I didn't know the baby's powers so I covered the basics: An Oct. '11/March ‘12 PTR

[Missyrose]

Right after the boys and I do Animation Academy, I'll suggest that we head over to Little Mermaid or Beauty & the Beast. They can choose.

Why choose? Just see both!

Shows: This is one of my biggest trip bummers!!! My normal travel companions, my DH and two sons, prefer the rides to shows. I had to beg them to see Lion King and bribe them (with a Disney trip) only if they would go see Finding Nemo (we already had the trip booked. BWAHAHAHA) I think I can just forget about ever seeing Flights of Wonder (have you seen this? I hear it is really good).

At least I will have amazing show pictures to look at when you get back from your trip!

We need to get you on a girls' trip, away from all your boys so you can enjoy some of the other things Disney has to offer!

Resort Hopping: COOL!!! I love the atmosphere at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is absolutely breathtaking. I'll have to see if I can come up with some interesting Beach Club/Yacht Club tidbits for you. Here's two:

There is a globe in the Yacht Club lobby. Try and find the Hidden Mickey.

There is a bank of 4 elevators in the hallway of the BC lobby on the way into the BC Marketplace. One of these elevators is a false front. There used to be a switchboard office positioned behind it.

Awesome fun facts about Yacht/Beach Club, keep 'em coming. I love that kind of stuff!

 

[Missyrose]

First, let me apologize for putting this up so late. We went out to Annapolis today to have lunch with Keith, Lala and Tanner because we hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks. Well, we lost track of time (because who can keep track of time when playing with someone as adorable as Tanner?!?!?)

and so I didn't get a chance to put this up before I came to work. So without further ado...

30 Things I LOVE About Disney World

No. 24 -- Puffed French Toast

I know the countdown has been pretty food-heavy (no pun intended). But let’s face it, half the fun of being at Disney is eating all the things you never eat at home. Unless you can get Casey’s corndog nuggets at home. And if you can, let me know where you live so I can move there.

Anywho, back to today’s entry: Puffed French Toast. This delicious item can be found at the Crystal Palace breakfast buffet. The chef there was even kind enough to make me some without cinnamon (I really dislike cinnamon, blech ). It’s a really different way to eat french toast. Nice and crispy. We won't be going back to CP on this trip, so I'm not sure when I'll get to eat this yummy breakfast treat again.
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[natebenma]

First, let me apologize for putting this up so late. We went out to Annapolis today to have lunch with Keith, Lala and Tanner because we hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks. Well, we lost track of time (because who can keep track of time when playing with someone as adorable as Tanner?!?!?)

Anywho, back to today’s entry: Puffed French Toast. This delicious item can be found at the Crystal Palace breakfast buffet. The chef there was even kind enough to make me some without cinnamon (I really dislike cinnamon, blech ). It’s a really different way to eat french toast. Nice and crispy. We won't be going back to CP on this trip, so I'm not sure when I'll get to eat this yummy breakfast treat again.

Sounds like you had a lot of fun with Tanner and family. Love the updated picture. He is so cute!

We have not been to the CP for breakfast, but I definitely need to do an early reservation there someday.

Now here is a question... On early EMH days, when the park opens at 8 am to resort guests, is the earliest dining reservation at CP 8 am? If so, I'm guessing you have to be careful scheduling the breakfast for a regular park opening day if you want empty park pictures.

 

[Missyrose]

Sounds like you had a lot of fun with Tanner and family. Love the updated picture. He is so cute!

We have not been to the CP for breakfast, but I definitely need to do an early reservation there someday.

Now here is a question... On early EMH days, when the park opens at 8 am to resort guests, is the earliest dining reservation at CP 8 am? If so, I'm guessing you have to be careful scheduling the breakfast for a regular park opening day if you want empty park pictures.

Thanks! Tanner is pretty darn cute. Especially now that his grin has a couple of teeth. He couldn't wait to show us how he walks around now without any wobbling. He's completely given up crawling! It's just crazy how much he changes from week to week.

I'm about 99.9 percent sure that the earliest CP ADRs are 8 a.m. So on a morning EMH day, it wouldn't give you the same early-entry bang for your buck. Even though I'm a recent convert to staying onsite, I still find myself avoiding parks with EMH. The parks with EMH get too crowded to enjoy. We tentatively will try some evening EMHs next October, but we'll hop to that park for EMH instead of being in that park all day.

 

[Missyrose]

Before we get to today's countdown entry, I wanted to show you what I bought this weekend... a new trip report journal!

