rileyroosmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2004
- Messages
- 1,172
Laura - me, age 38
Ron - husband, age 38
Daniel - age 10
Tyler - age 7
Riley - age 3
I will attempt to write a short trip report to let you all know how great it all was.
Took the 11:00am flight from Long Island to Orlando, arrived on time and was picked up by Berkley of Tiffany Towncar. Very clean roomy van and he was very nice. Did a quick (20 min) stop at supermarket, don't even know which one it was. I felt like I was on Supermarket Sweep running through picking up breakfast items and a cooler.
Arrived at WL at about 3:30, no wait to check in and I was immediately upgraded without asking to a courtyard room #1156. The room had a queen and bunk beds and I thought was plenty big. We were across from the quiet pool and around the corner from the big one. Took a quick swim and went to Whispering Canyon for dinner. This place is crazy and so much fun, the kids had a blast. Steve was our waiter and was the best. We took the boat to the Contempary and took the monorail loop around the resorts. Went to MK to view Wishes. Unbelieveable show. A definite must see!!
Went to the MK on Saturday arrived before opening and saw the opening show, this was cute and Riley loved to see the characters. Park was not crowded, I knew from reading the boards to head straight to Fantasyland. Hit all the rides in less than 45 minutes. Philharmagic was the best!!! We laughed the whole time. Stayed at park till 1:00 and went back to hotel to swim and rest.
Sunday was Mother's Day, my kids had flowers sent to me. While getting dressed, Riley went missing! The entire hotel staff(or so it seemed) went looking with their radios to keep in touch. So many families helped search to. Talk about taking 10 years off your life. I was certain she was at the bottom of a pool or the lake. Finally found her. She wandered into another guest's room and was playing with a backpack. The staff was really great and I couldn't express my gratitude enough. Went to MGM after we recovered. Again, no real lines and called it a early day. I was dissapointed we never saw Fantasmic.
Monday we went to AK. I don't care for this park and only spent a short time here. Rode the rapids, the safari and saw ITTBAB. It is always "Africa hot" here.
Tuesday was Epcot day. The place seemed empty. Loved Test Track. Daniel and I rode Mission Space- worst ride ever!! We both felt sick for hours. Didn't take our eyes off the screen but yucky!
Wednesday was MK again. Hit the rides we didn't do first time and repeated the favorites. Today was the evening extended hours. We got there before 9 again and left about 3. We returned at 7 to get the wrist bands. A little crowded to get them. As you came through turnstiles CMs were waiting with the bands but it was crowded. Turns out there were spots in the park that also distributed them. CMs weren't very informed. The boat driver from WL didn't know it was extended hours when we asked what time the last boat left, one CM in the morning directed me to a non exsistant desk by the castle for the bands that weren't be given out until 7pm and a second CM told me I wouldn't need a band at all!! In the end I'm not sure how great the extended hours were. There was no counter service opened and the kids were starving! Finally found Cosmic Ray's opened (Iwas in a panic the kids would go to bed hungry) The lines to the rides were very crowded right after Whishes. A few other people didn't think it was so great either. I also found in the dark it was hard to find everything.
Thursday was Blizzard Beach. I don't care for water parks. I stayed in the little section with Riley. The boys went off and did the bigger rides. The kids said this was the best park of them all. I thought by the end of the day it was dirty. Juice boxes and wrappers and muddy sand and who knows how much pee in the water. We went to Epcot that night for Illuminations. While waiting for it a motorcade carrying George and Barbara Bush and Jeb Bush and his wife came by with tons of secret service and security. That was exciting! Illuminations was ok, Whishes is better IMO.
Friday was our last day and the first day of the Star Wars Weekend at MGM. Tyler was thrilled. Storm Troopers were on top of the entrance "guarding". The place was PACKED! Lines to meet the Star Wars guys was long. All he wanted to see were the Storm Troopers. We found out they would be available at 1:20 which cut it close for us since we had to leave the park at 1:30. We got him in line at 1:00 and he was first to meet them. It made his whole trip. Lines were very long today. 120 minute standby for TT, skipped it. Got a fast pass for RNR. I returned at 12:30, asked how long it would be with my FP, told 10 min, turned out to be 1/2 hour! Taking me to 1:00. Had to run to get to Storm Troopers! Poor Ron didn't get to use his FP. Probably for the better, I don't think he would of liked it.
Good Points:
- WL is beautiful, we got 5 towel animals! Would stay again
- Lots of characters (Forgot, we did the Ice Cream Social at Epcot. Highly recomend it. LARGE ice cream and only $6.99 pp. Saw Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale)
- Watching Tyler's face when he saw the Star Wars characters. Hearing him say, as we waited in line for Buzz's autograph, "he's the REAL Buzz Lightyear mom!"
- Following Riley through Minnie's house calling, "Minnie, are you home? Where are you?"
Bad Points:
- Losing Riley!!
- The pool was a little small, hard to find a chair
- The cost of everything. Knew it going in but still...
- Having to leave!!!
It was a great trip. Thinking next time we go will be December. It was very hot 88 -89 eveyday, no rain. Would like to experience it in cooler weather.
