The Twinsies Become the Four Mousketeers! A July 2013 TR Really Final Update 10/19

[bellebookworm9]

Welcome to yet another trip report from yours truly.

If, somehow, you don't know me by now, let me make some brief introductions:

Hi, I'm Gretchen. I'm 22 years old, currently about to begin the second year of my doctoral program in audiology, former cast member on the Disney College Program and, by some miracle, or just a glitch in the system, still considered a seasonal cast member. I also work part time in a group home for individuals with varying physical and mental challenges. In basically all of my spare time, I'm planning another Disney trip!

These were my partners in crime for the trip, Matt and Kaitlyn.

They are both students in the same program and year that I am at University at Buffalo. So let me introduce them as well.

Kaitlyn is 26 years old. She's done every profession in the book, before coming back to school for her doctorate in Ears. Originally from Long Island. Hates the cold Buffalo winters. Her family owns DVC at the Beach Club and Saratoga Springs, so she's a frequent traveler. Despite this, I showed her many attractions on this trip that she had not been aware of before-including Soarin'. She loves to drink around the World Showcase (or anywhere, really), her favorite character is Alice, and she also loves Harry Potter.

Matt had absolutely no solo pictures taken, at least that I've been given permission to post, so you get one of the both of us.

He is 28, originally from the desert of California. He is the total opposite of Kaitlyn in every aspect imaginable, right down to the fact that he LOVES Buffalo winters. Matt is what I like to call my "not-boyfriend". And the only reason I say that is because there is almost no chance he'll ever see this. I'm head over heels for him, but too afraid to say anything. We do couple like activities (art museums, food festivals, movies) and that's where it ends for now. Matt's family took yearly trips to Disneyland when he was growing up, but his last trip there was in 2005, shortly before his father passed away. He has only been to Disney World once before, in 1996-I'm pretty sure he was there during the awful pink cake castle, which he denies remembering. Maybe he's just repressing it? So he had a lot to learn this time around. He previously stayed at the Polynesian. Matt loves movies, animals, and culture so I knew all the parks would appeal to him.

And last but not least, is my Twinsie.

That's an old picture, but trust me, his very essence is captured there! His real name is PB. He just got promoted to a full time position at Magic Kingdom Outdoor Foods yesterday. Before that he worked part time counter service food at the Yacht & Beach Club. He's also done three college programs. The first time was in 2010, where he worked counter service food at the Grand Floridian. In spring 2012 was when we met, both Main Entrance CPs at Epcot. And this past spring he worked at Pecos Bill's in Magic Kingdom. He's 25; originally from Ohio, now lives in Florida (obviously). He is studying for a Bachelor's Degree in theater, and aspires to move over to the entertainment side of the parks. We have an add relationship: people either think we are related, or dating. Neither are true. But hey, ohana means family right? And this strange group is my ohana.

So now that you know who we are, let's answer some of those other important questions.

WHAT: Trip to Disney World and a visit to Universal Studios (the dark side! )
WHEN: July 24-30, 2013
WHERE: Art of Animation, Lion King Suite
WHY: Because who really needs an excuse to go to Disney? But really, I wanted to make one last trip to take advantage of my discounts and free admission before the separate me.

Let's begin, shall we?

Table of Contents

July 24th
"You take a lot of pictures, don't you?"
"Does this count on the dining plan?" "YES!"
"What is this music?!"
MISSING PHOTOS POSTED 12/13

July 25th
"Do you do magic shots?" "Maybe."
"So apparently you're a six year old gorilla..."
From Dinosaurs to Asia to Ireland

July 26th
Come to the Dark Side, We Have...Water?!
"Not Another Weasley!" Part 1
"Not Another Weasley!" Part 2
"Not Another Weasley!" Part 3

July 27th
Princesses, Vikings, & The Least Efficient Car Ever
"You're excited because we went right? Think about your life right now..."

July 28th
Deserts, Oceans, and Jungles, Oh My! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
"You're a Rose Between Two Thorns"
Absolutely Perfect Timing

July 29th
"This ride was a lot cooler when I was a kid..."
"I really just want the glowcube!"
"Do you want to ride again? With no wait?"

July 30th
Now It's Time to Say Goodbye...

