Let's turn around. Magic Kingdom is open till 1AM! 3/23 Some Final Thoughts

[afwdwfan]

Except when you're "waiting for traffic clearance"

Yeah, that is the one miniscule downside of riding the monorail.

I don't think I could think of a better place to make a last stand against the zombie apocalypse than inside Aloha Isle.

Well, I might be able to come up a with a few, but that topic could be a thread on it's own.

Thats awesome that you were able to log some solo time in the MK. I used to take a lot of solo trips back when we lived in Florida (pre-DS). I really enjoyed solo trips, and I kinda miss the freedom sometimes. Maybe on our Feb trip, I'll steal your idea and sneak back out for some extra magic!

It was great to spend some time there. I would love to have a chance to just stop by the parks after work or soemthing like if I lived nearby. I interviewed for a job about a year ago that likely would have involved traveling to FL once or twice each year for a couple of weeks at a time to adjust crop insurance claims for orange farmers. One of the first things I did was try to figure if it would make more sense to buy 10 day non-exp tickets or an AP.

I hope you do get an opportunity to sneak away for some me time next month.

We watched it from the right side of Main St. across from Casey's facing the castle. We saw the second MM&Y from the Candy store at the beginning of Main St.

Wow. So, along Main Street, kind of in front of the Plaza? Or in other words, probably right across the street from me.

Duck's do, In-laws do not

Your in-laws drive slow too. I started laughing when I heard you talking about your 17 to 19 hour drive on the podcast.

 

[theduck619]

Wow. So, along Main Street, kind of in front of the Plaza? Or in other words, probably right across the street from me.


Your in-laws drive slow too. I started laughing when I heard you talking about your 17 to 19 hour drive on the podcast.

Yes, probably right behind you.

Andy,you have no idea how slow. Not to hijack your thread, but it was painful man. We had to stop constantly as well

 

[afwdwfan]

Toy Story Mania Mania

We woke up well rested and ready for a big day touring the parks. The plan today was to be at Hollywood Studios for rope drop so that we could ride Toy Story Mania. I didn’t implement the strategy for leaving the hotel room that I’d used the day before. This came back to bite me.

I couldn’t convince someone that we really needed to be out of the room by just after 8 so that we could be in the park before Rope Drop. The last time we went was 2008, shortly after TSM opened. It was a popular ride, but we were on an adults only trip. We hit up Sunset Blvd first and then headed over to grab TSM FP’s for later in the day. We completely missed all of the mad rush during that trip and she thought I was over-reacting.

We drove to DHS and we got through security right at 9:00. We were at the turnstiles just in time to see the masses already inside the park making their way around the corner near the hat. The plan was for DW to take DS and park the stroller while I grabbed FP’s, but by the time we got to Pixar Place, the FP line was back to the arches and the Standby time was 30 minutes. We were planning a long mid-day break, so FP’s were going to be out of the question at this point, and we took our place in the standby line.

DS really loved this ride. I’d have to say that this was his favorite ride in any of the parks. He laughed and giggled as the car would spin and whip us around from scene to scene. He sat on my lap and helped pull the string as I aimed the gun. We even managed to work together and get a higher score than mommy.

After we left my toy box and returned to our normal size, I took our tickets over to Sunset Blvd to grab an FP for Tower of Terror and Rock n Rollercoaster. I headed back over to rejoin DW and DS in line for Disney Junior on Stage. DS absolutely loved this show… but he absolutely loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so he was completely awestruck watching it.

As always, Toodles came in to save the day and with the help of some other Disney Junior friends, Minnie’s Birthday party was a huge success.

If you’re not familiar with this show, the audience sits on the floor. We had to take a couple of minutes to get the feeling back in our legs before we left the theater. I got DS strapped back into his stroller and I headed over to Star Tours to grab a couple of FPs. DW was going to take DS to watch the show that was playing on the stage in front of the hat and then meet me on Sunset after I rode ToT and RnR.

I got on ToT first and just as I was fastening my seatbelt in the elevator, I felt my phone vibrate. Hmm… well, there’s nothing I can do about whatever it is right now.

It was a great ride on ToT, probably the best I’ve ever had. I was entertained by a woman in the front row who screamed profanities every time the ride dropped and then profusely apologized to everyone afterwards. I thought the ride was over twice and it shot us back up for more. We actually sat in front of the screen at the bottom long enough for people to start talking before it shot us back up one time.

