The Bear and the Bow: Christmas with the Mouses - Update 9/11

[jecskc]

Loving your TR. Your photos are very nice. Looking forward to more. Psst, you so should have snagged that ride on Pooh when you had the chance.

 

[Merida]

OKAY I'M ALL CAUGHT UP NOW oh man.

I'm afraid to take time out of my Precious Disney Vacation in order to go to Universal and explore the Wizarding World, to be honest. It seems like such a tiny part of the park and even though I'm a super huge Harry Potter fan, I don't think it's worth the ticket price/getting a ride there/aforementioned taking time out of my Precious Disney Vacation.

I'm glad you guys enjoyed your resort! The Port Orleans resorts seem super gorgeous.

Ahahahasdfs oh, Mr. T. I was feeling annoyed for you guys.

OMG THAT IS ADORABLE THAT ALADDIN CALLED YOU OVER. I can't. I know what you mean about freaking out when someone calls for you and like, either freezing up or ignoring it. One time at Extra Magic Hours a cast member called out to me in the Emporium and I just stood there completely frozen. Turns out she just wanted to compliment my Donald Duck backpack loool.

Your photos are so lovely! If it's not super annoying for me to ask, what camera/lens are you using and what program do you use to edit? This upcoming trip (IN EIGHTEEN DAYS OH MY GOD) will be my first with a DSLR and I'm all anxious about it.

LOL ARE YOU ME. I seriously do this so many times. I'm always terrified that I talk about myself too much when I comment on things like trip reports so I either end up revising what I say a million times or I just end up not commenting at all.

I loooove POR. So does Bear (more than me, even!). I understand the complaints people have about it, being spread out and such, but it was perfect for us.

Yeah, I think people kind of over-hyped it. It was all very well done, but not really $200+ worth of value? I guess it depends how much you really like the other properties at Universal (as much as I like Dr. Seuss, it + Harry Potter do not a theme park make!)

Sure! I use a Canon Rebel T2i and I'm addicted to my 50mm. Seriously. I do most of my editing in photoshop; I have a set of actions that I really like using (actions are sooo much fun to play with! I think I like editing more than the actual taking part, because you can really create something! I tend to follow a lot of photo blogs - wedding especially - to really get coloring/angles/etc. ideas). This trip was really the first time I took my DSLR ‘out of the box’ (minus some cat photos) and it was definitely not as easy as I thought it would be.

I know! I like reading the really popular TRs but I'm terrible at commenting because I need to read everything and then fall behind reading everyone else's comments! I always end up talking about myself a lot too, so I usually end up asking lots of questions. Idk, I think it’s really easy to get reminded of your experiences at the same ride/location as in the TR and then I always want to share it right then.

Hahaha I do the same thing. Like most of the time I'll leave my computer sitting open on someone's update while I leave the house and then I'll come home, read it again, and write what I want to say on a macbook sticky note. SO... we can be lame together. However, sometimes comments just spit out of me... like this one. So there's that!

See, there's more than one person now so it's like a club. Now we're the cool people!

Popped over from my thread 'cause i finally noticed the
link in your sig. Your photos are awesome!!

Thanks! Welcome

So I wrote this looonngg comment on my phone last night to your latest update and Avatarland, and right when I was about to post it, my phone just shut off. I was so mad, and it was so late I just gave up and went to bed. Stupid Iphone. Stupid technology.

Basically, I have no interest in Avatarland. I haven't seen the movie, and have no intent to do so. So I couldn't care less that they are going to spend 3 years building a land about a movie that I don't care about. I know it was a popular movie, but are people really obsessed with it? I know NOTHING about Harry Potter. But I do know that people that like it are obsessed with it. Same with Star Wars. I feel like if they wanted to compete with Harry Potter World (or whatever it is!) they should have just done a huge expansion in DHS with a Star Wars theme. How awesome would a Star Wars land be? Or Lord of the Rings? OMG. Every time I watch LOTR I wish that Disney owned the rights to those movies. I'd kill for a LOTR ride! Star Wars and LOTR have been popular for YEARS. Avatar? Can't remember the last time I heard someone bring up Avatar.

I wish they went with the Beastly Kingdom idea, and did a land with that theme in AK instead. That would have been amazing. Oh well. At least we're getting a new Fantasyland.

