Episode MMXIV: We Don't Say Goodbye, We Say Kwahirini (updated 2/28)

[khaleesi]

You guys ROCK!!! I was seriously starting to question myself! Haha. I am encouraged by a poll that was done earlier today and over half the people who voted said that the magic is still alive and well.

Having a bad time was simply not an option for me, so unless I actually got sick (which I *was* worried about) I just knew this trip would be magical. So yeah, I would agree that part of the responsibility lies within us... and I also agree that is true with everything.

When I love something, I love it all the way. And before I left I posted on Facebook that I hoped everyone had something in their lives that made them as giddy and excited as my trip was making me. Life is HARD sometimes. Finding the stuff that makes us happy is so important.

That being said... you all need to go experience Turtle Talk! I wouldn't say you need to be a parent to enjoy it, but getting a kick out things kids say probably helps. The technology is super cool and I thought it was one of the neatest things I saw this time. You probably don't have to know the movie itself to enjoy it... knowing that Crush is a surfer dude from Australia is probably good enough

And now.... I JUST BOUGHT TICKETS FOR BEAUTY AND THE BEAST LIVE!!! It's the touring version of the Broadway show that we all know stemmed from the show at DHS. Super excited!!!!!

 

[khaleesi]

Day One, Part Four​

I've been back for over a week now... and it feels like I was never really there. It's so weird. On the other hand, whenever I see a Metro bus I automatically look to see where it's going... expecting it to say "Epcot" or "Downtown Disney" instead of "Southgate Plaza".

So, where were we?? Oh yes... after a scenic trip over California, I decided to check on my room upgrade. I may not be delusional in regard to my thoughts on Disney, but that doesn't completely negate my delusions of grandeur.

The front desk was pretty crowded when I went back. I was starting to worry that I hadn't shown up soon enough and they were giving my upgrade to someone else. I'm not completely joking. Mostly, but not completely While I was waiting, I was watching one of the families get super excited when the CM handed them their box with their Magic Bands. There was lots of picture taking and I thought their enthusiasm was so cute.

It was finally my turn and I explained to the CM that I had checked in earlier but that my room wasn't ready at that point. I told him about the text I received so he asked for my Magic Band. He scanned it, and I looked all around waiting for the confetti to fall from the sky and the marching band to walk through the door to escort me to my royal room.

"Your room information was just deactivated but I reset it. That happens sometimes. You'll be in building two on the first floor in the Mighty Ducks section."

Ahhh well. It was fun while it lasted!

Home Sweet Home!!!

By this time, my luggage had been delivered so I changed out of my jeans and into a pair of capris. Did I mention how HOT it was?! I called my mom to let her know I made it and headed right back out.

My only stop in Future World was to go back to Club Cool. I think this is such a cool idea. I am a die-hard Coke drinker, although I've become very good at limiting it. But I think it's so fun to see what people are drinking in other parts of the world, since I don't actually partake in the "drinking around the world" aspect of Epcot.

I knew they had changed some of the options recently, but I don't honestly remember what the old selections were... with the exception of good 'ole Beverly.

Italy -- I didn't actually drink any this time. I have a very good memory of just how nasty it tastes. Although... did you ever get pop (yeah, I say it correctly. It's pop.) from a fountain that was near the end of the batch and it has that nasty taste? Whenever that happens, it actually makes me think of Beverly!

Greece -- I liked this one a lot. I love pineapple, but it was maybe just a smidge too sweet.

Thailand -- this wound up being my favorite out of all the choices. I really liked the flavor and thought it would be a nice change to your standard Sierra Mist type drink. I thought it was really refreshing.

Japan -- this was a lot better than I expected from the description. I think I was expecting something thicker like V8 Splash or something like that. But it was actually pretty good.

South Africa -- this was my second favorite out of all of them. At least that's what my notes say. I honestly don't remember what it tasted like

Zimbabwe -- this was waaaaay too sweet for me, although the flavor was good

Peru -- the description is spot on. "Liquid bubblegum". And in no way should that be considered a good thing

Brazil -- at this point, I probably SHOULD have taken a swig of the Beverly, because I could have used a palate cleanser. I have absolutely no recollection of what this tasted like.

