Heart, We Did All That We Could

It's been a sad week of goodbyes and see-you-real-soons here in the most magical place on Earth. The more time I spend here, the more friends have to return from whence they came. It's a vicious cycle, but I suppose that's program life.

Before they left from this round of vacation, Merran, Amanda and I spent a lot of quality time at Magic Kingdom. We spent time there on the 7th with Daniel and Rachel, then we were back on the 8th for a romantic fancy dinner at Be Our Guest restaurant preceded by a Pirates Adventure to work up our appetites. I felt overdressed to be pirating but just right for Be Our Guest. 

Remember when this place was new on our
program in 2012? 

Matt and I spent the Sunday at Universal. No worries, Matt's not going anywhere soon (he better not) but we went and it was good times so it deserves a mention. Honestly, we spent most of our time in Islands of Adventure stalking the new Reign of Kong attraction. It hadn't technically officially opened yet but we had heard rumours of soft opens. So we'd do a ride (Jurassic Park River Adventure!) then go wait outside Kong for a bit. Then we'd go do another attraction (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey!) then go wait outside Kong. Then we explored the entirety of Seuss Landing, and met the Cat in the Hat and the two Things, then we waited outside Kong for a bit. We had just given up and decided to get drinks when the gates open (as they do). So obviously we booked it and got in. My favourite park was the jump scares in the queue. Correction. My favourite bit was Matt's reaction to the jump scares in the queue. Priceless. We spent the evening cooling down with Mike and Rachael featuring Back to the Future part II. 

The happy faces of Guests riding the Seuss train twice.

Monday the 11th was Merran and Amanda's last day of their vacation. We spent time together at Hollywood Studios on Star Tours and on Toy Story Midway Mania before settling in for the spectacular Star Wars fireworks as the finale to their trip. Merran will for sure be back at Christmas. Amanda should be feeling the pressure to do the same. Just saying.

We have our own BB8 for this Star Tours trip!

Wednesday the 13th marked the last day of work for many of our beloved merchandise cast members, notably (for me) Kimberly from Canada, and Laura and Rachael from the UK, all of whom have been mentioned on multiple occasions on this blog this year. It was quite a blow and quite a day.

Do we look like the singing Von Trapps yet?

Kimberly and I are bringing princess-y back. 

 That evening was Wishes for the last time for Rachael and Laura. We were joined by Matt and Mike for some seriously sad fireworks (they were as stunning as ever, but last viewings of Wishes are the saddest).
The next morning bright and early, Laura and I were at Magic Kingdom for the break of 0930 for a very special Keys to the Kingdom tour. I had done this tour on my last program but obviously it's another chance to know more than your average bear about Magic Kingdom so I was there with bells on. Laura was very princessy and I was very Adventurelandy but luckily we spent a lot of time both under the castle and in Adventureland. The tour was fantastic as expected. We had an excellent guide named Amalie, with whom we spent our lunch break.

I think I'd rock this equestrian costume. 

We spent a few hous in the afternoon riding the People Mover, taking in Festival of Fantasy one more time (with Eric, Sarah and Kimberly!), and enjoying the new castle show, featuring the long-awaited return of Louis the Alligator from Princess and the Frog. It was obvious from the crowd's reaction that we were all pleased to see him for the first time since the incident that condemned most of the alligators and crocodiles on Disney property. We took many pictures up and down Main Street, and when we had had enough of the insane temperatures, we took off for the last time (for now) before the rain started pummelling down. Are you familiar with pathetic fallacy? I am. 

Mickey's Friendship Faire, new castle show extraordinaire. 

Unbelievably, I returned to Magic Kingdom later in the evening, after having showered and changed and generally freshened up. I may have even napped. It was time for Kimberly's last Wishes, and it was an event not to be missed.  There was ice cream, there was People Mover with the lights on during Space Mountain, and of course, there was sadness. There was also most of the attractions cast, bidding adieu to Leah, an extraordinary cast member. We were all able to cram into a few castle pictures, behaving like the South American tour groups we don't usually love.

Much love, much magic, much maple in this picture. 

Rachel (Canadian Rachel) and I spent the vast majority of the Friday poolside. She was staycaying at Pop Century, so after we spent an ample amount of time at their pool, we may have meandered over the the Art of Animation's Big Blue pool were we may have spent more time poolside (and underwater, listening to the underwater tunes) before inevitably, the pool was suddenly evacuated and closed. Darn you, small children. We went to Hollywood Studios in the evening for more Toy Story and Rock'n Roller Coaster, but were too tired from the sun to go much else. What a life.

The rest of my week has been spent working, sweating, eating and coping with missing some very special cast members and friends. Keep being magical, dearly departed Disney dead friends.

See you real soon!

