Going Out With a Bang (May 5-17th Trip Report)- Magical Friendship Faire SECRETS!

[kylenne]

As Pearson Airport is extremely terrible,

Loving your report so far but this made me howl laughing because it’s so true. About the only good thing I can say about YYZ is you can order wine on iPads at the gate when your flight is inevitably delayed. It’s the pits though.

And man I hear you about the exchange rate. My partner’s Canadian and I’m footing more of the bill for our recent trips just because CAD is so weak vs USD now. Everything’s costing her more.

 

[Jabroniville]

Loving your report so far but this made me howl laughing because it’s so true. About the only good thing I can say about YYZ is you can order wine on iPads at the gate when your flight is inevitably delayed. It’s the pits though.

And man I hear you about the exchange rate. My partner’s Canadian and I’m footing more of the bill for our recent trips just because CAD is so weak vs USD now. Everything’s costing her more.

LOL I did like the airport having enough stuff to make a 22-hour layover a little more tolerable, what with all the restaurants and shops they had. Stupid WestJet.

And yes, I think the exchange rate kicked an even bigger hole than usual this time around- my last trip was SUPER expensive but this seemed almost a thousand dollars more, and that's with only an extra day added and cheaper passes this time around! Sure I spent an unnecessary amount on restaurant-quality meals but HOLY COW.

 

[Jabroniville]

A fun little trap door at the very bottom of the castle by the moat. Does anyone ever actually come through here during the day? I'd imagine custodial sometimes has to get in there to clean stuff up.

DAY THREE- THE MAGIC KINGDOM:
-So today, after a whole day at Animal Kingdom THEN Magic Kingdom, I returned to the latter park for a full day- 8:30am-10pm. This being my fifth trip, I pretty much knew what to expect. Given that the previous day had been INSANELY full (something like a 5:30 wakeup to going home at 1 am) I was slow enough getting up and about that I knew I'd be too late for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train- I was talking with a fellow Canadian on the bus to MK about how if you see a lineup to the end of Cosmic Ray's, don't even bother- you'll be waiting more than an hour for the ride. I think I bought a singular Genie+ pass for it this day, even though I'm not the BIGGEST fan of the attraction.

I'll split this one up into a few parts, as I went a bit nuts with photos and need to edit it down a tad, haha. Plus there's some stuff that kind of reflects on the rest of the trip and I want to get it down first.

The day's end result, lol.

THE SAGA OF THE WIPED-OFF SUNSCREEN:
Annoyingly, despite being fairly careful about sunscreen application, especially as I'd had no issues the day before at Animal Kingdom, today I made a cardinal mistake: I put on all the sunscreen on BEFORE putting on my shirt (to avoid greasiness and to ensure I covered everything), but hadn't realized that my Wicked shirt was tighter in the collar and the sleeves than the other one I'd worn. This meant that putting it on scraped off sunscreen on my forehead AND my right arm without realizing it. Scraping sunscreen has always been a thing, but I'd never seen it be that big of an issue before, since sunscreen is so greasy and just cakes on in general, RIGHT?

Well about halfway through the day (ie. after I could have done anything about it) I began to realize that both my arm and my forehead were burning. I was confused, given how thorough I'd been, but sure enough, I eventually realized what was happening (especially as my Magic Band, which I'd been wearing while putting on the lotion, had slipped about an inch further down and revealed a red band of burning). So I ended up with major red streaks all along my arm and a huge red patch on my forehead. As I'd been eager to avoid bad-looking burns/tans for this trip and had messed up on DAY THREE, I was pretty put out, haha. So I had a couple days of weird-looking pictures to go through.

It'd be a couple of days before I'd get sick of burning alive in the heat and just by a hat. When you have no hair, the sun in a cloudless sky can actually feel REALLY bad and that made a big difference. I wish I'd at least brought the one hat I did have here, considering I was stuck with a "folded up hat in my side-satchel" either way and now had a burn.

HOWEVER, all was not lost- this was arguably the least bad burn I've had at Disney, since past times I had forgotten sunscreen ENTIRELY or only did my head and not my face, and this time around there was no peeling or anything.

Anna & Elsa during the "And YOU are..." portion of Olaf's speech and during the last number.

The Finale of the "Land of the Enchanted Woodland" portion of MFF. This big guy played Vladamir during 2-3 days' worth of shows.

FRIENDSHIP FAIRES & PARADES:

So for anyone who's followed past Trip Reports, it's kind of ended up being that Parades and Shows are my "Go-To" attractions. Rides, you can do whenever and I've done them all a hundred times apiece by this point. But the shows can have little changes every time. So every day at the Magic Kingdom, I would spend more time watching the Magical Friendship Faire than anything else- five shows a day if possible (though they never had all 5 operational during my trip, haha). As Elsa is my favorite, seeing her every day was more important than my 900th Jungle Cruise trip, though I made the best rides a priority still.

This became a bit tricky to match out with dining reservations and Genie+, as the app would often slam you in very staggered rides throughout the day, to the point where you'd often be doubled up. Especially bad with the TRON ride's waiting list being an extra that could be any time. Oftentimes I had to shove the ride time right after a show or wait just long enough that I couldn't necessarily do another thing in the meantime. This could be a bit annoying, but this IS part of why I booked a long trip on purpose!

Elsa's Number!

The other big thing being parades, I sorta realized partway through that "Hey... didn't there used to be TWO parades a day?" Yes, in fact, they often run the Festival of Fantasy Parade twice daily- 12pm & 3pm- but during this trip it was exclusively a 3pm show. I was a bit bummed to learn that- I obviously hadn't plotted that into my daily routines because I wasn't even thinking about things like that (I often pick springtime trips just to ensure things aren't "off-seasoned" away, especially park hours). Though really it just costs me half of the usual photos. So they would run the Disney Cavalcade twice (10:30 am and 11:45 am, I think), then the FOF Parade.

Festival of Fantasy Characters:
The Main Float: Beauty & The Beast (headliners at the front), Cinderella & Prince Charming, then a spinning section with Tiana & Naveen on one side and Anna & Elsa on the other. This can make it tricky to get photos of the last groups as everything is spinning to give everyone a view.
The Tangled Float: Rapunzel, Flynn Rider & some Ruffians. The float has two swinging pieces (run manually, with actual muscle power- this is why the float often "stops swinging" by the time you hit the end of Main Street- they're WIPED!).
The Little Mermaid Float: Ariel, atop a huge thing that makes it hard to get good photos.
Peter Pan Float: Peter Pan atop the pirate ship while Captain Hook hangs on the anchor beneath it. Tinker Bell sits on the very end and interacts with Smee, following it. The Lost Boys and Wendy walk behind it as well.
Extras: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Alice & The Mad Hatter, Jiminy Cricket.
Maleficent Float: A giant steampunk DRAGON that breathes fire, following Prince Charming and the three Fairies.
Pinocchio's Float: Pinocchio himself, followed by Donald & Daisy Duck, Pluto, and a walking Goofy.
Mickey's Float: Mickey and Minnie Mouse take up the rear.

* Most of the floats have dancers hanging around- I follow some performers on Instagram and a lot of them are in their "dream jobs" just being a fish or stilt-walker! They don't mind being non-main eventers, because they can actually interact with people and move around! This includes fish-ladies by Ariel, the Lost Boys group, stilt-walking raven-head guys by Maleficent (including one operating its tail), and more.

The Cavalcade:
Pixar Guys: Walking around you see Woody, Mr. & Mrs. Incredible, Merida and a couple others.
The Box Float: Typically Mulan and Moana in the front, with Nick & Judy Hopps from Zootopia in the back. Raya is on the top.
The Princessy Float: Elena of Avalor & Pocahontas in the front, with Jose Carioca & Pistole Pete in the rear, and Bruno now in the center instead of Mirabel from Encanto.
The Walkers: A smorgasbord- Baloo, Timon, Aladdin & Jasmine (though Al was often not there), Max Goof, and some others.

THE ART OF PARADE PHOTOGRAPHY:
-Taking pictures of Parades is kind of a crap-shoot with me, because I learned a lesson many ages ago with these- if I spend the whole time trying to take good photos, I end up spending more time viewing the parade through a screen than actually watching it and interacting with any characters. I remember seeing a whole parade go by that way and then realizing "... HUH. I didn't really retain any of that". So I resolved from then on to basically watch IN PERSON and try to get the attention of the best characters instead of just take pics.