On to your update...I'm sorry you broke the FP machine, however, I LOVE that you used the phrase "hemming and hawing"...or "hemmed and hawed." You never hear people say that anymore.

I love your favorite view in MK, anytime the Haunted Mansion is in the background, it's a great view! And a Salem area would be so cool...I do love Liberty Square though! I wish there was a little more to it, though!

Stupid iPhones. Bear keeps trying to get me to use our iPad for nightly Dis-surfing instead of my laptop but it’s so annoying! I have good luck with never losing posts on actual computers but the iPad ALWAYS eats them.

I would DIE for Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I mean, Jedi Training is so popular, they could obviously expand it and STILL have people jockeying for spots. Or, you know, I’ve heard Star Wars weekends are slightly popular. I think that both LotR and SW have the same richness and diversity of landscapes of Avatar but they both (George Lucas moneygrubbing aside) have much more heart.

I’ll sit in my little corner and keep pulling for Beastly Kingdom or Studio Ghibli (um, hello, Cat Bus ride??) land in Animal Kingdom. I still have a really long time to be in denial about Avatarland!!

I’m not sure what I did to the machine and not many people were using it… I would hate to be a FP CM if the machines break that easily!

I like old-fashioned expressions! I’m a naturally wordy person so all the ye olden time phrases (or insults, ha) are so much fun to use because they’re so descriptive!.

I like all the theming and hidden details in Liberty Square; I wish (now) that I had taken some more time to hunt out things like the lanterns and the sidewalk details. I think those details are what really set Liberty Square apart from the other lands in MK.

Loving your TR. Your photos are very nice. Looking forward to more. Psst, you so should have snagged that ride on Pooh when you had the chance.

Thanks! I have another update (consisting of maybe three more minutes of park time) coming up next.

I really, really wanted to try Pooh – if only to touch the (very unsanitary) honey wall. I never got to do any of the interactive queues on this trip and I’m kind of sad that I missed them! It’s just so much faster to cut through the graveyard on HM and, well, Winnie the Pooh was a no-go. I’m excited for the new Peter Pan one, though. I think that will turn out super cute.

 

[Merida]

My list of five biggest temptations in life goes something like this: chocolate chip muffins, a sale at Lush (addicted to their Flying Foxes shower gel right now. AMAZING), kittens, bookstores, and a walk-on line at it’s a small world.

Small World is totally an E ticket ride for me. It’s got everything: family history, a children’s book that taught me how to read, world history, World’s Fair history, some catchy tunes, boats, animatronics, and a certain panache that comes from having glitter as your main accessory.

So there’s me, wandering through Fantasyland, making sure the Big Thunder Mountain Fastpasses were stored safely in my camera bag (for the fifth time, yup!) and halfheartedly debating getting a Fastpass for Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh as a just-in-case. And I saw it.

The one thing I’m helpless against.

An empty Small World queue

Clearly I am the type of guests commando/touring plan guests love. Because I will happily waste a morning in a meet and greet and on small world all for one (well two, but the other is for Bear) Big Thuunder Fastpass and not even a ride on Peter Pan. You’re welcome!

Some time in the past twenty-four months, Disney decided to mess with the small world queue – making the entrance the exit? Moving around the little poles that hold up the barriers? Whichever, I promptly got lost in the maze of ropes. Luckily another mass of small world fans (a whole THREE PEOPLE BOO YAH) came along and I sheepishly headed down towards the clock face.

Inside Small World
(this is a really weird crop..)​

I really wanted to explain that it wasn’t like this before!! Honest! but settled for boarding the happiest cruise that ever sailed (and, incidentally, the only cruise I ever thought I’d go on, period).

I had the boat pretty much to myself; there was a young family beside me who was not up-to-date with their small world fun facts. But I guess we all have different talents – I can explain all the scenes inside the ride, they can navigate a queue line. I tuned them out and started practicing dark(-ish) ride pictures. I figured this would be the best time because Bear wasn’t there to ask what I was doing or – if it turned out to be a dismal failure – why I wasn’t doing it on other rides.

the happiest cruise that ever sailed​

So the moment you’ve all been waiting for: a severely abbreviated photographic journey throughout (part) of it’s a small world!

