Young At Heart: The #BirthdayFestivus13 Adventure!!! 5 UPDATES, 1/8!!!!!!!!!!!!

[__disneygirl]

MAY 16, 2013
Day 4, Part 7 In Which We Blow off Disney For the Drive-In​

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I am so excited to post this part of the TR because this was seriously one of the most fun nights in Disney EVER!

Hey, can you guys believe it was DAY FOUR and I had not been to Sci Fi yet!!??! HOW WAS I ALIVE???????????? Finally it was time!!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Seriously, this place is the stuff dreams are made of. Literally. I often dream I am at a 50's drive in eating delicious food and making out with Danny Zuko. Which happens every single time I visit Sci Fi, I just don't post pictures because this is a family board.

THE 50 FOOT WOMAN!!!!!!!

I love this place.

Pretty Jess.

IT'S THE CAT THAT HATED PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE THAT CAT. My favorite clip at Sci-Fi by far!!!

I was very happy because not only was I currently at Sci-Fi, but I had another ADR here coming up next week because I knew Gina had to experience this divine place too. That's the beauty of a two week trip!!

Jess got the special which was a Blackberry Milkshake!

She loved it!!! I maintain that the milkshakes here are better than any place on earth. I have had milkshakes from places that are supposed to be amazing and they just don't even compare. If you on any level enjoy milk or shakes you must get one. It's not even something that we're going to talk about, okay? You just need to get one.

I mean... I didn't get one. HAHAHAHAHA. But that's only because I've had them multiple times and I know how filling they are and I had just had a big LeFou's Brew. Frozen drinks are really filling for me so I skipped the milkshake this time and got my other favorite drink, coke with cherry syrup! Sci-Fi also has the best grenadine ever. I get it at bars all the time and Sci-Fi's is better. IT'S AMAZING.

Lee-Anne got an AWESOME Ariel glowy cup. Omg. So cool.

When ordering our food Jess found my advice amusing which was, "We're all gonna die one day so just get what you want." I say that like every day regarding a million different things because there is no greater truth!! Some say it's morbid, I say it's a powerful decision making tool. And obviously Jess agrees because this prompted her to get the onion rings.

I'm so helpful!!

Jess and I shared the same thing I get here every single time I come, the AMAZING Spinach & Artichoke Dip.

My love for this dish has been fully recorded in all my other TRs so I'll just say that AGAIN, Sci-Fi's version of this is the best ANYWHERE. Trust me, kids. This is my area of expertise.

I also got a side of fries and Lee-Anne got a burger and fries!

SO GOOD.

Jess caught me dividing the check up since we weren't using DDP credits. BEHIND THE SCENES OF MY VACATION, PEOPLE. YOU ARE GETTING EXCLUSIVES HERE.

What a great time it was at SCI-FI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This perfect place. Ahhhh.

@babybritney: There was a lot of stuff today that I was super excited about but Sci Fi just makes me happier than almost anything in the world.

I have to tell you... get ready for my Sci-Fi update with Gina. Oh my God, that was one of the most HILARIOUS experiences of MY ENTIRE LIFE. Stay tuned...

I purposely did not get dessert so I could FINALLY try the Carrot Cake Cookie at Writer's Stop. I had been waiting for this a long time!

When I went up to order it the CM made small talk with me and asked where we were going next. I told him we were on our way to Fantasmic and he told us to watch Ariel's fin at the end. None of us had any idea what he was talking about despite having seen Fantasmic multiple times so we were very curious!!!

Here's my cookie!!

Well... yikes. I didn't love it. It's good but the icing makes it WAY TOO SWEET. I think the icing should be a different flavor for some contrast. I am a sugar addict so if I am saying this you know it's FREAKIN SWEET. It's way too much! I gave most of it to Jess who enjoys it a lot more. That girl is good to have around if you have excess Disney food.

While walking and eating the cookie we discussed what the heck that CM was talking about regarding Ariel. He said to specifically watch her fin, so I suggested what seemed obvious: maybe her fin turns into legs before our eyes, and then she runs off with the other characters? However, Jess and I figured we would have either noticed that ourselves or read about it on the boards by now. I mean, that would be pretty awesome to see, so if that was the case it would be common knowledge by now.

Hmmm. We were perplexed and couldn't wait to watch Ariel at the end of Fantasmic!

We were headed to the back of the park because showtime was nearing! It was in about 40 minutes.

I love this next picture if I do say so myself.

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[__disneygirl]

MAY 16, 2013
Day 4, Part 8 In Which We Have One of the Best Tower Visits EVER!!!!!!!!!!​

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Rather than go in and sit down and wait, I HAD to go on the Tower of Terror. It's my favorite attraction ever and I could not wait any longer. I knew Lee-Anne wouldn't want to but I was foaming at the mouth. It had to be done. So Lee-Anne said she would go into Fant right then and save us seats while Jess and I went to my Tower! YAY!!

