Photo TR: Disney~aholics anonymous

[jenseib]

I took several pictures of the port as we drove in too. I had been the one driving when we had sailed on her last march, so I couldn’t take pictures, and once we got out of our van, I practically made a mad dash inside, forgetting to take pictures of the outside. LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is where the DCL buses arrive.

 

 

I believe these people had just gotten off the ship. They must be feeling pretty sad right about now.

 

 

I thought this was a cute semi off in the distance.

 

 

And some artsy shots of the sign on the terminal.

 

 

 

We all unloaded and went through security. No photos allowed there.

 

AND this is what we walked up to!

 

 

The terminal was almost completely empty!

 

 

 

We buzzed around looking and taking pictures.

 

 

 

Brook and I had been plotting on how we would become stoll-aways on the Dream…and I think after she saw the terminal, she was even more convinced that this is what we should do! LOL

 

 

We then were given our visitor passes, which needed to be worn the whole time while on the ship.

 

 

And we all wandered around taking pictures till the ship had been cleared to board.

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

We still had free time to roam around the terminal until we were given the all clear. I took LOTS of pictures. I loved how empty it was.

I took several of the model ship of the Magic this time around too. Last Spring, it was next to impossible to get up close AND get a clear shot.

 

 

 

 

 

I love this shot.

 

 

 

The TV’s were already running Disney shows.

 

 

Time for a bathroom break.

 

 

If you had read my Dream Trip report, you will remember that I had said the bathroom was less than Magical…..And it still is.

 

 

Brook and I posed with our buddies in front of the Arch.

 

 

 

I did walk out on the observation deck, but I guess I didn’t take many photos. One of the other TA’s had mentioned we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the ship at dock or gangway. I have no clue why she thought this, and there were no signs. I did take them last cruise and several were taking them now as well…..I just thought that was kind of strange….I’m not sure who told her that.

 

While I was out on the observation deck I started to talk to some teenage girls. They were doing a back to back with their families. They were really nice. They did say they preferred the teen clubs on the Wonder and Magic over the one on the Dream.

I think because I had been talking to them, I just didn’t take pictures….except this. They were nice enough to hold up Phineas and Ferb for a shot. They really loved this idea and wished someone would do that for them.

 

 

Back in I went, and took a picture of the back of this chair. I wish I had a set of chairs like this.

 

 

It was time to gather round. We had been cleared. We were going to divide into 4 groups today. We had two extra leaders helping out today to make our groups smaller and easier to manage on the ship. 2 of the groups would be eating at the Enchanted Garden and 2 would be eating at Cabanas.

They basically said, pick a leader. We were all standing in front of Tommy and each of us took a step forward. It was kind of funny. We hadn’t discussed it, but we just loved him.

 

 

It was time to board!

 

 

 

 

 

On the walk, Brook and I plotted exactly how we would stay on the ship. We even let some others know that it would be the last time they saw us. LOL! If only that could really happen.

 

I did take pictures on the gangway though.

 

 

Taking a peek out the window.

 

 

Who needs windows when you have this.

 

 

Where’s my luggage?

 

 

As we boarded the ship, we did not get the announcement of families like they do for passengers. BUT I did hear something…..Choirs of Angels singing….and you know what song they sang? “Welcome back Jennifer, we have missed you so much, you must sail this ship more often”. And of course it was to a very magical tune. LOL!

 

The ship was just as breathtaking boarding her for the 2nd time. I did take a few quick pictures while we got instructions of where each group would go.

 

 

 

Tommy said we were moving on, as we had a lot to do before the ship got too full. We would come back to the Atrium later and we could take more pictures then. But I don’t think we ever came back till it was time to leave.

 

Our group headed down to Enchanted Garden before they opened for lunch.

I am having another brain freeze, but I “think” this sitting area is located right outside the Enchanted Garden.

 

 

 

The doors were shut, which was kind of neat to see. I’m sure they had been shut a few times while I cruised the ship, but I just never came down to actually look.

 

 

 

We went in and of course one of the first things I see is “MY” table. Table number 74.

 

 

And you can tell it’s mine because it has a “D” on it and my last name starts with a D…..it’s reserved only for my family….right?

 

 

We talked about the restaurant a bit and took pictures as well. This place is on the rotational dining and is also open for lunch buffets.

 

 

A glance back at my table.

 

 

 

I don’t think I had even noticed these wine glasses and bottles on display when I ate there in the Spring.

 

 

Look at that gorgeous ceiling.

 

 

The chairs aren’t too bad either.

 

 

 

And here’s my table again.

 

 

I absolutely LOVE this picture….except for one thing…that stupid wet floor sign.

 

 

Another shot of the wine display.

 

 

 

And it was time to head out again.

 

 

[jenseib]

We stopped and took a look at the enchanted art. It is so cute. I think Mindy actually took a video of it.

 

 

One of the beautiful light fixtures on the ship.

 

 

And there is Mickey hidden….or not so hidden.

 

 

The elevator on Deck 2.

 

 

We then made our way to an inside stateroom for a quick look. We had been told prior to boarding and then reminded throughout the tour that we weren’t allowed to take pictures in the staterooms unless otherwise told. The rooms were not “show ready” yet. Though many we toured looked pretty darn good to me.

 

I did take a quick shot of the bathroom as we walked out though. I was determined to get a shot of the bathroom with a toilet, since I hadn’t done so when I had cruised before. LOL

 

 

We headed towards the Royal Palace next. Passing Admiral Donald on the way.

 

This is the floor just outside the restaurant. It’s very pretty.

 

 

As we entered…there was my table once again.

 

 

Look how cute the back of the chairs are. They had several different designs.

 

 

 

My table!

 

 

 

Another gorgeous light fixture.

 

 

See the glass slipper…..

 

 

 

Wouldn’t you like to have a bread basket like this one?

 

 

Here’s a blurry shot of the Princess pictures along the walls.

 

 

I love the gorgeous floor.

 

 

A few more artwork shots before we headed out the side door.

 

 

 

This hallway led down to Animators Palate, another restaurant on the rotational dining. The hall is lined with artwork of Princesses and other famous Disney girls, but done in sketches. This transitions you from one restaurant to the other by tying in both themes.

 

 

 

 

 

We made our way into Animators Palate. Again it has a gorgeous floor outside the doors.

 

 

 

 

 

We were not allowed to take pictures inside. Tommy said it was not show ready because it had table clothes covering a lot of the chairs and tables…But actually that is show ready. They keep it like this all day long and take them off before dinner. But none the less, we couldn’t take pictures, though many took pictures of the walls. I got one really bad shot.

 

 

If you are not familiar with AP, it has a bit of a show at dinner. The walls look like pictures and sketches, but as the night goes on, it turns into a screen and Crush comes around and talks to guest. Unfortunately when we cruised, we did not get talked to. Let’s hope he makes it to our table next time.

