"One Step Ahead of the Slowpokes!"- A Dec '10/Jan '11 Trip Report! FINISHED 3/9 pg 38

[therussells08]

Wow, I cannot even imagine riding Astro Orbiters in weather that cold! It was rough enough riding Dumbo when we were there!

I'm glad you enjoyed the dessert party! I loved it too, but we have to skip it this next trip.

Yay for your great room location!!!

We got one of those FP's for LMA too, but we didn't get to use it...

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

The dessert party was great, but I think we will have to skip it next time to! It's hard to schedule it in when you've got a busy itinerary!

I loved our room location! I just wish it had been warm enough to use the pool!

We ended up not using the LMA FP either, but it was still cool to get!

I know what you mean. DH and I have always loved Disney but didn't have the best time on our Honeymoon in 1993. We just didn't know all the details. I really should have read the guides more. After our trip in 2006 though we were both hooked. He just kept wondering around and telling me how much better it was knowing what we were doing and thanking me for finding the DIS.

Oh my. Your poor mom probably feels terrible after seeing all the pictures. At least you have a great back story.

You are so funny. Your little video camera did a good job. Now someone needs to get you an awesome still camera. You love taking pictures so much I know you would get some use out of it.

I subscribed on youtube in case you post anymore Disney stuff. I can't ever seem to get enough when trip planning.

The desserts look so yummy. I would love to do something like that. I really worry about that kind of stuff though with DD's diabetes. It's one thing to guess on things you have some idea about but guessing the carbs in all those desserts would definitely not give us a blood sugar in range. That's not something I especially like guessing at just before bed or a long walk.

Almost forgot about your blanket. I missed a bag on our first trip when you spent $40 in the resort shops. Got it on our second. I should have just shown them the receipt but hated doing stuff like that back then. Now that I work customer service and see what we are willing to do for people I have no problem returning things or asking after the fact. So, which two tone color do you pick?

I'm so glad the DIS was able to help make your trips better! Ever since I started posting here it has completely changed the way I plan for Disney, and it has made my trips so much better!

I would love a good still camera! I've never had a really good one. I wish I had one that didn't get blurry so much.

Thanks for subbing on YouTube! I have several more videos I will be posting from this trip!

I might be mistaken, but I think that you can request special sugar free desserts if you do the dessert party. I am pretty sure there was a family next to use that did that, because the CMs brought them a separate plate of desserts! That would be helpful for your daughter!

Unforunately, I didn't get a two tone bag! I really liked them and wanted one, but I don't think I bought much of anything on our DHS day, and I didn't see that offer in any of the other parks or stores!

Love the pictures of Pop! What a great room location! That pathway does look peaceful but on it being littered. Hope it is better maintained in September.

Yay on getting the surprise fastpass! Them palm trees sure look deceiving - it's only when you look at all the coats you realise how cold it actually is!

I have seen the Tote bag in another TR and sure hope they keep that deal running as would love to be able to but it in the promotional offer. Look forward to hearing about your new experience on RnR Coaster

I'm sure there will be less litter in September! I think it was just because it was such a busy time of year!

It was so weird being on that vacation surrounded by palm trees but FREEZING cold!

I hate that I ended up missing out on getting that bag. It was so cute!

Pop is so cute! Ugh, I can't believe that path had litter on it! Disney is usually so good about cleaning, but I guess it gets hard to keep up with in the busy times!

Yay, I LOVE DHS! I liked how you waited in a shop while John went to get the Toy Story FP's, good strategy! I might have to try that in October!

I love the Christmas tree at DHS, it's so pretty!

I really loved staying at POP! It was definitely my favorite value resort. I had never seen litter like that at Disney before. I guess you're right, it was just the busy times!

DHS is SO awesome! Waiting for John in the store while he got FPs was great, because he could move a lot faster without short little ol' me tagging along!

I loved that tree too! I think it was my favorite from the parks.

 

[therussells08]

When I left off we were just heading to one of our all time favorite rides, Tower of Terror! This ride has special meaning to John and me because it was the first ride we ever rode at Disney World! I will always remember that as the magical experience when I first realized that Disney was NOTHING like the other theme parks I had been to in my life.

I noticed as we were approaching ToT that they were doing some cosmetic work on the outside. It kind of affected the creepiness of the hotel, but I didn't mind; all I cared about was, in Stacy's words, "riding that puppy"!

