4 Parks + 5 Staples in the Baby's Head = 9 Magical Days!! (9/17 The Last Hurrah!)

[3girls4me05]

Can't wait to hear about breakfast. While I found the food to be average at best, the character interaction was amazing. And since I have a three yr old who is a freak about June, Leo and the whole gang...well this was a memorable morning for us.

 

[thecapells]

Can't wait to hear about breakfast. While I found the food to be average at best, the character interaction was amazing. And since I have a three yr old who is a freak about June, Leo and the whole gang...well this was a memorable morning for us.

That definitely was a similar experience to ours - but give me a minute and I'll elaborate...

 

[thecapells]

The CM at the podium finally called our name for our 8:00 ADR.
We were running a bit late thanks to the issue at the turnstiles.
But concerns flew out the window when we saw X’s face light up as soon as we walked thru the door.
There to meet us was none other than Leo!
X LOVES the Little Einsteins (“itta eintines”) and was so excited!

Then we asked a CM to take a picture of all of us.
The Incredibles had indeed come to PLAY and DINE!

Our table was off to the side and we had a ½ booth.
I, as usual, was the runner and the buffet was filled with the usuals.
We had eggs, pancakes, bacon, hash browns, croissants, and fruit.
But the kids weren't really interested in eating as the characters had started circling.
First up was June – another Little Einstein.
DD ran right out since this was the “girl Einstein” who loves to dance.
You can’t get much better than that…

DS even posed since the Little Einsteins are still cool even for a 7-year old…

And X had escaped his high chair already so we had to get a picture of the booth side.
The restaurant was pretty empty which was great as each character spent a lot of time with us.
June even joined us for breakfast!

Next up was Goliath from Jo-Jo’s Circus.
X really never watched that show since it’s rarely on by us anymore.
But X does have a Goliath doll and DD grew up with Jo-Jo and loved her.
However, this time around, X wasn’t so sure what to make of Goliath…

Then the CM’s called the characters to the middle so we followed Goliath for some breakfast dancing!

Mom followed and even got Goliath to blow a kiss!

We sat back down, had a bite to eat and there was Jo-Jo rounding the corner!

Jo-Jo was followed quickly by a second visit from June!

Last but not least, Leo started making the rounds instead of posing up front!
First he said hello to DD and DS

Before a nice visit with X.

By this point X was wound up and wanted to come sing and dance.
So Mom got him out and he just went nuts!

The characters gathered for another song and dance centered around fitness exercises and we joined in.
How can we not when they started playing “Handy Manny”?


After the dance, June grabbed DD's hand for the "Bear Cha Cha Cha" from Bear in the Big Blue House.
For this song, all of the characters marched around the room with all the kids right behind!
DD had a blast!

By now it was getting close to 9 so we started to pack up.
Before we could leave, Jo-Jo came by for another visit as well:

All in all, as Kat mentioned above, the food was average but the entertainment was worth it!
The place is empty, there was lots of character interaction – both at your table and dancing in the middle – and it was just a fun way to start the day.

Not to mention the fact that we had a head start on the huge crowd rushing to Toy Story Midway Mania!
But that’s for next time – get your trigger fingers ready and stay tuned!

 

[PrincessCaitlin]

Glad everyone's still here.
Sorry for the delays but it's harder to post while I'm here conferencing and park-hopping!
BTW, here's a shout out to the family I met TWICE today in EPCOT from the DIS!
I'm bad with names and already forgot theirs but please respond to this post so I can say hey again!
Apparently they recognized me from all the pics and stopped by to say 'hi!'
It's definitely a Small World!

I hope to start Day 7's report when I get back home this weekend!
See you then!

It was so cool being able to meet you!
I hope you had a great day at Epcot!

 

[dawnbu40]

It looks like the kids had a great time at breakfast! I love the Incredible family tees too!

 

[ImaDVCwannabe]

I love your trip report. I keep showing the pictures to my daughter and telling her that she has all this stuff to look forward to when we go. She is getting so excited

 

[thecapells]

It was so cool being able to meet you!
I hope you had a great day at Epcot!

It definitely makes you realize that it is a SMALL WORLD
EPCOT was a blast solo and I promise I'll write that report once this one (and the "detour" trip) are complete!
I took a ridiculous amount of video and pics by myself and circled the park 3-4 times.
It's amazing what one can do by oneself...

I'm also interested to see your take on it all so I just subscribed to your TR!
I'll see you over there!
In the meantime, I hope you keep enjoying this one!

 

[All7OfUs]

The Incredibles certainly look incredibly happy and excited about their play and dine experience!

What a fun way to start off the day!

 

[Later_Mater2009]

yay!! love the update, looks fun!!!

 

[thecapells]

I love your trip report. I keep showing the pictures to my daughter and telling her that she has all this stuff to look forward to when we go. She is getting so excited

When are you guys going?
(I'll have to make sure I'm done by then - I didn't realize a TR would take this long).

 

[thecapells]

The Incredibles certainly look incredibly happy and excited about their play and dine experience!

What a fun way to start off the day!

