Just mom and her 2 little boys 10/19-25, MNSSHP, lot of character meals

[MJAJmom]

Our first trip report!!! This trip was just me, travelling without DH, and my 2 boys. I really wanted to see WDW at Halloween time and was excited about MNSSHP. We're staying at the Grand Floridian (needed a monorail resort for easier transportation). This is our second trip this year, the boys first trip ever was in April and it was wonderful!

Introductions
Me - I'm a stay at home mom taking care of the house and our 2 boys. Just this year, the Disney bug has bit and now I want to take the boys to Disney all the time!! I'm a mega planner and love to read all the books/websites about rides, shows, dining places, photo ops, etc.. Luckily, planning the second trip was a lot easier than the first! I'm a good boy's mom - I like sports and superheroes. Goals for this trip - see if I can manage the 2 boys on my own, try not to yell too much, try out some new rides/show/dining, see minnie/mickey in their halloween costumes.

DS6 - Matthew (MJ from now on) started kindergarten this Fall. He loves sports, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Spiderman, and POTC. He's been dressing up as Jack Sparrow for several months now. He's very easy going. His favorite park is HS. This trip we'll be trying pin trading for the first time. MJ will also be in charge of our autograph pages (another first for this trip). His goals are to ride Buzz, see PowerRangers and check out TSM

DS3 - Andrew (AJ from now on) is a full charge boy. He can be Mr Affection with lots of hugs and kisses. He can also be Mr Drama when he's tired, throwing himself on the floor in utter frustration. He loves to play with all his little people, and loves to get his hands in the dirt. He willingly rides the roller coasters and has no fear of the characters. He still naps each afternoon, so we'll be planning a mid-day break. This time around he's fully potty trained, last trip he was still in diapers, so we'll need to wisely manage our bathroom breaks. He loves Indiana Jones, wearing his hat and satchel bag and carrying a whip around the house. His goals are to see June and Leo of Little Einsteins.

Here's a picture of the boys (a sneak peak picture taken at the GF photo shoot)
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Our scheduled plan of attack -- We're early risers so we'll start at rope drop, early EMHs or early breakfast ADRs. Leave after lunch for naps, then head out again for dinner and more touring...
Sun - arrive at night and check in
Mon - HS, nap, back to HS
Tue - Epcot early EMH, nap, MNSSHP
Wed - MK, nap, back to MK
Thu - MK early EMH, nap, MNSSHP
Fri - AK, nap, GF photo shoot, dinner at Chef Mickey
Sat DTD, head to airport

We love character meals, so I scheduled a bunch. I like TS and wanted to try out a few new places. Here is the lineup of ADRs planned:
Mon - Hollywood & Vine Bfast, Sci-Fi lunch
Tues - Coral reef lunch, Tony's Town Square dinner
Wed - Ohana bfast, Crystal Palace lunch, Liberty Tree dinner
Thu - Liberty Tree lunch, GF Cafe dinner
Fri - Donald Safari Bfast, Rainforest Cafe lunch, Chef Mickey dinner
Sat - Cape May Cafe Bfast, Fulton Crab House lunch

The weather forecast was for mostly sunny days, high in mid 80s, but rain scheduled for later in the week. I packed umbrellas, held off on buying ponchos, so we'll see what happens.

I printed several autograph pages from the creative folks on DISsigns. Got started late making matching shirts for us, but did manage to make 4 sets for the boys. I ordered a double stroller from Orlando Stroller Rentals, it's supposed to be delivered to the hotel - hope that work out.

OK, I think that's enough intro before we get started! Next up - our first flight on JetBlue, arrival into Orlando and hotel check-in.

[MJAJmom]

Sunday October 19 -- All packed and ready to go!! Can I say how wonderful it was NOT to have a stroller to check through airport security, and to check at the gate! First time not to have a stroller! I'm feeling like we've grown up in our travels -- no longer travelling with babies. Wow, this is kinda cool!!

JetBlue - This was our first time flying JetBlue, was hoping that the flight would not get cancelled because there is only 1 flight a day from Austin to Orlando. The flight left at 3:45pm with no problems. Armed with a PSP, DVD player, colorbooks, toys, snacks and more snacks, we were off!!! The boys get to bring their small backpacks with a few toys, mostly little people in them. Each seat has their own TV screen to watch - how awesome is that!!! MJ watched SpongeBob the whole flight and AJ watched SpongeBob and an animal show. They had on their headphones and munched snacks and drinks for 2 hours. Very smooth, very proud of my boys!

Arrival - We got our bags, headed over to Hertz to pick up our rental car. In the good old days, they would already have the car seats installed for you when you picked up the car. Now they hand you the seats at check-in (am I supposed to balance these on my head while trying to find the spot where my car is parked???). Thankfully, an agent helped carry the 2 car seats to the car for me, while I dragged 2 suitcases and 2 boys who were now bored. OK, so now were are driving. I realize that I had directions to the hotel from the airport, not the car rental place. Ooops, not sure where to go, so I had to pull over for a minute to figure out which way to drive. Back on track, it's an easy drive to the GF hotel. The bellman grabs our bags, yes thank you we will valet the car, and now to the check-in desk.

Hotel Request Made a Week Prior to Check-in - When I made my reservation at the GF for a garden view room, I made a room request of "Marina view, corner room, Conch Key". Last time we got upgraded to a tower room in Big Pine Key (it had an extra sitting area with couches/chairs/TV). Three days prior to departure, I got an email confirmation from Disney Destinations stating all the details of the room, and it said "Castle view room". Wow, I thought, did we get upgraded here? So I had high expectations when I arrived at the check-in desk.... What would happen???

Hotel Check-in - Well, I wondered if I should say something about the email, but I didn't. The CM said we had a marina view room, and so I thought OK fine, I guess the castle view just wasn't going to happen. We headed out to Sago Cay building, room 5137, which I thought was on the fifth floor. Tired and not paying attention, we head to the elevators, only to realize that the "1" means we are on the first floor. My boys LOVE to ride the elevators, they fight over who pushes the buttons each time, how will we deal with no elevators??? Not sure I like the idea of being on the first floor. My boys are confused, "mom, why are we not going up the elevator???" OK, so we head down to our room, it's the normal garden view room, very pretty and roomy, the view is of the marina, plus we are close to Gasparillas. It's dark out, so hard to really assess our view. OK, so we'll try it out for the week. I've never stayed on the ground floor, ask me later if we liked it or not!

Bedtime - After unpacking and getting settled, it's time for bed. We've got a busy week planned and we're looking forward to having a magical time. The boys are a little bit wild after being confined on the plane and car for so long. While they are trying to sleep, I gather up my notes and make sure I've got our Monday planned out.

Trading Pins - I bought a bunch of pins online, got a lanyard for each of us (although not sure DS3 was old enough to manage a lanyard full of pins). Since this was our first experience with pin trading, I wasn't quite sure how many pins to plan for each day. I put 12 pins on my lanyard, 6 on each side, and hoped that would be enough for our morning. I would manage the lanyard the first day and not worry about the boys having a lanyard until midweek. Now I can go to bed.

Next up - Our first day will be Hollywood Studios. We start off with an 8:10am ADR at Hollywood and Vine......

[MJAJmom]

Alarm goes off! Ugg, didn't sleep well. New bed, new pillows, OMG we're at disney, thinking about our plans, never sleep well the first night of a trip. Time for a shower. Forecast says sunny and warm today - perfect!

The boys start waking up, they are excited. I show them the trading pins and try to explain how you find a CM with a pin necklace, find a pin you like, and swap. They don't get it, don't seem interested. This will need "on the job training to demonstrate"!

Time to head out. Being on the first floor, we just zip out the hallway and out the doors. No waiting for an elevator, no fighting about pressing buttons. OK, that's nice. I checked out the view, the marina is pretty. When we walk past Gasparillas, you can see the MK castle across the water. Now that is way cool!!

We drive to HS, park up close, not many people around at the gates. We check-in for an 8:10am breakfast at Hollywood & Vine and are seating within minutes. Last trip, we had lunch here, so let's see how the breakfast buffet is.

Our coffee, milk and chocolate milk come quickly. Now we all have to do the buffet line together since DH is not here. I get some eggs, bacon, potatoes, waffles, muffins for me, the boys get waffles and bacon. Buffet has lots of the basic breakfast foods, fruits and pastries. It's a breakfast buffet, so you really can't ruin it unless everything is cold or run out.
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In no time, the characters are out. Goliath first, then JoJo. Leo and June were working the other side of the dining hall. The boys love hugging them, giving them hi-fives. I got out the autograph pages and put them on the clipboard I decorated. MJ is in charge of getting the characters to sign the page. After they sign it, he's amazed at their signatures and keeps wanting to look at them - he's hooked now!!

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The characters break and do the little song/dance/parade show, the boys watch but they don't want to go out and dance. Then it's time for June/Leo to work our side. AJ just can't wait he's so excited - he loves the Little Einsteins and these 2 are his favorites. Neither of them is really eating their breakfast, they're too busy looking around at the characters. Leo comes by first, big hugs. I just love these character meals, it's such an easy way to see the characters! June comes by, then it's song/dance time. This time, both boys are out waving their arms, clapping and jumping with June and Leo. Yes VISA, it is priceless! And yes, we'll be paying for this trip on our Disney VISA, yes priceless.

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Our first meal is a huge success. AJ is thrilled with seeing June and Leo. Check the watch, 5 till 9:00, we are out for rope drop. We'll navigate with the rest of the salmon swimming upstream to TSM. Lots of people in the street area getting to Pixar Place. Tons of people line up for the FP line, this is crazy. We head to the standby line and will get a FP after the ride. I must say, the queue line is cool and keeps your mind off waiting. We waited 25min in line, not bad. The talking Mr Potatoe head is funny. The ride is cool and very well done. Sometimes the ride would stop for a extra minute for the cars to catch up, then you'd get more time shooting. The boys loved it, I sat in the middle and they each got their own gun, I helped AJ aim and he pulled the cord. This will become a favorite - oh yeah! The FP line was only 4 deep, so we grabbed a TSM FP to use later.

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Next we head over to Star Tours. The boys love Star Wars so this is a no brainer must do. The ride seemed more jerky than last visit. It's Star Wars, so the boys love it. After the ride, we go through the gift shop and find the picture place where you get your faces put on a star wars character. We pick out a picture that has 2 young jedis with light sabers and they take MJ and AJ picture and crop to show only their face. The picture was cool, expensive but VISA thinks it's priceless, so we'll buy it!

We head over to find where the power rangers are for the 10:30 meet and greet. According to the CMs, there were 4 lines, one for each colored ranger. We wanted the white ranger and got lucky to be second in line. Here comes the car with 4 rangers in it and they jump out, do a few power punches and split off into the lines (red/blue rangers had twice as many people in line as the pink/white rangers did). The white ranger was cool with the boys, they did their action poses together.

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Now, can we get in line for the pink ranger or do we need to head over for the Indiana Jones show at 11:00??

[MJAJmom]

So, here she is, the Pink Power Ranger. Snapped a quick picture since her line was next to the white ranger, but that was as close as we could come, the line was too long. We needed to head over to catch the 11:00 Indiana Jones show. The boys saw the show last year and loved it. AJ is a huge Indy fan!
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We munch on some snacks while watching the Indy show. AJ's favorite part is where Indy grabs the golden idol (he calls it "the treasure") and the giant ball rolls down after him. This scene is recreated in our house at least 10 times a day. He has a few Indy action figures that get chased by baseballs, tennis balls, basketballs. In the end, he always crushes Indy with the ball. Too funny!
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We have a 12:45ADR at Sci-Fi, so we'll head that way to see if we can get in earlier to eat. Along the way, we hop on the Star Wars land cruisers and check out Lightning McQueen and Mater.
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The hostess at Sci-Fi is very grumpy and tells us we cannot check in until 12:45pm for lunch. I ask MJ if he wants to go on a ride or see more characters. He surprised me and says he wants to see more characters. He's really getting into the autograph pages. So we head to the Animation Building to find Sorceror Mickey and the Incredibles. AJ spots Quincy and June by PHDisney so he head there first. He keeps asking "Where is Annie??". Trying to explain that it's not her shift quite yet and the characters rotate every 30 minutes would make no sense to a 3yo, so I just promise him that we will find her later today.
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Heading inside, we make our way downstairs and find Sorceror Mickey. I just love his red robe and wizard hat. There were only 4 people in line, so we got to see him pretty quick. The Wall-E background was right next door.
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Coming up the stairs, we saw Frozone all by himself. Poor Frozone, nobody was in line to see him. So we went over to say hello and get a photo. I really wanted Mr/Mrs Incredible, but again, it's not their shift!
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Coming out of the building, I was so hoping that Annie and Leo were out, but nope, it's not their shift, June/Quincy were still there. Now we're on our way to try out Sci-Fi for lunch.

We've never been to Sci-Fi before, I've heard good and bad things about the place and the food. Grumpy hostess still there, and yes, she's still grumpy. My first reaction is wow, this place is really dark! I like the car seat tables and the boys love the movies. They sit us up front in the first row. (Make a note for next time.... don't sit up front, it's too hard to see the movie screen. Ask to sit in the middle or back). I order the turkey sandwich and a chocolate milkshake. Boys will split pizza. All 3 of us squeezed into one carseat, the hostess offered us 2 carseats but I thought I better sit with the boys. (Make a note for next time, use the 2 seats because the table part is not very deep so you can barely fit your plate and drink in front of you). Milkshake was great, sandwich was just OK. It was really dark and the table light was not bright enough to read the menu or for the boys to color. They liked watching the monster movies, but the darkness was making them sleepy.

Since I made a promise to AJ to find Annie, we headed back to PHDisney after lunch to find her. Luckily Annie and Leo were out so we got in line. AJ was so excited he could hardly wait his turn. I was so thrilled that they had 2 characters together. I just love watching my boys meet the characters, especially when I know it's a special one to them. For AJ, we hit the jackpot here!
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So we head for the exit, AJ is getting very tired so it's time for a nap. As we head out, we stop at the PhotoPass guy in front of the mickey hat for a quick pic. The boys don't really want to, but mommy makes then, and so you get a grumpy picture as a result:
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They really loved their matching black star wars lego shirts. So many people asked where I got them and where they could buy one, mostly moms of boys. Star Wars is popular, but Star Wars Lego rocks!!

After naps, we head back to HS for dinner and to see Fantasmic for the first time!

[MJAJmom]

The boys napped for 2 hours, now to figure out where to eat. I wanted to try out Toy Story Pizza Planet, but the boys ate pizza for lunch. MJ can eat pizza all day long, but let's try something else, let's try Gasparillas for a quick dinner. We stayed at GF in April but I never even knew where Gasparillas was. Inside, AJ and MJ immediately spot the games and the race cars and could not focus on anything else for the rest of dinner. They split chicken nuggets and I got a chicken sandwich. Again, they can barely eat because they so badly want to jump back into the games.

Back to HS, we still have our TSM FP to use, we're past our window but I know that you can still use it. We walk by the Buzz/Woody meet & greet, the line is 40minutes long - yuck. Let's do TSM first. TSM is just awesome, what a fun interactive ride - we all loved it.

Checking on the characters, it's now a 30min wait, better so we gotta do it. The 2 CMs out front are great and we chat with them for a bit. MJ trades some pins with them, he's was shy at first but now he likes picking out a pin. AJ need help with his manners, he points to a pin and then tries to rip it off the CMs lanyard. Still, each time I make them both say "Would you like to trade please?". They like it because they have total control in picking out their pin.

Disney did a great job decorating the queue area for Buzz/Woody. There were lots of pictures and cutouts to entertain the kids, and I'm glad they have the 2 characters together for pictures. The boys are thrilled to see Buzz and MJ really likes Woody.

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To end the day, we head to Fantasmic. We are there 30minutes early and there are plenty of seats. We've got a drink and snacks so we'll be happy for a short while. I brought a tube of glowsticks I bought from the dollar store. They boys get 2 each and of course start playing lightsabers and weapons. MJ makes friends with a boy in front of us and they are chatting and playing. Since we've not seen the show before, I'm excited to finally be here.