I'd do this while often just hammering the clicker just to get what pics I could. This means that I have a LOT of pictures of people's hands, the bottoms of floats because I end up pointing my camera down by accident, and characters' hips and legs because I was holding the camera straight instead of up. This means I actually get the interactions I want, but often don't have pictorial evidence- an acceptable trade, haha. Though I've gotten good at interactions! The Beast once looked down from the float to look at me and stroked his beard in recognition of my own! And I was waved at a few times by others! I even got a photo of one once!

-One fun thing is waiting for the very first MFF of the day. At the start, they bring out a black-shirted guy who inspects the stage and the special effects- the "Elsa Blasts" go off and some "snoap" (fake snow made of soap) shoots out. Then another guy inspects some stuff. Finally, one of the female dancers comes out- someone told me "she represents Equity- the dancer's union" to determine the safety the stage (Florida humidity often makes it VERY slick in the morning), but an actual performer I spoke to online told me it's "The Dance Captain" for the day- it's funny seeing someone dressed as a performer walking around picking up debris and just casually saying "morning!" to the tech-guys.

The Issue With This:
Waiting all day for Castle Shows (usually arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure a front row spot) and parades (even longer) uh, doesn't help the sunburn situation. With the Florida sun essentially directly overhead in a cloudless sky for a solid week, it was often quite nightmarish- Disney really makes you suffer for your fun, lol. More sane, rational people know to stay inside during noon and cramming the rides into the first 2-3 hours of the day, whereas I'm out there hitting some rides from 8:30-10pm, then doing the 10 pm MFF, 10:30 Cavalcade, 11:15 MFF, 11:45 Cavalcade, 1pm MFF, 2pm MFF, 3pm Parade and 4:15pm MFF if I can, so I'm largely burning alive all day long during the peak hours.

I don't REGRET doing this, mind you- I get a lot of fun pics and had some great interactions with the characters. Elena of Avalor ESPECIALLY likes having people know who she is. But it sure is hard on the body- SUFFER FOR YOUR FUN is basically the Disney Mantra with a lot of people, and I'm no exception!

Next Up: The Festival of Fantasy Parade! Nighttime pictures!

 

[David G Farr]

THE FLORIDA HELLSCAPE:
* Early May in Florida was unseasonably hot even by that State's standards. I mean, even people who were actually native to the region were complaining- days later a Cast Member at the Pooh ride was like "I was BORN HERE, and even I find this hot!" and was mourning the notion that "PLEASE not another hot summer!". And keep in mind I'm from Western Canada where something like 40C is almost impossible to imagine.

Let's me honest: you're wearing black jeans so kinda shot yourself in the foot. I'm born and raised in Alabama so the heat doesn't bother me much, but my wife, who is born and raised in Georgia, absolutely refuses to go to WDW in the summer. We actually went in September 2019 and it was low 80s then and pleasant. We went with the kids in March 2022 and I was in line at Aloha Isle and a lady was complaining about it being 80 degrees while we were waiting. I just laughed in Southern.

 

[Jabroniville]

Let's me honest: you're wearing black jeans so kinda shot yourself in the foot. I'm born and raised in Alabama so the heat doesn't bother me much, but my wife, who is born and raised in Georgia, absolutely refuses to go to WDW in the summer. We actually went in September 2019 and it was low 80s then and pleasant. We went with the kids in March 2022 and I was in line at Aloha Isle and a lady was complaining about it being 80 degrees while we were waiting. I just laughed in Southern.

Don't forget my dark grey or black Wicked t-shirts, lol.

The thing is, I weighed the options there- I don't wear shorts typically, and while I was considering getting some, the local weather made it impossible to break them in or wear them around town ahead of time, and I wasn't willing to try out brand new clothes on 14-hour days in Florida. Nor could I pre-tan and thus I would be exposing my sunlight-reflectingly white legs to the Florida sun for the first time ever, haha. Plus I've read in a few places that shorts can be worse in some ways, like chafing and the like, and the sun was so hot during my trip I kind of envied any part of me that wasn't directly exposed to it, too. I always tend to feel heat way more up top by my head & chest than anything else, as well.

'Twas a calculated risk but I took it- no idea how much of a difference it would have actually made, but looking at the sea of people in shorts around me, I was like "maybe I picked wrong". Plus my calves are the only part of my body with any significant amount of muscle-tone!

But this is why I always point out that even the locals were complaining- "even WE don't come here in the Summer!" one local told me.

 

[David G Farr]

Don't forget my dark grey or black Wicked t-shirts, lol.

The thing is, I weighed the options there- I don't wear shorts typically, and while I was considering getting some, the local weather made it impossible to break them in or wear them around town ahead of time, and I wasn't willing to try out brand new clothes on 14-hour days in Florida. Nor could I pre-tan and thus I would be exposing my sunlight-reflectingly white legs to the Florida sun for the first time ever, haha. Plus I've read in a few places that shorts can be worse in some ways, like chafing and the like, and the sun was so hot during my trip I kind of envied any part of me that wasn't directly exposed to it, too. I always tend to feel heat way more up top by my head & chest than anything else, as well.

'Twas a calculated risk but I took it- no idea how much of a difference it would have actually made, but looking at the sea of people in shorts around me, I was like "maybe I picked wrong". Plus my calves are the only part of my body with any significant amount of muscle-tone!

But this is why I always point out that even the locals were complaining- "even WE don't come here in the Summer!" one local told me.

I typically wear quick drying athletic shorts with built in underwear so that the sweat dries relatively fast. There's no chance I'd even take long pants to WDW between March and November.

 

[Jabroniville]

Elena! Moana! And Max!

The Parade!

-I actually realized I'd chosen a poor-ish spot for the Parade here- no matter, as it was just the first day. BUT, I've learned that the Hub in front of the Castle is actually kind of a "swing point" where floats zoom by quickly and at odd angles, resulting in some very weak photos with little dept to them, and if you catch the float "spins" poorly the characters can miss you entirely. Most floats I caught right on the "nose" and thus missed the spins and didn't get any broadside shots. I'll make sure to take the rest of my viewpoints from in flat areas (and further up to allow a second go).

Yes, it's actually possible to watch the entire parade TWICE in one sitting! The trick is to catch it along Frontierland or Liberty Square, then follow Mickey's float (some scoot through to Adventureland and go along the unblocked bridge) down into the Hub area and swing behind the crowds, walking all the way along Main Street. If you're quick enough, you will hit the parade a second time right as it swings around the Flagpole and you can see it as it goes through the barn doors and offstage.

As a whole, the parade lasts thirty minutes almost exactly. So yes, the performers have to suffer under the heat the entire time, work out, move, etc. So by the time you hit the end of it, everyone is wiped out and some are WAY less mobile than before (Ariel's calisthenics on the top of the float, and the swinging Tangled Ruffians especially). I've even seen Baloo and Captain Hook bail partway through.

The Cavalcade is fun, too- the song is REALLY catchy and you get to see unique characters. I'm a big fan of Elena of Avalor, who was on a very underrated TV show, and I like to pay special attention to the one most adults don't seem to know. So I shout "ELENA! super-loud and that usually works, haha. I started getting recognized by one performer in particular.

This pays off when I do stuff like run up ahead to get more pictures- there was a funny bit where I waited for the float, then realized she was on the opposite side of where I was. No matter- I took some pics and interacted a bit, then went in behind the Cavalcade and to the other side of Main Street! The look on Elena's face when she realized I was also in THAT spot was priceless- she literally stopped, shook her head, then pantomimed "Did you just go around?" by spinning her arms in a circle and mouthing the words. I saw the same performer repeatedly throughout the week, and she recognized me every time! Eventually I was getting the "heart with the hands" gesture- the ultimate sign of Disney Respect. I think. Being told "You came back! So nice to see you again!" from a parade float is one of the magical things that can only happen at Disney.

This little "hidden corner" right in the middle of the Kingdom, at Tortuga's Tavern, has always fascinated me. Like they had extra space, but couldn't put anything "real" in it, so they made this multicolored little alcove where you can't go if it's raining.

TRON- LIGHTCYCLE RUN:
-HOLY COW IS THIS RIDE AWESOME!!! I mean I hadn't heard the most about it, and was even fearing a bit of sickness as I'd eaten not that long beforehand, but it's actually an incredibly smooth, fast ride that's over all too soon (maybe 1:30 of actual riding). You either get in the Virtual Queue (I missed both this day- also it was down a bit, I think), or you buy a separate pass- I usually did that one. It really works on a blazing hot day, though- you FLY through this thing, essentially cooling yourself by like 5 degrees as you whip through the outdoor area in a loop, then go weightless at the very top of the entrance to the dark room, then roll through a bunch of turns and light gateways until Team Blue "wins" over Team Yellow and you are victorious.

