GADISNEYGIRL
<font color=red>Maelstromer!<br><font color=purple
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2003
- Messages
- 1,227
One more whirlwind trip!
Cast: DH, 33/Me, 32 trip #25 (together), at least according to Disneys records
DS, 3.75 this was his 9th trip
How we are able to pull this off: I work part time. Wed and Thur are half days (Im off at noon). I am off every Friday. DH is a pastor. Friday is his typical day off. His schedule (other than Sundays and scheduled church events) is flexible. And, neither of us has taken any vacation time this year (saving it up for Januarys 12 day trip). DS is 3. He goes to pre-school, but if he misses a day or two, so what?
Circumstances: Okay, youve seen this before. Like last week. The going gets tough we sneak off to Disney World. And after returning home last weekend, I wanted to go back, and attend MVMCP for the weekend of the 16th. DH said no. (Why is it that when HE suggests it, we go, when I suggest it, its no. Oh, well. By Tuesday Id decided we shouldnt go, either.
WEDNESDAY
So on Wednesday, DH calls me at work to tell me hes just gotten some really bad news~very close friends of ours are moving away (today, actually). What does he say? (Cmon, all together now!) Lets go to Disney! I said No. Weve already decided not to go back. We will be there in like 46 days!!! We arent going again. Period. Surprisingly, he agreed. Yeah, youre right. Well just wait.
Wednesday continued to be a bad day. Very stressful. Bad at work, bad at church, still dealing with unhappy parents (his) And on top of all that, I went to bed angry at him. I just hate days like that!
THURSDAY
Okay, its Thursday, a new day. Things will be better today, wont they?
Im putting on my makeup. DH is in the shower. DS is eating breakfast. DH yells to me (from the shower), Wanna go to Disney World? I didnt even answer him. (Im kind of used to this, as youre beginning to see. Sometimes its just better to ignore it its more likely to go away.) As Im getting ready to walk out the door, DH says, Im gonna call and see whats available for tonight. Youre what? Yeah what do you think about the Grand Floridian? Well ummm I think its very nice and very expensive why do you ask? Im gonna see if they have availability there for tonight. And we can go to the Christmas party tonight. Sleep in tomorrow, drive home tomorrow afternoon. Im sorry. We can do WHAT?? I dont get home from work til 12:30. It takes a good 5 hours to drive~and thats without stopping. So were going to get there at 6 (if were lucky), check into a hotel (the most expensive one at WDW, by the way), and go to the Magic Kingdom for 5 hours? Yeah. Sounds great, huh? Huh?? is right. Sometimes I just dont understand my husbands logic. But I really thought he was bluffing. Turns out, he wasnt. He was on the phone before you could say MVMCP.(Yes, MVMCP, not Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party. By the time you could say that, he already had the reservation.) Because he was on the phone, I took DS to school. He assured me (with his hand over the mouthpiece) that he would call me at work to give me the details.
And so, about an hour later, my very own personal Disney planning guide calls me at work to give me the details. Were staying at the Grand Floridian, marina view. I tried for a castle view, but there were none available. And Ive already got the tickets for MVMCP. Theyre holding them for us at the front desk. So, tell me what you need. Ill pack, and well be all ready to go when you get home.
Now hes gone a little too far. He wants to PACK for me? Look, Im a control freak. I want to make a packing list, check it, pack, double check it, then check it again~6 times~before we leave. These quick trips we take, I dont have time to make a packing list. But I still do the packing (at least for me and for DS), and check~8 times~before we leave, to make sure I have everything. I cant do this over the phone. No way. I tell him I will email him a list. (Ha! I DID get to make a packing list!)
I emailed the list. He called with a couple of questions about where to find certain things for DS (like clothes that were in the dryer, that sort of thing). Then he called back to say that we were all packed, and would be ready to go once I got home and changed my clothes.
By now, I was actually getting kind of excited. (Not that I would tell him that, of course!) And you know what happens then time stops. Or at least reaaaallllyyy slows down. I thought noon would never get here! When it did, I hopped out of here and headed for home. I was there at 12:25. I changed clothes (he even had them laid out on the bed for me!), and double checked (cant help it!!!) the bathroom to make sure I had remembered to tell him everything. Only thing I had forgotten was one of my allergy medicines. I got it, and grabbed a fleece pullover, and that was it, really.
We stopped for gas, and went through the Wendys drive-thru, and were actually on the road at 1pm. We had agreed not to tell DS where we were going. We just said we were having a surprise adventure. This actually worked very well. We also told him he had to get a nap on the way (he is too big for naps, as he will tell you). I didnt plan to get a nap, but I did, a little over an hour. And so did he. We stopped once, for a bathroom break I think around Ocala, but I wouldnt swear to it. We generally stop at one of the travel plazas on the turnpike, but didnt want DS to guess (too early) where we were going. As it was, he kept saying~I just saw a Disney sign! Hey! This is the road to Disney! DH kept trying to throw him off. As we got into Orlando, and hit I-4, you could tell the pieces were falling into place. And then he said, Hey! I see Downtown Disney!!
But I dont think he was actually convinced that we were really going to Disney yet not until we reached the sign, and told him, Welcome to Disney! Then we stopped at the entrance to the MK, and DH told the attendant we were checking into the Grand Floridian. DS said, Grand Floridian? Why are we going to the Grand Floridian? We just smiled and said nothing. Got to the GF, and DH actually got to choose valet parking, so he was excited! Went inside, and I took DS off a little ways, so they could discuss MVMCP tickets without him hearing. Thought that was taken care of, and DH needed me to come discuss a money issue. Then the lady said, like 4 times, in front of DS, something about the party. Even though DH had told her it was a surprise. And then, they couldnt find our tickets. They did, finally, but it was kind of frustrating. Especially since it was now almost 6:30, and we were anxious to be on our way. Hurried to the room (7212), changed DS into warmer clothes and I took pictures of the room. Yes, we were in a hurry. But I wanted pictures of everything before we had it all junked up with our luggage and stuff. I am fairly certain we wont be staying there again, so I needed pics!!
THURSDAY NIGHT
Tickets in hand, jackets in the stroller basket off we go for the rest of DS Surprise Adventure! Board the monorail (standing room only), and arrive at the entrance to the MK about 6:55. They were not letting anyone in yet, so we were there in plenty of time. (Amazing!)
DS still had not figured out where we were. I think, had it been daylight, he wouldve known but as it was, he didnt get it until he saw the castle! That made it that much better!
He was enthralled with the snow. Hes never seen snow before. The last snow we had (about 3 inches) was the month before he was born. So
roughly 4 years ago. Then he asked, And will we get to ride the rides?? We sure will, sweetie!
If you recall from last week, dining at Disney is very important to us. Of course, being that we decided to go down THE DAY OF the party, there were no ADRs available. No problem, well eat counter service. No character breakfasts (out of the park) available on Friday, either. No problem. Were staying in style, we can eat cheaply.
