allie5
<font color=blue>WARNING! DHL men should be cautio
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2002
- Messages
- 1,572
Weds June 25th. Up at 7.30 and prepare a simple breakfast at the villa this morning. Mum takes the kids swimming as DH and I need to go and buy some new trainers/sneakers (its a Brit thing ). One difference this morning......Hide Americans, hide now! Allie is about to take to the wheel of a huge, left hand drive automatic car, the like of which she has never driven before. DH tries to sound pleased at the thought, bless him, but I see a sheen of sweat on his brow that I hadnt noticed before....!
I climb in the cavernous vehicle and DH gives me a brief lesson on how to drive an auto. Not using my left foot is a good start, as I am using this to work the brake to start with. As soon as he tells me everything is done with the right foot, I am fine and we are off! They go quite fast, those Dodge Intrepids you know
Much to DHs relief, we get stuck in a traffic jam and crawl most of the way to the Nike store. Amazingly we both find our shoes pretty quickly...DH is a UK size 13 and cant buy anything at home, so its nice he has some choice here. We pick up some chicken strips from Burger King for a snack to take back home.
By 1pm we are ready to set off for the Magic Kingdom. Of course, we dont get on the front row today and at last DD gets to ride the trolley bus to the TTC. We are hoping to ride upfront on the monorail today, but alas, it is already taken. Security once again miss the cooler and HUGE baby bag under the buggy and we are in the park by 1.40pm. First stop the barbers shop! I am amazed to find only one person there having a cut, so DD gets in the chair straight away. The guy having his hair done is being mocked mercilessly! They gel it up into a mohican and threaten to shave his head totally. They then pour a bucket of pixie dust over him. His wife and kids are having a riot watching.
DD isnt too keen about the haircut, but she is expertly distracted by a hastily produced bubble blower. This works like a charm and she sits, cherub like in the chair for her trim. Maura the hairdresser is superb and gives DD the best cut shes ever had. She also adds a beautiful french braid which looks amazing and I feel like a bad mother as I cant even get her bunches straight!!
Maura then asks if I would like DS to have a trim also....she tempts me with the tiny "first haircut" Mickey ears and of course, I cant say no! DS is lifted onto the seat and festooned with Mickey Stickers. He thinks these are edible and is suitably distracted trying to munch on them. Again, Maura does a wonderful job and DS looks so grown up with his short hair. I get some of his hair to take away and of course, he gets his Mickey Ears and tons of pixie dust. I cant reccomend this highly enough! Its very reasonably priced ($12 each) and a great place to get some video footage and photos. A worthy 10/10!!
Its almost time for our PS at the Crystal Palace. I have made a late booking (2.45pm) as we are staying late tonight. We are seated immediately, but the characters leave to join the parade! Oh well.....time to eat instead! The food is quite impressive for a buffet and all of us find something we like. Even DS likes the mashed potatoes and manages some chicken. Its not long before tha characters are back again, and there are only 3 families left in the restaurant. I didnt realise, but it "closes" between 3 and 4 as they make the change from lunch to dinner. They do keep the buffet topped up though and we dont feel rushed to leave. Tigger is bored by the lack of people to interact with and starts to fool around big time. Its hilarious and we are all in fits of laughter. DS takes a real shine to Pooh, who spends ages at our table playing "patty cake" with DS and DD. Some great character interaction.......the best yet.
We all rate the Crystal Palace highly.....9/10. Its light and airy with a good range of salads, meats, veggies and desserts. Will do dinner next time!
We head out to Adventureland where DH takes DD on the Treehouse. Mum and I take DS on Pirates of the Caribbean. He isnt impressed and nods off halfway round. We meet up with DH and DD who has spotted Jasmine, Aladdin (Where?? Where?? ) and Genie. Whilst DH waits in line for autographs, I pop back and get Fast passes for the Jungle Cruise. DH and I take DD on Pirates and run into Peter Pan and Wendy as we get off! DS awakes and needs a change, so I drop out of the Jungle Cruise to sort him out. After DS is clean and happy again, I go to get another Fast Pass.....shall it be Splash or Big Thunder Mountain?? Im still feeling bad DD cant ride Splash, so opt for BTM instead. We have over an hour before this will activate. DS and I people watch outside Pirates for awhile which is fun. For some reason I keep looking at everyones feet and see quite a few contenders for the "Worst Shoe At A Theme Park" award.
DD is now desperate for a ride on the Tea-cups (oh, joy) so off we go to Fantasyland. En route, I notice Cinderellas Surprise Celebration is about to start, so we watch that first. This is a great show and not to be missed. DD is enthralled as it has all her fave characters which are now The Wicked Queen, Captain Hook and Beast! Daddy gets sore shoulders as DD watches the entire thing sitting aloft DH!