It was very fun and energetic.
And it was neat that X had an event that was basically for him.
DD and DS spent most of the time pointing out chars to X and getting him even more excited.
It was really cute!

 

[danajune]

Love love LOVE your trip report!
This is the ONLY trip report I have ever read from beginning to, eventually, end.. I LOVE IT! So descriptive and great pictures!! You have a BEAUTIFUL family!! And you two are definitely amazing parents, your kids are lucky lucky lucky!!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[thecapells]

Love love LOVE your trip report!
This is the ONLY trip report I have ever read from beginning to, eventually, end.. I LOVE IT! So descriptive and great pictures!! You have a BEAUTIFUL family!! And you two are definitely amazing parents, your kids are lucky lucky lucky!!

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Now refill that popcorn 'cause here we go...

 

[thecapells]

We finished our meals, said good-bye to the characters and headed outside.
DS was excited as I explained that today there were no princesses and after X’s breakfast, there were lots of surprises for him.
Outside, a CM held us up as it was about 8:55.
We could see the rope on Hollywood Blvd with people waiting to dash to Toy Story.
And we could also see all the chars waiting for photos at the Sorcerer’s Hat.
Mom took some pics but they were too far away and came out blurry.
Finally, the rope dropped and the moving amoeba that was the crowd took off.
I headed out as well with Mom in tow with the kids.
My job was fastpasses while Mom got on-line.
I was very surprised to see that the CM’s were not making everyone walk to the ride a la Soarin’ in Epcot.
It was essentially a free-for-all.
It was definitely Toy Story Midway Mania MANIA
Families with kids and strollers suffered greatly but Mom did a nice job of maneuvering through the masses.

The crowd stormed through the Animation Courtyard archway and over to newly named Pixar Place inside the brand new Pixar Studios.

And then mass chaos ensued with people deciding to grab fastpasses or jump online or find their families.
I arrived at the fastpass machines and, of course, got behind someone who didn’t understand how the machines work.
Finally after waiting what seemed like hours, I grabbed my passes and joined Mom who was waiting at the entrance.

My passes were for 10 or so but we thought we’d jump on now so we ride twice.
We’ve never been before but we suspected it would be worth it.
The CM saw X’s GAC on the stroller and motioned for us to head down a special way with the stroller which was pretty cool.
They ushered us through the handicapped entrance which was an added benefit.

The only downside was not being able to see the infamous Mr. Potato Head audio animatronic.
I hear it’s the best one to date so I was a bit disappointed.
Granted, not disappointed enough to wait 30 minutes or more.

We arrived at the handicapped platform and I grabbed some shots waiting our turn.
It’s a slightly different vantage point from some of the other photos I’ve seen…

Then I took a pic of Mom with the boys:

Mom got a decent one of DS:

And then tried one of herself:

And the CM was nice enough to take a shot of me and DD which came out great!

Then, with a characteristic lurch forward, we were on our way!

The ride was a blast.
The practice area allowed us to figure out the controls a bit.
I spent the time trying to show DD how to work the pull-string and how to aim.

Then we were off.
I had read about a couple of “easter eggs” and aimed for them of course throughout the ride but I only knew of a couple.
The depth perception was great but sometimes it was hard to angle the shooters “just right.”
I basically took the approach of shoot as much as possible and worry about aiming later.
To that end, my score was decent – 180,000 or so if I recall but my percentage was like 30%.
DS was very upset that he didn’t beat Mom or me and was on the verge of tears again.
Mind you this was after we discussed this beforehand. I think Mom even tried to lose but hit something worth a lot towards the end.

When we left the attraction, it was a madhouse.
The line for the fastpass machines stretched all the way across the walkway and the standby entrance was out the door.
It was insane just driving the stroller back down Pixar Place en route to the Animation Courtyard.

All in all, Toy Story Midway Mania was a great experience.
The technology involved is awesome and would lend itself to updates and changes fairly easily.
The 3D aspect changes the whole depth perception of the game and adds a whole new facet that is entirely unique.
The jerkiness of the ride makes it fun in between stages and the characters on-screen always make it entertaining.
I think the CM’s need to control the crowd a bit better on the way from rope drop.
And, while it was a fun ride, I can’t imagine waiting more than like 10-15 minutes for this ride.
It’s a pretty short ride – about 5 minutes or less – and if we weren’t there first thing or didn’t have fastpasses,
I don’t see any ride worth the posted wait times of 90-120 minutes that you see later in the day.
But that’s just me and I hate to wait on lines.
Which is why I plan so much…

So, with our fastpasses in hand for later, I wanted to catch the first showing of Playhouse Disney at 9:40.
That way X could get a good view and we wouldn’t have to wait on line later (see, what did I tell you?)
So gather all the little ones, grab a seat on the floor, and get ready to sing and dance for Minnie’s Birthday!

Who’s with us?

 

[dawnbu40]

Isn't TSM fun?! I love this ride so much! You're so right that the wait times here can get crazy but with good planning those waits are avoidable!

