You can spit on Space Mountain from here! An April '13 TR UPDATED 10/19 p. 28

[livsmom04]

I'm joining in on this trip report! Looks like the Little Mermaid ride is going to be fun! Can't wait to try it out. My friend who lives in Cali actually got engaged on the LM ride at Disneyland. It's her favorite ride!

Also love the view at BLT! I told my hubby I want to join DVC and stay only there! But he said that will be years from now that we can join. BLT looks like a really nice place to stay. I'd love the view of the park and just to be able to watch wishes on the balcony when my hubby and daughter doesn't want to go watch them. Can you say I have an obsession about them?

What kind of camera did you get? I wasn't going to take my big Canon with me on the trip in June but after we booked staying two nights at AKV I decided to bring it with me.

 

[pwdebbie]

We did the KS four times between 4/16 and 4/25 and saw Addax every time. None of the drivers mentioned any issues with them. AND we also saw zebras! They were up on a hill and the driver didn't mention them. We were seated behind the driver and I pointed them out to her. She said she wasn't supposed to mention them since they aren't part of the Safari and usually can't be seen in their enclosure. So, I consider those zebra a bonus. I got a picture but it is not a very good one.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Great update...we enjoy DAK as well. It feels so relaxing.

Do you know why they are having problems in that area, zebras and the other animal (lol I forgot the name)?

I agree!

Well, I thought I heard it was because they zebras are territorial.

I looked it up and found this little bit: As big of a deal as Disney made about the new finale including Zebras on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom, the Zebras were quietly removed from the attraction recently. Disney has sited “acclimation” issues for the animals, deciding that thew new home just wasn’t working out. Some insider reports claim that the zebras were troublesome and would constantly block the vehicle path or bite each-other and attack vehicles filled with guests. Whatever the reason, they were removed and will be replaced with Addax.

Love how you played around with your camera for those cool shots. I remember when you posted those on Facebook, I wondered how you did that.

I was looking at airline prices today for Nov/ Dec. and everything went up from last Tuesday. I hate how the airlines plays around with pricing. Air Tran and SouthWest was suppose to have this big sale for one way flights for $59. You had to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The only $59 flight was from here to Minneapolis. It is such false advertising. I found flights for $145 one way and now everything is up to $189. I got a pin for free dining with weeks into all of Fall and into December.

Yeah, really no trick, I'm not that good of a photographer...I just got one that has some neat features.

Those $59 flights sound nice but yeah, it doesn't seem like they have many options and aren't there date restrictions too? So do you think you'll use that pin for free dining and take a fall trip?

Trouble with the zebras and now trouble with the addax ?? The safari is cursed, I tell ya !!

You did get some good lion photos !!

AK is such a wonderfully photographic park. The themeing is amazing and there are so many details.

Yeah, I don't know what is going on!

Thank you!

It really is. There is so much to take in. I wish I could go there right now.

Wow, what a nice safari ride! I love the giraffes, they are so pretty. I don't spend a lot of time in AK but I think I'm going to next time. Or go after the parade! Good tip.

Oh, I love the giraffes! You should definitely spend more time at DAK next time. It's great in the afternoon!

Great safari pictures Sarah, I love the lions, and it is great to see them out more often. I didn't comment on your other pictures, the ones with the special settings. They are both so beautiful. It sure looks like you had a great time on your trip.

Thank you for the compliment on my pictures. And yes, we did have a great time!

 

[wdwgirl03]

We're totally on the same page here with the Animal Kingdom thing! It's such an amazing park that is unlike anything else out there! AHH it's so perfect. Every time I hear about someone going to Disney and not going to Animal Kingdom, I truly can't even fathom that. ANYWAYS. Looks like it was a great safari! Seeing the lions is the coolest thing!

I am glad there are other people who appreciate DAK as much as I do. I don't know how anyone could go to Disney and skip it either. Why?!