Fantasmic was super! The dragon is so cool! And I love sorceror Mickey. I had to explain a few parts to the boys, about mickey fighting the bad guys. Overall, great show, the boys seemed to like it. It's closing time to we slowly make our way back to the car.

Reflecting on our day at HS, I'm so glad we got to see TSM and Fantasmic. We never made it to PHDisney, Lights/Motor or Great Movie Ride, but we saw lots of characters and that made MJ very happy. Next trip I'd like to schedule 2 days at DHS.

Tomorrow we get up early for EMH at Epcot, then it's MNSSHP!!

[MJAJmom]

I wanted to show the picture taken at the Star Tours gift shop of the boys as young Jedis. They crop out the boys faces and paste them onto the picture. You have to buy the photo and it cannot be put on your PhotoPass card (bummer). The picture turned out really cute. MJ loved how he had a light saber and looked like Anakin Skywalker, he had to be the one with the blue lightsaber. The pictures are expensive, $40 for an 8x10. But hey, Disney VISA says it's priceless! So we bought it!

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[MJAJmom]

April was our first trip with the boys, we stayed for 4 days and I decided to skip Epcot (we did MK twice). So this trip I was excited to check out Epcot even though it was just for a half day and just doing FutureWorld.

I love early EMH, we are up early anyways and can get so much done before 10am with minimal crowds. I brought some packages of mini-muffins with me, so the boys ate those for breakfast along with a granola bar. I got a muffin at Gasparillas and we were off to Epcot.

At rope drop he headed straight to Soarin and got right on. That is a cool ride! The huge screen ahead of you, dropping down into the river and rising up over the fireworks - yeah that was awesome. We grabbed a FP for Soarin and headed over to FastTrack. The boys thought all the car stuff was cool in the queue, they were bored to tears with the saftey video in the small room. We really had no idea what to expect. MJ loved the part where you almost crash into the wall. Then the fast part zipping around the outside track - loved that!
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It was nice to just scan your photopass card for the TestTrack ride photo, wish the other rides could do that!! The boys wanted to do TestTrack again so back in line we go. It was about a 10minute wait so that was great!

MJ wants to see some characters so we find the character spot, lots of people in line but MJ wants to wait. It was a 45 minute wait
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MJ was excited that there was going to be 5 characters to see, that meant 5 more autographs! The characters were Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy, all with cool backgrounds and a PhotoPass photographer. Very nicely done.

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Matthew thought it was hilarious that Pluto had to put the clipboard way up high above his nose to sign the autograph pages.
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Donald was very silly grabbing the boys heads and covering their eyes!
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Just when we thought we were done with the character spot, we walked through the doors and there were more characters around the backside!!
AAAAAhhhhhh more characters!!!

[MJAJmom]

Boy, I thought we hit the jackpot with the Fab5 at Character Spot, but then we turned the corner and ..... OMG there are 4 more characters! It's Belle, Marie, Timon and Stitch. WOW!!! MJ spots Timon and is very excited!!

We start off with Belle. This should be interested because we have never encountered a talking character before, and this is a princess too. Belle is very sweet. The boys are nervous, they are very slow to meet her. MJ goes first, she asks his name, don't know if he answered. MJ gave her the autograph page to sign, then she grabbed his hand to pose. His eyes went wide - she's touching me!! AJ was next and mostly looked at the floor while she talked to him. I think they were terrified.

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Next in line is Marie. But then we get some bad news, the CM tells us that the 3 furry characters are leaving and will be back in 30 minutes. Oh no, I gotta tell the boys "it's not their shift" again. MJ is crushed, he wants to make sure that we will come back to get Timon. Yes, I promise!

We go to the Nemo ride, doesn't seem like a long line at first, but it winds throughout inside and we end up waiting 25 minutes that felt like forever. Frankly I thought the ride was kinda lame. The boys are not Nemo fans so they weren't thrilled. We find the Bruce the shark area and goof around there for a short bit. The boys loved climbing on all the shark structure. Great picture places too.

Taking a snack break before the Nemo ride:
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We still have some time before lunch. I want to do Soarin again, MJ just wants to find Timon. Unfortunately, right now is the 30minutes they are off, so Timon won't be there (Again, it's not their shift....) We use our FP for Soarin, this time we're on the highest row. Great ride, I like this one!

Finally now its time for our lunch at Coral Reef. This is the meal that I've been looking forward to most! We get seated right away. We're in the back row of booths, furthest away from the fish tank (note for next time, ask up front to sit close to the fish tank). We watch the fish, turtles and sharks swim by - very cool! MJ reminds me we still have to get Timon. Jayne is our server and she is FABULOUS! I had the lobster salad and creamy lobster soup. Both are excellent. The boys split the kids pizza. They get ice cream sundaes for dessert where you get a bowl of chocolate sauce, sprinkles and M&Ms and mix your own. They thought that was great. I tried the chocolate wave for dessert, the cake part was delicious but the creamy liquor center was way too rich for me. This really turned out to be a fabulous dining place. Must come back next time!!

Now back to the hunt... can we find Timon?? We go over to the character spot and.....and... and.....he's there! Yipee! MJ is relieved! Nobody is with Stitch so my boys play with him, Stitch chases them and they goof around. Then MJ gets to see Timon. Major hi-fives going on and big hugs. So glad we got Timon.

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The Disney VISA Meet & Greet starts at 1:30 so we try to find the place. We are 15 min early but there are already 8 people in line. They were very secretive about which characters and how many character were behind the black curtain area. They took our VISA card to write down our card number, making sure we only would get 1 free picture a day. They let the groups in 1 at a time, so you had no clue who was back there. Finally at our turn, we enter the room and there was Mickey, Minnie and Goofy!! How cool to get them all in one group. The boys get all their hugs in and high-fives, MJ gets all the autographs and we pose for pictures. I thought it was a great benefit for Disney VISA cardholders. OK VISA, so yes this was priceless!!

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Well, I just had to cram in 1 more picture. I wanted to go to ImaginationWork and get the picture where they put you flying with Mickey over the castle. It was getting late for AJ and he was getting tired. My mom sense knew better that we should just declare victory right now and go back for a nap...... but I pushed it and we went to try to picture.

You have to lay on your tummy on a wood block putting your arms out front like your flying and lift up your legs. Nearly impossible for a young 3yo who's tired and cranky. Somehow the photographer caught a decent pose and we got it. Now we have to pay for it. Only 2 people in front of me, but it took 30 minutes to checkout. Meanwhile, both my boys are having a melt down, they are wild, cranky, cannot stand still. I almost just tossed the photos and walked out... we really needed to leave. And no VISA, that experience was not priceless!!

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Finally back to the hotel for naps. They are exhausted. Did I just totally ruin them for MNSSHP tonight... God I hope not.....

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Awww. What cute pics of the boys (Star Wars and Flying with Mickey) I would love to go to Disney with just the kids but DH would not hear of it. He LOVES Disney more than Mickey Mouse I believe! :rotfl2: You guys lucked out at the character connection huh!? I wonder if they're going to start doing this all the time now?

[MJAJmom]

Awww. What cute pics of the boys (Star Wars and Flying with Mickey) I would love to go to Disney with just the kids but DH would not hear of it. He LOVES Disney more than Mickey Mouse I believe! :rotfl2: You guys lucked out at the character connection huh!? I wonder if they're going to start doing this all the time now?

Hello and thank you for the compliment on the boys. It was very special going with just the boys, something that I will certainly remember as a wonderful shared moment of their lives. Since that was our first time at Epcot, I don't know if the other characters around the corner at character spot was a new thing or something that always happens. They were only there for 30 minutes then a 30min break, so you had to time it right (as we found out in our hunt for Timon)!

[Meeska Mooska Mom]

Your little guys are adorable! Right now my oldest is 3 and his name is Andrew too! Unfortunately for us though, he's only 38 inches so he couldn't go on some of the rides.

I subscribed to your trip report because I'd love to take a trip like this with them. I'll have to wait until the younger one is 3 or older though.

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Hello and thank you for the compliment on the boys. It was very special going with just the boys, something that I will certainly remember as a wonderful shared moment of their lives. Since that was our first time at Epcot, I don't know if the other characters around the corner at character spot was a new thing or something that always happens. They were only there for 30 minutes then a 30min break, so you had to time it right (as we found out in our hunt for Timon)!

I've never seen them there. Once we ran into Goofy coming back to the CC and he stopped for a pic with us but I've never seen other people over there and we go a lot. I'll be sure to check it out in December!

[Tanzanite]

Hi we hunted for Marie no success your trip report is great.Next time i will hunt Marie my daughters favorite.:cool1:

[MJAJmom]

Your little guys are adorable! Right now my oldest is 3 and his name is Andrew too! Unfortunately for us though, he's only 38 inches so he couldn't go on some of the rides.

I subscribed to your trip report because I'd love to take a trip like this with them. I'll have to wait until the younger one is 3 or older though.

Love your user name! AJ loves to recite the beginning of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and then shouts out "Meeska Mouska Mickey Mouse!!!" So cute! Andrew - great name huh?!! Luckily AJ was 40in tall so he was able to ride a few more rides, they did measure him a few times. They grow so fast, in no time your son will be 3!!


Hi we hunted for Marie no success your trip report is great.Next time i will hunt Marie my daughters favorite.:cool1:

Hi Tanzanite! We just stumbled onto Marie. I'll have to fess up and admit that when I first saw her I had to think hard "OK, who's the big white cat???" Then I remembered she was Marie!! I've not seen the movie. I thought Marie was also in France. Good luck finding her on your next trip!

[MJAJmom]

I was super excited about going to MK to see all the halloween decorations. I wondered how the crowds would be and if the boys could last later into the night. Since we also planned to go to MNSSHP on Thursday too, I didn't feel tons of pressure to see it all in one night. My goal was to see Mickey, the parade and fireworks, anything else we did would be frosting on the cake.

We hopped on the monorail for a quickie ride to MK. Each time, I ask if we can sit in the front with the driver, but it's also been full. Bummer, full this time too! When we get off the monorail, there sure seems to be lots of people exiting the park. I just get goosebumps looking at the main railroad building decked out in orange banners, and big pumpkins around. Oh yeah, this is gonna be great! The weather was sunny and warm -- perfect again.

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After the ticket check-in, we get our MNSSHP wristbands and our treat bags. We walk through the tunnel and onto main street. AAAAhhhhh, so festive, it's so pretty!!! I love all the scarecrows in the cirle area!! Orange banners line all the building.
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We had a 5:20pm ADR at Tony's Town Square, and got seated pretty fast. Lots of people were dressed up in costumes, adults and kids. Lots of men were dressed as Jack Sparrow!! Our server was very good, very attentive. I got chicken parmigiana and the boys split spaghetti. I always just order one kids meal for the boys, they don't eat very much! My meal was good, not great, the boys were happy with their spaghetti (even though they wanted pizza, mom made them get spaghetti). I learned after we got back that you can give them an autograph page for Lady/Tramp and they will stamp it with a paw print - have to remember that for next time.

I asked the boys if they were ready to put on their costumes now. Strangely, they said no, not yet. Guess they needed time to soak it all in. We headed to POTC ride, didn't get to ride it last year. MJ is much more into pirates now so he's excited. It's a very dark ride on the boats at the beginning, both boys were taking it all in with wide, suspicious eyes. Then the big drop in the total dark - WHOA that took us by surprise!! But super fun. Then you see all the pirates and pirate ships and then Jack Sparrow - the boys were in heaven!! We rode it again, there was barely a 5 minute wait. Great ride!

Time to head over to Toontown to see Mickey. We got in line in Mickey's house at 6:50pm and there was already 12-15 people ahead of us. Then I hear the words I've been dreading for 2 days now...... AJ says "Mom I have to go to the bathroom!!!". Was waiting for when that would happen. What ride would we be in line for when AJ had to pee. OK, is it an emergency, do we need to poop?? No, good. Then you start thinking, how long is this line going to take and can he hold it that long??? Ummmm, no not a prayer! Alright, out we go down the street to the bathroom and then back to Mickey's house. Drats, another 8 or so people more since we left the line. Takes us about 45 to finally get to Mickey but it was a must do!

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Mickey's house backyard was decorated, this was next to where Mickey was standing. I just love the Mickey ghosts!
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The parade starts at 8:15pm so we better start heading over towards Liberty Tree Tavern, my spot for the parade. We've never been to a parade before, they boys are always napping or it was too late in April. I read that a good place to see the parade was in front of LTT. We go through a few trick/treat spots along the way so now the boys have candy to munch on. We stake out a spot right at the flags circle area by LTT. A family asks us if my 2 boys wanted to sit in front with their boys, very nice of them, now my boys were in the front row and had friends. I break out the glowsticks, pass them around, and everyone is happy while we wait.

Can I please tell you that my best purchases on this trip were the glowsticks and pop-up hamper from the dollar store (thank to this board for all the tips). Will not leave home without them from now on!!

They announce the headless horseman, we wait..... and then there he goes galloping by, very fast I might add. Man, that was awesome!!! And the music starts..... Boo to you and you and you.....Happy Halloween!!! I just love this place!!!

Next up... Parade pics and more characters!

[MJAJmom]

This parade is simply awesome! The boys are fascinated and watched everything. Tigger came by and gave all the boys hi-fives. Queen of Hearts came up right in their faces, scared the pants off them!!! We saw Jack Sparrow on top of the float - MJ was thrilled! Just a great parade. Towards the end, several folks in the parade at Goofy's float come by filling up your candy bags. Wow, loved that!!

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The white ghouls were amazing. Their makeup really made them look like walking dead, and they keep a straight expressionless face while dancing!
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With the parade done, now we were going to find some characters. Take one guess at who we found.......

[MJAJmom]

We walked over to adventure land to check out the characters and treat spots. On the right, there was a building with characters and a fairly short line. And who do you think the first character is??? Could it be the one we hunted for at Epcot?? Well, hot dog!! It's Timon .... along with King Louie and Tarzan/Terk. MJ is so happy to see Timon!!

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Tarzan was just hilarious!!! He was checking out the my boys halloween shirts and picking bugs out of their hair. AJ was nervous and just stood frozen while Tarzan checked out his shirt. He spent a lot of time with the boys and I thought he really did a great job playing the Tarzan role. Definitely want to see him next time!!

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It was time for the 9:30 HalloWishes fireworks. We made it over in front of the castle, at main street next to Caseys HotDogs. The fireworks and castle lights were so colorful. Another great performance. The boys liked it for about 7 minutes and then got bored. We saw it, but we'll probably skip it for Thursday night.

We got our picture taken on the side of the castle with it all lite up in blue lights. You can see the boys costumes. MJ was Anakin Skywalker and AJ was black spiderman. Pretty castle, wouldn't mind living there.
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We went back in FantasyLand and wanted to see Pooh/Piglet in costume. The line was pretty long, the boys were getting tired. We stood in line for about 5 minutes and I knew better this time.... the boys are tired, do the right thing, you need to go home. So we exited the line and made our way back to the monorail and back to the GF.

It was a great night at MNSSHP. A great night for a mom and her 2 little boys!!

Next up.... Wed is MK day starting first with breakfast at Ohanas

[MJAJmom]

Staying out for MNSSHP last night was late for us. I got up to shower and get ready and watched and waited to see if my boys would be waking up on their own. As the clock ticked on, I seriously debated if I should just let them sleep and blow off Ohana's breakfast. Then AJ rolls over and smiles "Oh hi mommy! with all his boyish charm. Amazing how he can always wake up happy and chatty, ready for a new day. Well, let's get dressed and get moving!!

We hop onto monorail over to the Polynesian. Our ADR is for 7:30am and they are just getting organized for breakfast over there. Enough time for us to do a few pressed pennies, MJ likes them, AJ wants one because his brother is getting one and then drops them on the floor 2 minutes later.

Our server seems to be in a grumpy mood. We get our coffee and milk and then she brings out the breakfast skillet. Not much variety here for breakfast. I eat some eggs, potatoes and bacon. Boys have their waffles. I like the breakfast buffets better, so I'll have to be honest and say that I don't like their food offerings that much. But we are really here for the characters. Glad we have tried this breakfast once. Probably won't do it again.

