So Much Freakin’ Epicness Y'all! A May 2019 Epic DIS Meet TR Updated 11/21 x 7!

[Pluto0809]

Well... that's where the fishies are...

True. I do go downtown occasionally for stuff like that but definitely would not want to live down there. Oh, by the way, did you see that Animal Planet has a new series called "The Aquarium" that's set at the Georgia Aquarium? It just started on 5/19 and I'm recording the episodes. Haven't had a chance to start watching it though.

Oh, no. My mind says "Hell no".... and my body nods (jiggles) in agreement.

Makes all the difference, doesn't it?

It certainly does!

I'll be posting a link when I start it...
...when I start it...
...when I start it...
...when I start it...
...when I start it...
...when...

sorry.

Please don't hurry on my account, I'm just now starting to get caught up on the 20 or so that I'm months behind on plus there's all the new ones related to this May trip I'm trying to get to!

There's probably a course on it or something.

I meant to have Su-Lynn or Jackie give me some lessons but I forgot.

I see in the small print where it says "for use on the surface of the sun or other hot stars"

Believe me, my pasty white skin needs that kind of protection!

What a nice evening in Epcot

Sulley is “precious”. I can’t believe how cute the dolls are dressed up like Disney Characters

I’m looking forward to the new movie in the Land, I hope it is better than the circle of life, we went once and never again, haha!

To bad the margarita was bad, it looked good in the picture

I never intended to start collecting those dolls, just picked up Pluto because I buy everything that is related to Pluto. But they are just so cute, I can't help myself! I now have Pluto, Stitch, Dumbo, Jack Sparrow and Sulley.

I think just about anything would be better than that old Lion King movie!

I've had those strawberry margaritas quite often and they are usually really good. Guess I just got a bad batch this time around.

 

[Pluto0809]

Beautiful shot. The sky looks really nice.

Thanks! It really was a pretty night except for the crazy humidity.

Really? Huh! They're always there!

Wow. I don't know if I've ever been there and not had to dodge around them.

I've had a rough time my last two trips finding photographers in Epcot. Not sure what's going on there. We did find plenty during our group day at Epcot, just didn't see any on this night for some reason.

Yep. Heard those too. Thought they were fact, but... haven't been able to confirm that.

I've read it from a few different sources but I don't think Disney has officially announced it.

Saw them there too. But I'm not big into the characters (nor is Elle) so we passed them by.

Jim is more into the characters than I am but I like meeting new ones I haven't met before and of course I like to see my dog at least once every trip. I wasn't too concerned about Ralph and Venellope because I met them at HS way back when the first movie came out.

Never saw it.
Kinda think I'm okay with that after reading your thoughts of it.

Picture a super grainy 90s style movie where Pumba and Timon spend 15 minutes lecturing you on saving the environment.

Good catch!

I first spotted that one back at the beginning of 2018. I tried to point it out to my family last October but it wasn't visible through the plant roots. So it's hit or miss if you will see it.

Had that. Not bad!

It was definitely a good dish for this picky eater.

Yes. We know. We still talk about it up here. "Did you see that lady that just passed us without even saying hi?"
I'm like, "Yeah, that's Ariana."

Sorry about that I was on a mission! I did stop and say hi later in the week.

Sully: damage the purity or integrity of; defile.

I think "Sulley" might be a bit better.

Totally agree with you there.

Huh! Last time I went, I think it was a couple hours.

It's kind of died down now, I think it's more on the lines of 40 minutes to an hour during the busy times. I just checked the APP and it's listed at 20 minutes right now. I will say that I timed it perfectly that night. Illuminations was just starting when I got in line. When I exited a while later, Illuminations was over and the line was all the way out of the land (it was EMH that night)

Rookie mistake. If it'd been me, the ice cream wouldn't have even made it more than a couple steps out of the building.

I probably would have but my hands were a bit full with the other stuff I bought at the food court plus my packages from Epcot.

 

[Pluto0809]

Great evening in Epcot!!! Good food and great rides.

I did have a great evening at Epcot. I'm really glad I decided to pop in there for a bit that night.

Finally here!! I'm so glad we got to meet!

Me too!

I love visiting historical places also and Charleston is on my list

We've been talking about Charleston for a while now. Last year we did Williamsburg which was a lot of fun.

