Why, My Little Guppy Has Groupies! - A Dec. 2013 TR *Completed

[teekathepony]

I'm so excited for you guys for your May Deluxe trip! How awesome!
Breakfast looks good! I like CP breakfast Great that you didn't wait long and the table was already set up.
I'm so glad Landon liked the characters, but that smile for Pooh is just absolutely priceless, what a wonderful memory for all of you!

 

[BOG Obsessed]

Loved Crystal Palace for the food and the M&G, what a priceless picture of Landon's first meeting with Pooh.

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[marDgreen88]

Congrats on going deluxe!! That's so stinking exciting. Can't wait to find out where!

The meet with Pooh bear sounds amazing. So so cute.

I don't know what it is, but Eeyore is ALWAYS the last character to come around. It's weird!

Glad it was a successful breakfast overall!

 

[amazingact21]

Well, first off, congrats on staying Deluxe the whole time in May! That's great news! I hope you have a fantastic time.

As far as the Crystal Palace update and Winnie the Pooh: LOVE IT!

So precious! That is one huge grin on Landon's face! I love your description of the memory of the moment too. Crystal Palace was the highlight of our trip too and the memory still makes me grin a dopey grin ear to ear, just to think back on it. So glad you have those sweet memories of Landon and his Pooh bear!

Alex and I are so excited to be staying deluxe! we can't stop talking about how great it's going to be.

Watching your child meet Winnie the Pooh is such a memorable moment. I've been looking forward to that part in your TR, because I assumed it was just as successful as ours.

What a great first visit to Crystal Palace! So cute how your son reacted to Pooh! CP has become a perennial favorite for us and we have eaten here at least once every trip. Sometimes breakfast and sometimes lunch but we always enjoy the character interactions.

CP is in such a great location, it has food that is pretty standard for everybody, and the characters that are out are kid-friendly so it's a pretty great restaurant choice.
I think Alex and I agreed after seeing Landon's reaction to Pooh that it would become a tradition to eat there for us, as well.

Oh Alicia, trust me. You're a Disney family. There will come a time when Landon BUYS his own ear hat and wears them.

Those pictures with Tigger are precious grabbing onto his nose.

Oh God... that first picture with Pooh. That is THE moment right there. Put the camera away, you won't need it anymore. Perfection. Landon actually looks like he's glowing.

Aww how precious with the little boy outside the window. How awesome are Disney people??

And to make a point about being "too young" to know or understand the things going on I give you his vastly different reactions to all the characters. I don't think you need more proof than that.

I can only hope he grows up to be as big a Disney fan as his parents. We're hopeful that the 2 trips within the first 2 years of his life help with that.

He does look like he's glowing. It was certainly one of the best character interactions he had, and it just made the whole weeklong trip worth it for me. Nothing else mattered at that moment.

He sees a lot more Mickey Mouse now, and I'm hoping on this upcoming trip he'll be able to recognize the main man himself. Because that would be a big deal, too.

I'm so excited for you guys for your May Deluxe trip! How awesome!
Breakfast looks good! I like CP breakfast Great that you didn't wait long and the table was already set up.
I'm so glad Landon liked the characters, but that smile for Pooh is just absolutely priceless, what a wonderful memory for all of you!

Alex and I are so thrilled to be able to stay deluxe. We won't know what to do with ourselves when we pull up to the resort!

I'm so grateful Alex was able to capture that moment with Pooh for me. When I want to look back on this trip and remember the Top 5 moments, that's number 1.

Loved Crystal Palace for the food and the M&G, what a priceless picture of Landon's first meeting with Pooh.

Crystal Palace really does have it all. And the location can't be beat. Right by the castle and Main Street...

Great update!

Thanks!

Congrats on going deluxe!! That's so stinking exciting. Can't wait to find out where!

The meet with Pooh bear sounds amazing. So so cute.

I don't know what it is, but Eeyore is ALWAYS the last character to come around. It's weird!

