Lots of Completed Trip Reports....Nov 2009 - April 2014

[deejdigsdis]

Will this work?

I believe that will do just fine!

OK, off to work on the next update.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I hope you are able to get pictures of the queue too. All the excitement of ST2 opening is taking me back to when Star Tours opened in the 80s. I remember going through the turnstiles and all sorts of people taking off running. It had rained that morning so the ground was slippery. People were DROPPING their children as they were running/falling. Then other people would jump over the people who had fallen and continue running. We went in the summer of 1987, so it had already been open for around 6 months, I think. It will be interesting to hear how long the line is during those first weeks.

TY Deej. Hopefully I'll get some good pics. I remember when ST first opened back in 87. Those were crazy times back in the old days when those lines were hours wait. I believed I was 6 years old during that time and when I ST, it was amazing back then. I a not surprised that people back then would run over there, but I am surprised that they would run even on a rainy day. I bet the lines will be at least 1+ hour wait time in the afternoon or longer. I'm looking at WDW ST2 on WDW Lines AP which is debuting today and as of this time I am writing my post, the wait time is at 45 minute wait time. That is kind of surprising to me.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Moving on to our 3rd and final day...

I knew we would make rope drop. It was our last day, after all. The big question was whether or not we'd take a mid-day break. I've already talked about my angst regarding breaks. I don't like missing out on park time, but I also don't want to be sleepwalking those last few hours due to pure exhaustion, either. I decided we'd play it by ear. D would for sure do open to close, meaning 9am - midnight, and I would just see how Buddy was handling the day. If he got super tired, I would (reluctantly) go back to the hotel and take a nap with him so he could enjoy his last hours in the park.

Our last "waiting for rope drop" this trip.

I decided today would be a stroller day as well. I just wanted Buddy to handle the day as well as possible.

Not long now!

The plan was to head straight to Peter Pan. Buddy and I had already ridden late at night on Day 1, but D hadn't gotten the chance to ride yet this trip. We ended up with a 10 minute wait.

View of the flowers from the Peter Pan queue.

D got to see the Hidden Mickey in one of the windows in Big Ben this time. It's a side silhouette. When we got off Peter Pan I asked Buddy if he'd like to ride Dumbo again. He said no! D and I were pretty sad about that. I know I was trying to let him lead the way for much of the time, but now I wish we would have ridden Dumbo again. That was the last time I'd be there with a 5 year old and now that he's developed a taste for "the faster stuff" I don't think he'll ever be rushing to get back to Dumbo.

Instead of riding Dumbo, we walked onto Mr. Toad.

D and Buddy rode together behind me so I could get their picture when they came out of the last scene.

Another EXIT sign! I do believe we have reached a grand total of 3 now!

This sign looks like it could use a little cleaning.

Here's a first... I finally remembered to take a picture of one of my kids with the Sword in the Stone. Finally!

We walked onto Snow White and then headed over to IASW at D's request. Thankfully Buddy still likes this one a lot. This was a walk on this morning. We had the boat to ourselves.

I always have to get a picture of the moose.

When we rode IASW on Day 1 we had gone through almost the entire ride before I realized I had forgotten to take off my sunglasses. I had wondered why it was so dark in there! That happened during several dark rides -- I would realize toward the end that I had forgotten to take off my sunglasses. Well, this time I remembered at the beginning. I just had to take a picture to document this particular memory from this particular trip.

After IASW I headed over to Space Mountain to grab FPs and then met D and Buddy at the Matterhorn.

Buddy showing that he is more than tall enough to ride what he called "the mini orange monorails." So cute.

Side note about his Pirates shirt. I had bought that shirt for him at home and buried it in our suitcase so he wouldn't see it. Then on our final morning I pulled it out of the suitcase and held it up to me and very puzzlingly said, "Well this isn't going to fit me! Hmmmmm.... I wonder what I should do with it? That's too bad it's too small for me... I wonder what I should do?" Buddy looked at me like he had the BEST idea in the world. "It might fit me Mom! I can wear it! Did you really wish for that shirt to fit you?"

After the Matterhorn we decided to go over to the Tiki Room. We had just missed going in, so we enjoyed pineapple spears outside while we waited for the next show. This was a good thing. I really enjoy moments of just sitting and people watching and soaking it all in.