DH wanted to try the new menu at Pinocchios Village Haus (or whatever that place is called). But we didnt consult the MVMCP brochure before trekking over there to find it closed. Oh, well. We got to see the Queen of Hearts, and then we schlepped back over to Cosmic Rays. We like Cosmic Rays. But we werent expecting to get a hamburger or nothing. I really didnt want a burger, since I had one (Wendys) for lunch. So I decided to cheat the system. If you are a firm believer in following the rules, skip the next few sentences~I would hate for you to think badly of a preachers wife! DS and I went to find a seat (wow, right in front of Sonny Eclipse!), and DH proceeded to stand in line forever to order himself a bacon double cheeseburger, and two (ahem) kids corn dog nugget meals. With applesauce. Tater tots for DS, carrots for me. Dont tell, okay? Oh, all right, report me if you must. But know that I will be checking your resort mug to make sure it is the one from your CURRENT visit, and if it isnt, woe be unto you!! We were there long enough to hear most of Sonnys concert twice. I told you it was a long line!
Before leaving, DH got us some hot cocoa and cookies. There was no line for that, he figured he might as well do it then.
Okay, now, what DS has been waiting 10 months for: RIDES! Buzz Lightyear was first. He wants to capture Zurg (anything for Buzz), but its a good thing his Daddy and other video-game-lovin folks are assisting him. His score was something like 1200. And 1200 of those points, I scored for him. But we wont tell him that, will we? Next was Goofys Barnstormer. Im glad they had Toon Town open. Last year it wasnt. We got to ride the Barnstormer twice. We all love that ride. Just wish it lasted longer than 19 seconds. That is DS special ride with Daddy. They always ride together. After the Barnstormer, we went back to Fantasyland. Snow White was first, then the Carousel. After that we did Small World, because the line was shorter than Peter Pan. As we came out of Small World, it was almost time for the fireworks. Weve never watched them from Fantasyland before. It was kind of neat! Okay, so we had cricks in our necks from all the looking back and forth, but it was cool to be right in the middle of them. DS really enjoyed them, and when they were done, I had tears streaming down my face. DH was crying, too, I just think he wiped his before they made it down his face.
We were right at PhilharMagic, so thats where we went. I love this. Love it, love it, love it. Hats off (no pun intended!) to Disney on this one! After that, we decided to stand in line for Peter Pan. That was the longest line of the night. 10 or 15 minutes. For some reason, it felt much longer. But Peter Pan is a favorite for all of us. Especially since, as DS continually reminded us in the line, HE was Peter Pan for Halloween. (And I was Wendy, and DH was Captain Hook. DS best friend was Tinkerbell.) Quick bathroom break, and then I went to find out if Aurora and Prince Phillip were going to be out anywhere. Snow White and her prince, and Belle and Beast were making an appearance right across from Peter Pans Flight. The handler said he thought Aurora was in Toon Town all night. Wait! There are characters in Toon Town? But the MVMCP brochure didnt say that! Okay, well hurry back over there after the parade. On to the Haunted Mansion. DS has a love/hate relationship with this ride. He loves to watch our video footage of it, and he loves to listen to the audio recording of it
but he is not so fond of actually riding it. After it was over, he informed us that it was different. Really? How so? The blue mean girl wasnt there. (He is referring to the bride with the weird beating heart.) Yes, she was. No, she wasnt. I didnt see her! Ohhhh
well, you see son, thats because your eyes were closed! We dashed to the street to stake a place for the parade. Of course, there were people already there, so we just lined up behind them. DH would put DS on his shoulders. No big deal. DH ran over to CHH to get some more cocoa and cookies before it began. When the parade was about halfway over, a mother shoved her kid in front of me, and in between two of the people in the front row, who had probably been waiting in that spot for over an hour. It was a kid, and that would have been fine. Except that then the mother decided SHE needed to squeeze her way into the front, as well. Disney parades just seem to bring out the worst in folks, dont they?? The parade was neat, and DS was thrilled to see Aurora and Prince Phillip riding horses (though he pointed out that PPs horse was the wrong color to be Samson). But next time I dont know that wed waste ride time on the parade. 
We didnt last year, and it seemed like we did a LOT more. Okay, now we have a mission: get to Toon Town and (hopefully) see Aurora. Prince Phillip would be a bonus. And its 11:30. We arrive, and see that the princesses are already gone. Bummer. But we hop in line for Mickey, Minnie and Daisy. And the CM said when we were done we could just walk across to the other room to see Goofy, Suzy, Perla and Pluto. Except for the Queen, these were the only characters we were able to see all night. We got some excellent pictures. (Both ours and the ones on our PhotoPass). DS wanted to ride the Barnstormer again. But the airplane was
umm
stuck. So we decided wed try for Pooh instead. Park the stroller there, ride, then want to do Peter Pan again. Ran to PP, made that, too! And then, what do you know! We can still get on Small World! Then we had to walk all the way back through Fantasyland to retrieve our stroller, which was still parked at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. DS didnt understand the concept that the park was now closed. Why couldnt we ride anything else? After all, we were still there, werent we? We walked down Main Street, enjoying the snow. Funny, wed told DS there was a chance of snow that night! We watched the kiss goodnight, and strolled out of the MK, in no particular hurry, to board the monorail.
We just missed one as we walked up the ramp, so asked if we could ride in front of the next one. Our request was granted and there were only about 8 people who boarded the monorail. Our stroller was parked in the first compartment. At the Contemporary, everyone departed the monorail except us. We had the entire monorail all to ourselves. Ill bet THAT doesnt happen to many people! At the TTC, more people boarded, but the driver (I think his name was Dustin) didnt let anyone into the first compartment. We didnt have anything valuable, except the camera (which I had with me), but he said that way wed know the stroller was safe. Wasnt that sweet? That was a neat monorail experience.
We arrived at the Grand Floridian, and the lobby was deserted. Well, there were cleaning people there, but no guests. It was a really odd feeling. I wanted to take pictures. DH wanted to go to bed. He won. Just think. We could have had the best ever pictures of that tree and the Gingerbread store, but no. He wanted to go to sleep!
DS had been unbelievably good. Im telling you, Disney just does something to that kid! He is always good (well, for the most part!), but at Disney it is almost an unnatural good. Hey, Im not complaining!
We arrive back at our room, where of course the beds have been turned down. We put DS to bed and we slip into our robes (nothing like a hotel that provides you robes!), and sit out on the balcony for a few minutes. It was cold, but not freezing. And if Im paying for a balcony, I want to enjoy it, at least a little! A little is about all I got, too. 15 minutes or so. But hey, I got 15 minutes! We went in at 1:30, and DS was out. We were in bed, almost asleep, close to 2.
FRIDAY
I was awake about 7 (so was DH), because when we came in the night before, we didnt completely shut the drapes. There was a beam of sunlight coming right in across our pillows. I got up and closed them completely, then dozed a while longer. We were two rooms from the elevators, and beginning about the same time, we heard practically every elevator ride that was taken. Had I not been awake already, I probably wouldnt have noticed. But since I was, I heard them all. (Still, better an elevator than whooshing toilets, right?) At some point, DH got up and walked down to Park Fare to see if we could possibly get in for breakfast. I heard him leave, and though I didnt get up, I was wide awake from then on. When he came back, he said we COULD get in, we were down for 11. Perfect! Thats our favorite time to go. Disney magic just HAPPENS, somehow, when were there!
We got ready and packed up, and I took more pictures. I noted to DH that it is much harder to leave a deluxe than it is to leave a value. Maybe its because I feel that I didnt get my moneys worth! But more likely its that I like the feeling of staying at a deluxe, and leaving it means were that much closer to returning to the real world. Although given our one night strategies, it could be argued that we ARENT getting our moneys worth. But Ive changed my mind about the value of things. More on that in my Confessions section.
