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[Getyogrooveon]

So finally on to day 3 - sorry for delay, last couple of nights the temptation for a bottle of wine got the better of me!

Day 3 we had booked for the 9.30 sitting for a character breakfast at Café Mickey so had a pleasant lie-in (although again slept very poorly). The weather was much brighter and a pleasant walk along the river started the day off well.

We were seated downstairs in the Café (don't think upstairs was open) which was good, and at a "window" seat (not in the new extension). Breakfast was actually better than I remember it, with a superb selection of hot and cold food (not that I ever eat a hot breakfast anywhere else, but the bacon with mushrooms, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon was superb :lol: ). We had plenty of characters however 1 group seated on the two huge circular centre tables were a total pain, following the characters round rather thn sat waiting their turn and genrally being obnoxious. My daugther was dressed in her Minnie clothes, and was very excited about meeting her as the Minnie Photolocation from the main park seems to have disappeared this year. Minnie came in and immediately went to a birthday party out in the extension and stayed there for about 30 minutues. We had really finished breakfast (about 10.30) but were waiting for Minnie, when her minder appeared and started to usher her off. The father & son sat next to us were very upset, as were we, but he jumped up and went to rception and next thing we knew, Minnie had come back just to see our two tables. Thank you to that man, whoever you were, your kind actions were much appreciated. Other characters we saw were: Mr. Smee, Prince John, Friar Tuck, Goofy, Pluto, Mickey.







Anyway, off to the studios.







We knew Crush would be off limits today as we were so late going in to the park, so went straight to Rock'n'Rollercoaster as the queues for the Tower were 45 mins, and we have never queued for R'n'R for longer than 5 mins. How wrong we were. We didn't bother with baby swap and Rachel & Oliver went first. Abbey & I waited & waited, and were starting to get worried, but finally after 30 mins they arrived, so I did not bother to go on. This seemd to be a familiar thing with the studios this year we had never experienced before...queues!


Next to the Flying Carpets, nice that a family of four can get on together, and then to Cars. We didn't go on this last year as the queues were horrendous, but queued this year for 20 minutes. Me and the wife aren't exactly thin but then we aren't huge either but they need to make the cars bigger! Talk about being wedged in and the attendant made me put my seat belt on, there was no way I was going anywhere! What a superb ride, fast and fun, everyone loved it and the cars come sooo close! Abbey, a devoted Teacups fan delared this as her new favorite ride!


Cars ride video (off-ride in dark first, then daylight on-ride):
[dailymotion:10iavrlw]k6iMRt340xqcBVUMrJ&related=1[/dailymotion:10iavrlw]

Went to Tower of Terror next, queue sign said 10 minutes so decided to go for it. Rachel would not go on, Oliver was looking very pale! Got in the queue not realising there are queue pens outside, took 30 minutes just to get inside!









Finally got into the pre-show, in French (next 4 goes were all in English) and then into the boiler room. The cast members were superb, jumping out on people but the loading was so slow with only 2 of the elevators loading stations going - no wonder there were queues. At last our turn arrived. Oliver was visibly shaking by then. After stapping in I asked him if he wanted me to hold his hand, he said yes. By the time we had started to move he had buried himself into me! What a ride. Just love it. So fast and exhilarating but does not make you feel ill like so many other drop towers (Apocalypse at Drayton Manor anyone?). Had to buy the picture as so funny given Oliver thinks he is so cool!  


We had been trying to decide since we got to to Disney whether we could justify the expense of going to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, given the poor exchange rate and the crazy cost of the show anyway, but decided we would and just cut back everywhere else. We couldn't buy the tickets at the hotel as we wanted to use our Shareholder's discount, so decided to leave the studios at lunchtime to go up to the show building and get tickets there. We had picked up a voucher to allow adults to pay the kid prices and hoped to combine this with the 15% discount. The lovely man behind the counter said this wasn't possible (which we had guessed), but spent 10 minutes working out the various combinations of voucher and discount to get it as cheap as possible, so it ended up at €165 (£157 on the bank statement  :cry: ) for the four of us thanks to his hard work [I am shamed to admit we did cheat - Oliver is now 12 but we bought him a child ticket (as we did in all of the restaurants too)]. Any way, we were now on a budget, so lunch was McDonalds. I always scowled at people coming on holiday to Disney and eaing there, but.... 1) The queue was only about 2 minutes, 2) the food was hot, 3) there was plenty of seating, 4) it only cost less than €20 for the four of us. It beat Au Chalet de la Marionette or Restaurant en Coulaisse hands down I'm afraid. Dsiney could do to learn a thing or two from McDonalds.


