Turning 30 with the Mouse - 05/12/09 update

[NateNLogansDad]

Happy belated Birthday!

 

[Jazzylolo]

The picture you took of the little painting sitting next to the canal is probably my favorite detail in France. Maybe even all of the WS

It sucks that you mom sat out on Soarin'....that is one of the bests! She probably would have enjoyed it, but being a person who does get motion sickness at times it definitely can ruin a day!

 

[MainStMandy]

Oh grat installment!! Happy Belated Birthday. I love the pics of EPCOT and can't wait to go!! I just WS.

 

[TeresaNJ]

Dolce, reading your TR makes me feel as if I'm actually on the trip with you. Your incorporation of pictures throughout, showing all the details as you are experiencing them adds such a special touch. Thanks for bringing some sunshine to this incredibly dreary day here in NJ.

 

[wonderlanne]

hope grandmother is okay!

 

[Dolce27]

Sounds like you've had a pretty good birthday so far.

There is a handicap elevator in the Land. It's tucked away to the left of the spinning restaurant. It lets you out next to where the Kitchen Caberet used to be- to the left of living with the land.

Sorry there was no one to let you know where it was

Thanks for the tip; we had no idea where the handicap elevator was located.
(and I will admit to never have seen Kitchen Caberet)

Happy belated Birthday!

Thank you! I feel old.

The picture you took of the little painting sitting next to the canal is probably my favorite detail in France. Maybe even all of the WS

It sucks that you mom sat out on Soarin'....that is one of the bests! She probably would have enjoyed it, but being a person who does get motion sickness at times it definitely can ruin a day!

I know, Soarin' is great - isn't it? But if she couldn't handle Universe of Energy than no way could he have handled Soarin'. She would have been miserable had I forced her to go on it.

Oh grat installment!! Happy Belated Birthday. I love the pics of EPCOT and can't wait to go!! I just WS.

Thanks! I appreciate the World Showcase much more as I get older. When I worked at Disney on the CP, I rarely ever went to EPCOT. It didn't interest me back then.

I take my newfound interest as another sign of getting old.

Dolce, reading your TR makes me feel as if I'm actually on the trip with you. Your incorporation of pictures throughout, showing all the details as you are experiencing them adds such a special touch. Thanks for bringing some sunshine to this incredibly dreary day here in NJ.

Thank you for the compliment. I'm sorry NJ is so dreary at the moment. Now that I think about it, so is Texas.

hope grandmother is okay!

Grandmother is doing fine and still happily talking about the trip. Despite the issues she had getting around; and being sick with pneumonia - which she didn't know what was wrong with her until she returned home and wound up at the ER , she loved every minute of it and keeps talking about it. I'm really glad that she got to go.


I promise that I will finish this TR. I will not be one of those people that stop in the middle (well, I'm past the middle now) and never show back up. Unfortunately we have a tax deadline on Monday. This week has been rough, I didn't return home until late from work tonight and will be working this week-end to meet that deadline.

Please forgive me and stick with me and I'll have this TR finished soon. I just have 2 1/2 more days to cover after I finish my b-day day.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Take your time. As much as we are all enjoying it, I don't think anyone really wants to see it end.

Disclaimer: NateNLogansDad reserves the right to complain, gripe, and moan about the time between installments. All complaints are subject to change without notice at NateNLogansDad's disgression and do not need to be spelled correctly.

Thanks for making it as good as it's been.

 

[mfd25wife]

Great trip report! You do make it fun to read. I feel like I was there with you.

 

[MainStMandy]

Thanks! I appreciate the World Showcase much more as I get older. When I worked at Disney on the CP, I rarely ever went to EPCOT. It didn't interest me back then.

I take my newfound interest as another sign of getting old.

Hey watch who you are calling old Lady!!!

I didn't get to go to WDW as a kid, but on my CP I loved the World Showcase.

 

[Dolce27]

Hey watch who you are calling old Lady!!!

I didn't get to go to WDW as a kid, but on my CP I loved the World Showcase.

Don't worry Amanda, you're a few *ahem*months*ahem* younger than I - right? You're still young....


Everyone; I promise that I still haven't forgotten this TR. I've had to work this week-end (tomorrow's a tax deadline) and I purchased a new computer. (iMac ) and am in the process of transferring all of my files (that includes pic's for this TR) from my PC to my Mac.

But as soon as I post a update - I promise firework pic's

 

[chicagoshannon]

Ooh fireworks. I can't wait!

