That's the first time we had to wear a poncho in Disney! A Mar./April '11 TR DONE 9/5

[Cat0727]

I don't get why the Yeti isn't working anymore, either You can barely see him now.

Haha I laughed out loud when I read the guy's comment, "is this a movie?" He was in for a surprise!

 

[Caretames1]

You have some great pictures! I like things that you normally don't notice.

We've never done Dinosaur, maybe in the future. Whats it like?

 

[PrincessCaitlin]

Aw too bad the photopass pics didn't turn out but it sounds like a cool location!

You must be a magnet for annoying high school kids in lines I hope this was the last of them on your trip!

I am upset that the Yeti doesn't work anymore too. I remember when it was thrashing around with the strobe light and it's just not the same anymore! I am sad that the light isn't on it anymore but maybe that's only during night rides now? I hope so or after my 5k I won't be able to see anything good on the ride

I love the decorations in Pizzafari! Every room is so cute and so detailed!

love the comment about Madagascar

Great pics of AK I am so excited to be there on Saturday!

Thank you for the update looking at pictures of Disney definitely helps with the 3 day waiting

 

[Queenofallthings]

What a great update!! Your pictures are gorgeous...I love the close up ones of the Tree of Life....

Great shot of the broken track too

 

[Nermel9]

Yay, EE!! I can't believe you can't see the Yeti now, though! I just don't get why they don't fix it!

I have to try Dinosaur again on my next trip, I didn't like it the one time I went on it, so I've always avoided it, but I think I might like it now! I have a new appreciation for Dinosaurs now!

Oooh, your Discovery Island pics are great! I've never actually been that close to the Tree of Life, another thing I will have to check out!

 

[Villainess]

All caught up and joining in! Great report so far!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Bummer that you can't see the Yeti at all anymore I've heard that in order to fix it they would have to shut down the ride for an extended period of time and they just aren't willing to do that just to repair the Yeti. Maybe once the ride itself is in need of a referb the Yeti will be restored to it's former glory. I'm just glad that I was able to see it at least once the way it was intended!

I'm fine on Dino until the end, I've only seen that last guy once and that was enough, now I keep my head down

Good call eating at AK instead of waiting until you got to MK and back into the crowds

 

[jwwi]

"Believe it or not, I only have a couple vinylmation pins. Maybe I should start getting those since they take up less space."[/COLOR]

Sarah, do you have a space problem with all your WDW souvenirs?

I think that it is bogus that they don't even light up the Yeti anymore. I thought I read that it will never move again, but to not be able to see it just isn't right.

Do you like the food at Pizzafari? The decor is so cute.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Great update! I think that may be the quickest time someone has ever done both DINOSAUR and EE. I love both those rides and I probably couldn't do both of them that quickly. Those pictures you took on the ride are awesome, I'm surprised you were even able to take them. I am always holding onto the bar for dear life going up that hill and just looking around at the other part, not even near to grabbing my camera. And that family before going on DINOSAUR Just imagine them getting off the ride I also like seeing those pictures of those extra details you naturally don't pay attention to and up close pictures of the carvings on the tree of life. Always nice to see things you missed. Can't wait to hear more! Update soon!

On EE we were luckily close to the front of the train so I could get the track. I've always been a little afraid to take pictures on those types of rides but you can get some cool shots if you try!

I love the update! I always think the AK is the best park for photographers and you got some great shots!

I love the look of Pizzafari but we've never eaten there. Is it worth a stop?

Looking forward to more

Pizzafari is really similar to Pizza Planet as far as the food goes. Hope you guys have a great trip!

The dinosaurs aren't THAT scary..... okay maybe a little. I have to admit I scream just about every time right at the end. AK seems really tranquil near the end of the day. I should really make it mandatory to go to AK some day just before closing. It seems really chillaxed.

It is a good park to go to because so many people just leave after the parade. Oh, and I also always scream at the dino at the end...

I totally get freaked out on Dinosaur too, don't think you're alone!

Yummm to Pizzafari...I can't wait to get some mediocre Disney pizza back in my system I really can't though!

LOL, I hear ya on the pizza! So good!

I love the pics of AK! Brings back memories for me. Didn't really care for the job after a few months but I enjoyed the park and all the hidden treasures/secrets of it!

I love Dino too! It's even worse when you walk right onto the ride without the pre-show coming in from a sunny day bc it seems pitch black with all the dinos! Of course I know the whole ride speech but they still jump out at me and I can never look at that sucker at the end!!!

I think AK would be the best park to work at. It always closes early! haha One of my sister's college classmates did the same internship you did and he sort of said the same thing though that after a while you get sick of it.

I don't get why the Yeti isn't working anymore, either You can barely see him now.

Haha I laughed out loud when I read the guy's comment, "is this a movie?" He was in for a surprise!

I know, it's so lame. Fix the Yeti!

haha, I know! I wish we would've been near them so we could see their reactions.

You have some great pictures! I like things that you normally don't notice.

We've never done Dinosaur, maybe in the future. Whats it like?

