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

[Tickanee]

I remember missing Space mountain for a couple trips like you did for BTMRR when it was getting re-furbished. Riding BTMRR at night is sooo much fun and way different than during the day. I remember last time just laughing so hard with my friends.


I can't remember if I told you our park plans/ADRs or not.

We plan on MK 5/13 with dinner at O'Hana, Epcot 5/14 La Hacienda de San Angel dinner, DHS 5/15 (DTD eve), DAK 5/16 with before park opening ADR at Tusker House and dinner ADR at Yachtsman Steakhouse, MK 5/17 with dinner at CA Grill, 5/19 Epcot with another dinner at La Hacienda, 5/20 DHS with Sanaa dinner, 5/21 DAK. We are kind of winging it on Sunday the 18th. I think the us girls are going to get massages first thing in the morning. I did make some FP+ reservations for MK in the evening. We usually wing it in the evenings. I hope our paths cross at some point.

 

[teekathepony]

2 years and 2 months is way too long betweeh BTMRR rides. I'm glad you were able to fix that!

I’m going to miss being able to pull paper Fastpasses.

Agreed. For all the benefits there admittedly are to the new system, the spontaneity is what I'll miss the most .

Landon's ride on the Jingle Cruise is so adorable! Taking it all in, he's so chill.

 

[USAFdad]

He always stares at the people... We really need to work on subtlety.

You made me rush to give the FP away I was trying to take my time and find someone who would appreciate it. I think that's one of the things I will miss about the paper FP.

I'm sorry but I love some tearable puns they warm my soul with how punny they are. I think your favorite was the lions had to choose between white meat dark meat white meat dark meat white meat dark meat.

 

[amazingact21]

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.

It is pretty nice seeing that part of MK so empty early in the morning. I don't think I've ever seen crowds over there before 11/12 o'clock. Makes you think you have that half of the park to yourself.
(I won't lie, when we began planning trips with Landon, I said to Alex, "You know what the downside to traveling with a kid is. Now, we have to head to Fantasyland with the mob of other guests.")

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

I really hope you are able to get a pre-park reservation for Crystal Palace! There's nothing like being on Main Street before it opens, and I'd be surprised if your DD didn't love Pooh Bear, as well. He seems to be a favorite among the little ones.

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

I didn't understand why people were upset over the holiday themed Jungle Cruise. I never expected it to be a completely different story. And like I said, any kind of new joke was appreciated.


Yeah, I'm one of those people that was kind of happy to hear about Starbucks being added to the parks. Especially, when a Venti was on the Dining Plan...

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.

Compared to the Epcot and Animal Kingdom centers, MK was a madhouse. Even with its huge size, you almost wished it was bigger.

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

I don't know about the bacon. With pineapple?

My mother, the first time I bought one for her, took a bite, then declared, "I need to put some booze in a water bottle and add some to this bad boy." She was so disappointed when I told her she'd be missing out on that outdoor kitchen.

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 think it's the perfect first "coaster" for kids, and I'm looking forward to taking Landon on it one day. To me, it's Barnstormer first, then Tunder, then Everest.

any combination of the headliners that I want.

This.
I am most upset about the tiering system and having to choose between RNRC and TSMM.

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!

If anything, I think the skippers enjoyed having new jokes to say. We never encountered a bad skipper; it was like they'd gotten a breather from the norm and were appreciative of it.

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

Laziness prevaled that morning.

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.

I can understand and respect that. I, personally, never had a cinnamon roll from there before, so I can't attest to how good they were. But I do know a lot of people were upset about the loss, and I do not see why they couldn't have kept the bakery items in stock. Sure, they weren't "Starbucks" food, but it would have saved Disney a lot of grief.

 

[amazingact21]

I remember missing Space mountain for a couple trips like you did for BTMRR when it was getting re-furbished. Riding BTMRR at night is sooo much fun and way different than during the day. I remember last time just laughing so hard with my friends.

Riding Thunder at night is the best way to experience it!

We plan on MK 5/13 with dinner at O'Hana, Epcot 5/14 La Hacienda de San Angel dinner, DHS 5/15 (DTD eve), DAK 5/16 with before park opening ADR at Tusker House and dinner ADR at Yachtsman Steakhouse, MK 5/17 with dinner at CA Grill, 5/19 Epcot with another dinner at La Hacienda, 5/20 DHS with Sanaa dinner, 5/21 DAK. We are kind of winging it on Sunday the 18th. I think the us girls are going to get massages first thing in the morning. I did make some FP+ reservations for MK in the evening. We usually wing it in the evenings. I hope our paths cross at some point.

