"We’re not gonna make it, we’re not gonna make it!" Aug 2014 mini-PTR upd 1/8

[stacy~**]

Yes, I know we just had dinner but let’s get a snack-PART 4

After we finished our meal, Lucy and Aaron made their way over to the Tomorrowland Speedway to use their FP’s while Olivia and I went on over to Space Mountain for ours. It was a bit of a weird ride for me because the music wasn’t playing.



We met back up and decided NOT to venture over to Fronterland for our Big Thunder Mountain RR FP but instead we opted for a snack (yes, we just ate dinner) and then to stake out a spot for Celebrate the Magic and Wishes. This would be EVENT #2 that would be new for us. I am ashamed to say we have never stopped to really watch Wishes and have never really seen any of Celebrate the Magic.

First we stopped at Aunt Gravity for Lucy (a Root beer Float) and Aaron (Tropical smoothie).





Olivia and I had more celebrated Disney snack in mind from the Cheshire Café. Yup the cupcake cups were finally happening. Both were amazing but very sweet...I am a frosting girl and I barely made it through. Can’t find the name of the Strawberry one but it was a bit better than the Mocha, if I was forced to just get one (well we shared them…I am definitely not recommending you get more than one unless there is more than one person eating them!!).



We staked a spot in front of the castle for our night time entertainment. I was really blow away by Celebrate the Magic. It was like World of Color but I could actually see it (don’t get me started on the TERRIBLE viewing for that!). I loved the castle backdrop. Wishes was beautiful and familiar since we have seen bits and pieces as we usually are racing around Tomorrowland during it. It was great to finally see Tink.






After the shows we hit the Tea Cups and then made our way over to Buzz to use the FP I had gotten when we had decided to skip BTMRR. Aaron is really competitive about this….me not so much so he was pretty mad that his laser blaster wasn’t working right (yeah…whatever) and I beat him.





We took the secret walk to Fantasyland and rode Barnstormer, Under the Sea and Pooh.

We stopped to get this photopass picture outside of Under the Sea.



It was 11:40 by this point so we had time for one more ride. As we walked by the 7DMT the wait was 45 minutes and I really wanted to wait it out but I was over-ruled (we had ridden it several times in May and had FP's later in the week!) and we ended up at the Haunted Mansion.





It ended up being a pretty great night....SO glad we opted to hit the parks on our first night!



I have in my notes that we had good bus karma coming home so that was nice to read. 

 

[saintstickets]

Just found your TR and subbing in. Great start!! More please!

 

[Oodalally13]

I LOOOVE your skirt! Did you make it???

 

[marmalade]

Melted cheese on a bun, I have to say that is the first time I have seen that.

I love the "hey I got a good deal on a hotel do you wanna go in 39 days?" kinda trips. If only I could get my DH on board with them. He doesn't want to go as frequently as me and the kids, but doesn't want us to go without him either.

 

[SarahDisney]

Those cupcake cups look good ... but very intense.

We're also making a point of seeing Celebrate the Magic and Wishes this trip (we've seen bits and pieces of each, but never really made a point of sitting and watching). I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them - it makes me more excited to see them!

I love the picture outside Under the Sea - it looks great, and that's such a great backdrop for a family picture.

I'm glad to had a great first night! I hope the rest of the trip was just as great (I'm sure I'll get to read about that soon)!

 

[stacy~**]

Just found your TR and subbing in. Great start!! More please!

Thanks for reading and enjoying it! I have an update ready to post tomorrow.

I LOOOVE your skirt! Did you make it???

Yes, I did make the skirt! It's my favorite (although the first several days of the trip are my skirts). "Vintage" bedding makes amazing fabric. I was actually chased down by a CM when I wore this skirt for the fist time in May. Thanks for noticing it and reading!

Melted cheese on a bun, I have to say that is the first time I have seen that.

I love the "hey I got a good deal on a hotel do you wanna go in 39 days?" kinda trips. If only I could get my DH on board with them. He doesn't want to go as frequently as me and the kids, but doesn't want us to go without him either.

LOL. Cheese on a bun happens a lot with my girl.

Everyone was so shocked that Aaron agreed to the trip but little do they know my success rate is still super low since I ask all the time. Finally squeaking one in was amazing! Hopefully you have success one of these days too!

Those cupcake cups look good ... but very intense.

We're also making a point of seeing Celebrate the Magic and Wishes this trip (we've seen bits and pieces of each, but never really made a point of sitting and watching). I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them - it makes me more excited to see them!

