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

[thecapells]

Sorry - Mom logged into the wrong account again.

 

[TheCapellsMom]

Hi all,
Sorry I have not been keeping up with my DH! I just got back from a trip to Florida to take care of my elderly grandparents and let me tell you: it is WAY frustrating to be just 4 hours from WDW with no chance of going!!!

Anyhow, I'm going to try to do a quick rundown on a Mom's perspective on some of what my hubby has already covered:

-Captain Jacks had a good ceasar salad and great smoothies for the kids but since they took the lobster tails off the menu, my avice to you is don't bother- Disney food is generally much higher calibur than that!

- TRex was fabulous! It was not just fun for little kids and grown men who might as well be little kids- even I loved it!!! At the table next to us was an older couple (w/ no kids)- probably about 75 years old- and they just couldn't get over the amazing dinos! Our little guy was in awe but I could definitely see some other little ones that were a little upset so if you have a "scaredy cat" in your family, you might want to prepare them in advance and ask for a seat in the center of the room rather than right next to a dinosaur. Oh- the fossils on the bathroom walls were a great touch!

- The lego store was a dream come true for my Brickmaster son and his Legomaniac dad but for me with a toddler who still eats small objects it was a nightmare! My advice: don't even take the little ones in there- just go for a nice walk downtown while the big & bigger kids play Legos! Also- FYI- they have no bathroom!

- On Day1 when we walked into the park for the first time, I barely looked at the castle (afterall, I've already seen it). I was watching the looks on my kids faces- they were priceless! But- be warned- when walking backwards to watch your kids faces, look out for the trolley tracks running up main street! I stumbled a little but it certainly could have been alot worse!

- Don't laugh but I was really totally freaked out on the Aladdin ride! I am so afraid of heights and the little carpets have no doors to hold you in and the seatbelts are utterly useless! The worst part was that my hubby & kids in the front were controlling the tilt & height of the carpet (freaking me out intentionally no doubt)! I think (hope) I hid it well from the kids but that kind of ride is definitely too high for me!

- When my DH told you that they got to ride in the front of the monorail, he left out one thing: I was SOOO JEALOUS! I have never had the chance to do that! So for the next 8 days of our trip I asked over and over and over again but never lucked out and got a spot at the front! On our next trip, that will be at the top of my priority list even if I have to spend an hour on the monorail platform for my turn!

- In Innoventions, where the Disney Visa photo line is, there is a row of video games lining the wall. Blatant advertising for Xbox and Playstation- don't ya think? So, while DH held our spot in line for a photo, I was trying to keep track of DS & DD at the game stations. Well, this is one section where I think Disney could have done a MUCH better job! All the monitors and controls are mounted at an adult's height so the smaller kids could barely see/reach but this fact did not keep them from being curious. All the games were too grown up for the little ones as well (though none were inappropriate with blood or guns or anything).
But the worst part was that there is no line or anything so when a kid gets tired of playing and abandons a station, there is a stampede of kids trying to get their turn next. My kids were shoved out of the way by bigger kids over and over again. One kid even grabbed the back of DS's shirt to pull him out of the way! Needless, to say, I gave that kid a piece of my mind! I understand that by the time a child is 10 or 12 they do not need to be supervised every second of every day but it seemed like so many of these kids- even the 8 and 9 year olds- were left there unattended and with nobody to police their actions, they were pretty rude! I couldn't believe there was not even a cast member assigned to that area to keep the peace!

- OK, for the majority of the rides, I had X in my lap or seated next to me becuase he is a Momma's Boy and is less likely to burst into hysterics when I am within reach. Most of the time, it was great- his reactions were so much fun! But there were a few instances where is kind of stunk! The first was on the Imagination ride in epcot! X seemed to really like Figment (who deosn't?) but the ride had lots of bursts of air and startling special effects. He must have jumped out of his skin a dozen times before it was over and it was so sad! I held him tight and tried to hide his face in my shoulder and cover his ears but he was too curious to stay that way for long and he kept getting frightened again and again till he was shaking his head "no" and waving bye bye! I felt so bad- he was traumatized by my favorite ride!

Oh drat- it's bath time in our house! I'll have to pick thsi back up later!
See ya!

 

[overthemoon4mickey]

This is such a great TR and I love that it's from a dad's point of view with a little of mom's insight thrown in too!

Some things this TR has done for me
1. I will go on ebay and buy those minnie ears! They are so cute!
2. We were on the fence about bringing DS's carseat....Not anymore! It's going...you never know when you will need it as X has proven.
3. We are going to pre-order our PhotoPass. I just have to decide what package to get.

Thanks for posting this TR and allowing us to tag along on your vacation!

