"What I learned from the DIS" - Spring Break 06 - **5/12 Final Day w/pics, Page 9**

[nicolemarie]

Hi Grammy!

I am actually working on the next day right now! My little ones have had Easter Egg hunts, ball games, b'day parties....we are definitely back to normal around here! But I don't want to lose my "magic" - so I'm hoping to post tomorrow. You are sweet to ask! Have a great night!

 

[nicolemarie]

It is now Wednesday – Day 5 of the 8 day Disney vacation. The Anticipatory Disneyfreude (thanks Zzub!) is settling in hard and heavy. Why does spellcheck not recognize that word? Surely that is a common condition. You know, getting depressed about the end of your vacation when you still have some good vacation time left? But I am really excited because today is MGM. And me and my thrillseekin’, dare devil of a daughter are ridin’ Rock n’ Roller Coaster. Oh yeah, baby! Sadly for RnR, and unbeknownst to me, this ride has only one more day to remain my favorite. But let’s give it it’s final day of glory, and press on to MGM.

I have a confession to make here. And I’m not even Catholic. Before the DIS, I only liked Magic Kingdom. Yep, it’s true. I had the mentality of my three year old and thought it was the only park worth spending more than a half day. I thought Animal Kingdom was, well, to “animaly”, I thought Epcot was too boring, and I thought MGM was corny. Now, some of that is still true. Magic Kingdom will always be my favorite. But the passion for all things Disney found here on the DIS, and the saying “folks are usually down on what they aren’t up on” holds true for me. After experiencing some of the shows, restaurants and attractions I never knew were at MGM, I like it a lot more.

So, in keeping with the first and foremost Law of TGM, we are leaving the YC in plenty of time to get to MGM before park opening. There is no bus service from the resort, but a convenient boat ride will get us there in plenty of time. Or maybe not. The boat left a few minutes ago and another won’t return for at least ten long minutes. Because we obviously haven’t learned from our miserable experience at Ft. Wilderness – where we let two boats get away because we were impatient and incorrectly assumed there was a quicker option – I reason that we can WALK to MGM faster than we can get there by boat. “I read it on the DIS. You can walk to MGM. It’s a longer walk than Epcot, but it is still not too far. By the time the boat gets here, then stops at all the stops before MGM, we’ll be later than I want to be.”

Poor DH. He trusts me implicitly. He knows I have spent months researching everything about this trip. He puts our son on his shoulders, tells our sweet daughter to get her walking legs ready, and we’re off. We aren’t really sure where we are going, so we just follow the water and the signs. In true commando fashion, DH sends me up ahead to stake out our place in line, and he and the kids can bring up the rear. We start walking. I break out ahead. It can’t be too far. Soon I turn around and my little family is out of site. I buzz DH on the walkie-talkie phones to see how he and the kids are holding up. He says they are doing great, but DS is getting a little heavy and can I see MGM yet? No, I can not, but it can’t be far. I press on. I keep looking over my shoulder to make sure I am still ahead of the boat. What a downright tragedy if all this is for naught – if the boat comes creeping up beside me and takes the lead. And DH realizes I have inflicted this pain on my family unnecessarily. Whew! No boat in sight. This WAS a much better plan. Boy, it is a good thing I DIS! I walk along with a spring in my step at how smart we are to have walked instead of waiting on the boat.

Long story short, the boat (think of that old classic The Tortoise and the Hare, without the rest for the Hare) beats us to MGM – carrying fresh and happy passengers. We arrive at MGM exhausted, irritable and whiny. And we still have 45 minutes until the park opens. Good thing my family has me.

Well, we may have lost that little battle, but we will NOT lose the war.

DH: “When we get in, I want you and DS to get the stroller, quickly go to RnR and obtain two FP. Then just as quickly, walk to Tower of Terror for two more. DD and I will go to RnR and ride stand by, then get a child swap and you can ride it next.”

Me: “SIR, YES SIR!!!”

