Can I Survive another 11 days in WDW w/ Disney-Resistant Husband? *11/25 SURPRISE!!**

[mebrm]

joining in on your next adventure.... i lurked on the 1st one and I went to destination D in CA last Sept. and loved it and know just what you mean about everyone "getting it" it was an amazing feeling

 

[cdotla]

WHEW! I went back and read and realized this was a pre trip report. I so love your reports!!! I am so glad you sneaked in some more trips!! I knew you could!! Can't wait to see you go to Hawaii!!

Loved the Disney D stuff!! How awesome that you went. I bet it was so interesting!!

I am going to a Disney Travel Agent Conference in November and cannot wait!!!! I know I will learn a ton and I love hearing all the history and behind the scene magic at Disney!

I really cannot wait until we get to Aulani, especially after hearing John and Kevin's recent segment on the DisUnplugged! It sounds absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! Probably won't be until 2014 or 2015, but I am bound and determined to get there eventually!!!

Wow...you have gotten in a fair bit of trips this year! I am sure your TA trip in November will be a blast!

oh trust me... I can't fathom running the 26.2 right now!!! BUT, I couldn't fathom running the 13.1 this time last year and some how I did it!

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I really appreciate it. DH is behind me 100% which makes it easier. At first I thought the goal was a little far fetched, but I'll make it.

Good luck to both of you girls with your training for Jan and Feb! You are really inspiring!!! I love to hear about people taking up running, and getting to the Half and Full Marathon races!!!

joining in on your next adventure.... i lurked on the 1st one and I went to destination D in CA last Sept. and loved it and know just what you mean about everyone "getting it" it was an amazing feeling

Thank you so much for coming out of lurkerdom to say "Hi"! I really appreciate it! For whatever reason, I seem to attract a disproportionate number of lurkers as opposed to posters, which at times is a little unnerving. It just feels so much nicer knowing who is following along! So thanks!

I see you have a trip just around the corner yourself....are you going to the D23 event? How exciting!!!

 

[cdotla]

Destination D: Day 2

Carrie & I once again had another early morning as we woke up and got ready for our second jam-packed day at Destination D. Once again our group was second in line for door opening and still managed to snag some front row seats.

First thing on the agenda this morning was a "Surprise" presentation by the D23 Team. This turned out to be a trivia contest. They broke the crowd up into a bunch of different sections based on your seating position in the auditorium. Each section would have a turn to answer a random trivia question - the first person to raise their hand and successfully answer the question was the winner, and got to snag a spot on stage to compete in the main trivia contest with all of the other section winners.

I believe there ended up being about 8 winners from the various sections who all came on stage to compete in the contest.

I thought I was somewhat versed in my Disney trivia until I witnessed this trivia contest. It was absolutely incredible to see how much these people knew. I mean they were HARD CORE!!! I think the guy who won got just about every question he answered right, and some of them were just about the most obsure Disney questions around. It was a well-deserved win.

Steven Clark actually presided over the contest, (which I had forgotten until now), so I guess he didn't actually bolt for the airport until about 10am Sunday morning after he crowned the winner of the trivia contest.

The next presentation was actually one of my favourites of the event. It was hosted by former Imagineer and Disney show writer, Jason Surrell, and two current Disney Imagineers, Jason Grandt and Alex Wright. It was fascinating to get to see some current imagineers and to hear how they spend their days. They filled us in on many of the hidden details and creative sparks for various attractions, signs and park details they have helped to create over the last decade or so. They also had the audience in stitches with their easy banter and self-deprecating humour. They shared so much of themselves and their personal history with the Parks, especially Jason Grandt. It was not only insightful, but also a lot of fun. They are true fans, like all of us, who "get" the magic. Definitely three guys you would love to take out for drinks!

After that, it was time for a peak into some debuting and upcoming attractions, including background and behind-the-scenes details on Star Tours by Kathy Rogers, Fantasyland Expansion updates with Chris Beatty and details on the upcoming Art of Animation Resort by Gary Hoffman.

Once again, Disney did not disappoint. While I have never been a huge fan of Star Tours (never having found it to be an overly exciting ride), by the end of Kathy's presentation I was pretty excited to try the newly re-imagineered Star Tours. While I had hoped to check it out during the soft openings that weekend, I ultimately ran out of time, which was fine because it will also be nice experiencing this for the first time with my family in October.

