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?

 

[fractal]

It was basically a walk on.

Debating our future.

Alright! Backstage passes and a Limo!

I love that this little balcony has a grill on it.

Looks like a fun joint.

For the Disney nerds, like me.

We will!

RRRC was another great start to a morning. Just love the launch! We all screamed and yelled and after it was done we were all a bit more pumped to take on the rest of the day!

Up Next - More adventures and a "breakdown" in one of our rides.

 

[Billy6]

"$5.00 coffee vs $11.00 beer", Amen to that!

 

[LieutLaww]

I would have kicked her in the back of the knees and flung the damn ipad into oblivion

 

[12in12]

I spent a lot of time in Zurich, Switzerland and there a Starbucks Coffee will set you back $8. Unless you want something fancy like a Frappuccino because those are more expensive. And good job on the self restraint not kicking the lady with the IPad, I am sure it was not easy.

 

[MouseDreaming]

The coffee was just coffee. But, $11 for magic beer? A bargain!

 

[newhorizons1]

I'll echo everyone else and say that your Pandora night photos were incredible! Thanks for the photo commentary along with them too!

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

People don't understand that they're actually marching and will reach you eventually. I've had so many people stick their phones out in front of me.

It's called patience, people.

 

[fractal]

The trails are my favorite parts of Animal Kingdom, great pics, I felt like I was walking Pangani (without the heat and humidity )

Magic Beer! I'll have to look for some of that...

Thanks @Tiggerish! In times of need, magic beer will help you through.

Beautiful Pandora (and everywhere else) pictures!! Can't wait for the drama!!

thank you @MeeskaMooska0714 !

Gorgeous nighttime AK pictures! The one with Everest in the background of RoL is beautiful! Can't wait to see the rest of what you took in Pandora

Thanks @gdisneyfans !

The alcohol prices at Disney are hard for me to stomach. First off, I'm not a big drinker. Second, I live in a small town so at the bar a drink is like $4. Having to pay about triple the price at Disney is a little much for me.

A bit crazy for sure. Almost as bad as a Phillies game!

My 5 year old DS just got his first pair of glasses and they are transitional. DH gave me a hard time for it but I told him all the cool kids are wearing them

The last two pics on this thread really ought to be in Pandora promotional material. Great shots!!

I love my transitionals! Thank you @PrincessL !

Love the photos and your storytelling! I will have to try a magical beer the next time we are in AK. I have always said transition lenses would be perfect for WDW because I am constantly switching between my regular glasses inside and then back to sunglasses outside. Do you recommend them? Of course, I will have to endure the constant teasing from my 20 something children about how uncool they are.

Thanks @CaliKris ! Love the transitionals, they were great in WDW as you go from dark to bright outside constantly. Sounds like you will need some thick skin, which I have well developed.

I love how real life comes into your reports. We've been many times in a family group of nine and drama is virtually impossible with the mixture of different personalities and teenage hormones mixed in lol. I've often needed a magic cocktail or two

Lol! thanks @susan lees !

These photos are so awesome. What settings did you use to capture them?

I shot those (expect the up close Everest shot) handheld so my ISO was 10,000 and I was shooting 1/50 second, f/3.2. The Everest shot I must have placed on the top of a wall because that was shot at ISO 100, same aperture and f/stop.

Harry Potter doesn't even exist in the same universe as FOP. Not. Even. Close. I've never experienced anything like FOP. It takes my breath away every time!

Speaking of taking my breath away.. Your nighttime Pandora pictures!!! The first time I experienced Pandora at night, I literally thought "I can't wait for @fractal to take pictures of this." That is not a lie. And your pictures did not disappoint!

Thanks @blgauger! I appreciate the compliment.

I hoping to find some of your magic beer!!!

Chris, your photos are amazing! Absolutely stunning!

Thanks @Shane7694!

Your Pandora at night photos....

Really amazing job.. You should be hired by Disney!

I'd take the job!!

Damn @fractal those pics tho, any pics I take while away in Oct wont be of the calibre (only have my Samsung Phone) but i will sure take plenty

Just keep shooting! thanks @LieutLaww !

Amazing--your photos & your narration!! I can't wait for more!!

thank you @riverside !

O.k. o.k. I know you're sick of hearing this, BUT -- YOUR PHOTOS ARE FREAKING AMAZING!!!!

Never sick of hearing, it fuels my obsession! Thank you @MinnieM123 !

Disney needs to hire you. For real. Nothing in their promotional material has made Pandora as attractive as your photos have.

I'm putting this comment in my resume! Thanks @DisneyBound2017 !

The night of torrential AK rains? We in the MK area got nothing.....not even a drop!

Your celebrity status apparently extends to the heavens!

Can it be said too many times? Your photos are absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for sharing them with us along with your settings, techniques, etc.

Thanks @PineapplePrincess ! I'll take any compliment I can get!

