The MCLOVINS Hit the World - HARD!!!!! *COMPLETED*

[YukiPhnx]

Holy snap Lia, I can barely keep up with everybody here!!

Haha, more super long comments to read yay!

You are for sure inspirational. It's because of your TR that our frogfish friend now has its own fanclub.

 

[__disneygirl]

I actually have a few friends who really get Disney like me, and they're all here on the DIS as a matter of fact. But I am one of the lucky few I know.​

You're very lucky!! So glad I have my DIS friends!!

Holy snap Lia, I can barely keep up with everybody here!!

Haha, more super long comments to read yay!

You are for sure inspirational. It's because of your TR that our frogfish friend now has its own fanclub.

Hey Yuki!! I can barely keep up too LOL. I love how I'm getting new readers even though this TR is so old. And I am so thankful for those of you who have stuck around! You all rock so much and I you!!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Hola!

Ciao!

Aloha!

Bon jour!

Hi, y’all!

OK, stopping the madness now.

I just finished your most excellent and totally tubular TR, thanks to Jess, who posted the link in her equally fantabulous TR.

But enough accolades.

Wait.

There's no such thing as ENOUGH ACCOLADES!

Articulate, bright, charming, delightful, energetic, funny, GORILLLAAAAAA, happy, insightful, joyful

What?

You thought I was going to go through the whole alphabet? I could, but I have to get back to work!

As I was reading, I kept thinking, "Wow, Lia's style reminds me a lot of Mel.” And then whaddaya know, you referenced Mel and the Merry Maelstromers. I was part of that gaggle of goofballs and the infamous Maelstrom Meet of 2006. So, thanks for the memories…and I miss Mel and her endless trail of unfinished TRs, too!

I’m looking forward to the end of this TR…and the beginning of the next one!

 

[__disneygirl]

Hola!

Ciao!

Aloha!

Bon jour!

Hi, y’all!

OK, stopping the madness now.

I just finished your most excellent and totally tubular TR, thanks to Jess, who posted the link in her equally fantabulous TR.

But enough accolades.

Wait.

There's no such thing as ENOUGH ACCOLADES!

Articulate, bright, charming, delightful, energetic, funny, GORILLLAAAAAA, happy, insightful, joyful

What?

You thought I was going to go through the whole alphabet? I could, but I have to get back to work!

As I was reading, I kept thinking, "Wow, Lia's style reminds me a lot of Mel.” And then whaddaya know, you referenced Mel and the Merry Maelstromers. I was part of that gaggle of goofballs and the infamous Maelstrom Meet of 2006. So, thanks for the memories…and I miss Mel and her endless trail of unfinished TRs, too!

I’m looking forward to the end of this TR…and the beginning of the next one!

!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for the endless accolades!!! You are too kind, my friend!!! Also, it is such a compliment for you to say I reminded you of Mel! She is one of my favorite TR writers, so thank you! I wish she would get back here and make another unfinished TR!! I bet she would laugh if she knew we were still talking about her!

Thanks again... and thanks and to all the new readers! You guys rock!

 

[__disneygirl]

APRIL 18, 2010
Day 8, Part 3 In Which I Watch The Bird

Our next stop on our epic last full day at Disney World was Kilimanjaro Safaris. You may remember (ok, you probably don't since I wrote about it months and months ago) that earlier in our trip, we experienced an amazing safari. The only thing that was missing from it were the elephants! We didn't see them all, which is a huge problem for us being that we LOVE them, so we knew we had to take a second safari.

The wait time said 45 minutes, but I also noticed that the Fastpass return time was only 50 minutes away, so we grabbed the FPs and walked around Africa in search for some grub.

My mom got some fruit from one of those kiosks (is it just me or are there a lot more healthy options at AK?), but I didn't want any. No way am I going to fill up on fruit on vacation. I wanted some GRUB! Slimy... yet satisfying. Ok, just kidding. I wanted an everything bagel with cream cheese.

We went to Kusafiri Bakery:

To my utter horror, they were out of bagels!! OUT OF BAGELS?! As someone from the NY/NJ area, I just couldn't compute this. Luckily, there were cupcakes inches away from where I was standing, so I got one of those.

I'm pretty sure it was called the Safari cupcake. Things just taste better when they have cool names like ~Safari. Especially because I was about to GO ON A SAFARI. Do you see how Disney does that!?!?! The geniuses. Ugh.

They also had a cupcake with a white chocolate elephant on top, but I thought this one was cooler. It was definitely the best cupcake I've ever had at Disney World. Holy CRAP was it good. I'm ordering like ten of them next time.

We went to go sit down for a minute, and there was this weird random half indoor half outdoor seating area? I don't know how to explain it. There were no tables or anything, I don't know. But it had this on the wall:

For the 39290th time I must say how much I love the details of Disney. It's the little things! Just for the record: we did not stay overnight in the tower. We're usually more rebellious, it's just that we love Pop Century.

We sat and chatted for awhile before heading to Kilimanjaro. Two girls asked me where I had gotten my cupcake cause yeah, it was just THAT awesome. Also, I was most likely making MMMMMMmmMMmMMMMMmmmmm sounds while eating it. I can't be sure.

While waiting to board our safari vehicle, I remember being in the row next to a woman with five kids who was SO calm and they were SO well behaved. I couldn't believe it. I know so many moms of young children that are constant wrecks (and for good reason!), so it was truly a sight to see! I almost tapped her on the shoulder to be like, "Honey, you rock!" but I didn't want to creep her out. LOL.

