2belles'mom
02-11-2008, 10:29 PM
Cast:
Me—40, Disney nut
DH, David 40—not a Disney nut, but goes along for the ride and usually manages to have a good time!
DD—Katja 11—Crazy about Disney and a Disney Princess through and through
DD— Annika 8—Crazy about Disney my princess #2!
Thaise—23, visiting from Brazil and first trip to Disney
DB—Steve 38, my brother who also has the Disney bug!
DSIL—Sarah 33, loves Disney too (cool family, huh?)
DN—Tallon 6 my nephew and Star Wars freak
DN—Tanner 4 nephew #2
DN—Riley 14 nephew #3
Nana and Poppa, my parents and grandparents to the crew above! They aren't really thrilled about the whole Disney thing, but want to be with all of us. They don't plan to do the parks, but are definintely IN for all of the dining!
Days 1 & 2, December 26, 27: Arrival at POP, Wonderland Tea Party and Fantasmic!
ON OUR WAY
Every two years, our entire family (as described above) congregates for the holidays at Disney World. It serves as our big, fat, family reunion. In the past we have stayed at Dixie Landings, Wilderness Lodge, and the Boardwalk Villas. For this visit, we had arranged for my own nuclear family unit to spend three nights at POP Century, and then we would move to the Bonnet Creek Resort to join the rest of the gang (and oh boy, I won't even get into the background on ALL OF THAT--suffice it to say Timeshare Users Group was fantastic, but I had more difficulty with ebay :sad2: and we were forced into 3 nights of POP, as opposed to my original 2-night plan...more on why this became a problem LATER :rotfl2:)
On December 26th, my little family (myself and David, along with Katja, Annika and Thaise) headed to the airport for a 1:00 p.m. flight to Orlando on Southwest Airlines. Our plan was to catch the 9:40 ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle, but when we arrived at the ferry terminal we discovered the 9:40 boat was already full :scared: Alright, on to plan B! We would drive the car all the way around the peninsula. The time was currently 9:25--we figured we should make it to SeaTac airport by about 11:00 (had we made the 9::40 boat, we would have arrived at SeaTac by 10:35 or so). As we arrived at SeaTac, we once again realized we had underestimated the sheer volume of people traveling this season (okay, one might assume we would knowledgeable in such matters, since we have traveled practically every Christmas season for the past 10 years—but no!!!!! We almost were unable to find a park-n-fly: airport parking was completely full, and all of the nearby park-n-flies were full as well. Oh sure, there was a completely unsecured $4.00/day in an open parking lot (my older DD said in a panic--"WE AREN'T GOING TO PARK THERE ARE WE MOM???"), but nothing else in sight....Finally, by some miracle :worship: :worship: We finally found a lot with space (after I nearly killed DH--why didn't we leave the car and walk on the ferry and take a cab to the airport, etc. etc. etc...) and we were on our way.
ARRIVAL POP CENTURY
We arrived in Orlando at 11:00 p.m., and after securing our rental car (a nerve-wracking experience that I won’t get into here), we were on our way to Disney’s Pop Century. At 1:00 a.m., we checked-in and were assigned to the 80’s building, a room on the 2nd floor overlooking the computer pool. By this time, we were absolutely starving, since our last meal had been a quick bite at SeaTac airport 10 HOURS earlier. (True, Southwest has snacks for purchase, but PUHLEEEEEEZE, who can even count crackers and slim jims as real food?????)
All eating possibilities were closed at POP, so we ordered from Dominoes. While waiting for the pizza, the girls and Thaise headed out to explore the resort (yes, at 1 o’clock in the morning :cool1: ). The weather was very pleasant and warm, a slight bit welcomingly muggy, a warm blanket that softly yet insistently whispered, “kids, you aren’t in Washington anymore….go play!!”
I have to admit that my older daughter was pretty disappointed with POP (okay, okay, we usually stay in Deluxes, but this was soooo cool...) Granted, she was absolutely exhausted and there were five of us crammed into the VERY small room, but nevertheless it was slightly disturbing when she weepily said to me, “Mom, I just don’t feel the magic.” I assured her that once she had some sleep and we truly started our vacation, she would be feeling plenty of magic! :goodvibes
Finally, at about 2:00 a.m., after stuffing our faces with pizza and getting the roll-away set up for a very cozy 5-person stay (we had a last minute addition to our group when Thaise decided she would join us for the trip), we settled down to sleep.