 

[bellebookworm9]

On the morning of the 24th I woke up at 6:15. It didn't take me long to get dressed or finish my last minute packing.

The three of us live in the same apartment complex, so I walked over to Matt's to load my stuff into his Prius, then we drove to get Kaitlyn. Let me tell you, three people, three big suitcases, three backpacks, and a carry on suitcase in a Prius does not make for a comfy trip. Thankfully, we only live about 5 minutes from the airport! Traffic was not heavy at all at 7am. We parked in the "cheaper" long term lot and took a shuttle to the terminal. The line to check in for JetBlue was almost non-existent, but the line for security was longer than I've ever seen it. It did move fairly quickly. They sent me through the X-ray machine, and for some reason I got kind of a half-hearted pat down in the chest area with no explanation. Whatever, moving on.

Kaitlyn and Matt were hungry, so we went to the food court. I just wanted juice, as we had gotten *free* danishes and breads from Panera Bread the night before. But they both ordered breakfast sandwiches or pizza or something. When we arrived at our gate, they had already started boarding. But since it's Jetblue and you've picked your seats ahead of time, no big deal.

Kaitlyn had one window seat, and across the aisle I was in the middle with Matt in the other window seat. They were disappointed that their seats didn't recline as we were in front of the exit row. The trip was uneventful, if I remember correctly. We landed on time, made a quick bathroom stop and Matt got some Starbucks before we boarded the shuttle-tram thing to take us to the main terminal.

I really liked this art, seen immediately after getting off the tram.

Now, in every single trip I've been on except one, I have always tagged my bags for Magical Express. The one trip we didn't tag them, we still used Magical Express, but it was late, I was tired and confused and shuffling along with 100 other teenagers as part of a school trip. I literally have no idea where baggage claim is in MCO, other than "on level 2". We found it with no problem, and I'm pretty sure this is where Matt started laughing at me for all the pictures. He was just like, "Are you seriously photographing this right now?!"

It did take a while for our bags to come. That picture was taken at 11:37am. When our bags finally showed up, Matt and I went to get the rental car while Kaitlyn had a smoke break. We were renting from Dollar because they had a great deal. Matt agreed to upgrade for $5/day from a mid size to a full size. They specifically mentioned Ford Fusions.

So we make our way over to the garage, and discover the only full size vehicles they have are Mitsubishi Galants. OK, not a big deal, but I guess Matt was really hoping for a Fusion. I was just happy that it was not a white rental car cause that's just boring. Nope, this one was a bright redd-ish orange. We definitely never lost it!

Soon we were all packed in and traveling down Rt. 528 to I-4.

That picture was taken at 12:38pm. So about an hour from the time we arrived at baggage claim to the time we were on the road.
We got off at Exit 68 to stop at the WalGreens near the college program housing. Kaitlyn needed vinegar and distilled water for a nasty wound she had (she'd had some dysplastic moles removed almost a month earlier and the one on her calf had popped its stitches). I took a picture of the car there.

We bought Kaitlyn her stuff, plus some snacky foods (not really necessary as I had placed an order with Garden Grocer), toilet paper (I hate the cheap stuff at the value resorts), and paid a visit to the adjoining liquor shop so those two could stock up on beer, whiskey, and brandy. Me? I was just happy with my apple juice boxes. Seriously!

We got back on I-4 West and soon came to exit 65, Osceola Parkway. Minutes later, this greeted us:

The check in parking lot was our first stop; we get out of the car and they start opening the trunk.
Me: Um guys, whatcha doin?
Them: Getting the bags...
Me: We have to check in first, then we will *drive* to a parking lot nearer to our room and worry about the luggage.

We entered Animation Hall and as usual, there was no line at the Online Check In queue. Pat checked us in very quickly, explained the info in our folder, told Kaitlyn about the "Beers & Ears" app that has a checklist of every beer on the property, and warned us about spotty cell phone service due to the way the buildings were constructed.

I had specifically booked a Lion King suite, and requested a room on the highest floor with a lake view. We were in room 6738. Building six, third floor, lake view. Not bad at all! Walking past the construction walls around the "playground" we entered the building and took the elevator up. Of course, we were the second to last room at the end of the hall. This turned out to be good though, because the outside stairway was much closer to the parking lot!