So the park opens and we execute the plan to perfection – except that when DH asks for a Rider Swap pass, he finds out we have to actually SHOW our three year old to the CM at the FP entrance. Inconvenient, yes, impossible, no. If you remember our commando strategy, me and my little man were heading to RnR anyway, just not at breakneck speed like Daddy and big sis. A little aside - this “presenting the child” policy would never go over at Magic Kingdom. Why, you ask? Because three year olds actually have other things to do – besides wait on their big sister to ride the cool rides. You couldn’t expect a three year old to be presented at the entrance to Space Mountain because they would be riding Peter Pan, or Winnie the Pooh, or Buzz Lightyear, or any of the other many attractions that do not have a height requirement. But since MGM is truly void of any fun rides for little kids, they can enforce this ridiculous policy. Aside over. No it’s not. I have another beef.

I really do like MGM for me and my honey and daughter. But I find it a little lame for the younger set. My son loves Playhouse Disney, but is it just me or is it time for a little update to the live show. Come ON people!! Disney is the biggest tourist destination in the world! Can’t you afford to make a couple of Little Einstein costumes and add that crowd to the live show? Can’t you have a character meal with some characters that appeal to the guys? Why do you have a HUGE Little Einsteins billboard, but no Little Einsteins characters? Bear in the Big Blue House is PLAYED OUT!! Played out, I say. The marketing machine that is Disney is really missing the boat here. Come to think of it, no it isn’t. Actually, it’s Disney at its finest. Sure, I am bothered by this lack of update, but what did I do about it? I bought an AP, three 8 day parkhoppers, a deluxe resort room for seven nights and ate lots of mediocre meals at not-so-mediocre prices. The joke’s on me. And all of you, too.

But my turn finally rolls around for RnR, and I am big-time fired up! I love this ride! I love the 0 to 60 take-off, the loud music, the spirals, but most of all – the sweet, happy, squeal coming from the little girl next to me. My daughter LOVES this ride! She is having so much fun and so am I. My poor son may be patiently waiting for our return in yet another gift shop, but right now, I am having the time of my life sharing this moment with my daughter.

After riding RnR and Tower of Terror (which DD also liked once the actual ride started), we meet back up with DH and DS for lunch at Sci-Fi. We really enjoyed this experience. Call us corny, but the whole atmosphere was really cool. The kids loved sitting in the car, and although our food was nothing too special, it was good. You know, DH and I are pretty financially disciplined in the REAL world, but we somehow fall apart at the seams at Disney. So the kids left Sci-Fi with the souvenir glow-in-the-dark cups and the blinking fake ice cubes – making the meal an even more memorable occasion for them.

After lunch we used our FP’s for a couple of whirls on RnR and TOT, and went back to the YC for a swim and rest.

We returned in plenty of time to catch the Stars and Motor Cars Parade. It is one of the few MGM attractions that was an extreme source of joy for my son. He loves all the Star Wars characters, Buzz and Woody, and the Power Rangers. So he was pumped for this parade. We all enjoyed it. Another great tid-bit by the DIS. By the way, does anyone else think the Power Rangers are hilarious? I just have to laugh at the constant posing. They have to have face masks so we can’t see them cracking up at each other.

The parade was over and it was time for our seating at Hollywood & Vine. The poor man’s Fantasmic Dinner package option. Lowest on the totem pole. This was probably the pinnacle of buffet mediocrity. In fact, here is a comparison. We have a little restaurant here in my town called S&S Cafeteria. It’s a great place to get the meat and three veggies kind of food, but it isn’t gourmet dining - it’s a cafeteria, for goodness sake. My kids can get a child’s plate for 99 cents – yes, I said 99 cents. That’s chicken fingers, two veggie sides of their choice, jello, bread and a drink. It’s a great bargain. DH and I really feel like we are beating the system when we dine here. Our whole ticket is usually less than $10. Add some Mickey Mouse paper cups, a ticket in the back gate to Fantasmic, and about $60 and you have the Hollywood & Vine. Enough said.