I awakened the next morning at about 9:00 a.m. The weather was beautiful and sunny. Everyone else was sound asleep, so I headed to the food court to get food for the troops and coffee for myself. Also, I was expecting a call from friends of ours who were also in Orlando and who planned to drop their daughter, D (a very good friend of my younger daughter Annika) off with us for the day. Later, we would be meeting them for dinner and Fantasmic at MGM Studios (soon to be Disney Studios). The morning was almost surreal for me: the sun was shining and warm on my skin, smiling, eager faces draped in shorts and tank tops, hands laden with the bounty of the food court surrounded me. Children frolicked in the interactive fountains and the pool (OMG wasn’t’ it too early for that?). The hustle and bustle of POP seemed oddly detached from my sleep deprived mind—I was floating in a warm bubble of Disney magic :cloud9: (my daughter’s comments notwithstanding!).
At around 10:00 I had our little charge D in my hands, food had been delivered (by yours truly) to the room, and it was time to rally the troops. The girls were very excited at the prospect of a trip to the Hippy Dippy Pool, so they roused themselves fairly easily. The girls spent a couple of hours swimming while I took in the sun...ahhhh, pure bliss. We then returned to the room for showers and to get ready for the Wonderland Tea Party at the Grand Floridian.
Frolicking in the Interactive Fountain @ POP--on our way to the Hippy Dippy Pool
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c19cbcdb700000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
WONDERLAND TEA PARTY & A MAGICAL MOMENT AT DISNEY STUDIOS
We drove our rental car to the GF, arriving at about 1:15. Such a beautiful, beautiful resort! We wandered around, bought fudge from the giant gingerbread house and took some pictures of the towering Christmas tree in the lobby. Thaise, having never been to WDW, was quite impressed! Once the girls were checked in and were having a blast at the Tea Party, David (my dear DH) left to pick up some groceries, Thaise went exploring, and I headed to the amazing beach and pool area to grab a lounger and soak in the sights and sounds.
At the Tea Party:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c179d4cd600000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
After the Tea Party, we drove to MGM (now Disney Hollywood) Studios, thinking we would walk around a bit before meeting our friends at the Brown Derby at 6:00. We entered the park at 4:30ish, and immediately upon entering, a cast member approached us. I admit that my first thought was that the cast member was a photopass photographer—but where was his camera? Instead of asking to take our picture however, he asked us what our absolute favorite ride at MGM was. Annika answered (with enthusiasm!) that she was sure Rock-N-Roller Coaster would be her ABSOLUTE favorite (after years of patiently waiting to grow and patiently doing child-swap, she was finally tall enough to ride it this trip :banana: :banana: ). Now...drum roll...The cast member informed us that he would escort us to the front of the line! Wow, we were granted a Magical Moment during our very first steps in the park! He walked us to R-N-R (which had a 150 minute wait, ouch!) and took us through the exit to the loading area. We missed the pre-show, but hey, I have seen it scads of times and this was just TOO COOL. The girls (it was also the first time for Annika’s little friend, D) would have plenty of opportunities later in the trip to see the pre-show. The girls LOVED R-N-R, and the whole experience of being escorted through the exit was fabulous!
The girls and our CM at the exit to Tower of Terror--just before we boarded!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c2c3d8dc300000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
We met D’s parents for dinner shortly before 6, and had a SCRUMPTIOUS meal at the Brown Derby. I was a bit disappointed that the “stars” didn’t wander through, but apparently they haven’t done that for some years at the BD.
By 7:30 we were on our way to line up for the 8:30 Fantasmic. We got perfect seats, front and center. All of the girls (D’s older sister, 13, was also with us now) sat several rows closer than us, and the adults enjoyed good conversation and several adult beverages while we waited for the show to start. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the 45-minute wait went for the kids—we didn’t hear a peep from them :thumbsup2 Apparently, they too were having great conversation and a good time. Not too long ago, I wouldn’t have dared to risk a 45 minute pre-show wait! It goes to show how good friends, a little bit of growing, and a little pixie dust can go a long way! Luckily, it was a wonderful warm evening--since we were close enough to get plenty of mist from the water projectors--especially for the girls, who were sitting in about the 3rd row.
After the show, we headed for the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Just awesome! It was the perfect end to a perfectly magical day (and yes!! My older DD Katja was feeling the magic!).
At the Spectacle of Lights (the girls and our friend's girls)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c20158ded00000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
Then we were on our way back to POP for a good night’s sleep—tomorrow was a 7:00 a.m. entry at Magic Kingdom! AND my brother and his rambunctious boys :scared1: would be joining us bright and early...