I took pictures after we had kind of unpacked but not messed everything up yet.

(I was SO EXCITED for that shower tile!)

(But very disappointed they'd done away with the colorful bedspread shown in opening photos from last year. Just like pretty much every other resort now, white with a runner.)

Our Garden Grocer delivery was already in the room!

And the views (it had just finished briefly downpouring):

Not disappointed at all!

Matt took the bedroom, Kaitlyn the couch, and I the table murphy bed. We hung out for awhile and then decided to go get some lunch!

 

[Lei]

Your ohana seems so much fun! Especially because there's two CMs in the group

awh, so sweet of you with matt. You'd make a cute couple, really

 

[wiigirl]

Following along.

 

[PrincessBrittany06]

This seems like its going to be an awesome TR and I cannot wait for more

disney college program represent! I'm also an alumni however I did my program during the fall of 2011 as a custodial cast member in the world showcase!

 

[abbybeth]

I'm in! Sounds like a fun trip Love the looks of the Lion King room - I want that Hakuna Matata table for my apartment!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Your ohana seems so much fun! Especially because there's two CMs in the group

awh, so sweet of you with matt. You'd make a cute couple, really

We do have our moments of fun. And crazy. And thanks, that's what everybody tells me. Literally our whole class (so 10 other people) are secretly rooting for us!

Following along.

This seems like its going to be an awesome TR and I cannot wait for more

disney college program represent! I'm also an alumni however I did my program during the fall of 2011 as a custodial cast member in the world showcase!

I'll try not to disappoint! And woo hoo-another Epcot CP!

I'm in! Sounds like a fun trip Love the looks of the Lion King room - I want that Hakuna Matata table for my apartment!

We did have a lot of fun. I loved the Lion King room-I'm planning another trip with my mom and brother in January and we will definitely stay at AoA, either in a Cars or Lion King suite. Kaitlyn really liked that table as well. There was another one that had "Just Can't Wait to Be King" on it!

 

[bellebookworm9]

I gave Matt & Kaitlyn the option of eating at Landscape of Flavors or somewhere in Epcot. We decided on Landscape, so we could also redeem our mug credits.

I forgot to mention that when we first arrived at the room, my key, and only mine, wouldn't work to open the door. So I also went back to the desk to talk to them about that. The girl I spoke to printed me a new key and said that would hopefully fix the problem. If it didn't, there was probably a "My Magicband" error attached to the reservation, and that would take longer to fix.

We spent some time perusing the stations in the food court, and I also reminded them that we would be eating dinner in three hours. Matt was too funny, having never used the dining plan before. He kept asking if certain items were included, and did this for about three days. I finally told him that if it wasn't alcohol or lobster tails, it probably was!

Kaitlyn and I each got a burger. Mine had bacon, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato on it. Matt got a pulled pork sandwich. My dessert was the Everything Brownie, and the other two got stamped for gelato to pick up after the meal so it wouldn't melt. We sat in the Little Mermaid section.

The burger was good, but the brownie was crazy. It was just too gooey and rich, with too many toppings. I could only eat a couple of bites. Matt got chocolate gelato and Kaitlyn chose Nutella; they were both very happy with their choices.

When lunch was done, it was time to head to my home, Epcot! I'm a very good navigator, so we didn't get lost. Kaitlyn has some medical problems so she has a handicapped tag for the car, and as a result, we were in the first row of the Amaze lot, just steps from bag check! Approaching the turnstiles, I was shocked to see a giant construction wall blocking off almost all the middle ones, but I heard they are converting them to the touch point ones. And silly me, didn't read the sign and went to the wrong line for cast member admission, since they had moved it due to the construction. Whoops! But no worries, we were soon in. After I said hello to some of my former co-workers, we headed straight for Spaceship Earth. The wait was short, I think about 5-10 minutes.

I told Matt to smile for the picture, since he was sitting with me. He didn't listen! I managed to get some decent shots inside the ride.

See, according to Spaceship Earth, we have a future.

They both deemed it cool, especially the cartoon at the end. I was also able to get our pictures on the giant map at the end.

Matt and I are the bottom two. We said we were from Los Angeles, since that's close to where Matt really is from.

Kaitlyn is in the top row, middle picture.

