place.

A CM inquires about my T-Shirt. Yes! That's right! I did a little quick change and was sporting my new souvenir for the night! I didn't realize they were completely sold out now, and I was stopped many times after this. She said mine was the first one she had seen and wanted to know about the specialty items they were selling. I described all the merchandise, and the rumored confectionary - including some monster cupcakes, but knew nothing about the pins. We had a good talk!

Meanwhile, JQ gained the best vantage point to enjoy the parade by standing in the open doorway of the Red Brick House.



I joined him there. He had a great view!





As soon as the Eagle had landed, we were on the move!!
We are now venturing into some major foreign territory here.





4 Classic Characters!?!? Jackpot!!!



For those unfamiliar, here's a blog about the Sideshow from Disney's website
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/10/first-look-peek-inside-petes-silly-sideshow-at-magic-kingdom-park/

It's a big circus tent set up entirely for this meet and greet. We are in line for Daisy and Minnie. You can see Donald and Goofy on the other side. Each characters act is represented by a great themed backdrop.



Unfortunately, we didn't fully comprehend what was really going on here at the time, which I regret. Had we realized the characters were all circus performers with specific identities, we would have interacted with them on a whole other level.

Oh well - next time!

I now present to you:

Madame Daisy Fortuna - a mysterious gypsy fortuneteller



The "Siren of the Seine" - Parisian poodle trainer Minnie Magnifique



You have to go outside and back in to visit the other two. Of course, Disney exits you right on thru The Big Top - a huge gift shop and refreshment tent set up next door.



While we were wondrously distracted in that amazing place, we heard the first firework go off - and ran right outside hoping to catch Wishes.



That was our 10:00 warning shot!! And a surprisingly good spot for the show!

Afterwards, we went back in to finish our visit:

The Great Goofini - circus stuntman extraordinaire
.


The Astounding Donaldo - the most charming of snake charmers



By the time we wrapped up it was around 10:30pm

11 characters needed - 4 down - 7 to go! The hunt continues.........



Mark had the best photo. JQ and I were starting to look a little haggard but I will post more of us, I promise!



And since we happened to be in the neighborhood - we hopped in one of these! (there was no wait)



So we bid farewell to the New Fantasyland and get about as far as the back of Cinderella's Castle, when Mark, as usual, stops right in his tracks - lured by an opportunity to resume the Sorcerers Game. Theres a line for it now.

"No problem, dude. We'll wait. We've got all night!"



I become hypnotically lured to this window display - walk in, and get sprinkled with pixie dust!!





JQ on the other hand, is lured by a whole different phenomenon.





Yes!! That's a full moon you see!! He is capturing how brilliantly it was shining down on us thru this beautiful architectural marvel.

And so begins our Enchanted Evening!

up next: an enchanted evening.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You're very welcome! Tough decision to write the full report or just concentrate on the dining portions. Whatever you decide, I'll be keeping an eye out. Looks like your Oct trip will overlap with the tail end of our land - sea - and tree adventure sept 27 - oct 9. Great planning!

I think we will just miss you - we arrive in Disney on the 11th.

I am leaning towards doing a food-heavy trip report, but we shall see what the rest of the family lets me do

Should be a good one full of princesses, the Food & Wine Festival, pre-park opening ADRs at each of the 4 parks, and a 10th anniversary dinner at Victoria and Alberts!

Day 3 - 5/24/13

‘24” – Take X



Yes!! That's a full moon you see!! He is capturing how brilliantly it was shining down on us thru this beautiful architectural marvel.

And so begins our Enchanted Evening!

Great picture! What a crazy/amazing time you seem to be having - hope you held up for the rest of the night

 

[Johnny Quest]

I think we will just miss you - we arrive in Disney on the 11th.

I am leaning towards doing a food-heavy trip report, but we shall see what the rest of the family lets me do

Should be a good one full of princesses, the Food & Wine Festival, pre-park opening ADRs at each of the 4 parks, and a 10th anniversary dinner at Victoria and Alberts!



Great picture! What a crazy/amazing time you seem to be having - hope you held up for the rest of the night

I couldn't believe how bright the moon was that night. It seemed to light up the whole park. I had been noticing it dance around the turrets and when I got close to the castle it looked amazing. That picture fell right in my lap. I also took one of it over Fantasy Land.

Victoria and Alberts is on our bucket list so it's just a matter of time until we fit it into one of our trips. I'm looking forward to your review of that meal.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 3 - 5/24/13

"24" Take XI - Part I

An Enchanted Evening

So, Iron Man halts, and we all become spellbound behind Cinderella's Castle in the cloak of the night.

