This is the dawning of the rest of our lives... AT DISNEY WORLD!!!! COMPLETED 1/6!!!!

[Merida]

Regarding Tower of Terror: I bet it's mostly people who are obsessed with the show. Like I said, I would totally recognize anything from Friends, so I can understand someone who has seen every Twilight Zone episode several times pointing out stuff right away!

I agree... I like our ToT story much better, the same goes for our Rock N Roller Coaster VS the one in Paris. Kinda lame!

Well.. the first Good Wife episode I did was back in Sept of 2010, Miranda Cosgrove was in it. I think I did like 5 more over the next year. I've never watched the show but I'm pretty sure I've worked with the whole main cast. I really like working there, it's a lot of fun and the wardrobe people are cool which is SO IMPORTANT because I hate when they make me wear something I don't feel comfortable in like I'm actually going to be noticed or even shown on camera. And the food is really good. They have the best catering I've had besides Boardwalk Empire.

It is SO WEIRD that you just brought this up because I literally just saw those soda machines yesterday at the Regal Cinemas on 42nd & 8th and was freaking out because I'm trying not to drink soda and be super healthy so I didn't get any. But I am totally going back because it was the coolest thing EVER and I agree it is very very important!!!

Yeah, I don't get the point of big drinks. Why would you drink a huge alcoholic drink? If you're drinking just to enjoy something tasty and refreshing why not get something non-alcoholic? And if you're drinking to get drunk/tipsy, why not just do a couple shots and get it over with? LOL. I just don't enjoy alcohol. Thank God for wine or i'd be screwed.

Ahhh I want a meet cute to happen to me. I don't know where John Cusack is right now but I'm upset that we're not stumbling over each other in Central Park or something. A girl can dream.

The Miranda Cosgrove episode actually was pretty good (for something revolving around stunt casting). I love lawyer-y shows (what up, L&O: SVU) and I love politi-dramas so I think the Good Wife is awesome. I'm glad to hear the food is good! It makes me irrationally sad when there's bad behind-the-scenes stuff (not like actors' personality, but more the mood of the set) about things I love.

Seriously, those machines are amazing. Lemonade is fruit juice so it's TOTALLY healthy. They have the light/fat-free/I forget what it's called to be healthier lemonade version too!

There are some cocktails I like to drink for the taste - long islands (yummm), mimosas (I can't drink orange juice plain, but I like it as a mixer!), and alcoholic Arnold Palmers are the ones that come to mind first, but I still wouldn't want a MASSIVE one. I like that most of the bars out here are breweries and thus also have craft sodas and nothing can beat the taste of a fresh-brewed root beer.

Favorite (neglected) Beatle has to be Pete Best. Poor guy. It has to be really hard to be the Ringo Starr of Ringo Starr.

I love the value food courts. Seriously some of my favorite food on property - probably because it's SO fresh due to the sheer number of people that come through there. Can't convince my boyfriend to try out the values so I am food-court-less for the foreseeable future.

We got one of those wrapped Mickey/Minnie cookies and ours wasn't that great? Not a fan of the black icing and there's so much of it. I was eating one of the bear paw brownies (Animal Kingdom has some of the best snacks EVER) at the same time, so maybe it was a comparison issue.

Old Key West looks really fun - Olivia's is on my list of must-try restaurants. Both OKW and Saratoga look nice and laid back, probably since it's mostly DVC people that go there (versus tour groups, first timers, etc. It's ~hardcore Disney people~ central!). Also treehouses! And Downtown Disney boats (so help me, I will never have to bus my way to or from Downtown Disney).

Heh, we ended up giving up on our Christmas Processional package because we were just Christmassed out. idk, it's nice in theory but I didn't want to stand in line for ages when I could be exploring World Showcase. We were even around the United States pavilion so we could hear it as we wandered.

And I like the Hanukkah story better. I wish they had different stories to rotate through the CP, because there are so many good ones associated with winter holidays, but I'm like 1000% positive that it will never happen.

Our meal (at San Angel) was quite excellent too. I'd definitely recommend it (plus we got to do the boat ride while waiting to be called. Best queue ever)!

I have many thoughts on package/reservation fees, very few of them positive. At least the 48 hour cancellation thing is ~standard (well, Disney standard, meaning it will vary from cast member to cast member still) now (while still be awful).

 

[__disneygirl]

The Miranda Cosgrove episode actually was pretty good (for something revolving around stunt casting). I love lawyer-y shows (what up, L&O: SVU) and I love politi-dramas so I think the Good Wife is awesome. I'm glad to hear the food is good! It makes me irrationally sad when there's bad behind-the-scenes stuff (not like actors' personality, but more the mood of the set) about things I love.

Seriously, those machines are amazing. Lemonade is fruit juice so it's TOTALLY healthy. They have the light/fat-free/I forget what it's called to be healthier lemonade version too!

There are some cocktails I like to drink for the taste - long islands (yummm), mimosas (I can't drink orange juice plain, but I like it as a mixer!), and alcoholic Arnold Palmers are the ones that come to mind first, but I still wouldn't want a MASSIVE one. I like that most of the bars out here are breweries and thus also have craft sodas and nothing can beat the taste of a fresh-brewed root beer.

Favorite (neglected) Beatle has to be Pete Best. Poor guy. It has to be really hard to be the Ringo Starr of Ringo Starr.

I love the value food courts. Seriously some of my favorite food on property - probably because it's SO fresh due to the sheer number of people that come through there. Can't convince my boyfriend to try out the values so I am food-court-less for the foreseeable future.

We got one of those wrapped Mickey/Minnie cookies and ours wasn't that great? Not a fan of the black icing and there's so much of it. I was eating one of the bear paw brownies (Animal Kingdom has some of the best snacks EVER) at the same time, so maybe it was a comparison issue.

