Thursday, November 6, 2014

Disney Halloween Trip Report: Day 3






Click for days 1 & 2! 

Day Three
(again, I've included links for locations, rides, and events)

On our third day of Disney we slept in a little later, not rolling out of bed until 9am. We needed our beauty rest because... tonight was Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!! We ate some cereal and headed out to Hollywood Studios to get what we didn't realize would be one of our last looks at the BAH (you will not be missed). There was some disagreement about Coda wanting me to carry an umbrella in my backpack that stuck up three feet over my head, but I lost. I walked around all day looking like an idiot.

Our first stop of the morning was to use our Rock 'n' Roller Coaster FP+. We basically walked right on without any issues. Yes, Coda was certainly enjoying the new Fastpass system.

Afterwards we walked down to Starring Rolls Cafe to grab some coffee. This time I asked for iced and they were able to accommodate, thank goodness! While we drank our coffee we strolled through the shops - the new Frozen shop was definitely... interesting. I'm sure some people are less than thrilled with that! On our way back towards the Tower of Terror we realized that the Beauty and the Beast show was about to start! We ran in and got seats near the back.





I don't have to tell you it was amazing. When the show ended it was time for our Tower of Terror FP+ and we ran down the road to get there in time.




For the first time in my Disney World history, I saw the little girl in the drop! So creepy! I definitely hope I get that side again soon!

By now it was lunch time and the cereal was long gone! We wanted to have lunch at ABC Commissary, but stopped back into Starring Rolls to get dessert... Coda got the red velvet cupcake and I got the seasonal carrot cake cupcake.


More on that later... Before I could try it we had to order lunch! We got the Asian salad to split and found a seat. The salad was great! Unfortunately... the cupcake was gross. Some genius decided to put orange flavored frosting on the carrot cake (I'd thought it was just white frosting they'd dyed orange). I took once bite and passed it to Coda. I did eat the chocolate hat on top though! My absolute favorite thing about ABC Commissary was seeing the Revenge props on display! It's one of my favorite shows!!


Our last FP+ of the day was at Voyage of the Little Mermaid. On the way we came across something unexpected. We'd been told that the Frozen Summer was over and everything was gone. They were wrong!


We had a lot of fun hanging out in the snow! And Coda decided that we'd definitely be coming back later for the Frozen Sing-a-long. But first... ARIEL!!


I love that show! I just wish it was longer!! The silver lining? We were able to get over to the sing-a-long that much sooner!


Yeah... he was definitely way more excited about it than I was. Have I mentioned he's in love with Elsa? Haha!




With Coda vowing to come back to see it again soon, we had to head out to the Magic Kingdom for MICKEY'S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY!!!


Our first stop was the Seven Dwarves Mine Train which was down to about a 40 minute wait. We played around a bit in the queue where Coda was constantly irritated by adults (not kids) holding up the line by stopping at each play station for 5 minutes while the people in front of them kept going (he's not so good with the patience virtue). The coaster itself was really amazing! I LOVED the combination of thrill and dark ride. The cottage at the end was so cool! Were those animatronics from Snow White's Scary Adventure? The only downside to the mine coaster was that it was so incredibly short.

Next we headed to the Emporium to grab the limited edition MNSSHP magic bands! I wish I had pictures... but I don't. Here are some stock photos of them though:


We were told they'd do something unique when we came through the gate! We later tried them and they made the magic band reader light up with multicolored lights vs. the normal green. Unfortunately, it only happened once and I'm not sure if it will ever happen again.

When we left the Emporium we noticed a line starting to form next to City Hall. When we stopped to ask about it we found out it would be Jack and Sally who were coming out early tonight! We were lucky enough to get close to the front of the line! Coda is totally obsessed with Jack Skellington.


Yay!! Oh, and as you can see, we did not dress up because my husband is a party pooper. Moving on...

By this time in the day we were literally about to starve to death (okay, not literally). We ended up settling on Pecos Bill since we'd never been. We were both very impressed and agreed it would be our new go-to place at the Magic Kingdom! Yummmm! With food out of the way, it was time for another ride.

The Haunted Mansion!! Everything worked perfectly with no stops or hangups... SIKE (yes, I said that). We got stuck for about five minutes in front of Leota.




We had a photo taken with the ghost outside but my photopass pictures expired and I accidentally deleted it from my computer. Oops.

Now, I have something rather embarrassing to admit. I spent a good portion of the night standing in a line not related to rides, characters, or candy. What line, you ask? Well, the line for the soft opening of Memento Mori, the new Haunted Mansion store.


