Don't Fear the Rain, We Have the "Ducky of Death!"-Jan '14 **Bonus TR DCA 9/1 x2

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Awesome photos as always Dave. That's one way to stay in shape for Disney walking over 11 miles. You certainly nailed the spring season in DC and now in Vancouver.

Thanks!

I sort of think of it the other way around - my Disney trips have trained me for these long distance walks and hikes when I travel to other places!

 

[afwdwfan]

I mean it's just ingenious. Instead of telling people not to feed the birds for the sake of the birds' health, they just flipped the script and made the seagulls the villain! Watch out or they'll steal your food! And to make it even better they included basically a menacing mugshot of a seagull that could have substituted for a poster for Hitchcock's The Birds! LOVED it!

Those are great.

As always, enjoyed the pictures, Dave. I really want to be able to travel and see more places, but your photography from your adventures is a great substitute to whet the appetite.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Those are great.

As always, enjoyed the pictures, Dave. I really want to be able to travel and see more places, but your photography from your adventures is a great substitute to whet the appetite.

Those seagull pictures continue to make me laugh - it's the picture that keeps on giving.

Happy that I can share my pictures with you!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Time to get this TR moving again! Actually I think we’re nearing the finish line here which is about right since it’s been taking about 3 months to finish my TRs. I’ve been busy making plans for our upcoming short but boo-tastic Halloween weekend trip to Disney in October when we’ll be attending two MNSSHPs! I’ve also been putting the finishing touches on our family trip to Hawaii for my dad’s 70th birthday celebration. It will be our first visit to the islands so there are so many things I’ve planned for including some outings purely based on my geeky obsession with the TV show “Lost.” And there’s the annual trip with my friends from my fantasy football league which this year takes us back to Vegas. It’s going to be a crazy summer and I’ll include some posts and updates from those trips on the soon-to-be-started PTR.

So, back to our Disney stories which takes us to Adventure Land on our Friday morning. We had finished a great CRT breakfast and my brother’s family headed back to the resort for some pool time while my family spent the morning dodging rain drops as we explored Adventure Land. Naturally, our tour eventually brought us to Jungle Cruise. When I was a kid, I used to get so excited about the thought of going on his boat ride. First, I had been under the impression that the skippers were really steering the boat and I always marveled at how well they were able to steer between the hippos and avoiding the water sprays from the elephants. Secondly, I always thought (mistakenly) that the boat actually went through Schweitzer Falls rather than around it with the water splashing on top of our canopy. And finally, those tribal natives used to freak me out and was always thankful that none of their spears ever reached our boat.

Our kids don’t seem to enjoy it as much as I used to. DD for the longest time was scared of the portion of the ride that takes you through the dark tunnels of the temple so when we lined up in the queue on this day she was very reluctant and worried. The tarantula in the cage didn’t help matters. Meanwhile, these crates caught my eye along the queue.

Quinine is still a therapy option we sometimes use on our malaria patients to this day so you can see how much progress we made



Oh, and this crate of mosquitoes just had me laughing out loud.



After about a 5 minute wait in the queue we finally boarded our boat. One of these days we’ll get seated on the right side of the boat where I can get some unimpeded photographs of the gorillas in the tent and the human totem pole with an angry rhino at the bottom. But this time we were once again seated on the left side.

I wonder who lives in this hut across from the boarding area. You know, there are a lot of places inside MK that I would LOVE to live in. Cinderella’s Castle, of course. The Haunted Mansion, no brainer. This hut? Not so much.



Hmmm, don't feel like getting any closer to this guy.



I really enjoyed the skipper we had. He at least was really trying to sell his jokes no matter how corny they are. And you and I know just how corny some of these jokes are. There have been some skippers where it just feels like they are reading a book when telling the jokes and just going through the motions. Not our guy. Here’s a nice silhouette of our skipper.



This scene always reminds me of the animated Disney's Tarzan.



DS really got into the hippos and the elephants. All that water spraying around apparently excited him.



A much more animated and active hippo compared to the ones over at AK's safari.



DD did very well through the temple and later declared that it was not scary at all.