We get to the Tea cups and I get the short straw and have to ride..only a few minutes wait and we are on, spinning for all we are worth. I notice mum waving frantically from her spot on the bench and wave back cheerily in return. On arriving back at the bench disaster has struck. The waving was meant to be a signal...WARNING>>SENSITIVE OR SQUEAMISH PEOPLE DO NOT READ THE NEXT FEW LINES!! DS has done what can only be described as an explosive bowel movement. The consequence being that baby, stroller, mother and surrounding areas are now covered in baby poo. Mum has tried desperately to clean him up using the last of the baby wipes, but the situation is still critical. DH takes one look and helpfully suggests he takes DD on Goofys Barnstormer whilst I clean him up. Too preoccupied to argue, I tell him to meet us at the baby center. (I do make a mental note that this will cost him BIG TIME at the next shopping trip ).
We wheel DS at light speed through the crowds towards the haven of the Babycentre. The crowds part as if Moses was parting the waves....I think the sight of a small baby covered in brown stuff was enough to shift even the stubbornest tourist that day. I think I have gone into enough detail, but suffice to say DS had to have new clothes and I didnt venture into a park again without at least a dozen packs of wipes after this incident.
Now, where were we? Ah yes, its now time for our FP for Big Thunder Mountain. Mum decides she will sit it out and finds a bench next to a vendor that she can get drinks and snacks from. DD has some chips and DS chews on a baby rusk. DH and I set off for BTM, we get straight on and are finished within 10 mins. I love this ride and could go again, but we head back to mum in case DS has had anymore "movements". Everything is fine and we decide that this might be a good spot to watch Spectro from. Its just after 8pm, so an hour to go. We all take it in turns to go off for a stroll, shop or pick up snacks. We buy DD a big tub of popcorn then have to throw it as is it SALTY...eucch! Come on Americans....Popcorn should be sweet (preferably covered in Maple syrup..YUM).
At around 8.45 there is only one spot left kerbside so I put down a poncho and sit with DD. We meet a lovely little boy called Damien who is there with his family from Ocala. They are regulars and Damien is very knowledgeable about Disney World. He spends ages talking to us and is so polite and sweet..... a real credit to his parents. When the parade begins, they all move up so DS can see the parade from his stroller.....I didnt ask them to do this, but they said they always made sure the little ones had a good view. What nice people!
The parade is fabulous and it seems so Christmassy, even though it is June! Both children are enchanted and its a highlight of our trip. After the parade we head off with two sleepy kidlets to watch the fireworks. Its only then we realise how PACKED Magic Kingdom is tonight. There is barely an inch of space in front of the castle . Somehow we make it over to the Tomorrowland bridge to get the best view of Tink flying down from the castle. DS is fading but DD is still going great guns. On the dot of 10pm, Tinkerbell pops out from the top of the castle and whizzes gracefully past our heads. DH is heard to exclaim "B****Y heck, its a real person!". I find this highly amusing as I thought he knew she was "real". The fireworks are suitably wonderful and are a great end to a magical Disney day (apart from the one gungy incident!).
We fight our way back to the TTC and get on a resort monorail which is quiet compared to the TTC only one. Back to the car and home by 11pm, tired but happy!
Tomorrow: Epcot part 2.
I climb in the cavernous vehicle and DH gives me a brief lesson on how to drive an auto. Not using my left foot is a good start, as I am using this to work the brake to start with. As soon as he tells me everything is done with the right foot, I am fine and we are off! They go quite fast, those Dodge Intrepids you know
Much to DHs relief, we get stuck in a traffic jam and crawl most of the way to the Nike store. Amazingly we both find our shoes pretty quickly...DH is a UK size 13 and cant buy anything at home, so its nice he has some choice here. We pick up some chicken strips from Burger King for a snack to take back home.
By 1pm we are ready to set off for the Magic Kingdom. Of course, we dont get on the front row today and at last DD gets to ride the trolley bus to the TTC. We are hoping to ride upfront on the monorail today, but alas, it is already taken. Security once again miss the cooler and HUGE baby bag under the buggy and we are in the park by 1.40pm. First stop the barbers shop! I am amazed to find only one person there having a cut, so DD gets in the chair straight away. The guy having his hair done is being mocked mercilessly! They gel it up into a mohican and threaten to shave his head totally. They then pour a bucket of pixie dust over him. His wife and kids are having a riot watching.
DD isnt too keen about the haircut, but she is expertly distracted by a hastily produced bubble blower. This works like a charm and she sits, cherub like in the chair for her trim. Maura the hairdresser is superb and gives DD the best cut shes ever had. She also adds a beautiful french braid which looks amazing and I feel like a bad mother as I cant even get her bunches straight!!
Maura then asks if I would like DS to have a trim also....she tempts me with the tiny "first haircut" Mickey ears and of course, I cant say no! DS is lifted onto the seat and festooned with Mickey Stickers. He thinks these are edible and is suitably distracted trying to munch on them. Again, Maura does a wonderful job and DS looks so grown up with his short hair. I get some of his hair to take away and of course, he gets his Mickey Ears and tons of pixie dust. I cant reccomend this highly enough! Its very reasonably priced ($12 each) and a great place to get some video footage and photos. A worthy 10/10!!
