A Week of Firsts: First Trips to First Family - Update 11/17 - First Family at MK!

[linnell]

We just got back last night from a fabulous 7 days/6 Nights at the Boardwalk Villas. I have loved reading trip reports this past year while I was planning, so I'm going to do the same. It is funny how the minutia of a stranger's vacation can be so interesting, but it is!

So to start here are the basics:

The Cast:
Me: Mom, Sandy, 35 - stay at home mom, just finished my MFA in Children's Literature in May
DH: Dad, Noah - 36 - workaholic engineer who doesn't know how to relax
DS4 - Lucas - just turned 4 two weeks before we left. He has been diagnosed with "mild" PDDNOS (high functioning autism) and is probably heading for an Asperger's Diagnosis.
DSalmost2 - Ryan - turns 2 two weeks from when we got home. He isn't really talking a lot and just goes with the flow.

Lucas and Me at the airport

Noah and Ryan

Also, we were joined for two days by my high school friend, T, and her daughters P, 18 & L, 13.

The Details:
Sept 23-29 - Boardwalk Villas 1 Bedroom. Disney Dining Plan (not free dining, I got a pin for the room and it was a better deal!)


Ok... here we go!

Table of Contents:
Day One
Chapter One: "Mommy, we're going to miss the plane!"
Chapter Two: A Magical Journey to the Boardwalk
Chapter Three: - Chef Mickeys
Chapter Four: Our First Name Home

Day Two
Chapter One: Toy Story Mania Dash!
Chapter Two: Little Mermaid and 50s Primetime
Chapter Three: A Little Rain never Hurt anyone
Chapter Four: Girls Night Out
Girls Night: Part Two

Day Three - Magic Kingdom
Chapter One: First Family

 

[mickeystoontown]

Joining in on the fun!





Lisa

 

[linnell]

Day One:
Chapter One - "Mommy, we're going to miss the plane!"

The day started out nice and early, with the alarm set for 5:30am. Noah got up to shower and stayed in bed thinking about all that we had to look forward to in the upcoming week. We were pretty much all packed except for a few last minute things. Next thing I know, Lucas was climbing into bed with me... "Mommy, no more sleeps!" I gave him a hug and asked him if he was excited and he was, but he had a million questions for me. "How are we getting to the airport?" Grandpa is taking us. "How do we get on the plane?" We walk through a jetway. So on and so forth. Lucas likes to know what to expect, so I went over everything about going through security, how he'll have to take his shoes off and what to expect on the plane. He's flown before, but it's been awhile, so he was unsure.

We got out of bed and started running around a bit. I wanted to hold off on breakfast until we got to the airport, so we didn't have much to do. Ryan woke up soon after and I got everyone dressed and ready. My father-in-law- showed up about 6:15 and we were out the door by 6:30. Our flight out of Logan was at 9:30, but it is about 50 minutes there without traffic, never mind morning rush hour. Of course, we hit traffic on the MassPike and I sat there watching the GPS arrival time tick away. This is when Lucas started freaking out "We're going to miss the plane!" Noah was no help, he was driving and white knuckled. I reminded him that is why we left so early, so we wouldn't have to worry. In the end, I was right, we arrived just past 8am, 90 minutes before our flight was scheduled to depart.

I had printed our boarding passes at home, so it was a quick line to drop off our bags, "See you in our hotel room!" I yelled. We were taking Magical Express and decided to take advantage of their luggage delivery option. I had packed bathing suits and a change a clothes in my carry on, just in case.

Going through security was no big deal and we went to our gate, which was packed and noticed it said that there was a flight leaving to LAX from there in the next few minutes. We decided to get breakfast and as we were eating, I noticed an Arrivals/Departures screen and said "Oh our flight isn't even on there yet..." just as the words were out of my mouth, it showed up with a big DELAYED next to it. I yelled "NOOOOOOOOOO!" ala Darth Vader. The time for departure was now 10:55. Didn't Jet Blue realize I had a perfectly orchestrated plan for the afternoon?

