Is LATE Really Better Than NEVER? A Late-breaking TR [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

aspcamhreditor2

05-08-2007, 04:09 PM

#1 – The Goofy/Grumpy/Princess Family Trip … And So It Begins …

Wooop, wooop, wooop! Warning! Warning!!

This TR covers our trip in Dec. 2005. Yes, I know: I’m a little behind. However, I recently booked our next Disney adventure for October of this year. I realized, “oh, snap!” I haven’t even scrapbooked the last trip. So, this little TR is my way of organizing some thoughts for journaling the last trip. Plus, it a great way to review my thoughts & notes from the last trip (sad … yes … I do take notes at WDW in a little notebook I carry in my fanny pack … not that I’m obsessive or anything.)

Another reason for SUCH a LATE-breaking trip report: I’m currently really, really missing WDW. Right now, an October trip doesn’t seem soon enough so I’ve been enjoying many other TRs and I’m revisiting our trip as I get some scrapbooking done.

So … if you think long-overdue TRs are not worth your effort, don’t stop here.

Wooop, wooop, wooop! Warning! Warning!!!

Yes … another warning. This little TR will be loooooonnnnnnngggg. However, I’m going to **TRY** to get in posted in a fairly timely fashion over the next few weeks. Like many of you, I get confused on the particulars when there is a long break between posts.

So … if you think loooonngg TRs are not worth your effort … again, keep moving.

Finally …
Wooop, wooop, wooop! Warning! Warning!!

Yes … one last warning. It’s gonna be several posts before I get the “trip.” If I’m really going do this, then I feel compelled to share all pre-trip details.

So … if you think … Never mind. You know the drill by now.

If you are still reading, stay tuned … “real” trip report starts soon.

aspcamhreditor2

05-08-2007, 04:18 PM

#2 – The Goofy/Grumpy/Princess Family Trip …. Pre-trip Report, part 1

Cast:
Me (PrincessMom) vascillated between obsessively planning & deciding to fly by the seat of our pants. I’m not fooling anyone: I could tell you that we took this trip because I love to see my girls at WDW (very true), but this trip was for me, me, me.

DH (JC, the Big Guy or Grumpy/Goof) -- patiently indulges lunatic wife’s (that’s me) Disney obsession although he secretly likes WDW more than he lets on.

DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old & on her 3rd trip to WDW. Bright, cute, sensitive. Was princess obsessed for many of her formative years. Loves rides.

DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old & on her 2nd trip, but this will be the first one she can remember. Adorable but with a temper that could make a Disney Villian blush. Also a princess fan. Also loves rides.

Aunt E – DH’s only sister and was friends with PrincessMom in college. No kids of her own yet so she loves to do things with her various nieces. The 2 days she spends w/ us will be her first experience vacationing w/ the lunatics … I mean our family. She will only join us for a couple of days, but they end up being GREAT days!

Long-term Background …
When I was growing up, my family didn’t vacation. We showed ponies, and that little hobby took every cent of extra money my family scraped together. A family trip was one day to a covered bridge festival or the zoo or the local fair. Going some place as “fancy” and as far away as WDW simply wasn’t done … not just not by my family, but not by many families in the rural southern (ie read “fairly poor”) part of our state. Luckily, I did have a chance to travel to both Disneyland and WDW as part of high school band trips. Both trips left me with some deeply buried longing that began to germinate once I had my own children.

DH (ie, Grumpy/Goofy) was somewhat luckier. Before all of his brothers and sisters were born, his family was able to do the low-rent version of a WDW world vacation with the older kids. However, some WDW is better than none to my mind. I still love hearing stories of DH’s youthful excursion to WDW… of those 4 kids traveling there crammed in the back seat … of driving all night.

In the mid-90s, when some friends took their 2 yr. old son to WDW, I thought they were silly, silly, silly. At that time … prior to having my own kids, to vacationing at WDW and, most importantly, before joining The Dis …. I thought WDW was a do-it-one-time kind of trip. Therefore, I formerly (and mistakenly) thought you should wait until your kids are older. You know … the kids should be old enough to 1) appreciate it and 2) remember it. Then, we had DD#1. Doodle became obsessed with Snow White when she was about 2 & 1/2. Coincidentally, we just happened to sell our house to a decent profit at about the same time. So … WDW trip on! It was on that trip in Feb. 2002 that I discovered the magic of WDW for little kids …. 2 yr olds appreciate WDW just as much as anyone else, they just appreciate it differently and can’t talk about it as much. As for remembering it, that’s for the parents. It’s also what scrapbooks are for.

It was also on this first family trip that I then learned that it’s okay to want to do WDW more than once! So, long-story short … now I’m WDW obsessed and hoping we manage a few more trips with our girls.

Why?

Well, if you are asking that, you are most likely brand spanking new to The Dis. However, if your are sitting at your computer with your hand in the air like that annoying character from “Welcome Back Kotter”, then you are a true Dis-er and you undoubtedly have many of your own reasons for wanting to spend as much of the rest of your life as possible at WDW.

For me, the “why” I want to go back multiple times is a mixture of reasons and emotions. Partly, I have some ridiculously romanticized idea of what a good family trip is. Partly, it's about some warped sense of parenting I have. Partly, it's the age of my kids and the enjoyment THEY get out of this kind of trip. And, for me, it's a lot about escaping my waaaayyyy over-extended and over-committed life. WDW is about the only place I can truly relax and forget about the billions of other things I have going on. Plus, I like my vacations to be one part relaxation, one part fun & one part “doing” something. I love the beach and I love places like Washington DC, but, for me, Disney is the perfect blend of stuff "to do" AND "fun" AND places to relax.

So … now on to the trip report. This trip in Dec. 2005 was our 3rd family vacation to WDW, but I had only found The Dis a few months before this particular trip. I’ve never done a trip report for our WDW vacations … and, obviously, given how incredibly late this TR is, this write-up almost didn’t happen either. Although I like to write and used to do more of it, my job now is mostly the mechanics of putting together a magazine. My writing is probably too rusty to do justice to our trip and NOT have you die-hard Dis’ers either skipping this report or being bored to tears. There are soooo many wonderful trip reports out there so I will apologize in advance of not being able to live up to the great ones.

aspcamhreditor2

05-08-2007, 06:13 PM

Pre Trip Planning … What the Heck was I THINKING?

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

Background….
What the heck was I thinking? I put together a magazine for a small horse breed registry and our December book is traditionally one of our largest issues of the year. It rarely goes to print on time. Did I REALLY think we could make a 12/5 departure? Well, no, but heck, I need a vacation and my kids love all things Disney. I’ll find a way to get the magazine done … after all, sleep is for wusses, right?

Months in advance …
We booked through Dreams Unlmited. We have never used a Disney-specialist travel agency before, but I wanted to give it a try this time simply for help in obtaining the-difficult-to-book breakfast at Cinderella’s castle for Doodle & Moo Moo.

Once booked, I obsessed about ADRs although I still had no idea what the park schedules would be yet. Of course, that was before I found The Dis. (How could I possibly plan which parks for which days and which restaurants if the “official” park hours for December weren’t posted at the time frame to make ADRs?) Thankfully, I found The Dis and was perfectly prepared and able to book this time around for our upcoming Oct. ’07 ADRs.

Back for our 2005 trip, I was he only one obsessing this early. Of course, I’m the only one thinking about our Oct. trip now. DH says, “whatever you think. You’re the Disney expert.” And, THAT was BEFORE I found The Dis.

For our 2005 trip, one goal is to convince DH that EPCOT is a suitable park for younger children and it isn’t boring. I try to use this early-planning time to convince DH he is simply out-of-date when it comes to EPCOT. DH Grumpy/Goofy has made sure we avoided this park on our last two trips as he had a horrible experience at EPCOT when he was in high school and has steadfastly refused to budge on ever going back. I’m determined that this will be the trip that changes his mind!

Will we do EPCOT this year? Stay tuned to find out.

Late summer …
I obsessively looked for a small ringed notebook/binder that would fit into my hip pouch and carry the master plan. Like everything else, it had to be perfect and needed to match the object I had made up in my mind. Sometimes being a perfectionist takes waaaayyyyy tooooo much time and effort! Finally, I did find a nice little notebook that I could add pages so I could print out small layouts of our notes & reservations. It also gave me a place to make trip notes during the trip.

Next … my DH who likes to PRETEND he’s not THAT into WDW and that he just is humoring me slips up. He gets me (his 37 yr. old wife) Disney Dollars for my birthday. I have to say, this little card with such a well-thoughout-out gift really touched me. But, I don’t think he realized his mistake. It’s about 4 months before our trip and he’s trying to pretend he’s not already thinking about and looking forward to WDW???? BUSTED!

Fall …
I began paging out our trip’s master plan on a design program. Wow, that magazine thing sure comes in handy! Perhaps I should have actually been working on the very magazine issue that could prevent me from going on this trip rather than actually worrying about the trip itself. But …. How fun would that be? Zip, of course!

I have been asking general questions to Doodle, MooMoo and DH to get basic ideas of what they might want to do. I also bought Doodle one of the kids’ guide books. She and I take great delight in pouring over a few pages each night as part of our ritual before bed read-a-thon. There several months in a row that more than one chapter of that guidebook appeared on Doodle’s reading list for first grade “Book It” program. And, to think … she got credit for her free “reading” pizza that month just by being in training to become a future WDW-a-holic!