Sounds like great plans! I'm jealous of some of your dinner reservations. CA Grill AND O'hana's...Sounds delicious.

We will be in MK on the 13th, as well so maybe we will run into each other. If so, I'll be sure and say hello this time. I will say, though, we might also cross paths at a certain resort. *cough cough*

Agreed. For all the benefits there admittedly are to the new system, the spontaneity is what I'll miss the most .

Landon's ride on the Jingle Cruise is so adorable! Taking it all in, he's so chill.

It will be sad not to be able to look at the FP Return time and go, "hey, let's get a couple passes."
I hear these stories of how all the walkon rides are long, now (like Pirates) and I just hope this new system doesn't cut my ride amounts drastically.

He always stares at the people... We really need to work on subtlety.

You made me rush to give the FP away I was trying to take my time and find someone who would appreciate it. I think that's one of the things I will miss about the paper FP.

I'm sorry but I love some tearable puns they warm my soul with how punny they are. I think your favorite was the lions had to choose between white meat dark meat white meat dark meat white meat dark meat.

I don't even remember you giving them away. I know you were rushed at DHS, because we were literally, out the gates when we remembered.
And it couldn't be worse than our Disneymoon with the Test Track Fastpasses. We couldn't give those bad boys away if we tried!


That was my favorite joke, I just couldn't remember how it went otherwise I would have written it down. I just recall laughing really hard when I associated zebra with a turkey's "white meat and dark meat."

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Great update! We love Big Thunder Mountain too. BTMRR has now become THE favorite ride for both DD and DS after our January trip. So much so, that in October for our short trip we will be heading to it at rope drop so that we can go on it as many times as we can before the standby wait goes over 15 minutes.

 

[amazingact21]

Great update! We love Big Thunder Mountain too. BTMRR has now become THE favorite ride for both DD and DS after our January trip. So much so, that in October for our short trip we will be heading to it at rope drop so that we can go on it as many times as we can before the standby wait goes over 15 minutes.

That sounds like a fun morning to me! I wonder how many times you'll be able to ride it. I think I've only ever done 3 in a row, so I'd like to see someone break that.

 

[amazingact21]

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013:


This particular afternoon was spent doing nothing of real importance back at Pop Century. Nothing extraordinarily interesting happened, because I have zero pictures from 12 o’clock to 3:30 pm. If memory serves me correctly, Alex went perusing the gift shop while my mom and I chilled out and let Landon sleep.
Apparently, this was the last time I wrote anything in my travel journal.

Oy Vey!

I need to be better about that on future trips. 2 days worth of notes won’t do!


Once we all felt rested enough…well, more like Alex’s antsy attitude finally got the better of us, we all headed out to complete the second half of our day.

Only this time we were going to:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios!


As I said earlier, this was supposed to be my best day ever, and having already visited the Magic Kingdom pre-park opening and ridden Thunder, there was only one thing left to do to complete that mission.

And it was to be found at that park.


The Christmas tree was up and looking very lonely that afternoon.






In a strange change of pace, there weren’t too many guests congregated around the entrance.



Practically an empty line for bag check, which was unusual.



My mom and Alex made it through the ticket line without issue; it was my turn to have my MagicBand not work. All the Cast Member had to do was scan it with her individual reader, and I was cleared to go through, but my mom did make the comment that it was my turn to have problems. She’d gotten her fill the day before.


Aside from that little hiccup we were all inside Hollywood Studios and looking at the Sorcerer’s Hat when I got the brilliant idea to bring up the topic of food.




Always a scary conversation piece to broach when you’ve got 3 adults with 3 different metabolisms and 3 different tastes.

But we hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast that morning, and I was in that awkward stage where I wasn’t starving, but I knew I would get to that point right around the time we were using our Fastpasses if I didn’t snack on something.

My mom was not as hungry as I was, but she agreed that we probably needed to eat something just for the sake of refueling our bodies.


Alex. He could have eaten an O’hana’s dinner and been good….
The joys of working out so much.


I came up with the idea of splitting a full sized meal- something quick and simple- then eating an actual dinner much later that night.

Alex was being really complicated and was trying to say we should eat our meal right then, and then split something later. Which didn’t make sense seeing as we weren’t really hungry at the moment.
I told him he could order his own food if he didn’t feel like sharing, but he argued that he didn’t want to use an entire food credit if nobody else was going to.


Honestly, I don’t know what his train of thought was.
He also was trying to convince us to go ride some rides, then eat; he didn’t believe us when we said if we did that, then we wouldn’t be hungry later and we would just each get our own meals at that point.

