Abbey's Birthday Trip - Day 4

[Ms Poppins]

Pre-trippie here

Abbey's Birthday Trip - Day 1

Abbey's Birthday Trip - Day 2

Abbey's Birthday Trip - Day 3

Wednesday 9th May

The Cast
Me, Julie - 37
DH, John - 41
DD, Abbey - 15
DS, Lewis - 7

I'd set the alarm for 7am for the last morning of EMH. I was up and ready by 7:30 and woke Lewis up. Abbey had already said she wanted to lie in today. Lewis got up and we were ready to go by 7:50. As we walked along the corridor in the hotel towards the lift, he said his foot was really sore, so we sat down and I looked, and his wee toe was red raw, rubbing against his shoe. I suggested we go back to the room, but he really wanted to do EMH. So we got in the lift and went to the front door and outside. He was in noticeable pain by now, and his wee face was not a happy one It had been raining overnight and the ground was sodden and looked very overcast, so I said we'd go back to the room and rest before breakfast. He still wanted to do EMH, but I just didn't think it was worth it as I thought most of the rides he wanted to do were outside anyway and may be a bit wet.

Back upstairs I suggested putting a small plaster on his toe. Lewis is a real worrier, and didn't like the idea of the plaster being ripped off - so it took me about 20 minutes to persuade him that it would be ok and would cushion the sore bit on his toe to make sure he could walk for the rest of the day. Finally, plaster on (with the help of a bit of Dairy Crunch chocolate ) he settled up on the bed and watched some Disney channel. I tidied up and did as much packing as I could before DH and DD got up.

Lewis with his new hat and hankerchief, sorry I mean bandana

We packed the room up and said goodbye to our second home . We took our bags to the left luggage area, with the intention of picking them up after lunch to transfer to the Dream Castle Hotel. I mentioned to the CM that we were moving to the Dream Castle and he said they could transfer the luggage for us A big bonus for us, meaning we didn't need to go back later in the day. Another example of the fantastic service at Hotel New York (oh, why were we leaving )

Off to breakfast, again in the Convention Centre. A lovely dome in the lobby:

Lewis having a wee play outside the bar

Abbey bought a lovely Alice t-shirt from the hotel shop using her Birthday Euros.

It was about 10:40 now. Again, we wanted an easy day, knowing that we would definitely be watching Dreams live in the park tonight John had always wanted to see inside the Newport Bay Club, so we took a stroll round the lake.

Inside was very, very busy. Lots of people in the lobby, so we didn't get to see much. We noticed the shuttle bus outside so jumped on to get to the park. It was a very windy day, but it was warm wind. Nice Disney walking weather First stop today was Salon Mickey

When we came out we wandered round Town Square and noticed there wasn't much of a queue for Duffy. So the kids met him. Lewis said he was lovely and cuddly

A lovely stroll up Main St listening to the music and looking in the shop windows

We'd had much discussion, actually months of discussion, about where we would eat on this trip. We'd done Blue Lagoon and Annettes. The others on the 'want to do list' were Rainforest Cafe, Walts and Plaza Gardens. John suggested we try for Walts, but I thought it would be fully booked. I popped in anyway to see if we could sneak a late booking for there tonight. 'Sorry, we're full tonight'. Oh well, next time maybe

Onward to Discoveryland for Autopia with some photos on the way

 

[Ms Poppins]

Queue was very short, I think it may have only opened a short time before

Lewis drove DH and Abbey was my chauffeur

We all had a good time on this

Space Mountain was showing a 5 minute wait time In fact, the whole park was noticeably much quieter today Abbey and I went off to do SM whilst DH and Lewis did Orbitrion. Again Abbey and I got on a bit quicker as they needed 2 riders - but it was in the back carriage There were two coaster goers sitting behind, they'd asked for the back seat and sang the whole way through the ride to the music I've not enjoyed SM as much as I used to, it definitely gives a real head rattle, but it wasn't too bad. I love the beginning and the sequence through the 'red rings'

