"Say Hi to Mickey for Me" - A Disneymoon Two Years in the Making! *3/4 Second MK Day!

[DisneymoonJess07]

Hello, and welcome to my first trip report! So here we are, one day since getting back from Disney, and I am very excited to be starting my Trip Report! :cheer2:

First things first – introductions! This was my first trip to Disney in ten years, and my husband’s first trip in twelve, and on that trip he only went to Epcot, so we basically don’t count it. We even got him a “1st Visit” button at the resort, because he really hadn’t experienced the Disney magic! :tink:

I’m Jessica, 24 years old and I work at a synagogue here in the Chicago area. I’m looking to go into non-profit management here starting in fall 2010.

My husband is Raif, 26 about to be 27 on the 25th of September. He works at the Jewish student organization at a university in Chicago, as their operations manager. He is looking into Rabbinical school to start fall 2010.

We also have two feathered friends, Dehaba and Atarah. Dehaba, meaning gold in Aramaic, is a yellow & green parakeet, and Atarah means crown, since she is blue and white, with a white patch on her head, right where a crown would be. Our lovely friend Melissa took them for our eight days in Disney, and when we brought her a gift back from Disney, she said she didn’t think she needed one, since she got to have pets for a week. It was really sweet. However, she did love her gift when we gave it to her.

Here we are
http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs139.snc1/5935_891483642490_1910319_51250635_2474322_n.jpg
(we were in a friend's wedding, and they had a great photobooth setup with props)

This trip was a very special one for us. Not only had neither of us been there in at least ten years, but this was also our honeymoon! We were married on September 2, 2007 :bride: in my husband’s hometown, but since we were both recent college graduates who had just come back from a year abroad and just about to start new jobs, we had no money and no vacation time. So, we decided to wait.

As a bonus, us on our wedding day:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/melhado_0864copy.png

[disneygirlinnj]

Can't wait to hear about your trip :)

[haleofafamily]

Followed you on your pre-trip report and can't wait to read more!

[ScotsMinnie]

I'm in! Love the pics so far!!! Can't wait to hear how your trip went!
Lx

[Mickey_Mom]

Hey there! :wave2:

[stacikristine]

Hey Jessica! I can't wait to hear about your trip!! I'm so glad you had a wonderful time :goodvibes And those pictures are both GREAT!!

[DisneymoonJess07]

Can't wait to hear about your trip :)

Followed you on your pre-trip report and can't wait to read more!

I'm hoping to get started on the good stuff tonight after our MAJOR grocery shopping!

I'm in! Love the pics so far!!! Can't wait to hear how your trip went!
Lx

Aren't we a good looking couple?

Hey there! :wave2:

Hey Jessica! I can't wait to hear about your trip!! I'm so glad you had a wonderful time :goodvibes And those pictures are both GREAT!!

Thanks! It's going to be so much fun reliving it! Can't wait!

---

I brought mickey-shaped chocolate covered pretzels for my coworkers, and they were a hit. And yummy!

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

What cute pictures! You two look so cute together! Can't wait to hear all about it!

[disneygirlinnj]

You're STILL grocery shopping?!?!?! :) Haha, just kidding!

[DisneymoonJess07]

What cute pictures! You two look so cute together! Can't wait to hear all about it!

We are pretty cute, aren't we? :angel:

You're STILL grocery shopping?!?!?! :) Haha, just kidding!

We were shopping from like 7 to 9 pm, then we had to eat dinner, and then I had to catch up some more emails and blah blah blah. Yeah, I know you are totally not interested - you just want to get more report. I'll see what I can do!

[DisneymoonJess07]

*I promise the next installments won't be so pictureless*

By the time we were both able to take vacation, I was already looking into getting a new job, since the original one was unmanageable, and I got one in July of last year. This of course, again, put a hold on our vacation plans, and since my husband’s job revolves around the school year, it looked like summer would be our best option. Fast forward to February of this year. My parents came to Chicago for the weekend to visit and to see the sites of the city, and they decided to take the train up which seemed like a great idea. They got into town Thursday night, and we were going to a party for some friends who were recently married and they wanted dinner together just the two of them, so we agreed to meet them for coffee and dessert afterwards.

You know what they say about best laid plans! They got into a cab to take them to the restaurant, and a few moments after the guy pulls away, another car pulls out in front of them, and they collide. Since you really have to dig for the seatbelts in Chicago cabs, they didn’t have them on yet. My dad hit his knee, arm and head because he was seated slightly to one side, but my mom, being significantly shorter than my dad, hit the partition head on. She’s on blood thinners due to a clot in one arm, and so she had a terrible nosebleed and it all looked very dramatic. The paramedics got her nosebleed stopped and gave them both ice packs, and a cop came to question them about the accident, I think trying to determine who was at fault. In any case, there was a Starbucks right where the accident took place (of course, it’s downtown Chicago, there’s one on every block) and they go in, and the cop paid for coffee for both of them and the Starbucks lady wouldn’t take the money since she’d seen the accident, but he paid her anyway. It was a really nice experience with the cops, considering what had happened!

