Welcome to the third part of my journal, otherwise known as “i’m hot, I’m tired and I can’t believe how many things I haven’t done yet.” Anyone who has attempted the Ultimate Touring Plan as set forth by www.touringplans.com reaches a point in the day when you can’t imagine how you are ever going to finish. You’re really tired, you’re hungry, probably dehydrated and scared to death that one ride is going to break down and be closed for the rest of the day before you can ride it.
At this point, I’ve done 29 of the required core attractions and a total of 42, 13 of those bonus that won’t count for anything if I don’t finish. In order for an Ultimate Tour to be complete, you must complete the core attractions (all that are open that day) and anything extra counts as bonus points.
I’ve still got all 3 mountains to climb which makes me nervous. The later the day, the more likely a headliner is to close unexpectedly.
We pick up in Frontierland after getting off of the boat from Tom Sawyer’s Island at 6:15 pm.
#43 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 6:37 pm
Posted wait for BTMR was 30 minutes at this time of night, but I was hoping for a shorter wait. My need to wait on a headliner standby shows my newbie-ness in Ultimate touring, but I kinda blew the fast pass window that afternoon by taking the Anna & Elsa one.
Luckily the wildest ride in the wilderness did have an inflated wait time and I was on in exactly 20 minutes.
#44, Splash Mountain, 6:49 pm
I loved this kind of timing. I got off of Big Thunder at 6:41 pm and my fast pass for Splash started at 6:40 pm. I always kind of feel bad walking through the fast pass queue for Splash Mountain because of those hundreds of people waiting in the 40 minute standby line. I resisted the urge to take the stairs like Fred Astaire and instead look very interestedly in the queue details on the left so I don’t have to look the standby people in the eye.
My attempt at a selfie without getting my camera wet…
WDW’s was much better proof…(notice that by this time of the day, my stench had fended off anyone who might be tempted to sit next to me.)
#45, Ariel’s Grotto, 7:47 pm
Yep, you read the number right, almost an hour from one attraction to the next. I went ahead an waited for this one now because I hadn’t done it earlier (which I should have) and didn’t have a fastpass for (which I should have) and she closed much earlier than a lot of other core attractions, so I wanted it done.
I will say that Ariel was lovely. Very personable and talkative. I saw my favorite cosplay of the day in her queue.
Other than that, for the love of all that is good and holy, WDW needs some fans in that queue! It was hot, stifling and miserable. I probably made it in 10 minutes faster than I would have if the 7 parties ahead of me hadn’t bailed in the miserable conditions. If you have an Ariel fan that needs to meet her, do it early….
#46, Pirates of the Caribbean, 8:20 pm
As I look back on this journal, I can’t believe why I would have walked from Splash Mountain to Ariel and BACK to Pirates. Really? Had to be a better way to do that, but I think I devoting all brain power to writing down wait times and instagramming pictures.
I had the unfortunate experience of not reading about the new boats at Pirates. The ones that are a little front heavy and tend to…splash a little more at the bottom of the falls. Luckily I had just put my camera back in my waterproof bag or else my adventure would have probably ended then and there. I don’t think it helped that I was in the front seat with two young ladies who looked like they could have been on the Olympic weight lifting team. I, myself, being no marathon runner anymore added to the drop that drenched us from waist to toes. Splash Mountain had nothing on this ride.
Pretty fuzzy pic but at the loading dock getting ready to take off….
With a little enhancement, you could probably see the outline of my face in the lower left of this one…
#47, Enchanted Tiki Room, 8:38 pm
I still love the original Tiki Room. I knew I had just enough time to finish this show and make it to Main Street for Wishes.
#48, Wishes, 9 pm
Yep. I cry every time I watch Wishes. Did that night, too. I was a little flabbergasted at the crowd on Main Street. We usually watch the fireworks from Fantasyland and I was dying to join my friends at Gaston’s for the show that evening, but the requirements state you have to watch it from Main Street or the hub. The entire front of the park was a people jam, but luckily moving alone I was able to slip in and find a place right in front of a cart selling light up stuff. Gave me a good view without blocking anyone and a little extra lighting for selfie-mode.
