"You Guys Are Cast Members... Right?" - A December 2011 TR

[marDgreen88]

Yay! I love hanging out on Main Street. I could seriously stay there all day and just people-watch. And Dapper Dan-watch. Although I guess that would fall under the category of people-watching too, right? I have to assume that the Dapper Dans are in fact humans, and not aliens from another planet.

Speaking of Dapper Dans...I LOVE THEM. Seriously, I want to grow up to be a cute old man who can carry a tune just so I can be a Dapper Dan. Maybe I can do that without the gender reassignment surgery mess, and I'll just be Dapper Danielle. Hmm...

Okay, I apologize for this comment. I had a lot of chocolate today. It makes me say things.

WOW. I am so impressed with your self control! You walked out of a gift shop and the bakery empty handed...I applaud you. I seriously could never do that. I go into a gift shop, and three hours later I wake up in my hotel room surrounded by $1,000 worth of merchandise and I can't remember how I got there. Not really, but I do spend a lot of money.

I'm going to stop now, because I am creeping myself out. One last thing, though...YAY MICKEY BAR. I just went straight 90s and said "GET IN MAH BELLY!"

Now I'm really done.

OMG JONI. This is the funniest comment in the history of comments!!! Can I just say that I just had to sit here and compose myself for a few minutes before I could type words?

I mean I don't know. They COULD be aliens. But no... I think you just have aliens on the brain at the moment!!!

PLEASE GROW UP TO BE DAPPER DANIELLE! That would make my life! Omg, NEW LIFE GOAL YALL. I'm gonna be a Dapper Danielle too!

NEVER APOLOGIZE!!! I love funny!!! I didn't have any chocolate today (SIGH) but I DID have some iced coffee... I guess that's just not on the same level though.

THANKS! Okay so I admit, part of it was that I was running out of money for souvenirs and I had something in mind that I had wanted to buy before I created the pin monster. However, I am planning on buying those things up like ASAP on my next trip!

Yay Mickey bars! "Four for you Joni, you go Joni. And none for Gretchen Weiners. BYE."

 

[shan23877]

Sounds like a nice day on Main Street! I'll have to remember that joke to tell Maddie. We love corny jokes too.

 

[ALFranklin]

Marissa, I want the Ellie Grape Soda pin so badly and I don't even collect the pins. I actually told my DH that the other day, "The first thing I am going to get when we go to Disney is the Grape Soda pin from Up." LOL The next thing I plan to get when we are there?....a Mickey Premium Bar. They are so delicious!

 

[Caretames1]

Everyone needs some time to just enjoy the scenery. I am promising myself to do just that this time. I want to see things I've never noticed before.

And that includes getting my very first Mickey bar....Yes I said first! This being our 4th trip, I think I'm ready for one!

 

[marDgreen88]

Sounds like a nice day on Main Street! I'll have to remember that joke to tell Maddie. We love corny jokes too.

It really was! Aww! Hahah you should! I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciates them!

Marissa, I want the Ellie Grape Soda pin so badly and I don't even collect the pins. I actually told my DH that the other day, "The first thing I am going to get when we go to Disney is the Grape Soda pin from Up." LOL The next thing I plan to get when we are there?....a Mickey Premium Bar. They are so delicious!

That's awesome! It really is such a sweet little pin, isn't it? Be careful though... you may think the pin craze is not for you. Then you buy one. Then you casually start looking over the display and thinking hmm... maybe I could get this one too. It's cute. And before you know it, BAM! You have a list of pins that you want to buy on your next trip. (Not that I know this from experience, or anything. )

I hope you get the pin though! And YES. Mickey premiums are just perfect!

Everyone needs some time to just enjoy the scenery. I am promising myself to do just that this time. I want to see things I've never noticed before.

And that includes getting my very first Mickey bar....Yes I said first! This being our 4th trip, I think I'm ready for one!

I agree! I hope you get to do that in November! There are so many things that can go unseen so easily! I was really excited to discover that 'Casting' window, for example!

