The Greatest Hits: A Trip Like This Needs a Soundtrack!-A July 2012 TR Upd. 5/5!

[JessicaFaye508]

Awesome Statler pin, Joni. I'm proud.

YAY FOR THE YaCHt CLUB! Oh my gosh I'm going to be there in 35 days!!! That's so soon!!!!

Getting placed in the Writer's stop would be a lucky spot for a College Program student. Sometimes you can get stuck in some awful places. Haha having the food and beverage role would make me so nervous!! I'm glad I don't have to worry about that.

I need to get the carrot cake cookie next time! I'm obsessed with cream cheese icing. Let's be real, I'm obsessed with food.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Here I am Joni!!! Love me some YaCHt Club!

P.S. I love that life vest at the BC Marketplace. I ended up scoring an awesome Disneyland pin from it in May!

WOAH NEON BACKPACK. Total hipster.

UMM YES LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BACHELOR. I AM SO EXCITED. I freaking love Sean. He made a kilt look DARN good. I too am obsessed with all the smut. IT'S THE BEST.

It's okay that you didn't love the carrot cake cookie. More for me!

 

[marDgreen88]

Aww thanks, Twin! Yes, someday we will meet in person, and we will wear matching costumes and RULE Disney World!

Oh my goodness. This just made me smile so big! You have no idea how excited I am to meet you so we can finally be real life friends! I just appreciate you so much, you have no idea. I think you literally read my mind earlier tonight when you DM'd be on twitter! Plus, you always leave the best comments on my TR and you're just generally awesome. BUT ANYWAYS!!!

HAHAH COME SAIL AWAY. I recently watched Freaks and Geeks in its entirety on Netflix (free month trial, AW YEAH), and they danced to that song at homecoming. I guess this is what I think of now when I hear this song... good to know.

That Statler pin is a win. A PIN WIN. Let's coin that term. Whenever someone trades for a pin that they've really been wanting, it's a PIN WIN!!! Yes. Okay.

I SEE YOU, BOARDWALK! (In the picture of you and the light house!)

Oh, Sean.

I don't think I would like the carrot cake cookie either. Mainly because I don't like carrot cake.

 

[rachel09985]

I am so excited Sean is the bachelor too! He was soo cute. I loved how he always chased Emily to say good night! Hhaha

And I am sooo upset Jef and Emily broke up. I had such high hopes for them. I thought they were going to be different but I guess not. I hate to think it is just Emily but I think it is just Emily...

 

[amandaw]

Sounds like the next part of y'alls day was off to a good start! Well minus Starring Rolls being closed and the carrot cake cookie not being all too yummy. But, I do like your pin you got!

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

Everyone raves about the Carrot Cake Cookie so much that I always want to get it- Then I remember that I don't even like Carrot Cake, so why in the world would I think I like this cookie!

 

[MagicShell]

Too bad you couldn't get your cupcake. I wonder why Starring Rolls closes so early. I really like the Writer's Shop but the carrot cake cookie doesn't appeal to me. I love your rating system though.

 

[Tracy161]

Great updates, Joni!!! You won't believe this but I have NEVER been to FoTLK!!! I know, I know, it's unbelievable but I hope to on my next trip I am a lover of all desserts seemingly too-sweet for most people so I will have to remember that carrot cake cookie Cannot wait to read about more DHS fun!!!

 

[TexasBelle]

OH NO!!!!
Your all the way on page 3...
So I'll bump you back to page 1 and I'll hope that maybe you'll do an update really soon....please please!!!
But I also wanted to check and make sure your doing ok:

So, I hope you doing good?

I'm sure your really busy,

I've been swamped... It's Christmas time for me and where I work it's my crazy time of the year.
How's Jon???
How's your plans for your new trip coming???
All the pictures that I've seen with BeachClub in it makes me so excited for my trip in September... Just 298 days away...
Just 41 days until my Birthday Cruise.
Can't wait for an update...
Texasbelle
Carolyn

 

[cindianne320]

That cookie looks sooo good- sorry it wasn't the best!

 

[therussells08]

Awesome Statler pin, Joni. I'm proud.

