A Decade of Disney Dreaming - 2017- Day 15 - Flight of Park Opening and another farewell.

[walt4it]

Welcome back - and for regular readers you will be questioning - what again, so soon! Yes, two trip report updates in just 5 days, sounds momentous, but possibly much more considering the crazy work days I have had since posting day 14 on Sunday night!


If you missed Day 14 - you can read by clicking here

The whole index is just a click here away.



Welcome to such an epic day in a whole holiday.


Welcome to Day 15

Thursday 10th August

Prebooked FP's today looked like this - the reality was based on the early morning wake up!

Na'vi River Journey
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
1:20 PM - 2:20 PM
Finding Nemo - The Musical
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM



We had a plan this morning and it was not Fast Pass driven.
Having enjoyed Flight of Passage so much last week we all knew we needed to return. The fast pass opportunities were so limited we did one thing we all knew we had to do:

The alarm sounded at 7, although the snooze button was pressed and we then eventually we left the house at 7-50 and arrived at the end of the parking row Dino 33 at 8-23- now you are thinking that was really going to annoy me, not today!

Well Ok, I did my best to hide that fact as just grumbled as we headed to the entrance and got straight through the scanning point and without a bag we did not need to do security – we were on a mission!

We walked, rather than wait for a tram and by 8-33 we were in the queue! No scrub that - the general scrum of people stopped short of forming a queue- now how does a mass of people become an organised queue- in arrival time order? Very easily - squeezing 39 across to 17 across as you go over the bridge then to 5 on the turn, then to two in the queue with rope if needed! Mob control at its very best!

It was warm though!

This Morning, others had the same idea- and to be fair, we were lucky, as we had reached the ride entrance by 9-15 with the thought that we would probably be another hour.

We played the Heads Up app in the queue – as it allows a chance to play the Disney part of the app for free on the parks. We also got a chance to experience the standby queue of this ride ofr the first time – it was as impressive as everything we had already seen of Pandora.

We were on the loading ramp and then came the dreaded technical difficulties message on the tannoy- it cost us another 30 minutes.
The total queue time was a new record for us and possibly one never to be seen/ experienced again - 117 minutes in total from the time we started in the queue.
As we came off at the end we all acknowledged that it was worth every single minute.
Just breathtaking- we were so pleased we got up early this morning – now was time for coffee and tea though!
We grabbed some food too and had a seat to enjoy breakfast at Starbucks and we were still talking about how good the Flight of Passage was.

The boys got a quick Flik photo( which never appeared on our Memory Maker ) and we sauntered around to Everest for our first single rider of the day before heading back to Pandora to ride the Navi journey by fast pass.

Having ridden last week we knew what to expect and were thankful to avoid the 95 minute queue time showing today.
It was better riding again this week, but I am sure in a couple of years it will be like 'The Seas with Nemo' in Epcot or Voyage of the Little Mermaid in MK- previously big queue times and space for big queues, now near walk on and without the huge wait times.


We departed Pandora again via the back exit towards the Lion King show and past the back of the now 3 and 1/2 hour wait for Flight of Passage. We also went past the place in the queue we started at this morning over three hours ago.
We were also rather warm so the cross park walk was perhaps not the wisest idea- but to Everest we were heading once again.

Cross park walking also involves moments like this -

Amazing Disney legs!

Single rider, then our fast pass at exactly 1-20. Tough to be a Bug next, followed by a water stop then we walked through the shops more to keep cool than to buy anything.
Also a chance of in park photos

Our last fast pass was a bit of a change for us- we had been with a Disney ticket for over a week and had not been to watch our most favourite show of the whole lot- Nemo was calling.

Now without camera it was time to try to put my phone to use.

We were possibly in the best seats we had ever sat in and I did not have my camera! Once again, the quest to avoid a slow bag furtle was coming back to haunt me!

So, I took to the phone with varying results but the ability to film the ending - I have decid3ed not to bore you with it!

353 days since we last watched and we were once again reduced to that moist eye moment- well maybe it was just me but we did enjoy – just as much as we always do.

As we reached the exit we saw the aftermath of nearly a rain free week- it had rained whilst we were ensconced in the air con!

We did spot these on a drinks stall

The car was our next stop and a walk back there clocked up another serious amount of steps for the day.
It was noticeable as to how many of those who had arrived with us were gone- however we were just about to start!

The car/ sat nav was not heading back to West Haven we were off to Disney springs -got a photopass opportunity not to he missed!
Two were found- the black screen a new addition Alongside the traditional family gallery shot.
The results were amazing - we had managed to change in the meantime with a Mr Benn moment in the 'nice' toilets at the Springs.

We took to checking the time as there was a timescale upcoming!

We were to use the time to take a few photos and soak up the impressive ambiance that Disney springs now offers - as we watched the amphibicar we also watched a newly wedded bride decide that this was to be something she must do!

