Don't Pet the Sweaty Things. An Aug Solo Birthday Trip. Updated 12/4!!

Excellent use of the MDE app to keep those FastPasses going! I love the Buzz Lightyear ride photo border.... it looks new or updated to me.
 
I think you're right about dealing with an elaborate costume all night anyway! At least you picked a little theme for your group :) I give it a thumbs up!

I still haven't gotten a really good viewing of HEA though got to see/hear it from the Tomorrowland Speedway on my surprise 2 days there this summer. Wishes will probably always remain my favorite though. Also, you are hilarious...and I can imagine the seas of sweaty stinky people LOL

I am happy with our shirts for MNSSHP. While it's fun to do costumes, they can be a pain to deal with.

HEA really needs to be watched from in front of the castle in order to see the full show. I used to enjoy catching Wishes from different areas of the park but it just doesn't work well with HEA. Honestly I'm not sure if I will watch it again without having the dessert party because that Garden Plaza is an awesome place to watch from.


I'm with you, I love lunch at BOG! I always get the turkey sandwich and it never disappoints!

Nice job getting 4 extra FPs!

I want one of those turkey sandwiches right now!

And I'm not quite done with the extra FPS yet.


We saw HEA for the first time two weeks ago and my younger daughter, who is 12, cried afterward because she hated it. She said she felt they turned the castle into a big TV and it was too much to look at all at once. I didn't love it as much as Wishes but there were some parts that I liked. I do agree with her that there is so much going on that it's hard to know what to watch and easy to miss the fireworks while watching the projections or vice versa. It definitely has the "wow" factor but to me is missing the feeling of nostalgia that Wishes evoked.

Definitely a good way to describe it, just too much to look at! I will say that it does get a little easier the second time. I saw it both in January and February and enjoyed it a bit more the second time because I knew what to expect.

I don't know if it was because I was solo but I was disappointed in the lunch at BoG last time (March 2018). I felt sort of rushed and it was just kind of crazy busy in there. I much prefer dinner there but haven't been of course since they changed it. I do like the turkey sandwich though!

My boss just came back from Disney and they did the BOG dinner. He said it was definitely not worth the cost, the food was just mediocre and it took over 2 hours. I've never felt rushed as a solo traveler but it is hard if you want to refill your drink or get extra condiments. I asked for extra ketchup this trip before I sat down and the CM was a little snippy with me and said that I get some with my meal. I know that but also know I'll need extra!

I agree about BoG, I order the turkey sandwich or the pot roast and have always enjoyed my meals. We go almost every trip! We usually share the Master’s cupcake, I have tried all of the cupcakes and enjoyed all of them,

Awesome use of the FP system, I love when you can keep getting decent ones! I have been a galactic hero once when the ride stopped by the volcano haha!

I have tried the Master cupcake but it's not my favorite. Just not chocolately enough for me. The more chocolate the better so that's why I get the Triple Chocolate one.

And I'm not done yet with the FPs! I've gotten Galactic Hero a few times and two of those times involved stopping in front of a high target.


Excellent use of the MDE app to keep those FastPasses going! I love the Buzz Lightyear ride photo border.... it looks new or updated to me.

I'm not sure if that is a new border. They actually add them automatically now so it may be new.

I definitely love HEA but it seems you made the right decision that day!

I definitely made the right decision that day. I was exhausted by the time I got back to my room and my plan for the next day was to be out the door around 6:20 to head to EMH at HS.

What a crazy travel day but I'm glad the next day improved!

It was a rough start but the rest of the trip was so much fun!
 


Still Not a Galactic Hero

I decided some air conditioning was the next order of business so I headed towards Main Street and browsed up one side of the street and down the other. I scoped out a few items that I planned to buy on the way out that night. One thing that I spotted but didn’t buy was this Remy figurine in Arribas Brothers. I was just so surprised to see a figurine of him that I had to send a picture to Jim since it’s his favorite movie.




Maybe in October I’ll get him if I don’t find too many new Pluto items.

It was still a little too early for my Pirates FP so I opted for more air conditioning in the form of the Tiki Room.







I also took a quick video in the Tiki Room.


Then I headed next door and used my Pirates FP. I was seated with other people this time so I didn’t try to take pictures but we did get in a bit of a boat jam at the end so I snapped this one.



Once again I looked bored in the ride photo.



I made my 8th FP for Buzz Lightyear so I could see if I could improve my score but had some time before it was available. Keeping with my strategy of frequent air conditioned breaks, I headed back to Fantasyland and visited Mickey’s Philharmagic. I only took one crappy photo in the line but you get to see it since it’s all I’ve got.



