Shopaholic, Workaholic & Bargain Betty Take On WDW A DM/DD TR-Last Day!

[PiratesCove]

I can't believe you saw Peter We are so looking forward to our trip in July and on previous trips were told that Peter doesn't make appearances - I'm sure DD (7) will be hunting him down

 

[MagicShell]

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal. Park hopper do give you more flexibility. We have done it both ways and I don't know if the park hopper is worth the difference in the price for us and our budget, but it is nice to be able to go where you want, when you want. I love the parks at night when the lights are on.

 

[dawnbu40]

I've heard CBR is really big, it's too bad you didn't get a room closer to everything! My favorite thing about POFQ was the small size! My family won't be staying at a deluxe anytime soon lol I think they are all lovely and have some wonderful amenities but I just wouldn't be able to justify the cost. Hmmm, unless Disney were to send me a very nice pin code.....then I suppose I could consider it

I can't believe you saw Peter We are so looking forward to our trip in July and on previous trips were told that Peter doesn't make appearances - I'm sure DD (7) will be hunting him down

Whoever told you Peter doesn't make appearances is very mistaken! We have seen him on every trip we've taken! (Sometimes he's with Wendy )He is always a lot of fun to meet too! FYI-The Family Magic Tour offers some "special" time with Peter as he rides a ride with all the families at the end! We took that tour when Caitlin was 12 and we all had a blast! She rode next to him on IASW and he chatted nonstop throughout. When they got off she said "he needs to go on Ritalin" I hope you have a great time on your vacation!

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal. Park hopper do give you more flexibility. We have done it both ways and I don't know if the park hopper is worth the difference in the price for us and our budget, but it is nice to be able to go where you want, when you want. I love the parks at night when the lights are on.

The Park Hoppers are always a debate with us but I was so glad we got them! It was nice just to hop over somewhere else to eat or spend an hour and then hop to another. We got a lot of us out of it!

 

[dawnbu40]

On this day there were morning EMH at DHS so we were up and out the door early! We stopped at the food court and filled our mugs and I bought a muffin and ate at the bus stop. (Dale and Caitlin weren't hungry yet so they decided to wait) The bus arrvied at 7:30 and we were off to Hollywood! The lines at RD were very small and our pint sized princess squeezed her way up to the front of the crowd. At RD she was off and among the first people to get to the FP machine at (where else?) TSM! Dale and I felt no need to rush so we stopped and said "Good Morning" to Daisy and Minnie who were looking for some guests to greet. (I'm not crazy about the pics so I'm not posting them )

***FYI for parents with little ones-there were a lot of characters out at this point and everyone rushes past on the way to TSM. Have one parent get FP and the other take the kiddos to see the characters!

Dale loves Pixar movies and was blown away by this whole new area!

When we got to TSM Caitlin was already there with her FP. We were able to walk right through the queue and onto the ride!

(Mr. P was still asleep so we didn't seen him in action)


We soon jumped into our cars and our fierce Midway Mania Competition began! I rode with Dale since it was his first time and Caitlin rode alone. I'm not going to brag but guess who won.........yep! Yours truly! I need to gloat because this was the one and only time I won

When we got off we headed to TOT and RNRC to hit them before the park officially opened. While they rode I played Tinsel Town papparazzo....

After they rode TOT they decided to skip RNRC and it was already time to go back to TSM! On our way we ran into this little troublemaker...

We told him to "hang loose" and stay out of trouble! We rode TSM again (using FP) and this time I was with Caitlin and Dale rode with another "guest". It turned out this guest was a CM and told Dale all the "tricks" of the game. Yeah, he kicked our butts this time! When we got off we got another FP so we could ride again later! OUr next stop was to meet the toys in their new spot. This new meet and greet area is awesome! There are tons of photo-ops all the way through the queue (and you know we hit em all!) and it makes the wait a lot of fun! Here are Dale and Caitlin hamming it up.....

When we got to the front, the CM was an older woman and she made a big fuss about Caitlin's "Dean's List" pin and told Buzz and Woody. They both hugged and kissed her and then they started fighting over her. It was a lot of fun!

