Touring the Tower of Terror and other Ghoulish Delights! Sept 13 TR | FINALx2 4/17!!!

[hakunamomtata]

Daniiii! Jabdkwnsbf! I just found your TRs and I am loving them! I'm reading them to get pumped for my trip in September. I actually read a few chapters to a client I work with who loves Disney (almost) as much as I do. He loved it too! And I'm pretty sure you got me hooked on vinylmation. I'll give it a whirl this fall when we are there. Yay! Okay anyway, too much talking going on. Keep posting amazeballs stuff!!

 

[Miss Potts]

HalloWishes is our favorite! I'm not a big Halloween fan but we make sure to watch them if we are there in the Fall! We always watch from the Poly but I love your idea of watching from the CG!

I think the special hard ticket events are fun to do every couple trips.. Not every time. I'd rather spend the money on a new restaurant or another new experience... Or the Spa!

A no plans trip.. I don't think I'm physically capable of that! Especially in Disney... I plan trips I don't even have booked! Ha!

 

[danimaroo]

Loved this update!!!
This is my favorite party!!!
So awesome that people recognized you as the wallpaper!! That was a very cool and quite ingenious costume.

Hallowishes is the best fireworks display. I remember the first time we saw this show and I realized the fireworks were shooting off all around us.

Awesome update again!! Loved it!

Thank you! Yeah, I was just totally amazed by the perimeter fireworks. Absolutely fantastic and can't wait to see them again.

That night was so much fun. I'm so glad we went in with a must-do list. Like, eternally grateful. Obsessive planning to the rescue!

Also, 31 days. Just in case you weren't meticulously counting down like we are. Hahahah.

Agreedo mosquito! It was totally fun. AND YES, that's so soon!!

Ninja Dani does not disappoint! I had the best image of you running to Sleepy Hollow clothes lining (curtain-rodding?) bystanders! Then you said you were safe and removed the rod/weapon. At least no partygoers were injured in the obtaining of the waffle. Ps - said waffle looks wrongfully delicious! I just tried the Nutella waffle in September and man nothing else will compare". But I love all desserts/sweets pumpkin so that will be something to remember!

Oh and I get what you're saying about maybe not going to the party every year. We loved it but in the post-party discussions decided we wished we had done things differently. So no flames from over here!!

Hahahaha, I'm glad you visualize it like I did. Fortunately you are correct, no one was harmed in the delicious hunt for the waffle!

I LOVE the Nutella Waffle from Sleepy Hollow, and this one didn't disappoint! It was fantastic, so hopefully they serve it again at the next MNSSHP.

Yeah, we honestly had a great time at it, but there just isn't enough time for everything. Five hours may seem like a lot of time, but when you have to wait in a line for characters, and then wait for the parade/fireworks for a good spot... that time is eaten up pretty quickly! We'll definitely go again, just maybe not this year.

Oh my gosh!!! What an awesome party. The parade, the fireworks, and even pumpkin candies on the waffle! So perfect. I imaging getting the perfect spot for the Boo to You parade is pretty competitive. How awesome to see the headless horseman. I'd be so excited to see just that. I know you were exhausted but what a fun night.

It was a great time for sure! And yeah, we got a spot pretty early and ahead of time since it was the most important thing for us for the night. The Headless Horseman is SO COOL to see! I love that Disney does that. Exhausted, yes, but so worth it!

Those fireworks are just so amazing...it was really like nothing I'd ever seen and I wish someone had taken a pic of me watching them as I'm sure my eyes were as wide as possible and my mouth was open the entire time.

Was the pumpkin waffle new this year? I really don't remember it from MNSSHP in 2012 and I'm fairly certain that's something I would have made a beeline for as I'm a pumpkin flavoring nut!

I have to agree with you on the party overall, it is not a must every time we go in the fall. We didn't attend one this last trip and although we will be going to the party in October this year, but that's because my parents will be traveling with us and I know they really want to experience it. After that though, I don't know when the next time we will be back. It's just pricey and you can only have the first-time experience once (obvi).

I totally agree! That was my face during the fireworks, too!

Yes, it was brand new. I hope they have it again this year so more people can try it. It's SO good. And the ice cream is a perfect pairing with it!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about the party. Again, we had a great time, I just don't know that I need to go again this year. But we're also leaving it totally open, because we may decide while we're there that it's worth the money and go, haha. I'm just happy we're going into it with no plans, it's nice!

Love these updates!!! I really really miss MNSSHP. We had so much fun at ours and I can't wait for future trips to do it again! But yeah, it's definitely pricey and only going to get worse, I imagine...

I got a little anxious reading that your next trip will be plan-free. That's a DISer for ya... But seriously, that's pretty great. Sometimes it can be exhausting planning everything to the last detail! I do like having somewhat of a plan of where I'll be on what day, but FP+ and having to plan down to that detail freaks me out.

One snack I really wanted at the party was that pumpkin waffle and we never managed to get it. It looks SO GOOD though!!!

Thanks! It is a TON of fun, regardless of the price, so who knows, maybe we'll end up going again! I just would rather wait to decide while we're in Disney vs. planning it out.

Hahaha, it's probably a little easier for us since we're kid-free. I just have a hard time knowing exactly where I'll be on what day. I mean, we usually have a general idea based on recommended parks, etc., but it is nice to sometimes just wake up and decide right then on where to go.

It was amazing! Hopefully they'll offer it again this year, because it's so good.

