Funny Faces and Haircuts:The Princess and The Duck-First Trip*3/9 Earning Our Ears

[PrncessA]

This update ran a little long with photos so I am breaking it up into two photo filled posts.

When last we left we were heading out into the heat and we were ready to embark on our first official WDW ride!! First thing we noticed of course was that our stroller was gone, being the Diser I am I knew not to worry but of course my mind instantly was thinking how foolish I was NOT to add the insurance. I had meant to add it but completely forgot with everything else. Luckily DH was directed to right below the restaurant to the stroller parking area, duh! It still amazes me how much space at Disney is devoted to stroller parking alone!

After locating our stroller we headed back up and into Maelstrom with I think only a 10 minute wait if that. This was our first ride queue and we weren’t sure how they were going to react. Luckily the line moved quick and if memory serves me right we made it through with only one fall off the bars and one child ducking beneath the chain to the emergency exit right as we about to be sorted into our boat rows.

Our impressions on Maelstrom aren’t extensive, it was pretty forgettable. The kids liked it but never mentioned it again and we all were not big fans of standing waiting on the Norway film. We were the first boat to unload so we had quite a wait and all we wanted to do was get our Disney exploring on. The kids spent the time walking on the edge overlooking the water. I was convinced they were going to lose a Croc over the edge but I tried my best to let them explore. DH and I used the time to look for hidden Mickey’s which after 7 days at WDW I can honestly say they are well hidden! I will be reading a Hidden Mickey book before our next trip!

By the time the doors opened to the movie there was quite a crowd waiting and we were at the back and I am sorry to say we didn’t stay and watch the film, nor did ANYONE else. The theater was completely empty as we walked out and we felt really bad, but we were ready to bust out on the WS. We loaded the kids into the stroller and headed off to China.

We had been hoping that DD would take a nap through the WS but she had no intention of that and she became very grumpy very fast. With DD grumpy and the heat we were not touring China, more skimming it until we made our way to the back of the pavilion where we met a piece of Disney Marketing Genius!! Being a fan of thecapells’ trip report I was looking forward to the KidKots and that is where we found our first!

Ethan was an instant fan and although he didn’t understand what the mask was at first he was very excited to receive his. He proudly recited his name and age and received his personalized mask with Chinese name and learned he was born in the year of the Rooster. The guy working the KidKot table made one for DD as well, but messed her name and she has a Mickey head, lol. He was also flustered about her animal as well. She said she was a pig, which I thought was correct since I am as well, but then he changed it and stamped what looks like a horse. We set DS loose on the table of markers but since DD was grumpy we thought it best to keep her in the stroller, she is fine once she is in the stroller but getting her back in it would have been WW3.

We explored the gift shop while DS was coloring and DH found a solar keychain for me, but I’m not big on key chains so I passed. After looking a while I convinced DS that we would continue his mask at the next country, he of course had to have a look around and really liked the puppets. We cut it short since DD was again getting grumpy and we needed to be on the move.

Now here comes my stupidest move of our entire vacation and I am still to this day mortified about it! I KNEW we were in China but my brain didn’t register that apparently when I went up to a vender and ask them where the Pick a Pearl was. “In Japan”. I was horrified, I felt like I had completely disrespected the entire country of China! Needless to say I wanted to hightail it out of China! We were headed out when we spotted Mulan a few feet away and as I bent down to let DD out of the stroller Mulan we saw Mulan leaving…. Oh well better to get out of China before the vender told a friend and an entire mob descended on the idiot American who didn’t know China from Japan.

Next stop Germany or land of BEER as my husband calls it. He was very excited about Germany and trying a beer that he couldn’t get at home. He however stopped at the first cart he saw and ended up with Beck’s, he is still upset that he didn’t explore more! I left DH enjoying his beer with DD who was very grumpy and very sleepy and took DS into the gift shop to find the KidKot.

This time I remembered that we had taught him how to say hello in all of the WS languages and German was his favorite. He wasn’t shy and greeted the KidKot worker with "Guten Tag!", he was so proud of himself. He chose yellow for his mask and hunkered down for some coloring. I have to say that I could have spent hours exploring that gift shop, it was very interesting, but I could hear DD giving DH a heck of a fight and I felt guilty leaving him to deal with it by himself. I convinced Ethan he would have more time in the next country and we headed out.

I was hoping to get a good photo of the kids with the fountain in Germany since but they were NOT having it.