Glad it was a successful breakfast overall!

Thanks, I'm practically bursting with anticipation for May! But so are you, probably, so that's all right.


Haha, Eeyore just takes his sweet time. He's got to work himself up to meeting all those strangers.

 

[MEK]

What a wonderful character meal with Landon. I couldn't help smiling during the pictures with Pooh. You can absolutely tell its his favorite character! You're right - he doesn't seem super impressed with any of the others. Oh well! Next time!

The story about Landon and the little boy is adorable. I can just picture that little waving furiously at Landon as his buzzer went off. How cute.

Great update!

And YAY for 4 nights at a Deluxe in May! That's awesome. Nothing like having the numbers crunch in your favor!

 

[USAFdad]

When we returned with our plates, Alex went off in search of the omelet station. He has this thing where whenever we go someplace for breakfast he HAS to order an omelet. On our 7 day cruise, he had one 5 of the mornings we were there!





I guess whatever makes him happy…

It makes perfect sense I am the only one who actually likes eating eggs and stuff for breakfast. and it takes me back to the days working at the DFAC I always think I can do that just as well as him/her.

 

[afwdwfan]

First of all, congratulations on the nice little upgrade for the May trip! I hope you have a great time!

I saw Alex post an excerpt from this update to the DISdads thread as a reference for why you take a child that age to Disney World, but you really nailed it. All the way from the ever present fear of a potential meltdown, to those single great moments that just make it all worthwhile! I'm glad that Landon didn't meltdown when the characters appeared. That is always a small victory in itself, but the way he reacted to Pooh... That is just incredible!!! I know you and Alex will remember that moment for years to come.

I'm just glad the omelet chef wasn't a little bit slower.

 

[khertz]

The photos of Landon seeing Pooh Bear for the first time are PRECIOUS!!! I was smiling this whole update because it was so cute, and because it reminds me of our first trip to CP with Paxton. In fact, we did end up leaving because Eeyore was taking too long! I'm glad Landon found a cute little boy through the window to keep him entertained instead.

 

[Marsheliz]

I'm in love with your pictures on Main Street! They would be in every frame of my house!! )

How exciting about a deluxe!!

 

[Marsheliz]

Ok, I didn't mean to send that! I meant, the pics would be in frames all over my house!! Lol!!

Maybe one day we will get to CP! It looks like fun in the Hundred Acre wood!

Sadly, I think our June trip will be cancelled... I'll have to pm you- long story.. its ok though, we will be back in February and 11 months will fly by, right?!! :/

 

[amazingact21]

What a wonderful character meal with Landon. I couldn't help smiling during the pictures with Pooh. You can absolutely tell its his favorite character! You're right - he doesn't seem super impressed with any of the others. Oh well! Next time!

The story about Landon and the little boy is adorable. I can just picture that little waving furiously at Landon as his buzzer went off. How cute.

Great update!

And YAY for 4 nights at a Deluxe in May! That's awesome. Nothing like having the numbers crunch in your favor!

Thanks! He really was in love with Pooh Bear. It's amazing that only 7 months he recognized him. I'm hoping to get that kind of reaction out of him when we meet Mickey Mouse in May. His new favorite plush is Mickey; Winnie's been moved to the back burner.


I am unbelievably excited about staying deluxe in May!

It makes perfect sense I am the only one who actually likes eating eggs and stuff for breakfast. and it takes me back to the days working at the DFAC I always think I can do that just as well as him/her.

Yeah, but then if the cook ruins it, I am the one who gets to listen to you complain that you could make a better omelet than that.

First of all, congratulations on the nice little upgrade for the May trip! I hope you have a great time!

I saw Alex post an excerpt from this update to the DISdads thread as a reference for why you take a child that age to Disney World, but you really nailed it. All the way from the ever present fear of a potential meltdown, to those single great moments that just make it all worthwhile! I'm glad that Landon didn't meltdown when the characters appeared. That is always a small victory in itself, but the way he reacted to Pooh... That is just incredible!!! I know you and Alex will remember that moment for years to come.