FIRST?!?! Omg!! I'm so glad you're planning to get one! It's a MUST! But don't even feel bad because there is a LOOONG list of things that people would be surprised that I haven't done/eaten at Disney hahah. This next trip will be my fourth, too! How funny!

 

[MEK]

You got some interesting shots at the MK -s ome old standards and some really unique views. Good job!

I love the Contempo cafe and the studio in that picture actually looks, dare I say, spacious!

 

[Enchanted88]

Love your updates!
I'm loving the train picture at the front of the park! That is way cool! I honestly probably wouldn't have even thought of taking a picture of the train from there, except at rope drop, of course! haha So, kudos to you! haha

That Mickey Ice cream bar looks delicous!!! Okay, here's a little secret-- I haven't eaten one of those yet! I know, I know it's crazy! I actually didn't even know they were there in my Feb trip! But I fully intend to make up for my lack of brain cells in November!

Ben and I didn't watch the whole castle show last year, either! So I need to watch it this time! Everytime they were performing, we were leaving to go do something else, or we were already too late to fully enjoy the whole thing! But it looks way cute!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[amazingact21]

Okay, I'm finally posting a comment after lurking for a few weeks.


Walking out of the Emporium without buying any pins is a huge accomplishment in my book! I feel like I should get a gold star or something whenever I resist picking up a souvenir in a WDW shop.


A Mickey Ice Cream bar sounds like the perfect snack to have! Good choice! I know it's the same thing as a regular ol' ice cream bar you can buy in a grocery store, but there's just something special about eating a Mickey bar.


Glad you found a nice little spot to eat and watch the show...looks like it was a relaxing place to be, which can difficult to find during the Christmas season at MK!

 

[marDgreen88]

You got some interesting shots at the MK -s ome old standards and some really unique views. Good job!

I love the Contempo cafe and the studio in that picture actually looks, dare I say, spacious!

Thank you so much! That is a huge compliment coming from you!

It does! I'm so glad she posted those pictures, and I'm also glad I got to look at your BLT pics from your old TR, too! I agree, her studio looked bigger than yours... hmmm... ? By the way, if I don't get a chance to say it again, I hope you have a wonderful trip and have a great time with your brother's family!

Love your updates!
I'm loving the train picture at the front of the park! That is way cool! I honestly probably wouldn't have even thought of taking a picture of the train from there, except at rope drop, of course! haha So, kudos to you! haha

That Mickey Ice cream bar looks delicous!!! Okay, here's a little secret-- I haven't eaten one of those yet! I know, I know it's crazy! I actually didn't even know they were there in my Feb trip! But I fully intend to make up for my lack of brain cells in November!

Ben and I didn't watch the whole castle show last year, either! So I need to watch it this time! Everytime they were performing, we were leaving to go do something else, or we were already too late to fully enjoy the whole thing! But it looks way cute!

Can't wait to read more!

Thank you! Hahaha I love those pictures. I just love the way the train station looks without a lot of people around, ya know? It's so pretty!

It was SO good and you know what? Don't even worry about it, apparently you're not the only one! Lots of people have told me they've never had one before, but the cool thing is that you'll get to experience something brand new when you do try one!

Oh, you totally should if you get the chance! It really is a cute show, and it's very well done! I really love it.

Okay, I'm finally posting a comment after lurking for a few weeks.


Walking out of the Emporium without buying any pins is a huge accomplishment in my book! I feel like I should get a gold star or something whenever I resist picking up a souvenir in a WDW shop.


A Mickey Ice Cream bar sounds like the perfect snack to have! Good choice! I know it's the same thing as a regular ol' ice cream bar you can buy in a grocery store, but there's just something special about eating a Mickey bar.


Glad you found a nice little spot to eat and watch the show...looks like it was a relaxing place to be, which can difficult to find during the Christmas season at MK!

Yay! Hahaha thanks for un-lurking!

Oh, I get it! It was probably a little more difficult than I made it sound. I'm definitely planning on getting them when I go back next month! But seriously, that's an awesome idea. Who needs pins when you could get a gold star? Just kidding, I'd want both. Oh me.

