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[DLP-Photos.com]

Now I am back home from an amazing trip and I have a lot of photos and stories to tell. I will begin today with a little pre-trip report and then add a new day one or two times a day.

Pre-trip:

After work on friday the 10th I just waited for the clock to say 14.00 saturday and I used the waiting to pack and find the latest news and show times for our trip. I packed my camera with both lenses and a lot of batteries, a magazine for the bus and of course my iPod touch with a lot of Disneyland music and videos.



When the time arrived me, my mom and my sister was on our way to the magic (my sister's first time since 2001, when she also had worked there - time to recapture the magic and when I offered to pay half the trip, she couldn't resist).



The bus leaved Aalborg at 14.00 and arrived at Disneyland at app. 9 in the morning, so we have to sleep on the bus which isn't that funny when you are 2+ m tall, but I survived (with a little help from my sister's Nintendo DS, although I do seem to like my soda very much too :lol:)



The Bus Company, which I have always used, use to show a couple of Walt Disney Classics in the evening which I was really looking forward to, but I was in for a big disappointment - they showed Arthur and the Minimoys! Not the movie I had in mind But it didn't matter that much - the magic was just awaiting.



I always find it kinda interesting to drive through especially Hamburg and some of the Ruhr district in Germany when it is dark. This time I tried to capture some of the many lights in Hamburg ( i was sleeping in the Ruhr District)

In the morning we stopped at a restaurant just 10 km outside of Disneyland Resort Paris for breakfast and some toothbrushing. However we were in for another (and almost the last ) disappointment - the bathroom flours were all wet (it was not water :shock: ) and the breakfast buffet was closed so we got one croissant and one pain au chocolait - not the best breakfast for almost 9 €!

A funny little story from the bus that just shows the magic of Disney: These bus trips use to just be children families, but this time there was an old couple with no grandchildren or anything - just going by themselves. I was surprised in a really good way by this and it was a true Disney moment when the husband (app. 70+ years old) came through the hotel singing "It's a small world" I love Disney and what it does to everybody.

I will report on the first day at Disney tomorrow and it will contain a lot of photos and great moments

[burntsienna]

Awsome trip report so far Nicolai can't wait to read the rest!
It was the same on my last trip, with an old couple traveling alone it was great!
It's going to be me one day...though I'll probably be either fully alone or with friends lol

[Epcot_Boy]

A funny little story from the bus that just shows the magic of Disney: These bus trips use to just be children families, but this time there was an old couple with no grandchildren or anything - just going by themselves. I was surprised in a really good way by this and it was a true Disney moment when the husband (app. 70+ years old) came through the hotel singing "It's a small world" I love Disney and what it does to everybody.

I sincerely hope that when I'm 70+ I'll still be popping off to DLRP. Good on the ole' couple. =D>

Thanks for the P.report..........looking forward to the rest :wink:

Epcot_Boy :ears:

[DLP-Photos.com]

I completely agree with you - I surely hope I will be doing it to, when I'm 64 (and more)

[DLP-Photos.com]

I do not have the time make a complete day report today, but I will just post my expensive shopping results:



Here is an overview: from left: Disney Treasures, From Sketch to Reality, 15th anniversary cd, Pins, WDCC Sleepy Mine Figurine, "Imagineering", WDS Photo Frame, Jack Skellington as Santa, 15th anniversary playing cards.



Here is my second addition to my very little but already very expensive collection of WDCC Figurines - Sleepy in his mine cart

The Pins:



Walt Disney - Band Concert Limited Edition tribute pin



15th anniversary pin



2008 Halloween pin



Crush's Coaster and Tower of Terror

So it was a very expensive trip for me especially when you take in mind that I too payed the trip for me and my mom and half of my sisters trip, but it was completely worth it!

More to come tomorrow!

[Javey74]

Great Report so far Forza.  =D>  =D>

Looking forward to the rest.  You've collected some really nice merchandise there aswell.. /  /

I also agree with peoples comments about the O.A.Ps, I'd like to think that I'll be like that at their age, humming or whistling a classic Disney tune.  Goes to show that Disney is timeless..

[DLP-Photos.com]

Day 1 – The magic begins:

We knew that it was low season so we did not expect too many people, much entertainment or good weather. None of these predictions were completely true, but you will find out.

So now the magic begins...

We arrived at our hotel at app. 9.15 in the morning – we stayed at the Newport Bay Club. I checked in, as I had payed and was at all the papers. At first the guy couldn't find my reservation so the sweat began to run down my bag, but eventually she found it and I was offered a room right away with a "very very long walk" (10 mins) or I could come back to get a better room after 15. I decided to come back so after putting the luggage in the luggage room and a quick walk through the Bay Store we went for the park.



We stopped in Buffalo Trading Company, which was transformed to a little Halloween shop. Already in this shop we admitted that this trip was going to be very expensive! Now we were there – the most beautiful place in the world – the Fantasia Gardens. When everybody (and that means EVERYBODY) goes through the entrance gates they are transformed and this time into the real Halloween mood.



I have never been to DLRP during Halloween before and I was very impressed by the great and funny decorations in Main Street U.S.A. and Frontierland – I loved it. The music loop was just helping to create an amazing atmosphere – my mom and my sister even bought two sets of Halloween ears (which I used once in a while).