We strolled to the lobby, DH found someone to take charge of our stroller (loaded with our bags its not so much that were too cheap to call bell services, more that it was much quicker to just push the stroller to the lobby ourselves, especially since we wouldve had to, anyway), and we checked in at Park Fare. There was quite a crowd in the lobby at first, but it thinned out pretty quickly. Today, Mary and Alice were both in the lobby. As usual, DS was being a little shy (he always is in the beginning). Mary had gone to check on Bert, or something like that, and we mostly had the lobby to ourselves. He didnt want to go talk to Alice. So DH casually went over to her and asked if she would come visit our son, who was feeling a little shy at the moment. She asked his name, then began walking around the lobby as if she were looking for something/someone, saying Im looking for a little boy Have you seen him? He had on his Guest of Honor badge, so of course when she got to him she could see his name. She sat down with him and began talking to him. He was so surprised and so pleased! Sometimes the tiniest bit of pixie dust goes a long way.
Let me say here that there are many signs that you are a Disney regular. (Some would say they are signs that you go too much. I wont say that.) If you can recite the monorail spiel, you are a regular. If CRO CMs know your trip itinerary (no matter who you're talking to), you are a regular. If you can walk into a character meal~any character meal~and either see a new character (as in, a person youve never seen before in a character role) OR recognize a familiar character, and can state exactly which dates youve seen that precise character before, you are a regular. Well, it was a new Mary Poppins to us. But weve seen this Alice several times. (Do you want dates? I can provide them if you do.) Although she is not our favorite (a great character experience we had in 2004, and again in February of this year~that Alice/Wendy gets top honors), she is close. She is very playful and fun. One trip, she and a little girl searched the restaurant for the White Rabbit. That kind of thing.
Okay, so he and Alice had a nice little chat. I asked her if she could give a message to Wendy and Peter for us, since I knew they were friends. I said to please tell them that DS had been Peter Pan for Halloween, and DS really wanted to let him know, but we had not been able to see them this trip. She promised that she would tell them, and then asked all of the right sorts of questions of DS, to get him talking to her. Some of the characters are just gifted that way. We have always found Alice and Mary Poppins to be among the best in that regard. Maybe thats one of the reasons I love Park Fare so.
We were seated right in front of the door. We have normally been seated on the other end, near the buffet. Never been in the little hallway on the back side, though. Food was as wonderful as always, but I didnt like where we were sitting. Too much traffic. Oh, well, well take what we can get! There was a family to our right who was extremely loud and obnoxious. We didnt let them spoil our fun, though! When we were seated, all the characters were at the far end, so we knew wed have plenty of time to eat. DS had brought in his little Pooh bear that he sleeps with. Tigger was the first character we saw. Tigger took Pooh bear, gave him a hug, and sat him up on top of his nose. DS thought that was the funniest thing ever. After hugs and pictures, he went on his way. Next was Pooh. He also hugged little Pooh, and gave him a kiss on his nose. More hugs and pics. Then came the Mad Hatter. (He was also a familiar one to us. In fact, we saw him just last week. Different Alice, though.) I like this Mad Hatter, too. He really talks to the kids and draws them out.
Breakfast (brunch) over, we went back through the lobby. We were hoping DS would consent to a picture with Mary. He held back a little, but Alice came over, called him by name, and took him by the hand to meet my friend Mary. We got a great picture of the three of them, then Alice said she thought it would be nice if just he and Mary got a picture. Another great one! We said our goodbyes and started out. But DH must really like that bathroom just outside Park Fare. He always wants to stop in there! I happened to have 51 cents in my pocket, so DS got to choose another pressed penny. He chose~Alice!! Then he was soooo excited, he wanted to go show it to Alice. So back to the lobby we went, where Alice was appropriately thrilled that he chose HER, and oohed and aahed in just the right way. She even showed Mary. So after another round of hugs, we collected DH and browsed in the shops, then collected our stroller and other belongings, got the car and packed up.
As we were leaving, DH saw something that caught his eye. Guess what they were roasting near the doors? Chestnuts! Wed never had roasted chestnuts before. To tell you the truth, we didnt think they were all that great. Still, a very nice Christmas-y touch! And now we can say weve had them.
Off to the Boardwalk! We wanted to see all the Christmas decorations. Checked out the Boardwalk (DH says this is still his favorite resort and I think it is mine, too. Ill let you know for sure after 10 nights at the Wilderness Lodge.), then walked over to the Yacht/Beach Club. I loved the gingerbread carousel at the Beach Club. Very cute. And we found all 6 hidden Mickeys!
Then it was Downtown Disney time. Remember, we were JUST here last week. But DH and I had both had our eye on shirts that we didnt buy. First, though, DS wanted to see Santa again. He forgot to tell him something last week. We arrived at the entrance, and there were 4 people in line: two parents and a little girl, and one mother. The sign said that Santa would return (from feeding his reindeer) at 2:45. Wed have about 10 minutes to wait. We knew that the mother was saving a place for a child~why else would she be in line? But what we didnt know, was that she was saving a place for about 27 children. Well, actually, it was only 8, I think. But it sure seemed like 27. There seemed to be three families involved, and they wanted a picture with all of the kids and Santa. But two kids from two different families didnt want to have a picture made with Santa, didnt even want to SEE Santa. Okay. Family #1 (mom, dad, little girl) saw Santa, girl sat in his lap, took the obligatory pictures, and told him what she wanted. They departed. Now it was time for Family #2 (and #3 and #4). After 15 minutes of trying to get all the kids near Santa (at least, close enough for them to get a picture, or 19), with two of the kids crying, and the baby screaming THEN they decided that each family needed to also have individual pictures with Santa. That took another 15 minutes. Okay, so maybe Im exaggerating a little. But not much! DS looked on in shock and amazement. See?? Weve been telling you all along theres something to be said for being an only child! Then, when we finally thought it was our turn, Family #1 comes back for another picture, because the first ones didnt turn out. At last it was time for DS. And as usual, he didnt want to tell Santa the one thing he forgot from last week. (A Peter Pan playset.) So Daddy told him, DS allowed Santa to hug him, Disney snapped one photo, I snapped 3, and 50 seconds from the beginning of our visit, we were done. The picture turned out really cute, so of course we bought some. Even though we had bought some last week, too. Well, can you really have too many pictures of your kid with Santa?
Santa mission accomplished, we set out to conquer World of Disney once more. It was still crowded, but not nearly so much as last weekend. I didnt see the shirt Id wanted. Maybe theyd have it at the Christmas store. (Red t-shirt, long sleeves, with a Mickey head made out of snowflakes.) They did have the one DH wanted: a blue/red tiny plaid dress shirt. He also wanted a key chain. But wed do the rest of our looking and come back. We scoped out Once Upon a Toy and the Christmas store (no, they didnt have the shirt, either). DS had decided he wanted the Aladdin playset. I knew they had that at WoD. We stopped to eat at Wolfgang Pucks Express. I had the Thai Noodle Salad~very, very good. DH had the ham/provolone sandwich. He said it wasnt as good as hed hoped. DS had cheese pizza. He chewed on the cheese for about 45 minutes, til I finally made him spit it out. We strolled a bit more, took a few pictures (all of which look like DS has a wad of tobacco in his mouth, thanks to the cheese he was chewing on like a cow chewing its cud ) then we sent DH in to Earl of Sandwich to get sandwiches for the road (one of our best leaving Disney tips), while DS and I played I Spy with the toy-themed Christmas tree. Back to WoD, where I finally found the shirts, but they had no smalls. As we were walking to another part of the store, DH spotted one on a mannequin~and it was a small! The CM took the mannequin apart for us, gave us the shirt, and we went to find the Aladdin playset and DHs shirt. Got the playset, and then discovered they didnt have the shirt in DHs size, either. He finally decided hed go down a size (thank goodness, it fit!).
