I Can't Do That! I'd Be Too EmBEARassed! A Nov 2015 TR New PTR link 10/13!

[coloredimage]

oh my goodness, three Donalds! I do the same thing now - buy them off eBay if there's one in a set I want. I hate worrying that I'll get duplicates (or triplicates) and not have anything to do with them because you can't trade anymore.

Loving your trip report so far, btw!

 

[Chicago Mo]

I have never seen all the pictures from your resort! it's really cute!!!
Love the street!!! are the pools pretty big??

 

[mickeystoontown]

I'm all caught up again, finally. I am loving the pictures of the resort! You know what fans we are of CBR but I'm thinking of booking a split stay with the first half being at ASMu.

 

[Pluto0809]

Great pictures with the tree! I love the AK tree.

That's quite the cupcake.

Great pictures of All star music. I've stayed at sports and I think movies but never music. This was before I was 6 so I don't remember much of anything.

Thanks! I think the AK tree is my favorite of all the park trees.

I've stayed at all three All Stars and I think I prefer Music but Movies isn't bad either. Not a fan of the theming of Sports.

Love all the magic shots you got. I've never seen the troll one before!

I liked seeing all your resort pictures. The Broadway section looks cute.

Sounds like a well needed night of rest!

What a bummer getting 3 Donalds! Hate when stuff like that happens.

I think the troll one was just for Christmas since they are making a Christmas tree.

Glad you liked the resort photos. I hadn't seen many on the DIS for All Star Music.

I was so annoyed when I got three Donalds!

Great tour of ASM! It's bigger than I have imagined. I never realized they had so many various sections. I definitely like the Broadway section.... the themeing is spot-on with those play bill boards and the NYC streets. Thanks for sharing... It's always great to get some insight into a resort that we've never been too.

You are welcome! I hadn't seen many pictures of that resort on the DIS so I definitely wanted to share.

I like your photo tour of All Star Music. Broadway Street looks real. My daughter stayed in the building with the big cowboy boots and was just about as far from the food court as you can get. She had only stayed at deluxe resorts as a kid, so this was her first value experience. She was fine with it except for the long walk to the main building. Have you stayed at any of the other value resorts?

Yeah, the Country section is a bit far from the Food Court although compared to some of the bigger resorts it's really not that bad.

Three of the same Donald??? Goodness! Sp glad that you DID get the Pluto. That would have been beyond frustrating if you did not!

Love the photos of ASMu! It was our first on property vacation home. Many memories made there, including a day spent at the pool with friends I had not seen since high school. (I grew up down there, and they still live there). ASMu will always hold a special place in my heart.

Yep I was frustrated with the three Donalds but at least I got my Pluto.

I definitely love ASMu. It's a great resort for a solo traveler.

great update!! Love that you took the time to explore music! the broadway section is my favorite!
Bummer about the vinyls, I totally didn't even think about that when it comes to buying them now! I was never really into trading them in the parks until steven gave me a couple to trade with that he had doubles of, it was just the excitement of blind trading that was fun!

It seems like a lot of people love the Broadway section. I though all of the sections were pretty neat.

Yep, buying the blind boxes kind of sucks now. I fully expect Disney to faze them out completely pretty soon. I had an awful time finding them on my last two trips.

Thanks for the tour of All Star Music! I've never stayed there. Though I wish you would have thrown a devil horn selfie in there outside the Rock Inn

Bummer about the three Donald vinyls, but so glad you were able to get your favorite dog in the process!!!

Welcome! Darn, didn't even think of a Devil Horns selfie. But don't worry there are actually some in my next update even though Jim wasn't on this trip!

I was so bummed when I opened those three Donalds.

Fun magic shots! The animated one with the trolls is really cute. We love those trolls from Frozen!

That cupcake looks huge! But so good! The perfect way to end your night.

I love the pictures of All Star Music. I think I like the theme of the Broadway section the best. I like the street in front and movie posters - great touches!

I loved that troll magic shot! So unique for Christmas.

It was huge but I've never met a chocolate cupcake that I didn't like.

It seems like everyone loves the Broadway section the best. Probably because it has the most Disney theming!

 

[Pluto0809]

oh my goodness, three Donalds! I do the same thing now - buy them off eBay if there's one in a set I want. I hate worrying that I'll get duplicates (or triplicates) and not have anything to do with them because you can't trade anymore.

