MNSSHP, Chipmunks, and MyMagic+, Oh My!!! Oct. '13 2 UPDATES 12/25!!! COMPLETED

[abidale]

Yay for a fun HS morning! I love HS first thing, so many thrills! I used to be scared of TOT too, actually I still might be, but I love the themeing so I go anyways

I love the interaction with Chip and Dale, too funny! I love meeting characters together, it makes the interaction that much better!

Tower of Terror is always nerve racking but I always fall in love with it every time I ride!!!

I agree about meeting characters together, especially when they're super in character! It can get really funny.

I feel like if I'm ever a Disney bride I will absolutely buy the package where you get to do your wedding pictures in ToT! They always look so glamorous!

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT EXISTED!

Love your report so far. Can't wait to hear what happens with the rest of your trip. We went to MNSSHP a few years ago and loved it. I hope to make it back soon.

Thank you!! MNSSHP was great, we loved it!

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th-Part Two in Which I Get Pin Trader's Remorse

After we all met up again, we re-split up! My dad and I went to Pizza Planet, and my mom and sister went to ABC Commissary.

WE ARE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!

Pizza Planet wasn’t at all crowded, barely any line! However, it took about 20 minutes to get our pizza because someone’s Magic Band wasn’t working right with their Dining Plan, and all of their credits were messed up.

MMM PIZZA.

We ate, and right as we finished, Mom and Jessica showed up (unfortunately I don’t have any food pictures from them.) Perfect timing! It was about 11:35, and we only had 25 minutes until our FP+ ended. We booked it to Pixar Place!

Time for our 11-12 FP+!!!

Most magical queue ever.

I rode with Dad, and Mom and Jessica rode together!

AND GET THIS- I WON. That never happens. I don’t even know. I’m terrible at these games 99.9% of the time.

Here are me and Dad's scores!

I ended up with 105,800, Dad got 83,600, Mom had 106,400, and Jessica had 87,000!

Yes, I know some people end up with like 300,000, but I honestly have no
idea how and tips would be greatly appreciated.

We knew that soon we would be needing to head back so we could get plenty of rest for tonight, but first we wanted to watch none other than MuppetVision 3D!

I see you, Aerosmith pun. I see you.

The people behind us were chewing gum, and they were smacking so loud. I died a little on the inside. That is my absolute worst pet peeve, I don’t even know why! Anyway, I forgave them because I overheard them talking about how amazing MuppetVision is. Which it is.

After we left the building, we noticed this random sundae!

We left Hollywood Studios at 12:30! We didn’t get to ride Great Movie Ride or see Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Walt: One Man’s Dream, which we weren’t thrilled about, but we were of course just happy we got to ride anything at all!

Bye, Hollywood Studios...

Just for good measure, my dad reenacted Voyage of the Little Mermaid for us on the tram ride back to our parking spot. Bravo.

Then I snapped one last picture of my beloved Tower!

We stopped at Hess to get gas, 3 Vitamin Waters, a Diet Coke, and a bottle of apple juice so yours truly wouldn’t have to drink any more Sprite Zero for breakfast! …Darn.

When we got back to All Star Movies, I took a picture next to the giant fire hydrant station pretending to do what dogs typically do around fire hydrants.

Don’t try to tell me you’ve never taken that picture.

We relaxed in the room for about an hour or two, and I wrote in my trip journal!

Then, I was craving pin trading, and my mom was wondering if the gift shop carried Keurig cups, so Mom, Jessica, and I headed to the lobby.

No K-Cups, but a Cast Member did get out a pin board for me in Donald’s Double Feature!

The Cast Member seemed like he did not like his job. At all. Sorry, buddy, but I WANT TO PIN TRADE.

I traded a pin of Ariel for this banner thing with the old Walt Disney World logo on it, and then I traded a pin with Wendy, John, and Michael flying over London for Sam Eagle!

But then… when we got back to the room and I told my mom what pins I had traded, she said, “Oh, you traded the Wendy, John, and Michael one?”