Then we went and watched DH and DS on Orbitrion

Back over to Central Plaza and I just love that the stage isn't there anymore

Stroll back into see how the dragon was getting on

And again up to the glass shop where we watched the CM make a glass rose. Very impressive Whilst in there Abbey said she could hear pirates music, so we popped out and the brass band were playing

 

[Ms Poppins]

We wanted to try and meet Jack Sparrow at 2:30 but it was only about 1pm now. We headed to pirates anyway via Peter Pan. Then tried to get Lewis to keep his head up on pirates - where is he

Hunger was setting in and I really wanted another EOS, but we wouldn't have time to go to the Village and back again in time to meet Jack. So as we'd enjoyed our first meal, we headed back to Cafe Hyperion which we knew would be quick. The kids had nuggets and DH and I had the chicken burger, yum. We watched some cartoons again and enjoyed the rest.

Made our way to the toilets, and when we came out Pluto, Chip and Dale were outside. Lewis met them

It was time to seek Captain Jack now and we went to the Blue Lagoon where he had been last time. Something made me check the programme and it said he'd be 'near pirates beach'. I asked inside Blue Lagoon and she said he'd be near the ship. So we wandered over and Lewis played beside the ship for a while. Then Jack appeared and there was a bit of scrum to get to him. He was lucky and managed to see him. Jack wasn't prepared though.....all the kids before Lewis got their books signed and then a photo....Lewis looked right at him and said 'can I see your sword'. Of course, it's not real so he was a bit stumped as to what to do. Then Lewis just said, 'oh, it's stuck inside the scabbard'. It was a lovely meet and Lewis with chuffed to bits that he'd met him again

It was after 3pm now, so we thought we'd go and check into the Dream Castle. On the way we saw the new train parked in front of the castle

Abbey suggested we stop off at Gibson Girl to get some ice cream. They've gone all Ben and Jerry's now, with no lovely big wafer cones anymore, just tubs but we still had some lovely ice cream. I got Strawberry Cheesecake, DH got Vanilla, Abbey got Cookie Dough and Lewis Chocolate. I like it in the Gibson Girl

Instead of walking with our ice cream ( I had visions of chocolate all over Lewis' white t-shirt) we sat in Main St and watched the train come back down

Very vibrant And, Mickey was there too - I'm sure someone said he wouldn't be on the train, so this was a nice surprise

A quick look in the shop with all the glass, and some more photos of nice pics we'd seen

 

[Ms Poppins]

We waited for our bus for about 15 mintues, the no 54. It stopped at Explorers, Kyriad (where Abbey will be in few weeks with school) Magic Circus and then us, Dream Castle. I must say, I was very impressed with the outside of the hotel, by far the nicest looking of the 4

The lovely sweet candy floss smell hit us as we walked in Lewis and Abbey had a look around with DH and I waited to check in.

Abbey was delighted that there was free wifi in the lobby too

The receptionist was very nice, and said our luggage had been delivered, before I'd even mentioned it and allocated us a room on the 4th floor. She explained breakfast and other facilities well and offered a discount on evening buffet dinner. Usually 34E for ad, but reduced to 29E if booking now. We didn't bother as we wanted to eat in the park later. She took us to the luggage room and we got our bags and headed up to the room.

When I opened the door, the smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming I didn't say anything immediately, but after a minute or so John did, so I knew it wasn't just me. He phoned to reception and they said someone from housekeeping would come up, but we knew the smell wouldn't go. So we left our stuff in the room and went back down to reception. There was only 1 receptionist on, serving a couple, but no-one else in front of us. It took nearly 40 minutes for her to become free. DH was getting a bit angry now Anyway, we explained to her we wanted another room. She was very apologetic and moved us to the room next door. Back up stairs and we moved our stuff. The room itself looked nice:

I liked the kettle and tea/coffee/chocolate. There is also a small fridge, but not that cold - we put a bottle of water and juice in it and later it was cool, but not cold.

