Where in WDW? Challenge 170

It's time once again to play our favorite quiz game ... Where in WDW? where you get to test your knowledge of Walt Disney World. Everything shown will be in areas where guests can see them - in other words, no backstage shots. From time to time, however, you may be asked to identify something that was but no longer exists. Have fun ... either post your guess in the comments below or other location on which this was posted.


Last time you were challenged to identify Where in WDW you would find this ...

This can be found on curtain at the Country Bear Jamboree in the Magic Kingdom.

Didn't get it? Well, here is another one for you - Where in WDW? might you have seen this?

As usual, make your guess in the COMMENTS section below or other location on which this was posted and then stop back next time to see if you were correct.

Where in WDW? Challenge 121

It's time once again to play our favorite quiz game ... Where in WDW? where you get to test your knowledge of Walt Disney World. Everything shown will be in areas where guests can see them - in other words, no backstage shots. From time to time, however, you may be asked to identify something that was but no longer exists. Have fun ... either post your guess in the comments below or other location on which this was posted.


Last time you were challenged to identify Where in WDW you would find this ...

This can be found above the stage at Country Bear Jamboree in the Magic Kingdom.

Didn't get it? Well, here is another one for you - Where in WDW? would you see this?

As usual, make your guess in the COMMENTS section below or other location on which this was posted and then stop back next time to see if you were correct.

December Trip Report ... December 10 ... Magic Kingdom and EPCOT -or- This is Florida, why is it so cold?

Day 1 

Fastpasses start this morning at the Magic Kingdom. It was a very cold night (into the 30’s) so we are quite bundled up. Also, I am feeling some muscular/skeletal issues from the sessions of radiation I had just finished before coming down. That would stay with me throughout this trip. Arriving at the park, Jenny, Cathy and I head towards Space Mountain, our first fastpass of the day, but notice that there is zero line for the Astro Orbiter. Jenny and I had only been on that once in the past and I believe Cathy had never been on it so we decided to take advantage of the situation. Remember it was cold and we were now going up in the air and round and round. We survived! So now it was time for Space Mountain. 

After Space Mountain it was time for coffees (Jenny and me) and a hot chocolate (Cathy) followed by a tour of Tomorrowland on the TTA Peoplemover. Our next fastpass takes us towards the Jungle Cruise, now wearing its Jingle Cruise overlay. 

After a pun filled trip, hunger started setting in and Jenny suggested Columbia Harbour House which met with all of our approvals. While all three of us got the clam chowder, it’s not served in the bread bowl as in days past, but a plain cardboard container. It was tasty and did however warm us up.

Lunch done, our next fastpass would be Splash Mountain, but as we headed over there, we discovered that Cathy had never experienced the fun that is the Country Bear Jamboree, and since there was still some time until our fastpass window opened, it became a necessity to introduce her to the bears. I dare say that a good time was had by all.

Time to walk over towards Splash Mountain, but it wasn’t yet time for us to use our fastpass, so we just hung out for a while until the window opened, at which point we proceeded on. The cold weather did not dampen (see what I did there?) our spirits and while we did get a bit wet, it was nothing like the soaking you would get on Kali RIver over at Animal Kingdom. (That had been the ride that I had never experienced until last year - on a day that even with my big umbrella we couldn’t get any wetter - Jenny and Cathy did get me to ride.) Jenny is there ... hanging on to Cathy's arm.

Lunch would happen at Coral Reef over in EPCOT, and since the day was winding on, it was time to head over there. Don't you love the Disney Magic Pictures? 

Perfect timing as we got there right as our reservation time approached. I checked in and then we had a short wait until we were called. I had been there in the past a number of times but neither Jenny nor Cathy had. We were seated up close to the tank - though you have a good view from wherever you sit - with a wonderful view. The food was good and the adult beverages went down nicely.

After lunch we went on a quest for a cider flight ... not really sure where it could be had. At Canada Jenny and I decided to each get an icewine flight, and Cathy would get a wine of her choosing. Turns out that one of the wines that made up the flight was out of stock and as such the flight was unavailable, so Jenny and I got  Riesling icewines. While there, the cast member pointed us to the location of the cider flight - the Bavarian stand in Germany. We headed over there. They did indeed have the flight we were looking for, and three flights were ordered. 

By this time it had started to get quite cold, so it was time to head back and call it a night.

October, 2013 Trip Report - Day 5

Day 5 

Today is our final full day here and we decide to spend it at the Magic Kingdom once again. When we arrive in the park we take the train from Main Street to Fantasyland once again to obtain FastPass+ times.

Our first FastPass+ is for The Haunted Mansion, which had lines so long yesterday that we decided not to wait. However, today the crowds at the Magic Kingdom are much smaller than they were yesterday, but we can still save some time by using FastPass+ to head directly into the mansion. The FP+ queue, however, does bypass the interactive graveyard.

Once inside, we are greeted by the Ghost Host.

We step in to the stretch room ...

... board our doombuggy to venture into the mansion where we leave the library to be greeted by Madam Leotta ...

... and the bride in the attic. (At this point I have to let you know that all the shots on this blog which were taken inside of any attraction, as always, were taken without the use of flash. Please pay attention to the cast members when they inform you that flash is not permitted.)

After leaving the mansion, we pause under Rapunzel's tower to make a pit stop.

This new area is a great place to sit down, relax, and there are even charging stations for your electronics when necessary.

