SWW, BCR & Technically, we were literally on Mars! New - 8/31 - Final Update

[lsenquiz]

Sheesh, Guest Services! What's up with that?? Completely ridiculous. I would think they would have a policy in place for times when one customer takes so much attention!
You are much more patient than I would be.

Sadly I was not patient at all once I got up there. I actually felt bad about it later as I know that the Disney CMs put up with alot. However, I agree that a policy is needed. I may still send an email.

Other than those fiascos, it sounds like the trip is going pretty well. I hope you can find a little Beach Club Magic by the end of your trip even if you never stay there again .

I wonder if the magic wrist bands (I've forgotten the name, ha ha) will eventually include EVERYTHING (like the TIW card and the pool access?). I can see how all the cards and bands get forgotten and that would certainly simplify things.

Supposedly the Magic Bands are supposed to do everything. Only time will tell. I did see some people wearing them one day when we were at DHS. They were part of the trial and they were loving them.

Can't wait to read more!!

 

[lsenquiz]

Today = Tuesday May 28th

Day 5 Animal Kingdom Part 1​

We were all up early again today because I wanted to make park opening (9am) for AK. So, we were on our way to the bus stop by 8am. Breakfast once again was eggos and bagels. We got to the bus stop and waited about 5 minutes for the bus to arrive. The bus was pretty full but everyone was able to get seats. We were very glad about this because Gabriel tends to panic if he has to stand because he is a real worrier and just thinks it is not safe. The bus was supposed to stop at Blizzard Beach first and then go to Animal Kingdom. The bus driver asked for a show of hands for anyone that was headed to blizzard beach and when no one raised his hand he said he would skip that stop. Everyone cheered . I would have hated to be that one family on the bus that wanted to go to BB. Not sure I would have admitted it if I was.

We ended up at AK by 8:30am and there were already 100s of people in line waiting to get in. Touring plans had this park as a best park for this day with a predicted crowd level of 4.something. I was starting to have my doubts. I think they started letting people through about 8:45am. When we got to the front of the line we realized we were in a paper ticket line. We got a quick lecture from the CM on how we should have gone through one of the Mickeyhead lines but honestly I am not sure how I could have known which was which from so far back . There may have been signs but if so I just did not see them.


DSC03294 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Once we were through the entrance we headed to the Safari to get FP tickets. We did stop real quick for a Photopass picture:


Photo0096FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

My plan was to have Kenny and Gabriel get in the standby line while I got FPs and I thought I told Kenny this. However, I came back from getting the FPs to see Kenny and Gabriel patiently waiting for me right outside the FP area. I started to get irritated with Kenny and then stopped myself because I was determined to try not to sweat the small stuff this trip (this is really not easy for me and I will confess now that I was not always successful). By this time the standby line for the Safari was way too long to consider getting in it so we just moved on to the next thing on our schedule:


Pangani trail by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Photo borrowed from the internet

Animal Kingdom has always been my least favorite park. We have always rushed through it and are usually ready to leave by lunch or on shorter visits it is the park we would skip. I was determined to change that this trip. We were going to take our time and spend as much time as we needed to see everything. So we began meandering down the trail.

We saw lots of interesting animals along the way. The first stop (I think) was the reptile house. I have no pictures to document this though. Then we went to the bird area. Gabriel liked getting the laminated sheets at the beginning and trying to find all the birds. These little yellow birds build the most beautiful nests. They reminded me of a papasan chair that hangs from the ceiling.


DSC03297 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After that we spent some time watching the Gorillas. There was a three month old baby that was so fun to watch. Right after I took this picture she took a big tumble about 15-20ft. down to the bottom of a ravine. It scared me but she seemed fine so we moved on.


DSC03311 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

This little guy was so cute. He sat on the top of this rock and his head just bobbed all around. Gabriel explained to me that he is the guard in charge of alerting the rest when there is danger.


DSC03300 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Our FPs were open for the Safari by the time we were done exploring the trail. We got the last row on the bus which happens a lot for us. I find it so much more bumpy than the other rows. We had a very enjoyable ride. Our tour guide was really good and actually funny instead of just corny. It was hard to take good pictures with all the bumps but I was able to get some:

This guy did not look like he was doing too good.


