The tale of 2 Happy Anniversary Pins "thank you" An Oct '11 TR NEW 2/25 final thought

[exwdwcm]

what a fun night! I wanted to try that Cherry Wheat and never got to. It is on the list for this year though. Sounds like such a great adults only night.

I agree, i don't know how they afford to get so toasted there. I swear we probably spent like $200 on stuff at the F&W booths, but we mostly got food. My $50 gift card thing didn't last long and then we just paid cash. ouch! Some of those drinks are pricey!

 

[teekathepony]

…the drunkards were out in force already at before 7 pm…it was a bit sad and crazy…how can anyone afford to get that toasted here?

OMG we said the same thing!

So awesome that you got to see Sugar Ray! Your EMH evening looks like fun, I love love love the Nemo queue!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

The Lamington cake looks so cute and fuzzy with the coconut . Your pictures make me want to go to Food & Wine SO bad!!! Everything looks awesome!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Good Eats, Sugar Ray, and shopping, sounds like a perfect night
Glad you had a fun evening and had some fun surprises when you returned to the room.
Are you going to share your souvie purchases from your buzz shopping?
Can't wait to see whats next

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Great AK videos!

Sounds like an awesome night to round out a great trip! That F&W food looks delicious! YUMMM!

 

[mousescrapper]

what a fun fun night! Bummer on the slushie though. I am with you. At that price I want it overflowing and to be able to taste the alcohol!

Very cool castle nightcap!

I agree Cynthia at least my beers were pretty good! and yes the Castle night cap was WONDERFUL...

What a fun night!! Brings back memories from our trip last January!

it was

Buzzed shopping... Very dangerous!

yes

So cool that you got to end the night with the Christmas castle!

I was jumping up and down like a little school girl w/ excitement

what a fun night! I wanted to try that Cherry Wheat and never got to. It is on the list for this year though. Sounds like such a great adults only night.

it was very tasty

I agree, i don't know how they afford to get so toasted there. I swear we probably spent like $200 on stuff at the F&W booths, but we mostly got food. My $50 gift card thing didn't last long and then we just paid cash. ouch! Some of those drinks are pricey!

yes it's not cheap at all we blew through our budget quite well, but got some great eats and drinks

OMG we said the same thing!

crazy huh?

So awesome that you got to see Sugar Ray! Your EMH evening looks like fun, I love love love the Nemo queue!

it was a blast we had a very fun night, great way to close out our final night, and I agree on the nemo queue

The Lamington cake looks so cute and fuzzy with the coconut . Your pictures make me want to go to Food & Wine SO bad!!! Everything looks awesome!

it was cute and DELCIOUS! you have got to go during F&W Sra...what are you waiting for

Good Eats, Sugar Ray, and shopping, sounds like a perfect night
Glad you had a fun evening and had some fun surprises when you returned to the room.
Are you going to share your souvie purchases from your buzz shopping?
Can't wait to see whats next

it was a great night jess, we had a ton of fun, the room surprises were extra special...I actually shared all the souvies we bought at the end of the PTR...but that night we did get a decent loot

Great AK videos!

Sounds like an awesome night to round out a great trip! That F&W food looks delicious! YUMMM!

Thanks Missy...we had a good time at AK! and it was a ton of fun, the food is great can't wait to go back during that time again!

 

[mousescrapper]

Last day at Disney…

Thursday October 20th, 2011

Plan for the day:

* Check out

* Get to MK as early as possible

* KTTK tour

* Last minute MK touring

* DME back to airport

“home”

I started out the morning by getting up before the alarm and Matt and into the shower before 6:30 am. I woke up Matt and said let’s try and get moving…

We said good-bye and thanks to our amazing view and room:

After a quick breakfast and final packing we managed to get ourselves out the door and down to the empty airline check-in area before 8 am. It was a breeze taking care of that, we left our carry-on’s w/ bell services and headed over to MK.