I checked my phone as I left the hotel and saw that I missed several phone calls from DW. I called her up and asked where she was. They were in front of RnR, and somebody wasn’t happy.

I quickly found them and once we assessed the situation, it was determined that we needed to head back to the hotel for nap time. We strapped DS back into the stroller and he began screaming and trying to wiggle out of it. I pushed the stroller straight to the exit as fast as I could and he was kicking and screaming the whole way. We got a few sympathetic looks and some dirty looks. I really didn’t care, I just wanted them to get out of my way.

We were back at the room with about 2 hours to nap before our 1:20 ADR at Whispering Canyon. We tried to get DS settled down for a nap, but he was having none of it. We debated calling to cancel the ADR, but we needed to eat and he was bound and determined to fight sleep anyway, so we decided to suck it up and head downstairs to eat a table service meal with a toddler on the verge of another meltdown...

 

[afwdwfan]

Bring on the Corn!!!

We checked in at Whispering Canyon and were seated promptly at 1:20. Our server arrived at our table and we explained to her that DS was a bit temperamental today so we wanted to go ahead and order. DW and I each ordered a milkshake and the skillet. Our waitress was absolutely fantastic. She brought our drinks and even brought DS his own milkshake in a child’s cup.

I can’t remember our waitress’s name right now… I’m not very good with names and I’m writing this update at work, but I do still have the receipt at home.

It wasn’t long before our food arrived. With the mood DS was in, we didn’t want to put him in a high chair, because we knew it would be a full blown, all out screaming meltdown, so DW and I took turns holding him on our laps as we ate and fed him. He had a Mickey plate that our waitress brought out for him to use and we gave him plenty of food to choose from. As it turned out, he was only interested in one thing… corn.

We were trying to eat and keep him distracted. Our waitress even came and sat down at the table with us and started talking to him and trying to get him to try some other food. She was wonderful with him. When it became apparent that corn was all he was going to eat, she made sure to get more so that he’d have plenty.

At the table next to us, a girl who was probably around 9 or 10 years old was playing with a Nintendo DS and not eating. The waitress went over and took it and started playing it at one point. A little bit later the same girl got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back, the waitress was sitting in her seat, and a cookie that she had brought with her and left on the table had mysteriously disappeared. The waitress was just fantastic and she was great about spending time talking and getting to know the people in her section. We didn’t really participate in any of the loud shenanigans that WCC is known for, but she really was great about getting to know the people she was serving and making it a great experience.

DW and DS had finished eating and quickly headed back to the room. We’d been in WCC long enough without any screaming and we were afraid to push it too far. I still had about half of my second milkshake left and a few ribs to finish. They were too good to waste.

When I got to the room, maybe 15 minutes after DW and DS, he was still awake and unwilling to try to sleep. I strapped him into the stroller and we went for a nice long walk while DW laid down for a nap.

We walked all over the 4th floor. We walked inside the building and outside pacing the balcony. We walked down every hallway, some of them more than once. We did a few laps around the balcony above the lobby. Finally, at around 3:30, DS was napping peacefully.

So much for our plans to be over at the MK early for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party…

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I couldn’t convince someone that we really needed to be out of the room by just after 8 so that we could be in the park before Rope Drop.

I'm so lucky to have a DW that knows the ins and out of Disney as much as I do.

The plan was for DW to take DS and park the stroller while I grabbed FP’s, but by the time we got to Pixar Place, the FP line was back to the arches and the Standby time was 30 minutes.

You're lucky! We've been 5 minutes late before and the FP line was past One Man's Dream! All in all, 30 minutes isn't too bad for TSM.

DS really loved this ride. I’d have to say that this was his favorite ride in any of the parks. He laughed and giggled as the car would spin and whip us around from scene to scene. He sat on my lap and helped pull the string as I aimed the gun. We even managed to work together and get a higher score than mommy.

Family time and memories are great, but ultimately all that matters in the long run is beating mommy at Toy Story Mania.

DS absolutely loved this show… but he absolutely loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so he was completely awestruck watching it.

He's a big fan of Jake and the Neverland Pirates, isn't he? How did he like that part?

