chrisn
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2000
Trip Dates: January 30-February 10, 2001 2nd Trip
The Players:
The Wicked Queen-Chris 31 aka Mommy
Scrooge McGreedy-Dave 37 aka Daddy
Princess Preteen-Shyelynn 12 aka DD/Sister
Prince not so Charming-3 aka HELL ON WHEELS!!!
Dopey Jr.-Allen 24 aka Knucklehead
Tweedle Dee Dumfounded-Johnny aka John Boy
(You can find my pre-trip report posted on this board titled Prelude to a Disney Trip)
Day 1: Departure/Arrival, HIFS & Downtown Disney
Tuesday. I am up at 4:00am. WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY TODAY!!! I hit the shower and doll myself up (The Wicked Queen always paints her face you know). I couldn't sleep last night due to sheer excitement so I'm running on pure adrenalin. It's really bugging me that everyone else is sawing logs and I'm ready to jump out of my skin so I wake up Scrooge and surprise, he jumps right out of bed, hits the shower and gets the car packed. We wake up the kids including John Boy who spent the night to save time and we are on our way to the airport. Dopey Jr. meets us at Park & Jet and Prince not so Charming screams "WE RIDE BUS MOMMY? TAKE ME DIZZYWEIRD MOMMY?" "Mmmhmm, yes sweetie." "YAAAAYYYYYY!" We get to the airport and checkin at the United Airlines desk at 6:30. We are a go for launch! Our flight takes off at 7:30am right on schedule and it was so funny watching Tweedle Dee Dumfounded as this was the first time he had ever flown. He was, well.....dumfounded. I am glad I have Prince not so Charming sitting next to me keeping my mind free of crashing and burning (and driving me nuts) with his "Take me Dizzyweird Mommy? Take me Dizzyweird?" Well after 2 uneventful plane rides, one boring movie, an even worse airline lunch, Preteen Princess's 10 annoying trips to the bathroom and 250 more "Airplane take me Dizzyweird Mommy's" we finally land at MCO at 3:45pm local time and it's warm and sunny. We grab our luggage and head downstairs to the Dollar Rent-A-Car counter. They are fast and efficient and a few minutes later we drive off in a gold colored Dodge Grand Caravan for $199 a week! 20 minutes and 3 toll roads later finds us pulling into the Holliday Inn Family Suites. Again, checkin is fast and efficient and we get the Buy One Get One promo, Jungle Kidsuite, building 7, facing the pool. The room is new, nice and very clean. We will be a little cramped with 6 of us but everyone has their own bed and it's just for 4 days. The kids want to go for a quick swim and The Wicked Queen is feeling generous so she agrees. I don't know what it is about Disney but doesn't it make you feel like a kid again? Complete with energy? An hour later we drag PP and PNSC out of the pool and head over to Downtown Disney. We are all hungry so we head over to Planet Hollywood for dinner as planned. No wait and the meal was good. Not so Charming especially loved his spaghetti and meatball. We then take Preteen Princess and Prince not so Charming to have pictures taken with the main mouse himself at Mickey & Me. They also get hugs and autographs and we then head over to World of Disney. Scrooge is grimacing because he knows what is coming next. The Wicked Queen has a basket full of goodies for the kids including the new Dinosaur video just released today! The Wicked Queen makes it out of the store alive but I'm afraid Scrooge may need a Xanax. After a little more shopping, we decide to call it an evening and head back to HIFS around 10:30. We have a long drive to Tampa tomorrow. As I tuck Nickie into bed he smiles and whispers "we go to Dizzyweird Mommy?" "Mmmhmm, yes my precious" and when my head hits the pillow, there is a sweet smile on my wicked lips and I am happy and content.
Final thoughts: I can't believe we're here! I have so much energy and we are all so happy!
Day 2: Busch Gardens-Warm and sunny 80ish
Wednesday. We are up early and hit the breakfast buffet around 7:00. Everyone stuffs themselves and we are on the road to Tampa. We drive straight to BG thanks to the directions HIFS gave us upon checkin, and were one some of the first people into the park at opening. We head straight to Gwazi and rode both coasters, then we hit the Montu and everyone gave this one a huge thumbs up. Prince not so Charming is bent. "Want ride that one Mommy!" Guilt settles in. We then saw Tut's Tomb and I decided that I'd better find some Nickie rides. We head to Timbukto and rode about 4 Nickie rides and he is content for the moment. We ride the skyride and rapids and then decide that it is time to eat. We stop at the Hospitality House and ordered personal pizza combos which left a lot to be desired. We head off toward Land of the Dragons and PNSC zones in on the kiddieland they have there and that was all she wrote! "Look Mommy! want ride that ride Mommy, Peeeeeeeesssse?" Well how can I resist? The Princess rolls her eyes but gleefully skips into kiddieland with Nickie. He rides every ride. Twice. Plays in the water and climbs and plays some more. We drag him out. "Nnnnnoooooooo Mommy, you mean!" I know, Wicked Queen, Mean Mommy. WARNING! PARENTS IF YOUD LIKE TO TOUR BG, DON'T TAKE YOUR KIDS TO LAND OF THE DRAGONS UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY! We then ride Scorpion, Kumba and Python. We see the Ape reserve, and the dolphin show but Wicked Queen is feeling evil because Scrooge is being selfish and not helping with Prince not so Charming. The last thing we did was World Rhythms on Ice and you may think this is corny but that show was worth the price of admission. On the way out we hit a shops to appease the Wicked Queen and we head back to the hotel around 6:00.
Final thoughts: BG is worth going to but I wouldn't go every year. Crowds were not an issue. no lines anywhere.
