Parks and Pop Century *And* A Park and Pop Century Christmas! *Plus* Downtown Disney

[Lady Lallie]

What a great Trip Report! I love the focus on characters, I hope to meet up with a bunch on our next trip.

 

[kcork1026]

Thanks so much for this amazing trip report. It has kept the magic alive for me, and has taken me to under 3 weeks til my trip. I appreciate your time and AMAZING pictures.

 

[Sleeping*Beauty]

I'm so sad that it's over. Can't wait for your next trip!

 

[meeko_33785]

What a great Trip Report! I love the focus on characters, I hope to meet up with a bunch on our next trip.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks so much and hopefully I will come back from my next trip with some more character photos to share.

Thanks so much for this amazing trip report. It has kept the magic alive for me, and has taken me to under 3 weeks til my trip. I appreciate your time and AMAZING pictures.

Thanks so much to you too for reading and thanks for the compliment about my pictures. I don't consider myself anywhere close to being an "expert photographer" but do try very hard to try to get some nice shots and it's really nice to know that you and others really do enjoy them, so thank you for that as well. Have fun on your trip too!

I'm so sad that it's over. Can't wait for your next trip!

Thanks! Glad that you were onboard with me through the journey of this report. Once I get planning started for the next trip, I may start a pre-trip for it (though I'm not sure since the last few pre-trips I've done have gotten little to no response).

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Hi Meeko,
Just got back late yesterday, and am getting caught up with everything!
Really enjoyed the updates - again some great photos!
Your TR really helped me during our trip - I kept an eye out for all the nice stuff I saw in yours.
Glad to hear you might be going back very soon (I'm just very jealous), AK is always lovely to see. I'll keep an eye out for your next PTR!
Di x

 

[meeko_33785]

Hi Meeko,
Just got back late yesterday, and am getting caught up with everything!
Really enjoyed the updates - again some great photos!
Your TR really helped me during our trip - I kept an eye out for all the nice stuff I saw in yours.
Glad to hear you might be going back very soon (I'm just very jealous), AK is always lovely to see. I'll keep an eye out for your next PTR!
Di x

Welcome back! Glad to head that my trip report was able to help you out on your trip. Thanks so much for always reading and responding. It was fun to have you along for the ride.

 

[mom2rtk]

LOVE the picture of the villains at DHS! We're headed that way in a few weeks. You said they didn't do autographs, but will they pose with people for pictures?

 

[meeko_33785]

LOVE the picture of the villains at DHS! We're headed that way in a few weeks. You said they didn't do autographs, but will they pose with people for pictures?

Thanks. From what I understood, when they do the group photos like that becuase they will only do one or two sets for the day and they want as many people to get to see them as possible. Autographs slow things down I guess. They still pose for pictures and interact or chat with guests like any other character though. Usually they're out at 5pm and/ or 6pm at the Hat but I believe that times and locations can change depending on what time Fantasmic is and what time the High School Musical shows are. If they're not at the Hat, they may be inside the Animation building around those same times. Hope you find them.

 

[meeko_33785]

Hey everyone. I just have a quick update. It looks like all four of us will be going back for a quick trip next month! I know I had mentioned going to Animal Kingdom in a previous post, but we're really looking into going to Magic Kingdom now since we haven't been there to see the Castle Christmas Dreamlights yet. I'm toying around with the idea of starting a new pre-trip or whether to just keep this trip report going and just add the next trip onto it since it's only going to be a couple of days long.

So, what do you guys think? Should I start a new pre-trip and trip report for December or just keep this one going and add on to it with the pre-trip and trip report for December?

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Hey everyone. I just have a quick update. It looks like all four of us will be going back for a quick trip next month! I know I had mentioned going to Animal Kingdom in a previous post, but we're really looking into going to Magic Kingdom now since we haven't been there to see the Castle Christmas Dreamlights yet. I'm toying around with the idea of starting a new pre-trip or whether to just keep this trip report going and just add the next trip onto it since it's only going to be a couple of days long.

So, what do you guys think? Should I start a new pre-trip and trip report for December or just keep this one going and add on to it with the pre-trip and trip report for December?

Hi Meeko,
Good news on the next trip!
I would be edging into the keeping this TR going if your next visit is going to be short - but then I'm just lazy!
Di x

 

[meeko_33785]

Hi Meeko,
Good news on the next trip!
I would be edging into the keeping this TR going if your next visit is going to be short - but then I'm just lazy!
Di x

Hi! That's what I was leaning towards too. Unless anyone has any objections, I'll just add on the next trip to this report. I'll be sure to post a pre-trip update as soon as things start to shape up (which they have to soon- we've got less than a month!)

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey Meeko, You seem to be a wealth of character data. Do you know if Mary Poppins ever appears in her Nanny suit (other than the parade)? My daughter has both a Nanny and a Jolly Holiday costume (and they're coming with us on our trip!) and I'd love pics of both. But I've never heard of Mary appearing in anything other than her white costume.

Also, I've only ever seen her in her white Jolly Holiday costume at the Magic Kingdom down near the hub on Main Street. I'd LOVE pics with Mary on the carousel. Does she ever hang out in Fantasyland?????

Thanks!

