"We Will Not Be Braking for Pedestrians!" "Oh my God DUUUCKKKS!"-An October 2011

[bellebookworm9]

Hey! Ive been reading your TR in silence but i have fallen behind a few days. I have never been to food and wine but i hope to one day! I wanted to ask you how much was it to wash. we r renting DVC points next month and i was just curious. In other good news Congrats on your CP. You are going to have fabulous time! One of my CP roomies did front entrance at MK and she liked it, especially she like getting ERed or early release from work and the hours were not too bad for her.

No cost to use the washers or dryers! I don't know if it's like that at all the DVCs (for some reason I think you have to pay at Old Key West) but it didn't cost anything at Kidani Village either. If you're staying in a 1BR or bigger, you will have the washer/dryer in your room; if it's a studio, there's normally a public laundry somewhere.

 

[natebenma]

If possible, I may extend my program (depends on if I am asked and what I'm doing for grad school), so I might see you! I hope he is able to pull his grade up, because that would be super disappointing if he wasn't able to go.

I will be majorly p*ssed if he doesn't get to go. It is an effort grade, so it is all up to him to step it up. But if he gets another 4 (the lowest grade) in effort or conduct in any other class or if he gets 2 3's in any one quarter, he is out.

But I will definitely be in touch with you at the beginning of May to see if you extend! It would be totally cool to look for you!

Beautiful pictures so far in your update. It looks like an amazing afternoon with a beautiful blue sky. But I'm a little worried about that dying battery!!! Most of my Disney nightmares revolve around forgetting my camera/charger/memory cards, etc.

Looking forward to hearing more about your evening at MK and the party!

 

[bellebookworm9]

After we saved the galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg, we walked back over to Adventureland, stopping to take some photos along the way.

Next stop was Aloha Isle for our treasured Dole Whip Float. We grabbed a seat on the rock wall next door. We were disappointed to see that the tables and chairs located there last May had been removed. Mom took a random shot of people’s costumes.

Since Pirates was right there we decided to try again and thankfully this time it was open. The right queue looked to have significantly less people than the left (a rarity!) and the CM was emphasizing that both sides were open, so that’s where we went. I think the wait was 15-20 minutes. As we snaked through the building I noticed that a lot of these people weren’t wearing wristbands, which made me hopeful that the park would start to clear out soon. We boarded our boat and sailed off! Right after the boat departed, we crashed into the side of the canal. Not supposed to happen! The whole boat kind of shrieked and Mom’s knee got hurt a bit from slamming into the side of the boat. After that the ride went the way it was supposed to and we disembarked without any more injuries. After a bathroom stop, we walked back towards Frontierland and Liberty Square. We’d been in the park for about an hour and a half and all we’d accomplished was two rides and a snack.

We meandered back to Liberty Square and saw that there was NO wait for the Haunted Mansion so we jumped in line. The new queue was kind of blocked off and not being used, but I did see some people exploring it, so I guess it was open if you wanted to look, but not needing to be open to hold guests. The wait was super short, basically just had to wait for the group ahead of us to exit the “library”. I didn’t recall there being two rooms before, but we somehow picked the right wall to stand by and so were first into the stretching room. I knew there was a portrait we needed to stand by to be first out of the stretching room, but I couldn’t remember which one. While we were still *outside* Mom remembered it was the lady holding the umbrella. I asked her how on Earth she remembers such trivial things like that, but not what time we need to be out of the room?!

Sure enough, that was the correct portrait and after meeting our ghost host (along with the beginning of IllumiNations, this is another thing I can narrate by heart) we entered the mansion building and got into our doom buggy. Every time I ride this I appreciate it more and more. We really liked the CMs special Halloween makeup. On our way out, we saw a girl probably a couple years older than me dressed in Belle’s peasant dress. She looked exactly like an actual character performer, with the exception of her shoes! I saw several more of that costume throughout the night, but this girl was a dead ringer!

On the way into the queue we had noticed Photopass people out front, so stopped there as we exited.

Of course, we are not looking anywhere near where the ghost actually is…

Continuing into Fantasyland, the line for Cinderella’s Carriage was already open at 6:30 or so. Not just open as in people waiting, but open as in people actually getting pictures taken with it! So we hopped in line and after a very short wait it was our turn.

