City, Sand, and Savanna - Link to new trip report

After a busy day of visiting the parks (I had been to 3), complete with celebrity-sightings, and Photopass pictures, and even some thrill rides like "Journey into Imagination" and "Living with the Land", we were back at Kidani for dinner. Dinner in the suite, that is. Hey, eating a few meals in the suite was part of the justification we used to buy into DVC, so we had to stick with the gameplan. And besides, we had groceries to use up.

Something tells me that I took this picture at precisely 7:03pm.

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We eat pretty healthy meals. Just ignore the Fluff and Pop-Tarts on top of the fridge.

So how do you cook burgers for 5 people (Judy isnt a big meat-eater) and veggies on a DVC stovetop? You use every available burner and every available pan.

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And when I say every available pan, I mean every available pan.

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I'm not sure how she flipped that baby.

James wanted cheese-fries, so made his own version. This looks so redneck, doesn't it?!

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We quickly ate and got ready to head back to out. I was probably waiting for others to get ready when I took yet another picture of critters out on the savanna.

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Poppy and Gram stayed behind to rest, so it was just me, the missus, and kids. Our goal was to see the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. The fireworks that we'd missed on our last trip. Link to the chapter Tonight's showing of Wishes is delayed until... from my last trip report.

The transportation gods smiled on us that night as we got to the bus stop at 8, had a MK bus pull up at 8:04, and we arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 8:25. And people poo-poo AKV because its "too far".

I had a little story from that bus ride in my notes that Id forgotten about. The girls sat towards the back of the bus and were basically acting pretty silly. A couple of little kids sitting near them were just enthralled, watching them. James informed the girls that some little kids were listing to them, and one of the girls said "they speak Spanish". James said, "Well, you can still make an impression on them!" At that, the mother laughed and it broke the ice. Pretty soon they were all talking together back there and we learned that they were from the Dominican Republic. With the rare exception of meeting Grumpy dwarf himself, the other passengers on Disney buses are usually super-friendly.

On the way into the Magic Kingdom, James got some more Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards. He never misses an opportunity for that type of thing. Then since the crowd was forming for the parade, we decided to walk up Main Street through the Emporium.

While Judy shopped, James and Marlene decided to try on some hats. Or rather, Marlene decided to try a hat on James. (Judy-game note, the Rules Committee has no idea whose hand that is in the lower-left of the picture.)

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Whoever buys this hat, please note that it's been through the wringer. Okay, maybe not "through the wringer", but pre-messed-with.

We weren't sure where we wanted to watch the fireworks from, but we ended up turning right and walking past the Plaza restaurant, into Tomorrowland, and then walked out onto the bridge between the Hub and Tomorrowland. James and I claimed the base of one of the legs from this Tomorrowland sign as our "spot". I wanted to use it to brace myself in order to try to take fireworks pictures with just a monopod.

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It was almost 9 oclock and stone/concrete base was still hot from the days' sun.

Meanwhile, Judy and the girls found a nice bench beside us to watch the fireworks in comfort.

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The lights on the castle were changing colors and with nothing else to do, I captured a few different hues.

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I also took a shot back at the hustle and bustle of Tomorrowland.

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And walked forward a few steps to get a picture of it with the sign.

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Across the way, was the ice cream parlor and the Plaza restaurant.

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While we waited, Lauren texted a friend from school who was also there that night and they met up briefly to talk and then she came back over with us. Judy talked to a couple who sat down beside her on the bench, and I think she practically sold them a DVC membership. Too bad she didn't give them our name to reference if they ever did buy. They had been on the sales pitch earlier that day but they must have been too shy to ask any questions and now here they were seated next to Judy who had just been to New York City, Vero Beach, and Walt Disney World using her membership. At that moment, DVC couldn't have had a better spokesperson. They offered us their fastpass vouchers, since they had made the mistake of taking the tour on the last day of their trip and couldn't use them. But we wouldn't be coming back to the parks either. Oh well. (Like I say so often!)

