Don't Pet the Sweaty Things. An Aug Solo Birthday Trip. Updated 12/4!!

Looks like a fun, EMH morning!
Yikes! This makes me happy that I booked EMM for October!
Same! I've actually gotten raised on SM!
I can't wait!

I did have a great morning!! I really wanted to do EMM at HS for our October trip but I wasn't able to fit it into our already packed schedule.

Sounds like such a successful morning in TSL!! Looks like the exit of TSMM has a lot of good photo ops! Definitely need a pic in front of the popsicle wall. Great pic with Woody & Jessie!

Yes, there are some great photo ops in TSL. There's also a block wall somewhere that I didn't find on this trip. I did spend some time looking around but I was focused on the rides. And by the time I finished those, the area was packed and I didn't get to look around much more.

What a great morning!!! Looks like being up early had it's benefits for sure! I can't wait to experience Toy Story land. Maybe I can even convince Jimmy to ride Slinky Dog. Though he always says I led him astray when I told him he would like 7DMT....which he hated...so he no longer trusts me LOL

It definitely was a good idea to get there early. I think they are still opening TSL a bit early each day. Jim and I are going to try to rope drop Slinky Dog on our first day in October. I wasn't able to get a FP for it until later in the week and Jim is going to be gone by then. He's leaving a few days earlier than the rest of us. Hmmmm, I would definitely say that SDD is more intense than 7DMT so it may not be a good idea for him to ride that one.

Great use of your EMH time. Way better than ours as you will see coming up soon, womp womp!
My TSM score is always around 130,000. I can’t break that for some reason.
I really liked AS2 as well very cute and the music is so fun!
Love your Slinky purse, wow you have many different designs very cool!

I need to get back to your TR and catch up. As usual, I'm behind everywhere again but I should have some time this week to make some rounds.

I've been stuck in the 170,000 - 180,000 range for a while so I was pretty excited for the 197,500 score. Part of me wonders if it was the new track, maybe the guns are more accurate on that side? Of course I'm just speculating since I got my highest score on the third track so I could be totally wrong.

I think I have 13 of her purses now. I'm a little obsessed with them. :rotfl: I have yet another new one for the October trip plus my Vampire Mickey one that I haven't used since October 2014 so it's almost like a new one.


Looks like an awesome time in Toy Story Land! Thanks again for posting your experience in the TSL thread. I will finally get to check it out in November.

You are welcome! That thread helped me so much with my planning that I wanted to help others with their trips. I'm still hoping someone will post their non-EMH rope drop experience because we are planning that for October.

I’m impressed with how much you did during EMH.
When we were there, I think we arrived at the turnstiles when EMH started and had a wait for slinky dog. By the time we finished slinky dog, EMH were over.

Being towards the front of the pack for EMH was definitely the key to my success. By the time I got off of Slinky, the line was huge.

Success! Wow, you got a lot accomplished during that EMH!
It looks so so sunny in TSL; I hope they incorporate some shading soon. The over-sized leaves from the now closed Bugs Land in California would be ideal :)

I did get a lot done that morning. Getting there extra early really helped. There is definitely a lack of shade in TSL. I was glad to head out around 8 am so I could get out of the heat for a bit.

We have the same birthday! I'm glad one of us got to spend it at WDW!

Yay! A birthday twin! I really loved being there for my birthday but I don't know if I'll do it again. I survived the heat but it wasn't something I think I want to face again.

Wow those EMH crowds are no joke for TSL! Good to know that you can still have a short wait even with all of those people.

I was pretty close to the front of the pack so that helped. I'm curious to find out this next trip what non-EMH rope drop crowds look like!

Following along...

Your arrival day, we were in the MK in the evening and around 6-7pm we were in line for The jungle cruise when we could see the clouds and then they closed a lot of the rides so we sat nearby between Adventureland and Frontierland and I looked on the app and saw splash and big thunder had 10 min waits yet it was still raining/mist so we went and walked in both. It was great!

Your Thursday rain storm we had to leave the Poly pool area til it passed.


