Meeko at Walt Disney World 2006 with Pictures *Completed- 10/10*

[serendipity]

ohhh I love that picture of the fairy godmother. I've never seen her out! It's like they try to keep her as elusive as positive so that they sucker you into eating at CRT!

 

[meeko_33785]

ohhh I love that picture of the fairy godmother. I've never seen her out! It's like they try to keep her as elusive as positive so that they sucker you into eating at CRT!

Thanks. I was really surprised to see her out, especially at EPCOT.

 

[meeko_33785]

Part Seven- Day Two (Continued)

Before heading out to Downtown Disney, I talk a walk around the Coronado and get some pictures. Purposely, I walk through the Rancheros and through the Casitas to see if I can find the Three Caballeros topiary that I saw there a few years back. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. Don’t know if it was permanently removed or getting worked on, but it was defiantly gone. Kind of disappointing. After that, I head inside and then make my way to the bus stop to the Marketplace.

It’s been a while since I’d been to Downtown Disney. Admittedly, I’m just not into shopping at Disney anymore. Still, I thought that as long as I was there, I’d at least look around some of the shops. I briefly look through the book store, the Art of Disney, and Disney Tails before heading on to World of Disney. Of course, the new Pirate room was one of the most popular spots in the place. With an animatronic singing pirates at the center of the room, a giant spitting Pirate Stitch over the entrance and tons and tons of Johnny Depp merchandise, it was quite a setup. I meander the store and eventually get to the new Princess room and get a peek at the much talked about Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Now, I’m not sure how many people will agree with me, but with the opening of this, I think the Princess line has hit a new low. Now, I’m a fan of the Princesses. I like them as individual characters- Belle who loves to read and will sacrifice her own dreams to rescue her father… Cinderella who is strong willed, kind, and stands up to her Stepmother and says that she has every right to go to the ball. These are the Princesses that I think are interesting characters. The Princesses that I saw being peddled at the Princess Room and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique though were all about dresses, tea parties, and little girls getting their hair, nails and makeup done. It’s disappointing to me, but I guess this is the direction Disney is taking them. Too bad. Feel free to disagree, but that’s just my opinion. I head back to the main area and the opening number from "Beauty and the Beast" is playing on the big screen. Now that’s Belle. I leave World of Disney and it’s off to Pleasure Island.

Again, I showed up slightly before the ADR time, but was seated right away. The place looked great and everything was wonderful. Service was top-notch and the food was delicious. I had their version of Shepherd’s Pie. It was defiantly a contemporary looking presentation and undeniably delicious. Later in the evening, the band comes out and starts doing a few numbers. The even have a step dancer who they said had worked with Michael Flatley of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance fame who was wonderful. All in all, a very cool spot. The menu even posted how the main chef for the Raglan Road restaurants had cooked for Queen Elizabeth II… and Bono!

Before heading back to the Coronado, I take a look around the rest of Pleasure Island. There are some stilt walks bouncing around who I think about taking pictures of, but I end up deciding not to. They're bouncing all over the place and it's dark- it wouldn't have come out good (for some reason, I was really picky about pictures this year ). Pleasure Island has defiantly changed since last time I was there. They’re tearing down building and there’s construction all over the place. Not to mention the larger than life Jessica Rabbit is gone. It is starting to feel less 80s though, so I chalk it up as an improvement. Wonder what it will look like when everything’s done. I head back to the resort to get some sleep and prepare for my last day in the parks. Disney-MGM Studios, here I come!

 

[tinkerbell87512]

sounds like a wonderful trip! cant wait to read more!

 

[meeko_33785]

Part Eight- Day Three

Stitch calls again. “No Sleeping!” Stitch is starting to get a little annoying. Still, I’m eager to get up because this is my day to go to Disney-MGM Studios. Before heading out, I grab the next few things to find for my photo scavenger hunt- “Holiday Decorations” and “Princess”. I knew exactly where to look for holiday decorations, but wasn’t sure about a princess. I had a few options though. After a quick breakfast from the bakery it’s off to the bus stop and to MGM right as its about to open. For the opening ceremony, they had it set up like they were filming a crowd scene with everyone on Hollywood and Sunset as extras. I hadn’t seen this before, but it was a great touch.

