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

I'm sure your hints were taken very seriously, as they are in my family.
Of course. But the problem is, anything stronger than a hint does not usually work out well for me either. Lectures result in my immediate pain and suffering. Hints result in my silent, prolonged suffering the next morning. Pick your poison.

No, that's what they say about MY TR's.
But at least there's exploding helicopters. You might not learn nothin' but it sure looks pretty.

But thanks for spoiling it. Now what do I do when I show the same photo?
That the flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp? Or instead, could you tell us the baobab trees are fake? Or the lion's rock is air conditioned? (I'm trying to help you out here. You need more than exploding helicopters).

Love the pulled pork there. That's my go-to.
I really wanted to try the pulled pork fries. But of course they are a snack credit and I needed to use up a meal credit. Stupid dining plan reason # 23.
 
August 19th – Day 2, Part 2 – Getting Buzzed in the rain

As much as we were enjoying the rest and AC at the resort, Experiment 626 was on our mind, as was our 5:30pm ADR at The Plaza. Since we were headed to Magic Kingdom, we again opted for the Disney bus as opposed to our rental car. We had some luck this time and walked right onto the bus at the ASMu stop. Feeling like @pkondz must every day at Disney (he still hasn’t told us where he gets the patented express golden transportation ticket), we felt like we might be able to get our meet with Stitch in before our ADR. We managed to get through security at 5:05, so briskly walked to Tomorrowland and queued up to meet Stitch. This was a great meet. Besides her outfit (shirt and bow), Katie also had a little Stitch wristband stuffie. Well, Stitch was thrilled about this and motioned for Katie to put it on his wrist, and he then paraded around the room showing off his little clone. He was so energetic, he even inspired me to do a (blurry) character selfie, which I had never done before.

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It was now a couple minutes after our ADR time, so we zipped (that’s like sashaying, with purpose) towards The Plaza – only to stop again. See, it was still PhotoPass Day until 6:00pm (I think) and we had to walk right past the “Purple Wall” which apparently has become Instagram famous (I have an 18 year old who explained to me what that was) in the last few years and it has a new paint job and merchandise (really people, did we have to make the Purple Wall a thing? I know I am part of all this, but did we all have to give Disney another reason to take money from us?). Anyway, we figured The Plaza would still take our money if we were another few minutes late, so we stopped to get a PhotoPass picture at the Purple Wall, and with a pretzel cut out, which I think was the special thing for that day. Little Stitch even got in on the action.

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Now finally, on to The Plaza. I should say that I felt a bit silly paying OOP for TS when I had the QS dining plan, but I didn’t want QS every day, nor did I want to pay for the upgrade and have TS every day. It would be nice if you could use a couple QS credits towards a TS meal. Just another reason why the dining plan doesn’t work for us.

Tish and Katie had a burger, Brianna had a Club sandwich minus tomato, which they all liked. I had the BBQ Brisket Mac n Cheese, and I really enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure it’s the standard Disney cheese sauce (which I like) but it's fancied up with corkscrew pasta (cavatappi, I think?).

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The brisket was tender and the BBQ sauce nice, maybe a touch sweet, but good for the meat and fine to have a little mixed into the top of the pasta. My only complaint is they put a layer of BBQ sauce at the bottom of the dish before adding the pasta. I found once I got to the bottom that much BBQ sauce was a little too sweet and didn't mix that well with the cheese sauce (taste wise). If I were to have it again, I would ask for no BBQ sauce at the bottom. But other than that, I enjoyed it. The portion was pretty big - I didn't even get ice cream for dessert, and that never happens! We’ve eaten at The Plaza three times, and although it's not fancy, it's perfectly good comfort food and a reasonable price if paying OOP.

The skies became ominously dark during supper, so we decided to head for an indoor ride, Under the Sea. Light rain began to fall while we walked through the Hub, but wasn’t too bad by the time we entered the queue for Under the Sea.

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CONTINUED NEXT POST...
 
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August 19th – Day 2, Part 2 - CONTINUED...

Upon exiting the ride, it was a different story. Light rain had turned heavier – our first real Florida summer rain storm (I may be a little weird, but I actually like the big thunderous storms, we just don’t get them with such intensity up north). We stood for a few minutes with the masses under cover. Not wanting to venture very far, we realized we hadn’t met a Princess at all today, so we donned our ponchos and took the short walk to see Ariel. There was virtually no wait to see her and the meet was fine. If you’re following along with our Princess meet quest:

Official Princess Countdown: Ariel – 4 of 11 ✔


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Brianna had an interesting observation (complaint?). In The Little Mermaid, Ariel certainly has spirit and a big personality. In every meet we’ve done with Ariel, she’s been a bit dull. This really upsets Brianna. I should remind you (if you go back to my Introduction) that Brianna at home is a “friend” of princesses, occasionally Ariel, who she plays as very spirited and energetic. Our meet this night was similarly dull. I know others (I’m looking at you @pkondz) have had interesting meets with Ariel, so maybe it’s just been some bad luck for us.

