Our End-of-the-Summer Celebration! *TR LINK ADDED!!*

[wdwgirl03]

Very cool! I want to go to NYC! In the third pic down I wonder if someone lives in that apartment behind The Little Mermaid sign? That would be weird huh? The whole window would be a billboard!

haha, that would be so strange if someone lived there! What a view.

You know, I have never been to NYC and I live fairly close too. I need to get on that. Did you buy lots of souvenirs??

Surprisingly I didn't buy too many souvenirs. The only place I bought stuff was the World of Disney store. Go figure.

heyy so glad you started your NYC mini TR! I live like an hour east of there and it still amazes me seeing all the pictures. I haven't been since December and I miss it!! Can't wait to hear more

Glad you're enjoying the pictures so far!

I'm so psyched that you started! Love the pics Too funny about the New Years Eve ball... I've been in Times Square like 25 times since January and haven't EVER seen it. I didn't even know they were keeping it up! I'm looking forward to reading more!

That's funny you didn't realize that about the ball! It's definitely still there.

Great start on the NY trip report!
We keep talking about a short trip there again.

Its fun to see all your photos.
I have never seen the m&m store, It looks neat!

Can't believe you have snow today!!!!
Its in the 40s here, so we just have rain.
I am ready for the warm weather to stay!!!

Glad you like the pictures too. The M&M store was huge...3 floors. We had to laugh though because they have a couple sections where you can mix and match all the M&Ms (so you can get the specific colors you want) and the prices were crazy! I think it was $12 a pound or something like that.

Loving your mini tr! I'm another one who lives close (well 3 hrs away) to NYC and never been! Your pictures are awesome can't wait to hear more!

Ooh, you should go then sometime if you live so close! It was a lot of fun.

Very fun NYC pictures! Did you ice skate? What did you like best about being there? (sorry you have snow today!)

Thanks! No, we didn't ice skate though I think that would've been really fun.

Hmm, what did I like best about being there...that is a good question. I really liked seeing all of the famous landmarks. It was also neat to visit a new place since my sisters and I had never been there before. I think it was also just so different compared to here because it's so busy. Like I said it's a very exciting city though I don't think I could live there!

 

[wdwgirl03]

NYC Day 1 cont'd...

OK, this part may be kind of boring but I'll make up for it with the pictures. After we got our second room at the hotel, we decided to go out again for a little bit because we wanted to see Times Square at night. This time I made sure to bring my camera even though it was drizzling out. One of the exits led right out onto 42nd Street...here's the view. The Mary Poppins theater was conveniently located right across the street.

And another shot of Times Square. It's not the greatest picture but I loved all the lights/signs.

We first stopped at a store to pick up a few snacks to keep in our room. There was also an ESPN Zone restaurant that we stopped by.

We walked around a bit more, taking in the atmosphere of Times Square. It was pretty funny seeing all the other tourists taking pictures of everything. Including me...I think I was pretty much in awe of everything in Times Square.

It's not New York without a few taxis in the picture! haha

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a Cold Stone Creamery to get some ice cream. There used to be a couple of those stores around here but they closed! So of course we had to indulge and get some of our favorite treat from there...the chocolate chip cookie dough! MMMMMM.

I also saw a sign for these cupcakes that I thought would be a nice treat for my birthday. Don't they look good?!

We got back to the hotel fairly early to get some rest and watch some can't-miss TV, American Idol! (My sisters and I are big Idol fans so we are so looking forward to the AI attraction at Hollywood Studios!)

up next: the main event of our trip!

 

[irky416]

Ohhh, I'm excited about the TSM game for the Wii!

Great pictures of NYC! I am dying to go there. I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip.

 

[tinkerbell87512]

I seriously need to get my way to NYC! Times square looks so amazing! What hotel did you guys stay in?

I'm looking forward to the idol attraction too! Can't wait to see the set!

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

Hey!! Thanks for coming over to check out my PTR...soon to be TR! I'm caught up on your PTR but plan on going back to check out your past trips.

LOVE that you're an Idol fan! Last year was the best season EVER, wasn't it? This season kind of sucks Don't you think? My favorite is Allison Iraheta and I also like Matt G. Woo woo!!

