From Europe to Africa in America - A Sisters' Expedition

[lovealldisney]

Nice update ladies! That fish look yummy but I wouldn't have know where to start eating it! And good thing I didn't order fish in Germany, I wouldn't have known what to do with a fish fork! I would have looked like a fool! Is it simalar to a normal fork? Eating in general I felt foolish, everyone in Europe ate so elegantly. That is the first thing I noticed while there.

 

[vamassey1]

Wonderful updates!

I can see your joy at being in the MK. I too like the pictures with your camera better. I also like the choices you made for your short time there. I'm going to really miss ToonTown, so many details there. BTM at night is the best! Great pictures on the Teacups. Sadly that's one of the rides I can't so. Can't take going round and round, I would be doing a lot more than just seeing stars.

Aside from your waiter you diner sounded very nice and relaxing. I love seafood since it's really big here in Louisiana but I've never had a whole fish.

I hope your last day was great and the rain stayed away.

 

[Flossbolna]

Wonderful updates!

I can see your joy at being in the MK. I too like the pictures with your camera better. I also like the choices you made for your short time there. I'm going to really miss ToonTown, so many details there. BTM at night is the best! Great pictures on the Teacups. Sadly that's one of the rides I can't so. Can't take going round and round, I would be doing a lot more than just seeing stars.

Aside from your waiter you diner sounded very nice and relaxing. I love seafood since it's really big here in Louisiana but I've never had a whole fish.

I hope your last day was great and the rain stayed away.

I was really glad that we got that later afternoon at MK. I had been a bit sad that our experience there hadn't been so good due to the weather. But this was just lovely.

The weather on the very last day will be interesting...

Nice update ladies! That fish look yummy but I wouldn't have know where to start eating it! And good thing I didn't order fish in Germany, I wouldn't have known what to do with a fish fork! I would have looked like a fool! Is it simalar to a normal fork? Eating in general I felt foolish, everyone in Europe ate so elegantly. That is the first thing I noticed while there.

Actually eating a whole fish isn't that difficult, but it definitely helps if someone shows you! The next time you are in Germany we should go to a place that has trout (my favourite fish!) and I can show you how to do it!

Don't worry about how you eat: I don't think one way is more elegant or foolish than the other. Things like that vary from culture to culture and you just do it the way that is acceptable where you come from! I have been told that in China it is considered to be polite to slurp your soup...

 

[Flossbolna]

Today we wanted to try another rope drop at DHS and we were really hoping that we weren't going to be as wet as on our first day there!

We got up at 6:30 am and after another breakfast of the kid's Mickey waffles for me (did I mention that I love them?) and a Breakfast platter for Katharina (potatoes for breakfast, mmmmmmm) , we were at the AKL bus stop at 7:57am and a bus appeared immediately. Once again we were nearly the first people to arrive at DHS!

And as you can see in the picture: the sun is shining!!!!!

I was so excited to experience the morning with sun light that I had to document our view of the park from our turnstile:

It just looks so much more inviting when the sky isn't a dark grey but a light blue.

We got through our gate quickly and this time both of us had a spot directly at the rope:

Instead of a heavy downpour, today we were treated to the little preshow they have. A director is coming to film us head into the park as scene for his newest movie. It is quite funny as he gives directions to different park guests:

The crowd behind us was considerably larger than it had been on that rainy day, but thanks to my pole position and our routine with this, I was able to be the first person at one of the FP machines for Toy Story Mania. I was very proud of myself. What I thought was funny, was that the guy behind me didn't wait until my FP was printed, but immediately after I had removed my second ticket, put in his ticket (he asked, so I was ok with that). And this did save him some seconds. I don't think it is a necessary method to speed things up, but it actually did. I thought it was quite funny!

We had a great ride on TSM, didn't score anything exciting, and then headed back towards the thrill rides while enjoying the beauty of DHS in the sunlight:

I think, I really need to eat at the Brown Derby next time...

Me too.

We really liked the “Farmer's Market” area at DHS. I visited the LA Farmer's Market when I was in California and you can really tell that this is where they got their inspiration from.

We again really enjoyed R'nRC, did not have any wait at all. It is interesting how different it feels than in Paris. We think it might be the traffic signs which make the difference? I know that the track is actually the same, but Katharina thought that in Paris you go directly into the loop from launch??

