*The Secret to September* 2015 TR COMPLETED 3/26/16

[MissMaryQC]

Nap TIME!!

After we rode with our 99 ghoulish hosts we meandered through the Rapunzel rest area, around Fantasyland and ended up back in StoryBrook Circus. We were tired, and hungry. I don't even remember where we stopped in for lunch, but we did. And it made us more sleepy! Mom was antsy, the crowds were getting heavy, but we had to pull it together! SO, mom said she'd go find a DSA near Space and wait there while Kat and I took a nice long ride, in the back of the train and took a nap.

BEST.
IDEA.
EVER!

It was nice and breezy, quiet (for a train) and nobody bother us. We rode around twice! We got off back in Story Book Circus and headed toward Tomorrowland. Mom had a great time chatting with the comers and goers in her DSA and was in a great mood. I felt awful here. Seeing how happy and chill mom was after having a rest and a smoke made me riddled with guilt. We were such brats about her smoking the days prior, but it's her thing.She knows it;s unhealthy and we don;t like it, but if it calms her down I should have been adult enough to just leave her alone. There were a few tears and some apologies, but we were all good moments later. And in line for Space! and then this happened:



I mean seriously! She could be dead! I am cracking up at this thing right now.

We then took a journey through time (I can not remember what the heck it is called), which Kat had never seen and I hadn't been on in ages. I love that ride/show, so cool how everything rotates. Then we used a FP to ride through the galaxy!





I was the champion, of course!



NOT! She beat me, barely.

Kat really wanted to get a few photos out on Main Street. She kept talking about how after the parade you can get photos with the balloons. I figured she meant with the Magic Shots... We made it out to the crowded Main Street as Festival of Fantasy was turning to head in. A TON of people were following the parade out of the park, and Main Street was a zoo. But we waited patiently for a PPP and took a few shots:







Then Kat grabs a balloon salesman and bam:



Dreams do come true! How cute is this?!? I had NO clue they would do this! Best photo ever. Mom wandered back to Tomorrowland for another stop at the DSA. Kat and I slowly followed stopping for these cute pics along the way:









I know it's a ton of photos, but it was the last day! We rode through Space with Stitch, Did the Laugh Floor and the People Mover:





We had another FP for one final ride on Space before heading back into FantasyLand:


Heehee, and that, folks, you'll have to wait for!

TTFN!​

 

[Chicago Mo]

seriously you are all so darn cute!!!! the pictures on the carousel are a dang riot! Glad Mom was able to chill for a few and you did get a great balloon shot! i want to do that!!!

YAY for a nap! funny you were able to nap on the train but not Carousel of Progress?!?!

 

[afwdwfan]

Poor Donald was so cute, but his photographer was blah, to say the least. We had such a cute interaction with him, pointing laughing, you know the drill. NO PHOTOS. He took one of my mom's hug and stopped, to pick his nose I guess. There isn't another shot until we posed. I actually called when we got home cause I thought it was part of the download malfunction I experienced, nope. Oh well! We'll see Donald again soon.

That stinks. I'm glad that Donald was good, but when you're expecting PP to take care of the pictures and they don't it is always a big disappointment.

Kat came out, and while mom left for a DSA, she and I devoured a cinnamon bun. Oh boy are those things gooood! That could easily be a breakfast for me.

Those cinnamon rolls are awesome!

He made such a great comment about my outfit. He said (paraphrasing) "So, you thought you'd dress like Belle to win my heart? You know, if'd you'd have dressed like me you'd have a better chance!" I died laughing, seriously. He was so good

That's great! I'm glad that Gaston was so worthwhile for you!

But the relax was exactly what we needed to face a few mountains! We used Kat's CM FPs to get on Splash and BTMRR. Splash was an important one as we needed to recreate a family photo... That I don't have. That's right. Kat has it. In Orlando. So I can't post it. FAIL. But here's the second one:

Thank goodness for CM FPs! Too bad you don't have the original picture, but the new version isn't half bad.

We walked through Liberty Square for a ride on HM. The line was kinda long so we used a FP. I gotta tell ya, I don't know what we would have done without those bad boys. We were not prepared for just how crowded it was.

HM is always ridiculous anymore. Ever since they started FP+ this line has always been way too long.

 

[afwdwfan]

Kat and I took a nice long ride, in the back of the train and took a nap.

Wait... what? You napped on the train? For 2 full loops???? Holy crap! That's genius!!!! Maybe a little bit more sunny than I'd like for a nap, but time wise that's on par with a nap in Ellen's Energy Adventure... not bad!

I mean seriously! She could be dead! I am cracking up at this thing right now.