YAY FOR THE YaCHt CLUB! Oh my gosh I'm going to be there in 35 days!!! That's so soon!!!!

Getting placed in the Writer's stop would be a lucky spot for a College Program student. Sometimes you can get stuck in some awful places. Haha having the food and beverage role would make me so nervous!! I'm glad I don't have to worry about that.

I need to get the carrot cake cookie next time! I'm obsessed with cream cheese icing. Let's be real, I'm obsessed with food.

Thank you! I'm pretty fond of it!

AHH I can't believe you'll be at the YaCHt Club so soon! That's so exciting!

Yeah, it seems like a nice place to be! How awful would it be to sign up for the DCP and then get stuck cleaning bathrooms or something?! Ugh! You've got a great role, though! You'll be good no matter where you're placed!

You'd probably really like it then, because it's stuffed with icing!

Here I am Joni!!! Love me some YaCHt Club!

P.S. I love that life vest at the BC Marketplace. I ended up scoring an awesome Disneyland pin from it in May!

WOAH NEON BACKPACK. Total hipster.

UMM YES LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BACHELOR. I AM SO EXCITED. I freaking love Sean. He made a kilt look DARN good. I too am obsessed with all the smut. IT'S THE BEST.

It's okay that you didn't love the carrot cake cookie. More for me!

Yay! I know you do! I can't be in that area without thinking of the Frumps!

Isn't is amazing?! I like the lifesaver at the Yacht Club too. They're both awesome!

Hahaha I didn't even notice that before!

I KNOW. Oh my gosh it's going to be so good! I can't believe it doesn't start until January! I wonder who the next Bachelorette will be? I'm thinking Rachel Truehart. Nothing like a good woman scorned!

Haha you can have it! I'll stick with the red velvet cupcake!

Oh my goodness. This just made me smile so big! You have no idea how excited I am to meet you so we can finally be real life friends! I just appreciate you so much, you have no idea. I think you literally read my mind earlier tonight when you DM'd be on twitter! Plus, you always leave the best comments on my TR and you're just generally awesome. BUT ANYWAYS!!!

HAHAH COME SAIL AWAY. I recently watched Freaks and Geeks in its entirety on Netflix (free month trial, AW YEAH), and they danced to that song at homecoming. I guess this is what I think of now when I hear this song... good to know.

That Statler pin is a win. A PIN WIN. Let's coin that term. Whenever someone trades for a pin that they've really been wanting, it's a PIN WIN!!! Yes. Okay.

I SEE YOU, BOARDWALK! (In the picture of you and the light house!)

Oh, Sean.

I don't think I would like the carrot cake cookie either. Mainly because I don't like carrot cake.

Awww thanks so much, Twin! I appreciate you too, more than you know! I am so excited to finally meet in person! If I'm awesome then you're...awesomer? Haha. Your comments are always so hilarious, and it's so nice to know someone who gets my brand of humor!

I LOVE STYX. But really. It's weird. I sing that song on my way to work every morning, and I always scream it at the top of my lungs.

YES. Pin Win is sheer brilliance! And when we're having a lot of pin wins in a row we can be like, "PINNING!" Too much? I dunno...

Oh hello there, Boardwalk. We'll be seeing you...soon...*ahem*

Yeah, he's dreamy!

Haha yeah then you probably wouldn't. Good call!

I am so excited Sean is the bachelor too! He was soo cute. I loved how he always chased Emily to say good night! Hhaha

And I am sooo upset Jef and Emily broke up. I had such high hopes for them. I thought they were going to be different but I guess not. I hate to think it is just Emily but I think it is just Emily...

I know, he was such a gentleman. I remember when he pretended like he still lived at home. I was totally convinced that he did, because I figured no guy on earth could be that perfect.

I KNOW. I seriously thought they would make it. Haha I have to agree...her track record isn't the greatest. I loved me some Brad Womack too.

Sounds like the next part of y'alls day was off to a good start! Well minus Starring Rolls being closed and the carrot cake cookie not being all too yummy. But, I do like your pin you got!

It was! We were so busy this trip! Haha that's okay! Even the worst food at Disney is still better than the best food at home! Thank you!

