"I brushed my teeth, and I don't have cooties." An August DFTW and Disneymoon TR

[Nakkira]

In other big news, my lovely blonde do is now a thing of the past, and has been replaced with this frosty look:

I'm having lots of fun with blue hair! Pastels are a pain though because they fade really quickly, so every couple of washes I end up with slightly greenish fading locks and I touch up the colour or change it up a bit. I'm planning to try out a few different colours over the summer break, before returning to school in the fall with a more "professional" look again.

​

Wow that color is so "cool". I love it! I wish I was brave enough to bleach my hair so I could wear fun colors, but my hair is so thin I am afraid it would fry it

 

[amalone1013]

He was very kind and was trying his best, so I hope that I was able to educate him a bit more about what some allergies require so he didn't make the same mistakes with others.

Eek. Hopefully you helped some others out by helping him!

I don't know why I always take his picture in this video? I feel like, at this point, I could probably gather all my photos of him together and put them one after another in sequence and be able to recreate the entire beginning of the video in a stop-motion type of effect, complete with all of his facial movements synched to the text. #DisneyObsessionProblems

I love Patrick! I think that's my favorite safety video. "...these little beauties..."

It felt ironic that we were feeding them so that, someday, they would likely be feeding us.

Can't wait to hear about MNSSHP! I'm debating doing it this Fall. And I love the purple hair!

 

[pkondz]

I visited my fabulous stylist yesterday, and she hooked me up with some fun new purple locks! I'm a big fan.

Love it!

Then today my mom and I ran (run-walked, let's be real,) a local 5K.

Good for youi!

Their theme colour is also purple, so my new hair worked out perfectly!

Was that planned or just a happy coincidence?

It was a fun evening...and now I'm exhausted!

I bet. And congrats for completing it!

and there's something about Disney World that just sucks all the logical right out of my malformed brain.

You and everyone else.

Today was our very first ever Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party day!!

Yussss!!! Love that party. Best thing in all of Disney. Try to prove me wrong.

The smart families usually take the first half of a party day as a rest day so they can party all night long

Amateurs.

but it means having to get out of bed.

It's Disney. Sleep when you get home.

But she was weird and clingy, and initiated the same conversation with us over and over again.

Ah yes. Her.

And I'm pretty sure this chef was trying to kill me.

Oh, dear.

The chef took me to the oatmeal and casually told me it was fine. WAIT. No. Oats are one of the most highly cross-contaminated foods ever because they're usually processed on the same equipment as other grains.

I'm glad you knew your stuff.

I hope that I was able to educate him a bit more about what some allergies require so he didn't make the same mistakes with others.

Maybe Disney should hire you.

and also requested that they make us mimosas with jungle juice. Cindy brought them out for us and informed us that they were a gift from the restaurant for our honeymoon! Score!!

Nice!

and then poor N had to finish mine for me. What a burden. What a tasty, tasty burden... *slurp* #worthit

Poor guy. That's what you have to do when you're married. Tough, I know.

whenever we hear a good quote we tack "a Disney trip report" onto the end...

I like that!!

N then became far too amused with the phrase: "James Cameron Imagined Floating Rocks, a Honeymoon Trip Report." ...For some reason, it never stuck.

But it did enough for a chapter title.

Shortly after this was taken, most of them began what I recently heard a CM refer to as the "Frozen 5K."

Pass
I will FP it... and might not even do that.... or not do it at all.

we wound up in the same row of the same car anyway!

Score! That worked out great!

It's really hard, looking back, to pick a "Best Day Ever" from this trip, other than the wedding day itself, because there were so many special ones.

That's wonderful! All trips should be like that.

and hung out with some trolls.

I like how you say Trolls, plural...

Then we rode Frozen, and I somehow managed to get really wet. I know there was a ride photo for this, but for some reason I can't find it anywhere. But it happened. I promise.

How do you get wet on that ride! Did N bring a bucket??

We waited a total of 30 minutes before reaching the video. Not terrible, but long enough that I was happy to finally see Patrick!

Better than 2 hours!

I don't know why I always take his picture in this video? I feel like, at this point, I could probably gather all my photos of him together and put them one after another in sequence and be able to recreate the entire beginning of the video in a stop-motion type of effect, complete with all of his facial movements synched to the text. #DisneyObsessionProblems

This cracked me up.

It turned out, however, that we were the ONLY ones on that tour, so we got our own private tour!

That's cool!

Honestly, the extra attention was really great, but I almost found it a bit strange and awkward on this tour for it to just be the two of us.

Well.... think of it as you are really, really rich VIPs.

I should go back and re-read @Steppesister's reports...I feel like it's probably in there!