First stop is the Tower of Terror- my favorite attraction in all of Walt Disney World. The line moves quickly and, needless to say, the ride is awesome! After the ride, I decide to see how the wait looks at Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster. Now, in the past, I’d never been a roller coaster person, and this ride was always on my “Must Skip” list, especially since this one has inversions. Lately though, I’ve begun to get more into coasters and inversions are no problem for me anymore. It’s time to give it a try. After a 10-20 minute or so wait, I get on the ride. It turns out to be pretty cool. I liked the theming in the load and unload stations and all the backlight effects on the ride. It was fun, and now the list of attractions that I haven’t done is that much smaller. Next, it was time to look for some characters! Since the characters that I was most interested in finding were all appearing at MGM, I figured I’d get an early start and meet them before the crowds get bad or it rains (not that either has actually happened anywhere during the trip, but you never know).

First stop is the area in front of the Hat. This is where I had heard Clarice was appearing, and indeed she was with Chip and Dale by her side. When I get up to the front of the line I tell Chip and Dale that I already have their autographs, but ask Clarice for hers. I think that I might have offended them since they wandered off until she had finished her autograph. They come back and start pointing to their eyes and then to me. I had no idea what this meant. The Photopass Cast Member catches on and tells me that they’re saying that they’re watching me around Clarice. Don’t worry Chip and Dale; I’m not going to steal Clarice away from you. I get some photos and head on.

Next, it was on to Mickey Avenue to look for Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. Now Ron Stoppable has become somewhat of a nickname for me with a few of my friends (which is funny, before that I thought I was the only one outside the teens and tweens demographic that watched the show), and because of that I even have a t-shirt with Ron and Rufus on it. Of course since I had heard that Kim and Ron were appearing at MGM, I wore it to the park today. When I find them, the immediately start commenting about the shirt and want to know where I got it. Ron is excited and Kim tells me that he’s going to be talking about this for days. They were perfectly in character and awesome to interact with. Anyone who says that Kim and Ron should have been fur characters instead of face characters obviously hasn’t met them in person. The photos of them just don’t do the characters justice. They’re defiantly some of my new favorite characters. I get their autographs and some pictures, and they even get me to do some kung-fu moves with them. Lots of fun.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey was nearby with no line, so I go in and take a picture. Afterwards I find out it was blurry. Oh well. Next, it’s on to the Journey Into Narnia exhibit. I hadn’t heard a lot of great feedback, so I wasn’t expecting much. It was ok though, but not a must see. There were a few props and the Wardrobe entryway and the Witch’s appearance were kind of cool.

Great Movie Ride was close by, so it was next. It seems like there are more and more reviews saying that the ride is corny and outdated, but I like it. Then again, I’m a sucker for classic Hollywood. I will say that I did view the Wizard of Oz segment differently this time around. In the past year, I saw and got interested in the musical “Wicked”. It’s sort of the back story and alternate version of the Wizard of Oz that focuses on the Witch of the West (named Elphaba in the play) and her friendship with Glinda. It’s a fascinating concept, but you defiantly don’t see the OZ characters in the same way after it. The poor kid behind me is terrified at the Witch, but I know that poor Elphie isn't a monster, she's just misunderstood. After the ride, it’s getting close to lunch time, so I head towards Pizza Planet.

 

[meeko_33785]

Part Nine- Day Three (Continued)

Along the way to Pizza Planet, I notice Sully from Monster’s Inc. is out doing meet-and-greets. I’d never met him before (oddly enough, I’ve noticed that I usually skip the PIXAR characters; don’t know why). While in line, Sully’s attendant sees my shirt with Ron Stoppable and Rufus on it and makes sure that I’ve met Ron today. I tell her yes, and we chat a little before it’s my turn to see Sully. When I ask if I can take his photo, Sully comes running up to me and does a scare pose for the camera.

