Hurry Up, You Brats, or I'm Telling Mickey Mouse! An August 2013 TR THE END 1/18

[lvcourtneyy]

I'm finally caught up! Yay!

Your family is so adorable and I had no idea they did interpreted shows at WDW but thanks to opening my eyes to it! That's beyond amazing. I'm going to make it a point to look out for one of the interpreted shows next time I'm there.

Ah I wanted to do the Penguin Encounter tour when we did SeaWorld in January 2012 but they weren't doing it! We did the Behind-the-Scenes tour instead which was so interesting and informative anyway!

I literally have a tear in my eye from seeing that journal of your grandmother's. That is so amazing and what a great memory to have.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

 

[courtneybelle]

sounds like a great experience with the penguins - glad it lived up to your expectations ... nothing worse than penguin disappointment

and very cool that you found that journal of your grandmothers and props to her for going on the jungle cruise 12 times!

It was really incredible. I had such a blast.

Thanks! I'm so excited to read the rest of it when I go home this weekend.

Wow, that was really cool (no pun intended. ok maybe a little)

But seriously I didn't even know about this at all. Just to be that close to them and actually TOUCH them. Just awesome. Thank you for all that amazing info. So glad you got to fulfill this dream. What a great experience.

Yeah, ok, I think that's totally a Parks and Rec reference!!!

Oh man, that journal is AMAZING!!!!!! That would have made me really emotional too. Your grandmother totally would have been right here doing a Trip Report, I just know it. She was also clearly an expert knowing to do Jungle Cruise at night as well. Just beautiful!! Thanks for sharing that Courtney.

Hehe I always appreciate a good pun!

It really was a dream come true. I feel weird saying that the highlight of my vacation was at SeaWorld and not Disney...but it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I will never forget it

I've actually never seen Parks and Rec I've heard good things about it, though! I was going with the Scrubs musical episode.

Rob, that means so much to me! I definitely think she would have loved the idea of Trip Reporting. She really was a Disney expert and I was very lucky to be able to go on a few trips with her.

Hi there Courtney! I'm getting caught up so I have to go back to the churro measure of currency! I can relate to that logic.

I can tell that you love penguins by your tee-shirt!! That, and the cupcake was a give away! You must have had a blue tongue after eating that.

That's so funny about Flintstone's vitamins being hidden in the food. Who would have known? You share a lot of interesting penguin factoids like the thickness of the eggs and the males are not admired for their good looks but by their impressive nests! I certainly would not have picked my spouse based on his messy house!! Humans sure are different!!

That trip journal that your grandmother wrote is precious. She had beautiful handwriting and I love her notes. It is almost timeless in some ways since those attractions and the monorail are around today. What a treasure!!

Hi Brenda! I did have a bit of a blue tongue, but the cupcake was delicious

I learned so much on this tour! The tour guides just had so much knowledge to share and I tried to write down as much as I could afterward.

It's really priceless, I am so excited to read the rest of it this weekend. I love how so many of the things she loved about Disney have lasted so long!

 

[courtneybelle]

OMG you had the BEST time on that penguin tour. It was awesome being right there in the exhibit. Hearing what the handlers do was so interesting. You think it's all fun and games playing with penguins then you're shoveling snow and penguin poop for 4 hours a day. I think for us (you) that was a much better choice that the general behind-the-scenes tour.

Here is one of my favorite lines from Grammy's travel journal. "Stopped at Mystery Fun House in Orlando. OK - anything after WDW is a letdown." Now I know where we get it!! Almost makes me forgive her for making me a pool-hopper (swimming at the Poly while we stayed at Ft. Wilderness). It must have been allowed back then; I can't imagine her or my dad breaking that kind of rule.

See you tomorrow! YAY!

It really was an amazing experience and I can't thank you enough for booking it for me.

I absolutely love that line. That is so us it's not even funny, and I know that would be her thought if she came to Universal with us POOL HOPPING. I'm sorry but that comes with a lifetime ban

AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! PENGUINS!!!!!!!!!! I love them love them love them love them! So so much.

I'm definitely going to have to look into going to Sea World just to see the penguin exhibit.

That's awesome about your Grandmother's journal! My Grandma passed away in January, and we found all her Disney stuff too. We have to get through all the stuff to decide who's taking what. Those are the things to cherish, that's for sure.

They are my favorite animal ever, and there are over 250 of them at SeaWorld, so I would definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for penguins

Definitely things to cherish! It's amazing to see how the Disney love passes along through a family.

I'm finally caught up! Yay!