I'm pretty sure you're right.

Also, if you don't read her reports, you should. )

This is the second shout-out she's gotten.

N hates cucumbers. HATES them. So it all came down to me!! I took a deep breath, and tried my level best to polish them off. It was just too many cucumbers.

Noooooo!!!! Don't waste them! Put them on your eyes! Spa day!

They just kept sending through empty boats the whole time we were there. It was kind of eery.

That is kinda creepy.

how the fish are served in several of the Disney restaurants, and we got to feed them.

So... you were kinda feeding guests.

It felt ironic that we were feeding them so that, someday, they would likely be feeding us.

I like your interpretation better.

she gave us a "scent test" to see if we could recognize some of them by scent alone.

How'd you guys do?

a bag of caramel popcorn,

yum!!!! <scarf>

 

[docsoliday1]

Hi, friends! In the continuing saga of Meghan's Summer of Magical Pastel Hair: I visited my fabulous stylist yesterday, and she hooked me up with some fun new purple locks! I'm a big fan.

Then today my mom and I ran (run-walked, let's be real,) a local 5K. It's a women's race, untimed, which supports a local non-profit running group for young girls of all abilities and walks of life. It's a neat event! Their theme colour is also purple, so my new hair worked out perfectly! They also offer tutus as an add-on to your race registration pack, because the woman who started the whole race was a serious runner who used to scoff at people who wore tutus, and then one race she tried wearing one herself and ended up winning that race. More than that, it shifted her perspective about not judging other women, and building them up, wanting everyone to just do their best and make it across the finish line, etc. It was a fun evening...and now I'm exhausted!

​

​

Purple is my favorite color, so loving the hair and the outfit!
Will try to get back to comment on the rest later...ugh, too many DIS friends, not enough time.

 

[missjackiemcg]

poor N had to finish mine for me. What a burden. What a tasty, tasty burden... *slurp* #worthit

Oh, darn, poor husband having to come to your mimosa rescue!

The Land pavillion is really so neat—something I appreciate even more now after having done the UnDiscovered Future World tour a couple weeks ago—and I stopped on the way back to take it all in.

Ooooh, can't wait to hear about that tour!!! I have become somewhat tour addicted the last few trips, but hadn't considered this one...HOWEVER, I love the Land pavilion, so now you've got me thinking!!

Unfortunately, the ride wasn't running at the time, so we didn't get to watch the guests and try to look all superior and VIP-like. They just kept sending through empty boats the whole time we were there. It was kind of eery.

Oh, man! That seriously is the best part of the Behind the Seeds tour!!!!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I love the purple!

Thanks!! It's my favourite colour, so I'm digging it.

Yikes, that is pretty scary. Good thing you were educated. He could have seriously hurt someone with his lack of knowledge.

It was wild. They usually have a chef who's specifically trained as an "allergy chef," so that made that interaction even more surprising. Like...it's your job to know these things.

How have I never thought of this??? Genius !

So yummy! Jungle juice mimosas are SUCH a mimosa upgrade! We brought my mom and grandmother in on this trick back in the winter, and my mom drank hers, and then preceded to accidentally knock over her glass and shatter the stem. We gave her a hard time for evidently being so wasted. She'd had one drink. So, I guess, drink at your own risk?? Hers seemed pretty powerful!

Glad you all had a good time. A private tour does sound nice, but I can see how that could get awkward without the right guide. Once Casey is old enough I definitely want to do this someday. I've loved the land since I was a kid so it would be great to see behind the scenes.

You'd love it!

That's pretty unfortunate that the chef at Boma wasn't as well-informed as he should have been! Good thing you'd already been there to know what you could/couldn't eat!

Absolutely! It could have been a much worse situation if I didn't know the buffet or if I had more severe allergies.

Haha I love hearing about how slap happy you two were that morning!

It really was one of those mornings!! Vacation will do that to me anyway, especially when we've been going at it too hard with too little rest.

Pretty impressive doing all 3 big ticket rides so quickly!

It was quite a day!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Wow that color is so "cool". I love it! I wish I was brave enough to bleach my hair so I could wear fun colors, but my hair is so thin I am afraid it would fry it

Thank you!! I'm really having a ball with it. It's helping to hide the awkward stages of growing out my pixie cut nicely. But I get where you're coming from. I have a lot of hair, but the individual hairs are quite fine, so I've always been worried about how it's holding up. My stylist is great though—and I've never risk bleaching it myself because I know I'd burn it off! I trust that at the first sign of danger she'll help me to back off the bleaching. I hate that my hair feels "sticky" when it's bleached. It's like straw if it I don't keep it well-conditioned. And so I wouldn't want to keep it up as my hair gets much longer. But the amount of breakage has been surprisingly low, about the same as it was on my healthy normal hair before bleaching, so I'm having fun with it while I still can!