 

[Jazzylolo]

Yay iMac!!!! When I got mine a year or so ago my life changed...well at least my photography life. I am totally a mac person now and am not ashamed of it. They are awesome. Congrats and have fun with it!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

 

[Dolce27]

Yay iMac!!!! When I got mine a year or so ago my life changed...well at least my photography life. I am totally a mac person now and am not ashamed of it. They are awesome. Congrats and have fun with it!

Thanks! So far I love it!

ok...ok... I'll update and stop ignoring this thread because I didn't have an update......

 

[Dolce27]

Alright. I'm back...

(I think....)

And now, without further ado, my first update using my brand new 24" iMac! You know, it would have helped ... ALOT... had I taken better notes. By this point in the trip; I'm realizing that my note-taking skills were seriously declining. Seriously declining.

Next up, we're still on my birthday - for those of you that have forgotten. I left EPCOT and returned to the Boardwalk to prepare for that night. I didn't have dinner reservations until 6:00 at Downtown Disney's West Side.

Seriously, I couldn't have had lunch, rode one attraction, picked-up a couple of things in the World Showcase, returned to the Boardwalk and suddenly it was time to go to DTD?

Could I?

Doubtful. So, let's make something up for this tiny section of the trip; because I don't have any memories of it.

I do recall stopping by the ice cream parlor on the Boardwalk at one point for a cone of vanilla soft serve with pieces of snickers candy mixed-in. So... that will go in this segment of the trip report (and ignore me if I suddenly repeat this on another day as I only did this once). Oh, darn... I just peaked into my notes for the next day and this ice cream visit actually takes place on the 31st and not the 30th. But the ice cream was yummy and I chatted with a nice family from England while in line. There were many families from England there that week. Then, again, when I worked there in '99 there were times that I felt that the Brit's outnumbered the Americans in the park. Seriously.

So, I'm leaving it in this section of the TR regardless and will just repeat it again later on in the trip report.....

Alright. Ice Cream eaten (Not really) I run upstairs an prepare for that night (which just consists of dropping off the items that I don't wish to carry around with me and running a brush through my hair. There really wasn't much to "prepare" for.)

I grab the first available bus to Downtown Disney. Now, here's the deal: the DTD bus stops at the Marketplace but then makes a second stop at the West Side. I know that they still do this; when I left the Marketplace for the Caribbean Beach resort on the 27th; we stopped at the West Side. I had told my mother and grandmother to stay on the bus until the second stop when giving them instructions for how to get there.

Upon arriving, I hop off at the Marketplace. I've time to kill so I enjoy a nice walk through the Marketplace, past Pleasure Island (RIP Adventure's Club ) and down the West End all the way to the end to the House of Blues.

I'm early so I find a patch of fence to sit on and I sit. And sit some more. And some more.

My cell phone rings and it's my mother. She's in the Marketplace, on her way.

"Why didn't you get off at the West Side, like I told you to, so you wouldn't have to walk so far?" (I'm the one that loves to walk; she hates it. We're opposites like that.)

"There wasn't another stop."

"Yes, there was."

"No, there wasn't."

"Yes, there was."

"No, there wasn't. The bus driver said there wasn't."

"Well, the bus driver lied then because we stopped off at the West Side a couple of days ago when I was leaving here."

"Well, there's nothing that I can do about it."

We argue a lot like that. It drives my sister nuts. She once witnessed us back and forth like that and began yelling at us to cut it out, demanding to know how we could argue so darn much but not ever get mad at each other?

It's a talent, I guess.

My mother informed me that my grandmother was back at the hotel, resting. That she tried to get up to get ready and looked horrible, but she didn't want to ruin my birthday "surprise" that I had planned for them that night. My mother told her that if she didn't feel well to go back to bed. Without another word my grandmother turned around and crawled back in bed. Poor Granny.

My mom finally makes her way over to my coveted seat on the fence. Tamera's not far behind; but she was dropped off at the curb as my uncle was driving. He went to park the car and then he, Mary and the kids were heading over to Rainforest Cafe for dinner. The three of us were seated immediately upon check-in at the House of Blues. I had visions of White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding running through my head..

We order the spinach and artichoke dip for starters. After it's passed out and we order our main (I ordered the the Penne pasta.. which was good!) I asked Tam and mom if they had any idea for what the surprise was. I figured Tamera had already guessed it -- this was something I was certain she'd like. As soon as I told Mary what the surprise was her eyes lit up and exclaimed "Tamera's going to love it!" plus the "surprise" was right next door to the House of Blues, so she just walked right by it. So, I turn to her first - waiting for her answer.