Even trying to summarize the conversation confuses me.


Just forget what I said and note that the three of us looked like crazy people, standing on the sidewalk, arguing over food.


It should not be that complicated to figure out when and where to eat.

And, mind you, that is WITH a plan and dining reservations.
I’m sort of terrified to see what it’s going to be like in May, when we wing most of our days.


My mom didn’t want to pick a side with us (she’s smart like that) so in the end I just kind of told Alex the way it was going to be and off we went to ABC Commissary.

Here’s my thing with Hollywood Studios.

I don’t hate it like some people do.

I don’t mind the Sorcerer’s Hat as the icon.

I don’t mind that there’s not that many headline attractions.

I don’t even mind that it’s not very baby friendly.


What I do mind, though, is their quick service choices.

I feel like if I don’t have a table service reservation there, I don’t want to eat a meal. There’s plenty of amazing snacks to munch on (I’m looking at you, Starring Rolls cupcakes!) but when it comes to your standard easy meals, Hollywood’s a letdown.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a picky eater. Quite the contrary. I’ll eat a burger or pizza or chicken strips any day of the week if I’m looking for something to eat and be done with. But the problem with the places at DHS is that even their basic fare is sort of sub-par.


When we ate at Pizza Planet, the pizzas were cold and slimy and not at all appealing.

And this was the second time the three of us ate at ABC Commissary, and both times the burgers weren’t very hot and the fries tasted like the oil needed to be changed.

I don’t need Hollywood to bring in some amazing place like Sunshine Seasons, I just need them to perfect the food they already have. If Pizzafari can give me a decent pizza and the Electric Umbrella can keep my fries warm, then Hollywood needs to step up their game.



I ordered our burger and a mousse for dessert while Alex and my mom took Landon and found a place to sit.

Our meal:




And our dessert:



This, actually, wasn’t too bad. But it was also pretty standard and difficult to mess up. I’m looking forward on our next trip to not be on the dining plan, and therefore not be forced to order either a chocolate mousse, carrot cake, or chocolate cake. It’ll be nice to have our pick of sweets around the park.



The food served its purpose and filled us up enough to where we were ready to ride some rides.


I had specifically chosen our Fastpasses for that evening, because I wanted to be able to ride Toy Story Mania and Rock N Roller Coaster without waiting in a long line.


The first one up was located here:

The place that STILL had wall to wall people, despite it being 4:30, and a Fantasmic night.

Yeesh.


By this point, Landon had crashed again.




I had read somewhere on the boards that if you ask a Cast Member at the front of the line for a Rider Swap they’ll give you one, even though it technically doesn’t require one.
I wanted to try that out, because on top of not wanting to wake a sleeping baby, I wasn’t 100% comfortable taking him on the attraction. I know Disney has deemed it safe for infants, but the vehicles jerk and spin pretty fast, and the paranoid first time parent in me was remembering high speed turns and whiplash inducing stops.

Alex went up to the Cast Member working, and asked him if it was, indeed, possible. This guy was a brick wall, though. He just kept telling Alex that we could take turns using our Fastpasses. When Alex explained that then my mom would have to go by herself, and we were pressed for time due to our other FP window, the guy just sort of shrugged and moved on to another family.

I wasn’t mad that we couldn’t get a Rider Swap; I honestly expected that answer, but it really irked Alex and I that the Cast Member brushed us off and intentionally ignored us once he’d given us his answer.


I know encountering one rude Cast Member a day isn’t that big a deal, but it did surprise me. I can’t remember any other trip that I had so many short and/or disinterested workers. Made me sort of sad, because I’m sure the new system was somewhat to blame. You saw a lot of tired and stressed out cast members, and I wished more guests would cut them breaks.
Because they caught so much grief, they made members like that guy at TSMM short with everyone.

Not a fun situation.


I really didn’t want to take Landon on the ride, but we simply didn’t have the time for 2 groups to go. It had to be all or none.

So, inside my group went.


Landon remained fast asleep through the fun queue.





And he missed out on wearing some fun 3D glasses.





When my mom sat down in her ride vehicle, she was told she needed to turn Landon towards the front. I suppose it was so the lap bar could go across his thighs.

Of course, that woke him up, and my mom spent the entirety of the ride holding on to him and keeping him secure during the turns. She got to play a little bit, but I don’t think she scored higher than 80,000.

She took one for the team for us, and I really appreciated it. If she hadn’t offered to hold Landon, then either or I would have had to give up our chance of beating the other person.

