The ABCs of a New 'Ohana Adventure-G is for: Greetings From Teppan, Good-Byes, and Good News!!! - COMPLETED 1/7

[Steppesister]

L -- Longing for a Sleepy Hollow waffle and Gaston's cinnamon roll.

YAY! My work here is done. LOL!

I love the fruit waffles at Sleepy Hollow. By calling them fruit waffles I'm sure it negates the waffle and nutella calories.

Of course! But I must be confused! I thought ALL calories at Disney didn't count.

Next trip I have plans to make it to Gaston's. I boycott Starbucks and have been mad at Disney since they deep sixed Main Street Bakery. Each trip I have plans to make it to Gaston's for a roll, but never roll out of bed quite early enough. Next trip is the one!

I am sad about the change to the MSB too! What a shame that such an iconic place was changed in the name of big corporate $$. I will say though that I am a coffee fiend and always wished for something better than Nescrappe in the parks. I just wish they'd ADDED a coffee place not CHANGED the MSB into that.

And Leftover over from Long, Long ago . . . I've never noticed the hair tie (ribbons? bands? I sorta forget which) on Expedition Everest. Gotta check that out next time.

Just look to the right side of the train at the top where the broken tracks are.

 

[Steppesister]

My two cents on the Tron coaster and this....

I was fortunate to ride it in Shanghai...I thought my neck was going to rip in two. When it opens in WDW, I will be waiting for those back normal coaster seats...assuming they copy them from the Shanghai version

Lucky you!!! But then again... er, maybe not. This is excellent help for me as I'll have to be a bit more careful for many months as my graft continues to set. I've had issues with "rough" coasters for a while now and sure don't want to make things worse. I'm glad there might be another option!

 

[Steppesister]

Thanks for the information! I'm actually allergic to strawberries, too, and that's why I've never had a waffle there.

You're welcome! It's so awesome that we can all share the little bits we pick up here and there from our trips and pass them along. As you said on your TR, I think all of us here use each other as planning resources and that's a great thing!

 

[Steppesister]

Interesting that your first taste was gross... I wonder if you just got it somewhere... that just didn't make them well?

I don't worry about that. I rarely stand in line, so a whiny kid in one actually makes me laugh.

Yeah... I'm terrible.

Nope!
Here's where I've always stood. When it comes to gifts like that (Think... engagement ring), it's just that... a gift. It is not a contract, despite what others might say or think.
It might be a promise of a marriage, but at the end of it, it's a gift. If it was a contract, then the ring-receiver should have a say in the cut, colour, design, etc. No?
It's a gift. If the promise is broken, then it's up to the ring wearer to decide if they want to return it or not. And it's up to the ring-giver to not expect it back.

You know what? I completely agree with this. It makes it that much sweeter to know there is no obligation other than gratefully and joyfully receiving.

Yeah... to be honest... that always just looked... stupid.

Exactly why I was a bit on the cynical side when writing what I did. It just didn't reflect the Disney quality that I know they could have produced in that experience. Sadly, they are reaping the consequences of their shoddy work.

 

[docsoliday1]

I am sad about the change to the MSB too! What a shame that such an iconic place was changed in the name of big corporate $$. I will say though that I am a coffee fiend and always wished for something better than Nescrappe in the parks. I just wish they'd ADDED a coffee place not CHANGED the MSB into that.

As a non-coffee drinker, I'm disappointed/sad/upset for several reasons...
The nostalgia is gone
Coffee, blech
The added congestion on main St. It's bad enough already before all the people spending insane prices (erp, never mind, Disney)
Get off my lawn (or in this case get off my main St)

Just look to the right side of the train at the top where the broken tracks are.

They're on both sides.

 

[Steppesister]

I’m back and all caught up. I love the Harambe area, such a unique experience in a theme park!

It truly is. And such great lengths to make it authentic (in a Disney, sterile way)! I just love it there!

What can I say about MK, I love it so much, however, it is always crowded with rude pushy people in abundance. This can definitely put a damper on our MK days. We love PM and CoP as our non dark rides, so full of Walt Disney himself on those two!