Could the Magic Kingdom possibly give any more?

We'll see. Strange things have been known to happen with a full moon.



The clock strikes 12.

Celebrate the Magic! begins.





After the show, we move to Tommorowland in search of characters and it is PACKED!!!

]

Notice anyone sporting commemorative merchandise here? No! This is not the crowd we know. This is probably the crowd that avoided our park all morning and now they're all here and in our way!!!

Fortunately, our needs were simple.
With 6 hrs to go, "24" looks like this!


Attractions - 15

Main Street Vehicles
Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin
Astro Orbiter
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
Mad Tea Party
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Winnie the Pooh
Tom Sawyer Island
Country Bear Jamboree
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
Carousel of Progress
Story time with Belle
Under the Sea


Characters 18

Mickey - Rapunzel - Aurora - Cinderella - Marie
Alice in Wonderland & White Rabbit
Winnie the Pooh & Tigger
Chip & Dale
Jasmine
Gaston
Minnie & Daisy
Goofy & Donald
Ariel

Food and Beverage items 22

Coke - Ice Water
Strawberry Chicken Salad
Cheese Steak Sandwich
Fries
Black & White Shake
Apples & Caramel
PowerAde
Bread
Barqs Root Beet & Fresh Brewed Ice Tea
Declaration Salad
Roasted Turkey Breast - Carved Beef - Sliced Pork
Herb Bread Stuffing
Seasonal vegetables
Mashed Potatoes
Macaroni & Cheese
Green Beans
Johnny Appleseed Cake & Vanilla Ice Cream


Other Events/Experiences 21

6am Countdown, welcome show and Rope drop
Commemorative Button
First guests of the day to call and greet Mickey
Main St. Vehicle photo op
Magic Kingdom opening ceremonies
Witness the Train and Trolley Roll out for the day
Main St. Trolley Show
Encounter with the Stepmother and Stepsisters
Dream Along with Mickey Show
Visit from the Mayor
Lost Iron Man magic act at Guest Services
Mike and Sully Arrival
Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade
Hangin out playing Checkers on Tom Sawyer Island
EMT photobomb
Commemorative T-Shirt
Monsterail ride
Main St. Electrical Parade
Wishes
Pixie Dust moment at Castle Couture
Celebrate the Magic!

We're in the Final Round - with a clear path to Victory:

9 Attractions
6 Characters
2 Food/Beverage
3 Other Events

I tell JQ, "not only do we have to locate 6 characters who happen to be out past midnight, but we need to find 9 more rides that are still operating."

The plan - go on everything you see and hunt for any character you can.

That's one way to kill 6 waning hours in the blink of an eye!!

We quickly walk in the last attraction of Tommorowland -



After Stitch, we see this Monster line for Mike and Sulley. I ask the CM how long the wait is? he replies - about 1 ½ hours, so he'll cut the line off before 4:00 am. My next question, "do you know who else is around tonight?" He said he believes Woody and Jesse are in Frontierland and Jack Sparrow is in Adventureland.

We are on the Move!!!







JQ stops at Storybook Treats for an energy fix.



I'm telling him, "That doesnt count." "We already had ice cream at dinner!" He says, "well that's all they sell - and this has chocolate." (fine by me)

He then tells me he saw Piglet with Winnie the Pooh. Great! We head right over to the Hundred Acre Woods. Nobody is there but we're told they're coming back so we wait 10 mins.

And look who shows up at 2 am!!! All 4 of them this time!?!? So cool.



Iron Man tells us hes gonna check a few things out and splits. See ya later dude. Have fun!

We are en route to Frontierland in search of cowboys by way of Fantasyland.

JQ pauses at the next ride to cross his path and takes a "selfie" to demonstrate how to endure it at 2:30 am.





Ticket E!

Man, were we happy to see these two!! Not bad for a 3 am pic!! They were awesome!!



Ok we've got 3 hrs left. 2 hrs for characters but only 45 mins to get in the Mike and Sulley line as a last resort - which would basically kill the game for the rest of the night.

Whats left to win?

4 attractions
2 characters
1 food/beverage
3 other events

Where to? Adventureland!!!

Ticket B!!

(the A to E cycle is now complete - thanks Disney for keeping this one open all night)



And check out all the action!! This Land was in full operation mode.







Thats a wrap on "24" - Attractions!!!!