I love Patrick! I think that's my favorite safety video. "...these little beauties..."

Yes! Best thing.

Can't wait to hear about MNSSHP! I'm debating doing it this Fall. And I love the purple hair!

It was so much fun!! We enjoyed it more than the Christmas party, partly because of the theming and offerings, and I think also because we didn't have as much of a plan and just went with the flow and enjoyed what we could. And the fireworks are really special!

And thank you!!

​

Purple is my favorite color, so loving the hair and the outfit!
Will try to get back to comment on the rest later...ugh, too many DIS friends, not enough time.

Thanks! Purple is my favourite as well.

Oh, darn, poor husband having to come to your mimosa rescue!

Ooooh, can't wait to hear about that tour!!! I have become somewhat tour addicted the last few trips, but hadn't considered this one...HOWEVER, I love the Land pavilion, so now you've got me thinking!!

It was so great! The first half, especially. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it as much as other Disney extras we've done in past, but I'd heard a few really good reviews, and I got a discount with my AP, so I figured it was worth a shot. It was awesome! I found the Spaceship Earth stuff most memorable, but there was quite a bit with the Seas and the Land, too. And some Mission Space stuff, a little extra Walt-history thrown in, etc. And then we also went backstage and saw cast services and creative costuming, which I found slightly less exciting but still really cool. I'm like you, starting to get addicted to tours. It's just such a neat opportunity when you've been going to Disney for a while and are starting to look for new experiences.

Oh, man! That seriously is the best part of the Behind the Seeds tour!!!!!

Absolutely!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Love it!

Thanks! I'm a fan.

Good for youi!

I bet. And congrats for completing it!

Thanks!! It was fun, and rewarding to get across the finish line. About four years ago, just a couple months after my surgery when I first started living on my own again, I struggled to walk to the grocery store that was directly across the street from my apartment. I didn't figure I'd walk, let alone run, a 5K after that. Feels good to see that I've come a long way!

Was that planned or just a happy coincidence?

I knew before I coloured it that the race would be decked out in purple, but that wasn't the reason I chose purple. So it worked out well! Purple just happens to be my favourite colour. And it also is next to blue on the colour wheel, so if there was any lingering blue left in my hair it would blend in nicely. I'm planning to work my way to pink by the end of the summer, which is next to purple on the other side.

Yussss!!! Love that party. Best thing in all of Disney. Try to prove me wrong.

I won't even try! I have to agree. It's pretty spectacular. I've actually just begun work on our costumes this week.

Maybe Disney should hire you.

Yes! Yes they should! They should hire me, and sponsor my visa, and then I'll spend the rest of my days looking at palm trees and not living in a place where the air hurts my face 4 months out of the year.

Poor guy. That's what you have to do when you're married. Tough, I know.

It's rough. I don't know if he knew what he was getting into. Finishing drinks...sometimes even eating my leftovers. I don't know how he manages.

But it did enough for a chapter title.

True!

I like how you say Trolls, plural...

I refuse to clarify which of the individuals in this photo are "trolls."

How do you get wet on that ride! Did N bring a bucket??

Hahaha that would have made for a much funnier ride photo! No. There are a couple of places where water can splash up around the sides of the boat. Kind of like how I wonder how anyone ever gets really wet on Pirates, but once in a while you hear a story about someone getting totally drenched.

Noooooo!!!! Don't waste them! Put them on your eyes! Spa day!

BLAST! I should have known!

How'd you guys do?

We missed the first couple, and then I think she just gave up on us and quit while we were behind. In our defence, they weren't easy ones. I could have guessed something like cinnamon!

 

[vamassey1]

Hi, friends! In the continuing saga of Meghan's Summer of Magical Pastel Hair: I visited my fabulous stylist yesterday, and she hooked me up with some fun new purple locks! I'm a big fan.

Love your hair!

Then today my mom and I ran (run-walked, let's be real,) a local 5K. It's a women's race, untimed, which supports a local non-profit running group for young girls of all abilities and walks of life. It's a neat event! Their theme colour is also purple, so my new hair worked out perfectly! They also offer tutus as an add-on to your race registration pack, because the woman who started the whole race was a serious runner who used to scoff at people who wore tutus, and then one race she tried wearing one herself and ended up winning that race. More than that, it shifted her perspective about not judging other women, and building them up, wanting everyone to just do their best and make it across the finish line, etc. It was a fun evening...and now I'm exhausted!

Congrats to you and your Mom. Not only did you do something good for you but also for others.