Anyway, this whole thing put a severe damper on the weekend, since not only did they instead of going out to Greek and meeting up with us later, they called and we came home and fed them scrambled eggs and took good care of them. My poor mom had two matching black eyes and so she didn’t want to go out anywhere, even though we had been planning to go out to a great dinner on Saturday. So, Raif and I went to the restaurant we had planned to go to, and then brought the meal down to their hotel and ate with them in their suite, and had a great time anyway. During our evening though, my mom brought up that we hadn’t been on a honeymoon yet, and said that we should really try to figure something out for that.

Picking a place for a honeymoon for us was a little more difficult than one would imagine. We’re Jewish, and we keep kosher, so any place we went would have to be able to accommodate that. I started looking into some all-inclusives, but most of those would cost the earth and although we had more of a budget, $4000 plus $1800 airfare for a week didn’t seem right to us. So we kept looking. Eventually, I came back around to an idea I’d had for a while, about Disney, and then found out about how kosher dining works, and that it would work perfectly with the Dining Plan. I started thinking about the week of our anniversary as a great time to go, and things started rolling from there, especially when I bought my UnOfficial Guide and rejoined the Disboards. I had been a member for a while right when we were beginning wedding planning and thought we’d be able to go on a honeymoon right away. Best of all, with free dining, our total for the vacation came in at just over $2000, and we had an amazing, unforgettable trip. The kind of trip that made my husband realize how stressful he has been finding work and how he needs to work on reducing stress in his life!

[stacikristine]

I'm so glad you and Raif were able to take this trip. Your mom was right--it was about time you went on your honeymoon :goodvibes I'm so glad you loved it. Can't wait to hear more!

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Oh gosh, what a horrible thing to happen to your mom and dad! I'm glad they weren't too hurt! Yay for a Disneymoon though!! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!!

[mommytothreeboys]

Welcome back Jess! I can't wait to hear how this trip went for you and Raif! :cool1:

Your wedding picture is beautiful! :goodvibes

[DisneymoonJess07]

I'm so glad you and Raif were able to take this trip. Your mom was right--it was about time you went on your honeymoon :goodvibes I'm so glad you loved it. Can't wait to hear more!

Isn't my mom smart? :goodvibes

Oh gosh, what a horrible thing to happen to your mom and dad! I'm glad they weren't too hurt! Yay for a Disneymoon though!! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!!

They really recovered so well, and they're coming back in like two weeks for a redo of a city trip, so they can actually do things with us. :laughing:

Welcome back Jess! I can't wait to hear how this trip went for you and Raif! :cool1:

Your wedding picture is beautiful! :goodvibes

Thanks for the good comments - I loved my wedding dress so much! And I can't wait to get time to continue to write about the trip!

~~

Good morning ladies! Unfortunately, I have come back to work just at our very busy time, so I'm hoping to start an update tonight. I have all my pictures lined up and ready and I know what I want to write -just a matter of writing them.

BUT I am uploading to photopass tonight! I meant to last night, but my DH was out of town and so I went out with a girlfriend for dinner and we had wine, and then I forgot :angel: :rotfl:

Thanks for the great comments though!

[DisneymoonJess07]

Because we wouldn’t be able to do much for the trip on Friday evening and Saturday due to Shabbat, we began packing on Thursday night for our trip. We got about 80% packed that night, but we still had enough to pack that we knew we needed to get going on packing on Saturday night. I had gotten a call from the limo service, and so I called them back to confirm. Since it was our honeymoon, we did take a moment to enjoy some refreshment.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0964.jpg
We found these in the grocery store and could hardly resist.

Even after we packed and were all ready, neither of us slept much. I think the anticipation of going was totally getting to us. Anyway, the alarm went off at 4:45, and we both managed to get out of bed without too much trouble, even though we’d only gotten a few hours of sleep. We were ready ahead of schedule and brought our stuff downstairs at about 5:25. Luckily, the driver was already downstairs, and we got into the car the car service had sent. The car was nice and there was barely any traffic that early in the morning. Perhaps, in retrospect, we didn’t have to leave quite that early, given that we were leaving on a Sunday morning, but I was nervous about things going wrong. As it turned out though, they were preparing for the Chicago triathlon by closing several lanes of one of the roads we had to go on, so maybe it was better that we went early.