Love your Pandora pictures! I don't have the patience for that kind of photography, but it's so much fun to see what all you can capture! You did an amazing job, especially considering you just used trash cans and posts to steady your camera! I wouldn't want to carry a tripod around either, but looks like you didn't really need it anyway

Thanks @sheriffwoody ! It's a lot of fun to do!

Your night time Pandora photos.....WOWZA! Those are incredible!

Thank you @joshsprincess921 !

Your night time pictures of Pandora are absolutely AMAZING and beautiful! Maybe they need to add more trashcans to allow for more photo opportunities.

Lol! That would be good! Thanks @PacNWTigger !

Truly fantastic photos of Pandora. So vivid. I really need to figure out how to capture images like that on our camera. I don't think my iPhone is going to yield such amazing results haha!

Thanks @Matty30 ! If you can control the camera setting manually you can take those kind of shots. Iphone's going to come up short.

Ohhh.....Mia, Mia.
Knocking on random hotel room doors after Midnight?
I can only imagine how ****ed those people must've been. Lol

Yep!

Ok...this may be a stupid question, since I know nothing about photography settings. But, the picture you said may be your favorite from the evening...with the blue and purple glowing everything...did the auto ISO setting change the way it looked or does it really look like that? Are the colors truly that bright? Because that is MESMERIZING.

The colors are bright. The biggest difference between what you see in the photo and "real life" is the how the waterfall looks. A long exposure will make the water look "creamy & dreamy" since it is in motion.

AGREED!! I wasn't impressed at all until I saw THESE pictures...now I see what the fuss is all about.

thanks @Songbird76 ! The more time I spent in Pandora the more I enjoyed it.

All that I can say about these photos is....

Thanks @Bob! Lol!

"$5.00 coffee vs $11.00 beer", Amen to that!

Absolutely!

I would have kicked her in the back of the knees and flung the damn ipad into oblivion

She pushed her way through the crowd, stood right in front of me and put up her Ipad block my view as well as others. I wasn't the only one that wanted to kick her.

I spent a lot of time in Zurich, Switzerland and there a Starbucks Coffee will set you back $8. Unless you want something fancy like a Frappuccino because those are more expensive. And good job on the self restraint not kicking the lady with the IPad, I am sure it was not easy.

Not at all!

The coffee was just coffee. But, $11 for magic beer? A bargain!

YES!

I'll echo everyone else and say that your Pandora night photos were incredible! Thanks for the photo commentary along with them too!

Thanks @newhorizons1 !

 

[fractal]

Courtney, who was a whiz on the Disney app, spotting a 20 minute standby wait for Star Tours. Not only were we all pumped up but we now had a plan. Off we went, but not before engaging with Montgomery Dash...

He poked fun at my Animal Kingdom flip-flops. If only he knew the entire story.

and Betty Shambles who took a liking to Sterg and his tie-dyed shirt.

It was another hot and humid day, but the Park looked great.

Except for maybe all the cranes. I'm genuinely excited to see how Hollywood Studios (if it's still called that) will look by 2020. Of course for me the highlight will be Star Wars land but the Toy Story expansion also has me intrigued. 5 years from now WDW will look much different than today and for the most part I (along with Sterg) was thrilled by all the D23 announcements.

Work in Progress.

We reach ST and got in line. Immediately I knew our wait was going to be more than the 20 minutes posted time. But hey, we flew all the way to Endor for this so no turning back.

Those Ewoks are so crafty.

Hello R2!

C-3PO was as neurotic as usually.

Time to meet some other droids.

I think I say this in every one of my trip reports, but these "TSA" droids just crack me up!

While 90% of the people in line are absorbed with their smart phones, I'm listening to their spiel and cracking up. Check out this luggage going through the X-Ray...

This guy is even funnier. I'll have to look it to see if their entire loop is on You-tube.

While in line, Sterg and Toni reminisced about the time Val was the rebel spy after complaining the whole time about going on the ride. It was a great "cover".

Put on your 3D glasses for this next shot.

BB8 was the only part from the "new" trilogy that we got.

After our trip to a Galaxy far, far away, we got word that Al & Sue were on their way and would rendezvous with us at ToT.

I high-fived Goofy along the way.

and this time, spotted the "handler".

I really like the quick in-Park interaction with the Characters. It's been a long time since I stood in line for a meet & greet.

Sterg got his Churro fix.

Next time we see this it won't be The Great Movie Ride.

 

[fractal]

Never ate here despite all the rave reviews. I have a friend who dines at the Brown Derby each time he and his family go to WDW (at least once a year).

Making our way back to "thrill corner".

Best ride eva. At least it used to be. Sorry ToT, but FoP bumped you to second place. I still love you though!

Sue pointed out that I now have a gift shop named after me! I believe it may be copyright infringement. No money please, Disney; just free vacations for life in the Villa of my choosing. Better make that a Presidential Suite.

with the FP line I missed going through the lobby so no photo of that. But I got a different view of the desk.

I was back in the mode of feeling responsible for everyone; pointing things out to Sue & Al. I wasn't sure if they appreciated it or just found me annoying.