The first day I totally missed how you were supposed to get on- I went "around" the lightcycle and was actually not supposed to go yet, haha. So they had to walk over and let me back through the gate. Thankfully the guy beside me was like "Yeah, we've ALL done that!" because this is the only attraction that is like that.

THE JUNGLE SKIPPER CANTEEN:
-I swear by this place now. I had never heard of it in 2014 & 2019, basically skipping right on by as it's just this tiny lil' alcove in Adventureland and relatively easy to miss, but it's a VERY big restaurant full of tons of great scenery and has a great menu. I got the steak... thing. It's pre-cut and has a good sauce on it, plus fries and some assorted stuff. My reservations were usually around 2pm, which works after a blazing-hot day.

Belle #1 and Belle #2! Plus the fascinating picture of Belle with her MOTHER- I'm amazed that some Imagineers were allowed to actually design a mainstream Princess's mother.

ENCHANTED TALES WITH BELLE:
-I'd actually forgotten how long it's been since I've seen this. It was gone during COVID (the day I was there was the first day they'd actually let Belle hang out in the area between the cottage and the main walkway), then again the year after, AND the year after that (it was then a meet & greet with Peasant Dress Belle)- it didn't return until Feb. 2023, the year after I was last there. This means it's the first time I've seen this attraction in FIVE YEARS, which definitely made it a priority. I have no idea why they waited so long, short of not hiring any of their Belle performers back.

I actually went on twice in one day this time around- it's interesting seeing the little things the CMs in the attraction do differently- when Madame Wardrobe says "What a good-looking bunch! Especially YOU in the back!" only some of them will go "MA-DAME!" with shock at her bluntness.

The gist here is that you wait in line (usually only 20 minutes at most- Belle actually had a longer line when it was a MEET & GREET!), then get split into a big-ish group that is made to either perform in or watch a show re-enacting the day Belle and the Beast fell in love- really just a quickie version of the Beauty and the Beast story. Children are chosen to play Maurice, Chip & Mrs. Potts, etc., and two adult men are chosen to play Guards/Knights. Everyone holds up props in front of themselves and are instructed by CMs' whispers to perform a single action each. I've actually never been chosen to be a Knight, making me think they always picked dads or the tallest people (but wait a few days!). Then Belle comes in (one of the only times you can "meet" Belle in her golden/yellow ballgown), you all shout "Surprise!" and everyone gets one interaction with her while people watching can take pictures.

A PhotoPass person is present to take pictures of everything and everyone- you get a card at the end of the show to add to PhotoPass- my biggest regret of past park days is keeping those cards but neglecting to upload them for whatever reason (I can't remember if I knew you could). Instead they expired. This time I made sure to keep track of everything!

In any case, the whole thing takes about 20-odd minutes, so it's a solid chunk of your day. It's a cute meet & greet for the kids, though you don't get to say or do much (unless you're he kid playing the Beast)- it's neat and a lot is technologically impressive (the "Magic Spell" that brings you from Maurice's cottage to the Beast's castle is so impressive I had to look up how it was done- it's remarkable!), and you get to see Madame Wardrobe & Lumiere animatronics.

Next Up: Meet & Greets and the End of the Day!

 

[Jabroniville]

Yes, Day Three and ALREADY I have a cherry-red spot. Also check out the height difference between these two Elenas!

MEET & GREETS:
-These have become another big fave of mine. I skipped out in 2014 owing to the HUGE lines for Anna & Elsa in the wake of Frozen's release (literally three hours long) and didn't realize that they wouldn't react weird if a solitary dude went in line- apparently this is quite accepted and normal (I've had several CMs tell me this, even online, lol). I learned in 2019 they were actually a lot of fun!

On this day, I finally got to meet Elena of Avalor again, as she wasn't there the previous night. I met her & Cinderella, then Tiana & Rapunzel. Later in the day I went back to the Hall and met Cinderella & Elena again, but different performers. The funny thing is the sheer difference in appearance between Elenas- I've long found that the "Minority Princesses" don't have as strict a "look" as the others, as they just want someone of the proper ethnicity. In this case, I met a very short Elena with a stereotypical Princessy voice, and then a girl nearly as tall as *I* was, who had an extremely dark, husky voice. Both were perfectly fine, though oddly I don't really remember any of the interactions from this day. I feel like the first one was kind of "rushed", like they were fearing lineups and just wanted to push people out the door.

Night's end is one of the few times you can see these neat tiled portraits underneath Cinderella Castle. This area is nearly always closed during the day for the MFF.

Mandatory "Late Night Photos of Main Street's Bulbs".

Oh, I had a mandatory "I Lava You" float today as well- this is my classic go-to midafternoon ice cream, which greatly helps in the Florida heat.

All in all, a very full day. Between going there the previous morning and heading here for a full day, I'd done most of the things I'd intended to and was left with the rest of the trip being "do whatever I want", which is kind of the point of doing long trips!

Next Up: Day Four at EPCOT!

 

[Jabroniville]

DAY 4 (EPCOT):

On to EPCOT! And... HOLY COW YOU GUYS WALLCOT IS DEAD!!! ALMOST! AND NO MORE BARGES IN THE WORLD SHOWCASE LAGOON!

But seriously, it's been FOUR LONG YEARS of EPCOT being stuck behind a maze of walls as you have to amble blindly through 10-foot barriers to get to anywhere, blocking out tons of scenery, and now we finally have a lovely, open EPCOT! There were a few walls up by the new Communicore building (or whatever it is- the Mickey meet & greet), which went down a couple weeks after I left, but this left a huge area of criss-crossed benches, garden things, trees, and installations free to view.

This is a wonderful help to a part of WDW that was pretty choked and uglified up until now. And now this is my first trip with Moana's Cycle of Water attraction open!

Also, the infamous barges for the nighttime fireworks/fire show are gone- three huge, wrought-iron looking, monstrous barges covered in grating, which filled the entire lagoon and ruined pictures for 3-4 long years, and they're finally gone!

MY FIRST DAY AT EPCOT:
* So for this go-around, I wanted to mainly do meet & greets, do the Frozen ride as many times as possible, hit Akershus, get my Guardians of the Galaxy spot, and go through the World Showcase (particularly Japan's- my favorite). I actually didn't do the shops as much as usual, and I skipped over some areas a little bit. As I'm Canadian, I didn't feel the need to make Canada a priority, haha. Which is too bad because I always forget how nice it is behind the big building (seriously, more people would come here if they put the waterfall in FRONT!).

MOANA- THE CYCLE OF WATER:

This is a really cool walkthrough attraction that shows Disney at its best, even in a relatively small space. The water will shoot up to meet your hand in one part, stop "raining" through a cave as you walk through, crash up from behind some rocks if you jump on a certain spot, etc. It's interactive, wet, and really a nice-looking area. With a giant statue of Te Fiti! Also it's sneaky-educational. The best of EPCOT!

Moana's meet & greet is right beside it as well. So I've never met Moana, so this was interesting. She asked me if I was a voyager or boat captain (thought that might be me mixing up with a later Ariel conversation on another day), but I had to explain I was working with Maui at wayfinding. Interestingly, I saw Moana on three separate occasions (though this was the only time I met her) and it was a different performer every time!

THE MEET & GREETS:

I did a few of these throughout the day. The lines weren't nearly as long as they have been in the past- possibly because of the horrific 95+ temperatures, lol. I was in EPCOT for three days of my trip, and on each one met Belle, Aurora, Anna & Elsa. Once I met Moana, Asha and then Alice, too- these were characters I'd never met before! Oh, plus Snow White. I think the only characters I missed were Mary Poppins & Mulan (I don't even know what part of China you can even see her, actually).

I met Alice! I'd never actually met Alice before, despite loving Meet & Greets. Why? Well, I often didn't see her at all, England is near France (a more character-heavy section), and I hadn't seen the movie in so long I wasn't sure what to say. Plus the character's like twelve in the movie and it felt... I dunno, weird? But it was actually a lot of fun! My ignorance of the movie (it's been a WHILE) actually paid off because she talked about her trip through Wonderland and mentioned the Cheshire Cat. "Do you know which way he told me to go?" "Where?" *gestures going in each direction* "Well that's not very helpful at all!" "Yes, exactly!". She ultimately said that the only way to make it through Wonderland was to be equally as mad as the area was- good advice!

So Alice is actually a delight. Pity I only saw her on this one day, haha.

