I'M JUST SHOWBOATIN' AROUND THE WORLD! & getting pooped on. Jan 13 TR! NEW TR POSTED!

[beachphotog]

The Jack Jack pin is sooooo adorable!!

Bummer about the menu change at WCC. Makes me sad when they change menus. Why, why change the menu?! Why!?!?

 

[okw19]

Back from vacation #1 of the month, 80% over my illness and now I'm catching up on your TR!

Leisurely mornings can be so awesome! I love taking my time browsing at Mouse Gear.
Spidey! I love the random things kids say.
WS in the morning is THE BEST.
Japan shopping is amazing, and Matt's new hat is awesome.
I've never tried real Moroccan food. It scares me, haha. I will eat at the local Greek/Mediterranean/Pita type place but I'm super boring there and stay far away from the falafel and weird sounding stuff. I'm down for baklava though.

Pluto is so cute!
You are making me want to play at Stormalong Bay! It looks so awesome and I will probably never get to play there.
That mousekeeping story would have ticked me off to put it nicely.
Amy's sassy pose is too funny! Y'all are a hoot, can I puhlease hang out???
Yay for Wilderness Lodge and nay for possible awkward WCC incidents.

I love WL so very much. I loved staying at the villas, it's a perfect resort.
I'm very glad that the two of you are resort nomads like me.
I approve of the Shining related photo.
Matt you look so happy in your coonskin hat! I had one from Frontierland as a child, RIP hat.
My grandmother bought me a tumbler at WL with the awesome character totem on it! I love that thing.
You sneaky planner! Smart thinking to avoid the celebrations.
I feel like you just broke up with WCC after a steady relationship... You're great and all, but I feel like we should see other people.

 

[mouseketeer70]

I can't remember if I said this already but... The Mousekeeping incident her excuse of looking for her phone is flimsy! First, she was supposed to be cleaning your villa not using her phone. Second, does she not think you would see a strange phone and turn it in?! Some people

So glad Bruce is up and around! I knew he had to get a little better because I saw him in the trip video.

Wilderness Lodge is a gorgeous resort! While it's not our favorite (Boardwalk has my heart) we really enjoyed staying there because it is so peaceful and beautiful. That being said, our villa was down a looooong, dimly lit hallway. Of course my husband, the comedian, amused himself by saying, "redrum" as we walked to and from our studio. Yep he's hilarious....

I hear you on menu changes. So disappointing to go somewhere and your favorite item is gone. It seems to be happening more often at Disney lately. I wonder what's up with that?

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

The Shining! EEP!

I'm sorry Bruce wasn't feeling up to eating much, but glad he felt like participating. I have wondered what that look Matt is giving you during the Hokey Pokey is. I assumed he didn't want to be filmed, but it turns out you were being a dancing slacker! You made up for it, though. I saw you turn yourself about.

And that mason jar of tea...uhm, yeah, that's totally what we (adults) use on an everyday basis at my house...the South and all...and the laziness that goes along with it...who wants to get more refills like a sucker!? That totally wouldn't throw me. I'd be all, "Thanks for making me feel at home!"

FIVE MONTHS! FIVE MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

It is my supreme goal to do some resort hopping on the next visit. I want to see them all!

Wilderness Lodge looks AMAZING!

 

[407-W-DISNEY]

Great update!

You are right...it DOES remind one of the Shining!!! OMG, I never saw it until now! yikes...hope I can get myself to go back...LOL...yeah, I think I can!! lol

WHY DO PLACES CHANGE THEIR MENU!! That makes me soooo sad.....nothing worse than looking forward to a particular food...only to find its gone...

 

[katt789]

I AM DYYYYING. I know I’ll be back at some point over May-Aug, and was going to stay deluxe, but I can’t decide if I want BC or AKL again, especially cause AKL is way closer to the audition location and that’s why I’ll be down haha. We’ll have to wait and see! Lol.

I would love to stay at Wilderness Lodge at Christmas, it would be so amazing!! I love exploring all the resorts, there’s always so much cool stuff to check out!! WCC looks so awesome! I love all the crazy shenanigans that go on in there, seems like just the place for me and my friends who work at a Dinner theatre, bhaha!

