The Wazowski Report ! HalloweenTime TR Day 1 DONE & Day 2 Started !! Added 12/26!

[prettyprincessbelle]

Hmm sounds strangely like an excuse to me!

Me too!!!!

I hope you're having fun lady!!!!!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

It's been a while since I got over to the TR's & see I missed your dad going to the ER, your birthday, & part of your TR........I'm so, so sorry!!!! I hope your dad is better, bummer he wasn't able to make the trip. Happy belated birthday!!!! Love the pics & report so far! Kinda a drag that a group of kids can be so rude...you would think there would be some chapperones (since I'm assuming these are school kids) with some "rules" laid out for them.....and the guy/gal ripping up the AP is a bit of over-kill to the situation. That's being about as immature as the kids.......they tend to congregate in certain areas & rides.....so avoid those areas & do something else.......DL has lots of options!! Can't wait to see more......I'll try to stay a bit more on top of this!!! Hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Weekend!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

It's been a while since I got over to the TR's & see I missed your dad going to the ER, your birthday, & part of your TR........I'm so, so sorry!!!! I hope your dad is better, bummer he wasn't able to make the trip. Happy belated birthday!!!! Love the pics & report so far! Kinda a drag that a group of kids can be so rude...you would think there would be some chapperones (since I'm assuming these are school kids) with some "rules" laid out for them.....and the guy/gal ripping up the AP is a bit of over-kill to the situation. That's being about as immature as the kids.......they tend to congregate in certain areas & rides.....so avoid those areas & do something else.......DL has lots of options!! Can't wait to see more......I'll try to stay a bit more on top of this!!! Hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Weekend!

Thank you

Thanks for taking the time to look through all my stuff! I just got back today so we'll see how productive I am in the next couple of days because I'm tiiired!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

I'm home and I'm completely DRAINED. I'm going to try and sleep forever until I'm not wiped out! I'll be updating soon hopefully !!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Friday continued...

I normally don’t really rest when I get back to the hotel because I’m usually the planner/timekeeper, so I usually try to make sure meals are figured out and how we’re going to tackle the park when we go back at night. So mom and I figured out what we would do for dinner. We kept looking at the room keys and seeing the Haus of Pizza, so we ended up ordering from there.. and uhh NEVER doing that again. It’s a bargain, but the food was pretty much crap . After we freshened up and got ready, we headed to Disneyland to see what was going on over there. Once we walked towards Main Street, we took a sharp left and headed up the steps to get on the train to NOS. Once we got there, we went on Pirates. I was totally surprised at the crowd, but I was fine with it. I mean, we’re at Disneyland! How can I get too upset! After that, we went on HM, which I always love going on.

Unfortunately, they packed the place, so when we got out of the elevator we were like a pack of sardines. Since there were a bunch of annoying middle schoolers around, it was pretty irritating. This guy in front of me was cutting in front of a bunch of people and turning around to get his friends to do the same. The whole time he was smiling and laughing about it. It was so pissing me off. Next to me, one of his classmates was there and she was getting angry about it as well because I could feel her slightly leaning into my left arm, so I did the same and we made a wall between the cutting friends. After that, I knew we wouldn’t have time to get on one more ride before the fireworks, so I staked out a place at the Rivers of America so I could setup my camera and tripod. Uncle Rich went to get some coffee for himself and for my mom while Raymund and I played with our camera settings.

I tell ya, every time I watch the fireworks, it always fills my heart with magic. SIGH. It was fantastic, no matter how many times I’ve seen it.

Afterwards, we took a stroll to Indie to see how long the line was and saw the sign say 70 minutes! AAHH. No way. So we ended the night with the Jungle Cruise. I have to admit that I like it better in the day. So afterwards, we took a slow stroll down Main Street and headed back to the hotel to knock the heck out!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Saturday: MY BIRTHDAY!!!

So, we kinda slept in because we were so tired, but we managed to get to the park around 8:45. We went to City Hall and I waited in line for maybe 5 minutes and got my birthday funcard! WOO! Its my birthday ! The CM wrote out a birthday button for me and gave me 3 “I’m Celebrating!” button for my mom, uncle & cousin.

After that we headed to Space Mountain to ride that in the morning because I KNEW it wouldn’t be possible to do later in the day. It wasn’t a bad wait at all (probably about 30 minutes).

