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

[pkondz]

Unfortunately time was a bit short and we soon had to jostle for fireworks position.

Get there early or wind up in a not so great spot.

we found a corner near the Adventureland path that was a pretty good view,

Nice!

I really like the Halloween lighting and decorations. It's just a shame they don't cover more of the park besides Main Street and The Hub.

Really? I seem to recall them elsewhere. Fog machines by HM... Lights on the ground... Hmm... No? (Been a while)

Hallowishes is certainly a highlight of the night for us

Best fireworks of the year.

I had a hard time choosing just a couple, so here are probably too many pictures of Hallowishes.

Got some pretty good ones.

I have to mention one “treat” we got was a pouch of applesauce.

Um... what????
That's just begging to have your house egged.

What were the other options at that boardroom meeting? Kale chips? A bag of frozen peas?

Exactly!

Anyway, I got to ride on Big Thunder, but there was a nearly 20 minute wait. It was a far cry from the walk on & triple loop I experienced back in 2010. It’s still my favourite ride, especially at night.

Still, 20 minutes isn't very long for that ride.

Boo To You is entertaining, especially the grave diggers and ghost dancers.

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

Correct. Zero clue there. Better to cut the parade short by one float, imho.

I always find night pictures a challenge, especially the Headless Horseman.

He's especially tough to get.

Below are the best of the bunch.

Nice ones!

I managed to capture a few sparks form the grave diggers shovels this time.

I see that! Nice shot!

It was getting late now (after 11:00pm I think) and I couldn’t say that we had gone to the Halloween party and not done Haunted Mansion. We made our way there and waited about 15 minutes.

Again, not very long.

I didn’t notice Carlotta on the front lawn, which was disappointing because I’ve never seen her.

Oh, that's too bad. She's a major highlight of the night for me.

The Hocus Pocus show was just starting at midnight so we watched that before exiting. It was our first time seeing it, and it was pretty good. Better than the villains’ thing they did a few years ago.

Oh? I'll have to check it out then... if/when I get back there.

So, I have come to the disappointing conclusion that I am done with MNSSHP.

Oh, that's too bad. Although I understand your reasoning. Like you said, if you go solo, you might have a different experience and enjoy it more.

• We visit AK. I have 4 FP for Flight of Passage. Do all four FP get used?

• I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it?

• We meet one character at AK. Which character?

Yes
Frozen chai latte
Dug

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love that parade, I think it is what keeps me going back to the parties! I totally agree on how much more crowded the party is now! I don’t enjoy that.

We didn’t even get on HM at our party, way to busy.

I think the wait for Moana really made it hard for you all to do much more other than the fireworks and parade!

Yay more trivia.
1. I will say no, maybe someone got motion sickness?
2. The Margarita at Pongu Pongu
3. Pocahontas

 

[buzzrelly]

So, I have come to the disappointing conclusion that I am done with MNSSHP. My opinion – it’s just not worth it anymore. I have spent two parties now trying to recapture the magic of our first one in 2010. I think that magic is gone. The main reason is that the parties are now more crowded, at least they seem to be to me. Part of the attraction for me was the lower crowds. Anecdotally (from listening to a podcast, so I can’t say this is accurate), Disney is selling two or three times the number of tickets for parties than they used to. In the beginning, the tickets were limited, so it was a special experience. Now, they just sell to capacity. The crowds make the lines for rides and characters longer, make it more difficult to get a spot for the fireworks and parade, and just make it less appealing to me. Now, if you have never done a party, by all means, do one. I have never done a Christmas party and I would happily do one if given the chance. The key word being “one”. For the cost of a family of four, the party tickets just don’t give me enough enjoyment to justify multiple visits. If I was going solo, or even as an adult couple, I would re-think it and perhaps plan the night differently. But for now, I won’t do another Halloween party.

I was feeling much the same way about this year's party. I hope Disney listens, but I doubt they will. As long as people are buying the tickets, they'll keep selling them

Your Hallowishes pictures were amazing

Next Update Questions for Fun:

1. 
   
