The Darling Family Takes on Marathon Weekend: Jan at the Boardwalk Villas

[mermaid764]

Wow the new queue for Pooh looks fantastic, I can definitely say it was worth all the construction.

Aww poor Michael for not being able to budge the sword, There's always next time though

 

[MagicShell]

We also loved the new Pooh que. There was no line when we went through so we didn't stay too long, but there is some really cute stuff there.

Our trip was great, the weather was perfect for me, high 80's. I love warm temperatures. I thought about you while I was there. I barely made it through each day trying to walk through the park. You ran a marathon and walked through the park. I am even more impressed now.

 

[dismagiclover]

We didn't get to ride Pooh and check out the new queue. Now I'm sad that we skipped it!
Tom won't ride the tea cups at all because they make him sick.

Amanda

Too bad you missed Pooh. Just something to hit next time! I know how Tom feels about those Tea Cups. Luckily Michael gets sick too so I have someone to ride with that won't go crazy!

Great update! I must admit again how much I love the daily updates. It's like a bribe..if you go to bed, you can read Jenny's trip update in the morning!!

We loved the new Pooh additions too!!!

You are too funny! So my trip reports are what put you to sleep at night? What is going to happen when my trip report is over. Would you like to finance another trip so I can get more material for another report?

Ahhhh.... poor kid. I was really "pulling" for him.

So how cold was it that morning? I love the empty park, but it does look really cold.

I really wasn't "pulling" for him. 3 times in a row would have gone to his head! It was pretty cold. I think it was probably around 40 and didn't get much above 50 that day. We're used to the cold so we were OK, but you can tell the CMs were all bundled up. I'm sure the lifeguards didn't have much to do this week.

Great update Looks like a really fun morning in Fantasy Land I can't wait to check out the new Pooh queue, looks so cool

You'll love the new queue. I hope it's a sign of good things to come in Fantasyland.

You have got to love an empty Fantasyland! I love the pictures of the Pooh queue. It looks like there was a lot of fun to be had.

I would have joined you and Michael in your teacup. I could ride coasters all day, but I am not a fan of spinning!

I love coasters too. They never make me sick, but something about that spinning thing is deadly

The new queue looks really great! I can't wait to check it out!

They really are trying to make lots more interactive queues which is great! They currently are working on the Haunted Mansion queue. I'm excited to see how that one turns out.

 

[dismagiclover]

Wow the new queue for Pooh looks fantastic, I can definitely say it was worth all the construction.

Aww poor Michael for not being able to budge the sword, There's always next time though

I wouldn't feel too bad for Michael. He's pulled it twice before and I'm pretty sure that is 2 times more than the vast majority of people that have tried it.

We also loved the new Pooh que. There was no line when we went through so we didn't stay too long, but there is some really cute stuff there.

Our trip was great, the weather was perfect for me, high 80's. I love warm temperatures. I thought about you while I was there. I barely made it through each day trying to walk through the park. You ran a marathon and walked through the park. I am even more impressed now.

With these new queues we are actually going to want lines I'm so glad your trip was great! That weather sounds perfect! I like to feel warm while I'm in Florida. I actually prefer the summer trips over the January trips for that very reason. I'm pretty impressed that I did as much as I did after the marathon too. But I was at Disney so I didn't want to waste too much time recovering.

 

[dismagiclover]

As I’m sure you’re all aware Toontown is now closed. We knew this would be our last visit to Toontown and so we were all a bit sentimental as we headed over there. First stop was Mickey’s house. Here was our last time through the house.

We then headed in to meet the Big Cheese himself. We debated over whether to bother meeting Mickey or not since we’d just seen him the evening before. I’m glad we did though because I like these pictures of everyone with their medals better than those of the evening before. Here is what we got.

This may be my favorite picture of the whole trip.

A last picture with Minnie.

And with that we said our goodbyes to Mickey's Place Next up: A very nostalgic last walk through Minnie’s house.

