I Knew You Would Eventually Get Tired of Disney World - April '12 TR - Completed 2/9

[MEK]

OK - I think I have recovered from the shock of seeing you back on the boards. I think I have been to the Bethlehem Brew Pub at least twice since you went MIA. I never realized how cute that main street is.

Anyway - great pictures of the pool, and the kids, and the adult beverages!

 

[nilla]

OK - I think I have recovered from the shock of seeing you back on the boards. I think I have been to the Bethlehem Brew Pub at least twice since you went MIA. I never realized how cute that main street is.

They've done a lot with it. We love living here!

And yes, I'm back. To be honest, I spent the last few months wondering when I was going to finish this. I'll start by doing this:

 

[nilla]

We went back to the room and changed. Kristin fired up the Disney wait time app...Soarin' is back up! Let's move!

Shower, change, out the door, and on the bus! We're off to this place:

Yeah, that's the place. Did I ever mention I love Epcot? This hour, I mean.

We get to the Experimental Prototype Community of Alcoh- um, I mean, Tomorrow at about 11:30. The normal roles are assigned - I head over to the Land for Soarin' FPs, and Kristin and the kids...well, who knows what they do now that Test Track is being refurbed.

We're here much later than usual, so I'm moving extra fast over toward the Land. Gotta get those FPs! Sorry, guys hitting flower pots with drumsticks...no time, no time!

Into the pavilion I go, down the steps I go ("Lazy slobs using the escalator. Sheesh. I'm faster than your fancy machine anyway!"), and over to Soarin'....where the Fast Passes are all gone. Every one of them. Not even a 9:30. Done.

Part of me says, "this sucks", while the other part of me says, "you've been on Soarin' 900 times." The first guy wins. I sulk back toward whatever they call the hub in this park and meet the family.

"No Fast Passes. All gone."

No worries.

Huh?

While I was gone, it seems that Kristin took the initiative to again voice her opinion about the new FP time window policy. The result? Complamentary FPs. I guess we're going on Soarin' after all. This is part of Kristin's role on the team - "making things happen". And she does it well. I'm more of the "walk super-fast and come back empty-handed" guy on the team.

Ok, what's next? Where can we go now?

Oh - I know! I can whine about the new Photobucket site modifications, and what a pain it is to get to the IMG tags anymore. Waiting for 8 million photos to load is a bear, too.

But enough complaining. What are we doing?

Well, we can still get regular FPs for something. Mission Space? Done. Now what?

 

[nilla]

We rode Spaceship Earth, and then it was time for our MS FPs, which was odd since Soarin' seemed like the only thing anyone was riding today. Onto MS we go, but not after taking a picture of the moon:

This model depicts all the places the government would like us to believe we have sent spacecraft, but we know better. That was all staged.

But this is real. We're really going to Mars.

(Emily's asked us this before. I always tell her, "of course we are". I love Santa Claus.)

It's Orange Team again, and Emily's officially hooked. Green Team just doesn't feel right anymore.

After riding, we played the games, but not the big games. The "fly the guy with the jetpack" game and the hilarious email postcards. Emily is doing one of those:

Meanwhile, I'm looking for the perfect #10 for my trip report opener. No luck. Well, lots of good ones, but all too small. Next.

We head over to Universe of Energy next, where we get this shot of the girl:

And I take what I think to be the greatest Disney photograph I've ever taken. Pure luck. You've seen it before:

 

[nilla]

It's just about time to head inside. Kristin points out the meaning of the tiles on the wall. That meaning is "Asteroids for the Atari 2600".

Ellen and Bill Nye the Science Guy (kids have no clue who he is) do their back-and-forth, Stupid Judy and her Stupid Energy jump out to an early lead on Jeopardy, and it's time to get into the people barges. I remember this being my favorite part of Epcot when I was little. Still love it. It's like a non-terrifying Dinosaur.

When we get to the end, I always expect to see scenes from great movies, past, present and Disney. Somehow, "The Monkey's Uncle" is right up there with "Gone with the Wind". Mongo punches the horse, and we hear that fur is all the rage this season.

Of course, only one of those things happened. You figure out which.

We decided to head over to Club Cool, next. But first, here's a fountain.

We reach Club Cool, which is absolutely mobbed and feels like walking on flypaper. Quick drinking, Beverly brainfreeze. Heaven.

I don't know those people. Now, let's go meet Duffy...

 

[nilla]

...which presents the opportunity for more scenery shots.

Duffy's not out yet, but we can be first in line. Here's his story, if you don't know it already.

Scenery shot!

Hey, hear comes the bere! I mean, here comes the beer! Sorry, bear!

The bere hams it up with me.

It looks better on video.

Dylan gets in on the action.

I love that he's not too old to get his picture with Duffy. I don't know if he'll ever be.

 

[nilla]

It's almost time to go eat. But first, here's a picture I like to call, "There's No One in World Showcase".

Moving on. Past Mexico.

Yeah, what the sign says.

They seem to agree. Here's the sequel to that previous picture. I call this one, "There Really Isn't Anyone in World Showcase".

There's Norway. Almost there!

But that's a story for another night.


[POST=47236103](next update)[/POST]

 

[phineasfan100]

EPCOA, good one!

 

[rndmr2]

Yay! You're back!!

Great updates! I love that pool slide, it looks like a great one.

Love the F&G pics.

 

[MEK]

You know - I once took a fabulous picture during Illuminations and Denny overheard how excited I was as I was editing it. I said, "this is the BEST picture I have EVER taken"

His reply - "Even a blind squirrel gets a nut sometimes".