As you can see, I was not the only one mad enough to stand in a line for two hours to get into a store that I didn't buy anything from... It was extremely cool though! There are a couple of neat hidden elements to the shop that you will either see by chance or by patience.


Following our short venture into the gift shop, we exited and went to see the ghosts out on the lawn.


She was so entertaining and a definite high spot of the night! I only regret she did not stay out longer.

By this point in the night we were beginning to think about getting a spot for the parade. On the way we stopped to meet Rapunzel (no pics because I look like a hot mess in those particular pictures). We also met Cinderella. She was probably the strangest of the face characters I've ever met. She was pretty out of character, in my opinion. Perhaps she was just having a bad day, but she seemed pretty exasperated at having to take pictures with people.


Finally, it was time to get a seat for the fireworks and parade! We got a seat close to the castle on the sidewalk. The Celebrate the Magic show was so cool! I loved the addition of the villains and Frozen characters.


I also loved the perimeter fireworks! But then it was over. We decided to hang around and wait for the parade. In the meantime, I ran down to Main Street Bakery for a cupcake that wouldn't have orange flavored frosting! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures because it quickly went into my belly.

Then the Boo To You Parade started... OMG. My life was pretty much complete when I saw the headless horseman.


I was so glad it hadn't rained! I would've been devastated if the horseman couldn't ride. The parade was AWESOME! The parade alone is totally worth paying the entry fee, in my opinion.


This picture is really interesting... Someone took a flash photo in the middle of mine so half the ghosts are lit up and half aren't:






Once the parade (sadly) ended, we decided to hit a couple rides. First was Peter Pan's Flight (no pics - it's a dark ride and, pro tip: flash photos are rude) followed by Under the Sea!




It was now that Coda decided we should start trick-or-treating. Let me tell you, waiting until the end of the night is the way to go for sure! Every station we went to filled our bags at least halfway! Pics later!

On our way out of the park we ran into Jafar!


By now the park was closing and we tried to make one last dash for Pirates of the Caribbean. The cast member at the front told us we would be the last ones of the night! We ran through and almost got lost in the process. When we got to loading, however, they told us we couldn't ride. So we turned around and walked back out.

The entire park was perfectly spooky with the fog and Halloween music (did I mention we were totally alone?). When we got back to Main Street where people were filing out, it was blue!


We left the park considering coming back the next night because our bags were so full of candy and we'd had such a great time! We got in the car and headed back to the hotel. Once there, we decided to organize our candy because we're adults.

   

Good night!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #22: The Cage by Megan Shepherd


Happy Wednesday, fellow book lovers! This week's "can't wait to read" is: 


The Cage
by Megan Shepherd
Publication Date: May 26, 2015

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments--tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle--and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures and time periods, all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer appears--a handsome young guard named Cassian--they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken they five teenagers to an otherworldly zoo--where the exhibits are humans.

When a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer--though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so…what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

This book sounds AMAZING! A human zoo?! Please tell me I'm not the only one who's seen that episode of The Twilight Zone!




"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #18: Must (re)reads


Today's Topic: 
Top Ten Books I Want To Reread


Well, last week's topic was a fun detour into movies, but let's get back to the books! I have very rarely reread any book, but some fall into that list for sure. I'm going to share the top books I have reread already as well as my top future rereads! 

Books I've Already Reread

        


Books I Want to Reread

        





Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish -  a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers. Each week they post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Click here to get involved!


Monday, November 3, 2014

Mini Reviews: Once by Anna Carey & Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire


Title: Once (Eve #2)
Author: Anna Carey
Publication Date: July 3, 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 354
Add to Goodreads
Review for 1

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar. 
After finishing Eve, I was dying to jump right into Once to see where the story went next! This one started right where Eve left off. The book follows Eve's life in the City of Sand with her father, the king. We learn the things that are expected of her and also get to see what is going on with Caleb.

The romance between the main characters continues to progress throughout the book, but I can't help but feel like there's no real progression of the characters themselves. Many of the problems they encounter happen because of their own easily avoidable mistakes. The king is the obvious bad guy and the only sympathetic character is Charles.

Much of the book is spent watching Eve and Caleb plot to escape the city, so the tension was definitely there. I just felt like it needed... more. Maybe it could've used more reality too.

While I didn't end up loving it as much as the first book in the series, it was still a worthwhile read and I still plan to pick up the third one soon.




Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publication Date: May 26, 2011
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 319
Add to Goodreads

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

This book... I really wanted to love it. I loved the synopsis and the cover. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

The first half of Beautiful Disaster was tolerable, but then I got to part two. I found myself cringing every time Travis spoke. Seriously, no one in real life says the name of the person they're speaking to after every single sentence. In fact, nothing about Travis is okay. Going around beating the hell out of everyone who looks at a girl you aren't even dating yet is NOT normal. And attempting to control the people she hangs out with, the clothes she wears, the places she goes... None of this is normal.

The relationship between the two main characters is completely dysfunctional and bipolar. Seriously, who loses her virginity to someone just so he'll leave her alone? If some guy got my name tattooed on his wrist immediately after we got back together, I'd be out the door. Furthermore, there is no way a normal woman would get back together with her psycho ex-boyfriend and five minutes later book a trip to Vegas to get married. Basically, this book is a mess. I am seriously hoping no YA readers pick this up and think this relationship is normal or romantic.

By the way, someone who never trains would not be able to take out two guys in the mob. This book is ridiculous.


Sunday, November 2, 2014

Weekly Recap: 10/27 - 11/1



My Super Exciting Life 

So, I've decided this is going to be a thing now! Weekly recaps - hurray!

If we're being completely honest with each other... this week has been absolutely insane and has left me dying to be finished school. First I had a paper due on Monday, followed by an advising appointment on Wednesday (at which I admitted to my adviser that I am 100% burned out - three years of non-stop school with no summer breaks will do that to a person), finding out that I had a 380 page non-fiction book to read by Monday, and finally, on Friday, a midterm that I may have actually done well on. School is crazy, kids!

In other news, I tried to convince my brother to be my partner at Cornerfolds (or at least a guest reviewer). We'll see how that goes. I did force him to get a Goodreads account, at least. My dad is the other big reader in our family, but my brother is also in the running.

My husband and I also started working on refinishing a coffee and end table as well as the shelf in our bathroom. We found a really nice new apartment last week and all of our furniture needs to be awesome enough to match! Pics are coming next week!

Last, but not least, I got an Instagram account! I have no idea what to do with it, but I have one! You can even follow me now by clicking the little Instagram button in the sidebar!


New Books Finds

Walking through my campus bookstore this week I came across something super awesome! A signed first edition of The Prince Lestat by Anne Rice.


I was so surprised I found it in our little bookstore! Slightly less surprised to find out that no one who worked there knew anything about it. Such is life...


In Case You Missed It

I got into the Halloween spirit with Top Ten Tuesday
I featured The Pied Piper of Hamelin for Waiting on Wednesday
 On Thursday I posted an interview and giveaway for the terrifying horror novel, Imaginary Jack
I shared my favorite YA Dystopian novels for Feature & Follow Friday
On Saturday I joined my very first read-a-thon for the holidays


This Week I Read...

  


Upcoming Reviews

  


Upcoming Events


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Ho-Ho-Ho Holiday Read-a-Thon



This holiday season I will be participating in my very first read-a-thon! Hurray! The Ho-Ho-Ho Holiday Read-a-Thon is being hosted by Bookshelfery and The Caffeinated Book Reviewer and runs from November 6th through November 11th. I have no idea what a Twitter Party is, but I'm totally on board to figure it out!

Books I'm hoping to read
  
  
We'll see how many I actually make it through amidst all of my senior year madness...  


The Rules
  • Link-up
  • Before or on November 6th post a goals post to your blog. (if you do not have a blog post to another social media site such as Goodreads, Tumblr, Facebook, Google+ etc ) Be sure and link back to Caffeinated Book Reviewer and BookShelfery
  • Grab the button and share !
  • Participate in at least one challenge to be eligible for grand prize
  • Tweet your progress using #HoHoHoRAT
  • Twitter Party! Sunday November 9, 2014 at 4pm (EST) chatting and prizes to be had.
  • Challenge schedule and Grand Prize widget and rules will post on November 6th by 8 am (EST)
  • Read-a-thon starts on November 6th 12:o1 am (your time zone) and ends on November 11 at 11:59 pm(your time zone)
  • Challenges will be open from 8 am (EST) on the 6th and remain open until Nov 11th at 11:59 pm (EST)
  • Grand Prize Raffle will be open until November 13th at 11:59 pm (EST) to allow you to submit entries.
  • All winners of challenges and grand prize will be notified by November 15th.

Click HERE to sign up!