I actually did some research on this topic in preparation for our upcoming trip to DLP to find out what the differences are. The theming is indeed very different: You are actually experiencing a concert on the roller coaster. So there aren't any signs, but a rock concert light show to go with the track – and that's the best: it is actually different for every track that can be played. So depending on what song you hear, your experience is different. I was quite excited to hear that and I guess we need to ride this coaster multiple times when we are in Paris!!

Our next stop was ToT, but here the standby wait was already 35 minutes. We decided to rather get a FP and come back later. But we took the chance and got a Photopass picture:

with my camera:

and then the official ones:

Our plan was to catch some more streetmosphere, but since at that moment nothing was happening, we thought we would get some coffee in the mean time. We went into Starring Rolls in hope of getting a coffee there. But wow, this place was crowded!! We just had decided to try our luck somewhere else when someone said “Hi Magdalene!” and after an initial shock that someone knows my name, I realized that it was Laura (RachelTori) a fellow DISer from the Jambo AKL thread. We knew that she had just arrived at AKL for her birthday trip and we were already looking forward to meet her later that evening at the AKL bar! It was nice to bump into her in the park already!

Katharina really knew her way around the park now! Her suggestion for an alternative coffee source was the Writer's Stop. A small shop to the left of the entrance to the SciFi diner which is a small bookshop/coffee shop. Well, perhaps she had only memorized the good coffee places? I some much wanted to impress you at least once eith some information about WDW you didn't know. And it worked! Doesn't matter, I was impressed and this was our next destination. So we walked all the way there, got our coffee (from two lovely, but very slow ladies!) and then walked all the way back to Sunset Boulevard. I always thought that DHS feels rather small, but then we felt like we were running around quite a bit.

Once there, there wasn't anything happening still... On a website dedicated to DHS called www.studioscentral.com I had found this article about how to see the Citizens of Hollywood. The owner of the website is Matt Hochberg who is one of the hosts of the wdwtoday podcast. The thing I had learned was that during the morning the Citizens appear during the morning always at 30 minutes past the hour. So we knew that they should come out shortly... We had a look over on Hollywood Boulevard and there we saw something going on:

However, we did not really get into this act, so we decided to check back on Sunset Boulevard and there we found a shareholder meeting going on which we joined:

There was some discussion about the hairstyle of the newest star, which one she should get and I was called upon to demonstrate the “Shirley Temple” style. I thought that this was quite fun!

Continued in Part 2

 

[Flossbolna]

Then it was time for our TSM FP to be used. We walked through the FP line until the merge point. When I first rode TSM in 2009 I was not pleased with how long the wait was from this merge point until you finally got on the ride. This time we got the merge point and were stopped by the CM. Some people from the standby line got to go before us. Then nobody got to go anymore, a CM appeared from a walkway to the right of the stairs you go up to the loading platform. She talked with the CM at the merge point and then a family from the standby line and us were asked to follow this CM. And we ended up in the bay for the vehicles for riders with special challenges! We got to go on a vehicle immediately. And Katharina got a very special gun:

Nothing to pull, but just a button to hit! We waited briefly and then we were merged into the stream of normal vehicles. I am sure it saved us at least another 5 minutes in line! We were wondering wether it would actually be easier for Katharina to hit more things because the button seemed to be quicker to operate. But in the end we both had about the same score as before.

We then walked through the Streets of America and just enjoyed the atmosphere down there in the brilliant sunshine!

We got some more Photopass pictures, again the first pictures is with my own camera:

And we took some more pictures of the sights here:

It was nearly 12 pm now and we wanted to get some lunch. We had some difficulty deciding what to get and decided to share a burger and a salad at Backlot Express. While I ordered the food Katharina said she had to buy something and went off in search for what she wanted to get. We did not get any drink, instead I just asked for water. They gave us just some cups which we could fill with water at the self serve drink station. We thought that was great. The water was cold and refreshing and was free from the normal Florida taste! I have heard about this many times that all CS restaurants will give you a cup of water for free (even if you don't eat there). I think this is a great way to stay hydrated!