The sneak peak into the upcoming Art of Animation Resort exceeded all of my expectations. They showed concept art of the Resorts and rooms which was absolutely incredible!!! There will be 4 different sections of the resort themed to Nemo, Cars, Little Mermaid and the Lion King. I predict that these resorts are going to be wildly popular...the theming of the resorts and the rooms is beyond incredible. Can't wait to see these debut!

Finally, we then heard from Chris Beatty with updates on the Fantasyland expansion. The more I hear about this, the more exciting it seems. We heard that the character interaction with Belle will last about 40 minutes from beginning to end. Guests will enter this attraction from Belle and her father's cottage, and gradually be led into the Beast's Castle, a huge and majestic structure which is already well along in its construction. We also heard about the new coaster with 2 planned drops and rotating trains from the Seven Dwarfs' mine. Then, at the very end, it was confirmed that the Tiki Room is indeed being returned to its original glory with the Tropical Serenade.

After that, it was time for Lunch. (Part 2 of Day 2 coming up shortly).

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Wow again!!! They jam packed you with information. Your morning sounds amazing. It's wonderful to hear the presenters were real fans, down to Earth guys. So cool! I can't wait to see the Art of Animation Resort because value is in my financial vocabulary. Cannot wait to hear more!

 

[cdotla]

Wow again!!! They jam packed you with information. Your morning sounds amazing. It's wonderful to hear the presenters were real fans, down to Earth guys. So cool! I can't wait to see the Art of Animation Resort because value is in my financial vocabulary. Cannot wait to hear more!

Just re-living the experience writing these posts reminds me of how much I enjoyed the entire event.

It was so great to hear that the Imagineers are really just the same wide-eyed fans that we are, and that they still haven't lost that magic spark.

Based on the drawings we were shown, I have no doubt you will fall in love with the Art of Animation Resort. Unfortunately, the Cars division (the one that seemed the most cool to me) is exclusively suites. Therefore I expect the price tag on those rooms will be more than a moderate. The Little Mermaid rooms are going to be the only non-suite units.

 

[cdotla]

Whooooo hooooo!!!!!

Just realized from my ticker that we are exactly 2 months away from Disney!!!!

I hope to finish off my Destination D trip recaps soon, and then get cracking on our pre-trip reporting. It's full speed ahead from here!

 

[DisneyBoundinDec]

Whooooo hooooo!!!!!

Just realized from my ticker that we are exactly 2 months away from Disney!!!!

I hope to finish off my Destination D trip recaps soon, and then get cracking on our pre-trip reporting. It's full speed ahead from here!

It'll be here before you know it!!
Another great update!

 

[swwake]

Love the Destination D reports. You convinced me to join D23, which I did tonight. Do you think Destination D was a one-time thing, or that they may do similar events in the future? I'd love to be exposed to all of that background to the Disney Magic.

2 months! Can't wait to hear your plans.

 

[DisneyDoc5]

great update Trish, love all the details from D23! We are a few weeks away from my mother-son trip, getting excited! We leave for a family vacation to northern Michigan today for a week - of course I have loaded up the I-POD with Disney podcasts to keep the magic going while in the great north! Thanks for the update! Erin

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hurray for two months until Disney!!!

How neat that you got to hear Imagineers speak! I hope one day Connor's picture is up there while he talks. I have lots of Disney pictures he can choose from.

 

[cdotla]

It'll be here before you know it!!
Another great update!

Thanks! You are right - it will be here before we know it. I find time flies so quickly the last few weeks before a trip.

Love the Destination D reports. You convinced me to join D23, which I did tonight. Do you think Destination D was a one-time thing, or that they may do similar events in the future? I'd love to be exposed to all of that background to the Disney Magic.

2 months! Can't wait to hear your plans.

Congrats on joining D23! But do you know what? I am not actually a member! You know the old saying...you don't need a D23 membership...you just need a friend with a D23 membership!

I attended D23's Sip N Stroll event last Oct courtesy of Christine (2xcited2sleep) and the Destination D event in May courtesy of Carrie (lurkyloo). I believe each D23 member can register at least 1, if not 2 guests for each event.

For me personally, as long as I can get into the D23 events through a friend, there is really no need to join. If I lived in CA and was able to attend some of those awesome events, or if there was ever a D23 event that I wanted to attend that was just open to members I might join. But as it stands right now, there is really no reason for me to join.

Shipping of the D23 magazine to Canada is prohibitively expensive, so I would not be joining to get the magazine either. . (I have cashed in Disney Movie Rewards points to get the magazine in past, which has worked out great!)

