"Is it more fun to go by yourself?" "Well, I sure think so!" August 2014

[poppinspal]

This book was in between Anna and Elsa:

I just bought the same fabric they used here to make headbands for my niece and I! We were at the fabric store and my niece and I agreed it reminded us of Anna so we got it.

I love all your pictures. My family stayed at Caribbean Beach for my sister's wedding down there and it was just so beautiful, you did a great job capturing it.

Oh and that enclosed slide! My sister and I were in shock at how fast we zipped down it but it was lots of fun.

Can't wait to read more. I also ventured over to read your food reviews which were great!!

 

[amandaw]

Sorry you didn't love 7DMT. It seems like a lot of people feel that way about it. I actually really liked it. But maybe I wasn't expecting much after reading all the negativity online.

That's probably one of the best looking Elsas I've seen in pictures. There's still something about the bodice of her dress that bothers me though.

Sounds like you had the right idea of calling it an early night & sleeping in the next day. Sometimes we just need to rest.

 

[Elevationist]

Hey, you're right, we did have the same Cinderella & Rapunzel team! (I didn't so much notice Rapunzel's bugeyes so many as that her eyebrows are CRAZY.)

You're making me want to stay at CBR more and more!

 

[bellebookworm9]

I just bought the same fabric they used here to make headbands for my niece and I! We were at the fabric store and my niece and I agreed it reminded us of Anna so we got it.

I love all your pictures. My family stayed at Caribbean Beach for my sister's wedding down there and it was just so beautiful, you did a great job capturing it.

Oh and that enclosed slide! My sister and I were in shock at how fast we zipped down it but it was lots of fun.

Can't wait to read more. I also ventured over to read your food reviews which were great!!

I didn't even notice that fabric until you pointed it out! But it is very pretty and will make a beautiful headband. CBR was lovely and the slide was cool, but my absolute favorite slide is still at the Boardwalk!

Sorry you didn't love 7DMT. It seems like a lot of people feel that way about it. I actually really liked it. But maybe I wasn't expecting much after reading all the negativity online.

That's probably one of the best looking Elsas I've seen in pictures. There's still something about the bodice of her dress that bothers me though.

Sounds like you had the right idea of calling it an early night & sleeping in the next day. Sometimes we just need to rest.

Hmmm, interesting you say that a lot of people don't like SDMT. I felt like I was in the minority! I'm trying it again in December with my mom, so we'll see if my opinion changes. I agree about the Elsa dress, there's something just a little "off". I think what really annoys me is her wig.

Hey, you're right, we did have the same Cinderella & Rapunzel team! (I didn't so much notice Rapunzel's bugeyes so many as that her eyebrows are CRAZY.)

You're making me want to stay at CBR more and more!

And I didn't notice the crazy eyebrows! Yes, definitely give CBR a try eventually-AoA is much more fun, in my opinion.

 

[bellebookworm9]

After Arribas Bros., I wandered in to World of Disney. They already had Halloween stuff out in mid-August. What the heck?!

I told my mom she needs to make me an adult-sized version of that dress for our Halloween cruise next year!

Also went to look at the Vera Bradley bags, and it still shocks me that the mini-hipster (which I'm holding) and the cell phone wristlet right next to it are only $5 apart in price.

That was right around 2:30 and I left DTD almost immediately after that. Went back to Casting to get the car and drove over to Typhoon Lagoon, arriving just before 3.

I'm pretty sure I found a chair on the main beach and then made my way back to Keelhaul Falls. The wait was not terrible long. Mayday Falls had a bit of a backup at that point, so I hopped in the lazy river on my way to Shark Reef. A photopass person was near the exit of the river:

In line for Shark Reef, I took a snorkel selfie:

It had been a couple years since I'd last done this, and it wasn't any better than I remembered. The goggles were fogged up, so I couldn't see much of anything. The snorkel doesn't fit correctly in my mouth, so I was still breathing in salt water. At least the wait was short. I think I went back to Mayday Falls and did that. Skipped Humunga Kowabunga (wasn't feeling the potential wedgie) and Gangplank Falls (the line was long and I didn't want to adopt a family). On to Crush 'n' Gusher, where I believe the only slide single riders can go on is Pineapple Plunger. The wait was pretty reasonable here, too.