I hardly remember the trip to the airport, except for one important detail. There was a song playing in the car when we got into it, and it played one other time on our trip. I found some of the lyrics when we got back, and it’s the song “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat, and so appropriate for the morning.

I've been awake for a while now
You've got me feeling like a child now
Cause every time I see your bubbly face
I get the tinglies in a silly place

It starts in my toes
And I crinkle my nose
Where ever it goes, I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Where ever you go

I have decided that this song will always make me think of this trip. In any case, we arrived at the airport by 6:00 a.m., which was about half an hour earlier than I thought we’d get there. We walked up to the security guy, and I think it was my shirt and the choice of destination on my ticket, but he said to me, “Say hi to Mickey for me!”, which just made me smile. Raif thought it was really cool that someone said something about Disney all the way back in Chicago too.

We found the gate pretty easily, and it was really quiet at first. We passed a small little Hallmark shop, which was great, since we had realized that neither of us had remembered to get a card for the other for our anniversary, which would be during the trip. We both took turns going to the card shop, and then I got a snack at the airport store to tide me over, since the cereal was not holding up after an hour in the airport.

We took off right on time, which was nice since there were a couple of really loud families in the waiting area, and I was sort of starting to get worried that maybe some of the naysayers of our trip were right and we’d be stuck with screaming families and bratty kids the entire time, rather than nice families and well-behaved, or at least, not congenitally bratty, kids. On the plane, we took our seats, and being Southwest, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting into. It wasn’t the best situation. In front of us, we had a grandma and her two grandkids and she clearly was having trouble getting them to behave and started threatening them with not bringing them on trips anymore if they didn’t behave. BTW, the kid was hardly doing anything that wasn’t directly related to being in a stuffed aircraft.

That really wasn’t the part that bothered me the most though. I tried to sleep some on the plane, but the guy behind me was like passed out and snoring really loudly. Not only that – he had THE WORST breath and I kept getting whiffs of it as I tried to sleep. We were both trying to lean against the windows, so that sleep was totally ineffectual.

The plane was landing, and then I was nervous all over again about getting onto Magical Express. I don’t know why I was nervous, I just was! :laughing: Anyway, we got the cute little train from the terminal to the main terminal, and I pulled out my Magical Express booklet that we got and followed the directions, although there was a CM on the second floor who told us where to go. There seriously is no signage in the Orlando airport until way the last minute. However, once we got there, there was a big huge line – until another CM saw us and told us to go to the red carpet – that had no people on it. We were the first in line for our line to the bus to our hotel.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0965.jpg

The guy came to lead us to our bus, and we were literally the only people out there, so we grabbed the opportunity to get a picture of the two of us, since we were now awake:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0967.jpg
You can tell by my long sleeves that it was COLD in Chicago the morning we left!

We get on the bus and there is literally NO ONE on it. Not a soul. It was a little bizarre. So we made the best of it waiting, and eventually about fifteen other people get on with us. It was really a nice ride, and it was pretty amusing that I made a point to sit up front, since I remembered what was said about when the DME bus arrives at the hotel and the lobby gets totally swamped. Of course, even with everyone on the bust there were not that many getting off at POR, and we had done the online checkin, which was great.

The busride was uneventful, except for Mr. Helpful. He was the second person to get on the bus after us, and he just kept talking. First, he explained his entire reason for being on the bus (some convoluted story about a car rental) and then once he found out that we hadn’t been here in a while, he started giving us all kinds of advice (all of which we either already knew OR was wrong) and talked almost the entire ride. Luckily, I was on the inside next to the window, and so I got to watch most of the movie. But we still got to take these pictures:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0968.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0971.jpg
At this point, this was me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBWvkpTY2Wo
And then:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0973.jpg

Time for bed here – next up, check in and our first stop: Magic Kingdom!

[stacikristine]

YAY!!! You're in Disney World! :yay: So sorry about the plane situation. I don't have a very high tolerance for stinky breath...I probably would have gagged :guilty: And sorry for Mr. Know It All. Isn't it funny how people automatically think you want tons and tons of Disney tips? :upsidedow Can't wait to see how you like POR!!!!

[mommytothreeboys]

YAY! You're finally at WDW!!

Can't wait to see your pics of POR and hear how you liked it. :thumbsup2

[disneygirlinnj]

grrrr i'm on my worklaptop and cant view the photos! i'll have to go in the other room later and check on my home laptop!

[disneygirlinnj]

ok i switched computers for a little bit so I can see the photos :) I love Bubbly by colbie!!! Great song. Never saw the Stewie clip either, that's totally me! hahahahaa!