At about quarter to 10, the "Magic, Memories, and You" show started. I have to tell you, I was so impressed by this show, I may have liked it even better than Wishes. How they change the images on the castle, I have no idea, but it's stunning. The whole time I sat there going, "how do they do that?" I mean, I assume the images are projected onto it, but from where? And it's all perfectly synchronized, from all angles, and in motion. You really have to see it to believe it.

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And then with each new scene, I wanted to take another picture. I tried to refrain from taking too many.

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It's incredible when these balloons fly up the castle, toward the sky.

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And at one point, probably toward the end of the show but I don't remember, one of the castle towers is made to look like a rocket being launched into the sky. So cool! You can hardly believe your eyes. I loved this show!

Here's a link to some video I took of the "Magic, Memories, and You" show


continued in next post
Link to next post
 
continued from previous post

I have a few fireworks shots here, but I'm not sure if they're the end of the "Magic, Memories, and You" show, or the beginning of Wishes. My picture timestamp says that these were taken at 9:53pm so maybe there were at the end of the Magic, Memories, and You show?

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And then I messed up. I never realized that Tink makes her appearance towards the beginning of Wishes; I had always assumed that it was at the end. Right at 10:00pm, she came out.

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But I wasnt ready. I think my camera was set on manual focus so that I could take pictures of the fireworks without having the camera attempt to refocus every time. And the shutter speed may have been set too long too. All I got was a pink, green, and blue blur.

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Dang! Oh well, back to the fireworks.

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I kind of like these, where you get a sense of the crowd, watching the show.

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And then the sky was quiet, while the crowd applauded.

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We started to head back out the way we came in, but when we got past the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, we saw that they were directing people through a backstage area that would allow us to avoid the crowds on Main Street. Count us in!

I of course, started taking pictures like a fiend, knowing that my Disboard trip report readers would love to see some shots backstage. (These next pictures are all out-of-scope for the Judy game, by the way.)

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I looked at the picture on the back of the camera and thought, what the heck is wrong?

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Epic fail. Like the Tink pictures, these were all shot with the camera still set up for fireworks. They're all at a half-second exposure, and probably on manual focus.

Or, more likely...it was a Disney ray-gun, designed to sabotage picture-taking. Like jamming radio signals, they were interfering with my camera settings to prevent me from obtaining backstage images. An out-of-focus-inator. Hmmmm.

We caught a bus right away, although it was standing room only of course, being right after the fireworks, and we were back at Kidani well before 11pm. I love it when Disney sends a lot of buses to handle those peak times like right after Wishes, or IllumNations, or Fantasmic.

I hadn't really thought about it, but Marlene and I had accomplished another first: we'd set foot in all 4 parks in one day!

We had reached the end of another great day at Disney, and were worn out. Okay, that's an understatement -- flat-out exhausted, but we wouldn't want it any other way. We'd seen lots of magic, made more great memories, and fell asleep to the echoes of the Wishes fireworks and music running through our minds.


Up next: WW (You know what that is, right?)
Link to next chapter
 
Great updates, Glenn.

Where's my burger?

I love the castle show; we missed it in August and I insist that we see it at least twice next year to make up for it.

And you can't go wrong ending the night with Wishes. :)

We took a tour in August (I've not yet gotten to that on my TR), but you were NOT allowed to take any pictures backstage at all. So perhaps Disney did do something to your camera. ;)
 

Glenn! You're still alive! :rotfl:

(I know, I know, not like I can talk.)

The Magic, Memories, and You show looks really cool. I've somehow managed to never see it...there've been a few nights when I was there and just forgot it was happening, and the past few trips I haven't been able to stay late enough. Oh well, gives me something to look forward to on a future trip!

I totally want a burger now.

Four parks in one day! Congrats!

Can't wait for WW...
 
After a busy day of visiting the parks (I had been to 3), complete with celebrity-sightings, and Photopass pictures, and even some thrill rides like "Journey into Imagination" and "Living with the Land", we were back at Kidani for dinner.

You're just baiting us for Journey Into Imagination jokes, aren't you?

Dinner in the suite, that is. Hey, eating a few meals in the suite was part of the justification we used to buy into DVC, so we had to stick with the gameplan. And besides, we had groceries to use up.

At least you didn't have PB&J sandwiches.

Something tells me that I took this picture at precisely 7:03pm.

