SOOZE Return of the Band Geeks! What's Next Update! p.25 10/10

[Sooze]

I am with you on the dresses from WDW. Our first princess dress, the snow white one is far nicer than any other one we have ever gotten. I do think the ones through the disney store are better quality too.

Those are well not even B team princesses. We have ate there twice and had much much prettier ones. I do think the Aurora hair is just not pretty... although in the princess tent we did see a pretty Aurora this trip!

I agree. After spending the money for this one, and seeing how huge the difference is... I may never go cheap again!!!

I just can't imagine Disney has any problems finding gorgeous young ladies who want to be princesses, but maybe they do. And, again, I'm not saying the young ladies who were our princesses were not beautiful, they just didn't look like the princesses at all!! And I agree about Aurora's hair... even with a stunning princess... the bangs just ruin it for me!

 

[micandminforever]

Shea princess dress was perfect on her. She has such a sweet smile. The wishing star picture was my favorite.

 

[Sooze]

Shea princess dress was perfect on her. She has such a sweet smile. The wishing star picture was my favorite.

Thanks! It fit her like a glove... probably because it was made well (unlike WalMart dresses!) I love the wish picture, too! It was so genuine!!

 

[Sooze]

When we last talked... which was a REALLY long time ago, I know... Shae and I had just had some fabulous adventures with the princesses, nasty step-family, and magical Godmother. Just around the corner from the castle, another princess was waiting for us. Or.. um... WE were waiting for HER!

We had about 20 minutes before Disney's newest princess was expected to arrive at her gazebo, and since we were first in line, we decided to wait. We spent time looking through Shae's autograph book, since she had just gotten a bunch of new ones in it from breakfast. I also spent time looking around and being a bit 'put-off' on the location of this Tiana meet and greet. It was SO out-of-the-way!! Really... if I wasn't specifically searching for Tiana, I probably would NEVER have seen her. She deserves a more prominent meet and greet spot, in my opinion!

Finally, a shimmering white gown came around the corner, and the most stunning princess and handsome prince walked into the gazebo. Shaelyn could BARELY contain herself! Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long!

I mean, seriously? Look at her! She's beautiful. And not only did she and Naveen look fabulous.. they were just the sweetest and most fun couple ever! They spent a lot of time with Shae. It was very hard to leave them!

After all of the excitement from the morning, we needed a good ol' fashioned band geek rest. Thankfully, these guys were doing some road-side entertaining:

DANG! These folks can PLAY! The highlight for me was when Shae got out of her stroller and just HAD to dance with me! I saw lots of people enjoying our moment of dancing to the Disney magic... it was wonderful.. and I'll never forget it!

It was almost time to head back to the resort for naps, but we decided to stop on Main Street to check out the parade. Matt and Tyson had met up with us, so we snagged a curb-side seat and enjoyed the show! I have a lot of pictures here, but they are mostly of the dancers that accompany the floats. I just have a lot of respect for them, because they are out there doing 100%, but most people don't even notice them, because of the floats and characters! Any way.. enjoy the pics, or scroll on past...

 

[Sooze]

Suddenly, our favorite step-family was coming down the road:

Check it out:

This step-sister (Anastasia or Drizella? not sure what her name is!) came RIGHT up to Shaelyn and said, "It's so good to see you again!" It was AWESOME! Of the hundreds of kids she sees each day, she remembered my little princess! (I'm sure it was that dress, right?)

Ariel?

Hi 5 from the Woody himself!

Can you see Shae's hand reaching out to Jessie? Like she's a rock star? Love it!

Waving until her arm almost fell off! Shae just LOVED the parades on this trip. Don't we all?

After another superb Disney parade, we headed home for lunch and naps. We had a big afternoon at Animal Kingdom with our friends. We were going to show them the Nemo musical for their very first time!

 

[micandminforever]

I loved the parade pictures. We decided to skip the parade on our last trip because 3:00 in June was just to hot, now I wished I had stayed. My favorite part of Disney are the shows and parades.

 

[Sooze]

I loved the parade pictures. We decided to skip the parade on our last trip because 3:00 in June was just to hot, now I wished I had stayed. My favorite part of Disney are the shows and parades.

Thanks. I wish my pictures were bigger, but this is just how they came up on Photobucket. I tried resizing them, but it won't let me make them bigger.