   
   • We visit AK. I have 4 FP for Flight of Passage. Do all four FP get used? Yes, of course! You'd be crazy NOT to use them all!
   • I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it? Night Blossom
   • We meet one character at AK. Which character? Russell

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Really? I seem to recall them elsewhere. Fog machines by HM... Lights on the ground... Hmm... No? (Been a while)

Yes, I think there are some lighting effects and fog machines around the rest of the park. I guess I was thinking of the physical decorations like the Mickey pumpkins. I've heard - but of course never seen for myself - that Disneyland does a better job of decorating the whole park.

That's just begging to have your house egged.

I suppose I could have thrown Dole Whips at the Castle.

Oh? I'll have to check it out then... if/when I get back there.

It helps if you've seen the Hocus Pocus movie and know a little about the Sanderson Sisters. Mind you it's not the highlight of the night like Hallowishes, so I wouldn't go too far out of your way. But it was still a decent ay to end off the night.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I think the wait for Moana really made it hard for you all to do much more other than the fireworks and parade!

Yes, that's really what killed the night, the 2+ hour wait for Moana. I guess that's part of my reason for taking a break from the party. It's so hard to fit in all the special things unless you do more than one, and I can't do that with 4 of us.

I love that parade, I think it is what keeps me going back to the parties!

So do I. it wasn't an easy thing for DW and I to decide the party just isn't for us anymore. I really like Hallowishes too.

Your Hallowishes pictures were amazing

Thanks!
I should probably admit that the first 3 or 4 were taken by DW with her iPhone! I think they turned out better than the ones from my DSLR. Probably due to my lack of skill.

 

[pkondz]

Yes, I think there are some lighting effects and fog machines around the rest of the park. I guess I was thinking of the physical decorations like the Mickey pumpkins. I've heard - but of course never seen for myself - that Disneyland does a better job of decorating the whole park.

I don't remember any physical decorations elsewhere either. Wouldn't know about DL. That'd be cool to see if that's the case! Hmmm... Halloween in DL... hmmm.....

I suppose I could have thrown Dole Whips at the Castle.

One does not waste a Dole Whip!!!!

It helps if you've seen the Hocus Pocus movie and know a little about the Sanderson Sisters. Mind you it's not the highlight of the night like Hallowishes, so I wouldn't go too far out of your way. But it was still a decent ay to end off the night.

I kinda figured as much. Still... since I haven't seen it... might be worth a gander.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

I honestly just think it depends on the night. We didn't think our party night was that bad. We have done MNSSHP in 2007, 2016 and 2018.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I really wanted to do Pirates, especially since I heard about the “live” pirates during the ride.

So naturally, you ran over and got right in line.

Hallowishes is certainly a highlight of the night for us and this was no exception. I had a hard time choosing just a couple, so here are probably too many pictures of Hallowishes.

I've never seen Hallowishes. Looks cool, though, and I've heard great things.

I desperately wanted to say I had done at least one ride at the party

Very understandable!

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

I would have had the exact same reaction. This is like the one house that hands out apples or toothbrushes. You might as well hand out a card that says, "Please egg my house."

Anyway, I got to ride on Big Thunder, but there was a nearly 20 minute wait. It was a far cry from the walk on & triple loop I experienced back in 2010. It’s still my favourite ride, especially at night.

I'm glad you got that one in. It's a great ride at night.

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

Um...what?

It was getting late now (after 11:00pm I think) and I couldn’t say that we had gone to the Halloween party and not done Haunted Mansion.

Makes sense.

HM ended up being the last ride for the night.

So, I have come to the disappointing conclusion that I am done with MNSSHP. My opinion – it’s just not worth it anymore.

That stinks. Was this colored by the fact that 2 hours were spent in one line?

Disney is selling two or three times the number of tickets for parties than they used to. In the beginning, the tickets were limited, so it was a special experience. Now, they just sell to capacity.

There goes Corporate Greedy Disney popping up once again.