 

 

On to the District!

 

 

This area is a deck up and has the clubs and bars.

 

I am very foggy about this part of the tour. For some reason I barely remember it.

We must’ve come up the back steps of the ship and went into Evolutions first.

 

 

 

I believe this is what would be the dance Club. The only time I visited it when I cruised last Spring was for the Muster Drill. It was my station.

 

 

 

Next we headed to the Skyline Lounge.

 

 

The skyline changes in this bar giving you views of different cities like Paris and NYC. Tommy said the original plan was that it would change daily, but people started to complain. They wanted to be able to sit and watch it change, so now it’s set to change every so many minutes. I can’t remember, but it might be 30 or 60.

 

 

 

I believe these are part of the Skyline as well. They fall in right with those pictures and I can’t see how we would’ve been to any other lounge if we were going in order.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, There’s Brook!

 

 

Next we moved onto Pink.

I had wanted to come here and have a glass of the expensive champagne last Spring as well, but time didn’t allow for it….and unfortunately, they were not giving out free samples for us today.

 

This light fixture is above the bar area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s a really poor picture with Brook and Patty in it.

 

 

 

 

Pink has its own special “pink” champagne.

 

 

This place is not very big at all, but very cute.

[jenseib]

We made our way onward. We had a lot of ship to cover and not much time to do it in. Many of us wanted to linger in each spot, but it just wasn’t doable. We had to be at lunch at a certain time, so we needed to get in as much as possible before hand. After lunch, many of the guests would be boarded which would make touring some areas harder.

 

The next bar in the loop is the District Lounge. This is kind of a walk through area. Not very big at all. We had all traveled this route many times when we sailed her last Spring. It led to the back staircase where we would go up and back to our room. I do know they have entertainment here because one night when we went through, there was a lounge singer…and she was NOT good. We kind of laughed as we walked through.

 

 

 

 

When I sailed the ship, this area had a snack buffet set up the last night. Now it might’ve been set up every night, but I only noticed it the last night…this is where I found chocolate covered strawberries. Unfortunately I must’ve gotten a bad batch, because the strawberries were kind of smushy. I have heard others says they have had some really good ones though.

 

 

The next bar in the loop (this basically makes a circle) is 687. This is the sports type bar onboard.

 

 

687 got its name because that was the yard number the Dream had when being made.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a really poor shot of the menu.

 

 

 

 

Continuing on we passed by the coolest bathrooms EVER!. I had seen them last Spring, but never used them myself (though my Mom did) and I never took a picture of them either. We had a quick minute to get a quick shot of them. Not great, but it will have to do.

 

 

 

And we ended up back by Evolution again.

 

 

We headed up the stairs.

 

 

 

And walked through Cabanas.

 

 

No time to stop now, but as you can see they were starting to set up for lunch. I was half tempted to grab a shrimp!

 

 

They have these shades pulled down when they are not serving, or in the areas that are closed at the time.

 

 

 

We made our way out the doors and continued on.

 

We made our away across the pool deck area. I tried to take a few pictures as we went, but we really were walking fast. Tommy had an agenda, and he was bound and determined to keep to it, even with all us photo crazed TA’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we walked by the Aquaduck sign I joked that I “NEEDED” a picture of it. If you read my report of us sailing on the Dream, you will remember I took about 700 pictures of this sign. LOL

 

 

This was something I had not seen on our cruise either. Poolside bars with beer. The day we boarded last Spring was raining…extremely hard at times, so we never even made it out on deck till early evening. They may do this every cruise, but I just wouldn’t have known. AND, unfortunately, we couldn’t even get a beer now, as we had no way to purchase anything on the ship….bummer.

 

 

We zoomed past many of the fast food counters.

 

 

 

Nothing was open yet.

 

 

 

And past the Adult pool area.

 

 

And we arrived at our destination…the “Titanic gates”.

 

 

 

Ok, well they really are the gates to the concierge rooms.

 

I do NOT like this set up at all. When I look at it, all I can think about is the movie Titanic, where the lower class people are gated away from the upper class, and as the ship sinks, they won’t open the gates for those people. Now I guess if you really think about it, when it comes down to it, if the Dream was sinking, the concierge people would be the ones in trouble, not us poor folks, but I still don’t like this gated off area.

 

These doors are to the Concierge Lounge.

 

 

I think Tommy had expected the gate to be open, but it was close to time for the Concierge guests to come to their rooms (which is why we were hurrying over there), so I think the CM working the area let us in.

 

 

We made our way to one of the suites. This room was GORGEOUS!

But we couldn’t take pictures, as it will still not show ready. It looked darn good to me. It was very big too. If I could afford one of these rooms, I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to stay here.

 

The bathroom was really nice as well. And we were allowed to take pictures there.

 

 

Check this out…a TV in the mirror!

 

 

 

And the bathtub, which had water in it….we weren’t sure why it was slightly filled.

 

 

I am having memory blur again, but I think this is a 2nd bathroom in the suite.

 

 

On to another room for a quick tour. I think this might’ve been a room that held 5, with a murphy bed that pulled out of the wall. Again, we weren’t allowed to take pictures, but again, I took a couple shots of the bathroom. This one had a round tub.

 

 

 

Our next stop was going to be the Spa.

 

 

I am not a big spa type person….mostly because I can’t justify the cost of them. This place was very pretty though, and my pictures don’t do it any justice. We were a group of 10 and it was hard to get shots without everyone else in them and we were still moving fairly fast.

 

[jenseib]

We walked by the salon and being that I am a licensed Cosmetologist (though I haven’t worked professionally since I had Claire), I felt I needed to take a picture there for sure.

 

 

Product display!

 

 

I think this is for a hot stone massage.

 

 

And I could be wrong, but I think this is part of the teen spa, the Chill spa.

 

 

 

I really needed a notebook to take notes, but there is no way I could write as fast as we were going.

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on….I liked the ceiling.

 

 

 

A treatment room

 

 

I believe these are body wrap products.

 

 

 

 

I thought this towel wall was pretty cool. I actually had to look twice to figure out what it was.

 

 

Hot tile loungers…Now THIS I would like.

 

 

 

And there’s the hot tub….ahhhh!

 

 

And the rainforest showers were interesting. They had different shower sprays and aromas. Tommy warned us not to go in to far into them because they would turn on.

 

 

 

 

 

And the Sauna…something I have never really understood….as I hate to sweat, so why would I go in a room to do that? LOL

 

 

I wish I would’ve taken more of the spa. I know we saw more, but I think I had also had to change my battery at some point in here on my camera. I came with a less than completely full battery, but didn’t worry, because I had a spare….but evidently my spare didn’t have a full charge either (and my 3rd spare was back in my room at the Yacht Club), so I didn’t really stop taking pictures (still had a point and shoot with me too, but I did worry about it lasting for the rest of the day.