AHHHHH another update, Your TR updates are getting to be as much of a fix as going to WDW itself. I think I could save a lot of money just living vicariously through you!!!! hhhmmmmm nope Can't miss out on food and wine.

So glad you enjoyed your first MMNSSHP (man I have to think hard to abbreviate that)

I totally get the whole don't feel the need to go every year, because it is kind of expensive. we did it for the first time last year, and we are going again this year. This years trip is because we talked about it so much that my DW's parents decided they wanted to go this year. Now we just added my mom into the mix, so we are going to WDW with both our parents. I still find this kinda odd whenever I tell people. But hey the upside is we get to stay in a two bed OKW room!!!! Not sure if you have tried anything other than the studio there but we stayed at a one bed and it was 1000 sq feet!!!! that is nuts, but I love it! especially that huge bathtub that beckons me at the end of the day

I really can't believe how good of a haul you got on candy. We went and got in line once for candy and decided the ten minute wait wasn't worth the measly few pieces of odd ball candy I never heard of. Plus the rides for lines were soooo short due to all the people waiting for candy and meet and greets. You got all kinds of good stuff.

I really miss out on a lot of neat looking food due to the fact I hate pumpkin! I love the fall time of year and so so hate all the seasonal food.

Only ten more days till we get back in the bubble, I hope you can give me one more fix before I leave...please...come on man don't leave me jonesing, I need it baddddd

Haha awww that's the nicest compliment! But I am thinking actually being in WDW is a bit better than my TRs, hahaha.

It IS kind of expensive! It's fun, but we'll see if we go again. Your trip sounds like it's going to be fabulous though! And a 2-bedroom at OKW will be awesome! During our honeymoon for the second half of our trip, we stayed in a 1-bedroom at OKW and LOVED IT. The bath tub in itself is the best thing ever at the end of a day in the parks!

The one good thing about going at the end of the night was the total lack of lines for candy. It worked out pretty well for us! Except for the very end when we kept just missing the buckets, haha.

Awww, I love fall and the foods that go with it! But I can see how someone might not like pumpkin, too. I'm picky about pumpkin stuff.

I'm so jealous you're going back so soon! Many months left for us, but a Disneyland trip in between will be nice!

YOU NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER PARTY oh my God. Do yourselves a favor, as huge Disney fans, seriously. I recommend this because my 2nd party was one of the best times of my ENTIRE life AND I was alone all night! My first party was just ok. I think for huge Disney fans like us, it's just so overwhelming your first time at the party... kind of like your first time in a park. You'll never do it all your first time and you're just not familiar yet. After that... oh man. I mean, I don't expect anyone to love it as much as me LOL but it's really true. When you can relax a little at the party after being familiar, it's sooo much more fun.

p.s. I tried to read this last night but I was suffering from such intense missing Disney feelings that I cried and had to stop LOL. I'll be going to a therapist now, see ya later.

We are definitely going to go again, for sure! We really did have a good time at it. And I totally agree, it WAS overwhelming! There was just so much I wanted to do but it's impossible to fit it all in. I wouldn't be totally surprised if we end up going this next trip, though it'll be a last-second decision, so no costumes for us. I'm okay with that, since I mean, not sure I can top my other one. But that's also not to say we won't wear costumes in the future, either!

UGH I'm sorry, I do feel your pain. I just want to be in Disney. And we'll thankfully be in Disneyland again in May, but Disney World seems so far away. I'm not complaining about Disneyland by any means/we're excited to go, but Disney World is home and where I can be in my little bubble.

Ahhh I love the castle during MNSSHp too, especially the purpley, orangey, green.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HALLOWISHES!!!!! OMG Dani, the permiter fireworks are the BEST!!! I tell people constantly... Once you see Disney fireworks, it will ruin any and all other fireworks displays.

YAY DISMEET!! So glad you met Katt!

Oh man I love the MNSSHP CM costumes too. I Miss It!!

From a non parade lover, Boo To You is a DO NOT EVER IN YOUR LIFE MISS! I love it, and I generally do not like parades At ALL. But BAHAHAHAHA the cowboys!!! Yeah... I don't get that either.

You know, MNSSHP would absolutely be a must do for me, but I also get your point as well. It's so great that you have a real point of reference too to make that decision. Regardless, it does sound like THIS one was totally worth it, and that's what really matters. Also, I think its great that you're leaving the next trip mostly free. If you've been there a lot, I find it's the best way. Do whatever you feel like "in the moment".

It's amazing, right?! And I so agree, HalloWishes just ruined all other fireworks shows... the end.

Yeah, it was fun running into her finally!!

I love their costumes, too!

And yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed Boo To You! It was fantastic. But I'm going to still say that MSEP remains my favorite. I KNOW I'M WEIRD but my memories associated with that parade will beat out everything else.

I am SO glad we went to MNSSHP, and that we'll have the option to go again during our trip if we want to... but I am just excited that we can decide to go whenever we want to and not have it already planned. This trip will be really fabulous and laid back!

 

[danimaroo]

I have to agree with you about paying and going to the MNSSHP. It is pricey, but fun. For those folks that adore the holiday, I'm sure it is a Must-Do (at least once). As for the HalloWishes fireworks, they are some of the very best that Disney does. I have seen them from inside the park during the party, and I've seen them from Cali Grill. As awesome as they are in the park, they are just as awesome from the viewing spot up at the Contemporary - - as long as the piped-in music is working, that is. My sister and I watched them from Cali first, and then experienced them in the park. Wow. Really some of the best. You will lurv it!