“…Yes…THAT WASN’T A GIFT OR ANYTHING, WAS IT?”

“No, I don’t think it was a gift! I was just wondering. That was a cute pin.”

So, I proceeded to feel extremely guilty for trading that one away. I call it Pin Trader’s Remorse.

I had packed several to trade with, and some I valued more than others, but I hadn’t been thinking about that when I was looking at the pin board and just grabbed the first two I saw to trade!

So, I looked through my traders, pulled out an old Mickey Mouse Cuties pin that I wasn’t a huge fan of, and went all the way back to Donald’s Double Feature.

I then traded one of my traders for my OTHER other trader, aka, the Wendy, John, and Michael!

So everyone was happy.

Then I saw a squirrel.

Then, when we got back to the room, we tried calling Garden Grill one more time. We knew it was a long shot, but it was worth a try! Anything can happen at Walt Disney World…AND ANYTHING DID. We snagged a 4:00 reservation for the next day (Saturday) one day in advance! There must have been some serious cancellations. We were so excited!

Stay tuned for CHEF MICKEY’S and the start of an MNSSHP night!
​

 

[emilyindisney]

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT EXISTED!

OH, YES! THIS IS A THING! I've seen pictures of couples in the lobby, the garden and the terrace and they're all so awesome!!

On to your update-

The Clawwww.... those guys are my favorite!

Woohoo! You won! I've only done TSMM two or three times so I unfortunately have no tips aside from just pull the string as fast as you can, haha!

I love Muppet Vision 3D! Statler and Waldorf heckling the show is my favorite part!

Pin Trader's remorse is exactly what I'm afraid of! How do I part with pins that I bought because I liked them in the first place?! I love the little banner one you traded for, and am glad you got back your first one.

So pumped you guys got into Garden Grill!! I love everything about that place- the food, the size, the character's outfits- everything! So excited to hear about your meal!

 

[wiigirl]

Great update, love the pics!

 

[abidale]

OH, YES! THIS IS A THING! I've seen pictures of couples in the lobby, the garden and the terrace and they're all so awesome!!

OH MY GOODNESS

On to your update-

The Clawwww.... those guys are my favorite!

I get way too excited when I see those in Pizza Planet!

Woohoo! You won! I've only done TSMM two or three times so I unfortunately have no tips aside from just pull the string as fast as you can, haha!

I love Muppet Vision 3D! Statler and Waldorf heckling the show is my favorite part!

They are hilarious

Pin Trader's remorse is exactly what I'm afraid of! How do I part with pins that I bought because I liked them in the first place?! I love the little banner one you traded for, and am glad you got back your first one.

Exactly!! I recommend buying one of those starter packs, the cheapest one you can find, that's what I'm planning on doing next time. I was so relieved the first one was still there!

So pumped you guys got into Garden Grill!! I love everything about that place- the food, the size, the character's outfits- everything! So excited to hear about your meal!

Garden Grill is just perfect!

Great update, love the pics!

Thanks so much!!

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th-Part Three in Which I Finally Get Mashed Potatoes

It was finally time to leave our resort for dinner!

We passed under the Magic Kingdom gates (PUMPKINS) and arrived at none other than the Contemporary!

Time for our Chef Mickey’s dinner!

Hello, monorail

We got some extremely weird looks walking around dressed as Belle, Minnie, Mr. Incredible, and Giselle. “PEOPLE THIS IS DISNEY, IF YOU THINK THIS IS WEIRD THEN JUST—JUST—GO TO UNIVERSAL.”

We checked in, got our family picture taken, and then went to wait in the lobby! We were hoping the lack of people dressed up here wasn’t foreshadowing how the party would turn out.

5:00 rolled around, the guests of the night opened up the buffet, and shortly after we were taken to our table!