I totally agree! They're just delicious. It's funny because I don't usually care for stuff like that... my taste buds change at Disney, apparently!

Thank you! So am I! It honestly was very relaxing, and just what I needed before I started going all over the MK! Hahah.

Thank you for commenting, I'm glad to hear from you!

 

[MeMom]

That's awesome! It really is such a sweet little pin, isn't it? Be careful though... you may think the pin craze is not for you. Then you buy one. Then you casually start looking over the display and thinking hmm... maybe I could get this one too. It's cute. And before you know it, BAM! You have a list of pins that you want to buy on your next trip. (Not that I know this from experience, or anything. )!

That's just how it happens.

I need that one for Brooklynn's first ride on Big Thunder Mountain.

Look, here's one of my favorite ride.

Aw, look, Bella's favorite princesses!

I have to have one from every resort we stay at.
Or visit.
Which is every one of them.

The nice thing is that they are not really expensive - if you buy them a few at a time - and they are lightweight and easy to pack for traveling home. They are nice reminders of special times.

 

[marDgreen88]

That's just how it happens.

I need that one for Brooklynn's first ride on Big Thunder Mountain.

Look, here's one of my favorite ride.

Aw, look, Bella's favorite princesses!

I have to have one from every resort we stay at.
Or visit.
Which is every one of them.

The nice thing is that they are not really expensive - if you buy them a few at a time - and they are lightweight and easy to pack for traveling home. They are nice reminders of special times.

Yes! You basically just described what goes through my mind (although some of the names are different ). That's exactly why I love them so much! I like that you can get a certain pin to match a specific memory, and that makes them special!

 

[minandmick]

I'm titling my post



The One Where We Wait For The Update From The Most Awesome Trip-Report Ever

 

[dmwang9]

Re: needing a CM to help buckle you into your seat at Star Tours and then being the Rebel Spy, that's awesome! I'm glad you had fun with it!

On my last trip, I also got picked as the Rebel Spy. (The fact that I was wearing a Jedi Training Academy T shirt might have had something to do with it?) The photo was taken at the precise instant that I was yawning, with my mouth wide open. Not exactly a great representative of the Rebel Alliance....

 

[marDgreen88]

I'm titling my post



The One Where We Wait For The Update From The Most Awesome Trip-Report Ever

YOU ARE JUST THE SWEETEST!!! Honestly, it makes me so happy that you love my TR so much! THANK YOU!!!

Re: needing a CM to help buckle you into your seat at Star Tours and then being the Rebel Spy, that's awesome! I'm glad you had fun with it!

On my last trip, I also got picked as the Rebel Spy. (The fact that I was wearing a Jedi Training Academy T shirt might have had something to do with it?) The photo was taken at the precise instant that I was yawning, with my mouth wide open. Not exactly a great representative of the Rebel Alliance....

Hahah it was ridiculous! I was like, I promise I'm not COMPLETELY stupid!

Being the rebel spy is basically awesome, am I right? That's hilarious though! They really take those pictures at the most random times, don't they?

 

[marDgreen88]

The One With Extremely Solo Adventures in Tomorrowland

December 17, 2011

Before I left my little perch and journeyed into the land of tomorrow, I got a text on my phone. FINALLY! See, the entire day, I’d been attempting to reach one of my friends and tell them what was going on. For whatever reason, we were having phone issues all day. Needless to say, I was relieved when I finally saw that Amanda had been able to get through to me!

I expected her to say that they were heading to the Magic Kingdom and would be there any minute now. Well, here’s what I found out:

Uh-oh. Okay. I knew that Ryan had wanted to audition for the American Idol Experience, but since they’d not made it to the opening of Hollywood Studios, I pretty much assumed that he’d be out of luck and that the spots would have already been filled by the time he got there. Clearly, that wasn’t the case at all. Not only had he made it through to the live show… he had WON.

Omg! Ryan is an excellent singer. I wasn’t surprised that he’d won. I WAS surprised that he’d been early enough to audition! I always thought they filled the spots really early in the day, but apparently that's not the case!