We visit AK. I have 4 FP for Flight of Passage. Do all four FP get used?

I'm gonna say no.

I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it?

Dole Whip with rum?

We meet one character at AK. Which character?

DiVine?

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I honestly just think it depends on the night. We didn't think our party night was that bad. We have done MNSSHP in 2007, 2016 and 2018.

You're probably right. I guess for me the cost is too high to risk a good or bad night on chance.

Um...what?

It's Clara Cluck, who is in the same group of characters as Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar. The float is a huge barn and dancing cowboys.
The character is so old I doubt many people realize the Disney connection. I cringe at that part of the parade. It doesn't have much of a Halloween feel. When you consider the other dancers are HM ghosts and gravediggers, and pirates.

That stinks. Was this colored by the fact that 2 hours were spent in one line?

Definitely. And if I end up on a solo trip or adults trip, I might consider it again. But for the whole family, it's a risk/reward thing for me now. I feel like to do all of the special things - characters, rides, parades, fireworks - you need to do multiple parties. I can barely swing the cost of one party with a family. And that one party has a high risk of being a negative experience due to crowds, wait times, etc. It might be a good night, it might be a bad night. I'm just not willing to spend the money to roll the dice on it again.

I'm gonna say no.

Hmmm...I wonder where you got that idea...

 

[Steppesister]

After our marathon wait in the queue for Moana, it was now after 8:00 and nearly dark.

TBH, Jeff, think this is what really killed the party for you. Timewise, it just doesn't make sense.

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

I agree. I did love the fog and lights at HM, and the lighting on the Frontierland street.

This is my fave. Nice!

but really? Applesauce? What were the other options at that boardroom meeting? Kale chips? A bag of frozen peas?

I do think it may be time for a refresh on the parade.

I think they need to leave everything they have that's "villian-y" alone and remove, or better yet replace, that weird stuff. ie. the cow.

I always find night pictures a challenge, especially the Headless Horseman.

This.

We made our way there and waited about 15 minutes.

Not bad at all!!

The Hocus Pocus show was just starting at midnight so we watched that before exiting. It was our first time seeing it, and it was pretty good.

I actually really love that show. A lot.

I would re-think it and perhaps plan the night differently. But for now, I won’t do another Halloween party.

That makes me sad. I enjoyed it last year and will be doing it again with the kids this Sept, but we don't do characters unless there is no line at all and we happened to be walking by. We don't trick-or-treat either but simply rides rides and watch the fireworks, parade, and show. The last 3 I've done, I've not waited more than 20 or so minutes for any ride. But, as with all touring, you can hit critical mass pretty quickly. Too many different must-dos which eats up precious time. I'd encourage another go of it but solo.

• We visit AK. I have 4 FP for Flight of Passage. Do all four FP get used?

• I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it?

• We meet one character at AK. Which character?

No, someone chickens out.

Frozen marg

Carl from UP

 

[kastoney]

Amazing photos. Funny what you can see when you don't sit down at sleepy hollow 10 minutes before the fireworks start

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

Seriously is an understatement!!! Maybe you somehow got in an allergy line???? Though I do love me some kale chips. If you've never had Trader Joes they are pretty dang good

I managed to capture a few sparks form the grave diggers shovels this time.

These guys were my favorite! Also the picture is a bit grainy but I'm pretty sure we are in the background of your picture somewhere!

I didn’t notice Carlotta on the front lawn, which was disappointing because I’ve never seen her. I think I read she finished at 11:30, so she must have just left. I have made the same mistake every party - waiting for HM until late.

She was out earlier in the night and it took me a while to figure out she wasn't a guest just dressed up in the best costume ever.

The main reason is that the parties are now more crowded, at least they seem to be to me. Part of the attraction for me was the lower crowds. Anecdotally (from listening to a podcast, so I can’t say this is accurate), Disney is selling two or three times the number of tickets for parties than they used to. In the beginning, the tickets were limited, so it was a special experience. Now, they just sell to capacity. The crowds make the lines for rides and characters longer, make it more difficult to get a spot for the fireworks and parade, and just make it less appealing to me.

