Trip to WDW- POLY, POP, and BCV--Party of 7, ages 2-62 (pics too!) COMPLETE!!! 1/10

[Nanu57v]

Hopefully more interesting title to follow:


Hello all! Thanks for reading! We just got back from an 11 day vacation to the world. I still haven't adjusted back to real life yet...and my vacation memories still seem like a dream.

Background info:

DD-> :cutie: 2.5
DH->:banana:28 (didn't this guy used to dance?)
ME->:yay: 28
my mom
my dad
my brother--25
his friend steve --25

Dates: Sept 25-Oct 6

For my parents, this was supposed to be a big family trip. They booked a 2 bedroom at the Beach Club and we would all be there a week. THEN, free dining came out. SO, my brother switched to free dining and brought a friend who'd never been there. Then, DH got a 40% off coupon, so we extended our stay for 4 night (before the BCV) and splurged with a Poly stay. It was over our 5th annivesary, and we also stayed at POLY on our honeymoon. Like nice children, we booked my parents 4 nights at POP, but I did preferred. So, brother and Steve--Sept 22-29, DH, DD & I at Poly Sept 25-29, and parents at Pop 25-29, and then DH, I, DD, and parents at BCV 30-5. Got that straight? Good.

DD is excited about going and wants to show Cinderella how she dances. She also insists we are not going to DIsney World, but to Small World.

So--DAY 0.

We are flying out of Philly so we(me, DD, and DH) leave our central PA home and travel down to my parents the night before. Frantically realizing I forgot my Lime Green Mickey Heads :eek: I bring the posterboard along and make them before bed.

DAY 1.

My dad hates traffic. My mom likes arriving for a full day at the parks. I like sleep. I'm outvoted. We have an 8am flight...first of the day. We have to leave by 5am in order to arrive at the airport by 6am. So I figure up at 4:15. At 3:30 I'm up in the shower because I'm worried I'll sleep through the alarm. Know how that is?:headache:

So we get all ready and in the van and drive to the airport parking place. My dad splurges on indoor parking (with a coupon), and its funny because all the other cars in there have a net worth 10x that of my parents. But they did it so DD didn't have to stand in the rain.

We arrive at the airport right about 6, and then wait, and wait. I gate-checked our stroller, which we used to conveniently carry DDs carseat (where most people would've used it to carry the kid). We flew Southwest, so I got to preboard before A (not Oct yet) and saved :sad2: my parents some seats in the same aisle. My brother and his friend Steve were already down there enjoying free dining, remember.

Flight down was pretty uneventful, except that I was scared of flying. Its so ridiculous...I've flown probably 100 times, and I still get nervous. So I'm trying to pray as we take off, and DD keeps going "MOMMY, WAKE UP!!!" But seriously, someone else must've been praying too, because I totally felt the presence of God, so I knew we wouldn't crash on the way down. :dance3:

Now, I have this freakish ear thing...my ear canals are tiny like a child, so I get awful ear pain when flying. So I grab the gum DD picks out for me, and the smell makes me want to be :sick: . Why did I let a 2 year old pick out gum for me!?!?! I survived the descent, and nobody in our cabin was forced to change clothes as far as I'm aware.

We walk the 10 miles to the new Magical Express terminal, and are immediately checked in a board a bus. We said bye to my parents here, as they were on a different bus. DH wanted to know if we got a better ME bus since we were staying at deluxe resort. I guess he expected leather seats, foot warmers and a personal DVD player.:rotfl: I was impressed though, at least the movie worked this time! Our bus driver was a hoot. He kept honking the horn, swishing the wipers, and flicking the lights to the tune of M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (you know, the theme song).

On the way in DD saw the Epcot ball and said "DIsney World, I found it!"

Its about 12 when we arrive at the Polynesian. It was so much more beautiful than I remembered from our honeymoon. Of course, I had secretly hoped we'd be upgraded to concierge, but I tried not to get my hopes up. I even resisted any requests...such as first floor, in hopes I'd be more of a candidate. We check in, and as we are the cast member says, "I have GREAT news for you..." My heart jumped to my mouth.... "There is a room available for you!" Oh, yeah, great news...well, I guess its better than having to sit..but you all know what I was thinking. So we walk the 10 miles to our room in Rapa Nui. (Thank God we didn't have our luggage!) We got 3rd floor (I hope they have an elevator!) Well, they did have an elevator, and it wasn't even creepy. And I walk out my balcony and I have the most wonderful view! (:eek: I forgot to take a pic!) I'm so happy I didn't request first floor. It wasn't a lagoon view, but a view of a beautiful garden with palm trees. Just looking at it made me totally relax.:upsidedow

I gave DH the option (he wants a relaxing trip, not a crazy park commando trip) of swimming with DD or going to the park. He says, "We can't take DD all the way to Disney and then not go to the Magic Kingdom!"

The one good thing about Rapa Nui, is you walk out the door and you are pretty much at the TTC. So we hopped on the MK monorail and went straight to Small World. Then we rode the carousel, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh. DD was scared of the last 2. It was almost time for dinner (big family reservations at Ohana) so we hopped back to the room.

The reservations were at 5:35 and at 5:15 my parents start freaking out because we are late. They were worried about the "check in 15 minutes early thing" which was ironic because later in the trip, at Coral Reef, the CMs were telling people to go enjoy the park more and come back at their actual reservation time.

