PRINCESS Palooza 2011! 9/9 Update: Departure Day

[mom2rtk]

Sorry guys! I'm busy catching up on some work so haven't had any fun time in a few days. Soon!

well I guess we could just go back to the hotel to get ready after we leave him then! and eat there. (we're staying at the country inn & suites).

and yes, I plan to not worry so much about missing stuff that first day and then on the 2nd we'll do what the kids want, plus whatever priorities we might have missed!

One of my Disney dreams is to be family of the day or Grand Marshalls in the MK parade. But even I would possibly consider taking the kids back to the hotel. I just don't know if your odds are good enough alone with the kids. Or maybe that would HELP your odds! Who knows....... I guess I'd probably go into it with that in my mind, and if I felt really ambitious, I'd give it a go. If I hadn't slept well, or if the kids seemed cranky, I'd go back to the room.

I'll let it slide… this time. But by golly, if you go to WDW again and miss it then we will have to have a serious discussion!

We didn't bother with the autograph thing and honestly, I'm not 100% I'd be willing to do it with another toddler in tow. I'll probably see if Cortlyn wants to do it. I was already carrying so much and with her flipflopping on the characters… it wasn't worth it yet. If she wants to do it, then we will let HER carry it in a backpack or something. who am I kidding?!?!

I know, I know......... maybe next time???? It's one of my deep dark Disney secrets!

We used to not bother with the autograph books. But early on I decided it helped prolong the visit to our table a bit. It seemed like without the autograph book, you had to have a great line to start the interaction or risk having the character just pose for a photo and move on to the next kid. Don't get me wrong, SOME characters were great at initiating something, but others...... meh........ not so much. It sort of gave Katie a moment to warm up to them and interact a bit.

Claire was 4 before we did the autograph books. Now she likes them, but before that, she really didn't know any different. But She knew by the time we went when she was 4 and it was a big thrill for her. I already have one bought for our upcoming cruise, though I guess we coul've probably reused the last one. I don't think we got "that many" signatures in it yet.

I'm considering starting a new autograph book of some sort. I'm tired of collecting the same old ones every trip. I want one that we take back each trip. I've considered buying one of the character encyclopedias, but I don't want anything too big. Once they sign, we won't get signatures from that character again. I think it will help us really want to pursue different characters (not that there are many left for us!)

That's a real contest-winner!

Thank you so much. I'll miss that view a lot.

Well, that makes sense. I think she would have wanted to sit down and color with the characters if she had a book at 2.5…

LOL! Maybe find a good coloring book and have the characters sign that!

I'm late on reading your update. Those scrims weren't up around the carosel when we were there. Wonder what they were doing? Sounds like you had a very nice morning!

I have no idea what they were doing. Maybe routine maintenance????

 

[francis6306]

I know, I know......... maybe next time???? It's one of my deep dark Disney secrets!

We used to not bother with the autograph books. But early on I decided it helped prolong the visit to our table a bit. It seemed like without the autograph book, you had to have a great line to start the interaction or risk having the character just pose for a photo and move on to the next kid. Don't get me wrong, SOME characters were great at initiating something, but others...... meh........ not so much. It sort of gave Katie a moment to warm up to them and interact a bit.


LOL! Maybe find a good coloring book and have the characters sign that!


I have no idea what they were doing. Maybe routine maintenance????

Okay, well that makes sense. Maybe the signing would have helped her then. I will say that the Stepmother/Stepsisters were the BEST characters we saw at MK. They were SOOOO funny. I think if I remember right you saw them last year- am I remembering correctly? And a coloring book would be a good idea for my Cortlyn…

I wonder if the carousel is getting a new theme?

 

[mom2rtk]

Okay, well that makes sense. Maybe the signing would have helped her then. I will say that the Stepmother/Stepsisters were the BEST characters we saw at MK. They were SOOOO funny. I think if I remember right you saw them last year- am I remembering correctly? And a coloring book would be a good idea for my Cortlyn…

I wonder if the carousel is getting a new theme?

We ALWAYS see the stepsisters! We had ton of fun with them on this trip. We saw them.... let's see...... six times! LOL!

I do think maybe the autograph book would help Cortlyn. It would give her something to focus on to get things going. It sort of gives her a script to start with "Could you sign my book?" Or get her a pillowcase for signatures. We brought one this time you'll see later in the TR. Just don't use the sharpies we bought. Get some fabric markers. Our bag got a little wet one night and a couple started to bleed a little, making me wonder if I'll ever be safe washing it.

 

[Goldeelox9]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your pictures. I am intested in shooting in Raw, but worried I won't know what I am doing.