Hi! Thanks for joining in. I was prepared for the afternoon showers with my ponchos but I did get caught in a nasty one on Saturday while I was at AK.
 
A Queasy Trip to the Twilight Zone

It was about 8:30 am at this point and my first FP for Tower of Terror wasn’t until 9:30 am. But I used the trick I learned the day before to modify my FP so I could use it immediately. It turned out that I really didn’t need it because TOT was still a walk on at that time. I think everyone was still in TSL at this point.






It was very foggy in the line which added to the spookiness.



I don’t think I did anything creative for the ride photos this trip. I’ve just got to the point where I’ve run out of good ideas and hate doing the same thing over and over.



Unfortunately, my trip to the Twilight Zone left me feeling very nauseous. For some odd reason, having an empty stomach makes my motion sickness worse. Apparently the cheerios I had for breakfast before I left my room were not enough to fill me up. I decided I better get something to eat so I stopped on my way up Sunset Blvd and grabbed a bagel and also a Coke to help settle my stomach. Ice water was also necessary on this hot day.



Luckily the food helped a lot and in no time I was feeling much better. There isn’t too much to say about the bagel other than it was good and filled me up.

I decided to head out of HS at this point and catch the boat to Epcot. I did so via the stores on Sunset and Hollywood but I didn’t find anything to buy. I did take pictures of some of the shirts for a friend. I had sent her a picture of my Mickey Balloon shirt from the day before and she wanted to know if there were any other styles with the sequins on them.












There was also one more style that I saw later. I did not take a picture but here it is from the Shop Disney Parks app.



I was really tempted to get one of the castle shirts along with the balloon one and I might just do that in October if they are still available.

Around 9:30, I headed out of HS, fighting against the crowds streaming into the park and headed to the boat dock.

I took this next picture of the new Skyliner station as I walked but it’s not the best thanks to the glaring sun.




Funny story, I sent that picture to my Mom and told her it was the new Gondola station. I’m not sure where “Gondola” came in since it’s not really listed that way anywhere on the concept art, but that’s what everyone on the DIS is calling the new system. Mom though, thought I meant Gondola as in a boat and she asked me if they were going to row people across the lake. I had to explain to her that it wasn't that kind of Gondola.

And also this one looking back towards the entrance. Lots of people streaming into the park for the day.




I’m not sure how long it took for the boat to come but my first picture in Epcot was around 10:20 am and it was closer to the front of World Showcase after I’d walked through UK and Canada. I didn’t stop in either of those countries because the pavilions weren’t open yet.

I was excited to see the Food and Wine booths even though they weren’t open yet.




As I headed towards Figment, I got first glimpse of the new building for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. It’s been mentioned how big the building was but I was still shocked at how massive it really was. Pictures don’t do it justice at all. You could see the building from pretty much everywhere in Epcot.



I didn’t have any FPs for Epcot since I got them for HS that day but I figured as long as the line was indoors I would just wait in it. Plus my family pretty much hates Figment so I’m sure I won’t get to ride in October.



As usual with Figment, there wasn’t much of a line, I mostly had to wait for one ride vehicle to go before I got the next one. And boy, watching that first ride vehicle go was hilarious. The CM at the podium made the announcement that the ride would be in 3D that day and everyone needed to reach under their seats and get their 3D glasses. It was so funny watching everyone looking for the non-existent glasses.

So any ways, I rode, I enjoyed, I took pictures for the TR.










Since I had lunch at Garden Grill I decided to head to the Seas next and then backtrack to the Land rather than climb that hill up to the Land building twice (OK so it’s not that bad but I was doing a lot of walking and the heat felt like walking on the sun at that point).




I decided to ride the Nemo ride which had about a 10 minute wait. This is another one my family isn’t fond of so we might not get on it in October.





The EAC section of this ride is one of those weird places that sometimes sets off my motion sickness. I think it’s the fact that the screens make you feel like you are moving in a different direction/speed than you actually are. Sometimes I have to either close my eyes or focus on the lights along the bottom of the ride but I was fine on this day.



