Day 11 Golf and Magic Kingdom for “Holiday” Parades.
Who we are:
Me (Fiona) 41 – Commando and Food Planner and Holiday Booker.
DH (Steve) 41 – He really does not like the cheese of Disney! Has got rather keen on golf since our last visit.
DD1 (Kate) 17 – I am ashamed to say that she wants to know if there is a hairdryer everywhere we are staying…shame on her!!
DD2 (Laura) 14 – The Fantasmic Laura of old.
DD3 (Sally) 10 – she will out park the lot of us…… and needs the least sleep.
Pre Trip Report Saturday 16th December 2006 - Monday 1st January 2007
Day 1 Sat 16th Dec Are we nearly there?
Day 2 Sun 17th Dec AK and Boma.
Day 3 Mon 18th Dec EPCOT and Le Cellier
Day 4 Tues 19th Dec MK and Narcossees
Day 5 Wednesday 20th Dec MGM and Spoodles
Day 6 Thursday 21st December 2006 Day AK (or Golf!) and Kona Cafe
Day 7 Fri 22nd Dec EPCOT, Le Cellier and Candlelight Processional
Day 8 Sat 23rd Dec Shopping, Chilling & TGI Fridays
Day 9 Sun 24th Dec Swimming/Golf, Celebration and Joe’s Crab Shack
Day 10 Mon 25th Dec Christmas Day and Dinner at GF 1900 Park Fare
Day 11 Tuesday 26th December 2006
Forecast today was better, rain around lunch and clearing up later but cold (63 degrees) We are off to Magic Kingdom later, hurrah!! However, the morning was spent bubbling in the Jacuzzi and Steve went off to play golf on the 9 hole course at Esprit again. He called in after hole seven and I went out with him and drove the buggy and took loads of pics, I am a golf widow so it’s nice to have some decent pics of his passion.
However, he wasn’t as keen when I started dishing out advice on his stance, all unqualified of course but I think he sticks his bum out too far. The course was really suitable for beginners except for the fact that the houses were close, I would stay behind the swimming pool screen at all times when the maniacs are out. Unfortunately it got quite murky and the drizzle came down, he finished playing but the rain was driving horizontally into the buggy, a bit chilly.
A quick pizza for lunch and we were parking at Magic Kingdom at 1pm, the usual car, train, boat, walk all makes it far more long winded than the resort buses. No problem getting in at this time. Today was a smelling the roses kind of a day as we presumed it would be impossible to do many/any rides as we are not prepared to queue too long, and FPs would probably be all gone by the afternoon. However, we picked up a Space Mountain FP for 6.30 and rode the TTA to see all the Christmassy bits! Then it was time for Dream Along With Mickey on the Castle stage, very enjoyable and lots of variety with nearly all the characters involved.
The Cheesy Crew waiting for the Stage Show!
The Big cheeses!!
A Baddie with eerie smoke
Peter Pan!
That finished in time to bags a kerbside spot on the hub for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade. I needed a sit down by then. Steve went off and got a bucket of popcorn, we ate a lot today and thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of no dining plan. The parade was good to see once, but the others are not particularly keen on parades.
It was an “eat your way round MK day”. I have always had a problem that the great places to eat are EPCOT and AK but MK and MGM especially are very poor in comparison. Over the afternoon and evening various family members had their favourites, between parades/shows and FP times so we never felt like we waited for anything. Surprisingly the park didn’t feel as crowded as we expected, it would be but I think with MK being park of choice on Christmas day and the very bad weather Christmas day and earlier on Boxing Day, had cleared the park to a certain extent. Colombia Harbour House was great, not being one for wanting on holiday what you have at home (fish and chips!) we had never been in here but I had heard about the Clam Chowder, it was delicious, my choice. Chips elsewhere I think. Mrs Potts’ Sundaes were wolfed down, Funnel Cake from Sleepy Hollow (around fireworks time) and Turkey legs. Not all at once and not all items eaten by everyone I hasten to add, the turkey legs do nothing for me but they are an old favourite with some!