Definitely! It was so hard to spend time with everyone and even when we were all together it was hard to talk to everyone

I do wish we all had more time to hang out and talk. Hopefully there will be future trips like this one!

Ooh I haven't seen those and I want them! Going to look for them when we go in July

I was pleasantly surprised to find those. I knew I wanted to get a set of pens but didn't know those existed till I looked at WOD.

Neat! I like finding Hidden Mickey's and keep meaning to bring the book with me and then always forget

I have the book also although I really need to get a more recent version. I think I bought mine back in 2014 and there have been a lot of changes since then. I don't usually carry the book with me, it's kind of heavy to haul around.

So thoughtful!

You had a a good day of shopping, that's right up my alley!

I love to shop at Disney! I figured this would be my day to do it since I would be so busy the rest of the week.

Hi! Joining in for the fun. Your dogs are precious. I have an incredibly spoiled golden retriever myself. The tater tot mishap is totally something that would happen to me. The new Pop rooms look awesome! Sorry you couldn’t find the ring you had in mind but I really like the one you selected. I’ve never seen/heard those sauna details in Frozen Ever After - so cute!!!! Hurrah for not switching rooms and how sweet of you to decorate!

Hi! Thanks for joining in. Yay for more spoiled doggies! I was really sad when I lost all of those tater tots.

I may or may not be done with the ring purchases for the trip.

That sucks. I don't understand why sometimes there are so many PP photographers and others times...nada. I think EPCOT is the worst for this.

I've had the same issue on my last two trips. We found very few during the October trip too.

I'll take Figment over SE any day. Still one of my favorite rides.

I like them both and usually try to ride them every trip. Well, I do tend to skip Figment when I'm with my family because they don't like that ride.

I'm not sure if I've ever seen that movie, but yes, always good to see other options.

I'm excited for something new there, it was way past time to get rid of the old movie.

Good find. I've seen a lot of hidden Mickeys on LWTL, but I don't recall seeing that one.

It's not always easy to spot. The roots of the plants above it hide it sometimes.

As a techy, it would be cool to see how the imagineers did that.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure it was just a TV screen.

Kinda sad. I know there are a lot of folks who are very happy when the bartender is heavy handed with the booze. I guess it's necessary to tell them to be a little less generous on their pour.

Well, I'm not sure what could be done here because this drink comes out of one of those mixing machines. Either the CM was heavy handed when filling the machines or the machine wasn't mixing too well that day.

You got a lot done in 3 hours! Good job!

I did accomplish almost everything I wanted to do that night. I think the only things I missed were TT and SE but I knew I would be back to Epcot a couple of times that week.

 

[Pluto0809]

That looks good. I totally missed this or I would have tied it!

It was a good dish for me since I'm picky. It was also the perfect size for a snack that night.

That's super sweet!

Thanks! I had a lot of fun with the decorations.

How bizarre! I've never seen a lack of Photopass photographers at Epcot, especially at the entrance and by the Innovention Fountain. That's too bad that you didn't get any pictures!

This is the second trip in a row where I've had some trouble finding them at Epcot. Not sure what is going on there.

That's great! I've skipped by that attraction for years (if I've even visited?!) so I'm glad they're finally given that attraction a refresh! It's about time!

I saw it one time in 2011 and that was more than enough. Hopefully this new one will be much better.

Oh, how sweet! I hope she ended up enjoying it!

I always take far too many pictures on Living with the Land, too! It's so hard not to, even if you've already been on it so many times before.

She was definitely a little upset during the dark parts but seemed fine when we got in the greenhouses.

I always seem to spot something new in the green houses to photograph.

That looks delicious! Such a large piece of chicken for a food booth!

It was very good. And the sauce was mild which was perfect for this picky eater.

That is ADORABLE! It's a little strange that they didn't spell Sulley correctly, but it's so cute I'm sure you can forgive them.

Yeah it was odd on the spelling but honestly, I wasn't sure which way to spell it when we adopted our dog. I had to look it up.

Wow! What a short line!

I LOVE all your pictures of Frozen Ever After... I so rarely see pictures of the regular line! The pictures of Oaken in the sauna are GREAT!

I think I got lucky with timing since Illuminations was just starting when I got in line.

How nice of you! What a fun group of decorations!

Thanks! It was fun to decorate.

