The One Where I Go To Disney World for the Tenth Time: Aug '14 TR - COMPLETE 5/21 LIFE U/D 7/7

[Dugette]

We asked the CM which character(s) were in the meet but he would only say that it was a surprise.

I think they have always been very secretive like that with us too. However, I was surprised that they actually told me that Minnie wasn't in it when I asked in August. I wonder why they are so secretive there? Maybe they don't want passerby that are going to the Character Spot to overhear that a duplicate character is in there too?

They said, “In a minute!” like we were their moms calling them for dinner.

Super annoying! I would have left them too.

Minnie and Pluto!

Same combo we had on Izzy's very first trip! The picture is on the mantle right now, so I know.

Unfortunately, my evil plans to get M and S to drink Beverly were thwarted by the movie on the Magical Express which totally gave it away.

Oh, I forgot/didn't realize that was in the ME video. Well, at least you know they were paying good attention.

And on our way we spotted a character I had never seen before: Maleficent!

Wow, I have never seen her pop up in a TR before!

So naturally, after seeing some of the hysterical interactions others have had with the sisters, the first thing I did was offer DH up as a potential husband.

How fun! I guess I have not studied their antics enough to realize that was a thing. Sounds like a great interaction!

There were a bunch of unsupervised kids climbing up on the fountains which didn’t seem very safe, not to mention they were blocking the water from jumping anywhere which sort of annoyed me because grown-ups like the jumping water too

Ugh, one of my biggest pet peeves is unsupervised kids ESPECIALLY when there is safety or inconvenience of others involved.

 

[kastoney]

Character meets galore on this day. I've never seen the step sisters anywhere outside of MK! What a coup to get to meet them.

I'm with DH on thr figment ride, but my daughter loves it. Wait until you have the baby, he won't be able to avoid it.

 

[heathsf]

I think they have always been very secretive like that with us too. However, I was surprised that they actually told me that Minnie wasn't in it when I asked in August. I wonder why they are so secretive there? Maybe they don't want passerby that are going to the Character Spot to overhear that a duplicate character is in there too?

That never even occurred to me. That makes sense. I was also thinking maybe since they switch, if someone on line thought they were going to meet Minnie and then Minnie turned out to be on a break that there would be tears.

Character meets galore on this day. I've never seen the step sisters anywhere outside of MK! What a coup to get to meet them.

I'm with DH on thr figment ride, but my daughter loves it. Wait until you have the baby, he won't be able to avoid it.

I didn't realize at the time that it was unusual to find the Step Sisters at Epcot. How interesting! I wonder why. They really don't fit in in Future World

I could do Figment once per trip. Hopefully DH will warm up to lots of WDW things once the baby comes

 

[heathsf]

Episode 30
The One with Fast Cars​

We then trekked all the way across the park to the other side of Future World to use our FP+ for Test Track. I was psyched to finally experience the new version!

It felt like a totally new ride with just a smidge of familiarity. It was pretty cool. Designing your own car was really fun but DH and I had a hard time agreeing on our design. There was a lot of changing things back and forth up until the last second.

Our finished product:

Our competition: Boooooooo

We got quite competitive with M and S who designed their car right next to us. I’ll be honest, there was quite a bit of smack talk and all our pride was on the line.

While we were on line they were making announcements about inclement weather. I kept my fingers crossed that we would be able to make it on and we did! Although we stopped for about 20 seconds before going to the outside part of the ride. Is that supposed to happen?

I really enjoyed the new version. It made me think of Tron and being inside a computer. I suppose that’s what they were going for. It was neat. I never had a problem with the old version of Test Track and I’m not sure I could pick one version over the other as being better. Well, except that the interactive part of designing your own car was pretty cool. So maybe new test track wins 60/40? By the way, M and S beat us with their car’s performance. Oh well.

After the ride there are lots of cool things in the showroom. There was a racing game where you can race the car you just designed against other players. That was really neat. DH and I had a lot of fun taking pictures with the cars. There are different sets and you can choose your digital scene to be added. You scan your magic band and the pictures go right on there.

