Zenny

You'll really like Shades, I won't stay anywhere else on property (unless I get a ridiculous deal). It's not overly-Disney, moreso an upscale resort with hints of Disney around. Some people don't like this but I've never had a problem. There are bigger and more ornate resorts but Shades has an x-factor that I've not found anywhere else. Also, the busses run regularly and are rarely crowded, since it's a smaller resort. I hope you enjoy your stay! Thank you for the bus info, only other question I have on that is how close do they drop off to Magic Kingdom and is it easy to get a bus back mid day/end of day or do I need to call to schedule one? They drop you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), which is literally right around the corner from the Shades main entrance. From there you can take the monorail or the boat to the entrance of Magic Kingdom. Same deal for Epcot, minus the boat. The busses run very regularly, the longest I waited for a bus was maybe 10 mins? That's to and from the TTC, for everywhere else the busses run on an hourly basis from the hotel to the parks (Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, etc). Busses start running a half hour before the parks open, times for last busses change but usually an hour after park closure. Alternatively, you could walk 10 minutes down a very nice trail/sidewalk and jump on the monorail at the Polynesian, as that resort is across the street from Shades.

Boo or Boo-urns?

You'll really like Shades, I won't stay anywhere else on property (unless I get a ridiculous deal). It's not overly-Disney, moreso an upscale resort with hints of Disney around. Some people don't like this but I've never had a problem. There are bigger and more ornate resorts but Shades has an x-factor that I've not found anywhere else. Also, the busses run regularly and are rarely crowded, since it's a smaller resort. I hope you enjoy your stay!

Very much looking forward to InvadR, Tempesto was a bit of a disappointment for me but I'm glad to see BGW is mixing it up a bit.

Awesome! I was planning on heading down to Oktoberfest on Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, but have never been so I didn't know where to start (I even made a Thread about it, but no replies). Anhow, it'd be three people; myself, the wife, and my best friend who will be visiting from the States. Any specifics on where to meet, when, fees to pay, and a time to definitely confirm us being there, please PM me anytime or respond here, so any other TPRers can join in on the fun. You rock, Captain! Don "Four Maß ain't nothing" Anderson

Hey Captain, what are the dates that you're planning on being there?

Vertigo looks sick, I need to get back on down to Walibi, and soon.

Someone please photoshop this man a pink scrunchi Don 'doesn't have photoshop on his work computer' Anderson Yes, I am now officially "gay!" (Where's my pink scrunchi?)

So this year will probably be my last chance to go to Oktoberfest (been here since '04, what a crime, eh? ) and I'm definitely planning on heading on down to Munich in September for some beer-goodness and all around good times. As my only experience as far as Munich and Bavarian beer is limited to what I got at the Hofbräuhaus, if anyone can give me a few tips, I'd appreciate it, be you locals or past attendees. What I need to know is: -which is probably the best tent to book or get into...I know Belgian beer, but German and Bavarian is really foreign to me. Some tents are harder to get into, and some are just really huge, so which way should I be pointed to? Also, how late is too late or too early to book? -are hotels going to be booked up super quick? It'll be just my wife and my visiting best friend going, so I don't know what would be available. -how late do the trains run from the area, and for that matter, is the train station close by, or do you have to take a bus? This is for if we can't get a hotel in the area, I can always hop a train and shack up at some military base hotel. -how close is the Theresienwiese from say, the Residenz or Marienplatz...areas of Munich I'm more familiar with...is it walking distance? -is anyone else here attending? I appreciate in advance any help on these Q's! Don 'hopefully I can make it past 4 Maß' Anderson

A thread for the night owls that find themselves checking out the TPR forum board! What's keeping you up so late? Just got back from the club and trying to come down off all those Red Bull and Vodkas? Caught a late-night movie and thumbing through the forum at your local coffee joint? Having a slumber party and showing everyone your 'way-cool' construction photos of Tatsu? Or, maybe just lonely and hunting down some pics of Lou, Elissa, or that Hoffman girl (or...maybe Robb?). For myself, nothing near that fun (or stalker-like). It's past midnight here in Euro-time, and I'm stuck at yet another night shift at work. TPR is one of the few websites not blocked by the internet fun-Nazis here, so I definitely find myself here a lot when I need to pass some time. If they do block it, I'll be forced to do things like schoolwork or even...the work I'm supposed to actually BE doing Anyhow, what brings you here during the late hours?