Linda

I'm glad you get it, as well! We like Halloween, but Christmas is more our specialty! But I agree, I'm really excited to see HalloWishes from CG! I bet it's also fantastic to watch from the Top of the World Lounge at BLT! But I can't wait!

I am not all the way caught up, but I just got to the post with the best TT car design ever!!

I seriously could not stop laughing at it. Then I showed it to my BF and he could not stop laughing.

You guys are pretty much my heroes right now

HAHAHAHA I am glad it made you laugh as hard as it made us laugh. Poopmobile for life.

Mmmm... pumpkin waffle!

Maybe your pics don't show the enormity of the crowds, but compared to MHP at DLR, it seems like the crowds are a little smaller.

SO GOOD.

It was pretty busy, but I'm sure because MK is so much huger than DL, it makes a difference in how "crowded" it feels. There have been a few times at DL where it wasn't necessarily busy, but just the smaller space made the crowds feel kind of crazy. It's a very huge difference from MK that I still have to remind myself of, haha.

I have to tell you that I appreciate y'all taking me on Haunted Mansion so much. I wouldn't have gotten to go on it otherwise because of my scaredy-cat kids, plus riding with its number one fan makes it even better! It's like a personal tour guide. I talked to the girls about HM yesterday, and it doesn't look like the odds of them riding are very good for September...so we may need to do this again! We should let Brandon get a turn with Matt, too. Hopefully Matt won't mind riding it a few extra times .

We feel exactly like you do about the party. We have the same game plan--not buying tickets, not planning on going this year, but if for some reason we decide we must go at the last minute, we'll buy them there. I don't see that happening, though. We did have a lot of fun and were super happy to be able to erase our bad experience from our minds, but this just isn't necessary every time for us. Plus, coming up with costumes to fit Brynn's demands wasn't easy! I'll sort of be happy not to have to do that this time. We were crafting up until the last moment! We're also adding California Grill in its place (Remember how Julia had this as her number one request last year but they opened up reservations last minute due to the refurb and we didn't get an ADR? Cause Julia remembers.), but we're doing it on a regular Wishes night. I think you should totally book CG for a Hallowishes night; the perimeter fireworks must be amazing from up there! I know it was neat to see them from the Poly beach in 2012, so I'd imagine they're pretty spectacular from California Grill.

Your plans (or lack of plans) for September sound wonderful. Part of our trip has to be pretty planned because of the number of character meals the kids want, but once we switch resorts, no set plans! And other than ADRs, we're not doing any other sorts of reservations. You know all the stuff we did last year, so you know this is a big change! It will be the most relaxed trip we've done, and hopefully we'll be working toward the no-plans plan as they get older.

Now I need to go watch your video...again...

PSH ANYTIME! You know we're always down to go on the Haunted Mansion! I hope the girls decide to give it a shot down the line, but I get it. I was terrified of it when I was 6, and even my first time on during our honeymoon, I was a little concerned, hahaha.

Yeah, the party was fun, but we're just playing it by ear! I'm glad you guys had a good time though, esp. to help with the previous party being such a busy, wompwomp. That is going to be awesome to go to CG for Julia, I remember you mentioned how badly she wanted to go. I'm looking forward to finally eating there, since it's a new one for us!

That'll be nice to have some plans, but then none! I'm very much looking forward to no plans at all and just kind of enjoying each day doing whatever we want... running around in that heat can be exhausting, and I always come home from Disney trips having had a lot of fun, but TOTALLY exhausted and my feet look like they've been smashed my hammers/tortured with a fire. I am on a mission to not return feeling that way this time... or well, LESS that way. My feet never like to cooperate with me in Disney.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOUR VIDEO!!

Womp.

I'm finally all caught up!

Your MNSSHP costumes looked AMAZING. We caught glimpses of you guys in them on Main St and we were actually in line to meet Pooh and friends and saw you guys talking to Jenn and family on the other side of the line. I'm still sad that I was having a moment of being too shy to say hi to you guys from the line cause once we were off the line you guys were gone!

Anyway, I'm glad to be all caught up again! My main problem with MNSSHP was feeling overwhelmed. There's so much going on and since it is expensive, I wanted to see EVERYTHING and I had a hard time relaxing and enjoying it.

Ahhh Courtney! I just thought of you the other day reading through notes and was wondering how you were doing!

I remember you telling me you spotted us from afar, and I'm bummed out we didn't get a chance to talk at the party.... BUUUUT that was all saved by when I saw you guys walking over near Splash Mountain and we got to say hi! I know what you mean about being too shy though; I've had those moments in Disney so many times... but I think with meeting more people it's helped to make it a little easier for me to get the guts to go up to someone and say hi, haha.

I am SO with you on the overwhelmed feeling. We felt the same exact way at times! I was glad we had our list of to-dos so we left feeling like we accomplished something, but I also felt like there was so much we didn't get to do, too.

Glad you're caught up!!

I love all the party updates. Your costumes were great!!!

Matt's overalls totally looked brown and I would never have guessed you had dyed them yourselves. Who would have thought it would be so hard/expensive to find brown overalls. Glad you were able to make it work.

Your costume is amazing and what an original idea. It's great that you were featured in a blog and a video and I am sure a million other people's personal pictures.