Loving your trip report so far, btw!

Yeah, I rather pay a few dollars extra and get the one I want rather than open multiple boxes and get the same one over and over.

Thanks, glad you are enjoying it.

I have never seen all the pictures from your resort! it's really cute!!!
Love the street!!! are the pools pretty big??

The pools seem pretty good sized and I never saw them too crowded. Of course on my first stay there in 2013, they were empty because it was so cold!

I'm all caught up again, finally. I am loving the pictures of the resort! You know what fans we are of CBR but I'm thinking of booking a split stay with the first half being at ASMu.

Yep, and I love CBR too! But when I'm by myself a moderate just doesn't make sense. This was my second stay at ASMu and I really like it. The rooms definitely need a refurb, they were clean but quite worn.

 

[Pluto0809]

Meet and Greets to Start the Day

I woke up on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 feeling pretty crappy. I have some stomach issues and all of the rich Disney food had caught up to me. No worries though, I’m used to it so I just keep swimming. As a result, I was out the door a little later than I wanted. It was about 8:15 am when I left and the bus stop was packed. Luckily though, two buses came right in a row and I was able to get on the second one. I arrived at Epcot at 8:50 am so still not too bad.

My original plan for this day was Epcot all day with dinner at Rose and Crown. But I wasn’t feeling Epcot or Rose and Crown for this trip. Since I had spent a lot of time at Epcot already, I decided to switch to a lunch ADR at Garden Grill and leave Epcot not too long after lunch. My plan was to take a break and then hit up evening EMH at MK which is one of my favorite things to do.

Since I was so late getting to the park, I decided not to do the Soarin’ dash so instead I headed to Pluto’s meet and greet spot. He wasn’t out yet so I ended up first in line. I had all Pluto gear on again and he was very thrilled to see me and I got lots of hugs. The pictures turned out super awkward for some reason but I will show them to you anyways.

I got hugs before we even made it to the usual photo spot.



Not sure why Pluto keep leaning over but it made me lean too.







This next one would have be awesome if my eyes weren’t closed.



He did like my bag a lot.



Overall it was a fun greet and I wish the pictures had turned out a little better. At least I had some great ones from earlier in the week.

I was texting back and forth with Mo and the Gang but they were still making their way to the park. I had a FP+ for the Character Spot from 9:10 – 10:10 so I headed there next to use it. I don’t have any vivid memories of these meets so I’m guessing they were pretty quick.









Minnie did take some time to check out all of my gear and I happened to have a Minnie Mouse watch on that day which she loved.







When I finished up with the character greets, it was time to meet up with Mo and the Gang. They were heading towards Test Track so I booked it over there and beat them once again. I always hurry because I feel bad when people have to wait for me. When they arrived, we decided to use the Single Rider line since the regular one was already at 45 minutes. I ended up in the same car as Meg and for some reason the picture of our car was the only one that I seem to be able to find. Maybe I didn’t upload the others.



We spent quite a bit of time in the dump area of TT letting the kids and Tom play. Mo and I found a bench and passed the time looking through our PP pictures. I love that you can see them within a few hours on the MDE app.

The kids wanted to ride Mission Space next and I’m fine with the ride as long as I can go green. I’ve actually never tried orange as it would be a very bad idea with my motion sickness issues. But luckily Matt, Meg and Mo all wanted to go green. Tom and Zack headed into the orange line. Hey look, I finally took a picture with my camera.



And then I swooned a bit over this guy:



I really can take it or leave it with this ride but I definitely love seeing Gary Sinise! We only waited about 5 minutes before being loaded into our rocket. I honestly don’t remember what my role was at this point. I love that Matt channeled my husband Jim on this next picture.



I didn’t remember seeing a lot of pictures from MS so I decided to take a lot this time. Ah, looks like I was the engineer.



Only ride in Disney that provides barf bags!



The console actually lowers towards you so if you are claustrophobic this is definitely not the ride for you. You can see in this next picture how close the joystick is to me after the console lowered.



Ah, and here’s another one of my crew mates with the console lowered. You can see Mo touching all the buttons!



Swoon!



The rest of these pictures are looking straight ahead at the screen. The motion of the ride at this point made if feel like we were on our backs looking up.



