Trip Report Magic Everywhere – When Dreams come true (25.03. – 31.03.13) *Complete*

[ThBa]

Magic Everywhere – When Dreams come true (Trip report 25.03. – 31.03.13)

Part 1:

Before I start with my trip report I have to tell you a very special and not so funny pre trip report. You have to read this to understand some of my highlights of my following trip report.

It was a Sunday 5 or 6 month ago. My wife was at work so I was alone at home with my two daughters.

All of a sudden a terrible pain hit me. It was so heavy that I could not do anything. I could not stand or sit or do anything. I crawled on the floor and the pain became heavier and heavier. My two daughters stood beside me crying and I thought to myself: “OK…that’s it”.

My oldest daughter ran to our neighbors and they immediately called the ambulance. They rushed me to the hospital.

I was operated two times within the next two weeks.

One of the last things I remember was my youngest daughter standing beside my bed crying, holding my hand and saying: “Dad…we are going to Disneyland….we will see Dreams….you will make it.”

Everything is ok right now and my health is better.

I have a lot of time during my stay in hospital to think about all those things that seems so important and how fast life could chance.

I was and I am still fascinated about the life and work of Walt Disney. His dreams and his visions.

Walt once said: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”.

Staying in hospital my dream was to see “Dreams” and to do one special thing:

I am afraid of rollercoasters. As a child I suffered on heavy motion sickness and I became panic at each ride which is very fast. I never did a rollercoaster again since more than 30 years.

Lying in hospital I swore to myself to ride Big Thunder Mountain if I ever get out.

On March 26 I stood before Big Thunder Mountain with a fastpass in my hand and absolute panic. I was so afraid for the ride but I was in line already.

Again my daughter was holding my hand and she asked me: “Dad…are you afraid?”

I said: “Yes…very much. I´am scared so much.”

She said: “Hold on tight Dad. I´m with you all the time. You will make this also.”

And I had the time of my life. It was so much fun and I really enjoyed it. I was screaming and laughing and the moment I stepped out of the wagon I was thinking to myself “Yes….I´m alive!! My dreams come true.”

Here I am after that ride with the fastpass in my hand.



This fastpass is now hanging at my office to remember me at one thing: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”.

Part 2 will follow soon....

 

[mamatutu]

Part 1 and i have tears in my eyes already so glad you are feeling better its amazing what faith trust and pixie dust can do. X

 

[netimka]

Part 1 and i have tears in my eyes already so glad you are feeling better its amazing what faith trust and pixie dust can do. X

I'm the same... really amazing story all best to you...

 

[K11C12]

Completely agree with the above post! Really looking forward to reading the rest!

 

[HappyPanda]

What a nice opening post - so glad you recovered well and that you faced your fear and went on BTM!

Really looking forward to hearing more.

 

[cinderslg]

great start, glad your ok I can feel a great tr coming

 

[DLPdaft]

Awww - I love your daughter!

 

[nycdisneygal]

Wow what a start... Glad you were able to do the trip with YOUR FAMILY and are ok... Cant wait to read more!

 

[ThBa]

Day 1

We left home very early on Monday with the Thalys. It´s a great way to travel for us and I like the 4 hours to Paris very much. We all played games like cards together and it´s a very smooth way to get us to Gare du Nord. The price for the Thalys is very good too. I´ve paid 29,- for an adult and only 15,- for a child.

Ezyshuttle was waiting already at Gare du Nord and a very friendly driving get us to the horrible traffic of Paris. I often think to myself that if this traffic would be in Germany, the roads would be empty. They would all be in jail for driving like this! But it´s fascinated to watch this if you don´t have to drive through it.

We arrived at the SQL after a 50 minute drive and the check-in was smooth as always. I´ve added two more persons to my booking and this was no problem at all. I´ve paid 13,60 € for these two persons (6,60 pro person for a 6 night stay) which is unbelievable. They both get an easy pass too and the Cast Member gave us without asking the VIP breakfast option.

