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Moonliners Daylight Meet (USH)
Sunday April 9th 2006 Universal Studios Hollywood
We are exactly one month away from Moonliners daylight meet at USH. I’m excited at the concept of being able to spend more than 2.5 Hours at a major theme park… Here is the description of the tour from the USH web site: Imagine... your own exclusive 6-hour tour of an authentic and legendary movie studio. You’ll have access to closed sets and special behind-the-scenes locations, plus learn the real inside story behind the making of some of the world’s most famous films and TV shows. Get ready to discover the sights and secrets of star-studded, blockbuster films currently in production on this once-in-a-lifetime journey through the studio. Tour the amazingly expansive backlot, and follow in the footsteps of Hollywood greats. Gain entry to production locations and studio facilities not open to the general public. Roam the enormous, incredible prop warehouse. (Just imagine the photo opportunities!) Explore working soundstages where NBC’s hit series Crossing Jordan is filmed. Witness the world’s first sound effects stage… and more moviemaking history.* Plus, enjoy VIP privileges at Universal Studios HollywoodSM Theme Park. Priority, Front-of-Line access to ALL shows and attractions. VIP reserved seating at ALL shows. Backstage "meet & greets" with the stars of Terminator 2®: 3D, WaterWorld® and Animal PlanetTM Live.* 25% discount on food and merchandise in the Park. Entry to the VIP Lounge and complimentary continental breakfast On the typical VIP tour the guide schedules your day for you, getting you to each attraction (mummy, Jurassic park, etc..) show (waterworld, animal planet, etc..) and the tram tour. For the attractions you get top billing even cutting in front of the people with the front-of-line pass if need be. For the shows there are reserved VIP seats and on the tram tour you get a private short tram that always stops at the best location (in front of the shark, etc..). The tram tour also makes several stops at sound stages, the prop dept, etc… In our case it will be just us, so I believe we can have some input on which attractions/shows we do or do not want to visit. Our tour is scheduled to start at 10:30am and run until 4:30pm with a break for lunch. However the VIP pass is also good for admission and font of line privileges the entire day. I know I plan to be there when the park opens at 9:00am to sneak in a few attractions before the start of the formal tour. You all can either meet up with me prior to the gates opening, or I can meet you out front (by the vip window) for the tour at 10:00am (but NO later than 10:15am). If you are not already confirmed on the Moonliner tour and would like to join us send me a PM and I’ll get you all the details. |
WaterWorld will be just out of a HUGE rehab (nearly 3 months of teardown/rebuild) and should be especially fiery.
The VIP guides really are the cream of the crop - have fun everybody... |
What if you have an AP?
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Okay, thanks!
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I can't wait!! This is going to be a blast! :D
As for that backstage "meet and greet" with the AnimalPlanet Live - does that mean I get to pet the critters? :D |
Hummm, I ran across this announcment:
The new visually spectacular chase sequence inspired by the much anticipated The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift is sure to become a Studio Tour blockbuster Anyone know if that will be open in time for our tour? |
I'm really excited about this! It should be a blast!
And, everyone is invited over to the LoT Lounge at C&L's for drinks and nosh afterwards. |
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BTD~ Oh I wish!!! My sis has one and I thought...but we splurged on a trip up to the snow this weekend...so, no USH and no meeting up with all of you swanksters at C & L's!! :(
Someday.... |
But but but.....it's MY birthday!!!!!
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I am not sure what day we'll be back from Yosemite/Lake Tahoe..... I'll let you know... :) |
This is gonna be fun, VIP Experience with a bunch of virgins :D
BTW, The VIP Experience at USH is the tour that celebrities and foreign dignitaries go for when they visit - We can be Diplomats of Swank! |
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Show wise I'd say Water World and the Animal planet show (with the backstage thing) are sure bets. Plus the main attractions of course (Mummy, Jurassic, etc...) Can we / should we request specific stops on the tram? A group photo in front the the Psycho house has been suggested... |
Yup, you can add us onto the guest list. Can't resist the VIP swanking...