Day 3: MGM Studios-Warm and Sunny Mid 70's
Thursday. Up early again and we hit the breakfast buffet. We then head to MGM and are the first ones at our turnstile. They let us through and we head straight to rope drop for Tower of Terror and Rock-N-Roller Coaster. The rope drops but we stop for an autograph and photo with Gideon and Mr. Smee. We then head straight to TOT and ride using Baby Swap as PNSC is only 39 1/2 inches. Bummer. We then head over to RNR but right before we board it breaks. No biggie, they had it up and running in about 15 minutes. We then head over to The Great Movie Ride but stop for an autograph and picture with Mulan. PNSC loves all the charcters but for some strange reason he is terrified of Mulan. Won't go near her. "No Mommy, No Mulan!" Weird! We ride the movies, see Indiana Jones and Voyage of the Little Mermaid and it's now time for our PS at Sci-Fi Drive Inn. We all loved it! The atmosphere rocked and the food was great. After Lunch we saw Bear in the Big Blue House. What a darling show! PNSC and all the other toddlers were dancing, jumping and clapping the entire time. On the way to Star Tours, we run into Goofy who happens to be Prince not so Charming's second favorite character. "GOOOOOFYYYY!" He dives out of the stroller and before I know it he launches himself at Goofy throwing his arms around goofy's legs. Thank goodness there were no people in line. We got an autograph and pictures and Goofy spent about 5 minutes playing with the Prince. We rode Star Tours and then head over to see Muppets. Preteen Princess decided that she had to have her hair wrapped. Scrooge asked why I couldn't do that. "What? Wicked Queen doesn't make anyone else pretty. Only herself DUH!" After Muppets we headed over to the Backlot Tour when I hear "WOOOOOOOODDDYYYYYYY!" I look up and see Woody from Toy Story (Nickie's fave of all faves), Buzz Lightyear and Jesee. Well, I grab him up before he goes tearing off and he says "want see Woody Mommy, want see Woody!" I tell him we can see Woody but we have to wait. There are about 20 people in each line but Buzz and Jesee are together so I stand in Buzz and Jesee's line while Scrooge stands in line for Woody. Hey, I just realized what Daddy's are good for! We are next in line for Buzz and Jesee but Daddy is also next in line for Woody. I call him on the radio and tell him to keep letting one person at a time in front of him until we are done. Nickie gets autographs and pictures with Buzz and Jesee and I race him over to Woody. "Woooooodddyyyyy!" and he runs straight into Woody's waiting arms. Woody hugs him to his chest and swings him around several times. I have tears in my eyes as I snap the winner of our 2001 best vacation photo. PNSC gets an autograph and picture and we are done. Nope! Nickie throws his arms around Woody's legs and smiles up at him. The joy shining though that little boy's eyes at that moment will touch my heart forever. Priceless! We wave and say 10 goodbyes to Woody and head over to the Backlot Tour. After the tour, it's time to head over to the amplitheater to get seats for Fantasmic. We arrived 35 minutes early and got perfect seats. Fantasmic is the bomb! We will never git tired of seeing it. Scrooge loved it. First time for him. Tweedle Dee was well....dumbfounded. After Fantasmic, I picked up the photos Disney took of PNSC with Buzz and Jesee and then it was time for some shopping. Scrooge wants to know how much shopping. That is like asking me how many steps I took today. DUH! Well, after about $100 and the evil eye from Scrooge (hey he's taken over my job) we head out to the van and drive back to the condo.
Final thoughts: MGM is my fave Disney park! Crowds were not an issue. 5 minute waits for everything. Seeing my Son with Woody was the highlight of my day.
Day 4: Animal Kingdom-Cloudy and Cool low 60's
We are up early and hit the buffet AGAIN and then we head out to Animal Kingdom. It is very cool today and a little windy. As usual we are the first people at our turnstile and are patiently wating for the opening of the park when I hear this sweet computerized voice say "Hi Nicholas, How old are you?" Well Nicholas jumped a foot and started backing away from an advancing garbage can. He came running over saying "Mommy, garbage can talks. Garbage can scare me Mommy!" The can chases Nickie around the gates and Nickie runs much to everyone's amusement. We missed the garbage can last time. This is pure Disney Magic!
A new day has dawned at Disney's Animal Kingdom and we head off toward the safari. We ride Safari, then hit Dinosaur and then It's Tough to be a Bug. This remains my fave 3D show of all time. I love it! We decide to skip Kali Rapids because it is freakin cold and I can't even imagine being wet right now. We see Tarzan Rocks and then head over to Camp Minnie/Mickey. We have all died and gone to character heaven with no waiting. We get autographs and pics with Terk, Goofy, Pluto, Mickey and Minnie, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Brer Rabbit, Pooh, Eyeore, Tigger, Chip and Dale and King Louie. It's now time for Festival of the Lion King so we grab a seat. This show is the bomb! It's my fave stage show at WDW. It's time for a yummy so we stop and get a potato parfait and some chicken nachos. Pretty good except The Wicked Queen is still hungry because Prince not so Charming ate all of her parfait. Oh well. We then hit Pangani Trail and Maharajah Trek before deciding to hit Rain Forest an hour early for our PS. It is cold. Really cold and it's getting windier by the minute. We arrive at Rain Forest and there is no wait and no PS needed so we go ahead and eat. We had a late lunch. We all love the Rain Forest and we always go back because we love the atmosphere but I did not like my appetizer platter at all. It was yucky! We finish eating and then head back to the van. It is really freakin cold and windy now and it is starting to rain. Wicked Queen is not a happy camper being cold in Florida. Oh well. Our day is done at Animal Kingdom and we head back to the hotel.
Final thoughts: We all love Animal Kingdom. Crowds were not an issue but we were all glad that we had finished the park so fast as it really started getting cold in the afternoon. Later we head over to Disney Westside for Cirque Du Soleil! I won't even try to describe this show. I will say it was worth every penny! We were all mesmerized from beginning to end. Loved the music. Loved the acts. Very classy show. We will do this again.
Day 5: Discovery Cove-Cloudy & Cool 60's Noooooo!
Saturday. We are up early but Wicked Queen has had quite enough of HIFS's breakfast buffet free or no so we head over to the Poly for some Tonga Toast without John Boy since he is perfectly happy with the buffet. We all order the Tonga Toast except for Nickie who has Fruit Loops and it perfectly happy with his choice. Tonga Toast is the bomb! We all scarfed every bite down and declared it was well worth missing the buffet for. We then head back to the hotel to pick up John Boy and after loading up the van and checking out we're off to Discovery Cove. We park the van and head toward the Welcome Center. We are warmly greeted and shown to the checkin counter for our badges. We are then taken on a guided tour of the park. DC is simply gorgeous. It is calm and serene with sandy stretches of beach preceding every body of water. It is beautifully landscaped with palm trees and bushes, a river surrounding the park, a bird aviary with access on land or through the river waterfall, a dolphin lagoon, a coral reef, a stingray lagoon and a pool. I'm just going to skim over this as I have posted a DC trip report on the Sea World board. After getting suited up and our stuff in lockers we head over to the coral reef. It is just spectacular. PNSC loved the fish but Scrooge and I took turns watching him so that we could each explore the reef a little more. The princess and I snorkeled into the center of the reef where a cast member was throwing chunks of food right on our heads. I thought we we going to be eaten alive! It was so cool! I just kept snapping away with the underwater camera and all I could think was OMG! Next we hit the stingray lagoon. Nicholas just loved this but he kept getting torked when they would swim away from him as he tried to grab them. "Come back big fishy! Mommy, big fishy go away! Come back big fishy!" I'd say they were pretty smart. It was now time for the Princess and I's dolphin swim. Scrooge and company watched the now passed out not so Charming Prince while we swam with Natalie. She was precious and perfect in every way. After the swim we decided to eat. We all had a wonderful lunch but ate way too much. They have a great variety and it is all very tasty! Scrooge and Company then did there dolphin swim while the Princess and I watched Nickie and they all had a fabulous time. I then decide to do a little shopping away from suspicious eyes. That was fun! We then head over to the bird aviary. The Prince and Princess eat this up. They were given worms and other cups of guck to feed the birds and they just fly right down on your arm. "I feed birdy Mommy! I feed birdy!" "Mmmhmm, yes sweetie". After noticing that all our lips were blue, we decide to call it a day at Discovery Cove. We head to the van and drive to Dad's condo (Westgate Lakes). We checkin and when John Boy walks into the condo. He is speechless. Never in his entire life has he lived or stayed anywhere this nice. He was well.....dumbfounded. I told you. John Boy. I was not kidding. We all get ready and head to the Pirate's Dinner Adventure. Food was good but Scrooge had too much rumbeer and was very loud. The show was good but not as good as Medieval Times. The food was yummy. The pirate's were plentiful and very authentic. Dinner is over and after Scrooge and I take a quick trip to Super Walmart for groceries, we crash hard core! What a fabulous day!