Shout-out to Paige, a manager at Chef Mickey’s. Without her help, we never would have gotten this reservation! If you read my intro, you know the story of how this trip came to be. My sister, as a surprise for me, had the idea to book a Chef Mickey’s dinner for before MNSSHP, but being only a few weeks out, there was nothing. She spent a couple of days calling every number she could possibly call related to ADRs and the Contemporary until finally someone gave her directions to reach Paige. Paige said the way this trip came about was the nicest thing ever, and she did a little Disney magic and got us a 5:00 reservation!

When we were called for our table, she walked up to us and thanked us for the card (I made a thank you note and drew a cute little Sorceror Mickey.) It was so amazing that she remembered the card and us, without us saying anything or reminding her! This is exactly why I kind of HAVE to be a Cast Member when I grow up. She really made our trip magical, so next time you’re at Chef Mickey’s, be sure to say hi to Paige if you see her!

We ordered our drinks, and BAM, BUFFET TIME!

HEAVEN. Pure heaven.

I can't get enough of Disney chocolate milk for crying out loud.

MY FOOD I couldn't eat enough of Disney mashed potatoes if I tried. THEY ARE LIFE. And I was going to get to eat them Saturday, too, since we were lucky enough to get a Garden Grill ressie! MASHED POTATOES I LOVE YOU.

Here is some random salad.

I believe this was Jessica's plate, seeing as it's healthified

Dad's

Goofy came around to our table first. I just love Goofy! He bowed to me (I was confused at first because I forgot I was Princess Belle). He then acted as if he had seen my dad somewhere before, and then my dad donned his Mr. Incredible mask, and Goofy got all excited because he recognized the superhero!

Then, Pluto came. He was adorable as usual.

Minnie was totally excited that she and Jessica were twins for the night!
When Mickey came, he got Jessica (I mean, Minnie) to kiss him on the nose. Precious!

Donald usually comes around here, too, but we didn’t stick around long enough to meet him because we had a party to get to!

BASK IN THE GLORY OF MY DESSERT

AND MOM'S DESSERT

AND JESSICA'S TOO

After dessert, we headed out. BYE CONTEMPORARY!

We decided to take the cute little path from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom. I love staying at that resort because it’s super easy to get to MK!

Space Mountain!

We had to stop by the car because Jessica's shoes were bothering her.

And then we were back on track!

Finally, WE ARRIVED. I was bursting with excitement. It felt like I had been waiting for this moment for an eternity!

Got our trick or treat bags!

Sorry for the super high quality pictures.

DISNEY DOES HALLOWEEN RIGHT

I’m surprised I wasn’t crying at the perfection that is Magic Kingdom.

Actually, who knows, I probably was.

WELCOME!

You're killing me Disney.

Stay Tuned for MK SPAM!
​

 

[Silvermist20]

I need those desserts and I need them NOW!

 

[abidale]

I need those desserts and I need them NOW!

THEY WERE PERFECTION. Especially the Mickey oreo with the mousse and chocolate ears!

 

[emilyindisney]

MK Halloween spam!!!!!

Containing my excitement for a minute, I'll back up to Chef's. Your dinner looks delicious, especially the desserts. Glad you got your potatoes!

Your sister's shoes were adorable!

 

[abidale]

MK Halloween spam!!!!!

Nothing better than MK Halloween spam

Containing my excitement for a minute, I'll back up to Chef's. Your dinner looks delicious, especially the desserts. Glad you got your potatoes!

I was also glad I got my potatoes.

Your sister's shoes were adorable!

Thanks! We actually made them out of an old pair of flats, haha.

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th- Part Four in Which I Really Am Belle

I hope you're all mentally prepared for the perfection that is Main Street right now.

Sorry if you know this man or if you are this man, I was actually taking a picture of the buildings behind you, I promise! Have a magical day!

My castle

I may actually have an obsession with these fall decorations.

I'm really sad this turned out blurry because I really liked the angle, but oh well! This is why I'm asking for a DSLR for Christmas.

Then we stopped for a quick family picture! Hello from Giselle, Belle, Minnie, and Mr. Incredible.

