PrincessTToo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 11, 2003
- Messages
- 159
I almost missed the bus to the Magic Kingdom. The bus stop has changed at the Swan since I was there in May. I had to run to the other side of the entrance of the hotel but the bus driver was nice enough to wait for me.
And of course the first thing I see when I get on the bus is a guy in a Packers hat. Boy, did he stare at me with a look of pure hatred that can only come from a Cheesehead. (Of course, this was before the Packers beat the Vikings.)
The bus then went to the Dolphin. The Packer guy got off. And then two very elegant ladies came walking casually up the sidewalk and held up their hands to make the bus wait. They got on the bus and sat across the aisle from me. They were looking at what appeared to be a park map. I asked them if they were going to the Halloween party. The older of the two snapped back Do we look like were going to a Halloween party? I replied in my nicest hope to be a CM someday voice and said no you dont and thats why Im asking. The park closed at 6:00 PM today. She snapped again were not going to the park, were going to DTD. I very nicely replied this is the bus to the Magic Kingdom. She yelled at the driver and verified my statement and then they both got off the bus without thanking me at all. Maybe they were Packers fans too!
When we got to the MK I asked the bus driver when the last bus was. He said 1:00 AM. I had asked this question on the boards and I was told 2 hours after the end of the party. The MNSSHP guide says that the busses run until the party is over. Hmmm.
It was so fun to watch everyone walk into the party. There really werent as many people dressed up as I expected. But the ones that were dressed up looked great. I walked in with a group in very elaborate Wizard of Oz costumes.
As I was going through the gate and getting my purple wristband which went with my Vikings jersey, a woman inside the park asked the CM how much it cost to go to the party. He said he didnt know. I could tell he wasnt going to help her so I explained to her how much I had paid but that was at a discount because I bought it early. I also told her I didnt know how much it was for kids, but I knew it was a lot cheaper. I couldnt image why the CM didnt know this. I would think it was the most asked question of the day.
I picked up a map as I walked in. I dont remember the last time I used a park map but I knew I was going to need it this time. And I did use it quite a few times that night.
The next costumes I saw were for Thing 1 and Thing 2. Wrong park guys.
I walked through Main Street and as I was going to Tomorrowland I heard someone yell Go Vikings. I turned around expecting another sarcastic Packer fan but it was someone in a Tampa Bay jersey. I guess hed given up on Tampa Bay and wanted to go with a winner (well, the Vikings were winners then.)
The first thing I did in Tomorrowland was to get in line for my picture. I had a nice chat with the couple in front of me. They told me that they didnt know until they got there that they would have to pay to park even though they were AP holders. I guess its in the fine print of the AP that you have to pay for parking on special occasions.
The CMs said the picture would come in 5 - 7 days. I got it on Thursday of the next week. I was surprised that what you see is what you get. There really wasnt any Disney themeing in the background. But what do I expect for something thats free.
Then I went to TimeKeeper which was a walk-on. It had been so long since Id seen it that Id forgotten how much I love it.
By then the rest of the park had opened for the party and I knew I just had to go see Mickeys Philharmagic as quickly as possible. The CM there was very chatty. My Vikings jersey was a real conversation starter. I told him I should have worn a Daunte Culpepper jersey instead of Randy Moss since Daunte is from Central Florida. Then I looked at the guys name badge and saw he was from Wisconsin. Another Cheesehead! At least this one was nice. I stopped to talk to him at the end of the show and told him that it was the best thing Disney has done in years. I dont say this lightly but I really think that Walt would be proud of this show. Its now on my list of must-dos for every trip to WDW.
Peter Pan was another walk-on. I was getting so excited by now. I thought the whole night was going to be like this with all the rides being walk-ons. I was so wrong.
After Peter Pan I went to a Trick-or-Treat station outside the old tram ride in Fantasyland. I pretended to be with the little boy in front of me and gave him my Sweet-tarts (yuck) on the way out. If the CM was watching I bet she was surprised when the boy and I went our separate ways.
Then I went to HM which was another walk on. It was such a perfect ride for a Halloween party even though they didnt do anything special to the ride like they do at Disneyland.
Then I caught the Riverboat. It was my first disappointment of the night. They had some woman telling a story that was piped throughout the ship. You couldnt get away from it. She was dreadful and so annoying. I wanted to jump ship.
After I finally got off the Riverboat I went to the HM again. The line was now about 3 minutes. In the stretching room there was a woman saying all the words so I started saying them with her. Her kid thought that was great. Everybody was really into it and screamed really loudly at the end. I was the last out of the stretching room and the CM started to follow me. I turned around and said are you following me? He paused for a long time and looked me up and down and said maybe. I love the CMs at the HM. They are so playful.
The little snickers bar hadn't filled me up so I started to try and find some food which is not very easy to do during the party (disappointment number 2). I finally found a sidewalk vendor and got a Sprite and a MM ice cream bar. I sat across from the Diamond Horseshoe and people watched while I ate my bar. I noticed that the people who were dressed up were very dressed up. I couldnt help but think that my DH would have loved seeing the woman who was dressed up as a saloon girl!