Nice Loccitane toiletries

Beautiful view from the room

 

[Ms Poppins]

Time had marched on and I think it was about 4:45 by now. DH and DS had settled down to watch some tv which had BBC channels, and I decided to have a shower. Abbey went downstairs to use the wifi. I noticed there was a large crack in the bathroom sink and that a couple of the tiles on the floor were loose. I dried my hair using the hairdryer in the bathroom, but it was very, very slow.....

After a bit of a rest we waited outside for the bus, which wasn't long in coming, and then headed back to the park. It was 6:30 by now. Still very windy and warm As we entered Main St the streets were lined with people waiting for the parade. We planned to go to Plaza Gardens but John said he was going to pop into Walts again to see if there were any last minute cancellations. He had to navigate across the street and we waited on the other side. From inside I saw him wave us to him and we were very lucky and got a table

And, not just any table - but one overlooking Main St

We had the room to ourselves to start with. John says it reminds him of Boardwalk Empire inside:

I was so happy

Lewis took some photos of outside

The parade reached us at about 7:10

 

[Ms Poppins]

Then our dinner was served. John, Abbey and I all had the steak with bearnaise sauce, which was delicious

Lewis had the kids cheeseburger

Lewis had a chocolate flan, which was actually like a mousse

I had the Walts gourmet selection - yum

We all really enjoyed the meal and I felt so lucky that we'd managed to get a table

We popped into Liberty Arcade for a quick toilet stop and then over to Phantom Manor. Still no ghosts . BTM was showing a 5 min wait so John and Abbey did that. Lewis and I waited on 'my bench' which is back where it should be after disappearing last time

We went over towards Pirates and took the quiet time to search the Swiss Family Tree House

And over the suspension bridge

Then onto pirates, walk on We came out and the kids wanted to go on again, so we did. We took our time through the queue and took a photo

Lewis was determined to keep his head up this time to show Mark, and I promised that if he did we'd buy the photo. I kept hold of him and in the pic he looks scared, but he wasn't at all. We bought the photo as agreed . I noticed on pirates that the scene after the second big drop, was fantastic with the cannons shooting into the water. We got wet quite a few times on Pirates so I think they must have topped up the water or something

Made our way now to watch Dreams for the final time Fantasyland closes at 9pm with the exception of Peter Pan and Small World. So you can still walk round the back way. Took some pics of the teacups all lit up on the way to Discoveryland

A quick stop in Videopolis for the toilet and then to get some drinks from the vending machine, we made our way out of Discoveryland. The main central plaza area was very busy, so we stood just opposite the Annual Passport Office. I can't stress this enough, don't waste hours getting a spot for dreams. The castle is elevated and even with people standing directly in front of you, you will see the show!! Many people were sitting all over the area:

And then it was time.......

 

[Ms Poppins]

 

[Ms Poppins]

 

[Ms Poppins]

Aaaahhhhhhh

 

[Ms Poppins]

We were in the right place when this finished and cut past Plaza Gardens restaurant and through Discovery Arcade. The gates were open for exit at the left of the park so we went straight through, past the DLH and gardens to the bus stop for the Dream Castle. Luckily one appeared in just a few minutes but it was a bit of a fight to get on. All 4 hotels were stopped at again. We were into bed by about 11:30, but the room was really warm. I'd put the air con up full before we had gone out, but there was no benefit from it. I opened the window and the kids went to bed. Lewis liked the curtain that went round the bed, but the actual bed was too small for Abbey. It wasn't a full size bed like they have at Cheyenne, so her feet keep bumping the bottom The quilts were proper single bed size, but they hung over the bottom too. Not very good considering we'd booked as 3 adults and 1 child. If Mark had been with us, there is no way he'd have fitted.