The one Land we had yet to visit - the one Land which houses some of the oldest and dearest attractions which still remain at the Magic Kingdom today - came through in the end with flying colors!!

Awesome!!

We walk over to Pirates to see Jack Sparrow and he's nowhere to be found! Two CM's standing by who appeared to be assigned to the meet and greet proceed to tell us he's done for the day. I look at them, "What? That cant be true", insisting that the brochure has him listed til 5am - so he must be coming out again. They tell me "nope, hes gone for the night and wont be back"

I turn to JQ "it's almost 4:00 am. We have to get over to Tomorrowland right now!!!"

We cross the Hub and can see a dance party - no time for that.



It was beautifully dark and peaceful once again on Main St.



JQ grabs our final snack on the corner. Yes!! "24 "- food & beverage items complete also! (if you count the chocolate ice cream - turns out Mark bought a churro so were good.)



2 categories down - 2 to go. Hurry up!! We need those final 2 characters.

We get to Tomorrowland and there's Mike and Sulley with an even bigger line!! ( I don't know why I have no photos of this.)

We approach the CM. who tells us, "sorry, the lines cut off." I look at him and plead, "you have to let us in." Well, he's not budging, "I'm sorry. We have a strict policy when the characters are out and I have to keep the line closed."

We explain "24" and how we only need 2 more characters. I tell him, we're talking a major Epic Fail of the game if he doesn't let us in line - hoping to weigh on his conscience.

He compliments the game, but stands firm. He then starts running down the list of who is still out. "No. We've already been there." "No We've already seen them." "Trust us. These are the last 2"

He gets to Sparrow and we inform him that Jacks done for the night. He shakes his head in disagreement. We tell him we approached the two CM's there and they were emphatic that he would not be back out, despite what the program was stating. He had gone in for the night.

The CM looks over at a name tagged employee in plain clothes walking toward us. We repeat to him what we were told re: Jack Sparrow and a concerned look immediately comes over this mans face.

He replies, "Jack is there until 5am." And steps away to get on his phone. He walks back over and reassures us, "he'll be back out. he's there until 5am"

Ok so does this mean we have to walk all the way back over to Pirates and hope for the best? We just came from there and it's close to 4:30am.

Our feet were screaming at us and appear to have stopped cooperating at this point. I make a final plea with the CM, "look, even if we get a photo with Jack, were still one character short." "you have two of them right here! So why not just let us in the line?" Nobody else is even playing "24" (can't hurt to try)

He says he'd love to. Unfortunately, he really can't do it, but Enchanted Tales with Belle is open til closing. We should try there. I explain how my son went earlier and loved it. But told us only two guys out of the entire audience are picked to be in the show and get their picture taken with Belle. The rest are all the children. So our chances at a photo op were beyond slim.

He wished us luck.

Continued in the next post

 

[poison ivy]

Day 3 - 5/24/13

24 - Take XI - Part II

An Enchanted Evening

It's now 4:30 in the morning.
And "24" is quickly closing in on us.

We're down to 2 characters and 3 other events to Win!

We saunter back to Adventureland not knowing if Jack Sparrow will even be there.

Well look who it is! And not appearing too happy, it seems. I'm wondering two things - Does this have anything to do with us? and, Does he know it was us? (I'd be easy to spot in this T-shirt) Too funny.



I turn to James, "It's close to 5"
He says, "we have to try for Belle."
And off to Fantasyland we go!!

As soon as we get beyond those castle walls, the magic of the night befalls us,
as we venture toward an Enchanted Tale with a Princess.





There's a line with a 20 min wait posted at 4:50 in the morning. Crazy!

We had just walked from Fantasyland to Adventureland to Tomorrowland to Adventureland to Fantasyland. Neither of us could barely stand at this point, so we desperately look around for a place to sit.

Well apparently this venue had zero benches nearby. NONE!!

So we soldier on knowing there's a major game at stake and get in line with everyone else!!

I realized at that moment that "24" had fallen into this strange, mysterious fate which now lies at the doorstep of an Enchanted Cottage.

It was going to live or die right here - at the hand of a beloved princess - in the New Fantasyland of all places - within its final 24th hour - under the spell of a full moon.

The Irony was Incredible!

Oh yeah!! We're definitely all in!!

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Without spoiling this attraction by going into too much detail, I will only point out the basics. It's a beautiful experience - one I highly recommend. (Iron Man couldn't stop talking about it)

Unfortunately, it's very popular, and you can easily get caught standing in a ridiculously long line for an extended period of time, without realizing it. This can test anyones patience. So plan accordingly.