This next one didn't work out so well I think we were trying to make it look like we were getting run over (Flashback to 7 year old me pretending to be run over by the steam roller from Who Framed Roger Rabbit before it was moved to the backlot. And I wonder where it is now? )

It was getting closer to dinner time so we headed in the direction of World Showcase, stopping for some photopass pictures. We got this frame to pose with. DH is such a ham, he had the photographer hysterical laughing. Apparently he thought the frame was only big enough for just him

I weaseled my way in eventually…

Then he got all romantic…

Not!

He started staggering forward like his knees were giving out and he couldn’t hold me anymore.

What. A. Character.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hello, I'm joining in! I love your report!

First, CONGRATULATIONS on your little girl! Your nursery is adorable and your mom did such a great job!

It looks like you, your husband, and your friends had such a good time! I would also have sent the others on their way to enjoy a few hours in the Magic Kingdom by myself. It sounds like you had a great time!

Finally, I don't care what the man says... someone that custom-designs their magic band to look like Donald Duck and memorizes the ways to boost their score on TSMM most certainly DOES love Disney World!

 

[heathsf]

Hello, I'm joining in! I love your report!

First, CONGRATULATIONS on your little girl! Your nursery is adorable and your mom did such a great job!

Welcome! And thank you so much for the compliments on the report and the nursery

It looks like you, your husband, and your friends had such a good time! I would also have sent the others on their way to enjoy a few hours in the Magic Kingdom by myself. It sounds like you had a great time!

We had such a good time. I wish I could escape winter and be back right now!

Finally, I don't care what the man says... someone that custom-designs their magic band to look like Donald Duck and memorizes the ways to boost their score on TSMM most certainly DOES love Disney World!

I read this to my DH and his response was that he cares about fashion and video games, NOT Disney!!

 

[kastoney]

Man, loving all the pics this update. You guys look like professional models out there ; )

Hope the pregnancy is going well and you're feeling good. Hitting the home stretch yet?

 

[Leshaface]

All caught up and these updates were hilarious!

Oh, sorry, just because I speak German doesn't mean that you do... I'll go back to English

Phew thank goodness, though I was going to have to translate the whole thing

“In a minute!” like we were their moms calling them for dinner.

Well, at least they were enjoying themselves!

Great picture!

you MUST try the Beverly – it’s delicious!

Yes to anyone who's reading and hasn't tried it yet! You won't regret it! Quite possibly the best beverage on Disney property.

clubbin’ at Club Cool.

Partyin' it up with the colas!

Cool! I haven't seen her at all!

Looks like you're trying to show her up in this picture!

So naturally, after seeing some of the hysterical interactions others have had with the sisters, the first thing I did was offer DH up as a potential husband.

And DH went

Perfect gif!

I'd love to meet them someday! I hear they are absolutely fabulous to interact with but they always have a line.

So maybe new test track wins 60/40?

This is spot on. Love the challenge aspect of this ride, but I liked the idea of being crash test dummies too.

(Flashback to 7 year old me pretending to be run over by the steam roller from Who Framed Roger Rabbit before it was moved to the backlot. And I wonder where it is now? )

Please tell me you have a picture of this?!

I love this one!

Oh my gosh these two pictures are FABULOUS!!! Love that DH is being goofy and fun.

 

[Dugette]

Although we stopped for about 20 seconds before going to the outside part of the ride. Is that supposed to happen?

I've only been on the new version once, but...I don't think so?

Lots of fun photos in this update!

 

[kaetra]

Loving your TR! Thank you for sharing

Maleficent's costume almost looks like a fan costume. I read they updated her look but that costume is really bland for an official M&G character.

 

[heathsf]

Man, loving all the pics this update. You guys look like professional models out there ; )

Hope the pregnancy is going well and you're feeling good. Hitting the home stretch yet?

Professional models...

I've been feeling really good! Thank you for asking. I get tired by the end of the day but I am really enjoying being pregnant and hope the next two months don't fly by too quickly. (Although if I get to the point where I'm as miserable as people like to tell me I'm going to be, then time can speed up! ) My due date is 2 months from today!

All caught up and these updates were hilarious!

I aim to please Haha, thanks!

Yes to anyone who's reading and hasn't tried it yet! You won't regret it! Quite possibly the best beverage on Disney property.