I had this salad before and loved it, but this time it was very bland. I think the dressing was not nearly as good as before. The thing we like best about this meal: the fries...

Katharina was very disappointed that she did not get what she had wanted to buy: a book as present for me to say thank you for being her tour guide! I thought that this was a very sweet thought and she came up with another idea on what she would get for me!

I had actually seen the book at Writer's stop when we bought our coffee and had tried to buy it covertly. But Magdalene was too nosy. When I returned it was sold... And know I don't remember at all what book it was.

(Psssst... hint: The Windows of Main Street)

And then it was time for our last stop at DHS for this trip: use the FP for ToT! Once we got there, the standby line was already 70 minutes and I was surprised because the park did not feel that crowded. But once we got into the boiler room we saw the reason: only one elevator was operating!

On the way out we had a look in the shops and there Katharina bought the present for me:

A Minnie apron! Our mother used to be a home economics teacher and she was always very strict about wearing aprons when working in the kitchen. These things stay with you and Katharina and I still use aprons when cooking (it is really practical and prevents spots on good clothing!). So this was a very useful gift which I use a lot and always am happy when I put it on! Katharina liked it so much that she got one for herself as well.

On our way out we saw some more streetmosphere, but did not stop. However I was amused by the name of the “director” who was making a film:

It was obviously a German name and it had quite a meaning to it. The way it was said sounded like bonbon which is the German word (derived from French) for hard candy. But the way it was spelled it means “Bonn Railway” - Bonn being the name of the seat of government for West Germany and then the reunified Germany until the government moved to Berlin in 1999. Pretty clever name!

And then it was time to say goodbye to DHS – on to the bus which would take us to the Epcot main entrance since we first wanted to stop in Future World. This was a good bus day as the bus was at the bus stop and left just after we boarded.

Up Next: Chapter 36: Even more successful shopping!

 

[podsnel]

Well those were a lot of great updates!! We ate at Narcoosees last May, and I have to say, I think it is a very pretty restaurant with a spectacular location, but it is my least favorite of the Signatures (and I have eaten at all of them now). I am so glad you had a better experience there than we did (although two of us loved it, the other three of us were not happy at all). And none of us liked our server- she was a big fat ZERO!! But the maitre'd was very nice. I like whole fish, as long as the bones are big- one missed bone and I am done!

What a wonderful & sunny day in DHS! That's very interesting about RnRC- I hope I get to ride the one in Paris sometime in the next 5 years so I can compare myself! I really LOVE that ride!

 

[jenbear123]

Very cool gun at TSM. How did you manage to get on from the special needs entrance? Looks like a lovely morning at DHS. Good to know that buses come that early

 

[vamassey1]

Wow what a beautiful day!

I have to say the Photo Pass photographer at DHS did better than the one at MK.

Three biggest rides in DHS done in record time!

Your aprons are lovely! I really need to get me one. I have a natural shelf that catches everything or ends up bumping everything. Can't count the number of shirts I've ruined in the kitchen. My daughter picked up the red with polka dots apron while we were there but it only covers the bottom half. I need one like yours.

 

[lovealldisney]

Lovely update. That apron is adorable! Good job Katharina and finding an alternate place for coffee! It looks like the day must have much warmer than previous days.

 

[glennbo123]

Glad you had a nice, sunny morning at DHS!

Sounds like overkill on that guy's part at the TSM fastpass machine. I mean, he was already 2nd in line, right?

Okay, I'm getting closer and closer to understanding where the Writer's Stop is. Is it in this picture of mine from my Sci-Fi chapter....behind the sign that says "Terror, Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater" and behind the hard-to-spot Judy and Marlene sitting on the ledge?

Very cool gun at TSM. How did you manage to get on from the special needs entrance? Looks like a lovely morning at DHS. Good to know that buses come that early

It figures that Jenbear would be all over that gun. Anything for a better score, right?

 

[All7OfUs]

Yikes so much to comment on! I will have to re-read later this afternoon, and add my comments then. But the short answer is that Wow you had a wonderful sunny day and a great start!

 

[marvali]

Okay, I'm getting closer and closer to understanding where the Writer's Stop is. Is it in this picture of mine from my Sci-Fi chapter....behind the sign that says "Terror, Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater" and behind the hard-to-spot Judy and Marlene sitting on the ledge?

