Chicago Mo
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i have been twice!!! It's AMAZING! Did it once with the kids then again during our annual dis meets. i highly recommend it!
Even with Blisters and Bad Hair, Disney is Still Magical! A Sept. 2014 TR -Updated 5/13
- Thread starter Clarf
- Start date
i have been twice!!! It's AMAZING! Did it once with the kids then again during our annual dis meets. i highly recommend it!
mickeystoontown
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I got behind again
. You had me cracking up at the reference to the man child. It's so funny that she didn't want to wash off her make-up when visiting with the characters but did when she was going to swim. 
Ugh, those walls at the Animal Kingdom!
I am sorry but I do have to agree that the family pictures in the front of the Tree of Life aren't that great. Nothing to do with you guys but with that darn wall. 
Wonderful meet and greet! I love how King Louie's arms are so long and expressive.
. You had me cracking up at the reference to the man child. It's so funny that she didn't want to wash off her make-up when visiting with the characters but did when she was going to swim. Ugh, those walls at the Animal Kingdom!
I am sorry but I do have to agree that the family pictures in the front of the Tree of Life aren't that great. Nothing to do with you guys but with that darn wall. Wonderful meet and greet! I love how King Louie's arms are so long and expressive.
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
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Clare, awesome update.
Thanks!
I love the photos with Rafiki.
He's fun! It was our second meet with him and he does a great job.
Lucy's picture on EE is priceless (and more power to her for going on it; this old gal is done with it).
She's so brave. She's a thrill ride junkie, just like Jason and I for sure!
THE WALLS! Were they not the most aggravating thing about AK this year. I couldn't stand it. It just took so much away from the beauty of the park. I wanted to sit down and cry.
Ugh, it was awful.It totally took away from the beauty of the park and didn't make me as sad that we missed so much of it this time. Very frustrating to see it like that. And I'm not all that excited about Avatar Land, so I can't use the excuse that bigger and better things are coming.
The Meet & Greet with King Louie and Baloo is fabulous...you can just see how excited you were in the photos.
It made my day. I saw them doing the M&G and told everyone else they could go to lunch if they wanted, but I was meeting them.
Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed with Flame Tree (I've not gotten there yet), and we will go back to sit down at Yak & Yeti.
Aw, that's too bad. We liked it, but I would like to try Yak and Yeti next time. I've heard good things!
Love the picture on Dinosaur. I was
I'm glad! I'm so proud of that picture. I don't know if I can ever top it. And you would have seen it on my Facebook. It is still there. I thought I had changed it.
And the photopass pictures at the exit are great!
Yeah, those were better. No refurb walls.
I love AK! And how fun to have the extended family there too. But boo to construction walls! I know they're necessary for updates and expansions, but I hate seeing them, and that darn crane at MK. ::microphone:: ::
They really were annoying. It was so hard to navigate the park with them.
Lucy is a very brave girl!! I can see it runs in the family too; you guys are a thrill riding bunch.
WE love them! Can't wait until Maura's tall enough to ride it.
I adore the photos of Maura and her grandpa, they're very sweet.
ARen't they? It makes me sad when I see them because we only see them like once, maybe twice a year and they have such a great relationship.
Loving the safari pictures! Those are amazing. I always leave that ride with terrible photos from my phone ::eyeroll2:: I'm especially fond of your giraffe and hippo pictures.
Thanks! I was really happy with how they turned out this time. I really think it's because we were moving so slowly. I usually get semi-blury pics.
Baloo and King Louie are great! Everything about that M&G looks great; the PP pics, the girls, you guys, just everything! I can't wait for DD to be big enough to enjoy that stuff with me (cause even at 30 I thoroughly enjoy a good M&G)
It was the best. Better than talking Mickey (for me anyway). We all laughed so hard! And hey, I'll be 40 in January and as far as I'm concerned, I'll never be too old for that stuff!
i have been twice!!! It's AMAZING! Did it once with the kids then again during our annual dis meets. i highly recommend it!
Awesome! I think we're going on the 23rd. I can't wait! The kids keep reminding us, so I think we finally settled on a date.
I got behind again
No worries! It happens.
You had me cracking up at the reference to the man child. It's so funny that she didn't want to wash off her make-up when visiting with the characters but did when she was going to swim.
Ah, my man child. I know about the makeup! She still wanted to BE the pirate, but was too hot to wear the clothes. She at least could have kept on the hat or something so she didn't look so creepy.
Ugh, those walls at the Animal Kingdom!
Oh, they are just sad. I wanted to get at least a few with the family, so I knew we didn't have much of a choice, but they are not my favorites.
Wonderful meet and greet! I love how King Louie's arms are so long and expressive.
His arms were taller than the rest of his body! He was just a hoot!
Chicago Mo
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Are you staying in Chicago long or just a day trip?
Clarf
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Just a day trip. It only takes us about 80 minutes to get there. We'll probably have dinner with my aunt and uncle after the exhibit.