Now I’ve seen this scene countless times but on this particular go through I realized something about this set up that had me chuckling. So the lions are going to town on an extremely unlucky zebra and what are the other animals doing instead of running away for dear life? They are all standing at a very pounceable distance from the lions and just watching. That includes the other fellow zebras.



All of animatronics for the tribal natives were turned off this particular morning which makes for some easy photography but an awkward appearing tribal dance around the fire. The joke about them needing to go to the bathroom doesn’t quite work as well when there are zero movement.





This fella was the favorite character for our kids from the entire cruise.





As we turned around the final bend and approached our exit dock, our skipper instructed us to cheer and clap as loudly as we could to give the impression that we all had a blast which our group was very happy to oblige because he actually kept us entertained.

Saw this on the exit queue of the cruise - the names made me chuckle.



After the cruise, the kids wanted to visit the Tree House which they always want to do at least once every trip. Visiting the Treehouse before 11am meant that we practically had the whole place to ourselves.



The kids were once again fascinated by the watermill and its buckets moving up and down.





I always enjoy the view from atop looking at the Castle.



The kids mostly enjoy the idea of climbing up such a tall tree and then coming right back down. Not much interest for either of them when it comes to the bedrooms. They do kind of resemble jail cells more than bedrooms.



I keep wondering when the kids will grow tired of visiting the treehouse but based on their reaction this time I suspect it won't be anytime soon.

 

[afwdwfan]

I’ve also been putting the finishing touches on our family trip to Hawaii for my dad’s 70th birthday celebration. It will be our first visit to the islands so there are so many things I’ve planned for including some outings purely based on my geeky obsession with the TV show “Lost.”

Sounds like fun! And some "Lost" based outings sound like a good plan. Even for those who may not be "Lost" geeks, you're still in for a treat. I mean was there ever a scene shot on that show where the scenery wasn't just amazing???

And there’s the annual trip with my friends from my fantasy football league which this year takes us back to Vegas.

So jealous. I wish my fantasy league did this. But I'm not sure my wife would be very happy if I bailed for a weekend. It's hard enough for me to get away for 1 night every year to go camping 2 hours away to see a NASCAR race.

When I was a kid, I used to get so excited about the thought of going on his boat ride. First, I had been under the impression that the skippers were really steering the boat and I always marveled at how well they were able to steer between the hippos and avoiding the water sprays from the elephants. Secondly, I always thought (mistakenly) that the boat actually went through Schweitzer Falls rather than around it with the water splashing on top of our canopy. And finally, those tribal natives used to freak me out and was always thankful that none of their spears ever reached our boat.

Seriously... I could have written all that from my own experience too! This ride will always be special to me. It sticks out in my memories growing up, and quite often, it would be our first ride. We'd usually walk in, go left and start working our way around from there on day one.

I wonder who lives in this hut across from the boarding area. You know, there are a lot of places inside MK that I would LOVE to live in. Cinderella’s Castle, of course. The Haunted Mansion, no brainer. This hut? Not so much.

You know, I can think of worse places than a hut inside the Magic Kingdom...

Now I’ve seen this scene countless times but on this particular go through I realized something about this set up that had me chuckling. So the lions are going to town on an extremely unlucky zebra and what are the other animals doing instead of running away for dear life? They are all standing at a very pounceable distance from the lions and just watching. That includes the other fellow zebras.

They've know that these lions are just as active as the ones on Kilamanjaro Safari. They're safe.

Not much interest for either of them when it comes to the bedrooms. They do kind of resemble jail cells more than bedrooms.

Gotta keep those wild animals out!

I keep wondering when the kids will grow tired of visiting the treehouse but based on their reaction this time I suspect it won't be anytime soon.

That's great! We haven't done it the past few trips. Basically because we don't want to have to carry kids. But DS is big enough to walk it. DD will want to walk it, but it will take us 2 hours... hmmm... well, we might just have to do it while she naps.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hahaha, that Tarantula is one of my favourite things ever.

You're so right, seating placement is so crucial for this ride. There are quite a few "bad spots", plus a fair amount of spots where it's difficult to hear the skipper. And lets face it, that is critical.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Sounds like fun! And some "Lost" based outings sound like a good plan. Even for those who may not be "Lost" geeks, you're still in for a treat. I mean was there ever a scene shot on that show where the scenery wasn't just amazing???