Peter Pan’s line didn’t look too long, but it wasn’t on our must do list. We had planned to get dinner at Pinocchio’s Village Haus, but we were still full from lunch! Snow White’s Scary Adventure line was also short, but again, not a must do. I did want to ride Dumbo but the line was at least 15 minutes. A ha! Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh! I wanted to check out the new queue here, and the line was virtually non-existent so in we went!

Since the line was so short we didn’t examine the fun stuff too much, but we did have a lot of fun with the honey wall! We were assigned to row 1, and the first car that came to us had no seats! The CM running the controls said he had turned away for 1 second that morning and Pooh got hungry and ate them! So we got the next car. That ride is adorable. We like how trippy the Heffalumps and Woozles part is. It was now approximately 7 and time to get the party under way!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Thankfully the park was obviously clearing out by now. I had read reports saying the park was packed during the party, but that was not our experience. I spotted Donald and Daisy in their costumes meeting right across from Winnie the Pooh, so that’s where I went. Mom went to rest her feet, and sat at a table near Dumbo. Our camera was dead at this point, so from here on out it’s pretty much Photopass Pictures.

The line for Donald and Daisy didn’t look too long. There was a family ahead of me that I chatted with-their daughter was fascinated with my costume, and I really liked her girly pirate mouse ears. Behind me there was another family with a daughter who was about two. This little girl was chowing down on popcorn like there was no tomorrow. She would hold out a kernel, give an evil grin, and then eat it. Her dad came by with an ice cream cone, told her she could have a bite, and she just grabbed the whole thing! Her mom said, “She used to be such a good sharer, I don’t know what happened!”

I would say I waited maybe 20 minutes to meet Donald and Daisy, and it was worth it. While Daisy was signing my book, Donald decided to dance with me! He even twirled me, but because he’s so short, my ears got knocked off by his arm!

When I had finished with them, I went over to meet Mom. She told me to go over to Storybook Treats, and get a soda with extra ice so she could put it on her feet-her blisters were really bad, despite the moleskin. So I did, and we sat for a few more minutes. Then it was on with the party! First up was the Werther’s Treat Stop at Pinocchio Village Haus. We checked out Dumbo again, but the line was at 15 minutes so we passed. Heading into Tomorrowland, we grabbed some more candy by the Speedway-Mom never knew that ride was there!

By this point I was feeling much better. The crowds had dissipated, the temperature was comfortable, and I was having fun. I saw that Space Mountain had only a 10 minute wait. Not my favorite ride, but with that length, why not ride it? So I handed off my ears and bag to Mom and literally skipped over…only to find out that it was down with technical difficulties. Okay, no big deal. The Tomorrowland Dance Party was happening, so we kind of danced through it. I know they had Cha Cha Slide going, and “California Gurls”-I was amazed at how much of that song had been edited out!

Spider projection on the side of Space Mountain:

We stopped at another Tomorrowland Candy stop and then headed for Buzz Lightyear again-probably our favorite shared ride in Magic Kingdom. It was a walk on, and I kicked Mom’s butt this time! I hit one of the magic targets in the first room and immediately got 100,000 points. She was so mad! Our final scores were me: 537,500 and her: 54,590. That’s the highest I’ve ever scored! I don’t know why the pictures weren’t really turning out, as I’ve gotten much better ones before.

We decided to head back over to Frontierland, stopping for another Photopass pic along the way.

It was nearly time for the first parade and the Hub was super crowded. We managed to wind our way around, but we couldn’t cut through Liberty Square and were re-directed through Adventureland. There was a woman who had a small rolling suitcase and kept running into Mom with it. We cut through the breezeway into Frontierland, and I was hustling Mom along. I felt bad because I knew her feet hurt and she told me to just go, but I knew we would get separated because the parade was starting soon. Thankfully we made it over to the boardwalk just in time!

This is where I would have done things differently. We should have gone on Big Thunder Mountain first, but it looked completely dark, there were no people, and I didn’t hear any noise coming from it, so I thought it was closed. Mom went to the bathroom and to get candy while I went on Splash Mountain. I put my poncho on, walked through the queue and right onto the ride. I think I was in the last row by myself. I had forgotten they installed lap bars since I rode it last, but I like it-it makes me feel safer! I did get to see parts of the parade while we were winding through the ride.

