Terra Nova Guy and the Raiders of the Lost Park - an August 2018 TR *COMPLETE* 4/28

[Jenny Sanders]

Brianna didn’t want to go on Kali and get her hair wet

Haha! This is the same reason why I won't ride it, too funny!

I heard Sprinkles was pretty good

So looking forward to one of these in May...

 

[pkondz]

Our first scheduled thing was a coveted Flight of Passage FP from 10:30-11:30.

Coveted... now there's a good word for it!

Well, I didn’t want to miss FoP and Brianna really wanted to go on the ride as well, so just the two of us went to AK, with Tish and Katie joining us later.

Too bad, they probably would've like it.
What do you think?

This was our second time walking into Pandora, but it was still impressive.

They really hit the mark on the themeing there.

The ride is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s Soarin’ on steroids.

Well said!

You almost forget you’re in front of a big screen with dozens of other people.

Totally immersive.

I would have liked to explore Pandora a little more – we didn’t even go into the gift shop

How did you get off the ride without going through the gift shop???

I can’t remember what she got, but it was most likely some kind of iced coffee.

She got overcharged. That's what she got.

I took the opportunity to take a Tree of Life picture, because why not.

That's what it's there for.

Being a non-coffee drinker, there is very little on the $tarbucks over-priced menu that appeals to me.

I don't drink tea or coffee. Unless it's iced tea (Canadian, none of this cold tea they have in the US). I like the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. No coffee at all. Yum.

Brianna and I had done a Photopass in front of Everest on the way there. Some of you may know that the shape of the shrine matches the peaks of Everest.

For a PP, I'm actually surprised at how poor that photo is. He didn't expose for you two. Then again... maybe that's on purpose since the background looks properly exposed and it would've been blown out. Fixed with a flash and a slow shutter sync, but... that's probably asking too much.

Katie won’t do this ride, it’s too intense for her yet. Brianna is happy about that because she gets two rides, just switching bands with Katie.

Lucky for her.

I like Everest, but the big drop after you go backwards is near my limit for drops, which I don’t like.

So, you don't like that part, or because it's not exceeding your limit, it's okay?

However, once again as opposed to doing something cool in the ride photo, it appears as though I am whistling. Or like @pkondz when he goes through immigration. One of those things. Oh well.

Yup. That's the look.

Katie won’t go on Dinosaur (it’s scary and in the dark), Brianna didn’t want to go on Kali and get her hair wet,

Disney World problems (as opposed to First World)

but we would get two anytime FP instead. I’m pretty sure it was for anything except FoP, at least I hope so because that would have been a pretty big fail on my part if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go on FoP again.

Probably not FoP… can't see how they'd manage that.

Anyway, the girls wanted to do one character meet but on the way to it we noticed Finding Nemo The Musical was about to start. I think the show is fine, but didn’t care much either way if we saw it. Katie decided she wanted to, so we all figured why not.

Did the girls like it?

I was puzzled that there was no Photopass photographer with her though.

That is... odd.

but it the ride was disappointing. We didn’t get wet at all.

I know a lot of people who would be saying they got really lucky if that happened to them!

We had done pretty much everything we wanted to do in AK during the daytime (except Donald’s Dino Bash which I didn’t even think about at the time...darn).

What is Donald's Dino Bash??

Since we had a very short time at Disney Springs previously, we wanted to visit again. I knew we would have to take a bus to a resort,

You can take a bus (depending on the time) from AK to DTD. (After 4pm)

Man those look good!

There was a significant amount of Halloween merchandise in this Christmas store, which was a bit annoying.

A bit strange, frankly.

1. We have a supper reservation. BUT it is not for a table service restaurant. Where are we eating? (there’s only one possible answer folks, google if you have to)

2. We return to AK today for one other thing at night that we haven’t done. What is it?

3. Do any of us ride any attraction tonight? (just yes or no, but bonus points if you want to guess an attraction)

1. no clue and I'm too lazy to google
2. Tree of Life Awakening
3. no

 

[kastoney]

After our late night at MNSSHP we had planned a sleep in morning at the resort, before heading to AK. Our first scheduled thing was a coveted Flight of Passage FP from 10:30-11:30.

Wow, we really kept missing each other. I'm 99% sure our FOP FP was right around the same time!!!!

Being a non-coffee drinker, there is very little on the $tarbucks over-priced menu that appeals to me. One of the few things I’ll get is a chai tea, but in the August heat the last thing I wanted was a hot drink.

I'm not a big coffee drinker nor Starbucks fan, but if you find yourself there again this summer I recently discovered their refreshers. They are basically fruit drinks, but are infused with caffeine, and so good and refreshing on a hot day!

t was right about now that we got notified our Dinosaur FP was cancelled because the ride was down, but we would get two anytime FP instead.

Dinosaur was down 2 or 3 times during the week for us. Clearly it is in need of some serious refurbishment.

Is it just me or does it look like Mulan put on the wrong outfit this morning

I also find this ride very short, especially compared to Popeye’s over at “the dark side”.

It is way too short. Even shorter than the one at our local amusement park which in my mind is just a travesty.

We have yet to try these, but that rainbow sprinkle one looks so good to me!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Yay, so glad you got to experience FoP! I love this ride!

I have read that the g force on EE is so significant that it does feel like you are going in a loop, yuck! I enjoyed the ride until that part after you go backwards then it was like my neck was going to snap. I don’t like it, haha! Andi will ride it over and over, I think her record is 9 times in a row!