 

[therussells08]

Everyone raves about the Carrot Cake Cookie so much that I always want to get it- Then I remember that I don't even like Carrot Cake, so why in the world would I think I like this cookie!

Haha yeah I wouldn't recommend it then! It was okay, just way too sweet!

Too bad you couldn't get your cupcake. I wonder why Starring Rolls closes so early. I really like the Writer's Shop but the carrot cake cookie doesn't appeal to me. I love your rating system though.

I know, it doesn't make any sense that they close at 4:00! It's one of those things I'll never understand. Oh well!

Thanks! I'm glad you like my rating system!

Great updates, Joni!!! You won't believe this but I have NEVER been to FoTLK!!! I know, I know, it's unbelievable but I hope to on my next trip I am a lover of all desserts seemingly too-sweet for most people so I will have to remember that carrot cake cookie Cannot wait to read about more DHS fun!!!

Thank you! That is hard to believe! I love that show so much! I hope you get a chance to go on your next trip! You would love it!

If you like too-sweet stuff then you would LOVE that carrot cake cookie! It is crazy sweet!

OH NO!!!!
Your all the way on page 3...
So I'll bump you back to page 1 and I'll hope that maybe you'll do an update really soon....please please!!!
But I also wanted to check and make sure your doing ok:

So, I hope you doing good?

I'm sure your really busy,

I've been swamped... It's Christmas time for me and where I work it's my crazy time of the year.
How's Jon???
How's your plans for your new trip coming???
All the pictures that I've seen with BeachClub in it makes me so excited for my trip in September... Just 298 days away...
Just 41 days until my Birthday Cruise.
Can't wait for an update...
Texasbelle
Carolyn

I'm getting ready to do an update right now, I promise!

Things have been going pretty well. I've just been so busy! I can't believe it's already almost Christmas! Time is just flying by!

I hope you have had time to enjoy the holiday season even though you've been busy too!

John is doing pretty well. I hear from him about every day, which is nice! Thank you so much for asking!

Your trips are getting so close! That's very exciting!

That cookie looks sooo good- sorry it wasn't the best!

It's okay, it still wasn't bad! If you like a lot of frosting then you'd love it! It just wasn't for me !

 

[therussells08]

"Hooray for Hollywood"- Doris Day​

July 9, 2012

Hooray for Hollywood
That screwy, ballyhooey Hollywood​

After we finished our snack we decided to do something we hadnt done in a while- the Backlot Tour! John was excited! He absolutely loves anything to do with the movies!

While we waited to go inside we admired some of the movie props. I was pumped about the nuclear bomb from Armageddon! Thats one of my favorite movies!

And we saw stuff from Pearl Harbor- ANOTHER one of my favorite movies!

I was excited for the show before the tour. The stars they get from the audience are always a trip! This poor guy was hilarious!

These two were funny too! The boy had no idea what he was doing, and the girl was just running around like a maniac. We were cracking up!

When we were going to get on our tour tram we saw more movies props! Including& THE BARN FROM THE HANNAH MONTANA MOVIE.

Dont judge me. I love that movie, and I went full fan girl on that barn.

I also saw statues from the Chronicles of Narnia!

And I took a picture of the Binford lawn mower for my mom. She loves Home Improvement and has a huge crush on Tim Allen!

Once we were on the tram I switched into paparazzi mode so I could document everything I saw!

More props!

The Earful Tower!

After seeing some more authentic movie props, we made it to Catastrophe Canyon!

The first time I went on the Backlot Tour is one of my fondest Disney memories. I remember being in Catastrophe Canyon and seeing that insane amount of water rushing toward me, and having literally NO idea what to expect. I couldnt see how that much water could possibly not hit us, so I was basically fully prepared to drown. Just like the first time I went on Test Track, when I was convinced that I was going to smack into that wall! Ah, memories! I love not knowing what to expect!

Anyway, we survived Catastrophe Canyon, so we continued our tour through the bone yard. I love seeing Walts personal plane! That has so much history!

We had a great time on the Backlot Tour. When we finished up we had some time to wander around the Villains exhibit!

