Hi Brook! Sorry I've been neglecting to post but I have been reading!! I love following along with you guys!
I didn't know there was singing and dancing either, we had the same thing you had when we were there in August. I thought it was sort of not so exciting... maybe you'll get the long show in March. I am always the clock beater, waking everyone else up, chopping along... one of these times I am going to surprise them and sleep in!
I was wondering what you are going to do with all of your photos? I've been making an album on Shutterfly, it's hard to pick which ones will make the cut.
Did Henry get his train ride? I'm glad he liked the monorail, did you use it much? I know it's a bit tricky from the Boardwalk area. We asked if we could ride in the front but they said they don't do that anymore. Seems like there was something that happened but I can't remember now.
That would be so funny to surprise them with sleeping in! I love it! We now get woken up pretty early from the little man - he used to sleep until 8 am or later! so we have no excuse to miss the show, except that we are so slow in the morning!
I always mean to make a photobook on Shutterfly but NEVER do! I just forget about it. I did one once when we went to Israel and I just love the book, it so wonderful to look back on and see some of the highlights. It was very difficult to choose what to pick though, I remember that!
We did eventually get to ride the monorail - on our last day! We kept meaning to do it, but we just didn't. Henry was THRILLED with his ride, as you'll eventually see!
And we told him, after we booked BLT for March, that we'd get to ride the monorail a lot this coming trip! He talks about it a ton!
A couple years ago there was the accident of the 2 monorails, one backed into another - I can't remember exactly how it happened, but a mechanism failed on the one backing up and it didn't sense the other monorail there. I think the one monorail was empty (except the driver) and the other one only had 1 family or something on it (and they were okay). Unfortunately, the driver of the one that was backed into died - he was a young guy too, only in his 20s.
I wish we would have taken the time to ride in the front on a previous trip since they don't allow it anymore...which I completely understand why!
Glad you made it, but sorry it wasn't what you expected. At least you're in the park super early, and perhaps you'll be able to get in a few things you wouldn't normally?? Trying to see the bright side of getting up early.....
I've never seen the opening show either, so I'm not sure I'd be willing to go for the "lite" version.... we like to sleep in, too.
Not to dwell on the whole clown thing, but in the movie it involved the clown being on a chair in the boy's bedroom while he was trying to sleep. The camera pans to the little boy (@ 10) sleeping, then pans back to the empty chair. I won't go into any other details for the faint of heart, but man, oh man.......
LOL you would think I'd be over it by now, but some of the things you remember from childhood just kinda stick with you.
Thankfully we didn't really have to get up all that much earlier. Henry wakes up early now, but we did miss out on our sloooooow morning that we usually relish in during vacation! But, really, it's okay. There wasn't really a crowd to beat this trip since it was so quiet in the parks, but it was good practice for March!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! That sounds AWFUL about the clown thing! Ick. I just shivered. Yuck! I can totally understand it!
Holy cannoli's, you made it for rope drop!! Can I ask what ultimatum you gave Joe?
See, I've officially trained my poor family that we are always at the park before opening (usually with a breakfast ADR) so they don't even complain now! Gotta train them early Brook!
I'm with you on the MK rope drop show though. What a bummer! I do love that Henry was excited about the train rolling in and seeing Pluto though.
Such a cutie pie! Ditto on the monorail too, my kids think it's one of the attractions! So we always ride it and it never gets old. It smells kind of old though.
I think you're thinking of rope drop all wrong. Hold on, let me put my protective armor on before the onslaught begins....ok, here's my thinking on rope drop. My reason is simply to get there BEFORE the multitudes do. Plain, simple and purely technical. It has nothing to do with a pre-show, it's all about being inside the park with nearly empty streets which make for fabulous pics! There I said it, I'm not ashamed!
Can't wait to read the next update! MK is probably my favorite park with AK a close second.
I simply told Joe that I was gonna go, with or without him. It was enough. He doesn't like being left in the dust!