Old Key West looks really fun - Olivia's is on my list of must-try restaurants. Both OKW and Saratoga look nice and laid back, probably since it's mostly DVC people that go there (versus tour groups, first timers, etc. It's ~hardcore Disney people~ central!). Also treehouses! And Downtown Disney boats (so help me, I will never have to bus my way to or from Downtown Disney).

Heh, we ended up giving up on our Christmas Processional package because we were just Christmassed out. idk, it's nice in theory but I didn't want to stand in line for ages when I could be exploring World Showcase. We were even around the United States pavilion so we could hear it as we wandered.

And I like the Hanukkah story better. I wish they had different stories to rotate through the CP, because there are so many good ones associated with winter holidays, but I'm like 1000% positive that it will never happen.

Our meal (at San Angel) was quite excellent too. I'd definitely recommend it (plus we got to do the boat ride while waiting to be called. Best queue ever)!

I have many thoughts on package/reservation fees, very few of them positive. At least the 48 hour cancellation thing is ~standard (well, Disney standard, meaning it will vary from cast member to cast member still) now (while still be awful).

I love SVU but I miss Chris Meloni. MY HEART ACHES FOR YOU, STABLER.

I drank something called a "Purple Haze" this weekend which was blue raspberryish and it was probably the best cocktail I've ever had. Plus, it was named after Jimi Hendrix so it had to be good. I need to try more of them but I hate spending $10 on a drink I may not even like.

"It has to be really hard to be the Ringo Starr of Ringo Starr." Oh man, that was a good one. So true!

You should just drag your boyfriend to Everything Pop against his will or ditch him. Especially b/c I hear Pop now has a burrito bar where you can choose the exact ingredients that go into it, like at Chipotle. Sigh. I love you Disney.

I've heard Olivia's is wonderful and I want to stay in a treehouse SO bad!

You should definitely see the CP one day, it's so beautiful. It would definitely be worth waiting in line. Disney does an incredible job with the show, just not so much the package. Sigh... You're right though, it would be cool if they rotated the stories.

 

[__disneygirl]

DECEMBER 7, 2011
Day 3, Part 5 In Which They (RUDELY) Close Epcot In The Middle of Our Conversation!​

Oh, hey! OMG, I haven't updated since March 30. I can not believe it has been that long. LIFE HAS BEEN CRAZY! Good crazy, for the most part. Some pretty awesome things have been happening and I only see more awesomeness on the horizon so I'm quite excited about that... for now I am choosing to be vague.

Anyway, since it's been so long and I know you are all probably waiting on the edge of your seats, I am going to post two updates. Why not, right?

When we last left off, my mom and I were less than thrilled with our CP package experience, but got over it pretty quickly due to our ability to Live It Up constantly, regardless of the circumstance! Okay, on with the rest of the report!

As soon as the Candlelight Processional ended, my mom and I headed for the exit. You know how sometimes you get to that point in Disney where (for whatever reason) you are just done? Whether it be fatigue or the weather or whatever, it all becomes too much and you just need to breathe for a hot second. That was us.

The rain had stopped, but the wind picked up and it was FREEZING out. I mean, we were cold and wet to begin with, but throw the wind onto that and you had two very unhappy girls! We wanted to get back to Pop, change into warm, DRY clothing and get back to Epcot as soon as possible. There was no time to lose!

I had shut my phone off during the Candlelight Processional, and when I started it up again I saw that Jess (Disneyfreak508) had sent me a few messages. You know her as one of the ultra fabulous and frumptastic trip reporters here on the DIS! Her current TR is here, if for some crazy reason you are not reading it!!!

I was surprised when I read her messages because SHE SAID SHE WAS IN DISNEY TOO! I had NO idea she was going to be there at the same time as me. Her and her mom took a quick trip down as a celebration for her mom's birthday, and also so Jess could go to a character lookalike audition. She wanted to know if I wanted to meet up, and I remember her saying that she hoped I didn't think she was a creepy stalker or something LOL. I didn't think that at all, but I've never met someone from the DIS before so I was little nervous. I mean, you never know how you'll get along with someone in real life. However, she had left such nice comments on my TR and I knew we had tons in common so I figured we would have a good time. Eventually, we decided we would meet up for Illuminations and watch together.

Back at Pop, I dressed like it was fall/winter at home. I wore a tank top with a sweater over it and a leather jacket over that, black skinny jeans, socks, and ugg boots! Before putting them on, though, I soaked my feet in the hot water of the tub to warm me up and so did my mom. It worked well, but once we got back to the park we were still pretty cold. The wind was CRAZY. I never thought I'd be that cold at Disney World. I'm so happy we packed for cold weather just in case!

We were back at Epcot shortly. Despite the disappointing CP package experience & crazy weather, the Livin it Up had to continue! So we decided to hit one of our Future World faves, Spaceship Earth, before heading over to the World Showcase.

I still miss the old version of this ride (Jeremy Irons!) but I love the new additions too. As usual, we cracked up when they showed our future on the screens.

We decided to head over to the WS to do some wandering around before Illuminations. We were being really silly and carrying on like children, and I took no pictures, but here is what I remember about that:

-We spent a lot of time with our troll friend in Norway, and doused ourselves with Laila, as usual.

-We fought the massive hoards of people trying to get on Maelstrom and were able to ride after the 100 minute wait. WHEW. FRUMPIEST RIDE EVER.

-We spent a LOT of time with German hotties. As usual.

-Okay, I can't remember if this happened in Norway or Germany. But it was so hilarious. There was a CM named FLORIAN. Which, to me aka an American, is a hilarious name. But another CM with a really thick accent said in a very high pitched tone "This is my friend, FLORRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAN!" and I almost choked. It was the most ridiculously hilarious moment. I was so mad my mom wasn't right there at that moment, but as soon as I told her about it she was cracking up and we kept talking about OUR FRIEND FLORIAN the entire trip. We kept looking for him later on, too. LOL!

-I got my first German pretzel of the trip, this time not for free unfortunately (you'll remember that story if you read my last TR)!

