Counting down to the Next Disney Trip (Yep...again!)

2 words... cheesecake brownie!

 

Sounds good - don't think I had that one yet. And that peanut butter bar cake looks good too. Just a day away now!

 

t-minus 43 days for me (3/7- 3/11)

 

Will try to stop in during the trip...OW, see y'all on the flip side!

No guarantees I'll feel like taking time away from Disney to sit in my room and pop online ( ), but I'll try at least! I'm bringing the laptop, only because of the free internet for DVC...just don't know how much time I'll actually spend on it.

If not though, I'm off to pack now at 2am, then go to bed, so I can wake late morning tomorrow, and hit the road. Boardwalk here I come!

 

make sure you sport your TMIP colors in both parks!
(i want pics as proof!)

 

...excellent, smithers....

 

Hey! Whose thread is this anyway? Sheesh - you're away on a Disney trip for a day, and off goes your thread in the hands of others!



Just checking in - my first-ever internet connection from Disney. Just got back from Epcot, watching Illuminations. I got up here yesterday around 3pm, checked in to the 1-bedroom villa (got a big reject on the waiting list for Boardwalk-view, but got a lovely 4th floor corner room on the river to MGM...out the side window is Swan and the river, and out the balcony is the river, back pool, and ToT)...then walked into Epcot for a walk around World Showcase. Didn't encounter Jeremy - looked for anyone taking photos with my camera, but to no avail. Back to the busses and hopped one to Port Orleans French Quarter, walked the grounds and out to the Marketplace boat...then over to Rainforest for the traditional arriving night meal on the patio. Coolish weather, but very pleasant and clear skies. After that, jumped the bus to Swan, and walked over to Fantasia Gardens for some minigolf...then walked home to Boardwalk around 11:30pm.

Today, rise and shine around 9:15am, coffee on the balcony, down to the Boardwalk for a croissant, then into Epcot for the day (this time, for the whole day, with future world included). Beautiful warm day - not too hot, but sunny, bright, and upper 70s...and crystal clear skies. Lots of photos! Hit O Canada, Impressions of France, Maelstrom, then over to Test Track (25 minute wait!)...was going to do Ellen's Energy, but it was closed Then over to Land for lunch, Jumped on Soarin (30 minute wait with no fast pass!), Living with the Land, then Living Seas with Nemo (dolphins were very active today), then back across to Mexico for a margarita. Another lap around World Showcase for sunset photos, and a third lap for nighttime photos (my feet are killing me now)...dinner at San Angel Inn in Mexico (mmm...Pollo a la Rasa y frijoles quesas). Got out in time for Illuminations (hey...it never gets old!), waited out some of the exit crowd, then walked back to Int'l Gateway and back to the villa at Boardwalk. It's around 10;45pm, and I'm going to log off and go read a book for a bit until I get really tired and go to bed.

Tomorrow, doing Animal Kingdom for the day, then hitting Jiko at AK Lodge (already salivating for my tamarind-braised bbq short ribs over au-gratin potatoes and a nice bottle of pinotage, followed by some Kenya AA roast coffee in a french press)...then over to Winter Summerland to close out the night with two 18-hole rounds, one on each course.

Tuesday will likely be MK day, but I may start with the boat to MGM to walk around there for a few hours first for some pics, before heading over to MK for the remainder of the day.

I may check in again tomorrow or Tuesday...I have to jump online at some point to check work e-mails anyway.

 

Sounds like a great day Justin!

How was Jiko, mmmmmmmmmm, yummy!

 

Well, I can add my two cents now to the subject of this thread.....going to the left coast for a very short trip in late April. One day at DL, one day at Legoland!

 

I'm back. Yeah...I know...I've been back for days now - but it's been hectic! Wednesday evening, came home, unpacked, did laundry, and went to bed. Work on Thu and Fri was all catch-up, including bringing my work home with me Thu and Fri nights. Sat was cat day, as I hadn't had a chance to entertain the little feline. Sat night was process and sort hundreds and hundreds of photos...Sunday was a continuation of the same. Sun night was resize-and-prepare for upload time from the selection of photos, as well as preparing crops for the 'where am I' contest (got lots of great entries coming, btw). Today is work...and finally tonight, I should get some time to pop back in here and get back to posting - and sharing the new photos.

Sorry to hear of any missed tallies last month - I feel responsible, since my posting stopped cold for my Disney trip right at the end of the month, when you needed me most! But if you have to have an excuse, none better than "I was at Disney", right?

The trip was brilliant, weather was beautiful, photo opportunities were amazing, food was great, room was wonderful, parks were pleasantly uncrowded (except for lots and lots of 18-year-old Brazilians)...a great time was had by mom and I and the friends and fam.

I had one 'Doh!' Simpsons moment...I decided I'd be taking LOTS of night shots and slow-shutter ND400 shots, so I brought the brand-new tripod. I didn't need my big 200-500 birding lens though, so I left that home. I had just been using it the weekend before...still had it attached to the camera. So chucked it out of the bag, and loaded the tripod to the holder, and went to Disney! Upon arriving, the great weather presented some wonderful resort views and I whipped out the tripod right away for some first-night shots. Whereupon I noticed that I had no quick-release plate...which I just remembered was still attached to the bottom of the big birding lens I didn't need and left home. (Go ahead and apply your hand palm-first to your forehead and say it with me.."D'oh!"). So my nice, new, light tripod served as a lovely doorstop back at the room while I made judicious use of every garbage can, fence, wall, post, tree, rock, or any other surface I could find to take my night shots. Back to the old days! Still, I was quite pleased with the results...I even managed some handheld shots in the 1-second variety at ISO400 &800 at night (thank you, image-stabilization!).

Anyhoo...more to come tonight, once I get back from work and settle in!

 

welcome back now get to work. been quiet while you were away.