Thanks! I like to try to get pictures of different things because once you've been to WDW as many times as we have, you start to get a lot of the same pictures.

Ohhh, Dinosaur is...entertaining to say the least. It is probably one of the scariest rides in all of WDW. You know it's scary when even grown men get freaked out! The ride itself is a dark ride where you go through the jungle and encounter lots of dinosaurs. In that aspect, it's similar to Ellen's Energy Adventure, only these dinosaurs are a lot scarier. Plus the ride is really loud and very jerky. The first time we did it I had my eyes closed pretty much the whole time. I still think it's kind of scary but I just can't pass it up!

Aw too bad the photopass pics didn't turn out but it sounds like a cool location!

You must be a magnet for annoying high school kids in lines I hope this was the last of them on your trip!

I am upset that the Yeti doesn't work anymore too. I remember when it was thrashing around with the strobe light and it's just not the same anymore! I am sad that the light isn't on it anymore but maybe that's only during night rides now? I hope so or after my 5k I won't be able to see anything good on the ride

I love the decorations in Pizzafari! Every room is so cute and so detailed!

love the comment about Madagascar

Great pics of AK I am so excited to be there on Saturday!

Thank you for the update looking at pictures of Disney definitely helps with the 3 day waiting

First of all, I'm so jealous you are going. Have a great time! I always get the same way before a trip, looking at lots of pictures.

Yeah, I don't know, I guess with all the schools there for Magic Music Days we encountered more annoying kids than usual. LOL.

I agree! I remember being sort of scared the first time we rode EE because he was like reaching out at you. Disappointing it doesn't do that anymore. Maybe some day they'll fix it.

What a great update!! Your pictures are gorgeous...I love the close up ones of the Tree of Life....

Great shot of the broken track too

Aww, thanks!

Yay, EE!! I can't believe you can't see the Yeti now, though! I just don't get why they don't fix it!

I have to try Dinosaur again on my next trip, I didn't like it the one time I went on it, so I've always avoided it, but I think I might like it now! I have a new appreciation for Dinosaurs now!

Oooh, your Discovery Island pics are great! I've never actually been that close to the Tree of Life, another thing I will have to check out!

Yes, you should give it another shot, if for no other reason than to see the hilarious ride pictures at the end.

It's really cool walking around the trails near the Tree of Life. So much to see, though it is kind of confusing with the line for ITTBAB right there too. haha

All caught up and joining in! Great report so far!

Welcome! Glad you are enjoying it so far.

Bummer that you can't see the Yeti at all anymore I've heard that in order to fix it they would have to shut down the ride for an extended period of time and they just aren't willing to do that just to repair the Yeti. Maybe once the ride itself is in need of a referb the Yeti will be restored to it's former glory. I'm just glad that I was able to see it at least once the way it was intended!

I'm fine on Dino until the end, I've only seen that last guy once and that was enough, now I keep my head down

Good call eating at AK instead of waiting until you got to MK and back into the crowds

haha, you sound like me on Dinosaur!! That last one is the only one that makes me scream/cover my eyes every single time.

"Believe it or not, I only have a couple vinylmation pins. Maybe I should start getting those since they take up less space."[/COLOR]

Sarah, do you have a space problem with all your WDW souvenirs?

I think that it is bogus that they don't even light up the Yeti anymore. I thought I read that it will never move again, but to not be able to see it just isn't right.

Do you like the food at Pizzafari? The decor is so cute.

haha, yeah, maybe I have more souvenirs than I need...

As for Pizzafari, we like it but then again we are easy to please.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Sunday, March 27, 2011 cont'd (part 7)

After our dinner at Pizzafari and some browsing around a couple of the gift shops (key word being browse, we didn't buy anything!), we headed out to get a bus to the TTC, aka the gateway to the Magic Kingdom. From the TTC we hopped on the monorail and arrived at the MK.

Because we had accomplished so much in the morning, we were curious to see if the park was still relatively quiet or if the crowds had picked up. So of course we went to check the attraction board. I am guessing it wasn't too crowded because they didn't even have wait times up anymore (which didn't quite make sense because I'm pretty sure MK had PM EMH that night).

Since we didn't do too much in Fantasyland in the morning, we decided to go there. The castle was also open so we took the opportunity to walk through it. The castle looked gorgeous with the lights on it, but then again it always does.

Walking up the path into the castle!

Don't you love all the lights at the park at night?

From what we could tell, the park was not too busy. We saw that the wait for Snow White was 20 minutes so we ended up getting in line. In reality, it only took maybe 5 or 10 minutes. So check another ride off our list for the first day! Woo hoo!

We really had no plans to do anything else except stroll around and hang out before the night shows so we decided to grab a snack in Tomorrowland. My choice? An orange soda float from Auntie Gravity's! Yum.