At this point, I also made arrangements for someone to do chores. We have Modern American Shetland Ponies & a Miniature Horse, all of which are show animals with national titles to their credit. The upshot …. I’m terribly picky about chores. We’ll be gone too long to ask the neighbors to feed, water & hay, but pet services are soooo expensive & most don’t really “get” this kind of animal. I finally settle on having a pet sitting service come out in the morning and I find a college-age girl from a local riding stable who agrees to come out in the evening … or at least I THINK she’s coming out. But, more on that later. My sister will be coming up for two days in the middle of our trip to check on everything, clean stalls, etc., because I really only trust my family.

So … WILL I get that issue done and will we make it to our early December adventure in WDW?

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 05:38 AM

#4th Installment – Free Pizza for Reading WDW Books

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

It’s fall 2005 and I can’t stop thinking about our early Dec. trip at this point. It was a struggle NOT to spend every second I could manage hashing, re-hashing, planning, reading other people’s trip reports … then changing trip plans based on those TRs!

October & November …
I started sorting through clothes & picking up items I think we’ll need. While I didn’t actually start packing, I did start putting clothes & other items for the trip into a large clothes basket. Of course, I didn’t tell DH and hid the early packing in my closet. While he was more excited than he let on, he just wouldn’t understand.

Doodle did more reading in her guidebook and got more credit toward her pizza reward that month. Tee hee! This is too easy!

Now, MooMoo wanted in on the book action. She loved hearing what there is to do and looking at the pics. Both girls are busy trying to decide what we will do FIRST. So far, the are leaning toward Tower of Terror. Eeek! Is that a good idea for a 6 & 1/2 and 3 & 1/2 year old? You’ll just have to keep reading to find out!

The Weekend Before ….
Thanksgiving weekend. Pack DH, Doodle & MooMoo off to DH’s family for the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. I need to work, work, work. The magazine isn’t even CLOSE to being finished. It would be wonderful if I could work the ENTIRE weekend, but I’m heading to the St. Louis area as well for Saturday as we have tickets to see the musical “Wicked” on Saturday. Of course, that was BEFORE we finalized our WDW plans for the beginning of December AND before the magazine issue got soooo far behind. Grumpy/Goofy and I ended up going shopping for better suitcases for our trip after the going to the theater so the day wasn’t totally wasted.

Would we get those suitcases all packed around finishing the magazine???

Would the girls really go with Tower of Terror as their first mission???

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 07:54 AM

Installment #5 – What do you mean the airline quit flying?

Installment #5 of Grumpy/Goofy Princess Family

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

Trip Day # 1… 12/4/2005

Okay, originally, this was NOT supposed to be day 1. We were originally supposed to fly out early Mon., 12/5. In mid-November, when I open my credit card statement I noticed a large credit from our originally-scheduled-airline that looked remotely similar … ie – an exact match …. to the price I paid for tickets. I think, “hmmm, they must have overcharged us, glad they took care of the refund without a big fight.” Well, that’s what I thought for about 1/2 of a nanosecond before panic set in. I raced to the computer & cursed the entire time it took to access the company’s website, which, of course doesn’t come up. So, I check the airport’s website. Sure enough, the crappy airline stopped flying September 30th! I guess that’s what we get for never watching the local newscast; we had no idea the company wasn’t flying out of our little local airport any more. Well, pooh (and I don’t meant the WDW big fuzzy & honey-luvin’ type!) We leave in about 3 weeks and we have no plane tickets!!!

Will our trip be abandoned due to lack of travel arrangements?

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 11:26 AM

Installment #6 – Airline Lessons

The One Where We Learn the Importance of booking on “real” airlines through major airports

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

As you may remember, at three weeks before our departure the Goofy/Grumpy Princess family was in danger of not making it to WDW afterall because the we didn’t learn our booked airline had stopped flying.

Trip insurance? We don’t need no stinkin’ trip insurance!

Or a back up plan!

Or … heck, to even obsessively check about our flight arrangements.

Upon learning the fate of our flight thanks to a credit to my credit card statement and a non-appearing airline website, I immediately e-mail a few friends in a panic and then start looking on some travel sites myself. Luckily, a pal of mine was a little more clear-headed than I was about this and went right to Southwest’s website. Meanwhile, using one of those on-line travel shoppers, I tried to give myself at heart attack over prices since I could find no flights that A) we could afford AND that B) fit into my already crafted schedule.

Finally, after only about an hour & a 1/2 of e-mails, website searches, frantic phone calls to my husband and my pal, we re-book on Southwest. But, darn, we now have to leave Sunday evening instead of Monday morning. Yippee, maybe we can expand our Monday plan for WDW a little.

Oh, and did I mention this near calamity actually ended up SAVING us a little money? I was able to get the four airline tickets both to & from Orlando AND the rental car through SWA’s website for $20 LESS than our original plane tickets cost! Of course, now we would be flying out of one of Chicago’s two big & busy airports, which was not nearly so convenient. Plus, we would have to pay for long-term parking. But, at least we weren’t going to have to pay $400+ per ticket. And, darn, we would have to go to WDW early … oh, the humanity.

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 04:00 PM

Installment #7 – Can I Drive & Sleep At The Same Time?

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

Can I catch a few zzz's in the truck on my race to drop of the last of the magazine and get back to leave on time? Oh, wait, I'm driving!

Really, What Was I Thinking?

PrincessMom is now officially running on empty. I’ve been working around the clock to get that 250-page magazine out with only periodic breaks to do laundry, finish packing or curse myself for even thinking this was do-able. In the past couple of days I have even considered sending my family ahead and trying to schedule myself a later flight… like a couple of days later … but I push through. We are supposed to leave for the airport at 4 p.m.

Somewhere between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. on the NEW day one, I find a way to transfer some of the last pre-press checks to my assistant by simply deciding the world would not end if I didn’t over see ever single word on 250+ pages. Mistakes happen sometimes. That’s why publications have “Corrections” columns, right?

8 a.m. … realize I have to cancel my previously scheduled late-morning haircut and pedicure. I am bummed about not having pretty feet but I ask you … would brightly painted toenails really matter if I got fired for not getting this magazine out? Hmmm, tough choice, but my commitment to my job won out. No pretty pink toenails!

Blessed DH really stepped up to the plate the last couple of days …picking up horse feed, loading hay and a million other little last minute things. (You should know … the barn full of equine are ALL mine. He’s not involved. But, he’s great at stacking hay or building fence when called upon). At noon I am desperate to burn the last signatures of the magazine issue to CD and get on the road to meet my pre-press rep at the printer. Did I mention it’s an hour & a half trip one way? When I get to the drop (thinking I am going to throw the stuff out the window and just keep going), there area actually sections for me to proof! GRRR! That’s a blessing as I get to sign off on a little more myself, but it’s also a curse as I’ve had no sleep for several days and I have to be home by 4 p.m.

Will I make it? Will the Grumpy/Goofy Princess family make it to WDW?

praisehisname

05-09-2007, 05:21 PM

Oh my gosh, you've got my heart pounding and I wasn't even there! Can't wait to read more!

Denise

DebIreland

05-09-2007, 06:15 PM

I found your TR and wow!!!! Excellent beginnings! :woohoo:

Oh you're right.... we are twins.... I can't begin to tell you the extent to which I can relate to the all-nighter you pulled before your trip and the designating of chores to DH and..... all the rest.

You lay out a 250 page mag? Wow! That's big. I do a number of smaller mags - usually 32 page ones but there's always some deadline or other to be met.

Can't wait to read more. popcorn::

By the way, I notice Installment 5 and 6 have two line spaces after the heading, whereas the others have one line space there. You might want to go back and correct that. :lmao: :rotfl2:

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 06:37 PM

DebIreland...

Welcome & thanks for reading.

By the way, I notice Installment 5 and 6 have two line spaces after the heading, whereas the others have one line space there. You might want to go back and correct that. :lmao: :rotfl2:

You are frickin' hilarious my Irish Friend!

Try not to be too critical. If you saw MY "plan" layout for our last trip, you'd know you are better at it than I am.

You lay out a 250 page mag? Wow! That's big. I do a number of smaller mags - usually 32 page ones but there's always some deadline or other to be met.

Well, not exactly. Our issues vary from about 140 to 260 pp, depending on issue/topic. I'm not the design maven you are. While I do a lot of the pagination, I farm out some of the design work ... especially on ads. You see, my title is actually editor. However, my duties include writing, coordination, some event coverage, some ad sales, editing, pagination and only about 1/2 of the actual layout. I have a part-time assistant who helps get all the incoming items coordinated, handles much of the administrative baby-sitting, deals w/ the mailing list and does the final billing.

Mostly, my job is just being tired!

Take today for example. As I was importing finished ads and trying to stay awake, I was scrolling through the TRs. It had been a while since I'd read any and I was having a hankering ... you know how it goes. Then, I found your TR ... looking forward to reading more of it later tonight!

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 06:39 PM

Oh my gosh, you've got my heart pounding and I wasn't even there! Can't wait to read more!

Denise ...

Thanks for reading. I hope to post the next installment tonight. My goal is not to get too much further behind. Afterall, it's already been a year & a half and I have a trip coming up this fall!

