A Look Back, My First Trip Report ~complete~

[roberrl187]

I am really enjoying all of the magic moments that you and your family has had so far. I look forward to the next installment.

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Oh no.....I just finished your report and I want more....I need more.....!

Seriously.....I love your report, you are a great writer and I love that you are including dining reviews with your story. Thanks for making my night brighter!!!!

 

[jaycns]

The troops:
DH- a "30 something" who although not a Disney lover by any means, loves us so he sallies forth into all things Disney for his family. If he had a favorite Disney character I am sure it would be Grumpy!

Me- another "30 something" but unlike my DH, I LOVE all things Disney. I have been addicted since I was a child and I am hoping my kids follow in my footsteps! Favorite Disney characters: Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Figment, Abu, Aladdin, Beast, Sebastian, Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck, the Toy Story Crew and more...

"Aladdin"- He had just turned 9 at the time of travel. He is my partner in Disney planning! He really does enjoy thinking about where we are going to eat, sleep and play months in advance (unlike his dad). His favorite Disney characters are: Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Hercules, Tigger, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch and Tigger.

"Goofy"-At travel time he was getting ready to celebrate his 6th birthday...which we did do Disney style (more details to come). His favorite Disney characters are: Squirt, Goofy, Pluto, Figment, Piglet, Winnie the Pooh and the Toy Story crew.

"Stitch"-Age 4 and 1/2 at trip time. Grumpy by nature, but also way cute and loveable...Stitch is not only a favorite character but the way of life he follows. Other favorite Disney characters: Crush, ALL THINGS TOY STORY, Donald Duck, Figment, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Goofy and Pluto.

The purpose of the trip? To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary AND our Goofy's 6th birthday. Also, it was what is fast becoming an annual trip and the first time we enjoyed Disney's dining plan for FREE!! The dates of our trip? September 4-September 14 2005.

September 9, Blizzard Beach: We awoke to the sound of a cheery wake up call. Another quick breakfast of fruit and cereal and we were out the door. Being as we were at ASM, Blizzard Beach was a hop, skip and not even a whole jump away. Within five minutes of leaving our hotel room we were getting out of our van at BB. On our way into the park we stopped to buy the refillable mug. For us, this was not a good idea. At least not while you are on the Disney Dining Plan. However, we do still use the mug almost daily (I love good cups that actually hold up to months *and hopefully years* of use). I think we only filled the cup up once. After that we just left it sitting on a chair. Bad buy...but we have wasted our money on worse things .

The first thing we did upon entering the actual water park was (and we must be nuts to think this looked easy from the bottom) to climb the staircase up to the top of what felt like the Alps by the time we all got to the family raft ride, Teamboat Springs. This is truly a terrific ride. It's fun, it's fast, it's not too rough and everyone from my dh to my 4 yr. old ds had a rip roaring great time! The only part I found "not so fun" was the exit from the tube. For some reason, I could never get out without looking like the least graceful guest of the day...however, that didn't stop me from getting right back (via the ski lift, after the first crazy attempt at the stairs with young kids *who am I kidding, they were hard on me too* we only took the ski lift). We spent at least half the morning riding Teamboat Springs alone!! And that was time well spent.

For some more sedate, relaxing fun we grabbed a few tubes and headed out on to Cross Country Creek. That was a fun lazy river...however, the cold water that shoots out is REALLY cold. I think I may be too old for that to feel refreshing because instead of refreshing it was more like a shock to my system...by the second time around I became a pro at avoiding the cold water and our entire family ranked floating on a tube on Cross Country Creek a top activity!

Being as we had one non swimmer and one "half swimmer" I spent a lot of time playing with them at Tike's Peak while my husband and my eldest ds took on the, "Mom, they are unbelievable, way cool, totally awesome slides" slides.

My dh even took a slide down Summit Plummet. When he got done he was a bit scratched up and although he said it was tremendous fun, he was not up for a repeat slide.

While dh was busy taking his life into his hands on Summit Plummet the boys and I were busy playing checkers on the huge checkers board in the area they have for lost children (if a lost child had been there or had appeared we would have left, but it was just an empty area when we used it). The boys had a lot of fun doing it. Sometimes it really takes me by surprise when the most simple things turn out to be the most fun.

Just about the time my dh got back from Summit Plummet we were all getting very hungry so we took a short walk over to Lottawotta Lodge. Now, I have to say, this was honestly some of the best counter service food ever. I don't know if we were just that hungry or if the food really was that much better but all of us were in agreement that we it was one of the best counter service meals of our vacation (however, Cosmic Ray's at MK still beats it hands down IMHO). We had burgers, hot dogs, pizza and cookies. YUM...them there were some good eats!

We had just finished up our delicious meal when who should appear right next to the eating area but Goofy??!! We had him all to ourselves for a few minutes and we took advantage of it by snapping tons of pictures of the boys playing with him and getting my single favorite photo from the entire trip of the three boys together with him. Goofy was an unexpected surprise...we didn't even know that the characters were ever out and about at the water parks!

We took another lap around Cross Country Creek and then another few times down Teamboat Springs and we were just about baked and waterlogged and ready for a rest.

Funny thing is we had planned to spend the night in the ASM pool...but by the time we got done at Blizzard Beach we were plum swum out. We had dinner at the resort food court (average quality, fun atmosphere, more variety than I had expected).

After dinner we headed over to the arcade and had some fun before turning in early. All in all it was a relaxing day. A day with lots of time to just "be" and enjoy the long minutes and short hours of togetherness.

Upon our return mouse keeping had once again worked it's magic and the toys had "played" while we were gone. We were delighted to find them wrapped up in washcloths perched on the edge of the tub.

Best moments: Seeing Goofy at Blizzard Beach/riding Teamboat Springs AND just getting to spend so much time focused on each other as a family.

Worst moments: None! It was a great day.

 

[jaycns]

Tomorrow would be another day of fun...we would be headed over to Sea World. No...it's not Disney but it sure was fun! I will update more on that later. For now, it's time to sleep!

 

[TLinden16]

I want to go to Disney World with your family! It sure sounds like you all know how to have fun! You did some great eating. I agree that Teamboat Springs is really cool--so much fun. I can't wait to hear more.

Thanks for posting.

 

[averill94]

Can you adopt me ?

Wow what a wonderful trip. Your poor little guy and the burn. How upsetting.
I must say you guys have fantastic energy.
I cant imagine what the parks were like with those kinds of wait/o wait times.
As for going that time of year- do you home school? If so I might entertain the idea of home schooling........

Thank you!

 

[lisaross]

I'm enjoying reading this soooooooo much. I'm heading to Disney late August, also with DH, and two boys 4 & 6! Your boys really seem to hold up well.

Did you have a stroller for your little guys??

They seem to have done well - no crankiness??

i'll be checking back later to read more

lisa

 

[jaycns]

Can you adopt me ?

Wow what a wonderful trip. Your poor little guy and the burn. How upsetting.
I must say you guys have fantastic energy.
I cant imagine what the parks were like with those kinds of wait/o wait times.
As for going that time of year- do you home school? If so I might entertain the idea of home schooling........

Thank you!

Welcome to the familiy...and yes, we do home school. I cannot imagine the park with long waits. We were skipping "long" lines of 10-15 minutes. I hear during most times of the year that is a good wait time. ISH! I am not a patient person I guess!!

