We Got No Troubles; Life Is The Bubbles! 04/18 - Complete!

[209Disney]

Following along and enjoying your trip report!!

 

[Nermel9]

Yay Splash! I don't really get not wanting to ride it in the rain, though... And yay for more FP's! You guys have been really lucky with all this pixie dust so far!

The rest of your MK day sounds great, I love HM and Pirates, so much fun! I really need to do the Jungle Cruise on this next trip, we always always skip it!

 

[OrangeJuice]

YAY for fastpass pixie dust. Sounds like a great way to start off your vacation I'll be sure to go to the right next time I ride POTC.

 

[teekathepony]

Hi, has the new Fantasyland expansion been open to guests today?

Um, I don't know? Parts of it were open when I was there... like the new Dumbo and Barnstormer etc...

Love all that Pixie Dust!!! There's nothing better than being able to keep looping around on Splash!

I think you had the perfect MK day - you rode every one of my favorite rides, although, I would have had to wait in line for a Dole Whip after PoTC.

D~

The Splash loop was fun, especially since it followed BTMRR! Ahhh now I want to be there riding them this minute!
It was a really perfect way to start the trip, that's for sure. I've still never had a Dole Whip, not a fan of pineapple and the other flavours don't appeal to me.

Wow, that sounds like an awesome afternoon! Definitely can't complain about the rain when you got two surprise FPs and rode some of the classics! Now, I can't wait to see how the rest of your trip went.

I was almost ready to complain about the rain, but everything else worked out so well that I forgot about it!

So, I had to laugh at your Christmas comment, because I have said to DH no less than 3 times, "I wish it were December already." the other night, it got down in the 50's (which is chilly for FL!) and I immediately made some hot cocoa and listened to holiday music. Glad I'm not the only person who's more than ready for the holidays to arrive!

Hahaha I don't even have to convert that to celsius for my Canadian brain to know that's cold for Florida! But I converted it anyway. Right now at 8pm in CB it's 55f! I love making cocoa and listening to Christmas music! You're definitely not the only one!

Yay for more pixie dust !!! I love your random ride photos.

Haha thanks! And yes, we had lots of pixie dust, it was fantastic!

I'm caught up now... apparently I missed a couple posts

I can't believe the luck you had at MK that night. You DIDN'T tell me about the double surprise fastpasses! WOW! So exciting!

I didn't get to do BTMRR this trip Kinda bummed about that

Your scores on Buzz! I find it so hard to know where I'm aiming and I came out with like 34,000 points or something ridiculously low.

Yup, lots and lots of luck! And it just kept coming all week!
No BTMRR?? No fun!
I usually aim at something weird to find my dot and then follow it toward a target!

Hi! Thanks! I've been in Northside East Bay lots of times. A friend of mine has a summer spot out there. We are leaving on Christmas day to spend the holidays with family and then coming back on either the 1st or the 4th haha We are very excited! We were in Disney on the 26th last year but the flights this year from sydney are quite high! Hopefully we don't end up flying out of Halifax! I hate that drive in the winter.

I hope you get the flight you want out of Sydney, I also hate driving to Halifax in the winter (or any time of year just for a flight!)

I Love that you started listening to christmas music! I was driving yesterday listening to christmas music wondering if it was too early! haha

It's NEVER too early for Christmas music!!!

I love your trip report....It's full of great ideas I am going to have a movie countdown and watch disney movies until I go! To keep the mood haha I have never written a report but I read them all the time to get new ideas. Are you planning any upcoming trips?

I love watching Disney movies to get in the right mind set! You should write a trip report. I'd read it.
We're definitely going November 2015, but so far nothing before that!

 

[teekathepony]

I'm confused by people who don't want to ride Splash in the rain, too. Silly people!

Wow, your free fastpass mojo was really working!

Don't want to get wet I guess!
Super fastpass mojo! Pixie dust galore! It was quite an afternoon!

just found your report i have to say i love that you are listening to Christmas music. I was yesterday and i'm thinking about pulling out some gifts and wrapping them too. I'll be putting my trip up in just a few weeks.

I love Christmas music and I always start listening to it early! I did some Christmas shopping today and I thought about wrapping what I got.

Queen! Halloween is my birthday and MEK's husband Denny's too.

Cool! Now I'll think of it as all of your birthdays instead of Halloween.

What a fantastic start to your trip!!!

That little girl on Buzz led to a great string of Pixie Dust!
She was too cute, I guess she just put me in a good mood and my positive brain waves were attracting the pixie dust!

Congrats on making it to BTM on time, in the rain.
Thanks! We were proud of ourselves, you'd think we ran a marathon!

As long as you are wet, you might as well ride Splash and then ride it again!


I couldn't agree more! It was the perfect day to ride Splash!