We were seated in the main dining room, and the food was, as normal, great!:woohoo: I really enjoy the chicken wings, veggies, and tortilla chips, and am not so much into the meats. I really didn't like the sausage but I really really LOVED the peanut sauce. The bread pudding was great, too. My brother (aged 25, remember) ordered a kids meal of chicken fingers and fries, while DD (aged 2) ate all the adult food. Hmmm....:confused3 Steve eats very healthy. I wish he'd rub off on my brother.

DD enjoyed the coconut races and the limbo, but we left right before the hula lesson. I was trying to exit REALLY REALLY slowly so we wouldn't technically be outside the restaurant when the lesson started and could jump in, but DH was embarrassed or something and said, "If we leave right now, we can come back next year!" :cheer2: Agreed.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07021.jpg

After we left Ohana we let DD play in the sand and then watched Wishes from the beach. I LOVE that they pipe in the Wishes music. Wishes was early at 8 that night, and we were going to stay for the boat parade too, but DD was getting really really cranky and out of control, so we went back to the room. The boat parade is really important to DH, as he's been waiting 5 years to see it! On our honeymoon he forgot to bring his glasses the night we saw it and only heard the music!


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07022.jpg
Hard to read, but DH wrote our names in the sand.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07027.jpg
Our towel animal at Poly...I think its Eeyore.

Tomorrow: Day 2.

[Narnian_Princess]

Sounds like you had a bit of fun at "Small World"! :goodvibes Your DD is a complete cutie. I want to read some more! :thumbsup2

[ANTSS2001]

subscribing... my TR wont be ready till next year the way my schedule is going...lol

[sweetinmaine]

Sounds like the beginnings of a good time! Cute pic of DD!

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Great start! I can't wait for more!

[scrappinmom]

Fun beginning! It's SOOOOO cute how dh wrote your names in the sand....I don't think my dh would even remember how to spell my name inthe sand:lmao: :lmao: oh wait it's y our FIFTH anniversary!!!:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[ter-moo]

Fascinating reading, Nanu!!!! Great job! :thumbsup2

[TinkAsh2001]

Just jumping on board...Cant wait to read more!:banana:

[dreamergirl78]

Keep up the good work! I can't wait to read more! :)

[Nanu57v]

We had "big family party of 7" ADR's for Crystal Palace for 2:15. My parents like to eat late lunches because of the mixture of lunch and dinner foods. I was worried about the time being smack when DD takes a nap. Since we were going to be at MK in the PM, and were planning on MK the next day, we went to Animal Kingdom in the AM.

Have I mentioned DD's freakish rash yet? She aquired this rash on her arm 2 days before we left. The medicine only cost $200:eek: . So of course all her vacation pics will be a memory of the momentous prescription.

As we entered AK we had a photopass photographer take our picture, and then he's trying to pose her for the "holding a baby shot." She's really not getting it (she's only 2) and my favorite part was when he mentioned about covering up her rash. BUT, I had the brilliant idea to tell DD to do the baby "sign" and it worked. The picture came out good, and I'll see if I can insert it when the CD comes.

We headed over the the new Nemo Musical and arrived about 20 minutes before. It was already pretty filled up and we got seats in the back. (Ironically we ran in to the theater as the doors were closing later in the trip and got the same exact seats!)
I was shocked at the quality of the musical. Its definitely a MUST SEE!!! I can't get the songs out of my head, and keep watching them on youtube. The actor who played the big shark the first time we saw it was AMAZING! I kept thinking, I can't believe I'm not paying $50 a seat for this. The second time we saw it though it was a different actor and not nearly as strong.:sad2:

We also rode the "Dumbo-esque dinosaurs" and saw Its tough to be a bug. DD is now terrified of 3D glasses. About this time we decided to get to MK for lunch. My fears were realized as DD was super hyper at lunch and did not want to sit still. She gets hyper when she's tired, but of course also fights sleep. It was a meal of passing her around and taking turns walking up to the buffet with her so someone could eat a few bites of their meal.

Here's me, DD, and Pooh.http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07029.jpg

After we ate lunch, since DD wasn't clearly tired enough we took her over to meet the Princesses.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07030.jpg
DD strolled over to the princess doll collection afterwards, and we assumed she was going to pick out a Cinderella doll. Nope, Aurora! She's never even seen the movie. Then, after that we saw "White Snow." (You can see her holding Aurora). http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07034.jpg


That evening we let DD play in the water jets at POLY, and then watched the fireworks from the shore. About 8 we realized that DD probably is hungry, and I got her a grilled cheese kids meal. The way they do meals at Poly is really neat. If you've ever ordered from a SHEETZ, you'll understand. You order your meal from a computer touch screen, then take your receipt to the cashier and pay. The cashier then hands you a buzzer which goes off when your meal is ready to pickup. Very organized I thought.

DH finally got to SEE the water parade at 9, but since it was the same time as Wishes, they didn't play the music. :sad1: It was wierd seeing the floats without the music. But DH was happy.

Okay, so Day 2 kind of uneventful, but Day 3 brings the Magical Beginnings Extra Magic Hours (plus its our anniversary)!

[ANTSS2001]

:wizard:

[Muhlenberg]

I really like the picture with Pooh. And...I almost forgot about the Water Pageant. You can see Wishes and the WP at the Contemporary too.:love:

[Nancy]

Finally got over here to read the reports. Very nice pictures and the little one looks pretty happy for being a little hyper and tired! ;)

My favorite movie until Beauty and the Beast came out was Sleeeping Beauty.