#49, Ariel’s Under the Sea Adventure, 9:23 pm
Fought my way through the people back to the new Fantasyland for a ride on Ariel’s Under the Sea Adventure. Nice queue and air-conditioned inside, so it was a good time for it.
#50, Incredibles Dance Party, 9:37 pm
So, here’s where my heart stops a bit. I get off Under the Sea, check my data and checklists. After a ride, I make sure the photo is uploaded, make sure the data is entered on my chronological sheet, checked off my master list and then checked off my “Lines” app list. Luckily this triple check list saved my butt.
The Lines app told me to get to Tomorrowland because the Incredibles Dance Party was ending soon. Requirements state you have to participate for 5 minutes. Its a core attraction, not a bonus and it ends in less than a half an hour. It had completely slipped my mind and luckily my system reminded me of it.
My family wants to ride Space Mountain so I told them to meet me at the dance party and we’d head over. They never actually showed up at the dance party and my participation may have been on the weak side of twerking, but done and done.
#51, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, 10:01 pm
Space Mountain had a 60 minute stand-by time posted and I wanted to make sure to catch the first Main Street Electrical Parade, so I talked them into the comedy show with me. As one who lives with a self-proclained master of puns, the Laugh Floor jokes are little more than an average meal at my home, but the special effects are better.
We ended up, as usual, sitting all the way in the back of the show and never anywhere near the people who get made fun of.
#52, Stitch’s Great Escape, 10:24 pm
By this time, I am triple-checking everything before and after an attraction because there are a couple of core shows coming up that are only once or twice and I didn’t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, we toddled across the way to my least favorite WDW attraction, Stitch. (can you tell I’m running out of action verbs?)
In the holding area…
And in the room itself….
Upon exiting Stitch, I saw my other trio of Ultimaters for what would be the last time. We passed and shouted “52!” and “53!” at each other and kept moving. I hope to find their post and see how they did and that they made their goal.
On our way to Main Street for the Villian’s Pre-Parade, we were scuttled back stage from the Tomorrowland Terrace to the alleyway close to the hub. Main Street was so packed, this was a cool re-routing. The only other time I’ve been back here was when I ran the marathon a couple of times.
#53, Villians Pre-Parade, 10:50 pm
This isn’t on the official core or bonus attractions list, but was a special one-time event for the Rock Your Disney Side day. Since I was waiting for the MSEP anyway, I decided to take the pictures and record the data. I don’t know if it will count towards the official total, but was cool none-the-less.
The first float with Hades….
And the last float with the magic mirror from Snow White….
#54, Main Street Electrical Parade, 11:00 pm
I positioned myself at the base of the train station so I could hop up the steps and take a ride around the park as soon as the last float had passed me by. I love watching the MSEP from the front hub and I will never, ever tire of the music.
With the first float….
And the last….
#55, Celebrate the Magic, 11:45 pm
Yep, I’m so smart. I’m going to scoot up these steps, ride the train around and get back to Main Street in time to see Celebrate the Magic. Kenny the Pirate is probably the only person reading this and snickering at this point. Grab the family and head up and get on the train. Takes at least one train to pass by before we can get on, and we sit. And sit. And sit. Then the lady comes over the speaker and says, “Oh, btw, we are in a parade holding pattern right now, so this train isnt’t going to be moving for the next hour and half…” I may or may not have paraphrased the announcement, but that’s what I heard anyway.
So at 11:35, we get off the train and I bid farewell to my family who, like most sane people, were going back to the hotel and going to bed. There was a couple minutes discussion of one or both of the kids staying with me to finish the night, but I warned them there was no stopping, no whining, no eating, no bathroom breaks and no sleeping until the sun came up. They didn’t debate for long and I was on my own.
This was the last Celebrate the Magic for the day and a core requirement, so I mosied down Main Street and found a place in the hub to watch the show.
Had to stop and take just one more selfie.
Difficult to get a good pic at this show, but here is the best….
The show finishes at 11:55 pm and is great timing for the first step of the final six hours.
To be continued…..https://ayearatdisney.wordpress.com/beckys-ultimate-adventure-part-4/
a year at disney 