In a way it is actually very funny...my husband is very quick to point out that I spend WAY more time planning to avoid lines then I would ever actually have to spend in line. Hmm...that is something to think about BUT to me, Disney time is time away from business calls, laptops, homework, soccer, neighbors, 'extended family', friends, church, volunteer work, housework, yard work, etc. NOT that we don't love our "real" lives...but when we are at Disney everything else seems to melt away and we have so much fun together. Even my DH (who is by no means Disney crazy) is able to let go and have fun with our family just being together . It is rare that NOTHING else but magic/whimsy/entertainment/fun surrounds us. So...for us the energy and the fun and the happiness are hard to avoid. Disney just gives us a chance to come together in a special place. Take the people you love most, surround your self with fantasy, magic, adventure and beloved characters and I just dare you to have a bad day!!

**side note, I have seen people have a bad Disney day...and I always feel really sorry for them...what a bummer to have that magic stolen away or to squander it away yourself!!**

 

[jaycns]

I'm enjoying reading this soooooooo much. I'm heading to Disney late August, also with DH, and two boys 4 & 6! Your boys really seem to hold up well.

Did you have a stroller for your little guys??

They seem to have done well - no crankiness??

i'll be checking back later to read more

lisa

HAVE FUN on your Disney trip...

**AMENDMENT TO ALL PREVIOUS TRIP REPORTS** Yes, a stroller was present. I know it's a hot button with some people to bring strollers for kids that age (my youngest was 4) BUT we felt like our trip wouldn't go half as smoothly without one and for our family we were right. So yes, we had a stroller with us. It held all of the stuff we managed to haul in with us and pick up along the way. For us, it was a lifesaver more than once. Our youngest ds happily rode around for hours where as walking that same amount would have made him one cranky, worn out tired kid. Even "Goofy" (who turned 6 on vacation) took a few turns riding when he got very tired. Heck, the stroller even made it easier on "Aladdin" (who had just turned 9) and on dh and myself by being a great place to set stuff.

We will be bringing a stroller again on our next trip. Our youngest will be 5 BUT he is still "little" and although he runs for hours in the backyard, plays soccer, t-ball and one fast little guy he is not able to walk that far that many days in a row without some sort of break. Rather than head back to the room and have all of us sit around we would rather plop whoever needs the rest in the stroller and continue on.

All of that said, YES, my boys did get tired. You will notice that sit down meals were a big thing for us. Even our counter service meals were drawn out affairs. We didn't feel the need to retire to our resort everyday if we were able to fit in nice long sitting spells eating relaxing meals. We spent about 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours at tables eating every day. We didn't just plow in food that whole time but we took the time to stop and talk about what we were seeing/doing and what we wanted to do next.

Also, if my boys looked tired, we just plopped down on the nearest bench and had a water and some popcorn or a Mickey bar(DDP for free gave me the freedom to tell the boys YES way more than no) and people watch until they were ready to continue.

One last thing...I don't want to mislead people, my boys got just a cranky as the next child(maybe more) a time or two. When we were leaving the Magic Kingdom at midnight and the tram had stopped running and we had to hoof it back to our van there was not a happy camper to be found (my dh and I included). Our poor little guys were troopers but that didn't stop them from whimpering when it came to even more walking so late at night. We put our almost 6 yr. old on my husband's back, I piggy backed our youngest ds and our eldest hopped in the stroller. It was insane...but we knew they didn't have any more steam. We really pushed it that night. Like I mentioned in a previous trip report installment...our next stay will not be back at All Stars Movies or Animal Kingdom Lodge (our two current family favorites) but will be at monorail resorts! We learned the hard way about late night Disney transportation glitches!

I think that the lack of crankiness came from dh and I watching carefully for any signs of "too tired" and then finding a way to work in a long break (sit down meal, long show, bench, or once we even went back and took a 3 hour nap). Another thing was we pretty much took a minute or two to unwind and then went straight to bed each night vs. staying up and enjoying the pools/other activities at ASM. Also, I think it really helped that we had hiked a lot the previous summer as as family. The boys were in pretty good shape and used to being on the go a lot.

All of that said, if you just give yourself permission to stop and "smell the roses" and do only as much as your family can comfortably do you will be surprised by how much you end up getting done!

UP NEXT: Sea World, hello fishy fun!

 

[jaycns]

The troops:
DH- a "30 something" who although not a Disney lover by any means, loves us so he sallies forth into all things Disney for his family. If he had a favorite Disney character I am sure it would be Grumpy!

Me- another "30 something" but unlike my DH, I LOVE all things Disney. I have been addicted since I was a child and I am hoping my kids follow in my footsteps! Favorite Disney characters: Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Figment, Abu, Aladdin, Beast, Sebastian, Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck, the Toy Story Crew and more...

"Aladdin"- He had just turned 9 at the time of travel. He is my partner in Disney planning! He really does enjoy thinking about where we are going to eat, sleep and play months in advance (unlike his dad). His favorite Disney characters are: Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Hercules, Tigger, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch and Tigger.

"Goofy"-At travel time he was getting ready to celebrate his 6th birthday...which we did do Disney style (more details to come). His favorite Disney characters are: Squirt, Goofy, Pluto, Figment, Piglet, Winnie the Pooh and the Toy Story crew.

"Stitch"-Age 4 and 1/2 at trip time. Grumpy by nature, but also way cute and loveable...Stitch is not only a favorite character but the way of life he follows. Other favorite Disney characters: Crush, ALL THINGS TOY STORY, Donald Duck, Figment, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Goofy and Pluto.

The purpose of the trip? To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary AND our Goofy's 6th birthday. Also, it was what is fast becoming an annual trip and the first time we enjoyed Disney's dining plan for FREE!! The dates of our trip? September 4-September 14 2005.

September 10, Sea World: Yet another beautiful early morning!! Today we would all be venturing off property *yes we actually left the house of mouse and headed out to see Shamu*. If you hadn't guessed it...we are a Disney loving family, but Sea World is also very appealing. It's fun, interesting, educational and although it really lacks in some areas, it excels in others. I wouldn't go and spend 10 days at Sea World but throwing in one day every other vacation or two is fun for us.

Being as dh and I had spent a day at Discovery Cove earlier this week, our admission was free (or should I say already paid for in the DC fee) and we had pre bought Etickets on line and printed them out. So instead of having to wait at a ticket both we were able to breeze right on in. I say this, but I should note that even if we had needed to wait for tickets, again there were no lines to really speak of.

Upon entering the park we saw Shamu (the character not the real whale) and for the life of me I tried not to compare his costume to those at Disney and I was unable to...Shamu looked like a party store knock off. However, we weren't there to see characters. After letting me kids take a quick picture with Shamu we made our way to the Turtle Cove. "Stitch" is a turtleaholic!! He loves turtles the way I love Disney. Being as Turtle Talk with Crush was closed during our visit and the rest of the Living Seas (other than the Coral Reef...more on that later) he was going through turtle withdrawal. So, to make the day special for him we started with a visit to his favorites.

The turtles made him happy but we were quickly on our way past them and on to the Sting Ray Lagoon. We were just in time for the first feeding of the day...so we purchased some slimy fish and got busy feeding my favorite aquatic animal...the regal sting rays! At first the boys were a bit hesitant to stick their hands into the water with the cousins of Jaws...but apparently they still trust their parents and were talked into it. All three of them ended up loving it. The feeling of these great big giant mushrooms with soft velvety skin brushing up against you and sucking (really it almost feels like a small vacuum cleaner) the food right out of your hand is amazing. **It was even better to wade in and feel them glide right past your legs and around your body at Discovery Cove...but as for an animal feeding exhibit, the Sting Rays at Sea World are a whole lot of fun** The boys enjoyed it so much that instead of heading to the sinks to wash our hands, we went back over to the window to buy more fish and feed them again.