When I exited the theater, it was pouring. I ducked into the dump store which was wall to wall people and managed to find a small corner to get out my poncho. I did stand for a bit and wait for the rain to slow down which it did within a few minutes. It was still spitting but I was fine to head towards Tomorrowland. By the time I made it to my next destination, the rain had pretty much stopped. I had spotted a shirt in Mickey’s Star Traders that I wanted to get for my brother. I couldn't find it in the Emporium so I figured I would get it on my way to my Buzz FP.



I also spotted a shirt that I decided I needed for casual Fridays at work. I had found it in the Emporium but they had my size at the TL store so I grabbed it just in case they didn’t have my size elsewhere.



And here’s a picture when I tried it on later that night.



And then I took a second spin on Buzz Lightyear. It’s funny how I look more and more tired as the ride photos progress.



I scored a little better than the morning ride but still wasn’t a Galactic Hero.



I made a 9th FP for Buzz again but realized as soon as I made it that it wouldn’t work with my dinner ADR. So I hopped back on and was able to modify it so that I could use it immediately. I discovered this trip that I could make a FP for several hours into the future and then modify it so that I could use it immediately. I guess this is a trick that is known but I was not aware of it. I figured I would post that here in case anyone reading didn’t know about that trick.

I did horrible the third time around on Buzz.






I still had some time before my dinner ADR but I was fading fast so rather than make another FP, I decided to hit up Main Street and make my purchases at that time so I could head out right after dinner.

My first stop was Arribas brothers because I had spotted a new Pluto I had to have.




And here’s a brief explanation as to how he was made.



In the Emporium, I found this very large Pluto plush that I didn’t have.



I also bought one of the journals that look like a VHS tape. I had forgotten my journal that I use to take notes so I planned to use this one. However I never did take notes so I think this will end up on my Dumbo shelf in the Pluto room. Hopefully I can finish up this TR before I forget too much.



One of my Cousins and his wife had a little girl at the end of July and they are taking her to Disney for her first time in December. So I had to get her a sweatshirt for their visit.





To go with the sweatshirt, I got her a Minnie stuffie.



Since I bought my brother a t-shirt I decided I should probably get one for my sister-in-law also.



I finished up my shopping and then checked in at The Plaza for my birthday dinner. I only waited about 5 minutes before my buzzer went off and I was seated in a back corner of the restaurant.



I remembered to take some pictures of the menu for the TR.





And here’s the fairly new alcohol menu.



I started out with a glass of the Sangria which was delicious.



Then I got my usual meal here, a burger with just ketchup and fries (for anyone new to the TR, I have the refined palate of a two year old).



The burger was yummy as always. I’ve eaten here many times now and only once did I have a slightly disappointing meal. I will say my waitress was a bit odd. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it but she was almost too attentive, kind of hovering to the point that it made me a bit uncomfortable. But she more than made up for that when she brought me out free ice cream for my birthday!



After dinner, I headed down Main Street and out to the buses. I don’t remember specifically how long I waited for a bus but I did not have any bus issues this trip.

Up Next: A Tour of All Star Movies
 
I like the shirt you bought for yourself! And the one for your SiL, I've never seen that one and will have to keep my eye out for it!

Sounds like a lovely birthday dinner!
 
I scoped out a few items that I planned to buy on the way out that night. One thing that I spotted but didn’t buy was this Remy figurine in Arribas Brothers. I was just so surprised to see a figurine of him that I had to send a picture to Jim since it’s his favorite movie.
I saw a few things with Remy in the France pavilion. Getting ready for the Ratatouille ride maybe? Or probably Food & Wine.
There was also a Remy straw for sale in the All-Star Music food court, that I didn't notice anywhere else. I thought it an odd choice for All-Star Music.

It was still a little too early for my Pirates FP so I opted for more air conditioning in the form of the Tiki Room.
I saw Tiki Room for the first time in 10 years on my last trip. I really enjoyed it. I should have been going more often.

The burger was yummy as always. I’ve eaten here many times now and only once did I have a slightly disappointing meal. I will say my waitress was a bit odd. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it but she was almost too attentive, kind of hovering to the point that it made me a bit uncomfortable. But she more than made up for that when she brought me out free ice cream for my birthday!
My family has eaten at The Plaza a few times and always enjoyed our meals. It's also a very reasonable price if paying OOP.
 


IMG_7201-L.jpg

OOooh, love, love, love!!!! Put Mickey balloons on anything, and I am totally sold.

I discovered this trip that I could make a FP for several hours into the future and then modify it so that I could use it immediately. I guess this is a trick that is known but I was not aware of it. I figured I would post that here in case anyone reading didn’t know about that trick.
Tap, Grab and Modify, for the win!! :)

I finished up my shopping and then checked in at The Plaza for my birthday dinner. I only waited about 5 minutes before my buzzer went off and I was seated in a back corner of the restaurant.