I love the picture outside Under the Sea - it looks great, and that's such a great backdrop for a family picture.

I'm glad to had a great first night! I hope the rest of the trip was just as great (I'm sure I'll get to read about that soon)!

Yes intense is a good word for that cupcake!

It made a big difference for me to really take the time to watch them. I hope you feel the same way.

I know that Under the Sea picture is one I never would have taken but got home and it was there and was really happy with it. Yay!

The first night is always sooo magical because it is just beginning. Not to say the rest of the trip wasn't but there is something about that first night.

 

[stacy~**]

Relaxing pool morning!-PART 1

So when we decided to take this trip part our plan was to try a new touring style. See, over the years we have given into the pressure to be “rope droppers” but we are really, really terrible at it. We usually end up arriving late, no matter how early we get up AND we are night people and MUCH prefer to close the park. So given the bonus nature of this trip we wanted to try out sleeping in/relaxing in the morning and then arriving at the parks later strategy.

So we slept in this morning until about 8:30. Once awake we went over to Artist’s Palette for breakfast.
Disney muffin (blueberry) for me!



The girls split a cheese danish and both got Mickey waffles (hey it’s vacation).





I know Olivia got a side of potatoes (these were so yummy!) and I think Lucy got a side of scrambled eggs but I don’t have a picture.



Aaron went with the Bounty Platter.



After a good breakfast we went down to the pool. It wasn’t busy at all and was a really nice start to the day!











See I was there too even though the pictures barely reflect it.



At the pool I was able to switch our original FP for Soarin from 11:30 to later in the afternoon so we weren’t in any sort of rush which was great. This is a big plus for FP+ in my book! We stayed at the pool until about 11:30 and then started back for showers, etc.

Our wait for the bus to Epcot was terrible. At least a half hour. When our bus finally pulled up it was empty. We ended up leaving for Epcot on our own private bus. This is where our wait suddenly become totally worth it because he was the best.bus.driver.ever.

Once we were headed out the driver first started by playing all the most random warning audio clips. Ones that I had never heard before including:
“This is a family atmosphere so please no inappropriate language.”
“Please no standing on the seats”
“Please refrain from swinging from the hand rails”
There were probably others but we were dying laughing. Then the driver gets on the mike and starts with this:
“If we have any first time guests on the bus, Welcome!”
“If we have anyone celebrating a birthday today, Happy Birthday!”
“If anyone is newly engaged, Congratulations!”
He went through just about EVERY scenario he could think of. It was really funny. We thought about asking for a picture at the end of our ride since he was the best but we didn’t. Major regret now since he was so fun!

 

[sdomino11]

I'm here for the fun TR! And I NEED that shirt your hubby is wearing in the first post- the Epcot '82 one. Do you know where I can get it?

 

[ZehnJahren]

Oooh, relaxing on vacation. Now there's a concept! I'm a die hard rope dropper - and I get there before opening almost every day - but FP+ changed that on my May vacation. I was getting up late and still riding everything I wanted to!

Wow, those potatoes look really good. I would eat those right now!

Nice pool start to the day! I bet that was really nice! I have never ever thought of starting my day at the pool really, I am already in the parks. Maybe I'll try ONE day of that this trip. ONE. I like an afternoon pool session, followed by a Disney nap.

Nice bus service. That's a riot!

 

[Miss Whimsy]

subbing! looks like you guys had a blast!

also I stared at the first picture in the first post for a long time trying to figure out which one of you was the mom lol

love the homemade skirt!

 

[pharm55]

I LOOOVE your skirt!

Just had to ditto this comment!
Totally awesome and am also enjoying your trip report.

 

[SarahDisney]

Relaxing pool morning!-PART 1

So when we decided to take this trip part our plan was to try a new touring style. See, over the years we have given into the pressure to be “rope droppers” but we are really, really terrible at it. We usually end up arriving late, no matter how early we get up AND we are night people and MUCH prefer to close the park.

We're the same - we try for rope drop and never make it! Staying in the park until after closing is so much better (I think ... I actually wouldn't know because I've never been there for rope drop!)

Breakfast and pool pictures look great!

 

[stacy~**]

I'm here for the fun TR! And I NEED that shirt your hubby is wearing in the first post- the Epcot '82 one. Do you know where I can get it?

Thanks for reading and letting me know you are here!! Isn't that Epcot shirt the best? We got it out Mouse Gear (In Epcot). Not sure if it is available at other spots/or online.