I was really conflicted though. He was competing in the finale show that night at 7:30. It was nearing 6:00 at that point. What do I do?

Now, PLEASE do not think I’m a terrible friend… but I decided to stay at the Magic Kingdom. Yall, it was Saturday night during the Christmas season at Disney World. I figured that by the time I went down Main Street, out of the park, waited on the monorail, rode the monorail to the TTC, made it to the bus stops, waited for a bus, rode the bus to Hollywood Studios, made it through bag check and down Hollywood Boulevard, and met up with the girls, that I would be too late.

It turns out, I made a REALLY good decision. Kristen, Sally, and Amanda had gone to Epcot while Ryan was doing his AIE thing in between shows. When they got to the American Idol building, the doors were ALREADY CLOSED. They couldn’t get in! The theater was already full. Kristen tried to play her girlfriend card, but they still weren't able to get in. How sad is that? They had to stand outside the building and watch the show on the screen, and they obviously couldn’t vote. Ryan ended up coming in third for the day. He didn’t win, but third place is still awesome!

Basically, even though I genuinely felt awful about missing the show, I was glad that I hadn’t gone through all the trouble of going all the way to DHS to watch the show on a screen. That would have been AT LEAST two hours of travel time. I’m glad I didn’t have to miss out on my precious Magic Kingdom time, ESPECIALLY considering how my previous night had gone. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

I really did feel guilty about missing the show. I decided that a little trip through Tomorrowland might make me forget about it.

It was time for a brand new attraction! Well, it was new for me, at least!

Can you make out what that is? I snapped that photo really quickly so I could get in line for… the PeopleMover!

I know, right? How had I never done the PeopleMover before? I was excited to try it out! I went up the bouncy ramp and was able to get on the ride really quickly! Oddly enough, there was a big enough space between me, the people in front of me, and the people behind me that I ended up in my very own train. I was literally the only person in the whole section of cars! It was crazy, but kind of awesome too! I decided to make the most of this new experience by snapping some very average looking photos. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO SEE THEM.

Best photo you’ve ever seen? Don’t lie, I know it is.

Progress City USA!

If you can’t tell, it’s BUZZ LIGHTYEAR’S SPACE RANGER SPIN!

Mickey’s Star Traders!

The Speedway! I know what you’re thinking… these photos are getting better and better!

Here’s one I’m actually proud of though… while I was riding, it was getting dark out!

Okay, so if there was any part of the ride where I was a little spooked about being alone, it was the part inside Space Mountain. I kept hearing the screams from the people on the ride! While that was cool, it was also a little creepy! I mean, it was dark, I was alone, and there were people screaming. In normal circumstances, that would be a horror movie waiting to happen. However, at Disney it’s just all a normal part of the day!

I would love that photo if there weren’t random white spots on it. Boo.

I really enjoyed the ride! It was so relaxing, and it’s so nice to see all the sights! It’s really the little things that keep me entertained, I’m telling ya. The PeopleMover is now a definite must-do for me! THREE CHEERS FOR THE PEOPLEMOVER!

While we were nearing the end of the ride, I happened to spot a certain character down below meeting guests. It was Buzz Lightyear!!! AHHH! I’ve never met him (or ANY of the Toy Story gang… it’s really upsetting) so I was really excited to see him out!

As soon as the train came to a stop, I bolted out of my seat and down the ramp toward the meet and greet. Unfortunately, I had literally JUST missed the cutoff. I wouldn’t be able to meet Buzz.

I was really tempted to ask the character handler if I could just get in line anyway. After all, I was just one person and I just had one camera. I didn’t even have a photopass card with me. I’m no trouble at all, I swear! Then I saw a little boy and his parents who had just been turned away, and he little boy was crying because he couldn’t meet Buzz. Omg, break my heart. I decided to let it go. If the poor little boy couldn’t meet Buzz, neither could I. (To be honest though, I was a little annoyed with the CM. Would it have REALLY hurt to let the little boy and his parents in line? Would Buzz know the difference? I know there are rules, but I just felt so sad for the little guy.