I had the same issue in EPCOT during our March trip! My brother and his gf had gotten some really cute nighttime photos at EPCOT in January that I wanted to get too and I didn't see any photopass photographers either!

We had trouble in October too! I wanted pictures out front with the Food and Wine signs but we never saw photographers there.

Adorable!!! Those are so cute

Thanks!

 

[Pluto0809]

I LOVE these!!! What size did you end up ordering? Let me know how the fit is so I can decide what to order

I ended up getting a large and it should be delivered today. I am a little concerned about the size though because I read that they run small. I"ll let you know.

...because Jackie lived out of her suitcase and was too lazy to hang anything up LOL

There would have been plenty of space though if you had wanted to hang anything.

Before the signs got all bent over in that wild storm!!

That storm was the craziest weather I think I've ever experienced at Disney.

You were correct. I NEEDED a Princess birthday!!! I was SO incredibly surprised and excited when I got there and saw all the decorations

I'm so glad you liked them.

I made it! I am all caught up now. What an incredible trip to share with so many Disers! When I started seeing photos on IG with you in them (I follow chunkymonkey) I was immediately SO proud of you, because I do know that you are shy. Can't wait to see more!!!

Hi Connie! It wasn't hard at all to come out of my shell with this wonderful group of ladies.

Oh man, the things kids decide are scary! Living with the Land, of all things!

Well, that first part is pretty dark with lightning and thunder and crocodiles so I can sort of see what she was worried about.

This is truly precious!

I see what you did there. It's easy to see why they are called Precious Moments dolls.

Adorable! I've never been through standby either, so this was really cool for me to see

I was pretty surprised and excited when I saw the Sauna with Oaken peeking out. I'm not sure what I expected but it was definitely not that.

Ugh yes! PP was particularly glitchy this trip. I did have luck sending in a lost photo form to Disney though, but it's a bit of an effort if you've got more than one missing.

I had quite a few ride photos missing but I didn't bother to request those. But Jackie and I were missing our Edna Mode photos (we got some random little girl with her instead of us) so I did request those and then found them.

OH! I haven't noticed that Hidden Mickey before! I'll be sure to look for it in July!

Just keep in mind it may not be visible. The roots from the plants above it sometimes cover it up.

So weird that there weren't PP photographers around!

This is the second trip in a row where I noticed the lack of PP at the front of Epcot. We did find quite a few around WS on our Epic drink/eat around the world day so maybe I was just missing them on my first night.

The stand by lone looks really cute!

It was! Definitely more interesting than the old line for Maelstrom.

Looks like you had a great night in Epcot, though I've never seen those precious moment dolls. Where in America are they? Looks like something my daughter would love.

They were in a booth right across from the concert theater (can't remember what that's called right now) but it's not a permanent spot. It was set up just for Flower and Garden. I have also seen a booth in the same spot during the Christmas season. Other times I've found them at DS in Once Upon a Toy and the $10 store. Most recently though, they have been at DS in the store to the right of the Art Store where they make custom Mickey hats. I did not see any at DS this trip so I'm assuming that they don't have them there if there's a booth set up in Epcot.

 

[pkondz]

True. I do go downtown occasionally for stuff like that but definitely would not want to live down there. Oh, by the way, did you see that Animal Planet has a new series called "The Aquarium" that's set at the Georgia Aquarium? It just started on 5/19 and I'm recording the episodes. Haven't had a chance to start watching it though.

Oh! I'll have to see if we get it up here.

Please don't hurry on my account, I'm just now starting to get caught up on the 20 or so that I'm months behind on plus there's all the new ones related to this May trip I'm trying to get to!

Erm.... sorry! Too late. It's up and running.

Canadian Buffoon's Semi-EPIC Vacation

I meant to have Su-Lynn or Jackie give me some lessons but I forgot.

They'd be good teachers.

Believe me, my pasty white skin needs that kind of protection!

You're talking to a Canadian here...

But... well, I'll save that for the TR.

Thanks! It really was a pretty night except for the crazy humidity.

Humid? In Florida??

I've had a rough time my last two trips finding photographers in Epcot. Not sure what's going on there. We did find plenty during our group day at Epcot, just didn't see any on this night for some reason.

Huh!
Then again, I've never been one to use them, so...

I've read it from a few different sources but I don't think Disney has officially announced it.