The smart families usually take the first half of a party day as a rest day so they can party all night long......We did not do that.

This does sound like the best plan of actions or at least take a mid day break.

I love getting the earliest seating here because it's so much quieter, you don't need to fight a massive line to get to the buffet, and your server can take more time with you...but it means having to get out of bed.

This makes perfect sense. I've never done Boma for breakfast, only dinner. I know it really made a difference on our Tusker House breakfast.

And I'm pretty sure this chef was trying to kill me.

Shortly after this was taken, most of them began what I recently heard a CM refer to as the "Frozen 5K."

Been there, done that.

We headed over that way and decided to get in the single rider line to maximize touring time.

We did this for the first time in February.

Then we rode Frozen, and I somehow managed to get really wet. I know there was a ride photo for this, but for some reason I can't find it anywhere. But it happened. I promise.

I wonder if someone else did something inappropriate.

We waited a total of 30 minutes before reaching the video. Not terrible, but long enough that I was happy to finally see Patrick!

That a pretty long fp wait time. I'm always happy to see Patrick.

Our Behind the Seeds tour was really neat, and definitely worth the reasonable cost.

I really think DH and I would like this.

took a deep breath, and tried my level best to polish them off. It was just too many cucumbers.

I like cucumbers but I wouldn't be able to eat that many.

 

[pooh'smate]

I love your hair. Purple is my favorite color too.

 

[pkondz]

Thanks!! It was fun, and rewarding to get across the finish line. About four years ago, just a couple months after my surgery when I first started living on my own again, I struggled to walk to the grocery store that was directly across the street from my apartment. I didn't figure I'd walk, let alone run, a 5K after that. Feels good to see that I've come a long way!

You absolutely have come a long way!

I knew before I coloured it that the race would be decked out in purple, but that wasn't the reason I chose purple. So it worked out well! Purple just happens to be my favourite colour. And it also is next to blue on the colour wheel, so if there was any lingering blue left in my hair it would blend in nicely. I'm planning to work my way to pink by the end of the summer, which is next to purple on the other side.

When you get to jet black, lemme know. Then I wanna see you try to go to platinum blonde without all your hair falling out.

I won't even try! I have to agree. It's pretty spectacular. I've actually just begun work on our costumes this week.

Wait.... your ticker says two months... they start MNSSHP in August?

Yes! Yes they should! They should hire me, and sponsor my visa, and then I'll spend the rest of my days looking at palm trees and not living in a place where the air hurts my face 4 months out of the year.

Oy... take me with you.

It's rough. I don't know if he knew what he was getting into. Finishing drinks...sometimes even eating my leftovers. I don't know how he manages.

It's a burden we all must share.

I refuse to clarify which of the individuals in this photo are "trolls."

Hahaha that would have made for a much funnier ride photo! No. There are a couple of places where water can splash up around the sides of the boat. Kind of like how I wonder how anyone ever gets really wet on Pirates, but once in a while you hear a story about someone getting totally drenched.

I knew that about Pirates... but not about Frozen. Shouldn't you get pummeled with ice there?

We missed the first couple, and then I think she just gave up on us and quit while we were behind.

"What do you smell now?"
"Your B. O.?"

 

[MeghanEmily]

Love your hair!

Thanks so much!

Congrats to you and your Mom. Not only did you do something good for you but also for others.

Thank you! It felt great to cross the finish line. Very different from a Disney race, but still very satisfying and fun.

I wonder if someone else did something inappropriate.

I hadn't really thought of that, but now that I look back I can't remember ever seeing the picture at all, and our MBs haven't stopped working for that on other rides or anything, so that's a very good possibility.

I really think DH and I would like this.

It was a great tour! And I think it's a pretty good value for $25 per person, and even less with our annual pass discount.

I love your hair. Purple is my favorite color too.

Thank you!

When you get to jet black, lemme know. Then I wanna see you try to go to platinum blonde without all your hair falling out.

Oh boy. Yeah, I'm gonna pass on that...for the one silly reason that I happen to value having hair on my head!

That said, I have a female friend who shaved her head clean bald a couple of years ago, and she LOVED it and never went back. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it. I hate maintaining my hair. I hate worrying about it getting wet in the rain or on water rides. I hate how much money I spend on products and hair cuts. The idea has potential! I figured I'd just invest in a good quality wig for the times when I felt having hair was an asset, like professional-type work-related things, etc. And then just be bald the rest of the time. I even haphazardly photoshopped my face onto her bald head to see what it might look like, and it actually wasn't terrible! ...but alas, I couldn't bring myself to do it. That whole valuing having hair thing, coming back to bite me again! So for now, I'll keep having hair like most people my age do.