I get to Pizza Planet. Even if you’ve never been to Disney-MGM Studios, it probably shouldn’t be a shock as to what is on the menu. I got the pepperoni pizza which was nice, and headed to get a table in the upstairs area. The downtime is used to relax and check out the Times Guide. The Cars characters are suppose to be out relatively soon, so after lunch I stick around the Streets of America area to see them. First, I find the perfect spot to get a picture for my first photo scavenger hunt today.

“Holiday Decorations”

Nearby, the Toy Story characters are all out at Al’s Toy Barn. For some reason, I had never met Jessie or the Green Army Man before, so I decide to go ahead and get their autographs and photos. Lines are short, and they sign and pose. By this time Woody has no line at all. He decides to use his free time to pull a prank on Buzz who is on break. Woody takes Buzz’s podium (the one he uses when he’s stamping autograph books) and hides it in a planter. Once he’s done, he returns to his spot and I get his photo too. I spend some time looking around the backlot until the Cars come out. After years and years, I finally decide to give the “Singin’ in the Rain” umbrella. It’s actually one of my favorite movies, so I jump up on the lamppost like Gene Kelly and try to get the water to work. After a couple of attempts, the rain doesn’t seem to start so I decide to get down. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s when the water starts and I get rained on. I jump back onto the lamppost to and under the cover of the umbrella. I doubt I did that quite as gracefully as Gene did.

Music from the Cars soundtrack starts playing and Lightning McQueen comes down the street and turns into the San Francisco section while some Cast Members with checked flags lead him. Mater isn’t far behind. Eventually they stop and the biggest madhouse of a meet-and-greet I’ve seen in a while begins. I was glad that I got pictures while they were coming down the street because I wasn’t about to brave that sort of crowd. Next, it was off to the Backlot Tour. It had been years since I’ve done this, and I was curious to see how much had changed since they took out the Residential Street and most of the boneyard to make room for Lights Motors Action.

First thing of interest on the attraction- Pirates of the Caribbean props! A figure off of the Black Pearl was in near the main entrance (that’s it in the picture) and a bone cage from the island scene of Dead Man’s Chest was on display on the actual tram tour portion. You can defiantly tell how big of a phenomenon Pirates is on the ride. The tour guide even asked the tram how many people had seen the movie and almost everyone raised their hands. Without Residential Street, it defiantly felt like something was missing, but it’s still pretty good. After the ride, I look around the AFI Showcase and teach myself how to take pictures of objects in glass cases in dark rooms. I finally figured out how to get the camera to work so I could get a photo of Elphie’s…errr… The Wicked Witch of the West’s hat from “The Wizard of Oz”.

Next up is One Man’s Dream, the Walt Disney exhibit. I stay for the movie for the first time since I first saw it when it first opened. It’s a little different- Julie Andrews narrates instead of Michael Eisner (nice touch). It’s still very well-done. My favorite part is still the exhibit part though. I think it’s cool to see so many pieces of Disney history- the first audio-animatronic, one of Walt’s miniatures, his office, etc. The movie lets out right next to the Magic of Disney Animation exhibit, so that’s the next stop.

 

[serendipity]

thanks so much. I really enjoy reading your review.

 

[meeko_33785]

Part Ten- Day Three (Continued)

After enter the back way through the gallery shop, I check out some of the Animation exhibits. The Incredibles are all inside doing meet-and-greets. Having never seen Frozone before, I meet him first and get his autograph and photo. Mrs. Incredible has no line, so I get her photo next. Finally, I head over to Mr. Incredible and get his picture too. They must really be hidden back here because there are practically no lines. Next, I try the personality kiosk that tells you what character that you’re most like. This time I’m Aladdin. Before heading out, it’s off to the Animation Academy to learn how to draw Donald Duck. I get confused and ended up making his head too thin and come out looking more like Daffy Duck than Donald. Oops. I take a look at some of the other exhibits in the area and head off.

It’s getting later in the afternoon now, but there’s still time for a few more attractions before my ADR at Hollywood and Vine. Walking completely across the park, it’s off to MuppetVision 3D. The pre-show is about half-way done when I get there and it isn’t long before the movie begins. After the movie, it’s back to the Echo Lake area. My dinner ADR is not too far off, but it seems that the timing is going to work that I was going to be able to watch the Stars and Motor Cars Parade before dinner. Got a spot across from the Sounds Dangerous building and waited for the parade. Before long, it begins. It’s changed a little since last time I saw it. I knew that the Power Rangers, JoJo’s Circus and Cars characters had been added, but didn’t realize that the Hercules unit was gone. I also managed to get the last picture I needed for my photo scavenger hunt today.