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Add me to the list of planned attendees, please. :)
If possible, a group photo in front of the "Psycho" house, Bates Motel sign or even the "Back to the Future" clock tower/court house would be extra cool! For the list of "must-see" attractions/shows: Shrek 4D and Terminator 2:3D are very entertaining, sensory-movie experiences. CoasterMatt (or anyone else in the know): Would the VIP Experience allow two people from the tour to volunteer for the Special Effects Stages show/attraction, or do you need to be standing in line "early" to volunteer (as it's usually done)? |
Can we request the "Celebrity Shame" version of the tour, where they point out varios places on the lot that celebreties have comitted crimes, lewd acts, or otherwise embarassed themselves?
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Can I just say I am so excited? I haven't been to Universal since I was oh... 13 or so. It was before Back to the Future was put in. ET, KITT and the A-Team van were still there.
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Oh gawd, I am dying here laughing. :D That sounds so funny. People want to believe it. Like when you stand there looking up at the sky, intently. Others will, too. :evil: BTD, that IS a long time ago! I have riden 'Back to the Future'...in '93!!! I've been since but not very recently..... |
For the record, I will NOT be signing autographs that day.
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I'm with him... Jaws was new when I was there last, and the cylons were still there...
I havent been back yet... and this isnt the time. Have fun y'all! |
My friends and I did the VIP tour one day. We wandered the prop house, we got to walk through one of the fake houses on the street, and there was another place we got out and walked around.
Mega cool. I hope to be there that day. |
I am looking forward to it. The only time I have ever been to USH was back in the late '80s. We were only there long enough to go on the tram tour.
How are we going to pay? Did you need us to send you the money, or do we pay that day? Let me know. :) |
The cost of the tour is $99pp. That covers park entry, front of line pass, the six-hour tour. Parking and lunch extra. Thanks to Mr. Matt for the special discounted price :snap:
If you are sure you can come I'll add you to the list and we can settle up that morning. |
Count me in for 3 peeps!! I can do the tour thingy, but will bow out of drinks and nosh (since Nickolas will be with us and by then you all would be sick of him).
Thank goodness it is a 6 hour tour and not a 3 hour tour... |
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Moonliner, would it cause a problem if I said I needed 4 tickets, not 3?
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So, how many LoT'ers (and LoT-adjacent'ers - i.e. friends and family of LoT'ers) will be at this soiree?
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Just a reminder to anybody going, PLEASE, wear comfy shoes - you'll be doing a fair bit of walking
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Moonliner CoasterMatt & Mrs. Matt Disneyphile & Frodo €uroMeinke & Not Afraid Ghoulish Delight & Cadaverous Pallor Kevy Baby & GusGus Motorboat Cruiser & Guest ISM & Guest BarTopDancer Flippyshark & Guest Disneynut & Guest (Mousechatt'er ) Mousey Girl & Guest & Guest & Guest DisneyDaniel Zappop Darkbeer Did I miss anyone? PLEASE note that you cannot just show up for this one. We need to let USH know in advance (about a week they say) how many will be in our party. So if you would like to join us now is the time to let me know. Post here or a PM... |
What time are we meeting? What time does the park close? Do we want to come back to Maison du Swank for conctails or do we want to go to a UCW restaurant?
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The park is scheduled to be open from 9a-8p that day.
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You have two choices for the meet:
The actual 6-hour tour starts Sunday April 9th at 10:30am. So you will need to be at the USH vip window BEFORE 10:15am. However since the park opens at 9:00am and the VIP tour includes park admission plus font-of-line passes, I plan to be there before the park opens at 9:00am and sneak in a few attractions before meeting up with everyone between 10:00 and 10:15am. So you all have the option to be hard core and meet up before 9:00am, or take it easy and meet up at 10:00am. Matt: If the park "opens" at 9:00am, what time does it really open? |
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Due to the Nick factor, we will probably seperate after the tour. He will have a lot of pent up energy and he has already been checking out the USH website for stuff he wants to do and see. I will call Darla now and let her know she needs to get the 9th off.