Then after I asked them if they minded going in Innoventions and they kept saying “its your birthday, we’re following you,” so we went to Innoventions because I saw Courtney’s TR and sooo wanted to see the Peter Pan room! We loooved it in there, especially the living room with the glass projector tv. VERY cool. I loved the kitchen island too. So amazing. I just love how its underlit. I SOO want that! I kept thinking, ‘I could make and decorate a million cupcakes on this!!!’

Then we went upstairs to where all the games are and they were so surprised that there were playing in the starcade instead of playing these games for free, and I have to agree completely! I took some pics of Tomorrowland on the way out and then we went on Buzz I always enjoy that ride! So fun.

We took a stroll towards the Matterhorn to see what the wait would be... NO WAY. Mom took a cigarette break and I got a Tinkerbell Twist (FINALLY!).

MMM. Pretty good. It kind of reminds me of watermelon Now & Laters. Not bad though. I took some pics over here because the pond is pretty nice by the smoking area.

After, we went on IASW. I like the changes! People are SOOO picky. Its SOO minor. GEEZ. I also like the fresh coats of paint on everything, it makes the colors so much more vibrant!

After, we went to ToonTown (Which we always seem to neglect and forget about) and went on Roger Rabbit. I took some pics, then we headed to NOS.

We were about an hour early before the reservation at Blue Bayou, but I wanted to make sure we got a waterfront table. So we hunkered down and sat in the lobby (at least my mom & I did).

Raymund and Uncle Rich went wandering around stores in NOS while we waited. I got a bunch of phone calls and text messages from my family on that day, so I spent that time getting back to all my messages. Then this really funny Filipino man called my name to get us seated, but Raymund wasn’t around yet. So I called him, and the CM gave him a hard time about it. It was so funny, he totally reminded me of one of my uncles! We got a great table by the water, but there were two kids hanging out RIGHT BEHIND me because they wanted to be by the water. They were only there for about 10 minutes, but it was kind of cramped. I’m glad their dad made them go back to their table.

I was really excited about getting a waterfront table, but it kind of turned out to be a mistake. Since there were the middle/high school grads & the choir/band competition, there were teenage hecklers on Pirates kind of ruining the atmosphere by screaming “OH, how’s the chicken?” and “Save me some food!” GAH. So annoying. We tried to ignore it and enjoyed our food. Mom, Raymund, and I had the Buccaneer Short Ribs and Uncle Rich had Steak.

I had the salad last time I was there, so this time I had the gumbo. Good lord is it delicious! I just LOVE it. It’s the only time I enjoy okra. When our entrees came, I was so excited because on the Halloween trip, Patrick (TheAXIOM) made them look soo good… and goodness sake they were!!! MMMMMM. SOOO good. To finish the meal off, they gave me a birthday mousse (I LOVE MOUSSE) and we all shared a Flying Dutchman Cookie Boat. MMM. I just love how they used celebration colors on it this time! There were such great touches of celebration everywhere around the park.

cont....

 

[momto2nenas]

Great pictures! Happy belated birthday!

 

[Sherry E]

I remember that Filipino man from the BB - he was there when we were there in October, calling out names. He was kind of a character.

Love the ToonTown pictures. I am one of those wacky people who finds something new to appreciate about ToonTown whenever I can get in there and really take a good look around (unfortunately, sometimes this is not possible because of all the children running to and fro). I always love the way the cartoonish and exaggerated, off-kilter structures look in photos.

You are right about the Celebration colors drizzled on the Flying Dutchman! How cool! It is really too much dessert and too sweet for me if I am not in a mood for it, but when I had it in October, the colors were definitely just caramel - not fun Celebration stuff. Again, that is the sort of thing that is so great about Disney and DLR in particular - the attention to detail like that, right down to their food items. It is such a subtle thing, and many people who are not detail-oriented probably would not notice the Celebration colors on the cookie boat, especially in a dark place like the BB, but it exactly the sort of thing that DLR does so well.

 

[kaoden39]

I love Toon Town. To me the colors are so vibrant and beautiful. I am not a big fan of Roger Rabbit, the one and only time we went on it I was so sick I just didn't enjoy the queue or the ride. I figure I will try it next time but only on a fast pass basis.

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Great pictures! Happy belated birthday!

Thank you

I remember that Filipino man from the BB - he was there when we were there in October, calling out names. He was kind of a character.