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

Woohoo you're in Disney! Very cute shirt you had on! We had a Mr. Know It All on our ME bus too, luckily he wasn't talking to us but the family he kept talking to looked like they just wanted him to shut up! It was funny though and my bf kinda was listening to him and I guess he was trying to write a book about Disney trivia or something like that and my bf just leaned over to me and said I bet you know more than him!

[Mickey_Mom]

I didn't say before how beautiful your wedding photo is.... just lovely. :goodvibes Stinky breath is not cool but I love the Stewie clip! :lmao: That would soooo be me!

popcorn::

[DisneymoonJess07]

YAY!!! You're in Disney World! :yay: So sorry about the plane situation. I don't have a very high tolerance for stinky breath...I probably would have gagged :guilty: And sorry for Mr. Know It All. Isn't it funny how people automatically think you want tons and tons of Disney tips? :upsidedow Can't wait to see how you like POR!!!!

All in all, the trip was just kind of - quirky. Not bad - just quirky. :laughing:

YAY! You're finally at WDW!!

Can't wait to see your pics of POR and hear how you liked it. :thumbsup2

Update coming later today!

grrrr i'm on my worklaptop and cant view the photos! i'll have to go in the other room later and check on my home laptop!

ok i switched computers for a little bit so I can see the photos :) I love Bubbly by colbie!!! Great song. Never saw the Stewie clip either, that's totally me! hahahahaa!

Doesn't that Stewie clip totally describe it?!?!:rotfl:

Woohoo you're in Disney! Very cute shirt you had on! We had a Mr. Know It All on our ME bus too, luckily he wasn't talking to us but the family he kept talking to looked like they just wanted him to shut up! It was funny though and my bf kinda was listening to him and I guess he was trying to write a book about Disney trivia or something like that and my bf just leaned over to me and said I bet you know more than him!

Oh man - gotta love that kind of thing. We actually met a guy later on who does reviews of Disney restaurants, and he actually did know a couple of things we didn't, but then again, he wasn't all in our face with it. I think when you actually know things, you don't worry about "proving" it!

I didn't say before how beautiful your wedding photo is.... just lovely. :goodvibes Stinky breath is not cool but I love the Stewie clip! :lmao: That would soooo be me!

popcorn::

