Happily Ever After Begins Here -- An Oct. 2012 TR Updated! 11/17!

[mguilford1]

I cant stop reading and the pics are awesome. We are staying at akl and might do the safari after seeing your report. The last time (2011) we did the wild africa trek and we just didnt see the animals very close up except hippos and crocodiles. What kind of camera did you use to take such good pics?

 

[Shazzasmd]

Oh My . Just stopped by to check on your report, and I see the Proposal is now official!!!! Congratulations to both of you on the Perfect Proposal. Franklin did a super job with the planning, and your reaction was priceless.


I admit, I didn't see it coming as you were on your way to the Castle, but it was perfect, and a magical moment.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I would have to say, that was a pretty darn perfect Disney day!!! . The pictures are spectacular, as always. i am speechless. So gorgeous!!!

California Grill is supposed to be open in late Oct? Somehow I missed this. I guess I assumed if you couldn't make ADRs, it wasn't an option. Hmmm.... I might have to do some rearranging. It has always been one of my favorites and I can't wait to see what they have done!!

Will PM you regarding dates and possible meets. We are there til the 26th.

 

[Missyrose]

Just caught up on the last couple of chapters.

What a great story about how everything came together for the big moment.

I love all of the pictures and excitement following the engagement! Too funny that notifying everyone competed with getting your rides on.

Amazing pictures from Pirates and Haunted! And one special Space picture!

How fun that you got to spend some time with friends.

Knockout pictures from California Grill- both the food and the sunset. Beautiful!

And once again, as always, stunning fireworks pictures.

I am really excited about your next agenda item! Hard to top "today's" magic, but I have a feeling you will be encountering some additional magic and we will be enjoying some out-of-this-world pictures!

Thanks Dee! That Space Mountain picture is one that we'll keep for a looooong time. More magic of a different kind coming right up!

Without a doubt, Franklin is the best photographer on the Disboards!

I've also been checking adr's for California Grill in October, also. I'm getting discouraged.

Monday morning! ADRs for Cali Grill are coming Monday morning! I hope we get one for the first day of our Disneymoon!

Wow! Your special day just kept on going! So magical! I wasn't thinking you still had a whole day ahead of you since CRT! Sounds like that day will ever be tough to ever top. Love the photos & hearing the whole experience.

More people should really think about getting engaged at breakfast, then you get the WHOLE DAY to celebrate! I highly recommend it.

I cant get enough of Franklin's fireworks pictures... breathtaking!!!! and I love the picture of you holding your popcorn with your RING finger showing!!!

I didn't quite realize how much I use my left hand until I thumbed through all these photos.

Awesome update!

Thank you!

Perfect end to a completely perfect day is right! As per usual, spectacular fireworks photos Franklin!

Cali Grill is one of my favorites - even if ressies open up for our trip, it won't fit. Guess that means I have to schedule another one!

I thought about just bagging Cali Grill on the October trip and just try 1900 Park Fare. Then Franklin saw the words "new sushi menu" and that thought went right out the window. Let's hope things go well Monday morning!

Looks like a yummy dinner! It sounds like you guys had a perfect Disney day! Looking forward to hearing about the trip to the "other" park

It was a delicious dinner, everything was amazing! The "other" park is coming right up.

This sentence was SO spot on! You know we just can't get enough of Franklin's fireworks photos!! But they are made more wonderful by your commentary.

Love how you snuck in another ring photo with that popcorn pic.

Yep, I've learned that everyone is far more interested in the story part of the TR when there aren't fireworks pictures in play. It's cool, I spend hours staring at Franklin's fireworks photos, so I totally understand.

I swear, the number of ring photos will decrease drastically now that engagement day is over.

That's a great ending to a great day, yummy dinner and Wishes!

Thanks Wendy!

I cant stop reading and the pics are awesome. We are staying at akl and might do the safari after seeing your report. The last time (2011) we did the wild africa trek and we just didnt see the animals very close up except hippos and crocodiles. What kind of camera did you use to take such good pics?

You would love the safari! Let me know if you decide to do it! Wild Africa Trek is on our to-do list. Franklin uses a Nikon D600.

Oh My . Just stopped by to check on your report, and I see the Proposal is now official!!!! Congratulations to both of you on the Perfect Proposal. Franklin did a super job with the planning, and your reaction was priceless.


I admit, I didn't see it coming as you were on your way to the Castle, but it was perfect, and a magical moment.

See! I told you we'd get here (eventually )! Thanks for the congratulations, it was completely perfect.

