BEST. DAY. EVER. May '17 w/Chunkymonkey and Chubbyhubby NEW 8/28 x2 THE END!!

[chunkymonkey]

The strawberries were good oh no that is so sad but they do have other things to drink! I liked the view from the gardens better than when we did the terrace one I thought it was very good. And since we went the first night of HEA it was nice not having to hold a spot for hours. We only got to the spot a half hour before showtime.

Good to know, I'm so glad I booked it!

I love in your Wishes pics that the couple in front of you were so cozy with each other.

Yes it was very sweet.

I was wondering about this - ie: if it loads quickly - because someone (maybe you?) said that FEA at Epcot was really slow loading..

I would hope they would estimate the popularity of it and make it quick loading. I mean, FEA runs on the old Maelstrom track so there's nothing they could do about that. When building a brand new ride, they should make it so like you're always moving in line. I like that so much better than standing for a long time, then moving a foot, then waiting again...moving a foot.

 

[KathyM2]

When building a brand new ride, they should make it so like you're always moving in line.

Agreed...maybe that is why there is never (rarely) a line for Peoplemover...they should have it load like that lol...let's hope they thought it through...

 

[bcwife76]

haha your lantern photos are cute but yes, not as good as your first time doing them

Big Thunder is an AWESOME ride, I think those photos captured your true joy on that ride

 

[Tracy161]

I then realized that the train was running again! On our last visit it was still being refurbished so we took the opportunity to ride it to Frontierland.

Oh I'm so happy to hear that! It was down in January during my family trip and I was so bummed that my nephew couldn't ride!

Or Maybe it's only Magical in May?

I told Karilynn about how I met Tracy 2 years ago in Frontierland too. Such serendipitous meetings! Gosh...Frontierland IS Magical!

YAY!!!!!!!!! It really is!

I think these happenings in Frontierland were just meant to be...!!

I agree wholeheartedly

BTW you can see my park bag which is the Princess Race Weekend Dooney and Burke I picked up in February. I love the bag but it is not big enough for me, so I won't be using it as a park bag any longer.

I struggle with park bags! I'm always on the hunt for the "perfect one". Have yet to figure that one out yet...

Haha, I just love this ride.

And what a great photo!!!

The news had just come out that he was at Disneyland and surprised riders there but of course I really wished it was at WDW.

Every single time I ride Pirates, I look for him... ya know, just in case

My "resting lantern face"

His resting lantern face did not improve either.

Regardless, we were lucky to watch Wishes one last time from such an amazing spot

At first DH and I were supposed to be on separate Dumbos but apparently someone had decided to split their party into 2 Dumbos so DH and I had to share one or wait for the next ride. So we just shared one.

I think this worked out for the best because I LOVE this picture of you two!

I hope you have an amazing trip!!! Cannot wait to read all about it

 

[kastoney]

Ugh, how is it that I always seem to miss the start of your amazing reports. I don't think I've ever joined in in single digits. #Goals for your next trip

How amazing you all got to ride in first class on the trip down there. What a great way to start a vacation. Even if you had to use the steerage class bathroom

Your room at boardwalk looks really nice. We stayed there I think 4 years ago now and it looks like they've done some renovating since we were there.

Did you ever get your V&A reservation? What a great anniversary meal.

You all packed a ton into your first day. I think we are going to do the park to park transportation on our next trip so looking forward to seeing how it works out for the rest of your time. And awesome meeting into a dis friend in Frontierland AGAIN. Even more awesome her name is Karilynn, which coincidentally is my name too Can't wait for May the 4th.

 

[ArielSRL]

Okay...I'm behind again. Let's see if I can catch up in 12.5 days...lol.

So at 7am I logged into the MDE app and made some reservations (which I have since changed up, LOL).

we ended up sharing a breakfast bowl from Mo’s Southwest grill. It was huge! More than enough food for DH and I. It had scrambled eggs, cheese, taco beef, salsa and some jalepenos and sour cream. Tasty!

This looks really good! I love breakfast foods and a mish mash of all of them is so yummy!

eedless to say that image of a crowded ME was stamped into our minds so imagine our amazed faces when we saw this:

Nice!!

That allowed me to take this picture entering the WDW resort area:

Love it! I'll be there soon!!! Sorry, I know you know that but I can't help myself!