I don't know if this was different because it was spring break, but this parade was before lunch... or right around lunch time. I think they did this one early, then the celebrate block party-style parade at 3. It was nice because we were able to catch it on the way out!

I LOVE shows and parades too!!

 

[Sooze]

We had just enjoyed a princess and parade filled morning. Our family regrouped for a mid-day nap and quickly ventured back out to Animal Kingdom. This was the day we were going to share Finding Nemo: The Musical with Dean, Adrianna, and Abby for their very first time!

As we entered AK, we realized the Jungle Jammin' Parade was about ready to begin. We have NEVER seen this parade because we are usually not in a park at 3:00 in the afternoon! We all met up and found a spot by the ropes.

Now, we have a tradition with our friends when it comes to Spectromagic... we are quite loud and quite obnoxious and it is QUITE fun! We yell out the characters' names as loud and crazy as possible, and 90% of the time, it results in a big ol' wave, or even a visit (like Chip above). But with this parade, there really weren't very many characters. Just some neat looking floats/carts/bikes and dancing Cast Members. So, instead of screaming, "ALICE!!!!" "MARY POPPINS!!!!' or "BRIER BEAR!!!!!", Dean was screaming, "ARMADILLO GUY!!!!!" or "SAFARI DUDE!!!!"

Ok, it may not seem that funny to you.. but at the time... we could NOT stop laughing!!! It was SO funny!!

"MINNIE!!!!"

"LIZARD MAN!!!!!"

Here is my view of Dean. I was sitting, he was standing over us and was reaching out for the characters with even more vigor than the kids! Such fun moments!!

I think we were quiet for this guy... what the heck IS his name?

Shaelyn still waving and loving every parade moment of it all!

"GOOFY!!!!!!"

I love this picture. I took it through the sun shade of her stroller. She was just so inthralled with the show. Plus, she's STILL wearing those Princess ears!

"TIMON!!!!!!" (Notice Dean's hand!)

"DONAAAAAALLLLDDDDD!!!"

"PLUTOOOOOOOOO!"

"RANDOM JUNGLE ANIMAL PEOPLE!!!!!!!"

and the loudest of all "MMMMIIIICCCKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!"

Extra fist pumps from Dean. He was in heaven!

Well, after that 15 minutes of solid laughter, we followed the MASSIVE crowds toward the other side of the park. They were heading for Everest. WE were heading towards NEMO!!! They were already letting folks in for the show and we scored some pretty decent seats in the upper section. I really haven't been able to see this show close up in over a year. I enjoy sitting up front to see the sweat and spit from the actors... but you have to arrive 45 minutes before the show, and be one of the first ones in to snag those seats.

Oh well... I really wasn't here for me this time. I was here to see our friends' reaction to it all!

We were so excited!

The show was fabulous as always. Dean, Adrianna, and Abby really enjoyed it and we enjoyed that they enjoyed it. Not sure if they will buy the soundtrack and listen to it daily in the car (like we do), but I think they're glad they saw it!

After the show, Shaelyn and I once again ditched the older folks. We headed over to the Boneyard play area. Shae just LOVES it in here!!

But, here is my problem. You know those itty bitty rubber pieces that fill the dig site? You know, Shae's favorite place to be? The dig site? Well... kids LOVE to throw those things... I mean... THROW them. They love to dig like busy little doggies in the yard and just FLAIL those things through the air! WHEEEEEE

But.. then it ends up in your hair, ears, eyes, shoes, underwear, HAIR AND EYES!! GRRRRR! I felt like such a mean mommy because as soon as Shae would even THINK about tossing those little rubber ballies, I'd be all over her NOT to. But the kids around us? TOSSING AWAY!! I can't even tell you where half of the parents were. Usually sitting off to the side on their cell phones, not even paying attention. Well... we tried to enjoy ourselves nonetheless. And I'm assuming Shae had a pretty good time, since we spent almost an HOUR in there!

What's next? Dinner and ANOTHER SHOW! What made this show so special for us? Lots of reasons! Come back....

 

[micandminforever]

I love the music and puppetry of Nemo. It is great the way the puppets and puppeteer become one.

 

[Sooze]

I love the music and puppetry of Nemo. It is great the way the puppets and puppeteer become one.

I agree!

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

 

[belle8306]

I love the enthusiasm at the parades! My favorite was "Random Jungle Animal People".

