Disney World PF Gathering and Tips for Disney Mania!

[ZapperZ]

Well, I guess Moonbear has departed.
Have a safe trip Moonbear.
Zz - I guess Chuck and your other friends are still there. How many of you this trip?

There are only three of us on this trip. However, I'm meeting up with a couple of my friends tomorrow. They are Disney cast members. So I don't consider them to be counted on this trip.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Well, the ONLY way I'm ever going to Disney World is with Zz!

You'd better! I'd be crushed if you go with someone else!

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

More pictures...

On this trip, I'm staying at my new "home", which is the Saratoga Springs as part of the Disney Vacation Club resort. This is the view from my balcony, one during the day, and the other at night. It looks directly at Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

The new baby elephant at Disney's Animal Kingdom made its public appearence at the safari ride. Too bad we didn't get to see it while we were on this attraction.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/LBV20.htm
Zz.

I wish I could have stayed a few more days to see that! I really wanted to see the baby.

Yep, I'm back home. It's 20 degrees with snow flurries. I want to be back at Disney. Do you think I can get the mouse to adopt me?

It was a great last day, although a bit chilly. The cold seemed to have kept the crowds away from the park, so we had little to no wait to get on rides all morning, which pretty much meant we got onto everything at the Magic Kingdom...the Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, The Carousel of Progress (that hasn't made much progress ), The Tomorrowland Transit Authority, yes, the Dumbo Ride, and since Zz "dragged" me onto the Dumbo ride, I made him join me on the carousel.

Lunch was fantastic...it was fun dining with the characters, and the food was excellent too...much better than I was expecting. I had expected that the buffet would be more basic, and you were really paying for the characters to provide the entertainment, but the buffet had a wonderful selection.

Oh, Astronuc, Disney also has a campground if you'd prefer that over the posh hotel experience. They really do their best to provide something for everyone and to just make everything easy. I didn't even have to figure out what time to go to the airport...they left me a little note yesterday at the room telling me what time to get the Disney Magical Express bus back to the airport, which got me there in plenty of time.

 

[ZapperZ]

I wish I could have stayed a few more days to see that! I really wanted to see the baby.
Yep, I'm back home. It's 20 degrees with snow flurries. I want to be back at Disney. Do you think I can get the mouse to adopt me?

Oh, the mouse will adopt you any time, but it'll cost ya. It's called the Disney Vacation Club! :)

[Remember: Money Grabbing Mouse]

Since the Animal Kingdom Lodge seems to be a major selling point for some people, I thought I'd post more pictures from there, so here they are. Just think, you could see giraffes out of your hotel window each day!

Zz.

http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/9527/akl17re.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8681/akl23jj.jpg

 

[Astronuc]

Yep, I'm back home. It's 20 degrees with snow flurries. I want to be back at Disney. Do you think I can get the mouse to adopt me?

Wow, that warm! That's T-shirt and bare feet weather.

Oh, Astronuc, Disney also has a campground if you'd prefer that over the posh hotel experience.

Cool.

 

[Moonbear]

Oh, when we were at the Animal Kingdom Lodge eating at the Boma restaurant there, we had a fabulous tea called African Autumn. It was such a tasty tea that I immediately dragged Zz and Chuck off to the gift shop to see if we could buy it there (okay, I didn't have to drag anyone, they wanted to pin shop anyway, so it worked out for everyone). I was disappointed to find I couldn't buy any tea there, but I've just found it on Amazon! Zz, just in case you're interested, I thought I'd share that. I know I'll be ordering the loose tea (you can also get it in "sachets" ...you know, those things us ordinary, non-gourmet types call tea bags ). It is just the thing to sip while sitting in front of a fire reading books.

 

[ZapperZ]

Oh, when we were at the Animal Kingdom Lodge eating at the Boma restaurant there, we had a fabulous tea called African Autumn. It was such a tasty tea that I immediately dragged Zz and Chuck off to the gift shop to see if we could buy it there (okay, I didn't have to drag anyone, they wanted to pin shop anyway, so it worked out for everyone). I was disappointed to find I couldn't buy any tea there, but I've just found it on Amazon! Zz, just in case you're interested, I thought I'd share that. I know I'll be ordering the loose tea (you can also get it in "sachets" ...you know, those things us ordinary, non-gourmet types call tea bags ). It is just the thing to sip while sitting in front of a fire reading books.

Thanks Moonbie. I'm sure I'll order it when I get home.