We had never done a party before and I didn't think the crowds were too bad but we also didn't wait 2 hours for a character. It was unquestionably less crowded than the Xmas party we had done, but i have no past parties to compare it with.

 

[amazingact21]

Sorry the party was a letdown. I do agree that they have been more crowded over the years and that can really mess with wait times and crowds. At least you can say you've done it a few times and had those experiences.

 

[suse66]

There was already a fair crowd in The Hub, but we found a corner near the Adventureland path that was a pretty good view, so once again we were waiting. At least this time, I knew how long the wait was. I really like the Halloween lighting and decorations. It's just a shame they don't cover more of the park besides Main Street and The Hub.

It's a little strange that they don't spread the decor out more.

Hallowishes is certainly a highlight of the night for us and this was no exception. I had a hard time choosing just a couple, so here are probably too many pictures of Hallowishes.

Hallowishes is awesome!

Anyway, I got to ride on Big Thunder, but there was a nearly 20 minute wait. It was a far cry from the walk on & triple loop I experienced back in 2010. It’s still my favourite ride, especially at night.

BTMR is the best!

Boo To You is entertaining, especially the grave diggers and ghost dancers.

Love Boo to You!

HM ended up being the last ride for the night. Being close to the end of the party, we made our way out. The Hocus Pocus show was just starting at midnight so we watched that before exiting. It was our first time seeing it, and it was pretty good. Better than the villains’ thing they did a few years ago.

I did enjoy Hocus Pocus.

Next Update Questions for Fun:

1. 
   
   
   • We visit AK. I have 4 FP for Flight of Passage. Do all four FP get used?
   • I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it?
   • We meet one character at AK. Which character?

1. No, Katie backed out.
2. Dole Whip with rum
3. Pocohantas!

 

[Jfsag123]

August 24th – Day 7 – Part 3 – More Tragical than Magical – Continued…

After our marathon wait in the queue for Moana, it was now after 8:00 and nearly dark. I really wanted to do Pirates, especially since I heard about the “live” pirates during the ride. Unfortunately time was a bit short and we soon had to jostle for fireworks position. We did some quick trick or treating at the Jungle Cruise on the way. There was already a fair crowd in The Hub, but we found a corner near the Adventureland path that was a pretty good view, so once again we were waiting. At least this time, I knew how long the wait was. I really like the Halloween lighting and decorations. It's just a shame they don't cover more of the park besides Main Street and The Hub.

Sorry you missed Pirates, but I'm glad you found a good viewing spot! I hear the nighttime entertainment is the best part of the parties.

Hallowishes is certainly a highlight of the night for us and this was no exception. I had a hard time choosing just a couple, so here are probably too many pictures of Hallowishes.

Your photos are gorgeous!

I desperately wanted to say I had done at least one ride at the party, and we also wanted to do some more trick or treating. We noticed a few treat stations in Frontierland so we stopped at those on the way to BTMRR. I have to mention one “treat” we got was a pouch of applesauce. Seriously? I get that all this candy is likely given to Disney free as marketing for the candy companies, but really? Applesauce? What were the other options at that boardroom meeting? Kale chips? A bag of frozen peas?

I think I would have been irritated too, but I'll bet my weirdo kids would have loved it.

Anyway, I got to ride on Big Thunder, but there was a nearly 20 minute wait. It was a far cry from the walk on & triple loop I experienced back in 2010. It’s still my favourite ride, especially at night.

Big Thunder at night is the best! Glad you (finally) got in a ride!

It was getting late now (after 11:00pm I think) and I couldn’t say that we had gone to the Halloween party and not done Haunted Mansion. We made our way there and waited about 15 minutes.

Oh yes, a must do for MNSSHP - assuming I ever get there.

