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

[wdwgirl03]

(last warning if you do not want to be spoiled!!!)


























I saw the Beast's Castle!

We would definitely be going back there a little later for lunch at Be Our Guest! Of course I had to stop for a quick picture.

Now, I had looked at New Fantasyland pictures before the trip. But it was so awesome finally being there in person to see it because 1.) pictures don't really give you a sense of how everything is laid out, and 2.) pictures don't do it justice! The amount of detail is incredible. The trees, the rockwork, the Cast Members' costumes...EVERYTHING!!!!! I mean, if this is what Disney is going to do on new projects then I can't wait to see what else is in store! It really is so different from what they've done in the past.


So then we walked over to Under the Sea. OMG Prince Eric's Castle...STUNNING.

Not only was I looking forward to the ride, but I could not wait to see this castle in person. Seriously, can I just move in there?! It is amazing. And then we got to the ride entrance.








But IT WAS CLOSED.


REALLY?!?!?!?!?!?! I was about to ride Under the Sea for the first time in my life and it was closed?!


Well...not exactly what I wanted to hear, so the Little Mermaid was going to have to wait a little longer. We will be back, Ariel!

I would also need to make a stop at Gaston's Tavern at some point for some Lefou's Brew!

Instead we went to Old Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan. The line was pretty long already (I think the posted wait was 40 minutes-another sign the park was busier than it has been in the past...) but we figured it wouldn't get any shorter. Oh, and I don't think we actually waited 40 minutes.

(here's another random picture of the Rapunzel bathroom area from the Peter Pan line)

By that time it was getting pretty close to 8:00, which was the official park opening time. So we headed toward Frontierland to do a couple more classics: Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain! I was so excited to finally be able to ride BTMRR again after its refurbishment!

When we got there the line was down to the sidewalk but they must've had some of the queue blocked off because we started moving through the line pretty quickly after a couple of minutes.

At the bottom of the ramp, they asked us how many people there were in our group. The CM wanted to squeeze all 3 of us into one row. The thing about the seats on BTMRR is that they seem deceivably long, atleast to me. I remember a few years ago they put three of us in one row and I didn't think it would be a problem. Boy was I wrong. So this time we asked to be split up. Dad went in the row in front of me and Emma. I guess he decided he didn't want to ride with us because he walked on with some random lady which Emma and I thought was slightly amusing.

Bye, Dad!

Then it was our turn to hop on "the wildest ride in the WILDERNESS!!!!"

(It was a little disappointing being in the front...the back is so much more fun!)

We ended up getting fastpasses for Splash Mountain because for some reason it wasn't running right away (though atleast there was water this time, unlike the night before!).

 

[cheekypoppins]

I love BTMRR I love all mk rides better yet I love Disney!!!! OMg I'm freaking out I will be there in a month aggghhhhhh

 

[Jazzabelle508]

YAY NEW FANTASYLAND!!!!I went back in january and it was incredible. I seriously consider the day I saw new fantasyland one of my favorite disney days ever (although that isn't just because of new fantasyland).

I totally can relate to your feeling about buzz lightyear as well. I usually suck beyond belief at that game. The few times I don't suck at that game are very special to me. That is one reason why I was so proud of the one time I was galactic hero! Honestly I can never see my laser in that game so I have no idea what i'm hitting. I guess I just hit the right targets that time!

I never really understood the appeal of those early mornings untill my last trip. It really is wonderful seeing the opening show and walking into the park when all the cast members are outside their shops greeting guests. I'm not sure I could go back to non early hours. Also I'm obsessed with the night hours as well so I have pretty much become one of those no sleep in disney people but that is just fine by me .

 

[shalom]

I subscribed to this thread the day you linked to it from you planning one, but I've only just caught up.

Terrific view! I honestly like most of the views from BLT -- the theme park view is wonderful, but I'd be equally happy looking toward the Contemporary or even toward the lake, so while I wouldn't want most of the Value units, once you get past that level, I can't decide which one I want most! Glad you guys are more decisive and got such a good one.

