Cast of Characters: Mom (55), Dad (56), Brother-in-Law (BIL, 36), Sister (34), Aunt (me, 31), Niece (3 1/2), Nephew (13 months), Friend Mom (34), Friend Dad (34) and Friend Son (3 1/2).
Plan: Dad, BIL, Sis, Niece and I will head to the Magic Kingdom to arrive prior to 9 AM opening (Tuesday, 5/4). Mom and Nephew will stay home in the morning, but may join the group in the afternoon. Someone will take Niece home for afternoon nap and swim and group will re-unite in the evening for parade and fireworks if Niece is up for it. May try to meet up with the Friends who are in town for Friend Mom conference.
Actual: Everyone was up early at our beautiful three bedroom villa at Marriott Grande Vista. Despite this, get a later than planned start, leaving at 8:30. As planned, Dad, BIL, Sis, Niece and I take off, leaving Mom and Nephew to play and swim at condo. Nephew is teething and very cranky but Mom insists it will be fun for her to stay home with him. Avoid I-4 and take International Dr. to the Disney roads leading to the Magic Kingdom. Have purchased admission in advance so we are off the tram, over the monorail and through the front gates at 9:05.
Park appears very crowded at entry and people are jammed up along Main Street. Glad we brought our own stroller. This is the only night during our stay that SpectroMagic will be occurring (and it was also rainy the day before and today is low '80s, low humidity and sunny) so we were expecting the crowd. Soak in some atmosphere as we head for Fantasyland. Dumbo wait is already 20 minutes so we decide we better hop on before line increases further. Niece greatly enjoys. Posted wait for Winnie is 15 minutes so we go ahead and get in line and send BIL ahead as a scout for Peter Pan fastpasses (posted wait there is 25 minutes).
We all ride Winnie. Niece likes it but isn't as into it as I expected since she knows and loves all the Winnie characters. It was a little hard to hear the story and I'm not sure she was following. After Winnie Sis tries to call the Friends and BIL gets a snack while Dad takes Niece on Cinderella's Carousel and I plot out our next steps. Wait for Carousel is brief and we are all quickly re-united. It's time for our Peter Pan fastpasses so we grab PhilharMagic fastpasses before we ride PP. I enjoyed Peter Pan, but no one else in our group really did. Much of it was too dark and low for Niece to really catch and Dad couldn't hear the story.
It's now 11:00 so we head over to see the 11:10 showing of Storytime with Belle (using cut through by the castle from Fantasyland). It's quite crowded when we get there so I take Niece in while rest of groups rests/gets drinks/meets up with Friend Dad and Friend Son). In retrospect should have sat niece on the wall right in front of the stage and she might have been picked to be in the show. No one was sitting there yet when we got there and I didn't realize it was allowed. Instead, sat on low wall at back of amphitheater and let Niece use me as a barcolounger which she really enjoyed. Niece wasn't totally familiar with the story, but she seemed to really enjoy the show and it was a nice, shady, sit down break after a series of rides.
Back to Fantasyland for PhilharMagic. Friend Dad and Friend Son got their own fastpasses before meeting up with us (generally hate cell phones, but loved being able to coordinate with them this way). We have a few minutes to kill before their FP time so adults enjoy a band strolling through Fantasyland while Niece and Friend Son play in a puddle and chase each other. These two love each other and do a great job keeping each other entertained in lines.
PhilharMagic turns out to be a highlight of the trip. The 3-D movie is enjoyed by all ages and watching the kids trying to catch the objects coming towards them is charming. There is a special surprise involving a pie that we all liked. I had read that this show could be scary to some small children, but our two were fine and loved it.
It's now shortly after noon. Crowds have been heavier than last time we visited in May (2002) so it's taken us all morning just to do Fantasyland, but we still didn't wait more than 20 minutes for anything, in part due to our fastpass strategy. Decide on Cosmic Ray's for lunch. Good choice for our group of 7 as half opt for rotisserie chicken and half have top-your-own burgers. We're able to easily get a table when we arrive, but it is much busier by the time we leave. Music show keeps the kids entertained and allows the adults to talk a bit during lunch.
We decide to hit Toontown next as crowds are buidling quickly. Go through Mickey's house, but don't get in line to meet him. Friend Son is scared of all characters. Niece likes the characters, but isn't interested enough to wait in lines to see them. Next we let the kids burn off some energy running around Donald's playground. Unfortunately his boat is closed for refurbishment. On the subject of refurbishment, there was a lot more going on than when I've ever been there before, both at the MK and MGM (didn't go to Epcot).
After playground I take Niece on Goofy's Barnstormer along with Friend Dad and Friend Son while Dad and Sis wait for Friend Mom who has just been released from her conference for the day. Wait is about 20 minutes. Niece is very excited the whole time and is not scared by the roller coaster passing over our heads every couple of minutes. Afterwards she says she wasn't scared but "didn't like when it went sideways". Even though she really wanted to go, in retrospect I think she was a little young for this. Would probably be perfect for 5-7 year old.