And we have a small rivalry with one another when it comes to Toy Story Mania. Nothing awfully serious, but we do try to get the best score. The last time we rode TSMM, I actually did win for the first time, so I had a reputation to live up to.

Now I knew it was possible to beat Alex. And that was the best motivation around.


Unfortunately, Alex reclaimed his spot at the top and was victorious that day.



Shameful…



He seemed happy to be back at the top:
Dsc02978 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Could I blame a malfunctioning shooter?

Dsc02979 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


No, probably not…



We all headed back to the center of the park and stopped for a short while by a railing to regroup.

I had been fighting an annoying headache, and not one to take medication, I finally realized that if I didn’t do something to get rid of the pain, I’d be forced to deal with it for the rest of the night.

It was the only rain cloud on an otherwise perfect day, so in the end I can’t complain too much. But I was pretty irritable for that hour or so it took for the Tylenol to kick in. My poor mother and husband were probably getting worried that I’d spoil their fun later on.


We all continued to stand around and do nothing, really, while I tried to feel better.


Alex could see Tower of Terror through some trees, probably taunting him with guests’ screams.

Dsc02981 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


My mom told him he could go on the ride if he wanted, but he didn’t want to leave us to do it. I don’t know why…But for May, I procured him a Fastpass, so unless he wants to waste a good pass, he actually might go on it.

Shocking…


Our spot:
Dsc02986 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Father and son looked extremely bored and restless as we stood around.

Dsc02987 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



In a fit of genius, I told everyone we needed to get some Photopass pictures.

Why I thought photographs with a headache would be a good idea, I don’t know, but I insisted on ushering everyone over to the closest photographer.


Landon was grumpy, people kept cutting in front of our pictures, and we ended up with just the most awkward and uncomfortable pictures.

wdw201333726314007_6894439346 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


wdw201333726314009_6894439391 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


We were the poster children for “forced family fun.”
You’d have thought we’d been in the parks all day in 90 degree weather and massive crowds…



Landon was getting progressively worse, and I figured now was as good a time as any to scope out the Hollywood Studios Baby Care Center and get him in a quiet space for awhile.

I knew it was near the entrance, but when we got to the Guest Services building, we couldn’t figure out where the heck the center was. Alex went inside to ask, and as it turned out, the center was inside Guest Relations.


I have to say, the Hollywood Studios Baby Care Center is the worst. It’s the most out of place location, and the center is more like a couple large rooms.

It was like Disney, at the last minute said, “Oh, we forgot the baby care center. Quick, transform these offices!”


I felt like I was going somewhere I wasn’t supposed to by walking into some side room in Guest Services. There were 4 families who looked at us all, like, "What the heck do they think they’re doing?”


Inside, there was a dinky little room with a changing table and 2 nursing areas with a curtain to block off the nooks.
You could hear everything going on inside Guest Relations, and at one point a Cast Member came in to use the center as a walk through to a back room.


It was not comfortable at all, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop by there again, but they did have a cute poster.

Dsc02997 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

There was that.




At this point, my pictures get a little wonky. They are loaded onto my memory card in order of when they were taken, and according to the my next shots, nighttime had settled in by the time we came back outside, and the Sorcerer’s Hat looked pretty cool illuminated against the night sky.

Dsc03001 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



However, the next photos I have are of us walking down Sunset Blvd with sunlight still visible.

Wha??


I genuinely have no clue what happened with my pictures, but I do know that it was still fairly light out when Alex and I went to use our next passes.


The Fastpasses Alex and I had to use were at my favorite roller coaster.

Dsc02995 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Rock N Roller Coaster!
(I don’t consider Thunder a “coaster;” it’s in the “kiddie coaster” category. And yes, there is a difference.)


It makes me really sad that I now can’t get both TSMM and RNRC Fastpasses. I don’t know what I’m going to do when Landon gets old enough to ride Rock N Roller Coaster. Right now, Alex and I can just single rider it, and it won’t be a big deal. But give it 5 years and there will be issues.


We might or might not have gotten a Rider Swap for this, and we might or might not have dropped my mom off with Landon on a bench.

Hey, at least we left her in the shade.

We’re not heartless.



Alex and I used both our Fastpasses and the Rider Swap and went on the attraction two times in a row.

Which, really, is the only way to do it.

Rock N Roller Coaster is best multiple times in a row.

The first go round is enough to reconnect you with the thrill of it. The second and third turns are for the enjoyment and appreciation of the attraction.