Hi there Sarah! I didn't even put the obvious together that you were staying at BLT - one of my very favorite resorts!!! (Ha, the speaking elevators with the lady's voice.. I space on that since I expect it after having stayed there so many times! I definitely like to stay above the 5th floor!)

Can you believe that I have been to AK probably 7 or 8 times and have NEVER been on the safari?? And I think the animals are so amazing... I definitely need to rectify that next time.

I love your photos from your BLT balcony with the various settings. The one with the monorail coming beside the one leaving makes it look like they are racing. Great effect! The vivid one is so cool too.

Ahhh WISHES from your balcony... so awesome!!!

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more!

Hi there! Welcome! Yes, we did stay at BLT. I can see why it is one of your favorite resorts. I never really liked the Contemporary but my opinion has since changed. LOL.

WHAT?!?! YES! You definitely need to fix that next time you go! I try to go on the safari every time we go to the Animal Kingdom. hehe

Thank you! I was really happy with how some of those pictures turned out. I still have to learn how to use some of the other settings. I really wanted to get a panoramic shot of everything but couldn't figure out how to do it.

Seeing Wishes from our room was a highlight of the trip!

Sarah, I still have to finish getting caught up, but I just wanted to jump in now to say that I'm here and definitely looking forward to getting caught up!!

Welcome! Thank you for joining in!

It was actually kind of hilarious because it looked like a REALLY long line for the Tiki Room, so DH or I commented it must be more popular in DL because it is still the complete original show. Then DH went to take DS to see the Tiki Room while I went on Indiana Jones, and he realized it was just a SUPER LONG LINE for Dole Whips!!! We NEVER saw it short in both of the 4 day trips we took to DL last year.

Almost forgot to comment on the updates...!

We are AK lovers too. I am actually getting a little anxious thinking we don't have enough time for it next trip! We love just walking around and taking in the sights and animals and doing the character greets just as much as riding the attractions!

Wow, that is crazy! I liked the dole whip but I don't know how long I would wait for one.

That is how my dad and I are. A couple years ago when we did the Backstage Safari tour we spent a lot of time there looking at all the animals and everything. I love it!

Wow you have such great Lion luck on the safari!

haha, we have had some good luck lately. It hasn't always been like that.

I'm enjoying all the pictures. I very much wish we had more time to do AK. Maybe some day!

Glad you like the pictures. I hope you get more DAK time on your next trip!

Hi Sarah! I'm here and going back to get caught up and commenting.

Hi Danielle! Welcome!

Wow, what great Safari pics! I didn't even bother taking any because I knew they'd be awful; my camera's worthless when I'm on anything moving. But thankfully, people here on the Dis make up for that.

Thanks for that link! What I found interesting about that article was the division between people who go to theme parks for the thrill rides and those who go for the atmosphere. As someone solidly in the atmosphere camp, I agree that we're in the minority, but disagree that most people are there for the thrill rides and don't see much difference between theme parks and amusement parks. I think a fair percentage of the people who're there for the rides still pick up on the themeing and appreciate the difference. The ones who don't appreciate that difference usually hate the WDW parks and stick with Universal or Six Flags, in my experience, because the WDW parks don't have as high a percentage of thrill rides AND are kind of a pain if you're there for the thrills, because the rides you'd want are so spread out! Disneyland is the one pure thrill seekers prefer, seems to me.

Oh, believe me I've gotten some pretty terrible safari pictures. Thankfully with digital cameras I just delete them right away.

You're welcome! That is a good point. I am definitely one of the people who likes the theming and that's why I DON'T like Six Flags! They're just boring old roller coasters. I like how Disney has all the back stories. I guess I am a Disney snob. haha

Okay, I'm all caught up.

Yay! I commented in pink.

Don't you love being so close to the Magic Kingdom? It was my favorite thing about staying in Bay Lake Tower. We didn't book a theme park view, but we got one by accident anyway.

