"CONGRATULATIONS!" "THANK YOU!" A Bride & Groom Disneymoon! UPDATED: 1/19

[francis6306]

Oh wow! Planning always makes sense when you have it on paper!!! Dinner, Dessert party, EMH, Early Breakfast ressie… Oops! Haha! Happens to the best of us!

Can't wait to read more!!

 

[sw33t_angel]

Married life is great, but after the best party ever and the best vacation ever you just want to do it all over again! We keep joking we should have another wedding but I don't think he realizes how much work they are. Haha.

Isn't it crazy to be done with wedding stuff? It's so time consuming and then all of a sudden your days off work are actually boring!

Haha I have totally thought about a one year vow renewal... I agree if they weren't so pricey and so much planning I would have a wedding every year! There is actually a blog out there about a couple who is doing just that.. they are getting married in every country over the next two years, crazy adventure for sure! How awesome would that be? You can read more about them here

We went to DHS the same night you were at MK. On the bus ride back from DHS to POR that night the bus driver informed everyone that MK had EMH till 3 AM. DW and were wondering who could have the stamina to pull that off. Now we know. Great job you two.

Yes, we are the newlyweds lacking sleep and have crazed looks in our eyes grinning from ear to ear!

Thanks for joining in! Stay tuned for more antics!!

We did the dessert party on the 19th and had the same table. I also was annoyed at everyone in our way at the railing. This one guy set up a videocamera on a tripod and basically had his behind in our faces. We won't be doing the dessert party again.

It seems so silly to ruin such a beautiful view!! I tried not to be annoyed at Disney, but this just irritated me! That stinks! I don't think we will be doing the dessert party again either.

Looks like a great day!!

* So I was also surprised at how crowded the park was the second day we were in MK (which was also EMH). Every other day the parks had been almost deserted, and this was pretty crowded!
* We had dinner at 4:00 the day of our dessert party and I still ate so much dessert that I made myself sick that night! If we do it again I think we will just have desserts for dinner
* I'm surprised so many of the rides were closed during EMH! I think all of the ones you mentioned were open when we were there.
* I also thought Space Mountain was more intense than the last time I was on it! I think they refurbished it somewhat recently, though I'm not sure what they would have done to cause that sort of difference!
* I steered on the Tomorrowland Terrace and my driving was awful too! I hit that barrier sooo many times.
* Wow, I cannot imagine being in MK until 3 am! We thought we were doing pretty well staying there til midnight. I'm curious to see how you were feeling the next day!
* Your pics in front of the castle with the Christmas decorations are gorgeous. I really want to be able to go during this time of year eventually.

Yeah for it being forecasted to be the lowest crowds of the season I was shocked to see wall to wall people everywhere! I think if we hadn't eaten at Ohana, we might have been hungry for more desserts, but I am thankful for the little bit we had which kept us going until well past 3 am!

Not sure what they did to Space Mountain, but it was crazy! It was fun though! Haha that Speedway is so awesome, if the gas fumes didn't make me want to yak, I would have ridden it so many more times! I feel sorry for the CMs having to breathe that all day!!

Ughhh 5:30am came wayyyyy too soon that morning, but I think I was running on adrenaline and pure Disney goodness! I had never seen the park open that late, so we were going to stay no matter what!

It was so beautiful there! I can't believe how much it made it feel like Christmas and it was still over a month away! I want to go during the Fall time next and do the Not-So-Scary Party!

I've fallen a bit behind! Your Ohana meal looks like it was great. I think the lapu lapus are so adorable; is there a lot of pulp (? I guess? I don't eat a lot of pineapple) in the drink? Or do they carve it out really well?

Love the Port Orleans rooms. Just the right mix of fancy and cozy. Even though they kept up the borders - that's sooooo 90s!

Yay for 3AM closing!! That may be the thing I'm looking forward to the most for our upcoming trip. I'm glad to hear that most people don't stick around past midnight; what's the point of staying up so late if it's not almost empty? Minus the super pretty castle, that is. Did they do the Goodnight Kiss?

How lucky to get right on Peter Pan. That queue seems to be never-ending sometimes, I don't understand. Philharmagic really is the best

No worries! I have been a slacker updating! I just put a huge update and then disappear for a week or two!

The Lapu Lapu seemed to be carved out pretty well- I have a reaction to fresh fruits closing up my throat, so I only had one sip, but it was very good!

I loved the room! I wish we could have got to enjoy it more, but I would take a park to a room any day!

If you can stay up, it is so worth it! It is like having the park all to yourself!! If they did do a Goodnight Kiss (never seen this before) we probably missed it!

I love Peter Pan! Never gets old and I was really impressed with Philharmagic! It was so cute, and I may have teared up for a few of the songs!

So glad I found this report, it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!

First off, congratulations! You two are a lovely couple and it looks like you had an amazing wedding, so close to my own second home! (just outside of Charleston)

I had to laugh at your "appropriate dressing" comments. My husband says that to me all the time, and he's usually right, but I never tell him that.

Isn't it just amazing to have the park almost to yourself? We were able to have that experience one morning on our last trip, but WOW, it's even extra magical at night, isn't it?

Looking forward to reading more!

Welcome!! Thanks for joining in!!

Thank you!! Don't you just love Charleston? You can't get more Southern and Proper! Haha... yes I don't have the best outfit choices, but I have to look cute! He prefers a hoodie or t-shirt and jeans always, but sometimes I just have to pretend I don't get cold, hence my comment, "my legs don't get cold!"

SO magical at night!! Especially with the Castle at Christmas, it just lit up the whole park!!

Enjoy!!

Ah, girl! I'm so so so excited to read the rest! Just reading about it all gives me the warm fuzzies! hehe.