Final thoughts: This was the highlight of our trip. No crowds. No noise. Even with the cold and the blue lips. We are definitely going back next year. I just hope it will be warm that day!
Day 6: Sea World-Cloudy & Cold low 60's
Sunday. Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh! It's still cold! We are up and off to Sea World this morning. Right through the turnstiles and we head straight to Kraken. Kraken is a great coaster except when it's cold, the force of the icy air in your face freezes your eyeballs open and your lips to your teeth. Fun though and very smooth. We decide to save Journey to Atlantis until it warms up later. Yeah right! We decide to do Terrors of the Deep, then Penguin Encounter. PNSC want to feed the fishies so we head over to Pacific Point Preserve and let him feed the seals. $20 later I have to drag him out. PP is bent because the wicked, evil birds (no relation) stole half of her fish. Nicholas didn't lose one. I warned her though. We then see Clyde and Seamore then head over to see Shamu. We were very wise and sat out of the soak zone. Everyone is hungry by now so stop at Chicken & Biscuit. Everyone is totally satisfied except the Wicked Queen who did not need a big, huge greaseball sitting in her gullet. Oh well. We did Wild Arctic and then PNSC wanted to feed more fishies. "I want feed fishy's Mommy!" We head toward Key West Dolphin Cove and $20 later I drag him out. We then realize that it is not going to warm up today because it's cold, windy and raining (at least we're prepared), so we head back over to Atlantis and ride it with ponchos. We still get a little wet but now too bad. I love that ride! We see the manatees and then head over to the stingray lagoon. This is where it gets weird. The Wicked Queen, Preteen Princess and Prince not so Charming all had great fun in the water swimming with the stingrays at DC but neither of us can bear to stick our hands in the water holding a fish in between our fingers to feed them. It scared us to death! Go figure. After a meet and greet with character Shamu it's time for our dinner at Sea World's Poly Luau. We head into what seems to be a welcome room filled with nothing but senior citizens. Now I know they were young at heart the way they were slurping down those complimentary mai-tai's but we are the only young people in there. As the hostess leads us into the dining room, she scolds us telling us that we came in the wrong entrance. That was the senior's Welcome Center. How embarassing! The show was a little hokey but by the end of the evening we were clapping and hooting and having a great time. The ultimate was when they pulled Dopey, Tweedle Dee and the Princess up on stage to shake their stuff. Too funny! But then the weirdest thing. When PP returns to the table she bursts into tears. I asked her what is wrong but she will not tell me. You'll find out later why she was crying and why I wanted to throttle her. Dinner is over and we head out to the van and home to the condo.
Final thoughts: We all love Sea World but it was cold again. Crowds were not an issue. No lines. We had a fun day.
Day 7: Universal Studios-Warm and Sunny Mid 70's
Monday. As usual we are the first at the turnstiles. I love listening the to movie theme music while waiting for the park to open. We are through the gates and we head stright to Back to the Future. "Want ride that one Mommy. Want ride that one." Oh oh. We better find some Nickie rides soon. After riding BTTF we went straight to MIB. What a fun ride! I can't wait until Nickie is tall enough to ride. How much will he grow in a year? After seeing T2 (this is my second fave 3D) We then hit Twister, Konfrontation, Earthquake and Jaws. The last being a 15 minute wait. After Jaws we have a yummy fish and chips lunch at Boardwalk Snacks and Scrooge heads to the van for a nap. BORING! The rest of the crew heads off on their own and Nickie and I go to Woody's Kidzone. "Want see E.T. Mommy! Want see E.T.!" We manage to get E.T. safely home then head for Woody's Nuthouse Coaster. I ride this with him 3 times in a row without getting off. OK, I'm a good Mommy! We then head over to Barney and as soon at PNSC see's him he yells "BARNEEEYYY!" He clapped and danced through the whole show. How cute. We saved E.T. again and Nickie wanted to take E.T. home so I bought him an E.T. and he got a picture on the bike with E.T. in the basket. I couln't resist! We then hit Curious George and I let him blow off some steam for a while and on the way out the character bus drives up. We got autographs and pics with Woody Woodpecker, Winnie Woodpecker, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo bear. Scrooge is back and we head to the Gory Make-up show. If I would have known how dearly I would have to pay to sit front and center, I would have hid myself in the back row. They pulled me up on stage 3 times. Once to slice my arm open. Once to put a cleaver through my neck and once to drape a really gross mummy around me. How embarassing! it was fun though. We head toward the exit stopping at many choice shops along the way and the Princess got a really cute Grinch Tank and Betty Boop dress up magnet set for her locker at school. After US I had dinner plans at NASCAR but I was outvoted by all in favor of Taco Bell and the couch. HELLO! Taco Hell? Is is just me or is there something seriously wrong with this picture. I can get Taco Hell at home. Oh well, I'm outvoted. Taco Hell it is. What a treat! NASCAR will wait until next year. We get Taco Hell to go and head back to the condo.
Final thoughts: It is warm! Crowds were not an issue. Longest wait was 15 minutes for Jaws. We had a great time!
Day 8: Islands of Adventure-Warm & Sunny Mid 70's
We are out the door and at the park well before opening. Love the music here too! We are through the turnstiles and head straight over to Hulk. We ride Hulk. I hate the baby swap area here because PNSC can see us all getting on the ride and he is bent! "WANT RIDE TOO MOMMY! WANT RIDE TOO!" Guilt settles in. We then head to Spiderman and guess what? Nickie barely makes the height requirement! "I ride Spiderman Mommy!" He loved it! We then ride Dr. Dooms and after that head our selfish butts over to Dueling Dragons. We ride Ice Dragon and then everyone except the Wicked Queen rides Fire. One dragon is plenty enough for me thank you. After the dragons, we hit Poseidon's Fury. This is one of our fave things. AWESOME! We then hit Jurassic Park and after this it is time for our PS at Confiscos. Food was great and we got autographs and pics from Spiderman, Grinch, Bettle Baily and Woody Woodpecker. After lunch we hit Cat in the Hat, Caroseussel and One Fish Two Fish. Preteen Princess takes PNSC on this one because he won't let the Wicked Queen control the fish to keep from getting wet. It's warm and it's time to get wet! We ride Dudley Do Rights and Popeye and Bluto's barges and have a grand time. Nicholas is getting torked again "Want ride Nickie rides Mommy!" It's time for a yummy so we stop for a pretzel and cheese then head over to Flying Unicorn. Wicked Queen rides this with PNSC 7 times in a row without getting off. I'm a great Mommy! We decide to stop and see the Triceratops and Does anyone else think this thing is amazing? It pees for crying out loud! Meltdown is coming on strong so we head toward Marvel Super Hero Island. The crew does Storm Force while I take PNSC into the arcade. Disaster stikes. He takes a nosedive off a token ride and cuts his wrist and arm all up. When he sees the blood, He freaks. We hightail it over to first aid and all is well. He gets bandaged up. Mom gets counseled and on the way out she is desperately in need of soothing her poor ravaged soul. Shopping! Scrooge is even accomodating and I find the most darling leopard print sarong with matching halter top for our cruise. I feel better. We head out of the park, pour ourselves into the van and head back to the condo.
