Breaking All the Rules: Pirates, Pixie Dust, and Pictures... a January 2012 Report

[NLD]

And the trip report begins...

Prologue: All About the Rules

The best Disney vacations follow certain rules. All Disney fans know these rules... and though I'm not a World veteran, I've been around this forum long enough to know the rules. Most of these include pithy wisdoms about managing time, such as:

1. Get to rope drop.
2. When the crowd zigs, you zag.
3. Fastpass the headliners before you do anything else.
4. Use the morning hours to ride, ride, ride.
5. Avoid extra magic hours.

Then of course, there are less discussed but still highly important rules about managing the entire trip experience. Included in these are:

5. Don't bring the inlaws!
6. Manage your expectations... Disney World is a wonderful place, but it has millions of visitors each year. Therefore, while pixie dust does exist, plan to make your own... because you can't count on the cast members to do it for you.


On this trip, we broke ALL these rules (and a few more). Did it work out? Did we have a fabulous time anyway? Read on to find out!

 

[NLD]

Picture Preview: All of Us

Before launching into the trip report, I wanted to take a minute to properly introduce everyone in our travel party. This was a girls-only trip... four princesses taking on the World. From left to right: Deb (aka Grandma, aka my mother-in-law), Carole (aka Deb's sister), me (Nicole), and Sunshine (my daughter, in the silver ears).




20120129-DSC_9055 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


You can tell we're princesses by our sparkly ears.

This photo was taken by a lovely cast member on our first morning in the World.

And now... onto the story!

 

[NLD]

Think of the Happiest Things. It's the Same as Having Wings. Oh My! We Can Fly!

Friday, January 27. Sunshine's 8th birthday. I sent her off to school and then read the Disboards... I mean, packed. And wrapped Sunshine's birthday presents.

After Sunshine came home from school, Matt (dh) and Sunshine and I all went to my inlaws' for a birthday dinner and presents.

Sunshine felt excited about her presents (all minor items for the trip, from us--a pirate shirt, a velour sweat suit, a Disney journal, Mickey earrings, a book for the plane ride). But the REAL excitement was for the trip the next day!

So we came home early. I tried to get her to bed, but... she finally fell asleep in front of a movie.

And I kept packing. Despite all the clothes being in suitcases, there were still electronics to sort! Cameras, phones, laptop, DSi... did I mention cameras?

So January 28 dawned early. Too early... It wasn't until about 3:30 a.m. that I finally staggered to bed.

At 7:30 a.m. we woke up and got ready. Soon there was a knock on our door... Carole, Deb, and Bob (my father-in-law) had arrived.

We loaded the luggage into Carole's car, said goodbye to Bob and Matt, and drove off! Destination: Baltimore-Washington International.

Sunshine decided to read her new book in the car.


20120128-DSC_8831 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Of course she finished it before we even got to the airport! So much for reading material on the plane...


20120128-DSC_8832 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Soon we arrived at BWI. After shuffling through bag check and TSA, we found our gate. We grabbed a bite to eat in the airport, then settled in to wait.


20120128-DSC_8838 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

At last our plane arrived. We all thought happy thoughts, knowing that it's happy, merry little thoughts... plus pixie dust... that makes it possible to fly!


20120128-DSC_8833 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

And sure enough, we had a great flight! Despite being slightly delayed with take-off (just 15 minutes), we arrived in Orlando on time. We gathered our carryons and hopped aboard the airport monorail.


20120128-DSC_8842 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

We gathered our checked bags and then hopped aboard Magical Express.


20120128-DSC_8850 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120128-DSC_8845 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Sunshine wanted a picture of her Disney gift cards against the backdrop of the stars on the seat cushions.


20120128-DSC_8852 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Finally we pulled away from the airport. While riding, Sunshine spotted a Southwest plane.


20120128-DSC_8854 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Eventually, we approached the gates to Disney World!


20120128-DSC_8855 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

And then finally, our home for the week.


20120128-DSC_8861 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

At long last, our trip had begun!