I definitely stalked out those photopass people the whole trip! Dave was kinda getting annoyed with it all? haha.

I can't wait to see your photos!

I've never done the late Magic Hours.. always the early. Perhaps next trip?? ;D

Yay!! It became a game for us to spot the photopass photograher, it was funny! I got my photo CD in today, so prepare to be flooded with even more pictures!!

I would highly suggest the late EMH!!

Oh wow! Planning always makes sense when you have it on paper!!! Dinner, Dessert party, EMH, Early Breakfast ressie… Oops! Haha! Happens to the best of us!

Can't wait to read more!!

Hahaha yeah when you plan it you don't think about the elements of exhaustion, cold, lack of sleep- but it was worth it!

Welcome and Enjoy!!

 

[sw33t_angel]

So after a very late night/early morning at the MK, we awoke to our first day at Disney (well I woke up... Thomas continued to sleep). I was exhausted, but the thrill of being in Disney for the first full day on our Honeymoon, surpassed the 2 hours of sleep I got the night before. I jumped in the shower and woke up Thomas after brushing my teeth, and I was instructed to then make coffee immediately! I did my best and soon the time was nearing to go to the bus station. Thomas had to run outside to the car before we could depart, shortly after he left he called me and told me to look outside! I saw four hot air balloons soaring above me, a nice touch to our first Disney day! Notice the sun hadn't risen yet!

Armed with our ears, buttons, and park essentials we were off!

I decided on an Epcot day today because it was the last day of the food and wine festival, and although we had THREE ADRs that day, I just wanted to check it out and see what all the crowds were about! Spoiler- it was CROWDED.

We got to the bus stop right around 7:15am and waited for the Epcot bus! You can tell my hair is still wet, and yes we are tired, but there is no sleeping in Disney!

The bus came within 10 minutes and soon we were off! We did have to go to Port Orleans, but still made good time to get to Epcot, we arrived around 7:40am. We found a large line growing up front off to the side of the turnstiles and we waited. They had several CM's monitoring the crowd and one standing in the front with a clipboard. We were called up one by one around 7:55am, and we were good to go!

We weren't in a huge rush as we had one of the earlier ADRs so we decided to stop for some pictures on the stroll to Norway.

I have never been to any character meals, so this was my first experience with Princesses while dining! I will mention that I am not a huge breakfast fan.. actually its probably my least favorite meal of the day, I can get by with the basics like bagels, yogurt, cereal, potatoes, maybe bacon or sausage, grits, but that's about it. I was mostly here for the princesses, and yes I am 27!

Once we arrived in Norway I checked in at the desk (which while waiting, I missed the first time Thomas called me his wife, to another couple). We were called almost immediately and once we took our photo with the lovely Belle (which you do get a photo package free) we were seated in the back left corner in a small booth.

We later discovered we were one of the first tables that the princessess visited as we were right by their door. We were actually the first people up to the cold buffet, so we dug right in! Our waiter was nice, from Norway of course, and he was training another waitress, so he was a litle pre-occupied but still friendly and gave us everything we needed.

We took pictures while we waited and then were brought a hot plate of sausage, bacon, eggs, and potatoes, which weren't too bad, pretty tasty!

Since we had finished eating so soon, we were pretty much done for when the first round of princesses came around. I will say- the only complaint I have for any character meals, for the price- they should have a Photopass photographer follow each character. We found it difficult and awkward when it came time to take our pictures. We either had to leave the other one out, or interrupt a neighboring families meal and see if they could take our photo (which all of them were super nice and never minded, but just the principle that we had to ask) So Thomas insisted he didn't need to be in the pictures and just took them with me. We switched seats later when we realized it would be easier if I was on the outside.

First out was Cindy (asked if we lived in a big castle)

Then Snow White (she was awesome!)

Then Aurora (asked Thomas if he fought off a dragon to win my heart)

Then Ariel (wanted to know if we got married on a boat)

They were nice- most of them noticed we were newly married and chatted a bit- but mostly just stopped for a picture and continued on, I wasn't expecting too much more than that, so I didn't mind.

Once all the girls came out, it was around 8:55 we settled the bill and were off!

MENU:
Norwegian-style breakfast with an American twist. Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Potato Casserole, Fresh Breakfast Breads, Fresh Seasonal Fruit, Juice, Coffee, and Milk (ended up being close to $30 each)

Waiter: Kim

OVERALL: Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus- a good dining experience, good buffet, a little pricey if not on the dining plan, beautiful atmosphere, free photo package, cheaper than Cinderella's Table.

We decided to do Future World first and then go the World Showcase after lunch at the Coral Reef. We first went on Test Track which was fun, I loved the ending and what better way to settle your stomach after a big
breakfast.

We continued on to Mission Space. I was again instructed by my brother that we had to go on the Orange- and it had to be after we ate. I usually don't get motion sickness so I was down. The wait was only 10 minutes, so we decided why not? We jokingly took a picture and sent it to my brother shortly before riding.

I was fine until sign after sign, warning video, after warning about motion sickness and intense riding, that I began to get a little uneasy, we were escorted to our own mission and then loaded inside our rocket. As soon as I saw the barf bags, I really started to get uneasy wondering what on earth this ride was capable of. Thomas went ahead and grabbed a bag just in case, which made me even more nervous so I grabbed one too. I admit I closed my eyes the first few seconds as I could feel my stomach churning, but then it quickly subsided and I got further into the ride. Thomas seemed to be holding up ok too- so I held on for the rest of the ride. As soon as we both got out, we breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a “that's it?!” I thought it was going to be much worse than it was, and psychologically I was terrified after all those warnings, so I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as everyone was making it out to be.

