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

[amberg93]

Great shirts. Obviously she loved them.

Oh my goodness, Alternate Entry passes are really great. I used one last summer at M.A.

The Spinovator seems like a Scrambler.

Yeah, Fastlane passes are ridiculously expensive. I think the cost is the same (or close to it) at all the Cedar Fair parks (read: more than the cost of admission) and none include all the rides, which is a bummer. Sorry it didn't work out for the Bat.

Interesting that there is a Kidzville.

 

[courtneybelle]

Oh my gosh, I love the shirts!!! Riley looks great dancing with Prince Charming.

I'm definitely interested in a Canadia pavilion. Will you and Riley be doing meet and greets as its founders? Can I FP+ that?

CHARLIE BROWN!!!! I would die. I love the Peanuts!

The Leviathan looks AWESOME. Such a bummer that other big rides weren't included though. For $75 you'd think it would be all-inclusive.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

wow - so did you get upgraded to the priority view room or pay extra for it?

That was really sweet to make those shirts for Riley and also really sweet of Carrie to let you give them to her. And not to shabby with the photoshop skills!

I totally get why you got the express pass and I am sure it was worth the money to you, but that cost does seem a bit excessive and then to not be good for all rides seems really crazy

 

[Wood Nymph]

That is really a rip-off not to have all the major rides included in the express pass. It looks like it was a very busy park.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

The coasters look awesome! I'm with you though that if they're going to charge that much for an Express Pass then it really should include some of the e-ticket items.

Charlie Brown and Minions in the same park. Woo Hoo!

 

[amazingact21]

Well, if they are going to change Norway to a Frozen themed Arrendale, why not Canadia to the showcase, too?



Haha,you look a little panicked in the one picture. Kind of like, "all right, what am I doing wrong with this seatbelt?!"


And that selfi.... it made me laugh. At least you tried and realized your error.



That's kind of silly that not all coasters are included in the Express Pass. Especially when you paid that kind of money to get one. Seems like the park was taking advantage of their guests just a little bit.

 

[natebenma]

I love the t-shirts you made!

Not all ride are included in the super expensive Express Pass? Good Grief!!

​

Actually, I think the Universal Express passes that you purchase are the same way. Not every ride is included.

So sorry that you didn't get a chance to ride The Bat. Looks like fun.

I believe I have seen Leviathan on one of those most extreme rollercoaster shows.

Yum- that funnel cake looks amazing!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hi Rob!

I can’t wait for Canadia to make it to Epcot!

Canada’s Wonderland looks like a blast! HOWEVER, I would think for a $75 up-charge, you would get priority boarding on ALL rides or at least all the headliner-type rides!

Hi Roni!!

Oh me too!!! That will be one epic pavilion for sure.

It's pretty good, but certainly no Disney. In fairness, they do list the rides that are included (totalling 15 unlimited), but I stupidly didn't read it. The majority that I wanted were included though. It still worked well nonetheless.

Great shirts. Obviously she loved them.

Oh my goodness, Alternate Entry passes are really great. I used one last summer at M.A.

The Spinovator seems like a Scrambler.

Yeah, Fastlane passes are ridiculously expensive. I think the cost is the same (or close to it) at all the Cedar Fair parks (read: more than the cost of admission) and none include all the rides, which is a bummer. Sorry it didn't work out for the Bat.

Interesting that there is a Kidzville.

Thanks Amber. I'm not sure which made me happier... seeing the Canadia drawing or the fact that she was wearing the Small World shirt.

Not only great, but in my case, absolutely necessary. I would have spent hours in lines had I not gotten it and I certainly didn't want to be away from everyone for that long.

That is probably a much better description. The scrambler but on the ground.

I guess it's pretty common. The Express at Universal can get pretty pricey too, and it only gets you once per ride. And I guess if it was cheap, everyone would get one which would kinda defeat the purpose. It did work well, and the Bat was the main one I was disappointed to miss, so not a total loss by any means. I did want to ride that though.

There is and it was quite cute. It's good that there is a kid area for the little ones since most of the rides are pretty big.

Oh my gosh, I love the shirts!!! Riley looks great dancing with Prince Charming.

I'm definitely interested in a Canadia pavilion. Will you and Riley be doing meet and greets as its founders? Can I FP+ that?

CHARLIE BROWN!!!! I would die. I love the Peanuts!

The Leviathan looks AWESOME. Such a bummer that other big rides weren't included though. For $75 you'd think it would be all-inclusive.

Thanks Courtney. I was pretty proud of that Prince Charming shirt. It came out pretty good I think. But she needs to stop growing up.

