Holiday Dreams Do Come True with Pooh-Pooh Too! Family of 14 at WL (COMPLETED 3/23)

[praisehisname]

You got a lot of shopping done! I love the pictures of Pooh playing in the fountain!

Denise

 

[exwdwcm]

I love all the BBB pics! Will definitely looks like a cool dude. But that is crazy about the red spots still in his hair! What the heck do they use for that stuff??

I'll be disappointed if they get rid of the Lego store & the statues. Although I guess I could see why they would.

Can't wait to read about your MVMCP night!

yeah, it was strange how long that red has stayed in! not sure what it is- some sort of paint! lol

YAY!! Great update!! I loved hearing about all of the shopping you did!! Are you going to share any pics of what you bought?! The BBB pics are just precious!!! Can't wait to hear about MVMCP!!!

you know, i realized i didn't take any pics of what all we bought, although some of our christmas morning pics will show some of it! lol

You got a lot of shopping done! I love the pictures of Pooh playing in the fountain!

Denise

he really loved that fountain, i can't wait to go back and let him play some more.

 

[Pollito916]

Aww, Will looks so cute with his hair all spiked up!

I got the fleece castle blanket in 2008, but then you could only buy it in the MK. Is it shades of blue and purple with the castle with icicle lights on it? I love mine so much, it's one of my favorite purchases from the trip!

 

[exwdwcm]

Aww, Will looks so cute with his hair all spiked up!

I got the fleece castle blanket in 2008, but then you could only buy it in the MK. Is it shades of blue and purple with the castle with icicle lights on it? I love mine so much, it's one of my favorite purchases from the trip!

yep, that is the one! i love it too, keep it on my couch!

so here is a list of some of the things i bought and a few pics from christmas showing some of the things Pooh got from 'santa'!


we bought:

• leather bound photo album
• wooden frame
• fleece throw
• t-shirt/hat set
• khaki hat
• brown cute t-shirt (we all wore matching on mvmcp night)
• disney railroad choo choo train
• mr potatohead with parts
• tons of cars mini cars and play mat for Pooh
• bucket of toy soldiers
• lego bus
• 2 star wars huge lego sets for nephews
• 2 large barbies- snow white with horse etc.
• tons of pens/pencils for nieces/nephews
• holiday village- cinderella castle
• 5 new ornaments
• holiday door hanger
• mickey cutting board
• my first trip t-shirt for Pooh
• cute WDW embroidered sweatsuit for Pooh
• mickey dish towels
• 2 more pooh bears!
• light saber
• Dooney and Burke disney purse
• earrings
• watch

and i know we got more- but that is all i can remember! lol

 

[Pollito916]

Love the D&B purse!

That train is big! And I bought that Cars playmat for Alex in DL when I stopped there last year during a business trip.

 

[exwdwcm]

Love the D&B purse!

That train is big! And I bought that Cars playmat for Alex in DL when I stopped there last year during a business trip.

lol- do you think poor Pooh is going to forcibly love disney or what?

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Just found your report and loving it! I just love Disney around the holidays! We are heading back 12/3-12/11. Can't wait!

 

[ladybugmom]

LOVE the purse, watch, and earrings!!!

 

[Pollito916]

lol- do you think poor Pooh is going to forcibly love disney or what?

Aww, what's not to love!

 

[exwdwcm]

Just found your report and loving it! I just love Disney around the holidays! We are heading back 12/3-12/11. Can't wait!

Thanks for joining in!!!

LOVE the purse, watch, and earrings!!!

thank you- i wear the watch everyday and love it! DH jsut bought me a new coach purse for christmas, so i have to keep switching out between that and the disney one!

So we got snow here today in TX - a good 3-4 inches already just north of dallas! so far no snow day, as the temp is hovering at 32, but it will freeze tonight and be a nightmare tomorrow. i am hoping for a snow day!! they are rare around here!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

Thanks for joining in!!!

thank you- i wear the watch everyday and love it! DH jsut bought me a new coach purse for christmas, so i have to keep switching out between that and the disney one!