Final thoughts: IOA is our fave park. It's pure eye candy. When you walk into Seuss Landing, your in the story book. There is not a bad thing I could say about it. Crowds were not an issue. No waiting for anything.
Day 9: Magic Kingdom-Warm & Sunny Low 80's
We need a prybar to open our eyballs this morning and as soon as I have them open I am made aware of a tiny problem. "YOU DID WHAT?" Preteen Princess has just informed me that she had lost her retainers at Sea World 3 days ago! This is the part where I want to throttle her. We almost left her at the condo and started off toward MK (I know, Wicked Queen, Mommie Dearest and all that jazz) but we felt like unfit parents and turned around to get her (she gets no more prizes). We head off for Breakfast in the Castle! We arrive at MK and are directed into the park. As soon as Nickie see's the castle he yells "DIZZYWEIRD MOMMY, DIZZYWEIRD!" Despite being 20 minutes late for our PS, we are seated immediately. Breakfast is the bomb. You gotta love that French Toast. Cindy's turned out to be our fave meal. Everything about it was perfect! We got autographs and pics with Aladdin and Jasmine, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Bell. The Prince was unforgettable walking out of the castle with 4 different pairs of lip prints on his face. We finish just in time and PP positions herself at the front of rope drop. She races over to Dumbo while I am following at a much safer pace away from the mob. They ride Dumbo's first ride of the day with Mickey and then we head over to Pooh. We ride Pooh, then Peter Pan, Snow White and Small World. Next we hit Alien Encounter, Buzz Lightyear, Splash Moutain and Big Thunder. "Want ride Choo-Choo train Mommy!" Time for those Nickie rides again. Next we do Pirate's and then Jungle Cruise and it's time for a yummy. After gorging ourselves on Pinapple Dole Whip (it's over rated), eggrolls and cinnamon glazed almonds (when we could pry one away from PNSC) Dopey Jr., John Boy and Preteen Princess (if you can believe it) wants to leave. Scrooge takes them to the condo while Nickie and I stay and have a visit with Ariel (10 minute wait) and then head over to Tomorrowland to see Carrosel of Progress and ride the People Mover. Nickie wants to ride Astro Orbiter and there is nobody to take him but me! (Have I mentioned I am scared of heights)! We ride Astro Orbiter and that is by far the most scary ride at WDW! I am the best Mommy! We then head to Toontown and ride Goofy's Barnstormer and then Daddy calls on the radio. We then ride Haunted Mansion and see Tiki Birds and Country Bear. Next we head back to Fantasyland so that Nickie can ride the Carrosel. While they were on it, People start running, shouting and pointing up at the sky. The Space Shuttle is taking off! How Cool! I snap a half roll of pics and after a few more rides in Fantasyland, it's time to see Tink fly and watch the Fireworks. It's been a magical day and on the way out we do a little shopping (ok, a lot). After MK we head over to Downtown Disney and have Dinner at House of Blues. We had the Jambalaya and it was not what I was expecting. We hit the Virgin mega store for the Dixie Chicks cd and then more shopping at Marketplace. Scrooge is now getting mad and so we head back to the condo.
Final thoughts: MK was by far the most crowded park but still the only waiting we had was for Pooh and Pan in the late afternoon.
Day 10: Epcot-Sunny & Hot 85 degrees
Thursday. Meltdown has been achieved. We arrive at the park and the unthinkable happens. It is already open! As soon as PNSC see's the ball, he yells "DIZZYWEIRD MOMMY! DIZZYWEIRD!" We head straight over to Test Track and we are about to board when it breaks. We grab fast passes and head over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. We all love this show. We then hit Journey into your Imagination, send an e-mail postcard and I get the PP and PNSC's picture taken with animated Disney characters. I could not resist! It is time for our fast pass return and it is up and running. We ride it. We all love this ride! We then ride Spaceship Earth, The Living Seas, Body Wars and Living with the Land. We then head to World Showcase and start with a yummy in Canada. Beaver Tails are the bomb! We tour counter clockwise hitting Maelstrom and more yummies. This time a Soft Pretzel with anilla icing and slivered almonds. YUM! Of course we stop for a margarita in Mexico and continue touring and shopping until it is time for our PS at Marrakesh in Morocco. Food was awesome! The Belly Dancer was beautiful and Dopey Jr. surprised us when he announced that it was his treat! What a sweetheart. But then disaster strikes. He pulls out the Visa and guess what? NO VISA! He lost it and has no idea where. Wicked Queen pays the bill and we all backtrack trying to figure out where it might be. Turns out he left it at a shop earlier in the day and guest services had it. He did end up paying for the dinner although I didn't really want him too. We have had a long day and on our way out we of course hit Mouse Gear for some last park shopping. Boy did I make that count! Scrooge was not at all pleased but all in all it's been a great day!
Final thoughts: This was the nicest day so far. Very warm. Crowds and lines were not an issue with the exception of Test Track but we did fast pass.
Day 11: Airboat Ride, Kennedy, Cocoa Beach
Friday. Did Airboat John's old fashion airboat ride. 90 minutes of wind in face. Eyes peeled back and lots of alligators in their natural habitat. Was it worth it. Yes. Would I do it again. Probably not. Been there, done that. It's enough. Didn't have too much time at Kennedy. Same thoughts on it. Worth doing once. We then hit Cocoa Beach and played for a couple of hours. Preteen Princess loved it. We had to drag her back to the van. Prince not so Charming wipped out his business and peed on the sand while my back was turned. What is Daddy teaching my child?? Wicked Queen had quite a few choice words for Scrooge. How embarassing! We eat at Mickey D's and head back to the condo.
Day 12: Orlando Mall and Departure-87 degrees!
I have ran out of space if you can believe that! We shopped at the mall 2 hours then drove to MCO. Checked in the van at Dollar and us at the United desk. Flight left on time. Uneventful. A trip I will never forget! If you've gotten through this, I congratulate you. I hope you've enjoyed reading
2/00-Offsite
2/01-Offsite (HIFS)
3/02-7 Day Disney Cruise!