Please tell me you have a picture of this?!

There is definitely a picture of this at my parents' house. The next time I'm there I'll check the Disney photo album they keep in their dining room. If it's not there, then it's buried in a closet somewhere and I probably won't be finding it any time soon.

Oh my gosh these two pictures are FABULOUS!!! Love that DH is being goofy and fun.

He's always a goofball. But I think being in Disney definitely brought it out more at certain times.

I've only been on the new version once, but...I don't think so?

Lots of fun photos in this update!

Thanks!

Loving your TR! Thank you for sharing

Maleficent's costume almost looks like a fan costume. I read they updated her look but that costume is really bland for an official M&G character.

That's a really interesting observation. I agree with that. And thank you so much for the compliment!

 

[Simba's Girl]

Heather,

I just have to say I LOVE your TR! But more importantly...My name is also Heather, my husband's name is also Bobby and our first child is also a girl...is Hayley on your "short list" of names perhaps, because if so it would be too funny!

We are headed down again this August. We now have to travel in August because of the girls (we ended up with 3 ) and school/dance.

I am so happy that you seem to have made the most of your last childless trip, they will be very different in the future. Strollers and lots of naps and the "boring" rides for your DH, but it is so much fun watching a kid grow up as a "Disney" kid. This will be our Hayley's 10th or more time (we lost track HA!) and she's 15 now-we have wonderful memories of watching her play with the fiber optic pavement in EP when she was one. From strollers to now planning to close the Kingdom at MK EMH with them...don't worry everything will come full circle.

 

[heathsf]

Heather,

I just have to say I LOVE your TR! But more importantly...My name is also Heather, my husband's name is also Bobby and our first child is also a girl...is Hayley on your "short list" of names perhaps, because if so it would be too funny!

We are headed down again this August. We now have to travel in August because of the girls (we ended up with 3 ) and school/dance.

I am so happy that you seem to have made the most of your last childless trip, they will be very different in the future. Strollers and lots of naps and the "boring" rides for your DH, but it is so much fun watching a kid grow up as a "Disney" kid. This will be our Hayley's 10th or more time (we lost track HA!) and she's 15 now-we have wonderful memories of watching her play with the fiber optic pavement in EP when she was one. From strollers to now planning to close the Kingdom at MK EMH with them...don't worry everything will come full circle.

Oh my gosh! Those are some pretty crazy coincidences! Hayley is a beautiful name. It was definitely suggested at some point. I'm so excited for the kind of trip you're describing with a little one. I'm sure it will be so different but I can't wait. That is so wonderful that you have more trips than you can count and all of those years of memories. I think Bobby will feel differently about trips to WDW when he experiences it this way. And your August trip will be here before you know it and you will get to make more new memories!

 

[heathsf]

Episode 31
The One with Canadian Dinner​

After our photoshoot with the giant picture frame we continued to make our way to World Showcase for our dinner ADR.

We didn’t have too far to walk before we were here:

So before we get into it, let’s first flash back to my last trip three years ago. DH and I ate here not long after it had become a signature restaurant for dinner but was still only 1 dining credit for lunch. So we had lunch on that trip and it was uh-maze-ing. I had the mushroom fillet mignon with cream cheese mashed potatoes and it was flipping delicious. Those mashed potatoes may have been the best I’ve had…EVER! They still make my mouth water three years later. We also had the cheddar cheese soup as an appetizer and I had maple crème brulee for dessert. It was probably my favorite meal of that trip.

So here we are, three years later. It was actually M and S’s idea to eat here this time as a family member told them they had to go there because they had the best steak on property. If that was true once upon a time, I’m not sure it’s true now. Being me, I had already done my homework and knew that the mushroom fillet was off the menu and so were the cream cheese mashed potatoes.

I had read that the mushroom fillet was gone because being a signature restaurant now, they needed to keep their menu fresh. But the mashed potatoes! I’m sorry, but there is absolutely no excuse, signature or not, for removing the most delicious mashed potatoes in the entire world from your menu. That, my friends, is a crime against humanity. Or potatoes. Or both!