I think we were the only people getting off at Boardwalk. This was our first time staying here. Normally I’d enter the Boardwalk from the actual Boardwalk area so to enter from the lobby level was different. It’s a beautiful lobby. Definitely seemed recently re-done, and had a lovely Victorian charm.

BW is definitely on my list! Beautiful!

They fortunately had a room ready right then, so yay!

Yay!

I think many people complain about how the Boardwalk has really long corridors.

I am a tad afraid of this.

When we opened the doors to the balcony we were greeted with this view.

Amazing! I would love it! We looked at booking it for last June (on a cash ressie) but ultimately decided against it as it was a bit more than we wanted to spend.

 

[franandaj]

Staying afloat. Glad you and Karilynn met up and took pictures!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Agreed...maybe that is why there is never (rarely) a line for Peoplemover...they should have it load like that lol...let's hope they thought it through...

The load for the Nav'i River Ride is just like Pirates, or Small world. The boats are smaller though.

haha your lantern photos are cute but yes, not as good as your first time doing them

I'm really not going to do anymore lantern pictures...hahaha, well maybe in August.

Big Thunder is an AWESOME ride, I think those photos captured your true joy on that ride

Thanks! I really think they do! Such a great ride!

Oh I'm so happy to hear that! It was down in January during my family trip and I was so bummed that my nephew couldn't ride!

I know, I was so happy it was back up! And that we didn't have to walk all the way to Frontierland.

YAY!!!!!!!!! It really is!

The most magical land in the most magical place on earth!

I agree wholeheartedly

I struggle with park bags! I'm always on the hunt for the "perfect one". Have yet to figure that one out yet...

My favorites are the LeSportsac Deluxe Everyday Bag or the Classic Hobo. They are the perfect bags for me. Plus they have Disney prints too! I find them on ebay or at outlets for less.

And what a great photo!!!

Thank you!!

Every single time I ride Pirates, I look for him... ya know, just in case

Cos ya never know...

I think this worked out for the best because I LOVE this picture of you two! [.quote]

Aww thanks!

I hope you have an amazing trip!!! Cannot wait to read all about it

Thank you! It was a very different trip than our early May trip. It was hot as heck and we didn't do that much at all.
But Pandora made up for all of it.

Ugh, how is it that I always seem to miss the start of your amazing reports. I don't think I've ever joined in in single digits. #Goals for your next trip

Hi Kari!!! It's great to see you here! I need to catch up on everyone's dining reports too. But since my next trip is not until August, I have some time

How amazing you all got to ride in first class on the trip down there. What a great way to start a vacation. Even if you had to use the steerage class bathroom

It was nice to have the big seats and drinks but using the facilities left a lot to be desired.

Your room at boardwalk looks really nice. We stayed there I think 4 years ago now and it looks like they've done some renovating since we were there.

Yeah the recently re-did the DVC side. Not sure about the Inn but I'm sure they did some work there too. It's was nice and comfortable.

Did you ever get your V&A reservation? What a great anniversary meal.

Yup, we did, for Nov 2nd. We're doing MNSSHP on our actual anniversary which is Nov 1st.

You all packed a ton into your first day. I think we are going to do the park to park transportation on our next trip so looking forward to seeing how it works out for the rest of your time. And awesome meeting into a dis friend in Frontierland AGAIN. Even more awesome her name is Karilynn, which coincidentally is my name too Can't wait for May the 4th.

Aww I love the name Karilynn!! It's so rare to meet someone with Lynn in their name these days and now I know a few people on the Dis who have Lynns in their name (or who are just named Lynn like @cajunfan)
We had a great first day! We managed to do everything we wanted to do, which was a complete 180 from this most recent trip lemme tell ya. It was waaaay too hot to even be outside.

Okay...I'm behind again. Let's see if I can catch up in 12.5 days...lol.

Woohoo!! I'm gonna post my Pandora review shortly in case you want to read it before you leave. However you might just want to be surprised...

This looks really good! I love breakfast foods and a mish mash of all of them is so yummy!

It was really tasty!

Love it! I'll be there soon!!! Sorry, I know you know that but I can't help myself!

Yay! So excited for you and to see the pictures. But warning...it was HOT. Like brutally hot and humid this weekend. I hope you get some sort of cold spell which will relieve you guys from the heat.