The Players:
The Wicked Queen-Chris 31 aka Mommy
Scrooge McGreedy-Dave 37 aka Daddy
Princess Preteen-Shyelynn 12 aka DD/Sister
Prince not so Charming-3 aka HELL ON WHEELS!!!
Dopey Jr.-Allen 24 aka Knucklehead
Tweedle Dee Dumfounded-Johnny aka John Boy
(You can find my pre-trip report posted on this board titled Prelude to a Disney Trip)
Day 1: Departure/Arrival, HIFS & Downtown Disney
Tuesday. I am up at 4:00am. WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY TODAY!!! I hit the shower and doll myself up (The Wicked Queen always paints her face you know). I couldn't sleep last night due to sheer excitement so I'm running on pure adrenalin. It's really bugging me that everyone else is sawing logs and I'm ready to jump out of my skin so I wake up Scrooge and surprise, he jumps right out of bed, hits the shower and gets the car packed. We wake up the kids including John Boy who spent the night to save time and we are on our way to the airport. Dopey Jr. meets us at Park & Jet and Prince not so Charming screams "WE RIDE BUS MOMMY? TAKE ME DIZZYWEIRD MOMMY?" "Mmmhmm, yes sweetie." "YAAAAYYYYYY!" We get to the airport and checkin at the United Airlines desk at 6:30. We are a go for launch! Our flight takes off at 7:30am right on schedule and it was so funny watching Tweedle Dee Dumfounded as this was the first time he had ever flown. He was, well.....dumfounded. I am glad I have Prince not so Charming sitting next to me keeping my mind free of crashing and burning (and driving me nuts) with his "Take me Dizzyweird Mommy? Take me Dizzyweird?" Well after 2 uneventful plane rides, one boring movie, an even worse airline lunch, Preteen Princess's 10 annoying trips to the bathroom and 250 more "Airplane take me Dizzyweird Mommy's" we finally land at MCO at 3:45pm local time and it's warm and sunny. We grab our luggage and head downstairs to the Dollar Rent-A-Car counter. They are fast and efficient and a few minutes later we drive off in a gold colored Dodge Grand Caravan for $199 a week! 20 minutes and 3 toll roads later finds us pulling into the Holliday Inn Family Suites. Again, checkin is fast and efficient and we get the Buy One Get One promo, Jungle Kidsuite, building 7, facing the pool. The room is new, nice and very clean. We will be a little cramped with 6 of us but everyone has their own bed and it's just for 4 days. The kids want to go for a quick swim and The Wicked Queen is feeling generous so she agrees. I don't know what it is about Disney but doesn't it make you feel like a kid again? Complete with energy? An hour later we drag PP and PNSC out of the pool and head over to Downtown Disney. We are all hungry so we head over to Planet Hollywood for dinner as planned. No wait and the meal was good. Not so Charming especially loved his spaghetti and meatball. We then take Preteen Princess and Prince not so Charming to have pictures taken with the main mouse himself at Mickey & Me. They also get hugs and autographs and we then head over to World of Disney. Scrooge is grimacing because he knows what is coming next. The Wicked Queen has a basket full of goodies for the kids including the new Dinosaur video just released today! The Wicked Queen makes it out of the store alive but I'm afraid Scrooge may need a Xanax. After a little more shopping, we decide to call it an evening and head back to HIFS around 10:30. We have a long drive to Tampa tomorrow. As I tuck Nickie into bed he smiles and whispers "we go to Dizzyweird Mommy?" "Mmmhmm, yes my precious" and when my head hits the pillow, there is a sweet smile on my wicked lips and I am happy and content.
Final thoughts: I can't believe we're here! I have so much energy and we are all so happy!
Day 2: Busch Gardens-Warm and sunny 80ish
Wednesday. We are up early and hit the breakfast buffet around 7:00. Everyone stuffs themselves and we are on the road to Tampa. We drive straight to BG thanks to the directions HIFS gave us upon checkin, and were one some of the first people into the park at opening. We head straight to Gwazi and rode both coasters, then we hit the Montu and everyone gave this one a huge thumbs up. Prince not so Charming is bent. "Want ride that one Mommy!" Guilt settles in. We then saw Tut's Tomb and I decided that I'd better find some Nickie rides. We head to Timbukto and rode about 4 Nickie rides and he is content for the moment. We ride the skyride and rapids and then decide that it is time to eat. We stop at the Hospitality House and ordered personal pizza combos which left a lot to be desired. We head off toward Land of the Dragons and PNSC zones in on the kiddieland they have there and that was all she wrote! "Look Mommy! want ride that ride Mommy, Peeeeeeeesssse?" Well how can I resist? The Princess rolls her eyes but gleefully skips into kiddieland with Nickie. He rides every ride. Twice. Plays in the water and climbs and plays some more. We drag him out. "Nnnnnoooooooo Mommy, you mean!" I know, Wicked Queen, Mean Mommy. WARNING! PARENTS IF YOUD LIKE TO TOUR BG, DON'T TAKE YOUR KIDS TO LAND OF THE DRAGONS UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY! We then ride Scorpion, Kumba and Python. We see the Ape reserve, and the dolphin show but Wicked Queen is feeling evil because Scrooge is being selfish and not helping with Prince not so Charming. The last thing we did was World Rhythms on Ice and you may think this is corny but that show was worth the price of admission. On the way out we hit a shops to appease the Wicked Queen and we head back to the hotel around 6:00.
Final thoughts: BG is worth going to but I wouldn't go every year. Crowds were not an issue. no lines anywhere.
