A Whirlwind trip with the grands May 2014

[dcsetman]

(I still have to learn how to insert pictures in here - so they are coming)

His 1st Disney Trip is a quickie – Don’t judge, we’ve done this before 

For the past 10 years, my hubby (Bop) and I (Nana) have been taking our grandchildren (five on a rotating basis) to Disneyworld. Some trips are longer than others, but because of circumstances, we usually end up doing a long weekend trip only. So while not the ideal, I am very thankful for what time I can get with Mickey, the Princesses and all their friends at Disney. Out of these 10 years, we have had the pleasure five (5) day trips, twice; those are rare, but fond memories. We have a newbie, our one and only grandson, who will be initiated into the DisneyWorld trip tradition this year, and of course, I have been getting him ready for the excitement for a year 
So, that is a little history - Now, let’s get this pre-trip report started.
Our Cast:
• Nana (the grandmother and author of this trip report) - Love all things Disney, especially a trip to the World, it’s my happy place.
• Bop (hubby and grandpa of this group) – He goes along with Disney because I love it and loves to see his grandchildren excited and having fun. He’ll be the expert photographer. He secretly might even enjoy the trip.
• Kayna (age 10) – Her 4th trip to DW and loves Disney Princesses, movies, and ALL rides. She’s willing to ride anything once.
• Savannah (age 7) – Her 4th trip to DW and loves all things Disney. Has a collection of Disney Princess Barbie’s and dolls, movies, music, and the castle playhouse. Rides are ok, but she is all about the magical feeling of the park and meeting her favorite characters.
• Christian (Bubba – age 3) – 1st trip to DW and has been talking about it for almost a year. Loves Disney Jr characters as well as the Beast. Walks around the house singing, “ Let it Go, and For the First Time in Forever “. His 4th birthday will be shortly after we return home, so of course we will be also celebrating his birthday there, and getting both buttons: 1st visit and Birthday.
Our Favorites:
• Nana – (rides) Space Mountain and Soarin’ (Character) Pocahontas
• Bop – (rides) Splash Mountain and Buzz Lightyear (Character) Rapunzel
• Kayna – (rides) Space Mountain (Character) Olaf and Anna
• Savannah (rides) Little Mermaid (Character) Doc McStuffins
• Bubba (rides) he says he’ll love them all Character (Jake)

Our Plans – (yes, I’m crazy, but it will work – you’ll see)
• Dates – May 2014
• Dining Plan – Yes (regular)
• Resort – Port Orleans Riverside (Alligator Bayou)
o Friday 11:00 p.m. Arrive in Orlando (offsite) Fairfield Inn
o Saturday
 Visit Art of Animation- take family pics in different sections
 Check in Port Orleans Riverside – Fish, Lunch, Swim,
 Dinner at Whispering Canyon (Wilderness Lodge)
 Movies on the Lawn (at our resort)
o Sunday
 Breakfast at Hollywood and Vine (Hollywood Studio’s)
 DisneyJr Live on Stage
 Hop to Magic Kingdom
 Lunch at Be Our Guest (Castle) FP+ for this
 3 FP+ (Splash Mtn, BTMRR, Little Mermaid)
 Late Dinner at THE PLAZA
 Parade and Wishes
 Extra Magic Hours – Ride favorites we have missed to this point
o Note: we have a double stroller rented to receive at our resort. We will not be taking a break in the middle of the day, but will utilize Hall of Presidents for some down time and possibly a nap for all of us.
o Monday
 Breakfast at the food court (resort)
 Leave for home 

So that’s our story. I hope you will join us for what is sure to be a whirlwind, entertaining trip to introduce our grandson to the Wonderful World of Disney. It’s getting close. I’ll be back with some last minute updates and let you know how the packing goes, once I start.

Nana

Before the Beginning
So, when I last left off, I had planned to describe packing details, surprises I had for the grandkids to make the car trip easier, and the anticipation building up to the date of departure. However, a little blood, drama, and a hospital stay (ok, a lot) from my son-in-law the week before we left, changed my plans. So now, we are back from our whirlwind trip, and I am trying to get back into BLOG mode (because I want to, yes, and so many of my friends and family are asking when I’m going to finish this). I have made four (4) pages of notes, so here goes….

FRIDAY –
I worked until 12:00 (noon), and we loaded the truck, went to lunch at Wallace’s BBQ, and picked up the kids about 2:45 p.m. after school, at Mt Tabor Park (from their parents). First on the agenda, once we had everyone loaded and buckled in, we stopped at Racetrack for an after school snack: Slushies, Cheeto’s and Dorito’s, and of course a pack of hand wipes (got to have those)!
About an hour down the road, I had surprise gift bags for each child to open, to keep them busy on the trip:
Kayna – Sophia the First (her favorite) Large Activity Book, stickers, and Twistable Colored Pencils (all shared the pencils), and some single serving snacks for later
Savannah – Doc McStuffins side note – Kayna always calls her Doc McMuffins - (her favorite) Large Activity Book, stickers, and Twistable Colored Pencils (all shared the pencils), and some single serving snacks for later.
Christian – Planes (because I couldn’t find Cars or Jake) Large Activity Book, twister, and Twistable Colored Pencils (all shared the pencils), and some single serving snacks for later.