And so, on safari we went. It was a rather uncomfortable one, since the CM seated us wrong and so we were squished in with another family. Not the best way to see the African Savannah, if I'm being honest. Also, some of these pics I LOVE and some are really bad... I don't know what my camera was doing. It probably didn't like being so squished.

Behold, Africa!

I love this photo.

This guy was getting quite close to our path. I was afraid he was going to CHARGE us or something but then I remembered I don't actually live in a movie.

Didn't get as good a giraffe sighting as last time. I love that you never know what you're going to get on the safari, it makes it feel so authentic, and also makes me happy that they don't force the animals to do anything! They are always just kinda chillin.

boring animals.... (sorry guys! you're cool but I want an elephant!)

YAWN

sigh.

Wait a second! AHH........


CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[__disneygirl]

ELEPHANT BOOTAY!

*green alien from Toy Story voice* OOOoooOOOOooooOOOOOOH....

Aren't they beautiful?

I wish there was a spot to just stand and watch them, like on one of the trails or something. They are truly majestic creatures.

RHINO BOOTAY! (pronounced boo-TAY if you were unclear. yell the TAY part. Loud. LOUDER! boo-TAY!!!!!!!!!!)

I would like this opportunity to go on a tangent please. Any time I read the word "rhino" (which is really not that often, I mean, how often do you guys read about rhinos?) I hear it in James' voice from James and the Giant Peach. Anyone else LOVE that movie? I'm sure many of you do. Ok, so I have a gripe with Disney here. Why is there NOTHING James and the Giant Peach at ANY parks?! No merchandise, either. Do they not own the rights or something? How can they not own the rights to a movie they made? Sure, it was based on someone else's story, but that is true of many Disney films that are heavily featured in the parks. Sheesh, Disney, way to drop the ball on that one! I checked ebay to see if there was like, ANY James merchandise ever, and they have a pin Disney made in 2000, and some dolls. They also have this pin: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Stat...642?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2569b5bf62 North Dakota?! Now, I don't know what on earth James and the Giant Peach has to do with North Dakota but Disney, lets get cracking on this please. Stop making random pins with random states on them and do something cool with this awesome film! Thanks. Bye.

Ahem.

Moving on!

The male lion wasn't as active as last time, but I figured he wouldn't be, because that was a pretty special and rare occurence. Actually, we didn't see him at all, so I figured he was probably showing his son around the pridelands or something. We did get to see the lionness peacefully sleeping atop the rock, though, and it was quite a beautiful sight:

Here is a zoomed in version just because she is toooo beautiful:

Oh, so guess what I didn't know? There are warthogs on the safari. I was just learning so many new things about AK on this trip! I mean, first the kangaroos and now THIS?

Pumbaa was napping though. Probably tired from all those Festival of the Lion King shows he has to do all day. Look, i'm a performer, I get it. But I still wish I could have seen him more clearly!

... And then were some ostriches, just chillin.

And thus concludes another safari! At this point, we were getting tired and it was a bit rainy, so we decided to leave AK for a little break before the craziness that we knew would go on later.

As we were heading out, we ran into this yittle guy:

You can't really tell, but he was injured. There was something wrong with his leg and he wasn't walking properly. It was so sad because he clearly wanted to get around easier but could not. He was struggling to walk and would just kind of stop and hang out in the middle of the path for awhile. My mom is the kind of person that, if she sees a turtle walking in the road, she will stop the car and move it to the other side. Every time we see a dead animal on the side of the road, she cries out as if she has just seen a person die. I mean, I feel terrible for animals that get hit as well, but it's a part of life and I'm not going to freak out every time I see one. My mom is very sensitive though, and so as soon as she saw this bird she immediately ran to go find a CM so they could help it.

"I'm gonna go get someone," she said. "WATCH THE BIRD!" and she vanished.

Watch the bird? I cracked up. I mean, what was I supposed to do if it wobbled away? Block its path? Really.

So I stood there in the middle of the path. Awkwardly. And watched the bird. But it was making its way by me. Slowly but surely, that little sucker was crossing the path.

I admired its willpower. It reminded me of myself at the gym, struggling to carry on and find the strength to continue. Unlike me, it reached its goal and soon disappeared into the greenery on the other side of the path in the Oasis.

I called out to it, "Hey! Wait! She's getting someone to help you!" But he didn't seem to care. Some may think that he didn't hear me, or if he didn't, he didn't understand me, since he is a bird and I am a human. However, this is Disney, so I chose to believe he could understand me and was just a stubborn bird who didn't want or need help.

About ten looong minutes later, my mom came back. I thought there would be a CM carrying a little gurney for the bird or something, but she was alone. Before she could say anything, I jumped down her throat. "There was nothing I could do," I explained. "It got away! I tried to watch it. Sorry. It's in the plants, over there. Or at least it was. It's pretty resilient. I mean, it gets around pretty well under the conditions."

"It's okay," my mom laughed. "He's alright. They know about him and they monitor him, and they said a ton of people come to them all concerned, just like I was."

I was glad the bird was okay and being taken care of. Being watched, you could say. A lot of people were watching this bird, just as I had been. He was safe at Disney. We should have known. I mean, someone send out an animal APB or something and tell them that if they can get to Animal Kingdom, it's pretty much the safest and coolest place to be for any animal.

The last thing we looked at were the parrots:

I was disappointed. Again I shall reference the movies, because that is where I learn everything from. These parakeets did not yell at us or curse or anything, which was annoying because I don't think i've ever seen these in a movie without them doing that. Hollywood misleads me again!