BIL took Niece through Minnie's House, then we decided to split up (around 2:30). Dad, BIL and Niece headed back to the condo for nap/swim. Niece loves to swim and Dad wanted to give Mom a break if Nephew had remained cranky and refused to nap. The Friends were maybe going to hit one or two more rides then head back to their room (at Swan) for a nap. Plan was to meet up again at 6:00 if the kids seemed energetic enough to come back, otherwise to communicate via cell phone.
Now it's just me and Sis at the park. A big treat as we usually have Niece and Nephew with us. Love seeing the kids' reactions to things, but it's also nice to dart quickly around the park without strollers and to go to some of the more adult attractions. We plan to stay straight through to closing. Have come to realize that the fact that it's cooler with low humidity makes a huge difference in how tired you feel. Don't think I could do this in the summer.
Although we feel solid to stay at the park until the evening parade, we are a bit tired at this point so we head to Tomorrowland. Grab Buzz Lightyear fastpasses and then go for a relaxing spin around the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Next we're pleasantly surprised to find the Carousel of Progress operating and we hop in just in time for the next show. We ride Buzz Lightyear (I beat Sis), then head to Adventureland.
Line for Pirates is about 20 minutes so we go ahead an queue up. Still love that one, but it definitely would have been too scary for Niece. Next we head to Liberty Square and grab fastpasses for the Haunted Mansion (posted wait is 35 mins.). Stop for a snack break from a vendor cart before catching the Hall of Presidents. Show has been updated from what I remember and I absolutely loved it. Another highlight of the day. Time now for Haunted Mansion, another classic.
It's 6:00 so we meet up with Dad, BIL, Niece and the Friends. Per Dad, Mom and Nephew are having a great day and have decided to just stay home. Niece seems tired, but BIL insists that she really wanted to come back. Since BIL and Friend Dad have been on duty quite a bit, we decide to release them to do some adult stuff while we take the kids. They run off discussing rides. We take the kids to Adventureland and get in line for the Magic Carpets. Kids entertain each other in the 20 minute line. Friend Mom is 4 months pregnant, but this ride is fine. Kids like it, especially Friend Son who hasn't been on Dumbo yet.
Next we head to Swiss Family treehouse which Friends had taken Son to earlier and he loved. Rest of group, including Niece does not really care for this attraction. Really just a lot of steps and Niece does not get into the sights. We've checked the Jungle Cruise a few times, but the waits were always long and the FP return times were during nap/swim time. Now wait is 35 minutes and fastpasses are all gone so we decide to skip it.
Decide to cruise by the Country Bear Jamboree and are pleased to see that the show is starting in less than five minutes. Friend Son is very scared by the whole bear concept but is finally convinced that these are like teddy bears and is willing to give it a try. Niece enjoys the show, Friend Son falls asleep and adults don't really get into it, but enjoy relaxing.
Time to meet up with the guys again. People are already lining up for SpectroMagic as we walk to meet them around 7:30. We've agreed to meet at the Walt Disney statue in front of the castle. We're able to grab bench spaces and decide we'll just park here for the parade and fireworks (8:30 and 9:30, respectively). Standing on the benches, you're separated from the parade by some low landscaping, but it's still a great view and terrific for the fireworks.
Men arrive a bit late. Turns out they were not on Space Mountain or Big Thunder as we supposed, but rather took the monorail to the Grand Floridian for some libations. We had previously decided not to have dinner as everyone had snacked in the afternoon and we thought we'd just snack some more while waiting for the parade. The adults took turns getting snacks and entertaining the kids. Friend Son stayed asleep in his stroller for the most part. Niece was tired but not cranky so easily entertained. Snack places were all packed around Main Street and central hub so we ended up grabbing stuff in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland which were easy walks (if you knew where to find the parade cross walks!).
SpectroMagic was awesome! Every single member of our group absolutely loved it and agreed it was well worth the wait (which was actually quite painless with our snacks and bench seats). After the parade, Friend Son was exhausted and BIL and Sis knew Niece would be scared of the fireworks noise, so they all headed for the exit, planning to catch the fireworks en route to cars/home. Dad and I stayed another 30 minutes waiting for the parade. It had cooled into the low '60s and I was getting quite cold, but you couldn't have torn me away. Tinkerbell's flight was literally right in front of us and Wishes was among the best fireworks I have ever seen. It's a full-fledged show with storyline, music and images projected on the castle.
Dad can be very impatient and I was quite concerned about him handling getting all the way down Main Street from the castle, onto the monorail, onto a tram and out of the parking lot right at closing time. Although it was crowded, each of these could not have gone more smoothly and we were out of the lot less than 30 minutes after the firewords ended.