Now its getting close to 6pm. We didnt get much sleep the previous night. And though I dont normally drink a lot of caffeine, I decided the best thing for me to do was to get some coffee (not decaf!), so I could help keep DH awake on the ride home. I went to one of the little drink stands where I paid $2 for an instant coffee, which was horrible. I also got some popcorn (in the holiday bucket) for DS. I tasted the coffee, made a face, and DH wanted to know why I didnt just get one from Ghiradellis. So I tossed the coffee, paid $4 for a cappuccino at Ghiradellis, and was much happier. DS dropped the popcorn bucket in the parking lot, spilled half of it, and cried. He wanted to pick up the dropped popcorn to eat. Sorry kiddo, were not eating pavement popcorn, 5 second rule or no!
We got in the car, moving more slowly than we had been I just hate that leaving Disney World feeling. DS ate his popcorn and played with his Aladdin toys, and stayed awake for almost 45 minutes~shocking. Then he slept for almost 3 hours. That made for a peaceful ride home. DH and I debriefed (as we always do), then talked more about our upcoming January trip. When DS woke up, we stopped once for a potty break, and then listened to Disney Christmas music the rest of the way home. We never did eat our sandwiches on the way home we stuck them in the cooler, then ate them Sunday night for dinner. (They were still good!) Got home just after 11pm.
Now for my Confessions or What Ive learned from Disney:
Before DS was born, DH and I loved the rides. I mean, thats why we went to Disney. The finest dining we ever had there was Pecos Bills toppings bar. We swore wed never take a child to Disney until they were old enough to walk all day without being carried so that would be about what?...15?? We would see people struggling with strollers, or worse, CARRYING their kid(s) and shake our heads and say, Not us!! We said, Why take a child that small? What are they possibly getting out of it? NOTHING! They will never remember this trip! We would see people standing in line (Actually standing in line!!!) to greet characters. We said, Gosh, I hope our kid(s) dont ever want to do that! What a waste of time!
And then DS was born. We didnt take any Disney trips for a while. But we did decide that maybe wed give in, and plan a long trip when he was about 4. However, we saw nothing wrong with him watching the Disney movies and that he did. His favorites were Toy Story and Toy Story 2. He LOVED Woo-wy and Buh, as he called them at 14 months. He even slept with the movie boxes, til we broke down and bought the kid a Woody and a Slinky dog. By then, we were having terrible withdrawals from WDW. So we did it. At 18 mos, we took our child to WDW. We pushed him in the stroller, didnt ride rides that we normally would have, and took things a lot slower. And even though he doesnt remember that trip at all, I do. And the next two trips, too. (Though he does have a few memories of them.) The trip we took in September 2004, he still talks about. As well as the December 2004, February 2005, and July 2005 trips.
DH and I have loved Disney for a long time. In fact, my love affair with Disney began when I was about 2. The lady who kept me had been to Disneyland once. She had one of those accordion fold postcard things, that she kept in a drawer in her living room. I would go in there at least once a week and pull out those postcards, and just wonder what it would be like to visit that magical place. When I was 5, I did get to go to Disney World. I dont remember much about it, except that I spent a lot of time screaming from the floorboard (yes, the floorboard) of the Space Mountain ride. My parents were chaperoning a trip for my older family members, so we didnt have a lot of time to just be there and ride things. The next time I went was in the 7th grade, on a school trip. I bought one of the pictorial souvenirs and would sit in my room and look at it, wishing I was there just as I did with Mrs. Rehbergs postcards. My family went again when I was in the 9th grade, but my parents arent really into Disney, so while it was fun, I wouldnt really say it was magical. Then I went in 11th grade on a band trip. That was it for my Disney experiences, until I started dating DH. But even though he and I had been many times (including our honeymoon), we didnt REALLY begin to appreciate it for what it actually IS until we started taking DS.
You see, weve learned that Disney isnt about rides. In fact, with the exception of Rock n Roller Coaster, the rides really kind of well stink. Not that they arent wonderfully themed, and not that we dont still love to ride them, theyre just not really thrill rides. But Walt didnt want you coming to his amusement park just to ride a ride. You can do that anywhere. He wanted you to come to HIS amusement park and rediscover your family. And maybe to regain some of your own childhood.
Ive learned that I can love staying at All Star Movies AND at the Grand Floridian. Ive learned that I can enjoy a meal at Cosmic Rays AND California Grill. Ive learned that I can find myself with tears streaming down my face while watching Wishes AND while hearing my DS tell Mickey that he loves him. Ive learned that both PhilHarmagic AND Country Bear Jamboree can make me laugh. Ive learned that riding Goofys Barnstormer is just as much fun as riding Rock N Roller Coaster. Ive learned that a sticker from a CM can mean more to my DS than the most expensive toy they sell at World of Disney. Ive learned that my DS can show incredible patience when hes waiting in line for a ride or to see a character. Ive learned that meeting characters and interacting with them is far more meaningful than racing to be the next in line for Tower of Terror. Ive learned that DS can overcome his fears in his own good time (whether its meeting an intimidating character or riding Haunted Mansion), and after its over, hes proud of himself. Ive learned that Disney magic is a reality to my DS~even if I am the one who is creating it. Ive learned that my DS personality is much like my own he is initially shy around all the characters (and everyone else), but if you give him enough time, hell warm up to them and talk their head off. Ive learned that my DS can behave just as well at Le Cellier as he can at Pecos Bills. Ive learned that allowing DS to do things other than the rides (like meeting characters, eating at nicer restaurants, shopping) is helping him discover how to cope with different situations that he will have to deal with in "real life". Ive learned that Disney is helping DS understand about waiting his turn, or taking turns~doing something Mommy and Daddy want to do, for instance, and he is also understanding about the rewards of waiting. Ive learned that sharing Disney experiences is good for my marriage. Ive learned that one of the things I love most about my DH is that he is no cheapskate, especially when it comes to Disney. Ive learned that I love when he decides on the spur of the moment that we should go to Disney, never mind that we arent rich. Ive learned that he is right, that every second we are there is more than worth whatever money weve paid. I've learned that I can trust my DH to pack for me (that's a biggie!!), and that the world won't end if I don't pack my own bag and check my list 8 times before we leave. Ive learned that my DS appreciates us for taking him to Disney~he always tells us thank you how many kids do that these days? Ive learned that every minute of togetherness we share at Disney makes us a stronger family. I've learned that no matter how much leeway I take in writing trip reports to add humor, I LOVE my DH and my DS, no matter what I say about them (in a joking sense, MOST of the time!!) in any given trip report. Ive learned that what I used to think about: kids at WDW, meeting characters, and anything not involving riding rides~was wrong. Ive learned that I have a new understanding~and respect~and gratefulness~for the magic, and the experiences, that Disney (thanks to Walt) provides for normal, everyday families like us. Ive learned that while Disney IS the Happiest Place on Earth, my family can be happy anywhere, anytime. Ive learned that, like Walt, we need to look past what IS, and imagine what CAN be and then go out and make it happen.