The rain was getting even more intense by now. What to do next? You may remember during our resort break, I had made a FP for a ride. I had chosen…wisely. It was time for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin…an indoor ride. Had I made a FP for BTMRR or 7DMT like I considered, it would likely have been shut down for weather. Having ponchos and sandals, we all didn’t mind walking down to Buzz too much. Unfortunately, by the time we got down there, the queue had descended into chaos. Just about everybody had the same idea I guess, to get indoors. You could no longer tell where the FP and SB queues were supposed to be. We stood there for a few minutes outside with the rain coming down in sheets now. Eventually in the sea of humanity a general flow towards the FP queue could be made out. Gradually we made it indoors and the FP queue moved fairly quickly. We were seated in the ride vehicle, made it a few inches along the track, and then, stopped. After a few minutes the music even stopped and I was witnessing my first significant ride break down. But, I still considered us lucky. We were indoors, out of the rain, and even sitting down quite comfortably. We could have been stuck in the queue outdoors still, with the rain pouring down. I have no idea what the issue was, but the CM at the podium called supervisors, who got on the phone, who stared at the podium, presumably flipping switches or pressing buttons, hoping something would make it all OK.

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I didn’t time the wait, but it was probably around 20 minutes before we got going to battle Zurg. I had meant to read up on the tips to be a Galactic Hero, but of course forgot. I did remember a couple “good” targets, and ended up with my highest score ever of 308,600. Still not a Galactic hero, but I was happy enough.

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I'm not sure what's going on here, but whatever it is, I don't think they're doing it right.

The rain had slacked off a bit, but it was still wet. Wanting to stay nearby, we decided to head into Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We had never done this before, so it was nice to cross off something on our “to do” list. The show was fun. I wouldn’t wait hours for it, but Katie loved it for some reason. I think she found the “dancing guy” funny.

It was close on fireworks o’clock, but it seemed very doubtful they would go ahead. We weren’t sure if we should wait around or not. I had a feeling they would do the fireworks eventually, and that was confirmed by a CM who told me “even if it’s at 3 o’clock in the morning, they will shoot them off”. I’m curious why though. Is this done for safety reasons, or some kind of legal issue having live explosives around in the day time? I always wondered why they wouldn’t just cancel them after a certain time and save a few bucks.

We decided to stick around for a while to see what happened, and braved the line at the crowded Ice Cream Parlour. It moved fairly fast, and I enjoyed an All-American sundae while taking shelter by Tomorrowland Terrace.

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If you’re wondering why I have four cherries, the girls don’t like cherries and I love them, so they always give them to me. Score!

CONTINUED NEXT POST...
 
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August 19th – Day 2, Part 2 - CONTINUED...

It was around 10:45pm by now, and we were feeling too tired to wait any more for the fireworks, so we made our way towards Main Street. The crowd had thinned out a lot by now. We did some shopping at the Emporium along the way. Suddenly, we heard the opening fanfare of Happily Ever After! We ran out into the middle of Main Street and had a great view of the fireworks. For once, our indecisiveness was rewarded.
Of course I am going to post some HEA pictures. Do you know how hard it is to pick a half dozen of the "best" pictures we took? I should say that these aren't the greatest pictures you'll see. For one, they were taken with our phones, since it happened so fast, I didn't even have time to dig our DSLR out of the bag. Second, I'm not the best at taking fireworks pictures. I understand that even if I was using my DSLR, I should be changing settings like focus, aperture, ISO, something like that, and I should have a tripod for low light photos. I get it. I just don't bother with it. I appreciate good fireworks pictures, I just don't do it myself.

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I'm showing you this not because it's that great if a picture, but just to see the lower crowd on Main Street. Of course there's still lots of people, but there are actually spaces between everyone. It wasn't bad at all. Bonus for waiting in the rain.

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What did I think of my first view of HEA? Fantastic! Do I miss Wishes? Yes. But did I enjoy HEA. Yes. The emotional connection of Wishes is gone, but the HEA projections add to the show. I was definitely glad we waited it out.