Finally the characters come out. Stitch first, then Lilo, Mickey and Pluto. Stitch is pretty funny and playful, for some reason Lilo was in a big hurry with each table, Mickey had on his tropical shirt and pluto was fun. The boys love the characters, MJ said this was his favorite place. MJ cracks up that Pluto has to put the clipboard high up over his nose to sign his autograph page. The boys liked it so that's what counts today. Back onto the monorail over to MK.

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It's very possible that AJ may not ever smile for a picture this entire trip!! He's all smiles and giggles when the characters come over and while hugging them, but the minute he turns around for the posed picture -- Mr Serious face comes out. Hopefully we can catch him smiling one time this week!!!
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The weather is warm and sunny today - perfect again!! After rope drop, we head straight to Dumbo. Just a painfully slow ride to load!! All 3 of us squeeze into one Dumbo, and the boys fight over who will control the joystick. MJ you get 3 times around in a circle, then AJ's turn. MJ still has to bark at AJ that he's not doing it right!!

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We ride Pooh 3 times in a row with no wait at all, then ride Peter Pan twice with maybe a 5 minute wait. Next is Philharmagic with the 3D glasses. I absolutely love this show, the 3D effects and the water splashing and air blowing on your face is awesome. We head to Toontown and ride Goofy's barnstormer. They only allow 2 people per seat so this was the first place where I felt uncomfortable about the seating arrangements. MJ and AJ had to ride by themselves and I sat behind them. MJ did not like that arrangement at all. We rode it but MJ did not want to do it again unless he could sit with me, so no more barnstormer for us. Last visit we rode Barnstormer 5 times in a row they loved it so much, but then Daddy sat with MJ and I sat with AJ. We walked down to the little playground area at the end of Toontown to let the boys run around for a bit. They liked having some free time to play.

Our lunch ADR was at 11:45am at Crystal Palace. We've eaten breakfast there before so this is our first time to try the lunch buffet. We get seated quickly and the characters are just a few tables away from us. We'll wait to see Eeyore and Piglet and then go to the buffet line.

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Tigger is now right behind them so we'll wait for him and then eat. Amazing, 3 characters before we even made it to the buffet!!

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We all head up to the buffet line. Lots of good things to eat, beef chicken, veggies, fruits, pasta. I try a little bit of everything. Everything is very tasty, great quality for a buffet lunch. CP is a favorite. Pretty good food and fabulous interaction of characters.

Pooh came over. AJ was eating an apple and was showing Pooh the apple. Pooh grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth and started running away. His CM was playfully scolding Pooh, AJ loved it. And I believe this might be the very first picture that AJ is actually smiling!!!

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The characters came around again for a second time, so we got more playtime with Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
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The boys wanted to go back to the hotel to play with their toys, so we headed down main street. We accomplished a lot this morning, so I'm happy to head back and relax a little bit.

Next up... Back to MK for more rides, Spectro parade and Wishes Fireworks

[princesslily]

so jealous! I would love to take my 2 princess: on a mommy trip!

[MJAJmom]

Before we left the park, we saw Chip/Dale and Pluto at the floral circle on Main Street. Chip/Dale only had 3 people in line so we went over. This trip I finally figured out the difference between chip and dale. Chip has the black nose and Dale has the brown nose.

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The boys played with their backpack full of toys for a while before they took naps. Tonight our dinner ADR is at Liberty Tree Tavern at 5:30pm. I tried to get into this place on Tues/Thurs before MNSSHP to see them dressed in halloween costumes, but they were just too booked up.

Out to the monorail again, back to MK for the night. Not too crowded, that's good. Down main street, we got a picture with the castle in the background.

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Checking in at LTT, we wait about 10 minutes and get seated. I think LTT has the best character interaction. The place is laid out well for them to move around easy between tables. Again, not a big fan of the food here since the selection is so slim, but the characters are fabulous! Goofy is so tall, I wonder who's in that costume??

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Minnie is so sweet and gentle with the boys. AJ shows her his doggie and she makes a really big deal about it.

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AJ gave Chip his doggie and Chip ran away with it and they chased each other. Then he made AJ jump up to grab the doggie. So cool when the characters do more than just sign and smile!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1181.jpg


After dinner we rode POTC twice and then had to find our spot for the SpectroMagic parade starting at 7pm. We grabbed the same spot as last night, the kids were sitting in front again. Took out the glowsticks and they played. We waited a while, then there was an announcement that the parade was delayed. It ended up being 15 minutes late starting.

Next: parade pics

[MJAJmom]

The parade had so many lights, pretty amazing that the characters and dancers jackets had lights on them. The boys liked the parade, MJ like the Boo To You parade better.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1204.jpg

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After the parade we walked over to main street in front of the castle. Since the boys weren't too interested in the fireworks, I thought we could ride Buzz instead. That made them happier. It was a walk on ride. Love the low crowds in October.

Since the park was now closed, I knew the monorail would be mobbed, so we walked through FantasyLand to kill time. Then the boys found something that would now be called their favorite thing to do at WDW.

Can you guess what that was???

[cdotla]

Great report! I have also headed out solo on a trip with my daughter and I know how special these trips can be! Can't wait to read more!

[MJAJmom]

Well, hard to believe it, but now the boys have fun their most fun thing to do at MK. Let's see.... could it be a really fun ride??? No....... Could it be an awesome show????? No......... Could it be one of their favorite movie characters???? No.....

Well then, what silly thing could it be???

As we were wondering around FantasyLand, we walked around the backside of Cinderella's Carousel. There were 3 boys and a girl trying to pull a sword out of a stone. My boys were intrigued, they had to try it.... And try it.... And try it..... They pulled as hard as they could, but that sword would not budge. The couple other boys pulled too, but nothing. Then their little sister gave it a try..... And the sword pulled up out of the stone!!! How did she do that?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1222.jpg

The boys were amazed, they all had to try again. And when it was the little girl's turn.... the sword pulled up again. "Oh I know how she did it, let me try!! they all said. Just hilarious watching them pull with all their might.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1224.jpg

Of course, there was a CM about 25yards away with a controller that makes the sword pop up. Thankfully, one time the sword pulled up for MJ, he was thrilled!! Which then made him need to try it even more times.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1223.jpg

We killed 25 minutes pulling the sword, until they basically kicked us out because they were closing up. I've never seen my boys so excited about something!! It was their most awesome thing ever, they said!! Please, please, please mommy can we do it again tomorrow!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1225.jpg


Well, of course you can!! We are coming back to MK tomorrow for early EMH!! And that is next up....

[MJAJmom]

so jealous! I would love to take my 2 princess: on a mommy trip!

Hi Princesslily, looks like you've got a trip coming up pretty soon!

I'll have to admit that this wasn't originally planned to by a mommy only trip with the boys. I really wanted DH to come. He had to stay home to manage our 2 teenage stepsons who are now living with us because they aren't doing well in school ( long story......).

Now I'm really so happy that I went!

[MJAJmom]

Right in the middle of my trip report, we get a major distraction. We bought a yellow lab puppy. MJ named him Marley. They've been reading Marley and Me at school and the dog theme books were featured at the elementary school bookfair.

He's just adorable, he's 14weeks old and already pretty huge. He's mild mannered which is very nice, but still a puppy, getting into everything and wanting to chew everything.

Just had to share a few pictures! Most of my free time these last 2 days have been spent with the new puppy!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/DSC_4098.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/DSC_4153.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/DSC_4134.jpg

[cdotla]

Cute puppy! I suspect your time will be spent more and more with it these next few days!

So funny about that sword! I will have to get my kids to try that next trip. I did not know a CM controls it and actually can make it lift! Cool!

BTW - can you tell me where ImaginationWorks is located to get that picture of the flying Mickey over the castle. That is fantastic! Is it just open to Disney Visa holders? (Unfortunately we can't get this card in Canada:mad: )

Enjoying your TR! Can't wait for the next update!:)

[Pinga's Mommy]

Sounds like a fun trip. I tried to picture a trip with myself and my two girls (7 & almost 3) without my husband. Oh I can picture the drama.:eek:
Your pictures are great and your boys are so cute!

[princesslily]

:goodvibes Your puppy is so cute! I remember when my puppy was a baby! :goodvibes

[MousekaMaddi]

wonderful, fun - imformative report, thanx for writing and showing us your 2 cuties!! Fun pix too!:dance3:

[MJAJmom]

Great report! I have also headed out solo on a trip with my daughter and I know how special these trips can be! Can't wait to read more!

Hi Cdotla, I checked out your trip report on your mother/daughter trip. Your DD is beautiful!! I love the princess pictures at BBB and her outfits each day were adorable. Sounds like your time was precious. We're an all boy family, so there will be no princess breakfasts or BBB for us - makes me sad.


Cute puppy! I suspect your time will be spent more and more with it these next few days!

So funny about that sword! I will have to get my kids to try that next trip. I did not know a CM controls it and actually can make it lift! Cool!

BTW - can you tell me where ImaginationWorks is located to get that picture of the flying Mickey over the castle.

The place is actually called Image Works, I had to dig for my picture receipt. It's at Epcot at Journey into Your Imagination. It's on the left side of the building. It's a gift shop and photo shop. You'll see a whole bunch of sample pictures on the wall. You can do flying pictures, surfing, put the castle behind you, all sorts of really fun pictures. It does take a long time from start to finish, so be prepared.

[MJAJmom]

Sounds like a fun trip. I tried to picture a trip with myself and my two girls (7 & almost 3) without my husband. Oh I can picture the drama.:eek:
Your pictures are great and your boys are so cute!

Hi Pinga's Mommy, you're right next door to us. We live in Austin, you're in San Antonio - cool. Love the river walk there.

:goodvibes Your puppy is so cute! I remember when my puppy was a baby! :goodvibes

Thanks, little Marley is so soft and cuddly, you just have to scoop him up and snuggle with him.


wonderful, fun - imformative report, thanx for writing and showing us your 2 cuties!! Fun pix too!:dance3:

Hi MousekaMaddi, thanks for joining. This is my first trip report to write. I guess I underestimated how much time it would take. It's mostly the pictures that take so long... sorting through all the pictures and photopass pics, uploading them, crop/resize. But I am having fun writing it, it's like I'm reliving the trip again!!

[MJAJmom]

For our April trip, I brought a single stroller from home. The boys took turns riding in it, and sometimes I/DH would carry AJ around while the other pushed MJ in the stroller. That worked out well.

Since it was just me travelling alone this time, I knew that I needed a double stroller to get around. I've never owned a double stroller and certainly didn't want to plunk down $250-450 for a great stroller just for this trip. At first i thought a side-by-side umbrella stroller would work, they seemed pretty lightweight and quick to fold up. But when I put the boys in it, they seemed flimsy and were just too hard to push and turn with 80lbs inside. Then I tried out some jogging strollers, but I didn't like the one wheel in front and they seemed kinda squished inside. I searched around at consignment stores hoping to find something, but no luck.

I don't like the hard plastic Disney rental strollers, they just seem uncomfortable. Thankfully a week prior to leaving, I stumbled onto Orlando Stroller Rentals. Their double stroller seemed really innovative with the 2 pivot wheels up front. Kinda like a jogging side-by-side stroller. I called Shannon the owner, I had questions about how older kids would fit in it and how easy was it to drive. She assured me that her older kids were in it and it was great. OK, let's do it then!!! Crossed my fingers and placed my order.

It was really a nice airport adventure not to have a stroller to lug around, fold up through security. When we got to the GF hotel, I asked for the stroller at the baggage desk and out it came. Oh yeah, that looks cool!! The boys hopped in and off we went to find our room. I was so surpised and relieved at how easy it was to push and turn. It fit throught the doors throughout the hotel and fit through the door to our room. There was a nook next to the desk in the room and that's where it was parked each night. It had such a sturdy feel to it and I did not get worn out pushing it (now pushing 2 boys up the hill ramp to get on the monorail from MK was a workout!!)

Here is a picture of the stroller:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1504-1.jpg

They put a big ID tag on the back of the stroller, so I didn't even bother attaching the stroller tag I made. I did bring a cup holder from home and attached it in the middle (It does not come with any cup holders or stroller cover). Here is the back, the mesh pockets were handy for storing stuff.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1270-1.jpg

Now the coolest thing, to fold it up you just grabbed the straps at the back fold of the seats and give a little yank. It folds quickly and effortless in half. That was amazing.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1506-1.jpg

I can't say enough good things about this stroller and how it made our trip so much easier. I highly, highly recommend it to others!! It was $85 for the week - worth every penny to me!!!

[MJAJmom]

The forecast for today is rain. Hard to tell how to plan. Outside it's very cloudy and the clouds are pretty dark. I did not have a stroller cover, but did have an extra poncho (bought us all ponchos last night). I packed up the ponchos in a bag and off we went. I decided not to take the stroller just in case it was really pouring down, I didn't have a great way to cover the kids in the stroller.

Today our plan is early EMH at MK and lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. I love the early morning EMHs, we can get so much done with minimal crowds. We get on the monorail for rope drop at 8am. Again we head straight back to FantasyLand. With both boys walking and not in a stroller, it takes us what seems to me like FOREVER to get to the back of MK. MJ wants to ride Snow White, so that is first up. They thought the witch was scary but wanted to ride it again, pretty much no wait. We did Dumbo and then the Carousel. Of course, we tugged on the sword a few times, but nope, that sword never did raise up.

Since it was 8:50, we headed over to AdventureLand. We wanted to do Jungle Cruise. AJ liked that one from last time. We stepped right on and began our cruise. Such a corny ride, the driver is so silly with the jokes. MJ's favorite part is the headhunters at the end "where 2 heads are better than one". AJ likes the elephants and crocodiles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1226.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1228.jpg

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As we walk to the POTC ride, Captain Hook and Mr Smee are nearby. We've never met them before. Gotta admit, hook is a little creepy looking!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image162.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image167.jpg

Mr Smee grabs the pin lanyard that MJ is wearing and runs off with it. While MJ is laughing, he's also getting concerned if he's going to bring it back or not. While Mr Smee signs his autograph, the boys examine Captain Hook's hook arm. Of course, now MJ wants to buy a hook!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1234.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1237.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image170.jpg

Luckily it stays cloudy, no rain yet and doesn't look like it's going to rain. I knew I should have brought the stroller. Now we get on the POTC ride, both boys just love to see Jack Sparrow. We walked over to explore in Swiss Treehouse, getting some exercise climbing all those stairs. Walking around we saw Frontier Donald Duck. Wow, I thought he was pretty hard to find! There was about 6 people ahead of us in line. Donald was dressed in a coon skin hat and suede jacket - awesome!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image178.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1242.jpg

Today, the boys weren't dressed in matching shirts. Being the first time making shirts, it took me much longer than I thought to do these. So I didn't have time to get in 1 more set. Funny, it felt like they were dressed wrong today. The pictures look funny because they are not dressed alike. Weird!

MJ has done a great job with his pin trading. He is managing his own lanyard and searching out CMs with pins. By now, we've already traded all the pins I brought. I have more at the hotel room, just didn't bring an extra stash. It's 11am and we have a lunch ADR at 11:45. MJ desperately wants to go back to the hotel to get more pins. I really wanted to, but knew to get to the GF and back with both boys walking would take a long time. Then they'd get upset that we'd be heading back to the hotel to take naps. Oh, what to do, what to do.

So we decide to head back to the hotel, and then we'll just play there. I'd blow off the lunch at LTT and we'd just catch a quick lunch at Gasparillas. They'd be more happy playing the games anyways. Then we'll just stay at GF, take naps and maybe come back early for MNSSHP. To the monorail we go!!!

Next up, an afternoon at MK and MNSSHP. Question - will it rain or not rain???

[cdotla]

Hi Cdotla, I checked out your trip report on your mother/daughter trip. Your DD is beautiful!! I love the princess pictures at BBB and her outfits each day were adorable. Sounds like your time was precious. We're an all boy family, so there will be no princess breakfasts or BBB for us - makes me sad.