Lindsey

Magical Moment: Ok, so Laura and I are big fans of the cones on the People Mover. The People Mover cones. They're just orange pylons that ride the People Mover again and again. For no apparent reason. They're MK celebrities in our eyes. WE SAW THEM ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. It was magical to us.

OH MY GOODNESS A PEOPLE MOVER CONE.

Pixie Dust to: The table of Cast Members beside us at Be Our Guest who let me borrow their candle for a picture and didn't even ask why. Obviously it's cuz I wanted one in each hand so I could be Lumiere in the castle. But they knew that.

The Greenest State in the Land of the Free

Wingapo, friends, let us catch up.

Since it's officially summer now, although it's been summer in Orlando for months, this means lots of new things are happening at Disney World. On June 21st, Hollywood Studios got new Star Wars themed fireworks, entitled Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, so a bunch of us wandered over to check them out (it's for product knowledge). While we were waiting, obviously we had to go do Toy Story Midway Mania. The fireworks really were spectacular. So much more than just fireworks. Oh we went to Magic Kingdom after, since Studios closed at 10 and that wasn't enough park for us. 

When a cast member saves you from yet another selfie.

 Another brand new thing to Disney World is the Frozen Ever After attraction in the Norway pavilion in Epcot. It replaced the Maelstrom boat ride, rest in peace. It also opened the 21st, and I through the wonders of technology snagged FastPasses for the 23rd. I brought Frozen fan Katrina and fellow merchie Eric, who was so new when FastPasses became available, he didn't even have his maingate yet. We were running early for the first time in forever (see what I did there) so we snuck in the Royal Summerhaus, also new, to meet Elsa and Anna before checking out their new boat ride. I suppose this would be an ideal time to reveal that World Showcase cast had been pulled from their work locations all week to help test the new ride. I was definitely one of the lucky ones who not only got to test the actual boat ride (instead of just the queue) but got to do several rounds before heading back to Canada.

Princess Anna and Princess Anna love
a queue with a couch. 

Official Summer Snow Day!

Animatronic sisters unlike any others. 

 Eric and I left Katrina in Norway so she could attempt to ride again, while we scampered off to Captain's Grille at the Yacht Club resort for lunch with Sarah. It was 40% off so we thought it was necessary. Also we felt very fancy. We slowly wandered back to Epcot with very full bellies, and decided ice cream from France was in order, and then we ran into a princess on our way back to Canada.

Sometimes us and Rapunzel have the best day
ever at International Gateway.

 Our purpose in hanging out at work while not actually working was the finally check out the new entertainment in Canada. They're an acrobat troup from Montreal called Les Parfaits Inconnus. We may have judged them a bit fast, since they start their act with paper bags over their heads while playing instruments and yeah that sounds totally weird. But we stayed for the whole performance this time, so we would know for our Guests what to expect. We could not have been more wrong. These guys are phenomenally athletic and talented and good-looking. We ended up returning for a second show, as we spoke with them after the first and they told us there's a different featured soloist each show.

This guy flipped backwards off an unsupported ladder.
The other guy just caught the ladder as it was pushed away.  

An All Canadian selfie! Basically I'm a fan for life.

Same day, post-laundry, almost every single merchie gathered on the Boardwalk to try another recent new thing, the Ample Hills Creamery (aka very fancy ice cream). Obviously we had to take shifts going inside and guarding our table, so I don't have a selfie with everyone. A proper group photo exists and I'll acquire it. With more ice cream. Because no regrets about that.

Me, Louise, Kara and Shane taking on Ample Hills
and their complicated flow charts.

On June 28th, we were summoned to the pavilion extra early before work (ok, so at 1030) so we could take a special early group shot of Canada, with a Walt Disney World Ambassador, to be used to promote Canada Day. While we were waiting for said ambassador in the store/air conditioning, we had a very special pavilion-wide goodbye for Micayla, who's extension and program had come to an end. Most of us, including Micayla, had to work that day, but Rachel and I didn't work til much later, so what were we to do but entertain ourselves at work for the morning. We went to the Land, rode the new Soarin' Around the World, and had early lunch at Garden Grill with Chip, Dale, Pluto and farmer Mickey. Dale was totally in his element and his antics were worth the price of Garden Grill. We were uncomfortably full of food and fun for the rest of the day. Oh I'm pretty sure the next time we ate was much much later at Steak n' Shake.

Dale and I are darling.
Remember we got engaged last time?

I think Pluto was distracting us while
secretly trying to steal turkey.

Dale notices that I've been all paparazzi on him...

...And has to check out our photos from the day. 

On June 30th, Laura and I had a chill yet very warm afternoon at Epcot, in which we attempted to complete a passport, but only got a third done, as we kept getting distracted around the World Showcase West area.
First there were acrobats again...