I'm just waiting for Disney to call. And while you could get a FP, I'm sure we could get you to the front of the line without it.

Haha, they have Snoopy too, but I never saw him. I was a big Peanuts fan growing up so it was cool for that reason.

Leviathan was impressive. Definitely the biggest and fastest I've been on. But one that came later I enjoyed much more. Most of the rides were included, but it was the Bat that I was most disappointed not being included. It goes forwards AND backwards so I wanted on bad, but the line was long. Carrie and I actually got in the single rider line (she wanted to ride too), but it just never seemed to move. But while I wouldn't say I got $75 worth of rides personally, I still have no regrets.

wow - so did you get upgraded to the priority view room or pay extra for it?

That was really sweet to make those shirts for Riley and also really sweet of Carrie to let you give them to her. And not to shabby with the photoshop skills!

I totally get why you got the express pass and I am sure it was worth the money to you, but that cost does seem a bit excessive and then to not be good for all rides seems really crazy

Can you believe I didn't have to pay extra???? Money on the table there Hilton.

Aww thanks Phil, I loved making the shirts. But Carrie letting me give them to her was the real sweetest thing. Haha thanks! I had just one photo that would work, and it worked flawlessly I think.

Oh yeah, under most circumstances I wouldn't have bought it. But given the situation, I had to. It did work on the majority, and honestly, the Bat was the only one I really wanted to ride that wasn't included.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

That is really a rip-off not to have all the major rides included in the express pass. It looks like it was a very busy park.

When I found out about the Bat, I kinda thought that too Sue. But I really just looked at it as $75 to get to spend more time with everyone, so totally worth it. I think it was much busier than we expected.

The coasters look awesome! I'm with you though that if they're going to charge that much for an Express Pass then it really should include some of the e-ticket items.

Charlie Brown and Minions in the same park. Woo Hoo!

They have some impressive coasters Dave. It did include the majority (15 in total I think), but since the Bat was one I had been looking forward to, that's the one that stood out. I did get to ride most though.

Haha, not too shabby right?

Well, if they are going to change Norway to a Frozen themed Arrendale, why not Canadia to the showcase, too?

Haha,you look a little panicked in the one picture. Kind of like, "all right, what am I doing wrong with this seatbelt?!"

And that selfi.... it made me laugh. At least you tried and realized your error.

That's kind of silly that not all coasters are included in the Express Pass. Especially when you paid that kind of money to get one. Seems like the park was taking advantage of their guests just a little bit.

Exactly Alicia!! And Canadia is known for it's "frozen" theming too.

Hahaha, I was honestly embarrassed that I couldn't figure out a seatbelt. But in fairness, it was one of those deals where there is one seatbelt per vehicle so it had to go around both of us. I just could not seem to grasp that concept. Thankfully Riley was there to save me.

I should not do selfies clearly. But the fact that I didn't delete it must show that I fully admit to my shortcomings.

Yes for sure. They do outline which ones are included, but I just stupidly assumed The Bat was one. Thankfully this was the only major ride I wanted to do that wasn't included. Still worth it though.

I love the t-shirts you made!

Not all ride are included in the super expensive Express Pass? Good Grief!!




Actually, I think the Universal Express passes that you purchase are the same way. Not every ride is included.

So sorry that you didn't get a chance to ride The Bat. Looks like fun.

I believe I have seen Leviathan on one of those most extreme rollercoaster shows.

Yum- that funnel cake looks amazing!

Thanks Dee.

Yeah, I totally missed the boat on that one. But it did include the majority of the big ones. And nice segue with Good Grief!

I'm not sure as I only ever bought the Universal ones once. At the time I think it included most except for Forbidden Journey and Rip Ride Rockit. Might be different now though.

That was the main one I was upset to miss. It's not a long ride, but it basically goes one run forward, and then the same route backwards. I know I would have liked it.

That's probably true. It is a big one and a fast one. And yet, while I liked it, it didn't impress me. Go figure.

I'll assume it was, lol.

 

[themommy]

The shirts you made here were amazing but, the Cinderella shirt was divine! How special that is!

I have never had ice cream on funnel cake. It sure looked good though.

Those rollercoasters look awesome! So sorry no one would ride the one with you. $75 is outrageous but, I am glad it worked out on some of the rides. It looked like ya'll were having a great time.

Shall we call you the selfie king?

 

[missangelalexis]

Definitely can't pass up a free milkshake! Looks like it was a nice dinner!

Love the shirts you made for Riley, she looks so happy!!

OMG the picture of you guys and Charlie Brown! While I love Disney, I have a true obsession with all things Peanuts! Super jealous!

