Boo to Two, Kelley and Missy's Joint TR! Update! 3/28

[Joyciemc]

So yummy! Definitely one to go on your to-do list! Did I tell you that we signed a contract on a BWV DVC contract? It went to Disney for their ROFR on the 13!

Wooohooooo!!!! Congratulations!!!!


I can't believe the PhotoPass photographer took a picture of you two with your margaritas! We had to put our drinks down before they'd take PP pictures

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Magic Kingdom Rope Drop

We got to the gates of MK right as the pre-park show was starting, and we waited patiently to go in. We ran straight to Dumbo! That was one of the all time favorite rides of this trip

We also hit IASW, Aladdin, POTC, the Carousel

Winnie the Pooh, and Haunted Mansion. Now, as Missy had mentioned, we prepared the boys in advance for “the silly ghosties ride”. I showed them YouTube videos of the ride, and we had them listen to the ride music. Jack seemed pretty ambivalent about the ride, but Ryan was gung-ho and ready to ride it! So we got in line, walked right into the stretching room, and it started! I was holding Ryan, and Mike was holding Jack. They both did fine during the stretching room sequence. They were quiet, but neither boy seemed scared at all. So we went to the doom buggies. Mike and Jack rode together, and I rode with Ryan. The ride started up and Ryan said, “I want to hold your hand.” So I scooted closer to him, and held his hand. A minute later he said, “I want to ride this with my eyes closed now.” So he closed his eyes, and buried his head in my arm. Poor guy! He stayed like that for the remainder of the ride. We got off, and once we were outside in the sun again, Ryan said, “I don’t want to ride that ride again.” I assured him that he didn’t have to. Jack actually enjoyed the ride, and he got off chattering away about how silly the “ghosties” were. I really didn’t expect that! They totally surprised me with a switch up!

And we also met Donald!!

Then it was lunchtime! So we headed over to Columbia Harbor House for some yummy grub! Think they were happy to be eating??

Then it was time for stroller naptime! So we popped the boys in the stroller and headed over to the monorail so we could hop to Epcot for some F&W action while the kiddos slept. But first things first, Mike and I rideswapped Test Track. One of my favorite rides! Then we headed to France for Grand Marnier slushies (YUM!) and then over to Mexico for margaritas and a plate of nachos to share. The boys woke up as we were polishing off the nachos, and they wanted to ride something, so we went on the 3 Caballeros. Then we hit a solid wall of a million people, so we decided to leave. (Touring plans had it as a 9.8/10 that day) So we took the ferryboat over to the boardwalk area and walked around for a bit. Then Mike and I were exhausted, so we took the bus back to ASMo where we relaxed for awhile. We ate dinner at ASMo food court, then hit MK again about 7:45pm.

We hit some of our favorite rides again – Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, People Mover, IASW, and Pirates. By then it was just after 10pm, and Ryan sweetly said, “I’m tired, and I want to sleep in the stroller.” So he climbed in and fell asleep! Then Missy and Frank-a-lin let us ride swap on BTMRR and Space Mountain. And at 11:55pm, Jack was still wide awake and begging for one last ride on Dumbo.

So he and I raced over to Dumbo. The CM was just about to close the rope at the entrance of the Dumbo queue, but waved us through when she saw us running toward her. So Jack and I closed out our Saturday night with a midnight spin on Dumbo! Perfect way to end our night

 

[natebenma]

Wow, Kelley, I think you have a couple of "Commandos in Training"

I love the reactions to Haunted Mansion. My sons' first rides on this were at ages 6 and 3. Both boys closed their eyes during the ride. The next time we went to Disney, they were 11 and 8. Ben hated the stretching room. It was mostly the other guests who were reciting the narrator's spiel and screaming that freaked him out. For a couple of years we had to ask the CMs if we could skip the stretching room, but now we just tell him to suck it up!

I'm glad the kids gave you a little break in EPCOT (the stroller is TOO a ride).

Wow, rope drop to midnight ride on Dumbo! I'm impressed!