We could not stop though, we were on an explore, absorb and enjoy mission as we headed towards the bridge past planet Hollywood and onto the area full of the original refurb of The Springs.

We reached the end of the line with just Cirque de Solail in front of us- time for a photo a trip to the shop and a reminiscent moment from both Josh and Joe - we really should see this before it closes! Well little did they know!

We said nothing just walked up the steps and when asked at the door the rucksack was opened and some paper that was preprinted magically allowed us in- the look on the faces of both boys was of disbelief and surprise, this was not even on their radar- Joes chin was on the floor and had I not been getting the tickets scanned at the door the camera would have been out!


Now this was to be out third visit to experience La Nouba – we were bowled away the first time and left a little flat after the second



After that last visit to La Nouba , we probably would never had returned, until we found some bargain tickets via Thomson on the Dibb- 23 pound a head and only bought as I had found out it was to be the final year of La Nouba.

We arrived around 5-15 grabbed a beer and popcorn for the boys and what followed next possibly defined today as the most memorable day of the whole trip

Park opening
Flight of passage
Nemo
Then to this ...
As I said, our last visit here, we left rather disappointed, well tonight was anything but…

Every single moment held us spellbound, held us in awe and held us listening to the live music, the many variations of what was visible on stage.
Our goodbye today was a sorrowful one, I know things need to change, but for every single person who has watch La Nouba, night after night after night over all the years- that is one show that is going to be so difficult to replace.

La Nouba was finishing on such a high, they really did seem as if they were pulling everything out of the bag to show what we would all miss – we were buzzing as we left and just so delighted we got to say farewell on such good terms.

Three visits, to the same show with three totally different experiences. As we were pleased to say goodbye to Ellen yesterday, we were aware that we would never see this show again.
Will be a big miss, as we would have booked again, such was the experience tonight.


We headed back to The villa, slowing just to see the most incredible sky -

I’m sure we raided the fridge and enjoyed a buffet meal whilst then enjoying the pool before bedtime. -the very fact it is not in the notes possibly shows we were hungry !

Over 12 hours out and about and then more in the pool, these are the days you always remember – park opening and much more added on.
Even now, both boys continue to mention the final visit to La Nouba- it will stay with us all forever.


What a day and such a heartfelt goodbye.

Thank you for reading and see you soon for Day 16.

Click here to read DAY 16

[Dutchdisneyfan]

lovely day <3
Makes you wish you could go back in time.

[KittyBlackDog]

What a great way to end with La Nouba 👍🏻

Laughing at you all playing ‘Mr Benn’ (absolutely my favourite tv show when I was growing up 😍 )

You’ll have to give us some tips on how you always look so cool and model perfect in your PP photos. Poor Joe looked positively sweaty in his earlier photo but airbrushed to perfection in the pp TOL photo

Thanks for sharing and I’ll be buying you a beer if you get this trippie finished before that plane leaves in 6 weeks

[flo-tinka]

A day full of favourite things
Only saw La Nouba once but loving Cirque anywhere, even going to see Ovo in Leeds September 👍

[mick]

A brilliant day with lots done, and well done on keeping the surprise for the boys


Joan

[Goldia]

117 minutes waiting in line is a great record, I'm not surprised you're not in a hurry to try to beat it this trip. A fab day with a couple of great shows.

[mouselover22]

Fabulous day! Very impressed with you getting 2 days out in a week, i'm dying to see this years pre-trippie

FoP is definitely beyond words and well worth the early morning start

Where o where is that photopass opportunity at Disney Springs? Why have I never seen these? :arm: Lovely photo of you all

What a lovely surprise for the boys. So nice you got to see La Nouba one last time and finish on a high

Eagerly awaiting Day 16

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by Dutchdisneyfan

lovely day <3
Makes you wish you could go back in time.

See more...

If I did - I would not change anything about this day in our holiday- reading/ typing it all back has been such a reminder of how good it was

Thanks for posting and hope you join us for the rest of the trip

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by KittyBlackDog

What a great way to end with La Nouba 👍🏻

Laughing at you all playing ‘Mr Benn’ (absolutely my favourite tv show when I was growing up 😍 )

You’ll have to give us some tips on how you always look so cool and model perfect in your PP photos. Poor Joe looked positively sweaty in his earlier photo but airbrushed to perfection in the pp TOL photo

Thanks for sharing and I’ll be buying you a beer if you get this trippie finished before that plane leaves in 6 weeks

See more...

Photopass airbrush effect is very simple - you ensure you spend time in a ride queue that has air con, as you exit and know you have that cooled effect get your photos taken - I would also add a line I have added on the Dibb more times than I would seek to admit - never wear a grey tee shirt in any park at any time

looking forward to that beer already


I will complete Promise x

[Taffy1959]

Another busy but great day, really wish we'd gone to watch La Nouba again before it ended.