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

[Missyrose]

First off, it's time to do the two-week dance!!! Two weeks from right now we'll be finishing up what I'm sure will be a fabulous lunch at Le Cellier and then we'll head back to the Contemporary to get ready to go to MNSSHP!

I'm getting more excited by the day, although I never thought that would be possible!

I got my Mickey Mail yesterday! But with all the resort swapping I did in the last couple of months, the DME tags were for the Poly. But no worries, Brook the TA extraordinaire has gotten everything straightened out and my new packet is on the way!

And now, on with the countdown!

Top-30 Attractions

14. Captain EO
This is such a throwback for me. You have to understand, I was a huuuuuuge Michael Jackson fan growing up. His Bad tour was my first concert (I was 6). I distinctly remember loving everything about the concert except for the zombies and monsters that came on stage during “Thriller,” they scared me so much I remember I hid behind the chair in front of me until the song was over.

Back to Captain EO.

I love this movie for all it’s 80s cheesiness, the horrible special effects and 3-D gimmicks. I even love how terrified the evil queen made me when I was little. The music is great and the dancing is out of this world, no pun intended. I am also totally in love with the preshow, also cheesy and forced, but nostalgia at its best!

I was so excited when they brought this movie back to Epcot and was thrilled to get to see it last year. I’m also really excited it’s managed to stick around for another year, so I get to see it again!

 

[dismagiclover]

Oh Captain EO I saw this for the first time last January and I loved it. It was so incredibly 80's! I laughed all the way through (though I don't think that was the producers intentions.) I can't way to take my DH there this January. Since he was also a teenager through the 80's I think he will love it too!

 

[natebenma]

When Captain EO premiered was it at MK or EP? I know I saw the show during its original run, but I haven't seen it since it reopened.

 

[Missyrose]

Oh Captain EO I saw this for the first time last January and I loved it. It was so incredibly 80's! I laughed all the way through (though I don't think that was the producers intentions.) I can't way to take my DH there this January. Since he was also a teenager through the 80's I think he will love it too!

It's truly like being in an 80s time machine! It's fabulous.

When Captain EO premiered was it at MK or EP? I know I saw the show during its original run, but I haven't seen it since it reopened.

Epcot, at Epcot the first go-round and again on the second.

 

[Missyrose]

Top-30 Attractions

13. Carousel of Progress
Confession, this will be a pictureless entry. I just flipped through both albums and we have exactly zero pictures of CoP. Gah! We'll have to remedy that in a mere 13 days!

This is the most classic of any of the Disney rides. It has Walt’s fingerprints all over it. Has it aged all that well? Nah, but it sure is nice to kick back in a nice, air conditioned theater for 20 minutes. Plus, all appologies to It’s a Small World, “There’s a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow” gets stuck in your head for weeks (and I love it!).

Fun fact from the Disney World “Modern Marvels” episode. When Walt was designing his attractions for the 1964 World’s Fair, he got several big corporations to sponsor each attraction and the money paid for the designing and construction of the attractions. He also wrote it into the contracts that he got to keep the attractions after the Fair, so in essence, he got other people to finance the creation of two attractions that remain in the parks today (It’s a Small World and CoP). Though the original IaSW from the Fair actually landed at Disneyland, not WDW.

 

[Missyrose]

Top-30 Attractions

12. Jungle Cruise

Yes, the safari is vastly superior because it has, you know, real animals and all. But to compare the two is missing the point of Jungle Cruise. It’s the make-believe version of a safari. Where else can you take a trip down the Amazon, Congo and Nile rivers in a mere 10 minutes?!?!

Plus, the best boat captains are the ones who really ham it up. The jokes are soooooo terrible, you just have to laugh!

I’ve heard riding JC at night is a lot of fun, so that might go on our to-do list for October, now that MK’s hours were extended to Midnight on the day we’re going to visit.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Wow, reading this makes me feel like I'm at Disney watching some Stacy TV!
So glad I've found another Capt. EO fan! It seems we are a rare breed these days!
That attraction always has me singing and dancing on the way out.
OK, maybe a little sad about what Michael became and how it all turned out for him too...

 

[natebenma]

Thanks for those tidbits about IaSW and COP- that Walt was a smart cookie!

It has been a long time since we have been on Carousel of Progress. I look forward to seeing your pictures in a few weeks. I'm not sure we could endure the teenager's eye rolling if we took him onto this ride. Maybe when I go with the 150 8th graders in June, I should tell them this is a must-do. MissyRose said!

Jungle Cruise has a special place in my heart. For various reasons, we were not able to ride it on my first 3 visits to Disney parks- at DL it was not operating, lines too long on my first visit to WDW (no FP back then) and then I think it was in maintenance on my second trip to MK. So it became my "white whale" and every time I ride it now, it feels like a victory!