Heading into space.



Uh oh, we hit an asteroid belt near Mars.





Coming in for a landing. I think this was the point where Mo yelled at me to quit taking pictures and pay attention. LOL. As you can see I didn’t listen very well.









We survived and were congratulated by Gary.



There were some games in the dump area but we didn’t take the time to stop as it was time for our Soarin’ FP+ from 10:20 – 11:20.





So we crossed back over to the other side of Epcot and headed into the Land building. I showed the kids where the hidden Mickey is on the big globe. Can you spot him upside down in the water?



And then it was time to Soar! This ride was a little bitter sweet for me because I knew it would be the very last time I rode the old version. I would be back in January but the ride would be closed by then. As much as I was looking forward to the new movie, I was still sad to see the old one go.

I took a grand total of one picture while we waited.



When we exited Soarin’ it was time for me to say goodbye to Mo and the Gang and head to Garden Grill for my 11:35 am lunch ADR. This was the solo meal I think I was looking forward to the most on this trip. But we’ll leave that meal to the next update.

Up Next: I Almost Choke to Death With Pluto Looking On

 

[Chicago Mo]

They were heading towards Test Track so I booked it over there and beat them once again.

Umm Yeah we are pretty slow.. But i will say the food was starting to get to us as well and some of the clan took a little longer in the bathroom then others.
Another plus for two bathrooms.

I always hurry because I feel bad when people have to wait for me.

Like's it's not nice to keep waiting for us? We would have been FINE!

Ah, and here’s another one of my crew mates with the console lowered. You can see Mo touching all the buttons!

BUTTONS!!!!!!!!! Must touch everything!!!
there are a bazillion buttons!

Coming in for a landing. I think this was the point where Mo yelled at me to quit taking pictures and pay attention. LOL. As you can see I didn’t listen very well.

no you didn't it was your fault we crashed.

I was still sad to see the old one go.

I am too! that stupid dot will forever be engraved in my brain when watching it!

This was the solo meal I think I was looking forward to the most on this trip.

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

I Almost Choke to Death With Pluto Looking On

 

[missangelalexis]

Aw I think your photos with Pluto came out cute! As did all the Character Spot ones.

I don't even really get motion sick but I really dislike the orange side of Mission Space! You are definitely wise to stay away.

As excited as I am to see the new Soarin, I agree that it's a little bittersweet! I will miss the old movie too.

 

[rteetz]

Looks like you had an easy time switching some of your plans up for the day.

That picture would have been great had your eyes been open. I'm surprised the photographer didn't take a few like that or something.

I did character spot in January after my half so I could get pictures with my medal.

I've never done orange myself on mission space always green. Mainly because no one else wants to do it with me but I'm ok with that.

It's been so long since I've been on Soarin. I can't wait until the new film debuts so I can try it again.

 

[katt789]

Yup...never going on mission space! I knew it was tight but not THAT night, heck no! Glad i could live through your journey on it lol!

 

[IowaTater]

I'm still on the fence about Mission Space. I think maybe if I do it first thing in the morning I might be okay. I'll see how DH feels about doing it again.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Even if the poses with Pluto were awkward you look SO happy

Awesome pics of Mission Space. I've braved the orange side twice, but it makes me soooo queasy. I haven't given the green side a try but maybe I should. Way to go on the Devil Horns, Matt!! Jim would be so proud!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Mission Space is my absolute never again ride. I am claustrophobic and thought I was going to have a panic attack. They need stronger claustrophobia warnings for that ride. I was so worried about motion sickness that I missed the claustrophobia warning.

 

[hokieinpa]

Meeting Pluto is a great way to start your day! Sorry the pictures turned out awkward but it sounds like it was a fun meet anyway.

I know you do lots of character meets solo - do you feel uncomfortable? I'm going solo in October and I want to meet some characters but I'm worried that I will feel totally awkward!

I've never been on Mission Space since the boys aren't tall enough. I'm going Green when I do get a chance to ride though! I liked seeing your pictures - seems like a fun ride!!

I was happy I got in one more ride on the old version on Soarin' too. I'm very excited to see the new movie but I'm going to miss the old one at the same time.