There was some confusion regarding our row assignment which caused a bit of drama to flare up amongst our group. So I, feeling (once again) responsible for the happiness of all, asked the CM to repeat herself. Well, she was definitely in character as she growled back at me our row numbers, along with reminding me what you get for trying to keep everyone cheery.

I was ready to get the show on the road and scream out some frustrations.

As you can see in this video Sterg put together, It didn't quite work out that way. The lights went on just as we exited the elevator shaft then we moved up to the doors in the drop zone and sat for a good 10 minutes. When we started up again, we finished with the lights still on and no audio. No screaming from me. It just felt too weird.



Toni waiting for the ride to start.

I did get this shot in better light.

When the elevator doors opened a CM manager greeted us with an offer of riding again now or a FP for the rest of the day. We decided an immediate re-ride was best. I turned off the camera just to enjoy the ride. Sterg however did video what it's supposed to look like.



This time I did scream my head off and it felt great!

 

[Bob]

Never ate here despite all the rave reviews. I have a friend who dines at the Brown Derby each time he and his family go to WDW (at least once a year).

Great food here. You need to eat at HBD and Jiko next trip!

 

[MinnieM123]

As you can see in this video Sterg put together, It didn't quite work out that way. The lights went on just as we exited the elevator shaft then we moved up to the doors in the drop zone and sat for a good 10 minutes. When we started up again, we finished with the lights still on and no audio

Some years ago, I was on ToT, and the ride went fine until the very end. It died on the bottom floor. No lights were on at that point, and we were strapped in (those seatbelts lock--you can't click them open, like you can on a car seat belt, for example).

Finally, a small backlight came on and it was close to 2 minutes with no communication from any cast member. Eventually, a voice came over the speaker saying that someone would be there. A maintenance guy (no CM uniform) saunters in the room (he was in no hurry . . . ) and he attached some sort of pulley thing, that pulled back the car. Then they put a ladder in the front for people to climb out of the "elevator car" (maybe just 4-5 steps to the floor).

They led us to a back stairwell, and offered an immediate ride again for the people in our group--of course, I went again!

 

[TheMouseFan]

I went ahead and liked that last post, but I debated for a very long time if I should or not since you dissed ToT by bumping it to second place! LOVE all of your Tower pics, as well as your other DHS ones!

 

[myhappyplace]

Last time we were at HS, my husband and I commented on "your " store, for real!

Also, we ate at the HBD, and I would love to go back. Everything was delicious!!

 

[blreinsel]

I love the TSA droids, too!

 

[fractal]

Great food here. You need to eat at HBD and Jiko next trip!

OK - adding it to the plan!

Some years ago, I was on ToT, and the ride went fine until the very end. It died on the bottom floor. No lights were on at that point, and we were strapped in (those seatbelts lock--you can't click them open, like you can on a car seat belt, for example).

Finally, a small backlight came on and it was close to 2 minutes with no communication from any cast member. Eventually, a voice came over the speaker saying that someone would be there. A maintenance guy (no CM uniform) saunters in the room (he was in no hurry . . . ) and he attached some sort of pulley thing, that pulled back the car. Then they put a ladder in the front for people to climb out of the "elevator car" (maybe just 4-5 steps to the floor).

They led us to a back stairwell, and offered an immediate ride again for the people in our group--of course, I went again!

The voice came on very quickly in our case. Seems like your maintenance was lost "In the Twighlight Zone".

I went ahead and liked that last post, but I debated for a very long time if I should or not since you dissed ToT by bumping it to second place! LOVE all of your Tower pics, as well as your other DHS ones!

It's still in my Mt Rushmore!

Last time we were at HS, my husband and I commented on "your " store, for real!

Also, we ate at the HBD, and I would love to go back. Everything was delicious!!

Lol! That's great! Brown Derby is on the list for next trip!

I love the TSA droids, too!

they are funny! I did find a You-tube of the droids.

 

[fractal]

We exited ToT to the oppressive heat of a late July Florida day. The girls and Sterg wanted to go back to the pool and I couldn't argue against, especially after how wonderfully refreshing it looked earlier. Al & Sue said they were going to explore the park for awhile first so we split up. I told Sterg to go with the girls as I decided to use some alone time to take some photos. He decided to stay with me instead of going back with Toni and Courtney.

Toni took a pic of us before the went on their way.

DHS always offers some terrific views.

We were at the right place at the right time to catch the Star Wars stage show.

For some reason, this Stormtrooper doesn't seem very intimidating.

But this guy did!

Hero time.

I said to Sterg. "People just can't get enough Star Wars!"

 

[Bob]

I see you!!

 

[PrincessL]

For some reason, this Stormtrooper doesn't seem very intimidating.

Cute umbrella....NOT

I find that incredibly rude!!

 

[fractal]

I see you!!

Didn't notice that!

Cute umbrella....NOT

I find that incredibly rude!!

A lot of rudeness that morning! Let me not only put my daughter on my shoulders but also have her hold an umbrella.