Food looks delicious!! And I have to say, I’d prefer a salad to those random green beans and veggies, lol. The desserts sound interesting….lol

 

[marDgreen88]

Exploring resorts is so much fun, I totally agree! I plan on doing a whole bunch of that on my next trip too! So far the only resorts I actually HAVE explored that I haven't stayed at are GF, Poly, and Beach Club! Unacceptable!

I feel like Disney restaurants change their menus too often. I mean, how many times have you read 'such and such place took my favorite thing off their menu wahhh' ya know? It's a bit of a bummer!

Ahh, the Hokie Pokey. A classic. Yay for Matt and Bruce participation!

 

[cheekypoppins]

i haven't been to Whispering canyon since 2009 and those food pics just made my mouth water so bad!!!

 

[Nermel9]

AHHHH the Wilderness Lodge!!! My favorite place on Earth, I just love it there SO much! Lounging around in the lobby IS awesome, and I don't know why we don't do it more often, but I think on my next trip, I'm going to make an effort to just hang out in the lobby of whatever resort I go to! The WL lobby is especially amazing, though!

I love Whispering Canyon, but I would have DIED if they did to me what they did to Matt! I mean, seriously died. So now I know, if I eat there again, NEVER put that it's our anniversary on the reservation!

We haven't had dinner there in a long time, so I think it's a lot different now, but everything you guys had looked really good! It's not a must do for every trip, but it's definitely a fun place to eat once in a while!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Great pictures of the Wilderness Lodge! It is gorgeous there. I am not much of a wilderness person, but there's something about that resort that I love. The other day my Magical Express bus stopped there on the way back to the airport and I saw a couple of deer wandering around!

Oh wow, that is so crazy they made Matt sing to you the last time! I would be so embarrassed because I hate being put on the spot too.

I have that Jack Jack pin...love it!

 

[DharmaLou]

Wilderness Lodge is so gorgeous!

I wonder if they make Violet (Incredibles) pins? I swear I looked at DLR and didn't see one. My DD Violet needs one

 

[jecskc]

I just love Wilderness Lodge !!! LOL on your redrum hallway.

 

[khertz]

I love the lobby at WL. We went to WCC on our family trip in 2003 and I remember looking alllllll the way up at those rooms on the top floor and thinking how beautiful it would be to walk out of your room and look down into that lobby! The WL Christmas tree was on the cover of an issue of Celebrations magazine, and that was what made me really want to visit WDW at Christmas and see the decorations. WL did NOT disappoint! What a gorgeous resort, especially at Christmas. I think if we ever had the chance to stay deluxe, this is where we would stay.

I'm glad you enjoyed your WCC dinner even if it wasn't what you were expecting. Gotta love that ketchup!

 

[RachelNinja]

Haha, I like the picture of the hat not fitting on Matt's head because we also get pictures of hats that don't fit on my husband Howard's head! That's just what happens when we have big noggins!

Oo, I don't know that I could handle not having cell service at Paradise Inn because I wouldn't be able to check Instagram or upload photos and such! It does sound like it could be an unbelievably calm place to just reconnect with a spouse, family, or good friends.

The antics at Whispering Canyon are the reason why I'm afraid to go there! Hubs and I were going to try going there for lunch since I read that it isn't as crazy during that time, but we just never made it over there since there are so many options we enjoy at MK. I'm intrigued by the thought of getting some appetizers to share.

That Jack-Jack pin is quite the find!

 

[danimaroo]

The Shining - my favorite scary movie of all time - still freaks me out. Can't walk down a hall at any hotel without thinking of the little girls!

Great update - bummer about the menu change, but how nice you got to relax in the lobby, I was relaxing while reading about you relaxing, thanks! We have many nice lodge like resorts that look similar in Michigan, so I have NOT wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge because I want a tropical Florida feel, but you may have changed my mind. I wonder how the boat ride to the Magic Kingdom and in general the transportation would be? My DH puts a lot of value on convenient location, hence the reason we love the Poly and BC/YC for our longer trips. Have a great night!

Go University of Michigan tonight!

Yeah, I LOVE The Shining... and the book is fantastic, as well!

I was sad about the menu change, but honestly, the food was really good for the most part! I loved sitting in that lobby; I think more often people don't take the time to do things like that and are constantly going in Disney World, so stopping to relax is really nice.

I seriously had the SAME attitude about Wilderness Lodge as you! I didn't want to stay there because if I was in Disney World, I didn't want to feel like I was still in the Pacific Northwest. But now that I've spent so much time wandering the resort many years in a row, I realize how much I love it there and both Matt and I thought it'd be a great opportunity to see how we like it! I'm interested to see how the boat ride will be; whenever we've taken it in the past after dinner, it's been wonderful!