It's now time for lunch, and we decide to eat at Pinocchio Village Haus - we haven't eaten here in a very long time.

Next stop - the Carousel of Progress.

We continue around the park, with our next destination being Pirates of the Caribbean - another attraction which we did not partake of when we were last here.

Call me odd, but I still get a thrill from the Tiki Room now that the original show has been restored ... even if it is an abridged version.

Our final attraction for the day is the Country Bear Jamboree.

My favorite bear ... Big Al

It's now time to leave the Magic Kingdom and head back to our room where we will have to pack for tomorrow's trip home. Happily it is a late flight so we will be able to spend some time in a park before being driven to the airport.

Tonight we take the shuttle to All Star Movies to have dinner in the food court (remember, they are refurbishing the All Star Sports food court and it is closed during this visit). This will also be the first time we get to used our Rapid Fill (RFID enabled) mugs ... they have cast members filling your mug at All Star Sports.

After dinner we pack, and are ready for our last day.

Wordless Wednesday - The Letter "J"

This week's Wordless Wednesday's theme is The Letter J.
Thanks to Deb for hosting this blog hop - why don't you stop by and join in.

"J" can be many things in Disney parlance, but for me
it's a Jamboree - specifically ...

Country Bear Jamboree!

(Please note: be considerate of your fellow guests and obey all the instructions regarding the use of flash photography and video lighting when you are inside attractions. All of these photos were taken without the use of flash.)

    

Disney By Sea and Land - Days 14 & 15

Day 14 - January 30

Today Iris goes back to work, so we will mostly be on our own. We have breakfast early before she picks us up and we drive to EPCOT. Unlike a previous day where we wind up parking at the far end of the row, this morning we are the last car to be parked before a new row is started, so today we are the closest car to the tram. This is convenient, since after Iris gets us in to the park, she will be heading home to prepare for her first day back at work.

Once we are in, and have our park hopper for the day, Iris heads back home and we head to the monorail which we will be taking to the Magic Kingdom. Since Sandy did not accompany us to Enchanted Tales with Belle in New Fantasyland when we were last in the Magic Kingdom, it will be the first order of business today.

Belle's cottage

When we arrive in New Fanstasyland we find that the posted wait time is 30 minutes, and the queue seems just a bit longer than when Iris and I were here a few days ago, so we get on line. We meet a very nice family and chat with them which makes our wait seem very short indeed.

Once inside, Sandy gets drafted into the little play - as the laughing portrait.

In the next room, she is introduced to Belle.

When we are finished in Belle's cottage, we decide to head to the new Little Mermaid ride. We have already ridden it during the soft opening the last time we were here, but there is no wait and we get right on, once again.

After this, we decide that we will once again eat in Be Our Guest, and head to it, passing Gaston's Tavern along the way.

Just before we get to the ordering stations, I get a text message from a member of an online Disney newsgroup (rec.arts.Disney.parks - RADP) who I have known only online for about 20 years, but had never met in person. She is in the area and before I know it has found us in the queue. We have a very pleasant lunch together, and enjoy finally meeting in person.

We next decide to head to It's A Small World, but when we get there we find that the attraction is closed, so we continue on to The Haunted Mansion. From there it's just a short walk to The Country Bear Jamboree.

My favorite - Big Al

We stop next for a short break ... and a Dole Whip before continuing on to the Tiki Room and Pirates of the Caribbean. Then, it's back over to the other side of the park and the Carousel of Progress - which was my favorite attraction at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.

Grandma is still the resident ace!

At this point Sandy wants to look through the Emporium so I find a bench and get to watch the flag retreat ceremony.

Once Sandy is finished, we sit on the porch of the theater (after she buys her Photo Pass photos with Belle from earlier in the day) until it is time for our dinner at Tony's.

Finally, it is time to call it a day and head back to Pop Century.

Day 15 - January 31

Today is our last day here, and we fly home this evening. Our flight is late enough that Iris would be able to drive is to the airport after work, or we would have made arrangements for Disney's Magical Express to pick us up. There are two types of busses that collect guest at the resorts (other than the park busses) - the Cruise Line bus (the happy bus) and the Magical Express bus (the sad bus).

We start our day by packing and then bringing the luggage which we will check on the flight home to the airline check-in counter where we check our luggage onto our flight and receive our boarding passes (after a bit of juggling since one of the suitcases was 3 ounces overweight). We then have breakfast at the food court before we return to our room to pick up our carry-ons before leaving the room for the last time.

We proceed to leave our carry-ons with luggage services and then head to Downtown Disney. My original thought was that since Iris works right across from the West Side, it would be the most convenient place for her to meet us after work, but I had forgotten that her first day was an on-call day, and she was working from home. Not that it matters, since she sends me a text that her work day would end about lunch time and that she could meet us Downtown Disney and have lunch with us - which we do at Earl of Sandwich.

Finally the time comes to leave Downtown Disney, pick up our carry-ons at Pop Century and head to the airport.

However, once at the airport and at the gate (very early I will admit), the flight to Newark before ours comes back to the gate and discharges its passengers. It seems that there is bad weather in the NY area, and flights to Newark airport are not being allowed to take off. This affects our flight as well. As it turns out, the flight which left its passengers back into the Orlando terminal is delayed 5 hours before it is allowed to continue. Our flight - which has now had its gate changed - is only delayed 90 minutes.

Once aboard our flight, things go smoothly, and all too soon we are home - another trip behind us. Time now to plan the next one.