"I have no idea?"

What?!?!

Humph.

I turn to my mom..

"Cirque de Soliel tickets." She proudly boasts.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

I pass out the tickets to my very surprised, but happy, aunt and my mother. The only problem? I have one extra ticket.

"What about Guy?" my aunt asks.

Good idea. We try to call Guy's cell. No answer. Mary's cell. No answer. Guy's cell (a few minutes later) No answer.

Hmmmm....

Dessert time... and no bread pudding. Too heavy. Even the name "bread pudding" sounds heavy. So the warm apple tart with vanilla ice cream it is.

Darn. I really had been looking forward to that bread pudding.

Dinner finished, we still have time. Guy's still not answering his cell. Neither is Mary, for that matter.

I offer to run back to the Marketplace to the Rainforest Cafe to find them; we figure that it must be too loud in there for them to hear their phones. My mom and Tam agree, after all they don't have to do any running.

So, off I ran. OK. I didn't really run; it was more of a brisk walk. I pass the Magic Shop and the two guys are outside putting on a show. Too bad I didn't have the time to stop and watch, they're hysterical! Love them! Onward to the Marketplace and into the Rainforest Cafe I go. I slip past the employees (I'm sneaky like that) and into the dining area. A quick walk around the restaurant (twice incase I missed seeing them the first time as the place was packed!) and I exit.

Darn. I try Guy's cell one last time... and he answers! Woo-hoo!

"Where are you?"

"World of Disney. Trying on dresses."

(Disclaimer: my uncle wasn't trying on dresses; the kids were. I promise!)

Fortunately I know my way around the World of Disney well enough that I went in and made a beeline for the Princess section and found two very happy kids and one smiling nanny wearing Minnie Mouse ears. I quickly ask my uncle if he'd like to join us for Cirque that night. He wasn't expecting the question. He thinks for a moment and realizes that'd be fun. He turns to Mary to make arrangements for getting the kids back and tells me that he'd meet us at the show. I hand him a ticket and off I go back to the West Side.

I can't find my mother once I get over there. What's new? Except this time she's drug Tamera off with her.

*sigh*

I finally find them in a store and we browse for a bit before heading over to the theater. We find our seats. Now, I know that you aren't allowed to take pictures of stages; most stages are copywrited. I've been to the theater more than enough to know- I took theater classes in London. I've slept through more shows than I can count. Joking. ..or am I?

Even Cirqu's theater, which has absolutely nothing on the stage before the show, just a empty stage, is apparently copywrited. However, when Tam pulled out a camera to take a pic of the three of us in the audience, and it was just the three of us that she was trying to frame - nothing else, the camera lens pointed away from the stage, it was still a no-no. The usher's were quick; let me tell you. The guy must have flown. No idea how he made it up the steps and to our seats in 2.2 seconds. Because before Tamera could even press the button an usher was at her side demanding that the camera be put away.

"But I just wanted a picture of us."

"No."

So. Lesson: no pictures of even you inside of a theater.

Guy shows ups and the show starts. And it was amazing. I've been wanting to see it since 1999 but tickets are expensive and I never splurged before. But I absolutely loved the show. So did Tamera and we're all gushing about it on the way out. Tam is going on and on about how I have to go to Vegas and see 'O' . So, now I'm booked for Vegas and will see 'O' along with Mystere. I can't wait! (It'll be my first trip to Vegas. No Disney for me this year - it's Vegas, baby! )

With Guy having a car, no busses for us! Woo-hoo! We take my mom over to the Caribbean Beach Resort. Can I tell you how nice it was to have my iphone on me with GPS? We didn't know how to get to mom's resort. Guy and I attempted to ask the guy at the ticket booth to Cirque. He kept the window closed and talking through glass ... well, that wasn't working out too well. There were tons of miscommunication when you could barely hear the guy and he could barely hear you. Guy was fine with what the kid said but I was certain that the kid was wrong. Guy was certain he and the kid were right; I was certain they were both wrong.

I was correct. So, as we're driving aimlessly around, because the direction that the kid pointed us to wasn't the right one, I pulled out my iphone. I Googled the street address for the Caribbean Beach Resort, pulled up my GPS, pinned where we're at and scrolled the map until I see where we want to go and then begin barking orders to my uncle.