Dinosaur was down several times for us to. We have not done Kali in so long, Andi hates getting wet.

I think you went to Pizzafari to eat
Rivers of Light
Yes, A Bugs Life

 

[Steppesister]

Although the FoP FP queue cuts out some interesting stuff, there is still a bit of a process and multiple loading stations to get through before you’re actually on the ride.

Never been through the regular line. Maybe at RD someday...

I have a lot of writing with no pictures, so here is a random photo of some Pandoran flora.

I never get tired of that!

I took the opportunity to take a Tree of Life picture, because why not.

Never a good reason to not.

I had read of a unique frozen chai tea at the Royal Andapur Tea Company kiosk in Asia, which was on the way. I believe this is the only place in WDW you can get this drink and I really enjoyed it.

YESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!


My fave!!

Little details like this amuse me.

Amuse you...? That's a major reason I even go!!

GREAT shot!

I had read somewhere that the feeling in your stomach is not as bad on drops if you exhale during the drop. I tried this and it did seem to work.

Huh! I"ve never heard this. They don't bother me though, but this is good information.

t was right about now that we got notified our Dinosaur FP was cancelled because the ride was down, but we would get two anytime FP instead.

D'oh! But I'm glad they made up for it.

I have no picture to share since I didn’t take my phone, but it the ride was disappointing. We didn’t get wet at all. I don’t mind not getting soaked, but a few splashes are expected.

Well, poop. I've ridden it twice and both times got completely, dripping wet drenched. I hate that. It gives me IBS.

(Itchy Butt Syndrome)

There was a significant amount of Halloween merchandise in this Christmas store, which was a bit annoying.

Yeah, Annoyance O' Meter would be rising.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

That's not so easy to do on FOP anyway because the queue takes so long. I did this once with Mike and the two rides took a full hour. I was with Mike and I kind of felt bad leaving him for so long, so this past trip I just went on once.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. It probably would have been hard to pull off two rides within the FP window.

Wow, we really kept missing each other. I'm 99% sure our FOP FP was right around the same time!!!!

Drat! I had thought about sending you a FB message all trip but with all the coming and going I was barely on FB. Perhaps our paths will cross again one day.

I'm not a big coffee drinker nor Starbucks fan, but if you find yourself there again this summer I recently discovered their refreshers. They are basically fruit drinks, but are infused with caffeine, and so good and refreshing on a hot day!

Good to know. That would be more my style. Although I really did enjoy that frozen chai tea.

Is it just me or does it look like Mulan put on the wrong outfit this morning

Hehe. You know, I was going to say something along those lines. I also don't really like the re-designed outfit (and it's nothing to do with my reasons for disliking Jasmine's new outfit ). I don't remember seeing Pocahontas dressed like that in the film, especially without that iconic blue necklace.
To me it just looks like the girls met a random Asian lady dressed in generic native American clothes.

I have read that the g force on EE is so significant that it does feel like you are going in a loop, yuck! I enjoyed the ride until that part after you go backwards then it was like my neck was going to snap. I don’t like it, haha! Andi will ride it over and over, I think her record is 9 times in a row!

I can believe that g force! Overall I do like Everest, but that backwards-drop combo makes me nervous. I relax a bit after it's over.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Coveted... now there's a good word for it!

I don't if it's changed since, but that FoP FP was not easy to get. This was Day 8 of our trip, so when I booked at our 60 day out mark - first thing in the morning, this was the first day I could get. Meaning if someone had a trip of a week or less, they probably weren't getting FP even on their 60 day mark.

Too bad, they probably would've like it.
What do you think?

I think Tish would have liked it. Katie, not sure. She loves Soarin' and is building up her courage on rides (this trip was the first time she did BTMRR) but she's still a bit timid. I think she would have liked it, but was nervous about having to sit by herself on the bike.

How did you get off the ride without going through the gift shop???

I was shocked. They built a side path right before the gift shop for dollar-challenged escapees to use. I couldn't believe it.

I like the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. No coffee at all. Yum.

Hmmm...I must make note of that. I love anything vanilla.

For a PP, I'm actually surprised at how poor that photo is. He didn't expose for you two. Then again... maybe that's on purpose since the background looks properly exposed and it would've been blown out. Fixed with a flash and a slow shutter sync, but... that's probably asking too much.

All the pictures from that session were bad. The one I posted was probably the best. I give some leeway for the angle of the sun, which was at our backs. But the close up shots were out of focus (focused on the background, not our faces) and the others had the issues you mention. It's my pet peeve with Photopass. I always buy it and I think it's worth it, but there is a lot of hit or miss with the photographers. We tend to do as many pictures as we can, to hope we get some decent ones. This trip we had over 450 photos, but I would say less than 100 were decent ones.

So, you don't like that part, or because it's not exceeding your limit, it's okay?

Hmmm...yeah I didn't word that very well (I actually edited the post since).
I tolerate that drop. That fact it has a bit of a curve to it makes it better for me. I really don't like the straight down drops like Splash Mountain.
So overall I like Everest, but the big drop after going backwards makes me nervous. One that's over, I relax more on the ride.

Did the girls like it?

Everybody thought it was fine. I think was our 3rd time seeing the show. It's an OK show, worth watching once, but it doesn't have the repeatability like Festival of the Lion King, at least not for me. I think if we get back again, we would probably skip Nemo.

What is Donald's Dino Bash??

