Wait! Where's your wedding ring? An Oct. 2013 Disneymoon TR Updated 5/7!

[jerseygal]

It's lunch time now and really hungry!

The PICS ARE GREAT! JUST LOVE THE FOOD THERE!

VGF looks AWESOME! Trying to get VGF during the first two weeks of DEC!
LOOKS BEAUTIFUL! We will see....If not, our home, Animal Kingdom will be just fine! I love them all! Can't wait to see WDW during the holiday season!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Such wonderful photos!!!!

Loved the photos in HM. Hmmmm. hope Franklin doesn't fall the way of "Frank" and Constantine.

Nice that Franklin was able to replace his MB without too much trouble.

My last couple of visits to Ohana have been less than steller. It is no longer on my must do list, especially for the cost. But I do still love the bread pudding, the potstickers and the wings.

Franklin's spot for Wishes was awesome. I loved watching the fireworks from that area. It's like they shoot off from all around you, and you can feel the crackling in your chest as they go off.

Great update!!

 

[huggiebear23]

and amazing pictures. Congrats on the wedding you looked beautiful.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I don't think you're obligated to say that those are the best pictures Franklin has taken, because he's taken some pretty awesome shots... it would be hard to choose!

I haven't used FP+ for anything nighttime yet, but I will be for the parade viewing! You're the second person I've seen that has used it for that, and seriously, that's an incredible spot. Definitely on my list!

 

[disfanforlife]

After reading this - I think I want to use one of my FP for the parade viewing!! Hmmm, but which one? I have a week to think about it......

 

[Missyrose]

oh no - sorry to hear that Franklin lost his BD .... I wonder if that is becoming an issue as I could see that happening a lot! Hope it was a smooth process for him to get the replacement

I know you commented on his MSEP photos (which are great) but I wanted to mention how great I thought the photos from HM came out - some of the best/clearest I have ever seen!

Also, neat and different view of Wishes with Ariel in the foreground!

BTW - is the FP+ for MSEP separate than for Wishes or is it separate areas? Just wondering if they have to horde people out for one before letting people in for the next or if it is combined

Franklin can chime in for more, but from our experience at City Hall, replacing the band was pretty painless. They gave him one that was the same color (though nothing printed on the back) and deactivated the lost one in the system.

The FP+ for MSEP is at the top of the Hub, just in front of the castle. The Wishes FP+ spot has been in the Rose Garden (but with the Rose Garden leaving as part of the Hub redesign, I'm not sure where the Wishes spot will move to).

The MSEP spot isn't very good for Wishes simply because it's too close to the castle, most of the big fireworks would be blocked. If you ever use FP+ for MSEP before Wishes, just move farther back in the Hub or onto Main Street for the fireworks.

It's lunch time now and really hungry!

The PICS ARE GREAT! JUST LOVE THE FOOD THERE!

VGF looks AWESOME! Trying to get VGF during the first two weeks of DEC!
LOOKS BEAUTIFUL! We will see....If not, our home, Animal Kingdom will be just fine! I love them all! Can't wait to see WDW during the holiday season!

Good luck with getting the VGF reservation, sending some major pixie dust your way! We'll be at Disney in early December, but staying at Boardwalk!

Such wonderful photos!!!!

Loved the photos in HM. Hmmmm. hope Franklin doesn't fall the way of "Frank" and Constantine.

Nice that Franklin was able to replace his MB without too much trouble.

My last couple of visits to Ohana have been less than steller. It is no longer on my must do list, especially for the cost. But I do still love the bread pudding, the potstickers and the wings.

Franklin's spot for Wishes was awesome. I loved watching the fireworks from that area. It's like they shoot off from all around you, and you can feel the crackling in your chest as they go off.

Great update!!

We're 11 years into this relationship. If I were going to chop Franklin's head off, it probably would have been a few years ago.

I hate hearing people have had bad meals at 'Ohana, I have found that the earlier meals are far worse (service-wise) than later in the evening. I think the restaurant is so overbooked that they really try to churn through tables earlier in the evening.

I love Franklin's spot for Wishes too! I'm trying to figure out where I want to be to watch Wishes in May. Anyone have any good suggestions?

and amazing pictures. Congrats on the wedding you looked beautiful.

Thank you so, so much!​

 

[ZehnJahren]

Wow, that's a pain to lose the MB! I was wondering myself what happens if you lose one; it's nice they can pretty painlessly deactivate them and give you a new one, especially a new one of the color you originally picked. I thought you might just end up with a gray one.

I'm going on a solo trip soon and trying to figure out how I can bring my glow with the show ears back down for this trip since I'm only traveling with a carry on that will be packed full. Maybe I could put them in my travel purse for the trip (it's a big purse!).

