Tales of the Tye Dye Gang: an April May TR -Magic Kingdom, Epcot & home 10/27

[Moira222]

So I see I have missed a couple updates. And now I am speed reading and can't respond properly, so I will be back.

Katie's BD party looked fun!

Great PP pics except for Joe's face.

Great character drawings - your really rocks.

So much more, but gotta get ready for work!

oh you're good MEK! I am so far behind on everything its pathetic.

and today I am not functioning so well having been up WAY past my bedtime updating my TR. I seriously need to take a walk to Wawa

the party was fun...but I am glad that we're not doing it again for 3 more years. We celebrated double digits, now we can wait till she is officially a teen. sigh.

Wish Joe was not so particular about the photos. It takes SO LONG to edit them all!!!!

My Grumpy turned out decent this time. Shocking
Wait till you see the trick or treat bags that Joe drew for us for October.

 

[POLY1985]

C'mon Maire! Lets go with the updates
Loved the last one but forgot to comment - I can just picture the drama of Joe taking Katie back to the room, LOL!
I didn't realize you got "carsick" on rides too! I never used to be able to do the simulator rides but last year I decided I had to see the new Star Tours and ended up going on and felt ok. I then proceeded to go on several more times with no trouble.
I am counting down too. Just got another piece to my costume in the mail - can't wait!

 

[MEK]

I think I must be just missing you in October. I get there on October 24th. When do you leave?

Re-read your update. Ugh to the nausea on Star Wars. That would be enough to send me back to the resort for a nap.

You had a really jammed packed first day, but you also got to see and do a lot. Very fun!

 

[Moira222]

C'mon Maire! Lets go with the updates
Loved the last one but forgot to comment - I can just picture the drama of Joe taking Katie back to the room, LOL!
I didn't realize you got "carsick" on rides too! I never used to be able to do the simulator rides but last year I decided I had to see the new Star Tours and ended up going on and felt ok. I then proceeded to go on several more times with no trouble.
I am counting down too. Just got another piece to my costume in the mail - can't wait!

Linda I was wondering how your costume was coming along! We have ours, though I had to hand make a piece because the "corset" that came with mine looked like crap. Hopefully my handmade one will look better.

I do get carsick on rides, though oddly enough now that I have lost weight I seem to get less sick than I used to. But still, simulators are out for me.

Aah drama.....well you know Katie and Joe, so you can pretty much visualize that situation right?

I think I must be just missing you in October. I get there on October 24th. When do you leave?

Re-read your update. Ugh to the nausea on Star Wars. That would be enough to send me back to the resort for a nap.

You had a really jammed packed first day, but you also got to see and do a lot. Very fun!

ME we are missing each other by a few days again. We are there 10/12 - 10/19. We are taking the auto train from VA to Sanford. Someday we'll be there at the same time! I think that you overlap with my cousin again, as you did last year.

Next year we are going end of June. I don't recall seeing 2014 plans for you yet.

It was shortly after the Star Wars ride that Joe & I did go back for a break , and as I recall I just about passed out for about an hour or so.

 

[MEK]

Next year we are going end of June. I don't recall seeing 2014 plans for you yet.

Girls trip in May! Then I probably won't go back until October 2014 since I bumped my cruise back till then.

I'm not sure if I'll do anything between May and October. Maybe a long weekend somewhere. Anything's possible.

 

[Moira222]

Monday morning we got up early (yeah, like I wanted to!!!) and got moving. No horsing around for this gang! We were headed to the Magic Kingdom, and darn it, I was going to see a rope drop show—the whole thing!
In what has become a Disney trip tradition, I made our whole group tie dye Mickey shirts, and this was the day we were all wearing them. Do we look good or what?

In order to be sure we made rope drop, we drove that day. No time to test the bus wait time!

(for the record I did not take a photo while I was driving. Joe did)
When Duchess purchased their park passes at AAA she wisely also got an AAA parking pass. SWEET!

If you don’t know this, the AAA parking area is up front, next to the handicapped parking. If you are driving, this is a great little pass to have!

We took the ferry ride over to the MK – we had time and its such a pretty ride.

Katie enjoying something she could only get away with on vacation – candy before 11 a.m.!

We arrived in plenty of time and had excellent viewing spots for the Opening Show. I am such a child, I was definitely giddy with excitement. We waited with the crowd, and cheered on Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, the dancers and the whole gang. Fun stuff!

And of course who can enter the Magic Kingdom and not stop for photo passes!

This week was Marie’s 10th birthday. It wasn’t this day, but we got into the pose anyway. Doesn’t everyone celebrate their birthday for a week??

 

[Moira222]

Once inside, we saw that Katie’s favorite character was doing meet & greet, so we had to stop & visit him. Unfortunately, we didn’t have Katie’s signature tee with us (had to make that return run to Walmart!) AND I forgot to bring our autograph book with us to the park. DOH!

FYI Characters will not sign anything you are wearing. BUT my smart cookie had her favorite puppy sign her hat J

And once more on Main ST!

Our game plan for this MK day was to do the right side of the park – so Fantasy land, Tomorrowland, etc.