All in all, one Magical Gathering at the Magic Kingdom!
Plan: Dad, BIL, Sis, Niece and I will head to the Magic Kingdom to arrive prior to 9 AM opening (Tuesday, 5/4). Mom and Nephew will stay home in the morning, but may join the group in the afternoon. Someone will take Niece home for afternoon nap and swim and group will re-unite in the evening for parade and fireworks if Niece is up for it. May try to meet up with the Friends who are in town for Friend Mom conference.
Actual: Everyone was up early at our beautiful three bedroom villa at Marriott Grande Vista. Despite this, get a later than planned start, leaving at 8:30. As planned, Dad, BIL, Sis, Niece and I take off, leaving Mom and Nephew to play and swim at condo. Nephew is teething and very cranky but Mom insists it will be fun for her to stay home with him. Avoid I-4 and take International Dr. to the Disney roads leading to the Magic Kingdom. Have purchased admission in advance so we are off the tram, over the monorail and through the front gates at 9:05.
Park appears very crowded at entry and people are jammed up along Main Street. Glad we brought our own stroller. This is the only night during our stay that SpectroMagic will be occurring (and it was also rainy the day before and today is low '80s, low humidity and sunny) so we were expecting the crowd. Soak in some atmosphere as we head for Fantasyland. Dumbo wait is already 20 minutes so we decide we better hop on before line increases further. Niece greatly enjoys. Posted wait for Winnie is 15 minutes so we go ahead and get in line and send BIL ahead as a scout for Peter Pan fastpasses (posted wait there is 25 minutes).
We all ride Winnie. Niece likes it but isn't as into it as I expected since she knows and loves all the Winnie characters. It was a little hard to hear the story and I'm not sure she was following. After Winnie Sis tries to call the Friends and BIL gets a snack while Dad takes Niece on Cinderella's Carousel and I plot out our next steps. Wait for Carousel is brief and we are all quickly re-united. It's time for our Peter Pan fastpasses so we grab PhilharMagic fastpasses before we ride PP. I enjoyed Peter Pan, but no one else in our group really did. Much of it was too dark and low for Niece to really catch and Dad couldn't hear the story.
It's now 11:00 so we head over to see the 11:10 showing of Storytime with Belle (using cut through by the castle from Fantasyland). It's quite crowded when we get there so I take Niece in while rest of groups rests/gets drinks/meets up with Friend Dad and Friend Son). In retrospect should have sat niece on the wall right in front of the stage and she might have been picked to be in the show. No one was sitting there yet when we got there and I didn't realize it was allowed. Instead, sat on low wall at back of amphitheater and let Niece use me as a barcolounger which she really enjoyed. Niece wasn't totally familiar with the story, but she seemed to really enjoy the show and it was a nice, shady, sit down break after a series of rides.
Back to Fantasyland for PhilharMagic. Friend Dad and Friend Son got their own fastpasses before meeting up with us (generally hate cell phones, but loved being able to coordinate with them this way). We have a few minutes to kill before their FP time so adults enjoy a band strolling through Fantasyland while Niece and Friend Son play in a puddle and chase each other. These two love each other and do a great job keeping each other entertained in lines.
PhilharMagic turns out to be a highlight of the trip. The 3-D movie is enjoyed by all ages and watching the kids trying to catch the objects coming towards them is charming. There is a special surprise involving a pie that we all liked. I had read that this show could be scary to some small children, but our two were fine and loved it.
It's now shortly after noon. Crowds have been heavier than last time we visited in May (2002) so it's taken us all morning just to do Fantasyland, but we still didn't wait more than 20 minutes for anything, in part due to our fastpass strategy. Decide on Cosmic Ray's for lunch. Good choice for our group of 7 as half opt for rotisserie chicken and half have top-your-own burgers. We're able to easily get a table when we arrive, but it is much busier by the time we leave. Music show keeps the kids entertained and allows the adults to talk a bit during lunch.
We decide to hit Toontown next as crowds are buidling quickly. Go through Mickey's house, but don't get in line to meet him. Friend Son is scared of all characters. Niece likes the characters, but isn't interested enough to wait in lines to see them. Next we let the kids burn off some energy running around Donald's playground. Unfortunately his boat is closed for refurbishment. On the subject of refurbishment, there was a lot more going on than when I've ever been there before, both at the MK and MGM (didn't go to Epcot).
After playground I take Niece on Goofy's Barnstormer along with Friend Dad and Friend Son while Dad and Sis wait for Friend Mom who has just been released from her conference for the day. Wait is about 20 minutes. Niece is very excited the whole time and is not scared by the roller coaster passing over our heads every couple of minutes. Afterwards she says she wasn't scared but "didn't like when it went sideways". Even though she really wanted to go, in retrospect I think she was a little young for this. Would probably be perfect for 5-7 year old.