It started last May. Basically Donald and the Duck Tales characters with dinosaur themed costumes and a dance party, I think. It was something that if I walked past would have stopped, but didn't feel like going too far out of my way for. Had it not been just past noon in the August sun, we may have gone to see it.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/entertainment/animal-kingdom/donalds-dino-bash/

You can take a bus (depending on the time) from AK to DTD. (After 4pm)

Yeah, I did know that. I think the time was between 1-2 pm when we left. So had to hit a resort first.

Man those look good!

They were fine. I have had better. But I have had much worse. I wouldn't make a special trip, but if you walk past and want a snack, it's a good choice.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Never been through the regular line. Maybe at RD someday...

I hope the next trip I do, the lines have calmed down a little (although I just read an article yesterday that FoP had a 6 hour wait this past holiday weekend). I would like to see the SB queue for all the extra details, especially that Navi floating in the chamber.

Amuse you...? That's a major reason I even go!!

True. I have become more aware of a lot of those details since reading the boards the last couple years. I feel like such a nerd when I mention it to my family. They just go "Oh, OK" and then go on about their day. I'm glad there are others who appreciate it.

GREAT shot!

Thanks! You know, I really did take some inspiration from you, I wasn't just blowing smoke up your alien swirling saucer.
I suspect if I was a better trained photographer, I could have done something with exposure or white balance or those technical things you pros talk about, so the mountain/background wasn't as washed out, but for using the "auto" setting it turned out fairly well. I like the fact that I cut out the crowd, so if you didn't know, you might not think it was a photo from WDW.

Huh! I"ve never heard this. They don't bother me though, but this is good information.

I read it somewhere on the boards I think. I don't know if exhaling makes the feeling in the pit of your stomach less, or if it just distracts you form the drop, but it seemed to work. I also read that looking down would help, but that would completely ruin the ride photo.

I've ridden it twice and both times got completely, dripping wet drenched. I hate that. It gives me IBS.

You'll have to ride with me. I've done it every trip, I think, and never had more than a splash.
I'm not a fan of getting soaked. But in the August heat I would be OK with it.

D'oh! But I'm glad they made up for it.

We weren't too upset Dinosaur was down. I like the ride, but it's not a must-do.

Yeah, Annoyance O' Meter would be rising.

I was very puzzled by that fact that half the Christmas store was Halloween carp.
We really expected to find a nice stocking or something there. I actually asked a CM about it and he kind of shrugged and said "it's Halloween". I had the sense he was annoyed too.

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a pretty good time at AK! I've never ridden KRR just because I don't want to get soaked

1. We have a supper reservation. BUT it is not for a table service restaurant. Where are we eating? (there’s only one possible answer folks, google if you have to)- I'm kinda stumped..the Rivers of Light dessert party??

2. We return to AK today for one other thing at night that we haven’t done. What is it? - Rivers of Light

3. Do any of us ride any attraction tonight? (just yes or no, but bonus points if you want to guess an attraction) Yes- Dinosaur

 

[pkondz]

I don't if it's changed since, but that FoP FP was not easy to get. This was Day 8 of our trip, so when I booked at our 60 day out mark - first thing in the morning, this was the first day I could get. Meaning if someone had a trip of a week or less, they probably weren't getting FP even on their 60 day mark.

Hmmm... uh oh...

Our (mine and DD21... 22 when we go) trip FP date is March 1st... and the trip is only 4 days long (at WDW)...
it's the one ride she's most looking forward to...

I think Tish would have liked it. Katie, not sure. She loves Soarin' and is building up her courage on rides (this trip was the first time she did BTMRR) but she's still a bit timid. I think she would have liked it, but was nervous about having to sit by herself on the bike.

And... let her do it at her pace. Personally I think that's always the best way to ensure kids enjoy themselves and want to go back.

I was shocked. They built a side path right before the gift shop for dollar-challenged escapees to use. I couldn't believe it.

Huh! didn't notice that when I went. Will definitely look for it.

Hmmm...I must make note of that. I love anything vanilla.

I get mine double blended otherwise I find the ice chunks get stuck in the straw.

All the pictures from that session were bad. The one I posted was probably the best. I give some leeway for the angle of the sun, which was at our backs. But the close up shots were out of focus (focused on the background, not our faces) and the others had the issues you mention. It's my pet peeve with Photopass. I always buy it and I think it's worth it, but there is a lot of hit or miss with the photographers. We tend to do as many pictures as we can, to hope we get some decent ones. This trip we had over 450 photos, but I would say less than 100 were decent ones.

100/450 is not that great a ratio... especially when you're paying for it. I'm sorry, but if you ask a random stranger to take a photo, you get what you get... but if it's being paid for... I expect (demand) professional, or at least much higher than average, results.

Hmmm...yeah I didn't word that very well (I actually edited the post since).
I tolerate that drop. That fact it has a bit of a curve to it makes it better for me. I really don't like the straight down drops like Splash Mountain.
So overall I like Everest, but the big drop after going backwards makes me nervous. One that's over, I relax more on the ride.

Okay, got it now.

Everybody thought it was fine. I think was our 3rd time seeing the show. It's an OK show, worth watching once, but it doesn't have the repeatability like Festival of the Lion King, at least not for me. I think if we get back again, we would probably skip Nemo.

I'd skip it too... but pretty sure DD will want to see it. Maybe not. Hard to say.

It started last May. Basically Donald and the Duck Tales characters with dinosaur themed costumes and a dance party, I think. It was something that if I walked past would have stopped, but didn't feel like going too far out of my way for. Had it not been just past noon in the August sun, we may have gone to see it.