"Use soap, you were just holding a dead thing", how many times do you get to say that to your kids!!? Well, after repeating it several times and finally be satisfied with the results we headed off to touch even more dead fish at The Dolphin Cove. Feeding the dolphins was fun. Once again the boys got over the "ick" factor and held dead fish out over the water's edge to entice dolphins over. Upon throwing in the fish and patting the dolphins they were ready to once again use soap to combat the dead fish smell before we moved on. The dolphin area can become very crowded as the day goes on...so go to the first feeding session if at all possible (we learned that the hard way on a previous trip).

Just as we wrapped up feeding the Dolphins it was time for Blue Horizons show to start. It was sort of like a dream...well really I think that is what it was supposed to be, a dream with dolphins, whales and birds and aerial acts. It was a beautiful show. Dh thought it was a little "out there" but the boys were all happy enough to watch it and I enjoyed the human performers almost as much as I enjoyed the animal ones. I would put this on my must see list. Dh says he would as well...but also describes it as "weirdly different in a good way".

After seeing a dream come to life we headed over to see the manatees. My boys thought it was funny to "moo" at the manatees since they are also known as sea cows...nothing to loud...more like "hello Mooooonatee" . I thought it was really funny. "Goofy" had a little Squirt stuffed key chain that he had talked us into buying sometime over the past few days and he was "showing" Squirt the manatees (and holding him on top of the railing) when a preteen girl ran past us and knocked into him, knocking squirt into the manatee water...OH NO...they were feeding them lettuce at the time and I was sure that before we could let the keeper know one of the manatees would eat the thing and get really sick...Luckily, the keeper was right there feeding them so dh was able to get her attention and direct it to the floating stuffed Squirt which she netted up with no harm done. As we apologized profusely she told us not to worry about it...that we did the right thing in pointing out that something had dropped in and that you wouldn't believe how many people purposely throw things in or drop them in by mistake and then don't even mention it. She was even nice enough to give us a little plastic baggie to hold Squirt in until we were able to disinfect him in the washer. My ds felt really badly about almost hurting a manatee. In fact, after we returned home I overheard him telling a friend about our day at Sea World and he said "I almost killed a moooonatee" *note to self, explain to younger boys that "moooonatee" is just a silly thing that their older brother says and not the proper name of a manatee*. All in all, even with Squirt taking a swim we liked the manatee exhibit.

After leaving the manatees behind we walked over toward the Atlantis ride, a combination roller coaster/water ride. "Aladdin" begged me to go on it...so off we went while dh and the two younger sons headed over to one of those carnival type games where you shoot water at a target and the closer you hit to the bullseye the faster your marker moves up a pole. The prize for that carnival game was a stuffed animal. I think it was $3 per play and you had to have a minimum of 2 players to play. Well...by paying $6 (nobody else was around) my boys could race against each other and we were sure to get a stuffed animal that was as nice as some of them in the gift shops and priced a lot cheaper doing it that way as well! Those same stuffed animals sold for $10 to $15 a pop in the gift shops! The boys played 4 games with each of them winning two stuffed animals (and then we had to pull the plug on the game playing or we would have been outnumbered by stuffed creatures back in our hotel room).

Meanwhile "Aladdin" and I took a "Journey to Atlantis". This was a fun ride. A ride well worth riding. Both "Aladdin" and myself liked it so well that we did it again. This was one of those rides with a high "soak" potential. "Aladdin" and I were wearing sandals so it didn't really matter that our feet got wet. And I was smart enough (in my own mind...maybe this didn't really keep us any drier) to ask to sit in one of the middle rows (we were the only ones in our "boat"). Exiting our two rides we were damp in a few spots but not dripping wet anywhere. Upon rejoining the rest of the family and sharing our love of the ride, dh was so excited about our reviews that he had to go and ride it for himself. So "Aladdin" and dh went over and did it twice more. Now...dh was wearing tennis shoes and socks...he ASKED to be in the front row and he got soaked...From head to toe. When they got back it looked like they had taken a shower with their clothes on! For most of the rest of the morning dh's shoes would go "squish, squish" as he walked. But he thought that the Journey to Atlantis was so much fun that it was worth it.

Although "Aladdin", dh and I could have spent a good bit of time riding again and again it was time to head out since "Goofy" was too scared to ride and "Stitch" was too short. Also, it was time to see Clyde and Seamore take Pirate Island.

All of us were almost rolling with laughter during this show. I offer one free (yet important) piece of advice...watch out of the mime that is stationed up front as you enter the show area. He is SO funny...but if you are not careful you will be the butt of his joke as you enter the seating area (not ever in a mean way...it's just really funny, as you are walking in you have no idea why people are laughing, then you sit down and figure out it must have been at him and with you). This show is a must do for our family. It's funny. It's silly. It's wacky...it's an all around great way to get a good belly laugh going.

After the show we headed in to see the penguins at the Penguin Encounter. It was educational and a nice way to cool down. "Stitch" and "Goofy" loved the moving walkway. Dh took them through that part of the exhibit twice (you had to go all the way around) while "Aladdin" and I explored the rest of the informative displays.

Upon saying goodbye to the penguins we realized that we were all starving. So we went over to The Sharks Underwater Grill and left our name for a table. We were told the wait would be about 20 minutes. So we made a quick stop and fed the sea lions (lucky us, it was feeding time right as we walked into the area). We threw the fish at them (washed our hands of course) and walked quickly back to the shark area. We eyed the sharks in the outdoor tank while we waited the last few minutes for our table. Upon entering the restaurant we were impressed. To compare it to the Coral Reef would not do either restaurant justice. They are both restaurants with HUGE aquariums filling one wall. And that is really where the similarity ends. The feel of each restaurant is very different. But the niceness of one does not detract from the enjoyment of the other (at least for our family).

We had a very nice waitress and she kept bringing the boys little sketches she drew for them. The food was good and plentiful and the sharks swimming by were awesome. Our boys liked the fact that their drinks came in shark head beverage holders with the cups fitting into a very toothy mouth! We spent an hour and a half enjoying the atmosphere and our meal and we were sad to be done and have to leave. It was just a nice relaxing meal.


After our long lunch we went to see the show Odyessa. That was a great show. It sort of reminded me of a Cirque type show. Of course nothing is Cirque. But it had whimsy and acrobatics, special effects, music, comedy and circus like acts. If I had to pick one show I would pick Cirque BUT Odyessa is in a theme park and free with admission and is a great way to spend a bit of time while at Sea World. It was very entertaining.

After our two restful activities it was time for a bit more so we headed over to the Wild Arctic ride/exhibit. Dh has motion sickness on any sort of simulator ride so he and the two younger boys headed for the "non flight" entrance and said they would meet us inside. "Aladdin" and I chose to take a "helicopter" base station Wild Arctic. The ride was fun. Nothing amazing as far as motion simulator rides go...but a solidly fun ride and not overly jarring. The exhibit was even better than the ride itself. We loved the polar bears, walrus and beluga whales. We spent quite a bit of time watching the animals here.

Upon returning from the frozen arctic we made our way back to Shamu Stadium and saw the Shamu show (I cannot remember what it was called but it was great...our favorite show of the day as always). After exiting that amazing show we stopped to snap a few pictures with the killer whale statues and then we headed over to our last stop of the day, Shamu's Happy Harbor!!

We LOVE Shamu's Happy Harbor! First the boys and dh explored the nets and slides. After a while they were hot and it was time for some watery fun. We pulled off the boys' shirts and off they ran into the water play areas while dh and I sat in shade drinking bottled water and kept a watchful eye on them while being able to relax ourselves. We stayed until the park closed and then slowly made our way back to our van, buckled up and drove back under the "Welcome to WDW" signs.

