We both got real jobs: now we can go to Disney! Sept 2013 PTR! TR link posted 9/29!

[lvcourtneyy]

Day 2: September 11, 2013

So day 2 of our trip, our first park day finds us in.....


DSCN0388 by RN Courtney, on Flickr

I know it's kinda a weird first park but we love DHS and it worked out best following the crowd calendars. We decided to avoid EMH for this trip, especially AM ones because it's just too early for us. So, easywdw has DHS as a recommended park today with overall crowd levels of a whopping 1 and touring plans has DHS as a best park with a crowd level of 1.9 so I think it should be a good day!

The park hours today are from 9 AM- 8:30 PM today, with Fantasmic at 8 pm.

In January, we opted out of the TSMM mad dash first thing and decided to do Rock n Roller coaster and ToT first with no crowds which we really enjoyed.


Photo0256FourBySix by RN Courtney, on Flickr


Photo0257FourBySix by RN Courtney, on Flickr

We did head over to Pixar Place after that and ended up getting FPs for 1-2 I believe. We enjoyed TSMM but we weren't that worried about getting to ride it more than once so that worked for us. I think I'm gonna leave it to Chris what he wants to do in that regard. ToT is his favorite ride so I'm thinking we'll probably go the same route but we'll see how he feels that morning!

Our ADR for this day is
wdw_melrose by RN Courtney, on Flickr

Mama Melrose at 3:45 PM with the Fantasmic Package. I've read pretty mixed reviews about Mama Melrose but there's some things on the menu we both agreed we'd enjoy and since we have the free DDP, I figure we may as well do the Fantasmic package. I figure we were gonna make an ADR somewhere anyway and I'm not DYING to try any of the DHS restaurants so why not get an extra appetizer and Fantasmic voucher out of it?

If anyone has been to Mama Melrose and has any suggestions of things to try/avoid, I'd love to hear it.

Also, with the Fantasmic voucher, where exactly do we go at the theater? I can't really picture it.

Other than heading to the big things first thing in the morning, we don't have set plans for the day. This is our plan for pretty much all our park days. We're gonna pick where we want to head first thing and then from there, play it by ear based on what we wanna do, what characters we want to meet and wait times. We did it in January this way and it worked out nicely!

Our list of things we want to do that we haven't done before include:


Meeting Ralph and Vanellope. I'm kicking myself now because we didn't meet them in January because we hadn't seen the movie yet but I'm not sure if they'll still be there in September so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Unknown by RN Courtney, on Flickr

Meeting Sulley! I don't know if they'll still be in their MU gear or not but we only got to meet Mike in January so I really want to meet Sulley either way


Unknown-1 by RN Courtney, on Flickr

Character PALOOZA!

Since we've only been in January, this was never going on when we were there so I was really excited to do it this trip. NOW, it seems like it's a bigger mess than ever so I have no idea where it will be or in what form during our trip but I'm hoping I'll be able to find it! Based on the current info from Kennythepirate, it should be on at 4:30 at Echo Lake and 5:30 on the Streets of America.

Studio Backlot Tour

DSCN0414 by RN Courtney, on Flickr

Star Tours. This isn't really a new one for us because we did it on our first trip but we didn't do it in January so I want to make sure we do it this time!

One Man’s Dream

Shows: Indiana Jones, LMA

Cowboy side of GMR. I don't know if this one is going to be possible of course but I want to try and ask about it!

DSCN0543 by RN Courtney, on Flickr

Animation Academy

So that's basically it on the DHS front. I'd love to hear about any other "hidden" gems/unknown must dos for DHs and any tips or suggestions!

 

[redheadedmermaid73]

We'll be at DHS on the 11th too!

 

[blabbermouth]

Happy Anniversary!

Yay for DHS first day

I'd like to meet Sulley and Mike too this time. I saw Wreck it Ralph, but it was just OK to me. Just makes me think of Candy Crush the game, haha.

I didn't think about doing a Fantasmic package this time, but last time we did and went to Hollywood and Vine.

 

[mirage0306]

Happy Anniversary!! Y'all are just so cute!!