(Sherry, I quickly scanned all the spears and this was the biggest one I could get my hands on. Bigger than the last one I had, that's for sure.)

 

[kaoden39]

I wish my gardens looked as good as the ones in Disneyland.


That pineapple spears is beautiful. I know that is an odd way to describe food but oh wow. I want one now.

 

[Sherry E]

That's what I'd be doing too - scanning for the largest pineapple spear!! I want to get the most pineapple for my buck(s)!

Yep, it doesn't surprise me at all that the spears have gotten smaller. It disappoints me because I love them so, but given the way things seem to mysteriously get smaller in portion size or in package size (like at the grocery store) while the price stays the same or gets higher, it is a sign of the times that the pineapple at DLR would shrink too.

I realize that I neglected to get a spear on my whole trip last December. I had planned to get one the entire time - it was on my "list" of things to eat/buy, right under the peppermint cone of death - but it was never the right time for a spear, for some reason. I don't always eat them in the daytime, either. I will eat them at night too! The last time I had those spears (in 2009), they were still large (I got them from the cart on Main Street), and after long days at DLR in both October and December of that year, I was apparently much more dehydrated than I thought. Those pineapple spears hit the spot and served as a tasty snack as well as a thirst quencher. I even took some home with me in 2009.

Gee, that exit sign at Mr. Toad has seen better days, hasn't it? What's all that gunk on it? Soda? Coffee? See, that's a detail that I would expect Disney to catch and take care of (clean), even though it might seem insignificant to most people who are NOT uber Disney fans like we are. At Six Flags, I would expect to see a yucky stained sign. But not at Disneyland!

 

[tksbaskets]

Too cute about the t shirt! Who knew DL had big pineapple spears? YUMMO

I can't believe its the last day..... Looking forward to hearing if you made it the whole day!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Those pineapple spears look so big and a very nice picture of it.

A good start on your day with all the rides that you have done. Nice to see Mr. Toads Wild Ride Exit Sign as one of your signs.

Can't wait to read the rest of your TR.

 

[deejdigsdis]

TY Deej. Hopefully I'll get some good pics. I remember when ST first opened back in 87. Those were crazy times back in the old days when those lines were hours wait. I believed I was 6 years old during that time and when I ST, it was amazing back then. I a not surprised that people back then would run over there, but I am surprised that they would run even on a rainy day. I bet the lines will be at least 1+ hour wait time in the afternoon or longer. I'm looking at WDW ST2 on WDW Lines AP which is debuting today and as of this time I am writing my post, the wait time is at 45 minute wait time. That is kind of surprising to me.

My last 3 trips to DL have included my sister D. We always bring up how short the lines are these days compared to back in the 1980s. We always went in the summer growing up, so it was very busy. And pre-Fast Pass as well. It was a regular thing to stand in line for POTC for an hour. I can't imagine doing that now. But yes, for a new ride like ST2 those very long waits are to be expected.

I wish my gardens looked as good as the ones in Disneyland.


That pineapple spears is beautiful. I know that is an odd way to describe food but oh wow. I want one now.

I have a hard time growing anything, so I really really enjoy feasting my eyes upon the Disneyland gardens.

I could go for a pineapple spear about now. MMMM.

That's what I'd be doing too - scanning for the largest pineapple spear!! I want to get the most pineapple for my buck(s)!

Yep, it doesn't surprise me at all that the spears have gotten smaller. It disappoints me because I love them so, but given the way things seem to mysteriously get smaller in portion size or in package size (like at the grcoery store) while the price stays the same or gets higher, it is a sign of the times that the pineapple at DLR would shrink too.

I realize that I neglected to get a spear on my whole trip last December. I had planned to get one the entire time - it was on my "list" of things to eat/buy, right under the peppermint cone of death - but it was never the right time for a spear, for some reason. I don't always eat them in the daytime, either. I will eat them at night too! The last time I had those spears (in 2009), they were still large (I got them from the cart on Main Street), and after long days at DLR in both October and December of that year, I was apparently much more dehydrated than I thought. Those pineapple spears hit the spot and served as a tasty snack as well as a thirst quencher. I even took some home with me in 2009.