My stomach was a little uneasy from being worried to death, so we decided to take it a little slower as we made our way to Spaceship Earth, after that we made our way to the Land and got a fastpass for Soaring and then rode Living with the Land- the CM gave us front row seats so that we would behave ourselves . Thomas royally destroyed me in finding Hidden Mickeys, which had become the new game which would continue throughout the trip (me mostly making up imaginary Mickeys and trying to sell them to Thomas as legit)

We were still too early for our fastpasses so we made our way to the Aquarium and explored there and rode Nemo. I wanted to go to the show, but we were nearing our reservation time, so I didn't want to chance it. After the aquarium, we figured we had time to use our fast passes for Soaring before our reservation to Coral Reef so we hopped back to the Land and waited the 5 minutes until our time. I had only ridden it once before when I was in California, and the ride was brand new to Thomas so it was a unique experience that we both enjoyed. Especially all of the smells! The fastpass line had taken a little longer than expected so we quickly made our way back to the Seas and got checked into the Coral Reef 2 minutes early before our 1:30pm ressie.

We were called within minutes of being seated- which was surprising because it was very crowded that afternoon. We were led to the bottom level, and my little heart skipped a beat when I saw we had a table on the far end directly next to the tank! I was so happy! (of course before we could sit several children had to be asked to move from our chairs, at which their mother scoffed that her children couldn't even see anything from their table, and now they were being asked to leave). Once we got settled we were greeted by a cheerful waiter who was extremely attentive and very nice!

We first started out with fresh sourdough rolls and butter, which were so delicious I forgot to take a picture! Thomas and I both decided on the same appetizer the crispy fried shrimp, which was absoltely delicious. Cooked perfectly crisp and not too greasy and the slaw was tart and fresh. Again, so good we forgot to take a picture (I would like to say we got better at this as the trip went, but our memories are apparently terrible... but we got a few good ones so sit tight food porn addicts!) We aren't huge seafood fans, so we both went with the Grilled New York Strip. While we waited for our steaks we oogled our fishy friends as we played photo tag with the sharks in the tank trying to get the perfect shot of us both and a shark behind us. Our 20+ photos are proof of many failed attempts, but we did manage a few good ones!

Our steaks arrived, and again, with the food being so good I managed to get a pretty shotty picture of my steak.

Spoiler- This was probably one of the best steaks we had all trip. It was delicious! Perfectly cooked and the potatoes and asparagus were a perfect compliment. We were stuffed, but continued on ordering the Bailey's Mousse and the Chocolate Wave. Thomas got scolded by the waiter that he didn't finish his vegetables so couldn't possibly have room for dessert, to which Thomas replied, I was saving room for it! Haha..loved that waiter! Our desserts arrived and we managed to take some good food shots before devouring them.

The Chocolate wave was amazing! So good! Mine was alright, the mousse was very strong and more alcohol flavor than I needed at 2:15 in the afternoon, but not too heavy.

MENU:
Crispy fried Shrimp - With Jicama slaw and spiced remoulade - $11.99
Grilled New York Strip Steak - Served with horseradish smashed potatoes and market fresh vegetables - $28.99
Baileys and Jack Daniel's Mousse - Topped with a ganache and chocolate cigar. - $7.99
The Chocolate Wave - Served with brandied cherries. - $7.99

Waiter: Joe

OVERALL: Coral Reef was diamond in the rough, I was on the fence with it originally from all the negative reviews, but decided to stick with it. I am so glad we did, the steak was delicious and we had an amazing view and waiter! Loved everything about Coral Reef!

 

[sw33t_angel]

We settled our bill and left shortly after- I exhaled and waddled out the door before sitting on a warm bench to get my body temperature back up to normal, as the restaurant was freezing! We ran into these little guys!

We decided to finish up Future World and went to Innovations and then waited at the Character Spot for the Fab Five.

We got some good shots with the characters.

I love this shot because Mickey is pointing to Minnie and telling me to not show her my ring so she doesn't get any ideas!

While we were still in the area we went and saw Nemo- which was amazing! Loved it!

It was around 4:00 by the time we started our walk around the World Showcase, which was buzzing with Food and Wine crowds.

We started at Mexico and hopped on the Gran Fiesta Tour which was new for both of us as I had not been on it since they changed it, and Thomas had never been on it! The wait was only 10 minutes and soon we were singing with the Three Caberellos! Which I scolded Thomas for never seeing that Disney movie.We browsed the shops in Mexico and I debated a Margarita, but was still too full for anything.

We ran into Sombrero Donald on the way around and stopped and got two pictures with him! I swear we were talking to an Imagineer while standing in line, he had a jacket, a hat, and an Imagineer pin, he was super nice and very informed about Disney. Donald was so playful and posed us for a few shots!

Norway was next up as we decided to take a journey on the Maelstrom, which had WAY too long of wait for WAY too short of ride, it was nice though and Thomas had never been on it so we had to do it at least once! We chatted it up with a nice couple behind us in line who said they had been on their honeymoon 10 years ago in Disney, which I thought was awesome!

I informed Thomas that all the “rides” were done in the World Showcase, so we decided to just browse around the stores and just walk around and crowd-watch until our reservation at Tokyo Dining at 7:30. We headed to China next and just happened to hop in line that was forming for Mulan! I was super excited as she is one of my favorites! She was very nice and was very happy for us. I was sad that there was no photopass photographer, but the CM was nice enough to take a few shots for us.

We checked out all of the stores in China and stopped for a few more photo ops. I loved looking at all of the stores!