UP NEXT: Oh God, everything. The most fun night at Disney World....ever.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!! I hope you all have a beautiful holiday with your loved ones! See ya real soon.

 

[carye1]

Oh... hey guys. I have news. It's really not a big deal except it is, because

I AM GOING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD IN TWO WEEKS!!!

HEY - me too!!!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO stoked! 8 days in paradise.

LESS THAN two weeks and me, the sweetie, & the kiddie will be roaming the castles, exploring the mountains, and partaking in magic, all while basking in the * Florida Sun * away from our PACNW normally dreary December weather!

If you see me, be sure to say HI! I'll be the tourist walking around like a giggling kid while my family just rolls their eyes

 

[MarieTheCat24]

A new update!

They were out of everything bagels??? What crust! Though I'm pretty sure this was fate's way of saying "Lia, darling, this is Disney - eat a cupcake." Bagels, while awesome (especially when paired with a tall glass of chocolate milk), pale in comparison to majestic Disney cupcakes.

Speaking of cupcakes, you better be planning a visit (or 12) to Starring Rolls. Those cupcakes are DIVINE. I feel like crying whenever I think of the Red Velvet Cheesecake cupcake. I AM NOT WORTHY OF SUCH A DELICACY.

Ugh. I hate when they cram you in with randoms. I'm all about meeting new people, but I usually wait a little while before engaging in thigh-to-thigh contact.

I wonder what it would be like to have giant horns. I feel like they would get in the way. They're very pretty, though.

ELEPHANTS! They're so, for lack of a better word, cool. I could watch them for hours. Especially when they use their trunks to do stuff. It's basically an arm growing out of their face. That's just plain cool.

I've never noticed this before, but rhino ears are kind of adorable.

You didn't know there were warthogs??? Whenever we pass by their burrow I always sing the "WHEN I WAS A YOUNG WARTHOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOG" line from Hakuna Matata. Well, I sing it all the time, but especially at that moment.

OMG I've totally encountered that bird before! It was the only time I've ever felt an ounce of sympathy for one of those little feathered devils. Your mom is a much better person than I am, though, because I just said "Oh, that's sad...I really hope we don't have to wait forever for a bus" and kept walking.

The image of CMs running in with a little bird gurney is cracking me up. You have the most wonderful mind.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU TOO!!!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

YAY AN UPDATE!! The day has finally come.

Oh no out of bagels!??! That's practically a sin!! Good thing cupcakes are even better haha. Mmm it looks delicious! I never had an Animal Kingdom cupcake!

YAY FOR THE ELEPHANTS! They're just so beautiful!

You are so lucky you got to see another lion!!! Every time I go both of them are sleeping or not visible. Not cool, lions. But maybe since I got obsessed with lion king this past fall my luck will change.

LOL about the gym... I hear ya, sister. It's too much for me, too! I need more motivation.

That's amazing that the Cast Members knew about the bird! Disney takes care of EVERYTHING. It's absolutely crazy. Like... how many of those birds are in Disney?! SO MANY! But they still help the little sick one. DISNEY YOU ROCK!

Oh God... this next update sounds like a good one! I'M SO EXCITED!!

p.s. are you doing a TR for your next trip?

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Love the safari pics! Ephelants are amazing, no doubt!

Is it just me, or does the Kusafiri (sp?) Bakery pic look like a square, abstract walrus? And, no, I have not ingested any illegal substances. I always see weird stuff like that in clouds, shadows, etc.

Happy Turkey Day!

 

[__disneygirl]

HEY - me too!!!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO stoked! 8 days in paradise.

LESS THAN two weeks and me, the sweetie, & the kiddie will be roaming the castles, exploring the mountains, and partaking in magic, all while basking in the * Florida Sun * away from our PACNW normally dreary December weather!

If you see me, be sure to say HI! I'll be the tourist walking around like a giggling kid while my family just rolls their eyes

Aww YAY!!!!!! I hope you have an absolutely stupendously magical trip!

If you see ME, say hi! I'll be the crazy blonde dancing in the streets and crying out of joy. You can't miss me.

A new update!

They were out of everything bagels??? What crust! Though I'm pretty sure this was fate's way of saying "Lia, darling, this is Disney - eat a cupcake." Bagels, while awesome (especially when paired with a tall glass of chocolate milk), pale in comparison to majestic Disney cupcakes.

Speaking of cupcakes, you better be planning a visit (or 12) to Starring Rolls. Those cupcakes are DIVINE. I feel like crying whenever I think of the Red Velvet Cheesecake cupcake. I AM NOT WORTHY OF SUCH A DELICACY.

Ugh. I hate when they cram you in with randoms. I'm all about meeting new people, but I usually wait a little while before engaging in thigh-to-thigh contact.

I wonder what it would be like to have giant horns. I feel like they would get in the way. They're very pretty, though.

ELEPHANTS! They're so, for lack of a better word, cool. I could watch them for hours. Especially when they use their trunks to do stuff. It's basically an arm growing out of their face. That's just plain cool.

I've never noticed this before, but rhino ears are kind of adorable.

You didn't know there were warthogs??? Whenever we pass by their burrow I always sing the "WHEN I WAS A YOUNG WARTHOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOG" line from Hakuna Matata. Well, I sing it all the time, but especially at that moment.

OMG I've totally encountered that bird before! It was the only time I've ever felt an ounce of sympathy for one of those little feathered devils. Your mom is a much better person than I am, though, because I just said "Oh, that's sad...I really hope we don't have to wait forever for a bus" and kept walking.