Love the ToonTown pictures. I am one of those wacky people who finds something new to appreciate about ToonTown whenever I can get in there and really take a good look around (unfortunately, sometimes this is not possible because of all the children running to and fro). I always love the way the cartoonish and exaggerated, off-kilter structures look in photos.

You are right about the Celebration colors drizzled on the Flying Dutchman! How cool! It is really too much dessert and too sweet for me if I am not in a mood for it, but when I had it in October, the colors were definitely just caramel - not fun Celebration stuff. Again, that is the sort of thing that is so great about Disney and DLR in particular - the attention to detail like that, right down to their food items. It is such a subtle thing, and many people who are not detail-oriented probably would not notice the Celebration colors on the cookie boat, especially in a dark place like the BB, but it exactly the sort of thing that DLR does so well.

Its funny that you say that Sherry about ToonTown because that is what Raymund and I were discussing while we were waiting in line for Roger Rabbit. Everything is extremely exaggerated in angle and very much so in size as well. Everything is wayyyy too big (which I love) and the colors are very saturated (more so inside than on the outside because of the fading from sunlight and rainfall (I remember the hills of ToonTown being 10x more vibrant when it first opened).

I really love the attention to detail that Disney does everywhere around the park. We also noticed celebration flowers INSIDE Innoventions. Its fantastic what they do!

I love Toon Town. To me the colors are so vibrant and beautiful. I am not a big fan of Roger Rabbit, the one and only time we went on it I was so sick I just didn't enjoy the queue or the ride. I figure I will try it next time but only on a fast pass basis.

You know, I sway either way about Roger Rabbit because it is a bit too much for the wait. I haven't done the ride in about a year and half and decided to give it a shot, but I agree about it being a ride to try on a fast pass basis only.

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

...Saturday Continued:

So after we ate at BB, we were EXTREMELY full! So we took the train back to Main Street and headed out to DCA. The main thing we wanted to do was watch Aladdin and we had quite a bit of time (about an hr). All of us were in no position to be going on ToT, so Raymund and I headed in the Animation building while Uncle Rich and mom took a break and sat across from the waiting area for Aladdin. I seriously could live in the Animation building. Its so fantastic. We watched the zoetrope, went through the sorcerer's workshop, hung out in the big mid area with the fantastic screens of magic, and spent a great amount of time in Off the Page (one of my FAVORITE stores in the resort). I was extremely in LOVE with the new still lifes on display by Yakovetic. They are FANTASTIC. If you take a look at the link, my faves so far are the "Clean Cup, Move Down", What Lies Within, and "Rumor Has It".

After, we went in line and saw that Robert Parr (or Mr. Incredible, but I like to call him Robert Parr because we're on a real name basis friendship ) was standing right by the spot where my mom and Uncle Rich were sitting. I wasn't in the mood to wait and take a picture because I was pretty tired, so we got up and went in line for the show. I managed to get my camera out during the show, but I didn't get very many good shots in. This is the only one I liked. Uncle Rich had never seen it and he liked it

After the show, we went back to the hotel to rest ! Boy we were tired! For dinner we went to Denny's and we really weren't that hungry. We still enjoyed it though. I really like the Denny's off of Harbor. They are always so nice there! After dinner, we went back to DCA to go on Soarin' and so I could get some sweeeeet shots of the night lights in DCA (mainly the funwheel!). My mom had NEVER been on Soarin' and I KNEW she'd LOOOOVE it (of course she did). We had to wait for about 45 minutes, but it was totally cool with me because it wasn't dark enough to photograph. After the ride was over, we headed straight to Paradise Pier !! WOO

Then, we headed over to Bugsland to take more pictures

On the way out, we went over to the Hollywood Backlot to see what the wait was for ToT... a little too long. So I took a picture of it & Off the Page before going to DL.

The main thing we wanted to do was the Matterhorn at night. We went over there and waited in line for about 10 minutes by the nemo line, until someone in line said they were pulling people off of the cars. I thought something was up because I noticed the lights were on up on the tracks. BOO. Oh well, we walked through Fantasyland and around back towards Frontierland. We went on BTMRR! It is always SOOO good at night ! I looove it at night. After that, we went through Adventureland and waited for Indie. The wait was about 50 minutes, but it was a good ride to end the night! Us youngin's split from mom & Uncle Rich and headed to DTD. It was already 12:20 am by that time and the World of Disney was the only store open, so we looked through there and I finallllly got my sweater that I've been holding off on getting for a couple of years. I also got a shirt. I'll post those later

After getting out of the store, my feet were dying, so we sat for a little and I changed into my sweater. When we got back to the hotel, Uncle Rich was snoring and my mom said she got nacho cheese and chips. So we ate that and my leftovers (half a BLT and some old french fries) while watching SNL, then we conked out after about 20 minutes.