The only problem was, the Tower wait said 30 minutes. I didn't believe it. I mean, I know May is more crowded than what I'm used to, but I rarely see that ride with a wait, and I figured most people would be waiting for Fantasmic. So I said to Jess that we should just walk up and see how far back the line went, because it would probably be less than 30. Also, if either of us missed the beginning of the show, it wasn't the end of the world, we've only seen it about 100 times! I HAD TO RIDE MY TOWER THERE WERE NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT.

So we walk up to the queue and through it, expecting to see people.

You know, human beings. Somewhere. 30 minutes worth of human beings!!

BUT THERE WERE NONE. AT ALL. NO ONE WAS IN LINE.

Just a picture of me at home.

Literally though, there was not one single person in line. EXCEPT JESS AND I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SEE THIS IS HOW I EXPECT TO BE TREATED AT MY TOWER.

Cleared out for the Queen of this castle. Thank you. Thank you very much.

DUH NA NA NA DUH NA NA NA

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh I LOOOV EIT SOOOO MUCHHH HELP ME

There actually a few other people in the library (aka loyal subjects of mine that I allowed in to join us) but we really didn't see a line until we hit my Boiler Room. Even then we only waited about 5 minutes. This whole thing was soooo hilarious and so fun. I mean, we thought we'd have to wait a bit and maybe even miss the beginning of Fantasmic, and here we were... speeding through the queue like we owned the place! I mean, I do own it, it's my tower, but you know... that's an expression. xD

Once we got placed in our rows there was a little boy who was riding alone. He couldn't have been more than 9 or 10 and was SO DAMN CUTE. He started asking us if we were scared and he acted like he wasn't but you could tell he was a little bit. He was trying to be bold and tell us he had already been on it 3 times and it was just so adorable. ADOPTING HIM TBH.

Once we got on... oh my God, I don't even know what to say. THIS WAS ONE OF MY BEST EXPERIENCES ON THIS RIDE EVER. Now that's really saying something since I've been on eleventy billion and one times and so has Jess and she agreed it was one of the best rides ever.

First of all, it was a great sequence of drops which made it amazing. But that wasn't even it.

Everyone in this elevator was just like us. I swear we got stuck with a bunch of obsessed Disney fans. People were clapping and cheering as soon as we got on, before the ride even began. It was like Jess and I had crashed someone's private Tower party. They continued to cheer and scream throughout the ride, and so did we of course. It was INCREDIBLE, like when you're at a concert and the band finally comes out and everyone goes NUTS. It brought up the energy so much more and to feel everyone's excitement was priceless. It really was a very unique and special experience, one of those I AM IN DISNEY WORLD I AM IN THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD NOTHING CAN TOUCH ME EVERYTHING IS PERFECT moments. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So here is our ride photo.

Now I'm sure you already know this from reading mine and Jess's multiple TRs but we are so awesome that it hurts. Please view our close-up.

I love us.

@babybritney: THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST TOWER OF TERROR EXPERIENCES EVER. OH MY GIIDHJHDKSKSZHHAJZHZKSHS

I hate to part with my beloved tower but Mickey Mouse was about to HAVE A BATTLE WITH HIS OWN MIND!!! That is some serious stuff right there. We had to get going!

Though first I pointed out to Jess that there's a person (GHOST) in the window of the Tower. She had never known that before!

I love when that happens b/c it just goes to show that there is always something to discover in Disney. She lives there and has visited over 20 times in the past and yet she didn't know that... I wonder what else she doesn't know, and what I don't know! MORE DISNEY SECRETS WILL BE REVEALED, TUNE IN FOR THE REST OF THIS TRIP REPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!

We left and were on the BIGGEST HIGH. Oh my God. I don't do drugs but they can't be better than that.​

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[__disneygirl]

MAY 16, 2013
Day 4, Part 9 In Which We Are Fantasmaniacs and Pajama Pin Traders​

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We quickly stopped in the restroom after that, and I swear even that was fun It's just, I was on such a DISNEY HIGH. I was just like "I'M IN DISNEY. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD!!!" hahahaha. Oh my God I love this place so much. I can't believe I am going back so soon. HAVE MERCY!

After that I texted Lee-Anne to say that we were coming. She gave us directions to get to where she was sitting.

When we tried to get there, that section was closed due to capacity and the CMs almost didn't let us through but once I explained our friend was down there with saved seats, they let us through! Thank you for understanding, CMs!!!!!!!

Lee-Anne saved us a PERFECT seat right in the middle. Score!!!!