Chicago Mo
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Your going to love it! and family time!!! SCORE!
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
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Wow. Clearly I am slacking on this report. I am truly sorry. And I have no excuse. I don't know what the heck I've been doing.
So, when I last left you all, we had just left AK to go back to CBR to get ready for the MNSSHP. Before that though, we had a dinner reservation to get to. We got changed and got ready to go. We love Halloween at our house and had wanted to have a family costume, but it didn't work out how we planned because it was just too hot for Jason and Maura to wear their costumes. This is from Halloween 2013 and what we had wanted to be.
Doesn't Jason look amazing? I so wish he could have worn that, but that coat is like a giant raincoat and he would have melted. And Maura decided at the last minute to wear a Minnie Mouse dress instead of her Tick Tock costume. Also a good call. There's a lot of padding in it and she would have gotten hot quickly. So, Lucy and I were Peter and Tink, Maura was Minnie, and Jason was a Daddy. You'll see lots of pics of that shortly.
Once we were all set, we got in the car and headed back to the MK. We had a 5:05 dinner reservation at 1900 Park Faire! We'd done breakfast there before, which was okay, but had heard dinner with the Tremaines was amazing. The kids were really looking forward to this dinner.
We checked in and got our PP pic. They did a much better job here than they had at Chef Mickey's!
We were seated quickly and had a few minutes to visit the buffet before the characters started visiting. They had a good selection of food here. Nothing spectacular, but it wasn't bad either. It was tasty and filled us up. Here is my plate.
Clockwise from the bottom it was Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, a warm pasta dish, green beans, and some sort of edamamme salad. That warm pasta dish was exceptionally good. I went back for more of that later. I also had the strawberry soup which I loved. Our server brought me a recipe card for it! I have not made it yet, but I will soon.
Jason's plate.
I don't know what he's got on there. Meat. Pizza. Mozzarella balls and tomatoes. Beans, salad, and something that looks like a crab rangoon, but it's not. He was happy.
Lucy's plate:
Mac and cheese, mini corn dogs, a roll, and I think chicken nuggets. A lot of carbs on that plate and no fruit or veggie! Eh, it's vacation. I don't care.
Maura's plate:
Chicken nuggts, mac and cheese, and at least she got some fruit.
The kids ate reasonable well, but soon the characters started coming around. First up was Prince Charming. He was very blah and not very charming at all. He barely spoke 2 words and moved on. Whatever. We weren't really there to see him.
Bad pic, sorry.
Next up was Cinderella. And though she was no step-sister, she was friendly and nice and asked the girls a few questions before posing for pictures. I don't know why she married such a dud.
All this time, the Tremaines are getting closer and closer. Anastasia and Drizella kept arguing and carrying on as they went from table to table and they were just a riot. Lady Tremaine visited us next. She kept glaring at the girls which we loved. She asked them if they were behaving like ladies, to which they replied yes. (and they were, for the moment). She chatted for a few minutes and we got some good pictures.
I love her look in this picture.
While she was with us, her daughters were behind us fighting over a hat that the woman at the table behind us was wearing. The both wanted the hat. Lady Tremaine looked at them and told them to behave, but then Drizella lifted Anastasia's dress and began to spank her. We were laughing so hard. Here is an awful picture of it, but you get the gist.
Lucy was enthralled and both of my girls were loving every minute of their shennanigans. (sp?)
Anastasia stopped by next and talked and talked and talked. She told Maura they didn't allow mice in the restaurant so she might have to leave. She told Lucy fairies were trouble and she didn't trust her. She looked Jason up and down but decided he was taken and realized she couldn't have him. She did not disappoint and we all enjoyed her visit.
Somehow in all the commotion, Drizella missed our table. She came back though after a few minutes. Though not quite as much fun as her sister, she did dish out the sass and the girls loved her. Lucy told her she liked her dress and Drizella loved that. She chatted for a few minutes and we got some pics. This one is a little blurry, but you can see how enthralled my girls were.
Oh, I forgot to mention, our server was from Milwaukee, so we had a nice conversation with him! It's always fun to find a CM from your hometown and compare stories.
After we had meet all the characters, we went up for desert. This is the plate the girls and I shared.
That's 2 brownies, 2 fruit tarts, a chocolate mousse, a key lime tart, and gummi bears. Gotta have the gummi bears!
I don't know what Jason had for desert. He didn't let me take a picture of it and scarfed them down in about 30 seconds.
We settled the bill and headed out to the monorail to get to the Halloween party. Lucy found a hidden Mickey first though, that we had to document.
And a close-up:
That was a pretty good one, I thought!
Sorry for a sort of boring update. I'm going to leave you all hanging about MNSSHP. I hope to get that update up tomorrow, though.