1 Judy!

Some great updates Magdalene! So glad the weather finally cooperated for you! And so many pictures where the crowd is almost nonexistent!!! Hard to believe you had any wait times anywhere!

BTW, I know you are busy but there is a new contest up over on my TR!!! Probably have until this weekend to respond!!!

 

[All7OfUs]

Yay for a sunny start! That's always so cheery!

I love how Bo says "good morning" to everyone first thing!

I have to comment on the Carthay. That's where Snow White premiered, right?? I think I remember that from my Hidden Magic book. Nice shot!

I love the history that goes along with the Victory Gardens. What a tough time in our country. This year will have to be a big gardening year for us too, since times are so lean. We aren't at war, but being unemployed makes one very industrious.


Sorry your salad was so "meh". That's disappointing! Sounds like my drink.

But that apron is truly lovely. I love the spring like fabric, and could wear that for a quick pick-me-up any time of the year! Good choice, Katharina!

I have a bit of my own experience with that gun- I'll save comment on my opinion of it until later...

That IS a hilarious play on words with the Bonn Bahn sign. I just love stuff like that! Something new at every turn, isnt' there!!?

 

[Poolrat]

Okay, I'm getting closer and closer to understanding where the Writer's Stop is. Is it in this picture of mine from my Sci-Fi chapter....behind the sign that says "Terror, Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater" and behind the hard-to-spot Judy and Marlene sitting on the ledge?

1 Judy!

Marv beat me to it. Great minds again Marv.


Writers stop is to the left of that picture. Where Judy and Marlene are are by the ABC commissary.

The Writers Stop actually looks like it might be just a store front but it is actually a little coffee/bookstore.

I will look through my pictures to see if I can find one for you.

 

[Poolrat]

Does this help at ALL??????

Click on the link below


Writers Stop

Cynthia has a picture from the other side here.

Cynthia's picture of Writers stop

 

[Flossbolna]

Well those were a lot of great updates!! We ate at Narcoosees last May, and I have to say, I think it is a very pretty restaurant with a spectacular location, but it is my least favorite of the Signatures (and I have eaten at all of them now). I am so glad you had a better experience there than we did (although two of us loved it, the other three of us were not happy at all). And none of us liked our server- she was a big fat ZERO!! But the maitre'd was very nice. I like whole fish, as long as the bones are big- one missed bone and I am done!

What a wonderful & sunny day in DHS! That's very interesting about RnRC- I hope I get to ride the one in Paris sometime in the next 5 years so I can compare myself! I really LOVE that ride!

I still haven't eaten at Yachtman's Steakhouse and Citricos from the signature line up. But so far, I think Narcoossee's is my least favourite as well. It still ranks higher than most other non-signature restaurants. At least food wise, if you consider value for money, it might be different... But your server sounds much worse than ours...

I am quite excited to get to try RnRC at Paris in 11 days!! I hope you will be able to make that trip to Paris in the next 5 years!

Very cool gun at TSM. How did you manage to get on from the special needs entrance? Looks like a lovely morning at DHS. Good to know that buses come that early

I think the resort to park buses start running very early, I think at least two hours before normal park opening, if not earlier. Many non-transportation CMs don't know that and will tell you that the buses start one hour before park opening. But the bus drivers (who know about how buses work at WDW) will be able to tell you the exact time. Or the transportation board people here on the DIS.

Getting into the special needs entrance was plain luck. I think they did not have anyone in line needing it, so they just filled it with regular people.

Wow what a beautiful day!

I have to say the Photo Pass photographer at DHS did better than the one at MK.

Three biggest rides in DHS done in record time!

Your aprons are lovely! I really need to get me one. I have a natural shelf that catches everything or ends up bumping everything. Can't count the number of shirts I've ruined in the kitchen. My daughter picked up the red with polka dots apron while we were there but it only covers the bottom half. I need one like yours.

It was a brilliant day and a wonderful redo after that rainy day we had the other day. I must say that despite the weather I think our DHS days were the highlights of the trip...

And you are right about the PP photographers. I think we had the best ones at DHS and at Epcot (some good pictures coming in the next update). The MK ones seemed rather bored with their job, but this might have been draw of the luck.