Cast: DH, 33/Me, 32 trip #25 (together), at least according to Disneys records
DS, 3.75 this was his 9th trip
How we are able to pull this off: I work part time. Wed and Thur are half days (Im off at noon). I am off every Friday. DH is a pastor. Friday is his typical day off. His schedule (other than Sundays and scheduled church events) is flexible. And, neither of us has taken any vacation time this year (saving it up for Januarys 12 day trip). DS is 3. He goes to pre-school, but if he misses a day or two, so what?
Circumstances: Okay, youve seen this before. Like last week. The going gets tough we sneak off to Disney World. And after returning home last weekend, I wanted to go back, and attend MVMCP for the weekend of the 16th. DH said no. (Why is it that when HE suggests it, we go, when I suggest it, its no. Oh, well. By Tuesday Id decided we shouldnt go, either.
WEDNESDAY
So on Wednesday, DH calls me at work to tell me hes just gotten some really bad news~very close friends of ours are moving away (today, actually). What does he say? (Cmon, all together now!) Lets go to Disney! I said No. Weve already decided not to go back. We will be there in like 46 days!!! We arent going again. Period. Surprisingly, he agreed. Yeah, youre right. Well just wait.
Wednesday continued to be a bad day. Very stressful. Bad at work, bad at church, still dealing with unhappy parents (his) And on top of all that, I went to bed angry at him. I just hate days like that!
THURSDAY
Okay, its Thursday, a new day. Things will be better today, wont they?
Im putting on my makeup. DH is in the shower. DS is eating breakfast. DH yells to me (from the shower), Wanna go to Disney World? I didnt even answer him. (Im kind of used to this, as youre beginning to see. Sometimes its just better to ignore it its more likely to go away.) As Im getting ready to walk out the door, DH says, Im gonna call and see whats available for tonight. Youre what? Yeah what do you think about the Grand Floridian? Well ummm I think its very nice and very expensive why do you ask? Im gonna see if they have availability there for tonight. And we can go to the Christmas party tonight. Sleep in tomorrow, drive home tomorrow afternoon. Im sorry. We can do WHAT?? I dont get home from work til 12:30. It takes a good 5 hours to drive~and thats without stopping. So were going to get there at 6 (if were lucky), check into a hotel (the most expensive one at WDW, by the way), and go to the Magic Kingdom for 5 hours? Yeah. Sounds great, huh? Huh?? is right. Sometimes I just dont understand my husbands logic. But I really thought he was bluffing. Turns out, he wasnt. He was on the phone before you could say MVMCP.(Yes, MVMCP, not Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party. By the time you could say that, he already had the reservation.) Because he was on the phone, I took DS to school. He assured me (with his hand over the mouthpiece) that he would call me at work to give me the details.
And so, about an hour later, my very own personal Disney planning guide calls me at work to give me the details. Were staying at the Grand Floridian, marina view. I tried for a castle view, but there were none available. And Ive already got the tickets for MVMCP. Theyre holding them for us at the front desk. So, tell me what you need. Ill pack, and well be all ready to go when you get home.
Now hes gone a little too far. He wants to PACK for me? Look, Im a control freak. I want to make a packing list, check it, pack, double check it, then check it again~6 times~before we leave. These quick trips we take, I dont have time to make a packing list. But I still do the packing (at least for me and for DS), and check~8 times~before we leave, to make sure I have everything. I cant do this over the phone. No way. I tell him I will email him a list. (Ha! I DID get to make a packing list!)
I emailed the list. He called with a couple of questions about where to find certain things for DS (like clothes that were in the dryer, that sort of thing). Then he called back to say that we were all packed, and would be ready to go once I got home and changed my clothes.
By now, I was actually getting kind of excited. (Not that I would tell him that, of course!) And you know what happens then time stops. Or at least reaaaallllyyy slows down. I thought noon would never get here! When it did, I hopped out of here and headed for home. I was there at 12:25. I changed clothes (he even had them laid out on the bed for me!), and double checked (cant help it!!!) the bathroom to make sure I had remembered to tell him everything. Only thing I had forgotten was one of my allergy medicines. I got it, and grabbed a fleece pullover, and that was it, really.
We stopped for gas, and went through the Wendys drive-thru, and were actually on the road at 1pm. We had agreed not to tell DS where we were going. We just said we were having a surprise adventure. This actually worked very well. We also told him he had to get a nap on the way (he is too big for naps, as he will tell you). I didnt plan to get a nap, but I did, a little over an hour. And so did he. We stopped once, for a bathroom break I think around Ocala, but I wouldnt swear to it. We generally stop at one of the travel plazas on the turnpike, but didnt want DS to guess (too early) where we were going. As it was, he kept saying~I just saw a Disney sign! Hey! This is the road to Disney! DH kept trying to throw him off. As we got into Orlando, and hit I-4, you could tell the pieces were falling into place. And then he said, Hey! I see Downtown Disney!!
But I dont think he was actually convinced that we were really going to Disney yet not until we reached the sign, and told him, Welcome to Disney! Then we stopped at the entrance to the MK, and DH told the attendant we were checking into the Grand Floridian. DS said, Grand Floridian? Why are we going to the Grand Floridian? We just smiled and said nothing. Got to the GF, and DH actually got to choose valet parking, so he was excited! Went inside, and I took DS off a little ways, so they could discuss MVMCP tickets without him hearing. Thought that was taken care of, and DH needed me to come discuss a money issue. Then the lady said, like 4 times, in front of DS, something about the party. Even though DH had told her it was a surprise. And then, they couldnt find our tickets. They did, finally, but it was kind of frustrating. Especially since it was now almost 6:30, and we were anxious to be on our way. Hurried to the room (7212), changed DS into warmer clothes and I took pictures of the room. Yes, we were in a hurry. But I wanted pictures of everything before we had it all junked up with our luggage and stuff. I am fairly certain we wont be staying there again, so I needed pics!!
THURSDAY NIGHT
Tickets in hand, jackets in the stroller basket off we go for the rest of DS Surprise Adventure! Board the monorail (standing room only), and arrive at the entrance to the MK about 6:55. They were not letting anyone in yet, so we were there in plenty of time. (Amazing!)
DS still had not figured out where we were. I think, had it been daylight, he wouldve known but as it was, he didnt get it until he saw the castle! That made it that much better!
He was enthralled with the snow. Hes never seen snow before. The last snow we had (about 3 inches) was the month before he was born. So
roughly 4 years ago. Then he asked, And will we get to ride the rides?? We sure will, sweetie! If you recall from last week, dining at Disney is very important to us. Of course, being that we decided to go down THE DAY OF the party, there were no ADRs available. No problem, well eat counter service. No character breakfasts (out of the park) available on Friday, either. No problem. Were staying in style, we can eat cheaply.
DH wanted to try the new menu at Pinocchios Village Haus (or whatever that place is called). But we didnt consult the MVMCP brochure before trekking over there to find it closed. Oh, well. We got to see the Queen of Hearts, and then we schlepped back over to Cosmic Rays. We like Cosmic Rays. But we werent expecting to get a hamburger or nothing. I really didnt want a burger, since I had one (Wendys) for lunch. So I decided to cheat the system. If you are a firm believer in following the rules, skip the next few sentences~I would hate for you to think badly of a preachers wife! DS and I went to find a seat (wow, right in front of Sonny Eclipse!), and DH proceeded to stand in line forever to order himself a bacon double cheeseburger, and two (ahem) kids corn dog nugget meals. With applesauce. Tater tots for DS, carrots for me. Dont tell, okay? Oh, all right, report me if you must. But know that I will be checking your resort mug to make sure it is the one from your CURRENT visit, and if it isnt, woe be unto you!! We were there long enough to hear most of Sonnys concert twice. I told you it was a long line!