Milkmaids


Geese


Goats


Owls


Fans


Pink Blossoms


Tambourines


Hippo


Rhino + Zebra


Birdcage 1


Happy Cactus


Leopard


Tiki Man


Boomerang


Drums


Steamboat


Ch'ao


Farve

​

Eventually we all had to disembark and surrender the next boat to the eager crowds (of five people). And in under twenty seconds I was out of small world, blinking in the (relative) brightness. Bear had called while I was on the ride, so I tried to reach him (fail) while noting it was getting close to the Fastpass window. I was off –

To Peter Pan!

Bonus discussion point: Naming your child Boots: Unfair and unusual? Twee and affected? Or cute and original?

 

[IheartDDuck]

Dude, I know EXACTLY what you mean about the queue at It's a Small World! The first time I went on it after it was changed, I freaked out and had no idea what was going on. So bizarre.

 

[marDgreen88]

Hahaha. Yeah, they switched the entrance and exit! Don't worry, I was confused at first too. They switched it between June and December of 2010, aka my first two trips, and I was like, "IT WASN'T LIKE THIS SIX MONTHS AGO!"

Your dark(ish) ride pictures are great!

WHAT THE HECK with the cactus with guitar??? I've never seen him before! A new friend!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

LOL the new "entrance" is weird!! I definitely would not have looked at you funny for getting mixed up!

You got some great dark ride shots! All of mine turn out slightly blurry!

 

[Merida]

Dude, I know EXACTLY what you mean about the queue at It's a Small World! The first time I went on it after it was changed, I freaked out and had no idea what was going on. So bizarre.

I know! I can't really think of a good reason to flip things around either. Do people give really bad reviews of twisty queue lines? Did they mean to put in some interactive parts and forget them? Or at least hide them really, really well? Or have people just started asking for more photo opportunities with the clock? THE WORLD WILL NEVER KNOW.

Hahaha. Yeah, they switched the entrance and exit! Don't worry, I was confused at first too. They switched it between June and December of 2010, aka my first two trips, and I was like, "IT WASN'T LIKE THIS SIX MONTHS AGO!"

Your dark(ish) ride pictures are great!

WHAT THE HECK with the cactus with guitar??? I've never seen him before! A new friend!

Thanks! I think my favorite has to be Boomerang kid, even though he moved his boomerang (he's a little shy) and I really should be six inches taller (or able to stand up in the boat) for a better angle. (edit: or the monkey on the edge of the hippo/zebra pictures. He's just too creeptastic to not love!)

I LOVE dancing cactus. It would be priceless to sit in on some of the development meetings when they were figuring out what characters would be put in small world. Leopard with umbrella? Why not! Happy cactus? Needs to be cooler - add in a guitar.

LOL the new "entrance" is weird!! I definitely would not have looked at you funny for getting mixed up!

You got some great dark ride shots! All of mine turn out slightly blurry!

Haha, pretty much the first half of my small world pictures (there's more!!) look like I was drunk or in the middle of a seizure or something. Then I seemed to have figured out how to work a camera again, somewhere around the desert/Middle East part. My Peter Pan pictures were a complete mess though. Obviously I must go back lots and lots to practice my manual focus issues!

 

[Merida]

VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE:

I'm watching High School Musical (.. alone, at 9:15 on a Friday because Bear had a doctor's appointment really early this morning and is sleeping) and OMG Zac Efron is a baby. He's so young and Justin Beiber-y!

Also skinny scarves is a terrible look (this means you, random extra grooving out in the background).

 

[kmaria]

i'm addicted to Lush too!!! going to cleveland with my fiance next month and it will be my first stop.. it's the closest store to me and it's an hour away!

haven't been back to the world since i read the kingdom keepers books (disney geek points), but every time i see ride pics i imagine the dolls coming after people, LOL

 

[Merida]

i'm addicted to Lush too!!! going to cleveland with my fiance next month and it will be my first stop.. it's the closest store to me and it's an hour away!

There's one in Orlando too!! My closest one is maybe 30 minutes? But it took about a year to convince my boyfriend to come in with me. Now he's addicted too. Besides Flying Foxes (it makes me feel like Princess Jasmine ) I use Ocean Salt/Eau Roma/Celestial as my facial routine. I love how Celestial smells SO MUCH.