I am so glad you got to experience Hallowishes and the the Boo to You parade. We saw them both once and they were amazing.

What awesome pictures you have at the Haunted Mansion with the hitch-hiking ghosts and the carriage with the ghost driver. Those are really awesome looking pictures.

I had a bunch of other comments but I am forgetting them all now, just happy to be caught up and that I finally got to see your costumes and hear about your MNSSHP experience.

Thank you! And that's great, because he was so concerned about his overalls, haha. But we made it work, and it didn't cost us an absurd amount of money.

HalloWishes and BTY were both fabulous, definitely happy we got to see them both!

Yeah, those photos were awesome. I'm glad they offered them at the party!!

It's all good, my updated always have a ton of stuff going on in them, hahaha. Glad you're caught up though!

I think MNSSHP is one of the only places where people will go "can I take your picture?", and we would say ABSOLUTELY!

The Wreck It Ralph crew was quite cute.

Oh man....happy go pukey is never fun for the kiddos. My nephew threw up after Expedition Everest last year. And we were all completely helpless, like

How awesome you were in that video!

OMG, their HM stretching portrait costumes are awesome!!!

That Hatbox Ghost Mickey popcorn container is the coolest ever!

I do agree with the pricey aspect of the party. It's part of the reason I haven't done a party in quite some time. It's a lot of money to definitely consider.

Hahaha I SO agree with that statement!!

WIR crew was adorable. I'm glad they did that together.

Ugh yeah, vomiting in Disney just seems like the worst thing ever. Poor kid.

Aw thank you! I was just chatting with the lady about my costume while she filmed, hahaha.

I KNOW, I was so glad I ran into them and got a photo with them both!

Agreed, it's now sitting on our kitchen counter!

Yeah, it IS a lot of money. I mean, it's fun, it is, and we'll go again, but just not sure it'll be this year.

I'm totally freaking out because there are now rumors flying around that one of the nights we'll be there in August (the 29th!) that there may be a MNSSHP and reading your updates is getting me so pumped! My guy loves Halloween and the Haunted Mansion and I think he would totally freak over this all! I'm trying to start thinking of a costume now but I don't think there's anyway I could top yours!

We also just made our August trip a split stay between BC and the Poly, hugely inspired by your posts! I was hesitant about the BC because, well, I live in New England. We have all that here! But we got an awesome price and if you love it, we probably will too!!

Yes, I've heard that rumor! That would be so awesome for you!! I hope it ends up being true (I wouldn't put it past Disney since they've also now extended Food and Wine by a week AND added a third party to all of September, when usually there's only 2 per week). I'm sure you guys will come up with some rad costumes though.

That is going to be SO MUCH FUN! Poly and BC?! Talk about the perfect trip!! BC reminds me a bit of Cape Cod in the theming, but it's really just an awesome resort to stay at. I can't see why you guys won't love it, the pool is to die for, and you're so close to Epcot and a boat ride over to HS. It's awesome.

Daniiii! Jabdkwnsbf! I just found your TRs and I am loving them! I'm reading them to get pumped for my trip in September. I actually read a few chapters to a client I work with who loves Disney (almost) as much as I do. He loved it too! And I'm pretty sure you got me hooked on vinylmation. I'll give it a whirl this fall when we are there. Yay! Okay anyway, too much talking going on. Keep posting amazeballs stuff!!

AWW YAY! I'm so glad you found my TRs and that you're enjoying them! And enough to read them to a client?! Okay, you rule, hahaha. Oh my gosh, once you buy one Vinylmation, you will never stop. It's dangerous. And then you trade in the parks and have fun with that, too. I'm just apologizing to you in advance for starting the addiction!!

But thank you again for the wonderful comment. I've got lots of fun updates coming soon.. and I haven't even gotten to the explanation of the TR title!

HalloWishes is our favorite! I'm not a big Halloween fan but we make sure to watch them if we are there in the Fall! We always watch from the Poly but I love your idea of watching from the CG!

I think the special hard ticket events are fun to do every couple trips.. Not every time. I'd rather spend the money on a new restaurant or another new experience... Or the Spa!

A no plans trip.. I don't think I'm physically capable of that! Especially in Disney... I plan trips I don't even have booked! Ha!

We have fun with Halloween, though Christmas is our favorite! I originally thought we'd watch from the Poly, but CG just sounds like it'll be an awesome view, too! I'm excited!

I so agree, not every time, because I mean, that money will go towards paying for a great meal at CG... but who knows, maybe we'll end up going since they decided to add a THIRD party every week we're there. With MK closing early so much, we may end up going. Both good but also kind of annoying since September is so slow. Disney really wants to put an end to slow seasons and make more money. Makes sense, but still kind of a bummer.

Hahahaha, trust me, I'm usually a HUGE planner, and we've got the dates set for when I'll make our ADRs next month... but getting up and deciding where to go that morning was so much fun for us! We always have our first few days pretty much figured out, but once we've done all of the parks/DTD those first few days, we can totally just go wherever we want. It's pretty fabulous!

 

[danimaroo]

Chapter 42: We've adopted a new nugget... SIMBA!
Day Eight: September 18th, 2013

After a fun night at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, we decided to let ourselves sleep in today and got up at around 9am. Matt decided to have some Poptarts for breakfast, while I decided to go the route of what else? CANDY. Breakfast of champions right there, my friends.