When we exited, we split up for a few minutes. I went to the Camera Center to redeem our Photopass Plus voucher, and they went to Guest Relations to get a Guest Assistance card for Kaitlyn. I had no problems with the Photopass card, but they weren't so lucky at GR.

Kaitlyn gets very bad anxiety in crowds. I've never seen anyone have a panic attack at the mall until I met her. My original plan was to get up early for rope drops, be the Fastpass runner, and avoid lines and crowds that way. Well, my mousketeer buddies nixed that idea very quickly. They wanted to sleep in, so I figured the GAC would be the best way. I'm not unscrupulous, I promise! But the manager she spoke to, who I know and don't like very much, almost refused to give her a card. She was finally able to get one, but he wrote, underlined and in capital letters, "ONE TIME EXCEPTION!"

With that out of the way, we decided to wander back to World Showcase. Along the way, we encountered a Photopass Photographer and got some pictures taken.

GIANT GROUP BEAR HUG!

The first country we encountered was Mexico, of course.

We made it a point to try on the different hats in most of the countries, but Kaitlyn has those pictures and hasn't uploaded them yet. When she does, I'll post them here!

Before the trip, Matt told me that as a child he loved The Three Caballeros movie. I knew that we would have to go on the Gran Fiesta Tour, so we did. There was pretty much no wait.

It was just as odd as I remember it being the last time I rode it three years ago. Matt enjoyed it though, so that's really all that matters. We also stopped into La Cava del Tequila. Kaitlyn got a beer and a margarita, but I can't remember what kind. It was sweet and creamy, so I'm told. Matt just got a classic margarita. And I was boring and just kept drinking my bottle of water!

We stopped in China to take pictures with their hats, and then meandered into Germany. I showed them the $37,500 crystal castle and the pickle tree.

We browsed for a bit and took more hat pictures.

Crossing over Africa we arrived in Italy. It was still a bit early for our reservation so we hung out by the lagoon for a few minutes and took pictures holding up Spaceship Earth, which again, I don't have. I decided it was close enough to our ADR time to go check in.

 

[OhMari]

That is the first time, I saw a room from Art of Animation.
It is really a sensory overload.

Is there a Guest Relations inside Epcot and outside?
The reason I am asking is because I saw a thread the other day complaining how Guest services outside of Epcot was backed up and people were hot and passing out. I only knew of the Guest Services inside the park. The CM at Guest Relations-what a grump.

 

[bellebookworm9]

Kaitlyn & Matt sat at one of those little tables with an umbrella outside Via Napoli. I walked up to the outside podium, where the cast members proceeded to ignore me for a couple of minutes. When they finally decided to acknowledge me, I was told I needed to go check in in the lobby. Oh, well thanks for the signs or instructions.

I gave them my name and it was called about two minutes later. The poor girl severely mispronounced my very German last name which is always amusing. We were seated close to the ovens, which was pretty cool.

Apparently I liked the high ceilings and lights.

Eugenio and Alice were our servers, as Eugenio was being trained. They were both very nice. I ordered the Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) pizza, Kaitlyn got the Mezze Rigatoni alla Creme con Pollo (pasta with cream, chicken, and peas) and Matt chose the Linguini Frutti di Mare (shrimp, clams, mussels, and squid tossed in marinara piccante).

My pizza was big for being an individual size, and I ended up taking some leftovers back to the room. I really enjoyed it though, and Kaitlyn had a bite and said it was much better than her pasta. She thought the pasta was okay, but said that if she had paid $24 out of pocket for it she would have been thoroughly disappointed. Matt had no complaints about his seafood pasta, but he rarely complains about anything!

Our desserts were very good. Kaitlyn was very full, and wanted to know if she could get the Gelato Frizzante (ice cream sold "Italian style" with San Pellegrino Aranciata and vanilla gelato) to go. They told her they didn't have to go cups, but they could give her the bottled soda and a cup of ice cream. She declined and just drank it in the restaurant. She told me it was very good. I think I had a sip and agreed.

My dessert was Coppa dii Brutti Ma Buon! aka "The Ugly But Good" (Amarena cherry and vanilla gelato sundae). It was indeed delicious, but I don't know that I'd call it ugly.