Wait.... your ticker says two months... they start MNSSHP in August?

Yep! Surprise! Last year was the first year they'd pushed it that early. There was some backlash and complaining about how end-of-August was WAY too early to celebrate Halloween. And I agree. It totally is. But it's also the only way I'd ever get to experience MNSSHP for the foreseeable future, and the party is super awesome, so I'm glad they added the early dates.

I knew that about Pirates... but not about Frozen. Shouldn't you get pummeled with ice there?

"What do you smell now?"
"Your B. O.?"

Tehehe

I wouldn't say this. But definitely the kind of thing I'd think quite loudly.

 

[pkondz]

Oh boy. Yeah, I'm gonna pass on that...for the one silly reason that I happen to value having hair on my head!

That said, I have a female friend who shaved her head clean bald a couple of years ago, and she LOVED it and never went back.

Really! I know it's not unheard of... but it is pretty rare.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it. I hate maintaining my hair. I hate worrying about it getting wet in the rain or on water rides. I hate how much money I spend on products and hair cuts. The idea has potential! I figured I'd just invest in a good quality wig for the times when I felt having hair was an asset, like professional-type work-related things, etc. And then just be bald the rest of the time. I even haphazardly photoshopped my face onto her bald head to see what it might look like, and it actually wasn't terrible! ...but alas, I couldn't bring myself to do it. That whole valuing having hair thing, coming back to bite me again! So for now, I'll keep having hair like most people my age do.

Hmmm... that idea just might get some traction. Change your hair on a whim. Long? short? Colours? Go wherever the wind takes you.

Yep! Surprise! Last year was the first year they'd pushed it that early. There was some backlash and complaining about how end-of-August was WAY too early to celebrate Halloween. And I agree. It totally is. But it's also the only way I'd ever get to experience MNSSHP for the foreseeable future, and the party is super awesome, so I'm glad they added the early dates.

Well, there ya go!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Really! I know it's not unheard of... but it is pretty rare.

Definitely! And as much as I think anyone should be able to do anything they want with their appearance, I find this is definitely a harder look for women to "pull off." If your face isn't a certain shape, or your colouring isn't quite right...it's a look that just seems to suit some people better than others. But I love the freedom! My friend often gets asked by children whether she's a girl or a boy though, which she likes to use as a teachable moment. And the other common thing is that adults often assume that she's sick.

 

[pkondz]

it's a look that just seems to suit some people better than others.

I believe that, too.

My friend often gets asked by children whether she's a girl or a boy though, which she likes to use as a teachable moment.

I can see that. Good for her for using it as an opportunity.

And the other common thing is that adults often assume that she's sick.

Yes, I can see that too.

 

[SweetSerenity]

I love your purple hair! Congrats on the 5k!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I love your purple hair! Congrats on the 5k!

Thanks so much!! It felt great to get out and be active, and especially to have my mom along.

 

[MeghanEmily]

MNSSHP​

Disney Day 11 - Part 2

Yay! We're finally getting to another one of the big highlights of the trip—our Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) night! And then we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this TR...after this, we're only looking at 3 more jam-packed Disney days, plus a quick blurb on our stay in Maine on the way home...which means that maybe I'll actually get this TR finished at some point after all!

Alright, now where were we.... Before the party, we headed back to the WL, took naps and showers, and then got dressed in our costumes. If you read my PTR then you'll know that we were going to the party as...

...Peter Pan and his shadow!

I believe this was supposed to be me as Peter, "flying?" I share this, despite my own shame, for your personal entertainment:

When I was making the costumes, I had no trouble finding shorts for both of us, a black polo for N, and felt to make our hats. The problem was finding a green polo in my size. I checked the women's and men's sections everywhere I went, and only ever found one green polo, and only in a men's XL. Not to be thwarted, I ended up buying a white polo instead, and dyeing it green at home in my mop bucket!

We were ready with time to spare, so we took a taxi over to the GF that afternoon so I could stop in to Basin White. They had a certain bar of soap I'd seen on our last trip and wanted to purchase, and the Basin store at Disney Springs hadn't had that kind. I picked up my "waffle cone" soap, as well as a couple of tubes of bath salts. (The actual bath kind, not the I'll-eat-your-face kind.) Then it was time to hop a monorail to the MK and get our party on!

Since we had annual passes and didn't have to worry about wasting park tickets, I'd booked an early meal at Skipper Canteen before the party started. I was so excited, walking in to the Magic Kingdom, to notice that the park had been decorated for Halloween, seemingly overnight! (Possibly literally overnight.)