Once the show started... my GOD. I have never had as much of a blast at this show as I did this night. It was not only because I was on a high from that fantastic Tower experience, but also because I was finally watching this show with someone who loves Disney as much as I do. Jess and I FREAKED OUT during this whole thing. Like, Beatlemania style freakouts. It was like every single Disney character we saw was a rockstar passing by. We also know every word to the whole show and of course all the lyrics to every song. We recited every word, sang along, and swayed together like we were singing kumbaya. LOL!!!! The whole thing was a wonderfully ridiculous display of Disney love and passion and we could NOT CONTAIN OURSELVES. Oh my God, we had so much fun.

This part of the show will never fail to FILL ME WITH EXTREME GLEE even more than the rest of it. My God.

Omg, I was so happy I captured a good picture of Ariel and Eric. SO ADORABLE.

Then Jess got this PICTURE OF ALADDIN KISSING JASMINE. Oh my God.

That girl has taken a lot of great Disney pictures BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE! I also love how Genie is all like HELL YEAH YOU KISS HER ALADDIN YOU GO.

She got SO many great shots that night so check out her CP report for more of them!

What a blast. Seriously. I don't even know what else to say. That was beyond magical!

Alright so, at the end of the show we watched Ariel VERY INTENTLY to see what her fin would do. We couldn't see a thing once the boat was almost back behind the mountain, but before that nothing happened. When I got home, I googled it and found this on the Hidden Mickey site that's been around forever:

"My sister was part of the All American College Band a couple years back, and told me how they get Ariel (in full fishtail) off of her barge-- the Prince grabs her off her perch, turns, and drops her into the arms of a waiting crew member!!! My sister's friend was the lucky crew member, and he said he only dropped her a couple of times!"

I also found this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ8BtxILkXA

So apparently Eric covers her with a blanket, perhaps to protect her from the fireworks? I don't know. Either way, it's not really something you need to be looking for!

After that the park was of course closed and so we said goodbye to Hollywood for the evening and motor coached it back to French Quarter.

Goodnight, Hollywood Boulevard!

Once back at the resort, we went into the gift shop to look around and pin trade. There were SO many things I wanted in here but I ended up just getting a Mickey Mouse iPhone case that I had literally been eyeing the past 3 years. I always said if I got an iPhone, I would get that one! So it was cool to finally get that.

After getting back to the room Jess and I obviously decided it was again time for a pin trading tour of New Orleans so we headed to Riverside in our pajamas. Again. Duh.

It is so pretty in the lobby.

We went up to pin trade at the Front Desk and inside Fulton's General Store which Jess noticed was jam packed with new Monsters University merch. She said she was getting kind of sick of it everywhere even though she loves Monsters Inc. She was like, "Monsters University BETTER be good with all this Monsters stuff everywhere!" Of course the movie ended up being amazing! For me it doesn't touch the greatness of the original but is still a wonderful film.

Being in the lobby we couldn't help but notice the commotion coming from the River Roost Lounge.

This is where my love affair with Bob Jackson began (not literally).

Keep in mind I had never in my life been to Riverside before this trip nor had I heard of Bob. Jess didn't seem to know who he was either. We both thought he was just a random performer or something.... I had no idea he is basically a Disney Legend.

We went in there for a second. I didn't check out everyone's outfits but it's safe to say we were the only pajama-clad frumps.

Bob is such an amazing and unique performer! He has more energy than anyone I have ever seen, and I'm not exaggerating. I barely got a taste of his performance but I KNEW I had to come back and see him some night. Gina and I went the next week. Look out for that post because he is UNBELIEVABLE. I love, love, love, love Bob Jackson. GO SEE HIM. Every Thursday-Sunday he's at Riverside from 8-11:45 PM. Seriously. Don't even think about not going. GO.

After our mini-encounter with Bob we walked back to POFQ. Jess had to work the really early next morning so she wanted to find Brooke in advance so she wasn't walking around in a half-asleep daze before the sun came up not being able to find her car.

Of course, we couldn't find it and it was REALLY frumpy of us. BEHIND THE SCENES: JESS SEARCHES FOR BROOKE.

@babybritney: "Now.. this gonna go in the trip report. Really though, where is my car?" @PrincessJess508

Eventually we found her and figured out exactly which way Jess had to walk in the morning to get there easily. From there we headed into the lobby to pin trade and then to Sassagoula Floatworks.

We were checking out of FQ the next day so I really wanted to get some beignets before it was time to go. However I was still kinda full so I asked Jess if she would split an order of 3 with me and she was like "I want to, but I really can't, I'm so full." So I thought for a second and was just like "Okay, I'll just get them anyway." hahahaha

We sat down for a minute and I ate one and saved the other two for the morning. It was gonna be another rousing and healthy breakfast at French Quarter.

Back in the room I took a picture of my latest pin trades.

