"ENCHANTED TALES with ROB" - A Birthday/Christmas DISer Celebration! **NEW TR LINK**

[JessM]

Very cool that you got to see Ne-Yo but I'm almost more impressed with the amount of confetti they used for him I love it!

I agree with you on the Jingle Cruise, nice that they tried but a bummer that they didn't do more. A few santa hats on the animals would have been fun and cute!

Ahhh Splash! I was so sad it was always down poor Splash.

 

[marDgreen88]

Doesn't sound like Jingle Cruise was much to get excited about. Cute idea though!

Nooooo Splash!!! Why?!? It's my favorite but my goodness, why does it always have to break down?

That boy right there is a true Disney fan! Awesome!

 

[MEK]

I was really in the mood to get my Splash on right now too, but, being the creative and resourceful person I am…

… I improvised.

[/COLOR]

Awesome! I wish I had thought of that improvisation when I found Splash down for refurb this Wednesday. But worse, all the water from Splash and from around this castle had been drained. Talk about a sad sight.

That little mickey head shave is too funny!

 

[khertz]

Okay the kid with the Mickey shaved on his head? He has a cool mom! I'm sad to say I'm not that cool of a mom myself.

I'm glad you had understanding FP CM's. Those FP return lines are absurd! They really need to figure out a better way, because it is giving a horrible impression to people of FP+, even if it doesn't actually take very long to get to the first scanner and the queue is empty after that. It alters the perception of guests seeing this enormous FP return line! I'm honestly so nervous about FP+ and how it will affect our touring. I'm kind of glad we will only be there 2 days!

 

[JulieODC]

Haha, that hidden Mickey is pretty cool!! Good find!

Sad about Splash....one of my favorites. Good job trying to compromise...but not quite the same

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I think it would have been better if it were neo dodging slow motion bullets.

Personally I really enjoyed the jokes from the "Jingle cruise" of course I love a good pun.


I wish I could have seen you taking a picture of the water fountain. I bet that made someone’s trip

I too would have been shooting a dirty look.

Haha, I'm guessing you're not a fan...

Oh don't get me wrong, I do too. I'm often the only one laughing, but I promise you, I am laughing.

I have a feeling you're right Alex. However, in my mind I picture families now gathering around that very fountain eager to see what was so magical about it and the legend continues to grow.

Ooooh, what they did was just SO WRONG!!!! "Magic Mountain???? I'm sorry, we're going to have to ask you to leave."

Hi Rob! Thanks for another great update. I definitely understand your hesitancy to ride Splash after it's been down. My DH and I got stuck on there for a good 20 minutes when we were there on our Honeymoon. It was the Jumping Water section and I was just preparing myself for something to happen and for us to get drenched with some of the jumping water.

I loved the little boy...typical that it appears the Mommy had to hold his head still for your picture. Those little guys do not like to keep still!!

So, cool you got to see Ne-Yo. We watched the show on Christmas so it's funny to know you were in the crowd for taping.

Ok, the FP lines are scaring me a bit!!! When we go in April we are staying off-site so I'm going to have to wait and make my selections when I get to the Parks. Hope it won't be too much trouble!

Well thank you for reading. I just hate the thought of being stuck on a ride and watching the time tick away. That would be absolute agony to me. I have been a part of some backups just a little past the big drop. You just sit there with logs in front and logs behind as the water goes flying into the air and you have nowhere to hide.

Oh me too, and yeah, she did. I imagine he was subjected to this multiple times, so I can totally understand not wanting to stay still AGAIN!

I thought is was. I saw most of the broadcast, but was travelling for some of it, so I never got to see everything.

Just to help alleviate some of your fears, once you got past the scanners, there was nobody. It was just a bottleneck at the entrance. And for some reason, Big Thunder seemed to be the worst, but that's probably because there's so many people out in front just milling about anyway. I would hope they've made some adjustments by now, so no need to worry!

So cool that you got to see Ne-Yo perform!

I have to agree that they could have done more with the Jingle Cruise. I didn't get to see it in person but I did watch the ride through on You Tube. They did such a great job with the queue area you would think they could have done one or two more things throughout the ride.

Bummer that Splash was down but that seems to be the trend. We got one of those "the ride is down please change your FP+" e-mails for Splash in October. But by the time the actual FP+ time came around it was back up and we went on with no problem.

Awesome Hidden Mickey!

I thought is was pretty cool too. The overall group of performers was pretty lame this year (in my opinion), so this one made it better.

Yeah, they really should have done more. And honestly, it wouldn't have taken that much. I still enjoyed it of course, it's a classic, but why advertise it and then really not do much?