Tish and Brianna wanted to look at the jewellery before going to the bus. Katie and I watched Once Upon a Time while we waited for them. That (castle projection) show was cute, but seemed unnecessary after HEA.

After a good day, we finally headed back to the resort, to rest our wet, sore feet and get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow would be another early rise.

Answers to last questions:

1. As mentioned, we have an ADR. Which restaurant? The Plaza
2. Do we get to MK in time to meet Stitch before our ADR? Yes
3. I mentioned that we got a FP for Buzz. Why would this end up being a good choice?
We got to stay out of the rain (some of you may think it was a bad choice because it broke down, but at the time, I was happy to be sitting down, not stuck in the line, and we were dry.

4. It is still PhotoPass day. Do we get any special picture in MK? Yes – the pretzel at the Purple Wall


Next Update Questions for Fun:
1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?
2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park?
3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?
 


It would be nice if you could use a couple QS credits towards a TS meal.

I don't know much about the plan - but that would make sense - I think you can convert extra TS or QS credits to snack credits - why not the other way around?

There was virtually no wait to see her and the meet was fine.

I don't think @pkondz would like to hear you refer to a meet with Ariel as 'fine'.

I know others (I’m looking at you @pkondz) have had interesting meets with Ariel, so maybe it’s just been some bad luck for us.

lol - I had already quoted the prior note when I read this. Really....dull? maybe it is true love for Ariel and @pkondz. :rotfl:

I enjoyed an American Dream sundae

Yum - is that peanut butter topping in there. bleh - cherries.
 
1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?
2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park?
3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?

1.Yes
2.Woody's Lunch Box
3.Beauty and The Beast & For the First Time in Forever
 
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a PhotoPass picture at the Purple Wall, and with a pretzel cut out, which I think was the special thing for that day. Little Stitch even got in on the action.
Very cute picture! However I don't get the purple wall at all. I also don't really like selfies so I've never done a purple wall selfie, and since I don't have daughters and boys don't care about things like purple walls I probably won't do a family purple wall selfie.........but hey, whatever makes people happy when in Disney!

We’ve eaten at The Plaza three times, and although it's not fancy, it's perfectly good comfort food and a reasonable price if paying OOP.
We really like the Plaza, moreso than other MK TS restaurants. Always solid food there and the price is good!

I'm not sure what's going on here, but whatever it is, I don't think they're doing it right.
:laughing:


Do I miss Wishes? Yes. But did I enjoy HEA. Yes.
Glad you enjoyed HEA; I agree the fireworks are really nice. I also miss Wishes and, I've said this before, I prefer Wishes :duck: So much so that I don't usually take the time to see HEA, and I've only bothered to watch the projections once. The boys haven't even seen the projections. I may try in Nov. but it's not a priority the way Wishes was :(

The emotional connection of Wishes is gone, but the HEA projections add to the show.
Yes, and while yes the projections add something, I feel they distract. But I know I'm in the minority here...............

We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?
I don't usually guess at these questions but I'll take this one!
Frozen Sing a Long and Beauty and the Beast :)
 


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This looks like such a fun meet... awwwww!

and we had to walk right past the “Purple Wall” which apparently has become Instagram famous

You are not the only one who did. ;)

Now finally, on to The Plaza. I should say that I felt a bit silly paying OOP for TS when I had the QS dining plan, but I didn’t want QS every day, nor did I want to pay for the upgrade and have TS every day. It would be nice if you could use a couple QS credits towards a TS meal. Just another reason why the dining plan doesn’t work for us.

Doesn't work for me either. So I got an AP and a TIW card. :lmao::lmao::lmao:

The brisket was tender and the BBQ sauce nice, maybe a touch sweet, but good for the meat and fine to have a little mixed into the top of the pasta. My only complaint is they put a layer of BBQ sauce at the bottom of the dish before adding the pasta. I found once I got to the bottom that much BBQ sauce was a little too sweet and didn't mix that well with the cheese sauce (taste wise). If I were to have it again, I would ask for no BBQ sauce at the bottom.

So, yes, I did remember you posted about this on my TR but didn't want to give the answer away to others. :) And that intel actually was very much appreciated! I followed your advice and asked for no sauce on the bottom and it was pretty good. I can totally see why more than what's on the meat would be too much.

(I may be a little weird, but I actually like the big thunderous storms,

Not weird at all. I love them and always seem to miss them.


This Ariel is one of the very best I've seen in a long time. En pointe!