Thanks for the love on the wedding picture - we had a great time too! The Stewie clip makes me laugh with recognition every time I see it.

~~~

Anyway, very busy weekend, to be followed by a very busy week, but I promise that I'll have an update between today and tomorrow. There are a bunch of Jewish holidays coming up, so things are very busy around here, both at work and at home! Cutting into my time on the DIS!!

[nu2wdisneyw]

Hey Jess!! I'm here...now I have to go read!! :surfweb:

[challer]

OK, I'm here! Looking forward to hearing more. Especially your KDP (Kosher Dining Plan).

Carry on...

[DisneymoonJess07]

So, I committed a major Disboard faux pas and forgot to fax in our request for our hotel room. We really wanted a mansion house, but with the craziness that was the week before had meant that I hadn’t remembered to fax it in. So, as we stepped off the bus and into the lobby, I was very glad to be greeted by Louis, who started joking with us and welcoming us to the hotel. He pointed us in the direction of the check in area, and I glad to see that the large area was almost entirely empty. Back in the back was the online check in line, so we made our way back there and talked to the lady.

As I sort of expected, we had been assigned an Alligator Bayou room – and I asked very politely if she could check and see if there was a Mansion room available. She had already given us our “Just Married” buttons (apparently, they don’t have Honeymoon buttons?) and so she was very interested in getting us what we wanted. In any case, she found one for us! I was so grateful that she did and that it was easy. I’m sure the Bayou wouldn’t have been bad, but I know that Raif particularly liked that the place was so pretty. Anyway, we got 9562 Parterre Place, which turned out to really be a great location. Anyway, they sent us on what we would find out was definitely the “scenic” route, but it was still pretty close to the main building.

The Lobby:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0975.jpg
The CM that greeted us (Louis):
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0977.jpg

Walking over the bridge to the mansions:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0978.jpg

This was our first view of our part of the hotel.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0979.jpg

And our traditional welcome
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0980.jpg

Plus, I just thought this was adorable.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0981.jpg

After getting things settled a little (as much as you can without luggage!), we decided to head to our next stop – the Magic Kingdom. I have a friend whose mom owns DVC, and they don’t go to the parks the first day, and then they go to Epcot first anyway. I am one of those people for whom Disney is defined by the Magic Kingdom, with a lot of great parks all around – DHS, Epcot, AK. They are all Disney, but Magic Kingdom? That’s always where you start. It was even a little weird for me that we were going to DHS first, since I have this funny thing of like, the earlier you were built the more “authentic” you are. It’s totally silly. Anyway, we were at this point an hour ahead of my schedule, which was great.

We got on the bus and got there very quickly – I really love the Disney bus system. I also took note of how long it took to get there, trying to compare what the book said with the reality of the bus system. It seemed about right on. Anyway, we got there about 3:00 p.m., which is when I had us leaving the hotel, and we went to our first ride, as we had decided from one of the alternate plans on TouringPlans. It was the one in which you have an afternoon and then an early morning, and it worked really well for us. In fact, all the alternate touring plans we chose seemed to work well for us – so that was nice. Helped, of course, by the fact that we didn’t have a lot of crowds. But of course, we didn’t know that at this point.

The station!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0986.jpg

The castle (look at my face in the lower right):
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0990.jpg

Our first stop was Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. However, on our way we met someone - PUSH! Here he is harassing some people :laughing:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0993.jpg

We almost walked on it – and we really liked the ride. As you can tell:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0994.jpg

On our way out, we were stopped for a little quiz about how we liked the ride. I told the guy that I really liked it, but that I didn’t like that you couldn’t tell if you had shot something and that it was hard to steer and shoot at the same time. Raif immediately wanted to go on it again, but I saw the Carousel of Progress and really wanted to go on that, so I said, lets do that and then go on Buzz.
This guy was on our way to the Carousel of Progress:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_0999.jpg

We really enjoyed Carousel of Progress. Like, a ridiculous amount considering how old it is, and how cheesy the song is. I guess the problem is that I believe very strongly in optimism and I think tomorrow is going to be great, big and beautiful. So yeah, it stuck with me. Anyway, afterwards, we went on the Buzz ride again, and this time I steered and Raif got to shoot, which meant that his score was a lot better than mine since I was trying to drive as well.

After that, we had a little while left before we needed to head to the Contemporary for our dinner reservations, so we looked in on the Monsters, Inc laugh floor. Last time I was there, I believe it was still the Timekeeper and I remember it was really busy, and there was a bunch of Asian tourists on the floor sleeping because they were so jetlagged, and my mom explaining that they were in such a different timezone that it was the middle of the night for them. I remember thinking that Disney should provide cots somewhere for those coming from some random timezone. :laughing:

Anyway, we loved this one. We had three performers, but I think the first one was the one that zinged Raif. They were doing a set about geography and asking people where they were from, and then making up ridiculous things about them. So, they found Raif by saying that he looked like a younger version of the monster, after he went on the wilderness retreat. Raif was wearing an orange t-shirt about the color of the monster, and he has the beard – it was pretty awesome. It was extremely funny and a great way to head to our reservation.