Oh man Ariana, it's a great big disturbing trend. Obviously I understand things break, but this isn't "John's Amusement Park", this is Walt Disney World. And it breaks far too often. But at least Disney raised the price of tickets...

One of the best ever for sure!!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

great effort in recreating the next best approximation of Splash Mountain. It would have only been funnier if you took the time to put on a poncho before braving the water fountain

Pretty cool with the Mickey Head Shave .... they should offer that up in the Main St. Barber Shop .... or if not shaved, then like take a pattern and use colored hair spray to "paint" the image in

sticking with the Matrix theme, at least you were only getting the blue "pill" rather than the red one when your magic band was scanned

Thank you Phil, I do my best. The poncho would have been a great idea if they didn't cost so darn much!!!

Hmmm, yeah, I wonder if they'd do that if you asked...

Ahhhh BRAVO!!! Excellent point.

I love Ne-Yo!! That is so cool you got to see him. Jealous!

The eighth wonder of the world, the back side of water! Ooh, aah. Bummer that it wasn't too Christmas-y though.

I thought you posted the water fountain as a PSA to say don't drink this nasty water. We spend a ton on bottled water everyday in the parks but one sip of the tap & you know it's money well spent. Magic mountain, really? I'm glad you shot that guest (a dirty look)! Omg people...don't you read ANYTHING before you go?!

That is the coolest hair style ever! They should offer that at the bibiddi boppidi boutique. It'd be a lot less painful than those updos. I love that you asked to take a picture & the mom said yes. What a cute & fun experience in the HM line!

It was coool Jennifer. But don't be jealous. I only saw a minute or two.

How do you not take a picture of that???? It's iconic. Tough to "Christmas Up" though. Maybe some red and green colouring?

Bahahah, OMG you are SO right!!! Florida water in general is pretty awful. I can't tell you how many people have commented on that. Love Disney, hate the water.
Oy, this world makes me so sad sometimes. I just have such a Pet Peeve about people calling something the wrong name. I have a friend who calls Fantasmic, FANTASIA. Not way off, but it still drives me buggy!

Isn't it??? I was so impressed with that. they should definitely offer that cut in Disney. I was a little apprehensive about asking (ok not really, lol), but then I figured, they wouldn't have done it if they didn't want to share.

Your pics are beautiful. Wish I was there now.
Dancing Barbara I saw too but did not get a pic. 
I love that room in BOG with the falling snow.
LOL about the color scheme of the glass. I never noticed it before.
Nice you got to see Ne_yo. I love that song.
Nice “jingle” Cruise pics.
OH MY. The line for Big Thunder.
LOL. The kids head. Kinda cool.
All caught up again.

Thanks Scott. and ME TOO!!
She is so awesome, I had to get a photo.
It's my favourite for sure. Just beautiful.
Hahaha, I swear, it was all I could see. And now it's all anybody will see.
It was perfect timing to get to see the finale like that. Just a nice little bonus for the day.
Thank you! I wish most weren't so blurry.
It was pretty crazy. I was standing near some people who were freaking out over it, but I explained that once you got past the scanner it was virtually empty. Still. a lot of congestion out front.
I so loved that. Disney spirit.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA on your entire Spalsh Mountain (or as some refer to it, Magic Mountain ) commentary. Priceless. I lost it on the water fountain. And awww... That kid with his hidden Mickey head?! Amazing

THANK YOU TRACY!!!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed that!! I do my best! OMG how cool was that kid??? You just never know what you'll see in a Disney queue line. But I imagine that poor kid was probably getting tired of having his head photographed, lol.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Very cool that you got to see Ne-Yo but I'm almost more impressed with the amount of confetti they used for him I love it!

I agree with you on the Jingle Cruise, nice that they tried but a bummer that they didn't do more. A few Santa hats on the animals would have been fun and cute!

Ahhh Splash! I was so sad it was always down poor Splash.

It was very cool Jess, but My God YES... an INSANE amount of confetti.

Yeah, I wasn't terribly disappointed or anything, but yeah, I do wish there was a little more. How hard would a few Santa hats be??

Always. Just Always.

Doesn't sound like Jingle Cruise was much to get excited about. Cute idea though!

Nooooo Splash!!! Why?!? It's my favorite but my goodness, why does it always have to break down?

That boy right there is a true Disney fan! Awesome!

Yeah, it was mostly just a few decorations Marissa. But in the grand scheme of things, definitely a cute idea, so no real complaints.