Before leaving, DH got us some hot cocoa and cookies. There was no line for that, he figured he might as well do it then.
Okay, now, what DS has been waiting 10 months for: RIDES! Buzz Lightyear was first. He wants to capture Zurg (anything for Buzz), but its a good thing his Daddy and other video-game-lovin folks are assisting him. His score was something like 1200. And 1200 of those points, I scored for him. But we wont tell him that, will we? Next was Goofys Barnstormer. Im glad they had Toon Town open. Last year it wasnt. We got to ride the Barnstormer twice. We all love that ride. Just wish it lasted longer than 19 seconds. That is DS special ride with Daddy. They always ride together. After the Barnstormer, we went back to Fantasyland. Snow White was first, then the Carousel. After that we did Small World, because the line was shorter than Peter Pan. As we came out of Small World, it was almost time for the fireworks. Weve never watched them from Fantasyland before. It was kind of neat! Okay, so we had cricks in our necks from all the looking back and forth, but it was cool to be right in the middle of them. DS really enjoyed them, and when they were done, I had tears streaming down my face. DH was crying, too, I just think he wiped his before they made it down his face.
We were right at PhilharMagic, so thats where we went. I love this. Love it, love it, love it. Hats off (no pun intended!) to Disney on this one! After that, we decided to stand in line for Peter Pan. That was the longest line of the night. 10 or 15 minutes. For some reason, it felt much longer. But Peter Pan is a favorite for all of us. Especially since, as DS continually reminded us in the line, HE was Peter Pan for Halloween. (And I was Wendy, and DH was Captain Hook. DS best friend was Tinkerbell.) Quick bathroom break, and then I went to find out if Aurora and Prince Phillip were going to be out anywhere. Snow White and her prince, and Belle and Beast were making an appearance right across from Peter Pans Flight. The handler said he thought Aurora was in Toon Town all night. Wait! There are characters in Toon Town? But the MVMCP brochure didnt say that! Okay, well hurry back over there after the parade. On to the Haunted Mansion. DS has a love/hate relationship with this ride. He loves to watch our video footage of it, and he loves to listen to the audio recording of it
but he is not so fond of actually riding it. After it was over, he informed us that it was different. Really? How so? The blue mean girl wasnt there. (He is referring to the bride with the weird beating heart.) Yes, she was. No, she wasnt. I didnt see her! Ohhhh
well, you see son, thats because your eyes were closed! We dashed to the street to stake a place for the parade. Of course, there were people already there, so we just lined up behind them. DH would put DS on his shoulders. No big deal. DH ran over to CHH to get some more cocoa and cookies before it began. When the parade was about halfway over, a mother shoved her kid in front of me, and in between two of the people in the front row, who had probably been waiting in that spot for over an hour. It was a kid, and that would have been fine. Except that then the mother decided SHE needed to squeeze her way into the front, as well. Disney parades just seem to bring out the worst in folks, dont they?? The parade was neat, and DS was thrilled to see Aurora and Prince Phillip riding horses (though he pointed out that PPs horse was the wrong color to be Samson). But next time I dont know that wed waste ride time on the parade. We didnt last year, and it seemed like we did a LOT more. Okay, now we have a mission: get to Toon Town and (hopefully) see Aurora. Prince Phillip would be a bonus. And its 11:30. We arrive, and see that the princesses are already gone. Bummer. But we hop in line for Mickey, Minnie and Daisy. And the CM said when we were done we could just walk across to the other room to see Goofy, Suzy, Perla and Pluto. Except for the Queen, these were the only characters we were able to see all night. We got some excellent pictures. (Both ours and the ones on our PhotoPass). DS wanted to ride the Barnstormer again. But the airplane was
umm
stuck. So we decided wed try for Pooh instead. Park the stroller there, ride, then want to do Peter Pan again. Ran to PP, made that, too! And then, what do you know! We can still get on Small World! Then we had to walk all the way back through Fantasyland to retrieve our stroller, which was still parked at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. DS didnt understand the concept that the park was now closed. Why couldnt we ride anything else? After all, we were still there, werent we? We walked down Main Street, enjoying the snow. Funny, wed told DS there was a chance of snow that night! We watched the kiss goodnight, and strolled out of the MK, in no particular hurry, to board the monorail. We just missed one as we walked up the ramp, so asked if we could ride in front of the next one. Our request was granted and there were only about 8 people who boarded the monorail. Our stroller was parked in the first compartment. At the Contemporary, everyone departed the monorail except us. We had the entire monorail all to ourselves. Ill bet THAT doesnt happen to many people! At the TTC, more people boarded, but the driver (I think his name was Dustin) didnt let anyone into the first compartment. We didnt have anything valuable, except the camera (which I had with me), but he said that way wed know the stroller was safe. Wasnt that sweet? That was a neat monorail experience.
We arrived at the Grand Floridian, and the lobby was deserted. Well, there were cleaning people there, but no guests. It was a really odd feeling. I wanted to take pictures. DH wanted to go to bed. He won. Just think. We could have had the best ever pictures of that tree and the Gingerbread store, but no. He wanted to go to sleep!
DS had been unbelievably good. Im telling you, Disney just does something to that kid! He is always good (well, for the most part!), but at Disney it is almost an unnatural good. Hey, Im not complaining!
We arrive back at our room, where of course the beds have been turned down. We put DS to bed and we slip into our robes (nothing like a hotel that provides you robes!), and sit out on the balcony for a few minutes. It was cold, but not freezing. And if Im paying for a balcony, I want to enjoy it, at least a little! A little is about all I got, too. 15 minutes or so. But hey, I got 15 minutes! We went in at 1:30, and DS was out. We were in bed, almost asleep, close to 2.
FRIDAY
I was awake about 7 (so was DH), because when we came in the night before, we didnt completely shut the drapes. There was a beam of sunlight coming right in across our pillows. I got up and closed them completely, then dozed a while longer. We were two rooms from the elevators, and beginning about the same time, we heard practically every elevator ride that was taken. Had I not been awake already, I probably wouldnt have noticed. But since I was, I heard them all. (Still, better an elevator than whooshing toilets, right?) At some point, DH got up and walked down to Park Fare to see if we could possibly get in for breakfast. I heard him leave, and though I didnt get up, I was wide awake from then on. When he came back, he said we COULD get in, we were down for 11. Perfect! Thats our favorite time to go. Disney magic just HAPPENS, somehow, when were there!
We got ready and packed up, and I took more pictures. I noted to DH that it is much harder to leave a deluxe than it is to leave a value. Maybe its because I feel that I didnt get my moneys worth! But more likely its that I like the feeling of staying at a deluxe, and leaving it means were that much closer to returning to the real world. Although given our one night strategies, it could be argued that we ARENT getting our moneys worth. But Ive changed my mind about the value of things. More on that in my Confessions section.