Since now we had plenty of time to kill, we found an empty gate and let the boys run around a bit and watch the planes. Lucas watched a movie on Noah's laptop, and Ryan just ran around being cute. While we were there, two other families with small children came over and all the kids were watching the planes and 'talking' to each other.

Ryan fooling around

"Get used to waiting, kids - we're going to Disney!"

At 10am, we decided to go back to our gate and wait there. It was packed with families and not-so-happy kids. We sat across the aisle in the Cape Air section with the nice older couples waiting for their flight to Nantucket. Ryan fell asleep in the stroller, so there went all hope for him sleeping through the flight. Oh well.

FINALLY, they call us to board the plane. I sat with Lucas and Noah was across the aisle with Ryan on his lap. I felt bad for him, I guess Ryan was pretty restless through the entire thing. Lucas, on the other hand was perfect. He watched the TV and we did a few activity books together. The three hour flight didn't go quick, exactly, but it was fine.

And then finally we arrived!

We gathered up our belongings and small children and headed to the jetway. As we were stepping off, a Jet Blue employee said "Welcome to Florida! Hope you like Love Bugs...because they're here!" I groaned. I had read about the Love Bugs on the Dis, but I was hoping they wouldn't be that bad. I was wrong...

Next up: Checking in at the Boardwalk!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I am sure you were on pins and needles until you actually arrived at the airport. I hate it when I hit traffic and absolutely have to be somewhere on time.

Glad to hear that your flight, even though delayed, was uneventful.

 

[linnell]

Chapter 2: A Magical Journey to the Boardwalk

We left the airplane and made our way to the mini-monorail, which Lucas thought was pretty cool. When we got off we picked a side and went to the first floor, but after looking around I realized we were in the wrong place. Not really knowing how to get back, we just went back up the elevator, crossed over and back down. Now we found the sign for Magical Express! I had our packet in my hand and was pointed toward our first queue of the trip. We were able to board the bus instantly, but we were the second family on the bus so we had to wait a bit.

Besides the constant "When is the bus going to go?" from Lucas, the boys waited patiently. Ryan sat next to me, and stood on the seat looking out the window. Finally we were on our way and the movie started. Ryan pointed to the screen every time a character came on and Lucas sat in front of me with his dad and asked a million more questions.

Finally we were there! Noah was able to grab this picture!

And even though we are not DVC members, we were staying at a DVC so...

Lucas on the bus

Finally we made the turn into the Boardwalk. I was bouncing in my seat, I admit it. Noah waited for the stroller (we brought a single umbrella stroller to maneuver around the airport) and I headed inside to check in. I went right up to the online check in line and our folder was ready. When I booked our reservation, the CM wrote down it was both boys birthdays and our anniversary, so the guest services CM gave us a load of buttons. She handed me my pretty purple envelope and pointed us to room 2116. I had requested a higher floor, but eh... who cares. We were there!

We started down the long long... long hallway. It really wasn't that bad, but that first trip it seemed to take forever, maybe because I was carrying two backpacks and pushing a stroller. Finally we made it to the room and I was taken back by how big and beautiful it was. Seriously, I loved the decor, the colors and the setup.

Nothing like a toilet picture!

Lucas had already gotten into the mickey towel

It was already 3:30 and we had 5:05 reservations for Chef Mickeys. I called bell services and they brought us our rented stroller from Magic Strollers and our order from Garden Grocer. I hadn't mentioned it before, but we have Lucas on a Casein free diet, so we had to order some soy milk and dairy free bread for him. It worked out really well.

Up Next: Will we make our reservation? Will the kids like the characters?

 

[mickeystoontown]

Yay! You've arrived. The room is absolutely beautiful!

 

[linnell]

Yay! You've arrived. The room is absolutely beautiful!

I know, right? It was so nice to come home to it every night.

 

[tankgirl427]

Can't wait hear from from a fellow MA! Sorry about the lovebugs

 

[claryche]

Liking your TR so far. Can't wait for more.