So, when I last left you all, we had just left AK to go back to CBR to get ready for the MNSSHP. Before that though, we had a dinner reservation to get to. We got changed and got ready to go. We love Halloween at our house and had wanted to have a family costume, but it didn't work out how we planned because it was just too hot for Jason and Maura to wear their costumes. This is from Halloween 2013 and what we had wanted to be.
Doesn't Jason look amazing? I so wish he could have worn that, but that coat is like a giant raincoat and he would have melted. And Maura decided at the last minute to wear a Minnie Mouse dress instead of her Tick Tock costume. Also a good call. There's a lot of padding in it and she would have gotten hot quickly. So, Lucy and I were Peter and Tink, Maura was Minnie, and Jason was a Daddy. You'll see lots of pics of that shortly.
Once we were all set, we got in the car and headed back to the MK. We had a 5:05 dinner reservation at 1900 Park Faire! We'd done breakfast there before, which was okay, but had heard dinner with the Tremaines was amazing. The kids were really looking forward to this dinner.
We checked in and got our PP pic. They did a much better job here than they had at Chef Mickey's!
We were seated quickly and had a few minutes to visit the buffet before the characters started visiting. They had a good selection of food here. Nothing spectacular, but it wasn't bad either. It was tasty and filled us up. Here is my plate.
Clockwise from the bottom it was Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, a warm pasta dish, green beans, and some sort of edamamme salad. That warm pasta dish was exceptionally good. I went back for more of that later. I also had the strawberry soup which I loved. Our server brought me a recipe card for it! I have not made it yet, but I will soon.
Jason's plate.
I don't know what he's got on there. Meat. Pizza. Mozzarella balls and tomatoes. Beans, salad, and something that looks like a crab rangoon, but it's not. He was happy.
Lucy's plate:
Mac and cheese, mini corn dogs, a roll, and I think chicken nuggets. A lot of carbs on that plate and no fruit or veggie! Eh, it's vacation. I don't care.
Maura's plate:
Chicken nuggts, mac and cheese, and at least she got some fruit.
The kids ate reasonable well, but soon the characters started coming around. First up was Prince Charming. He was very blah and not very charming at all. He barely spoke 2 words and moved on. Whatever. We weren't really there to see him.
Bad pic, sorry.
Next up was Cinderella. And though she was no step-sister, she was friendly and nice and asked the girls a few questions before posing for pictures. I don't know why she married such a dud.
All this time, the Tremaines are getting closer and closer. Anastasia and Drizella kept arguing and carrying on as they went from table to table and they were just a riot. Lady Tremaine visited us next. She kept glaring at the girls which we loved. She asked them if they were behaving like ladies, to which they replied yes. (and they were, for the moment). She chatted for a few minutes and we got some good pictures.
I love her look in this picture.
While she was with us, her daughters were behind us fighting over a hat that the woman at the table behind us was wearing. The both wanted the hat. Lady Tremaine looked at them and told them to behave, but then Drizella lifted Anastasia's dress and began to spank her. We were laughing so hard. Here is an awful picture of it, but you get the gist.
Lucy was enthralled and both of my girls were loving every minute of their shennanigans. (sp?)
Anastasia stopped by next and talked and talked and talked. She told Maura they didn't allow mice in the restaurant so she might have to leave. She told Lucy fairies were trouble and she didn't trust her. She looked Jason up and down but decided he was taken and realized she couldn't have him. She did not disappoint and we all enjoyed her visit.
Somehow in all the commotion, Drizella missed our table. She came back though after a few minutes. Though not quite as much fun as her sister, she did dish out the sass and the girls loved her. Lucy told her she liked her dress and Drizella loved that. She chatted for a few minutes and we got some pics. This one is a little blurry, but you can see how enthralled my girls were.
Oh, I forgot to mention, our server was from Milwaukee, so we had a nice conversation with him! It's always fun to find a CM from your hometown and compare stories.
After we had meet all the characters, we went up for desert. This is the plate the girls and I shared.
That's 2 brownies, 2 fruit tarts, a chocolate mousse, a key lime tart, and gummi bears. Gotta have the gummi bears!
I don't know what Jason had for desert. He didn't let me take a picture of it and scarfed them down in about 30 seconds.
We settled the bill and headed out to the monorail to get to the Halloween party. Lucy found a hidden Mickey first though, that we had to document.
And a close-up:
That was a pretty good one, I thought!
Sorry for a sort of boring update. I'm going to leave you all hanging about MNSSHP. I hope to get that update up tomorrow, though.
Newsies
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I LOVE 1900 PARK FARE!!!!!
The food is yummy.
I'm so sorry to hear your interaction with Charming was just meh. I hear he can be a hit-or-miss kind of guy. Ours was luckily a hit and I think my sister fell a little bit in love LOL.
Aren't the Tremaine's the best? They were my favorites this trip. Drizella kept lamenting about how she hated that Cindy got the prince and wished she had a pretty blue dress. And I think we had the same Anastasia!