We strolled to the lobby, DH found someone to take charge of our stroller (loaded with our bags its not so much that were too cheap to call bell services, more that it was much quicker to just push the stroller to the lobby ourselves, especially since we wouldve had to, anyway), and we checked in at Park Fare. There was quite a crowd in the lobby at first, but it thinned out pretty quickly. Today, Mary and Alice were both in the lobby. As usual, DS was being a little shy (he always is in the beginning). Mary had gone to check on Bert, or something like that, and we mostly had the lobby to ourselves. He didnt want to go talk to Alice. So DH casually went over to her and asked if she would come visit our son, who was feeling a little shy at the moment. She asked his name, then began walking around the lobby as if she were looking for something/someone, saying Im looking for a little boy Have you seen him? He had on his Guest of Honor badge, so of course when she got to him she could see his name. She sat down with him and began talking to him. He was so surprised and so pleased! Sometimes the tiniest bit of pixie dust goes a long way.
Let me say here that there are many signs that you are a Disney regular. (Some would say they are signs that you go too much. I wont say that.) If you can recite the monorail spiel, you are a regular. If CRO CMs know your trip itinerary (no matter who you're talking to), you are a regular. If you can walk into a character meal~any character meal~and either see a new character (as in, a person youve never seen before in a character role) OR recognize a familiar character, and can state exactly which dates youve seen that precise character before, you are a regular. Well, it was a new Mary Poppins to us. But weve seen this Alice several times. (Do you want dates? I can provide them if you do.) Although she is not our favorite (a great character experience we had in 2004, and again in February of this year~that Alice/Wendy gets top honors), she is close. She is very playful and fun. One trip, she and a little girl searched the restaurant for the White Rabbit. That kind of thing.
Okay, so he and Alice had a nice little chat. I asked her if she could give a message to Wendy and Peter for us, since I knew they were friends. I said to please tell them that DS had been Peter Pan for Halloween, and DS really wanted to let him know, but we had not been able to see them this trip. She promised that she would tell them, and then asked all of the right sorts of questions of DS, to get him talking to her. Some of the characters are just gifted that way. We have always found Alice and Mary Poppins to be among the best in that regard. Maybe thats one of the reasons I love Park Fare so.
We were seated right in front of the door. We have normally been seated on the other end, near the buffet. Never been in the little hallway on the back side, though. Food was as wonderful as always, but I didnt like where we were sitting. Too much traffic. Oh, well, well take what we can get! There was a family to our right who was extremely loud and obnoxious. We didnt let them spoil our fun, though! When we were seated, all the characters were at the far end, so we knew wed have plenty of time to eat. DS had brought in his little Pooh bear that he sleeps with. Tigger was the first character we saw. Tigger took Pooh bear, gave him a hug, and sat him up on top of his nose. DS thought that was the funniest thing ever. After hugs and pictures, he went on his way. Next was Pooh. He also hugged little Pooh, and gave him a kiss on his nose. More hugs and pics. Then came the Mad Hatter. (He was also a familiar one to us. In fact, we saw him just last week. Different Alice, though.) I like this Mad Hatter, too. He really talks to the kids and draws them out.
Breakfast (brunch) over, we went back through the lobby. We were hoping DS would consent to a picture with Mary. He held back a little, but Alice came over, called him by name, and took him by the hand to meet my friend Mary. We got a great picture of the three of them, then Alice said she thought it would be nice if just he and Mary got a picture. Another great one! We said our goodbyes and started out. But DH must really like that bathroom just outside Park Fare. He always wants to stop in there! I happened to have 51 cents in my pocket, so DS got to choose another pressed penny. He chose~Alice!! Then he was soooo excited, he wanted to go show it to Alice. So back to the lobby we went, where Alice was appropriately thrilled that he chose HER, and oohed and aahed in just the right way. She even showed Mary. So after another round of hugs, we collected DH and browsed in the shops, then collected our stroller and other belongings, got the car and packed up.
As we were leaving, DH saw something that caught his eye. Guess what they were roasting near the doors? Chestnuts! Wed never had roasted chestnuts before. To tell you the truth, we didnt think they were all that great. Still, a very nice Christmas-y touch! And now we can say weve had them.
Off to the Boardwalk! We wanted to see all the Christmas decorations. Checked out the Boardwalk (DH says this is still his favorite resort and I think it is mine, too. Ill let you know for sure after 10 nights at the Wilderness Lodge.), then walked over to the Yacht/Beach Club. I loved the gingerbread carousel at the Beach Club. Very cute. And we found all 6 hidden Mickeys!
Then it was Downtown Disney time. Remember, we were JUST here last week. But DH and I had both had our eye on shirts that we didnt buy. First, though, DS wanted to see Santa again. He forgot to tell him something last week. We arrived at the entrance, and there were 4 people in line: two parents and a little girl, and one mother. The sign said that Santa would return (from feeding his reindeer) at 2:45. Wed have about 10 minutes to wait. We knew that the mother was saving a place for a child~why else would she be in line? But what we didnt know, was that she was saving a place for about 27 children. Well, actually, it was only 8, I think. But it sure seemed like 27. There seemed to be three families involved, and they wanted a picture with all of the kids and Santa. But two kids from two different families didnt want to have a picture made with Santa, didnt even want to SEE Santa. Okay. Family #1 (mom, dad, little girl) saw Santa, girl sat in his lap, took the obligatory pictures, and told him what she wanted. They departed. Now it was time for Family #2 (and #3 and #4). After 15 minutes of trying to get all the kids near Santa (at least, close enough for them to get a picture, or 19), with two of the kids crying, and the baby screaming THEN they decided that each family needed to also have individual pictures with Santa. That took another 15 minutes. Okay, so maybe Im exaggerating a little. But not much! DS looked on in shock and amazement. See?? Weve been telling you all along theres something to be said for being an only child! Then, when we finally thought it was our turn, Family #1 comes back for another picture, because the first ones didnt turn out. At last it was time for DS. And as usual, he didnt want to tell Santa the one thing he forgot from last week. (A Peter Pan playset.) So Daddy told him, DS allowed Santa to hug him, Disney snapped one photo, I snapped 3, and 50 seconds from the beginning of our visit, we were done. The picture turned out really cute, so of course we bought some. Even though we had bought some last week, too. Well, can you really have too many pictures of your kid with Santa?
Santa mission accomplished, we set out to conquer World of Disney once more. It was still crowded, but not nearly so much as last weekend. I didnt see the shirt Id wanted. Maybe theyd have it at the Christmas store. (Red t-shirt, long sleeves, with a Mickey head made out of snowflakes.) They did have the one DH wanted: a blue/red tiny plaid dress shirt. He also wanted a key chain. But wed do the rest of our looking and come back. We scoped out Once Upon a Toy and the Christmas store (no, they didnt have the shirt, either). DS had decided he wanted the Aladdin playset. I knew they had that at WoD. We stopped to eat at Wolfgang Pucks Express. I had the Thai Noodle Salad~very, very good. DH had the ham/provolone sandwich. He said it wasnt as good as hed hoped. DS had cheese pizza. He chewed on the cheese for about 45 minutes, til I finally made him spit it out. We strolled a bit more, took a few pictures (all of which look like DS has a wad of tobacco in his mouth, thanks to the cheese he was chewing on like a cow chewing its cud ) then we sent DH in to Earl of Sandwich to get sandwiches for the road (one of our best leaving Disney tips), while DS and I played I Spy with the toy-themed Christmas tree. Back to WoD, where I finally found the shirts, but they had no smalls. As we were walking to another part of the store, DH spotted one on a mannequin~and it was a small! The CM took the mannequin apart for us, gave us the shirt, and we went to find the Aladdin playset and DHs shirt. Got the playset, and then discovered they didnt have the shirt in DHs size, either. He finally decided hed go down a size (thank goodness, it fit!).