When are you going in May? It looks like the ticker is cut off and I couldn't see!

I love the pictures (of course!). All of them are nice; I especially like the view of the fireworks from TLM! And Dopey's mine train, too!

 

[Missyrose]

Wow, that's a pain to lose the MB! I was wondering myself what happens if you lose one; it's nice they can pretty painlessly deactivate them and give you a new one, especially a new one of the color you originally picked. I thought you might just end up with a gray one.

I'm going on a solo trip soon and trying to figure out how I can bring my glow with the show ears back down for this trip since I'm only traveling with a carry on that will be packed full. Maybe I could put them in my travel purse for the trip (it's a big purse!).

When are you going in May? It looks like the ticker is cut off and I couldn't see!

I love the pictures (of course!). All of them are nice; I especially like the view of the fireworks from TLM! And Dopey's mine train, too!

Wear the ears on the plane!

I'll be at Disney May 19-26, what are your dates? This is will be my first solo trip (Franklin won't be joining me until the holiday weekend starts), got any tips for me?
​

 

[ZehnJahren]

Wear the ears on the plane!

I'll be at Disney May 19-26, what are your dates? This is will be my first solo trip (Franklin won't be joining me until the holiday weekend starts), got any tips for me?
​

You don't think I'd be laughed off the plane? I guess it would be something they'd expect if I'm heading towards Orlando right?

I'm going sooner than that, but haven't been giving dates since I had an incident on my last PTR/TR! Looking forward to a flower-ful Epcot; it should be beautiful! I'm terrible at gardening, but I love flowers and topiaries.

Oh yay, a solo trip! My first one was so much fun! I stayed at AKL and got to enjoy the resort as well as the parks! My recommendation would be to BE FRIENDLY! To the CMs, to the people in line, to the people you meet while eating. I was super friendly to my check-in CM because I was so excited and was upgraded to a savannah view! And I met the nicest people while I was there. On my last solo trip in November, I made sure to sit and have a drink in Epcot and just soak in the surroundings - it is so different when you're alone, and in a good way. You'll have a great time!

I'll be back in October to finish my AP year; my mom and I are doing 10 days. It will be so different to be on a trip WITH someone!

 

[tiggerfan77]

I finally got to eat at Ohana's for dinner on our trip last year. Man, was the food delicious!! We were seated near the wood too which didn't work in our favor since my son and niece couldn't see what was going on. Oh well, maybe next time we'll get a better seat!
Love the amazing firework photo with Ariel! That is a great angle!! Looks like you all had another fun and relaxing Disney Day!

 

[Suziannie]

So happy to see someone using a Fastpass for the parade viewing! I've been thinking about doing this for our upcoming trip and have been on the fence about it. But I love how close it looks!

I can only hope my photos come out as nicely. Did he use a tripod?

 

[Wood Nymph]

I love the placement of the castle in the MSEP parade pictures. Those are really nicely framed.

 

[Pixel Dust]

oh no - sorry to hear that Franklin lost his BD .... I wonder if that is becoming an issue as I could see that happening a lot! Hope it was a smooth process for him to get the replacement

I think I lost it when I was getting off of a ride. It may have caught on the backpack strap when I was trying to put it on. ​

I know you commented on his MSEP photos (which are great) but I wanted to mention how great I thought the photos from HM came out - some of the best/clearest I have ever seen!

Thanks! It's a very tough setting to shoot. We actually got lucky and the ride stopped in the attic with Constance and her husbands.​

Also, neat and different view of Wishes with Ariel in the foreground!

I've taken photos of wishes from main street tons of times. Now I want to try different areas. Spice things up a bit.​

I don't think you're obligated to say that those are the best pictures Franklin has taken, because he's taken some pretty awesome shots... it would be hard to choose!

I haven't used FP+ for anything nighttime yet, but I will be for the parade viewing! You're the second person I've seen that has used it for that, and seriously, that's an incredible spot. Definitely on my list!

Thanks! If you do use it for MSEP get a spot slightly off center of the castle, just to the left. That way you would get the front of the float with the castle. When you sit dead center, all you get is just the side of the floats if you try to keep the castle in the shot. Because you are so close, shoot as wide as possible.

Also of note, most parades go the opposite direction. So you would have to sit off center to the right.​

I finally got to eat at Ohana's for dinner on our trip last year. Man, was the food delicious!! We were seated near the wood too which didn't work in our favor since my son and niece couldn't see what was going on. Oh well, maybe next time we'll get a better seat!
Love the amazing firework photo with Ariel! That is a great angle!! Looks like you all had another fun and relaxing Disney Day!