And yet, you can't figure out the random nose/hand in the other picture. Does the spidey-sense just come and go like that? :rotfl2:

So how do you cook burgers for 5 people (Judy isnt a big meat-eater) and veggies on a DVC stovetop? You use every available burner and every available pan.


And when I say every available pan, I mean every available pan.

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

I see a Hidden Mickey!

James wanted cheese-fries, so made his own version. This looks so redneck, doesn't it?!

I'd give him credit for solving his own problem.:thumbsup2

And people poo-poo AKV because its "too far".

I thought it was the animals that poo-poo AKV. The savanna part, anyway.

James and I claimed the base of one of the legs from this Tomorrowland sign as our "spot". I wanted to use it to brace myself in order to try to take fireworks pictures with just a monopod.

I love the colors of the lighting in these pictures.

At about quarter to 10, the "Magic, Memories, and You" show started. I have to tell you, I was so impressed by this show, I may have liked it even better than Wishes. How they change the images on the castle, I have no idea, but it's stunning. The whole time I sat there going, "how do they do that?" I mean, I assume the images are projected onto it, but from where? And it's all perfectly synchronized, from all angles, and in motion. You really have to see it to believe it.

That is really amazing. Must be magic!

But I wasnt ready. I think my camera was set on manual focus so that I could take pictures of the fireworks without having the camera attempt to refocus every time. And the shutter speed may have been set too long too. All I got was a pink, green, and blue blur.

I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.

I kind of like these, where you get a sense of the crowd, watching the show.

:thumbsup2 Great shots!

I of course, started taking pictures like a fiend, knowing that my Disboard trip report readers would love to see some shots backstage. (These next pictures are all out-of-scope for the Judy game, by the way.)

Epic fail. Like the Tink pictures, these were all shot with the camera still set up for fireworks. They're all at a half-second exposure, and probably on manual focus.

D'oh!

Or, more likely...it was a Disney ray-gun, designed to sabotage picture-taking. Like jamming radio signals, they were interfering with my camera settings to prevent me from obtaining backstage images. An out-of-focus-inator. Hmmmm.

Curse you Doofenshmirtz!

I hadn't really thought about it, but Marlene and I had accomplished another first: we'd set foot in all 4 parks in one day!

Very cool! That is an achievement.

Up next: WW (You know what that is, right?)

Wonder Woman!!:thumbsup2

Just kidding. We know because you did that reveal in that chapter however many months ago. :rotfl:
 
first part 3 judys one of her by the stove, and her reflection in the micro...
then the one of her on the bench.

the second part there is 0 judys
 
that burger in the back was easy to flip it just didnt land back in the pan when she flipped it, im sure that it ended up on the floor.
:)
 
I am going with 4 The kitchen plus reflection, one in the pot on the next one and the other obvious one.

0 in the second post unless that is her back during the fireworks.
 
Hi Glenn!
A home cooked meal sounds very nice. You can only live on pop-tarts so long! :rotfl2:

The castle projection show is so well done. I love the Rapunzel part as well with the lanterns.

Too bad those back stage photos were under the spell of the out-of-focus-inator. It wasn't for a lack of trying with those 6 individual attempts.! :lmao:
 
Hey nittanyliongirl02! I am still basking in the glow of that Michigan game, how 'bout you?


That game was AWESOME.....even better in person....our season tickets are 8 rows from the field with the winning TD right in front of us. Let's just hope This weekend's game goes as well!


And yes, 10 days was wonderful! My mom and I are headed back in January....can't wait....I may even do a TR of my own, but I won't have any hidden Judys! :rotfl2:
 
"Something tells me that I took this picture at precisely 7:03pm."

Wow, that's some great memory you have there Glenn (assuming the clock was properly adjusted for Daylight Savings Time).

Honestly, transportation from AKL always concerned me, but I'm seeing more and more often that it's just not the case at all. I may stay there yet.

I so miss the "Magic, Memories, and You". As you probably know they changed to to Celebrate the Magic. I think the new projections are maybe even better, but the Magic, Memories, and You soundtrack I liked better. Both are fabulous though. I believe they project from the buildings on Main street, but are very cleverly disguised. And yup, that first fireworks shot was definitely Magic, Memories, and You finale. So Good!! Your pictures are fabulous Glenn. Just fabulous.