The image of CMs running in with a little bird gurney is cracking me up. You have the most wonderful mind.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU TOO!!!

"Lia, darling, this is Disney - eat a cupcake." HAHAHA you are so right. I plan on eating at LEAST one cupcake a day on our next trip. Which, AHEM, takes place in ten days. JUST SAYING. YEAH, I broke out the dancing smiley in a suit. I don't take that guy out often, but the ten day mark is reason enough for me!

OMG I know. I love when the elephants suck water out of a lake or whatever with their trunk and then pour it on themselves. WHY CAN'T I DO THAT.

You know, I probably did know about the warthog but forgot? Hmm, I don't know.

"Little feathered devils" LOL.

Thank you darling! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

YAY AN UPDATE!! The day has finally come.

Oh no out of bagels!??! That's practically a sin!! Good thing cupcakes are even better haha. Mmm it looks delicious! I never had an Animal Kingdom cupcake!

YAY FOR THE ELEPHANTS! They're just so beautiful!

You are so lucky you got to see another lion!!! Every time I go both of them are sleeping or not visible. Not cool, lions. But maybe since I got obsessed with lion king this past fall my luck will change.

LOL about the gym... I hear ya, sister. It's too much for me, too! I need more motivation.

That's amazing that the Cast Members knew about the bird! Disney takes care of EVERYTHING. It's absolutely crazy. Like... how many of those birds are in Disney?! SO MANY! But they still help the little sick one. DISNEY YOU ROCK!

Oh God... this next update sounds like a good one! I'M SO EXCITED!!

p.s. are you doing a TR for your next trip?

I love how excited you get for my updates!

Make a note, trust me: have an AK cupcake next time! Best cupcake I have had at WDW!

I must have good lion karma or something because that's what everyone says! I am really hoping that they'll be up and about next time I see them too.

I know, I shouldn't have been surprised that Disney knew about the bird already. They really miss nothing!

I will ABSOLUTELY be doing a TR for the next trip!! I can't wait!

Love the safari pics! Elephants are amazing, no doubt!

Is it just me, or does the Kusafiri (sp?) Bakery pic look like a square, abstract walrus? And, no, I have not ingested any illegal substances. I always see weird stuff like that in clouds, shadows, etc.

Happy Turkey Day!

Thanks!!!

Hmm... I don't see a walrus. Are you sure you haven't eaten too many Mickey Waffles or something?

 

[__disneygirl]

Hey guys!!!

I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was filled with the usual: family, fun, food, and obsessing over our Disney trip.

Whew. Planning a Disney trip is not easy. It's not all fun, either. It can get totally stressful! I keep reminding myself that even if we went with no reservations and NO plans it would still be magical, but dammit I want everything to be perfect! Of course, it never is. But I want it as close as I can get it!

Can you believe I only have 3 ADRs booked so far? For some reason, I'm having a harder time with it this year. I think it's mainly because I really want to make this trip different, and do and see things we haven't before. I mean, this will be our NINTH trip. That's a lot of Disney (and yet not enough) and there is still a good portion of things we have not seen.

Here is a list of attractions we have never experienced:

MAGIC KINGDOM: Country Bear Jamboree, The Hall of Presidents, Astro Orbiter, Tom Sawyer Island, Cinderella's Golden Carrousel (or whatever they're calling it these days), Frontierland Shootin' Arcade, Magic Carpets of Aladdin

EPCOT: Captain EO (being a HUGE Michael Jackson fan my whole life, I cannot wait to finally see this!), Sum of All Thrills, Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, Impressions de France, O! Canada, The American Adventure, Reflections of China.

ANIMAL KINGDOM: Flights of Wonder, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Triceratop Spin

MGM: American Idol Experience, Lights Motors Action, Disney Junior Live on Stage.

I can tell you right now I know we won't see all of these attractions. I'm gonna shoot for about 90% of them, but there are a few things that I just have no interest in and I'm guessing my mom won't either. So unless she tells me she REALLY wants to hear theme park guests sing bad Taylor Swift songs, we're not going to the AI experience. I don't watch anything on Disney Junior, either... and I think it's safe to say we can skip Triceratop Spin, etc. But definitely everything on the Epcot list is getting done. I'm pretty much dying to see everything listed there. And it's just weird that I haven't been to Tom Sawyer Island or Rafiki's Planet Watch. Sheesh!

We've also never visited the following resorts: Saratoga Springs, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter, Fort Wilderness, All Star Movies, and All Star Sports. Visiting different resorts is one of our favorite things to do at Disney World, and I can say I definitely have a couple of these in our plans.

Does anyone have any off the beaten path suggestions for our trip? Our schedule is already overflowing with this stuff, but I figured why not ask anyway!

Also, now that I'm finally 21, I REALLY want to "Drink Around The World" at the WS. I've eaten around it PLENTY, but drinking? Not so much. I can't wait for the Plum Wine and Grey Goose Slushies I've heard so much about. Oh man I'm gonna be feelin' good! Also, I've read about people doing monorail tours where they have a drink a Monorail resort bar, get on the Monorail, repeat until they hit all three, and then go to the Magic Kingdom. That sounds like a hoot as well. It's so odd factoring in alcohol consumption at Disney. Never did that before. I'm gonna have to make sure my cupcake consumption and alcohol consumption do not collide. That would not be good for anyone!