-I liked Glaz und Porcellan, the former shop in Germany that had candy, more than Karmel Kuche. I'm not a huge fan of caramel and the old shop had so many different choices as opposed to having everything involve that one ingredient. Some of the stuff did look yummy, but I still stuck with my little mozart chocolates.

-I had no idea Tangled was supposed to be set in Germany, but apparently it is! I discovered an entire Tangled section in one of the German shops! They actually did have a few new items that I had not seen in other places. I was happy, but there wasn't anything I really wanted. I had my eye out for a Pascal pin or stuffed toy, and nothing!

-While looking at the Rapunzel dresses, I looked at the biggest child size because sometimes a large child size fits a small adult. Unfortunately it was tiny and I said something about how it was totally unfair and a woman smiled and said, "You're right. You're never too old to be a princess!"

It was nearing showtime, but mom got caught up shopping & in conversation with a CM and so I told her I was gonna go ahead to France (my favorite country to watch Illuminations in) to meet up with Jess. She said she would be right behind me.

Like I said, I was kind of nervous to meet Jess since we had never met in person before. I was afraid it would be awkward. Well, it turns out there was no need at ALL to be nervous b/c we ended up getting along perfectly! As soon as I walked up to Jess she gave me a big hug and introduced me to her mom, who is also a huge Disney fan. Actually, one of the first things she said to me was, "I think I have a bit of a Disney addiction." LOL. Anyone who says that to me, I'm friends with immediately. Also, while Jess and I were talking about how we wanted to be princesses, her mom said I would make a good Aurora. A few minutes later, my mom came and we all started talking a mile a minute about how perfect Disney is and how much we all love it. It was so much fun!

Illuminations began and we watched in awe. I love the normal version of this show, but I knew the big Holiday ending was coming and that was so exciting! I've seen Illuminations like ten times, and it never gets old, but seeing a special addition onto the show was like a great breath of fresh air. Let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations and then some. I can't even explain it except to say it was BREATHTAKING beyond my wildest imagination. If you come during the holidays, missing this is not an option. We were just standing there speechless and in awe.

But not for long! LOL. When you have 4 girls who love Disney all together at Epcot, expect a lot of chatter. We stood in that same spot, right next to the crepe stand, for a long time just talking and talking and talking and talking as Epcot emptied out.

At one point, I looked around and realized there was literally no other person anywhere near us. EPCOT HAD CLOSED!!! Excuse me, Disney, how rude. We were in the middle of a very important Dismeet!!! I then saw a lone CM rolling a trash bin by and realized we should probably go. LOL.

While we walked out of Epcot, Jess and I were walking together and my mom and her mom were walking together. It was so awesome that our moms got along as well as we did! I loved it! My mom was kind of wary of the whole thing at first since she had no idea who they were and I suddenly just sprang on her that we were gonna meet up with people, but just like me as soon as she started chatting with them everything was fine! It was such a fun time, us being some of the last people at Epcot, chatting away about our favorite Disney things. I loved it!

Once we got to the front of the park, Jess and her mom went to the parking lot since they rented a car and my mom and I went to the busses, and even as we were walking away from each other, we were still talking! LOL. It was such a fun night and totally lifted our spirits from the less than stellar Candlelight Processional experience. I love when something happens at Disney that you never expected and ends up being amazing. Such fun!

I posted on Twitter:
Park closed at 9:30 and we're still here haha kinda lingered for awhile I love it! We're the people who never wanna leaaaave.

As my mom and I waited for the bus back to Pop, I saw this bus:

Ahh! It was not the first time I had seen a bus marked FLYNN RIDER, but I finally was able to catch it for a pic. Over and over we saw these Flynn Rider busses, and had no idea what they were for. Maybe training? So funny!

While on the bus ride home I posted:
They have played the Laverne and Shirley theme song on the Pop bus all three nights we've been here LOL

Dontcha just love the Pop Century theme music?! So many classics! Love that nostalgia.

Up next: I'm about to get my riiiiiiiiiiide on - AT DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM!!! Sorry Mickey Sorry Mickey Sorry Mickey!!!!​

 

[__disneygirl]

DECEMBER 8, 2011
Day 4, Part 1 In Which We (Almost) Sustain Several Injuries


I remember getting up and opening the door on this morning so that I could make sure it was warm out again after the frozen tundra experience we had the night before.

WHOA.

I was hit with a gust of wind! Jack Frost had whistled up a winter for us on that lovely Disney morning. It was just as cold as it had been the night before and it remained that way all day.

I was really happy that I had planned for us to spend all day at Animal Kingdom, since that park is always quite literally AFRICA HOT. It would be interesting and nice to experience it under a colder temp, and hopefully, the animals would be out to enjoy it as well!

I posted on Twitter:
Never thought I'd be wearing a leather jacket and uggs to the parks! The high today is 67 which is a nice break from the heat.

I know 67 doesn't sound that cold, but the wind was alive and kicking and made it seem freezing!

My mom was totally into early morning park touring today, and so we were off to AK!

This is my favorite Christmas Tree in all of Disney. Oh my God, all the ornaments are so incredible! Just look at that meticulous detail! I remember seeing a pic of this in a TR AGES ago, like in probably 2005, and ever since then I wanted to see it in person. It did not disappoint!

When we walked through the turnstiles, we were greeted by this:

I can hardly even look at it. I wanted to keep walking. I have a thing about spiders. In that I hate them. HATE THEM. I've always had pretty bad arachnophobia but of course, my mom is fascinated by them and so we had to stop and listen to this CM's spiel about how they shed their skin. It was actually interesting but ahhhh even the dead skin of a tarantula skeeves me out. There were at least 3 other CMs holding bugs in frames and telling people about them, which I had never seen done before. Interesting!

I told my mom we should go straight to Anandapur so that we could get on Expedition: Everest before the lines got too long, and she agreed, so onward to the Forbidden Mountain we headed!