There was hardly no line, so we pretty much walked right into the lobby area. I love this area because there is such amazing attention to detail! I love all of the little extras that make it really look like a scary old abandoned hotel lobby! Plus, it always makes me think of the Tower of Terror movie with Steve Guttenburg. I love that movie!

We had a great time on Tower of Terror, as usual! I don't think I've ever ridden that ride and not had a blast!

Up next it was time to hit my FAVORITE ride in all of Disney World: Rock'n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith!

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this ride! It's a combination of so many great things. I love Aerosmith (especially Steven Tyler), and I love the really fast start at the beginning! One of my favorite Disney memories from every trip is sitting there in the "limo" and listening to Steven Tyler counting down, knowing I'm about to go on the ride of a lifetime!

Now, I'm not a person who asks to sit in the front of ride vehicles, but I am someone who always secretly hopes I will be placed there by chance. That usually never happens to me, unless it's on rides with really short vehicles like Space Mountain. I don't know why I don't request to sit in the front, because I know the CMs would be gracious about it. I guess I always figure the ride will be fun no matter where I sit, and then if I just happen to be placed in the front it's even more exciting!

Anyway, for the first time in my life on this RnRC ride, John and I got to sit in the very front row! I remember being so excited when the Cast Member said, "How many? Row 1." I was almost jumping up and down I was so happy!

Needless to say, sitting in the front was AWESOME! It was so amazing when we first took off, and seeing all of the directions while we rode along with no heads blocking us was great! That was without a doubt the best ride I had ever taken on RnRC!

After that awesome experience John decided he wanted to stop for a smoke break. There is a smoking area right next to the Sweet Spells candy shop on Sunset Boulevard, so while John smoked I went inside to stay warm and look around.

I couldn't believe this giant rice krispie Mickey! It was cute, but it didn't look very appetizing to me.

I really love candy apples, but I couldn't imagine paying $10 for one. Also, I like regular red candy apples, not the ones that have all that extra stuff on them. They're just too difficult to eat in my opinion!

I took a picture of the witch and her poisonous apple in the window. It came out kind of dark, but I thought that made it look pretty cool. It adds to her creepiness!

After John finished his break we both decided that we were hungry. I had something on my mind that I had read about on the DIS, so we decided to go to the Starring Rolls Cafe.

The line was really long, so I told John what I wanted then went to hold a table for us outside. It was so cold, so it seemed like he was gone forever, but before long John was back with our breakfast. He got a chocolate muffin and a coffee, and I got a Butterfinger cupcake and a large Diet Coke!

Apparently you could get a large soda and it was still just one snack credit, which means for this meal we used two snack credits each.

I had heard so much about the Butterfinger cupcake on the DIS, and it did not disappoint! It was absolutely delicious! I got a little frustrated because my nose was really stuffy and I was having a hard time tasting it, but I could taste enough to know that it was gooood! Since it was so huge I was only able to eat about half of it, but John was more than willing to finish it off for me!

After we finished eating we headed over to one of my favorite places, The Magic of Disney Animation. We went in the store there, and I had a great time looking around.

I got really excited when I saw the Jim Shore Disney Nutcracker figurines. I love Jim Shore, and my family goes to see the Nutcracker every year at the NC School of the Arts. It was fun looking at them and seeing the different characters, but I decided not to buy one.

I saw a Jim Shore Tigger, too. I love all of the Winnie the Pooh characters, so I thought this was adorable!

Next we wandered over and I spotted another one of my favorite things: the Thomas Kinkade Disney paintings! I absolutely adore them. I have told John that when we buy a home I want to get one to hang over our mantle.

Here is the Pinnochio one. I thought it was really pretty.

This one was my absolute favorite, though. I LOVE Bambi, and I thought this painting was gorgeous. John loved it too, because he really likes things like deer and the woods.

John and I have this Disney tradition where we always pick out a certain item each from a gift shop and we agree that whoever wins at Toy Story Mania will get to buy that item. Last time I won, and I ended up getting a really great Tinkerbell pin bag that I had picked out. Well, I jokingly said to John that if I won I wanted to get this Bambi painting. Imagine my surprise when he agreed! I had to laugh, because that painting cost almost as much money as I make in a month, but I still thought it was sweet that he said I could get it if I wanted to.