I was entertained by a woman in the front row who screamed profanities every time the ride dropped and then profusely apologized to everyone afterwards.

I thought the ride was over twice and it shot us back up for more. We actually sat in front of the screen at the bottom long enough for people to start talking before it shot us back up one time.

Since I'm sure you won't hear it from Mark: "That's an awesome ride! Glad you had so much fun on it!"

DW and I each ordered a milkshake and the skillet.

Excellent choices. What kind of milkshake. Did you order off the "secret" menu?

She brought our drinks and even brought DS his own milkshake in a child’s cup.

Nothing calms a temperamental child like a milkshake. (Or reinforces that behavior)

As it turned out, he was only interested in one thing… corn.

How stereotypical. The Indiana kid eating corn. It's like kids from Wisconsin loving chee... oh.

We were trying to eat and keep him distracted. Our waitress even came and sat down at the table with us and started talking to him and trying to get him to try some other food. She was wonderful with him. When it became apparent that corn was all he was going to eat, she made sure to get more so that he’d have plenty.

I love the service and interaction there!

We walked all over the 4th floor. We walked inside the building and outside pacing the balcony. We walked down every hallway, some of them more than once. We did a few laps around the balcony above the lobby. Finally, at around 3:30, DS was napping peacefully.

My DS has always been an early riser. I remember long morning walks around Saratoga Springs with him while everyone else slept.

 

[amandaw]

That's so cute that DS kept giggling with the spinning car on TSM. It's those little things that can just mean so much.

The new Disney Junior Live show really is great for the little ones!

I think we've all been there (well, all of us with kids at least)....the screaming kid in the stroller. I can't stand those people that give ugly looks. Like that parents aren't having a hard enough time!

Your waitress at WCC sounds superb! How sweet of her to try & do what she could to help with DS. And then to bring out more corn. Excellent service!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We completely missed all of the mad rush during that trip and she thought I was over-reacting.

Proof that sometimes Daddy really does know best.

The plan was for DW to take DS and park the stroller while I grabbed FP’s, but by the time we got to Pixar Place, the FP line was back to the arches and the Standby time was 30 minutes.

30 minutes is not terrible, so you did well.

He sat on my lap and helped pull the string as I aimed the gun. We even managed to work together and get a higher score than mommy.

And that's all that matters.

As always, Toodles came in to save the day and with the help of some other Disney Junior friends, Minnie’s Birthday party was a huge success.

My daughter decided she was too old for this show and we left to go on the Great Movie Ride instead. We chose...poorly.

It was a great ride on ToT, probably the best I’ve ever had.

That's an awesome ride! Glad you had so much fun on it!

I said that for 2 reasons:
1) To spite Barry

and

2) What was 2 again?

Oh yeah, I really do think it's an awesome ride, right up to the part where it starts to drop. The effects are amazing.

I was entertained by a woman in the front row who screamed profanities every time the ride dropped and then profusely apologized to everyone afterwards.

Pretty sure this is what Walt had in mind for his family park.

I pushed the stroller straight to the exit as fast as I could and he was kicking and screaming the whole way. We got a few sympathetic looks and some dirty looks. I really didn’t care, I just wanted them to get out of my way.

I love the dirty looks. Show me a parent who says their kid never acts like that, and I'll show you a liar.

Our waitress was absolutely fantastic. She brought our drinks and even brought DS his own milkshake in a child’s cup.

Good CM's make all the difference.

As it turned out, he was only interested in one thing… corn.

Farm kids.

At the table next to us, a girl who was probably around 9 or 10 years old was playing with a Nintendo DS and not eating. The waitress went over and took it and started playing it at one point. A little bit later the same girl got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back, the waitress was sitting in her seat, and a cookie that she had brought with her and left on the table had mysteriously disappeared.

There's some shenanigans for you.

We didn’t really participate in any of the loud shenanigans that WCC is known for, but she really was great about getting to know the people she was serving and making it a great experience.

I'm guessing she took it easy on you because you told her how close your son was to a meltdown. They're good at "reading" people there.

I still had about half of my second milkshake left and a few ribs to finish. They were too good to waste.

Thanks for abiding by the Law of Conservation of Milkshakes and Meat.

We walked all over the 4th floor. We walked inside the building and outside pacing the balcony. We walked down every hallway, some of them more than once. We did a few laps around the balcony above the lobby. Finally, at around 3:30, DS was napping peacefully.