I'm just glad the omelet chef wasn't a little bit slower.

Alex would have never heard the end of it if he missed the Pooh Bear interaction.


I think the joy of seeing your baby happy far outweighs the fear of a meltdown. At least when they get upset, you can walk away from the situation and calm them down. You don't always get to see that kind of rapt joy at home.

The photos of Landon seeing Pooh Bear for the first time are PRECIOUS!!! I was smiling this whole update because it was so cute, and because it reminds me of our first trip to CP with Paxton. In fact, we did end up leaving because Eeyore was taking too long! I'm glad Landon found a cute little boy through the window to keep him entertained instead.

Winnie the Pooh has captured the hearts of millions of little kids. I remember before I became a parent, every time I read a TR update where a small child went to CP for breakfast, I always made a mental note to do that one day, because all the babies looked so darn happy! I really think a Winnie the Pooh meet and greet is a must if you're taking a young one to Disney.

Ok, I didn't mean to send that! I meant, the pics would be in frames all over my house!! Lol!!

Maybe one day we will get to CP! It looks like fun in the Hundred Acre wood!

Sadly, I think our June trip will be cancelled... I'll have to pm you- long story.. its ok though, we will be back in February and 11 months will fly by, right?!! :/

Oh, I am sorry to hear that! I know you were looking forward to your trip. Staying at Pop, the coveted date night with your DH...
Just start planning an epic trip for February and concentrate on the perks of going then versus in June. Cooler weather, less chance of rain, lower crowds. Stay positive!

 

[amazingact21]

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013:


The 30 minutes following breakfast at the Crystal Palace were spent inside the Baby Care Center next to the restaurant. This was the second one I went inside, and up until then it was my favorite. There were lots of separate rooms and there was even an adult restroom, which was kind of nice to have. If there was any downside to the building, it would be that it was the most crowded.


Every time I visited the center there were at least a dozen families inside, changing diapers, feeding kids in highchairs, letting toddlers watch Disney movies, etc. I'm not sure why the MK Baby Center was more popular than the others, maybe the others weren't as well known?

Either way, Landon didn't necessarily have a quiet place to fall asleep, but he was so tired that it didn't matter. He zonked out immediately after a diaper change and some food.


My mom and Alex were waiting outside on some benches, and I found them easily enough. That whole Baby Care Center and restroom area was pretty nice. They had a nice fountain in the middle:
Dsc02817 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

And a shaded walkway to escape from the sun. I imagine in May, that'll be one area I'll definitely stop by once or twice.



There was no discussion whatsoever as to where we were headed. My mom and Alex knew without having to ask what I'd planned for that morning. I'm a pretty open book when it comes to touring the Magic Kingdom. So, without thinking, they hooked a left past Crystal Palace and we entered my favorite land:
Dsc02821 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Adventureland!

Really? What place is better?

This place has Pirates AND Jungle Cruise. Not to mention, the best invention of all time.

Dole Whips.

Speaking of, there's an outdoor kitchen at Flower and Garden that has the pineapple dole whip with rum added.

My heart literally skipped a beat when I learned of this. I mean, my mother and I already added this to our homemade dole whips, so it's good to see Disney picked up on this great addition. I cannot wait to try it for myself in 54 days.

Not that I'm counting or anything.



Anyways, there were no Dole Whips to be had that morning. We were all near to bursting from all the breakfast foods and couldn't imagine wanting to take another bite of anything for hours to come.

No, instead, we were going to Alex's favorite attraction to try and see what the wait time was.

If memory serves correctly, the line wasn't too bad, but we felt it would be easier to pull some paper Fastpasses and return to it later.


The ride I'm referencing, of course, is the Jungle Cruise.

Well, it was the JINGLE CRUISE then.

