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

[nilla]

It's almost fireworks time. But first, Magic/Memories/You. And before that, the Main Street Electrical Parade.

However, we are doing something new, tonight. We are on the guest list for the elitist 1%er AAA fireworks patio seating, and we want to get there early. So, we watch the parade from there.

See it back there! All the way back there! It's coming! I think...

There it is! Behind the crowd! Ok, these seats aren't the best for the parade, but they should be good for the Castle stuff. Let's see if Emily makes it that long.

Hey, check out the boid!

That's one big boid. As more people arrive, a small child scares it away. Darnit. Hey, the show's starting!

Love this show, and my pictures don't do it justice. Kristin is off getting ice cream, so she's missing it. But the show must go on...

This show is one of the more recent examples of "something really cool at WDW that people initially thought would spell the end of WDW as we know it when they first announced it". No more overreacting, people! Let it play out, and have faith in the Mouse!

 

[nilla]

Two shows down, one to go. I love closing out our vacation with Wishes. It's still my favorite fireworks show anywhere, and it looks like Tink might fly tonight. Ok, everyone, quiet down - it's starting!

Hey, look at those two!

Now, back to the show.

Great spot for Wishes! What a way to wrap up our vacation!

 

[nilla]

But wait! We're not done! We still have FPs for Winnie the Pooh! Oh, and we also have a secret weapon that will get us in the FP lane at Space Mountain. I won't tell you how we got it. I'll just put it into action.

Up Main Street we go...stopping first in the Emporium. We're trying to use up our final snack credits (we rarely use them during the week), and we still have some left over following our Epcot candy binge the night before. The kids find some last souvenirs, and we present our Key to the Kingdom for payment.

Denied.

What?

Oh, it's no big deal. We just hit the Disney-enforced limit. We can re-authorize at the resort tonight to get it back in business. We have the actual credit card it's linked to with us, too, and that's still good.

But wait - does that mean our extras at Kona were free? Probably. I did sign the receipt and then run off, since we were there so long to begin with.

Suddenly, I feel bad, like I'm robbing Disney. Nevermind the fact that I just hit the "maxed out" milestone, which those of you who've done it know is nothing to be proud of

But no sense worrying about that now. Back down Main Street...

...and into Tomorrowland. Man, look at that standby line!

Space is ridden, and I think I'm getting a little better at getting the backpack into the car without getting a hernia. Emily's starting to warm to this ride now, which is encouraging.

After Space, it's over to Winnie the Pooh. Hey, look - new Fast Pass thingy!

We ride, we exit, and it's back across Fantasyland. I can't wait to see New Fantasyland once it's complete. I HOPE I get to see New Fantasyland once it's complete. Maybe, just maybe, if Emily can become royalty, it'll happen.

Nothing. Ok, Dylan, give it a go.

Sorry, no luck. Maybe next time. I hope there is a next time.

 

[nilla]

Well, it's just about time to head out, but first, I want to get some final Castle shots.

Hey, look at the time! The parade starts in a few minutes! Let's do it!

It's THAT parade. I like that parade. Not as much as the other parade, but it was cool to see this parade come back. But now, they can bring the other one back. I won't complain.

The parade rolls on.

Emily was asleep in the stroller at this point, so she missed that last part.

We really didn't use the stroller that much this year. Most of the time, we parked it and went back to get it hours later. But for times like this, it was perfect.

More parade:

And that's all. Goodbye, Magic Kingdom. We'll see you...sometime.

Back to CSR, and it's off to bed. Tomorrow, we leave "home".


[POST=47458048](next update)[/POST]

 

[smidgy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by smidgy
at CR or BLT, unless ou have moblity issues, it is much quicker to just walk over.

We walked over to Chef Mickey's from MK one year, and it wasn't bad.


Quote:
Originally Posted by smidgy
so, everyone who thinkthat staying at the "monorail" resorts means taking the monorail almost everywhere... not always so.

Good to know! There certainly is that illusion. I think I'd rather stay at one of the Epcot resorts, personally. "Honey, I'm going to run over to Epcot to get a beer. Do you want anything?"
**********************

you would be choosing wisely!!!! I always wanted to stay at a "monorail" resort. I guess it was the "prestige". back when there were only 2 parks the monorail got you "everywhere"!
we rent points from our buddy/divorce lawyer. (want the whole story on that one? bwhaahaaa!!!! ) so we were so excited when they put a DVC at one of the monorail resorts. turns out, at the Contemporary (BLT) it is much easier to just walk to the MK. WHICH is GREAT!!!! but you still have to transfer to the TTC to the epcot monorail.. and still have to take a bus to AK or DHS.. (hence, our SPLIT STAYS!!)

but nilla, you are SO correct!! we LOVE the epcot resorts!!! from beach club or boardwalk, you are a stone's throw to the back door into epcot!!! or a little longer walk or a nice boat ride to DHS! nice movie on the beach..
once your kiddos are old enough to leave on their own.. dueling pianos at jelly rolls, (after including them for the "hot" game at ESPN zone) or maybe you wnat to do karaokeed at the sWAN?