Normally, Alex and I get to go on RNRC 5 or 6 times in a trip, but since we knew this would be our only shot, we had to make it worth our while. So we got 3rd row the first time and front row the second.


wdw201333726327533_6894439347 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


It was fantastic, as always, and when we went back to my mom and Landon, she seemed to have found someone to pass the time with. She had sat down next to a fellow grandmother who was visiting Disney with her husband and 5 grandkids. I guess they had convinced all their kids to let them take the grandbabies to Disney World for the week.

The ages ranged from 16 to 6, and they were all having a ball.

I couldn’t imagine trying to keep up with that many children with that big of age gaps, though. Whew.


My mom sounded like she enjoyed talking with the lady; I guess she was excited to share stories of how well the 16 year old was helping out with the younger cousins, and I could just see my mom filing away the story in her head for later.

I’m sure in about 15 years I’ll be sending Landon on a vacation with his cousin Aiden…


In addition to talking about her family, the lady kept Oohing and Awwing over Landon, and she informed my mother, “He should be a baby model! He’s cuter than that Gerber baby! He could be the next Gerber baby.”

Can’t say I disagree, M’am…

On that high note, my mom, Alex, Landon, and I left the roller coaster area and headed towards our next big adventure.





Up Next…There’s Nothing Better

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I couldn't help but have to laugh at this picture-the face of the person behind Alex is rather amusing. Personally I'm not a fan of Hollywood Studios, I will never be able to go on ToT or Rock n' Rollercoaster. The only reason it's worth going to is to ride Star Tours...otherwise I could spend another day of Epcot. *sigh...* the downfalls of being a Star Wars nerd. However, it's good that you enjoyed the first half of your day there. Look forward to hearing about the rest!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Alicia you're definitely not alone in your thoughts on DHS dining. Very limited menus and (not that it applies here directly at this time) really early closures. How do you convince the public that DHS is not a half day park when you close half the places so early?? I don't get it. BUT they do have Disney nugs, so generally I'm good, lol.

YES, I do agree that FP+ had the extra impact of creating some very unhappy CM's. I can't imagine what it must have been like for them.

Oh yes, I consider BTM a kiddie coaster as well. No explanation needed.

Two times at least on RnRC makes perfect sense. At least then it feels like a full coaster ride and not the minute and a half one ride gets you. Love it, just WAY too short.

AMAZING!!! If not for the people behind you on the 2 rides, you would think this was the same ride photo only mirrored.

 

[MEK]

You both seriously look like you are having too much fun on RnR - and with a headache to boot! RnR gives me a headache if I ride it too many times. Ugh - I call it the dreaded "coaster Headache" and it can definitely put a damper on my roller coaster fun if I am in any type of theme park with an opportunity to ride and ride. I hate that.

Too funny that there was so much drama over what to eat. I have to agree the HS is NOT my favorite place for QS. I usually end up with a burger, too.

Sorry that TSM did not work out well for you. It really is not that fun to ride alone, although I would do it if I had to.

Good point you brought up about the CM's and how they must feel with the new FP+ stuff. Their job can't be easy right now.

I had to laugh at your description of the baby care center. That's ridiculous. Seriously.

 

[USAFdad]

"I don’t need Hollywood to bring in some amazing place like Sunshine Seasons, I just need them to perfect the food they already have. If Pizzafari can give me a decent pizza and the Electric Umbrella can keep my fries warm, then Hollywood needs to step up their game."

In HS defense when we went to Electric Umbrella we did get there pretty much right after opening. Not the case this time around.

 

[IheartDDuck]

When I first set up our FP reservations, I had to do it over the phone, because MDE wasn't accepting something. So when she read off the tier one options at Epcot, I laughed a Maelstrom. The CM chuckled with me, because it's so funny that it's tier one.

My Mom has one of those sweaters too, but not from Disney. She's had it for years, since she's from Belgium. She brought it over with her when they immigrated.

The troll horn from the bakery in Norway is really good too.

I totally get your "wanting to share the deliciousness" logic! I do the same thing.

Getting turned around in Disney is horrible! My Dad always gets messed up with the Animal Kingdom. LOL.

I absolutely love being in the Magic Kingdom before it opens.

Your pictures on Main Street turned out great!

Landon's face with Pooh Bear is just absolute perfection.

I am 100% on board with your feelings towards the counter service establishments in DHS. Every time we have to eat a CS meal there, we go through the "what do we eat?!" ordeal.

Awwww, he totally could be the next Gerber baby!

 

[Dugette]

If it makes you feel better, we have almost no notes from our trip. Just lots of pictures that I can hopefully piece together stories from.

Wow, DHS sure seems empty! That is indeed a lonely tree.

Totally agree on the poor DHS quick-service dining options. There's not much to get excited about there (except the cupcakes, of course - maybe that's why they're so big - so they can be consumed as a "meal" ).