We are eating at Mama Melrose for lunch and doing the F! Package the last night of our trip later this month. I plan on doing a TR, but I will try to remember also to let you know how it all went! It might take awhile to get to the last day of the trip...I'm long winded

Chiming in about the traumatic birth...I too had one, with my older son (now 10). I tried to have him in a birthing center but transferred to the hospital after 2 days of no progress. I'm sure you'll be shocked to learn I had a c section for failure to progress. Ugh. And he was super sick at birth (thankfully had no lasting issues). But for my second I did tons of research and decided to try for a vbac, which was successful and not traumatic at all. It makes me so happy to hear that smart, kind people such as yourself will soon be assisting women in having the best birth experience possible. what a great goal...I have no doubt you'll reach it!

 

[shan23877]

We're doing MM Fantasmic package for the first time too! I'll be happy to let you know what we think when we get back!

 

[ILGoofy]

Happy anniversary!

While you're at HS, I'm going to be attempting 4 parks 1 day. HS will be my third park, so we'll see how that goes. The night before is MNSSHP so there is a chance I may only make it to one park.

Last year we only met Sulley, no Mike. Or I should say I waited in line while my friend went up to meet Sulley because he is E-NOR-MOUS and a bit scary.

I'm crossing my fingers Characterpalooza moves again.

I hated Star Tours. I just don't like motion simulators. They're so jerky and I just feel icky after them. It may be an inner ear thing with me though, so you go have fun!

 

[lsenquiz]

Just read "The W's posted 6/19" chapter

You are going to love the MNSSHP. You can get some awesome character pictures that night. The parade and the fireworks are the best in all of Disney IMO and the Villians mix and mingle show is great. If you are into the characters I suggest you check out Kennythepirate.com right after the first MNSSHP. He will give great details on what characters will be at the party and where they are at. He also gives awesome tips on how to make the most of your night of character hunting .

We have done both water parks and Disneyquest. My advice for the water parks is get there early because they have very short hours that time of the year (9-5pm) and there is frequently a thunderstorm in the afternoon. We have been twice when the park closed at 2pm instead of 5pm because of weather.

My advice for Disneyquest is bring earplugs! DS8 loves this place and I always leave with a huge headache because it is so increadible loud in there (that may also have to do with my age )

We will be using the dining plan for the second week of our September trip for the first time also. We have never done dining plan and I feel like such a newby! I have been spending alot of time on the dining plan thread lately just trying to make sure I know all the ins and outs. The snack credits are what is giving me the most grief! I want to make sure we get the most out of those. I also do not want to be that family that goes up to order at a counter service restaurant and keeps everyone behind them waiting for 10 minutes while they get educated on what they can and can not have with their plan

Sounds to me like you have really thought your resort plans through so I am sure you will be happy with your choice .

 

[lsenquiz]

I also want to say that I am dying to read your TR from your last trip but have not had a chance to start it yet. I am not the type of person to just scan a TR. I have to read every chapter and every word so it takes me a little while. Hopefully I will be able to get started soon

 

[lvcourtneyy]

We'll be at DHS on the 11th too!

We'll have to be on the lookout for you guys running around with your nephews!

Happy Anniversary!

Yay for DHS first day

I'd like to meet Sulley and Mike too this time. I saw Wreck it Ralph, but it was just OK to me. Just makes me think of Candy Crush the game, haha.

I didn't think about doing a Fantasmic package this time, but last time we did and went to Hollywood and Vine.

Thank you!

Yes! Great minds think alike!

Hahaha it does kinda remind me of Candy Crush. Except Candy Crush makes me

How did you like the Fantasmic package at Hollywood and Vine?

We're doing MM Fantasmic package for the first time too! I'll be happy to let you know what we think when we get back!

Ah I can't believe you guys leave tomorrow! I can't wait to hear all about it when you guys get back!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Happy Anniversary!! Y'all are just so cute!!

We are eating at Mama Melrose for lunch and doing the F! Package the last night of our trip later this month. I plan on doing a TR, but I will try to remember also to let you know how it all went! It might take awhile to get to the last day of the trip...I'm long winded

Chiming in about the traumatic birth...I too had one, with my older son (now 10). I tried to have him in a birthing center but transferred to the hospital after 2 days of no progress. I'm sure you'll be shocked to learn I had a c section for failure to progress. Ugh. And he was super sick at birth (thankfully had no lasting issues). But for my second I did tons of research and decided to try for a vbac, which was successful and not traumatic at all. It makes me so happy to hear that smart, kind people such as yourself will soon be assisting women in having the best birth experience possible. what a great goal...I have no doubt you'll reach it!