Happy to be back we dropped our ever growing pile of trinkets back at our room and headed over to the food court to enjoy dinner. The best part of this meal was the ice cream dessert!! I got a Mickey Sundae (with a hot, fresh from the waffle iron, Mickey waffle), tons of nuts, hot fudge, extra cherries and whip cream *by request* on top. YUM!! My dh enjoyed his super huge bowl of ice cream. And of course, the boys loved their cones. After that treat we went back to the rooms (did I mention how great it was to have two connecting rooms...tons of space and two bathrooms) and snuggled up and watched a movie on the Disney channel before drifting off to have more Disney dreams!!

UP NEXT...MGM here we come!!

Today's Highlights: Just plain having a whole lot of fun all day long.
Today's Lowlights: None...had a great time!

 

[jaycns]

Loving your report. I still need to write mine from October. It's so fun to "relive" the magic, isn't it?

A trip report (for me) is magic in its own way! Writing this has helped me relive the magic of the past trip and get oh so excited I can barely stand it for the one to come!
Thanks for reading!

 

[Nee Nee and Biddy]

This is such a magical trip report! I can not wait to take my son to WDW...it sounds like you are all having so much fun. Anxiously awaiting more!

 

[Hoosier Mom]

You didn't mention anything about the heat. Was it unbearable? We are going this Sept also.

Great trip report!

 

[jaycns]

You didn't mention anything about the heat. Was it unbearable? We are going this Sept also.

Great trip report!

The heat is a factor...but we don't happen to be bothered by it. We live in the south and spend many long summer days outdoors. It's not quite the same as the muggy FL heat but it must help us be at least a little bit prepared.

We make double sure to keep hydrated and we make sure we have plenty of sunscreen on hand.

I know the heat really gets to some people. My sister and her family have to stop and rest between noon and four each day because they say it is just too hot. Another family we travel with sometimes ends up going back to the resort early every so often because the heat just "gets to them".

Florida in September is HOT and more than a bit muggy but for us it's just something to keep in mind so we stay hydrated and sun screened.

Have fun on your trip!!

 

[jaycns]

The troops:
DH- a "30 something" who although not a Disney lover by any means, loves us so he sallies forth into all things Disney for his family. If he had a favorite Disney character I am sure it would be Grumpy!

Me- another "30 something" but unlike my DH, I LOVE all things Disney. I have been addicted since I was a child and I am hoping my kids follow in my footsteps! Favorite Disney characters: Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Figment, Abu, Aladdin, Beast, Sebastian, Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck, the Toy Story Crew and more...

"Aladdin"- He had just turned 9 at the time of travel. He is my partner in Disney planning! He really does enjoy thinking about where we are going to eat, sleep and play months in advance (unlike his dad). His favorite Disney characters are: Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Hercules, Tigger, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch and Tigger.

"Goofy"-At travel time he was getting ready to celebrate his 6th birthday...which we did do Disney style (more details to come). His favorite Disney characters are: Squirt, Goofy, Pluto, Figment, Piglet, Winnie the Pooh and the Toy Story crew.

"Stitch"-Age 4 and 1/2 at trip time. Grumpy by nature, but also way cute and loveable...Stitch is not only a favorite character but the way of life he follows. Other favorite Disney characters: Crush, ALL THINGS TOY STORY (especially BUZZ), Donald Duck, Figment, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Goofy and Pluto.

The purpose of the trip? To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary AND our Goofy's 6th birthday. Also, it was what is fast becoming an annual trip and the first time we enjoyed Disney's dining plan for FREE!! The dates of our trip? September 4-September 14 2005.

September 11, MGM: Actually I got a bit confused *that has never happened before *. We did MGM yesterday Sept. 10 and did Sea World (the previous report) today. However, in order to not have to edit the dates/order of posts etc just pretend for me .

As we stood ready and waiting at the MGM rope drop I stood pondering the big blue Mickey hat. I actually LIKE that hat. I have heard others say it falls short...but I love the way that the stars/moon on it sparkle in the sunshine and at night. I like that vibrant color blue and I like using it as a backdrop for pictures. So I stood there wishing the hat private "hello I like you" kind of thoughts...does this make me a crazy person? No need to answer that one!! But I was in such a cheery mood and that day hadn't even really started yet.

Upon the rope drop we went straight to Star Tours . "Aladdin" is the biggest child Star Wars fan to grace the earth (along with most boys his age). He loves the ride. Some may think it is outdated (and he may very well think so as he grows older) but at 9 years old he felt like he just stepped into the movie and that was beyond exciting for him. Sadly, "Aladdin" and I were the only two from our family to brave the ride. Dh's middle name is Motion Sick...so he avoids motion simulators like the plague...with good reason. He kept the two younger boys busy by letting them climb on a pod racer and explore star wars store. "Aladdin" liked that store a whole lot too...he spent almost as much time in the store after the ride as we did riding. His eyes growing big as saucers at the thought of what he might buy he was able to resist the temptation. He had been saving his own money ever since our last Disney vacation seven months prior. He had done far more than his standard, you don't get paid to do these, chores. He had offered to help out on big projects. He had saved his birthday money. He was really focused on an Indiana Jones GI Joe figure he had seen back in Feb. that we told him we wouldn't spend our money on so he had better save up. I was impressed when "Aladdin" walked out of the Star Wars store without anything in order to keep his money intact in case he was lucky enough to run across that figure again.

After resisting temptation we walked on toward Muppet's 3-D and who should we see outside Al's Toy Barn but Jesse, Woody and Buzz. The boys were excited to see them again so we stopped for a quick photo op. "Stitch" still has his eyes on Buzz Lightyear in EVERY photo ever taken with him or even near him. Our "Stitch" loves Buzz so much that he cannot stop looking at him long enough to smile for the camera. This has been an ongoing thing for as long as "Stitch" knew Buzz. He even backs away from them rather than turn his back on Buzz when we have to walk away. And when he gave Jesse and Woody a hug he did it by backing up into them and reaching behind himself so that he was still facing Buzz! It's not fear but rather undying love and awe!! I know many other little Buzz Lightyear fans...but I think we are raising the biggest one out there! He picked up one of his older brothers Buzz Lightyear figures when he was about 7 months old and hasn't stopped being obsessed with him since (and he is now 5 years old). As a toddler, he thought he was Buzz Lightyear and took to trying to give me a heart attack by jumping off of any surface no matter how high and screaming "Tof inpinateeee and beyooonnn". I would have thought his absolute singular love for one character would fade over time...but it's still going strong!

Muppet's 3-D itself is pretty funny. It's nothing like Mickey's Philharmagic which shoots every other 3-D attraction out of the water but it's good in it's own way and the Muppet's store afterward brought back a lot of good memories of growing up being a "Muppet loving kid". I was really excited to see a few Fraggle Rock things. That is one show I would love to share with my boys and I hope it comes back on re-runs.

We thought we better go and pick up our fast pass for Lights, Motors, Action but upon our arrival in the area they told us that the crowds were so low that they were not going to distribute fast passes that day. On our way out of the area my boys spotted Kim Possible. I wasn't even sure that she was a character as we walked past her. She looked so "normal" but the boys were right and she was (she also had her side kick along whatever his name is) very nice to the boys. She chatted with them for a good while.

As we started to leave the area a very nice CM told us we might just want to wait another few minutes because the Power Rangers would be making an appearance. When the Power Rangers started to roll up in their car with theme music blasting, even we got a bit excited (and we are by no stretch of the imagination big Power Rangers fans) about their arrival. We quickly made it through the short lines to see each Power Ranger, posed for pictures and then headed off for some super sized fun.

The Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area was a lot of fun for all of the boys (dh included). They really got a kick out of feeling a few inches tall. I liked the dog's nose best of all!

After playing the boys wanted to see if Mickey was around and he was at the character greeting area on Mickey Ave. After snapping a few quick pictures we were off again.