Gee, that exit sign at Mr. Toad has seen better days, hasn't it? What's all that gunk on it? Soda? Coffee? See, that's a detail that I would expect Disney to catch and take care of (clean), even though it might seem insignificant to most people who are NOT uber Disney fans like we are. At Six Flags, I would expect to see a yucky stained sign. But not at Disneyland!

Your lack of pineapple spears kind of sounds like my lack of getting an ice cream cone for several trips. The intentions were there but the time was never right for some reason.

Yeah, the Mr. Toad sign needs a little TLC. I don't know if I even noticed it while I was there, or if I noticed it in the picture later. I noticed that the EXIT sign I took a pic of in ABL at the buggies ride was a little dirty as well. It looked a bit more fitting there, though. The sign was a leaf, so it kind of looked like a ladybug had visited the leaf and left a little something behind.

Too cute about the t shirt! Who knew DL had big pineapple spears? YUMMO

I can't believe its the last day..... Looking forward to hearing if you made it the whole day!

TK you really need to get one of those pineapple spears someday. I had some fresh pineapple today but it didn't taste fresh at all. The memory of the pineapple spear from DL is still fresh in my mind. (OK, I think I've used the word "fresh" enough times in one paragraph!)

Those pineapple spears look so big and a very nice picture of it.

A good start on your day with all the rides that you have done. Nice to see Mr. Toads Wild Ride Exit Sign as one of your signs.

Can't wait to read the rest of your TR.

Thanks Bret. I will get started on a new update now.

 

[Sherry E]

That happens to me a lot - I fully intend to get something, whether it's a snack or a merchandise item I want to buy - and the timing is just never right. I had a bunch of things on my To-Do list and they never got crossed off. For some reason I can spend day trips at DLR and get a pineapple spear both times, but I can spend 4 consecutive days at DLR and not get a single spear the entire time!

I wonder if the pineapple spears are sold at WDW? I guess they must be. They can't be exclusive to DLR, can they? WDW must sell them somewhere in that whole huge resort. Then again, I think TK was saying a while back that she didn't see any of the gingerbread cookies with mouse ears at WDW when she looked, so who knows? Maybe I just assume that certain snacks are at both resorts but they really aren't.

 

[kaoden39]

Sherry, I have been told that popcorn is the big seller there. I don't understand that at all.

 

[Sherry E]

Oh, I almost forgot to comment - I totally remember the days when the POTC line was enormous and slow, back in the '80s and early '90s. These days the line can get hideously long on a super busy day, but it moves fast. Most of the lines move at a pretty decent clip now - even the TSMM line when it's 30 or 45 minutes long. This was not the case at all back in the old days - all of the lines back then were horribly long, and they moved at a snail's pace. You could be standing out in the hot sun for ages, waiting to get on POTC. The original Star Tours line was CRRRRRRAAAAZZZZY! The only thing that was ever a walk-on was the People Mover, really.

Disneyland has made gigantic strides in managing lines and moving them along faster as the number of visitors climbs, and loading more people on and off each hour. Just imagine the nightmare it would be now if all of the lines were still just as long and slow as they were back then.

 

[deejdigsdis]

After the Tiki Room we went back to Main Street. I remembered that Buddy had wanted to ride the Omnibus on Day 1 and we still hadn't done it. At first we didn't see it, but then it came into view. Whew! Unfortunately we didn't get to ride on the top, which was the whole appeal of the double-decker bus for Buddy.

Views from the Omnibus ride down Main Street:

This was a fun moment! The bus driver (who was excellent!) had everyone on the bus yell "Goofy!" and then Goofy put his ear up like that.

We got off the bus by the castle and hopped back in line so we could ride on top of the bus.

Love this tree!

This was another fun moment. We were riding along and I saw this CM manning her ice cream treat post. She wasn't just standing there looking bored. She was dancing and bee-bopping to the music of Main Street. I loved it. It was so fun to see. She wasn't dancing all crazy-like, but you could tell that she was enjoying herself. She brought a little magic to our day. I lifted my camera to take a picture of her. She noticed and waved to us. It was just a fun, memorable moment!