Up Next: We run into the Big Cheese and then head to one of my favorite places: Animation Academy! Which character did we draw? Stay tuned to find out!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Yay on being able to ride at the front of RnR coaster without even asking...how cool!!

I agree with you...that giant rice krispy Mickey doesn't look appetizing! Also on the price of that candy apple.

Am soo looking forward to getting a Starring rolls cupcake!

Btw I love your shopping taste! That Jim Shore Tigger and the Disney paintings are great! How good of John to say you could get it if you wanted to

 

[stephielela]

I love the atmosphere at ToT too, it's so well done! Those are some beautiful paintings, but they are pretty pricey. It was sweet of John to say you could get it... did he know you wouldn't win at TSM? I tried the bitterfinger cupcake in September, it was delicious!

 

[Nermel9]

Yay, Tower of Terror!!! Best ride in Disney World!

I didn't know you could be in the front of RnRC without asking! Brandon and I always ask to sit in the front on that and EE, because in 2008, on Brandon's first trip, he asked one of the CM's how you get to sit in the front, and they told him you have to ask, and then wait off to the side a little longer, so that's what we have always done!

Mmm that Butterfinger cupcake looks so good!

I love those Thomas Kinkade Disney paintings! I really love the Peter Pan one, I'd love to buy a print of it someday! That was sweet that John said you could have one if you won TSM!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Nice updates!!! I love shopping at Disney!! It's funny to see Xmas things since I was just there and all of that is gone now! I must admit I enjoyed the 80 degree temps and NOT the 40 degrees that we had in Dec!

 

[RachelNinja]

I'm very excited because I have a whole month of updates to read right now! I knew I wanted to take my time to read yours and comment, which is why I kept putting it off. I didn't want to rush through it.

I'm so curious about that Tavern Fried Cheese! If and when Howard and I go to LTT, I think I'm going to ask the server if there's any way that we can get one of each just to try. We can't order the whole thing because it's too much cheese for 2 lactose intolerant people! We can both handle about half of that dish, but we wouldn't want to push it.

Yay for a photo shopping spree! I don't take the time to look at all the ornaments mainly because I don't yet have my own tree to decorate. Plus, like you said, I'd probably break them somehow!

Haha, love your Merchant of Venus/Venice reference! I JUST wrote that for my Feb 2010 TR update!

I'm so glad you found a cute thing to keep you warm! I was getting all chilly just reading about how cold you were!

The honey screens really grossed me out too. We were on the FP line, so we didn't get to play with it, but if I wanted to try it, I'd wait until the last one. The first few are probably played with a lot more. By the time people go to the last one around the corner, it wasn't as fun! There are pics behind the honey though that go with the book. People would press their whole hands and "wipe" away the honey to reveal the picture behind it.

AHHHH, your Astro Orbiter experience sounds terrible! Although I really did enjoy this little tidbit: "... if it wasn't for the fact that I felt like I was riding full speed on the back of a champion dogsled team in the Iditarod. "

I don't think I would ever do the Wishes Dessert Party because I don't have a sweet tooth. I'd eat one thing and be done. Then I'd want some french fries or something! I'd want to go back and get that fish basket from CHH! It was hilarious having that this past February. The 5 of us were sitting there in complete silence just stuffing our faces and going, "MmMm ..." every once in a while!

Yay for the blanket! I was about to say, oh no! I think you could've still gotten it if you showed your receipt! Phew, so glad you did!

I've never heard of the surprise FP before. That is a really smart idea on their part. I like it when they give the coupons for a certain percentage off if you have lunch before a certain time.

 

[Cat0727]

Haha for my very first ride on RnR we got stuck on Row 1 without asking, either! If I wasn't scared before I sure was at that moment! But I ended up having a great time because it was such a smooth ride. I liked RnR so much that I went on it again later that day. I'm glad I've gotten over my fear; it's taken me about 5 years to get the courage to go on that ride!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Your view at Pop was great! I love your pictures of the pool.

I haven't heard of this surprise FP - I'm guessing they only give them out before rope drop? That would probably explain it - we never seem to be able to make it before RD.

