What a disaster!!
- Thread starter topdog
- Start date
Mickey's Sister
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- Feb 6, 2004
- Messages
- 732
I just found your trip report too. I'm on pins & needles, with my fingers crossed, waiting to hear how the camera-bag problem turned out! Your photos are amazing - you have quite an eye.
We're not too far from you in PA. We're near the Mahoning Valley interchange of the turnpike. I don't know how you do a 2 hour commute. I did it briefly in the early 90's - commuting to Harrisburg from here, and hated it. But we used to have a neighbor across the street who commuted to Manhattan every day. I can't imagine...
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us! I'll be waiting for the next installment! Good luck with your move.
We're not too far from you in PA. We're near the Mahoning Valley interchange of the turnpike. I don't know how you do a 2 hour commute. I did it briefly in the early 90's - commuting to Harrisburg from here, and hated it. But we used to have a neighbor across the street who commuted to Manhattan every day. I can't imagine...
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us! I'll be waiting for the next installment! Good luck with your move.
topdog
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 1,028
IMO, That cake is the "BEST" desert in WDW.
Thank you. There are much much more pictures.
Thank you for stopping by.Loving your trip report so far....Can't wait to hear more
Glad you like the food pictures. I have plenty more.
Thanks. I love going out to the pool area or the dock right before sunrise. I am completely in the "zone".
Thank you, thank you...thank you!
Yes, you are very close to me. I pass your area all the time when I go to Leighton or Palmerton. Small world.
The driving part actually doesn't bother me that much. It's the gas price that was killing me. Anyway, now my commute will cut down half now. I was starting out from Scranton first, then transfer to Newark, then Woodbridge and now back to Scranton. Just glad they didn't transfer me to Dubique, IA.
Thanks. I will update soon about the camera bag.
topdog
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 1,028
Day #2 (Monday) Part 2
By the time the ferry docked, it's already 9:20am. MK has already opened. There weren't a big crowd but a steady stream of people pouring in. Sky was beautiful (barely any cloud) and we can feel the temperature has already climb to low 70s. Once we passed the entrance, we have to remove our sweatshirt and DW need a restroom break. So I waited by the city hall building and I spotted a couple old friends of mine were playing with a kid.
Since I am waiting and the P&S is with me, I might as well take a few pictures to get familiar with the camera.
This fire house building is probably my most favorite building in the whole park next to the castle. I was also surprise how much I like the car barn too.
The city hall is also another great looking structure.
When DW returned from the restroom break, we began to head down the main street. There were a few things I know I want to take picture of but I want some thing different. I looked around and thought today I want to take pictures of windows and signs. Kind of like theme photography. That might sound easy but it was a lot more difficult than I thought. After I took a few, I began to loose interest. Not sure why. Maybe I just can't harmonize myself with the P&S. Nevertheless, I still took quite a few pictures of windows and signs. I only include a few pictures of windows and signs in this TR because I thought that might be too boring. (Maybe I will create & post a Disney gift shop display gallery later.)
So once we passed the main street, I knew I want pictures of the bronze statues. I don't believe they were there in 2005. They were a lot smaller than I thought.
We then just kept strolling around for the most of the morning. Since there weren't really that many people around, so we are not that hurry for the rides. I just kept on taking picture of the signs and some of the gift shop display until we get to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, our first ride of the day.
Waiting time was only 10 minutes but literally there was no waiting time at all. We were in and out with less than 30 minutes. Gift shop is another a must for us when we get off the ride.
Pretty much, the rest of the morning was uneventful. Until we got to "The Yankee Trader" gift shop at about 10:30pm. My DW's cell phone rang. It was our friend gave us the update on the camera bag, aka "The BIG NEWS". Apparently, our friend planned to stop by the UPS store that morning on her way to work. However, the UPS store doesn't open that early since she leaves her house at 6:00am and has the same 2 hours long commute as I do. Then she took the bag to her office and gave it to "Bob" who is in charge of the their shipping department. Our friend work for a large HVAC company so they do have their own shipping department.
However, not that I don't trust "Bob" even I don't know him but trusting UPS to handle my camera bag is already more than I can bargain for. My stress level suddenly shot through the roof knowing "Bob" will be responsible to box up my bag for UPS. Finally, our friend asked us to guess what's the shipping cost. At first, I guess it would be $40 to $75 range. She said it's not even close. Final cost, a whopping $129. It must be combination of weight of the bag (22 lbs) plus the amount of $$ I want to insure. There is not much I can do at this point. I was a little stun but relief at the same time. At least the bag is on its' way now. My friend did confirm it was shipped to deliver by 10:30am next day and she also gave us the tracking number over the phone so I can track it from Disney.