 

[teekathepony]

Poor Ryan on the HM, it's a scary setting even though the ride is all fun. A great day indeed, so fun that you got to close Dumbo!

 

[Missyrose]

Franklin!!!

I'm glad Franklin enjoyed the Tonga Toast.

Thank you for posting the picture of the sign. I am finally working on my photo albums from my summer trip, and I was looking for a picture of a sign for Kona. I didn't take one and I didn't see one on the menu sticky. Could you ask Franklin if he would mind if I printed this picture to use in my photo album? For my own purposes only. Although if he would prefer I don't use it, that fine, too.

(I am also looking for one of the astronauts from Space Mountain or the People Mover. Do I remember one from this report or another of yours...)

Too bad you were a little worn out, but totally understandable. The items you got from food and wine looked great.

I'm with him- the Frozen Rock Coconut Mojito sounds awesome!



AMAZING picture!!!

Of course you can use Franklin's photos, I sent you a PM about it. And I found the astronaut picture after I sent the PM.

We did cover quite a bit of ground at F&W that day. I love that Festival.

Wooohooooo!!!! Congratulations!!!!


I can't believe the PhotoPass photographer took a picture of you two with your margaritas! We had to put our drinks down before they'd take PP pictures

Thanks! The Photopass photographer said something when we asked about taking the photo, I think it was "We don't usually let drinks in the photos." But he did it anyway.

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Wow, Kelley, I think you have a couple of "Commandos in Training"

I love the reactions to Haunted Mansion. My sons' first rides on this were at ages 6 and 3. Both boys closed their eyes during the ride. The next time we went to Disney, they were 11 and 8. Ben hated the stretching room. It was mostly the other guests who were reciting the narrator's spiel and screaming that freaked him out. For a couple of years we had to ask the CMs if we could skip the stretching room, but now we just tell him to suck it up!

I'm glad the kids gave you a little break in EPCOT (the stroller is TOO a ride).

Wow, rope drop to midnight ride on Dumbo! I'm impressed!

You're right, the boys were pretty commando on this trip! Haha. I kinda forced them to be. After all, park tickets are the most expensive part of the trip, I wanted to get my money's worth! But we all were shocked that Jack stayed awake all the way until midnight. He was just so perky about it too!

Yeah, the HM was a toss up. I debated and flip flopped a lot about wether or not to take them on it. But I did feel like they were prepared after seeing it so many times on YouTube. I guess its just more intense in person. Ryan has already announced that he will not be scared about the silly ghosties next time we go to Disney World (but who knows when that'll be??)

Poor Ryan on the HM, it's a scary setting even though the ride is all fun. A great day indeed, so fun that you got to close Dumbo!

Yeah, I felt super guilty during the ride while he had his eyes closed, but after we got off, he seemed back to himself. And he was glad that I said he didn't have to try it again Dumbo at midnight was great! I loved all the lights, and we could see stars. It was just a magical end to the day!

 

[Missyrose]

After a wonderfully full day in and around Epcot, we arrived back at the hotel and checked into our new Theme Park View room. Soon, Mike, Kelley, Jack and Ryan arrived and it was time for a “Party Rock” dance party!

We then headed up to the Club Level lounge to get some desserts to enjoy during Hallowishes. It was perfect, there was no one else on the balcony for the show, just us sitting at a big table. Enjoying our yummy desserts and enjoying the fireworks AWAY from the crowds. They even pipe the music out onto the balcony speakers.

The show was just as good the second time around. It is incredible how much fuller the fireworks are for Hallowishes. I just love that show. In fact, I may have listened to the soundtrack last night on my ride home from work.

After the show, Kelley and Mike headed back to their hotel with their sleepy boys, while I Franklin and I headed downstairs to check in for our dinner at California Grill! I was so excited for this meal because I had read soooooo many wonderful reviews. We checked in and were taken upstairs to the restaurant. They said it would be a few minutes, so I took a seat in the bar area while Franklin headed out to the terrace to, what else, take some pictures.