Aw thank you so much!

I can't wait to read your TR when you get back but I totally understand. At the rate I'm going, my January TR might last until the September trip

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm glad your son had no lasting issues though, that must've been so scary. It's so great that you did your research and were able to have a successful VBAC. All women should have that chance with information from their healthcare provider. Thank you so so much for the kind words- you're too sweet!

Happy anniversary!

While you're at HS, I'm going to be attempting 4 parks 1 day. HS will be my third park, so we'll see how that goes. The night before is MNSSHP so there is a chance I may only make it to one park.

Last year we only met Sulley, no Mike. Or I should say I waited in line while my friend went up to meet Sulley because he is E-NOR-MOUS and a bit scary.

I'm crossing my fingers Characterpalooza moves again.

I hated Star Tours. I just don't like motion simulators. They're so jerky and I just feel icky after them. It may be an inner ear thing with me though, so you go have fun!

Thank you!

4 parks in 1 day is an intense goal to begin with, let alone the night after MNSSHP! You're a brave woman. If you do make it to DHS that day, I hope we have a chance to run into each other!

Yeah, I could easily see how Sulley would fall into the scary character. I really hope characterpalooza moves again too! To me, it just seems like it would be so much easier to manage it if it's contained in a building!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Just read "The W's posted 6/19" chapter

You are going to love the MNSSHP. You can get some awesome character pictures that night. The parade and the fireworks are the best in all of Disney IMO and the Villians mix and mingle show is great. If you are into the characters I suggest you check out Kennythepirate.com right after the first MNSSHP. He will give great details on what characters will be at the party and where they are at. He also gives awesome tips on how to make the most of your night of character hunting .

We have done both water parks and Disneyquest. My advice for the water parks is get there early because they have very short hours that time of the year (9-5pm) and there is frequently a thunderstorm in the afternoon. We have been twice when the park closed at 2pm instead of 5pm because of weather.

My advice for Disneyquest is bring earplugs! DS8 loves this place and I always leave with a huge headache because it is so increadible loud in there (that may also have to do with my age )

We will be using the dining plan for the second week of our September trip for the first time also. We have never done dining plan and I feel like such a newby! I have been spending alot of time on the dining plan thread lately just trying to make sure I know all the ins and outs. The snack credits are what is giving me the most grief! I want to make sure we get the most out of those. I also do not want to be that family that goes up to order at a counter service restaurant and keeps everyone behind them waiting for 10 minutes while they get educated on what they can and can not have with their plan

Sounds to me like you have really thought your resort plans through so I am sure you will be happy with your choice .

I'm SO excited for MNSSHP!! We love parades and fireworks so I'm really excited about those and meeting characters is one of my favorite things to do! I really want to meet as many characters as possible. I used Kennythepirate's app in January to find the characters and it was amazing. The first party falls on the first night of our trip so I'll be fitting some time in at the hotel room to stalk the Dis and Kennythepirate to put together our MNSSHP plans!

Thank you for the tip on the waterparks! I was struggling with how to structure those days but I think our plan will be to get there for opening so if they close early we'll still have a good amount of time and if we finish early anyway, we'll just go back to Pop and rest.

Incredibly loud yikes! I figure we'll just go in and check it out since we have the admissions anyway so if anything, we won't stay long.

I totally agree about the Dining Plan! I will definitely be studying the dining plan thread until our trip because I have enough trouble just deciding what I want off a menu so I don't want to be totally lost in line!

Thank you so much for all the tips!

I also want to say that I am dying to read your TR from your last trip but have not had a chance to start it yet. I am not the type of person to just scan a TR. I have to read every chapter and every word so it takes me a little while. Hopefully I will be able to get started soon

Totally understandable! I want to read so many TRs that it would turn into a full-time job itself!

 

[blabbermouth]

Thank you!

Yes! Great minds think alike!

Hahaha it does kinda remind me of Candy Crush. Except Candy Crush makes me

How did you like the Fantasmic package at Hollywood and Vine?

We liked it! We were with picky eaters, so the buffet is nice for that. I didn't find the food as bad as some of the reviews, but it wasn't exactly memorable either. I think one of our friends wasn't feeling very well so it kind of put a damper on the whole thing.

On our way out it poured! The most it rained of our whole trip. Thankfully it was short lived so Fantasmic wasn't cancelled. I think I remember the downpour more than the meal.