I was ready to head to World Showcase!! I LOVE it here. But I had a big dilemma... do I go clockwise? Or counter-clockwise? I decided to head to Mexico!

Before I made it to the pavilion though, I saw my first character! Duffy!!!

Yeah, see those exclamation points after his name? I didn't really feel that way. I had NO IDEA who Duffy was. I knew they did the Duffy puppet things at the Kidcot stations, but aside from that I was clueless. But I thought he was really cute and I figured I was ready to test the water to see if people would be willing to take my picture... so it was time to meet the teddy bear.

As I walked along the path to get to him, I read the storyboards that explained WHO Duffy was.

And my ♥ melted. So sweet.

There was no photopass photographer with Duffy, but the CM was very happy to take my picture! Duffy gave me kisses and I was so happy I decided to hop in this line!

Before I posted any of my pictures on Facebook, I included the following warning:

1. I'm actually six years old.
2. I'm awkward.
3. I don't care.

The warning applies here, as well! Hehe.

Without further ado... my very first character picture of my trip!!!! And I'M IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coming up: SEVEN months of planning... how did I not take this into consideration?!

 

[ZehnJahren]

Aw too bad about the upgrade just being a fantasy! I am the same way; I'd have been imagining myself lounging at the CR by the time I made it back.

Thanks for all the close up pictures of the selections at Club Cool! Very neat.

And CONGRATS on getting your first character meeting and picture! Hope there are more to see!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Bahaha, I do that with local buses too!!!

WHAT???!!! No confetti??? No Marching Band???? REFUND!!!!

Ah see how important the story boards are for Duffy? So many people don't get him, or don't think he belongs. I, however, do, and I have a HUGE spot in my heart for that little bear, and you will eventually see why. So yeah, love Duffy.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I'm totally with you on Judi Dench. The day when she was replaced as M on the James Bonds movies was a very very sad day. Although I do think Ralph Fiennes will make a great M as well.

We love Turtle Talk. DD got picked last year for a question and she loved every minute of it.

Still haven't visited Club Cool yet to try to infamous Beverly.

 

[teekathepony]

On the other hand, whenever I see a Metro bus I automatically look to see where it's going... expecting it to say "Epcot" or "Downtown Disney" instead of "Southgate Plaza".

This. I do this too. Even the smell and sound of the busses in town make me think of Disney.

Aww, too bad about the lack of confetti and marching band. But at least your room was now ready!

I love Club Cool, but I didn't make it there last trip! This year I'm going with some newbies, so I'm going to make them try Beverly. You described it perfect -- when fountain pop gets low on syrup!

THANK YOU for posting those Duffy storyboards! I knew he was Mickey's teddy but further than that... It's allllll coming together now.

Love the pic with Duffy!!

 

[lovethattink]

Yes, to the strawberry shortcake!! Yum!

Jj can't have soda, so I can't remember the last time we went into Club Cool. Going to have to sneak in there sometime to check out the new drink flavors while dh has him entertained elsewhere!!

We've stayed at All Star Movies several time. Every time, I've requested the Mighty Ducks section. It's nice to be by that pool since very few people use it, preferring the main pool.

Great picture with Duffy!

 

[khaleesi]

Aw too bad about the upgrade just being a fantasy! I am the same way; I'd have been imagining myself lounging at the CR by the time I made it back.

Thanks for all the close up pictures of the selections at Club Cool! Very neat.

And CONGRATS on getting your first character meeting and picture! Hope there are more to see!

The daydreaming was fun... and like the New York lottery says, "Hey. You never know!"

Thanks!!! There are definitely more to come... including some very, very special ones! I am excited to share them

Bahaha, I do that with local buses too!!!

WHAT???!!! No confetti??? No Marching Band???? REFUND!!!!

Ah see how important the story boards are for Duffy? So many people don't get him, or don't think he belongs. I, however, do, and I have a HUGE spot in my heart for that little bear, and you will eventually see why. So yeah, love Duffy.