DSC03315 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03346 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

This guy was having some breakfast (hopefully something they gave him and not something he hunted down!)


DSC03383 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

The baby in this picture had just finished running across the field to its mother. It was really cute.


DSC03366 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Gabriel's favorite animal is the white Rino so he was very happy to see these.


DSC03396 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Is this guy cute or what??


DSC03400 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

We did not see any Zebra's which was a disappointment for me. I thought the new Zebra area would be open by the time we went.

When we got off the safari it was pretty obvious that the park was way more crowded than I had expected it to be. If the crowds that day were a 4.something than please do not ever let me be in a park when it is a 10 .

We headed to the Flights of Wonder show after the Safari. We had never done this show so I was excited to see it. It was a really funny show and will definitely be added to our must do list. I managed to get a couple pictures:

This guy is hilarious. We were cracking up the whole show.


DSC03429 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr



DSC03442 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Missy if you are reading I do think you would like this show. We sat way up top and no bird ever came anywhere near us.

Next we walked this trail:


maharaji jungle trek by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Photo borrowed from the internet

It was a very shady cool walk so we really took our time. I also managed to get some pictures


DSC03452 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Gross right? Gabriel actually wants to build a bat house in our back yard. I am trying to decide which I hate worse mosquitos or bats?

Isnt this bird house pretty?


DSC03459 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After our trek through the Maharaji we decided to get some lunch. We ate at one of my favorite CS restaurants in all of Disney:


flame-tree-sign by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Photo borrowed from the internet

I was excited to learn that this CS restaurant took the TiW card so I would finally be able to use it . However when the CM swiped it it kept coming up invalid card. She offered to call a manager over to override the system but when I looked back at the long line behind me I knew I could not hold everyone up for the $5 discount I would get. The meal was delicious as always and of course I got no pictures. I did get a picture of a guest that we had sitting with us at lunch:


photo5 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
This was the tiniest lizard I have ever seen. Kenny sent the picture to our DD21 with the caption -SOMEONE HELP ME I HAVE A FLAT TIRE! I did not get it but he said that is because I do not watch commercials. I guess it is from a Geico commercial?

We headed to Dinoland next and rode the Dumbo dinosaur (as Gabriel calls it). The wait was about 30 minutes. I ran over to get FPs to Dinosaur while the boys rode.


DSC03460 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Then Gabriel wanted to spend some time in the Boneyard. I am not a big fan of this place and usually we skip it but in the spirit of my new philosophy to slow down we stopped for a bit. Plus we had 20 minutes before our FPs to Dinosaur opened up so it was a way to pass the time while we were still on that side of the park.


DSC03463 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Kenny and I planted ourselves right at the exit and let Gabriel just run around. There was a little boy that attempted to escape while we were sitting there and three CMs blocked his way until his dad came and got him. I know I have read stories before of children getting out without their parents knowledge but this time that was not happening.

Up next; Experiencing things we had skipped the last couple of trips, my favorite show and a train to nowhere.

 

[wiigirl]

Awesome pics!

 

[ohboyx3]

I am really enjoying your report!!!

 

[BridgetR3]

On your pic of the warthog with the caption "Is this guy cute or what?", I choose OR WHAT.... Sorry I'm not feeling the love!

What great pics of AK! We tried the first trail for the first time ourselves this trip and really enjoyed it. We decided that next trip when it is cooler we will go on the other one as well. Our AK day was VERY HOT and it seemed super crowded so we had trouble finishing everything we wanted to do without running out of time!

Sorry to hear that your TIW didn't work at Flame Tree. I'm hoping it works later on in the trip! Geez, I would hate for you to have to visit Guest Relations AGAIN!

 

[lsenquiz]

Awesome pics!

Thanks

I am really enjoying your report!!!

Thanks for following along

On your pic of the warthog with the caption "Is this guy cute or what?", I choose OR WHAT.... Sorry I'm not feeling the love!

Some things are just so ugly they are cute.... or not

What great pics of AK! We tried the first trail for the first time ourselves this trip and really enjoyed it. We decided that next trip when it is cooler we will go on the other one as well. Our AK day was VERY HOT and it seemed super crowded so we had trouble finishing everything we wanted to do without running out of time!