I'll of course be doing a TR for our September trip, so I will definitely talk about how we end up feeling about WL and all it has to offer!

I'm sorry Michigan didn't win. My manager at work is a HUGE Michigan fan, so he was bummed out that they lost, haha.

I can't believe I still have never even been in Wilderness Lodge. It looks so pretty!

I'mglad to hear the skillet has gotten better, particularly since that's all you can get during dinner now. WCC has been on our list of places to try for a long time, we've just never made it over there. Maybe next time!

OMG, girl, you need to get your butt over there on your next trip! It's such an amazing resort!

The skillet has definitely gotten better, and I'd definitely say check it out at some point! It's a lot of fun with all of the crazy antics!

The Jack Jack pin is sooooo adorable!!

Bummer about the menu change at WCC. Makes me sad when they change menus. Why, why change the menu?! Why!?!?

I know, right?! I saw it and was like, yeah, we need that little guy!

Definitely a bummer. The food was good but it was NOT that dish that Matt had in 2012. Oh my word it was so amazingly good. I don't know why they do it! WAH!

Back from vacation #1 of the month, 80% over my illness and now I'm catching up on your TR!

Leisurely mornings can be so awesome! I love taking my time browsing at Mouse Gear.
Spidey! I love the random things kids say.
WS in the morning is THE BEST.
Japan shopping is amazing, and Matt's new hat is awesome.
I've never tried real Moroccan food. It scares me, haha. I will eat at the local Greek/Mediterranean/Pita type place but I'm super boring there and stay far away from the falafel and weird sounding stuff. I'm down for baklava though.

Pluto is so cute!
You are making me want to play at Stormalong Bay! It looks so awesome and I will probably never get to play there.
That mousekeeping story would have ticked me off to put it nicely.
Amy's sassy pose is too funny! Y'all are a hoot, can I puhlease hang out???
Yay for Wilderness Lodge and nay for possible awkward WCC incidents.

I love WL so very much. I loved staying at the villas, it's a perfect resort.
I'm very glad that the two of you are resort nomads like me.
I approve of the Shining related photo.
Matt you look so happy in your coonskin hat! I had one from Frontierland as a child, RIP hat.
My grandmother bought me a tumbler at WL with the awesome character totem on it! I love that thing.
You sneaky planner! Smart thinking to avoid the celebrations.
I feel like you just broke up with WCC after a steady relationship... You're great and all, but I feel like we should see other people.

I'm so glad you're feeling better, lady!

Leisurely mornings are kind of necessary when you are in Disney for 10 days. Otherwise you get sick, wompwomp.

The food in Morocco, for the mostpart, is like Greek food, except I'd say for the side dishes. But oh man, falafel is SO good! I wasn't sure about it but then I tried it and it's amazing. I could go for some right now, hahaha.

Stormalong is the bomb. And never say never, I'm sure some day you will hang out there... and maybe we can hang out together.. BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE BEST.

And yes, let's hang out, now. RIGHT NOW. I wish!

Bahaha Matt was so mad I was making him put it on. It heard his poor noggin.

We'll go back at some point to WCC... just probably not for a year or two. UNLESS they bring back that amazing dish, then I'll go back in a hot second!

I can't remember if I said this already but... The Mousekeeping incident her excuse of looking for her phone is flimsy! First, she was supposed to be cleaning your villa not using her phone. Second, does she not think you would see a strange phone and turn it in?! Some people

So glad Bruce is up and around! I knew he had to get a little better because I saw him in the trip video.

Wilderness Lodge is a gorgeous resort! While it's not our favorite (Boardwalk has my heart) we really enjoyed staying there because it is so peaceful and beautiful. That being said, our villa was down a looooong, dimly lit hallway. Of course my husband, the comedian, amused himself by saying, "redrum" as we walked to and from our studio. Yep he's hilarious....

I hear you on menu changes. So disappointing to go somewhere and your favorite item is gone. It seems to be happening more often at Disney lately. I wonder what's up with that?

OMG, I know, that whole thing was just so annoying and not okay. Like, I don't know what she was thinking but it seemed super sketchy.

I'm glad he was, too! It was nice to have him back, even though he wasn't 100% quite yet.

