Trip Report Will the Magic Happen for Me?

We're here! The trip planning started in July and we are finally in our POFQ room.

This is a do-over trip from a few years ago. Husband had a confrence at the Swolfin and The Boy and I tagged along for the magic. The Boy ended up getting sick and we had to miss MNSSHP.

Husband calle me from work to tell me that he had airline vouchers expriring in October. We couldn't get a boy and dog sitter so, we decided on Disney.

October 3-6 at the POFQ, MNSSHP, and a day in the park of our choice. Magical, right?

The Good: We got our bands for the testing. I only have the hotel reservation and the MNSSHP tickets on my MyMagic+ so I was surprised that I was going to be included in the testing. I have alreay made FastPasses for Buzz, Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion for our night.

My older passes do not work with the online system so, I amgoing to have to wait until I get to DD and find a ticket agent to transfer the old tickets to new tickets or to the band.

Then, I will be *super magical*

On Line Check in was not worth the trouble. It was slow. I tried to be understanding because our CM was "earning her ears". It was late and I wanted to get back to the room. People who had gotten off the bus after me had cheecked in and had gone back to their rooms.

What is the big deal about online check in again? I wasn't feeling the magic.

Small list of complaints:

• Phone message light is on but the message system doesn't work. Probelm in both PO resorts. Light is blinky.
• Package orderd with water has not arrived. We will be sharing water as we leave.
• Online check in takes longer than regular check in.
• The room is a bit noisy. Neighbors flusshing, Other neighbors making weird clomping noises.
• Husband has been furloughed. It makes for a weird vacation.

Good Stuff:

• The boy was very excited when he found out we were going to WDW, It was a good surprisee. He talked non-stop until we handed him a tablet and some earphones.
• The rooms are clean and the FQ looks easy to navigate.
• We're at Disney World!

My goal:

• I want to find 5 great CM and report their goodness to Town Hall. (I brought a pen and notebook with me)
• I want to pass a little bit of magic on to another guest. A Minor Magical Moment.
• I want to re-ride my childhood favorates by my self. I am hoping not to cry while on iasw. It will be my first time since Grandpa died.
• I want to take great pictures with the PhotoPass photographers.
• I want to run into other guests or CMs who understand our costumes and play along. (there might be a little parting gift for them)

This doesn't have to be the ***BEST VACATION EVER*** but, I would like it to be a good one.

 

[ThatBrunette]

Oh, can anyone recommend a nearby pharmacy? I grabbed the wrong pill bottle. I am sure my Dr. will call in the Rx for me. It looks like I can take a taxi to a Walgreens from Downtown Disney.

Has anyone had expereiene with this?

 

[BeastlyKingdomme]

Walgreens is not too far from Downtown Disney at all. I know some taxi drivers like to take advantage of guests not knowing the property well though. Just make sure the only roads on property he takes you on are Buena Vista Dr and Hotel Plaza Blvd.

 

[Longers]

Good luck with your challenges, have fun

 

[ThatBrunette]

I took a taxi from DD to Walgreens to get my pills. Irritating and expensive, but I got it done.

I apologize for any spelling mistakes, my tablet does not have spellcheck.

MNSSHP is a good way to spend an evening. We had a lot of fun as Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys. A few CM recognized our costumes. I think only one or two guests got it. The guy at the recpetion desk in POFQ thought my husband was one of the Impossibles. There were about 100 people dressed as Impossibles at the park. They shoould have gotten together and took a huge group photo!

We missed the running of the Headless Horseman on the first parade. He was happily headless on the second run.

Dr. Facilier flirted with me from his float! He was great for both parades and was really into his roll. He was so good, I forgot to look at Maleficent.

My son can't have fake dyes or fake sugar. I called special diets before leaving on the trip and they told me to go to Guest Services for "safe" candy. All of their safe candies were highly dyed hard candies. The woman at GS gave me a little toy car as a consolation prize. (This will be magical later)

I really enjoy having the PhotoPass. It's nice to have pictures of the entire family and to get a few magial ones as a bonus. I got to retake a photo from 1977 with a fun photographer. He loved the idea of recapturing old memories.

Oh, all the "bad" candy we got from the treat trails will be given out at Halloween.

I am not thrilled with POFQ as a hotel. It's noisy, check in was very slow, the food is mediocre and the grounds are not well kept. I know, I'm paying for the magic. Housekeeping is good and some of the amenities are nice. Husband is a Marriott member so, I have a level of quality in my mind when I check into any hotel. I've gotten fussy in my old age.

 

[ThatBrunette]

Due to a delightful glitch, I was able to get 3 FP+s on our MagicBands for MNSSHP. We got to the park later than I had planned but in time to get our 4-5pm Buzz FP. We didn't need them. The wait times at MK were short all over the park. I got Red Card-ed! I've never gotten one so I carried like a trophy through the queue.