Some schoolwork, avoiding the actual 'what pays the bills' work, trying to figure out what I would do if there was a zombie invasion.

I think the larger question is, how can you afford the time off work for all these trips? The money thing is just good financial planning, but it boggles my mind that you can go on all these trips in a year! Don 'Used to think 30 days off a year was pretty good' Anderson

Living in Belgium, but from Virginia Beach, VA. East coast dominates TPR Home Park= Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It is the best park in the world, and will ALWAYS be Busch Gardens Williamsburg, none of that Busch Gardens Europe nonsense!

Last April, and it was a girl that served us up the Turkey leg, so it might have been you! The shore excursions at most were like, $125 per person, and those were the big ones. Parasailing was $75, swim with the dolphins $100, but you can get a list online, and book ASAP, they fill up quick! Drink prices weren't too bad, they're worse over here in Europe (especially in Munich at the Hofbrauhaus ) -Don 'I love Munich!' Anderson

^ I'll go to Vegas to gamble, and cruise to relax.

^ I can't wait to go again either, especially with these new ships rolling out! I'm thinking of springing for one of their longer trips, like to the Mediterranean.

**Updated: Some Disney World pictures added in also! No pictures anyone hasn't seen before, and no where near as good as Chuck's Super Fantastic First Time Visit, but work is slow** Hi to everyone out there in TPR-Land! My name is Don, and I'm an 'often visitor yet not-so-often poster' around here. I've seen mentions about Disney Cruises here and there on the board, but (unless I'm TOTALLY looking in the wrong place) I've not seen even one TR report on it! If this is the case, then that has to be fixed because the Disney Cruise that my wife and I went on was one of the most awesome experiences ever Just a little background: we were looking for a place for our second honeymoon (first maybe, we eloped and then got married again, and when you live close to Paris it doesn't count!) and were looking to go to Disney World. A family member told us to do the cruise also and that we would love it, and love it we did. I had never been on a cruise before (or to anything Disney!), but she had been on like, a dozen cruises with just about every line, and she says that hands down, this was the best one ever. Service was super friendly and went out of their way on everything, just like you would expect from Disney. The ship was magnificent, the food so delicious, and everything just had an elegant yet comfortable feel to it. Someone I think said that you would have to really be into Disney or have kids in order to fully appreciate a Disney cruise. That is so far from the truth! We don't have kids, and before this I had never been to anything Disney outside of the Disney Store, so I wasn't a huge Disney fan (I am now) at the time, and I had a blast! Yes, it IS Disney, so you should know somewhat of what to expect, like characters and Mickey Mouse heads popping up. Everything is separated nicely between adults and kids, from pools to restaurants to lounge areas. If you have kids, you can have a blast right with them, or they can go off and do some of the many activities for kids only and the adults can go off to the cigar clubs, spas, sports bars, dance clubs, etc. Bottom line: they have a lot of something for everyone, and you can do it with your kids if you have them, separate if you want, or if you don't have kids you won't even really see many of them as much as you think you would! Trust me, any images you would have of a cruise being run over with screaming kids is far from what this is. There are kids though, and honestly, that's what makes it part of the fun, because it is Disney and it makes you feel like a kid yourself again. You would be amazed at how many couples came on the cruise, either childless or just without their kids. Gotta feel sorry for those kids! Like I said, this was my first cruise ever, but I think anything else is going to have a lot to live up to. We're going on a cruise to Greece out of Venice in October on Royal Caribbean, which definitely is not Disney, but is a very good cruise line from what I hear. I'll have to compare then the 'adult' cruise line and the 'kiddy' one that Disney is sometimes unfairly labeled as. So if you ever get the chance to go on a Disney Cruise, go for it! The prices are not that bad, and if you combine it with a trip to Disney World (as we did) then you'll really be getting a deal. You won't regret it and I guarantee you'll have the time of your life! So here are a few pictures from our cruise. No coaster pics, sorry! I think they fall more in line with the 'Theme Parks' category of the forum (maybe bouncy bouncy, I dunno?) than roller coasters. I'll probably post some Disney World pictures later on, which won't be anything anyone here hasn't seen before, but would keep me 'alright' with the hardcore coaster fans See a bunch of you guys next Wednesday for the Mini-Europe trip at Phantasialand! -Don 'Working a midnight shift and posting on TPR" Anderson We certainly will, especially if this 'Disney Around the World" TRP trip pans out! The wife of course steals the VERY last Mickey Mouse photo-op of the cruise, making a long line of kids who got denied cry their little