Yes, I AM the Upgrade Queen! 8/1 MK Parade

[karajeboo]

OMG...I am new to the dis but have been reading for the last couple months because my husband and i (31 and 27) are planning our first trip ever with our almost 5yr DD and 2yr DS this sept-oct, when I found your upgrades and underwear TR...i about split my gut reading it and just got done reading the beginning of this one. You are such a funny writer and I am thoroughly enjoying reading this one already...I especially loved the comment about your husband and the dino phobia...LOL...that pic was really funny! Just wanted to let you know you have another follower for this TR..I love getting all you vet. disers points of view on the place I have been dreaming of for my whole life.

(My family thinks I may be a little too old to be so in love with all things Disney so its nice to find people out there that know Disney is the only way to go!!)

Thank you! And, uh, NOOOO, you are def not too old to love Disney! I'm 42 and think it's the bomb diggity!!!

Glad to have found your TR. I have been lucky too. My first trip I got upgraded to a water view corner unit. The second trip was a land and sea one. Well just days before the cruise I got a call if I was ok being upgraded to a suit, um let me think HECK YA! So we had this great suit and concierge service. When we arrived at POR we didn't get a special upgrade at first. We actually had one of the farthest rooms but I had some real trouble with swelling this trip, thank goodness for flip flops. When we finally made it down to our room I called to see if by chance they had a closer room due to my swelling. They said yes we do it's in the Mansions if that is ok? Sure not a problem with me. We got bumped to a beautiful room with a water view again. Oh and we had gotten the dinning plan with circ tickets, but we really didn't care to see it as we have several here in Vegas. So we got lucky with Disney Credit for the tickets as they were on a break. Score extra spending money!!

Maybe we should pool our mojo, we might be in a deluxe suite at the GF before too long!!!!

When we upgraded our 7 day PHs into season passes last year, not only did we get the passes, but I think the CM misfigured something because we also got a $250 gift card for the "difference"! The funny part is that my inlaws had paid for the entire week long trip, so to upgrade the tix, AND get the gift card, it was like, "thank you inlaws!" Our first year's passes cost us NOTHING! Now the renewal on the other hand......

 

[Lovemy3babes]

What a perfect upgrade! You lucky girl you!

 

[meanmom121]

All Hail the Queen of Upgrades
Your Highness please besto some cleavage er I mean magic my way
So glad your dog got the "poodle view" I'm sure he was appreciative.
Can't wait to join in for the hijinx on TR

 

[let'sgo]

Loved your pictures and reading about the upgrade! Good going!

 

[jcmc]

great report so far!

 

[karajeboo]

What a perfect upgrade! You lucky girl you!

Luck? Who said anything about luck??? Charming personality and winning smile!!!!

All Hail the Queen of Upgrades
Your Highness please besto some cleavage er I mean magic my way
So glad your dog got the "poodle view" I'm sure he was appreciative.
Can't wait to join in for the hijinx on TR

Cleavage? You haven't checked out my photos, huh? Not that I want you really checking me out..... But if it were about cleavage, I'd be sleeping in the parking lot, not just viewing it.

Loved your pictures and reading about the upgrade! Good going!

Thanx! I'm good like that....

great report so far!

Thank you! Now trying to get ready for this upcoming weekend - I'm one of the Moms in the DISmoms gone Wild PTR out there!!!! Should be fun!

 

[emser]

And the obligatory pic - I was actually snapping this left handed with my camera, and right handed with my cell phone to send to all my friends up north..... Meanwhile, Jeff was taking a picture of ME, and laughing at my double pic snapping...


KJ...If you were snapping pictures with your left hand while taking cell phone pics with your right, and Jeff was taking pictures of you...who was driving the car that my beloved niece was in?!?

Enjoying the TR. Although you do a very good job texting me while you are in the parks. I have to live through you!!

 

[Gabes_mommy]

I'm 2.5 hours away from WDW too but in the opposite direction.

You're room at AKL is so bright and pretty. DH and I stayed at AKL when it first opened and our room was so dark. Have they updated the rooms?

I can't wait to read more.

 

[karajeboo]

KJ...If you were snapping pictures with your left hand while taking cell phone pics with your right, and Jeff was taking pictures of you...who was driving the car that my beloved niece was in?!?

Enjoying the TR. Although you do a very good job texting me while you are in the parks. I have to live through you!!

As often as we make the trip these days, we don't need to drive. I just tell my girl "to Disney" and she takes me right down I-95 to I-4 and gets off at the Disney gates. From there we have to help her to the right resort, but otherwise, we could nap on the way......

 

[karajeboo]

I'm 2.5 hours away from WDW too but in the opposite direction.

You're room at AKL is so bright and pretty. DH and I stayed at AKL when it first opened and our room was so dark. Have they updated the rooms?

I can't wait to read more.

I didn't find the room to be dark at all, but it was very small.