Aw, sleepy Landon! Cute! I've also heard mixed things about Rider Swap on TSM - but it seemed like "no" was the likely answer. Too bad it was in that circumstance, though - would have been nice to let him keep sleeping. What is it with these cast members we were running into? Some of them really seemed to dislike people.

Ha ha, nice subdued Photopass pictures!

Yes, that Baby Care Center was so oddly located. We basically had to walk past a big line of people waiting for Guest Services - so, looking like line cutters. Then, it was an awkward room to the side and you had to pull the door shut behind you, if I recall, or else the guest service line just stares at you, wondering what you're doing in this secret room that allows you to skip lines. We were lucky again, though - we had it to ourselves for a bit, then one other family joined us, I believe. We actually hung out on the loveseat (I think) in there and ate snacks in peace.

Love the first row of RnRC! Your pictures are great - you both look so happy to be riding.

Aw, nothing like another grandmother complimenting your baby! He's quite the cutie!

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Alicia! I had some catching up to do here.

Going all the way back to your Epcot evening.... I'm a fan of Malestrom too and likely would have pulled a FP since I don't want any chance to miss out on that Norwegian experience. That's cool that you have authentic Norwegian sweaters!

Great idea to pose Landon with the troll in the dump shop to measure the passing of time and how much he's grown. Adorable photo op too!

Like you, we didn't make it to the CP Illuminations viewing area for either CP dinner package we had. It would have been cool but we had too many plans in the evening.

Too funny that Alex is directionally challenged when driving anywhere but AK!

I prefer the feel of MK pre-park open. Everything is clean and ready for a new day. The anticipation of another day of creating magic in the park is almost palpable. Your photos on Main Street before your CP breakfast capture that perfectly. That's definitely what memories are made of.

ADORABLE POOH greet at CP!! Seriously too adorable!!

Sounds like you have great plans for your May trip and YAY for going Deluxe all the way. You are also reminding me that I should get to looking into doing some FP+ reservations. I haven't done any yet. Oops!

 

[afwdwfan]

Apparently, this was the last time I wrote anything in my travel journal.



I need to be better about that on future trips. 2 days worth of notes won’t do!

I get it though. I usually try to take a few notes, but then as the trip goes, there's so little time, and so much you want to do so those notes just drop on the priority list. My trip notes usually end up being just a list of one word chicken scratches that just remind me what order we did things in. And if I'm lucky, I can figure out what that one word represented at a later date.

As I said earlier, this was supposed to be my best day ever, and having already visited the Magic Kingdom pre-park opening and ridden Thunder, there was only one thing left to do to complete that mission.


And it was to be found at that park.

I really have a feeling that my 2 favorite rides, and your 2 favorite rides might just be the same...

Even trying to summarize the conversation confuses me.

I'm just shocked that cupcake from Starring Rolls wasn't an option. Because frankly, if you weren't actually eating a full meal, I didn't realize there was another option.

Here’s my thing with Hollywood Studios.


I don’t hate it like some people do. - I don't get along well with those people.


I don’t mind the Sorcerer’s Hat as the icon. - Well...


I don’t mind that there’s not that many headline attractions. - But the ones they have are amazing!


I don’t even mind that it’s not very baby friendly. - And it most definitely isn't.

What I do mind, though, is their quick service choices. -

I have to say though, that Backlot Express hasn't been too bad the past couple of times we've been there. It has kind of become our go-to in that park. I don't even know if it is still on the menu, but last time I was there they had buffalo chicken strips. Not exactly a gourmet meal, but a nice change of pace from the typical park food.

I wasn’t mad that we couldn’t get a Rider Swap; I honestly expected that answer, but it really irked Alex and I that the Cast Member brushed us off and intentionally ignored us once he’d given us his answer.

Definitely a disappointment to have a CM act that way. I understand their frustration, but it definitely does seem very un-Disney like when that happens.

When my mom sat down in her ride vehicle, she was told she needed to turn Landon towards the front. I suppose it was so the lap bar could go across his thighs.

They made us do the same thing with DD on Snow White's Scary Adventure, and I'm not even sure why they needed a lap bar on that one.

We were the poster children for “forced family fun.”

They really don't look that bad, but I loved this comment.

The Fastpasses Alex and I had to use were at my favorite roller coaster.

(I don’t consider Thunder a “coaster;” it’s in the “kiddie coaster” category. And yes, there is a difference.)

If BTMRR is a kiddie coaster, what is Goofy? I consider BTMRR to be more of an introductory big coaster, or kind of an in-between.