The rudeness just seems to grow and grow. I've gotten to a crotchety old lady point that I am just ready to call it out now. I'd have to say, those might be my favorite 2 as well. For the exact same reason.

We have not had the “displeasure” of Pinocchio Haus in many years, it always looks so chaotic in there. I have heard some positive reviews so I guess it depends on your taste buds.

I didn't notice it being any more chaotic than any other CS place. In fact, I've always thought Pecos was the MOST chaotic and loud. I always head for the outside patio and will only mobile order from there anymore.

I am enjoying your rhymes, pictures, and stories!

Thanks, Caroline!

 

[Steppesister]

Good to know. I'm not allergic, but good they will accommodate.

Woah!!!
That does not sound like a glowing endorsement at all

I ride a motorcycle and like to accelerate fast at times, but nexk ripping....I'm no.

When you say back normal, what do you mean? You mean they re-designed the seats after people's necks were ripped off?

I think she meant that there will be some regular seats like on other coasters at the back of the train. ? This scares me a little. Without a neck support and it being launched like RnRC, I think for those of us with weak necks may actually be at risk.

 

[Steppesister]

I expect I will try it. Based on pictures of construction, and video from Shanghai, it doesn't seem too intense in terms of drops. But sometimes when you stand under a thing, it seems a bit intimidating. I actually found that with Slinky Dog. It looked bigger than it felt, it that makes sense.

I looks a lot more "curvy" to me too. I guess the only way to know for sure is to just do it. As for SDD, I agree! It looks huge, but the only part that gives me that tummy tickle is the big curve just before the "staircase"/dips. It's such a mild coaster, but does look more intimidating from outside.

 

[Steppesister]

As a non-coffee drinker, I'm disappointed/sad/upset for several reasons...
The nostalgia is gone
Coffee, blech
The added congestion on main St. It's bad enough already before all the people spending insane prices (erp, never mind, Disney)
Get off my lawn (or in this case get off my main St)

Yes!! Why not just a kiosk in some lesser used area (like back by COP/StarTraders? I hate that you now have to wait forever to get a cookie or something forever!

They're on both sides.

Such a detraction from the theming and experience.

 

[Steppesister]

M is for: Melting at Mickey's Scary Hot Halloween Party​

Got your party shoes on? Ready to sweat your way through more people than on a commuter train in Tokyo? Let’s go find a rabbit hole and fall on down it, shall we?

After a fun-filled morning in the MK, we went back to the resort to get our co-ordinated party duds on. But duds they were not. In fact we, as a group, were a big hit and I gotta say, that was 90% of the fun for this party. Why, you might ask? Let me share some stories... We arrived about 4:30 while the sun was blazing down sending it’s solar surface temperatures to the black pavement of Main Street. They radiated up to my fully-covered-in-plastic-flannel-with-a-hood body, producing sweat that sent uncomfortable rivulets into places that shouldn’t endure such treatment. I instantly regretted my choice in costumes feeling like this would be the night of an eternal hot flash. The “Look, Mommy! Cheshire Cat and the Tweedles!”s only slightly took the edge off. I tried to stay calm while thinking I was going to imminently die of a heatstroke with the promise of candy and God-blessed air conditioning in my near future. “Hurry up, Kids, your mom is in her final moments unless we find refuge…”

​

After as many photos as my melting form could endure, we turned right, weaved our way through the party-entrance gauntlet of many, MANY thousands of other party-goers, squeezed our way through a small opening, soon finding ourselves at Cosmic Ray’s. It wasn’t my first choice for tonight’s meal, but I learned my lesson the year before that Casey’s is the one place to avoid at ALL costs. Everyone seems to end up there and it’s chaos at best. Now, a word about Steppe’s Style…. I do not do hot dogs at Disney. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find me eating a hot dog anywhere, ever. * Tonight would be my once-every-10-year break from my self-imposed banishment from the hog dog world, and you know what? It was fantastic! I honestly liked the half a chili cheese dog I ate that Cosmic’s served up. I’ll say it again, our crew is a lot of light eaters for the most part and 2 of the dogs with a big order of fries was ample to tide us over for quite a while. They are about 10 inches, maybe more, long and while they could have used a bit more chili, I’d give these a solid 8/10 for a satisfying Halloween Party meal. Especially if you do it right at 4:00, or even 5:00 when we did, when no one else has chili dogs on the brain. Or their costume. No crowds to fight. No long lines. And you can be on your way in no time. The bottom line is, MNSSHP is not the night for Casey’s Nuggies.

