Plans are made to be broken … aren’t they? Our first trip home to AKV

[BigDogHU75]

Hello! Welcome to my first trip report. :welcome: I decided to write a trip report because all the trip reports that I have read have been so informative, funny, and helpful. Also, they tell a great story that makes me feel like I am living the experience with them and helps to make the countdown to my next trip to Disney World more bearable (shout out to GlendaMax, brookelizabeth, wdwgirl03, joech, and Donald is #1). Though we have never met your trip reports helped make the wait more bearable.

My plan was to write down what we did at the end of each day. I was going to take pictures of everything, including the food and the menus. Well, that went right out the window as soon as we arrived. :rolleyes1 Hey, I can only get better with time which is more of a reason to take as many trips as possible. I do have a good memory and did take some pictures, so, I hope you enjoy my first attempts at writing a trip report. Now, let’s begin.

By the way, here are a couple of details before we begin:

Dates: February 7 – 14, 2009
Resort: Animal Kingdom Villas – Rooms 5425, 5427, & 5512
Transportation to Disney World: Van
Parks Visited: Epcot, MK, AK, & DHS

[BigDogHU75]

So where should I begin? :idea: At the beginning of course. The next few posts will be a pre-trip report of sorts - even though my trip is over. Oh, how I wish it wasn’t. :(

I started planning our trip to Disney shortly after DH & I became DVC members. I first learned about the Disney vacation club while listening to the Steve Harvey Morning Show in January 2008. I visited the website, ordered the DVD, watched it with DH, and together we decided that DVC would be right for us. This would be a way for us to vacation at least once every other year if not every year. Both DH & I love Disney. However, the last time we were at Disney was for our Disneymoon in April 2002 when we did the Land & Sea vacation and had a blast. That was way too long ago.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Honeymoon%202002/AnimalKingdomCoreyMarsha.jpg
DH & I. Even though my shirt says 2001 it was 2002

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Honeymoon%202002/DisneyWonderCoreywithCastwayCayV-1.jpg
DH on the Wonder
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Honeymoon%202002/BahamasCoreyMarsha.jpg
Somewhere in Nassau
Ahhh, the memories ...

Plus, we had a new addition to our family, our DS, who had to experience the magic of Disney.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Charles/Picture003.jpg
DS just hours old

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Charles/100_1654.jpg
DS in Feb. 2008

So, we contacted DVC, spoke to a very nice guide who mailed us the paperwork, completed all the it, and became in March 2008 owners of a 160 points with our home resort at AKV.

One of the incentives for new contracts was 100 developer points which we had to use by February 28, 2009. So, vacation planning began. DH & I discussed when the best time would be for us to take a family vacation. We couldn’t do it in 2008 because we already had plans to visit relatives in FL. So close but yet so far. We discussed going in January 2009 around his birthday but DH felt that was too close after our Christmas vacation. If I only knew about Disney’s theme for 2009 back then, I would have insisted a little harder. So, we decided February 2009 would be best. Let the planning begin.

[duckybelle]

GREAT start! More more!

[OhMari]

I don't know to much about DVC,
how does it work?

[BigDogHU75]

GREAT start! More more!

Thank you and welcome! There is definitely more to come.

I don't know to much about DVC,
how does it work?

I did not know much about it in the beginning. DH & I had gone on a lot of timeshare presentatons but after viewing the video and doing my research I was hooked. You can either purchase a set number of points from Disney (which is what we did) or purchase a contract through resale. We purchased the minimum number of points (160) based on when we thought we would be traveling to Disney, the room we would likely book, our typical length of stay, and, of course our finances. Our home resort is AKV. So, we could book a room at AKV 11-months before our check-in date. At the other resorts (i.e., Saratoga Springs, Boardwalk, Beach Club Villas, Old Key West, Hilton Head, etc.) we would have to wait 7-months before check-in to book our room.
For me, one of the advantages of owning is that I do not hve to worry about the cost of staying at a hotel onsite. Plus, I get to stay at a deluxe resort and there is no charge for extra people. All I need to do is book the appropriate size room to accomodate my party size.
We do have to pay maintenance fees every year but you have to pay those with any timeshare.
In addition, you can use your points (plus you have to pay a fee) to book a Disney cruise, or to stay at other Disney resorts, or exchange them for a vacation through RCI.
Points are good for your use year. For example, my use year begins in Aug. so every Aug. for the length of the contract I will get 160 points. If I do not use all of my points in a use year I can bank my points to the next use year (but you can only bank points once). You can also borrow points from the next year. For instance, my contract had points starting with a use year of August 2007. So for this vacation, I banked those points and borrowed points from Aug. 2009 UY. I went during the Dream season this year so a 2-bedroom was 315 points for the entire week and the 1-bedroom was 182 points (I believe). I sill have points left over for 2009 albeit a small amount.
If you decide you need more points, you can purchase additional points. We purchased an additional 50 points at AKV so now we have a total of 210 points.
I hope this helps somewhat. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask.

[Donald is #1]

Hi Marsha! I'm on board. You're trip report is off to a great start.

[BigDogHU75]

Hi Marsha! I'm on board. You're trip report is off to a great start.

Hi Robbie! :wave: Thank you for joining my TR.

[BigDogHU75]

Let me begin by telling you I am a planner or should I say PLANNER. I need to have a plan. I am not the type of person who easily goes with the flow though that changed over the course of this trip somewhat. ;)

It was settled (at least for now) that our dates would be February 7 – 14. Now, the countdown began. The first was the countdown to when we could book the trip. With the developer points we had to wait until the 7-month booking window. So, I decided to book the rooms in two steps. I would book the 2 bedroom first and then wait for the 7-month window and book the one bedroom.

My reservation for the two-bedroom was confirmed on April 10, 2008. I marked my calendar as to when I could book the one bedroom. – July 14, 2008. This is when DVC calculated the time you can book based on your checkout date. In the meantime, I scoured the web to find as much information as I could to make our trip a magical experience. It was during this time that I discovered the Mecca, the Holy Grail of websites – the Disboards. :disrocks: :thanks: OMG! How did I not discover this website before? I joined immediately. And, that is when my research grew into an obsession according to my DH. I chalked it up as him not understanding my desire to gather as much info as possible to make the trip more enjoyable for all of us and my need to plan and then plan some more.

It was on the Disboards that I found out about the change in DVC policy. I discovered that I could book a whole week earlier. YAY! I called to make our reservations on July 10.

Now, you may be asking why we needed the two bedroom and a one bedroom. Well, during our planning, DH & I decided to invite some family members along since part of our reason for buying into DVC was so that we could have big family trips. We decided that we would invite my parents and DH’s mother (my DMIL). Plus, it would be a great way for some of the grandparents to spend time with DS.

Because of the party size, we decided on a 2 bedroom which we would share with my DMIL & a 1 bedroom for my parents both with a savannah view at AKV. We were keeping our fingers crossed about getting a savannah view since we knew that the Sunset Savannah would be closed during this time. Anyway, I called member services for the first time (there would be many) and yes rooms were available. So, now the vacation was booked.

I will not bore you with all of the details but needless to say I called MS more than once. I changed our reservations from Feb. 7 – 14 to Feb 8 – 15 to Feb 8 – 14 back to Feb. 7-14. And, I will not begin to tell you how many times I changed my dining reservations (ADRs). It was not totally my fault, though. I was consulting two touring websites to figure out which days would be best to visit the parks and for what times I should make my ADRs. I had it all planned out beautifully – a 7 day touring schedule. It was truly a sight to behold. Then, something happened; Disney started changing EMH and show times and park opening and closing times. But that is not all; more guests were saying the wanted to come or would visit us while we were there.

In August, when we visited family in FL, my DH’s brother mentioned that he might want to join us in Feb. but he was not sure. In October or November, my DM asked if her brother, my uncle, could come with us. I said sure I would love for my DU to vacation with us. So she asked him and he was totally onboard. That was perfect because now my DMIL & DU could ride together. They both live in FL not to far from one another. My DBIL decided that he would join us for part of the vacation. Now, I am glad that I got the two bedroom villa. Then, in January my DH’s father learned that we would be in Orlando. Since he lives in Tampa, he decided that he and his wife would see if they can get a timeshare in Orlando and spend a day with us (at least that is what I thought). Then, DH’s other father (DH has a biological father and an adoptive father (but we don’t distinguish in our family since they are both his fathers) told us he would drive down and try to visit us. He too lives in FL. I need to make another change to my ADRs.

Then there was the ultimate contributor to the change, in the itinerary Disney’s Salute to the Military January press release. What is this I am reading? Is it true? Yes, it is. Active or retired military can get a free 5 day park hopper with water park option and more pass. And, that is not all. A military person can purchase up to 5, 5 –day park passes for $99 and can add the park hopper option for an additional $25 more. Why did this excite me? My uncle is retired military, army to be exact. So, I called my mom right away and told her the news. She too was excited. That was a great savings. Since the pass was only for 5 days, the itinerary had to be changed. I was okay with that because who can argue with saving $ on park passes. That meant more $ to spend on other things. It also meant that my 7-day itinerary (where DH, DS, & I would be visiting the parks on 7 different days) would need to be changed to a 5 day one. And, I would need to change my ADRs again.

I had everything finalized two weeks before we left. I was also packed and ready to go. Now, the only thing left to do is wait for the day of departure to arrive.

[BigDogHU75]

Plan:
Leave by 8, take three hour shifts driving, stop in Jacksonville to sleepover in a hotel and visit friends who live in Orange Park.

What happened:
After all the discussing and planning, the day of departure was finally here. My parents had arrived at our house on Feb. 5. When I came home from work, I helped my DF load up the van. Was there any room for our stuff and us? Let me tell you, my DM had the van packed and loaded. She told me that she was bringing some food but I did not think she would be bringing that much.

So we stuffed everything in the van and still everyone had a place to sit (barely). All we had to do next is get a good night sleep and leave by 8 a.m. on February 6.

Well, we did not quite leave at 8 a.m. on the 6th. My DF left before 8 to fill up the van and get breakfast for all of us and coffee for my DM & him at WaWa. Well, 30 minutes later, I am wondering where DF is. It is a few minutes to 8 and he isn’t back yet. I know that they are doing construction on the road to get to WaWa but it shouldn’t be taking this long. We are already behind schedule. DM suggested I call his cell phone which I do. DF is fine. He is just waiting for them to make the sandwiches. So, I wait patiently (not). DF finally returns. Now, it’s time to eat. OK everybody stuff the food into your mouths and let’s go. Wait a minute, I forgot, my DM likes to enjoy her food. Tick tock, tick tock … . All done! It’s time to get in the van and leave.

Everyone gets in the van except me.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2476.jpg
DS getting into the van with his Mickey we got at JCPenny’e for considerably less than what they were selling it for at the parks.

DH forgot to tell the neighbors that were going on vacation. So, it is left up to me. I walk over to the neighbor’s. He invites me inside, we have some small talk, he agrees to watch the house, asks if he could park the van in our driveway, I say “no problem”, thank him, and finally I get in the van. We are on our way at 9:03. I know not too late.

My DF takes the first leg of the trip with me in the front passenger seat. Route 301 South to I-95. We stop in Skippers, VA for a bathroom break, gas, snacks (don’t we already have snacks), and to switch drivers. I take over the driving and DF is in the front with me. I drive to Florence, SC where we take a bathroom break, get gas and lunch from Taco Bell (don’t we have some food in the van). DH takes over. I thought I would sit in the back seat with DS since I haven’t been near him since we left the house but, DF had other plans.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0059.jpg
DS & DF

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DS having fun with his Pop Pop

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2477.jpg
DF holding Mickey for DS

So, I am in the passenger seat again. DH makes it to Euloia (?), GA where the gas was over $2.00. We hadn’t paid that much for gas all day! We did our usual and DF took over the driving with me still in the front seat. Did you notice that DM did not do any driving? She likes to be chauffered. :laughing: I noticed at the next exit gas prices were under $2. :confused: Oh well, what can you do. DF drove to Kingsland, GA. Instead of going to Jacksonville, we decided to stay in the same hotel we stayed at when we traveled to FL in Aug. – Country Inn and Suites.

I wish we would have gone to Jacksonville. Our friend could not meet us at the hotel because she was working late. We definitely were not driving to Jacksonville to head back to Kingsland. So, we settled into our room to unwind. I had put some food in the microwave for DS and turned it on. Next thing I hear is a pop and the TV goes off. Then, we smell smoke, didn’t see it but smelled it. A fuse had blown. So, I called down to the front desk to let her know what happened while packing up our things. She told me to turn the air conditioner on and come down and get another key. She did not even bother to send someone up to check on the room, let alone the guests. I took DS to the grandparents’ room, DH packed, and I went to the front desk where another key was waiting for me. She just handed me the key. Did not say a word. I guess because another person was checking in. So, we moved to the new room and tried to go to bed.