We made our way around the showcase and ended up in Germany which was VERY loud and crowded... filled with many food and winer go-ers who were consuming lots of beers! I made the wrong choice to try to go to the restroom here, as the line was out the door and I decided to wait until dinner. We continued into Italy and and browsed before we went to the American Adventure which was having some sort of concert going on. We listened for a bit and then kept going, we staked out Japan and I checked out the Reservation kiosk and just made sure I knew where it was before we headed back for our reservation (I am anal like that and need to know where everything is!)

I had been taking note of some of the character meet and greet locations, and most of them would be starting soon, so we were going to continue with the showcase and then start heading back to see if we could get some pictures with some characters!

We went to Morocco where I decided to go ahead and use the restroom as it wasn't as crowded. I loved the atmosphere in this area and we looked around and took some pictures.

We continued our stroll to France as it was starting to get darker, we saw a photo pass CM and jumped in line to take some pictures in front of the fountain which was now lit up. This is one of my favorite shots!

He was funny and was giving Thomas marriage advice, it was cute! We walked a little further and saw Aurora! Her line wasn't long and they had a photopass CM so we hopped in. She was cute and asked Thomas if he slayed a dragon to win my heart, and went into a huge story about how he did it with his bare hands, she looked very impressed as I just stood and nodded in agreement.

Thomas made me laugh as we walked away and said, “Geez, we just saw her at breakfast and she doesn't remember my slaying of a dragon for your heart?” It was getting darker by the minute but I was able to spot Marie! I haven't ever seen her so we jumped in line. Thomas didn't know who she was, and again was scolded that he needs to watch more Disney movies with me There was no photopass here, so we had to settle to a picture from our cameras.

It was probably about 6:00 at this point (it gets dark so early now!!) so we decided to head back and hit some character meet and greets and then enjoy that concert before heading out to dinner. We spotted Aladdin and Jasmine together, another one of my favorites, and we had to jump in line. The CM said they were going to have to leave soon, but luckily we were able to get them before they departed. Aladdin said my ring was very shiny and if Thomas was a Prince, he also commented on Thomas' tophat and said he loved it.

We tried to get in line for Belle and the Beast (!!!!!) But alas, they were just leaving- we asked when they would be out again, probably around 30-40 minutes, but it would only just be Belle... so we passed and decided to get a large rootbeer instead. We sat on the fountain by America and listened to the concert, it was starting to get really chilly now that the sun was completely gone, and a large rootbeer with lots of ice wasn't helping the cold factor! We decided to try to take refuge in the American Adventure show which was starting right then, but we still had almost a full rootbeer, and didn't want to waste it, plus it was close to 7:10 at this point, so we decided to just go check in at Tokyo Dining, which we were semi-excited about as we were both still a little full from lunch.

 

[sw33t_angel]

We casually strolled back to Japan and checked in. We climbed the stairs and were given a buzzer and wait to be seated. We stood around for probably 20 minutes before our buzzer went off, but again the pixie dust seating occurred again as we got a center table, window view directly across the pond where Illuminations takes place.

We were better at taking pictures at dinner so incoming food porn! We both got the hot green tea as we were a little chilled, and unfortunately the restaurant wasn't much warmer.

We were each given warm towels to wash up and then explained the menu. Our server was very sweet and kind- she loved my ears but was a little hard to understand, but I loved that she bowed each time she left the table. Thomas decided on the assorted tempura and I got the Edamame. It arrived shortly after we ordered.

I ate Thomas' tempura zucchini and had a bite of his shrimp and chicken- all of it was incredibly light and very good. My edamame surprised me when it arrived ice cold- which was something I was not used to- but it was actually very good, although I think I do prefer it warmer. Thomas decided to be adventurous, and what better place to order sushi (we have both tried it several times, and will eat it, but are not huge fans! This disappoints me because I LOVE rice and everything Japanese) He went with one of the Sushi Deluxe combinations. I got the Shibuya which was assorted tempura of chicken and shrimp, some seaweed salad, soup, white rice, and some type of cold noodle salad.

Thomas enjoyed his, but wasn't in love with it- the best one was actually the eel roll, which surprised him. I tried one and it wasn't too bad (as in it didn't make me want to vomit) and Thomas insisted I try another one, so I tried it... needless to say that one didn't go down as easily and ended up in my napkin.. so I was done with trying Sushi for the night... Mine was good very fresh and light, I wasn't a fan of the soup or the cold noodle salad, but everything else was pretty good and basic Japanese. We were stuffed once again, but still went for dessert. I went with the Chocolate Ginger Cake and Thomas got the Green Tea Pudding, they brought it would with candles and wished us a happy life and honeymoon and gave us two origami folded hearts out of Hello Kitty paper!

The pudding had an interesting texture, but wasn't bad, and the cake was about the same, good but still left you with an indifferent feeling on whether I liked it or not. We finished up dessert around 8:20 and ordered another pot of green tea. It was still 40 minutes until Illuminations and I think they were ready for us to give up the table (not in rude way, but they seemed like they were ready for us to leave after we paid our check and were still sitting down)

MENU
Assorted Tempura - Shrimp, chicken breast and seasonal vegetables with a Japanese dipping sauce. - $8.50
Edamame - Young soybean pods. - $4.50
Sushi Deluxe Ume - Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, Isumi-dat, shrimp, conch, squid, egg omelet, salmon roe, and 3 pieces of Tuna roll. - $23.95
Shibuya Combo - Shrimp and chicken breast with seasonal vegetables and steamed rice. - $19.50
Chocolate Ginger Cake - Chocolate Ginger Cake - $5.95
Green Tea Pudding - Green Tea Pudding. - $6.50

Waitress: Yukako

OVERALL: Tokyo Dining- I loved that atmosphere and the waitstaff and the huge variety of menu items, and if I loved Sushi, this would probably be the place for me. I liked the food, but it wasn't the best meal of the trip, I think I am more of an Americanized Japanese food lover than authentic Japanese, but I hope to one day figure out Sushi, and learn to love it!

