A Private Dance with Cinderella... Our Surprise Trip Jan 2011 (completed 7/18!)

[BigTex71]

The video is very sweet. What a great moment for both your daughter and for Cinderella. She probably doesn't get much of a chance to interact with many guests for that amount of time. Looks like it was a great meal in the castle. What did your son think of the meal? I hope he was very excited for his sister.

He liked his chicken and the cheese plate (he ordered that also.) But with the popcorn and snack earlier in the day, he was full halfway through the entree. No room left for dessert, though he did try a bite.

The funny thing about the Cinderella interaction, as far as DS is concerned - he saw Cinderella coming over towards us and bolted to the bathroom. He was happy for his sister, but he is 'too old' for the characters. He later admitted he didn't need to go to the bathroom. I'm sure within the next two years he will be at the age that he wouldn't mind hanging with the pretty princesses.

 

[afwdwfan]

Love the lotto story at the beginning. Too bad it was just a dream.

After that, we go to get our funny on at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.

Maybe you weren't really "that guy." Maybe they were calling you "the hat guy?"

 

[BigTex71]

Great update! I loved the video of your DD I had tears in my eyes as I watched it. What a magical moment.

It was a really great moment. You can hear me being giddy in the video. I don't know if it was from the special moment for DD, or from being around another beautiful lady (besides DW, that is.)

Loved the video of your DD with Cinderella!! She is such a cutie!!! Enjoying your TR so far and wondering about head trauma.....you can't leave us hanging like that!

*insert evil laugh here*
You always have to have a teaser or cliffhanger at the end of the chapter to try to lure the audience back.

 

[BigTex71]

Love the lotto story at the beginning. Too bad it was just a dream.

Did you notice anything peculiar about the numbers?!
I try to hide little gems in the story.
I also try to add a little more than the standard "we went here, then here." I just don't want people to get bored and not come back for the whole report.

Maybe you weren't really "that guy." Maybe they were calling you "the hat guy?"

By Jove, you might be on to something!

 

[afwdwfan]

Did you notice anything peculiar about the numbers?!
I try to hide little gems in the story.
I also try to add a little more than the standard "we went here, then here." I just don't want people to get bored and not come back for the whole report.

You know, I think I might have seen that series of numbers once or twice before somwhere...

TV and movie references are always a great addition to a TR... As a matter of fact, Captain Oblivious relies very heavily on them.

 

[BridgetR3]

You know, I think I might have seen that series of numbers once or twice before somwhere...

TV and movie references are always a great addition to a TR... As a matter of fact, Captain Oblivious relies very heavily on them.

O.k. I don't get it. What are you referencing with the numbers? Is it something Disney specific that I would miss having not been there before? Will you share with those of us who are lost?

Maybe it's just too early??

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Looks like a fun day at MK! Nice when you can hit so many attractions in one day. And I'm glad Cinderella decided to make your DD's day special!

You know, I think I might have seen that series of numbers once or twice before somwhere...

It's just as well he didn't win. He would have ended up in a plane crash on some weird island for reasons that are never fully explained, even after the show ends.

TV and movie references are always a great addition to a TR... As a matter of fact, Captain Oblivious relies very heavily on them.

They absolutely help. I don't know why more people don't use them. It saves you from actually having to come up with something original, and is usually better-written and much more memorable.

 

[afwdwfan]

Will you share with those of us who are lost?

How about a hint as to what TV show it came from?

It's just as well he didn't win. He would have ended up in a plane crash on some weird island for reasons that are never fully explained, even after the show ends.

Yeah, worst series finale ever.

 

[BridgetR3]

How about a hint as to what TV show it came from?


Yeah, worst series finale ever.

Yep I caught on from Captain Oblivious' post. I've never watched an episode of that before so I wouldn't have known it otherwise.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Yeah, worst series finale ever.

I wouldn't go quite that far...I thought it had its moments. But the lack of answers was frustrating, and the finale also served to make the whole "Sideways" world a complete waste of time.

Hey, we're hijacking this TR all of a sudden. Cool!