I thought our dinner ADR was before 4:00, but it must not have been because I have a picture of me wearing my party band before dinner:

Skipper Canteen was excellent, as it typically has been for us. (We've only had one less-than-stellar experience there so far.) N ordered our favourite, the Can't Believe it's Not Chicken, and he got them to prepare it safely for allergies so I could nibble if I wanted to.

(They've since changed the rice in this dish, and it makes me SOO upset because it used to be wildly addictive, and now it's just plain white [jasmine? don't remember...] rice. I got far more emotional than was probably merited when I found this out the hard way after ordering the dish in May.)

I wasn't super hungry yet, so I ordered the prawns, which I believe are no longer on the menu? (It makes sense, because while these were good, it wasn't a great value due to the small nature of the meal.)

We didn't order dessert so we could save room for a fan-favourite:

I can't remember for certain, but I think we may have each ordered our own this time...because N was probably catching on to the fact by now that if I "shared" with him, I'd eat all of it.

We wanted to make sure that we rode the Haunted Mansion at least once this night, so we went there next.

*spoooooookkkyyyyyy*

I was worried that we wouldn't last long in our costumes without melting, despite having considered the heat when I made them...and I didn't see the felt hats lasting long in the August temps, so I wanted to get some photopass pictures out of the way ASAP:

I include this picture below, not because it's one of my favourites, but because it really shows what we were dealing with for weather that night. It was hot and muggy, but the skies looked threatening, and we were prepared for it to start pouring rain at any moment. I just hoped that it wouldn't be a wash, and we'd still be able to enjoy the party offerings...

(See: angry sky.)

We decided to make our way back toward the party entrance to see everything, and to get treat bags. On the way back there, we caught some of the parade.

Judy Hopps must have seen me wildly waving and fan-girling, because she gave me this super-cute excited wave:

I love that bunny.

We got our treat bags, and mine was teal, which is the official colour for allergy awareness.

Whenever we'd go to a trick-or-treat stop, they'd give me a teal-coloured token, which I could redeem at the allergy stations for safe treats. However, when I went to those locations, they didn't base my number of treats on my number of tokens at all. They just told me what they had and asked what I wanted. I wish I'd known that because I wouldn't have bothered with as many trick-or-treat lines that night. But at least it made a difference for the number of treats N was given. It also felt a little awkward and gluttonous to be like, "Actually, I would like you to give me MORE junk food, please." So both times I went, I just asked for a few things and then left.

On our way back to Fantasyland, the weather was looking even more ominous. Just before it started to downpour, however, I heard someone calling our names...and it was @suse66! She knew us from the boards and knew what costumes we'd be wearing, so she recognized us! We'd been hoping to get a chance to meet, but then I got spacey leading up to the trip and we never ended up making concrete plans, so I was so glad to get the chance to meet her and share a few stories about our trips!

It was already starting to rain at the point this picture was taken, and it's certainly not one of my most flattering looks, but I still love it because it reminds me of our lovely meet, and also because the three of us made up: Peter, his shadow, and the Blue Fairy! Thanks so much for saying hello, Susan! Hopefully we'll cross paths again this August!

After our Dismeet, I had another priority: to ride Peter Pan as Peter Pan. That's where we went next.

Fortunately, the rain had mostly let up after our ride....for now. *dun dun DUNN!* After Peter Pan's Flight, I had another priority to check off the list. Following our ride, we noticed that it was about time for Winnie the Pooh and friends to change into their Halloween costumes, so we headed that way. I had decided to make only one character meet a priority for the party, so we wouldn't spend all our time waiting in lines, and this was the one I didn't want to miss! They hadn't put on their costumes yet when we got there, but we asked a nearby CM and he said that they would be leaving shortly to get their outfits on and then returning. He told me that the line was going to be about an hour's wait at that point, and that we should get in line now if we wanted to meet them in their festive duds. We thanked him and got in line, playing road-trip-type games to pass the time, and chatting with our queue neighbours. Shortly, they went to get their costumes on and returned. Our hour-long wait ended up only being 36 minutes, so I was thrilled with that! I couldn't believe how cute they all looked dressed up!

We had a good interaction and didn't feel rushed. Then...this:

Cutest Hundred Acre friends!!

Originally, I'd wanted to go to the party as Christopher Robin (with my pixie cut) and Pooh, but N joked that I was making a "fat joke" by casting him as Pooh Bear, so we went another direction.

After the meet, it was only fitting to ride Winnie the Pooh next! Then we did some more trick-or-treating, and then hit the allergy station to redeem my tokens. I got some allergy-friendly chocolate, packs of cookies, and jelly beans. The packaged allergy cookies aren't fantastic, as @Raeven's beau, Josh, knows all too well. But they worked in a pinch to keep in my purse if I ever got too peckish before a meal.