Cutting through the castle, we headed back to Fantasyland, but had to stop to see if anyone was true enough to raise Excalibur.

sigh….no sword raising for us!!!

 

[Moira222]

Finally..

As we checked out Gaston’s Tavern and the lovely brass statue, I said to my own burly man “you should go stand in front of Gaston’s statue & out do his manliness” …..and he did! And the photo pass guy had a ball J

Finally it was time to actually get on a ride. I love to wander the parks and check out all the scenery and shows, but apparently some people really really really wanted to do a ride!
The theming for Ariel’s ride was very cute –the kids could not resist touching everything! And pointing out the thingamabobs –there are twenty

Katie wanted to sit in her own shell, so Joe & I got to snuggle through the ride.

After Ariel’s ride, the girls wanted to go visit Ariel, but the guys were still thinking of Gaston’s Tavern and coffee & sticky buns. So Duchess & I waited with the girls to see Ariel & the guys wandered off.

FYI parents – if you forget your autograph books, the handler’s usually have index cards for a signature – just ask.

We headed up to find Joe & O’Malley enjoying one of these

which they promptly went and bought more for Katie & Marie.
Duchess disappeared into the shops, but I spied someone I had to see. I thought for sure the girls would join me once I got to the front of the line, but they were too into the sticky buns, so I got to visit with this hunky guy by myself.

sorry Gaston, my guy is more handsome (and has real muscles)
I did go in and wander through the little shop. Really cute items – this one I really liked

but I find it much more budget friendly to take souvenir photos than to shop to extreme!

So we headed out of the "village"....

and time for more rides!!!

 

[Moira222]

Girls trip in May! Then I probably won't go back until October 2014 since I bumped my cruise back till then.

I'm not sure if I'll do anything between May and October. Maybe a long weekend somewhere. Anything's possible.

LOL You are fast sneaking in there LOL!!!

I am trying to coordinate the last week of June with two of my sisters & their families, possibly my BFF may go with her hubby that week, and if money rains from the sky, my cousin may go too!

after that we may (GASP) take a WDW break & visit Hilton Head for a few days.

 

[MEK]

The T Shirts are great! Nice job! Great group shots in part due to your shirts!

yay for making it to rope drop. I made it in June but for some reason there was a ferry delay and I was still in the entrance line during the show. Bummed me out SO bad because I thought we had left in plenty of time. NOT! That's OK. When I am staying at the GF next October I have no excuse but to get there in time!

I love that AAA parking pass. It's awesome!

Looks like your day is starting off really well!

 

[Moira222]

The T Shirts are great! Nice job! Great group shots in part due to your shirts!

Thanks! This set of shirts really came out well. Not sure how I can "beat" them for our October visit but the pressure is on.

yay for making it to rope drop. I made it in June but for some reason there was a ferry delay and I was still in the entrance line during the show. Bummed me out SO bad because I thought we had left in plenty of time. NOT! That's OK. When I am staying at the GF next October I have no excuse but to get there in time!

YAY for that GF add on. I can't wait to read about your stay there. did I mention being jealous?
That was one of the things I loved about staying at the WLR was just hopping on that ferry to the MK in the morning (or afternoon or evening!)

I love that AAA parking pass. It's awesome!

Looks like your day is starting off really well!

Bonus that they did not date the AAA pass so we are taking it with us in October as well. sssssshhhhhh

 

[MEK]

Bonus that they did not date the AAA pass so we are taking it with us in October as well. sssssshhhhhh

Our office here doesn't date them either so I used them for multiple trips. Our June trip was the first time we didn't have one and Denny was seriously bumming over it. It was the first time we parked in the regular area of AK ever. But we bought the PAP's and I usually upgrade a AAA ticket to an AP, hence the parking pass.

 

[wiigirl]

Great pics!

 

[Moira222]

Our office here doesn't date them either so I used them for multiple trips. Our June trip was the first time we didn't have one and Denny was seriously bumming over it. It was the first time we parked in the regular area of AK ever. But we bought the PAP's and I usually upgrade a AAA ticket to an AP, hence the parking pass.

does it work out cheaper to buy an AAA ticket & upgrade when you compare it to the cost of an AP with the DVC discount? just wondering

Great pics!

thanks!!

 

[eandesmom]

Very cute T's! You really did a wonderful job on them.

for making rope drop, I love the morning show! I do hope I get to see it in December but have a feeling I won't. May for sure though.

On the AAA parking pass, is that something you buy with a AAA package? Our AAA does offer Disney but it's never a better deal on anything so I've never gone through them.

 

[POLY1985]

Yay for an update! Rope drop - I'm so proud! Can't wait to see the new Fantasyland!

 

[Moira222]

ach how did I miss your replies? sorry!!!

Very cute T's! You really did a wonderful job on them.

for making rope drop, I love the morning show! I do hope I get to see it in December but have a feeling I won't. May for sure though.

On the AAA parking pass, is that something you buy with a AAA package? Our AAA does offer Disney but it's never a better deal on anything so I've never gone through them.

I love making the t's, and now its our tradition. I just went to JC Penny at lunch today to buy t's for our October trip. I am so far behind!!