Day 3: MGM Studios-Warm and Sunny Mid 70's
Thursday. Up early again and we hit the breakfast buffet. We then head to MGM and are the first ones at our turnstile. They let us through and we head straight to rope drop for Tower of Terror and Rock-N-Roller Coaster. The rope drops but we stop for an autograph and photo with Gideon and Mr. Smee. We then head straight to TOT and ride using Baby Swap as PNSC is only 39 1/2 inches. Bummer. We then head over to RNR but right before we board it breaks. No biggie, they had it up and running in about 15 minutes. We then head over to The Great Movie Ride but stop for an autograph and picture with Mulan. PNSC loves all the charcters but for some strange reason he is terrified of Mulan. Won't go near her. "No Mommy, No Mulan!" Weird! We ride the movies, see Indiana Jones and Voyage of the Little Mermaid and it's now time for our PS at Sci-Fi Drive Inn. We all loved it! The atmosphere rocked and the food was great. After Lunch we saw Bear in the Big Blue House. What a darling show! PNSC and all the other toddlers were dancing, jumping and clapping the entire time. On the way to Star Tours, we run into Goofy who happens to be Prince not so Charming's second favorite character. "GOOOOOFYYYY!" He dives out of the stroller and before I know it he launches himself at Goofy throwing his arms around goofy's legs. Thank goodness there were no people in line. We got an autograph and pictures and Goofy spent about 5 minutes playing with the Prince. We rode Star Tours and then head over to see Muppets. Preteen Princess decided that she had to have her hair wrapped. Scrooge asked why I couldn't do that. "What? Wicked Queen doesn't make anyone else pretty. Only herself DUH!" After Muppets we headed over to the Backlot Tour when I hear "WOOOOOOOODDDYYYYYYY!" I look up and see Woody from Toy Story (Nickie's fave of all faves), Buzz Lightyear and Jesee. Well, I grab him up before he goes tearing off and he says "want see Woody Mommy, want see Woody!" I tell him we can see Woody but we have to wait. There are about 20 people in each line but Buzz and Jesee are together so I stand in Buzz and Jesee's line while Scrooge stands in line for Woody. Hey, I just realized what Daddy's are good for! We are next in line for Buzz and Jesee but Daddy is also next in line for Woody. I call him on the radio and tell him to keep letting one person at a time in front of him until we are done. Nickie gets autographs and pictures with Buzz and Jesee and I race him over to Woody. "Woooooodddyyyyy!" and he runs straight into Woody's waiting arms. Woody hugs him to his chest and swings him around several times. I have tears in my eyes as I snap the winner of our 2001 best vacation photo. PNSC gets an autograph and picture and we are done. Nope! Nickie throws his arms around Woody's legs and smiles up at him. The joy shining though that little boy's eyes at that moment will touch my heart forever. Priceless! We wave and say 10 goodbyes to Woody and head over to the Backlot Tour. After the tour, it's time to head over to the amplitheater to get seats for Fantasmic. We arrived 35 minutes early and got perfect seats. Fantasmic is the bomb! We will never git tired of seeing it. Scrooge loved it. First time for him. Tweedle Dee was well....dumbfounded. After Fantasmic, I picked up the photos Disney took of PNSC with Buzz and Jesee and then it was time for some shopping. Scrooge wants to know how much shopping. That is like asking me how many steps I took today. DUH! Well, after about $100 and the evil eye from Scrooge (hey he's taken over my job) we head out to the van and drive back to the condo.
Final thoughts: MGM is my fave Disney park! Crowds were not an issue. 5 minute waits for everything. Seeing my Son with Woody was the highlight of my day.
Day 4: Animal Kingdom-Cloudy and Cool low 60's
We are up early and hit the buffet AGAIN and then we head out to Animal Kingdom. It is very cool today and a little windy. As usual we are the first people at our turnstile and are patiently wating for the opening of the park when I hear this sweet computerized voice say "Hi Nicholas, How old are you?" Well Nicholas jumped a foot and started backing away from an advancing garbage can. He came running over saying "Mommy, garbage can talks. Garbage can scare me Mommy!" The can chases Nickie around the gates and Nickie runs much to everyone's amusement. We missed the garbage can last time. This is pure Disney Magic!
A new day has dawned at Disney's Animal Kingdom and we head off toward the safari. We ride Safari, then hit Dinosaur and then It's Tough to be a Bug. This remains my fave 3D show of all time. I love it! We decide to skip Kali Rapids because it is freakin cold and I can't even imagine being wet right now. We see Tarzan Rocks and then head over to Camp Minnie/Mickey. We have all died and gone to character heaven with no waiting. We get autographs and pics with Terk, Goofy, Pluto, Mickey and Minnie, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Brer Rabbit, Pooh, Eyeore, Tigger, Chip and Dale and King Louie. It's now time for Festival of the Lion King so we grab a seat. This show is the bomb! It's my fave stage show at WDW. It's time for a yummy so we stop and get a potato parfait and some chicken nachos. Pretty good except The Wicked Queen is still hungry because Prince not so Charming ate all of her parfait. Oh well. We then hit Pangani Trail and Maharajah Trek before deciding to hit Rain Forest an hour early for our PS. It is cold. Really cold and it's getting windier by the minute. We arrive at Rain Forest and there is no wait and no PS needed so we go ahead and eat. We had a late lunch. We all love the Rain Forest and we always go back because we love the atmosphere but I did not like my appetizer platter at all. It was yucky! We finish eating and then head back to the van. It is really freakin cold and windy now and it is starting to rain. Wicked Queen is not a happy camper being cold in Florida. Oh well. Our day is done at Animal Kingdom and we head back to the hotel.
Final thoughts: We all love Animal Kingdom. Crowds were not an issue but we were all glad that we had finished the park so fast as it really started getting cold in the afternoon. Later we head over to Disney Westside for Cirque Du Soleil! I won't even try to describe this show. I will say it was worth every penny! We were all mesmerized from beginning to end. Loved the music. Loved the acts. Very classy show. We will do this again.
Day 5: Discovery Cove-Cloudy & Cool 60's Noooooo!
Saturday. We are up early but Wicked Queen has had quite enough of HIFS's breakfast buffet free or no so we head over to the Poly for some Tonga Toast without John Boy since he is perfectly happy with the buffet. We all order the Tonga Toast except for Nickie who has Fruit Loops and it perfectly happy with his choice. Tonga Toast is the bomb! We all scarfed every bite down and declared it was well worth missing the buffet for. We then head back to the hotel to pick up John Boy and after loading up the van and checking out we're off to Discovery Cove. We park the van and head toward the Welcome Center. We are warmly greeted and shown to the checkin counter for our badges. We are then taken on a guided tour of the park. DC is simply gorgeous. It is calm and serene with sandy stretches of beach preceding every body of water. It is beautifully landscaped with palm trees and bushes, a river surrounding the park, a bird aviary with access on land or through the river waterfall, a dolphin lagoon, a coral reef, a stingray lagoon and a pool. I'm just going to skim over this as I have posted a DC trip report on the Sea World board. After getting suited up and our stuff in lockers we head over to the coral reef. It is just spectacular. PNSC loved the fish but Scrooge and I took turns watching him so that we could each explore the reef a little more. The princess and I snorkeled into the center of the reef where a cast member was throwing chunks of food right on our heads. I thought we we going to be eaten alive! It was so cool! I just kept snapping away with the underwater camera and all I could think was OMG! Next we hit the stingray lagoon. Nicholas just loved this but he kept getting torked when they would swim away from him as he tried to grab them. "Come back big fishy! Mommy, big fishy go away! Come back big fishy!" I'd say they were pretty smart. It was now time for the Princess and I's dolphin swim. Scrooge and company watched the now passed out not so Charming Prince while we swam with Natalie. She was precious and perfect in every way. After the swim we decided to eat. We all had a wonderful lunch but ate way too much. They have a great variety and it is all very tasty! Scrooge and Company then did there dolphin swim while the Princess and I watched Nickie and they all had a fabulous time. I then decide to do a little shopping away from suspicious eyes. That was fun! We then head over to the bird aviary. The Prince and Princess eat this up. They were given worms and other cups of guck to feed the birds and they just fly right down on your arm. "I feed birdy Mommy! I feed birdy!" "Mmmhmm, yes sweetie". After noticing that all our lips were blue, we decide to call it a day at Discovery Cove. We head to the van and drive to Dad's condo (Westgate Lakes). We checkin and when John Boy walks into the condo. He is speechless. Never in his entire life has he lived or stayed anywhere this nice. He was well.....dumbfounded. I told you. John Boy. I was not kidding. We all get ready and head to the Pirate's Dinner Adventure. Food was good but Scrooge had too much rumbeer and was very loud. The show was good but not as good as Medieval Times. The food was yummy. The pirate's were plentiful and very authentic. Dinner is over and after Scrooge and I take a quick trip to Super Walmart for groceries, we crash hard core! What a fabulous day!