When I got off, I intended to take a red neck ride photo, but alas, the pictures weren’t being sold and the screens were blank. I found Mom outside. She stopped at all three stops along the trail, and one of the CMs was very generous and gave her a ton of candy when she found out it was for the both of us! I did sneak a peek at the Dwarfs line but it looked a bit longer than I was willing to wait. We walked over to BTMRR, but by this point the parade had ended and it seemed that EVERYONE had the same idea. The wait time said 10 minutes, but the line looked like it was all the way out to that sign! Okay, not happening tonight.

A Sleepy Hollow funnel cake was calling our names, so we went back to Liberty Square. On the way, Mom stopped at one of the light up carts and bought some Halloween “hair”. At Sleepy Hollow, we ordered the one with whipped cream and strawberries, plus two bottles of water. Mom grabbed us a table behind the building and we sat and ate.

We were able to catch part of the Villains show-there was one really loud firework that went off and I jumped! I liked that they used the beginning of “Thriller/Off with Your Head” from Glee for the Queen of Hearts. Mom took a picture of the moon behind the trees before we moved on.

 

[tlenzendorf]

I always know where the door is going to open in the HM stretching room is by looking for the little red light on the wall

 

[brookelizabeth]

Loving your report Gretchen and SO EXCITED for you that you made the CP! I have your blog on my RSS reader now, so I will stay up to date on all that.

The whole ducks on the surrey bike thing was hilarious!

Your dress is adorable!

 

[bellebookworm9]

I always know where the door is going to open in the HM stretching room is by looking for the little red light on the wall

I didn't even know there was a light...will keep an eye out for it next time!

Loving your report Gretchen and SO EXCITED for you that you made the CP! I have your blog on my RSS reader now, so I will stay up to date on all that.

The whole ducks on the surrey bike thing was hilarious!

Your dress is adorable!

Yay! People are actually reading my blog! If your ticker is still accurate and you'll be down in February, I'd love to meet you and your family!

That duck story is one of those Disney memories that we will always laugh about.

 

[bellebookworm9]

As we walked toward Main Street, we saw Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, and Gaston, but kept moving. It was shortly after 9 and the fireworks would be starting at 9:30-I wanted to get a viewing spot for them and the later parade.

We walked almost to the end of Main Street before Town Square, across the street from the Confectionary. We browsed for a bit in the Emporium but I don’t think we bought anything. Right before 9:30 I made sure we were in place, but I needn’t have worried-Main Street was dead. I’ve never seen it that empty. I was out in the middle of the street for the fireworks and there was no one around me! Unfortunately, I had forgotten my earplugs, so I had to cover my ears-both the music and the fireworks for this were WAY too loud. I prefer the Wishes music to Hallowishes, but I think these actual fireworks were more impressive. (Photos from Photopass)

For some reason I thought that the second parade started at 10:15. We sat for a while. I debated going to meet the Pooh characters in Town Square because I had a friend who wanted Eeyore’s autograph, but for whatever reason I figured I’d meet them later. I walked over to the Confectionary and bought myself pumpkin fudge. While I was in there, a girl dressed like Kim Possible was talking to the CM at the register about how she had done the College Program this past spring and really missed it. That’s what set my desire to do it into overdrive. The pumpkin fudge was really good, but sooooo rich that I could only eat two little bites at a time.

The parade actually started at 10:30, and CMs were making sure that nobody had their legs in the road for when the Headless Horseman came by. Mom couldn’t sit cross legged for very long so she went to go shop some more. On one side of me was a couple dressed up in the best Jack Skellington and Sally costumes I’ve ever seen. They were actually (illegally) signing autographs! On the other side of me was a family with a 5-6 year old girl and a little baby. The dad went to Casey’s and came back with food. The daughter was going “Mine, mine, mine”, but I thought she was joking…until the dad gave her the food and she screamed “Where’s my ketchup?!” My jaw dropped and the dad said, “I’m on it.” I couldn’t believe the rudeness of this kid. Also at one point, Mom and I were both sitting on the curb and another young girl, probably 9 years old, came up to Mom and said, again very rudely, “What are *you* supposed to be?” After she left Mom looked at me and went “I’m a scary old lady!” with this horrible evil look on her face!