Wow, that's awesome you still got a theme park view! I am glad we ended up going for the theme park view. I know I would have still enjoyed it had we gotten a lake view but like our Boardwalk view last year, it just made it that much more amazing!

I too have completed the DVC cycle. And I'm so looking forward to the GF Villas opening!

And hopefully the rumors for DVC at the Polynesian is true too! That would be awesome.

Spotting other people with ME tags at the airport is tons of fun.

It is! I will even look for ME tags when we're NOT going to Disney World (though then I get jealous...)

Oooohhh....call me texts from Mom. They never bode well. Glad that it was just the battery on the car.

Yeah, thankfully we got it fixed right away too.

There is a Chick Fil A in Racine......not sure how close you are to there. It's semi close to me, but I've still never been. LOL.

I've heard about the one in Racine. It's not all that close to where we live but it would be nice to go there sometime. Yum!

Walking to the Magic Kingdom is definitely one of the best things about staying at the Contemporary.

Yes it is. So awesome.

I'm super excited to see the new Tangled bathrooms.

They are amazing!

I love that the 7am EMH look more like it's night because the sun hasn't come out quite yet. Hehehe.

I know, right?! When I go in December it'll be like that too. It is kind of exciting when it's still dark out.

You are correct, pictures definitely don't do New Fantasyland justice. It's so amazing in person.

It sure is! So happy I finally got to see it. I can't wait to go back again!

Hahahaha, poke Ahontas. That ones pretty good.

I know, I kept laughing at that one after he said it. I had never heard that joke before. Gotta love when the skippers add their own jokes.

Good idea, getting fastpasses for the Little Mermaid and then getting in line for lunch. The lines there for lunch always seem to be crazy.

Yeah, and it was still pretty early too. It worked out well eating and then using the fastpass.

Mmmm...Croque Monsieur. They serve that all over Disneyland Paris, so I was super excited when I saw they were going to have it in BOG for lunch.

Oh, that's cool they have it at Disneyland Paris. Makes sense. haha! That sandwich was so good.

I do remember when the Little Mermaid came out on DVD and the ride concept was shared. I thought it was so cool too, so when they announced it, I was so excited!

Me too!

Yay, dole whip! I like the pineapple / vanilla swirl myself.

The swirl does sound really good. I'm going to have to get that next time!

OK - I am SO jealous of your lion safari pictures. The lions are NEVER out when I tide Safari. If they are they become as flat as a pancake so there's no way I can take their picture.

I am a big AK fan, too. No way is it a half-day park. Plus I love the AK parade. It's really awesome. I love to take pictures and no other park works quite as well for pictures as the Animal Kingdom.

That's usually what they are like for us too! We got really lucky a couple years ago and then again on this trip. We might have seen them again on our 2nd visit to DAK...

I love the parade too! It's probably my favorite because we got to be in it a few years ago. So much fun.

I'm joining in on this trip report! Looks like the Little Mermaid ride is going to be fun! Can't wait to try it out. My friend who lives in Cali actually got engaged on the LM ride at Disneyland. It's her favorite ride!

Also love the view at BLT! I told my hubby I want to join DVC and stay only there! But he said that will be years from now that we can join. BLT looks like a really nice place to stay. I'd love the view of the park and just to be able to watch wishes on the balcony when my hubby and daughter doesn't want to go watch them. Can you say I have an obsession about them?

What kind of camera did you get? I wasn't going to take my big Canon with me on the trip in June but after we booked staying two nights at AKV I decided to bring it with me.

Welcome! So glad to have another reader! Oh wow, that is awesome about your friend! What a cool (and unique!) place to get engaged! I think anywhere in Disney would be pretty cool to get engaged.

haha, if you joined DVC you would eventually want to stay at all of the resorts. They are all so different. I love each and every one of them.

My camera is a Canon Powershot SX260 HS. I love it because it has a great zoom feature yet it's so much smaller than my old camera. Not to mention all the different special effects it has.