Poor Splash. It had to have been down more over the past couple of years than in its entirely history. At least that's how it feels. As much as I'd hate to see it taken offline, it clearly needs some extended TLC.

OMG RIGHT??!!! That kid was awesome!

Awesome! I wish I had thought of that improvisation when I found Splash down for refurb this Wednesday. But worse, all the water from Splash and from around this castle had been drained. Talk about a sad sight.

That little mickey head shave is too funny!

HAHA thank you Mary Ellen. Sometimes you just gotta make your own fun. And ooh I've seen the water drained before at the castle. It really is a horrifying sight. But from the plans I`ve seen, the "new hub" is gonna be great.

I thought that head shaving was so great. Kudos to that little one.

Okay the kid with the Mickey shaved on his head? He has a cool mom! I'm sad to say I'm not that cool of a mom myself.

I'm glad you had understanding FP CM's. Those FP return lines are absurd! They really need to figure out a better way, because it is giving a horrible impression to people of FP+, even if it doesn't actually take very long to get to the first scanner and the queue is empty after that. It alters the perception of guests seeing this enormous FP return line! I'm honestly so nervous about FP+ and how it will affect our touring. I'm kind of glad we will only be there 2 days!

Haha he sure does. So I'm guessing the "Mickey Head" isn't on the list for the next trip to the Harmony Barbershop?

I got really lucky; I really did. Especially after hearing so many horror stories from others. But YES, the return line fiascos are really a problem. Perception is reality, and this perception overall is not good. I'm confident your's will work fine, but there is a touring adjustment required, that's for sure. It'll be interesting for me the next time I'm on a group trip and more "ride focused" than I have been on the last couple of trips.

Haha, that hidden Mickey is pretty cool!! Good find!

Sad about Splash....one of my favorites. Good job trying to compromise...but not quite the same

OMG Julie it was so cute. And really what eles is there to do in a queue line than look at people's heads?

Sadly, you really don't read many TR's anymore that don't have a "Splash was Down" story. So sometimes you just have to make the best of it.

 

[leopardmickeyears]

Long FP+ line <<<<
I was so confused when I was looking for the FP entrance for BTM
Y ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE??

Speaking of BTM...there it is!!!!

LOLOLOLOMG TAKING A PICTURE OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN DYING

Everyone should have a hair hidden Mickey

 

[Nermel9]

I'm finally caught up! Although honestly I'm never going to remember what I have to comment on, I should have taken notes...

That's so cool that you got to see some of the parade taping! I wish I did but I left before they did any of it.

MK is just so beautiful, all decorated for Christmas!

OMG my memory is shot, I seriously can't remember anything else...and I just read all of your updates! This is why I can't get behind on the DIS!!

Oh! Splash being down...it's always down! I love the picture of the water fountain though, if you can't go on Splash, that's a good replacement!

Ugh, the FP+ lines and the problems with it...I'm not a big fan. Guess I have to get used to it though, because it's here to stay!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Long FP+ line <<<<
I was so confused when I was looking for the FP entrance for BTM
Y ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE??

Speaking of BTM...there it is!!!!

LOLOLOLOMG TAKING A PICTURE OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN DYING

Everyone should have a hair hidden Mickey

Oy, they were crazy Meg. Just wait until a busy season...

BTM was easily one of the worst. Just too much congestion and confusion. Not a good look.

Hehe, I just wish I had pictures of the other people WATCHING me take a picture of a water fountain. Those would have been epic I bet.

Oh God, one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

I'm finally caught up! Although honestly I'm never going to remember what I have to comment on, I should have taken notes...

That's so cool that you got to see some of the parade taping! I wish I did but I left before they did any of it.

MK is just so beautiful, all decorated for Christmas!

OMG my memory is shot, I seriously can't remember anything else...and I just read all of your updates! This is why I can't get behind on the DIS!!

Oh! Splash being down...it's always down! I love the picture of the water fountain though, if you can't go on Splash, that's a good replacement!

Ugh, the FP+ lines and the problems with it...I'm not a big fan. Guess I have to get used to it though, because it's here to stay!

Bahahaha, I'd be the exact same way if I didn't have notepad open to jot down while I read.

It was pretty cool Jen, but it got old quick. PLUS, it really messes up the Main Street experience with all the cameras and risers and whatnot. I was actually glad when it was done and back to normal.

OMG YES!!!!!

Awwww that's ok. You read it, that's all that matters.

It breaks my heart about poor old Splash. Just so many issues. But when in Disney, you always have to have a backup, even if other people look at you funny.