Dinner was in Valdosta, one of our favorite stopping places: Sonny’s BBQ (because they have closed all of the ones near us). Savannah loves salads, so she and I ordered the salad bar and I had a piece of chicken with mine. Dennis ordered BBQ Chicken Dinner, and Christian and Kayna had Chicken and Fries (You’ll see that a lot in this blog as I cover each day).

So, this is where the Marathon RestRoom breaks begin – I think I went back and forth to the RR with each child at least three (3) times while at Sonny’s. So, finally back in the car, we are little over the half-way mark and the familiar strain of “ how many more hours do we have “ begins to echo from the back seat.

Time for a little more coloring before it gets dark, playing with a pirate matching game that was given as a group gift for the kids, and some mood music I had downloaded from Pocket-Tuber: Disney Songs, of course: First up, “ Let it Go, Do You Want to Build a Snowman, and For the First Time in Forever “

It was beginning to rain, now and finally about midnight, we pulled into Fairfield Inn and Suites, Lake Buena Vista. We were in a King Suite with a pull out sofa bed for the kids in the 2nd room. It was big, with two (2) closets and plenty of room to spread out and sleep good. We are here for a whole 10 hours or so! It’s going to be a quick night, better close my eyes now.

 

[dcsetman]

So, we are in Florida for a whole two days, and this day greets us with a steady rain, and heavy black clouds. It has rained most of the night and the ground is soaked. Our agenda for the day is to check-in to our resort early and go to pool. After all, this is Florida, and what do you do when you come to Florida? Swim, of course. We were texting back and forth with our niece, Laura, whose family lives about 45 minutes away from Disney, in Orlando; hoping we could work in some time to visit and let the kids play together. Her girls had soccer games today, and her son, Sam, and husband Cliff were going to a Scout camp out weekend. But now with the rain, maybe we could manage to get together. Anna Grace’s game was cancelled early, but we were still waiting to hear about Lydia’s.

We ate a quick breakfast at the hotel, packed the car and drove until we saw the famous purple signs for Disney property. I gave Savannah and Kayna a quick lesson about the purple signs, to realize we were indeed entering the “Happiest Place on Earth” zone. It was still pouring rain, on and off, and we unashamedly offered up a little prayer that we sure would like a break in the rain, since we were only there a short while. We discussed our plans with the kids and options: we could go to Downtown Disney and spend some time inside the stores, especially the World of Disney Store, which is like a city block, we could go ride the monorail and let Christian see the Castle, or we could just swim in the rain. I talked to Laura and her kids loved the idea of swimming in the rain – so swimming it was!

We checked in – DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS, RIVERSIDE RESORT, and decided to take our own bags to the room, yes, even in the rain, rather than wait on bell services (they were running behind because of the rain). We were in building 18, and of course, not easy to get to from the parking lot, so we got a little wet. No worries, clothes off – swimsuits on. I started the unpacking process while everyone else got ready. Just a few short steps from our door: the “quiet pool” for our section of the resort. As we walked out the door, our little prayer we whispered earlier was answered and the rain just stopped. Thank you, Jesus. No sunshine, but it was mid 80’s, and the pool was warm. We played for a while, and Christian got brave and started jumping in to me from the side. Lydia’s Soccer game was finally cancelled and Laura and family would be here soon, and we agreed to meet at the big pool, “Ol Man, Island”.

We went on early, and walked over the bridge to the main pool. This is a large resort, and a lot of walking for little legs, but it was truly beautiful and peaceful. Loved the pool here, too – spacious, clean, plenty of shade and tables, and a fun waterslide. Kayna took Christian to the water slide and I stood at the bottom and he came flying down and I caught him. He was laughing and said he liked it, and then said “ but I don’t want to do it again “ 

I went to get lunch and Laura’s group arrived while I was in line.

Let me stop here and explain the Magic Bands : Magic Bands recently replaced the old Resort Key Card, which acts like a Cruise Card and is your charge card, room key, theme park tickets and now your Fast Pass and schedules are loaded onto the band. It is totally waterproof, customized with your color of choice, comfortable, easily sized to your wrist and your name on the inside. Over the past 8 months, many different opinions have been published on various forums from resort and park visitors, and quite a few people did not care for them, expressing very negative opinions. After using them, Dennis and I both are huge fans of the magic bands. Good job, Disney!

Now, back to lunch – We had opted for the pre-paid Dining plan, so I went through the Resort Food Court and grabbed a full lunch, drink, our refillable Resort Mugs, and dessert for Kayna, Christian and me. Chicken and Fries for Kayna and Christian (again) and a Turkey Club sandwich for me, with a yummy Apple Blossom Dessert. I tapped my band on the checkout post, it read that I had a Dining plan, I signed the slip and ready to walk out the door – except…. it was pouring again. I got to go covers for the food and set out to try this walk to the pool in the rain, and all of a sudden when I got to the door, the rain stopped again – thank you, Jesus, again (I sincerely did appreciate this intervention). Dennis then went to get his and Savannah’s (Chicken and Fries and a Hamburger, and an apple blossom dessert).