That brown thing on the side was a cookie type item, and there was another one as well. I didn't really care for those.

Matt got Tiramisu, which he said was great, but very heavy. It took him awhile to finish it, so we just sat and chatted while he ate.

He was also very pleased to discover that coffee counts as a drink on the DDP, and insisted I take a random picture of his coffee.

On our way out, I took a photo of the beautiful chandelier in the lobby, but the light was so bright that I couldn't get a great shot.

I had been texting PB, and we decided to meet at the Duffy Bear store around 8. Since we still had a bit of time, our next stop was Japan.

We browsed in the Mitsukoshi store for a while. Matt and I found these really cool clocks that played music and split apart on the hour. Unfortunately, they were also hundreds of dollars, or we might have taken one home!

It was getting closer to 8 and I could see that the World Showcase Plaza was already starting to fill up, so I prodded them a little bit to get moving. We made it over, and to my disappointment, the area in the dead center was a) reserved for a party or group of some sort and b) the remaining area was walled off for construction. Booooo. I finally spotted PB and we ran towards each other in our traditional "almost knock each other over with the force of collision" hug.

His family was visiting the same time we were, and they were also staying at AoA, but in a Cars suite. He told me his brother and sister-in-law were having dinner in France, and his nephews were back at the hotel being supervised by another relative (a niece, maybe?).

PB was hungry so we detoured to the Cantina in Mexico. I think he got nachos. Kaitlyn was apparently less full by that point so she ordered some "churritos" which she deemed gross, plus another beer and another margarita. We ended up sitting right next to the dock on the Mexico side of the plaza. Not an ideal spot, but not a bad one either. We spent time chatting until the show started. When the pre-show music began, PB and I looked at each other, horrified. The first couple of songs are new, and kind of weird. Like African tribal music, I guess. I don't even know. It was just unsettling.

Eventually the show started. PB and I narrated the beginning along with Jim Cummings and then proceeded to conduct the fireworks and dance, as we are prone to do. IllumiNations is literally my favorite thing in Disney. However, as I've seen it more times than I can count and already have 296 pictures of it (not including the 4th of July or Holiday tags ), I didn't take any more. When it ended, Kaitlyn said she enjoyed the show but thought me and PB dancing was more entertaining.

As we were all leaving, we ran into one of PBs managers. He was definitely a bit drunk, was wearing a sombrero, and had a "hot" girl (according to PB; I thought she was kind of skanky and too made up) on his arm. PB said the guy is normally overly uptight so it was funny to see that side of him. We also ran into PB's brother, and said brief hellos and goodbyes. Then they went to the bus and we went to the car. I knew we'd be seeing PB again at some point during the trip.

I did have to pull up the "Maps" app on my phone but directed us back to the hotel without incident. This was also when I found out that my new room key didn't work either, so I would have to go get that fixed the next day.

Upon our return it was time for showers and bed. It had been a very long day, and although we took it pretty slow, there wasn't a lot of downtime. The first day went well, I think. And Thursday would bring Animal Kingdom, a first for both Kaitlyn and Matt!

 

[bellebookworm9]

That is the first time, I saw a room from Art of Animation.
It is really a sensory overload.

Is there a Guest Relations inside Epcot and outside?
The reason I am asking is because I saw a thread the other day complaining how Guest services outside of Epcot was backed up and people were hot and passing out. I only knew of the Guest Services inside the park. The CM at Guest Relations-what a grump.

I think the room seems "louder" in pictures. After a while, I didn't even really notice the colors. I've heard the Nemo rooms are much worse. The Cars ones are a lot of orange, but I think they might be the most subdued.

Yes, there are two Guest Relations. The outside one is to the right of the turnstiles when you are facing them-it's right next to package pickup. It's just a window version, as opposed to the building that's inside. There's actually also a third one next to the ticket booth at International Gateway.

Yes, that CM really is a grump. Most people think he's just been in the same position for too long. Thankfully, I think he was the only truly unfriendly CM any of us encountered this trip.

 

[bellebookworm9]

Thursday morning I was nice and said it would be fine if we got to the park around 11am. We had a quick breakfast in the room before heading out to Animal Kingdom. Once again, thanks to the handicapped tag, our parking spot was in the first row.