Did another spin on Castaway Creek:

Probably took a dip in the wave pool again before I headed out, just around 5. I had accomplished everything I wanted to in two hours, and the park was open for another two hours! Got some pics with Lagoona Gator on my way out:

Back at the hotel, I dried off and hung out in my room for a bit. PB decided to meet me for dinner at OPR, so we met up there around 6:45. I had the Baked Chicken with a Jerk Marinade, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and a greenbean/mushroom medley, with pineapple upside down cake for dessert.

After dinner, PB went on his way and I headed over to DHS. They had an Olaf sand sculpture out front:

I decided to do Rock 'n' Roller Coaster via the singles line, and the wait was very short.

In fact, the wait was so short, I rode again! Clearly, none of the people in this car are "rockers", since we are all making the "I Love You" sign, not the "rock n roll" sign.

I had a FP+ for Tower at 8:30, so I headed over there as soon as I was done with RnRC.

And another on ride video for you.

By 8:45 I was back on Hollywood Blvd, waiting for the Frozen Fireworks to begin at 9:15.

I'd heard the view was best farther back, so I staked out a spot by the Crossroads of the World kiosk and waited patiently. Tons of fireworks pics coming up!

 

[heaven2dc]

Love your swimsuit! I'm looking for one for our next trip and saw one with similar colors and design. And I loved watching your video What a great way to include your ride into the video - without giving away secrets, how did you do that? So cool!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Love your swimsuit! I'm looking for one for our next trip and saw one with similar colors and design. And I loved watching your video What a great way to include your ride into the video - without giving away secrets, how did you do that? So cool!

Thanks! I got mine through WomanWithin.com, I think. I didn't make that video; it's a new feature through MemoryMaker. Guests with MagicBands who have an MM entitlement have it automatically show up on their account.

 

[poppinspal]

You know they have to put the Halloween things up mid-August because the Christmas things need to go up before Halloween. Forget Thanksgiving.

No, I haven't bitterly been looking for Thanksgiving things to hang up around my office, not at all.


Can't wait to read more!

 

[bellebookworm9]

You know they have to put the Halloween things up mid-August because the Christmas things need to go up before Halloween. Forget Thanksgiving.

No, I haven't bitterly been looking for Thanksgiving things to hang up around my office, not at all.


Can't wait to read more!

Well, of course, the Halloween parties started less than two weeks after that, so I guess that's valid. Thanksgiving stuff is impossible though, for sure!

 

[bellebookworm9]

I was patiently waiting at the end of Hollywood Boulevard, and the show started promptly at 9:15. I was too far away to take pictures of the stage but I could clearly see the Jumbotron on the corner of Hollywood & Sunset. The show was cute, but really, I was there for the fireworks-my first time seeing any at DHS!

 

[bellebookworm9]

And during the Let It Go finale, there was "snow"!

The fireworks were awesome! I debated sticking around for the later showing of Fantasmic, but decided against it and went back to the hotel to finish packing instead. The tram deposited me back in the Stage lot (I think) and soon I was back at CBR for my last night.

 

[missangelalexis]

Great fireworks pics!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Monday morning I packed up the last few things and said good-bye to CBR. Then it was over to the Boardwalk for breakfast at Kouzzina, which you can read about here.

After breakfast, I drove over to the Grand Floridian, where I encountered the grumpiest security guard EVER. PB had already stopped by to check us in that morning (since we were booked under a CM staying in the room discount) before work. I thought it would be better to be safe than sorry, so I drove up to the guard shack rather than use my MB on the guest side. Explained that I was checking in and I think he scanned my band. He then asked for photo ID. Then he got frustrated when he couldn't find my name. I explained that the reservation wasn't in my name, and I promise you, he said "I need to see ID for the person the reservation is booked under". That has NEVER happened before at any resort, even if it's been booked under PB. I quickly told him that my friend had already been there to check us in and then he let me through. So yes, this was partly my fault for being cautious but there was no reason to be so rude about it!