But, I still considered us lucky. We were indoors, out of the rain, and even sitting down quite comfortably. We could have been stuck in the queue outdoors still, with the rain pouring down.

I'd say a solid win there! I got stuck in the rain twice, very briefly, and at the very perfect of times. As you will see...

The rain had slacked off a bit, but it was still wet. Wanting to stay nearby, we decided to head into Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We had never done this before, so it was nice to cross off something on our “to do” list.

Nice!! A new-to-you attraction!

It was close on fireworks o’clock, but it seemed very doubtful they would go ahead. We weren’t sure if we should wait around or not. I had a feeling they would do the fireworks eventually, and that was confirmed by a CM who told me “even if it’s at 3 o’clock in the morning, they will shoot them off”. I’m curious why though. Is this done for safety reasons, or some kind of legal issue having live explosives around in the day time?

Okay, that's news. And I think your guesses might be right?? I'd love to know!

What did I think of my first view of HEA? Fantastic! Do I miss Wishes? Yes. But did I enjoy HEA. Yes. The emotional connection of Wishes is gone, but the HEA projections add to the show. I was definitely glad we waited it out.

I agree. HEA has a wow factor, but lacks sentimental story.

Next Update Questions for Fun:
1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?
2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park?
3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?

1. Yes
2. Woody's
3. Beauty and the Beast and the Imperial March/Star Wars thing whatever it's called.
 
As much as we were enjoying the rest and AC at the resort,

Disney reallllllly makes you appreciate that.

Feeling like @pkondz must every day at Disney

Oh, yup. Pretty much. Pretty standard for me.

(he still hasn’t told us where he gets the patented express golden transportation ticket),

It's available for a rather large fee. Text me for details.

Katie also had a little Stitch wristband stuffie. Well, Stitch was thrilled about this and motioned for Katie to put it on his wrist, and he then paraded around the room showing off his little clone.

:laughing: I bet Katie was thrilled. :goodvibes

He was so energetic, he even inspired me to do a (blurry) character selfie, which I had never done before.

Hmmm... Neither have I. I don't really do selfies, although I've done a couple in recent days/weeks.


Hmmm... one of these photos does not belong.

so we zipped (that’s like sashaying, with purpose)

This is technically correct.

we had to walk right past the “Purple Wall” which apparently has become Instagram famous

ummm... okay?

(I have an 18 year old who explained to me what that was)

I'll have to ask my girls.

did we all have to give Disney another reason to take money from us?

Oh, don't worry. They don't need a reason.

Little Stitch even got in on the action.

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Ha! Didn't notice him at first. Well placed. :)

I felt a bit silly paying OOP for TS when I had the QS dining plan, but I didn’t want QS every day

Nor do I. I was just telling that to Elle yesterday. I'm fine with QS... but not every day, thank you.

Just another reason why the dining plan doesn’t work for us.

For me it's... I don't want to eat because I have to. "Gotta use up those credits!" I was soooo full the one time we had free dining.

I think... hmmm... maybe now if I had the opportunity for free dining, I'd get it, but just not eat so much. It's free. It's okay not to use all the credits.

The brisket was tender and the BBQ sauce nice, maybe a touch sweet, but good for the meat and fine to have a little mixed into the top of the pasta. My only complaint is they put a layer of BBQ sauce at the bottom of the dish before adding the pasta. I found once I got to the bottom that much BBQ sauce was a little too sweet and didn't mix that well with the cheese sauce (taste wise). If I were to have it again, I would ask for no BBQ sauce at the bottom.

I read that... then re-read that. I was like "Man. That sounds almost exactly what I read somewhere else."

Then the nickel dropped.


Ariel with her stunned expression.
Next scene is with her drugged expression.

I may be a little weird, but I actually like the big thunderous storms

I do too.
I wonder if it's because we (seldom) get tornadoes with them?


Well, hello there.

In every meet we’ve done with Ariel, she’s been a bit dull

That's too bad.

I know others (I’m looking at you @pkondz) have had interesting meets with Ariel

I wonder.
I do have an agenda when I meet her. I have a photo in mind and a story I want to tell. I give her something to do other than just "sit there for another guest"...
So either she gets into it and becomes animated because it's a respite from boredom...
Or she does so even thought she doesn't want to because she feels it's expected of her.

Either way (not sure, but I'd like to think it's the former) it certainly makes her more animated.

The rain was getting even more intense by now

Ugh. Rain should not happen in MK. Put the dome up for Pete's sakes!

Had I made a FP for BTMRR or 7DMT like I considered, it would likely have been shut down for weather

True! Good call.