I definitely deserve a refund... although my royalty was acknowledged later in the trip, so I'm willing to let it slide

I'm definitely very happy they have those storyboards. Can't wait to read your experience... now I'm intrigued!

I'm totally with you on Judi Dench. The day when she was replaced as M on the James Bonds movies was a very very sad day. Although I do think Ralph Fiennes will make a great M as well.

We love Turtle Talk. DD got picked last year for a question and she loved every minute of it.

Still haven't visited Club Cool yet to try to infamous Beverly.

She made a great M... I thought they did a great job with that storyline. I gotta admit that I'm partial to Q. My nerd is showing again.

YAY that your daughter got to ask a question!! I really wish I could remember some of things that were said.

Beverly. *shudder*

This. I do this too. Even the smell and sound of the busses in town make me think of Disney.

Aww, too bad about the lack of confetti and marching band. But at least your room was now ready!

I love Club Cool, but I didn't make it there last trip! This year I'm going with some newbies, so I'm going to make them try Beverly. You described it perfect -- when fountain pop gets low on syrup!

THANK YOU for posting those Duffy storyboards! I knew he was Mickey's teddy but further than that... It's allllll coming together now.

Love the pic with Duffy!!

It's funny because even though I didn't plan on spending a lot of time in the room, not having it ready made me feel slightly unsettled. So I was very happy to have a "home".

Make sure you take pictures of the Beverly tasting!! I get such a kick out of looking at those. They even had a segment on the video they show on Magical Express.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't know who he was!! I love him so much now!

 

[khaleesi]

Yes, to the strawberry shortcake!! Yum!

Jj can't have soda, so I can't remember the last time we went into Club Cool. Going to have to sneak in there sometime to check out the new drink flavors while dh has him entertained elsewhere!!

We've stayed at All Star Movies several time. Every time, I've requested the Mighty Ducks section. It's nice to be by that pool since very few people use it, preferring the main pool.

Great picture with Duffy!

I could REALLY go for some right now!! I have frozen berries in the freezer since fresh here are gross, but they don't make very good shortcake filling.

The pool was definitely quiet, so that's a great strategy if you're a swimming family!

Thanks! I heart him!

 

[khaleesi]

Day One, Part Five​

"You think kids want to come with their parents and take foxtrot lessons? Trips to Europe. That's what the kids want. Twenty-two countries in three days."

Mr. Kellerman, that may be what the kids want. But this girl wants twelve countries in one evening!

I walked into the Mexico pavilion and thought this was really cool looking, even though I have no idea what it actually is:

As I mentioned in my PTR, I used to be a nanny. The two little boys (who are now in college. Ugh.) I used to take care of LOVED The Three Cablleros. It was not my favorite movie by any stretch of the imagination, but the Gran Fiesta Tour definitely reminds me of them, so riding it is a given!

I meandered through Mexico, trying to take it all in. I watched people take pictures of themselves wearing sombreros and I tried not to watch people eat. LOL.

I headed outside and noticed that everyone's favorite Caballero was posing for pictures. I quickly hopped in line, even though I would be having breakfast with this very same duck tomorrow morning.

Now I had a decision to make... I knew I wanted to be in the picture, since that was my main goal for this trip. I am the luckiest person in the world, because I am the aunt to seven awesome kids, ranging in age from 18 to 4. On our great big family trip in 2008 all but the four-year-old was there. Obviously. Ha.

I wanted to find a way to include them in my festivities even if they weren't actually with me. So the night before I left, my kitchen table was covered with cardstock and markers and stencils. I spent two+ hours making signs for all my babies. So I dug out one of my signs and waited in line.

At one point, Donald realized he needed to go buy some flowers for Daisy so he briefly walked away for a little while. Apparently buying (and delivering) flowers in Mexico is a pretty easy task because he was back very quickly.

It was finally my turn! And I wound up with this greeting for my oldest nephew (the 18-year-old):

I was SO happy!!!!! My original plan was to just handprint the signs... and then I thought of printing them out on my printer. I am REALLY glad I went the stencil and marker route, because I think the writing shows up perfectly.