The only bad part was that my right foot was REALLY hurting. As in, hurt so bad I woke up at night because of the pain. I have Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot and it was reaaaally acting up, but when you're in Disney World, you have to soldier on! Plus, a lot of times it starts to feel better when you walk on it. So I took some Ibuprofen and we got ourselves out the door and on our way to Animal Kingdom!

We got to the park at around 10:15am, and I told Matt we really needed to use our PhotoPass (we were SO bad about it on this trip), so we stopped on our way in for a few photos.

THEN the PhotoPass photographer pulls us to the side and makes us pose as if I'm cradling something in the air. Thaaat's when I knew I was about to apparently magically give birth to baby Simba and so in turn, Matt and I were really pumped over our new child.

I think Simba looks pretty darn unsure if we were his biological parents. We may have to let him know at some point that he's adopted.

And yes, in case you were wondering, Baby Simba is doing well and gets along with Milo and Anya (our dogs) perfectly fine.

ANYWAY, after posing with out newborn child, we decided to head towards Asia. On our way over, I stopped to trade for Vinylmation and got a Ninja and some random poop one.

THEN, it was time for Asia!

Of course, we were on our way to Expedition Everest, total shocker, I know.

There was a slight line, but I didn't mind since I do appreciate the queue so much and love taking photos of it.

It was only around a ten minute wait, and I even had enough time for a little selfie of us! YAY FOR EXPEDITION EVEREST!

And then there's a photo of Matt... who was still waking up, clearly.. but at least he smiled for the camera.

Finally it was time for a little Yeti action. YAHOO!

I guess I was in a photo-taking mood this trip down the mountain... and Matt and I made stupid faces but you couldn't really see Matt, wompwomp. I think he fell asleep though.

I was just concerned about my hat flying away.

We left Expedition Everest and made a break for some Jalapeno Cheese Pretzels and Frozen Cokes. I mean, how perfect does that combination sound?!

So we split up to make things easier, where I waited in line for the Cokes and Matt went off to get us pretzels. While standing there, I noticed a neat hidden area that you could walk down stairs to where we could sit and eat/drink, so I went down there to wait for Matt. The only problem is that it was SUPER well-hidden, so Matt had a hard time finding me, hahaha... but he eventually spotted me after I texted him.

Okay, do you ever eat and drink a combination of foods that just HITS the perfect spot? This was one of those times. In that moment, a Frozen Coke and the pretzel were just a perfect combination and sitting in that quiet little hidden area of Animal Kingdom just made me happy.

It started to rain a bit while we sat there, but an umbrella helped us not get too wet, which was nice.

We finished up our treats and then roamed over towards It's Tough to Be a Bug.

Yes, you heard me right... we were going to check out It's Tough to Be a Bug.

Continued in next post​

 

[danimaroo]

Chapter 43: Bugs and Dinosaur... how did I agree to this again?
Day Eight: September 18th, 2013

Now let me just preface this with that I DO NOT LIKE BUGS ONE BIT. Bugs scare me, I run away from them, I DO NOT ENJOY THEM.

Let me also say that growing up, Honey I Shrunk the Audience was a traumatizing experience for me. I don't like unexpected things touching me, or hitting me in the face, NONE OF THAT. I knew ITTBAB had this kind of stuff in it, but I finally mustered up the courage to agree to go on it with Matt. This trip was all about trying new things, and so we walked along the trail.

I will say that I love how it's so close to the Tree of Life!

We grabbed our bug glasses and hung out while we waited for the show to start. COOL KID ALERT.

We found ourselves some seats and the show began.

OH MY WORD I SCREAMED. A LOT. That show was WAY more intense than I expected! I swear if that had been 6 year old me I would have run out of that theater screaming. ESPECIALLY those darn spiders! Those scared the crap out of me.

BUT all that being said... I thought it was a cute show! I mean, I would actually consider doing it again on a hot day to escape the sun. Especially now that I know what to expect. I think Matt just thought it was hilarious with how much I screamed, hahaha.

We left the Tree of Life and went back towards Dinoland... because (and I'm sure this has been a disappointment for some of you) we hadn't gone on Dinosaur yet!!

I know, it's such a shame, but it was finally happening.

I was a little nervous.

In good news, there was no wait, so we got through the queue and hopped into our vehicle... and proceeded to have the weirdest Dinosaur ride.

During our last trip, the Carnotaurus ALWAYS came out of the right side of the ride. Always. And It'd scared the crap out of me and blow a huge burst of air in my face... and well, you know how I looked during those moments.

So we're riding along, and go through the dark part, and I'm sitting there WAITING for the Carnotaurus to pop out and scare me.

This little baby dinosaur pops out on the left side for a second, and then I see a flash of light... and I confusedly turned to Matt and asked, "Wait... WAS THAT IT?!"

Matt told me it was, and I was just SO confused! The dinosaur was tiny, there was no burst of air, and it wasn't very scary at all. It was just a really bizarre experience, especially since I was 100% expecting that dinosaur to pop out at me on the right side.

And so this is the result of our PhotoPass photo, which STILL cracks me up (though nothing will ever beat that first one)... So let's just take a closer look here.

That child is WAY MORE SCARED than anyone else in the vehicle. I mean, I'm trying to determine what she was seeing... Maybe I was just so focused on waiting for that Carnotaurus to pop out at me on the right-hand side that it made it less scary? Who knows.

Then we have these two. I had no idea that Andy Cohen and his niece were sitting right behind us on Dinosaur (seriously, RH/Bravo TV-watchers, doesn't that guy look just like Andy?!). Clearly, the Carnotaurus does not terrify them whatsoever. More power to these people.

