Trip Report When can we do this again? A Fractal family Odyssey. *COMPLETED*

Definition of odyssey:

• : a long journey full of adventures
  
  
• : a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone

Not too long ago I had a lot of doubt this trip would ever happen. The financial cost of higher education, the fact my wife Val wanted to go anywhere BUT Disney, the crazy and conflicting schedules of the kids, made the odds of keeping our 2-year WDW trip tradition a large long-shot. But maybe things do happen for a reason...

A great deal came our way and before we knew it we were on our way back to the World. Not without a major sacrifice however as my eldest daughter Alexandra had to miss the trip due to her schooling ( she graduates this Friday as an Registered Nurse!). She is a bit of a kindred spirit to me with a personality closer to mine than the other two, so I knew I would miss her dearly on the trip.

Here she is at Christmas with my Mom (Yia-Yia).

Speaking of Yia-yia; she will join us again at WDW! We had a great time with her on our 2013 trip at the Poly. We would meet up with her, my Sister Marina (here with me)...

and my two nieces; Courtney...

and Mia...

at the Yacht Club on the second leg of our journey. The first part of our trip took us to my in-law's (Al & Sue) who moved to Florida (Tampa - St. Pete area) last year. They would also join us at WDW!

Here they are from a 50th anniversary party we had for them last Winter...

It was early evening Thursday July 20th when we began our Odyssey. My good friend Wally picked us up to take us to the Baltimore (BWI) airport.

Excitement was building for our trip but the real Disney excitement would come later.

Sterg and Toni occupied the back seat. They were almost late for the pickup as they decided a last second Starbucks run was in order. Sterg ended up paying for that about an hour later as his bladder protested strongly.

Val was next to me and could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Not only was she not fully in favor of another Disney trip, she was (rightfully) concerned with the potential problems, complications, and stress of merging these 3 parts of the family together in the already chaotic environment of managing reservations, room assignments, getting to the parks, fastpasses and dinner plans. I had much of the same worries, which were also amplified by the fact Yia-Yia and Al would be using electric scooters during our time at the World. But hey, it's Disney, what could go wrong?

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Enjoyed your post about Tom Sawyer Island. I'm currently reading "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World", and the section about the island mentions that there are hidden paintbrushes in the area. If you find one and bring it to a cast member, I believe you are rewarded with a paper Fast Pass. Pretty neat!

 

[Tuvalu]

Enjoyed your post about Tom Sawyer Island. I'm currently reading "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World", and the section about the island mentions that there are hidden paintbrushes in the area. If you find one and bring it to a cast member, I believe you are rewarded with a paper Fast Pass. Pretty neat!

This secret reward disappeared years ago.

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

This secret reward disappeared years ago.

Bummer! Clearly my book needs to be updated.

 

[Tiggerish]

A windmill or is this the power generator of our enemy that we need to take down?

You've still got it!
(your youthful imagination, of course)

 

[gdisneyfans]

I saw "Fractal Gifts" last week and immediately thought of you!

I spy "Noel"! He may have served us a drink or two last week

My goodness, your pictures. I feel like a parrot on repeat - "pretty picture, pretty picture, pretty picture"! Absolutely amazing. I feel embarrassed with the photos I'll be posting on my TR Looking forward to more!

 

[fractal]

We were thisclose that Friday.....

I finished your trip report, it was wonderful. Your pictures are spectacular. I've been using my iPhone for pictures, but I may have to go back to my camera. Of course, it is always on automatic.

thanks @daisyduck16 ! Still more to come...

I love Tom Sawyer Island!! Takes me back to my sisters and cousins and I playing Davy Crockett and Swamp Fox in the woods growing up!

I hope Disney never decides to replace it.

Love the way you wrote this post... I see kids' imaginations disappearing more and more as the years go by. I was totally that kid that would have been imagining similar things as you were describing, but probably with more of a princess twist.

Thanks @blgauger ! I hate to hear that.

I don't think I have ever done Tom Sawyer Island !

Soon time to change that!

Oh, I hope you fit this in during your next trip to MK. It's truly a classic Walt Disney attraction, and it's everything Fractal mentioned. (If you've read the story of Tom Sawyer, you'll get all the references on the island.) It really is a place to let your imagination guide you around. Once you take the raft ride over to it, you really feel like you're in an entirely different place and time. Enjoy!