Back when I first started planning, I debated back and forth with pre-purchasing the photopass CD. After winding up in the hospital and seeing the pile of medical bills, I decided against it. I wound up with a lot of pictures on my camera and not nearly as many on the photopass. I did wind up buying one picture which will be shared later on. But since the CMs were so incredibly willing to take pictures, I think I made the right choice.

As I headed toward Arendelle... oops, I may Norway... I snapped this pretty sunset picture:

I came upon the Stave church and realized that was where Anna and Elsa did their meet and greet. My research on this subject was that the closest I would actually get to meeting them would be saying goodbye to the snow-covered houses in Buffalo, and I was right. Luckily, I was prepared for this. Otherwise I would have been wickedly (ha) disappointed.

This is the line, which extended even further in the other direction and had already been cut off at some point:

I'm guessing that as a result of this line, the wait for Maelstrom was 30 minutes. Not feeling the need to wait that long, I decided it was time to try something I had heard rave reviews of in the past:

I wanted one of each!! But ultimately, I went with the School Bread:

A lot of dining reviews suggested this as an option, and normally I wouldn't even give it a thought because I'm not a huge coconut fan. But I thought this was delicious!!

Now... remember that picture a few paragraphs up? The one with the sunset?

Yeah.

It took me this long to realize that just because it's warmer out and the park is open till 9pm, it's still winter. Which means it still gets dark early. Seven months of planning and not ONCE did it occur to me that it wouldn't still be daylight at 8pm.



Which means the rest of my evening would not be going according to plan. I was in Epcot. Where I wanted to take LOTS of pictures! Oy.

It also occurred to me that some of my plans for other days would have to be adjusted as well. It wasn't my only boneheaded move of the trip, but it was the one that took the longest to sink in!

*sigh*

Oh well. I was still in Disney! And I had several more hours to enjoy this park... in the dark

Coming Up: Finishing up my Epcot adventure

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Haha, in April that first pic is where I hid waiting out the downpour outside. So whatever it is, it's dry.

Awwww I love the signs in your photos for some reason, lol.

Oy, all I can thing of is the misery of the Anna/Elsa line come July.

Yeah I sympathize with you Sue. World Showcase is wonderful (beyond wonderful really), but it's a little less so in the dark, at least for photos.

 

[wiigirl]

Wonderful update!

 

[teekathepony]

Your sign looks great! Very visible, and what an adorable thing to do! Omg that line for the Frozen ladies! Wow. Wonder if it will get any shorter by September... Lol
We sort of forgot about the early sunset too. For us it meant colder evenings than we anticipated! Lol

 

[khaleesi]

Haha, in April that first pic is where I hid waiting out the downpour outside. So whatever it is, it's dry.

Awwww I love the signs in your photos for some reason, lol.

Oy, all I can thing of is the misery of the Anna/Elsa line come July.

Yeah I sympathize with you Sue. World Showcase is wonderful (beyond wonderful really), but it's a little less so in the dark, at least for photos.

That line was unreal. As much as I loved the movie and really, really wanted to meet them I'm fairly confident I would not have stood in it even if it hadn't been shut off.

Thanks!!! I love my signs!! I'm so happy I decided to do it.

I'm not the best photographer anyway, so I was a little bummed. But I still had fun walking around. I just have a lot less to show for it.

Wonderful update!

Thank you!! And welcome!!

Your sign looks great! Very visible, and what an adorable thing to do! Omg that line for the Frozen ladies! Wow. Wonder if it will get any shorter by September... Lol
We sort of forgot about the early sunset too. For us it meant colder evenings than we anticipated! Lol

Thanks!!! My "babies" all loved them as well!! Tossing a couple ideas around in my head to turn them into a souvenir of some sort.

It did get a little colder... and I eventually would have preferred it if I was still in my jeans instead of the capris, but it wasn't unbearable. It actually changed fairly quickly but I think that may have had as much to do with the ominous storm clouds as it did with the sun setting.

 

[khaleesi]

Day One, Part Six​

I had just realized that it was getting DARK. One of the things I had wanted to do was see the movie in the China pavilion. But there were some other things I wanted to do as well, so for this trip I decided to pass on "Reflections of China". I've decided that it might be fun to start a bucket list that I can add to and subtract from on a fairly regular basis. I'm trying to think of the best way to do this... because I really do want to see that movie.