“Princess”

After the parade, it was almost time for the ADR, so it was off to Hollywood and Vine. In not time, the table was ready. The waiter explains the buffet and, since the meal was for the Fantasmic Dinner Package, all the times and info about where to go and when to be there to be able to get seats. I’d never been to Hollywood and Vine before (I think it was the only restaurant at MGM I had never eaten at). Don’t know why I never tried it before because it was great. The atmosphere isn’t as impressive as some of the other full service restaurants at MGM, but the food service are defiantly quality. There were lots of great dishes and the desserts were great. Just one word of warning, if you go looking for the restroom, be sure not to miss if or you might just walk right past it, keep walking, and find yourself in the 50s Prime Time Cafe by mistake. Not that I would come so close to doing something like that…

After dinner, there was still some time before heading over to Fantasmic, so I check out on Hollywood and Sunset. Some of the Streetmosphere characters are putting on a show on the corner so I watch that for a little while and then peek into a couple of shops. Soon, it’s time to head on to Fantasmic. I’d done the Fantasmic Dinner Package a few years back so I pretty much knew the drill. There’s a door next to Oscar’s Gas Station near the entrance where you have to show your voucher to a Cast Member. Then there’s a special backstage path that you take to your seats which will be on the far right side of the theater. The crowd is defiantly excited and before long the entire stadium is full.

I would go out on a limb to say that Fantasmic is my favorite nighttime show in all of Disney World. Great music, action, characters, effects… it’s always the perfect finale. As soon as Mickey disappears from the stage, my last day at a theme park is officially over. It’s back to the Coronodo to get some sleep for the last day of the trip.

 

[goofymania101]

I love your trip report! i'm a huge character fan, so i love looking at all the character pictures!

courtney

 

[meeko_33785]

I love your trip report! i'm a huge character fan, so i love looking at all the character pictures!

courtney

I'm glad you like it. I was thinking about posting some more character photos from the trip with my final/ wrap-up post for the report too. Have you seen my character web site? If you like character photos, I've got over 100 there that you might like from this trip and others.

Meeko's Character Journal

 

[goofymania101]

I love your website also! How many characters, if I'm going for 8 days, should i make my goal?

courtney

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I always enjoy your reports!

 

[meeko_33785]

I love your website also! How many characters, if I'm going for 8 days, should i make my goal?

courtney

Depends on how many days you're at WDW and how much time you want to spend doing meet-and-greets. On this trip with 3 days in the park, I met around 25 or so and that was very do-able.


Also, thanks WDW Poly Princess.

 

[meeko_33785]

Part Eleven- Last Day

The last morning of the trip is here. I finish packing and get ready to head out. The trip’s not over yet. Earlier in the summer, I was in New Orleans doing some relief work and finally got to see the actual French Quarter. I thought it might be interesting to visit Port Orleans French Quarter to “revisit”, so to speak, some of the things I saw. Before I head out, I draw the last two things to photograph for my scavenger hunt- “Sidewalk” and “Boat”.

After getting to Port Orleans, I head to the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory and get some beignets. I’ve been eating beignets at Port Orleans for 15 years now, so you have no idea how excited I saw when I had them in New Orleans. After breakfast, I explore some of the resort. I get a picture of a jester statue near the pool. The funny thing about it is that there is a nearly identical statue in New Orleans. It’s painted differently, but besides that they’re extremely similar. I thought it was cool to see a connection between the two places. Here’s a photo of the statue with the Port Orleans version on the left, and the New Orleans version on the right.

Next, it’s off to the Sassagoula to try to get a photo of a boat. Would you believe there wasn’t a single boat on the river? Must have been too early in the day. I manage to get another photo for the hunt in the same area.