Anyway, it was too late to start moving rooms, so we just settled down and tried to sleep. I was so very hot, and couldn't get comfy as the bed, although very big, had a massive bump in the middle and I kept rolling to the side

But, we'd had a fabulous day, so tried to just sleep and relax as we'd need to be up early tomorrow to go home

 

[jothp]

I can't believe you've got to the end of your TR already. I really want one of those gourmet selections from Walts it looked yummy .

would you say the view of dreams was better from the front, or was it fine off to the side?

Thanks for writing I have really enjoyed reading.

 

[Ms Poppins]

I can't believe you've got to the end of your TR already. I really want one of those gourmet selections from Walts it looked yummy .

would you say the view of dreams was better from the front, or was it fine off to the side?

Thanks for writing I have really enjoyed reading.

I like getting the tr done when it's all fresh in my head. The gourmet selection in Walts was absolutely divine...mmmmmm......

I think the view was just as good at both spots. Obviously if you're direct on you'll see a different view. The second time, from Discoveryland side, Wendy looked huge and right in front of us, but the other side where King Louie was, wasn't quite as clear. But, the impact was the same. To be honest, I wouldn't waste 1 - 2 hours getting a spot to be at the front/middle section. And there were people doing this. Even with people standing right in front we still saw everything. It was amazing, absolutely amazing.

 

[Ware Bears]

What a lovely last day - I always have a bitter-sweet feeling as you know it's the last one.

Love all the photos but I think this is my favourite.

 

[Mum to Belle]

LOVE your photos!!!

When I saw the ones of your room I did wonder how Abbey was going to fit into those bunk beds???!!!

And how cool does Lewis look in his hat?!

 

[DLPDreams]

I have really enjoyed reading your TR Julie - amazing. I had to skip all the Dreams pics though as trying to see as little as poss of it , to keep some of it a surprise! Thanks for the tips about not staking out a spot - I doubt we will be able to do this with the girls as they won't stand like that for too long!

We have booked to do the Walts VIP dinner meal - purely because we wanted to eat here anyway (first time) and I like the look of the menu. The viewing area, while not fabulous, gives us the opportunity to get there quite late with a guaranteed spot! Only issue is, having seen your gourmet pud I'd really like one of those! Wonder if I could pay extra to get one on the VIP menu?

Sorry to hear that the Dream Castle wasn't as great as expected - at least it was only one night and you weren't there much due to the park/Dreams etc.

You managed to do and see so much - I hope you are getting time to read your new book!

 

[SleepingX3Beauty]

I love the part about Lewis and his meeting with Jack Sparrow. Poor guy must have panicked completely knowing it wasn't a real sword!

You're pictures are all so wonderfull! Especially the ones from Dreams, they really worked out well and I can imagine it isn't an easy show to photograph!

 

[loladelorean]

Thank you once again for sharing your trip report so quickly and thoroughly
Yours are always some of my favourite TRs - your family are adorable and you all look like you're having such a magical time.
Sorry to hear about Dream Castle - would the experience put you off staying at an offsite hotel again? We've considered it a few times but have never actually done it. At least you got your full last day in the parks though and presumably saved some pennies...we're on the 12.05 flight to glasgow on our last day but we'll be squeezing in EMH and getting the fast TGV train to the airport just in time for check out!
Reading these and seeing all your photos has made us realise just how close our trip is - we're even more excited now

 

[rottie155]

I have absolutely loved reading your TR and I cannot believe how fast you've done all this! Hats off to you! What a wonderful time you all had and now I am literally bouncing off the walls for my trip in less than 48 hours time!

I need to ask before I get out there - this picture, was it just decoration in a store or was this actually for sale?! It's only, I WANT ONE!!!!

Glad you all had such a fabulous time!

 

[RoseBug]

Thank you for sharing your TR! I have LOVED reading it and your photos are fab!
I am so, so excited about our upcoming trip now - thank you!