So instead of the movie, I wandered into the huge shop. The main reason I walked into this shop is that I had it confused with the shop in Japan.

This is the photo I took a couple minutes before walking in:

And this is the one I took after walking out:

I was really only in the shop long enough to realize it wasn't actually the one I wanted. Once it started to get dark, it got dark QUICKLY!!!

I had in my notes that I wanted to try something yummy from Karamell-Kuche, but it wasn't that long ago that I enjoyed my school bread so I skipped that. I walked around the Christmas store for a couple minutes before heading to Italy.

I wanted to snag some pictures of Italy, but again it was dark. Dingbat. I did manage to get this one though. I was able to play around with camera settings as well as my photo-editing software to make it viewable:

I love love love Lady and the Tramp so I'm glad I was able to get this shot. I have a framed picture of the spaghetti scene hanging on the wall by my kitchen

We have now safely arrived in the US of A. Time to cross something off my list! The American Adventure show was just about to start! I loved the flag display on the ceiling leading up the stairs:

I'm guessing that even on very, very busy days that this auditorium does not reach capacity. It's huge!!! We were encouraged to pick any seat we wanted, so I took something in the middle near the back. The CM who was introducing the show asked everyone who was celebrating a birthday or an anniversary to stand up so we could all clap for them. He then mentioned a young couple near the front (should have written down their names) who were celebrating their 50-something-plus anniversary... so there was more clapping

The show started and I thought it was AMAZING!!! I love American history. I wouldn't call myself a history buff, but I love this kind of thing. I thought it was so well done. It was for this show that I bypassed the movie in China and I definitely don't regret it.

So, after walking into the China store thinking it was the Japan store I managed to not actually by anything once I got to the store I wanted. I have a friend who loved Hello, Kitty so I was tempted to buy something for her but couldn't find anything I really liked. Sometimes having too many options isn't any better than having zero options. I tend to get overwhelmed with choices

I pretty much walked right past Morocco into France. I had seen the movie in the France pavilion before and it was on my list to do again, but I was starting to run out of time, even without taking a boatload of pictures. Princess Aurora was doing a meet and greet, but the line was surprising long so I just admired her from a distance.

Back in 2001, my sister and I took a very quick weekend trip to the World. My brother really loves Tigger and at that time he requested a picture of the two of us with the bouncy one. Happily, we were able to get that picture! So, for the special greeting for his daughter, I wanted to get a picture with Tigger and the Winnie the Pooh.

The line for this M&G was very short... probably because finding the actual line was a bit confusing. But when it was my turn, the two buddies needed to go do... something. I can't remember exactly. But it was promised that they would be right back, so I happily stood there with my sign. As we were waiting, the family behind me consisted of a mom (I would assume) and two little girls. They had the greatest British accents and they were chanting "Winnie Pooooooh" over and over. British accents are amazing and this was so cute. The two little girls were so excited when they finally came back.

And I was very happy that my niece would be getting a greeting:

I got lots of hugs and kisses!

On my way out of the UK, I bought a tin of tea for myself and some shortbread cookies for a friend. I realize that I can buy most of the available Twinings selections in my grocery store... but that never stops me from spending too much time there looking over the options! I LOVE my tea

Ohhhh look at all the pretty flowers in Canada that I didn't take pictures of Luckily, I've seen the movie before and it takes a grand total of thirty minutes to actually get from my house TO Canada. I completely forgot that I wanted to get a picture of the Tim Horton's items... just one of those things that makes me laugh since I have a Tim's on just about every street corner from here to the PA border.

By now I was tired. The logical thing to do was to stay for Illuminations. I just didn't feel like it. But I did watch the dancing lights on the Fountain of Nations. I thought I had a pretty good picture of this, but I can't seem to locate it. Then I headed back to the resort.

I stopped at the food court to pick up my mug, which would have been a complete waste of money on it's own since the only thing I filled it with was water the whole time I was there. But it was included with my meal plan, so I happily snagged one.