And after we *slowly* made our way down Main Street due to my picture taking frenzy, I took the one picture on my digital that I am actually proud to admit I took. Here it is... drumroll please!

We made our way straight for New Fantasyland because Jessica had NEVER seen it! Ever! So this was a must.

Plus, I had to see my real castle.

Then we headed to my village!

Again, sorry if you know this man or if you are this man. I was actually trying to get a good picture of Gaston's, but I do hope you enjoyed your Lefou's Brew.

AND THEN, GASTON'S CHAIR WAS OPEN.
As in, NO ONE WAS SITTING IN IT.
So naturally, I went and sat in it like any normal Disney freak would do.

Pure excitement.

After I sat in the throne of Gaston, we went to my gift shop (Village Gifts) to see what sorts of merch they were selling with my face on it.

The minute I stepped in, two Cast Members came running to me and shouted "BELLE!" and handed me this magical little sticker.

I didn't even know they made Beauty and the Beast stickers! Moments like this make me wonder WHY DON'T I LIVE IN DISNEY YET. Cast Members are actually perfect.

Stay tuned for THE PARTY GETTING STARTED!!!
​

 

[Silvermist20]

Love the costumes!

 

[abidale]

Love the costumes!

Thanks silv! They were so fun to wear in the parks

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th- Part Five In Which I Win an Unofficial Contest

We couldn’t stand being in Magic Kingdom any longer without going on Journey Under the Sea, so that’s exactly what we did!

Jessica still had never ridden this and so I couldn’t wait to show her.

Prince Eric's castle is so beautiful.

PALM TREES, why can't I just stay here in Florida forever?

Hands down best queue!

It gets some bad reviews, but I think it is definitely one of the top dark rides!
I love how immersive it is, and the Audio Animatronics are awesome!

I rode in a clammobile with my dad, and he sang along with Ariel (“ahhh ahhh ahhhh”) half the way. Oh, Dad.

Terrible quality pictures, I know, this is why I'm asking for a DSLR. Anyway, Scuttle started us off, and then we went UNDER DA SEA!

DANCING FISH CONGA LINE

Evil perfection

Obviously, Jessica ended up loving the ride!

Next we headed to perhaps the most classic ride in Fantasyland: Dumbo.

Ever since they added another Dumbo, the lines haven’t been unbearable and we’ve been able to ride this WAY more often than we ever did before. It wasn’t worth a 45 minute wait, but I can justify anywhere from a walk on to about 20 minutes. Good job, Disney. I approve.

I'm so proud of this picture! Taken on an Iphone, of course, because my digital has nowhere near that good of quality, unfortunately.

Next, in loving memory of the Judge’s Tent in Toontown, we went in Big Top.

Once again, QUALITY. DEPRESSING. SAD. UGH.

I LOVE the theming in Big Top! Even the floors are like those of a traveling circus.

I grabbed a lemonade and my dad grabbed some cinnamon almonds from the snack cart outside. As much as I don't like the replacement of Legacy FP with FP+, Disney was right in that Magic Bands will bring them more money. It's a lot easier to buy snacks whenever you want when you just touch to pay!

When we entered Old Fantasyland we were asked to show our party wristbands and I got so excited. MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY HAD BEGUN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

The first ride of the party was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, of course. It only had a 5 minute wait! Oh, party nights, how I love you.

I posed in front of a storybook page because YOU CAN DO THAT WHEN THE RIDE IS A WALK ON!!!

There was a huge group of people all dressed up as Waldo, so we found Waldo that night. I guess I was too excited to think to take a picture.

My dad saw a woman dressed as Mrs. Incredible while we were waiting, and he yelled “MRS. INCREDIBLE!” and she was like, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

And finally, before boarding, the Attractions CM told me…

Drumroll please…

THAT MY COSTUME WAS ONE OF THE BEST SHE’D EVER SEEN.

Brb crying.