We did end up being at the park from open to close and still did not get everything in.

Sorry to hear that your TIW didn't work at Flame Tree. I'm hoping it works later on in the trip! Geez, I would hate for you to have to visit Guest Relations AGAIN!

Thats what I was hoping also

 

[lsenquiz]

Today = Tuesday May 28th

Day 5 – Animal Kingdom – Part 2​

When I left off last we were letting Gabriel play in the Boneyard while we waited for our FPs for Dinosaur to open. We headed over to Dinosaur the minute the window opened:


DSC03469 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03468 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

And we were finally able to use our Photopass+


47794580000 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After Dinosaur we headed to see this:


DSC03472 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

We have skipped this for the past few years because it scared Gabriel to death the last time he did it.


DSC03473 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

He handled things much better this time. Now it was time to see my favorite attraction in all of Disney (well after Soarin):


DSC03476 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03482 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

I just love this show. The energy and talent of the actors is amazing to me. I can totally see why some of them make their way to Broadway after preforming in this show. We spent a few minutes with these funny fellows after the show:


Photo0103FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


Photo0104FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

They were goofy as usual and did a lot of kidding around with Gabriel which is why we ended up with an authentic smile in the picture:

Then we went to find our spots for the parade. On the way there they announced that they were extending the park hours by 1 hour so the park would not be closing until 8pm. This further confirmed my thoughts that the park was much more crowded than expected.

The parade is another thing we have skipped for several years (last time we saw it was 2009). We loved it this time so will not be skipping it again. I got some really good pictures:


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03499 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03521 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03535 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03542 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03546 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

And finally one of my absolute favorite pictures of the whole trip:


DSC03531 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After the parade we took the train over to Rafiki Planet Watch. We got off the train a couple minutes after they had closed everything (5pm) . I was a little surprised someone did not share this info with us before we boarded but no biggie Gabriel loves trains so he enjoyed the ride. We did manage to take one picture:


DSC03552 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After our train to nowhere we headed to dinner at the rainforest café. There was a long line to check in but we made our way to the front pretty quickly. We had reservations but they still just took our name and gave us a pager. Then they told us to wait with a big crowd of people that was kind of herded up like cattle between two ropes for our pager to go off. There was nowhere to sit in the herd and the bar was completely empty so I asked if we could sit there until it was our turn. The hostess said no problem so we headed over there. I really think if all the people waiting in the rope area who probably had legs that were as tied as mine had known this then the bar would have been full.

We sat down, ordered a drink and our pager went off. Kenny and Gabriel followed the hostess to the table and I waited and paid for the drinks then made my way over there. We had a nice table near a baby gorilla and a large fish tank. Dinner was good and I did manage to get a couple of pictures (a tiny bit after we started).


DSC03558 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03557 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

I think Kenny was way too finished with his meal to take a picture. I am an appetizer lover so it is not unusual for me to just have that for dinner instead of an entrée. When it came time to pay I finally remembered to use my TiW card and was quickly told they did not take it . However, they did offer a 10% discount for APs so I gave them mine along with the KTTWC.

After dinner we made our way back to the room and called it a night. Even with the crowds this day was a big success and really changed my opinion of Animal Kingdom. Taking our time and really enjoying the animals was a lot of fun especially for Gabriel who is a huge animal lover.

Up next: Magic Kingdom with our first look at the new Fantasy Land and a self-evaluation on whether I am losing my mind!

 

[lsenquiz]

Today = Wednesday May 29th

Day 6 – Magic Kingdom – Part 1​

We were up early again for a quick breakfast and out the door by 8am to make a 9am opening at MK. The bus came quickly and the trip over to MK was uneventful although we did have a very chatty bus driver who gave lots of tips during the ride.

Quick note: Just like the boats to DHS the buses to MK and AK were awesome for our whole trip. We never waited for more than 10 minutes going or coming.