I would have to say, that was a pretty darn perfect Disney day!!! . The pictures are spectacular, as always. i am speechless. So gorgeous!!!

California Grill is supposed to be open in late Oct? Somehow I missed this. I guess I assumed if you couldn't make ADRs, it wasn't an option. Hmmm.... I might have to do some rearranging. It has always been one of my favorites and I can't wait to see what they have done!!

Will PM you regarding dates and possible meets. We are there til the 26th.

Cali Grill will reopen Sept. 9! ADRs start Monday, we are definitely going to try for one!

​

 

[Missyrose]

Welcome back! It was another bright and early morning at AKL. We had places to be and wizards to see. Yes, it was time to venture to the “dark side,” Islands of Adventure.

We got there long before the gates opened and were among the first people in line!

It was time! We were off and running.

And we arrived here, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Sigh. I love this place.

It will always feel a bit disconcerting to be surrounded by snow-capped buildings when you’re covered in sweat.

We motored our way through Hogsmeade, but don’t worry, we’d be back. We just had a Forbidden Journey to embark on. Since Jean was pregnant, she couldn’t ride. So we left all the bags with her.

Straight to the single-rider line for us! Remember, these are Franklin’s “quick” photos as we ran through the single-rider queue.

I looove the floating candles, such a cool sight. The ride was amazing, as usual. So amazing, in fact, we did it again! Twice in a row seems to be the limit these days, so we found Jean and set out to explore the area.

We’re a Gryffindor kind of bunch.

I was even wearing a bow with the house colors!

​

 

[Missyrose]

We could use some refreshments, namely a frozen Butterbeer. Mmmmmm, Butterbeer. I’m drooling a little bit just thinking about it!

Jean made me hold the cup that way, she was determined to get my ring in every picture!

Have you seen this wizard?

Or this one?

The boys headed of for Dragon Challenge, while Jean and I hung out. When they got back, we made a candy run.

And then it was time for a mini photo shoot. The conductor really liked my Hogwarts Express T-shirt.

It was that time of morning when WWoHP went from crowded to CROWDED. So we bid it adieu.

Next stop was Marvel Land. The boys wanted to take a spin on Hulk,

so Jean and I grabbed a seat and a snack in the CS restaurant next to Spiderman.

We wanted to ride Spiderman once the boys were done, but when we started to walk over there, we noticed the line was out the door. No thanks!

With nothing really left on our to-do list, we did a little shopping.

And headed for the exit. I bought Jean this T-shirt and we took this picture that we couldn’t tweet, Facebook or send anyone until the official word about the baby was out. But how cute is this?!??

The group split up for a bit as we headed into Universal Studios.

Franklin and I had exactly one thing on our US to-do list.

​

 

[Missyrose]

The posted wait was an hour and that’s about how long we waited. It was easily the longest we’d waited in a line in years. But we both love Despicable Me, so there was never any question about how long we’d wait. Plus, the queue was cute!

It’s not the world’s most exciting ride, more like a movie in which they bounce you around a bit. But that movie is just adorable, just as adorable as the original movie! I love me some Agnes.

And there is a fun dance party with the Minions after the ride.

It was lunch time and we’d had enough of Universal, so we left.

We decided to pick up lunch on the way back to the Disney bubble. Chic fil A! Everyone had super tasty chicken sandwiches. That’s where we’ll end things for now, but there’s lots more Disney-related fun ahead.
​

 

[Wood Nymph]

I lost track of everything you did on this trip. How many times did you go over to Universal Studios? It seems like you popped in and out rather quickly.

And I am also very impressed that you got over to Universal that early in the morning after all the excitement of the day before.

I love Jean's shirt.

 

[natebenma]

Nice (quick) visit to the Dark Side!

So the Forbidden Journey queue pictures must have been taken with a small point & shoot, no? Still spectacular!

What's better than a frozen butter beer? Holding a frozen butter beer with your newly engaged bling-wearing hand!

The "Future Thing" shirt is great. I had my eye on a "Mother of All Things" design.

The line for Minion Mayhem is well, Despicable! (See what I did there? I may just have to use that in my report). That was (almost) the longest line we experienced on our trip. Cute ride, but we only did it once.

 

[teekathepony]

Very nice little quickie on the other side! Mmmmm butter beer, I could go for some right now (although I like the non frozen variety!)
Adorable future thing shirt, that's so cute!
We got a kick out of the Minion ride too, pretty cute.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[FancyNancy]

Great update! The "Future Thing" shirt is so cute and I love your HP Bow!