After dinner, we had some time for a few more rides, the Muppet 3D show and some shopping before Fantasmic. Then we made it over to the entrance at Oscar’s and got our seats toward the middle of the reserved section. The kids had never seen Fantasmic because this was the first year we thought they were ready for it. Although some of the parts scared my daughter a little, for the most part she liked it and it was a great ending to our day. We left MGM with the masses, and although we contemplated walking back to YC (NOT!), we caught the boat and ended our day with a peaceful and scenic trip to the resort.

Next Up: DAY 6 - Animal Kingdom, finally figuring out the best way to get to the parks early, and replacing RnR with my new favorite ride

What I Learned From the DIS:

1. That we could walk to MGM from the YC – not the easy walk I thought, but it can be done.
2. That there is a Fantasmic Dinner package that gets you a back entrance ticket to Fantasmic. However, even though Hollywood & Vine is the most economical option, you might want to splurge for a better meal.
3. That the characters in the Stars and Motor Cars parade are right up my son’s alley. He enjoyed that parade very much.
4. That there are talks for some sort of character meal that appeals to boys at MGM, but no luck yet.

 

[nataliz]

Great report!

I enjoy the "What I Learned" tips at the bottom.

Can't wait until the next install!

 

[frankenpooh]

We were also in AK that Thursday. I am trying to write up that day for my TR, but I'm having a hard time for some reason. Can I just cut and paste yours when you're done?

 

[colby&connorsmom]

nicolemarie

Enjoying your trip report. Being from Georgia myself I have to say I got a kick out of the "redneck and proud of it" comment. My family and I are friends with Jeff Foxworthy and his family. He jokes with my father that he is the inspiration for a lot of his "You might be a redneck" jokes. LOL
Tech Rules!!

 

[paslea_pooh]

The poor man’s Fantasmic Dinner package option. Lowest on the totem pole. This was probably the pinnacle of buffet mediocrity. In fact, here is a comparison. We have a little restaurant here in my town called S&S Cafeteria. It’s a great place to get the meat and three veggies kind of food, but it isn’t gourmet dining - it’s a cafeteria, for goodness sake. My kids can get a child’s plate for 99 cents – yes, I said 99 cents. That’s chicken fingers, two veggie sides of their choice, jello, bread and a drink. It’s a great bargain. DH and I really feel like we are beating the system when we dine here. Our whole ticket is usually less than $10. Add some Mickey Mouse paper cups, a ticket in the back gate to Fantasmic, and about $60 and you have the Hollywood & Vine. Enough said.

Hollywood and Vine was good for our family, only b/c we have 4 kids and they all like different things. DH and I weren't terribly pleased with it. But as far as economical...Could you imagine paying that at your S&S Cafeteria? If we EVER do the fantasmic package again...we're doing Brown and Derby.

 

[fizz13]

Well I just can't imagine what your new favourite ride might be , can't wait to read the next report,
Claire xx

 

[savs]

I'm really enjoying your trip reports and I can't wait to read the rest.

Now what could that secret be........just one little clue

 

[AmyBennett]

frankenpooh and nicolemarie---we also were in AK on that Thr. I think a lot of people must have used TGM and the UG because there were more people than there I thought!

I'm loving your report! I too am a stay-at-home-mom/obessivediser....and our trip is over.(Now I'm obsessing about finishing my TR in a million words or less)

What could we call ourselves? I know what my hubby likes to call me, but that wouldn't be apropriate for a family board!!!!

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

i am with savs...we need to know the secret, u can't leave us all hanging like this!! (awesome trip report, i might add)

 

[nicolemarie]

First and foremost, thanks to all of you who have read my trip report. And special thanks to those of you who have posted encouragement. It really has been a fun thing to do, and I’m a little sad that it’s almost over. I guess it’s time to plan another trip…

Day 6, Thursday 3/30 – Animal Kingdom, finally figuring out the best way to get to the parks early, and replacing RnR with my new favorite ride

Here we are. Day 6 of the Best Vacation of All Time That is Quickly Drawing to a Close. And it’s my birthday. I wake up first, but determined not to go get my own coffee on my birthday, I make just enough noise to wake up DH, but not the kids.

