Inching My Way Closer to the Castle Final thoughts/future trips 4/2p90 The End 4/4p92

[MEK]

More cool pics!
I had to laugh at the vinylmation one. Poor Donald Duck looks awfully confused and Mickey looks cross-eyed!!!

haha - that's funny. You have excellent observational skills. I liked the vinylmation set that all looked like AK animals. That was my favorite. That and the halloween vinlymation.

As much as the BLT decor doesn't really do it for me, your pictures captured some really cool and unique features. Love the water shots!!

Thanks. Actually Jen was telling me how to practice with water shots by changing the shutter speed. So I was doing my "homework".

First, I am so sorry to hear bout Nick's friend. When will our youth realize that just because they are young does not mean that they are indispensable. Please give Nick a hug for us.

Thanks Kathy. Nick was really closed mouthed last night and really wouldn't talk about it. I tried, several times and told him I would be there if he needed to talk.

Your pictures are great as always. Do you know we have never even stepped foot into where you ate lunch. We will definitely have t o put that on the to do list.

I say definitely go for it. I seriously hope they have that veggie sandwich when I go back. I'm really glad we tried it because I have been wanting to go in there for a while.

 

[dawnbu40]

I'm sorry to hear about your son's friend. It's always a tragedy when young lives end far too soon like that.

Nice update! Glad you enjoyed your lunch! Of course, as always, your pictures are fabulous That black and white Steamboat Willie is adorable!

 

[MEK]

I'm sorry to hear about your son's friend. It's always a tragedy when young lives end far too soon like that.

Thanks Dawn. It is a tragedy. I didn't know the young lady or her family, but I can't stop thinking about it. So horrible.

I
Nice update! Glad you enjoyed your lunch! Of course, as always, your pictures are fabulous

Thanks! Hey, come to think of it, I don't think I've seen an update from you two in awhile. Just sayin' Watch. I'll post this and there will be one. I just took a break from Dis'ing to take some sunrise, early am pics.

That black and white Steamboat Willie is adorable!

Isn't he? Love him!

 

[glennbo123]

Sounds like a nice lunch and afternoon at AK, ladies.

That one picture of the wall in the BLT lobby looks like interlocking Pringles potato chips!

Sorry to hear about Nick's friend. 2 teenagers lost their lives in a car accident not too far from my house earlier this fall also. It's very sad to see the crosses that have been put up and the grieving people who come to visit them.

 

[vamassey1]

Sorry I've been missing, but I'm caught up.

First I have to say I'm loving all the photos both of you are taking. They are total eye candy.

I have to go all the way back to the update on your room. Great detail pictures of the room and resort. MK-Thanks for sharing photos of the firehouse, I've never been in there. Beautiful castle pictures. I have to say as I get older I really don't care too much for Space. Love the pictures around MK, there's so bright I felt like I could reach and touch them.

Your view from your room is the best! Pool hopping sounds like so much fun. I'm sorry about your shower torture chamber but it did make me laugh.

Dinner a the Wave sounds great, another place I need to put on the list for future trips. Sorry you missed the fireworks from the top but they looked great from your balcony.

Day 3-Your day started out so wonderful and peaceful. AK photo are fabulous, so many details. I really enjoyed the EE ride photos too. Great Safari photos. Nemo has slowly grown on me, not that I didn't like it but I'm beginning to really like it more. Resturantosaurs sounds like another CS to put on my list. We've never eater there but I've used the restroom a few times for a bio break. Great photos while waiting to ride Dinosaur. Loved the photos of the lobby in BLT especially the fountain.

 

[MEK]

Sounds like a nice lunch and afternoon at AK, ladies.

It really was a great day! More to come!

That one picture of the wall in the BLT lobby looks like interlocking Pringles potato chips!

haha good one!

Sorry to hear about Nick's friend. 2 teenagers lost their lives in a car accident not too far from my house earlier this fall also. It's very sad to see the crosses that have been put up and the grieving people who come to visit them.

Oh...that's so terrible and such a terrible reminder that teenagers driving are at such high risk. It's funny in a sad sort of way, but I had been wondering when there was going to be a fatal, because there hadn't been one in a while.

Sorry I've been missing, but I'm caught up.

First I have to say I'm loving all the photos both of you are taking. They are total eye candy.

Thank you....Im so glad you are enjoying our pictures!

I have to go all the way back to the update on your room. Great detail pictures of the room and resort. MK-Thanks for sharing photos of the firehouse, I've never been in there. Beautiful castle pictures. I have to say as I get older I really don't care too much for Space. Love the pictures around MK, there's so bright I felt like I could reach and touch them.

Your view from your room is the best! Pool hopping sounds like so much fun. I'm sorry about your shower torture chamber but it did make me laugh.

I know exactly what you mean about space mountain. All that jerking around is starting to get to me, too.

Our room view was fabulous. It could not have been any better. I will never get tired of looking at those pictures.

Pool hopping was a blast! We really enjoyed it.