Soon we were seated at a cozy table by the window.

Franklin ordered a Jack and Coke.

I ordered an iced tea, but there’s no picture of my boring drink.

For appetizers, I ordered the triple-cheese flatbread with the pesto on the side, while Franklin got the Dis-favorite spicy Kazan roll.

For our main courses, I went with the duck two ways and Franklin had the Wild Pacific Salmon.

Mine was delicious! The Duck Confit was done perfectly -- crispy but not greasy at all. Franklin couldn’t stop raving about his salmon. Soon, it was time to order dessert and though we were both full, we couldn’t turn down something sweet. Franklin ordered the Mango Goat Cheesecake, and I got the S'Mores Valrhona Chocolate Cake.

Both were incredibly yummy, but we didn’t come close to finishing either because we were just too full! After dinner we had that long commute back to our room, where Franklin snapped some photos from our balcony.

Sadly, it was time to pack, which we pretty much finished before we collapsed into bed. Just one more day left at Disney!

 

[natebenma]

That's a fantastic final night!!!

You guys got your own private fireworks show. How cool is that! The pictures, of course, are spectacular. The colors of the fireworks and the park are just gorgeous.

And speaking of amazing pictures... the FOOD!!! Everything looks spectacular. That is the best looking sushi I have ever seen. I can see why it is a DIS favorite. Everything was beautifully presented.

The view from your balcony is awesome. I think I would have slept out there. I wonder if a rollaway cot would fit out there.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Beautiful fireworks pictures! They turned out amazing.

Dinner at California Grill looks great. I have to admit, I have never eaten there before, but it's on my list. But my list is neverending.

 

[teekathepony]

Wowwww fireworks from the balcony must have been amazing!!
That meal looks pretty good too, and the desserts. I'm with Danielle ^^ I've never been to CG, but it's on my list.

 

[Missyrose]

That's a fantastic final night!!!

You guys got your own private fireworks show. How cool is that! The pictures, of course, are spectacular. The colors of the fireworks and the park are just gorgeous.

And speaking of amazing pictures... the FOOD!!! Everything looks spectacular. That is the best looking sushi I have ever seen. I can see why it is a DIS favorite. Everything was beautifully presented.

The view from your balcony is awesome. I think I would have slept out there. I wonder if a rollaway cot would fit out there.

It did feel like our own, private fireworks. And that felt AWESOME! Franklin's eaten a lot of sushi in his life, but he said the spicy Kazan roll was one of the best he's ever eaten. High praise from a sushi snob. A cot would definitely fit on those huge CR balconies, I wish I would have thought of that. I just sat out on the balcony for a really long time that night just enjoying the view. Nothing like it.

Beautiful fireworks pictures! They turned out amazing.

Dinner at California Grill looks great. I have to admit, I have never eaten there before, but it's on my list. But my list is neverending.

Wowwww fireworks from the balcony must have been amazing!!
That meal looks pretty good too, and the desserts. I'm with Danielle ^^ I've never been to CG, but it's on my list.

CG was one of our favorite Disney meals ever. I heard a rumor that the restaurant is going to close in September and be completely gutted and turned into a whole new restaurant. I'm bummed because we had planned to eat there again in October. We'll see if the rumors turn out to be true, though.

 

[Queenofallthings]

I don't there there is any view I love more than the views you get of the MK from the Contemporary! Absolutely stunning!

CG is our favorite restaurant on property and just reading your review took me right back there! Heavenly!!

Thank for sharing

 

[PirateKate]

I love those pictures of the fireworks! What an incredible view!

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Sunday 10/16

Animal Kingdom!

This morning, there was EMH at AK, so we decided to give it a go! At 8am rope drop we went straight to Asia where Mike and I ride swapped Expedition Everest, and then snagged some fp’s for later. Then we headed to Africa and walked right on to Kilamanjaro Safari when it opened at 9am. We saw tons of animals, and the boys loved it!

Then after that, we walked the Pagani Walking Trail and got to see gorillas! Even a playful little baby one!