[scrappinmom]

Day THREE please :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes

[Nanu57v]

Alright, already! I was just trying to build some suspense! Okay, okay, RL just got in the way. :laundy:

So Day 3 was DH and my 5th anniversary. We started out the day by going to the Magical Beginnings Early Magic Hours. For those who don’t know, you go in an hour early and Fantasyland is open. Its for families with preschoolers. There are characters doing stuff, but they don’t pose or sign autographs. Just play. Stitch was riding the Dumbo’s, Goofy was riding the Carousel, and Daisy, Minnie, Mickey, and Pluto took turns playing games with the kids. It kept raining this week so some of my photos are fuzzy from camera fog.

DD started off by immediately going over to the play circle with Minnie. They played head, shoulders, knees and toes, and Minnie says. Daisy played as well.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07035.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07036.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07037.jpg


Then we rode the Carousel with DD. I was afraid to let her ride without holding on, but DH insisted she was okay.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07044.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07046.jpg

Next was the Dumbo ride, and we did a “chuck bubba relay” so DD got to ride twice in a row.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07049.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07051.jpg (that’s me in the red shirt)

Then we rode Peter Pan, for the only time in the trip. It scared DD. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07052.jpg (My camera was in the wrong mode so you are looking in dream sequence now).

Next was Mickey’s Philharmagic which instilled a fear of 3D glasses. :3dglasses Or maybe it was the Bug’s Life that did that.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07053.jpg

I imagine we ate lunch, but I can’t remember where and eventually made it back to the hotel so DD could nap. We had 6pm dinner reservations “for 2” at Fulton’s so DD was spending the night with my parents.

We left the room about 4 and walked over to the TTC. We took the monorail to EPCOT, and then the bus from there to POP (where my parents were staying). This took forever!!! DH said it affirmed his decision never to stay off the monorail line. We realized after we boarded the monorail we forgot her sippy cup. Not sure whether to take the return trip or take our chances, DH decided we had no time. So we stopped at the POP gift shop and saw cute cups with straws for $8. DD picked out an Ariel one. (FF to the future, I’m glad I didn’t pack this cup in my carryon luggage…the bottom was a snowglobe like thing. It wouldn’t have passed). We walked her over to my parents room and said goodbye.

DH and I then took a bus from POP to Downtown Disney. They were doing some sort of renovations to the bus terminal at the Marketplace, so we had to walk from Pleasure Island. I knew this in advance and thought it would be a long walk, but it really wasn’t. We made it to Fulton’s just in time. Now of course the place was deserted with no wait, so its good we rushed. :upsidedow

At Fulton’s we had the strangest waiter. I think he used to be a car salesman. He was like “What can I do to put you into this appetizer today?” :eek: Seriously pushy. He suggested the calamari and said that if we didn’t like it he’d take it off the bill. I was afraid to say no, so that’s why I got. I also ordered wine because the guy was stressing me out. DH got the lobster bisque. For the main meal DH got this delicious steak…Filet of Beef Oscar. I wished I had gotten it. I got the Alaska King Crab Claws, which again was a recommendation that I was afraid to turn down. :rotfl: They were good, but not $50 good. We were too stuffed for dessert, but I got this Kahlua coffee. It was sooo good! But the glass was so skinny and it took me a few minutes to figure out how to drink it. And at 28 I finally didn’t get carded! :banana: (didn't this guy used to dance?)

Now for the weird part. Our waiter knew it was our anniversary and asked us questions about how we met, etc, throughout the meal. After we got our dessert he asked me for my AP (for a 10% discount) and said he had one more special surprise for us. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything for our anniversary until he said this. So then he came back with our special surprise…..

http://www.richardhaworth.co.uk/uploads/products/std/105_hottowels.jpg


Hot towels! :headache: Okay, do I look seriously that uncultured that I think hot towels are a special surprise? And they weren’t even a surprise, after I saw everyone else getting them! (The restaurant had started to fill up after we got there). That really left a sour taste in my experience. I also wondered if they canceled the specialness because I used a coupon, or he just forgot. (BTW, I didn’t take a pic, I got this from the web).

After we left Fultons and I nearly got swallowed alive by the crazy superflushing automatic toilets, :scared1: we wandered around Downtown Disney. I LOVE the Ghiaradella chocolate shop! We got a free sample and I picked out a sundae I want when I have the room. (Dark Chocolate Espresso).:love: We wandered around Lego World, and then I bought a couple things from World of Disney.

We caught the bus for the Polynesian next and by this time it was about 9. We walked around the beach looking for a good spot to see Hallowishes and then sat. I was thrilled they piped the Hallowishes music in. The fireworks were AMAZING! There were happy faces (the fireworks, well…people too)! Next we hung around the “hidden hammock” until the punk kids left, and then claimed it as our own. I’m attributing this to the time I got 24 mosquito bites as well. :confused3 After a while we went back to our room.

Did I mention this was our first time EVER away from DD? It felt really weird. I figured the transportation was running until 1, and we could take a taxi after that if she needed us. I’ve been away, and DH has been away, but never us both at the same time. But she was fine. My mom didn’t get much sleep though…she’s not used to the squirmy sleeping habits of DD.:dance3:

[Nancy]

Sounds like a nice evening. And I didn't know they did that early morning in Fantasyland. Was it crowded at all?

