A Disney-addicted mom braves the August (2010) heat! *11/28 Update!*

[cdotla]

Sounds like a great date nite Amanda! I haven't been to Bluezoo yet, but it is on the list.

That is really terrible about the family line-cutting the bus line. Seriously! What is so important about getting a seat on the bus that you chose to set such poor examples for your kids? I really don't get it.

I am glad my husband is the sort who regularly gives up his seat to other people (not just those who are pregnant or elderly) and goes without a seat himself, even if he was the 1st person in line. That is who I want teaching my kids!

 

[sk8jdgca]

I've been enoying your report this morning-Hey don't feel bad about losing your kids-I lose mine at least once each time we go. This time I didn't even know they were lost DD11 and DS7 went on a slide at blizzard beach- I showed them where I was going to stand at the bottom. I stood and waited and waited-I asked a kids who got off how long the line was as he said 1/2 hour-so I figured they'd be down soon. I started looking around an say a cm walking with my kids-seems the stairs led to 3 different slide and they went down another one that let out somewhere totally different they had been lost for 20 mins. They were arguing about who to go to my son said to tell a life guard and my daughter said to go to lost children as she though she knew where to find it and the life guards were busy- they found a CM but by then they couldn't remember where I said I'd meet them

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

sounds like a great date night! I have heard nothing but good things from the sitters that come to your room! It sounds like she was well prepared and it was not new for her!!

Can't wait for more!

 

[klacey1]

Aww, sounds like a great date night! I've never heard anything negative about bluezoo!

 

[dismagiclover]

I'm glad to hear your babysitting report. I've often thought it would be nice to do a date night and it's good to hear that is an option. Sounds like you had a lovely night.

 

[Momofthreemen]

Sounds like a magical trip. Can't wait to read the rest.

 

[DrMomof3]

Sounds like a great date nite Amanda! I haven't been to Bluezoo yet, but it is on the list.

Bluezoo was NOT cheap. But they do accept the TIW card, which was nice. I thought the food was excellent. I also liked that it was a bit more adult and "non-Disney" than most Disney restaurants. I LOVE Disney but this was a little mini-escape from the madness!

That is really terrible about the family line-cutting the bus line. Seriously! What is so important about getting a seat on the bus that you chose to set such poor examples for your kids? I really don't get it.

I am glad my husband is the sort who regularly gives up his seat to other people (not just those who are pregnant or elderly) and goes without a seat himself, even if he was the 1st person in line. That is who I want teaching my kids!

I totally agree. I can't imagine that the family didn't see the line or that they didn't know what they were doing. They had several children with them so maybe they thought that should "entitle" them to special treatment. Like most of the rest of us don't have kids! I also agree with the idea that everything you do in front of your children is a lesson of sorts - whether or not that's what you want them to learn.

I've been enoying your report this morning-Hey don't feel bad about losing your kids-I lose mine at least once each time we go. This time I didn't even know they were lost DD11 and DS7 went on a slide at blizzard beach- I showed them where I was going to stand at the bottom. I stood and waited and waited-I asked a kids who got off how long the line was as he said 1/2 hour-so I figured they'd be down soon. I started looking around an say a cm walking with my kids-seems the stairs led to 3 different slide and they went down another one that let out somewhere totally different they had been lost for 20 mins. They were arguing about who to go to my son said to tell a life guard and my daughter said to go to lost children as she though she knew where to find it and the life guards were busy- they found a CM but by then they couldn't remember where I said I'd meet them

Another member of my special "mom of the year" club!!! Welcome!!!

sounds like a great date night! I have heard nothing but good things from the sitters that come to your room! It sounds like she was well prepared and it was not new for her!!

Can't wait for more!

We've used KNO a few times now. In December we had a college student (two nights in a row because we didn't take Zachary to MVMCP because we wanted the big kids to get to go on the big kid rides) and she was great. This sitter was totally different and also great.

Aww, sounds like a great date night! I've never heard anything negative about bluezoo!

I loved it! Seriously worth trying, even though it's not on the dining plan.

I'm glad to hear your babysitting report. I've often thought it would be nice to do a date night and it's good to hear that is an option. Sounds like you had a lovely night.

I highly recommend it.

Sounds like a magical trip. Can't wait to read the rest.

Thank you!!!! We had a wonderful, wonderful time!

Amanda

 

[-Hope-]

Date night sounds fabulous! It's so nice to be able to relax and know the kids are having a good time as well.