So we got snow here today in TX - a good 3-4 inches already just north of dallas! so far no snow day, as the temp is hovering at 32, but it will freeze tonight and be a nightmare tomorrow. i am hoping for a snow day!! they are rare around here!

I don't ever want to hear the word snow if the forecast ever again!!! We are shoveling out of over 40 inches of school here in Philly!!!

 

[exwdwcm]

I don't ever want to hear the word snow if the forecast ever again!!! We are shoveling out of over 40 inches of school here in Philly!!!

i can't even begin to imagine! i've seen pics though and it is outrageous!

They say we might get 6-8" which is LOT for Dallas. No one knows how to drive in snow, much less ice. Many schools closed today and it wasn't even bad driving, the temp has hovered at 32-34, so it isn't freezing anything- it is all slush. Will freeze overnight, so might be bad tomororw though- i am sure a lot will be closed tomorrow. We just got word we must use vacation or floating holiday if we can't make it in. boo! Pooh's day care might be closed, so we will see if I have to stay home or not. Dont' want to wreck the new car!

another update coming tonight or shortly!

 

[k_reile]

glad it was a good downtown disney day..we saved ours for this past friday and it just poured. we were so soaked by the time we got back to the beach club. We probably did not go in half the stores we wanted to...but still got enough! LOL! Caleb ended up taking long naps in his stroller so we never had to go back to take a nap! But the bad part about disney is that when your kid is sleeping in the stroller...you cannot go in anywhere but the shops. We were wanting to do some of the shows but they will not allow your stoller in even though they will allow a wheelchair. that irritatted me a little!

 

[SueM in MN]

glad it was a good downtown disney day..we saved ours for this past friday and it just poured. we were so soaked by the time we got back to the beach club. We probably did not go in half the stores we wanted to...but still got enough! LOL! Caleb ended up taking long naps in his stroller so we never had to go back to take a nap! But the bad part about disney is that when your kid is sleeping in the stroller...you cannot go in anywhere but the shops. We were wanting to do some of the shows but they will not allow your stoller in even though they will allow a wheelchair. that irritatted me a little!

That is because there are limited number of wheelchair spots in the shows. For example, the Tiki Birds can allow only 6-8 wheelchairs in one show. We have already been there when the wheelchair spots were all taken and could not get in.
If they allowed people to bring strollers in just because the children were sleeping, that would seriously limit the things that people like my DD, who absolutely needs to bring her wheelchair into shows could see.
She can't walk, so unless we can bring the wheelchair into shows, she can't go.

 

[exwdwcm]

glad it was a good downtown disney day..we saved ours for this past friday and it just poured. we were so soaked by the time we got back to the beach club. We probably did not go in half the stores we wanted to...but still got enough! LOL! Caleb ended up taking long naps in his stroller so we never had to go back to take a nap! But the bad part about disney is that when your kid is sleeping in the stroller...you cannot go in anywhere but the shops. We were wanting to do some of the shows but they will not allow your stoller in even though they will allow a wheelchair. that irritatted me a little!

So sorry you got rained on at DTD- but can't wait to hear about the trip!!!! I wish Pooh would sleep in the stroller, but he just wasn't going for it unfortunately. Plus, my parents and others needed the break too. sometimes I forget she just had major brain surgery less than 6 months ago and is still slowly recovering.

That is because there are limited number of wheelchair spots in the shows. For example, the Tiki Birds can allow only 6-8 wheelchairs in one show. We have already been there when the wheelchair spots were all taken and could not get in.
If they allowed people to bring strollers in just because the children were sleeping, that would seriously limit the things that people like my DD, who absolutely needs to bring her wheelchair into shows could see.
She can't walk, so unless we can bring the wheelchair into shows, she can't go.

Great to know Sue, thanks for sharing. I know that no one wants to take away seats or spots from those that really need it.