(I believe this may be in FP+ testing and I'd personally select it above all else at the MK)

Heres why:

1) The line quickly grows in a very long deceiving que outside as soon as the park opens. (even at 5 am it was still at 2 wait cycles to get in - and we weren't that far back.)

2) When you enter the cottage you stand in a waiting room before being let in to the preshow.

3) You stand again during the entire preshow.

4) You continue to stand a third time, in the prep room, waiting for the main show to open up.

That's 5 wait cycles (at approx 5 min intervals) even for us at an incredibly late hour.

The good news is, the whole experience does move very quickly once you enter the preshow.

We couldnt believe how long it was taking and how much standing was involved. I'm balancing on one leg at a time massaging each foot, hoping to sneak past the CM and find a place to sit down. JQ is fighting everything he has in his entire being to remain vertical.

I look around, and repeat how the chance of this being an epic fail are incredibly high. James says, "I know. I might have to photobomb Belle."
I tell him, "you can't do that." " It would never count." "We've got to win this the hard way so try to get picked "

We're finally at the point where they recruit guests. I glance over at my husband and see him purposely looking down, away from the CM, avoiding all eye contact and moving quietly back from the crowd to lean against the wall, trying not to be noticed.

I start using a few subtle gestures and widen my eyes at him to try and get him to engage. It's useless. He's completely done at this point.

James was going down and taking "24" with him.

This is not good!! We're doomed.

I'm so distracted by this, I vaguely hear the CM say something along the lines of, I'm going to choose someone who looks like they don't want to be picked. and she walks over to JQ, and hands him the first prop, then moves him to the front of the room.

He smiles.



It was all happening so fast in slow motion. I couldn't believe it. It didn't seem real. I was already resigned to our defeat and couldn't switch gears at this point.

And just like that, he disappeared behind closed doors.

The audience was ushered in to sit on some very welcome benches.

I immediately spot JQ.



A georgeous Princess emerges and turns to the first knight she sees. So cool.



Belle delivered a flawless show. I couldn't get over how beautifully perfect she was at 5:15 in the morning.



These are my favorite shots of James - his eyes cry out "help me! I'm trapped inside a Storybook."





It was really hard on him having to stand the entire time, which I was worried about. I don't know how he did it.

And now, the moment we'd been waiting for:

The money shot





Unbelievable!

What are the odds? Seriously

We walk out of there practically drunk on magic!
Wait a minute - did we just win?

We weren't worried about the 3 "other events" we needed with the dance party, kiss goodnight and being chosen for the story.

Yes!!

As soon as we reach the vortex of the Old and New Fantasy Realms - I see it.



This was truly an Enchanted Evening!

And I realized James had to become fully immersed into the stories of both the Old and New Worlds within the Kingdom in order to win this game of a lifetime.



Time to Go -

Check this view out as we walked thru the castle! Now that's a party! The characters were all dancing among everybody. Mark said it was awesome! He's in there somewhere.







We're heading out. Iron Man's got this covered.



Our time of departure?



No need to stick around. Knowing we could was enough for us.



And that officially concludes the game of "24."

Thanks for reading!




One final note, the next day as I was looking thru the photos, and comparing them to my notes for "24", I found something very important.







Apparently, right after we were all lured behind Cinderellas Castle, I took that pixie dust back to where it belonged.

But for some reason, never wrote Tinkerbelle's name down. I knew we had seen her but didn't catch the omission on my handwritten list. So I had Tink in my mental tally without her actually being in my numerical count. I tell James, "guess what?". "We didn't need Belle." We had 23 characters before Jack Sparrow.

We would have won either way.

Fate



Next up: that 70s show

 

[Johnny Quest]

Boy oh boy... I really took one for the team here didn't I?

I NEVER get picked, nor do I ever raise my hand in an audience. Going in I was willing to do whatever just to get a pic with Belle and I wasn't ruling out a photo bomb. Had no clue what the show was even about but we were on a mission.

Next thing I know, she's handing me a cardboard cutout and saying, "here sir, you're going to be a castle guard". ["you've got to be kidding me!"], "just stand over there and I'll show you what to do".

The hardest part was marching in place for what seemed like 30 minutes straight. I needed it to end. All in all it was a fun show and the kids really enjoyed it, and of course it made our "24" challenge a success.