Not only didn’t the parade start until 10:30, but we were at the very end so it was nearly 11 by the time it got to us. While we were waiting, Mom came back and I went to Casey’s to get corn dog nuggets. I wasn’t super hungry and there were way more nuggets in that cup than I remembered! They were also a little too crispy for my taste and I ended up throwing a lot of them away.

Finally the parade came by, and these pictures are all courtesy of Photopass. We really enjoyed it!

Despite the fact that I had my treat bag held up at the end, I got one measly sucker. Main Street was still pretty empty during the parade, though more full then it had been for the fireworks. We decided to head up to Town Square Theater to meet some more characters, and behind us was a crush of parents with strollers all heading for the exit. I have no idea where all these people had been hiding!

 

[natebenma]

What a great report about the Halloween Party. It is so on my Disney bucket list!

The pictures at HM with the ghost on the carriage are great! You got a lot of really decent photo pass pictures that night.

Too bad about your regular camera!

So you never got onto Dumbo that night? Confession time- I have never done Dumbo!

 

[tlenzendorf]

We totally loved the Boo to You parade! I wish that we could have gone back for a second party just for that and the villains show to do meet and greets with them. I need to download the music from the parade, I have the Boo to You song as my phone ringtone still.

 

[ortholablady]

Just found your TR today and just finished reading through it. Looks like you and Mom had a great time. I've taken numerous trips with my son through his middle and high school years (now he's in college) and have some great memories. My last trip actually overlapped yours. I was there Oct 8-11 at Pop and the 12th I was at the BW. The Epcot resort area is my favorite, especially YC.
Congratulations on the CP. My next trip will be during your CP time so maybe I'll spot you somewhere.

 

[bellebookworm9]

What a great report about the Halloween Party. It is so on my Disney bucket list!

The pictures at HM with the ghost on the carriage are great! You got a lot of really decent photo pass pictures that night.

Too bad about your regular camera!

So you never got onto Dumbo that night? Confession time- I have never done Dumbo!

The Halloween party was pretty fun-I also want to try the Christmas party, just to meet Belle in her holiday dress! We definitely got our money's worth in Photopass pictures that night. I was on Dumbo when I was 3 years old and I have no memory of it. By the time I get there in January, it will be closed; when it re-opens in February it will be back in Storybook Circus as the twin Dumbos.

We totally loved the Boo to You parade! I wish that we could have gone back for a second party just for that and the villains show to do meet and greets with them. I need to download the music from the parade, I have the Boo to You song as my phone ringtone still.

The Boo to You song is so catchy! I would do another party to meet characters and ride rides.

Just found your TR today and just finished reading through it. Looks like you and Mom had a great time. I've taken numerous trips with my son through his middle and high school years (now he's in college) and have some great memories. My last trip actually overlapped yours. I was there Oct 8-11 at Pop and the 12th I was at the BW. The Epcot resort area is my favorite, especially YC.
Congratulations on the CP. My next trip will be during your CP time so maybe I'll spot you somewhere.

Wow, we just missed you! Definitely let me know when you'll be down there-I'm very excited to meet DISers coming down!

 

[tlenzendorf]

Wow, we just missed you! Definitely let me know when you'll be down there-I'm very excited to meet DISers coming down!

When you first told us about the CP I didn't have a trip planned and now we do for February. It just clicked in my brain that's when you are doing your CP! Duh! lol

We will be there 2/4-2/10, definitely keep us posted where you are! I will stop by to chat

 

[bellebookworm9]

The princess line said 50 minutes, and Mickey’s said only 10 (at most) so we went with Mickey. It was not a long wait at all, and pretty soon we were meeting the mouse himself-and Minnie!

Minnie and Mickey really loved my costume and it was a fun interaction! We found our way to the exit and went back in.

I asked the CM if the princess line was really 50 minutes and she said she didn’t think so because it started at the back of the room. Into the line we went! It was really only about a 25 minute wait. The couple behind us was really nice; the wife was dressed as Pocahontas and the husband as Carl, the old guy, from Up. His costume was fantastic: he had the grey suit and tie, the grape soda cap pin (that’s what gave it away to me), the walker with tennis balls, and balloons tied to it. I think you can see him in one of our pictures with Snow White.