We stopped along the way at Anandapur Tea Company because we really needed some warming up. My mom got a regular coffee, and I had a jasmine tea which I loved! Delicious. Definitely want to go back there and try more of their teas.

The wait at EE was only 10 minutes and almost no one was around. How empty Disney is during the beginning of December never stops being funny. You keep expecting to see crowds but then you turn a corner and see like 5 people near the park's most popular attraction and you have to laugh. We sat on a bench just enjoying our drinks and relaxing for awhile before getting on the ride.

I actually got to see the famous queue for the first time! I had only ever been in the Fastpass and Single Rider lines. It was awesome to check out all the amazing details!

Those Yeti photos are pics that they recovered from a shattered camera... the people who took the photos were not so lucky!

We went on twice before heading over the bridge to Dinoland. I hadn't been inside Chester & Hester's Din-O-Rama since about 2006, so I wanted to explore over there!

We went on Primeval Whirl, my first time since 2006 and my mom's first time ever. Of course, there was no wait.

This is such a cute ride. People say it's just the Wild Mouse, but it's not: it's the Wild Mouse with Disney theming, which is what makes it so fun. I love all the crazy dinosaurs and signs.

After we disembarked, I spotted one of those fun photo strip machines where they take 4 pics of you and you get them instantly. It was $5 which is really high for one of those, but whatever, it was 100% worth it.

Our 4 different poses were happy and smiley, serious Snape face, completely goofy crazy faces, and then like a loving mother/daughter hug pic. Ok, so when we did the crazy faces, I accidentally hit my mom in the face with my hand. She was all "OW!!!" but then we laughed about it and quickly recovered so we wouldn't miss them taking the next photo. What we didn't know is that they FILM you the entire time you pose, they don't just take the still photos. Then they give you an instant replay of all your poses. So basically they played back to us our happy faces... and serious faces... then we get to the crazy one and WE SAW ME HIT MY MOM IN THE FACE! It was the most hilarious and unexpected moment. We laughed so hard for the longest time, on and on and on. We could not breathe. I wished we could get the video instead of the pictures. It was too much. It was like America's Funniest Home Videos or something. We got out of the booth and took our photo strip and continued laughing up a storm on our way out of Chester & Hester's and on toward Dinosaur.

Mr. Imagination! Near this statue we saw Goofy and Donald in their Christmas outfits (Goofy was Santa! GAWRSH) so we got in line, but then they left for a break so we just continued on. Oh and btw, we saw a bird eating out of a stroller and that did not help our giggle fits to die down at all.

Dinosaur had about a 5 minute wait so we hopped right on. As soon as you walk in the building you need to look to your left at the diseased dinosaur mural. I didn't stop to take a pic but you know what I'm talking about if you read Kara's (MarieTheCat24) TR. It shouldn't be funny but... it is.

Anyway, I love this ride so much. It never gets old or less exciting. My goal this time was to be able to look the Carnataurus right in the eye as it roars in your face but alas, I just couldn't do it!

After getting off Dinosaur, we looked around in the shop for awhile. This is a great place to look for an original souvenir for a young boy or even an adult who is really into Dinosaurs and other creatures. It reminds me of the gift shop at the Museum of Natural History in NYC. Actually, now that I think of it, most of the shops in AK tend to have original and cool merchandise.

Walking through Dinoland brought us back to Discovery Island, where we discovered that the island was pretty much deserted.

We decided to venture on into the Tree of Life to see Flik and the gang! I've never been a huge fan of It's Tough To Be A Bug even though I love A Bug's Life. It's still so cool to go through the long queue and see all the animals carved into the tree, though. BTW... did you guys hear a PART OF THE TREE OF LIFE FELL OFF LAST NIGHT? Yeah. This piece of news seems to be overshadowed by the news of the Starbucks partnership (I love Starbucks but I really don't care/see what the fuss is all about), and I'm like, HELLO. We can't have Disney icons just falling apart. Sheesh. ITTBAB is closed as are some of the trails around the tree, just as a precaution. You know, just in case ANOTHER PART OF THE TREE FALLS OFF. This is bothering me. I mean, I know Disney isn't perfect but LAWD! This is cray.

Okay, so the craziest thing happened as we were entering the tree. This crazy person on an ECV sped up really fast behind us, passed us, lost control and drove into a garbage can, knocking it over. It was MAD. Everyone was pretty appalled, but relieved that no one got hurt. There so easily could have been a child standing there or something. It was totally nuts.

Once safely inside, we waited by the theatre entrance for the previous show to end. It must have just started because we waited awhile, but totally didn't mind since it was nice to be inside away from the cold (never thought I'd write that sentence in a Disney TR!).

I love the bug-ified versions of classic musicals:

I have to say, I actually liked the show a lot more this time than I ever have before. I still think it's too scary for little kids, though. Also, A Bug's Life should have a ride, in my opinion.

Up next: The land of two of my favorite things: gorillas and safari cupcakes.​

 

[dara00]

you didn't crack up when the ecv driver hit the garbage can?? I would have! I'm laughing at it right now!

 

[__disneygirl]

you didn't crack up when the ecv driver hit the garbage can?? I would have! I'm laughing at it right now!

No! I can totally see where you'd think that, but it wasn't a funny situation at all... there were a bunch of people standing there including a couple of kids and this person literally came speeding out of NOWHERE. I think everyone was too shocked to laugh, honestly someone could have gotten run down. It was crazy!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I am sitting at work right now and cracked up about the person in the ECV running into the garbage can. I know it's bad, but I just can't help it. It's funny.

Starbucks and Disney, wha, wha, whaaattt??????!!!! Where have I been. I have been praying for this day forever. Not because I like Starbucks a ton....but because I think that the NesCrappe coffee they serve is atrocious.

I was nervous for my first DISmeet too, because you just don't know how you're going to get along with someone. I'm glad that it all worked out.