Back to business, 2 hours was up so we got FPs for later for Thunder Mountain, but the machines were down so we had hand written ones that also meant we picked up Philarmagic FPs too. Not too long a wait (we had been at Colombia Harbour House!) This was a first for us, and one of the best shows at Disney, loved it and great fun.
I think it used to be a very tame Circle of Life show and we were not expecting much so that was a nice surprise. As it was getting dark (and cold, rain had stopped, skies cleared to beautifully clear but jeans and fleece weather). We toured Toontown Fair and were very childish. Sally and Laura did Cinderella’s Carousel twice with not much of a queue (probably when we had the sundaes!) I think we then used our Space Mountain FPs too.
We wandered over to Pecos Bills and bought 2 burgers and fries a salad to share between us sitting on the wooden steps waiting for Spectro, We had a great view but as usual my spectro and fireworks pics were totally rubbish, I need photography lessons.
We heard some clanking in the distance and spotted Thunder Mountain was up and running again (it had been broken at our Fast Pass Time) and we shot over as fast as I could and rode with only a 10 minute wait, and rode a second time with the FPs, we love BTM in the dark!! Shame the music seems to be absent now. As it was so cold Splash Mountain had no queue, but someone had said the jets were off so it was fantastic to also ride that twice with no wait, and in the dark, for the first time. When we have been at WDW before in February opening times are much more limited and except for EPCOT we hadn’t done Disney in the dark, great fun! Thank goodness we didn’t get wet!!
We enjoyed Holiday Wishes from Frontier Land, but it wasn’t a great spot, too many trees! It was very hard to move to get anywhere else. Lots of people left then and we went back to Fantasyland and saw Philarmagic again and left the park around 11.15pm. It had been a brilliant Christmassy Day, managed the crowds well and did lots, it’s nice when a plan comes off!! It would be nice to be onsite though, the trek home (even though the villa was not far) seems to spoil the atmosphere.
Tomorrow: Shopping, Orange City and Olive Garden
Day 12 Weds 27th Dec Shopping, Orange City and Olive Garden
Who we are:
Me (Fiona) 41 – Commando and Food Planner and Holiday Booker.
DH (Steve) 41 – He really does not like the cheese of Disney! Has got rather keen on golf since our last visit.
DD1 (Kate) 17 – I am ashamed to say that she wants to know if there is a hairdryer everywhere we are staying…shame on her!!
DD2 (Laura) 14 – The Fantasmic Laura of old.
DD3 (Sally) 10 – she will out park the lot of us…… and needs the least sleep.
Pre Trip Report Saturday 16th December 2006 - Monday 1st January 2007
Day 1 Sat 16th Dec Are we nearly there?
Day 2 Sun 17th Dec AK and Boma.
Day 3 Mon 18th Dec EPCOT and Le Cellier
Day 4 Tues 19th Dec MK and Narcossees
Day 5 Wednesday 20th Dec MGM and Spoodles
Day 6 Thursday 21st December 2006 Day AK (or Golf!) and Kona Cafe
Day 7 Fri 22nd Dec EPCOT, Le Cellier and Candlelight Processional
Day 8 Sat 23rd Dec Shopping, Chilling & TGI Fridays
Day 9 Sun 24th Dec Swimming/Golf, Celebration and Joe’s Crab Shack
Day 10 Mon 25th Dec Christmas Day and Dinner at GF 1900 Park Fare
Day 11 Tuesday 26th December 2006
Forecast today was better, rain around lunch and clearing up later but cold (63 degrees) We are off to Magic Kingdom later, hurrah!! However, the morning was spent bubbling in the Jacuzzi and Steve went off to play golf on the 9 hole course at Esprit again. He called in after hole seven and I went out with him and drove the buggy and took loads of pics, I am a golf widow so it’s nice to have some decent pics of his passion.
However, he wasn’t as keen when I started dishing out advice on his stance, all unqualified of course but I think he sticks his bum out too far. The course was really suitable for beginners except for the fact that the houses were close, I would stay behind the swimming pool screen at all times when the maniacs are out. Unfortunately it got quite murky and the drizzle came down, he finished playing but the rain was driving horizontally into the buggy, a bit chilly.