So I’ll admit, I wasn't going into this dinner with high expectations of it being the best meal of the trip this time. I was excited to eat here, but figured it wouldn't be as good as last time. We were seated quickly and I was very surprised to find that the menus light up! That was SO cool! I had no idea. It makes sense because it’s pretty dark in the restaurant but whoa – I’d never seen that before anywhere! (San Angel Inn could use this too. It’s way too dark in there to read a menu… or at least it was 3 years ago when I was last there.)

(Is this picture sideways to you? I rotated it in photobucket but it still looks sideways to me here, even after refreshing the page. Oh well...)

I asked our waitress right away if it would be possible to order the cream cheese mashed potatoes even though they were no longer on the menu. She seemed genuinely sorry when she told me unfortunately no, and I would bet good money that she gets asked that question all the time. I was disappointed but expecting that answer, so it was time to move on with my life. Naturally, DH and I started with the cheddar cheese soup and dipped in the pretzel bread they give you.

DH cannot understand this about me, but I don’t like bacon. 99% of the time I will order items without bacon at restaurants when possible. Since it’s not possible here, and it’s part of what makes this soup what it is, I was okay with having it. Plus, it was amazing last time. This time I felt like the flavor was just too bacon-y for me. I don’t know if the recipe is different or if I was just being grouchy over the potatoes. Or maybe the soup just couldn’t stand up to my memory of it from last time. But I was disappointed. It was good. Not great. DH loved it though so chances are it was just me and everyone reading this should take my soup review with a grain of salt. Oh, and speaking of salt, there was salt and I think maple flavoring on the butter for the bread and it was delicious.

I ordered the fillet, which I believe was served with a butter sauce and it was really, really, really good. I got green beans on the side instead of the risotto.

M also got the fillet but with nothing on it and she substituted green beans on the side and she could not get over how delicious they were. She was in love with those green beans.

Okay, here my memory is really bad. One of the boys got the fillet as is. That was probably DH. So here’s what the dish is supposed to look like:

I have no clue what S got. And someone had this as a side dish and I have no idea what it is.

Bad Dis’er. Sorry

For dessert I couldn’t decide between reprising the maple crème brulee or trying something new. I asked our server for her opinion and she recommended the Caramel-Milk Chocolate Bar: coconut, chocolate crumbs, macaroon, and chocolate sorbet. So that's what I got.

The bar is actually hidden behind the Happy Birthday sign (which was also chocolate). Here it is:

It was very rich and very yummy.

M got ice cream. Boring. But she enjoyed it.

Our server was really fantastic. M was saying to us how wonderful she was without realizing the waitress was standing right behind her and heard it all. I hope it was a nice moment for her to overhear how much we appreciated her great service. At the end of the meal, M asked to speak with a manager to let him/her (a manager did come to our table, I just can’t remember if it was a man or woman!) know that our service was outstanding.

So overall, dinner was very good. It wasn’t the best. To be honest, if I was going to spend two credits on a signature restaurant, there are a lot of other places I would definitely want to try first before coming back to Le Cellier.

We took some pictures outside after dinner.

We were still outside in Canada when we overheard someone saying that Robin Williams had died. My first reaction was that there was absolutely no way this could be true. We pulled out our phones and were so deeply saddened to find that it was. I (along with the rest of the world) loved Robin and his work, and I felt even more connected to him because we were in Disney at the time of finding out. RIP Robin

 

[heathsf]

Episode 32
The One with Strangers in Norway​

After leaving Canada with full bellies and heavy hearts over the news about Robin Williams, we made our way aaaaaaaaaall the way across the country to our southern border.

I just love the Mexico pavilion. It has always been my favorite inside. It just feels so “Disney.” It’s always magical walking in there, every time.

We rode Gran Fiesta Tour with about a one minute wait. Which is as long as it takes to walk through the queue.

View of the restaurant from the ride. Yup, still looks pretty dark in there.

Have I mentioned I love this pavilion? And this ride.

It’s just so cute with the way they incorporated the three caballeros with the scenes and culture of Mexico. And the popular nickname “Mexican It’s A Small World” is pretty fitting. And I thoroughly enjoy it. The one thing that it does better than the real IASW is the fireworks on the ceiling at the end. That part of the ride just fills me with joy. It’s fantastic

DH wanted me to take a picture of this

After the ride we took in the pavilion for a bit then headed to Norway to ride Maelstrom for what would turn out to be our last time ever! It was drizzling a bit when we got outside.