 

[therussells08]

Yay! I was so excited when I got off work and realized you had updated TWICE! What a wonderful Monday gift, thank you!

I will never forget how freaking cold it was in December 2010 at Disney. I was so not prepared, and I literally thought I was going to get hypothermia. It got down into like the 30s! It was insanity.

AWWW yay! I love reading about your DISmeet with Jess and her mom! I loved meeting them so much! They are both so sweet and passionate about Disney!

UGHH sorry but what?! Why on earth do they think it's a good idea to great you at the entrance with a friggin spider? No thank you. It reminds me of this time that we went to the natural history museum near my house. This teenage girl was in this one room with this giant snake wrapped around her arm, and she wanted us to come touch it. I remember she had very obvious bite marks all over her hands and arms, and I was like, "Girl bye."

Pause, rewind...part of the Tree of Life FELL OFF?! What is this madness?! Was it during park hours? did anyone get hit? Is the damage noticeable?! Ahh I need more information! I must Google! Thank you for telling me about this insanely important piece of information.

Okay one last comment. I love how much fun you and your mom have together! All of your giggling fits are so great. It makes me so excited to take my mom in July!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

That's too funny that Epcot pretty much closed all around you guys!! Glad you had a great evening!

Your poor mom, getting elbowed in the face!! I've never heard of a photo booth filming you in between, that's a cool feature!

Um...NO I HADN'T HEARD THAT PART OF THE TREE FELL OFF! Whaaat? Hopefully it can be fixed nice and quick!

Even though I don't drink coffee, I'm sure many many people are THRILLED about the Starbucks partnership!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAYYYYY! LIA UPDATED!

hahaha I didn't want to scare you. I'm glad you took the risk and decided to meet up with me

The Maelstrom IS the frumpiest ride ever. There seriously is no contest.

Oooh I didn't know that they had Tangled stuff in Germany! I need to make sure I check that out next time!

LOL aren't you glad we're not awkward people? I loved how we had so much to talk about! That was such a fun Dismeet! You and your Mom are precious!

Ughh that morning was SO FREAKIN' COLD. I was really sad.

This is a great place to look for an original souvenir for a young boy or even an adult who is really into Dinosaurs

Like.... ROSS FROM FRIENDS?! Yeah, he would love it there.

HOLY COW part of the tree of life fell off!?!?!?! How is that even possible!? I wonder what part it was!

 

[MarieTheCat24]

I can't imagine being cold in Disney. Like, I'm genuinely trying to wrap my head around the idea of wearing jeans in the parks, but I just...can't. I really need to take a trip in December so I can have one of those worldview shattering moments where nothing in your life makes sense anymore and everything is just weird. Also, I need to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter then so I can wear my Gryffindor scarf without dying of heat stroke.

I've said this on her TR and on Twitter, but I'll say it again: I'm so glad you got to meet up with Jess and her mom! It sounds like you guys had a blast.

YAY ANIMAL KINGDOM! I actually just put on the Jammin' Jungle Parade soundtrack before I started reading your update. This is too perfect.

Tarantulas shed their skin? I did not need to know that. Why is it that only gross things (ie:snakes) shed their skin like that?

Primeval Whirl was closed last summer and I was so bummed. It's one of my favorites. The spinning and the lame dinosaur decor make me laugh hysterically because duh.

Now I'm giggling thinking about the diseased dinosaurs mural. Whoever did the artwork for that is my hero. Seriously. If I could go back in time to Elementary School when we had to write about our heroes, I would write about that guy or gal. Because he/she is clearly the best.

All of your AK pictures are wonderful. I miss it sooooooooo much. I can't believe I used to be ambivalent about the place. It's so beautiful and fun and it has gorillas and dinosaurs and a singing meerkat and everything I love!

Can't wait for more!! Especially because there are cupcakes involved.

 

[flyergrad09]

I love the musical posters outside of ITtBaB! I'm not sure if I like them or the ones outside of Philharmagic more...

I'm so sad that the Tree of Life area is closed! I mean, I'm glad that Disney's playing it safe and all, but I really wanted to be able to see ITtBaB again in 3 weeks because I haven't seen it since 2007, which is just way too long!

I love the emptiness of AK in your pictures! This is why I looooove going in early December. Even if it's a little cold/windy, it's still better than being in a huge crowd of people.

I can't wait to read more! I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but I've never had a Disney cupcake... clearly that's going on my to-do list!

 

[Kelliroo3]

Yay you're back! Hoping the awesome things are working out for you!

Yes! I know exactly what you mean about when you are just ready to leave. That happens to us more so in the summer trips. When you are just hot and have had enough of people/crowds!

Glad you enjoyed your Dis meet up with Jess! I totally understand about being nervous and it being awkward. I would definitely feel like that too! So glad it worked out!! It sounds like you two really hit it off! And really, what could go wrong? We are all obsessed with all things Disney!!

I cannot believe I missed the Illuminations Christmas version when I was there! Ahh! Well, that will be excuse to go back in December again!

Ahh! Why did you post that spider picture! Actually, why did you even take a picture of it! Yuck. I hate spiders too...can't even look at them! When I was in AZ visiting my aunt and uncle we went to a desert museum. One of the exhibits had different bugs..all were alive. And the worker had a tarantula out for you to pet! No thank you! I did not go anywhere near that.

Your AK day was great! Can't wait for more...especially the cupcake.

 

[Nermel9]

Yay, not one but 2 updates!

Ugh, I hate that feeling you get in Disney when you're done...it feels wrong to feel that way in Disney. Glad you guys went back to Pop, changed, and then went back out to Epcot!

I'm glad your DIS meet with Jess went so well! I'm so nervous about meeting other DIS'ers, I really want to, but I'm terrified they won't like me or something! There are a few that will be there in May at the same time as me so I'm hoping I can meet up with one or two and get over the fear! That's so sweet that your moms got along just as well as you and Jess did! Isn't it great just lingering in a park until it's closed? I've heard that you can stay in a park pretty late after it closes.