We did the KS four times between 4/16 and 4/25 and saw Addax every time. None of the drivers mentioned any issues with them. AND we also saw zebras! They were up on a hill and the driver didn't mention them. We were seated behind the driver and I pointed them out to her. She said she wasn't supposed to mention them since they aren't part of the Safari and usually can't be seen in their enclosure. So, I consider those zebra a bonus. I got a picture but it is not a very good one.

Oh, that's good that they were out when you were there. I think if there were any issues they probably wouldn't go out of their way to say anything. Yay for seeing the zebras too!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Hi DIS friends! Happy Thursday! Before I get to the next (and final update of our first day) I wanted to share my little bit of Disney mail I got today! I also think it's appropriate to share since it's related to the Animal Kingdom. So a few weeks ago when it was DAK's 15th anniversary celebration, I had read that they were giving out special buttons and guidemaps for the day. Being the DAK lover that I am, I of course had to have one! I decided to post something on a couple Disney facebook groups and ask if anyone who was going to DAK that day would be willing to try to get an extra one for me. Thankfully, an awesome fellow member of the April 2013 DISers group was willing to give me one of his family's extras!!!!



So Mark, if you happen to be reading this THANK YOU again! I really appreciate your generosity.

Also, a quick Emma update...as some of you might know, Star Wars Weekends start this weekend and Emma put in a request a while ago to work a few merchandise shifts for that. So she gets to go back to her original Disney "home" for a few days to help out there. I will be anxious to hear what she has to say about that!

OK, now for the update!

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013 cont'd (part 8)

After our safari ride, we took a quick stroll through the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Normally Dad and I take our time going through there but we didn't really spend too much time there that afternoon. We really only stopped to see if any of the gorillas were out. We had to say hi to baby Lily! (I should probably stop calling her a baby, because she's what, three years old now?!).





From there we headed toward Dinoland to ride Dinosaur (what else?!)!



We timed it pretty well getting there...in fact, we timed it a little too well because we didn't even get to see the whole preshow. Oh well. Soon we were headed down to get into our time rover. Is there anybody else who gets a little scared before going on this ride? I love it but I always get kind of nervous right before! It's just so intense. Buuuut...we were still pretty brave. Check out our ride picture-pretty much everyone is just smiling or staring at the Carnotaurus.



(thankfully they don't take the ride photo at the very end with the T-Rex! )

Since we were in Dinoland we got some dinner from Restaurantosaurus. I got a cheeseburger with apple slices as the side (I think Dad got a cheeseburger too?) and Emma got a chicken sandwich. The CM asked if we wanted to make a donation to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. I ended up giving a dollar to get one of those buttons. Emma made fun of me for giving only a buck but hey, it's better than nothing!

After dinner the only other thing we really wanted to do was go on Expedition Everest. When I saw the park hours and that DAK was going to be open later that evening my first thought was to ride Everest in the dark!! But since it wasn't even close to being dark at that point, we had some time to kill. Oh, and there was also the fact that we had just eaten. So what to do when you want to kill time? Shop! One of the things I was hoping to find on this trip were these Princess carousel pins...it was a mystery set where you get 2 pins in a box. Each pin had a different princess on a carousel horse (or other related animal...like the Tiana one was riding a frog!). We went into Island Mercantile and looked at the pin cart there. They didn't have my princess pins but I ended up buying some other mystery pins instead! I got a "Best Friends" mystery pack and an Animal Kingdom pack. I should mention that I've been a pin collector for a while now. My obsession had sort of died down a little bit over the past few years, but when Emma started talking about how much fun she was having pin trading at work and on her own, I got a little jealous! I've never really actually done the trading part but I wanted to get in on the fun too. So after getting my pin packs I had a few I could trade too. Yay!

OK, anyway...

After making my purchase, we walked over to the Tree of Life to see It's Tough to be a Bug!