 

We were now going to go and tour a few more rooms while we had the chance. We cut through the Adult Pool area once again.

 

 

 

 

 

Back through the pool deck

 

 

 

And down and elevator (or stairs if you chose)

 

 

I believe we toured a couple of rooms.

 

We were working our way from midship to aft. Tommy was looking for a fairly finished up room to look at……as we kept walking we were getting closer and closer to the room I had stayed in last spring…..and I have to say I was a little excited. It would be neat to see it again…even if we just passed by.

Tommy checked a couple rooms and they just weren’t quote done, and as we kept moving closer and closer to “my” room, I started saying 7666 over and over. LOL!

 

And then Tommy stopped at 7664, the room right next to my old room, he took a peek in and said let me check the next one…and YES it was about as good as we could get and we toured room 7666! My old room!!!!

Not only did I get to see the room, but we actually went in and toured it. Who would’ve ever thought that?

We still weren’t allowed to take pictures, but I was a rebel….after all this was my room before, I had seen her at her worst…..so I snapped two with my phone.

 

 

 

While we were talking about the room, someone found a dime on the floor, so of course I said, it was mine…the dime I had been looking for, for months. LOL!

Actually, on that spring trip I had lost a SD memory card from my point and shoot. It was from the first couple of days on the ship. Luckily most of my pictures were taken with my SLR, but still I had a few small gaps of time/pictures missing where those pictures were taken.

I had the urge to tear the room apart and see if I could find it, but I really think I lost it somewhere at Disney World…where I have no clue, and I even put calls in to every lost and found imaginable.

Before we left the room I did take bathroom pictures again. When I had sailed her, I never got a picture of the toilet side of the bathroom. When we had gone to our room, that bathroom had a light out, so I took pics of the room, planning to take one later of that bathroom after the light was fixed…and I just never did. So now I have completed my quest! Brook even asked if I was going to get that bathroom shot. LOL!

 

 

 

The last room we toured was an inside room with a virtual porthole. Again we weren’t allowed pictures, but we could take a picture of the porthole.

Characters will randomly run across the screen. I have since heard from other cruisers that the timing seems to be every 30 minutes, on the hour and half hour.

 

 

And now it was time for lunch! Our group was going to Cabanas, which I was excited about. I knew lunch would be tasty!

 

We were hungry and made a mad dash filling up our plates.

 

 

Did you see the cookie behind the roll? Those are the best darn cookies in the WORLD! I started my meal off with that, and went back up for a few more over the course of lunch.

 

 

I know I went up for seconds too. It was darn good!

 

We had a nice leisurely lunch. I know I sent some emails to Claire and updated facebook while we ate as well.

 

Patty was the queen of texting. I had noticed she had a cord coming out her purse and hooked to her phone. At some point during the day I asked her about it and she had a portable charger. I had never heard of such a thing, but I really liked that idea. My phone doesn’t hold a charge very long at all when I use it a lot and I had been using it a lot, taking pictures, updating facebook and calling home. I really needed to charge it twice a day to keep it going. When I got home I went on ebay and found one compatible for my phone and bought it. It has been wonderful and I am so happy to have it. It also charges Claire’s ipod as well, so that has worked out well for us a few times as well.

 

On to dessert!

 

You didn’t think those cookies were for dessert did you? Heck no, those were a main course for me!

 

 

The Dream has wonderful hard dipped icecream. I didn’t have a chance to have some when I had sailed her, but my Mom raved about it, so that was on my list to try….and it did not disappoint at all. We ALL had a bowl, with different flavors to choose from.

 

I guess I took a picture of some of the other TA’s eating as well.

 

 

Before we left, I ran up and took a few very quick photos of the buffet. I am not sure why I didn’t take more, but it was getting busier, so maybe I couldn’t weasel my way in. I also must’ve been rushed, as many are blurry.

 

 

 

 

I did get the IMPORTANT items though!

 

 

 

 

It was starting to get really busy in Cabanas, so Tommy gathered us up. It was time to head out and open up our tables for the new batch of guests coming in. I have to say I was so jealous of them. They all had that “I’m on vacation” excitement. Many of them probably sailing the Dream for the first time. Though the day had been fun and exciting, we knew we would be leaving her soon.

We exited and I got a quick shot of Nigel, just outside of Cabanas back doors.

 

 

We then headed up the steps there. I had only been up there once during our cruise…and that was because I was nosey and wanted to take a quick peek. This time we were going to actually tour these places!.....Remy and Palo

[gisco]

I'm pretty sure the next time I head to Disney World a cruise is going to be an add on.

[jenseib]

I'm pretty sure the next time I head to Disney World a cruise is going to be an add on.

 

It's a great time. I just love that ship!

[jenseib]

Once we got to the top of the stairs, we decided to make a quick stop at the bathrooms.

 

 

They were full with another group, so we passed on it for now and would return.

 

We headed toward the Meridian bar that is set between the 2 restaurants. This is where you wait to be seated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The counter tops have etched different languages that all say “Welcome”.

 

 

 

I’m not sure if this has any significance, or if I just randomly took a picture.

 

 

 

It was really nice in there….again, another spot I had not even looked at when I sailed her last Spring.

 

On to Remy!

 

 

 

 

It was very elegant the minute you walked through the doors.

 

 

 

You kind of went down this little hall into the main restaurant.

 

 

This is actually a vase that will hold roses. They give one to each lady.

 

 

 

Can you see the hidden Remy?

 

 

 

 

 

This stool is for the ladies purses. I loved this!

 

 

 

 

We moved onto the Gusteau room in Remy. This room is beautiful. If I was ever to eat here, I would want to be in this room.

I should add that Remy is one of the upcharge restaurants on the Dream. It cost $75 per person. I have heard fabulous things about it….BUT I highly doubt I will ever come. First off the cost is just to outrageous for me. I have a hard time thinking about paying the upcharge to Palo, and that’s only $20 per person.

Second, even though I have read rave reviews on Remy, the food does NOT look appealing to me at all. I guess I’m just not a fancy French kind of girl. I have tried to read reviews in hopes to find something that looks and sounds wonderful to me, but it all looks so foreign, and if I'm going to pay that kind of money, then I better know I am going to like it.

But don’t go by what I say. Read the reviews yourself and you may find it looks wonderful to your tastebuds!

 

 

 

It was so bright in here too, very cheery.

 

 

I took a peek out the big windows.

 

 

 

They had parts of France painted on the walls.

 

 

All the details were beautiful.

 

 

 

We then went across the way and there was Palo!

 

 

This too is an upcharge restaurant, with reservations needed. You should try to book these two places as far in advance as possible as they book up quickly.

 

 

Look at that light fixture….GORGEOUS!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another beautiful light fixture.

 

 

 

Artwork of Italy.

 

 

 

A peak out the window here.