Dsc02826 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


And it would be available for us to go on in about 45 minutes.
Great.

Now that I did my nice wifely duties and arranged for a turn on Alex's (and my mom's) favorite attraction, it was time I got to do my beloved ride.

It had been 2 years and 2 months since I last rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. (Not that I was keeping count.) Between it undergoing a long refurb and my pregnancy, I had been forced to skip it on 3 separate visits.


Enough was enough! I was in the Magic Kingdom and there was nothing standing in my way anymore.

Time to get going, people!



The walk from Adventureland to Frontierland was quiet; the sidewalks were empty and the areas almost deserted. I want to say this was the first and only time I witnessed such low crowds the entire time we were there.


The Disney Gods were favoring me on my expedition to Thunder...

Dsc02834 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr




We stopped to watch a few logs drop on Splash Mountain.

Dsc02840 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Seeing the guests laughing and screaming as they came down that incline almost made me want to stop and make a detour at the Brior Patch.

Eh, who am I kidding? Wild horses couldn't keep me away from Big Thunder.
I might've thought about how much fun a go on Splash would have been, but that's about as far as my mind took me.


Besides, the ride itself is almost ten minutes long, and I didn't want to push my mom's generosity by asking her to watch Landon while I went on not one, but two coasters.


The three of us pulled up to the entrance of BTMRR, and I simply stood on the street and stared up at my ride in glee.

Dsc02844 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


It looked perfect and welcoming and like it had been waiting all morning to load me on to my runaway train car.


"C'mon in, Alicia, the mountain's waiting."


The standby time read 10 minutes; after going in it was more like 20, but Alex and I weren't upset over that. This was our first time seeing the new interactive queue, so it was an enjoyable wait.


Dsc02846 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

FINALLY! I'm riding Thunder Mountain again!



Alex had control of the camera while I looked around, and I’m happy that he captured some of the details throughout the queue.

Dsc02848 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I'll take one of those for my living room, please.



Dsc02854 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

In case you were interested in Cabinet and Casket Co.




Dsc02860 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Dsc02872 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Soon! Soon that'll be me!




Dsc02864 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Dsc02878 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I don't know if I'd say it's a "mile long" bar.



Eventually, Alex and I made it to the part of the queue where you have to decide if you're going to go right or left and walk down the chosen side's ramp. I always get excited at that section, because once you round that corner, you can hear the trains' brakes going off as they pull in, the cast members directing folks to numbers, that overly southern voice welcoming everyone to the wildest ride in the wilderness.


It's even better when you get closer to the front and the room takes on a yellow glow up because of the lighting in the loading zones.

And then you're at the very front and you can see and hear the cars arriving from the opening at either the far right or the far left.


Ahhh, even writing about that part of the attraction makes me miss Thunder. It might be nuts to love the queue like I do, but I don't care. That section is so unique to Big Thunder Mountain that I wouldn't have it any other way. That buildup makes loading on to the actual ride that much better.



Alex and I had chosen the right walkway, which in the end dumps you out on the left track, and before we knew it were boarding for our turn.

Thunder was everything I remember it being. Smooth, fast, and ridiculously fun. If I were I wish maker, I would have granted myself another 3 or 4 turns just so I could really get my fill of the dips and drops and curves.


But alas, I was no Genie and had to make do with the one ride.

I did get to take in one of my favorite views of Cinderella's Castle while I was at the top of the mountain, though, so you weren't going to hear me complaining.



There's so many different places to see the castle from, and I think everyone has their favorites. Heck, everyone probably has a favorite nighttime and a favorite daytime view.

I know I do.

And seeing the castle with Space in the background is my personal favorite nighttime view. If you've never seen the castle from way up high, with its lights on and the moon shining over it you really need to.

It's spectacular.
And the great thing about Thunder is that the climb up to the top can be pretty slow, so you have plenty of time to enjoy and take in the sights.