Recognize this guy?

John loved all of the Star Wars stuff!

I really liked the Chronicles of Narnia stuff.

I remember when I first saw that movie, and the moment when I realized that the queen or witch or whatever she is was wearing Aslan's mane as a shawl-thing. Yeah. I freaked out.

Here's some props from The Shining. I don't care if I live to be 100, that movie will never fail to scare the bejeezus out of me.

John with some Alien creature.

I loved all of the Pirates of the Carribean stuff!

ENCHANTED! I love this movie so much. Fun fact- John and I almost had our first dance at our wedding to "So Close". I love that song!

On the way out I was presented with an honorary Oscar. You can't read it, but it says "Best Teacher". And by "presented with" I mean I picked it up and forced John to take my picture with it, and then promptly returned it to the shelf because it was $24.95. I may be the "Best Teacher," but I'm also on a teacher's salary, so...

When we finished looking at all of the movie props we made our way back out into the park. While we were walking along we spotted these guys!

Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop...I was on a mission!

Up Next: I finally right a wrong, and we have a change of plans. Stay tuned!

 

[therussells08]

"Muppets Show Theme Song"- Ok Go and The Muppets​

July 9, 2012

It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets on The Muppet Show tonight​

So, in my teaser from the last update I mentioned that I was on my way to right a wrong. What could that wrong be, you ask? Before I tell you, I have to implore, don't judge me. You know how we all have those secret Disney shames? The things that we read about all the other DISers doing routinely, but things which we have never done ourselves? For whatever reason, sometimes you miss things. You get stuck in your ways, or you forget to schedule it in, no matter the reason, we all have at least one Disney Must Do that we have always missed. For me it was.......

Muppet Vision 3D.

I know, I know. Trust me. It's an absolute shame that in my ten trips to Disney World I had NEVER seen Muppet Vision 3D. I have no excuse for myself. I love the Muppets dearly and always have, but John has never been a big fan. Usually on our trips the conversation goes a little something like this:

Me: Let's do Muppet Vision 3D!
John: Ehh..maybe later.
Me: Okay.

Fascinating conversation, right? But then we never end up doing it, and another trip goes by without me playing the music or lighting the lights!

Well this time I wasn't having it. We were going to see Muppet Vision 3D. And we were going to see it RIGHT NOW.

I was so ready for some Muppet action! FINALLY!

So, after all that dragging his heels for five years, what was the final verdict for John? He LOVED it! Of course he did! Who couldnt love the Muppets?

After the show we went in the Muppet gift shop to look around a bit. I fell in love with this Jim Shore Kermit. You guys remember I collect Jim Shore figurines, right? Well if not, I collect Jim Shore figurines. I've met him twice, and I'm a huge fan of his work. I wanted this Kermit so badly, but I decided not to buy any big souvenirs so soon in the trip! I will have him someday, though!

I couldn't leave without buying anything, though, so I got a few little things. First, I got this adorable magnet for our fridge!

It doesn't really apply to us, since I dont really consider 25 and 26 to be old, but I thought it would be something that we could keep forever!

I also bought one of my favorite souvenirs of the trip:

A kermit keychain for my backpack! He was so cute, and I thought he was a great addition to my bag! He's still hanging there, which means he'll be going on all of my future Disney trips with me!

After a little bit of shopping for Muppets stuff, John wanted to check out the Star Tours gift shop. Unfortunately, it was ridiculously crowded, so we decided we would check it out later.

At this point it was getting on in the afternoon, and I was starting to get really hungry. We had an upcoming ADR for Sci Fi Dine in Theater later that evening, but I really wasn't excited about it. Don't get me wrong, I love Sci Fi, but I had another ADR there with my mom later in the trip, and I wasnt too excited about eating there twice. However, I didn't want John to miss out on his chance to eat there, so I didn't say anything. But then, and this is why my husband and I are so perfect together, he pretty much read my mind. He was smoking a cigarette and I was sitting on a bench in the smoking area, and he said, "You know, I don't really feel like waiting for Sci Fi. I kind of want to eat now." I tried to play it cool, but inside I was hoping and praying he would ask me to cancel it. I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said," Can we just cancel it and eat Pizza Planet?"