For as much as I love DAK, I really don't know why I don't see this show more often because it is pretty good. And it's always fun seeing other people's reactions to the "bugs." haha

By that time we were getting pretty tired and it wasn't looking like we were going to make it long enough to ride Expedition Everest in the dark. So instead we just headed over to Asia to ride it while it was still light out. Atleast they had the lights on in that area so that was kind of cool to see!





As usual the ride was great. Gotta love Expedition Everest!



We stopped for a quick photopass picture.


We got another one in front of the Tree of Life on our way out of the park.


Then we headed out to get a bus back to Bay Lake Tower. Emma came with us so she could pick her up her stuff that she had left there from the night before and then took the CP bus back to her apartment. But we would see her again in the morning for a little bit before she had to work!

As for Dad and me, we enjoyed another evening of watching Wishes from our balcony. I think that was the night where I could even see Tinkerbell fly over the Magic Kingdom. It was so awesome.



(sorry, these pictures are not the greatest)




I also took a couple videos...here is the link to one of them. When I get the other one uploaded I will post that one as well.

WISHES FROM OUR BALCONY!!!

Pretty magical, right?!

Oh, and in case you were dying to see the pins I got in my mystery packs, here's what I ended up with. Overall I was pretty happy with what I got!



up next: Off to Hollywood!

 

[jecskc]

I just love Everest !! It is my favorite coaster at Disney !! I have heard it was awesome to ride at night, but I have never had the chance.

How nice of Mark to send you the 15th anniversary AK stuff. Dissers are the BEST !!!

 

[PirateSnowmen]

Ahh, that will be so exciting to finally get to see New Fantasyland. How fun that your friend is going to come visit you. You may have mentioned this already, but when do you start your CP?

Thank you! The Beach Club is great too...we stayed at the villas in 2008. That was fun because it was in December so all of the Christmas decorations were up and because you're so close to the Yacht Club and Boardwalk we could check out those too. The decorations are the main reason why I want to go after Christmas this year! I just love them!

If you ever get the chance to stay at BLT you should definitely do it!

I start my CP August 19! I wanted to do Fall Advantage (starts in May/June), but I'm doing study abroad through my university for the month of June, so the Fall CP was my only option. I was bummed that I wouldn't get an extra 3 months in Disney, but studying abroad is totally worth it

I agree, I also love the Christmas decorations! I've only seen them twice, but since we took those two trips in January, I only got to see the tail end of the decorations and I never got to see the castle or osborne lights. Another reason why I'm excited for my CP!

Your last few updates have also inspired me to spend more time at AK! It really is a gorgeous park, but I never slow down and enjoy it. Slowing down and enjoying AK is now on my list of things to do

 

[dawnbu40]

I'm jealous you got to see Lily. On our visit the gorillas were all hiding and we were so disappointed.

Great pics around AK. It's such a beautiful park.

Wishes from the room is a perfect ending to the day

 

[OhMari]

So do you think you'll use that pin for free dining and take a fall trip?

I don't know yet. The one thing I hated this last trip, was making sure we were constantly eating, so we used those credits. It was just too much food. I can live on a banana and a English muffin, and maybe eat one more meal for the day. I asked my dd if she wanted to go with me, and she can onlly get off for a long weekend. You have to book at least 5 days/nights. So we would have to leave on a Tuesday nite and come back Sunday. Then she said, we should just save for DisneyLand.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

WOW, DIS folk are always lookin' after each other. I love it.

Haha, the absolute BEST thing about Tough to be Bug is watching everyone else. So much joy!

And don't get me started on Everest... I love it so much!!!!

 

[khertz]

That's great someone sent you the 15th button!

What a great day at AK y'all seemed to have. Too bad you didn't get to ride Everest in the dark, but I guess dusk is better than nothing, right?! Cute pics of the three of y'all as well.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Awesome that you got the 15th anniversary stuff sent to you!

I used to get nervous before getting on Dinosaur, for the longest time. And then one day, poof. It was gone. I kind of miss it honestly.