Before I knew what happened, Alex and I were walking out the exit and meeting back up with my mom and a sleeping Landon. Apparently, Landon had remained asleep for the thirty or so minutes we were gone, which meant he was getting a nice long rest.

Alex happened to notice that our Jungle Cruise Fastpasses were about to come due, so he wanted to wait around and grab some Thunder Fastpasses.


Just in case.

So, we all did a bit of standing around and shooting the bull. My mom took this photo of us:




And eventually, Alex got to pull these bad boys:



I figured there might be a chance we could use them, since the start window would occur shortly after our Jingle Cruise adventure. It all depended on whether or not Landon was cooperating.


I will say, this, though. I'm going to miss being able to pull paper Fastpasses. It was sort of a relief that they were still around when we went, because they allowed us to go on a couple extra headliners a day. I'm not sure what it will be like in May when we have to depend on just our 3 reservations. We'll just have to wait and see.



My group and I made our way back to the Jungle Cruise. I was planning on transferring Landon from the stroller to my baby carrier to keep him asleep, but he woke up the second we unbuckled his stroller straps. I think Alex was pleased with that, because it meant Landon would be awake and able to experience the boat ride, instead of being completely oblivious to all the water and animatronics.

Disney had the queue area all decked out for the holidays, and they had done a pretty good job with it, if I do say so myself. There were plenty of items that had been added or changed that made it feel festive and very seasonal. Even the radio track was holiday-themed, and it was the most well done change out of everything. Some of the jokes had me chuckling.



All the boats had been renamed, and ours was:



I know a lot of people found the Jingle Cruise changes disappointing, but my whole group loved it. We thought the script was fresh and hilarious, and it was nice to be able to hear some new jokes. You can't ever have a second first Jungle Cruise ride, but at least with the holiday jokes you didn't know what to expect.


And Landon had a ball throughout the whole ride. Not because he was thrilled to see the backside of water or the elephants swimming with their trunks on.
No, he was overjoyed to have a bunch of other people in his near vicinity to stare and laugh at.






The Natives did get a smile out of him, though.



When we went in the tunnel, Landon got a little antsy, but he didn't cry, thank goodness for small favors.



Getting off the ride, Alex had to memorialize the Jingle Cruise with a picture of the sign.



Goodbye for now, holiday-themed attraction! See you in a few days!


At that point, Alex asked me if I wanted to go use our BTMRR Fastpasses, and as much as I wanted to, it was getting hot, and I didn't feel like walking all the way back again, just to turn around and go back through Adventureland. The crowds were also beginning to get more noticeable, and Landon's 5:15am wakeup call was starting to get to me.


So, I turned down the offer, leaving Alex with the challenge of finding 2 people to give our passes to, and I told my mother that I needed some caffeine. She had gotten a Starbucks the day before at Epcot, but I had yet to try out the new shops, and I felt like, as a good Disney fan, I needed to taste test these new locations.

Just for quality testing purposes, of course.

Had to be able to mark it off my snack bucket list, and all...



Once we got back to Main Street, we saw the Dapper Dans either arriving or leaving a show.



Their holiday garb is my favorite. They look so spiffy in the red stripes.



Because we had come from Adventureland, we were on the Emporium side of Main Street, and I knew that the Starbucks was on the other side. But rather than cross over, I thought it would be a wise idea to keep our eyes peeled out for the sign, then make a straight shot for the entrance.

Dumb decision.

We made it all the way down to the Confectionary before Alex realized we must have passed it, so into a store he went to ask a Cast Member.

We ended up having to re-walk the length of Main Street to find the store, and even then I passed by it. My mom and Alex were the ones who spotted the signs and pointed it out to me.

I completely get everyone's arguments about having a Starbucks on Main Street, and I agree that it could have easily been put somewhere else in the park. However, I can personally attest to the sign and building not being gaudy and overly, "HEY, LOOK IT'S AN OUTSIDE COMPANY TAKING UP SPACE INSIDE DISNEY."