 

[linnell]

Chapter 3: Chef Mickey's

We rounded up the troops and made our way down the looooong hallway to the bus stop. When we got there, there were a few others waiting and a CM on the phone who asked us where we were going. We said the MK bus and he said he was checking on it. He hung up the phone and started chatting with us about the love bugs and the weather. Finally he got a call back that said an AK bus was about 5 mins out and an MK bus just behind it.

Sure enough, both buses pulled in about five minutes later and we were on our way to the MK. It was a Halloween party that night, so the bus was filled with people in costume, which was fun to see. The bus stopped at the Swan and Dolphin and then finally we were on our way. I was anxiously watching the clock on the bus. We had reservations at 5:05 and the bus was taking us longer than I thought. We finally got dropped off at 4:45ish, so I knew we would be ok. We walked to the Contemporary and found our way to the fourth floor.

I have to say, I wasn't as impressed with the Contemporary as I thought it would be. It looked like any old hotel, while the Boardwalk felt special. When we went up to the fourth floor, I was more impressed. Not many hotels have a monorail going through - that was pretty cool!

I gave our name and we were directed to do a photo op immediately. I had read here on DIS the day before that Mickey was no longer walking around the room and that photos with him were at the beginning. I looked over and I saw people posing, but no mouse. I was confused. So when it was our turn, we were directed to pose around a statue. I hoped that met that Mickey would be coming to our table.

We were seated right after that and saw Mickey Mouse already out and greeting tables. YAY! I mean... I knew my boys would be excited Truth is, I have never met Mickey before. Of course (spoiler alert) by the end of the trip, he and I would be BFF, but I didn't know this yet.

The waiter asked us about the food allergies and had the chef come out to show us around the buffet. Noah and Lucas went around with him, and we ended up getting Lucas plain Mickey shaped pasta with olive oil drizzled on it and tofutti ice cream. Lucas was wearing his birthday button, so the waiter asked me if he could bring him a cupcake, and I said sadly, no because of the dairy issue.

At some point, Mickey came around. Ryan was a little take aback, and Lucas just hid. He liked seeing the characters walking around, but didn't like it when they got too close.

Minnie and Pluto came by while we were eating.

Pluto tickled Ryan's cheek with his whiskers

Meanwhile, Lucas was lying down on the bench, not interested at all. We didn't force him.

A little while later, the waiter brought out a gluten free/casein free cupcake with a candle on it and sang to Lucas! He was so happy and really enjoyed the treat. Thankfully he was happy with that, so I was able to try some yummy desserts then.

Finally Goofy came around. I don't know how he did it, but he sat next to Lucas and tickled his face a little and got Lucas to warm up a bit. I mean, he still wasn't hugging the guy, but he at least smiled a bit.

All in all, it was a fun meal and a great way to start our trip.

After that, we took a trip around on the monorail, which both boys thought was really cool. Our bus back to the Boardwalk pulled up just as we were getting to the stop and there were only a few groups, so we all had seats and no issues at all.

Next Up: Our first evening in our new home...

 

[linnell]

Chapter Four: Our first night "home"

I don't really have any pictures of our first night, but we got back to the hotel around 7:30, which is about normal bedtime for our kids. We've had a long day, so we gave the boys a bath in the gigantic tub and showed Lucas how the couch turned into a bed. He thought that was pretty cool! Noah set up the pack n play between the breakfast bar and the TV, so it was out of the way. Both boys were given their favorite blankies and tucked in.

Lucas of course could not settle down and was up and down for awhile. Meanwhile, Noah was trying to figure out how to get the internet to work in our room. He had a report that was due for work the next morning that a co-worker edited for him, so he just needed to download the edits, fix them and then send it off. My DH is a workaholic, so I told him he could only do work this trip while the boys were sleeping and even then I didn't want him to. He knew this and promised me this would be the only thing that he would HAVE to do. The problem was that the power cord, the actual cord that went from the in-room modem to the wall was missing.