Here is the face I make when a CM tells my costume is the best she’s ever seen.

I kind of felt like I had won some sort of unofficial contest. I WON!

Stay tuned for the perfection of the Kingdom of Corona, and also some foot problems!
​

 

[JessM]

Great start to party night! I can't wait for all those short lines at MVMCP!

I am also a huge fan of the Little Mermaid ride. Awesome quene, great music, colorful fish, and a huge Ursula! What's not to love.

 

[abidale]

Great start to party night! I can't wait for all those short lines at MVMCP!

I am also a huge fan of the Little Mermaid ride. Awesome quene, great music, colorful fish, and a huge Ursula! What's not to love.

The lines are definitely a plus!!! Everything was literally a walk on.

Yay another Little Mermaid fan! The whole thing is so detailed and well done.

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th- Part Six in Which We Meet Tim

After Pooh, we made our way through Fantasyland with a stop at the trick or treat places in Peter Pan’s Flight and Pinocchio’s Village Haus!

We were on our way to do the most important thing of the evening: VISIT THE TANGLED BATHROOMS. It was a must.

Afterwards, we got in line for the Haunted Mansion. It’s not over until the fat lady sings!

We got off that and walked over to Frontierland for the wildest ride in the wilderness. And that it was! It’s simply more thrilling when it’s dark outside and you’re dressed as Belle.

Jessica’s shoes were hurting her feet so we spent a few minutes getting through the 8:00 parade crowds and went back to Fantasyland. We jumped on It’s a Small World to relax.

Since there was no way on earth we'd have time to meet the Seven Dwarves, I ran over there real quick to snap a picture of them. My number one priority for the party had been to meet them, but I really didn't want to make everyone wait in line an hour before the party started when we could be riding rides and trick or treating!

Then, it was getting close to time to stake out a spot for the fireworks and parade, so we dashed to Tomorrowland! We had to ride Space Mountain, mainly to see how our ride pictures would turn out in costume.

My attempt at being all princess-y.

And Dad with two randoms.

Then it was time to get all settled in for Celebrate the Magic! Let’s just say at first not everyone was thrilled to be sitting on the concrete waiting an hour for the parade. Being the DIS-er that I am, I knew it was the only way to get a front row viewing spot on Main Street for the parade.

While waiting for CTM, Jessica and I headed to the Emporium so we could get our party shirts! The Cast Members checking out were on their College Program, and I talked to them about how I’m planning on doing that when I’m in college. They totally encouraged me to, and then they asked for our autograph!

They were playing a Bingo game for MNSSHP where when someone dressed up came into the shop, they would sign their name on the box where the character they dressed up as was! So, I signed the Disney princess box and Jessica signed for the Minnie Mouse box! So cute, and they looked like they were having so much fun.

Then we headed to the jewelry store to check out the Vera Bradley collection. Unfortunately, all they had in stock was the duffle bags, and I really needed a wristlet, so, next time!

Then, I heard the music of Celebrate the Magic come on, and I may or may not have sprinted down Main Street to get back to my spot. Without Jessica. Oops.

I was really upset I missed the first scene with Walt, but the rest of the show was amazing! My jaw was dropped.

Then, HALLOWISHES! It was perfect, really.

Dad and I walked over to the Hub to watch part of the Villains show. We felt like we didn't have time to meet them, though, so unfortunately, I didn't get to meet Maleficent like I had planned! But that was okay because we would see her soon in the parade.

While we waited for the parade, a CM named Tim came up and talked to us. He was the nicest man! If you’re on the DIS, Tim, shoutout to you for making the wait for Boo to You go by WAY faster!

He told us stories about when they were filming Man of Steel in his hometown. He said it was crazy how fake all of the special effects are and that he can’t watch those types of movies the same again! It brought his town a lot of good business, too, and he mentioned that it was so eery when they were done filming and left because the town was exactly like it was before, as if they’d never been there. He also told us about how the Headless Horseman really has zero visibility and they have to rely entirely on the horse.