By then even the restrooms were getting busy. And so was the HM but I decided to give it one more shot. This time it was so packed that the door hadnt closed to the stretching room by the time the room started stretching. That was very interesting to watch.
Then it was close to parade time so I stopped across the street from the Liberty tree and saw a great storyteller talk about Ichabod Crain. Then he finished the story by saying and here comes the headless horseman. Unfortunately Mr. Headless was not on cue and the poor storyteller had to keep repeating it until he finally came galloping by. It was great. That horse is so beautiful. And I cant imagine how difficult it was to ride the horse in that costume.
I didnt stay for the parade. But went on PotC instead. It was a 5 minute wait. I got the back row of the boat all to myself. Yo Ho.
I then got in line for the Tiki Room and the CM said it would be a 10 minute wait. I started to read the map while I waited in line and saw that the last fireworks were in 2 minutes. I quickly got out of line and tried to find a good spot to see the fireworks. I ended up back on the bridge overlooking the Riverboat. It was a pretty good spot and I cant believe how wonderful the new fireworks are.
After the fireworks I decided that if I went on the HM one more time it would be a new record for me. Unfortunately the line was quite long (7 minutes) and the CMs were very testy. They were literally screaming at people to get away from the wall in the stretching room.
I then walked through Fantasyland and rode Snow White which was a walk-on. Then I walked through Toon Town hoping to see Mickey or Minnie. The line to see Minnie was out the door of her house so I skipped it and took the back road to Tomorrowland. Nobody was back here so it was a nice break from the crowd.
The first thing I did in Tomorrowland was ride CoP. I am so glad they reopened it. But the CM was making jokes saying that wed all be asleep in 5 minutes. By now the CMs were all getting pretty testy and were obviously very negative.
Next I rode TTA. I had an entire row of cars to myself. After what Id read about people getting frisky on TTA I double-checked the seat before sitting down.
The TTA script was complete for the first time in a long time including the Tom Morrow announcement. I also got to see a little bit of the show in front of Cinderellas castle from my TTA car. That was the only time I saw Mickey and Minnie on this trip.
After getting my lowest score ever on Buzz Lightyear I decided to call it a night. I couldnt believe the place was still packed at 11:30 PM. Whoever said the party empties out after the second fireworks was way off.
I slowly walked out of the park and stopped on Main Street to watch the light show on the buildings (lights made in the shape of bats, etc. floating across the buildings). And the dry ice fog in the central square.
As I was leaving they were playing the part of the HM soundtrack that says so hurry back, we would like your company. You bet I said. Ill be back in January!
And of course the first thing I see when I get on the bus is a guy in a Packers hat. Boy, did he stare at me with a look of pure hatred that can only come from a Cheesehead. (Of course, this was before the Packers beat the Vikings.)
The bus then went to the Dolphin. The Packer guy got off. And then two very elegant ladies came walking casually up the sidewalk and held up their hands to make the bus wait. They got on the bus and sat across the aisle from me. They were looking at what appeared to be a park map. I asked them if they were going to the Halloween party. The older of the two snapped back Do we look like were going to a Halloween party? I replied in my nicest hope to be a CM someday voice and said no you dont and thats why Im asking. The park closed at 6:00 PM today. She snapped again were not going to the park, were going to DTD. I very nicely replied this is the bus to the Magic Kingdom. She yelled at the driver and verified my statement and then they both got off the bus without thanking me at all. Maybe they were Packers fans too!
When we got to the MK I asked the bus driver when the last bus was. He said 1:00 AM. I had asked this question on the boards and I was told 2 hours after the end of the party. The MNSSHP guide says that the busses run until the party is over. Hmmm.
It was so fun to watch everyone walk into the party. There really werent as many people dressed up as I expected. But the ones that were dressed up looked great. I walked in with a group in very elaborate Wizard of Oz costumes.
As I was going through the gate and getting my purple wristband which went with my Vikings jersey, a woman inside the park asked the CM how much it cost to go to the party. He said he didnt know. I could tell he wasnt going to help her so I explained to her how much I had paid but that was at a discount because I bought it early. I also told her I didnt know how much it was for kids, but I knew it was a lot cheaper. I couldnt image why the CM didnt know this. I would think it was the most asked question of the day.
I picked up a map as I walked in. I dont remember the last time I used a park map but I knew I was going to need it this time. And I did use it quite a few times that night.
The next costumes I saw were for Thing 1 and Thing 2. Wrong park guys.
I walked through Main Street and as I was going to Tomorrowland I heard someone yell Go Vikings. I turned around expecting another sarcastic Packer fan but it was someone in a Tampa Bay jersey. I guess hed given up on Tampa Bay and wanted to go with a winner (well, the Vikings were winners then.)
The first thing I did in Tomorrowland was to get in line for my picture. I had a nice chat with the couple in front of me. They told me that they didnt know until they got there that they would have to pay to park even though they were AP holders. I guess its in the fine print of the AP that you have to pay for parking on special occasions.