After a couple of years of use, my last journal is falling apart. So it's time for a new one. This one is a tad bigger than I wanted, but it was just so pretty, I had to have it! The red parts of the cover are a shiny foil. Love it!

30 Things I LOVE About Disney World

No. 23 -- The monorail

There a few things more iconic to Disney World than the monorail. It's not just a mode of transportation, it's an attraction unto itself.

It also provides an easy way to get to some of the best dining options in the World!

And the views from the monorail are breathtaking. Whether you're cruising around the lake.

Or making that cool loop in Epcot upon arrival.

Or heading home after a wonderful day at the parks.

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[natebenma]

Your journal is really cute!

Love the Monorail!!! As you may recall, the title of one of my TR chapters last summer was "The monorail is TOO a ride!!!"

Did you ever get a chance to ride in front with the driver before it was discontinued? We rode in front in 2004, when the boys were 6 and 3, on the trip from MK to EPCOT. So cool!

 

[teekathepony]

I love the cover on the journal!
I also love the monorail! We had to make a special loop on our first trip because DH was excited for it.

 

[Missyrose]

Your journal is really cute!

Love the Monorail!!! As you may recall, the title of one of my TR chapters last summer was "The monorail is TOO a ride!!!"

Did you ever get a chance to ride in front with the driver before it was discontinued? We rode in front in 2004, when the boys were 6 and 3, on the trip from MK to EPCOT. So cool!

I've never had the opportunity to ride up front on the monorail, I guess I'll just have to plan a trip to Disneyland for that!

I love the cover on the journal!
I also love the monorail! We had to make a special loop on our first trip because DH was excited for it.

Sightseeing via the monorail is an AWESOME way to spend time at WDW!

 

[Missyrose]

Before we start, can I just say how excited I am that three weeks from RIGHT NOW I'll be in Disney World! Maybe enjoying a cream cheese pretzel before finally seeing Festival of the Lion King. Wuh-hoo!!!

30 Things I LOVE About Disney World

No. 22 -- Cast Members who love their jobs

I know over on the Theme Parks and Strategies board it's a common refrain to lament about how Disney Cast Members have lost their magic and are as grumpy and hostile as so many of the guests these days. I say they couldn't be further from the truth. Sure there are CMs who are less than happy (if your company kept demanding more time while cutting your pay, you'd probably be less than pleased, too) but for the most part, I've experienced CMs who truly love what they do. Since I started pin trading on my last trip, it has given me an even better chance to interact with CMs and most of them are truly fantastic. It's so much fun to learn about them and where they're from. The CMs at the Disney restaurants are usually pretty fun. Like Joshua from Le Cellier.

He was incredibly sweet (and very cute!), from Canada. We talked hockey.

Then there are the CMs who really get into the spirit of Disney. Like the ones who act all creepy at Haunted Mansion.

And the CMs who play the characters are on a whole different level. It's amazing the commitment they have to their characters. Everything they say, every mannerism is tied to the character.

Also, the people who complain about the CMs would be wise to remember that if you're nice to CMs, they'll be nice to you! ​

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[teekathepony]

Excellent point, I've always gone out of my way to be friendly to CMs and have seen some frowns turn upside down. I'm with you 100% on this one, especially the character CMs. I wonder where in Canada Joshua was from...

 

[natebenma]

What a great thing to love! I'm sure we have all fantasized about how wonderful it would be to work at Disney, but when you think about it, it isn't all smiles and pixie dust. The CMs deal with families who are deliriously happy, but there are also many who, well, aren't. Kudos to the CMs who are friendly and kind and spread the magic, no matter what they encounter!

As you probably know, I am friends with Teena, who is a greeter (I believe the only female greeter) at the Beach Club. If you happen to see her when you go to eat at the Cape May Cafe, stop by to meet her and tell her Dee says hello. She is truly a gem, another shining example of a CM who loves her job and shows it!

I also have to say "Thank you!!!" After reading your latest post and seeing the waiter from Le Cellier, I thought he looked familiar. I couldn't remember if maybe he had waited on us on a past trip, or if I am just remembering him from your TR. So I went to look at my pictures from past trips... AND MY DISNEY PICTURES FROM 2009 WERE GONE!!! The entire folder was missing from my computer! All the other pictures from that year looked like they were there- I don't know what happened. Well, after I started to breathe again, I realized 1) We backup my computer using Carbonite, so maybe I could restore the pictures (which we tried, but not all of them came back) and 2) My DH has copied off our trip photos and has them on his laptop. So we restored the pictures from there. PHEW!

