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

[NLD]

Oh... I didn't know it was like that. lol jk


Thanks for the help

Isn't it always like that between Canon and Nikon?

Totally just kidding. Actually the only reason I'm a Nikon shooter is that my first DSLR was a gift, and that's the brand the giver chose.

 

[NLD]

Wishes

After dinner, Carole and Deb stayed at the Lodge. Sunshine and I went back to Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom at night is so.... well, magical!


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I had planned to lug along the tripod for the fireworks. It's part of the reason I booked dinner at the resort... so that I'd have an excuse to come back and get it. But when the time came, it just didn't seem worth the bother. (And that was the poor tripod's fate the rest of the trip. Never left the suitcase.)

Anyway, we were too late to get a good viewing spot. The Magic, Memories and You show was just wrapping up as we entered. (Too bad we missed it... now I'll always wonder if any of Sunshine's photopass pictures made it into the show!)

It almost seemed not worth it, to watch Wishes, but Sunshine really wanted to see Tinkerbell fly. So we found a less-than-stellar spot--with a tree and a vendor stand blocking the view... but at least it was up against a railing, with no one in front of us.


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Fortunately there was a bit of space to the side of the castle where the tree didn't block the view, so we could indeed see Tinkerbell.


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Turned out I was glad we watched. Even with an obstructed view, it was still beautiful and put smiles on both our faces.

 

[NLD]

Flying, Cruising, and Spinning

After Wishes, it was time for some rides! We had only gotten two rides done that morning, and Sunshine and I were both eager to get on some!

First up:


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She loves those carpets. She also loves it when she steers the carpet into the path of the spitting camel, because somehow it always hits me and not her.

When we arrived there was a short line. We hopped into the queue. Just as we got to the front, the ride broke down. After several minutes, almost everyone left, but we decided to stick it out. Our patience was rewarded--the ride started again.


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Next up: Jungle Cruise. Neither Sunshine nor I had ever been on this one. (At Magic Kingdom.... I had been as a kid at Disneyland, ages ago.) We had Fastpasses to use, but when we got to the line, the FP line was closed. So we hopped in the regular line and waited just a few minutes.


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Here is the only Jungle Cruise photo I've got for you... sorry. To make a long story short, our position on the boat gave us less than ideal shooting conditions and I didn't bother.


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Next: back to Fantasyland.


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No, not Small World again...


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Peter Pan. We had picked up the Fastpasses before our afternoon break. Good thing, too... the standby line was, as usual, ridiculous.


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Sunshine loved it, just like her first trip. Sadly, we did not have any more Fastpasses for it, so we passed on a second ride.

Back in the open air of Fantasyland...


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I talked Sunshine into...


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...just for the nostalgia of it. I have vivid memories from Disneyland... and it was our last chance to ride before it's demolished at Magic Kingdom.


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(Wish the focus was on Snow Write rather than the witch there... oh well.)


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Now Sunshine had done a ride (that she doesn't particularly like) for me... it was her turn to choose.


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She loved it, as usual, and wanted to ride again. But... we'd spent a lot of time at Magic Kingdom already this trip, and still hadn't even made it into Tomorrowland. So... off we went!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Excellent dark ride shots!!! With Peter Pan, I saw you used the 50mm. Was it ever too tight on you? I never got a chance to ride it on the last trip and am planning ahead to the future...would you have preferred a 35mm or stuck with the 50?

 

[OziJo]

Wonderful Wilderness Lodge and Wishes photos! Thank you for sharing

 

[NLD]

Wonderful Wilderness Lodge and Wishes photos! Thank you for sharing

Thanks OziJo.

Excellent dark ride shots!!! With Peter Pan, I saw you used the 50mm. Was it ever too tight on you? I never got a chance to ride it on the last trip and am planning ahead to the future...would you have preferred a 35mm or stuck with the 50?

The 50mm is my go-to dark ride lens because it's the fastest I have (f/1.4). On the full-frame, the field of view is equivalent to 35mm on a crop-sensor.

That said... I would actually love to go with a wide lens sometime. Alas, the 24 1.4 is not something that fits in the budget anytime soon.

 

[NLD]

Saving the Universe


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In Tomorrowland, we went straight to...


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At last Emperor Zurg met his demise!


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Buzz congratulated us.


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But... what's this? Even behind bars, Zurg found a way to work his dark power and suck Sunshine into his cell.


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Fortunately, she escaped.

Next, we wanted to ride...


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But it wasn't running. We considered our options: we still had Splash Fastpasses from earlier in the day, but we were tired, so we bid goodbye to Magic Kingdom.


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After a short bus ride...


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...we arrived at the Lodge, exhausted but happy, and ready to take on Hollywood Studios the next day!

 

[dara00]

I love the nighttime photos!!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Awesome job, Nicole!! Loving this report!!!!