"Turn here."

"Go strait."

We finally make it within a reasonable amount of time for not having a clue as to where we were going when we set out. We drop my mom off and hightail it over to the Grand Floridian Resort. Not fast enough, in my opinion. I had plans for tonight. Places to be. I keep glancing nervously at my watch. It's 11:45 pm... I'm cutting it close. FINALLY we pull up, we're out of the car, through the main building and over to the Sugar Loaf concierge building. I race upstairs with them (via elevator), we come in and Mary's in Guy and Tam's room watching tv. Mary and Tam want talk... it's all I can do to not grab Mary by the arm and drag her out of there! I'm looking at my watch. I'm giving them pleading looks they're ignoring.

FINALLY, the conversation ends, Guy and Tamera wish us a good night and Mary and I are out of there, down the elevator, out of the building, into the main building, up the stairs and onto the monorail platform where I eagerly wait for a train.

Darn, we're not going to make it!

A train pulls up. I'm impatient. I'm thankful that the Magic Kingdom is the next stop. We get off at the MK platform and it's midnight.

Darn! Darn! Darn!

We race towards the gate. Bag check isn't open, they glance at my stuff at the turnstile and we're in and they're just now starting! Woo-hoo! MADE IT!!!

Laughing, Mary and I take off in a full run (yes, this was a full-fledge run. No walking here!) around the Christmas tree and towards the beginning of Main Street just as it starts.

What's starting? You ask?

Hmmmmmm...... that's an excellent question.....

 

[chicagoshannon]

You're going to love Vegas! We were there 4 years ago. DO NOT fall for the time share thing. We did and were held hostage and now own a time share that we have yet to use (we did let my sister use it for her honeymoon though).

 

[Dolce27]

Alright... since no one is currently on my TR except for me; when you do get around to remembering my TR and reading the latest update, you won't have to do any waiting for the answer to the following question:

What's starting? You ask?






Why the New Year's Eve fireworks!!! That's what!!!!!!!

Yeah, it's actually the night before New Year's Eve, but the MK does a trial run on the 30th and the park is quite manageable that night.

The fireworks start. They're going off in front of us

(I couldn't quite see the castle from that position)



And behind us!??!

I didn't know which way to face.

Front.

Back.

Front.

Back.

Mary and I look at each other. Oh crap! The kids are going to wake for this one!!

There's a lull in the fireworks as they begin the countdown for midnight. In actual fireworks.

We move on around and get a better view of the castle and down Main Street. The countdown ends and then all you know what breaks loose! There's fireworks in front, in the back, to the side. We're surrounded by fireworks whichever way we turn! I couldn't spin fast enough!

Front:

Side:

Back:

The show, sadly, ends and most of the crowd heads out.

Uh-uh.. not us. We're here for the night. Woo-hoo! My only disappointment? The original hours called for park closing at 4am... but Disney bumped it back to 3am. Darn them!

 

[Dolce27]

You're going to love Vegas! We were there 4 years ago. DO NOT fall for the time share thing. We did and were held hostage and now own a time share that we have yet to use (we did let my sister use it for her honeymoon though).

Eh, you snuck in there. I'm having trouble with posting tonight. Things are severely slow for me. Anyone else?

And, I promise, I won't fall for the time share thing. No interest in it. Thanks for the warning.

 

[Dolce27]

Magic Kingdom time!

First stop is actually to find me something to wear. While I'm in a sweater, it's knitted and cold is seeping in through the holes. This just wasn't going to work. Unfortunately I just can't find anything that I like enough to fork over 50 - 60 bucks for.

Giving up, we leave and make our way towards Tomorrowland. Space Mountain line out the door? Nope, will do it later. Now, I knew about the trial run for the fireworks but Disney was acting like it really was the next night. I felt confused for a moment - it was still the night of the 30th? Right?? There was a DJ that had taken over the park PA system and you didn't hear normal park music but the DJ and his dance party mix. We noted a dance party over next to Space, but that wasn't where the DJ was located.

The line for Buzz was too long, in my opinion, so Fantasyland it is! We had to stop off at the teacups along the way. OK.. ok.. I had to stop off at the teacups along the way. Mary humored me.

And we're spinning!

We head over to Mickey's Philiharmagic and along the way we spot the Fantasyland dance party taking place in Ariel's Grotto. That was where the DJ seemed to be located. I look over and there are like 20-30 people doing the electric slide in Ariel's Grotto.