 

[exwdwcm]

and finally- after our big snow event, continuing on! all the schools shut down on friday and I had to stay home with Pooh. I finally managed to write more tonight!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15th- part II

After a busy morning at downtown Disney, we were rested and ready to tackle Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We had ordered our tickets way in advance and were ready to go! I know many try and head to the MK early, since you can get in by 4pm with your MVMCP tickets, but since we had length of stay tickets, we felt no rush. So we met down in the lobby about 5:30 or so I believe. After we all gathered, we headed to the boat dock for the quick ride to the MK. Have I mentioned just how convenient this boat ride was? Before staying at the WL, I had read about taking the boat, but never realized just how convenient it was. As a family that typically drives/rents a car over taking a bus, it was such a treat to be dropped off right at the front of the MK without having to deal with the TTC.

So while heading over on the boat, we saw one of the monorails was stalled right outside of the contemporary. We arrived at the MK and immediately were in the holiday spirit- as the cast members garned their best holiday gear too! Us girls were wearing matching t-shirts we bought earlier in the day too.

So first stop? I think we did a quick ride on Space Mountain! Then it was time to eat- we were hungry! We headed to an oldie but goodie, Cosmic Ray’s. Wow, can we say packed? That place was a madhouse. I had never seen it so crowded. So a few of us tried to find seating without much luck. I led them around to the side closer to Main Street, around the back on the other side of the bathrooms and we found open seating. So we grab a few tables and take turns getting in line. The lines were long, but we found ones moving quickly. I think Alan and I both had the double cheeseburgers. Yum! And huge! We all love the topping bar, nothing like cheese sauce with your fries! No wonder I gained 10 pounds since December. Ouch!

So we all sit down finally and enjoy our dinner. We actually had a great view of the castle from our seats, but are missing out on all the action with the music and dancing with Sonny Eclipse. We finally finish up and head back out to tackle the MK. Now our family, while we love shows, are not big on waiting. We refuse to wait more than 20 minutes for anything for the most part. So we don’t go to MVMCP with the goal of seeing all the shows, especially since you have to wait often 30 minutes or more to get a seat. We do try and see holiday wishes and then the second parade of the night. Other than that, we simply enjoy the extra time at the MK, the holiday flair, the hot chocolate and the characters in their holiday best! So after dinner, we decided to tackle more of tomorrowland. We split up into several groups. Alan and I took Pooh to do the speedway- I mean, what little kid (and dad) doesn’t want to drive the little cars? The lines are always so long here, but it was only 20 minutes, so we hopped in. I watched from the bleachers and tried to take pics without much luck and let them enjoy some daddy/son bonding time. It was very cute.

After the speedway, I think we tackled more- including Buzz and the tomorrowland transit authority. The only bad thing about doing Buzz or TSM for that matter with a toddler is that they want to play, so of course my score was always pretty low. I think I also enjoyed a frozen coke this night from near the astro-orbiter. They used to have these yummy cheese stuffed pretzels, but not anymore. We skipped COP since we knew Pooh would not sit through it all. We also passed on Astro-orbiter, since it has such a slow moving line. So we headed over towards toontown. I’ve never spent much time here at all- I guess there was just never a reason too- I had no kids and I always managed to see Mickey elsewhere, so never felt the need to go in there. Seeing mickey’s house just didn’t entice me much. So knowing ToonTown is short lived and will be going away over the next 2 years or so, I decided it was time to finally see it all and also ride barnstormer. So we headed that way- first up, barnstormer. There was literally no line at all- I think by this time, a lot of folks were watching the first parade at 8:15pm. Great time to ride rides!

first ride on BS, Pooh rode with me. Now, the kid is pretty fearless, but this was his first real thrill ride- at just 26 months old. He did fine, but did grip on to me a little tight. While the ride is super short, it is actually pretty quick for a little kid. Since the line was so short, we decided to ride a second time- walked right on again. This time, Pooh rode with Dad and I got a few pics. Poor guy was more scared this time, I guess now he knew what he was in for. He didn’t cry or anything, but the look on his face says it all.