Now its getting close to 6pm. We didnt get much sleep the previous night. And though I dont normally drink a lot of caffeine, I decided the best thing for me to do was to get some coffee (not decaf!), so I could help keep DH awake on the ride home. I went to one of the little drink stands where I paid $2 for an instant coffee, which was horrible. I also got some popcorn (in the holiday bucket) for DS. I tasted the coffee, made a face, and DH wanted to know why I didnt just get one from Ghiradellis. So I tossed the coffee, paid $4 for a cappuccino at Ghiradellis, and was much happier. DS dropped the popcorn bucket in the parking lot, spilled half of it, and cried. He wanted to pick up the dropped popcorn to eat. Sorry kiddo, were not eating pavement popcorn, 5 second rule or no!
We got in the car, moving more slowly than we had been I just hate that leaving Disney World feeling. DS ate his popcorn and played with his Aladdin toys, and stayed awake for almost 45 minutes~shocking. Then he slept for almost 3 hours. That made for a peaceful ride home. DH and I debriefed (as we always do), then talked more about our upcoming January trip. When DS woke up, we stopped once for a potty break, and then listened to Disney Christmas music the rest of the way home. We never did eat our sandwiches on the way home we stuck them in the cooler, then ate them Sunday night for dinner. (They were still good!) Got home just after 11pm.
Now for my Confessions or What Ive learned from Disney:
Before DS was born, DH and I loved the rides. I mean, thats why we went to Disney. The finest dining we ever had there was Pecos Bills toppings bar. We swore wed never take a child to Disney until they were old enough to walk all day without being carried so that would be about what?...15?? We would see people struggling with strollers, or worse, CARRYING their kid(s) and shake our heads and say, Not us!! We said, Why take a child that small? What are they possibly getting out of it? NOTHING! They will never remember this trip! We would see people standing in line (Actually standing in line!!!) to greet characters. We said, Gosh, I hope our kid(s) dont ever want to do that! What a waste of time!
And then DS was born. We didnt take any Disney trips for a while. But we did decide that maybe wed give in, and plan a long trip when he was about 4. However, we saw nothing wrong with him watching the Disney movies and that he did. His favorites were Toy Story and Toy Story 2. He LOVED Woo-wy and Buh, as he called them at 14 months. He even slept with the movie boxes, til we broke down and bought the kid a Woody and a Slinky dog. By then, we were having terrible withdrawals from WDW. So we did it. At 18 mos, we took our child to WDW. We pushed him in the stroller, didnt ride rides that we normally would have, and took things a lot slower. And even though he doesnt remember that trip at all, I do. And the next two trips, too. (Though he does have a few memories of them.) The trip we took in September 2004, he still talks about. As well as the December 2004, February 2005, and July 2005 trips.
DH and I have loved Disney for a long time. In fact, my love affair with Disney began when I was about 2. The lady who kept me had been to Disneyland once. She had one of those accordion fold postcard things, that she kept in a drawer in her living room. I would go in there at least once a week and pull out those postcards, and just wonder what it would be like to visit that magical place. When I was 5, I did get to go to Disney World. I dont remember much about it, except that I spent a lot of time screaming from the floorboard (yes, the floorboard) of the Space Mountain ride. My parents were chaperoning a trip for my older family members, so we didnt have a lot of time to just be there and ride things. The next time I went was in the 7th grade, on a school trip. I bought one of the pictorial souvenirs and would sit in my room and look at it, wishing I was there just as I did with Mrs. Rehbergs postcards. My family went again when I was in the 9th grade, but my parents arent really into Disney, so while it was fun, I wouldnt really say it was magical. Then I went in 11th grade on a band trip. That was it for my Disney experiences, until I started dating DH. But even though he and I had been many times (including our honeymoon), we didnt REALLY begin to appreciate it for what it actually IS until we started taking DS.
You see, weve learned that Disney isnt about rides. In fact, with the exception of Rock n Roller Coaster, the rides really kind of well stink. Not that they arent wonderfully themed, and not that we dont still love to ride them, theyre just not really thrill rides. But Walt didnt want you coming to his amusement park just to ride a ride. You can do that anywhere. He wanted you to come to HIS amusement park and rediscover your family. And maybe to regain some of your own childhood.
Ive learned that I can love staying at All Star Movies AND at the Grand Floridian. Ive learned that I can enjoy a meal at Cosmic Rays AND California Grill. Ive learned that I can find myself with tears streaming down my face while watching Wishes AND while hearing my DS tell Mickey that he loves him. Ive learned that both PhilHarmagic AND Country Bear Jamboree can make me laugh. Ive learned that riding Goofys Barnstormer is just as much fun as riding Rock N Roller Coaster. Ive learned that a sticker from a CM can mean more to my DS than the most expensive toy they sell at World of Disney. Ive learned that my DS can show incredible patience when hes waiting in line for a ride or to see a character. Ive learned that meeting characters and interacting with them is far more meaningful than racing to be the next in line for Tower of Terror. Ive learned that DS can overcome his fears in his own good time (whether its meeting an intimidating character or riding Haunted Mansion), and after its over, hes proud of himself. Ive learned that Disney magic is a reality to my DS~even if I am the one who is creating it. Ive learned that my DS personality is much like my own he is initially shy around all the characters (and everyone else), but if you give him enough time, hell warm up to them and talk their head off. Ive learned that my DS can behave just as well at Le Cellier as he can at Pecos Bills. Ive learned that allowing DS to do things other than the rides (like meeting characters, eating at nicer restaurants, shopping) is helping him discover how to cope with different situations that he will have to deal with in "real life". Ive learned that Disney is helping DS understand about waiting his turn, or taking turns~doing something Mommy and Daddy want to do, for instance, and he is also understanding about the rewards of waiting. Ive learned that sharing Disney experiences is good for my marriage. Ive learned that one of the things I love most about my DH is that he is no cheapskate, especially when it comes to Disney. Ive learned that I love when he decides on the spur of the moment that we should go to Disney, never mind that we arent rich. Ive learned that he is right, that every second we are there is more than worth whatever money weve paid. I've learned that I can trust my DH to pack for me (that's a biggie!!), and that the world won't end if I don't pack my own bag and check my list 8 times before we leave. Ive learned that my DS appreciates us for taking him to Disney~he always tells us thank you how many kids do that these days? Ive learned that every minute of togetherness we share at Disney makes us a stronger family. I've learned that no matter how much leeway I take in writing trip reports to add humor, I LOVE my DH and my DS, no matter what I say about them (in a joking sense, MOST of the time!!) in any given trip report. Ive learned that what I used to think about: kids at WDW, meeting characters, and anything not involving riding rides~was wrong. Ive learned that I have a new understanding~and respect~and gratefulness~for the magic, and the experiences, that Disney (thanks to Walt) provides for normal, everyday families like us. Ive learned that while Disney IS the Happiest Place on Earth, my family can be happy anywhere, anytime. Ive learned that, like Walt, we need to look past what IS, and imagine what CAN be and then go out and make it happen.
)