 

[katt789]

I have to agree, Fantasyland looks a little disheiveled (sp?) now a days, the walls were ok with me, but the scrim around the carosel was a little much I love the update!

 

[disbeachprincess]

I'm LOVING the updates. I check every day to see if you've added more. I was there during the same time, so it feels like I'm reliving my own trip. However, we were three adults that went, so we only saw a couple characters. This also gives me a different perspective of WDW! I can't wait to see your daughter's dresses this year!

 

[RyansMommy1]

I had no clue you had another trip- I think I must have been in la-la land because your last TR was one of the first I ever read!

Excited to follow along with this one!

 

[francis6306]

We ALWAYS see the stepsisters! We had ton of fun with them on this trip. We saw them.... let's see...... six times! LOL!

I do think maybe the autograph book would help Cortlyn. It would give her something to focus on to get things going. It sort of gives her a script to start with "Could you sign my book?" Or get her a pillowcase for signatures. We brought one this time you'll see later in the TR. Just don't use the sharpies we bought. Get some fabric markers. Our bag got a little wet one night and a couple started to bleed a little, making me wonder if I'll ever be safe washing it.

Were they the same set as last year? I'm fairly certain we had the same group in pictures… SOOO funny. I loved them.

Good idea about not using sharpies!! Aren't they suppose to be permanent?!!?! Had Cortlyn colored on your walls they wouldn't have ran!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

Were they the same set as last year? I'm fairly certain we had the same group in pictures… SOOO funny. I loved them.

Good idea about not using sharpies!! Aren't they suppose to be permanent?!!?! Had Cortlyn colored on your walls they wouldn't have ran!!!

Some of them were the same as last year! And one of our Drizellas showed up as Snow White the next night at MVMCP! She asked the girls if they had enjoyed their dinner the night before. I was trying to figure it out as we walked away when Katie matter of factly told me she was Drizella. I guess the magic is gone! LOL! I'm so slow!

I hear you on the Sharpies. Only permanent when you don't want them to be! I'll probably write on some fabric with the markers and wash it to see what happens. I'm guessing it won't do much more, but I'd like to know for sure.

 

[mom2rtk]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your pictures. I am intested in shooting in Raw, but worried I won't know what I am doing.

Well, it's not at all complicated to shoot in RAW. You just need to know what to do with the file when you get home in front of your computer. With Lightroom3, you can adjust lighting, colors, white balance and the like then export it as a JPEG and use it then in whatever way you like.

I have to agree, Fantasyland looks a little disheiveled (sp?) now a days, the walls were ok with me, but the scrim around the carosel was a little much I love the update!

Yeah, the Carousel was my jumping off point. I was all ready for the Great Wall of Fantasyland. I wasn't ready for my last great view from Dumbo to be ...... well...... that.

I'm LOVING the updates. I check every day to see if you've added more. I was there during the same time, so it feels like I'm reliving my own trip. However, we were three adults that went, so we only saw a couple characters. This also gives me a different perspective of WDW! I can't wait to see your daughter's dresses this year!

Thanks for following along and to the DiS! I have a long way to go with this, so hang in there. We'll get to lots of character fun!

I had no clue you had another trip- I think I must have been in la-la land because your last TR was one of the first I ever read!

Excited to follow along with this one!

Hi! I'm glad you found us! We're just getting warmed up.

 

[mom2rtk]

oops.... accidentally hit enter too soon. Update coming in a bit!

 

[mom2rtk]

12/9: Our First Trip Through the WASH and SPIN Cycles!


Next we headed for Frontierland. Around 11 AM the standby times for Splash and BTMRR were both under 10 minutes. Really. What a treat! We got fastpasses for BTMRR and headed for Splash, where we barely waited at all. I really looked forward to riding Splash on this trip and intended to make up for lost time. We never rode it at all last December because of the cold. It had been over 2 years and we were long overdue!

Uh oh....... what will she back out???????


IMG_3594 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Nah........ no backing out on this trip. Katie was in complete thrill ride junkie mode!



IMG_3599 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3604 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3607 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3616 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3618 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3619 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3620 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3641 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3647 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3649 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Not sure why I didn't buy this ride photo, but I should have. I really like it now.


IMG_3652 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3655 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

We somehow escaped getting drenched then headed for BTMRR. We enjoyed joking about the Stacy video they play in the resort rooms about Splash being the "wash cycle" and BTMRR being the "spin cycle".

Ready to go........


IMG_3661 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I love this series of photos and will probably do a scrapbook page of them. I'll spare you posting ALL of them. I was on burst mode and racking up the frames....... FAST!