Tim also let us know to keep our eyes out for people handing out Peeps after the party outside the park! THANKS TIM BECAUSE PEEPS ARE SO DELICIOUS.

Speaking of the Headless Horseman…

I'm so proud of this picture. I wanted it to be blurry, actually, and of course with a point and shoot you can't adjust shutter speed so I had no way of ensuring that would happen. But it coincidentally turned out just like I had hoped!

Stay tuned for Boo to You! ​

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th-Part Seven in Which BOO TO YOU OCCURS

Now, I took pictures of the first few floats with my point and shoot. Which was the worst decision ever because they're all blurry and depressing, but luckily I switched to my mom's iPhone halfway through!

It's sad when your phone has a better camera than your camera.

Anyway, bring on the perfection of BOO TO YOU.

Screaming and crying because its the TICK TOCK CROC COME TO LIFE.

Oh, hey Jack.

THE OLD MAN AND HIS DOG

Haunted Mansion Float numero uno, Madame Leota's tomb!

The ballroom dancers were so talented.

Just the HITCHHIKING GHOSTS, no big deal.

Clarabelle!

Love this picture of one of the country bears

BRER GAVE ME A HIGH FIVE

I was thrilled to see Pain & Panic

MALEFICENT

The Evil Queen pointed directly at me on the last "Boo to YOU" of the song and I was about to cry oh my goodness

The hyenas are SO weird looking. But neat!

Goofy's Candy Co.! It was at this point in the parade that a Cast Member crept up behind me and yelled BOO in my ear (yes I screamed) but then made up for it by handing me three Mickey Mouse lollipops. Oh how I love Disney CMs.

I thought these were traffic cones, but looking at them again I realize they're candy corn

The Goof himself!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PARADE:
-Peter Pan ran up and yelled to my dad "Hi Mr Incredible!"
-Chip kissed my hand (I'M TELLING YOU THOSE CHIPMUNKS JUST LOVE ME IDK WHY)
-Brer Rabbit high fived me
-Dr. Facilier tipped his hat to me when he saw me freaking out over his Facilier-ness
-Evil Queen pointing to me at the end of the song as she sang "YOU" and posing for my camera

Stay tuned for that time we got attacked by a grasshopper!​

 

[abidale]

Friday, October 18th-Part Eight in Which We’re Viciously Attacked

So, on the way back to the resort from MNSSHP, we notice a giant green bug on the dash.

We were just like, “Oh, it’s fine, it’s just a grasshopper” until my mom looks closer and goes, “I think it has a stinger.” So all heck breaks loose for the next ten minutes while everyone in the car is freaking out about whether or not this bug is a grasshopper or some mutant Floridian bug that eats humans.

We named it Hopper from “it’s a bug’s life” and it didn’t eat us and all was well.

Saturday, October 19th-Part One in Which Dug the Dog Takes My Ears

FINALLY ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY. I like to say I don’t have a favorite park but let’s be honest if I did, it would be Animal Kingdom. If you think it’s a half day park, we shouldn’t be friends. (Even though I never spend more than a half day there, IF YOU ARE A DISNEY NEWBIE PLEASE STAY THE WHOLE DAY AND EXPERIENCE THE PERFECTION OF NAHTAZU)

I got up at 7, got dressed and we drove to Animal Kingdom!

We got there right at rope drop, Dad and Jessica got coffee, and we headed straight to Expedition Everest because I insisted. It was only a 10 minute wait and it was beautiful. We did get stuck on the first big hill, which was really cool considering you can see literally all of Disney from there!

Dad filmed the entire ride! I still haven’t watched the video, but the fact that he didn’t let go of the camera is an accomplishment, I’d say.

Afterwards, we rode Kilimanjaro. The part where the bridge collapses wasn’t there/working? It was in June. We had to stop for a few minutes because a bunch of rhinos decided to cross in front of us, which was really neat.

Next we went to Dinosaur!