We had a very long day. Went early in the morning to Disney/MGM Studios (extra Magic Hours for Disney Resort guests), and then hopped over to the Wilderness Lodge for lunch as Whispering Canyon, which contrary to its name, is one of the loudest places I've ever eaten in, and then ended the day at the Magic Kingdom.

Tomorrow, reality will sets in. Will spend the day at Epcot before we make our way back to the airport late afternoon. This vacation is almost over. :(

Will post pictures from today later..

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Pictures from today. This will probably be the last pictures I'm posting while I'm at WDW. After this, I'll post more after I get home.

This picture is the main building at the Wilderness Lodge.

http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/5900/out18iz.jpg

This is the view from the boat approaching the Wilderness Lodge.

"Follow the yellow brick road!", from Wizard of Oz in The Great Movie Ride.

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/5237/out44bm.jpg

And this is the front shot of The Tower of Terror, where Moonbie couldn't stop laughing all the way down...

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

*sniff sniff* I miss it already! Thanks for the pictures of the Wilderness Lodge. It's going to be tough choosing a hotel for the next visit. I suppose the only solution will be to keep visiting until I've tried them all.

 

[ZapperZ]

*sniff sniff* I miss it already!

See? Now you know how I feel. It used to be that I would be already planning on when I will go back the day after I got back from the last trip. Now, with the Disney Vacation Club thingy, I already have the next 2 trips already set. :)

Thanks for the pictures of the Wilderness Lodge. It's going to be tough choosing a hotel for the next visit. I suppose the only solution will be to keep visiting until I've tried them all.

I would certainly recommend the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge, especially if you like seclusion. For the moderate resort, definitely Port Orleans' French Quarter and Riverside. So those are something to consider.

Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'm dead tired, and have to get up early to pack tomorrow, before spending our last day here at Epcot. I want to do Soarin' at least a couple of times tomorrow before we're through (we did Tower of Terror twice today).

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

How were the crowds today? Was there a lot of traffic and people with the marathon going on? I saw yesterday that there were additional buses at the resort taking people to some marathon expo thing (saw them while waiting for my bus to the airport). Don't know what that's all about...I've never heard of an expo to go with a marathon.

 

[GeorginaS]

I'm really glad to know you arrived home safe and sound, MBear. You and Zz convinced me that Disney is worth going to see. It sounds as if you all had a hoot. And I will say this: the company you take along with you on vacation makes all the difference in the world. You could travel to the most desirable, locale on the planet, and if you're with the wrong person/people, the whole thing is going to suck. Go to a swamp with the right folks, life just doesn't get any better.

What I'm trying to say, here, is, while it appears Disneyland is a nifty keen place to see, it also strikes me that the company you all had made it even better.

Edit: stupid spelling mistake

 

[Moonbear]

G, you're very right, the company makes a big difference. I never enjoyed Disney so much when I was dragging parents along with me. Now I can't wait until my nephew is old enough to go to Disney. It'll be fun to visit with a kid along just to see his reaction to everything.

 

[ZapperZ]

I'm finally home. I'm happy to be back, but sad to leave Disney World. :(

So, I'm plotting for the next trip already, which will be the weekend at the end of January. This is to do the special DVC and Passholder preview of Expedition Everest, and they're giving out a commemorative pin and lanyard for it. How can I refuse?

The traffic yesterday and today, especially in the morning, were awful. A lot of roads around Disney World were closed for the marathon. But we managed since we know alternate route to get around. I pity the clueless tourists who can only follow the street signs.

Anyway, a lot of unpacking to do, and then off to bed since I go back to work tomorrow. Will report more and upload more pictures when I get the chance during the upcoming week.

Here's hoping more PF'ers will consider going to WDW with us next time.

Zz.

 

[GeorginaS]

The weekend at the end of January? As in: January, 2006?

 

[Astronuc]

So Zz, have you ever thought about getting a teaching job at a local (to WDW that is) university?

 

[Moonbear]

Yes, he's actually going back this month. He needs a 12-step program.

 

[Astronuc]

Yes, he's actually going back this month. He needs a 12-step program.

One each month?

 

[ZapperZ]

I wish I could go back once a month. But this is just something special, and only for a weekend.

As for looking for a job near there, don't think that I haven't looked. But as much as I love WDW, I also love my profession. I don't think I can just do teaching. That will cause a complete hault to my advacement as a physicist. There are also no outstanding physics research activities (at least in the areas that I am interested in) going on at the local universities around central Florida.