 

[NLD]

Tastes Like Summer

We exited Magical Express and headed towards the front doors of Wilderness Lodge. And something... interesting.. happened immediately.

A cast member approached and welcomed us. Then he asked our names. We gave him the last name, and he looked us up in a notebook he held. Then he said, "Ahhh, I see someone from your party arrived earlier."

?

We looked at each other and quickly counted... one, two, three, four. All arriving together! We looked back at the cast member. Three of us had confused looks on our faces... but I had an immediate suspicion as to what he might be seeing in his notes, and I did NOT want him to say another word. So while Deb, Carole, and Sunshine cast confused gazes his way, I threw him a slightly panicked look.

Immediately he said, rather clumsily, "Oh no I'm sorry, I see what that is, oh no one was here." And then, "Follow me." And he escorted us to the check-in desk.

At the check-in desk, we asked for a birthday button for Sunshine. (Yes, I was hoping the news that this was Sunshine's birthday trip might result in some small upgrade. But...) We had booked a standard view room, and that's exactly what we got... room 5050... with a view of a service area.

No problem, I was prepared for that. The only thing that worried me was the potential noise of trucks beeping.

So we made our way to the room. I told Carole and Deb, as we unpacked , that if it was noisy, we could always request a quieter room.

Deb's response was to laugh and comment in a sweet voice, "And repack and lug these suitcases again? No thank you."

So she and Carole got organized, while Sunshine and I threw our suitcases in a corner, dumped our extras on the table, and headed out! There weren't enough drawers for all of us, so we planned to live out of our luggage anyway. And we wanted to see this gorgous resort!


20120128-DSC_8865 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Sunshine was excited to see homage paid to Native American heritage. She'd just turned in a school project on the Sioux.


20120128-DSC_8868 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

We headed to the courtyard.


20120128-DSC_8870 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Upon seeing the courtyard, Sunshine spotted the balconies overlooking the area and declared, "Hey! It's no fair those people get this view, and we get a parking lot!"

Ahhh... teaching moment. "It's fair," I told her. "We got what we paid for. The other people paid a lot more money for this view. Anyway, we'll hardly be in our room."

"That's true," she said.

So we continued to just enjoy gazing.


20120128-DSC_8872 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Flora! In January!

Eventually we wandered onto the beach and found the most amazing bit of magic an eight-year-old kid could ask for...


20120128-DSC_8875 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Marshmallow roasting! In January!

Mmmmm, tastes like summer.

So Sunshine burned several...


20120128-DSC_8878 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120128-DSC_8873 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

...while I snapped a couple pictures of the beach...


20120128-DSC_8880 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

...and ate the charred outsides of her marshmallows...

...leaving Sunshine with the gooey, unblackened centers.


20120128-DSC_8876 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Finally I decided she'd had enough sugar, and we once again wandered through the courtyard, into the Lodge,


20120128-DSC_8883 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

where we met Deb and Carole for dinner at Roaring Fork.

After a nice (and needed) meal, we discussed our options for the evening. Deb and Carole decided on hanging out at the hotel. Sunshine and I decided on Magic Kingdom. We were getting a late start (it was now almost 7:00 pm), but there would be enough time to soak up some ambiance and still get to bed at a reasonable hour.

So bidding goodnight to Deb and Carole, Sunshine and I left Roaring Fork and returned to our room to grab Sunshine's coat.

 

[NLD]

I can't believe I'm only finding your PTR/LTR after you already got home!!!

I can't wait to see you're pictures, you have amazing talent

Glad to see you guys had a great time!

ROB! So excited to see you here. Been loving your TR... I'll make a pact with you, if you hang in with me, I'll hang in with you... then we are each guaranteed at least one reader! Of course, popcorn is complimentary.

By the dates I think you came home yesterday. I look forward to reading all about your trip. I hope your daughter's birthday was the best yet.

Grumpy's Wife, hello! As you can see, we are indeed home. It was indeed a fabulous birthday, thanks for those wishes!

I missed the WHOLE TRIP!