I'm so happy Lady Tremaine wasn't too scary. She made a little girl very nervous and start to cry when I went.
I love this report. You're a lovely family
The food is yummy.
I'm so sorry to hear your interaction with Charming was just meh. I hear he can be a hit-or-miss kind of guy. Ours was luckily a hit and I think my sister fell a little bit in love LOL.
Aren't the Tremaine's the best? They were my favorites this trip. Drizella kept lamenting about how she hated that Cindy got the prince and wished she had a pretty blue dress. And I think we had the same Anastasia!
I'm so happy Lady Tremaine wasn't too scary. She made a little girl very nervous and start to cry when I went.
I love this report. You're a lovely family
Chicago Mo
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I adore this meet and greet! 1900 was our family's FIRST ADR in Disney ever! so it hold a special place in my heart! Plus we had such a fantastic one. LOVE you had a great experience too!
Loved all your pictures!!! YES HALLOWEEN PICTURES!!!
Loved all your pictures!!! YES HALLOWEEN PICTURES!!!
mickeystoontown
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What great character interaction! Well, except for Prince Charming. He needs to retake "charming" lessons. 
I've not read a single bad report about Lady Tremaine and the step-sisters. They always seem to be in character.
I've not read a single bad report about Lady Tremaine and the step-sisters. They always seem to be in character.
MissMaryQC
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I love the Peter Pan costumes! Florida weather can sometimes make Halloween rough; sweaty costumes are a common occurrence. Glad you shared the full photo with us.
I've heard such great things about the Tremaines, glad they didn't disappoint. I always thought Snow White's Prince was Prince Charming. Maybe Cinderella's Prince was Prince Boring? At least this one! ::rofl2::
You guys find the best Hidden Mickeys!
Can't wait to see how you liked MNSSHP!
I've heard such great things about the Tremaines, glad they didn't disappoint. I always thought Snow White's Prince was Prince Charming. Maybe Cinderella's Prince was Prince Boring? At least this one! ::rofl2::
You guys find the best Hidden Mickeys!
Can't wait to see how you liked MNSSHP!
KatMark
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What a fun update. Sorry the original costume idea didn't work, but you all look great nevertheless.
You have now convinced me that we need to do 1900 for dinner (we weren't crazy for breakfast). The stepsisters sound like a hoot and I know Mark would have a ball with them as we did at the MK a couple of years ago.
Great job by Lucy spotting the hidden Mickey.
You have now convinced me that we need to do 1900 for dinner (we weren't crazy for breakfast). The stepsisters sound like a hoot and I know Mark would have a ball with them as we did at the MK a couple of years ago.
Great job by Lucy spotting the hidden Mickey.
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
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I LOVE 1900 PARK FARE!!!!!
The food is yummy.
It was decent! I'd heard not stellar reviews, but we thought it was tasty and filling.
I'm so sorry to hear your interaction with Charming was just meh. I hear he can be a hit-or-miss kind of guy. Ours was luckily a hit and I think my sister fell a little bit in love LOL.
Yeah, he was a downer, but honestly, we were really there to see the Tremaines. If they would have been blah, it would have been way more disappointing.
Aren't the Tremaine's the best? They were my favorites this trip. Drizella kept lamenting about how she hated that Cindy got the prince and wished she had a pretty blue dress. And I think we had the same Anastasia!
Anastasia was such a riot! They were both good, but she was clearly the star.
I'm so happy Lady Tremaine wasn't too scary. She made a little girl very nervous and start to cry when I went.
Oh no, she was perfect! Just mean enough to make my kids a tiny bit nervous, but also paid them a few compliments so they didn't think she was mean.
I love this report. You're a lovely family
Aw, thanks and welcome! Thanks for reading!
Oh, they are coming! Hopefully tonight! I have a really great on of the Headless Horseman I can't wait to share.
What great character interaction! Well, except for Prince Charming. He needs to retake "charming" lessons.
Everyone was great except Charming. Maybe he just feels overshadowed by the ladies. I can't say I'd blame him. They are the show stealers for sure.
I love the Peter Pan costumes! Florida weather can sometimes make Halloween rough; sweaty costumes are a common occurrence. Glad you shared the full photo with us.
You bet! I wanted Jason to be able to wear his costume so bad (so did he), but he would have been miserable. I had to show what we were supposed t look like, though. That was our Christmas card last year! We were much more comfortable in what we wore. I was able to do shorts with my costume, so it was good.
I've heard such great things about the Tremaines, glad they didn't disappoint. I always thought Snow White's Prince was Prince Charming. Maybe Cinderella's Prince was Prince Boring? At least this one! ::rofl2::
Oh, he was Prince Boring alright. I don't know whose prince was who. Were they both Charming? I know my kids got birthday cards from the characters and it said Prince Charming.
You guys find the best Hidden Mickeys!
We did find some good one, but we also had some help. We got the Hidden Mickey book and looked at some of the clues which made them easier to find, but didn't totally give them away. We still had to look.