Till next time Bay Lake Tower…

The park was already open w/ a morning EMH and it was a cool morning. We got into the nearly empty park and had about an hour before we needed to check in for our 9:30 am Keys to the Kingdom Tour.

We headed up Main Street and stopped for some final PP pictures, which actually turned out to be our favorites:

We had some time for a few rides and since the line for Dumbo was super short, we hitched a ride on a flying elephant:

(lime green of course)

This was Matt’s first and only time ever on the original Dumbo, I am glad he joined me. We enjoyed getting some sneak peeks of the construction over the walls:

We also took another spin on Snow White’s Scary Adventures:

(apparently the guest sitting behind us was excited too)

We headed back down Main Street to City Hall to check in for the tour. Of course I was a nervous that something screwy was going to occur after the fiasco w/ the MNSSHP tickets, but no problems at all.

We got checked in and received a name badge and listening device. We picked out our lunch entrée and drink for later in the tour at CHH. We had some time to wait. I was regretting not bringing my scarf into the park this morning as my neck was chilly…so a last minute souvie purchase was made in a fashion lime green scarf (I’m a getting obsessed w/ my new favorite color)

Some of you may know that my dream WDW job is to be one of the tour guides and wear their swanky outfit. I decided to ask the Tour Hostess if she would pose w/ me for a picture and told her why. She had quite the chuckle and was flattered…no one has ever asked to pose w/ her before.

Matt took some more of the festive MK decorations while we waited for the tour to begin:

​

 

[mousescrapper]

I rushed to use the washroom one more time and the group had gathered to meet our guide and get to know each other…Everyone was getting their earpiece set and I was having the most difficult time trying to get it to fit comfortably around my ear…it’s kind of freaky but the top of my ears never quite developed right and trying to slip that curved plastic piece around it just wasn’t working…I had to hold it half the time w/ my hand or lay my sunglasses arm over it to hold it in place…

After the introductions and questions, which included “what is one of your earliest memories of WDW or favorite moment”

I shared how I remembered the World of Motion from EP as a child and loved that attraction. Matt shared how the first trip w/ our kids in 2005 was so special to him.​

We headed up MS and the tour began…now I have a few pictures and a few tid bits to share…but I don’t want to spoil the fun for those who have never taken this tour and would like to some day. Let me say it was informative and interesting to a Disney fan like me…some things I knew and some things were told to me in a way I hadn’t heard before. Our guide was very good and we had a pretty good group of people who asked questions.

The tour did take up that full allotted time of just over 4 hours. We walked around MS, and a few other areas in the park, went on a few attractions and also got to go backstage and down in the utilidors. Of course you are sworn to secrecy and an oath you will not share any of the behind the scenes things we saw or take pictures…let me tell you it was quite tempting a few times to snap a picture a too.

One of the first things we talked about was how MK is set up like a show in a theatre as you stand outside and see the Train Station to entering the theatre and see the main star ahead of you…

We looked at several of the windows that pay homage to the people behind getting this park off the ground:

One of the first attractions we went on was the Jungle Cruise as our guide had worked as a skipper on this attraction for many years. He shared some personal stories and other secret behind the scene tidbits about the ride.

We talked a lot about official and unofficial Mickey’s throughout our tour and he basically said “if you think it’s a Hidden Mickey, then it’s a Hidden Mickey” some our real that were placed by the Imaginers and others are ones that the cast members have placed (like the set of 3 plates on the dining table in the Haunted Mansion) others are fan speculation…like this one as you exit the caverns on the JC…people say it’s a profile image of Mickey or Minnie:

We also talked a lot about staging and how well the details are done, that you may notice it but aren’t always meant to. Like changes in pavement, music, lighting, etc from land to land…here is an example as we cross over from the hub into Adventureland…look closely(I wasn’t taking a picture of the garbage cans):

One really cool thing he pointed out has to do w/ the Tiki Room building…I won’t tell you what it is, but next time your there reach up and touch it:

At this point we went backstage for the first time:

We got to see behind Splash Mountain and where they keep a lot of the floats. We also saw some CM’s rehearsing for the parades…so that was cool!