Thanks for the info.
I'm not really into characters (except for one particular mermaid wench) so would probably pass.

Yeah, I did know that. I think the time was between 1-2 pm when we left. So had to hit a resort first.

They were fine. I have had better. But I have had much worse. I wouldn't make a special trip, but if you walk past and want a snack, it's a good choice.

Gotcha.

 

[docsoliday1]

August 25th – Day 8, Part 1 – We Finally Take Flight

After our late night at MNSSHP we had planned a sleep in morning at the resort, before heading to AK. Our first scheduled thing was a coveted Flight of Passage FP from 10:30-11:30. After waking up, there were rumblings of “I’m tired”, “too much Disney”, and “my feet hurt” (if you remember, DW’s feet were in pretty bad shape). Well, I didn’t want to miss FoP and Brianna really wanted to go on the ride as well, so just the two of us went to AK, with Tish and Katie joining us later. I had made FP for all four of us knowing that at least Katie may not ride. The fact that you’re in a seat by yourself was not appealing to her. I was hoping to be able to sneak a 2nd ride by borrowing Katie’s band, but that wasn’t going to work out. Oh well, off to Pandora.

This was our second time walking into Pandora, but it was still impressive. Although the FoP FP queue cuts out some interesting stuff, there is still a bit of a process and multiple loading stations to get through before you’re actually on the ride. The ride is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s Soarin’ on steroids. Although for younger kids, like Katie, the idea of sitting by your self is intimidating, that fact is what makes this ride so fun. You almost forget you’re in front of a big screen with dozens of other people.

I have a lot of writing with no pictures, so here is a random photo of some Pandoran flora.

View attachment 383132

Nice! Good eye and good picture.

I would have liked to explore Pandora a little more – we didn’t even go into the gift shop – but we weren’t sure when Tish and Katie would arrive at AK. We were all meeting up again at Expedition Everest for another set of FP at 11:50. So Brianna and I went that way, stopping at $tarbucks a.k.a. Creature Comforts on the way (yes, I know that is the longer way around, but Brianna wanted $tarbucks and we figured had the time). I can’t remember what she got, but it was most likely some kind of iced coffee.

I took the opportunity to take a Tree of Life picture, because why not.

View attachment 383133

Because....
That's what one does at AK.

I think that's one of the few places at Disney that isn't exceedingly overpriced....
Only because they're exceedingly overpriced normally so Disney prices are pretty much their norm. I don't like coffee, so definite pass for me.

Being a non-coffee drinker, there is very little on the $tarbucks over-priced menu that appeals to me. One of the few things I’ll get is a chai tea, but in the August heat the last thing I wanted was a hot drink. I had read of a unique frozen chai tea at the Royal Andapur Tea Company kiosk in Asia, which was on the way. I believe this is the only place in WDW you can get this drink and I really enjoyed it.

When you come visit, I'll make ya some good tea. I'll even make it Canadian sweet so @pkondz won't complain.

Brianna and I had done a Photopass in front of Everest on the way there. Some of you may know that the shape of the shrine matches the peaks of Everest. Little details like this amuse me.

View attachment 383134

View attachment 383135

I did not know that. Cool picture. The PP picture is pretty lame...they have y'all in shadow.

I mentioned we had four FP for Everest, but we would ride in pairs. Katie won’t do this ride, it’s too intense for her yet. Brianna is happy about that because she gets two rides, just switching bands with Katie. I suppose it’s our version of child swap. I like Everest, but the big drop after you go backwards is near my limit for drops (and I don’t like drops). I had read somewhere that the feeling in your stomach is not as bad on drops if you exhale during the drop. I tried this and it did seem to work. However, once again as opposed to doing something cool in the ride photo, it appears as though I am whistling. Or like @pkondz when he goes through immigration. One of those things. Oh well.

Look up the "hick" technique. It's what pilots do when pulling Gs to help keep the blood in their upper body. I did it the last time I rode Everest and didn't walk away with a headache like I normally do. I've also found the front seems to be worse when you're going backwards.

For our 3rd FP of the day, I had again split them – 2 for Dinosaur and 2 for Kali River Rapids. Katie won’t go on Dinosaur (it’s scary and in the dark), Brianna didn’t want to go on Kali and get her hair wet, and Tish won’t go on either one, so I had planned on doing both and swapping bands. It was right about now that we got notified our Dinosaur FP was cancelled because the ride was down, but we would get two anytime FP instead. I’m pretty sure it was for anything except FoP, at least I hope so because that would have been a pretty big fail on my part if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go on FoP again.

I'm trying to remember when (think it was September's trip) we went on Kali and I remember thinking it was lame. To paraphrase the karate kid...
Miagi say Kali was no good. Miagi was right.

Anyway, the girls wanted to do one character meet but on the way to it we noticed Finding Nemo The Musical was about to start. I think the show is fine, but didn’t care much either way if we saw it. Katie decided she wanted to, so we all figured why not.

View attachment 383140

We then headed to Character Landing to meet Pocahontas (FYI, I think she has since moved to the Tree of Life trails). The girls were getting very close to conquering the Disney Princess Meet Challenge, so we couldn’t pass this one up. I was puzzled that there was no Photopass photographer with her though. Oh well, another one ticked off the check list.

Official Princess Meet Countdown: Pocahontas – 10 of 11 ✔

View attachment 383141

Good picture.