There was a photopass photographer outside the turnstiles, so of course pictures were taken.

There was a backup at the turnstiles. Since so many of them are specifically the touch entrance ones, it really restricts the people without the RFID tickets. Judging from the timestamps on the photos, it took us 20 minutes to get in and through the Oasis up to the Tree of Life.

I asked the photographer if he did magic shots and he asked me which one. I told him I would like the Simba one. He said maybe. Kaitlyn said, "Maybe yes?" "Maybe." Well, he took the picture, but when I checked it later, Simba wasn't there. However, the lovely Photopass people were able to correct the problem, as they did the last time I had this magic shot taken.

That was at 11:10. There was a Festival of the Lion King show starting at 11:30 so we made our way over to Camp Minnie-Mickey. We were seated in the lion section, which made me happy. I think it's the best section!

The bird aerial lady is one of my favorite parts of the show, but I can never seem to get very good shots.

Of course, by the end, I was dancing and singing along. Kaitlyn and Matt both said they really enjoyed it as well. I decided that we should head back to Africa next for Kilimanjaro Safari. This was our first test using the GAC, and we were able to go through the Fastpass line. Soon we were loaded into the back row of the Jeep and off through the wilds of Africa.

I recently heard that black rhinos are officially considered extinct. I'm guessing that means in the wild, cause Disney has at least one...

Just as we turned onto the savannah, it started pouring buckets. This next picture is of giraffes, but mostly just rain water!

The elephant family was enjoying the shower by playing in the water! The baby was actually underwater.

The rain did let up a little as we approached the kopje, and two lionesses were out that day.

It was a nice safari, not the best I've been on. I did really enjoy seeing the elephants playing. Since neither Matt nor Kaitlyn had ever been to Animal Kingdom they thought the safari was awesome. In fact, when I asked them at the end of the trip what each one's favorite attraction we did was, they both told me it was the Safari!

 

[bellebookworm9]

When we exited the safari, the next logical place to go was the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.

Since we live in Buffalo, I'm a big fan of this rock.

This little yellow bird was super cute, but if I remember correctly, the CM on the trail also said he's vicious-they find nests built by other birds and puch the babies out.

We were able to see a hippo at the underwater viewing area, but since it was so crowded I couldn't get a good picture until it was swimming away.

Hey, it's Timon!

The gorillas were not being very social.

Kaitlyn: "Look, he's scratching his butt. Take a picture!"

Matt's hands are apparently the same size as those of a six year old male gorilla.

And we were actually able to see two male gorillas in their habitat.

It seems we spent about 20 minutes on the trail and Matt said he was getting hungry, so we trekked over to my favorite CS restaurant, Flame Tree BBQ. We were all boring and ordered the same thing: Ribs & Chicken combo with cole slaw and baked beans. Kaitlyn also ordered onion rings and a Safari Amber beer, both of which she enjoyed. For dessert, I ordered the Key Lime Mousse and the other two went with chocolate.

I liked the ribs and coleslaw, thought the beans were just okay and the chicken was fatty. However, Matt pointed out that I generally only eat white meat skinless, boneless breasts and that may have contributed to my opinion. The other two thought the chicken was good.

After lunch I decided it was time for something new: It's Tough to Be a Bug! I HATE 3-D things, but Unofficial Guide rates it as not to be missed. And I did like being up close to the Tree for the first time.

Matt told me I couldn't post his "bug eyed" picture. He said he looks like an unshaven earthworm poking his head out of the ground for the first time in a year, and said if it had a caption it would be titled "Matt being ugly." I had posted it on Facebook, his mom saw it, and thought he had been drinking!

The lobby posters were the best part of the show. I can say nothing positive about the actual show itself. I avoided getting "stung" by sitting on the edge of my seat. It was just loud and in your face. Kaitlyn really liked it, but she also has a pet tarantula, so take that with a grain of salt.

When that disaster was over, we headed over to Dinoland. I'm pretty sure we took bathroom and smoking breaks before going into the theater for Finding Nemo: The Musical. It had been three years since I had last seen it, and I forgot how much I like it. I actually don't care for the movie all that much because it just feels really, really long, but I think this show is a perfect, summed up version.

MY BUBBLES!