That's what I've seen too.

Jim is more into the characters than I am but I like meeting new ones I haven't met before and of course I like to see my dog at least once every trip.

Picture a super grainy 90s style movie where Pumba and Timon spend 15 minutes lecturing you on saving the environment.

Ugh.

Not sorry I missed it.

It was definitely a good dish for this picky eater.

It was good.

Sorry about that I was on a mission! I did stop and say hi later in the week.

Yes. We know. We talk about that too.

It's kind of died down now, I think it's more on the lines of 40 minutes to an hour during the busy times. I just checked the APP and it's listed at 20 minutes right now. I will say that I timed it perfectly that night. Illuminations was just starting when I got in line. When I exited a while later, Illuminations was over and the line was all the way out of the land (it was EMH that night)

Good to know!
(And good timing!)

I probably would have but my hands were a bit full with the other stuff I bought at the food court plus my packages from Epcot.

Okay. I'll let it go this time.

 

[Steppesister]

It was a pleasure meeting you also! No worries, I'm behind everywhere myself. I'm hoping to finish updating this one today and start catching up on everyone else's the rest of the week. The boss is out of the office until 6/3 so I have some downtime to do some catching up.

I wish I could read or post from work... no luck. Instead we play cards.

I think Disney brings me out of my shell!

I think that's true for so many of us!

Yeah, I get so frustrated with myself because I wish there was more I liked. Some stuff is taste but I also have some texture issues that cause problems.

I get that! There are just some foods that disgust me due to texture- bananas, oatmeal, pudding...

As a matter of fact, I never saw a single one all evening so I have no pictures of myself at Epcot that night.

I just ask CMs or other guests. No one has ever said no and they often turn out better than PP ones.

I’m glad to see something new going in that spot. As much as I love the Lion King, the old movie was a one and done for me, it was truly awful. Hopefully this one will be much better quality than the old one.

For reals! I'm so glad it's getting something new!

there was no line at all and I got sucked in as usual.

HAHA! As usual! I do too.

Good eye!

This was actually very good and a pretty big piece of chicken.

It was and I loved it! Very flavorful!

I had not read anything about the regular line so I was pleasantly surprised to see the sauna and hear the voices of Oaken and his family from behind the door.

I had no idea!! THat is so cool!!

And then much to my surprise, Oaken drew an Olaf face in the steam and peeped out at us!

LOVE THIS!!

Unfortunately it was absolutely disgusting and I ended up only being able to drink about a third of it before I threw it out. There was no strawberry flavor at all, just straight tequila. While I don’t mind tequila mixed with other stuff, I definitely don’t like it straight.

THat surprises me. Usually Disney drinks are so weak and not worth it!

Unfortunately the lines were really long at the food court to check out so by the time I got back to the room, the ice cream was a melted mess and I had to eat it quickly over the sink.

Bummer!

 

[DLo]

Hopping aboard a little late. Enjoying your report so far and looking forward to reading more about your epic adventures

 

[Lesley Wake]

Since we had just adopted a dog in February and named him Sulley, I ended up bringing home another version of Sulley.

Kitty!

And then much to my surprise, Oaken drew an Olaf face in the steam and peeped out at us!

Very cute! I haven’t done the standby queue for this one either!

I spent some time unpacking and getting a little bit organized in the room and then started in on some decorating. You see, Jackie’s birthday was while we were there and I decided she needed a Princess birthday.

I wondered which decorations you were going with!

 

[NJlauren]

Joining in!

Looks a like a great start to the trip! Disney math at its best!

Plus looks like you picked up some nice goodies the first day! I was also impressed overall with the new rooms at the POP!

 

[Newsies]

Hi Ariana! I've lurked on a few of your past TRs before but I'm coming out of lurkdom for this one!

The new Pop rooms look great!

What a fun night at DS/Epcot! I can't wait to read more!

 

[Pluto0809]

Oh! I'll have to see if we get it up here.

Did you find it? I think they have most of their shows online.

Erm.... sorry! Too late. It's up and running.

I found it! Still got to go back to your old one and catch up on it. I'm slowly making my way around to everyone's but it's going to take a while yet.

Huh!
Then again, I've never been one to use them, so...

Since we get it as part of the Annual Pass, I feel obligated to try and get as many as I can to get my money's worth. It does come in handy with all the character meets I like to do.