Our first Hidden Mickey

We loved the miniatures in Germany! When I was in Jr. High I had a favorite teacher that had lived in Germany for many many years and he LOVED talking about how beautiful the countryside was and I have always wanted to visit to see what he spoke so highly of. Then miniatures were a beautiful recreation of what I had in my mind. The kids however were NOT behaving. I figured they were hungry since they didn’t really eat all that much at our meal.

I cannot express how much we LOVED the dining plan! We LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!!! We are the type of people who would worry about every penny spent on food even if we had allotted twice the money for it, that is just us. Having ALL of our food prepaid was a huge time and stress saver! Not once did we ever worry about rationing snacks or how much a snack cost or if we really needed one. If we saw a snack and we wanted it we got it! It was GREAT! I have to say the popcorn was our favorite of the week; do they put something in the popcorn to make it better at Disney?

To put it simply we began our snack plan in Germany with a pretzel and water. The pretzel was good but mostly went to waste since the kids didn’t really like it and I was stuffed!

 

[PrncessA]

Since the kids were grumpy we had decided that a leisurely stroll around the world would not cut it for us this time. We booked it through Italy (we did stop at the KidKot) and the American Pavilion before entering Japan (don’t worry I had triple checked this on the map by now). I immediately kicked myself for not remembering where the pearl picking was but we found it pretty easy inside the gift shop.

Italy KidKot

I had prepared myself to find the best clam I could by researching a bit on here and online and I knew I needed to find the ugliest and hairiest clam I could. I bought my ticket (charged on our KTTW card, another GREAT feature) and began to pick my clam. I tried to get DS to help but he was a little freaked out by the entire thing. I picked an ugly black hairy clam right away and was awarded with a 7mm Pink Pearl. The entire ceremony was pretty cool and people crowded up to see the unveiling. For under $20 I think it is a great souvenir! I didn’t look at any of the settings since DH had bought me a pearl cage before we left home.

After our pearl picking DD was not giving up and began screaming so no browsing in Japan. We were greeted outside by this:

The kids were mesmerized, it was the first time in an hour DD wasn’t crying or whining. We stayed for a while before heading off to France (I don’t remember Morocco and we don’t have any photos from there either).
France was a hit with our family… Not only did the kids find a water fountain but we were greeted by Aurora as well. There was hardly any line and the kids were very happy to see her again. Our camera was acting up toward the end of the interaction but both kids had “alone” time at the end with their Princess and didn’t want to say goodbye. Here is France in photos…..

The rest of the WS was a blur as the kids were ready for some entertainment.. We regret now that we didn't have enough time or energy devoted to the WS or Epcot in general but that came with the fact that this was our first trip and we didn't think it would be "for us". We have since decided that Epcot gets at least a full day and half or two days on our next trip.

We had a couple of hours until I thought we should be back to get a place for Illuminations and I wanted a photo of us in front of Spaceship Earth before it got too dark outside and I wanted to stop at Club Cool. I am not sure what time it was when we got there but I do remember that we got there 10 minutes after it closed. We headed to grab a few Photopass photos and ended up keeping the kiddos in the stroller since DD was finished! She was screaming LOUD.

We knew it was time to let her run a little. We headed over to the fountain play area and let the kids loose! They had a BLAST! They still talk about it and DS asks to watch the very short video of them playing. It is amazing how at you can enter different worlds than other visitors. In the middle of an crowded hot theme park we were able to sit and relax and watch our kids have carefree fun. I have talked to many people who have visited WDW for a day or two trip and they always mention that they it was a stressing time or it wasn’t what they expected. I think that they didn’t expect the right experiences or relax enough to let the Disney work it’s special magic. Our first Disney day didn’t begin as we had hoped but at that moment I knew that our trip was going to be special. It was a magical moment. Here is the video and few photos.

DH and I sat relaxing while they played for quite a while. It was starting to get dark and a little cool for being wet when we literally dragged them back to the stroller to try and dry them up and put dry clothes on them. Since DD was already wearing her spare outfit I put her Princess dress back on her since it was dryer than her current one and I had managed to get most of the sauce off of it. We still had a little while before I thought we should secure a spot for the fireworks so we headed into Spaceship Earth with no wait.

I have to say that Disney World attractions and rides are unlike any other theme parks and I love them for that. They are fantastic and entertaining in the simplest and most pure ways. DD and I loved the ride but apparently DS had hit the Spanish logo and DH didn’t understand hardly any of his ride. LOL

After we exited the exhibits were VERY crowded and although Ethan wanted to play a few of the games they were ALL taken and people were not budging. So we decided it was time to look for a spot to watch Illuminations….