That's definitely a good one!

We then took a journey through time (I can not remember what the heck it is called), which Kat had never seen and I hadn't been on in ages. I love that ride/show, so cool how everything rotates. Then we used a FP to ride through the galaxy!

I had to think about this... journey through time??? Then it finally hit me... Carousel of Progress.

Dreams do come true! How cute is this?!? I had NO clue they would do this! Best photo ever. Mom wandered back to Tomorrowland for another stop at the DSA. Kat and I slowly followed stopping for these cute pics along the way:

That is a good one! I've heard of them doing that, but rarely, if ever, see it!

 

[MissMaryQC]

seriously you are all so darn cute!!!! the pictures on the carousel are a dang riot!

LOL! We do like to have a silly time.
Glad Mom was able to chill for a few

Me too! She was in such better spirits, which made us all so much happier.

and you did get a great balloon shot! i want to do that!!!

Do it! it was so cool. You gotta get the timing just right; not too many people around after the parade (I know, that like never happens). But how cute is that photo? She looks so stinking happy!

YAY for a nap! funny you were able to nap on the train but not Carousel of Progress?!?!

LOL! I guess being from South Florida outdoor naps just come more easily? Plus I liked the carousel of Progress, although I could TOTALLY see people napping in there.

That stinks. I'm glad that Donald was good, but when you're expecting PP to take care of the pictures and they don't it is always a big disappointment.

I felt like a lot of that was cause we were a group of adults. But I totally agree, a less enthusiastic, or caring, photographer makes for not so great pictures, and a not so great experience.

Those cinnamon rolls are awesome!

Super yummy. I failed to mention that sis got one, for each of us. Totally worth the calories.

That's great! I'm glad that Gaston was so worthwhile for you!

He was a hoot.

Thank goodness for CM FPs! Too bad you don't have the original picture, but the new version isn't half bad.

They really saved us this trip! I was super not prepared for the amount of people that were there with us! I gotta get Kat to post the original...

HM is always ridiculous anymore. Ever since they started FP+ this line has always been way too long.

I've been reading that lately. In some cases I'm seeing that FP+ is causing worse lines. Hopefully they'll change it around so it works a bit better. i think being able to access them from the app now will be an improvement.

Wait... what? You napped on the train? For 2 full loops???? Holy crap! That's genius!!!! Maybe a little bit more sunny than I'd like for a nap, but time wise that's on par with a nap in Ellen's Energy Adventure... not bad!

LOL! It was so nice! There was a good cool breeze from the rain so the sun wasn't even too bad. I highly suggest it!

That's definitely a good one!



I had to think about this... journey through time??? Then it finally hit me... Carousel of Progress.

That's it! I don't know why I can NEVER remember it!

That is a good one! I've heard of them doing that, but rarely, if ever, see it!

I had NO clue! I totally want to try and do it when we take DD!

 

[MissMaryQC]

The Finale​

When we last left off mama, Kat and I were leaving Tomorrowland and heading over towards Be Our Guest for our dinner ADR. We still had a little time so we decided to use one of the CM FPs to take a spin in a honey pot wit Pooh Bear! At this point in her life Pooh was DD's favorite character (she has many now, mostly "Jack the pukin King," "apunzul" and “pinsess fogg”) so we wanted to go on even more. Sadly once we got to the line we were told the ride was down. The CMs were great but had very little information. We waited and snapped a few photos.


But after about 10 minutes our ADR time was almost upon us. We stepped out of line and grabbed some replacement FPs for any ride. The walk over to the castle was lovely; sun was setting, the sky was a little dark, really beautiful. Do you think I took a single photo? Nope! I promise my next TR will have pictures... Slacking.

We walked right up for our reservation, no waiting this time. We asked to sit in the West Wing and were seated at a great table in the corner, to the right of the entrance. We had such view of the entire room. Let me say, even if you're not super into the food here, the ambiance is spectacular. The way they put this restaurant, particularly the West Wing, together is fantastic. My hats off to the imagineers on this one.

Our server was a delightful man with a wonderful accent, from a South American country I'd bet. I had his name written down, because we wrote him a comment card, but it's been a long time, and all my stuff is in a craft box for my scrap book...

Any who. Our server brought us out our drinks first. I think mom and I had wine, and all three of us had water, lots of water. I mentioned earlier we were all a bit swollen from salt consumption, and we were feeling it at this point.


We read through the menu but in the end we each ordered the special for the night; rack of lamb in a Cabernet sauce. We generally try to order different items when we eat, cause you might wanna try a bite of some thing else, but the description was too good to pass up. Holy moly Andy, was this ah-maze-ing. Seriously, the best meal we had all week long, and we ate a lot that week.