As for D23 events in WDW, to date both the Sip N Stroll event in mid-October, and the magic and merriment event in December have been annual events each year. However, there has only been one event at WDW on the level of the Destination D event to celebrate WDW's 40th. I expect that we may see an event of this scope in future on a less frequent basis, perhaps coinceding with WDW's major milestones in the future, but for the most part, I expect that any of the major events will be hosted in California. But who knows...

In speaking with people who have attended the major D23 events and expo in CA the past, it sounds like the WDW Destination D event was perhaps the most special of all of the events to date. Clearly there is an audience for this sort of thing, so hopefully D23 will pay attention to Florida as well when scheduling these sort of events in future.

great update Trish, love all the details from D23! We are a few weeks away from my mother-son trip, getting excited! We leave for a family vacation to northern Michigan today for a week - of course I have loaded up the I-POD with Disney podcasts to keep the magic going while in the great north! Thanks for the update! Erin

Thanks Erin! How exciting that you have a mother-son trip coming up. I hope to one day do a trip with just Declan to make up for the 2 trips I took with Katie when he was little (2 and 4).

Hurray for two months until Disney!!!

How neat that you got to hear Imagineers speak! I hope one day Connor's picture is up there while he talks. I have lots of Disney pictures he can choose from.

Thanks Jackie! Wouldn't that be absolutely awesome to see Connor up there on that stage one day!!! And yes, you are absolutely right....there would be no shortage of photos to choose from to show his early days at the Parks!

 

[cdotla]

Sorry...double post.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

2 months!!! And I am just a few weeks behind you. (although sorry to be missing you this year). It will be here before we know it. Although hopefully not before I lose 20 lbs, which I swore I would do last year as well. . This year I mean it!

Love all the detail from Destination D. I can't wait to try Star Tours. . I must say that I am a bit relieved this was such a great event. I was not terribly impressed with the organization of the Sip 'n Stroll event (despite some individually fun events) and was worried this would be more of the same. Maybe I should give it another chance this Oct. Oh wait...I can't because they haven't released details yet.

Looking forward to hearing more about your Oct plans.

 

[cdotla]

2 months!!! And I am just a few weeks behind you. (although sorry to be missing you this year). It will be here before we know it. Although hopefully not before I lose 20 lbs, which I swore I would do last year as well. . This year I mean it!

Don't even go there with the 20lbs Christine. The last few trips I have promised that I was going to get in shape and lose weight before the next trip...yet each trip I keep going back in the same shape, which is not "in shape" at all.

Love all the detail from Destination D. I can't wait to try Star Tours. . I must say that I am a bit relieved this was such a great event. I was not terribly impressed with the organization of the Sip 'n Stroll event (despite some individually fun events) and was worried this would be more of the same. Maybe I should give it another chance this Oct. Oh wait...I can't because they haven't released details yet.

Unfortunately I personally would not expect much change with either the Sip N Stroll or Magic and Merriment events. Hopefully I am proven wrong. Like you, there are parts of them that I like, but they could be a lot better.

Fortunately the Destination D event was a whole different ballgame.

Looking forward to hearing more about your Oct plans.

Yes...I really do need to get rolling on my pre-trip planning and reporting, don't I?

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm really enjoying your Destination D updates Trish! What an awesome event. I had a bit of fun following a few attendees on Twitter, but it doesn't compare to seeing the pictures and hear more details.

And 2 months!

 

[cdotla]

I'm really enjoying your Destination D updates Trish! What an awesome event. I had a bit of fun following a few attendees on Twitter, but it doesn't compare to seeing the pictures and hear more details.

And 2 months!

Thanks Brook! Glad you have found the updates enjoyable!

 

[cdotla]

Day 2 - Part 2

The two hour break for lunch was actually my turn to sit outside the auditorium doors to hold our spots in line. Our group was always second in line because another group had an older lady who always left the last presentation before each break about 20-30 minutes early in order to be the very first person in line for the next session. I didn't get it. She inevitably ended up missing the very best parts of those presentations, as they tended to save the best parts for the end. But whatever...