Suddenly, I realized something: IT WAS DARK. If I hurried, I could make it to the hub in time to see the castle lighting!!!!!

I booked it out of Tomorrowland and squeezed myself right between a bunch of groups who were already sitting down. (I made sure nobody was saving the spot first, of course.) PERFECT!

Look how perfect my spot was!

Before I knew it, the show was starting!

Mickey and the gang were dressed in their holiday best! They talked about how beautiful the Magic Kingdom looked at Christmas time with all the decorations, but then they realized something was missing. Why wasn’t the castle decorated? (IT’S A MYSTERY!)

They came up with a lot of different suggestions, but none of them really sat well with the gang. Well, BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOO! Look no further, the Fairy Godmother had arrived!

She decided that Cinderella should decide. I mean, it’s her castle, am I right? So Cinderella made an excellent choice: she said she wanted to see the castle covered in shimmering ice! (Gee, why didn’t I think of that?)

Since it’s pretty much her job, the Fairy Godmother decided to grant Cinderella’s wish. Before I knew it, the castle was transformed.

Now, I’d seen this the year before. I’d seen this three days before. I’d even seen this the night before. It didn’t matter. It still took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. It is such a magnificent sight!

It’s another one of those things that, you can see picture after picture of, but you don’t realize how truly remarkable it is until you see it in person. I just stared at it for what felt like hours. (It was only a few minutes. I was in my happy place. Time stands still there.)

After I was able to compose myself and tear my eyes away from the marvelous sight, I decided to head back into Tomorrowland for a few more adventures!

Continued in Next Update​

 

[therussells08]

That's so cool that Ryan won and made it to the finale show! I totally understand why you didn't go, that was a really long journey. You were with him in spirit!

I love your Peoplemover pictures. Mine are always mediocre but I love them anyway. That ride is just great. I'd like to take a nap on it. The Space Mountain part is kind creepy though. I'm always afraid I'm going to go through and the lights will be turned on and I will see what that ride actually looks like. Ugh, no thank you.

Sheesh? Seriously, CM? You can't let a crying child or one little DISer with one little camera in to meet Buzz? That seems a bit harsh. NO BUZZ FOR YOU. (Do you watch Seinfeld? If not, ignore that.)

I've been to Disney at Christmas twice, but I have yet to see the actual castle lighting ceremony! Oooh eeee, what up with that? What up with that? (Do you watch SNL? If not, ignore that too.)

Yay! More shenanigans in Tomorrowland! I'm ready!

 

[amazingact21]

I know it must've been a bummer to miss Ryan at AIE, but I agree with you...there was no way you could've made it in time. Getting around the Walt Disney World resort can be time consuming, and at Christmastime it's insane!

Besides, I think you made the most of your time in MK. The PeopleMover sounds so relaxing, and how rare is it that you got a whole train to yourself!


The castle lighting show is one of my favorites! It doesn't matter if you see it every single day of the season, it's still going to awe you!

 

[amandaw]

Aww, I'm sorry you missed Ryan in the AI show but that's awesome that he made it so far. And I think you made the right decision by staying in the MK.

I love the Peoplemover! Such a great way to relax & see some sights.

The castle all lit up at Christmas is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! Everyone should see it in person at least once in their lives.

 

[Nermel9]

I don't think you're a terrible friend for staying in MK, you definitely made the right decision!

OMG the Peoplemover!!! Don't you LOVE it! It might be my favorite ride at MK right now. I know it's like, nothing, but it's just SO amazing!!! I love Tomorrowland, I love getting to just look out at the park and relax! Your pictures are great, just because they make me feel like I'm on that ride!

I cannot believe I've been to Disney 3 TIMES for the holidays in the past 3 years and have not seen the castle lighting once. There is no way I'm missing it this November!

 

[MeMom]

That's too bad that all of you couldn't see your friend. It couldn't be helped, though, so there was no sense in stressing about it. It's fun that he had the experience.

Glad you got to ride the People Mover. You can't be a real DISer until you ride the 'classics'.

The castle is stunning in lights, no doubt!