We decided to watch Illuminations from the balcony right outside of the restaurant instead. It was cold but worth it, so pretty! After the show the original plan was to hop to Hollywood Studios for EMH until 11:00- but at that point we were exhausted, going on less than 2 hours of sleep, cold bodies and full bellies as much as I hated to break from my plan, we decided to head back to the hotel early and get a good night's rest. We took the long way around The World Show Case which ended up being kinda scary as some intoxicated fellows were cussing and arguing around a trashcan which we didn't stick around to see what happened next and then exited and waited for our bus. It took about 20 minutes and soon we were on our way back to The French Quarter!

We made it back to the room close to 11 and got some cute towel animals and a Photo Pass card and signed picture of Mickey and Minnie!

UP NEXT:

Do we survive our first attempt at Toy Story Mania Madness?
Butterfinger Cupcake!
Pin trading turns into “Oh, you can come have a seat up here...”

 

[lilsqueakrr]

More. More. More! I love all of the photos!! Especially the France ones AND the one of you two kissing with Donald in front. So cute.

You got some adorable pictures. I cannot wait to see more. =]

Makes me wish we did the Disney HM instead.. =[

 

[sw33t_angel]

More. More. More! I love all of the photos!! Especially the France ones AND the one of you two kissing with Donald in front. So cute.

You got some adorable pictures. I cannot wait to see more. =]

Makes me wish we did the Disney HM instead.. =[

The photo's all came out awesome! I loved the characters!

Awww, you'll have fun! Disney for a VR!!

 

[lilsqueakrr]

The photo's all came out awesome! I loved the characters!

Awww, you'll have fun! Disney for a VR!!

Yes, yes, yes! And some girl named Amber MUST be in attendance...

 

[sw33t_angel]

Yes, yes, yes! And some girl named Amber MUST be in attendance...

I will take up a trip to Disney any day!!! I am trying to convince Thomas that we need Season Passes... and he said, well that means we have to go at least 3 times to get our moneys worth... and I said.. well yeah.. AT LEAST 3...

 

[Chicago Mo]

This is the SWEETEST TR i have read!!! Congratulations and best wishes on your wedding!!! Your hair in the wedding photo's is beautiful!!! Your TR is like a fairytale so far!!!

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

Hello there Mrs.!

I'm loving every minute!! Lol, you braved Splash that night??? We sure didn't!! I was taking a few artsy pix of the castle and planned on framing a few and making a mousepad for work........ then I get home and see------ one of the tiers lights are out I can't look at any of them without drawing my attention directly to it, lol. I wonder if I'm talented enough to fix it

I love that you took lots of pictures!! DH hates pictures and the only one he was super excited about was Phineas and Ferb

More more more!!

 

[Missyrose]

I totally fell behind, but now I'm completely caught up! I'm thoroughly impressed with your ability to stick it out through MK evening EMH AND be up and out for your early-morning breakfast ADR. Serious commando points for that one!

I loved your funny photo with sombrero Donald, that might be one the best Disney pictures I've ever seen!

 

[librarygeek]

Sorry I haven't commented recently - I don't check the TR boards regularly so I keep forgetting that yours is over here!

* We had dinner at Akershus and had a good experience. I think Aurora also asked my DH if he fought a dragon!
* I agree about Mission: Space. I can't believe I ever convinced myself to go on in the first place with all the warnings but I'm so glad I did.
* We also really enjoyed the Coral Reef, I think we had the same or a similar table!
* It's really cool that there was a photopass photographer in France, I wish there had been one there when we were there, I would've loved some nice pics in France!
* I don't blame you for skipping HS - I can't believe you actually made it through a full (or early, with your ADR) Epcot day without going back to take a nap! We took a nap break a few times and we were on at least 6 hours of sleep!

 

[sw33t_angel]

This is the SWEETEST TR i have read!!! Congratulations and best wishes on your wedding!!! Your hair in the wedding photo's is beautiful!!! Your TR is like a fairytale so far!!!

Awww Thank you!! It really did feel like a fairytale! Glad you are here for the tale!!

Hello there Mrs.!

I'm loving every minute!! Lol, you braved Splash that night??? We sure didn't!! I was taking a few artsy pix of the castle and planned on framing a few and making a mousepad for work........ then I get home and see------ one of the tiers lights are out I can't look at any of them without drawing my attention directly to it, lol. I wonder if I'm talented enough to fix it

I love that you took lots of pictures!! DH hates pictures and the only one he was super excited about was Phineas and Ferb

More more more!!

Hello MRS.!

Hahaha.. yeah it seemed like a good idea at the time... it was COLD!! But it was awesome at the same time! I can't believe I didn't notice the castle lights out!! I will have to go back and look at my pictures! I usually have OCD about things like that!!

Thomas despised those Platypus shirts down there.. which I think are from Phineas and Ferb? We saw them EVERYWHERE! Almost as bad as the Thing shirts at Universal! And it was worse because we had no idea where it was from! We made it into a game to find them... that and those blasted Guy Harvey Shirts!!

Thomas isn't very photogenic and doesn't like taking pictures often- but he surprised me on this trip! I loved it!! I am usually bad about taking pictures, so I must say it was nice to have an iphone handy and photopass photogs at every corner!

I totally fell behind, but now I'm completely caught up! I'm thoroughly impressed with your ability to stick it out through MK evening EMH AND be up and out for your early-morning breakfast ADR. Serious commando points for that one!