It blended in so well with the theme of Main Street that I missed it.

Twice.

Can't say Disney didn't do its best at making it flow with the other shops.


After I got my coffee fix, I walked back out on the sidewalk and found my mom, Alex, and Landon watching the Move It Shake It Celebrate It street party.

It was impossible not to stand there and watch the end of it.






I can still vividly remember watching this with Alex as we walked into Magic Kingdom together for the first time. It was such a fun and festive way to start our first Magic Kingdom day that the party will always hold a special place in my heart. I even have the song as my ringtone on my phone, just to remind me to be happy and enjoy life.

When the party wrapped up, we left the park, took a monorail back to the TTC, and drove back to Pop for a few hours of rest in our rooms.




Up Next: He's Cuter Than That Gerber Baby!

 

[MEK]

2 years and 2 months since you rode BTMMR? Like you were counting. You got some excellent pictures back there. So glad you got that out of your system!

Landon looks really into it on JC. He looks so serious, just taking it all in. How cute!

The dole whip with rum is definitely on my bucket list for May. Speaking of May - we tentatively plan to be in Epcot on 5/12, 5/14, 5/15. We will be in MK during the day on 5/13 and 5/16. I hope some of this overlaps with your plans.

Fun update!

 

[Dugette]

Hmmm, we must have been lucky with the Baby Care Centers. They generally were not very busy at all for us (often just us in there).

Yum, Dole Whips with rum?! Now I really wish we were going in May!

Funny, Dug loves Jungle Cruise and I love Big Thunder too!

Glad you finally got to ride BTMRR again! Great description of the build-up before getting to the boarding area. Love the picture with the castle view - you've even got a riverboat in it!

What is it with babies and waking upon a stroller strap being undone? They can sleep through the sounds of WDW, but a tiny click is too much for them.

Glad you had a good Jingle Cruise. We enjoyed that too (though I can't remember many details anymore). Landon looks like he had a good time.

 

[amazingact21]

2 years and 2 months since you rode BTMMR? Like you were counting. You got some excellent pictures back there. So glad you got that out of your system!

Landon looks really into it on JC. He looks so serious, just taking it all in. How cute!

The dole whip with rum is definitely on my bucket list for May. Speaking of May - we tentatively plan to be in Epcot on 5/12, 5/14, 5/15. We will be in MK during the day on 5/13 and 5/16. I hope some of this overlaps with your plans.

Fun update!

It sounds like great minds plan alike.
Our tentative plans match yours almost to a tee. On the 12th, we'll be in AK and Epcot.
13th-MK
14th- DHS
15th-MK and Epcot
16th- MK

I think it's safe to say we'll be able to cross paths at some point.



Landon really did find Jungle Cruise interesting. He was trying to figure out why we were moving on top of the water. Most likely, he probably thought he was about to get a bath.

Hmmm, we must have been lucky with the Baby Care Centers. They generally were not very busy at all for us (often just us in there).

Yum, Dole Whips with rum?! Now I really wish we were going in May!

Funny, Dug loves Jungle Cruise and I love Big Thunder too!

Glad you finally got to ride BTMRR again! Great description of the build-up before getting to the boarding area. Love the picture with the castle view - you've even got a riverboat in it!

What is it with babies and waking upon a stroller strap being undone? They can sleep through the sounds of WDW, but a tiny click is too much for them.

Glad you had a good Jingle Cruise. We enjoyed that too (though I can't remember many details anymore). Landon looks like he had a good time.

Haha, add in both Landon and Izzy's love of Winnie the Pooh and all things plush and I'd say both our families have similar interests in Disney.


I did not even notice the riverboat in the picture. Pretty cool.


It's difficult to remember the specific jokes on the Jingle Cruise now, but I do remember them being funny.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I totally get heading the Adventureland way to start. I've been heading to that side of the park most often now since most people don't.