Also, there are quite a few Christmas events that must be factored in as well, mainly the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, The Candlelight Processional, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Whether we're doing all three of these, two, or just one... I think I'll leave a surprise!

Ok guys, I'm almost done with the next real update so I should probably go finish that! And hey, it's Black Friday and I haven't bought a thing. I think a trip to the Disney Store Outlet may be in order....

 

[JessicaFaye508]

Happy thanksgiving to you, too! I'm glad you had a nice day! I'm sorry the planning is stressful, but DON'T WORRY - it's gonna be a great trip

It seems like you definitely have hit all of the best attractions at the parks during your previous trips! I mean, the ones you haven't seen aren't BAD... they're just not my top favorites.

I mean, the Country Bear Jamboree is cute. It's a classic so you might as well see it. Hall of Presidents is REALLY nice for nap time. Astro Orbiter I wouldn't bother visiting if there is a line. The Carrousel is always fun and can bring out your inner child.

Flights of Wonder is one of my family's favorites... and I'm not exactly sure why. Because it's just a bird show... not that those aren't great, but you know. It's not exactly Festival of the Lion King.

And actually... the American Idol Experience is not too bad! I kind of liked it. The first time I saw it anyway. By time 3 and 4 I was like... uh okay that's enough. But the first time you see it is always fun! It always makes me want to perform though. One day I need to get on that stage!!

Hmm... well I've stayed at Saratoga, Coronado and Fort Wilderness before. They're all beautiful! One fun thing to do at Fort Wilderness is to take a carriage ride! The horses are so beautiful and so is the scenery! Lots of fun!

Haha when I'm 21 I totally want to do that too! I don't really drink... like at all. but if I was going to, it would be in Disney around the world! Oh and at Ohana. I need to try one of those Lapu Lapus. I mean, it's a drink in a PINEAPPLE! That's awesome. Going to all of the monorail resorts would be interesting too! But yeah I TOTALLY get what you mean about incorporating drinking and Disney together. The day I do that I am going to be really weirded out because I go to Disney to escape alcohol related situations. But you know. One day, I suppose! You'll have to let us know how it all is!

Ahh I hope you do all of those Christmas events!! They all sound amazing and I am definitely going to be doing all of them! Except for MVMCP... because they stop offering it before we get there. Wahh.

I'm excited for the next update! And WHOA I'm proud of you. I have been up since 4 am for Black Friday and did some intense shopping. I love everything... but I'm EXHAUSTED. A Disney outlet still sounds like a fabulous idea If only we had one around here... They closed all of our Disney stores.

Haha sorry for the long comment.. I guess I'm joining the long comment club. Oh well!

 

[Amerangel89]

Lia,

I've been lurking for the past week or two catching up on your TR (wow, 16+ months!!! That makes me feel better about my own TR on hold ). I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed reading your updates!!! Dis-ing has quickly become an unhealthy obsession of mine...such a wonderful way to get excited over and again about my own 2 Disney trips coming up (the week before Christmas and for the Princess 1/2 Marathon)!

This may seem so incredibly random, but you mentioned you're really into NY food??? I'm taking my first trip up to NYC for some auditions (I totally relate to all of your showbiz talk...except I'm an opera singer ) and am desperately trying to plan last minute my list of NYC must-do's. OBVIOUSLY that list is going to include major foodage! Any rec's for this newbie?

 

[__disneygirl]

Happy thanksgiving to you, too! I'm glad you had a nice day! I'm sorry the planning is stressful, but DON'T WORRY - it's gonna be a great trip

It seems like you definitely have hit all of the best attractions at the parks during your previous trips! I mean, the ones you haven't seen aren't BAD... they're just not my top favorites.

I mean, the Country Bear Jamboree is cute. It's a classic so you might as well see it. Hall of Presidents is REALLY nice for nap time. Astro Orbiter I wouldn't bother visiting if there is a line. The Carrousel is always fun and can bring out your inner child.

Flights of Wonder is one of my family's favorites... and I'm not exactly sure why. Because it's just a bird show... not that those aren't great, but you know. It's not exactly Festival of the Lion King.

And actually... the American Idol Experience is not too bad! I kind of liked it. The first time I saw it anyway. By time 3 and 4 I was like... uh okay that's enough. But the first time you see it is always fun! It always makes me want to perform though. One day I need to get on that stage!!

Hmm... well I've stayed at Saratoga, Coronado and Fort Wilderness before. They're all beautiful! One fun thing to do at Fort Wilderness is to take a carriage ride! The horses are so beautiful and so is the scenery! Lots of fun!

Haha when I'm 21 I totally want to do that too! I don't really drink... like at all. but if I was going to, it would be in Disney around the world! Oh and at Ohana. I need to try one of those Lapu Lapus. I mean, it's a drink in a PINEAPPLE! That's awesome. Going to all of the monorail resorts would be interesting too! But yeah I TOTALLY get what you mean about incorporating drinking and Disney together. The day I do that I am going to be really weirded out because I go to Disney to escape alcohol related situations. But you know. One day, I suppose! You'll have to let us know how it all is!

Ahh I hope you do all of those Christmas events!! They all sound amazing and I am definitely going to be doing all of them! Except for MVMCP... because they stop offering it before we get there. Wahh.

I'm excited for the next update! And WHOA I'm proud of you. I have been up since 4 am for Black Friday and did some intense shopping. I love everything... but I'm EXHAUSTED. A Disney outlet still sounds like a fabulous idea If only we had one around here... They closed all of our Disney stores.

Haha sorry for the long comment.. I guess I'm joining the long comment club. Oh well!