A quick pizza for lunch and we were parking at Magic Kingdom at 1pm, the usual car, train, boat, walk all makes it far more long winded than the resort buses. No problem getting in at this time. Today was a smelling the roses kind of a day as we presumed it would be impossible to do many/any rides as we are not prepared to queue too long, and FPs would probably be all gone by the afternoon. However, we picked up a Space Mountain FP for 6.30 and rode the TTA to see all the Christmassy bits! Then it was time for Dream Along With Mickey on the Castle stage, very enjoyable and lots of variety with nearly all the characters involved.
The Cheesy Crew waiting for the Stage Show!
The Big cheeses!!
A Baddie with eerie smoke
Peter Pan!
That finished in time to bags a kerbside spot on the hub for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade. I needed a sit down by then. Steve went off and got a bucket of popcorn, we ate a lot today and thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of no dining plan. The parade was good to see once, but the others are not particularly keen on parades.
It was an “eat your way round MK day”. I have always had a problem that the great places to eat are EPCOT and AK but MK and MGM especially are very poor in comparison. Over the afternoon and evening various family members had their favourites, between parades/shows and FP times so we never felt like we waited for anything. Surprisingly the park didn’t feel as crowded as we expected, it would be but I think with MK being park of choice on Christmas day and the very bad weather Christmas day and earlier on Boxing Day, had cleared the park to a certain extent. Colombia Harbour House was great, not being one for wanting on holiday what you have at home (fish and chips!) we had never been in here but I had heard about the Clam Chowder, it was delicious, my choice. Chips elsewhere I think. Mrs Potts’ Sundaes were wolfed down, Funnel Cake from Sleepy Hollow (around fireworks time) and Turkey legs. Not all at once and not all items eaten by everyone I hasten to add, the turkey legs do nothing for me but they are an old favourite with some!
Back to business, 2 hours was up so we got FPs for later for Thunder Mountain, but the machines were down so we had hand written ones that also meant we picked up Philarmagic FPs too. Not too long a wait (we had been at Colombia Harbour House!) This was a first for us, and one of the best shows at Disney, loved it and great fun.
I think it used to be a very tame Circle of Life show and we were not expecting much so that was a nice surprise. As it was getting dark (and cold, rain had stopped, skies cleared to beautifully clear but jeans and fleece weather). We toured Toontown Fair and were very childish. Sally and Laura did Cinderella’s Carousel twice with not much of a queue (probably when we had the sundaes!) I think we then used our Space Mountain FPs too.
We wandered over to Pecos Bills and bought 2 burgers and fries a salad to share between us sitting on the wooden steps waiting for Spectro, We had a great view but as usual my spectro and fireworks pics were totally rubbish, I need photography lessons.
We heard some clanking in the distance and spotted Thunder Mountain was up and running again (it had been broken at our Fast Pass Time) and we shot over as fast as I could and rode with only a 10 minute wait, and rode a second time with the FPs, we love BTM in the dark!! Shame the music seems to be absent now. As it was so cold Splash Mountain had no queue, but someone had said the jets were off so it was fantastic to also ride that twice with no wait, and in the dark, for the first time. When we have been at WDW before in February opening times are much more limited and except for EPCOT we hadn’t done Disney in the dark, great fun! Thank goodness we didn’t get wet!!
We enjoyed Holiday Wishes from Frontier Land, but it wasn’t a great spot, too many trees! It was very hard to move to get anywhere else. Lots of people left then and we went back to Fantasyland and saw Philarmagic again and left the park around 11.15pm. It had been a brilliant Christmassy Day, managed the crowds well and did lots, it’s nice when a plan comes off!! It would be nice to be onsite though, the trek home (even though the villa was not far) seems to spoil the atmosphere.
Tomorrow: Shopping, Orange City and Olive Garden
Day 12 Weds 27th Dec Shopping, Orange City and Olive Garden
I hate BTMR in the dark 