Amy

lorimc

05-09-2007, 09:22 PM

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 09:34 PM

Installment #8 – Finishing magazines & driving while asleep ... All to make the evening flight and get the heck to Florida

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

Finally, the last of the magazine is done enough to turn over. I drop off the remainder in the early afternoon but find some items I need to proof when I reach the drop. ACK! We need to leave home by 4 p.m.; I’m still over an hour away with work to do. Of course, in hindsight, I don’t know why I bothered. I can’t see straight when I’m this tired … that makes proofreading & checking placement more than a little difficult.

Somehow I manage to finish. By this time adrenaline is kicking in and I make the trip home … although, with no more sleep than I’ve had for several days, I remember NONE of the drive. I pull into the drive about 3:45. My wonderful DH has everything lined up and ready to toss into my truck. He even has Doodle & MooMoo well under control, mostly ready and fairly calm. This man deserves a reward!

Somehow, we are on the road by 4:05. Finally … a little early pixie dust! Getting out anywhere close to on time is challenge for us in “normal” circumstances but the departure for this adventure was so far beyond normal as not to be believed. I needed a vacation and our family needed, well, family time. This break from reality courtesy of WDW was just what I needed after the near meltdown of magazine production. And, I was hoping it would be a WONDERFUL chance for our family to re-group and actually spend some time together rather than waving as we go by each other.

Trip to airport ….
Quicker than we expected … guess there was a little leftover Pixie dust. Ever-observant 3 & 1/2 yr. old MooMoo was concerned because she didn’t see any planes at the park & fly. This was dear MooMoo’s first plane trip and she took the concept of park & fly pretty darned literally. Getting from the p&f to Midway was snap, and we were soon in line for security. Then, I realized I had nail clippers so I just tossed them in the trash. Tossing the offending objects doesn’t save me from getting pulled aside, however. My carry on bag is a ridiculous jumble of stuff … books, Doodle’s homework, tickets, IDs, meds, snacks, lanyards with pins, stuff for making specially decorated envelopes for Mousekeeping ... ie, misc. craft supplies including a hole punch. Yes, you read that correctly. A Hole Punch. What was I thinking? (Couldn’t THAT part of my daughter’s trip journal wait until we got home? ) The hole punch & the lanyards got all jumbled, and security couldn’t tell what I had in my bag so they got to look through everything. Those TSA folks are probably still wondering what kind of a nut job packs a hole punch.

MooMoo’s first take-off was a hoot. The sheer enjoyment and bliss that a 3 yr. old can muster from new experiences like first plane ride are contagious. Moo's joie de vivre soon catches on and the frenetic pace of the last few days melt away as we ascend. On take-off, Moo treated us to that laugh scream that kpk89 so eloquently described in her TR. Wow … the excitement … and we weren’t even officially off the ground in Illinois! MooMoo described our take off as “blasting off”. She also had some cute questions about “blasting off” and “would we be close to heaven?” Unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact details well enough to include them. It was both sweet and funny.

(Editor's Note: After initially posting this installment, I was looking through my trip notebook and found MooMoo's comments. As we first began to lift off, she was scream/laughing "Get Up! Get Up! Get up!". In her excitement she said "We're goin' to sky heaven!". She also commented, "I can see the WHOLE world from here!)

Although many hate the "cattle call" of boarding on SWA, we had a good experience. Of course, DD#2's tender age meant some of us got to board early and snag some decent seats. Thanks to the flight attendant who scored the little "treat" bag for the girls with the activity book and stick-on wings.

The flight went smoothly and we arrived pretty much on time. Although our normal arrival time was fairly late, the girls were still managing to hang in there. Afterall, they had gotten much more sleep on recent nights than I had. There late-night good humor in and of itself is somewhat of a miracle considering that Moo … while sometimes the most charming child in the universe … can morph into a mouthy & stubborn opinionated teenager when she’s tired despite her tender age. As I described in my initial introduction of DD#2, the behavior of this beautiful little girl can periodically make a Disney Villain blush. We experience some minor waits at the rental care place but soon we were on our way.

Didn’t stay on site the first night. Remember, our reservations & trip were planned prior to the whole last minute plane ticket crisis. However, we had traveled to Orlando for a work meeting in the fall of ’03 and decided the easiest course of action would be to revisit THAT hotel since we knew where it was; it was in our price range; and we knew how to get from there to WDW. It would be … if not perfect …then certainly acceptable.

Or ... so we thought ......

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 09:42 PM

[QUOTE=aspcamhreditor2;18565039][B][SIZE="3"]
[B]Doodle became obsessed with Snow White when she was about 2 & 1/2. .QUOTE]

What is it about 2yr old girls and Snow White?
My 2.5 yr old is obsessed with her too! :banana:

Welcome lorimc. Thanks for stopping by.

Our DD#1's Snow White kicked in with release of the movie on DVD. We, of course, purchased it the day it came out .... and then proceeded to watch it 40 bazillion times.

Unforunately, that made for some tense moments on our first WDW trip back in 2002. Meeting Snow White was a must, but we didn't manage to accomplish it until the last day ... with just hours to spare.

By that time, DD#1 met Cinderella ... who made over her and planted a big-old red-lipstick kiss on Doodle's cheek.

Soon after that trip, Doodle's allegiance firmly moved to the Cinderella camp ... where it stayed until the princess phase began to wane in the last year or so. She even used to tell people her name was "Doodle"Cinderella.

I miss the Snow White days .... sigh....

blue_river

05-09-2007, 09:52 PM

First, I'd like to say that, YES, late is better than never :dance3:

Loving what you've written so far and can't believe how much you've already posted :thumbsup2

BTW - I still haven't started my scrapbook yet :headache:

lorimc

05-09-2007, 10:00 PM

[QUOTE=lorimc;18589041]

Welcome lorimc. Thanks for stopping by.

Our DD#1's Snow White kicked in with release of the movie on DVD. We, of course, purchased it the day it came out .... and then proceeded to watch it 40 bazillion times.

Unforunately, that made for some tense moments on our first WDW trip back in 2002. Meeting Snow White was a must, but we didn't manage to accomplish it until the last day ... with just hours to spare.

By that time, DD#1 met Cinderella ... who made over her and planted a big-old red-lipstick kiss on Doodle's cheek.

Soon after that trip, Doodle's allegiance firmly moved to the Cinderella camp ... where it stayed until the princess phase began to wane in the last year or so. She even used to tell people her name was "Doodle"Cinderella.

I miss the Snow White days .... sigh....

We do not own the movie. She has only seen it when the babysitter has brought her copy over which happened exactly once. She hooked. We have a couple Snow White books and it is just who she loves. We have been unable to find Snow White on DVD under $40 and they are re-releasing it in Oct 2008. She'll be to old to care by then! :sad1:

I too am impressed by the rate in which you are turning out the TR!! Awesome! I love reading it, especially since my daughter is not too much younger than your youngest

Go forth...and write! :thumbsup2

aspcamhreditor2

05-09-2007, 11:18 PM

First, I'd like to say that, YES, late is better than never :dance3:

Loving what you've written so far and can't believe how much you've already posted :thumbsup2

Hello Blue ... I must say, your arrival is giving me a slight case of nerves. I LOVE your TR. While I started it some time ago, I've not quite caught up. But, it's one of my faves!

And now ... a CONFESSION
I toyed with doing a TR once before and lost my nerve. However, I didn't delete some of my original notes & installments. Rather, I've just been updating, editing & formatting. It's part of my plan not to get tooooo behind.

And about that scrapbook...
Don't fret. It's a great way to relive the trip whenever you get around to doing it. I jump around from trip to trip. However, I've sworn to myself that I will get the '05 trip done before we go again.

Amy

travelgirl06

05-10-2007, 12:21 AM

This is a great TR so far! Keep it coming, I love hearing about your adventures and I can't wait to hear about what happens when you get to the parks.

aspcamhreditor2

05-10-2007, 03:39 PM

Hi travelgirl06. Thanks for reading. Am about to finish my next post and will send ASAP.

aspcamhreditor2

05-10-2007, 03:44 PM

Installment #9 - Who Booked the Non-Disney Version of ToT?

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

As I said, we booked a last-minute room off site for our “new” first night when the airline snafu had us leaving a day earlier that our reservations at POFQ. We opted for an off-site hotel where we had stayed before.

It’s amazing what a couple of years can do to a memory! Hotel wasn’t that nice. Elevator still had a noticeable funk about it … even Doodle remembered that from 2 years before.

Since we were on vacation, DH booked the special kids’ room …whatever that was. Only … silly hotel staff … FORGOT that the only kids’ special rooms they had were in the tower that was closed for renovation. But, did that stop them from putting us there anyway? Oh no, it did not. Guess we used up our quotient of Pixie Dust for the day simply by my getting the magazine done & our getting on the road on time.

We get up to our floor and it’s a sauna … afterall, why would the air conditioning be on in a tower where no one is supposed to be staying? Then, lucky us … the door to our assigned room is ajar. At this point, I’m simply too tired to move any further. I plop down on the floor with the girls and pull out my cell phone & pre-dial 911 just in case. DH heads back to front desk to get us a new room. Finally straighten out the room thing …only we are still in the non-Disney version of the Tower of Terror. At that time, we weren’t aware that this section of the hotel was actually closed. We don’t discover that charming piece of news until the next morning. Get in. Cranked the air. Got the girls settled. Everyone crashes in preparation for our first Disney day … or what can also be thought of as the original Day 1.