I think your idea of waiting in the gift shop while John got the TSM FPs was a great idea. I might need to mention that strategy to Miguel on the honeymoon. I hope they still have the bride and groom pins. Those are adorable!

 

[Parla]

I might be mistaken, but I think that you can request special sugar free desserts if you do the dessert party. I am pretty sure there was a family next to use that did that, because the CMs brought them a separate plate of desserts! That would be helpful for your daughter!

Unforunately, I didn't get a two tone bag! I really liked them and wanted one, but I don't think I bought much of anything on our DHS day, and I didn't see that offer in any of the other parks or stores!

Not to be a diabetes educator anything but sugar free stuff still has quite a few carbs. The sugar substitutes can affect your blood differently and each one is different. Since Disney doesn't provide any information we would have to guess either way and I'm more comfortable with real sugar. I think type 2 diabetics might go with the sugar free stuff more if they aren't on insulin but DD's insulin is simply based on carbs and she can eat anything but poison and cookies... made with poison. Sorry, I stole that line from a cute little video I found.

Sorry you didn't get the bag. I'll have to keep in mind that those offers don't always travel from park to park.

There was hardly no line, so we pretty much walked right into the lobby area. I love this area because there is such amazing attention to detail! I love all of the little extras that make it really look like a scary old abandoned hotel lobby! Plus, it always makes me think of the Tower of Terror movie with Steve Guttenburg. I love that movie!

Ha! We just watched that movie for the first time. I found it wondering around Amazon. Then when we signed up for Netflix to go with our PS3 a few weeks ago it was $2 more to get unlimited (one at a time) DVD rentals. They had that movie so rather than buy it for $10 I figured that was five months worth of getting newer movies from Netflix. What a bargain! DD loved the movie!

Anyway, for the first time in my life on this RnRC ride, John and I got to sit in the very front row! I remember being so excited when the Cast Member said, "How many? Row 1." I was almost jumping up and down I was so happy!

We used to always ask for front seats at King's Island (amusement park in Ohio) but I don't think we ever have at Disney. I always just felt like the lines were so much longer, I didn't want to take up more of their time. I think we might do that this trip though. It will be DD's first RnRC ride and she love roller coasters. I think she would always love that ride if the very first trip is up in front.

I couldn't believe this giant rice krispie Mickey! It was cute, but it didn't look very appetizing to me.

Wow! That's pricey! I could probably eat it in one sitting though. I rice krispy treats.

I really love candy apples, but I couldn't imagine paying $10 for one. Also, I like regular red candy apples, not the ones that have all that extra stuff on them. They're just too difficult to eat in my opinion!

I love the caramel apples with all the different chocolate toppings but it's really something you have to sit down and eat with a fork and knife.

Next we wandered over and I spotted another one of my favorite things: the Thomas Kinkade Disney paintings! I absolutely adore them. I have told John that when we buy a home I want to get one to hang over our mantle.

Here is the Pinnochio one. I thought it was really pretty.

This one was my absolute favorite, though. I LOVE Bambi, and I thought this painting was gorgeous. John loved it too, because he really likes things like deer and the woods.

John and I have this Disney tradition where we always pick out a certain item each from a gift shop and we agree that whoever wins at Toy Story Mania will get to buy that item. Last time I won, and I ended up getting a really great Tinkerbell pin bag that I had picked out. Well, I jokingly said to John that if I won I wanted to get this Bambi painting. Imagine my surprise when he agreed! I had to laugh, because that painting cost almost as much money as I make in a month, but I still thought it was sweet that he said I could get it if I wanted to.

Oh, oh, oh! Is this foreshadowing? Love those paintings. I had forgotten that Thomas Kinkade was doing those. We have lived in this house for 14 years and never had a painting over the couch. We have a whale picture I got for free hanging above the fireplace but you have just inspired me to become very frugal before our trip so I can try and talk DH into a little house decorating while we're there. I better start asking people if I can have their shifts at work!

 

[therussells08]

Yay on being able to ride at the front of RnR coaster without even asking...how cool!!

I agree with you...that giant rice krispy Mickey doesn't look appetizing! Also on the price of that candy apple.

Am soo looking forward to getting a Starring rolls cupcake!

Btw I love your shopping taste! That Jim Shore Tigger and the Disney paintings are great! How good of John to say you could get it if you wanted to

Riding a the front of RnRC was so great!

