These Kids Make Me Wish You Could Curse on the DISBoards (May '11 Trip) - DONE 9/14

[nilla]

The rain eventually let up, and as the clock continued to tick, we decided to start moving toward Main Street. Dinner is at the Polynesian tonight; Kona Cafe to be exact. We've still got some time, though, so we decide to go set up shop on Main Street and watch the afternoon parade. We usually end up skipping the parades for the most part, but we've got plenty of time and not much else we NEED to do, so it sounds like a good idea.

Well, it SOUNDS like a good idea, but whether or not it actually IS a good idea remains to be seen. The parade is being briefly postponed because the sky isn't looking so good, so Kristin and the kids decide to do a "little" shopping, while I hold down the fort curbside. They're actually gone pretty long, and the rain starts back up again. I don't want to give up this spot, but since EVERYONE has moved to shelter, I guess it won't do too much harm to get under an awning. Not sure what shop I was in front of, and not sure I cared, because I - and more importantly, the stroller - were staying dry.

The rain started to slow, and I got back to our spot. It still coming down a little, but not too bad. Kristin and the kids finally returned, but the parade has now been postponed indefinitely. Ok, what next? It's too early to go to dinner, but not early enough to venture back into the park, so we decide to finally jump aboard Casey, Jr. for a quick spin, and hopefully a sneak peek at the Fantasyland expansion.

As we wait for the train, Dylan insists on playing with those antique games and nickelodeons, which I guess is ok, but still scares the heck out of me because this kid has the tendency to be clumsy. We make it out alive, however, and onto the train. We actually lucked out with the train, too, since there was a question as to whether or not they'd run it in this weather.

They did, though, and if you don't believe me, explain how I got this:

And this:

Unfortunately, I think they've changed the recording, so I can't make the joke about Pocahontas that I already told you about in last year's trip report, but at least we're getting close to some Fantasyland photo ops, right?

Well, not really.

Lots of trees.

Lots of fenceline.

No clear view.

Shoot. We breeze by the "Toontown" station, which is now blocked off, save the signs for Dumbo's Storybook Circus (coming soon!). The tents are visible, too...

...but we could see them from over by the Mad Tea Party, too, so it's not really a big deal.

 

[nilla]

We arrive back at the station, and it's not looking too good out:

Ok, I understated that. It's looking really BAD out, but it's still too early to go over to the Poly, so we decide to sit on the deck behind the station and people watch.

...


...


...


Ok, I can't sit any longer, so is the SOMETHING I can do? Well, we can get Fast Passes again, and Buzz Lightyear sounds like the winner this time. So down the steps I go, ignoring the ominous sky, like so many in front of me:

Without the stroller, I'm able to duck and weave around the masses, though, and grab the FPs in relative short order. Not short enough, though, since the thunder has started to boom. I've got no choice but to carry on, though, and manage to get back just before the rain starts to dump down again.

Now, this part was actually kind of fun. Remember the crowd in front of me in the last picture? Well, if you don't, scroll up now. We'll wait.

...

Ok, you're back? Good. Now, look at Town Square when the rain started:

We were actually cheering to ourselves for these poor stroller pushers to find shelter quickly, and I must say, their effort was impressive. I think if someone would've fallen, they would've been left behind, but it was every man for himself in this sprint.

A few moments later, Town Square looked like this:

You don't see it that empty often, do ya? Almost as funny as it was watching it go from mob scene to ghost town when the rain hit was watching in reverse:

This would once again be jam-packed in a few moments, but we're fresh out of moments, so I can't get another picture. We need to head over to dinner!