I love the Animal Kingdom Christmas tree, it is so beautiful! All of the Christmas trees at Disney are amazing, but there's something about that one, it's so pretty!

I can't believe a piece of the Tree of Life fell off! I wonder when it will open up again? That's just scary! I'm glad no one was hurt!

You and your mom are just too cute, I love reading about your moments of laughter and joy throughout your trip! I'd love to go on a trip with my mom, but she has a lot of health problems and I just really doubt she'd be able to walk through the parks anymore. She always says she'd love to go back (I think the last time she was there was maybe 15 years ago?) so I'm hoping someday it will happen!

 

[__disneygirl]

I am sitting at work right now and cracked up about the person in the ECV running into the garbage can. I know it's bad, but I just can't help it. It's funny.

Starbucks and Disney, wha, wha, whaaattt??????!!!! Where have I been. I have been praying for this day forever. Not because I like Starbucks a ton....but because I think that the NesCrappe coffee they serve is atrocious.

I was nervous for my first DISmeet too, because you just don't know how you're going to get along with someone. I'm glad that it all worked out.

hahaha yes it seems funny now but it was pretty horrifying at the time!

I never drink coffee at Disney, but for some reason my mom loves the Nescafe. I always tell her she's the ONLY person who likes it!

It was wonderful! I'll definitely be open to meeting more dissers now... though I doubt everyone can be as fab as Jess and her mom!

Yay! I was so excited when I got off work and realized you had updated TWICE! What a wonderful Monday gift, thank you!

I will never forget how freaking cold it was in December 2010 at Disney. I was so not prepared, and I literally thought I was going to get hypothermia. It got down into like the 30s! It was insanity.

AWWW yay! I love reading about your DISmeet with Jess and her mom! I loved meeting them so much! They are both so sweet and passionate about Disney!

UGHH sorry but what?! Why on earth do they think it's a good idea to great you at the entrance with a friggin spider? No thank you. It reminds me of this time that we went to the natural history museum near my house. This teenage girl was in this one room with this giant snake wrapped around her arm, and she wanted us to come touch it. I remember she had very obvious bite marks all over her hands and arms, and I was like, "Girl bye."

Pause, rewind...part of the Tree of Life FELL OFF?! What is this madness?! Was it during park hours? did anyone get hit? Is the damage noticeable?! Ahh I need more information! I must Google! Thank you for telling me about this insanely important piece of information.

Okay one last comment. I love how much fun you and your mom have together! All of your giggling fits are so great. It makes me so excited to take my mom in July!

Thank YOU for reading & commenting! I have to catch up on your TRs... I'm so behind!

The 30s? OMG. That's crazy. Thankfully it wasn't THAT cold when we were there but it was still so odd to be all bundled up at Disney.

Aww, I'm happy you guys got to meet up as well! It would be awesome if one day, we are all in Disney at the same time.

SHE HAD BITE MARKS ON HER FROM THE SNAKE? Oh lawd. It is one thing to hold the dead skin of something but to have a snake that has bitten you in your arms? What is wrong with people?

You probably already googled but it happened in the middle of the night and thankfully no one was hurt. I have no idea if the damage is noticeable, but I don't think so b/c they said it was a small piece that only weighed about 5 pounds. Still crazy!

We have those giggle fits daily! I feel lucky to have such a good relationship with her. I'm sure you will have a great time with your mom too!

That's too funny that Epcot pretty much closed all around you guys!! Glad you had a great evening!

Your poor mom, getting elbowed in the face!! I've never heard of a photo booth filming you in between, that's a cool feature!

Um...NO I HADN'T HEARD THAT PART OF THE TREE FELL OFF! Whaaat? Hopefully it can be fixed nice and quick!

Even though I don't drink coffee, I'm sure many many people are THRILLED about the Starbucks partnership!

We seriously forgot about the fact that the park was closed for awhile. I'm sure the CMs were annoyed that we weren't even attempting to exit the park.

You know what, in the end I think she didn't even mind getting clocked in the face b/c it ended up being such a hilarious moment. A small price to pay for comedy!

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAYYYYY! LIA UPDATED!

hahaha I didn't want to scare you. I'm glad you took the risk and decided to meet up with me

The Maelstrom IS the frumpiest ride ever. There seriously is no contest.

Oooh I didn't know that they had Tangled stuff in Germany! I need to make sure I check that out next time!

LOL aren't you glad we're not awkward people? I loved how we had so much to talk about! That was such a fun Dismeet! You and your Mom are precious!

Ughh that morning was SO FREAKIN' COLD. I was really sad.

Like.... ROSS FROM FRIENDS?! Yeah, he would love it there.

HOLY COW part of the tree of life fell off!?!?!?! How is that even possible!? I wonder what part it was!

haha I'm so happy you and your mom ended up being your fabulous selves and not weirdos. I mean it honestly could not have worked out better!

The ride in Mexico is pretty frumpy too but Maelstrom still wins, if only for the fact that there are several trolls involved. Trolls may be the frumpiest creatures ever.

YES I am so glad. Like I said it would have been terrible if we didn't get along or something. But not only did we get along, we were gabbing a mile a minute about how much we love Disney... ahh it was so fun!

HAHA YES, LIKE ROSS! Of course. How did I not think of that?

I'm curious as to what part it was too! There doesn't seem to be much info on the matter!

I can't imagine being cold in Disney. Like, I'm genuinely trying to wrap my head around the idea of wearing jeans in the parks, but I just...can't. I really need to take a trip in December so I can have one of those worldview shattering moments where nothing in your life makes sense anymore and everything is just weird. Also, I need to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter then so I can wear my Gryffindor scarf without dying of heat stroke.

I've said this on her TR and on Twitter, but I'll say it again: I'm so glad you got to meet up with Jess and her mom! It sounds like you guys had a blast.