DH says, “Happy Birthday, sweet and beautiful wife! Instead of a sweaty day at Animal Kingdom – you’re least favorite Disney park – I have arranged the full spa package at the Grand Floridian and your massage is first. We love you! Enjoy your day!”

NOT!!!!!! He does go get me a refillable mug full of Disney coffee, though. Isn’t that good enough? Before you assume him to be the thoughtless, scrub of a husband I am making him out to be, he did actually offer for me to take some time and head to the GF for a couple of spa treatments. Which I declined. I was grateful, but I politely explained that we have spas in Macon – I can get a massage, manicure, pedicure – whatever – at home. In Macon we have no character breakfast with Donald. Or Expedition Everest. Or irreplaceable family memories. So only Animal Kingdom for me on my 36th birthday. I’d have it no other way.

Well, as Disney-savvy as I think I am, I am so ashamed that it was this far into the week that I had our first character breakfast ADR. You see, I reasoned that it would waste valuable stormtrooping time to be eating instead of getting in some rides before the crowds arrive. Not only that, but character meals stress me a little. I am the only one in my family who takes pictures OR video. It’s not that DH wouldn’t if I asked him to, he just isn’t worthy. I’m a little neurotic about it. No one does it like I want. So instead of eating, I am frantically taking pictures of the character approach, the character interaction, and finally the character posing for a picture. Thank goodness this year I have upgraded my technology, and have a video camera that can also simultaneously take still shots.

Anywho - the only reason we were at THIS character breakfast was because I let each of my children pick one character meal to attend. DD wanted the Princess Storybook in Norway, and DS wanted to eat with Donald Duck. Since Restaurantosaurus in AK is the ONLY Donald character meal, I reasoned we would break down and book as early an ADR as possible, eat quickly, and still be motorin’ to the EE fastpasses at 9:00 with the rest of the mob. So I booked an 8:00 ADR. Little did I know, that by 8:45 we’d be finished with a very tasty breakfast, have 4 new autographs in each book, way too many photos and video, and a head start to EE since we were already in Dinoland. This is GENIUS!! Instead of standing around watching minutes pass like hours at the turnstiles, we were happily enjoying the company of Donald, Mickey, Goofy and Pluto. And instead of eating Pop-tarts and drinking boxed milk back in the room, we were feasting on eggs, bacon, French toast, and fruit. This is a NO BRAINER!! In fact, this is so brilliant that we call the Crystal Palace to try our luck at an ADR for 8:00 tomorrow since we will be at Magic Kingdom. No luck, though. We’ll know next time!

Breakfast is over and I have received my mission from DH, watches are synchronized, and we were off. Me pushing the kiddos in the stroller to Safari, and DH sprinting to EE for fastpasses, and then BACK to safari to join us. Now, I have to say a little somethin’ here. I have read many debates on these boards about the appropriate age to stop putting your children in strollers. And I read them for the sheer entertainment value of it. It makes me laugh to hear the arguments. But the truth is, I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DO!!!!! It is, to me, one of the most ridiculous subjects debated on the DIS! Oh the jabs, the barbs, the marathon-runnin’ 4 yr olds who don’t need a stroller, the obviously fat and lazy 6 yr olds who do…yada, yada, yada. Why do folks get so worked up over whether someone chooses to let their child ride in stroller? Unlike “refillable for the length of your stay” mugs, or “no pool hopping from resort to resort” – there is NO RULE!! No age limit! If you are willing to pay, they are willing to give you a stroller for the day. And yes – my very healthy, gymnastics takin’, soccer playin’, long and lean 7 year old rides in one. A double one. Not all day every day, but certainly when we are in stormtrooping mode. She hops in with her brother. Who is also very healthy but 3 yrs old and slow as molasses. So flame away – but do so on another thread, please.