BW is definitely on my list! Beautiful!

We loved it! The location was awesome!

I am a tad afraid of this.

Our walk from the Contemporary Garden Wing was longer....

Amazing! I would love it! We looked at booking it for last June (on a cash ressie) but ultimately decided against it as it was a bit more than we wanted to spend.

Yeah that's why we ended up renting DVC points.

Staying afloat. Glad you and Karilynn met up and took pictures!

Yay!
Yup! She is awesome and I'm so happy we got a chance to meet!

 

[Tatania]

So happy to see another TR from you, Su-Lynn, as you're my favorite Disney reviewer. Look forward to hearing about Pandora as it may be a while till I'm able to get back to WDW.

 

[Dugette]

I told Karilynn about how I met Tracy 2 years ago in Frontierland too. Such serendipitous meetings! Gosh...Frontierland IS Magical!

How cool! Yay for DIS magic!

Haha, I just love this ride. Apparently I ride this entire ride with my mouth wide open! Thank goodness there were no bugs.

This cracked me up, but so true!

Sounds like a fun night with friends at MK!

 

[annie170]

Hi Su-Lynn! I love your trip and dining reports, so it's about time that I commented.

I'm jealous of how often you're able to travel to WDW. I'm a teacher, so our typical trips are in October during my Fall Break. The summer heat and crowds are getting to me the older I get, so Fall works best for us.

I'm looking forward to your big family trip this summer. We did one this past January with two of our daughters and their families and had a great time. I've passed the Disney love on to the next generation as our oldest daughter and her husband are seriously considering becoming DVC members.

Lastly, you have the cutest clothes!

 

[chunkymonkey]

So happy to see another TR from you, Su-Lynn, as you're my favorite Disney reviewer. Look forward to hearing about Pandora as it may be a while till I'm able to get back to WDW.

Thank you so much!!! That is so sweet of you to say. I really just love Disney and I think my enthusiasm translates into my trip reports. I'm just so happy when I talk about Disney!
Pandora...it was amazing. I will be doing a Pandora post, hopefully tonight!
Thank you so much for reading and I really imprecate the kind comments!

How cool! Yay for DIS magic!

It was so awesome!!
Hmm, now how to have Dis Magic work to meet Dugette in the future...

This cracked me up, but so true!

haha it is!

Sounds like a fun night with friends at MK!

It was great to watch Wishes one last time!

Hi Su-Lynn! I love your trip and dining reports, so it's about time that I commented.

Hi Annie! Thank you so much for reading and for the kind comments! I really enjoy hearing from everyone!

I'm jealous of how often you're able to travel to WDW. I'm a teacher, so our typical trips are in October during my Fall Break. The summer heat and crowds are getting to me the older I get, so Fall works best for us.

Thank you! This was a sort of splurge year for me, hehe. It's been fantastic so far. I really will miss having the AP!
I hear ya...this past weekend it was brutally hot. We didn't do so many things we had planned because we all just felt the ill effects from the heat.
The fall is my favorite time to travel!

I'm looking forward to your big family trip this summer. We did one this past January with two of our daughters and their families and had a great time. I've passed the Disney love on to the next generation as our oldest daughter and her husband are seriously considering becoming DVC members.

That's awesome! Yeah I'm both looking forward and dreading the trip. I'd love to see my nieces and nephew's reaction when they first see the castle. Will they love it? Will they not care? Will they be cranky? Also not looking forward to the heat...I think that will seriously affect our enjoyment so after experiencing this past weekend I went and cut a bunch of plans from the trip, I cut a few meals and dessert parties. It was uncomfortably humid even at night. I'll have to build in more pool time too.

Lastly, you have the cutest clothes!

Thank you!!! I have a separate wardrobe for "Disney" clothes.
I grew up and live near NYC and wear mostly black and grey on a daily basis out of habit, LOL.
So my Disney clothes are my fun clothes!