I don't know how I deleted the folder. I know I used the some of the pictures a few weeks ago for the Beach Club thread, so the pictures were there at the end of January.

 

[Missyrose]

Excellent point, I've always gone out of my way to be friendly to CMs and have seen some frowns turn upside down. I'm with you 100% on this one, especially the character CMs. I wonder where in Canada Joshua was from...

I think he was from Ontario. But seriously, why is he a waiter and not playing one of the princes in a parade???!!??!?

What a great thing to love! I'm sure we have all fantasized about how wonderful it would be to work at Disney, but when you think about it, it isn't all smiles and pixie dust. The CMs deal with families who are deliriously happy, but there are also many who, well, aren't. Kudos to the CMs who are friendly and kind and spread the magic, no matter what they encounter!

As you probably know, I am friends with Teena, who is a greeter (I believe the only female greeter) at the Beach Club. If you happen to see her when you go to eat at the Cape May Cafe, stop by to meet her and tell her Dee says hello. She is truly a gem, another shining example of a CM who loves her job and shows it!

I also have to say "Thank you!!!" After reading your latest post and seeing the waiter from Le Cellier, I thought he looked familiar. I couldn't remember if maybe he had waited on us on a past trip, or if I am just remembering him from your TR. So I went to look at my pictures from past trips... AND MY DISNEY PICTURES FROM 2009 WERE GONE!!! The entire folder was missing from my computer! All the other pictures from that year looked like they were there- I don't know what happened. Well, after I started to breathe again, I realized 1) We backup my computer using Carbonite, so maybe I could restore the pictures (which we tried, but not all of them came back) and 2) My DH has copied off our trip photos and has them on his laptop. So we restored the pictures from there. PHEW!

I don't know how I deleted the folder. I know I used the some of the pictures a few weeks ago for the Beach Club thread, so the pictures were there at the end of January.

I'll keep an eye out for Teena when we head over to Beach Club! I'm so glad you found your pictures. I would freak out if I lost a whole set of Disney photos. Phew is right!

 

[Missyrose]

30 Things I LOVE About Disney World

No. 21 -- Popcorn and frozen Coke at Lunching Pad

On my 2010 trip, I discovered this yummy snack combo. It was a warm afternoon at Magic Kingdom and I’d just finished my second ride ever on Space Mountain. (Clearly the photo is from DHS, but it was another time I had gotten a delicious frozen Coke.) I was looking for a snack to munch on while catching up on my trip report journal. I ended up grabbing a popcorn and frozen Coke from the Lunching Pad. It was the perfect salty snack for that afternoon. We all know Disney World popcorn is perfection, but the frozen Coke was the perfect accompaniment. With all the sweets available at WDW, it can sometimes be overwhelming. But this simple snack was an excellent antidote. ​

 

[natebenma]

30 Things I LOVE About Disney World

No. 21 -- Popcorn and frozen Coke at Lunching Pad

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I'll have to take your word on this one!

The only Disney popcorn I have had was waiting for Fantasmic one night. It was in a box and it tasted really stale. I'll have to try this again some time and get one of those oh so cute buckets that have 101 uses when you return home.

IDK about the frozen coke. I'm not a huge fan of regular coke. So I may swap out a frozen cappucino or maybe a smoothie from Auntie Gravity's in place of the drink...

So relieved about the pictures! I still have no idea what I did. I hate deleting photos from memory cards, just in case something like this happens, but there was no way I still had those pictures. I'm glad Mark had backed up those pix!

 

[Missyrose]

I'll have to take your word on this one!

The only Disney popcorn I have had was waiting for Fantasmic one night. It was in a box and it tasted really stale. I'll have to try this again some time and get one of those oh so cute buckets that have 101 uses when you return home.

IDK about the frozen coke. I'm not a huge fan of regular coke. So I may swap out a frozen cappucino or maybe a smoothie from Auntie Gravity's in place of the drink...

So relieved about the pictures! I still have no idea what I did. I hate deleting photos from memory cards, just in case something like this happens, but there was no way I still had those pictures. I'm glad Mark had backed up those pix!

The really weird thing is, I only like regular Coke in frozen form. I cannot stand the stuff as a regular drink. I've heard lots of good things about the frozen coffees at WDW, so I may have to try one on my next trip!

Franklin has several ways he keeps the photos safe (the SmugMug site, multiple backup disks). And even when we're in the parks, he has an EyeFi card that beams the photos directly to his iPad.

Okay, time to go work on my next TR chapter!

 

[Pixel Dust]

Hello all!