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Count Ken and me in for the 9am "hardcore". ;)
We'll have to split off after the tour though, due to a prior commitment for that evening. So, no post-swank for us. :( |
We are in for the 9am hard-core as well. I am thinking if I can get at least 1 ride out of the way Nick wont be bugging me as much during the tour. If Darla goes then he will leave me alone, since he has a little crush on her.
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Also, does anybody want to carpool? We can fit two other couples in Susan's van comfortably, three other couples with a bit of a squeeze.
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So, the best options for sneaking in a few attractions before 10 a.m.--probably just enough time for two attractions at the most--are probably to catch the very first (continuous) showing of Shrek 4-D or Terminator 2: 3D, and then one ride on Back to the Future... The Ride, or the haunted house-type walkthrough of Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula. Since we'll have Front of the Line passes for the entire day, there's probably no need to rush around like someone who only has 2.5 hours to spend at a theme park. ;) I plan to be there a little before 9 a.m. as an early bird, too. :D |
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Awwww....... Thank you! Here's my thought process at the moment. I think if it wasn't a Sunday, I say let's go to our house, however, it being a Sunday and the Park already closes at 8 pm, it might be easier to stay on property and meet at UCW. Cafe Tu Tu Tango is a Tapas place that can be fun for groups. You just order a bunch of small plates and gorge until you're done. along those same lines is Shanghai and Mein: Quote:
Has anyone every been to Shanghiai and Mein? How was it? Anyone not liking Chineese food? They do not take reservations, sp someone (me) would need to put our name in before the Park closes (I would imagine)..... Matt, do you have any advice on this? |
I'm not sure if zapp and I will make it by the 9am hardcore. We've experienced front-o-line passes, and we love that it means not having to rush around while still having ample time to conquer all of Universal.
T23D, for instance, is something that I'm sure the whole group will want to do ... and I'm not sure that I'd necessarily be up for it twice. Oh, and my dinner preference leans towards Shanghai ... only because I've already done TuTu (and loved it ... so no complaints from me if we end up there). |
We can't make the swanky tour, but as we live at the bottom of the hill, we'd love to pop up and share tapas with y'all...what was that ETA for eating again?
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Shanghei and Mein is gooooood stuff. And the atmosphere is very trendy.
Kevy - Ken and I would love to hop a ride with, but we need to leave after the tour. Are you staying for post-swank? If so, then we'll just drive ourselves. :) |
The formal tour should end by 5:00pm. That leaves us a few hours to stand around in a group and say, "What do you want to do?", "I don't know, what do you want to do" before we head out for dinner....
Lizziebeth: Since you live "at the bottom of the hill" do you have a AP for USH? If so it sounds like some of the group will scoot after the formal tour and we could probably let you hold their VIP passes for a few hours ;) Otherwise we'll let you know our dinning plans as soon as we know them so you can meet up. As for the restaurant selection, either place is good for me. As long as we can all sing a nice loud and very off key rendition of "Happy Birthday"... :evil: |
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I say let the birthday girl decide on the eats, unless it's seafood and then I'll pout. :D |
I'm a little frightened...I have an association between lizziebith and excrutiating tooth pain...
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I get a better discount on CityWalk than any of you schlubs :p
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Isn't there a Hooters at CityWalk?
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I love Hooters!!! :D
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Hopefully the City Walk has a better grilled cheese then the Anaheim Hooters...
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There's no Hooters (restaurant) at CityWalk
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Final tally for the MG fam is myself, David and Boy. Darla is not returning phone calls at this time , so she will not be going. So count me in for 3. If you have already called in the tickets, not to fear, I will still pay for it. :)
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Can I come?
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Oh, wait. That's 'Hoosiers'. :D |
OK, it looks like we are all set, Moonliner party of 26 please step this way...
Oh and as a bonus, word on the street is that we all get annual passes as part of the deal. Won't do me any good, but hopefully some of you get around to USH more often than I do. |
Sweet!
I'm really looking forward to this. |
Me too. That's really cool about the AP's.
Does this mean we'll be scheduling USH meets in the future? :) |
Cool - Universal is a Metro stop
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Did we miss the last call? Tom and I finally decided to come. Are we too late??