We stood there for a few minutes outside with the rain coming down in sheets now.

Um.... "minutes"?
Didn't your mama ever teach you to come in out of the rain?

:laughing:

We were seated in the ride vehicle, made it a few inches along the track, and then, stopped. After a few minutes the music even stopped and I was witnessing my first significant ride break down.

Well... poop.

But, I still considered us lucky. We were indoors, out of the rain, and even sitting down quite comfortably.

Very good point! Better than being stuck under an awning or something.

I had meant to read up on the tips to be a Galactic Hero, but of course forgot.

I do that. "I'm gonna get it this time!"..... "Now what was I supposed to shoot again?"

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I'm not sure what's going on here, but whatever it is, I don't think they're doing it right.

:laughing:

And... I note the ponchos still on. I'm surprised. Usually they tell you that you can't wear them on the rides.

we decided to head into Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We had never done this before

I did it for the first time not long ago. It's cute. But not worth lining up for.

I had a feeling they would do the fireworks eventually, and that was confirmed by a CM who told me “even if it’s at 3 o’clock in the morning, they will shoot them off”.

Really???

I’m curious why though. Is this done for safety reasons, or some kind of legal issue having live explosives around in the day time?

Primed and too much trouble to "defuse"? :confused3

I enjoyed an American Dream sundae

That looks good! What is that?

If you’re wondering why I have four cherries, the girls don’t like cherries and I love them, so they always give them to me. Score!

Score!

we heard the opening fanfare of Happily Ever After! We ran out into the middle of Main Street and had a great view of the fireworks. For once, our indecisiveness was rewarded.

Yay! You got to see them!

I should say that these aren't the greatest pictures you'll see.

You did just fine. :)

I'm showing you this not because it's that great if a picture, but just to see the lower crowd on Main Street. Of course there's still lots of people, but there are actually spaces between everyone. It wasn't bad at all.

At first I thought "What are you talking about? Look at all of them!" But then I saw what you meant. Not shoulder to shoulder.

1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?
2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park?
3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?

1.Yes. You missed FOP in AK, so I'm gonna say you were luckier with the FPs this time.
2.ABC Commissary
3.Beauty and The Beast show & The Little Mermaid show.
 
I don't know much about the plan - but that would make sense - I think you can convert extra TS or QS credits to snack credits - why not the other way around?
Yes, that's another frustrating thing about the dining plan. It seems like it would make sense to be able to convert QS credits into TS, but no. I even asked that at each TS place we went to, but they said no.

Yum - is that peanut butter topping in there. bleh - cherries.
It is. Peanut butter and hot fudge. It's really good (with or without cherries :p)

Very cute picture! However I don't get the purple wall at all. I also don't really like selfies so I've never done a purple wall selfie, and since I don't have daughters and boys don't care about things like purple walls I probably won't do a family purple wall selfie.........but hey, whatever makes people happy when in Disney!
I didn't really know the purple wall was a thing until I saw a Disney Parks Blog post about the purple wall being a thing because apparently all us Disney fans (at least those who Instagram) had turned it into a thing. :confused3
Ditto on selfies. I did attempt a few selfies this trip, but I don't think they are flattering.

I also miss Wishes and, I've said this before, I prefer Wishes :duck:
I liked Wishes a lot too. But I have to say that HEA really hooked me.
 
So, yes, I did remember you posted about this on my TR but didn't want to give the answer away to others. :) And that intel actually was very much appreciated! I followed your advice and asked for no sauce on the bottom and it was pretty good. I can totally see why more than what's on the meat would be too much.
I'm glad to hear you remembered my advice and you enjoyed your meal. :)

This Ariel is one of the very best I've seen in a long time. En pointe!
Yes, her appearance was very good. Had she been a little more upbeat it would have been a perfect meet.

Okay, that's news. And I think your guesses might be right?? I'd love to know!
It's the only thing I can think of to explain why they have to shoot them off. Assuming the CM was right. He was an older guy selling light up trinkets for the fireworks. He seemed to be confident in what he was saying. But then, so are bus drivers at times...
 
It's available for a rather large fee. Text me for details.
Why do I get the feeling that would turn out something like the DDC membership dues Dole Whips that Norm still hasn't sent us? :p

:laughing: I bet Katie was thrilled. :goodvibes
She was. I think it was the best character meet the whole trip.