Thanks for the all the tips

A lot of people LOVE Flights of Wonder. Like, it's not talked about often, but when it is I hear raves, so I can't wait to finally see it.

I am obsessed with Lapu Lapus and I have never even had one. LOL. I have wanted one for years and this year is finally the year!

THEY CLOSED YOUR DISNEY STORES?! Oh I would never recover. My bank account would be very happy though! I would have a lot more money if there wasn't a Disney store near my house. Every time I go in there it's like I have no self control whatsoever. The last time I was in there I cried in front of everyone because The Lion King 3D trailer was playing and then I dropped $70 instantly. LOL.

Lia,

I've been lurking for the past week or two catching up on your TR (wow, 16+ months!!! That makes me feel better about my own TR on hold ). I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed reading your updates!!! Dis-ing has quickly become an unhealthy obsession of mine...such a wonderful way to get excited over and again about my own 2 Disney trips coming up (the week before Christmas and for the Princess 1/2 Marathon)!

This may seem so incredibly random, but you mentioned you're really into NY food??? I'm taking my first trip up to NYC for some auditions (I totally relate to all of your showbiz talk...except I'm an opera singer ) and am desperately trying to plan last minute my list of NYC must-do's. OBVIOUSLY that list is going to include major foodage! Any rec's for this newbie?

Thank you and !!!! So glad you're enjoying my report.

Yes I am very into NYC food. The #1 best place in the world that you must go is Angelo's on Mulberry St in Little Italy. It is not just the best Italian food, it is the best food I have had ever. It has been there over a hundred years and is old fashioned PERFECT Italian cuisine. I don't even go to other Italian restaurants because it is a waste of time compared to Angelo's.

My other favorite place is totally different, it's young and hip and really popular right now (call and make reservations) It's on the lower east side and it's called The Stanton Social on Stanton St btwn Orchard and Ludlow. It's tapas (small plates) and there is such a wide variety of great food. The chef Chris Santos invented these French Onion Soup Dumplings that nearly make me cry they're so good.

People will tell you the best pizza is Famous Original Ray's or Lombardi's in Brooklyn, but they are wrong. The best pizza in New York City is at Two Boots. They're in a bunch of locations all over the city and to me nothing beats them.

If you're a coffee lover, the best coffee ever is at The Roasting Plant on Greenwich Ave. The best bagels are at Murray's in Chelsea (but they have a few other locations). Pinkberry and 16 Handles are frozen yogurt Heaven. For some awesome comfort food, check out S'Mac. They have like 78 different kinds of Mac & Cheese which is necessary. Check out Magnolia Bakery for the best cupcakes and Koryodang Bakery in Koreatown for my favorite thing ever, french macarons. I know, why buy french pastry in Koreatown? Just trust me.

The main thing is, just don't go to a chain restaurant for the love of God. If you have any other questions I am happy to help! I hope you have a great trip here. If you need broadway discounts go to BroadwayBox.com, they also have discounts on other shows/events/tours and things.

 

[AKL LOVER]

Lapu Lapus are delicious! We had one for the first time back in May. My DH asked our server if they were strong at all...he hates ordering mixed drinks out b/c they always just taste fruit juicy to him since restaurants and bars usually put in next to no alcohol. And I hate it when he orders them out b/c I have to listen to him complain about it. But our server assured us that they were plenty strong.

Uh, she was right. I'm pretty sure there was a whole freaking bottle of rum in EACH of our Lapu Lapus...that's right...we had ordered two! Wow, I'm surprised that I could walk out of Ohana after drinking it. But it was worth every delcious sip.

As is an OGMS from France. You HAVE to have one of those. I mean it. Don't you dare get back here on the DIS and bother to write a TR if you don't try one of those! I seriously think I need an OGMS dispenser in my house. I would pay an un-Godly amount of $$ for one of those...

Stopping at each of the monorail resorts to have a drink is a great way to enjoy some tasty beverages while at Disney. I may have to try that idea out on my girls only trip next year.

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate, have fun!

 

[cindianne320]

I just have to comment and say I am loving your writing style! I am about halfway through your report, and find myself laughing and wanting to read more! Enjoy your upcoming trip, and I can't wait to read about it from the beginning!

 

[__disneygirl]

Lapu Lapus are delicious! We had one for the first time back in May. My DH asked our server if they were strong at all...he hates ordering mixed drinks out b/c they always just taste fruit juicy to him since restaurants and bars usually put in next to no alcohol. And I hate it when he orders them out b/c I have to listen to him complain about it. But our server assured us that they were plenty strong.

Uh, she was right. I'm pretty sure there was a whole freaking bottle of rum in EACH of our Lapu Lapus...that's right...we had ordered two! Wow, I'm surprised that I could walk out of Ohana after drinking it. But it was worth every delcious sip.

As is an OGMS from France. You HAVE to have one of those. I mean it. Don't you dare get back here on the DIS and bother to write a TR if you don't try one of those! I seriously think I need an OGMS dispenser in my house. I would pay an un-Godly amount of $$ for one of those...

Stopping at each of the monorail resorts to have a drink is a great way to enjoy some tasty beverages while at Disney. I may have to try that idea out on my girls only trip next year.

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate, have fun!

Yay!! I can't wait for the Lapu Lapu! I have wanted that drink for years and you just got me even more excited.

I must ask you to fill me in on this OGMS. Is that the Grand Mariner Slushie I have heard so much about?