After some solo time in line, I was eventually joined by some of the others. Here are me, Eric and Brian holding our spots in line and waiting for the doors to open:

Everyone was eagerly anticipating these afternoon sessions. This is where the "big guns" would be coming out. People like Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, Bob Foster, Orlando Ferrante, Ron Logan and Debbie Dane Browne. You know...real Disney Legends in the flesh. The people who worked with Walt, and eventually built the Parks. This is where we heard the backstory on how Walt Disney World came to be from the very people who made it happen. Many unique stories that I had never before heard. The fact that we were hearing these stories first-hand in a live audience from the actual people who themselves built and made Walt Disney World was absolutely incredible.

Marty - of course!

Orlando and Debbie:

Bob Foster:

And the complete ham and wild card, Bob Gurr:

Have you seen one of these up close?

Then, just when we thought it couldn't get any better, they brought out Jack Linquist, Bob Matheson, Charlie Ridgeway, Tom Nabbe and Bill (Sully) Sullivan on a panel moderated by Tim O'Day to talk about the logistics and operational aspects of getting the Park up and running. I sure hope that D23 recorded and preserved these stories, because they were absolutely fascinating and definitely worth preserving for generations to come.

Jack Linquist...a complete sweetheart:

Charlie:

I found Charlie had so many interesting stories to tell. I just wish Tim O'Day hadn't kept cutting him short.

At the end of this session, they brought all of the individuals from the first session back onto the stage for photographs. At this point I was really kicking myself that I didn't have a camera. What a moment!!! You just knew when you were standing there that the chance of everyone there being assembled together again was likely to never repeat itself. Amazing!!!

Since I didn't have a camera, and wanted to leave to go get in line for the autograph sessions which were up next, I took a quick moment to memorize the scene before me onstage, and then quickly took an exit to go line up for the autograph sessions.

Earlier that day, D23 representatives had announced that they would be dividing up the various legends into 4 different groups in order to ensure that more people would be able to get at least some autographs. Here were the groups:

When I exited the auditorium the place was still packed with people marvelling over the presence of so many Disney Legends onstage, and taking photos. I would say at least 75-80% of the people were still there. So imagine my surprise when I exited early and walked down the hall to where the autograph line ups were, got in the back of one of the 4 lines, and then found out that they were all already at capacity!!!


(Continued next post)

 

[cdotla]

(Continued from last post)

D23 representatives were basically sending people away at that point, advising that anyone after a certain point in the line (about 10 people in front of me) were not going to get autographs. People were wild!!! More and more people ended up congregating at the back of the lines as the auditorium continued to empty, and the number of disgruntled people continued to rise.

Eventually the D23 folks started organizing "stand-by" lines. But it was a complete mess and kind of a free-for-all. I personally watched two guys sneak past other people in line in front of me. People in our line confronted them, and the line butters then had the nerve to tell the D23 representatives that they had been there the whole time, when they most certainly hadn't. To quiet down all of the disgruntled people in our line, who had been waiting our turns in line, the D23 representative told us, "It's ok...they were there the whole time". Huh? They most certainly were not. We were waiting here for the last 15 minutes...not you. How would you even know if they had been in line?

Disney Armchair Archivist Josh Turchetta trying to entertain the patiently (and not so patiently) waiting crowds:

Anyway, after standing around for about 1/2 hour my "stand by" line eventually did get let into one of the autograph sessions with Jack Linquist, Charlie Ridgway and Dave Smith, who I had actually met last October. It was very quick, but at least I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get some autographs that evening. Many others ended up leaving after being advised by D23 representatives that everything was filled up and there were no more spots in the stand by lines. I left after getting through my group of 3 after being assured that there was no more room in any of the other lines. Well guess what...all of the lines eventually did clear out, and ultimately Melanie was able to get everyone's signature later on.

Obviously the whole thing was not fair to a lot of people who trusted the D23 representatives who advised there was no more room in stand-by lines, but at least Melanie was one of the smart ones who ended up being in the right place at the right time once the crowds dispersed. I would say it was worth it for her, wouldn't you?

Bob Gurr...such a ham!

Jack

Charlie

Tony

And Marty!

Once again, all of the photos used in my recap of Day 2 are courtesy of Melanie!


UP NEXT: Highlight of Destination D...Evening Performance by Richard Sherman!!!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Wow, the autograph session sounded like quite a madhouse! Glad you were able to at least meet a few of them and kudos to Melanie for meeting them all, what a special treat!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

OMG. What a cluster! hate to say it but this sounds much more like the organizational skills on display last Oct. i wonder if they just underestimated the demand? . Regardless, what an opportunity to just see them all on-stage and hear the stories.

PS:clearly they need to hire some DISers to plan these events, dontcha think? I will volunteer!!!