...after I finally gave up and forced him to gulp down some whiskey.

 

[petals]

Sorry your DS was being moody. They all seem to fight sleep at that age afraid of missing something. Hope he got well rested for MVMCP!

 

[Moodyzblu]

Sounds like you still managed to have an "ok" time even though DS wasn't in such a great mood !
We love TSM .. I hope my guys will still want to do Playhouse Disney even though they are outgrowing it.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I couldn’t convince someone that we really needed to be out of the room by just after 8 so that we could be in the park before Rope Drop.

… she thought I was over-reacting.

I foresee a hard lesson in the process of getting learned.

We were planning a long mid-day break, so FP’s were going to be out of the question at this point, and we took our place in the standby line.

30 Min is not as bad as it could be.
I foolishly waited longer.

He laughed and giggled as the car would spin and whip us around from scene to scene.

We have a winner.

Great Picture

After we left my toy box…

It’s best that you beat us all to that particular joke.

As always, Toodles came in to save the day and with the help of some other Disney Junior friends, Minnie’s Birthday party was a huge success.

Yay!!!!

I got on ToT first and just as I was fastening my seatbelt in the elevator, I felt my phone vibrate. Hmm… well, there’s nothing I can do about whatever it is right now.

Ominous

I was entertained by a woman in the front row who screamed profanities every time the ride dropped and then profusely apologized to everyone afterwards.

I checked my phone as I left the hotel and saw that I missed several phone calls from DW.

Very Ominous

They were in front of RnR, and somebody wasn’t happy.

I’m guessing it wasn’t the woman in the front row on the ToT

I quickly found them and once we assessed the situation, it was determined that we needed to head back to the hotel for nap time.

The nap-time cry has it’s own special sound. It’s distinctly different from the hungry cry, the mad cry, the board cry and certainly from the ill cry.

We got a few sympathetic looks and some dirty looks. I really didn’t care, I just wanted them to get out of my way.

The folks with the dirty looks just don’t know better.

We were back at the room with about 2 hours to nap before our 1:20 ADR at Whispering Canyon. We tried to get DS settled down for a nap, but he was having none of it. We debated calling to cancel the ADR, but we needed to eat and he was bound and determined to fight sleep anyway, so we decided to suck it up and head downstairs to eat a table service meal with a toddler on the verge of another meltdown...

Risky… but sometime you just gotta do what you gotta do.

As it turned out, he was only interested in one thing… corn.

That ear didn’t fall too far from the stalk.
But if he’s happy… so much the better.

Our waitress even came and sat down at the table with us and started talking to him and trying to get him to try some other food.

Extra mile! Tip earned.

DW and DS had finished eating and quickly headed back to the room. We’d been in WCC long enough without any screaming and we were afraid to push it too far. I still had about half of my second milkshake left and a few ribs to finish. They were too good to waste.

Goes with out sayin’

When I got to the room, maybe 15 minutes after DW and DS, he was still awake and unwilling to try to sleep. I strapped him into the stroller and we went for a nice long walk while DW laid down for a nap.

‘Cause… that’s what you do.

Finally, at around 3:30, DS was napping peacefully.

So much for our plans to be over at the MK early for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party…

Win some, loose some…

So what did the backup plan end up being?
Staying tuned for the next update..

 

[twokids0204]

Very cute pic...

Is it REALLY your room?

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm so lucky to have a DW that knows the ins and out of Disney as much as I do.

And she appreciateds it as much as you do... that has got to be a big help too.

You're lucky! We've been 5 minutes late before and the FP line was past One Man's Dream! All in all, 30 minutes isn't too bad for TSM.

Yeah, it wasn't too bad, considering. We were really hoping to FP and ride standby though, so we could get 2 rides in.

Family time and memories are great, but ultimately all that matters in the long run is beating mommy at Toy Story Mania.

He's a big fan of Jake and the Neverland Pirates, isn't he? How did he like that part?

Actually Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is his favorite, but he loves Jake and Little Einsteins too. He really just took it all in... and jumped around and danced with the music, of course.

Since I'm sure you won't hear it from Mark: "That's an awesome ride! Glad you had so much fun on it!"

Excellent choices. What kind of milkshake. Did you order off the "secret" menu?