I really want to try the Karma Melt/Phoenix Rising bath bomb at some point, but I don't know if I could deal with the (literal) glitter explosion that results. They just sound so fun!

haven't been back to the world since i read the kingdom keepers books (disney geek points), but every time i see ride pics i imagine the dolls coming after people, LOL

Haha, I can totally see that! I actually haven't read that series yet, and I think I prefer to stay in my Robots are Friendly! cocoon.

 

[katt789]

Ok! I am finally here & reading & ready to comment! Let me just first say that I did come over and read the first couple of posts AGES ago, but never commented, and never made it back (like the horrible lurker I am) but now I am here & ready!!

First off, that’s awesome that the cm found you a room that was ready! Port Orleans is on this year’s lists of resorts to stay at, so I’ll be sure to be there sometime! I wish I could say anything about any other part of IoA but I was so keen on getting over to Harry Potter that I barely took in anything else! I will agree that it does look kinda ominous from across the lake!!

I definitely agree that an expansion is needed, we made our trip down to WWOHP when it had just opened, and as magical an awesome as it was, it was kind of blah. I’m SOOO hoping for a kick-a** Gringott’s coaster too!! Watching that movie in 3-D I was all “WHOA! THIS WOULD BE AWESOME!!) And your link is the first *actual* expansion news I’ve heard! YAY!

I know what you mean about it being movie Hogwarts, I mean, the movies were great and all, but there’s just so much that wasn’t included in them that was in the books. Take McGonagall for instance, especially in book 5! (I love book 5 with all my heart, but really don’t like the movie…these things happen)

I personally LOVED FJ, oh so much, and am really sad that we only did it once. However Sylvia & I will have the chance to go again in November! I definitely understand not liking it though. We got breakfast from the 3 Broomsticks & I actually liked it a lot. They have a plate that’s all fruit, and then a couple of scones, which was a super nice change from the heavy greasy breakfast you usually find! I LOVE all the shops there, I find it really feels like you’re actually in there. The one thing I really didn’t like, was that nothing was labeled for prices! (which I get, I mean, they’re probably all outrageously expensive, BUT if I’m considering buying something, and there’s no price, I’m less likely to ask, and more likely to just put it down)

We really didn’t explore anything else in IoA, and from what I can tell, we really didn’t miss much?! I’m just not much of a thrill ride person, I love Disney, but there rides are so different, that they make them awesome! I just think I wouldn’t find anything to do in IoA?

I’m pretty sure half the reason I want to stay at PO is to get the beignets!! Gah! The Grand Floridian is SUCH a gorgeous resort! I feel like I want to stay there, but I want to save it for something *super* special (*cough*disneywedding*cough*) but seriously…I would die to see the inside of the Wedding Pavillion! Yay! Magic Kingdom! That really is when the whole thing begins, when you see that castle & do the walk down Main St!

Aw man! That’s a GREAT interaction with Jasmine & Aladdin! Gotta love it! Your Adventureland pics are great, I love it! I’m definitely one to go with the flow, and when I toured solo, I just did what I wanted! I did rope drop at MK, and headed straight through to meet the Fairy Godmother! Haha, that’s the benefit of being alone, you do just what you want!!

 

[Merida]

I trekked all the way over to Peter Pan from small world, stuck my key card in the fastpass machine..

And got another ‘this is not a valid FastPass’ Fastpass.

Rats. At this point, I had more not valid FastPasses than actual FastPasses. I pulled out my phone to check the time since apparently Disney and I sync up to different atomic clocks. I had a missed call; apparently Bear had phoned back while I was on small world.

Since I had nothing else to do, I called back, winning the game of phone tag when he picked up. We – Bear, Mr. T and I – chatted for a bit about their morning (monorail ride before finally heading out to the car) and mine (roughly as productive, detailed above).

“So what are you up to next?” Bear asked.

“Not much, just waiting for the next FastPass.”

“Space Mountain?” Why not? Peter Pan didn’t want to give me FastPasses, so I might as well wander down there and try again. I agreed and said my good-byes to the boys before heading off (this is when I should’ve grabbed something for Pooh, but Tomorrowland was calling to me).