It is, but I am confident the line issue will be addressed. It has to... right??!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Wow. Just WOW on that shaven Mickey head. It's a Mickey Head on a Head!

And seriously, Magic Mountain? I wonder what that guest calls Big Thunder Mountain or Expedition Everest?

I have to say that the Holiday decoration for Jungle Cruise is very underwhelming considering how much promotion Disney put into it. Did they tweak any of the jokes told by the skippers to match the holiday theme?

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow. Just WOW on that shaven Mickey head. It's a Mickey Head on a Head!

And seriously, Magic Mountain? I wonder what that guest calls Big Thunder Mountain or Expedition Everest?

I have to say that the Holiday decoration for Jungle Cruise is very underwhelming considering how much promotion Disney put into it. Did they tweak any of the jokes told by the skippers to match the holiday theme?

That was just so cool Dave. So much Disney love going on there.

Oh God, some people just need to get out, lol. I would guess something like "Train Mountain"... for BOTH of them.

That's it exactly. Way too much promotion for what it really was. Without the promotion I would have thought it was great. However, yes they did alter some of the jokes for Christmas, so I give full credit for that.

 

[joleen76]

I am all caught up again!!! Great updates. The stained glass in BOG...I totally agree. Put some pants on that man Disney! LOL

I love MVMCP, can't wait to see your party pic's.

Your TR is making me even more excited for our upcoming trip.

Great updates!

I love it when I see others at Disney that love it as much as I do. The little boy with the hidden Mickey on top of his head is priceless.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I am all caught up again!!! Great updates. The stained glass in BOG...I totally agree. Put some pants on that man Disney! LOL

I love MVMCP, can't wait to see your party pic's.

Your TR is making me even more excited for our upcoming trip.

Great updates!

I love it when I see others at Disney that love it as much as I do. The little boy with the hidden Mickey on top of his head is priceless.

Thank You Joleen! RIGHT??!! No idea what the thought process was here.

It is a good time for sure. AND coming up very soon (AKA now)!

YAY, I'm so glad to hear that (and a little jealous too).

Thank you again!

OMG me too. It's a bond we all share for sure. That little boy was amazing for doing that.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

CHARACTER MEETS AND HOLIDAY TREATS, THAT'S WHAT MVMCP IS MADE OF
Day 4 – December 6, 2013 Part 4


As I mentioned previously, I had planned to spend the evening resort hopping at the GF and then the Poly to watch the fireworks.
However, that all changed when I decided to do a second Christmas Party (but first this trip) just one day prior.

My thought process was simple.
YES, the parties are fairly expensive... YES MNSSHP is far superior (in my opinion), BUT...
The biggest expense for attending is just getting there (flights, accommodation, etc)...
So since I was already there, the added expense was relatively minor.
My logic was that if I was home in Halifax, the party wouldn't even be an option, so I really HAD to do it.

I'm not saying the logic is perfect, but there it is.

I posted on Facebook:
"What's better than a Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (Halloween Party excluded)? TWO Parties!!! Ready for Tonight!”

So over to the path to Tomorrowland to get my wristband I went.

This was also my first chance to see the CM party costumes, and they were adorable, as modeled by these fine folks.

Then it was just a waiting game for the party to officially begin.

I took a mental note of the giant candy canes which indicated the location of the "free" cookies and cocoa.
Yes, this pales in comparison to the awesome Halloween Party candy, but it's still something.

I really had no definitive plans for the evening other than seeing the parade and fireworks and a few must do character meets.
I was honestly just content with wandering and taking in the atmosphere.
It's Magic Kingdom... It's a party... What's not to like???

I was able to catch the Castle Lighting ceremony; And where else but Disney can you say “Castle Lighting” and have it not sound odd?

I then made a run around the park just to capture some of the Party ambiance.

As mentioned, the Candy Cane signaled “free” goodies, so…

After all the wandering and atmosphere immersion, it was time to tick off one of my character goals of the night.
I had met all of the Pooh gang before except for one... Piglet… So to the Hundred Acre Wood I went.

There were hugs all around (and I still swear that Pooh is the softest of all the characters but Duffy’s pretty impressive too).
Plus, Tigger (I've always had great interactions with Tigger) went NUTS over my Orange Magic Band.
Of course I told him he was the reason I got an orange Magic Band which made him even happier (and bouncier).

Even though hugs were still being exchanged, that didn’t stop Piglet and Eeyore from sliding into pose position anyway.

Eventually, we were all on the same “page”.

While the Pooh gang is certainly not rare, and their outfits not as amazing as their Halloween costumes,
I still had a wonderful meet with them, and I can finally say I finally met Piglet.