DR. GRANT SEEKER

The carnotaur had been down the week before and they’d been using the puppet, but it was up and running on Saturday.

Luckily, since my dad is scared of it and his reaction is usually pretty priceless.

My mom went to go buy some wind chimes, and then we got in line for Primeval Whirl. There was some annoying lady who wouldn’t let us go in line while her child was getting measured, and she was yelling at the Cast Member about how her daughter is tall enough. Amateurs.

It wasn’t quite lunchtime yet so we just wandered around Island Mercantile to pass the time until we saw that Russell and Dug were out! I had never met them and I’ve recently become obsessed with Up so it was a must.

Dug is the cutest, softest Disney character I have ever met. SO ADORABLE.

He stole my Minnie ears and tried to eat them and then Russell scolded him. I died because they were perfect.

Finally it was time for lunch, so we stopped by Restaurantosaurus and I got the best meal on property- A DISNEY BURGER. Ah, two more days until I can have another!

I got lost in Dinoland (I know what you’re thinking—how do you even get lost in Dinoland, there’s literally 3 rides and a gift shop) trying to find the bathroom, only to realize there was one in Restaurantosaurus. OH WELL. I had an adventure.

Back at Restaurantosaurus (which is getting really annoying to type), there was this adorable Cast Member with a dinosaur puppet just having fun. I didn’t get his name but he was great!

Now, here’s where this gets a little crazy. We were trying to do three parks that day (which will be nothing compared to our attempt at four parks in one day next week), and we figured the best way to accomplish Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Epcot would be to drive to Animal Kingdom, then to Epcot, enter the park but take the monorail straight to TTC then to the Magic Kingdom then to the TTC then to Epcot again, and then drive back to the resort after the night. NOT THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND, although I really don’t have any other suggestions. It was complicated.

The TTC was packed as always (ex. 1 of why you should stay on property), and the line would have been at least half an hour to an hour to get to the Magic Kingdom.

So we walked to the Poly and got really tempted by the Dole Whip machine but got a monorail to the Magic Kingdom from there.

Finally!

This took about an hour longer than we had planned, so when we got there, we shopped around Main Street, I got a Dole Whip (DOLE WHIP!!!!!!), and we got in line for Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was such a light weekend (hardly anyone there), but the addition of the FP+ line for POTC was not the smartest. It would have been a walk on if they didn’t have a priority FastPass line.

About a million people in line decided to ask me about Magic Bands (I guess I just look like the one to ask??) and I told them how we loved how easy they made everything and for the most part we had loved FP+. Given, that was before tiering and all that. But it was still a really good experience.

WE WANTS THE REDHEAD

Dad and Jessica went all the way to Storybook Circus because Jessica wanted a Rice Krispie that she had seen there (they didn’t have it in the Confectionery, I know what you’re all thinking) and me and mom shopped at the Emporium some more.

I got a necklace and a sweet 16 present for a friend.

And Jessica got me this cookie!

Then we finished our little monorail adventure by taking the resort loop to the TTC and finally the monorail to Epcot.

I don't even remember why but we stopped in Art of Disney and I ended up really wanting this.

We rode the Seas with Nemo & Friends because for some reason I really love that ride. I’m not even a huge fan of the movie.

Next was Living with the Land, where they had a peanut butter tree and I got really confused because as far as I know peanut butter doesn’t grow on trees? Still need to Google that.

FINALLY THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOMENT OF THE WEEKEND: Garden Grill, aka the most delicious, heavenly restaurant EVER. We got called in right at 4!

Our server was Barry, who we had had before. That happens everywhere at Disney…is it a problem that Cast Members are starting to recognize us?

THE ANSWER IS NO BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH DISNEY.

We met Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale as usual! Chip walked away with me again. I’m telling you. THESE CHIPMUNKS ARE WEIRDLY OBSESSED WITH ME.

But I’m not complaining.

The one teeny tiny little problem is that the steak was VERY rare at first, but when they brought it out again it was more of a medium, which was much better.