 

 

And one last blurry shot before it was time to go.

 

 

And we were done with our fine dining tour.

[jenseib]

We made a stop at the bathrooms again, this time is wasn’t crowded. These bathrooms are beautiful (but still not as cool as the round ones in the District).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we were off to the sports deck next. The mini golf is so cute.

 

 

 

Claire and I had talked of playing this when we had sailed last spring, but we just never had enough time.

 

 

 

 

 

And the basketball court.

 

 

They also had some sort of virtual reality sports thing in these tent type spots. I never even knew about them before. I think the games included golf, soccer and baseball. You needed to make appointments for these, and I believe there was a charge.

 

The ping pong table.

 

 

And a peek at the port before we moved on.

 

 

Here is another shot I took several of last cruise…….I just can’t get enough of the ship and her beauty.

 

 

And for fun, Brook posed with her new boyfriend….

 

 

This is the Waves bar….I did visit there before.

 

 

And for those who need to know, where I was standing taking that picture is the smoking section, and usually you will see ashtrays in the area.

 

I love this picture.

 

 

Once again we headed across the deck past the pool. Tommy was moving fast, but many of us lagged behind a bit and took a few shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went back inside and were making our way towards the kids clubs.

 

We went by the Port Adventures desk.

 

 

Look who we see out and about!

 

 

 

Some random pictures as we walk.

 

 

 

 

Hello my Pretty!

 

 

And for the life of me, I can’t remember where this is, but it must be in the main atrium area.

 

 

 

We took a quick peek at the nursery.

 

 

I have some clients who will be using this in Nov.

 

 

And we then went into the Oceaneers Club and Lab.

 

 

This is the Club side.

 

As you enter there are these things to wash your hands in. They are so cool. We all had to play around with that for a minute.

 

 

 

I just love this picture too.

 

 

And look who decided to strut his stuff?

 

 

Who wouldn’t want to play here? It’s fabulous!

 

 

 

 

It looks like I must’ve wandered in no particular order as my pictures go from one place to another and back. I’ll try to put the areas together as much as I can.

 

Pixie Hollow

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

Here is the explorer pod. I did go inside; I guess I didn’t take pictures in there though. But I know there were kids playing, and I was trying to NOT purposely get kids in my shots, and as you can see, I tried to blur this little girl out.

 

 

 

And then to Andy’s room. Again I am disappointed with the amount of pictures I took.

 

 

 

 

A little girl tried to climb on the bed when I went to take this picture. I had to ask her to wait a minute so I could finish up…I think she thought I was nuts.

 

 

 

 

 

Brook decided to have some fun on her own!

 

 

 

 

And I got some shots of the bathrooms there. They are so cute. Everyone say AWWWW!

 

 

 

 

And I even peeked in the boy’s bathroom too.

 

 

 

This room is in between the club and the lab. The kids can go back and forth. I think they do some class type things in here.

 

 

 

 

Oceaneers lab.

 

 

 

Look who we found here!

 

 

Max and Donald both pose for me, but Max totally blocks out Donald.

 

 

Max was hamming it up!

 

 

 

 

 

And a few pictures around the room. I didn’t take too many as Tommy was ready to head on.

 

 

 

 

Now we headed to the Buena Vista Theatre.

 

 

 

This is where movies are played. They also have talks here…Like shopping with Whitney, which I actually attended last Spring. Whitney is very nice, but she has a very soothing voice. LOL! I was so tired that day that I practically fell asleep listening to her, so I ended up leaving early. I said if I ever had trouble sleeping on the cruise, I would find her talk on the TV and put it on and I would be out in seconds.

 

 

We also met in here for our excursion, along with a few other excursion groups.

 

 

We were in there for a bit, but I guess I decided to sit and relax and not take many pictures.

Our next destination was the Vibe. This is the teen club for 14-17 year olds. It has such an awesome entrance.

 

 

The lights would change colors.

 

 

I could not tell you how to get here, only that it is in the front of the ship. It was almost like a secret to find this place. I have heard others say the same thing, but I guess teens have no problem finding it.

 

 

This area was just plain cool. I think it would be a great place to hang out in.

 

 

Brook and I had to get in these…and for some reason, I look extremely stupid!

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

These chairs were pretty cool looking.

 

 

So I sat in one and Mindy took my picture….I would say they really are not comfy and getting off of it was somewhat of a task.

 

 

I tried to get this throw pillow, but these kids kept running into all our pictures. I even mentioned once that I wanted a picture kid free, because the one kid was almost following us around. Or at least she seemed to be everywhere I would go. And I have to say, both kids were too young for the club, so maybe they had an older sibling checking it out too.

 

 

 

We walked outside to check out that part of the Vibe….and I have to say I am jealous. This should’ve been where the adult area was put. It’s very private for the most part, and secluded. Where the Adult quiet pool is right now, well let’s just say it’s in the main walk through, as you could see we have passed it a few times already that day cutting through to other areas.

I have heard that in the future they may move it there, but that won’t be for a few years down the road at least.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pool wasn’t really a pool, more like a hot tub, but I can’t remember if it actually was warm or not. I’m pretty sure I felt it, but I didn’t write it in my notes and too much time has passed for me to remember that detail.

 

We went back inside.

 

 

And we made a stop at the bathroom in the Vibe. Only a few of us went in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop would be the Walt Disney Theatre.

I shot this before we walked in.

 

 

The theatre is just beautiful…but you wouldn’t know it by my pictures…which turned out horrid.

 

 

 

I did sit on the stage, which was pretty cool.

 

 

 

 

 

[thrillrider]

Got our Disneyworld trip booked for july 5-12th. Can't wait to go. Any ideas on how the crowds are this time of year?

 

On a side note, I noticed that Obama was at the magic kingdom yesterday. I wonder if he was able to check himself out at the hall of presidents, or check out any rides while he was there?

[triggernel]

Got our Disneyworld trip booked for july 5-12th. Can't wait to go. Any ideas on how the crowds are this time of year?

 

On a side note, I noticed that Obama was at the magic kingdom yesterday. I wonder if he was able to check himself out at the hall of presidents, or check out any rides while he was there?

 

I'm gonna say that your time down there will be extremely busy. Touring Plans has each of those days at a 9 or 10 out of 10 on the crowd calendar. EXPECT Crowds!

 

And Obama didn't ride any rides while he was in town yesterday. As a matter of fact they were broadcasting his speech inside The Hall of Presidents.

[jenseib]

Got our Disneyworld trip booked for july 5-12th. Can't wait to go. Any ideas on how the crowds are this time of year?

 

On a side note, I noticed that Obama was at the magic kingdom yesterday. I wonder if he was able to check himself out at the hall of presidents, or check out any rides while he was there?

 

It wil lbe very busy. Though one of my fellow TA's went that week in the past and said it actually wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, and Epcot was very managable.....but just be prepared for insane crowds.

