[LittleMissMagic]

So, for Christmas break, we got a last-minute (as in four days prior!) deal on a four-day cruise to Cozumel. The plan was to drive to Valdosta, spend the night, board the ship, and then on departure day, head to Busch Gardens and celebrate New Year's, spening the night in Tampa.

At dinner on our drive down, Rachel asks to go to MGM Studios for New Year's instead of Busch Gardens. Of course, I will jump on any opportunity to get to The World, so I played along.

Departure day, Dad asks us if we really want to go to MGM for New Years, and of course, we both say yes, so he cancels our ressies in Tampa and we drive to Walt Disney World.

We got there at eleven (slight drizzle) and immediately headed for Rockin' Rollercoaster, getting FastPasses and riding it singles. I considered jumping the rail once we got into the preshow room but decided against it, since it would be unfair and I figured all of you MBers would get onto me about it. I kinda wish I did because with only rows of two, not many singles were needed, so it took a while.

It was kind of rainy, so we went into The Great Movie Ride before it was overcrowded by those wishing to escape a shower.

Rachel is in love with Zac Efron and High School Musical, so of course we attended the first High School Musical Pep Rally of the day...

*cliffhanger break*

I shall return!

[smee57]

Alright! A TR!!

[dznygrl]

I love TRs!!! *Waiting not-so-patiently for the rest*.....

[LittleMissMagic]

Okay... A CM in front of the Sorcerer's Hat tells us that the High School Musical Pep Rally will be held at Fantasmic Courtyard. So, we head over to the entrance and are welcomed by a mob of people. It doesn't look too bad... I keep telling myself that Fantasmic Courtyard is rather big. Well, we had to work our way up the path to the stage area which took around 20 minutes (actually, for New Year's, not that bad). While waiting in line, we watched in horror as a father accidentally (I am assuming) let his baby daughter flip over his shoulder and land smack onto the concrete. It took her a few seconds to begin crying, but there didn't seem to be much damage... just a red area on the back of her head. Nothing purple or swollen. Anyway, we reached the courtyard. It was more crowded than I thought. The first seven rows of people were told to sit on the ground. We were not the first seven. So, being five-even, my view of the show was rather obstructed. Rachel didn't have it much better. It was cute. That's about all I can say. By the end, Rachel and my parents were grumpy about the crowds so we had to take a Diet Coke break.

Ironically, the pep rally let out just in time for us to go next door to watch Beauty and the Beast. I videotaped the performance, but I stupidly erased my memory before I transfered my vids to the computer, so it's lost. I am a bit depressed, but I'll be back in a week, so I can get over myself.

After Beauty and the Beast, it was time for lunch. We were going to head over to the Backlot Express, but got sidetracked and decided on ABC Commissary. I actually took food pics. Nothing special, though. I got a kids' meal in a little Mickey tray. It was cute.

I decided to try Disney dining and see if there were any openings anywhere. There weren't. But I tried (and also caused my phone to lose battery life and later die).

Okay, I'll leave you hanging again... it was only a day trip so I must stretch it out as long as possible.

[LittleMissMagic]

Okay... guess I'll start back up.

We went to Lights, Motors, Action Stunt Show. During the show it started to rain, so they rushed into the ending before the conditions got much worse. I got some great pics and enjoyed practicing action shots. I tried memorizing the pre-show trivia so I'll know it when I go back in a week, but I've probably already forgotten it (if you'd like to help, I'd appreciate it!). We sat in the stadium for a while after the show to wait for the conditions to get better, but realized that if we wanted to ride Backlot Express, we would have to get there before 5:00. It was 4:55. We ran.

We made it! And didn't even run into or trip up any people (that I know of). Got onto the last tour of the day. Ironically, we saw this girl from my school who I didn't know, but Rachel did for some reason. So she made me say her name really loud to see if it was really her, and she turned. Then I had to tell her that we were from Pendleton and Rachel know her for some reason. Her mom is like, "Oh, small world!" (We kept seeing this girl the rest of the day, too.)

After Backlot, we visited the Muppets. We began comparing the Muppets to people in the band and came up with a person for every Muppet. It was hilarious.

*I left out Tower of Terror, which we did after Beauty and the Beast (probably because I was so concerned about lunch). I made an awesome ride photo. I took a picture of the monitor, which I will include later, but didn't buy the pic because... there were strangers in it.

I'll resume later.

[Experiment6-2-6]

Originally Posted by LittleMissMagic

I considered jumping the rail once we got into the preshow room but decided against it, since it would be unfair and I figured all of you MBers would get onto me about it..