Me—40, Disney nut
DH, David 40—not a Disney nut, but goes along for the ride and usually manages to have a good time!
DD—Katja 11—Crazy about Disney and a Disney Princess through and through
DD— Annika 8—Crazy about Disney my princess #2!
Thaise—23, visiting from Brazil and first trip to Disney
DB—Steve 38, my brother who also has the Disney bug!
DSIL—Sarah 33, loves Disney too (cool family, huh?)
DN—Tallon 6 my nephew and Star Wars freak
DN—Tanner 4 nephew #2
DN—Riley 14 nephew #3
Nana and Poppa, my parents and grandparents to the crew above! They aren't really thrilled about the whole Disney thing, but want to be with all of us. They don't plan to do the parks, but are definintely IN for all of the dining!
Days 1 & 2, December 26, 27: Arrival at POP, Wonderland Tea Party and Fantasmic!
ON OUR WAY
Every two years, our entire family (as described above) congregates for the holidays at Disney World. It serves as our big, fat, family reunion. In the past we have stayed at Dixie Landings, Wilderness Lodge, and the Boardwalk Villas. For this visit, we had arranged for my own nuclear family unit to spend three nights at POP Century, and then we would move to the Bonnet Creek Resort to join the rest of the gang (and oh boy, I won't even get into the background on ALL OF THAT--suffice it to say Timeshare Users Group was fantastic, but I had more difficulty with ebay :sad2: and we were forced into 3 nights of POP, as opposed to my original 2-night plan...more on why this became a problem LATER :rotfl2:)
On December 26th, my little family (myself and David, along with Katja, Annika and Thaise) headed to the airport for a 1:00 p.m. flight to Orlando on Southwest Airlines. Our plan was to catch the 9:40 ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle, but when we arrived at the ferry terminal we discovered the 9:40 boat was already full :scared: Alright, on to plan B! We would drive the car all the way around the peninsula. The time was currently 9:25--we figured we should make it to SeaTac airport by about 11:00 (had we made the 9::40 boat, we would have arrived at SeaTac by 10:35 or so). As we arrived at SeaTac, we once again realized we had underestimated the sheer volume of people traveling this season (okay, one might assume we would knowledgeable in such matters, since we have traveled practically every Christmas season for the past 10 years—but no!!!!! We almost were unable to find a park-n-fly: airport parking was completely full, and all of the nearby park-n-flies were full as well. Oh sure, there was a completely unsecured $4.00/day in an open parking lot (my older DD said in a panic--"WE AREN'T GOING TO PARK THERE ARE WE MOM???"), but nothing else in sight....Finally, by some miracle :worship: :worship: We finally found a lot with space (after I nearly killed DH--why didn't we leave the car and walk on the ferry and take a cab to the airport, etc. etc. etc...) and we were on our way.
ARRIVAL POP CENTURY
We arrived in Orlando at 11:00 p.m., and after securing our rental car (a nerve-wracking experience that I won’t get into here), we were on our way to Disney’s Pop Century. At 1:00 a.m., we checked-in and were assigned to the 80’s building, a room on the 2nd floor overlooking the computer pool. By this time, we were absolutely starving, since our last meal had been a quick bite at SeaTac airport 10 HOURS earlier. (True, Southwest has snacks for purchase, but PUHLEEEEEEZE, who can even count crackers and slim jims as real food?????)
All eating possibilities were closed at POP, so we ordered from Dominoes. While waiting for the pizza, the girls and Thaise headed out to explore the resort (yes, at 1 o’clock in the morning :cool1: ). The weather was very pleasant and warm, a slight bit welcomingly muggy, a warm blanket that softly yet insistently whispered, “kids, you aren’t in Washington anymore….go play!!”
I have to admit that my older daughter was pretty disappointed with POP (okay, okay, we usually stay in Deluxes, but this was soooo cool...) Granted, she was absolutely exhausted and there were five of us crammed into the VERY small room, but nevertheless it was slightly disturbing when she weepily said to me, “Mom, I just don’t feel the magic.” I assured her that once she had some sleep and we truly started our vacation, she would be feeling plenty of magic! :goodvibes
Finally, at about 2:00 a.m., after stuffing our faces with pizza and getting the roll-away set up for a very cozy 5-person stay (we had a last minute addition to our group when Thaise decided she would join us for the trip), we settled down to sleep.