Classic rookie mistake...... I posted and always sign up to get emails with each new post. I hadn't gotten any emails, so I thought you hadn't been posting! I saw you on another thread tonight and decided to click your link and found my mistake.... Oh well, I'm all caught up now. Glad it all went well, and sorry it went so fast. Can't wait to hear all about those tarps and pixie dust!

Oohhh.... can't wait to hear about the pixie dust! And I read about that 1/28 crowd at the MK. We were at Disney the last week of January in 08 and never had a single crowd issue. I just think it's the new normal. My own theory is that people who used to go at peak times are still going, but picking the less expensive off season.

Mom2rtk, yay! Another photo-board friend with a TR currently underway. (Stiff competition just now, in terms of TRs with quality photos, with both you and Rob! Ouch!)

The crowds were indeed plentiful this trip... but so was the pixie dust! The first bit of pixie magic will appear in the next update.

Sadly I failed in regards to deliberately documenting the Tarps of the World. But they'll show up in a few photos anyway.

looking forward to reading more!

Thanks dara00, and welcome! Looks like you have a January TR underway also, I'm going to head over and check it out. Always fun to read about others' trips during the same month!

 

[NLD]

A few welcomes and comments for folks who joined during the live updates are in order... sorry for the delayed response!

I'll join!

Love the pictures from the reveal! Can't wait to hear about the pixie dust!


We love January TR's - honeymooned in January 2008 and heading down Jan 28-Feb 5 next year!

DsnyMama, so fun! A honeymoon in Disney. Sounds like your husband enjoyed it, since he goes back with you? Have you both always been Disney lovers, or was the honeymoon a first trip for either of you?

How long are we going to need to wait to find out about this "pixie dust" moment???

I'm running out of things to distract myself....

Hi again PoppyGirl. The major pixie dust of the trip occurred on our first full day. Almost there!

Subbing! This will keep me busy for the next 2 weeks before our trip!!
I've been checking "Lines" daily and it does seem to be a busy week for January!!

Hi Liza. You're close to your trip! Only a few days now. How is the preparation going? How long are you staying, and where, and... well, details, if you get a chance!

I'm subbing! Enjoying your TR so far. We had dinner at Artist's Point and loved the look of the Wilderness Lodge. Can't wait to hear more about it. If I ever go back with fewer people I want to stay at there.

Hi OziJo, thanks for the comment, and yes, Wilderness Lodge was lovely. We especially enjoyed the proximity to Magic Kingdom, the beach, and that beautiful courtyard. Roaring Fork was a decent quick service location.... a little limited in selection, but we could always find something. And they rotated the pasta dish and the specialty flatbread each day.

All of the cast members there were great, warm and welcoming. And they always had Mickey stickers on hand!

 

[NLD]

Okay, I've just stayed up the entire night with Lightroom, Flickr, and the Dis. (Is that pathetic?)

Not the way to overcome a post-vacation cold.

Oh well, might as well write the next TR installment... we'll just race through this TR, shall we?

Up next: our first magical moment!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Okay, I've just stayed up the entire night with Lightroom, Flickr, and the Dis. (Is that pathetic?)

Not the way to overcome a post-vacation cold.

Oh well, might as well write the next TR installment... we'll just race through this TR, shall we?

Up next: our first magical moment!

I say that's time well spent

 

[NLD]

Pixie Dust You Say? How About on Arrival Day?

Sunshine and I left Roaring Fork. We were on a mission: grab some light coats and rush to Magic Kingdom. If we went quickly, we might catch the fireworks.

So we entered our room. We were so focused on our coats, that we almost completely overlooked.... this:



20120128-DSC_8886 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Gasp! What is that?

It was just sitting there, on Carole and Deb's bed, so innocently. As if it were perfectly normal for a gigantic basket, packed with Mickey confetti and tied with a ribbon, to appear in a hotel room.

I saw it first.

"Sunshine, look!"

"What?" (Distracted, diving for her coat.)

"Come here, look! Look what's on the bed!"

She turned around and walked over. Gasped and smiled.