Well, um, yeah, 'cause that would be wrong...

Sounds like you had a good time, though..

Glad you were able to have fun!

[LittleMissMagic]

Yeah, I know... you MBers have taught me well.

[LittleMissMagic]

ohhhkayy... I've left you hanging for three days and no one has complained.



I'll begin, again, anyway.

So we FPed rnrc... funny picture, but of course we didn't buy it because my dad messed it up (he got new glasses... verses his usual contacts... so he has this horrible squinting habit... ruined almost every picture we took).

Umm... Animation Academy. I love that place. I am a whiz at Mickey and Donald and Goofy... even Chip and Dale! So, you might understand my disappointment when I realized that we would be drawing... Mickey Mouse. Nothing against Mickey. I love him... I was just hoping for a character I hadn't drawn, already (I think I must've tackled all that they offer at AA). So after waiting for thirty minutes (we barely missed the show in front of us... grr), we go into the studio and get situated. The instructor does the usual big circle, use elbow, not wrist. But he doesn't want you to do the ears, yet. And you have to draw the nose and mouth before the eyes. And he pretty much went against my normal order of creating Mickey on paper. I studied his on the overhead and decided that mine looked better. Now... last part is ears. He draws large, oval-y, almost-half-the-size-of-Mickey's-head ears! Apparently I wasn't so discrete when I whispered to my sister, "Check out those ears! I can draw Mickey better than this guy..." because my mum hissed at me. I ended up adding my own New Year's Eve party hat since this guy didn't get to it (after he said he would... was very disappointed).

Now we got our own party hats. We collect them. Though they don't stay on my head due to my baseball cap and ponytail. Rachel can wear them, though.

So, we pretty much skipped dinner. We always do on vacation. When I'm not in school, I forget to eat... instead, we had fudge and slushies. Yummy dinner, eh?

Kay so now we head over to Osborne Spectacle of Lights. Unfortunately, due to the weather, the lights were not dancing. I was a bit upset because I love the dancing lights, but just looking at them was nice.

Next we went to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. That show makes me very curious... you know how it rains on you? Why aren't the seats moldy-smelling? Hmm... and since their are live actors, how can they do the show every 15 minutes?

Blast-off to Endor!!!!!! I love Star Tours... I find all motion rides hilarious. R2D2 and C3PO crack me up.

This is about when we decided to start shopping... I got a yellow Mickey Mouse keychain for my bookbag (like a mini anteanna topper). And something else... hmm... can't remember at the moment. Oh, yeah... I had gotten a tee shirt from Tower of Terror earlier in the day. It's adorable.

So, it's almost New Year's and the area surrounding the Sorcerer's hat is packed. My dad insists we leave the park. So, we stand outside the entrance to watch the fireworks.

5... 4... 3... 2... ONNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Bang-bang-bang-bang!!! Fireworks explosion! Wait... pause? Is that a pause? A tram pulls up. All of a sudden, everyone makes a mad dash to the tram!!! My dad, of course, makes his way to the front of the pack (he's a freak). I get separated... in a different lane than him. He picks me up and pulls me over in his lane. We board the tram. "Please stand back! NO MORE LOADING!" Tram pulls away. "Hope you enjoyed your day at - " BANG! BANG! BANG! Of course it wasn't over. This is Disney. I turned around to see people jumping off the tram while it was moving to watch the fireworks. I was disappointed that we left so soon (I knew it wasn't over). We got to music 63... and watched the rest from the parking lot.

So... we kind of avoided the mad dash to the exit.

Now we get in the car. I stay alert, remembering everything Disney. We go farther... and farther... keep driving... I'm out. Wake up to "Victoria, get your stuff" in... ugg... can't remember the name! It will come to me... but it was about an hour away. My dad wouldn't stop until he was certain that we could get a room.

So... how's that for unexpected Disney magic?

Will return in a week!

[Dana]

Sounds like it was the perfect new year's eve to me. I would love to see the pics. when you get them up. Sorry I am just now getting to this report..I havne't been on all that much lately.

[LittleMissMagic]

Walk this way...


Look... it's Donald!


We're all in this together!

[LittleMissMagic]

Everybody, now!


Tale as old as time...

[Dana]

Great photos victoria!

[Peppertink]

Glad you had a good time at the Studios! Did you do a cruise TR?

[LittleMissMagic]

Be... our... guest!


See the yellow hoodie?


My tee shirt!

[LittleMissMagic]

Food pic... fancy schmancy, eh?


Rae looked at me like I was stupid when I took a pic of my food...


Lights... Motors... ACTION!