YAY ANIMAL KINGDOM! I actually just put on the Jammin' Jungle Parade soundtrack before I started reading your update. This is too perfect.

Tarantulas shed their skin? I did not need to know that. Why is it that only gross things (ie:snakes) shed their skin like that?

Primeval Whirl was closed last summer and I was so bummed. It's one of my favorites. The spinning and the lame dinosaur decor make me laugh hysterically because duh.

Now I'm giggling thinking about the diseased dinosaurs mural. Whoever did the artwork for that is my hero. Seriously. If I could go back in time to Elementary School when we had to write about our heroes, I would write about that guy or gal. Because he/she is clearly the best.

All of your AK pictures are wonderful. I miss it sooooooooo much. I can't believe I used to be ambivalent about the place. It's so beautiful and fun and it has gorillas and dinosaurs and a singing meerkat and everything I love!

Can't wait for more!! Especially because there are cupcakes involved.

LOL it was so weird. The whole thing was like an alternate Disney universe. I mean, we were freezing and sipping tea in front of a near-deserted EE. Early December is weird.

We really did have a blast! I wish you had been there!

I miss AK so much. I listen to that music all the time!

hahaha if I could go back to Elementary School I would simply do my own diseased dinosaur drawings in art class. Or perhaps I would paint a mural of them on the wall. Well, I suppose I don't need to go back in time to do that, I could just break into an elementary school. The possibilities are endless really.

Thank you!!! I'm so jealous you get to go back so soon!! I'M DYIN' HERE.

I love the musical posters outside of ITtBaB! I'm not sure if I like them or the ones outside of Philharmagic more...

I'm so sad that the Tree of Life area is closed! I mean, I'm glad that Disney's playing it safe and all, but I really wanted to be able to see ITtBaB again in 3 weeks because I haven't seen it since 2007, which is just way too long!

I love the emptiness of AK in your pictures! This is why I looooove going in early December. Even if it's a little cold/windy, it's still better than being in a huge crowd of people.

I can't wait to read more! I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but I've never had a Disney cupcake... clearly that's going on my to-do list!

I think it will probably be open again by the time you get there. I think what they are doing is just checking the parts of the tree that could possibly fall and making sure they are secure which they will probably have done by then.

I agree! The low crowds are amazing and I don't mind it being cold, either. It was actually a nice mix of weather, some days it was hot out and some it was really cold, but most it was just warm with a nice breeze which is perfect.

NEVER HAD A DISNEY CUPCAKE?!?! Oh my goodness, you have a lot of catching up to do!

Yay you're back! Hoping the awesome things are working out for you!

Yes! I know exactly what you mean about when you are just ready to leave. That happens to us more so in the summer trips. When you are just hot and have had enough of people/crowds!

Glad you enjoyed your Dis meet up with Jess! I totally understand about being nervous and it being awkward. I would definitely feel like that too! So glad it worked out!! It sounds like you two really hit it off! And really, what could go wrong? We are all obsessed with all things Disney!!

I cannot believe I missed the Illuminations Christmas version when I was there! Ahh! Well, that will be excuse to go back in December again!

Ahh! Why did you post that spider picture! Actually, why did you even take a picture of it! Yuck. I hate spiders too...can't even look at them! When I was in AZ visiting my aunt and uncle we went to a desert museum. One of the exhibits had different bugs..all were alive. And the worker had a tarantula out for you to pet! No thank you! I did not go anywhere near that.

Your AK day was great! Can't wait for more...especially the cupcake.

Thank you! I think things just might work out for once! I may have some very exciting news soon.... hmm...

Exactly! Even if we hadn't hit it off as perfectly as we did, I think as long as two people are Disney lovers they'd always have that to lean on!

YES you must go back and see it! It was honestly just indescribably amazing.

As an expert trip reporter, I must report on everything... even tarantula skin. They have live tarantulas at Rafiki's Planet Watch but thankfully they STAY IN THEIR CAGES. If they took one out I would pass out.

Yay, not one but 2 updates!

Ugh, I hate that feeling you get in Disney when you're done...it feels wrong to feel that way in Disney. Glad you guys went back to Pop, changed, and then went back out to Epcot!

I'm glad your DIS meet with Jess went so well! I'm so nervous about meeting other DIS'ers, I really want to, but I'm terrified they won't like me or something! There are a few that will be there in May at the same time as me so I'm hoping I can meet up with one or two and get over the fear! That's so sweet that your moms got along just as well as you and Jess did! Isn't it great just lingering in a park until it's closed? I've heard that you can stay in a park pretty late after it closes.

I love the Animal Kingdom Christmas tree, it is so beautiful! All of the Christmas trees at Disney are amazing, but there's something about that one, it's so pretty!

I can't believe a piece of the Tree of Life fell off! I wonder when it will open up again? That's just scary! I'm glad no one was hurt!

You and your mom are just too cute, I love reading about your moments of laughter and joy throughout your trip! I'd love to go on a trip with my mom, but she has a lot of health problems and I just really doubt she'd be able to walk through the parks anymore. She always says she'd love to go back (I think the last time she was there was maybe 15 years ago?) so I'm hoping someday it will happen!

You should def meet up with those dissers! Even if you don't click as well as my mom & I did with Jess & her mom, at least you know you'll always have Disney to talk about. And even if the worst happened and you totally didn't like each other, you could always just excuse yourself and then it's over. So it's really not a big deal when you think about it. You'll probably have a great time!

I agree, the AK tree is my #1 favorite!

Aww, I'm sorry about your mom's health issues. That must be so hard. Maybe you guys could still do a trip together and she can rent an ECV?

 

[ShannonMarie]

It was instant relaxation and relief for someone who never calms down, never stops worrying, never stops stressing, never stops obsessing, never stops freaking out. It was peace, at last and all of a sudden. I just felt like collapsing onto the street, crying and kissing the pavement as if I had just landed on the shore after being lost at sea for 18 months.