No, I thought about it, but personally, I enjoy just a good, standard chocolate milkshake.

Nothing calms a temperamental child like a milkshake. (Or reinforces that behavior)

The sugar rush was a concern, but he wasn't napping anyway, so what harm could it do?

How stereotypical. The Indiana kid eating corn. It's like kids from Wisconsin loving chee... oh.

Yeah, go figure.

I love the service and interaction there!]

I have to say that accounting for the food, service, and value of what we got for the cost, this is probably the best overall meal experience I've ever had on Disney World property. We'll definitely go back.

My DS has always been an early riser. I remember long morning walks around Saratoga Springs with him while everyone else slept.

I don't envy you.

 

[afwdwfan]

That's so cute that DS kept giggling with the spinning car on TSM. It's those little things that can just mean so much.

It was great. We decided then and there that we were going to have to find a way to ride again.

The new Disney Junior Live show really is great for the little ones!

It really is a good show. One of the few that would actually keep his attention long enough to sit through it.

I think we've all been there (well, all of us with kids at least)....the screaming kid in the stroller. I can't stand those people that give ugly looks. Like that parents aren't having a hard enough time!

Yeah, it happens. The fun we had definitely outweighed the hard times we experienced... although they were brutal to go through at the time.

Your waitress at WCC sounds superb! How sweet of her to try & do what she could to help with DS. And then to bring out more corn. Excellent service!

Yes, it was just a great all around experience there. This might be an "evey trip" restaurant for us now.

Proof that sometimes Daddy really does know best.

Would you mind telling DW?

30 minutes is not terrible, so you did well.

Yeah, I've waited longer there.

And that's all that matters.

It's all about the "W"

My daughter decided she was too old for this show and we left to go on the Great Movie Ride instead. We chose...poorly.

I appreciate TGMR, but it needs some updates. We didn't ride it this time... I think that's the first time I've ever skipped it.

Disney Junior really isn't a bad show to watch. Definitely geared to the kids, but there are worse things to sit through.

That's an awesome ride! Glad you had so much fun on it!

I said that for 2 reasons:
1) To spite Barry

and

2) What was 2 again?

Oh yeah, I really do think it's an awesome ride, right up to the part where it starts to drop. The effects are amazing.

It is a fantastic ride... especially the drop.

Pretty sure this is what Walt had in mind for his family park.

It's the little things that make it fun.

I love the dirty looks. Show me a parent who says their kid never acts like that, and I'll show you a liar.

It didn't really bother me much. It was actually kind of like I had a horn... or a siren. People could hear us coming and choose to get out of the way or get run over.

Good CM's make all the difference.

Farm kids.

Your point???

There's some shenanigans for you.

Yes... she really was great.

I'm guessing she took it easy on you because you told her how close your son was to a meltdown. They're good at "reading" people there.

Yes. I wouldn't ordinarily think this is a "good" thing to have happen at a restaurant, but she sat down and just chatted with us for a while. She is about our age and has a kid about DS' age, so it was very nice to sit and talk with her for a while.

Thanks for abiding by the Law of Conservation of Milkshakes and Meat.

I don't think it is a MANLAW, but it probably should be.

...after I finally gave up and forced him to gulp down some whiskey.

I didn't have any whiskey with me on this trip.






I had a bottle of rum.

 

[afwdwfan]

Sorry your DS was being moody. They all seem to fight sleep at that age afraid of missing something. Hope he got well rested for MVMCP!

It's all part of the toddler experience. Just have to take the good with the bad.

Sounds like you still managed to have an "ok" time even though DS wasn't in such a great mood !
We love TSM .. I hope my guys will still want to do Playhouse Disney even though they are outgrowing it.

It was still a good morning. The highlights tend to outweigh the bad. Otherwise, I don't think we'd have ever even attempted this trip.

I foresee a hard lesson in the process of getting learned.

Will it be learned though?

30 Min is not as bad as it could be.
I foolishly waited longer.

As have I.

We have a winner.

Yes, easily his favorite ride of all the parks.

Great Picture

Thanks

It’s best that you beat us all to that particular joke.

It's been a joke in my family since the origninal movie came out.

Ominous




Very Ominous

I’m guessing it wasn’t the woman in the front row on the ToT

No, she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

The nap-time cry has it’s own special sound. It’s distinctly different from the hungry cry, the mad cry, the board cry and certainly from the ill cry.