You are going to love the butterfinger cupcakes! They're amazing!

Thank you! I collect Jim Shore figurines and I am so excited because I am going to meet him next Saturday!

I love the atmosphere at ToT too, it's so well done! Those are some beautiful paintings, but they are pretty pricey. It was sweet of John to say you could get it... did he know you wouldn't win at TSM? I tried the bitterfinger cupcake in September, it was delicious!

I'm not sure what he was thinking when he said I could get one, but I didn't take it to heart. There was no way I was going to spend $1500 on a painting!

Yay, Tower of Terror!!! Best ride in Disney World!

I didn't know you could be in the front of RnRC without asking! Brandon and I always ask to sit in the front on that and EE, because in 2008, on Brandon's first trip, he asked one of the CM's how you get to sit in the front, and they told him you have to ask, and then wait off to the side a little longer, so that's what we have always done!

Mmm that Butterfinger cupcake looks so good!

I love those Thomas Kinkade Disney paintings! I really love the Peter Pan one, I'd love to buy a print of it someday! That was sweet that John said you could have one if you won TSM!

I didn't know you could get in the front without asking either! I guess it just depends on if there are a bunch of people asking at that time or not. There didn't seem to be anyone requesting it when we got it, so the front's line was the same length as the other rows.

I have a print of the Cinderella's Castle painting, but it is only 8x10 size. I still love it! It makes me feel like I am right there in the painting.

Nice updates!!! I love shopping at Disney!! It's funny to see Xmas things since I was just there and all of that is gone now! I must admit I enjoyed the 80 degree temps and NOT the 40 degrees that we had in Dec!

Thank you! Shopping at Disney is definitely the best. I am definitely looking forward to warmer temps on our next trip!

 

[therussells08]

I'm very excited because I have a whole month of updates to read right now! I knew I wanted to take my time to read yours and comment, which is why I kept putting it off. I didn't want to rush through it.

I'm so curious about that Tavern Fried Cheese! If and when Howard and I go to LTT, I think I'm going to ask the server if there's any way that we can get one of each just to try. We can't order the whole thing because it's too much cheese for 2 lactose intolerant people! We can both handle about half of that dish, but we wouldn't want to push it.

Yay for a photo shopping spree! I don't take the time to look at all the ornaments mainly because I don't yet have my own tree to decorate. Plus, like you said, I'd probably break them somehow!

Haha, love your Merchant of Venus/Venice reference! I JUST wrote that for my Feb 2010 TR update!

I'm so glad you found a cute thing to keep you warm! I was getting all chilly just reading about how cold you were!

The honey screens really grossed me out too. We were on the FP line, so we didn't get to play with it, but if I wanted to try it, I'd wait until the last one. The first few are probably played with a lot more. By the time people go to the last one around the corner, it wasn't as fun! There are pics behind the honey though that go with the book. People would press their whole hands and "wipe" away the honey to reveal the picture behind it.

AHHHH, your Astro Orbiter experience sounds terrible! Although I really did enjoy this little tidbit: "... if it wasn't for the fact that I felt like I was riding full speed on the back of a champion dogsled team in the Iditarod. "

I don't think I would ever do the Wishes Dessert Party because I don't have a sweet tooth. I'd eat one thing and be done. Then I'd want some french fries or something! I'd want to go back and get that fish basket from CHH! It was hilarious having that this past February. The 5 of us were sitting there in complete silence just stuffing our faces and going, "MmMm ..." every once in a while!

Yay for the blanket! I was about to say, oh no! I think you could've still gotten it if you showed your receipt! Phew, so glad you did!

I've never heard of the surprise FP before. That is a really smart idea on their part. I like it when they give the coupons for a certain percentage off if you have lunch before a certain time.

I like saving up updates on TRs to read too! It is so much more satisfying that just reading a little bit at a time!

I'm sure they would probably let you sample the cheese at LTT! It was delicious, but it was definitely more fried cheese than I could handle, and I'm not even lactose intolerant!

I have a tree, but it is a fake little flimsy tree, so it doesn't hold our huge Disney ornaments very well. I bought a lot on our honeymoon, so I try to refrain from buying anymore. It's so tempting, though!

I was so grateful for my jacket when we bought it! I still wear it almost everyday that we have chilly mornings. I am determined to get my money's worth out of it!