 

[blabbermouth]

I forgot to say I love your purse! I'm heading down to Seattle for some outlet shopping next month

 

[missangelalexis]

Happy Anniversary to you guys!! I love the collage, it's adorable! I'm glad you guys got to spend some time away together.

Your HS plans sound great! Characterpalooza and meeting Mike & Sully are on my to-do list as well. And I am a total advocate for Animation Academy, we ended up doing it 4 times on our trip! haha its super fun, a nice chance to sit down for a little while, and you get a different character every time!

 

[JessicaKnits]

Congrats on getting a great job in such a bad economy! I have been trying to relocate back to New York since I moved away a year and a half ago and the job market is INTENSE! I can't wait to read more about your trip.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

We liked it! We were with picky eaters, so the buffet is nice for that. I didn't find the food as bad as some of the reviews, but it wasn't exactly memorable either. I think one of our friends wasn't feeling very well so it kind of put a damper on the whole thing.

On our way out it poured! The most it rained of our whole trip. Thankfully it was short lived so Fantasmic wasn't cancelled. I think I remember the downpour more than the meal.

Good to know! Thanks! Yikes I would remember the downpour more too!

I forgot to say I love your purse! I'm heading down to Seattle for some outlet shopping next month

Thank you! Outlet shopping is awesome!

Happy Anniversary to you guys!! I love the collage, it's adorable! I'm glad you guys got to spend some time away together.

Your HS plans sound great! Characterpalooza and meeting Mike & Sully are on my to-do list as well. And I am a total advocate for Animation Academy, we ended up doing it 4 times on our trip! haha its super fun, a nice chance to sit down for a little while, and you get a different character every time!

Thank you so much!

I avoided the Animation Academy on our other trips because I can't draw to save my life but it does seem fun. And any excuse to sit down for a little while is good!

Congrats on getting a great job in such a bad economy! I have been trying to relocate back to New York since I moved away a year and a half ago and the job market is INTENSE! I can't wait to read more about your trip.

Thank you! Yes the job market is insane

 

[klacey1]

It's not a huge "hidden gem," but it's always fun to find/pull on the umbrella in DHS! It makes for a great photo op!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

It's not a huge "hidden gem," but it's always fun to find/pull on the umbrella in DHS! It makes for a great photo op!

Love the idea! I had forgotten about that-- it's going on my list!

 

[katt789]

Yay! Happy belated anniversariy! It looks like it was a great celebration! And yay for scrapbooking! Aw man, I got SO into it a few years ago when I still worked at camp. I bought stuff and started on my Australia trip and never finished it. I think I’ll get back into it when I end up working at Disney, because that’ll be a magical scrapbook!

Nice DHS plans, and I’ve started considering Mama Melrose, probably next trip would be a good idea, like, after Sept haha. It looks like the next logical step for me in DHS TS places!

We have pretty similar plans for this trip, I know there’s going to be so many things I want to do but I know it’ll turn into “start here” and then kinda go with the flow!!

 

[lsenquiz]

Just finished the "The Shopping Update! posted 6/25!" chapter

Sounds like our summer weather has been the exact oppisite of yours. We live in Georgia where is is supposed to be hot in the summer and we have not even been able to use the pool yet. We have had nothing but rain, rain, rain!

I love your new luggage but my DD21 would love it even more. The Zebra look is her favorite.

I also love your shirts. I think they seem very Disney. I even went out and checked out the Delia's website (I had never heard of that store before). Sadly it was a little to young for me but I did forward the info to my daughter because I think there is alot on there that she would like.

Hot Topic - another of my daughter's favorites. I also went out and looked at their tanks and I think I might be able to pull those off at Disney (I actually have cloths that I only wear at Disney ) So I am watching for sales now also. They had a ton of other stuff on there that I think I need! The Disney leggings they have are just about the cutest I have ever seen. I am sure I am going to have to get some of those for my daughter. Would make a good Christmas present

Stickers - I love them. Those and temporary tattoes. I have tons of them in my Disney box. I am one of those old fogies that would never dream of getting a real tattoo(unlike my DS25 & DD21 who both have multiple) but I do love to use temporary tattoos when I am at Disney. It is kind of a hobby of mine to search the internet for unique Disney temporary tattoos

How awesome to find a nursing pin.