The Drive, the Dream and DVC - A March 2011 Birthday Surprise TR(NEW 11/9 p. 32 END)

[Charleston Princess]

You did hit the character jackpot at Rafiki's! The hedgehog was adorable, and I have never seen a skunk in person before.

Wow! That tiger was very close for your pictures! Very cool!!!

I have seen the house and truck before but never with a Photopass person near them. Great photos!

 

[MeMom]

Sarah did her best imitation of a tiger!

Now she is definitely fierce, I will give her that,
but...

she's got nothin' on that tiger I tangled with earlier this week.


Have I ever said how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Animal Kingdom???

I think I probably have.

I so enjoyed a trip to Animal Kingdom this morning through your pictures. I can barely walk around my house right now after this week at camp, so I would have to be wheeled around Animal Kingdom, but I'd still sure love to be there!

 

[MEK]

I never get on the Maharajah trek. I am walking the whole trail NO MATTER WHAT in December.

I am all caught up on your pics. The PP poses are the best. They are totally all keepers!!!!! What great poses and backgrounds. Where was that waterfall pp pic taken. I love that!

Fun update!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I was a few updates behind - what a hassle with your dining credits! I hope it's the end to that, but I have a feeling it's not. BOO! We had a good experience with the segmented plan, but I've heard some really bad stories...

Love those AK Photopass pics!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Yikes! I would have been a little nervous when they brought out that skunk! Thank goodness it had been de-stinked

You got some really great photopass pics! I've never seen photopass photographers taking those kind of shots before either, I love them!

If my memory serves me correctly, those little things with the face cut outs are right before you head down the trail towards Camp Minnie Mickey

Yeah, they kept the skunk up on the stage. I was good with that!
Thanks - we were pleased with the photopass pictures!
It's funny - I barely remember taking those cut-out pictures! I have no clue when or where - but I'll choose to believe you!!

You did hit the character jackpot at Rafiki's! The hedgehog was adorable, and I have never seen a skunk in person before.

Wow! That tiger was very close for your pictures! Very cool!!!

I have seen the house and truck before but never with a Photopass person near them. Great photos!

I don't like to stand in line for characters much anymore, but these were short lines and ones we'd never met! It's fun to see how much the kids have grown in the pictures though - you know what I mean? Yes, I'm sure you do!

The only skunks i've seen in person were on the side of the road. Usually we smell them more than see them!
Thanks on the PP photos - I was really happy with them!

Now she is definitely fierce, I will give her that,
but...

she's got nothin' on that tiger I tangled with earlier this week.

I'm sure your tiger was nasty tough!!!

Have I ever said how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Animal Kingdom???

I think I probably have.
Oh, you may have mentioned it once or twice before!

I so enjoyed a trip to Animal Kingdom this morning through your pictures. I can barely walk around my house right now after this week at camp, so I would have to be wheeled around Animal Kingdom, but I'd still sure love to be there!

Oh, MeMom - you rest up today! I'll try to do more AK for you!!

I never get on the Maharajah trek. I am walking the whole trail NO MATTER WHAT in December.

I am all caught up on your pics. The PP poses are the best. They are totally all keepers!!!!! What great poses and backgrounds. Where was that waterfall pp pic taken. I love that!

Fun update!

You should! It's a great trail!! It had been a while for us - we'd not been to AK at all in a couple years.
I'm pretty sure the waterfall was somewhere on that Maharajah trek too. I loved it back in there - it was like being in another world!!

I was a few updates behind - what a hassle with your dining credits! I hope it's the end to that, but I have a feeling it's not. BOO! We had a good experience with the segmented plan, but I've heard some really bad stories...

Love those AK Photopass pics!!!

Hey Brook! Yeah, that dining thing was a pain, but it all worked out. It really was no big deal - just one person doing something dumb caused it all, and it was just excaerbated by us not going to AKL first thing. I'm glad it's worked out for you!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Hey Sheree...

I've been with you since close to the beginning but I don't think I've ever posted. I thought it high time to come out of lurkdom. I miss all my skinny islands pals...