Katie figured that since she had already got her picture with Pocahontas, she could get wet now. So we went over to Kali River Rapids and left the other two to do some more shopping on Discovery Island. I have no picture to share since I didn’t take my phone, but it the ride was disappointing. We didn’t get wet at all. I don’t mind not getting soaked, but a few splashes are expected. Even going down the slide, nobody got wet on the splash down. There were two empty seats in our raft, so I wonder if the lighter weight had something to do with it. I also find this ride very short, especially compared to Popeye’s over at “the dark side”. I do appreciate the theming of Kali though.

Wait, I thought Brianna didn't want to get her hair wet.

We had done pretty much everything we wanted to do in AK during the daytime (except Donald’s Dino Bash which I didn’t even think about at the time...darn). Since we had a very short time at Disney Springs previously, we wanted to visit again. I knew we would have to take a bus to a resort, so we went to AKL and then on to DS. Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have been so cheap and just got a Minnie van or Uber, because it took a while. But at least I got to see the outside of AKL (if you’re wondering, no I did not go in although I really wanted to, but I was afraid we would miss the bus).

For future reference, give me a call. Even with being 45 min from Disney, I'd still be faster.

Once we got to Disney Springs we wanted a snack. I heard Sprinkles was pretty good, and not being ones to turn down cupcakes, we went there. I have pictures of the cupcakes, but darned if I remember what flavour they were. All I can say is that we enjoyed them (except their little trademark circle in the middle, which was hard, dried up fondant).

Next time you go to DTD, get the gelato. Especially if it's in August again. My wife bakes some amazing cakes and fondant, while it looks good, isn't really made for eating.

Since I've been soooo bad about replying to sooo many threads and haven't answered any of the other questions, I'm not going to muddy the water by starting now.

 

[docsoliday1]

Is it just me or does it look like Mulan put on the wrong outfit this morning

I looked and looked at the picture and just don't see that.
I spent a year in Korea and have worked with/been friends with several Chinese folks (guys and girls). I just don't see an oriental look here.
Not trying to be argumentative, I just don't see it.

 

[pkondz]

I'll even make it Canadian sweet so @pkondz won't complain.

 

[suse66]

After waking up, there were rumblings of “I’m tired”, “too much Disney”, and “my feet hurt” (if you remember, DW’s feet were in pretty bad shape). Well, I didn’t want to miss FoP and Brianna really wanted to go on the ride as well, so just the two of us went to AK, with Tish and Katie joining us later. I had made FP for all four of us knowing that at least Katie may not ride.

Too much Disney??? How is that possible?? I feel bad for Tish, nothing worse than sore feet.

Being a non-coffee drinker, there is very little on the $tarbucks over-priced menu that appeals to me. One of the few things I’ll get is a chai tea, but in the August heat the last thing I wanted was a hot drink. I had read of a unique frozen chai tea at the Royal Andapur Tea Company kiosk in Asia, which was on the way. I believe this is the only place in WDW you can get this drink and I really enjoyed it.

That frozen Chai sounds yummy! Putting it on the list for July.

Brianna and I had done a Photopass in front of Everest on the way there. Some of you may know that the shape of the shrine matches the peaks of Everest. Little details like this amuse me.

You are full on these little tidbits, I love it! I am going to look for this.next trip.

For our 3rd FP of the day, I had again split them – 2 for Dinosaur and 2 for Kali River Rapids. Katie won’t go on Dinosaur (it’s scary and in the dark), Brianna didn’t want to go on Kali and get her hair wet, and Tish won’t go on either one, so I had planned on doing both and swapping bands. It was right about now that we got notified our Dinosaur FP was cancelled because the ride was down, but we would get two anytime FP instead. I’m pretty sure it was for anything except FoP, at least I hope so because that would have been a pretty big fail on my part if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go on FoP again.

I am pretty sure FoP is not included on anytime FPs. Wouldn't it be great if it was??

Anyway, the girls wanted to do one character meet but on the way to it we noticed Finding Nemo The Musical was about to start. I think the show is fine, but didn’t care much either way if we saw it. Katie decided she wanted to, so we all figured why not.

I love this show! DH actually picked it for our anniversary trip over FoLK.

We didn’t get wet at all. I don’t mind not getting soaked, but a few splashes are expected. Even going down the slide, nobody got wet on the splash down. There were two empty seats in our raft, so I wonder if the lighter weight had something to do with it. I also find this ride very short, especially compared to Popeye’s over at “the dark side”. I do appreciate the theming of Kali though.

I've never done Kali but am trying it for the first time this summer.

We also went into Art of Disney and I’ll tell you why because it affects what we do tomorrow. We had always meant to get a character drawing for the girls, but never did. Katie had found a Lilo & Stitch drawing at Epcot a couple days earlier. Brianna had been looking for an Elsa one but never found it. We decided since we still had a couple days left, we would just order it, which takes 24 hours. It was nice because we had a quick chat with the artist who drew it.

I didn't know you could order drawings.....I'd love to have a Jungle Book drawing done.

1. We have a supper reservation. BUT it is not for a table service restaurant. Where are we eating? (there’s only one possible answer folks, google if you have to)

2. We return to AK today for one other thing at night that we haven’t done. What is it?

3. Do any of us ride any attraction tonight? (just yes or no, but bonus points if you want to guess an attraction)

1. One of the dessert parties??? Honestly, I am stumped!
2. Festival of the Lion King? Rivers of Light?
3. Yes, Dinosaur is back up so you and Brianna ride it.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Hmmm... uh oh...