I'm glad I wasn't the only one grossed out by the honey screens! I just saw all of those greasy smudged finger prints and I could have gagged. It did look really cool when they wiped away the honey to reveal the picture, but I'm too paranoid to try it myself!

The Wishes Dessert Party is definitely only a good value if you have a sweet tooth. I have a huge sweet tooth, but I have a huge savory tooth as well! I just like food in general! Our experience with the fish basket at CHH sounds a lot like yours! It's so yummy, there's no time to talk!

We got a few of those discount coupons on our trip! That is a really good idea for crowd management!

Haha for my very first ride on RnR we got stuck on Row 1 without asking, either! If I wasn't scared before I sure was at that moment! But I ended up having a great time because it was such a smooth ride. I liked RnR so much that I went on it again later that day. I'm glad I've gotten over my fear; it's taken me about 5 years to get the courage to go on that ride!

It is a very smooth ride! That's what I love about Disney rides. You don't feel like you're getting beaten up while riding! RnRC is my absolute favorite!

Your view at Pop was great! I love your pictures of the pool.

I haven't heard of this surprise FP - I'm guessing they only give them out before rope drop? That would probably explain it - we never seem to be able to make it before RD.

I think your idea of waiting in the gift shop while John got the TSM FPs was a great idea. I might need to mention that strategy to Miguel on the honeymoon. I hope they still have the bride and groom pins. Those are adorable!

They probably do just do the surprise FPs before rope drop because that was the only time I've ever gotten them!

I'm pretty sure those pins were not limited addition, so they should still have them on your Disneymoon!

Not to be a diabetes educator anything but sugar free stuff still has quite a few carbs. The sugar substitutes can affect your blood differently and each one is different. Since Disney doesn't provide any information we would have to guess either way and I'm more comfortable with real sugar. I think type 2 diabetics might go with the sugar free stuff more if they aren't on insulin but DD's insulin is simply based on carbs and she can eat anything but poison and cookies... made with poison. Sorry, I stole that line from a cute little video I found.

Sorry you didn't get the bag. I'll have to keep in mind that those offers don't always travel from park to park.

Ha! We just watched that movie for the first time. I found it wondering around Amazon. Then when we signed up for Netflix to go with our PS3 a few weeks ago it was $2 more to get unlimited (one at a time) DVD rentals. They had that movie so rather than buy it for $10 I figured that was five months worth of getting newer movies from Netflix. What a bargain! DD loved the movie!

We used to always ask for front seats at King's Island (amusement park in Ohio) but I don't think we ever have at Disney. I always just felt like the lines were so much longer, I didn't want to take up more of their time. I think we might do that this trip though. It will be DD's first RnRC ride and she love roller coasters. I think she would always love that ride if the very first trip is up in front.

Wow! That's pricey! I could probably eat it in one sitting though. I rice krispy treats.

I love the caramel apples with all the different chocolate toppings but it's really something you have to sit down and eat with a fork and knife

Oh, oh, oh! Is this foreshadowing? Love those paintings. I had forgotten that Thomas Kinkade was doing those. We have lived in this house for 14 years and never had a painting over the couch. We have a whale picture I got for free hanging above the fireplace but you have just inspired me to become very frugal before our trip so I can try and talk DH into a little house decorating while we're there. I better start asking people if I can have their shifts at work!

I did not know that about sugar free desserts! That is very interesting!

I love the ToT movie so much! I like all of the movies based on Disney rides. The Haunted Mansion movie with Eddie Murphy is one of my favorites! And of course, PoTC!

I think you should definitely ride RnRC up front since it is DD's first time! That is an experience she will never forget!

I like rice krispie treats, but I get sick of them after a few bites, so I know I couldn't eat that one!

I get caramel apples like that at the fair sometimes, and you're right, you have to eat it like a meal! I prefer the plain red candy apples over the rest. They are so good!

I wish it was foreshadowing, but unfortunately not! We actually found a much cheaper Thomas Kinkade painting later in the trip and considered getting it. Stay tuned to find out if we did!

 

[therussells08]

Hi everyone! I am interrupting your regularly scheduled Trip Report to let you know that I have started a new PTR!

As you can see I have a new ticker for a trip that is just a few months away, so please head on over to my PTR to read all about it! The link is in my signature, but I will post it here as well!