 

[TheCapellsMom]

It's so great to read here that other people appreciate the insanity I went through to plan out all of our outfits for the trip! I had a blast but lots of folks told me I was nuts going through so much trouble and expense to have all of our clothes "just right!" I figured that knowing my kids, it was pretty likely that we would need more than 1 outfit per person per day anyhow- what with accidents, spills, playing in the dirt, etc. so I just planned for all of us to change mid-day.

Since folks keep on asking- here's where we got some of the kids cute outfits & things for Disney:

Crocheted minnie ears hairclips: ebay seller handi*candi*originals (if she has none listed right now, be sure to email her and ask her to make you a set!)

Nemo Button-Down shirt: ebay seller CRAFTY NEEDLES 4 YOU

Nemo Dress: ebay seller: Madie B's Creations

If you want some of the fancier things other than just t-shirts, my advice is to search on ebay for “handmade Disney”, “custom Disney”, “boutique Disney”, “Disney resell” and “Disney resale” – then try again replacing the word Disney with whatever character you are looking for like “custom tinkerbell”, etc.

Also, I found that people selling on ebay can be dumb so try searching for things speller wrong like “Mikey shirt” or “Arial shirt”. You just may luck out and find things that sell for cheap since nobody else finds them!

I'll post more of the links after you see the outfits in the upcoming pictures!

 

[sandym718]

Thanks so much!! I'm off to get my kiddos to bed, then I'm doing some eBay searching!!

 

[disneyjunkie]

What an awesome trip report. I can't wait to read more.

One quick question. Is there a list of the various photopass shots? If so, can someone please post a link?

 

[thecapells]

What an awesome trip report. I can't wait to read more.

One quick question. Is there a list of the various photopass shots? If so, can someone please post a link?

The best Photopass site I've found is Brad K's site at Stitch Kingdom:
http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

 

[disneyjunkie]

The best Photopass site I've found is Brad K's site at Stitch Kingdom:
http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

Thanks, off to check it out

 

[thecapells]

We just arrived at Spaceship Earth and both DD and X had fallen asleep in the stroller.
Mom decided to take a break and grabbed a bench so I got to ride with DS.
This time I wanted to get some pics so I started with him:

Since he’s a bit older, I actually got to discuss what we were seeing this time around.
I pointed out the beginnings of trading:

The first “school”

The first printing press

The TV era

The first room-size computers (this was fascinating to DS)

And, my favorite, me working at my desk (I’m a computer geek so this reminds me of my college dorm):

This time down, DS answered the questions differently so we saw a different movie.
I took pictures of the computer screen, but they came out horribly.
Upon exit, we found ourselves on the big monitor

Since everyone was still sleeping, I suggested I take DS to Universe of Energy since he would like the dinos and Mom had no interest.

DS thought the ride/show was a bit humorous and he liked the dinosaurs.
It was kinda fun to have some time with just him and me and he even sat in my lap for most of the pre-show.
Outside we found Mom with the sleeping twins but she was on the phone.
She had wandered around a bit but she can fill you in herself.
In the meantime, here’s a picture she took on her travels:

DS, meanwhile, was just plain busting with energy (as one might expect after sitting for 45 minutes).
So DS broke into a manic dance to pass the time. Check it out:


When Mom got off the phone, we headed out towards The Seas.
We figured we would wake up the little ones upon arrival since they both would want to see this attraction (and were dressed for it).
On the way, we passed Chip and Dale so we had to stop.
After a quick restroom break, we snagged a couple of shots.
Unfortunately, the Photopass ones had us all looking in different directions.
The best were from my camera (by a nice CM) so no Chip & Dale signatures:

I was able to crop out DD from one of the Photopass shots.
The problem was figuring out if it was Chip or Dale so I could add the correct signature.
DS shocked us all by informing us that Dale has a brown nose and pink above his eyes.
Now I’m a Disney fanatic and *I* never noticed that at all.
Apparently DS is already on his way to becoming a Disney freak.

Next stop – The Big Blue World...

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Great TR

We always remember tem at 1&2 C&D chip had 1 tooth ,Dale has 2 teeth.

Or Chip has a ChocoletChip Nose. Never noticed the Eyes we will have to remember that one as well.

 

[All7OfUs]

We learned about that too at the Fort Wilderness Campfire/Singalong last April. They go into great detail and carefully explain who is who So glad you got to spend some extra time with DS on some of the attractions!

 

[The Disney Fanatic]

I love this TR. Your pictures are awesome!

 

[twob4him]

Hello....do you mind me signing on so late???? I am absolutely loving your tr! Your children are just beautiful and you seem like such nice friendly people! I must say that I am secretly amazed that you love Disney so much....I am unfortunately married to a Disney-hater. I am not exactly sure how that happened hahaha I also love all of your matchy matchy clothing! As you can see in my siggy...I too have fallen into the trap Fortunately I love to sew. Did you know there was an entire thread on the Dis devoted to sewing and disney clothing??? In any case, I am really truly enjoying every installment! I can't wait for more and thank you so much for sharing!!!