Completely agree. Well, maybe not so much when Sawyer and Kate were locked up in those cages, but everything else had beautiful scenery in the background.

So jealous. I wish my fantasy league did this. But I'm not sure my wife would be very happy if I bailed for a weekend. It's hard enough for me to get away for 1 night every year to go camping 2 hours away to see a NASCAR race.

For the first 6 years we used to hold the draft party in Indianapolis where most of my friends live but then someone suggested making a trip out of the experience and we all kind of jumped on the idea. So we've been alternating between Vegas and Chicago each year. It's been a lot of fun and provides an opportunity to see my friends from residency once a year.

They've know that these lions are just as active as the ones on Kilamanjaro Safari. They're safe.

Excellent point!

Hahaha, that Tarantula is one of my favourite things ever.

You're so right, seating placement is so crucial for this ride. There are quite a few "bad spots", plus a fair amount of spots where it's difficult to hear the skipper. And lets face it, that is critical.

I've sat in those seats where you can't hear the skipper and you're absolutely right. Just not the same ride.

 

[teekathepony]

Loved the wrap up of Vancouver, beautiful photos (and I've gone to your website to see the rest too, fantastic!) you saw a beaver? Yep, that's the Canadian experience right there!
Great pictures from the jungle cruise! I do love that ride. A good skipper makes all the difference.
I haven't been over to the treehouse since 2007, I should try to get back over there some time, if only for the photo ops!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[amazingact21]

Gorgeous pictures from your Canada trip. That beaver sure does remind you that you're definitely not in the U.S.A. anymore.
That Farmer's Market looks amazing. If only I had one that nice near me...



Jungle Cruise is a classic. I think half of the genius of Walt Disney World is the believability factor in the attractions and shows. I'm positive you weren't/aren't the only kid that thought the skippers drove the boats. Disney just did such a great job in ride design that it really does look like that.
Love the shot of the tribesmen. Normally, I don't see them very well due to them moving in and out of the bushes.

 

[khertz]

Yay for Hawaii!! I am pretty confident you are going to love the Lost tour! That was definitely my favorite thing we did in Hawaii by far!!!

Great JC pics. That ride is such a classic! But yes, the skippers can totally make or break the entire experience. It's so fun when you get on that is really into the jokes and makes you crack up laughing even though you have heard the punchline dozens of times before. The bathing elephant is my favorite guy on the ride too!!

Still have never been in the Treehouse, but that view of the Castle from the top looks amazing. May have to force it into my next trip just for that reason!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Loved the wrap up of Vancouver, beautiful photos (and I've gone to your website to see the rest too, fantastic!) you saw a beaver? Yep, that's the Canadian experience right there!
Great pictures from the jungle cruise! I do love that ride. A good skipper makes all the difference.
I haven't been over to the treehouse since 2007, I should try to get back over there some time, if only for the photo ops!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I've been missing Vancouver ever since I returned home. Such a beautiful city.

Totally agree. I've had skippers that actually detracted from the experience.

Gorgeous pictures from your Canada trip. That beaver sure does remind you that you're definitely not in the U.S.A. anymore.
That Farmer's Market looks amazing. If only I had one that nice near me...

Jungle Cruise is a classic. I think half of the genius of Walt Disney World is the believability factor in the attractions and shows. I'm positive you weren't/aren't the only kid that thought the skippers drove the boats. Disney just did such a great job in ride design that it really does look like that.
Love the shot of the tribesmen. Normally, I don't see them very well due to them moving in and out of the bushes.

There were so many goodness being old in the Public Market I really wish I had the time and the appetite to had tried every single one of them.

Yay for Hawaii!! I am pretty confident you are going to love the Lost tour! That was definitely my favorite thing we did in Hawaii by far!!!

Great JC pics. That ride is such a classic! But yes, the skippers can totally make or break the entire experience. It's so fun when you get on that is really into the jokes and makes you crack up laughing even though you have heard the punchline dozens of times before. The bathing elephant is my favorite guy on the ride too!!

Still have never been in the Treehouse, but that view of the Castle from the top looks amazing. May have to force it into my next trip just for that reason!