The folks with the dirty looks just don’t know better.

If they only knew that I was only making him cry just to make their day a little bit less enjoyable.

Risky… but sometime you just gotta do what you gotta do.

The food wasn't going to eat itself.

That ear didn’t fall too far from the stalk.
But if he’s happy… so much the better.

The kid is the pickiest eater I know... and it is never the same food that he wants. If we went back the next day, he'd probably eat mashed potatoes and not touch the corn. Makes meal time an adventure.

Extra mile! Tip earned.

Definitely.

Win some, loose some…

So what did the backup plan end up being?
Staying tuned for the next update..

Well, I had to find some way to occupy myself while they napped.

Very cute pic...

Thanks

Is it REALLY your room?

Yes, yes it is.

 

[afwdwfan]

Waste a Fast Pass??? Never!!!

Now that DS was asleep, we headed back to the room. I got inside and decided it best not to tempt fate, so I just reclined his seat and left him in the stroller. DW woke up when we came in and I told her about our travels as I tried to get DS to sleep. I asked DW what she wanted to do now that DS was asleep. She said she wanted to go back to sleep and nap for a while before we left for MVMCP.

Since I was sure DS would sleep for a couple of hours and she likely would as well, I asked permission to take my pocket full of Fast Passes for a quick trip over to the Studios. Permission was granted and off I went. I arrived at DHS at around 4 pm. First up, I had 2 FP’s for Star Tours. I hopped on and rode it twice, but frankly there was no need for the FP’s. It was a walk on anyway. I absolutely loved the changes to it. I never get motion sickness on a roller coaster or anything like that, but motion simulators tend to leave me feeling a bit uneasy. After riding twice in a row, I felt great and even considered a third ride, if I hadn’t been in a hurry.

I quickly crossed the park and walked under this archway towards my most favoritest ride on Walt Disney World property.

Unfortunately, our studio tour was cut short, but I really appreciated the limo ride to the show.

I made my way to the exit and headed back to Wilderness Lodge. It was about 5 pm and just as I parked at WL, DW called to ask when I’d be back. She had just woken up and DS was still sleeping soundly.

DW and I got ourselves ready for MVMCP and finally decided to wake DS up to change his clothes and head to MK. Our original plan was to be at MK by about 4:30 or 5, grab a bite to eat and be ready for the festivities to get under way at 7. Instead we were just walking in the gates at around 6:30.

Note: This picture is a representative image taken later in the week. We were not there early enough to get any daylight pictures.

The first order of business: food. We headed to Cosmic Rays and just got our food as the party began at 7. DS was in a much better mood. I was disappointed that we weren’t going to be able to take full advantage of the party, but as long as he was in a good mood, it would be ok.

DW, on the other hand, returned from the toppings bar less than happy. Some guy was being rude and asked to cut in line in front of her if she wasn’t going to move. Not that she could move, because she was waiting in line behind someone in front of her. He finally came up and butted in between the 2 of them, reached around the other person for something and walked away. Have a magical day!

We had decided that we didn’t want to see the first parade, so we just took our time walking around. We thought the red and green lights on the trees and this image projected on Cosmic Rays looked cool

The Speedway had virtually no line, so we checked DS’s height… just barely tall enough. DW wanted to take him on his first ride and thought she might be ok to ride, despite the “expectant mother” warning. After she saw a car come into the station at its full speed of approximately 2 mph and ram into about 4 cars in front of it, she changed her mind and took the chicken exit.

I was brave about it and let DS take the wheel (insert crappy phone picture in a moving car slamming into a center rail).

We decided not to tempt fate, and tried to find things that DS might enjoy. We watched some characters… from a distance and then headed over to IASW. After that, we took a bit of a calculated risk. DW wanted to ride Haunted Mansion. We decided that we’d ride and DS could play with a drawing game on my phone that he enjoys. That would give him a little bit of a glow (hopefully not so much to distract other people) and give him something to keep him distracted. It worked quite well.

We took the line to the left through the graveyard and… well… nothing. I don’t know if they had all of the effects turned off, but nothing was happening. We tried to play with some of the new interactive things in the queue and we weren’t getting any results.

