3 Generations! 2 Resorts! 10 Days! DxDp! 3000 Pictures! - Saying Good-Bye!

[hstrickland]

Main Street Electrical Parade
Day 5​

After the HDDR, it was around 7:00pm…fortunately the boats were still running. Last year after the 7:30 show, they were not…sooooo we had to take the bus back to the Poly. And let me tell you, it was a real pain and took forever!!!! Much easier to take a boat to the MK….or…if you are at the WL or CR…a direct route to the resorts. We did have to wait quite some time for the boat….probably a good 25 minutes. And would you believe that the ‘stroller people’ were back!!?? This time, though, they were folded up!

We weren’t in a huge hurry to get back to the MK…just as long as we were in the park by 8. Mom and I had to scope out seats for the parade. Here’s a tip….if you are in a hurry to leave after the parade, then you will want to grab a seat on the first circle before Main. The parade starts right there…so when it’s done, you can hit the high road and head out!

Mom and I sat down a few minutes after 8…not too many people, yet. But around 8:20ish, the people were packing in. I really thought it would be more crowded since it was Memorial Day. DH, Pop, Stephen and Faith went to ride Buzz Lightyear while we saved seats….and let me add…those two big strollers we rented sure came in handy as seat buffers.

Last May when we were at WDW, Spectro Magic was still running…so I was anxious to see how the Electric Parade compared. While waiting for it to start, I was of course flashing pictures of the kids….Jesse decided to ATTEMPT a meltdown…he refused to show his face while saying “NOOOOOOO” at the top of his lungs. I can’t imagine why he would be tired…he’s only been up since 6:45am, going full force all day with no nap….beats me?! He quickly stopped when the lights dimmed and the music started.

There were several bands from around the country that started the parade. I’m not sure, though, why they were asked to be there...never found out if it was special occasion or not. A couple of them were really quite good. I remember years ago, our high school band played in the parade, too, and my sister was a part of it…kinda cool. I was in college so I didn’t get to see her marching down Main Street.

Disney parades always put me a wonderful mood no matter how tired I am….and believe you me…at this point….I’m exhausted. But, watching the kids’ faces as the characters stream by fills my heart with such happiness. I honestly don’t know how people can say they hate Disney World…especially those with young children….it’s such a Magical place.

(Wording taken from the Disney website)
Tinker Bell now leads the parade, lighting the way with a wave of her wand, spreading pixie dust and good cheer. Aboard a new float, she's elevated above an enchanting garden that will "leave" you green with envy. Orchestrating the magic, Tink has generously spread pixie dust to all the floats in the parade, creating a colorful reflection of shimmering fairy light along the way.

The parade ended with a tribute to the United States…very nice touch!

So….how does it compare to Spectro Magic? Honestly…I think I like Spectro Magic a little better. Both are great, but SM has a slight edge over the present one.

After the parade, we made a mad dash for the exit. Fortunately, we didn’t have to stand in ANY lines…we were walking back to the CR….sooooooo convenient! When we reached site of the CR, it looked so cool lit up against the sky. Needless to say, I grabbed my camera and started flashing pictures….if I had a tripod, I could have gotten some excellent shots….oh well…maybe next time.

And look….just in time for the Electric Water Pageant! Our kids absolutely adored this mini show…they wanted to see it every night. When’s the last time this thing has been updated??!! It’s been the same for years….but I still love it.

Finally time for bed….we are all super exhausted, but what a fabulous day…couldn’t have been better!!!



Stay tuned….up next….Animal Kingdom and Yak & Yeti for lunch!

 

[eeyore7360nc]

They ran Goofy's Challenge in Jauary and we stayed at BLT. I am hoping to get us into the Beach Club Villas this time. If we can't get into Beach Club we will probably stay at Old Key West.

 

[hstrickland]

They ran Goofy's Challenge in Jauary and we stayed at BLT. I am hoping to get us into the Beach Club Villas this time. If we can't get into Beach Club we will probably stay at Old Key West.

Was BLT a host resort for Goofy's Challenge? It looks like there are specific resorts that will have transportation for the race....host resorts. Does that make sense?? Who knows if I have that info right!? I didn't see BCV or BLT on the list...this is all new to me, so I'm trying to gather as much information as possible! Sorry to ask 1000 questions! Thanks!

Heather

 

[RGirl]

I know what you mean....we have several movies that the kids watch over, and over and over again! Pirates of the Carr. movies may be a little scary, and I guess there's the violence factor, too, but it does't seem to bother my kids. Perhaps I shouldn't let them watch it

. My view is always if it isn't hurting them (i.e., scaring them or something), it's probably fine. All kids are different, and you know yours best - just like I knew that I didn't need to heed some friendly mommy advice not to let my kid watch Bambi. I knew she could deal with it, and she loves the movie. I am going to watch the POTC movies and see if they might work for Willow!