I almost cried when I read this. People wonder why I love it so much but I, too am a worrier and this is my happy place. We are going in Sept. so I am reading trip reports to tide me over. I love yours so far!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Looks like your night at EPCOT ended off nicely after all! It's a shame though about what happened at the Candlelight Processional. :/ Oh well!

That's so cool you and Jess got to meet up! So jealous of you too, always wanted to go on a DISMeet (and yeah, people, DISERs, you MUST read Jess' TR), but I would be nervous too. It is possible that there could be a creeper DISer on here, though I'm a hundred percent sure one of them isn't Jess or Kristen (another person with a TR people should read). Anyways...

to making your return visit to EPCOT with a ride on SSE! Love that ride It's a shame I never got to experience the Jeremy Irons version. Scar narrating the ride... oh, a dream come true! If they ever put it back in and you hear someone say "Life's not fair, is it?" or something to that effect (like belting out Be Prepared)... it's probably me

Also, don't freak out by your lack of pictures, my TRs have been much much worse. Like three chapters without pictures, but we won't go into that Alright, so to riding Maelstrom (totally agree on the frumpiness of the ride) LOL @ your friend FLORIAN! The name I find normal, but I can only imagine how funny it was when the guy said his name with an accent and a high-pitched voice Sorry to hear you didn't get a German Pretzel for free or that you are upset by Karamel Kuchel being in place now... another reason why I wish I had gone to Disney eons ago not a two years ago And I think they just put Tangled in Germany just because. I mean, some of the princesses are just in the most random places like Aurora who is from England I believe and she is in France. Disney just doesn't know how to spread them out well Sorry you didn't find a Rapunzel dress in your size though :/

YAY! DISMeet time! So great to hear you guys got along well. I can only imagine you and Jess are just as sweet, cool, awesome, Disney crazy, Princess crazy, 90s crazy, etc. on here as you are in real life. And then you watched IllumiNations together! Wow, what a great spontaneous DISMeet you had there! A shame EPCOT had to (RUDELY) close in the middle of your conversations, but having been reading Jess' TR I know that this wasn't the end of a whole slew of conversations that are to come

Love those buses with the random names on them! I'm pretty sure they are training buses. On my past two trips, they showed up as Belle and Rapunzel, interesting how they change them up. The moment it becomes Pascal though, I will be FREAKING OUT! lol

Okay, now onto the next update...

YAY! AK! Hey that rhymes... alright moving on... I love that AK Christmas Tree too! I've never been to Disney during Christmas time but all these pictures of trees are so beautiful and the AK one is just so unique, it tops all the others, love it! to riding EE first thing and with no wait. Such a fun ride! Another to Primeval Whirl, but don't you think that it is the ride where you are most likely to get hurt? I'm pretty sure I almost sustained several injuries on there But it's fun nonetheless.

LOL @ your little photobooth mishap! Did you guys end up buying that picture? Well, either way I'm sure you got some great shots (Snape serious face lol When and where can we have our DISMeet? jk teehee)

Sorry you didn't get to meet Goofy and Donald decked out all Christmaslike, but alas you have a full trip ahead of you to see them. to riding DINOSAUR and the diseased Dinosaur mural (totally understand what you mean by how funny it is. I swear if Dinosaurs died like that, the idea of extinction wouldn't be as depressing. And I'm shocked to discover I'm the only person able to actually keep my eyes open during that part since I'm the wimpiest person alive...

to ITTBAB! Love that show, probably my favorite 3D show in Disney. Yeah, I did hear about the whole Tree of Life falling apart. I can't believe Disney is still pushing on forward with the whole Starbucks thing and not talking about the fact that a Disney LANDMARK is slowly turning into dust. Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I'm pretty sure that is a lot more important than a stupid coffee shop is being added to Disney parks. They need to get their priorities straight

Love your pictures of the carvings and of the bug-ified theater posters. The fact that they get it so spot on to the real posters is just so cool. Another reason why Disney is amazing And wow to the whole ECV crash, thank goodness nobody was hurt the way you describe what happened. I wonder why the guy went so ballistic though?

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Winnie the Goof]

.

 

[marDgreen88]

In December 2010 it got pretty cold in the evenings for us too. But what is weird to me me is that I was at Disney literally DAYS later and it was super warm! I guess early December is colder than mid December in Florida because that's normal.

Wait, Glaz and Porcellan was a food place? Wow, I'm so baffled, I swore that those words were the English versions of glass and porcelain haha! Was I ever wrong! (I obviously never went there haha!)

Hahah I saw the Flynn Rider busses too! I also saw one that said Rapunzel. Who knows what those are about hahah but they made me happy!

The AK tree is my favorite too. Love those lion heads! HAHAHA that photobooth story is too funny!

WHAT the heck though?? I feel like they should thoroughly question people before they hand them over a huge piece of machinery like that, this is like the third time in a short while that I've heard a crazy story about a person on an ECV!

A Bug's Life SHOULD have a ride. I mean dang, they get a whole land in CA! Although I do love ITTBAB haha. HOORAY can't wait for more!

 

[Aussiesalad]

Aw that's so awesome you and Jess got along so well! As well as your mums!
High fives for shutting down Epcot

I love the Ak Christmas tree! I think it's my fav park tree in the holidays!

Um YUCK!! I don't think I could stomach massive spiders before my morning coffee... even if they are in glass cases. Interesting idea but ickk no thanks!

Ok ECVs can be downright dangerous! Some drivers just seem to think it works like a snow plow, that it's made for driving directly into people and/or intimate objects to get through. Seriously think they need to have some sort of testing center where people can get their ECV license before hitting the parks!

I love how much you and your mum laugh together! Sounds like such a great relationship you guys have

Gahhhh December at WDW is insane! It's tshirt and shorts one day and then thermals and uggs the next. Hooray for ALL the seasons at once

Um Tree of Life? What? Please don't fall apart!