how much WDW fun can you have in 4 days? may '07 - w/ pics & video! FINISHED!!!

[KatInHat]

I've been lurking on your tr since the beginning; I don't think I've posted yet but I wanted to let you know that I am here enjoying every minute of it. After your last update I had to to dig up my copy of Alice and Wonderland to share with my boys. I don't think they have ever seen the movie and I want them to know who they are if we see them in Sept. They got a kick out of the Mad Hatter. Thanks for sharing.

 

[prncess674]

Great installment. I am getting lots of ideas for fun pics when we are there in October. My Mom & Dad already think i am a little nutzo about Disney, they are going to really think I am cracking up when I tell them to do all these crazy photo poses!

 

[AnnNan]

Well, I don't know how much WDW fun you can have in 4 days, but I can tell you're trying to break the record!!! It sounds like y'all are having a great time! Congrats on your anniversary!

 

[candeeapril]

i really enjoy reading your TR...My top Disney movies are 1. Peter Pan 2> Alice.. also...well..I'll just sit here and wait for next segment...

 

[fterie4u]

I LOVE, LOVe your photopass picws! can you please tell me how/where you were able to get them? Did I read back in your TR that only certain CM's can do them? I would LOVE one of these, especially with my daughter on her first trip to WDW! Thanks again for the great TR!!!

 

[snowbell]

Punkin -- I totally wish you were going to be in Disney with me and dbf. Unfortunately we are leaving on the 3rd of September (also taking advantage of free dining). I would have loved to drink around the world with you!!! you guys are goofballs just like us... and I mean that in the nicest way possible.!

 

[DisneyJo]

Great day Dawn, I love all the siggies on your photo's so cute, Alice and the mad hatter sound fun, we haven't met them yet

 

[cherokeemamma]

Hi Dawn

I really loved this latest installment. You are a great writer!

I thought your character interaction was just great. You guys look like alot of fun and so nice too! The pics with Mickey are too, too cute. My DD is completely crazy about Mickey....she says she is going to marry him. Hey, he wouldn't make a bad son-in-law. I think he is so sweet and always alot of fun...

BTW, thanks for the restaurant recommendation ...I am definately going to try Kona.

Looking forward to more

 

[praisehisname]

Yum, those look like some gooood hot dogs! We're hoping to try Casey's this September.

Oh, no! Another cranky family???

Denise

 

[punkin413]

So glad you're back! What a perfect day at MK so far! I love short lines!!

me too!!! it was amazing how short they were. we were definitely pleasantly surprised!

I love your story about Alice and the Mad Hatter! How perfect that they acted just like in the movie.

I share your bird phobia. I get so upset when I see people feeding birds cuz I know that means more birds. Yuck!

Great report on Magic Kingdom so far. I love it when there is no waiting!

birds and me don't mix. today i walked out on my front porch and a bird started screeching and flying towards my head. i screamed and ran back inside. my DH was cracking up at me. i think they have a nest in a bush nearby or something. so now i can't go on my own front porch.....

Hey Dawn! Great job again! I the Alice and Mad Hatter encounter!!! Great character meetings like that just make a good trip great for me! And I have not met Alice and the Mad Hatter yet, so I'm jealous! But SO glad you met them!

they were so awesome......you have to meet them! we saw the same alice and mad hatter 3 times that day: once at rope drop, once when we met them and once in the parade. they were definitely working hard that day!

I've been lurking on your tr since the beginning; I don't think I've posted yet but I wanted to let you know that I am here enjoying every minute of it. After your last update I had to to dig up my copy of Alice and Wonderland to share with my boys. I don't think they have ever seen the movie and I want them to know who they are if we see them in Sept. They got a kick out of the Mad Hatter. Thanks for sharing.

thanks so much for reading! and lurk away....i do that a lot too on other TRs! i'm so happy i prompted you to share alice with your kids....what a great movie to share with them!!!

Great installment. I am getting lots of ideas for fun pics when we are there in October. My Mom & Dad already think i am a little nutzo about Disney, they are going to really think I am cracking up when I tell them to do all these crazy photo poses!

but that's what makes vacations fun....all the crazy pictures! now that i look back i wish i had taken more silly ones!