 

[DMGeurts]

I loved your M*G with Pluto... Bummer that you didn't like any of the pictures, but I think they are cute. And I love your shirt this day!

Love that Matt channeled Jim - too funny!

Thanks for all the photos of Mission Space... I've never ridden it because I am incredibly claustrophobic - and it looks like I've made the correct judgement with that ride - I'd be freaking out totally! But - I loved seeing all the pictures, so I could finally see what that ride is like.

Yay for good rides on TT and Soarin'. And I love Garden Grill... I was kind of hoping V would choose that one for her upcoming trip - but so far, no luck. I may have to forego one of my Wave meals and do GG? We'll see...

Great update!

D~

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Oh boy, I am so glad you made that statement about the panels in MS coming down close to you. I am very claustrophobic. Charity had mentioned wanting to try the MS green this time. Now that I know that ...no thank you!

 

[Pluto0809]

Umm Yeah we are pretty slow.. But i will say the food was starting to get to us as well and some of the clan took a little longer in the bathroom then others.
Another plus for two bathrooms.

Yep Disney food can be hazardous!

Like's it's not nice to keep waiting for us? We would have been FINE!

I know but it's just in my nature to worry about those things.

BUTTONS!!!!!!!!! Must touch everything!!!
there are a bazillion buttons!

There were a lot of buttons!

no you didn't it was your fault we crashed.

Alright I'll take the blame since I've crashed every time I've been on that ride.

I am too! that stupid dot will forever be engraved in my brain when watching it!

Yeah, the black dots were pretty annoying, I definitely will not miss those.

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

MMMM is definitely the right word for Garden Grill!

That story is coming right up!

Aw I think your photos with Pluto came out cute! As did all the Character Spot ones.

I don't even really get motion sick but I really dislike the orange side of Mission Space! You are definitely wise to stay away.

As excited as I am to see the new Soarin, I agree that it's a little bittersweet! I will miss the old movie too.

They are cute but I definitely got some better Pluto ones earlier in the week.

I have no desire to try the orange side. The last thing I want is to be sick at Disney!

At least the old movie is out on You Tube if I ever want to see it again.

Looks like you had an easy time switching some of your plans up for the day.

That picture would have been great had your eyes been open. I'm surprised the photographer didn't take a few like that or something.

I did character spot in January after my half so I could get pictures with my medal.

I've never done orange myself on mission space always green. Mainly because no one else wants to do it with me but I'm ok with that.

It's been so long since I've been on Soarin. I can't wait until the new film debuts so I can try it again.

Well I actually switched them a few weeks before the trip. I don't think a lot of people knew about Garden Grill lunch since it was fairly new so I had no trouble getting the ADR. I had originally tried to switch to Via Napoli be was never able to get an ADR there.

Yeah I was bummed that my eyes were closed on that one picture, it would have been so cute.

Great idea getting character pictures with your medal.

Definitely not trying the orange side ever!

I am so excited for the new Soarin'! It's one of my favorite rides and I can't imagine it being anything but better than the current version.

Yup...never going on mission space! I knew it was tight but not THAT night, heck no! Glad i could live through your journey on it lol!

Yep, definitely not a good ride for anyone who's even slightly claustrophobic.

I'm still on the fence about Mission Space. I think maybe if I do it first thing in the morning I might be okay. I'll see how DH feels about doing it again.

Honestly if you can handle the tight space, green is not bad at all. I didn't even have a twinge of sickness like I do on other rides like EE and TOT.

 

[Pluto0809]

Even if the poses with Pluto were awkward you look SO happy

Awesome pics of Mission Space. I've braved the orange side twice, but it makes me soooo queasy. I haven't given the green side a try but maybe I should. Way to go on the Devil Horns, Matt!! Jim would be so proud!!

I am always happy when I meet Pluto!

I would say go for the green side, it doesn't make me even a tiny bit queasy. But it might be a little boring to you after going orange.

Mission Space is my absolute never again ride. I am claustrophobic and thought I was going to have a panic attack. They need stronger claustrophobia warnings for that ride. I was so worried about motion sickness that I missed the claustrophobia warning.

It is definitely not a ride for anyone who is even slightly claustrophobic!

Meeting Pluto is a great way to start your day! Sorry the pictures turned out awkward but it sounds like it was a fun meet anyway.