Good thing we had FP+ for this because the standby wait was 40 minutes. I can’t even imagine what waits will be like when this is a Frozen-themed ride!

The four of us got into one row on the boat, and then the people behind us also tried to get into our row on the boat! I don’t know how on earth they thought we could all fit! I’m pretty sure they didn’t understand English because the CM was calling to them to come back and wait behind the gate and they weren’t getting it. Eventually they figured out (probably from our facial expressions) that we were telling them there was no room on this boat. Or perhaps they suddenly realized that eight people were not fitting in one row on this ride. Either way, the two strangers who had climbed in got back out and joined the rest of their party. It was pretty funny. And odd.

So we enjoyed one last trip back, back over the falls and then skipped the Viking movie at the end. Maybe if I had known it was my last chance I would have actually stayed and watched it. Eh, who am I kidding? No I wouldn’t have. I’m sure I could find it on youtube now if I REALLY wanted to.

And the answer to that is yes, yes I can:

And at the title of the video!

When we finished our Viking adventure it was raining a little harder so we took cover in the Stave Church which turned out to be a little Frozen Museum. It had a few displays with factual information about Norway and how it tied into the movie. It was cute, but apparently not drawing much of a crowd as it was totally empty in there. We looked around for a few minutes and then made a plan for the rest of the night. We decided we would find a place close to Future World to watch Illuminations so we could exit quickly afterwards.

Luckily, by the time we left the church/museum the weather had cleared significantly. We split up for a bit to take bathroom breaks, take pictures, and scope out spots for the fireworks. We didn’t make a great plan for meeting back up and somehow all four of us became separated from each other.

Hello, Mexico, my love.

After a little bit of time on my own, I set out to find my husband/friends. You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult since we weren’t apart for long and we are all functional adults with cell phones.

Up Next: Will I EVER be reunited with my travel companions or will I be lost in Disney World FOREVER!?!??
Spoiler Alert: I find them. Although being stuck in Disney forever would have been a happy ending too.

 

[heathsf]

Episode 33
The One with Lots of Fireworks​

I took some WS pictures on my own before trying to meet up with everyone again. It had turned into a pretty nice night and I was enjoying some quiet time by myself.

See Tower of Terror lurking back there?

Eventually it was time to rejoin everyone. Which proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. After some time spent wandering around the entrance to WS looking for any sign of M, S, or DH and quite a few missed/unanswered phone calls, I found our Illuminations spot. And what a fantastic spot it was, even though it was already 8:30 and most of the good spots had been staked out long ago. All credit goes to S for finding this one. He made me proud. And it’s no wonder I couldn’t find them.

I had to go into one of the Tower gift shops at the entrance to WS and then out through the doors in the back of the gift shop. I’m not sure I’d ever been in there before and I certainly didn’t know that there was an exit out the back to a small area overlooking the water. Holy smokes was this a great find! There were not many people here, even close to showtime, and we were able to get an outstanding view with no one in front of us. It’s been a long time since I had a view this good of Illuminations and we didn’t have to wait for over an hour to get it! M and S were tired and decided to sit on the ground farther back while DH and I stood toward the front for a totally unobstructed view of the water and sky.

Illuminations is one of my favorite Disney things. Not just nighttime spectaculars, but THINGS. The music is perfect.

We decided that we would make a fast break for the exit as soon as the last firework went off (sort of like how we did at Fantasmic). We were walking briskly to the exit throughout the “We Go On” part and turned around to watch the fireworks at the end of that as we were somewhere in Future World at that point. We waited just a few minutes for a bus and were getting back to our room at 9:50, just as the Frozen Fireworks started going off at DHS! We had no idea we would be able to see them from AoA and we had a great view from the balcony right in front of our room. S grabbed his Bluetooth speakers really quickly from the room and connected them to my phone which, of course, had the Frozen soundtrack on it. So we watched the fireworks and had our own mini Frozen sing-along.