So for now, I will stay put here in good old Chicago and make my yearly trips down to Orlando.

In case anyone might be considering of going to WDW this year, my plans so far are:

Jan 27 to 29
May 26 to Jun 4 (this is a Disneyland/Disney World trip)
Sept. 2 to Sept. 10.

We may not do the holidays this year, i.e. the Holidays of 2006/2007. But things may change. I seriously recommend, for those who can make it, the Sept. trip (over Labor Day week). The crowds are thinner than most times and the rates for hotels and stuff are really good.

Anyway, have to catch up on work stuff. At least I brought a few Disney stuff I bought with me to work to add to the "museum" collection.

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

As for looking for a job near there, don't think that I haven't looked. But as much as I love WDW, I also love my profession. I don't think I can just do teaching. That will cause a complete hault to my advacement as a physicist. There are also no outstanding physics research activities (at least in the areas that I am interested in) going on at the local universities around central Florida.

Yeah, I know how that is. I would love to go back to uni and teach the material that one only learns by doing. However, like you, I couldn't just teach - I'd have to be able to do R&D. And your right about the limited opportunities in that area, and the ones that are there, for me at least, come and ago according to the Federal budget.

Maybe one could do a sabbatical!?

 

[hypatia]

Ok you two, what is your most favorit thing you bought this trip?

 

[ZapperZ]

Ok you two, what is your most favorit thing you bought this trip?

Bought? What makes you think I bought anything on this trip? <whistles and innocent look>

Considering that I've been there that many times, I don't have too many most "favorite" things left. But since I was on a mission to buy a few pins, I suppose my most favorite thing I bought was the jumbo pin that was released on my final day there. It was again one of those very intricate jumbo pins that had a lot of going-ons.

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/files/10932940.jpg

Other than that, I love equally all the stuff that I got - if only I can remember what half of them were since I still haven't seen them since I bought them. They're being shipped home.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

So this is the reason why I'm going back to WDW in late January - the DVC/Passholder preview of Expedition Everest. On various fan websites, this is THE most highly anticipated attraction at WDW in years. Even Mission Space didn't have this much hype.

This is a picture of the evening performance of Cinderellabration at the Castle at Magic Kingdom.

This is one last look at Main Street at the Magic Kingdom before we left. It was still chilly that morning.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Those must be the native Floridians in the foreground of that last photo. Hats! There's definitely a psychological component to temperature perception...the temperature here today was about the same as it was my last day at Disney, except here I thought it was unseasonably warm and even a light jacket felt a bit too warm, while at Disney, it was unseasonably cold and I was bundled up in all my winter layers and still felt cold.

So, I think I got about a half day's worth of work done today and spent the other half of the day telling everyone about my Disney trip. One grad student and one post-doc both sounded like they very much would like to try to go sometime if they can budget it...as long as they don't snore, I'm sure we can share a room and make it more affordable for all of us if I can convince them to join me for another trip.

 

[ZapperZ]

While people here at work do want to listen to my latest WDW trip, you can understand that it doesn't usually take that long since they hear about this every few months or so. :) They usually want to know if I did something different or special, or if I found any good pins. Most just simply walk into my office and start snooping around to see if there's anything new that I brought into add to the Disney decorations.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

While people here at work do want to listen to my latest WDW trip, you can understand that it doesn't usually take that long since they hear about this every few months or so. :) They usually want to know if I did something different or special, or if I found any good pins. Most just simply walk into my office and start snooping around to see if there's anything new that I brought into add to the Disney decorations.

Zz.

Well, if any of them are cute and single and available and straight men (yeah, I'm so picky), make sure you show them all the pictures with me in them.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I for one have really enjoyed my virtual Disney trip. Thanks for all of the great photos and updates. It was fun.

...gotta do Disney Florida, there is no doubt about it.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Chronicles of Narnia continues with it strong box office success throughout the world over the New Year.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807711

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I think Moonbie (and maybe even Evo) may cry over this one.

They released a pin on 1/8, but at Disneyland, that you may want to have. It's another Chip and Dale pin. Drat! I would like to have this one too!

Did they use peanuts as the snowman's eyes?

Zz.

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/files/10247288.jpg

Edit: Ooh... it's an open edition pins. You might be able to get it via mail. Here's the info:

"Contact Disneyland® DelivEARS Merchandise Guest Services at 1-800-362-4533 or send an e-mail: DLR.DelivEARS@disney.com to place an order."

SKU: 10247288
Retail Price: $8.95