I don't think I've ever seen photos or read reviews about the Wilderness Lodge Villas so I'm really excited to hear about your trip!! I went last August and it wasn't too bad. We just tried to drink a lot of water and take breaks by going on rides that are all inside to get away from the sun. You'll be fine!

 

[Jennifer48]

I love your NYC TR within a PTR!

What hotel did you stay in? I'm dying to go see Mary Poppins on Broadway and if your hotel is that close, I'd pay to stay there for the convenience! I dislike the NY subway system and will avoid it at all costs

I hope you took pics of your WOD souvies! Can't wait to see them!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Ohhh, I'm excited about the TSM game for the Wii!

Great pictures of NYC! I am dying to go there. I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip.

Me too, I think that will be such a great game!

Glad you like the pictures so far.

I seriously need to get my way to NYC! Times square looks so amazing! What hotel did you guys stay in?

I'm looking forward to the idol attraction too! Can't wait to see the set!

Yeah, Times Square was really cool. We kept thinking though how crazy it must be on New Year's Eve having all those people packed in that area.

Hey!! Thanks for coming over to check out my PTR...soon to be TR! I'm caught up on your PTR but plan on going back to check out your past trips.

LOVE that you're an Idol fan! Last year was the best season EVER, wasn't it? This season kind of sucks Don't you think? My favorite is Allison Iraheta and I also like Matt G. Woo woo!!

I don't think I've ever seen photos or read reviews about the Wilderness Lodge Villas so I'm really excited to hear about your trip!! I went last August and it wasn't too bad. We just tried to drink a lot of water and take breaks by going on rides that are all inside to get away from the sun. You'll be fine!

I'm looking forward to your TR...hope you start it soon.

Yes, I am an Idol fan!! Last season was pretty good. You know, I thought this season was going to be bad but the top 12 actually turned out pretty interesting. I like Allison and Matt too...couldn't believe he was in the bottom 3 last week!

We've gone to the WL a couple times and I think it was last year we actually went to see the villas, but it was pretty brief (and at night). I'm so excited about it!

I love your NYC TR within a PTR!

What hotel did you stay in? I'm dying to go see Mary Poppins on Broadway and if your hotel is that close, I'd pay to stay there for the convenience! I dislike the NY subway system and will avoid it at all costs

I hope you took pics of your WOD souvies! Can't wait to see them!

Thanks!

We stayed at the Westin New York. It was a really good location. We rode the subway on our last day when we were visiting all these different places...it was pretty interesting. I don't know if I'd want to ride it all the time but it was kind of fun.

And of course I'll be sure to post my souvenirs for you guys!

 

[tinkgurl]

How the heck did I miss this?! Why didn't you tell me you started one girl?!

 

[wdwgirl03]

How the heck did I miss this?! Why didn't you tell me you started one girl?!

haha, sorry! I'm glad you found me though! Welcome!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Hi again everyone! I haven't updated in a while so I thought I'd post some basic plans. It's not very exciting since we're still 4 months away but it'll look better once we get closer! haha!

Thursday, August 20, 2009
Flight out of Milwaukee to Orlando
Magical Express to Wilderness Lodge
first park visit!

Friday, August 21, 2009
park day

Saturday, August 22, 2009
park day

Sunday, August 23, 2009
park day

Monday, August 24, 2009
park day

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Leave for home

So that's the basic outline based on what we usually do. I saw that the July park hours just came out today so maybe that means the August ones will come out at the beginning of next month?? Since we're going in the summer and it's going to be HOT hopefully lots of swimming, and maybe a visit to one of the water parks. We haven't gone to one of them in years and it'd be fun to go to Blizzard Beach again (didn't quite like Typhoon Lagoon as much...).

I'm also going to try and convince my sister to eat at Tony's. If that doesn't work I also suggested the Prime Time Cafe again. So we'll see!

 

[tinkgurl]

I'm also going to try and convince my sister to eat at Tony's. If that doesn't work I also suggested the Prime Time Cafe again. So we'll see!

We have never had a problem with Tony's! We always eat there our last meal of the trip.

 

[wdwgirl03]

NYC Day 2 (March 11): Big East Tournament and Mary Poppins on Broadway!!

