No cats to herd this time! It's just the two of us!UPDATED 11/24-DIS Meet & Departure

[mom2mek]

LOL...those are awesome.

I never knew blurry fireworks pictures could end up being so fun.

They may be a bit blurry but those are some pretty cool fireworks pics! The last one turned out really good.

Sara,

What a special moment!! I would have felt bad too, however, that was a once in a lifetime moment. Happy you took advantage of it I am sure your DH did not mind (not that he even realized the fireworks were going on--haha)

Can't wait to hear about your day in the MK!!!

Too funny! Thanks for sharing those Sara! I take horrible pics at night as well so I feel your pain. Although at least yours are interesting to look at....unlike mine that are just blurry and bad!

Okay so i'm reading your updates at work.... and i'm getting strange looks from people wondering why i'm sitting here giggling over the file i'm supposedly working on! i LOVE your fireworks picture captions!!! You are so funny and you've really made my day

i'm glad you got to ride Soarin'!! (If i ever get to go back i am going to plan an entire day around riding Soarin' as many times as possible!)

Wishes from the Poly beach sounds wonderful, even if you did enjoy it by yourself.

Two updates in two days - you're on fire, Sara!

Those fireworks photos are awesome,much more interesting than normal ones

I agree with Jo! I rather enjoyed them!

Sara,
Enjoyed your Teppan Edo and fireworks updates! The pics were still good and at least you got to see Wishes. They look a lot like our pics because we didn't have a tripod either. Sorry Shawn missed Wishes. on Booking Poly for February!! Still working on our upcoming trip or trips.

Thanks for all the comments on my great photography! Thought I had responded to these already, but went back through and realized that I didn't. Thanks for still hanging with me!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

I'm afraid I'll have to go back and re-read that last chapter. I couldn't focus on anything after you said you had room service Tonga Toast.

WOW!

Oh it was good....REAL good!!!

We still haven't had tonga toast, we need to change that don't we? I am loving your Poly pictures, so beautiful!! I can't wait to see where you go at MK!

Yes Tracy, you should do a breakfast ADR at Kona sometime! Delicious!

You went to ride Pooh?

*such a shame that Monica isn't here to laugh at that!*


It really does look like a beautiful day! Such blue skies!

Can you believe we've never ever seen the opening ceremony?

Ride Pooh? Ewww.....
(I've got to get Monica back on here....especially since her prediction of checking back on here in November to read my whole report since that's when I'll probably finish it, is looking to be coming true. )

Hope you can make it to the opening ceremony soon, Nicole! SO fun!!

I was cracking up at your descriptions of the fireworks pictures - too funny!

One of my favorite things to do when we are able to stay deluxe is to order a room service breakfast. Yours looks delicious!

I'd be tempted to want to sit out in the hammock all day at the Poly beach.

Gorgeous MK pictures! Wish I was there right now.

We enjoyed the relaxed pace of room service, that's for sure! Just not the price tag!! Oh well - it was just one day, right?

Oh, that hammock was calling to us....stay tuned....

Breakfast looked really yummy! You got some great pics!!!

Love the PP pic of you guys holding Tink. You look so happy

Aww...thanks! We were!

Sara

 

[meeko_33785]

Great morning so far. I bet you two really enjoyed how nice and leisurely it was. Looking forward to finding out the first attraction of the day.

 

[faerieprincess]

Great update Sara! i love the PP pics, they are great! Looking forward to more....

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi Sara!

Laughed so hard at your funny fireworks captions!

What an amazing MK morning so far... and you haven't even ridden anything yet! What a difference it makes not having to do the Great Dumbo Dash.

(I wonder how it will be once there are two Dumbos!)

Hope Shawn's feet held up okay...


Kathy

 

[mom2mek]

Great morning so far. I bet you two really enjoyed how nice and leisurely it was. Looking forward to finding out the first attraction of the day.

Thanks! It was certainly a different pace that morning from what we are used to doing!

Great update Sara! i love the PP pics, they are great! Looking forward to more....

Thanks Sare! I hope to get this thing moving along a little quicker now that I have another trip to plan for February!

(Oh, who am I kidding....)

Hi Sara!

Laughed so hard at your funny fireworks captions!

What an amazing MK morning so far... and you haven't even ridden anything yet! What a difference it makes not having to do the Great Dumbo Dash.

(I wonder how it will be once there are two Dumbos!)

Hope Shawn's feet held up okay...


Kathy

Thanks Kathy! At first when I heard about the Dumbo changes, I was a little sad....I mean, it's DUMBO!! Why mess with a classic? Then I saw the renderings....WOW! I think it's gonna be great! I hope my kids aren't past the stage of wanting to get on it by the time it opens in 2012/2013 though!! Oh, who am I kidding - they will probably be like me - I'm close to 35 and still love to get on Dumbo!!