After that I continued on my Merry way for more MVMCP fun.

I eventually found myself near the location of my second Must Do Meet and Greet.
However, the first parade was running when I arrived, so the attendants had to wait until it passed before bringing out the special guests.

Obviously they couldn't be meeting AND in a parade at the same time. (Incidentally I love that Disney does that).
The great news was that I would be right in the front of the line when they did arrive.
Once the parade had passed, the desired guests came out.

I had met Jasmine before (and certainly didn’t mind it again), but never Genie, so this was definitely Meet and Greet priority # 2.

CONTINUED NEXT POST
​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Day 4 – December 6, 2013 Part 4 Continued


After visiting Agrabah, it was getting close to Holiday Wishes time, and this was for sure a must do.
BUT, I do have to interject something right here and now.

OK, honestly Disney, you couldn't come up with a better name than “Holiday Wishes”?
I love ya, but that’s just lazy.
The Halloween party has the very catchy and clever “HalloWishes” and is also known as “Happy HalloWishes”,

So from now on, the MVMCP fireworks shall be know by me as “Merry ChristWishes”.

Anyway, that problem solved, I made my way towards Main Street to snag a spot right in the Hub.
I was not about to make the same mistake I made just a couple nights earlier.

It was a good half an hour until “Merry ChristWishes” would start,
But, as it always seems to do, my "Small World" shirt drew the attention of a couple of CM 's stationed in the hub.
Kellyann and Brooke were doing their DCP, working in merchandise in Adventureland normally, and also on cart duty for parties.

They were both just so lovely and sweet, and I really enjoyed chatting with them while waiting for the fireworks to begin.
As many of you already know, I love chatting with CM's in general and in particular DCPers since they just “get it”,
But when there is nothing to do but wait and you're alone, it makes it even more enjoyable.

While we were chatting away, another CM who was also on his DCP arrived and offered to take a photo for me, so of course...

And, oh yeah, you should absolutely get one with the castle in the background so…

I particularly get a kick out of Kellyann’s patented “head tilt”.

Incidentally, the cart they were working was for Glow With the Show Ears, which synced up with Merry ChristWishes,
So of course I bought a pair since I had planned on getting a pair this trip anyway.
A quick note about the ears since I've heard a lot of critiques like,
"Why would I buy these when they're really only for the enjoyment of others... I don't even get to see them".
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and they're not cheep, but, not for nothing, can't the same be said for EVERYTHING we wear?

Whenever they were busy selling, I chatted with the young man who took the picture about his DCP and experiences.

Before long, Celebrate the Magic began which we all watched together, but I didn't take much in the way of pictures.
This was, however, my first time seeing the new Frozen section, and the first time I had ever heard "Let It Go", and I was blown away.
I just fell in love with this sequence immediately, and had Goosebumps on my Goosebumps.

And of course, Disney added an amazingly beautiful Holiday tag onto the end, captured with my blurry-vision lense.

A few minutes later, “Merry ChristWishes” began, and the girls made sure to ooh and ahh at my synced up Mickey Ears.

I just don’t care... The “O Christmas Tree” sequence is just simply genius and one of the best sequences in any Disney fireworks show.
THE CASTLE IS A TREE PEOPLE!!!!!

It always brings a smile and a laugh out of me to see that happy face.

And then this sequence from the Nutcracker Suite is just an amazing display of pyrotechnics.

And the finale where the castle turns back to ice out of nowhere, with perimeter fireworks, is just mind-blowingly spectacular.

Merry ChristWishes is truly amazing.

After the show the male CM who I had been chatting with, and had left just before the fireworks started,
Actually made a point to come back to shake my hand, and tell me how much he had enjoyed chatting with me.
Honestly, I thought that was such an amazing and kind gesture, and it really meant a lot to me.

Only in Disney.

I said goodbye to Kellyann and Brooke, thanking them so much for their company, and went on my way for more party Must Dos.



TO BE CONTINUED…
​

 

[huggiebear23]

Great update!! I have to get those ears.. My girls are gonna love them.

 

[joleen76]

Rob I love love love your firework pictures!!! What setting do you use on your camera to get them. I have a similar camera and I always seem to just not get the settings quite right. One of my goals for this trip is to get good firework pictures.

 

[Tracy161]

Have you filled out the proper forms to get the fireworks' name change? I am in total favor of you doing so, as I agree... A little lazy there, Disney!

There are SO many things that make me say "only in Disney" and that's the essence of why we are all so rightly obsessed. Those 3 DCP CMs are on that list.