I thought the new Fantasyland theming was a step up, somehow -- plus Disney's theming was the best to start with!

 

[wisblue]

I think the posted wait time for Peter Pan was like 20 minutes, but it didn't look like it would be that long. We were in and out in about 15 minutes and in time for the rope drop for the rest of the park.

 

[danceintherain]

New Fantasyland is quite lovely. It will be so nice once the mine train is open and it seems more complete though.

 

[caralyn817]

I can't wait to hear about the Lefou's Brew. We didn't get to try it last time we were there. The line was way to long and we had a cranky 2 year old who didn't want to wait. We leave in 29 days and am hoping to get to try it. I love riding BTMRR at night. DH and I haven't been on it in 3 years. We're hoping we'll be able to ride it together, since my parents are coming along with us and will be able to watch DD. Love it, can't wait for more.

 

[katt789]

Ah the Rapunzel bathrooms are so incredible! I cannot wait to see them in person!! I definitely do the same thing with breakfasts, even if we end up buying some granola/meal bars at Disney, it still saves us time and money instead of buying hot breakfast every day!

Wishes from the balcony is beyond incredible!! EMH in the morning are always so awesome, you can finish so much more with that extra hour than any other time of day! Ack! That fog is insane!! I absolutely love the FLE area, it’s so well done and detailed that despite the fact that I had seen countless pictures before getting there I was still in tears the first time I’d seen it in person!

 

[marDgreen88]

Thank you so much for the warning!!! I really appreciate it. And also, seriously, the beds at BLT are SO comfy!

New Dumbo is the cutest! Ahh, love. Welp, I guess that's it for me. Thanks again for the warning!

 

[magichusky]

Wow what an amazing view!!! Those photos from 7am EMH looked like it was in the middle of the night haha- I can't believe how many people were there at that hour. Ugh crowds... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Can't wait to read more- my mom and I are planning on doing lunch at Be Our Guest in July so I'm looking forward to more New Fantasyland pics!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I love BTMRR I love all mk rides better yet I love Disney!!!! OMg I'm freaking out I will be there in a month aggghhhhhh

I agree, all of the MK rides are amazing. YAY for one month. I am jealous!

YAY NEW FANTASYLAND!!!!I went back in january and it was incredible. I seriously consider the day I saw new fantasyland one of my favorite disney days ever (although that isn't just because of new fantasyland).

I totally can relate to your feeling about buzz lightyear as well. I usually suck beyond belief at that game. The few times I don't suck at that game are very special to me. That is one reason why I was so proud of the one time I was galactic hero! Honestly I can never see my laser in that game so I have no idea what i'm hitting. I guess I just hit the right targets that time!

I never really understood the appeal of those early mornings untill my last trip. It really is wonderful seeing the opening show and walking into the park when all the cast members are outside their shops greeting guests. I'm not sure I could go back to non early hours. Also I'm obsessed with the night hours as well so I have pretty much become one of those no sleep in disney people but that is just fine by me .

It was so exciting to finally see that area in person. I can't wait for the Snow White ride to be finished. Once it's all open it's going to be even better!

haha, I got Galactic Hero on this trip the second time we went to the MK! In all honesty I think my laser was broken and just giving me random points because I didn't do anything different from what I usually do.

Ohhh, I love seeing the CMs outside wearing their Mickey gloves greeting guests. It must be so exciting for them to be able to do that. Why am I not a cast member?! haha, I can't do both morning and evening EMH. I know it's Disney but I also like to sleep!

I subscribed to this thread the day you linked to it from you planning one, but I've only just caught up.

Terrific view! I honestly like most of the views from BLT -- the theme park view is wonderful, but I'd be equally happy looking toward the Contemporary or even toward the lake, so while I wouldn't want most of the Value units, once you get past that level, I can't decide which one I want most! Glad you guys are more decisive and got such a good one.