**A Disney Salute! June 2011 Military Discount/Anniversary PTR!**


I hope you enjoy it! I will be back with an update for this TR tonight hopefully!

 

[therussells08]

Before exploring further we decided to head over and grab Little Mermaid Fast Passes really quickly. This was another experience we had never tried, so I wanted to check it out. We got our Fast Passes and then continued our journey!

The Magic of Disney Animation is one of our favorite places to visit when we are in DHS, so we ended up spending quite a bit of time there. We were both dying to do one of our absolute favorite things: Animation Academy! John and I LOVE drawing the characters. We have so many souvenir pictures from the many times we have taken the drawing class. We decided to head that way and see when the next class would start. However, we got a little side tracked on our way!

When I realized that Mickey was meeting people with virtually no wait, I had to jump in line! I was becoming borderline obsessed with taking as many Photo Pass pictures as possible for our preordered CD, so I was very excited to meet the Big Cheese!

This was our first character interaction of the trip, but I must say it was pretty disappointing. Mickey was not very engaged, and he virtually ignored John. We got some pretty cute pictures, but I didn’t walk away from Mickey with that great feeling you get with a really awesome character interaction. Don’t worry though, someone else MORE than made up for that later in the day…

After we met with Mickey we went to wait for the next Animation Academy class to start. We only had to wait ten minutes or so and we were in! I always stress out during the drawing classes because I want to make sure I get one of the lit desks. I had to sit in the front row once where there are no desks and it’s a lot harder to draw. Luckily we scored two desks! Our teacher was SO cool for this class! He was really funny and nice, and he wanted to make sure everyone got to draw a character we had never drawn before. He kept naming characters and having people raise their hands if they had drawn them before. After about twenty characters we realized that no one had drawn Scrooge McDuck! I thought it was really cool that he picked a holiday themed character!

We had a great time drawing Scrooge. Here are our finished products!

This is John’s Scrooge:

And here is mine:

After our art class we decided to go to one of the classics, the Great Movie Ride!

On our way over we saw several characters. We decided not to wait in line to meet them, but I snapped a few pictures anyway.

Here’s Pooh and Tigger! This was my second Tigger spotting of the trip!

Stitch! I have always enjoyed meeting Stitch. I like how mischievous he is!

The Great Movie Ride was fun, as usual. I love seeing all of the scenes from the old movies, and I really love the live show they put on. I just wish I could see the cowboy scene once instead of the gangster scene! I didn’t even know they did another scene until I read it on someone else’s TR (I think it was Jen’s). I love the gangster scene, but I’ve seen it ever time I’ve ridden the ride!

After we finished the Great Movie Ride we decided to go to one of John’s favorites: Indiana Jones! On our way I took a few pictures.

This Indy picture reminded me of my PTR game, because I had the hardest time finding a picture of the waiting time sign for this show.

We found some pretty decent seat to the right of the stage, and in just a few minutes the show was ready to start! However, before it began one of the announcers came out and told us that since it was below 40 degrees (yes, I said below 40 degrees) there was a hydraulic leak so they would only be able to perform the first scene of the show. It was kind of disappointing, but we understood it was for safety reasons. The first scene was great as always!

That scene will always and forever remind me of the Full House episode when they came to Disney World and DJ kept seeing Steve everywhere. I always crack up when she thinks Steve is Indiana Jones and she jumps up and yells in front of everyone!

After the (mini)show we stopped by the Indy merchandise shop for John to look around. He considered getting a t-shirt but he decided he still wasn’t ready to get his special trip shirt yet.

Here is the one he almost got.

After we finished looking around we decided to go back toward TSM because it was getting close to time to use our Fast Passes. On our way I took this picture.

We still had a few more minutes to wait, so we decided to check out One Man’s Dream. I am really fascinated by Walt Disney so I couldn’t believe we had never done this before! I loved it!

Here is Walt’s office. This was so cool!

John is a huge fan of model buildings and such so he spent quite awhile checking those out. I love the tree of life model!

I thought the video that went along with this display was great! It was so cool to see how Disney World got it’s start. The only thing that I didn’t like was seeing the original character costumes they had for the parks. They were SO creepy! Seriously, when I saw the Donald I thought it was going to give me nightmares! I think it is a definite plus that they started giving the characters the big fake looking gloves, because it really freaked me out seeing the big furry characters with weird little human sized hands. I know I know, I probably sound really strange right now!