“Sidewalk”

I walk around the resort soaking in the atmosphere and remembering New Orleans as I notice so many of the things I saw there- the architecture, the horse-shaped posts, the fountains, the river (although the Sassagoula really can’t compare to the Mississippi). It’s kind of bittersweet remembering New Orleans and my experiences working there, but it’s a good thing to remember them. I’m glad I did. I head back inside Port Orleans Square. I still haven’t found a boat to take a photo of, but I spot something that just might work.

“Boat”

There’s a Cast Member in front of the case to try to convince everyone to take a Disney Cruise. I wait until she’s gone and try to get a picture kneeling down on the floor. Before I’m done, she comes up to me and asks what I’m doing. I’ve been caught. I tell her that I needed a picture of a boat for a scavenger hunt, and head out only slightly embarrassed.

This is where the trip officially comes to an end. One last look around and it’s time to leave the World. Next up- the trip wrap up.

 

[goofymania101]

To reply to my last post to you......

I will want to spend time meeting characters, but the rest of my family will. we will be in the parks all 8 days!

 

[meeko_33785]

To reply to my last post to you......

I will want to spend time meeting characters, but the rest of my family will. we will be in the parks all 8 days!

If you're there for 8 days and make characters a priority, I'd say 40 characters is a very attainable goal. That's about 5 new ones a day. You can probably do more than that too depending on how much time you spend or whether or not you're doing character meals. Hope you have fun.

 

[meeko_33785]

Part Twelve- Wrap-Up

Well, the trip is over, but I thought I’d do a little wrap up post to close the report out. Here’s a few final thoughts on everything.

Crowds: I’ve been to WDW many times during the Summer in July and early August, but late August seems to take the cake for lowest crowds in the summertime. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the fact that schools in Florida and throughout much of the rest of the country were already back in session. It really was nice. Lines were so short that I never needed to FastPass anything and never waited over 20 minutes.

Weather:It’s Florida and August, so it was hot, but not too bad. Some days there was a nice breeze which cooled things down. I stayed hydrated and everything was fine. Best of all- no rain the entire trip (besides what came down on my at the “Singin’ In The Rain” umbrella at MGM, of course). I don’t think I’ve ever been to WDW in the summer and not had it rain.

Resort: It was nice to stay in the Rancheros section since I hadn’t before. All in all, it was nice. It defiantly is a convention resort though. That was a little strange to me sometimes since I wasn’t as used to seeing a bunch of conventioneers walking around (I don’t think they were hosting many conventions back when I first stayed there), but ehh… they weren’t too bad. I still miss the Caballeros topiary though.

Expedition Everest: If you like coasters or just don’t mind going fast, you really should give this a try. It’s a great addition to Animal Kingdom, but be sure to see it early. I checked the Tip Board later in the afternoon to see if the lines were bad and even though most other attractions’ waits were 20 minutes or so, waits were over an hour.

Dining: Dining was great. My favorite meal of the trip has to be Raglan Road. The food was good and the atmosphere was fun. Hollywood and Vine for dinner was also a nice surprise. I was not expecting it to be quite that good, but it’s one of the better buffets at WDW (it’s not Boma, but it’s still good). Both get recommendations from me.

Photo Scavenger Hunt: Second year in a row for me, and it was still fun. I tried just doing two photos a day instead of three. I think it I did it again I would go back to three though just to get more pictures. If anyone is interested in trying it, here’s a link to the list I used: WDW Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Characters: All the characters were really great this year. I was more impressed with the face character this trip than most I can recall. All of them were so into character and very knowledgeable about their stories. I managed to find 10 characters I had never met before- Fairy Godmother, Clarice, Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Sully, Green Army man, Jessie, Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Frozone. Interactions were a lot of fun too. All the characters were awesome, but I have to mention Ariel, Mulan, Gideon, Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable for being some of the stand-outs for the trip. Before I finish up the report, here are just a few more character photos from the trip:

Donald at the Character Connection at EPCOT

Mulan in China

Foulfellow and Gideon in Italy

Belle in France

Jessie at Al’s Toy Barn at MGM

Mater on Streets of America

Hope you enjoyed the report and photos. Thanks to everyone who read and I appreciate all of you who have responded too.