Truthfully, the main reason that I see It's Tough to Be a Bug is just to hear other people's reactions. I get such a kick out of it.

 

[marDgreen88]

Honestly, Dinosaur does scare me! I'll ride it if I have to, but I usually skip it!

Asia is so pretty all lit up! I wish they'd keep the park open until dark every night! I mean, maybe they could close the safari early, but most people will never get to see it in the dark! Ya know?

 

[peachmermaid]

That is so sweet that you got the anniversary stuff from AK! I have rode dinosaur once, during my first trip back in 12 years, and it scared the heck out of me! The picture is of me shielding my eyes, even though my face was buried in my now husband's arm. My brother rode it once and it stopped right by the T. rex. It roared randomly and even scared him. I'd go on it again but I am a chicken. can I just ride the safari all day? I love those gorilla shots. I can't wait to explore the park like I never have before!

 

[WisconsinDad]

Hey.. fellow Wisconsinite and Brewer fan subbing (great win by the Brewers over the Cards tonight huh?).

Taking the family to CR Garden Wing this Aug. Keep the pics coming!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I just love Everest !! It is my favorite coaster at Disney !! I have heard it was awesome to ride at night, but I have never had the chance.

How nice of Mark to send you the 15th anniversary AK stuff. Dissers are the BEST !!!

Me too! I wish I would've been able to wait, but when you're up at 6 am for early opening it makes for kind of a long day. Oh well. Hopefully I'll get another chance sometime.

Yes they are! I was so happy when he said he would give me one of the maps/buttons.

I start my CP August 19! I wanted to do Fall Advantage (starts in May/June), but I'm doing study abroad through my university for the month of June, so the Fall CP was my only option. I was bummed that I wouldn't get an extra 3 months in Disney, but studying abroad is totally worth it

I agree, I also love the Christmas decorations! I've only seen them twice, but since we took those two trips in January, I only got to see the tail end of the decorations and I never got to see the castle or osborne lights. Another reason why I'm excited for my CP!

Your last few updates have also inspired me to spend more time at AK! It really is a gorgeous park, but I never slow down and enjoy it. Slowing down and enjoying AK is now on my list of things to do

Wow, sounds like you a have a busy few months coming up! I agree, more time in Disney would be nice but studying abroad sounds like a great opportunity as well. Plus, you can always go back for another CP like my sister did if you end up loving it!

It is going to be so nice for you to have those few months to slow down and explore parts of Disney you haven't seen before. Ahh I'm so jealous! I always say it must be so nice to just be like, OK, I'm going to go to this park today.

I'm jealous you got to see Lily. On our visit the gorillas were all hiding and we were so disappointed.

Great pics around AK. It's such a beautiful park.

Wishes from the room is a perfect ending to the day

Aww, that is a bummer!

Thank you...it really is a great park. Love it!

I don't know yet. The one thing I hated this last trip, was making sure we were constantly eating, so we used those credits. It was just too much food. I can live on a banana and a English muffin, and maybe eat one more meal for the day. I asked my dd if she wanted to go with me, and she can onlly get off for a long weekend. You have to book at least 5 days/nights. So we would have to leave on a Tuesday nite and come back Sunday. Then she said, we should just save for DisneyLand.

That is why we never bother with a dining plan. We would have so many credits to use because we always end up splitting stuff anyway. We don't need to eat tons and tons. Disneyland would be awesome! I really want to go there again.

WOW, DIS folk are always lookin' after each other. I love it.

Haha, the absolute BEST thing about Tough to be Bug is watching everyone else. So much joy!

And don't get me started on Everest... I love it so much!!!!

Me too.

I know! When you've been to WDW so many times people watching is part of the fun! But I think my all-time favorite attraction for people's reactions is Soarin.

Expedition Everest is awesome!

That's great someone sent you the 15th button!

What a great day at AK y'all seemed to have. Too bad you didn't get to ride Everest in the dark, but I guess dusk is better than nothing, right?! Cute pics of the three of y'all as well.