Jake & Crew

05-10-2007, 09:34 PM

Wow! You are amazing, like that horse that came form no where ( Street Sense) and won the Kentucky Derby last week! :surfweb:

When I first started reading I was excited someone was more behind than I (my trip was 2006 not 2005). Now I am scared you will be done before I am on Day 2, so I invite you to slow down just a tad and smell the roses......DebIreland and I have alot of writing to do before you finish first! I know this is not a race, but it is:lmao:

I must admit though I have enjoyed your TR as I am zipping through so when you feel well rested be sure to tell more!;)

aspcamhreditor2

05-11-2007, 08:07 AM

Welcome Jake & Crew!

I'm enjoying your TR. It's one of the few I'm caught up on.

Wow! You are amazing, like that horse that came form no where ( Street Sense) and won the Kentucky Derby last week!

That's the thing about racehorses .... most of them at Churchill downs are either qualified to be there despite what the oddsmakers say, OR, they have someone who really believes in them. Sometimes the winner is just lucky.

Me, I fall into that last category ... lucky. I have a bit of down week so my work is only sort of busy and not killer busy. PLUS, I had some of my TR already written in a word doc from when I thought I wanted to post but didn't have the nerve. So, it's been a good time for me to proof, edit, add & post. I'm about to the end of my pre-writing, so soon it will be a little slower.

Believe me ... life will get crazy and I'll get behind. Then, you all will be confused about who is who and where we even are!

Amy

aspcamhreditor2

05-11-2007, 08:22 AM

At Last … the actual WDW part Begins

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

Real Trip Writing … finally …. well, almost...
(At least you find out about our resort & reaction to it!)

Despite the late night from our travel day and in spite of the fact PrincessMom had gotten only about 4 minutes of sleep in the last week, PrincessMom and Doodle were awake pretty early on this, the day we finally get to WDW. We had shared a bed and once we were awake, there was no returning to the land of slumber. DH and Moo were still snoring in the next bed. What to do? What to do?

Doodle & I get up as quietly as we can and throw on some clothes. We thought we’d actually go out to check the weather and maybe grab some breakfast. Quick check outside … BEEE-YOOOO-TEE-FUL! Next, we hit the very sorry hotel buffet, scarf some food and pick up some to take up to the sleepers. We only waited as long as our excitement would allow and then decided DH and MooMoo must be roused. Luckily for us, they were up and in the process of getting ready when we returned. They wondered where WE had gone and were worried that Doodle & I might impede THEIR anticipated arrival at WDW. As if!

After a quick shower for PrincessMom and getting our stuff together … which was NOT quick (how does neatly packed stuff manage to expand that quickly and that far???) … we were ready to check out. It’s at check-out that we learn that the tower where hotel staff put us was actually CLOSED. You’d think that might earn us a little break, right? No such luck. Frankly, I’m sure Tink was waaaayyyyy too scared of this place to scatter any pixie dust! However, it was a cheap place and my motto has always been “you get what you pay for.” And, what did it matter in the grand scheme of things? Soon we would be checked in to Port Orleans French Quarter. And, now, courtesy of our first-night–in-Florida experience, POFQ would now seem like a DEEE-LUX resort, not a Moderate one! Guess Tink knew what she was doing in terms of spreading that pixie dust after all.

We decide to hit the local Wal-Mart to pick up a few things since we actually got around earlier than we had planned. (Believe ... that's rare ... you won't see it again!).

Our purchases? Mostly snacks plus a few Disney-themed souvenirs for those who rated a Disney-themed lil’ sumpin’ sumpin’ but who didn’t qualify for Walt Disney World prices. There was a decent selection of merchandise that fit the bill for pre-school & 1st grade classmates, least favored family members, etc.

Then we’re ON OUR WAY!!!!

We arrived before mid-day at POFQ. Check-in went smoothly, and we were able to get our room. It was not in the building we requested …

I digress here … why do I write “we requested”. There was no WE in the planning & arranging. So, I guess I mean **I** requested.

Despite minor disapointment not to get the “requested” building, we soon learned that POFQ was compact enough that it didn’t matter. While I, PrincessMom, got us checked in, the rest of the crew went exploring. The girls were taken with the holiday decorations and REALLY liked the look of that pool. Although it was early December, we knew we’d be in that pool at some point. After all, we’re from northern Illinois … it sure seemed warm enough to us for swimming. King Triton serpeant slide, HERE WE COME … pasty-white winter skin or not!

We were in Building 5 and on the ground-floor room on the northwest corner facing the river. Sorry, I don’t remember the room number and I don’t have my file readily accessible. There was a nice open grassy area immediately outside, and we were about 6 steps off of the back walkway that led to the backside of the pool and to PO Riverside the otherway. Darned near perfect, even if it wasn’t our requested building.

The girls loved this resort. Upon entering the room, MooMoo declared it must be a princess room. They loved the art/decorations and got a kick out of the sink area having the curtain to give it some privacy.

Overall, I’d give POFQ extremely high marks. We loved the compactness. Regardless of the building, the main building, food court, parking lot and pool were all minimal walks. We loved being able to head over to Riverside if our hearts desired. The theming was nice. The pool & slide ROCKED. The Christmas decorations were jazz themed and lovely. We are booked there again for our Oct. '07 trip. Like I hinted at before, some of us in the Grumpy/Goofy Princess family like what we we like and aren't big fans of trying new things. POFQ REALLY worked for us and we're glad to be going back. Well, I'm glad to be headed back. This fall's trip is a secret and I hope to surprise the girls just before we go.

And Now … On To the Parks

(Wow … did I just hear a collective sigh of relief? Were you wondering if we’d ever actually set foot in a park?)

DebIreland

05-11-2007, 12:50 PM

Still loving this. :thumbsup2

We stayed in POFQ in '05 too and also loved it - but then you knew that. ;) I hope we get to stay there again some day. We were in Building 4 and were really spoiled as it was our first Disney resort and being that close to the food court and buses was just amazing.

I loved reading about Moo Moo's excitement in the plane. :goodvibes

Oh 'Alice' adores Snow White too and my eldest son loved that movie when he was a toddler. Although with both kids, I have/had to fast forward (yes, we have it on video, not DVD :rolleyes: ) over the huntsman/axe part! lol!!

Yikes, the "non-Disney version of TOT" sounds dreadful. :scared: I'm glad it was just for one night....

DebIreland and I have alot of writing to do before you finish first! I know this is not a race, but it is :lmao:

It's no contest really where I'm concerned. Ye'll be writing compilations of your "first 10 years of Trip Reports" before I'm onto Day 10. :laughing:

.... looking forward to more!

AGPrincess

05-11-2007, 06:45 PM

I'm lovin your TR so far!! Late is always better than never...my scrapbook from 2002 still isn't complete...;)

We had a similar experience to yours in an off-site hotel. When we visited it first on one trip, it was brand-spankin' new and really nice. When we went back the next year, they had really failed to keep it up. The elevators were really dirty and the air conditioning didn't work right...:mad:

Can't wait for more!!:thumbsup2

aspcamhreditor2

05-12-2007, 06:58 AM

I'm lovin your TR so far!! Late is always better than never...my scrapbook from 2002 still isn't complete...;)

AGPrincess ... thanks for reading.

Aren't those "scary" hotels the pits?

aspcamhreditor2

05-12-2007, 07:05 AM

Installment 11-

Is ToT a Good First Choice for Little Girls?

At last, we are at WDW, checked in and headed to our first park. First, however, I want to give you a little cast reminder. If you are like me, you read a TR, get engrossed, go away for awhile, come back looking forward to more story only to realize you’ve forgotten who is who!

Cast:
Me (PrincessMom) I was the planner, organizer, arranger. As I noted in my initial casting, I vacillated between obsessively planning & letting us fly by the seat of our pants. I planned the trip for the girls, but I REALLY needed this trip … as you well know if you’ve read this far. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, not a fan of change, hate it when things don’t go my way and get irritated easily by what DH and I call “the stupid people”. I LOVE WDW!

DH (JC, the Big Guy or Grumpy/Goofy -- patiently indulges lunatic wife’s (that’s me) Disney obsession although he secretly likes WDW more than he lets on. He’s more of a laid-back, go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Just about the BEST father two little girls could EVER ask for. Honestly, he’s the better parent of the two of us.

DD#1 (Doodle) She was 6 & 1/2 yrs old in Dec. ’05 & on her 3rd trip to WDW. Bright, cute, sensitive. Was princess obsessed for many of her formative years. Loves rides. We learn on this trip that she’s a major roller-coaster freak.

DD#2 (Moo Moo) She was 3 & 1/2 yrs. old & on her 2nd trip, but this was the first one she can remember. Adorable but with a temper that could make a Disney Villain blush. Also a princess fan. Also loves rides. About to become coaster obsessed.

As noted before, we were faced with a dilemma….

WHICH park first?

Like many of you, I scoured The DIS, read the guides, checked the 1-10 ratings for the day, you name it. But, I confess … to me, a WDW vacation starts at the MK. However, on this trip, a couple of other things figured in. First, our DDs were both old enough to express an opinion. Second, we were going to be doing a lot more at more parks than on our previous trips and would even visit Epcot for the first time as a family. (Finally, I won that argument w/ my DH. Basically, I just planned dinner there, so … really … what choice did he have?)