Jen and I both had a good laugh over the shower incident.

Dinner a the Wave sounds great, another place I need to put on the list for future trips. Sorry you missed the fireworks from the top but they looked great from your balcony.

The Wave was a great first TS meal. So convenient and so yummy.

I was so happy we got to see the fireworks from our balcony. Timing was perfect.

Day 3-Your day started out so wonderful and peaceful. AK photo are fabulous, so many details. I really enjoyed the EE ride photos too. Great Safari photos. Nemo has slowly grown on me, not that I didn't like it but I'm beginning to really like it more. Resturantosaurs sounds like another CS to put on my list. We've never eater there but I've used the restroom a few times for a bio break. Great photos while waiting to ride Dinosaur. Loved the photos of the lobby in BLT especially the fountain.

We did have such a great time at AK. It's one of my favorite parks because it is so fun to take pictures there.

I would definitely recommend Restaurantsarus. It was a great choice for good CS food and great AC.

 

[All7OfUs]

I did several vegetarian meals on my last trip- and to be truthful, it was actually very refreshing to not feel so completely overstuffed I felt lousy! I loved having lighter fare, and could even pack a little dessert away too. It really looked tasty, and I NEVER would have guessed Restau...... would have been the place to find such a little treasure.

 

[eandesmom]

GREAT update! I'm actually not surprised there was a vegetarian option, but am surprised it was a grilled veggie sandwich, not a veggie burger. It's funny, I just had this conversation iwth a coworker yesterday. His wife is a vegetarian and he was commenting on how he never gets to go out for burgers (we were having a burger conversation, as in "best" of ) and I was like "are you nuts" All those places have veggie burgers. He had no idea. It was funny.

I'd have been disappointed that it was on a white roll too, that's just fundamentally wrong.

Very cool BLT pics, I still want to stay there someday I think but NOT in a studio! And I may not be able to shower so...maybe not...LOL.

I was thinking how wierd vinylmation Jesse looked.

Very very sorry about the tragic loss of young lives. So hard. Thinking of Brian. Even if you aren't close, it hits hard.

 

[MEK]

I did several vegetarian meals on my last trip- and to be truthful, it was actually very refreshing to not feel so completely overstuffed I felt lousy! I loved having lighter fare, and could even pack a little dessert away too. It really looked tasty, and I NEVER would have guessed Restau...... would have been the place to find such a little treasure.

Exactly. I feel better when I eat a vegetarian meal or sandwich. It was just the right amount of food and I really wasn't overstuffed.

I never would have guessed I would find it there either. That's why I was scared to order it. I thought it would be some yucky, soggy, no taste sandwich, and it turned out to be anything but. So good!

GREAT update! I'm actually not surprised there was a vegetarian option, but am surprised it was a grilled veggie sandwich, not a veggie burger. It's funny, I just had this conversation iwth a coworker yesterday. His wife is a vegetarian and he was commenting on how he never gets to go out for burgers (we were having a burger conversation, as in "best" of ) and I was like "are you nuts" All those places have veggie burgers. He had no idea. It was funny.

I'd have been disappointed that it was on a white roll too, that's just fundamentally wrong.

That is funny. I love the veggie burgers at Burger King. They are so good. They probably aren't all that healthy, and they are on a white roll, but they are so darn good. Denny found out about them from one of his coworkers who is a vegetarian.

Boo - to the white roll, but the rest of the meal was so good.

Very cool BLT pics, I still want to stay there someday I think but NOT in a studio! And I may not be able to shower so...maybe not...LOL.

Well, I think its how many people you have in the studio. Although, I can't wait to see Melissa's 1BR pictures to see how much bigger that is. It's probably perfect.

Just buy stickies for the bathtub and the floor and make it a no slip zone.

I was thinking how wierd vinylmation Jesse looked.

You know their names????? I am impressed.

Very very sorry about the tragic loss of young lives. So hard. Thinking of Brian. Even if you aren't close, it hits hard.

Thanks. It is very tragic and so unnecessary.

 

[MEK]

Every weekend I tell myself I am going out in the morning to take sunrise pictures. Today I finally did it.

First I stop at the development next to mine. The cul-de-sac ends right near some wet lands.

Next I drove down the road about a mile from my house and took pictures of the steam there.

Then I drove to a nature pathway about 3 miles from my house. It was 45 degrees this morning, so it was just a tad chilly. Brrrrrrrrh!

Then I watched the sun come up.....

I used the real settings on my camera and tried to adjust the TV (shutter speed) and the ISO. I think I may have learned something today. I didn't use any automatic settings. Yeah me!

 

[vamassey1]

Absolutely Beautiful!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Gorgeous photos Mary Ellen, great job!

 

[MEK]

Absolutely Beautiful!

Gorgeous photos Mary Ellen, great job!

Thanks guys! It's really an accomplishment when I start learning to use the camera settings instead of the auto mode. It's fun to learn something new.

 

[KatMark]

Beautiful, beautiful sunrise pictures Mary Ellen. I may steal one for my desktop.