Then we did something we'd been planning to do for multiple trips and had never managed to do...get N his first turkey leg!

Okay, so I think the turkey leg thing is a little strange, but I've accepted it as a Disney classic. N, however, loved it! But he likes turkey, and he likes ham, and since the Disney turkey leg kind of tastes like a satirically-large hybrid of the two, it makes sense that he enjoyed it.

We had time, so I decided to get in line for the Haunted Mansion photopass picture with the ghostly driver. As you can see below, it was a pretty traumatic experience:

The haunted mansion was lit beautifully, though. I thought it was really neat—eery, yet also lovely:

Side note: I think the party-specific magic shots are really neat, and my one regret is that we didn't spend more time getting more of them taken. I'm planning to do better in that regard at the party this summer!

The lack of substance from my earlier meal at Skipper Canteen was starting to catch up with me, so if I was going to make it through the fireworks and parade, I decided I'd need a snack. We went to Cosmic Rays since I knew that it was one of the quick service locations that was still open during the party, and I got an order of fries. While we were there, a CM noticed our "Just Married" buttons and offered us a little pixie dust in the form of two free Mickey straws. We thanked them, received our fries, pigged out quickly, and moved on. ​

 

[MeghanEmily]

MNSSHP (continued)
Disney Day 11 - Part 3

While in Tomorrowland, I had a few other stops I wanted to make. I went into the gift shop and inquired about party-specific pins, and they pulled some out for me...which I, naturally, purchased. I have a problem. Not only did they have a cute Mickey-pumpkin pin, and a MNSSHP limited release pin, but they also had the AP-specific pin for the party, which I had to admit was super cool! It was Hades....and it OPENED UP! See below:

Before leaving Tomorrowland, we also rode Buzz (where I kicked N's butt, as per usual,) and the Peoplemover.

I could tell that N was interested in riding Space Mountain with a short wait, but he didn't want to leave me alone waiting for him. I offered to go turn in the rest of my allergy treat tokens at the location on Main Street while he rode, which seemed like a reasonable suggestion to him.

He rode Space...

...while I hit Main Street. It was starting to sprinkle a bit again, and I was feeling a little damp. I finished with my allergy treat mission before N got back, so I wandered Main Street a bit, trying to step between the rain drops, and I sat and took a selfie with Roy and Minnie:

N met me back in the "plushie room," as we were calling it, of the Emporium. By then, it was near time to find a spot for something brand-new to us, and very exciting: HalloWishes!​

We found a spot toward the hub-end of Main Street, where we'd be approximately front-and-center, but still far back enough to be able to appreciate the "360-fireworks" in the periphery.

Before too long, the show began!

We were both so impressed with this show! I think it's probably taken the place of N's favourite nighttime show now, and it's pretty close for me, too.

It was dark now, and all the Halloween decorations really shone! I've never been a particularly Halloween-obsessed kind of person, but I truly think that I prefer the Halloween decorations at the MK to the Christmas ones, or to any other seasonal decor at WDW, for that matter (with the exception of F&G Fest at Epcot.)

After HalloWishes, people were starting to disperse, so we decided to move further up in the hub and find a new spot to wait for the Hocus Pocus show. This show took place several times throughout the night, and I wish we'd taken advantage of one of the earlier showings...but more on that in a second. Anyway, we found a good spot to sit and wait in the hub near one of the railings, so nobody would be beside us on one side. We sat there on the ground, trying not to let fatigue overcome us, for almost 25 minutes.

Then with just over 5 minutes till the show, after most of the surrounding areas had been filled with people, a CM arrived where we were sitting (which had been completely unmarked and not roped off at all) and told us that we'd have to move because they were roping the area off as a disability section. We told them that we'd been waiting since the fireworks ended and hadn't been told to move, and asked if they had any suggestions as to where we should go, but they basically told us that we were out of luck. As someone who needs certain types of disability-related accommodations, I 100% am all for accessible viewing areas for those who need it. I just wish that the area had been marked sooner. It could have easily been roped off immediately after the fireworks crowd dispersed. We left and found another nearby area to squeeze into behind some stupidly tall people, but we still had a mostly-decent view of the castle stage.

The Hocus Pocus show commenced, and I was excited to see it because I had watched Hocus Pocus for the very first time a couple of weeks prior to the trip in preparation for the Halloween party. (I can't believe I'd never watched it before!!) Unfortunately, the rain was starting to come down more steadily several minutes after the show started. Suddenly, in the middle of a musical number, all the performers must have gotten a message that the stage conditions were unsafe because they all suddenly turned and left the stage and the show was called off. A collective *Awwwwwwww* was heard from all throughout the crowd. I was disappointed, but I'm a "safety first" kinda girl, so I understood.