Although I love MK above all others, I wondered … were those posts on other threads accurate? Would our girls be ruined … so to speak … for the other parks if we went to MK first? So, with that in mind AND in scheduling our ADRs before the tragic plane ticket incident at T-minus 3 weeks, I decided we could get to Epcot for dinner on that first night. It would be the only park open. So, we booked an ADR at the San Angel Inn in Mexico. Then … the near-ticket-fiasco turned into an early arrival in Orlando … and waa laa, more time on our first day than anticipated. Glad we went with those park hoppers!

So … what to do? What to do?

ANSWER: Let the 6 & 1/2 and 3 & 1/2 year olds pick, of course. And their choice? If you were paying attention several posts back, you know which way the Doodle & Moo were leaning. So, what did they settle on?

Stay tuned to find out …

aspcamhreditor2

05-13-2007, 07:29 PM

Installment 12 – The One Where We Find Out if ToT is A Good Choice!

As I said, we let the girls pick where to spend the afternoon knowing two things: 1) We’d be heading to Epcot in the evening and 2) We were headed to MK bright & early the next day for breakfast at CRT.

So, MGM (sorry, for me this park will ALWAYS be MGM) was our first order of business. Doodle became obsessed with someday being big enough to go on Tower of Terror after seeing the moving promotional billboard along the road in WDW on our last trip. Added to that, Doodle is obsessed with the Disney channel and had watched at least parts of the Disney Channel movie “Tower of Terror” multiple times.

Additionally, when we go to local carnivals, both girls like to ride the “Frog Hopper” and somewhere in the discussion, one parent mentioned that ToT dropped SORT OF LIKE the Frog Hopper. Of course, both girls HEARD “ToT is EXACTLY like the Frog Hopper.” Isn’t it amazing how selective the hearing of children is?

So, here we are with an extra afternoon at WDW we didn’t originally expect, wonderful park hopper passes that we had to use later in the evening at EPCOT anyway and beautiful weather. Naturally, we headed to MGM first for the specific purpose of riding ToT.

What? You mean that is NOT what most reasonable parents of a 3 & 1/2 and 6 & 1/2 year old would do?

Then, again, who said we were reasonable?

After some brief time checking out the beautiful holiday decorations at this park and meandering toward the ride, we were in the queuing area for ToT. Of course, we’ve spent some time talking about “Mickey Magic” and that nothing in the parks is truly real when it comes to the scary stuff. Nevertheless, this was the first moment of truth. Both girls held up fairly well despite their tender ages. Being a DIS mom, I tried to get over to look at the fallen letters on the lobby marquee. Soon, we were in the queuing area heading down to the actual ride doors. It was then that the first wave of panic set in when one of the girls sees the first young rider chicken out and leave.

Dang … that parent that caved! Oh, I mean … what great, responsible parenting. You did the right thing … no matter how it affected us. Afterall, the Grumpy/Goofy Princess family isn’t the center of the WDW universe anywhere but our OWN minds!

Being less than responsible ourselves in the parenting department, we convinced the girls that we were too far along the line and that now they had to stay since we were passed the door for leaving. Not really true, but they soooo bought into it. I know, many of you are cringing at what HORRIBLE parents we were for forcing our kids on this ride. But, our children are usually fairly fearless and we were pretty sure this jittery-ness was just a “me-too” type of thing. Besides, we knew there was still a possibility for an out … We weren’t sure they would let Moo on the ride since she was RIGHT at the cut-off height, and I do mean barely at it. (Wow … I didn’t know that 40” in line at ToT measures differently from 40” at home!)

When we got to the dividing lines immediately outside the elevator/ride doors, we began to interact with another set of parents who had boys nearly identical to the ages or our girls. It was their last day at WDW and they were trying ToT for the first time. Like us, they weren’t sure how well it would go over, but each of us took some comfort that perhaps we weren’t absolutely horrible parents since we were pretty much in identical situations.

On we go …

Grumpy/Goofy takes off his precious “Grumpy” hat purchased on our last WDW trip and stuffs it under his leg so as not to lose it. We buckle in & prepare. The girls are between DH and me. The parents w/ the boys are immediately in front of us. Some other riders sharing our car are visibly nervous. Our girls, not knowing what to expect, were holding up pretty well. When the CM asked who was ready, dear MooMoo held up both her hands … giving the appearance of riding “hands-free” like many do on rollercoasters. The CM got a HUGE kick out of that and promptly used our tiny daughter’s appearance of bravery to needle some of the other nervous adults & teens.

Soon, we were off. Wow! What a cool ride! But, holy cow, we were NOT prepared. It never really occurred to me that TOT drops mostly in the DARK. Yeah, I know it makes sense: a break-away elevator in a creepy old building wouldn’t have perfect lighting. However, despite my repeated pourings over the DIS and all my beloved WDW guidebooks, this little fact never managed to slap me into rationality or… heck … even general awareness. DH and I also both freaked and tried to keep hold of both girls. Yes, I realize now it must have been safe enough with the restraints, or they wouldn’t have let the girls on ToT. Rationality was not foremost in my mind at the time, however. What was foremost in my mind … how HIGH my big ol’ butt was coming off the seat on those drops. If I was getting so much… uh … air, what was happening w/ our slight and dainty little girls?

Soon, this wonderfully terrifying or terrifyingly wonderful ride was over. Our girls seemed a bit shocked to say the least. However, they were troopers while their matching boy counterparts in the row in front of us were both sobbing. Both girls trooped off, grim but determined. They said they liked it but most certainly did NOT want to ride again! One of them drolly commented on the teenage boy behind us who screamed “like a little girl” (to paraphrase a more recent Disney movie.) One of them observed that this ride was NOTHING like the Frog Hopper after all. We were disappointed that the photo wasn’t better and didn’t order it. Sadly, despite his efforts to protect --- or actually BECAUSE of said efforts --- DH’s beloved Grumpy hat became a casualty of the ride. In the rush to make sure the girls were okay and get them off the ToT, DH never thought to look down & grab the hat once he stood up.

We talk about ToT still. In hindsight, this ride would have probably been more manageable if it were NOT dark. It was the thrill, the drops and the darkness that conspired together to be too much.

Now, you experienced DIS-ers are probably either wondering how much of a drastic impact the sheer terror of this first-ride-of-the-trip experience would leave on the girls or you are flat out smirking that we’ve cooked our own goose in terms of rides for the rest of the week. Guess you’ll just have to tune back in to find out if our riding days the rest of the trip were as doomed as those elevator riders in the Hollywood Hotel.

Up next… I’ll get on w/ the rest of our MGM experience next time.

AGPrincess

05-14-2007, 05:50 PM

Added to that, Doodle is obsessed with the Disney channel and had watched at least parts of the Disney Channel movie “Tower of Terror” multiple times.

Your daughter is more brave than I. That movie terrified me...The ride did too..

Dang … that parent that caved! Oh, I mean … what great, responsible parenting.

:rotfl2:

It never really occurred to me that TOT drops mostly in the DARK. Yeah, I know it makes sense: a break-away elevator in a creepy old building wouldn’t have perfect lighting. However, despite my repeated pourings over the DIS and all my beloved WDW guidebooks, this little fact never managed to slap me into rationality or… heck … even general awareness.

I'm sorry...this is too funny...:lmao:

Great installment!

Jake & Crew

05-14-2007, 10:37 PM

Wonderful.......you are even better in "real" time writing.....and maybe now I can relax a little as I round the track!

Ready for the rest of MGM ( we don't even think of calling it anything else either;)

mjkaferle5

05-15-2007, 10:05 AM

I took my 8, 5, and 5 year old sons on ToT for their first ride of our vacation.

The twins (5 year olds) came off ok, said they liked it, but said they will never ride on it again!!

When we came out to do the parent swap (since my wife was watching the baby), only she and the 8 year old went back on.

Hopefully next summer the twins will be over their fear of ToT.

aspcamhreditor2

05-15-2007, 12:44 PM

mjkaferle5 .... THANKS for posting. It's nice to know we aren't the only parents who take their kids on ToT.

only she and the 8 year old went back on.

Hopefully next summer the twins will be over their fear of ToT.

This fall, our older DD will be 8 so I'm hoping that 8 is "magic" # for her. She SAYS she is looking forward to ToT. NO prompting on my part ... she brings up that she wants to give it another try!

Younger DD will be 5. Not sure if she'll chance it again. However, she's been on it once & lived to tell, so maybe.... she'll be 2 years older. Wonder if she'll be 2 years braver?

Amy

aspcamhreditor2

05-15-2007, 01:07 PM

Okey Dokey ... I actually have my next installment ready to go and most of the following installment as well. The kicker ... I've got some pics I'd REALLY like to post with the next installment, but I'm photo/board challenged. We don't actually use a "photo service" of any kind so I don't have a way of just posting a link.

So .. I don't know what my options are.

If any of you have advice, I'd love to hear it!

Also, I don't know how to put a link to my TR in my signature. Again, I'm pretty "board" challenged. So, I'd take advice here, too.

THANKS!

Amy

aspcamhreditor2

05-17-2007, 09:52 AM

Installment 13 — How to Recover When ToT Leaves You Shell-Shocked?

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

So, we departed ToT with no tears but grim determination to avoid it like the plague for the rest of this trip. (Well, on the girls’ parts any way. DH and I rate ToT highly. Riding it again is one of the things I look most forward to on our Oct. trip.)