Next up Illuminations and our first EMH!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

sounds like a good day!!!

I did pick a pearl at Typhoon Lagoon. I was dying for the pink or blue pearl and was told they are very rare to get so you are super lucky!! I had gotten a pure white one that was 9.5..a very big boy the girl told me hehe. I picked the silver setting for a ring that looks like japanese leaves on the sides of the ring and all in all it came to about $60 bucks I think with my CM discount. I still have the ring and wear it from time to time but it was a positive experience for myself as well!

I would not fret about the China/Japan mix-up. The number one asked question in WDW is "what time is the 3:00 parade." I kid you not. That and where the nearest potty is

Did your kids see Crush and enjoy it???

 

[nathanyell]

Great update. Keep em coming!

 

[cdhale]

I cannot express how much we LOVED the dining plan! We LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!!! We are the type of people who would worry about every penny spent on food even if we had allotted twice the money for it, that is just us. Having ALL of our food prepaid was a huge time and stress saver! Not once did we ever worry about rationing snacks or how much a snack cost or if we really needed one. If we saw a snack and we wanted it we got it! It was GREAT! I have to say the popcorn was our favorite of the week; do they put something in the popcorn to make it better at Disney?

That is why I LOVE the dining plan, too We're doing deluxe dining on our next trip!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[PrncessA]

sounds like a good day!!!

I did pick a pearl at Typhoon Lagoon. I was dying for the pink or blue pearl and was told they are very rare to get so you are super lucky!! I had gotten a pure white one that was 9.5..a very big boy the girl told me hehe. I picked the silver setting for a ring that looks like japanese leaves on the sides of the ring and all in all it came to about $60 bucks I think with my CM discount. I still have the ring and wear it from time to time but it was a positive experience for myself as well!

I would not fret about the China/Japan mix-up. The number one asked question in WDW is "what time is the 3:00 parade." I kid you not. That and where the nearest potty is

Did your kids see Crush and enjoy it???

LOL, even I didn't ask that question.

They did see Crush, comin' up next...

 

[PrncessA]

As we left Spaceship Earth DD spotted the twinkling sidewalks and couldn’t stop touching them.

I agree they are very cool but omgosh YUCK!! I held my tongue and let her explore a bit before returning to the stroller and dousing her hands with sanitizer and we started our way toward the lagoon. It was still almost 45 minutes before Illuminations and I figured we would still be able to score a pretty good spot. As we neared the lagoon the near empty park became PACKED with people and I started to worry a little. We decided to head into the WS, our goal was the bridge connecting France and England.

By the time we made it to the Bridge we were ready for a break! We ended up getting very lucky and the bridge was empty minus a handful of people. We parked the stroller and I parked my butt on the ground next to it, lol. DH headed back to England to grab us some much needed refreshments and I opened a pack of glow sticks to entertain the kiddos.

Now I have to digress here a bit. I was a major diaper bag packer when the kids were babies, I was ready for anything! And since then I am usually prepared for most anything between my purse and supplies in the car. Strange though it was I was excited to once again be backing a bag to take with us to the parks. I had my checklist in my head and had backed our luggage with everything I would need to pack for our daily park bag. Flash back to earlier in the day when I was scrambling to get out the door to Epcot and I had failed to include several key items in our bag like the Misty Mates, fans, first aid kit and a towel. I was beyond annoyed at this since I was so looking forward to it. This was a fight the entire week, guess I have gotten use to not having to pack a diaper bag anymore.

DH teased me that I remembered to bring the glow sticks but not the fans the entire evening. With DH gone the kids and I sat and played with glow sticks and waited on him… and waited… and waited. It took FOREVER for him to make it back with our much need caffeine! As we waited I took a few pics of the kids with their glow sticks and I was thinking to myself “I bet money she is going to drop one over the side of the bridge.” No sooner had I thought it, it happened. Did she cry? Nope she thought it was hilarious and tried to chuck hers other one and DS’s over as well.

By the time DH got back the bridge was getting a little crowded but not enough to feel boxed in. Our kids like fireworks so we were excited about Disney’s fireworks, needless to say they were not fans. They weren’t frightened by them, they just weren’t interested. DH and I didn’t really get to focus on the story that much with the kids acting up and from our vantage point the globe was pretty far away. I wish now we had skipped Illuminations and rode a ride or two during that time.