DS was not having it though. He did not want no parts of going to sleep. And, he wanted us all to share one bed. We were in a room with two double beds and I know you can tell from the pictures of us that we are not a small sized family. But, that was the only way he would lay down. What we parents do for our children. So, he finally went to sleep. DH moved to the other bed and I finally went to sleep.

Though I was the last to go to sleep, I was the first to wake up. So, of course, I went to the bathroom to get ready. Well, to my surprise, the toilet was not working. It would not flush. Thank God I did not use it before I found that out. So, I go traipsing down to the front desk to report the problems from this morning and last night and to demand a refund or a discount. A refund or a discount was not happening. But, he did come up to the room and plunge the toilet. By then, I was ready to G-O.

DH & DS finally woke up. My parents were dressed and had reloaded the van with their overnight bags. I dressed DS & DH got ready. We went downstairs and had the complimentary deluxe continental breakfast. But, I was too excited to eat. I was ready to leave! Next stop Animal Kingdom Villas at Disney World! :cheer2: :dance3::cheer2:

[saratogadreamin09]

Can't wait for more and to see AKV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Backstage_Gal]

Great start, subbing :thumbsup2

[BigDogHU75]

Can't wait for more and to see AKV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome! The next couple of posts will have pics of AKV. If I have the time tonight I will post the next installment.

Great start, subbing :thumbsup2
Thank you and welcome.

[BigDogHU75]

The Plan:
Everybody arrive at AKV by 2:00 p.m. Explore Downtown Disney until the rooms are ready.

What happened:
We left Country Inn & Suites shortly around 9:30 a.m. DF was at the wheel. He is a retired bus driver so he is used to driving. Thank you Daddy, (yes, I still call him daddy). As we near Orlando, I get more excited. Am I the only one, because DH & DS are in the back of the van asleep. But, that is okay. Eventually, they do wake up before we get there. After a couple of hours, I see this:

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2478-1.jpg
Yay - we are almost “home.” :cheer2:

A few minutes later I see this:

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2479.jpg
Is this security?

Then we saw this sign:
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2480.jpg
Getting more and more excited

We did get to the other hut. The security guard looks up my DF’s name since he gave her his ID, gives him a one day pass and let’s us proceed. (DF was only given a one day pass initially because when I first reserved their room it was from Feb. 8 – Feb. 14. I later added on Feb. 7. However, since I used developer points to reserve their room and my regular points to reserve the additional day, the system showed two separate reservations). We then proceeded to park our van and check-in. We had made it “home” by 12:15 p.m. Way ahead of schedule. :dance3:

OMG! The resort was beautiful! The atmosphere was enchanting. I could not believe I was here. I was in love and I had not been further than the lobby. My DM did comment about the resort being dark. But, I only heard that comment when we first arrived. She too fell in love with the resort. I do not know why I did not take any pictures. I was just too excited I guess. But, I promise you, there will be more pictures in the next post.

We all get in line to check-in. By this time DS wanted me to pick him up. When I did I noticed that he was soaked! So, I gave DH my binder with our reservation #s in search of a restroom. DM & DF also had to use the restroom so they went with me. Halfway to the restroom I realized that DH did not know where anything was in the binder though I had sticky tabs. I signaled for him to get out of line but he did not understand what my flailing arm meant. Needless to say, he stayed in line.

When I got to the restroom I realized that the diaper bag that I grabbed did not have a change of clothes. I did not want DS to walk around with just a diaper and I did not want to walk back to the van. What did I do? I stripped him down, changed his diaper, took off his onesie, put his shirt back on (which was not wet thank goodness), looked around for a hand dryer (which the bathroom did not have – c’mon now), grabbed some paper towels, dried off his pants the best I could, slipped them back on, and went to find DH. By this time, I thought DH had me it to the front desk. But, when I walked out, he was still in line.

When we all got back in line the wait was not too long. The CM checked us all in, even the guests who had not arrived. We all received our KTTW cards. The CM even gave DS his own KTTW with DS’s name written on it. There was one slight problem, though. We did not have all of the KTTW cards. DBIL’s card was missing. The CM did not have it in the computer. But, that was not a problem. He checked with another CM who was standing at the main computer (I guess) and issued a card for DBIL. We were all checked in. And, there was a bonus – one room was ready. Room 5512, my parents’ room, was ready!

The CM showed us on the map where the room was. He also showed us the area where the other room would be but did not give us the room number. Instead, he gave us a card with a number to call to see if I room would be ready. He told us to call back in about an hour because the way things were looking, mousekeeping was working their way down the hall to our room.

So, we decided to see where DMIL & DU were. DH called his DM. She told him that they would not arrive for a couple of more hours. They had stopped to eat lunch. Well, there goes everyone arriving by 2. But, that is okay, we still had to unload the van.

Before unloading the van, we decided that would check out the room. Now, I did not realize that when you enter AKL, you are already on the third floor. So, we only had to take the elevators, which the CM directed us to, up two floors make a right and find room 5512.

[Donald is #1]

So exciting! I can't wait to hear your impressions of the room. popcorn::

[that's nice]

subbing!!!!:thumbsup2

[Epcot luvr]

Great reporting, this is going to be a fun read!:cool1:

[BigDogHU75]

So exciting! I can't wait to hear your impressions of the room. popcorn::

We loved the room! Stay tuned for the pictures.

subbing!!!!:thumbsup2

Welcome!

Great reporting, this is going to be a fun read!:cool1:

Thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy the report.

[BigDogHU75]

I am back! Sorry for the delay. It was a busy work week. Needless to say, I am glad the weekend is here.

I left off with us heading to the first room that was ready, Room 5512. The CM's directions were spot on. We had no trouble finding the room.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2481.jpg

I was excited about seeing the room. In fact, we were all excited about seeing the room and we were not disappointed. :banana: :yay: :banana: :yay: The room was beautiful! And, it was very spacious. It would accommodate my parents and DU very well.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0075.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0062.jpg
Kitchen

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2495.jpg
Closet across from Kitchen Island

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2496.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2497.jpg

DM liked the wall hangings and the pictures. In particular she liked the plates that were hanging on the wall behind the kitchen/dining table. She was wondering how she could take them home with her. :scared1: Luckily, they were still there when we checked out. :rotfl:

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0074.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0063.jpg
Hallway leading to the laundry closet, bathroom on the left and the master bedroom on the right

[BigDogHU75]

We were impressed thus far. DM & I continued to take pictures. Here are some of the many we took.

Bathroom
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0077.jpg
Bathroom mirror

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0078.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0082.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0076.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2498.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0081.jpg
Picture of the bedroom taken from the bathroom

Bedroom
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0080.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0079.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0080.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0064.jpg
Me standing between the TV & the armoire in the bedroom. There is also a desk in the bedroom.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0067.jpg
DS & DM sitting in the chair in the bedroom

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0065.jpg
Parents are so happy it is a king-size bed

[BigDogHU75]

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2491.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2492.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0108.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0109.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0113.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0111.jpg
Left view

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0110.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2494.jpg
Right view

[BigDogHU75]

After soaking in the sun and enjoying the view from the balcony, we decided it was time to unload the van. We headed to the living room. DM & I entered the balcony from the bedroom. This was our first time really seeing the living room. We manged to snap a few pictures.

Living room
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_2493.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0073.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/100_0072.jpg
Trying to change DS’s diaper

After changing DS’s diaper, I called the front desk to see if the two-bedroom was ready. We were hoping that it was since my plan was to unload my parents’ belongings and then go to our room and unload our luggage. But, at last, that would not be the case. Nevertheless, we headed downstairs anyway to start the process of unloading the van.

As I stated before, the van was packed. (This might seem like déjà vu to some. Once I started typing this part of the report I realized that my order was off. Sorry for the confusion.) Now back to the TR. I felt sorry for bell services. First, my DM was trying to “help” bell services by giving the CM advice on how to load the luggage cart while she was shoving everything into a plastic trash bag trying to condense things. OMG! Could it get more embarrassing? Meanwhile, my DS had climbed into the van, got into his car seat, found his Nilla Wafers and started snacking on them. Then, once he was done, he found the bag of Cheetos and started snacking on them. I did not notice that he had done this since I was trying to keep my DM out of the way of the CM from bell services. DH was not watching DS because he was too busy making sure he had all of his gadgets. When I saw DS he was out of the van standing near his grandfather, who had been standing back watching all of this unfold. DS was sharing his Cheetos with him. His poor little hands were covered in orange goo. I could not help but laugh and feel bad for him all at the same time. His parents had forgotten to feed him so he had to take matters into his own hands. Shame on us! I did take the time to clean him up a little.

When the CM was finally finished with unloading our stuff, we had to put everything on two carts. We tried to keep things separate so it would be easier for bell services and us but that was not happening. So, we just decided that everything would be brought up to my parents’ room when someone from bell services was available to bring it up.
I took the card that the CM from bell services gave us and handed it to the CM at the desk who told us that our luggage would be brought to our room in approximately 15 minutes. We headed back up to the room and waited for the luggage to arrive which did not take long at all.

Bell Services brought up our luggage. The CM was kind enough to separate our luggage into two sections (or should I say piles) – the stuff that was staying & the stuff we were taking to the other room. After giving the CM a tip, I began helping DM find space in the cabinets to put away the food. Some of my comments during this process:

“Why do you need cream of mushroom soup?”
“How many cans of chicken broth did you bring?”
“You do realize we have dining reservations?”

After filling up the cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer, I called down to the front desk to see if our other room was ready. It still wasn’t. However, DU & DMIL called DH and told him that they had arrived. DS & I went down to greet them. They were sitting outside on the bench. I wish I remembered my camera. Their car had been unloaded. DU warned me about the stuff that DMIL brought. I laughed. I thought he was exaggerating. I later discovered that he was not. I took them to bell services where they handed in their ticket. I also checked to see if our room was ready. It was! Room 5427 was ready. So, we headed upstairs.

Our first stop was Room 5512 since that is where my DU would be staying. We waited for bell services which arrived about 10 minutes later. OMG! My DMIL brought more than my DM! Did I not email her the itinerary? I really should have taken a picture of all the stuff. But, it would not have done any justice. Everything (food wise) was so neatly packed in three clear plastic containers. My DU was laughing because he had told me that they were loaded down and everything that DMIL had packed could not fit in the car.

Now, at this moment, I feel that it is only appropriate to explain how my DMIL came to bring all this stuff with her. When I had typed out the itinerary for the trip, I also included a list of food items I was going to bring so that we would not have to buy all of our meals. I also wanted to have some food items that I knew DS would enjoy. I emailed the full itinerary to DMIL so that she knew what was planned. I was not expecting her to buy any food items because we would have that covered. Well, DMIL emailed me back and told me not to worry about bringing food items because she would bring those and she would especially bring stuff her one and only grandchild would enjoy. When I read the list, I did not believe that she would actually bring all of the things on the list. Here is a snapshot of what was on the list: peanut butter, assorted jellies, apple & white grape juice & juice boxes, snacks for grandson - teddy grahams, gold fish, pretzel crackers, half turkey, boneless chicken breasts, chicken legs, turkey burgers, hot dogs, hamburger & hot dog buns, pork loin chops, pancake mix, eggs, butter, bacon, and the list went on. And, I kid you not; everything that was on the list was in those containers.

So, we unloaded DU’s belongings. DU wasn't a slacker in the food items department either. Did I mention he brought homemade corn bread and a homemade pound cake?

Then we took DMIL’s things to Room 5427 which was right down the hall. We made a left out of Room 5512 and went straight down the hall, 5427 was on the right. When we arrived, mousekeeping was still working on the other room. Room 5427 was the studio. Room 5425 was the one-bedroom. We had both bedrooms which formed the two-bedroom lock-off.

While mousekeeping was working on Room 5425, the CM from bell services unloaded DMIL’s belongings. After tipping the CM, we then trekked back down to room 5512 to get my belongings. By the time we got back to the rooms, mousekeeping was finished. Now, all we had to do was settle in and unpack all of this stuff. Stuff was everywhere. We unpacked what we needed. But, we could not do too much because DS was getting hungry and he was ready for some real food. DMIL was not going to allow her grandson to go hungry. She told everybody that she would be cooking hot dogs and turkey burgers. She barely settled in before she started fixing food her child, I mean her grandchild.

[Epcot luvr]

Wow, what a beautiful spot the room, view, balcony, the family ! This looks like heaven. I love DM and the plates, I'd would have been thinking the same thing. She is a character I can tell already. I'll be following along.