 

[DsnyMama]

GREAT pics

 

[Lidian]

I'm so jealous of how STUNNING your pictures are!

Not to mention, how adorable your DD is! Looking forward to more!

 

[NLD]

I love the nighttime photos!!

Awesome job, Nicole!! Loving this report!!!!

GREAT pics

I'm so jealous of how STUNNING your pictures are!

Not to mention, how adorable your DD is! Looking forward to more!

Thank you all for the comments and compliments.

Totally biased, but obviously I do think Sunshine is adorable. More importantly though, she's a really good kid.

Part One of Hollywood Studios up next...

 

[NLD]

Don't Drive Off with the Speaker!

Monday, January 30th.

Our plan for the day was Hollywood Studios, but the only scheduled event was lunch at 12:30. So we slept in.

About 11:00 am, we boarded the bus. Sunshine brought her pressed penny book with her, and we struck up a conversation with a nice woman on the bus. She gave Sunshine a pressed penny from Busch Gardens.


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Soon we were walking into Hollywood Studios.


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We had a little time before our lunch reservation. Because Carole and Deb had been in Disney for a day and a half now, but had only done two rides (!), I thought we should check out an attraction we could all enjoy.


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Despite the leisurely morning, Sunshine was still sleep-deprived and a little grumpy. She'd never been to DHS, and had been skeptical of the Great Movie Ride... though she was all eyes, on the ride. Anyway, when I asked her how she liked the park so far, she said she didn't. Part of the issue was a very loud musical performance in front of the Sorcerer's Hat.

I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled about that, either. The music was fun, but just too loud in the immediate area. And there were performances throughout the day and into the evening. The stage stayed the entire day, too, which meant no nice pictures of the Hat.

Anyway, I told her this was my least favorite park, but there were still things to enjoy, and that she'd find some fun! And Deb and Carole had loved the Great Movie Ride, so at least that was a success!

Fortunately our lunch reservation was due. Food should restore us to better spirits!


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There was a wait for our table, so of course we used the time to take pictures!


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Notice Sunshine's camera... it would play a lead role in our morning the following day at Animal Kingdom.


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Sunshine wanted to take a picture with my camera. Not bad, though the focus could be better. Probably should have explained that more to her!


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Finally we were seated... in a car smack in the middle of the room. Great view.


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Quiet, cool, and dark. Just what we all needed. Sunshine loved the idea of eating in a car and watching movies during lunch. And Deb and Carole got to reminisce about life in the mid-twentieth century. They told Sunshine all about how they'd forget about the speaker in the car and drive off after watching a drive-in movie.


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View of the screen from our car...


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We got various kinds of sandwiches. Carole and Deb also got the BLT soup and said it was good. I got onion rings, and mmmmmmmmmmmm. Wish there was plate in front of me right now!


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Lunch was a success! We all felt better after the quiet, cool escape, with some food in our stomachs.

 

[NLD]

First Mate Magic

With food in our bellies, we sat down in (where else?) the smoking area to discuss options. (It is so so so nice of Disney to have a DSA near Sci-Fi. Maybe the only time all trip I got an after-meal cigarette without walking a mile first. Of course it probably drives non-smokers crazy, since it's sort of RIGHT THERE in the midst of things, right near Star Tours, too.)

Sunshine and I were interested in Star Tours, but Deb and Carole were not. So they loaned us their tickets, and we got four Fastpasses for later use, to allow Sunshine and I to ride twice. Then we all headed to...


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Sunshine is kinda "meh" about Muppets, but she positively loves 3-D. And Carole and Deb hadn't been to a Disney 3-D show yet.


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Somehow in here...


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We all ended up following Deb--like she knew what she was doing, or something. The one with the least Disney experience. She led us into the waiting area that was for wheelchairs. Then we had to backtrack when we realized we were clogging up space not intended for us.

Anyway, the Muppets made a mess of the show, as always. And as expected, everyone in our group enjoyed it.

Next, we wanted to find the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. I'd never seen it, but figured this was something Sunshine would postively love. And you know... kids need time to just blow off steam, and be plain old kids, even at Disney. It's a magical place, and it's tons of fun. But at least my kiddo still needs pure, unstructured kid-time...

On the way, we found this and spent a silly amount of time just amusing ourselves with the raining umbrella.


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Then finally...


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Good thing we looked at a map, because honestly, I never would have expected the outside to look like a movie theater! Not sure what I was expecting, but not that! (Really, a giant backyard inside a movie theater? I mean I "get" it's Hollywood Studios, and it's a "set" from a movie and all, but... just not expected.)

We all went in and let Sunshine run loose. Deb and Carole ended up sitting on the benches just outside the play area (still in the building), while I stood around in the play area so Sunshine could check back with me every so often.


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Sunshine did love it!