 

[All7OfUs]

Yes, that little bit of extra planning paid off for us so many times, also! Good for you! Your comments are very similar to what a lot of folks are saying... It's a very cool ride, and a lot of fun, but not worth anything more than say a 20-30 minute wait; and certainly NOT worth the chaos that it lends itself to. Having said that, I cannot wait until I get to give it a whirl in Sept., 2010! And to make sure I do, I've already started planning my trip.

 

[thecapells]

Yes, that little bit of extra planning paid off for us so many times, also! Good for you! Your comments are very similar to what a lot of folks are saying... It's a very cool ride, and a lot of fun, but not worth anything more than say a 20-30 minute wait; and certainly NOT worth the chaos that it lends itself to. Having said that, I cannot wait until I get to give it a whirl in Sept., 2010! And to make sure I do, I've already started planning my trip.

And you even started your trip report!
Now that's planning ahead!

 

[jess98ac]

What a great TR!! I stumbled across it a couple days ago, and have read the ENTIRE thing over the last couple days! LOVE it! We're taking DD for her first trip in December, she'll be 19 mos.

 

[thecapells]

We arrived back at the Animation Courtyard for the 2nd half of X’s Big Morning.

I confirmed the next showtime with the CM and made sure we would be able to get into the next show if we got on line now.
The line was pretty long already and I didn’t recall how big the theatre was.
We headed to the back of the line as we had about 10 minutes to showtime and DS needed a restroom stop.
So I headed off with DS to the restroom (which isn’t especially close).
Upon our return, we found the family just as they were letting everyone into the theatre.
We grabbed a spot on the floor with some room to maneuver (expecting X to run back and forth between Mom and myself).
And soon, the show started.
We had seen this before back when Bear in the Big Blue House was here.
The show is all different based on the current Playhouse Disney lineup.
It starts with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (of which all 3 kids are fans).

The storyline is that it’s Minnie’s Birthday and the gang needs to get presents for her.
So they load up Tootles with Mouseketools (if you’re lost, you need to go watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse sometime), and head out.
X saw Mickey and jumped up in excitement.

The first task brings us to Handy Manny’s workshop.
Before the scene could change, the Handy Manny Theme Song filled the theatre and X began clapping along!

We next see Handy Manny working on a Bubble Machine with all of the tools.

The machine is broken but can be fixed with the help of Tootles.
And then Manny turns the crank and the entire theatre fills with bubbles.

The toddlers went wild. Even the older ones (include DS and DD) started chasing bubbles.
They won’t admit it, but they had fun – and I have the pictures to prove it!

After the Bubble Mayhem died down, it was time to change scenery.
Classical music kicked in and the kids all knew what that means – “Itta Inetines!!” (that’s “Little Einsteins” to you and me).

Sure enough, the whole gang was ready to go standing beside their pal Rocket.

But, as usual, the Einsteins needed help getting Rocket going.
“Pat, pat, pat, pat… Now raise your arms…. BLAST OFF!”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Can you tell I watch these with the kids waaaaay too much?

After Rocket was on a roll, the scene changed again.
This time there a mystery that needed solving – a kite was stuck in a tree.
We needed the Super Sleuths!!
But don’t worry, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Darby were ready to “Think, Think, Think!”

The solution, it turns out rested in the Bouncy One. But Tigger needed everyone’s help to bounce real high and grab the kite.
Here’s a video of bouncing madness that followed:


Now with all the tasks complete, it was time for Minnie’s Party.
We return back to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse now decorated for the party.
The gang had stars in the background, a big cake, and a banner that says “Happy Birthday Minnie!”

This went over well as it was DD’s Birthday trip as well.
Soon after, the show ended and we poured out.
X didn’t want to leave – he was having too much fun.
Right outside, there’s a Character Meet and Greet but the CM said that Leo and June were coming out and we already saw them.
We really were hoping for Handy Manny but it was not to be. Maybe Later…

But now, we needed to brave the crowd madness that is Pixar Place and cash in our Fastpass!
This time we used the Fastpass line (still no Mr. Potato Head) but we got through the line in no time.
The Standby Line was up to 90 minutes already. Ugh…
This time the boys all rode together as did the girls.
And once again, the ride ended in almost tears.
DS got close to my score but couldn’t beat my points (although he beat my accuracy).
I even pointed out the few easter eggs I knew of.
Oh well, he still had a good time but it sucks getting off rides and seeing sadness instead of happiness.
So, once again, we headed back to the Animation Courtyard.
We arrived and saw Handy Manny there but there was a really long line so we continued on and hoped we’d see him again.
I had shuffled the schedule a bit jamming everything from 1 ½ days down into a single day.
If you recall, we skipped our 1/2 day scheduled earlier in the week to stay longer in Animal Kingdom.
So with all the shuffling, the next stop was kind of up in the air.
For those needing a hint, just think… “What time is it?!”

 

[thecapells]

What a great TR!! I stumbled across it a couple days ago, and have read the ENTIRE thing over the last couple days! LOVE it! We're taking DD for her first trip in December, she'll be 19 mos.

Welcome aboard and glad you found us!
We got lots more to come!!