That's it, Bye Disney, see you next time
Ron - husband, age 38
Daniel - age 10
Tyler - age 7
Riley - age 3
I will attempt to write a short trip report to let you all know how great it all was.
Took the 11:00am flight from Long Island to Orlando, arrived on time and was picked up by Berkley of Tiffany Towncar. Very clean roomy van and he was very nice. Did a quick (20 min) stop at supermarket, don't even know which one it was. I felt like I was on Supermarket Sweep running through picking up breakfast items and a cooler.
Arrived at WL at about 3:30, no wait to check in and I was immediately upgraded without asking to a courtyard room #1156. The room had a queen and bunk beds and I thought was plenty big. We were across from the quiet pool and around the corner from the big one. Took a quick swim and went to Whispering Canyon for dinner. This place is crazy and so much fun, the kids had a blast. Steve was our waiter and was the best. We took the boat to the Contempary and took the monorail loop around the resorts. Went to MK to view Wishes. Unbelieveable show. A definite must see!!
Went to the MK on Saturday arrived before opening and saw the opening show, this was cute and Riley loved to see the characters. Park was not crowded, I knew from reading the boards to head straight to Fantasyland. Hit all the rides in less than 45 minutes. Philharmagic was the best!!! We laughed the whole time. Stayed at park till 1:00 and went back to hotel to swim and rest.
Sunday was Mother's Day, my kids had flowers sent to me. While getting dressed, Riley went missing! The entire hotel staff(or so it seemed) went looking with their radios to keep in touch. So many families helped search to. Talk about taking 10 years off your life. I was certain she was at the bottom of a pool or the lake. Finally found her. She wandered into another guest's room and was playing with a backpack. The staff was really great and I couldn't express my gratitude enough. Went to MGM after we recovered. Again, no real lines and called it a early day. I was dissapointed we never saw Fantasmic.
Monday we went to AK. I don't care for this park and only spent a short time here. Rode the rapids, the safari and saw ITTBAB. It is always "Africa hot" here.
Tuesday was Epcot day. The place seemed empty. Loved Test Track. Daniel and I rode Mission Space- worst ride ever!! We both felt sick for hours. Didn't take our eyes off the screen but yucky!
Wednesday was MK again. Hit the rides we didn't do first time and repeated the favorites. Today was the evening extended hours. We got there before 9 again and left about 3. We returned at 7 to get the wrist bands. A little crowded to get them. As you came through turnstiles CMs were waiting with the bands but it was crowded. Turns out there were spots in the park that also distributed them. CMs weren't very informed. The boat driver from WL didn't know it was extended hours when we asked what time the last boat left, one CM in the morning directed me to a non exsistant desk by the castle for the bands that weren't be given out until 7pm and a second CM told me I wouldn't need a band at all!! In the end I'm not sure how great the extended hours were. There was no counter service opened and the kids were starving! Finally found Cosmic Ray's opened (Iwas in a panic the kids would go to bed hungry) The lines to the rides were very crowded right after Whishes. A few other people didn't think it was so great either. I also found in the dark it was hard to find everything.
Thursday was Blizzard Beach. I don't care for water parks. I stayed in the little section with Riley. The boys went off and did the bigger rides. The kids said this was the best park of them all. I thought by the end of the day it was dirty. Juice boxes and wrappers and muddy sand and who knows how much pee in the water. We went to Epcot that night for Illuminations. While waiting for it a motorcade carrying George and Barbara Bush and Jeb Bush and his wife came by with tons of secret service and security. That was exciting! Illuminations was ok, Whishes is better IMO.
Friday was our last day and the first day of the Star Wars Weekend at MGM. Tyler was thrilled. Storm Troopers were on top of the entrance "guarding". The place was PACKED! Lines to meet the Star Wars guys was long. All he wanted to see were the Storm Troopers. We found out they would be available at 1:20 which cut it close for us since we had to leave the park at 1:30. We got him in line at 1:00 and he was first to meet them. It made his whole trip. Lines were very long today. 120 minute standby for TT, skipped it. Got a fast pass for RNR. I returned at 12:30, asked how long it would be with my FP, told 10 min, turned out to be 1/2 hour! Taking me to 1:00. Had to run to get to Storm Troopers! Poor Ron didn't get to use his FP. Probably for the better, I don't think he would of liked it.
Good Points:
- WL is beautiful, we got 5 towel animals! Would stay again
- Lots of characters (Forgot, we did the Ice Cream Social at Epcot. Highly recomend it. LARGE ice cream and only $6.99 pp. Saw Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale)
- Watching Tyler's face when he saw the Star Wars characters. Hearing him say, as we waited in line for Buzz's autograph, "he's the REAL Buzz Lightyear mom!"
- Following Riley through Minnie's house calling, "Minnie, are you home? Where are you?"
Bad Points:
- Losing Riley!!
- The pool was a little small, hard to find a chair
- The cost of everything. Knew it going in but still...
- Having to leave!!!
It was a great trip. Thinking next time we go will be December. It was very hot 88 -89 eveyday, no rain. Would like to experience it in cooler weather.
That's it, Bye Disney, see you next time