eyes out. Everyone waves goodbye, and lo and behold, scary Peter Pan starts giving me that crazy look like he is going to jump off the staircase to fly...hope you found your happy thought, pal, cause I'm not catching you. Donald is trying to explain to my wife that a grown man like me should not be stalking him at every given chance, and I should stop calling him "my boy". You make me cry, Sir Duck. The goodbye and farewell ceremony included just about every furry and princess you could imagine. Not before I get in another shot with my boy Donald, of course. After soaking up some rays (a lot in my case, I had a naaasty burn later that night", and few fruity happy drinks, it's back to the ship! The general-beach part of the island... " Oh my, I do declare that this rum is quite delightful indeed!" The fruity drinks with rum in them didn't hurt things, either. Disney must have bought all the rum in the Bahamas at wholesale, because they certainly don't skimp on it. Of course, they strive to keep us all nice and fed on the island, no heading back to the ship for lunch for us, no sir. Yep, that certainly is some clear water you're seeing there. We should all start listening to those pollution-people. Yes, we should. The other adults were too scared to even go out IN the water, on account of it's obscene clearness! "It's not right, I say" said the one couple from New Jersey. In Virginia Beach, I would NOT be able to see my feet, as I clearly can right now. The water was absolutely clear as anything, and from growing up in Virginia Beach, I know a thing about what is and isn't clear water. Wife foot-shot, complete with tattoos. "Man, this is one sweet beach". About the closest picture allowed for someone as pale as I...don't want to blind anyone with the sun reflecting off me. The adults-only beach, with a big ol' PRIVATE ADULT BEACH AREA sign. Anywhere else in Europe, that would mean something else, but this is Disney! Too bad the weather wasn't great enough for all the cool things we signed up and paid for! Oh well, relaxing on a beach in the Bahamas would have to do, and besides, all that recouped money could go to alcohol costs X_x. It may look a bit cloudy, but the weather felt great, and the cruise crew promised us great weather throughout the day. Castaway Cay, Disney's own private island! Everyone makes friends and just starts to get down all funky-like, while the kids cheer and more alcohol is served to the adults. Then, out of nowhere, a pirate's greatest weakness...fireworks. Captain Hook is all "Hell naw, this be my ship now, arrrrrr" The show begins, and Goofy and Minnie dance all fun and fancy free, not a worry in the world, right? See? ARRRR, pirates! A nice look at fine American dentistry as well (least on the wife's side). Do-rag, evil look, and RAWK fingers totally bring out the pirate spirit. (rum, too) After the romance though, it was time for some silly fun, pirate style! They have a show on the top deck at night where pirates take over the ship, and everyone on board is handed out pirate do-rags. Here, the wife is doing here best "GRR" pirate face, and looks to be almost eating one of the crew while doing so! Back on deck during the nighttime was perfect for a romantic evening stroll. ...by the middle of your meal, everything from the walls to the outfits your servers wore were bright with colors! Also, awesome steak! The gimmick was, everything started out in black and white, and slowly throughout the meal, color begins to appear... My favorite restaurant however had to be Animator's Palate. They even made us a special "Happy Honeymoon" plate! I wanted to take it back with me, but it was made of edible syrup...and also, that would be stealing! Palo was not one of the three main restaurants, but one exclusive to adults and one you had to reserve (and pay extra) for. Hey, $10 for a great cut of filet mignon and a desert that took a half hour to make is a deal in any book, I don't care who you are. This place was really great. We even had some distinguished guests join us for our meal. This restaurant was Triton's, which was the more classy of the three joints on the ship. Service was amazing and friendly! Aside from hamming it up for the camera, one of the best parts of any cruise, especially this one, was the food! The food on this ship was outstanding! Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. This is one of the three main restaurants, Parrot Cay, which had a great assortment of everything. ...luckily we drank it up with one of the waitresses earlier on, and totally got from her all of the questions that were asked ahead of time! Cheating=taking home the winning bucket of champagne on ice! ...Match Your Mate! The Disney Cruise version of the Newlywed game. Being that this was the 'adult' scene of the ship, the questions got a bit risque... The cruise wasn't all furries and overzealous man-childs in tights! At night, the ship had a bit of a club scene, with dancing, a live band, drinks all around, and... Whoever this guy was that was playing Peter Pan should get like, the Walt Disney "totally into character to the point where it is almost freaky" award. I'm not sure if there is such an award, but he would win it, hands down. The dude jumped off a couch while trying to fly, and fell on the floor...HARD. No happy thought, but man what dedication. With Pocahontas...but wait, just