YES WE CAN.

While John finished his cigarette I raced over to Sci Fi to cancel our ADR. I was so excited that I wasn't going to have to eat there twice, and now I got to have some delicious Pizza Planet pizza! Awww yeah!

We made our way over to Pizza Planet right then since we were both so hungry, and the place was practically empty!

We were waiting in line to order, and I saw this sign:

What's this?! A special 4th of July cupcake?! It looks like it's finally time for my cupcake crawl to begin!

I went upstairs to grab us a table while John ordered the food. I couldn't believe how empty it was! Usually I feel like you have to fight for a table in there.

John arrived in no time with our meals! I had a cheese pizza with a Caesar salad.

And John had a pepperoni pizza, hold the salad!

And for dessert, we split THE CUPCAKE.

So, let's do our meal evaluation, and then well get on to that glorious cupcake!

Service: I wasnt really involved in the service portion of this meal, but overall it seemed pretty quick and efficient!

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was perfect! I love any and everything Toy Story, so the theming is amazing. It was fun, but very calm since there wasn't a ton of people there! If you're going to eat here, I recommend doing it in the mid-afternoon, between the lunch and dinner crowds!

Food Quality: The food was excellent! We all know how delicious Disney pizza is, right? It's always so hot and fresh! My salad was really good too. The lettuce was crisp and delicious!

Overall Dining Experience: It was a great experience. I was really happy that we were doing something different from Sci Fi, and it was nice to be able to squeeze in one of our favorite places even though we hadn't planned for it. Plus we got to play games afterward, which is always great!

Overall, this meal receives the following rating:

Category 1- Remy​

It was excellent all around! Pizza Planet is definitely one of my favorite quick service locations, especially when you can manage to avoid the crowd!

Now, let's get on to my very first P.I.E.C.E of Cake Cupcake Evaluation!!

Here's the specimen: The 4th of July Cupcake from Pizza Planet.

Presentation: The presentation of this cupcake was phenomenal! It just screamed Americana, don't you think? The colors of the actual cupcake were muted, which made the red white and blue Mickey head on top and the patriotic sprinkles really pop! I think this cupcake perfectly nailed the holiday to which it paid homage!

Icing: Two words: caramel buttercream. The answer is yes- it is as delicious as it sounds. The caramel was not overwhelming. It also went perfectly with the the apple pie flavors in the cupcake. Also, I liked that the top of the cupcake wasn't a huge mound of icing. On the contrary, there was actually more cake on top of the cupcake, covered with a relatively thin layer of icing, as you can see below. I thought this was a great idea, because there was the perfect amount of frosting!

Extras: The extras on this cupcake were awesome! I think the added apple pie flavors were my favorite. The icing was rolled in apple pie crumbles, and the cake was filled with an apple pie filling! This really brought the whole cupcake together. If it had just been the cupcake with caramel frosting I dont think it would have been nearly as enjoyable. Plus, it doesn't get anymore American that apple pie!

Cake: The actual cake here was a very moist vanilla, and it was delicious! It had a very light flavor, which worked perfectly with the strong flavors of the apple pie filling and caramel frosting.

Eating Experience: This cupcake was a wonderful eating experience! It was easy to cut in half and share, and it was the perfect size so I wasnt TOO full when I finished. Plus, eating a special limited time only cupcake was very exciting! My only complaint was this- $4.99 seems like a bit much to pay for just one cupcake! However, it would be a great deal for a snack on the DDP!

Overall, I highly recommend the 4th of July cupcake, if they bring it back, that is!

Yay! My first cupcake review! I hope you enjoyed my evaluation system! Don't worry, theres plenty more cupcakes to come!

I think you all know my husband well enough to know that we couldnt leave Pizza Planet without playing some games first!

I decided to try my hand at a claw machine, and I actually managed to pick up a Woody doll, but then I dropped him. John tried again, and he picked up Rex and dropped him too!

THE CLAAAAAAW.

Oh well! I could tell that John was starting to get frustrated with the games, so I suggested we get out of there and go ride Star Tours!