The place is actually called Image Works, I had to dig for my picture receipt. It's at Epcot at Journey into Your Imagination. It's on the left side of the building. It's a gift shop and photo shop. You'll see a whole bunch of sample pictures on the wall. You can do flying pictures, surfing, put the castle behind you, all sorts of really fun pictures. It does take a long time from start to finish, so be prepared.

Yes, it is kinda hard to do Princess things with boys, but I think your trip with the boys sounds every bit as fun as my trip with my daughter was. Just a different kind of fun!;) I have a boy as well who at 3 yrs old has already been to WDW 2 times. I have just as much fun with him!

Thank you so much for the information on that awesome photo!!! I will for sure be heading there in March when we go for our next trip. In all my time on the Dis and reading all of the TRs I have never seen those photos before!

I laughed when you talked about how long it was taking and the fact that you had passed that "point of no return" with your son. My, haven't we all been there!:rotfl: Even though it was a long wait, that photo is definitely worth it - I love it!!!:goodvibes

Another great update...can't wait for more!

[SunnieRN]

Enjoying yout trip report and all the fantastic pictures! Your sons are so adorable! Thanks for sharing and give Marley a hug for me. He is stunning!

[MJAJmom]

We at lunch at Gasparillas at the hotel, the boys were perfectly happy eating there and playing on the games. They have 2 motorcycles for them to ride on and pretend. The boys play for a while at the hotel and then it's naptime.

When the boys wake up we get ready to head back to MK. This time I'm bringing the stroller, now packed with umbrellas and ponchos just in case. Today it hasn't rained yet, but it's coming at some point.

We get to the gates at 3:45pm and there are people lined up for MNSSHP. They won't let them in until 4pm, so we enter on the other side with our regular MYW ticket. We found Goofy on the bench.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1243.jpg

I wanted to take some pictures at the Kodak Photo Shop just inside the entrance. There are several cool wall backgrounds and cut outs inside towards to back. I saw these on a Disforum thread about cool places to take a picture. (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1730599 )

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1245.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1251.jpg

These cutouts are so amazing. Not sure what they were used for in the past. The one with the 101 dalmations is my favorite.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1247.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1254.jpg

I told MJ to make a mean face like Horace and Jasper in 101 Dalmations.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1258.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1260.jpg

MJ wanted to make sure I took a picture of him doing his karate moves.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1262.jpg

The boys wanted to ride POTC again, they are now singing Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirates Life for Me during the ride, very cute. As we finish the ride, the Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial has started. Funny, MJ just kept repeating "that's not the real Jack Sparrow!". Festive show. Sure wish Jack Sparrow was available for meet & greet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1265.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1266.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1268.jpg.

We get some popcorn for a snack and then stop by Casey's HotDogs. Since we weren't very hungry, we still needed something for eat. I've read that people raved about these hotdogs -- I must be missing something, it was just a hotdog. We headed out to TomorrowLand, and rode BuzzLightyear. Next we tried Transit Authority, very fun to see all the rides for up high.

AJ really wanted to ride the Indy Race Cars, but I wasn't sure how we were going to work the seating arrangements. Only 1 person can drive and I knew the boys would fight over it. So I tried to do a good mommy moment, and we sat on the bench to talk and discuss how we were going to take turns or we couldn't ride it at all. So into the line we went, and into the race car. MJ would drive first, then AJ would drive, then switch again. Minimal fighting, so not too bad. How about some ice cream I asked. A big yes they said!! After some yummy ice cream, we ride Buzz one more time then head over to ToonTown to start MNSSHP!! This time we will start with Minnie.

Next up.... Our second night at MNSSHP!!

[MJAJmom]

Thank you so much for the information on that awesome photo!!! I will for sure be heading there in March when we go for our next trip. In all my time on the Dis and reading all of the TRs I have never seen those photos before!!

Cdotla, there are so many cool places to have your picture taken. I got the idea from a thread here that listed places to take pictures. I never would have found it on my own. Several of the places we visited and snapped a picture were from that thread. Check it out: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1730599


Enjoying yout trip report and all the fantastic pictures! Your sons are so adorable! Thanks for sharing and give Marley a hug for me. He is stunning!

Hi SunnieRN, thanks and welcome aboard! Amazing, another person from the great state of Texas. Marley has been such a good puppy this week, thankfully he's pretty mellow.


Hope everybody had a great thanksgiving with their families.

[MJAJmom]

To start off our Halloween party, we head to Minnie's house to meet her in costume. Made sure we stopped at the bathroom for AJ so we won't have a repeat emergency pit stop while in line. We get there at 6:50pm and there is only one person in line, makes you wonder if we're in the right place. Yup, we are. Minnie comes out in her halloween costume, she's so pretty. She's got such a happy face, I love Minnie!! She's very sweet with the boys, lots of hugs and kisses. So glad that we got both Mickey and Minnie in costume this trip.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image250.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1275.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image258.jpg

When we leave Minnie's house, there's just a few people in line for the Toontown Trail of Treats. On Tuesday, the line was probably 50 deep. Cute decorations along the candy trail. The playing card people were very nice.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1279.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1278.jpg

Next along the way was Queen of Hearts, and boy does she look mean. The boys are a little bit nervous to see her, they didn't want to get too close to her. AJ had that "she's touching me" look again.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1280.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1282.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1284.jpg

Alice in Wonderland was next along the way, but her line was long and we didn't stop. The other characters weren't in line (White Rabbit, Mad Hatter), I heard they came by later that night.


The boys have their costumes on and off all day, MJ is IronMan and AJ is black spiderman. Here is a picture of them in the stroller. As you can see, they fit pretty comfortable in there, even with their puffy muscle costumes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1269.jpg

Wanted to check out the dance party at Ariel Grotto, along the way we saw Tigger and Piglet so we got in their line. Their costumes were cool, Tigger always looks good. They are playful with the boys, AJ gives big high-fives to both.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1285.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1286.jpg

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We walked over to the dance party. Fun music was playing and kids were dancing and hopping around. Both Chip and Dale were there in costumes. They were dancing with the kids and playing with them. Dale grabbed MJ by the hand and another little girl and danced with them for 5 minutes, that was cool. I loved seeing the characters in halloween costumes.

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When leaving, we peeked over and saw that now Pooh and Eeyore were out, so we got in line. Thankfully, the lines for everything were short tonight.

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MJ was complaining and asking "when is the halloween party going to start??", I tried explaining that this WAS the party. But he was still upset and whining. Then I finally figured it out, he meant the parade. He really wanted to see the parade again. I thought since we saw it already on Tuesday, we could do different things, but since he really wanted to, we headed over to our same spot to see the parade.

While we were waiting for the parade, it started to sprinkle. Well, we made it this far along today with no rain, so that was a plus. I covered the stroller with a poncho and secured it with some binder clips that I brought along. (Read that tip on this forum too). I got out our ponchos, but the rain stopped. The parade started and MJ was so happy. We got front row seats again and the boys played with their glowsticks. About halfway through the parade, it started to rain, a bit harder. So we put on the ponchos.

Now, this is the first time my kids have ever worn a poncho. They HATE it! They wear it for a few minutes and want to rip it off their heads. Oh, this is not fun! The rain started and stopped a few times, and the ponchos came on and off a few times. Thankfully it never did really pour down hard on us. So, important tip for next time -- try the ponchos on the kids before you head out, get them used to it, or buy a normal raincoat. For us, next time I will purchase a normal raincoat for them.

After the parade, we try to find Jesse and Bullseye at FrontierLand. Bullseye is out, only 1 person in line for him. The boys think Bullseye is funny looking, he has no hands! They love giving him a high-five because you hit him on the hoof and it makes a loud noise. AJ was in high-five heaven.

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Thankfully, it's not raining. We don't plan on seeing the fireworks, so we make our way over to TomorrowLand. We hop on the Buzz ride with no wait. Exiting the ride, the boys love to jump in the jailcell bars with Zorg. Each time they have to make their mean faces.

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Buzz Lightyear is out, so we get our picture with him and get some treats at the candy station.

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By now, it's 9:45pm and the boys are getting tired. We did a lot tonight, so I'm happy. It's started to sprinkle again, so it's time to head home. We make it to the monorail and it really starts raining. So glad we headed out when we did. Back at the hotel, it's time for bed and to get ready for our next day at Animal Kingdom.

Next up... Lessons learned at MNSSHP, will we do it again??

[cdotla]

Another great update!:goodvibes

Can't wait to hear your post-mortem thoughts on MNSSHP.;)

[MJAJmom]

Well, it's been a busy weekend. I hope that everyone had a great thanksgiving. This weekend, we put up the christmas tree, got the outdoor lights up on the house and around the fence, and put decorations in the house. Boy, that was a lot!!! I love Christmas time, it's my favorite holiday. And the boys are so excited that Santa is coming soon.

Now I can get back to writing up my trip report! Thanks for waiting!

[MJAJmom]

I've been thinking about our time about MNSSHP and what we liked and didn't like, and what would I change in our plans for next time. So, here are some general observations...

Decoration and theming - Disney knows how to throw a good party. The halloween decorations at MK were fabulous. All the pumpkins, scarecrows, orange banners were very festive. These could all be enjoyed without paying admission to MNSSHP. Lots of good photo ops. So many adults and children were dressed in costumes so that made it really feel like a special party was happening.

Parade/Fireworks - The Boo to You parade was amazing. The headless horseman ride was so neat, and the dancing white ghouls were fabulous. Lots of characters were on the floats or walking by. It really was a great parade and my favorite part of the event. The fireworks were better than the nightly MK Wishes FW. This time I'll have to agree with my boys, that if you've seen the FW once then you can skip them the second time..

Attend once vs twice - Since this was our first time attending a hard-ticket event and our first time at MNSSHP, and the fact that I was without DH, I enjoyed attending 2 nights during the week to make sure we saw it all. My boys are young and they can't stay up too late so the only way to see it all was to go on 2 nights. Very expensive, but I thought it was worth it since we probably won't be back to a MNSSHP for a while. I'd like to try P&P or MVMCP as our next event. You can do most of the stuff at the event in one night as long as you start promptly at 7pm and stay until about 11:30 or midnight. Next time I would plan a more casual day before the event and not do the half day at Epcot/MK. Instead I'd do a later character breakfast, have the boys try the pirate cruise, have a fun lunch and then swim.

Doing rides vs party/characters - Since you have to pay extra for a party ticket, I think its a waste of time to ride a whole bunch of rides instead of seeing parade/fireworks/characters/shows. You can get in with your ticket at 4pm, so I would do rides from 4-7pm, but when the party starts, you really need to focus 100% on all the scheduled party things in order to see it all.

Characters - So many characters were available and some in halloween costumes all night long. That part was awesome. I would recommend focusing first on the characters in costume (Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Chip/Dale at dance party) and rare characters (snow white 7 dwarfs, Jafar, Cruella and other villians). As a last priority, I'd put the several characters that you can find everyday in the park (Buzz, Aladdin/Jasmine, Alice, Mad Hatter...) unless there is a very short line. It wasn't very well posted about what characters were where and what times they were out. You really had to be aggressive and ask each of the CM's about the times that Snow White would be out, or the times that Pooh/Eeyore switched with Tigger/Piglet. I would suggest picking one big characters (Cinderella, Snow White/dwarfs, Mickey or Minnie) and get in their line at 6:45pm to accomplish that one early on. We didn't bring the autograph books, figured we'd just enjoy the characters, but now I wish I we did autographs.

Dance Parties - We only saw the Ariel Grotto dance party, didn't get to go by the Stitch Dance party. We saw Chip/Dale and they alternated with Donald/Pluto. It was cute for the boys to dance with with characters, but it seemed like this was a 5-10 minute thing and then you're done. Dance a song or 2, take a few pictures and leave. Might be a good place to take a quick break and sit down and have a snack/drink. But for us, it was a quickie. Might be able to drop by again when you know the other 2 characters are alternating.

Trick or Treating - There were lots of candy stations, some more crowded than others, but they did move fairly quickly. The candy was pretty generic - some chocolate bars, some chewy candies, some lolipops. We threw away about half of it. The candy was for the boys and they were thrilled with the selection. The toontown trail of treats was very fun with the candy and characters.

Villians Show, Free Face Painting - We never saw the villians show and I wish we did. Never saw where they were doing the free face painting but that was not something that my boys were interested in, even if it was free.

Closing Thoughts - Our sole purpose for this trip was to experience Disney at Halloween. We certainly did that and it was magical and well worth it. For us, the most important items were the parade and the characters. MJ still talks about things he saw in the parade. Certainly two thumbs up review from all of us.


Next up: Friday means Animal Kingdom starting with Donald's Safari Breakfast
Hmmm... the forecast says rain all day. Oh my!

[MJAJmom]

I wake up and look outside -- it's raining. A light steady rain and a gloomy dark sky. Rats!!! Gotta admit, I just don't want to be walking around the park all day in the rain. Much rather just crawl back in bed. Take a deep breath and snap out of it. AK is our mission today, so put on a happy face and let's make it happen!!

I have to wake up the boys this morning. We were out late last night at MNSSHP, so they are pretty tired this morning. Our ADR is at 8:10am at Donald's Safari Breakfast. We've not been before and I'm looking forward to seeing the characters in their safari clothes and to see Daisy.

There's a steady rain falling as we get throught the ticket entrance and walk our way all the way to the back of Africa to get to Tusker House. I did not take the stroller since its raining so much. I did not take the boys ponchos either. They have their lightweight jacket and their umbrellas. I'm wearing my poncho, mostly to keep dry the bag that has my camera in it. The boys love their umbrellas and don't seem to care that they are getting wet.

We check in at Tusker House, get seated quickly, and get our coffee and milks pretty fast. Our server was very good and quick to help us out with simple requests for more napkins, forks, more coffee, the check. We get in the buffet line. Lots to choose from for breakfast selections. Lots of breads/rolls/danish and hot foods. The boys eat their usual stuff - waffles, bacon, watermelon and dry cereals. I'd say the food was pretty good.

The characters took a while to come out since it was first thing in the morning. Donald came by first. He looked very good in his safari clothes.

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The boys had on their last set of matching shirts. I really liked these white ones. They started the parade and party music. Daisy came over to our section and started walking around with her maraccas. She came by our table, grabbed MJ by the hand and they walked around together for the next 5 minutes. MJ was both excited and unsure of himself walking with Daisy. AJ joined in the parade too.

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Finally the parade was over and we got back to eating. Daisy made her way over. I loved seeing Daisy. I just wish we saw Daisy in her pink/purple dress and matching bow - that's how I think of Daisy. The safari outfit almost seemed too boyish for her - but that's the theme for the breakfast. Next time I'll have to figure out where to find the "regular" Daisy. She was very sweet to the boys and gave them kisses.

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Goofy was next. AJ is very excited and gives him hugs and hi-fives. He's just so tall!!

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And lastly is the big guy himself, Mickey. Somehow, you just feel so honored that Mickey is meeting with you. Like he's the owner of the place or some big movie star.

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MJ has done a great job managing all the autographs, I'm so proud of him. I love all the custom autograph pages I printed. However I did make a major goof-up, have you seen it yet? Well, go back up and look at the picture of Mickey signing his autograph. Notice anything strange about the clipboard??? See how I totally forgot to take off the huge white price tag barcode??? AAAAAHHHHHH!! It's in every picture I have of a character signing their autograph. I decorated the front side of the clipboard, but did not even think about what was on the backside of the clipboard. Of course, now I've ripped it off!!!

The breakfast at Donald's Safari was pretty darn good. I think we'll cetainly come back and do it again before starting out our day at AK

As soon as we walk out the doors, King Louie and Baloo are over in the covered patio area. I guess to stay dry out of the rain. Only 1 person is there, so we go for a visit. King Louie does a great job acting like a silly ape.