The skipper definitely makes or breaks the ride. I love when there are some new jokes thrown in. Just once, our captain Blake did a Willy Wonka riff as we were going into the tunnel.

I can't discuss Jungle Cruise without mentioning Weird Al's Skipper Dan on the Jungle Cruise ride. Have you seen the video? Cracks me up (and makes me a little sad) all at the same time.

Here is the link from youtube if anyone wants to check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0cCRRFi1aA

.

 

[Missyrose]

Wow, reading this makes me feel like I'm at Disney watching some Stacy TV!
So glad I've found another Capt. EO fan! It seems we are a rare breed these days!
That attraction always has me singing and dancing on the way out.
OK, maybe a little sad about what Michael became and how it all turned out for him too...

I'm so excited to finally get to see the Stacy TV everyone on the DIS talks about!

It's true about Michael though. You look at even a short movie like Captain EO and it makes you remember just how incredibly talented he was, and how sad it is that he's gone. Did you see "This Is It"? Such a good concert movie, I wish we could have seen what those concerts would have turned out like.

You leave the day after us, are you getting excited about your trip? Where are you staying?

Thanks for those tidbits about IaSW and COP- that Walt was a smart cookie!

It has been a long time since we have been on Carousel of Progress. I look forward to seeing your pictures in a few weeks. I'm not sure we could endure the teenager's eye rolling if we took him onto this ride. Maybe when I go with the 150 8th graders in June, I should tell them this is a must-do. MissyRose said!

Exactly! Tell them I said they have to ride CoP. I'm sure I moaned and groaned about riding it as a teenager, but thankfully I grew out of that cynicism.

Jungle Cruise has a special place in my heart. For various reasons, we were not able to ride it on my first 3 visits to Disney parks- at DL it was not operating, lines too long on my first visit to WDW (no FP back then) and then I think it was in maintenance on my second trip to MK. So it became my "white whale" and every time I ride it now, it feels like a victory!

The skipper definitely makes or breaks the ride. I love when there are some new jokes thrown in. Just once, our captain Blake did a Willy Wonka riff as we were going into the tunnel.

I can't discuss Jungle Cruise without mentioning Weird Al's Skipper Dan on the Jungle Cruise ride. Have you seen the video? Cracks me up (and makes me a little sad) all at the same time.

Here is the link from youtube if anyone wants to check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0cCRRFi1aA

.

That video made my day. I'd never seen it, but it's soooo dead on!

 

[Missyrose]

Top-30 Attractions

11. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

There is a simple reason why I love this ride, I can actually beat Franklin at this game. You see, he kicks my butt every time we go on Toy Story Mania, but for some reason, Buzz Lightyear evens the playing field.

On our last ride, my score was:

Franklin’s was 292,000. I killed him, it was awesome!

We’re a little competitive, what can I say?

Funny story... I was over at my friend Kelley’s house and her boys like watching YouTube videos of the Disney rides they’re going to ride. So when we were watching the video of Buzz Lightyear, Jack explained to me that you have to shoot all the Z’s. So he and his brother Ryan spend the whole video pointing out every Z they see, so cute!

Coming up is my top-10 Disney Attractions and there's going to be a little bonus in the countdown starting tomorrow! So stay tuned.

 

[tinacaplan]

Hahahaha Thanks! I was a little worried that after reading this last change all you guys might be like, "That's it, I'm done reading about this crazy girl who can't make up her mind!"

Clearly, I have a TON of catching up to do..but I'm here and am so excited for you! I cannot wait to hear all about it...and please...I can totally relate...CR...BC...CSR...CR...and, tonight, I briefly thought about the Poly! But, like you, I've been dreaming of the Contemporary forever and if I don't take advantage of it this time, when its almost in my grasp, I might not ever and that would just be sad.

 

[natebenma]

That is a great redneck ride photo at Buzz Lightyear! Also a really good one of Buzz- that's a hard photo to capture due to the holographic face.

Buzz is a lot of fun, and now with TSM, crowds have eased up on this one.

Looking forward to hearing your Top Ten, now with bonus features!

 

[Missyrose]

Clearly, I have a TON of catching up to do..but I'm here and am so excited for you! I cannot wait to hear all about it...and please...I can totally relate...CR...BC...CSR...CR...and, tonight, I briefly thought about the Poly! But, like you, I've been dreaming of the Contemporary forever and if I don't take advantage of it this time, when its almost in my grasp, I might not ever and that would just be sad.

Hi fellow CR lover. I can honestly say I was excited about both of the first two hotels was booked at (Wilderness Lodge looks gorgeous! As does the Poly, and the transportation options!) but nothing felt quite like CR. I cannot wait to stay there. I have a feeling I'm going to fall madly in love.

That is a great redneck ride photo at Buzz Lightyear! Also a really good one of Buzz- that's a hard photo to capture due to the holographic face.