Your family is so adorable and I had no idea they did interpreted shows at WDW but thanks to opening my eyes to it! That's beyond amazing. I'm going to make it a point to look out for one of the interpreted shows next time I'm there.

Ah I wanted to do the Penguin Encounter tour when we did SeaWorld in January 2012 but they weren't doing it! We did the Behind-the-Scenes tour instead which was so interesting and informative anyway!

I literally have a tear in my eye from seeing that journal of your grandmother's. That is so amazing and what a great memory to have.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

Hey Courtney! So glad to have you on board!

Hehe thank you for saying we're adorable The interpreted shows are incredible. I would recommend seeing Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, or one of the more theatrical shows. The interpreters act along with the show while they sign and it's really amazing to watch!

We had the Behind-the-Scenes tour booked but when the Penguins Up Close tour opened we had to snatch it up! The SeaWorld tour guides are SO bright and informative, I definitely agree with you there!

I got really emotional too when I saw it. It's always great to see where I get my Disney love from.

 

[gracer9977]

Getting caught up again. Love that penguin tour. Looks like you had such an amazing time and found out lots of really cool facts about the penguins. How funny that they feed the little penguins Flinstones vitamins and that they use elmers glue to keep the eggs from cracking.

What a great keepsake from your grandmother and I bet it was amazing to read all of it. Sorry to hear of her passing but looks like she has left behind a great love of Disney.

 

[RachelNinja]

OH MY GOSH!!! I have been so terrified of Sea World because I have this irrational fear of sharks (and buffalo, so parts of WDW scare me, haha), so it never even crossed my mind to even look into going to the park. But I WANT TO MEET A PENGUIN! I was sitting here with my mouth open in amazement that you got to do that and learn so much about them. I'm totally going to have to make a Sea World trip JUST for that!!!

I know the reference! It's from Scrubs, haha. JD and Turk singing a duet together! My favorite song (though not hilariously funny like that one) is when the patient sings "What's going to happen ..." because it reminds me of Rent.

I love that you shared that journal from your grandma. What a treasured keepsake!

 

[courtneybelle]

Getting caught up again. Love that penguin tour. Looks like you had such an amazing time and found out lots of really cool facts about the penguins. How funny that they feed the little penguins Flinstones vitamins and that they use elmers glue to keep the eggs from cracking.

What a great keepsake from your grandmother and I bet it was amazing to read all of it. Sorry to hear of her passing but looks like she has left behind a great love of Disney.

It was so much fun! I laughed out loud at the Flintstones Vitamins. That's just amazing.

Thank you so much I finally got to read through the whole journal today, it was amazing!

OH MY GOSH!!! I have been so terrified of Sea World because I have this irrational fear of sharks (and buffalo, so parts of WDW scare me, haha), so it never even crossed my mind to even look into going to the park. But I WANT TO MEET A PENGUIN! I was sitting here with my mouth open in amazement that you got to do that and learn so much about them. I'm totally going to have to make a Sea World trip JUST for that!!!

I know the reference! It's from Scrubs, haha. JD and Turk singing a duet together! My favorite song (though not hilariously funny like that one) is when the patient sings "What's going to happen ..." because it reminds me of Rent.

I love that you shared that journal from your grandma. What a treasured keepsake!

You should DEFINITELY do it! Honestly, we didn't see a single shark while we were there...there's only one shark exhibit and it's pretty easy to avoid. So I would definitely recommend it.

Yes! I love Scrubs, and that song totally reminds me of Rent too!

Thanks! It was definitely an amazing find.

 

[courtneybelle]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Showtime at SeaWorld

After the best moment of my young life thus far, we headed to One Ocean, the Shamu show. It was really great. The whales are amazing.

This is also an important time to note that if you go to SeaWorld, you should get to the shows EARLY. We got there 45 minutes early and the entire front section, known as the Soak Zone, was full! Luckily, my mom has a really nice camera and I am a weenie, so we did not want to sit in the Soak Zone.

After the show, Mom, Kylie, and I went on Wild Arctic, a motion simulator and beluga whale/polar bear exhibit. My dad doesn’t like motion simulators so he went ahead and got us seats at Pets Ahoy.

The motion simulator was a lot rougher than I remembered, but the exhibit was great. I sang Baby Beluga. All was well.

We then went over to Pets Ahoy to find my dad in a panic because he had taken his wedding band off (his finger was swollen) and he could not find it. I, however, had seen it in the medicine bag when I went to get some sunscreen, and found the ring there. GO COURTNEY. Saving the day.

