DaveInTN 3,247 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 I agree with the above. As I was reading your adoption report I got to the point where you and the director were bringing back the printer. I was really shocked to compair then and now. You have really lost the weight. Great job. Your wife is beautiful as always. Hey, to be fair I packed on the pounds to go to Russia so that I wouldn't be cold. :laugh: Yup, this is definitely a TR. I agree with Disney actually getting things right for the photopass/memory maker thing. I love that they now include ride photos too. I'm also guessing MK for the first park day. Just too close to not go. Correct on PP. Wrong on the park. Being as how you were now a true believer in Kelly's boyfriend and the parks he had listed as the ones to visit on Sunday December 21st as HS and AK, I am going to go with HS. Oh and if I remember correctly you waited forever for a bus to arrive. :bellringer: Exactly right. Kelly's boyfriend is a genius. More on that to come. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 So....as a couple of you accurately predicted, and Yvonne even nailed as to the reason, we did indeed begin our vacation with a visit to Hollywood Studios on Dec 21. As I was planning my trip, I checked out Kelly's boyfriend's site (I won't give the link as he's not a sponsor here....Kelly, maybe talk to him about that). But his name is Josh and he tries to make your WDW trip "Easy". So there....figure it out. Anyways, he noted on his crowd calendar that one of the best parks to visit on 12/21 was HS. I had purchased 5 day tickets at Undercover Tourist and linked them to my MB's before the trip, so with 5 park days falling around Christmas and New Years weeks, I wanted to avoid crowds as best as possible. Josh had 12/21, 12/22 and 12/23 rated 8 on the scale, where all the days following that until after New Years were 10's. So I planned 3 park days in a row when we arrived, and then we didn't hit a park again until toward the end of our 2 week stay. I made FP's for these HS rides....TSM, ToT, and Star Tours. I also made one of my few ADR's for the trip for this first morning. Hollywood and Vine....so that Anna could meet her FAVE Princess, Sofia, as well as another favorite of hers, Doc McStuffins. My older girls have a thing for Handy Manny, but we don't talk about that. Let's start with our bus ride, which as Yvonne recalled was seriously delayed due to bus waits. Another of the joys of Christmas week. Uh oh, another bad selfie while waiting for rope drop. We had a 10:10 ADR so we had time for some rides before breakfast. At rope drop, some of us headed to TSM while others wanted to ride ToT. The TSM riders didn't have much of a wait....but we were able to snap a few pictures. ToT was quiet! Not sure who that random girl is riding with my daughters, but she doesn't look too scared. Unlike my Stella. Little more crowded now. By this point, I was done riding TSM with INC, Izzy and Anna and joined the other girls to get a ride on ToT....my only ride of the trip on it but their third. Can you spot the Crazy Person? After ToT, we still had time to ride RNR before our 10:10 ADR. RNR Queue Selfie Alert! Me and some random woman. I have to say, one of my favorite things about ride photos are the random people that you get pictures of. Some of them are hilarious. And I would have zero recollection of this woman if it weren't for PhotoPass. Which is weird, because I shared a very intimate moment with her....strapped down on a wild ride through the dark. But if it weren't for this photo, I wouldn't be able to tell you today what she looked like, or even if she was a woman or a man. Ain't that something? Alright, so by this point of the morning I had ridden TSM, ToT and RNRR without using any FP's, all before 10am. Rope drop is the way to go, especially during a Holiday week. We made our way from RNRR toward H&V at this time for breakfast....but stopped along the way to get some more PP pictures. Those last pictures crack me up. Then, if I recall correctly, we went straight to H&V to meet back up with INC and Anna for breakfast. I'll save that for the next update. BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Love the pic of Anna in TSMM! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Way to rock the rope drop! It's funny that you seem to be the only person on RnRC with your eyes open! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Great PP photos! I love that you got so many ToT rides in (nice call Josh!), but this photo is just priceless... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 My compliments on the very wise strategy you followed on your first morning. The standby lines for the rides you already crossed off the list were undoubtedly 60+ minutes later that day. I am really glad that your sister, GDF, shamed you into posting your Memory Maker photos- they are really good. The selfies- not so much. If only you had a Selfie Stick . . . TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DramaMama .......... Janet 75 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Excellent ride morning!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 I'm a little mad at you for not pointing out the PP at the Fort tree. I'll forgive you since you decided to write this report though. Mo's picture is also my favorite! The crazy ToT picture is a keeper. You can embarrass your kids with that for a few years. I'm glad I brought you over to the Josh side. LOL! Hopefully he never sees this site and files a restraining order on me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dvccamper 32 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Great pictures, so far your trip seems good to me.And I'm guessing you had a selfie stick. That or you have really long arms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I don't own a selfie stick but my friend does and I have to say it worked great at our annual NYD getting everyone in the pic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sherryberry 35 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Great pictures so far! Looking forward to more! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 596 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I'm a winner! I'm a winner!What'd I win? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I'm a winner! I'm a winner!What'd I win?MSCR, go to Starbucks to collect it and tell them DIT sent you.... momof3kids-Yvonne 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dblr....Rennie 224 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Great report so far and wonderful pictures, well maybe not the selfies, thank goodness for Photopass!!!!!!!1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Love the pic of Anna in TSMM! That shows her personality pretty well. Way to rock the rope drop! It's funny that you seem to be the only person on RnRC with your eyes open! I didn't want to miss a bit of the dark. Great PP photos! I love that you got so many ToT rides in (nice call Josh!), but this photo is just priceless... Josh did us well. And then we stopped listening to him..... My compliments on the very wise strategy you followed on your first morning. The standby lines for the rides you already crossed off the list were undoubtedly 60+ minutes later that day. I am really glad that your sister, GDF, shamed you into posting your Memory Maker photos- they are really good. The selfies- not so much. If only you had a Selfie Stick . . . TCD There are tons more Memory Maker pictures. Literally, tons. Excellent ride morning!!! It was! I'm a little mad at you for not pointing out the PP at the Fort tree. I'll forgive you since you decided to write this report though. Mo's picture is also my favorite! The crazy ToT picture is a keeper. You can embarrass your kids with that for a few years. I'm glad I brought you over to the Josh side. LOL! Hopefully he never sees this site and files a restraining order on me. Josh has some good info. I'm amazed it's all free. Great pictures, so far your trip seems good to me.And I'm guessing you had a selfie stick. That or you have really long arms. No selfie stick. Maybe I'm shaped like a gorilla. I don't own a selfie stick but my friend does and I have to say it worked great at our annual NYD getting everyone in the pic. I don't think I'll ever own a selfie stick. Great pictures so far! Looking forward to more! Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I'm a winner! I'm a winner!What'd I win?MSCR, go to Starbucks to collect it and tell them DIT sent you.... Yep. Pretty much. Great report so far and wonderful pictures, well maybe not the selfies, thank goodness for Photopass!!!!!!!1 That's the truth. It was even worse on this trip as I wasn't into taking pictures. I didn't carry a camera, just my phone. So that means....a bunch of selfies and random shots. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Great update and even better pix. Now it's time for the next update.I'm waiting!!! Lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 I Hate Character Meals But I Love Character Meals Continuing on....we had a breakfast ADR at Hollywood & Vine. We'd never dined here before, and I was never really interested either. But I'll do anything for Anna, and she LOVES Sofia the First. She also really likes Doc McStuffins. And if you are interested, the breakfast also features Jake and Handy Manny. Like most Disney character meals, they bring you to a table and immediately you start feeling stressed. WHERE'S THE CHARACTERS? WHO'S NEXT? DAMN, WE JUST MISSED HER....WHEN WILL SHE COME BACK AROUND?? IF I GO TO THE BUFFET WILL I MISS HER?? Character meals SMB. With a capital BUTT. The food is typically sub-par, even by Disney standards. It's grossly overpriced, You feel incredibly rushed (although we did not this time and I'll tell you why). And the worst part.....the restaurants are literally CRAWLING WITH KIDS. A word of advice to you....if you dine at a restaurant that features a character meal, do NOT look at the bottom of the table. And for the love of mercy, DON'T TOUCH THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE! Can't small kids use a tissue once in a while? Anyways, despite all that, I love watching the joy on my kids' faces when the characters come around. We started off with Jake. And next we were visited by Handy Manny. See? THIS is why I do these stupid character meals. The characters were visiting us in ascending order of Anna's interest....next was Doc McStuffins, leaving the favorite for last. I like this one. Before she made her way to our table, Sofia was taking part in a dance party, so we made our way over there. Anna is not shy and usually will find a way to end up in the front. I love this picture. After dancing, Sofia made her way to our table. It's not often you get a daughter who is taller than the characters. By this point, we were one of only a few tables left in the restaurant. And there is the benefit of booking breakfast around 10:00....they will be shutting down to flip over to lunch, so there aren't other families waiting for your table. The characters seemed less rushed at this point. And the biggest benefit for an accountant geek like me? We didn't need to buy lunch! BAM! That's the last picture I have of breakfast, so I'll stop here. But we still have LOTS of Hollywood Studios action to cover, including one of my favorite Anna moments of the trip. Not to mention I have another 13 days of vacation coming up. What was I thinking starting this thing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Crying into my cereal here. Those Anna pictures just make my heart melt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 What a great first morning of your vacation! Awesome. I love the photos of your girls with those Disney characters that I know nothing about, but you know what else caught my eye? Do you see all of those photos and murals on the walls? Those show scenes from the real Hollywood that are replicated in the architecture around DHS. I'd love to go in there just to look at what's on the walls. You have 13 more days to go? Have you checked the views you've generated already? It looks like you've go another DIT TR hit on your hands. Not too shabby, considering this isn't even a trip report. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parrothead7368 aka Norm 101 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Thanks for the tip at Hollywood & Vine, I plan on doing a character meal there, but was planning lunch. Now I think I'm going to do the same as you and do the late breakfast, it will work perfectly and the girls will also eat because they will be starving. LOL Best Regards,Norm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okgirlie...Brandy 6 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Following along... Love the Hollywood and Vine update and pictures. Anna's face when she is looking at Sofia is precious. We are doing that breakfast at the same time you did. I just showed my 2 year old the pictures and he smiled big. :) He loves Jake, Sofia and Doc. He hasn't watched Handy Manny, yet, but I guess maybe he should so that he knows who Manny is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 The pic of Anna with Doc's stethoscope on her is adorable. Next time take some video, ok? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Caught up... the first set of pics at MGM are hilarious!! H&V has been my least favorite character meal so far.. but it's the only place that you can find those specific characters, so what's a parent to do :) Love all the pics of your girls... very pretty group. I agree with you on the pic of Anna with Sophia, her hands clasped and the look on her face just melts your heart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Great pictures, Dave! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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