But either way, when you get to coasters that go 60 mph or more and turn you upside down, you're talking about the real deal.

It makes me really sad that I now can’t get both TSMM and RNRC Fastpasses.

I hate that...

We might or might not have gotten a Rider Swap for this, and we might or might not have dropped my mom off with Landon on a bench.

Well played!!!

 

[khertz]

DHS is rough with a baby, but good thing you had grandma to help out! RnRC is definitely my favorite coaster as well, and it stinks not getting to ride it as many times every trip as we used to pre-Paxton, so we have to settle for what we can get too. Ahh, the joys of being a parent in Disney!

I TOTALLY agree with you about the BCC there. It's pretty obvious it was just an afterthought at DHS. Terrible location and facilities. We went in there once on our first trip with Paxton and never felt the need to go again. The rest were so much better!

 

[teekathepony]

Omg I know the exact food argument you're talking about. We tend to have it when we're a lot hungrier than we think!
Landon is so cute sleeping through TSM!
Woohoo! I love RnR! Great ride photos!

 

[amazingact21]

I couldn't help but have to laugh at this picture-the face of the person behind Alex is rather amusing. Personally I'm not a fan of Hollywood Studios, I will never be able to go on ToT or Rock n' Rollercoaster. The only reason it's worth going to is to ride Star Tours...otherwise I could spend another day of Epcot. *sigh...* the downfalls of being a Star Wars nerd. However, it's good that you enjoyed the first half of your day there. Look forward to hearing about the rest!

That guy behind Alex is hilarious. He looks absolutely terrified, yet he still seems to be having a blast. Sometimes, the most fun thing to do with those ride photos is look at the strangers around you. They can be hilarious.

I have to laugh that Star Tours is what brings you into DHS. I love the ride itself, but I actually can't ride more than once otherwise I get nauseous.

Alicia you're definitely not alone in your thoughts on DHS dining. Very limited menus and (not that it applies here directly at this time) really early closures. How do you convince the public that DHS is not a half day park when you close half the places so early?? I don't get it. BUT they do have Disney nugs, so generally I'm good, lol.

YES, I do agree that FP+ had the extra impact of creating some very unhappy CM's. I can't imagine what it must have been like for them.

Oh yes, I consider BTM a kiddie coaster as well. No explanation needed.

Two times at least on RnRC makes perfect sense. At least then it feels like a full coaster ride and not the minute and a half one ride gets you. Love it, just WAY too short.

AMAZING!!! If not for the people behind you on the 2 rides, you would think this was the same ride photo only mirrored.

I have never even been in DHS during dinnertime before. We've always visited in the morning or gone to the park after we've eaten somewhere else. This was the first time that I really realized how measly the food selections are there.


Rock N Roller Coaster does need to be longer! I always get a little sad near the end, when you go through the advertisement for Donuts (I think) because I remember that the ride's about to be over.

The guy sitting behind Alex in the one picture makes me laugh every time I see it.

You both seriously look like you are having too much fun on RnR - and with a headache to boot! RnR gives me a headache if I ride it too many times. Ugh - I call it the dreaded "coaster Headache" and it can definitely put a damper on my roller coaster fun if I am in any type of theme park with an opportunity to ride and ride. I hate that.

Too funny that there was so much drama over what to eat. I have to agree the HS is NOT my favorite place for QS. I usually end up with a burger, too.

Sorry that TSM did not work out well for you. It really is not that fun to ride alone, although I would do it if I had to.

Good point you brought up about the CM's and how they must feel with the new FP+ stuff. Their job can't be easy right now.

I had to laugh at your description of the baby care center. That's ridiculous. Seriously.

I can understand how you get headaches from Rock N Roller Coaster. I think if you sit in the back your head whips around a lot and that constant banging on the headrest for 90 seconds could inflict some damage.


Those poor CMs are really stressed out over the new system. But, then again, I'm sure they are just tired of answering the same million questions over again and listening to the constant complaints.
I saw this one lady working who was so frazzled, mainly because she wasn't a computer literate person to begin with, and she was having to try and override a Fastpass on an ipad, and I just knew there would be confusion involved.

In HS defense when we went to Electric Umbrella we did get there pretty much right after opening. Not the case this time around.

We already talked about this, but didn't we eat at Electric Umbrella again and the food was still good? I want to say it was on our May 2011 trip. Before we discovered the amazingness that is Sunshine Seasons. Maybe not, though...