Hmmm... one of these photos does not belong.
Darn...I'm glad you pointed it out. I had some trouble adding that picture and a funny error message. Strange because it wasn't showing when I first looked after posting, but this morning it was.

ummm... okay?
I wouldn't have known the purple wall was a thing but I happened to see a Disney Parks Blog post about it after the upgraded paint job. FYI, they also have a Purple Wall Slushie and Purple Wall cotton candy. For real. I can't make this stuff up.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/...n-get-your-purple-wall-slush-in-disney-world/

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/...a-picture-perfect-tribute-to-the-purple-wall/

Ha! Didn't notice him at first. Well placed. :)
I can't take credit though - the photographer suggested it. But it turned out well.

For me it's... I don't want to eat because I have to. "Gotta use up those credits!" I was soooo full the one time we had free dining.
That's how I felt too. There were a few snacks that I wanted to try, but I never did because I didn't have the appetite.

I think... hmmm... maybe now if I had the opportunity for free dining, I'd get it, but just not eat so much. It's free. It's okay not to use all the credits.
I debated doing this about half way into the trip. But I guess I felt like I'd be wasting something Disney was willing to give me, so I should take advantage.

I read that... then re-read that. I was like "Man. That sounds almost exactly what I read somewhere else."

Then the nickel dropped.
Yeah, I totally may have copied and pasted from my post in Liesa's PTR :rolleyes1

Very good point! Better than being stuck under an awning or something.
A few minutes before that, we were stuck outside in the rain because of the crowds jamming up both SB and FP queue, so at that moment, I was fine with it.

I do that. "I'm gonna get it this time!"..... "Now what was I supposed to shoot again?"
All I could remember was the robots left hand - which I hit twice and gave most of my points - and something about the battery below Zurg's spaceship but I don't think I got that one at all.

nd... I note the ponchos still on. I'm surprised. Usually they tell you that you can't wear them on the rides.
I think nearly everyone had ponchos on so it probably would have been a hassle for them to tell everyone. (I took mine off because it was getting a bit stuffy sitting during the break down)

Primed and too much trouble to "defuse"? :confused3
Yeah, that's all I can figure. I have no reason to believe the CM was wrong (it wasn't a bus driver or anything)

That looks good! What is that?
First off, I completely named it wrong! (I had it confused with the American Dream Slush in Epcot, which - spoiler alert - we also got)

It's the All-American Sundae which is vanilla and chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, peanut butter sauce, whipped cream, chocolate & peanut butter chips, and a cherry. Really good - almost a smaller version of the No Way Jose from Beaches & Cream.

Yay! You got to see them!
Yes, we were really happy that we stayed, especially since it was our first time.

You did just fine. :)
Thanks. Like I said, I understand what's required to take good fireworks photos, I just haven't bothered to go to that length, myself, but appreciate those who do.
 
Why do I get the feeling that would turn out something like the DDC membership dues Dole Whips that Norm still hasn't sent us? :p

You didn't get yours? Odd. I did. I think everyone else did, too.

She was. I think it was the best character meet the whole trip.

Great! :)

FYI, they also have a Purple Wall Slushie and Purple Wall cotton candy. For real. I can't make this stuff up.

This: "a taro tea slush with tapioca boba, whipped cream, and purple sprinkles."

Sounds positively... vomitous.

That's how I felt too. There were a few snacks that I wanted to try, but I never did because I didn't have the appetite.

Yep. I ran out of steam.

I debated doing this about half way into the trip. But I guess I felt like I'd be wasting something Disney was willing to give me, so I should take advantage.

I know. Gotta use em!

All I could remember was the robots left hand - which I hit twice and gave most of my points - and something about the battery below Zurg's spaceship but I don't think I got that one at all.

I know the hand... but not sure if I've ever hit it. Didn't know the battery.

Yeah, that's all I can figure. I have no reason to believe the CM was wrong (it wasn't a bus driver or anything)

No clue. Maybe?

First off, I completely named it wrong! (I had it confused with the American Dream Slush in Epcot, which - spoiler alert - we also got)

I was wondering. I haven't had that, but know of it.

It's the All-American Sundae which is vanilla and chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, peanut butter sauce, whipped cream, chocolate & peanut butter chips, and a cherry. Really good - almost a smaller version of the No Way Jose from Beaches & Cream.

It does sound like that.... and it sure sounds good!
 
Glad to see Katie got to meet Stitch and you all enjoyed The Plaza. I'm sure it was good to sit down and enjoy a longer meal and even better not to have to pay too much for it.

Happy to see HEA didn't disappoint. We ended up changing our plans this day (were supposed to go to DS) but the rain was just too much. Glad it didn't ruin your plans too.
 