Theeeen we have Matt. HAHAHAHAHA. I don't even know WHAT he was doing! Oh my GOD, I laughed so hard when I saw his face. He told me he was trying to make some ridiculous face, but this is what he ended up with. Instead, Matt looks like he's saying "weehhhhh" and taking a nap. Makes total sense.

And then there's me. Holding onto the railing for dear life, WAITING for that Carnotaurus to pop out... and looking mighty concerned, hahahaha. I don't even know why I go on this ride because every time I just looked like I'm extremely concerned and hating myself/the ride/everything. You can also tell the confusion in my face of "Wait, what is this thing? I'm confused, is that the Carnotaurus?"

Bahaha, I don't even know. It was the weirdest ride I've had on Dinosaur... and granted I've only been on it 3 times, still.

So after we left Dinosaur and had retrieved our lovely PP photo, we decided on a total whim to go on Primeval Whirl for the first time ever.

It'll be fun, they said... You'll laugh and say woohoo, they said.

WRONG.

That ride was insane and janky and I felt like I was going to fly off as we spun around... or quite possibly break a rib while throwing up from the spinning. I don't know, but I can nicely say that I have been on Primeval Whirl and don't really need to go on it again.

We decided to head out of Dinoland, but on our way, I suddenly spotted the HUGEST BUG I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. EVER.

LOOK AT THAT THING! I hate bugs, but I HAD to take this photo because of how unreal it was. A CM came over and commented on it being huge, and someone on twitter told me the name of the bug when I posted the photo, but I can't remember who or what it is. I just know it's huge and yeah, it was just chillin' here.

After that, we decided to head over to Africa because Jenn and her family were over there and we wanted to give them the awesome Ariel ear hat ornament that we'd bought for them.

On our way, I decided I really wanted a frozen lemonade, so we stopped at a cart to grab one.

The one thing that was kind of annoying about having MagicBands and wanting to use them to pay was that half of the carts didn't have the RFID reader set up at their cart. Sooo when I finally got the front of the line, I had to get back out and go find Matt (he'd gone off to get a twist ice cream cone) to get a room key to pay with because I couldn't use my MB. I'm sure it's fine now, but during the testing phase, this happened a couple of times. No big deal or anything, just was a pain when I didn't have my card on me.

And yes, you can see me in my trip video eating said lemonade cup and telling Matt it was "DELIGHTFUL!" because it was... With the heat and everything, it was the perfect treat to cool down.

Anyway, we ate our treats as we headed over to find Jenn and everyone. We gave them their ornament and I think they loved it! We chatted with them quickly before they went to Tusker House for their ADR.

We headed out of Africa and it started to rain pretty hard, but we just put on our ponchos like bosses and moved on.

We stopped by Island Mercantile to trade a Vinylmation again and I apparently got a crappy one, according to my notes. The GOOD news is that I've heard trading in Disney World parks has gotten A LOT better in terms of the quality of Vinylmation in the trade boxes. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but I'm hopeful for our next trip!

As we got out of the park, it started thundering REALLY loud and just downpouring. Gotta love those September downpours!

We opted to grab a bus over to the BoardWalk because we wanted to grab some lunch at the newly refurbished BW Bakery!

I don't know why I didn't take any photos of the Bakery, but it's WAY more spacious and has a LOT more food options than before! Matt and I both decided to order the Maine Lobster Roll with chips to go, and also ordered a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana with Bacon Pie and an Eclair. The lobster roll was pretty expensive, I think at around $16, so I was hoping it'd be worth the price!

Once we got our food, we headed out and walked back to our room in the rain. I didn't even bother to put my poncho on, and because I had my flip flops on/my feet were wet, I had to walk back slowly. I ended up just having Matt run ahead of me to get back since he said he'd go back to he room to grab our mugs and get us drinks.

Because I had to walk back so slowly, I ended up looking like this:

I was pretty soaked, but didn't really mind it THAT much.

I'm a weirdo and like when it rains in Disney World. Maybe it's because I've lived in Seattle for 8 years now, but there is something REALLY cozy about the rain. So being back in our room with it raining out, with good eats and time to just relax, I was really happy.

Once we got changed out of our wet clothes and got settled in, we dug into our food, which looked REALLY good.

The lobster roll was REALLY good. It was made with real Maine lobster, not the fake stuff that I'm pretty sure they use at Columbia Harbor House... and there was a LOT of lobster in it. It made the price point a little bit easier to understand. I'd highly suggest getting this if you're looking for a really tasty lobster roll that's got a LOT of lobster in it.

Now, don't even ask why, but we put on the TV and somehow landed on the Disney Channel, watching a horrible movie with Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez... and we didn't change the channel? I have no idea why!

After our sandwiches, we decided to dig into our REALLY good-looking desserts.

Matt's eclair:

My chocolate-peanut butter-banana-and bacon pie:

Matt said his eclair was really good... and my pie? Oh my heavens.

It was REALLY good. Like, really, really good.

Elvis would have loved that one, no joke.

Boardwalk Bakery has got it going on, I have to say.

We decided to just kind of relax around the room, though we were planning to go swimming... well, until apparently I'd had enough of the terrible movie we were watching and conked out for an hour in bed.

When I woke up, we decided we'd just go swimming later and head over to Epcot instead!