BIL took Niece through Minnie's House, then we decided to split up (around 2:30). Dad, BIL and Niece headed back to the condo for nap/swim. Niece loves to swim and Dad wanted to give Mom a break if Nephew had remained cranky and refused to nap. The Friends were maybe going to hit one or two more rides then head back to their room (at Swan) for a nap. Plan was to meet up again at 6:00 if the kids seemed energetic enough to come back, otherwise to communicate via cell phone.
Now it's just me and Sis at the park. A big treat as we usually have Niece and Nephew with us. Love seeing the kids' reactions to things, but it's also nice to dart quickly around the park without strollers and to go to some of the more adult attractions. We plan to stay straight through to closing. Have come to realize that the fact that it's cooler with low humidity makes a huge difference in how tired you feel. Don't think I could do this in the summer.
Although we feel solid to stay at the park until the evening parade, we are a bit tired at this point so we head to Tomorrowland. Grab Buzz Lightyear fastpasses and then go for a relaxing spin around the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Next we're pleasantly surprised to find the Carousel of Progress operating and we hop in just in time for the next show. We ride Buzz Lightyear (I beat Sis), then head to Adventureland.
Line for Pirates is about 20 minutes so we go ahead an queue up. Still love that one, but it definitely would have been too scary for Niece. Next we head to Liberty Square and grab fastpasses for the Haunted Mansion (posted wait is 35 mins.). Stop for a snack break from a vendor cart before catching the Hall of Presidents. Show has been updated from what I remember and I absolutely loved it. Another highlight of the day. Time now for Haunted Mansion, another classic.
It's 6:00 so we meet up with Dad, BIL, Niece and the Friends. Per Dad, Mom and Nephew are having a great day and have decided to just stay home. Niece seems tired, but BIL insists that she really wanted to come back. Since BIL and Friend Dad have been on duty quite a bit, we decide to release them to do some adult stuff while we take the kids. They run off discussing rides. We take the kids to Adventureland and get in line for the Magic Carpets. Kids entertain each other in the 20 minute line. Friend Mom is 4 months pregnant, but this ride is fine. Kids like it, especially Friend Son who hasn't been on Dumbo yet.
Next we head to Swiss Family treehouse which Friends had taken Son to earlier and he loved. Rest of group, including Niece does not really care for this attraction. Really just a lot of steps and Niece does not get into the sights. We've checked the Jungle Cruise a few times, but the waits were always long and the FP return times were during nap/swim time. Now wait is 35 minutes and fastpasses are all gone so we decide to skip it.
Decide to cruise by the Country Bear Jamboree and are pleased to see that the show is starting in less than five minutes. Friend Son is very scared by the whole bear concept but is finally convinced that these are like teddy bears and is willing to give it a try. Niece enjoys the show, Friend Son falls asleep and adults don't really get into it, but enjoy relaxing.
Time to meet up with the guys again. People are already lining up for SpectroMagic as we walk to meet them around 7:30. We've agreed to meet at the Walt Disney statue in front of the castle. We're able to grab bench spaces and decide we'll just park here for the parade and fireworks (8:30 and 9:30, respectively). Standing on the benches, you're separated from the parade by some low landscaping, but it's still a great view and terrific for the fireworks.
Men arrive a bit late. Turns out they were not on Space Mountain or Big Thunder as we supposed, but rather took the monorail to the Grand Floridian for some libations. We had previously decided not to have dinner as everyone had snacked in the afternoon and we thought we'd just snack some more while waiting for the parade. The adults took turns getting snacks and entertaining the kids. Friend Son stayed asleep in his stroller for the most part. Niece was tired but not cranky so easily entertained. Snack places were all packed around Main Street and central hub so we ended up grabbing stuff in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland which were easy walks (if you knew where to find the parade cross walks!).
SpectroMagic was awesome! Every single member of our group absolutely loved it and agreed it was well worth the wait (which was actually quite painless with our snacks and bench seats). After the parade, Friend Son was exhausted and BIL and Sis knew Niece would be scared of the fireworks noise, so they all headed for the exit, planning to catch the fireworks en route to cars/home. Dad and I stayed another 30 minutes waiting for the parade. It had cooled into the low '60s and I was getting quite cold, but you couldn't have torn me away. Tinkerbell's flight was literally right in front of us and Wishes was among the best fireworks I have ever seen. It's a full-fledged show with storyline, music and images projected on the castle.
Dad can be very impatient and I was quite concerned about him handling getting all the way down Main Street from the castle, onto the monorail, onto a tram and out of the parking lot right at closing time. Although it was crowded, each of these could not have gone more smoothly and we were out of the lot less than 30 minutes after the firewords ended.
All in all, one Magical Gathering at the Magic Kingdom!