One of the main reasons for going to New York was to go to the Big East basketball tournament. We are all big Marquette fans and thought it would be neat to see them play. My sisters were both able to get student tickets and Dad was able to get tickets for himself and me so we were all set!

My sisters received instructions to pick up their tickets at Madison Square Garden between 10 and 11:00 even though MU didn't play until 2:00. So we headed over to the Garden to make sure they could get their tickets. The Garden was just a few blocks away from our hotel so it was easy to walk to.

Well, they eventually got them, but not without some drama. When we got there, nobody there knew where Marquette students were supposed to get their tickets, while all the students from the other schools had specific locations. Apparently they were sent new instructions but since we didn't have internet access they never got the message. I think someone finally showed up around 11:30 for them. It was kind of ridiculous.

Because there was a game before the Marquette game we decided to just go in at that point (my sisters had to go in right away with their student tickets). Mom, meanwhile got to have her own little adventure since she didn't want to go to the games.

It was kind of cool seeing Madison Square Garden but honestly none of us thought it was anything too special. Anyway...

The first game was Providence vs. Depaul (it is kind of funny that Depaul was playing because they did not win a single conference game all season until their first tournament game )

I do have to say that it was a fun atmosphere because all the schools had their bands, cheerleaders, and mascots. We got a kick out Providence's mascot...the friar!

Because Depaul had such a bad season we were kind of pulling for them. It looked good for a while but Providence ended up winning. Oh well.

Next up was the Marquette game! They were playing St. John's, which is in New York so Dad thought there might me a lot of their fans there. It wasn't too bad actually.

Here's my team warming up!

And St. John's...

Time to play!

Needless to say it was not a close game. Marquette was winning at halftime...the score was 38-10! And this was the final score:

YAY! So when we got back to the hotel Dad went online to see if he could get tickets for their next game. He said that was my birthday present. haha

Because the tournament took up a good part of the day, we went back to the hotel for a break before going to see Mary Poppins. Dad and I also took a walk to find something for dinner. We ended up finding a New York deli and got some sandwiches. Yummm.

Then it was time for the show! Last year, The Lion King came here so we went to see that...I was curious to see how Mary Poppins would be. The show was at the New Amsterdam Theater, which like I said, was conveniently located right across the street from the hotel.

I knew I wouldn't be able to take any pictures during the show so I took a couple beforehand:

Mary Poppins was so good! It did have some new scenes and new music so it wasn't exactly the same as the movie. Some of the special effects were pretty cool too. Remember in the movie how Mary Poppins takes all those things out of her bag when she first arrives at the Banks' house? Yep, they had that. That was probably one of my favorites. And I loved the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious number. It was so catchy and the choreography that went with it was amazing. I can't imagine how long it must take to learn all that! It was actually on the WDW Christmas Parade last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8lj6x3xdoQ

So overall it was a fun and busy day. If you are ever in NYC and want to see a Broadway show, go see it! Perfect for Disney fans (or anyone for that matter). And I think it's supposed to be going on tour soon too.

 

[disneydusted]

Looks like you guys had a great time in NYC! We love college basketball too... go Terps!
Glad Mary Poppins was a hit. How do you think they did the carpet bag?

 

[kathleen27]

We stayed at the Westin New York. It was a really good location.

Did you walk from there to the Disney store?

Your report has got me thinking of the NYC trip I've been vaguely saying we would do for over a year now.

I told Hannah I would take her to see the Little Mermaid on Broadway.

Mary Poppins was so good! It did have some new scenes and new music so it wasn't exactly the same as the movie. Some of the special effects were pretty cool too. Remember in the movie how Mary Poppins takes all those things out of her bag when she first arrives at the Banks' house? Yep, they had that. That was probably one of my favorites. And I loved the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious number. It was so catchy and the choreography that went with it was amazing.

And I think it's supposed to be going on tour soon too.

The basketball sounds like lots of fun!!!

Glad you enjoyed Mary Poppins!
We saw Lion King on Broadway and Mary Poppins in London. We loved them both! I hope Mary Poppins goes on tour soon. We would consider seeing it again. We bought the soundtrack.

Glad Mary Poppins was a hit. How do you think they did the carpet bag?