 

[Ms Poppins]

What a lovely last day - I always have a bitter-sweet feeling as you know it's the last one.

Me too - I spend the whole day saying to myself, 'last trip on pirates, last view of the castle etc.....'

LOVE your photos!!!

When I saw the ones of your room I did wonder how Abbey was going to fit into those bunk beds???!!!

And how cool does Lewis look in his hat?!

Thanks. When I look at that photo it is quite obvious that Abbey wouldn't fit in the bed, but when we were there it did not really seem that obvious I don't know why. I'm kicking myself now. I should have thoroughly checked everything before we got settled, but we'd wasted so much time moving room already we just wanted to get organised. We ended up missing a last planned hour in the studios too because of the time it took, so I was a tad grumpy..

I have really enjoyed reading your TR Julie - amazing. I had to skip all the Dreams pics though as trying to see as little as poss of it , to keep some of it a surprise! Thanks for the tips about not staking out a spot - I doubt we will be able to do this with the girls as they won't stand like that for too long!

We have booked to do the Walts VIP dinner meal - purely because we wanted to eat here anyway (first time) and I like the look of the menu. The viewing area, while not fabulous, gives us the opportunity to get there quite late with a guaranteed spot! Only issue is, having seen your gourmet pud I'd really like one of those! Wonder if I could pay extra to get one on the VIP menu?

Sorry to hear that the Dream Castle wasn't as great as expected - at least it was only one night and you weren't there much due to the park/Dreams etc.

You managed to do and see so much - I hope you are getting time to read your new book!

You should see fine from the VIP spot - as I say even with people in front of you, you should see everything. I opened the book this afternoon! It's amazing, and wants me to go back again right now Hope you all have a lovely time

I love the part about Lewis and his meeting with Jack Sparrow. Poor guy must have panicked completely knowing it wasn't a real sword!

You're pictures are all so wonderfull! Especially the ones from Dreams, they really worked out well and I can imagine it isn't an easy show to photograph!

Captain Jack was great with him For Dreams, it was just point and shoot - I didn't want to miss a second of it, so I'm amazed that the photos are even in focus!

Thank you once again for sharing your trip report so quickly and thoroughly
Yours are always some of my favourite TRs - your family are adorable and you all look like you're having such a magical time.
Sorry to hear about Dream Castle - would the experience put you off staying at an offsite hotel again? We've considered it a few times but have never actually done it. At least you got your full last day in the parks though and presumably saved some pennies...we're on the 12.05 flight to glasgow on our last day but we'll be squeezing in EMH and getting the fast TGV train to the airport just in time for check out!
Reading these and seeing all your photos has made us realise just how close our trip is - we're even more excited now

Thanks Lisa Yes, it's put us off staying off-site. I've said this many times, but one of the reasons I love our DLP holidays, it that we are somehow in a Disney bubble - being able to walk easily to everything, without pushy people on buses etc. We had intended to just check in and head back to the studios, but when you factor in waiting for buses each way, the problem with the first room etc - we didn't have time. We are just too used to HNY and it's fantastic location Hope you all have a great time.

I have absolutely loved reading your TR and I cannot believe how fast you've done all this! Hats off to you! What a wonderful time you all had and now I am literally bouncing off the walls for my trip in less than 48 hours time!

I need to ask before I get out there - this picture, was it just decoration in a store or was this actually for sale?! It's only, I WANT ONE!!!!

Glad you all had such a fabulous time!

Thanks Adam. We had a fantastic time. The picture is a painted framed canvas in the shop on Main St with all the glass in it, on the right hand side, just past the photography shop. I hope you have deep pockets though, I'm sure it was about 595E or something mental like that It was so nice, we just had to take a photo of it Hope you have a lovely time.

Thank you for sharing your TR! I have LOVED reading it and your photos are fab!
I am so, so excited about our upcoming trip now - thank you!

Thanks - I'm sure you'll all have a great time