 

[tinkerbells mum]

i am loving your trip report and you've really made me laugh can't wait to read more. you have got no idea how jealouse i am that you are so close to WDW and get there as often as you do, it's been 20 years since my last trip to the world (been to DLRP 3 times since though so not all bad), i'm planing a family trip for 2011 so have to live through others trip reports in the mean time to keep me going!!

 

[MaryAz]

All hail to the Queen
Can't wait to meet you and the other "Wilds" this weekend!!

 

[karajeboo]

So we oohed and aahed a few more times at the animals off the balcony, and at our good fortune (well, actually Jeff and Ally had to scrub their knees from all the bowing and hailing the Upgrade Queen), then slowly meandered down to catch a bus to Studios.

The only reason we were off to HS this trip is because it was the 20th Anniversary of MGM/Hollywood Studios. Call it what you will. And as the nerdy pin collectors we are (yeah, we have over Disney pins now……), we wanted to grab an exclusive pin sold ONLY on this day.

Walked into HS about noonish, and were pleasantly surprised by the low crowd level.

We made our way to the pin shop under the hat, grabbed our Limited Edition of only 1000 Anniversary pin, and struck out for RnR and ToT.

Ally cannot come into this park without hitting these two attractions. And I’m kinda glad, cause I like ‘em too.

Jeff raced over to RnR to grab FPs for later, and Ally and I waited for him in front of ToT, which was showing a 30 minute wait. But, c’mon….. when you’re with the Upgrade Queen a 30 minute wait is really a walk on!!!! Yup, you know it!

My little ham.... locked and loaded.

Guess what I did? I took photos from the TOP of ToT just as the doors opened!!!!!! And I did NOT drop the camera!!!!

I was laughing so hard at this point, people must have thought I’d seriously lost my mind! Oh, and our photo? Pretty funny to see someone holding out a camera while others were screaming and flailing all over the place!

As soon as we got off ToT, we walked over to RnR and while not a walk-on, it was exactly 15 minutes, despite the sign showing a 40 minute wait. So we gave up our FPs on our way out of the park.

Our limo arrives.....

Look at Ally and Jeff in the front row - they decide what pose they will strike for every thrill ride that snaps a photo....

Yes, that’s all we did at HS this day! We really wanted to get over to MK, as we didn’t set foot in that park at all in March.

A few fun photos on our way out of the park.... including my little pin trading queen! This kid can spot a pin a mile away - we try to collect the CM series pins. It's fun for all of us to do it together. But Ally is the queen. Or princess. Whatever.

AND…..

My SIL and her family were meeting us at a park on Sunday (they would just be beginning their vacation) and in case we ended up in HS, Jeff did not want to spend the day there on Friday AND on Sunday yet if we never got back to HS, it would be okay as we spent a lot of time there in March.
OK. Just realized we have not had lunch and it’s pushing 2pm by now. We had a big nasty BK breakfast on the way into town….. so we’re thinking big snack and we’ll grab something back at the resort later.

Hmm…. What kind of snack could we get at MK? Hmmmm…… I’ve got it!!!

So as Jeff ran to get SM FPs, Ally and I stood in line at Aloha Isle to get Dole Whips for Jeff and I, and a root beer float for Ally (good call, Cammie!). We sucked those down and decided it was time to see the fairies.

We had a great experience meeting the fairies back in November. We met Tink, who is out all day long, along with Rosetta and Iridessa, who are out until 3pm, or so we were told. Yeah, you know where this is going, right?
Ally REALLY wanted to meet Silvermist, one of the fairies that SUPPOSEDLY comes out at 3pm.

We got in line right at 3pm, and the line showed one hour. I knew from experience it would be every bit of an hour…… so while Jeff held the line, Ally and I skipped over and met the princesses.

The photopass photographers were not there the last time we met the princesses here, 3 years ago. They were in a big photog meeting. Discussing various ways of cutting off heads, catching mouths open, or getting just the right shot of the woman behind you scratching her, well, you know!

So we just didn’t have great pics of Ally with the princesses. So I was excited this time. Until I saw them!!!!

OK, I’m so not trying to be mean. And I know there is absolutely no way to get this across without sounding like, well, my SIL….. but, um, does anything look a bit, uh, er, “off” about one or more of these “princesses?” I’ll let y’all figure it out.

OK, FINE! They were homely!!! OK, OK, I SAID IT!!!! Disney is experiencing economic pains too and they have gone to their second (or third) team princesses!!!

It was so bad that Ally asked me why Sleeping Beauty looked “different.” I had to explain to her that maybe she was out late last night and didn’t get a good night’s sleep (like EVER!). We told Ally that SB was probably at a party (and drank too much, woke up with her head over the toilet, and had to get ready in a hurry……).

Now I’m no princess, but THIS is what I expect in a princess…..

Princess…..

Not a princess…..

OK, now that y’all think I’m a judgmental, evil taker of all things upgradeable, yeah, I am. Let’s move on…..