I am glad to hear you enjoy WL! I think we'll feel the same way, where we really enjoy it but I'm sorry, Beach Club has my heart forever and ever, haha. I would probably start saying redrum, too! Bahaha, it's so creepy.

Yeah, I don't know what is going on but I don't like these menu changes. It's really lame and honestly, I'm glad we are saving money by skipping the DDP this time. I mean, it will allow us to do things on whatever schedule we want (aside from a few ADRs we have made) and we can just go to the places we love the most. Not to say we won't do the DDP again in the future, but I'm definitely looking forward to a little more freedom with how we eat in September!

The Shining! EEP!

I'm sorry Bruce wasn't feeling up to eating much, but glad he felt like participating. I have wondered what that look Matt is giving you during the Hokey Pokey is. I assumed he didn't want to be filmed, but it turns out you were being a dancing slacker! You made up for it, though. I saw you turn yourself about.

And that mason jar of tea...uhm, yeah, that's totally what we (adults) use on an everyday basis at my house...the South and all...and the laziness that goes along with it...who wants to get more refills like a sucker!? That totally wouldn't throw me. I'd be all, "Thanks for making me feel at home!"

FIVE MONTHS! FIVE MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CREEEEPY! I feel like any long hallway in a hotel/resort reminds me of it though.

Yeah, he was still feeling yucky but was trying his best to feel better. And yes, Matt was literally saying "YOU'RE NOT DOING IT!" Hahaha, but I was, and you noticed! PSH, he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Hahaha, that sounds pretty perfect for drinking your tea! I mean, heck yeah! I think he appreciated it anyway!

5 MONTHS! It's so not that far away!!

It is my supreme goal to do some resort hopping on the next visit. I want to see them all!

Wilderness Lodge looks AMAZING!

You should totally do it! It's really awesome seeing how all of the resorts are totally different from one another!

Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous and I'd highly suggest checking it out before an evening at MK!

Great update!

You are right...it DOES remind one of the Shining!!! OMG, I never saw it until now! yikes...hope I can get myself to go back...LOL...yeah, I think I can!! lol

WHY DO PLACES CHANGE THEIR MENU!! That makes me soooo sad.....nothing worse than looking forward to a particular food...only to find its gone...

Thank you very much!

Bahaha, I'm sorry I just ruined it for you. But honestly, a lot of hallways in hotels remind me of The Shining!

I don't know why they change them all the time! It's such a bummer. Like, don't ruin something good!

 

[danimaroo]

I AM DYYYYING. I know I’ll be back at some point over May-Aug, and was going to stay deluxe, but I can’t decide if I want BC or AKL again, especially cause AKL is way closer to the audition location and that’s why I’ll be down haha. We’ll have to wait and see! Lol.

I would love to stay at Wilderness Lodge at Christmas, it would be so amazing!! I love exploring all the resorts, there’s always so much cool stuff to check out!! WCC looks so awesome! I love all the crazy shenanigans that go on in there, seems like just the place for me and my friends who work at a Dinner theatre, bhaha!

Food looks delicious!! And I have to say, I’d prefer a salad to those random green beans and veggies, lol. The desserts sound interesting….lol

Oh man, that's a total dilemma... buuut my vote is for BC! I mean, it really is just an amazing resort. But AKL looks gorgeous soooo basically, it's a win-win situation!

WL at Christmas would be PERFECT. Seriously. If/when we go during the Christmas season, I am totally pushing for a stay at WL, or at least a split stay! WCC is cray cray, but in a good way, haha. You guys would LOVE it!!

Yeah, salad would have been nice, but the veggies weren't bad! The desserts were pretty good, but NOTHING like what they had in the past which was sad.

Exploring resorts is so much fun, I totally agree! I plan on doing a whole bunch of that on my next trip too! So far the only resorts I actually HAVE explored that I haven't stayed at are GF, Poly, and Beach Club! Unacceptable!

I feel like Disney restaurants change their menus too often. I mean, how many times have you read 'such and such place took my favorite thing off their menu wahhh' ya know? It's a bit of a bummer!

Ahh, the Hokie Pokey. A classic. Yay for Matt and Bruce participation!

Yeah, it really is a ton of fun! That's still a better amount than most people though, I just feel like a lot of people think it's pointless or something. UM NO. There is more to Disney than the parks!