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[shan23877]

But wait! One more pic before we enter:

And a few more after we enter:

The Tomorrowland attractions are pretty much crammed together, aren't they? I think I would've loved to ride the Alien Encounter back when it was even more horrifying to kids than it is with its current Stitch theme, but that ship has sailed. Oh well, I would've been riding it myself anyway. Here's a shot of a ride I think I've been on twice, and not for at least two years:

I think the Orbiter would be fun at night, with the park all lit up. It usually has a long line, however, and by the time night rolls around, we're riding other things, so that never happens. The Trasit Auth- um, I mean, the People Mover (what we've been calling it all these years anyway) is one we almost never have to wait for, and one we make sure to ride at least once on each of our MK days. I love the little gimmicks around it, like the fake phone booth. And this guy:

Emily pauses for a pose with him...

...then assumes a pose that I've seen multiple times per day during this trip. And before this trip, for that matter. And after:

For those of you who do not know American Sign Language, that's the motion for "hold me!" And I see it a lot. Because she CONSTANTLY wants to be held. And cuddled. And carried on my shoulders. Her favorite game until recently was, "let's pretend I'm a baby". Kristin has said that if Emily could crawl back up into the womb, she would. And she may be right!

So let's ride the People Mover, shall we? Well, it looks like we shall not, because it's down at the moment. Oh well. Let's grab some Fast Passes (Which we can do, thanks to the kindness of that CM from our last update) for Space Mountain, and then decide what we want to do from there.

I know that sign all too well. Mine doesn't say anything with the arm raise, she just grunts at me in case I wasn't aware of her needs.

 

[MEK]

Holy Mega Update!

I saw about 1/2 your pictures before I left for work AND I left your TR up on my home computer. Does that mean my green light will be on ALL day??????

Anyway - I enjoyed the PP pix immensely. I am wondering - Did Emily go into withdrawal when she could no longer pose every hour for a photographer. I hope you found plenty of picture opportunities for her this summer?

I agree that Space Mountain looks cool with the lights on, but it wouldn't be any fun to ride like that. Despite the refurb, it still goes down a lot! I wonder if/when they will ever totally replace it?

So, I'll be back later to see the rest of your pictures including the stroller race.

As far as my TR - I hope you get around to eventually catching up. I keep the links pretty well up to date so you don't have to sort through tons of posts. Trying to make it easy for you Jon!

 

[nilla]

I know that sign all too well. Mine doesn't say anything with the arm raise, she just grunts at me in case I wasn't aware of her needs.

I figure I should enjoy it while I can, though it does get to be too much! It's funny, because when she was one and far too slow to walk through the parks on her own, that was all she wanted to do. Now this. We figure this may be her last year in the stroller at WDW, too, though that remains to be seen. We let Dylan ride probably longer than we should have, too, though it is a lot of walking for a little kid. Especially the way we roll

Holy Mega Update!

When I finally update, I go all out! It usually takes me about an hour.

Anyway - I enjoyed the PP pix immensely. I am wondering - Did Emily go into withdrawal when she could no longer pose every hour for a photographer. I hope you found plenty of picture opportunities for her this summer?

When we were in the Outer Banks with my parents and siblings, we got "white shirt" pictures on the beach, taken by a professional photographer. After the entire group shots, we got the individual family shots. When it was our turn, it was like, "ok, we know how to do this". We were like PROS. It was funny, but we posed and followed instructions like seasoned veterans, which thanks to Disney Photopass, we are

As far as my TR - I hope you get around to eventually catching up. I keep the links pretty well up to date so you don't have to sort through tons of posts. Trying to make it easy for you Jon!

I'm caught up now!

Now it's your turn to catch up, because here come some more updates!

 

[nilla]

Ok, the rain let up a bit, so let's get over to the Monorail before it starts up again! Moving quickly reaffirms my notion that brand-new Keens are a million times better on a wet surface than nearly-bald Crocs, though not quite as cool and not even remotely Vikings-themed. Still, if it's between supporting a team I've loved for over 25 years and preventing myself from blowing my knee out in the Magic Kingdom...sorry, Purple, but you have to take a back seat on this one. Don't worry; I'll still be behind you on Sunday.

We rush up the Monrail ramp, but since the Monorail's not here yet, our haste is pretty much wasted. We're hoping one comes soon, since we'd like to get to the Polynesian for an early check-in, which has been a secret to our lack of waiting for our ADRs to come due this year.

