I Found My Happily Ever After! A Jan '19 TR! + Bonus August TR *COMPLETED 12/2*

[amazingact21]

I was so excited when Disney announced the refurb of the Epcot entrance area, because I had hoped it meant they were changing the security setup. It has to be the worst one of them all.

Oh man, glad you were finished with Soarin' when that alarm went off! Would have really dampened the morning to wait in line and then have to leave before getting on the attraction.

I'm trying NOT to sing Big Blue World now in order to avoid it getting stuck in my head!

Cute PP pictures.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I think I lost my quotes about your wet Universal day! What a bummer that Kyle wasn't feeling well! Good for you surviving your ride on the Hulk!!

It was a fun ride but resulted in me having "Big Blue World" stuck in my head for the ENTIRE rest of the trip

That song has that effect on me, too

Love your Disney point in this pic! Such a cute Magic shot!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

We had an amazing flight Kyle enjoyed it but agrees with me that the California version was a little bit better!

Yes, I have to agree. Still enjoyable, but I prefer the old version. I think most people do.
Very lucky you got to ride before the fire alarm drama.

We looked around in the seas building a little. We got to see the divers in one of the tanks feeding all the fish which was pretty cool!

Nice! I don't remember ever seeing any of the feedings.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

All I can say is thank goodness you made it onto Soarin' before all the drama...

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am all caught up!!!!

I won't say much besides this was a really bad idea and we were left at square one. After about another hour of doing nothing, we decided to just walk around the park. I asked many times if he just wanted to call it a day but he insisted no.

Poor guy. He was probably thinking that this was going to be a long trip...

We spent some time in the room relaxing before heading to the Pop food court for dinner. OH.MY.GOD. I have never seen a food court so crowded. I realized it was probably because everyone came back to the resort early (or didn't leave at all) and it was a madhouse! I waited 30 minutes in line for food and probably 15 to check out. I won't lie, at that point I was pretty defeated! It wasn't exactly the perfect first day in the parks! But we got to bed early in preparation for what would hopefully be a better day at Epcot!

Sometimes, I HATE the food courts... They are always so chaotic, even when it isn't that busy.

he security lines here were something else. Long and moved SO slowly! We got to the turnstiles around 8:45 and they were already starting to let people in to the holding area.

Oye, EPCOT security is literally the worst! I am seriously considering ONLY going through the World Showcase entrance for like the next 3 years....

 

[lauraleh]

Following along!!

Sorry your Universal day was so rough. It stinks when you've planned so much and it doesn't happen the way you want.

 

[khertz]

We looked around the gift shop a little and Kyle bought a lanyard for his pins as well as this cute shirt!

I busted out laughing at that shirt when we saw it on our trip last week!! I wanted to get it for DS, but we hadn't even boarded the cruise yet, so I wasn't ready to start spending any money.

Ugh, what a rough morning at IOA! Motion sickness is no fun, I can surely attest to that. My usual routine that seems to work (ESPECIALLY for Universal, that is so simulator & roller coaster heavy) is the less drowsy Dramamine. It lasts 24 hours but still makes me a little sleepy, so I take it at night starting the night before our trip commences. That really stinks that the very first ride did him in. And that you were dealing with the relentless rain too. I've had days like that at Disney, and it definitely makes navigating the parks a little less fun.

Super cute picture!!

Epcot morning already looks a lot better weather wise! I love the little Festival of the Arts prop they have for you to hold.

 

[missangelalexis]

Epcot security might be my least favorite security...

Huh so did they just stop it mid ride and make all the people get off who were on it when the alarm was triggered? So interesting!

Cute photos! I love the Figment paintbrush magic shot

Why is it so much worse than the other parks?! I don't get it!

I believe the alarm went off as they were loading the next right? I'm not too sure, but it was interesting!

Thank you!

What an awesome start to your morning in Epcot! I agree about Soarin, I like the old version better! Your photopass pics turned out so cute!

Thank you!! It seems like a lot of people like the old Soarin better!

Following along! My daughter and I spent a day in universal/IOA exactly like yours....freezing and pouring down rain! Brought back some memories for sure!!! The weather the rest of that trip was amazing though so hopefully your weather turns around!!

Thanks for joining in! It's hard when you plan a trip for so long and then the weather can mess it up. But we too had good weather the rest of the trip so all was not lost!

Glad you got on and off Soarin before the drama!

Love the figment magic shot!

Thanks- me too!

I love that magic shot too!

I remember that day! We were evacuated from Soarin! We didn’t get as lucky as you, we were seated and then had to leave, bummer!

I love the pictures in the front of the park!

The security was bad this morning

I love Nemo and the big blue world!!

I felt bad that you weren't as lucky as us!

Thank you!

Security was so slow! Glad it was never that bad at the other parks.

I love it too!

Oh no! My husband gets this way intermittently, but luckily not on our most recent trip. He was fine on Mission: Space Green, Star Tours, Soarin', etc. The only thing that set him off was the boat from MK to HDDR, of all things.