Lots of awesome ones here. I was SO excited to find the five legged goat! I have been looking at that thing in the Mary Blair mural for years and when I heard there was a pin of it I knew someday it had to be mine! The "Explore" pin with Goofy is part of a Jungle Cruise series so I thought that was really cool. I love that Maleficent pin too. The Figment one says CONFUSED which we cracked up at because of the look on his face and just cause it's so random. It turns out it's part of a series that shows Figment's various emotions. Still really funny to me!!

These were my Vinyl trades of the day:

Not sure what the watermelon guy on the left is, I traded it away later in the trip. But the guy on the right is from ALICE IN WONDERLAND!!! He screwed up the Queen's roses and had to paint them red! I've always loved all things Alice so that was a great find for me!

It had been another awesome day and we were very tired so after packing up everything we went right to sleep. Jess had an early day at Coronado the next day and Lee-Anne and I were off to Animal Kingdom before her departure!​

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[lisatav]

The rate that you post is extremely impressive! I know you said you have a lot of it pre written but still! I love see Yehaa Bob! He is such a great performer.

I saw on twitter that you're going down for Halloween! That's super exciting. I'm actually doing a one day trip to Epcot for food and wine on the 30th before heading up to Jacksonville to visit with family. I tried to get MNSSHP tickets but i'm on a tight budget so only F&W this time. Since you've been this time of year before what do you suggest i pack? Jeans and tee shirts? I've never been in October or for Food and Wine before. Great update. It's always great to see others having so much fun! I loved your ToT ride picture!

 

[Tracy161]

OHMYGOD, Lia!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am honestly SO incredibly happy for you!!!!!!!!!! Like Rob, I just had a feeling this may happen - You and Disney and Hanson and Halloween just GO TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!

PS - I'm still catching up but just came across your mention of Crystal Arts - guess what?! My boyfriend used to work there as a flameworker (he worked in the booth making the glass pieces) about 5 years ago! He now works at the same museum I work at. Just thought I should share my fabulous Disney connection When we went to Disney last month I was treated to a lot of "insider" info... it was FABULOUS!!!

 

[jedimeg16]

MAY 16, 2013
Day 4, Part 7 In Which We Blow off Disney For the Drive-In​

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I am so excited to post this part of the TR because this was seriously one of the most fun nights in Disney EVER!

I love this place.

What a great time it was at SCI-FI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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My husband LOVED the SciFi when we ate there on our honeymoon - he talked about the smoking puppet for MONTHS! When we were planning ADRs for our April trip (finally started my first TR, mostly so I don't forget what happened!) he insisted that we take our boys there.

 

[DisneyOBSESSEDMommy]

Lovin' the updates!! I'm not so secretly jealous that you have so many friends that love Disney!!! Most of my friends & family like Disney but are no where close to the same level of obsession that I have !!! I love all of your updates and I'm so excited for your next trip! You & Jess both have such a wonderful writing style that makes the reader feel like we are right there with you experiencing it right along with you, sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to find out what happens next!!! I love it and I love the most that you are loving and living life to the fullest!! Keep smiling and writing those TR!

 

[katt789]

Alright, you won me over, I will go back to sci fi, lol. Both experiences havent been great, but if you love it so much, I will have to go back and try the onion rings

DANG! THAT CARROT CAKE COOKIE! I knew there was something else i wanted to eat!!

Yay for an awesome TOT ride, man, when you get a good group in the elevator it's just so wicked cool and makes it so great!!

ACK fantasmic! Such feels. I have heard about ariel getting a sheet over her at the end, I guess it makes sense since she cant exactly walk off lol.

Good pin trades and a way to end the night!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I mean it's me, it's Halloween, it's Hanson, it's Disney... these things go together like Walt Jr. and breakfast.

OMG I LOVE that line!!!!
Also, the night before reading your announcement I watched Nightmare Before Christmas and of course "This is Halloween" REALLY made me want to go. Next year for sure. Say Hi to Jack and Sally!!!!!!! Gawd they better be out for the Xmas party too. I mean it IS Nightmare before CHRISTMAS so it totally fits! Oooo maybe Jack in the Santa hat.

OK, back to the new update.

Ahhh I love Grease!! Other than Disney, my fav musical ever. And I'm not really a fan of musicals. OK, sorry, off on a tangent again...

I probably shouldn't, but darnit, I want an Ariel glowy cup.

Now THAT is a Disney vet if I've ever seen one. 30 minute wait?? Nope, ain't buying it. I'll check it out for myself thank you.

And a great Tower ride to boot. I find the rides later in the day and evening bring out the real fans.

YESSSSS!!!!!! Fantasmic... Disney characters... ROCKSTARS!!!!!!! AMEN SISTER!!!

Hmmm, the only thing I can think of regarding Ariel's fin is that it kind of resembles the streamers they all wave, and she does wave it in sync?? But no way he meant that.