...or the kids who want to wear their princess dresses every day!! Fortunately Faith didn't do that to us last year!!! I made sure that we had plenty to do so there would be no excuse to go back to the hotel...that Pirate makeup would have been a mess in the pool

I am pretty sure my DD wore a princess dress all but one day of our trip. Thankfully, she never complained about them or anything, so I figured what the heck - where else could she do that and totally fit in.

You don't think she will be 40 inches? Last year DS4 (3 at the time) was just shy of 40 inches, so I bought shoes with thick soles and told him to stand really tall....it worked!

She is super-tiny. I measured her tonight in her tennis shoes, and I think she is just over 39 inches, so she has grown since I last checked. There is a little hope then that she could make it by October, but I think it is going to be really close. She is practicing standing tall.

OK - off to read your update!!!!

 

[RGirl]

Oooooh, loved your parade pics!!!!! We only did the Halloween parade last year, but I hope to catch at least one more this year.

That nighttime pic of the CR is awesome!!! I can't believe how appealing that resort has become since reading this TR.

 

[eeyore7360nc]

Was BLT a host resort for Goofy's Challenge? It looks like there are specific resorts that will have transportation for the race....host resorts. Does that make sense?? Who knows if I have that info right!? I didn't see BCV or BLT on the list...this is all new to me, so I'm trying to gather as much information as possible! Sorry to ask 1000 questions! Thanks!

Heather

For the Marathon Weekend in January they provide transportation from all the resorts. For the Princess Half they only provide it from the host resorts. We will have a rental car so if we get into BCV we will drive to the start. Old Key West is the only DVC property that is a host resort. I think the only host resort on the monorail is the Polynesian. Hope that is helpful.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Very nice pictures of the Electrical Parade. Plus I enjoy seeing more of the Contemporary and the Electrical Water Pageant.

 

[amandaw]

Great pictures! Seems like a perfect end to the day!

 

[Wiley Coyote]

Thanks for the report! What a great trip!

 

[hstrickland]

. My view is always if it isn't hurting them (i.e., scaring them or something), it's probably fine. All kids are different, and you know yours best - just like I knew that I didn't need to heed some friendly mommy advice not to let my kid watch Bambi. I knew she could deal with it, and she loves the movie. I am going to watch the POTC movies and see if they might work for Willow

Yesterday, I asked my sister if she thought POTC is not appropriate...and she said....'well, it is kinda scary for little kids'....she said her 5 year old wouldn't like it.

I am pretty sure my DD wore a princess dress all but one day of our trip. Thankfully, she never complained about them or anything, so I figured what the heck - where else could she do that and totally fit in.

WDW is the ONLY place you can get away with basically wearing any character outfit, and no one blinks eye!

She is super-tiny. I measured her tonight in her tennis shoes, and I think she is just over 39 inches, so she has grown since I last checked. There is a little hope then that she could make it by October, but I think it is going to be really close. She is practicing standing tall.

Perhaps a little pixie dust will help! And if not...just avoid those eye catching rides that she can't get on....and look at it this way...there's always another trip

OK - off to read your update!!!!

Oooooh, loved your parade pics!!!!! We only did the Halloween parade last year, but I hope to catch at least one more this year.

We did MNSSHP, too, and loved it!!! The Headless Horseman was very cool!!!!

That nighttime pic of the CR is awesome!!! I can't believe how appealing that resort has become since reading this TR.


Ya never know....you might just like the CR...lots of perks when staying there

For the Marathon Weekend in January they provide transportation from all the resorts. For the Princess Half they only provide it from the host resorts. We will have a rental car so if we get into BCV we will drive to the start. Old Key West is the only DVC property that is a host resort. I think the only host resort on the monorail is the Polynesian. Hope that is helpful.

Thank you soooo much for the info!! DH said he would like to stay at OKW and try a villa...we'll see. I was leaning towards POR...wanted to try another Mod since it would be a short trip just to see if we would like it. And one more question.....do you do the 'CheerSquad' thing and actually go into the MK and watch your friends run by? Thanks again!

Very nice pictures of the Electrical Parade. Plus I enjoy seeing more of the Contemporary and the Electrical Water Pageant.

Thanks! I wonder if you will ever make it back to the CR

Thanks for the report! What a great trip!

Thanks! Glad to have you follow along.

 

[disneylovin24]

Love the pictures of the electrical parade!

 

[eeyore7360nc]

Thank you soooo much for the info!! DH said he would like to stay at OKW and try a villa...we'll see. I was leaning towards POR...wanted to try another Mod since it would be a short trip just to see if we would like it. And one more question.....do you do the 'CheerSquad' thing and actually go into the MK and watch your friends run by? Thanks again!