All of the animals in Pets Ahoy are rescues, and they were all really great.

Then, we went over to Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island, the seal and sea lion show.

Mimes are fun.

I like this show because sea lions are cute, there are lots of corny jokes, and there are references to my favorite movie of all time, Titanic!

We had seen all the shows we wanted to see, so there were only two things left to do…the two huge coasters SeaWorld has to offer.

Continued in next post
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[courtneybelle]

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Double Coaster Whammy

We left Mom and Kylie, who don’t do big coasters. They went over to the Skytower, where they took some of the pictures you will see in this update. My dad and I went to Kraken first. My dad had done this once before. I knew it would be fine, except for the huge drop…I’m not big on those.

We got to use our Quick Queue to get to the front of the line, which was amazing, and we got right on.

This was a FANTASTIC roller coaster. I wasn’t scared at all. I felt so secure that the drop was actually fun for me! There are a ton of inversions and you go underground, which is so cool. I screamed and laughed a lot and overall loved it.

Then, it was time for Manta.

This one looked pretty scary, but Rob (DisneyKid4Life) had given it such a glowing review in his TR that I wanted to try it.

We got strapped in, and the roller coaster tilted forward, leaving us lying on our stomachs. I told my dad to keep his head back, and the cute British boys next to me said that was good advice! Then, we took off!

This is my new favorite roller coaster. I was scared out of my mind and I loved it. It really felt like flying and it was so surreal. See, I’m at the point where I know what drops and loops feel like, but the different angle made this unlike anything I’ve felt before. I’m obsessed.

My dad, however, did not love it. He was so terrified he couldn’t even scream. He had to go lay down at home for a while after that.

Note: We are not in the following picture. This is just so you can get an idea of how the coaster works. If you're in this picture, feel free to use it in your TRs

The only bad part was at the end, when we were stuck in the laying down position for five minutes while we waited for clearance. It wasn’t the most comfortable position to be in.

WE DID IT. COASTER DOUBLE WHAMMY.

On the way home, Kylie learned why puppies ride with their heads out the car window.

“It’s so much cooler out here!”

We went back to the hotel after that and people took naps. I didn’t because I don’t nap. Finally around 8 I realized how hungry I was, and my dad and I went to Panera! My dad got a strawberry salad and an iced green tea to settle his stomach, Kylie and I got mac and cheese, and my mom got broccoli cheddar soup.

I bought this merch to celebrate my conquest of Manta. I was just going to get the pin, but the keychain was $2.50 so I figured, why not:

Continued in next post
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[RachelNinja]

The Superman ride at Six Flags in NJ (I don't know if all the Superman rides are like this) does the same thing that the Manta ride does in terms of putting you into a flying position. I thought it was really fun AFTER the fact, but as we were going up the incline, I kept thinking, "WHY AM I DOING THIS?!?" because I felt so exposed and not secure! This was actually years ago when I was in college because I don't do coasters at ALL anymore. It's nice that Sea World has that option for coaster lovers too though.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

YAY One Ocean. A great show and I LOVE the new set with the fountains around the tank. They really add a lot.

I do however HATE that simulator. So rough!!! I've only done it once and that was enough. Just get me to the Polar Bear.

Go Courtney INDEED!! OMG that would have been awful if your dad lost his ring.

Seaworld does has some great shows. All are enjoyable and that Mime kills me. And I hate mimes.

AHHHHH MANTAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I am SO glad you loved it and now understand my total obsession with it. Sorry about your dad though. But OMG I love this ride. Kraken's great too but... MANTA!!!! I love too that both are incredibly smooth. MANTA!!!!

I'm actually pretty sure I'm going to take a day and head over to Seaworld in December. I've been reading about how amazing their Christmas shows are plus... Manta!!!

 

[courtneybelle]

The Superman ride at Six Flags in NJ (I don't know if all the Superman rides are like this) does the same thing that the Manta ride does in terms of putting you into a flying position. I thought it was really fun AFTER the fact, but as we were going up the incline, I kept thinking, "WHY AM I DOING THIS?!?" because I felt so exposed and not secure! This was actually years ago when I was in college because I don't do coasters at ALL anymore. It's nice that Sea World has that option for coaster lovers too though.

Ahh that sounds so cool! I was definitely terrified but I loved it.

YAY One Ocean. A great show and I LOVE the new set with the fountains around the tank. They really add a lot.

I do however HATE that simulator. So rough!!! I've only done it once and that was enough. Just get me to the Polar Bear.

Go Courtney INDEED!! OMG that would have been awful if your dad lost his ring.