The VIP option will be one of the highlights of our hole stay and it´s definitely a must have and worth to ask for it for. I will tell you late more about it.

Due to our very early arrival our room was not available yet, so we left our luggage at the hotel and walked to the park.

The first difference for me was the security check before the village. It was a great advantage to be checked there and not at the train stations entrance gates, because the line at the village check in was never very long during our whole stay. You could easily walk through it at any time. Another great plus.

It was such a good feeling to walk through the village and to enter the park. I´ve waited so long for that moment. Entering the gate, going to Main Street and see the Castle in the sun. It was a perfect moment and all my pain and fears from the last month were gone. It was unbelievable to stand there with my family.

We were all tired a little bit so we did not any rides at that time. We stopped at the shops for a first visit and walked through the Arcades which are one of my personal favorite points in the whole park. I really like the atmosphere there and we often go to the Arcades to get a rest.

Our room was available at 3.p.m. so we walked back to the SQL. This time I booked a room at one of the lodges and they gave me room #183 inside the Yellowstone Lodge. I was happy about that, because I wanted a room at the nearest lodge.

As I mentioned before the room was nice and very clean but somehow I did not prefer a room in a lodge. The way to the main building was less than 5 walking minutes but I did not like the feeling to leave the lodge to go inside the hotel.

Last year we stayed inside the main building at it was great to just leave your room for a short walk to the shop or bar. The kids could go to the shop inside the hotel alone and it was easier for us.

The lodges are great and clean but the next time I would prefer a Montana room again.

We walked back to the park after unpacking our suitcases and did the first rides in Fantasyland. The moment we walked through the castle we all feel like coming home and the Disney feeling began at once. It was good to be back!

We all became tired very early this day so we went back to the village before the park closed. We stopped at McDonalds for a quick way to eat and it was as horrible as ever. The crowds and lines were the same as last year and I think I was waiting way too long for some Hamburger.

The first night was not so good because I cannot sleep the first night in any hotel but we were all in a good mood and our first full day was waiting for us.

Day 2 soon....

 

[cinderslg]

Looking forward to day 2

 

[Disneyfanswicklow]

Enjoying reading your report and seeing your nice photos! Looking forward to the next installment! Good to hear you are feeling better after your illness.

 

[ThBa]

Quite a long time since my last report but here are the next days of our great trip:

Day 2  5

The second day was our first full day at the parks.

We wake up without a hurry, because we received a VIP breakfast option. After a short walk from our lodge to the main building I rushed into a very long waiting line and first I thought that the waiting line for Crush´n´Coaster will be very long this year but they all were waiting for the breakfast and I guess they had to wait 40 Minutes for letting them in.

It was a nightmare but with the VIP option we were allowed to pass the complete line and walk straight to the breakfast menu. I received surprised and some angry looks but it was one of the highlights to have this VIP option. It saves us so many time and its definitely a must have.

After the breakfast we walked to the parks.

We stopped at the Hotel New York for a first impression, because we never stayed there and we all wanted to know who it looks inside. Just at this moment Goofy and Pluto were in the lobby and we all get some good character interactions with them. We often make a stop in the morning there and all the time some characters were in the not very crowd lobby.

The first day was my big day as it was my Dad will ride Big Thunder Mountain Day and I was scared so much for that moment as I wrote before. But as you all know it was one of the greatest moment in my life and very emotional. And of course so much fun!!!

I expected that the parks will be very full due to the Easter seasons but it was more than ok during the weekdays. The waiting lines were not more than 40 minutes but we always used the Fastpass system.

The time went too fast and we all get prepared for seeing Dreams the first time. It was such an emotional day for me that only Dreams could top this.

Some of you said that one of the best spots to watch this show will be at the entrance of Frontierland and this was a brilliant tip. We always watched Dreams from there and we always get a very good view and fewer crowds.