We had our first new experience of the day. We did the Back Lot Tour. In the past we had skipped this one (our boys were young and we didn't know that it would be quite so interesting) in favor of exploring other parts of the park. Let me just say, we were missing out! This is such a funny/fun/informative attraction! We all loved it!! This will be added to our family's list of must do attractions at MGM for future visits!

Next was Lights, Motors, Action !! WOO HOO This was one good show...but a HOT one!! Take my advice BRING COLD LIQUID in with you! The water bottles we had grabbed right before walking in were MUCH needed. The heat coming back off of the stage and the hot Florida sun made this one hot seating area. However, heat aside, it was a fantastic show! It was exciting and had all of us on the edge of our seats (even me, the "non car" person). We throughly enjoyed this one and were ever so thankful for our bottled water!

After leaving the show we realized just how hungry we were. So we headed over to Pizza Planet. On past trips we had just played a few games in the arcade area in order to let our Toy Story loving sons see Pizza Planet but this time we thought we would go ahead and eat there. This turned out to be a not so great choice. The pizza was nothing we would want to ever eat again (but some others did look quite pleased with the food they were eating so it may have just been us). We all agree that next time Pizza Planet is best done as an arcade and not a restaurant.

After lunch we were treated to a surprise encounter with Mike and Sully of the Monsters Inc fame. We were walking right past their character greeting area (along with everyone else since it was totally empty) when a CM called us over. We went willingly over to chat (still not realizing it was a character greeting area) and then we saw them...in all his furry glory, Sully is just so cute!! I love Sully! He is so big and looked so real!! This was our first time seeing Mike or Sully "in person" and we were all excited and oh so happy about our "secret" visit with two of our favorite monsters! "Goofy" and "Stitch" approached with a sort of shy and curious look of wonder. They each (without seeing the other do it) held way out one finger tip to wisp through Sully's hair as if to check and see if he were real before stepping any closer. Then (again doing the same thing but not knowing the other was doing it) took that same finger tip and touched Mike. After doing this both of them broke out in HUGE grins and almost mauled Mike and Sully with love and hugs. For them...the monsters truly had just stepped out of the closet and come to life. That was an amazing thing to see!! Again, a precious moment I didn't even plan on and magic that I will never forget. Even "Aladdin" couldn't keep the smile off of his face! Our monster greeting was one of the most magical of the entire trip!!

After saying goodbye to our new friends from Monstropolis we headed over to The Great Movie Ride. This is always fun for our family. Dh loves the clips at the end. I love watching the boys try and figure out what is "real" and what is just part of the background. They LOVE how the figure joins the tour. They always cheer super loud when our tour guide returns! It's a great way to cool down on a hot afternoon. It has long been a "must do" ride for us.

The time was upon us to head down Mickey Avenue to some of our favorite attractions. Along the way we saw JoJo and Goliath and Donald Duck at their trailers. After snapping yet another quick batch of photos we continued on to One Man's Dream.

One Man's Dream enthralled "Aladdin"...who would have figured! But he wanted to stop and read every sign and watch every clip. He could have spent triple the time we allowed him in there. I could have spent more time as well...but the younger more antsy members of our family had way more than enough of the exhibit after about 10 minutes. To give "Aladdin" some more time dh (who had no interest in learning more about Walter E. Disney...SHAME on him) took the antsy ones out and got a Mickey bar and sat on a bench. All too soon they were done with that and it was time to pull ourselves out of One Man's Dream and move on to the Magic of Disney Animation.

We didn't have time to stay and draw with an animator afterwords because we needed to fit in the next showing of Voyage of the Little Mermaid if we wanted to see all of the shows we had on our "must see" list. So we skipped the drawing part (my all time favorite activity at MGM ) and went on to do a quick meet and greet with Chicken Little on our way out.

We made it just in time to see the show (we had sent dh to get us fast passes as soon as we made it to Mickey Ave.). So by using our them we were able to get right in. Once again a GREAT show. I love this one. I think it is right up with Mickey's Philharmagic. Depending on the mood I am in, I might even call it better!! I love the bubbles!!

Our plan was to go and see the final Play House Disney Live show for the day but I was still wishing I could have done the character drawing thing after the Magic of Animation attraction...so we split up. DH took the two youngest and saw Playhouse Disney and Aladdin" and myself went back to see Mushu again. We could have skipped it and just gone straight to the drawing area but he loves this show as well. Afterward we DID get to draw with an animator and drew a picture of Goofy. When it was over we got up and went straight back to the doors to be let in again. This time we drew Mickey Mouse. On our way out we bought our own "How to Draw Mickey and Friends" book and a set of colored pencils.

Once again, we almost missed an ADR (we get going and forget to keep an eye on time) . Our dinner ressie was for the Hollywood and Vine buffet. YUMMY peel and eat shrimp!! We thought it was a very good buffet. Everything was fresh and the food was hot (or cold depending on what it should be). Not one complaint did any of us have about it. In fact, we will be going back there this September. We really enjoyed this meal.

Then it was on to what "Aladdin" had been looking forward to all day, The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Actually all of us really like this show but "Aladdin" just knew he would be able to find that special Indiana Jones GI Joe figure here...and he did!! He looked so pleased and proud of himself as he handed the cashier his hard earned money and bought the much thought about figure. It's still a favorite of his. Just last week Indiana was saving some sort of treasure from some sort of evil guy when I walked past my son's room. Even more impressive than he still plays with it...he still has all of the little things that came with it. That is an impressive feat!!

From here we went on one last Star Tours ride and then headed over to get seats for Fantasmic. We had great seats. Center section about half way up. As we waited for Fantasmic to begin I used the fading light to add color to the Goofy picture I had sketched earlier in the day. "Aladdin" colored his in too. Our "Goofy" and "Stitch" drew there own pictures and dh just sat and relaxed after a long day of walking.

When the show started we were transported to an imaginary world. I always feel like I am part of the show rather than just an audience member. The effects are out of this world great and of course, having Mickey as the hero is always a bonus!! As the Steamboat Willie steered the tugboat of characters past I got a bit choked up. I didn't actually cry but I was just overtaken with happiness and so thankful that I was at WDW with the ones I love!!

End mushy interlude...we made it back to ASM just in time to "catch" our stuffed friends once again peeking out the window. **Mouse keeping you are amazing!!** This time we snapped a picture of it as "proof positive" that toys come to life at WDW.

Tomorrow was to be another long FUN day so we immediately showered and then crawled into bed.

Best Moment of the Day: Seeing the boys 'touch' Mike and Sully to see if they were really there or if they were seeing things. "Aladdin" finally getting his Indiana Jones GI Joe action figure. Fantasmic.

Worst Moment of the Day: Realizing we had once again missed the Stars in Motor Cars parade (we always do this...grrr...we have to stop that)

Up Next: Epcot...day 2.

 

[jaycns]

The troops:
DH- a "30 something" who although not a Disney lover by any means, loves us so he sallies forth into all things Disney for his family. If he had a favorite Disney character I am sure it would be Grumpy!

Me- another "30 something" but unlike my DH, I LOVE all things Disney. I have been addicted since I was a child and I am hoping my kids follow in my footsteps! Favorite Disney characters: Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Figment, Abu, Aladdin, Beast, Sebastian, Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck, the Toy Story Crew and more...

"Aladdin"- He had just turned 9 at the time of travel. He is my partner in Disney planning! He really does enjoy thinking about where we are going to eat, sleep and play months in advance (unlike his dad). His favorite Disney characters are: Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Hercules, Tigger, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch and Tigger.

"Goofy"-At travel time he was getting ready to celebrate his 6th birthday...which we did do Disney style (more details to come). His favorite Disney characters are: Squirt, Goofy, Pluto, Figment, Piglet, Winnie the Pooh and the Toy Story crew.