I know you do lots of character meets solo - do you feel uncomfortable? I'm going solo in October and I want to meet some characters but I'm worried that I will feel totally awkward!

I've never been on Mission Space since the boys aren't tall enough. I'm going Green when I do get a chance to ride though! I liked seeing your pictures - seems like a fun ride!!

I was happy I got in one more ride on the old version on Soarin' too. I'm very excited to see the new movie but I'm going to miss the old one at the same time.

It was a fun meet and I definitely have lots of good pictures with Pluto from other meets.

Nope not any more at least. I did feel a little awkward especially with the face characters. But that I think is more because I'm an introvert and was worried about what to say to them. I say go for it!

It is a fun ride but definitely not for anyone who doesn't like tight spaces.

I cannot wait to see the new version of Soarin'!

I loved your M*G with Pluto... Bummer that you didn't like any of the pictures, but I think they are cute. And I love your shirt this day!

Love that Matt channeled Jim - too funny!

Thanks for all the photos of Mission Space... I've never ridden it because I am incredibly claustrophobic - and it looks like I've made the correct judgement with that ride - I'd be freaking out totally! But - I loved seeing all the pictures, so I could finally see what that ride is like.

Yay for good rides on TT and Soarin'. And I love Garden Grill... I was kind of hoping V would choose that one for her upcoming trip - but so far, no luck. I may have to forego one of my Wave meals and do GG? We'll see...

Great update!

D~

Yeah, the pictures aren't all that bad but I got some really great ones from earlier in the trip and these just aren't as good.

Yep, definitely avoid Mission Space. My mom isn't even claustrophobic and she found it tight so you would be in trouble.

Did you know that Garden Grill does pre-park opening breakfasts? I haven't read a lot about it but that might be something to think about.

Oh boy, I am so glad you made that statement about the panels in MS coming down close to you. I am very claustrophobic. Charity had mentioned wanting to try the MS green this time. Now that I know that ...no thank you!

Yep, I would sit out and let the rest of the family ride! Those ride vehicles are very, very small!

 

[Pluto0809]

I Almost Choke to Death With Pluto Looking On Part 1

I checked in at Garden Grill and got my pager. The restaurant wasn’t even open yet.





The restaurant opened right at 11:30 and it wasn’t long before my pager went off and I was lead to my table. I had a huge table on the bottom row all to myself.



As you know by now, I’m a picky eater and I was going to see if I could have some stuff left off that I wouldn’t eat. But my waiter was new and got a little flustered when I asked him for the salad without dressing so I decided not to worry about it. Now don’t get me wrong, my waiter was great he just had a little of the new guy jitters.

Dale came around before I even got any food. He saw that I was by myself so he immediately grabbed a lady at the next table to take our picture.



Chip was right behind him.



My no dressing salad came out pretty quickly. Looks like I ordered a coke as you can see a bit of it in the background.



I’m not a huge fan of salads but man this was good. All of the veggies are grown right there in the greenhouses so it couldn’t get any fresher.

Mickey showed up and my waiter was right there to take a picture.



I enjoyed the scenery as we slowly rotated around.



And then Pluto showed up. He loved all my gear. My waiter had been hovering nearby because he had noticed all of my Pluto gear and wanted to make sure I got a picture.



And then the food arrived. Up first, Mac and Cheese with fishy crackers, Sweet Potato fries and broccoli.



And my second plate of food, turkey, stuffing, sausage, mashed potatoes and beef.



OMG guys, this food was amazing! Everything was just out of this world good. Now I didn’t touch the broccoli, yuck. Or the stuffing. And I did try the sausage but it’s not my favorite. The turkey and beef were wonderful as was the mac and cheese and the mashed potatoes. And then there was the sweet potato fries. I had never had them before but decided to give them a try. I loved them! Not sure why I had never had them before, guess I never had the opportunity, but they are now a favorite.

It wasn’t long before the restaurant had rotated to the farm scene. This is definitely my favorite scene from the ride.



I made sure to snap a picture of the chickens to send to Jim.



As I was eating, Chip, Dale and Mickey all came back around again but I didn’t do pictures a second time.

When it was time for dessert, I asked the waiter if I could get the kids cupcake cones instead of the berry dessert which I did not like. These are basically cupcakes but the cake part is cone shaped.