Talk about deflated.



But seriously, this is a great shot and surely an example of your skill in photography.

Love the rest of the pictures in this update, too. I love how festive everything looks during F&G.

 

[eandesmom]

YAY you're back!

What a drag about the not sleeping. No fun at all. At all!

They're not in this picture. But the jaguar slide is still great.

That pool and slide look like SO much fun, makes me want to stay there!

Oh, wait - now it is. I get whatever the local beer is, and Kristin gets a margarita.

It takes forever for our food to be done, but it's worth it when we get it. Dylan and I got burgers.

Kristin got the nachos.

Emily got the mini hot dogs.

In all, it's a great meal for what it is, and it's convenient. The blackbirds weren't as bold this year, either, so our fries are intact.

Lunch looks really really good too! Maybe we should just pool hop over there for a day. Hmmmn.....

 

[KatMark]

Boy, when you come back to update, you really do an update, don't you?

Sounds like a great day at Epcot and I love all the pictures, even the ones with that Duffy Bear.

But the shot above is my favorite...great job.

 

[smidgy]

epcot ohots during the flower and garden festival are SO pretty!!!

 

[smidgy]

I esp. love the one with the monorail. that shot looks so "futuristic" and a great one to show folks who think Disney world in only a castle and dumbo and mickey.

 

[krhst25]

OMG! Yeah.. You are back! Great update. Are you counting to your next trip?

 

[nilla]

EPCOA, good one!

The funny thing is, even though Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom also have beer available, I've never once gotten a beer at either park, outside of dinner. Not sure why that is.

Great updates! I love that pool slide, it looks like a great one.

With the possible exception of the Beach Club, I think CSR has the best pool I've seen at WDW. It's part of the reason we haven't stayed anywhere else in several years.

You know - I once took a fabulous picture during Illuminations and Denny overheard how excited I was as I was editing it. I said, "this is the BEST picture I have EVER taken"

His reply - "Even a blind squirrel gets a nut sometimes".

Talk about deflated.

I work amidst similar adversity Best to just do what you do and hope it works out!

But then again, I do take thousands of pictures down there and rarely get one I like as much as that one, so Denny may have a point.

What a drag about the not sleeping. No fun at all. At all!

I can manage on no sleep at Disney better than at home, so it could be worse. Still, for how quickly I fall asleep down there, I'd like to sleep the whole night.

That pool and slide look like SO much fun, makes me want to stay there!

Do it!

Lunch looks really really good too! Maybe we should just pool hop over there for a day. Hmmmn.....

I don't comment on pool hopping, motorized scooters, or Brazilian tour groups. Usually.

Boy, when you come back to update, you really do an update, don't you?

I figure if I don't get this knocked out soon, it won't ever get done!

epcot ohots during the flower and garden festival are SO pretty!!!

I've only been there during F&G in the past decade or so. I don't think it would look right if we went at a different time.

I esp. love the one with the monorail. that shot looks so "futuristic" and a great one to show folks who think Disney world in only a castle and dumbo and mickey.

Thanks! I got really lucky with that one. I was about to take the shot, and here comes the monorail. Can't pass that up!

OMG! Yeah.. You are back! Great update. Are you counting to your next trip?

If I answered that question, I would spoil the ending to this TR. You'll just have to wait to find out.

Possibly an update tonight, but if not, then tomorrow. Lots going on right now, but I'll try to squeeze it in. As I said earlier, if not now, then probably never.

Thanks for reading!

 

[eandesmom]

I don't comment on pool hopping, motorized scooters, or Brazilian tour groups. Usually.

Thankfully I am technically allowed to do it most places. Too much of a wimp to try the "banned" DVC ones though having stayed at AKV I can't see anyone getting caught so it's a pretty silly rule that's only enforceable at SAB. But if I did get questions....heaven help me I probably wouldn't have my member card with me.

 

[nilla]

Thankfully I am technically allowed to do it most places. Too much of a wimp to try the "banned" DVC ones though having stayed at AKV I can't see anyone getting caught so it's a pretty silly rule that's only enforceable at SAB. But if I did get questions....heaven help me I probably wouldn't have my member card with me.

Personally, I couldn't care less if people pool hop. I have more important things to worry about - like wrapping up Day 10 of this trip report?

How's that for a lead-in?

 

[nilla]

Hey, remember those Fast Passes I couldn't get for Soarin'? Remember how Kristin managed to get comp FPs at Guest Services?

Well, as it turns out, we used those FPs to ride Soarin'. Before we met Duffy. I completely skipped over that part in this trip report.

Kind of an anti-climactic end to what was a decent story, eh?

Well, there are no Soarin' pics in the folder I uploaded to on Photobucket 6 months ago, so we'll just start where we left off. But watch how I work that in. Pretend like you never read this post, and the next update doesn't start until next post. Ready? Good - let's go.

 

[nilla]

With memories fresh in our heads of using our comp FPs from Guest Services to take a pre-Duffy ride on Soarin', in row 2B as always, we headed over to Germany for dinner.

See how I pulled that off? Impressive, eh? Ok, not really. But hey, who cares - BEER! Come to think of, it's my first beer of the day. How could that be?

Planning, guys, planning. Too much afternoon beer = not enough Biergarten goodness. Not to mention, our ADRs have me on the hook to drink a liter of said beverage at this meal. It's required. 1 liter mininum.

Quick, scenery shots! We still have a minute or two before our ressies come due, so why not?

That's 3 thumbs up for the Biergarten! So what are we waiting for? In we go!