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Oh, good! We got squeezed in-- it'll be Moonliner, party of 28!
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Universal Studios: Your Studio And YOU! - recommended viewing for all going on this swankin' adventure :D
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Was a food place/time decided upon? We'd still like to come for that part!
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We're really looking forward to this. :)
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Hmmmnnn? My question, anyone?
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Rockin'! I've always dreamed of the day when I'd be cool enuf to be ignored! :D
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So...in my paranoid, sleep deprived state I am wondering...where are we meeting for the 9am hardcore entry program (Kevy should have fun with that)? How will I know you Moonliner? I will be the fat, blondish chick with the tall, skinny man and tall, skinny 9 yr old boy. Would you like my cell number so that you can call if anything happens?
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However just to be sure. The meeting spot is by the VIP window which is near the front gates (to the right). I'm fairly easy to spot, I'm a peg-legged midget with a bright orange Mohawk and a face tattoo that says: "What you looking at freak?" |
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:derail:
I know a great Dim Sum place in Boston. :/derail: |
^ ssshhh, you. We're planning here.
So, um, Shanghai & Main at, what, 7-7:30ish? Should we make reservations? Ya know, large group, a weekend night. As for meeting up with us ... ah, the magic of cell phones! Speaking of which, I will not have access to this thread after 6pm tonight (my DSL has been out all week at home) - so someone please call me if there are any drastic changes. Otherwise, I'll be there at the bright and early hour of 10:15. Unfortunately, I won't have zapppop with me .... but I will have George. :iSm: |
And we all know how hot George is! :D
My new cell number is available via PM -- We'll probably come up and Shop the Walk first, so we'll be around... EDIT: Whoa, wait! iSm's post says Saturday night, but the thread says Sunday! Well, either way I think we can make dinner. |
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Not to mention that a fair percentage is going to tour-and-run so an exact number for dinner would be difficult to gauge.
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Well, then book for 40!
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I am dressed and ready to go, just waiting on the boys to get up.
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Weather forecast for today, Sunday, April 9, 2006, according to weather.com:
Universal City, CA: 65 degrees F (High), Partly Cloudy. A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. So, you can leave your Disney rain ponchos at home--after all, we're going to a Universal theme park--unless you want to bring it for Jurassic Park: The Ride. |
We're up. (Though I'm not sure why. We live, like, five minutes from USH and we're joining the 10:15 group.)
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Don't bring any Disney ponchos please - that's SO unswanky
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I don't suppose we could postpone this until such a time that we are better rested.
No, I didn't think so. Ok, I'm up. I'm up. |
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YAWN.
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Have fun, all!
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Everyone have a great time, and post full details and pics asap please!
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We left the group around 5, headed to City Walk to do some minor shopping and got home a bit after 7. Nickolas crashed around the 5 and 210, it would have been sooner but he was playing with a transformer. The VIP experience was great, the only way to go. We had such a blast. I will leave the trip reporting to the others.
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Rose and I had an absolute blast...
Here's a pic to sum up our experience - ![]() |
Finally... we're all together at a park, and I get to leave last but arrive home (nearly) first! Now all of you OC folks all can understand the pain of running back and forth to Disneyland felt by the Angelenos.
A delightful day, thoroughly enjoyable! Someone needs to post that excellent Jurassic Park photo so the rest of LoT can marvel at Tom's look of terror. Can we bring Dominatrix Kimberly to host at Honey, I Shrunk the Audience? |
Fun
Tired Sleep |
SO EXHAUSTED! But, what a FANTASTIC day! Must sleep now. I can't wait to see pics!
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:cool: |
Kimberly was awesome!
What a great day, spent with wonderful friends. I'll write more when I am better rested. Special thanks to Moonliner for putting it all together. |
David and I learned something very important on our 2nd ride on the Mummy. A baby in a carrier is considered a loose article.
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As I am getting dressed this morning, looking back on yesterday, I just want to send out a HUGE Thank You to everyone!! We had such a great time! You all made us feel very special and welcome. I know that Nickolas had an awesome experience.