Here’s a close up with the paper torn.



I was pretty stuffed at this point but there is always room for chocolate and these things are really good!

As I was eating the second one, a bite went down the wrong pipe and I immediately started hacking away. You know how that is, coughing madly with tears running down your face. It was at that exact moment that Pluto decided to join me at the table. I guess he had caught up to Mickey and was waiting a few minutes before moving on. So there I am choking half to death while trying to have a conversation with Pluto. He asked me (with motions of course) why I was all alone so I was trying between coughs to tell him about my solo trip. Looking back it was kind of funny but at the moment it was more embarrassing than anything else. I didn’t even get a picture of him sitting with me!

He finally moved on and I managed to stop coughing and finish up the second cupcake. I admitted defeat after that, there was no way I could get the third one down. I settled my bill and literally waddled my way out of the restaurant. Definitely one of my favorite meals of the trip and I will be back there again soon.

I sent a message to Mo to see where they were at and then headed towards Mouse Gears. I was on a mission to find something Maleficent for my cousin Morgan. She’s the one who is also a Disney fanatic and got married there in 2014. She wanted something for her neighbor’s five year old daughter who was having surgery and is a huge Maleficent fan. I was also looking for hoodies for her kids for Christmas. I found a Maleficent shirt.



Unfortunately it was an adult men’s and too big. Next I spotted a hoodie that was women’s sizes. She thought an extra small might work because the girl was on the larger side. But they didn’t have that size.



Finally I found a Maleficent doll. Can’t remember why Morgan didn’t want it, maybe the little girl already had one?



During that time I also found sweatshirts for the three kids but decided to wait till I was leaving to buy them. I told Morgan I would look at Disney Springs the next day for the hoodie in an XS. Mo and the Gang showed up and we headed out and towards World Showcase. I love the area right outside of Mouse Gears near Test Track with all the bird houses.





We ended up not staying together for long. The kids wanted to go to UK to do an Agent Perry mission but I wanted to head towards Mexico. I hadn’t done that half of WS and wasn’t planning on being in the park much longer. So we said see ya later and heading in opposite directions.

Food and Wine was now over and the booths were all closed.



I made it to Mexico and headed in. Right before I entered though, a lady approached me and asked if the “Three Cabelas” ride was inside the building. LOL. I assured her it was.



Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

I Almost Choke to Death With Pluto Looking On Part 2

I spent a few minutes looking around at the displays in the first room because I had never done so.







I liked the skunk for some reason.



I wanted to visit Donald so that was my next stop.













Before leaving Mexico I stopped for a Frozen Strawberry Margarita.



This wasn’t the best idea after waking up a little sick that morning. I was feeling much better but alcohol was definitely not helping. Plus the thing was melting faster than I could drink it. I continued to stroll towards Germany, skipping over Norway and China as nothing really interested me in the stores there. I made a stop at the bead kiosk right before Germany but I didn’t see anything that caught my eye. By this time I had finished about ½ my drink and it was just making me nauseous. I ended up throwing it out. I know, sorry for the horrible waste of alcohol!

I explored the Germany stores but didn’t buy anything and then turned around and headed back the way I came. It was time to head out and the skies were starting to cloud over a bit.



I took some photos of the Norway construction as I passed. Of course these are out of date now.





I stopped back in Mouse Gears and bought some stuff. First I grabbed a Donald Duck hand sanitizer holder for Jim. I had sent him a picture of the Pluto one I got and he said he wanted the Donald one.



And then I picked up sweatshirts for my cousin’s kids. For her oldest, a 10 year old boy, I got this Star Wars one. I hadn’t even seen the movie yet so I had no idea what the logo meant. But the sweatshirt was nice and simple which is what he likes. Some of the other Star Wars ones were too busy. Front view:



Back:



For her 8 year old daughter who loves the classic characters, I got this one. I really wish they had this one in adult sizes! Front:



Back:



And for her 4 year old daughter who is a bit of a spitfire and into Princesses. Front:



Back:



It was time to take an afternoon break so I said my goodbyes to Epcot and headed out and to the buses. This was the last time I planned on being in this park.

I made it back to my room right at 4 pm just as the skies opened up and it started raining.

I traded for three pins while at Epcot.



Up Next: Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes Again