[BigDogHU75]

Wow, what a beautiful spot the room, view, balcony, the family ! This looks like heaven. I love DM and the plates, I'd would have been thinking the same thing. She is a character I can tell already. I'll be following along.

It was heaven. The place was so serene. I could have stayed in the room for hours just sitting on the balcony. DM did one day. Keep following along. She is DEFINITELY a character. :rotfl:

[that's nice]

Nice report so far. That room looked really nice and that view is awesome!!!!! I will be following along.:thumbsup2

Tim

[mouseketeer70]

So far your trip report is reminding me of traveling with my DH and our 3 kids and my parents to Disney. So glad to see others joined DVC partly for the big family trip aspect. We stayed in a 2 bdrm at SSR in November. We barely fit in the van on the drive down even though we had our groceries delivered. :goodvibes
Can't wait to hear and see more of AKV since we might change our next trip to stay there. One goal of ours since joining DVC is to try all of them.

[tink1957]

Wow...what a view & what beautiful rooms. I may have to change my mind about which resort to stay at next time. My DS has always wanted to stay there since we ate at Boma on our 1st trip. Can't wait to read more.popcorn::

[Donald is #1]

[SIZE="5"][COLOR="Purple"]

After giving the CM a tip, I began helping DM find space in the cabinets to put away the food. Some of my comments during this process:

“Why do you need cream of mushroom soup?”
“How many cans of chicken broth did you bring?”
“You do realize we have dining reservations?”

After filling up the cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer....

:rotfl2: This reminds me so much of what my mother would do! She lives in an assisted living facility and gets all her meals there. So when I took her to Walmart this afternoon, what did she buy? Baking pans!!! :confused3 Why? I have no idea.






But, we could not do too much because DS was getting hungry and he was ready for some real food. DMIL was not going to allow her grandson to go hungry. She told everybody that she would be cooking hot dogs and turkey burgers. She barely settled in before she started fixing food her child, I mean her grandchild.

This reminds me so much of my grandmother! Of course, she would even do it when we weren't hungry. I remember going to visit her and first question would be "Are you hungry?". I would say no and 15 minutes later, she would be making me something to eat. :lmao:

[BigDogHU75]

Nice report so far. That room looked really nice and that view is awesome!!!!! I will be following along.:thumbsup2

Tim

Thank you for following along. The room was beautiful and the view was awesome. I wish I would have sat on the balcony more than I did. It was so peacful and beautifull.

So far your trip report is reminding me of traveling with my DH and our 3 kids and my parents to Disney. So glad to see others joined DVC partly for the big family trip aspect. We stayed in a 2 bdrm at SSR in November. We barely fit in the van on the drive down even though we had our groceries delivered. :goodvibes
Can't wait to hear and see more of AKV since we might change our next trip to stay there. One goal of ours since joining DVC is to try all of them.

Traveling with the family is always adventure that I would not trade for the world. I love vacationing with family and friends and that is one of the reasons why DVC appealed to me.

I am sure you will not be disappointed if you stay at AKV. One of my goals is to stay at all of the DVC properties too but DH is so impressed with AKV. We are staying at BCV for one night this Sept. I am going to try to see if we can swing it so we can stay 2 nights. SSR looks beautiful. Hoepfully, I will be able to persuade DH to try a few nights there.

Wow...what a view & what beautiful rooms. I may have to change my mind about which resort to stay at next time. My DS has always wanted to stay there since we ate at Boma on our 1st trip. Can't wait to read more.popcorn::

You will not regret staying at AKV and I am sure your DS would enjoy not only the view but all of the activities they have for the kids.

:rotfl2: This reminds me so much of what my mother would do! She lives in an assisted living facility and gets all her meals there. So when I took her to Walmart this afternoon, what did she buy? Baking pans!!! :confused3 Why? I have no idea.

This reminds me so much of my grandmother! Of course, she would even do it when we weren't hungry. I remember going to visit her and first question would be "Are you hungry?". I would say no and 15 minutes later, she would be making me something to eat. :lmao:

It was a sight to behold. All of the groceries that both mothers had could have fed a small army and both tried to cook everything they brought. DS would sometimes eat breakfast twice since both grandmothers did not want him to be hungry. It was so funny.

Another update will be posted later this evening.

[wdwgirl03]

Hello! Welcome to my first trip report. :welcome: I decided to write a trip report because all the trip reports that I have read have been so informative, funny, and helpful. Also, they tell a great story that makes me feel like I am living the experience with them and helps to make the countdown to my next trip to Disney World more bearable (shout out to GlendaMax, brookelizabeth, wdwgirl03, joech, and Donald is #1). Though we have never met your trip reports helped make the wait more bearable.

My plan was to write down what we did at the end of each day. I was going to take pictures of everything, including the food and the menus. Well, that went right out the window as soon as we arrived. :rolleyes1 Hey, I can only get better with time which is more of a reason to take as many trips as possible. I do have a good memory and did take some pictures, so, I hope you enjoy my first attempts at writing a trip report. Now, let’s begin.

By the way, here are a couple of details before we begin:

Dates: February 7 – 14, 2009
Resort: Animal Kingdom Villas – Rooms 5425, 5427, & 5512
Transportation to Disney World: Van
Parks Visited: Epcot, MK, AK, & DHS

Hey, I just found your TR and realized that I am in your shoutouts! :banana: :thumbsup2 That's enough to get me on board with your TR...:teeth:

I am very jealous of AKV being your "home." Not that I don't love our home resort at Saratoga Springs! But AKV is a pretty awesome resort. :thumbsup2 Can't wait to read more about your trip!

[DaPanMan]

I'm sitting here, laughing to myself, and wondering if we are related. I have completely experienced this type of travel. You basically bring everything with you but the furniture and the kitchen sink.:rotfl2:

I was rolling about the part where your DMIL was telling the CM how to load the cart and your DFIL just watched. Sounds like a very wise man.:cool2:

Can't wait to hear more........and SOON!!!!!

[BigDogHU75]

Hey, I just found your TR and realized that I am in your shoutouts! :banana: :thumbsup2 That's enough to get me on board with your TR...:teeth:

I am very jealous of AKV being your "home." Not that I don't love our home resort at Saratoga Springs! But AKV is a pretty awesome resort. :thumbsup2 Can't wait to read more about your trip!

Welcome! I am glad you found my TR. I hope you find it as enjoyable as I have found yours to be. I am still reading the one you are writing now.
AKV is a great resort. Like I said in a previous post, I do want to visit SSR one day.

I'm sitting here, laughing to myself, and wondering if we are related. I have completely experienced this type of travel. You basically bring everything with you but the furniture and the kitchen sink.:rotfl2:

I was rolling about the part where your DMIL was telling the CM how to load the cart and your DFIL just watched. Sounds like a very wise man.:cool2:

Can't wait to hear more........and SOON!!!!!

I have experienced this type of travel most of my life with my parents. Packing everything but the kitchen sink is the only way my DM travels. DF has learned after almost 48 years of marriage to just stand back and let DM be. He is a wise man. But, at the time I did not find it funny when DM was telling the CM how to load the cart. I was so embarassed. Now, I can laugh about it because I know how my DM is.

[BigDogHU75]

Everyone was grateful when food was ready. We had turkey burgers, hot dogs, and Pringles. DMIL also made a salad and sliced some onions and tomatoes to go on the hamburgers. That meal hit the spot. Everyone was satisfied. After the meal, it was time to get back to work.

I unpacked our clothes and helped DMIL unpack all of the food products. Our refrigerator filled out pretty quickly so we had to use the small refrigerator in her room for the overflow.

After all of the unpacking, I was too tired to go to Downtown Disney. I took some pictures of our 2-bedroom(not too many) …

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Door that leads to the studio (5427)

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Left view


… and then sat down and rested for a while. I was a tired lady.

Later, that evening, DH, DS, & I decided to look around the lobby. It is during this time we discovered that a Photopass photographer had roped off a little section in the lobby to take pictures. He told us that photographers would be in the lobby every evening to take pictures. He further explained that this was something new and was only available at three resorts. I was so glad that I had pre-purchased the Disney Photopass CD. I knew that I would be taking advantaging of this service starting tonight. I asked for a Photopass card and then my family & I sat down for our first picture together at Disney. How fitting the picture was taken at AKV. Welcome home!

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After we finished taking our pictures, the rest of the family met us in the lobby and we went on a self-guided tour of AKV. My mission was to find BOMA since we would be eating breakfast there the next morning, but, first, we looked in the Zawadi Marketplace. My DF & DU tried on some hats. My DM went on a search to find the plates like the ones that were hanging on the wall. We all left the store empty handed. We then headed down to the first floor and found BOMA. Somehow, DMIL was able to walk in and look around. When DU tried to do it he was stopped by a greeter and told he could not. Next, we went outside. It was a little cool so DM & DF went back inside. The rest of us explored the outside surroundings. The pool was beautiful. I wish I could have taken a dip. DS was trying his best to get in. We quickly moved on and found the Hakuna Matata Playground. It was dark but that did not stop DS from wanting to go down the slides. It was at that moment that he & DU bonded. DU would pick DS up and help him slide down the slide and then pick him up and do it all over again. I lost track of how long this went on. DS was having so much fun and DU seemed to be too.

Since it was getting a little chilly, we decided to head back to our rooms. We wished DU a good night and went our separate ways once we got off the elevator. When we got back to our room, DMIL decided that we needed ice so she and DS went on a hunt for some. In the meantime, I decided to take a movie of our room. I do not know why I thought it would be a good idea to film the bedrooms at night because it came out dark even though it looked fine to me while I was filming it. It totally slipped my mind to try filming again during the day. Hopefully, you can see some of the room or at least get a sense of the layout.

AKV 2-Bedroom L/O (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODPyUIWbfhY)


Once DMIL & DS came back, I got DS ready for bed and put him in the pack ‘n play. It was way past his bedtime. He was out in no time.

Now, it was my turn to relax but I could not. I was so excited about the plans for the next day and wanted to look at the packet that I was given when we checked in.
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Inside the packet was the Times Guide for the week which listed the openings, closings, and EMH for each park. It also contained the resort’s activities sheet and some advertisements.
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I took note of Portable Perks booklet that was included in the folder and put it in DS’s diaper bag. Portable Perks contained what restaurants, counter services, stores, etc. offered discounts to DVC members.
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Portable Perks

I then reviewed the itinerary for the next day, Sunday, February 8. Now, it was time to have a good night’s sleep and what a good night’s sleep it was after I got used to the pillows. I am used to having king-size pillows on a king-size bed. These pillows were small but the bed was very comfortable and I eventually got used to the pillows. I wanted to be well rested since I knew we would have a busy day. Sunday would begin with breakfast at BOMA followed by a visit to Epcot.

[Donald is #1]

It was a sight to behold. All of the groceries that both mothers had could have fed a small army and both tried to cook everything they brought. DS would sometimes eat breakfast twice since both grandmothers did not want him to be hungry. It was so funny.


That must have been something to see! I can't wait to hear about more.


I didn't know about the photographers in the lobby. They took some great pictures for you!

[BigDogHU75]

Sorry for the delay. Here is another installment. I hope there are some who are still interested.

Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Plan:
8:50 a.m. reservation for breakfast at Boma in the AKL. Be at Epcot by 11:00 a.m. Originally, this day was supposed to be a ½ day at Epcot with us touring the World Showcase which is why I wanted to be at the park by 11 a.m. But, since we were purchasing only a 5-day pass with the military salute discount, this would be our only day at Epcot as a group. I did not want to change our reservations at Boma so I stuck with the 11:00 a.m. arrival time.

What happened:
We left off with me going to bed after a long day of unpacking and get things situated in the room. Even though I was tired, I could not sleep well. I guess I was excited about eating at Boma’s and finally going to a park. Or, it could have been the smell of turkey cooking in the oven at 5 o’clock in the morning. Yes, you read right. Around 5 in the morning the aroma of a cooking turkey wafted into the bedroom. I had flashbacks of Thanksgiving morn. Was I dreaming? No. I was awakened from my slumber by the clinging of pots and pans and the smells of Thanksgiving. My DMIL was preparing the evening meal. I tossed and turned for a little bit and tried to go back to sleep but 7 o’clock came in no time. I sprung out of bed excited about the day’s events.

Breakfast at Boma’s was a must. I have read so many great reviews that I had to experience it for myself. Everybody was on time except for DH’s DF and his wife. They were staying off property and were going to meet us at Boma. Our crew met at the elevator and headed down. We arrived about five minutes before our reservation and were given a buzzer. While waiting, I took a couple of pictures.

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The wait was not long. In about five minutes we were called to our table.