Space Mountain​

I love Tomorrowland the best out of all the lands in Magic Kingdom. Fantasyland is a very close second but there are just so many strollers. I’ve never been in a packed Tomorrowland so there may be hordes of strollers that do descend, which makes that an unfair deciding point. At least my two favorites are connected by a path, making it easy to spend all of my time on one side of the park.

By the time I made it to Space Mountain, I still couldn’t get FastPasses, thanks to Disney’s very slow clocks.

Tomorrowland Tree​

As much as I love Tomorrowland, pretty much the only two things I’d ever done there were Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear the ride, and Buzz Lightyear the meet’n’greet. So it was pretty much predetermined that I would gradually walk back to Buzz while waiting for a FastPass.

And if the line was a walk-on, who was I to turn down that chance? Especially since I would never be able to get pictures if I was riding with Bear (we may be a tad competitive).

And if I was taking pictures, I wouldn’t be playing, which was almost as good as not riding it at all, since the point is to play things. Having justified a quick spin, I headed in.

I know there are lots of complaints about this ride as well, but I love it. For me, I’m so horrible at shooting games anyway that it doesn’t matter that I have no idea where I’m shooting. The fun comes from sabotaging your knows-how-to-shoot-a-gun partner to keep them from getting a high score. Any points I manage to get are a bonus.

But I still snuck in a few practice shots after loading. Bear is usually freakishly good at this game, so extra shots for me will do nothing the close the gap in our scores.

Emperor Zurg​

When I finally put down the blaster and picked up my camera, I was surprised. I’m usually way too focused on my strategy to pick up on a lot of the details inside Buzz.

Space Pterodactyl​

I mean, why would I look at a giant space dinosaur? It doesn’t have a Z-target on it.

LGM​

And the colors! I’m a huge fan of purple + neon in general, but the Buzz ride really pulls it off. It’s just such a space-y, alien-y color combo.

Space Robot T-Rex​

Truly, Buzz Lightyear is the spiritual successor of it’s a small world with all of the wacky things jammed in there. Why does Zurg create robotic, wind-up T-Rexes? Because he can.

LGM 2​

The only thing that could make the ride better would be a cameo by Mira.

Evil Emperor Zurg


Space Robot


The Claw​

Despite my lack of any effort whatsoever, Zurg was defeated and the Little Green Men were safe once again. Hurrah!

Buzz Lightyear​

After graciously accepting my (completely undeserved) thanks from Buzz, I disembarked and headed back over to Space Mountain. This time I was successful and managed to snag two Space Mountain FastPasses. The return window was actually quite short, so I loitered in all the Tomorrowland gift shops (Auntie Gravity is a favorite, despite my taking forever and a day to recognize the pun; Merchant of Venus comes a close second in my affections). I grabbed two Buzz Lightyear passes and decided to take the long way 'round back to Fantasyland.

 

[Merida]

Ok! I am finally here & reading & ready to comment! Let me just first say that I did come over and read the first couple of posts AGES ago, but never commented, and never made it back (like the horrible lurker I am) but now I am here & ready!!

First off, that’s awesome that the cm found you a room that was ready! Port Orleans is on this year’s lists of resorts to stay at, so I’ll be sure to be there sometime! I wish I could say anything about any other part of IoA but I was so keen on getting over to Harry Potter that I barely took in anything else! I will agree that it does look kinda ominous from across the lake!!

I definitely agree that an expansion is needed, we made our trip down to WWOHP when it had just opened, and as magical an awesome as it was, it was kind of blah. I’m SOOO hoping for a kick-a** Gringott’s coaster too!! Watching that movie in 3-D I was all “WHOA! THIS WOULD BE AWESOME!!) And your link is the first *actual* expansion news I’ve heard! YAY!

I know what you mean about it being movie Hogwarts, I mean, the movies were great and all, but there’s just so much that wasn’t included in them that was in the books. Take McGonagall for instance, especially in book 5! (I love book 5 with all my heart, but really don’t like the movie…these things happen)

I personally LOVED FJ, oh so much, and am really sad that we only did it once. However Sylvia & I will have the chance to go again in November! I definitely understand not liking it though. We got breakfast from the 3 Broomsticks & I actually liked it a lot. They have a plate that’s all fruit, and then a couple of scones, which was a super nice change from the heavy greasy breakfast you usually find! I LOVE all the shops there, I find it really feels like you’re actually in there. The one thing I really didn’t like, was that nothing was labeled for prices! (which I get, I mean, they’re probably all outrageously expensive, BUT if I’m considering buying something, and there’s no price, I’m less likely to ask, and more likely to just put it down)

We really didn’t explore anything else in IoA, and from what I can tell, we really didn’t miss much?! I’m just not much of a thrill ride person, I love Disney, but there rides are so different, that they make them awesome! I just think I wouldn’t find anything to do in IoA?