He decided to go to the lobby and see if they had an extra one. We didn't really want someone to bring it to us and knocking on the door, since we were trying to get the boys to sleep. So he went and didn't come back for almost two hours. I finally convince Lucas to fall asleep and went into the bedroom, put my jammies on and watched 30 Rock and The Office. Noah came back in at some point frustrated because he decided to just use the wi-fi in the lobby and it was super slow and it took 90 minutes to download 99% of his file and then he lost the connection. The front desk gave him another connection wire, but it wasn't what he needed. He called again and told them he needed the power cord and they said he'd have to call back the next morning (it was now after 10pm) or he could go over to the Swan and try and use their Wifi. That wasn't what he wanted to hear.

Noah started stressing saying he could lose his job if this report doesn't go out (he is one for dramatics) and he was going to have to spend the morning working on it. Suddenly, the phone rang! Disney magic they found the power cord! Noah told the person on the phone he'd meet him in the hall, so that he didn't wake the boys. The cord worked, Noah was able to do what he had to do - I fell asleep, but he worked until about midnight and sent it off. No more work responsibilities! Thanks Disney!!!

Sorry, not a very exciting chapter, but I was impressed that they took the initiative to find what he needed and solved the problem.

Next up: Our first day at the parks - will we make it for rope drop?

 

[linnell]

Day Two
Chapter One - Toy Story Mania Dash!

We slept in on Friday morning and when I woke up and looked at my phone it was already 7am. Yes, this is sleeping in at our house. I was surprised that all the boys were sound asleep, so I quietly made my way into the bathroom and took a shower. When I got out, Lucas was laying on my side of the bed.

We made them some French Toast and Noah and I each had an English Muffin. I don't think I actually sat down, I was running around trying to figure out what we needed for the park that day. I also decided to cook some pasta for Lucas, since I didn't think there would be anything at the 50s Diner that he would like. We dressed the boys in matching Lightening McQueen shirts and we were ready to go!

We decided to walk to DHS, since we were at the Boardwalk and I had read that it was quicker than taking the boat. I'm so glad we did, it was a really nice walk and we were in control of our speed and time. I think we rolled into DHS around 8:40 or so, people were lining up at the turnstiles and we got in line.

Noah and I discussed who was going to run for TSM and it was decided that I would. So when they let us in we followed the crowd to the rope and then I sort of shimmied my way closer to the front, while Noah hung back with the boys. We watched the show and then the "fast walk" was on! I am not in the best shape but I kept up with the fastest people and kept to the right so when I reached the fast pass machines I was the third person in line. I got our FPes - return time 9:50! and turned around and locked eyes with Noah who was parking the stroller. Perfect timing!

The line was outside and we made our way through, the posted time was already 40 minutes.

The Army Men were making sure there were no line cutters! A guy near me was wearing an Old Navy shirt and he said "I prefer the New Army myself!" which made me laugh.

Inside the line we made our way through the queue. I think Lucas was a little afraid of the Mr. Potato Head because when we got closer, all of the sudden he didn't want to walk anymore. He started getting upset and saying he didn't want to ride. I picked him up and carried him for a bit, promising that he would love the ride.

Finally we made it to the glasses!

The line went a lot faster than the 40 minutes posted and soon we in our cars. Lucas rode with me and Ryan and Noah rode together. I showed Lucas how to use the gun and we were on our way. He had a big grin the whole time!

We got out and Lucas said that he wanted to go again! So glad we got those fast passes!

Next up: More Fastpass running around and a visit with a A Little Mermaid

 

[linnell]

Day Two: Little Mermaid & 50s Prime Time

After our successful first ride, our FP window was open again. Noah and I had discussed Tower of Terror, neither of us had ever gone on. Truth is, it is the one ride that I'm pretty scared of in WDW (well that and the teacups...) but I sort of wanted to go on it this time... however, not by myself. Since we were doing a child swap, that was the only way I'd be able to do it, so I decided to pass. Noah still wanted to though, so he took our three KTTW cards (Ryan didn't get one since he's under two) and ran over to Rock N Roller Coaster and TOT to get some fast passes.