As terrible parents, Grumpy/Goofy and PrincessMom had to find a way to add a little levity back into the day. So, we headed to the Beauty & the Beast Show. Given our girls’ love of the movie and Doodle’s love of both books and musicals/stage shows, this option was sure to gladden terrified hearts!

When we arrived, an AMAZING quartet was singing. I don’t remember their names, but WOW!

B&B is cute show and was just the right length to tell the BASIC story, do a little singing & dancing and NOT loose the attention of small children. This is theme-park entertainment at its best. MooMoo LOVED it!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982IMG_7918-01.jpg

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982IMG_7916-01.jpg

Next, the parents opt for RnR. Unfamiliar w/ EXACTLY how the whole “bubba chuck” thing works and given my intense dislike of asking about new things for fear of looking stupid, we take another approach: one parent sits outside with the girls to people watch while the other makes the trip. Honestly, I don’t remember doing so, but we must have gotten Fast Passes between ToT and the B&B show as we basically walked on. I rode first. Then DH rode while the girls and I headed out for a little park sight-seeing.

DH says the first 60-seconds of RnR is WORTH the cost of the TRIP! (And, he likes to pretend he’s not a WDW fan nut!)

Unfortunately, we learn a lesson about splitting up if we have not either made a definite plan to meet or if we are not both in possession of our cell phones. The girls and I wait near the entrance for some time. I am starting to sweat making our evening ADR at San Angelo Inn in the WS at Epcot. Little did we know, DH was also waiting near the entrance, but on the OUTSIDE. After both DH and built up more than a little irritation at the other, Doodle spots her Dad. It was a little frosty in the car on the way to Epcot. Would a thaw come before Epcot? Would an otherwise WONDERFUL first day be ruined?

aspcamhreditor2

05-17-2007, 09:59 AM

Yay me ...

Sorry for the celebration. This whole photo process was a challenge for me as I don't usually upload pics to on-line storage. And... I'm MAC based so the whole "right click" and "click on properties" directions were useless to me. However, I pretty much figured it out on my own.

So cool.... I have lots of pics to share!

Amy

DebIreland

05-17-2007, 12:07 PM

Hey Amy!! You did great with the pics! I'm mac-based too (which you've probably already guessed!). BEAUTIFUL B&TB photos!!!

I'm all caught up - great stuff! I admire your girls' courage so much going on TOT. I was a wreck on it to be honest but the boys adore it too. What amazed me was when we came off it, DS10 was talking about all the things he could see from the top when you get to view the whole of MGM. I couldn't believe he was relaxed enough to be able to take in the sights!! :confused3 I was just screaming my head off. :lmao:

Unfortunately, we learn a lesson about splitting up if we have not either made a definite plan to meet or if we are not both in possession of our cell phones.

It was a little frosty in the car on the way to Epcot.

Oh but how I can relate to both the above statements. :rolleyes: ;)

aspcamhreditor2

05-18-2007, 11:13 AM

Installment 13 B … A Digression. Does the Author Need Medication?

Oops… I FORGOT! I knew we had done more in MGM during the afternoon and that the progression of events didn't really seem to playout when I wrote the last installment. I forgot to include the following:

We got the FP for RnR and THEN, we wandered over to the “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” playground. The girls remembered this area from the last trip and wanted to do it again. A little stress-relieving play time was sure to move us beyond the ToT malaise. Actually, I find this playground a little stressful … sooooo many places the girls can go and then come out differently. But, the girls LOVE it and fortunately, they were bigger (ie- more mature) this trip. Plus, they’ve become veterans of play places like this and know to find a parent to check in. We actually had no worries about lost kids this time. This playground, overall, is a nice place to take a little break from the rigors of “doing a park”.

Sadly, at 8 years old for our upcoming trip, DD#1 will soon outgrow places like Honey I Shrunk the Kids.:sad1:

Next up … we’ll get back to moving on to Epcot. Does a "freeze warning" need to be made?

aspcamhreditor2

05-20-2007, 01:28 PM

Installment 14 ….

When we left off, there was a cold war developing over who was to blame for the meeting mix-up. Luckily, when we arrived at Epcot, it was one of the single most beautiful evenings on record --- ever … anywhere --- so a thaw was soon on its way.

We weren’t pressed for time, so we could stroll leisurely to San Angelo Inn once we reached EPCOT. The girls got a kick out of those fiber-optic lights in the sidewalk near what my girls ONLY refer to as “the giant golf ball.” All that high-tech stuff and decorations and rides, and the girls get side-tracked by some pin-point lights at their feet! Fortunately, the plan for this evening was only painted with broad strokes … we had time to enjoy the little things.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/502/87982IMG_7948-01.jpg

We ambled on back toward the WS and got a first look at the AMAZING holiday decorations at EPCOT. I am a Christmas decoration nut … I love to drive around during the holidays to see the lights. I was moved by the lights & decoration displays in the parks, especially at EPCOT. (I was so enthralled by the EPCOT decorations that I never even considered there might be something bigger and better somewhere else … but more on that later!)

We had dinner at San Angelo Inn. I LOVE the atmosphere in the Mexico pavilion and at the restaurant. We weren’t on the dining plan, so we only had a limited number of TS ADRs on this trip. We knew that we’d be able to find something that pleased everyone by going Mexican. Honestly, a year & a half later, I have no recollection of what we had! I can tell you this, it was decent. Nothing spectacular but nothing we’d rate poorly. I’d go back here again.

We rode the River of Time in the Mexico Pavilion. Sorry … I KNOW it has a “real” name in Spanish but I don’t know exactly what that is or how to spell it so my rough translation to English will have to do. You all know what the ride is anyway. I mean … you all are hanging out on the DIS. I know there are many complaints about how dated that ride has become, but it was cool (as in a nice temperature, not hip, with it, etc.). And, it was walk-on so we got to float by the pyramid. The girls were only a little timid about this ride after their ToT experience. No great meltdowns or fears. And, the girls still talk about THIS ride and being in the Mexico pavilion to this day.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=16417
While in Mexico, the girls started their masks at the KidCot station. One of my husband’s biggest complaints about EPCOT … based on a trip in 1984!!! … was that the girls wouldn’t like it … it would be boring. Actually the girls like EPCOT just fine. They got a huge kick out of making the mask and stopping at the KidCot stations.

After a good dinner and enjoyable ride, we had just enough time to wander a bit.

Next up was Norway and another stop at the KidCot station. Got some pics of the girls w/ holiday decorations here. Unfortunately, Maelstrom in the Norway pavilion was NOT as well received as River of Time by our girls. Doodle didn’t mind, but Moo did NOT like meeting up w/ that troll. My peeve, I hate that queing area after the ride. I don’t like being “forced” to watch the movie. So, given our limited time, we opted to move right on out when we finally were “released” into the theater.

It was such a beautiful evening that we headed contentedly toward China. The girls did another stop for their masks, and we encountered one of our most remembered C Ms. The young lady working the KidCot station in China was wonderful. Not many kids were working on their masks that evening, so she took some time with our girls. She wrote their names in Chinese on the mask handles and told them each about their “year”. (Well, she SAID she wrote their names. When it comes to Chinese, we know bupkus. She could have written her laundry list. But, the presentation was spot on!)

By this time, it’s growing late and we don’t want to fight the crowds after Illumunations. We need to make it a fairly early night because tomorrow we have a breakfast date at the castle! So, we make our way back toward the front like we are on a relaxing vacation. The girls stop to play a few more minutes with the lights in the sidewalk while my DH, the camera buff, experiments at taking night shots of the fountain.

Thus ends our first day at WDW. We head back to POFQ more relaxed than the same time just 24 hours before. We’ve seen a show, ridden some thrill rides, had a lovely dinner, done some crafts and just enjoyed some spectacularly beautiful weather.

Life is wonderful!

aspcamhreditor2

05-20-2007, 01:29 PM

Sorry ... not sure why the two pics from inside the Mexico pavilion are not working. But, I have to get on the road for a trip to my dad's, so I'll have to figure this out when I get back on Tuesday.

Amy

Jake & Crew

05-20-2007, 10:08 PM

aspcamhreditor2

05-27-2007, 05:03 PM

Installment 15
CRT is a Dream Come True

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

Day #2 – The first full day at parks and the one where we have breakfast at the castle.

Our week-long trip was off to a rousing start thanks to a great first day spent at MGM and Epcot which we cut short slightly in order to be well-rested for our first-ever trip to the castle today. Owing to our location (WDW) and the today’s plans, everyone was up and around in fairly good order. Our ADR was for 9:20, and although I had grand plans to arrive when the park opened and to do a couple of activities before BREAKFAST, I opted to followed a slightly more laid-back plan and simply start at CRT.

After much gnashing of teeth, I let the girls “dress-up” for the day. I had always SWORN I would NOT be party to the whole “costume-in-the-park" thing ... First, how comfortable would THAT be? Second, we don’t have “play” quality costumes that I would feel comfortable letting the girls waller around a theme park in. Finally, wouldn’t they just take up more room in the suitcase? But, after reading other TRs, I decided “dressing the part” for our magical castle breakfast wouldn’t be so traumatic.

So, when we headed out, the girls did so in style. Doodle wore her Mary Poppins costume while MooMoo went as Cinderella. We had purchased the MP costume from a specialty costume maker when we did a Mary Poppins “jolly holiday” entry for a costume class at our national championship horse show (one girl as MP, one girl as a penguine, one adult as Dick Van Dyke’ character. The pony went as the carrousel horse. For the record, we were national champion that year.)