 

[Malia78]

Even more awesome her name is Karilynn, which coincidentally is my name too

--Karilynn

 

[chunkymonkey]

May 20th: Pandora AP Preview First Impressions - Flight of Passage​

OK Now I'm going to time travel a bit...fast forward to our second May trip which just happened this past weekend. I just want to share our Pandora Annual Passholder Preview experience on May 20th. I know some of you are going very soon (ahem, @ArielSRL) so maybe this may get you even more excited! But if any of you don't want any spoilers and want to see it for yourself first hand, then please don't read this post! OK? There will be many pictures. And lots of ooohing and aaaahing. And lots of usage of the worlds "Incredible" "Amazing" and "OMG" because...
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.
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OMG. PANDORA IS INCREDIBLY AMAZING!!
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I will quickly summarize some of my first impressions of the land and some detail on the rides. This past weekend was also very hot. Like VERY HOT. It was 90 degrees every day with a real feel of 100. We were sweating buckets. I think I lost about 4lbs in water weight alone even though I also drank my weight in water and various other liquids. Needless to say, it was not the most comfortable weekend to be outside at Disney waiting in line. So what did we do?​

We waited outside in line for 40 minutes. Because, duh, PANDORA. #sacrifices​

It was so hot in line that we started pouring water on our heads, I rubbed ice all over my arms, and DH even made a crown of ice cubes which were held up by his sunglasses. I labeled him Queen Elsa. Haha.
Funnily DH and I made it onto Touring Plan's twitter account. Thanks @reelmom for the heads up! I would have had no idea as I don't really read Twitter that much!

This was the line in front of us:​

​

And the Touring Plan's Tweet! Do you see us? I was laughing at DH at his Queen Elsa Ice crown.​

​

Here's Steve's ice crown and me and Betsy (@tankgirl427 , who kept piling ice on his head!​

​

The line grew exponentially after we got on line. @ariane37 and her DH came by since they were in AK after their preview that morning and they said that it was amazing. I was sooo excited but so so hot! They offered to get us some napkins since we basically just looked...WET, but it was ok, we would just have poured more water on ourselves anyways. Haha.​

Ariane texted me as she was leaving the park and she said the line extended all the way past Discovery Island close to the entrance of the park. Crazy! The CM at the front of the line said we'd get in at 4:55pm, I asked them if they could tell us where the rides were and she said Flight of Passage will be on the right as you enter, and Navi river ride will be straight back into the park.

True to their word, they started scanning bands and letting us in at 4:55pm

We were going into Pandora!!!

I was all sweaty and frizzy and gross but I didn't care...

​

ENTERING PANDORA:

Most of what you see when you enter is just a long walkway/bridge with lots of shrubbery. And there's a partition which hides some of the land, not sure this will be there on opening day or if they were just trying to hide it from spectators peeking in.​

And as you walk further on, your jaw just drops at the sight of the floating islands in the Valley of Moara...​

OOOOOH!!!​

​

AAAAAAH!​

Everything was lush and beautiful, there were amazing plants and fauna, some real, some fake but they all blended together seamlessly. It was incredible. The attention to detail was amazing.​

​

​

​

Lots of thought was put into every facet of the land. ​

​

​

FLIGHT OF PASSAGE:

We immediately turned to the right to head to the Flight of Passage ride. The ride has a minimum height of 44 inches, just an FYI. Now the queue for this ride is built to hold A LOT of people. We went through the standby line, obviously it's not the regular crowds so we whizzed through it but I couldn't help but feel we had covered about a quarter mile of queue outdoors even before the line moved indoors. The scenery though is amazing, lots of photo ops while on line and they tried to provide some sort of shade from the sun with foliage and trees but still, it's gonna be hot just standing there.

Then the interior part of the queue begins and you're pretty much indoors the whole time thereafter.

A caveman-like setting for the first part of the interior queue:

Don't forget to look up! Lots of paintings on the walls and ceilings

There are several different rooms of queue, each one is pretty amazing and there is lots to see. However this queue is very very long. I was told the FP line can hold up to 2 hours of people which leads me to expect the standby to hold much more than that. Just expect to be waiting for a loooong time.

Another room in the queue: bio-luminescent room:

After the bio-luminescent room you enter the "lab" room

The Avatar is pretty cool and freaky at the same time, it moves and bobs up and down like it's actually floating in the water.

You are separated into different rooms which are on different levels, and there were many levels and rooms it seemed.

Right before they load you into the Decontamination/DNA Matching rooms:

In the first briefing room, you are assigned a number and you stand on that number. This will correspond to your seat later.

The video changes a bit it seems each time we went. I think it depends on what room you get. We were "decontaminated" the first and third times but not the second time we went on. Decontamination just means they pump the room with blasts of air and feels like a mini tornado. Yeah you don't want to be decontaminated.