 

[thecapells]

Hello....do you mind me signing on so late???? I am absolutely loving your tr! Your children are just beautiful and you seem like such nice friendly people! I must say that I am secretly amazed that you love Disney so much....I am unfortunately married to a Disney-hater. I am not exactly sure how that happened hahaha I also love all of your matchy matchy clothing! As you can see in my siggy...I too have fallen into the trap Fortunately I love to sew. Did you know there was an entire thread on the Dis devoted to sewing and disney clothing??? In any case, I am really truly enjoying every installment! I can't wait for more and thank you so much for sharing!!!

Welcome aboard and it's never too late!
I hope to get the next segment out this weekend.
Happy Holidays everyone!

 

[thecapells]

We arrived at The Seas to hear choruses of “Mine, Mine, Mine!”

However, once the water splashed on DD, it was hard to get her to stay there for another shot. You can see the anxiety on her face:

X, on the hand, loved the splashes of water and hanging out by the railing.

I did manage to get one of DD by the entrance instead.

The queue was ridiculously long (does this ride really get that full?) but it was fun walking all the way through (there was no line).
DS and DD kept spotting things from the movie like the “butt” (boat) that Nemo touched.
I didn’t quite get all the beach scenery (signs, towers, etc.) and thought there should be more from the movie instead.
But the ride was fun and a huge upgrade over the Seabase Alpha stuff that was there before.
It was a neat combination of animation and scenery and the kids enjoyed it.
It makes for a nice way to get from point A to point B until you realize the exit is right next to the entrance and the ride is unnecessary. Oh well.
It was funny to hear “In the Big Blue World” from Finding Nemo: The Musical at the end of the ride.
I was glad we saw that first. And I liked Pearl’s comments about having to hear that same song over and over.
Reminds you of how “it’s a small world” can get stuck in your head.
"In the Big Blue World” definitely stuck in our heads and I had to buy it on iTunes when we got home.
Oh, and I apologize for lack of pictures - I tried once or twice but the pics of the animation came out awful.

After the ride, we headed towards Turtle Talk and the CM said another show was starting in about 5 minutes.
We spent the 5 minutes checking out Mr. Ray’s Lagoon (since rays are my favorite).
DD likes them as well since “ray” is part of her name (“Rayna”).

X was having a blast since this tank was at his level. He kept running up the glass and pointing and laughing.
The rays swam all around and all three kids had a blast.

The funniest part one was one ray in the corner that kept leaping out of the tank and trying to climb the glass to freedom!

Turtle Talk with Crush was fun as well. The kids sat on the floor but we kept X with us.
However, he didn’t want to sit still so he kept walking between Mom and me.
The kids were too embarrassed to ask any questions but they enjoyed the show.
We saw the one with the whale (for those who were curious).

After Crush, we had to “find” Nemo.

Then we headed over to Bruce’s Sub House and took the obligatory shark shot.
I was kind of disappointed that there is not an easier way to get into the mouth.
The little ones had a tough time climbing up so that they were sticking out.
Here’s our best attempt (DS wasn’t interested)

Since Mom skipped the Bruce shot, I made her take a different one before leaving.

And then we checked out the dolphins.
Here’s our future supermodel posing with the dolphins.

By this point the kids were getting cranky.
We hit the restrooms and gave them a little snack.
But there were bored so we had to skip the manatees and the second level.
It was around 3:15 now so we figured we’d take a leisurely stroll back to the World Showcase Lagoon.
On the way out, I made sure to get DS next to some familiar faces:

At the Fountain of Nations, we caught another water “show” and then I spied a Photopass photographer:

When we reached the lagoon, Mom found a bench and we finally got to check out the Food & Wine Festival.

We stopped off at Krakow, Poland and I ordered a kielbasa and pierogie with a snack credit.
Gotta love the Hidden Mickey in the sour cream!

We figured we’d only get one as a “pre-appetizer” because it was almost time for dinner.
We cut it up and each had some. DS, being the picky eater, refused, but X and DD each had their share.
It was really good and we definitely would have had some more if I wasn’t looking forward to tonite’s meal so much.
So we all hit the restrooms and changed into dinner attire.
On the way, DD spotted another Hidden Mickey in a grate on the floor – she was really paying attention this trip:

Since we took turns watching the kids and getting changed, I grabbed some pictures of us just hanging out in the new duds.
Here’s our own version of WALL-E

And a nice one of the World Showcase logo:

That last picture happened to be on a garbage can which still cracks me up but hey - it looked cool to me.
While waiting, DD found a penny and made me take a picture of that:

Finally, we were all ready to "take off to the Great White North!"
But that’s for next time...