Well, I don't know how much WDW fun you can have in 4 days, but I can tell you're trying to break the record!!! It sounds like y'all are having a great time! Congrats on your anniversary!

thanks! we did have a blast. this sounds cheesy, but it really did change our lives. today DH was watching a trailer for "meet the robinsons" (on the "bridge to teribithia" DVD) and he asked if that was out yet. i told him that it had been out before we went to disney. and he said, "you mean before my life changed?" i told him i was so glad he enjoyed it as much as he did.....makes me love him even more!

i really enjoy reading your TR...My top Disney movies are 1. Peter Pan 2> Alice.. also...well..I'll just sit here and wait for next segment...

great minds think alike! my number 3 would probably be a tie between aladdin or beauty and the beast, then probably lady and the tramp, then sleeping beauty, then.....well, i could go on all day!

I LOVE, LOVe your photopass picws! can you please tell me how/where you were able to get them? Did I read back in your TR that only certain CM's can do them? I would LOVE one of these, especially with my daughter on her first trip to WDW! Thanks again for the great TR!!!

thanks! photopass CMs are the ones that take those pics. they're easy to spot because they're wearing navy blue pants/shorts and khaki vests (or at least that what they were wearing when we were there) and they all have huge cameras around their neck. they sort of stand in one spot at various points throughout the parks (and sometimes with characters) and you just walk up to them and ask them to take your picture. the first time you do this, the photographer will give you a little card (looks like a credit card) and scan the picture onto that. then every time you want another picture taken, you just give your card to the photographer, they take the picture and scan it on your card, then give it back to you. when you get home you can look the pictures up online by registering at the website listed on the card. you can edit your pictures with all kinds of neat little graphics (like the signatures of the characters) and save them, then just buy the ones you want! tell the photopass CMs that you want a picture with tink and they should know what to do!

Punkin -- I totally wish you were going to be in Disney with me and dbf. Unfortunately we are leaving on the 3rd of September (also taking advantage of free dining). I would have loved to drink around the world with you!!! you guys are goofballs just like us... and I mean that in the nicest way possible.!

when i'm going in september it'll be with my friend erin for her 30th birthday (and just for the weekend), not with DH. he's happy waiting until next april when we'll be back for a full-blown vacation again! 5 days this time.......an extra day of fun!!! and yes, i'm a goofball. you're absolutely right!

Great day Dawn, I love all the siggies on your photo's so cute, Alice and the mad hatter sound fun, we haven't met them yet

if you see them, wait to meet them, even if there's a line! they were so much fun!

Hi Dawn

I really loved this latest installment. You are a great writer!

I thought your character interaction was just great. You guys look like alot of fun and so nice too! The pics with Mickey are too, too cute. My DD is completely crazy about Mickey....she says she is going to marry him. Hey, he wouldn't make a bad son-in-law. I think he is so sweet and always alot of fun...

BTW, thanks for the restaurant recommendation ...I am definately going to try Kona.

Looking forward to more

kona........yum!!! that's so cute about your DD and mickey. he would be a dream son-in-law! during the "dream along with mickey" show in front of the castle he asks minnie to dance with the princesses and she says something like "but i'm not a princess" and he says, "but minnie, you've always been a princess to me"...... SO SWEET!!!!!

Yum, those look like some gooood hot dogs! We're hoping to try Casey's this September.

Oh, no! Another cranky family???

Denise

they were very yummy! my DH LOVES hot dogs and we usually don't eat them a lot because i'm not a fan, but i'm willing to eat one every now and then if they're good.....and they were! and as far as the cranky family.....it was just the mom...the other members of the family were nice! who knows???? stay tuned to find out more! i'll probably be posting the next installment next week during the holiday since i'll have some time off work to put it together.

 

[lexmelinda]

Punkin! I've gotten behind! I just caught up on the last 2 installments.

So cute that you waited to have your picture taken with the characters. I could not FORCE my kids to do this on our trip last time. I even took the girls to brunch at 1900 Park Fare just so they could see Alice (it's their all time favorite movie) and they could not have cared less! Even DS6 didn't care about the characters. I KNOW!!! Oh, well. I'm sure you know you can cover a lot more ground if you don't wait in the character lines.

Love, love, love your photopass pictures! They are all just awesome! Did you buy the CD? We will definitely make more time to do this in Sept. And...lines were even shorter for us in Sept. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

BORG on the sauerkraut! I love it on my hot dogs and I love reuben sandwiches. Tip from Melinda: If you're at the Haunted Mansion, go across the way and eat at Columbia Harbor House. It's quiet and air conditioned upstairs. And no ducks.