After we left the mansion, it was approaching time for Magic, Memories and You and then Holiday Wishes, so we headed up to the walkway by Crystal Palace and I found a clear spot to lean on a rail, with an unobstructed view while DW grabbed some hot chocolate, cookies and apple slices.

We didn’t take any fireworks pictures. DW asked me if we should, I told her to just put the camera away and enjoy the show. It would have been nice to have pictures, but it was a great show and I’m glad we just enjoyed it. DW said the Holiday Wishes show alone made the price of admission worthwhile.

The fireworks ended and we decided that we'd like to see the parade along Main Street. The crowd was already camped out on Main Street, so we decided we’d try to come back and find a spot near the back to stand and watch. Instead of wasting time sitting around, we headed to the Caribbean. We rode Pirates and then came out to enjoy the Pirate band performing Christmas songs with a pirate twist. DS loved them and just danced along.

We headed over for a spin around Agrabah’s version of Dumbo, and then put DS back in the stroller to head to Main Street and find a spot to watch the parade. By the time we got there, DS was sound asleep. Oh, so now you want to nap... We decided to park the stroller underneath the awning at the Plaza ice cream shop and took our spots at the back of the crowd to wait for the parade. The parade started and we could see fine from our vantage point, but DW wanted to get closer to get pictures.

She stepped out to the side and had one foot across the tape line and got yelled at by the parade Nazi CM. Now this guy was very protective of his line. If you so much as touched his tape, he was all over it... and his tact in dealing with people must have worn out by the time the first parade ended.

To the parade Nazi: Yes, you who wear the Santa hat, but lack the Christmas spirit. I understand you have a job to keep the sidewalk open, and I respect that. Please, just realize that if nobody is trying to get through, it is ok for someone to step out to take a quick picture and then step back, especially when you’ve seen them standing behind the line watching the parade the rest of the time. You’ve been standing right there and you know that is where she’s been. She just wanted a freakin’ picture of a float with the snow falling on it on Main Street. If you feel the need to ask someone to step back, please ask and if you want to tell them to get back, I suggest you do so in a more respectful manner. Next time you want to yell at a hormonal pregnant woman, you’re going to get to deal with the consequences. I’m not covering for you again. Got it? Good.

After I calmed DW down, we got back to watching the parade and grabbed another parade picture before we walked through Tomorrowland Terrace to catch the end of the Tomorrowland stage show.

We then headed back to Main Street and caught the show in front of the castle. We looked through the Emporium, hoping to find some MVMCP souvenirs to purchase… needless to say we were disappointed by the options and left without spending any money.

We headed out the entrance and boarded a boat back to Wilderness Lodge. This boat was packed, standing room only, and there were a lot of strollers with sleeping kids. DW found an empty seat, and I pushed the stroller to the back of the boat with the rest of the parents with kids in strollers. I moved as far back as I possibly could in the aisle and had DS’ stroller parked tightly next to another one. I was standing in front of the strollers and right in the doorway between the inside part and the open area in the back, holding onto the doorway for balance. There was an empty seat in the second to last row in the outside area of the boat and a “gentleman” probably in his mid-30’s worked his way through the standing crowd inside the boat until he reached the back door… and me. He started complaining about all these *edited* strollers and said he was going to go sit in that empty seat back there. I asked him how he planned to get there and he told me he was going to climb over those *edited* strollers. He proceeded to point to DS. I may or may not have implied that he was going to swim the rest of the way to WL if he tried to step over my kid. He turned around and didn’t say another word to me, but I heard him whining to someone about all these kids and strollers when we were walking up the dock to the hotel.

If kids are that much an issue for you, I suggest you find someplace else to spend your vacation dollars in the future…

Despite some of the disappointments of the evening, we truly did have a good time. I don’t feel like we got our full value out of the MVMCP ticket, but that was due partly to the fact that we didn’t get started when we wanted to and didn’t really get to take full advantage of everything. I’d like to try it again sometime, and hopefully be able to get off to an earlier start. I was somewhat disappointed though, that despite paying for an after-hours party, this was by far the most crowded evening of the 3 we spent in the MK.

Oh, well, this difficult day is behind us. It is time to rest up so that we can head to Walt’s vision of the future in the morning.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Ya'll just seemed to have a night full of RUDE ppl. So sorry for all that!