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It's still raining out so we'll try for an indoor show. We walk down to Lion King and it's a few minutes before start time. There is nobody at this show. Maybe just 2 rows filled up on each of the 4 sides. I love this show. The costumes are so colorful, and such beautiful animal prints. We are seated in the giraffe section. AJs favorite part is the warrior guy who twirls the fire batons. AJ loves all the tiki torches, loves it when we ride by the Poly on the monorail at night so he can see all the torches lit up. MJ loves Timon and Puumba. He loves it at the end when Timon says "you've been a great audience, thank you....... Now get out of here!!!" He repeated that phrase all day. Great show!!

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Now the rain is off and on. We trade some pins with several CMs. We'll try another indoor show while the rain is still a factor. We've not seen It's a Bug's Life. I've heard good and bad things about the show. Well, let's give it a try. At least it's indoors.


Next Up.... It's a Bug's Life - Did my boys like it or scream???

[MJAJmom]

It was fun walking through the tunnels to get to the waiting area at It's a Bug's Life. The boys have no idea what they are going to see. We've never seen the Bug movie, but I tell them there are some big bugs in it and it gets very dark. Other than that, we are all clueless.

Inside with our 3D glasses, the beginning is pretty tame. Some cute bugs, some silly jokes, the boys seem to like it so far. They like the talking bug coming out of the ceiling. Then comes the part where the bad bug says he wants to extinguish all the humans. The spiders come down from the ceiling, the bad bug sprays the audience with bug spray and the place goes pitch black. Couldn't even see my boys to hold them and reassure them. Luckily, I was sitting in the middle of both of them, and reached out with my arms to comfort them. They didn't cry or scream or anything, but it was very unexpected for us. The good bug comes back and we laugh some more, and everything is OK again. As we leave, MJ says he was a little bit scared and doesn't want to see it again. Good enough, seems like it was a one time show for our family (just like the AK Nemo show, saw it once and don't need to see it again, boys just aren't into Nemo). We won't be seeing this show again.

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Outside, it's not raining for the moment, so we head over to Camp Minnie Mickey. The characters at the 4 camp trails are Minnie/Mickey, Koda/Kenai, Pluto/Chip/Dale and Goofy. We start with Mickey and Minnie. They are dressed in safari clothes. As always, they are very sweet and animated with the boys.

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I've never seen the movie Brother Bear, but the 2 bears here a very adorable.

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The next trail has 3 characters: Chip, Dale and Pluto. I really like how they have several characters together instead of standing in line to meet them one at a time. There were about 5 people ahead of us and when we were next, the CM said that Chip/Dale needed some acorns and Pluto needed a bone. Break time! So we wait a few minutes for them to come back. Chip and Dale came back first and the boys played with them for a few minutes until finally Pluto came back to join them. It gave us some extra time with the characters.

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The last trail was Goofy. Since we've seen him so many times already and his line was long, we decided to skip him. Sorry Goofy!! Thankfully, the rain held off until our pictures were finished. A minute after that, it starts again with a light rain. It's almost lunch time so we'll head there. Our lunch place is RainForest Cafe. Last time we were there, AJ slept through the entire lunch so he's never even seen this place. We make a few pressed pennies while we are waiting for our table.

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We are seated right next to the gorillas hanging from the trees. It's a very loud place. When the gorillas start moving and chirping, AJ is scared and wants to leave. He stared at that gorilla on the tree the entire time he ate and would not look away, making sure he wasn't going to come over and eat him or something. Since he was scared, we hurried a bit through our lunch so we could leave sooner. I think the Rainforest Cafe is awesome with all the jungle decorations, however, it is very loud and overwhelming for the boys. I think next trip, we'll probably skip it and try another place for lunch.

As we make our way outside, it's raining out a bit harder. So now I need to think. Most of the stuff I wanted to do today is outside (Safari, Jungle Trek to see tigers, boneyard, triceratops spin, pangini trail to see gorillas). I think we've done enough in the rain today. Yes, I'm a wimp. Alright boys, let's head back to the hotel. The boys take forever to make their way to the car, and it's raining pretty good now. Halfway to the car, AJ trips and falls in a puddle, falls on top of his umbrella and completely bends the umbrella shaft. Good grief!! He's fine, but wet. I try my best to un-bend the metal rod on his favorite Hulk umbrella. It stays up, but it will never fold down again. Luckily this is our last park day, otherwise, we'd be shopping for a new umbrella for the little guy.

Back at the hotel, they play for a bit and take a nap. I get a nap too. Pretty bummed that it rained today. I was hoping to see a few new things at AK. Looks like we'll just have to schedule another trip.


Next up.... An honest confession about the bad side of travelling with 2 young boys. Let's call it.... "Boys Behaving Badly"

[MJAJmom]

We really did have a great time on this trip. For the most part, the boys were behaving fine, just being little, just being boys. The days are long and standing in line waiting for rides is quite boring for 2 young boys.

It wouldn't be an honest trip report is I didn't share the ugly parts. But first, let me vent and get all the yelling out of my system.... so here goes:

"Stop hitting your brother. Get off the ropes. Stop swinging those chains. Don't push him. Leave your brother alone. Get off the floor. Put your shoes back on. Finish your breakfast. Don't hit him. Hands to yourself. I said no pushing. Are you not listening? Get off him. Don't jump on the bed. Hurry up. Slow down. You'll hurt yourself. Get over here. Stop hitting your brother. Tell him you're sorry. No pushing. Don't touch him. Sit down. For the last time, PLEASE STOP HITTING YOUR BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!"

Now, deep breath. Breathe in.... exhale slowly.... Ahhhhhh. I feel better already.

There was really only 2 things that drove me nuts. One at the parks, one at the hotel. At the parks, when you stand in line, there are either poles, ropes or chains to separate the rows of people. Every time we are in the lines, my boys have to climb the poles, swing the chains and bounce the ropes up and down. Not occassionally, every time. Drove me crazy. Sometimes I would ignore it, sometimes it wouldn't be as bad, and sometimes all I did was bug them to stop. At the hotel, they loved to jump on the bed, but worse, they would launch from one bed to the other. Every time we came into the room. I know, they needed to blow off some steam, but come on.

I'd give my boys the 80/20 rating. 80% good and 20% misbehaving. With that, I can't complain. I love my little monkeys, even when they are acting like monkeys.


Next Up. Our Grand Floridian photo shoot. Will we get rained out? Will AJ ever smile??

[cdotla]

Great updates!:)

Thanks for posting all your thoughts about MNSSHP. I echo your thoughts 100% of strategy. Wish I came across your post before I attended my first MNSSHP.

Great photos in all your last updates.

Thanks for your thoughts on the RainForest Cafe. We don't have one close to us, so WDW wld be our only chance to visit it. However, I think I will pass. Just too many other better spots to try, and such little time!

And finally, thanks for your candid/honest post about the 80/20 rule. Guess what? Same applies for girls!;)

Enjoying your TR! Can't wait for more!:goodvibes

[MJAJmom]

Great updates!:)

Thanks for your thoughts on the RainForest Cafe. We don't have one close to us, so WDW wld be our only chance to visit it. However, I think I will pass. Just too many other better spots to try, and such little time!

And finally, thanks for your candid/honest post about the 80/20 rule. Guess what? Same applies for girls!;)

You know, I really like the Rainforest Cafe, it's so amazing how they make it look like a jungle. Plus all the animals. The TRex at DTD reminds me of RF, except with dinosaurs (amazing theming but very loud too). The food selection is pretty wide, and the food is decent tasting. But it is VERY loud. I'd try it once just to check it out because it is very unique. I think if we sat more in the middle of the place, instead of right next to the gorillas, AJ might have done better. They were just too close for him.

By the way, I peeked in on your TR, and your girl and boy are beautiful.

[MJAJmom]

With the rain today, I was pretty bummed out about missing some things at AK this morning, and you can't do a photo shoot in the rain. We had our GF photo shoot scheduled for 5:30pm. I had it all planned out, AK in the morning, then the boys would nap, we'd take some photos and then head over to Chef Mickey's for our dinner ADR. I really wanted some outside photos on the beach. My goal for the photo shoot was to get some good pictures of the boys together, and if the planets and moons aligned properly, then get 1 good photo for our Chrismas card.

The boys were napping and I was resting and reading. And slowly, the miracles started happening. The rain stopped. OK, that's a good sign. Eventually the boys wake up and I get us dressed into our photo clothes. I brought a navy blue shirt for AJ and a black one for MJ. These were about the only 2 shirts I had for them that didn't have stripes or some superhero on the front. I needed a solid plain shirt. Fix their hair a little bit and we head over the the main building where the photographers are.

OMG, the clouds are breaking up and the sun is peaking through. It's been rotten weather most of the day and now we may have sun for our photos. We meet our photo gal, can't remember her name. She's pretty nice but seems bored with her job. I told her I wanted to take photos outside first on the beach, so that's where we head. Amazing now that we have some sunshine, the pixie dust has finally found me.

First we start on the hammock, all 3 of us sitting and then the 2 boys laying down. No smiles from the boys here.

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Since we had on black and blue shirts, several of the pictures looked better in black and white. I absolutely love B&W photography, so when I got back my photoCD, I loved playing around with these pictures. I told the gal I saw some cute photos with the kids around the palm trees, so that was next.

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The gal tried to get the boys to smile. Luckily I remember MJ telling me how the school photographers get the kids to smile for their class pictures. He makes them say "popcorn, pizza, cheesy bread". So mommy makes them say all kids of silly words, including "monkey's butt, belly button". Finally, finally, finally, we get a smile out of AJ. And what an awesome, sweet, melt my heart picture he gives me. MJ is still sporting his serious, GQ face, but I love it.

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Next, we go over to the grassy area. She wants them to sit down, but the grass is too wet. I get them to put their arms around each other, not a natural thing for them to do.

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We try in front of the water fountain by the pool. IMO, these don't look great, the background is just not appealing. Is that a waterfountain or just a very large green hat on my head?? But here you go anyways...

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Last set outside is by the white railing. The kids aren't big enough to lean over the railing, so they just stand in front of it. These ones I liked.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image344.jpg

And now, take that picture, make it black and white, crop it in tighter, and you get my Christmas card picture!!! We have accomplished my goal of getting 1 shot. A shot where AJ is smiling! A shot when the sun was shining. So, so happy.

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We came inside and took some pictures on the stairs. The carpet pattern is green and ugly so the pictures I thought were horrible. There was a bride taking pictures on those same stairs - boy what till she sees that ugly carpet in her photos - oh my. I paid $25 for the photo shoot since I prepurchased the PhotoCD and because the fine print on the receipt says $25 for GF photoshoot. She loads my pictures on a PhotoPass card and we are done. The boys played on the enclosed patio behind their desk with their cars while they were getting the photos ready.

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As they were finishing up our photos, the clouds rolled back in and the sun went away. Boy did I get lucky. The sun came out for about 40 minutes today - just in time for our photo shoot. I guess that was our magical gift from disney. I never saw the Dream Team once this trip and I was looking hard. For $25, it was well worth it. Our photographer was just OK. She seemed distracted and bored taking pictures. For $75 or $125 (the cost without the PhotoPass CD discounts), no way. I'd rather pay a professional photographer at home. Glad we did it. I got my christmas card picture and a few other good ones. I'm happy.

Now we can jump on the monorail and go to Chef Mickey's for dinner. Last trip we did CM for our "last supper", so I felt this was a good tradition to start. So Chef Mickey's is our last dinner this trip too.


Next up: Seeing the Fab5 for dinner

[MJAJmom]

I had to jump in and show you the matching Tshirts, which you've already seen in the pictures. First, I wanted to thank the many talented designers on DISsigns. They blow my mind with their creativity. I stumbled on to that forum rather late in my planning, but did manage to create a few shirts. Now every trip, I'll plan on making making Tshirts. Second, I wanted to show you the ugly carpet. I put the Tshirts on the floor of the GF hotel room and took pictures. I forgot to take a pic before I left, I was running out of time. But you can see the green/yellow swirl carpeting. Just fine for the hotel room, but not great for the background of your photo shoots.

Here are the front and back of the boys shirts. Aren't the design just wonderful -- gosh those folks are amazing!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1497.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1499.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1500.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1501.jpg

For me, I knew I wanted a tinkerbell shirt and a MNSSHP shirt. Didn't have time to explore other shirts for me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1502.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/IMG_1503.jpg

OK, now I'm ready to get back to chef mickey's....

[cdotla]

Great photos from your photo session!

Can't wait to hear about Chef Mickey's!:)

[MJAJmom]

Great photos from your photo session!

Can't wait to hear about Chef Mickey's!:)

Thanks. Chef Mickey's is such a great place. We've been for dinner twice now, I'd like to try out breakfast next time. Good food with the Fab5, you just can't get any better than that!!!

[MJAJmom]

MJ loves riding the monorail. Not because he likes to ride the train or see the lagoon views or hotel views. It's because he likes to pole dance. He likes to climb up the hand support poles and slide down them like a fireman. Every time we get on the monorail. Part boy, part monkey, part fireman.

We find a few pressed penny machines while we're waiting for dinner. Waited about 12 minutes for our table. I love the atmosphere at Chef Mickey's. It feels very alive and festive, but not overwhelming. We get seated in an upper section in back of the buffet, never even saw this section last time. It's cozy but feels somewhat remote. Our server guy is great. Goofy and Mickey are circulating in our small section so we'll meet them and then go to the buffet. Goofy is always fun. Seems hard to get a good picture of him because he's so tall. The boys like Goofy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1439.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1435.jpg

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Mickey came by next. During our last trip, Mickey was last character to come to our table, and after I took 1 shot, my camera battery died. We had not seen Mickey all week and I was so excited for the boys to see Mickey on our last night. I almost threw up!! I ran out to the gift shop and bought a disposable camera and came back. I told my sob story to the character CM and thankfully she got Mickey out so we could take some photos with him. This trip, I was not going to let that happen ever again!!! I just feel so honored when Mickey comes by.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1444.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1447.jpg

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Now we have a quick character break and can go to the buffet line. The boys have gotten used to the fact that they have to come with me to the buffet and stand in line. The boys get some pizza, chicken nuggets and fruits. I try a sample of several dishes and veggies. The dessert buffet is always a hit with the ice cream and toppings, chocolate covered mouse cookies and brownies. I think the food is pretty good here.

Donald Duck comes by next. I gotta say that this is my least favorite outfit for Donald. He looks strange to me in the chef clothes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1484.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1480.jpg

AJ gets in his high-fives with Donald and Pluto. He has such a huge windup before, he keeps the characters waiting before hitting their hands.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1479.jpg

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We wait on getting our dessert because Minnie is just entered our small section. I love here traditional red polka dot dress and hair bow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1451.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1452.jpg

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I think it makes a nicer picture when the characters kneel down and hug the little kids and take pictures down at their level. I need to remember to ask the characters to do that more often, if they don't do it automatically.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1459.jpg

As we are getting our check paid, Mickey comes by one more time. AJ wanted to show Mickey a dance. So they both were dancing together.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1493.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1495.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1490.jpg

Overall, it's a great place, great meal and excellent characters. I like having dinner here on our last night, we don't feel rushed to head out to a park. We make our way back to the monorail, it's raining pretty hard outside now. I'm tired on the rain - go away please.


Next up - Saturday is our last day. Boo-Hoo. We'll try out Cape May Cafe breakfast. Never been to the Beach Club Hotel before.

[cdotla]

Great Chef Mickey photos!!! I agree - you just can't beat this place! We go every trip. ;)

[MJAJmom]

Back at the hotel, the thought of packing everything up at night just is not exciting me. We're all tired and I think I'd rather go to bed than pack. Our flight leaves at 3:30pm. I think we'll eat our breakfast and then come back to pack up and check out. I called and got us an extra hour for check out time if needed.

In the morning, we are all slow to wake up. Our ADR at Cape May Cafe is for 8:05am. It's misting out a little bit, so my plans to walk around the Beach Club hotel and check it out are not looking good. We did go around the back to check out the pool, Storm Along Bay, which looks pretty fun. I'd like to try out either the Beach/Yacht Club or Animal Kingdom Lodge for our next stay (only if DH comes with us, otherwise I'm doing a monorail resort again).