Meanwhile, I wanted to take the boys to the Playhouse Disney Show, but we had just missed the start. I wandered a bit, trying to decide what to do and noticed the Little Mermaid Show was starting in 10 minutes. So I took the boys in there to get out of the heat and called Noah to tell him where we were. Since we didn't have the stroller anymore, it was a little work, trying to keep them together and not reek havoc. We were let into the theater and found seats in the third row center. (Don't worry, I didn't stop in the middle of the row!)

We all enjoyed the show. Ryan sat in my lap and sat perfectly still and Lucas had to hide his face when Ursula came out. Lucas said he really liked it though. When we got out, I headed toward our stroller, because that was where Noah and I had decided to meet up. Surprisingly, he came up behind us. Apparently, he was able to get the fast passes and make it back in time for the show to start. He snuck in the back and watched.

Just then, Lucas noticed the Little Einsteins and wanted to meet them. There were only one or two families waiting, so we went over to say hi. Of course, he got shy and wouldn't go up to them. Ryan did though!

After that, it was just about time to go to the 50s Primetime Diner. We had 11:10 reservations, and when we got there they weren't quite open yet, but we were one of the first families seated. We were given a table with a TV set, so that was fun. Unfortunately, our waitress wasn't in the mood to play along and didn't add anything to the experience. It was a shame, because the tables around us were being waited on by "Sue" who was the Mom and she was hysterical. We were sad we didn't Sue, but eh... whatever. Our waitress (funny how I don't remember her name) did bring out Happy Birthday treats for both boys (Tofutti ice cream!) and had everyone sing to them, so that was nice.

Lucas watching TV

As far as our meals, I had the chicken pot pie, which wasn't really a pie? It was ok. I don't remember what Noah had, maybe a chicken sandwich. It was all just ok. Probably won't go back there for another 10 years.

Next up: Back to Toy Story and the rest of our DHS day

 

[linnell]

Day 2: Chapter 3 - A little rain never hurt anyone...

After lunch, we headed back to Toy Story and used our fast passes. Now that's the way to do it! I sat with Ryan this time, and he had a big grin on his face the whole time. While we were in line, we were behind a group with a guide and he gave them some pointers on scoring big, and I couldn't "help" bu overhear. The only one I got was on the game that starts with Rex, shoot the long lava snakes, first there is one, then two and then three and then the volcano explodes. SO cool!



When we left there, it was time to head over to Light Motor Action! This was a new attraction for all of us, but I knew my boys would really like the cars. First, however, there was the little matter of meeting Lightening McQueen and Mater. I swear we have at least 20 different McQueen toys in my house, he is a favorite.

Now onto Lights! Motor! Action! I wanted to sit up high though, just in case the fire/noise scared them. As we were walking over there, it started to sprinkle. By the time we made it to the stands, the sky had opened and it was pouring. I asked a CM if they still had the show in the rain and was assured they did. So we made our way in.

Now, I have a small fear of heights, but a big fear of bleachers. I actually fell through a top bleacher when I was a kid, so I really don't like them. We climbed up and up and I could feel my legs shaking. Noah found a row with enough seats for us, and it was fortunately covered from the rain. It was at this point that I realized we didn't think to cover the stroller up. Sigh.

While we sat and waiting the rain came and went and came back again. It was a typical Florida rain where it was still sunny. The show started and I have to admit, I was bored. I'm just not into special effects or stunts. I don't really like action movies. The boys liked it though. However, just about the last stunt, Lucas started hiding his head. I asked him if he wanted to go and he said yes. I had heard that getting out of there could be horrendous, so I was like "cool, let's do it." I lean over to Noah and say, "We're going." and stand up and put Lucas in front of me. I was told we had to go up to the top. Oh no - I was terrified. I slowly made my way to the top and didn't look down or behind me. It wasn't until I was in the safety of the stairwell that I looked behind me and realized Noah and Ryan were not there. I was also half way down when the show ended and people started flooding out. So much for sneaking out early. Lucas and I made our way to the stroller, which was wet and Noah and Ryan found us there. We put down a poncho across the seats and we went on our way. Now it was no longer raining, but the rain brought in the humidity and it was hot.