I didn't take a picture until I got back home, because I remembered that these were a brand new design. So I thought everyone would want to see them!

I brought my Fitbit with me to track my steps and my miles. I think the miles are probably a little overstated but I'm sure the steps are accurate. For comparison, on days I go to the gym my steps MIGHT come close to 10,000. If I don't go to the gym they're usually closer to 5,000. Bad, I know.

But... at the end of my first day my step count was 21,909 and the mile reading was 9.17.

I went to bed at 10pm.. and could not fall asleep to save my life

Up next: EMH @ Animal Kingdom!!!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

On all my trips to Disney, I still haven't seen the American Adventure. I honestly came really close last trip, but something else pulled me away. But I have no regrets because what pulled me away was so very amazing.

Haha, I could honestly listen to English accents all day long.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

joining! Obviously late the party so a random stream of comments follows:

************************

Sorry to hear about your MS diagnosis - definitely agree that you totally needed/deserved the trip!

I also totally agree with you about how seeing the billboards makes the trip seem more real ... I mean, if the heat didn't do it enough for ya.

Making it to EPCOT by 12:45 on arrival day is pretty darn good!

Those Nerd pins are super cute - I would have trouble trading any of them.

Your lunch looks really good! I can't think of anything that has as universal approval on the DIS as the Sunshine Seasons Strawberry Shortcake.

Nice of you to offer up congratulations to Frozen. And I got such a kick about the whole Adele Dazeem thing ... actually started following her on twitter, since, there was a fake handle up for that about 30 seconds after Travolta put his foot in his mouth. Also found a website that Travoltasizes your name .... for the record, I am Phoenix Scone

Love Turtle Talk - what a great attraction


Regarding the other boards here - I spend some time there but find myself spending a higher and higher percentage just on the trip report board. I think Pete commented on it in the last podcast that if you just read the Park Strategies board you would think FP+/MB were an unmitigated disaster and no one would ever return ... and then you go to the trip report board and while there have been some issues the majority of the people that have actually experienced seem to see the positives in it.

Always great when you need a book to explain who a character you are meeting is. With out that you would have had to pull the whole "Hi ... YOU!!! ... How are you doing?!?!?!"

Can't believe how long the lines are to meet Anna and Elsa ... I think it just is the new thing to do so people feel they *have* to do it which make the lines even longer making it seem even more *the* thing to do and it snowballs. Glad to hear they are (maybe) moving to fairy tale hall in Magic Kingdome where there will (hopefully) be a FP+ option

That's cool you brought your fit bit! My wife brought her's last trip and I think we did like 35 miles over the trip or something .... helps to make up for all the food we ate

Really neat idea you did with the signs for your nieces and nephews

 

[khaleesi]

On all my trips to Disney, I still haven't seen the American Adventure. I honestly came really close last trip, but something else pulled me away. But I have no regrets because what pulled me away was so very amazing.

Haha, I could honestly listen to English accents all day long.

Come on now. I saw the Canada movie on my second trip to Epcot! LOL. It's nice when you make a decision not to do something you wanted to and don't regret it for a minute because your other choice wound up being so amazing! I had several of those moments on this trip

English, Irish, Australian... yeah. LOVE.

joining! Obviously late the party so a random stream of comments follows:

************************

Sorry to hear about your MS diagnosis - definitely agree that you totally needed/deserved the trip!

Welcome to the party! And thank you... I was completely blindsided, but I really believe the bad is there to make us appreciate the good. It's a lot easier for me to say that now than it was when I was in the hospital

I also totally agree with you about how seeing the billboards makes the trip seem more real ... I mean, if the heat didn't do it enough for ya.

Making it to EPCOT by 12:45 on arrival day is pretty darn good!

The heat literally took my breath away for a second. I actually gasped when I got off the plane. Luckily, it didn't really affect me for the majority of the trip. I was SO excited that I got there so early!! I was figuring probably closer to 2pm!

Those Nerd pins are super cute - I would have trouble trading any of them.

Your lunch looks really good! I can't think of anything that has as universal approval on the DIS as the Sunshine Seasons Strawberry Shortcake.

I had a very hard time giving some of them up.. but it's what my sister really wanted me to do, so I did it.