Is Fultons the steamboat? We went on that when it was the Empress Lily way back when. Must have been very early 80's. I can't believe the waiter was so intimidating though...maybe he thought that was the way to get a good tip:confused3 , sure...scare it out of the customers!:rotfl:

Looking forward to day 4 when you get a chance.

[Nanu57v]

Sounds like a nice evening. And I didn't know they did that early morning in Fantasyland. Was it crowded at all?

Is Fultons the steamboat? We went on that when it was the Empress Lily way back when. Must have been very early 80's. I can't believe the waiter was so intimidating though...maybe he thought that was the way to get a good tip:confused3 , sure...scare it out of the customers!:rotfl:

Looking forward to day 4 when you get a chance.

The early morning this is only during August and September, and we wouldn't have known about it except for the Disboards. It isn't on any of the times guides and none of the hotels mentioned it to us this year.

And yes, Fulton's is the steamboat, but we don't think its a real boat.

[scrappinmom]

Sounds like a great day!!!

weird waiter though....

& as far as it being you & dh's first time away from that adorable little girl......DO IT AGAIN SOON!!!!!!

[ter-moo]

DD started off by immediately going over to the play circle with Minnie. They played head, shoulders, knees and toes, and Minnie says. Daisy played as well.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07035.jpg



Did Minnie say, "Put your hands in your mouth?!?!?!" :rotfl2:

Sounds like a fun day, Nanu--even with the creepy waiter! I'm so glad you got to have some alone time and that DD did okay with the grandparents!:love:

[Nanu57v]

Did Minnie say, "Put your hands in your mouth?!?!?!" :rotfl2:

:rotfl: What's extra funny is the girl in the background is doing it too!

[ANTSS2001]

Then we rode the Carousel with DD. I was afraid to let her ride without holding on, but DH insisted she was okay.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07044.jpg



a what sweet picture...:love:

[scrappinmom]

Sister - you need to type FASTER:surfweb: :surfweb: :surfweb:

[Nanu57v]

Sister - you need to type FASTER:surfweb: :surfweb: :surfweb:

I type plenty fast...its the time to sit down and wrote that I'm short of.:wizard:

[Nanu57v]

Okay, I HAVE to finish this report before I go on my next trip!

So, Day 4

Now remember yesterday was our anniversary, so we got to have a full night's sleep, without DD. We lazied around the hotel room and then went over to KONA cafe' for breakfast. I had made ADRs for this not really thinking we'd need them, but we really did! It was busy. On our honeymoon we ate there nearly daily for breakfast and it was not very busy.

So I really wanted to try the Kona cafe since I saw it on Lilo and Stitch. I couldn't get the nerve to ask if you really had to be 18 to buy it like in the movie. I didn't want a whole pot, but that was the only way you could get it in "pure" form, so I got the Kona Press Pot. The CM was nice enough to suggest putting my leftovers in a "to go" cup. I got the Tonga Toast, and it was good, but my bananas were all stuck on one side...the side I DIDN"T start from, and I couldn't finish my breakfast.

After we ate we took the boat across the lagoon to meet my parents who had been watching DD. They were exhausted. We were refreshed. DD was tired. This was our "non-park" day (DH had a 10 day ticket and we were there 11 days) so we went back to the hotel. The plan was to swim, eat lunch, and then we had a photopass shoot scheduled at 4. Then an ADR at 1900 Park Faire at 7. Well we get back to the room and DD is CRANKY. She kept crying and crying but wouldn't give in the sleep. DH sat with her on the balcony while I went to get us some lunch. I heard people talking about my screaming DD as I walked to the restaurant.:rotfl:

Oh, so lunch. The way they do meals is pretty cool...have I mentioned it yet? You order at a touchscreen computer (like Sheetz' for your n'easters.) and then take your receipt and pay. They then give you a buzzer that buzzes when your meal is ready.

So cranky DD. She doesn't really eat anything except for cheese. We of course like her to eat. DH tells her "If mommy gets you a rhinoceros sandwich, will you eat it?" She agrees. So I go and get her a "rhinoceros" sandwich (AKA ham & cheese) and she is asleep when I returned. In the POURING RAIN!!! (with no umbrella). I also got a Dole Whip (for me) which wasn't as good as I imagined. But she did eat her rhinoceros sandwich when she woke up.

Okay, back up...she's still asleep. I keep trying to get a different time for our photoshoot, but nothing is available. Finally, at 3 (my last chance to ask), the CM says, I can do 5 instead of 4. She (photog) usually breaks 5-6, but she can break 4-5. So that's great! So after DD eats, we try on her princess dress, and head over to GF. Oh, yeah, get in the hallway and take off her princess dress.