(I didn't notice the food sitting directly on the tray until I edited this photo. I'm not sure what's grosser, that or rail-licking kids. The lesson here, Friends, is some things never change.)​

Another legit reason we headed to the right and ate at Comics was the fact that we wanted to be near the Alice and Hatter Meet area so we could be first in line. The kids weren’t in the mood to walk around a ton (did I mention it was hot?) and were content to sit in line holding our spot. I was hot not. I wanted to inflict maximum masochism so walked around Fantasyland finding stuff to see. It was fun playing my Cheshire role here:

​

And here:

​

Aaaaaand here:

(Basically, I was just acting like a 10 year-old with an Snap account.)​

And then I almost died.

So I found another shaded, hospitable enclave among the caverns of singing dolls. The cool breeze evaporated the rivers of sweat that had pooled under the trappings of purple and pink.

(They are not sweating.)


Refreshed, it was time for... more refreshment. I checked in with the "kids" for a brief few moments and, while taking their orders for something yummy, we saw what I deemed to be the best costume of the night: Kudos kids!

​

The Tweedles and Alistair in Wonderland (if you hadn't guessed it, Zach was gender bending as a male Alice) felt like the chili dogs were still sitting heavy and didn’t really want more (amateurs!) so I prowled off and materialized grinning in front of Storybook Treats. Because Dole Whips have NOTHING on Peter Pan Floats. With cooling libations in paw, I padded back to melt in line along with my soft serve. Of course, when the kids saw my delicious concoction they helped me make short work of it.

​

I was grateful because as much as I adore the PPF, I could never finish a whole one by myself. Even if I was close to spontaneous combustion for choosing an ill-though-out costume for September in Central Florida and needed cooling refreshment. Was I a hit with comments? Sure! Was it worth it? VERY marginally so at 6:30. <May I borrow that misting fan, please?> Right around 6:45 or so, Kari hopped over from her Meet and Greet with Pooh and Co. and joined us in line.

I was still playing around like a 10 year-old:

​

Precisely at 7:00, Alice and the Hatter came out to meet the party goers. I know because I looked at Hatter's watch. The kids stood there from 5:45-7:00 making sure not to lose our first in line place. The reactions were just as stupendous as we'd hoped for, but I’m not sure if Hatter was just making faces for fun... or getting a whiff of what 4 million degrees and synthetic costumes can do. Either way, it was a FANTASTIC Meet full of amazing smiles, fun interactions, and general happiness.

​

I literally just finished saying in my last update that I’d not stand in line for characters, but I will make an exception for something like this. (Or make my kids do it for me.) We purposefully dressed up for this Meet and were not disappointed. I didn’t feel like we missed out on any party stuff at all, we’d already had a full morning with nearly Rope Drop entry (but that’s another story altogether), and were ready for party stuff right at 7:05.

From our terrific Meet we headed straight over to ride POTC as the big draw for us is the live action Pirates added to the queue and ride. They are absolutely hilarious if you play along and draw them into the dialogue and they did not disappoint with our motley crew.

​

But first we had a very happenstance meeting that I’m frankly shocked transpired. Not too far into the queue (for those interested, the line for POTC at 7:15 was 25 minutes) Anara leaned over and said, “Isn’t that the CM who gave our spiel at FOP?!” Both girls were positive it was. They are kids and way too shy to ask; I am not. With age brings confidence and crotchety-ness. “Excuse me, do you work at FOP?” “I do!” “We were there yesterday and saw you!” “HAHAHHA! I was trying out some new jokes yesterday, I hope they weren’t too corny!” “Nah, you did great!” (It was something about Elsa and letting it go, but can't remember what it was in reference to.) Not wanting to make him "work" during his party I told him to have a fun time and told the girls I’d never have recognized a random CM like that.