I totally agree. I don't understand the need for all of the menu changes, it's really frustrating!

Bahaha, yeah, it's a good one. I loved that I caught both of them dancing on video, because it always makes me smile!

i haven't been to Whispering canyon since 2009 and those food pics just made my mouth water so bad!!!

It's worth another visit, I'd say! The quality of the food was a lot better in terms of the skillet than before! Plus it's always a fun dinner.

AHHHH the Wilderness Lodge!!! My favorite place on Earth, I just love it there SO much! Lounging around in the lobby IS awesome, and I don't know why we don't do it more often, but I think on my next trip, I'm going to make an effort to just hang out in the lobby of whatever resort I go to! The WL lobby is especially amazing, though!

I love Whispering Canyon, but I would have DIED if they did to me what they did to Matt! I mean, seriously died. So now I know, if I eat there again, NEVER put that it's our anniversary on the reservation!

We haven't had dinner there in a long time, so I think it's a lot different now, but everything you guys had looked really good! It's not a must do for every trip, but it's definitely a fun place to eat once in a while!

I totally understand your love for it... which is why I can't WAIT to stay there in 5 months!! Ugh, it's going to be amazing! But I think that's a good idea to do some hanging out in the lobbies! I also love sitting on the huge couch in the Grand Floridian and listening to the band or piano player!

OMG, he seriously turned so red and had no idea what to do! So he just told the waitress no! She insisted, he said no again, and I was like "HOW ABOUT HE JUST GIVES ME A KISS?!" Haha, it was SO awkward.

They didn't do anything this time... just the Hokey Pokey from what I could see, thank GOD, hahaha.

Great pictures of the Wilderness Lodge! It is gorgeous there. I am not much of a wilderness person, but there's something about that resort that I love. The other day my Magical Express bus stopped there on the way back to the airport and I saw a couple of deer wandering around!

Oh wow, that is so crazy they made Matt sing to you the last time! I would be so embarrassed because I hate being put on the spot too.

I have that Jack Jack pin...love it!

Thank you! It is absolutely amazing there! I can't wait to go back; and I can't believe you saw deer there! Like, talk about perfection, hahha.

Yeah, thankfully I just convinced her to let him give me a kiss instead, because he was NOT going to sing and it was so awkward! It's seriously his worst fear!

Awesome, that pin is so cute!

Wilderness Lodge is so gorgeous!

I wonder if they make Violet (Incredibles) pins? I swear I looked at DLR and didn't see one. My DD Violet needs one

I know, I LOVE it! I can't wait to stay there!

I bet they have a Violet pin, I mean, they have Jack Jack! Just not sure if they sell them... If I see one during our trip I will grab it for you while trading!

I just love Wilderness Lodge !!! LOL on your redrum hallway.

I do, too! And yes, REDRUM... REDRUUUM!

I love the lobby at WL. We went to WCC on our family trip in 2003 and I remember looking alllllll the way up at those rooms on the top floor and thinking how beautiful it would be to walk out of your room and look down into that lobby! The WL Christmas tree was on the cover of an issue of Celebrations magazine, and that was what made me really want to visit WDW at Christmas and see the decorations. WL did NOT disappoint! What a gorgeous resort, especially at Christmas. I think if we ever had the chance to stay deluxe, this is where we would stay.

I'm glad you enjoyed your WCC dinner even if it wasn't what you were expecting. Gotta love that ketchup!

Yeah, how cool WOULD that be! I've always thought the same thing about the Grand Floridian, too! The WL Christmas tree looks AMAZING. I will stay there around Christmas time one year, darn it!

Haha yeah, it was still a blast, and we did enjoy the food!

Haha, I like the picture of the hat not fitting on Matt's head because we also get pictures of hats that don't fit on my husband Howard's head! That's just what happens when we have big noggins!

Oo, I don't know that I could handle not having cell service at Paradise Inn because I wouldn't be able to check Instagram or upload photos and such! It does sound like it could be an unbelievably calm place to just reconnect with a spouse, family, or good friends.

The antics at Whispering Canyon are the reason why I'm afraid to go there! Hubs and I were going to try going there for lunch since I read that it isn't as crazy during that time, but we just never made it over there since there are so many options we enjoy at MK. I'm intrigued by the thought of getting some appetizers to share.

That Jack-Jack pin is quite the find!