I’m pretty sure half the reason I want to stay at PO is to get the beignets!! Gah! The Grand Floridian is SUCH a gorgeous resort! I feel like I want to stay there, but I want to save it for something *super* special (*cough*disneywedding*cough*) but seriously…I would die to see the inside of the Wedding Pavillion! Yay! Magic Kingdom! That really is when the whole thing begins, when you see that castle & do the walk down Main St!

Aw man! That’s a GREAT interaction with Jasmine & Aladdin! Gotta love it! Your Adventureland pics are great, I love it! I’m definitely one to go with the flow, and when I toured solo, I just did what I wanted! I did rope drop at MK, and headed straight through to meet the Fairy Godmother! Haha, that’s the benefit of being alone, you do just what you want!!

Haha, it's okay! I'm a bad lurker too on lots of people's TRs. I need to go reorganize my subscription folder again because it's super messy and hard to find the things I actually do comment on. You're not too far behind, I tend to err on the side of 'give everyone plenty of time to read' anyway!


I really like Port Orleans from a have-no-kids point of view. I don’t mind a long walk (prefer it, actually because it’s less noisy) and it’s so nice to have so much open space! Plus it’s recently renovated and they actually have nice bedspreads now! I don’t know who picked out the old duvets but some of them were really awful.

From a ride/technology perspective I liked FJ, but I thought the story was really lacking. Like they knew it was the only ride that would EVER fit in there so they jammed about five different ride storylines together? I think Gringott’s will be WAY better in that regard since they’ll be able to be more choosy (also Gringotts is AMAZING and I want it to be real). I’m still hoping they’ll expand some of the big buildings for explanation. I’ll even buy more butterbeer just so they have the money to do it right!! (Seriously, Universal, I would spend all day in a Hogwarts museum/gift shop and I would spend money! Just let me walk around! There must be tons of old movie props you could requisition!!)

Yeah, IoA was kind of dull. I’m sure that if there’s lots of people around you can use up more time in line but we hit everything super fast. And there wasn’t any good snack carts around. Or shopping. I mean, we saw all of the shows in the Lost Continent and we are not theme-park-show-goers. We could’ve gotten the two-park tickets but there aren’t any franchises in Universal that we were dying to go see either. I understand why people like Universal/IoA but I don’t think I would say it’s better than Disney. It’s just too amusement-park-y for my tastes, but Harry Potter is definitely a step in the right direction.

Oh beignets. Half the reason my boyfriend wants to go to Disneyland is that they’re available inside the park! And he’s requested next time that we actually stay in FQ so we’ll be closer. I honestly don’t know how people go home with extra snack credits when there’re beignets to buy.

I really like the lobby and exterior of GFlo but I was disappointed by some room pictures I saw. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting? They were kind of plain, which was surprising since I know how fancy the lobby bathroom is! I think the new DVC building should be so pretty and more what I had imagined (and then maybe they’ll reno the main building too! Not that I’ll have the free cash available to stay there for aaages). I feel like if I ever stayed in GFlo I'd just swan around, acting all fancy all day and never make it into the parks! And I'd be keeping an eye out for a bride using Cinderella's carriage because those ponies are adorable.

I do love the wedding pavilion and shamelessly stalk the weddings board looking at pictures. I love the little peek of Cinderella’s castle you get! Disney is kind of local for Bear’s family so it wouldn’t really be a destination location… Though I’m sure the price would be astronomical! I mean, if you're going to have a Disney wedding you might as well go all out and really have a Disney wedding, y'know?