I'm glad to hear you remembered my advice and you enjoyed your meal. :)

I did, and not sure when, but eventually I'll get to a dining report from there.

Yes, her appearance was very good. Had she been a little more upbeat it would have been a perfect meet.

I guess in a perfect world you get looks and brains and charm.

It's the only thing I can think of to explain why they have to shoot them off. Assuming the CM was right. He was an older guy selling light up trinkets for the fireworks. He seemed to be confident in what he was saying. But then, so are bus drivers at times...

Well I, for one, would be very interested in the real answer to this!
 
Looks like a fun Stitch meet, we saw him at our Halloween party, really fun!

I remember this night, we were at Epcot and it was really raining hard!

Love the purple wall photos! Andi taught me all about the Instagram famous walls.

Glad you enjoyed HEA, The Moana part is my favorite!

Yay more questions
1. I will say no because of all the morning problems with the ride this week
2. Woody’s Lunchbox
3. Frozen sing along and Indiana Jones
 
This was a great meet. Besides her outfit (shirt and bow), Katie also had a little Stitch wristband stuffie. Well, Stitch was thrilled about this and motioned for Katie to put it on his wrist, and he then paraded around the room showing off his little clone. He was so energetic, he even inspired me to do a (blurry) character selfie, which I had never done before.
This is an awesome meet! When my boys were little, Stuart loved Stitch so much. He had a stuffed Stitch with him at the parade and the Stitch in the parade ran up and grabbed it from him. Then the three broomsticks chased Stitch and made him bring the stuffed Stitch back to Stuart. Still one of my favourite memories!

It was now a couple minutes after our ADR time, so we zipped (that’s like sashaying, with purpose) towards The Plaza – only to stop again. See, it was still PhotoPass Day until 6:00pm (I think) and we had to walk right past the “Purple Wall” which apparently has become Instagram famous (I have an 18 year old who explained to me what that was) in the last few years and it has a new paint job and merchandise
I love this picture of the four of you!

Upon exiting the ride, it was a different story. Light rain had turned heavier – our first real Florida summer rain storm (I may be a little weird, but I actually like the big thunderous storms, we just don’t get them with such intensity up north). We stood for a few minutes with the masses under cover. Not wanting to venture very far, we realized we hadn’t met a Princess at all today, so we donned our ponchos and took the short walk to see Ariel. There was virtually no wait to see her and the meet was fine. If you’re following along with our Princess meet quest:
I like the big thunderstorms too. One of my favourite things is to be at the cottage and watch a thunderstorm from the verandah.

I didn’t time the wait, but it was probably around 20 minutes before we got going to battle Zurg. I had meant to read up on the tips to be a Galactic Hero, but of course forgot. I did remember a couple “good” targets, and ended up with my highest score ever of 308,600. Still not a Galactic hero, but I was happy enough.
I am so terrible at this ride....my boys make fun of me every time! I will have to read up on the targets too.

The rain had slacked off a bit, but it was still wet. Wanting to stay nearby, we decided to head into Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We had never done this before, so it was nice to cross off something on our “to do” list. The show was fun. I wouldn’t wait hours for it, but Katie loved it for some reason. I think she found the “dancing guy” funny.
I love this show. It's always fun. Stuart got picked to be Randall one show and got the biggest kick out of it.

I'm showing you this not because it's that great if a picture, but just to see the lower crowd on Main Street. Of course there's still lots of people, but there are actually spaces between everyone. It wasn't bad at all. Bonus for waiting in the rain.
Your pictures are gorgeous!

What did I think of my first view of HEA? Fantastic! Do I miss Wishes? Yes. But did I enjoy HEA. Yes. The emotional connection of Wishes is gone, but the HEA projections add to the show. I was definitely glad we waited it out.
I love it too. I loved Wishes as well and was worried that I wouldn't like HEA at all. I love the ending of HEA especially and it makes me sob like a baby every time, especially the part with Musafa and Hercules .......

Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are. Remember. Remember.

FEMALE SOLOIST
I have often dreamed of a far off place,
Where a hero’s welcome would be waiting for me.


MALE SOLOIST
Where the crowds would cheer
When they see my face.


BOTH
And a voice keeps saying,
“This is where I’m meant to be.”


Next Update Questions for Fun:
1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?
2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park?
3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?

1. SDD x2
2. Woody's Lunchbox
3. Indiana Jones and Frozen Sing along
 
Feeling like @pkondz must every day at Disney (he still hasn’t told us where he gets the patented express golden transportation ticket)

He could tell you, but I'm guessing you wouldn't want to pay the price that he did to obtain it.

