October 2007 Florida Trip - Part 3
Please read the notes about this trip report in Part 1.
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Day 7 - Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. (MNSSHP)
We arrive at Magic Kingdom at about 4:30, and pass through the gates using the Halloween Party tickets and get our wristbands. The last time I was at an MNSSHP, was in 2003. I even have my 2003 MNSSHP t-shirt on, first time I've ever worn it. And I don't see anyone else all evening wearing one. I thought I'd see at least a few...Could be because there are so many costumed guests. Can't get over the number of 'em. It is easily 10 time the number that came dressed up in 2003. Lots of princesses and pirates, but you even get your odd bunch of bananas. Some costumes are very good. Some aren't. You get what you pay for.
We didn't get much candy in 2003, so we joked that one of our goals was to fill the provided bag full of candy. (Believe it or not, we succeeded.)
It was a hot night, little to no breeze. Well, yeah, I know it's Florida, but it was mid-October. Anyway, the lack of wind made the mists Disney creates during the party just hang in the air. Makes for great pictures, but it was hot, and with no breeze...
We do Philharmagic. I think it's become my favorite 3-D films. Disney's top 10 animated music hits brought to you in glorious 3-D.
A quick tour through Toontown was aborted yesterday due to the crowds. It's less crowded today, but the lighting isn't as good as yesterday. Oh well. Take Mickey and Minnie's house anyway.
Exiting Toontown, the sun is setting, and there's some good sunset light, so we rush to get in front of the tress and the castle before it goes away. If they're not going to let me go through the castle anymore, they should at least provide something better than those narrow walkways around the moat. :-)
And the party begins. We go through Liberty Square and do Haunted Mansion again, just to see the changes to the attraction. Pirates is literally a walk on. Between the parts of the ride incorporated into the movie and the parts of the movie incorporated into the ride, they've updated the ride without ruining it. Some of the new effects are pretty cool.
We visit the Trick-or-Treat station across from Pirates, and they have a particular kind of candy PiC likes. We note the fact and plan on coming back later... :-)
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Waiting for the fireworks, we go into the main street store (it is, after all, one big store) and get the 2007 MNSSHP t-shirts and pins. Across the street, in front of the Crystal Arts, is the Balloon Man Extraordinaire (who used to live about 20 miles from my house in Chicago.) He makes a balloon hat for PiC. And she actually wears it through the night.
The last trick-or-treat station we haven't been to is in Tomorrowland. That's okay, I want to do Laugh Floor again. We walk directly into the pre-show queue, and it's only a couple of minutes before we're in the theater. I'm looking around for the cameras, comparing the angle of the camera on the guests. I don't see any (they're very well hidden behind the bright ceiling lights,) but I do see a CM running up to me with a microphone. Oh dear. I'm on the big screen. I should lose a little weight. Stop eating at all those BBQ joints. (And I should have taken a picture.) There are dozens of odd looking people around me (hey, there are a lot of people dressed up in costume...) and I'm chosen to be bigger than life on the screen.
I wave so everyone who's looking around to see where I'm at (admit it, you do it) can see where I'm at. Oh dear. I'm having a conversation with an animated Pixar cartoon character. This'll teach me for looking for the mechanics of the show...
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Day 8 - Animal Kingdom
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| Expedition Everest at dusk... |
The night before was the Halloween Party, so we were out late, and thus slept in. A late breakfast at the food court, and another morning lounging by the quiet pool, reading my current book. We arrived at the park at 3:30pm, with the intention of visiting Cons...Rafiki's Planet Watch (RPW) before it closed for the day. Wasting time doing things like getting the extra magic hours wrist-band, we get to the hub...uh...the oasis...uh...Discovery Island at 3:45. Just in time for the parade.
We head toward Africa, hoping to get there before the parade actually begins, but right at the bridge, 30 feet from where I can get to RPW, the CM's block off the access to the bridge. Bummer. PiC and I find a path that actually cuts across Discovery Island to the Asia side, saving the long walk around. Then we have to walk back to Africa, via the Africa-Asia path. When we get to Africa, the parade is still going on, so at least this wasn't a wasted effort.
Between our detour, waiting for the train (and the slowness of the train itself) we get to RPW 30 minutes before they close. Enough time to visit the petting zoo, but not enough to go through all of Conservation Station. Next time...
We're hungry, and decide to just do a quick burger. Restaurantosaurus it is. On the way, we pass Flame Tree. Normally, I'd eat here. But having some of the best BBQ the past three days, I know it would only disappoint. The McDonalds fries are different down here than home. The fries are *good*. I wonder if they're still using beef fat here. :-)
Uh oh. PiC wants to do Expedition Everest. Do I make her do Teacups? (Okay, I probably made her do Mission:Space. Then there was that small world moment.) She shames me into it, even though she knows I don't like heights. Walking though the line, the wait time says 20 minutes. The line is moving *way* too fast for 20 minutes. The wait time is more like 10. I'm not sure if I'm grateful or resentful.
Turns out it's like a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on steroids. The only time you really notice the height is during the initial climb. Most of the ride is in the dark. Very smooth, and I'm really glad I know how the reverse mechanism works. And PiC didn't even see the Yeti. Oh well, next time.
A trip around Discovery Island taking pictures, and I'm ready to vacate Animal Kingdom. It's early enough to get to Magic Kingdom in time for Wishes...
End End Keane and PiC's October 2007 Florida Trip - Part 3.
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