Along with Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Pirates, you did a great job hitting most of the the headliners on Day 1.
We really did, we felt good about what we got done, definitely luck was on our side.

I really enjoyed your ride photos. What kind of point & shoot do you have?
A FujiFilm J12! I really like it, it's nice for a cheap little camera. A little on the slow side, but it's always hard to adjust to a p&s when you're used to an SLR!

 

[teekathepony]

So that sounds like THE perfect first day at Disney! I only wish that could be our first day, but alas, we don't have enough park days to go there on our arrival day
Aww We didn't think we would have enough either but when we added a Universal day we ended up with an extra!

That's awesome about Splash! I'm glad you took a picture of the sign though, because I didn't realize there was a lap bar! That makes me feel so much better about the ride!
Have you never done Splash!? Omg you have to! It's fun!

I also love that you guys chose to do those rides on your first day. They're pretty much exactly the same ones we would do...I love Haunted Mansion and Pirates so much...
It was the perfect way to start a trip, that's for sure!

I am unforgiveably far behind on TRs; I just so happened to see yours and was like "Whoa, started already??" Then I come over, and you've got a TON!

I can't read now, but I'm just saving my place for later!

Hahaha I'm a fast TR writer, I think. On average anyway!

Following along and enjoying your trip report!!

and thanks!!

Yay Splash! I don't really get not wanting to ride it in the rain, though... And yay for more FP's! You guys have been really lucky with all this pixie dust so far!
They obviously didn't want to get wet in the rain. You know.

The rest of your MK day sounds great, I love HM and Pirates, so much fun! I really need to do the Jungle Cruise on this next trip, we always always skip it!
Jungle Cruise was actually on our "Take it or Leave it" list this year, but I'm glad we did it. I feel like it wouldn't have been MK without it!

YAY for fastpass pixie dust. Sounds like a great way to start off your vacation I'll be sure to go to the right next time I ride POTC.

It was definitely the best start to a trip we've ever had.
You should definitely go right! (Unless of course everyone else is, )

 

[teekathepony]

Happy weekend!

I'm wearing Christmas socks and listening to Straight No Chaser's Christmas album. Only 65 sleeps to go! I've got a small chunk of my shopping done and have some good ideas for the rest. Yup, I've got it bad, folks!

Let's continue with the TR before Christmas talk overwhelms me, shall we?

Monday, September 17, 2012
It's a tradition with Johnny and I that has lasted through four Disney trips. This year was no exception! Here's how it goes.

We go to bed the first night completely wiped out from the long travel day and promise each other we will sleep in the next morning.

Johnny sleeps in the next morning.

I do not.

I then proceed to pace the room until I nearly go crazy, grab my phone, refill mugs and camera and proceed outside to entertain myself for an hour or so.

Well that's exactly what I did this trip, and what better when there's a beautiful brand new resort to be explored??

So here we go, my very early (5:30am) photo tour of Art of Animation.

The view from our room:

Since the sun wasn't even really up yet, these are all long exposures in semi darkness so the colours are a little funny. Very cold colours.

This picture of a balloon flying overhead will give you an idea of how dark it really was.

I've always said that despite what seems logical, everyone you encounter this early in the morning around the resort (read: pre coffee) is super friendly. I had my tripod and big camera and everyone was stopping to let me take my picture (I kindly thanked them and told them to go ahead as my pictures were taking up to 20 seconds just to expose!) and lots of friendly good mornings and hows it goings. I love waking up early and wandering around the resort.

Nemo pool!

By the time I got here it was nearing 7:00 and I knew Johnny would want me to wake him up fairly soon. We wanted to get to Animal Kingdom early since there was 8am extra magic hours!

I put away my camera and tripod and filled up our mugs with hot chocolate and trekked back to our room. The resort was getting busy with everyone waking up and getting breakfast.

I got back to the room, woke Johnny and we had a little breakfast and started getting ready for the day!

We were getting things ready and decided we were both going to take our SLRs, and we would just get a locker for when we didn't need them. I was equipped with my Tamron 18-200mm, my favourite lens! And Johnny had my Sigma 70-300, his favourite zoom for the safari!

We headed down to the bus stop and got in line. We were very close to the front so I figured a bus had just come, but we probably waited less than two minutes and we were on a bus and headed to Animal Kingdom! Lots of bus pixie dust on this trip for sure!

We're here!!

Cont. in next post!

 

[teekathepony]

Let the memories begin? Yes please!

Ok so first things first -- we need a locker!

Ahh. Perfect!

Found them!

We stored our bags but kept the cameras. We had a date with some lions!

But first, as usual in AK, we got distracted on our way.

OMG an ANIMAL!

Another one!

CUTE animals!

The tree of life!

Might as well duck in here!