Laura’s kids, and our three(3) swam and played pool games with the host. Anna Grace won the hula hoop contest (every time I looked over at her she was still going…. like the Ever-Ready bunny). Kayna won a trivia contest and got a small inflatable flower as a prize. Christian practiced jumping into the pool to me, in-between several RR breaks for him. I was getting to know the inside of all the Disney RR’s very well, by now. They are all quite clean and comfortable feeling (thank goodness).

About 2:30, Christian and I said goodbye to Laura and her family, and I took him to the room for a bath and an afternoon nap, before our big dinner tonight. We stopped by the check-in desk for our rental stroller and it was waiting for us. I had pre-ordered a 2 day double stroller from Apple Stroller Rental Company (recommended from THE DIS forum). Christian hopped right in and off we went to our room (1832 in building 18). We had a ground room floor, which was great, because this particular part of the resort (one of the original buildings from Disneyworld Resort’s opening in 1971) does not have elevators.

About 3:45, Dennis brought the girls to the room to begin showering and getting ready for dinner. After showers, Savannah laid down beside Christian (already sleeping) for a nap. I finished unpacking, and sat down for about 10 whole minutes. Before I knew it, it was five (5:00 p.m.) and time to wake kids up and head to the bus stop – time for dinner!

 

[dcsetman]

Loading the stroller, we made the first trek to our bus stop (one of four (4) for our resort): The South Depot. Settling in at the depot, the kids hopped out and I tried to fold the stroller (so we would be prepared to load the bus when it arrived) – no luck. Well, mechanics is not my strong point, so here, Bop, you try. Several minutes later, he was still trying to find the lever to pull to release the locking system, “how do you fold this thing”????? Finally, he found the release straps in the middle of the seats (that’s strange, but it worked). Ok, so that worked, now if our bus would just show up. We had to take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, then a ferry to The Wilderness Lodge where our restaurant, “The Whistling Canyon Café” is located. Still waiting… and then, “ Nana, I have to…” yep, Christian needs RR again – we are too far away from the room and surely the bus is about to be here, but the ride will take 15 minutes, then another 10 min ferry ride - Kayna pointed to woods and a little hidden pathway through them – yep, for a boy – that’ll work. Sorry Disney, I’m sure it’s not the first time though . Ok – back in business now, and here comes the bus.

A quick bus ride, straight to the Magic Kingdom, and then we boarded the ferry to the Wilderness Lodge. I love this peaceful lodge in the midst of thousands of people, so serene, well at least on the outside. The restaurant itself is loud and playful, and fun – one of the reasons, we chose it. The food is really good here too, so that doesn’t hurt our decision either. After checking in, we waited about 15 minutes, while Kayna explored the lobby as our official trip photographer. A cute bridge surrounding a small bubbling geyser in the lobby caught the children’s attention.

Finally, our buzzer lit, and it was time to enter the Loud and Fun zone of The Whistling Canyon Café. Guess what Christian ordered? Through guessing yet? Yep, Chicken and Fries again. The rest of us ordered the All You Can Eat Family Platter (pork, steak, ribs, corn, mashed potatoes and beans).

After we ordered, I reached for my phone to take a quick picture of the kids at the table, and couldn’t find it… I dug through my small sling bag, looked on the floor, in my pockets, it was simply not there! I had left it in the lobby on the portable charger, by the chair I was sitting in. I rushed to the lobby concierge desk and inquired. I’m sure the concierge heard the panic in my voice because he patted me on the hand, smiled and said “I’ll be right back, just hold on”. Within 60 seconds he re-appeared from the back room with my phone and charger in-hand. Ok, whew, I can breathe again now.

The waitress appeared at our table, greeted us, took our orders and threw the napkins and straws in the air, splattering them all over the table, quickly saying “ here ya go”! That’s the tone of this restaurant and the fun was just beginning. The kids giggled while we waited on our food.

When the food arrived, Christian needed ketchup for his chicken and fries, so we asked for ketchup - the waitress then stood right beside him and hollered (yeah, I said hollered), “ This little boy needs some ketchup over here “ – within a minute, several people brought arms full of ketchup bottles to our table. We ended up with about 20+ bottles – too funny.

I took about 3 bites of food and then…. “ Nana, I have to go…” , so I took the opportunity to gather the girls up too and off we went, back to the lobby to find the RR , again Back to the table to eat, the food was so good! Kayna loved the BBQ sauce on the ribs and the mashed potatoes. Dennis needed a refill of Coke, and when he asked, the waitress brought him a tiny glass about the size of a miniature salt shaker. After 1 swallow (it was empty then), she asked “Would you like another refill” then brought him a mason jar style glass the size of a 2 liter. We love this place, so fun.

They brought Christian a birthday cupcake with a candle in it – he stood up in his chair as the waitress announced his birthday, and everyone sang happy birthday!

The waitress scanned my magic band to deduct the meal from the dining plan, I signed the receipt and we were on our way. The temperature had dropped and the wind was blowing, so we opted just to take a bus back to the Magic Kingdom instead of the Ferry. Getting to the bus stop was a bit of a challenge, but after asking directions, we finally found it, and within minutes, we were back at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom.