Sounds like an apron would be a good thing for you!

 

[Flossbolna]

Lovely update. That apron is adorable! Good job Katharina and finding an alternate place for coffee! It looks like the day must have much warmer than previous days.

It was a warmer day, but not really hot either. I think if the whole trip had been like that day we would have been very happy!

Glad you had a nice, sunny morning at DHS!

Sounds like overkill on that guy's part at the TSM fastpass machine. I mean, he was already 2nd in line, right?

Okay, I'm getting closer and closer to understanding where the Writer's Stop is. Is it in this picture of mine from my Sci-Fi chapter....behind the sign that says "Terror, Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater" and behind the hard-to-spot Judy and Marlene sitting on the ledge?

It was a wonderful morning! The guy was a bit strange, but I found it more amusing than intrusive.

The building you are referring to would be the ABC Commissary. But if you stand exactly where you did when you took this picture and then turn counterclockwise about 90-120 degrees, you will look directly at the Writer's Stop. I hope this helps!

 

[Flossbolna]

1 Judy!

Some great updates Magdalene! So glad the weather finally cooperated for you! And so many pictures where the crowd is almost nonexistent!!! Hard to believe you had any wait times anywhere!

BTW, I know you are busy but there is a new contest up over on my TR!!! Probably have until this weekend to respond!!!

I don't think that Judys on other threads count (especially if it is you who finds the Judy in question - if one takes past rulings of the Rules Committee in account).

It was such a wonderful day! Days like that are what my previous January trips had been like and they are the reason why I loved that time for WDW...

Yay for a sunny start! That's always so cheery!

I love how Bo says "good morning" to everyone first thing!

I have to comment on the Carthay. That's where Snow White premiered, right?? I think I remember that from my Hidden Magic book. Nice shot!

I love the history that goes along with the Victory Gardens. What a tough time in our country. This year will have to be a big gardening year for us too, since times are so lean. We aren't at war, but being unemployed makes one very industrious.


Sorry your salad was so "meh". That's disappointing! Sounds like my drink.

But that apron is truly lovely. I love the spring like fabric, and could wear that for a quick pick-me-up any time of the year! Good choice, Katharina!

I have a bit of my own experience with that gun- I'll save comment on my opinion of it until later...

That IS a hilarious play on words with the Bonn Bahn sign. I just love stuff like that! Something new at every turn, isnt' there!!?

You are right about the Carthay! I really love all the references to buildings in Los Angeles that you can find in DHS. I did see quite a few of them in person when I was in California in 2005 and its fun to see the Disney version of them. Like the Farmer's Market.

The Victory Garden is really interesting. Last year when I was in London I went to an exhibition in the Imperial War Museum on the "Ministry of Food" which was responsible for organizing feeding the UK during WW II. It was really interesting. One story which really impressed me was about rationing and how it continued for quite some time after WW II. The last thing which stopped being rationed was candy. And there was the story of a little girl who would not stop crying when she was told that there weren't any coupons for chocolate anymore. She could not understand that this meant that you could just buy as much chocolate as you wanted, but thought that this for sure meant that you could not buy any chocolate at all!

I hope you wil be a successful gardener! But I also hope that the reason for your gardening effort will go away soon!

Marv beat me to it. Great minds again Marv.


Writers stop is to the left of that picture. Where Judy and Marlene are are by the ABC commissary.

The Writers Stop actually looks like it might be just a store front but it is actually a little coffee/bookstore.

I will look through my pictures to see if I can find one for you.

Does this help at ALL??????

Click on the link below


Writers Stop

Cynthia has a picture from the other side here.

Cynthia's picture of Writers stop

Thanks for all the effort Pat! I think Glenn should really be able to find the Writer's Stop now! And perhaps that should get you a bonus point in his Judy-do game!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow, you're an updating machine! I can't keep up.

I don't really have too much to say about the fish at Narcoossee's. Other than... Bleh.

If I order a steak, I don't want to see the rest of the cow. Same goes for the fish.

Your photos from DHS are terrific! I love seeing the park empty and in beautiful light.

 

[englishrose47]

Magdalene you do realise that you captured a Pix of my HOT ITALIAN !!!

Did he ask about me ???