When Illuminations was over we joined the crowd headed toward the entrance but veered off toward The Seas for EMH. The crowd thinned out considerably and we headed off to meet Nemo and Friends. After a few pictures with Nemo (the kids couldn’t stop looking at the “MINE MINE MINE” birds) we showed our KTTW cards and headed into the ride with no wait.

We walked straight through the queue and right into our Clamobiles (is that correct?). DD and I were together and she was mesmerized by the ride, I was a little bored but it was cute and a good way to enter into the Seas. As we unboarded we heard someone yelling “Last Call for Turtle Talk, Hurry!” We ran and made it in as the last people.

The best part of researching something like this before hand is anticipating how your kids will react when they see Crush! DS and DD sat down on the floor with the other kids without hesitation and DH and I scored a seat in the first row pretty close to them. We all agreed afterwards that Turtle Talk was AMAZING. DS was amazed! He wanted so bad to be called on by Crush (his arm never went down) but I am quite sure he wouldn’t have known what to say to him if he was called on. Who know though, he didn’t have any problems talking to the Princesses, LOL. DD spent the entire show running back and forth between us and DS, I don’t think she understood that Crush was interactive. After Turtle Talk we found the live versions of Nemo and Dory before being eaten by Bruce.

The kids weren’t really into the aquariums so we decided to see what lay ahead for us in Epcot. We started walking to nowhere unparticular and stumbled upon The Land Pavilion and Soarin’. I told DH I would go in and check how long the wait was and be back…….. Wow is it a far walk! I think they should but a wait time on the OUTSIDE of the building, unless they do and I was blind. Lucky DH was hot and decided he didn’t care what the wait was he needed air conditioning and by the time I had started up the escalator he was headed down with the kids. We met up at bottom and decided that 25 minutes wasn’t that bad if we could do a baby swap.

I headed in first with DS, the baby swap pass and a line timer pass and DH headed to the food court to get DD a cookie. I had to laugh when I saw the picture of her and the cookie it was as big as her head. I can’t imagine was going through her mind when she got it all to herself. We don’t give the kids many sweets at home since they don’t have big sweet tooth’s and they are usually happy with ghrapm crackers. Certain sugars make them so hyper that we can’t control them; luckily we are usually safe with cookies (its icing and ice cream that is our downfall).

The line moved pretty quickly, although it was our longest wait of the week, and I enjoyed a quite few moments with DS in the line. I could tell he was getting tired but he was holding up very well and was excited to learn that he was going to be flying. He is such a fantastic kid and very curious and ask about a million questions throughout the line, but since he was cuddling up to me I was happy to answer all of them. When the time came to board he climbed up in his seat and I buckled him in. I ask him if he wanted to hold my hand and he didn’t, “Nope, I’m okay.” What a kid! He actually pulled his feet up and set cross-legged for the entire flight with his hands in his lap. Meanwhile I caught myself gripping the bars a few times, lol. We both loved Soarin’ and I can’t wait to take DD on it next trip if she ever gets any taller, the munchkin.

After the ride I ask him if he wanted to ride it again with Daddy and he was all for it. We headed out and found DH and DD at a table. Apparently the line is longer when you aren’t in it, he was getting grumpy. As DH and DS headed off to use the baby swap DD and I went to set in the exit area where she could move around a bit.

Within’ minutes she made a friend and they began to twirl around like Princesses together. She even shared her sour gummy worms with DD and I talked to the Mom while we waited for our families. It was adorable but I knew it wasn't a good sign for DD. She is ALOT like me and when she is very tired, past grumpy tired, she gets giddy. She was EXHAUSTED I could tell. I have to add the video because it was so darn cute!!!

It seemed like an hour before we saw DS and DH again. Our original plan had been to possibly try the line at Test Track but we were exhausted as well as the kids. I'm not sure what time it was, I am guessing around 11:30 or so.

We left Epcot with the knowledge that this would be the park we would devote more time to the next trip…but our Epcot adventure wasn’t over yet. We started our trek to the farthest bus stop, the one we had been dropped off at not looking at the signs directing us; we knew where we were going… When we arrived MILES away we saw that it was the POP bus stop not our wonderful WL’s. That’s right folks we had to trek back MILES to the very closest bus stop to the entrance to wait on our bus. The ride home was quick and uncrowded, but I do have to say I don’t like the fact that the trek from the buses to the WL is uphill, not good when you are bone tired.