I have definitely heard of Bob, but have not seen him. Everything I've heard though is off the charts awesome. Looking forward to your full review.

 

[Lorelei528]

YAY!!! I kinda knew you'd figure out a way!! Awesome!

I am liking the look of that Blackberry milkshake! I wonder if they'll still have it in December?!?! Probably not.

Anyway, I'm so glad for you that you are headed back for Halloween! How many nights will you be staying? Which resort? How are you able to contain your excitement?

I guess I missed your Twitter posts (not on there everyday) but I'm certainly glad I came to check out your TR so I could get the good news!

Great job with the updates! You're like the mad updating princess!!

Can't wait for the next one! (and the next one, and the next one...)

 

[khaleesi]

Oh my goodness, I'm so happy for you!!! Can't wait to see your costume. I'm doing a charity walk on Saturday and dressing up is encouraged. I'm not normally a costume person, but your Mickey costume last year inspired me, so I'm going as Minnie!! I'll post pics after the walk

AND I ordered some pins on ebay! Thanks for that little tip. We'll see if I actually do anything with them, but I figured why not!

 

[amandaluvsgoofy]

YAY for another trip!!!!! That is awesome that you're going back so soon! And for Halloween! I can't imagine how great you and Jess are going to look! The pics she's posted so far of her costumes are fun, I'm sure the two of you are going to blow everyone out of the water!!

Sci-Fi is delicious!! We've only been once, and we (I'm sad to say) didn't get the spinach artichoke dip Next time!! We did the get onion rings, burger, and a shake, and those were freaking tasty!

I love the energy you girls have! I don't think I could get that go-get-em from my crew at Disney, like they need sleep or something! Hopefully I'll have a girls trip with friends that love it just as much as I do!

 

[cinderellaurora]

More great updates!

I love the Sci-Fi Dine-In too...I went there with my family in May and primarily chose it because I thought my niece and nephew would get a kick out of the movies and the fact we were sitting in a car to eat! My dad wasn't so impressed though and grumbled that it was too dark to see his food, bless!! We all really enjoyed our meals though...the sweet potato fries were so good! And I LOVED the cherry coke there...I hadn't realised they put cherry syrup in it as it was just offered to me as cherry coke (so I naturally presumed it was Coca-Cola Cherry!)! We ate there on our 1st park day and I spent the rest of the week craving that drink!!

Best wishes,
S.xx

 

[danimaroo]

I am STILL catching up on your TR, but I had to comment and say how excited I am for you to be heading back to Disney so soon!! I hope you have the best trip ever and obviously I'll be reading along on twitter. AND if you get any weird Vinylmation/you're not sure what it is, just ask me and I'll help identify it, hahaha.

 

[11point5]

Great updates! I think your funny watermelony vinylmation is a cactus!!

 

[__disneygirl]

MAY 17, 2013
Day 5, Part 1 In Which We Get A Surprise From Stitch!​

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I woke up, rolled over, and ate a beignet.

Oh sweet son of Abraham Lincoln, those are good!

Even the next day. Love em!!!!!!

Lee-Anne wanted to go to Animal Kingdom since that was the only place we hadn't gone yet.

It's really weird but this was only one of two days this WHOLE trip that I went to AK, and both times were only for like half a day!

I'm a big advocate of Animal Kingdom and how amazing it is. I hate when people say it's only a "half day" park. Oh how wrong they are. However, I think because I had spent so much time there when I was Stuck In Disney, there were just a bunch of other things I wanted to do more. And also once we got there I realized how different AK is in the summer! But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

It was another slow start morning. After getting ready and finishing packing I actually made Lee-Anne wait for me for once! lol. I needed to eat that last beignet. But she was getting restless so I scarfed it and we headed out as soon as Bell Services came to hold our bags until we came back from AK.

@babybritney: Eating beignets while you pack cause you're moving resorts & your trip isn't even half over yet is awesome. I highly recommend it!

YAY!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited. My beloved Animal Kingdom.

I saw this ad in the window and got EVEN MORE PUMPED.

That was the ticket Gina had purchased. That discount is like the main reason that she was able to come for a week instead of like 1 or 2 days. YAY DISCOUNTS! I couldn't wait for her to come!!!

We headed into AK and I was ready for an adventure!!!

I love this next one!

We're animals.

Then, all of a sudden, we heard all this commotion and growling. I recognized the noise right away. IT WAS STITCHY!

Oh that rascal.

Lee-Anne wanted to eat before we did anything else. So we went to Pizzafari!

I love all the ridiculously amazing art in this place but the pizza is a no. But hey Lee-Anne seems to enjoy it so who am I to argue? Again she declined a drink and dessert so I got a bottle of water and CHOCOLATE MOUSSE!!!