 

[Colleen27]

Love the video!

And about your dream... You wouldn't want to hit with those numbers. A month ago 4 of the 6 came up and something ridiculous like 9000+ people won. Would you really want to share the jackpot with every Lost fan in America? A day at the MK is a much better prize!

 

[Jdougherty]

I'm in

Can you tell me more about your off time job as a travel agent specializing in Disney? It sounds fun.

 

[trennr]

Those were my Lottery numbers...but I LOST them...

Great so far...but I am Jealous of a few things...

1] You have been "That Guy"
2] You have been "That Guy" more than once!!!
3] You have been "That Guy" more than twice!!!
4] You had Jasmine at CRT <--wolf whistle

 

[BigTex71]

I'm in

Can you tell me more about your off time job as a travel agent specializing in Disney? It sounds fun.

Well, it is in its infancy right now. I have gone ahead and created a blog and registered a domain name: www.JourneysToWonderland.com . It is not nearly ready for human consumption, but I will hopefully start adding information to it and kick it off soon. But between work and writing this Trip Report - my spare time is pretty nonexistant right now.

I can easily and quickly pull up quotes for people via an email, though. But the website is going to take a while.

 

[BigTex71]

Those were my Lottery numbers...but I LOST them...

Great so far...but I am Jealous of a few things...

1] You have been "That Guy"
2] You have been "That Guy" more than once!!!
3] You have been "That Guy" more than twice!!!
4] You had Jasmine at CRT <--wolf whistle

I am not sure what they look for to be 'That Guy', but it appears to include being 'undertall' (as Garfield would say) and I always act silly with the waving of hands and stuff when they say the "Hello, humans!" part. Maybe that way they know you will play along and be a good sport about it.

As far as #4... yeah, lucked out. But Cinderella was my fave. (Wait, that smiley may not be appropriate here, huh?)

 

[BigTex71]

January 30, 2011 – Day 3 (Epcot Day)

After our great day at the Magic Kingdom, we were all ready for some rest – especially me. DD fell asleep in the van on the drive back to the condo, as did DS. DW was nodding off a few times, too. After only getting about five hours of sleep for two nights in a row, I was due for a decent night’s sleep, too. I was in bed by 10pm and a nice, blissful night was ours. I woke up refreshed and renewed after a long eight hour sleep. I was ready for Epcot!

The alarm clock woke me, but not as rudely as the previous morning. I knew Epcot wouldn’t be overly crowded today, so I figured we could sleep in a bit and not worry about making rope drop today. I woke up the crew and we all got ready for our Epcot Extravaganza. If you did not read my Pre-Trip Report, I will give a little explanation of the matching shirts. I customize (or modify) different designs using Photo Shop, print them out on excellent iron-on transfer paper (from amymickey.com) and iron on to cheap colored blank t-shirts (I get mine from jiffyshirts.com.) Today, as you will see in the photos, is the lime green shirts with the Toy Story Alien Mickey heads. I was sold on the idea of matching shirts after reading a trip report a few years ago that talked about how it is easy not to get split up if everyone is wearing the same color shirt. It also, in my opinion, makes the PhotoPass photos of all of us together look better than us wearing all different stuff.
We ate bagels and cream cheese in the condo for breakfast before we left for the day(DD had her Crispix cereal she loves.) We were out the door around 9:00am. We arrived at Epcot at 9:15am. Here are the kids ready to start touring Epcot.

Even though the park was already open, we didn’t have to park too far back. Here is the distance from our parking row to the gates:

We got in the park and DW took DD to the Character Spot for the meet and greets, while DS and I got FastPasses for Soarin’ and then went to Innoventions.