I'm actually NOT a fan of getting up early and rushing. I'm don't like setting an alarm, I like watching cartoons with Henry while I sip my coffee and lazily getting into the shower and rolling out of the room whenever we feel like it.
However, I DO also like to see things I've never seen before - like the opening show! And since I've seen it to be true, beat the crowds. This trip, that was pointless, there were no crowds, but we did it - and we'll do it again in March at least once!
I'm fine with what you said on the RD show. I wanted to see the show because it's something we've never done - we've done the empty Main Street shots before - and I LOVED them! Being there that early, BEFORE opening, was awesome! But, man, it was not easy for us - that time we did have to wake up early AND skip our lazy morning.
It was worth it, but not every time!! I do want to see the show though, just because it's something I never have. After a time or two of seeing that, when we do RD it will be to beat the crowds to Dumbo and the racetrack as long as Henry is interested in those. Then it will be straight to Space Mountain!
I think quite a few people actually feel the way you do! No worries!
Glad you made it for rope drop, but sorry the show wasn't as expected! I'm sure that was a big disappointment after all the effort to get there.
Don't you just love the fall decorations at MK?? I don't know if it's because they remind me of our fall 2007 trip, but I just love those decorations!
It wasn't too much of an effort that morning, thankfully. Henry wakes up between 7:00 and 7:30 now usually, and we had showered the night before after swimming, so it all worked out well. Missing our slow morning was a bit of a bummer, but it was a new experience, which is always good!
YES! I LOVE the fall decorations! They are soooooo pretty! I think I like them even better than the Christmas ones!
Sorry you didnt get the full show...we love to get to the MK early for the opening and the WONDERFUL no wait times!! Hopefully you got lots done since you were there early! It will be so much easier for you in March when you are at BLT
We just strolled over and it was so quick and easy. There were never too many people on the walkway when we would go back and forth. I dont understand why more people from the CR and BLT dont take advantage of this little gem of a perk!
I mentioned this a couple times above, but there really wasn't a crowd to beat the entire trip...so getting there early didn't really have a point.
However, it was good practice for March!! We do plan to get there early then too, at least once, from BLT. There will be more crowds, so it will be great I'm sure! I'm really looking forward to that little walk, I can see us doing RD (or close to), doing rides until Noon or so, then back to BLT for relaxing and enjoying the resort! Sounds like a lovely, lovely day to me!
I have never seen the opening show either. We always try to do a BBB or Crystal Palace prior to park opening. I get kind of sad when I hear all the fun stuff going on, but it is pretty comical doing the Dumbo dash ahead of the masses. Maybe I will make one on our March trip, but already on our two MK days, we have a BBB on one and Crystal Palace on the other day
I really liked doing Crystal Palace before park opening. We didn't get out of there until about 20 minutes after the park opened, but it was so nice seeing Main Street empty (even if we were rushing because we were late!). It's tempting to try to add another ADR for a CP morning in March!
Ok, I only have a sec, kids are ready to go to bed and here I am DISing...
but my kids (specificially Liam and Aileen) LOVED Henry's birthday song. They heard Youtube start up and walked over to watch. Aileen shook her hands and screeched and Liam thought having people sing and getting a balloon was "cool". I think he was even more jealous of the Buzz jammies. "Who's that boy in the Buzz jammies, Mommy??"
I can't believe you got gypped on rope drop. that's just plain not nice!
Awwwwwwww! So cute! I'm glad they liked it!!!! Henry loves those Buzz jammies too. It's getting too cool to wear them now, and I'm pretty sure they won't fit next year still.
How big is Liam??? I cannot recall how old he is off hand, I want to say he's the same age as Henry, so he will be too big for them soon too though....the jammies are a 3T I believe.
I can;t believe you got there EARLY and no big show!! Henry looked very cute waiting.
It just figures, doesn't it?!?!?
Woo hoo for making it to rope drop but man you got gipped! What is the deal with not getting the whole show!? That is just not cool! You have to try again in March! The dancing and singing makes it that much better!
We will be trying it again in March! It will be great to just stroll over there!!!