Seaworld does has some great shows. All are enjoyable and that Mime kills me. And I hate mimes.

AHHHHH MANTAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I am SO glad you loved it and now understand my total obsession with it. Sorry about your dad though. But OMG I love this ride. Kraken's great too but... MANTA!!!! I love too that both are incredibly smooth. MANTA!!!!

I'm actually pretty sure I'm going to take a day and head over to Seaworld in December. I've been reading about how amazing their Christmas shows are plus... Manta!!!

One Ocean is so fantastic! I wish I could have seen Shamu Rocks, but they stopped showing that the week before I got there.

Yeah, I didn't remember it being that bad...I must be getting old

SeaWorld does go above and beyond with shows. We are huge show people so we love it!

MANTAAAAAA!!! It was SO incredible oh my gosh. I can't even get over it. You should definitely stop by in December and send my love to it.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Absolutely go Courtney, saving the day with the wedding band!

Wow, that's not just a mime, that's a pirate mime!

I am a huge coaster fan. Kraken definitely looks like a good one.

Flying coasters are great! I didn't realize Manta was one. Sorry that your Dad wasn't a fan though.

Mmmm, Panera mac and cheese....

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

I don't think I could go on either of those coasters...... afraid of heights

 

[emmysmommy]

That was a great view in your photo on the coaster! Manta looks like it is definitely not for the weak of heart! I'm a coaster fan but it's been years since I've been on any real thrill rides since these really don't compare to what Disney has to offer.

What a relief that you knew where your dad's wedding ring was. Your poor dad in the mean time.

You have great photos of the One Ocean Shamu show. I'm sure it is completely exiting to see those beautiful creatures soaring out of the water.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

The One Ocean show really was fantastic! Your TR is reminding me of how much I really want to head back to SeaWorld and spend more time there. We only went on our first trip in Jan 12 and it was on the same day we were flying home so we really missed a lot. I definitely need to make it a priority to get back there next time.

Good job saving the day with the wedding band!

We thought Kraken and Manta were two FANTASTIC coasters-- even up there with the Universal rides! The Manta is similar to the Superman coaster at our local Six Flags but so much better. But yeah, being stuck in the laying down position at the end is definitely uncomfortable.

Did your mom and sister get those aerial shots of the coasters from the Skytower? I didn't know that existed but that's so cool!

 

[courtneybelle]

Absolutely go Courtney, saving the day with the wedding band!

Wow, that's not just a mime, that's a pirate mime!

I am a huge coaster fan. Kraken definitely looks like a good one.

Flying coasters are great! I didn't realize Manta was one. Sorry that your Dad wasn't a fan though.

Mmmm, Panera mac and cheese....

Thank you! I like to consider myself an everyday superhero

The pirate mime was HILARIOUS. He picks on people in the audience and it's just so funny to watch.

Kraken and Manta were both phenomenal. I had never done a flying coaster and I was so glad I did this one! Yeah, Dad wasn't feeling it unfortunately.

LOVE Panera mac and cheese. We actually could see Kraken from the parking lot of the Panera which was pretty unreal.

I don't think I could go on either of those coasters...... afraid of heights

Oh yeah, definitely terrifying if you're afraid of heights. That's one of the nice things about RNRC...the speed and the loops without any huge drops!

That was a great view in your photo on the coaster! Manta looks like it is definitely not for the weak of heart! I'm a coaster fan but it's been years since I've been on any real thrill rides since these really don't compare to what Disney has to offer.

What a relief that you knew where your dad's wedding ring was. Your poor dad in the mean time.

You have great photos of the One Ocean Shamu show. I'm sure it is completely exiting to see those beautiful creatures soaring out of the water.

Manta was definitely scary, but I loved it! Definitely thrilling, but nobody does thematic, immersive experiences quite like Disney.

He was definitely scared, so I was glad to bring him some peace of mind!

Thanks! Mom took those pictures. It is truly amazing to see how big yet graceful they are.

The One Ocean show really was fantastic! Your TR is reminding me of how much I really want to head back to SeaWorld and spend more time there. We only went on our first trip in Jan 12 and it was on the same day we were flying home so we really missed a lot. I definitely need to make it a priority to get back there next time.

Good job saving the day with the wedding band!

We thought Kraken and Manta were two FANTASTIC coasters-- even up there with the Universal rides! The Manta is similar to the Superman coaster at our local Six Flags but so much better. But yeah, being stuck in the laying down position at the end is definitely uncomfortable.

Did your mom and sister get those aerial shots of the coasters from the Skytower? I didn't know that existed but that's so cool!