My first impression of the Cape May Cafe is great! It's very casual and festive. Bright colors, looks fun. We are seated in a booth, which works out great for containing little boys. Our server is wonderful and very responsive. I didn't see any characters around so we go straight to the buffet.

The buffet looks very good. All the usual hot stuff and lots of cereals, breads and fruits, more so than other buffets. The food all tasted very good.

The characters come out. They are dressed in beach clothes, they look so fun!! Goofy comes by first. Matthew is giggling as Goofy uses his head to put the clipboard on to sign his autograph.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1509.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1511.jpg

The boys love these character meals. Although they don't eat very much because they're so busy waiting or playing with the characters. MJ thinks we should be eating every meal with some characters. Minnie is next. She looks great in her beach shirt. Whoever they have underneath as Minnie, has always done a fabulous job interacting with my boys.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1515.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1516.jpg

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I didn't get around to making matching shirts for the boys today, but at least I did have them both in plain white shirts. Definitely need to start much earlier making shirts for our next trip. Donald is next. Now this is the Donald I like better, wearing his blue hat. I like this Donald much better than the Chef Mickey Donald. AJ brought his doggie to breakfast. Doggie is who he sleeps with every day and is his snuggly. AJ wanted to show Donald his doggie, and Donald really gets into it. He grabs his doggie and puts in on his head and on his nose, giving him hugs and kissess. AJ just goes wild, he loves it. Still today he talks about how Chip grabbed his doggie at LTT and how Donald played with his doggie at Cape May.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1526.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/IMG_1528.jpg

I just love this picture with AJ snuggling his doggie and Donald holding them both.
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I really enjoyed this breakfast and think this could be a good one for our last breakfast meal on each trip. Because you have to drive to the Beach Club hotel, I think it's harded to include before going to the park for rope drop. The characters seem to come around a lot slower here. But they are very cute and had fun with us at the table. It doesn't look like they'll come by a second time while we are here, so we end up heading back to the hotel. Back to packing up our suitcases. So sad.


Next up: Showing you the signed autograph pages - very awesome!!

[cdotla]

Great update about Cape May for breakfast - we will have to try that on a future trip. We still haven't been there.

I have, however, stayed at the Yacht & Beach Club. It was wonderful. I didn't have the kiddos with me, so if you can believe it, I did not experience Stormalong Bay. However, I did take a 1am dip in the quiet pool!:rotfl: Anyway, I highly recommend this resort. Walkable to both the Studios and Epcot, so it really is almost as convenient as a monorail resort. Plus, that pool just can't be beat! While I didn't personally enjoy it, I certainly checked it out and it is awesome!

So sad when your trip comes to an end, isn't it? :guilty:

Can't wait to see your autographs!:)

[MJAJmom]

I have, however, stayed at the Yacht & Beach Club. It was wonderful. I didn't have the kiddos with me, so if you can believe it, I did not experience Stormalong Bay. However, I did take a 1am dip in the quiet pool!:rotfl: Anyway, I highly recommend this resort. Walkable to both the Studios and Epcot, so it really is almost as convenient as a monorail resort. Plus, that pool just can't be beat! While I didn't personally enjoy it, I certainly checked it out and it is awesome!

Thanks for following my story. I thought the Beach/Yacht Club hotel looked like a nice place to stay. I did not realize that you could walk to HS. How long of a walk was it to Epcot and to DHS? That would be a plus!!

[MJAJmom]

This was our first trip to try character autographs. I wanted to make it special and buying a generic autograph book just didn't seem quite right. So I found the DISsigns forum and found several awesome designers of autograph pages. Mega, mega thanks go to Chaos1Cent, AreYouThereYet, Heather, Natalie and LJCollins for their fabulous autograph pages. Their creativity just blows me away!!!

I figured out what character meals we were doing and what characters we wanted to see at each park. Then printed out a custom autograph page on a blank 4x6 index card. I ended up with about a 3inch stack of cards. I decorated the front of a clipboard for the characters to hold. After the characters signed the pages, we put them in a photo album that had 4 cards per page. The boys loved looking at the autographs we got each day.

Here are some of the autographs. Aren't they awesome!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/DSC_4077.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/DSC_4079.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/DSC_4080.jpg

This is something that we can look at each day and remember our trip. I won't kid you, it took a lot of work. But I am SO SO glad that I did it.


Next up: Checking out of the hotel and heading to DTD to shop and eat

[goofygal531]

We're an all boy family, so there will be no princess breakfasts or BBB for us - makes me sad.


Hi, enjoying your TP!

I just wanted to mention that I also have two boys. My DS4 really wanted to meet Cinderella, as he's never met a princess before. He also really wanted to go inside the castle.

Our most recent trip (over Thanksgiving) we had breakfast at CRT. I have to say, I'm really impressed with how the restaurant incorporates both boys and girls in the "show". When we arrived at the table, my boys were given swords and wishing stars. Mid meal, they have this light show where the boys wave their swords and girls wave their wands over their stars and they make a wish and you see all these stars on the ceiling - cute. My boys loved it. They also loved meeting Mary Poppins.

I never thought I'd be taking my boys to dine with the princesses, but we all enjoyed it.

Next trip, we're going to 1900 Park Fare for dinner. DS4 wants to see Prince Charming! :rotfl: Plus I heard the evil step sisters are a hoot! :rotfl2: He kept seeing the characters from the open door in the GF lobby and really wanted to be apart of the fun. Plus I alway call him my prince, so he wants to meet "THE" prince :)

We're not making a habit of princesses meals, the Castle meal was a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us. I'm not going back for a long time :) But I'm glad we did it.

[goofygal531]

So, important tip for next time -- try the ponchos on the kids before you head out, get them used to it, or buy a normal raincoat. For us, next time I will purchase a normal raincoat for them.



We had heavy rain during MVMCP and my DS4 hated the poncho too! He's also never worn one before either.

For our June trip, I had bought each of the boys lightweight rain coats from Target (tip from this board!:) ) Over in the socks/underwear section, usually on an end rack, you'll see raincoats in a pouch hanging up. Small, like a poncho size folded. They're made out of the poncho vinyl but have snaps down the front and a hood. I think they were $6 each. We have the "Cars". Why I didnt' pack them for our Nov trip I don't know :confused3

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Black-Slicker-Sizes-Medium/dp/B001D1FXHU

That's my best tip for the rain with a 4 year old! :rotfl2:

Might take you up on that double stroller rental! Thanks for sharing:flower3:

[MJAJmom]

Hi, enjoying your TP!

I just wanted to mention that I also have two boys. My DS4 really wanted to meet Cinderella, as he's never met a princess before. He also really wanted to go inside the castle.

Our most recent trip (over Thanksgiving) we had breakfast at CRT. I have to say, I'm really impressed with how the restaurant incorporates both boys and girls in the "show". When we arrived at the table, my boys were given swords and wishing stars. Mid meal, they have this light show where the boys wave their swords and girls wave their wands over their stars and they make a wish and you see all these stars on the ceiling - cute. My boys loved it. They also loved meeting Mary Poppins. .

Hi, thanks for following along. I just never thought to bring the boys to CRT, but that sounds fun. They would love the swords!!!

Funny, just today I showed MJ some pictures of the fairies at the Tinkerbell meet and greet. He said "Gross, I never want to meet them!" Oh my. I would like to try 1900 Park Fare at our next visit. This trip, I was deciding on either Ohanas or Park Fare, we choose Ohanas. Always can get excited for things to do for next trip.

[MJAJmom]

We had heavy rain during MVMCP and my DS4 hated the poncho too! He's also never worn one before either.

For our June trip, I had bought each of the boys lightweight rain coats from Target (tip from this board!:) ) Over in the socks/underwear section, usually on an end rack, you'll see raincoats in a pouch hanging up. Small, like a poncho size folded. They're made out of the poncho vinyl but have snaps down the front and a hood. I think they were $6 each. We have the "Cars". Why I didnt' pack them for our Nov trip I don't know :confused3

Good suggestion, those black raincoats look nice, and seem like they'd fit better. My boys just did not like the feel of the ponchos. It was too bulky and their arms got lost underneath. Then once I took it off and tried to put it back on, the poncho was wet underneath and MJ threw a fit. "Yuck, it's all wet on me!!" Luckily they LOVED their umbrellas. Next trip, I'll plan better for rain.

[goofygal531]

Funny, just today I showed MJ some pictures of the fairies at the Tinkerbell meet and greet. He said "Gross, I never want to meet them!"

Oh, same here! They have no interest in the faires! :rotfl2: My son just wanted to know what was in the castle. For some reason, he kept asking me if there was an elevator in there. He was so excited to discover there was one and he could ride in it! I think the elevator and the swords were the big hit, he didn't care so much about the actual princesses (he really doesn't know any of them). Oh and the kids meal comes with french toast sticks which are his favorite and are hard to find in WDW, so that was a hit too :)

He did ask Mary Poppins where the children were. I loved her answer "they're flying a kite with their father, now stand up straight don't slouch for the photo!" :rotfl2: She was a riot!

I would like to try 1900 Park Fare at our next visit. This trip, I was deciding on either Ohanas or Park Fare, we choose Ohanas.

When in June will you be there? We're also staying at the GF in June - 6/12-6/19.

1900 Park Fare has a nice character breakfast. They have Alice, Mad Hatter, Pooh and Tigger inside the restaurant. Mary Poppins and Bert sit outside for photos and pictures. We love the make your own omlete section - I think this is the only breakfast buffet that offers that! It's great if you're staying at the GF and want a nice breakfast but need those character distractions for the kids. I have to say, I think it's an odd mix of characters :rotfl:

We're also going to O'hanas in June. I just wish the EMHs would be released already! :headache:

My boys also loved the Garden Grill. Have you been there? The meal is similar to LTT, the character interaction is fantasic! We love how the restaurant revolves and you see the Land boat ride below. My boys loved it so much that we had to change our plans and dine there TWICE on our last trip!

We're also trying the Biergarten in Germany this trip. It gets rave reviews on the boards and they have a show during the meal to entertain the kids. I'm all for meals with entertainmentl! :rotfl:

[MJAJmom]

When in June will you be there? We're also staying at the GF in June - 6/12-6/19.

1900 Park Fare has a nice character breakfast. They have Alice, Mad Hatter, Pooh and Tigger inside the restaurant. Mary Poppins and Bert sit outside for photos and pictures. We love the make your own omlete section - I think this is the only breakfast buffet that offers that! It's great if you're staying at the GF and want a nice breakfast but need those character distractions for the kids. I have to say, I think it's an odd mix of characters :rotfl:

We're also going to O'hanas in June. I just wish the EMHs would be released already! :headache:

My boys also loved the Garden Grill. Have you been there? The meal is similar to LTT, the character interaction is fantasic! We love how the restaurant revolves and you see the Land boat ride below. My boys loved it so much that we had to change our plans and dine there TWICE on our last trip!


Next trip, I'd like to try 1900 Park Fare breakfast and Garden Grill dinner (never been to these before). Sounds like you had a good time at ParkFare. Our only experience with face characters was with Belle, I'd love to see how my boys do with Mary Poppins and Mad Hatter. Garden Grill seems like a fun place, and Chip/Dale are always great. Glad to know your kids enjoyed it.

I'm very frustrated that the hours for May/June have not been released yet. I'm pretty sure Disney is evaluating some cutbacks due to the slow economy. Right now, I have booked June 7-14 at GF with the 4/3 promotion. I really would like to go in late April/May, but I can't pull MJ out of school anymore. So we'll have to wait until school is out on 6/3.

I'm thinking of maybe switching from GF to Beach/Yacht Club, the SAB pool would be fun in the summer. I'm also hoping to take a 7day disney cruise starting the saturday 6/13, so my plans may be changing soon. I've never been to Disney in the summer, I'm scared to death of the crowds. I'd like to experience Star Wars weekends, both boys loved StarWars.

[goofygal531]

Next trip, I'd like to try 1900 Park Fare breakfast and Garden Grill dinner (never been to these before). Sounds like you had a good time at ParkFare. Our only experience with face characters was with Belle, I'd love to see how my boys do with Mary Poppins and Mad Hatter. Garden Grill seems like a fun place, and Chip/Dale are always great. Glad to know your kids enjoyed it. .

Face characters are a lot of fun. You can find Mary Poppins in the UK, in Epcot. We also bumped into Alice and Mad Hatter ON the tea cups! I've never seen characters on the rides before! It was minutes after rope drop at MK and we were getting on the tea cups and found them in the cup next to us!! That was fun! DS4 of course had no clue who they were, but was excited to see characters! :rotfl2:

I'm very frustrated that the hours for May/June have not been released yet. I'm pretty sure Disney is evaluating some cutbacks due to the slow economy. Right now, I have booked June 7-14 at GF with the 4/3 promotion. I really would like to go in late April/May, but I can't pull MJ out of school anymore. So we'll have to wait until school is out on 6/3.

They're updating their ADR system and the hours have something to do with it. It really stinks because Sunday would have been my 180 mark, now that's meaningless :headache:

I'm thinking of maybe switching from GF to Beach/Yacht Club, the SAB pool would be fun in the summer. I'm also hoping to take a 7day disney cruise starting the saturday 6/13, so my plans may be changing soon. I've never been to Disney in the summer, I'm scared to death of the crowds. I'd like to experience Star Wars weekends, both boys loved StarWars.

The Beach Club is really nice, I just don't like their walk out balconys. They're not full balconys. But the location is perfect. You can easily walk to Epcot and DHS. The worst thing about the Epcot resorts are the lack of counter service restaurants. You won't find anything like the GF's Gasparilla Grill there. The Beach Club Marketplace doesn't have any hot food. Not fun trying to explain to a child why he can't have a Mickey waffle for breakfast! :rotfl2:

Summer is fun in WDW. My boys actually prefer June to Nov. We might stop our Nov trips. They really missed the pool. The GF pool is perfect for them. DS4 loves the slide and with a lifevest from the marina he can go down it alone. We're also going to try Blizzard Beach this trip. DS4 is dying to go to a water park!

You just have to plan differently in the summer. Last June we did rope drop each morning, then by 11:30 had lunch then left the park for the resort pool. The crowds aren't bad, it's the heat that's worse!

You'll love the cruise! :lovestruc DH and I went on one before we had kids. I'm waiting until my little one is 3 until we go again.

Star Wars weekends are CRAZY! I'm not sure it's something I would take children to. It's like a huge convention with crazy adults in stormtrooper costumes! Do some research on this with kids, it really looks out of control crowded. Anytime we're in DHS during it, we RUN in the opposite direction, which is usually Playhouse Disney. Last June we lasted 2 hours in DHS. Crowds were insane from Star Wars and the heat was just horrible. At least in Epcot there's a lot of indoor attractions in a/c.

Thanks for the info on the stroller. I've never considered renting before.

[MJAJmom]

So sad, I really do have to pack up now. It's so much quicker to pack up on the way home than packing before the trip. I bought a pop up hamper from the dollar store, that was very helpful in keeping the dirty clothes out of the way and all in one place. I get my suitcase packed and now have to switch over to the big backpack for carrying on the plane. My backpack full of snacks, a PSP, colorbooks, DVD player, and more snacks.

This trip I tried out a baggalini messenger bag. Before I always used a regular backpack since I was carrying diapers. Here is a picture of me carrying my fancy brown baggallini:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/image126-1.jpg

It was the perfect size for carrying some snacks, camera, tickets, wallet, autograph pages and other misc stuff. The strap was comfortable enough, but it kept sliding down. The adjustment clips didn't stay put, and that bugged me. I just didn't have time to try to monkey with it and find out how to make it not slide. I'll use it again probably because the size was just right, it had a few pockets inside and was easy to get into.

I had everything packed up, checked out and off we went in the rental car to DTD to shop and eat lunch. Little did I know that I made 2 serious mistakes in packing that I would find out later.....

I told the boys they could buy a toy at the World of Disney store, so they were excited. I totally forgot about the new TRex place that was now open. We had an ADR at Fulton Crabhouse but figured we see how crowded TRex was first. Since it just opened 2 weeks ago, I thought it would be packed. It was 11:15am and there was only 5 people in line for lunch. There was no wait, they were seating them as soon as they got to the hostess desk. So, let's try out this place for lunch instead.