Oooh, relaxing on vacation. Now there's a concept! I'm a die hard rope dropper - and I get there before opening almost every day - but FP+ changed that on my May vacation. I was getting up late and still riding everything I wanted to!

Wow, those potatoes look really good. I would eat those right now!

Nice pool start to the day! I bet that was really nice! I have never ever thought of starting my day at the pool really, I am already in the parks. Maybe I'll try ONE day of that this trip. ONE. I like an afternoon pool session, followed by a Disney nap.

Nice bus service. That's a riot!

Yes, FP+ definitely takes some of the pressure off trying to make rope drop...which is probably good news for the rope droppers. There will be less of us rope drop failures getting in their way now. BUT hopefully rope droppers will get so much done early that they will leave long before closing. Its a win-win!

See...mid-day breaks/pools/naps don't work for me! I'm slow to get moving but I just can't nap and the hassle of cleaning up mid-day after the pool seems like wasted time to me?

subbing! looks like you guys had a blast!

also I stared at the first picture in the first post for a long time trying to figure out which one of you was the mom lol

love the homemade skirt!

Thank you for reading!

Best TR comment ever (assuming you couldn't tell who I was because of my youthful appearance not that I am short. ). Seriously, thanks!

This is definitely the best of my homemade skirts....feeling like I shouldn't have worn it so early in the trip now. You will all likely be disappointed in all the rest.

Just had to ditto this comment!
Totally awesome and am also enjoying your trip report.

Thanks for reading and the compliment! I'm having fun writing it and it's great to know that others are reading it.

We're the same - we try for rope drop and never make it! Staying in the park until after closing is so much better (I think ... I actually wouldn't know because I've never been there for rope drop!)

Breakfast and pool pictures look great!

We laugh that we can only make rope drop at Disneyland when we have a 3 hour time advantage. Even then after the first few days we start adjusting to CA time and start to struggle.

Thanks....it was a fun, laid back morning!

 

[SarahDisney]

We laugh that we can only make rope drop at Disneyland when we have a 3 hour time advantage. Even then after the first few days we start adjusting to CA time and start to struggle.

I think of the 5 days I've done at Disneyland, we made rope drop once (although one of those days was arrival day, so we were on a plane for rope drop). The three hour time difference doesn't help us at all (even if we're up at 6).
I think there's something extra magical about seeing the parks all lit up at night ... so if I had to pick one, I'd chose closing the park over rope drop. I just wish I could manage to do both!

 

[stacy~**]

We would always prefer the evening also!

I think of the 5 days I've done at Disneyland, we made rope drop once (although one of those days was arrival day, so we were on a plane for rope drop). The three hour time difference doesn't help us at all (even if we're up at 6).
I think there's something extra magical about seeing the parks all lit up at night ... so if I had to pick one, I'd chose closing the park over rope drop. I just wish I could manage to do both!

 

[stacy~**]

In Morocco cheese on a bun isn’t easy to come by: PART 2

We make our way in and hustle straight to Spaceship Earth since we had FP’s that were close to expiring. When we arrive at SE we see a packed queuing area. Like I’ve never seen before. Even with a FP we decide to just skip it (knowing it will be a walk on later) and head to lunch. It’s about 2:00 so we are more than ready.

*Epcot confession time*
My World Showcase navigating skills are similar to my world geography skills….basically non-existent. It’s shameful and something I have vowed to work on before our next visit.

So we stumble our way through the WS on the way to the best counter service in all of Disney. Morocco….and Tangierine Café. Yummy!

NOTE: At this point in the trip my camera started with this weird dark shadow on all my food pictures. I apologize for this.

Ok…back to our meal.
Aaron and I both had the vegetable platter. A vegetarians dream!


Olivia had the falafel wrap.




Lucy (eventually) had her off menu favorite, cheese on a bun. Although the process to get it wasn’t smooth. Her original order was given to the family in front of us. Everyone was confused including the family who received Lucy’s sandwich as they were (or course) expecting meat on it. I actually took everyone else’s food to the table because it was taking SO long for them to figure it out. I finally was given a sandwich and took it back to the table but it was just a cold piece of cheese on a bun. Aaron ended up taking it back up and finally getting it melted. I guess cheese on a bun isn’t authentic Moroccan food.

This is the look of a hungry kiddo!



Once we finish lunch we explore Morocco for a bit.



At this point we need to make our way to Norway since our Maelstrom FP was expiring in about 10 minutes. I unsuccessfully had tried to move this to a later time. This is where my WS navigating comes into play. I thought Norway was Germany and therefore not as far away as it really was.
As we are walking we happen upon the character training spot by America. I was very excited since I had never been so lucky. Lucy was pretty mad that we stopped because she wanted to get to Maelstrom but I assured her we would make our FP.