a few hours ago she was Mulan! My innocent illusions are ruined! Call my lawyer! Me and my boy Donald, I had quite a few run-ins with this guy throughout my trip (on purpose, the duck rocks, everyone knows it). What Disney experience wouldn't be complete without Disney characters? Disneyland Paris, that's what! (still loved the park though). Trying to pose up next to the man himself...this picture was taken much later on the cruise, as the obvious bloated look I have came from eating all the great food. The portholes on the ship were huge! You could just saddle up inside one if you wanted and watch the ocean go by. Proving the being a Disney Geek AND a Star Trek geek can go hand in hand. And of course, the adults-only pool and jacuzi area, complete with the VERY stocked bar, Signals, in the background. One of the pools on the top deck, this one was exclusive for kids. A beautiful shot of the ship's upper deck, very very nice and well themed. After downing a bunch of those Pina Coladas and getting the subsequent bill, I take it upon myself to earn some extra dough on the ship by being the Teen Loft doorman/bouncer. ...which surprisingly translates into HEAVY on the rum, and gets the thumb-point of approval (the kid behind us, meanwhile, looks to be searching my hair for lice and ticks). The wife wastes no time grabbing herself a 'Disney Cruise Line' approved Pina Colada... Back on the top deck for the castoff introduction, and happy hour at the bar for all the adults! You walk out on one of the outer decks, and it's like BAM, you expect Jack and Rose to run by you as if it was the Titanic (minus the iceberg). The little theming like this just has to make you smile, and if you don't, then what are you doing here?! Get off the ship and go on a Carnival cruise, already! The ship theater, named after the master himself...saw a great play there called 'Dreams', top notch production, says I. The Little Mermaid right outside the Triton's restaurant...there is no mistaking that you are on a Disney Cruise, but it's still classy all the way. Inside the ship, you begin to soak in all the wonderful detail that they put into it. The port entrance into the ship...I REALLY do not think it would be hard to figure out which one you would need to go to... My boy Donald is out there, trying to get in some last minute touches...you just gotta love stuff like that. I just love the way they designed the ship, complete with the classic Liner style of yesteryear, all having large portholes and smokestacks! There she is, the Disney Wonder, what a beautiful ship! So we ditched the joint and went clubbing...Fun Fact: Donald Duck is a huge raver. My boy Donald is all "Oh helllll naw, that woman didn't just drop my boy for some rat?!" BAM, Safari Mickey outta nowhere. I could have just left at that point and she wouldn't have cared. Sitting down for a meal, but something out of the ordinary happens... Tigger stole my wife...and hat! "Dude, you have to floss" She won the prize, little kids ran away crying...so horrible. The wife being the raging whack-a-mole competitor that she is did NOT let the fact that she was facing little kids stop her from giving it her all. Look, Everest! An actual ride photo! It was press day before it opened, but we got to ride it anyhow, before the general public. With still having a cruise to pay for, I get my water the cheap and easy way. ....yep, the wife finally broke me down and got me to buy some tophat ears. Quite dashing, actually. Typical Epcot shot with Spaceship Earth in the background, but wait...something is missing... At this point, sticking out my belly to match Buddha wasn't that hard a task. Not exactly a hidden Mickey, but cool nonetheless. They ain't kidding, it's like my driveway...and road downtown...and parking lot to Del Haize.... The fireworks show rocked, and you show my anyone who grew up watching Disney that didn't get chills and MAYBE a little choked up during and after the whole 'Wishes' show. The Magic Kingdom at night is very wonderful place to be at, indeed. ...so I'll do my best 'unintentionally bad' impression of it. Now that's a really nice statue.... Pal Mickey, all resting with his homeboy Walt. What was NOT good for a laugh? This attraction. It was good for a nap, though. Not a huge fan of MGM, but the 'running from the At-At' was good for a laugh. "Look at me, I'm all in Tron and stuff". Being up close to the castle like that when it was all lit up was quite amazing. The original shot, and probably the most barren area around the castle that time of night. This entire picture was on accident, but I thought it turned out cute. "Hmmm, which way to Mickey...." I can't even block it with my head, which I hear is the thing to do in California. I have to say though, I've been all over and that is one sharp looking castle. The wife got the 'Just Married/Honeymooner' ears, and from then on there was absolutely no living with her Hooking up Pal Mickey with some of that turkey leg goodness...he works hard for that food! All I heard about for the longest time was how good these turkey legs are, and they did not dissapoint! Apparently, Pal Mickey doesn't only give you park tips, but tells you dirty jokes while waiting for Space Mountain. Here I am, finally, at the Magic Kingdom...a little hung over and haven't slept in over 24 hours, but I got my Pal Mickey, so I'm good.