At least y'all got to enjoy the special fireworks/parades and a few rides with DS in a good mood.

 

[petals]

it must have been the time of year for rude people in disney we had a few as well I will tell about as the tr goes on.

 

[amandaw]

I am sooo jealous of your alone time in DHS! But, good for you! Rock n Roller Coaster is my favorite ride at Disney, too.

That's great that DS was in a much better mood when he woke up. That's always helpful when trying to have some fun.

Sounds like y'all had a really great night, with the exception of those people who were lacking the Christmas spirit.

The fireworks at MVMCP are really great! I don't know that we'll do another party until Reid is a little bit older & can actually stay up for them. But, they are quite fun!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Your point???

I was supposed to have a point?

DW woke up when we came in and I told her about our travels as I tried to get DS to sleep. I asked DW what she wanted to do now that DS was asleep. She said she wanted to go back to sleep and nap for a while before we left for MVMCP.

She woke up and decided she wanted another nap?

I was sure DS would sleep for a couple of hours and she likely would as well, I asked permission to take my pocket full of Fast Passes for a quick trip over to the Studios. Permission was granted and off I went.

OKTHANKSBYE!

First up, I had 2 FP’s for Star Tours. I hopped on and rode it twice, but frankly there was no need for the FP’s. It was a walk on anyway. I absolutely loved the changes to it. I never get motion sickness on a roller coaster or anything like that, but motion simulators tend to leave me feeling a bit uneasy. After riding twice in a row, I felt great and even considered a third ride, if I hadn’t been in a hurry.

I can't wait to try that one out! Glad you got back to DHS to do the rest of the "big" rides.

Some guy was being rude and asked to cut in line in front of her if she wasn’t going to move. Not that she could move, because she was waiting in line behind someone in front of her. He finally came up and butted in between the 2 of them, reached around the other person for something and walked away. Have a magical day!

I'm guessing those aren't thumbs.

The Speedway had virtually no line, so we checked DS’s height… just barely tall enough. DW wanted to take him on his first ride and thought she might be ok to ride, despite the “expectant mother” warning. After she saw a car come into the station at its full speed of approximately 2 mph and ram into about 4 cars in front of it, she changed her mind and took the chicken exit.

I was all set to make a crack about being hesitant to go on a ride that barely moves...but then you mentioned ramming 4 cars, and I thought, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

I was brave about it and let DS take the wheel (insert crappy phone picture in a moving car slamming into a center rail).

Let's see if we can take a trip down memory lane:

RRRRrrrrr......bang! RRRRrrrrrrr.....bang! RRRRRrrrrr....bang!

We took the line to the left through the graveyard and… well… nothing. I don’t know if they had all of the effects turned off, but nothing was happening. We tried to play with some of the new interactive things in the queue and we weren’t getting any results.

No "You're #1" salutes here?

We rode Pirates and then came out to enjoy the Pirate band performing Christmas songs with a pirate twist. DS loved them and just danced along.

Harrrrrrrrrrrk the herald angels sing...

We headed over for a spin around Agrabah’s version of Dumbo,

What are you talking about?! Those rides are completely different! They have a camel!

Next time you want to yell at a hormonal pregnant woman, you’re going to get to deal with the consequences. I’m not covering for you again. Got it? Good.

I'm thinking this guy could really be useful at the toppings bar in Cosmic Ray's.

He started complaining about all these *edited* strollers and said he was going to go sit in that empty seat back there. I asked him how he planned to get there and he told me he was going to climb over those *edited* strollers. He proceeded to point to DS. I may or may not have implied that he was going to swim the rest of the way to WL if he tried to step over my kid. He turned around and didn’t say another word to me, but I heard him whining to someone about all these kids and strollers when we were walking up the dock to the hotel.

If kids are that much an issue for you, I suggest you find someplace else to spend your vacation dollars in the future…

Who would ever expect to find kids and strollers at Disney World? I don't think you're really understanding things from his point of view. Clearly he would also expect to be able to watch a game in Lambeau Field without having to listen to Packers fans cheer.

I'm glad you still got to experience MVMCP, even if it wasn't the full experience. Sounds like your plan to get your fun in while the others nap is working well!

 

[glennbo123]

Don'cha just love people? Where's the line nazi when you need him to knock some sense into people at the fixin's bar or a crowded boat?