By 7:27 we were getting heckled by this guy here who asked the girls, “Keep an eye out for the key! Can you bring it to me?”

​

Mikki had some gold chocolate coins and holding them out replied, “Here is some treasure!”

“Not that treasure!” And he gives a disgusted sneer.

Mikki didn’t know what to do or say so flipped up her face and turned away.

To which the pirate yells out, “AND SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE THE DUMB ONE!!!!”

I was over-the-top impressed he recognized their costumes and interacted on the fly to THAT character!!

The entire queue near us busted up with laughter and we took away another great memory from the Party! People are complaining about long lines and a lot of people and while that IS true, by 7:45 when we got off the ride, the party had already been worth the ticket price for us.

The cool salty breeze of the high seas cooled my suffering sweat glands to a more tolerable output and by the time we had exited the sun had set and the inferno that broiled under the striped, non-breathable body suit quieted.

​

The rest of the night was more comfortable and would later shield me from the arctic blast of the Disney bus home. But that’s getting way ahead of myself. We have loads of party left ahead of us!

​

From Pirates we bee-lined it straight for HM because that’s what you do at a Halloween Party. To not go on HM is simply not done. The fog and lights provide the perfect eerie ambiance and background for Madame Carlotta and Lady Renata, and of course, Butler Broome. They are absolutely hilarious! I have gone to Halloween parties the last 3 out of 4 years and never want to miss their hilarious and high-“spirited” banter. Broome’s deadpan interjections crack me up and if you’ve not taken time out of the party to just stop for 10 minutes, make it a point next time!

​

From the timestamps on my photos, it looks like we got in line at 8:08 and were off the ride watching the ghosts, nieces of Master Gracey, again at 8:36. Not bad for a Halloween Party night and being the flagship attraction.

​

By then it was time to wander over to Frontierland where we wanted to watch the 1st parade from. Being early again, we snagged some space right up against the rope and tape and settled in for the 30 minutes til parade time. If you think we were bored, you’d be wrong. Some of the costumes that were paraded along the streets of the Old West were amazing. Jedi, Woody, princesses, Haunted Mansion ghosts, you name it. So fun! But the act that truly stole my heart was the zany show of the Cadaver Dans. Holy Halloween Silliness! The jokes are just so bad they are good. And to sweeten the deal, they sing acapella that is so pitch perfect you cannot help but know you’ve heard a slice of Heaven. Even if they are singing ghoulish songs that would make St. Peter cringe. Comfortable in my head to toe body suit and finally giving my exhausted bodily fluids a rest, we all enjoyed the parade which I’ll pick up with next time.

​

Meantime, YOUR TURN!!

Wanna post photos of clever costumes you've seen in the past at parties? If you don't have any, would dressing up make your party more fun or be a burden and detract from it for you? What have you done for costumes in the past? Or are you a t-shirt and call it good kind of party-goer?

*I will make an exception now for the Ronto Dog. I really liked that too.

 

[DLo]

One year we were scooby and the gang and another we were Peter Pan , tinkerbell etc. now I have to try and dig up those pictures. That was back in flip phone days. The last few times we just had t shirts. It was sooooo hot . the scooby year we changed clothes half way through the party ( from costume to shorts/tshirt ) You were troopers to stick it out the whole party

 

[Steppesister]

One year we were scooby and the gang and another we were Peter Pan , tinkerbell etc. now I have to try and dig up those pictures. That was back in flip phone days. The last few times we just had t shirts. It was sooooo hot . the scooby year we changed clothes half way through the party ( from costume to shorts/tshirt ) You were troopers to stick it out the whole party

Oh I'd love to see those! Sounds so fun! I was a stinking mess by the time the night was over. BLECH!!

 

[docsoliday1]

Not easy, but I'm gonna try this fancy multi quote thang from the phone.

Ready to sweat your way through more people than on a commuter train in Tokyo?

No

Let’s go find a rabbit hole and fall on down it, shall we?