 

[All7OfUs]

Hi Capells!!

So anxious for more ! Can't wait to hear of your next adventure together, you seem like such a sweet family!

 

[Misa]

What a wonderful trip report! Little X is such a trooper. Great pics and descriptions..can't wait to read more

 

[thecapells]

Hello everyone – sorry for the hiatus. Took some time to get stuff done in the house and hang with the kids.
So where were we? Oh yes, off to the Great White North.

We had dinner reservations at Le Cellier which we’ve heard great things about but never tried.
This one holds special meaning as well as Mom is Canadian by birth.
She moved to the States when she was 1½ but she still says “aboot.”

It was about 4:45 or so but we wanted to get to Canada early so we wouldn’t have to wait a half hour like at Coral Reef.
But since we had time, we had to take some pics for our resident Canadian.
First, the group shot (thanks to a nice family passing by):

And then the obligatory closeup of Mom in her homeland:

Then it was time to have some fun. I love this little fence across the way and had to take some shots of it.

Then finally off to check-in at Le Cellier

They said we had some time since we were so early so we got a chance to explore.
We planned to skip “Oh, Canada” since the kids would not be able to handle it but I wanted to check out the falls.
Off the kids went…

And I love this shot of Mom and little X:

Then the kids went searching for Kidcot:

I really like that since KidCot is simply down the path, the hostess at Le Cellier said she’d come get us when our table was ready.
As the kids played and we talked to the nice Canadian CM, a “wandering Photopass photographer” stopped by.
We got a nice one of DD concentrating on coloring his charm.

While the kids played, I went off to take some more pics of the waterfalls:

Apparently arriving early didn’t help as they waited until our 5:45 ADR before even attempting to seat us
(even seating some larger walk-up parties ahead of us).
I was a bit frustrated by all of this especially since the kids were now getting bored and hungry.
We moved to the lobby to “remind” the staff we were still waiting and the kids tried to find the hidden “maple leafs” – they are everywhere.
Finally we were seated and the rest of the evening went much better.

Dinner, in a word, was magnificent.
The server was great and this, along with Coral Reef, were the two best meals of the entire trip.
We started with pretzel breadsticks that everyone enjoyed.
That was followed by the Steakhouse Ceasar Salad for me (it was huge) and the Duck Two-Ways for Mom.
The kids started with Cheddar Cheese Soup (DS ordered it but it was intended for X), and the celery and carrots for DD.
We also splurged and got the kids Pixie Punch and Pirate Punch since they were being so good.
Each comes with a glow-in-the-dark clip-on of either Tinkerbell or Captain Hook.
Here’s the kids showing off their new toys.

After some playtime, out came the main course.
Mom had Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon and said she didn’t even use a knife since it melted upon touch.
My New York Strip Steak was delicious but apparently did not rate as good as Mom’s.
DD had the hot dog, DS had the pizza, and X picked at everyone’s as usual.
To drink, Mom figured out that we could get virgin Pina Coladas on the Dining Plan so us parents got treats as well!

Dessert was the most fun. While Mom ordered the Maple Crème Broule and DD had an smoothie, DS and I just had to order the Chocolate “Moose”:

We had so much fun with them that the kids even wanted to “be” them:

How precious is this shot?

After dinner, we hit the restrooms (and X stole the other kids’ toys).

Then we headed back to the entrance for an early night (although it wasn’t so early since we spent a while at dinner having fun).
So late that we changed X into his PJ’s expecting him to fall asleep on the bus.

We caught the Fountain of Nations show one more time (definitely cooler at night):

And at the entrance, we took one of our best family Epcot shots of the trip thanks to Photopass:

As expected, X passed out on the bus but DD was delighted by the surprise in the room.
Ariel had left us yet another present:

Here’s a closeup of the picture and the note:

After some "oohs" and "aahs" over the surprise, we got the kids into bed.
It was supposed to be laundry night but it was a bit too late.
I took a trip to the front desk to apply some of our Disney VISA awards to our account (since we had some big excursions planned for the next day).
I also grabbed some postcards to send out to other families since the kids loved getting mail from Disney themselves. It was fun to “pay it forward.”
Mom stayed back to iron some of the outfits for tomorrow.

Day Five was scheduled to be a leisurely day at Epcot conquering the World Showcase!
See you then!

 

[shannn]

That is a fabulous family picture!! I'm so excited for our Le Cellier ADR next trip. It sounds wonderful.

 

[akayek31]

ooo i can't wait to get the cheese soup and bread sticks. i am glad i keep reading your tr since i love pina colodas