And what an ADR it is. Kona Cafe. Judged purely on the food, this place was in a dead heat with Le Cellier as my favorite WDW restaurant, until LC stabbed me in the back this year by going 2-credit. Ok, I still love it, but Kona is a yearly "must do" for me, while LC will become sporadic at best. Another thing Kona has going for it is the location - the Polynesian, also known as our dream resort, also known as the place we'll undoubtedly stay at if we ever are in better shape financially or become even less financially responsible than we already are. I'd love to stay at a Monorail resort. Grand Floridian? Too stuffy for our tastes. Contemporary? Too bland. Baby Bear's porridge at the Poly is just right, though, so it WILL happen one day. Just not sure when.

So for now, we have to settle for a yearly visit here for dining purposes. We did 'Ohana for a few years before settling in at Kona, and Kristin wants to return to the former. Me, on the other hand...not so much. To me, the apps are the main attraction at 'Ohana, and we can get those at Kona. I haven't been impressed by the skewered meats at 'Ohana, but that may be because I'm so stuffed by the time they arrive that I can't really enjoy them.

Kona, on the other hand, is the best of both worlds for me. And it's at the Poly, which for those of you who don't know, looks like this:

And here's what my kids looks like at it:

"So which restaurant did you say you like? 'Ohana?"

Whu-? Have you not been paying attention? In that case, let me refresh your memory with a visual aid:

Yep, that's the one. And here's how it looks inside:

See how empty it is? That means that we can't be seated yet, since it's closed. Bummer. But hey, no big deal - we can grab some more plant photos:

Kristin grabs a drink at the bar, which according to the receipt, was a "Gls Casa Grand Png". Now, either Emily typed that up or it's shorthand for something, but either way, I'll try to translate: Glass of Casa Grand Pinot Grigio? Ummmm...makes sense, I guess, so I'll run with it! I either refrained at this point or got some sort of beer, but I can't remember what, so let's just assume I got a beer. And let's just assume it was a Dogfish Head IPA. Pretty safe bet, huh?

Well, not safe enough, because I just found the receipt and learned that it was in fact a Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. I was close. So how was it? We'll get back to that.

There's also a sushi bar just outside Kona, but since I'm more of a sashimi guy than a roller, I'll abstain. My main course will be close enough.

We still have a little while longer to wait, so Emily and I walk over to look at our Photopass pictures. Allow me at this time to point out some of my favorites:

There's that one.

And that one.

Oh, and that's a good one.

And that's the backside of water. And Ginger snaps. But that's not important, because our 70s-era Battlestar Galactica Cylon eye piece is flashing, which means it's time to eat!

 

[nilla]

We're seated, and our waiter looks familiar. We may have had him before, but I'm not sure. He's hilarious, though, which just makes this all the better.

My mug is empty, so I got another Kona FRPA, which means I must've liked the last one I had. Here's what it looks like:

And here's what Kristin looks like drinking her (actual number withheld for liability reasons)th glass of wine:

And here's Emily drinking...well, something:

And here's Emily with yours truly:

And here's the lot of us:

But enough of that. I know what you REALLY want to see, and that's the food. And it all starts here:

So what? It's just bread!

Yeah, it is...but it's really soft and really good bread, and it's got this ridiculously good honey butter stuff that really makes it.

But slow down! Slow down! We can't fill up on bread! And that means you, Dylan! We still need to get an appetizer. The obvious choice for us is the Sticky Wings For Two, which a certain website describes as "Glazed Chicken Wings with tangy Mustarad Drizzle and Toasted Sesame Seeds". I describe it as AWESOME. They have these at 'Ohana, too, but if I can get them here...

Besides being delicious, these wings prove we're compatible, because Kristin prefers the wing part, while I love the mini drumstick things. It's a match made in barbecue heaven!