I'm so looking forwards to the Lost tour. In addition, I've done a little research of my own and found some other locations that I'm planning on visiting on my own. For instance, the former Dharma village which later became the village for the Others? It's actually a YMCA Camp and allows visitors especially Lost fans!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I wanted to share with you some exciting developments in the past week in terms of Disney vacation planning. And when i say developments what I really mean is successfully convincing DW.

First off, I think I brought up our upcoming August family vacation to Hawaii a couple of times. My Dad is turning 70 this year and to celebrate I had been working on a week long vacation in Oahu for my family and my parents. My brother's family won't be able to make it as they are expecting their second child and SIL will be in the middle of her third trimester by then. I bought our plane tickets a couple of months ago when after a lot of online shopping and comparing I realized I could save us a bundle of money if I booked our return flight with a stop at LAX. The savings for the four tickets would be enough to actually fund another week of lodging in Southern California. So we decided to give ourselves a 5 night layover and drive down from LAX to San Diego. Obviously, visiting Disneyland was high on my list of things I wanted to do but at the time I decided not push for it since I felt I had already maxed out DW's Disney quota as we have a Halloween weekend trip coming up in October.

Soooooo, last weekend I was talking to DW about our August trip and the itinerary I had put together for San Diego. I "joked" (strategically) that it had taken a considerable amount of will power to not write in Disneyland in for any of our days in Southern California. I may have also mentioned how awesome Carsland was to which she replied "Hmmmm, Carsland. That actually does sound pretty fun." I saw my opening and I ran for it! I convinced her we could do a single day at Disney California Adventure. Our flight from Honolulu was arriving late on Saturday night and I had originally planned on booking a hotel by the airport for that one night anyway. Instead we will check into a Disneyland Resort Hotel and tour DCA the following day with early entry and then drive down to San Diego at night. The kids are really excited about Carsland too! I had a chance to experience it in 2012 when I took a quick side trip from San Diego during a conference. Anyway, I had a touring plan for our day in DCA completed within a few hours of DW agreeing. The DCA plan is basically a cherry on top of our Hawaii/So Cal extravaganza.

Ok, moving on to the second development. We had two trips to Disney planned in the next year or so. We'll be going for a three night stay over Halloween mainly to experience MNSSHP coupled with visiting DW's relatives in Florida for a few nights. We're also planning a week-long big family trip in June 2015 with my in-laws totaling 10 people which I already have the day-to-day plans all mapped out. During the past two weeks I've been watching my Facebook newsfeed with great envy as many of my DIS friends posted updates and pictures from Disney and Star Wars Weekend. So I showed it to DW and may have joked (once again strategically, always with a purpose ) that next year I may just take the kids down for one of these Star Wars Weekends to which DW said "Actually, if you want to take the kids down and I have the weekend all to myself I would have nooooo problem with that." Once again, I saw my opening, I ran for it, and ladies and gentlemen that's how my three night weekend trip for SWW for May of next year came to be. We'll travel on a Thursday night most likely using my reward miles and hopefully checking into AoA Little Mermaid. We'll spend Friday and Sunday at DHS for SWW festivities and a second park on Saturday.

After doing all of the Disney Math for the upcoming trips it became apparent that getting Annual Passes was cheaper for the upcoming three trips. So the new plan is to upgrade our tickets in October to APs. As a bonus, I'm hoping that there will be AP resort discounts that I can apply for our upcoming trips especially for the June '15 family reunion. And finally the math also showed that investing in a Tables in Wonderland will be totally worth it. The savings from a single seating at a character buffet for our June '15 trip with 10 people alone will make up for the cost of a TiW card.

I've been totally geeking out with all of this happening in the past couple of weeks! Once this TR is completed I'll start up a PTR for our October trip so I can geek out some more and also share pictures with you from our August adventures.

 

[khaleesi]

First, I had been under the impression that the skippers were really steering the boat and I always marveled at how well they were able to steer between the hippos and avoiding the water sprays from the elephants.

I used to think the same thing about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! I always crossed my fingers when we came close to an iceberg!!

The happy elephant in the water is one of my favorite Disney things ever! It's a childhood memory and I just love it.