I have to say that this was easily the most interesting Magic Kingdom visit I've ever had. I saw things that I've never seen before and rode/participated on attractions that I normally walk past without a second thought. I learned that there is much more to this "world" than meets the eye and will look at things a little differently from now on. I truly enjoyed this adventure and now can understand where my wife's appreciation for Disney comes from.

 

[wiigirl]

Great update....great pics!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

wow - congrats on completing your assignment! That's gotta be one of those once in a lifetime things that you will be telling people about for years!

Though, the whole 24 hour thing kinda puts a damper on the setting for Enchanted Tales with Belle ... I mean, whose idea is it to surprise a princess and make her tell them a story at 4 in the morning?

 

[poison ivy]

Great update....great pics!

thanks wiigirl! glad you enjoyed it.

wow - congrats on completing your assignment! That's gotta be one of those once in a lifetime things that you will be telling people about for years!

Though, the whole 24 hour thing kinda puts a damper on the setting for Enchanted Tales with Belle ... I mean, whose idea is it to surprise a princess and make her tell them a story at 4 in the morning?

Thanks. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

I don't know whose idea it was to surprise that princess, but she sure turned the tables on James! Honestly, the setting at that hour was something I'll never forget. We walked over to the cottage alone, under that moon and sky, and with the whole game riding on it. It takes on a life of its' own at that hour. All I kept thinking was "we're not in Kansas anymore"

You wouldn't believe how many children were there and wide awake at 5am. Of All Ages! They let in at least 30 people and more than half were kids. Nobody was tired except us - least of all Belle!

 

[jane2073]

I'm exhausted just reading about the end of your day!
You really made a lot of smart decisions that seemed to make the day go pretty smooth. Very clever getting table service as soon as you heard about the event. You had two nice, stress free breaks!

 

[Vickie1016]

What a wonderful trip report - so detailed. Congrats on finishing your "24" challenge. You made many memories during this trip, thanks for bringing us along on your journey!!

 

[snowmanlover]

Poison Ivy has such great planning skills...this was the perfect place and time for lunch that day. Relaxing atmosphere and great food. You can't go wrong having a meal here. We've done both lunch and dinner. The best though is that they give you the overflow from the shake in the metal mixing cup. Made my day!

I knew Ironman would show up, since he pre-paid for the Star Wars figure.

I HAVE to tell my DH they give you the overflow from the shake in the metal cup!!! He LOVES when places do that. lol

I did tell him about the review you did and the pictures you took of the Plaza and I do believe we will end up going there!

We did have dinner once at The Liberty Tree Tavern and really enjoyed it, too! Like your parents, I LOVE Colonial Williamsburg.

Your pictures are really beautiful, thanks for sharing them!

24 hours is a loooooong time...CONGRATULATIONS!!

 

[poison ivy]

I'm exhausted just reading about the end of your day!
You really made a lot of smart decisions that seemed to make the day go pretty smooth. Very clever getting table service as soon as you heard about the event. You had two nice, stress free breaks!

yes, exhausting as it was in the end though, it really moved fast in those final hours as we began running out of time. Once we arrived at Maurice's Cottage we went from 90 mph to 0. It was probably the most challenging part of the entire day, which made it all the more rewarding when we finished. I'll put up my pedometer reading in the next installment.

And thanks, glad you can appreciate why I went right for those 2 restaurants first. I wanted simplicity and the ability to relax, and refuel and they're the perfect combination for that. Kept us going all night.

What a wonderful trip report - so detailed. Congrats on finishing your "24" challenge. You made many memories during this trip, thanks for bringing us along on your journey!!

Thanks so much! We had such a great time and I am really glad you enjoyed reading it. We have so many great memories to relive every time we visit.

I HAVE to tell my DH they give you the overflow from the shake in the metal cup!!! He LOVES when places do that. lol

I did tell him about the review you did and the pictures you took of the Plaza and I do believe we will end up going there!

We did have dinner once at The Liberty Tree Tavern and really enjoyed it, too! Like your parents, I LOVE Colonial Williamsburg.

Your pictures are really beautiful, thanks for sharing them!

24 hours is a loooooong time...CONGRATULATIONS!!

Thank you so much! Glad to know your husband can appreciate a great shake like that too. You can never go wrong with a fountain dessert at the Plaza. Hope you guys make it there some day.

My parents keep trying to get back to Williamsburg. We stopped there overnight a few years ago on a road trip to Disney and took them to their favorite restaurant, the Kings Arms Tavern. They always mention going back. Hopefully soon.

 

[Henlady]

YEAH!!!
I knew you could do it Never a doubt.