[nu2wdisneyw]

Great start to your day!! I wish we would have wen to MK our first day...but we choose AK! I can't wait to read more!

[disneygirlinnj]

We always have to go to MK first too, no matter what. And we like to end with MK too but it's not as big of a need :)

[DisneymoonJess07]

Great start to your day!! I wish we would have wen to MK our first day...but we choose AK! I can't wait to read more!

We always have to go to MK first too, no matter what. And we like to end with MK too but it's not as big of a need :)

I wanted to end with MK too, but our schedule didn't work well enough for that. I think I would have had a hard time leaving the castle though!

[Mickey_Mom]

I always plan MK first too. The castle is all things Disney! Isn't Buzz fun? I thought I was hitting targets here, there and everywhere but my score sure didn't look like I did! :lmao:

popcorn::

[mommytothreeboys]

Ahh....POR! So beautiful. I'm glad you were able to get a room in the mansions. We always stay in AB since there are 5 of us, but the mansion side of the resort is just gorgeous!

Off to MK! YIPEEE!! Love your excited face in the corner of the castle picture! :goodvibes

Cool that you got to see PUSH. We've not seen him yet. :sad2:

Buzz is one of our favorites as well. And despite the rude phone interruption, we also really enjoyed the COP. We still torture my oldest son by singing that song! LOL!

Can't wait to hear about dinner! :rolleyes1

[DisneymoonJess07]

I always plan MK first too. The castle is all things Disney! Isn't Buzz fun? I thought I was hitting targets here, there and everywhere but my score sure didn't look like I did! :lmao:

popcorn::

My score didn't look like I hit much either. I hear in Disneyland they have a better way of lettign you know that you scored. I don't remember exactly, but it sounded cool when someone talked about them on the board.

Ahh....POR! So beautiful. I'm glad you were able to get a room in the mansions. We always stay in AB since there are 5 of us, but the mansion side of the resort is just gorgeous!

Off to MK! YIPEEE!! Love your excited face in the corner of the castle picture! :goodvibes

Cool that you got to see PUSH. We've not seen him yet. :sad2:

Buzz is one of our favorites as well. And despite the rude phone interruption, we also really enjoyed the COP. We still torture my oldest son by singing that song! LOL!

Can't wait to hear about dinner! :rolleyes1

We really loved how pretty POR is! PUSH was funny - but it was a total accident we saw him. Raif thought it was pretty hysterical.

With our crazy few weeks at work, I have been singing the song and my coworker is like, you're optomistic today, aren't you. :laughing: Gotta love event planning...

Re: Dinner - I have the next installment all done -but Photobucket was down when I tried to post, so I'll have to try to get the next installment in later on!

Hope all is well! :wizard:

[stacikristine]

What a fun start to your MK day!!! :thumbsup2 I can't wait to try the Monster's Inc thing! It sounds like it's pretty funny. And woo-hoo for riding Buzz twice :woohoo:

[DisneymoonJess07]

These are the pictures we took on our way out of the MK to The Wave at the Contemporary:

On our way out of Tomorrowland:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1000.jpg

The Hub:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1001.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1002.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1003.jpg

Main Street:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1004.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1005.jpg

Exposition Hall - I was so glad to find this stuff back here! I'd heard of it on the Dis, but it was great to see it in person:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1007.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1008.jpg

They were doing the flag lowering when we came outside (around 5:00p.m.):
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1011.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1012.jpg


Okay, I promise a real update soon!!

[nu2wdisneyw]

It's okay...a picture is worth 1000 words...and they are making me wish I was in Disney RIGHT NOW!!! :rolleyes1

[Mickey_Mom]

My thoughts EXACTLY as I was looking at your pics. They made me soooo want to be there. Can't wait for more!

[mommytothreeboys]

I LOVE the picture of the balloon vendor on Main Street. Something about all those balloons, the cute outfit, and the location (of course) just makes me smile! :):):):):):):)

[nu2wdisneyw]

I LOVE the picture of the balloon vendor on Main Street. Something about all those balloons, the cute outfit, and the location (of course) just makes me smile! :):):):):):):)

Same here Missy...there is nothing like that feeling walking in MK and seeing all those balloons!!! Magical!!

[DisneymoonJess07]

With the crazy eating schedule due to traveling, we were glad to be eating at 5:30. We walked from Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary, which was a hot walk, but not very long at all and the Wave was right near the entrance we came in.

What an amazing restaurant! Our server, Ashley, was super cute, but clearly had never dealt with a kosher meal before. That was totally okay with us, but the chef knew what to do, which was awesome. What was great about the restaurant was the atmosphere – totally what we were looking for. You definitely had sort of the feel of being underwater, but they managed to do it with a color scheme of browns and pinks, not blue. It was so interesting to look at. Anyway, we had a nice meal, our first kosher one in Disney, and the only one that we didn’t have our scissors for, since they were in our luggage. That made it difficult to open the packaging, but the food was better than we expected, especially the dessert. Raif had the Ginger Salmon, I had the Honey Glazed Chicken, and then we both had the chocolate cake. Yum! We also saw, for the first time, the colored flashing cocktails. It was pretty awesome.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1021.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1018.jpg