BeaglesGettingReady by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

Next was the Laugh Floor, one of my faves. I worked in the office of a comedy club in the early 90s so, I appreciate a good stand up routine. Husband was "That Guy"!!! I squeed and clapped when the spot dropped on him. Husband looked bewildered and I was thrilled.


BeagleBoysFrenchQuarter by ThatBrunette, on Flickr
Yeah, I don't know why I am making that face.

We then jetted over to the HM for the next FP+ and another Red Card. We had a good CM for the stretching room. I like them when they are...ahem...lively. <ba dum pum sisss>

Dear people wearing blinking accessories, Please turn off your irritating, seizure-causing, attention-grabbing things before going into a dark ride. Thank you.

 

[ThatBrunette]

So, @HouCuseChickie and @Jessica Meier I say we ditch the family and have our own magical vacation. We know we appreciate hard work and planning. No pre-planning will be wasted.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I'm so sorry that things didn't get off to the best of starts, but it sounds like you still had some fun. I LOOOOOOOOVE the costumes! Also good that you were able to take advantage of some of the FP+s that went along with the MNSSHP tix. Also great that your husband got to be "that guy." We've only done Laugh Floor once as a family, but no such luck with DH being selected. I know what you mean about the flashing blinky stuff. I made the kids turn off their mask/bow before HM. Of course they wear those darn Twinkle Toes sneakers some of the time...so I usually cross my fingers on dark rides and theaters that they don't go off at that point. The worst is driving with them...it always looks like police lights when you're driving in the dark.

So, @HouCuseChickie and @Jessica Meier I say we ditch the family and have our own magical vacation. We know we appreciate hard work and planning. No pre-planning will be wasted.

Agreed! We'd all enjoy it, we'd all appreciate it, we might have different must do things- but we'd likely have a great time doing every last one of them, no whining about bathrooms or snacks, etc.

 

[ThatBrunette]

I got a little magic.

I dropped Husband and son off near the castle to watch the first Boo to You parade and went off to Guest Services for some "safe" candy. I called Dining before I left to let them know our candy needs. The delightful Dining CM told me GS had plenty of "safe" candy for me, all I had to do was ask for it.

Traveling down Main Street is much easier and faster alone. I got to GS and asked for my "safe" candy. (yup, in quotes) The CM asked me about my candy needs. I told her we needed candy free of fake sugar (high fructose corn syrup, aspartame) and free of fake dyes (anything with a #). She gave me a weird look and went in the back to check. The CM came back apologizing profusely that they didn't have "safe" candy. All the candies in the back were hard candies for either tree/nut allergies or diabetics. As a consolation prize, she gave me a toy car.

CIMG0572 by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

Disney magic is best when not expected.

 

[ThatBrunette]

Oh, @englanddg, I was able to get a picture by the fountain you identified in my 1977 photos. I was able to find it because of you! We're in costume, but I got it. It's on the PhotoPass thingy so, I won't have it for a week or two.

 

[englanddg]

Oh, @englanddg, I was able to get a picture by the fountain you identified in my 1977 photos. I was able to find it because of you! We're in costume, but I got it. It's on the PhotoPass thingy so, I won't have it for a week or two.

Oh, now I get it. You moved the post over here.

I was so confused!

Can't wait to see it when you get it back. Please post! <grin>

 

[englanddg]

Due to a delightful glitch, I was able to get 3 FP+s on our MagicBands for MNSSHP. We got to the park later than I had planned but in time to get our 4-5pm Buzz FP. We didn't need them. The wait times at MK were short all over the park. I got Red Card-ed! I've never gotten one so I carried like a trophy through the queue.


BeaglesGettingReady by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

Next was the Laugh Floor, one of my faves. I worked in the office of a comedy club in the early 90s so, I appreciate a good stand up routine. Husband was "That Guy"!!! I squeed and clapped when the spot dropped on him. Husband looked bewildered and I was thrilled.


BeagleBoysFrenchQuarter by ThatBrunette, on Flickr
Yeah, I don't know why I am making that face.

We then jetted over to the HM for the next FP+ and another Red Card. We had a good CM for the stretching room. I like them when they are...ahem...lively. <ba dum pum sisss>

Dear people wearing blinking accessories, Please turn off your irritating, seizure-causing, attention-grabbing things before going into a dark ride. Thank you.

The Beagle Gang...best halloween costume EVAR!

 

[ThatBrunette]

Before heading off to MNSSHP, we ate lunch at T-Rex in DD. It was noisy but good.

A few weeks before our trip, I called T-Rex to check on their ingredients. I ended up talking to the head chef about our dietary 'issues'. He was very nice and took my information and said he was going to e-mail me with information later. I put a note on my calendar to call later.