"Stitch"-Age 4 and 1/2 at trip time. Grumpy by nature, but also way cute and loveable...Stitch is not only a favorite character but the way of life he follows. Other favorite Disney characters: Crush, ALL THINGS TOY STORY (especially BUZZ), Donald Duck, Figment, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Goofy and Pluto.

The purpose of the trip? To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary AND our Goofy's 6th birthday. Also, it was what is fast becoming an annual trip and the first time we enjoyed Disney's dining plan for FREE!! The dates of our trip? September 4-September 14 2005.

September 12, Epcot *day 2*: Today (like every other day so far this vacation) dawned bright and beautiful! The skies had big fluffy white clouds that looked like spilled cotton balls. The sun was warm but not too hot (at least not early in the morning). And...best of all...a Disney park was calling!!

This morning was a bitter sweet morning. As I stood their drying my hair I came to a very sad realization...tomorrow would be our last full Disney day. That meant...today was our second to last full Disney day. Try as I might to live in the moment and enjoy every second that was sort of a bummer. We are never ready to leave. Yes, once we do leave we are happy to get home but we never have found an easy way to take that step.

Although this morning was bitter sweet, it was still sweet...I was at Disney. I was surrounded by my family. I had two full days left to do anything and everything we had been planning for months and we were heading to Epcot. Epcot, oh Epcot, how I do love Epcot!!

Pushing all of those feelings aside I finished getting ready, made sure my kids had ingested something at least half way good for them and made for the van. This may be a good time to add something...if I were the one who had to drive we NEVER would have taken our own transportation anywhere. DH is like a walking GPS system. To me, Disney is confusing...then again, it's confusing just about anywhere I haven't been at least a dozen times .

Pulling up to Epcot, we looked at each other and promised that we wouldn't miss Illuminations and we would make sure we got to ride Spaceship Earth.

We started out this morning much like the last. Test Track first. Three times in a row .

Next up? Soarin' of course!! This ride was still awesome and my dh pronounced it his favorite ride of the trip. I wonder how long it will be until they have a Soarin' themed gift shop. My boys would have liked to have a hang glider toy to play with. Or a little aviator Mickey. *hint hint * After riding Soarin' we hopped over and saw the Circle of Life show.

Then it was on to the always enjoyable Journey Into Imagination with Figment. After exiting the Figment ride we spent about 45 minutes in the Kodak What If Labs. ImageWorks is a whole lot of fun. Our three little professors (a.k.a. our dear little sons) were chosen to help out in the digital camera demonstration where they were given the "Inventor(s) of the Year" award. All three of them didn't mind cheesin' it up for the picture! I love how Disney actually gives you the photo for free!! Who says that Disney doesn't do anything for free?

It was in this gift shop that I had seen the "crystal" photo cubes that I so desperately wanted, once again I took my time thinking about it but passed it up. And once again, I now make the promise to myself NOT to pass it up again. I would love to have that remembrance of some of happy Disney times for always. *I will buy it next time. I will buy it next time.*

After one last ride on Soarin' we headed over for lunch at the Coral Reef. We didn't use our Disney Dining Plan for this meal. It would have cost us two credits (although it is now priced at the more reasonable fee of one credit so we are looking forward to using our DDP credits there this coming September) so we chose to pay out of pocket (we had one sit down meal too many in our plans anyway). Some may say that the Coral Reef is a let down...but not for our family. It is one of our very top choices in all of WDW. It's so RELAXING. So calming. So "worlds away" from the hustle and bustle of the park. "Stitch" is a huge turtle fan. All of us like turtles...but he is just crazy about them. Being as the rest of the Living Sea pavilion was closed this is as close as we would get this trip to "finding Nemo" (and his aquatic friends). We always have a competition to see who can spot the sea turtle in the tank first. This time it was "Goofy". I had the most delicious shrimp cocktail EVER. Hands down the best I have ever had. And I am a shrimp lover. I try to eat it at every opportunity. For lunch I had TWO orders of the shrimp cocktail. HUGE shrimp so fresh and so delicious. YUM!! I also had about 1/4 of my dh's steak and some very good bread. I have seen posts about what bad service or bad food others have had at the Coral Reef...but we have never had anything less than a GREAT experience here. Just sitting here typing this report makes my mouth water!!

After lunch it was time for us to make our way over to the World Showcase. Since we had explored Norway and Mexico in depth on our previous Epcot day we started our trip around the world on the other side. We took a few quick snapshots in the Canada area and continued on to England.

England is such a beautiful area. The fountains make for a great photo op as does the red phone booth. My boys always like to pile in the phone booth and have their picture taken. While we were stopped for a potty break "Stitch" made fast friends with a CM who was sweeping the fountain area. "Stitch" is not usually a singing kind of kid but he sang "Immmmaaaaaginnnaaaaaaation" (the song from the Figment ride) with the CM. "Stitch" also told him about how Figment was the best dragon ever...this inspired the CM to take a figment pin off of his lanyard and GIVE it to my son (we had long since traded away all of our pins we were willing to part with so we left our pins packed up back at the resort). "Stitch" jumped up and gave this CM a HUGE hug! I wish I would have thought to get a picture of this CM. He really made my son's day. For the rest of the day "Stitch" was on the look for him. Sadly, we never saw him again.

France was next up on our tour of the nations. We didn't spend much time exploring as we had spent quite a bit of time here on our last Disney trip. However, we did stop and have our picture taken with Belle and Beast. The Beast costume is one of the most realistic (him and Sully). "Aladdin" asked Belle what book she was currently reading...for just a split second she almost broke out of character and started to laugh when he said "Of course you will have read it already and be rereading it, but what is it anyway, I need a book to read on the drive home." He got that whole sentence out in one quick spurt and then stood there very seriously waiting for an answer. When she saw he was really waiting for an answer she thought quick on her feet and told him she was reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Next up? Morocco. Here we spent a good bit of time poking around all of in all of the nooks and crannies. We all thought that the museum exhibit was awesome. Such beautiful artistry! I think we snapped enough pictures in here to fill a few scrapbook pages and then some. We also stopped to try on a fez or two. We saw Genie and Aladdin and talked with some interesting CMs who taught our sons how to say hello and thank you in their native tongue. We also purchased our very own magic lamp ...but it must be broken...we have yet to have a genie pop out! Our little "Aladdin" had so much fun in the land of the real one!!

Japan was a world that we really enjoyed. First we took a look at the collection of tin toys. I love looking at tin toys. I don't collect them...but I can sure see why someone would. My boys loved seeing the Disney ones.

Next we saw Miyuki make some of her works of edible art. All three boys were lucky enough to be picked to receive an candy animal. "Aladdin" chose a tiger. It was amazing to watch her bring the tiger to life from a taffy like blob. She was so good at what she did and the details were amazing. "Goofy" chose a bear. "Stitch" chose a kangaroo and she even made a tiny joey for her pouch! Watching her swirl the colors, snip off the smallest of pieces and form something beautiful from nothing was something I could have stood a good part of the day doing. However, her show was over before we knew it and it was time to do some more exploring. The answer to what a tiger, a bear and a kangaroo have in common is Miyuki's magic hands of course!

We went into the store right behind where Miyuki was set up. In the store we found the tastiest little treat...rice candy wrapped in edible wrappers. It was SO tasty. I sure wish we had bought more than one box!!

The good ol' US of A was next on our tour...we had to hustle to make it to the next showing of the American Adventure. After that show (always good) we grabbed a funnel cake (sadly not on the dining plan but oh so worth it) and sat for a bit just taking in the sights and sounds, people watching and loving our funnel cake. YUM "Aladdin" also got a small reproduction of the Liberty bell with the last of his hard earned and long saved money.