Hey everyone....If you have a moment, please vote for my little Dumbo on this Facebook contest (it's an old picture of Michael, but one of my favorites and I thought it would be fitting for this contest):

http://apps.facebook.com/promotionshq/contests/7059/voteable_entries/1254607

You can vote everyday, so feel free to do that!

Let me know if you enter any of your little ones - you can vote for 5 entries everyday and I will glady vote for yours too!

Thanks!

Sara

 

[DisneyJo]

Room service is so decadent, what a fantastic way to start the day

I too love the opening ceremony, it always makes me slightly teary eyed as Mickey appears, yep I'm a sap

 

[kaysmommie]

That room service looks great! The pictures of Poly and MK are beautiful too. Makes me miss Poly.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Wow...room service!! How fun! The food looks delicious.

The early morning pics of the MK are awesome! Your PP pics turned out really cute!

We saw the MK opening show for the first time this past spring...well worth getting up early to see! I love all the excitement of the train arriving and all the characters dancing!

 

[mom2mek]

Room service is so decadent, what a fantastic way to start the day

I too love the opening ceremony, it always makes me slightly teary eyed as Mickey appears, yep I'm a sap

SLIGHTLY teary-eyed, Jo? I cry like a baby! And then try and hide it from everyone around me....("Look at that crazy Disney lady, mom...she's sobbing because Mickey is here!")

That room service looks great! The pictures of Poly and MK are beautiful too. Makes me miss Poly.

Me too, Nichole....me too!

Wow...room service!! How fun! The food looks delicious.

The early morning pics of the MK are awesome! Your PP pics turned out really cute!

We saw the MK opening show for the first time this past spring...well worth getting up early to see! I love all the excitement of the train arriving and all the characters dancing!

Oh yes, I do too...it's as good as a cup of coffee in the morning...really gets me going!

Sara

 

[ladybugmom]

That Tonga Toast looks awesome!! It was something I forgot to try on our trip--next time!! The fireworks pics were cracking me up!! Glad you still shared them!! Oh--and I voted on FB for the Dumbo pic!!

 

[mom2mek]

That Tonga Toast looks awesome!! It was something I forgot to try on our trip--next time!! The fireworks pics were cracking me up!! Glad you still shared them!! Oh--and I voted on FB for the Dumbo pic!!

Thanks Becky! Definitely try the Tonga Toast next time...it's delicious! Yeah, my fireworks pictures were lacking a little something....like TALENT!! (Shawn took some way better pics from the beach the night we were all there! At the pace I'm going, I might get to that night by Thanksgiving....)

Thanks for voting for Dumbo....if you get a chance could you click on it again to see if it tells you that you voted because your name (it tells you if the person voting is a FB friend) doesn't show you....I've had a couple others that that happened to. (BTW....Nichole has a pic up too...Kaylee and Thomas as Tink and Peter Pan - so cute!) Michael has ALMOST made it to the first page of entries, so keep voting if you don't mind!

Sara

 

[ladybugmom]

Thanks Becky! Definitely try the Tonga Toast next time...it's delicious! Yeah, my fireworks pictures were lacking a little something....like TALENT!! (Shawn took some way better pics from the beach the night we were all there! At the pace I'm going, I might get to that night by Thanksgiving....)

Thanks for voting for Dumbo....if you get a chance could you click on it again to see if it tells you that you voted because your name (it tells you if the person voting is a FB friend) doesn't show you....I've had a couple others that that happened to. (BTW....Nichole has a pic up too...Kaylee and Thomas as Tink and Peter Pan - so cute!) Michael has ALMOST made it to the first page of entries, so keep voting if you don't mind!

Sara

I just tried to vote again--can't find where it actually shows the votes so let me know if it worked!!

 

[mom2mek]

I just tried to vote again--can't find where it actually shows the votes so let me know if it worked!!

Awww...thanks Becky! I appreciate it. I just sent you a FB message with the link - maybe that will work better!

Sara

 

[ladybugmom]

Awww...thanks Becky! I appreciate it. I just sent you a FB message with the link - maybe that will work better!

Sara

Ok--it finally worked for me!!

 

[MeMom]

These are just beautiful! I am going to remember them and come back and look a few more times during the cold, dreary days of winter as we wait for our summer trip.

The room service breakfast was a great idea and a nice treat for yourselves. The Tonga toast is so good, but too big for me to finish, too.

 

[mom2mek]

These are just beautiful! I am going to remember them and come back and look a few more times during the cold, dreary days of winter as we wait for our summer trip.