 

[tiggerfan77]

Sorry, it took me a while to catch up! But a BIG congrats to you and Franklin and nice bling by the way!

Great Wishes pictures as always! But Franklin always has the best fireworks pics!

It looks like you enjoyed your quick trip to the Dark Side. We missed out on Despicable Me because the line was just soooo long. We saw it was at 60min in the morning but if I knew how long it got by the evening, we would have just gone for it!

 

[khertz]

Ahhhh! I can't WAIT to get back to Universal this year!!! So much new stuff, and you have provided a great preview for me. I love your Hogwarts Express shirt. I saw one online recently that said I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good. WANT! I feel like I'm going to go a little nuts on HP merchandise while we are there.

 

[Missyrose]

I lost track of everything you did on this trip. How many times did you go over to Universal Studios? It seems like you popped in and out rather quickly.

And I am also very impressed that you got over to Universal that early in the morning after all the excitement of the day before.

I love Jean's shirt.

Only one Universal jaunt on this trip, but we did visit Universal on our May trip too (with all these TRs, it can be hard to keep all the trips straight!)

Nice (quick) visit to the Dark Side!

So the Forbidden Journey queue pictures must have been taken with a small point & shoot, no? Still spectacular!

What's better than a frozen butter beer? Holding a frozen butter beer with your newly engaged bling-wearing hand!

The "Future Thing" shirt is great. I had my eye on a "Mother of All Things" design.

The line for Minion Mayhem is well, Despicable! (See what I did there? I may just have to use that in my report). That was (almost) the longest line we experienced on our trip. Cute ride, but we only did it once.

Okay, I was working with bad intel on the photos (or at least less detailed, end-of-the-trip notes). The photos were from the castle tour we took with Jean after the rides on FJ. Apparently, Franklin tried to take his camera on the ride, but they said it was too big and made him put it in a locker.

I love the idea of you in the Mother of All Things shirt, totally perfect!

Yes, the minion line was very despicable. We thought the ride was cute, but I don't know if we'll ever wait more than 20 minutes for it again.

Very nice little quickie on the other side! Mmmmm butter beer, I could go for some right now (although I like the non frozen variety!)
Adorable future thing shirt, that's so cute!
We got a kick out of the Minion ride too, pretty cute.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I think you may be the first person I've encountered who likes regular Butterbeer instead of frozen!

Great update! The "Future Thing" shirt is so cute and I love your HP Bow!

Thank you! My Hogwarts Express T-shirt and my Gryffindor bow have become my IOA uniform!

Sorry, it took me a while to catch up! But a BIG congrats to you and Franklin and nice bling by the way!

Great Wishes pictures as always! But Franklin always has the best fireworks pics!

It looks like you enjoyed your quick trip to the Dark Side. We missed out on Despicable Me because the line was just soooo long. We saw it was at 60min in the morning but if I knew how long it got by the evening, we would have just gone for it!

Thank you! I'm so glad you got to catch up with us! We do enjoy Universal and IOA, but we do tend to do those parks in quick bursts.

I think Despicable Me suffers from Toy Story Mania Syndrome, a truly family-oriented ride based on a popular movie in an otherwise thrill-oriented park.

Ahhhh! I can't WAIT to get back to Universal this year!!! So much new stuff, and you have provided a great preview for me. I love your Hogwarts Express shirt. I saw one online recently that said I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good. WANT! I feel like I'm going to go a little nuts on HP merchandise while we are there.

Oh my gosh, have you seen the changing mug? When you put hot liquid in it, it says "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." And when it cools, it says "Mischief managed." I really need to buy that mug one of these days.​

 

[Missyrose]

We last left off with our crew fueling up at Chic Fil A after a fun morning on the “dark side.” We hopped back in the car and headed for home, a.k.a. the Disney bubble.

We all took some time back at the resort and freshened up. And soon, we were back on the road to Epcot. We had a dinner ADR at San Angel Inn and had a little bit of time before dinner to get a ride or two in.

We decided to go on a ride that Jean could ride with us, Spaceship Earth!

What would happen if you showed up one day and her tights were purple? Or blue? Or red? Wouldn’t it just blow your mind?

Time to peer into the future!

Don’t be fooled, Franklin is drinking hot chocolate, not coffee.

The sun was starting to set, which told us it was time to head for the World Showcase for dinner!

​

 

[Missyrose]

We made the short stroll to Mexico and were seated almost immediately for dinner!