We decided we were just about done for the day, so we were going to head to TOT and RNRRC so we could ride those and then head back to the Boardwalk. However, when we walked past the Playhouse Disney theater, there was a show starting in 10 minutes. I decided to take the boys and Noah could go do his two rides, and then we'd meet him by the rollercoaster.

Lucas and Ryan both love Playhouse Disney and loved the show. I made the mistake of sitting in the font but on the side, and it was a little hard to see the stage, since it is raised up. Next time, I'll sit us further back. I was excited because Lucas actually got up and danced during it, usually he is too shy to do something like that.

When we got out, Noah was waiting for us. He said that RNRC was closed. NOOOO! He did enjoy TOT though. Handy Manny was out and Lucas wanted to meet him. So we got in line for that. It was the first time that he approached a character and got his autograph, though he wouldn't pose for a picture.

While we were in line, I got my phone out and checked Lines and saw that RNRC was showing a wait time of 20 minutes as of a few minutes ago. I told Noah it was open and as soon as we were done meeting Manny, we were on our way.

Noah went first, and while we were waiting, Lucas got a pressed penny. I also sent him to throw something in the trash. I turned to talk to Ryan for a second and I hear a scream and turn and Lucas is lying on the ground crying. I run over and pick him up, and sure enough he has a good couple of scrapes on him. Poor kid. I put him in the stroller, gave them both a drink and sat down and waited for Noah. While I was waiting, I got a text from my friend T who said she was 15 minutes from Disney. Perfect timing.s

Just as Noah comes out of the ride, both boys fall asleep in the stroller. I went and took my ride, which was awesome and we headed out of the park. We decided to walk back to the Boardwalk, since we weren't sure if we'd have to take the kids out of the stroller for the boat. It was fine, though humid as anything. Noah's friend called him and he talked to him on the way back. "What am I doing? Well I just got off Aerosmith's Rock N Rollercoaster... what about you?"

Next up - Girls night out!

 

[claryche]

Great update and such a great pic of your boys in the stroller.

 

[linnell]

Great update and such a great pic of your boys in the stroller.

Thanks! That picture is now the backdrop on my computer <3

 

[linnell]

Ugh, I typed most of this and then my son came and started banging on the keyboard and locked up the page.

So trying again...

Day 2: Chapter Four

We walked back from DHS with the two boys passed out in the stroller. DH suggested that he stay back with the boys instead of going out to dinner at Ohanas that night. I felt a little bad, but the idea of a night out with my friend and her older girls was nice. Noah assured me that taking our kids would be no fun for anyone, and he'd make them some pasta, give them baths and put them to bed early. Sounded like a plan to me!

I called T a few times but she was not answering her phone. When we got to our room, I called the front desk, asked if she had checked in yet and was transferred to her room. One of her daughters answered, sure enough she left her cell in the car and was hiking out to get it. I hadn't realized how far the parking lot was from some of the rooms at that point! They were staying on the Inn side of the Boardwalk and were on the first floor with a room alllllllllllllllllll the way at the end.

I offered to meet them in the lobby, but they wanted to see our boys. P, the oldest, hadn't met my youngest yet, so they came over. Now Lucas loves loves loves L, the 13 year old. She and her mom stayed with us for a few days over the summer and he became quite smitten with her. It has been 6 weeks since have been home and he tells me everyday that he misses her. I was shocked that we were able to leave without any meltdowns.

The other benefit of leaving the boys behind was that we could drive to the Poly instead of taking the bus/monorail there. Of course, we somehow missed the exit for the resorts and ended up at MK parking. Oops. We circled back and joked about how only WE could get lost at Disney.

We arrived at Ohana at 5:30 exactly and checked in. We told them that we were 3 less than the reservation and that was no problem. They gave us a pager and we sat and waited, probably about 10 minutes.

This was the first time any of us had been to Ohana. I was pretty excited. I'm not so good at doing food reviews, so I'll just say it was ok.

The children are getting restless, so I will con't this later!

 

[linnell]

Chapter Four - con't

As I was saying...