We were able to meet Mr. Smee before the characters left.



At this point we were torn between trying to race to Maelstrom and see if we could get through just a few minutes late or to just slow down and enjoy our walk. In the end we decide to just slow down.

Next up Lucy and I got distracted in the paper map bead hut. I have always been fascinated with these and that moment seemed like the perfect time to look them over. Lucy ended choosing a bracelet for herself and her BFF. It took me awhile longer but I found a bracelet for myself also but it was slightly big. The CM offered to take it apart and take out a bead (or two). That was perfect because I really wanted that particular one since you can read the name of several fantasyland attractions on it when you look closely.




Around this time it started raining. I though the whole bead hut would blow over but it seemed like a good time to snap a few pictures.





We finished our purchase and managed to get over to Maelstrom just getting a little wet.
The wait was 30 minutes (and all the way outside where we were getting a bit wet) but we really wanted to be sure to ride it given all the closing rumors so we waited it out.





After Maelstrom we used our Figment FP. Where we got stuck outside the start of the ride for several minutes. Time for a silly picture...




We then saw Captain EO, used our Soarin FPs and walked onto Living with the Land. It was about 6:45 and we had an ADR at 7.

 

[SarahDisney]

That vegetable platter looks really good ...
I love Lucy's dress - it's super cute!

And Olivia is in the update - she's in the picture with Mr. Smee!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Maelstrom!! I am going to cry. Brian and I have back stories or weird nicknames for almost all the Norwegians on that mural. Like the windsurfers that are wearing xwing pilot suits, and that blonde woman who we call dharma (from dharma and greg, I think she looks like that actress jenna elfman dead on) or that creepy boy whose eyes follow you everywhere).

Norway is almost definitely not Germany, hahaha


Oh, I remembered a question I forgot to ask you about the Saratoga Springs villas. Do they have a washer and dryer? I hope they do.

Epcot character training is my new favorite thing that I discovered! Last trip we spent almost all of our last day stalking the character training, hoping for some rare characters.

 

[stacy~**]

That vegetable platter looks really good ...
I love Lucy's dress - it's super cute!

And Olivia is in the update - she's in the picture with Mr. Smee!

Ah, that vegetable platter is my favorite. I loved that dress and couldn't believe that Lucy wanted it since it is pretty young for her...that's exactly why I couldn't resist buying it.

After I posted the update I realized Olivia was in it and deleted that comment. We must have been on at the same time!

Maelstrom!! I am going to cry. Brian and I have back stories or weird nicknames for almost all the Norwegians on that mural. Like the windsurfers that are wearing xwing pilot suits, and that blonde woman who we call dharma (from dharma and greg, I think she looks like that actress jenna elfman dead on) or that creepy boy whose eyes follow you everywhere).

Norway is almost definitely not Germany, hahaha


Oh, I remembered a question I forgot to ask you about the Saratoga Springs villas. Do they have a washer and dryer? I hope they do.

Epcot character training is my new favorite thing that I discovered! Last trip we spent almost all of our last day stalking the character training, hoping for some rare characters.

LOL at your Maelstrom story lines (I loved Dharma and Greg....I totally forgot about that show). You will get some last minute rides, right?

The studios DO NOT have washer and dryer in the unit. 1BR and up do, I believe.

So who did you find at the Epcot spot? I was just happy to finally see it...we will have to spend more time there on a future trip!

 

[stacy~**]

Real Life Update!

I wasn’t sure when I wanted to share this but I am just going for it now. This week I was given an offer to be a seasonal Cast Member at our Disney Store! I am beyond excited! This is a huge step for me…not only because I will be working for the best company ever but also that I will be working at all (I’ve been at home for 12 years!). I am really hopeful that this will be just the touch of Disney I need to make it through this life I live in Ohio. If all goes well I hope to stay on past the holidays. I will be sure to update in a few weeks once I am trained, etc.

In other exciting Disney news….we bid on a resale contract for DVC (Boardwalk) and found out this week that Disney waived their chance to take the contract back so now we get to move on to closing. This is something we have been thinking about for years and more seriously researching since early spring. The contract we bid on is also loaded with points so soon I hope to be planning a late winter/early spring WDW trip and our usual summer trip (and debating if I should take a chance on trying to secure a DVC reservation at the Grand Californian).
So that’s been my REALLY busy Disney week.