Well, Stitch was thrilled about this and motioned for Katie to put it on his wrist, and he then paraded around the room showing off his little clone.

I've found that Stitch is consistently one of the best characters to visit.

See, it was still PhotoPass Day until 6:00pm (I think) and we had to walk right past the “Purple Wall” which apparently has become Instagram famous (I have an 18 year old who explained to me what that was) in the last few years and it has a new paint job and merchandise (really people, did we have to make the Purple Wall a thing? I know I am part of all this, but did we all have to give Disney another reason to take money from us?)

Ignorance is bliss. I didn't even know this was a thing.

It would be nice if you could use a couple QS credits towards a TS meal.

Now, there's a good idea!

My only complaint is they put a layer of BBQ sauce at the bottom of the dish before adding the pasta. I found once I got to the bottom that much BBQ sauce was a little too sweet and didn't mix that well with the cheese sauce (taste wise). If I were to have it again, I would ask for no BBQ sauce at the bottom.

That sounds a little weird. What does BBQ sauce at the bottom accomplish?

Light rain had turned heavier – our first real Florida summer rain storm (I may be a little weird, but I actually like the big thunderous storms, we just don’t get them with such intensity up north).

I like big thunderstorms, too--when I'm indoors.

Gradually we made it indoors and the FP queue moved fairly quickly. We were seated in the ride vehicle, made it a few inches along the track, and then, stopped. After a few minutes the music even stopped and I was witnessing my first significant ride break down.

Dang. Too bad you weren't in the ride or you could have racked up a huge score!

I have no idea what the issue was, but the CM at the podium called supervisors, who got on the phone, who stared at the podium, presumably flipping switches or pressing buttons, hoping something would make it all OK.

That's exactly how I fix stuff at work, too! Did they try kicking the side of the controller?

I did remember a couple “good” targets, and ended up with my highest score ever of 308,600. Still not a Galactic hero, but I was happy enough.

I think it's a Dad thing. I studied up, too.

mk_buzzlightyearride_20180819_413009915392-jpg.359644


I'm not sure what's going on here, but whatever it is, I don't think they're doing it right.

:rotfl::rotfl2::lmao: Ah yes, the "smack the gun" technique. We need a photo on Toy Story Mania.

Wanting to stay nearby, we decided to head into Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We had never done this before, so it was nice to cross off something on our “to do” list. The show was fun. I wouldn’t wait hours for it, but Katie loved it for some reason. I think she found the “dancing guy” funny.

I always enjoy that show. Someday I want to be That Guy.

I had a feeling they would do the fireworks eventually, and that was confirmed by a CM who told me “even if it’s at 3 o’clock in the morning, they will shoot them off”. I’m curious why though. Is this done for safety reasons, or some kind of legal issue having live explosives around in the day time? I always wondered why they wouldn’t just cancel them after a certain time and save a few bucks.

Huh. I was pretty sure they did cancel them sometimes due to weather.

If you’re wondering why I have four cherries, the girls don’t like cherries and I love them, so they always give them to me. Score!

Sounds like our family. My son is the only one who eats them.

I should say that these aren't the greatest pictures you'll see. For one, they were taken with our phones, since it happened so fast, I didn't even have time to dig our DSLR out of the bag. Second, I'm not the best at taking fireworks pictures. I understand that even if I was using my DSLR, I should be changing settings like focus, aperture, ISO, something like that, and I should have a tripod for low light photos. I get it.

We have a DSLR and a tripod, and still struggle to get good fireworks photos. I think I did better with my phone!

What did I think of my first view of HEA? Fantastic! Do I miss Wishes? Yes. But did I enjoy HEA. Yes. The emotional connection of Wishes is gone, but the HEA projections add to the show. I was definitely glad we waited it out.

The show is definitely better in person, where you can see the projections. Watching from the Poly or on Youtube, it loses something.

1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?

Sure, why not?

2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park?

Woody's Lunch Box?

3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows?

Whatever the Frozen show is called and Indiana Jones.
 
Cute pics with Stitch! And I love the PP pic in front of the purple wall- nice touch adding Stitch to the pretzel!

Glad you were still able to see HEA!

1. We’re off to EMH at Hollywood Studios. Do we ride Slinky Dog Dash this morning?- No
2. Where do we eat breakfast in the park? - The stand in Toy Story Land
3. We see two shows at DHS this morning. Which shows? - Frozen and Voyage of the Little Mermaid
 

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