Thank goodness at least a few of you do TR's so I could keep in touch.

I've really been enjoying your TR. These latest pics of AK are making me seriously homesick for Disney (and it's my least favourite park!!) so I thought I'd comment.

I think I like photos of AK so much because they are quite colourful and fun and you don't feel the oppressive heat in pictures like you do in the parks (well, most of the year anyway).

I love to see pics of your girls clowning around.

Can't wait for more...

Julie

 

[jenseib]

Fabulous pictures. I am loving all the PP's ones too. I never seem to find that many photogrpahers anywhere. I will have to really start looking for them!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Hey Sheree...

I've been with you since close to the beginning but I don't think I've ever posted. I thought it high time to come out of lurkdom. I miss all my skinny islands pals...

Thank goodness at least a few of you do TR's so I could keep in touch.

I've really been enjoying your TR. These latest pics of AK are making me seriously homesick for Disney (and it's my least favourite park!!) so I thought I'd comment.

I think I like photos of AK so much because they are quite colourful and fun and you don't feel the oppressive heat in pictures like you do in the parks (well, most of the year anyway).

I love to see pics of your girls clowning around.

Can't wait for more...

Julie

Hi Julie!! Glad you decided to UNLURK! I have not loved AK in the past - which is obvious since we skipped it on two prior trips!, but this time it was so much fun!! I think we're finally getting relaxed about our trips and just enjoying whatever time we have. Thank goodness we don't need to ride all the popular thrill rides- they tend to take more time.
The colorful pictures will continue for a while -we're not done at AK yet!!

Fabulous pictures. I am loving all the PP's ones too. I never seem to find that many photogrpahers anywhere. I will have to really start looking for them!

Thanks - the PP ones turned out pretty good and they were ones we'd never done before! That one photographer by the waterfall etc. was pretty lonely! She sure spent a lot of time with us! since we knew we were getting the CD, it was totally worth it - actually just for the BBB pictures! But we managed to get a lot of good family shots too!


So, I'm a little slow updating again - lots going on around here! I'm starting to work a second job - as a Pampered Chef consultant - and I am spending a lot of time getting organized and reading lots of materials! I have a fairly free weekend, so hopefully I can get through the AK part of the day!!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Sheree, you got a ton of nice family photopass pictures! It's nice to be in a photo when you are usually the one behind the camera.

 

[brookelizabeth]

So, I'm a little slow updating again - lots going on around here! I'm starting to work a second job - as a Pampered Chef consultant - and I am spending a lot of time getting organized and reading lots of materials! I have a fairly free weekend, so hopefully I can get through the AK part of the day!!

Take your time! We'll hang out until then.

 

[Native NYer]

Love your AK photos!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Sheree, you got a ton of nice family photopass pictures! It's nice to be in a photo when you are usually the one behind the camera.

Thank you! It was fun and I probably would not be in many without PP!

Take your time! We'll hang out until then.

Thanks! I'm finding a little time, but it's gotten really busy!

Love your AK photos!

Thank you! I will have lots of parade pictures coming up.

But First, I need to tell you all one of the reasons I've been so absent from my own TR. I have just started a second job. I am now officially a Pampered Chef consultant!!! Contact me for all your kitchen needs! It has taken up a bit of time to get going, and I'm plenty busy with other life stuff as well as my day job. But it's fun!

So, onto the updates!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

We found a spot and sat right at the end of the road to enter Camp Minnie Mickey and waited.

Dave went wandering - he talked to the DVC guy who was at the kiosk right at that corner and then disappeared.
We got some great pictures of the parade - can you believe this was the first time we'd actually seen it? We rarely stayed at AK long enough, or we were in a show when it ran in the past.

Well Hello Rafiki!

This guy was totally waving at me!

Hello Chip!

It's Minnie - and her bathtub? Is that strange?

Yikes, he's close! Is that Brer Bear?

and Brer Rabbit?

cont...

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Hi Goofy!

catch you at the show in a bit, Timon!

Hi Donald!

Bye Donald!