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We placed our orders for the famous jungle juice, which was DELISH, and the parents ordered coffee. We then headed up to get our plates and fill them with food. The selections were outstanding.
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During that time, DH’s DF & his wife (DMIL2) had arrived.
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The food was very good and tasty. Everyone enjoyed their meals although there was some debate about whether grits were better than one of the African dishes of which I can't remember the name. And, the service was wonderful.

Now, it was time to head to Epcot. But, first, we needed to grab our stuff from the rooms.

[BigDogHU75]

That must have been something to see! I can't wait to hear about more.


I didn't know about the photographers in the lobby. They took some great pictures for you!

It was a sight to behold and amazingly we managed to put everything away.

I loved the way the pictures turned out. I was so happy they were available every night because we had a new group taking pictures every night due to the visitors we had.

[wdwgirl03]

I'm still interested! popcorn::

[KathyRN137]

I will not bore you with all of the details but needless to say I called MS more than once. I changed our reservations from Feb. 7 – 14 to Feb 8 – 15 to Feb 8 – 14 back to Feb. 7-14. And, I will not begin to tell you how many times I changed my dining reservations (ADRs).



Umm. These are DISers you are talking to.... !!

We do this all the time!! :rotfl2:


Going back to finish reading.... I'm hoping that we will get AKV when I make our DVC ressie next week and I'm so excited to read an AKV report!!


Kathy

[KathyRN137]

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DS having fun with his Pop Pop




I love this picture!!! (And I'll bet you do, too!)


Kathy

[that's nice]

YEAH!!! Your back!!!:yay:

Not to get ahead of your TR but did you eat a Boma for dinner? If you did how was it? I was thinking of eating there when we were there in March but I ended up changing Boma to something else...... We didn't know if our DD would like all the different food. She is really picky!

Waiting to hear more:goodvibes:goodvibes

Tim

[tink1957]

:thumbsup2Don't you just love Boma, your pics had my mouth watering(where is that drooling smiley?) I want some Frunch NOW!

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Hi. I just started reading your trip report today and I'm hooked! I saw your pictures of AKV and I just told my dad that next time we go to disney we have to stay there, it's not an option! I love the pictures. We're DVC members too but we didn't get to stay at AKV on our last trip, they were all booked :sad1: but on one of our shorter trips we stayed in a room for a few nights at AKL, I love that resort! We ate at Boma's on that trip too and loved the food and atmosphere. I love your description of your family and the crazy things they do! My grandmother is just like your DM and DMIL, always making food for her grandkids! Your son is adorable too! I can't wait to read more!!

[Donald is #1]

Breakfast at Bomas sounds great. I have never had breakfast there because I am not a big breakfast person. I have been there twice for dinner and had awesome meals. But maybe I will need to try them for breakfast on my December trip.

[BigDogHU75]

I'm still interested! popcorn::
I am glad you are still with me.

Umm. These are DISers you are talking to.... !!

We do this all the time!! :rotfl2:


Going back to finish reading.... I'm hoping that we will get AKV when I make our DVC ressie next week and I'm so excited to read an AKV report!!


Kathy
Kathy, welcome to my TR. I hope you are able to get a ressie at AKV. It is a beautiful resort and the view are amazing

I love this picture!!! (And I'll bet you do, too!)


Kathy
My DS was going to delete it from her camera and I told her she better not. I love this picture of DS and DF! They adore one another.

YEAH!!! Your back!!!:yay:

Not to get ahead of your TR but did you eat a Boma for dinner? If you did how was it? I was thinking of eating there when we were there in March but I ended up changing Boma to something else...... We didn't know if our DD would like all the different food. She is really picky!

Waiting to hear more:goodvibes:goodvibes

Tim
I wanted to eat at Boma's for dinner but we had so much food that I did not get a chance. When I go back in Sept. I will try to eat there. Your trip report has me considering some other options though.

:thumbsup2Don't you just love Boma, your pics had my mouth watering(where is that drooling smiley?) I want some Frunch NOW!
I loved Boma! There was something for everybody. My family did not leave disappointed.

Hi. I just started reading your trip report today and I'm hooked! I saw your pictures of AKV and I just told my dad that next time we go to disney we have to stay there, it's not an option! I love the pictures. We're DVC members too but we didn't get to stay at AKV on our last trip, they were all booked :sad1: but on one of our shorter trips we stayed in a room for a few nights at AKL, I love that resort! We ate at Boma's on that trip too and loved the food and atmosphere. I love your description of your family and the crazy things they do! My grandmother is just like your DM and DMIL, always making food for her grandkids! Your son is adorable too! I can't wait to read more!!
Welcome to my TR! I think DS is so adorable too. I could just eat him up. Thank you for the compliment.
You're right there is no other option. You have to stay at AKV for at least a week so that you can experience fully what AKV has to offer. And, even a week was too short for us. I really wanted to do so much more at AKV but did not have the time.


Breakfast at Bomas sounds great. I have never had breakfast there because I am not a big breakfast person. I have been there twice for dinner and had awesome meals. But maybe I will need to try them for breakfast on my December trip.
You cannot go wrong with a Boma breakfast even if you are not a big breakfast eater. You would just want to taste a little bit of everything. And, maybe you could have a late breakfast there. I would have loved to experience dinner there. The food smelled delicious every time I walked passed there in the evening. I might try to eat there when we stay there after the member's cruise in Sept.

[BigDogHU75]

I had already packed the bags and DS’s stroller the previous night. I also made sure I had the autograph cards that I found on the DIS & printed out.
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Thank you to Chaoscent and Ljcollins_2008 (don’t know if that is her Disboards screen name)

We all grabbed our belongings and headed to the bus stop. Once we were in the lobby, however, I noticed a Photopass photographer so, I decided that we needed to stop and take a group picture.
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Now it was time to head to the bus stop. But, when we got outside DMIL2 needed to head to her car to see if she had her military ID. So, we soaked in the sun and waited for her to return. The weather was gorgeous. The sun was shining and the temperature was just right.
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After she came back, we finally headed to the bus stop. The bus for Epcot did not take long. We only waited about 10 minutes. The ride was not bad either.

Once at Epcot, we purchased our tickets and headed inside. It was a little after noon and we were finally at our first park - Epcot.
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Though I had a plan as to what I wanted to do, the others wanted to enjoy the day. So, I acquiesced and went with the flow.

One of the mantras of one of the touring websites I visited was “Ride first, characters later.” Well, we did just the opposite. The first character we saw, we wanted to take a picture with. That character was Baloo.
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We next headed over to Spaceship Earth.
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The wait was only 10 minutes. So, I parked the stroller among the sea of strollers and we all got in line. The line moved quickly and in no time we were inside and seated in our cars. Everyone enjoyed the ride and got a kick out of the ending. However, while we were on the ride it came to a complete stop for about five minutes. I thought DS would start to cry because we were stopped in the dark room where it seems as if you are looking at shooting stars. But, DS was fine. He kept looking at the lights.

After Spaceship Earth, we made our way over to the World Showcase. Now, I knew that DS liked to walk so I brought this “backpack” for him.
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The aforementioned backpack on DS’s back
The backpack was mainly for me because I thought I would be ble to exercise a little control over DS while he was walking. Well, DS did not like the "control mechanism" on the bakpack (or should I call it what it really is - a leash) one bit. He would take a few steps and then notice that I was holding on to part of his backpack and flipped out. So much for my brilliant idea.

On our way to the World Showcase, we stopped at Club Cool. Now, I had read on the Disboards about this drink called the Beverly. I knew I did not want to try it but I made DH try it. He had no idea what to expect. He had tried some of the other drinks and liked it. But, when he tried the Beverly his face told me that he did not like it. DF & DMIL tried it too and their facial expressions were hysterical.

When we arrived at WS, we stopped to enjoy the scenery and take some pictures.
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We went to Mexico, explored inside the pyramid, and rode the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. The ride was cute. DS enjoyed seeing “duck.” By the time we made it to China, DS made it known to everyone that he was not happy. I figured out that he was hungry. So, I made a fast break to Lotus Blossom Café where we ordered a BBQ chicken leg kids meal for DS which came with a milk, one order of egg rolls, and 2 smoothies (1 mango 7 1 strawberry). The total came to $21.24. The sauce on the chicken leg was very yummy but DS was not in the mood for it so I ate it. He did eat some of the rice and drank his milk. Once he settled down, we decided that it was time to head back to the bus stop since DS was still not in a great mood and some were getting tired of all the walking. But, we managed to take some pictures in the WS.
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On our walk back, DS seemed to relax a little so I decided that we should head to The Seas with Nemo & Friends. While walking on the bridge between WS and Future World we noticed a big fish in the water which my DU wanted to take back to the room and fry it up.
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We made it to The Seas with Nemo & Friends. The wait was only 5 minutes. Before entering we took some more pictures.
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We tried to get DS to turn around and smile for the camera but he was more interested in looking at the water and the seagulls.

Though the stated wait time was 5 minutes, we walked right onto the ride. Nemo & Friends was a cute ride. DS enjoyed it. We next visited the aquarium. DS enjoyed a looking at the fish and manatee for a brief moment.
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Would DS be interested in seeing the dolphins?

[KathyRN137]

After Spaceship Earth, we made our way over to the World Showcase. Now, I knew that DS liked to walk so I brought this “backpack” for him.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Epcot%20day/100_0090.jpg
The aforementioned backpack on DS’s back
The backpack was mainly for me because I thought I would be ble to exercise a little control over DS while he was walking. Well, DS did not like the "control mechanism" on the bakpack (or should I call it what it really is - a leash) one bit. He would take a few steps and then notice that I was holding on to part of his backpack and flipped out. So much for my brilliant idea.



Our kids are too smart for us, aren't they?? :rotfl:

Oh well!!

Looking forward to more...


Kathy

[Lan]

I am enjoying your trip report. I can't wait to read more.:thumbsup2popcorn::

[BigDogHU75]

Our kids are too smart for us, aren't they?? :rotfl:

Oh well!!

Looking forward to more...


Kathy

They certainly are. I thought one thing and DS had other ideas. I really did not think he would protest about the leash. It is amazing to watch DS develop. Sometimes I wonder where did he learn that from.

I am enjoying your trip report. I can't wait to read more.:thumbsup2popcorn::
Thank you and welcome.

[BigDogHU75]

DS was not interested in seeing the dolphin show. He was tired and wanted to go. Others, however, wanted to see the show. So, I took DS and sat on a bench to try to calm him down and maybe put him to sleep but he was fighting it. He was not a happy camper and neither was I. I tried to gather our group but lost them in the crowd around the tank. They did take some pictures of the dolphins.
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After the dolphin show, it was time to head back “home.” I was moving full speed ahead to the bus stop until we passed the window of the Epcot Character Spot. That is when DS saw Minnie and Mickey through the window. Minnie was at the window waving to a little girl passing by and DS wanted her attention. He pressed his hands up against the window waiting for Minnie. I was surprised Minnie did not have a line. Mickey was busy taking pictures. I wanted to go in but figured DS would not last another minute. We continued towards the main entrance but we stopped again. DH had been searching for Photopass photographers all day since we had prepaid for the photo CD. We did not see any in the WS and we did not see any when we entered the park. Well, we saw some when we were leaving and had to take some pictures.
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After our Epcot photo session we made it to the bus stop for AKV which was a distance from the entrance. We did not have to wait too long for a bus. We hoped on and headed back to our resort.

Once in our rooms, I laid DS down for a night and took a rest myself. During that time, DH’s brother came for a visit. He hadn’t seen DS since he was about 6 weeks old. When DS & I woke up everyone was out on the balcony enjoying the view so DS & I joined them.
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DS & I stayed out on the balcony for a little bit. Then we went in to have dinner. Dinner consisted of turkey, macaroni & cheese, cranberry sauce, and a vegetable. It was delicious and much needed after a long day. After dinner we sat around and watched some TV and talked. After a little while, we ventured down to the lobby to walk DFIL & DMIL2 out and of course had to stop to take some pictures (which was becoming our nightly ritual).
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We then explored the resort a little more before heading back upstairs to rest for our Animal Kingdom Day.
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[Donald is #1]

More great pictures! The photographer in the lobby really took some great pictures for you!

[KathyRN137]

Great pix! Wow! What a view from your balcony! Was DS really interested in seeing the animals, or was he too young?

I'm laughing at DMom/DMIL preparing "Thanksgiving Dinner" while on vacation!! :lmao:

Ah, well. Food is Love, right?? ;)


Kathy

[MEK]

Thanks for your TR. Your DS is sooooo adorable. Thanks for posting th akl pics. I am looking forward to my stay there in June. Can't wait to read more about your trip!