Continued in next post​

 

[onelilspark]

I HATE It's Tough to Be A Bug. I wait in line with people and then walk through and wait for them. I can't do it. I scream like a 5-year old girl.

I'm not a huge fan of rain all day, but I get what you mean about the Florida downpours. We had a few yesterday and I had a glorious fairly lazy day. It felt wonderful!

Simba looks like he has reached his honey badger limit.

And where do you get your bows? I love them.

 

[Aristocath]

Dani, I know I've read a lot of your reports when instead of seeing "some random poop one" about Vinylmation I read " some random poop on me."

Loving the report! I follow you on twitter and Instagram but I'm @cathsummers and mcsummers there.

 

[Bellabully]

Hey Dani!
Had to post! I have been reading your trip reports and LOVING them!!!
I simply HAD to post on this part, OMG!!! You had me laughing from the start!
First, the addition of Simba to your family, Bahaha! Then, the part on Dinosaur,, Andy Cohen and niece, he does look like like Andy! And you walking in the rain, that's what I do and take pics of my drowned rat self! I wish upon a star that one day our trips (hopefully at Beach Club, my fav) coincide and we meet! Would love to run in to you and Matt (you 2 are so flipping adorable)and
(we share Boston roots). You tell a tale like no other!!!!p.s. Reading this part at an upscale Italian restaurant, literally laughing like a fool at the bar, like an insane asylum escapee, so funny, people looking at me like I'm crazy, funny!!! Love it, keep up the great trip report!!!

 

[DharmaLou]

O hai, lobster roll!

I decided today that I'm going to do the Princess Half in 2016 (so we have time to save up for DH & DD to also come), so I am taking special note of all the food/locations now. You should put out a WDW dining ebook of all your faves!

 

[Denovagirl]

Great updates! Oh, and you're not crazy, by the way, the Canatourus (??) whatever, scary dino did or does sometimes pop out on the right side! It did for us! Even in my ride photo were all leaning the opposite direction and looking off, frightened, to the right of us!!! So maybe they changed it, or it broke or something??

 

[katt789]

Lol, yeah, Jen and I were talking on facebook about costumes/mnsshp and what to do with a group of 5 and we were just throwing ideas around and I suggested little mermaid, especially since eric is super easy to do, and Ursula can be too! Lol,

Uggggfffhhh the mnsshp colors on the castle are just too perfect and amazing, I kinda wish it was Halloween the entire time!!

I’m not entirely sure but I just totally got a wind of emotion and teared up at the thought of hallowishes…and then proceeded to put the soundtrack on on my ipod….OH MY GOD THE PERIMETER FIREWORKS. Seriously, while you were getting chills I was a little further up in the hub jumping up and down squealing to my mom because I was loving it so much Glad you guys all loved them so much too!

Yay!! Man, that was such a chance dismeet too!! I remember walking down Main St just being like “man, I really just wanted to see dani & matt tonight” and BAM there you guys were!

…I really should have tried that waffle….

Ahahahaha the Creepa Crew….they’re fun, somedays im into it and somedays I’m just all “no. I want BOO TO YOU”

I am so excited for this right now, my hands down favorite and best parade of life is about to explode all over your trip report

I’m so glad you enjoyed it, WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS how much I love all things mnsshp, but Boo To You is THE dream for me to be in, especially as the ballroom dancers, like, I would legit die of happiness if I got to do that. The parade is just perfect. I don’t get the robotic ghosts though, and clara cluck is pretty random but I’m a girl who likes a good lookin cowboy, so I’m not complaing at all about that section bahaha!

Ugh…the pirates…again… #swoon bahaha, one of my friends was in that section this year, super awesome, although I somehow missed him until the fourth time I watched the parade, bahaha.

Glad you guys enjoyed the party, obviously I’ll go to as many as I can every year, but I’m A HUGE parade/show/character person, so it’s my kinda jam, plus, I love the ability to dress up and the more I can do that at Disney, the better! I definitely get not knowing whether you go again next year or not! Also do you know your dates?? Maybe we’ll cross paths again!

uHM…that girl in the back of your second photopass photo at ak…

Ugh, those Everest photos KILL me, I absolutely love the view from up there, great pics!

I have never and will never do ITTBAB…..Aahahaha awesome dinosaur photo, again! Lol. THAT BUG IS TERRIFYINGLY HUGE.

Lunch looks super tasty! We somehow missed most of the rain that day, but we were doing KTTK and I’m pretty sure we were in the utilidoors the entire time lol

 

[cruisingteacher]

Bravo to you for trying out It's Tough to be a bug

I did it waaaay back in 2001 (I think) the first time I saw Animal Kingdom (also the last time I saw it).. and I will NEVER do it again. EVER.

I loathe bugs....

also crazy big bug on that pole.... since living abroad I have seen a few crazy big Cockroaches. Beetles and other unknown species.... bugs terrify me.

 

[marDgreen88]

Yeah, the dogs get along with Simba NOW... but wait til he gets bigger! Wait, maybe he'll be on our side! Yeah hahah that was lame. Random Lion King quote of the day.

Hahaha I'm the same way in that I HATE bugs and things jumping out at me but I absolutely love ITTBAB. I'm weird.

Primeval Whirl is the WORST. Ugh. More ugh.

Glad yall had a nice meal from Boardwalk Bakery! I don't even like lobster/seafood and it looks delicious!