We hopped back in line for the fairies. It’s amazing what you can learn about the people in line behind you when you’re stuck listening to their conversations for, oh, say, AN HOUR! But I digress……

It was finally our turn, and the folks behind us were being cut off, and we had overheard them talking about a surprise dinner for their DD at Cindy’s castle, so we let them go in front of us so they could make their ADR about 10 minutes from then.

See? I’m not so bad! I gave up my spot so they could make their ADR. I’m really a nice person! I just like pretty princesses!!!!!

Our turn, our turn!!! We shrunk. Ally detailed it all for Jeff. I caught him several times looking down, checking out his….. package. Making sure it wasn’t shrinking, too.

We walked through the door to meet Silvermist and……

No Silvermist. It was the “morning” fairies that we met back in November!!! I was devastated for Ally. She was okay, I guess. She’s 8 – she takes it in stride. Even though the CM came up to me and said, “What’s wrong?” I guess my face showed my disappointment.

The good thing was that it was the “same” Tinkerbell. No questions from inquiring 8 year old minds…..

No, I'm not pregnant in that pic!!!! I already told you I'm not a princess!!!! But I love me some Tinkerbell. She's adorable!

We said goodbye to Tink and friends and as we were walking out, down the hall, a CM asked us to wait while a big black curtain came up in front of us. There was some rustling behind it, and I just KNOW that it was the changing of the fairies. I just KNOW that if I would have walked back about 15 steps I would have seen Silvermist and Fawn with Tink. I was sooooo close to begging a CM to let us go back. But I was afraid that it would be a new Tink, and we've already had questions today.......

And Ally still believed we shrunk. Or shrank. Either way, Ally believed that we did get smaller. I love it!!!!

She now believes that Mickey, et al, or as we call them, “the big head” characters, are all people in costume. But the princesses, fairies, and any “face” characters, are all still real. Or at least we hope so.

Stupid hungover Sleeping Beauty……

 

[tink1957]

"Stupid hungover Sleeping Beauty" You are so bad, in a good way. I know what you mean, I like my princesses to be pretty too.

 

[tinkermamaof2]

OMG!!! You are hillarious, I'm glad someone else is out there who states things honestly like I do! Sleeping Beauty looked like Sleeping Beauty plus 30 years to me. Maybe that girl could play Fairy Godmother. Although I am glad your daughter had a great day! We love AKL, can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip. I'm sure it will be entertaining! Have a great day!

Patti

 

[karajeboo]

i am loving your trip report and you've really made me laugh can't wait to read more. you have got no idea how jealouse i am that you are so close to WDW and get there as often as you do, it's been 20 years since my last trip to the world (been to DLRP 3 times since though so not all bad), i'm planing a family trip for 2011 so have to live through others trip reports in the mean time to keep me going!!

It's a blessing and a curse being so close. It's a blessing for obvious reasons, and it's a curse for, wait! It's not a curse at all!!! Well, except for the bank statement.....

All hail to the Queen
Can't wait to meet you and the other "Wilds" this weekend!!

Look for me! I'll be the one in the lime green t-shirt!

"Stupid hungover Sleeping Beauty" You are so bad, in a good way. I know what you mean, I like my princesses to be pretty too.

Seriously. Is it so wrong to like a little pretty????

OMG!!! You are hillarious, I'm glad someone else is out there who states things honestly like I do! Sleeping Beauty looked like Sleeping Beauty plus 30 years to me. Maybe that girl could play Fairy Godmother. Although I am glad your daughter had a great day! We love AKL, can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip. I'm sure it will be entertaining! Have a great day!

Patti

Maybe in real life she's pretty. But she was NOT sleeping beauty. More like Needs More Sleep to be a Beauty or something along those lines.....

 

[jezaduck24]

Here's my thing about that Aurora/SB. Her real coloring is totally off for SB who is a blue eyed blonde. She would have been an adorable fairy or even can see her as Mary Poppins but she is all wrong for Aurora.

Central casting agent Jenn has spoken.

 

[UsNew2Disney2008]

Kara, that is totally hysterical because we had the same discussion! Actually, Carlos felt like our waitress at Norway made a much better princess.

I think we had all the same, but a different (though not by much) Sleeping Beauty.

 

[karajeboo]

Here's my thing about that Aurora/SB. Her real coloring is totally off for SB who is a blue eyed blonde. She would have been an adorable fairy or even can see her as Mary Poppins but she is all wrong for Aurora.

Central casting agent Jenn has spoken.

Oh trust me, it was waaaaay more than coloring!!! She just didn't have the personality, either. Actually, though, with her dimples, I could see her as SW. So far, of all the princesses we have met, and a daughter as an only child, we've seen a LOT of princesses!!!! But SW is always right on the mark. Very Betty Boopish.

Kara, that is totally hysterical because we had the same discussion! Actually, Carlos felt like our waitress at Norway made a much better princess.

I think we had all the same, but a different (though not by much) Sleeping Beauty.

Yeah, Jeff likes the Norwegians too...... I always tell him, give me TWO reasons......

 

[micandminforever]

Sorry you missed the afternoon fairies. I guess you wull have to make an additional trip to MK.