Italy was another place where we marveled at the buildings! They were just beautiful! It seemed they were shimmering in the sun. After a few pictures and a cannoli we moved along to Germany.

In Germany we got the boys some cookies and took a look at the mini trains. Of course these were a hit with the boys (and their dad as well). We didn't have any time to dally here. We wanted to see the acrobats in China and only had a few minutes to make it over...

The acrobats were worth the hustle!! Those kids are amazing! They were so flexible and had such great balance! If I tried to do anything they did I would end up flat on my rear or maybe even in a hospital bed!! We all rated this high for entertainment value.

Norway was next. We took a quick ride on Maelstorm (two actually) and then headed over to the Mexico pavilion.

We had dinner plans to eat at the San Angel Inn. We were excited about eating under an indoor "starry sky" and watching El Rio Del Tiempo pass by. We also had high hopes for a great meal. Sadly, we didn't have a great experience. And from the sounds/looks of other diners, few were very impressed with the food. I would not return here for a full meal...but the setting was beautiful so I would consider stopping in for dessert if I were pressed to do so.

After our very late dinner it was about 30 minutes until Illuminations was to start. Although we had plans to stay and watch this great show...we were all starting to feel VERY tired. So...we started to head back to the front of the park and make our way back to our van and then on to ASM.

As we made our way back to the front we passed over the sidewalk with the lights imbedded...all three boys took a few minutes to marvel in that and to get down and try and figure out just how they did that.

Have you noticed something we forgot? That's right...Spaceship Earth. But...lucky for us...it was still running when we made our way out of the park. So we got to ride!! WOO HOO I really love this ride. The lights, the music, the smell of the burning ruins. The inspirational tone. Just a great ride. All of the kids love this one too. We enjoyed it so much we rode it TWO times in a row with the last time being right at closing time.

We half way thought about turning around and heading back to Illuminations. The park was not crowded so we could have gotten a walk up spot from which to watch the show...but in the end, our tired feet/heavy eyes won out and we just made our way out of the park.

Back at ASM we once again found our little critters posed in the window. We loved seeing what antics our toys had been up to each time we returned to our room. For our kids (and even us big kids too) this really did prove the happiest way to end a day!

Wake up call set, kids freshly showered and the camera battery plugged in to recharge we ended up the day with sleepy smiles on our faces.

Best Moment of the Day: Realizing that Spaceship Earth was still open after most other attractions in Future World had closed and FINALLY getting to ride it. Soarin' (again). Miyuki's candy animals. The CM who sang with "Stitch" and gave him a Figment pin.

Worst Moment of the Day: Waking up and realizing that today was the day before our last Disney day. Dinner at the San Angel Inn.

 

[jaycns]

Up next? Our last full Disney day....back to the Magic Kingdom we go!!

 

[jaycns]

This is such a magical trip report! I can not wait to take my son to WDW...it sounds like you are all having so much fun. Anxiously awaiting more!

Have you had your little one yet? If so, congrats. If not...good luck!

Taking your child to Disney is just the most magical special thing I can think of. Everything you love about Disney will be fresh and new and even more magical (I promise it is possible) when you see the little eyes you love oh so much sparkling with glee and wonder!

Thanks for reading!

 

[jaycns]

Enjoyed reading your report ~ Thanx for sharing.

You are welcome...I think I should thank the DIS boards and you all for giving me a place to do this. I am having a ton of fun writing my trip report. It's just a few steps away from doing it all again! I can smell the smells and almost feel the hot humid air as I write it! It's a great way to think about all of the fun we had on the trip and of course, all of the fun that is yet to come on future trips!!

 

[jaycns]

The troops:
DH- a "30 something" who although not a Disney lover by any means, loves us so he sallies forth into all things Disney for his family. If he had a favorite Disney character I am sure it would be Grumpy!

Me- another "30 something" but unlike my DH, I LOVE all things Disney. I have been addicted since I was a child and I am hoping my kids follow in my footsteps! Favorite Disney characters: Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Figment, Abu, Aladdin, Beast, Sebastian, Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck, the Toy Story Crew and more...

"Aladdin"- He had just turned 9 at the time of travel. He is my partner in Disney planning! He really does enjoy thinking about where we are going to eat, sleep and play months in advance (unlike his dad). His favorite Disney characters are: Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Hercules, Tigger, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch and Tigger.

"Goofy"-At travel time he was getting ready to celebrate his 6th birthday...which we did do Disney style (more details to come). His favorite Disney characters are: Squirt, Goofy, Pluto, Figment, Piglet, Winnie the Pooh and the Toy Story crew.

"Stitch"-Age 4 and 1/2 at trip time. Grumpy by nature, but also way cute and loveable...Stitch is not only a favorite character but the way of life he follows. Other favorite Disney characters: Crush, ALL THINGS TOY STORY especially BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, Donald Duck, Figment, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Goofy and Pluto.

The purpose of the trip? To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary AND our Goofy's 6th birthday. Also, it was what is fast becoming an annual trip and the first time we enjoyed Disney's dining plan for FREE!! The dates of our trip? September 4-September 14 2005.

September 13, Magic Kingdom....the last full day /DS2's birthday :

This would be our very last full day at the happiest place on earth...I can tell you one thing...just knowing that tomorrow you have to leave puts quite a damper on things...however, I didn't linger over that thought because it was back to where I feel in love with Disney World as a child, back to my favorite ride, back to the heart of the magic...back to the Magic Kingdom. Today we left a little bit earlier than usual. We didn't mean to...just everyone bounded out of bed like a jackrabbit running from a coyote. By the time we pulled up the the Magic Kingdom (or rather way out in it's parking lots) it was about 7:55 AM. SO...for once we just strolled on over to the front gates and took our time clearing the bag check and heading over to the rope drop.

Since we had driven over, our boys got to experience what the tram drivers do for fun when only one family is aboard...make jokes, laugh with you and make good conversation with you. By the time we got off of the tram the driver's knew our favorite characters, our favorite rides and that today was sadly the last full day of our vacation.

Never before had riding the tram been such a fun thing. But this time, it was tons of fun. Just goes to show you that waking up insanely early is worth something!

"Goofy" and dh secured an "it's my birthday pin". Today "Goofy" was 6 years old. OFF TOPIC...but all of my kid's were "miracle babies", tons of complications, scary MONTHS full of tests and bed rest and more tests and nail biting and misery. BUT they are gifts...each of them. And each birthday I feel so humbled to get to be lucky enough and blessed enough to be the mom of three real little princes. To spend this happiest of days in the happiest of places had both "Goofy" and myself over the moon!! Back on topic...

We plunked down on a bench and had a nice breakfast right outside of breakfast bars, apples and water. It was fun to be so close and know that "so soon" we would be inside and living the magic. The time passed really quickly with all of us taking turns talking about what the best parts of the trip had been for each of us so far. We ended up snapping a lot of silly pictures of ourselves making funny faces (goodness knows why we did this...but it was fun and those walking past us must have had a great laugh).

After waiting the duration out it was time for the park to open. WOO HOO Once again that bittersweet feeling crept over me as I put my ticket in the turnstyle...this would be the last time I would be doing this for quite a while.

But, in we went and this time it was again Fantasyland first. We rode all of our favorites and then headed over to the mountains and again with less than five minute waits just rode them over and over and over again...until it got to the point where either we stopped or we would spend the rest of the day walking slightly off kilter. Splash M is really just so magical. We love it. The characters are so funny. The animatronics are awesome. The water drops are great (my favorite is the dark drop). And the music is next to none (although the COP does compete).