Final thoughts: This was the highlight of our trip. No crowds. No noise. Even with the cold and the blue lips. We are definitely going back next year. I just hope it will be warm that day!
Day 6: Sea World-Cloudy & Cold low 60's
Sunday. Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh! It's still cold! We are up and off to Sea World this morning. Right through the turnstiles and we head straight to Kraken. Kraken is a great coaster except when it's cold, the force of the icy air in your face freezes your eyeballs open and your lips to your teeth. Fun though and very smooth. We decide to save Journey to Atlantis until it warms up later. Yeah right! We decide to do Terrors of the Deep, then Penguin Encounter. PNSC want to feed the fishies so we head over to Pacific Point Preserve and let him feed the seals. $20 later I have to drag him out. PP is bent because the wicked, evil birds (no relation) stole half of her fish. Nicholas didn't lose one. I warned her though. We then see Clyde and Seamore then head over to see Shamu. We were very wise and sat out of the soak zone. Everyone is hungry by now so stop at Chicken & Biscuit. Everyone is totally satisfied except the Wicked Queen who did not need a big, huge greaseball sitting in her gullet. Oh well. We did Wild Arctic and then PNSC wanted to feed more fishies. "I want feed fishy's Mommy!" We head toward Key West Dolphin Cove and $20 later I drag him out. We then realize that it is not going to warm up today because it's cold, windy and raining (at least we're prepared), so we head back over to Atlantis and ride it with ponchos. We still get a little wet but now too bad. I love that ride! We see the manatees and then head over to the stingray lagoon. This is where it gets weird. The Wicked Queen, Preteen Princess and Prince not so Charming all had great fun in the water swimming with the stingrays at DC but neither of us can bear to stick our hands in the water holding a fish in between our fingers to feed them. It scared us to death! Go figure. After a meet and greet with character Shamu it's time for our dinner at Sea World's Poly Luau. We head into what seems to be a welcome room filled with nothing but senior citizens. Now I know they were young at heart the way they were slurping down those complimentary mai-tai's but we are the only young people in there. As the hostess leads us into the dining room, she scolds us telling us that we came in the wrong entrance. That was the senior's Welcome Center. How embarassing! The show was a little hokey but by the end of the evening we were clapping and hooting and having a great time. The ultimate was when they pulled Dopey, Tweedle Dee and the Princess up on stage to shake their stuff. Too funny! But then the weirdest thing. When PP returns to the table she bursts into tears. I asked her what is wrong but she will not tell me. You'll find out later why she was crying and why I wanted to throttle her. Dinner is over and we head out to the van and home to the condo.
Final thoughts: We all love Sea World but it was cold again. Crowds were not an issue. No lines. We had a fun day.
Day 7: Universal Studios-Warm and Sunny Mid 70's
Monday. As usual we are the first at the turnstiles. I love listening the to movie theme music while waiting for the park to open. We are through the gates and we head stright to Back to the Future. "Want ride that one Mommy. Want ride that one." Oh oh. We better find some Nickie rides soon. After riding BTTF we went straight to MIB. What a fun ride! I can't wait until Nickie is tall enough to ride. How much will he grow in a year? After seeing T2 (this is my second fave 3D) We then hit Twister, Konfrontation, Earthquake and Jaws. The last being a 15 minute wait. After Jaws we have a yummy fish and chips lunch at Boardwalk Snacks and Scrooge heads to the van for a nap. BORING! The rest of the crew heads off on their own and Nickie and I go to Woody's Kidzone. "Want see E.T. Mommy! Want see E.T.!" We manage to get E.T. safely home then head for Woody's Nuthouse Coaster. I ride this with him 3 times in a row without getting off. OK, I'm a good Mommy! We then head over to Barney and as soon at PNSC see's him he yells "BARNEEEYYY!" He clapped and danced through the whole show. How cute. We saved E.T. again and Nickie wanted to take E.T. home so I bought him an E.T. and he got a picture on the bike with E.T. in the basket. I couln't resist! We then hit Curious George and I let him blow off some steam for a while and on the way out the character bus drives up. We got autographs and pics with Woody Woodpecker, Winnie Woodpecker, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo bear. Scrooge is back and we head to the Gory Make-up show. If I would have known how dearly I would have to pay to sit front and center, I would have hid myself in the back row. They pulled me up on stage 3 times. Once to slice my arm open. Once to put a cleaver through my neck and once to drape a really gross mummy around me. How embarassing! it was fun though. We head toward the exit stopping at many choice shops along the way and the Princess got a really cute Grinch Tank and Betty Boop dress up magnet set for her locker at school. After US I had dinner plans at NASCAR but I was outvoted by all in favor of Taco Bell and the couch. HELLO! Taco Hell? Is is just me or is there something seriously wrong with this picture. I can get Taco Hell at home. Oh well, I'm outvoted. Taco Hell it is. What a treat! NASCAR will wait until next year. We get Taco Hell to go and head back to the condo.
Final thoughts: It is warm! Crowds were not an issue. Longest wait was 15 minutes for Jaws. We had a great time!
Day 8: Islands of Adventure-Warm & Sunny Mid 70's
We are out the door and at the park well before opening. Love the music here too! We are through the turnstiles and head straight over to Hulk. We ride Hulk. I hate the baby swap area here because PNSC can see us all getting on the ride and he is bent! "WANT RIDE TOO MOMMY! WANT RIDE TOO!" Guilt settles in. We then head to Spiderman and guess what? Nickie barely makes the height requirement! "I ride Spiderman Mommy!" He loved it! We then ride Dr. Dooms and after that head our selfish butts over to Dueling Dragons. We ride Ice Dragon and then everyone except the Wicked Queen rides Fire. One dragon is plenty enough for me thank you. After the dragons, we hit Poseidon's Fury. This is one of our fave things. AWESOME! We then hit Jurassic Park and after this it is time for our PS at Confiscos. Food was great and we got autographs and pics from Spiderman, Grinch, Bettle Baily and Woody Woodpecker. After lunch we hit Cat in the Hat, Caroseussel and One Fish Two Fish. Preteen Princess takes PNSC on this one because he won't let the Wicked Queen control the fish to keep from getting wet. It's warm and it's time to get wet! We ride Dudley Do Rights and Popeye and Bluto's barges and have a grand time. Nicholas is getting torked again "Want ride Nickie rides Mommy!" It's time for a yummy so we stop for a pretzel and cheese then head over to Flying Unicorn. Wicked Queen rides this with PNSC 7 times in a row without getting off. I'm a great Mommy! We decide to stop and see the Triceratops and Does anyone else think this thing is amazing? It pees for crying out loud! Meltdown is coming on strong so we head toward Marvel Super Hero Island. The crew does Storm Force while I take PNSC into the arcade. Disaster stikes. He takes a nosedive off a token ride and cuts his wrist and arm all up. When he sees the blood, He freaks. We hightail it over to first aid and all is well. He gets bandaged up. Mom gets counseled and on the way out she is desperately in need of soothing her poor ravaged soul. Shopping! Scrooge is even accomodating and I find the most darling leopard print sarong with matching halter top for our cruise. I feel better. We head out of the park, pour ourselves into the van and head back to the condo.