The MP dress was extremely nice. However, we’d left the hat at home due to space constraints and crushing issues in the suitcase. I still regret that decision today. Should have just found room for the darned thing!

MooMoo wore a Cinderella dress we had purchased for Doodle when she was in her Cinderella phase. It, too, came from a costume designer. Although it was better than most store-bought Cinderella costumes, it wasn’t quite as nice as the MP. Nor was it as original … something I would momentarily regret at breakfast. Of course, at CRT you see lots of Cinderellas with some Snow Whites, Belles & Auroras thrown in for good measure. I soon learned that MPs were MUCH more rare … good ones at least. So, Doodle as MP got QUITE a bit of attention.

Would that cause problems? Stay tuned to find out…

AGPrincess

06-06-2007, 08:03 PM

bump...

I never read your latest installments! I loove the pics. And your DH is so right. That launch at Rockn' Roller is AWEsome.

I really want to hear about CRT! Doodle's MP costume sounds TOO cute. Was MP at CRT to see it??

Waiting for more!

aspcamhreditor2

06-06-2007, 09:52 PM

Sorry ... I'm not really such a slacker ... but we've had end of school, HUGE work deadline, b-day party for each daughter and first communion.

I have the next installment ready ... just want to pull in some pics. Have GREAT pics from CRT.

Leaving at 3 a.m. to drop horses off w/ farrier and then meet my father to go with him to a cancer treatment appointment. It's 250 miles to the horse shoe-er and then my Dad's. Then, it's 2 more hours to IUPUI's hospital.

It's almost 10 pm ... why am I still up?

Promise to post next installment w/ pics by first of next week!

Amy

phillmolly

06-06-2007, 10:28 PM

ohhhhh, I can't wait for more!!! BTW what happened to Auntie???

blue_river

06-07-2007, 10:12 AM

I'm all caught up :yay:

Thankfully, you've slowed down a bit on your posts or I'd have been way too far behind :laughing:

Waiting to hear if Doodle as MP caused problems popcorn::

abbybeth

06-07-2007, 10:43 AM

This is a fun TR, so I'm subbing!

We're going for the first time in September and will be staying at POFQ, so it's nice to find yet another endorsement! :thumbsup2

aspcamhreditor2

06-11-2007, 10:58 AM

BTW what happened to Auntie???

She only makes an appearance in the middle of the trip. At the rate I'm going, you won't meet her for a while.

Next installment is ready. Am working on the pics now. Should post soon!

Amy

AGPrincess

06-17-2007, 04:27 PM

I know you must be pretty busy (I know my mom is w/ all the kids at home and everything), but we're all eager for more! :thumbsup2

DebIreland

06-25-2007, 11:51 AM

Hey! :wave: Just giving this a well-deserved bump! Hope you're okay! What happened next? popcorn:: ;)

aspcamhreditor2

06-25-2007, 08:03 PM

SORRY!

Wow ... life got away from me for a while ... work deadline, 2 kidlet's birthdays, 1st horse shows of the season, etc.

Didn't want to post next installment w/o pics. Got 'em now. Just going to upload them.

Will be back w/ next installment later tonight!

Amy

aspcamhreditor2

06-25-2007, 11:12 PM

Installment 16 ... Breakfast at The Castle!

Cast Review …
Me (PrincessMom)
DH (Grumpy/Goofy)
DD#1 (Doodle) 6 & 1/2 yrs old
DD#2 (Moo Moo) 3 & 1/2 yrs. old

So … we are on our way to CRT with the girls oh-so-cute as Mary Poppins and Cinderella. This day was cooler and overcast. Although staying on property, we had rented a car to give ourselves the absolute most flexibility in terms of coming & going. We drove to the TTC and caught the ferry over to the MK. We were glad to have jackets going across Seven Seas lagoon!

With a 9:20 ADR and no ability to get up early for rope drop, we didn’t arrive much in advance of breakfast. However, we did take a minute to appreciate the festively be-decked Main Street from the top of the street. Wow! Looking down Main Street toward the castle always takes my breath away and leaves me welling up. However, this time the view had the added touch of ALL those Christmas decorations on Main Street. Although they somewhat blocked the castle view, the decorations were soooo festive. We were glad to be visiting WDW at Christmas time.

After enjoying the view and moseying down Main Street at a nice pace (park was relatively light in the crowd department) to allow for the requisite gawking … soon, we were on our way to the castle. We checked in and waited our turn for our pic of Cinderella. This is one of our only regrets about the entire trip. Given how rushed meeting Cinderella seemed, I didn’t trust my gut instinct that the ONE photo the CM took wasn’t good. I should have insisted on something different or more … or at least tried harder to take our own pic. Soon, we are off to our appointed ADR, only to learn later that the pic w/ Cinderella was HORRIBLE and we would, therefore, have NO pics of the interaction between the girls and the star of CRT. A regret … given DD#1’s long-time obsession with Cinderella and DD#2’s new appreciation for her.

Although pricey, I didn’t find the meal disappointing. To me, not only were we paying for the food, but the atmosphere and the character interaction as well. We have NO regrets about CRT. I found most of the food tasty breakfast items. We started off with some yummy pasteries. The plated breakfasts included scrambled eggs, bacon, stuffed French toast … and in looking at the pics … I know the girls had Frencht toast sticks. Doodle ate very respectably and MooMoo ate at least her bacon. Both DH and I enjoyed the stuff French toast and we did not go away hungry.

Now … about the advantage of having one child dressed uniquely enough to garner attention: Apparently the staff at CRT only see one or two Mary Poppins for every several dozen princesses. That morning, Doodle was the only MP during our breakfast shift. Apparently the CM who was our server rarely sees MP and wwwaaaayyyy made over Doodle. She brought others by the table and, thanks to her, Doodle got a lot of attention. I worried that the unbalanced attention would be problematic for our younger DD. However, MooMoo didn’t mind so much. At 3 & 1/2, she was very tentative with characters on this trip. She liked to keep her distance from fully costumed characters but would manage basic interacation with face characters. Moo is much like her mother, she likes what she likes. It might take her a while to warm up to something AND she’s going to take “new” action on her own time. There is no rushing this kid into anything! CRT ended up being the perfect choice for her in terms of meeting characters … face characters, quieter & calmer setting, etc. Moo was a touch tentative at first but ended up talking to all the princesses and getting a hug from each as well as posing for pics.

I found the character interaction at CRT superb! Plus, I thought the princesses, MP, Snow White and fairy godmother did a fantastic job of assessing the “readiness” of the child for the interaction so none of them overwhelmed MooMoo.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982CRT-FGMthr.jpg

After the disappointing “rush” with Cinderella herself downstairs, I was pleasantly surprised with the time each character spent with our girls. Am glad I caved on the costume issue. I don’t know if that REALLY made a difference in the character interaction we received, but I think having the unique MP trick up our sleeve certainly didn’t hurt. We got several pics with each character. Each character made CERTAIN they interacted with both girls. Being huggers, our girls did as much of that as they wanted. As parents, we got the pics were pretty much wanted and the girls each got autographs for their books.

Snow White was very tender and gentle with Moo. What a pro! She simply ALWAYS included MooMoo in a very understated way. Thanks to the gentle attention she showed our younger DD, Snow White really helped set the stage for Moo to have good experiences with face characters as least.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982CRTSnowWhite-thumb.jpg
One of my favorite pics ... I just love how SW is holding Moo's hand!

Of course, the STAR of the character interaction that day was Mary Poppins herself.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982CRT-K_MP2.jpg

Pip pip and cheerio! MP was “spot on” with our girls. She gave our MP (Doodle) a “special” autograph for her book. I realized in horror that the pics didn’t turn out. OH BLESSED DIGITAL CAMERAS! Thankfully, I made DH look at those pics really quickly to be sure … can you imagine if we’d ended up with no pics of our MP and the “real” MP??? The wonderful CM who was our server helped us avoid certain calamity on this one. We told her IMMEDIATELY that our one-on-one pics with MP didn’t turn out and she helped arrange a second interaction with MP for pics. The staff was all incredibly wonderful about this.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982CRT-K_MP.jpg

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982CRT-K_MPHug.jpg

Here … I’m going to digresse about photos for a second… WHY, you may ask?

Well this is a subject that comes into play several times during this trip.

Just so you know, my husband is a gadget lover. We’re on our 3rd digital camera since our older DD was born in ‘99. He’s on his 3rd…. or is it 4th??? … video camera in 15 years. In late 2004, he bought his dream camera … some digital Canon Rebel that, at the time of purchase, was basically a semi-professional camera. Sorry, not being a gadget-head, I can’t tell you the EXACT model. DH reads photos chat groups like I read The DIS. He loves photography magazines. He is constantly “trying” the artsy things he reads about on-line or in publications. We take A LOT of photos. So many so that DH decided to splurge and buy a small portable hard-drive for our WDW trip so we could download that day’s pics and have room for more the next day. A blessing … but also a curse now that I’m trying to scrapbook this trip.

DH loves taking photos and he gets some good ones. However, I’m the details person in this relationship …like that is a surprise to any one of you DIS-er’s reading this little saga. As the details person, I actually have a better NATURAL eye for photos. Additionally, I take a lot of kid & event photos for the horse-breed magazine I do. Plus, I scrapbook so I have a totally different concept of what makes a good photo.