Lucky that you made it through before the evac.

How funny that it was the boat ride that did it for him!

I was really glad our Soarin ride wasn't affected!

Sounds like a good day at Epcot so far!


I started humming it after reading this and my husband immediately knew what it was! Now it’s stuck in our heads!

It really was, and it only got better!

Hahaha once it's in there it's hard to get it out!

Noooo that is a shame!


Yikes, I would be feeling pretty defeated too. What a mess!


Epcot always seems to be the worst security lines. I wonder why that is.


I agree 100%! I wish there was a way to watch both versions.


So cute!


Disney point!

I really did feel so defeated! But I tried to tell myself it was just one day and I couldn't let it be an indicator of the rest of the trip.

I wonder why Epcot is worse than the other parks too!

Haha I laughed looking back at that picture with our Disney points! I think we took the photographer's directions too seriously!

What a fun start to your day! And definitely some pixie dust was sprinkled on your Soarin ride. Cute photos, too!

Thank you! It was a great start and the day kept getting better!

 

[missangelalexis]

I was so excited when Disney announced the refurb of the Epcot entrance area, because I had hoped it meant they were changing the security setup. It has to be the worst one of them all.

Oh man, glad you were finished with Soarin' when that alarm went off! Would have really dampened the morning to wait in line and then have to leave before getting on the attraction.

I'm trying NOT to sing Big Blue World now in order to avoid it getting stuck in my head!

Cute PP pictures.

Yes, I hope it makes it a little better!

I would have been sad to waste our rope drop so I'm glad we got lucky there!

LOL don't fight the big blue world!!

I think I lost my quotes about your wet Universal day! What a bummer that Kyle wasn't feeling well! Good for you surviving your ride on the Hulk!!

That song has that effect on me, too

Love your Disney point in this pic! Such a cute Magic shot!

Even if he couldn't appreciate it, I was proud of myself for braving the Hulk!

I followed the photographer's instructions pretty literally with the point I guess! lol

Yes, I have to agree. Still enjoyable, but I prefer the old version. I think most people do.
Very lucky you got to ride before the fire alarm drama.


Nice! I don't remember ever seeing any of the feedings.

I don't know what it was about the California version, but it just felt so much more special!

It was cool to see divers in the tanks, we picked a good time to be there!

All I can say is thank goodness you made it onto Soarin' before all the drama...

I agree!!! We got very lucky!

I am all caught up!!!!


Poor guy. He was probably thinking that this was going to be a long trip...


Sometimes, I HATE the food courts... They are always so chaotic, even when it isn't that busy.


Oye, EPCOT security is literally the worst! I am seriously considering ONLY going through the World Showcase entrance for like the next 3 years....

I know I'm glad it didn't end up happening again the rest of the trip!

This was the first time I ever had real issue with a value food court, it was not ideal!

Going through WS is smart, it seems so much better over there!

Following along!!

Sorry your Universal day was so rough. It stinks when you've planned so much and it doesn't happen the way you want.

Thanks for joining in!!

I think that's the toughest part; you invest so much time in planning and wanting everything to be perfect but there are certain things you just can't plan for!

I busted out laughing at that shirt when we saw it on our trip last week!! I wanted to get it for DS, but we hadn't even boarded the cruise yet, so I wasn't ready to start spending any money.

Ugh, what a rough morning at IOA! Motion sickness is no fun, I can surely attest to that. My usual routine that seems to work (ESPECIALLY for Universal, that is so simulator & roller coaster heavy) is the less drowsy Dramamine. It lasts 24 hours but still makes me a little sleepy, so I take it at night starting the night before our trip commences. That really stinks that the very first ride did him in. And that you were dealing with the relentless rain too. I've had days like that at Disney, and it definitely makes navigating the parks a little less fun.

Super cute picture!!

Epcot morning already looks a lot better weather wise! I love the little Festival of the Arts prop they have for you to hold.

It's an amazing shirt!! Hopefully it's still there on a future trip for you!

I think I've finally learned that we need to pack motion sickness medication for him on any theme park trip going forward. Just not worth taking a chance!

Epcot day was a little chilly- I had on lots of layers- but I'll take that over pouring rain any day!!

 

[missangelalexis]

January 28th- Future World, a character meet, and an artist meet!

After our PP pics, we went to use our Spaceship Earth FP! The line was a little backed up but moved fairly quickly.





After that I met up with @disneyAndi14 for a little DISmeet! We failed and didn't get a pic But it was so lovely to chat with her and meet her family after following each other's reports for a while!

After that we headed in the direction of Test Track. We had a little time before our FP so we decided to stop for a snack. We tried the lobster mac and cheese in a bread cone.





OMG this was amazing!! We savored every bite! And it was the perfect snack to tide us over for a bit.