Can't wait to see how you liked MNSSHP!
Well, I can tell you we loved it, but I hope to get that update done tonight! Jason has a man-date so the computer should be all mine after the girls go to bed.
Well, like I said, we had a little help from the book, but she actually spotted it on her own once we told her the area to look in. They had a really fun time with that this trip!
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
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Alright. We were there. About to celebrate our favorite holiday at our favorite place. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party was about to begin. After a short monorail ride over from 1900 Park Faire, we were through the gates, bags checked, party wristbands attained, and we were off! This was our second visit to the party. We loved it the first time, but had missed a few things and needed to go again. Also, the Boo to You parade is probably the best one there is. I took a picture as we walked towards the castle.
The CMs were all decked out in their party garb. The sky was beautiful, no threat of rain. The first time we attended the party in 2012 we missed the villains show due to rain, and we were determined to see it this time. We headed towards the castle intent on securing a spot to see the villain show and the parade.It was about 6:30 so it wasn't too crowded yet. Of course we had to stop for some photo pass pics on the way.
And of course Tinkerbell had to get one with Tinkerbell.
We found a spot right in front of the castle and settled in. I had to get a picture with the villains banners on the castle.
Maura then got a hold of the camera and began a photo montage of her daddy. She's actually not to bad. If she just knew how to focus.
Thankfully her daddy is a good sport and plays along! About this time, I ran to the pin store in Frontierland to pick up a couple of the party pins for a friend back home. When I returned, they were playing Halloween music and Maura was doing what she does best, dancing. These are some of my favorite shots, because how often do you get pictures of your kids in front of an empty castle?
Of course then Lucy had to get in on that action
This one is my favorite.
And then the Disney Ducks showed up so we had to watch them for a bit.
Then some bouncing happened.
Then Jason started playing around with the settings on his phone camera. He's such a nerd.
Finally, it was getting darker and the show was about to start. One more picture of the castle with the light on, and then the show starts!
continued in next post
The CMs were all decked out in their party garb. The sky was beautiful, no threat of rain. The first time we attended the party in 2012 we missed the villains show due to rain, and we were determined to see it this time. We headed towards the castle intent on securing a spot to see the villain show and the parade.It was about 6:30 so it wasn't too crowded yet. Of course we had to stop for some photo pass pics on the way.
And of course Tinkerbell had to get one with Tinkerbell.
We found a spot right in front of the castle and settled in. I had to get a picture with the villains banners on the castle.
Maura then got a hold of the camera and began a photo montage of her daddy. She's actually not to bad. If she just knew how to focus.
Thankfully her daddy is a good sport and plays along! About this time, I ran to the pin store in Frontierland to pick up a couple of the party pins for a friend back home. When I returned, they were playing Halloween music and Maura was doing what she does best, dancing. These are some of my favorite shots, because how often do you get pictures of your kids in front of an empty castle?
Of course then Lucy had to get in on that action
This one is my favorite.
And then the Disney Ducks showed up so we had to watch them for a bit.
Then some bouncing happened.
Then Jason started playing around with the settings on his phone camera. He's such a nerd.
Finally, it was getting darker and the show was about to start. One more picture of the castle with the light on, and then the show starts!
continued in next post
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
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So, the show was about to start. It's short, only about 8-10 minutes, but it's action packed and the music and dancing are great. It starts with the Shadowman/Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog. I wasn't sure how the pictures would turn out. I was using my long lens and it was dark. I'm not very skilled in my camera settings, but I'm pretty happy with how they turned out!
Some castle projections:
This is a ghost face on the castle.
Then a whole lotta villains came out to join the party.
I love Maleficent's look in this one.
And just like that, the show was over. You used to be able to meet the villains afterwards, but Disney decided at the last minute this year to charge ANOTHER $90/person to meet them. We declined that. I love Disney as much as you all, but that was kind of a cheap move. They already make a ton of money at this event. Did they have to do that? So, we didn't get to meet Maleficent, who I love, but we had plenty of fun anyway.
It was now going on 8:00, the time the first parade started.
The excitement was growing. Everyone was getting more and more excited for the parade. I took a picture of one of the decos.
Before the parade started, the Headless Horseman had to make his way down the street. The CMs were reminding people to keep everything out of the street while he came down. I'm guessing it's because he's on a horse, and since they can be unpredictable, didn't want anyone to get stepped on. The moment was finally here and he arrived. My girls were nervous and excited. They weren't sure what to expect. Lucy didn't remember it from 2 years prior and Maura had fallen asleep then, so she remembered nothing. The HH is pretty cool.
My kids are now convinced he really has no head and that was really him. I'm sure not going to tell them otherwise.
Since the parade was starting in Frontierland, we had a few minutes. The CMs were doing a great job entertaining the kids while waiting. They were in the street recruiting kids to do the Thriller dance. Of course mine joined in!