We started off with a quick go at Buzz (my sister's first time) and I realized that I needed some warming up (50.000 – but my mom and sis got under 10.000). We stopped in the "never-ending" tunnel which was a bit disturbing.

Afterwards we just watched a part of the Disney's Villain Halloween Showtime which was a great show – the actors was brilliant and I actually really liked the pumpkin girls. We did not watch the end of the show as we wanted to move along to Pirates of the Caribbean – 5 mins waiting time = great!



The attraction was great as always and it still is one of my favorite attractions. However I was a disappointed at some effects that did not work: the mayor in the well, the woman in the window and the fighting pirates. I do believe that this attraction needs a bigger refurbishment (but PLEASE no Sparrow or Barbossa).



Afterwards we went for a bite at Au Chalet de la Marionette where I got a very dry Nuggets menu, but the great themening of this restaurant counterbalanced this by far. After lunch we went to Frontierland, where we wanted to see Minnie and the Bat Boys, however the next was more than 1½ hours away, so we got a Big Thunder Fast Pass. In the mean time we wanted to try Phantom Manor, but we were met by a Cast member who told us that they had technical problems. Here I was truly amazed by the quick entertainment (considering it being low season) – they quickly send out 3 Halloween entertainers on stilts who entertained the many waiting people in the hot weather (app. 25 degrees and sunny ).



We took advantage of the weather and took a ride with Molly Brown. It was absolutely stunning with the colours of fall and the beautiful weather! And I got a couple of shots of Big Thunder Mountain and rivers of the far west. After that we used our Fast Passes for Big Thunder and it was great as always!



Now we went for the Trick or Treat stage right next to the Cowboy Cookout Barbeque and it was a great little stage and Minnie and the Bat Boys was great too. It is a small musical show with The Bat Boys Orchestra, Minnie, Ghost-Donald and the star of the show Gruzella! She was a great actor and she sang brilliant. It was a great medley of Halloween songs, villain songs and a couple of Michael Jackson songs (Thriller and Bad) – a great show!



After this we just went back to the hotel before watching the Once Upon a Dream Parade. This was amazing! First of all the Halloween Pre Parade – it was not very big but the performers were great (I really liked the pumpkin people) and Jack & Sally were absolutely amazing and their horse-drawn wagon was stunning! A great Pre Parade with a very, very brilliant soundtrack.



Now for the Main Parade. First of all "Just Like We Dreamed It" is very qualified successor of "Dancin'" although it does not top it. I really like the idea of making two movies per float and the combinations seemed obvious in both placement and "dream". The scents did not work on all the floats, but when they did they were very strong. My favorite floats was without a doubt "Dreams of Laughter and Fun" and "Dreams of Power", with the Ursula AA being the most impressing of the entire parade. (We discussed whether Simba was an animatronic or not, is he?)



After this me and my sister went for a ride on Indiana Jones, which was great, although I always say to myself: "Why did I queue for this?" when I am in the queue, but it is great fun! We got fast passes for BTM for the evening, which would be in the dark (We had never experienced it in real dark – only summer dusk).

After this we went for a pizza at Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost, but unfortunately it was closed ? We went to Bella Notte instead to get our Pizza Royal (according to the sign still ham and mushrooms), but when we got our pizzas it contained olives instead, which me and my mom do not like, but fortunately my sister loved them. After this we went to Peter Pan's Flight, where my sister was asked to be the test person for the waiting line (never tried this before )

Now we went for Big Thunder at Night – we were there 40 mins before the fast pass and as the waiting time said 20 mins, me and my sister just went for the normal queue – the waiting time however was more like 50 mins, but the ride was great fun in dark! In the meantime my mom bought the Minnie plush in her Halloween outfit.

After this I took a lot of night photos – in the summer it never gets really, really dark, so here are some of my night shots:






This day also contained attractions like It's a small world, Pinocchio and Snow White. I know it is a bit long to read, but I will be back with day 2 tomorrow!


For this photo I actually had to queue at closing time :O - everybody wanted this shot, but I do believe that it was worth the wait.

[DLP-Photos.com]

Just a little addition - I'm working on my new Fotki Album, which will contain all the photos (mine, my moms and my sisters) and I will be posting the link as soon as this is ready, as I have way to many photos to post them here, so it is really hard to pick the photos for this report.

[burntsienna]

Wow! Day 1's trip report is great! The photographs are amazing!!  :mrgreen:  =D>
Can't wait to see more

[The Butlin Boy]

Wow, your photos are amazing. I'm really enjoying your report, I can't wait for the rest

[DLP-Photos.com]

I just got my mom's photos and wanted to add these photos to my 1st day report:


Me with my sisters Minnie-ears :lol:


Me and my sis at Bella Notte

[never2old]

Great pictures!!! Looking forward to more!!  =D>

Isn't BTM great at night???

[dagobert]

Great trip report!!

Nice merchandise collection. The books are great, I have them too and they are one of the best Disney Parks books.

[vass]

wow i love your photo's.
 Can't wait to see the park all lite up when i go on the 26th!

[Nala_84]

Hey Nicolai, great report and pics - especially the night shots, they're sooo amazing!!
Looking forward to see more of it !