So after his daring ride on the Barnstormer, we headed to check out Mickey’s house. It was almost completely empty, but we didn’t see Mickey around either. So we took our time exploring, pretty cute, but I definitely wasn’t missing anything all these years. Then we went in the big top to explore the store a bit- again, it was completely empty! I saw the line for the princesses was pretty short, 15 minutes or so, but we weren’t really interested, we would be seeing most at our Norway breakfast later in the week. But I was interested in seeing Tink, but the line said 40 minutes and I knew we had to catch WISHES, besides we never wait that long. Only later did I hear that the line actually was only like 15 minutes. Oh well, live and learn- one day I’ll see Tink! I don’t think Pooh could handle waiting that long, so we will see.

So we headed out of Toontown, and went to the teacups. Alan passed on the teacups, he doesn’t do well with spinning rides or the 3D type movie rides like star tours. So Pooh and I span to our hearts content, although he looks a little overwhelmed and not so sure.

Again, the line was minimal, about 5 minutes. So we had managed to do Space Mtn, Buzz, TTC, Speedway, 2x Barnstormer, Mickey’s house, teacups and dinner in almost under 2hours. Not too bad. At this point, we knew we needed to head to the front of the castle to grab a spot for WISHES. We managed to get around through Liberty Square and get a spot in the main hub. I would have preferred to be further back or on the bridge to TL, but our location wasn’t bad. But it was definitely crowded!

Alan, Pooh and I enjoyed some cherished family time just enjoying Holiday WISHES together. Pooh loves fireworks, and alan held him and put him on his shoulders for part s of it. We had a ball just enjoying the fireworks together.

Afterwards, we headed towards adventureland and stopped for hot chocolate and cookies and apple slices. It was an area I had never been in before. They were out of hot chocolate, so we took apple juice instead.

Since Holiday WISHES was at 9:30, we decided we better find seats, just then we heard from the family, they had great front row spots on the rope in frontierland- near diamond horseshoe, so we braved the crowds and managed to find them. I grabbed a seat on the ground with Pooh and waited for the action to start. Before long, it was happening and we enjoyed watching the gingerbread men march past and the toy soliders too. We loved all the sights, sounds and smells- hot chocolate, gingerbread and more. The kids were mesmerized. It was 10:30 now when the parade started, but they managed to watch the whole parade. Towards the end, Pooh was getting tired, but we toughed it out.

I think by the time the parade was over, it was nearing 11:15 or later. We needed to make a quick bathroom break, so we headed back around towards fantasyland and took a break. we saw the dance party going on!

I highly recommend if you can make it that last hour, then do- with small children, we just couldn't manage much longer, but the crowds were so light, that last hour is an ideal time to take advantage of rides, characters etc.

The party/park closed at midnight, so we just went ahead and headed out. I forgot to mention, we also had searched the stores in tomorrowland for MVMCP merchandise, including t-shirts for us and the kids as well as pins. We found t-shirts for us, but the ones for the boys were too big, but we got them anyhow and he can maybe wear it this December when we go back! So tired, but happy with the party, we headed towards the entrance to take the boat back to WL. By the time we got back and into bed, I think it was almost 1am. But we all laid down with visions of happy holidays in our heads!

SANTA’S NICE LIST
• MVMCP party experience
• Great food at Cosmic Ray’s
• Beautiful family time watching WISHES
• Awesome Christmas parade with great view
• Free cookies, juice and hot chocolate!
• Short lines during first parade for rides
• Pooh’s first time on a roller coaster

SANTA’S NAUGHTY LIST
• Pooh’s first time on a roller coaster (LOL- I think it deserved both lists!)
• Crowds for WISHES
• Ran out of hot chocolate at location we stopped at

Dining review- Boma- AKL
Our breakfast here was fine, but nothing spectacular. I know lots of folks rave about the juice, but it just didn't do anything for me, although mom loved it. The food was hot and plentiful and did have some more exotic choices. We did find a few basic favorites missing though too that we would have liked. It was crowded in there as always, and it was hard sometimes getting around with mom with her impaired vision. Our server was good and kept our drinks filled. I wasn't that hungry this am, so I didn't eat a ton. Pooh is always happy with the basic eggs and bacon. overall it was just mediocre. We enjoyed having an excuse to visit the AKL, but will probably pass on breakfast here again in the future. Not bad, but not fantastic or memorable either. One of those I can mark off the list as 'done'.