Umm...okay

In fact we, as a group, were a big hit and I gotta say, that was 90% of the fun for this party.

Why, you might ask?

Why?

Let me share some stories...

Oh goodie

producing sweat that sent uncomfortable rivulets into places that shouldn’t endure such treatment.

. Not the kind of story I was looking for or expecting.

gauntlet of many, MANY thousands of other party-goers

but I learned my lesson the year before that Casey’s is the one place to avoid at ALL costs.

I tried to tell my niece this, but NOOOO, had to go to Casey's. . Is there a emoji... we'll see.

They are about 10 inches, maybe more, long

I think they're listed on the menu as foot long. Whether they're actually 12 inches, unknown.

Another legit reason we headed to the right and ate at Comics was the fact that we wanted to be near the Alice and Hatter Meet area so we could be first in line

Sounds reasonable

did I mention it was hot?

Maybe

So I found another shaded, hospitable enclave among the caverns of singing dolls.

Noooooo! I'd rather melt.

best costume of the night: Kudos kids!

That was cute

Because Dole Whips have NOTHING on Peter Pan Floats.

Blasphemer! I like the pp float, but no way better than dole whips.

Even if I was close to spontaneous combustion for choosing an ill-though-out costume for September in Central Florida

Was it hot?

Kari hopped over from her Meet and Greet with Pooh and Co. and joined us in line.

, Kari! Sorry I missed her.

Either way, it was a FANTASTIC Meet full of amazing smiles, fun interactions, and general happiness.

Looks like it. I was going to quote the pictures and say I like this one and this one and this one, so I just decided to save us all time. Liked all your pictures, but the group shots with all of you the best.

They are kids and way too shy to ask; I am not. With age brings confidence and crotchety-ness.

Is that what does it?

Mikki had some gold chocolate coins and holding them out replied, “Here is some treasure!”

“Not that treasure!” And he gives a disgusted sneer.

Mikki didn’t know what to do or say so flipped up her face and turned away.

To which the pirate yells out, “AND SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE THE DUMB ONE!!!!”

Very cool!

People are complaining about long lines and a lot of people

and while that IS true, by 7:45 when we got off the ride, the party had already been worth the ticket price for us.

Nice! We lost so much time herding cats, it was not as fun of a night as I'd hoped
Enjoyed the parade and a few rides. Didn't do M&Gs, which I would have liked to.

From the timestamps on my photos, it looks like we got in line at 8:08 and were off the ride watching the ghosts, nieces of Master Gracey, again at 8:36. Not bad for a Halloween Party night and being the flagship attraction.

​

Cool picture. I'm surprised they didn't block it for depicting violence. Anara, in that picture looks like a young Alyssa Milano.

Being early again, we snagged some space right up against the rope and tape and settled in for the 30 minutes til parade time.

Bet you were bored.

If you think we were bored, you’d be wrong.

Oh! It's okay, I'm used to it.

Jedi

You saw me and my brother?

Wanna post photos of clever costumes you've seen in the past at parties? If you don't have any, would dressing up make your party more fun or be a burden and detract from it for you? What have you done for costumes in the past? Or are you a t-shirt and call it good kind of party-goer?

I posted the pic of all of us on pkondz TR, so I won't repost it here. I prefer shorts and a t-shirt and not as much the dressing up part, but I was overruled. DW was amazing as cruella daville, though and hot a lot of comments. See if I can find one of those pictures

 

[KathyM2]

(I didn't notice the food sitting directly on the tray until I edited this photo. I'm not sure what's grosser, that or rail-licking kids. The lesson here, Friends, is some things never change.)

Ughhhh. Funny I just had a convo with my daughter who has inherited my germphobia and knows we are going to WDW in March...and how she is not going to touch ANYTHING! Might be a challenge but we're gonna do our best!!

Because Dole Whips have NOTHING on Peter Pan Floats.

That looks delish...I'm adding it to my "must eat" list

 

[docsoliday1]

Coni as Cruella .

You can't see it in this picture, but she has a dalmation in her bag.