Final thoughts: IOA is our fave park. It's pure eye candy. When you walk into Seuss Landing, your in the story book. There is not a bad thing I could say about it. Crowds were not an issue. No waiting for anything.
Day 9: Magic Kingdom-Warm & Sunny Low 80's
We need a prybar to open our eyballs this morning and as soon as I have them open I am made aware of a tiny problem. "YOU DID WHAT?" Preteen Princess has just informed me that she had lost her retainers at Sea World 3 days ago! This is the part where I want to throttle her. We almost left her at the condo and started off toward MK (I know, Wicked Queen, Mommie Dearest and all that jazz) but we felt like unfit parents and turned around to get her (she gets no more prizes). We head off for Breakfast in the Castle! We arrive at MK and are directed into the park. As soon as Nickie see's the castle he yells "DIZZYWEIRD MOMMY, DIZZYWEIRD!" Despite being 20 minutes late for our PS, we are seated immediately. Breakfast is the bomb. You gotta love that French Toast. Cindy's turned out to be our fave meal. Everything about it was perfect! We got autographs and pics with Aladdin and Jasmine, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Bell. The Prince was unforgettable walking out of the castle with 4 different pairs of lip prints on his face. We finish just in time and PP positions herself at the front of rope drop. She races over to Dumbo while I am following at a much safer pace away from the mob. They ride Dumbo's first ride of the day with Mickey and then we head over to Pooh. We ride Pooh, then Peter Pan, Snow White and Small World. Next we hit Alien Encounter, Buzz Lightyear, Splash Moutain and Big Thunder. "Want ride Choo-Choo train Mommy!" Time for those Nickie rides again. Next we do Pirate's and then Jungle Cruise and it's time for a yummy. After gorging ourselves on Pinapple Dole Whip (it's over rated), eggrolls and cinnamon glazed almonds (when we could pry one away from PNSC) Dopey Jr., John Boy and Preteen Princess (if you can believe it) wants to leave. Scrooge takes them to the condo while Nickie and I stay and have a visit with Ariel (10 minute wait) and then head over to Tomorrowland to see Carrosel of Progress and ride the People Mover. Nickie wants to ride Astro Orbiter and there is nobody to take him but me! (Have I mentioned I am scared of heights)! We ride Astro Orbiter and that is by far the most scary ride at WDW! I am the best Mommy! We then head to Toontown and ride Goofy's Barnstormer and then Daddy calls on the radio. We then ride Haunted Mansion and see Tiki Birds and Country Bear. Next we head back to Fantasyland so that Nickie can ride the Carrosel. While they were on it, People start running, shouting and pointing up at the sky. The Space Shuttle is taking off! How Cool! I snap a half roll of pics and after a few more rides in Fantasyland, it's time to see Tink fly and watch the Fireworks. It's been a magical day and on the way out we do a little shopping (ok, a lot). After MK we head over to Downtown Disney and have Dinner at House of Blues. We had the Jambalaya and it was not what I was expecting. We hit the Virgin mega store for the Dixie Chicks cd and then more shopping at Marketplace. Scrooge is now getting mad and so we head back to the condo.
Final thoughts: MK was by far the most crowded park but still the only waiting we had was for Pooh and Pan in the late afternoon.
Day 10: Epcot-Sunny & Hot 85 degrees
Thursday. Meltdown has been achieved. We arrive at the park and the unthinkable happens. It is already open! As soon as PNSC see's the ball, he yells "DIZZYWEIRD MOMMY! DIZZYWEIRD!" We head straight over to Test Track and we are about to board when it breaks. We grab fast passes and head over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. We all love this show. We then hit Journey into your Imagination, send an e-mail postcard and I get the PP and PNSC's picture taken with animated Disney characters. I could not resist! It is time for our fast pass return and it is up and running. We ride it. We all love this ride! We then ride Spaceship Earth, The Living Seas, Body Wars and Living with the Land. We then head to World Showcase and start with a yummy in Canada. Beaver Tails are the bomb! We tour counter clockwise hitting Maelstrom and more yummies. This time a Soft Pretzel with anilla icing and slivered almonds. YUM! Of course we stop for a margarita in Mexico and continue touring and shopping until it is time for our PS at Marrakesh in Morocco. Food was awesome! The Belly Dancer was beautiful and Dopey Jr. surprised us when he announced that it was his treat! What a sweetheart. But then disaster strikes. He pulls out the Visa and guess what? NO VISA! He lost it and has no idea where. Wicked Queen pays the bill and we all backtrack trying to figure out where it might be. Turns out he left it at a shop earlier in the day and guest services had it. He did end up paying for the dinner although I didn't really want him too. We have had a long day and on our way out we of course hit Mouse Gear for some last park shopping. Boy did I make that count! Scrooge was not at all pleased but all in all it's been a great day!
Final thoughts: This was the nicest day so far. Very warm. Crowds and lines were not an issue with the exception of Test Track but we did fast pass.
Day 11: Airboat Ride, Kennedy, Cocoa Beach
Friday. Did Airboat John's old fashion airboat ride. 90 minutes of wind in face. Eyes peeled back and lots of alligators in their natural habitat. Was it worth it. Yes. Would I do it again. Probably not. Been there, done that. It's enough. Didn't have too much time at Kennedy. Same thoughts on it. Worth doing once. We then hit Cocoa Beach and played for a couple of hours. Preteen Princess loved it. We had to drag her back to the van. Prince not so Charming wipped out his business and peed on the sand while my back was turned. What is Daddy teaching my child?? Wicked Queen had quite a few choice words for Scrooge. How embarassing! We eat at Mickey D's and head back to the condo.
Day 12: Orlando Mall and Departure-87 degrees!
I have ran out of space if you can believe that! We shopped at the mall 2 hours then drove to MCO. Checked in the van at Dollar and us at the United desk. Flight left on time. Uneventful. A trip I will never forget! If you've gotten through this, I congratulate you. I hope you've enjoyed reading
2/00-Offsite
2/01-Offsite (HIFS)
3/02-7 Day Disney Cruise!