 

[Sherry E]

I love the different colors of Mickey's Fun Wheel! It is still weird to me to not see the big sun face there, and, especially, to not see the mouse head in California Screamin' (which I loved) but I guess I will get used to it over time.

I also love Off the Page. I love the Off the Page sign above the door. I have to say that World of Disney and Off the Page have two of the best signs above their entrances out of all the stores in DLR - so fun and lively! That is still one of my ultimate DLR goals/missions - if I ever have time to do it, to just wander all around the resort - parks, hotels, and DTD - and capture all the shop, attraction, bathroom and restaurant signs. This way, in case I ever move away, lose my memory or suddenly become immobile and can't go to DLR, I will have those photos to remind me of what was there!!

 

[Sherry E]

I got to thinking about this after I posted earlier this morning.

Jasmine, let me ask the creative photographer in you a question.....sort of along the lines of my last post about wanting to get photos of all the signs, etc. DLR is so colorful and vivid and 'alive' everywhere you go, and they do highlight the smallest details in every corner of the park for total immersion. When I was looking at your photos and saw the one of the pond by the smokers' area in Fantasyland, it got me thinking, 'I don't think I have ever paid attention to that pond before.' And today, on one thread DisneyFairyTale posted a couple of photos of the Storybook Land ride with little miniature Christmas decorations in the villages that are only there during the holidays, which I had never seen. To me, it always seems that no matter which land I go into, or even which one of the hotels I go into, there is always something yet to be discovered....another Hidden Mickey, another statuette of some kind, another weather vane, another fountain or body of water, another cute bathroom sign, another topiary that I had previously not noticed, another flower bed I had ignored and passed by 100 times, etc. To me, it appears that it is like an endless scavenger hunt - you could make a day out of finding any one of these collections of things and just keep looking for the different sets each time you go. And yet, most folks take pictures of the same familiar sights and sites in DLR which we all know and love, and it makes me wonder if they are all missing a lot of these little nuances too. I mean, I swear I never paid attention to the weather vanes until I came onto DIS! I keep thinking that there are even more things yet to be discovered by even the most detail-oriented, that none of us have seen yet.

So my question is, as a creative photographer with an eye for detail, is there any photographic 'goal' you want to accomplish at DLR, i.e., capture all the topiaries around the resort in pictures? Is there any uncharted territory or are there any 'things' in general that you have yet to photograph but want to get eventually, or do you kind of like that element of surprise in stumbling upon something and saying, "Wow! I never noticed that before! I wonder how many of them there are around the parks," and then going on the quest to find them?? Or both - having a goal AND being surprised?

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

I got to thinking about this after I posted earlier this morning.

Jasmine, let me ask the creative photographer in you a question.....sort of along the lines of my last post about wanting to get photos of all the signs, etc. DLR is so colorful and vivid and 'alive' everywhere you go, and they do highlight the smallest details in every corner of the park for total immersion. When I was looking at your photos and saw the one of the pond by the smokers' area in Fantasyland, it got me thinking, 'I don't think I have ever paid attention to that pond before.' And today, on one thread DisneyFairyTale posted a couple of photos of the Storybook Land ride with little miniature Christmas decorations in the villages that are only there during the holidays, which I had never seen. To me, it always seems that no matter which land I go into, or even which one of the hotels I go into, there is always something yet to be discovered....another Hidden Mickey, another statuette of some kind, another weather vane, another fountain or body of water, another cute bathroom sign, another topiary that I had previously not noticed, another flower bed I had ignored and passed by 100 times, etc. To me, it appears that it is like an endless scavenger hunt - you could make a day out of finding any one of these collections of things and just keep looking for the different sets each time you go. And yet, most folks take pictures of the same familiar sights and sites in DLR which we all know and love, and it makes me wonder if they are all missing a lot of these little nuances too. I mean, I swear I never paid attention to the weather vanes until I came onto DIS! I keep thinking that there are even more things yet to be discovered by even the most detail-oriented, that none of us have seen yet.