We wondered around into Liberty Square and chatted about this area for how the Imaginers really tried to keep the authenticity of the period accurate:

He told us a secret about this window that during the evening parades a speaker is pushed out…I meant to check for it when we were just there in Jan. but forgot…

I had never noticed this detail before either:

​

 

[mousescrapper]

Later in the tour it was time for our lunch break at CHH:

As we were waiting for another tour group to finish up inside, I spotted these guests figuring out what to do next:

I couldn’t help myself…but have a bit of giggle.


At lunch we all received our own Key to the Kingdom:

I also had the Anchors Aweigh sandwich:

We had a nice time chatting w/ some of the other guests and talking about our trips. I showed them some pictures from the Halloween Party of us dressed up too; they got a kick out of that. Plus the Tour Hostess was here helping w/ lunch and I showed her. She loved it.

One of the last pictures I took on the tour was of the windows from the Cinderella castle Suite:

Wouldn’t it be so cool to look out on the park from up there. The end of tour included going in the ultidoors and a few other backstage areas. No we didn’t really see anything that blew your mind, but it was cool to go down there and see some of the areas and ways the CM’s get from to and from.
Overall the tour was really nice and I would definitely do it again once all our kids were old enough to go w/ us. It was a great way to finish up the main portion of our trip. For one final note about the tour…Matt wrote a pretend commentary about it…have a chuckle w/ this:

What I learned on the keys to the kingdom tour
Everyone who has been to the magic kingdom has seen the cable that runs from Cinderella’s castle towards tomorrowland. We have all heard the stories from cast members about how it is Cinderella’s laundry line or Prince Charming’s cable TV hook up. I’ve even heard the ridicules tale that Tinker Bell can’t really fly, but rides down this cable each night at the start of wishes!
But now I know the truth. The first hint comes from the direction the cable runs, right towards tomorrowland. But what is it for? The answer to that question, like many of the other secrets of the Magic Kingdom, lies underneath the part of the park that the guests ever see.
The next time you are at MK, cross the bridge into tomorrowland and right before you get your fast pass for Buzz Lightyear stop and take a look to your left. There is a ride there called “Stich’s Great Escape.” Yes, it really is still there. I didn’t believe it either until I saw it with my own eyes. You are probably asking the same question I did, “With great future based Disney properties like Wall-E, TRON, and Meet the Robinsons, which lend themselves so easily to interactive rides why are they wasting such prime real estate on such a stinker?
The answer, like any good Disney story, involves a handsome prince and a mad scientist. You see underneath this building that no one notices is the perfect location for Dr. Jumba to continue his ground breaking genetic research. His state of the art lab, which he was able to build with surprisingly little interference from crowds in the ride above, is staffed by a small group of Imagineers who he kidnapped and brainwashed (Strictly for convenience sake. Not because he is evil.) requires a massive amount of power to run, Which brings us back to the cable.
Because some galactic agencies insist on calling Jumba’s methods “Insane” and his experiments “Dangerously Unstable”, he needs to maintain a low profile. He needed to find a power source that would not be noticed. He figured Wishes uses massive amounts of power and they only really need it for about a half hour each night. He could use the power all day as long as he shut down for the night before the show. He just needed to run a power line from the castle. For that he was going to need a little help.
He went to the prince and told him that he could provide a top notch security system for the castle so that he would never worry about Cinderella’s safety again and that he would need to run a system control cable to his office to ensure proper operation. Fortunately for Jumba the prince was so excited to be doing something to protect his beloved that he didn’t run the idea by her before giving Him the OK. Cinderella is much quicker on the uptake and would have certainly pointed out the Disney World has more than enough security to keep them safe and even if they didn’t Jumba would probably not be the best choice for their security expert. There is a reason they call him Prince Charming and not Prince Brilliant.
So Jumba ran his cable and began work and no one is the wiser, although one of these days that attraction in the building above might suddenly get much more exciting.
Now that you know the truth let me leave you with two pieces of advice. First, if you happen to run into Jumba tell him you know about the lab but will not say anything if he buys you lunch. And second, if you go to lunch with Prince Charming, just pick up the tab. If you offer to go Dutch you will be there all afternoon while he tries to figure out what his portion of the bill is.​