One of the things I liked most about it was that it really felt like a family restaurant – there was us, a couple, but on one side of us was a family with kids that were like 8 and 10, and on the other a family with kids maybe 5 and 3, and everyone was enjoying themselves, but it wasn’t child focused entirely – just very family friendly. The regular food looked really yummy as well. The family next to us traded us pictures, so we got one of us together as well.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1017.jpg
After dinner we decided to take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom, since this was an EMH night, and we wanted to spend more time in the parks. The monorail takes you almost all the way around the circle if you’re going to the Magic Kingdom, so I was hoping for Raif to see the lay of the land. However, he was a little tired, so he kept closing his eyes.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1022.jpg

Back of the Castle:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1024.jpg

Once we got there, we decided to head towards the Hall of Presidents. It was a pretty good wait until the next show, so we decided that now was the time to get one of the silhouettes. I knew my parents had gotten one when they were in Disney with my aunt and uncle in 1981, and I wanted one for us as well. She did a really nice job as well, and it wasn’t that expensive nor did it take that long to do. The timing worked out really well for the Hall of Presidents.

I really liked the show – I seriously didn’t remember it, or they have changed it a lot. I wasn’t totally sure. I also liked what Obama had to say, and everyone was really respectful, which was nice. We got a few blurry shots of him.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1031.jpg

Afterwards, since it was getting dark by this point, we decided to do the Haunted Mansion. The Haunted Mansion and I have a history. When we first went on it, I was a little too young and got freaked out by the very beginning part. I didn’t really remember the other parts, but it would freak me out at night when I would go to bed. So when I went into it, I was interested to see what I would think. We had a great time in there – I really like this ride, in fact. I loved seeing the stone in the cemetery whose eyes open (I showed Raif) and the stretching room is really super cool. I love also the different rooms and how they used things. I also thought, fleetingly, of how cool this ride would be if they updated it with new technology. We’ll see, one day, I imagine! It was really nice to go on it, and not be scared and sort of replace those memories a little – although they are still there. Funny how the stuff from when we are little sticks around!

Soon after we got off the Haunted Mansion, we had to admit how tired we were after our long day, and we decided to cut our evening short to go to the hotel and go swimming in the pool to relax. We decided to do one more ride though – the Jungle Cruise. I don’t know if anyone here has done it at night – it’s pretty cute. Well, at least, I thought so. Raif thought it crossed the line from cute to annoying, which was unfortunate. I was hoping with his punny, corny sense of humor he would appreciate the ride, but it totally rubbed him the wrong way! Oh well. You win some, you lose some. We did snap this shot on the way to the Cruise though:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%201/IMG_1033.jpg

After we got off Jungle Cruise, we decided to head out to the busses. It was actually right around the time that Wishes finished, so we raced to the busses to beat the crowds, and we managed to do pretty well and got home around 10pm. We got back and changed into our bathing suits to go to the quiet pool nearby our room. There were a surprising amount of people there – a few families, including one that brought beer into the pool, which was annoying, but the pool itself was wonderful and a great way to end our day. I love swimming so that was amazing for us, and it really got rid of the kinks after a long day. We managed to get to bed at a reasonable time and ready for a brand new day at Magic Kingdom!

Oh, one thing I forgot – we also used photopass a bunch this trip, except for at Animal Kingdom (more on that later), and it’s a service we both really liked. We definitely got some really cute pictures and I’m glad we bought the CD for the trip. We didn’t get as many as I might have liked, but it still was worth it for us. We’re working on our pictures to get put on the CD, so we’re excited for that one.

Up next – our second day at MK, and our first encounter with Florida storms!

[heaven2dc]

Really enjoying your TR! Loved the castle pic at night - never have seen it like that before in those colors :lovestruc

It's been awhile since we visited the Exposition Hall and I keep reading of great things to see there. Will definitely have to visit it next trip.

[mommytothreeboys]

I'm glad you enjoyed your first meal. I've never been to that particular restaurant..not sure I even knew it was there! :laughing:

We have yet to the do the HOP with the boys. In 2007 we just skipped it in favor of other things and this past trip it was closed for refurb. Oh well...maybe next time!

That's too bad Raif didn't like the Jungle Cruise. Those corny jokes just crack me up! It really helps if you get a good skipper who can really sell it too. I've never done it at night..how cool!

We so enjoyed the quiet pools at POR after a long day at the parks. My boys are big fans of night swimming!

[trinaweena]

was catching up on all the PTR i had subscribed to and saw that you had started your TR! it looks like you had a wonderful time and i can't wait to here about the rest of your trip

[DisneyFaeriePrincess]

I'm glad you guys are having fun!! My bf and I went on Jungle Cruise at night on this past trip and it is really fun, different than during the day. I liked it! You got some really cute pictures too!!

[stacikristine]

Great ending to your day!! :thumbsup2 We didn't see HoP...maybe next time. I'm glad your first meal worked out really well!

[DisneymoonJess07]

Hi Ladies and Gents - I'm still alive, I promise - just very, very busy. I am taking the GRE on Monday and so have been studying for that almost non-stop. Thank you for keeping this warm for me. I should have a little more time starting after Monday!!! I really want to keep writing this - and I have a bunch of pictures to share too!!