We entered our room and found the tornado we had left behind, but no Pack n’ Play. DH was perfectly ready to call it a night and let DD sleep on the bed with DS. I on the other hand knew that was a BAD idea! The only way we have been able to keep DD taking naps or even falling asleep at night at home is keeping her in the crib. We tried out a toddler bed for a week at the beginning of the summer and DD didn’t sleep for a week, no naps and a couple hours of sleep at night if at all and we had a VERY GRUMPY princess. The crib came back and we were ALL happy to welcome it back, DS especially since he shares a room with her and she wouldn’t let him sleep either.

We picked up our phone and learned the quick buttons didn’t work on it, oh well we’ll just dial “0”. I plucked the kids in the bathtub and by the time the water was run they were knocking on our door with the Pack’n’Play, it fit very nicely in the spaced next to the TV and was out of the way and comfy for DD. DH offered to bath the kids while I attempted to organize the room, it was quite an undertaking and I was trying to put away clothes in the dresser and find PJ’s for everyone, all the while feeling like I had been hit by a truck. By the time DH finished with the kids I had at least found their PJ’s and got the dry and dressed and in bed while DH took a shower.

I had FINALLY found DH’s PJ pants right before he got out but the room was still a disaster area. I begged DH to put the rest of the clothes in the dresser since my body was aching for a shower and when I got out he did quite a good job of straightening up! The kids were already asleep with their new Princess and Wall-E blankets from Tinkerbell and DH was already watching Sportscenter.

I grabbed the laptop and downloaded our photos off the camera and fully intended on writing our highlights out. By the time I downloaded the photos my eyes were closing on their own, no TR writing tonight. I barely remembered to request a wakeup call before I was out like a light.

Our first day at WDW had come to a close. Although it was busy and stressful at times it was magical! We had since decided that although we like the idea of visiting a park on our first night at WDW we will defiantly NOT schedule an ADR that we have to rush to again!

Next up: How do we get a Taxi? Look Mommy its Lorelai’s castle!!!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

sounds like a great first day!!!!

My mom and dad always took pics of us sleeping in our disney beds as well!!

I'm curious to see how you got a taxi, where you are going, and how much it was!!

Those WL buses are not always the most magical since you have to share with neighboring resorts!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

He has defiantly become a Disney convert since our trip and was saying over and over he wanted to go back as soon as we left! Lets see how that turns out....

Yes! Another convert to the cause!

Stay tuned for stories of DS hitting on the Princesses, DD's hair fiasco, DS finally meetin’ the Duck, 10 sets of clean towels, magical call from Goofy and touring MANY WDW bathrooms.

Here We Go
We Have Arrived
Disney Meltdown
Dining With the Princesses
Around the World Part 1
Around the World Part 2
Illuminations and EMH
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Thank you, Thank You, Thank You! I LOVE a table of contents. In fact, I rarely stick with a TR that doesn't have them. (Just not enough time to scroll through all the posts!)

I'll be catching up with the rest soon!

 

[PrncessA]

sounds like a great first day!!!!

My mom and dad always took pics of us sleeping in our disney beds as well!!

I'm curious to see how you got a taxi, where you are going, and how much it was!!

Those WL buses are not always the most magical since you have to share with neighboring resorts!

I love the photos of them sleeping at Disney since it seems like they barely slept there we have proof! LOL

We were pretty lucky and ALL of our transportation from the WL ended up being fantastic, even with the extra stops. We only had one bus that was HORRIBLE HORRIBLE BAD and that was from another hotel and an adventure!

Yes! Another convert to the cause!



Thank you, Thank You, Thank You! I LOVE a table of contents. In fact, I rarely stick with a TR that doesn't have them. (Just not enough time to scroll through all the posts!)

I'll be catching up with the rest soon!

Great to have another reader! I love reliving our trip it for other people, just gets a little discouraging with no posts, lol.

I love table of contents as well, so much easier! But look who's talking the king of the table of contents!

 

[PrncessA]

Sorry about the lack of photos in this chapter but it picks up with almost too many in the next, LOL.

When we left off we had finally settled into our first Disney dream filled night of sleep. Surprisingly the kids had fell asleep with only minimal whining and I figured since DH and I were dead tired we would have at least a full night’s sleep. Yeah right! Being that our last stay at a hotel months beforehand had ended up with the kids not sleeping at all we were on the right track at least with them asleep. I am not sure what kept us up the most that night between the kids and me changing the thermostat a million times.