Those are some pretty impressive plans!!! And I know exactly how you feel about the Star Wars Weekends jealousy. I just know I would never be able to handle the crowds or the heat.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yeah for Disney Math! Very cool that you will have these "bonus" trips!

And you will definitely make up the savings - our last trip we had 10 people and I upgraded one of the passes to an AP to get the TIW and just from that trip we made all the extra money back plus an additional $140 (including the TIW and other AP savings like free parking at the parks, etc.)

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I used to think the same thing about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! I always crossed my fingers when we came close to an iceberg!!

The happy elephant in the water is one of my favorite Disney things ever! It's a childhood memory and I just love it.

Those are some pretty impressive plans!!! And I know exactly how you feel about the Star Wars Weekends jealousy. I just know I would never be able to handle the crowds or the heat.

I absolutely loved 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and for the longest time I was convinced that the submarine fully submerged under water! I was so excited to go on it again in Disneyland a couple of years ago even though it's re-themed as a Nemo ride.

With the kids being a little older I think I'm ready to brave the heat and crowds of SWW.

Yeah for Disney Math! Very cool that you will have these "bonus" trips!

And you will definitely make up the savings - our last trip we had 10 people and I upgraded one of the passes to an AP to get the TIW and just from that trip we made all the extra money back plus an additional $140 (including the TIW and other AP savings like free parking at the parks, etc.)

You're absolutely right! Traveling and dining with 10 people, the 20% savings at restaurants are huge!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Okay, now that I've had a chance to come down from my Disney-high that posted yesterday I think I'm ready to post another update!

While there were many firsts for us on this trip, the ones I was most nervous about were the height restricted attractions. You see, DS and my nephew (DN) were measuring right on the 40 inch mark for their heights. So I was hoping that I would be able to introduce some of our favorite attractions to them. Also after a year’s worth of lobbying I finally convinced DD to give ToT a try. So how did things go? Let's find out!

The way my touring plans worked out it turned out that our second park day at DHS would serve as the big test for all of the kids. On the previous evening before going to our respective rooms, I told DB and DSIL that we would be once again departing AKL at 7:40am. The goal was to be at the DHS gates by 8:10am. I explained to them that if we could be one of the first 10 people at a given turnstile then we would have a great chance at riding TSMM twice back to back using the standby queue with minimal wait. I promised them that this was the only time we were going to be on the hustle but it would be so worth it. You see, DB and DSIL never visited DHS during their one and only visit two years ago. So naturally they knew nothing about DHS let alone TSMM. And I loved sounding like Disney genius in front of newbies

Miraculously we did leave AKL at 7:40am and by the time we arrived at the turnstiles at exactly 8:07am there were only one family in front of us. It was looking really good. DB was becoming more and more impressed by my Disney knowledge.

I love these topiaries in front of DHS.


When we first got there he asked how we would know which turnstile would be operational and I told him that a CM normally would be standing by the ones they intend to use. I also told him that despite the published opening time of 9am if all goes well they will begin letting the guests enter between 8:40 and 8:45am. I told him to look out for the “suits” to begin lining up behind the turnstile CMs and that’s the sign that entry will begin very shortly. Pretty much everything I explained happened to the tee and we were let in at 8:42am.

I managed to stop just long enough to snap a picture of Bo for emmysmommy. Without her trip reports I'm pretty sure I would never have known Bo's existence.


DB was totally getting into the spirit of the rope drop "sprint" to TSMM! In fact even with DN on his shoulders he was outpacing the rest of us walking waaaaaay in front of me. I had given him general directions at the beginning so he knew to veer right of the Hat. It was awesome. We walked on TSMM. Really. Walked on without stopping once in the queue And we all had a great time on the ride. The kids love, love this one. And DS didn’t need any help this time around and was able to aim and shoot on his own. We got off and it was 8:59am. We walked right back into the standby queue with only a 15 minute wait we were back on.

A couple of monkey shots.


That yellow monkey is looking a bit creepy peeking out of the corner with those crazed eyes.


Got my personal high of 190000s for my score the second go and my arm felt like it was going to fall off. So by 9:20am we had done TSMM twice. Thank you rope drop! Thank you low January crowds! And thank you rain!!