Magic like that only happens in Disney. Even DH was totally into it. It was an awesome surprise to end the night. After the fireworks we headed into the room and hung out for a bit before going to sleep.

 

[Dugette]

Love all the updates! Haven't been to Le Cellier for several years now, but I'm so sad to hear they got rid of the best things! I agree, those potatoes were amazing! I was stuffed full and kept eating them, despite starting to feel ill from being so full - they were THAT good. Glad you still had a good meal, even if it wasn't your top choice for a signature. Really cool about the menu lighting up too, I didn't know that!

Wow, you hearing about Robin Williams in Epcot seems familiar, as we were in Epcot when we found out Steve Jobs had died. It's so strange to be in Disney when you hear news like that of someone that has ties to Disney.

Haha, funny about the people that tried to join you on the Maelstrom! That would have made for a memorable last ride.

I am going to have to remember that spot for Illuminations! We are planning to just see what we see as we make our way from Garden Grill dinner to the Boardwalk, since we'll get out of dinner right around showtime and I didn't think there would be good spots left. We will have to check this area out first, though!

Very cool that you got to see Frozen fireworks that night too!

 

[heathsf]

Love all the updates! Haven't been to Le Cellier for several years now, but I'm so sad to hear they got rid of the best things! I agree, those potatoes were amazing! I was stuffed full and kept eating them, despite starting to feel ill from being so full - they were THAT good. Glad you still had a good meal, even if it wasn't your top choice for a signature. Really cool about the menu lighting up too, I didn't know that!

Wow, you hearing about Robin Williams in Epcot seems familiar, as we were in Epcot when we found out Steve Jobs had died. It's so strange to be in Disney when you hear news like that of someone that has ties to Disney.

Haha, funny about the people that tried to join you on the Maelstrom! That would have made for a memorable last ride.

I am going to have to remember that spot for Illuminations! We are planning to just see what we see as we make our way from Garden Grill dinner to the Boardwalk, since we'll get out of dinner right around showtime and I didn't think there would be good spots left. We will have to check this area out first, though!

Very cool that you got to see Frozen fireworks that night too!

Thank you for understanding my sadness over the loss of those potatoes! Eating them waaaay past the point of being full is the sign of how amazing they are. Which was exactly my problem at Ohana earlier in the trip when I couldn't stop eating the noodles and then had an incredible stomach ache. Worth it.

It's so weird to hear sad news in Disney. It's like, that's not supposed to happen here. This is a happy place.

Hahaha, that is the perfect emoji for the Maelstrom incident. Why didn't I think of that!?

If you use that spot for Illuminations let me know! It would work well for you being on your way from FW to the International Gateway. I'll be following on your TR

 

[heathsf]

Episode 34
The One Where Everyone Else Sleeps​

I woke up at 7 this morning. Our plan was to spend the morning relaxing and swimming at AoA. I laid in bed for a few minutes and then decided I wanted to go to MK. I quickly showered and got ready and left the room at 7:50 while everyone was sleeping.

I cut through the gift shop to get outside to the bus stop and got right on a waiting bus at 8:00. Two more people got on right behind me and then the bus pulled away. Perfect timing! I think it was a sign that this is what I was meant to be doing this morning

Exactly 15 minutes later we were arriving at MK. As we pulled in, the bus slowed down significantly. We were crawling. We were moving sssooooooooo sssllllooooowwwllllyyyyyyyyy and all I could think about was how many people were getting in front of me as a ferry was docking at the same time It took 2 whole minutes from the time we first pulled in to MK to when we actually parked and got off the bus. Okay, I'm a nut, I know. It was totally fine, there was still plenty of time before the park would open. But I really wanted to be at the front of the rope. And, like I said, I'm a crazy person.

I went through bag check and took a few pictures before finding a semi-shady spot very close to the rope on the left side.

What a beautiful morning. What I wouldn't give to be there right this second.

It was now almost 8:30 and I decided to call my mom to say hi. She was so excited to hear from me and asked lots of questions about what we had done so far. I hung up with her at 8:40 when they announced that the welcome show would be starting.

Here are the crowds lined up (mobbed) behind me:

Then the Welcome Show started. I could kind of see it a little bit from where I was standing. I was able to get a couple of not-so-decent pictures.