 

[MEK]

No, too revolution-y. Looks like we're out of luck. No matter - Kingdom Keepers and Family Guy both have me apprehensive about hiding out among the dolls, so instead, I brace myself for what's to come and focus on trying to get a "wink shot" instead.

Well, I must say that your family really knows how to go out big on your last evening - right down to max-ing out your KTTK card!

I swear the only time I will ever get a picture of the hitch-hiking ghosts is to have my doom buggy stop right in front of them. I am glad to see your capitalized on your opportunity!

Nice spot for the fireworks!

Wonderful ending to your last night.

Is it time for your surprise plans yet?

 

[Cinderella909]

And that's all. Goodbye, Magic Kingdom. We'll see you...sometime.

Back to CSR, and it's off to bed. Tomorrow, we leave "home".

Great trip report and a fun family too! Sad to see it end. And, will await the sequel to this to reveal the surprise!

Thanks, for sharing, Karen

 

[mmeb144]

Are you going to tell how you got FPs for Space Mountain?

 

[eandesmom]

I am supremely jealous of your hitch hiking ghost picture, but not the being stuck for a little bit part. Way to go out with a bang. Well, lots of them actually. And while some might not congratulate you on hitting the Disney limit I say, well done.

Until the bill shows up anyway.

Fun night and lots of great pictures.

 

[rndmr2]

Great last night at MK, You got a lot done! Awesome seats for Wishes! You got some pretty good MSEP pics, too.

 

[nilla]

but nilla, you are SO correct!! we LOVE the epcot resorts!!! from beach club or boardwalk, you are a stone's throw to the back door into epcot!!! or a little longer walk or a nice boat ride to DHS! nice movie on the beach..

Someday! Walking to Epcot would be reason enough for me.

Is it time for your surprise plans yet?

Almost! I'm wrapping this TR up TONIGHT, so you'd hope I'd tell you by then.

Great trip report and a fun family too! Sad to see it end.

Hopefully not for good

Are you going to tell how you got FPs for Space Mountain?

Hint: we did it twice before on this trip.

And while some might not congratulate you on hitting the Disney limit I say, well done.

Until the bill shows up anyway.

The worst part is how much of it was from Epcot drinks! Or maybe that is the best part...

Great last night at MK, You got a lot done

We do that all the time. See how much we can cram into that last night. It's usually pretty amazing how much you can do near park close.

Ok, let's end this right now!

 

[nilla]

 

[nilla]

My notes are sketchy on this day, and can you blame me? Not exactly a noteworthy day. That doesn't mean I won't try to embellish it and stretch it into a 15-post update with hundreds of pictures, though. Not by a long shot. Let's start with the view we had outside our room every morning.

Ok, the photo doesn't do it justice. Walking out the door does. But I didn't photograph that on this day. I did on other days, though. Lots of times. Look it up!

And speaking of sketchy details and foggy memories, Kristin has pointed out that the pictures she took in Peter Pan's Flight on Day 11 were taken without flash. On flash photography inside dark rides, her official stance is "did not and would not". My bad.

Now that we cleared that up, we return to our regularly scheduled programming.

We have an early flight out of Orlando, though I don't recall exactly how early. Remember, I'm running off a ten-month-old memory here, and for me, that's not good. Well, maybe I remember much more from ten months ago than I do ten minutes ago, but that's not the point. I don't remember when our flight was, so let's just leave it at that.

So what's a Trip Reporter to do? I can always look at the timestamps on the photos. That last one claims to be taken at 5:30 am. Is that right? Probably. So, needless to say, everyone is tired.

We call for bell services, and our luggage is delivered to El Centro. As we wait for Mickey's Magical Express, we make one last run at Panchito's.

As with everything Disney, the theming is over-the-top. And that's a good thing.

Having maxed out our Key to the Kingdom and not really wanting to re-authorize, we're merely browsing this morning. Except for Emily, that is, who is presiding over a Princess cheerleading competition or something.

More theming...

More things I'll resist purchasing...

A hat shot...