What I was now more worried about was the state of the parade!! We had chosen to wait to watch the later parade, and now I was beginning to worry that it had been a bad decision! I figured that there was no way that the parade would go on now, in less than half an hour! But just in case it did, I wanted to make sure we didn't miss it, so N and I went to find a place to sit and wait for it in the Liberty Square area.

As it got closer and closer to the parade time, I was sure it would be cancelled, but CMs had been given no indication yet and told us it was still possible, and that they continued to plan as if the parade would be on up until the moment they were told it was cancelled.

It was almost 11:15, and a CM was quite literally sweeping rivers of rain from the parade route with a half-broom-half-squeegee type tool. Everyone was applauding for him and his efforts to help make this happen for us. Time continued to march on, and the parade seemed to be late. Would it happen at all?? Just when I was beginning to lose hope, sitting cold and damp in my soggy polo and my squelchy felt hat...I began to hear the parade music in the distance! And soon enough, this was coming around the corner:

I didn't get any good parade photos. I never do. But here are a few bad ones:

I'm a fan of parades anyway, but I was seriously impressed with this one! I tried not to be influenced by all the hype surrounding the Boo to You parade, and how it's the best parade, etc....but now I really agree that it is! I loved the grave diggers, who managed to make sparks on the ground with their shovels despite all the rain. For that matter, I loved all of the Haunted Mansion-inspired/ghostly performers. The villain floats were excellent, and it was a neat opportunity to see some rarely-viewed characters. The music is SO catchy! I was so glad that they managed to put on the parade for us, despite the nasty conditions.

At this point, N and I were done. It was just reaching midnight by the time the parade had finished making its way though and we had made it back to the hub. We noticed that the midnight showing of Hocus Pocus hadn't been cancelled, but we were feeling tired and wet and decided just to hightail it to the boat launch.

When we got back to the WL, we had the scariest experience of our Halloween-themed night! You may recall that I mentioned earlier about the terrible luck we'd had with creepy elevators on our trip. This night, by far, was the worst. We got into the elevator, along with another couple, to go up to our room. It started to go up, and then stopped, kind of jostled a little, and made a terrible, low, metallic-type sound! We looked at the other couple, and they looked back at us. We were stopped, so we tried hitting the open door button. It didn't do anything. Then we tried the emergency button. The elevator gave a tiny lurch. As a last-ditch attempt, we hit the open door button again...and after a few seconds the doors opened to the ground floor again. We all got out, nervously laughing to each other. The other couple, understandably, opted to take the stairs. N decided we should risk taking the other elevator up to our room, and while I wasn't too keen on the idea, it got us there without incident. After a little too much extra excitement that night, I was ready for bed!​

 

[Smilelea]

Love your costumes!!! We were just discussing our options tonight at dinner. Pretty sure we're going with Toy Story theme for G but the big boys keep changing their minds on exactly which characters

I had decided to make only one character meet a priority for the party, so we wouldn't spend all our time waiting in lines, and this was the one I didn't want to

Oh this will be us...forever waiting in long lines. C said our plan is characters, trick or treating, parade, and fireworks (maybe).

but I truly think that I prefer the Halloween decorations at the MK to the Christmas ones, or to any other seasonal decor at WDW, for that m

I can't wait to see them! I loved the Christmas decor too so now I'm really excited about the Halloween decor. My two favorite holidays!

(I can't believe I'd never watched it before!!)

I can't believe it either! It's one of my favorites.

We had chosen to wait to watch the later parade, and now I was beginning to worry that it had been a bad decision! I figured tha

Note to self: watch the earlier parade if rain is probable. C said our plan is to watch the later one since he keeps reading that it is less crowded.

When we got back to the WL, we had the scariest experience of our Halloween-themed night! You may recall that I mentioned earlier about the terrible luck we'd had with creepy elevators on our trip. This night, by far, was the worst. We got into the elevator, along with another couple, to go up to our room. It started to go up, and then stopped, kind of jostled a little, and made a terrible, low, metallic-type sound! We looked at the other couple, and they looked back at us. We were stopped, so we tried hitting the open door button. It didn't do anything. Then we tried the emergency button. The elevator gave a tiny lurch. As a last-ditch attempt, we hit the open door button again...and after a few seconds the doors opened to the ground floor again. We all got out, nervously laughing to each other. The other couple, understandably, opted to take the stairs. N decided we should risk taking the other elevator up to our room, and while I wasn't too keen on the idea, it got us there without incident. After a little too much extra excitement that night, I was ready for bed!

Oh my! Definitely not the best way to end your night. Glad it worked out okay.