It was a nice touch and you could see the CMs were really enjoying themselves.
All of a sudden, the lights went out, and the music started. The first float made it's way down the street.
I was so much happier with how my pictures turned out this year. Last time they were very light and almost hazy. I guess the long lens really helped this time.
First up were the non-scary characters. Some in costume, some not.
continued in next post
Some castle projections:
This is a ghost face on the castle.
Then a whole lotta villains came out to join the party.
I love Maleficent's look in this one.
And just like that, the show was over. You used to be able to meet the villains afterwards, but Disney decided at the last minute this year to charge ANOTHER $90/person to meet them. We declined that. I love Disney as much as you all, but that was kind of a cheap move. They already make a ton of money at this event. Did they have to do that? So, we didn't get to meet Maleficent, who I love, but we had plenty of fun anyway.
It was now going on 8:00, the time the first parade started.
The excitement was growing. Everyone was getting more and more excited for the parade. I took a picture of one of the decos.
Before the parade started, the Headless Horseman had to make his way down the street. The CMs were reminding people to keep everything out of the street while he came down. I'm guessing it's because he's on a horse, and since they can be unpredictable, didn't want anyone to get stepped on. The moment was finally here and he arrived. My girls were nervous and excited. They weren't sure what to expect. Lucy didn't remember it from 2 years prior and Maura had fallen asleep then, so she remembered nothing. The HH is pretty cool.
My kids are now convinced he really has no head and that was really him. I'm sure not going to tell them otherwise.
Since the parade was starting in Frontierland, we had a few minutes. The CMs were doing a great job entertaining the kids while waiting. They were in the street recruiting kids to do the Thriller dance. Of course mine joined in!
It was a nice touch and you could see the CMs were really enjoying themselves.
All of a sudden, the lights went out, and the music started. The first float made it's way down the street.
I was so much happier with how my pictures turned out this year. Last time they were very light and almost hazy. I guess the long lens really helped this time.
First up were the non-scary characters. Some in costume, some not.
continued in next post
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2012
- Messages
- 887
Next up was the pirate section. Featuring Hook and Jack Sparrow. Since I was dressed as Peter Pan, Hook looked right at me and shook his fist at me. I gave it right back!
My girls were swooning when Capt. Jack came by. I think he's their first celebrity crush. Great. A sweaty, drunk man with dreadlocks who steals stuff. Great choice, girls. I'm kidding. I love him as much as they do!
Next was MY favorite section of the parade. The Haunted Mansion portion. Yes, they dedicate a whole section of the parade to my very favorite ride. It doesn't really get much better!
The grave keeper and his dog:
The grave diggers. These guys did a little dance, and their shovels sparked when they draggeed? drug? them on the ground.
Madame Leota
The party guests. These costumes were amazing. They had cobwebs hanging off of them.
The Hitchhiking Ghosts
Next was the cowboy/farm part. I guess this isn't very "Halloweenie" to me, but it's still fun and we got to see Clarabell the Cow.
Maura was excited to see her new friends B'rer Bear, B'rer Fox, and B'rer Rabbit. Since she had a new found love of Splash, it was really cool for her to see them. She did keep asking if they were going to throw B'rer Rabbit in the briar patch, though.
This. Chicken. I don't even know who she is, but she's perched up there clucking away and shaking her wing at everyone. For whatever reason, I just found it hilarious and couldn't stop laughing.
This part was new from last time! Wreck-it-Ralph and Vannelope! The movie hadn't come out yet 2 years ago, but they were a fun addition! We love that movie in our house and the girls were so excited to see them.
Ralph's hands are HUGE!
These giant candy corns were fun. Maura thought they were real and was hoping she could eat some.
Next was Goofy riding his candy bicycle.
Now was when the villains started their section. They hyena's were first.
Skeleton band.
continued in next post
My girls were swooning when Capt. Jack came by. I think he's their first celebrity crush. Great. A sweaty, drunk man with dreadlocks who steals stuff. Great choice, girls.
I'm kidding. I love him as much as they do!Next was MY favorite section of the parade. The Haunted Mansion portion. Yes, they dedicate a whole section of the parade to my very favorite ride. It doesn't really get much better!
The grave keeper and his dog:
The grave diggers. These guys did a little dance, and their shovels sparked when they draggeed? drug? them on the ground.
Madame Leota
The party guests. These costumes were amazing. They had cobwebs hanging off of them.
The Hitchhiking Ghosts
Next was the cowboy/farm part. I guess this isn't very "Halloweenie" to me, but it's still fun and we got to see Clarabell the Cow.
Maura was excited to see her new friends B'rer Bear, B'rer Fox, and B'rer Rabbit. Since she had a new found love of Splash, it was really cool for her to see them. She did keep asking if they were going to throw B'rer Rabbit in the briar patch, though.
This. Chicken. I don't even know who she is, but she's perched up there clucking away and shaking her wing at everyone. For whatever reason, I just found it hilarious and couldn't stop laughing.