The CMs said the picture would come in 5 - 7 days. I got it on Thursday of the next week. I was surprised that what you see is what you get. There really wasnt any Disney themeing in the background. But what do I expect for something thats free.
Then I went to TimeKeeper which was a walk-on. It had been so long since Id seen it that Id forgotten how much I love it.
By then the rest of the park had opened for the party and I knew I just had to go see Mickeys Philharmagic as quickly as possible. The CM there was very chatty. My Vikings jersey was a real conversation starter. I told him I should have worn a Daunte Culpepper jersey instead of Randy Moss since Daunte is from Central Florida. Then I looked at the guys name badge and saw he was from Wisconsin. Another Cheesehead! At least this one was nice. I stopped to talk to him at the end of the show and told him that it was the best thing Disney has done in years. I dont say this lightly but I really think that Walt would be proud of this show. Its now on my list of must-dos for every trip to WDW.
Peter Pan was another walk-on. I was getting so excited by now. I thought the whole night was going to be like this with all the rides being walk-ons. I was so wrong.
After Peter Pan I went to a Trick-or-Treat station outside the old tram ride in Fantasyland. I pretended to be with the little boy in front of me and gave him my Sweet-tarts (yuck) on the way out. If the CM was watching I bet she was surprised when the boy and I went our separate ways.
Then I went to HM which was another walk on. It was such a perfect ride for a Halloween party even though they didnt do anything special to the ride like they do at Disneyland.
Then I caught the Riverboat. It was my first disappointment of the night. They had some woman telling a story that was piped throughout the ship. You couldnt get away from it. She was dreadful and so annoying. I wanted to jump ship.
After I finally got off the Riverboat I went to the HM again. The line was now about 3 minutes. In the stretching room there was a woman saying all the words so I started saying them with her. Her kid thought that was great. Everybody was really into it and screamed really loudly at the end. I was the last out of the stretching room and the CM started to follow me. I turned around and said are you following me? He paused for a long time and looked me up and down and said maybe. I love the CMs at the HM. They are so playful.
The little snickers bar hadn't filled me up so I started to try and find some food which is not very easy to do during the party (disappointment number 2). I finally found a sidewalk vendor and got a Sprite and a MM ice cream bar. I sat across from the Diamond Horseshoe and people watched while I ate my bar. I noticed that the people who were dressed up were very dressed up. I couldnt help but think that my DH would have loved seeing the woman who was dressed up as a saloon girl!
By then even the restrooms were getting busy. And so was the HM but I decided to give it one more shot. This time it was so packed that the door hadnt closed to the stretching room by the time the room started stretching. That was very interesting to watch.
Then it was close to parade time so I stopped across the street from the Liberty tree and saw a great storyteller talk about Ichabod Crain. Then he finished the story by saying and here comes the headless horseman. Unfortunately Mr. Headless was not on cue and the poor storyteller had to keep repeating it until he finally came galloping by. It was great. That horse is so beautiful. And I cant imagine how difficult it was to ride the horse in that costume.
I didnt stay for the parade. But went on PotC instead. It was a 5 minute wait. I got the back row of the boat all to myself. Yo Ho.
I then got in line for the Tiki Room and the CM said it would be a 10 minute wait. I started to read the map while I waited in line and saw that the last fireworks were in 2 minutes. I quickly got out of line and tried to find a good spot to see the fireworks. I ended up back on the bridge overlooking the Riverboat. It was a pretty good spot and I cant believe how wonderful the new fireworks are.
After the fireworks I decided that if I went on the HM one more time it would be a new record for me. Unfortunately the line was quite long (7 minutes) and the CMs were very testy. They were literally screaming at people to get away from the wall in the stretching room.
I then walked through Fantasyland and rode Snow White which was a walk-on. Then I walked through Toon Town hoping to see Mickey or Minnie. The line to see Minnie was out the door of her house so I skipped it and took the back road to Tomorrowland. Nobody was back here so it was a nice break from the crowd.
The first thing I did in Tomorrowland was ride CoP. I am so glad they reopened it. But the CM was making jokes saying that wed all be asleep in 5 minutes. By now the CMs were all getting pretty testy and were obviously very negative.
Next I rode TTA. I had an entire row of cars to myself. After what Id read about people getting frisky on TTA I double-checked the seat before sitting down.
The TTA script was complete for the first time in a long time including the Tom Morrow announcement. I also got to see a little bit of the show in front of Cinderellas castle from my TTA car. That was the only time I saw Mickey and Minnie on this trip.
After getting my lowest score ever on Buzz Lightyear I decided to call it a night. I couldnt believe the place was still packed at 11:30 PM. Whoever said the party empties out after the second fireworks was way off.
I slowly walked out of the park and stopped on Main Street to watch the light show on the buildings (lights made in the shape of bats, etc. floating across the buildings). And the dry ice fog in the central square.
As I was leaving they were playing the part of the HM soundtrack that says so hurry back, we would like your company. You bet I said. Ill be back in January!