I was so excited to get the anniversary stuff!

It was a bummer but yes, any ride on EE is ok in my book.

Awesome that you got the 15th anniversary stuff sent to you!

I used to get nervous before getting on Dinosaur, for the longest time. And then one day, poof. It was gone. I kind of miss it honestly.

Truthfully, the main reason that I see It's Tough to Be a Bug is just to hear other people's reactions. I get such a kick out of it.

It was awesome! I love the map and button!

Aww, that stinks about your nervousness disappearing. It does sort of add to the fun.

Seeing how other people react on the attractions is great!

Honestly, Dinosaur does scare me! I'll ride it if I have to, but I usually skip it!

Asia is so pretty all lit up! I wish they'd keep the park open until dark every night! I mean, maybe they could close the safari early, but most people will never get to see it in the dark! Ya know?

haha, oh, come on, Dinosaur is scary but it is still fun! Though I have to admit, it's one of the few attractions that riding once per trip is enough for me. I guess I don't like getting scared that much...

It would be nice if they could keep it open later! I definitely wouldn't complain about that.

That is so sweet that you got the anniversary stuff from AK! I have rode dinosaur once, during my first trip back in 12 years, and it scared the heck out of me! The picture is of me shielding my eyes, even though my face was buried in my now husband's arm. My brother rode it once and it stopped right by the T. rex. It roared randomly and even scared him. I'd go on it again but I am a chicken. can I just ride the safari all day? I love those gorilla shots. I can't wait to explore the park like I never have before!

haha, I'm pretty sure that's how I looked on our first ride photo because after we saw one dinosaur I ducked and had my eyes closed for the rest of the ride! That T-Rex is soooo scary! I always say I'm not going to scream/close my eyes but that's the one part that always seems to get me even when I know what's coming.

Hey.. fellow Wisconsinite and Brewer fan subbing (great win by the Brewers over the Cards tonight huh?).

Taking the family to CR Garden Wing this Aug. Keep the pics coming!

Hello! Nice to hear from another Wisconsinite/Brewer fan! It was a nice win the other day-though it seems any win is a good win these days.

That's awesome you'll be going to the Contemporary this summer! I have lots of pictures so stay tuned!

 

[jdd]

Just stumbled on your report, and loving it so far

Wow, you guys got a lot done in one day - especially at such a crowded time of the year I've always shied away from going over spring break, but maybe I'll rethink that in the future...

Can't wait to hear more

 

[wdwgirl03]

Just stumbled on your report, and loving it so far

Wow, you guys got a lot done in one day - especially at such a crowded time of the year I've always shied away from going over spring break, but maybe I'll rethink that in the future...

Can't wait to hear more

Welcome! Thank you for joining in.

Yeah, spring break is crowded but it's really not as bad as some people think. Although maybe because we've taken so many trips during peak seasons we just have a higher tolerance for crowds. As long as you get to the parks early it is pretty easy to do everything you want! The other nice thing about going to spring break is the Flower and Garden Festival! I have not gotten to the Epcot parts of our trip but it's so fun to see the park transformed with all of the flowers and topiaries!

 

[wdwgirl03]

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

For our second full day, we were planning on going to Hollywood Studios in the morning (it seems that visiting DHS on our second morning has become tradition, like visiting the MK on our first day!). Emma had to work that day, but she was planning on meeting us at the park for a couple of hours before her shift. I think I got up around 7:30 or so...there weren't any extra magic hours that morning so it was nice to be able to "sleep in."

On a previous trip when Dad went to DHS he said that they opened the park a little early, which helps cut down on the chaos that is the Toy Story Mania dash so he wanted to be at the park by 8:30. So we headed out to the bus stop. It was another beautiful morning! We had to enjoy it while it lasted because there was a chance of rain that day.



It was fun watching the monorails glide over the bus stop.