I did the Cheer Squad last year and I will probably do it again. I think you can get into the MK without the cheer squad. It was pretty cool getting into the park at 0530. Main Street was truly empty and watching all the runners come through the castle was pretty cool.

 

[Sweetpeamd]

I'm still following! You are doing such a great job with your TR! Before reading, I was kind of in that slump that occurs (for me) after making my adr's and before last minute planning and I wasn't that giddy about our Oct. vacation. Slump's over now!! I can't wait to stay at BLT for the first time!

Thanks so much for the tip about where to sit for the parade if you want to leave as soon as it's over. I think we'll try to stake out the same spot and make a beeline for BLT afterward. After so many trips to the world, we have never seen a light parade. We are planning to catch one on this trip.

Thanks again for taking the time to share with us!

 

[DisneyDoc5]

Ya know...I don't think I received any cruise info from Disney Did y'all go directly through Disney or someone else? I'm going to call my sister and ask her if she got any paperwork for the cruise. We haven't paid in full...I wonder if that makes a difference??? Hmmmmm....now you have me wondering since we leave before you. Oh well....I'll check....but hey....congrats to you!!! a trip coming up soon and cruise stuff!!! Isn't it nice to have something to look forward to?! I'm barely finished with one trip and I'm already planning another....I have such a problem

Hi Heather! Loved the Electrical parade pictures! I am a Disney Travel Agent on the side when not doing PT, (my fun 'Tupperware" job as I call it), so I had the documents sent to our office. If you booked through a travel agent, they may have what I'm talking about. They are not your official cruise documents that come after final payment (no way have I made that payment yet - 75 days prior), what I got was like a planning brochure that comes after booking. You should have gotten it by now or maybe your sister or travel agent has it. Trust me, nothing in it you haven't already researched (as a Disney addict) on the cruise board! Let me know what you find out.

I will try HDDR next trip for sure - thanks for the great review!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Another fine installment. I don't know how your kids and parents do it - I get tired just reading your TR

Oooo, Y&Y's next - I wonder if you sat upstairs or down

 

[hstrickland]

Love the pictures of the electrical parade!

Thanks!

I did the Cheer Squad last year and I will probably do it again. I think you can get into the MK without the cheer squad. It was pretty cool getting into the park at 0530. Main Street was truly empty and watching all the runners come through the castle was pretty cool.

Thanks once again!! I'm sure I'll have more questions for you....be prepared!

I'm still following! You are doing such a great job with your TR! Before reading, I was kind of in that slump that occurs (for me) after making my adr's and before last minute planning and I wasn't that giddy about our Oct. vacation. Slump's over now!! I can't wait to stay at BLT for the first time!

Glad your slump is over and you're back in the game!!!

Thanks so much for the tip about where to sit for the parade if you want to leave as soon as it's over. I think we'll try to stake out the same spot and make a beeline for BLT afterward. After so many trips to the world, we have never seen a light parade. We are planning to catch one on this trip.

It's really a great spot...anywhere on that first cirlce. Just get there early! If you've never seen the night time parade, then you're in for a treat!!

Thanks again for taking the time to share with us!

Hi Heather! Loved the Electrical parade pictures! I am a Disney Travel Agent on the side when not doing PT, (my fun 'Tupperware" job as I call it), so I had the documents sent to our office. If you booked through a travel agent, they may have what I'm talking about. They are not your official cruise documents that come after final payment (no way have I made that payment yet - 75 days prior), what I got was like a planning brochure that comes after booking. You should have gotten it by now or maybe your sister or travel agent has it. Trust me, nothing in it you haven't already researched (as a Disney addict) on the cruise board! Let me know what you find out.

I will try HDDR next trip for sure - thanks for the great review!

I use to sell Tupperware...before I had my 3rd child! My pantry is still stocked with Tupperware containers...all organized so nicely with "Modular Mates" I guess you get great discounts being a travel agent!! Lucky you!!!

Asked my sister yesterday if she has received anything...nope! I'm going to call our travel agent and see...just curious. My husband says we've received papers....who knows? I'll let you know what I find out.

Another fine installment. I don't know how your kids and parents do it - I get tired just reading your TR

Oooo, Y&Y's next - I wonder if you sat upstairs or down

Yes....we rarely have a 'relaxing' vacation!!! One day...maybe....and by the way...you only have 11 days! Like you didn't already know that!

 

[hstrickland]

Animal Kingdom Morning
Day 6​

Rise and shine!!!! Time is wasting! As I pulled back the curtain, I was quickly reminded why I love a Bay Lake view….so beautiful in the mornings and so very peaceful….too bad I don’t have time for a cup of coffee on the balcony.