The wings take us just long enough to order another round, and we stick with the tried and true. The main courses arrive shortly after:

That's "The One", or as it's officially known, "Tuna Oscar". Alongside it are fried green tomatoes, which I've never had pre-Kona but have grown to love. They also throw in some lump crab meat, because everything is better with lump crab meat. As if that's not enough, they give you a hollandaise sauce. But not just any hollandaise sauce - a WASABI hollandaise sauce. Man, I love this. The tuna is completely raw on the inside, and lightly seared on the outside, so it satisifes the sashimi fix without the salmonella. What could be better?

Well, Kristin thinks this:

She decided to flip the script and pass on the tuna (the horror!), opting instead for the Teriyaki-style New York Strip, with pineapple teriyaki sauce. Ok, I'll admit it - it was GOOD. Not just good, but GOOD, which is a world of difference. Not "I'm going to pass on the tuna, too" GOOD, but GOOD.

Dylan got a cheeseburger with mayo and chicken noodle soup, the latter of which he didn't eat. But he did an decent job on the burger, so I won't complain. Em got the Mickey Ravioli and fruit salad.

Our meals are put down, and I come to the realization that a good argument for going to 'Ohana is that it would prevent me from getting the sticky wings here, which played a big role in me being absolutely STUFFED right now. But we still have dessert! I gotta push on...

Our waiter is ribbing the teenage girls at the table next to us pretty hard about who knows what, but the comedy somehow leads to their father striking up a conversation with us. He's a Disney Vacation Club member, and that's instant icebreaker for Kristin. We've batted around the idea of becoming DVC members, since it really would make sense for us, but the initial investment is the showstopper at this point. We can still talk about it, though, right?

The waiter jokingly asks if he's bothering us, but we love the conversation. Talking to other WDW lovers down here has become one of our favorite pasttimes, and this family is super nice.

Dessert arrives, and I just HAVE to force it down. Why? Well, here's why:

White Chocolate Cheesecake. If there's one thing I like more than White Chocolate, it's cheesecake. And vice versa. I know that violates the transitive property or something, but in food logic, it makes perfect sense. Dyl's a big cheesecake fan, too, so I hook him up. Kristin gets the Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee, because we're in Disney, and creme brulee just happens for her here.

The kids got the Overload-Your-Own-Sundaes, and enjoyed every last bit of them:

As if that's not enough, we top the meal off with this:

Oops, sorry! That was a bit premature. We'll get there, just not yet. But we're one step closer, and as we step out onto the Monorail platform, stuffed beyond comprehension and reason, we notice the sun is shining overhead. What does this mean?

Well, the long of it is that it's no longer raining. And it's still daytime.

The short of it is that we have a lot of Magic Kingdom left in us. And that's where we're heading. As my now-Southern sister would say, we're "fixin'" to make the most of our last night here, and if anyone can maximize an evening in the Magic Kingdom, it's this group of high-strung power tourists!

More to come!


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[2xcited2sleep]

Kona has been in the plans several times but for one reason or another I have never made it there. Now that I know a Battlestar Galactica Cylon thingy is part of the deal it is a must do!

Love how much fun you are packing into the last day of the trip!

 

[jdd]

- the Polynesian, also known as our dream resort, also known as the place we'll undoubtedly stay at if we ever are in better shape financially or become even less financially responsible than we already are.

Let me just warn you that once you stay at the Poly, you will be spoiled for life. I was able to get a 40% off code last year and decided we'd do a split stay (half at POR with free dining, half at Poly with 40% off room) - this was the perfect mix for us. However....I don't think we'll ever be able to go anywhere else. To top it off, we stayed Club Level - which was unbelievably awesome....so needless to say, as soon as we returned home last year, I began saving for next year's vacation....