And I'm not sure if you heard, but I kinda like Wishes. :) Thanks for the photos!
 
Great pics of the Magic, Memories, and You show. Can't wait to see that one! I'm pretty sure that's where we watched Hallowishes from last fall. We love that spot - DH is convinced it's the only place to go now. So I'm guessing that's where we'll be watching the Christmas Wishes from in December! ::yes::

I love the idea of being able to go back to my DVC room and make dinner. I'm thinking about renting points for our trip next October (last big one with the kids for a while, as DD will be in high school with shorter breaks - and more $$ for tuition!!) and I think going back and having dinner in the room would be a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the parks.
 
Hi Glenbo, Welcome Back! :goodvibes
Nice job on the burgers, Judy. It's amazing what we can do when we have to. I'll bet it drove her nuts not to have all the fancy PC tools! I know I appreciate them, and I can't cook!

Great castle pics! I don't think I've seen anyone else get those shots - I have thought it sounded strange to put a bunch of pics up on the castle, but the way you describe it sounds great. We didn't make it back to MK either night we were there. I guess we need a do over! :banana:

Wow, this trip was awhile ago - must be time to start a new PTR!:hourglass
 
So how do you cook burgers for 5 people (Judy isnt a big meat-eater) and veggies on a DVC stovetop? You use every available burner and every available pan.

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And when I say every available pan, I mean every available pan.

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I'm not sure how she flipped that baby.

Isn't that the truth! That's when I'd love an owners locker. But the cost for the amount of use just isn't quite there. I'm dreading the idea of trying to brown as much meat as we will need to do tacos for 13... but I'm NOT packing a pan! :lmao:

James wanted cheese-fries, so made his own version. This looks so redneck, doesn't it?!

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and kind of tasty at the same time!

At about quarter to 10, the "Magic, Memories, and You" show started. I have to tell you, I was so impressed by this show, I may have liked it even better than Wishes. How they change the images on the castle, I have no idea, but it's stunning. The whole time I sat there going, "how do they do that?" I mean, I assume the images are projected onto it, but from where? And it's all perfectly synchronized, from all angles, and in motion. You really have to see it to believe it.

I am so sad, I will have missed this show entirely! I think it was there during our F&W trip last year but I only saw Hallowishes (so really can't complain) but still I am bummed about never seeing this once. I hope the new one is good (and I can see it with the holiday crowds, yikes).

Great pictures...until your backstage magic fail. LOL kind of reminds me of the tunnel pictures I just posted. Tink looks...blurry.

4 parks in one day! Congrats, I've never done that. I think maybe 3 but am honestly not sure. However, I think the E's have that on their list for December.
 
Now back to actually comment :blush:

Way to go with a DVC kitchen meal. Looks yummy no matter what pan it was cooked in.

I think I did the same test with busses when I stayed at ALK - MK was not that bad. However I did have a 20 minute wait for an AK bus. :crazy2:

The MMY show is one of my favorites and yes I am still trying to figure out
"How'd they do that?" :)

I think I have that same blur as a Tinkerbell. ::yes::

The crazy backstage walk. I think we all get a little excited back there making pictures hard to get. ;)
 
2 Judys in the first part. 0 Judys in the second.

2 Judys total.

Good job on being quick, but....there is a big ol' reflection in the microwave.

first part 3 judys one of her by the stove, and her reflection in the micro...
then the one of her on the bench.

the second part there is 0 judys

This is the answer the Rules Committee was looking for. Congrats! :cheer2:

I am going with 4 The kitchen plus reflection, one in the pot on the next one and the other obvious one.

0 in the second post unless that is her back during the fireworks.

A logical try :scratchin, but if there is a reflection of something in the pot, the Rules Committee couldn't make out that it was Judy.