What a wonderful breakfast. It was your average Disney CS chocolate mousse. Not as good as what they serve in the TS places but still pretty enjoyable.

@babybritney: I eat desserts for a living and no one's mad.

Here is Lee-Anne's pizza and salad. D:

I went to the bathroom and noticed this on the floor in the hall.

I love how I always notice new things in here! I guess it's good my friends like Disney pizza cause at least I get to come in and enjoy the art while they eat!

After Lee-Anne finished up we set out into the kingdom.

I love the zebras, cheetahs, and giraffes atop this building!

We made it over to where they don't say goodbye, they say go well. AFRICA!

It was there that we ran into DEVINE!!!!!!!!!!! Not literally. That would have been awkward.

She is just so beautiful and talented.

I then made the best Vine ever. It's a divine DeVine vine!!!!!! hahaha

@babybritney: Devine vine #wdw #animalkingdom #disney vine.co/v/bEThjiPEKj0

What an inspired Vine if I do say so myself. hahaha

I love this band.

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[__disneygirl]

MAY 17, 2013
Day 5, Part 2 In Which All the Animals Just Kinda Hang Out​

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Our first stop was the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail because Lee-Anne wanted to see the gorillas the most. And why wouldn't she? They're so freaking cool.

But before we got to them we saw this guy who is my idol.

Sleeping on a log in Disney World > My life, tbh.

GORILLAS!!!

I have to say this was by far the least interesting experience for me with these guys. They were just sitting there and chillin'. If you have read my other TRs, you know about my epic animal experiences of the past so I wasn't that excited. It's still awesome to see them though, but we moved on quickly since we had a time limit.

I still took a bunch of pictures though bc I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

Don't hide from me, bb!!!

And as I've said before, I like that sometimes when you see them they aren't doing anything, because that just proves that Disney doesn't force them to perform for guests. They let them do their own thing, thank God.

Wouldn't be a TR of mine without some good ol' fashioned Gorilla Bootay.

To quote <3Saul Goodman<3, "God, you are killing me with that booty." xD hahahahahaha.

I think this picture is cool because if you look too quickly the gorilla looks like he is part of the rock formation.

Like I said, we didn't stay long. We had a flight to Asia to catch!

By flight, I mean we just walked over to Asia. Cause Disney is magic.

It was a Jungle Trek kinda day. Lee-Anne really wanted to see the tigers but I was probably more excited about my beloved BATS!!!

GAH THEY ARE JUST SO PERFECT

I LOVE THINGS THAT ARE SCARY AND CUTE AT THE SAME TIME!

They love watermelon and so do I. WE HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON!

I also noticed for the first time that there are huge tortoises on the ground underneath the bats! It was hard to get a good picture but I found that interesting. I always wonder how aware of each other animals are. Like what their thought process is regarding other species near them. I know that they know their predators and prey, but if they are just peaceful with another kind of animal are they just like "Oh, there's those dudes. They're cool." except in animal language?!

Hmm. I will never know.

Tiger time!!

Sleepy kitties.

There were no tigers by the pool or the windows at all. They were all sleeping. It blew! I mean, look, it's still fantastic to see a tiger right in front of you in real life. But I'm spoiled from my past experiences. Like, once a tiger looks you in the eye, seeing it sleep is just not as cool.

It is kind of more fun that you never know what you're going to see when you come here, it makes the awesome moments even more exciting when they do happen. They just didn't happen this time. I feel bad for people who go on once in a lifetime trips and miss out on animal action, though. It just makes me appreciate even more how lucky I am to go so often!

On my 2011 trip, these windows were not blocked off like this.

Hmm, I wonder why they did that. Over by one of those windows was where a tiger walked right up to me! It was an amazing moment.

I love these flags so much.

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[__disneygirl]

MAY 17, 2013
Day 5 Part 3 In Which This Must Be POP!​

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When we walked out of the trek, I saw these animal spouts on a food cart.

I thought that was SO COOL! Never noticed it before. Ahh, the Disney details.

The monkeys were playing!

So cute.

I was not very full from my breakfast of beignets and chocolate mousse and I was craving Yak & Yeti so I went up to the window to order!

What was awesome is that you can get a frozen lemonade as your dessert here and I LOVE THOSE! So I got that and for my meal I got the orange chicken.

I LOVE this dish. It comes with rice, broccoli, and carrots. The sauce gets all over everything and it's DELICIOUS. Yak & Yeti is just a win all around.

It took SO long to find a table and when I finally did and sat down, Lee-Anne couldn't sit because she was wearing shorts and the metal chairs hurt. Oh damn it. So we got up and walked through the tons of people in tables (STUPID MAY CROWDS!) and finally saw a bench across from the restaurant. How I did not bump into someone and spill everything on my tray is beyond me, what a feat! haha.