Fun thing about the interaction was me and the girl behind me realizing we were both solitary guests and so she asked if I wanted her to take pictures. Hooray! These are from her. I asked her if she wanted the same, and hit the clicker a whole ton of time for hers. Looks like she just got the "Greatest Hits" of ours, haha. But better than nothing!

Morocco! This is maybe one of the more well-themed areas in EPCOT's World Showcase, but as it lacks attractions, I kind of skip it over. I over-did it one time I was here, going through their whole thing about the women's race across the desert. I'm actually a bit surprised this is still here. This and Japan's "Kawaii" exhibit- are they permanent?

The next day I was here, they blocked off a huge chunk of it- this is the infamous "re-tiling of the fountain" where they replaced the authentic Moroccan tiles with generic ones- another in the "Death by a Thousand Cuts" thing Disneyphiles talk about online. It's... not the best, but apparently Morocco won't pay for their authentic guys? But hey- it's not like Disney doesn't have the money- they sure got $6-7000 of MINE this trip!

One of my favorite things about Disney is all the "fake building facades" up to make you feel like you're in a city street... with a really low ceiling.

MEXICO:

I made Mexico a priority this trip. Why? Well, I actually NEGLECTED TO GO last trip! Yes, 10 days in the parks, 2 at EPCOT alone, and I missed going here. Problem is, Mexico is right next to Norway (ie. all the Frozen stuff) where I spent most of my time, and the furthest possible one from Japan, my favorite. And between LL return times, Guardians, and other stuff... I just plain neglected it! Which sucks, because I REALLY enjoy this pavilion! Because it's all indoors it's kind of hard to just "travel through", to be fair- you kind of have to deliberately make a point to see it, unlike the others.

The first couple rooms are devoted to La Calaveras, explaining the history of candy skulls, the skeleton imagery and where it comes from (it's the underclass making fun of the rich!), and some Coco-related things. The actual inner pyramid is actually REALLY compressed for a Disney area, as two restaurants mix with a market, two side-rooms selling merchandise, and the Three Callaberos ride.

I actually LOVE this ride- it's one of the shortest lines on property (people legit forget this is even here), and the first part is a very thematic, immersive trip through Mayan-style ruins, going right past diners through blue-lighting and smoking structures. It takes a bit before you get to the silly routine of Panchito & Jose chasing Donald around, which comes off a bit like a tourist video at points (showing all the very 1980s/early '90s-style backdrops, which is probably when this was filmed). But even that is fun.

The tables here sell some amazingly-colored skulls, and there are people doing miniatures of animals as well.

This is the one area I heard the DuckTales game for kids being played. Hm, maybe I should have gone for that. Hearing Uncle Scrooge and others talk from behind the parrot was interesting.

NEXT UP: Japan! Akershus! Riding Cosmic Rewind on a massively full stomach! Horrible chafing!

 

[Jabroniville]

"I don't want to wear a hat", I said. "I don't want to have this weird tan that looks funny in photos", I said. I sent this pic to my sister and within 5 seconds: "You forgot your hat!"

AKERSHUS IS BACK!:

WOO AKERSHUS!! I really liked the Character Dining, going here in 2019. But sadly, it was a casualty of the pandemic, keeping closed in 2021 and NOT EVEN REOPENING for years and years! I spent two long trips without getting to go back, at which point I was so eager to go I scheduled it for two days in the park (remember that in a few days when I realize the ridiculous amount of money I spent on food, lol).

I was only able to get afternoon slots, but that's fine- I kind of prefer to eat then, when it's hottest, rather than waste cooler park hours. Regardless of the size of the meal. The big issue of course is cramming it in right before a Guardians Cosmic Rewind ride. I know better now than to try that ride on an empty stomach, BUT...

Seriously- good heavens.

So you'll notice during the trip I kinda go in "blind" for the restaurants- I've either been a lot or want to be impulsive and see what's there when I get there. I remember this being a really nice buffet with all sorts of options and trays to pick up. Well, it's changed! Instead, a server actually brings all of your food right to your table! A LOT of it. I mean a lot. Like a huge plate of appetizers (FOUR BUNS? Is this for a whole table?) with cheese, deli meats, buns, etc., then you get an absolutely massive platter containing a huge meatball, salmon, mashed potatoes, a slab of chicken, etc. I don't like cheese, so I was able to push that one aside pretty easily.

But MY GOD- this is at least twice as much food as I could have possibly eaten, and I'm a pretty big guy. Who on Earth could eat all of this? I felt bad wasting so much of it, but man- I have my limits. And then DESSERT comes out! Three giant hemispheres of sugar clearly designed for a whole table! Mustn't... waste... food... And so I take off 1/2 to 2/3 of each of these to make it look like I actually finished as much as possible. If I'd have realized there was so much, I could have warned them to reduce a serving, lol.

THE BEST encounter, though, was with Ariel. When she comes up, teal dress and all, I realize I'm eating salmon in front of a character to whom fish are sentient beings, and need to bring this in line with the movie. When she asks how my food is, I say "great" but point out "Don't look at that one" and with all the teenage disdain for adults she can muster, goes "I know- humans are weird". We talk a second more and she goes "What's your favorite part? AND YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ONE" so I was forced to lie. LIE. TO A DISNEY PRINCESS.

The characters you meet here: Belle, Ariel, Snow White & Tiana. That's actually a pretty big assortment! And the only regular Meet & Greet with "Evening Gown Belle"- no peasant dress! No wonder this is such a hot item on property!

I should have got a table at on the side away from the windows, haha.

The only unfortunate thing here is that Belle no longer greets you coming in to the hall. Before, she was standing there in the entranceway and you got to interact, have PhotoPass take pictures, etc. I have a funny memory of walking in, taking my satchel off, turning around, then seeing Belle RIGHT THERE giving me a look like "... is he coming over?". Our interaction that time was great (I've never seen a character jump when I mentioned I met her voice actress before or since). This time I don't remember what she said- she is just a standard "roaming the hall" Princess.

Partway through the meal, there's a set where all five characters go one-by-one in a big promenade thing, waving at everyone. Good for picture-taking! If I could at all take pictures of moving people in front of beaming windows.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY- COSMIC REWIND:
The enormity of my afternoon meal is made worse by the realization that my Guardians Cosmic Rewind callback is like 45 minutes after my meal is over XD. I'm now stuffing myself almost to overflowing and now have to do the most barf-inducing spinnycoaster on property!

Thankfully, there was no sickness! It wasn't as pleasurable as "going on a pretty full stomach", but "going on a nearly-exploding stomach" is still better than "going on an empty stomach". Hooray! I think I got One Way Or Another for both my rides during my vacation. Still no September.

Snow White is found in Germany- probably the furthest character you can find.

GERMANY:

I spent a good bit of time around the tiny little German town. I love this little thing- and sometimes you see some interesting dioramas. Some Parks blogs have all kinds of things about made-up stories, disasters, and more as these things can fall over, people can look like they've been injured, etc.

THE TERROR OF THE CHAFING PANTS:

In a weird, new kind of calamity, around 6-7 pm that night, I felt a dreadful sensation- my jeans had for some reason started chafing something fierce, right where the thighs meet! This is a bit weird because A) these are the same brand & size of jeans I've worn for years, B) I've been wearing this particular pair for 1-2 months with no issues, C) I'm the same size and weight as previous trips, and D) this is the first time this has EVER HAPPENED. Maybe it's the incredible heat? I dunno.

But holy cow it was unpleasant for an hour or so there- I learned to walk "bow-legged" a bit and thankfully was mostly done the big stuff so I was able to just hang around the Mitsukoshi store in Japan and deal with it that way. It kinda/sorta went away after a couple hours, and I figured later it might have been my belt keeping my pants too high (I just did away with that for the rest of the trip). And at my hotel I bought baby powder and put some on before each day. Though oddly this never happened again. If I felt even a little twinge I'd re-apply (my apologies if you came into the Frontierland stall after I did that- I promise nobody was doing coke in the men's stall!).

When I got to my hotel later that night I found a delightful purple mark literally five inches long on the inside of my left thigh.

And yes, this is where people can lecture me again for wearing blue jeans to Florida in the beginning of May, lol. But I swear I've never had a problem before! Next time I'll try and find a way to break in shorts during Canadian spring or fall, haha.

Deer-Scarers!

JAPAN:
* My favorite pavilion! All sorts of nerdy anime stuff, plus things on Japanese culture! They even have the pearl-sales booth, complete with a little drum dance as the person selects one! And a kimono shop. I was reading through a few illustrated books on Japan tourism for like 20 minutes until I was like "Wait- not only have I read these before, but I could read them IN CANADA" but hey- I was trying to ward off the chafing at this point so just standing still worked just fine.