From that point, I walked out of the gift shop to get some fresh air while DW continue talking with our friend. I wasn't really that upset at the time but I just need to do something to get my mind off the situation. So I kept taking more pictures to relief my frustruation. This time, my subject is light fixture.
When DW came out of the gift shop, she knew I wasn't too happy about the news. But at the same time, she knew I would get over it fast. After all, it is what it is. I have no one to blame but myself. We continue to walk around MK and go for rides only when the line was short. The last ride we took was Space Mountain. That is still my most favorite rollercoaster ride in MK. Glad we were able to ride it before they shut down for rennovation.
I always like the Tomorrowland area with all those futuristic display.
By 2:00pm, we pretty much done with MK. Since we have no ADR for lunch today, we decide to head back to WL for a snack. We hopped on the boat. Got back to our room and pick up our refillable mug then head over to Roaring Fork for some snack and drink. I had a small bowl of Chicken Noodle soup and DW had a small bowl of chilli.
After we were done with our snack, we just want to sat around the lobby to enjoy the surrounding. Even though this is our second stay at WL, I just love to sit in that lobby and relax. Since we have a dinner 7:15pm ADR at Jiko tonight, we went back upstair to finish our drink to took a rest before heading out for dinner. I went out to the balcony to enjoy the warm weather and took a snooze at the same time.
By 5:00pm, we were super hungry and ready to go. Again, we took a boat ride back to MK and then took the bus from MK to AKL. By the time we arrived AKL, it was barely 6:00pm. so we strolled around the gift shop just to kill some time. After that, we walked through the lobby and head towards the observation area to check out the animal. I am not much of a zoo person, however it is kind of neat to see those animal so up close and personal.
We then walked back into the lobby and sat next to the indoor fire pit just to relax and observe the lobby. IMO, the AKL lobby is equally stunning as WL since it was design by the same architect. However, I still find WL more my kind of taste.
By 6:30pm, we decide to head down to Jiko as least to check-in. The CM told us we shouldn't be wait too long since there are tables available. So we got our pager and step aside. It did not take more than 10 minutes before the pager goes off. Not too bad.
An older gentleman who was our CM came and took our order in no time. Tonight it's another feast for us. DW has Curried Samosas - Crispy pockets with potato, sweet corn and peach chutney as appetizer.
I have Pokanoket Farm Seared Ostrich Filet - Served with creamed sweet potatoes and pomegranate gastrique. (Whatever that is but it was good. LOL...) The ostrich does not taste like what I expected. The texture feels more like red meat than bird.
For main course, DW has Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon - Served with Macaroni & cheese and red wine sauce.
I have the Nantucket Scallops with Butternut Squash Gratin, Apple Slaw and Apple Vinaigrette. The scallops were fantastic. Portion was just right, just enough to satisfy my hunger.
Desert was a little different. DW has the Pistachio Creme Brulee with a Chocolate layered bottom.
I have the Tanzanian Chocolate Cheesecake served with chocolate ganache, amarula sauce and lavender ice cream.
This was a little unusual for me since I never even heard of lavender ice cream. It was very good to say the least.
The dinner was just too good for our stomach. Since we were able to finish our dinner early, we decide to bus over and walk around Downtown Disney before we head back to WL. Downtown Disney was a little crowder than I anticipate but it didn't bother us. We strolled through the Christmas shop and a few of the large Disney shop. Not sure what do we want to buy yet but we did found something to bring back for our friends back home. We took a mental note and decide to pick them up some other day.
By the time we got back to our room, we were a little worn but not sleepy. So we took our refillable mug and get some drink one more time before calling the night. DW finally passed out by 11:00pm. I just couldn't sleep until almost 1:00am. It' was a very restless night for me thinking about the bag.
By the time the ferry docked, it's already 9:20am. MK has already opened. There weren't a big crowd but a steady stream of people pouring in. Sky was beautiful (barely any cloud) and we can feel the temperature has already climb to low 70s. Once we passed the entrance, we have to remove our sweatshirt and DW need a restroom break. So I waited by the city hall building and I spotted a couple old friends of mine were playing with a kid.
Since I am waiting and the P&S is with me, I might as well take a few pictures to get familiar with the camera.
This fire house building is probably my most favorite building in the whole park next to the castle. I was also surprise how much I like the car barn too.
The city hall is also another great looking structure.
When DW returned from the restroom break, we began to head down the main street. There were a few things I know I want to take picture of but I want some thing different. I looked around and thought today I want to take pictures of windows and signs. Kind of like theme photography. That might sound easy but it was a lot more difficult than I thought. After I took a few, I began to loose interest. Not sure why. Maybe I just can't harmonize myself with the P&S. Nevertheless, I still took quite a few pictures of windows and signs. I only include a few pictures of windows and signs in this TR because I thought that might be too boring. (Maybe I will create & post a Disney gift shop display gallery later.)