I just have to comment and say I am loving your writing style! I am about halfway through your report, and find myself laughing and wanting to read more! Enjoy your upcoming trip, and I can't wait to read about it from the beginning!

Thank you so much and !!!!!!

 

[__disneygirl]

APRIL 18, 2010
Day 8, Part 4 In Which We Stop and Smell the Ducklings


So, I have to admit that I totally fudged up! I knew we went to all four parks on our last full day, but I mixed up AK and MGM. We went to MGM when it opened and THEN went to AK, not AK first like I lead you to believe! I totally forgot about the order because I took no pictures at MGM (too busy commandoing!), so when I saw the AK pictures come up first I assumed we went there at opening. But then I noticed the time on one of them was WAY too late, so I looked at my Twitter from then and sure enough, we went to MGM first that morning! I was going to write a whole new chapter about it, but it honestly doesn't merit one since we were just there to ride Toy Story Mania over and over until the line got too long/we died. It was awesome, but I mean duh.

I remember going over to Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster to see if the lines were short, but they were REALLY long because duh, it was a Fantasmic! night. We checked out Starring Rolls Bakery, a favorite of my dad's, but weren't in the mood for anything at the time, which is MENTAL to me now because I'm hungry and the cupcakes in there look like they were handmade by angels, but whatever. Next time!

There was one awesome unforgettable moment that I must tell the story of, though. I was wearing my birthday button as I was the whole trip, and a CM stopped us as we were walking through the park. He was an older man with really kind eyes and told me that Mickey had told him I would be coming by and that it was very important that he give me this sticker. After that came out of his mouth I was like almost crying, I mean, is that not the cutest thing you've ever heard? It was just so sweet. The sticker has Mickey on it that says Happy Birthday and I still have it. I stuck it on a shelf in my room and every time I see it, I smile. I just love that even though the CM could see that I'm an adult, he still made a point of saying that Mickey had said I'd be stopping by. He could have just said "Happy Birthday!" and given me the sticker (or done nothing), but no, he kept that Disney magic alive and it warmed my heart. I still believe in magic deep down and little things like that keep the magic alive for me as I wander through my early 20's. I had been wearing my Birthday pin for most of the trip and very much enjoyed the special attention, but this was extra extra special. My mom and I said thank you to the CM and I told him he made my day.

And so that was our MGM morning!

WHEW.

THEN we went to AK, but I already posted those chapters. After AK, we went back to Pop Century for a bit of a breather.

We relaxed in the room for, oh I don't know, about 90 seconds.

It literally went like this: My mom and I walk into the room, put our stuff down, each go to the bathroom. We sit on our respective beds. I turn on Stacey. We watch for about 10 seconds.

Me: Wanna go?
Mom: Yeah.

TV goes off. And out the door we go! I mean, come on. I can't just CHILL on my last full day at Disney World, are you kidding? Impossible! And even though my mom is nowhere near the Disney freak that I am, she couldn't sit still either. Sure, we were tired beyond reason, but that really didn't matter. We were OUTTA THERE, baby!

We were starving because I didn't book any ADRs for our last full day. As much as I love eating, I didn't want anything to slow us down. I wanted to maniacally run around Disney World like magic-loving fiends, not sit down and eat. However, it turns out that you need to eat in order to live and so we headed over to Everything POP for some delicious grub.

They had one of my FAVORITE FOODS EVER on the menu, fried chicken. Despite how much I LOVE fried chicken, I almost never eat it because, you know, it doesn't have the biggest health benefits. And not only did Disney have fried chicken, they had the special MOM'S Fried Chicken that they only offer on certain days that everyone on the DIS raves about. Anytime I see anything that I have noticed gets raves on the DIS, I eat/buy/try it instantly.

The DIS has never failed me and this was no exception. My mom and I shared this and dear LORD was it good! The mashed potatoes were amazing too, and I didn't try the greens because well who cares about those!!
I also feel the need to mention that at the table next to us, the people had reallyreallyREALLY old refillable-4-LYFE mugs from different resorts that were all faded and stuff. They were the old timey short and fat ones. Remember those? Oh, they looked ancient! I have no problem with people doing this and the CMs said nothing, so I was just like RIGHT ON. Mugs from the 90's rock, ok?

So at this point, day EIGHT (with no break days where we didn't visit a park), my feet were really killing me. This has never happened to me before. People have always gone on and on about how great Crocs were, but I wasn't particularly fond of how they looked and never had a problem with my feet while at Disney before, so I never got a pair. On this trip, however, my feet ached so much. Dudes, I am getting old. I got a few blisters which First Aid had been very helpful with (they give you the most durable, awesome big bandaids), but they were mostly just sore.

I also forgot to mention that the past two nights, I had been soaking them in the tub at night, and then just ended up crawling in with my whole body the second time. GOD WAS I TIRED. I love being that tired though, it means you've lived, you know? It is so skeevy for me to even think about taking a bath in a hotel tub but oh man did that hot water feel good on my feet and I just had to get in. Anyway, the point is I was VERY achy, and they have Crocs at Everything Pop, so I found myself contemplating buying them.

They just had your basic black crocband ones, but I was happy with that because black is my fave. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get them, I mean, we had such little time left at Disney and I knew I wouldn't wear them anywhere but the parks. But then I realized it was totally worth the money for my feet to feel good and for me not to be in pain, even if it was just a short amount of time. So I tried the Crocs on.

