A FEW "FIRSTS" ON OUR SEPT. 2016 WDW TRIP!

   I know, I know.  Most of you think that we have done EVERYTHING there is to do at Walt Disney World since we go so often.  Well, my answer is "NO WAY", "NOT EVEN CLOSE"!

   With 43 square miles of territory to cover, it's not likely that we could achieve that goal in a lifetime (and we started late!).  Here are a two of the "firsts" we experienced on this last trip, but you can call it a "2-for-1 Special":

Only a 90 min. Standby time - Thank You Fast Pass!

Our first ride (or should I say 4/5 ride) on the new FROZEN Ever After
 
   We finally got to experience Epcot's newest attraction, and I have to give it an "A".  The Animatronics are pretty impressive, it's colorful, and fun.  I think our Granddaughters' eyes are going to be popping out of their heads when they see Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Sven and the gang on this cool boat ride.

   When we arrived at the loading area, the stand-by wait time showed 90 minutes, but we had our Fast Pass + ready to go on our Magic Bands, and we were on board in under 15 minutes!

It's pretty dark in that queue area!

   We did not see what the Stand-by Queue has to offer, but we both liked what we saw in the Fast Pass line.  The village setting is nice.  It's dark in there, but I like that mysterious night time setting.  I personally could not help but remember that spinning light from the eye as we were climbing the lift area in our viking boat.  I was having flash backs of Maelstrom.  But as soon as we saw that first scene with Olaf singing and moving around, we knew this was going to be a great addition to Epcot.

   It was going smooth, everything was fantastic on the ride, until Elsa waved her hands, and we went backwards down a little drop.... and we were frozen.... LITERALLY.

Our first ever "RIDE 101" - Evacuation

   It was strange to be sitting there, with the song "Let It Go" echoing through the cavern as we just sat there in the boat.  We could see Elsa off in the distance from where we had just rafted backwards.  Surreal.  While the others behind us on the boat were saying "Oh no, I hope they don't shut down the ride", I was telling my Wife "Oh Boy, I think we might get evacuated!"

Two "Disney Geeks" hoping to get Evacuated

   The canned voice kept coming on telling us to remain in the boat, and the ride would begin shortly.  But it never did.  YES!  Our first Ride Evac!  A Cast Member came over and told us that they were going to have to shut down the ride.  First, they had to drain the water level.  We sat in the boat and watched the water level drop down.  The ride audio stopped, and it got quiet.  A little eerie but fascinating to see the procedure take place.

   We watched as the people from the boat behind us came walking along the walkway on the side and head out the door near our boat.  Led by Cast Members, they went through a door in the rocky facade and away they went.  We were next.

Our vantage point while being frozen on Frozen Ever After

   The Cast Members came over and told us what to do.  We exited the boats, and headed out that door through the side exit, outside, down some stairs and back in to the building where we were given "Anytime Fast Pass" tickets to come back and ride when things were up and running.

What's behind "Door #1"?  Our evacuation exit.

   As I suspected, there was nothing especially remarkable to see "back stage" of the ride.  It's just a novelty that is appreciated only by Disney Geeks (like us).  A parking lot outside, some storage lockers for the employees, nothing exciting.  There was no Pluto character with his head off, taking a cigarette break, nothing like that.

The Captain was not allowed to "go down with the ship".

   Just what looked like break rooms, and locker rooms, just another day at work for the Disney Cast Members.  The ride area does look very different when the sound is off, and the lights come on.  That is something I can really appreciate.  I would hate to have been at the top of Expedition Everest when something like this happened! 

   When we worked our way through the halls and finally merged with the regular exit, we found ourselves outside saying "What just happened?"  We left with our anytime fast pass tickets in hand with a smile on our faces.  

Happily being kicked off of the ride!

Were those little snowmen taunting us?

   We had gone through most of the ride before the breakdown, so we felt like we were getting two rides for the price of one. 

   From what I've heard, they have been having a lot of problems with the new ride.  When we returned the next day to use our fast pass tickets, the CM that took them said "Oh no, yesterday too?"  So this seems to be a regular occurrence with the new Frozen Ever After.

   It was all tied up in a neat little package.  Our first ride on Frozen Ever After and our first Ride Evacuation at Walt Disney World.

  

Move along, nothing to see here.

Going back in to the building

I think the CM's were getting a kick out of seeing a 56 year old man getting so tickled over being "86'd" from the ride.