Pluto got past me a little too quick for a good photo!

I think these were the families of the day.

and of course, our Pal, Mickey Mouse!

When the parade was over, Dave came up and found us again. He could have been right behind me all along, but I was so focused on taking pictures, I wouldn't have noticed. But he had gone and gotten some pizza and caesar salad toward the end. So we ate and hustled down the road with the MOB to the Festival of the Lion King! It is a great, fun show! But I can NOT take good pictures in there. Want proof? Here's what I got:

That last one I edited and tried to brighten up on Photobucket.

Anyway, we enjoyed the show!
We headed toward It's Tough To Be a Bug next. I enjoyed the carvings in the queue.

Unfortunately, Paige was not so happy with the show. She hated it and said she'd never do it again!!!
Cont...

 

[Mndisneygirl]

More Photopass pics...

A little closer...

It was time to use our Kali FPs!! That was the last thing before heading back to AKL (since we expected to be wet). Paige refused to go. I begged her. I really wanted to go too, but one of us had to stay with her. So Sarah and Daddy put on their ponchos and headed to the FP line. But the ride was CLOSED!!!! Turns out that they had to shut it down because some FOOLS had gotten out of the boats when they weren't supposed to. So they had to shut it down! The CM said it would be at least a 1/2 hour and it was already 6:00 p.m. So we left. We gave 2 FPs to another couple that was going to wait around. It was the only thing we wanted to do, but didn't get to do. (well the girls wanted to play the carnival games at Dinoland, and play on the Boneyard, but we said no. Aren't we mean?) All in all it was a pretty good time.
We meandered back toward the front of the park, stopped to get a slushie drink or frozen lemonade or something like that, and visited some shops. The girls each bought a 2 pack of mystery pins because they were almost out of traders. Sarah had traded for 2 new Tink pins, but one had fallen off somewhere. Paige had scored trades for 3 baby princesses already and bought a Rapunzel pin for her princess in sparkle dresses collection!
We headed "home" to AKL to go for a swim. Dave's sister and husband (and 2 grandkids) were heading over. They were staying in their motorhome at Ft. Wilderness.
We spent a couple hours in the pool and Sarah enjoyed the slide. We checked out the hot tub too. It was 8:30 by the time DH's sister arrived, so we wen to eat at the Mara.

I had a Chicken Pita and fries - that was ok. The girls had Chicken Nuggets and Fries (is anyone surprised?)
DH drove the relatives back over to FW around 9:45 (busing would have been awful!)
I quickly bathed the girls - they had to have clean hair for our next big day!! We were going to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!!!!

Plus we were hoping to meet up with DizneyDawn, Dan and Baylor! We chatted on the phone while waiting for the Nemo show. They were going to be having an early breakfast at Boma the next morning, so we planned to run down and see them. before we headed out to Epcot.

Our plan was to get up, visit with Dawn et al, spend the morning at Epcot, maybe go to Beaches and Cream for ice cream or an early lunch, and then take a bus from BC to Downtown Disney. We had a 1 p.m. appointment at BBB and dinner ADR at Akershus at 6:40. I wrote in my journal that I wanted to do Soarin' and Test Track and then hit World Showcase! I wonder how much we'll get done?...

 

[jenseib]

I love that parade!!!! It's my favorite after spectro

 

[MEK]

Love the parade pics.

Bummer about Kali being down.

I can't wait to find out if you got to meet Disney Dawn in person.

fun update. I wondered where you've been hiding!!!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Glad you got all those great pics of the parade...as I will most likely never see it! If we do go to AK,we never make it to the parade, not sure why?!

 

[GaRain]

Of course Minnie has her tub - wouldn't you bring that on safari too?
Great parade pictures!
Oh, a meeting with DAWN!! Just spoke to her this morning!!!
Can't wait to see the girls after their BBB appointment!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Great parade pics Sheree! I love that parade, but have only seen it twice. It seems that we rarely stay at AK long enough to see it.

That's a bummer about Kali. We've never been on it. Maybe this year.

Great photopass pics!