TRex is simply amazing. There are several themed rooms, the coral room with a huge octopus overhead, the meteor room with large dinosaurs and mammouths with a thundering meteor shower every 5 minutes, a blue frozen ice room, and a more open field room with grazing dinosaurs. So well designed. But extremely LOUD. We were seated right up front in the coral room. At first I was really bummed because it seemed like this section was not good. It didn't have the dinosaurs in it. You can still see everything, I just thought the meteor room would have been more fun. It's loud no matter which section you're in. I got the Paleonzoic chicken sandwich, which was a fried pizza dough bread with chicken. It sounded good, but was not. The bread was actually fried puffed dough, like at the circus, wrapped around the chicken. How do you eat that?? Anyways, I ate the chicken, avocado and stuff inside, which was good. Just couldn't eat the crunchy bread. Won't order that again. Overall, the place is spectacular. Where else but Disney can you go and eat lunch with animated 20 foot dinosaurs. Reminded me of the Rainforest Cafe, except with a dinosaur theme instead of jungle theme. You really need to eat here once to experience it. Then decide if you want to go back for seconds. Not sure if we'll be back next time.

Now for packing mistake #1. The TRex place was awesome so I wanted to take some pictures. But... where is my camera? Oh no.... it's packed deep within my suitcase which is in the trunk of the car. I have switched to my airplane backpack. Thinking that I didn't need my camera on the plane, I just packed it away. Never thinking that I might want to take pictures at DTD. BAD GIRL!!!! OK, so no pictures of TRex, Lego structures, or anything else cool at DTD.

We enter the World of Disney to buy ONE toy for each boy. I explain that they have to make a choice and only pick one toy. Yeah, like that's being realistic!!! The place is just huge with tons of toys, the boys eyes are popping out. AJ knows exactly what he wants. It's June and Leo dolls from Little Einsteins. He's totally happy. I guess we are getting 2 toys because I just can't break his little heart. He loves June and Leo and is hugging and kissing them. "Yes sweetie, it's OK, you can get 2 of them." We made it through the week without purchasing any toys (pin trading really helped, made it seem like they were picking out a little toy each time). MJ is having a hard time picking something. He's browing POTC, Toy Story and Star Wars. So hard for him to decide. Finally he gets a Buzz Lightyear transformer and a Jack Sparrow action figure.

We walk back to the car. I'm sad because I know this is the final walk. The long, slow walk out of a Disney place for the last time, it's our last day and time to say goodbye. So sad. Can't say goodbye because we'll be back again. So we say, so long Mickey Mouse, thanks for a magical trip!!!! See you next time!

And as I'm driving away, already sad that we are leaving. I'm thinking about our trip and the things we got to do. We turn in the rental car and are waiting at the airport for the plane. My stomach just clenches, and I realize packing mistake #2. Oh no!!! I left my IPOD in the alarm clock/music player in the room. I used it to play lullaby music at night for the boys to go to sleep. I forgot to grab it and put it in my suitcase. Great, like I'm ever going to get that back!!! I have visions of Mousekeeping dancing around to my iTunes while they are cleaning.....We'll just have to deal with that when I get home. The flight home is a direct flight to Austin. The boys are happy watching the individual TVs on the Jetblue seatbacks. We are home safe. DH picks us up. Lots of hugs and kisses. We are now back in the real world.


Next up: Reflection about our trip. What went right/wrong. What we liked/didn't. What to do for next trip.

[MJAJmom]

The Beach Club is really nice, I just don't like their walk out balconys. They're not full balconys. But the location is perfect. You can easily walk to Epcot and DHS. The worst thing about the Epcot resorts are the lack of counter service restaurants. You won't find anything like the GF's Gasparilla Grill there. The Beach Club Marketplace doesn't have any hot food. Not fun trying to explain to a child why he can't have a Mickey waffle for breakfast!

Thanks for that scoop. We also love the GF, we've stayed there twice now. We're comfortable there, love the pool/slide as well, and you just gotta love the monorail for easy access. I'd like to try another hotel, just not sure I'm ready to do that yet. Still evaluating the Beach/Yacht Club. I do like a full balcony. Doesn't the Yacht Club have full balconys?


Summer is fun in WDW. My boys actually prefer June to Nov. We might stop our Nov trips. They really missed the pool. The GF pool is perfect for them. DS4 loves the slide and with a lifevest from the marina he can go down it alone. We're also going to try Blizzard Beach this trip. DS4 is dying to go to a water park!

You just have to plan differently in the summer. Last June we did rope drop each morning, then by 11:30 had lunch then left the park for the resort pool. The crowds aren't bad, it's the heat that's worse!

Star Wars weekends are CRAZY! I'm not sure it's something I would take children to. It's like a huge convention with crazy adults in stormtrooper costumes! Do some research on this with kids, it really looks out of control crowded. Anytime we're in DHS during it, we RUN in the opposite direction, which is usually Playhouse Disney. Last June we lasted 2 hours in DHS. Crowds were insane from Star Wars and the heat was just horrible. At least in Epcot there's a lot of indoor attractions in a/c.

Thanks for the info on the stroller. I've never considered renting before.

For summer, we'd love the pools. We also get up early for rope drop and then head back to the hotel after lunch. That should miss some of the midday heat. I just have to prepare myself for the crowds. We've been in late april and October when the crowds levels are only a 4-6 level. The june crowds are at 8 of 10. Scary!!!

I'm mixed on going for Star Wars weekend, like you said because of insane crowds. The boys love Star Wars, so we might have to at least try 1 day. I know I'll have to do lots of planning for a summer schedule and for a SW day at DHS. But I love planning, so it will be exciting to figure it all out. I just remember in april thinking about the park twice as hot and twice as crowded and concluding there is no way I want to do that!!!!

[goofygal531]

Yes, the YC has full balconies. But then you're a far walk to the BC Marketplace (food area). They're lots of pros/cons. I love that they show movies on the beach at night.

Your boys are the perfect age to enjoy the YC/BC pool. Plus it's walking distance to DHS, which is very handy when it's crowded! We walked to DHS from the BWI back and forth this Nov. The boat dock was very crowded. It was a nice 15 min stroll. Plus we really liked knowing we weren't "trapped" at the park.

You might want to switch over to the YC/BC, it has more to offer you in June.

As for June crowds, they never bothered us. We never found it "crowded" the weather is more of a problem. We never thought it would be as hot as it was. One day we lasted at DHS only one hour and had to leave. It was just too hot outside.

This June, we're planning mornings by the pool or at a waterpark then hitting the parks for the afternoon parades (which we've never seen before). You will see and do a lot less in the parks than you would off season. We like taking this time to enjoy the resort and actually "relaxing" in Disney.

As for dining, we're just making dinner ADRs. I'm keeping breakfast and lunch open incase the weather is just too unbearable.

It's a different vacation than in the off season, and we actually find it more relaxing. We've been there enough times that it's no big deal if we don't see something this time around.

Oh, and it rains everyday for 15 mins in June! :) Thanks for the tip about the kid's umbrellas - I never thought to bring them!

Glad T-Rex was a hit. We're planning on going there in June too.

I have the same Baggalini - I've never used it. I stash so much in the stroller, I just didn't need it. I think I'll use it more once we're done with the stroller in a few years.

Looking forward to reading your "thoughts and reflections" on your Oct trip!
Mare

[cdotla]

It is about a 5 min walk to Epcot. And the most pleasant scenery you could ever find!

And about 10-15 mins to the Studios.

And the balconies at the Yacht Club are great. The ones at Beach are much smaller and not every room has one.

Overall sounds like an awesome trip, especially for a mom's 1st solo trip with the boys. Watch out -these solo trips are addictive!

Can't wait to hear your final thoughts!

Thanks for following my story. I thought the Beach/Yacht Club hotel looked like a nice place to stay. I did not realize that you could walk to HS. How long of a walk was it to Epcot and to DHS? That would be a plus!!

[MJAJmom]

So many thoughts go swirling through my mind when I think about our trip. So where do I begin???? First of all, I have to say it went better than I imagined. Taking a solo trip with MJ and AJ alone at a mega resort/park environment had me a little nervous, but we did it! The time spent together was special and magical. I didn't lose my mind and the boys behaved better than I expected. Our park plans and ADRs worked out great and we explored several new things. The most exciting realization is that now I know I can do a solo trip and I'd be thrilled to do it again if DH can't come. The boys still talk about fun things we did at Disney. This was only the second trip to WDW for the boys, so we still have so many new rides/shows/dining to try out.

October trips - The weather was great, sunny and warm enough for shorts with maybe a light jacket for early morning or late night. The crowds were very manageable (maybe only 5-6 of 10). We've been in late April and October when crowds were good, not sure how I'm going to feel about crowds in June for our next trip.

Our hotel choice - This is our second stay at Grand Floridian. Wonderful hotel, very nice rooms, fun pool, pretty place. Very expensive of course. Our room was on the first floor, and after trying that for a week, I concluded that I'd rather be on an upper floor for a higher nicer balcony view. I felt like I didn't get to enjoy the balconey. Our building Sago Cay was right by Gasparillas so that was nice, plus it had a marina view. Last time we stayed in Big Pine Key, and I did like that location better because it's closer to the big pool. Right now, I'm booked for GF again in June but am thinking about switching to Beach/Yacht Club. Not sure I can give up the monorail yet!

Dining - The character meals are awesome. Since we have to eat, we might as well do it with the characters. New places we tried this trip were SciFi, Coral Reef, Tony's Town Square, Tusker House, Ohana's, TRex, Cape May Cafe, Casey's Hotdogs, and Gasparillas. I loved Coral Reef and all of us liked Tusker House and Cape May Cafe, so these 3 will be added to our must do list each trip which already included Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, Hollywood & Vine. So sad that LTT will no longer have characters next year, we will miss that place. Next trip I'd like to try Garden Grill dinner, 1900 ParkFare for breakfast. We will continue to do early breakfast ADRs in the park before it opens (H&V before DHS, and TuskerHouse before AK). I'll have to investigate the Epcot World dining to find a good place for dinner one night (other than GardenGrill)

Photographs - We got lots of PhotoPass pictures this trip, that was fun. I'd like to be more bold next time and have more pictures taken by them. I like my camera, it takes pretty good pictures. I just need to take MORE pictures. I didn't take any photos of the hotel, hotel room, attractions, scenery. I got lots of character photos, but wish I took more shots of the kids on rides/shows. I'd like to ask the characters to kneel down with the boys since they are so short and not have all our photos of characters standing up.

DHS - Probably a tie with MK as our favorite park for the boys. We loved TSM, Indy, Star Tours, Fantasmic and all the characters. Next time we'll try to see the parade, LMA, Great Movie Ride and maybe TOT. I'll plan for 2 days here next time

Epcot - This trip we only did FutureWorld. We loved Soarin, TestTrack, Character Spot and Visa Meet&Greet, don't need to ride Nemo again. Next trip will do MissionSpace and explore the countries in the World. Early EMH are a must do again for us.

MK - How can you not love MK?? So many great rides. Clearly POTC was the favorite this trip and let's not forget the sword in the stone!! FantasyLand is great for little kids, Buzz is AJ's favorite. Next time we'd like to try SplashMountain and BigThunder. Early EMH is another must do.

AK - We didn't get to explore much here due to the rain, so we still need to see Maharaja Trek, PrimevalWhirl and maybe Dinosaur and EE if AJ is tall enough. We liked Camp MickeyMinnie and LionKing.

MNSSHP - A great party with a fantastic parade. The characters were plentiful and seeing them in costume was even better. Since we will only be at WDW once or twice a year, I'd like to do MVMCP next. I'm hoping we can make a trip in June and either Nov/Dec for 2009.

Planning - I can't imagine how people can just show up with no planning at WDW. I'm a mega planner so starting early is always better. Need to allow more time to make my Tshirts and autograph pages next trip. Renting a double stroller from OrlandoStrollerRenters was so easy and so wonderful, that I'll probably do it again in June. Will need to fix my Baggalini straps before using it again. Need to plan on a bit more downtime for swimming and goofing around the hotels.

Prepurchases - The tubes of glowsticks and the popup hamper were the best things I bought at the dollar store. Bringing the boys umbrellas was done at the last minute and thankfully I had those because the ponchos did not work out. I need to find regular raincoats or vinyl raincoats for next time. I brought way too many snacks, we barely ate half of them. Because we had MNSSHP candy, they didn't need to eat the snacks I bought.

Pin Trading - This was a big hit with MJ and it was very fun. I can see how this will become addicting. I'm glad I bought a large lot of trading pins to start us off, will do that again for next trip. CMs were so nice and helpful, making our first experiences very easy.

Love for Disney - I think the more times you go to Disney, the more you NEED to come back. Disney is an AWESOME place, no other place like it in the world. A dream world for kids, and I want my boys to enjoy it while they are still little. OK, so I really love it too.

Hard to believe our trip is over and that it was 2 months ago now. This is my first trip report and it was fun to write, but also very involved and time consuming (more than I thought it would be). I did like reliving our trip through pictures and words, so there will be future trip reports from me.

Thank you for following along and sharing my story. For my October trip, just mom and my 2 young boys, this trip report is done!!!


Now..... what is planned for our June 2009 trip???

[cdotla]

Great report, and excellent tips! I loved your final thoughts at the end.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comment that the more times you go to Disney, the more times you NEED to go!;)

I am also completely with you on trying to get my kids there as much as I can while they are still young. Completely magical!:goodvibes

At least you don't have that long to wait until your next trip. Good luck deciding btwn GF and YC/BC...if you are anything like me you will probably switch your mind a thousand times btwn then and now.

Given your boys seem to like HS just as much as MK, combined with the fact that you have already stayed twice at GF, my vote wld be for the YC. (Yacht over Beach so that you will be assured of an awesome balcony!)

You will love being able to walk to Epcot and HS. The 5 min walk to Epcot puts you into Worldshowcase btwn Canada and France. It is really awesome. Plus, that way you are assured that you will get to do WS!;)

Is your husband coming on your next trip? If so, won't it be great to teach him all the tricks you learned this time around? You are going to look like a real pro!;)

Happy planning!!!

[goofygal531]

Wonderul relections!

Thanks for the tip on the pop up hamper! :thumbsup2

For an Epcot ADR, how about Biergarten? There's a show during the meal. We're going to try it in June. You can find the show hours on Steve's Entertainment site under "Epcot, Germany". They recommend making your ADR 15 to 20 mins prior to show time so you have you have time to hit the buffet first. It's gotten great reviews and seems to be really popular.

In World Showcase, my boys love the Mexico and Norway boat rides. My DS4 loves the Kidcot stops where you decorate the masks. They also love to watch the model trains in Germany. They find lots of things to discover in the countries. I think they enjoy it more than I expected them to. Just stay away from the Toy Store in the UK, especially if you have a Thomas the Train fan! :) I've heard it's also fun for the kids to collect candy from each country. Like original gummy bears in Germany, chocolate from UK, etc....

If you're planning to return next fall, then plan for more pool time at the YC in June. Plan more time in Epcot and DHS, since you'll be so close. Then do more MK and AK in the fall. AK is always 10 degress warmer due to the foliage, it's better in the fall. Way too hot in June. We also plan our meals more in the YC/BC area when we're there. We don't do monorail meals when at that far away, save them for when you're at the GF.

Basically, it's like you're planning two trips at the same time. But you'll allow more down time in June with the intention of missing stuff and saving it for the fall.

[MJAJmom]

Great report, and excellent tips! I loved your final thoughts at the end.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comment that the more times you go to Disney, the more times you NEED to go!;)

I am also completely with you on trying to get my kids there as much as I can while they are still young. Completely magical!:goodvibes

Thank you, Cdotla, for following along and sharing your thoughts. I think you can easily get addicted to Disney!!



At least you don't have that long to wait until your next trip. Good luck deciding btwn GF and YC/BC...if you are anything like me you will probably switch your mind a thousand times btwn then and now.