Then you are matched to an avatar while watching yourself dance on screen in "night vision" mode. It's pretty funny.

Here's the ride's 3D glasses. They were very cool as it kinda has more of a surround enveloping effect rather than just your regular 3D glasses. They are large and loose so they fit over regular glasses. They are also amazingly lightweight, and I barely felt them after a while.

In the second briefing room they tell you more about the ride and safety messages, where to store your bags etc.

After this point, no cameras were allowed as we went into the actual ride area. Sixteen people are allowed in a section and groups of 8 are separated by a wall. When you walk in the room there are 8 of the "motorcycle" like seats facing forward and then another 8 next to it separated by a wall. You store your stuff on the wall in the back on shelves and find your seat number.

I know there's been a lot of talk on the comfort of the seat and how it may not accommodate larger or taller people. I think it depends on how you are built as well. Steve, Betsy and I are all around the same height and we all found it comfortable enough. For reference I am 5'6" and have wide hips, large/long appendages (legs, arms), broad chest/shoulders, average waist size, and a flat butt. You are sitting on the seat like a saddle and you're supposed to lean forward. The seat had plenty of room, I don't think the seat part is an issue. Leaning forward is not the most comfortable position when you're just sitting there but once the ride begins it makes sense to do so. When they activate the "safety restraint", if you will, it's like a bar that comes up the rear of the seat and rests on the small of your back that has to be locked in place so that it doesn't move. This keeps you leaning forward. This is the only part which I would feel may not fit some people especially if you take up the length of the seat and have a larger midsection, as there may not be a place for the bar to rest upon and "lock" into place. If you can lean forward enough, it should be fine though. I think they can fix this by increasing the degree of rotation of the bar in order to lock. It seems that currently it has to be 90 degrees or less, but if they can increase it, it may work for more body types. I'm not sure, I'm just guessing here, but that is what I felt. My sister Chunkysis kept asking me about the ride and to let her know if she'd fit. Yes, she'd fit. She'd be fine. I saw people larger than her on the ride, locked in place, although not sure about their comfort level!

It does get a little squishy in the midsection but it also depends on how far forward you sit when they lock you in place. I learned the second time around to not lean forward all the way so there is some wiggle room. If you feel it's too tight you can tell them and they will unlock and re-position the bar for you as someone did on one of the rounds. In addition to the bar in the back, there are bars or flaps that envelope the back of your knees, so it feels like you're riding a saddle. I think this is what people meant when they said the calf size matters. I have big calves and it wasn't a big deal at all. I think it was more for effect rather than locking your legs into the seat.

Once everyone is locked into place the ride begins.

OMG I can't even tell you how AMAZING this ride is.

BEST. RIDE. EVER.

It truly feels like you are FLYING. Some people compared it to Soarin' but it is a loose comparison. Yes, the entire screen is as large if not larger than the Soarin' ride, but each of the vehicles you are on moves in accordance with the scenery so it looks and feels like you're flying high, banking right, diving low, gliding, it was AWESOME. Also there are scents and water effects in addition to the 3-D. (So I guess it's like 4-D!). It was amazing. Even your seat...the bars in the front and back and the flaps around your legs, they move and vibrate with the ride. It supposed to feel like your riding on a living BREATHING banshee and it does! But just an FYI, the vibration on the waist area does tickle a bit at first, mostly because I wasn't used to it, and I cracked up for the first 10 seconds of the ride.

The first time I rode it, I was so BLOWN away, I didn't even realize we were in a theater with other sections (this part is like Soarin'). I was just so amazed with what was in front of me I didn't pay attention to anything else. The second time we rode it, we were in a section above the one we were in before, and I looked around and saw all these other sections and multiple levels of riders - I am thinking 4-5 levels of 16 riders each. I'm not sure. I'm also not sure how many theaters there are. We were trying to figure it out. We were thinking between 80-128 people at a time. I hope it's greater as that would speed up the line. It was pretty cool to see how the whole ride works though. It's like Soarin' on steroids!