It was if Jesus himself had placed them on my feet with his mighty hands. I swear to you, within minutes my pain started to decrease a little. Just walking around the Croc display, I noticed a difference! SOLD!!!! They really made all the difference to make the end of our trip more enjoyable. I am so happy I bought them. If you are one of those people who is still not a Croc wearer, I feel deeply and passionately sorry for you. You need to see the light. Try them on. I promise you, you will never look back.

Feeling totally revitalized after a 90 second room break, awesome meal, and purchasing of Crocs, we went to go catch the bus to EPCOT, our 3rd (and not final) park of the day.

It had been kind of rainy all day, which was a bummer, but at least it wasn't cold at all. I love that about Florida. You can frolic in the rain and not freeze. I remember on my solo trip in 2008, the first HOUR I got there it started to POUR all over the Magic Kingdom and I just danced in the street. I was so happy to be back home I didn't care about getting wet, and it was so warm out that I wasn't even uncomfortable. I was SOAKED to the bone, but it didn't matter. I was at Disney World!

As we entered the park, I realized that I had been so excited to be at Epcot the other times we visited on this trip that I took NO Spaceship Earth pictures. You see, I usually RUN into Epcot at a speed of 100 miles an hour.

This time, I stopped and snapped a few:

My mom and I headed straight to the World Showcase and started on Canada's end. God, I hate how hard it is to get a Le Cellier reservation. As we walked by, I just wanted to walk in and leap directly into the Cheddar Cheese Soup. Instead, we went into the shop that's kind of hidden in that area that's up the stairs to the left of the restaurant.

They had a lot of cool things, namely this soap:

Moose Spit! Beaver Butt! Bear Breath! Lay some of that on me

I loved these Christmas stockings:

and beavers that were too cute!

My friend Liz's birthday was coming up, and I thought it would be really cool to get her a gift at WDW, but what to buy? She's never been to Disney World, so I didn't want to get her something with "WALT DISNEY WORLD WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE AND MAGIC LIVES" all over it. In this shop, they had tons of dreamcatchers, which was perfect because Liz is obsessed with them. I got her a small purple dreamcatcher and a necklace that had a multicolor dreamcatcher on it. I also had them gift wrap them, and it looked so cool! I am lame for not taking pictures of all this fabulousness, so you'll just have to trust me that it was an awesome gift. Liz loved it!

This was mostly just a shopping tour of the WS, so next we headed to the shop in France. I only took one picture, these stools that I love:

IDK, I feel like the stuff in the France shop wasn't as cool as some of the other shops. Usually I want to buy 95% of what's in every store, but this one it was more like 50% or something. I will have to check it out again when I'm there again, which will be within days!

We were running out of time (I wanted to get to the Magic Kingdom for Wishes, Spectro, and general mayhem) and I really wanted another huge German pretzel, so we were about to speed walk over there, when this happened:

AAAAHHH!!! More adorable ducks being their naturally adorable selves!!!

It is, as always, the little things that end up being the best, my friends. If we don't have like 25 more duckling sightings on our next trip I will be disappointed. I think we stood there for like 15 minutes at least watching them-- they slowed us right down! Just as soon as I start to go against my nature and go commando, I'm reminded to stop and smell the roses. Or in this case, the ducklings. At Disney World, you must stop and smell the ducklings.

Or, you could take videos of them. Which is what I did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqm1iSbzytg For some reason, the video is all sped up and I don't know how to fix it! I tried uploading it three different places and the ducklings still look like they've taken speed. Sigh.

Yummo! I got my pretzel, but sadly, there was no flirting from the Germans this time!

Before we went over to the MK, I had to pick up some Jibbitz because my Crocs needed to be decorated.

I had to have Mickey because I mean, he's Mickey. and I think we all know about my love for the darling Stitch by now. Oh my God, I can not wait to hear him scream NOOOOOOOOOOO SLEEPING in my ear soon!

EIGHT MORE DAYS.

That's all for now... but I will be updating again soon... I'm running out of time before I have a whole new report to write!!

UP NEXT: A terrifying monorail ride!

 

[MarieTheCat24]

First of all, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE COUNTRY BEAR JAMBOREE? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, LIA? DO YOU HATE FUN? I MEAN, IT'S A JAMBOREE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! THERE ARE SINGING BEARS AND MOUNTED ANIMAL HEADS THAT TALK BUT THEY'RE SO OLD THAT YOU CAN HEAR MECHANICAL GEAR GRINDING NOISES WHEN THEY MOVE. AND THEY SING ABOUT CHILD ABUSE. AND GETTING SO DRUNK THAT YOU START SOBBING. AND GETTING TURNED ON AND THEN TURNED DOWN. AND THERE'S BIG AL WHO SINGS ABOUT BLOOD AND HAS THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL. THE UN-POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OF THE WHOLE THING IS MAGNIFICENT.

Please go see it. Please. For me.

That MGM CM is precious human being. I wish more people were like him.

Fried chicken. Corn bread. Mashed potatoes.

The For Lifers crack me up. I think I still have an old Polynesian mug from 10 years ago somewhere. Do you want me to send it down for you? We can start an Ancient Mug Swap.

Welcome to the 'My Feet Hurt So Bad That I Was Forced to Buy a Pair of Crocs' club, my dear. When I first bought mine, it felt like I was walking on little patches of heaven. I don't always wear them in the parks, but I refuse to leave for WDW without them in my bag in case of emergency.

The topiaries are roasting marshmallows! How cute!

I really regret not buying some Beaver Butt in July.

DUCKLINGS! They're so fuzzy! I don't understand how something that is a bird can be so adorable.

You bought Jibbitz? You're the best.