I also read bits and pieces of an interesting story called I Am A Cat, from a cat's eye view of the trials and tribulations of a taken-in stray as he observes human behavior. It's very "Japanese" in that it's quirky and ends with death, lol.

When you forget to suck in your stomach before visiting with the Queen. Boy did I correct THAT mistake as I went on!

Some people can take good ride photography with their cameras! I... am not one of these people!

MORE FROZEN:
* Funnily enough, I met Anna & Elsa twice... and it was the same two people both times! This happens occasionally, where someone goes "Oh, nice to see you again!" but it's the first time it's happened with in the Somerhus. Kind of awkward and funny, especially when you consider how many performers they likely have working all day! I don't remember much about the conversations, alas. Maybe I should write these down after they happen? To be fair, if you don't remember them a month later, then it was probably not that interesting or important. Though seeing the pics reminded me of Elsa getting me to do her pose at the camera- I realized that I was facing right forward so my hand wasn't angle right, so when she had me do the exact same pose again, this time I was ready and angled it a bit differently. Though now I can tell I totally didn't get full wrist rotation on it so it still looks weird, haha.

Also of note is that since Frozen II featured the development of the photograph, these are two of the only characters on property who can say "Shall we pose for a PHOTOGRAPH?" instead of "portrait".

NIGHTFALL:
* I think saw the new fireworks thing. REALLY nice! I like the different countries all saying "Welcome!" in their own languages (it makes you realize how Eurocentric EPCOT is when you get multiple variations of "Welcome/Vilkommen/welkommen") with little fireworks firing out from the direction of each country. It's much better than the previous one (which was mostly "Disney IPs with some symbolic imagery instead of actual imagery"- like Merida's hair being visible), and doesn't uglify the entire World Showcase Lagoon for the entire day beforehand, either. I did like that they used the less-used song from Coco (though I forget which one it was, now- most just use the two).

I was so full this day that I didn't even do a second meal or "lunch" equivalent later, haha. I know I got to Calpicos- thankfully if you get the ones off the shelf, they swap them with cold ones in a fridge by the registers- very clever!

All in all, an extremely full day- checking out the outsides of nearly all the pavilions (time to check the insides on my next day there!), did most of Japan, did the Frozen ride a couple times, etc.!

 

[Jabroniville]

When you take so many pictures of the castle you're like "Hey, might as well get a few pictures of Town Hall and other buildings". The little "balconies" of Disney are often very fascinating, because obviously no one's ever seen on them and what's actually up there are usually break rooms. But they actually put detail into them and it's easy to miss unless you deliberately look for them!

DAY FIVE:
* It's day five, and I'm back to the Magic Kingdom! Since I knew I was spending the majority of my time in the "main park", I'd set it up to come here twice fairly early on.

Another blazing-hot day, something like 95 F or so. I think this was the last or second-last brutally hot day and it was just the usual "Florida Heat of Death" from then on.

* Elena remembered me! See, when a character doesn't get a lot of attention, they can really focus on people who were into them showing up.

Interestingly, the choreography changes at times- several times I saw Anna do the "MLEP!" thing catching the "snowflakes" with her tongue, from a few different performers... other times, they just don't do it.

More Castle Shows! I think I saw all three they ran- the final two were cancelled for some reason and they did the weird "they run out and do an awkward dance" thing. Technical difficulties, probably. Interestingly, there's a couple dancers in this one I didn't see on any other show across 6-7 days in the Magic Kingdom.

I asked about some behind-the-scenes stuff about this show on Reddit and one of the performers actually DM'd me to answer them! So be prepared for that!

Woo! A smaller sweat-spot than usual! Thank goodness Florida's in a drought, haha!

Lesson: Don't take selfies right in front of the window, lol. thankfully Jasmine taught me proper minutes later.

My sister, again an expert of lens-blurriness, saw these and pointed out now the SELFIES were looking blurry. I realized that my screen had been smudged a ton and I hadn't thought about it. It feels like this wasn't an issue on past visits. And just after I'd fixed my camera lens, haha. I think I fixed it by the time Jasmine showed up. Props to her performer for being the only one to point out that duh- I shouldn't be taking selfies INTO THE WINDOW- it's my first time right by a window in a while, so I wasn't thinking about it, haha.

CINDERELLA's ROYAL TABLE:

-Princesses are back here! I'd actually come here in 2022 when it was just Cinderella, so it took them a LONG time to reopen this with actual Character Dining. As always, being up at the top of the castle is super unique and this is the only way to do it short of winning crazy sweepstakes or whatever.

Merida was here- the only time I saw her during this trip (they got rid of her Meet & Greet, replacing her with Mirabel). She walks up to me, pauses for a second... and immediately just says "Do ye like babysitting?". Immediately tries to pawn someone off on me- I know where she's going with this, but I play ignorant. ".... How many?" I ask. Sure enough, "Three of them!". I now have to babysit her baby brothers, lol.

I hung around the inside of the restaurant for a while after eating, taking pictures of stuff. Annoyingly I JUST missed Cinderella make her entrance and then leave- I passed by her and was like "Wait". At least I shouted "BYE!" and she said "goodbye" back, haha.

I ended up having the filet mignon! I mean, it's prix fix, so I might as well get the most "fancy"-sounding option. Much better than the thing I had the previous trip!

THE PARADE:
-Owing to my poor location at the Hub on my prior day here, I chose a more "corner"-based area at Liberty Square. One of the parade attendants even told me it was a good spot for "depth of photos", as you hit the outside curve of the floats- as you can see here, I can see the floats coming in on the left, then they take the LONG turn and you get really close shots of them as they do that. Like I was basically right next to many characters.

Best moment: The Beast swings by right in front of me, peers down at me, then strokes his own beard while nodding his head at mine! These people are PROS!

Next Up: Meeting characters! And night time!

 

[Jabroniville]

-I went to Enchanted Tales With Belle another time today- my third of four this vacation, haha. Also I visited Ariel another two times- a different performer each time! This one was weird... the wait time said forty minutes and for lack of a better option I went in... and it was barely fifteen. An attendant told me this was likely a "they just haven't changed the time yet" thing and to notice whether or not there's people visible through the holes in the Grotto's walls. "If there aren't any, then it's a fifteen minute wait, tops!".

In fact, wait times were so exaggerated all through the day that I even posted it on DisBoards, wondering why it was so disparate. Answers vary- apparently the Lightning Lanes are messing with guessing incredibly, because CMs can never tell when hordes of guests with those passes are going to come through. So they over-guess nearly every single time (since it's much worse if you UNDER-guess and people waste more time than necessary in a park where time is critical). But it definitely makes things harder to plan for and guess.

The Haunted Mansion really has the BEST merch. And it's one of the only places you can get this stuff- Memento Mori is such a weirdly tiny shop- more or less 20 square feet or so in the middle of one of the most crowded pathways in the park, but it's rarely busy or full. I also finally got a picture of Madame Leota's face appearing in the mirror! This actually took a really long time to come out.

"I also have a Blaze power, too!" "Yeah, but you wouldn't want to use it in here- all the drapery..."

BEST ELENA VISITS!:
-I met Elena of Avalor once today, and Belle later in the night. Amazingly, this one proved more than ever that the people who REALLY know Elena get the best visits! Elena was so excited to meet someone who was a True Fan (tm) that I got the longest character interaction EVER! It was a solid 2-3 minutes long, which is unprecedented! We basically played live improv the whole time, going "Yes, and--" to everything the other was saying, as she would pop up with some lore, I'd acknowledge it, and more.

It all stemmed from me walking up with the honorary sword you get from Cinderella's Royal Table- I wasn't sure about carrying that around all day, and she noticed it and went "Oh, have you been engaging in any swordfights today?" And I was like "YEAH, but it's not much good against Shuriki" (the villain from her show). And she's like "Yeah, I took care of that one" and I responded "Yeah- you shot her with a FIREBALL!" to which she was like "Oh, thank you!" and from there, it was on- only a fan would know that, lol.

So we ended up talking about swordfighting ("Did you know I won a swordfighting tournament?" "Yeah, you won with a big spinning jump!"- sadly I forgot it was called the Leaping Stag), assorted lore, etc. We were talking so long some people just skipped right on by her and on to Cinderella (who people are usually here to meet anyways). When we were finally done, I apologized to the attendant for taking so long and they were like "Oh NO- this is all about the interaction!". Sadly I never met this Elena again.