Wonderland looks fun! I'm glad you bought the Express Pass to put your mind at ease, though not cool that some rides were excluded!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

The shirts you made here were amazing but, the Cinderella shirt was divine! How special that is!

I have never had ice cream on funnel cake. It sure looked good though.

Those rollercoasters look awesome! So sorry no one would ride the one with you. $75 is outrageous but, I am glad it worked out on some of the rides. It looked like ya'll were having a great time.

Shall we call you the selfie king?

Aww thank you. I knew I wanted to do something special for that one, and everything just fell into place perfectly.

It was quite the feast, that's for sure.

Oh that was no issue at all riding alone on those. I was on and off in no time with the express, so I didn't have to miss out on too much at all.

Haha, I am good, aren't I? I may start a blog.

Definitely can't pass up a free milkshake! Looks like it was a nice dinner!

Love the shirts you made for Riley, she looks so happy!!

OMG the picture of you guys and Charlie Brown! While I love Disney, I have a true obsession with all things Peanuts! Super jealous!

Wonderland looks fun! I'm glad you bought the Express Pass to put your mind at ease, though not cool that some rides were excluded!

Especially a mikshake that good. Really a wonderful dinner.

Thanks Alexis. I love that Carrie was able to capture a few photos of the presentation. Riley was stoked for the Small World shirt.

Haha, it's funny, but when I was a kid I was also obsessed with Peanuts. Charles Shultz was another Walt Disney for me. It's so funny to hear many others feel the same. I was just really bummed I missed Snoopy.

Yeah, buying the Express was critical and I knew I would before even getting there. Once I saw that is was pretty busy, there was no doubt. Despite the exclusions, totally worth it.

 

[gracer9977]

Wow I can't get over how much food was at that buffet. I don't like Chinese food so I wouldn't normally go to a Chinese restaurant but there was a lot of good looking food there, not to mention I would not want to miss out on that shake, especially for free!!

Very nice hotel. Especially that water slide. As others mentioned I would have to drag my kids kicking and screaming away from that. Love your room with a "view"

Love the shirts you did for Riley and so awesome that you were able to give them to her. I love the Cinderella one with Riley's face.

YEAH Canadia's Wonderland!! I really have got to get back there again. It does stink that you had to pay the $75 for the Express Pass and that it didn't include the Bat. I am glad that it got you on a lot of the other big rides you wanted to go on.

We paid $90 for the Fast Lane at Cedar Point. The price just keeps going up. I can get into the park for $39.00 but to get on all the big rides without long waits I have to pay $90 extra bucks.

Leviathan looks like a blast but I am looking forward to your review of that big coaster in the background.

Peanuts are great. They have them at Cedar Point too. I think they are affiliated with all the Cedar Faire parks. We had a great experience this summer, in one of the kids areas they have kareoke and my daughter and niece decided to sing Let It Go. While they were singing Snoopy and Woodstock showed up and Snoopy was right next to them dancing to their song. It was really cute.

Looks like you are all having a really good time together!!

 

[Marsheliz]

ROB!! Those shirts are perfect and you definitely know I am digging the IASW one... )))) You are so thoughtful.

Don't you have a trip coming up this month or did I dream that??

I think we have settled on our Feb dates- February 25-March 1.... It is only 4 nights & we were hoping for 5 ( or longer, ha) but with Lawson being in school and our friends that are going with.... Wed-Sunday will have to be it. let me know when you decide about Feb! )

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow I can't get over how much food was at that buffet. I don't like Chinese food so I wouldn't normally go to a Chinese restaurant but there was a lot of good looking food there, not to mention I would not want to miss out on that shake, especially for free!!

Very nice hotel. Especially that water slide. As others mentioned I would have to drag my kids kicking and screaming away from that. Love your room with a "view"

Love the shirts you did for Riley and so awesome that you were able to give them to her. I love the Cinderella one with Riley's face.

YEAH Canadia's Wonderland!! I really have got to get back there again. It does stink that you had to pay the $75 for the Express Pass and that it didn't include the Bat. I am glad that it got you on a lot of the other big rides you wanted to go on.

We paid $90 for the Fast Lane at Cedar Point. The price just keeps going up. I can get into the park for $39.00 but to get on all the big rides without long waits I have to pay $90 extra bucks.

Leviathan looks like a blast but I am looking forward to your review of that big coaster in the background.

Peanuts are great. They have them at Cedar Point too. I think they are affiliated with all the Cedar Faire parks. We had a great experience this summer, in one of the kids areas they have kareoke and my daughter and niece decided to sing Let It Go. While they were singing Snoopy and Woodstock showed up and Snoopy was right next to them dancing to their song. It was really cute.