 

[4forWDW]

I can't believe it's the last day
I was a couple days behind, but now I'm caught up.
When we were at MP one time (I think DS must have been around 5 and DD around 8), we were standing waiting for the big doors to open. When they did everyone started merging through the door and a few people merged in front of us. My DS & DD started telling me - Mom, they're cutting, they're cutting. I thought I would start laughing - I had to explain that this is a little different than school and daycare.
I know what you mean about when Dylan starts middle school. We are going back next June - right when school's out since my DD is in middle school. I didn't mind taking her out and missing grade school - but they cover so much every day in middle school. And also, I want to go for 10 days so it wouldn't work to go during spring break.
I've really enjoyed your TR - you'll have to start a PTR soon
Amy

 

[mimiecp]

What a great last day in MK. You pretty much convinced me to try Kona on our upcoming trip (a mere 17 days away!). Your family shots are really lovely and it make me sad that dh is not coming on this trip. While I love being with my parents, it would be better with him along too. (It also helps to have both of us when the kids start fighting and we can play good cop/bad cop . At least my dad can still drop the hammer when necessary.) We'll just have to plan another trip once the fantasyland expansion is complete. I agree that the Poly is my dream location. But, financially, CSR will have to do and it's great too.

Look forward to hearing about the rest of your day, but sad the trip report is almost over.

 

[mimiecp]

Oh, and I agree about middle school. DD started this year and it's a whole new ballgame with homework. Luckily, here in Raleigh we have a few calendar options in public schools and both the kids started school at the end of July and have a two week break the last week in September and the first week in October, allowing us to travel in the offseason without missing school. Now we just have to avoid any hurricanes for the next few weeks...

 

[MEK]

Well - you just ate my choice of app and entree at Kona! I love the sticky wings and agree that they are the best part of the Ohana meal, so why even bother to go there. I do love the Ohana noodles, but I digress.

I also love the Tuna Oscar. It is sooooooooooooooooo good there. Denny doesn't understand how I can eat it. It's still too raw for him, but I love it.

Cool beer!

Awesome meal! Making me hungry.

Ok - carry on Buzz!

 

[KatMark]

And here's Emily with yours truly:

And here's the lot of us:

I am a couple of updates behind (we are out of town for the weekend to meet youngest son's girlfriend) and I've been sick the last two days and not on the DIS much. LOVE the photopass pictures at the MK and your braving the elements to run back to Buzz for fastpasses.

We've never been to Kona and it looks really yummy. We are, however, going for breakfast in a couple of weeks.

I love the picture of you and Emily, and the one of the family is really great too.

 

[nilla]

Kona has been in the plans several times but for one reason or another I have never made it there. Now that I know a Battlestar Galactica Cylon thingy is part of the deal it is a must do!

That IS great, but the food's pretty good, too

Love how much fun you are packing into the last day of the trip!

You ain't seen nothin' yet!

Let me just warn you that once you stay at the Poly, you will be spoiled for life.

I am sure this is true, and that scares me a bit. It won't stop me from staying there if the opportunity presents itself, but it scares me nonetheless! Love that resort...

We are going back next June - right when school's out since my DD is in middle school. I didn't mind taking her out and missing grade school - but they cover so much every day in middle school. And also, I want to go for 10 days so it wouldn't work to go during spring break.

Oh, and I agree about middle school. DD started this year and it's a whole new ballgame with homework.

We're thinking early June as well, since I really don't want to deal with holiday crowds. We don't get a long Spring Break, either. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...

I've really enjoyed your TR - you'll have to start a PTR soon

Thanks! Not sure about the PTR, since I find our pre-trip experience to be a bit boring. We ARE getting very close to booking/ADR procuring time, though!

What a great last day in MK. You pretty much convinced me to try Kona on our upcoming trip (a mere 17 days away!). Your family shots are really lovely and it make me sad that dh is not coming on this trip.

17 days? Whoa! How are you functioning?

Yes, it's always best to have everyone there, but I'm sure you'll still have fun! You can always think about the next trip, too.

I also love the Tuna Oscar. It is sooooooooooooooooo good there. Denny doesn't understand how I can eat it. It's still too raw for him, but I love it.

Raw fish is my favorite kind of fish. It just tastes so fresh and feels good digesting, without all that grease and crap to weigh you down. I actually got Kristin to eat it, too, which is amazing because she was nowhere near that point a few years ago.