[jenseib]

When we walked out of the theatre, we were in the shopping area. I took a bunch of pictures, but looking at them, I am wondering what the heck I was doing, as they are not good and in some random looking order.

I did get a shot of some Dooney’s though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly it was time to head out. I think we were quite a bit behind schedule too. We gathered near guest services to meet up with the rest of the gang.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to get a nice picture of Donald, but this family stood there forever taking pictures of their son….then more family members joined in. I just gave up on a “people free” picture.

 

 

 

We had to wait for them to clear the gangway path so we could leave. That took a while. I wouldn’t have had a problem with them just letting us stay on…no problem with that at all!

It was fun seeing the new passengers come on and have their name announced.

Sadly, the path cleared and we had to leave…..boo hoo!

 

We then gathered in a room off to the side of the terminal. I forget what this room is for…maybe concierge guest?

 

 

The ceiling was like a wave.

 

 

And the floor was even cute.

 

 

Finally we were called to make our way to the bus.

 

We got another look at the Dream though before we boarded.

 

 

 

And the bus depot was empty now.

 

 

Time to board!

 

 

I did take a few more shots as we pulled away.

 

 

 

 

 

Brook and I sat together this time.

While on the bus, Rita passed out a paper. It had questions about DCL and we had a few minutes to fill it out, then we went over the answers together. It was all very easy stuff for the most part.

After we talked about all our DCL knowledge we had the rest of the bus ride to just relax. Our next stop was Animal Kingdom. The itinerary had said we would have a park experience here. We had hoped for some kind of tour, but no, that wasn’t to be, the park experience just meant we had free time at the park, and since AK closes earlier than the other parks, this would be the only time in the week that we would be able to visit it.

 

As we drove on, I decided to take a little rest. The early days and late nights were catching up to me. I woke myself up after a while….because I felt myself drooling. LOL! Nothing like sleeping on the bus with your mouth wide open and drool slipping out.

Brook had fallen asleep too. I was amazed at how many people were chattering away. I guess not everyone was up late the night before like I was.

I checked my phone, and tried to facebook a bit, but the battery was low. So I just gave up on that. I wanted to save the battery for that just in case moment.

As we got closer to Walt Disney World, Rita said that she had passed out pins earlier, but a few were taking a ciesta, so she would come back and give those people their pins now. She walked straight to our seat and handed Brook and I one. We laughed, as we were the only 2 she had missed earlier. The Pin we received was a Dsiney Dream pin, which was nice, but it was the same pin they had sent us when we completed the DCL course online. I wish they would’ve given us something a little different than one they had just sent out to most everyone in the group.

Soon we arrived at Animal Kingdom. We were on our own for the rest of the day. I think we were also about an hour later than when we were actually scheduled to arrive.

I found it weird, but they didn’t drop us off at the bus stop area, but kind of out in the middle of the parking lot, so we had to walk a bit to get up to the park.

 

I guess I was excited and took a few pictures on the way.

 

 

 

 

 

We made a bathroom stop before entering the park. I did tell my fellow agents that my phone was about dead, and if we got separated, not to worry about me, and I would find my way back to the resort. I also was already lagging behind a bit with picture taking, so I didn’t want to ruin their fun.

 

See what I mean, they were ahead of me a lot at this park. LOL

 

 

 

I put my big camera away then. The battery was close to dead. I just pulled out my point and shoot. I like this camera, but I am just so used to the big guy, that at times I was frustrated with it. It wouldn’t do what I wanted it too, and I had a hard time finding things on the screen. I know that sounds really odd, but when I am used to looking straight through the camera, holding it away and finding what I needed on the screen felt backwards.

 

We decided that using the Fast passes for Expedition Everest was going to be first on our list, but as we got a bit into the park, we realized the parade was coming, and we would not be able to go anywhere till it passed.

We stopped and got a few photopasses then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted a Simba shot. And I was told to look surprised…I look more scared!!!

 

 

 

The thought of another child is kind of scary though!

 

 

Since we had to wait for the parade, Patty went into one of the shops. Brook, Mindy and I stayed outside and waited. I LOVE this parade. I just love the music, and as it got closer I started tapping my toes.

I took a few pictures while we waited for it to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

As the parade came, I took some pictures, but I was a bit further back. I got a really great shot of Minnie….TOTALLY out of focus. I am so mad! It would’ve been a really nice shot.

 

But I got some other decent ones of the rest of the parade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the parade, I took a few more pictures around the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then followed the masses back towards Everest. We couldn’t go too far, because the parade was still ahead of us.

 

 

 

 

 

And as we walked, we got a glimpse of it!

 

 

I took several pictures of Expedition Everest as we approached it.

 

 

 

 

And a few other things as well.

 

 

 

The wait times weren’t too bad, and the line actually looked shorter than this, but we had our magical fast passes, so we hopped in that line.

 

 

Mindy doesn’t like “wild” rides like this, so she went off in search of a drink that she wanted. I think it was a Yak attack, and I can’t remember for sure if she got it. I know she had trouble finding a place to serve it.

 

 

 

 

Our wait was very short and soon we were ready to board.

 

 

 

I went solo and Patty and Brook rode in the car in front of me.

 

 

I actually took a few pictures on the ride. I am not one to hold my hands up in the air. I’m not scared, I just get whipped around too much and my back and neck don’t like it. So talking pictures was a major thing for me. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was great fun! I took the redneck pictures, and boy I look like a dork.

 

 

 

As we walked through the dump shop, I took some more shots, but most came out really blurry. My point and shoot really does not like to take shots in poor lighting.

 

 

 

 

We made our way out and looked for Mindy. She was nearby and we headed off again.

 

 

 

It was so dang hot, so I went off and got a Mickey Bar. I think the others were going to look for a drink somewhere, so I was going to just meet up with them.

 

 

 

I had to eat this baby FAST…It was literally melting in my hands.

 

I found the others easily enough and they had yet to find a drink they wanted without a mile long line.

 

 

We did find a stand that sold frozen drinks and Brook decided to stop. Patty thought it sounded good too, and I was still really hot, so I too got a drink. Mindy went off to talk to someone at a DVC stand.

 

The line wasn’t too long and I took a few shots while waiting.

 

 

 

Drinks in hand.

 

Brook got some sort of frozen coffee type drink, if I remember right.

 

 

I think Patty got something Mango.

 

 

And lemonade for me!

 

 

 

I had been eyeing this store while in line. It had the cutest orange T-shirt with an animal print Mickey on it, so we headed over there.

 

 

I loved the shirt, but didn’t like the price tag. I would see this shirt over and over throughout the week and was tempted many times to get it, but in the end I just couldn’t spend that much on a t-shirt.

 

I took some shots while inside.

 

 

Again, most turned out blurry.