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Doug asked me yesterday if you guys had fun on Sunday...
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Thank you thank you thank you to CoasterMatt and Moonliner! As you can see from this photo, I had the most amazing time!
![]() This is the bar from Tombstone... |
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Likewise, nothing but good things to say about how we were treated by all of the staff at the park. It truly was a VIP experience.
Very special thanks to Moonliner and CoasterMatt for giving Matthew and I a very special experience that we will always remember. We had a great time! |
What a lousy day.
Just kidding. Doug was awesome. I've been so USH spoiled. Last time, front o' line passes, this time VIP PASSES! Wow. The version of the tram tour was so freaking cool. Getting to walk around a cool TV sets and a bunch of backlot areas, and visiting the prop house. So sweeeet. Doug was a hoot and treated us to a great day. Thanks again to CoasterMatt and Moonliner. Terrificness all around! |
OK, I've posted photo highlights and caption info from the Universal Studios Hollywood meet.
Go to: www.disneydaniel.com to see many other pictures from Moonliner's Daylight Meet at Universal Studios Hollywood in which we took the VIP Experience Tour, were given our own tram, and given the opportunity to walk-through sets and view the backlot on foot. SPECIAL NOTE: These are LOW-resolution, Web-friendly images, to give highlights of the trip. HIGH-resolution files of these and HUNDREDS of other photos from the day will be posted in the near future. Once the high-res photos are up, you will LATER be able to order prints or download the high-res versions. As others have said, special thanks to EVERYONE, Moonliner, CoasterMatt, and Doug for making this a memorable meet. For those of you who were not able to attend, I hope you can live vicariously through these photos (more of them to come, later.) :) Here are a few group pictures to get you started: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Coastermatt looks like he is having entirely too much fun.:D
Great, great pics, Daniel!!!!:snap: Thanks so much for posting the link- it's the next best thing to being there! |
Oh yeah! Great pics Daniel. Wish I could've gone. Looks like it was a great time!!
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Daniel, those are awesome pictures! I also loved all of the captions. Nice job. :snap:
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Wonderful pics, Daniel!
I just want to say it was a ton of fun to be there with all of you... |
My raw photos are here
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While I was only able to attend the dinner, I had a thoroughly good time putting faces/real names to screen names, and generally swanking out. <---new term? My only regret was not being able to circulate more (needing to keep one eye on the kid at all times)...but next time, eh? Thanks for the passes for use later, and for the very swanky company!
:D As an aside, do any LoTers live in Dallas? I'll be there at the end of the month... |
It looks like you guys had a blast! I think that the V.I.P. Tour is the only way to go......Do you guys remember when the tour was broken up in two and they did take you into some studios? Not quite the background tour that was had by you all but more than where we can go today....
Thank you for the pictures!! Awesome!!! |
Damn you guys always have the best meets...... and great pictures to boot!!!
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From this photo, you would think that BTD and I were bored on Mummy (I know I wasn't)
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Great pics! You are all a bunch of clowns. Hysterical. :D
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How does Daniel do it? He totally caught all the best moments of the day. What a great photo essay. Let us know when you get high-res pics up. You rule! :snap:
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Great photos and captions. Looks like everyone had a great time.
Thanks for sharing. |
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I love the look on Nick's face!!!
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Thanks to everyone that came out for the USH meet. The presentation of the signature card and the "Big Fig" caught me totally by surprise and literally brought a tear to my eye. You all are a very special bunch.
I don't have many photos to post but I think with the pictures DisneyDaniel and Darkbeer took you could just about paste together a video of the entire day. You guys carry some serious camera power. :snap: :snap: Right now I'm still on my trip (we just finished DLR) and I'm sure I'll post more after I get back. |
To all of you at the event;
It was great to see you all, and I am sorry that terry and I had to make such an early exit. Even though we were feeling like zombies on the bad end of a blow to the skull, we were completely thrilled to wander those fantastic sets and hobnob with such an eclectic crowd. I took some pictures as well, and I will try to include some soon, but I am dealing with tax hassles at the moment. The photo below will show you that I did indeed get my corn dog, though. ![]() |
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