 

[micandminforever]

My favorite part of Disney is the shows and parades and I love the way your trip report emphasizes both. Plus Shae is cute as a button, it is fun looking at Disney through her eyes. I almost bought the Princess ears for my little cousin on our last trip, after seeing Shea wearing them on your trip report. They are going in December, but then decided just to give her the money and let her pick out her own disney ears. The princess ears are so cute on Shea.

 

[PrincessV]

As we entered AK, we realized the Jungle Jammin' Parade was about ready to begin. We have NEVER seen this parade because we are usually not in a park at 3:00 in the afternoon!

Us either! Someday...

I think we were quiet for this guy... what the heck IS his name?

Brer Bear! Or "Brer Bum" to Leo. Think Splash Mtn.

"RANDOM JUNGLE ANIMAL PEOPLE!!!!!!!"

But, here is my problem. You know those itty bitty rubber pieces that fill the dig site? You know, Shae's favorite place to be? The dig site? Well... kids LOVE to throw those things... I mean... THROW them.

Yep. I've banned the place from our itinerary since the time Leo got a rubber fleck wedged in his eye from a throwing kid. THAT was fun.

 

[Sooze]

I love the enthusiasm at the parades! My favorite was "Random Jungle Animal People".

I still laugh out loud when I think of that parade and Dean yelling that.. along with "ARMADILLO GUY!!!" Awesome memories!

My favorite part of Disney is the shows and parades and I love the way your trip report emphasizes both. Plus Shae is cute as a button, it is fun looking at Disney through her eyes. I almost bought the Princess ears for my little cousin on our last trip, after seeing Shea wearing them on your trip report. They are going in December, but then decided just to give her the money and let her pick out her own disney ears. The princess ears are so cute on Shea.

I'm glad I've got an artsy follower! Thanks for all of your wonderful comments! I WILL be updating today, so you can get our take on another fabulous show at AK!

Us either! Someday...

I know.. it's just SO darn hot. Plus, you'd be missing out on pool:30!

Brer Bear! Or "Brer Bum" to Leo. Think Splash Mtn.

Ok.. don't pass out... but I've NEVER been on Splash Mtn. I KNOW!! I plan on riding it on my next trip, since we'll be there at the end of June, when it's uber hot!

Yep. I've banned the place from our itinerary since the time Leo got a rubber fleck wedged in his eye from a throwing kid. THAT was fun.

UGH... I guess I'm lucky that hasn't happened yet to Shae. But with all of those rubber flecks-a-flyin', it's bound to happen at some point.

 

[Sooze]

Ok.. so... I don't consider myself an animal expert in any way, shape, or form... but when I see signs like this posted in Animal Kingdom:

... I obey them. I figure the experts that work here know their stuff. I also figure, if Disney spent the money on such a wonderful sign, it probably means something. So even though my little princess was just dying to feed the cute little birds roaming around our lunch table just "one little bitty piece of bread?!?"... I told her no... because the people who work here think it might not be good for the animals. See the sign honey? It says DO. NOT. FEED. THE. WILDLIFE.

You know where I'm going with this, don't you? YEP!! Shae and I found ourselves at Flame Tree, enjoying one of my favorite counter service meals on all of Disney property... when, lo and behold, a LARGE family decided to provide lunch for all of the flying mammals near our table. It was so annoying.

Oh well, Shae and I tried to enjoy our lunch while the circus was happening behind us.

Shae enjoying the beautiful view (which I LOVE about the seating areas for Flame Tree)

Hey... can I feed some birds?

Our view:

Shae's meal (you can see the offenders behind us.. I put Shae's back to them so she might not have to see as much of the offending)

The rest of our gang had met up for lunch at Pizzafari and were still there when we left Flame Tree, so we headed that way.

Thought for the day: What the heck did we EVER do without cell phones?!! Splitting up is such an important part of our Disney day, but I can't imagine all of the planning and clock-watching we'd have to do if we didn't have cell phones. So happy for that technology!! (Not to mention the line-waiting-entertainment they provide!)

After chilling in the air-conditioning at Pizzafari, Dean, Adrianna, and Abby decided they were done for the day. The rest of us were ready to stay for some EMH at AK, which included the special 9pm performance of FotLK. We said our goodbyes and headed over to Camp Minnie Mickey. We had about an hour and a half until show time, but we wanted to line up FIRST to score the best seats we could! This meant we had about 30 minutes to just chill. Camp Minnie Mickey was EMPTY!! No characters, no cast members, no guests. Just Matt, Tyson, Shaelyn, and me. It. was. FABULOUS!!