We found a photopass photographer and took advantage. These are with my camera, didn't get our CD yet. (*hint hint* eeyore04! Get on that!)

We moved a little farther into the trails around the tree and snapped some shots of the tree and each other.

There weren't many people around, but we had to wait about 15 minutes for this one couple to give up their post at the fence to take that last shot. They were just taking thousands of pictures of each other and arms length together and would not move when they weren't taking pictures. There was a line up forming behind us so when they moved just a little to the side, I squeezed in and got my shot and then got out of the way. The people behind me moved in when I was done and the couple gave us dirty looks. Ugh. Even a trip full of pixie dust can't guarantee you don't run into THOSE types, you know?

Whatever. Off to Africa!

Pit stop to look at fish!

Did you know?
The little tiny guppy looking fish in with these big guys are mosquito fish and are just one of the many natural pesticides Disney uses in Animal Kingdom where they can not use chemicals!

Back on track!

We're eventually coming for you, yeti!

Still on track!

Safari fastpass!

And this is where I'll leave you for now. What would we do next, fastpasses in hand?? Stay tuned to find out!

 

[amazingact21]

Wow, exploring the resort at 5:30 in the morning...I've never managed to wake up that early. But I bet it was nice and quiet, which is the best time to explore a resort!

Your LK pictures made me want to stay at AoA once again! Everything just looks so colorful and detailed and awesome.


Ugh, talk about a rude couple. But unfortunately you tend to find them all over WDW. You'd think they'd be embarrassed by causing a line to form in front of a photo spot. Guess not...

 

[WDWaddictt]

I am the same, always up before everyone else. The resort is beautiful.

Tree of life is so cool looking. Love all the carvings. I can't believe people just don't care that they are blocking a famous view from everyone and won't move. Where is their Disney spirit.

I am guessing you went to Tusker house for breakfast? Ummmm...or went to EE?

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I'm getting all excited for Christmas too!!! It feels like it's coming up super-fast this year!!

I am the EXACT same way when it comes to sleeping in in Disney. Or not sleeping in, to be exact. Great pictures around the AoA early hours! It looks like a really fun place to meander around!

 

[jecskc]

Your photos are AMAZING !!! Looking forward to reading (and seeing) more !!

 

[natebenma]

Very cool pictures of AoA- I haven't seen the one of Timon, Pumba and Simba walking on the log-bridge before. Great pictures of an amazing resort!

I love to do the same thing. I am an early riser, around 5 or 5:30 every day no matter what- weekends, holidays, vacation, so I often take the early mornng photo safari and coffee run.

Good for you for making it to Animal Kingdom so early. Great pictures around the Tree of Life but I'm sorry you had to deal with the rude couple. When we were in Washington DC, when we visited the White House, there were two women just sitting along a wall in front of a prime photo location, reading magazines! Hellooooo!

Good question about what you did next. I'm guessing that early in the mornng the return time was pretty soon, so you had to do something quick and close. Hmmmm....

I'm going to go way outside the box, but inside the Tree- Tough To Be a Bug???

 

[debjk4]

I'm having a great time reading your TR!! Can't wait for more!

 

[DMGeurts]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful pictures... I just love the color and clarity on your ToL photos, I can't even imagine getting pictures like that... Great eye and amazing talent you have!

D~

 

[DisneyCrafter]

First and foremost, love your DH's Bazinga shirt! I love me some Big Bang Theory! My favorite episode is probably when Sheldon was hiding in the ball pit.

Anyway...

Disney World is so peaceful early in the AM. Unfortunately, I am NOT an early riser. I enjoy sleeping in and I can't help it!

I can't wait to see what you do next, I'm guessing you're going to go ride EE and then use your FPs for the Safari?

 

[Kbendig]

OK, I have to laugh because I am reading this in POP at 5:30 am when everyone else is sleeping. Now I think I'll hop in the shower and go for a walk!

I don't understand rude people, take the pic and MOVE. Or the people who stop in front of you taking a picture and decide to have a meaningful discussion about life. REALLY???

 

[caralyn817]

Just found your trip report. I can't wait to read some more. I'm loving the pics of AOA. I want to stay there someday, but would definitely have a hard time choosing which section to stay in. The Little Mermaid section looks so colorful, but my little girl would probably want to stay in The Lion King section right now, since that is her favorite movie. We leave on Thursday and I am super excited. Can't wait for more of your report.

 

[megveg]

just got caught up but im in! your photos are amazing! I loveeee all the early morning resort photos, I love that time

 

[Queenofallthings]

Great update and what great shots you got of the resort so early in the morning! Great camera girl! Photographer's not bad either

We found we had great bus mojo on our last trip at Pop too!!! You gotta love when you're not waiting around and wasting good WDW time!