Back in to the studios to go to Stictch Live!. I have never been so confused in all my life. The attendant didn't quite know whether the show was in English or French (there was one combined queue), the electronic board seemd to be out of synch with what was happening. After several aborted attempts ("come back in 5 minutes...") where we managed to see the characters on the scene locations...

... hot chocolates from the little snow covered village (naff I know but I thought it added a much need Christmassy feel to the studios)...

... we finally managed to get in. I may have previously mentioned my daughter has always been very shy around the characters, and is quite shy and timid in any situation, but she loved Stitch (even though never seeing the films), and when he picked the person doing the best cow impersonation (do they do that in every show?), the cast member picked Abbey, and much to our suprise, she stood up, said her name into the microphone and put her fingers up on her head and moo'ed! It was a truely lovely moment and I would love to thank that cast member for making our holiday [I am welling up now just thinking about it].

After a final go on Tower, Cars and the Flying Carpets, and me finally getting on R'n'R, it was time to head off for Buffalo Bill.










We have been to show back in 2002 but Oliver certainly couldn't remember it. I could remember the "unlimited beer" was infact very limited indeed, so I hatched a plan that the two kids would get coke, one of which would got to Rachel (and we would take squash in for Abbey) and I would have Rachel's and my own beers!




As they were setting out the plates they accidently set Oliver up as an adult (I forgot to correct them) so he got an adult meal which he was pleased about. The food was OK and I managed 6 beers (although I would say it is very watery). And the show was entertaining, although there weren't a great number of people there.






Our team won the games, and serveral members of the green area were selected to go and ride in the stagecoach. As the stagecoach rounded the end of the arena in front of us (but facing away from us luckily) the back two horses pulling it slipped and went down. This was quite horrifying as many audience members must have thought it was part of the show. I had visions of them being really hurt and have to be destroyed. Kids when they finally realised what was happening starting crying and several families left. After about 10 minutes they managed to free to two front horses from the harness, and then the carriage and pulling beam and thank god both horses then stood up and were walked out of the arena to massive applause (although you could clearly see one was limping badly). I guess this can always happen with a live show with horses, but you just don't expect it at Disney. I question in this day and age whether for example the horses in Mickey's Winter Wonderland show can be justified? Anyway, a great show that we all enjoyed even though it was expensive!

We walked back through the village and had a look around the shops (Oliver at his age and being a "chav" is finding it hard to find anything to buy with his spending money at Disney) and then along the river to home (via the ice machine of course)....

A lovely day, with good weather. Shame we had planned the studios today really, as the studios are not too bad in wet, where as the main park isn't so good.

Day 4 later!

[never2old]

Beautiful, beautiful pictures!!! And very good read too!

I should try the character breakfast in Cafe Mickey, it does sound really nice (despite the annoying people who can't remain at their tables  :evil:  I mean it's the same in the Lucky Nugget, why can't they just wait???)  By the way, never noticed before, but the lamps in the Cafe Mickey are (slightly hidden) Mickeys...

Sorry to hear about the horses in the Buffalo Bill show, it does sound quite terrible  :shock: !

[ballet shoes]

I really enjoyed reading your teip report

The horses at the Buffolo Bill show fiasco really did sound rather horrific.  Thank goodness they got up though!!  I enjoyed your recollection of the "unlimited free beer".

I returned from a trip just under a week ago and we opted for a character lunch at the Lucky Nugget Saloon.  It was very good but it is annoying that people cant just wait!!  Im also very jealous that you got Prince John in Cafe Mickey as hes my favourite Disney character.

Your Tower of Terror picture is truly hillarious!!!!!

[The Butlin Boy]

Another great report, thanks for sharing it with us. The accident with the horses sounds really bad, I hope they were okay. But on the other hand, that on-ride photo of TOT is hilarious :lol:  

[ColdSun]

thanks for the update, it was great! The pictures are lovely as well and I really had to chuckle at your ToT on-ride photo. Your poor son :lol: .
The incident at the show sounds awful, poor horses :? . I hope they are ok now and that it wasn't too serious of a accident for them.

[disney-dan]

sorry to hear your son is a chav, sounds awful

[Getyogrooveon]

sorry to hear your son is a chav, sounds awful

Thanks for your thoughts, it is cross we have to bear, we keep hoping for the future, one day he might get better.

[Plutosgirl]

Fantastic pictures, really jealous of your skills. Enjoyed reading your trip report.

We did Lucky Nugget this year instead of Cafe Mickey breakfast... think on our experience of a busy Saturday lunchtime of the LN that Cafe Mickeys is much better value for characters and food.  Though on all the times we have been there always same characaters...wish they could vary them.