So, I have come to the disappointing conclusion that I am done with MNSSHP. My opinion – it’s just not worth it anymore. I have spent two parties now trying to recapture the magic of our first one in 2010. I think that magic is gone. The main reason is that the parties are now more crowded, at least they seem to be to me. Part of the attraction for me was the lower crowds. Anecdotally (from listening to a podcast, so I can’t say this is accurate), Disney is selling two or three times the number of tickets for parties than they used to. In the beginning, the tickets were limited, so it was a special experience. Now, they just sell to capacity. The crowds make the lines for rides and characters longer, make it more difficult to get a spot for the fireworks and parade, and just make it less appealing to me. Now, if you have never done a party, by all means, do one. I have never done a Christmas party and I would happily do one if given the chance. The key word being “one”. For the cost of a family of four, the party tickets just don’t give me enough enjoyment to justify multiple visits. If I was going solo, or even as an adult couple, I would re-think it and perhaps plan the night differently. But for now, I won’t do another Halloween party.

Aw, that's sad. But I get it. I wish we'd gotten to experience it back in the glory days. We'd still do it if we got the chance, but it might be better if we didn't know what we were missing. For the money, DAH seems the only way to get a truly uncrowded experience in the parks. But of course, it doesn't feature the entertainment of the parties.

Next Update Questions for Fun:

1. 
   
   
   • We visit AK. I have 4 FP for Flight of Passage. Do all four FP get used?
   • I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it?
   • We meet one character at AK. Which character?

1. No?
2. Alcoholic dole whip
3. Timon

 

[Terra Nova guy]

TBH, Jeff, think this is what really killed the party for you. Timewise, it just doesn't make sense

It definitely was. I knew getting into it that waiting for Moana would derail the night. But the girls had their heart set on it, and were perfectly fine with the wait.

This is my fave. Nice!

I like it too. I wasn't going to put that one in first because it doesn't show the firework very well, but I love the colour and the smoke streaming down.

I think they need to leave everything they have that's "villian-y" alone and remove, or better yet replace, that weird stuff. ie. the cow.

Agreed. The cow and chicken just don't say Halloween to me.

That makes me sad. I enjoyed it last year and will be doing it again with the kids this Sept, but we don't do characters unless there is no line at all and we happened to be walking by. We don't trick-or-treat either but simply rides rides and watch the fireworks, parade, and show. The last 3 I've done, I've not waited more than 20 or so minutes for any ride. But, as with all touring, you can hit critical mass pretty quickly. Too many different must-dos which eats up precious time. I'd encourage another go of it but solo.

I would definitely consider a party if I was solo. I know certain nights may be less crowded, and if I avoided character meets the night would go better. I don't expect to be able to do everything, but for it to be a valuable experience, I would hope to be able to tick off some boxes, a character meet being one of them.

Amazing photos. Funny what you can see when you don't sit down at sleepy hollow 10 minutes before the fireworks start

yes, if you ever get to another party, Hallowishes is really one to try getting a good viewing location, ever if it means waiting a while for it.

Seriously is an understatement!!! Maybe you somehow got in an allergy line???? Though I do love me some kale chips. If you've never had Trader Joes they are pretty dang good

I don't think it was an allergy line, at least I didn't notice. It was in Frontierland, on the way to Big Thunder. We didn't get to many trick or treat stations, so for one of them to be applesauce kind of ticked me off.

Also the picture is a bit grainy but I'm pretty sure we are in the background of your picture somewhere!

You most likely are - I'm so sad I didn't send you a message on FB. I actually looked at my full resolution photos and I still didn't notice you guys. But you must have been close.

We had never done a party before and I didn't think the crowds were too bad but we also didn't wait 2 hours for a character. It was unquestionably less crowded than the Xmas party we had done, but i have no past parties to compare it with.

I have never done the Christmas party, so can't compare. Despite my feelings, I would like to do the Christmas one, and I would encourage anyone to try either party once.

Sorry the party was a letdown. I do agree that they have been more crowded over the years and that can really mess with wait times and crowds. At least you can say you've done it a few times and had those experiences.