By the time we were finished there was nothing but bones left on anyone's plate. Our server was impressed. We took a look at the dessert cart (man did I love that thing) and decided to get three different desserts…


The desserts were good, nothing like dinner though. I had made a point to ask about the Master's Cupcake, as I didn't see it on the cart. Our server explained it was only available for lunch. Le poo. But, maybe 10 ,minutes later out he came with a Master's Cupcake! We posed for photos.


So, so good. With our bellies full and happy we took a few shots around the room, and briefly explored the rest of the restaurant. Then, we met the big man himself, the Beast!

Beast was fantastic. Kat was so stinking star struck she started dancing with him after he spun her, hence the giant smile on her face. It was adorable!

Cont.

 

[MissMaryQC]

We headed back out to see if Pooh was back up, it wasn't. Oh well, something to look forward to for next trip! We did have that anything fast pass though, and 7DMT was right there, we did it!

There are probably my favorite shots of all our ride photos. Kat and I wanted waters and mom needed a DSA, so we split up. We said we'd meet again for the fireworks. There is an area of time here that I have lost. I'm pretty sure we got our waters, traveled through Tomorrowland to get to Main Street since the crowds were pretty heavy, This may have been where we stopping in for a SM ride and not before dinner...?: and PP, of course:

Baymax, even though I still haven't seen Big Hero 6!



We had a FP+ for Wishes. We decided to stay on the side near Casey's, the West side, I think... Mom had some trouble finding it, and apparently also had an encounter with a rude few people. She was done. We found her a grabbed a spot in the FP viewing area... I will never use this FP again. The lamp posts are directly in your view, no bueno.

The show was great, as always. We all cried, as always. We waiting for the crowds to thin and then found a spot on the street for the parade. We spent a solid 15 minutes watching a girl and her daddy dance to the songs. Adorable. We took a bunch of PP waiting for the parade.


The parade was great, but by the end we were beat! The majority of people in the park headed for the gates. We hung back and just chilled on the curb. We people watched and enjoyed the castle lights. We got up and meandered through the shops. We didn't buy much of anything, I think mom bought some pencils for the folks in her office.

We were waiting for a special kiss good night. We hopped in line for a PP and while we waited an upset guest started yelling at the photographer about not being able to access her photos. The poor photographer was being so kind and patient. She kept explaining to the guest that she couldn't help her, but that guest services was right there. Ten minutes of that and we were finally taking a few last photos in the MK.


Time to say See ya Real Soon

and head back for our last sleep in Disney World. It was a sad moment, but also a welcomed one; we were so worn out! We walked to the car, drove back to the resort and I fell asleep.

The next morning we slept in a bit. I called about 8 am when I woke up to ask about a late check out and they said yes; we had until 1 pm. We packed things up, mom went to grab all of our souvenirs, showers taken and then this:

I just wasn't ready to go! We had one last ADR, a tradition for us; Raglan Road at DS! We each got some coffee/Coke before triple checking the room. We went to the front desk, took care of a few final payments and that was it. We were on the first portion of our adventures back home.

We drove over to DS, thinking it'd be faster than the boats back and forth. We should have taken the boats! The construction was still so bad, and we kept turning at the wrong places. Took us 20 minutes to actually get into the garage. Oye vey! Parked and packed we headed in for our final ADR. We were early. So we poked around a few shops and impatiently waited. We were finally seated at the bar area. Our server was nice enough, but man... She just could not get it right. Wrong drinks, wrong orders, wrong desserts. I felt bad for her honestly; she's in the wrong business if she has a bad memory and is unorganized. The meal was pretty good though. Nothing amazing. It used to be amazing though, so I was disappointed. We walked around and shopped, slowly and sluggishly. We traded some pins, got a few last minute souvenirs and we were done.

I decided to head back to the car while mom and Kat finished up a purchase and I happened upon a PPP to snap a few magic shots with Stitch. They were so adorable, and now I can’t find them… I’ll have to check at home

We met at the car, settled in and were off. We waved good bye to our home and vowed to visit again, and not wait so long the next time. We dropped at Kat in downtown and within just a few hours mom and I were saying good bye at my house in Pompano Beach. I was so glad to see my darling hubby and my sweet baby girl. I literally slept the entire rest of the weekend; watching movie with my family and resting.

 

[MissMaryQC]

A Quick Review:

This trip was amazing. A dream come true, as all my Disney trips have been! But it was also educational. I found the DIS because of this trip, I learned about Free Dining and Room Discounts and crowd calendars. But more than that I learned a lot about how I like to vacation, how things have changed in my family dynamic, and mostly, how I am not as young as I used to be!