The sandwich was very good and I honestly cannot stop thinking about that strawberry shortcake!

Nice of you to offer up congratulations to Frozen. And I got such a kick about the whole Adele Dazeem thing ... actually started following her on twitter, since, there was a fake handle up for that about 30 seconds after Travolta put his foot in his mouth. Also found a website that Travoltasizes your name .... for the record, I am Phoenix Scone

I just can't... let it go It's so funny to me. My Travolta name was Shane Baliely or something like that. Hahahaha.

Love Turtle Talk - what a great attraction

I'm so glad I finally did it! Just so cool.

Regarding the other boards here - I spend some time there but find myself spending a higher and higher percentage just on the trip report board. I think Pete commented on it in the last podcast that if you just read the Park Strategies board you would think FP+/MB were an unmitigated disaster and no one would ever return ... and then you go to the trip report board and while there have been some issues the majority of the people that have actually experienced seem to see the positives in it.

Really good way of describing it! I'm not a big fan of doom and gloom and it's so much easier to roll with the punches... especially when there is so much REAL tragedy and heartache. Sure, it's annoying to spend a boatload of $$ on a vacation and not get to do everything you want... but I prefer to focus on what I did get to do!

Always great when you need a book to explain who a character you are meeting is. With out that you would have had to pull the whole "Hi ... YOU!!! ... How are you doing?!?!?!"

Can't believe how long the lines are to meet Anna and Elsa ... I think it just is the new thing to do so people feel they *have* to do it which make the lines even longer making it seem even more *the* thing to do and it snowballs. Glad to hear they are (maybe) moving to fairy tale hall in Magic Kingdome where there will (hopefully) be a FP+ option

LOL... I am very grateful for the storyboards!! I almost walked right past since I really had no clue. And so glad I didn't!

*sigh* Anna and Elsa... I'm curious to see what happens now that they've announced that they are indeed moving to Fairytale Hall. AND the Mine Trip will be opening up soon! That's not gonna cause any congestion in that area

That's cool you brought your fit bit! My wife brought her's last trip and I think we did like 35 miles over the trip or something .... helps to make up for all the food we ate

Really neat idea you did with the signs for your nieces and nephews

I love my fitbit and was really happy that I brought it with me! It's hard to comprehend how much walking you really do when you're there.

And thanks!!!! I'm so incredibly happy with how they turned out! The hand cramp I wound up with was well worth it after seeing the end result!

 

[khaleesi]

Day Two, Part One​

I had a very restless night in Room 2701. Part of that was sheer Disney excitement, part of it was that I have a hard time sleeping somewhere other than my own home... no matter how much comfier the "strange" bed is. I did wind up falling asleep, but I still woke up before the alarm. I was out of bed at 6:15.

EMH at Animal Kingdom was starting at 8am this morning, so I got myself all ready to go and I was on a bus by 7:15. When I got to Animal Kingdom, I did the good old Facebook check-in, to which one of my friends replied "Don't you ever sleep in?" Silly girl. From my perspective, I *had* slept in... I'm usually up around 5:40. So I got an extra half hour. LOL.

I wound wind up wishing that all of the parks always opened at 8am, because by 9:00 I feel like the day is half over. Ha. (Ducking while all the people with kids shoot daggers at me for trying to move rope drop back even earlier!)

My pretty pink Magic Band was scanned to ensure I was, in fact, a resort guest and then it was just a short wait before I was hearing "aaaaahhhhh tapainya badaba beesy ba bo" on the loud speaker. LOL!!! I will NEVER understand what is actually being said there, and sure I could google it. But what fun is THAT? Everyone knows what I mean

With that introduction, where else could I possibly be headed other than Kilimanjaro Safari??

I liked doing this so early, because our tour guide stopped multiple times so we could take pictures. And then we had a little situation where he had no choice but to stop!