After our visit with the toys (um boys?) we headed toward Star Tours. There was about a 20 min wait so Dale and Caitlin got fast passes and we decided to take the Back Lot Tour since it was closed during our Dec. trip. This turned out to be a very good decision and ended up being one of the most memorable times of our vacation!
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[WrightFamily06]

Great update We loved TSM also ! Can't wait to hear about your Backstage tour experience !

 

[thecapells]

TSM was blast but the rush to it at rope drop was insane.
I can't believe the CM's don't control that better like for Soarin' in EPCOT.
Good call sending Caitlin ahead and strolling over there leisurely.
We tried the opposite approach - I went for FastPasses while the rest of the family went slower but headed towards Stand-By.
When I was done I joined them since the line was still pretty short.
Then we came back later to use the FastPasses.

 

[MEK]

OMG - I don't know how I got so far behind on your TR, but I am now up to date. I am enjoying all your stories and your pictures. It seems like you are having such a fantastic time! Caitlin looks so cute in all her pictures. I need to borrow her to get my FP's for TSM!

 

[dawnbu40]

OMG - I don't know how I got so far behind on your TR, but I am now up to date. I am enjoying all your stories and your pictures. It seems like you are having such a fantastic time! Caitlin looks so cute in all her pictures. I need to borrow her to get my FP's for TSM!

Thank you! I may be her mom but I agree she is a cutie! I just noticed your ticker! It says tomorrow you'll be at AKL! I hope you have an amazing time!!!!!!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Great update Dawn! I love the Toy Story photo ops and you guys really took some cute pics in there. I love the way your DD poses in all of them. And in AUgust I have to locate this darn Cowboy Goofy! How have I missed him?

 

[PrincessCaitlin]

I get to tell you all about my favorite memory of this year’s vacation!
When we got to the Back Lot Tour the line started moving and it got cut off right at us! Now we knew people are chosen to be in the pre show so I asked the CM if they needed people to be in it. She said YES! She grabbed my family and moved us over to the waiting area and asked which of us wanted to be in it. My mom and I chose to do it and my dad stayed out so he could take pictures and hold onto our things for us.
I was soo excited! I had always wanted to do this!
We were lead down the walkway and were told to put on our gear. Our gear consisted of very water proof pants, a jacket and boots. I was told I was going to be the mechanic and my mom was going to be the captain and two other people were going to be the deckhands.

We were told what we had to do and when we would have to do it and then we were lead out to the main area.

I was a little nervous about being the mechanic because I had seen this show before but I got into the room and sat down and waited for ACTION! My job was to answer the phone and move my mouth and whatever I did I could not look to the left of me!
Action was yelled and I started “yelling” into the phone and that’s when it happened….

Our ship had been torpedoed!

And it happened again…

Surprisingly I did not get wet! Those water proof outfits do their job!

I then had to pretend to be dry.

It was so much fun!
Now it was time for my mom to work her magic!
She had to look for the enemy planes.

Yell and scream when they were attacking.

She was a great captain!
We then got to watch the movie with all of the special effects added.

Then we took our bow and left the area to go ride the Back Lot Tour!

 

[WrightFamily06]

How cool you got to be a part of the Back lot tour show ! It looks like you and your Mom had a blast doing it ! Both your facial expressions are priceless in the pictures . I'm sure this is one WDW moment you will remember forever !

 

[thecapells]

Awesome! That sounds like alot of fun!
I always skip the Backlot Tour since it's not as cool as way back when.
But being in the pre-show would definitely make it a great attraction!

 

[bussellmomof3]

Subbing
I love your reviews! Caitlin is adorable. How cool that you got to be the stars of the show. I'm jealous!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[MagicShell]

I am glad you got to be in the Backlot Tour show. I have not been on that ride since 1995, my first time at Disney World. I don't think my kids have ever been on it. It sounds like we need to ride again next time.

 

[dawnbu40]

Great update Dawn! I love the Toy Story photo ops and you guys really took some cute pics in there. I love the way your DD poses in all of them. And in AUgust I have to locate this darn Cowboy Goofy! How have I missed him?