 

[amazingact21]

When I first set up our FP reservations, I had to do it over the phone, because MDE wasn't accepting something. So when she read off the tier one options at Epcot, I laughed a Maelstrom. The CM chuckled with me, because it's so funny that it's tier one.

The troll horn from the bakery in Norway is really good too.

Epcot desperately needs some more headliners to help with the tiering system. I understand why Test Track and Soarin' are both Tier 1s, but Maelstrom? And the character spot? Basically, every attraction you wanna hit in Epcot?

I totally get your "wanting to share the deliciousness" logic! I do the same thing.

Getting turned around in Disney is horrible! My Dad always gets messed up with the Animal Kingdom. LOL.

At least we want to share our food. We could be rude and keep it all to ourselves.

I absolutely love being in the Magic Kingdom before it opens.

Your pictures on Main Street turned out great!

Landon's face with Pooh Bear is just absolute perfection.

Thanks! I have to agree, Main Street before park opening is pretty fantastic. I never knew what I was missing out until I witnessed it for myself.

I am 100% on board with your feelings towards the counter service establishments in DHS. Every time we have to eat a CS meal there, we go through the "what do we eat?!" ordeal.

Awwww, he totally could be the next Gerber baby!

That meal you got there in your latest trip report (barbeque, I think?) looked pretty good, actually. I wish I'd known about that before my trip; I probably would have directed us to there.

If it makes you feel better, we have almost no notes from our trip. Just lots of pictures that I can hopefully piece together stories from.

Wow, DHS sure seems empty! That is indeed a lonely tree.

Haha. When I was editing pictures the other day, I didn't delete some of the not-so-great ones, simply because it told me where we'd gone that afternoon. I need those pics for memory purposes!

Totally agree on the poor DHS quick-service dining options. There's not much to get excited about there (except the cupcakes, of course - maybe that's why they're so big - so they can be consumed as a "meal" ).

Mmmm, now there's an idea. CUPCAKES FOR DINNER, EVERYONE!

Aw, sleepy Landon! Cute! I've also heard mixed things about Rider Swap on TSM - but it seemed like "no" was the likely answer. Too bad it was in that circumstance, though - would have been nice to let him keep sleeping. What is it with these cast members we were running into? Some of them really seemed to dislike people.

It was definitely not the best time for great Cast Member interaction.

Yes, that Baby Care Center was so oddly located. We basically had to walk past a big line of people waiting for Guest Services - so, looking like line cutters. Then, it was an awkward room to the side and you had to pull the door shut behind you, if I recall, or else the guest service line just stares at you, wondering what you're doing in this secret room that allows you to skip lines. We were lucky again, though - we had it to ourselves for a bit, then one other family joined us, I believe. We actually hung out on the loveseat (I think) in there and ate snacks in peace.

It was the most out of place baby center around. I just hated the way other guests watched you as you went into the room. I felt like I was on display. And then my kid is so loud that I knew everyone could hear him outside the door.

Love the first row of RnRC! Your pictures are great - you both look so happy to be riding.

Aw, nothing like another grandmother complimenting your baby! He's quite the cutie!

Front row's the best!

Hi Alicia! I had some catching up to do here.

Going all the way back to your Epcot evening.... I'm a fan of Malestrom too and likely would have pulled a FP since I don't want any chance to miss out on that Norwegian experience. That's cool that you have authentic Norwegian sweaters!

Maelstrom is too fun to miss. I don't know how I'm going to choose between it and Soarin' and the Character Spot.

Great idea to pose Landon with the troll in the dump shop to measure the passing of time and how much he's grown. Adorable photo op too!

I'm looking forward to seeing how much he has grown and changed over the years through our Disney photos. Even looking at him now, I know our photos in May are going to be so different.

Like you, we didn't make it to the CP Illuminations viewing area for either CP dinner package we had. It would have been cool but we had too many plans in the evening.

Just something to look forward to in the future.

I prefer the feel of MK pre-park open. Everything is clean and ready for a new day. The anticipation of another day of creating magic in the park is almost palpable. Your photos on Main Street before your CP breakfast capture that perfectly. That's definitely what memories are made of.

ADORABLE POOH greet at CP!! Seriously too adorable!!

Thanks!

I never really understood what the appeal to being in the park pre-opening was until I witnessed it for myself. There really is nothing else like it.

Sounds like you have great plans for your May trip and YAY for going Deluxe all the way. You are also reminding me that I should get to looking into doing some FP+ reservations. I haven't done any yet. Oops!

Alex and I are really excited for our deluxe stay. All that extra room with our baby stuff will come in handy. Plus, I'm already daydreaming about sneaking away to the balcony and drinking my morning coffee while the boys sleep.