I thought the new Fantasyland theming was a step up, somehow -- plus Disney's theming was the best to start with!

Welcome!

Thank you! Our view was so awesome and it made the trip that much more special. Considering I will not be staying at BLT again any time soon (like I said in a previous post, those really good views cost a lot more points!) it was nice to "splurge" on this trip.

I think the posted wait time for Peter Pan was like 20 minutes, but it didn't look like it would be that long. We were in and out in about 15 minutes and in time for the rope drop for the rest of the park.

Hmm, it seemed like it was posted at longer than 20 minutes.

New Fantasyland is quite lovely. It will be so nice once the mine train is open and it seems more complete though.

Yes it will! Can't wait for that ride to open.

I can't wait to hear about the Lefou's Brew. We didn't get to try it last time we were there. The line was way to long and we had a cranky 2 year old who didn't want to wait. We leave in 29 days and am hoping to get to try it. I love riding BTMRR at night. DH and I haven't been on it in 3 years. We're hoping we'll be able to ride it together, since my parents are coming along with us and will be able to watch DD. Love it, can't wait for more.

When my parents took my sister down to move in for the CP, they tried the Lefou's Brew and my parents thought it was OK but Emma didn't like it. I didn't get it until later in this trip but to spoil it a little bit, I thought it was really good! Hopefully you'll get to try it on your trip, and that you get to ride Thunder Mountain!

Ah the Rapunzel bathrooms are so incredible! I cannot wait to see them in person!! I definitely do the same thing with breakfasts, even if we end up buying some granola/meal bars at Disney, it still saves us time and money instead of buying hot breakfast every day!

Wishes from the balcony is beyond incredible!! EMH in the morning are always so awesome, you can finish so much more with that extra hour than any other time of day! Ack! That fog is insane!! I absolutely love the FLE area, it’s so well done and detailed that despite the fact that I had seen countless pictures before getting there I was still in tears the first time I’d seen it in person!

They really are so pretty and so well themed for a bathroom. Even the inside of them is gorgeous! It is nice eating before heading to the parks so we don't have to stop anywhere once we get there!

I agree...that's why we love the EMH so much and why we always try to take advantage of them.

Thank you so much for the warning!!! I really appreciate it. And also, seriously, the beds at BLT are SO comfy!

New Dumbo is the cutest! Ahh, love. Welp, I guess that's it for me. Thanks again for the warning!

You're welcome. I really do not know how you've managed to not look at pictures. Well, you are going to be blown away when you finally see it!

Yes it is! I love Dumbo.

Next update should be New-Fantasyland free again, but I'll give you another warning when I post more!

Wow what an amazing view!!! Those photos from 7am EMH looked like it was in the middle of the night haha- I can't believe how many people were there at that hour. Ugh crowds... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Can't wait to read more- my mom and I are planning on doing lunch at Be Our Guest in July so I'm looking forward to more New Fantasyland pics!

Yeah, that's partly why I like going so early. It's kind of fun when it's still dark out. Be Our Guest was great! I'll be getting to that part in a couple of updates.

 

[wdwgirl03]

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


With our Splash Mountain fastpasses in hand, we headed toward Adventureland for a couple of more classics. Our first stop was Pirates of the Caribbean. We pretty much walked right on. There was a group in the boat with us and they had some younger kids. One of the boys was absolutely terrified for some reason and the parents kept telling him how it wasn't scary. I don't know if he was convinced but it seems like he survived. I had kind of forgotten about it until we were actually on our boat, but I looked for the new mermaid additions right at the beginning. I saw the mermaid skeleton but aren't there also supposed to be some sort of lighting effects in the water? I didn't notice that at all.

After POTC we stopped at the Jungle Cruise.

I took a random picture of the plants in the queue area because I thought they were kind of pretty.