Not only do you have to wait in the initial queue, but once you get called back you have to wait in the other room for the princesses! I was hoping Aurora would be back there because I had another friend who wanted her signature, but she wasn’t; it was Snow White and her prince, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, and Cinderella and Prince Charming.

Snow White and her prince were very nice. They asked where we were from and when we said New York, they asked if that was the Big Apple, which they had been told not to go anywhere near because bad things could happen! Snow White also told Mom that she could tell Mom was the leader of our group because she wears glasses; Doc wears glasses and he’s the leader of hers! (I wonder what would have happened if I had been wearing *my* glasses…)

Next up were Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. They were a lot of fun, especially Flynn. As we were leaving he told Mom it was a pleasure to meet her and she returned the sentiment. He said “Of course it was! I’m me! Look at all these people lining up to meet me!”

Last up were Cinderella and Prince Charming. They were super polite and formal! Prince Charming signed our book while Cinderella’s “wardrobe malfunction” was being fixed by her attendant. (The top hook on the back of her dress had come undone.) The prince called Mom “my queen” and Cinderella called me “my sweetness”.

After those really fun meet and greets, we walked back outside. I was disappointed to see that Pooh & friends were gone, but it was nearly midnight so we just headed for the bus. On the way out we stopped for some more candy just past the turnstiles. I was relieved to see the bus sitting at the stop and started running for it, afraid it was going to leave without us. Mom was not happy that I made her hurry only to have it sit there for several more minutes. There were only a handful of people on it, maybe 10, and we took off not long after-this bus was only going to the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

One thing we hate about the Magic Kingdom is how long it takes just to get out of the freaking parking lot. Seriously, it takes like 15 minutes! Mom couldn’t believe it when we passed the sign that said “Now leaving MK parking”. But on the other hand, once we were out of there it didn’t take long to get back to the resort. Yacht Club got dropped off first, then Beach Club. We stopped at one of the benches to take off our shoes. My flip flops are at least 3 years old and my feet roll in, so my foot had a very bad indent from where it was rubbing against the plastic hook part. It was probably close to 12:30 by the time we got back (at least) so we went almost straight to bed, maybe did a little packing first. And I definitely charged the camera tonight!

 

[bellebookworm9]

When you first told us about the CP I didn't have a trip planned and now we do for February. It just clicked in my brain that's when you are doing your CP! Duh! lol

We will be there 2/4-2/10, definitely keep us posted where you are! I will stop by to chat

Actually, we might be able to have an actual meet-my mom is coming down to visit 2/9-2/12, so I'm going to try to get those days off!

 

[ortholablady]

I'll be there Jan. 29 - Feb 4. 4 nights at ASMusic 2 at BC!

 

[bellebookworm9]

Tuesday morning came too soon. We finished packing and took our bags down to Bell Services then walked over to Cape May Café to check in. Our ADR was for 9:45, and we waited maybe 5 minutes before we were seated…by the manager from Friday night, Kiersten! Our waiter was James.

We were seated close to the entrance, right next to the buffet.
Mom's first plate: Banana Nut Bread, Blueberry Bread, French Toast Bread Pudding, Scrambled Eggs, Breakfast Potatoes, Blueberry Muffin, Mickey Waffle with Syrup.

My first plate: Cottage cheese and fruit

My second plate: Sausage, Bacon, Breakfast Potatoes, French Toast Bread Pudding, Biscuit

My fruit loops:

My apple juice and Mom's orange juice:

Hey look, it’s Beach Party Goofy!

My third plate: Mickey waffle and syrup, croissant, cherry danish, and blueberry bread (or the crumb that was left anyway)

Here comes Minnie!

Mom's second plate: Scrambled Eggs, French Toast Bread Pudding, and fruit.

And finally Donald!

View of the buffet from our table:

I’m fairly certain we were in and out of there in less than 45 minutes. Mom really liked the scrambled eggs and bread pudding. We both loved the fruit. The croissants were especially good; soft and flaky. All of the pastries in general were really good. The bacon was great, especially the fresh hot and crispy batch. The character interaction was fun as well.