 

[Jabroniville]

-Mandatory Cinderella pics. Interestingly, despite meeting Cinderella something like twelve times (day AND night on each MK day), I don't think I ever met the same performer twice. But Cinderella is a "Chameleon" character and wears so much stuff she can disguise better than anyone.

I took a pic of a somewhat rare sight- the constant waterworks to wash down rooftops and build sides during the late-night fireworks. This is so they don't catch fire, lol.

More late night photography! Which are very "light-streaky" because I can never manage to avoid rubbing my camera lens with my hand when pulling my phone out, haha.

-I did the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train late at night, right after fireworks. Promising a 40-50 minute wait, I knew that was a lie because they ALWAYS exaggerate wait times in the last hour the park is open (they want to go HOME, and don't want to advertise short waits and get people piling in). It was closer to like 25-30, which wasn't nothing but still better. It's a much different attraction at night.

As I think I've mentioned before, Liberty Square at night is one of my favorite "Moments" at Disney. This is a VERY busy park, but during the last hour the park is open, it's a complete ghost town, as it has no attractions or restaurants open. So you get those moments of complete emptiness in a place full of thousands and thousands of people.

Like, look at how much busier it is only about 200-300 feet away at the Emporium/Main Street area.

See? More amazing balconies! I love this one! So detailed!

A last couple pictures as I take my leave.

Every time I come back to my hotel now, they make "Mickey Heads" out of my towels, haha. Is this just because I always leave a tip for room service? I don't remember this happening before!

 

[Jabroniville]

So anyways! My love of the Magical Friendship Faire led to me to ask some questions about it on one of the Disney World Reddit sites. And shockingly enough, I got a response FROM ONE OF THE PERFORMERS! I'll disguise their name here, and their role, because they PM'd me and didn't want to get in trouble over it. But here's the Q&A:

Some Questions:
1) How many people do they have "in reserve" to cover for others? I definitely notice people swap out during the day- sometimes you'll even see a different person playing certain "Speaking" roles. But the dancers ESPECIALLY swap out often, and some you see nearly every day while others only do one show. I have to imagine if nobody can do a Face/Head role they just cancel the whole thing ("Unforeseen circumstances").

Hey! I’m a current performer in Friendship Faire. I’d love to answer your questions but for the sake of my job I’d rather not put the NSFM stuff in a public forum. But here are some answers!!

1) Literally only one, lol. There’s a backup for Mickey, but that’s the only spare character. The equity dancers have swings, usually one male and one female, and the swing will usually cover a couple of shows each day. If you see two different performers covering the same face character, though, it’s likely that the first had to leave for some reason and another was called in. A “singalong” contingency can go out with Mickey and any two other VIP characters (Minnie/Donald/Daisy/Goofy), which is why Mickey specifically needs the spare.

2) How many people can do each role? I know I've seen 3-4 "friends of Elsa" just across one week, 3 Vladamirs, etc. One time I was there I met the family of Elsa, who said she had to take a second job just to do this (working as the queen at Medieval Times), and she only worked the one Saturday across the entire week. I assume there's regulars who hold onto those spots like nuts (I saw one Elsa there most of one week- the same Anna did 4/6 days I was there this last trip).

2) Quite a few! IIRC there’s about 10-15 male and female equity dancers each, and each character track has about 15-20 performers that can cover it. Each track has a “cast” performer for each day of the week, and they’ll be scheduled that shift on that day every week. Some people can be cast multiple days. Obviously the cast performers can give or trade their shifts to others, so you won’t *always* see the same 25 people every Tuesday, for example. For my track specifically we have 14 performers, but only about 8 of us consistently perform the track. The other 6 either have no desire to pick up the shift or are actively trying to lose the skill because they don’t have the physical capability to do it anymore.

3) Why do the "Male Dancing Role" jobs swap out so much? I swear every show I saw one day, a different guy was doing the tapdancing part of Tiana's bit, and a different guy was doing the "Backflips" in the Rapunzel bit. Is it the heat?

3) Just keeps it fresh in their bodies, for the most part. Since many of the equity dancers know multiple tracks, they can swap around each show to avoid overuse of any particular muscles they use for a specific track and to keep the day interesting and less monotonous. I believe equity decides the schedule but the dancers can swing in on their own judgment if needed.

4) Who determines the choreography and do different performers do different things? I noticed in 2022 the final dance number ALWAYS had Vladamir & Hook-Hand compete over who got to dance with Elsa, who was like "oh sorry I promised Olaf" and danced with him first (before swapping to one of the male backgrounders). In 2024 I only saw this done once, and every other time they just kinda did their own thing and ignored Elsa entirely.

Similarly, Anna sometimes sticks her tongue out to catch the "snow" and sometimes she doesn't, and the backflips the guy does in the "Rapunzel" bit are often very different (probably based off of how he feels in the moment). Naveen's "and JAZZ!" gesture is sometimes big and dramatic and sometimes a simple point.

4) While most of the show is choreographed, there are moments in the show for “open animation”—that is, the characters are able to do whatever they’d like in that moment! Vlad and Hook Hand love to play around with each other. Some Vlad/HH cast combos have little bits that those two performers in particular know they like to do with each other. Essentially, each performer gets to put their own spin on the character in little moments where they’re free to do so.

5) Why do the dancers alternate "spots" so frequently? I noticed that oftentimes a dancer will be the first one to greet Mickey at the opening for a couple shows, then switch to a different spot on a later show (you'll see them on a parapet one show, then at the front of the stage the next). It seems clear there's no "set spot" for a particular dancer and they just kinda do everything.

5) Essentially the same answer as 4: most dancers know multiple tracks and swap out throughout the day to keep it interesting and avoid muscle overuse.

6) Do the male background dancers also do the "Pub Thug" roles? I often don't check closely enough to see through their costumes, but I definitely notice the VERY tall male dancers do not take other roles during the show, as the Pub Thugs are nearly always smaller than Hook Hand & Vladamir are (Vladamir is always a big, burly dude).

6) Yes! The four male equity dancers also cover the tapper in the Bayou scene as well as Tor, Bruiser, and Gunter in the Tangled scene. Vlad and Hook Hand are not equity, they are regular character performers.

7) Have the performers been instructed not to "wave" as much to the audience? I recall in 2022 they were almost CONSTANTLY waving to the kids and adults who waved at them at nearly every break in the pre-set choreography, but in 2024 this was far diminished. They still DID IT, but not as much. That show I watched with Elsa's parents had the most prominent example, as she was doing the "heart with her hands" thing at them and then to me once the parents told her how much of an Elsa fan I was, lol.

7) We’re not told *not* to, but we’re also not encouraged to. Typically the characters like to wave during the first part of the finale (when the characters are making their entrances) because the whole thing is open animation. Usually we’re a bit too focused on the choreography to really interact with the audience, lol.

8) Is it me, or is Olaf now getting by far the biggest crowd reaction? It used to be Anna & Elsa sending the crowd into a frenzy, but now it's Olaf getting the big one. Elsa SOMETIMES gets a really big one, but 10-11 years later, it seems like "Let It Go" is finally not drawing the freak-outs it once did, lol.

8) Yes, people love Olaf, lol. The only thing that gets more applause is the pyro shot at the end.

In my time, I've noticed:
* The early-morning crew coming out 15-20 minutes to show opening, testing the "Elsa Effects" (shooting "steam" and snoap)- it's always two guys observing this, and then one dancer comes out to check the stage (sometimes even picking up debris). According to CMs at the castle, the dancer represents "Equity", the dancer's union, and can and will cancel the show (she once went out and went "NOPE" when she saw the rain hitting the stage). It was the same woman nearly every day between May 5-17, but one day a different one was out.

* If anything goes wrong, they'll just bolt backstage. One time Hook Hand started talking and nothing came out over the PA- he shrugged, did a little "leap and click his heels together" and everyone ran backstage- after a short delay the "Frozen" bit happened and they ran the show as normal. Once they bolted as soon as the rain started- I was told that Mickey in particular has such an expensive costume they will NOT allow that to get wet.

9) Yeah, tech will come out and make sure everything is operational before the show can go on. The equity dancer you see checking the stage in the morning is the dance captain and is in charge of making the calls when it comes to safety. The stage gets **very** slippery when wet, and sometimes the overnight humidity can make it really slick in the morning.

* At least one show per day nearly ALWAYS gets cancelled- usually it's the rain, but sometimes they just say "Unforeseen Circumstances".

* The fireworks are primed before the shows regardless unless it's actively raining- this is why they seem to "celebrate" the cancellation of the show by firing a ton of fireworks after they announce it's been cancelled.