At last, next up was the first major test for DS and DN. We headed to Star Tours.



It was now time to put their heights to the test. I made no promises to DS prior to the trip about whether he would be able to go on the 40” rides. I prepped him that it was completely up to Disney and if they decided he was tall enough than he would go on. Now, DS has really gotten into the whole Star Wars universe the past couple of months. So I knew that there was a very good chance of a meltdown if he didn’t pass the height test since he sort of knew what the ride was about. My backup plan if he wasn’t allowed on the ride was to take him to Tatooine Traders and get him a light saber while the rest of the group completed the ride. We held our breaths as both kids got measured. And? Yep! They passed!

Wasn't sure if this guy was going to stop the boys for another measurement so we briskly walked past him.



Whoo hoo! DS’ first thrill ride! And even though we ended up on Naboo at the end with the whole Gungan underwater sequence DS LOVED the ride. Even DD who had been reluctant about going on it because she thought it would be a lot more scarier than it actually was looked at me when the ride ended and asked “Is that it? That was not scary at all! That was so much fun!” DB being the analytical attorney type that he is afterwards kept asking how the motion simulator could create the sensation of jumping into hyperspace. He and DW got into this long discussion of the type of physics that could have given them that particular sensation. I was thinking to myself “Who cares how it’s done? All I care is that the ride is fun!”

By the way, we did all come back to Tatooine Traders at the end of our park day so that all three kids could build their own lightsaber.



This is something that DS considered to be the main objective of the trip. When the kids got in line there was only one little girl ahead of them. She was maybe about 3 years old but clearly well versed in the ways of the force as she was wearing Leia buns on her head. It was really cute. She opted for a double sided light saber something that we pretty quickly nixed for our kids. That thing was going to be taller than DS! I could just imagine the damage inflicted on our home if both of them were allowed to freely wield that weapon.

There were two CMs manning the station. There was an older lady who after conversing with for a minute or two was quickly apparent that she was not familiar with Star Wars. But she was really great! She knew how to put those light sabers together very well and she was extremely nice and patient with the kids by allowing them to make the choices for each piece.



DD went for the purple one. DS went for the green one. And I still find it very cool that it actually makes the lightsaber noise when you swing and hit things with it. So cool.

DN got the double sided light saber with blue on one end and green on the other. The other CM who helped out with DN was much more knowledgeable in the universe of Star Wars. The jedi robe he was wearing was probably the giveaway. At check out the CM ringing us up said they have to put “safety”s on the lightsabers so that the kids can’t unfold them inside the park. For a moment I became very curious as to what exactly the safety was envisioning some fancy gadget. Alas it was just piece of tape that she placed at the tip of the saber in its folded position. Of course that was enough to spin DS into a cranky fit because he wanted to draw his lightsaber and duel his cousin right then and there.

A little later in the morning after a showing of Disney Jr. Live, we headed to ToT. This was DD’s big test. She finally decided to give ToT a try even though she continuously worried about “how scary the Twilight Zone would actually be”. So myself, DD, and DB went on first while DSIL and DW parked the boys at Fairfax Fare for a quick snack. I had FP+ reserved for all of us so we quickly skipped the 30 minute line ahead and entered the library. DD was noticeably anxious but kept her composure through the video intro and our wait in the boiler room.

I couldn't resist taking this photo as we waited in queue where the bellhop is having everyone raise their hands up and then tug on the yellow rope to make sure everyone's strapped in. The looks on those folks in the back row tell me that DD wasn't the only one nervous about this ride.



She did very well as we got seated in the last row (I for some reason always seem to get the back row!) and buckled ourselves in. The ghosts freaked her out just a little bit as she would later tell me but she didn’t make a peep as our elevator rolled through the tracks.



And once the ride made its first drop she actually stayed fairly quiet. When we finally landed back on the ground, I looked over and she was still very well composed. No crying. “Did you like it?” I asked and she replied “Sort of. Maybe a little. But I don’t want to go again”. Well at least she tried. She continues to tell me even after returning from the trip that she doesn’t want to go on ToT again and that sometimes family members can disagree on certain things – “Tower of Terror is your favorite ride but it’s my least favorite” By the way, this was obviously DB’s first ride too and afterwards he told me that this was his favorite ride so far.