After breakfast it was time to head to Downtown Disney.

 

[bellebookworm9]

We walked out front to the bus stop. There were only a few other people waiting at the Downtown Disney stop at that point. After waiting for nearly 20 minutes, having a CM come out to track transportation, and having a rather large crowd build up around us, the bus finally came. Despite us being among the first people there, we were the last two to load. I managed to find the last available seat in the back, and Mom sat up near the front. Of course, I got seated near the poorly behaved, screaming children. The bus made its traditional stop at Typhoon Lagoon and then continued on to the Marketplace, where we got off. The bus driver told us our return stop was number 2, and we headed over to Disney Days of Christmas.

I was looking for an ornament to go on my little Christmas tree but didn’t really find anything I liked. Mom finally picked out a new antenna topper and I think she went with the Cinderella Carriage one. After we cashed out there we went to our favorite store, World of Disney. We browsed in there for just over half an hour and made several purchases. I finally found tiny Mickey earrings for my cartilage piercings-I have bigger ones that just look too big, and I’ve been looking for ones about the size of the Mickeys on my rings for about a year, so I was very excited to find these! Mom also bought a pair of earrings, we both got a 2011 picture frame, a mug for grandma, an Eeyore plush for my friend, and a really cool magnet for my aunt! I also had a grand old time taking pictures of all the displays in the store.

I think the John Smith one is a little creepy…

Mom looked at the Dooneys but they were too expensive for her to justify buying one. Her feet were hurting really badly again so we went and sat out on a planter. She called my grandma and they chatted for a bit.

Our next stop was Earl of Sandwich. The line was kind of long so I waited while Mom went over to Goofy’s Candy Co. I think I waited about 20 minutes before our food was ready and then I went over to Goofy’s as well. I had heard great things about the Carrot Cake Cookie but much to my dismay it wasn’t in the case! So I ordered my traditional make your own pretzels instead. While I was waiting for those to be ready we had a bit of a snit again. I had heard awful things about the return trip from Downtown Disney to Beach Club and was really leaning against taking a bus, but Mom didn’t want to spend money for a cab. I told her to start walking towards the bus and I’d catch up with her.

After I paid for my pretzels I started heading for the stop, and could see the bus just pulling in, so I started running. I didn’t know if Mom had made it there or was still wandering around and I could just see us getting separated. She was there, thank goodness, but somehow couldn’t find the stop despite the fact that both the stop AND the bus had “Yacht & Beach & Swan & Dolphin & Boardwalk” on them. So we got on with about 5 other people and then were on our way. Of course, first stop was Pleasure Island, then Typhoon Lagoon. Over at the resorts we stopped at Swan and Dolphin (no one got off but one person got on), then Yacht Club, then Beach Club, and it was still continuing onto the Boardwalk. It wasn’t as bad as I expected and the whole thing took probably 45 minutes.

 

[msmith1026]

I was a couple of updates behind. I loved your MNSSHP report, it looks like you had so much fun--and I think we met the same Flynn! He was so funny, Zoey fell in love with him.

The picture you had of your Dole Whip made me crave one. My favorite snack of the trip!

We didn't get to see the parade this trip, Zoey was not a fan of it, but JP and I saw it when we went on our honeymoon--i really wanted to see it this trip because we loved it so much. Oh well, there's always the next trip.

I loved your Minnie dress, it was super cute.

 

[bellebookworm9]

I was a couple of updates behind. I loved your MNSSHP report, it looks like you had so much fun--and I think we met the same Flynn! He was so funny, Zoey fell in love with him.

The picture you had of your Dole Whip made me crave one. My favorite snack of the trip!

We didn't get to see the parade this trip, Zoey was not a fan of it, but JP and I saw it when we went on our honeymoon--i really wanted to see it this trip because we loved it so much. Oh well, there's always the next trip.

I loved your Minnie dress, it was super cute.

Flynn was awesome! I really hope I get to meet him again! It always makes me happy when you get characters that both look and act the part.

Everybody keeps saying "What's the first thing you're going to do when you get your company ID?" and I don't have a specific thing set yet, but getting a Dole Whip and watching Wishes are definitely towards the top.

I'm sorry about the parade-it was very cute! (I still prefer SpectroMagic above all).