LOVE the photopass pictures at the MK and your braving the elements to run back to Buzz for fastpasses.

A little rain never stopped me! A little lightning? Well, that may slow me down, but...


Ok, and now for the updates! And then bed! It's late!!

 

[nilla]

Well, here we go again. Another long-winded account of your average day in WDW by a guy who rehashes the same tired jokes, forces you to look at countless pictures of his family, and goes on and on about things that could probably be communicated in 100 words or less. Post after post of excessive minutia. Unnecessary consumption on both oxygen and your precious time...




...or maybe not! You see, I'm busy. You're busy. And I know we're both busy. I know we all have better things we can be doing than reading a 40+ page WDW Trip Report, but up until know, I've been unsympathetic to that. I'm glad to say those days are over, because for the first time in the history of this drawn out blog (the trip was in MAY, for gosh sakes!), I'm giving you a choice. If you are one of the few that actually ENJOYS the long story made even longer, you can still do that. But if you want the condensed version, you can finally have that, too!

You heard that right. This is not a gimmick. Well, maybe it's somewhat of a gimmick, but a useful gimmick. Hopefully it will make this TR less of a task to consume. And whattayaknow, here I go getting all long winded again.

So before I slip back into that rut, let me proudly unveil...


NILLA'S MAGIC KINGDOM TRIP REPORT CLIFF'S NOTES!


That's right - the abridged version of the story! The story after we last left off, at least.

So where can you get it? Right [POST=42552637]here[/POST]. But if you want the extended remix, you can still get that [POST=42552646]here[/POST]. Or you could simply scroll down and read both, if you're feeling ambitious, curious, or just plain bored.

Now go on! Read!

 

[nilla]

After dinner, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. Once back inside, we rode Buzz Lightyear.

Then we rode Space Mountain.

Then Peter Pan's Flight.

The Winnie the Pooh.

Then Snow White's Scary Adventures.

Then It's a Small World.

Then Haunted Mansion.

And then it was off to the see the nighttime shows before heading back to CSR.

Good night!

 

[nilla]

Alright, I understand that if you read the condensed version, you already know what happens, so no surprises. But I bet that still entices you to read on, don't it?

Yes, as the Cliff's Notes made clear, we went FULL-ON commando when we got back to Magic Kingdom. Yes, Dylan, you endure a week of meeting Princesses because you know this time will come. Yes, this is how we stay so happy. And yes, I'm going to explain it to you all in detail (with pictures!), starting right....


...now. Ok, we went from the Polynesian back to the Magic Kingdom by way of the Monorail, and we've still got a lot of time left before park closing. We've got a few FPs on us, too. Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain are two of them, so we kick our ride bonanza off in Tomorrowland.

I don't care if there's a much better Toy Story ride 'n shoot attraction in Hollywood Studios - I still like Buzz, and it usually doesn't have a huge line. Especially when you've got Fast Passes. So in we go.

Love the instructions on the View Master! We still have a pair of vintage View Masters, and they're as great today as they were back then. Especially the old Disney slides. But the line's a-movin', so we must, too.

This time around, we let the kids ride together, while Kristin and I rode them. In case you may have missed me mention it before, Kristin and I are pretty competitive when it comes to this ride. Mostly Kristin. I give it my all, too, but I think she savors the victory more than I do. But this makes me want to beat her all that much more. So, to put it mildly, IT'S ON. Quick pic of the kids, first:

And off we go.

*B-DOO B-DOO B-OO*

*HONK HONK HONK*

*PCHUPPCHUPPCHUPPCHUP*

And that's that. So who won?

Well, I've been a bit off my game with this ride this year. I can't seem to hit the back of the orange robot's hand, though I'm certainly trying. The hanging alien gets me some points, but for the most part, I'm not as good as I usually am this year.

Kristin?

Well, she was AWFUL this time around. No idea why. She was better earlier in the week, so I don't know what happened.

