I just finished bottling our homebrewed American IPA, and what better way to cap it off than with a Disboards Trip Report update? Ok, I can probably think of many better ways to cap it off, but here we are anyway. So try to enjoy it, ok? Thanks.
We left our heroes standing at the gates to Toontown, with the educated few who know that this is the only way to see the Fairies and/or Princesses in this park without waiting forever. Dylan and I skipped this last year and rode the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, with me channeling Johnny Brennan by yelling "Cut 'er down, Mike! Watch his legs!" as Dylan flew around the track with reckless abandon. This year, we're providing moral support for the girls, and we'll soon find out that this gig is not for the squeamish.
You can see the park guests jockeying for position already. Everyone wants to be the first ones in, since it could mean the difference between waiting 5 minutes and waiting 7 minutes to meet Tinkerbell. This is huge, folks. A family arrives mere minutes before the rope drop, and we're quick to pull our blocks to the left to keep them away from the quarterback. A woman walks through the crowd to meet her family, stepping on the foot of another woman behind us. No apologies, no acknowledgement...you know, there's one thing about being crowd-aggressive, lapping the slowpokes, and getting where you need to go in the most efficient way possible, but if it comes at the expense of common courtesy, it's just not worth it. Call me old fashioned, I guess.
The rope finally falls and in we go. The foot stepper cuts me off and gets a stroller to the ankle. No apologies here, but not because I refuse to offer any; she actually never looked back at me. We get our revenge again as Kristin accidentally goes the wrong way to the stroller parking, and we get in near the front anyway. Game, point, match! Wait that extra minute, jerk!
We're actually about 5th or 6th in line for the Fairies, but we're (somewhat) reasonable and (vaguely) patient, so it's no big deal. Our turn comes, and we are shrunk to the size of Fairies and led into Pixie Hollow. This area is pretty cool looking, as far as preschool girly stuff goes. Our first Fairy meet is with the one who wears orange, whose name I admittedly don't know and am too lazy at this juncture to look up. She was really cool, though, and interacted very well with both kids.
If a Fairy can make Dylan smile, it's a victory. Up next was Tink herself. I have a friend who dislikes Disney mostly because Tink was nasty in the book, trying to murder Wendy, and now "frolics with her Fairy friends". I told her that everyone deserves a second chance, and that Tink actually was pretty rough in the original Peter Pan movie as well. She should know better than to knock Disney around me! We got some great pics with the 'Bell.
That picture of Emily was selected from a collection of about 75 that Kristin trimmed, rotated, and added borders to via the Photo Pass web app. Weeding through these pictures is my #1 obstacle to getting more TR updates out, folks. They do make for great pictures, though, so I shouldn't complain too much.
Up next, it's over to the male Fairy. Sorry, I don't HIS name, either. I saw the first Tinkerbell movie (once), but never the second. I know, I know...and I call myself a Disney fan. I call the male cow "Male Clarabell", too, so what do you expect from me? Great pictures again. Apparently, digging's his thing.
Though he will pause to sign an autograph for the ladies, if need be.
After all of this Fairy business, Kristin and the kids get in line for the Princesses, while I am tasked with the important mission of obtaining Space Mountain Fast Passes. I walk down the "secret walkway" to Tomorrowland, and actually pass no one. It's amazing that more people don't know about or take advantage of this. A CM on the passing train waves to me...man, I love Disney World. At Universal, they would've thrown trash at me. I grab an artiste shot of SM before getting the FPs:
It looks overcast in this shot, though it really wasn't. Actually, it was really muggy that day, and was on of the first day it cracked the nineties on this trip. Being a northerner who can't stand cold, it was a welcome change...for now. More on that later. I get the FPs and contemplate riding Buzz solo, but think better of the idea and head back to Toontown instead. I try to take a picture of the People Mover on the way, with debatable results.
I meet up with the family in TT, and we decide to milk this area one last time for this trip, and possibly forever. More in the next post!
Either way, awesome way to start the reception!