You're the whole reason I ever gave The Plaza a try!! I really love the ambiance there. Yay for free birthday ice cream!
 
Love the new Mickey shirt! so cute! And that big ol' Pluto stuffie....how'd you get it home?
I'm not a big shopper but you sure are giving me lots of ideas! lol
 
I love your picks for the gifts you bought and the shirt for yourself, it looks good on you!

The Sangria looks wonderful at The Plaza! I would like to eat there again, yummy!
 
Still Not a Galactic Hero

I've actually been reading up on where the high value targets are. Hopefully I will in a couple weeks.


We wants the REDHEAD!!!

Once again I looked bored in the ride photo.

Hey, you look bored. Now where have I heard that before? Hmmmm.


I'm going to have to look for that. That was one of my favorite rides and I was so sad when it went away.

I also spotted a shirt that I decided I needed for casual Fridays at work. I had found it in the Emporium but they had my size at the TL store so I grabbed it just in case they didn’t have my size elsewhere.

Doesn't look my size or style, but if they have men's versions, might be a 2nd shirt in my future. Looks good!


I knew about lost wax casting. I'm a model railroader (well probably was is more accurate) and I've also got a collection of figures from when I used to play D&D a lot. Both use lost wax casting.

In the Emporium, I found this very large Pluto plush that I didn’t have.

Are you sure? To be honest, I've seen your pluto room photos...not sure how that one isn't in there already. :lmao:
 
All caught up! Looks like a fun Birthday trip! I have a very unsophisticated palate, as well. The Plaza is one of my favorite places in all of WDW to eat :-)
 
I like the shirt you bought for yourself! And the one for your SiL, I've never seen that one and will have to keep my eye out for it!

Sounds like a lovely birthday dinner!

I definitely love my Mickey balloon shirt! My SIL really liked her shirt too. My mom said she was wearing it when they met up for lunch last week.

I saw a few things with Remy in the France pavilion. Getting ready for the Ratatouille ride maybe? Or probably Food & Wine.
There was also a Remy straw for sale in the All-Star Music food court, that I didn't notice anywhere else. I thought it an odd choice for All-Star Music.
I saw Tiki Room for the first time in 10 years on my last trip. I really enjoyed it. I should have been going more often.
My family has eaten at The Plaza a few times and always enjoyed our meals. It's also a very reasonable price if paying OOP.

They've had a small selection of Remy merchandise at Epcot for a while now but I think my husband has everything from there. :rotfl:I did check the next day when I was in Epcot but didn't see anything new. I am really hoping that they will have more merchandise once the ride opens in a few years. Oh and I was excited to see some Remy stuff for Food and Wine. We are staying at All Star Music next month so I'll have to keep an eye out for that straw.

Glad you enjoyed the Tiki Room. It's a favorite of mine and I always worry that they will change it since it's not all that popular anymore. There are so few classics left that Walt worked on himself that I would hate to see the Tiki Room go or change.

The Plaza is one of my favorites at WDW because of the reasonable prices and the simpler food.


OOooh, love, love, love!!!! Put Mickey balloons on anything, and I am totally sold.
Tap, Grab and Modify, for the win!! :)
You're the whole reason I ever gave The Plaza a try!! I really love the ambiance there. Yay for free birthday ice cream!

Me too! I love the Mickey balloons. If I ever get another tattoo it's going to be Mickey balloons.

I was so excited to discover that modify trick this trip. I can't figure out how I didn't know that already!

I'm glad you liked the Plaza, it's a cute little restaurant.


Love the new Mickey shirt! so cute! And that big ol' Pluto stuffie....how'd you get it home?
I'm not a big shopper but you sure are giving me lots of ideas! lol

It was a bit of a challenge getting Pluto home! I always bring an extra Vera Bradley weekender bag that folds flat in my bag just for souvenirs. Even with that bag it was hard because he took up 2/3 of that bag! It was probably good that I was only there for three days or I might have been carrying him onto the plane with me. :rotfl2:

I love your picks for the gifts you bought and the shirt for yourself, it looks good on you!

The Sangria looks wonderful at The Plaza! I would like to eat there again, yummy!

Thanks, I really love that Mickey Balloon shirt. I got a lot of complements when I wore it to work.

The Plaza is one of my favorites! I try to eat there every few trips.


Great shirt picks and Yay! for free ice cream

Thanks! And free ice cream is always a plus.

I definitely wish I had gotten the sangria at The Plaza! looks delish!

It was! You should definitely try it if you eat there again.

OMG - so cute!

I know! I regret not buying him now so hopefully he's still available next month.

Following along on this report too!! My birthday is 8/9 as well!!

Yay, a birthday twin! Thanks for reading along.