We had to pay $25 for the shoot. I like "FREE" a lot better, but we missed that by 2 days.:sad2: It was okay, but I probably could've done a lot of the shots myself. But what I was really mad about was that I didn't bring clothes for it. DD and DH were so cute, but I just had some serious Disney Dining Bloat going on. Halfway through we had DD put back on her princess dress.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07054.jpg

With nothing else to do, we went back to the room for a little while and then BACK over to GF for our dining at 1900 Park Faire. DD wore the dress for this. At the dinner was the stepmother, prince, Cindy, and stepsisters. It was so funny, we were at one of those booths with a long bench on one side that two families use, and the other family had a little girl with a cinderella dress on too. When Cinderella came she though my DD and this other girl were sisters and tried to get their pic together.:confused3

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07055.jpg
We got to our ADR early hoping for an early seating, but no. We waited, and kept having to move because there was a wedding shoot in the lobby.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07059.jpg
(note rash still there)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07075.jpg DD really likes bread.



http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07067.jpg
This actress was SO GOOD! She was totally in character the whole time. I was worried about DD, but she didn't care.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07068.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07069.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07070.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07071.jpg

After this we thought we were finished with the characters and took off DDs dress so it wouldn't be covered in food. OOPS! We forgot one!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07072.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07077.jpg
Do you see how short I am?!?! I guess my dreams of being a Cinderella will never happen. Were any of the princesses short?

This was right after the restaurant reopened, and it was a lot different. The food was good, but I didn't feel like it had much selection. I'm glad it wasn't the "same as every other buffet" menu anymore.


After we ate it was late and also our last night at POLY. We packed up our stuff and checked with bell services for what we had to do in the AM to move our luggage to BCV. :sad1:

Coming up tomorrow...CASE of the MISSING LUGGAGE!

[Narnian_Princess]

AWESOME pics, Nanu! Your DD is adorable, and your DH seems like he's having fun. :)

[Nanu57v]

Day 5--Sept 30. So today was the day we switched hotels. Plan was to go to MK all day, then maybe get room and head over to Epcot for Coral Reef dinner.


We got up really early and finished packing. Then we called Bell Services to pick up our luggage. I told the CM on the phone our luggage was to be transferred to the Beach Club Villas. The bell people show up and pick up our luggage. There are 6 items so I tipped him $6. Fair, right? I again, told the CM these were to be transferred to Beach Club Villas.

So, room emptied, its 7:40, time to leave and make it to MK for Magical Beginnings again. From my observations, the boat is quicker than the monorail, so we head to the dock. Just our luck! A boat is pulling in! And the skipper yells, "Boat's not open for early magic hours, just the monorail!" Yay. So we backtrack to the monorail and ride that. We don't make it for opening, but we are only like 10 minutes late. We go to Fantasyland (of course, as that is the only thing open :lmao: ).

DD is drawn to the games again, with Mickey and Pluto (Plu-dog) and Somebody Merryweather. I asked about these Merryweather people, they were just created for the Magical Beginnings. (The merryweather person is the one flashing the peace sign)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07086.jpg

We hit the fantasy land rides that DD wasn't afraid of...Oh, I forgot, my mom joined us...well, probably my dad too, but he isn't in the pictures. That's my mom in the blue shirt.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07081.jpg

My dad is the one with the big black ears.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07091.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07092.jpg
I didn't witness this, but apparantly DD is trying to spin the cup and my mom is trying to stop her.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07095.jpg

DH and DD drove the cars.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07112.jpg

Then got stuck in traffic.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07113.jpg

Okay, really they stopped everyone to get more cars out.

This was the day my mom had gotten these special ticket to use on any fastpass ride to get us on it. Like a magic fastpass for anything. We went with my dad over to Space Mountain, but decided to not use it because it said 5 minute wait. It really had a 15 minute wait. Needed a sign update. Then we went to Splash Mountain and rode that, and used one of the tickets. My parents then left MK to go check in at the new hotel (Beach Club Villas). From here on out we are staying in a 2 bedroom suite with my parents. We had a lockout studio that was connected to their one bedroom.

We headed over to MickeyLand (what's it called again?) and rode Goofy's Barnstormer. This was our longest wait of the trip.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07114.jpg (That's me with DD BTW).

The princess line was kind of long, so we bipassed and took the train to Adventureland.

We then headed over to Adventureland. Decided DD was old enough to be freaked out by Pirates so we skipped that.:sad1: But the Jungle Cruise has a 100 minute wait :scared1: so we decided to use our fastpass ticket there. We showed it to the first CM, and then the second CM led us onto the boat. Left the ride with the fastpass in hand. Sign changed to 10 minute wait...a typo maybe? :rotfl:


We then went on the TIKI room which DD was terrified of .... "Done?" "Done?" "Done?"

Knowing it was time to leave and we weren't going to use MAGIC FASTPASS number 2, I decided to give it away. Now to pick a family....Hmm...Just then a swarm of LIME GREEN shirts comes at me. I know they were the ones. I don't think they were DISers, but whatever...they had the spirit. The mom thanked me like 10 times. I mean, where do you even buy 10 lime green shirts?

By this time we started to head out, but saw people all lined up for a parade and decided to try to find a spot. Some nice person was kind enough to scoot so DD could have a spot on the curb! Then DD and the child became best friends. The other child gave her leaves and trash off the ground. How sweet!:headache:

Parade shots:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07120.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07129.jpg

When the parade was done we headed with a surprising swarm of hot, sweaty people over to Epcot. "Por favor, mantego, se allejaro de las puertas!"

Our ADR was at 5:20 at Coral Reef, and we arrived early and waited forever. It was funny, people who arrived really early, were told to go enjoy the park and check in AT their ADR time. No point in the 15 minutes early thing when they were running behind. No luck with a good seat for the fishes though.:sad2: They said it would be another 1.5 hours. Uh, no thank you. Food was good...REALLY liked the lobster bisque and the dessert made my mom tipsy. Okay, not really, but you could really taste the alcohol in those cherries! DD spent an hour buttering bread, and she also enjoyed the lobster bisque.