What should I say about Dreams? It was the perfect ending for a perfect day. It is brilliant, awesome and very emotional. My wife, my two daughters and I were standing there and we all cried. It was such a moment which you will never forget in your life. After all the difficulties in the past I finally was standing there and watched it. Unbelievable!!

Everything was perfect and I really like the new sequences. A very touching moment was when the new Merida sequence was showing. I am Merida and Julie Fowlis singing I can fly&.I was crying.

Brave is one of my favorite movie and Merida a great character so it was good that they gave her a own sequence. I will have another experience with Merida later!

After Dreams we walked back to the village because we had tickets for the Bufallo Bill Show. As always I´ve paid 30, - ¬ for the Billet Malin (now the late show costs 35,-) and the show is worth the money. We all were shouting and screaming and the food was ok and tasty.

The next days we did our usual rides. We never have to wait too long and at the main attractions we worked with the Fastpass system.

Pirates, Buzz Lightyear, Fantaysland, the shows at the Studios, the shops, the parades&it was so much fun and time goes by too fast.

In the night of our 4th day our little daughter got sick and vomits. It was a very short night but at the next morning she was tired but all right again. We were very glad and this day was a day with a lot of pauses and not so much rides for her.

The only lows I have to say was that we saw not so much characters as at our last visits. The princess pavilion was way too full (waiting time over 75 minutes) for only one princess. and if a character appears it was chaotic and the crowds went nuts.

Even at the show inside the Disneyland Hotel lobby were the same characters again and again.

I really missed the Meet & Greet options from last year and the little shows like the Peter Pan show in Frontierland.



More to come soon...

 

[Disneyfanswicklow]

Aw worth waiting for....fab report and such lovely photos X

 

[ThBa]

Our last Day inside the parks came too fast. The crowds were getting heavier due to the weekend and we planned to do all the main rides the days before. We did the usual rides and the waiting times were ok and once again a big “YES” for the Fastpass system.

It became very emotional at towards the end of the day and seeing “Dreams” the last time was very touching and moving.

We all like “Merida” very much and I was always looking for this awesome statue which is offered in the shops. My wife said that we did not need another item like this but I said that this is limited to 2.500 worldwide and I know that she loved it too.

So finally at our last day we bought this statue.

The fun started! I knew that the statue is big but the box for the statue was not huge it was gigantic!

Look at the size. Its my daughter beside and inside the box:



The problem was that we were traveling by train and that we promised our daughters to do some sightseeing in Paris at our last day while waiting for the train.

I had the idea to leave the box with our luggage at the lockers in Gare du Nord. But due to some safety reasons all the lockers were closed at this day. Panic!

We all discussed what to do and my daughter was very sad not to see Notre Dame but she said that is was ok and that the statue will be better than seeing an “old church”. But she is learning French in school and was looking forward to this day too so we decided to do the impossible.

We took the Metro and I stepped outside Notre Dame. With 2 suitcases and one gigantic Disney Pixar Brave Box to carry with me.

It was the Easter weekend and you all can image that there were not a few people. Everyone was looking at me with my box and first I feel a little bit like a clown waiting for the police to arrest me.

On the other hand my daughter was very glad to see finally Notre Dame…the home of the hunchback. We managed to buy some souvenirs and do a lot of photos and headed back to Gare du Nord…everything with this box….and 2 suitcases.

It was an adventure. My arms were getting longer and longer but I have to say it was funny.

If someone from Disney or Pixar would ever read this: This is truly fandom!

The Thalys took us then very smooth back home and the first thing we all did was unpack our Merida statue which is standing in our living room ever since.

It was a fantastic and very emotional trip this time.

I did my first rollercoaster ride since 30 years; we saw “Dreams” and my “Dreams” come to reality. The Cast Member interaction was brilliant and its fantastic to see how much fun they have and how much they identify themselves with Disney.

I saw Paris with a gigantic Merida box and we all have to smile each time we look at this statue.

I can say that our trip there was once again ……….. Magic everywhere!



Thorsten