I like being able to hit rope drop, then break mid day & then go till the park closes at night. Then I feel like I am getting a full days worth of park adventures!

on the AAA pass, yes, I think you have to at least buy tickets - I know for sure that this is all Duchess bought since I planned our trip .

Yay for an update! Rope drop - I'm so proud! Can't wait to see the new Fantasyland!

You will love it!!!

 

[Moira222]

Down to the circus & Goofy’s Barnstormer. This was Katie’s very first roller coaster so of course we had to ride again! Joe passed, knowing that his knees knocked on the front of the car.

After Goofy’s Barnstormer, we headed over to the circus tent to visit with Madame Daisy and Minnie

and of course, exited through a dump shop. This one was a lot of fun and we enjoyed wandering around. As we made our way around the park this morning, our tie dye shirts received a lot of comments from staff. Quite a few cast members offered to trade outfits with us. In the Circus Town shop, a few clowns paused for a moment of silence when they saw us.

Why you may ask?

Out of sympathy of course

….because Ty died.

 

[Moira222]

We eyed a few goodies for purchase as we wandered. Katie picked out a Pluto pillow pet, and we saw these little beauties for Joe’s sister Deb, who just loves Dumbo

Me, I had my eye on something from here:

mmmmm candy apples… LOOOVVEEE candy apples. And they’re like practically health food, right? Apples and nuts….and maybe a little bit of sugar and other stuff.
But we held off purchasing so that we could ride a bit more. I promised Katie we’d come back before leaving the park.
We headed up to check out the new location of Dumbo

and then made our way over to tomorrowland where Katie was anxious to use her Mickey license and drive her own Indy car.

that is one hot ride. Wow they need a bit more shade in the line. We were mighty hot and parched when we finished, and Joe, O’Malley & the gang had gone to some other ride. Maybe it was Buzz Light year, I’m not sure. Katie and I headed over to Aunty Gravity’s for an ice cold treat, and found the gang at a table when we got there. We crashed there for a little enjoying our treats, and the rest of the gang spied Space Mountain with a short wait. I was a bit leary of this one, too many stories, so I camped at the table under the shade of an umbrella with everyone’s gear and savored my smoothie while they head off to space. See how well I trained my hubby? He remembered to take a redneck photo! LOL

By the time the gang got back it was time to head back to Fantasyland. One of Marie’s requests was to eat in Beast’s castle. How could we not?
We headed over to the line …and it was a pretty long one. It was about a 45 minute line they estimated. Once we got our place in line, I decided to make the most of the wait time, and head back down to the Circus to purchase the items we had earmarked. MMM I could not wait to dig into

I hurried back to the line & had to check with the cast where my group was – “Oh, the tie dye gang—they’re down on the bridge” LOL I met up with the gang who had made good progress while I shopped. Katie was thrilled with her new Pluto Pillow pet. We had just a bit more time to wait but we were nearly there. It was not quite the 45 minutes they’d told us but it certainly did take a while.
Finally we were inside Beast’s castle. Still a bit of a wait, but more pleasant because we were inside in air conditioning.

I love how the chandeliers look a bit like a King's crown.

My thoughts on the lunch menu: the adult menu was enjoyed by most of the gang. Marie had a steak sandwich, which unlike the steak sandwiches we normally eat in PA, which are slivered steak, was a solid strip of steak in a roll. She pulled the steak out & ate it with a knife & fork, but liked it. Joe, Duchess & O’Malley all enjoyed their meals as well.
Katie and I ordered off of the kid’s menu, and were not as thrilled with our choices. Katie ordered a turkey meatloaf, which tasted quite a bit like a Swanson’s Salisbury steak dinner from back in the 80's. It was not pleasant. I ordered the grilled mahi mahi—an unusual item for a kids menu and sounded good to me, just the right portion. But apparently the kitchens have decided that children only like plain foods, and so the fish was done with no seasoning to speak of and was very very dry. I tried pouring a bit of Joe’s salad dressing over it, and that helped a bit, but it was hard to swallow for me (I can't drink with my meals, so no water or beverage to wash it down). Katie and I traded dishes – so I know how equally unappealing her meal was – and she liked the fish better than the meatlof. But we would not pick off of the children's menu again.
We enjoyed our visit in Beast’s castle, and as you see, we did wander and take a few photos in the other dining areas. I would definitely like to go back for dinner, but I would not order off the kid’s menu.
After lunch we had had enough heat for a bit and decided that we needed some rest and pool time. We headed back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.


(an aside: I apologize that I am SO far behind reading on the Dis, and at this point am just trying to post as much as I have already written from our April/May trip. Our October trip is now 37 days away and I am feeling the pressure. No trip binder done, no tee's done, last TR not finished, not a single thing packed --not even a packing list or a To Do list written!, working on 2 wordpress sites for our Girl Scout service unit, marketing material for a friend/client reopening her business (next Monday!!!), plus all the fun things that back to school brings like field hockey, Girl Scouts, homework, violin practice, oh and that pesky job I have. OH MY!!! so please bear with me friends as I try to get caught up on everything in drips and drops.)

 

[wiigirl]

Awesome pics!