We arrived at MK and I went to hand everyone’s AP to them (I am the keeper of the tickets because I am always the FP runner). Well I had Kenny and Gabriel’s but did not have mine . I also could not find my KTTWC. I mentally retraced my steps and realized I had left them in the folio when we paid for dinner at Rain Forest Café the night before. Honestly . I was starting to think I had a memory problem. Seriously, let’s recap; in the five short days that we had been at Disney, I forgot my KTTWC at Sci-Fi, I forgot to get my TiW card when picking up our APs, I forgot my voucher for Photopass+ when I went to get the card, I forgot to use my TiW card at 2 of the 4 restaurants that would have taken it and now I forgot my AP & KTTWC at Rain Forest Café . I needed help! So I told Kenny he was in charge of paying for dinner from now on (this included remembering to use the TiW card!)

With that settled it dawned on me that I was going to have to go to Guest Services to get a new AP. I wanted to cry until I looked over at GS and saw that there was not a single person in line. I immediately sprinted toward the window. I am ashamed to say I probably would have knocked someone down if they had gotten between me and that window. I made it to the window without anyone getting ahead of me and let them know I had lost my AP. 3 minutes later I had a new AP. I got Donald instead of Minnie this time and would have actually asked for Goofy since that seemed to suit me this trip except Kenny already had that .

Since the AP reissue went so well I decided to ask them about my TiW not working at Flame Tree BBQ (thank goodness they did not take my TiW card for dinner the night before because it would have been $50 to replace that sucker!). They scanned my card and said there was a computer glitch when it was issued which rendered it invalid. I really did not completely get what had happened but was told that sometimes two cards print instead of one and when that happens the first card gets voided. They also said it is not uncommon for that to happen . So, they gave me a new TiW card and we got in line to enter the park.

We did see signs at MK that were in place to help people determine which entry to use based on the type of ticket they had. However, I found the signs confusing and think Disney made it way to complicated. Many people still went to the wrong place. A simple sign that said plastic tickets go here and paper tickets go here would have been better since I believe that is the real differentiator between what entry to use?

Regardless, we were through the entry in time to see the opening show. We were way in the back but no big deal as we had no urgent place to be right at park opening.


DSC03560 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

You can tell by this picture that it was starting to look overcast. I point this out for anyone who bothers to look at the weather forecast before their trip. I reviewed the forecast the night before at 11pm and it said zero % chance of rain until 7pm when the chance of rain bumped up to 30%. I checked the weather forecast that morning and there was a 50% chance of rain starting at 9am going up to 70% by noon. This happened constantly on our trip so IMO looking at the forecast at all is a complete waste of time. We brought our ponchos with us every day regardless and were very glad of this on several days.

Opening show was cute as always:


DSC03564 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03563 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

When they opened the gates we held back to wait for the crowds to clear and were able to get a picture


Photo0106FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

I could have done without having someone’s backside in the picture and actually got to the point later in the week where I would ask people to move out of the way but did not think to do that with this picture.

Once we were through the gates I went to get FPs to Peter Pan while Kenny and Gabriel went to ride Tomorrow Land Speedway. When I got over to the FP machines I saw that the FPs for the Under the Sea ride were right beside PP so I got those instead and headed to meet the boys at the speedway.

I got there right before their turn to ride and was able to get a quick picture.


DSC03565 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After that we rode Gabriel’s second favorite ride (after Star Tours) Buzz.


DSC03568 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03569 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

And doesn’t everyone that has ever ridden Buzz have this picture!


DSC03994 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

The wait was just 5 minutes so we went ahead and rode it three times before heading to Astro Orbiter:


DSC03570 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

I am not a big fan of this ride so I stayed off and took pictures. They did let me ride up in the elevator even though I was not going to ride which I thought was nice.

After that we headed to the tea cups.


DSC03589 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

The minute we got there the sky fell out and it started to pour. There was also a very high wind. I sought shelter under a line area for the tea cups that wasn’t currently being used. I will admit that I had to jump over a chain to get in there but since it was not being used I thought no big deal.

While I was waiting I noticed a mom with a handicapped child in a wheel chair standing on the other side of the ride. She was doing everything possible to keep the child dry (he had a poncho on and she was holding her poncho over him) but the wind was really blowing hard and the rain was monsoon type rain so they were getting soaked. So I walked over and politely asked a cast member that was now guarding the chain that I had jumped over so no one else would get in if he could open up the area so the mom could bring the child in. He snapped at me that he had tried to open if for her but she did not want to come in. Well I had been watching the whole time and saw no such interaction but decided to mosey on back to my spot and mind my own business (as I have stated before this is not an easy task for me).