 

[praisehisname]

So glad you enjoyed the party! You really got a LOT done, especially for having a toddler and it being so late at night!

Denise

 

[exwdwcm]

So glad you enjoyed the party! You really got a LOT done, especially for having a toddler and it being so late at night!

Denise

Yes, and he was actually pretty good that night!

 

[exwdwcm]

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, DAY 7

Well today was our ‘break day’. So much for a break! Lol----our break day was intended to be a ‘sleep in’ morning if wanted, or head to HS again. We had lunch planned for 1:30 at Whispering Canyon Café in our hotel, WL. The evening would consist of MK and the WISHES Dessert Party.

So ‘sleeping in’ isn’t really an option for us with a toddler that is usually up by 7 or 7:30am. Some weekends, if he goes to bed late, he might sleep until 8am, but that is as late as we get. So knowing this, we decided to head to HS this morning- there was still a lot we had not done here. My parents decided to come with us too. So we headed on to HS and arrived shortly after opening.

We had not yet done RnR and I wanted to do ToT again, as did my mom- it is one of her favorites! So I grabbed a few fastpasses for RnR and then we got in the short standby line for ToT- I think it was under 10 minutes. I got a child swap pass and I sat out with Pooh while my parents and Alan rode. It seemed like forever before they came out. Then we switched and my mom sat out with Pooh while my dad, Alan and I rode. Another great ride on ToT, just when I thought the ride was over, we were going up for another drop. I love the random sequences!

It was now time for us to go use our RnR fastpass. Alan and my mom were not interested in going, so it was just Dad and I. I noticed things were a bit strange when we walked up, but thought nothing of it. There were cast members greeting us right under the big sign before you even entered that open concrete area in front of the ride. They saw our fastpass and waved us on by. We headed towards the queue line and waited, and waited and waited. For a fastpass, it sure was taking forever. We waited over 20 minutes in line. As we walked up to the queue though, I noticed they had rope off an area outside the ride and had a stage setup, video screens, Wii games and a DJ. Folks were playing games, dancing etc. I figured it was just a ‘rock n roll’ type thing.

Only later did I read on the boards that this was a day of testing the new virtual queue line that they hope to use on the future twin dumbos in Fantasyland in a few years (and possibly on other rides sooner). The whole process was, if you were going in the standby line, you were given a ‘boarding pass number’- like C3. You would then be free to explore entire roped off area which included games, food/beverage carts, bathrooms and more. So basically you were able to grab a drink, change your kid’s diaper or sit on a bench INSTEAD of waiting in line. The large video screens would show what group number was boarding now and who was next. When your boarding group is called, you head up to the CM and they put you in the line. I am guessing this is why the wait was longer for our FP, we had whole ‘boarding groups’ in front of us, not just a family or two here and there. It seemed like folks were having fun and it was pretty well organized, but not sure how they will handle FP and child swap with this in the future. It is an interesting concept and definitely a good idea in theory, especially for someone with young children who aren’t very patient waiting in line – or someone like me that has a toddler have an ‘accident’ right before you get on the ride. This would allow me to run and change Pooh’s diaper right before we would get on. I guess we will see how it goes. I hear they were testing it for like 2-3 days at the studios on RnR that week. I haven’t heard of any testing since though.