Word to this tale…ummm Matt wrote this tale after our trip while he was on some pretty good pain medication prior to his neck/spinal surgery…​

 

[mousescrapper]

We finished up our day w/ going on a trip around the park on the train. We boarded at the MS station which is something I think we rarely ever do. We went up to the front car, not quite the first bench but pretty close and then some people sit right in front of us grrr

We circled around toward Frontierland, as we passed the one backstage area (street) we got to see a bunch of characters and CM’s getting ready for the afternoon parade:

We got off at the stop so I could go on BTMRR (I can’t remember if I had snagged a FP earlier in the day, but it wasn’t very busy at all w/ the crowds lining the streets for the parade. Matt had went to go grab a drink and we had missed each other as I came off before him…bummer he was waiting w/ his camera to get a picture of me on the train.

We re-boarded a new train at the same station and rode the rest of the way around w/ still stopping at the now closed Toontown station, we snapped a few pictures:

As we made it back to MS, the parade was coming down toward us so we were able to grab a viewing spot from up there and watched most of the parade. We probably haven’t seen this parade since 2005, so it was fun to see the new floats and additions:

Miss America was in the car today…

I know Bert was waving right at me…

Almost at the end of the parade we headed back up MS to the Confectionery so we could grab some treats to go and a thank-you gift for my BIL for driving us to and from the airport.

The line for the fresh goodies was a little long and we didn’t want to be rushing back to CR to catch our DME bus around 5 (something?)…so we grabbed some pre wrapped goodies and said our final farewells to the Magic Kingdom…

We had a nice walk back to the resorts and grabbed our carry-on luggage and sat in the comfy couches in the CR lobby till I’ll bus arrived. We each took a restroom break to freshen up and I got our bags organized better for the trip home.

The bus arrived on time and we headed back to MCO…we rested and just enjoyed the trip back. At the airport we dumbly remembered you don’t enter security straight away and we shouldn’t have thrown away that last DP or water bottle…oh well…

We grabbed some dinner in the food court area and chatted about our trip, going home and our future pipe dream of someday moving down here and wondering if we did retire and get a job would the allure of the Disney magic lose its affect? Or if any circumstances ever changed in our current living situation would we pack up and come down here? Hmmm not that we are but one never knows huh?

Our flight home was uneventful and we were glad we managed to get two seats together albeit they were in the last row w/ no leg room for Matt…but before we boarded and then part of the way home we looked at most of our vacation pictures that Matt had downloaded to his laptop…

We made it home early despite what they had originally thought and I snapped this last shot of Matt w/ our bags as we awaited our ride…

Well that’s it!

Up Next: looking back over our wonderful 5 days together and a few of our favorite memories and moments from our Mickey-versary for 15 years!

Thanks for reading, J~​

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

The KTTK tour looks like it was a lot of fun! How cool to get to see all of the "hidden" things we always just walk by!

I'm glad you guys had such a nice trip! I'm sorry to see your TR ending though, I really enjoyed following along!

 

[DisMomAmy]

What an awesome last day!! The tour looks amazing! I'd love to do that some day. I love those PP pictures of you & Matt on Main Street too!

 

[mousescrapper]

The KTTK tour looks like it was a lot of fun! How cool to get to see all of the "hidden" things we always just walk by!

it was really cool, and it was fun sharing some of that w/ the kids on our trip last month

I'm glad you guys had such a nice trip! I'm sorry to see your TR ending though, I really enjoyed following along!

aww thanks I'll be starting the Jan TR super soon, so stay tuned for that I will have a group PTR coming up soon too for a girls weekend in oct.