DS and I did the “Don’t Waste It” recycling edutainment (fun and educational!) and DW and DD met us in Innoventions. We did some of the other fun stuff in there, and we picked up our Kim Possible Mission tickets for Norway. We then made our way to the World Showcase since DD was getting hungry, but not before stopping to buy the Epcot passports for the kids. It turns out she didn’t eat her cereal this morning after all, so she was getting very cranky. We went to China and DD had Sweet and Sour Chicken from the Lotus Blossom Café. DS got egg rolls and they both enjoyed their food. I tasted some of each and they were both pretty tasty. Here is a picture of DD eating actual food (besides popcorn or candy) at the parks:

The kids did the KidCot area in China and we looked around. Here is inside the dome in China, looking straight up (I forget the name of the building):

DW and DD decided to go try to see some of the princesses in their respective countries while DS and I did some Kim Possible missions. It turns out the girls were able to get a few princess meets:

DS and I went undercover and covertly completed KP missions in China and Germany before we met up with the girls to head over to our late lunch. We hopped on the friendship boats from Germany and rode to the World Showcase entrance towards the country where we would eat. For those of you who read my Pre-Trip Report, I can now reveal that I was able to get my most coveted ADR! It was at 2:30pm for lunch. Here are some pics:

Yes, that was Le Cellier! I was able to get my favorite 3-course meal: Cheddar Cheese Soup (with Pretzel Breadsticks), Mushroom Filet with Risotto, and the Maple Crème Brulee. Man, I love that meal. I would plan a trip to WDW just to go to Le Cellier for that meal. Maybe I need to start looking for a job in the Orlando area so we can move closer to Le Cellier!

OK, back to the report. After lunch we watched the Oh Canada 360 degree film. This was our first time to see this – pretty neat. The kids did the KidCot there and then we decided to see Nemo and Crush back in the Future World section at the Seas Pavilion. After that, we went to the Land pavilion and rode Living with the Land – our first time on that one. It has some neat information and I recommend this ride. It not exciting, but an overall good experience. We then went to Sunshine Seasons for a drink and snack. This is where it all happened.

DW and I sat in chairs at a table that shares one side with the padded bench. The kids sat on the ‘booth’ side. We were having a good time after our snacks and the kids were playing around and tickling each other in the booth. We thought they were doing fine since they weren’t being loud and they were having a ball. Then, as the kids each leaned back and were squirming around on the bench, DD fell off the bench and landed on the back of her head… then tumbled onto the floor. A parent knows the difference when their child is crying because they are frightened by a fall, embarrassed by a fall, or really hurt from a fall. This was the really hurt cry. Actually, it was the dreaded REALLY hurt cry – the one most people don’t hear all that often. It is the one where your heart skips a beat, then races – as if to catch up for skipping that beat. Everything seems to be in slow motion for a split second while you immediately jump to their aid. We helped her up and tried to calm her down while we both frantically tried to assess the situation.

Are you OK? Where does it hurt? She pointed at the back of her head. I felt lightly and could feel a bump back there. Immediately a cast member was there checking to see if she was OK. I wish I could remember his name… we will call him David (because I think that may be his name.) He offered to call an EMT over, since they are stationed in the park. I agreed – I was worried she may have suffered a concussion. David used his radio and called for EMT response. While we were waiting for them, he went and got a plastic bag with ice in it. We held the ice on the swelling and she said that made it feel better.

Another CM showed up in a few minutes – apparently a manager of some type. He was very empathetic and chatted with us while we waited for the EMT. David talked with DS and kept him occupied and in good spirits. He also offered any food or drink we may want while we were waiting - a nice offer, but we politely declined. We knew it was absolutely no fault of Disney that DD got hurt. The kids were playing and had an accident. It could happen anywhere. We expressed our love of Disney and how this would not change that – it was just an accident. The EMT showed up and was informed of the incident. They spoke with DW and got our information. The other EMT checked out DD. There were no immediate signs of a concussion, but offered to take us to the local hospital for any tests or x-rays (at their expense.) We declined, because we felt confident in his initial diagnosis. He told us what to watch for (other signs of a concussion) and said we needed to keep her awake for another 4 hours and to keep a close eye on her for any other signs. Otherwise, she should be fine. He gave us an instant coldpak for her head. She was already feeling better by now.