So Dad and I rode RnR and had a blast- love it! After our ride, we decided it was time to do something for Pooh- he had been patiently waiting while we tackled two thrill rides he couldn’t ride, so we decided to do playhouse Disney. So we headed down the street and ran into some streetmosphere……..it was a police man in a trash can. Pooh is obsessed with TRASH. Why, I don’t know? But everywhere we go, he points out trash cans. Loves throwing things away and seeing trash cans. So this was just perfect. Pooh saw him and wanted to look inside the trash can, it was too cute! Turns out the officer was ‘undercover’ in the trash can. Lol

So we headed to Playhouse Disney and got in a line, but realized it was a line to see a character, not to get in. We found our way to the entrance and just made it in before they closed the doors. Now Pooh isn’t a big tv kid. He just is so busy playing that I can’t even get him to sit down and watch a full 20 minute show. But he will now slowly watch 5-10 minutes here and there of mickey house clubhouse and pooh. So I was hoping he would enjoy this. The problem was to keep him sitting down- he wanted to get up and go up the stage and wander around. So keeping him sitting was tough. He did love the bubbles though. My parents sat in the back and took a nap.

We were getting hungry, so decided to head towards the Honey I shrunk the kids playground and find something to eat. The Studio Catering Company was there so we gave it a shot. It wasn’t bad, but HS isn’t known for having great counter service. I had a chili cheese hot dog- splurge! Alan had the healthy offering, which I think was something along the lines of chicken with beans and rice. My parents had wandered off to do their own thing for a bit, so it was just the three of us.


After that, I wanted to take Pooh to the honey I shrunk the kids playground. I had heard mixed reviews on it- how easy it is to lose your kid in there, but we ventured out. Pooh loved it. Some things he wasn’t quite big enough to do yet, but he enjoyed getting to run around a bit- freedom! I went in with him first and then Alan did while I sat at the exit, that way if we ‘lost him’ inside, one of us was near the exit to catch him. It was quite crowded in there though!

After we drug Pooh kicking and screaming from the playground, we headed over to Studio Catering Company where my parents were now having lunch with Nene and Jeff. So we joined them at the table as they finished up.

SOne of the big things we wanted to do today was catch the Lights Motor Action Stunt show. I knew my dad would enjoy it. I think we caught the 1:30 show. The show was good, but we had to walk forever to our seats on the far side of the stadium. The stadium was almost full when we arrived. We found some seats pretty low though, just at the far end. Of course I had to leave the stroller out front, so walking/carrying Pooh was not easy. He’s heavy! And because these are just bleachers, it was hard sitting. Pooh doesn’t sit well and watch TV, so this was going to be tough. His attention span is usually 5 minutes for TV, so doing this show was a test! Luckily, he fell asleep about 5 minutes in. So then my back was really killing me, sitting up with this 30lb toddler in my arms. His foot kept falling and hitting the poor guy in front of me. I kept apologizing, but he didn’t speak English and was more interested in the big explosions going on anyhow.

The show was fun, but now I can say I saw it and no need to go back for a while, unless we are just with someone that wants to go. Another thing marked off the list!

There was yet one more thing I wanted to do here though before we left. This was our last time at HS, so I knew I had to do the Walt’s One Man’s dream or I would regret it. I missed the movie last time and regretted it a lot. So Alan sat outside with Pooh on a bench while I wondered in. I didn’t spend a ton of time in the exhibits, since I had seen those in detail before- they are amazing! But I really wanted to see the film again, but it wasn’t showing for 10 minutes, so I waited and hoped Alan and Pooh were patient. The doors opened and I enjoyed the show- yes, a few tears were spilled. I definitely recommend this for anyone that is interested in learning how the parks came to be.