I like to think we usually have pretty good luck with the buses on our trips and very rarely do we have to wait more than 15 minutes. Well, unfortunately we didn't have very good luck with the buses that morning. As we were walking outside, Dad saw a bus and asked if it was the DHS one. Of course it was, so we ended up just missing it. Now, they say the buses come every 20 or 30 minutes but it never seems like it's actually that long (atleast in my opinion-or maybe the time just goes faster because I'm excited? I have no idea). It gets to be 10, 15 minutes after the first bus left and there was still no sign of another one to Hollywood Studios. The longer we waited, the more people there were waiting for the same bus. It was not looking good for making it to the park by 8:30. Eventually, after about half an hour, the bus finally showed up and we were on our way. I kept texting Emma to let her know where we were and asked her if she was on her way.

When we got to DHS, they were already letting people into the park, so Dad's theory that they would be opening early was right.

Good morning, Sorcerer Hat!


Not surprisingly our first stop Toy Story Mania. They had this billboard for Monsters University up on one of the buildings. Who else is excited for this movie?! I think it looks like it'll be pretty funny.



Because Emma was still on her way to the park, we ended up getting fastpasses and doing standby for Toy Story Mania. We told her to just meet us down by the ride when she got there.

The standby line was a little bit longer but I don't think we waited more than 15 minutes.


It was somewhat annoying because it seemed like everyone in front of us was stopping to get their picture taken by Mr. Potato Head. It's like as soon as one person does it, everyone else had to go ahead and follow. I was so tempted to just walk past everyone but because I'm nice I didn't. I did think it was funny when Mr. Potato Head said, "Keep on moving" or whatever. How fitting.






While we were in line I couldn't help but think back to our trip from last year when we had an unexpected DIS meet with Rachel (RachelNinja) and her husband Howard (HowWeird). Part of me was hoping it would happen again except Rachel and Howard weren't there for spring break this year. Boo! So Rachel, if you're reading this, I was thinking about you guys!

Anyway...

As usual, Dad and I both had fun on the ride. But Dad beat me, which is also pretty typical. I really don't know what my problem is. But maybe, just maybe, I may have gotten some revenge at some point during this trip...

After the ride, we went back outside to meet up with Emma. From there we headed over to Sunset Boulevard to ride Tower of Terror and Rock 'n Roller Coaster.



Or atleast attempt to ride them both. Like I said, there were no extra magic hours that morning. When we do go to EMH at the Studios we're usually able to get through TSM, TOT, and RNRC before the park opens for everyone else. But because the park opened for everyone at the same time that day, the lines were a lot longer than they usually are. At Tower of Terror the line was already outside. Atleast I was able to play around some more with my camera settings!









Eventually we made it into the boiler room and were ready for our visit to the Twilight Zone.




It's amazing how much this ride has grown on me over the years. It is so well-themed and so much fun. And I love the anticipation before the elevator drops.



After Tower of Terror, we walked over to Rock 'n Roller Coaster, hoping to do single riders. Buuuut...because the standby line was already over an hour the single rider line wasn't even operating. So unfortunately RNRC was going to have to wait for another day. Instead, we ended up going to Starring Rolls because Emma hadn't had anything to eat for breakfast, and I was already a little bit hungry. So yeah, I might've had this as my second breakfast:



YUMMY BUTTERFINGER CUPCAKE!

up next: Character meet and greets!

 

[MEK]

I finally got a chance to ride EE in the dark in December 2011. My DH, son, and I literally stayed in the park ALL day so we could ride. And you know what? It wasn't as great as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong - I love EE! I was just expecting the dark to make it a lot cooler, but it didn't. Probably because so much of the ride is already inside. Doh!

Cute PP pictures at AK.

When I stayed at BLT I just missed an HS bus and waited 45-50 minutes for the next one. So annoying.

Glad you got to ride ToT. Bummer that RnR was such a long line.

Yummy cupcake for breakfast.