Given your boys seem to like HS just as much as MK, combined with the fact that you have already stayed twice at GF, my vote wld be for the YC. (Yacht over Beach so that you will be assured of an awesome balcony!)

You will love being able to walk to Epcot and HS. The 5 min walk to Epcot puts you into Worldshowcase btwn Canada and France. It is really awesome. Plus, that way you are assured that you will get to do WS!;)

Is your husband coming on your next trip? If so, won't it be great to teach him all the tricks you learned this time around? You are going to look like a real pro!

I think BC/YC would be fun for the summer, I haven't switched my ressie yet. Just procrastinating!! Right now, DH is scheduled to go. I'm trying to talk him into going on a 7day cruise afterwards!! Have not been successful yet. Then maybe staying at GF for Nov/Dec for easy access to MVMCP.

[MJAJmom]

Wonderul relections! For an Epcot ADR, how about Biergarten? There's a show during the meal. We're going to try it in June. You can find the show hours on Steve's Entertainment site under "Epcot, Germany". They recommend making your ADR 15 to 20 mins prior to show time so you have you have time to hit the buffet first. It's gotten great reviews and seems to be really popular.

In World Showcase, my boys love the Mexico and Norway boat rides. My DS4 loves the Kidcot stops where you decorate the masks. They also love to watch the model trains in Germany. They find lots of things to discover in the countries. I think they enjoy it more than I expected them to. Just stay away from the Toy Store in the UK, especially if you have a Thomas the Train fan! :) I've heard it's also fun for the kids to collect candy from each country. Like original gummy bears in Germany, chocolate from UK, etc....

If you're planning to return next fall, then plan for more pool time at the YC in June. Plan more time in Epcot and DHS, since you'll be so close. Then do more MK and AK in the fall. AK is always 10 degress warmer due to the foliage, it's better in the fall. Way too hot in June. We also plan our meals more in the YC/BC area when we're there. We don't do monorail meals when at that far away, save them for when you're at the GF.

Thank you for your wonderful insights and for following my TR. Great suggestions for Epcot world. Honestly, I have done no research on the countries - I'll look into those. MJ will have finished kindergarten by the summer, so learning about the countries may interest him more.

I think I like the YC better than the BC, but still looking at pictures and reading reviews. What a wonderful website DISboards is, I have learned so much here!!

[MJAJmom]

It finally happened. Today in the mail, there were 2 boxes from Disney Dreams, each had Dream MouseEars inside. One addressed to me and one to MJ.

During our April and October vacations, I never saw the Dream Team, we never even got a towel animal!! I've been sending in postcards to the Disney Dreams address since early October. Funny, I was just thinking this past weekend that sending in any more postcards was probably a waste of time since we hadn't won anything from it.

So Disney delivered!!! Thank you Disney Dreams. My boys love their Dream MouseEars!!

[cdotla]

Wow - congrats on your ears. I never thought to do that! Glad it paid off!:goodvibes

[jaqclenz]

I really enjoyed reading your trip report! We are taking our first trip to Disney in June with our 8 year old DD and 9 year old DS.

Do you remember where you ordered the lanyards from? Do you know if there is a thread that has all the parades and times listed?

[MJAJmom]

I really enjoyed reading your trip report! We are taking our first trip to Disney in June with our 8 year old DD and 9 year old DS.

Do you remember where you ordered the lanyards from? Do you know if there is a thread that has all the parades and times listed?

Hi Jaqclenz, thanks for following along! Hopefully we will be there again in early June!!

I ordered the lanyards from www.laughingplacestore.com They were about $6 each. I got a reddish/brown POTC, a red Mickey Mouse and a black tinkerbell one. They came pretty quick.

There is a great website called Steve Soars Live Entertainment that lists all the show times, parades, events and character meeting times by theme park. http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/

Have a great time planning!

[sueh]

What a wonderful trip report. I just stumbled upon it.
I am a single mom and I will be taking my girls in December. I know that I will be overwhelmed but I know we will have fun.

It's great to see that you were able to ride all the rides together.

A couple of questions: You rode test track? The 3 of you? My girls want to do this but I thought that may be to short.

And the test track at Magic Kingdom. The 3 of you fit in one car and they took turns driving?

Also Buzz lightyear. I heard that only 2 could ride because there was only 2 guns. Did all 3 of you go on this together?

Any other hints or information that you could give me would be great. I just want to make sure that we can ride the rides together and just have a great time.

Thanks
Sue

[MJAJmom]

A couple of questions: You rode test track? The 3 of you? My girls want to do this but I thought that may be to short.

And the test track at Magic Kingdom. The 3 of you fit in one car and they took turns driving?

Also Buzz lightyear. I heard that only 2 could ride because there was only 2 guns. Did all 3 of you go on this together?

Any other hints or information that you could give me would be great. I just want to make sure that we can ride the rides together and just have a great time.

Hi Sue, thanks for stopping by and checking out my trip report. We had a great time, and going alone was not as hard as I thought it could be.

There is a great site of All Ears that shows the seating arrangments for each ride: http://allears.net/tp/gal_ride.htm You can see which rides can fit lots of people across in a row (like POTC), and some that can only support 2 people in a row (like Barnstormer). Check it out.

For Test Track at Epcot, the car seats 6, 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row. So that was perfect for us! The height requirement is 40inches, my DS3 made it by 1/2 inch.

At MK, the Indy Speedway cars can sit 3 people. I sat on the outside and controlled the gas pedal. DS6 and DS3 had to take turns driving and holding the steering wheel. We'd drive around a short distance, then I'd announce it was time to switch turns.

For Buzz Lightyear at MK and TSM at DHS, there are only 2 guns. I sat in the middle and my 2 boys used the guns. I helped DS3 with aiming the gun.

We squeezed 3 into Dumbo as well, and again it was all about taking turns. MJ controlled the joy stick for 2 rotations, then we switched. We talked about the taking turns part before the ride (either take turns or we can't ride it all you, you boys decide).

You'll have a great time!! Just realize that you'll need to make some adjustments, and may have to skip a ride if you or your girls aren't comfortable with the seating.

[sueh]

Hi Sue, thanks for stopping by and checking out my trip report. We had a great time, and going alone was not as hard as I thought it could be.

There is a great site of All Ears that shows the seating arrangments for each ride: http://allears.net/tp/gal_ride.htm You can see which rides can fit lots of people across in a row (like POTC), and some that can only support 2 people in a row (like Barnstormer). Check it out.

For Test Track at Epcot, the car seats 6, 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row. So that was perfect for us! The height requirement is 40inches, my DS3 made it by 1/2 inch.

At MK, the Indy Speedway cars can sit 3 people. I sat on the outside and controlled the gas pedal. DS6 and DS3 had to take turns driving and holding the steering wheel. We'd drive around a short distance, then I'd announce it was time to switch turns.

For Buzz Lightyear at MK and TSM at DHS, there are only 2 guns. I sat in the middle and my 2 boys used the guns. I helped DS3 with aiming the gun.

We squeezed 3 into Dumbo as well, and again it was all about taking turns. MJ controlled the joy stick for 2 rotations, then we switched. We talked about the taking turns part before the ride (either take turns or we can't ride it all you, you boys decide).

You'll have a great time!! Just realize that you'll need to make some adjustments, and may have to skip a ride if you or your girls aren't comfortable with the seating.

Thanks!

That link to the pictures of the rides is great.
I think after seeing that we should be fine. When I went in July there were 4 other adults but I did ride most of the rides with the girls but there was such much we didn't see or ride :(
I am sure that everything will work out and we will have a great time!

Thanks again!

[bjakmom]

Thanks for this awesome TR!! Your boys are adorable. I am suddenly having to reschedule a late-Sept trip with DGrD (5) and am looking at the last two weeks of Oct. We LOVE MNSSHP and want to stay at BLT if we can book there and attend 2 parties. I love traveling alone with the little ones - even with all of the challenges!! After reading your TR, I think I'm leaning toward the 3rd week - sounds like the weather and crowds were great for you. I would love to make a set of personalized autograph cards - do you have them in a format that you can share?

[MJAJmom]

Thanks for this awesome TR!! Your boys are adorable. I am suddenly having to reschedule a late-Sept trip with DGrD (5) and am looking at the last two weeks of Oct. We LOVE MNSSHP and want to stay at BLT if we can book there and attend 2 parties. I love traveling alone with the little ones - even with all of the challenges!! After reading your TR, I think I'm leaning toward the 3rd week - sounds like the weather and crowds were great for you. I would love to make a set of personalized autograph cards - do you have them in a format that you can share?

Hi Bjakmom, thanks for reading!! The weather in october was fabulous and the crowds were very manageable. I think you'll enjoy it!! I wanted to avoid the week with Columbus day and avoid the week with Halloween, so that left the 3rd week of Oct. This was our first MNSSHP and it was awesome!

About the autograph cards... if you check out the forum called DISsigns, there are several designers that make autograph cards. You can look through all their photobucket designs and pick the ones you like. Then print them out on 4x6 index cards. They have them organized by character meals, events, blank cards, cards with the characters names on them, cards without the names. Here are several of them that I used:

Chaos1cent http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/d...acter%20Meals/
LJcollins http://s345.photobucket.com/albums/p...20personalise/
AreWeThereYet http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1905594
Natalie http://www.4shared.com/account/home.jsp
Heather http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1911771

There are LOTs of pages to look through, it was fun just viewing all the cool designs. Have a wonderful trip!!!

[Buckeye Princess]

I just stumbled upon your trip report and read it the whole way through! I'm pregnant and due in about 2 1/2 weeks so it helped pass the time as I'm starting to get anxious with aniticpation. I'm so happy to hear that the trip by yourself went well. This is my first so I'm already dreaming of taking her and any future little ones to Disney. My husband is currently in medical school with a long road ahead of busy residencies and fellowships. I often worry about vacation time and don't want my kids to miss out. I've thought about whether I'd be able to take kids on trips on their own. It is very reassuring to hear that it is indeed possible!

Did you get your ipod back?

[MJAJmom]

I just stumbled upon your trip report and read it the whole way through! I'm pregnant and due in about 2 1/2 weeks so it helped pass the time as I'm starting to get anxious with aniticpation. I'm so happy to hear that the trip by yourself went well. This is my first so I'm already dreaming of taking her and any future little ones to Disney. My husband is currently in medical school with a long road ahead of busy residencies and fellowships. I often worry about vacation time and don't want my kids to miss out. I've thought about whether I'd be able to take kids on trips on their own. It is very reassuring to hear that it is indeed possible!

Did you get your ipod back?

I love your name - Buckeye Princess!! I went to school at Purdue and drove through Ohio many times to/from my home in Mass. Thanks for reading along. I bet you are ready to have a baby - do you know if it's a boy or girl?? The first baby is so special, soak in every moment!! If you can manage getting up all hours of the night taking care of a newborn the first month, then going to disney alone with kids will look so easy!!

Yes, I did get my IPod back!! I totally forgot to finish that part of the story. When I got home, I called the Grand Floridian hotel and talked to lost and found. Told them my room number and they said they found it. Boy was I relieved!! The mailed it back to me and I received it - all was working fine. Thank you Disney!!!

[bjakmom]

Thanks for all the links!! That'll keep me busy!;)

[MJAJmom]

Wow, today the mailman delivered 3 boxes of Dream ears!! One for me, AJ and MJ. These were different looking ears from the ones we won last year. I'm guessing this was probably the last mass mailing of dream prizes from all the cards I mailed in from December.

We are now well stocked with dream ears!!!

[syp4dis]

I came across your trip report while researching for my upcoming May trip and I was hooked. Read it straight through. I also have two young boys, my oldest will turn 5 a few days after we leave Disney and my youngest will be nearly 3 when we're there.

I applaud you for taking your sons there on your own, especially while they're so young. I don't know that I would have thought it possible if not for your story. I know the kids will always have fun, but it sounds as if you did as well. Your level of organization is amazing. I thought I had it together, but you opened my ideas to a few things... such as making sure a meal is planned at least every 4 hours or (in my case) risk serious meltdowns. I have to rethink my ADR's. I'm also stealing your glowsticks idea. How simple and great is that?

Thanks for sharing and I hope your next trip goes as well. Keep us posted!

[MJAJmom]

I came across your trip report while researching for my upcoming May trip and I was hooked. Read it straight through. I also have two young boys, my oldest will turn 5 a few days after we leave Disney and my youngest will be nearly 3 when we're there.

I applaud you for taking your sons there on your own, especially while they're so young. I don't know that I would have thought it possible if not for your story. I know the kids will always have fun, but it sounds as if you did as well. Your level of organization is amazing. I thought I had it together, but you opened my ideas to a few things... such as making sure a meal is planned at least every 4 hours or (in my case) risk serious meltdowns. I have to rethink my ADR's. I'm also stealing your glowsticks idea. How simple and great is that?

Thanks for following along!! May will be a great time to go for you and your boys, have fun planning!! Your boys are right around the same ages as mine when we went last April. I love planning and I'm very detail oriented, so being mega organized for a Disney trip is something I like to do. Last week I bought more glow sticks, Michaels had them in their dollar section, a tube of 15 for $1. You just gotta love glowsticks - good clean fun for cheap!! Have a fabulous trip!!!

[Tenuviel]

I wanted to show the picture taken at the Star Tours gift shop of the boys as young Jedis. They crop out the boys faces and paste them onto the picture. You have to buy the photo and it cannot be put on your PhotoPass card (bummer). The picture turned out really cute. MJ loved how he had a light saber and looked like Anakin Skywalker, he had to be the one with the blue lightsaber. The pictures are expensive, $40 for an 8x10. But hey, Disney VISA says it's priceless! So we bought it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/LindaMom/Disney%20Oct08%20Trip/DSC_4087.jpg

LOVE IT!

Every trip my DH and I have done one- two as Anakin and Padme and one as Han and Leia. It is a must for us on a trip, expensive or not! We are excited for Logan to do one!

[MJAJmom]

LOVE IT!

Every trip my DH and I have done one- two as Anakin and Padme and one as Han and Leia. It is a must for us on a trip, expensive or not! We are excited for Logan to do one!


Aren't those just the coolest pictures??!!! How fun that you and DH did them. Was Leia the one in the sexy bikini??? We are planning to attend Star Wars Weekends in June, so we'll make sure to get another Star Wars picture like this one!!

[muffinstuffin]

I loved reading you trip report. Thanks for sharing all your pictures. My DD has really enjoyed looking at the all day today. It really helped us pick which character meals she wants to attend.
I can't wait to read your June trip report. You do a great job with the details!

[MJAJmom]

I loved reading you trip report. Thanks for sharing all your pictures. My DD has really enjoyed looking at the all day today. It really helped us pick which character meals she wants to attend.
I can't wait to read your June trip report. You do a great job with the details!

Hi Muffinstuffin, what a cute user name!! So glad that your DD enjoyed all the pictures, hopefully it helped with your character meal selection. We loved all the character meals, I thought it was a wonderful part of the Disney experience. Can't imagine our next trip without them!!!

[Lovemy3babes]

Hi there! I read your entire report today as well after finding it in the TR's section. :) I might have to take my kiddos alone this upcoming trip if my dh can't take the time off of school/work so I loved seeing that your trip alone with your boys went so well. You're a great mom and you have two adorable little guys!

[MJAJmom]

Hi there! I read your entire report today as well after finding it in the TR's section. :) I might have to take my kiddos alone this upcoming trip if my dh can't take the time off of school/work so I loved seeing that your trip alone with your boys went so well. You're a great mom and you have two adorable little guys!


You're so sweet, thank you! Glad you could read my report, I had fun writing it. If your DH can't come, I highly suggest trying it out alone with your kiddos. We had a really good time -- and now we're planning to do it again in june since DH most likely can't come.

[Lovemy3babes]

You're so sweet, thank you! Glad you could read my report, I had fun writing it. If your DH can't come, I highly suggest trying it out alone with your kiddos. We had a really good time -- and now we're planning to do it again in june since DH most likely can't come.

We will definitely wing it alone if he can't make it. I hope you'll write another report for your June trip. :goodvibes

[KayleeUK]

Great report. Thank you :)