The bench was way more comfortable and not in direct sunlight so it all worked out. Here is a close-up of my delicious chicken!!

YUMMAH.

A Festival of the Lion King showtime was coming up soon so it's a good thing my meal was portable! We got going over to Camp Minnie Mickey because obviously FOTLK is a can't-miss experience on every single trip!

This show never gets less breathtaking. I have seen it so many times and I can't wait to see it again!

Outside I saw the same guy playing guitar who I had seen during #StuckInDisney12. Love him! And the little boy in front of him too, hahaha.

By this time it was nearing the time Lee-Anne had to get back to Port to catch the Magical Express. :[

I seriously could not believe she was already leaving. I felt like we had just arrived!

I walked her out of AK, we said our goodbyes, and then I went over to Guest Relations to add more days onto my park hopper. Thank God I didn't have to leave today! In fact, I wasn't leaving for a good long while.

It was time to go to Coronado Springs to meet up with Jess, who happens to be a Concierge/Front Desk CM at this lovely resort.

I was so excited because I had never been to Coronado before! I always wanted to though. I was going to get to cross another resort off my list of ones I have not been to yet.

Once the bus arrived, I realized I had no idea which bus stop to get off at or anything. I didn't remember which stop was nearest to the lobby (where Jess works) so I just looked out the window until I thought it maybe made sense to get off? How appropriate that I was meeting up with the Frump b/c it was a frumpy moment.

I figured even if I had to walk far it was no big deal, I wanted to explore the resort anyway! So many situations in Disney are just a win-win all around, I'm tellin' ya.

As soon as I got there I was just like GOOD LORD this place is gorgeous! I love Coronado a lot and really want to stay there now. Omg. I think after I stay at Riverside, Coronado will be my next choice. Unless I somehow get a ton of money and can stay at the Poly or something, but that's in a dream scenario.

I actually wasn't too far away from where Jess was and she had just gotten out of work so we decided to meet up at the fountain in the lobby.

Once we met up Jess started giving me a tour of the resort which was so fun! First we checked out the Front Desk area, and she introduced me to some of her work friends. Then we walked around the whole lake outside through all the different sections and ended back in the main area where I saw Pepper Market (CS), Maya Grill (TS), and the gift shop.

HIDDEN MICKEY IN THE LOBBY!

It must be so wonderful to work in place where you can look up and see a Hidden Mickey at any time. Jess is so lucky!!

I just love it here.

We walked around the whole lake. Jess told me that a lot of people complain about staying in Ranchos because it's furthest from the lobby and how she thinks that's ridiculous. I totally agree! It's not THAT far and the whole place is so gorgeous that I would not mind taking that walk at all. No matter where I stayed within CSR, I would not complain. It's all gorgeous!

Jess leading the way during my Coronado tour!

We went into the gift shop, which is so awesome. They even had a PIN-ata! Get it? Flawless pin puns at Coronado, gotta love it.

It was such a fun tour!!! I loved it. What better way to see a resort than to get a tour from your friend who happens to work there?! I didn't take nearly enough photos but it was great.

From there we headed back to French Quarter to pick up our bags at Bell Services. Sad face. I really did not want to leave Port!!! For the 85th time I am just going to stress how much I absolutely love it there and how much I think you should stay there. If you haven't considered it before, DO IT. If you've been on the fence about it, JUST STAY AT PORT. I love it so much!

There was really no room to be sad though because we were moving to my DVC home resort, POP CENTURY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jess hadn't stayed there in like over 10 years or something so she barely remembered it and was quite excited. She kept saying she wanted to stay in the 50's section since that is her favorite decade so we kept our fingers crossed! I really didn't care what section we got because I have stayed in every single one before and the great thing about Pop is that no matter where you stay, it's a fantastic area to be in! Seriously, there is no bad location. I LOVE POP!

On the way there Jess's mom called and it made me like her even more than I did when I met her. She is so adorable and Disney-obsessed so cheers to her!!

We arrived at Pop shortly and let the second part of our adventure begin! WOO!

Jess loved all the display cases in the lobby, especially this one:

I had soooo many books just like that Pocahontas one. I think I had every Disney movie from the 90's. You would press the buttons on the side that corresponded with each page and they would make a sound from the movie. I was OBSESSED with them!

Upon check-in, the CM handed me the map and right away I noticed that our building was circled and that it was in the 50's section. I told Jess and she freaked! Her excitement was so cute. We didn't even put a request in, it just magically happened. YAY FOR THE 50'S!

As we walked to our room I felt like I was showing Jess around my place or something. I've just stayed there so much, Pop really feels like home.

YAY FOR THE 50'S!

We were on the top floor of the 50's building behind the Lady of Lady and the Tramp. Here is the view of the 60's section from outside our room:

AND HERE WE GO! Let's hit the restart button on #BirthdayFestivus13!