After the first time, we got out and went right back on. The first time riding, our wait was barely 10 minutes and our ride section was only half full. The second time, our wait increased to 30 minutes. This let us take in more of the ride queue and I made a video which you can see here (compiled from videos taken from several times through the queue):

Still the BEST RIDE EVER! Although definitely made me a little dizzy after back-to back-rides. Motion sickness-prone, I recommend taking something or wearing a seaband. I also think closing your eyes helps at times since it's mostly simulation. You can also just walk the queue and do the chicken exit at the end. The whole queue is kinda like a maze and I've heard people get lost in it. We also wondered what would happen if you had to use the bathroom while on line. We did however see a working water fountain so you can ensure you will stay hydrated.

The third time we went on the ride was closer to 8pm, the end of our preview time. We waited 15 minutes and the crowds had dissipated so our section was once again half full.

As we were leaving Pandora we got to see some of the bio-luminescence. It is nothing fancy, it's most just black lights and uv paint, but it's done very well. Only the floor lights were working that day but they said the whole area will be working come nighttime on opening day. It will surely look super cool.

​

In my next post I'll show more Pandora pics, talk about the Navi' River Ride as well as show you some food, drinks and our Photopass Pictures!
​

 

[Malia78]

So looking forward to this--able to check Pandora out next week!

 

[ArielSRL]

Yay for Pandora info! I am looking forward to it!

I was told the FP line can hold up to 2 hours of people which leads me to expect the standby to hold much more than that.

Yes, I've read 4-6 hours for standby! Crazy. My Dh and AJ have FPs. Unfortunately with my motion sickness issues and my claustrophobia issues, I most likely won't attempt a ride.

 

[wdwnut61]

Wow thanks so much for the Pandora update
We just arrived today but since this trip was so last minute we do not have FP's I think we will wait till our November trip and get FP's.
It's so hot and humid today and the weekend will be in the upper 90's

 

[MeghanEmily]

OMG. PANDORA IS INCREDIBLY AMAZING!!​

Can't wait!! Thanks for reporting on it!!

We waited outside in line for 40 minutes. Because, duh, PANDORA. #sacrifices

Duh. Of course. You're soooo right though. It was pretty wild hot last weekend. At one point Saturday driving our rental car the temperature gage got up to 99.

Everything was lush and beautiful, there were amazing plants and fauna, some real, some fake but they all blended together seamlessly. It was incredible. The attention to detail was amazing.

When we took our Caring for Giants tour the CM driving the van was talking about Pandora, and I liked how she said it was hard to tell the difference between which plants were real, and which plants were "Disney real" hahah

Still the BEST RIDE EVER! Although definitely made me a little dizzy after back to back rides. Motion sickness-prone, I recommend taking something or wearing a seaband.

I'm worried about this one for sure!! I was thinking I'd skip it, but now that everyone is saying it's the best ride ever I might try to take some dramamine and do it just once just to be able to experience it.

 

[ariane37]

This past weekend was also very hot. Like VERY HOT. It was 90 degrees every day with a real feel of 100.

OMG, hotter than the last time we were there in May for sure

It was so hot in line that we started pouring water on our heads, I rubbed ice all over my arms, and DH even made a crown of ice cubes which were held up by his sunglasses. I labeled him Queen Elsa. Haha.

@ariane37 and her DH came by since they were in AK after their preview that morning and they said that it was amazing. I was sooo excited but so so hot! They offered to get us some napkins since we basically just looked...WET,

LOL my Steve seriously thought your Steve was dying, the guy had water pouring down his head like a waterfall He was so relieved when Betsy told us he had ice cubes up there!!!

I was all sweaty and frizzy and gross but I didn't care...

You looked fine Remember my hair the day before, when we first met in Epcot? HUGE. Like a young Michael Jackson, except Caucasian and with a horrendous singing voice.

I was told the FP line can hold up to 2 hours of people which leads me to expect the standby to hold much more than that. Just expect to be waiting for a loooong time.

I've heard the SB line is built to hold 5-6 hours worth of guests

OMG I can't even tell you how AMAZING this ride is.

BEST. RIDE. EVER.

Agree! Just told someone that this morning who is going in Nov.

It si so hot and humid today and the weekend will be in the upper 90's

Ugh, I feel for you. That's how it was last weekend when we were there. Put ice cubes on your head and use your sunglasses to hold them in place like @chunkymonkey 's DH

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

It does look amazing. I guess I should probably see the movie before I go back so I know what I'm looking at.