So my question is, as a creative photographer with an eye for detail, is there any photographic 'goal' you want to accomplish at DLR, i.e., capture all the topiaries around the resort in pictures? Is there any uncharted territory or are there any 'things' in general that you have yet to photograph but want to get eventually, or do you kind of like that element of surprise in stumbling upon something and saying, "Wow! I never noticed that before! I wonder how many of them there are around the parks," and then going on the quest to find them?? Or both - having a goal AND being surprised?

You know, its funny you ask that because that thought is always on the back of my mind when I'm there. I love taking pictures of the obvious and more beautiful things at Disneyland, but when I find new hidden gems around the park, I salivate over it! Its so wonderful to discover these nooks of magic that no one has really photographed because it puts a new perspective on the place. I didn't really have much time these past few trips to really discover anything, but I tried to whenever I could (its harder to when its SO busy). I also like to pay attention to all the small details that get me so excited about the place i.e. the herbs in Tomorrowland, signs of shops in NOS, and windows in Main Street. It really is a lot of fun and it gives you something new every time you go.

Just a couple of days ago I was discussing Disneyland with someone, and they said "how do you still find the place new when you've been there so many times?" and I always say that there is so much to do at DLR and there are still things that I have yet to discover. As long as you know about it, the more fun the trip will be because you're experiencing something new and different from before. I also have more than just the attractions in my interest when I go, so its hard for me to get tired of the place. Thats just me though!

 

[Sherry E]

So many people don't 'get' the DLR 'thing.' They go, they enjoy the rides, they have fun, but they don't really get into it or see why it is necessary to go back there often, and they couldn't care less about all the nooks and hidden corners of the parks with all kinds of treasures and details yet to find. And what you said is true - it is hard to do a lot of searching for those hidden gems when it is so crowded. I would bet that is a big reason why I have overlooked so many things at DLR in the past - because it was too freakin' crowded or because I was with a group of people who were moving steadily and there was no time to stop. SO it is easy to just pass by things and not really see all that's there. I think I would have to be at DLR for something like a full week during a slower period of the year - and part of the time all by myself - to be able to stroll around and really see everything. I got bitten by the bug last December, when I was finally able to start snapping some pictures of things I had wanted for a while, or noticing some out of the way little corners of lands that I wanted to capture. It is exciting when you spot something that no one seems to have really seen yet. It makes the UNO game Kaycee created more challenging!! Most of my pictures are the standard, anyone-can-take-them variety, but I remember posting one particular photo on the UNO thread that no one had a match for. I have to admit, I felt a particular sense of accomplishment that I had stumped some people with this simple little photo. It was not even an exciting picture - I used black and white; it was literally just a little area tucked away on the outside of a shop or whatever in Frontierland, and there was nothing particularly remarkable about it, but no one appeared to have captured it on film because it was just one of those areas that is passed by without a second glance!!! Finally, I think Marie made a match with a lantern picture, but I think she was even unsure if she was matching or not. That must be SO fun to you too, Jasmine, I bet - to be able to see things you haven't seen and no one else has seen before, or photograph familiar things in a way that is new, creative and refreshing!!

 

[blabbermouth]

Great update! Your nighttime photos are sooo good! Mmm... and now I want short ribs.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Your pictures are awesome, Jazzie! I can't wait for mooooreeee!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Sunday: Last day!

We were all pretty dang tired every single morning (which is usually how it goes when you're at DLR). So when we woke up, that was EXACTLY how we felt. For some reason, we did not take many pictures on Sunday. We packed up our stuff in the car and checked out.

We headed straight for DL so we could go on the Matterhorn because we hadn't been on it at all. So we waited about 40 minutes (not bad) and ended up getting split 2 & 2 because of the CM. Oh well, no biggie. I personally like it better at night, but when I ride it at day, it feels more nostalgic. Then after, we walked through Fantasyland and around NOS and went to Splash. The wait was pretty short (about 20 minutes). I always like that ride, but I got soaked this time!