 

[LITTLEKID58]

 

[crarmy]

OT- I have becoma croc addict! I got Disney Crocs from my boyfriend for my birthday (they are pearl with the pink strap) and recently bought a pair of the athens flip flops (chocolate with light blue footbed)! I told myself I would save them but when I got some blisters playing soccer the other night I tried them for around the house- they havent come off my feet in two days except for sleeping! they are the only thing I would venture to say is more comfortable than barefoot- and I am one of those annoying people that could easily live without shoes.

I hear you, I love barefooted too, let me know how those Athens do at Disney, I want to get some of those too. I want the chocolate brown and pink.

Sorry Punkin, I know this is about your trip, which I am now caught up and can't wait for your next installment , I wish I could write as good as you, how in the world do you remember everything?? How in the world does anyone remeber all the details?? I need to learn from all you guys, so I can write a trip report and then transfer it all to my scarpbook. It would be so awesome for my kidos to relive everything in such detail.

 

[winkers]

Dawn, you seriously are the cutest person ever! I love the pictures on the tea cups! Soo cute! And I love that I'm not the only adult who waits inline to get pictures with the characters!

 

[twob4him]

Thanks for another great installment! Thats great about the character interaction with Alice, MH and Mickey and the gang! You did get some terrific pics! "They" do say that Wed is a good day to go to MK and seeeeee they were right...no lines for ya...don't you love it?! It looked like a really nice day out too!
Did I mention seagulls? They are 10 x worse than ducks. They will literally swoop down and take food out of your hand

 

[punkin413]

Punkin! I've gotten behind! I just caught up on the last 2 installments.

So cute that you waited to have your picture taken with the characters. I could not FORCE my kids to do this on our trip last time. I even took the girls to brunch at 1900 Park Fare just so they could see Alice (it's their all time favorite movie) and they could not have cared less! Even DS6 didn't care about the characters. I KNOW!!! Oh, well. I'm sure you know you can cover a lot more ground if you don't wait in the character lines.

Love, love, love your photopass pictures! They are all just awesome! Did you buy the CD? We will definitely make more time to do this in Sept. And...lines were even shorter for us in Sept. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

BORG on the sauerkraut! I love it on my hot dogs and I love reuben sandwiches. Tip from Melinda: If you're at the Haunted Mansion, go across the way and eat at Columbia Harbor House. It's quiet and air conditioned upstairs. And no ducks.

if we would've been there during a time when it was somewhat crowded or busy, i probably would've skipped some of those character lines. but we literally had extra time on our hands just to goof off at the end of the day...it was great! so i guess i just didn't feel like i had to rush and felt it was okay to stay for the characters. i'm just glad i didn't have to wait in that princess line! glad to hear about the short lines in september.....i can't wait! by the way, what does BORG mean?

.....back at ya!

I hear you, I love barefooted too, let me know how those Athens do at Disney, I want to get some of those too. I want the chocolate brown and pink.

Sorry Punkin, I know this is about your trip, which I am now caught up and can't wait for your next installment , I wish I could write as good as you, how in the world do you remember everything?? How in the world does anyone remeber all the details?? I need to learn from all you guys, so I can write a trip report and then transfer it all to my scarpbook. It would be so awesome for my kidos to relive everything in such detail.

don't worry about the OT posts.....i hijack other TRs sometimes, too. i really don't mind! as far as remembering everything, basically all i did was made a list of the things i wanted to do and then i'd number them in the order we did them. also, taking lots of pictures helps so much! when you take a digital picture, it automatically saves the date and time in the picture's info, so i can just scroll over my pictures to see what time we did everything. and it helps to have a good memory, too!

Dawn, you seriously are the cutest person ever! I love the pictures on the tea cups! Soo cute! And I love that I'm not the only adult who waits inline to get pictures with the characters!

cherie, you seriously are a cutie, too!!! MK just brings out the 6-year-old in me.....i can't help myself!

Thanks for another great installment! Thats great about the character interaction with Alice, MH and Mickey and the gang! You did get some terrific pics! "They" do say that Wed is a good day to go to MK and seeeeee they were right...no lines for ya...don't you love it?! It looked like a really nice day out too!
Did I mention seagulls? They are 10 x worse than ducks. They will literally swoop down and take food out of your hand

it was gorgeous out that day! i only got hot once and that was while waiting for the afternoon parade. luckily we didn't encounter any seagulls. i had read about them here and any time we were walking and eating i made sure DH was carrying the food and not me!!!!

 

[Disneyolic]

after we got off BTMR, we decided it was time for a little haunting.

we headed towards the haunted mansion and there was no wait! crazy....i'm telling you! we really were expecting to wait for everything, but we were pleasantly surprised all day long!