After dinner we went back to our room with my dad. He showed us the "secret" entrance from EPCOT. It really was a short walk. And this was on our bed.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07140.jpg

Not quite as cool as Eeyore, but still unexpected.

So I call down to Bell Services and ask for the Luggage for my parents and DH and I. 10 pieces total. They say they'll get them and bring them up. 10 minutes later they call back. "Uh, where was your luggage coming from?" POP for my parents and Poly for mine. 30 minutes later, "Just wanted to call and let you know we located your luggage." Good, DD isn't really potty trained and we are out of diapers. (Yes, I actually said this).:laughing: So, where was the luggage I asked. "The luggage from PoP made it to Carribean Beach, and the luggage from POLY was marked for a later pickup (i.e. NOT A TRANSFER!!!). The CM said they were waiting for it to be delivered and about 20 minutes later it was. $10 for 10 pieces. This is NORMAL, right?

I think I did some :laundy: . Very NOISY washer btw.

Then off to bed. We stole the pillows from my parents couch to make DD a pillow fort so she wouldn't fall off the sofabed. They're not your parents' sofabed btw...totally different and cooler!

TOMORROW--30th ANNIVERSARY of EPCOT!!!

Good night!

[Nanu57v]

See, I knew this Day 4 shot looked familiar:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/dscn3463.jpg 2006


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07059.jpg2007


2006
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN3432.jpg

2007 http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07114.jpg


2005
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Dscn1759.jpg

2006
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN3498.jpg

2007
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07092.jpg

[Narnian_Princess]

See, I knew this Day 4 shot looked familiar:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/dscn3463.jpg 2006


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07059.jpg2007


2006
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN3432.jpg

2007 http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07114.jpg


2005
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Dscn1759.jpg

2006
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN3498.jpg

2007
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07092.jpg

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: How cute is that? :rotfl: :love:

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Great update! I love this pic!

2005
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Dscn1759.jpg

[Nanu57v]

No, I can't tell the future...It was really EPCOT's 25th Annivesary. :rotfl:

I was really excited that we were at EPCOT for the 25th anniversary. I wanted to make sure to be there for some kind of ceremony. I had read ahead of time that there was a dedication ceremony, so I knew we had to make that. I wanted to be there for park opening, but that didn't happen...and we got there just before the ceremony started at 10:01. As you can see, it was pretty crowded. I was impressed by the film crew.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07157.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07142.jpg

The only way I could see was by taking pics and zooming in...they had flags from all the different countries, and a speaker...(whose name I forget right now). He's someone important though.:rotfl: Oh, and as we entered the park we all got 30th anniversary pins, and a special park map that had the original park map printed inside it from 1977.

We had heard some pyrotechnics at like 7:30 AM from BCV, and couldn't figure out what it was...it was the test for the ceremony..so that was pretty cool.

After the ceremony we headed over to Land of Energy (with Ellen). Of course DD was scared. Even during Jeopardy.:confused3 We spent most of the day at Epcot, and then back to room in the afternoon. It was so nice just walking back. And so short!

We ate at BOMA for dinner. This was a first for me and I LOVED it. I could've filled up just on the soups! DD really enjoyed the hummus. I tried almost everything, and loved most of it. I would definately recommend it.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07159.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07161.jpg

When we finished we boarded a bus to EPCOT for the special 25th anniversary fireworks.

So it had been raining on and off all day (trip theme) so we had ponchos...just not on. My prefered viewing location is the bridge near the back entrance by France, so we headed there. Of course its packed since it was like 5 minutes before the show. My mom calls. It starts to spit. I go to unwrap the stroller cover and it starts to POUR! Fortunately this opens up lots of viewing spaces. We still get soaked as it is raining SO HARD. After the rain slows they come over the loudspeaker: Due to inclement weather, tonite's special edition 25th anniversary fireworks has been :scared1: ....











...Postponed until the weather passes. :rolleyes1 I would've been totally bummed if they cancelled it. Eventually they had the fireworks, and it was cool. I can't really remember anything that stuck out, just that there were a lot of them in "grand finale" fashion.

After this we trudged back to our room. Soaked.

[Nancy]

Great reports!

Loved the pictures from previous visits and how they matched current visit!

[Nanu57v]

Day 7 doesn't have a lot of pictures. It rained. A Lot. So we wake up, and its raining. Well, I'm not going to WASTE a day because of RAIN!!! So we head out.:cool1: Its pouring. We are soaked while wearing ponchos. As we are walking down the main road in the Animal Kingdom I'm thinking, "maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." DH decides we should ride Everest. There is no line, so we take turns. He rides first. Then I ride, and we getDream Fastpasses!!! At first I was thrilled, but then I realized I couldn't bring DH on the rides with me, so it took the helium out of my balloon. But then I asked. I thought for sure they'd say no, but I explained the baby swap and DH got a Dream Fastpass too!

Now of course it was pouring rain. So we really didn't need fastpasses. We used one for Kilomajari Safari, and the one for Primevil Wheel, but I think that's it. Special Interest--> The day we were there, they weren't running fastpass for Primevil Whirl, but the line was still 30 minutes. I thought we'd have to wait and our DF wouldn't be valid, but they let us cut through a big chunk of the line.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07166.jpg
(That's DH in the 7th row.)