I think Claire got some ice cream. Then we found a bench to enjoy our treats and called home to tell everyone about our day. It was such a nice night to be out. After enjoying our snacks, we went to find a spot to watch the night shows. Normally we stand at the end of Main Street so it's easy to get out afterward, but Claire wanted to be a little closer to the castle/hub this time. There's a pathway, right at the end of Main Street that leads off to Tomorrowland, where we could see a few people gathered. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to stay there (it seems like they usually don't let you stay on pathways for shows/parades) but an older CM told me we could. He also said how it was a great spot and we'd have a really good view of the new "The Magic, The Memories, and You!" show. So, we ended up staying there since we didn't care if we were right on the curb for the MSEP (we saw it in August).

Even though we were further away we were still able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the parade. It's not the best but I love this picture of the Tinkerbell float at the beginning!

About half an hour later, it was time for the Magic, Memories, and You show. When I first read about this I thought it was kind of a strange idea, projecting images on the castle. But then I saw someone's video online and it was actually really cool. Seeing it in person brought it to a whole other level. Some of the effects were amazing. It was cute how they kind of matched the projections to the music. The one thing I don't really buy is that they use photopass pictures from the day in the show. To us, it seemed like it was mostly videos. And I don't really know how you'd be able to tell if your picture was actually used. But whatever. We did get something with our photopass card saying if you didn't want your pictures to be used to call a certain number or go to their website. Here's a short video of the show:


As you'd expect, it was a great show. Definitely emotional too. There was an older couple standing next to us, who was there with their grandkids and the grandma started tearing up. I heard the grandfather say to the kids, "who would've thought your grandma was so emotional?" It was cute.

And finally to end the night, it was time for Wishes. The pictures don't really do it justice, but you can see what a good view we had. And the nice thing was you didn't have people standing in front of you at the last minute.

If you remember from previous TRs, I've been known to get misty-eyed during Wishes before. Not always, but sometimes. Well, this was one of those times. I'm sorry, I just can't help it...I don't know what it is that gets me going-the music, the "ooohs" from the crowd as Tinkerbell flies, the kids singing... Claire tried to knock some sense in me (literally-she whacked me, LOL) and said, "it's HAPPY!" Yes, I know it's happy. Still can't help it though. I guess it is really magical.

And so we come to the end of day one. We didn't hang around any longer after the fireworks since it had been a long day. On the bus back to OKW, there was a family with smaller kids. I think they were pretty wound up after being out so late after a long day themselves, but the parents made some comment about how they still had five whole days of the same left. I couldn't help but smile knowing it was the same for us. We still had FIVE WHOLE DAYS LEFT.

up next: Lights, Camera...cue the rain!

 

[xoktenox]

Awesome night! Gotta love Auntie Gravity treats!

That is definitely a great spot over there for the parade, castle show and Wishes. I'm thinking I might hafta try and stand over there too!

Claire smacked you...gotta love sisterly love

Those parents said they had five days left like it was BAD thing or something! Jeez!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Magic Kingdom is always an awesome place to be at night. The castle always looks so gorgeous with the lights and all. Then, all the nighttime shows are there. It is just a great place to be during that time. That Orange Soda float looks really good! I must stop by Auntie Gravity's sometime to try that. And don't make being misty-eyed before Wishes sound like you shouldn't, generally people do. It is such a heart-warming show. I always smile when I watch it, well I've only seen it once and it was from Fantasyland, so I must watch it from the front next time. Can't wait to hear more about those next five days! Update soon!

 

[Vwdiva93]

I love your nighttime castle/Fantasyland pics! MK is just so pretty at night That orange soda float looks delicious! And I really love the Magic, Memories, and You show too, I wasn't expecting much but was blown away by how cool the projections were.
Can't wait to hear more!

 

[hollybearsmom]

Love. love the photo of the castle with different colors on it.
Great location for Wishes, and I am a teary eyed watcher too.

 

[Nermel9]

The castle is so beautiful with all the different color lights on it! I can't wait to see the Magic, Memories and You show, it looks like it's going to be awesome!

You had such a great spot for Wishes! Don't worry, I tear up every time too!

 

[jenbear123]

What a great spot to see the castle and fireworks I can't quite picture where it is though... Is it the path that goes right by the Plaza restaurant towards the Tomorrowland noodle station? It's great but rare to have the path through the castle opened. Looks like you scored on that!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Wishes makes me get misty eyed as well. Just can't help it!

 

[Caretames1]

I LOVE Wishes. It's my favortie show out of everything! I was suprised the first time I seen it, how much it touched me.

I love your video of the Castle show. I'm so sad we missed that one thing

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

Nice update

Wishes gives me chills every time! Even when I'd be leaving the tunnel after work and hear the music, I would always get chills..it never goes away!! I only get emotional when it's like my last trip or when I moved from FL but chills I always get!

After a certain time, they don't keep up the tip board. A guest relations CM stand there and does it and after awhile they just stop doing it..it has nothing to do with the crowd levels or EMH. It's odd since all the other tips boards are always kept up but I guess DHS and AK close early most of the time and Epcot's is electronic but there's something about MK haha. You learn something new every day!!!

 

[Queenofallthings]

I'm excited to see the new show....sounds beautiful. I teared up when you were talking about getting emotional at Wishes....I almost always cry!