I said, "I think it's for you! There's a note on it--open it!"

"But how did it get here?" she asked.

"Disney magic," I told her. "It just appeared. Read the note!"

My heart beat fast and I grinned. This basket was NOT something I'd arranged... but it wasn't unexpected, either.

Aside: Remember when we arrived at the Lodge? And the cast member commented about a person in our party stopping by earlier?

When that happened, I suspected someone had delivered this magic to our room. Why? Well... we'll get to that. For now, know this: upon entering our room after check-in, I had surveyed the room only to see nothing special. And seeing nothing, I assumed there would be no magic.

By the time we returned from dinner, I had completely forgetten about it.

But now.... there it was. The green basket.

Sunshine unrolled the scroll:


20120128-DSC_8888 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

To the Fair Pirate Princess Sunshine, on the occasion of her eighth birthday.

See that? It's not just random magic.

Sunshine noticed, too. "Mommy, my name! How did they know my name? And my birthday?"

(Aside: Okay, clearly you can see her real name... and that's okay. I just use her nickname online so she's harder to find in a search, so if you write about her, please use her nickname. Thanks!)

Sunshine tore off the wrapping.


20120128-DSC_8889 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

There was pirate treasure inside!


20120128-DSC_8890 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120128-DSC_8891 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

When all the loot was counted, she had:

Birthday Mickey ears
A Pirates of the Caribbean poster (Jack on one side, Elizabeth Swan on the other)
A POTC puzzle (packaged in a bottle)
Two POTC pins
A pin in the shape of her initial
Four POTC plastic drinking cups
A pink pirate bandana

Less and less random, aye? Because see... Sunshine LOVES Pirates of the Caribbean. She's got an eight-year-old crush on Captain Jack Sparrow.

So not only did the Disney folks who sent this know her name... and her birthday... and her age... they also knew her favorite movie and character.

I'd told her I hadn't paid for this basket, or arranged for it, so she came up with a theory.

"Mommy, it's the people who do the pirate makeovers. They know I'm getting a pirate makeover so they sent it."

Smart kid.

Good guess.

Wrong conclusion.

So who sent the basket?

Who indeed....

 

[mom2rtk]

Awww... nothing than a little Disney magic!

And it think it's adorable that she has a crush on Captain Jack. Too bad you weren't there for the Christmas or Halloween party when he did a meet & greet.

Can't wait to hear more!

I see you were using your 50mm lens. Do you use that one a lot? Your camera is full frame though right? So that's more like 35mm?

And oh my, your camera does a wonderful job at 6400ISO!

 

[Liza111577]

Hi Liza. You're close to your trip! Only a few days now. How is the preparation going? How long are you staying, and where, and... well, details, if you get a chance!

Sorry to hear you caught a cold. Think it comes from the exhaustion and all the junk food we eat while we're there. It's well worth it though!!!

We leave in 10 days. Staying at Pop from the 15th to the 22nd. It's our first time staying at Pop. We've stayed at ASMo and offsite on previous trips.

Have all my ADRs and we'll be doing Pirate's League and Pirate & Pals Fireworks voyage this trip.

I saw your post on the Pirate's League thread. Can't wait to see pics!!

Hope you feel better soon. Get some much needed rest.

 

[dara00]

was the basket from daddy??

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Somehow I missed the entire beginning of your trip from the airport to the hotel this morning! As soon as I saw it I ran in and brewed a cup of French Toast coffee and started from the beginning

I'm loving the update to far and it's killing me at the same time. Of coarse while I'm reading you reports the Disney commercial came on singing "good life" in the background. How does Disney pull on the heart strings so much?!?!?

 

[NateNLogansDad]

ROB! So excited to see you here. Been loving your TR... I'll make a pact with you, if you hang in with me, I'll hang in with you... then we are each guaranteed at least one reader! Of course, popcorn is complimentary.

I promise. You'll always have at least one reader!