We stayed most of the day at AK. It cleared up eventually. We saw the Birds of Prey show for the first time. Gotta make sure I have a dollar bill next time. DD loved the Safari. We at lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, which is something I've always wanted to do. It was cool, but DD was terrified of the moving elephant next to her seat.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07171.jpg

After lunch my parents took DD so DH and I could ride some fun rides. They took her to see Finding Nemo the Musical. We had seen this earlier in the week, but I kind of wanted to see it again. So, we drop off DD and they head over to the Musical,we ride Dinosaur and Primevil Whirl, and then as we are getting off I say to DH, "Wow, is that really the time?"

"No, its painted onto the wall.":rotfl: But it was close. We walked fast toward Finding Nemo to see if we could get in. The CM says to us (and the 20 other late comers) "You'd better hurry they're closing the doors" and all of us break out into a collective run. It was funny. So we made it, and strangely got the same exact seats as we had earlier in the trip...when we had arrived 30 minutes early, instead of 2. The actors were different this time...I liked the Crush actor better, but the Shark actor worse. I LOVED this show. I keep watching it on Youtube.

So then we headed back to our room to get ready for our "6:30" Spoodles reservation. We arrive at the room at 5:50. I look at my ADR sheet to check the time. Its at 5:50/:scared1: So we book it over to Spoodles. The meal was really good, and I learned you can order portions of kids meals, not the whole thing. From this point out we just got DD the kids soups. They were like $1.75 and all she'd eat!

[Nanu57v]

DH has mentioned wanting to do "other things" at WDW, and since we were within walking distance of a mini-golf course and had an AP so we got half price entry, I thought we could do it. Of course I picked the HOTTEST day of the year to do this, and only brought 1 bottle of water. I also didn't bring my camera:sad2: . DH and I had fun, but 18 holes is LONG for a mini-golf. They also gave DD a plastic club and a ball so she could play along.:goodvibes

After we lost 3 pounds of sweat, we could off in the partially air conditioned game room and trecked back to the Swan. We then took the boat to Beach Club. For some reason I remembered the walk longer. We should've just walked.:rotfl:

We took a break and cooled off, and then saw Lilo in the lobby! I tried to get DD to wear her Lilo dress, but she wouldn't. Lilo totally interacted with the kids...as you can see.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07172.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07176.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07174.jpg

Then we walked over to EPCOT. Chip and Dale were hanging out at the International Gateway.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07178.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07181.jpg
NOTE THE LIME GREEN MICKEY HEAD IN THE BACK!!! DO YOU SEE IT ON THE STROLLER?!?!? Its my only pic.

We then started rotating around World Showcase.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07183.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07187.jpg

(PICTURES FROM THE PEARVILLE (I THINK IOWA) STAND at F&W)
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07188.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07189.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07190.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07191.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07193.jpg

We got as far as Mexico (didn't see Mexico) before it was time for us to backtrack to Le Cellier.

My parents had ADRs for 5 at Le Cellier, and we made ours for 5:40 so we could do the baby tradeoff if DD was fussy. She was actually pretty good through most of it. She ate her cheese soup and bread, and then she went with grandma so DH and I could enjoy our entree and dessert.

Afterwards we went over to Magic Kingdom because it was our last chance to see Spectromagic and we hadn't yet.

DD killing time and showing off her big mouth. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07198.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07214.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07219.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07224.jpg

We then went on a few rides and watched Wishes from the Tomorrowland Bridge. Note to the rest of the world...DON"T DO THIS!!! I never felt so claustrophobic in my life as I and 50 million people tried to exit. I guess if I didn't care about bed, I could hang out in the park. The bus line moved pretty fast though when we got there.

[Nanu57v]

Last year (2006) we went to WDW and I wanted to get DD's first haircut there. DH said no, but decided she needed one when we got back. I said no way! First haircut in WDW! So, we had to wait until this trip.

Before pic: http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07232.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07235.jpg There was hardly a line...we just had to wait for the family that was there to finish! When we left there were like 3 families in line behind us.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07236.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07244.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07246.jpg

So for like $14 plus tip if your nice, she got a hair cut, "pixie dust" in her hair, styled (but no more updos because of BBB), and a Baby's First Haircut hat!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07240.jpg

I felt like a dork though, because the credit card machine didn't let you add a tip like I expected, so I came back later with cash. That's what I felt dumb about. She probably didn't even remember us, but I'm handing her $4.

We then wandered around MK before heading back to the room for a nap. DD napped. I discovered free movie rentals since we are DVCers! I wish I had known earlier! I got The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy. Since I was expecting it to be dumb, it wasn't so bad. What was wierd was at the EXACT same time I was watching the DVD, it was on TV, so when I shut off the DVD I was confused!:rotfl:

When DD woke up we booked it to Epcot (I failed to share with DH my desire to make the character meet). We were the last people in, but then 5 minutes later another family sweet talked the guard into letting them in, so we were 2nd to last.

Note the cloudy appearance of the camera from the rain in it.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07249.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07251.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07252.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07253.jpg

After a stop at Club Cool (btw, I REALLY liked the old snow dome :sad2: ) we headed over to the 25th anniversary exhibit, and then Chefs de France. We were seated and DD was a terror! Yes it was loud and the tables were crowded. So after I feared revolt from our dining mates, I called my parents who came over to get her.