What does all that mean in relation to this here TR? Well, let’s just say we had some tense moments in terms of photos … all because stupid digital cameras have that instantaneous & self-gratifying immediate playback. And, DH, is … well, a guy. Yes, DH might have taken a wonderful pic of Doodle w/ a character, but he would routinely miss an EVEN BETTER photo a fraction of a second later ‘cause he JUST had to look at the first pic. While this would be a major sticking point later on, it didn’t factor in at CRT. Hence, we didn’t realize our MP pics weren’t good until a few minutes LATER … like AFTER MP had left our table. Thankfully, we got a second chance to get some pics with the MP. However, the lesson wasn’t lost on my husband … and the near MP photo fiasco would later cause some serious contention when DH got a little too into IMMEDIATELY checking the pic he just took!

Overall, we would rate CRT VERY HIGHLY … good atmosphere, top notch character interaction, good (if pricey) food. The breakfast at the castle was a definite highlight.

So … how do you top a perfect CRT breakfast? Or, does the day just go down hill fast?

AGPrincess

06-26-2007, 05:52 PM

What a great update! And I totally loved the pics...The one with Snow is too cute!

Doodle's MP costume is REALLY pretty! I'm so glad you found out the photos were bad in time...gotta love digital. :thumbsup2

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the day!

aspcamhreditor2

06-27-2007, 11:32 AM

Installment 17 -
Heading out into the MK after enjoying breakfast at CRT

After a WONDERFUL start to our day at CRT, we headed out into MK. Yes … we were exiting the castle during the latter part of middle morning right smack into Fantasyland. Although some of you are cringing, I am pleased to tht this did not break bad for us!

First, we got the girls clothes changed … no point in being uncomfortable in costumes all day. Then, we began our MK trek. I had no completely mapped out plan. I am NOT a TGM-type of WDW guest, Rather, we kept to a GENERAL plan of when/where, letting the girls do some choosing and effectively employing FP s with a combo of great waiting times when we could. (Ahhh, a benefit to traveling at a non-peak time. As long as it’s practical with where our girls are in school, we Grumpy/Goofy parents have NO qualms about ditching school for “special” vacations.)

So our wait times that morning were minimal …. All well less than 20 minutes and some attractions were basically walk-ons.

However, we did have one hurdle we had to clear …The “planner” in me had a near run-in with DD#2. Unfortunately, MooMoo is pretty opinionated and once we talk about doing something, she wasn’t always good about buying into minor switches in the general touring plan simply because … as planner … I tried to make the most of wait times, lines & our own positions to help us experience the most in the least amount of time. We had a near meltdown when we deviated from IASW into Philharmagic simply because I realized we could get right into Philharmagic.

So, after breakfast we did Dumbo, the carrousel and Snow White fairly quickly and effectively.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982Pht-MKRide-Dumbo.jpg

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982Phto-MKRide-Dopey.jpg

We were headed to IASW when I realized timing was perfect for Philharmagic. Let the MooMoo / Mama run-in begin! As we waited in the interior area for Philharmagic, Moo was typical and was determined “phil” was going to be terrible and she wasn’t going to like it simply because this attraction was delaying her riding of Small World. Like I’ve explained, Moo can sometimes be singular in her focus. Fortunately, Moo’s civil disobedience is fairly self-contained … or at least parent directed …so we spare others around us tantrums, meltdowns or public displays of anger.

I was hoping that the things I’d read about Philharmagic were true…. If so, perhaps they could alleviate Moo’s “I’d-rather-be-doing-IASW” funk.

Would it work? Would Moo actually put in the “stupid glasses”? (“Why do I need stupid glasses? I don’t want to see this stupid show?)

AlyssinWonderland

06-27-2007, 01:25 PM

Ahhh your girls are so cute! I'm late to join your trip report, but it is coming along so nicely! Sounds great so far and I can't wait to read more! Thanks for posting!!!

aspcamhreditor2

06-28-2007, 11:07 AM

Installment 18 ... Does Moo put on the "stupid" glasses and see the "stupid" show?

As I noted last installment, we were actually taking a detour into Philharmagic into this attraction on our way to IASW. This change of plans did NOT meet with DD#2’s approval! However, timing was great, and as we ducked into Philharmagic we were able to escape some drizzle. Little did we know this would be one of our most favorite experiences of the trip.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982Phot-MKRide-Philhar.jpg
If you knew Moo, you'd understand she is NOT HAPPY in this pic! But, you see ... she DID put on the "stupid" glasses!

As I reported last time, Moo Moo was little put off. she wanted to go on IASW. However, we were trying to be efficient and it looked like we could get right in. So, Philharmagic it was! Although there was some grumpiness about not doing things Moo’s way, it was soon forgotten when the show started. WOW! Philharmagic is soooooo cool. Neither girl had ever experienced good 3-D, and both thoroughly enjoyed it. DH & I alternated between watching the girls react to everything (ie, like trying to grab the floating gems out of the air) and watching the show. To this day, both girls will still periodically bring up Donald’s final crash into the wall. A stuffed duck butt sticking out of the wall is primo comedy to a 3 & 6 yr. old!

Finally, with Philharmagic happily under our belt, we head to It’s A Small World … much to Moo’s great delight.

ISAW … okay, for my husband & me, this ride is a guilty pleasure. Perhaps we are some of the few adults who actually like this ride and look forward to. What’s not to like? The girls love this ride and are captivated by it. Capitvated girls are sometimes quite and always good, so that’s a plus. Then, consider that’s it’s dark, it’s cool and you get to sit down. All of that stuff way out-weighs some music that can get on your nerves. Besides, IASW had just been re-done. I couldn’t wait to see it and it didn’t disappoint! Although the re-vamped IASW had me momentarily dis-oriented and turned around, I found the refurbishments charming. The colors were breath-taking. Overall, I’d rate this one pretty high. Most importantly, the girls love this one.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982Phto-MK-IASW_1.jpg

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/87982Phto-MKRide-IASW_2.jpg

So, now it’s approaching mid-day and the crowds are starting to grow slightly. We duck out of Fantasyland the back way and find ourselves near Haunted Mansion. After poor experiences with ToT and Maelstrom, the girls were VERY tentative about this one. However, we finally all agree to ride HM, and we split up with each parent taking a girl in doombuggy. I got Doodle and she was MINORLY freaked but she did eventually relax enough to enjoy it. She liked the dancing ghosts and was surprisingly UN-affected when the ghost joined us. She realized that was just “Mickey Mouse Magic.” DH reported a fairly amenable ride with MooMoo. So, no small children were further traumatized in the riding of this attraction. Although NOT a favorite of the trip, Doodle does still periodically refer to HM experiences.

After this, we headed back to the POFQ for a nap followed by an evening at MGM.

LITTLEKID58

06-28-2007, 11:41 AM

:goodvibes Awesome......TFS..............:goodvibes

aspcamhreditor2

07-04-2007, 02:19 PM

I just about have the next installment done. I simply need to get some photos together.

Thanks for reading.

aspcamhreditor2

07-05-2007, 10:16 AM

Installment 19 ... What To Do Now?

1 Day ... Well Started? Check
Rested & fed? Check
More time for parks? Check

What to do w/ a little time on our hands, no real plan BUT a working park hopper pass? We headed back to MGM for the evening … and it turned out to be one of my FAVORITE nights of the trip!

First, we think we’ll check out Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I don’t think the girls remembered it much from the last trip, but I knew it would be just up their alley. We were in the little holding area when it happened … of course … MooMoo HAD to go to the bathroom. We knew the timing wouldn’t work well, so DH told DD#2 and me to go ahead & see the Little Mermaid and that we’d catch up later. Doodle LOVED this show. When we came out, DH & DD#2 were no where in sight.

What to do? What to do? Of course, we’d left the cell phones at the hotel so we couldn’t even call to say “Where the heck are ya?” So, Doodle & I wandered around a little just taking in the attractions lit up at night. Then Doodle sees it: The Great Movie Ride. We had avoided this attraction on 1st foray to MGM earlier this trip since my DH is not a big fan, thanks to a bad experience during our 2003 trip. However, during this trip, DD#1 would mention vague references to some ride she wanted to do … but couldn’t remember enough details for her parents to figure it out. (I know … what kind of a DIS’er does that REALLY make me?) So she and I are casually strolling by TGMR when Doodle all but shrieks, “Mama, Mama, this is it! This is the ride I want to go on.” (No, sadly, we never did figure out her references). I am soooo glad we had temporarily lost DH and DD#2 or we probably would never have done TGMR. DD#1 LOVED it. She enjoyed the corny story. I personally love the movie nostalgia so I was glad she and I had a special mama/daughter memory for the trip. (Although, I am pretty sure the folks in the tram seat behind us have an altogether DIFFERENT kind of memory thanks to Wizard of Oz singing provided by Doodle & Me!)

After enjoying The Great Movie Ride, we headed back over to the Mermaid area to try to find DH & MooMoo. I was worried that DH would have a little bit of mad going on since the whole meeting up thing wasn’t working like clockwork. However, when he & Moo showed up, they were soooo excited. First, they had taken in the Mermaid show just after we did and Moo loved it. Then, since they couldn’t find us, they too wandered around and found the most AMAZING thing. We just HAD to come with them!

What, pray tell, was soooo amazing out MGM?