Anyway, our time in One Man’s Dream took a little longer than we expected, so by the time we got out it was about 12:30. We had an ADR at Sci Fi Dine in Theater at 1pm, so we needed to ride TSM as quickly as possible!

As we were getting in the FP line I took a picture of the standby wait time.

Yikes! Good thing we had Fast Passes!

We got through the FP line pretty quickly, until we got to the last set of stairs you descend before boarding. Them something really weird happened. A CM started calling for a group of two, so John and I raised our hands. He ushered us down to the front of the line on one side, but then he made us stand there and wait for like twenty minutes! I mean, the people who were in line behind us originally boarded about ten minutes before us! I had no clue why he did that. What was the point in pulling us out of the crowd if you were going to make us wait longer? I was starting to stress out because it was 12:55 and our ADR was at 1:00! John started to get pretty mad after awhile and I think the CM could tell because he finally boarded us.

Despite my stress about the time I still had a great ride (of course) and guess what! I totally creamed John!

The red score is mine! And not only did I cream John, but I had the best score of the hour! How cool is that?

Up Next: Did we make it to our ADR in time? Stay tuned to find out!

 

[Parla]

We got through the FP line pretty quickly, until we got to the last set of stairs you descend before boarding. Them something really weird happened. A CM started calling for a group of two, so John and I raised our hands. He ushered us down to the front of the line on one side, but then he made us stand there and wait for like twenty minutes! I mean, the people who were in line behind us originally boarded about ten minutes before us! I had no clue why he did that. What was the point in pulling us out of the crowd if you were going to make us wait longer? I was starting to stress out because it was 12:55 and our ADR was at 1:00! John started to get pretty mad after awhile and I think the CM could tell because he finally boarded us.

Sounds like a good day except for that rotten CM. What the heck was he thinking? He probably forgot all about you!

We can't do the animation academy anymore. DS totally stresses and freaks out. He cried and pouted for the longest time the last trip. He even said the other day that he hoped we didn't do the drawing thing again because he thought it was too stressful.

Oh, and thank you for following my rule and posting over here before posting again on your PTR.

 

[RachelNinja]

That Sorcerer Mickey actually looks a little creepy. Is it just me or is he really thin? Is he supposed to be that thin?

You drew an awesome Scrooge McDuck! I too was worried that we'd have to sit in the front row. I was so paranoid, and when we got in there, we didn't even fill up the entire class! Haha. I kept telling Howard that we had to make sure we got a desk!

I wonder if anyone in real life has ever called out for Steve during Indiana Jones just to reenact it! If so, I wonder what Disney would've done about the person!

 

[TanzUnited99]

The pics with the Cheese himself look great but on the interaction - am glad someone else made up for it

Yay on getting to draw Scrooge McDuck - have not seen that one before.

Am glad you managed to ride TSMM after all the drama and on getting the best score of the hour

 

[Nermel9]

That Sorcerer Mickey actually looks a little creepy. Is it just me or is he really thin? Is he supposed to be that thin?

Haha...I had to go back and look at the pics and you're right, he does look really skinny! Although, Joni, I do like the pics of you and Mickey, but I don't get why John is off to the side by himself! It really does look like Mickey is totally ignoring him! Some of the characters are so weird!

I love the Scrooge drawings! I have to remember to do the drawing class on my next trip!

I'm not a huge Stitch fan, but when Brandon and I met him and Lilo at the Christmas party in 09, they were awesome, one of my favorite character experiences ever!

OMG the Disney Full House episode again! I totally thought of the same thing when we saw the Indiana Jones show too!

Yay, you got such a high score on TSM!

 

[Cat0727]

Aww how cool you got to draw Scrooge! Yours came out really good I love Animation Academy!

Less than 40 degrees? Yikes! Haha I also think of Full House when I see Indy- ''STEVE!" I loved those episodes, they were some of the best!

 

[Tracy161]

Your drawing came out fantastic! I would have been so anxious waiting for TSMM because of the ADR at Sci Fi too - I hope that CM didn't make you late for your lunch!

I still can't get over how cold it was for you guys!