When my mom arrived she told the maitre de she was looking for our party (giving our name) and the maitre de told my mom "Good luck, I have 200 tables!" (or some number I can't remember) :eek: So my mom called me on my phone and she took DD. The waiter seemed offended he lost a customer, but she's free so he shouldn't have been.

The food was WONDERFUL!!!! I'd eat there again in heartbeat. Whats funny though is my FAVORITE dish was the salad. It was the goat cheese salad with walnuts! :love: When I got home I bought the ingredients and ate it every day for a week. I got gorgonzola instead of goat though. Both "G" cheeses, but much cheaper.:laughing:

After dinner we caught the Mexico ride we hadn't gotten to ride before and headed back to the room.

[OhMari]

You take great pictures.

[Nanu57v]

You take great pictures.

Thanks!:goodvibes

[Nanu57v]

We still hadn't gotten a chance to see the Playhouse Disney special concert series, so we decided that would be our main focus in the morning. It was Choo Choo Soul. Not as popular as some of the others, but I was looking forward to it. We got there and got great seats, and the show was a lot of fun. I was surprised I knew almost all the songs from the Disney Channel shorts. Now I need to figure out where to get the CD so I can stop listening to Laurie Berkner over and over and over and over.:laughing:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07261.jpg
After the show we caught Playhouse Disney live on stage, which btw is being changed next month.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07264.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07271.jpg
In the afternoon we decided we were running out of time to get ice cream at the famed Beaches N Cream. I have to say, I was dissapointed. I mean, it was great and all, but I had hyped it up too much in my head.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07274.jpg
Its good ice cream, but not worth going out of your way... unless of course you are getting the Kitchen Sink like the table next to us (I wasn't the only stranger taking pics).
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07278.jpg
Then we went over to MK for the evening and caught a few last Fantasy Land rides. Dumbo made us late for our ADR (like 5 minutes). My MIL saw this pic and thought we let her ride Dumbo by herself (this is a photo op nearby).:rotfl:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07279.jpg
Since our dinner at LTT was the night of the Halloween party, the characters were all dressed up in "costumes." DH was worried DD would be scared, but she wasn't. What I should've gotten was a pic of all the CMs. They all wore "dead" makeup. Now that was scary.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07280.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07286.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07287.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07288.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/Disney07291.jpg
Since we don't eat dinner in 45 minutes or less, our reservation ran into the Halloween party time. This was part of my plan--so I could get glimpses of the party as I exit the park to see if its worth paying for next time. It was funny though, the manager said to take our time, but if we were still there after a certain time, we'd have to be escorted out of the park. DH didn't like this idea as he thought he'd feel like a criminal.:guilty: In the end, we didn't leave until well after 8 as DD took an extended potty break (there was a line, and she had to use a specific stall). We walked out on our own, and I even stopped at guest relations before leaving.


Now that is another story. It was raining. Not like pouring, but raining. We wore ponchos. There was this one lady in there SCREAMING at the CMs because they wouldn't refund her money. I can understand her upsetedness, but that's why I always wait until the last minute to buy the tix. And if it means too much to me to risk a sellout, then I'd be prepared for rain. And definately not scream at the poor CMs.

So that was the end of that day. We went back to the room and packed, because I put a lot of stuff into our departure morning.:upsidedow

[OhMari]

Back to page 1.
marisa

[Nanu57v]

Okay, FINALLY, here's the last page...so I can mark this off my "to do" list.

Not wanting to "waste" any of our days at WDW, I even made an ADR for us on our last day. It was a crazy day. Of course most days this trip were crazy days. We got up and packed, put our luggage by our door and my parents kindly stayed while the bell services came and got it. We treked over to MGM Studios for Play N Dine with Playhouse Disney.

My strongest memories of this were (a) being really really hot waiting, and (b) waiting for a really long time. Okay, maybe it was like 20 or 25 minutes, but I was used to 2 or 3 minutes on this trip. It was a Saturday though.

We are called, sit down and get our food. Then I spill MY water all over DD. Normally its the kids who do this sort of thing, not the parent. So in the all the pictures you'll see DD with a wet skirt. ITS WATER FROM HER CLUMSY MOTHER!!!

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4624.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4631.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4632.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4635.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4638.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4639.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4640.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4647.jpg







The food was good, and DD had fun, but its NOT a relaxing breakfast if that's what you have in mind.:lmao: Kids get up and dance and sing and scarf down food in the middle.

After we were done we caught a little of the High School Musical show and headed back to our hotel. Oh wait, that would be too normal for a last day. We went to EPCOT, THEN headed back to the hotel.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4650.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4654.jpg


We got DD changed into her swimsuit in the lobby restroom and let her play until it was time to catch the Magical Express bus. I had it all timed perfectly, but I still managed to stress everyone out... (like 5 voicemail messages from my parents saying "where are you?"


So we got DD changed, then went to use up our last two counter services at the Beach Club sandwich shop (VERY GOOD SANDWICHES btw), and arrived in time to wait for the bus. The trip back was uneventful...the TVs on the bus actually worked, and we arrived home as normal Saturday night.

[ter-moo]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4639.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/nanu57v/DSCN4640.jpg


Nanu, I see a slight resemblance between your DH and whoever that character is. Anyone else agree???;)

[Nanu57v]

Nanu, I see a slight resemblance between your DH and whoever that character is. Anyone else agree???;)

:rotfl2: :lmao: I see your point...I thinks it Leo.

[Nanu57v]

Thanks for reading!