DECEMBER 10, 2011
Day 6, Part 1 In Which We're Here To Change The World
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING!!!!!!
Today was the day that I had been waiting on for eighteen excruciatingly long months: Late night Extra Magic Hours were being held at the Magic Kingdom!
Listen kids, when the Magic Kingdom stays open til the early morning hours, you really need to be there. It's the only time you can literally sit on the most popular attractions in the world without even having to get up in between rides. It's the only time you can do cartwheels down Main Street without kicking anybody in the face. It's the only time you can recite the entire movie "Superbad" in front of the castle without children hearing all the curse words and being scarred for life.
Like I said, you just REALLY need to be there. You may recall all these things (and more) happening during our 2010 trip when the MK was open until 3AM. We had such a ridiculously fun time that one of the first things I did during the planning process this time was figure out when we could get in on the late night magic again. Yikes, did that sound questionable, or do I just have a dirty mind? I'm pretty sure there are a few "movies" titled Late Night Magic or something like that.
UM......ANYWAY, the point is... EMH rocks. You gotta be there to know just how much it rocks and so those were our plans. But first, we had to get some rest.
It turns out, there is a LITTLE bit of sleeping in Disney. I know, I was shocked too. Still, I don't think Stacey sleeps. .....Ever.
My mom wanted to sleep in since we'd be staying out late, so after catching a few extra winks, I headed over to Everything Pop to fill up my mom's Refillable-4-LyFe mug with coffee and fill myself with Mickey Waffles. The pre-EMH plan was to hang out at Epcot, and around 11:00 AM we arrived at the front gates.
And then... crap had to happen. Sigh. Why is it always something?
Once we got up to the entrance, I realized that I forgot to add more days to our tickets because (for whatever reason) when I booked our package I only booked five day park hoppers, which we had used up.
For anyone who isn't aware of the way Disney tickets work, the more days you add on, the less you pay per day. If you already have 5 day park hoppers, adding on a 6th day is not the same price if you were to buy a brand new pass starting from scratch. The price is MUCH lower and decreases more and more as you go on. I think by the time you get to like, day 9, the price per day is like $7 or something. I've always appreciated this and I think it's a really smart move on Disney's part to charge so little for the extra days. Cause it's like, you've already got us. We're here and we're staying. No need to charge an arm and a leg for extra days.
In the past, if we'd plan a 10 day trip, we'd get 5 or 6 day park hoppers because my parents usually wanted to have some non-park days to to do other things. Often, we would just end up going to the parks every day anyway (we're Disney people...not Orlando people...what can I say?) and having to add on some days after we used up what we had purchased was NEVER a problem. We'd simply go up to the window and ask for additional days and they'd add them. So that's what I went up to the ticket window to do.
My mom and I decided we wanted to go to the parks every day for the rest of the trip, so I asked for 5 days each to be added to our passes. The CM said this was "not possible" because we had used up all 5 of our original days. I explained that in the past, I had used up all my days and added more, which should still be allowed since
we had an existing reservation. It's not like we bought Disney tickets, used them up, and then came back a month later expecting them to give us the extra days at the supplemental price. She apologized and said there was nothing she can do because their policy is that once your days are used up, you have to START OVER and buy an entirely new ticket. I wouldn't call her a "bad" CM, but she wasn't really helping at all so I decided I would just cut to the chase and go over to Guest Services.
I felt sick. I mean, imagine the price you paid for tickets on your last trip. Now double it. OUCH, right? Yeah, there was just no way we were paying that. I never complain about Disney ticket prices because to me the cost is 100% worth the experience, but this was just ridiculous.
Honestly, though annoyed, I really wasn't that worried because I know how much Disney cares about their customers and how much they always try to appease us and fix any problem. Also, I've worked retail for big companies before, and most people in charge of stuff like this do have the "customer is always right" mentality because they are very focused on keeping returning business coming. I figured Disney would let us add the days on if I just explained the whole situation. Either that or they would continue to say no and I would start sobbing hysterically and then they would have to either A.) add the days on, or B.) Tranquilize me.
As we were walking to Guest Services, a CM walked up to us and asked if she could help us with anything. I told her what happened and was not so thrilled when she looked genuinely sad for us. I honestly expected that once I told a CM about this it would be immediately rectified, and that wasn't showing on her face, so I got a little nervous.
After talking to her for a minute, she perked up and said, "Wait. You didn't know, right? No one told you that you can't add additional days once you used up your originals?" I said yes, no one told us, and not only that, I'VE DONE IT BEFORE WITH NO PROBLEM so how could I possibly know this was not allowed? She said, "Make sure you tell them that at Guest Services. They can probably help you. I don't know. I'm not sure, but just make sure you tell them that."