Good morning, good morning! It's great to stay up late...

The most magical place on earth is here!

The CMs walked us slowly down Main Street. There is nothing like MK first thing in the morning.

Good morning, beautiful.

How anyone could choose sleeping over this is mind boggling to me.
I can sleep at home in NJ!

It was just past 8:45 at this point.

Although still pretty close to the front, there are plenty of people ahead of me.

And a no-look-picture of the people coming in behind me.

And another look in front. That's a lot of people...

People veering off toward Fantasyland and Anna & Elsa and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

There was no reason for me to be dealing with that crowd, I was off to Tomorrowland. If coming to MK alone this morning was the best decision of my life, then choosing to start in Tomorrowland was the second best decision

Good morning, happy CMs! I want your job.

There were still a bunch of people ahead of me but it felt like 95% of that rope drop crowd went straight to Fantasyland.

And then we reached the point where you can turn left and cut back to Fantasyland. Most of the people who were left did that, and with no CM leading them, they were all taking off running. Now look at what was left in front of me as we approached Space Mountain:

NO MORE PEOPLE!!! There had to be at least a hundred people in front of me on Main Street, if not hundreds, and they were ALL GONE!!!

A CM at SM told us they weren't quite ready yet, but after a few short minutes we were let in at 8:53. I was the second "family" of the day to ride SM, but got in the first rocket! Woohoo!!!

Totally empty.

It was a perfect start to the day

 

[heathsf]

Episode 35
The One Where I May Get Wet​

I walked into Space Mountain at 8:53, blasted through space in the first rocket of the day, rode the exit ramp, scanned my magic band, and was heading to my next destination at 9:03. That's what an early rope drop can do, people!

On my way, I stopped to have some Photopass pictures taken as proof of my fantastic solo adventures. The photographer really liked my magic band. He wanted to know how I did it and said he would have to remember that. He was super nice and I had fun taking pictures with him.

It was comical acting cold for this shot because it was already so hot out.

I continued on my way to Frontierland at a leisurely pace, just taking it all in. I feel like I didn't do that enough on previous trips. I was always rushing from place to place and I didn't spend enough time just soaking in the magical atmosphere. I was making sure to do that now. And it's a lot easier when you're alone and can do whatever you feel like doing in the moment.

Something was being filmed here. I have no idea what. I watched for a minute but there really wasn't anything interesting happening just then.

An empty MK is just too perfect. Somebody please invent a time machine and take me back to this morning.

On my way to my destination I spotted these guys greeting.

It was really hot in the sun and I just didn't feel like stopping and waiting. I took this picture really quick in passing so I could text it to DH later and make him jealous. Is that mean? DH needed to learn a lesson. These are the consequences of making poor life decisions. And yes, choosing to sleep in on a beautiful day in Disney is a poor life decision

Soon I was at my favorite briar patch and I was ready to get wet!

Well, almost ready...
Big Thunder had a 5 minute posted wait but was a walk on so I did that first.

It was so empty in there that the CMs weren't even assigning rows. We were allowed to pick whichever lane we wanted. I didn't think there was even enough people to fill the train so I assumed I would get to ride alone but a woman did come and sit next to me. And then we were off on the wildest ride in the wilderness! Which I still insist is wilder at night. The woman sitting next to me seemed to really be enjoying herself. It was a fun time.

Look at the empty train passing over us. It looks like there's 4 people on it!

I had entered the queue at 9:15 and was off at 9:22. Now it was time to get WET!

I walked into the queue at 9:30, sat in the front row of a log, prayed to the briar patch gods that I would get nice and wet as it was already so, so hot, and enjoyed one of my favorite rides of all time. My happiness levels were off the chart I tell you.

I will never get sick of this ride. In college I rode it 13 times in one trip. And that was only a six day trip if I remember correctly. And half of those rides were in a row on a rainy EMH night when Splash was totally empty. Sigh. Disney memories are the best memories.

Sixteen minutes after first walking into the briar patch I was on my way out. I was sufficiently wet to feel cooler but not miserably soaked. Perfect

Hello, Disney bird.

Now that I had hit up all 3 mountains, it was time for a VERY special breakfast