In addition, DS was talking with David during all of this. Looking back, this was a great thing while we were busy attending to DD. (I wonder if they are trained to do that in a similar situation?) They talked about pin collecting. DS likes the Stitch, Star Wars, Tron, and other pins like that. He also had been trying to trade a Happy Birthday pin we got him for his Birthday trip last year. We said he couldn’t trade that one, but to pick another to trade for a Stitch pin he liked of David’s. Well, David ended up giving him the pin without trading for it. It was just something little, but DS thought that was so cool. Kudos to Disney for the way they handled everything. I was actually kind of embarrassed in a way – because it was my kids’ fault for playing around on the bench in the first place.

So now we have the nearly impossible task of keeping DD awake until 9pm – and she did not take a nap today. We decide to go get a few souvenirs from Mouse Gear and then walk around World Showcase. I figured we would watch Illuminations at 9pm and then go home. Within a few hours of touring the World Showcase, DD was getting really tired. We ended up having a counter service meal at Tangerine Café in Morocco. I had the shwarma combo platter (lamb and chicken.)

It was pretty good stuff, but not quite as good as the shwarmas I had in Saudi Arabia back when I was in the Air Force. Now those were some good food! But I digress.

By the time we finished dinner, DD just could not stay awake. She made it over 3 hours with no signs of a concussion and she was exhausted, so we let her sleep in her stroller. We left for the day and made it to the van when the fireworks started. I hope we would get a chance to watch Illuminations (for the first time) when we come back to Epcot in a few days.

Up next: The Wizarding World and Seussland – can Universal compare to Disney?

 

[BridgetR3]

Glad your daughter was o.k.

How nice of the CM to give your DS his Stitch pin!!

 

[chepic]

our 9 y.o son has had 2 concussios in the past few months due to planying around and there is nothing worse that that cry out in pain that they are having. Glda everything was fine.

Also, really enjoying your report.

Cheryl

 

[natebenma]

Yeah! You snagged your Le Cellier reservation! When (how many days out) did you get it? On-line persistence?

I made the Cheddar Cheese soup for the first time at home a week ago Friday. Enjoyed the leftovers all week.

So sorry to hear about your daughter's injury. Sound like the Disney response was excellent and very reassuring.

Aside from the EMT meet-n-greet, sounds like a wonderful day at EPCOT. Living with the Land is one of my favorites. I took my guys to see O Canada for the first time during our July trip- I had seen it solo a couple of years before that. The addition of Martin Short really enhances the movie.

 

[Rental01]

DS and I did the “Don’t Waste It” recycling edutainment (fun and educational!) and DW and DD met us in Innoventions.

The "What's your problem?" Hook and Loop (Velcro) "show" is a lot of fun. We really enjoyed it two years ago and I'm not entirely sure why we didn't go back this year.

The kids did the KidCot area in China and we looked around. Here is inside the dome in China, looking straight up (I forget the name of the building):

For a guy who knows photography, that's a great shot. For giggles, can I have a copy of the original? I'd like to play with it.

DW and DD decided to go try to see some of the princesses in their respective countries while DS and I did some Kim Possible missions. It turns out the girls were able to get a few princess meets:

Aladdin is one of my favorite princesses. Probably second only to Beast. Er, wait...

This is where it all happened....

Disney really rocks at this. There are few places that I've ever been where you are treated like this for something that was the fault of the company, much less where it's your own fault. I'm glad that your DD was alright.

Within a few hours of touring the World Showcase, DD was getting really tired. We ended up having a counter service meal at Tangerine Café in Morocco. I had the shwarma combo platter (lamb and chicken.)

Wait, there's a CS restaurant there? I thought it was only TS! DANG! My plans for this year's trip just changed! Woohoo!

I hope we would get a chance to watch Illuminations (for the first time) when we come back to Epcot in a few days.

I hope that you were able to see this. It's my favorite "end of the day" show of all. Last year, despite a horrible cold and spending all day at the hotel (all-star, ick) I still mustered the strength to go and see Illuminations on our last night at Disney. I love that show.

Up next: The Wizarding World and Seussland – can Universal compare to Disney?

Spoiler alert: nope! lol

Just kidding, I am looking forward to your review.