Thank you! It took a couple fireworks set to get the framing right. I was right next to the FP+ entrance.​

So happy to see someone using a Fastpass for the parade viewing! I've been thinking about doing this for our upcoming trip and have been on the fence about it. But I love how close it looks!

I can only hope my photos come out as nicely. Did he use a tripod?

I think I answered this question on our Facebook page, but I'll post it here for everyone.

I did not use a tripod for this parade. I was shooting super-wide, 16 mm f/2.8 on a full frame. Kept the shutter speed up at 1/30th. Only needed ISO 800. You want to expose just for the light bulbs and keep it a bit darker anyway. Too bright and you'll see too much of the float's structure, ruins the magic a bit. I was also sitting on the ground to properly frame the castle in the background. As I mentioned above, sit slightly off center to the left, so you get the front of the float and the castle in the same shot.

I did use a tripod for the Boo to You parade on our engagement trip back in October 2012. That time I was using a zoom lens with a smaller aperture, f/4. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=48806825&posted=1#post48806825​

I love the placement of the castle in the MSEP parade pictures. Those are really nicely framed.

Thanks! I'm happy someone noticed. Missy grabbed the spot I wanted.

I was excited to shoot there, but was frazzled from running back from City Hall dealing with my lost magic band. Then I realized, how I would meet Missy in the FP+ viewing without a MB? At this point I didn't want to get a new MB, hoping mine would turn up later in the night, and didn't have time since MSEP was starting soon. The CM at City Hall gave me a phone number in case they needed to confirm me w/o a magic band. (The CM's at the FP+ viewing location do not have a way to look up people that have a reservation w/o a MB.) Luckily, they were having technical issues scanning. The CM at the FP+ area saw Missy waving at us and let me through. And all was good.

You want to sit slightly off center to frame it up nicely.​

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Thanks! If you do use it for MSEP get a spot slightly off center of the castle, just to the left. That way you would get the front of the float with the castle. When you sit dead center, all you get is just the side of the floats if you try to keep the castle in the shot. Because you are so close, shoot as wide as possible.

Also of note, most parades go the opposite direction. So you would have to sit off center to the right.​

Awesome tips, Thanks! Now where is that notepad I said I was going to put here?

 

[sunfun94]

Ohana's was fantastic... TBH, I thought it was going to be the place that our uber picky DD (6yr) was going to turn her nose up at and as it turned out, we had to drag her outta there! She ate EVERYTHING! hahaha... I think it was the most she had eaten in 3 days..

We had FP+ for Wishes and WOW... all I can say is WOW... we absolutely loved it!!! To this day it has to be one of the top moments on my list from that trip... to not be crowded, to get such amazing pics, to able to SIT DOWN and be comfy... for Tink to fly right over us.. the girls had a blast and watching the show with all of us together was the thing I was looking forward to the most... it did not disappoint.

 

[natebenma]

Reading Flat Ben's adventures was one of the most fun trip reports I've ever read! ​

That is so sweet of you to say!

It seemed like The Adventures of Flat Ben report practically wrote itself. I guess that's because it was other people writing about his experiences.


I loved the perspective of the MSEP pictures and the fireworks with Ariel in the foreground, but I swear when I looked at the pictures I thought

"Joan of Arc!"


We really do need to make it back to 'Ohana. Did you enjoy having seating where you could watch the grill?

Dessert first works!

​

I love the colors in this picture, the pink and blue of the sky. Makes all of the VGF pictures look magical, then...

WHAM!

There's Medusa!

What fantastic HM pictures!

 

[Lorelei528]

Heck, I figured I'd start following your TR from OCT and post here! I think your FP+ for the parade viewing might have convinced me to do FP+ for MSEP!

I'm only 5'1" so I always need to get to a place way early to get in front..LOL.

Also, I don't love people pushing and shoving either...("C'mon people! It's MAGICAL dammit!!" LOL...

Can't wait for your next installment and Franklin's pics kick ***.

 

[JulieODC]

Your O'hana pics are making me drool. YUM!

Nighttime photos at MK are hard to beat, between the parade and the fireworks --- beautiful!!

 

[JustTinking]

I added ’Ohana to my list of ADRs for my solo time during my May trip. What I’m considering for that meal is to eat the dinner backwards: start with the bread pudding and move backward from there! That’s the problem with ’Ohana, everything is so good that by the time you get to the bread pudding (which is the best part of the meal), you’re already too full to eat very much of it! What do you guys think of the backward meal plan?


Good plan indeed! It's a well known saying:

WHY TAKE CHANCES? EAT DESSERT FIRST!

