PRINCESS Palooza 2011! 9/9 Update: Departure Day

[mom2rtk]

FRIDAY 12/9: Continued

We passed through the gates of the Magic Kingdom at 8:05. Yet when we got to the entrance of the park, there seemed to be a lot of people standing around considering that the park just opened..... Hmmmm....... Oops! That's when I realized my mistake and knew Drew and Katie weren't going to be too thrilled with standing around for 45 minutes! Oh well, can you think of a prettier place to have to kill 45 minutes in the morning? It looked like we had time for a few photos and would indeed make rope drop.


IMG_3493 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3495 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3496 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3498 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3500 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I let Drew and Katie decide if they wanted to wait far enough back to see the welcome show, or stand up by the rope to be one of the first in the park. They chose the rope. I did step back to do some field reconnaissance....... and sure enough......... the family of the day was a Mom, Dad and 2 kids. Hmmm....... Not encouraging for our odds as a 2 person group later in the trip.

Katie and I had several more days in the Magic Kingdom ahead of us. But aside from the party Sunday night, this was it for Drew. So the plan was to do pretty much what he wanted. And that was RIDES! When the rope dropped we headed for Tomorrowland. I wasn't paying much attention to the time and didn't realize we'd be stopping at a rope there too. Once that rope was down, we headed for Space Mountain where we got some fastpasses and got into the standby line. I've read a lot of complaints on the DIS from people saying it's a really rough ride, and for the first time, I really felt that. Maybe I was just comparing it with the DL version, which is much smoother. It was fun, but I did feel it!


IMG_3502 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3503 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


On our way out,we made what would be our only Stitch sighting of the entire trip. We didn't stop to see him, but watched for a bit. He was having fun playing with one of the Muppet hats at a kiosk. I really wish they would do more of this sort of thing, with the characters "playing" out around the park. I'm sure they don't because when it's busy they would never be able to escape all the people.


IMG_3512 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Next we headed for Buzz Lightyear. Drew loves this ride, so I knew we'd be riding it at least a couple times. I enjoy it, but like the one at Disneyland better since you can pick up those guns.

At the entrance, a CM spotted the pins on Katie's lanyard. We have never pin traded before. But as Katie gets older and we start to drop some things she has outgrown, I've been looking for new things to add. I bought lanyards and a big batch of pins ahead of the trip but really wasn't sure what to expect. I had visions of me wanting to make my morning run to Dumbo and Katie wanting to trade with every single CM along Main Street! LOL! But I decided to throw caution to the wind and jump in. None of us had even thought about the pins, but we stopped and she made her very first trade ever. It was the start of a LOT of fun and enjoyment for her.


IMG_3514 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

So into Buzz Lightyear we went, where I'm sure I beat everyone quite handily. OK, maybe not. But in my defense, I give Katie control of the spinner, and most of the time I'm trying to take pictures.


IMG_3517 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_3518 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


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We left Buzz at 9:35 having done 2 rides and picked up our first set of fastpasses. Not a bad start, but I needed something to eat!

Anyone else need a virtual pastry?

 

[dara00]

ooh, great buzz ride photos!

ok, this is random, but do they sell the kermit muppet hats at mk? I really want one!

I know I've got too much packed into a short trip already, but I would love to start pin trading. On our last trip we got a pin with our package and I traded mine for a kermit with mickey ears pin, which I love. dd traded hers for a princess pin (and I remember I spoke for her because she's pretty shy and the cm said she had to ask for the one she wanted!) but she's since lost it.

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

Anyone else need a virtual pastry?

I need a virtual pastry!

 

[mom2rtk]

ooh, great buzz ride photos!

ok, this is random, but do they sell the kermit muppet hats at mk? I really want one!

I know I've got too much packed into a short trip already, but I would love to start pin trading. On our last trip we got a pin with our package and I traded mine for a kermit with mickey ears pin, which I love. dd traded hers for a princess pin (and I remember I spoke for her because she's pretty shy and the cm said she had to ask for the one she wanted!) but she's since lost it.

Thanks Dara!

That muppets hat was for sale at the kiosk. I didn't look to see if they had kermit, but I can't imagine they'd have them and NOT have Kermit.