...and we're done. The bus arrives, we bid CSR farewell, and it's off to the airport.

 

[nilla]

We arrive in good time, having seen NO alligators again along the way, and fresh off another Disney trip in which we saw NO celebrities. You'd think we would've by now, but it's sort of par for the course for me. The biggest celebs I've ever seen are the occassional B-level pro wrestler and the guy who played Baccala on the Sopranos, who was talking on a cell phone in downtown Newark, Delaware, of all places.

Anyway, we're at the airport now and through security, and we still have a bit of time until we board. So what to do? I'm not really hungry, but if I were, Chik-fil-A sounds good.

Or maybe not.

At the risk of getting too political, I will gloss over any other controversy concerning this fast food chain and say that I HATE their policy of being closed on Sundays. I know, I know, it's their right...but it seems the only time I'm ever in the mood for CFA is on Sundays. I should've kept tabs on how many times it's happened exactly, so I can include that in my angry protest letter. Imagine I protested outside of CFA on a Tuesday with a sign that reads, "Chik-fil-A's Sunday Policy is Anti-Me". What would people think?

I'll tell you what they'd think - they'd think, "check out that awesome Hello Kitty store!"

Hey, look! They even have Hello Monkey and Hello Frog. Honestly, why wouldn't they just have named those characters as such? I smell a protest coming on. Just not on Tuesday. That day's already booked for another demonstration.

This is a neat store, especially if you're Emily, but they don't have the "greatest clock ever" that they had in the Minnesota Sanrio store. I apparently didn't take a picture of it there, so you can only imagine the awesomeness. Without me describing it beyond that.

We checked out the NASA store, which was a bit underwhelming, even though Dylan is a lunatic over that space stuff.

So what else does this place have to offer? Check it out - Disney stuff!

It's not like we've just spent 12 days in Disney World or anything, is it? I like this particular theming inside:

I actually wish we are at one of those places instead of at the airport. Hopefully, we'll be back here soon.

 

[nilla]

Boarding time is coming soon, so we grab a final shot of the inside of the airport.

Just before boarding, we catch a quick glimpse of the plane.

Wait - that's NOT the plane. That was the plane we flew down here on from Allentown. But what does it all mean?

What it means is I've officially wrapped around the album on Photobucket, which means our story is at its end. We flew home, unpacked, and resumed our ordinary, non-Walt Disney World lives.


The End.


...

But wait - we're not done! We still have all of that silly post-story list stuff and other housekeeping items to address, PLUS the exciting conclusion, where we'll answer the question I've been dodging since the beginning. When are we going back? Are we ever going back?

Will I ever tell you?

 

[nilla]

Here's where we stand on the parks:

1. Epcot
2. Magic Kingdom
3t. Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios

 

[nilla]

In case you didn't notice, we're doing that "top 4, 5, or 10" thing I tend to do at the end of my Trip Reports.

Favorite attractions:

Jon

1. Haunted Mansion
2. Splash Mountain
3. Expedition Everest
4. Dinosaur
5. Mission: Space (not ranked last year)
6. It's a Small World (10 last year)
7. Test Track (5)
8. Pirates of the Carribean (not ranked)
9. Star Tours (not ranked)
10. Space Mountain (not ranked)

Kristin

1. Tower of Terror
2. Expedition Everest (3)
3. Splash Mountain (2)
4. It's a Small World (6)
5. Haunted Mansion (not ranked)
6. Soarin' (not ranked)
7. Carousel of Progress (not ranked)
8. Space Mountain (not ranked)
9. Toy Story Mania (not ranked)
10. Kilimanjaro Safaris (9)

Dylan

1. Splash Mountain
2. Tower of Terror (4)
3. Test Track (6)
4. Rock 'n Roller Coaster (2)
5. Soarin' (7)
6. Space Mountain (3)
7. Mission: Space (8)
8. Expedition Everest (5)
9. Star Tours (not ranked)
10. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Emily

1. Splash Mountain (5)
2. Test Track (1)
3. Soarin' (2)
4. It's a Small World (3)
5. Space Mountain (not ranked)
6. Star Tours (not ranked)
7. It's Tough to be a Bug (not ranked)
8. Kali River Rapids (not ranked)
9. Carousel of Progress (10)
10. Prince Charming's Regal Carousel (9)

Family Average

1. Splash Mountain
2. Test Track (3)
3. Expedition Everest (2)
4t. It's a Small World (6)
4t. Soarin' (5)
6. Tower of Terror (4)
7. Haunted Mansion
8. Space Mountain (not ranked)
9. Mission: Space (not ranked)
10. Star Tours (not ranked)