I had to stop.

I had to laugh.

Seriously, the site of that was hysterical!

It still cracks me up.

We went on to Philihar (love that! love that! love that!)

Next up was the Haunted Mansion. And then it was back to Main Street USA to find something for me. I couldn't take the cold any longer. $70.00, and countless minutes of pondering, later, I'm the proud owner of a Tink t-shirt and a Mickey hoodie. I quickly change in the nearest bathroom and we head off to Frontierland. We attempted Splash - it went down just as we approached the queue so off it was to Big Thunder.

Boy, was I glad to have changed! Riding a outdoor roller coaster in 30-40 degree temp is COLD! We headed to Adventureland just in the off chance the Jungle Cruise was open.

It wasn't.

Mary needed water and Aloha Isle was open....


..... ok. Darn it! I couldn't be that darn close to a Dole Whip and not purchase one - now could I? I got a pineapple/vanilla swirl in a cup. Mary decided that she wanted something also and purchased a citrus swirl.

OK... it's seriously cold outside and here we are racing across the hub and back to Tomorrowland eating ice cream!!! Can I say COLD???

.. but oh-so-good. And you better believe that I ate every last drop of it!

We jumped into the 20 minute posted wait for Space Mountain - still out the door.

Some people were still using FP's from earlier in the day. A couple behind us were complaining about the wait when a guy, breezing through the non-existant FP line came to a screeching halt, turned and back tracked. The guy asked the couple behind me if they were a party of two? When they said 'yes' he handed over two extra FP's he had and continued on down the FP line.

Very cool of him.

The couple behind me eagerly jumped over the rail and took off down the FP line.

Seriously? There really wasn't a wait. Things began moving quickly and I discovered, upon reaching the front of the line that not only were they not using the jig-jagged queue leading up to load, they weren't even making you walk down it to load. They had opened up a section just at the tower base - at the top of the long line- and you just made a left and walked strait into load.

Space was fun; I wanted to do it again but no time. Time was flying tonight. I couldn't believe it! We'd hardly done anything!

I wanted to get in a trip on Astro Orbiter. I planned to take pictures. On the ride. But I was too busy hanging on for dear life! I honestly felt that I was about to slide out of my seat and out of my little rocket ship - the tilt felt to be that great. What was up with that?!? Was it like this in 2006? I couldn't even enjoy the ride for my fear of plummeting to my untimely death.

With the ride over, I did have to sneak a few pic's of the castle from that view up there.

We took a little long. OK. We took a lot long and held up everyone at the elevator to go back down.

Ooops!

A quick glance at my watch revealed that it was now going on 3:00. How could that be? The night had just begun!

I asked Mary if she was cool with ending the night on the carousel. This was my last visit to the MK this trip and I love the carousel.

We walk back to Fantasyland and make the last ride of the night. We find horses and as I climb on I began to notice a few things...


There's a duck...

And a Mouse...

and another Mouse... and Chipmunks....

... and a dog..

Several of the characters had chosen to ride on the carousel for the last ride that night. How cool was that?

The carousel began and I was just happy. Around and around in circles we went.

It was over and I nabbed a photo with Chip
(oops! missing one chipmunk photo. How could that happen?!?! Must have missed uploading that into Photobucket...)

I took a pic of my fav Dale, as he waved us off the ride.

Mickey kept stopping for pic's. The CM's kept trying to drag him off. He'd stop for another pic. Finally, he stomped over to a spot. Pointed to it and waited for his first kid to run him - he was forming his own autograph line at 3AM. The CM's began yelling at him; informing him that he couldn't do that but must leave now. I didn't know that they could get away with telling the top Mouse what to do - but they did and Mickey finally relented and left.

It was so much fun to end the night with the characters.

Mary and I slowly made our way out, taking every photo opportunity that we could find.

I got into the last line of the night:

Of course everyone wanted proof that they were in the MK until after 3:00 in the morning.

We finally exited the park. I pointed Mary off towards the monorail and I headed to the busses. On the way home (yes, the Boardwalk is too my home!) I was listening to two men discuss who plays Mickey Mouse. I turn to them all innocent like

"What do you mean? Mickey plays Mickey."

They paused for a moment, startled, and then laughed and finally "got it".

Soon I was home and in bed for my very few hours of sleep before I had to get back up.

 

[Dolce27]

I decided to post these pic's larger:

And just incase anyone had problems with reading the time on the clock....