PB had given the desk my number to text when the room was ready, but I hadn't gotten a message yet, so I took my bags to the bell services desk and then hopped on the monorail to MK. I got in line to meet "Talking" Mickey, waited about half an hour...and he WASN'T TALKING!

So that was a bit of a waste of time. I know I spent some time in the MK art shop, but I don't remember if that was before or after Mickey. I think it was before, but I know it was fantastically air conditioned in there!

Mary Poppins' dress in the shop at the exit:

Move It!, Shake It!, Celebrate It! was starting soon, so I watched that for a couple of minutes from the hub.

Loved this guy!

It looks like I had a FP+ for Big Thunder at 11:15, so that was likely my next stop. I think I was towards the back of the train, and the line was pretty short with my FP. It was so, so, so, so hot and humid that day that I decided to give the Country Bear Jamboree a shot for the first time in 20 years. Literally, the last time I saw it I was 3 years old. It was okay, but at least there was A/C.

The Grand Finale:

Still hot, still humid...where to next?

 

[amandaw]

I really need to try & work in a water park when we go back to WDW in 2016. I think my DS would love it!

The fireworks @ DHS look great!

That guard @ GF needed some more coffee or something!

You said y'all are going on a Halloween cruise next year.....what boat are you going on? I would love to do a Halloween cruise! We've been on 3 Disney cruises so far....they're so much fun!!

 

[bellebookworm9]

I really need to try & work in a water park when we go back to WDW in 2016. I think my DS would love it! The fireworks @ DHS look great! That guard @ GF needed some more coffee or something! You said y'all are going on a Halloween cruise next year.....what boat are you going on? I would love to do a Halloween cruise! We've been on 3 Disney cruises so far....they're so much fun!!

The water parks are great! I'd recommend Typhoon over Blizzard but that's just my opinion.

We are booked on the Magic, but I think I'm going to have to cancel. I've been interviewing for full time externships for next school year and none of them would allow me enough time off to go.

 

[heaven2dc]

What great fireworks pics you got at HS! Love how the Hat is visible with the bright display of fireworks in the background - wonder how diff it's going to look now that they have decided to take it down

That's too bad Talking Mickey wasn't talking Maybe he forgot his mike

Loved the parade pics - that's one of my favorite parade at MK. So colorful!

 

[poppinspal]

That parade is one of my favorites! My niece and I watch it on youtube sometimes.

I feel meh about Country Bears and then I feel bad for not loving it. Like I'm a Disney traitor or something. Every so often I forget what I feel that way and I go to watch it, then I remember why I don't do it when I go.

 

[bellebookworm9]

You said y'all are going on a Halloween cruise next year.....what boat are you going on? I would love to do a Halloween cruise! We've been on 3 Disney cruises so far....they're so much fun!!

We are booked on the Magic, but I think I'm going to have to cancel. I've been interviewing for full time externships for next school year and none of them would allow me enough time off to go.

UPDATE: It's okay that we have to cancel. I got an e-mail a couple of days ago that they have removed the stop at Key West in favor of a second stop at Castaway Cay. I'm sure that's great for some people, but since the whole reason we booked that itinerary was for Key West, I'm not so disappointed now.

What great fireworks pics you got at HS! Love how the Hat is visible with the bright display of fireworks in the background - wonder how diff it's going to look now that they have decided to take it down

That's too bad Talking Mickey wasn't talking Maybe he forgot his mike

Loved the parade pics - that's one of my favorite parade at MK. So colorful!

That parade is one of my favorites! My niece and I watch it on youtube sometimes.

I feel meh about Country Bears and then I feel bad for not loving it. Like I'm a Disney traitor or something. Every so often I forget what I feel that way and I go to watch it, then I remember why I don't do it when I go.

I'll have to get some pics with/of the Hat in December before it disappears, and then we'll see what the status is in March. It'll either be totally gone, or a construction eyesore.

We'll try talking Mickey again next month.

So glad everyone likes MISICI!

Too funny about the Country Bears. PB told me it's pretty popular around the holidays, and it was fairly crowded when I visited, but I'm guessing because it's air conditioned and relatively easy to get into without a long wait. Maybe there's also a nostalgia factor?