 

[nilla]

Here are our post trip top fives for full service restaurants:

Jon

1. Kona Cafe (2)
2. Biergarten (1)
3. Le Cellier
4. Hoop-dee-doo Revue (not ranked)
5. Cape May Clambake (4)

Kristin

1. Cape May Clambake
2. Kona Cafe (3)
3. Coral Reef (5)
4. Biergarten

Dylan

1. Cape May Clambake (not ranked)
2. Coral Reef (5)
3. Kona Café (4)
4. Chef Mickey's (1)
5. Sci-Fi (not ranked)

Emily

1. Biergarten (2)
2. Chef Mickey's (3)
3. Hoop-dee-doo Revue (not ranked)
4. Cinderella's Royal Table (1)
5. Askersus Storybook Dining (4)

Family Average

1. Kona Cafe (3)
2. Cape May Clambake (not ranked)
3. Biergarten (1)
4. Coral Reef
5. Chef Mickey's

 

[nilla]

Here are our post trip top fives for counter service restaurants:

Jon

1. Pepper Market (5)
2. Sunshine Seasons
3. Flame Tree Barbecue (1)
4. Yak & Yeti Quick Service (not ranked)
5. Columbia Harbour House (4)

Kristin

1. Columbia Harbour House (3)
2. Sunshine Seasons (1)
3. Pepper Market (4)
4. Boulangerie Patisserie (not ranked)
5. Flame Tree Barbecue (2)

Dylan

1. Sunshine Seasons
2. Pepper Market (5)
3. Roaring Fork (not ranked)
4. Flame Tree Barbecue (3)
5. Boulangerie Patisserie (not ranked)

Emily

1. Pepper Market (3)
2. Flame Tree Barbecue
3. Columbia Harbor House (not ranked)
4. Cosmic Ray's (5)
5. Yak & Yeti Quick Service (not ranked)

Family Average

1. Pepper Market (5)
2. Sunshine Seasons (1)
3. Flame Tree Barbecue (2)
4. Columbia Harbor House
5t. Boulangerie Patisserie (not ranked)
5t. Yak & Yeti Quick Service (not ranked)

 

[nilla]

...and we're home.

And unpacked.

And still undecided.

As the months roll on and the memories start do fade, so do the chances of a WDW return in 2013. I'm, of course, all for it, but Kristin has grown tired of the constant refurbs, and Dylan really wants to go to an island. Kristin is thinking somewhere in the Carribean.

"We can stay at Carribean Beach," I suggest, to little response. No, she's thinking something more along the lines of Jamaica.

"There's a Jamaica building at Carrib-"

I didn't even get to finish. I try my hardest to work on the remaining member of the family with promises of New Fantasyland and Princess meetings galore. She's interested, but not strongly enough to give me back the advantage.

Time continues to go by. Dylan turns 11, and he and I fulfill a long-time dream of his by riding this:

IN-SANE. 456 feet high. 128 mph. Straight up, then straight down. Absolutely nuts.

And it's not even the craziest ride in that park.

But that's as far as I'll get into that one.

So our ADR opening date comes and goes, and it's not looking good. Kristin wants to wait until the Mine Cart opens and New Fantasyland is officially complete. I don't want to wait. I want an Oompa Loompa NOWWWW!

And then, one appears.

No, not an Oompa Loompa. An opening. An ace-in-the-hole. A sure-fire way to get Emily, the true head of this family, to back me 100% on my WDW plans.

Refurbed Test Track.

The photos look INCREDIBLE, though I don't think it matters to her. It's Test Track. It's open. She's sold.

Almost reluctantly, Kristin finally agrees, and tells Dylan we'll hit an island later. He reluctantly agrees.

And here we are. WDW bound. No, not today - but in the near future. When? C'mon, you know I don't post that on here. But we're going. This year. Somewhere in the first half of the year. Oops - I said too much.

But did you hear that? We're going back!!!! Yes, we really are. CSR again, too. New Fantasyland, here we come.

And now, as we slowly approach departure, the whole family is completely on board. Disneymania is starting to come back. Kristin is a member of D23 now, and we've got a few flip-ups planned for this next go 'round that'll give us some new memories.

Some new adventures coming, too. New Fantasyland. New Test Track. And what's all this about Fast Pass+? We'll know soon enough, because we're going back!

Thank you for reading, everyone. Thank you for sticking around. I've learned a lot from this TR, and hope to apply that knowledge in this years UNINTERRUPTED Trip Report. Yeah, I said it.

See you soon!