I awakened the next morning at about 9:00 a.m. The weather was beautiful and sunny. Everyone else was sound asleep, so I headed to the food court to get food for the troops and coffee for myself. Also, I was expecting a call from friends of ours who were also in Orlando and who planned to drop their daughter, D (a very good friend of my younger daughter Annika) off with us for the day. Later, we would be meeting them for dinner and Fantasmic at MGM Studios (soon to be Disney Studios). The morning was almost surreal for me: the sun was shining and warm on my skin, smiling, eager faces draped in shorts and tank tops, hands laden with the bounty of the food court surrounded me. Children frolicked in the interactive fountains and the pool (OMG wasn’t’ it too early for that?). The hustle and bustle of POP seemed oddly detached from my sleep deprived mind—I was floating in a warm bubble of Disney magic :cloud9: (my daughter’s comments notwithstanding!).
At around 10:00 I had our little charge D in my hands, food had been delivered (by yours truly) to the room, and it was time to rally the troops. The girls were very excited at the prospect of a trip to the Hippy Dippy Pool, so they roused themselves fairly easily. The girls spent a couple of hours swimming while I took in the sun...ahhhh, pure bliss. We then returned to the room for showers and to get ready for the Wonderland Tea Party at the Grand Floridian.
Frolicking in the Interactive Fountain @ POP--on our way to the Hippy Dippy Pool
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c19cbcdb700000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
WONDERLAND TEA PARTY & A MAGICAL MOMENT AT DISNEY STUDIOS
We drove our rental car to the GF, arriving at about 1:15. Such a beautiful, beautiful resort! We wandered around, bought fudge from the giant gingerbread house and took some pictures of the towering Christmas tree in the lobby. Thaise, having never been to WDW, was quite impressed! Once the girls were checked in and were having a blast at the Tea Party, David (my dear DH) left to pick up some groceries, Thaise went exploring, and I headed to the amazing beach and pool area to grab a lounger and soak in the sights and sounds.
At the Tea Party:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c179d4cd600000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
After the Tea Party, we drove to MGM (now Disney Hollywood) Studios, thinking we would walk around a bit before meeting our friends at the Brown Derby at 6:00. We entered the park at 4:30ish, and immediately upon entering, a cast member approached us. I admit that my first thought was that the cast member was a photopass photographer—but where was his camera? Instead of asking to take our picture however, he asked us what our absolute favorite ride at MGM was. Annika answered (with enthusiasm!) that she was sure Rock-N-Roller Coaster would be her ABSOLUTE favorite (after years of patiently waiting to grow and patiently doing child-swap, she was finally tall enough to ride it this trip :banana: :banana: ). Now...drum roll...The cast member informed us that he would escort us to the front of the line! Wow, we were granted a Magical Moment during our very first steps in the park! He walked us to R-N-R (which had a 150 minute wait, ouch!) and took us through the exit to the loading area. We missed the pre-show, but hey, I have seen it scads of times and this was just TOO COOL. The girls (it was also the first time for Annika’s little friend, D) would have plenty of opportunities later in the trip to see the pre-show. The girls LOVED R-N-R, and the whole experience of being escorted through the exit was fabulous!
The girls and our CM at the exit to Tower of Terror--just before we boarded!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c2c3d8dc300000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
We met D’s parents for dinner shortly before 6, and had a SCRUMPTIOUS meal at the Brown Derby. I was a bit disappointed that the “stars” didn’t wander through, but apparently they haven’t done that for some years at the BD.
By 7:30 we were on our way to line up for the 8:30 Fantasmic. We got perfect seats, front and center. All of the girls (D’s older sister, 13, was also with us now) sat several rows closer than us, and the adults enjoyed good conversation and several adult beverages while we waited for the show to start. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the 45-minute wait went for the kids—we didn’t hear a peep from them :thumbsup2 Apparently, they too were having great conversation and a good time. Not too long ago, I wouldn’t have dared to risk a 45 minute pre-show wait! It goes to show how good friends, a little bit of growing, and a little pixie dust can go a long way! Luckily, it was a wonderful warm evening--since we were close enough to get plenty of mist from the water projectors--especially for the girls, who were sitting in about the 3rd row.
After the show, we headed for the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Just awesome! It was the perfect end to a perfectly magical day (and yes!! My older DD Katja was feeling the magic!).
At the Spectacle of Lights (the girls and our friend's girls)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41c20158ded00000026100AZOGzZu5cOG Og
Then we were on our way back to POP for a good night’s sleep—tomorrow was a 7:00 a.m. entry at Magic Kingdom! AND my brother and his rambunctious boys :scared1: would be joining us bright and early...