Our (mine and DD21... 22 when we go) trip FP date is March 1st... and the trip is only 4 days long (at WDW)...
it's the one ride she's most looking forward to...

Hopefully things have improved in the months since. You'll have to let me know if you're successful.

And... let her do it at her pace. Personally I think that's always the best way to ensure kids enjoy themselves and want to go back.

Katie was really branching out this trip, having done Slinky Dog and BTMRR for the first time. I was happy with the outcome and didn't feel the need to push her. I suspect it was partly that she had zero interest in Avatar overall. She wasn't too impressed with Navi River Journey either, she thought it was weird.

Huh! didn't notice that when I went. Will definitely look for it.

The chicken exit is on the right just before the gift shop doors. I'm assuming we came out the same way everyone does, unless there are multiple exit points. I only did it the one time.

100/450 is not that great a ratio... especially when you're paying for it. I'm sorry, but if you ask a random stranger to take a photo, you get what you get... but if it's being paid for... I expect (demand) professional, or at least much higher than average, results.

I agree with you on the professionalism of the photographers. I'm sure some are just college kids they throw in there behind a camera with little to no training, and just hope the "auto" function takes care of things.
Having said that, we still pay for Memory Maker. If you had to purchase ride/Photopass pictures individually, you only need to buy 14 (I think) before Memory maker becomes worth it cost wise.

When you come visit, I'll make ya some good tea. I'll even make it Canadian sweet so @pkondz won't complain.

Sounds like a plan

I did not know that. Cool picture. The PP picture is pretty lame...they have y'all in shadow.

That was the best picture of the 6 we got from that photographer. If memory serves, I believe it was a young girl, probably a college kid they stuck behind the camera with virtually no training. I give some lenience for the fact the sun was behind us, but I'm sure a professionally trained photographer could have adjusted for that.

Look up the "hick" technique. It's what pilots do when pulling Gs to help keep the blood in their upper body. I did it the last time I rode Everest and didn't walk away with a headache like I normally do. I've also found the front seems to be worse when you're going backwards.

Interesting. I'll have to keep that one in mind.

I'm trying to remember when (think it was September's trip) we went on Kali and I remember thinking it was lame. To paraphrase the karate kid...
Miagi say Kali was no good. Miagi was right.

I appreciate the Kali theming, but the ride itself is lame. Especially if you've done Popeye over at Universal, which is twice as long (at least) and has more rapids and drops.

For future reference, give me a call. Even with being 45 min from Disney, I'd still be faster.

I'll keep it in mind. Yes, the Disney buses are not always the most efficient things. I probably should have just coughed up the $25 and got a Minnie van.

Too much Disney??? How is that possible?? I feel bad for Tish, nothing worse than sore feet.

I know. She made the "too much Disney" comment a couple of times this trip. One of the reasons I need a solo trip

You are full on these little tidbits, I love it! I am going to look for this.next trip.

I enjoy all the little details the Imagineers put into it.
I have another one coming in my next update that you might not know about (unless you read Mark's TR, he stole my thunder )

I didn't know you could order drawings.....I'd love to have a Jungle Book drawing done.

They had a big book (maybe a couple books) at the Art of Disney store (I suspect the smaller art stores in the parks would have the books too). You find a drawing you want and it should be ready for pick up within 24 hours. I don't remember seeing Jungle Book specifically, but I am sure they would have it, nearly every character is there. I believe multiple characters may cost a bit more, not sure on that. I think we paid $40 for the Elsa drawing.

 

[pkondz]

Hopefully things have improved in the months since. You'll have to let me know if you're successful.

I'll almost certainly write about it.

Katie was really branching out this trip, having done Slinky Dog and BTMRR for the first time. I was happy with the outcome and didn't feel the need to push her. I suspect it was partly that she had zero interest in Avatar overall. She wasn't too impressed with Navi River Journey either, she thought it was weird.

Yeah, I can see that being a weird ride if you haven't seen the movie.
"Enter a journey where we simulate you being high as a kite on drugs."

The chicken exit is on the right just before the gift shop doors. I'm assuming we came out the same way everyone does, unless there are multiple exit points. I only did it the one time.

I would think so?

I agree with you on the professionalism of the photographers. I'm sure some are just college kids they throw in there behind a camera with little to no training, and just hope the "auto" function takes care of things.
Having said that, we still pay for Memory Maker. If you had to purchase ride/Photopass pictures individually, you only need to buy 14 (I think) before Memory maker becomes worth it cost wise.

I don't do Memory Maker. When I'm solo, I tend to want only 3-4 PP shots. You can take up to 11 and break even, so it doesn't make sense for me. Maybe I'll change my mind this May... we'll see.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

It's just a shame they don't cover more of the park besides Main Street and The Hub.

So true. There is some seriously potential, especially in Frontierland! Also I'd like to see what they could come up with for futuristic Halloween decor in Tomorrowland. Maybe it's just images of all the robots that will take over??

Hallowishes is certainly a highlight of the night for us and this was no exception.

Such a great show- glad you got a good spot for it! I listen to the soundtrack at home around Halloween time.

A bag of frozen peas?

Don't be absurd. Peas are so 2015. It would be organic lentils now.

I can’t quite figure out what the giant chicken has to do with Halloween

And her part of the song is just irritating!

I had read of a unique frozen chai tea at the Royal Andapur Tea Company kiosk in Asia, which was on the way. I believe this is the only place in WDW you can get this drink and I really enjoyed it

That sounds delicious! I'll have to remember that one.

our Dinosaur FP was cancelled because the ride was down

What's new?