So, over at Guest Services I calmly explained the whole situation while still asserting that I was really upset. I said that we have been coming to Disney over and over my whole life and nothing like this had ever happened before. I told him that I had no idea about this rule or else I obviously would have followed it, being that I had no reason not to. The whole time, the CM kept saying things like, "Yes," and "I understand." As soon as I stopped speaking, he told us that they would make an exception and add the days on.
WHEW. Relief! Problem solved. Not only did the CM take care of it right away, he was very nice about it and understanding. We had to fill out some Official Disney Paperwork, show our IDs, and then he put the new days on our tickets and we were good to go!
I love Thumper and Flower!
Haha, looks like Stitch got a little hungry.
Just like every time we visit Epcot, we went to Club Cool first to down some foreign soda. Our favorite is the pink watermelon from China. My second favorite is the orange coke from Germany. So delicious! AND SO FREE!
The next thing I wanted to do was be sure and see Captain EO, since it closes early (at 7) on every day except Friday, which we had learned a few days earlier when we tried to see it at night.
This picture cracks me up b/c CM standing next to the Captain EO poster noticed that I was taking a picture of it, and by default, her too. She had no idea what to do. She would like look at me, and then look away, and then like almost pose, but then stop, and look at me... it was sooo funny. FRUMP. We'd get along.
We arrived at the Imagination Pavilion and waited for the current show to end. I started to get really excited and emotional. I have been a huge, huge, HUGE Michael Jackson fan my whole life. I had heard about Captain EO for years and finally I was going to see it. I was jumping up and down!
So obviously, I completely loved it. It was so ridiculously 80's and so fun. And it proved that all problems can be solved by dancing. Also, reminded me a lot of Labyrinth, one of my favorite movies. The creatures were so adorable and funny! And I love watching Michael sing and dance in general, but when he's fighting evil AND it's in 3D? That is just even more epic. I know it's dated now, but people's minds must have been freakin' BLOWN when this came out in the 80's. It's just so awesome. Also, I thought Anjelica Huston's portrayal of the Supreme Leader was amazing. She was REALLY scary! Like I would have been scared if I was a child. That was too awesome. I loved it and I love Disney so much for bringing this back to honor MJ's legacy. Even though I really miss Honey, I Shrunk The Audience and hope they bring it back one day, I'm so glad Michael's show is back at the parks.
The jumping water outside of Imagination has always been a favorite thing of ours.
We had a lunch ADR planned that left just enough time for us to visit one of our loved ones.
You know him, you love him...
IT'S OUR FROGFISH FRIEND!!!!!!!!
As you can see, his mood did not improve from our last visit.
He would not talk to us.
I just wish someone would reach in that tank and stick some tiny Mickey Mouse ears on his head to cheer the guy up.
Extreme close up so you can see how awesome he really is.
Okay also, I must mention that as we were entering the Seas, there was a little girl in front of us who was quoting Dory and we were in stitches over it. You know how, in Finding Nemo, Dory keeps forgetting Nemo's name and calling him things like Chico and Fabio? This child, in her adorable high pitched little girl voice, was yelling "Nemooooooooooooo! Chicooooooooooooooooo! Fabioooooooooooo! HarpooooO!!!!! NemOoOooOOOOoo!!" CA-LASS-IC.
She and some other kids were there when we were visiting with Our Frogfish Friend and they were freaking out over seeing Dory in the tank and they kept chasing the fish around all excited. It was so adorable. I love kids!
After our little visit, it was time to walk over to the World Showcase for one of my FAVORITE restaurants in all of Disney!
I fall in love....again. Viva la France!
This is such a weird coincidence that I would get to this point of the TR on the anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing.
RIP MJ.
And I'm singing the Circle of Life in my head while imagining it, so that makes it even better.
The emphasis and description you give them just make them THAT much funnier. VIP seating or just too many people? We may never know lol
But so nice of Jess to offer her FPs to you instead of taking a double ride for herself 
to the Osbourne Dancing Lights and Fantasmic! I haven't seen the Osbourne Lights, but I hope someday when I am able to go to the World around Christmastime, I will be able to do so. Fantasmic... nuff said. Such a great show and it really is awesome how it highlights Pocahontas. While I think it isn't as great as some other Disney movies, I mean other underrated Disney movies (which also include the more well-known Disney movies), it still deserves some recognition in the Disney parks that isn't a sad little M&G in Animal Kingdom. Her old home is a friggin' stroller parking place now, not okay Disney. Not Okay.
Gotta love people.
I appreciate it 
RIP MJ. 