We walked the short distance to the Monorail station and rode the loop once, through the resort areas, through the Contemporary hotel, and around the park, to give Christian his first glimpse of the castle. He pointed to it in excitement, but it was still a long way away, so after a couple of glances from different points along the path, he kind of lost interest. It would have been nice if we could have gotten on an express monorail from one hotel to the park and back, but it had to make the entire loop, stopping at each place. We are all getting tired now, and glad to finish the ride and get back on our bus to our resort. But, before we got back to the Magic Kingdom Monorail Stop, the familiar sound of “Nana, I have to go…” hit my ears again  After unloading, we had to go through a quick bag check with security to enter the first outside check-in portion of the Magic Kingdom park so we could have access to the Rest Rooms. He made it with no problem 

About 9:30 p.m. now, back in the room, the kids got ready for bed and I packed bags for tomorrow, so we would be ready to leave early. It had gotten cold tonight when the sun went down (about 59 and wind blowing), so I packed a “locker bag” that I would store once we arrived at the Magic Kingdom in the afternoon, with pants, long sleeved shirts and lightweight jackets. Savannah and Kayna had lightweight backpacks with their autograph books, and snacks for the day. I kept Christian’s autograph book and snacks in my cross shoulder bag, with other essentials (moleskin, small scissors, hand wipes, and a few snacks). Uh-oh, no Fat Pens! I forgot to buy Fat Pens for autographs. Ok, I can just get them in the morning at the Resort Gift Shop, on the way to the bus stop. Dennis had the camera bag, but Kayna is now the official photographer – she loves taking pictures. All set now, kids are asleep, time for bed!

Note: For those of you who may not be experienced in Disney Autograph Etiquette, the characters who do not talk, (Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Jake, Sophia, Doc McStuffins, Goofy, Pluto, etc) usually have large gloves or costumed hands, and a fat pen is preferable for signing instead of the skinny bic type pens.

 

[dcsetman]

I woke up at 6:30 a.m. and quietly got up before everyone else. I love the divider curtain at Port Orleans Resorts, because I could pull the curtain, turn on the light and get dressed, brush my teeth, and finish getting ready without disturbing anyone else. Dennis woke about 6:45 and got dressed and helped me get everything ready to wake the kids. Clothes laid out, shoes ready, hairbrush and toothbrush ready… time to wake up the kids. Can’t believe I forgot to order a wake-up call from Mickey for the kids – but Saturday, Mickey and Minnie did call the room and leave a voice message for Christian, singing Happy Birthday to him – pretty special. He made me play it over and over 

We woke them at 7:00 a.m. They were a little groggy, but once we said, it’s time to go meet Jake, Sophia and Doc McStuffins, little eyes popped right open with big grins. Everyone ready by 7:30 and we left the room. I stopped by the resort gift store for the Fat Pens, but they didn’t open until 8:00. I dug through my bag and found three (3) regular pens and handed one to each child for their back pack – that would just have to do. Maybe I could find one before breakfast at the park. We walked to the bus stop and once we boarded, we completed their outfits with pirate bandana’s to match Jake and Izzy (Jake’s pirate friend). Sad admission here that I had no idea how to tie on a bandana (I quickly learned from everyone around me, to fold it into a triangle first and then it would fit) Ok – Christian’s is done 

Now, Izzy wears hers a little different and I had no idea on this one either. A sweet lady sitting across from me with her child and husband, offered to come fix Savannah’s Izzy bandana. What a lifesaver she was, and it looked great. I was so thankful (and so was Savannah). Kayna opted to not wear hers today. The three kids all sported their new tee shirts for the special breakfast this morning.
Christian – Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Savannah – Doc McStuffins
Kayna – Anna and Elsa

We arrived at Hollywood Studios Park about 8:30 and quickly got a place in line for pre-opening breakfast reservations (meaning, if you did not have a breakfast reservation, the park did not officially open to guest until 9:00 a.m.). While waiting in line, I spotted a sales stand with Fat Pens  “ Three, please “ tapped my Magic Band to pay, put pens in each bag and we were on our way!

Just a few steps from the entrance and to the left, I spotted our breakfast restaurant, “ Hollywood and Vine”. I checked in with the hostess on the large white porch, and she said it would only be a few minutes, and offered us a seat on the porch. The kids ran to the large windows and saw Handy Manny walking by. Christian had his nose pressed to the window, peering inside when he suddenly turned around to me with a huge smile and said, “ Nana, I saw Jake”!