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Not the best picture, but it had to be taken.... Kodacolor, and all... (how many kids even know what that is, anymore?)


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This fountain caught Sunshine by surprise!


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Eventually I pulled her out of there, with the reminder that Grandma and Aunt Carole were just waiting for us, and she was really good about it. But she probably would've stayed there a LOT longer, if she could have.

After the playground, we wanted to see a show. You can't come to DHS and not see at least one, right? And it was something we could all enjoy.

I ran through the options and Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast emerged as top contenders. We settled on Little Mermaid. Sunshine got a little pouty about this, because she's too cool for princesses.

But... when we got to the line, it was looooong. Can't remember the times, but we'd be waiting through a couple show cycles.

So we decided now was a good time for ice cream. Carole treated us.


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After the ice cream, we wandered back to Little Mermaid. Still a line, but it looked better... I asked the CM at the entrance which show we were lining up for, and she said, "You'll probably get into the next show."

So we joined. While in line, I took pictures from the queue.


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(Oh palm trees... how we miss you! It is snowing here in Pennsylvania as I type this...)


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Finally the line moved. We were almost there... nearing the front... the CM was right, we would make the next showing.... and.... SCREECH!

We were ground to a halt by the CM at the front of the line. The CM looked at us, asked, "How many?"

We said, "Four."

Then, "I'm sorry, but you'll be in the next show."

Ahhh well. The first CM was right... we almost made it into this show.

Well, we'd waited this much time already, and we'd be first into the next show. No point in leaving now. So we waited.

Not too much later, they let us into the pre-show room. As we stood there, another CM approached us. "Hi, I'm looking for someone to help introduce the show. Are there any kids in your party who might like to help?"

We (Carole, Deb, and I) all stepped back so the CM could see Sunshine.

Sunshine was a little unsure (remember, shy?), but she agreed. The CM went over with her what she needed to say. And when the time came, she did fabulous! Clear, confident voice as she spoke into the microphone, "Welcome to the Little Mermaid!"

Everyone applauded her. The CM brought her a certificate designating her a "First Mate," and it was apparent Sunshine was proud of herself. Her Grandma, Aunt Carole and I were proud, too.

 

[NLD]

Touring the Stars

Inside the theater, we found seats and continued to gush over Sunshine's First Mate status. The kid was not even wearing her birthday button any longer, but the pixie dust still kept falling on her.

At this point, Sunshine was still declaring she didn't like the Little Mermaid or princesses. So her Grandma and Aunt Carole made her a bet... if she watched and didn't like it, they'd get her a pressed penny. If she liked it, no pressed penny.

The show started and we settled in to watch.


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This was the first time I'd seen the show (so first time for all of us), but I knew a little of what to expect from photos.... and figured Sunshine would end up liking it. (We saw Lion King on Broadway in November and she was thrilled. She likes theater experiences.)

So as we left the theater, I asked what she thought. She leaned into me and said, "Don't tell Grandma, but I loved it." But she didn't want Grandma and Aunt Carole to know, because she wanted that pressed penny!

Outside, we talked about what to do next.

Deb and Carole were itching for some shopping. And Sunshine and I had Fastpasses for Star Tours.

So we decided to split up.

But when I talked to Sunshine about Star Tours, it turned out she'd been weighing an idea in her mind all day, and wanted to try...


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Knock me over with a feather!

Okay. Actually, I knew she'd been considering this but had expected her to decide against it. So we had some (more) discussion about what the ride is like. It got to the point where she said, "Mommy, how come you don't want me to ride?"

At that point, I knew I'd pushed and prepped enough. It wasn't that I didn't want her to ride... Tower of Terror is one of my favorites, and I was secretly thrilled to think I'd get to go on it this trip. But I still had memories of her first trip, with Splash Mountain. I had pushed a little (to get her on it) that time, and it backfired big time. She was so terrified; it was heartbreaking to see her sob like that the whole time.

So anyway, I told her that I love it and would be thrilled to go on it with her, it just had to be her decision and she should be prepared. She understood. So... off we went.

But the wait time was too long. We'd made plans to rejoin with Carole and Deb at a certain time. I don't remember the exact wait for Tower of Terror, but it was WAY too long.

Stupidly, we did NOT get Fastpasses (which were still available). (Can't remember now why we didn't.... ah well.)

Instead, we went to Star Tours, with the idea of coming back later to Tower.


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We rode it once, with Fastpasses, and... didn't need them. The wait in both lines was so short. (Sign said 20 minutes--not even close.)

After the ride, Sunshine said, "Again!" with a big grin. She loved it. Before riding, she'd been a teeny bit apprehensive, but it was exactly the right speed for her.

So, after a quick stop in the gift shop to buy Daddy a light-saber key chain (big Star Wars fan), we did it two more times in a row... using up the rest of the FPs and then just using standby (which was just as fast).