I wish I could read or post from work... no luck. Instead we play cards.

My job tends to be very cyclical. I go stretches where I'm super busy and other times when I'm twiddling my thumbs. Hence the reason I'm always playing catch up on the TRs. If I could spread out the work evenly I'd probably be able to work steadily all year round. But there's only so much I can do during the slow times to get ready for the busier times.

I just ask CMs or other guests. No one has ever said no and they often turn out better than PP ones.

I honestly didn't even think too much about pictures that night or I probably would have. I didn't realize that I had no pictures of myself that night until I started working on the TR.

THat surprises me. Usually Disney drinks are so weak and not worth it!

That seems to be true in a lot of cases. I have found a few exceptions where the drinks are better. Crockett's Tavern at WL was an awesome discovery with strong drinks this trip.

Hopping aboard a little late. Enjoying your report so far and looking forward to reading more about your epic adventures

Hi and Welcome! Thanks for joining in.

Kitty!

I can't say that too loud in our house or it will set the dogs looking for a "kitty" to chase.

Very cute! I haven’t done the standby queue for this one either!

I was pleasantly surprised by how cute Oaken's store was.

I wondered which decorations you were going with!

I originally wanted to do traditional Mickey but couldn't find anything. I don't have crafting skills at all so I went to Party City. I immediately loved the Princess decorations and decided to go with those.

Joining in!

Looks a like a great start to the trip! Disney math at its best!

Plus looks like you picked up some nice goodies the first day! I was also impressed overall with the new rooms at the POP!

Hi! Thanks for joining in! I had a lot of fun shopping that first day.

Hi Ariana! I've lurked on a few of your past TRs before but I'm coming out of lurkdom for this one!

The new Pop rooms look great!

What a fun night at DS/Epcot! I can't wait to read more!

Thanks for chiming in! More coming up right away!

 

[Pluto0809]

I Meet a Rat or Two

My original plan for Wednesday, May 1st was to head to Epcot for rope drop, back to the room to decorate and then to MK for the afternoon and evening. But there were only two things I wanted to accomplish at Epcot that I didn’t do the night before, Test Track and Spaceship Earth. I knew we would be doing TT on the VIP tour and I wasn’t all that worried about getting on SE since I’ve ridden it so many times.

So instead of going to Epcot that morning, I did the unthinkable for Day 2 of a Disney trip, I slept in! Yep, you read that right, I didn’t get out of bed until about 8:30 am that day. I knew I had some pretty long days coming up and figured a night of good solid sleep was the best way to start out the trip. And I did sleep very well in my big comfy Pluto bed that was not also occupied with five dogs and a husband.

I got ready quickly and then finished up the decorations. The only thing I got done the night before was the Happy Birthday banner. I had wanted to hang it above Jackie’ bed but it was a bit too long so I put it on the opposite wall.



And then I hung some of the other decorations above the bed and bathroom door.









A few of the other decorations along with a small gift went on the table under the TV.



And finally the window decorations. Sorry for the glare, I planned on taking a better picture but never did remember to do it.



About a week before the trip, several people posted stuff on Facebook that they were bringing for everyone else in our group. Well of course I went into panic mode worrying that I would be the only one not bringing something. So I did what I always do when in a panic like that, I texted my Mom to see what she thought. She of course, immediately came up with an awesome idea and thanks to Amazon prime, I was able to have the items quickly. So what was this great idea of hers? Mickey socks.



I’m totally not a crafty person and the socks would be easy to pack in my suitcase. I also ordered some cute little gauze bags to put them in.



When the items were delivered a few days later I realized I totally misread the size of the little gauze bags.



Yep, those weren’t going to work at all! So the next day I ran to Michael's on my lunch hour and picked up these little gold and white bags (which would prove to be a big problem later in the trip).



That morning after I finished decorating, I spent some time putting all the socks into the little bags so they were ready for me to take to O’Hana.

Finally around 11:15 I left the room and headed over to the food court for some lunch. I was starving by that point since I hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast. But believe me, I was not as hungry as the CMs must have thought I was. This is what I ended up with when I ordered chicken tenders and fries.