The mashed potatoes here are addicting. I think I ate two plates of them.

NO REGRETS.

Pluto came around again and licked us all. When in Disney...

And now... mentally prepare yourself for these food pictures. You might want to grab something to eat.

Stay tuned for COLLEGE FOOTBALL! ​

 

[abidale]

Saturday, October 19th-Part Two in Which The Tide Rolls (Again)

After dinner, we went to the Imagination Pavilion to see our beloved Figment!

It actually had a queue, surprisingly. There was this old woman who kept eavesdropping on everything Jessica said and laughing and giving us weird looks.

Afterwards, Mom and Jessica went to Guerlain, which is that makeup store in France, and since me and Dad had zero interest in getting makeovers, we decided to Create a Figment. I made mine Dave-themed.

World Showcase was so CROWDED. You’d think we would know by now to not go there during Food and Wine. ON A SATURDAY. I don’t even know.

We headed to France after a few minutes and just sat on a bench and talked about SEC football because that was the weekend of the upsets! The good old days, back when Alabama was number one… don’t get me started. Ok, I really need to change the subject or this whole post will go downhill in a rant about the Alabama Auburn game. FORGET I BROUGHT IT UP.

Once Mom and Jessica were all made over (or whatever the word even is for that), we all headed back to Future World and went to Club Cool. RIP, Mezzo Mix, you were well loved. That being said, I’m super excited to try the new flavors because it was about time! At least they kept the Beverly.

First, though, we stopped in the UK!

I LOVE THIS PICTURE

It was about 6:30 and we thought we had fifteen minutes until our Test Track FP+, so we wandered around Mouse Gear and I got a shirt.

Then we realized our time slot had started at 6:15 so we booked it over to TT!

I rode with Dad this time and we made our car and scored 205!

Here is Mom and Jessica's car.

I like how ours is this weird monster truck car thing and theirs looks like a hybrid.

Ride picture:

On the way to Spaceship Earth, we set up the Alabama game radio on my mom’s phone so my dad could listen.

Alabama football is a lifestyle, folks.

Luckily, Spaceship Earth was about a 20 minute wait so he got some good game time in!

At 7:55 it was time to go use our Soarin FP+, so we headed over there.

There was this Russian old lady talking to herself about how much she hates Americans.

In line there was this dad and his little boy, and they said they lived about an hour away and came to Disney every weekend. They were so cute! I can’t imagine how cool that would be to live so close to where you could just drop by whenever. “I’m going to be home late from school cause I’m stopping by Animal Kingdom for dinner” PLEASE

We waited extra so we could get the first row of course, because who wants to see feet!

I decided the fireworks scene at the end should turn into “LIGHTSPEED” and you end up in the middle of Star Wars. Who cares if it doesn’t fit with the rest of the ride?

Then it was time to leave, but it was okay because I knew I would be back in just two months!

Sunday, October 20th-Part One in Which We’ll See Ya Real Soon

I got up at 6:45, took a shower, and then Jessica and I walked around the resort filming all the different sections! I kid you not, we looked for half an hour and never found the Toy Story buildings. I have no sense of direction.
Mom asked us to go get ice so that was also an adventure when we realized the machine on our floor was broken and had to go somewhere else for it!

We finally found some ice, went back to the room, and I filmed Stacey for a little bit.

Then, we said goodbye to room 4827 and headed to Downtown Disney!

Jessica told us it opened at 8, but apparently it opened at 10. Oops. No shopping for us!

Luckily, Earl of Sandwich was open so we grabbed some sandwiches to take on the road. I don’t even like sandwiches but Earl is the exception. Plus I got this beautiful red velvet cupcake

We drove out, said "see ya real soon" to my home, and headed back! I hate leaving Disney but luckily I knew we had another trip planned just two months later! And now, that two months has turned into two DAYS, so thank goodness I finished this up. Thanks for reading everybody and have a very merry Christmas!
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