10) Friendship Faire operates on a very strict “all or nothing” policy. If something happens, everyone is to exit the stage as soon as the music cuts. There are lights at the front of the stage that flash yellow or red to indicate a show pause or stop, so the characters and dancers usually know when it’s time to leave. It’s not really Mickey’s *outfit* that’s the problem, it’s the tech in the articulated heads that cannot get wet. The motors run the risk of short-circuiting, which can be very dangerous when they’re on the characters’ heads.

Feel free to ask any more follow-up questions!! It’s a really interesting show behind the scenes.

AND SO I DID:

Thank you for doing the show. I saw it so many times whenever I’m there lol

Yes of course!! It’s so much fun, super tiring and hot but it’s all worth it

11) Which jobs are considered especially strenuous? Elsa has a big solo routine and Tiana & Rapunzel have to do energetic dancing, but I figured the mice have them beat being on stage for 25 minutes, lol.

11) Donald has what is considered the hardest track in any show on property, physically speaking. The ruckus scene where he gets picked up by the equity dancers in a 40-50lb costume does a NUMBER on the body and a lot of people getting trained in the track don’t make it all the way to approval nights with him. He also gets two short breaks rather than one long one (like Goofy, for example), so there’s not as much time to rest for him. Beyond that, it’s probably Mickey/Minnie (onstage for 22.5mins) > Louis (is almost completely blind) > Goofy > Hook Hand > Tiana/Naveen > Daisy > Vladimir > Rapunzel/Flynn > Olaf > Elsa > Anna.

12) How much does it suck when the show is cancelled? I notice the performers definitely look disappointed when they have to do the “just the ending” thing with no dancing. I’ve noticed Anna smiling through gritted teeth.

12) It really depends on the day and the circumstance. Most of us would love to do all five shows, but sometimes it’s really hot with no cloud coverage and a little singalong gives us a bit of a break from the weather. It’s not super common, though. I’ve worked castle twice a week for six months now and have only done a handful of singalong contingencies. It’s more so awkward than disappointing because it’s so uncommon that most of us don’t really know what we’re doing and kind of just wing it, lol.

(I did kind of notice that poor Anna doesn’t get much to do in the show, lol. Just kind of does some exaggerated poses and then watches Elsa do everything. The least motion of any character)

Of course! Yeah, Anna’s track is pretty laid back. Elsa’s looks tougher but it’s still mostly walking and doing arm motions. Takes a bit more coordination, but so does everything else in the show.

That's interesting that you have only had a few contingencies so far. I found that if I tried to watch every show in a day, the last one would be cancelled somehow. In past years it was usually due to rain.

Yeah, I tend to just bring sunshine to work with me, lol. It always rains when I’m not there

I’m wondering how they do such quick changes during the show. Are the skirts removable so the female dancers can put on the Bayou uniforms overtop? And they must be wearing wigs over their normal hair since the Bayou scene has their hair right against their head?

Yes! The dancers wear basic leotards and put the skirts and tops on over the leotards, and they do wear wigs. Goofy and Donald also have magnetic hats that snap onto their heads for quick changes, so nothing needs to be pinned

How many MFF performers also do other stuff? I know the same girl has performed with Elsa in MFF, parades AND Fantasmic but this feels kinda rare.
(I follow some cast members on IG and they're pretty open about it without directly stating what they're doing, haha)

Most of us are trained in some other shows and parades in property just because we’ve been here long enough to get trained, but it all depends on the performer. I’m also trained in Fantasmic, but we have people who do Festival of the Lion King, people who do Beauty and the Beast, people who do Festival of Fantasy, etc. It all depends on what they want you for and it’s mostly luck based.

I've found that one of the MFF dancers is also a regular in BATB so that reads.

 

[Jabroniville]

My hands versus Hulk Hogan's.

DAY SIX (Hollywood Studios):
* Six days in, and I'm finally at the last of the four parks- Hollywood Studios is usually at the last of my priorities when going to the parks, but enough of one that I make sure it's done by at least the halfway point of a trip just in case things break down or I miss certain shows. Last time, I devoted a silly amount of time to seeing the Frozen show in the morning & afternoon (they swap hosts and character performers!), but this time I saw it a mere TWO times! And I made sure to see Fantasmic! twice over. This is a show I literally haven't seen since 2014- I enjoyed HS then, but much less on my next trip in 2019, and so by the night of that day, I decided to bail on the park and go to Epcot again and see all the Frozen stuff for a third day. This means I missed out on Fantasmic!... and of course 2020 saw it close for YEARS, and both of my next two trips missed it. So this time I devoted enough time to see it. I also chose a Friday because this and the weekends are the only time to get two viewings of it.

I also finally fixed an old mistake I always made: I FINALLY booked dining reservations here! I kept neglecting to do so until day-of, and HS is by far the hardest park to secure day-of dining. To the point where I've literally only ever eaten fast food here save for my 2014 trip in the Sci-Fi Drive-In Diner.

The Genie+ thing was a bit of a hassle this time around- it's one thing to book what attractions you want to visit, as the park has only a handful of things I truly consider "must see"... but then you get stuck with picking those spots AROUND the theatre shows that make HS worth it, plus you have to book them around dining AND Fantasmic! This became a real problem on this day, as I was constantly rushing from one thing to the next for much of the day, cramming in everything.

The day was hot, but I don't... actually recall BEING hot here. I think it had cooled down a bit. It helps that EVERYTHING HERE IS COVERED, just about.

STAR WARS- GALAXY'S EDGE:
-This continues to be the most popular area in the park, though again there's not THAT much to do. This time, however, I got to (accidentally) participate in the area's theatrics! See, it's the one area in the parks where performers regularly walk around and interact with people without lineups. In this case, Stormtroopers constantly move around and threaten people- every phone is a "Datapad" and their default is "What are you doing with that datapad!". I was taking photos but had put my phone away and just watched, leaning against the barricade... when one of them rushes up to me shouting "YOU! What are you doing just leaning there!?". Figuring out the routine I wanted to play, I just sputtered and said "Oh! I... I want to join the First Order!" To which he just stares at me, that cold Stormtrooper face of course unmoving, and I eventually sputter out and repeat myself "Honest!". Finally, he just comes up with a response. "Alright... but don't look so SUSPICIOUSLY CASUAL". I go all "Yes sir!" and salute him and he's on his way to the next guest. Tremendous.

Rey interestingly changed performers in the early afternoon. A pretty rare thing in "walking around" characters, I would think!

Even better, later on I saw Rey & the area mascot Vi Moradi (the black girl with blue hair, aka "something else for Tiana performers to do") skulking about while the Troopers were on their usual routine. I was flagged over by Vi, who had me arrange myself as part of a human wall that had formed a couple other guests. Finally they make a huge line of people and use it to "sneak by" the Stormtroopers without being seen. Vi shouts "Thank you for your service!" as she leaves, and right then I remember THE LINE: "May the Force be with you!" as they tear off. I get an "And also with you!" from Vi and the character attendant turns around and gives the double thumbs up- WOO I'M IN CHARACTER!

One unfortunate thing is that the Ithorian animatronic in the collectible shop was not working... AGAIN! In the three times I've gone to Galaxy's Edge, this thing was only working ONCE- in 2019! In both 2021 and 2022, it was stuck behind a curtain, with the explanation that he was "out". Apparently this (and the Na'vi Avatar animatronic) both do this frequently. Makes sense, as it's HUGE and must be incredibly complex, but still disappointing to have happen on multiple vacations now. Does it work when anyone else is there?

Green milk! Apparently this and blue milk are infamously hated but I like both of them. It must be my addiction to sugar and things that look like they're radioactive.

-Funnily enough, there's now extra shows in the old Star Wars 3D ride! Stuff based around Ahsoka, The Mandalorian and other stuff. Not that anyone seems to be aware of it- everyone alive just walks right past this AT/AT and keeps going to Galaxy's Edge. As I was between shows and attractions, I came here pretty early and walked into a completely empty building for a while before finally being seated in a half-full pod for the trip. I actually forget what videos we actually got, haha- at least it's not that undersea one or the Wookiee one I always got anymore.

 

[DJFan88]

I know what you mean about different rolls. I just saw a picture online of Maleficent from this years Halloween party, and im pretty sure its the same lady when we saw the Evil Queen at Storybook Dining 2 years ago.

 

[Jabroniville]

I know what you mean about different rolls. I just saw a picture online of Maleficent from this years Halloween party, and im pretty sure its the same lady when we saw the Evil Queen at Storybook Dining 2 years ago.