We didn’t do it all at HS- even with two evenings and one morning/day here, we missed a lot. Again, our two sit down meals here took up time, as did the Osborne lights. We skipped the Mermaid, drawing academy, backstage tour (which I am fine skipping anyhow), Indiana Jones and Star Tours. We’ve done them all before and felt no need to do the Indy show. Alan gets sick on Star Tours type rides, so we passed, but did check out the shop! I would have liked to have seen Mermaid. We had no interest in American Idol. So we got done almost everything we wanted here. But one more thing I missed- is shopping – there is the Villains store and a few others on the street going towards ToT and I never got to go in them. They are a few favorites. I also missed the whole right side of the main street as you walk in too. So next trip- I plan to NOT miss those!

By now it was nearing 3pm, so we headed out for a break. At least Pooh had taken a short nap already. This was the first time he had fallen asleep in the park while touring. He never once really fell asleep in his stroller. We had of course cancelled our 1:30 dining plans at WCC that day- no one ended up using them. Nancy was getting really sick now- she had a terrible cold/sinus thing going on. She has a very weak immune system ever since winning the battle against breast cancer over 5 years ago. So she was spending most of these last few days in her room, just relaxing and trying to get well.

MY OLD STomping grounds!

Pooh spilled his juice this morning too all over his shirt and stroller. you might notice him wearing a star wars shirt in the am and then a different shirt later on. We had to sit him on a poncho on the stroller since it was so wet from the juice! good thing we had plenty of dollar store ponchos on hand in our backpack!

So the plan this evening was to head to the MK and do our WISHES Dessert party at 7pm. We planned to head over at least by 6pm to eat a fast food dinner first at MK. So we had a few hours to rest up. We got back to the lodge, refilled our mugs and took some more photos of the lodge. I really enjoyed the little outdoor seating area outside the Roaring Forks. During our ‘break times’, it was nice to fill my mug, grab a snack and just sit out there, take trip notes or people watch. Strangely enough- even with a 2-3hour break each day, I only managed to take trip notes on one day!!! So a lot of this might be a bit off, as I am doing it strictly from memory of over 2 months ago (and using my photos and itinerary as a guide to remember!).

SEE, obsessed with trash, i tell you!

 

[exwdwcm]

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 continued

So we enjoyed a little break- Pooh napped a bit. By 5pm, most of us were ready to go again. I can’t remember why- but Alan didn’t join us right away this night. I can’t remember if he just was tired or was doing his review for work on the computer in our room. But regardless, it ended up just being me, Mom and Pooh that headed over to the MK by boat. The rest of the family would meet up with us later. We decided to just take our time enjoying the sites and sounds of Main Street for a bit and not rush off to a ride. It was nice being just my mom, Pooh and I- we both took the opportunity to explore the shops in great detail on Main Street. Normally we have my dad and Alan waiting outside for us- while they don’t ‘rush’ us, we feel rushed nonetheless and feel bad making them wait while we shop. The girls in our family really really love shopping- especially at Disney. So this was a nice little treat for us. As we walked into the MK- we also saw the Flag ceremony. They had the marching band there, and a veteran selected to participate. So we watched this and really enjoyed it. It was something I had not experienced before, so it was another special treat! Two treats in one afternoon!

We shopped til our hearts content and then called to see where everyone else was. WE headed back towards Fantasyland and ended up meeting Wendy, Mike and the kids. We decided to give Pinnochio’s Village Haus a try for dinner. They had pizzas etc. Soon enough Nene and Jeff showed up too. Then right as we sat down, my dad and Alan arrived- they had boated over together. My dad had stayed behind to rest a bit more too- his feet were hurting him (he’s been having foot trouble recently with shooting pains due to a bone spur in his spine).

So we all enjoyed a nice counter service meal of pizza. Nene met us too and Jeff came later. The restaurant was fairly empty, I guess they closed at a certain time- we saw cast members already emptying trash cans etc. We found seats near the window overlooking Small World. The food was actually fairly good here. I had eaten here before, but they have changed the menu since then. Almost all of us had the pizza.