DW was hoping to find a Disney cat themed stocking for our new kitten

Alright your DW sounds like my kind of people.

There was a significant amount of Halloween merchandise in this Christmas store, which was a bit annoying.

Hmm merchandising was getting a little desperate...

 

[MeghanEmily]

Hi Jeff! Sorry for being away so long, but I got caught back up today.

Also, don't you hate it when there's only two of you but your ride photo is split in two? #firstworldDISproblems

That's the worst!

Oh my gosh, you all look so great!! I love your matching Halloween shirts. I remember reading about them somewhere before your trip, but they look super great on.

Below is the one and only Magicshot we managed to get the whole night.

Good thing it's a good one! I didn't get many magic shots at all the year before, so this past August I made it a priority to get a few more. But there's so much going on at the parties that it's impossible to do everything. I feel like I'm always prioritizing and sacrificing when we're there.

The girls, however, had one character they really wanted to meet – Moana.

The girls and I had this in common.

I knew they would be stuck in this queue for at least an hour and half, with no way for me to join them if I left (I don’t feel right cutting through a queue, even if my family is up ahead).

I kinda agree with you there. I don't mind if a family is in line for a character meet and they have someone join them in line part way through, because with character meets it doesn't really add much time like it would for a ride. It would bug me if one person waited in line and then 30 of their closest friends hopped in line at the last minute with them though. But it's nice that you're considerate of others who have been waiting in the queue and how they might think of it. And especially with that line for Moana though, I totally see where you're coming from because it was nearly impossible for people to wind through the line to meet people where they had it set up in the tiki room queue!

At least it's a good photo!

And the total wait time for those pictures? Two hours and twenty minutes – nearly double the estimate. That CM in front of the Enchanted Tiki Room is a lying son of a Beverly.

Wow. That's absolutely bonkers!!! We got "in line" a little before 5 when we where there, and there were already probably 20+ people "in line" waiting outside the tiki room queue entrance. The line started moving around 5:45 and we met her at 6:11. Still a long wait, but a little more reasonable. And I was very fortunate that Nathan hung out and played on his phone in the lack-of-a-line before it started moving for probably 25 minutes or so while I went in search of cough drops for me (I was super sick that day), and passholder t-shirts for us both, and MNSSHP pins for my pin collection. He didn't want to spend more of his party time shopping with me, and I didn't want to stand still in the heat longer than necessary, so it worked out well. But it's wild how much of your party can get eaten up with only one or two rare character meets!!

Hallowishes is certainly a highlight of the night for us a

Agreed! Such a great show.

This photo looks so cool!

I have to mention one “treat” we got was a pouch of applesauce. Seriously? I get that all this candy is likely given to Disney free as marketing for the candy companies, but really? Applesauce? What were the other options at that boardroom meeting? Kale chips? A bag of frozen peas?

I'm not-so-secretly a huge fan of go-go squeeze apple sauce, so I'd be thrilled! But I see what you mean. It's like people who give out raisins as Halloween candy!

Like most people, I can’t quite figure out what the giant chicken has to do with Halloween.

Me too!! I think it's cool to see her because she's not a common character, but I don't see why she's in the Halloween parade! Her place should be as like a rare character in runDisney races, or at special events as a character meet and green or something. The barn float is soo un-Halloween! And, side note, also a pretty difficult float to drive safely, according to the tour we did on our trip. So I feel like having it in the parade is a lose-lose scenario.

So, I have come to the disappointing conclusion that I am done with MNSSHP. My opinion – it’s just not worth it anymore. I have spent two parties now trying to recapture the magic of our first one in 2010. I think that magic is gone. The main reason is that the parties are now more crowded, at least they seem to be to me.

That's sad news! But I totally understand why. I'm getting kinda frustrated with them as well. I think you're totally right about the crowds. Couldn't agree more.

Anecdotally (from listening to a podcast, so I can’t say this is accurate), Disney is selling two or three times the number of tickets for parties than they used to.

This would not surprise me at all!! My mom and I went to a Christmas party probably 7 or 8 years ago, and it was amazing, and the park felt empty. But the Christmas and Halloween parties we've been to in the last 3+ years, while still fun for the most part have all felt soo much more crowded and not really worth the value of the ticket cost (which also keeps going up and up!)

The ride is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s Soarin’ on steroids. Although for younger kids, like Katie, the idea of sitting by your self is intimidating, that fact is what makes this ride so fun. You almost forget you’re in front of a big screen with dozens of other people.

So glad you enjoyed it! It's an amazing feat of imagineering. Such a thrilling and beautiful ride! I wish it didn't make me . But I definitely see the appeal, and I'm glad I tried it.

Some of you may know that the shape of the shrine matches the peaks of Everest. Little details like this amuse me.

I love this, too! A neat little detail.

I like Everest, but the big drop after you go backwards is near my limit for drops (and I don’t like drops).

Me too. I don't ride it anymore because of my head/neck, but even when I did I found it was right on the line for me. Though I think the backwards bit is actually a little worse for me than the drop for some reason.

I had read somewhere that the feeling in your stomach is not as bad on drops if you exhale during the drop. I tried this and it did seem to work.

Interesting! I'm going to try this!

However, once again as opposed to doing something cool in the ride photo, it appears as though I am whistling. Or like @pkondz when he goes through immigration. One of those things. Oh well.

Katie won’t go on Dinosaur (it’s scary and in the dark), Brianna didn’t want to go on Kali and get her hair wet

Seems like a perfect solution to split them! Too bad the FP ended up cancelled.