 

[Joben]

another great update, levels returning to normal...
I have to say yours and Matt's love for AK has made me reconsider the park. on our last trip we explored it a little bit more and with fresh eyes I was able to appreciate all the details everyone gushes over. Before we have always rope dropped it, hit the big rides and left by noon. On this trip we have an evening scheduled there, which will be new for us. I'm excited to try EE at night and the safari too. any tips?

I have been slowly working on convincing Jayne to try primeval whirl, thanks for dashing any hope now. She hates the herky jerky ride (which I can't really fault her on) so much so, she will no longer go on SM. I have never ridden PW so I guess I will have to wait till we go on a trip with others (woe is me!!! WDWproblems)

so one thing we like to do is make a list of some new food we want to try when we go. the peanut butter banana bacon kitchen sink melt my brain with loads of goodness ha moved to just about the top of my list

now whenever you talk about screaming on a ride I just hear Sawyer's voice(though I've never heard his voice) quoting "Dani I heard you SCREAM!"

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hey, I totally had candy for breakfast after MNSSHP. Gotta get some of that ticket money back.

Bahahahaha, in the second Tree of Life photo, is that kid photo bombing while walking away???? Genius!!

Awww, what sweet Simba photos. So much love. Congratulations!!!

I honestly can't remember the last time I actually stood in the Everest queue. I kinda miss waiting to find out who's gonna ring the bell.

OK random question. Did you adjust the orientation of the Everest photo overlooking the Tree of Life, or did you actually manage to take it not crooked?

Holy WOW, this was your first time at Bugs??? I'm actually shocked. BUT OMG I would have loved to be there for it. I just so enjoy watching and listening to all the trauma! Honestly though, I don't know how kids make it through.

This is something I've been seeing a lot with the ride photo looking left. I don't think I've EVER seen that until recently, and I didn't even get to ride in December. So strange. So there was no big Dino???

Hahaha, Matt's Dino photo kind of looks like he may have been enjoying some form of "recreational" substance.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

So good to hear that Baby Simba is adjusting well in Seattle! I was worried about how a lion would do out there, but with adoptive parents like you, no wonder he's fine! Brandon and I laughed so hard at your "parents of a newborn" pose. You've got it down, guys.
(Side note, after being read this update aloud last night, I had a stressful dream that we were adopting a baby---not that babies are bad, but just because we already have a house full of kids/insanity now and I cannot imagine adding to it! Maybe for a Simba, though.)

JALAPENO CHEESE PRETZELS!!!!! That's just perfection in starch form.

I'm fairly certain we'll never go on ITTBAB. Never ever ever ever. But yay for you, and better you than me !

Brandon showed me the photos from this update last night when we were in bed, and I'm still laughing now. I cannot process all the awesomeness that is your ride photo. I just have no idea what's going on with parts of it and am highly amused with others. Your face is priceless. Whhaaaaaaatt?? Still, even with no huge scary dinos, I'm never going on Dinosaur again. I stand firm in that.

Primeval Whirl is kind of evil, but it's one of Julia's favorites. And because Brandon can't do spinning at all, guess who's stuck on it? Yours truly. I swear it gets worse every time, but maybe that's because I'm a little bit older every time.

You think we liked the ornament? More like WE LOVE IT!!! It's always going to be very special to us and has a prominent place in our office year-round now so we see it as soon as we walk in the front door. Seriously, thank you. I hate that we had to rush into lunch so quickly that day.

Oh, that rain! It hit when we were cozy inside Tusker House, but it was such a massive rain! We were like, "sucks to be someone stuck out in that...oh, wait...our friends..."

Luckily, it had slowed to a constant drizzle by the time we were done with lunch, but I totally know what you mean about rain feeling cozy at Disney. I especially love when you're in the hotel room getting nice and dry and it's still coming down outside while you watch Stacey (or bad Disney Channel movies could work, too, I guess).

Yay for Epcot!!!! Can't wait to hear about your evening!

 

[starousse]

Great update. That pic of everyone on Dinosaur was hysterical. Too funny.

 

[__disneygirl]

I really need to try this famous pretzel, once and for all!

The best part about It's Tough To Be A Bug is the walk around the Tree of Life! I love those views. The first time I saw that show I did NOT appreciate the black widows coming down from the ceiling. Good lord. Honey I Shrunk the Audience really scared me the first time I saw it when I was 8, but then I grew to love it and I'm sad it's gone! I love A Bug's Life though and I want them to build an MK-style dark ride in AK themed to it because there are just so many cool possible scenes they could create!

HOLY CRAP @ the bug. That looks smaller than some small birds so...

WOW I really hope that's true about Vinyl trading getting better! LETS HAVE MORE LOCATIONS, DISNEY. What are you doing with the blind boxes that you used to use? Can't we just use them again?! What is the point of having less trading locations...?

"Boardwalk Bakery has got it going on, I have to say." LOL! Very good and accurate review.

 

[dreamseeker9]

I've never done Primeval Whirl and was going to give it a whirl (sorry, couldn't help it) on my next trip. But your review has convinced me that I'll be better off leaving it alone!

I also won't be watching It's Tough to Be a Bug. Last time I watched that, it was intense but enjoyable until the little kid next to me freaked out, and the mother decided to get him out of the theater right that second, despite the fact that it was during (SPOILER ALERT) a part when the theater is pitch-black. My friend and I paid dearly for that, the mom and her kid pretty much fell all over us as they tried to get out of our row and to the exit door.