 

 

 

I know we also went into one or 2 other shops in the area while we waited for Mindy. Then we headed off.

I wanted to do the safari. It had been a few years since I last been to it. I told them that they were more than welcomed to separate if they didn’t want to ride it. They decided to go on it too. We walked slowly. It was HOT and we had our drinks to finish before the ride as well. I was trying to hurry up with mine, but it was giving me brain freeze! LOL

 

Of course I took pictures along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

We got to a spot where the Tree of Life just looked so pretty so we stopped and took a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

Back on our way.

 

 

 

We used our fast passes for the Safari, but we really didn’t need to. The line was non- existent. We cruised through the queue and I took a couple pictures…all of which came out extremely blurry.

 

Soon we were loaded in our vehicle.

 

 

This is where I made a mistake. It was SUPER hot. And there was no one in line after us, so the back few seats sat empty. BUT without thinking, all four of us jammed in 1 row. I was in the middle, and it did not work well for picture taking, plus it was so hot and sticky. We should’ve separated into 2 rows; it would’ve been more airy and easier to get shots.

I also was fighting with the point and shoot camera. I had a heck of a time finding the animals on the screen, so I have a lot of blurry or half pictures of animals. I took a LOT, but more than half were really bad.

 

 

I thought it was funny that the bird was standing on the Hippo’s (who is under water) back.

 

 

If you look hard enough, you might see some blurry crocs in there.

 

 

Here is one of those trees that they say only has leaves like 1 month a year, or something like that. We wondered if they were real or not, since none of us have ever seen a leaf on them…I have since read that the ones at Disney are fake.

 

 

 

 

 

I took this one because way back there is the building that the Africa Trek people go to. I think they look out over the Savannah from there; it might be where they eat lunch too.

 

 

 

 

I really loved the Giraffes, and I kept shooting away, but had a hard time getting what I wanted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I kept trying to get the baby, but again, It just wasn’t going to be a perfect shot.

 

 

Some more fake trees.

 

 

 

The Mingos!!!!!

I love the flamingos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those fluffy, blurry balls are ostriches, and it looks like they have no heads.

 

 

I had like 6 pictures of the lion, one was completely missing him and the others were blurry on only had a body part. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

Evidently we were playing a game of hide-n-seek.

 

 

I would like to call the next couple of pictures “the butt series”.

 

 

 

 

One last Ostrich before we call it quits.

 

 

We got off and tried to decide what to do. It was getting closer to closing time, so our options were going to be limited. Mindy wanted to do Dinosaur, but my head was pounding again with a headache, and the bumpy safari ride hadn’t helped it any. I told her she could go, but I was passing on it this time, since it’s so jerky. I decided I was just going to leisurely start walking to the front and take pictures. I was so fed up with the point and shoot after the safari that I decided to see if I could squeeze a little more battery life out of the SLR.

The other 3 decided to head up front and shop a bit before heading back. Mindy’s ultimate goal was to go swim in Storm Along Bay back at the Yacht Club. I think Patty agreed to go in with her for a bit. I am not much of a swimmer, and without Claire, it just didn’t sound fun to me.

 

I’m happy to say, my SLR did last until I left the park, so I got some shots as I walked up towards the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always love to look at this little area.

 

 

 

[jenseib]

I took a nice leisurely pace as I headed up front, just clicking here and there.

 

 

 

I also stopped in a few shops and took a look around. I bought a package of pin backs. With all the pins we were getting, I’m sure I would lose a back here or there. It would be nice to have some spares.

 

I also got Claire a stuffed Eeyore.

 

 

He is so fluffy and cute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I stopped and had a family hold up P and F for me, so I could get a picture of them here.

 

 

The parents laughed about it and thought it was such a nice idea to be doing that for Claire.

 

 

 

 

 

I just love these flowers.

 

 

 

It was pretty close to park closing time when I walked out.

 

 

I slowly made my way to the bus stop and one was waiting for me! I didn’t have a lot of good bus Karma this trip, so it was nice to get right on a bus.

 

 

Look at that list. One thing I did NOT like about the Yacht Club…it had several bus stops.

 

 

Soon we pulled out, but we had to stop at one of the Waterparks too. I took some pictures as we pulled in.

 

 

Next was the Swan and Dolphin stop.

 

 

 

Finally we arrived back at the Yacht Club and I headed back to our room.

 

I was surprised to see that Brook wasn’t back yet. I charged my phone a bit, called home, changed camera batteries and freshened up a bit.

Brook finally came back and said “wow, those girls can shop”. LOL! But I don’t think anyone had bought anything, just a lot of browsing. She said they had to wait a long time for a bus too. I am thinking they were not far behind me and got there just as my bus had taken off.

Joe and Henry came on over to meet up with Brook and they were going to head off for some family time at Epcot. Henry had a little play with Phineas and Ferb before they headed out.

At one point in time we had all talked about going to the Chip –n- Dale campfire over at Fort Wilderness. But we threw those plans out the window. It was so hot, and we just couldn’t imagine sitting in front of a campfire.

Mindy and Patty had gone to Storm along Bay. After feeling cooled and refreshed, I ventured out. My plan was to go to Magic Kingdom for the rest of the evening. It wasn’t open very late, but I was going to make the best of my time there.

 

I walked towards the lobby via the outside route and took a couple of pictures too.

 

 

 

As I reached the lobby, I saw a flash of someone out of the corner of my eye walking fast. I did a double take and saw it was Patty. She was heading back to the room. She said she left Mindy in the pool, as she wasn’t ready to leave it yet. Patty asked what I was doing, and I told her and she asked if she could come with me. SURE! So we went back to her room so she could change and then back out to the bus stop.

Here is where we became a bit frustrated with the buses. It took forever for the Magic Kingdom bus to come. I think we waited over 20 minutes. We were not happy at all with that.

It appeared that no busses came in a timely manner here, and we heard others complain as well. Some were saying how they were now going to be late for ADR’s, etc.

 

A bus finally did come and we were off to MK. Patty and I were hungry, and decided we would try to get a dole whip first, then go on to find some other food.

We went inside, only to find that the Main Street Electrical Parade had JUST started. UGH! There were massive crowds. There was no way we were going to make our way over to get a dole whip. We pushed our way through the sidewalk and Patty decided to duck into the bakery to get a chocolate crescent to go.

We then headed back out again, thinking we could make our way to Fantasyland and get something to eat at Pinocchio’s.

 

I did try for a few pictures as we walked, but they were just awful shots.

 

We made our way to Fantasyland, only to find out that Pinocchio’s was closing. We had just missed it by mere seconds. We looked on our schedule to see what was still open at that hour and found a few, including Columbia Harbor House, so we headed off in that direction.

 

We got in line at Columbia Harbor House and looked over the menu as we waited. I have had their tuna sandwich in the past, it was great, but I decided to go for something different this time. We both got the fish baskets.