I've actually been reading up on where the high value targets are. Hopefully I will in a couple weeks.
We wants the REDHEAD!!!
Hey, you look bored. Now where have I heard that before? Hmmmm.
I'm going to have to look for that. That was one of my favorite rides and I was so sad when it went away.
Doesn't look my size or style, but if they have men's versions, might be a 2nd shirt in my future. Looks good!
I knew about lost wax casting. I'm a model railroader (well probably was is more accurate) and I've also got a collection of figures from when I used to play D&D a lot. Both use lost wax casting.
Are you sure? To be honest, I've seen your pluto room photos...not sure how that one isn't in there already. :lmao:

That's exactly how I learned to get high scores on Buzz, I researched where the high targets are. Two more tips, first, always keep the trigger pressed and shoot continuously. Even if you don't hit a target, the game will give you 100 points every few shots. Second, aim close before aiming far away. It's much easier to find your little red dot on a close target and then slowly move it towards a farther away target while following it with your eyes. The targets that are further away or moving are worth more points so you want to try for those if possible.

I will admit that I did miss "We wants the Redhead" a bit but I will say the phrase "A ten for a hen" from the new scene will forever be stuck in my head.

I'm pretty sure that Mr. Toad shirt is available on the Shop Disney Parks App so you could find it there. Both my brother and I had fond memories from that ride and then we rode it out at Disneyland. Wow, it's a strange ride. I can't believe I got on a ride in Fantasyland that ended in Hell. :rotfl:

I will be honest and admit there have been times where I have purchased the same Pluto item more than once. :PBut if you remember, I unpacked my Pluto collection from storage a few months before this trip so I was fairly certain I didn't have that one.


All caught up! Looks like a fun Birthday trip! I have a very unsophisticated palate, as well. The Plaza is one of my favorite places in all of WDW to eat :-)

Hi, thanks for joining in! I did have a great time on this trip despite the heat. Unsophisticated is definitely a way to describe my palette. I swear there are more foods I won't eat than I will. :lmao:
 
A Tour of All Star Movies Part 1

I arrived back at the resort around 8 pm and decided I would do a quick walk of the resort to take some pictures. I had stayed at All Star Movies one other time but had never ventured further than the Dalmatian section during that trip. This first photo is taken standing a few feet in front of the main building. My room was on the first floor to the left of the fire hydrant. I was the second room after the corner one.




Here’s the view looking the other way. I was standing on the corner of the Dalmatian building.



I stopped off at my room for a few seconds and dropped off my bags. If you remember, I was in room 1709.



Here’s my view looking straight ahead.



And looking to the left towards the Mighty Duck section.



I started off through the Dalmatian section walking towards the Mighty Duck area. There were dog bones all over the sidewalks.



More pictures from the Dalmatian section.









Here’s the Mighty Duck section complete with the pool in that area.

















Here’s the view looking from the Mighty Duck section back towards the main building. It really wasn’t a long walk to get back there at all.



I walked back through the Dalmatian area and then turned right to head into Fantasia. In this section, the two buildings are different from each other and there is also the main pool.







The first building had giant brooms and Mickey’s sorcerer hat.







The other building had toy soldiers and ballerinas and this nightmare.







Right past the Fantasia section was the Herbie the Love Bug section. It was completely deserted back there because a lot of the rooms were being renovated at that time.







Continued in Next Post
 
A Tour of All Star Movies Part 2





I could see paper up over some of the windows.



And that building was blocked off.



One more picture from the Herbie section before I headed back out.



I walked back through the Fantasia section and took a picture of the kiddie pool and playground before heading to the next area.





The Toy Story section was next.



















The Toy Story section was the last one so I turned around and headed back to the food court to pick up some stuff for the next day. Overall I really liked all of the sections at All Star Movies. And I didn’t find the walk to the two standard areas (Herbie and Mighty Ducks) to be very far at all.

In the food court I got some milk, bananas and Coke zero for my breakfast the next few days.




A few pictures from the lobby area.





I walked through the gift store and saw that the Halloween stuff was out. I didn’t see Halloween stuff anywhere else so I’m not sure why it was out so early at All Star Movies. I almost bought the grey shirt in this next photo.















I also snapped a picture of these food key chains because I was thinking about getting one but I never did.



I only ended up buying one thing that night, an All Star Resorts Magnet for my file cabinet at work.



I headed back to my room, showered and headed to bed around 10 pm.

I will say that my pin trading was very lax on this trip. I did look but there was just nothing good on any of the CMs lanyards this time. I only traded for two the whole day. I also make a pressed penny in the Pirates dump store.






And here’s my Fitbit stats for the day.



Up Next: The Slinky Dog Dash… Dash
 
Great pics around the resort! That's the only All Stars I haven't stayed at yet, though I did explore some of it once.

So much cute Halloween merchandise!
 

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