I spent the entire night being waked up by the smallest sounds and being too cold… then too hot…then cold… you get the picture. To my memory DD slept pretty well but DS gave me a fright that made up for her lack of excitement.
DS is a pretty deep sleeper and he will talk in his sleep and on a few occasions he has gotten out of bed. Once while we were visiting my grandma he was sleeping on a blow up mattress on the floor next to our bed. Beside him was a glider chair that was stacked with our luggage. Middle of the night DH and I woke up to DS calling to me in a weird half asleep voice, I lunged over DH half asleep to grab him but he wasn’t on the floor he had climbed (still half asleep) to the top of the pile a good 4-5 feet above the floor.

Since he has been fully potty trained he very rarely wakes up in the middle of the night to go, he is firm believer in at least 5-10 potty trips before he falls asleep, but every once in a while he wakes up and it always hilarious with him half asleep.Needless to say the poor guy was too tired to make his normal half a dozen trips to the bathroom before he fell asleep and when the urge hit him at around 3am he shot straight up in bed and started yelling incoherent things and I couldn’t calm him down. I was half asleep and it never occurred to me that he needed to go potty, luckily DH understood him and it was all good. Let me just say that the panic you feel when you wake up instantly to your child screaming pulls even with the panic of loosing track of them in a store for a few seconds. It is not fun!

After a long night of tossing and turning I had finally fell asleep…then the phone rang. “GOOD MORNING, NO SLEEPING” That’s right folks after 5 ½ hours of restless sleep it is now time to start your day! 6:30am came very quickly it seemed! I honestly had half a mind to close my eyes and not get up but the MK was calling and we had an 8:05 date with Tigger and Pooh! Since our trip had been such a spur of the moment booking I was VERY lucky to have gotten all of our ADR’s. This one I was very excited about since this was our first trip to the MK and our first walk down Main St. would be in a nearly empty park.

I drug myself out of bed and I pestered DH until he did as well. The kids had slept through our wakeup call and that was good news, nothing like two kids running around excitedly with no place to go to stress you out before your coffee. LOL It didn’t take long for the realization of our first morning at Disney to hit us and DH and I were fully awake! After we both quickly dressed in our new Disney t-shirts (Grumpy & Tinkerbell), I sent DH downstairs with two missions. He needed to find the Roaring Canyon Café and grab our new (free) refillable mugs, with caffeine preferably, and figure out how to get a taxi to the MK.

I finished getting myself ready and putting on makeup (I still have no idea why since it melted off the moment I walked out the door) and gave my hair a disgusted look. Growing up in the south I spent my entire youth hating my frizzy hair, no matter what I did to it, it was awful. I have been through a dozen straightening irons with no luck! Last Christmas DH splurged on me and bought me a FANTASTIC super hot flat iron. It is my love and gave me lovely hair! In June we visited my family and just so happened to visit during a VERY hot and humid week. My hair completely ignored the flat iron and I felt like I was in high school again with horrible hair. I have no idea why I packed my flat iron at WDW other than nostalgia because the humidity in FL kicked my flat irons butt!

While DH was gone I pulled the kid’s first day outfits out of the handy labeled zip top bags and added an extra set to the park bag. I was not going to be caught with an under packed bag again! I put the freshly charged batteries in the camera and put it in the case. I even remembered to grab a hand towel for the bag and pack the fans. But I could not find my ADR and itinerary cards anywhere. I had made them the night before we left and stuck them in my Unofficial Guide Book… the book that I had decided at the last minute was too heavy and took out of my carry-on. Luckily I went a little overboard and had a excel spreadsheet in my planning notebook and I pulled that out for our confirmation numbers. We were just going to have to wing our touring plans.

As I was filling the kids’ sippy cups with milk DH finally made it back with our new mugs and a statement that the RCC was miles away and he was NOT going back! The front desk told him to call down when he needed a taxi. Surprisingly we were pretty much on schedule but the kids were still asleep and we planned to keep them that way until we were sure all we had to do to get out of the room was dress them and leave.

Since we didn’t know how long a taxi would take to get there we went ahead and called down to request one with a car seat. The front desk put us through to the cab company who said it would be 10 minutes! Hustle time! It was past 7:00 and we needed to get our grove on. The kids woke up fairly quickly and they were dressed in a flash! I wrestled DD’s hair into a pony tail and they threw on their Crocs and we were ready! The kids were staying pretty happy with their sippy cups. We grabbed our handy dandy lanyards with our KTTW and we were out the door. We made it to the elevator before I realized we (I) had forgotten the camera on the bed…

By the time we made it to the entrance our taxi was waiting and I loaded the kids in while DH dealt with the stroller, super easy and fast. The taxi ride was fast and cheap and worth it since we saw many people throughout our stay having problems with early transportation to the parks. We were dropped off at the unloading area at the TTC and we were a little hesitant about what to do next. Being a new comer to WDW the TTC is a little confusing, surprisingly this is the only time we used it during our stay. We decided on the Monorail to take us across the lagoon instead of the boat, it looked empty and we didn’t know how long it would be before it left.