 

[bellebookworm9]

After the Country Bears, I decided to hit up another theater attraction: The Hall of Presidents! I hadn't done this one in over four years. I got there about a minute before the next show was starting.

When that let out, it was almost 12:40 and I had a FP for Be Our Guest that began at 1pm. So I wandered in Fantasyland for a while. First up was Sir Mickey's, as someone in the August Facebook group had asked about Anna's coronation dress being in stock.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that dress and so wish it came in an adult size.

Across the way I checked out Castle Couture for the first time, and grabbed a picture of Princess Aurora's dress mid color change.

And nicely asked the CM manning the area where newly transformed princesses get their photos taken if I could sneak in to get a photo of this dress:

Got some pics with the Sword in the Stone:

Then I headed back to New Fantasyland to explore Bonjour Gifts. A whole store dedicated to my favorite movie! I adore this painting, and it's actually my phone case. This is the 1000 piece puzzle version:

Took this pic for my mom, who loves a good nightshirt:

The 1000 piece Castle puzzle, which I own, have started, disassembled, and never put back together.

That painting was only $125. Doing some math, I figured it would be around $75 by December, when PB's holiday discount was good, so I decided not to buy it right then. But when I got home, I found it on Amazon for $80 and ordered it ASAP! So it now graces my living room end table.

Finally it was 1pm and time for Be Our Guest. You can read about my experience there here.

While I was eating, I got the text that our room was finally ready! 8426, in Boca Chica. I think I had requested either Boca Chica or Big Pine Key, and nothing beyond that, though I was hoping for an upper floor pool view. We were booked in an "Outer Building-Garden View" room, but at the GF, that could be a pool view, too.

After lunch, I gave up on Magic Kingdom for this trip and headed for the monorail. Since it was in it's new test phase of automated operation, it had to shut down and re-start at the TTC. That meant there was no air for several minutes, which was brutal. The family I was riding with pointed out that maybe summer wasn't the best time to start this test, and perhaps January would be better?

Once we finally made it to the GF, I stopped at Bell Services to pick up my bags, then walked across the courtyard to Boca Chica. 8426 meant we were on the 4th floor, so that was one unspoken wish granted. Our room was very close to the elevator, which was nice.

Fancy light in the entryway:

To the right was the vanity area:

So many fancy toiletries!

Cute Alice in Wonderland art:

Fancy laundry hamper:

Directly across from the sinks is the water closet, with lots of fluffy towels:

Fairly bland bathtub:

 

[bellebookworm9]

Looking in to the main part of the room:

I think the refurb they did is great, and much classier than the old stuffy, floral decor.

Little Mickey heads on the sheers:

OH YEAH, LOOK AT THIS VIEW!

Probably one of the nicest garden view rooms there. Sigh.

The massive balcony:

And my initials are GF, so I had to take a selfie with the monogram pillow.

After I finished exploring the room, it was time for my daily nap. I woke up shortly before PB came over after work. We hung out, he took a bath and fell asleep in the tub, we watched some TV and whatnot. Taylor Swift had just released "Shake It Off", her new single, that afternoon, which I quickly became hooked on and listened to about 18 times on repeat on my drive to the airport the next day.

I'd wiled away the afternoon, but once night time rolled around, we headed to the Contemporary for dinner at:

Which you can read about here.

We left the restaurant shortly after 10pm. I took a shower and put on one of the complimentary robes. I was very disappointed to discover they are no longer comfy terry cloth, but a scratchy, stiff material instead.

Two things of note about the Grand: The room was definitely large, but I really think our room at Paradise Pier at Disneyland was bigger! The internet says that's not true, but I don't know...

Second, the sound proofing was AWFUL. We had a connecting door, and at 3am, PB woke me up with his snoring. I could hear the neighbors LOUD and CLEAR, sneezing, the phone ringing, etc. At three in the morning. Not my best night's sleep. So, bring ear plugs if you're not the absolute heaviest of sleepers.

One more post to go friends, and then we'll wrap it up!