What an awesome last day!! The tour looks amazing! I'd love to do that some day. I love those PP pictures of you & Matt on Main Street too!

it was an awesome last day the tour was amazing, someday you and Tim have to do that! thanks I love those pictures too

 

[JPFamilyMom]

WOW! What an amazing end to your trip. The tour sounds like a lot of fun. I'm hopeful for one day.

Sounds like just an overall great anniversary vacation

Sorry on the goof about the souvies, I do remember you sharing that on your PTR.

can't wait to read your final thoughs

 

[teekathepony]

Ooooh great KTTK tour commentary! I've always wondered about doing that tour. Looks like you guys had a great last day (you know, considering!) All in all a great trip I'd say.

 

[exwdwcm]

What a great last day. We loved the tour as well. I think it was a fabulous choice for your last day too! It looked like a fabulous and well deserved romantic getaway. YOu guys have created some amazing memories and photos!

I love that KTTK pin, it is different than the one we got. I guess they update them every year probably.

now to go read your Jan report!! So when is the next trip?

 

[mousescrapper]

WOW! What an amazing end to your trip. The tour sounds like a lot of fun. I'm hopeful for one day.

Sounds like just an overall great anniversary vacation

Sorry on the goof about the souvies, I do remember you sharing that on your PTR.

can't wait to read your final thoughs

it really was a great tour, we really enjoyed it hope you can do one too

final thoughts coming up soon...

Ooooh great KTTK tour commentary! I've always wondered about doing that tour. Looks like you guys had a great last day (you know, considering!) All in all a great trip I'd say.

thanks...we really did have a great last day

What a great last day. We loved the tour as well. I think it was a fabulous choice for your last day too! It looked like a fabulous and well deserved romantic getaway. YOu guys have created some amazing memories and photos!

I love that KTTK pin, it is different than the one we got. I guess they update them every year probably.

now to go read your Jan report!! So when is the next trip?

we really did and that sounds cool that the pins are different, so if you did the tour more than once.

havent started the Jan TR yet, but super soon

next trip for the family will hopefully be next year fall...but i am going back sooner than that w/ two of my Dispals we'll be doing a joint PTR...so be on the look out for those links

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Awesome last day! The KTTK tour is definitely on my list of things I want to do someday. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Jeff and I have those "what if" Disney conversations too...funny!

 

[mousescrapper]

Awesome last day! The KTTK tour is definitely on my list of things I want to do someday. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Jeff and I have those "what if" Disney conversations too...funny!

thanks missy, you really should do it. we really enjoyed it

 

[mousescrapper]

After years of dreaming and months of planning our 5 day romantic and fun getaway it was really just what we needed…

I loved planning this trip for just Matt and I and finding some new ways to do Disney!

It was a ton of fun meeting so many wonderful Disers this trip too.

Going down in the fall was just wonderful and we can’t wait to do it again.

Some of our favorite moments were:

* Watching Hallo-wishes from our room

* Enjoying some nice meals together at Narccoossee’s and the Derby

* Leisurely spending time at Epcot

* The tour

* Eating our way around the World at Food and Wine

But I think our most favorite Memory of the whole trip just has to be the Halloween Party

We had a blast getting ready for it. We knew long before we even decided to go that the HM bride and groom would be the best costumes. It was such a wonderful, magical night for us, walking around and taking it all in, from the lights, sounds, fireworks and parade to all the guests’ reactions and enjoying being part of the magic in our own special way.

Thank you so much for joining in this special TR and journey as Matt and I celebrated our special love for Disney and each other!

I hope you will join in my latest TR for our family Trip from Jan. 2012

The Magic happened here… (see link in siggie)

And stay tuned for a new PTR coming soon for my ladies weekend later this fall!

Thanks for reading Julie ​