 

[Missyrose]

You don't think I'd be laughed off the plane? I guess it would be something they'd expect if I'm heading towards Orlando right?

I'm going sooner than that, but haven't been giving dates since I had an incident on my last PTR/TR! Looking forward to a flower-ful Epcot; it should be beautiful! I'm terrible at gardening, but I love flowers and topiaries.

Oh yay, a solo trip! My first one was so much fun! I stayed at AKL and got to enjoy the resort as well as the parks! My recommendation would be to BE FRIENDLY! To the CMs, to the people in line, to the people you meet while eating. I was super friendly to my check-in CM because I was so excited and was upgraded to a savannah view! And I met the nicest people while I was there. On my last solo trip in November, I made sure to sit and have a drink in Epcot and just soak in the surroundings - it is so different when you're alone, and in a good way. You'll have a great time!

I'll be back in October to finish my AP year; my mom and I are doing 10 days. It will be so different to be on a trip WITH someone!

Oh, I plan to soak in LOTS of atmosphere while I'm there solo.

I finally got to eat at Ohana's for dinner on our trip last year. Man, was the food delicious!! We were seated near the wood too which didn't work in our favor since my son and niece couldn't see what was going on. Oh well, maybe next time we'll get a better seat!
Love the amazing firework photo with Ariel! That is a great angle!! Looks like you all had another fun and relaxing Disney Day!

We just started to plan our December trip and instead of deciding whether to eat at 'Ohana on our last night (which we did the last time this whole group was at Disney) or eat there early on during the trip, we've just decided to go twice!

So happy to see someone using a Fastpass for the parade viewing! I've been thinking about doing this for our upcoming trip and have been on the fence about it. But I love how close it looks!

I can only hope my photos come out as nicely. Did he use a tripod?

The FP+ spot for the parades is a very cool location. And as you saw, it makes for some pretty awesome photos!

I love the placement of the castle in the MSEP parade pictures. Those are really nicely framed.

Thanks!

Awesome tips, Thanks! Now where is that notepad I said I was going to put here?

Google Docs, that way you get to your notes from your phone while you're at Disney!

Ohana's was fantastic... TBH, I thought it was going to be the place that our uber picky DD (6yr) was going to turn her nose up at and as it turned out, we had to drag her outta there! She ate EVERYTHING! hahaha... I think it was the most she had eaten in 3 days..

We had FP+ for Wishes and WOW... all I can say is WOW... we absolutely loved it!!! To this day it has to be one of the top moments on my list from that trip... to not be crowded, to get such amazing pics, to able to SIT DOWN and be comfy... for Tink to fly right over us.. the girls had a blast and watching the show with all of us together was the thing I was looking forward to the most... it did not disappoint.

Got any photos from the FP+ spot for Wishes? I'd love to see what the view looks like. I do love the idea of spreading out on the grass, almost like a picnic!

That is so sweet of you to say!

It seemed like The Adventures of Flat Ben report practically wrote itself. I guess that's because it was other people writing about his experiences.


I loved the perspective of the MSEP pictures and the fireworks with Ariel in the foreground, but I swear when I looked at the pictures I thought

"Joan of Arc!"


We really do need to make it back to 'Ohana. Did you enjoy having seating where you could watch the grill?

Dessert first works!




I love the colors in this picture, the pink and blue of the sky. Makes all of the VGF pictures look magical, then...

WHAM!

There's Medusa!

What fantastic HM pictures!

WHAM! There's Medusa... That would make an excellent TR title! Those photos do make Ariel look fairly warrior-esque.

Heck, I figured I'd start following your TR from OCT and post here! I think your FP+ for the parade viewing might have convinced me to do FP+ for MSEP!

I'm only 5'1" so I always need to get to a place way early to get in front..LOL.

Also, I don't love people pushing and shoving either...("C'mon people! It's MAGICAL dammit!!" LOL...

Can't wait for your next installment and Franklin's pics kick ***.

Glad to help with the FP+ decision-making process! I know the struggles of being short, gotta take the height help where you can get it.

Your O'hana pics are making me drool. YUM!

Nighttime photos at MK are hard to beat, between the parade and the fireworks --- beautiful!!

I love night time at Magic Kingdom, it feels extra magical.

I added ’Ohana to my list of ADRs for my solo time during my May trip. What I’m considering for that meal is to eat the dinner backwards: start with the bread pudding and move backward from there! That’s the problem with ’Ohana, everything is so good that by the time you get to the bread pudding (which is the best part of the meal), you’re already too full to eat very much of it! What do you guys think of the backward meal plan?


Good plan indeed! It's a well known saying:

WHY TAKE CHANCES? EAT DESSERT FIRST!

An excellent mantra to live by!​