 

[manntra]

Beautiful sunrise pictures ME!!! Now I know I never have to get up early to see the sunrise....I can just look at your pictures!
Very sorry to hear about your sons' friend. That is very tragic...the loss of life when one is so young is so much harder I think.
Still didn't see Nemo this trip I was too busy doing other things...like getting take out drinks from Yak&Yeti
Thanks for thinking of me when you went up the hill on EE It sure was something I will never forget And yes we got out of the train which was the most awkward part and then walked up the stairs and then down through the mountain.
I am already wallowing in my Disney depression after coming home so I am so happy to have our trip planned for May It looks like you are going to be having a great 2011 with many trips planned!! So excited for you!!

Tracy

 

[Ducky4Disney]

D'oh! I find myself 3 pages behind; again! MEK mentioned it being a slow week for updates and I became update complacent. Sorry 'bout that folks.

So we covered the Safari and Nemo, then we had lunch. It wasn't super busy at Restaurantsaurus but it was crowded. I ate breakfast there once when it was Donald's Breakfastsaurus and my main complaint was how spread out the place was. Still is my main complaint. I got a burger, MEK got the grilled veggie burger, and I went to find a table while she collected the food. I think it would have been better vice versa because she arrived with the food and I then had to trek back for toppings. She's not kidding about inhaling the sandwich! I think I remember it being there when I got back but when I asked her about photographing it she gave me a blank stare which said it all. Eating it was clearly more important!

I also got a dessert pic.

Mine was a chocolate something or other and It was also just ok. I think I said it was bland. How do you make chocolate mousse bland?

After lunch we opted for Dinosaur before we head for home. I haven't ridden Dinosaur in a long time. Mainly because I was either PG, traveling with a small child, or both on my last few trips.

Knowing the limitations of my camera I didn't bother with too many pics here.

Sometimes I forget than I'm wearing a name badge until a CM calls me by name; which is always cool! This time it was Angel, a Latino CM that called me by name and it came out "Hennifer", of course. That was my new name for the rest of the trip.

Back to the resort! And into the lobby for the first time. Yes, the first time in the BLT lobby occured on Day 3. That's because we use the 5th floor walkway all the time and the one time we were on our way to the lobby for the "special" TOTWL elevator, we were stopped short.

I must've been tired or uninspired because I didn't take many more BLT lobby pics. I wonder what that was about? And seeing how you have to swipe your card at every door (yes, even to enter the BLT lobby) I doubt I'll be back there again.

To the pool next!

D4D

 

[nilla]

Was this taken before or after your sinister uncle tried to violently take over your father's kingdom and trick you into exile with a couple of wise-cracking insectivores?

 

[jenjolt]

More and More gorgeous pics!! LOVING IT!!

Yay for trying something new and enjoying it! I love veggies too so that might be a sandwich I would like!!!!

BLT's lobby and Top of the World Lounge simply look gorgeous! I really hope to stay there someday!! WONDERFUL!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I just got caught up with your TR after been gone since Thursday. As usual great pictures. It seems that I will be getting a new camera after all. I took some great pictures in Gatlinburg this past weekend, however we lost the camera!

It is too bad about the girl killed in the auto accident. Several kids that we have known have been killed in crashes over the past few years. One was a boy that was on the soccer team that I coached. Too many, too young.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Was this taken before or after your sinister uncle tried to violently take over your father's kingdom and trick you into exile with a couple of wise-cracking insectivores?

Do you know how long it took me to get that? Giant joke-gernade, but funny

More and More gorgeous pics!! LOVING IT!!

Yay for trying something new and enjoying it! I love veggies too so that might be a sandwich I would like!!!!

BLT's lobby and Top of the World Lounge simply look gorgeous! I really hope to stay there someday!! WONDERFUL!

Not a veggie lover so there was no way I was trying that sandwich! I'll take the big beef burger, please.

Yes! Stay at BLT; I'm glad I did even though it wasn't my "thing". I will probably stay there again for the convenience factor.

I just got caught up with your TR after been gone since Thursday. As usual great pictures. It seems that I will be getting a new camera after all. I took some great pictures in Gatlinburg this past weekend, however we lost the camera!

It is too bad about the girl killed in the auto accident. Several kids that we have known have been killed in crashes over the past few years. One was a boy that was on the soccer team that I coached. Too many, too young.

That's funny, I just caught up too, and it's my TR! (in part, anyway) Boo to losing a camera; yea for a new one! We left our DSLR at an SSR bus stop one year after one of those "I thought you had it" moments. DH was very upset to say the absolute least (more like livid). We were fortunate enough to get it back at SSR lost and found the next day, but it was a very stressful evening.

Any idea where/when you lost it?

Forgot to mention: too many young lives lost in senseless tragedy. 10/20 marked the 2 year anniversary of the death of John, the youngest son of a mutual friend of MEK's and mine. See her siggie for a touching song she wrote in tribute to him.

D4D