Soon it was our turn, and we were seated in the first section near the back of the restaurant. As soon as we each were seated, Sophia the 1st came by our table, with the usual routine, we pulled out autograph books (and our Fat Pens) for her to sign, and then snapped a picture. Kayna was especially excited to meet Sophia, one of her new favorites at this breakfast. Once she left the waiter took our drink order and we helped ourselves to the large and quite yummy buffet. Everyone ate good, even with all the excitement. The first trip through the line, I only got 1 piece of sausage (it was a big piece) for Christian – within five minutes, he was asking for more. He was hungry this morning, which was a good thing, because it was going to be a long day. Soon, Handy Manny came by, then Jake. Christian was so excited, and Kelsi had asked us to get her an autograph of her brother’s hero, too, so Bop turned another page in Christian’s book after the first autograph and he signed again for Kelsi. Since Christian can’t read yet, I will divulge a surprise here. I brought along a birthday card that I had bought at home with Jake and the Neverland Pirates on it, and had Jake sign it (without Christian seeing it). I am going to give it to him at his birthday party on May 18th (his actual birthday).

Last, but not least, the character that Savannah had been waiting on, Doc McStuffins stopped by – great interaction with her as she signed autographs and posed for pictures. A successful breakfast with characters, one of the best, and food was good! Bop loved the pastries.

As we left (and actually since we walked into the park), Kayna had her eye on Tower of Terror. I didn’t have a fast pass for it and knew the line would be terribly long and we were on a tight schedule in this park. Bop and I ride most rides, but not this one. She didn’t care, announcing that if we had time, she would surely ride it by herself. I kept telling her that once we finished the other two items on our schedule for Hollywood Studio’s, that we would check the line and see if we had time. We ran out of time, and I never even got to check…. guess I owe her another trip so she can ride. Of course, she kept making fun of the way I pronounced “Terror”. She said I pronounced it like the Gone with the Wind Mansion “ Tara “ , and she claims it is “ Terrer” – realistically, it is probably somewhere in between. I hear you all saying it under your breath out there – so how do you pronounce it?

Now, how do we get to Disney Jr Live On Stage? I got a map and we walked one direction, passing the American Idol Studio, but then decided it was in the other direction, Dennis said something like, “ it’s back where we just came from “. Soon, we found it, and were a little early, so Christian got his picture made with Jake again ( he waited a year for this visit – let’s get all we can out of it, right)?

While waiting on Disney Jr Live On Stage, we parked the stroller and went to see Mickey Mouse, in the Animators building. Almost our turn, and once again Christian said…
Christian - “ Nana, I have to go…”
Me – “ Can you wait, we are almost to Mickey Mouse, then we’ll go” ?
Christian “ Ok “
One minute later, he looked distressed
Christian “ No, I have to go now”
So off we went, and yes, we missed the Mouse. The girls stayed and got their picture with him and autographs for them and one for Christian.

Time now for Disney Live On Stage – A cute 22 minute puppet show, great for kids, but no real seats for adults  as seating is on the floor.

Now, moving on, the last thing on our list is to see Lighting McQueen and Mater from “Cars”. They are located by the Muppet Vision Ride on Streets of America. Dennis had said earlier, it was “back where we came from” – so when he asked “where to next”, I said, “ back were we came from”… so off we went, except we didn’t end up on the right street.
Nana “ this is not right”
Bop “ let me see a map, ok – it’s is way on the other side of the park”
Nana “ but you said take me back to where we were”
Bop “what” ?
Nana “ earlier you said this was located where we were before”
Anyway, as usual, I speak Venus and he speaks Mars and I admit I am directionally challenged. We found it – that’s all that matters 

As we rounded the corner, Kayna spotted Phineas and Ferb, and then onto Lightening McQueen and Mater. It had gotten hot, so I got a couple of large cups of Free Ice Water from a stand nearby ( a very nice policy on Disney’s part – thank you). The cold water refreshed us as we stood in a short line. When Christian saw Mater, he grabbed his front tooth as he posed for the picture. Later he told us, he really wanted to grab his tongue – (ha – that boy is too funny).
He has been watching “CARS” since he was about two years old (maybe younger) and it was his first glimpse of the wonderful world of Disney.

Checking the time, it was noon – so time to HOP to the Magic Kingdom (we have lunch reservations there). Sorry, Kayna bug, no time to even check on Tower of Tara or Terrer or Terror. I felt bad, but had bet her two million dollars that the line would be too long anyway. I’ll get her back soon, and make it a priority for her to ride!

 

[dcsetman]

Transportation from one park to another should be simple – Disney has never agreed with this scientific fact, and thus begins our journey. Bus from Hollywood Studio’s to Contemporary Resort, off bus, through hotel, find elevator to Monorail, Monorail (stopping at every resort on Bay Lake) and finally to the Magic Kingdom; wow, that took a while. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we all heard the familiar, “Nana, I have to go…” again. We quickly got through bag check-in, and Bop took care of renting a locker for our nighttime clothes bag, and told me to take Christian to the RR under the train bridge and entrance to Main Street. So off we went, only that is not where the RR’s are located once inside the park, so hurriedly we set off to find them, and did, by City Hall. Once finished, I sent Bop a text so he could meet us on the porch of City Hall. It took a while, but he finally found us and we walked towards the Castle.