Making our way back to the train station.

Before we got off the bus, we noticed some characters making their way to Town Square. It was a little odd to see Pooh and Friends in this area of the park!

All those characters...and still Buddy wasn't interested in standing in line for a picture. So sad.

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, I have been told that popcorn is the big seller there. I don't understand that at all.

That is odd. Then again I'm not a big popcorn eater anyway so, naturally, I would not understand that. But that is an unexpected thing to have as the leading snack.

 

[tksbaskets]

I've never seen pineapple spears at WDW. Popcorn is available everywhere. I have the cute popcorn containters to show it. Perhaps my family never looks for fresh fruit....

Now those gingerbread cookies I looked for at WDW this past December - NO where in sight.

 

[tksbaskets]

What a treat! I post my reply about fruit and am rewarded by another trip update

LOVE your pictures from the top of the omnibus. That's a perspective you don't get all the time. Did you enhance the sky to look extra blue?

It is a bit sad that Buddy didn't want pictures with the characters. He's too busy riding the manly rides now!

 

[Sherry E]

I don't think I have gone on the Omnibus since I was a kid! That's one I will have to do again for old time's sake.

It's odd to see Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore hangin' with Pluto and whichever chipmunk that is (can't tell if it's Chip or Dale from the back). I guess they must have all emerged from a mysterious character break room somewhere and decided to hit the streets together.

That CM with boogie fever is so cute! How fun. But, hey, might as well dance if you are waiting for customers - perhaps it will attract some business!





TK - That must mean that either the gingerbread men with mouse ears were so extremely popular that they were sold out all over WDW or they don't sell them there - which seems impossible to me, but I'm sure you would have seen one somewhere if they did. You would have seen someone eating a cookie or holding it or something. There would have been some evidence of gingerbread men with mouse ears. That is just crazy business! That is bizarre if they don't have them there - it almost makes me want to trek to WDW for the holidays just to search for a cookie!

 

[tksbaskets]

TK - That must mean that either the gingerbread men with mouse ears were so extremely popular that they were sold out all over WDW or they don't sell them there - which seems impossible to me, but I'm sure you would have seen one somewhere if they did. You would have seen someone eating a cookie or holding it or something. There would have been some evidence of gingerbread men with mouse ears. That is just crazy business! That is bizarre if they don't have them there - it almost makes me want to trek to WDW for the holidays just to search for a cookie!

Ask my family, I was on the look out for any GBC sightings...not even a crumb to be had...inquired in every bakery...If I had seen one in any stage of consumption I would have found out where it was purchased.

NO hand made candy canes at WDW either...

I can see it now...Sherry's 2012 'Quest for the Cookie' at WDW~ I'm in for following the trip report!

 

[Sherry E]

Ask my family, I was on the look out for any GBC sightings...not even a crumb to be had...inquired in every bakery...If I had seen one in any stage of consumption I would have found out where it was purchased.

NO hand made candy canes at WDW either...

I can see it now...Sherry's 2012 'Quest for the Cookie' at WDW~ I'm in for following the trip report!

You know I'll make a quest out of anything, so why not cookies?

Even if the bakery folks didn't sell the cookies (I know they're sold in some of the candy stores in DLR), I'm sure the CM's in the bakeries would have known about the cookies and guided you on where to find them...so it is sounding more and more like they just don't sell them at WDW!

And no fresh, handmade candy canes either! Wow! Gee, as much as everyone says that WDW is so much better than DLR because it has so much more 'stuff,' I'm thinking that, even though DLR is not as big and doesn't have as much stuff, some of the things we DO have at DLR are pretty special and unique!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Great pictures from the Omnibus. It is always fun to go on top of the bus everytime I ride it and see everything from the top.

 

[smile4stamps]

How in the world did I miss that you had posted an update?!? Love the pics from the Omnibus. I haven't taken a ride on ANY of the main street vehicles. I guess another thing to do in June!!

I also love the site of those Pinapple spears. They look so delicious! The only problem is I sometimes have a bad reaction to pineapple even though I love it! Sometimes it makes my mouth all raw and sore

I can't believe its your last day. I think you need to plan another trip soon so the TR keeps going!