After a quick snack at the Contempo Café, we headed to the buses. As I’ve said, I’m not a big bus fan…DH loves them for some reason. We didn’t have to wait long at all…timed it just right!

I’ve always said that WDW is one of the only places that you can act like a child and no one bats an eye!!! Where else can adults wear Mouse Ears and not be gawked at??!

Throughout the trip, I was the FP runner…I’ve learned how to maneuver myself through crowds like a champion! Just don’t get in my way!!! The crew leisurely walked over to Kali River, and I zoomed over to Kilimanjaro Safari. And would you believe this line???? Have people lost their minds? It’s 9:30am!

After I grabbed the FPs, I wanted to get a bull horn and tell everyone that a FP would be much quicker and easier….Who knows what the crowd was thinking???! When I arrived at KRR, the crew was waiting on me in line.

What line?!…right?! I knew exactly where all the people were located….and it wasn’t here. After the very wet Kali River Rapids, we headed back over to catch the Lion King. One of things that I’m not crazy about is the fact that AK seems very spread out…and to keep from waiting in long lines, we had to make ventures across the park…oh well…just working off some of those extra pounds we’ve put on from all the food!

We grabbed the 10am show…this is one of those shows that you don’t want to miss!!! If you’ve never seen it…GO! Even if you don’t have kids, it’s still fantastic. On our way in through Camp Minnie Mickey, we spotted one of the characters with a minimal line….remember…everyone is standing in line for the Safari!!

For some reason, Jesse is very smitten with any princess!! Last year, at 3 years old, he wanted a picture with ALL of them.


The line for this show was relatively short…I think we only arrived 15 minutes prior and were still in good position for a decent seat.

The costumes in this performance are quite elaborate…down to every detailed feather. And the amount of cast members in this show are unbelievable….tons of them!!!

As most Disney shows, there is audience participation at the beginning and end. If you want your children to be involved, then you might want to sit on the front 2 rows. All 3 of ours were chosen to take part…they were super excited!! Not sure where Jesse is in the picture…but he was out there…somewhere.

Time to head to the Safari with our coveted FPs!!!

Even though we had FPs, there was still a little wait, but nothing significant….15 minutes maybe. Of course it beat the heck out of the 60 minutes that was posted for the stand-by line!

As y’all know there are tons of animals on the safari, but I’m not going to bore you with the 150 pictures that we have…

Many of the animals were out and about roaming around….easy to catch those great shots....well kind of...

Our driver was…let’s just say…not the best. And when I say not the best, I mean his driving skills! Holy cow!!! I’ve been on this ride numerous times, but never have I encountered the need for a neck brace. It became comical…the people around us were noticing, too…we all kind of laughed. On and off the gas the entire trip….just when you’re about to snap a photo, the driver guns it. I’m laughing just thinking about it!

Check out the tree….I know it’s not real, but WDW has done a superb job of creating the landscapes of Africa, and not to mention camouflaging the barriers for the animals.

Do you notice anything about this picture??? The flamingos are standing on a Hidden Mickey! Pretty cool, I think.

After our neck jerking Safari ride, it was time for a FP run to Mt. Everest! The others decided to venture over to….

I wasn’t in a super hurry since I wasn’t going back to meet them at the trail…just gonna hang out and look around while they ventured through Pangani Forest.

After all this venturing around AK, we were starving!!! Time to eat!!!



Stay tuned….up next…..Yak & Yeti!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

I love your pictures you are so talented. I especially loved the one of the contemporary on your walk "home". Sounds like a very long fun filled day. When we went in Feb for the princess I really wanted to catch the parade but it was only running the night before the princess. I decided to head back to the CBR to rest my legs but my mom and aunt went to see the parade. They really liked it but my mom said she thought spectro better too.

I cant wait to read more. Thanks for the timely updates it gives me something to look forward to every day or so. I know what a life right????

 

[hstrickland]

I love your pictures you are so talented. I especially loved the one of the contemporary on your walk "home". Sounds like a very long fun filled day. When we went in Feb for the princess I really wanted to catch the parade but it was only running the night before the princess. I decided to head back to the CBR to rest my legs but my mom and aunt went to see the parade. They really liked it but my mom said she thought spectro better too.

I cant wait to read more. Thanks for the timely updates it gives me something to look forward to every day or so. I know what a life right????

Thanks for the compliments...my dad made lots of these pictures, too. He's quite the camera bug!

I would say that returning to the CBR was a smart move, you only had to run 13 miles the next day! By the way...I'm officially registered for the Princess Half!! Now to decide on a resort...that will take months...I'll change my mind 100 times before February.

 

[onelilspark]

Shoot. Now I want to go to Animal Kingdom on my September trip

Seriously. I should be banned!!

It looks like a great morning!