Yes, I am a bit excessive when it comes to backing up picture. At one point we only had one external drive and that failed. So we now have 2 external drives, one backing up the other (backup of the backup), as well as being on the computer itself.

For traveling, my camera can hold 2 SD cards at the same time and can record to both at the same time. So there will be 2 camera cards with the same pictures on it in case one should fail. One of the SD card is an EyeFi which transfers the pictures to the iPad wirelessly as I am shooting it.

Geek much?

 

[natebenma]

Hello all!

Yes, I am a bit excessive when it comes to backing up picture. At one point we only had one external drive and that failed. So we now have 2 external drives, one backing up the other (backup of the backup), as well as being on the computer itself.

For traveling, my camera can hold 2 SD cards at the same time and can record to both at the same time. So there will be 2 camera cards with the same pictures on it in case one should fail. One of the SD card is an EyeFi which transfers the pictures to the iPad wirelessly as I am shooting it.

Geek much?

Hi Franklin!

Nice to have you here in person. I'm sure Missy passes along all of our kudos on your amazing photos , but hopefully you will enjoy reading it first hand.

Do you have the nightmares before a trip that you forgot your cameras, or the chargers or the memory cards? I DO!!!

My DH always lurks on my TRs, but he hasn't joined the DIS yet so he hasn't had the opportunity to comment (or dispute) anything that I write about.

 

[Joyciemc]

Hello all!

Yes, I am a bit excessive when it comes to backing up picture. At one point we only had one external drive and that failed. So we now have 2 external drives, one backing up the other (backup of the backup), as well as being on the computer itself.

For traveling, my camera can hold 2 SD cards at the same time and can record to both at the same time. So there will be 2 camera cards with the same pictures on it in case one should fail. One of the SD card is an EyeFi which transfers the pictures to the iPad wirelessly as I am shooting it.

Geek much?

Hi Franklin! Love your screen name!

 

[Missyrose]

How's that for a good PTR surprise? I'd like to welcome Franklin to the fold! It'll be fun to have him pop in and give his side of the story.

Now I don't know how I managed to do this, but I messed up my countdown. I had put the numbers on my Google Calendar and last night I realized I missed a number and it threw my countdown off. D'oh! I'm editor, so I do much better with words rather than numbers (unless we're talking field goal percentage or ERA). So today we are actually 19 days away from the trip, so I'll do both No. 20 and No. 19 of the countdown to get us back on track. On with the show...

30 Things I LOVE About Disney World

No. 20 -- Toy Story Mania

It's a fun game, very different from anything else offered at Disney World. I try very hard to separate how I feel about the attraction itself from how I feel about the effort it takes to actually get onto the ride. Like everyone else, I despise the running of the bulls to Toy Story Mania.

It's too bad these are so hard to come by.

Though now that they've started "opening" DHS a half-hour before the published opening time, I'm interested to see if that staggered opening helps the situation. But back to what I like about the ride.

TSM is one of the best-themed ride areas in all of Disney World.

Too bad I always get my butt kicked.

No. 19 -- Haunted Mansion

Back in my thrill-ride phobia days, the Disney classic rides were the highlights of my trip. Even now that I've added the thrill rides to my repertoire, I still love Haunted Mansion. I love the music, I love the theming. I love the whole vibe of the attraction.

I’m really impressed with the updates they’ve made to the graveyard scenes and the hitchhiker sequence.

I love the Photopass pictures from outside Haunted Mansion too!

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Hello all!

Yes, I am a bit excessive when it comes to backing up picture. At one point we only had one external drive and that failed. So we now have 2 external drives, one backing up the other (backup of the backup), as well as being on the computer itself.

For traveling, my camera can hold 2 SD cards at the same time and can record to both at the same time. So there will be 2 camera cards with the same pictures on it in case one should fail. One of the SD card is an EyeFi which transfers the pictures to the iPad wirelessly as I am shooting it.

Geek much?

Yay!! Hi Frank-a-lin Glad you're on the Dis now! (Backstory: I've known Franklin even longer than I've known Missy! She and I go back to 8th grade, but I've been kickin' it with Franklin since 7th!)

You're a photo geek? Well... if that's what it takes to ALWAYS get such awesome pictures... then so be it!! You're amazing, and you pretty much made my TR! I *think* I credited you for all your pics on here (if you find any I missed, please claim them!) and I have a bunch more of your incredible pictures in my personal Disney scrapbook.

I can't wait to see all the adorable pics you're gonna take of Tanner on his birthday trip to Disney World!