Official Princess Meet Countdown: Pocahontas – 10 of 11 ✔

So close!!

I do appreciate the theming of Kali though.

I agree. It's one of the coolest and most immersive queues/rides for theming, I think.

Yummmm!

We also went into Art of Disney and I’ll tell you why because it affects what we do tomorrow. We had always meant to get a character drawing for the girls, but never did. Katie had found a Lilo & Stitch drawing at Epcot a couple days earlier. Brianna had been looking for an Elsa one but never found it. We decided since we still had a couple days left, we would just order it, which takes 24 hours. It was nice because we had a quick chat with the artist who drew it.

That's really cool! Nice keepsake idea as well.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Our first scheduled thing was a coveted Flight of Passage FP from 10:30-11:30.

After waking up, there were rumblings of “I’m tired”, “too much Disney”, and “my feet hurt” (if you remember, DW’s feet were in pretty bad shape).

You can sleep when you're dead!

The ride is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s Soarin’ on steroids. Although for younger kids, like Katie, the idea of sitting by your self is intimidating, that fact is what makes this ride so fun. You almost forget you’re in front of a big screen with dozens of other people.

Glad you enjoyed it! I forgot I wasn't alone as well.

we didn’t even go into the gift shop

So Brianna and I went that way, stopping at $tarbucks a.k.a. Creature Comforts on the way (yes, I know that is the longer way around, but Brianna wanted $tarbucks and we figured had the time). I can’t remember what she got, but it was most likely some kind of iced coffee.

For $17.

Brianna and I had done a Photopass in front of Everest on the way there. Some of you may know that the shape of the shrine matches the peaks of Everest. Little details like this amuse me.

I love that kind of stuff.

I like Everest, but the big drop after you go backwards is near my limit for drops (and I don’t like drops). I had read somewhere that the feeling in your stomach is not as bad on drops if you exhale during the drop. I tried this and it did seem to work.

Huh. I hadn't heard that before. It's really all in the mind. If I can force my mind to relax and say "Hey, this is fun!" instead of tensing up, I handle it a lot better. I don't think the drop on EE is as bad as Splash, though. The curve helps.

However, once again as opposed to doing something cool in the ride photo, it appears as though I am whistling. Or like @pkondz when he goes through immigration. One of those things. Oh well.

Hope you didn't leave a little present behind in the train.

Anyway, the girls wanted to do one character meet but on the way to it we noticed Finding Nemo The Musical was about to start. I think the show is fine, but didn’t care much either way if we saw it.

I've actually never watched that one.

I have no picture to share since I didn’t take my phone, but it the ride was disappointing. We didn’t get wet at all. I don’t mind not getting soaked, but a few splashes are expected. Even going down the slide, nobody got wet on the splash down.

That stinks. It's fun when somebody else gets drenched and you can laugh at them.

I also find this ride very short, especially compared to Popeye’s over at “the dark side”. I do appreciate the theming of Kali though.

It is too short. Great detail, just not long enough.

I knew we would have to take a bus to a resort, so we went to AKL and then on to DS. Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have been so cheap and just got a Minnie van or Uber, because it took a while.

Cheapskates unite! I wouldn't have paid for it either.

But at least I got to see the outside of AKL (if you’re wondering, no I did not go in although I really wanted to, but I was afraid we would miss the bus).

Dang. Now you have something else to do.

1. We have a supper reservation. BUT it is not for a table service restaurant. Where are we eating? (there’s only one possible answer folks, google if you have to)

I feel like I should know this.

2. We return to AK today for one other thing at night that we haven’t done. What is it?

Rivers of Light.

3. Do any of us ride any attraction tonight? (just yes or no, but bonus points if you want to guess an attraction)

Nah. Because of the too tired and feet hurting stuff.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

But there's so much going on at the parties that it's impossible to do everything. I feel like I'm always prioritizing and sacrificing when we're there.

Yep. I think that's why I just want to take a break from the parties. For the 4 of us it's nearly $500 Canadian to go. For that price, I feel like I shouldn't have to sacrifice and get stressed over it. If I ever did an adults only or couples trip I might consider it again.

Wow. That's absolutely bonkers!!! We got "in line" a little before 5 when we where there, and there were already probably 20+ people "in line" waiting outside the tiki room queue entrance. The line started moving around 5:45 and we met her at 6:11. Still a long wait, but a little more reasonable. And I was very fortunate that Nathan hung out and played on his phone in the lack-of-a-line before it started moving for probably 25 minutes or so while I went in search of cough drops for me (I was super sick that day), and passholder t-shirts for us both, and MNSSHP pins for my pin collection. He didn't want to spend more of his party time shopping with me, and I didn't want to stand still in the heat longer than necessary, so it worked out well. But it's wild how much of your party can get eaten up with only one or two rare character meets!!

I'm really wondering if something happened on our night, like Moana had to take an unexpected break. Of course we couldn't see a thing until we got right up there, so I have no idea. But I have heard several other people say their wait was 45 minutes to an hour for Moana.

It's like people who give out raisins as Halloween candy!

Hehe, yep. I don't mind applesauce now and them myself, but I didn't think trick or treating was the place for it.

I don't think the drop on EE is as bad as Splash, though. The curve helps.

Definitely, it's much better than the straight down Splash drop.

I've actually never watched that one.

If you like musicals at all, Finding Nemo is worth watching once. The songs are actually kind of catchy.