We were seated at Ohana dead smack in the middle, right next to a group of children hula dancing. I felt bad that we were given this prime spot, because we weren't really interested in the show as much as catching up with each other and enjoying the food.

My review of the food is simple, all the "family style" dishes were delicious, the stuff on the skewers, not so much. The shrimp would have been good if it wasn't peel and eat. I mean, why bother slathering it yummy sauce if you are taking away the shell anyway?

After dinner, we drove back to the BW. I had to find something to bring to DH for dinner, since he missed out on going with us. We went down to the Boardwalk and I called him and asked if he'd rather pizza or a sandwich, he chose sandwich so I went to the Boardwalk Bakery and picked him up something. This was the first time I'd use a counter service credit and the amount of food was jaw dropping. He got a chicken salad sandwich, a bag of chips, a fountain drink and delicious looking carrot cake. Needless to say, he was quite pleased when I brought him his feast.

When I returned to the room, both boys were asleep, so I tiptoed into the bedroom where he was watching a movie. I delivered the food and we caught up a bit. I left a little after that because T and i were going to have some grown up time.

I walked alllll the way to their room on the Inn side, I swear it took like 10 minutes door to door. Then we walked from there to Jellyrolls. I was surprised by the cover charge ($10 I think?) but we went inside. All the tables on the floor were taken, so we grabbed a spot at one of the bars, got some popcorn and drinks. We stayed for an hour. I loved it. I am a big musical theater geek and just love live music. My friend thought it was cheesy. I think I embarrassed her by singing along loudly to Sweet Caroline, but I'm a Boston Red Sox girl, it's what we do.

We stayed for about an hour and decided to go back to our rooms. It was only 10pm, but I had had a long day and was pretty tired. Also, we were going to get up early the next morning for the Magic Kingdom, which opened at 8am. We agreed to meet in the lobby at 6:45am. I wanted to be certain we were there for opening.

Little did I know how early we would be there...

Next Up: First Family at the Magic Kingdom!

 

[linnell]

Day Three: Chapter One - First Family

Saturday morning, I woke before anyone else and once again jumped in the shower. When I got out, everyone else was stirring and we were excited about our day at the Magic Kingdom! We skipped making breakfast and grabbed some snacks, figuring we'd be able to get something there. We met T & the girls in the lobby and were out by the bus stop at 6:50am. To my surprise, a bus for the Animal Kingdom pulled up, followed quickly by one for MK. Another couple got on the bus with us, but no one was picked up at the Dolphin or Swan. We pulled into the Magic Kingdom just a little past 7am.

T had Florida resident passes she had to pick up from Will Call. She started walking toward there and my family started towards the turnstiles. A CM approached us asked if we had any breakfast reservations. We said no and he told us to go talk to another CM at the turnstiles. We went over and she asked if this was everyone in the party. I said no, that some of us were over at Will Call. She was like "Oh well... we need everyone to have tickets already, Will Call doesn't open in time." They still hadn't told us what was going on, but thanks to the Dis, I was pretty certain.

We waved T over and told her what was going on. She was just like "Go ahead and we'll find you after." She knew that this was a big deal and didn't want us to miss out. Of course, I felt really guilty, but I wanted to be First Family and knew that my boys would love it.

We went through the turnstiles and were told to wait until someone else came and got us.

The First Family past the turnstiles

No one was really there yet.

It was still kind of early

We stood around for awhile waiting. I felt anxious because we were leaving our friends behind. Fortunately, the will call window opened early, they were able to get their tickets and came over to the CM that we had talked to originally. She happily let them through and they were able to join us on our First Family Adventure.

A few other CMs came out to meet us, including the Front of the Park Manager and someone with our "Magice Moment" envelope. Finally, Barbara came out. She is the driver of the fire truck and just wonderful. She apologized because the park was opening at 8am and she was running late (Maybe she didn't realize the early opening?) She said we would have to head straight to Toon Town, and not be able to stop for pictures. We totally understood and followed her to Main St.

An empty Main St.

Lucas' favorite part was ringing the bell.

Next Up: A Train Ride to Remember...

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that you were the first family in the Magic Kingdom! What a special moment!