Jumping forward to our third park day in another rainy MK, we attempted another 40” attraction – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! We parked out stroller and headed in the FP+ queue. DS once again passed the height test administered by the CM! And for the very first time ever, all four of us made it onto a coaster ride. Excuse me while I wipe away a tear. It was definitely a milestone. I got to sit next to DS and pretty much the entire ride I was watching his expression. It was still raining so I didn’t have my camera out for the ride but looking at his joyous look was more than enough. He kept saying to me “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said this was a fast ride!” Needless to say, he loved it. I kind of regretted not coming here first thing that morning. The standby wait time was 30 minutes but if we had come here right after breakfast we should have been able to go on it 3-4 times with 5 minute waits each time. Oh well, now I know what we’ll be doing at rope drop next time we’re here.

The kids still high on BTMRR wanted to go on the Barnstormer next which gave us the perfect excuse to hitch a ride on the MK Railroad.

Shortly after the train rolled out of the station I got a good view of the town of Tumbleweed.





Once again DW opted out of the Barnstormer so it was the three of us. The kids were excited having gone on this one a few times just a couple of days prior. DD was excited about going solo again while DS and I sat in front of her. Those of you who have been on this attraction know how short this ride really is. I mean it’s over in a blink of an eye. So after a few dips and a couple of “Weee”s we were pulling back in the station and DS looks up at me with a bewildered look and yelled “THAT’S IT??? That was TOOOOO SHORT!” I guess once you try Big Thunder Mountain you can’t go back to the Barnstormer. I mean he was pretty upset and took a lot of talking down to get him to calm down. He was convinced that this ride on the barnstormer was a lot shorter than the barnstormer rides from two days ago and that we were essentially being hustled by Disney. It was cute.

The last 40” attraction for this trip was Soarin’ on our departure day.





DS was a little nervous from the looks of the swing contraption that he was being strapped into but once the screen lit up and the breeze started blowing he was loving it and we had another successful first ride in the books!

So to recap DS and DN got measured every single time we entered a 40” attraction and each and every time they passed! Not only that, they loved each and every ride! And I’m so proud of DD taking the literal plunge on ToT with me. Hope she begins to actually enjoy the attraction soon! Next up on our to try list for our October visit: EE!

 

[JDUB]

Congrats on the new upcoming trips and AP upgrade. Score one for Dave!!!

Awesome job on 40" thrill rides. Love your kids reactions.

 

[IheartDDuck]

First off, awesome news about the upcoming trips! You will love Carsland and SWW is a must see!

I also love sounding like a Disney genius in front of people!!!

Awesome succeeding in your TSM plan. I absolutely love it when it works out.

Yay, the kiddos passed the height test! I was concerned about that the first time my nephew hit 40". He still is in denial about being a little on the short side though, because he can't do absolutely everything.

That's our motto with the littles. Try it once, and then if you tell me you don't want to do it again, that's fine.

Awwww. That was TOOOO SHORT!

 

[emmysmommy]

Gotta admit, I'm thrilled with your DLR/DCA plans!

And then to see a special shout out to my man Bo! Awesome!

What a great score for TSM. Was the "prize" a cat or something like that? I only score in the beaver level so I suppose I need much more practice.

Great job capturing the "ghost people" on ToT. That's adorable that your DD was so brave but made it clear that a repeat ride wasn't going to happen.

I have a few more updates to go back and read but I didn't want to end my day without being treated to your fabulous photo collection from your trip!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

"And I loved sounding like Disney genius in front of newbies" AHHHH isn't that the best???? That's the one and only downfall of touring with DISers... you never look smart.

Awww, even with your TSM rush, you stopped to take a pic of Bo. Now that's class.

YAY, so glad to kiddos all loved Star Tours. Too funny about DB analyzing it to death (star) though, lol.

I'm thinking one of these days I need to build a lightsaber. I didn't know they made the sounds!!!

You know, I have to give major props to your DD for riding Tower. The fact that she tried, did ok, and then decided she wasn't a fan is seriously a mature decision. Big respect for that.