I'm glad I did MNSSHP. For me it's just gotten to the risk/reward tipping point. It might be a bad night, it might be a good night. For the cost of a family of four - especially with the terrible Canadian-US dollar exchange rate now - I just can't justify spending that much on something that may not go well.

Aw, that's sad. But I get it. I wish we'd gotten to experience it back in the glory days. We'd still do it if we got the chance, but it might be better if we didn't know what we were missing. For the money, DAH seems the only way to get a truly uncrowded experience in the parks. But of course, it doesn't feature the entertainment of the parties.

I would definitely encourage anyone to try it once. But check your expectations. There's just not enough time to do it all. Having nothing else to compare to would certainly help your opinion of it.

 

[Steppesister]

It definitely was. I knew getting into it that waiting for Moana would derail the night. But the girls had their heart set on it, and were perfectly fine with the wait.

I see your point about sticking together, but I am wondering if for a little bit of this time (afterall, you were there all week together) if you could divide and conquer until they had texted that they were closer to the front.

I like it too. I wasn't going to put that one in first because it doesn't show the firework very well, but I love the colour and the smoke streaming down.

I think it was the smoke that made it stand out.

I would definitely consider a party if I was solo. I know certain nights may be less crowded, and if I avoided character meets the night would go better. I don't expect to be able to do everything, but for it to be a valuable experience, I would hope to be able to tick off some boxes, a character meet being one of them.

I'm glad you haven't said never again altogether.

And no, even solo and on the least crowded of nights, you just can't do everything.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I see your point about sticking together, but I am wondering if for a little bit of this time (afterall, you were there all week together) if you could divide and conquer until they had texted that they were closer to the front.

I definitely regret not branching off by myself. It would made my opinion of the night different. Having said that, both DW and I had the same feeling. We were glad to have done 3 parties, but we felt like we got everything out of them that we could and the cost just isn't worth it anymore.
I definitely haven't said "never again", but at least we'll be taking a break from the party, at least while I go there with the whole family in tow. Maybe solo or adults only in the distant future.

 

[docsoliday1]

Yes, I think there are some lighting effects and fog machines around the rest of the park. I guess I was thinking of the physical decorations like the Mickey pumpkins. I've heard - but of course never seen for myself - that Disneyland does a better job of decorating the whole park.

I'm trying to remember when we were there if I saw them in other places.

I suppose I could have thrown Dole Whips at the Castle.

Wait! What? Why would you waste perfectly good Dole whips? Brussel sprouts, okay, but Dole whips????

 

[Terra Nova guy]

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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





We sat for about 15 minutes near Expedition Everest and enjoyed our drinks while we waited for Tish and Katie to catch up.



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



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

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



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

Official Princess Meet Countdown: Pocahontas – 10 of 11 ✔



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

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

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



The shopping is once again a bit of a blur to me. It was a bit more focused on Disney clothing and trinkets. I won’t bore you with many details. I know we went to the Marketplace and looked at the Christmas store because DW was hoping to find a Disney cat themed stocking for our new kitten, but there were hardly any stockings at all. This surprised us since we have a nice set of stockings that we got there in 2013. There was a significant amount of Halloween merchandise in this Christmas store, which was a bit annoying.

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

We soon had to leave Disney Springs and get back to Animal Kingdom. The reason why will be one of my questions for fun


Answers to last questions:

1. We visit AK. Each of us has FP for Flight of Passage. Do all FP get used? No, only 2 of the 4
2. I get a frozen beverage from a kiosk/food truck. What is it? Frozen Chai Latte
3. We meet one character at AK. Which character? Pocahontas


Next Update Questions for Fun:

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

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

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

 

[buzzrelly]

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

Yay! Finally!

I had made FP for all four of us knowing that at least Katie may not ride. The fact that you’re in a seat by yourself was not appealing to her. I was hoping to be able to sneak a 2nd ride by borrowing Katie’s band, but that wasn’t going to work out.

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

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

I like Everest too, but that backwards part is disorienting, and it always lasts longer that I think it will so I'm after . It doesn't stop me from riding though