Fortunately, shortly after that I saw that cast member instruct another cast member to go get the mom and the child and bring them into the covered area. They actually took them right through the ride while it was stopped to an even dryer area then I was in. The mom was very appreciative so I know she would have come if she had been asked before.

It was still pouring when Kenny and Gabriel finished their ride so we headed to one of our favorite attractions (it is usually one we save for the heat of the day or rain). Monsters Laugh Floor.


DSC03593 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

If you have never done this I strongly encourage you to give it a try. It is really funny. Gabriel loves it and usually wants to do it several times per trip. I turned around when we were exiting Laugh Floor and noticed that Kenny was not behind us. Gabriel and I waited for him to catch up and when he did he said he had lost his phone in the theater. He realized it when we were about half way out and went back to look for it but was told by the CM that he would have to exit and would need to pick the phone up at lost and found.

Although Kenny is the type that does not like to make waves I was actually surprised he listened to her because we live in fear of lost and found (plus he was about 30 feet away from where he knew his phone was and it would have taken him about 60 seconds to find it). Kenny lost a pair of prescription glasses during our 2011 trip. Actually he did not lose them they got bumped off his face when he was lifting our niece on his shoulders and ended up over the fence where you stand to watch people ride Everest so we knew exactly where they were but just could not get them. He spent ¾ of a day tracking them down in lost and found that trip.

Now that we were out the door we decided we were not leaving the area without the phone. Kenny had just gotten a new iPhone 5 before we left and it would be very expensive to replace so we told a CM outside the door and he was nice enough to go back in and look for it. When he came back out he asked Kenny what the phone looked like. Fortunately Kenny had a cover over the phone with the Cleveland Indians logo on it. Once Kenny said that, the CM pulled the phone out of his pocket. He then asked Kenny to enter his security code to prove the phone was his before he could let him take it. I guess a lot of iPhone 5s with Cleveland Indian’s cases are found at Disney . Kenny entered his code and had his phone back.


Our FPs for Under the Sea were open by that time so we headed over there. The rain had let up significantly by then.


DSC03615 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03599 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After Under the Sea, we decided to go ahead and have lunch. We got in the habit while we were there of having a very light breakfast and eating lunch at about 11am on park days. This prevented us from having to stand in a long line to get our food during peak lunch hours. We ate at Kenny’s favorite TS restaurant in all of Disney.


PecosBill by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Photo borrowed from internet

While I ordered lunch, Kenny ran over and got FPs for Peter Pan. Lunch was delicious and I have no pictures as usual. I got the taco salad and Kenny and Gabriel got burgers and fries. The fixens bar is what really makes Pecos good.

Up next; a huge sprinkling of Pixie Dust, some new experiences, my favorite drink and some sore legs.

 

[lsenquiz]

Today = Wednesday May 29th

Day 6 – Magic Kingdom – Part 2​

When I left off last we had just finished up lunch at Pecos Bill

After lunch we went over to ride the carousel. On the way there, Gabriel had to give a try at pulling the sword from the stone.


DSC03618 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

While he was finishing up, a show started up right by the stone. This is something on past trips that I would have not let us stop and watch. There was always somewhere more important that we needed to be. Well this time I was determined to slow down so we stayed. Boy was I ever glad we did. The show was so cute to watch and Gabriel ended up getting picked to try his hand at pulling the sword from the stone . Below is a short video of his part:

The Hero of Fantasy Land Video

And some pictures of how he did:


DSC03620 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03623 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03624 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03627 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Gabriel was on cloud nine after being named the Hero of Fantasy Land. It was one of the highlights of his entire trip and to think in the past I would have forced us to skip it .

We took a ride on the carousel next:


DSC03631 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

And then headed to one of my favorites - It’s a Small World.


DSC03632 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03636 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03637 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

This is another ride we usually save for the heat of the day but thanks to the rain and clouds that day there would be no heat of the day.