Being that I have dreamed about Disney World for as long as I can remember the Monorail held a big place in my dreams. It is distinctly Disney in my mind and I was very excited for my first ride. It lived up to my expectations but it also seemed to be “old Disney” and surrounded by so many advancements it feels like it has been overlooked. Both ways it was a thrill and a memory that I have been waiting forever to achieve!

We arrived at the MK and my heart was racing! After making our way through bag check we were directed toward Customer Service where people with reservations were being let in. I convinced DH to let the kids out of the stroller for our first walk down Main St.; he was hesitant since DD is a sprinter. I have no words to describe my first moments on entering Main St. and watching my children run happily toward the castle. This moment had been in my head since childhood for me and for years I had dreamed about this moment for my kids. It was surreal! I honestly felt EVERY worry in our overly stressful lives lift away and they were replaced by pure joy! Even the dreary weather didn't bring us down!

As I had hoped the park was pretty much empty and we were able to let the kids run down Main St. unrestrained. Unfortunately this became a huge fight when they learned we were not headed into the Castle but were stopping short at the Crystal Palace to eat breakfast. It was quite a fight to get them to redirect and ended with DD running away and tripping on the curb in front of a CM. So began our very large collection of Mickey stickers! As we pulled the kids away from the Castle and back toward the Crystal Palace they were both screaming at the top of their lungs “LORELAI’S HOUSE” and “MY HOUSE” fighting to get away from us and run toward their shared destination! It was time for some breakfast for sure!

Only photo we managed to get of Ethan that morning on Main St. and he ended up looking like he was picking his butt. LOL

DD sprinting toward "her house".

Next up: Our first non-face character meal, our first Disney ride, our first Disney downpour!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

so you took a taxi from WL to the TTC?? You could have taken the bus which takes no longer than 10 mins and it's a direct bus. I can't believe the front desk did not suggest that..wow. Hopefully your short cab ride was no more than 10 bucks!!!

 

[PrncessA]

so you took a taxi from WL to the TTC?? You could have taken the bus which takes no longer than 10 mins and it's a direct bus. I can't believe the front desk did not suggest that..wow. Hopefully your short cab ride was no more than 10 bucks!!!

We had planned to take a bus or boat (which we did every other time) but when we inquired at the front desk they said the buses didn't start until an hour before the park opened and since our reservation was an hour before the park opened we wouldn't have had time.

We had a hard time getting straight answers to transportation questions the entire week, and we weren't the only ones. Answers about the boats were the worst.

 

[msce2]

I'm really enjoying your report! Your kids are absolutely adorable!!!!

 

[PrncessA]

I'm really enjoying your report! Your kids are absolutely adorable!!!!

Thank you! They keep us entertained daily!

 

[PrncessA]

Next update is almost finished...

Things have been so hectic at work for me and trying to find DH a job, but hopefully things will calm down soon.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Only read the first so far, but great start. I'll be back to finish up on Monday.

 

[thegreggersmom]

Just found you and am now all caught up. Your kids are adorable!

 

[PrncessA]

After an eventful walk up Main St. we were ready for some FOOD! The Crystal Palace was extremely easy to find and identify (unlike a few later in our trip) and the kids settled down a bit when we joined the crowd. DH went to park the stroller and I joined the check-in line behind a lady who somehow didn’t have an ADR but wanted a table… RIGHT NOW. I didn’t think you were able to get into the park before opening without an ADR so she must have lied at the front gate. Not very Disney like! The CM was trying to be nice and work with her but she told her it would be a wait. The lady was not happy at all but finally stepped aside and let me check in.

I joined the “fam” and we waited for our name to be called. Both DH and I thought that the Crystal Palace was gorgeous. Even the details on the benches were superb and lovely.

Our wait was very quick and we were shown into the beautiful restaurant, can I just say again how lovely it was. Our table was to the left of the entrance all the way to the back against the window. It was a great location since it wasn’t too far from food but set out of the way of traffic. It wasn’t crowded when we arrived but it got that way pretty quick!

We took our seats with the kids on the outside for the characters, but not without a meltdown over setting in a highchair from our resident princess.