P.S.: If you do go, try to avoid mid-afternoon, as that's when (in my experience) the Florida thunder storms pass through, and they stop the raft rides until the storm passes--which can be quite a while, sometimes.

good advise!

@fractal I love your Tom Sawyer experience. (Photos are awesome too!) When thinking of Tom Sawyer Island I get a little sad because my family didn't even know it existed until just a few years ago. I think about all those times we walked right by it and I never noticed it was there. When my son and daughter's were little they would have loved it and I missed that opportunity to let them run around makes me feel bad. I hope that they never get rid of it.

Geez now I'm depressed time for another post Fractal with some spectacular photos

What's worse is we knew it existed but still passed by. Are you getting excited for your trip?

I’m in the same boat, to be honest. Does look pretty cool and with the ability to let the imagination run wild, I may have to change this in December.

worth it!

Small world! I have that Peter Pan shirt. It's actually a men's t shirt from target, I cut mine into a tank top and it appears she did as well

It's so clever!

I will add it to my ever growing list of things to do in Oct lol

Hope you get to it!

It's Bindi Irwin!!

View attachment 225567

This picture frightens me. The swarming birds over/on the castle look prepped to attack! <cue the Hitchcock music>

View attachment 225568
(@Doc Disney, DO NOT show this to your mom! )

Lol! I was actually trying to remember her name! C'mon, birds aren't that bad. Just modern flying tiny T-rexes.

Hitchcock would be proud!

Good evening...

 

[fractal]

Enjoyed your post about Tom Sawyer Island. I'm currently reading "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World", and the section about the island mentions that there are hidden paintbrushes in the area. If you find one and bring it to a cast member, I believe you are rewarded with a paper Fast Pass. Pretty neat!

@Tuvalu beat me to the punch. It was a great idea.

You've still got it!
(your youthful imagination, of course)

Thanks!

I saw "Fractal Gifts" last week and immediately thought of you!



I spy "Noel"! He may have served us a drink or two last week

My goodness, your pictures. I feel like a parrot on repeat - "pretty picture, pretty picture, pretty picture"! Absolutely amazing. I feel embarrassed with the photos I'll be posting on my TR Looking forward to more!

Amazingly I didn't go visit.

Didn't get a chance to meet Noel.

thanks @gdisneyfans !

 

[fractal]

I love Sam the Eagle! He was perfect for this skit.

Miss Piggy starting trouble even in Colonial times. I noticed Kermit's voice a bit different. Not sure if they already made the change for this show or was it my imagination.

Still moving towards the hub.

I caught a little bit of theTangled show.

I then turned down Main Street. I always wanted to (and said several time in previous reports) spend time exploring and photographing it at my own pace. Today was the day!

The castle always entices.

Some land grabbing pseudo-names.

"Mr." Disney

Representing an America that never was, yet always will be.

Everything is practically perfect!

Another look back (Darn that scrim).

 

[ksr99]

Disb

Consider the insanity of telling people to slow down so you can take a photo of a sidewalk.

But what a great sidewalk!

After getting turned around a few times trying to find out where we could park Yia-Yia's ECV (actually it was Marina that did all the legwork and did a great job with my Mom the entire trip), we embarked on a voyage through time.

This time I sat with Yia-Yia and this time I used the 85mm lens.

I feel these may be some of the best photos I've taken through SSE.

Previously I've always struggled with capturing the Phoenicians. Not this trip.

Yia-yia's favorite part.

Roman centurion accessory kit.

Love the hand prints!

Finally got a decent shot of the newspaper boy!

I now feel my SSE photographic itch has been fully scratched.

Until next time, keep innovating!

It was a long day and everyone was beat so the decision was made to go back to the YC. We did catch some Reflections of Earth on the way back.

I just love the night time experience at WDW, now more so with AK staying open late. Each park is so much fun to roam after the sun goes down (and the temperatures drop!) and each park's personality changes significantly at night. There are parts of Epcot that become surprisingly dark that make it a much more mysteriously experience. Hollywood Studios is all about the old Hollywood neon signs, AK has a completely different, almost "raw" vibe to it at night while the Magic Kingdom becomes a romantic's bliss.