We LOVE SeaWorld. We try to go once every few trips just for a day, and we did the one in San Diego when we went out to Disneyland.

Thank you!!!

I loved those coasters, they were so smooth and fun! The last time we went to Universal I wasn't a huge coaster person unfortunately, but if I ever get back I definitely want to try some out.

Yes they did! I did the one out in California, it's very relaxing and you get so many great views of the entire park!

 

[courtneybelle]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to wish a Happy Columbus Day to my Americans and a Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadians! I'm home from college this weekend and I've been having lots of fall fun with the family, so I figured I'd share something I made this weekend:

A Mike Wazowski pumpkin and a Minion squash!! I don't like carving pumpkins (picture Linus in the Great Pumpkin when he goes, "You didn't tell me you were going to kill it!") so I always paint some. Though I'm not the most artistic, I think these came out pretty nicely

Now, back to your regularly scheduled trip reporting!!!

August 21

Chapter Twenty-Four: Music, Movies...No Sports, Though

Today we were back to DHS! And I was Disneybounding as one of my favorite characters…MIKE WAZOWSKI!

I have always loved Mike but Monsters University made him one of my absolute favorites. We are a lot alike. Plus, he’s precious.

I definitely wanted a picture in front of the topiaries, and the Photopass photographer was great.

“I’M A COLLEGE STUDENT!”

While waiting for the park to open, I posed with my ANNUAL PASS (which appropriately matched my shirt) and the bow Mother Courtneybelle made for me.

Like most of the park, we scooted over to Toy Story Mania…only to discover that it was down due to technical difficulties. This was becoming a pattern on this trip. So we snatched up some FPs and went over to Rock n Roller Coaster!

This is my dad’s favorite ride, but unfortunately he wasn’t feeling so great after our Kraken/Manta double whammy, so he sat this one out. Fortunately, Kylie decided to try it for the first time, so I didn’t have to go alone!

These wet paint signs are SO CUTE:

G-Force Records!!!

The ride was awesome. Kylie was freaking out at the beginning but she liked it. I just hope next time she opens her eyes, because there’s so much to see!

Then Mom and Kylie were going to go on Tower of Terror…but that was down too. I did Tower of Terror once and will never do it again. I definitely respect the technology and theming…but it scares me!

We still had some time before our TSM Fastpasses, so we headed over to the Backlot Tour!

The volunteers they picked for the preshow didn’t speak much English, so they had no idea what was going on. One day I’ll be in that preshow!

I do think the Backlot Tour needs a bit of an update...but I still enjoy it a lot. My favorite part is seeing the costuming departments. We actually saw a ton of costumes used in the Beauty and the Beast show, which I loved.

Afterward, we went to the AFI exhibit. I spotted something very exciting…

TITANIC PROPS! If you were paying attention earlier (and it’s okay if you weren’t, no judgment here!) you know that Titanic is my favorite movie of all time, so I was so excited to see props from the movie!

The note! The lifeboat! The hair clips! The axe! It’s all so wonderful!

I also checked out the Oz the Great and Powerful stuff. This movie got bad reviews, but I really liked it!

Then, it was time to meet my doppelganger of the day…

Continued in next post

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[DVCWDWMEMBER]

awesome pictures. love the Shirt. I can totally understand why you don't go on TOT.... I don't like the ride either so sometimes I don't go on at all.... Although I did go on in July because of the grandkids.... Gavin already freaks himself out so if I wasn't going on he for sure would chicken out.....

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Aww Courtney, how sweet of you for the Thanksgiving shout out.

Ha, love your pumpkin and squash. If you're gonna go non-Disney, a minion is a good choice! Love them.

Yay for ANNUAL PASS!!!

Nice Disneybounding by the way.

Don't feel too bad. I know lots of people who can do the wildest coasters but can't handle Tower. It's a very different sensation. I, of course, LOVE IT, but you're not alone.

I haven't done the Backlot Tour in ages. It was in refurb last October and I just had no interest in April. It does need an update but I think it's going to be gone forever at some point. I may have to give it one last run before it does.

Oooo doppleganger... do tell!!

 

[CarolAnnB]

You are getting so crafty! The pumpkins are adorable.

I'm glad Kylie decided to try RNRC because I didn't really want to have to go with you. That is now on my Murtaugh list. I didn't see that Wet Paint sign, that is really cute.

You are king of the world! Lots of great Titanic props.

It was getting to be the trip of technical difficulties, that's for sure.

What else can I bribe you with to get you to stay home and not go back to college this afternoon??