We had a few speed bumps along the way, but nobody was scared for life. We still have jokes going from the trip (but someone needs to eat the chicken from Whispering Canyon is a favorite) and I have just started to compile things for my scrap book.

The biggest thing from this trip is how much traveling to Disney has changed. Planning is key, and a ton of fun, but plans change based on, well everything! We were thrown for a loop when the crowds were much heavier than we expected. And we planned on touring like we did on past trips, but none of us travels the same way we did then, so that altered things too. The biggest change for us was just how much there actually is to do and see in WDW. I never knew I could spend a solid two and a half days in MK and still not see nor do half of what is there. Just means more trips for me!!

Here are the stats:

Favorite ride:
Mom: 7dmt
Kat: space mountain
Me: 7dmt and Everest are a tie

Favorite meal:
Mom: brown derby
Kat: be our guest
Me: Be Our Guest Dinner; amazing.

Most surprising meal:
Mom: brown derby exquisite and I did not expect that.
Kat: be our guest; it was perfect from start to finish
Me: Brown Derby; it was really a delicious meal and the Fantasmic! seating area is choice!

Favorite first:
Mom: 7dmt and our cool resort
Kat: mnsshp
Me: Festival of the Lion King, mostly cause I didn't think I'd like it!

Favorite memory:
Mom: Meeting Beast
Kat: Meeting Mickey, she was shocked he talked
Me: Pin trading in the line for 7DMT

Favorite Park:
Mom: MK for volume and HS for sentiment
Kat: AK for variety
Me: MK, cause it will always be my favorite

That's a wrap! And with that being said I have started a new PTR, if anyone is interested come on over!

Thanks so much for following us in this adventure. It was great, even if there were strangers' butts in my sister's hand and not enough DSA breaks for my mom!



Ttfn friends!

 

[WonderWoman28]

Just posting to follow! Hoping to come back later and read!

 

[afwdwfan]

Sadly once we got to the line we were told the ride was down. The CMs were great but had very little information. We waited and snapped a few photos.

No!!!

The walk over to the castle was lovely; sun was setting, the sky was a little dark, really beautiful. Do you think I took a single photo? Nope! I promise my next TR will have pictures... Slacking.

That's ok. I'm kind of bad about pictures too, sometimes. Taking in the moments and enjoying yourself should be the priority anyway.

Let me say, even if you're not super into the food here, the ambiance is spectacular. The way they put this restaurant, particularly the West Wing, together is fantastic. My hats off to the imagineers on this one

It is an awesome place!

The desserts were good, nothing like dinner though. I had made a point to ask about the Master's Cupcake, as I didn't see it on the cart. Our server explained it was only available for lunch. Le poo. But, maybe 10 ,minutes later out he came with a Master's Cupcake! We posed for photos.

So did you just get to take pictures with one or did you actually get to eat it too???

I'm glad you had such a nice dinner at BOG. It looks like everything was great!

We headed back out to see if Pooh was back up, it wasn't. Oh well, something to look forward to for next trip! We did have that anything fast pass though, and 7DMT was right there, we did it!

Cool! Too bad it didn't work out for Pooh, but a bonus night time ride on 7DMT makes up for it nicely!

Baymax, even though I still haven't seen Big Hero 6!

There's no excuse for that...

We found her a grabbed a spot in the FP viewing area... I will never use this FP again.

I've heard they're doing away with this FP. I think due to complaints, the fact that it is so CM intensive to man the entrances and the fact that there are so many good, if not better places, to see Wishes without FP.

Time to say See ya Real Soon

Nooo!!! I don't wanna leave!!!!

Our server was nice enough, but man... She just could not get it right. Wrong drinks, wrong orders, wrong desserts. I felt bad for her honestly; she's in the wrong business if she has a bad memory and is unorganized. The meal was pretty good though. Nothing amazing. It used to be amazing though, so I was disappointed. We walked around and shopped, slowly and sluggishly.

Wow. That's kind of rough. Sorry the meal wasn't as good as you're used to, but I'm sure the poor service didn't help matters.

They were so adorable, and now I can’t find them… I’ll have to check at home

You should have harassed a PP CM for 10 minutes or maybe visited guest services.

I am not as young as I used to be!

The truth sucks, doesn't it? And this is a hard realization to make.

The biggest thing from this trip is how much traveling to Disney has changed. Planning is key, and a ton of fun, but plans change based on, well everything!

Planning is fun, but there's almost too much planning needed now.

That's a wrap! And with that being said I have started a new PTR, if anyone is interested come on over!