Kaitlyn absolutely adored it (she loves Finding Nemo) and Matt liked it as well. I walked out singing "Go With the Flow" for the rest of the day.

Then it was time to conquer Dinosaur!

 

[Lei]

Hmmm yeah, I generally love 3D, but some of the Bug's effects really are in your face! I'm so between love and hate with that show

Btw, I've never used Photopass before, but I thought every photographer can do magic shot. So I thought wrong?

 

[bellebookworm9]

Hmmm yeah, I generally love 3D, but some of the Bug's effects really are in your face! I'm so between love and hate with that show

Btw, I've never used Photopass before, but I thought every photographer can do magic shot. So I thought wrong?

Ugh. I just shudder thinking about it. Most of the time (such as at Star Tours) I can just take the 3-D glasses off and be fine. Not with this, because there's stuff actually in the auditorium!

And to my knowledge, not all PP photographers could ever do magic shots, it depended on the location. But there was recently news that do a system overhaul, the magic shots would be at only 1-2 locations per park.

 

[abbybeth]

I've done ITTBAB once. And that was enough. And even going in to it I had read enough on the DIS to know about the stink bug and some of the crawly effects on the chair. And I still hated it. I think the premise of the show is cute, but as someone who is easily creeped out by bugs, it's too much.

I do love the theming, being in the Tree & the adapted Broadway posters, but that's about it for me!

Finding Nemo the Musical is also a pass for me. I'll probably go on this trip if we hit it at the right time, but I don't like it enough to wait or make a special effort. I think the puppetry is incredible, but there's just something about it that doesn't work for me!

 

[bellebookworm9]

I've done ITTBAB once. And that was enough. And even going in to it I had read enough on the DIS to know about the stink bug and some of the crawly effects on the chair. And I still hated it. I think the premise of the show is cute, but as someone who is easily creeped out by bugs, it's too much.

I do love the theming, being in the Tree & the adapted Broadway posters, but that's about it for me!

Finding Nemo the Musical is also a pass for me. I'll probably go on this trip if we hit it at the right time, but I don't like it enough to wait or make a special effort. I think the puppetry is incredible, but there's just something about it that doesn't work for me!

I knew what to expect with the effects as well, and it was just not for me. I don't even get creeped out by bugs.

There were several times last year when I would go to AK just to watch Finding Nemo, and then never actually go watch it! I remember one of the things that bothered me most the first time I saw it was that Nemo is portrayed by a female.

 

[bellebookworm9]

After Nemo was done, we trekked through Dinoland to Dinosaur. The stand by line was not long, but we still used the GAC in the FP line and got into the preshow very quickly. In the boarding area, I told Matt & Kaitlyn about the ketchup/mustard/mayo pipelines, but I don't know if they found it as cool as I do. As per my usual, I ended up cowering with my eyes closed before Mr. Carnotaurus came by, but I did look up right after the picture was taken-for the first time ever. And when I saw the dino, I kind of went, "Wait, that's what I've been hiding from for six years?!"

Then it was time to conquer the Yeti. Once again, we used the FP line and boarded quickly. I really liked this sticker in the queue, because I am a "Sassy ginger".

I said I'd be the odd one out and was seated with someone from the singles line. After we went through the backwards part and were up in the dark with the shadow Yeti, I went, "Here we go!" except...we didn't. We kind o hung out there for a bit longer so then I just felt stupid. But we did eventually get going again. At the end, the line to get the pictures was kind of long, but I stuck it out. Matt said of himself, "Look at me with my arm curled in on myself in fear!"

They both did like the coaster. Matt said that he thought it might be boring since it starts out kind of slow but quickly changed his opinion.

I asked if they wanted to go see some tigers, and of course they said yes, so Maharajah Jungle Trek was our next stop.
Here's a Kimodo Dragon.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of "monitor" this is, but Kaitlyn has a Savannah Monitor named Bubba, and this guy was somehow related.

We saw exactly one tiger, and he wasn't feeling up to entertaining guests. Can't blame him. It was hot and humid.

There were a bunch of gazelles/antelopes out.

And we did have some luck in the aviary.

Our last stop of the day was Kali River Rapids. The stand by line was something like 75 minutes. I would NEVER wait that long for this ride; it's in no way worth it. We had a very short wait with the GAC, and I loved this light along the queue.