So back to Animal Kingdom. I am pushing the stroller to the safari and DH is in the OPPOSITE direction getting our EE fastpasses. We approach the entrance to the safari and I am talking to DH on the phone to obtain his status and position. The CM – that thinks he is Eddie Murphy – tells me to get off my cell phone because I am on vacation. Not that I need to explain myself to him, but I say I am discussing Fastpass Management with my husband who is at EE. He says that is acceptable vacation conversation. Thanks, glad you approve. Anyway, since EE is the furthest possible thing in Animal Kingdom from the safari, we wait while hoards of people pass us and enter the line. By the time a very tired and sweaty husband arrives, the standby line is at 20 minutes – the longest line of our week. Being the detail geek that I am, I set the stopwatch on my watch and am happy when we board the safari in a mere 12 minutes. With four FP’s for Everest. That means four rides for DD and two for each of us. If that math doesn’t make sense to you, think Rider Swap.

On the safari, my daughter buys into the Big Red/Little Red saga hook, line and sinker, and actually clapped when she realized all was well. Bless her heart. We saw lots of animals and everyone was entertained, but I have to say that the safari just doesn’t do it for me. So we could say “been there, done that” and move on.

And move on we did. We went ALL THE WAY BACK to Asia for our first ride on Everest. I’ve told you all before, I am a Disney geek. We all are, aren’t we? Why else would we post every detail of a trip to Disney on a public internet forum? Anyway, because I am a Disney geek, I have watched all the ride videos of Everest, seen the pictures of the Yeti, read the reviews…I was not expecting to be surprised. But I was. Maybe it’s because it’s so different. Maybe it’s because it’s new. But I absolutely LOVED that ride! By the end of the day, my daughter had ridden it 10 times – 5 of those with me. She says now that Animal Kingdom is her favorite park at Disney. This saddens me, of course – the Magic Kingdom girl that I am – but I understand her joy. She’s found a new favorite ride and so have I.

Sprinkled within our rides on EE, we do the Festival of the Lion King, (great, as usual) the Triceratops Spin, (good Dumbo substitute) the train to wherever, and the Primeval Whirl (not fun). Lunch at Pizzafari was mediocre, but filling, and we decided to head back to the Yacht Club before the parade, as it was hot and we were tired.

We partook in the afternoon rituals of swimming, resting, and ice creams on the balcony, and got gussied up for dinner. We were meeting some friends from home for dinner at California Grill. A little background here: We have been friends with this couple since they moved to Macon as a newly married couple over ten years ago. We’ve shared the births of our children (each of us have a son and daughter), trips to the beach, teaching 1st grade Sunday School, dropping off our daughters at camp in North Carolina last summer and crying all the way home – we love this family. And their son, who just turned 8, shares my birthday. So I want to make it special. And since we “know” Disney – and they KNOW we know Disney – it is upon ME to plan a way to celebrate both our birthdays. Of course, I do what all good DISers do, and and I take to the boards to research. I learn about Wishes cruises. I book a Wishes cruise. That’s a great idea, right? But then I reason that they have just returned from a Disney cruise, so certainly an over-priced pontoon ride and a not-so-perfect view of Wishes won’t be a special event. Especially since it costs MORE than a nice dinner at say, California Grill, and you don’t get anything to eat. So I decide on California Grill. We can time our dinner around Wishes, enjoy a wonderful meal together, and I will have succeeded in creating a magical experience for us all.

Now, it’s probably at this point that you all are expecting me to say something went horribly wrong – no such luck. We DID have a magical evening, a great meal, and a beautiful view of Wishes. Our server was very attentive to our party – especially the kids – and for me and my birthday buddy, there was yummy birthday cake with a piece of chocolate that said “Happy Birthday from the California Grill” stuck on top. It really was a special night and a great way to end my day. Happy Birthday to me…

Next Up: Day 7, Our Final Park Day, Let’s finish strong at Magic Kingdom…

What I Learned from the DIS:

1.That even though Expedition Everest was not scheduled to “officially” open for another week, it would be open when we were there and we would get to ride it.