Its almost time for our PS at the Crystal Palace. I have made a late booking (2.45pm) as we are staying late tonight. We are seated immediately, but the characters leave to join the parade! Oh well.....time to eat instead! The food is quite impressive for a buffet and all of us find something we like. Even DS likes the mashed potatoes and manages some chicken. Its not long before tha characters are back again, and there are only 3 families left in the restaurant. I didnt realise, but it "closes" between 3 and 4 as they make the change from lunch to dinner. They do keep the buffet topped up though and we dont feel rushed to leave. Tigger is bored by the lack of people to interact with and starts to fool around big time. Its hilarious and we are all in fits of laughter. DS takes a real shine to Pooh, who spends ages at our table playing "patty cake" with DS and DD. Some great character interaction.......the best yet.
We all rate the Crystal Palace highly.....9/10. Its light and airy with a good range of salads, meats, veggies and desserts. Will do dinner next time!
We head out to Adventureland where DH takes DD on the Treehouse. Mum and I take DS on Pirates of the Caribbean. He isnt impressed and nods off halfway round. We meet up with DH and DD who has spotted Jasmine, Aladdin (Where?? Where?? ) and Genie. Whilst DH waits in line for autographs, I pop back and get Fast passes for the Jungle Cruise. DH and I take DD on Pirates and run into Peter Pan and Wendy as we get off! DS awakes and needs a change, so I drop out of the Jungle Cruise to sort him out. After DS is clean and happy again, I go to get another Fast Pass.....shall it be Splash or Big Thunder Mountain?? Im still feeling bad DD cant ride Splash, so opt for BTM instead. We have over an hour before this will activate. DS and I people watch outside Pirates for awhile which is fun. For some reason I keep looking at everyones feet and see quite a few contenders for the "Worst Shoe At A Theme Park" award.
DD is now desperate for a ride on the Tea-cups (oh, joy) so off we go to Fantasyland. En route, I notice Cinderellas Surprise Celebration is about to start, so we watch that first. This is a great show and not to be missed. DD is enthralled as it has all her fave characters which are now The Wicked Queen, Captain Hook and Beast! Daddy gets sore shoulders as DD watches the entire thing sitting aloft DH!
We get to the Tea cups and I get the short straw and have to ride..only a few minutes wait and we are on, spinning for all we are worth. I notice mum waving frantically from her spot on the bench and wave back cheerily in return. On arriving back at the bench disaster has struck. The waving was meant to be a signal...WARNING>>SENSITIVE OR SQUEAMISH PEOPLE DO NOT READ THE NEXT FEW LINES!! DS has done what can only be described as an explosive bowel movement. The consequence being that baby, stroller, mother and surrounding areas are now covered in baby poo. Mum has tried desperately to clean him up using the last of the baby wipes, but the situation is still critical. DH takes one look and helpfully suggests he takes DD on Goofys Barnstormer whilst I clean him up. Too preoccupied to argue, I tell him to meet us at the baby center. (I do make a mental note that this will cost him BIG TIME at the next shopping trip ).
We wheel DS at light speed through the crowds towards the haven of the Babycentre. The crowds part as if Moses was parting the waves....I think the sight of a small baby covered in brown stuff was enough to shift even the stubbornest tourist that day. I think I have gone into enough detail, but suffice to say DS had to have new clothes and I didnt venture into a park again without at least a dozen packs of wipes after this incident.
Now, where were we? Ah yes, its now time for our FP for Big Thunder Mountain. Mum decides she will sit it out and finds a bench next to a vendor that she can get drinks and snacks from. DD has some chips and DS chews on a baby rusk. DH and I set off for BTM, we get straight on and are finished within 10 mins. I love this ride and could go again, but we head back to mum in case DS has had anymore "movements". Everything is fine and we decide that this might be a good spot to watch Spectro from. Its just after 8pm, so an hour to go. We all take it in turns to go off for a stroll, shop or pick up snacks. We buy DD a big tub of popcorn then have to throw it as is it SALTY...eucch! Come on Americans....Popcorn should be sweet (preferably covered in Maple syrup..YUM).
At around 8.45 there is only one spot left kerbside so I put down a poncho and sit with DD. We meet a lovely little boy called Damien who is there with his family from Ocala. They are regulars and Damien is very knowledgeable about Disney World. He spends ages talking to us and is so polite and sweet..... a real credit to his parents. When the parade begins, they all move up so DS can see the parade from his stroller.....I didnt ask them to do this, but they said they always made sure the little ones had a good view. What nice people!
The parade is fabulous and it seems so Christmassy, even though it is June! Both children are enchanted and its a highlight of our trip. After the parade we head off with two sleepy kidlets to watch the fireworks. Its only then we realise how PACKED Magic Kingdom is tonight. There is barely an inch of space in front of the castle . Somehow we make it over to the Tomorrowland bridge to get the best view of Tink flying down from the castle. DS is fading but DD is still going great guns. On the dot of 10pm, Tinkerbell pops out from the top of the castle and whizzes gracefully past our heads. DH is heard to exclaim "B****Y heck, its a real person!". I find this highly amusing as I thought he knew she was "real". The fireworks are suitably wonderful and are a great end to a magical Disney day (apart from the one gungy incident!).
We fight our way back to the TTC and get on a resort monorail which is quiet compared to the TTC only one. Back to the car and home by 11pm, tired but happy!
Tomorrow: Epcot part 2.
What a mess.