Matt and I sat together, and while I got a bit wet, he was the one in the raft who got drenched. We squelched our way out of the park back to th car and were soon back at the hotel. We invested about 6.5 hours at AK, and I think it was one of the best days I've had there!

Back in the room, we all dried off and put on clean clothes, then relaxed before our dinner reservation. I called down to the front desk about my key, and they told me they would print a new one. A bit later, a manager called to tell me that they essentially had to rebook the reservation and were reprinting keys for all of us, so I went down to get those before we left. Miracle of miracles, all three keys worked this time! But since I didn't have my credit card with me when I went to pick them up, we didn't have charging privileges attached. And with no credit card, there's also no PIN, which caused some hassle with the dining plan until I went down to the desk again to get that fixed!

Our dinner ADR was at 8:30 at Raglan Road, Kaitlyn's request. I'd never eaten there before. Parking at Downtown Disney was an absolute mess. We finally managed to snag a spot by the AMC theater and the West Side billboards. Then Kaitlyn proceeded to take us on a very long walk to the restaurant around all the various construction walls that are up. I felt totally and completely lost and disoriented. We barely made it in time for our ressie, and still had to wait about 30 minutes. Kaitlyn went to get beer, and Matt and I browsed the gift shop. Kaitlyn joined us and found a shirt she liked, but just as she decided to buy it our buzzer went off. So we stashed the shirt in a different cubby way back in the corner for later!

We were seated in the main room, with a good view of the entertainment but back enough that conversation wasn't too troublesome. Unfortunately, my pictures of the band and dancers didn't turn out very well.

We enjoyed free bread while we perused the menu. It was served with an olive oil and Guinness reduction, which tasted like honey and was very good.

I ordered "Keen Eye for Shepherd's Pie". I know it looks small, but there was actually quite a lot there; I couldn't finish it all!

Matt ordered "Braised Be. Beef" with mashed potatoes and (I think) grilled parsnips and carrots, which he didn't eat but Kaitlyn enjoyed very much.

And Kaitlyn got the "Serious Steak" topped with onion rings on top of mashed potatoes.

The food was very good and we liked the entertainment. Kaitlyn has family in Ireland so she's been there to visit, and had a great time singing along to the classic bar songs. Her only complaint was that in a "real" Irish pub, there would have been another guy in the band playing the spoons.

More dancing:

Then dessert!
Matt ordered "Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding" which I did not take a photo of because it's probably the most photographed item at this restaurant, and therefore many pictures already exist on the DIS. He liked it, but couldn't finish it, because it was so fluffy yet so dense.

I chose the "Strawberry and Apple Crumble". I didn't read the description closely enough to realize it was baked in a tart, so I was expecting more of a cobbler. No matter, it was still very good.

And Kaitlyn got the "Black Forest Kiss".

While she went to use the restroom at the end of the meal, I snuck back to the gift shop to buy her shirt as a belated birthday gift, since she wasn't in Buffalo for her birthday a month earlier. She was very pleased!

I really enjoyed the restaurant and would definitely return. Kaitlyn and I danced our way out of Downtown Disney to the "Shake It Up" theme song while Matt looked at us like we each had three heads.

As we got in the car, I noticed that Kaitlyn had managed to walk out of Raglan Road with her glass of beer. It's very good that we didn't get pulled over!

Back at the hotel, we had one of the funniest moments of the trip. Kaitlyn's in the parking lot, and just in the middle of it she sets down her bag to get our her cigarettes. While she's still holding her glass of beer. With mouse ears askew on her head. It was just an image of ridiculousness. Matt actually took a picture of her "rock bottom". They banter and bicker all the time, and for some reason he said something about being surprised that she can remember anything with all the alcohol she drinks. Funny part is, the next day he and I were talking about it, and he couldn't remember what he said! I pointed out the irony there and he said, "Point for you. It's not often true irony comes up in every day life". Score!

 

[abbybeth]

Sounds like a really fun day at AK and a great dinner at Raglan Road. RR is a favorite of mine too -great food, great atmosphere. The bit at the end about Kaitlyn walking out with her beer and the description with ears askew had me laughing! Drunk Disney Grownups for the win

 

[wiigirl]

Great pics!