The pin trading really turned out to be Katie's favorite part of this trip. I don't know if I'd do it on a one day trip where you have so much planned already, but one day when you have more time, I'm sure you would all love it a lot. Beware though that it's very addictive. I had planned to trade some myself and ended up just letting Katie trade them all herself. She had a ball, and I loved watching her go up to so many cast members to initiate conversations.

 

[mom2rtk]

I need a virtual pastry!

Well, I opted to have chocolate croissants, but you can have the muffins if you want!

Do any of you remember me leaving my chocolate croissants lay at the airport on the way last time? Well, I'm happy to report that I made up for lost time this year! I even managed to get a couple of them home with me!

 

[vamassey1]

Fabulous pictures! I felt like I was there with you at POP.

I'm glad Katie has gotten into pin trading. Danielle has a blast doing this in 2009. She says she wants to do it again next month(I love being able to say next month). Where did you find you pins? I need to get some before we go.

 

[rndmr2]

Great start to your 1st MK day! The pics of the resort are great, I love that Generation Gap Bridge, it looks so pretty lit up. We were near there when we stayed there in 2004.

That's great that Katie got so into the pin trading, I have heard it can be fun.

 

[joy13]

Love your space mountain and Buzz pictures! Maddie has lanyards from each of our last 2 trips full of pins we bought, but we have never done trading. The pins we buy, we buy for significance (time of year, favorite ride that trip etc.) so I don't want to trade those. So I guess I would have to buy some pins just for trading then huh? Did you get yours on Ebay?

 

[mom2rtk]

Fabulous pictures! I felt like I was there with you at POP.

I'm glad Katie has gotten into pin trading. Danielle has a blast doing this in 2009. She says she wants to do it again next month(I love being able to say next month). Where did you find you pins? I need to get some before we go.

Thanks Vanessa!

So where are you staying in February? Are you going to be there for the 24 hour day?

Told you I need to pay close attention to what Danielle is up to. She always seems to give us a glimpse into what we need to try next!

I bought a couple lots of pins on Ebay before going. Not sure how many, but it seemed like TONS of pins. But then I gave our friends each a lanyard with a set to start, and once you start trading, it just never seems like enough.

I might as well buy a bunch now for our next trip because I'm sure we'll need them.

On our last day in the MK, a CM told us they keep a pin book in guest relations. Apparently you can go in and trade 2 each day. Who KNEW? We didn't get to take advantage of that, but Katie definitely wants to next time.

So are you guys trying anything else new this time? I need to know what Danielle's doing next!

Great start to your 1st MK day! The pics of the resort are great, I love that Generation Gap Bridge, it looks so pretty lit up. We were near there when we stayed there in 2004.

That's great that Katie got so into the pin trading, I have heard it can be fun.

Thanks! We were a lot closer to the Generation Gap bridge than I cared to be! It was nice and quiet, but I really just want to be as close to the food court and bus stops as possible.

Love your space mountain and Buzz pictures! Maddie has lanyards from each of our last 2 trips full of pins we bought, but we have never done trading. The pins we buy, we buy for significance (time of year, favorite ride that trip etc.) so I don't want to trade those. So I guess I would have to buy some pins just for trading then huh? Did you get yours on Ebay?

To have fun with pin trading you definitely have to start with a bunch of pins you DON'T want to keep.That's the hard part. You buy a lot, but then when it comes, there are a bunch of them you want to keep! Katie changed her mind fast though when she was out in the parks and found a couple series she wanted to hunt for. It was sort of like a game. First it was anything with Chip & Dale. Then it was the nerd pins. Then it was the pirate pins. It was fun to help her look.

 

[mom2rtk]

Anyone care to guess what was my favorite photo in the last batch?

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

Per Muppets Hats... The have Beaker and Animal. I now because I received Beaker as a Christmas gift from Jenn this year ( go ahead and ask her about it LOL). No Kermy. On another sad note they may not have any more the sold out of Animal while I was there and soon Beaker followed

Per the Buzz Pics... WOW!!! can I see a side by side of those so I can see what your camera is shooting and what you are doing in LR3?