We wanted to head back to Tomorrow Land next and ride something that believe it or not we have only been on once before (another casualty of my rushing everyone around) – The Peoplemover. However that was the point when I remembered that we could get FPs to Dumbo and Barnstormer even though our window for Peter Pan had not opened up (nor had the 2 hours passed) so I quickly ran over and grabbed those first. On our way to the we stopped for this picture:


Photo0118FourBySix by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

After that it was off to the Peoplemover:


DSC03639 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

And then something we have never taken the time to do:


DSC03640 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Gabriel really enjoyed the Carousel of Progress. He was amazed by how the room moved. While we were over there we had to take the opportunity to ride Buzz again where Gabriel got his highest score ever of 412k.


DSC03650 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Heads up if you take a picture with the flash on then you score will not show up in the picture. After buzz we headed back to Fantasy Land and rode Peter Pan:


DSC03643 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr


DSC03646 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Then Dumbo:


. by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Since we used FPs for Dumbo you completely skip the play area. I did not realize that so we briefly considered not using the FPs. However, when we went in through the regular line there looked to be about a 20 minute wait just to get into the play area (they only let so many people in at a time). Gabriel also thought the play area looked like it was more for smaller kids so he was fine to skip it.

Our final ride in Fantasy land was the Barnstormer (which I have no pictures of).

After that we decided to head back to the resort via the monorail through EPCOT. As we were walking out of MK, Kenny and I were surprised to note the number of guests that were smoking outside of the designated smoking areas and then just throwing their butts on the floor . This was actually pretty shocking to see. At first, I thought they might be foreigners and things work differently in their country but I heard several talking and they definitely seemed like they were from the good old USA.

My only update on the ride to EPCOT was the fact that there were 4 late high school/early college age boys on the car in front of us who all had a nice comfy seat while an elderly man and women stood. I immediately made a mental note to remind my DS25 and DD21 to make sure they knew that if they were on any type of mass transit and an elderly person or child was standing then their “you know what’s” better not be in a seat. As you can tell this is a big pet peeve of mine and IMO just shows a complete lack of respect for our elders (a category that I am quickly marching my way towards ) .

The sky opened up and it was monsoon weather again the minute we exited the monorail. This made baggage check a bit slower as no one (us included) wanted to open their bags until they got under the cover of the check area.

We casually made our way towards the international gateway starting with Mexico. We picked up some food along the way, Gabriel and Kenny got something from America and I got from egg rolls from China and sushi from Japan. This is definitely the long way IMO but I wanted to go through France so I would have an excuse to get my favorite drink in all of Disney. Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time we got there so I was able to enjoy it:


DSC03654 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr
Kenny thought the picture would be classier if we took it in front of one of the paintings they sell in France .

This is an Orange Slushie Grand Marnier. For anyone that has not had one of these they are delicious. They taste like the orange pushups I used to get from the ice cream truck. They are sold at a small kiosk in France.

After that we headed back to the room for a little R&R. Gabriel really wanted to see the movie on the beach that night so we wanted to rest up so we could be down there in time to get a seat. When we got to the room I realized my “Disney” rash was back.


DSC03661 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

This first appeared during our May 2011 trip after a long day at SWW. I read up on it at that time and it is referred to as Golfers Vasculitis because it is the results of walking long distances. It kind of tingles but does not itch. There is no treatment for it and it is not dangerous. I had it on and off for the rest of the trip but it went away immediately after we got home.

We headed down to the movie and I grabbed two chairs at about 8pm. We had no trouble getting front row. The movie started at 9pm and we watched Phineas and Ferb the next generation. It was really chilly that night and I had not come prepared. I did not pack a jacket for the trip (something I will never forget again) so we all wrapped up in towels from the pool. However, even with the towels I eventually got so cold I could not stand it so went up to the room. Kenny and Gabriel stayed to the end and then came up.


DSC03664 by Disneyalwaysn4ever, on Flickr

Up Next; EPCOT, an amazing experiment, some pixie dust and dinner at Tappen Edo.

 

[kennythepirate]

I have to give a shout out to http://kennythepirate.com/ whose website made our success possible. The information he provided about the character meet and greets at SWW was 100% accurate.​

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Thanks for the shout out and I'm glad I got to help your family have such an amazing time.​

 

[lsenquiz]

Thanks for the shout out and I'm glad I got to help your family have such an amazing time.