The clock is ticking and I know that the Beauty and the Beast Castle is in Fantasy Land, but not sure where. Before the addition of the new phase, I could have walked through Fantasy Land with my eyes closed and taken us to any point. But everything looked different now, and even with a map, it was somewhat confusing. We had a fast pass (a very hard pass to get) for lunch in the castle, to arrive between 1:20 and 1:50. Passing in and out of Storybook circus along with hundreds of people, we finally realized the right path to the castle and arrived at 1:30. The standby line was very long (people wait over three (3) hours to get in for lunch) but because I had the coveted fast pass, we checked in at the podium and were instructed to go right in  There was a family at the podium right before us whose fast pass had not gotten recorded correctly and they were turned away because of not being on the list. They had made changes after their initial signup on the internet (this is supposed to work, but I have read that many people lose their pass when making changes, so just a word of caution if you are going to book this fast pass – get it like you want it the first time and then leave it alone).

The details of this castle are amazing from the bridge over the mote, through the entry way with knights in armor. We had preordered our food on the internet site, so we just signed our receipt for the dining plan linked to our magic bands and walked into the ballroom and chose a table. Savannah had fallen asleep before we entered the castle. I hated for her to miss this, and considered waking her up, so let her sleep while we waited on our food. After about 5 minutes, our lunch was delivered from big rolling carts. Our magic bands acted as a GPS for the waiter’s and they knew exactly where to bring our order (kind of George Orwell’s 1984 like, but very cool).
Nana – Croque Monsieur
Bop – Turkey Sandwich
Christian – Turkey Sandwich
Savannah – Turkey Sandwich
Kayna – Braised Pork, veggies and Potato’s (maybe Disney really is magic because Kayna liked and ate the green beans – a miracle, if you know anything about her).

After eating, I woke Savannah, gently and slowly, and she loved that she was sitting in the ballroom. The windows that surrounded the room looked out on a special scene (not the park) where it looked like nighttime and it was snowing; very magical. She didn’t want to eat yet, since she was still sleepy, so I told her we would stop later and get her something to eat. I did wake her up, afterall, so I thought getting her a meal of her choice later was only fair.

Once we left it was time for our first ride fast pass, Splash Mountain. Savannah did not want to ride, and so I sent Bop, Kayna and Christian off to the mountain, while Savannah and I went to the Pinnochio Haus restaurant for her Chicken Caesar Salad. Savannah and I made our way to Frontier Land to meet the rest of our group by the Mountain, but it was nearing 3:00 p.m. and we were caught in parade traffic, so we stopped on the bridge by Splash to wait, and then meet up with them after.

Side Note: The line to meet Anna and Elsa was over three (3) hours long today, so we did not even attempt, but they were near the front of the parade, so we got our glimpse here, with Olaf, of course.

Once the parade was over, and our group was back together, it was time for our 2nd fast pass to BTMRR (Thunder MT RailRoad). Christian was NOT a fan of Splash Mtn after riding it, but agreed to ride BTMRR with me, and Savannah would ride with Bop. With our Fast Pass, we had no wait time in line. Ok, so Christian nor Savannah are fans of either of the fast mountain rides. No more for them, they will stick with the slow, fun rides. They were troopers though, and at least tried them.

Time for a break and lemonade slushies and popcorn. We had snack credits on our dining plan, so once again, just tapped my magic band and got our food. After a quick rest, it was time for our last pre-scheduled Fast Pass to Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Christian made me promise that it was a “slow” ride before he would even consider riding it  Remember this phrase, “ Take us back to where we were “? We needed to go back near the Beast Castle, but Bop’s internal GPS was working fine and he led us right to the entrance. Everyone loved the relaxing and cool ride. This is Savannah’s favorite ride.

After the ride and walking through the park some, it was time for another snack – this time: Milkshakes, Floats, and a Sprite (for Bop). Delivering everyone’s drink to them as we sat on the wall around Fantasy Land, I had taken two sips from mine when Christian announced, “Nana, I gotta go RR…” so, off we went. All in all he has done so good with this, though. He is three (3) and so much excitement and different schedule and foods today and not one accident. I’m not complaining – just my legs and feet (ha)!

It is about 6:00 p.m. now and everyone is really tired now, so time to visit “Hall of Presidents”, and grab a nap. There was about a 15 minute wait, so we walked around the lobby and Kayna took pictures. She loves history and while this attraction may totally bore most kids, she was really into it; made it much more fun. One more trip to the RR while we waited (for Christian) and then enter into the large, cool, comfortable, dark room. Well…. Scratch nap time, that didn’t work, the cool air gave the kids all a second wind and they were ready to go. Ok – to Infinity and Beyond, it’s time to go ride Buzz Lightyear. We all loved that ride and it became Christian’s favorite.