It's fun and interesting to find things like that. Most of the performers I follow on IG have a LOT of different roles, while others were stuck with only one. I've even seen a dual Anna/Elsa, which I've only ever seen the one time.

 

[Sajchinook2015]

Love your pics. Makes me say to myself...”so down girl and look around at your surroundings.”

The last couple of trips I think I am going to fast. Running from ride to ride.

 

[Jabroniville]

Love your pics. Makes me say to myself...”so down girl and look around at your surroundings.”

The last couple of trips I think I am going to fast. Running from ride to ride.

haha, I get what you mean! I mean, I like to take pictures of stuff and focus on my surroundings but I often have to MAKE myself do it. Usually it's an hour to closing time when I'm taking pictures of balconies or neat things like that. And I already have a tendency to "view through the screen" and thus miss out on the here and now because I was too busy taking pictures- something I regretted on a past trip so I now try NEVER to "overly aim" when something's in motion, which is why I have such bad accuracy in some pics, lol.

One issue is Genie+ exacerbates the "running around". Many times I had to bolt from my ride to the Magical Friendship Faire or from one thing to the other thing because I wanted to catch all three "parades", the MFFs, and rides.

With Epcot in particular I often felt like "Oh wait, I didn't actually look too long at the Italian Pavilion". I made a pointed effort to do the Mexican one and actually hang out in the pyramid for a while, looking at the surroundings, the balconies indoors, the stands, the restaurant/pyramid backdrop, etc.... because of course, on my PREVIOUS trip I'd missed out on doing that entirely! And that's with like 2-3 days in Epcot! It's just right next to the Frozen ride and the stuff here is SO FAR APART there's not as much backtracking to be done if you have to make your next ride appointment.

I mean it's tricky, lol.

 

[Jabroniville]

Brown Derby's side rooms. With lights that are bronze derby hats!

LUNCH- THE BROWN DERBY:
-So FINALLY, after TEN YEARS, I book another dining reservation at Hollywood Studios. Given a ton of options, like a "Mom's Kitchen" where servers lecture you and order you around, the Sci-Fi Drive-In (with "half-cars" where you sit down and order your food before cheesy black & white clips air on the screen in front of you), some other thing (the Prime Time cafe?) and other things, I chose the Brown Derby. The most expensive one of the lot, lol. This is why I had no money left when I finally paid my credit card bills, but I wanted to do all the "Bucket List" stuff!

Not wanting a late-night one, I selected lunch (peak park-busy time). Wiping out an hour in the middle of the day always feels a bit funny, but it's an ideal time to recharge my cellphone and unwind a bit. I... uh, what the heck did I get? I think it was either the salmon or the root beer-brined pork, because that interested me. Oh, I found the pic- it was the salmon! With HUGE vegetation on it. And a drink with a glowy ice cube! I... assume you're supposed to take those home? If I wasn't I owe Disney some money, lol.

But it's PACKED- a massive main hall, with tons of side rooms. After eating, I took a look around, and entered plenty of empty side-rooms. I wonder when these open? Peak seasons? You'd have to have a LOT of staff to run something like a full Brown Derby.

The impressive hallway/staircase down to the bathrooms. Actually really cool and something that looks like "really old buildings. Something about the "plain white earthen walls with cracks in them" just feels like Old California. I dunno- it reminds me of "Zorro".

The outfit worn by former WWE wrestler Edge in the "Percy Jackson" movie. I noted it looked like a normal guy's jacket until someone pointed out it sits about 3-4 inches higher on the 6'3" wrestler's body.

A MAN AND HIS DREAM:
-I always liked this attraction, but the added amount of stuff to do in HS makes this less of a priority. But I mean, I still remember most of it- you don't need to see the museum stuff every day.

I met Ariel here! The "Live Action" version meets people. She seems very clearly to have the same "Face Rules" as Asha from Wish- both girls are Black, with "longer" faces versus Tiana & Vi, who typically have rounder ones. Sadly I still haven't seen the live-action film so while in the line I looked up some stuff to potentially talk about- after she was done with a generic conversation-starter I said "It was really awesome how you beat the Sea-Witch!" (researching, Ariel is the one who kills Ursula in that one). I don't really remember the reply, haha. Evidently we talked about human legs & feet, because most of the pics are of her gesturing to my shoes.

I mostly felt kinda bad for the people here, as they have this nice little set-up with all sorts of gear and props to maybe talk about... and nobody was here. It's out of the way, sure- stuck at the back of a museum and even I struggled a bit to find it- but there was NO LINE AT ALL. Maybe 2-3 people had gone in ahead of me, and barely anyone walked past me as I was looking at props or information.

Both of these Arias are still here! I saw them both in 2022! Eric has changed. On a morning and afternoon show, I note that Elsa has definitely changed performers.

FROZEN SINGALONG:
* The famous Frozen singalong is one of the biggest things in the park still. It's usually pretty crowded, especially the later shows. The attendants here confirmed that the movie is still pretty big and they haven't noticed any real drop-off. One time I planned on getting in, but was just a BIT too late- I was going to be put into the last couple rows. This isn't worth it to me (I don't have the best eyesight at the best of times and you can't see any characters from that far away), so I backed out and wanted to leave. Sadly this is a bit more of an ideal than I thought, as I had to wait for people to be done overseeing the setting and get out, lol.

The other shows were fine, though! I saw it twice over, with tiny mix-ups in the jokes. In one, Aria (the female host) was barely thirsty for Hans at all, but in the next she definitely was. In 2022 she sang that "My Boo!" song at him, but this time it was some different topical joke I now forget. The only unfortunate thing is the show nowadays holds the first two rows exclusively for people with disabilities, even if there aren't any in the show, so it's a small smattering of people in those rows and even if you arrive early the best you'll get is Row 3-4. This is fine to capture facial reactions and watch the performance up close, at least.

One trick with this show is that they make you go ALL the way down your row once you enter the theater from one side. Like, to the very left of the theater. So if you arrive early, do NOT go right in; wait for a chunk of people to get through first and THEN go, guaranteeing one of those sweet middle seats. One seat wasn't terribly great, as I'd miscalculated and it was a bit too far to the right- this happens to me on the first viewing sometimes, but I got center on the next.

This art design appears on a few pieces of merch now. Which is good, because I was getting tired of that "sketchy" style they were using.

-For supper, I went to the Star Wars quick service one with all the cool beasts hanging from the ceiling, Docking Bay 7! This place has REALLY good stuff- great for a quick service meal. Interesting, colorful juice drinks. "Moof Juice" is apparently Simply® Fruit Punch, Simply® Orange with Pineapple and Chipotle-Pineapple. Well it's good! It's almost enough to make me forget this is like $22 US, which is like $30 Canadian or something! MY WALLETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST:
-I saw this one again. I'm not sure if they ever change it up, but it's a COLOSSAL theater and a pretty good show for 20-30 minutes. Seats aren't the easiest to get unless you really camp out, which I didn't have time to do, but the advantage of being a solo guest is you can easily slot in just about anywhere- I got slightly right-of-center and pretty close.

This is gonna shock longtime HS goers but... in the FIVE TIMES (!) I've been here, I've STILL never watched the Indiana Jones Stunt-Show Spectacular! It's just never in the timeline, lol! The first time, I saw The Little Mermaid & BATB shows and had to do all the rides and attractions I could. The second, third, and fourth, I was seeing the Frozen show repeatedly and trying to fit in the other ones as well. This time I just didn't have time between lunch and the other shows.

MICKEY's RUNWAY RAILWAY:
-Every time I come, I try to catch the moment where the explosion in the pre-show reveals the "torn screen" part that's solid, replacing the regular screen. And every time I miss it, lol. I want to see it happen! But the explosion is legit distracting and I always forget when it is so I'm afraid I'll miss it forever. Still a fun attraction- I try to catch all the side things (there's a side-story where Pluto is in most scenes trying to get the picnic basket). People really like this one. I still wish they'd build this and left the Great Movie Ride! I only ever got to ride that ONCE and then never again!

-OLAF!!! I finally meet a Head Character! This is something I'd never really done- Head Characters I kinda think of as JUST for kids, and most of what I like to do is interact, which is harder with someone who can't talk. Olaf immediately had me come in for a hug, and I gave my pre-planned line, from the movie: "Are you older, and thus wise and all-knowing yet?" Olaf did the "shake his head answering no in shame" thing and I responded to that. Then he gestured to me, then my head, making swirling motions. I... had no idea what this meant, so thought he was joking about me being bald, so thankfully the attendant stepped in and was like "He means And you?" and I tried my best to answer him. Turns out I suck at charades as much as Elsa does, lol.