Cool! Another trip!!!!

Um... do you have a link for the new PTR? I couldn't find it.

 

[MissMaryQC]

Well, I did it! I started a PTR for our next trip! Pop over and say hello!

Baby's First Disney World Vacation! An April 2017 PTR

 

[MissMaryQC]

No!!!

That's ok. I'm kind of bad about pictures too, sometimes. Taking in the moments and enjoying yourself should be the priority anyway.

Agreed! I do love seeing everyone's awesome photos, but sometimes you just have to be there, and enjoy the moment, without snapping the pictures.

It is an awesome place!

This will be a spot we visit every time we go. i love it so much!

So did you just get to take pictures with one or did you actually get to eat it too???

Sadly no, they took it back into the kitchen right after these photos were snapped, smarty pants.

I'm glad you had such a nice dinner at BOG. It looks like everything was great!

It really was a perfect meal.

Cool! Too bad it didn't work out for Pooh, but a bonus night time ride on 7DMT makes up for it nicely!

Definitely a fair trade in my book!

There's no excuse for that...

I know! I'm a Movie Club member too, which makes it so easy to get all the new movies. It's shameful really; haven't seen Zootopia yet either!

I've heard they're doing away with this FP. I think due to complaints, the fact that it is so CM intensive to man the entrances and the fact that there are so many good, if not better places, to see Wishes without FP.

Yep, no more parades or Fireworks FP in MK. It was awatse of a FP any way. You still have to come early and wait, so why not wait without spending a FP?

Nooo!!! I don't wanna leave!!!!

Me either! I was bummed.

Wow. That's kind of rough. Sorry the meal wasn't as good as you're used to, but I'm sure the poor service didn't help matters.

Yep. I waited tables a long time, and it's a rough business; not for everyone. But a server can be the difference between a bad experience and a good one.

You should have harassed a PP CM for 10 minutes or maybe visited guest services.

We had a lot of problems with MM, but I think it was cause of my sister's CM status. I ended up having to actually call Disney after we got home and have them resend me a ton of images. We got them all including these:



I love that little alien!

The truth sucks, doesn't it? And this is a hard realization to make.

Right?! And it wasn't 30, it was 31. After I turned 31 I really started to feel it; back trouble, knee trouble, grey hair! Oye vey, life is not always simple.

Planning is fun, but there's almost too much planning needed now.

Agreed. My honey wants to be involved in the next trip, but so far he says it's too much like work. They have taken away from the last minute trips, which can be even more fun than the ones we plan years in advance!

Cool! Another trip!!!!

Um... do you have a link for the new PTR? I couldn't find it.

I just started the PTR, added a link in this TR and one on my signature, plus I got a brand new ticker! Super excited!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Sadly no, they took it back into the kitchen right after these photos were snapped, smarty pants.

Actually that was kind of a serious question. You didn't mention eating it, but I didn't think they'd actually bring one out just to taunt you with it so that they could turn around and take it away!

Yep, no more parades or Fireworks FP in MK. It was awatse of a FP any way. You still have to come early and wait, so why not wait without spending a FP?

Exactly! This has been my complaint about FP for these types of shows/parades/fireworks for a long time. What's the point if I still have to be there early either way???

Right?! And it wasn't 30, it was 31. After I turned 31 I really started to feel it; back trouble, knee trouble, grey hair! Oye vey, life is not always simple.

Yep, that's a tough one. Just like a switch gets flipped and things go bad.

Agreed. My honey wants to be involved in the next trip, but so far he says it's too much like work. They have taken away from the last minute trips, which can be even more fun than the ones we plan years in advance!

Yeah, they're fun to plan, but it used to be more fun to plan when you could come up with a general plan that could be tinkered with and tweaked all the way up to and during your trip. That's not really much of an option anymore.

 

[MissMaryQC]

Actually that was kind of a serious question. You didn't mention eating it, but I didn't think they'd actually bring one out just to taunt you with it so that they could turn around and take it away!

Lol! I'm dying, I totally thought you were pulling my leg!! We ate the cup cake, mostly my sister and me; mom liked her lemon merengue. It was fantastic, the best of the four desserts we had that meal!

Yeah, they're fun to plan, but it used to be more fun to plan when you could come up with a general plan that could be tinkered with and tweaked all the way up to and during your trip. That's not really much of an option anymore.

I know! There is no more ADRs after the 180 day mark, and forget a walk up! It's a bit insane. When we were kids we'd just head north to Orlando for a long weekend, on a whym, without so much as a hotel reservation. That kind of vacationing just isn't possible anymore. Internet are a blessing and a curse.