[wdwgirl03]

Oh, I love the savanna pictures! That was one of my favorite things about staying there even though in May the construction was still going on so our view wasn't that great. But it was still neat going out onto the other observation decks and watching the animals. :goodvibes

[BigDogHU75]

Monday, February 9, 2009
Thanks everyone for reading my TR. I will respond individually to all who posted later this eveing. Now on the the report. I hope you enjoy.
The Plan:
8:10 a.m. reservation for breakfast at Donald’s Safari Breakfast @ AK. Enjoy the park after breakfast. There were three things that I wanted to do at AK – ride Kilimanjaro Safaris and see “It’s a Bug Life”, “Finding Nemo – the Musical” and the “Festival of the Lion King.” Sadly, I would only get to do one.

What happened:
The night before, I wanted to move our AK day to Friday since we had such a long day at Epcot. In addition, the touring plans suggested to avoid this park in the morning since it had EMH. Of course, when I was planning the itinerary this was a good day to tour the park but Disney changed the hours on me. However, DMIL2 really wanted to visit AK and she and DFIL would be leaving Wednesday. So, I decided that we would cancel the breakfast and arrive at AK in the afternoon. I REALLY wanted to have breakfast at the park though since that is where DH & I ate on our honeymoon. Oh well! This was the new and improved me going with the flow or at least trying.

Needless to say, everybody slept in since we were all tired after our Epcot day. When we got up, DMIL made breakfast which consisted of sausage, eggs, pancakes, and grits which DS enjoyed. Now, do you remember me telling you that some mornings, DS would eat breakfast twice? Well, this was one of those mornings. After breakfast, DS & I went to my parents and uncle’s room where they were just sitting down for breakfast. DM had cooked grits, eggs, sausage, and biscuits. DS wanted to eat again and DM was only happy to oblige. I have to admit that breakfast is DS’s favorite meal.

After breakfast, we waited for DFIL & DMIL2. Then we headed to the bus stop. On our way to the bus stop, someone had to go to the car so we stopped near the entrance once again to wait for that person to return.
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While waiting, a fellow diser noticed DH. It was Boosgram. She came up to DH and started talking to him. DH was looking at her like who is this woman. I immediately knew who it was. We gave each other a hug, I introduced her and her DH to the group, and we began chatting. We were hoping to run into each other during the trip and we did. We were so busy talking that we did not even stop to take a picture. We walked down to the bus stop together and went our separate ways. She and her husband were headed to Epcot.

The bus to AK arrived in about five minutes and we were at AK in no time flat.
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We arrived a little after noon. The weather was gorgeous and the park was not too crowded. We took a leisurely stroll on our way to Africa and stopped along the way for pictures.
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We also stopped for some refreshing treats.
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DS had his first taste of a Mickey Bar & thoroughly enjoyed it.
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We made our way to Kilimanjaro Safaris. The posted wait time was only 20 minutes so we hopped in line. It took about 20 minutes to get in the truck but the ride was worth it. There were a lot of animals out except for the lions that were sleeping in the shade between some rocks. We only saw a lion’s paw.

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Will we scare away the poachers! More pictures from our safari adventure will be in the next post.

[BigDogHU75]

More great pictures! The photographer in the lobby really took some great pictures for you!

I was very pleased with the photographers' pictures. It was like having a personal photo shoot at the resort.

Great pix! Wow! What a view from your balcony! Was DS really interested in seeing the animals, or was he too young?

I'm laughing at DMom/DMIL preparing "Thanksgiving Dinner" while on vacation!! :lmao:

Ah, well. Food is Love, right?? ;)


Kathy

He was interested in the animals somewhat. He really liked the giraffes and the birds because he can say those workds. The other animals he didn't pay attention to. He was having more fun rearranging the chairs and sitting on the balcony than anything else.

Thanks for your TR. Your DS is sooooo adorable. Thanks for posting th akl pics. I am looking forward to my stay there in June. Can't wait to read more about your trip!

Thank you for reading my TR and for the compliment. I am sure you will enjoy your stay in June. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Oh, I love the savanna pictures! That was one of my favorite things about staying there even though in May the construction was still going on so our view wasn't that great. But it was still neat going out onto the other observation decks and watching the animals. :goodvibes
I enjoyed the savanna view too. It was wonderful waking up and coming back to the resort seeing all the animals. I cannot say it enough but it is so peaceful sitting out on the balcony watching the animals and enjoying the view.

[BigDogHU75]

More pictures from Kilimanjaro Safaris
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And, we helped capture the poachers!
After riding Kilimanjaro Safaris, it was time for a bathroom break. Plus, DS was ready for a snack. My DU & DM did some shopping in Mombasa Marketplace and had the items that they purchased shipped backed to the resort.

Our next stop was Rafiki’s Planet Watch. We hopped on the Wildlife Express Train and were on our way.
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By the time we arrived, other people in our group were ready for a snack or something to drink so before entering Conservation Station we stopped for some water, soda, and a couple of hot dogs. During this time, DS decided he would rather take a nap than go to the petting zoo. He walked over to my DM, climbed in her lap, got comfortable, and went to sleep.
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DF stayed outside with DM while the rest of us went inside.

Jiminy Cricket and Rafiki were inside. I posed with Rafiki while DH chose to take a picture with a baby reptile of some sort.
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We then went outside to the petting zoo.
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CMs were discussing some of the animals so we took a seat and watched the presentation.
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[MadiMouse]

Okay, I just found this TR and I am loving it already. Okay, I'm going back to:surfweb:

:goodvibes

[MadiMouse]

Okay, are we related? I love the big family trips too and boy do I have some stories from WDW?

Ummmm...did ya'll just have Thanksgiving dinner at the AKL on vacation? And big Breakfast in the mornings???:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:

Seriously, I need to vacation with ya'll!:thumbsup2

[william4192]

DMIL was not going to allow her grandson to go hungry. She told everybody that she would be cooking hot dogs and turkey burgers. She barely settled in before she started fixing food her child, I mean her grandchild.



She is welcome to come on ANY of my Disney Trips. Man, cooking before unpacked. Now that is my type of Woman! :worship::rotfl2:

[KathyRN137]

During this time, DS decided he would rather take a nap than go to the petting zoo. He walked over to my DM, climbed in her lap, got comfortable, and went to sleep.
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Awww. Grandma's lap....always the best seat in the house!! :goodvibes

BigDog..... (why does it sound so wrong to call you that?!!)...

:banana: We got our ressie for AKL ~ Kidani Village for this November!!! :banana:

I am thrilled and so excited to see your beautiful pictures of the resort!

Thank you!


Kathy

[BigDogHU75]

Okay, I just found this TR and I am loving it already. Okay, I'm going back to:surfweb:

:goodvibes

Welcome & thank you for the love.

Okay, are we related? I love the big family trips too and boy do I have some stories from WDW?

Ummmm...did ya'll just have Thanksgiving dinner at the AKL on vacation? And big Breakfast in the mornings???:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:

Seriously, I need to vacation with ya'll!:thumbsup2

Yes, we had Thanksgiving dinner at AKV. I could no believe it. And, the best breakfasts were always in our rooms. If you and a whole other were there, you could have joined us. We had food for days. Neither mom knows how to cook for a small group.

She is welcome to come on ANY of my Disney Trips. Man, cooking before unpacked. Now that is my type of Woman! :worship::rotfl2:

We certainly appreciated her on this trip. She is a wonderful grandmother.

Awww. Grandma's lap....always the best seat in the house!! :goodvibes

BigDog..... (why does it sound so wrong to call you that?!!)...

:banana: We got our ressie for AKL ~ Kidani Village for this November!!! :banana:

I am thrilled and so excited to see your beautiful pictures of the resort!

Thank you!


Kathy

Call me Marsha. BigDog is my DH. I used a username that he could remember if he ever wanted to log on.

DS was very comfortable on his grandmother's lap and she was in heaven :cloud9: just holding him because he is usually on the go.

Congrats on your ressie. We will be at Kidani in Sept. for two days I will take plenty pics of the resort.

[BigDogHU75]

After we were done, we went back outside to get DM, DF, & DS. DS was asleep in his stroller. He can get heavy after a while. We made our way back to the train with DM pushing him along the trail. Once back at the train station my DM decided that she would not listen to anyone. It seemed that she was deaf. Of course, this has something to do with her grandson. Let me set the scene. We were waiting in line to board the train. DS was still asleep in the stroller. The train pulls into the station. I tell DM to wait so I can get DS out of the stroller. DM proceeds to push the stroller towards the train. The CM tries to tell her that the stroller cannot fit on the train. DM proceeds to push the stroller onto the train after seeking the help of either DMIL or DMIL2 (I can't remember but note they were all grandmothers) to lift the stroller onto the train. The stroller is now wedged between the second and third seats of the train. The CM once again stated that strollers must be folded before the train moves. People are staring at us. I wanted to scream. So, I took DS out of the stroller since DM couldn't get away from me this time. Meanwhile DH, who was steaming by this time, folded the stroller up. This time DH was the one ready to leave the park. My DM acted like nothing was wrong. She just wanted her grandson to continue sleeping comfortably. End scene.

On our walk towards the entrance we went through Asia. We were able to get some closer views of the Tree of Life.
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We made our way back to the bus stop where we did not have to wait long to hop on the bus back to AKV. I was only able to do one thing from my wish list, Kilimanjaro Safari, but that was okay.

Once back at the resort, DMIL offered to warm up some leftovers but I was ready for something fried. DMIL2 & I headed down to Mara to get some food. I ordered a chicken flatbread pizza, fried shrimp which came with fries, and chicken nuggets that also came with fries. The food was very good. I really liked the taste of the flatbread pizza even though I did not eat it all. The fried shrimp were good. DS & DH enjoyed the chicken. The ankole cattle seemed to be enjoying there dinner as well.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Animal%20Kingdom%20Day/100_2653.jpghttp://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Animal%20Kingdom%20Day/100_2655.jpg

More views from our balcony:
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Animal%20Kingdom%20Day/100_2657.jpghttp://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Animal%20Kingdom%20Day/100_2658.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Animal%20Kingdom%20Day/100_2589.jpg

This was the only night we did not take pictures in the lobby. But, I did take a picture of the elevator lobby where we meet every morning.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Animal%20Kingdom%20Day/100_0107.jpg
We just decided to stay in and rest since DH’s brother was coming and tomorrow would be our MK day and I wanted to be there when the park opened.

[MadiMouse]

So were you embarrassed????:scared1:
DM said, "Let that baby sleep!" :rotfl2:

[MEK]

Nice update! I can just picture that train scene with everyone trying to shove the stroller on to the train and not wake the baby! Great visual! :rotfl2:

[KathyRN137]

Oh My Goodness, I can just picture the steam coming out of your hubby's ears!! :lmao:

Good call on staying in... can't miss that magical MK rope drop!!


Kathy

[5DizFans]

I love the story about your mother! Funny now - not at the time.

We just bought points at AKV - but we haven't stayed yet. You report is making me excited to go!:banana: I also love that your whole family is there with you. That is something that we want to do as well!

I also love that there is a photographer in the lobby of the Lodge. What a great idea.
Can't wait to read the rest!

[locolala]

I'm glad you took pics of what the villas look like!! We're staying there later this month and I am STOKED. We don't have kids yet, but I have a feeling my DMIL will be like your sons grammas. She's a little.. eccentric, to put it mildly. She's already started buying baby clothes, and we're not even trying for one until I finish college.

[E-P-C-O-T]

You are getting me so excited over our trip to AKV in less than one month :cool1: Please tell your mom that we will loooove to have her join us, we are ok with the 5am cooking ;) We have a baby girl who would absolutely love to cuddle in grandma's lap!:thumbsup2

[that's nice]

I wish I knew that that photographer in the lobby was for any one. I thought you needed an appointment or something to use him. I would of loved a family shot when we went to Jiko for dinner. I guess we will have to do it next time!!:goodvibes

[BigDogHU75]

So were you embarrassed????:scared1:
DM said, "Let that baby sleep!" :rotfl2:

I was not too embarrassed. I am used to my DM's antics. Plus, I knew she was doing it out of love.

Nice update! I can just picture that train scene with everyone trying to shove the stroller on to the train and not wake the baby! Great visual! :rotfl2:
It was a sight! But, DS did not wake up until I took him out of the stroller. He was so tired.

Oh My Goodness, I can just picture the steam coming out of your hubby's ears!! :lmao:

Good call on staying in... can't miss that magical MK rope drop!!


Kathy
It makes me laugh now when I think about it. At the time, i was just trying to keep the peace. DH eventually calmed down.

I love the story about your mother! Funny now - not at the time.

We just bought points at AKV - but we haven't stayed yet. You report is making me excited to go!:banana: I also love that your whole family is there with you. That is something that we want to do as well!