That was seriously enough fries for an entire family! I’m not sure I could have eaten all those in a week! I feel bad but I ended up throwing out over ¾ of the fries. The chicken tenders were a bit different than previous trips, they are usually more of a nugget shape, but they were excellent as always.

After I made a gallant effort on the fries, I headed out and caught a bus to Magic Kingdom.

My first and biggest priority at MK was meeting Remy and Emile from Ratatouille. MK is having some special rare meet and greets for the spring/summer and Remy and Emile only meet on Wednesdays from about 11:30 am to 3:00 pm. There are other rare pairs on the other days such as Prince John/Friar Tuck and Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde but Remy/Emile where the only two I did not want to miss.

The line was long, I waited about 45 minutes, and almost entirely in the sun. Every once in a while a cloud would help out a bit and I did have my little battery powered fan, but it was not a pleasant wait at all. I did have some entertainment. First up was the Move it, Shake it Parade.









And then a couple of cute Disney ducks dropped in to say hello.





I finally made it to the front and got to say hi to the brothers.







Once I finished I had to send the pictures to my husband, Jim. He loves to meet characters and Ratatouille is his favorite Disney movie so he was super jealous that I got to meet the brothers. Of course, I didn’t tell him I knew about the meet and greet, just made it sound like I randomly came across them meeting.

My next stop for the day was City Hall and Guest Relations so that I could get a voucher for our brick. I was pretty sad when I found out that Disney would be removing the commemorative bricks. Ours was purchased by my Aunt (Mom’s sister) over 20 years ago as a wedding present for Jim and me. The brick is very special to me, not only because it was an awesome present and celebrated our wedding, but also because my Aunt passed away last year. Knowing that a small piece of her was still at Disney was very comforting.

Here’s a picture I took of it on our honeymoon in 1998 (last name blacked out for privacy). It’s located out at the TTC.



And here’s a picture of it the last time I was able to find it in 2013.



Mom and I did look for it again in 2014 but the bricks had been moved around when they removed the automatic ticket machines and we couldn’t find it.

Disney now lets you make a commemorative brick to bring home and if you had one of the old bricks, you could get a voucher at City Hall that would allow you to purchase one of the new bricks for $10 (original price $29.99). Well, of course, the CM that waited on me couldn’t find my brick in the system despite having the brick number. He spent a long time looking and even went in the back a few times to do something. In the end, he had me fill out as much of my Aunt’s information that I could remember from 20 years ago and he added the brick to the system. I had no idea what her phone number might have been 20 years ago but I did know her address since they lived next door to my parents at the time.

The CM finally got it all sorted out and handed me my voucher. There were two places I could get the brick made, one was D-Tech on Demand in Disney Springs and the other was the Tomorrowland Light and Power Company. I had no idea where that TL store was but after I thought about it, I realized it must be the dump shop to Space Mountain and headed that way next. Disney really should have just put “Space Mountain Dump Shop” on the card.

You designed the brick yourself on a computer and my goal was to recreate the brick as closely as I could to the original. Unfortunately they didn’t have the exact pictures that were on the original but I think I did a pretty good job coming close.



I had the brick sent back to Pop so I didn’t have to come back and pick it up. I didn’t get to see it till the next day and I was very impressed with it. I’m not sure what I expected, but it’s pretty heavy duty and very nice. I’ll probably look for some kind of stand to put it on so I can display it.

I still had 2 hours until my first FP and since I was right there, I hopped on the Peoplemover for a spin around TL. I did think about trying to change my FPs to an earlier time but I had both a Peter Pan FP and one for the Mickey/Minnie meet and greet and I knew it would be virtually impossible to change either of those.



It was weird (but a whole lot less smelly) to see the Speedway cars just sitting there.



I was really excited to see the Tron construction but of course these photos are way out of date now. The most recent ones I’ve seen show the track going up.







They were also working on the speedway which is now done and back open.





Everything else in TL had a long wait time so I left there and headed towards Fantasyland. It was stupid hot so I stopped for some Mickey ice cream to cool me down.



Up Next: A Duck, A Dog and Dumbo

 

[oopsiDAISY]

What a great photo op with with Rat Brothers!!! Love the brick!!!

You know, with Disney's environmental efforts you would think they would try to come up with better cars for the Speedway, something with way less emissions.

I could used some Mickey ice cream right about now. I just went for a walk here at work, and it is HOTTER than Hedes out there!