This part was new from last time! Wreck-it-Ralph and Vannelope! The movie hadn't come out yet 2 years ago, but they were a fun addition! We love that movie in our house and the girls were so excited to see them.
Ralph's hands are HUGE!
These giant candy corns were fun. Maura thought they were real and was hoping she could eat some.
Next was Goofy riding his candy bicycle.
Now was when the villains started their section. They hyena's were first.
Skeleton band.
continued in next post
Clarf
Haunted Mansion or Bust.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2012
- Messages
- 887
More villains. I love the Big Bad Wolf's tongue.
My fave!
Love the Evil Queen's face!
And that ended the parade. We weren't going to stay for the fireworks right now. Even though it's a really great show, we wanted to do some other stuff. We figured we'd catch at least some of them from wherever we happened to be in the park. We had to make a pit stop first and stopped at the Rapunzel bathrooms. People weren't kidding. What a beautiful area! And at night? With the lanterns lit up? Forget it! I had to take a picture.
We decided to hit some of the trick or treat spots. Jason and I weren't going to collect any candy, but they handed us each a bag at the front of the park and insisted. We found our first spot in Fantasyland, and they do NOT skimp on the candy. And it's not crap candy. It's Snickers and Reeses and M&M's and 3 Musketeers and, well, you get the gist. And, they don't just give you 1 or 2 pieces. They give you HANDFULLS! At every spot. So, the kids were happy. Did I take a picture? Of course I didn't. Why? Because I suck, that's why. You may as well just stop reading right now.
Still here? Well, thanks for staying, even after my lameness with no t or t pics. After a couple of stops, we had to go on Haunted Mansion. Afterall, it was the Halloween party and what better thing to ride at a Halloween party than the haunted ride? So, with a little apprehension from the kids, off we went. And, even though it was the same ride, I think it was much better at the party. When we got off the ride, the Pet Cemetery was all aglow. It looked so cool. Jason got a couple of good pictures with his phone.
And then I was in search of the elusive MNSSHP Magic Shots. We found the first one right at the exit to the ride. Get ready, it's pretty awesome.
Cool, huh? And that lady in white in the background? Middle left of the picture? She was sitting in the grass telling stories. She was creepy and cool.
Just under the bridge that holds Columbia Harbor House, going from Liberty Square to Fantasyland, we found the other Magic Shot PP. Get ready, this one is just as good.
I could not wait to see those, and they certainly didn't disappoint.
I'm going to leave you here for tonight, but coming up next is a super scary and rarely-found meet and greet, and ride-a-palooza!
My fave!
Love the Evil Queen's face!
And that ended the parade. We weren't going to stay for the fireworks right now. Even though it's a really great show, we wanted to do some other stuff. We figured we'd catch at least some of them from wherever we happened to be in the park. We had to make a pit stop first and stopped at the Rapunzel bathrooms. People weren't kidding. What a beautiful area! And at night? With the lanterns lit up? Forget it! I had to take a picture.
We decided to hit some of the trick or treat spots. Jason and I weren't going to collect any candy, but they handed us each a bag at the front of the park and insisted. We found our first spot in Fantasyland, and they do NOT skimp on the candy. And it's not crap candy. It's Snickers and Reeses and M&M's and 3 Musketeers and, well, you get the gist. And, they don't just give you 1 or 2 pieces. They give you HANDFULLS! At every spot. So, the kids were happy. Did I take a picture? Of course I didn't. Why? Because I suck, that's why. You may as well just stop reading right now.
Still here? Well, thanks for staying, even after my lameness with no t or t pics. After a couple of stops, we had to go on Haunted Mansion. Afterall, it was the Halloween party and what better thing to ride at a Halloween party than the haunted ride? So, with a little apprehension from the kids, off we went. And, even though it was the same ride, I think it was much better at the party. When we got off the ride, the Pet Cemetery was all aglow. It looked so cool. Jason got a couple of good pictures with his phone.
And then I was in search of the elusive MNSSHP Magic Shots. We found the first one right at the exit to the ride. Get ready, it's pretty awesome.
Cool, huh? And that lady in white in the background? Middle left of the picture? She was sitting in the grass telling stories. She was creepy and cool.
Just under the bridge that holds Columbia Harbor House, going from Liberty Square to Fantasyland, we found the other Magic Shot PP. Get ready, this one is just as good.
I could not wait to see those, and they certainly didn't disappoint.
I'm going to leave you here for tonight, but coming up next is a super scary and rarely-found meet and greet, and ride-a-palooza!
Chicago Mo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2010
- Messages
- 7,613
I am in awe over the pictures you have!!!! they all came out FANTASTIC!!! As you know i am also a sucker for Halloween.. I am sorry the villains didn't come out. Like you i think it's crap they are doing that extra dessert party villain M&G. 