 

[DsnyMama]

DsnyMama, so fun! A honeymoon in Disney. Sounds like your husband enjoyed it, since he goes back with you? Have you both always been Disney lovers, or was the honeymoon a first trip for either of you?

Our honeymoon was actually the first trip for us both - at 19 and 21 years old It was awesome

That was in 2008. We went back in 2009, 2011, and will be back next year!

 

[ajf1007]

Hi Nicole!!! I'm loving your TR and I have to admit, lurked during your PTR so I'm very excited to see your newest updates! I'm glad you had so much Pixie Dust and it appears so far, a great time! But, now I can't wait for the next update!!!

 

[Liza111577]

How did I miss the post about Sunshine's basket??

What an awesome surprise!!

 

[NLD]

I say that's time well spent

Awww, nothing like enabling!

Awww... nothing than a little Disney magic!

And it think it's adorable that she has a crush on Captain Jack. Too bad you weren't there for the Christmas or Halloween party when he did a meet & greet.

Her little crush is pretty cute. When she found out Johnny Depp was taken, she got sad for a few seconds, but then said, "Well it's really Jack Sparrow I like." (Though I just read they might have split?)

I see you were using your 50mm lens. Do you use that one a lot? Your camera is full frame though right? So that's more like 35mm?

And oh my, your camera does a wonderful job at 6400ISO!

The 50mm is my most-used lens... yep, field of view equivalent to a 35mm on crop sensor.

And yes, that D700 is amazing at high ISO. One of "rules" I broke on this trip--did not bother to stay at low ISOs. In fact, if you exif peep any more, you'll see... there were times I was at high ISOs with ridiculously fast shutter speeds and should have taken it down. Sometimes it was just forgetfulness. Sometimes it was just preferring to err on the side of fast shutter speeds, moving in and out of shadows, and counting on the camera to make it okay.

A good technical photographer I am not.

Sorry to hear you caught a cold. Think it comes from the exhaustion and all the junk food we eat while we're there. It's well worth it though!!!

We leave in 10 days. Staying at Pop from the 15th to the 22nd. It's our first time staying at Pop. We've stayed at ASMo and offsite on previous trips.

Have all my ADRs and we'll be doing Pirate's League and Pirate & Pals Fireworks voyage this trip.

I saw your post on the Pirate's League thread. Can't wait to see pics!!

Hope you feel better soon. Get some much needed rest.

Thanks so much, cold is slowly getting better! How fun, your trip is soooo close! Sounds like you'll have a pirate-focused visit too! Would love to hear about the Pirates Fireworks voyage. And also Pop... considering it for a future stay....

Will you do a trip report?

Pirate's League photos coming soon!

was the basket from daddy??

Great and logical guess! But... nope.

 

[NLD]

I'm loving the update to far and it's killing me at the same time. Of coarse while I'm reading you reports the Disney commercial came on singing "good life" in the background. How does Disney pull on the heart strings so much?!?!?

They have the heart-string pulling down to a science, don't they? That commercial is genius!

I promise. You'll always have at least one reader!

Woohoo!

Our honeymoon was actually the first trip for us both - at 19 and 21 years old It was awesome

That was in 2008. We went back in 2009, 2011, and will be back next year!

Awwww, they got you! Going back every year! Glad to hear you had a wonderful time. Totally jealous your husband does that with you... mine didn't "get" the magic. Maybe someday he'll go back with us.

Hi Nicole!!! I'm loving your TR and I have to admit, lurked during your PTR so I'm very excited to see your newest updates! I'm glad you had so much Pixie Dust and it appears so far, a great time! But, now I can't wait for the next update!!!

Thanks so much for commenting ajf! New updates coming... yep, great trip, off to a great start on the first night.

How did I miss the post about Sunshine's basket??

What an awesome surprise!!

She loved that basket. Disney magic...

 

[OziJo]

Wonderful Pixie Dust! Moment. Oh don't we all have a crash on Captain Jack Sparrow? Well all the girls in my family do. BTW Johnny Depp's split up with his partner just recently but I'm with Sunshine Captain Jack's the one.

Looking forward to more