I was so hungry that I just dove in and did not take a picture. It was just OK. I should’ve gotten the Tuna. It was a bit greasy, nothing over the top special, but it did its job.

Mindy texted Patty and let her know she was heading over. We let her know that the food supply was limited. It looked like Cosmic Rays was going to be her only choice.

 

After we had full bellies we decided it was time to use our Space Mountain Fast Passes.

While walking over the fireworks started, so we stopped and watched them. I took several pictures, and not one of them is any good, so I am not even going to bother posting them.

 

We dug out our fastpasses and got inline. The standby time said 80 minutes…..wow! It didn’t appear to be THAT busy…..and it wasn’t. The fastpass line was actually longer than the standby line. The standby was more like 8 minutes wait. We actually debated jumping over and saving them for another time….and we should have. Even when it came time to hand over the FP’s we hesitated.

 

This was the first time I have ridden Space since the refurb. It’s still bumpy, but much better than it was before. We laughed and giggled the whole way. It was fun. I did take some redneck photos as well.

 

 

 

We headed out and got in line for Buzz, which showed a 6 minute wait.

 

 

 

And we waited, and waited, and waited. 6 minute went by, and we still hadn’t even taken a step. I asked a CM a couple of times if the ride had a problem, and she said no. I finally told her that the wait says 6 minutes, but we haven’t even moved in that time, so she went inside to find out. During that time, several people started stepping out of line and we moved forward. We could peek in and see that it was indeed NOT running, and they didn’t know how long it would be. We decided to get out of line.

 

Mindy met up with us and said she had eaten, but wasn’t too happy with whatever it was. She had bought a brownie at the bakery on the way in, along with a drink, just in case Cosmic Rays wasn’t open. She asked if I would hold it in my bag while we played.

 

We all debated what to do. Mindy suggested a few things, but I wanted to go to the Tiki room as it had just reopened after its refurb, so we headed that way. I did tell them that if they didn’t want to do what I wanted, that was fine, we could separate, but I had limited time, so I wanted to do a few things on my list. I must say, the Tiki room never got crossed off that list either.

As we walked in front of the castle to cross over to Adventureland, we realized the Memories show was about to start. I said I wanted to see it, as I never did last Spring, and they both wanted to as well. So we plopped right down and watched it. We were right up front and could see it very clearly.

All I can say is ….WHAT AN AMAZING SHOW!!!!! I loved this…..and took about 5 million pictures too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were sitting there, Patty realized that her room key (with charging privileges on it) and park ticket was gone. She figured it was lost when we fished out our fast passes for Space Mountain. She quickly called the Yacht Club and they made sure no one could use her card. We decided to walk over to where we had pulled out our fastpasses and see if by chance the ticket or KTTW was lying on the ground.

 

One last picture before we headed that way.

 

[jenseib]

I can totally relate to Patty’s worry. I had lost several things last Spring. I was surprised at how calm she was. But once she had made sure no one could use her card to charge with, she seemed a bit happier.

We walked around the area, and no such luck for us. We spotted a CM with a broom, so we went over to him. I looked at his name tag, and it said he was from Kissimmee. That had to be a lie. When we asked if a card had been found in the area….he replied with…blah blah blah. …Yep, We had no clue what he said. It sounded like a Jamaican accent. I think we asked him 3 times and all just looked at each other like what the heck…but then Mindy must speak a little Jamaican because she finally understood that he said to go to City Hall.

We decided to take a spin on Buzz now that it was running again. Patty felt better now, and was going to just keep going for a bit.

 

Patty and Mindy rode together.

 

 

I didn’t even attempt any pictures on the ride…I was too busy kicking butt. LOL

 

I did get our redneck photos though on the way out.

 

 

 

We tried to get on the People Mover, but it was closed. It was 11 and official park closing time. There was one more showing of the MSEP though, so we headed towards the hub. I wanted to watch it in Liberty Square. It usually has great spots to see it, but that wasn’t too be. The parade had reached the hub already and there was absolutely no way to get though. So we stopped behind some people to watch from there. This was not an ideal spot at all. I took a lot of pictures, but most are really bad.

We had some adults in front of us that didn’t seem to care about anyone around them. The guy had on a tall mad Hatter hat and it was hard to see around him. They also had a bubble gun and kept shooting it. The wind was blowing slightly….into my face. And the bubbles smelt really bad. Not sure what it was, but they just had a horrid smell. Who wants that in your face, along with it popping on your skin. They passed this gun around from person to person and finally the kid got it and wouldn’t stop…and I had had it with the bubbles. So I nicely, but firmly asked the kid to stop blowing the bubbles as they were going in my face. One of the adults quickly turned around and asked me what I said to the kid, so I told her. She just said oh, and turned around. I think she was stunned I had said something. LOL! Probably my stern face was telling her to not argue about it.

 

Here are my parade photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the parade ended, some CM’s came over to take down the poles and ropes. This CM in front of me couldn’t get the rope off the pole. She was worried and asked for help. I picked the pole out of the ground untwisted the rope and handed it to her. Evidently that was the wrong thing to do as I got a dirty look and she put the pole back in, then asked for help, and another CM came over and did the same thing. Oh well. I tried.

 

Patty decided she wanted to go back to the Yacht Club and get her new KTTW and make sure everything was taken care of. I think they were also going to stop at City Hall as well, but I found out later they never did.

I wanted to linger a bit longer. I actually hoped to get back to Fantasyland to take some pictures, but it was completely closed off. I worked my way through the shops. It was still crowded and I didn’t want to just stand at the bus stop, so I figured the longer I took the less wait I would have when I got there.

 

First a few pictures of the castle.

 

 

 

 

On to the shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a while, Mindy texted me and let me know that she had left her brownie and drink in my bag. I told her I would text her when I got back to YC and she could meet up with me to get it. I believe they were just getting on the bus and said the wait wasn’t actually too bad.

 

I continued taking pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

I went into the art store, something I never had done before and it was really neat to see all the different pictures. I wish I had the money to buy a couple. They were amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a quick walk through the candy shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I walked out I noticed some magical sounds and a bit of music I believe. It was the Magic Kingdom’s “kiss Goodnight’. I had never seen this before and though it wasn’t anything super special, it was still nice to be part of.

 

 

 

 

I also wanted to get a couple pictures of P and F before I left…and I waited and waited and waited. This young couple was in front of me and they took 5 zillion pictures. And the guy then videotaped the girl. He was interviewing her about her first day at MK. It was sweet, but I was tired and just wanted to snap a couple and leave.

 

 

 

 

I then left.

 

 

It was about midnight when I made my way to the bus and walked right on with no wait whatsoever. The driver would ask each person where they were going. I think he was going to avoid any resorts that didn’t have passengers, but sadly, as we waited, more people trickled on and there was at least one person per stop.