I spent some time upstairs looking at the aquarium but it was pretty crowded so I didn’t last long.









I did manage to spot one of my favorite Sea Turtles. And I swear he has a head, it’s just my bad photography skills at work here.



I looked around the dump shop and then headed out and back towards the Land.

The wait time for Soarin’ said 40 minutes but I’ve come to learn that wait times are usually inflated plus I still had plenty of time before I had to check in for my ADR. I’m pretty sure I waited less than 20 minutes for the ride. I also got pulled from pretty far back to fill a single spot. I was in the “C” section but towards the middle. There was some minor bending but I’ve seen the new film enough times now not to care too much.




After Soarin’ I headed toward Living with the Land. The wait time said 35 minutes but once again I was skeptical. Unfortunately it seemed to be right this time. After 10 minutes of waiting, the line had barely moved so I bailed and headed upstairs. I still had about 15 minutes till I had to check in for lunch so I found a bench in a corner and relaxed till it was time.

Up Next: Lunch With My Favorite Guy
 


I have a picture in my head of CM’s dressed like Italian Gondola rowers, working really hard to get people to Epcot:rotfl:

Andi always laughs at me because I always say the EAC part gets me every Time!:goodvibes

I wish I liked the new Soarin film more, not my favorite!
 
Glad there was a bagel close by to rescue you from motion sickness!! It's great you were able to get Figment and Nemo into your day in case you miss them in October. We always ride Figment because Jimmy loves it. I make sure we do it every time because I'm always afraid they'll announce it's closing before we get to go back.

I was so sad to hear that Jake is leaving for this very reason!! When we did our quickie 2 days there this summer, Jimmy didn't want to take his picture with Jake, which made me sad because he used to LOVE him. When they announced he will be leaving DHS, I was SO sad that we didn't get our "one last" picture with him!
 
Yeah a gondola is a long skinny canal boat in Italy! What was Disney thinking! lol
As usual I am loving your TR. Looks like a great day in Toy Story land...I can't wait to see it!
Probably going to hit it first thing in the morning and after the sun goes down. No shade is
really a bummer.
Love your pics and your narrative. Very fun to follow along!
 


They both loved my Slinky Dog shirt and purse.
Of course they did - you nailed your look that day for sure!!! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

The CM at the podium made the announcement that the ride would be in 3D that day and everyone needed to reach under their seats and get their 3D glasses. It was so funny watching everyone looking for the non-existent glasses.
:rotfl:

I rode, I enjoyed, I took pictures for the TR.
This would make an awesome TR title... :rolleyes1

The EAC section of this ride is one of those weird places that sometimes sets off my motion sickness.
YES! I end up using the same strategies that you do. It's so cool, but my proneness for motion sickness just won't allow me to enjoy it. :sad2:

Excited to hear about your lunch at GG.
 
The sequin shirts are really cool!

Sounds like a nice, laid back time at Epcot!

I definitely loved those sequin shirts, I hope the castle one is still available when I go back in 11 days!

The EAC gets me too! I think there are just too many different movements going on

Yeah, that's probably the reason. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is affected by that section!

I have a picture in my head of CM’s dressed like Italian Gondola rowers, working really hard to get people to Epcot:rotfl:

Andi always laughs at me because I always say the EAC part gets me every Time!:goodvibes

I wish I liked the new Soarin film more, not my favorite!

I know, wouldn't that be funny to see! I'm not sure it would be the most efficient means of transportation though.

Well now you can tell her you aren't the only one! If you look at the reply right above yours, there's a third person too.

I think I would like the new Soarin' film better if there wasn't so my CGI in it. Knowing that half the scenes are fake kind of ruins it. It's gone from a must do for me to an "if I have time" ride.


Glad there was a bagel close by to rescue you from motion sickness!! It's great you were able to get Figment and Nemo into your day in case you miss them in October. We always ride Figment because Jimmy loves it. I make sure we do it every time because I'm always afraid they'll announce it's closing before we get to go back.