Thank you! We actually missed this area in Dec. because we didn't know it existed! I learned about it from one of your trip reports, so THANK YOU! It was a lot of fun! Caitlin is quite a ham and loves posing! We found Cowboy Goofy in Frontierland back near Splash Mountain and Pecos Bill's. Hope you track him down!

How cool you got to be a part of the Back lot tour show ! It looks like you and your Mom had a blast doing it ! Both your facial expressions are priceless in the pictures . I'm sure this is one WDW moment you will remember forever !

Making the movie was so much fun! We both had a really great time and you're right, this is something we'll always remember!

Awesome! That sounds like alot of fun!
I always skip the Backlot Tour since it's not as cool as way back when.
But being in the pre-show would definitely make it a great attraction!

Actually I think you and your oldest DS would enjoy the tour because there is a lot of Star Wars stuff! You see SW things on the tram ride (there might be some pics in our next post) and in the "museum". You're right though, this attraction is not as much fun as it was originally. I loved when the tram rode through the tv show "neighborhood" and you saw all the houses and things.

Subbing
I love your reviews! Caitlin is adorable. How cool that you got to be the stars of the show. I'm jealous!

Can't wait to read more!

Welcome! We're glad you've joined us! Thank you for the nice compliments! Being in the show was pretty awesome and we ended up being glad that Dale was taking pictures so we had some record of it.

 

[dawnbu40]

I am glad you got to be in the Backlot Tour show. I have not been on that ride since 1995, my first time at Disney World. I don't think my kids have ever been on it. It sounds like we need to ride again next time.

Thank you! Being in the show was a highlight of our vacation! Although the Tour isn't as great as it once was I still think its worth checking out ESPECIALLY if you haven't done it in almost 15 years! Some pics of the Tour are coming right up!

 

[dawnbu40]

After our moment in the spotlight we joined our entourage on the tram for the Back Lot Tour. To get to the tram you have to cut through the "Prop Room" that is just loaded with various movie props like this prop from one of the Narnia movies...

Then you board the tram and go "behind the scenes" of the movie studio. The tram passes a lot of different vehicles used in movies

and then you reach Catastrophe Canyon! At first it seems like everything is fine...

but then there is an explosion and water begins rushing down!

and then it seems as though the water will drown you!

What a relief to get out safe (and dry! ) The tram then heads toward LMA and you see some behind the scenes stuff there. The tram lets you off at the AFI "Museum" and there are some cool displays of movie costumes and props....

When we finished our tour, I was ready for lunch. (Dale and Caitlin were going to eat at Tutto but I knew that wasn't my kind of food) The closest place to grab a bite was the Studio Catering Co. This was my worst meal of the trip. The dessert wasn't great and the hot dog was no where near as good as Casey's but it was food. When I finished we decided to head over to Star Tours so they could use the FP they picked up earlier. On our way we passed this hero and of course Caitlin had to get in on the act! (She was 3 or 4 when the original Power Rangers aired and she loved it! She always had to be the Pink Ranger and was in with the Green one!)

We passed the Muppet Movie theater

but we decided til this gets an update its no longer on our "must do" list. We've seen it so many times its gotten kind of old.

We soon arrived in a Galaxy far, far away

and they left me to go on a tour of another planet. Along the way they saw some bad guys

and some good guys!

While they were touring the stars I sat in the shade and enjoyed some familar music. I'd never noticed before that in the area around the Commissary old tv theme songs are playing. Being a tv fan I enjoyed this! I heard the songs from some classic shows I grew up with like the Brady Bunch, Happy Days and.... wait for it...Doogie Howser (I know wrong Neil Patrick Harris show) This was probably the most fun I ever had waiting!

When they finished with their Star Tour it was time for us to hop over to Epcot for their lunch adr. We decided to take the boat over and we were so glad we did! We loved the relaxing and lovely boat ride! I really think the boat rides give you some nice down time between parks. This is especially good for people (like us) who don't take afternoon breaks at their hotel!

Next up...Tutto, American Adventure and back to DHS for some very special meet and greets!