After, we went on the train to Tomorrowland and took the Monorail to DTD because we were going to eat at Rainforest Cafe for lunch before leaving the park. The food was pretty good and we sat outside on the balcony so we could all dry up. Afterwards we went to Vault 28 so Raymund could see the artwork there. I LOOOVE IT there now. I never really paid attention to it there, but now I'm going to stop by EVERY TIME! Then after, we went to WoD and shopped before taking off. Uncle Rich had to go to the airport because he flew, so we went back to the hotel and waited for the shuttlevan to get to him before we left. After that, we took our 6 hour drive back to San Jose (but not before stopping at a McDonald's so I could change out of my wet clothes.. they were still wet after 3 hours, and then to Sonic in Gilroy, MMM).

So thats it for my birthday trip! Next up is my Memorial Weekend trip!

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Memorial Weekend!

Friday:

Okie dokes. SOO This trip consists roughly 8 - 9 people. Me (of course), Eric!! (he backed out of going to Mexico and went with us to Disneyland instead), my cousin Derrik, his wife Heather, Heather's brother Chris, Chris's girlfriend Judith, Judith's sister Devin, Heather's co-worker Mike, and Mike's girlfriend Tessa. Talk about 6 degrees of separation! WHEW. The reason why its roughly 8 - 9 people is because Devin (Judith's sister) works at DLR, specifically either on tours or at City Hall and she got Chris & Judith in free every day. When she wasn't working, she met up with us and went on rides with us.

OOOOKAY, let's get started, shall we? So since we left a little late the weekend before and because its memorial weekend, we left here at 3 AM. Instead of going on I-5, we went on 101 almost the whole time because we met up with Chris & Judith at their place in San Luis Obispo.

(OH, BTW, unlike last weekend, we took a bajillion pictures!)

This is Heather & I.

We didn't get to the Tropicana Inn until 10 AM (LA traffic.. bleh). So they had our room ready (YAY!). So we got all our stuff in and headed to compass to meet up with Devin.

OHMG, first time to Disneyland for Chris!! Holy cow, we're so excited!

And the bungFACE begins

Then we went over to guest services to get Derrik & Heather's tickets because Derrik had this special for military people where they can get in for free and they can get up to 5 people 3-Day park hoppers for $94! Oh & Eric needed to upgrade his AP to Premium. After all that, we were still waiting for Mike & Tessa and that took a while. We took pictures.

Thats Derrik up top & Chris Randomly jumping into frame!

Chris & Judith

Chris running because he was so restless haha

Devin is on the right

uh oh, someone is bung-ing it up!

Then about 30 minutes later, they showed up, but did not have tickets, so we had to wait for them to buy them at the ticket booths. GAH. So, Chris, Judith & Devin went ahead and went to DCA without us.

Derrik was already irritated by waiting, but Heather didn't want to leave them, so we waited by the compass. Tick Tock Tick Tock. BLEH this is taking a loooong time. So we took pictures.

oh we're soo fake fighting haha!

Then we went in and caught up with the rest of them by the wharf. Since its the Food & Wine Festival, Heather & Tessa tried wine. So Derrik, Mike, Eric, and I got margaritas. They were prettttty tame and I'm a lightweight, so Derrik & Mike thought they were suuuuuper weak. Oh well, it was kind of hot, so it was good to me! I got a strawberry margarita.

cont...

 

[Sherry E]

Weak, tame alcoholic beverages are right up my alley! I really do not like the taste of alcohol, which is why I never became a drinker, so IF I drink anything, it has to be tropical, fruity, frothy and weak, so that I can barely taste any alcohol. It doesn't surprise me that Disney serves weaker stuff on their property - especially IN the park.

Wow - you had quite the group with you this time! It CAN be very frustrating to have to wait for a whole other segment of your group to arrive - whether it be another 10 people or another 2 people. I have done it before. You just feel like you are wasting so much time that could be better spent, while the crowds are building in the parks. After a while, as the years progressed, we began either making sure we had everyone together before we got to DLR, OR we would just meet them IN the park at a designated time. The last few trips we met up with one friend at the hotel and one in the park who could never give us a set meeting time the day beforehand and would not let us know what time she was meeting us until about 2 hours or less before she was on her way....which was kind of inconvenient if we were all the way in ToonTown and she wanted to meet us in DCA. I like people to just pick a time and place to meet - whether it is 11:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. - early on, preferably the day before - and just stick to it. I hate the kind of being-in-limbo feeling that Shawn and I have at DLR when we are not sure when our other friends are going to call us or show up, and we can't fully plan our day and where to be at what time.

So was your group ultmately an organized group or a disorganized one - did everyone have different agendas or were you all on the same page?