We wondered that too!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Looks like you guys had a great time in NYC! We love college basketball too... go Terps!
Glad Mary Poppins was a hit. How do you think they did the carpet bag?

I'm not sure how they did it. At first I thought maybe a trapdoor but then I remembered that her bag was on a table so it couldn't have been that. Maybe collapsable furniture?!

Did you walk from there to the Disney store?

Your report has got me thinking of the NYC trip I've been vaguely saying we would do for over a year now.

I told Hannah I would take her to see the Little Mermaid on Broadway.

The basketball sounds like lots of fun!!!

Glad you enjoyed Mary Poppins!
We saw Lion King on Broadway and Mary Poppins in London. We loved them both! I hope Mary Poppins goes on tour soon. We would consider seeing it again. We bought the soundtrack.

Yeah, we walked back from the Disney Store to our hotel...definitely within walking distance.

Ooh, you should plan a NYC trip! The Little Mermaid show would be fun too.

Oh wow, you saw Mary Poppins in London? That's cool! The person who played Mary Poppins in the show we went to was actually in the original London production which was kind of neat. My dad also bought the soundtrack.

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

HEY! Don't be mean to DePaul!!! I go there!! JK. The bball team does suck. And all the artsy-fartsy emo kids or the stuck up girls on campus could care less about it, anyways. I think I've been to ONE game in all 4 years. I had a class with one of them last quarter, LOL.

I'm glad you liked Mary Poppins! We're going to see Little Mermaid this month b/c I didn't really like the Mary Poppins movie so I didn't want to see the play....I know, I know!

 

[tinkerbell87512]

Great pictures as always! Sounds like you had a fantastic day! I would love to see Marry Poppins....hmmm maybe if it comes on tour to Boston!

 

[wdwgirl03]

HEY! Don't be mean to DePaul!!! I go there!! JK. The bball team does suck. And all the artsy-fartsy emo kids or the stuck up girls on campus could care less about it, anyways. I think I've been to ONE game in all 4 years. I had a class with one of them last quarter, LOL.

I'm glad you liked Mary Poppins! We're going to see Little Mermaid this month b/c I didn't really like the Mary Poppins movie so I didn't want to see the play....I know, I know!

No way, do you really go to DePaul?! I didn't know that! My sister was actually looking at going there.

The Little Mermaid sounds fun! I'd like to see that one too some day.

Great pictures as always! Sounds like you had a fantastic day! I would love to see Marry Poppins....hmmm maybe if it comes on tour to Boston!

Thanks!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Hi DIS friends!

Since I'm not working today I thought I'd do another update. As I revealed a while ago, we're staying at the Wilderness Lodge on our trip. Yesterday I was on one of the photo threads and came across this really neat site. It's an unofficial fan site for the Wilderness Lodge (you can find it HERE if you're interested!). I've been poking around on it and have found some very interesting things about the resort.

The Wilderness Lodge opened in May of 1994 which means that it will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. What a coincidence that we'll be staying there on our 15th trip!

The Wilderness Lodge has its very own mascot...a bear! Supposedly it can be seen in the logo and in all kinds of carvings around the resort. And according to some people, if you walk down toward the pool and Bay Lake and look back at the Lodge, the windows and roof structure resemble a giant bear. I know I've read this somewhere else and some people say it's kind of a stretch of the imagination. Needless to say now I've been looking at pictures trying to see the bear.

The resort, like all of Disney World, has lots of Hidden Mickeys. But at the WL you can get a Hidden Mickey scavenger hunt list at the front desk. That might be kind of fun to do.

The website also has a page all about the various activities you can do at the Wilderness Lodge. There are nature trails that you can walk/bike on (that could be fun to just kind of explore the area), boating, and of course the swimming pool.

I also forgot that Fort Wilderness is pretty close to the WL. One of the things I've always enjoyed about WDW is going to all the different resorts, so it'd be fun to go over there and see what it's like.

So between reading the information on the site and looking at all the pictures I'm pretty excited. I sent the link to my sister and she's pumped too. She even said that according to the countdown on her phone it's only 136 days until we go...now 135!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Mary Poppins just sounds amazing! I just have to see it.

What a neat website about WL. I have been poking around it, very nice. You are going to just love WL, it's so beautiful and relaxing. I have nothing but happy memories from our stay there.