I loved your funny photo with sombrero Donald, that might be one the best Disney pictures I've ever seen!

Yay! Welcome Back! I abandoned this little TR for a while.. but I am back!!

I don't know how we did EMH and still made it to our ADR... I am a horrible morning person usually... but Disney made me immune I guess? I think I was still on a wedding/honeymoon high!

Aww thanks!! I love Donald.. and a sombrero!? I had to wait!! He was a good interaction for sure!!

Sorry I haven't commented recently - I don't check the TR boards regularly so I keep forgetting that yours is over here!

* We had dinner at Akershus and had a good experience. I think Aurora also asked my DH if he fought a dragon!
* I agree about Mission: Space. I can't believe I ever convinced myself to go on in the first place with all the warnings but I'm so glad I did.
* We also really enjoyed the Coral Reef, I think we had the same or a similar table!
* It's really cool that there was a photopass photographer in France, I wish there had been one there when we were there, I would've loved some nice pics in France!
* I don't blame you for skipping HS - I can't believe you actually made it through a full (or early, with your ADR) Epcot day without going back to take a nap! We took a nap break a few times and we were on at least 6 hours of sleep!

Yah I thought about doing it inside my PJ for the wedding- but I figured why not just start a new one?

Haha.. she probably asks every guy that! Oh mission space.. it was deceitful for sure! But I am glad we went on it at least once! Not something I particularly enjoyed or had the desire to go on more than once.

I loved Coral Reef!!! I am so glad I wasn't swayed by some of the negative reviews!

There was a photographer there almost every time we walked by! Wish they could have been there for you!!

Next time we go I think we are just going to with the POP, we were never at our hotel!! We stayed from sunrise to close every night, and honestly wouldn't have had it any other way! I love the deluxes.. but I don't think I could ever stay and pay that much and never take advantage of the place! I have a feeling we are always going to be go go go!

 

[sw33t_angel]

MONDAY- NOVEMBER 14 MGM/HS DAY

I woke up from my exhausted stupor around 6:00 am. I slowly rolled out of bed and started getting ready. I woke up Thomas after my shower and felt a lot more awake once I got going. While Thomas was getting ready I was getting my Lanyard ready for its first day out! My brother had bought me a lanyard and a set of pins for my birthday so I was excited to get out there and start trading! It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip, which you will see later that someone else got in on the fun too! We spent most of our honeymoon registry giftcard on pins... we were obsessed I tell you!!

We had reservations at California Grill that night, and being the park goers that we are, we decided to dress up a little bit today for MGM, and just leave straight from the park to our ADR, so we wouldn't have to go back to the room and change. We were hardcore!

We got on our pins and ears, and we were ready to go!! We got to the bus stop right at 7:15 and made it to HS at about 7:35, we made it in time for rope drop and waited toward the front of the hat. We had heard about Toy Story Mania Madness, but it was nothing like I expected! It was NUTS!! After snapping a few pictures, they released the hounds and we were off!!

It had been a while since I had been to HS so I had no idea where we were going, but the mass of people helped lead the way.

We initially were just going to get on the ride, but I saw the FP's were already at 11 am, so we were pushed into a line for the FP which was crazy, and eventually did get our passes and then we made our way to the line that was already at 45 minutes, which we only ended up waiting about 30. We loved the inside and took a few pictures and needless to say Thomas beat me. It is a very unique ride and it ended up being one of our favorites, I just wish it wasn't so crazy to get on it!

Afterwards we made out way to the Backlot Tour which had a small wait and we took a tour around the studios. It was so cool to see all the Imagineers and workers just going about their daily lives as we oogle them from our little trolley in awe. I told Thomas we are retiring to FL and we will be working with the Mouse.

We made our way to the Animator's Studio because the park guide said Sorcerer Mickey was only going to be there until 11, so I wanted to make sure we got to see him. We found him and waited. He was awesome!

We left there around 9:45 and headed to the Starring Rolls Bakery to try to infamous Butterfinger Cupcake, which is one of Thomas' favorite candies, so I kept him in suspense for what we were getting. The girl behind the counter who was helping us inquired about our Just Married pins and where we got them, and that she had never seen those. I explained we just got married but I heard they were discontinuing them, so I got them off of ebay a several months earlier. She seemed a little confused and still eyed the buttons and then served us our CUPCAKE! As soon as Thomas heard what it was, he had a huge grin on his face! We went to check out and a nice elderly CM saw our ears and congratulated us and gave us a free cookie!! Pixie Dust!! We thanked her and headed outside to find a seat, most of the tables were full so we parked ourselves under a nice tree and indulged in the CUPCAKE. Of course not without taking some pictures!

It was so massive!! We cut it in half and went at it. We got so many stares from people walking by and a couple asked where we got that and what was it. We finished our mid-morning treat and decided to go burn off our sugar high. We made our way to the Tower of Terror and Rocking Roller Coaster, we loved both naturally

It was about time for our FP's for TSM so we made our way back to the ride, again a great time and we only had to wait like 10 minutes.

We made our way towards Star Tours and took a ride into Space. I liked the new improvements and the random missions. We got a few different ones throughout the week- but several repeats, which was kind of disappointing considering all the possible scenarios we could have had! We continued our way to The Muppets and I scouted out where the Sci-Fi Diner was for our ADR at 12:05. We watched the Muppets and made plans to go see the Lights Motor Action for its last show.

 

[sw33t_angel]

We browsed around at the Osbourne Lights and set areas and before we knew it was already 12:00!! We hightaled it to our ADR and checked in. The CM's were very nice and friendly and asked if we could behave ourselves in a car in the dark, or if we needed adult supervision. They laughed and said they are on their honeymoon.. what do you think?