^That is a wicked picture of you at Neuschwanstein, sir So I look to be working a midnight shift the night before the Wednesday Phantasialand ....so don't let the bloodshot eyes fool you, it won't be an all-nighter Amsterdam trip that'll cause 'em. Don "Red Bull+Autobahn Speeding=on time Black Mamba ERT" Anderson *edit* are we still all meeting up at the hotel at 9am or earlier?

Filled it! Definitely bring on some more mainland Euro-trips for 2008, and after 2008, East Coast (Busch Gardens Williamsburg in particular) all the way! Don "It'll always be Busch Gardens WILLIAMSBURG to me" Anderson

I've never gone wrong with going counter-clockwise, starting at Nessie...great points for cool-offs at the Log Flume, then Roman Rapids, then Pompeii throughout the day...plus, you'll end up at the Festhaus at the perfect time, with half the rides done and the other half ahead of you, hungry and ready to scarf down a black forest cake! Don "Counter-Clockwise is totally the way to go" Anderson

Click the picture, links to the site...just a very amateur gallery of places I've been to, sporadically updated

The Texas Giant at Six Flags over Texas...I thought I was going to choke to death on my kidney before the ride was through. Drachen Fire...because they slayed it

Meandering about in London.... He was nice enough to take a photo with, but got mighty nasty when I asked what the deal with the skirt was.... " Wait, a pound equals how many dollars? That's crazy talk!" That minivan came close to running me down...no appreciation for album cover photo-ops, I swear

I always thought it meant "Enjoy Robb's Tostadas"...why else would people get up at 6am to go to a park? -Don "Am I to understand there WON'T be any tostadas" Anderson

Was looking for info on parks in Europe (Movie Park Germany, I think), and landed on the MASSIVE European Trip page, and then subsequently kicked myself in the ass because I could have totally gone on that had I even know TPR even existed. Whenever I'm bored at work, I look at reviews and such to pass the time, then finally regged on the board when more Euro trips were coming out. Now I find myself going to Phantasialand to meet up with the crew for some Black Mamba ERT. Might post a Disney Cruise TPR if I get really bored at work