 

[missangelalexis]

Love the decorations, you did a great job! And that was a cute gift idea!

Cute pics with Remy and Emile!

The brick came out nice! That's nice that they offer you that voucher for a discounted price.

 

[Newsies]

Such a great idea for a gift!

I love the photos with Remy and Emile!! Meeting those two are definitely "on our list" for our next trip!

Your brick came out so nice!

Very nice day at Magic so far!! So excited to read more!!

 

[docsoliday1]

I Meet a Rat or Two

Hi All! Please let me know if this green color is OK for reading my TRs. It's a bit lighter than the other color I used to use. It seems fine to me but I know some of the lighter colors can be a bit hard on the eyes.

Yeah, it is lighter. Not horrible, but a bit harder on the eyes than a darker color. Just looked at the color options. Definitely a negative change from previous version.

So instead of going to Epcot that morning, I did the unthinkable for Day 2 of a Disney trip, I slept in! Yep, you read that right, I didn’t get out of bed until about 8:30 am that day. I knew I had some pretty long days coming up and figured a night of good solid sleep was the best way to start out the trip. And I did sleep very well in my big comfy Pluto bed that was not also occupied with five dogs and a husband.

Oh my gosh!!! Really??? We will need you to turn in your AP card now.
I can't imagine why not having 5 dogs and a husband would help you sleep. So anti-social.

I got ready quickly and then finished up the decorations. The only thing I got done the night before was the Happy Birthday banner. I had wanted to hang it above Jackie’ bed but it was a bit too long so I put it on the opposite wall.

Don't think some of those decorations are made for a small Disney room. Good plan B.

You created a mutant Mickey. He's got a third ear or at least a rather large growth on one.

You did a great job decorating. I'm sure Jackie was pleasantly surprised.

When the items were delivered a few days later I realized I totally misread the size of the little gauze bags.

Doh!


Yep, those weren’t going to work at all! So the next day I ran to Michael's on my lunch hour and picked up these little gold and white bags (which would prove to be a big problem later in the trip).
[/quote]
Now you've got my interest piqued.

Finally around 11:15 I left the room and headed over to the food court for some lunch. I was starving by that point since I hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast. But believe me, I was not as hungry as the CMs must have thought I was. This is what I ended up with when I ordered chicken tenders and fries.

Fries are cheap.
You needed my DD there...she can (and has) made an entire meal out of fries. Not healthy, but that's why I call her carb queen.

My first and biggest priority at MK was meeting Remy and Emile from Ratatouille. MK is having some special rare meet and greets for the spring/summer and Remy and Emile only meet on Wednesdays from about 11:30 am to 3:00 pm. There are other rare pairs on the other days such as Prince John/Friar Tuck and Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde but Remy/Emile where the only two I did not want to miss.

I'm not a big meet and greet person, but I would like Judy and Nick best.

Once I finished I had to send the pictures to my husband, Jim. He loves to meet characters and Ratatouille is his favorite Disney movie so he was super jealous that I got to meet the brothers. Of course, I didn’t tell him I knew about the meet and greet, just made it sound like I randomly came across them meeting.

I can see the text now.
"Hey Jim, IN YOUR FACE!!!"

Here’s a picture I took of it on our honeymoon in 1998 (last name blacked out for privacy). It’s located out at the TTC.



And here’s a picture of it the last time I was able to find it in 2013.



Mom and I did look for it again in 2014 but the bricks had been moved around when they removed the automatic ticket machines and we couldn’t find it.

Disney now lets you make a commemorative brick to bring home and if you had one of the old bricks, you could get a voucher at City Hall that would allow you to purchase one of the new bricks for $10 (original price $29.99). Well, of course, the CM that waited on me couldn’t find my brick in the system despite having the brick number. He spent a long time looking and even went in the back a few times to do something. In the end, he had me fill out as much of my Aunt’s information that I could remember from 20 years ago and he added the brick to the system. I had no idea what her phone number might have been 20 years ago but I did know her address since they lived next door to my parents at the time.

The CM finally got it all sorted out and handed me my voucher. There were two places I could get the brick made, one was D-Tech on Demand in Disney Springs and the other was the Tomorrowland Light and Power Company. I had no idea where that TL store was but after I thought about it, I realized it must be the dump shop to Space Mountain and headed that way next. Disney really should have just put “Space Mountain Dump Shop” on the card.