We had a short wait and then soon were escorted to our “table” we were hitchhikers with a nice family who enjoyed being hijacked!

We did this when it said no public displays of affection! HA!

Thomas loved the theme and atmosphere of this place, which I knew he would! We had a good car up front and a great view of everything. We looked at the menu and decided on lunch and were greeted shortly by our waitress. Thomas got an Oreo Milkshake as his drink, I got a Vanilla Coke. Since being on the Deluxe dining plan we had an appetizer, entree, and dessert.

I got the Spinach Artichoke Dips with multi-colored tortilla chips and Thomas got the Potato Skins.

We both got the double cheese burger with fries as our entrees. The service was pretty quick and we got our burgers before we even had time to finish our apps, and our car was filled quickly with a ton of food and very little room to maneuver. I tried to split my time eating between the app and burger, and soon just dedicated time to the burger. We both got very full and groaned at the thought of a dessert... but naturally we got one anyways!

I got a caramel apple crisp and Thomas went with the standard Hot Fudge Sundae. I think he was having an ice cream overload and we were both in food comas which was not a good combination in a dark diner with black and white movies. SO SLEEPY! But of course the place was freezing, so I was not that sleepy! And ice cream certainly did not help! We got our carhop to take some pictures of us in the car, and I thought it was hilarious that the bill came as a Speeding Ticket- such awesome theming!

MENU
Spinach & Artichoke Dip - A blend of mozzarella, Swiss, and asiago cheeses, spinach, and artichokes served with corn tortilla chips. - $7.99
Baked Potato Skins- BBQ chicken with ranch and cheese in a baked potato skin- $7.99 (no longer offered on the menu!)
Angus Chuck Burger - Flame-broiled beef patty topped with your choice of Cheddar or Swiss cheese, sauteed onions, mushroom, or crispy bacon and served with a choice of cucumber-melon salad or French fries. - $13.99
Hot Fudge Sundae - A Sci-Fi Sundae Spectacular! - $6.99
Carmel Apple Crisp- Apples with a crispy crust served al la mode with caramel.-$6.99 (no longer offered on the menu!)

OVERALL
We thought the food was good, nothing great- but you definitely pay for the themes and atmosphere. We would probably go back, but split a burger! It was huge!! Maybe even just go for some apps and drinks. It was a memorable experience and one of Thomas' favorites!

We rolled our way out of the diner and back into the light! It was bright!! We still had a few hours to kill before the next Lights Motor Action show so we made our way back to the hub, on the way there an Indiana Jones Show was about to start, so we rushed in. We were looking to find a seat as it was already very crowded when a CM came up to us and said oh my gosh, you guys need to come here! She told another CM put them on my list, and before we knew it we were being led down to the bottom of the theater in the Reserved Section. Pixie Dust!! Thomas was just in awe... and he called in the power of the button and ears. It was an awesome show and it was nice to be sitting so close! Plus not a bad activity to settle our full lunch bellies!

After the show on the way out of the exit we had another newlywed couple stop us and ask about Thomas' tophat. She had the Just Married buttons on to, so she was in the know for those at least! I told her I heard they were being discontinued and ordered one on ebay a year ago. She said she had bride ears, but didn't feel like wearing them, and I told her she needed to and told her about some of the pixie dust we had. We chatted with them for a bit, and left with them saying they wanted our tophat! (Remember them- because we see them again later..)

We wanted to ride the Great Movie Ride so we headed back that way. The parade was getting ready to start- so we decided to stop and watch that first. We managed to get a pretty good view right in front of the Great Movie Ride right in front of a vendor stand. Several characters saw our ears and said congratulations and clapped, so it was nice!

This one still makes me laugh...

After the parade we made our way to the Great Movie Ride- Thomas had never been on it before- and it had been ages for me, so it was good change of pace.

There was a foreign family in front of us and we were supposed to board on their row, and right when I was about to sit down, she closed the door on me and just sat there. We were the only ones just standing without a seat, luckily a CM saw the problem and loaded us with another group further back. I was just in shock- granted they might not speak the language, but she saw us behind her, and still just slammed the door right behind her. I have a feeling she knew what she was doing...but whatever! We got the Gangster which was not the most convincing/energetic character, but he did ok. It was an enjoyable ride!

 

[sw33t_angel]

We made our way back around the park and hit all the rides we had done earlier in the day. I wanted to go to the Little Mermaid, but every time we got in line we had just missed the show and didn't want to wait for 45 minutes until the next show, but Thomas promised he would get me to see if before we left.

We went to the Animator's studio and walked around and killed time before the Lights Motor Action show, we headed back that way and got in shortly after they had let people begin to seat. At this point- I was fully invested in the pin trading, and we had bought several pins earlier in the day including the bride and groom pins, and a 2011 pin. We had made several trades throughout the day and Thomas too was enjoying the fun on my lanyard and making trades. I had to put a few pins off limits for trade because I was attached to them already, which Thomas replied, they were all up for grabs according to him. I tried to convince him to get his own lanyard, but he claimed he didn't want to get addicted and use up our whole honeymoon giftcard on pins. (spoiler:famous last words I tell ya..) So now that we have some pin obsession back story...

We walked into the amphitheater and I noticed a CM with quite a bit of pins on his lanyard and apparently so had Thomas because he pushed for me to go trade (I was still a little uneasy/nervous to begin a trade at first, but I got better) So I looked at his pins and traded for a Pluto which I really liked ( Pluto is my favorite!) We began talking a bit and he congratulated us and asked us if we would like to sit in some guest of honor seats, our eyes lit up and we shook our heads, ya ya ya ya! He pointed to another CM standing by four director's chairs behind a rope guard and we thanked the CM and made our way to the waiting CM. He lifted the rope and we got comfortable in our seats. WOW it was an awesome view, we couldn't have been more close!