How lucky to see the Fairy Godmother! I was in Fantasyland in between the Tremaine/Fairy Godmother sets so I got to see a little of them. I really like that they bring out some secondary characters from Cinderella; I guess there’s more leniency in their ‘personalities’ so they’re way more fun to interact with! Being in charge of determining who’s available for meet’n’greets must be the best job at Disney. Though I’d probably ruin the entire budget by letting pretty much every available character roam the parks!

 

[marDgreen88]

I'm glad you took pictures on this ride (which are again, great) because I don't think I would ever notice the details on it. Um, wind up dinosaur guy? That's awesome! Also, he reminds me of Reptar from the Rugrats.

Look at you and your SUCCESS in getting fastpasses! Hahah, very nice.

 

[duckylady]

Your pictures of Buzz are awesome!! You've all but convinced me to take my 50mm. I was just going to bring my Tamron 17-50, but now I'm nervous about how I'll handle dark rides and whatnot without a prime.

I wonder why you kept getting the non-valid Fastpasses? That's so weird. :/ Were you ever able to get a normal one throughout the trip, or was it glitchy the whole time?

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I love your pictures from Buzz! I've never noticed the little details that don't have Z's on them either!

 

[Nermel9]

I don't understand why they changed the IASW queue either, it's weird, and I feel totally unnecessary!

I can't believe the pictures you got on that ride! They are so beautiful!

I LOVE Tomorrowland, I can never decide if Tomorrowland or Adventureland is my favorite MK land. I suppose it can be a tie, right? I do like Fantasyland, but it's not very much of a land to me right now, it's more a narrow pathway of rides. I'm hoping once all the construction walls are down I can appreciate it again, I'm starting to forget what the real Fantasyland looks like!

Your Buzz pictures are great too! I've only been on Buzz twice I think, maybe 3 times, and I'm awful at it. Seriously, how do you know where you're shooting? At least TSM makes sense, you can see where your little things are going, but on Buzz? Forget it. I always get the most pitiful score!

 

[katt789]

Gah!! You can get beignets in DL?? In the New Orleans Square place I'm assuming? I'm taking my first trip to DLR (since 1997) in a few weeks, and literally feel like I know nothing about it! So excited!!!

Love the pictures of Buzz! They're awesome. I definitely didn't notice the dinosaur's ever before! I guess I've always been too distracted trying to hit the targets!

 

[Merida]

I almost forgot - HAPPY FASTNACHT DAY (aka the best day of the entire year for us lucky Pennsylvania Dutch)!!

Even though for the past two years I have been living in a part of the county that has a grand total of TWO donut stores and thus am fasnachtless once again.

 

[Merida]

I'm glad you took pictures on this ride (which are again, great) because I don't think I would ever notice the details on it. Um, wind up dinosaur guy? That's awesome! Also, he reminds me of Reptar from the Rugrats.

Look at you and your SUCCESS in getting fastpasses! Hahah, very nice.

I love Reptar! I really want to go back and do a marathon rewatch of Rugrats/Hey Arnold, thanks to the magic of the Internet. I feel like I really missed a lot the first time 'round. I've been trying to convince Bear that one of these two shirts (A and B) are completely necessary for my long-term happiness but it hasn't worked so far.

I KNOW. I literally tripled my fastpass number in under thirty minutes! I give myself an B+ in Tomorrowland touring (given that I egregiously dismissed TTA, CoP, and Monster's Inc as boring rides).

Your pictures of Buzz are awesome!! You've all but convinced me to take my 50mm. I was just going to bring my Tamron 17-50, but now I'm nervous about how I'll handle dark rides and whatnot without a prime.

I wonder why you kept getting the non-valid Fastpasses? That's so weird. :/ Were you ever able to get a normal one throughout the trip, or was it glitchy the whole time?

YESSS TAKE YOUR PRIME. Just remember to take if off now and then! I can literally count on my fingers the number of times I took my prime off, which didn't always work. Prime shooting is just so much fun! I really want the 35mm or the 30mm for my next trip (and then end up renting a better zoom because there's no way i could afford both. Also I have far fewer opinions on zoom lenses and don't want to just buy one to have one, you know?).

Yeah, it was kind of my fault because I have a very flexible idea of time that Disney doesn't really adhere to. It was worst with Peter Pan! I swear the Fastpass machine clock is off. It seriously took me five tries to get valid ones and I'm not really sure why? But after that first morning we had excellent fastpass luck.