Really enjoying your TR! Loved the castle pic at night - never have seen it like that before in those colors :lovestruc

It's been awhile since we visited the Exposition Hall and I keep reading of great things to see there. Will definitely have to visit it next trip.

You definitely need to visit - it was so cute!!

I'm glad you enjoyed your first meal. I've never been to that particular restaurant..not sure I even knew it was there! :laughing:

We have yet to the do the HOP with the boys. In 2007 we just skipped it in favor of other things and this past trip it was closed for refurb. Oh well...maybe next time!

That's too bad Raif didn't like the Jungle Cruise. Those corny jokes just crack me up! It really helps if you get a good skipper who can really sell it too. I've never done it at night..how cool!

We so enjoyed the quiet pools at POR after a long day at the parks. My boys are big fans of night swimming!

The Wave just opened, so maybe that's why you hadn't heard of it? It's great - we really liked it. HoP was definitely worth it, just for the sitting down - and there was an African American family in front of us and the little girls got so excited when they saw Obama - it was really sweet.

I wish I could go to the quiet pool right now!!

was catching up on all the PTR i had subscribed to and saw that you had started your TR! it looks like you had a wonderful time and i can't wait to here about the rest of your trip

I hope to be able to get more update soon! Promise!

I'm glad you guys are having fun!! My bf and I went on Jungle Cruise at night on this past trip and it is really fun, different than during the day. I liked it! You got some really cute pictures too!!

Great ending to your day!! :thumbsup2 We didn't see HoP...maybe next time. I'm glad your first meal worked out really well!

It really was a great trip - can't wait to continue reliving it with you guys!

[challer]

I would love to know...

Was the Wave experience worth it to leave the parks for, considering it was pretty much the same food you could get anywhere?

(Just doing my due diligence kosher food research!)

Can't wait to hear more.

[DisneymoonJess07]

Hi there - I can answer that one.

It depends on what you are looking for. Clearly, the food was the same, but they were better about it than some of the places we went.

It was a grown up restaurant, even though there were families around us. The part you walk into is almost directly into the bar, and then there is the restaurant, which I think is what helps it feel like an adult thing. It's not too formal, but it was really beautiful to look at. It was not Disney all the time, and it was so close to Magic Kingdom that it felt like we just zipped out for a break to have dinner, got a real break from MK, and then were able to go back really easily. It really worked for us, and was, I think, unique enough for the atmosphere. Clearly if you want a view of the castle or something, you go somewhere else, but this was a nice, adult but Disney restaurant.

Hoping that my schedule calms down soon, so I can continue my report here!!

[Stefy]

Am all caught up and am loving your TR so far.

Your MK pics are really good, they are really making me want to be there now :)

Looking forward to reading more :)

[DisneymoonJess07]

Hello everyone!

I have no idea if anyone is still reading this, but I got it reopened because I am hoping to actually finish it soon!!

All of my spare time got eaten by graduate school applications, but now that I am in the phase of waiting for replies, I wanted to get back into writing this. I have been scrapping the trip as well, and I am almost caught up in scrapping with what I have done here, so I thought I better get moving on this.

Thank you to anyone who is still reading! I hope to have more up today!!

[DisneymoonJess07]

Argh! Well, I tried to post an update, then it was eaten. Lets try it again.

So, the last we left, we were sleeping like rocks on our enormous bed in POR. The room might have desired a refurb, but the bed was AMAZING. :lovestruc

Anyway, we were up bright and early to get to MK by rope drop, but we hadn't really gotten the hang of our routine yet, so we ended up missing the MK bus that would have probably gotten us there in time for rope drop. We hopped the next bus, and managed to get there exactly as the rope drop show was ending. I was disappointed - I wanted to see it and this was our only day to do it. However, it was still amazing to walk onto Main Street and see how empty the park was at that moment!

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%202/IMG_1034.jpg

I love the bubble blowing garbage can! As well as all the CMs waving!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%202/IMG_1036.jpg

We went through the castle (I'll have to come back and post my mural pics - seem not to be on Photobucket...)
And we almost immediately had our first character encounter of the day!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%202/IMG_1041copy.png
She was so nice to us and we were happy to meet her and the CM took some great pictures of us! We wandered around Fantasyland (it was SO empty - I have more pics, but apparently, not here...)

One of my all-time favorite rides is the teacups. Not that I particularly like being thrown around like that. I just remember doing it with my parents - for some reason, especially my dad. Also, there was a similar ride when I was little and we lived in South Africa - I remember doing it with my cousin. It was sea shells with the same kind of "wheel" as in the teacups.

I was not excited by the idea that the Unofficial Guide promoted of skipping it, but since Fantasyland was so deserted, we rode it anyway. It was only one set of people before we got on, and it was great.

My pic in line:
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%202/IMG_1050.jpg

Apparently, Alice had just come out for a meet n' greet and I was tempted to get out of line to see her. But then I didn't because it was the TEACUPS!
(we did meet her later)
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/MsJessica07/Disney%20-%20Day%202/IMG_1053.jpg

And more to come soon!!

[stacikristine]

Hi Jess! I'm glad that you've decided to re-open your TR. Your MK morning looks great, and I'm excited to hear about the rest of your trip!

[ScotsMinnie]

All caught up! Love the pic of Alice standing watching the tea cups!