We had one of the best skippers ever. Because we've gone to WDW so many times I pretty much know all of their jokes. I will usually try to laugh at them anyway, especially if nobody else does (I feel bad when nobody does...LOL). This time, however, we were pretty much cracking up the entire time. Our skipper, Jeff, was awesome. He was really good at delivering the lines (sometimes the skippers can be kind of boring) and also added in a few of his own jokes. The one that sticks out in my mind was in the scene with the guys being chased up the tree and the guy on the bottom is going to "get the point in the end." Well, right after that, our skipper shouted, "HEY, I know that guy! It's Ahontas! He's going to poke Ahontas!" OMG, for some reason I could not stop laughing at that one. LOVE IT.

I have these random pictures, so I am wondering if we might've stopped to get Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards in Liberty Square. Notice how UNcrowded it was at that point. Once again, this is why we love getting up early for Extra Magic Hours!

As we continued on, we used our fastpasses for Splash Mountain. I remember the line was pretty long so I was glad we had those FPs.

"Home sweet home is the lesson today!"

Seeing this wall always makes me smile (even if it's at the end of the ride...).

We also had to check out the Rapunzel bathroom area again, just to see it in the daylight.

I cannot get over how well-themed that little area is. I had seen that they have some of Pascal's little friends hidden in the area, so I tried to spot a couple of those but failed. That area is also nice because there are a few tables where you could enjoy a snack and maybe do some people-watching.


Then we went over to the Haunted Mansion before going back to New Fantasyland to see if the Little Mermaid ride was running!

 

[dawnbu40]

Extra Magic mornings are the best! It looks like you practically have the place to yourselves

Your pics have me so excited for our trip. I cannot wait to see New Fantasyland

 

[jecskc]

EMH was the way to go that week for sure. The 7 AM opening was rough to get everyone to, but being BLT was so close, it made it a lot easier. You can get so much done during those first couple of hours.

We saw the mermaids in POTC, but they are hard to see if you don't know where to look and really it is just a flash of an image and then it is gone.

LOL about the Poke Ahontas joke. We didn't ride the Jungle Cruise this trip. Definitely next time !!

 

[peachmermaid]

I love jungle cruise. It never fails to make me laugh, no matter how corny the jokes are. Cannot wait to see new fantasyland in person!! It looks so beautiful in pictures. Also, I had no idea that EMH starts at 7 sometimes! I would so be up for that!

 

[caralyn817]

That Jungle Cruise skipper's joke cracked me up. It reminds me of the other night when I had to call and make a change to our reservation for July. The Cast Member on the phone was delivering them left and right, but the one that sticks out the most was this one.

CM: "While your waiting, have you heard about the new cellphone policy for the parks?"
Me: "No."
CM: "Well, if you have any Apple products, make sure you keep them away from Snow White. She's scared of apples."

I told him that he should be a skipper on the Jungle Cruise and he laughed. It made the wait while making changes more entertaining. I'll have to look for the Pascal's when we go.

 

[pwdebbie]

You have a great relationship with your dad! So refreshing to read about a father / daughter(s) trip.

I totally missed the mermaids on the POTC. I looked but didn't see anything.

7:00 a.m. EMH -- I could handle that!

 

[jwwi]

I didn't see the mermaids in the water either. Did you do Belle's cottage in new FL?

 

[shalom]

Now there's another Princess's tower, looming over Liberty Square.

Just kidding. Actually I think that area looks beautiful; I was sorry it wasn't open yet when we went and would have regretted it even more if I'd known how it'd turn out. So just as well I didn't.

I didn't notice the mermaids when we were there, but I wasn't looking. Plus I think they're on the other side of the boat-? They were in the video I've seen, anyhow.

 

[marDgreen88]

OH, the Jungle Cruise. Such a wonderful classic. Your skipper sound awesome!

Okay, since I'm super cool I skipped all your Tangled area pictures. I honestly have no clue what it's about but everyone keeps talking about Rapunzel bathrooms? Can't wait to find out!