I must say I am honored to have you post on my TR! I am a huge fan of yours (I brag on you to everyone that will listen to me while we are in the parks) and can not wait to get the new character locator app for my iPhone (I have it for my samsung tablet but it is too bulky to carry around with me in the parks). I use your website exclusively for scheduling my character interactions while we are at the parks. We are going back in September for MNSSHP so hoping it is available by then.

 

[ohboyx3]

My boys have tried forever to pull the sword out of the stone! Glad your son was able to! I didn't even know they had a show anymore like that. What a great memory!

 

[natebenma]

Getting caught up on your report.

I can't believe you had another long wait at Guest Services! That is terrible!!!

Cape May was my favorite character meal, back when my boys were interested (or at least tolerated) that sort of thing. I love the beach attire the characters wear and I thought the interaction was great. Chip and Dale were there way back when we did this. Love them!

I can imagine how frustrated you must have been when you forgot to use the TiW card. That sort of thing drives me nuts!!! At Universal, most places will give you a 10% discount if you show your AAA card. I am still bitter about the couple of places where I forgot to do this!!! It finally occured to me to put the AAA in front of the credit card, or room key that I would be using so that I would see it before paying.

It's nice to see the lifeguards trying to monitor the towel game, but I find it funny that people like you, who are legitimately trying to use chairs right then and there, were lectured.

Do you remember what you had for lunch at HH, and how it was? Mixed reactions on the food there.

on meeting Teena!

Mmmmm! Mojitos!

Thanks for your description of the Illuminations cruise. Sounds like it was a magical experience for you!

 

[natebenma]

I debated about sending an email or trying to contact a manager later in the week but just never found the time. One of the biggest points of stress for me was knowing that Kenny was going to pick out Gabriel's cloths for the day and we were going to a character breakfast that included lots of pictures . As you can see by the pictures he ended up doing just fine.

Sadly I was not patient at all once I got up there. I actually felt bad about it later as I know that the Disney CMs put up with alot. However, I agree that a policy is needed. I may still send an email.

I think you should send an email to guest communications. Both of those wait times were inexcusable. You have already "written up" your experiences in this trip report, I would edit what you wrote and send it on. Hopefully your comments will bring attention to this issue and others (including you on your upcoming trip) won't have to suffer through the same treatment.

 

[BridgetR3]

Great updates there!! Whew we are zooming right along through your trip! Looks like you had a great MK day!

Just a note - the scores on your Buzz car blink so you may be able to catch it with flash if it's lit up.... maybe??

I plan to stop and enjoy all the shows on our November trip but it's way too hot in June to stop.

I was all excited to try the Gran Marnier in France but I hated it!! Ugh....it tasted like baby aspirin to me. I'll try the Grey Goose next trip though.

Really enjoying your trip!

 

[natebenma]

You had a decent day at AK, despite the crowded conditions.

I find this to be the most uncomfortable park. It is BIG and it is really hot in the summer and does not seem to deal with crowds that well.

But there are some really amazing things to see and do there.

I am jealous that you did Flights of Wonder- I want to see this show, but the rest of my family isn't interested.

I'll vote on the "baby warthog is cute". Then again, I think the bats are adorable, so there you go!

"Dumbo Dino" That's funny!!!

Great picture from the Dino ride.

That is annoying that there was nothing open when you took Rafiki's train.

I'm shaking my head over all of the trouble you are having with TiW. So, have you used it successfully once so far (Cape May)?

 

[lsenquiz]

My boys have tried forever to pull the sword out of the stone! Glad your son was able to! I didn't even know they had a show anymore like that. What a great memory!

If you are ever anywhere near the stone and you see the group in my picture heading that way have your boys stand right up front and jump up and down when they ask for volunteer. I started to suspect that he would get to pull it out when the first two volunteers they took were adults who were unsuccessful. He was thrilled.

Great updates there!! Whew we are zooming right along through your trip! Looks like you had a great MK day!

Just a note - the scores on your Buzz car blink so you may be able to catch it with flash if it's lit up.... maybe??

It never worked for me . It did work when we turned the flash off but then you could not see Gabriel. I think I might have been better off using my phone which has a flash but it is not as powerful as my camera

I plan to stop and enjoy all the shows on our November trip but it's way too hot in June to stop.