First stop, the bathroom. Now, if you don't read Jordanyosh's trip reports, you need to go find them.. they are hilarious and very active! But this next picture is for him.

Jordan is a bathroom connoisseur.. he ranks each bathroom he visits... and this bathroom was so amazing, I just had to add it to my own TR! This bathroom was SPOTLESS, HUGE, and COMPLETELY EMPTY! (Which is why I felt comfortable whipping out my camera... tho still a bit odd) Just wanted to capture the moment.

After the bathroom break, Matt and I found a comfy spot to sit while the kids were playing away with each other. We felt fine letting them run around and be pretty loud about it... there was really NOBODY around. These were one of those 'close-my-eyes-and-remember' moments... I absorbed every sound, sight, smell, taste, and feel about those 30 minutes... awesome!

Desolate Camp Minnie Mickey:

Ok, this is a terrible picture, but it was a full moon that night, and the sky was crystal clear.... just trying to capture it... and did a terrible job:

After an amazing 30 minutes of just ENJOYING each other, we headed into the FotLK queue. We were, indeed, first in line, and got into the theater quickly. The very very front seats were already taken (not sure how that happened, but it's fine) so we snagged some seats close to the front. Our early arrival paid off, as Tyson and Shaelyn were approached by a cast member and taken out onto the stage to 'teach' the audience the hand-jive.

Thankfully, both of them were excited and more-than-willing to do it! So we had a proud mamma and papa moment as the kids were featured, and they gave both kids a certificate of thanks. Soon, the show was beginning and the theater was filled with color and outstanding music! Our favorite lead male (whom we call "Super Dude") was not in the show tonight, but the lead male was just about as amazing! Suddenly, he was approaching MATT to help him lead the section in elephant sounds. Matt was also very willing, and took that opportunity to tell the Male Lead how much our family loves the show, and how amazingly talented he is! Then Matt made a fabulous elephant sound (Thanks to his years of training on trumpet) and headed back to the seat to enjoy the show.

Finally, the end of the show came, where they involve kids... Tyson and Shaelyn leapt out of their seats to join in on the fun!

Getting instruments:

Shake it!

Making the rounds:

Hi 5s from the dancers:

There was quite a small crowd for this performance, so it felt very intimate and special to us. This show is one of the highlights to every trip we take. Each and every time we see it, I get goosebumps and teary-eyes!! Can't wait to see it again!!

After the show, Tyson and I caught about 5 rides of EE in a row while Matt and Shae headed home. We caught up with them later and we all fell asleep content and exhausted!

Coming up tomorrow... we try something NEW! (And our butts pay for it!)

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

great score on the show and the EE rides, was it EMH in there that night? we did not make it to our EMH at AK but we had enough in there and did everything.

 

[belle8306]

What a memorable evening! I don't like feeding the birds either. I love that you had Camp Minnie Mickey to yourselves. This sounds like such a relaxing night!

 

[JenSop]

Great update!

Ugh! I can't stand it when people don't obey the rules! Especially when it comes to animals!!!

How awesome that the kids got to go up on stage!

 

[micandminforever]

We have never experienced EMH at AK, but we may need to put it on our to do list for next time. The park looked so peaceful and empty.

I love FotLK, and the music and the costuming are wonderful.

 

[PrincessV]

Ok.. don't pass out... but I've NEVER been on Splash Mtn. I KNOW!!

I think I just had an aneurysm Susie!

See the sign honey? It says DO. NOT. FEED. THE. WILDLIFE.

You know where I'm going with this, don't you?

Sadly, yes.

Thought for the day: What the heck did we EVER do without cell phones?!!

I can't tell you how many times I had that thought last week! And I can answer it, too: I may or may not have completely "lost" my family at Epcot and just went on home, figuring I'd hear from them eventually! (They came in a different car.)

We felt fine letting them run around and be pretty loud about it... there was really NOBODY around. These were one of those 'close-my-eyes-and-remember' moments... I absorbed every sound, sight, smell, taste, and feel about those 30 minutes... awesome!

After the show, Tyson and I caught about 5 rides of EE in a row...

At risk of giving away my plot before even really getting going on my TR... let's just say I missed my summit bid. Again.