 

[DrMomof3]

Date night sounds fabulous! It's so nice to be able to relax and know the kids are having a good time as well.

I'm a big fan of date night at Disney! And there are many places to eat at Disney that have a more adult feel (Bluezoo, Bistro de Paris, California Grill, etc.).

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

I hadn't really planned our days beyond Wednesday but we definitely needed another MK day and Friday seemed like the right time to do it. We got up, ate a hot breakfast in the room, packed our park bags, and headed over to the bus stop. We must have just missed a bus to MK because we were basically 1st in line. By this time we all had our specific "jobs" for getting on and off the bus. This was the one and only time we got to a park in time for rope drop. I love, love, love rope drop at MK. Love the welcoming ceremony. My fantasy is to get there early enough to be chosen as 1st family. When I said we made rope drop, I should clarify a bit. We were literally stuck at the turnstile for rope drop. Our cards had been swiped and our fingers checked but there was no room to get through the turnstile. If I recall correctly, Tom made it through and the kids and I were stuck mid-turnstile. We still got to enjoy the show!

I did not get a lot of decent pics of rope drop as you can tell when I post the best of them....

I was SO happy to see the show and I would have been sorely disappointed if we had missed it!

Amanda

 

[-Hope-]

So great that you made rope drop! We'd given up on this notion by the time our MK day rolled around but did get to see the one at DHS. No characters involved in that one though so a bit disappointing.

 

[cdotla]

I LOVE that opening show!

I have only seen it once because we normally do pre-park opening ADRS at CP or CRT. Time to get back again....it is a great way to start the day!

 

[lexmas]

That sounds frustrating about the family cutting on the bus. People who don't think about others irk me!

It sounds like the KNO babysitter was great! Paper bag puppets...DS would love that!

Dinner sounds absoultely amazing. Some day when my kids are big DH and I will have to try that. Now I am hungry, and jealous!

How fun that you got to meet up with a friend! And one who practices in Celebration...I have a fascination with Celebration! How nice that Tom got to meet one of your "work friends" as well!

It sounds like a great way to spend an evening!

 

[lexmas]

Whoops, there was more!

I have not seen many opening shows. I recall seeing the one at DHS last trip, but it wasn't great. I can't wait to see lots this time! They sound amazing, and I'm glad you got to see it. What? 3 small children impedes your ability to get there SUPER early to be chosen as first family? Who would have guessed?

 

[DrMomof3]

So great that you made rope drop! We'd given up on this notion by the time our MK day rolled around but did get to see the one at DHS. No characters involved in that one though so a bit disappointing.

I thought we'd make it to more rope drops than we did but I guess that was because we used a bunch of am EMH.

I LOVE that opening show!

I have only seen it once because we normally do pre-park opening ADRS at CP or CRT. Time to get back again....it is a great way to start the day!

I've never done an in-park early ADR. I like the idea of walking through an empty park!

That sounds frustrating about the family cutting on the bus. People who don't think about others irk me!

It sounds like the KNO babysitter was great! Paper bag puppets...DS would love that!

Dinner sounds absoultely amazing. Some day when my kids are big DH and I will have to try that. Now I am hungry, and jealous!

How fun that you got to meet up with a friend! And one who practices in Celebration...I have a fascination with Celebration! How nice that Tom got to meet one of your "work friends" as well!

It sounds like a great way to spend an evening!

Celebration sounds like a cool place! He told us that it's very restrictive in terms of what you can do with your house and property. That doesn't surprise me at all but I wonder if that gets to be frustrating?

Whoops, there was more!

I have not seen many opening shows. I recall seeing the one at DHS last trip, but it wasn't great. I can't wait to see lots this time! They sound amazing, and I'm glad you got to see it. What? 3 small children impedes your ability to get there SUPER early to be chosen as first family? Who would have guessed?

I know. Who would have thought that my adorable and super well-behaved children would prevent me from getting to rope drop each day!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

I took the day off for Columbus Day so I didn't have to scramble for childcare. Big kids are at the neighbor's house and Zachary is napping (but not for long) so I'll try to update more.