Looks like you are all having a really good time together!!

Oh yeah it was pretty plentiful and easy to see why the others like it so much. That was the beauty of it too, so much more than just Chinese. Just loads of options. Not to mention free milkshake, and it was good.

It's funny how much people seem to like the indoor water slide. Maybe it's just more common here due to the climate. And you cannot get a better view than I had.

Thanks so much!!! I did feel bad giving them to her since they were supposed to be a present, but I so loved it too. Getting to see her face see, well, her face, was awesome.

This was my first time ever. I knew what main things I wanted to make sure to do, but I was actually surprised by the sheer volume of rides. While I hated shelling out that much, it was still worth it many times over under the circumstances. I would have spent hours in line just for a couple of rides and missed out on time with the group. That could not happen.

It's a cash cow. I'm actually surprised Disney never followed with this. I'm certainly glad they don't (although I'd probably buy it, lol), but even with the FP+ limitations, at least it's free.

It was, but just didn't quite do it for me. It makes no sense given it's stats, but the other big one I loved MUCH more.

That makes sense. They used to have Hanna Barbara I believe years ago before Cedar bought it. Aww that would have been so cute. I'm so sad I missed out of seeing Snoopy.

Oh for sure!!

ROB!! Those shirts are perfect and you definitely know I am digging the IASW one... )))) You are so thoughtful.

Don't you have a trip coming up this month or did I dream that??

I think we have settled on our Feb dates- February 25-March 1.... It is only 4 nights & we were hoping for 5 ( or longer, ha) but with Lawson being in school and our friends that are going with.... Wed-Sunday will have to be it. let me know when you decide about Feb! )

Thanks Marcie. I loved doing them and was so happy to see that new photo with her wearing the Small World shirt. Made my day.

Haha, no you didn't dream it. I arrive in Disney in exactly 2 weeks. I just wish I was more excited.

4 nights is still better than none. And I think you're going to be happy with those dates too. Should be nice and quiet (relatively speaking of course). I will of course let you know what my plans are as soon as I know.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

"DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT'S OVER, SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED"
A Very Merry Intermission - July 21, 2014 Part 2



Hi folks!!

As many of you know, as of today I am 2 weeks away from the next Disney trip, so I thought I'd share my high level plans thus far.
I will be honest; the excitement level hasn't hit like it normally would.
Hopefully that will change as it gets closer.

Anyway, the days right now are shaping up as follows with associated FP’s, which I could only book at the 30 day mark.

Wednesday, September 17:
I arrive early afternoon, so after getting checked in and situated, I hope to head out to Magic Kingdom for the evening.
FP's are Space Mountain, Under The Sea, and MSEP.
Obviously all to be followed up by Wishes.

Thursday, September 18:
Epcot
FP's are Soarin', Turtle Talk, and Maelstrom.

Friday, September 19:
Magic Kingdom
FP's are Splash, MINE TRAIN, and ANNA/ELSA.
These weren’t the initial selections, but after constantly checking every day, I somehow got two of the most popular FP's back to back.
If you are in the same boat, do NOT give up hope.
Since it's an early close, I'll likely head to DHS for the Frozen fireworks.

Saturday, September 20:
Animal Kingdom
FP's are Everest, Dinosaur, and Kilimanjaro.
It's again likely I will head to DHS after for fireworks and/or Fantasmic.

Sunday, September 21:
Universal Studios and Harry Potter!

Monday, September 22:
MGM
FP's are Frozen Sing-A-Long, ToT, and RnRC.
I may head to Epcot for the evening, or I may stay for Fantasmic. No idea.

Tuesday, September 23:
Magic Kingdom and MNSSHP
FP's are Pirates, Peter Pan, and Haunted Mansion.
And yes, I will be dressing up (even though my costume isn’t quite what I’d hoped).

If that clue doesn't help, just go back to page 1 of this TR and read the very first quote.

Wednesday, September 24:
MGM
FP's are Star Tours, RnRC, and ToT.
I may head to Epcot for a bit in the afternoon and will likely finish up at MK for Wishes since it’s the last ight.

Thursday, September 25:
This is departure day, but not until about 5pm, so I will likely be at a park for the morning.
My AP only allows 7 days of FP at a time, so I can't pick any FP yet, so this day is fairly open ended at this point.

And that is that at this point in time.

***********************************************



Riley and her dad went to play mini golf, and since the ride window for White Water Canyon was still a bit away, I went in search of something to ride.
Unfortunately, I went completely the wrong way as in the very long way around, but I took some pictures, so not a total loss.