IMG_3683 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3684 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3694 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3695 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3698 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

After the ride we grabbed fastpasses for Splash and headed back toward Liberty Square. My daughter, being the proper young lady she is....... can never walk past the gun toys without playing.


Taking Aim by mom2rtk, on Flickr

But alas, the autorities must have caught up with her becuase this is where I found her next.......


IMG_3711 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3713 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I was ready for lunch. I had woken up with a sore throat and a lot of sinus drainage and wanted to keep something in my stomach. We ate at Columbia Harbor House. I thought I'd be getting a tuna sandwich but opted for the shrimp instead so I could have the broccoli as a side. It had been a busy morning and it felt good just to sit down for a bit.


IMG_3714 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3717 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[mesaboy2]

Nice work as always, Janet. I enjoy reading these--you are a good storyteller!

I know the view from your third photo (with the other log going down the drop) very well. This is exactly where I got stuck for 45 minutes on Thanksgiving Day. Disnerd that I am, I loved it.

 

[vamassey1]

Love the pictures from BTMR. Dennis like to "smoosh" the kids on rides too. I'm really going to miss BTMR this trip it will be closed.

 

[katt789]

I love that idea of Splash & BTMRR being the wash & spin cycle! (I actually havent seen that until now haha)

Those pics from BTMRR are incredible! One of my goals after my May trip last year was to take more pictures on rides, but I'm usually worried about it getting wet on Splash, and then, thanks to having a little point & shoot, non-flash pics don't turn out great..

Somehow, I've never seen those statues of Brer Fox, Bear & Rabbit! How have I missed those every time!?

And this part's really random, but HOW does Katie do the parks in flats?! I could handle the evening of the Halloween party & that's it! She's tougher than I am!

 

[mom2rtk]

Nice work as always, Janet. I enjoy reading these--you are a good storyteller!

I know the view from your third photo (with the other log going down the drop) very well. This is exactly where I got stuck for 45 minutes on Thanksgiving Day. Disnerd that I am, I loved it.

LOL! I'd love it too! I wouldn't mind sitting there a bit, but the view would be decidedly less interesting with everyone sitting still and no logs to watch! I sat there the whole time with the camera up hoping for a log to come down. I'd like another shot at that one with a slightly slower shutter speed to show a little more movement.

Love the pictures from BTMR. Dennis like to "smoosh" the kids on rides too. I'm really going to miss BTMR this trip it will be closed.

Thanks Vanessa! I'd sure miss BTMRR too. I seriously lost count of how many times we rode it. I will say that after missing Splash last year, we enjoyed getting back to it all the more this year. Apparently absence DOES make the heart grow fonder.

Better check out those bounceback deals while you're there......

I love that idea of Splash & BTMRR being the wash & spin cycle! (I actually havent seen that until now haha)

Those pics from BTMRR are incredible! One of my goals after my May trip last year was to take more pictures on rides, but I'm usually worried about it getting wet on Splash, and then, thanks to having a little point & shoot, non-flash pics don't turn out great..

Somehow, I've never seen those statues of Brer Fox, Bear & Rabbit! How have I missed those every time!?

And this part's really random, but HOW does Katie do the parks in flats?! I could handle the evening of the Halloween party & that's it! She's tougher than I am!

Thanks! I can't wait to put those BTMRR shots together in a scrapbook page. I love the expression on their faces and how they all line up in a series. I also like the clouds in the sky.

I can see how you'd miss the Brer statues. It's a crazy busy area. Fortunately this day it wasn't hard to get my shot. A week later I wanted that same shot with Katie and her girlfriend....... the one wearing a boot for her broken foot..... I got my shot, but it was like a giant game of frogger fighting the crowds to get what I wanted.

Katie has done well in flats on all of our past trips. But for some reason these didn't work out very well. By day's end we had bought some Micey flip-flops and she swapped off the rest of the trip. My favorite shot is her pulling up her skirt of her gown at CRT to show Cinderella her special Mickey fllip-flop slippers!

 

[dara00]

did you take those photos facing backwards on the ride??

 

[mom2rtk]

did you take those photos facing backwards on the ride??

Yeah.... I like to keep the rides intersting!

 

[dara00]

Yeah.... I like to keep the rides intersting!

haha, my friend got yelled at multiple times for facing backwards on dumbo to take photos of me! but I'd think that would be a lot easier to do on a slower ride like dumbo!

 

[mom2rtk]

haha, my friend got yelled at multiple times for facing backwards on dumbo to take photos of me! but I'd think that would be a lot easier to do on a slower ride like dumbo!

LOL! Yeah, I think Dumbo would be easier. I always do that one backwards too, but nobody has said anything.