 

[irene_dsc]

Great costumes! Even if you did nearly sweat to death in them. I'm not sure if I would dress up or not, but probably I would do something simple. I haven't gone to any Hallowe'en parties in a while, but a few Pokemon events with cosplaying (mainly around Hallowe'en), and so those have been my most recent costumes. It's always a challenge to plan costumes that are good for both indoors and outdoors for Hallowe'en - sometimes dd has done multiple costumes in order to manage both. Tho I think last year was the last time she actually went trick-or-treating, at age 14.

I find it amusing that you say you eat hot dogs so rarely. Lately, dd has been going to tournaments where the most convenient quick and cheap meal option is a little hot dog stand called Devil Dogs. So, I've had a few more Chicago Dogs than usual, lately. I did have a bacon and cheese double slider last time, for a change of pace.

 

[missjackiemcg]

(I didn't notice the food sitting directly on the tray until I edited this photo. I'm not sure what's grosser, that or rail-licking kids. The lesson here, Friends, is some things never change.)

Oh, gosh, I didn't even notice that!!! I think rail-licking is far worse than this....I hope (dear God do I hope!) that they at least give the trays a wipe down with something bleach-filled!

(Basically, I was just acting like a 10 year-old with an Snap account.)

These pics all made me smile

​

Such an awesome picture!! Was Kari going to be the Queen of Hearts all along, or did she choose her costume to join in with y'all?

If you don't have any, would dressing up make your party more fun or be a burden and detract from it for you? What have you done for costumes in the past? Or are you a t-shirt and call it good kind of party-goer?

I've never attended MNSSHP, but do love dressing up and costumes! I think if I were to go, I would have to go all out though. Here are my 2 runDisney race costumes, just for the heck of sharing!

wdw2018004905435676_407774825326 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

wdw2018005906146541_8155673976 by Jackie Lagoni, on Flickr

 

[Malia78]

Was Kari going to be the Queen of Hearts all along, or did she choose her costume to join in with y'all?

Once Liesa told me their theme, I picked the Queen of Hearts to join the group...that was a fun costume to work with

 

[Steppesister]

Not easy, but I'm gonna try this fancy multi quote thang from the phone.

It's not hard, just more time consuming. And time is a commodity in short supply for most of us.

Umm...okay

A reference to our Alice in Wonderland theme.

. Not the kind of story I was looking for or expecting.

NO, those stories were later in the update. Although the theme of the night, in addition to AiW, was I WAS HOT!!

I tried to tell my niece this, but NOOOO, had to go to Casey's. . Is there a emoji... we'll see.

I thought of you when I wrote this remembering you said you were headed there.

I think they're listed on the menu as foot long. Whether they're actually 12 inches, unknown.

I'm pretty sure they cook down to a bit less. Still quite large and ample.

Blasphemer! I like the pp float, but no way better than dole whips.

Nope.

Was it hot?

YES!!!!

, Kari! Sorry I missed her.

She left Florida not too terribly much longer after this party night.

Looks like it. I was going to quote the pictures and say I like this one and this one and this one, so I just decided to save us all time. Liked all your pictures, but the group shots with all of you the best.

I love the group ones too. A lot.

Is that what does it?

Nice! We lost so much time herding cats, it was not as fun of a night as I'd hoped
Enjoyed the parade and a few rides. Didn't do M&Gs, which I would have liked to.

I wish your party night had been more fun without the chasing everyone.

Cool picture. I'm surprised they didn't block it for depicting violence. Anara, in that picture looks like a young Alyssa Milano.

I had to google that one. But yes, I do see a resemblance. I have very pretty girls.

You saw me and my brother?

Not that night, but yes, I did see you on my 2nd party.

I posted the pic of all of us on pkondz TR, so I won't repost it here. I prefer shorts and a t-shirt and not as much the dressing up part, but I was overruled. DW was amazing as cruella daville, though and hot a lot of comments. See if I can find one of those pictures

It's fun to get to dress up but see the lure of being comfortable and easy. But Coni looked fabulous!

 

[Cloe Colton]

I can only imagine how hot you were in your costume!! I was sweating bullets in a t shirt! Lol but the costumes were worth it!