I also love that there is a photographer in the lobby of the Lodge. What a great idea.
Can't wait to read the rest!
Congratulations on buying into AKV and welcome home! This was our first trip to AKV and we loved it. I am sure you will. I am not going to know what to do when we go back for a cople of days in Sept. since it will just be the three of us. I love big family trips and with being DVC members potentially everyone can have their own space. You get the best of both worlds.

I'm glad you took pics of what the villas look like!! We're staying there later this month and I am STOKED. We don't have kids yet, but I have a feeling my DMIL will be like your sons grammas. She's a little.. eccentric, to put it mildly. She's already started buying baby clothes, and we're not even trying for one until I finish college.

I know you will have a great vacation. Good thinking on waiting to finish college before having a baby. DH is in a Master's program now that only meets once a week and it is struggle trying to juggle who will take and pick up DS from daycare. Don't let the pressure from the grandparents to be get to you. Whenever it happens they will be excited. DS's grandparents are working on us to have another one. It is so funny. Once you start they will want you to keep going.

You are getting me so excited over our trip to AKV in less than one month :cool1: Please tell your mom that we will loooove to have her join us, we are ok with the 5am cooking ;) We have a baby girl who would absolutely love to cuddle in grandma's lap!:thumbsup2

I am so envious that you will be at AKV in less than a month. Have a great time! It was so good to have the grandparents there. DS always had someone to look out for him.

I wish I knew that that photographer in the lobby was for any one. I thought you needed an appointment or something to use him. I would of loved a family shot when we went to Jiko for dinner. I guess we will have to do it next time!!:goodvibes

Hopefully, the photographers will still be there when you go. It was great that they were in the lobby. We never had to wait in line. I don't know hy more people didn't utilize the service. We got a lot of different shots with different family members.

[BigDogHU75]

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Plan:
Leave AKV around 8:15 a.m. to be at the park opening at 9:00 a.m. Dinner at the Grand Floridian Café at 5:25 p.m.


What happened:
The night before I decided that we would not need our dinner reservation at the Grand Floridian since DH's father would be meeting us at our hotel room after we had come back from the MK. I told DH & DMIL that instead of going to the Grand Floridian, I would cook spaghetti that evening. So much for plans.

I woke up my usual time and to my surprise I was the only one up in our room. Sometime during the night DBIL made it to the resort. He was sleeping on the pull out couch in DMIL’s room and DMIL was not awake and, of course, DH & DS were still sleeping. So, I started getting ready. By the time I was out of the bathroom, DS was awake and I heard DMIL stirring. Now, I just had to get DH up which can be a chore. This morning, though, it wasn’t too bad but everybody but DS & I were off to a slow start.

My DF called to see if we were ready and to let me know that my DM would not be joining us today. He & DU had been up for awhile and had eaten their breakfast, drank their coffee and were waiting for us to call them. When they arrived at our room, DMIL was just sitting down to eat her breakfast and drank her coffee. UGH! So much for getting to MK for the rope drop. DF explained that DM had injured her foot on the bedroom door. She was moving a chair back and tried to close the door. The door scraped the top of her foot. Of course, I had to go see her so I ran down the hall to her room. When DM answered the door she had a bandage on her foot but it was still bleeding. I ran back to my room to get the big tube of Neosporin that I had packed (I had OTC meds for just about anything) and then ran back to my DM and gave it to her. She was sorry that she could not go with us but she wanted to give her foot time to heal by keeping it out of the shoe. She has to be careful with wounds since she is a diabetic. I completely understood. I gave her a kiss and told her to enjoy the room and the view. I then headed back to my room and waited until everybody was ready.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2661-1.jpg
When I took this picture it was almost 9 a.m.

A few minutes later we were finally headed to the bus stop. Of course, of all mornings the bus to MK took its sweet time coming. We waited for what seemed like eternity but really about 15-20 minutes while the crowd for the MK bus just kept getting bigger and bigger.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2663.jpg
This picture was taken around 9:15 a.m.

Finally, the MK bus pulled up and right behind it was another MK bus. We were off to the Magic Kingdom. The bus ride was not too long but, of course, we were not there for RD. Oh well, maybe we could make it to Dumbo before the lines get too long because I remember the touring plan motto “Ride first …” Yeah right! We were late anyway so I might as well go with the flow. We stopped to take some pictures.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2664.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image084.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2666.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image098.jpg
DS did not want to let go of the brochure
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image100.jpg

As we approached the castle we were just in time for the show Dream-Along with Mickey.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2676.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2681.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2683.jpg

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/th_Dreams.jpg (http://s325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/?action=view&current=Dreams.flv)
After the show it was off to ride Dumbo.

[MadiMouse]

Great update. I believe my extended family would love your touring plan. I'm such a commando and my baby girl is just like me. She can hang with the best! ;)

[Donald is #1]

Oh no, I am sorry to hear that your Mom hurt her foot? Did it continue to bother her during the trip?

[BigDogHU75]

Great update. I believe my extended family would love your touring plan. I'm such a commando and my baby girl is just like me. She can hang with the best! ;)
I was trying to be a commando but circumstances kept getting in the way. And, I am kind of glad that I took it easy. Of course, I wish I could have done more but there is always next time.

Oh no, I am sorry to hear that your Mom hurt her foot? Did it continue to bother her during the trip?
It bothered her for a couple of days but she enjoyed sitting in the room and taking it easy.

I will be posting more soon. I hope everyone has a Happy Easter.

[KathyRN137]

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image098.jpg
DS did not want to let go of the brochure



Love this shot!!

LOL, now I know why you titled your report, Plans Are Meant to be Broken!! Oh well, going with the flow has its merits, too.

Sorry DM injured her foot, but she was right to nurse it carefully, considering the diabetes concern. ::yes::

Kathy

[MEK]

All caught up again! Sorry to hear your mom hurt her foot! I hope she is OK. Love, Love, Love your MK pics. It looks like a perfect day!

[BigDogHU75]

WOW! I can’t believe that it has been almost three months since I posted. Sometimes life gets in the way. But, I did not want to be the person who does not finish the trip report. Thank you OhMari for opening this thread back up.

For those who are returning welcome back & thank you for coming back. For those who are just joining me :welcome:

We now return to our regularly scheduled trip report already in progress.

[BigDogHU75]

We last left off heading to Dumbo. Since we stopped to watched the Dream Along with Mickey show, the line at Dumbo was long considering it is a slow loading ride. DH, DU, DBIL, & DF did not want to ride on Dumbo so it was just DMIL, DS, and I. After about a twenty minute wait, we were finally able to board the elephant. We decided to try and fit in one elephant. Needless to say it was a tight fit with the three of us. Thank goodness for seat belt extenders. Once we were all situated we were off for a flying adventure.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2685.jpg

DS loved Dumbo. I was glad since this was the first ride he has ever been on. After Dumbo we headed to the Carousel.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000327.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2689.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2692.jpg
DS was not happy on this ride. He was ready to get off.

When we exited the Carousel, we spotted Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Now, against the plans, DS wanted to meet them. So, we, meaning DMIL, DS, & I, stood in line while the men went to get a snack (expensive popcorn). The line moved pretty quickly except for when Pooh and Tigger had to take a potty break. But, we toughed it out and DS was thrilled. He ran straight to Pooh.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image102.jpg
Tigger was not getting any love from DS.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2694.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image106.jpg
Pooh was laughing at poor Tigger.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image105.jpg
So, I stepped in to show Tigger some love and hopefully coax DS over to Tigger.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2695.jpg
It worked for about a second but DS was really into Pooh.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2698.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image112.jpg
After we stood took pictures with Pooh and Tigger, we went to Pooh’s playground. DS had a blast. He played in the tree house.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000353.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000355.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000357.jpg
DH decided to join DS in the tree house.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000359.jpg
Next DS wanted to go down the slide. He went down the slide at least 100 times and had a ball every time.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000369.jpg
Then something caught DS’s eye. What did he see? Water shooting up from the ground and DS loves to play in the water. First he tested the water.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000375.jpg
When DS got used to it, he would run to where the water would shoot up and wait for it. When he saw the water coming he would try to run away before the water got him.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000384.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000386.jpg
One time he wasn’t quick enough.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/th_Chasingthegeysers.jpg (http://s325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/?action=view&current=Chasingthegeysers.flv)
While we were there, I noticed that one of the geysers was not working and a CM was there trying to fix it. I am glad that the other ones were working and that DS was able to play because the next day the geysers were not operating at all.

After the water fun we headed to Minnie’s house and Mickey’s house after a quick restroom break.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2711.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000388.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2713.jpg
DH was trying to take a picture of something in the room and extended his hand a little too far because an alarm started to sound. We quickly moved along.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2716.jpg
We decided to forgo the Judge’s tent.

All aboard! Next stop Frontierland.

[BigDogHU75]

After a nice and restful train ride …
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2718.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2723.jpg

we arrived in Frontierland where we walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere and scenery.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2724.jpg
While walking, we noticed that a lot of people were eating on big turkey legs which prompted me to get one. Man was it huge and it was delicious. Everyone, except for DH, partook of the turkey leg.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2726.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2725.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000395.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000398.jpg
That turkey leg was more like a prop then food. It was during this time that I noticed that there were a lot of birds flying and wandering around looking for food.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2733.jpg
Since we did not have anything but a turkey leg, I felt safe. Boy was I wrong. As soon as I pulled a piece of meat off the turkey leg and held it up a big bird swooped down and grabbed it out of my hand. At first, I did not know what happened. I just heard something fly past my ear and felt a tug from my hand. I was too through. I did not want to see another bird but lo’ and behold who do we spot next – the duck himself. Of course, we had to stop and take a picture or two or three.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2734.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image116.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image119.jpg

After visiting with Donald we headed to It’s a Small World. We really weren’t headed there but we saw it along the way and DMIL wanted to ride it. DH decided to pass on this ride since he felt people of his stature did not belong in a small world. Everyone else rode and enjoyed the ride.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/100_2737.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/P1000407.jpg

After our boat ride, we left the park headed for home. But, I needed to take a couple of more pictures (DS did not).
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image121.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image124.jpg
Before exiting the park, I also stopped to get some fudge and sugar free candy for my parents.

[BigDogHU75]

Once we arrived at home, I went to my parents’ room to recap our day with my DM who could not go with us because of her foot. While there I noticed that a CM was cleaning out one of the watering holes. If you ever wondered how the watering holes fill up with water here is the answer.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/th_Fillingthepondviewfrom5512.jpg (http://s325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/?action=view&current=Fillingthepondviewfrom5512.flv)
I thought the water got there naturally by way of rain.

Once back at AKV, we rested, had dinner, and tried to go for a swim. The plan was to go the Grand Floridian Café but since both mothers brought so much food with them we opted to stay in. DMIL cooked dinner. We had spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad on the side. DH’s father and wife met us back at the hotel. Once they arrived we had dinner and then wanted to test out the pool. DH, DS, DFIL, and I changed into our bathing suits and headed to the pool. As we stepped out in the hallway, a familiar smell was in the air - my mother's cooking. I could tell that she was cooking some collard greens. My parents and uncle had greens (DM had the hallways smelling like collards), ribs, cornbread, and sweet potato pie. My mom sent a sweet potato pie to our room. I made a mental note to go to the room and get some food.

When we got outside, it was a bit nippy but thought that the pool would be warmer since it was supposed to be heated. It was not warm enough for my liking and even though DS wanted to stay in the pool I took him out. DMIL, DS, & I headed back to the room. DMIL gave him a bath & I went to the room to get me some bbq ribs for later. When I came back to my room, DMIL, DS, & I headed back down to the pool to see if DH & DFIL were still there. When we got to the ppol I did not see them. I panicked because DH did not have a key. So we tried to rush back to the room but DS did not want to leave the pool area. He decided to have a mini-meltdown and made his body go limp. Being the good mother that I am, I left DMIL there to deal with DS. When I got back to the room, DH was not standing in the hallway dripping wet. He was nowhere to be found. DMIL & DS eventually made it back to the room. Sometime later, the rest of the gang made it back too. They had been soaking in the hot tub. After they changed into their clothes, we had our nightly photo session in the lobby of AKV.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image126.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image128.jpg
Now, after this picture, DS fell backwards off the bench because he was laughing so hard. Needless to say we got some looks from those in the lobby since four adults could not prevent one baby from falling. DS, however, was okay. He did not hit the rock that was behind the bench. He did not have any bumps or bruises. So we continued with the picture taking. (I know, shameful, especially since I was the one making him laugh.)
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image130.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%201/image137.jpg
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After our nightly photo session we wished DFIL & DMIL2 a good night and went back to the room to rest up for day 2 at the MK.

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Yay, you're back! Love the updates and can't wait for more!!