Bahaha that is hysterical. Both Matt and I have huge noggins, hahahaha, but this made me laugh.

Honestly, I'm an IG/twitter/FB/DIS fanatic, but turning everything off for a few days up at the Paradise is just amazing. It's perfect for an anniversary or family trip where you want to kind of reconnect!

WCC is great, they won't put you on the spot outside of the Hokey Pokey and if you don't mention any celebrations! Otherwise, it's just the usual silliness and good food! I think lunch would be an excellent time to check it out!

I thought it was a good find, as well!

 

[danimaroo]

Chapter Twenty-Two: "I don't want this soup. This soup is stupid. DON'T. TALK. TO ME!"
Day 4: January 20th, 2013

While we waited for a boat to Magic Kingdom, we were chatting about Bruce feeling better... and then found out from Bruce and Amy that apparently Bruce was VERY whiny while he was sick.

When Amy brought him chicken noodle soup, he complained about how awful it was, and at one point, when Amy was asking him what she could do for him, he responded:

"Don't. talk. to me!"

When we heard this, we DIED laughing. Oh my word, it was out of control. We were totally giving Bruce crap and Matt was making fun of him, saying in this little whiny voice, "I don't want this soup. This soup is stupid. DON'T. TALK. TO ME!" HAHAHAHA. Bruce was laughing, too, because of how absurd it was.

I swear, guys get SO whiny when they're sick!

So yes, if you watched our trip video until the very end, NOW you know why Bruce was saying "DON'T TALK TO ME" and we were all laughing hysterically. This is where it came from... because for the rest of the trip, we'd randomly just yell "DON'T. TALK. TO ME!" Bahahaha.

Anyway, our boat finally arrived, so we got on and sat in the outside area! While on the boat, this is where I took the video all of us dancing. I'm sure some of you have heard the techno remix of "Beauty and the Beast"... Please tell me you guys have!

Okay, I just spend 5 minutes actually searching the internet for the song, and this is a 30 second excerpt of it! http://www.last.fm/music/Carmen+Carter/_/Beauty+and+the+Beast

So yeah, I video taped Matt doing a little dance, then Amy... and theeeeen there's Bruce.

Bruce's natural resting face is VERY serious/he looks kind of angry. We have this running joke about it, in that I have photos of him from a camping trip in which he is in the background looking very angry, hahaha. So we thought it'd be hilarious to take video of Bruce dancing to the music... VERY seriously.

We were all DYING. It was the funnest thing, as many of you saw.

It was just so nice that Bruce was feeling better and we were all together laughing! That boat ride was way too hilarious and fun.

In between dancing like dorks on the boat, I took some photos and video as we passed the Contemporary and made our way to Magic Kingdom!

When we arrived at Magic Kingdom, the crowds to get in were INSANE. I mean, unreal. We weren't in a huge rush, so we decided to go and take a ride on the monorail (resort loop) for funsies!

Once on, we were back to being total dorks.

Like, exhibit A. My husband decided to put on my sunglasses. My question is... who wears sunglasses in this fashion?

My husband, that's right!

Away we went for a little night time cruise around the Seven Seas Lagoon!

And here, ladies and gents, is your high quality photo of our stop at the Contemporary!

Haha, we finally arrived back at Magic Kingdom and headed on in. Going for a ride ended up benefiting us as the lines to get in weren't as brutal.

We bee-lined straight for the Hat Shop! Matt and I needed to buy our ear hats... stat!

Some of you already know this, but for those who don't... Matt and I have a tradition that every year we go to Disney World, we buy each buy ear hats.

We always change up the one we buy, always have it embroidered with our names, and then wear them around the park when we feel like it!

So we looked around for awhile, as did Bruce and Amy, and tried on a few. I spotted Buzz Lightyear and Woody hats, which Matt and I tried on... and yes, this photo is blurry.

Bruce also tried on a German ear hat! I love the details on that one!

Amy was hoping they'd have a Norway one (since she's Norwegian), but unfortunately they didn't, so she figured she would wait on buying hers until she decided on the right one for her.

Matt and I knew we had to have Buzz and Woody. They're best friends, and Matt's honestly my best friend, so we thought these would be perfect for us!

We dropped them off to have them embroidered, then decided to head into the Confectionary to look around.

As we walked in, I spotted this hat and told Matt he needed to put it on for a photo.