I was so sad to hear that Jake is leaving for this very reason!! When we did our quickie 2 days there this summer, Jimmy didn't want to take his picture with Jake, which made me sad because he used to LOVE him. When they announced he will be leaving DHS, I was SO sad that we didn't get our "one last" picture with him!

I do like the Figment and Nemo rides but I won't be too sorry to miss them in October. I really doubt Figment is going anywhere for a while at least with all of the current and rumored projects for Epcot.

Huh, I didn't realize Jake was going away but then I really don't pay attention to the Disney Junior characters. I wonder what they are going to do with his spot in the Animation Courtyard?


Yeah a gondola is a long skinny canal boat in Italy! What was Disney thinking! lol
As usual I am loving your TR. Looks like a great day in Toy Story land...I can't wait to see it!
Probably going to hit it first thing in the morning and after the sun goes down. No shade is
really a bummer.
Love your pics and your narrative. Very fun to follow along!

Well I do think it can mean either a boat or a system like the one Disney is putting in but Mom immediately thought of the boat.

TSL was very cool. I had plans to go back and check it out that evening but I ended up just heading out after the Star Wars show. I'm hoping to catch it at night here in a few weeks because it looks really pretty in pictures with all the lights.


Of course they did - you nailed your look that day for sure!!! :thumbsup2:thumbsup2
This would make an awesome TR title... :rolleyes1
YES! I end up using the same strategies that you do. It's so cool, but my proneness for motion sickness just won't allow me to enjoy it. :sad2:
Excited to hear about your lunch at GG.

I was definitely happy with my outfit that day! It worked perfectly for TSL.

I do think that would be a great TR title and I may just use it in the future if I can't come up with another one!

You are now the 4th person that said the EAC gives them issues. I thought I was just weird there but I guess not!
:rotfl2:
 
Lunch with My Favorite Guy

I checked in at Garden Grill about 10 minutes before my 12:30 pm ADR time and my buzzer went off a few minutes after that. I was seated on the bottom tier of the restaurant. I love how they place the dishes at each table.




My waiter this time around was really awesome. I explained to him that I was a bit picky and asked if I could have the salad without dressing. He went a step further and brought me the salad with all the fixings on the side.



In all honesty I should have just skipped the salad because I mostly just picked at the lettuce. I am really not a fan of most vegetables other than potatoes. He also brought me a basket of rolls which were delicious. It was all I could do to stop myself from pigging down the whole basket.



Here’s the view from my table. That large one next to me stayed empty the whole time I was eating.



And then my skillet of food came.



Starting with the green beans and going clockwise, there was turkey, stuffing, succotash, beef, mashed potatoes and pork with apples. In the middle of the plate was some cranberry sauce. There was also a second plate with fries and mac and cheese.



I didn’t touch the green beans or stuffing but everything else was delicious and I came pretty close to finishing off all but the fries. I tried to leave them alone because I figured I could get fries anywhere. I even ate some of the succotash, picking out the tomatoes as I went. I also decided to try a small bite of the pork. I love pork but it doesn’t always love me back. It was delicious and I threw caution to the wind and ate it all. Luckily I didn’t suffer any consequences this time.

The characters came around as I ate and I decided that since I’ve gotten pictures with this batch of characters many times in the past, I would just do selfies this time. That was I wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone to take them for me. As usual, they turned out horrible, I mean, come on, how many chins do I have in this picture with Chip?




Dale turned out a tiny bit better but still awful.



I look like such a sweaty mess with Mickey and Pluto.





All the characters liked my Slinky Dog gear and admired it. When Pluto came around I told him that despite the fact that I was wearing Slinky Dog gear, he was my favorite. He was very excited and happy to hear that!

When it came time for dessert I asked my waiter if they still had the cupcake cones that were the kids’ option because I don’t like the berry dessert they normally bring. Unfortunately they don’t have those anymore, they now give the kids sugar cookies. But since it was my birthday celebration (I wasn’t wearing my pin this day, I’m one of those weird ones that feels guilty about wearing it when it’s not my actual birthday, but he had asked me about my trip) he ended up bringing me chocolate mousse and a couple of the sugar cookies.