Can you do this in Florida in June? Can you?

 Then there was Laura's favourite princess hanging at IG again...

No one told us to pose like this. It just happened.

 And then the acrobats AGAIN...

His entire body weight in on his one arm. WHAT. 

 Until we decided to move on to greater things. Like dinner at Wilderness Lodge. We had a reservation at the very fancy Artist Point. Laura had a dining coupon left over from Christmas so we may have gone all out. We were very smart in wearing dresses so nothing would have to stretch. We chilled like none other in the lobby of Wilderness Lodge and darn near dozed off on the comfiest couches of life. We wanted to take a boat tour to Magic Kingdom but there was lightning, as there frequently is this time of year. So we took a bus instead. While on the bus, we decided the actual best course of action would be to go to Trader Sam's, the Jungle Cruise themed bar located in the Polynesian Resort. Who would have thought that there would be a bar that was so up my alley. It's delightfully themed to my favourite attraction of all time, it's small and cozy, and the drinks come with both the option of purchasing a clean, dry, signature cup and some magical moments. Enough said. It was amazing and I shall return.

Here's the part where I confess that I'm the bad Canadian who did not visit her pavilion on Canada Day. My bad. Justification - Amanda and her friend Merran were due in from British Columbia that day. I brought them to Target upon there arrival for snacks, healthy foods, and general fun American shopping. After they napped and unpacked, it was absolutely bucketing down rain but we went to Magic Kingdom anyway because, guess what, it buckets down rain every day now. The parks belong to those with ponchos and high spirits.

We don't need you, Photopass.
What you cannot see is my LOVE CANADA tee. 

On the 2nd, Merran and Amanda had an early start to their day, as vacationers do, at Epcot, so I met them in the early afternoon at Hollywood Studios. As is my habit, we got in a quick visit with out favourite snowman...

We are all meting because it's so hot!

Before heading to the Frozen Sing Along. Good times were had by all.

I don't even know how many times I've done this show. 

We left for the resort as the ominous storm clouds were rolling over Studios, and boarded the bus to Art of Animation (for lunch) as the daily rain hit. We were prepared, don't you worry. After lunching, snacking and resting (back at Pop Century where the girls are actually staying), we returned to Magic Kingdom for more magic and less rain.

Our girl Ariel in her grotto.
See my appropriate necklace?

 On the 3rd, Kara and I grabbed ERs from work and left for Art of Animation. I was using the pool while the others had paid for a room. It was so so hot but that pool is gorgeous. I braided four princesses' worth of hair before we went to Magic Kingdom. The 4th of July fireworks are also performed on the 3rd. I guess it's so Guests can see both MK's and Epcot's fireworks. It was very busy but we were very early so we were very comfortable waiting on Hub grass for the salute to all nations (but mostly America) to begin.

Even the castle is Star Spangled. 

We had to stay still for awhile after, since there was a mass exodus of the park, but we were able to snag a FastPass for Haunted Mansion. There was some screaming. It most definitely was not me.

If a ghost followed us home, he didn't show
up for the picture.

On the actual 4th of July, I worked but not all evening. I met Merran and Amanda for dinner at the Electric Umbrella before we found a very uncrowded spot in Canada for the special Independence Day edition of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. The fireworks and noise were an epic of epic epicness, plus there was a bonus of watching a fireworks tech control the show from on top of Canada the whole time. Not that anything was on fire... cuz it wasn't.

On the fifth, I met Amanda and Merran at Animal Kingdom in the evening. As part of the new summer offerings (called "Summer Awakens"... good job with that, Disney), Animal Kingdom stays open later into the night with its new fun things to do: A nighttime Kilimanjaro Safari, which is magical on its own and totally doesn't need to fake sunset or hippo noises, thank you very much, as well as the Tree of Life Awakens, which is a projection show on the Tree of Life and is actually amazing, and Jungle Book: Alive with Magic, DAK's nighttime spectacular along the lines of Fantasmic. There's few fireworks, but it really is gorgeous and beautiful and so catchy, due to Jungle Book songs. I'm sure Rivers of Light, the originally conceived but for now delayed nighttime spectacular, will eventually come to be.

I am both shiny and excited for a nighttime Safari. 

Unless you want to hear about my grocery shopping at Trader Joe's, then I do believe we're all caught up.

See you real soon!

Lindsey

Magical Moment: I got a selfie with the WDW Ambassador. He liked and commented on the picture on Instagram. IT WAS MAGICAL TO ME. Also I want to be an ambassador.

Pixie Dust to: This one Epcot Cast Services Cast Member. She was handing out Mickey ice cream sandwiches on Independence Day, and when she saw my costume, she wished me a happy belated Canada Day. Thanks for knowing and caring! And also for the ice cream.