Emily is Emily. She gets a few hits, and if she breaks 10,000, she's ecstatic.

Dylan, on the other hand, BLEW US AWAY. He was really on this time, and he scored a rare victory over us tonight. Maybe it was the pent-up anger over having to wait in line for so many character photos. Maybe we were weighed down by our gigantic Kona meal. Maybe he was just the better player this time. Whatever it was, congrats to Dyl. You earned it, buddy!

Once outside, the cool post-storm air makes Em feel like dancin':

I don't know if we got video of that, but I sure hope we did! I think the best part of those photos is the women sitting nearby, completely unfazed by it all

I grab a random Tomorrowland pic...

...Emily hold up a lightpost...

...and the four of us set our sights on our next stop...

 

[nilla]

We've got Fast Passes, and we're gonna use 'em! Emily, will you ride it with us?

(shakes head 'yes')

Really? Cool! Alright, let's buckle in (this time with a little more planning, to avoid the bag-induced near-hernia I experienced earlier in the week). Yep, she's ready to go!

She looks serious, but in the end...y'know, I think she actually ENJOYED it! You've come a long way, kindergarten-aged child!

After the ride, the sun starts to set, which makes for a great re-do of the photo from the previous post:

In fact, it makes for a lot of nice shots as we say goodbye to Tomorrowland for another year, moving on to Fantasyland:

Certainly not the best I've seen on these boards, but I like 'em. Here are a few more:

So what should we ride next? How about Peter Pan's Flight?

Sounds good to me! And just in time, because the line gets HUGE right after we arrive:

Yep, those people standing in front are all in the queue. It moves quickly enough, however, so I'm thinking we must've had FPs for this one. We almost never ride it without them, unless it's first thing in the morning. We are in line long enough for Em to spot the same Hidden Mickey we spot every time we ride this:

And hey, Dylan sees it, too!

Onto our flying ships we go, and as we sadly offer our goodbyes to Nana (a family tradition!), we lift off to Neverland. This is still one of my favorites, if not a "top ten" entry. It really drives home the point that blacklights make everything better. I am STILL at a loss to tell you why the standby line moves so slowly for this one, though.

 

[nilla]

So wow, let's stop and catch our breath here. We just got on 3 rides in a very short span of time, and we still have time to hit some more. So how about Dumbo?

Uh, how about no? That's another one we only ever ride if we hit it right at park opening, especially since we already rode the version with the elephants that look like oriental rugs. But we can still pretend like we rode it, can't we?

Silly question; of course we can! And look at how much fun the kids are having! Now howzabout an "all bidness" shot?

Good kids. For that performance, I think we can ride an actual ride. How about Winnie the Pooh?

Dylan made a comment a few years back before one of our trips about not wanting to ride this because it's "for babies". Of course, once he got here, he changed his tune rather quickly. I don't care if it's Winnie the Pooh - it's really fun, and the effect when Pooh starts dreaming is one of my faves in all of WDW. I also like the "rain, rain, rain came down, down, down" song, and, well, pretty much the rest of the ride as well. Not to mention, this is the time that I am SURE that we will spot the Hidden Mickey that is rumored to be in the Heffalumps and Woozles segment.

...and here that part comes. Ok, there's something spinning...but not a Mickey. What about over there? Nope. Quick, Jon - give yourself whiplash while spinning your head like Linda Blair, in case it's behind us! Still not luck.

Ok, this is getting frustrating. We're getting to the end, and we STILL don't see it. Not on the ceiling. Not on the floor. Not on the Heffalumps. Not on the Woozles. Not with a fox. Not in a box. Not in the rain. Not on a train. And as we head out into the next part of the ride, it's not ANYWHERE, so you Hidden Mickey LIARS just LEAVE ME BE, will ya?

Honestly, if anyone has a tip on this one, I'd LOVE to here it. I may even pay you for it. Or mention how cool you are in my next Trip Report. Probably the latter. But I'd appreciate it, because it's driving me nuts!