The boys started with some margaritas. A jalapeno, a blood orange and an avocado.

And a little guac.

This was Jean’s tortilla soup.

My chicken Ceasar salad.

And Franklin’s steak.

The meal was really good and the ambiance was great. We paid the bill and moseyed back outside. Franklin grabbed a margarita to go from La Cava.

And I couldn’t be that close to China and NOT get an order of potstickers, right?

Jean, Lee and John wanted to stay at Epcot for Illuminations before heading back to the resort (they had an early DME bus in the morning). Franklin and I wanted to go to Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower to watch Hallowishes. So we split up, with Jean, Lee and John heading deeper into the World Showcase, while Franklin and I headed for the monorail.

We said one last goodbye to Epcot.

And the Food and Wine Festival. Until next year!

In no time flat, we were at the top of BLT!

Not a bad view, right?

And now, for a little night music...

 

[Missyrose]

And what a finale!

This was our first trip to TOWL since becoming DVC members and it is a fabulous perk. There is a bar and plenty of places to hang before the show. And for the record, for anyone who says that CR/BLT isn’t “Disney” enough, check out the artwork in BLT’s lobby:

So gorgeously Disney! Anyway, we walked over to the MK bus depot and hopped a bus back to AKL. We ended up being up pretty late, watching Stacy and packing. Can’t believe we’re about to embark on our last day! Until next time, folks.
​

 

[IheartDDuck]

All right, I'm getting all caught up.

OMG! The shoe just fell apart! Well that sucks.

You guys look so cute all dressed up. Good idea going as the head honcho and his lady.

As always, the fireworks pictures are incredible!

Mmmm. Boma is one of my favorites, breakfast or dinner.

Oooohhhh, a beer pairing would be right up my alley. Yummy Italian men. Those are right up my alley too!

What a perfect proposal. So absolutely beautiful.

I love the Space Mountain ring picture!

I too know the entire ghost host spiel. And I have no shame admitting it, or following along with it.

Butterbeer! I completely forgot to get butterbeer last time I was there. It was so crowded that I just got distracted and discombobulated.

 

[fabulousfive]

Love your recent posts!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter looks sooo cool! Makes me want to read the series all over again! I am in love with your friend's tee. I can feel all the fun & joy you experienced on this trip! And I always have to comment on at least one photo that stands out (well, they all do really) but I'm in awe of how bright Franklin made the inside of Mexico appear. It's such a clean, pretty picture. Was that flash & cranking up ISO? He's truly inspiring! Oh, & I almost forgot to mention how much I LOVE that ring -- especially with your Minnie Mouse manicure!

I'm soooo excited to hear you have lots of upcoming trips planned. Good for you, & I love reading & seeing all your adventures!

 

[Missyrose]

All right, I'm getting all caught up.

OMG! The shoe just fell apart! Well that sucks.

You guys look so cute all dressed up. Good idea going as the head honcho and his lady.

As always, the fireworks pictures are incredible!

Mmmm. Boma is one of my favorites, breakfast or dinner.

Oooohhhh, a beer pairing would be right up my alley. Yummy Italian men. Those are right up my alley too!

What a perfect proposal. So absolutely beautiful.

I love the Space Mountain ring picture!

I too know the entire ghost host spiel. And I have no shame admitting it, or following along with it.

Butterbeer! I completely forgot to get butterbeer last time I was there. It was so crowded that I just got distracted and discombobulated.

Welcome back! The party was so much fun in those costumes! Boma and the beer-pairing lunch.... mmmmmm drooling just thinking about them!

How can you forget Butterbeer?!?!?! Doesn't that land you in Wizarding jail or something?

Love your recent posts!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter looks sooo cool! Makes me want to read the series all over again! I am in love with your friend's tee. I can feel all the fun & joy you experienced on this trip! And I always have to comment on at least one photo that stands out (well, they all do really) but I'm in awe of how bright Franklin made the inside of Mexico appear. It's such a clean, pretty picture. Was that flash & cranking up ISO? He's truly inspiring! Oh, & I almost forgot to mention how much I LOVE that ring -- especially with your Minnie Mouse manicure!

I'm soooo excited to hear you have lots of upcoming trips planned. Good for you, & I love reading & seeing all your adventures!

Thank you! WWoHP is really cool. They did an amazing job of bringing that whole universe to life. The details are just incredible.

Lots of trips and TRs in the pipeline, glad to hear you'll be along for the ride. And I'm sure Franklin will be along shortly to explain the photo in the Mexican pavilion!​