We were on the left side of the stage, and we did notice another set of chairs in an area on the right side, we waved to the family sitting in those! While we were enjoying our VIP seating our Tophat friend from earlier came up to us and said, HEY! How did you get these seats?? Thomas pointed to his button and his ears, and said our Honeymoon? He shook his head in disbelief and then asked for the Tophat again, to which Thomas politely declined. He told the CM standing guard of the rope that he had just gotten married too, and that they were on their honeymoon, to which the CM responded, “ Congratulations,” and then asked him to find his seat as the show was starting soon. We both looked at him with “I am sorry” looks as he sulked off. We did have two extra director's chairs beside us, but I guess the CM wasn't as keen of him as he was with us! So we had a laugh about how much that couple must despise us and how they wished they had Thomas' sweet Tophat, which I must say was the most popular topic/conversation starter that week. Everyone loved it! And I must say I like it a million times better than the current groom hat they have out now.

We had both never seen the show and were in awe the entire time, it was so amazing to watch the cars and they did some insane stuff. I would definitely recommend this show! Make sure you fit it into your schedule because they only have two shows a day.

We had started a game earlier in the week about if we could have any job at Disney what would it be, mine was to be a Disney Princess or a ride operator for Big Thunder Mountain or Tower of Terror I think Thomas' was Toy Story Mania or Space Mountain- after the show he looked at me and said. This. I would want to do this, and pointed to the stunt drivers. Hahaha it was a great end to a memorable experience.

Our day seemed to fly by and there was still so much we wanted to do and just didn't have time for. We made it a point to make sure we came back later in the week- which I had accounted for just in case. We had to make sure we left no later than 6:45 to make our ADR at California Grill at 7:30- I planned it so that we would be there for the fireworks at MK so I wanted to make sure we were there and hopefully got a good table and had time to see the lights.

We decided to stroll the area with the Osbourne Lights and decided we would spend the remainder of our time here so we could see the lights come on and get some good photopass pictures. We strolled around and chatted with some CM's who talked about the history of the lights. A really knowledgeable sweeper came by and told us all about the Osbourne's and the Black Cat. If you don't know the story- basically the Osbourne's sent Disney all of their Christmas lights from their displays and by accident they sent a Halloween decoration of a black cat (which is actually purple when lit), Disney decided to incorporate it into their display each year and make it a challenge for guests to find it. He gave us a few hints on where to find it this year, and walked around and showed us some previous hiding spots. He also told us about the hidden mickeys in the lights which we made sure to try to find them! He was super nice and we are so glad we got to talk with him!

The crowds were starting to form as it slowly began to get darker and darker. A band came out and started playing some Christmas music to get the crowd ready and in the spirit. We went ahead and lined up by the light switch to make sure we could get a good Photo Pass picture and just waited and watched the sun disappear. It finally was dark enough to turn on the lights which a family had the honors of flipping the switch. It was amazing to see all the lights just come alive, truly an awe moment!

We got our photo and just explored the lights hand in hand. We found several hidden mickey's and we did find the black cat!! Thomas actually was explaining the story to several other guests around us!

We jumped in a few more photo pass pictures and watched the Dancing Lights for several songs. It was getting closer and closer to 6:45, and I was worried we weren't going to be able to leave on time. So after it snowed we sadly had to make our way back to leave. Thomas suggested one more picture so we hopped in line. Now when the lights dance and move the photo pass people stop taking pictures until the lights stop, so needless to say we were up next to take a picture, and then the lights started dancing!!! NOOOO!! Ahhh! At this point it was right at 6:45 but we had already waited so we decided to wait.....

We got our picture..... but.....

UP NEXT
Do we make it on-time to CA Grill?
But..is there confetti?!??
There is EMH tonight???

 

[librarygeek]

* TSM is so fun! I wish the wait wasn't so crazy as well. We were able to ride it with about a 20 minute wait when it opened and then get a fastpass afterward... which we were then allowed to keep by the CM so we could use it again!! Also a few times we walked by and the posted wait time was only about 25 minutes - the CM outside was hollering "get in now, the wait is never this short!"
* Mmm, butterfinger cupcake. We tried it too! I actually ended up liking the S'mores cupcake at the Boardwalk Bakery better, but this one was good too!
* We had dinner at Sci-Fi and I love the atmosphere there too! Those fries look so good. I would agree that I would probably split an entree there in the future. Also, that was definitely the coldest restaurant we were in all week. I'm always cold so I kept a sweatshirt in my bag just in case, and this was the only place I actually used it.
* I haven't watched a parade in ages, because it's just always so crowded. The Pixar one looks awesome though, I love seeing all of the Pixar characters!
* I was disappointed with our gangster on the Great Movie ride too. They need better, more enthusiastic actors! (Can there be a female gangster or cowgirl? Hire me!)
* We saw a couple with the top hat while we were there, and Jason was like, "Why didn't I get that one??" and I had to explain that they didn't sell it anymore, and I didn't think he cared enough for me to get one on ebay!

 

[lilsqueakrr]

I so love all of your photopass pictures. I'm jealous.

Especially of the ones at Osborne lights. It was so ridiculously crowded we never got near a photopass photog around that area. =[ =[ =[ =[ Wah. So I will vicariously live through you!

I can't wait to read more.. I don't like the BUT..... wah.

 

[francis6306]

OOOH!! I hope you make it!! I have heard amazing things about Cali Grill! LOVE the Osbourne lights! They are so great!

Thanks for the update!