Hmmm….. Ok...... Just a coincidence I’m sure…

Alright… This is getting a little suspicious.....…

I finally arrived at my destination, Skyrider, which is not particularly tall (88 ft), nor fast (50mph), but it did have one fairly unique (to me) feature.

You ride it standing up.

It was fun, but certainly not a favorite.

Because of my extra long journey, Carrie and Hailey had already ridden White Water Canyon, and Riley and her dad returned from golf soon after.
They were all planning on returning to the car eventually to eat (as they had packed food), but I was starving now, so I grabbed a hot dog.

Hailey wanted to ride the Silver Streak coaster (thrill seeker that one), so we got a wait time for that (the ride assistance does work quite well).
It was here also that Hailey exclaimed yet again… “I’m sitting with Rob!!!”

This is an inverted coaster and is actually listed as a "Family Ride"

Good solid fun and Hailey loved it.

After that, it was finally Riley’s turn to ride something with her sis.

She’s a good sister and a good sport.

Once they were done, we spotted a familiar sight.

I was really glad to see the air hockey for Riley if for no other reason than, while Canada’s Wonderland has some great rides,
It seems to be either top end thrills or kiddie rides with nothing really in between.

Carrie, Ivan and the girls left the park to eat soon after, so I took the opportunity to check out some new areas,
And to get in some more rides,
First passing through the cute little Planet Snoopy area on the way.

CONTINUED NEXT POST
​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

"DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT'S OVER, SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED"
A Very Merry Intermission - July 21, 2014 Part 2 Continued



I never made it on this ride, but it did look fun… and wet.

It wouldn't be a Canadian amusement park without one of these...

The first ride that looked good (and that had a Fast Lane) was Flight Deck.

This was a good little inverted coaster.

I walked by Time Warp, which looked to me like a poor man’s Manta,

But it did not have a Fast Lane, so I passed.

They do have some pretty unique looking rides, I must say, which I imagine are pretty consistent among the Cedar Parks family.

But there was one that I had my eye on all day… BEHEMOTH

And with my Fast Lane, I bypassed all that line

The stats… 230 feet, 78 mph… less in all respects to Leviathan… and yet… I much preferred Behemoth.
I like “air time” from my coasters, and this is one the absolute best I’ve ever ridden.

In short… I LOVED IT!!!

I moved on to the nearby Backlot Stunt Coaster,

Hmmmm… I'm sensing a trend...

This one had a launch just like RnRC, and in fact, very much resembled it all throughout.
I quite enjoyed it, and I would call it my number 2 of the day behind Behemoth and even ahead of Leviathan.

Carrie texted that they were heading back in, so I headed to the park entrance to meet them.

And once again… Hmmmmmmmmm… Anyone know a good lawyer?

TO BE CONTINUED…
​

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Your Canada's Wonderland is verrryyyy similar to our Kings Dominion! The Backlot Stunt Coaster is exactly the same along with the whole Snoopy section for the kids. I believe they are owned by the same people!

Yay for being 2 weeks away from your trip! We leave in 9 days and I still have so much to do! Ahh! On Sept 18th and 19th, we'll be at the same parks! We'll definitely have to stay in contact!

 

[natebenma]

Hi folks!!

As many of you know, as of today I am 2 weeks away from the next Disney trip, so I thought I'd share my high level plans thus far.

I like your plans!

I see you don't have a Toy Story Mania FP- are you not a big fan? Or it just pales to RNR (I know you can only choose one)

I had good luck getting a Mine Train FP a week out, although one day it was not available for me and the next day it was.



Any scheduled meets on tap?

Any sit down restaurants or are you keeping your CS streak alive?

She’s a good sister and a good sport.

I love the expression on her face!

I walked by Time Warp, which looked to me like a poor man’s Manta,

I thought that too when I saw the picture.

I never made it on this ride, but it did look fun… and wet.

If you replaced the water with open flames, it would be a chicken rotisserie.

They do have some pretty unique looking rides, I must say, which I imagine are pretty consistent among the Cedar Parks family.

But there was one that I had my eye on all day… BEHEMOTH

We have that one at our local amusement park, but they stopped operating it this summer and didn't publicize the reason



BEHEMOTH looks like fun!!!




Disney should really hire you to go to amusement parks, and malls and whatever throughout the world to "rat" out trademark violations. You would have a field day at Storyland in North Conway NH- there is a Cinderella's Castle, a coach and a very red-neck safari ride.

:

 

[Wood Nymph]

We arrive at WDW in three weeks. Sept 24th is our arrival day and we plan to spend time in Epcot that day. Then Thursday morning is our DHS morning.

I haven't figured out your Halloween costume.