And also a card signed by all the characters.





And on top of all that, he grabbed my camera and took a picture for me. Much better than those selfies with the characters!



The mousse was very good and I ate all of it. I did take a few bites of the cookies and they were just OK. I’m really not a fan of sugar cookies though so take that with a grain of salt.

After I finished up lunch, I decided to ride LWTL since the line was much shorter than earlier. I think I only waited about 10 minutes at the most. I think my mantra for this TR is going to be “I rode, I enjoyed, I took pictures for the TR”.






















I also took a video to send to a friend for her son. It’s his favorite ride so I wanted them to have a taste of Disney.


After that I decided I was done with Future World and headed to the countries. I had thought about riding Test Track but the line was really long, something like 80 minutes, when I checked the App and I didn’t feel like waiting. I did walk through Mouse Gears on the way there but didn’t find anything to buy.

Up Next: A Drizzly Afternoon Around World Showcase
 
Sounds like a great lunch! I think your character selfies came out great, you look so happy and that's what counts!
 
Looks like a great meal! I really need to try Garden Gerill one of these days.
 
Garden Grill breakfast is one of my favorites, so fun!

I’m glad you had fun with all the characters and got a little Birthday treat!
 
In all honesty I should have just skipped the salad because I mostly just picked at the lettuce. I am really not a fan of most vegetables other than potatoes.
It sounds like you and I would get along well :rotfl:
I have never been to Garden Grill, but it's definitely on my "to do" list.
 
Huh, I didn't realize Jake was going away but then I really don't pay attention to the Disney Junior characters. I wonder what they are going to do with his spot in the Animation Courtyard?
I heard Vampirina is moving into Jake's spot!

IMG_1316-L.jpg
This sounds like a really fun meet up!! :)
 
YUM! Garden Grille is the best; I especially love having breakfast there... that giant cinnamon roll they have there is heaven!
 
Okay.... polished off the last one, now here.
And... I'll come back to read a bit later. Promise!
 
All caught up!
Of course I'm not going to comment on everything, but there were a few spots here and there....

I spent about 6 hours getting everything cleared off my desk for the next few days.

6 hours? I have a far quicker method...



Finally about 8:30, we pushed back from that gate and headed out to the runway where we crept forward a few feet, stopped, crept forward a few feet, stopped, etc. This when on for the next hour and a half!

Holy crap! That's.... forever!

The rest of the flight went smoothly and we landed at 11:20 pm. I had not used my bag tag so before heading to the bus, I had to head over to the A side and pick up my bag.

I think that's a good thing. I believe they shut down at 10:30pm.


I'm getting a little woozy from looking at those... back and forth... back and forth... to and fro.... to and fro....


Huh! That's.... bizarre!


I found this really interesting.

They were already letting people into the park so I entered and then ran into this on Hollywood Blvd.


Um... I think you might not be the first one on.

I waited about 15 minutes total before getting on the ride.

Whoa! Not bad!

Here’s my horrible ride photo. Not sure why my eyes are closed.

Because it's 6:51am. That's why.

I absolutely loved Slinky Dog! It was just thrilling and long enough to satisfy me and the double launch added a unique aspect to the ride. I’m getting to the age where RnRC and Space Mountain hurt and give me headaches so Slinky is a great alternative to those more intense coasters.

Good to hear! I hadn't heard about the double launch though. Huh.

Please ignore my insane laughter in the background, the ride was just a whole lot of fun!

Shoot, I'm at work so can't see/hear it.

I was happy to see the plastic monkeys in the exit.

Oh good! Glad they kept those. :)


Love that.

As I headed towards Figment, I got first glimpse of the new building for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. It’s been mentioned how big the building was but I was still shocked at how massive it really was. Pictures don’t do it justice at all. You could see the building from pretty much everywhere in Epcot.

I hadn't heard of this! What kind of ride is it supposed to be? Like California's?




Trust me. It's much cooler inside the tank than outside.
 

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