Up Next: Light speed to Endor! Is that what it's called? Eh, whatever. Stay tuned!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

I LOVE everything Muppets.

Ummm that 4th of July Cupcake. HOLY CRAP. I am so glad I'm staying through the summer. You NEED to remind me to go to Pizza Planet and get one of those when it gets closer. That seriously looks INCREDIBLE. Preston and I just read your cupcake review and we just died. I NEED THAT CUPCAKE.

OMG TOY STORY CLAW MACHINE OMG.

 

[TexasBelle]

Happy Dance, Happy Dance... So excited to see a post from you!

So your pictures of Back Lot Tour just had me laughing because I was remembering our trip to Disney in 2008 with our Best Friends and our adventure to BLT...

Brady my middle son was part of the show... So I hope you don't mind but I found these pictures and thought I would post them for you to see...

This is Brady!!!

Getting his instructions

This is him acting... Talking on the phone... I don't remember what he had to say... Somewhere I have a video of this..

THE SURPRISE!!!!

All done and barely wet...

It was so funny... Our best friends went with us on this trip and Dave (My BF's hubby) was the Captain of the ship...

Dave

The battle...

Our actor's taking their bows!!! Of course my Brady is a HAM!!!

Sorry to over take your trip report... But I just thought that you might love to see our pictures...

Oh my lands that Cupcake things looks amazing!!!!!

And your old men refridgerator magnet was FABULOUS!!!!! I just love them. Muppet's 3D is my husbands favorite show, because he thinks he is one of those old men... Hahah...

Great update... Thanks!!!!

TexasBelle
Carolyn

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I always love seeing Walt's plane on the back lot tour too.

I especially like the story of the last time it landed at WDW. The small airfield they have was out of commission so they landed it on World Drive at like 3 in the morning and then towed it to the studios. That would have been something to see happening.

BTW i used my own pic of the plane for fun.

 

[marDgreen88]

YES. Pin Win is sheer brilliance! And when we're having a lot of pin wins in a row we can be like, "PINNING!" Too much? I dunno...

OMG YES. "Pinning!" And you have to say it in an annoyingly sassy way, like Courtney on the Bachelor. Oh my gosh, that's gonna be HUGE one day. I can feel it.

Ahhh, the Backlot Tour. The one time I went on it, it was broken. We were just driving around aimlessly. I was so confused at first because everything the recording was talking about was nowhere in sight, and we never saw Catastrophe Canyon. It was super weird.

Listen, it's okay. You've seen Muppet Vision now, you love Muppet Vision now, and all is right with the world. Plus, I get it. It took me until my fourth trip to ride Peter Pan's Flight!

Your Kermit keychain!!! Ahhh, that is the cutest thing! I need one.

I understand how you felt. If John wasn't upset at missing Sci-Fi, and you still got to go later on, it seems totally justified. Plus, DISNEY PIZZA.

Okay, THAT is how the Contempo cupcakes are. They are PERFECT! No wonder this cupcake was so stinking awesome. It had to be made at Contempo. HAD TO BE.

 

[stimmons]

We skipped Back Lot Tour on our last trip so it was nice to see your pics! It looks like they've added some stuff so that is now a must do for our 2013 trip.

I completely understand the must do's that get put off! I do this every trip and it's mostly because I'm having to cater to a bunch of personalities but on our last trip we were able to accoplish SO MANY firsts! That is my favorite thing about WDW there is always something you haven't done yet. Isn't Muppet Vision 3D hilarious???? I love Sam the Eagle!

Your cupcake looked fabulous! Though I'm bummed because it looks like a seasonal cupcake. Boo for seasonal food!!!! They need to have one place you can go to get pumpkin, peppermint, and apple flavored items all year long.

 

[amandaw]

Yeah, I definitely think we all have that one Disney ride or show that we have failed to do. Mine was Soarin'. I finally rode it this past October but it took quite a few trips before I made it on there. Glad you were finally able to see the Muppets. I love that show!!

Pizza Planet....yum! I know a lot of people don't like it but I really do. And that cupcake looks awesome! I had a "special" fall one there and it definitely did not live up to my expectations.