Buzz is a lot of fun, and now with TSM, crowds have eased up on this one.

Looking forward to hearing your Top Ten, now with bonus features!

Thanks! Franklin said the key to photographing Buzz is to turn the flash off.

Top 10 coming right up (hope you like the bonus!).

 

[teekathepony]

Just got back and caught myself up! I can't believe you're only 10 days away! How exciting!!

 

[Missyrose]

Top-30 Attractions

10. It’s a Small World

I think we’ve established I’m a sucker for the classics, and nothing say classic at Walt Disney World more than It’s a Small World.

It’s hard to explain why I like this ride because lets look at the ride objectively. It’s a cruise on which you float through rooms of vaguely creepy dolls while the world’s catchiest and most repetitive song plays over and over again.

But for whatever reason, I love riding this ride. It’s comforting and heck, I even like listening to the song on my “Four Parks, One World” CD.

And now for the super-special bonus you’ve been waiting for, drumroll please!

As we count down my top-10 list, we’re also going to have Franklin’s top-10 list! Now he’s a boy, so he didn’t feel like being very loquacious when it came to explaining why he loves these rides. But he was a good sport and by then end, he actually seemed to like putting together his favorites!
Here’s his No. 10:

Splash Mountain

Franklin says: "I dislike how loooooong the ride is, but I love the last drop and the fun you have for those few seconds makes the build-up worth it."

 

[Missyrose]

Just got back and caught myself up! I can't believe you're only 10 days away! How exciting!!

You're back! How was your trip???? I can't wait to hear ALL about it.

 

[Missyrose]

Good morning friends. I'm a little excited because it's time for the single-digit dance. My trip is nine days away!!!

Okay, you got me. I'm not just a little bit excited, I'm so freaking excited I can hardly stand it.

In other news, Kelley found Cinderella carriage necklaces on eBay to use for pick a pearl at Epcot. It cost $3.50 and $2 shipping (Disney charges about eight times that much for the same necklace). So I bought it! Now I get to add pick a pearl to my list of Disney firsts.

I'm currently at the hospital getting my monthly treatment for my Crohns Disease, but as soon as I get home, I'll post the next installment of my top-30 countdown! I promise.

 

[dismagiclover]

I'm here to dance with you! Yay for single digits.

 

[teekathepony]

You're back! How was your trip???? I can't wait to hear ALL about it.

It was really awesome, we had a great time! I hope you guys do too!!



HOORAY FOR SINGLE DIGITS~!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Catching up...I was almost a month behind!

March 7th:
Lunch -- Plaza at noon

March 8th:
Lunch -- Sci-Fi Dine-In at 12:10 p.m.
Dinner -- 'Ohana at 7:05 p.m.

March 9th:
Dinner -- Cape May Clambake at 5:30 p.m.

March 10th:
Breakfast -- Chef Mickey's at 7:30 a.m.

You did AWESOME! I've done all these, the Plaza is simple and delicious, Sci-Fi has those killer onion rings, 'Ohana-drool!, Cape May is soooo good (coming from a non-seafood eater here too!), and Chef Mickeys breakfast is tasty and FUN! I think you have some wonderful, and very memorable meals here!

Next we’ll head to Rockin Roller Coaster, where I’m contemplating giving the ride a try for the first time. Hey, I conquered my fear of Space Mountain on my last trip, so maybe I can conquer this fear on this trip!

You can do it!!!!! It's a short ride, so even if it freaks you out, it will be over soon. It's much shorter than Space Mountain.

As for the day, it will be busy, but FUN. Plus you have the afternoon downtime built in, you'll be fine!

My other favorite trick is when Ariel transforms from mermaid to human on stage. It’s just one of those magical things Disney does so well.

How do they do that?! I'm always amazed at it too!!!

Love it!

Fun fact from the Disney World “Modern Marvels” episode. When Walt was designing his attractions for the 1964 World’s Fair, he got several big corporations to sponsor each attraction and the money paid for the designing and construction of the attractions. He also wrote it into the contracts that he got to keep the attractions after the Fair, so in essence, he got other people to finance the creation of two attractions that remain in the parks today (It’s a Small World and CoP). Though the original IaSW from the Fair actually landed at Disneyland, not WDW.

They technically don't allow pics inside the CoP, so perhaps that's why you don't have any....with that said...I do. Love that fun fact too-Walt was so smart!

Where else can you take a trip down the Amazon, Congo and Nile rivers in a mere 10 minutes?!?!

And where else can you see the back-side of water???

Funny story... I was over at my friend Kelley’s house and her boys like watching YouTube videos of the Disney rides they’re going to ride. So when we were watching the video of Buzz Lightyear, Jack explained to me that you have to shoot all the Z’s. So he and his brother Ryan spend the whole video pointing out every Z they see, so cute!

That is adorable!!! They will be total pros when they get there in NINE days!