 

[dawnbu40]

When our boat arrived at Epcot we headed straight to Italy for their late lunch at...

If you are following Caitlin's food report you are aware of how much they this meal! (I'm a picky eater and knew from the menu on All Ears that this was not my taste) They enjoyed their food and I enjoyed their company and seeing them try something new! When they finished we took a few pics...

We then headed over to America to catch the show! We arrived in time to hear the Voices of Liberty perform. I absolutely love them! Their voices are absolutely gorgeous and I always get teary eyed when they sing God Bless America! After the show it was time to head upstairs for the main event. Thats when our little accident happened...as I was getting off the escalator with Dale and Caitlin behind, the people in front of me stopped abruptly. There was a domino effect and Caitlin ran into Dale and her toe nail caught his sandal. By the time we got to the entrance of the show her toe was bleeding profusely ! There was no place to sit down so we bandaged her up right there (luckily I was carrying bandaids and neosporin-moms, don't think you get to stop carrying that stuff when your kids get older) We thought she'd lose the nail but its still hanging on! Caitlin didn't get to enjoy the American Adventure since she was in pain but she took a Tylenol and continued on.

After our travels through American history we decided to go back to DHS. Afterall we still had another FP for TSM! When we arrived back at DHS we first stopped in to visit that handsome Prince from Narnia. He was both charming...

and very,very handsome!

Caitlin was positively smitten! It was so funny watching her!

After our private meeting with royalty we were off to TSM and another fierce competition began.( Of course, Caitlin was still distracted by his royal highness) Dale was the champion again!

After our competition we decided to visit the Animation Building and cool off in the air conditioning. Our first stop was to see those heroes from Bolt. Dale had never met them before and was really excited to meet Rhino! (the lighting wasn't great in here and our pics aren't as good as I would have hoped for)

We then spotted a villain we hadn't seen for photos since Caitlin was 2! It was none other than Aladdin's arch enemy....

We were then suprised to see several guys from Nottingham...

(the King loved when Caitlin bowed to him)


Then off in a corner we noticed Mickey's bff! This was the best Pluto ever! He was all on 4's at all times since well that is what dogs do!

We were in character overload at this point and having so much fun! We saw Jafar leave and then we were shocked at who came out next! It was none other than Snow White's Step-Mother! Yes, the Queen in person! Caitlin curtsied and told her it was an honor and they had a very amusing conversation.

When I went over the Queen asked "is she yours?" and when I said yes she said "She's charming. You shouldn't have any trouble finding her a Prince". That was the coolest character meet we've ever had!

While we were talking with the Queen another villain we hadn't seen in years came out. It was that evil Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas!

Speaking of Pocahontas...

Then we saw Pluto leave (on all 4's) and he was replaced by my favorite Prince and Dale's favorite Princess...

Last but not least we saw the Incredible's pal...Frozone!

We had hit the character jackpot! We saw all those characters in about 45 minutes and it was too much fun! At this point we were all in great spirits and had done all we wanted to do so we decided to head back to the hotel. We took the bus back and Caitlin and Dale grabbed some dinner at Sassagoula. Someone mentioned to Dale that there would be live entertainment that evening so around 8:30 we headed to the Scat Cat area. The performer was Elliot Dison and he is great! He sings and plays 12 instruments! We really enjoyed his show and I got to dance with my Prince again! It was a great end to another great day!


Next up...Mother's Day 2009!

 

[disneygirlinnj]

WOW you guys had AWESOME character meets! I sadly can't see the pics yet so I'll check tonight at home but I'm jealous! And I need to see this handsome prince

I haven't been on the backstage tour in forever but it looks like they changed the audience participation a little bit, very cool. At least I know they changed the outfits from those lovely yellow rain suits to the lovely blue ones you guys were wearing! (I was able to check those pics this morning before I left for work!)

 

[WrightFamily06]

Great update The DHS pic's are beautiful and OMG I can't believe you met all those rare characters in that one spot ! Where exactly in DHS was that , I don't think we've ever been in there ! Sorry to hear about Catlin's toe Good thing Mom was there to patch her up !