2.That Donald’s Breakfastosaurus was the only character meal that featured Donald Duck.

3.That I was probably getting condescending stares from DISers who thought my daughter was too old for a stroller.

4.That there is such a thing as a Wishes Cruise. And while it does appear to be really special, it might be a little downer after coming off a Disney Cruise.

5.If you mention that you are celebrating a birthday, Disney, on most occasions, will make sure something special happens for you.

 

[AmyBennett]

I am enjoying your report for some many reasons:

1. Becasue we were at AK the same day as you, and I also had DH running to EE to get FPs while we waited at the Safari....We probably saw each other, because I also let about a thousand people go in front of me waiting for him!

And it is so true about EE being the furthest point away from the Safari

2. It was extremely hot in AK that day(I think they must pump heat in there)

3. My DD is an altheltic 8yo who walks slower than you think is possible, and I kept asking her if she wanted a stroller....hey by noon, I was ready for a stroller.

4. I also am a MK girl, and DD is now an AK girl....


I can't wait to read the rest. We also went to MK on friday!

 

[frankenpooh]

This is too funny -- of course, we were also at AK on Thursday and MK on Friday morning.

If only we'd all had lime green mickeys, maybe we would have spotted each other. Except that I'm not exactly sure what people do with them. I actually did look for one at the local Home Depot, and they were out of that one color.

I guess that's something I can learn from the DIS for our next trip!

 

[fizz13]

I'm so glad to hear that the Donald's breakfast plan for EE works because this is what I have done for our August trip, an 8am ADR for me and DH. Sounds like I was thinking along the right lines. Glad you had such a magical birthday,
Claire xx

 

[ZZUB]

I am a Disney geek. We all are, aren’t we? Why else would we post every detail of a trip to Disney on a public internet forum?

How else are you going to kill time between trips to Disney World?! Oh wait, having to kill time between trips pretty much makes us geeks, doesn't it? Nevermind.

I literally had no idea that there was a debate about appropriate ages for children in stollers. Seriously, Who cares?! How does that affect anyone? And on what basis does a person decide someone else's child is too old? What's the criteria??? I am frequently surprised by the unbelievably small things people choose to work themselves up over. What's next arguing over the color of socks?

Re: your visit to Cal Grill. Um, we're gonna need more details. What time was your ADR? Where did you sit? Did you have a window table and if so how did you secure it? What did you eat? What did everyone else eat? What did it all cost? What time was Wishes? Did they pipe in the music? How was your check in experience? Would you do it again? Did anyone throw up? And if so, where? How much? Color? Texture? etc.

This just feels right.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

your trip reports are wonderful. It sounds like you had a great trip with your family.
Looking forward to the rest.

 

[Beana9802]

If only we'd all had lime green mickeys, maybe we would have spotted each other. Except that I'm not exactly sure what people do with them. I actually did look for one at the local Home Depot, and they were out of that one color.

Okay, maybe I am dumb, but what are you talking about? Did I miss something, because I am relatively new around here...

 

[Angelrose]

Home Depot sells a Disney line of paint. The lime green Mickey's are their paint samples. We all take a few home and use them on our luggage or backpacks or whatever to identify us as DISers.

 

[paslea_pooh]

We rented a double stroller last time for DD 5 and DD who had just turned (OMG, don't flame me) 9 !!!!

We loved the CG...ADR's were for 7:30pm, we got a window seat and we went outside to view Wishes ...it was beyond Magical... We're going again in Oct.

Love your TR Nicole...
Maelstrom.

 

[Beana9802]

Thanks Angelrose. Sounds like a great idea! Do you laminate them to make them more sturdy? Just an idea because I know those samples are cardstock.