 

[Stefy]

Great photos, its a shame that Toontown is gone now But like you say there will be new and exciting things to look forward to once the expansion is finished

 

[kcandbella]

Poor Michael! He probably was shocked, since he thought it was so easy to pull the sword out! Looks like he was a good sport about it, though, and I bet John was relieved not to be shown up again.

Those Mickey and Minnie pictures did turn out really cute, and I agree that the one in your avatar is a great pic. I bet Wendy was really sad to walk through Minnie's for the last time after the great memories she has there.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Poor Michael, I bet he didn't know what to think when the sword didn't come out of the stone.

I can't believe now empty Fantasyland is in your pictures. I've never seen it that way.

The new que for Winnie the Pooh looks really cool. It looks like a neat way to pass the time while waiting.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Ooops, you were updating as I was posting. While I liked the other Photopass pictures, I think I like these pictures better too.

I hate that Toontown is gone forever now. But, like you said, if the que at Winnie the Pooh is a preview of things to come for Fantasyland, I think I can get over it.

 

[schmass]

Hi there! I'm back from the Princess 1/2, and all caught up!

Those are some great pictures your family got with the characters!

Having just run my first 1/2 marathon, I am even more impressed with your running the full! My thoughts on the 1/2 were that it was Disney, and it was fun, but it was still tough at the end. I can only imagine running twice that distance. Still, I think maybe after I get a few more 1/2s under my belt, the full is something I would like to try. I think I'll be back next year to run the Princess again!

Great updates!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

aww how sad!!!

Yes you will have to have another trip so I can get daily updates. It's like magic, I go to bed, wake up and there's an update

 

[Angies1274]

Love all the pictures of the new Pooh queue!! I can't wait to see it in person! Pooh is one of my favorite rides!!

Aww...those pictures of Toontown make me so sad. I really wish we would have stopped to see it again on our last trip. Oh well...can't wait for all the new stuff in Fantasyland!! Great pictures with Mickey and Minnie

 

[dismagiclover]

Great photos, its a shame that Toontown is gone now But like you say there will be new and exciting things to look forward to once the expansion is finished

It will be very sad to go back next time and not have Toontown there. Luckily we are going to Disneyland this summer and they have an awesome Toontown.

Poor Michael! He probably was shocked, since he thought it was so easy to pull the sword out! Looks like he was a good sport about it, though, and I bet John was relieved not to be shown up again.

Those Mickey and Minnie pictures did turn out really cute, and I agree that the one in your avatar is a great pic. I bet Wendy was really sad to walk through Minnie's for the last time after the great memories she has there.

It was pretty funny to watch Michael's confusion at not being able to pull out the sword. He really thought it was easy! Wendy was sad as she walked through Minnie's house for the last time. That update is coming right up!

Poor Michael, I bet he didn't know what to think when the sword didn't come out of the stone.

I can't believe now empty Fantasyland is in your pictures. I've never seen it that way.

The new que for Winnie the Pooh looks really cool. It looks like a neat way to pass the time while waiting.

Ooops, you were updating as I was posting. While I liked the other Photopass pictures, I think I like these pictures better too.

I hate that Toontown is gone forever now. But, like you said, if the que at Winnie the Pooh is a preview of things to come for Fantasyland, I think I can get over it.

Fantasyland was so empty this morning! It was great. So even though it is cold, there are definitely some up sides to January. I know you are super sad Toontown is gone. It makes your screen name vintage

Hi there! I'm back from the Princess 1/2, and all caught up!

Those are some great pictures your family got with the characters!

Having just run my first 1/2 marathon, I am even more impressed with your running the full! My thoughts on the 1/2 were that it was Disney, and it was fun, but it was still tough at the end. I can only imagine running twice that distance. Still, I think maybe after I get a few more 1/2s under my belt, the full is something I would like to try. I think I'll be back next year to run the Princess again!

Great updates!