[MarieFan]

I just read your TR from the beginning and I love it! Your son is too adorable, and the food grandmas crack me up! We are staying at AKV in August/Sept so I am appreciating all the pictures. I can't wait to read more...

[wdwgirl03]

Welcome back! Still subscribed to your thread. :)

[BigDogHU75]

Yay, you're back! Love the updates and can't wait for more!!

Yes, I am back. Thank you for sticking with me.

I just read your TR from the beginning and I love it! Your son is too adorable, and the food grandmas crack me up! We are staying at AKV in August/Sept so I am appreciating all the pictures. I can't wait to read more...

Welcome and thank you! I was glad the grandmas brought the food. We were never hungry and we spent less money on food.

Welcome back! Still subscribed to your thread. :)
Thank you. I am glad you still subscribe to the thread.

[BigDogHU75]

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Magic Kingdom Day 2– Determination Prevails
The Plan:
Leave AKV around 8:15 a.m. to be at the park opening at 9:00 a.m. Lunch at the Crystal Palace at 12:55 p.m.

What happened:
Today I was determined to follow the plan. Even though going with the flow was okay. I wanted to see at least some aspect of my plan in action. Commando Mommy was in full swing. We will be there when the park opens. We will make our ADR. We will follow the plan. All who are not with me are against me and will be treated as such. Onward march!

Not everyone went with us to MK. Though my mother’s foot was feeling a little better, she was not up to walking too much. DF and DU decided to stay with her and enjoy the day at their on pace. They went to Downtown Disney and did a little browsing and shopping.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_0117.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_0120.jpg

DH, DMIL, DS, & I headed off to MK. DFIL & DMIL2 were supposed to leave with us but since they were not ready they told us they would meet us in the park. We arrived at MK right before the train pulled off from the station with the characters and the “special” family. We entered the park to waving CMs and bubbles. DS loves bubbles.

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2766.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2769.jpg

We headed to Tomorrowland. On our way we stopped for some pictures.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image141.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image145.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image149.jpg
DS would not look at the camera

We continue to Tomorrowland
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2771.jpg
Rode Buzz Lightyear. We were able to walk right on and we were able to stay on the ride to ride it again. See what happens when you stick to a plan. After exiting the ride we saw that Stitch was out signing autographs. We were going to take a picture with him but he had to take a potty break so we decided to ride the Carousel of Progress. After that ride, DFIL & DMIL2 called to say they were headed our way. We spotted them on our way to Transit Authority. We all boarded and rode that ride.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2778.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2779.jpg
After that we went to see Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. It was a cute show. DFIL was “that guy” and received a sticker afterwards.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/img061.jpg
Next was the Winnie the Pooh Ride. DS enjoyed the ride. After the ride, both sets of grandparents decided to purchase something for their grandson. DFIL purchased him a stuffed Winnie the Pooh which DS sleeps with to this day. DMIL purchased a Tigger hat which DS liked very much. It is the only hat that he will wear for an extended period of time.
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/IMG_2401.jpg
We stopped and rested at the tables near the Winnie the Pooh ride and had a snack. DH & I had churros with chocolate sauce. They were not as good as I remembered. Part of DH’s churro fell on the ground where a bird was happily waiting to gobble it up. DH was not happy so I gave him the rest of mine. DS was munching on some gummie bears that DFIL had purchased (see pictures above). Later I would discover that they were sugar-free causing DS to play a melody with his toot flute (he had a lot of gas).

While we were sitting a CM walked over to us and started a conversation. I forget his name but he was very friendly. He told us that we were at the park at the best time of the year. He went on to tell us not to come during the summer or holidays because it is way too crowded. He enjoyed working at the park and had worked in all of the parks. He showed us his Jiminy Cricket pin for 25 years of service. He has seen a lot of changes.

Once we were done conversing with the CM we headed to the train station and took the train to Main St. We proceeded down Main St. and headed to Crystal Palace. Of course we stopped to take some pictures along the way.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image154.jpg
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[BigDogHU75]

When we arrived at Crystal Palace, we were early but they took us right away. DS enjoyed his lunch at the Crystal Palace even though he did not each much and the characters seemed to be attracted to DH. The characters signed autographs and Tigger signed DS’s Tigger hat. This time DS was showing Tigger a little more love than he had shown the previous day.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2783.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2787.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2789.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2794.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2798.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2801.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/IMG_2406.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/IMG_2413.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/IMG_2417.jpg

The food was good. I did not take any pics of the food. I did take pics of our desert plate.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2790.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2791.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2793.jpg

Couple of more pics from Crystal Palace.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2806.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2807.jpg

After our lunch, DS needed to be changed. Luckily, we were near a baby care center. It was very nice inside and spacious. Once DS was fresh and clean, we headed out of the park. On our way out, we spotted Pluto so we stood in line to get a picture.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image177.jpghttp://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image175.jpg

[SunnieRN]

Wow, loving your trip report!! Your son is SO cute and you can tell he is just eating up all that gramma and grampa love!!! Speaking of which, can I borrow your Mom and MIL for our first trip home in Sept. this year??!! I would love to have a yummy thanksgiving dinner while we're there!! Too cool!!

I think you have done wonderfully well going with the flow! You should be proud of yourself!! What dates in Sept are you going to be at AKV? We will be there the 20-29. I see you are going on the member cruise! I hope to do that one day!!:goodvibes

Looking forward to more!!

[BigDogHU75]

Wow, loving your trip report!! Your son is SO cute and you can tell he is just eating up all that gramma and grampa love!!! Speaking of which, can I borrow your Mom and MIL for our first trip home in Sept. this year??!! I would love to have a yummy thanksgiving dinner while we're there!! Too cool!!

I think you have done wonderfully well going with the flow! You should be proud of yourself!! What dates in Sept are you going to be at AKV? We will be there the 20-29. I see you are going on the member cruise! I hope to do that one day!!:goodvibes

Looking forward to more!!
:welcome: & thank you. DS loves the attention he gets from his grandparents most of the time. It was so nice to have them there. I really loved our family vacation. I hope to do it again. An added bonus was that the grandmoms were willing to cook.

I know you will ove your first trip home. We will be there the beginning of Sept. We will be spending 2 days before the members cruise at BCV & 2 days after the members cruise at AKV - Kidani. I am so excited. This will be our first members cruise. I will let you know how we liked it. From what I hear it is a great experience.

[BigDogHU75]

Once back at the resort, we said our goodbyes to DFIL and DMIL2 since they were headed back to their home. After they left, DS went down for his nap & I told DH that I wanted to go to “Welcome Home Wednesdays” which is a presentation for DVC members at the Atlantic Dance Hall on the Boardwalk which started at 4:00 p.m. DH wanted to rest for a little while and watch some Maury. I told him we needed to leave in plenty of time since we had to catch two buses. DH wasn’t ready to leave the room until about 3:15. Two bus rides later we arrived just as the show was letting out. Although we missed the show, we did get a DVC hat. Since we had come all this way, we decided to walk along the Boardwalk and get some funnel cake. Here are some pictures we took along the way.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2808.jpg
On our way to Downtown Disney to catch the second bus.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2810.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2814.jpg

After our funnel cake, we decided to hop the ferry to Epcot. It was a nice boat ride.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2815.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2821.jpg

Once at Epcot, we rode Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Walked through ImageWorks, tried to ride Soaring but the wait was 90 minutes, rode Living with the Land, and watched the Circle of Life. By that time, Future World was closing. We did not want to stay and watch Illuminations. We were ready to get back to AKV. Here are some pictures we took during our time at Epcot. We did not take a lot.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2822.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2823.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2826.jpghttp://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2827.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image178.jpg

The bus for AKV took forever to come so I took some pictures of Spaceship Earth from the bus stop.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2833.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/100_2834.jpg

Once the bus finally came, I called my parents to let them know we were headed back to the resort. I told them to meet us in the lobby since they still had not taken any pictures in the lobby. Once we arrived, all of our party was in the lobby. DS was about to march around the lobby but once DH called his name, he came running over to us and did not want to join the parade. I told DH not to call him. DMIL told us that after DS woke up from his nap, they explored the resort. DS even sat in on story time. Once the parade stopped, we had our nightly photo session.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image183.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image194.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image196.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image203.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image208.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Magic%20Kingdom%20Day%202/image211.jpg

After our photo session, we headed back to our rooms to enjoy the rest of the evening.

[SunnieRN]

Love your photopass pictures!!! I wonder if they have a photographer there every night or only sometimes? Since we will have some family members there I would love to get pictures when we're not all hot and sweaty from park touring.;)
Glad you made it in time to get DVC hats!! I'll be looking forward to hearing about the members cruise!! We are hoping to go in 2011!!

[BigDogHU75]

Love your photopass pictures!!! I wonder if they have a photographer there every night or only sometimes? Since we will have some family members there I would love to get pictures when we're not all hot and sweaty from park touring.;)
Thank you. We were so thrilled when we learned that the Photopass photographers were going to be in the lobby every night. We took our pics when we were refreshed. One said that it was something new they were trying out. I don't know if they are still there.

Glad you made it in time to get DVC hats!!
We made it just in time. People were walking out the door when we were headed to the building.
I'll be looking forward to hearing about the members cruise!! We are hoping to go in 2011!!
I am looking forward to the members cruise. From past reports it sounds like fun.

[BigDogHU75]

This will be a mini report. Since DS is back (he spent a week with my DM & DF) I have been busying enjoying spending time with him.

You know it’s a bad sign when GMA is doing a live remote from DHS
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Disney Hollywood Studios
The Plan:
Leave AKV around 8:15 a.m. to be at the park opening at 9:00 a.m. Dinner at ‘Ohana at 5:05 p.m.

What happened:
While watching Good Morning America, I noticed that Sam Champion, the weatherman, was broadcasting live from a familiar place, DHS. He was talking about the new attraction at DHS, American Idol Live. This should have been my first clue that not all would go as planned. Amazingly, everyone was up and ready to go on time and we left at a party decent time. Second sign something is amidst. We arrived at DHS right after park opening. I was excited until I got into the park. The main street at DHS was roped off making the park look crowded than it actually was. Everyone had to use the sidewalks and there were only certain sections where one could cross the street. On top of that, we were directed down a side street because they were about to do a street performance. There goes my plan for getting a Fastpass for Toy Story Mania right away. The street we were headed down led to the Tower of Terror. I heard DBIL trying to psych himself up to ride the ride. DH was laughing at his little brother. (We will see who will be laughing later.) He told him that he would go on the ride with him. They practically walked on the ride. The rest of us waited by the monitors to see their picture when they first dropped. We waited and waited and finally saw this:
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/img060.jpg
I laughed until I cried. If that was not the funniest picture – two grown men looking like they were about to pee their pants.

Stay tuned there is more to come ...

[BigDogHU75]

After our good laugh at Tower of Terror, we headed over to Toy Story Mania. On our way we took the opportunity to stop for pictures and meet some characters.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/image225.jpg
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http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_0122.jpg

While waiting in line to meet the characters, I grabbed everyone’s tickets and headed over to get fastpasses for Toy Story Mania. We had a return time of 1:00 p.m. So, after our photo session with the characters, we hoped in line for the second showing of Disney Playhouse Live on Stage. The grown-ups in the party found seating on the limited bench space while DS & I found seating on the floor.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/P1000462.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/P1000463.jpg

Once the show started, DS was enthralled. He loves to watch Playhouse Disney on the weekends & knows all of the characters. Here is a little snippet from the show.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/th_ThinkThinkThink.jpg (http://s325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/?action=view&current=ThinkThinkThink.flv)
And some pictures:
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2842.jpghttp://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2846.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2850.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2851.jpghttp://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2860.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2863.jpg

After the show, we stood in line to meet the Little Einsteins. While waiting in line, DS started having a meltdown. He was not in good mood but he also wanted to see the characters. We did manage to meet two – Quincy & June – and had them sign our autograph cards.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/image265.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/image266.jpg
The photopass photographer took notice of the personalized autograph cards, commented that it was nice, and pointed it out to June.

[BigDogHU75]

Since DS was not having a good day, I asked DMIL to take him home which she was more than willing to do. My parents & uncle also went with her. DH, DBIL, and I decided to grab some lunch since we still had time before our Fastpasses for Toy Story Mania. On our way to lunch, we spotted the Power Rangers. They are some limber people.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2871.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2872.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2873.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2876.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2877.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2875.jpg

We ate at the Studio Catering Company and received some Disney Magic. We received a free dessert since we were the lucky ones to receive the special blue tray. The dessert was good. The food was alright. Both DH & I ordered the BBQ Pull Pork Sub. They were a little dry. We had to doctor them up with mayo. DBIL said his Chicken Caesar Wrap was good. After lunch, we took a bathroom break and then headed over to Toy Story Mania. We had to wait two minutes before we could use our passes. While waiting, we noticed some guests being accompanied by CMs. They were just getting off the ride and wanted to ride again. When we were on the ride we saw them again. They had just finished riding for the second time. I believe they were past AI contestants but since I stopped watching the show a long time ago I would not know. We enjoyed the ride.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2878.jpg
I wanted to ride again but also wanted to go home to check on DS. So, I gave the extra FPs to DH and proceeded out of the park. DH & DBIL stayed and watched the stunt show.