Updated scores:
Marvin - 20 Judy-sighting wins, 8 Eagle Eye points :magnify:
Pat - 6 Judy-sighting wins, 2 Eagle Eye points :magnify:
Mark - 6 Judy-sighting wins, 2 Eagle Eye points :magnify:
Dan - 5 Judy-sighting wins, 4 Eagle Eye points :magnify:
Dee - 4 Judy-sighting wins, 1 Eagle Eye point :magnify:
Rosie - 4 Judy-sighting wins, 4 Eagle Eye points :magnify:
Magdalene - 3 Judy-sighting wins, 1 Eagle Eye point :magnify:
Kelly - 3 Judy-sighting wins
Katharina - 3 Judy-sighting wins
Mary Ellen - 2 Judy-sighting wins
Jenn (elphie101) - 1 Judy-sighting win, First Subscriber Honors!
Tanya - 1 Judy-sighting win
Molly - 1 Judy-sighting win
Kathy - 1 Judy-sighting win
MissLiz - 1 Judy-sighting win
Andy - 1 Judy-sighting win
sesame_123 - 1 Eagle Eye point :magnify:
 
Great updates, Glenn.

Where's my burger?

Thanks Kathy. Visit us anytime, I'll put one on the grill for you!

I love the castle show; we missed it in August and I insist that we see it at least twice next year to make up for it.

Twice huh? Too funny. :laughing: Yeah, I thought that show was pretty good! :thumbsup2

And you can't go wrong ending the night with Wishes. :)

You've got that right. Every night should end like that.

We took a tour in August (I've not yet gotten to that on my TR), but you were NOT allowed to take any pictures backstage at all. So perhaps Disney did do something to your camera. ;)

I've read that in some other TRs, so I was pretty excited to (try to) get some of those elusive shots, but failed miserably. It didn't look like there were too many "secrets" back there though.
 
Glenn! You're still alive! :rotfl:

Yes, I'm still kickin'. ;)


(I know, I know, not like I can talk.)

Really! :rolleyes2 You're my rival on "length-of-time-between-chapters".

The Magic, Memories, and You show looks really cool. I've somehow managed to never see it...there've been a few nights when I was there and just forgot it was happening, and the past few trips I haven't been able to stay late enough. Oh well, gives me something to look forward to on a future trip!

As if you needed an excuse. :laughing: (But it is a good excuse, I really liked it.)

I totally want a burger now.

They taste even better cooked in a pot. :rolleyes:

Four parks in one day! Congrats!

I didn't really set out to do it, it just kind of worked out that way! Hooray for Park-hoppers!

Can't wait for WW...

:thumbsup2

You're just baiting us for Journey Into Imagination jokes, aren't you?

Yup. ::yes::

At least you didn't have PB&J sandwiches.

:rotfl2: Now who would do that?

And yet, you can't figure out the random nose/hand in the other picture. Does the spidey-sense just come and go like that? :rotfl2:

If I told you the answer to that, then underworld villains could potentially use that information for their own nefarious purposes...

I see a Hidden Mickey!

Now you sound like Pat...she sees Hidden Mickey's everywhere! :laughing:

I'd give him credit for solving his own problem.:thumbsup2

Good point, he was being resourceful.

I thought it was the animals that poo-poo AKV. The savanna part, anyway.

You never let me down Captain, coming through with a poo-poo joke! :cool1:

I love the colors of the lighting in these pictures.

I liked 'em too, that's why I couldn't decide on just one!

That is really amazing. Must be magic!

That's the only explanation.

I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. :teeth:

:thumbsup2 Great shots!

Thanks. But to be honest, I wasn't real crazy about them. Some day I need to go when it's not as crowded and try to get some from Main Street.

D'oh!


Curse you Doofenshmirtz!

<headsmack>

Very cool! That is an achievement.

It's going on my resume.

Wonder Woman!!:thumbsup2

No, she was cooking burgers back in the first picture of this chapter. :)

Just kidding. We know because you did that reveal in that chapter however many months ago. :rotfl:

Good, you've been paying attention!
 
Haven't commented for a while Glenn, but I am still reading every post. Loved the John Stamos pix. Too cool! Congrats on four parks in one day. Did that once and never again. We did three one day last week and that was enough. Love the burgers in all the pans. We had six college girls with us for four days last week and had spaghetti for a meal. It is nice to just eat quickly in the villa and then head straight to the pool. Can't wait to hear about WW.
 








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