Chef Bob e-mailed me an hour later with a lot of information about navigating the menu. I would have been happy with a list of 'things not to order'. Two days later, Chef Bob e-mailed me again with more information. The onion rings have Red Dye #40. Why??? I think Chef Bob was surprised that the majority of his menu had a lot of artificial ingredients. He offered to make fresh doughnuts for us!


Wooly from T-Rex by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

The actual restaurant experience was loud but good. Chef Terrell came out and took our order and made my meal personally. Our waiter, Sam, was fabulous! Ask for him! We never wanted for anything and he had great attitude.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Before heading off to MNSSHP, we ate lunch at T-Rex in DD. It was noisy but good.

A few weeks before our trip, I called T-Rex to check on their ingredients. I ended up talking to the head chef about our dietary 'issues'. He was very nice and took my information and said he was going to e-mail me with information later. I put a note on my calendar to call later.

Chef Bob e-mailed me an hour later with a lot of information about navigating the menu. I would have been happy with a list of 'things not to order'. Two days later, Chef Bob e-mailed me again with more information. The onion rings have Red Dye #40. Why??? I think Chef Bob was surprised that the majority of his menu had a lot of artificial ingredients. He offered to make fresh doughnuts for us!


Wooly from T-Rex by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

The actual restaurant experience was loud but good. Chef Terrell came out and took our order and made my meal personally. Our waiter, Sam, was fabulous! Ask for him! We never wanted for anything and he had great attitude.

We also found them to be really great with food allergies. That's crazy that there's red dye in the onion rings. I used to have sensitivity issues with Yellow #5 (and to a lesser degree, Yellow #6) and it was just always so odd to see all of the places it could turn up. Awesome about the fresh doughnut offer!

 

[ThatBrunette]

Here is a picture of us with our noses on and in the park.


BeagleBoys by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

The whole look comes together with the noses.

 

[ThatBrunette]

Jumping ahead to day two because I got the digital PP pictures.

I dragged Husband and the Boy over to Camp Mickey Minnie to see Chip and Dale. I wanted to recreate a picture I took in 1977. I showed the picture to the handler. She loved it. I showed the picture to the photographer. She loved it. I showed the photographer the picture again and asked if she could recreate the shot. She said yes.

Original

ChipDale1977 by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

What the crappy PhotoPass lady took

PhotoPassLady You Suck by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Jumping ahead to day two because I got the digital PP pictures.

I dragged Husband and the Boy over to Camp Mickey Minnie to see Chip and Dale. I wanted to recreate a picture I took in 1977. I showed the picture to the handler. She loved it. I showed the picture to the photographer. She loved it. I showed the photographer the picture again and asked if she could recreate the shot. She said yes.

Original

ChipDale1977 by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

What the crappy PhotoPass lady took

PhotoPassLady You Suck by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

I'm sorry that the recreated pic didn't turn out as you had hoped; however...I do LOVE your title of the new photo. Very fitting.

 

[ThatBrunette]

As for the experience with Chip and Dale, it was fabulous. Both C&D looked at my old photo through their eye-holes and did their best to pose themselves. They acted as if they were excited to help me recreate the scene. At the end of the session, Chip waved Dale over and both gave me a kiss. I will admit that I got a bit misty because they were so good to me. For me, it was a mini magical moment.

Crappy PhotoPass Lady took shots of me talking to the boys and showing them the old photos. Those pictures were also crappy.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

As for the experience with Chip and Dale, it was fabulous. Both C&D looked at my old photo through their eye-holes and did their best to pose themselves. They acted as if they were excited to help me recreate the scene. At the end of the session, Chip waved Dale over and both gave me a kiss. I will admit that I got a bit misty because they were so good to me. For me, it was a mini magical moment.

Crappy PhotoPass Lady took shots of me talking to the boys and showing them the old photos. Those pictures were also crappy.

I guess at least Chip & Dale were excited over it and ultimately helped create another great memory. Crappy Photopass Lady may have failed in capturing it on film, but I tend to have stronger (and sometimes fonder) memories of the things where there was a photo fail. I'll spare you my long story of the best photographic moment of our trip to Europe that ended up as a photo failure, but for whatever reason- the failure made the memory stronger. It doesn't excuse the Photopass photog for taking inferior photos, but hopefully you'll at least have great memories of this mini magical moment.

 

[ThatBrunette]

To counter Crappy PhotoPass Lady, we had the Extremely Sweet PhotoPass Guy in Frontier Land. I showed him my old photo and he said he would happily retake the picture. He then asked to see the other photos to see if he could help with more recreations. Tom Sawyer's Island was closed so, there wasn't much he could have done. Extremely Sweet PhotoPass Guy took multiple pictures for each of our poses. Good pictures.

Thanks to @englanddg for identifying the now plant-filled fountain so I could re-do my photo.

Here is the original...

WDW1977 by ThatBrunette, on Flickr

Slightly changed by time and makeup...

Photo By The Fountain by ThatBrunette, on Flickr