After rope drop we had to decide where to head next. We were hoping to avoid Dumbo this time so we chose to head for:

Space Mountain! (Excuse the extra leg showing since I was wearing a dress...). Tom took J and Z to ride Astro Orbiters. Have I mentioned that my kids LOVE that ride? Several years ago (May, 2007 to be exact) we took the kids to Anaheim since I had a work conference there. Nathaniel fell in love with the "Rocket Ride" there. I think the one in Orlando is better since it's up on the 2nd floor so you get a great view. Anyway, it's still a favorite in our family.
Tom took the younger kids on the TTA (PeopleMover again?) and when we got off Space Mountain we hopped on, too. My children absolutely adored this ride! I may have ridden it once as a child but my parents were never big fans so I hadn't ridden it in at least 30 years. It was really fun and a little bit faster than I remembered. Tom probably took Nathaniel on Space Mtn again (my memory is getting fuzzy) and I probably took the little ones on Buzz.

Yup! Carousel of Progress! A must-do for our family. My kids really like it! It's classic Walt so I'm a big fan.

Oops Zachary just woke up...

Amanda

 

[lexmas]

Wow, I'm impressed that Nathaniel will ride space mountain! Brave!

TTA AND Carousel of progress? This is my kind of a day! I love it!

Darn naptime ending so quickly. I know WAY too much about that! Why is it that my 17 month old requires less sleep than my 3 year old?

 

[-Hope-]

Fun, fun, fun! My kids won't even think about Space Mountain and they are much older than your little guy! I think it's a personality/temperment thing and roller coasters just aren't their thing.

I thouroughly enjoyed the TTA and some of my best pictures from the entire week came from that ride.

Carousel of Progress is one of the few rides that we really wanted to ride and just didn't get to. Jace was really disappointed and so was I! Glad you guys got to enjoy it though!

 

[DrMomof3]

Wow, I'm impressed that Nathaniel will ride space mountain! Brave!

TTA AND Carousel of progress? This is my kind of a day! I love it!

Darn naptime ending so quickly. I know WAY too much about that! Why is it that my 17 month old requires less sleep than my 3 year old?

4 times. Nathaniel rode Space Mountain 4 times. And Jessica was sad that she wasn't tall enough.
TTA and Carousel of Progress are such classics!!!

Fun, fun, fun! My kids won't even think about Space Mountain and they are much older than your little guy! I think it's a personality/temperment thing and roller coasters just aren't their thing.

I thouroughly enjoyed the TTA and some of my best pictures from the entire week came from that ride.

Carousel of Progress is one of the few rides that we really wanted to ride and just didn't get to. Jace was really disappointed and so was I! Glad you guys got to enjoy it though!

I think he gets a little scared on the roller coasters but is too proud to say anything!
I missed riding Pooh and Peter Pan this trip so I know what you mean about not having enough time for everything!

Anabda

 

[DrMomof3]

When we finished Carousel of Progress, it was a few minutes before 11am. We were planning to head over to Adventureland next but I made my family wait so I could get my favorite Disney food....

Yes, that's right. My Disney food fantasy involves a cream cheese filled pretzel. And it didn't disappoint!!! They only sell them in tomorrowland by the Astro Orbiter and the darn place doesn't open until 11am (which I totally don't get as this is my fantasy breakfast food).

Bellies full, we headed over to the other side of MK for more fun. We ran into this:

On the way.

Jessica was obsessing about Aladdin's Carpets. We got in line and it was almost our turn when the ride broke down. She handled it very well and we never made it back (I think I need to make this ride a priority for January because she talked about it several times at MK this trip). Instead we went on Jungle Cruise. This is another classic Disney ride that I haven't done since the late '70s. The line was slower than expected (maybe because the entire line from Aladdin headed over?) and I didn't think to grab the stroller for Zachary. Which meant I carried him the whole time. We finally rode Jungle Cruise and I remembered why I hadn't done this ride in 30 years. Maybe in another 10 years I'll feel the need again.

Zachary actually fell asleep in my arms during the ride so we popped him in the stroller for a nap. Tom and Nathaniel decided to ride Pirates (I had already ridden with Zachary earlier in the week). Jessica gets scared on Pirates. She had said she would ride with me but since I wasn't riding she decided to skip it. While the boys were riding, Jessica and I walked (with a sleeping Zachary) through some stores in Frontierland (I think - or maybe still in Adventureland - I get them confused). We finally ended up in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe (Tom loves to make fun of that name!). I let Jessica pick out an ornament for our tree. (No picture - sorry!)

At that point we decided to grab lunch. We headed over to Columbia Harbour House for lunch. For the life of me, I cannot remember what we ordered! It was fine. Nothing spectacular but totally fine. Zachary slept through most of lunch. By now we were getting tired and decided to walk down Main Street to do some shopping...

Amanda