My feet are beginning to burn and hurt, and for the first time in forever, my knee started hurting, bad. Limping along we decided to split up, and Bop would take the kids on the Tea Cups and Carrousel, while I went to run a few errands:
1. Our portable charger needed a re-charge as it was dead, so I took it to the Space Mountain Gift Shop in Tomorrow Land where they have a charging station (room for 9 devices, each in locked, individual, containers). You swipe a credit card (no charge) to open and connect your device to the charger, then close and lock the container. The credit card you used is the only way to open, so it is secure. You then leave and come back whenever you are ready.
2. A new phase of the Fast Pass + system that just started last week: now that we have used our original three pre-selected fast passes, I could get a fourth (4th) one at a Kiosk. I split our passes up this time and got FP for Space Mountain for Kayna and I, and everyone else would ride Buzz Lightyear with their new FP. We got similar time slots, for right after the Fireworks, at 10:30 p.m. Perfect timing. Maybe this will redeem me a little for not riding Tower of Terror 

 

[dcsetman]

I met Bop and the kids in time to ride the Carrousel, choosing a horse beside Christian. Wow, where has the day gone? It’s after 8:15 p.m. now and time to head to dinner at The Plaza. We checked in at the podium and had about a 10 minute wait. This is a cute, low key restaurant on main street with really good food. A little out of the main thoroughfare so, a quiet respite from the otherwise crowd-crazed day. The kid all had chicken and fries, Bop – a cheeseburger and I had Tomato Soup and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. It was very good, and Christian even helped himself to some of my soup.

As we finished eating, the nighttime parade was starting, so Bop took the kids outside to watch while I paid the bill. Later, I joined them outside on the side street with a front on view of the castle, a perfect viewing spot for the fireworks. There were a few small trees and a couple of table umbrella’s at the edge of our viewing area, but they were low enough not to block the fireworks. There was a sitting wall we propped on, while we waited. Then, the Fireworks Nazi showed up, a cast member who was a little too enthusiastic about enforcing the rules. She paced back and forth, barking orders like a military operation, for any people walking through, it was “ move on through, don’t stop!” and for us, it was “ feet behind the white line, don’t stand on the wall,“ …. Over and over and over for about 20 minutes. I realize she was just doing her job, but this is Disney, be happy, my goodness!!

The kids loved the fireworks, and Christian stood in the stroller for a good view. We saw Tinkerbell fly from the castle, I never get tired of seeing that.

Time for Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. Kayna and I had a blast and with our fast pass it was a walk on to the ride. On our way out through the gift shop, I picked up our portable charger, now fully charge. That is pretty cool. We met Bop and Savannah, and Christian was now sound asleep in the stroller, he was done for the night. I sat with him outside while Bop took Kayna and Savannah on Astro Orbiter.

It was now after 11:30 and we walked through Fantasy Land where Savannah, Kayna and I rode Dumbo (with no wait – gotta love “extra magic hours” nights). Then we headed to Adventure Land to ride Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride. We were all thirsty and looking for a drink, even just water, after 11:30 proved to be a challenge. I guess no-one should be thirsty at midnight in the Magic Kingdom (LOL). Finally, I found a gift shop still open that had bottled water and used our last two snack credits for that. When I came back out, Savannah was sound asleep in her side of the stroller, gone for the night.

Kayna and I rode the Magic Carpet Ride and she dared the camel to spit on her – he did, of course, (always does) and she loves that. I had promised Kayna that I would ride Splash Mountain with her as the last ride of the night. I didn’t want to walk around the park after midnight wet, so if we were going to ride, it would be the last one. So onward to The Mountain. My knee has a bit of arthritis in it, and was killing me now, as well as my blistered feet, but I hobbled my way up the path (after swigging down 2 Advil). As we got to the entrance of the ride, we were met by two cast members that said, “ if you are headed to Splash, it is closed for the night” - Oh man, I walked all this way and now it’s closed (ok, I didn’t say that out loud, I was nice and just said, “thank you”)! But I wasn’t happy. Hmmm, let’s see, maybe I can make this work for my aching knee and feet. I turned to Kayna and said:

Nana “ I have a deal for you, you decide, ok?
We can ride Pirates of the Caribbean as our last ride of the night since we go right by it on our way out” or… we can go ahead and leave the park and when we get back to the resort, we put Christian and Savannah to bed, let Bop watch them, and I’ll go swimming with you (it’s 12:45 a.m. now).

Kayna “ Swimming!”

Wow, that was easy, she didn’t even have to think about it. So now, the long trek out of the park to the buses. Loading the bus with a double stroller and two sleeping kids took some strategy, but we made it. I got Christian out of the stroller first, and Kayna went to grab seats on the bus, I laid Christian down propped against her lap, then exited the bus to go get Savannah. I brought her on, all the while telling the bus driver, “ My husband’s coming with the stroller, don’t leave him  “ He shook his head, and said, take your time.

We made it back to the resort, and were the last stop (several people got off at the wrong stop and had to get back on). Kayna and I put on our swimsuits quickly and I hobbled out to the pool at 1:30 a.m. The water was warm and felt great on my blistered feet. We didn’t stay long and by 2:15 we were both saying goodnight to one another in the bed.

 

[dcsetman]

Monday morning, we all rolled out of bed around 8:30 a.m. and hurriedly packed the room up and started making the multiple trips to the truck to load everything. Breakfast in the food court on our way out (Kayna mistakenly put coffee instead of syrup on her pancakes – yeah, don’t ask – I have no idea how she confused the two), and then a quick stop by the arcade. As a part of our package, we had 100 free tokens to use, so that meant one game each for the kids. Christian has just learned to play baseball this year, and never played an arcade came before – word to the wise: don’t give a 3 year old a hard ball for skee ball and let him do it himself. Thank goodness the cage was not real glass, up top, because he threw a fast ball pitch right in the middle of the upper section. After I caught my breath, and quickly looked around to see that we were the only ones in the Arcade that morning (thank goodness), Bop and I gave him quick skee ball lessons. He didn’t really get it, but still had fun trying  The girls played a quick game of basketball. We said our goodbye’s to the beautiful Riverside resort and Mickey and headed home, leaving the purple signs behind, until next time.