The rooms at Pop are very standard but I've never really minded. I'm not one that wants a ton of amenities just because I never spend much time in the room.

I do think they can make the Pop rooms a LITTLE bit cuter though, just because the rooms at the All Stars are SO ADORABLE and have better little details. And there is just SO MUCH to work with when you have the decades theme. As I've said before, I like Pop more overall when it comes to values, but the insides of the actual rooms at All Stars are better in my opinion.

Bell Services brought up our bags and we just chilled out for awhile and settled into the room.

We sat on our beds and figured out the rest of the trip. We changed ADRs to fit around Jess's work schedule and it all ended up working out very well. We also talked about where we wanted to go for dinner tonight. Our first DDP was ending at midnight with our Port reservation and we had to use up the rest of our credits. I realized we had enough TS left that we could go to A SIGNATURE tonight!! WOO!!!

My top choice would have been California Grill but it was of course closed for refurb. I was dying to go back to Artist Point as well and I really wanted to try Narcoossee's for the first time. Jess had just been to Narcoossee's the week before so Artist Point won! YAY!

You can't book a Signature online for the same day so I had to call. I told the CM it was a birthday reservation and started small talk and we realized it was the same CM I had spoken to weeks ago when I added a birthday note onto our Chef Mickey's ADR! She was super sassy and fun and excited about our birthday trip, I loved her! She was like "I remember you, you and your girlfriends are all celebrating your birthdays together! One of you is older and the other one's a baby! How is your trip going?" hahaha I love her.

The only thing is, Jess and I were pretty hungry at the current moment and we had CS credits left to use. So we decided we'd have to have two dinners, one now and one around 9pm when our Artist Point ADR rolled around. Yeah... we eat a lot and no one's mad!!!

I really wanted to walk over to Art of Animation to use up our last CS credits because that place is PERFECT and has by far the best food court anywhere. I love Everything Pop, but they have changed the menu which I wasn't thrilled with. However, I was just dying to get over to AoA!!! Let's go!​

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[DisneyKid4Life]

Ok, so is the pizza in Pizzafari and other places different (Via Napoloi excluded of course)? I've only ever had Pizzafari pizza, which I thought was ok but not great, but if it's better elsewhere (like Pizza Planet), inquiring minds want to know. Or maybe I just completely misunderstood and you just don't like Disney pizza.

Clearly DiVine is what Vine was made for!! Well done!! I love that tree.

Ha, "Better Call Saul"!! OMG I am so looking forward to that show!!!

Yay for POP!!! I came so close to booking either Port or Coronado for this December, but the money saved meant an extra day. Pretty good trade off I think!!

I haven't even seen Port yet, but Coronado is truly stunning.

OK, ready for AoA now!

 

[__disneygirl]

Ok, so is the pizza in Pizzafari and other places different (Via Napoloi excluded of course)? I've only ever had Pizzafari pizza, which I thought was ok but not great, but if it's better elsewhere (like Pizza Planet), inquiring minds want to know. Or maybe I just completely misunderstood and you just don't like Disney pizza.

Clearly DiVine is what Vine was made for!! Well done!! I love that tree.

Ha, "Better Call Saul"!! OMG I am so looking forward to that show!!!

Yay for POP!!! I came so close to booking either Port or Coronado for this December, but the money saved meant an extra day. Pretty good trade off I think!!

I haven't even seen Port yet, but Coronado is truly stunning.

OK, ready for AoA now!

Okay so there's what everyone calls "Disney Pizza" which is the pizza they serve at all counter service places that offer pizza including Pizzafari, Pizza Planet, etc. The one exception is Wolfgang Puck Express that sells delicious gourmet pizzas. It's not that this "Disney Pizza" is disgusting or anything. It's just like frozen pizza quality and they charge like $9 for it and I am like PLEASE. Being from the pizza capital of the world I would probably be run out of the NY/NJ area if I ate it. I can't imagine why anyone outside of extremely picky children would eat it when there are so many other delicious options at Walt Disney World. It's not like it's a good value or anything. I just don't get it.

The pizza at Wolfgang Puck Express and TS restaurants like Via Napoli is gourmet and fresh and nothing like the "Disney Pizza" served at CS places. Does that clear this up?

I AM SO EXCITED FOR BETTER CALL SAUL!!! Did you see this? http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/vince-gilligan-reveals-better-call-saul-details-20131016 Omg, Vince Gilligan sure knows how to please his fans. Seriously, I could not be happier with everything that he said. It's EXACTLY what I wanted. Like getting together as many BB crew/cast members as possible and sticking with ABQ and all that stuff. I am SO EXCITED.

Yay for one extra day/staying at Pop! Pop is so awesome, it doesn't feel like a sacrifice to stay there, you know?