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Sunshine wanted to ride a fourth time, but we had to re-meet Deb and Carole. So we started walking back to the Sorcerer Hat. Along the way, though, we spotted something fun...


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After a few minute hoola-hooping, we continued our walk.

At the Hat, a band was performing, and it was so noisy Deb and I could not hear each other on the phones. So it took a few minutes to find her and Carole.

When we finally did find them, Carole and Deb were ready to leave the park. So I pointed the way out to them...


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And then Sunshine and I were footloose and fancy-free, ready to enjoy nighttime EMH at the park!

 

[ChefMickey123]

Your photography rocks! It is almost like being there; and I really needed that today. Thank you.

 

[DitkaFan]

Your photography rocks! It is almost like being there; and I really needed that today. Thank you.

I second this! Your photos are great!!! I was actually inspired to pull the trigger this morning for a 50mm 1.8f Sony lens for my Alpha 200 (or I should say wife's Alpha 200). She used to freelance for local papers and media outlets, but hasn't done that since the days of film on an old cannon 35mm. But at only 125 bucks (so cheap for a lens) I will wait no longer

I'm sure my wife will love using it. Especially for our May Disney trip

Thanks again!

 

[NLD]

Good morning!

ChefMickey123 and DitkaFan, thank you. No greater compliment than almost feeling like you're there.

DitkaFan, congrats on the lens purchase! Hope you get lots of enjoyment out of it.

Update coming... finishing off day 3 / Hollywood Studios.

 

[mom2rtk]

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?)




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.

I'm finally getting a chance to catch back up. What an adorable comment about Jack Sparrow! It's funny, but as I commented on how I wish you'd been there at a hard ticketed party to meet Captain Jack, I had a little moment where I wondered if there was any way you might have gotten pixie-dusted on this! The photos tell the story. What an amazing experience, one you'll keep in your heart every time you think about Disney. And I know what you mean. When all is said and done, it's not about meeting Captain Jack. It's about someone going out of their way to do something so memorable for your daughter.

Now........ quit smack talking your photography! I love what I've seen so far. I really love the shots of the fireworks over the train station. I always spend a lot of time staking out the perfect spot in front of the castle (because, let's face it..... I love castles!) but I want to find some other spots to give it a try. Your spot looks like a great one! I also saw some shots from Frontierland that I thought had great possibilities.

I'm not caught up yet, but hope to be soon. You've probably figured out by now you're WAY faster at this stuff than I am! I like to pace myself. I need reliving my trip to take all year!

 

[NLD]

Tower and Toy Story without Fastpasses? ? ?

After Deb and Carole left, Sunshine and I ran to Tower of Terror to scope out the situation. Alas... Fastpasses were gone.

Sadly, the wait time was 40 minutes. Sunshine and I consulted. She badly wanted to do it and was willing to wait, so into the queue we went.


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She didn't complain once about the wait (which was accurate). There were enough interesting things to look at. She seemed a bit nervous, though. So as we approached the loading area...


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I asked her if she wanted me to put the camera away for the ride, and she said yes. Therefore... no pictures of the ride itself.

We ended up in the back row.

I love this ride at night... the views of the park lit up are beautiful. Sunshine, to her credit, kept her eyes open the whole time and also noticed the view.

The first drop came, and whoa! That kid can SCREAM!

We had a good sequence, lots of drops, several big ones. Sooooo much fun. Sunshine screamed the whole time, but not in a hysterical way, and there were no tears.

So once we got off the ride, I asked her... and she loved it!

After the ride, we grabbed some dinner--just a cheese pizza and salad, which we split.

By now it was nearly 8:00 pm, and despite knowing it was probably hopeless, I wanted to check the wait time for Toy Story. Because we'd gotten to the park so late in the morning, all the Fastpasses had been gone. But I'd had success with this ride during evening EMH in the past. And I'd also had success getting through the line in a shorter-than-posted time. (In fact... I still have never done TSM with a FP, though I've done it every trip.)

So we headed to Pixar Place.


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Sure enough, a 60 minute wait. Again we talked. There really wasn't anything else in the park we still wanted to do, and Sunshine had just successfully waited 40 minutes for Tower of Terror. So she said she was game. We got in line.


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Sunshine enjoyed the queue so much the time passed quickly.


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Shortly after passing Mr. Potato Head, a CM called out looking for two-person parties. That was us! We got to skip about half the line and come all the way to the boarding area.


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And then we were in our vehicle and on our way!


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Sunshine loved this ride too, so I was glad we'd done it. And... it had only ended up about a 30 minute wait, after all.

Now it was about 8:30 pm, and we started to think about leaving. But Sunshine had a couple more stops she wanted to make. So we left Pixar Place...


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...and headed to our next destination.