Closing Thoughts

• Magic Bands – We are big fans of the new Magic Bands. They are comfortable, waterproof, easy to use for both adults and children. Having your hands free while gathering food at the food court, walking through the parks and at entry, and late at night coming home to your resort hotel, it is just touch Mickey to Mickey and you are done.

• Fast Pass+ - Overall, we like the new system. I didn’t have to run across the park to grab a paper ticket (that I then had to keep up with) several times a day. I am a very scheduled person anyway, so pre-scheduling my fast passes was not a problem for our park touring life style. The week before we went, Disney added the ability to add a 4th, and more FP after your original three had been used. I am sure that helped our experience be more positive since we took advantage of that. And we were able to get a headliner (Space Mtn) very late in the evening, so the strategy works well. It would be nice if when park hopping, you didn’t have to use your original three FP all in one park before you could add another one. Being able to get Kayna a FP for Tower of Terror would have been nice. Disney is still tweaking this system so perhaps they will add that ability. If so, the FP+ would get a 10 in satisfaction from me.

• At 62 and 56, bad knees and some arthritis, and blister prone feet (since I was a child), Dennis and I will do the parks differently from now on. We will probably rent a scooter for at least part of the day. I love Disney parks, so why subject my body to pain for days after, when it’s not necessary. Also, when taking small children on an extra magic night scheduled day in the parks, it is worth it to go back to the resort for a few hours and nap. Trying to nap in the park, just didn’t work for us. I’ve tried it both ways, and getting out of the park, for just a little while, is totally worth it.

• After a 17 hour day in the park, we will not drive all the way home the very next day – we needed a rest day, or at least just drive ½ way home, rest around a pool somewhere, and then drive home the next day. Our schedule did not permit that this trip, but we will make sure it does next time before we commit to going at a particular time.

• Port Orleans (Riverside and French Quarter) is a beautiful resort area and still one of my favorites.

• Favorite Rides of the day for all of us:

Bop Buzz Lightyear
Nana Space Mountain
Kayna Space Mountain
Christian Buzz Lightyear
Savannah Little Mermaid, Under the Sea

• The meal plan is totally worth it for the way we do Disney with kids. We always have at least one (1) character meal, and we like to take a break and have a nice sit down lunch and dinner. It puts a little sanity back in the day and slows us all down. Plus, once I start vacation, I don’t have to worry about the cost of the meal, it is already paid for (to me that is a huge part of enjoying vacation).

So I guess it is Kelsi and Lauryn’s time, the next time Bop and Nana visit The World, probably in 2016. But first, Dennis and Penni may do a honey moon do-over (couple trip) for our 40th wedding anniversary next year ( hubby’s idea, and yes, I jumped at it).

That’s it for now –thank you for reading along.

 

[dcsetman]

If any of you are interested, my blog address is: http://nanabop2013.blogspot.com/

Pictures are included there
Look under April and May 2014

thanks for reading along!
These boards are so helpful.

 

[Claki]

What fantastic grandparents you are! I'm exhausted just reading about all the fun. And the potty breaks!

 

[dcsetman]

What fantastic grandparents you are! I'm exhausted just reading about all the fun. And the potty breaks!

The kids are still beaming every time they tell someone about their trip. Since my feet have recovered, I can't wait to get back!!

 

[appleorchard]

Sounds like crazy, fast fun! We were there on the rainy Friday, too bad you had to have that on one of your days, but it sounds like you worked through it! Lucky at least one grandchild made it past midnight, mine always conk out by 10 pm lol.

 

[ebhcole]

Wow! Nana and Bop are brave! We take one of our grandkids per trip. We definitely try not to let ourselves be outnumbered.

I agree about needing rest before a long drive. We have planned a rest day on the last day of our upcoming trip in November. We're hoping it helps.

Thanks for sharing your trip!

 

[dcsetman]

Sounds like crazy, fast fun! We were there on the rainy Friday, too bad you had to have that on one of your days, but it sounds like you worked through it! Lucky at least one grandchild made it past midnight, mine always conk out by 10 pm lol.

Yeah, we usually conk out by 10:00 on a regular basis too (we are early birds), but Disney magic always keeps me awake

 

[dcsetman]

Wow! Nana and Bop are brave! We take one of our grandkids per trip. We definitely try not to let ourselves be outnumbered.

I agree about needing rest before a long drive. We have planned a rest day on the last day of our upcoming trip in November. We're hoping it helps.

Thanks for sharing your trip!

Thanks for reading along. I hope your trip in November is magical with a tad of rest thrown in We are planning a trip to Williamsburg and D.C. with two of our grandchildren in September, and I am making sure to plan in rest days on the way up and back. The extra hotel expense will be worth it.

Nana