This is my buddy the Addax:

As we pulled up to a group of them, they got into a little kerfluffle and were chasing each other back and forth across the path in front of our vehicle for a good three to four minutes. I'm sure some lucky people on our trip got some incredible video! I'm happy with this picture, because if you look close enough I'm sure you'll be able to tell that he was looking right at me, shaking his head and scornfully muttering "drama!" under his breath

When our safari adventure was over, our tour guide told us that although our journey had come to an end, we wouldn't say goodbye. We would say "kwahirini", which means "go well" in Swahili. Sound familiar? Hehe.

Well, I obviously LOVED this. I've always been a huge fan of the Winnie the Pooh quote, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Having my whole family so far away is tough and I get really tired of saying goodbye... family leaving, coworkers moving on to other jobs, etc. So this little saying just brightened my day even more. I will use it frequently!

I still had some time before my much-anticipated breakfast ADR at Tusker House, but I didn't want to leave the general vicinity so I walked through the Tree of Life, marveling as usual at the animal carvings:

Then I learned just how tough it really is to be a bug. Gah. I just adore this show! Because of its classic Disneyosity, 'Mickey's Philharmagic' is my favorite 3D show at The World, but I think ITTBAB is simply brilliant... and mildly unnerving! But I love it! I'm one of those people who simply cannot kill things... and I've had to catch my fair number of stink bugs to put them back outside in recent years. That scent is spot-on

After depositing my bug glasses in the proper bin, I just wandered around for a little while. I walked past the photopass photographer by the Tree of Life several times before working up the nerve to approach him. I'm so awkward. But he happily took several pp pictures and this one with my camera:

It was finally time for my safari breakfast!!! Last I had read, Donald greeted you outside for photos and then some of his friends did the tableside M&G. That has since changed... this is the photo you get outside (well, not the exact photo. I probably won't be in your version ):

An absolutely delightful CM showed me to my seat. She noticed my button right away and asked what I was celebrating. When I told her, she clapped her hands and told me how happy she was I that I was able to be there. And the thing with Disney is... this kind of enthusiasm is genuine to me. It's not forced, it's not fake. And it didn't feel weird AT ALL telling this to a stranger. I'm kicking myself for not writing down her name.

My server came by fairly quickly with some Jungle Juice, which I didn't expect to like because I hate orange juice. But this was so yummy! My beverage of choice for this meal was tea, and I loved that I got to pick my teabag from the wooden tea box. I've always wanted one of these so this made me smile. It's the little things I picked the blackcurrant breeze flavor, which I hope I can find in the grocery store... that way I can drink it whenever I feel like I need a Disney fix!

She took a look around to see where the characters were and sent me off for food:

Clockwise from the top:
* Mickey waffle with syrup!
* Ham and cheese frittata
* Cheese blintz with cherry topping
* Beef bobotie
* Coconut currant sweet potatoes

I loved everything except the bobotie, which made me sad. I didn't hate it; I just think I wasn't fond of ground beef at breakfast for whatever reason.

As I was eating, Mickey poked his head around the corner! I was SO flipping excited!!!! He gave me a hug and signaled for his assistant to come take my picture. MICKEY MOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *squeal*

How cute is he all decked out in his safari outfit??? You'll notice there are no shout-out signs in these pictures. These ones were all for me

Up next was Daisy:

The CM who took this picture was an absolute sweetheart. Her name was Alyssa and she was from Oakland University on the DCP. She's a health and nutrition major, who laughed because doing DCP wasn't really related to that, but that it was such an amazing experience and that she was so happy she decided to do it. YAY!!!! She also asked what I was celebrating and was so sweet and engaging. I actually stood and chatted with her until my next friend came along and she took that picture as well.

I finished up my food, and then waited for Donald. WDW might be Mickey's house but Donald is definitely the king of Tusker. Mickey actually came back around before Donald made his way to my table. Mickey blew me a kiss on his way back around.

Finally, the star of the show came around to give me a hug and pose for pictures:

At this point I don't think I've ever smiled so much in my life. I was on cloud nine... cloud ten... by the time the trip was over I'm pretty sure I took a seat on EVERY cloud

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I love all of the topiaries at Epcot for F+G!

And what a great morning start at AK! No better way to begin the day at AK than a ride on the safari. Better yet, Safari followed by a breakfast at Tusker House which is my fav character breakfast along with O'hana.