You designed the brick yourself on a computer and my goal was to recreate the brick as closely as I could to the original. Unfortunately they didn’t have the exact pictures that were on the original but I think I did a pretty good job coming close.



I had the brick sent back to Pop so I didn’t have to come back and pick it up. I didn’t get to see it till the next day and I was very impressed with it. I’m not sure what I expected, but it’s pretty heavy duty and very nice. I’ll probably look for some kind of stand to put it on so I can display it.

Cool pics and story with the brick!

I was really excited to see the Tron construction but of course theses photos are way out of date now. The most recent ones I’ve seen show the track going up.

Interesting. I was just there last week and they were just putting up the pilings. Cool they're doing the track already. It was kinda sad...no activity for months and months and now they're going like gangbusters.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Wow, what a nice gift and remembrance from your Aunt. I am glad you were able to recreate it and have it with you now, since Disney is doing away with them. I have worn my Mickey socks a few times, I love the gold accents on mine. Thank you so much, it was very sweet of you!!
It was hot that day!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Glad you were able to get a new stone. Especially since it has such a personal meaning to you both.

 

[pkondz]

Did you find it? I think they have most of their shows online.

We do have Animal Planet... but we don't subscribe to it. It's an (expensive) add on.
I tried to watch it online, but it won't load.

I found it! Still got to go back to your old one and catch up on it. I'm slowly making my way around to everyone's but it's going to take a while yet.

I get it. Lots of work. Maybe we should stop going to Disney?


Nahhhhh...

Since we get it as part of the Annual Pass, I feel obligated to try and get as many as I can to get my money's worth. It does come in handy with all the character meets I like to do.

Gotcha

Hi All! Please let me know if this green color is OK for reading my TRs. It's a bit lighter than the other color I used to use. It seems fine to me but I know some of the lighter colors can be a bit hard on the eyes.

It is a bit hard, but not too bad. I prefer the darker green you were using before. Why did you stop using it?

I did the unthinkable for Day 2 of a Disney trip, I slept in!

So what was this great idea of hers? Mickey socks.

Great idea!

When the items were delivered a few days later I realized I totally misread the size of the little gauze bags.

So the next day I ran to Michael's on my lunch hour and picked up these little gold and white bags (which would prove to be a big problem later in the trip).

Oh? Can't wait to find out why.

But believe me, I was not as hungry as the CMs must have thought I was. This is what I ended up with when I ordered chicken tenders and fries.

Holy smokes! Did he think there were two of you?

My first and biggest priority at MK was meeting Remy and Emile from Ratatouille. MK is having some special rare meet and greets for the spring/summer and Remy and Emile only meet on Wednesdays from about 11:30 am to 3:00 pm.

How did you find that out???

First up was the Move it, Shake it Parade.

My condolences.

Definitely not my favourite parade.

And then a couple of cute Disney ducks dropped in to say hello.

I have a duck story of my own... I'll get there eventually.

Awwwww!

Once I finished I had to send the pictures to my husband, Jim. He loves to meet characters and Ratatouille is his favorite Disney movie so he was super jealous that I got to meet the brothers. Of course, I didn’t tell him I knew about the meet and greet, just made it sound like I randomly came across them meeting.

Sure. I'll back up your story.




for a price.

My next stop for the day was City Hall and Guest Relations so that I could get a voucher for our brick. I was pretty sad when I found out that Disney would be removing the commemorative bricks. Ours was purchased by my Aunt (Mom’s sister) over 20 years ago as a wedding present for Jim and me. The brick is very special to me, not only because it was an awesome present and celebrated our wedding, but also because my Aunt passed away last year. Knowing that a small piece of her was still at Disney was very comforting.

Disney really should have just put “Space Mountain Dump Shop” on the card.

You designed the brick yourself on a computer and my goal was to recreate the brick as closely as I could to the original. Unfortunately they didn’t have the exact pictures that were on the original but I think I did a pretty good job coming close.

You did a very good job.

Nice shot on a dark ride!

It was weird (but a whole lot less smelly) to see the Speedway cars just sitting there.

I didn't care that it was down, but I imagine there were some kids out there who were disappointed.

They were also working on the speedway which is now done and back open.

Ah. Kids are happy now.