Then came my first glass of FL OJ! I am an OJ lover and I think I had to have drunk a couple gallons of it during our trip! CP was one of my top two OJ breakfasts; our waitress was great and kept the OJ comin’. Our waitress explained the buffet and the characters and we were set… and hungry. But one cannot head to the buffet when Piglet and Tigger are a couple tables away, food must wait!
Waiting patiently (with a cameo of the lovely OJ)…

Since this was our first non-face character meal we were both worried on how the kids would react to the large characters. We had tried to prepare DS by telling him in “real life” Mickey Mouse is bigger than Daddy; he is just little on TV and hoped that he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the size. DD on the other hand was a wild card, she tends to be the adventurous one most of the time but timid around characters even like Chuck-E-Cheese. On the other hand these were Disney characters and she loves her some Disney, even if Winnie and friends aren’t her favorite.

First up was our pink friend Piglet and the verdict was……
LOVE! Yay!

Piglet’s visit was short and sweet, a little disappointing since there was hardly anyone in the restaurant yet. The kids both were very comfortable with hugging and posing for pictures, woohoo. Next up was our favorite bouncy pal and DS was excited! He was all about bouncing with Tigger! Luckily our Tigger was much more interactive than our Piglet and DS had quite a bouncy time with him. We could barely get him to stand still for a picture.

Next Tigger headed over to DD who jumped off DH’s lap and ran to Tigger…

Stopped mid-hug, did a roundabout and ran the other way…

I’m not sure what scared her or changed but she wanted nothing to do with Tigger. I like that the characters know when not to push an interaction when a child is uncomfortable, some more than others. I was prepared for this to be the case for DD so it wasn’t a shock. She was happy watching them walk around and interact with Ethan, but she did NOT want to be touched.

Since breakfast is the kids’ favorite meal of the day I scheduled all of our breakfasts as TS meals so we could take our time and eat our fill before we hit the parks. As with the dinner the night before the kids were distracted with the characters and it was a struggle to get them to eat, it became a struggle the entire trip even with their favorite foods. DS surprisingly ate more than DD at that meal, but they both ate a good amount of fruits and muffins. Unfortunately Mickey Waffles were not liked by either of the kiddos, nearly every place we had them they were way too hard.

Out of all of our breakfasts Crystal Palace ranks at the top. The food was really good and they had one of the best selections. DH is an omelet lover and it was his favorite omelet station of the trip if I remember correctly. I am a born and raised southern girl and so I love biscuits and gravy and it was pretty good. The kids loved the muffins!

Before long it was time for our visit from Pooh himself. Ethan was already use to the routine by now and jumped up for his hug and photo like a pro. He really enjoyed meeting the characters more than we could have hoped. Don’t let his expressions fool ya, he was bouncing up and down happy. He has been in a “serious” stage for photos for a while and the smiles we get are goofy if we get them, lol. Pooh was great with DD and let her touch him and interacted with her from a distance instead of approaching her.

Next came Eeyore and DS jumped right up for his photo…

DD on the other hand….

I have to admit that Eeyore wasn’t that great of a character interaction. I only snapped two photos and he was gone. DD was terrified of him but DS had no time with him at all. It could have been the fact that the parade was about to start. Thank goodness I knew what to do and what was coming because no one explained it to us or anyone around us either. After trying to explain it to DS very fast we ran to catch up to the parade. DD ran after us and ended up smashing into a few tables and banging her head, poor thing. She didn’t cry though, the excitement was getting her.

The characters disappeared for a while and we were able to concentrate on eating for a little while. The kids were in great moods… DS was acting a little funny and was standing up beside his chair, I ask him if he needed to potty and he said no. I should have gone right then but he rarely EVER has accidents. Next thing I know he is turning red and I realize he is pooping! OMG! He has NEVER done this before! I think he just didn’t want to miss anything, but jeez! DH ran him to the bathroom to clean up and they were back in a flash, wasn’t too bad DH said. Oh life with children!

DS wanted me to take pictures of his hands for some reason. Hey we’re in Disney why not!

Before long Tigger came back around and DS jumped up for another round of… well… JUMPING! Tigger started to approach DD and she got started to look panicked so he scooted her food toward her and she was happy. He made a relief sign on with his hand on his forehead and I cracked up!

Since we had made it through all the characters and we were all pretty stuffed we figured it was time to get a move on. Another parade was starting up as we were leaving so DH walked around with DS while DD and I waited at the door.

We were ready to get our MK on and our day was just beginning!

Next up: Tut Tut It Looks Like Rain

 

[PrncessA]

Next update on it's way!