Bogus. i wont' pay for it either! Did you read the review it got? I haven't read a positive note on it yet.
The PARADE! i was singing the song the whole time looking at all your amazing pictures!
because i am cool like that.
"Great. A sweaty, drunk man with dreadlocks who steals stuff. Great choice, girls. "
Not that there is anything wrong with -a sweaty, drunk man with dreadlocks who steals stuff...... Right?
This is great too:
"Did I take a picture? Of course I didn't. Why? Because I suck, that's why. You may as well just stop reading right now"
CRACK ME UP!!!!
I am TOTALLY JEALOUS over your Hitchhiking ghost PP.. The PP guy was NOT out because of the rain and we never got this one.
can't wait for more!
Bogus. i wont' pay for it either! Did you read the review it got? I haven't read a positive note on it yet. The PARADE! i was singing the song the whole time looking at all your amazing pictures!
because i am cool like that. "Great. A sweaty, drunk man with dreadlocks who steals stuff. Great choice, girls. "
Not that there is anything wrong with -a sweaty, drunk man with dreadlocks who steals stuff...... Right?This is great too:
"Did I take a picture? Of course I didn't. Why? Because I suck, that's why. You may as well just stop reading right now"
CRACK ME UP!!!! I am TOTALLY JEALOUS over your Hitchhiking ghost PP.. The PP guy was NOT out because of the rain and we never got this one.
can't wait for more!
KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
Holy updates, lady. So much cool stuff to read and look at.
I love the photopass pics as you entered MK.
And the girls dancing....just too cute.
Great pictures at the Villians show.
I really think that stiinks that they did that with the extra $90. I loved the MNSSHP the two times we went. But I won't go anymore because the prices are getting out of control and they oversell the party and you can't get much done (and I sure as heck don't need to trick or treat). But to not let you get autographs of the villians and charge more for that is just ridiculous.
What awesome parade pictures. If I could just see the parade every trip, I'd be happy. And you got some great shots of all of it, but especially the headless horseman and the Haunted Mansion section.
Speaking of the HM, that's such a cool ride at night, and your photopass pictures after the ride are THE BEST!
I love the photopass pics as you entered MK.
And the girls dancing....just too cute.
Great pictures at the Villians show.
I really think that stiinks that they did that with the extra $90. I loved the MNSSHP the two times we went. But I won't go anymore because the prices are getting out of control and they oversell the party and you can't get much done (and I sure as heck don't need to trick or treat). But to not let you get autographs of the villians and charge more for that is just ridiculous.
What awesome parade pictures. If I could just see the parade every trip, I'd be happy. And you got some great shots of all of it, but especially the headless horseman and the Haunted Mansion section.
Speaking of the HM, that's such a cool ride at night, and your photopass pictures after the ride are THE BEST!
MissMaryQC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2013
- Messages
- 1,809
I love this update!! 
k:
I've never done a MNSSHP and as much as I wanted to go after reading this I wanna go even more!
The photos of the girls in front of the castle before the parade are awesome. Moments like those are so wonderful, glad you caught it on camera.
The. Villains show looks like such fun! I'm kinda POed that they don't stay to say hi anymore. I mean could Disney do both the special ticket event AND the meet after the show? We even considered the event, but $270 for four desserts and some singing on top of the tickets to MNSSHP was just too much.
I love that the girls were convinced the HH was real! Your parade photos are great. Who is that chicken?! She looks like one of the black birds from Dumbo, but I know that's not it. Stuff like that drives me
when I can't place a character.
The Tangle themed rest area looks so pretty! Why in the world would they make in a toilet and nothing else? Even a meet and greet spot would've been more fun
Those Magic Shots are awesome! I love that y'all get into them so much! My family is really looking forward to taking as many of those as possible.
I do also want to say that I love that Maura's mermaid make-up is still visible in some of the photos she reminds me of my sis, a lot (that's a good thing).
k:I've never done a MNSSHP and as much as I wanted to go after reading this I wanna go even more!
The photos of the girls in front of the castle before the parade are awesome. Moments like those are so wonderful, glad you caught it on camera.
The. Villains show looks like such fun! I'm kinda POed that they don't stay to say hi anymore. I mean could Disney do both the special ticket event AND the meet after the show? We even considered the event, but $270 for four desserts and some singing on top of the tickets to MNSSHP was just too much.
I love that the girls were convinced the HH was real! Your parade photos are great. Who is that chicken?! She looks like one of the black birds from Dumbo, but I know that's not it. Stuff like that drives me
when I can't place a character. The Tangle themed rest area looks so pretty! Why in the world would they make in a toilet and nothing else? Even a meet and greet spot would've been more fun
Those Magic Shots are awesome! I love that y'all get into them so much! My family is really looking forward to taking as many of those as possible.
I do also want to say that I love that Maura's mermaid make-up is still visible in some of the photos
she reminds me of my sis, a lot (that's a good thing).-
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