Congratulations on finishing your first 1/2 marathon Long distance races are tough at the end, but after you've done it once it is easier the next time. I think that is because you have a much better idea of what to expect. So next time it will be even better! It is a good idea to get a few halfs under your belt before you go for the whole. Because the whole is a new ballgame.

aww how sad!!!

Yes you will have to have another trip so I can get daily updates. It's like magic, I go to bed, wake up and there's an update

Then there is more magic coming right up

 

[dismagiclover]

After our meet ‘n greet we headed over to Minnie’s house. This was a bittersweet moment. Perhaps my favorite all time Disney moment happened here. When Wendy was a wee 7 year old we showed up for the Toontown rope drop hoping to hit the princesses with no line. As we walked by Minnie’s house, Minnie herself walked out the front door and right up to Wendy. She took Wendy by the hand and gave her a personalized tour through her house. It was so awesome! Here are the flashback pictures.

Because of that Wendy has a special relationship with the house and it makes her sad that it won’t be there anymore. She insisted on this picture.

We took our time going through Minnie’s house, just trying to notice all those little details.

As we left Wendy wanted one last pose in the gazebo.

That is because this was where Minnie ended the tour on that special day.

I know things change and that isn’t a bad thing. Wendy has changed too from that 7 year old little girl. She has grown and is becoming a beautiful young lady that any mother would be honored to call her own. It was with a tear though that I took this final picture of Minnie’s house.

I will always miss Minnie’s house just as I will always miss that little girl.

 

[Shannon84]

I need to stop reading your report at work, because this is the second time you made me tear up and people are gonna think I am crazy!! What a bittersweet moment!

 

[schmass]

Oh, what a sweet memory. You had me in tears!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Okay, so I just finished reading the installment and I'm dabbing my eyes at work and a client came in. I had to make up an excuse that I took a drink of my coke and it went down the wrong way. Otherwise, they would have thought I was nutso.

What a wonderful memory that Wendy has of the personal tour she was given by Minnie. Those are the Disney moments that we always treasure.

We had a similar one when Hunter was three. We walked over to Camp Minnie Mickey and Goofy greeted us, took Hunter by the hand and introduced him to all of his friends. Hunter swears that he remembers that day.

 

[norybell]

Aw, what a wonderful Minnie-house update! It's so nice that Wendy (and you) will always have the memories of that special day, even once the house itself is gone forever.

I'm kind of glad that I never had a reason to get attached to Toontown (i.e., no kids), so now I don't have to be sad that it's gone.

I was a bit behind...

I think a solo CP breakfast sounds heavenly. You can linger for as long as you like on Main Street and just enjoy the breakfast! I'm with you. I don't know if we'll be able to skip it again either. I haven't seen the MK opening show for several trips because I just can't give up the breakfast. All these tough choices.

CP breakfast > MK morning show. It's simple math, there's no arguing with it!

It was Michael’s turn to try for the sword. He was confident. He had done this twice before with no problem. He hopped up and pulled and . . .

It didn’t budge. This actually confused him quite a bit because the other 2 times he tried it came out so easily. I guess he was too much of a stinker on this trip to be king.

A lesson learned, perhaps?

It was 9:37 and look how empty Fantasyland was.

There are definitely some pluses to January.

Much as I wasn't crazy about the weather, that certainly was a January perk! I'm a bit nervous for April...it's going to be soooooo much busier than I'm used to!

Isn't the new Pooh queue fabulous? I'm so happy with their new approach to lines, in general -- I hope they keep it up!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

aww how sweet! I still remember when they just to have the little buildings that looked like shops! We will all miss the houses

 

[firecracker725]

Speaking of marathons, I just spent a large portion of my rainy weekend reading all (!) your trip reports. Very enjoyable reading.

I made my first trip to WDW this past May and have been dying to get back ever since. Of course, now I'm pregnant and due in July, so I have to live vicariously through others' trip reports.

I'm caught up now and ready for more.