So once we passed the main street, I knew I want pictures of the bronze statues. I don't believe they were there in 2005. They were a lot smaller than I thought.
We then just kept strolling around for the most of the morning. Since there weren't really that many people around, so we are not that hurry for the rides. I just kept on taking picture of the signs and some of the gift shop display until we get to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, our first ride of the day.
Waiting time was only 10 minutes but literally there was no waiting time at all. We were in and out with less than 30 minutes. Gift shop is another a must for us when we get off the ride.
Pretty much, the rest of the morning was uneventful. Until we got to "The Yankee Trader" gift shop at about 10:30pm. My DW's cell phone rang. It was our friend gave us the update on the camera bag, aka "The BIG NEWS". Apparently, our friend planned to stop by the UPS store that morning on her way to work. However, the UPS store doesn't open that early since she leaves her house at 6:00am and has the same 2 hours long commute as I do. Then she took the bag to her office and gave it to "Bob" who is in charge of the their shipping department. Our friend work for a large HVAC company so they do have their own shipping department.
However, not that I don't trust "Bob" even I don't know him but trusting UPS to handle my camera bag is already more than I can bargain for. My stress level suddenly shot through the roof knowing "Bob" will be responsible to box up my bag for UPS. Finally, our friend asked us to guess what's the shipping cost. At first, I guess it would be $40 to $75 range. She said it's not even close. Final cost, a whopping $129. It must be combination of weight of the bag (22 lbs) plus the amount of $$ I want to insure. There is not much I can do at this point. I was a little stun but relief at the same time. At least the bag is on its' way now. My friend did confirm it was shipped to deliver by 10:30am next day and she also gave us the tracking number over the phone so I can track it from Disney.
From that point, I walked out of the gift shop to get some fresh air while DW continue talking with our friend. I wasn't really that upset at the time but I just need to do something to get my mind off the situation. So I kept taking more pictures to relief my frustruation. This time, my subject is light fixture.
When DW came out of the gift shop, she knew I wasn't too happy about the news. But at the same time, she knew I would get over it fast. After all, it is what it is. I have no one to blame but myself. We continue to walk around MK and go for rides only when the line was short. The last ride we took was Space Mountain. That is still my most favorite rollercoaster ride in MK. Glad we were able to ride it before they shut down for rennovation.
I always like the Tomorrowland area with all those futuristic display.
By 2:00pm, we pretty much done with MK. Since we have no ADR for lunch today, we decide to head back to WL for a snack. We hopped on the boat. Got back to our room and pick up our refillable mug then head over to Roaring Fork for some snack and drink. I had a small bowl of Chicken Noodle soup and DW had a small bowl of chilli.
After we were done with our snack, we just want to sat around the lobby to enjoy the surrounding. Even though this is our second stay at WL, I just love to sit in that lobby and relax. Since we have a dinner 7:15pm ADR at Jiko tonight, we went back upstair to finish our drink to took a rest before heading out for dinner. I went out to the balcony to enjoy the warm weather and took a snooze at the same time.
By 5:00pm, we were super hungry and ready to go. Again, we took a boat ride back to MK and then took the bus from MK to AKL. By the time we arrived AKL, it was barely 6:00pm. so we strolled around the gift shop just to kill some time. After that, we walked through the lobby and head towards the observation area to check out the animal. I am not much of a zoo person, however it is kind of neat to see those animal so up close and personal.
We then walked back into the lobby and sat next to the indoor fire pit just to relax and observe the lobby. IMO, the AKL lobby is equally stunning as WL since it was design by the same architect. However, I still find WL more my kind of taste.
By 6:30pm, we decide to head down to Jiko as least to check-in. The CM told us we shouldn't be wait too long since there are tables available. So we got our pager and step aside. It did not take more than 10 minutes before the pager goes off. Not too bad.
An older gentleman who was our CM came and took our order in no time. Tonight it's another feast for us. DW has Curried Samosas - Crispy pockets with potato, sweet corn and peach chutney as appetizer.
I have Pokanoket Farm Seared Ostrich Filet - Served with creamed sweet potatoes and pomegranate gastrique. (Whatever that is but it was good. LOL...) The ostrich does not taste like what I expected. The texture feels more like red meat than bird.
For main course, DW has Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon - Served with Macaroni & cheese and red wine sauce.
I have the Nantucket Scallops with Butternut Squash Gratin, Apple Slaw and Apple Vinaigrette. The scallops were fantastic. Portion was just right, just enough to satisfy my hunger.
Desert was a little different. DW has the Pistachio Creme Brulee with a Chocolate layered bottom.