Ratatouille is his favorite Pixar movie, so I thought this was quite adorable... and in turn, got one of my favorite photos of him ever.

Seriously... he's adorable.

Sorry, anyway... We looked around and of course took lots of photos/video. While we were in here, the first Main Street Electrical Parade was happening right outside, so we were boppin' around the store to the music. This is actually part of my video where I'm dancing... I was jamming out to the MSEP in the middle of the Confectionary, because who doesn't?!

Anyway, I took a photo of Matt with the rice krispy treat the size of his head.

Is it wrong I almost wanted to buy this? Probably... mmm, nope.

I love the colors in that place and the SMELL. Ohhh the sweet smell of candy and delightful goodies.

After looking around for a while, we went back to the hat shop to pick up our ear hats, and then we went on our way! MSEP had made its way past Main Street by this point, so it had cleared out a bit... just in time for me to take some photos of the balloons!

Everyone else seemed to really want to check out Space Mountain, so we agreed to look and see if there were any FPs left, and headed over towards Tomorrowland.

Continued in next post​

 

[danimaroo]

Chapter Twenty-Three: Storybook Circus and a little Haunted Mansion time!
Day 4: January 20th, 2013

We made a pitstop at the bathrooms, so we took it as an opportunity to take a few photos of our new hats!

I love wearing my ear hat in Magic Kingdom at night. I find myself fully immersed in the magic at that point. I mean, where else can you get away with wearing an ear hat as an adult?

After everyone was good to go from the bathroom run, we headed over to Space Mountain to see if there were any FPs left for the evening, but there weren't. Wompwomp.

I'd REALLY wanted to see Storybook Circus because I hadn't yet, so we walked over there. It wasn't really Bruce or Amy's thing, but I wanted to at least see Dumbo at night since from what I'd heard/seen, it was beautiful.

Yup, that was a definite yes. It was absolutely GORGEOUS at night. I wanted to go on it, but I knew no one else did, so I didn't make us go on. BUT NEXT TRIP, I am so making Matt go on it with me at night. The water and the colors are just amazing!

I stared at Dumbo for awhile, before turning and getting a photo of the Souvenir tent... but unfortunately we didn't go inside. I could tell everyone else was kind of bored, so I didn't push it.

This splash area looked like so much fun! I bet it's fantastic for those hot times of year for kids to cool off.

After I made everyone stand and wait while I took photos, we decided the next best thing to do was clearly go on Haunted Mansion, so we headed over towards Liberty Square!

On our way over, we stopped to check out the progress on the Mines rollercoaster. Within in the wall they have surrounding it, they have this little window with a sign encouraging you to look through it. It's probably more for kids, but who DOESN'T want to take a peek when they're encouraged to?

As I was looking over the wall, I looked to my right and noticed Matt peeking through, so I caught this moment on camera. He had no idea I was watching him nor did he know I took this photo.

For some reason, it's one of my favorite photos of the trip because I feel like it captures a special moment. Kind of the theme of our video I made, with the Walt Disney quote, "Adults are only kids grown up, anyway." This photo captures that quote. Maybe I'm just being remarkably cheesy and thought too much of it, but I just love when I capture something candid like this on camera.

Anyway, after I snuck in my little photo of Matt, I took one of the carousel. Have I mentioned how much I love Magic Kingdom at night? It's beautiful.

We finally got over to the Haunted Mansion, where it was a short wait. This allowed me to capture the best photos I've personally ever taken of the Haunted Mansion, hands down.

I LOVE the Haunted Mansion at night. They way the lights hit the mansion, the shadow you see appear in the windows... The Haunted Mansion is in its prime when lit up at night.

Once we got inside and through the stretching room, we walked up the queue and the ride stopped. It stopped actually for a really long time, I'd say 10 minutes, and I was worried they would make us all leave... but fortunately they got the ride going again!

We finally got on, but ended up getting stuck in front of the Hitchhiking Ghosts for awhile. Because the lighting is quite dark, they're really hard to take a photo of (unless I want to use my flash, but that basically ruins it)... This one came out halfway decent though! I don't entirely mind when we get stuck, and I KNOW Matt doesn't either.

After leaving the Haunted Mansion, we needed to go stake out some spots for my favorite parade in the world, MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE! Plus, we had some new friends to meet!

Continued in next post​

 

[starousse]

Your reports are awesome and so much fun to read. You're definitely getting me excited about my upcoming trip in May.