After dinner, we headed over towards the Noodle Station area, which is where the WISHES Dessert Party is held. The MK closed early this night- at 8pm and WISHES was scheduled for 8pm. The party started at 7pm, so we lined up with others waiting. Many guests walked by and asked what we were waiting for. I guess it is so new, not a lot of folks know about it and I don’t see it advertised anywhere publically, unless you just happen to know about it from visiting boards like these. Your standard traveler to WDW probably wouldn’t know about it. We had made reservations a while back and I know they limit it to a certain number of guests- I am guessing like 75 or so max.

So while waiting, Nancy and Chase showed up. So glad they came out! After waiting about 10 minutes, we were finally let in and were directed to our tables. Tables were pre-assigned with a little name card on them. We had the best tables in the house- on the lower level, front and center, closest the railing as we could get. The only bad thing about this evening is that it was bitterly cold and windy. We hadn’t really planned on that. I did have my rain jacket, which was light, but helped a bit over my shirt. I had pooh’s hoodie for him. But the poor table behind us had two young children in sleeveless shirts and shorts and they were literally shaking, they were so cold. They were from the UK and asked us if we had any blankets or coats they could borrow. Unfortunately we didn’t have anything else to share, or I would have shared. I felt so bad for them, but most of us were freezing too and barely had enough for our kiddos.

WHERE

WHERE is everything?
After being seated, we took turns heading over to the buffet, which was slightly behind us on the ‘second level’, just like a step up. They had 3 long stations for food and one big station for beverages. The desserts were plentiful and included chocolate covered strawberries, key lime pie, cheesecake, peanut butter pie and other sweet concoctions. There was one in particular I really liked, but when I went back up for it, it was all out and everytime I tried to get more, they had not restocked it. They did good at first restocking, but as time went on, they restocked less and less, so that was a bit disappointing- not finding what I liked and wanted more of. Of course fruit was available too. It was a really wide variety and good selection. The portions were bite size, so you could try a little of everything. The beverages included coffee, tea, water and lemonade. Spectromagic was happening as we ate, but we didn’t have a fantastic view of it. We could see the lights and floats from a distance, but don’t count on being able to really see it from there. We all enjoyed our food and drink and they also had a photopass photographer available. So we all took some pics.

Then it was time for WISHES. Talk about a great view- it was awesome! Completely unblocked. Anytime someone tried to pull a chair up to the railing area, the CM’s pushed them back and said no. The other guests at the party, while not having as great a view as us (we were front row), didn’t try and get in front of us and if they did, they stood off to the side or kneeled down as not to block our view. It was really nice. It was a great experience. Not sure I would do it again, unless we just wanted to take someone else as their first time. It was about $24 per adult, so it is pricey, but worth trying once. Not sure if/when they will offer it again. I know right now (Feb), the Noodle Station area is undergoing some renovation? That whole area is a seasonal area anyhow- they only open the Noodle Station during extremely busy times. I think using it for this dessert party is a smart move on their part. If you want to see more pics and info- check out the DIS’ very own blog on the Dessert
http://www.disunplugged.com/2009/06/24/disney-debuts-magic-kingdom-wishes-dessert-party/

After watching an amazing WISHES show, it was time to go. The park closed at 8pm, so we actually had an early night tonight. Of course by the time we left the party and window shopped on the way out and took a boat, it was still nearing in on 9:30-10pm. The boatride home was chilly too- good thing we caught the larger indoor seating boat!

So we fell into bed at a decent time, bellies full and smiles on our faces. My family got some truly amazing shots with their new Nikons of the castle and fireworks. Tomorrow would be another busy day with breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, time at MK and dinner at Hoop Dee Doo Revue!


SANTA’S NICE LIST

• Amazing view at WISHES dessert party and amazing food!
• Finally catching Walt’s Dream walk through again
• ToT!! enough said!
• Time with my mom shopping in MK- just us!
• Catching the flag ceremony at MK
  
  

SANTA’S NAUGHTY LIST

• Long wait w/ FP for RnR
• Not shopping at HS
• Heavy child in my arms during Stunt show! Ouch my back
• Not restocking desserts after the first 30 minutes or so at the party
• COLD night at the party