The room service breakfast was a great idea and a nice treat for yourselves. The Tonga toast is so good, but too big for me to finish, too.

Oh yes, I look back at them each time I think about our next trip! Especially when the trip is going to be to the Poly!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Day 3 - May 15, 2009
Part 2 - Magic Kingdom - Oh, What A Beautiful Morning....


So, without needing to do the Dumbo Dash, did we still head to Fantasyland, or did we try something new and different for a MK morning?


If you guessed the latter, you would be correct. We thought we would head towards my favorite ride in all of Disney World.....Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! So, here is one more castle shot

before we headed towards…..

I love the colonial theming and all the attention to detail in this area of the Magic Kingdom (well, love the details in ALL the areas, but this is one area where we usually don't slow down enough to notice most of the details. It was nice to be able to take our time through all of it.

I had never even noticed this big Christmas sleigh outside the Christmas shop.

We stopped and I took a quick picture of Shawn in the stockade.....just where he should be....LOL

Then we walked along the nice wooden walkway next to the water on our way to the mountains!

(Never noticed this before either…)

As we approached Thunder our plan was to get a FP for later that day and ride standby. It was literally like six minutes past 9 when we got there, and I felt like Chevy Chase in the first national Lampoon movie when they finally arrive to Wally World and find out the park is closed. The CM standing at the entrance said "sorry, folks. ....Thunder Mountain is not quite ready yet this morning…check back in a little while!”



WHAT????



OH NO!!!



I fell into a pit of despair.



I'm just kidding, it was fine. We had our fastpasses for later and decided to turn around and head back towards a certain mansion that I hear is HAUNTED!!!

We took our time AGAIN walking back on the wooden walkway by the water, and Shawn took his sweet time taking pictures….

(Same picture 3 different edit jobs…which do you like best? I’m kind of partial to the black and white one…)



Hmmm…this looks familiar:

This time someone offered to take a picture of both of us in the stocks:

(Hey, now that I’m looking at this, I see a train going on Thunder….maybe we should have just waited it out….or maybe that was just a “test” train sitting empty)



Oh well…we were headed to….

(Love the raised dirt...)

(getting creepier....)

(Shawn wasn't able - or didn't try - to get a picture of her when her eyes opened....but I did....)

Naturally, at this time in the morning, it was a total walk-on. Amazing how much detail you can catch when you aren't riding with a somewhat nervous child and trying to talk to them about the spooky things and how they aren't really scary, blah, blah, blah.....it was like a whole new ride!

Shawn's attempt at a shot of the ghost dance party...

Where to next....

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

...Continued from last post....

As we exited Haunted mansion, we were really mixing it up....we walked back around to Adventureland through the little cut through at the bathrooms that puts you right by the Magic Carpet Ride.

Off to Pirates we went….

The sign said 10 minutes, but I don't think we waited even 5...

Shawn did pretty good capturing the misty Davy Jones, don't ya think?

As we left Pirates, I was able to make out in the distance the sound of screams and laughter that could only mean one thing….Thunder Mountain was working again! Woo-hoo!! Off we went!

As we got closer to BTMR, I noticed that a little show was gearing up "backstage". So we hung around for a few minutes to see some of it.

I told Shawn to get a picture of Brer Rabbit...this is the best he did...

But enough of that, I've got a runaway train to get to!!!

The sign said a 15 minute wait but I was a little nervous since the people were backed up all the way down the walkway. Hmmm….I was figuring they didn’t have the ride queue all the way opened and that was why, but I was still a little nervous….I didn’t want to get stuck in that long of a line when we knew we would be riding it later with our fastpasses.

Eh, we took a chance.

Phew - I was right! It took about 10 minutes to get to the ride.

Time for my favorite!

Might want to put your mute on, because I have no idea who that screaming/laughing/giggling girl is on this ride :



The ride was fabulous as usual and we headed out and back towards the land of Adventure!

No Splash for us this time around – neither one of us was interested in walking around in wet clothes right then. We grabbed a set of fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise for later and started thinking about a snack to help tide us over to lunch. We didn’t want to eat anything too heavy because we had an early lunch ADR at The Plaza, so, much to my dismay, I decided not to inhale a Dole Whip Float and fill myself up before lunch. I know, CRAZY!!! I should have done it anyway!!

We opted to split a pineapple spear instead. We found a nice little shady spot next to the store and cut into that baby! It was so delicious and so juicy. It really hit the spot.

Sara

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I'm glad you got to ride on BTM after all. Did you do any special effects to the pictures of BTM? They look "oranger" than I remember.

It's a whole different experience without doing that morning dumbo run.

Love the picture of your Dh just before riding BTM. I know it's just the flash in his sunglasses but it looks like a mechevious twinkle.