 

[mom2rtk]

Per Muppets Hats... The have Beaker and Animal. I now because I received Beaker as a Christmas gift from Jenn this year ( go ahead and ask her about it LOL). No Kermy. On another sad note they may not have any more the sold out of Animal while I was there and soon Beaker followed

Per the Buzz Pics... WOW!!! can I see a side by side of those so I can see what your camera is shooting and what you are doing in LR3?

Thanks for the recon on the Muppets hat. I can't believe they wouldn't have Kermit. Maybe they had him earlier and sold out????

And thanks for the kind comments on the photos. I do love the challenge of a good dark ride. Nothing like trying to take photos in the dark from a moving vehicle!

I do like my camera a lot, but give a lot of credit for the color and sharpness to my Canon 17-55 f/2.8 lens. It's known for its sharpenss and never disappoints. It's on my camera 95% of the time. I did occasionally swap out for my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 but I'm just not a fan of primes. I like having a little zoom, so it's usually worth giving up the wider aperture to me.

Here's a side by side. Sort of. Since I couldn't get them side by side. The top one is post LR3. Bottom one is straight out of camera.

My understanding is that when you shoot Jpeg, the camera applies some basic adjustments to your image. When you shoot RAW, that doesn't happen.

I'm not a processing whiz by any means (not even close), so mine tend to just get minimal adjusting. I do sometimes purposely underexpose the dark ride photos so I can get my shutter speed up. Better to have a dark photo that's sharp than a properly exposed photo that's blurry.

 

[katt789]

Oh no for getting the time of opening wrong, but on the bright side, you guys were early, not late! That's a pretty awesome amount of stuff to have gotten done in the first half hour of being there! Space is still a ride that I have yet to do, but with the flashing lights, I'm not sure if I can And yes, I am very in need of a virtual pastry!!

 

[mom2rtk]

Oh no for getting the time of opening wrong, but on the bright side, you guys were early, not late! That's a pretty awesome amount of stuff to have gotten done in the first half hour of being there! Space is still a ride that I have yet to do, but with the flashing lights, I'm not sure if I can And yes, I am very in need of a virtual pastry!!

I actually enjoyed a little time out in front of the gates that morning to take some photos and anticipate the day (and trip!) to come.

I'm sorry to say I ate the last of the virtual chocolate croissants this morning. But there's a chocolate muffin and a cherry turnover left!

Man, I worked hard to lose a few pounds last year, and I'm pretty sure I put them back on during the trip. Good thing these virtual pastries are so low in calories!

 

[mesaboy2]

Sorry if I helped you feel the bumpiness of SM this time--I know you saw my complaint in my journey a couple months ago.

For a Buzz Lightyear scoring spoiler or two, highlight the below text regarding the orange robot and the Zurg spider that you have pictured above.

Spoiler

The Z target on the robot's left palm is worth 100,000, and I think can be hit multiple times. I'm less sure about this one, but I think the Z target at the very bottom of Zurg's spider (below "PITIFUL") also scores big points.

You have a real knack for photography, by the way. I wish I could take shots like those.

 

[dara00]

Per Muppets Hats... The have Beaker and Animal. I now because I received Beaker as a Christmas gift from Jenn this year ( go ahead and ask her about it LOL). No Kermy. On another sad note they may not have any more the sold out of Animal while I was there and soon Beaker followed

Per the Buzz Pics... WOW!!! can I see a side by side of those so I can see what your camera is shooting and what you are doing in LR3?

but they do have kermit at dhs(haha I just put mgm and had to change it!), right? I saw a picture in someone's tr...anyone know if you can find that hat anywhere else or at all?

 

[mom2rtk]

Sorry if I helped you feel the bumpiness of SM this time--I know you saw my complaint in my journey a couple months ago.

For a Buzz Lightyear scoring spoiler or two, highlight the below text regarding the orange robot and the Zurg spider that you have pictured above.

Spoiler

The Z target on the robot's left palm is worth 100,000, and I think can be hit multiple times. I'm less sure about this one, but I think the Z target at the very bottom of Zurg's spider (below "PITIFUL") also scores big points.