I have the Tanzanian Chocolate Cheesecake served with chocolate ganache, amarula sauce and lavender ice cream.
This was a little unusual for me since I never even heard of lavender ice cream. It was very good to say the least.
The dinner was just too good for our stomach. Since we were able to finish our dinner early, we decide to bus over and walk around Downtown Disney before we head back to WL. Downtown Disney was a little crowder than I anticipate but it didn't bother us. We strolled through the Christmas shop and a few of the large Disney shop. Not sure what do we want to buy yet but we did found something to bring back for our friends back home. We took a mental note and decide to pick them up some other day.
By the time we got back to our room, we were a little worn but not sleepy. So we took our refillable mug and get some drink one more time before calling the night. DW finally passed out by 11:00pm. I just couldn't sleep until almost 1:00am. It' was a very restless night for me thinking about the bag.
Planning fanatic mom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2007
- Messages
- 1,262
Another outstanding post!! The pictures are great as always. Boy, I hope that camera gets there in one piece.
ccigliano
DVC Member WLV
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2006
- Messages
- 1,417
$125 - heck you could have bought your camera bag its own airline ticket and seat. Oh well - here's hoping everything shows up safe and sound. Absolutely enjoying your trip report
. I can't wait to go on my trip but it's not until early December
.
. I can't wait to go on my trip but it's not until early December .
GreatBiscuit
Golden but never flaky
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 3,009
Great update Topdog! Love the photos. I have yet to find a setting on my point and shoot to take descent indoor shots. With the flash off, it just doesn't pull in enough light to get the job done. Can't wait to see if the camera arrives in one piece.
saralexander97
Searching for a Disney Dream
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2008
- Messages
- 152
I sure hope it gets there safe!!!! Great TR, hopefully we get to see pics of your wife. Dinner at Jiko looks fabulous, yummy!
loopymommy
May I never be too old for Disney.
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2008
- Messages
- 180
This is such a great trip report, TopDog! Your photos are exquisite. I was so impressed by the pictures of the bronze statues. The angles and perspective and sense of humor really come through. Your pictures of the food at Jiko made me hungry even after a big dinner. I think your photos are as good or better than many postcard photos I've seen from Disney. Maybe there's a way to submit them for consideration.
Your writing is so full of detail and I think you're able to transport your readers right back to Disney with you. Thanks for making such a lovely report. Hope your camera is safely back with you!
Your writing is so full of detail and I think you're able to transport your readers right back to Disney with you. Thanks for making such a lovely report. Hope your camera is safely back with you!
KeepSwimmingDory
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 1,381
So we got on Richard F. Irvine(not sure how Disney name this ferry) and on our way to MK.
Again, I just cant get enough of the boat ride at Disney and I love that light wind on my face feeling.
Next post "the big news"
Richard Irvine is a Disney Legend (Imagineering). This tells about him.
http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Richard Irvine
LOVE the WL early morning pictures of the boat dock and water.
Nice photos from Poly breakfast and gift shops.
$129
Great shots of the signs, structures, and lights. I enjoy those very much.
topdog
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 1,028
Thank you for stopping by.
Thanks.
You are right. My friend said if the shipping cost any more, she could've fly down herself and hand me the camera bag in person.$125 - heck you could have bought your camera bag its own airline ticket and seat. Oh well - here's hoping everything shows up safe and sound. Absolutely enjoying your trip report
Thanks GB. Yes, shooting with a P&S is very challenging without the flash. I have a few good one and some bad one too. If you look at Day 2 Part 1, my DW's breakfast picture is blurry and her Jiko appetizer picture was way underexpose. It just need some practice to learn the capability of the P&S. In addition, I am also lucky this P&S did came with some degree of manual setting so I can adjust to my liking.
topdog
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 1,028
Thanks. DW usually is very camera shy but I manage to capture a few. Here is one.
Glad you like my TR and thank you for stopping by.I just found this TR. Very interesting and I look forward to reading more!
Thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate it. Glad to hear my writing didn't confuse people. My thought process some time is a little scatter brain.
Glad you like the soup picture. I got quite a few compliment on that particular picture from work.
Richard Irvine is a Disney Legend (Imagineering). This tells about him.
http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Richard Irvine
LOVE the WL early morning pictures of the boat dock and water.
Nice photos from Poly breakfast and gift shops.
$129
Great shots of the signs, structures, and lights. I enjoy those very much.
KSD, thank you for looking up about Richard Irvine. I knew there must be a story behind that name, very typical of Disney storytelling style.
I think I like that boat dock just as much as the WL lobby and entrance.
Glad you like the pictures. I did took quite a few pictures of those signs, lights and gift shop display. I never even realize how many different looking light fixtures in every park. When I finish this TR, I think I will create a gallery just for those odd pictures.
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