The same can be said about the resorts and as we got closer to YC I just couldn't call it a night. Once again I told everyone else to keep going but this time I wasn't going to "catch up". I was going to slow down, taking things in and adding more photos to my collection. Sterg surprisingly also left me as he was feeling especially tired. It was just me and my camera.

Disney at night is when it's the most magical! It's absolutely beautiful. The sights, sounds and even the pumped in smells seemed to be heightened.

 

[Zipadeelady]

What's worse is we knew it existed but still passed by. Are you getting excited for your trip?
..

Very excited!! Only 18 days! I can't wait to take some of my own pictures. I've decided I don't think I'm ready for RAW yet. I'll have to save that for my next trip.

 

[ksr99]

@fractal do find that the camera allows u to slow down and look at things in greater appreciation?

 

[ksr99]

@fractal do find that the camera allows u to slow down and look at things in greater appreciation?

 

[fractal]

I was walking right down the middle of Main Street USA.

Moving towards the train station...

In time for some Daper Dans!

Not too many places in the World where you can say "I was walking down the street and I bumped into a barber shop quartet."

Bringing out the trolley.

"Clang-clang-clang went the trolley..." I actually didn't hear any clanging, but did admire and appreciate the beautiful horse.

Dressed in his Disney best.

These are the things I noticed that day.

What do you think Minnie?

I think it's magical Roy.

 

[Zipadeelady]

This last post is fantastic! You've captured such wonderful detail in the buildings. Awesome!!

 

[Gurt]

I think I may have said this before in another of your trip reports but I absolutely love your style of report, great commentary and in case you haven't heard it enough already amazing photo's

 

[fractal]

Disb

Disney at night is when it's the most magical! It's absolutely beautiful. The sights, sounds and even the pumped in smells seemed to be heightened.

Absolutely!

Very excited!! Only 18 days! I can't wait to take some of my own pictures. I've decided I don't think I'm ready for RAW yet. I'll have to save that for my next trip.

You mean 17! Consider shooting RAW+Jpeg. I only shot about 20% of my shots in RAW on our 2013 and still regret it. But it will take more storage space. Looking forward to seeing your photos!

@fractal do find that the camera allows u to slow down and look at things in greater appreciation?

Overall I think so - if you are focused on that. If you have your camera just to "document" the trip then maybe not as you're more concerned with that. When I'm alone with my camera with no other distractions then it's almost overwhelming as there is so much to take in.

This last post is fantastic! You've captured such wonderful detail in the buildings. Awesome!!

Thanks @Zipitidoda !

I think I may have said this before in another of your trip reports but I absolutely love your style of report, great commentary and in case you haven't heard it enough already amazing photo's

thanks again @Gurt ! I don't believe I can hear it enough.

 

[Zipadeelady]

You mean 17! Consider shooting RAW+Jpeg. I only shot about 20% of my shots in RAW on our 2013 and still regret it. But it will take more storage space. Looking forward to seeing your photos!

@fractal I think I can do that and I'm sure your right! Now I just have to figure out how. I'm going to have a little mini photo shoot tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[fractal]

I considered hopping on and taking the trolley up Main Street for the first time...

But instead decided on another "first". I made my way up to the train station platform.

Great view!

There goes my ride.

Except for a few stragglers, I had the platform all to myself and took advantage of that.

Amazingly, I've never been on the Walt Disney World Railroad. It was time to check that off the list as I climbed aboard for a complete loop.

Didn't know about this view...

Or this. I was also slowly beginning to realize I was on the wrong side of the train.

It was a nice enjoyable little trip around MK. I'm not sure I'll do it again on my next trip or the trip after, but I'm glad I went on and appreciated that it existed.

The train itself is beautiful and was in impeccable condition.

Taking more photos at the bottom of the train station.

Pretty clear and concise signage.

I checked in with Sterg. He was up and feeling much better, and the rash continued to heal. He was going to take a shower and get ready while I made my way back to YC.

The end of a great morning in Magic Kingdom. Perhaps we'll see you later?

 

[Tuvalu]

You'd never been on the MPB before??!!!

 

[PacNWTigger]

I liked your reflection in the window at the train station. It was a nice touch.