You have a real knack for photography, by the way. I wish I could take shots like those.

I completely forgot about your recent experience on Space! Well, not about the "6 parks in one day" thing (cough cough...showoff!) but about the Space experience. So is it possible the ride has changed? Cuz I'd sure hate to have to blame it on the encroaching hands of father time........

And thanks for the trick. I used to kid the boys all the time (you know....... before they passed the point of no return as Disney haters ) that I was going to go online and get all those trick. But I never did. And now I just always forget to check before leaving! Maybe I should email that post to my phone and leave it there for next time!

And thanks for the kind words on the photos. I've had a DSLR since 04, but never knew how to use it until the last couple years. I kept trying to read the dang manuals and just didn't "get it". The light bulbs didn't start going off until I started hanging out here in the DIS photography forum. They will answer even the dumbest questions (yep, I had my share) without making one feel like an idiot. RIGHT up my alley!

I really had a lot of fun with on-ride photography this trip! It's one of the many things I love about Disney.

 

[mesaboy2]

I completely forgot about your recent experience on Space! Well, not about the "6 parks in one day" thing (cough cough...showoff!) but about the Space experience. So is it possible the ride has changed? Cuz I'd sure hate to have to blame it on the encroaching hands of father time........
And thanks for the trick. I used to kid the boys all the time (you know....... before they passed the point of no return as Disney haters ) that I was going to go online and get all those trick. But I never did. And now I just always forget to check before leaving! Maybe I should email that post to my phone and leave it there for next time!

And thanks for the kind words on the photos. I've had a DSLR since 04, but never knew how to use it until the last couple years. I kept trying to read the dang manuals and just didn't "get it". The light bulbs didn't start going off until I started hanging out here in the DIS photography forum. They will answer even the dumbest questions (yep, I had my share) without making one feel like an idiot. RIGHT up my alley!

I really had a lot of fun with on-ride photography this trip! It's one of the many things I love about Disney.

It's probably just me getting older. Just me, not you of course. That said, there was the refurb a couple of years ago that may have done something to it. But I honestly don't remember enough about it before that to make a comparison.

I'd definitely agree you know how to use the DSLR now.

And, I sent you an OT PM.

ETA: And now your PM message cache is full, I can't respond....

 

[mom2rtk]

It's probably just me getting older. Just me, not you of course. That said, there was the refurb a couple of years ago that may have done something to it. But I honestly don't remember enough about it before that to make a comparison.

I'd definitely agree you know how to use the DSLR now.

And, I sent you an OT PM.

LOL! Yeah.... we'll go with that. Tell your wife I said she trained you well!

I wondered about the refurb too. I was disappointed that I had missed riding it at all in 08. Katie wasn't doing thrill rides yet. But I could have gone when our friends got there late in the trip, but never did. It was right after that when they announced the refurb, so we missed it in 09.

I do recall riding it last year a couple times, but not really feeling it. I will say though that we did FAR more thrill rides this time. Maybe it all just caught up with me by the end of the trip.

And many thanks for the vote of confidence in my photography!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

YAY, you've arrived! I'm sorry to hear you got your times mixed up though, but still you made it to rope drop Always a fun start to a trip, rope drop at Magic Kingdom Love all your pictures by the way, it's always refreshing to see some quality pictures of the World Too bad the nice DSLR's can't be cheaper

Big up to Space Mountain as your first ride! Always smart to get some FPs before the standby line. And it's funny how I never noticed the bumpiness on Space Mountain. I always thought it was just the fact you can't see anything and it adds to the experience. Maybe the day I end up going on the SM in DL, my opinion will change...

Awwww... Stitch... that's so rare a person can catch a moment like that, so glad you caught it on camera. I wish they would let characters play around more too, but the parks do get crowded. Maybe one day when they have enough CMs to regulate the crowds around them

That's awesome you guys started pin trading on this day. It really is a lot more fun than people make it cut out to be. And I gotta say you have some pretty nice looking lanyards.

Oh, those are some great pictures of Buzz! I've never seen people try to get pictures on that ride and those are really good. I think I may have to take you up on that offer of a virtual pastry hehe

Can't wait to read more!