We are those rare people that prefer to be hot rather than cold. We can tolerate alot when it comes to heat although we did have a couple days that you will read about where it got to be too much even for us.

I was all excited to try the Gran Marnier in France but I hated it!! Ugh....it tasted like baby aspirin to me. I'll try the Grey Goose next trip though.

Really enjoying your trip!

I love the Gran Marnier but can totally see that it might not be for everyone. I think it does kind of have a baby aspirin taste

 

[lsenquiz]

Getting caught up on your report.

I can't believe you had another long wait at Guest Services! That is terrible!!!

Cape May was my favorite character meal, back when my boys were interested (or at least tolerated) that sort of thing. I love the beach attire the characters wear and I thought the interaction was great. Chip and Dale were there way back when we did this. Love them!

We really enjoyed meeting the characters at the meals but found that the buffets were just too much food for us. I am still on the fence about whether the price was worth avoiding the lines to see the characters.

I can imagine how frustrated you must have been when you forgot to use the TiW card. That sort of thing drives me nuts!!! At Universal, most places will give you a 10% discount if you show your AAA card. I am still bitter about the couple of places where I forgot to do this!!! It finally occured to me to put the AAA in front of the credit card, or room key that I would be using so that I would see it before paying.

You sound like me. I swear I can spend $1000s of dollars on a Disney vacation but I get so mad if I miss out of even a $5 discount.

It's nice to see the lifeguards trying to monitor the towel game, but I find it funny that people like you, who are legitimately trying to use chairs right then and there, were lectured.

I was kind of expecting it (which is why we brought our suits with us instead of just saving a chair and running back up to the room to change after breakfast). I tried not to take it too hard as I am sure the CMs get a lot of complaints about people saving chairs.

Do you remember what you had for lunch at HH, and how it was? Mixed reactions on the food there.

We ate there twice during our trip and I can not remember which was which but one day I had the lobster roll and the other the chicken sandwich with avacado. I was not really impressed with either to tell you the truth. The lobster roll was very sweet and the chicken sandwhich very dry.

on meeting Teena!

She was very sweet. Its funny how some of my favorite "famous" people are Disney employees.

Mmmmm! Mojitos!

I love Mojitos and Big River makes an awesome one. HH however does not. They do not have simply syrup so use something else in its place and it is not good. I ended up trading the one I got for another drink because I could not even drink it.

Thanks for your description of the Illuminations cruise. Sounds like it was a magical experience for you!

It was truely awesome and I loved the short walk back to our room after it was over.

 

[lsenquiz]

I think you should send an email to guest communications. Both of those wait times were inexcusable. You have already "written up" your experiences in this trip report, I would edit what you wrote and send it on. Hopefully your comments will bring attention to this issue and others (including you on your upcoming trip) won't have to suffer through the same treatment.

I think I will. From my experience it is the International gateway EPCOT GS that really needs so help and that is the main one we use.

 

[lsenquiz]

You had a decent day at AK, despite the crowded conditions.

I find this to be the most uncomfortable park. It is BIG and it is really hot in the summer and does not seem to deal with crowds that well.

But there are some really amazing things to see and do there.

I know exactly what you mean. There were a couple of times when we got so bunched up I started to feel claustrophobic. However, we did more at this park then we have ever done in the past and I do like it better than I did.

I am jealous that you did Flights of Wonder- I want to see this show, but the rest of my family isn't interested.

We did this mostly because I was determine to try everything we had never done before but I ended up loving the show. Not because of the birds, honestly to me they are a minor part of the show. The host was just so funny and it is definitely a must do for us for future trips now.

I'll vote on the "baby warthog is cute". Then again, I think the bats are adorable, so there you go!

"Dumbo Dino" That's funny!!!

Great picture from the Dino ride.

Thanks

That is annoying that there was nothing open when you took Rafiki's train.

The funny thing is I had a friendly little chat with a CM before we boarded the train about whether I could bring my drink with me on the train and he said sure. It would have been nice if he would have said sure but that part of the park is closed.

I'm shaking my head over all of the trouble you are having with TiW. So, have you used it successfully once so far (Cape May)?

Yep so far just Cape May. Believe me if we did not have two weeks planned for September I would have been pretty depressed by this point.