Now, what kind of excursion can you think of for the cruise..

Congratulations.

 

[atwmommy]

24 hours in the park. Awesome and exhausting just reading about it. Loved you 24 twist!

 

[Johnny Quest]

I HAVE to tell my DH they give you the overflow from the shake in the metal cup!!! He LOVES when places do that. lol

I did tell him about the review you did and the pictures you took of the Plaza and I do believe we will end up going there!

We did have dinner once at The Liberty Tree Tavern and really enjoyed it, too! Like your parents, I LOVE Colonial Williamsburg.

Your pictures are really beautiful, thanks for sharing them!

24 hours is a loooooong time...CONGRATULATIONS!!

Yes, the Plaza is a hidden treasure in the MK. People don't think it's worth a table service credit but I know it is.

It only makes sense to give the customer ALL of the milkshake rather than pour it out.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 3 - May 24, 2013


"24" - That 70's Show

Considering how long it took to describe "what we would do" with a 24-hr Disney Day. (11 chapters + to be exact), I thought it would be appropriate to share some final thoughts and what happened behind the scenes while I wrote this "song".

Final thoughts:
(without trying to tip the scale of balance between reality and way over the top here)


1. "24"was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had at the Magic Kingdom and I can't thank Disney enough for doing this.

2. It now takes its' rightful place within that part of my subconscious which drives the spirit of Disney through my heart and soul.

3. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can not wait to relive these memories again and again, along with so many other great moments from my childhood, to my wedding and beyond.

4. I'm really glad we decided to play the game of "24" that day, and attribute this solely to our success in lasting an entire 24 hrs. I'm not sure if we personally would have been able to manage and enjoy this experience to its' fullest, or even finish out those final hours, had we not set such a high bar to boost our drive and determination for the entire day.

5. Park hopping to the Studios late afternoon was both a help and a hindrance. I believe we may have gotten out of the MK at just the right time - when lines were probably long and unavoidable and would have worked counterproductive to all momentum. On the other hand, it put us in the worst challenging position imaginable having to play the game within the confines of a late night prohibitive park schedule for the timing of attractions and characters. But honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

6. Given that hindsight is 20/20, I would not have changed a thing. The unpredictability and enjoyment from the element of surprise that comes along with not having a preset agenda is what made the experience so fantastic. We were never stressed about being behind schedule, since we had nothing planned - except to play the game as we walked around the park, and to sit down and fully enjoy two great meals!!!

7. Of course we wanted to win (especially in the end), but that wasn't our main goal. I created the game simply to provide a fun way to get thru the challenge of being at the MK for the duration of the event. That - along with leaving the rest to fate was the secret to our success. So keep this in mind if you ever decide to invent something for your family.

8. And finally, you'll notice some of the biggest attractions - Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion and the Railroad were not part of our day. The main reason was that since we ALWAYS ride these - they were not an integral part of our journey. I wanted my family to see and enjoy everything else the Magic Kingdom has to offer. Really glad I did!


Thank you for hanging in there and reading along. I greatly appreciate it.


"And now for something completely different

That 70's show!!!

"24" brought back more than the experience of reliving my childhood Magic Kingdom days. It prompted me to break out the old photo album from my past as I was writing about it here. I have two albums of photos I took with my Kodak Instamatic X-15 camera which I thought was the bomb of all presents when I was a kid. .And for as many times as our family has enjoyed these old photos, it had been awhile since James and I last looked at them. Well, I had forgotten how cool they are. (to me anyway)

The Kodak Instamatic X-15 used either a 12 or 24 exposure roll of 126 film. It looks like I used a 12 exp. roll, when I took my new camera with me on our second trip to Disney in 1975.

Thanks to technology, I had JQ scan all 12 so I can share them with you. While we were doing this, I noticed the strangest thing - that I had taken some very similar photos of the park on this trip as well.

I now present to you - that 70's show!

A Journey to Walt Disney World as seen through the eyes of a "tween"

Circa 1975 - party of 7 - Ft. Wilderness Campground
(I'm the middle child of our family in the pigtails far left and also w/the camera case)

Note: These photos are in chronological order with the exception of the WDW Railroad shot. I cannot place where that photo of The Walt Disney train was taken. I believe it's Frontierland.





























Hopefully this better explains why I navigated my family thru the park the way I did during "24" and my personal connection to Tom Sawyer Island. This was typically our touring path thru the Magic Kingdom in the 70's. (especially my brother and I)

Enjoy!

up next: Darth Maul meets Willow