I'm Back with So Much To Tell

The Castle lit for Halloween

Yes, I have returned from what was probably the best vacation I've ever had.  I have so much to tell and so many photos to share that I'm not quite sure where to start.  So maybe I'll do just a quick wrap-up today and go into more detail in future posts.

Simba float from The Lion King Show

Shows -- We saw shows that we hadn't seen before, one of which was the Beauty and the Beast show.  And it was phenomenal.  Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies, and the show couldn't have been better.  Because of my scooter and Bubby's wheelchair, we were seated in the first row.  Also we did Hoop-Dee-Doo review and it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Lettuce being grown in "Pods".

Rides -- I'm not a big rider, let me say that.  But we rode the riverboat and the train, two of my favorite methods of transportation.  We did The Great Movie Ride in Hollywood Studios, and it highlighted some of what I consider to be the best movies and actors ever -- John Wayne, Gone with the Wind, and oh, yes, The Three Stooges.  But one of my favorite rides is the Living with the Land ride.  Here you board a boat that takes you through a display of how the land has been used by humans, and ends with a tour of the Disney greenhouse where they are experimenting with new methods of growing vegetables. Some of these lettuces will find their way into salads at the "Garden Grill" restaurant.

the Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins

Characters -- there were a lot of characters out and about, and I managed to get 8 blocks signed by characters I hadn't been able to get before.  I was able to add the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts to my Alice in Wonderland blocks; Princess Tiana and her beau Naveen  and also Princess Jasmine and Aladdin to the Princess collection; and Handy Manny and Lotsa Hugs Bear to the kids collection.  These are two of my favorite characters - Krissy dressed as Mary Poppins, and Bubby dressed as the Mad Hatter.

my pirate pins

Pins -- I am a Disney Pin Collector.  Not one of the serious collectors who strives to find the most valuable, but a collector who builds collections of her favorite things. On the last trip I concentrated on Pirate pins, and pins for the four parks; pins from movies and various shaped pins.  This trip, I concentrated on pins from Winnie the Pooh; pins from my favorite movies; and pins from the special rides and events we attended.  And I couldn't resist buying a pin that was Mickey dressed as a nutcracker (I do have a nutcracker collection)

Magic -- Somehow Disney always manages to provide "Magic".  We got chocolate covered strawberries for our anniversary at the Disney's Playhouse breakfast -- completely unexpected that a meal designed for kids would make two old people feel special.  We got a towel bird from our Mousekeeper and she folded our bathmat with a washcloth to make a bow on our bathtub.  And we got an anniversary card with a photopass discount from our hotel.  Mary's kids got cupcakes at two meals to celebrate their birthdays.  Mary was given preferred viewing for the Illuminations show from Guest Services to make up for the lousy weather preventing us from seeing that show last year.

Beautiful views --  The area surrounding Disney is spectacular.  Rod snapped this sunset photo while we were on a boat (see I told you I love boats) returning from the Hoop-Dee-Doo review at Fort Wilderness. It was truly a perfect ending to a perfect day.