 

I put the camera away for the night. When I got to the Yacht Club, I texted Mindy to meet me out at a bench nearby. She found me and we talked. And I handed off the brownie. She was full of energy and talked away. Finally I said I had to get to bed. I think it was almost 1:30 before I got back to the room, and I was beat.

It was another wonderful, but long day. And we had more fun planned for the next one.

 

And that ends Day 3 of the trip.

 

 

---- ----

 

 

I forgot to add the photopass pictures we took that night. Not many, but here they are.

 

 

 

[Coaster Cow]

That one pic of the Boardwalk at dusk a ways up = WOW. Your attention to detail is fun, too, it indulges me in between trips to Orlando.

[thrillrider]

Can't wait till our trip in july.

 

I was reading on a Disney fan site that the mermaid ride was actually complete inside, and a soft opening is going to happen this summer some time. I hope this happens before july. It would totaly make up for test track being down.

[jenseib]

That one pic of the Boardwalk at dusk a ways up = WOW. Your attention to detail is fun, too, it indulges me in between trips to Orlando.

 

Thanks I like that paicture too.

I actually had a person from Cruise critic edit it too as she is a professional photographer and she does some amazing stuff. It put my edit to shame. Here they are Mine is first.

 

 

And here is her version. I wish I knew how to do all these fancy editing tricks.

 

 

[jenseib]

Can't wait till our trip in july.

 

I was reading on a Disney fan site that the mermaid ride was actually complete inside, and a soft opening is going to happen this summer some time. I hope this happens before july. It would totaly make up for test track being down.

 

That is great to know. I hadn't heard that. I hope it is running next Nov. We plan to take a couple days at WDW afterr our cruise.

[jenseib]

August 17th, ~ Wednesday ~ Day 4

 

I set my alarm on my phone just a little earlier today. I was up before Brook, so I went to the shower and turned on the water to warm it up. It took FOREVER! I couldn’t believe how long it took. I finally just jumped in and took a shower in luke warm water pretty much. Not my idea of a nice refreshing or relaxing shower.

 

Brook hopped in after me and we both got ready. Luckily neither of us have to be total beauty queens before we leave the room ,so it didn’t take us very long to get ready. Brook has the advantage of naturally curly hair, so she didn’t even have to blow dry. She just lets it go and it dries nicely (Insert so jealous smiley here!!!!) I do have to blow dry, but let’s just say most days it was just a fluff and that would have to do.

Brook left a little before me. We were heading to the conference room this morning for class. We had been to the conference center, but honestly I couldn’t remember where it was. Brook texted me after she got there and gave me some simple directions.

I walked outside and called home. Today was Claire’s first day of school, and I wanted to be sure to talk to her before she left.

 

I tried to take a few pictures while walking, but I had the ever dreaded fogged lens, so I didn’t get too many.

 

I walked through the lobby to get to the convention center.

 

 

 

 

 

And a little jog outside.

 

 

 

And into the Convention Center.

 

 

 

I took more pictures, but most are blurry.

 

I believe our conference room that day was way at the end of the hall and to the right. When I approached, I saw they had the breakfast buffet set up right in the hallway.

I went and found a seat next to Brook. We each had tote bags on our chair today. It had all sorts of goodies in them, like books about the resorts and a workbook for class. We had pads of papers at our spot as well as pens too. All that fun geeky stuff I love.

I went out to the buffet and took some pictures, then grabbed a plate for myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a nice little set up. Nothing super fantastic, but it did its job. Each day was pretty much the same food with a few differences here and there.

 

I guess I didn’t take a picture of my actual plate this morning, but I assure you, I had a bit of everything. They also had juices and different Pops to drink. We could get pop, juice or coffee all through the class.

 

Mindy arrived and said Patty got her room key all settled, but still didn’t have a park ticket, so she went to talk to Tommy about it. Patty was running late because she had stopped off at the YC desk to take care of things there. Tommy issued Patty another ticket with no problem at all.

 

I didn’t really take pictures during class, except for these 2.

 

 

 

I can’t remember everything we covered in class, but I know some of it was marketing ourselves and Aulani. Rita had toured it recently and had some wonderful pictures of it.

 

It was a nice class, but many of us knew a lot that was covered, since we specialize in Disney at our agency. But we did learn new things and the marketing part was nice to hear other ideas.

 

After a couple hours of class and a few potty breaks, it was time to board the bus again. More resort touring for us.

 

I have to laugh, because I checked facebook on my phone while we were in transit and some of our fellow TA’s were wondering why we hadn’t updated that morning, and then they realized it was our first “class day”. … So we tried to update a bit more to keep them happy!

 

Off we go!

 

 

I always feel the need to take a picture of the Goofy Bus.

 

We passed the new pet center and I snapped a couple of quick pictures. I had never seen the pet Center before, but only read about it once for a potential client who wanted to bring her dog along.

 

 

 

Our first resort of the day was Fort Wilderness Camp grounds. We were going to tour a Cabin, which I was excited to see.

 

 

We pulled off to the side and Tommy went in to get a KTTW for a cabin.

 

 

 

I took pictures out the window, but nothing too great since we were pulled off at a spot that didn’t allow us to see much.

 

 

Soon we were headed into the campground.

 

 

 

 

I just took random pictures out the window as we drove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We pulled off to the side of the road and unloaded and walked back to the cabin we were going to tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

We entered the Cabin and took a look around. Rita and Tommy split up in different areas so they could explained some of the features as we walked around and looked.

 

 

 

 

I honestly was not taking pictures of the other agents. LOL! It was just crowded so I didn’t have much choice but to get them in as I was shooting the different things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved the murphey bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the bathroom. This was set up much like a mobile home is.

 

 

 

The bedroom had a queen bed and a bunk bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was pretty crowded in there with 40 plus people going in and out, so after I got a good look, I walked outside and headed back towards the bus.

 

 

 

 

Once we boarded the bus we wove through the campground to our next destination, which included lunch!!!!

I did like Ft. Wilderness a lot. The cabins were adorable and roomy. The downfall is that it is a hug place. It would not be an easy walk to get to the buses to the parks or the main buildings for that matter. Many people rent or bring along golf carts to get around, and I think that would be a must. There is an internal bus system, but it could take a while to get to where you wanted to go.

 

 

 

 

We even saw a deer in the woods as we drove along. I did get a shot of it, but it’s really blurry and you can barely tell what the picture is.

 

 

I love how some campsites decorate for the holidays. It’s suppose to be beautiful at Christmas time.

 

 

Next destination….Wilderness Lodge!!!!!

I have to say that this is my dream resort. I have always wanted to stay here. I just love the look of the place and the grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

Isn’t she beautiful?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caught Brook in action.

 

 

 

 

 

The lobby is just breath taking to me and it is really hard to get a good picture of it.