I am so sad we didn't get to do Haunted Mansion as it was closed down for rehab. Yes, it's cheesy but such a classic. Love it!

i, however, could not completely enjoy my food nor the entertainment because of the &^!%@)$@! ducks!!!!!!! i cannot stress this enough to you people: DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS!!!!! they're so aggressive! i finally had to pull up a spare chair and put my feet up in it so i could finish my meal. i'm sure i looked like a complete fool, but it's the only thing i could do! besides, i look like a fool a lot so i'm used to it.

I can't stand people who feed the ducks either. I know I flashed some nasty looks at parents giving their kids food to feed to them on more than 1 occasion! I told my kids that it was wrong and that food was not good for them.

next up.......our encounters with pirates, a genie and....oh no.....another mad mommy!

I'm glad you're so slow at updating as I was able to catch up on yours really easy since I've been gone! Still loving it...

 

[punkin413]

I am so sad we didn't get to do Haunted Mansion as it was closed down for rehab. Yes, it's cheesy but such a classic. Love it!

I can't stand people who feed the ducks either. I know I flashed some nasty looks at parents giving their kids food to feed to them on more than 1 occasion! I told my kids that it was wrong and that food was not good for them.


I'm glad you're so slow at updating as I was able to catch up on yours really easy since I've been gone! Still loving it...

that sucks about the haunted mansion! just gives you an excuse to go back soon! and i'm sure i too flashed some evil glances at people feeding the ducks and probably commented really loudly to ray how obnoxious it is... i think the reason i'm slow is because subconciously i'm trying to make it last as long as i can!

 

[punkin413]

when i left you we had just had some yummy hot dogs at casey’s, albeit while fighting off the evil ducks! after our lunch we decided to head towards adventureland. on the way, we ran into another photopass photographer who took some more pics….and actually got ray to pose with tink!

upon entering adventureland, i noticed that rafiki was greeting guests in an area off to the right. i got in line to get his autograph because my best friend’s little boy absolutely adores rafiki and i had to show him his autograph and picture. about 2 minutes after i got in line, a CM informed us that it was time for rafiki to go meditate and that timon would be coming out in a few minutes. i snapped this picture before rafiki headed off……

i didn’t really want to wait in line for timon, so we decided to head towards pirates. as we approached pirates, i noticed a line to my right and, lo and behold, another one of my favorite characters…….THE GENIE!!!!!!! just as i got in line the CM was taking him away, so i asked when he’d be back and she said that aladdin wasn’t coming back for a little while, but that genie would be back in just a few minutes. that was fine by me! there was no way i was missing the opportunity to meet genie! i snapped a couple of pics as aladdin and genie were walking away…..i think some little girl snagged aladdin before the CM could stop her, so he had to stop and sign her autograph book.

we got in line and waited literally 2 minutes before genie came back out. maybe he just needed a bathroom break? anyway, we were the second people in line and i was so excited to meet genie! i told him he was one of my favorites and after the pictures he gave me a genie kiss!!! (by the way, please ignore my bloated stomach – those hot dogs were big!)

we continued towards pirates and on the way saw that the pirate tutorial thing with captain jack sparrow was going on. it was pretty crowded and i couldn’t get many good pictures……

we didn’t stay for the whole show because i couldn’t see well. instead we headed into pirates and…once again….no wait!!!

pirates was as i remembered it…..although i do have to say that i miss my dad singing at the top of his lungs, “yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me” for the entire ride! he never said any of the other words (probably because he didn’t know them ), but he always would just embarrass us to death with that! the movie additions of davy jones and jack sparrow were pretty cool. i didn’t get good pictures of captain jack since no flash was allowed…..

upon exiting pirates who do we see but captain james hook himself! i remember captain hook as a kid…i thought he was so funny because he grabbed my goofy ears from my hat and held them up for the picture. anyway, he was going on a break and we couldn’t meet him. but i snapped this pic as he walked by.

as he was walking away he snatched a little boy’s POTC action figure toy and non-chalantly started to walk away with it. the little boy freaked out and started running after him, but of course his handler made him give it back!

next we decided to take a break at the tiki room. as we all know, i’m not too keen on birds, but ray wanted to do it so i decided i could deal with the fake ones! besides, it was a nice air-conditioned break. the only complaint i had was that iago’s backside was facing us most of the show. he has a strangely large backside for a bird…….very disturbing.