 

[mom2rtk]

One more question. I made Anastasia and Drizella costumes for my daughter and her friend. We're going to 1900 Park Fair, but probably won't get a group shot there. I see you got one at Belle's storybook garden. What time of day did you find them there? Do you know if this is typical??????

Thanks!

 

[meeko_33785]

Hey Meeko, You seem to be a wealth of character data. Do you know if Mary Poppins ever appears in her Nanny suit (other than the parade)? My daughter has both a Nanny and a Jolly Holiday costume (and they're coming with us on our trip!) and I'd love pics of both. But I've never heard of Mary appearing in anything other than her white costume.

Also, I've only ever seen her in her white Jolly Holiday costume at the Magic Kingdom down near the hub on Main Street. I'd LOVE pics with Mary on the carousel. Does she ever hang out in Fantasyland?????

Thanks!

Hi. I have seen Mary Poppins in her Nany outfit, but only once a few years back at 1900 Park Fare. I believe that if she's wearing it, it's usually on colder days when her "Jolly Holiday" dress is not warm enough for her.

As far as Magic Kingdom goes, she usually only hangs around Town Square now. A few years back she use to hang out in Fantasyland and periodically ride the carousel, but not recently. Locations do tend to change periodically though, so I would recommend checking with a CM where Mary is appearing that day. Most CMs that work at Guest Relations or any gift shop can call a character hotline and be able to tell you where a specific character is scheduled to appear that day. Hope you find her.

One more question. I made Anastasia and Drizella costumes for my daughter and her friend. We're going to 1900 Park Fair, but probably won't get a group shot there. I see you got one at Belle's storybook garden. What time of day did you find them there? Do you know if this is typical??????

Thanks!

I saw them there around 10:45 in the morning. I believe that they usually appear there most mornings and afternoons in between Belle's scheduled Storytimes.

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Hi! That's what I was leaning towards too. Unless anyone has any objections, I'll just add on the next trip to this report. I'll be sure to post a pre-trip update as soon as things start to shape up (which they have to soon- we've got less than a month!)

What are you waiting for? Get busy planning!
The day after we got home I was on Virgins website checking out holiday prices for next year (don't tell my bank manager), unfortunately they, as yet, don't appear to be giving holidays away for free , so I'm waiting for that offer.
Di x

 

[meeko_33785]

What are you waiting for? Get busy planning!
The day after we got home I was on Virgins website checking out holiday prices for next year (don't tell my bank manager), unfortunately they, as yet, don't appear to be giving holidays away for free , so I'm waiting for that offer.
Di x

Oh, we're defiantly working on it. I'm about to make an "official" announcement very soon. Just have to finish writing it up. let's just say this trip report is not done yet.

I have to say, one of the nice things about living so close to WDW is that the Holiday airfare doesn't really affect us. However, there are some nice deals at the Disney hotels right now which do affect us quite a bit.

 

[meeko_33785]

I’m happy to officially announce that this trip report is not over yet! We’re going back… and soon!


Yes, in less than a month, Mom, Dad, Buzz and I will return to Walt Disney World for a bit of Holiday cheer and to use up the last day on our Play-4-Days passes before the six-month window on using them passes us by.

So, why just continue this trip report instead of starting a new one? Because it fits perfectly thematically with this one, or course! This is the “Parks and Pop Century” Trip Report, and for Christmas, we will again be returning to Pop for the third trip in a row! We were actually leaning towards trying one of the All-Stars since we've never stayed at any of them before, but by the time we got around to making reservations they were already all booked. We all love Pop though, so we’re more than happy to return. Of course, what would the “Parks and Pop Century” Trip Report be without the parks? In the case of this trip it will have to be “Park and Pop Century”. It will be a shorter trip than the last one with one day in a theme park (Magic Kingdom unless our plans drastically change) and one night at Pop, so this part of the report will hence be the “A Park and Pop Century Christmas!”


Besides the basics, we’re really just starting on planning. We have no plans for dining or anything yet and are trying to figure out what our priorities should be at Magic Kingdom. We know that we defiantly want to try and see the Castle Dreamlights since none of us have seen them yet and I’ve been thinking of seeing if anyone wants to take some time to explore Tom Sawyer’s Island this trip since it’s something we never do (I think the last time we’ve been over there was 15 or 16 years ago… I can’t remember exactly). So, we have a bit of work in front of us, but we can do it. Heck, Buzz and I planned our Pirate and Princess Party trip in less than two weeks, so we can handle this.


More updates to come as the plans progress. I also think I’ll be posting some pictures from past trips too sometime in the next couple of weeks when I get the chance… perhaps a 10-Year Flashback trip of our December 1998 trip like I did for the summer trip in the last Pre-Trip?

 

[Lady Lallie]

I am so excited that you are going on another trip! I would love to see pictures from past trips, that is always so much fun.

 

[meeko_33785]

I am so excited that you are going on another trip! I would love to see pictures from past trips, that is always so much fun.

Awesome. I'll likely start getting some photos from our Christmas 1998 trip sometime after Thanksgiving. Until then, there's some old photos in my original Pre-Trip, but I'll try to get some "new" old photos posted here in the next week or so.

 

[Dr_Finkelstein]

Another trip!
Actually, I'm just incredibly jealous you're getting to go again so soon
Can't wait to hear all about it!
Di x