Plus, I love walking through the Frontierland area in the early morning because it just seems deserted. Much different than later in the day.

WOW, I don't know that I've heard of anyone loving BTM quite like that. BUT... having a connection to a WDW attraction that you love that much is really what it's all about.

Yeah, I was definitely in the disappointed camp for Jingle Cruise. A couple Santa hats on the animals though, and I would have been fine.

Not watching Move It Shake It... Yup... IMPOSSIBLE.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

All caught up finally! It looks like Landon is doing great with his first trip! I love all of the pictures you got before your CP ADR!! We are hoping to get an early reservation on our next trip for exactly that reason. I almost got teary myself reading about Landon meeting Pooh - that is what it is all about! I love how happy he looks

 

[marDgreen88]

Your love of Big Thunder is like my love of Splash, so I TOTALLY understand. So glad you finally got to ride it again!

I'm glad to hear of someone enjoying Jingle Cruise. From what I heard, a lot of people were 'meh' about it. I thought it sounded cute.

AHHHH, Starbucks + Disney = magic overload. Hahaha

 

[afwdwfan]

Every time I visited the center there were at least a dozen families inside, changing diapers, feeding kids in highchairs, letting toddlers watch Disney movies, etc. I’m not sure why the MK Baby Center was more popular than the others, maybe the others weren’t as well known?

We only went in it once, but yeah, it was insane! I think we had to wait in line for a table to change DD's diaper in there.

Speaking of, there’s an outdoor kitchen at Flower and Garden that has the pineapple dole whip with rum added.

Some of the Disdads may or may not have added rum and bacon to them in the MK before.

Enough was enough! I was in the Magic Kingdom and there was nothing standing in my way anymore.

When I read this I thought you were going to get there and the ride would be down for some reason.

Ahhh, even writing about that part of the attraction makes me miss Thunder. It might be nuts to love the queue like I do, but I don’t care. That section is so unique to Big Thunder Mountain that I wouldn’t have it any other way. That buildup makes loading on to the actual ride that much better.

This whole update is making me want to ride Thunder right now!!! It was the first "big" rollercoaster I ever rode, and it has always been a personal favorite. What you're saying isn't nuts at all, I totally get it.

I will say, this, though. I’m going to miss being able to pull paper Fastpasses. It was sort of a relief that they were still around when we went, because they allowed us to go on a couple extra headliners a day. I’m not sure what it will be like in May when we have to depend on just our 3 reservations. We’ll just have to wait and see.

This is my biggest concern about it as well. I'm definitely going to miss the ability to get FP for as many headliners I want. And possibly even more importantly, any combination of the headliners that I want.

I know a lot of people found the Jingle Cruise changes disappointing, but my whole group loved it. We thought the script was fresh and hilarious, and it was nice to be able to hear some new jokes. You can’t ever have a second first Jungle Cruise ride, but at least with the holiday jokes you didn’t know what to expect.

I don't know why people were so disappointed. I mean it is the Jingle/Jungle Cruise. I don't know what everyone expected, but new jokes and puns are all I need for a change of pace. I just hope they do it again this year!

At that point, Alex asked me if I wanted to go use our BTMRR Fastpasses, and as much as I wanted to, it was getting hot, and I didn’t feel walking all the way back again, just to turn around and go back through Adventureland.

Noooooooo!!! It is Thunder Mountain!!!! That walk isn't that far!!! These excuses are inadequate!

and Landon’s 5:15am wakeup call was starting to get to me.

Ok... I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt then...

I completely get everyone’s arguments about having a Starbucks on Main Street, and I agree that it could have easily been put somewhere else in the park.

My only argument against it is that I don't like Starbucks.

Truthfully though, my biggest gripe about it is that I used to love stopping by the bakery on the way out of the park in the evening to grab a cinnamon roll to take back to the room for breakfast the next morning. It is definitely not quite so convenient with the cinnamon rolls being moved to Gaston's Tavern.