We do a quick detour to ride POTC and the HM. We liked the ghouls so much we did the HM again. Then we started to cut across Fantasyland toward Tomorrowland. Who should be about to appear but Merlin? So...we stay for the show and I am ever so glad we did...

"Goofy" was chosen to pull the sword from the stone and made temporary ruler of the realm. It was hilarious to watch the big strong man try before him and fail. When Merlin picked him, "Goofy" gave me a quick look of fear that he would fail before I whispered (Merlin always knows which kids can do it...go on). "Goofy" took me at my word and joined Merlin near the stone...a few magic motions and words from Merlin and "Goofy" gave a mighty tug and the sword rose half way out of the stone!! For his accomplishment he was made Temporary Ruler of the Realm. He got to wear a crown and have the previous sword "non puller" (the really burly looking man) hold his royal cape as he paraded for the audience. He had to give the cape and the crown back BUT he got a really neat medal on a purple ribbon that he wore around his neck for the entire rest of the day and all of the next few days as well. He was also given a scroll proclaiming him the temporary ruler of the realm (which is now hanging framed in his bedroom).

Being the crazy woman that I am (hey, at least I admit it ) I had to get down and pick up all of the confetti and feathers that had been thrown during Merlin's show while DH snapped some pictures of "Goofy" and Merlin together. In my own defense, I scrapbook...enough said!

With our royal highness in tow (and looking EVER so proud of himself) we embarked on our royal journey to Tommorrowland. We spent the rest of the morning riding every ride there over and over again (except Stitch which is NOT the type of thing I would willingly ever make myself do again).

Two of the most underrated rides are in Tommorrowland...COP and TTA. All of us LOVE to sing "It's a great big beautiful tomorrow starting every single day..." . Some may say that ride is outdated but I think it's wonderful! My boys think it's wonderful and even the hard to please (at least as far as all things Disney) dh enjoys it. TTA is fun way to relax and take it all in and to get some great birds eye pictures.

Space Mountain was fun. It's a good ride...but I like the other two mountains more. However, "Goofy" was finally convinced that he should at least give it a try. So...while dh and "Stitch" went on Buzz the two oldest boys and myself headed over to Space M. This time the CM loading the ride spotted "Goofy's" medal and made a big deal out of it for him. She called him "your highness" and asked him if he would like a double ride...OF COURSE he said yes...and off we sped for another ride around the universe! Then as we pulled back in the same CM said "Oh your highness, I didn't realize it was your birthday" and with his royal permission once again attained we rocketed off for yet another ride through the universe. TRIPLE SPACE MOUNTAIN!! WOO HOO!! WOO HOO!! *note very LIGHT lines...in fact once you walked without wait to the front you had mere minutes to wait...less than 3 or 4 before boarding. Light lines made us feel better about getting to stay on for two extra trips*

Just about this time our stomachs let us know that it was time to seek refreshment. We made our way over to Cosmic Ray's and got some DELICIOUS food. We LOVE the food there. It's tasty...and the mushrooms on the topping bar make the burgers the best in WDW . YUMMY! "Goofy" played the royalty card here as well (well, he didn't actually do anything other than walk with me to order but that medal sure did do some magic). The register CM told him to pick out a dessert for free...he was in seventh heaven!! Our royal birthday boy!!


After lunch it was time for another ride on Splash Since we all loved it so much we figured it was okay to ride it more than all of the other rides combined.

After this it was time to head over to Tom Sawyer's Island. We had fun chasing the kids around at the fort and exploring the caves and especially walking on the wobbly bridge. I got plum tuckered out (you say things like that on Tom Sawyer's Island) so I grabbed a rocking chair on the dock directly across from BTMRR and rocked away a good half an hour while the boys (dh included) explored the island even more. This time rocking was one of my favorite of the entire trip. It was time to reflect on the fun we had and to cement the precious moments in my brain before time started to wash them away. I could have happily spent twice as long here but the boys (dh included) were chomping at the bit (another phrase you can use on the island ) to get back to the other side of the water...

Once took advantage of parade time to ride the rides in Fantasyland once again with little or no wait. Then it was time to SLOW down and sit for a bit while the boys had a Mickey Bar and mom and dad shared some popcorn . Refreshed we headed over to Toontown to let the boys frolic (and frolic is just what they did) at Donald's Boat. After a quick change of clothes (two points for being the parents that planned ahead) we did Goofy's Barnstormer...which had always been a hoot for all of the boys in the past but in comparison with the "big rides" they had been on this vacation was no longer a biggie. It was still fun and we rode it twice but I don't think we will ever again wait in any sort of line for this one. It's sad that they have outgrown this stage but it's oh so fun in too many other ways for me to stay sad about that for long!!

On our way over to the Crystal Palace for dinner we cut through Tommorrowland in order to have another go at the Buzz Lightyear Ride. We have this big time competition going...until this trip I didn't even have a chance. DH outscored me BIG TIME every time. But with the "secret" hints and tips I came across here on the DIS boards I was able to hold my own against him!! How's that for something useful coming out of spending hours pouring over a message board before you feel "ready" to leave for vacation?!

To the Crystal Palace our royal party headed...Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger awaited us...what a fun character meal...and "Goofy" really enjoyed the birthday cupcake. And all of the boys enjoyed parading with the characters around the restaurant.

After dinner we took it easy and did a very few of our favorite rides again. Then sadly, it was almost time to go...so we headed over to Toontown for another night of dancing...Well, dancing there was...but also tons of other kids. So on this night we skipped the dancing and headed over for one final ride on the TTA and then it was time to find a seat for the fireworks. We plunked down near the entrance to Tommorrowland and awaited the "big bangs" as our youngest son calls them.

When the fireworks were over...we didn't move. Just sat quietly against the building and watched others walk by. It was sad but in a very good way. It was our final night so we eventually did get up and make our way to the stores on Main Street. WHAT A ZOO...this was the most crowded portion of our entire trip!! So after peeking in a few stores we quickly skipped this idea and headed out to our parked vehicle.

Three tired kids and a whole lot of trying to keep up with all that we had managed to buy during the day made me a bit lax on watching what I was doing. I promptly set down my purse (with my camera and ALL of the photos we had taken on it's memory stick AND all of our Photo pass cards in it) and a wallet still brimming with money (we had used our keys to the world instead of cash almost everywhere) and of course...there was that camera **new for this trip and worth a whole lot more then I would like to admit**. I didn't realize it until about midnight that night after we had settled the kids and I was ready to take a quick peek at the photos from the day. We called down to the front desk who told us where the central lost and found was and told us what time they were open the next day. SO...this night ended up being a nail biter for me. I had nobody to blame but myself. If we had lost all of the pictures (and that is what bothered me a hundred times more than losing the camera or the money) I was the one who had been so careless .

On that sad note I crawled into bed and almost cried myself to sleep...but it was my little Goofy's birthday and I had him and my other two awesome sons...I had just spent the most wonderful vacation with the most wonderful family in the most wonderful place and I was NOT going to cry over spilled milk (or even lost pictures). So semi sad, I retired to a world of dreams...where I wasn't so scatterbrained as to lose my purse and our Disney vacation was NOT at an end but only just started!!

Best Moment of the Day: Being with "Goofy" on his birthday at MK. "Goofy" pulling the sword from the stone (and the look of disbelief on his face when he did). TRIPLE Space Mountain ride. The morning tram ride...it really was that much fun! Rocking on the dock on Tom Sawyer's Island and thinking of all of the happiness that this one vacation had held.

Worst Moment of the Day: Losing my purse (and all it held). The crowded shops of Main Street. BEING OUR LAST FULL DISNEY DAY .

UP NEXT...Would my purse be turned in? Would we actually leave Disney without being forced off property? These questions and others answered in my next post!