On my way out, I called my parents to discuss dinner plans for the night. My DM told me that she did not want to go to dinner which upset me greatly. I told her before we even left for Disney that having dinner at ‘Ohana’s was a must since this would be our last dinner together at Disney. In addition, DH’s father was driving down from Tallahassee to have dinner with us. DM did not relent. She told me to go and have fun. She knows what buttons to push. While I was on the phone with my DM, a CM told me to smile. I was not in the mood. I just wanted to get off the phone. I politely told DM goodbye and hung up the phone. I don’t argue with her because she is still my mother and no matter how old I get I would never hang up on her, yell at her, or curse at her like I see some other children do. Anyway, I did manage to take a picture http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2879.jpg
And, then I stopped along the way and looked in some stores but it was just too crowded on the sidewalks and in the stores so I did not stay long. I hopped a bus to AKV after it seemed like I waited forever. The bus first made a stop at Blizzard Beach. When I got back to AKV, I noticed that I had a missed call. It was from DF trying to smooth things over. He left a message stating that they would be going to dinner. I headed to their room but they weren’t here. On my way to search for them, I took some more pictures of the resort.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2880.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2881.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2882.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2883.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2884.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2885.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2886.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2887.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2890.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2893.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2896.jpg

I finally saw my parents & uncle when I was taking pictures of the resort. We met up and headed back to my room where DS had just woke up from his nap. DH & DBIL called to say they were on their way back from DHS and that their dad was headed to AKV.

[BigDogHU75]

Once everyone gathered in the room, we headed to the bus for MK, and then hoped on the monorail to the Polynesian Resort. We waited about 15 minutes and was led to our table. Cousin Joe was our waiter. The food was DELISH. Everyone had a favorite. DBIL enjoyed the wings, DU enjoyed the noodles, DH enjoyed the dumplings, DMIL enjoyed the mixed veggies and salad, I enjoyed the bread pudding. Everyone was satisfied. The entertainment was fun. DS & I even participated. I was glad he was in a better mood. Here are a few pictures
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2897.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2898.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2899.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2900.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2902.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2903.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2906.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2911.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2913.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2914.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2915.jpg

[BigDogHU75]

After dinner we explored the resort. The Polynesian is a beautiful resort. I would love to go back to explore during daylight hours. Here are some of the pictures that we took.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2918.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2920.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2922.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/100_2926.jpg

After exploring, we hopped the monorail back to MK and then took a bus back to AKV. All in all it was an enjoyable evening. Of course, when we arrived back at AKV we had to do our nightly photo session.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/image273.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Disney%20Hollywood%20Studios%20Day/image277.jpg

After our photo session, I took DS to the room to change his diaper and then headed to my parents’ room. They were about to watch a movie so DS & I joined them. Then DS & I did some exploring of our own. When we got back to the room I started doing laundry and just relaxed. It was a nice and restful evening.

[dvc4life]

Hey Marsha. Lovin the report so far. All your pictures are wonderful. Can't wait to read more.

[Donald is #1]

Wow sounds like you had an awesome time at OHanas. That is one of the restaurants that I haven't tried yet. I agree with you on the Poly. I went there last year to have dinner at Kona and just loved the resort.

[dvc4life]

:woohoo: Ladies - that is my dream resort and we are staying there after the DVC member cruise in September! :yay: I have wanted to stay there since our honeymoon in 1990. So, it has been a long time in coming! And I just can't wait. We go there every time we are at Disney to have a drink in the bar. Just because, it wouldn't be a trip to Disney without a trip to the Poly! :goodvibes

[BigDogHU75]

Hey Marsha. Lovin the report so far. All your pictures are wonderful. Can't wait to read more.

Chris, thank you & :welcome: I am happy that you came to visit me. Now, we can chat in two places and get to know each other more before the cruise.

[BigDogHU75]

Wow sounds like you had an awesome time at OHanas. That is one of the restaurants that I haven't tried yet. I agree with you on the Poly. I went there last year to have dinner at Kona and just loved the resort.

We had a wonderful time at 'Ohanas. It was great having a big dinner with the family. The food was wonderful, very tasty and plentiful. You definitely have to give it a try.

:woohoo: Ladies - that is my dream resort and we are staying there after the DVC member cruise in September! :yay: I have wanted to stay there since our honeymoon in 1990. So, it has been a long time in coming! And I just can't wait. We go there every time we are at Disney to have a drink in the bar. Just because, it wouldn't be a trip to Disney without a trip to the Poly! :goodvibes
I really do want to visit the Poly again to explore the resort. Maybe I will get a chance to do so either before or after the members cruise.

[BigDogHU75]

No Plans – Sort of
Friday, February 13, 2009
Free Day
The Plan:
Dinner at Boma at 6:25 p.m. or see Spectro

What happened:
Everyone in our room decided that we would go to Downtown Disney since we had not been. However, we took our time and did not rush. For the first time since the vacation started, I logged on to the Dis just to check in with my cruise meet thread for the 2009 members cruise. It was a relaxing morning. DS had two breakfasts since we also visited my parents’ room. I also took some pictures of our last full day at our home away from home.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2931.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2927.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2928.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2929.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2932.jpg
Our view:
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2933.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2934.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2935.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2936.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2938.jpg
By the end of our stay, DS liked to go out on the balcony and line up the chairs.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2937.jpg

[BigDogHU75]

After our relaxing morning, we headed to DTD. We strolled around and visited the stores. DH & I picked up some gifts to give to co-workers, family, and friends. We also ate at Wolfgang Puck Café. The food was delicious. We had dessert at Ghiradelli’s. Here are a few pictures we took along the way.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2941.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2942.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2945.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2948.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2949.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2950.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2955.jpg
DS loved getting splashed by the spitting Stitch.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2953.jpg
By the time we finished with our milkshakes, DH was ready to head back to the room but, DMIL, DS, & I still wanted to explore. So, on our way back to the bus stop we stopped in a few more stores and took more pictures.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2958.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2961.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2963.jpg
DH was too through with us.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2964.jpg
We did not care.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2965.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2967.jpg

[BigDogHU75]

Finally we made it back to the bus stop and headed back to AKV. Once there, I toured the resort while the rest of the crew headed back to the room.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2968.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2969.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2970.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2972.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2974.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2976.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2990.jpg
I also wanted to see what was happening with Kidani construction.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2979.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2983.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2987.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_2991.jpg

[BigDogHU75]

After my tour, I went back to the room & took some final pictures of our home away from home, mainly pictures of the adjoining studio since we had taken pictures of the one bedroom the first day:
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3000.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3001.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3005.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3006.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3007.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3008.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3009.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3010.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3011.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3012.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3014.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3021.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3017.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3018.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3019.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Downtown%20Disney%20Day/100_3020.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3030.jpg

I visited my parents for a little while & then went back to the room to finish packing for the next day we would be departing.

[MEK]

Enjoyable update. I don't know why I torture myself by reading at work ....I can't see one blessed picture, but I know they are there and I know they are good.....I just know it!

On my last day at Kidani I did the same thing....walked all over an took pictures!

[tink1957]

:thumbsup2Great update & pics, I really like the one of your DS in the Mickey ears, he looks so cute. Thanks for posting the pics of your room, we were considering renting points at some time in the future & it gives me an idea of what the studio is like.

[BigDogHU75]

Enjoyable update. I don't know why I torture myself by reading at work ....I can't see one blessed picture, but I know they are there and I know they are good.....I just know it!

On my last day at Kidani I did the same thing....walked all over an took pictures!

Thank you. Hopefully the pics did not disappoint when you finally got to see them.

:thumbsup2Great update & pics, I really like the one of your DS in the Mickey ears, he looks so cute. Thanks for posting the pics of your room, we were considering renting points at some time in the future & it gives me an idea of what the studio is like.
Thank you. IMHO, I thought DS looked cute as well. :) If you do decide to stay at AKV I am sure you will enjoy it. I was quite surprised at how spacious the studio was.

[BigDogHU75]

Departure Day
What can I say? It was departure day – time to leave. There were no plans except to leave by checkout. I really did not want to go but we had to. Both rooms prepared breakfast, a feast fit for a queen and king. After eating, we called bell services who came to get our bags. I took one final picture.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3032.jpg
We did a final check of the room, left some food in the refrigerator that we could not take back with us, and closed the door behind us one last time. I purchased a few things from the gift shop for our family friend’s son who would be coming to Disney in June. Then, we said our goodbyes. DMIL & DU hopped into DU’s car, which was not nearly as packed when they arrived, and we hopped into the van. DF headed over to Kidani so I could take some pictures of the outside of the building.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3033.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3035.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3039.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3040.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3041.jpg http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3046.jpg
And, then we were headed for home.
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3047.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3048.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3050.jpg
http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k368/Lynmae75/Disney%202009/Time%20to%20Leave/100_3052.jpg

[BigDogHU75]

Final Thoughts:
Overall, this was a great trip. There is something to be said about going with the flow. I realized that I did not need to plan everything. I also realized that I could still have fun with or without a plan. But, I would prefer to have a plan.

It was also great to have a big family trip. It made for a memorable time. I hope to share this experience with more family and friends. If all goes as plan we will.

I am also glad that we went when DS was almost 2. Disney is doable and enjoyable with an infant/toddler. It is wonderful seeing Disney through the eyes of a child. No, we did not get to see or ride everything that we wanted but we did not expect to. What we did get was a lot of enjoyment and memories that will last a lifetime.

What I liked best besides being with family was the resort. I liked the bedrooms with the full kitchen. We spent less money on dining out and still enjoyed a meal as a family. It was great to be able to spread out and not feel like you were on top of one another which is important when vacationing with a large group. And, I loved the king size bed.

What I would do differently is spend more time at the resort exploring. There were so many things that I missed but there is always next time.

I really did not dislike anything. This was my first visit to AKV, my first time staying in a deluxe resort, and my first time staying as a DVC member. This was a terrific first experience.

Finally, thank you for sharing my journey with me despite the lapse of time between reports. It has been great reliving our first visit “home.”

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

I'm so glad you had such a great trip. I'm disappointed though that your TR is over, I really enjoyed it!

[BigDogHU75]

I'm so glad you had such a great trip. I'm disappointed though that your TR is over, I really enjoyed it!

Thank you very much for reading it. I am disappointed that my TR & trip are over but that just means that I am closer to my next trip.

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Thank you very much for reading it. I am disappointed that my TR & trip are over but that just means that I am closer to my next trip.



Haha, very true!!

[Donald is #1]

What a great trip report! I have enjoyed reading it immensely and I will miss it now that it is done. Thanks!

[BigDogHU75]

What a great trip report! I have enjoyed reading it immensely and I will miss it now that it is done. Thanks!

Thank you Robbie for sticking with me. I think I am going to do a brief TR when I go on the members cruise but you will be on that with us. I will post pics from our stay before and after the cruise & of the MNSSHP that we will be going to on Sept. 11. I am hoping it will not rain the night of MNSSHP.

[Donald is #1]

Thank you Robbie for sticking with me. I think I am going to do a brief TR when I go on the members cruise but you will be on that with us. I will post pics from our stay before and after the cruise & of the MNSSHP that we will be going to on Sept. 11. I am hoping it will not rain the night of MNSSHP.

Awesome! :goodvibes I haven't decided whether I will be writing one or not. For a while I was really good at taking notes but the last couple of trips I haven't done as well.

[MaleficentMama]

Loved the TR! Your family seems great! Thanks for sharing!

[wdwgirl03]

Glad you had such a great trip! Hopefully there'll be lots more too. :thumbsup2

I'm so jealous you have AKV as your home. It's such an amazing resort.

[BigDogHU75]

Loved the TR! Your family seems great! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for reading. I have to admit that plans did not go exactly as I expected, it was a great trip. I loved spending time with my family. They are a great bunch of folks.

Glad you had such a great trip! Hopefully there'll be lots more too. :thumbsup2

I'm so jealous you have AKV as your home. It's such an amazing resort.

Thank you. I can't wait until the next one. AKV is wonderful resort. But, I am biased since that is the only one of been to thus far. Can't wait to read about your next trip. Thanks for following along.