Then we headed to TT! Since it was our 3rd FP, I was able to log on and snag a set for Frozen Ever After later in the afternoon!





We were disappointed that our magic bands didn't register and we didn't get to see how our car was doing! But we did get to scan at the end and see and I think it did pretty well!



After that we went to meet Ralph & Vanellope! The line was a little long (and Kyle despises long character lines) but we waited it out and it was totally worth it! They were so fun!













After that we decided to we were ready to head in the direction of World Showcase.









I wanted to stop at one of the festival art booths to pick up some special art I had seen online. As I was looking around, I mentioned to Kyle that this specific artist (Jerrod Maruyama) was one of my faves. A CM overheard me and said "Oh, if you like him he's going to be here at 1pm signing!". I looked at the clock and realized that was only 5 minutes away! So I made my purchases and after waiting only a few minutes we got to meet him! He was very pleasant and it was an awesome, unexpected surprise of the day!



And these are the prints I ended up buying! The Snow White one for my mom (she loves Snow White and the fountain at Disneyland was one of her favorite spots) and the Country Bears one for me





I also bought this cute Wreck It Ralph print by a different artist too!



Up next...World Showcase!
​

 

[dolewhipdreams]

We failed and didn't get a pic

Tsk tsk don't you know the ways of Dismeets?? But that's awesome that you got to meet up!

but we waited it out and it was totally worth it! They were so fun!

What was the interaction like? It definitely looks like Ralph is trying to block Kyle from some of the photos

So I made my purchases and after waiting only a few minutes we got to meet him! He was very pleasant and it was an awesome, unexpected surprise of the day!

That's so cool and I love those prints!

 

[xlsm]

We tried the lobster mac and cheese in a bread cone.

OMG this was amazing!!

YUM!!! I want them to have something similar at Food and Wine this year

I mentioned to Kyle that this specific artist (Jerrod Maruyama) was one of my faves. A CM overheard me and said "Oh, if you like him he's going to be here at 1pm signing!". I looked at the clock and realized that was only 5 minutes away! So I made my purchases and after waiting only a few minutes we got to meet him! He was very pleasant and it was an awesome, unexpected surprise of the day!

He's my favorite!! I wanted to plan a quick trip for the sole purpose of meeting him. One of Matt's developers was there at this time and picked up the Country Bears print for me, and was going to get it signed for me, but they were there the day it was pouring (when you were at universal) and he didn't have the opportunity. I love that you got a picture with him, I'm going to live vicariously through your meet and greet with him!!!

 

[missjackiemcg]

THis is such a cute pic!!!

I love the prints you purchased. I hadn't heard of this artist before, but those are absolutely adorable!!

 

[Gina Starr]

After our PP pics, we went to use our Spaceship Earth FP! The line was a little backed up but moved fairly quickly.

That’s a common problem with SE! I think they give out too many fp for it.

After that we went to meet Ralph & Vanellope! The line was a little long (and Kyle despises long character lines) but we waited it out and it was totally worth it! They were so fun!

We met them too and they were so cute! One of my first non face character meets so a little awkward but fun nonetheless.

I wanted to stop at one of the festival art booths to pick up some special art I had seen online. As I was looking around, I mentioned to Kyle that this specific artist (Jerrod Maruyama) was one of my faves. A CM overheard me and said "Oh, if you like him he's going to be here at 1pm signing!". I looked at the clock and realized that was only 5 minutes away! So I made my purchases and after waiting only a few minutes we got to meet him! He was very pleasant and it was an awesome, unexpected surprise of the day!

That’s awesome! I’m pretty sure I have a few of his prints. I have purchased so many of the small post card sized prints over the last couple trips I don’t know what to do with them all! I like how yours are displayed.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

A CM overheard me and said "Oh, if you like him he's going to be here at 1pm signing!". I looked at the clock and realized that was only 5 minutes away! So I made my purchases and after waiting only a few minutes we got to meet him! He was very pleasant and it was an awesome, unexpected surprise of the day!

How cool is that?!?

 

[Jenny Sanders]

How cool that you got to meet the artist!!!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I heard so many good things about the lobster Mac and cheese, it looks yummy!

Nice to pick up a FP for Frozen

I am hoping to meet Wreck it Ralph this next trip

I like the pictures you got and bonus to meet the artist!

Again, it was nice to meet you!

 

[LeiaIsAPrincess2]

I love the prints! Great timing for the artist meet and greet.

 

[amazingact21]

Oh my goodness, how awesome that the artist was out signing right when you went to buy some of his work. That Snow White piece is gorgeous!

Your Wreck It Ralph photos are great. The one where you and Vanellope are peeking out from behind Ralph is my favorite.

Mac and cheese in a bread cone?!? That sounds divine.

 

[Tracy161]

After that I met up with @disneyAndi14 for a little DISmeet!

Yay! Dismeets are the best @disneyAndi14 and I are planning to meet up in August!

What a wonderful surprise! Some extra pixie dust