after my nap in the tiki room, we decided to take a jungle cruise. the wait was somewhere around 20-30 minutes, and we decided to wait since we really hadn’t waited for anything all day. as we got in line a CM approached us and started talking to ray. i couldn’t hear what he was saying, so i’m thinking oh yes, baby, we got a dream! but no such luck. he just gave ray some sort of little timer thing to give to the skipper when we got on the boat. i guess this is how they reevaluate wait times throughout the day.

we rode in nile nellie and our skipper was extra cheesy. in fact, as i told lynda (disneyfreak92) in her TR, i’m thinking there was a good chance that it was “scat girl” who tried out for american idol a few years back. lynda had heard a rumor that she was a skipper on the jungle cruise now and our skipper reminded me of her, except that she had blonde hair. here’s a video of “scat girl” for ya…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-OBd4jemCI

i didn’t know about this at the time or i would’ve taken a picture of her. i took a few pics on the cruise, but it really was stuff you’ve all seen before, so i’m not gonna bore you with those pics.

after the cruise we decided it was time for a snack. i wanted to try a dole whip float since i’d heard the raves about them on the DIS. here’s my yummy pineappley concoction.

it was good. not as good as i had built it up in my mind, but good. we took a seat near the swiss family treehouse while we shared the float. it was closed for rehab. i was kinda disappointed. i know a lot of people think this is lame, but i always enjoyed it as a kid. so unmagical with the scaffolding!

next installment: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=19550604&postcount=560

 

[punkin413]

while we were sitting there i decided to check my voicemail and my sister had called and said i should call her back ASAP. so i called her back and she told me that she and her boyfriend had had their first little tiff and to apologize to her he booked a 3-day stay at WDW during memorial day…….my reaction was “you suck!!!!” okay…..maybe that was the wrong reaction and a little selfish considering i was standing in the middle of magic kingdom, but really i was happy for her. i told her as soon as i got home we’d plan out their vacation since i’m now a DIS-certified disney expert!

it was around 2:00 at that point and so we decided to do mickey’s philharmagic before heading to liberty square to get a seat for the parade. we cut through the castle and ran into this wickedness in the courtyard area behind the castle…….

the red-headed stepsister was so hilarious……aurora and prince phillip were across the courtyard area and she kept yelling at him in this awful voice, “OH, PHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!” it was great.

then ray noticed that this sword was stuck in this stone…….no luck in pulling it out, but look…..he’s really trying!

we went into the philharmagic building and…..look mom…….no lines! (i swear i’m not high in this picture! )

i also saw this poster which i had to get a picture of to remind myself to buy the movie! (yes, i know it’s not a real movie. i am attempting to be funny here!)

here we are in our way-cool glasses……

i don’t remember how long we waited to get in the theater, but it wasn’t long. and what a good show!!!! i had heard this was a good show, but didn’t know what to expect. it was really cute!

after the show it was around 2:30 so we decided to head over to liberty square to get a seat for the parade. we got a good spot right in front of LLT. there was a trash can behind us, so we just sat down on the ground and leaned up against it. ray decided to go get a frozen treat while we waited. he came back with some sort of orange popcicle….don’t remember exactly what it was, but it was good and cold! this was really the only time in the trip that we got hot…..while waiting on the parade. i’m sure it didn’t help that we were sitting on the hot pavement….duh!

when the parade started we stood up and we realized that we now were standing in front of some kids who were behind the trash can. ray told them that they could come stand in front of us so they could see better. there were 2 of them and they were only like 7 or 8, so we could’ve seen right over their heads. anyway, as they started to come around the trash can, their mom grabbed the little girl’s arm and said, “what are you doing?” the little girl told her that we said they could stand in front of us and ray nodded and motioned to the mother that it was okay, and then the mom just scowled at us and said, “no way. you’re not going up there.” i don’t get why parents are so mean at WDW?!?!!! i mean, i could totally see doing that (in a nicer way, of course) if the kids were smaller (like 2 or 3) and if the mom couldn’t see them after they moved. but they would've been literally 6 feet away from her. i turned around and said, “sorry……we were just trying to be nice.” i felt bad for the kids!

i took lots of pics of the parade……it was really good!

this is the family that got the castle suite for the night……LUCKIES!!!!!!!!

look it’s mr. disney himself!

this is the same alice and mad hatter that were at rope drop AND that I met earlier in the day……they were busy that day!

this was my favorite float…..the villains!

another favorite of mine……..i didn’t know it until after the float past, but tink is in the little lantern sitting next to peter.

up next……we dream along with mickey and meet prince phillip’s boyfriend!

next installment: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=19607166&postcount=588