Then we were walking past Kali River Rapids, and I stopped to see if the boys were tall enough. The CM measured them, and they were exactly the right height! So we parked the stroller and then walked right onto the ride! We got totally SOAKED and the boys had an absolute blast.

While we were waiting to dry out, we walked the Maharaja Jungle Trek path and saw some tigers, and an adorable CM named Katie who talked to the boys all about the animals.

Then we hopped the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Conservation Station and did the affection section petting area.

After that, we walked a bit, taking in the atmosphere of AK. We got to see DeVine, and then ended up at Camp Minnie-Mickey and stood in line to meet Goofy.

We went to “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” and then went to Flame Tree BBQ for lunch. It was delicious!

Then we walked through DinoLand, but it was super crowded, so we headed back to Asia so Mike and I could use our EE fp’s.

By then, the boys (and me and Mike!) were worn out, so we all headed back to ASMo for a family nap.

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

DTD

After a refreshing nap, we hopped on the bus to Downtown Disney for a bit of shopping and some dinner.

I got the boys lots of new “tato head” pieces. I managed to squeeze 38 parts into one of those boxes! Woohoo! We also let them pick out some Lego Duplo sets at the Lego store to have as their birthday presents (in case the trip to WDW wasn’t enough?!?)

We ate dinner at the Earl of Sandwich – a tip from the Dis – Mike had the “CannonBall” meatball sub, I ate a club sandwich, and the boys had their old stand-by, PB&J. Super yummy!

Can you tell I was missing Franklin and his camera on this day?!? This pic is just awful

Then we caught the bus over to the Contemporary to meet up with Missy and Frank-a-lin to watch Hallowishes from the club level balcony. I won't even put any pictures in here - you have all already seen Franklin's In fact, I don't even think I took my camera out of my purse while we were with him that night!
The fireworks, and the Contemporary was awesome! And super luxurious!! It was kind of anti-climactic going back to ASMo after that, haha!

 

[natebenma]

Kelley, great job making it to AK for rope drop. That is the best time there, before it gets too crowded and the heat starts to set in. That really is a great park for toddlers- all the animals to see and interactive things to do.

That baby gorilla is so cute!!!

I'm glad the boys were able to go onto Kali. I love that ride! I can just imagine the squeals of delight from the boys as they got soaked!

How did they like It's Tough to Be a Bug? My boys, ages 13 and 10, won't do this anymore after I didn't clue them in to some of the interactive stuff. Inversions on RockNRollerCoaster? No problem! Stinging seats? Problem!

The rest of the day sounds incredible too, at DTD and watching your private fireworks show with Missy and Franklin.

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Kelley, great job making it to AK for rope drop. That is the best time there, before it gets too crowded and the heat starts to set in. That really is a great park for toddlers- all the animals to see and interactive things to do.

That baby gorilla is so cute!!!

I'm glad the boys were able to go onto Kali. I love that ride! I can just imagine the squeals of delight from the boys as they got soaked!

How did they like It's Tough to Be a Bug? My boys, ages 13 and 10, won't do this anymore after I didn't clue them in to some of the interactive stuff. Inversions on RockNRollerCoaster? No problem! Stinging seats? Problem!

The rest of the day sounds incredible too, at DTD and watching your private fireworks show with Missy and Franklin.

Thank you! The boys definitely had a blast at AK, and I agree that there was SO much that they could do there. I think it was their 2nd favorite park (MK was their absolute favorite!)

That baby gorilla was such a ham! It was rolling and jumping all around and showing off for the huge audience.

The boys did love Kali, they laughed at every dip, drop and splash! Their favorite part was when Daddy got soaked

They did well at Tough to Be a Bug - Mike and I talked it over ahead of time, and we had them each sit on our laps for that show. That way he and I got the brunt of the interactive stuff, and we were able to reassure them. I knew the stinging seats would have scared them. I have to say - I can't wait until they're big enough for Rock'N'Rollercoaster! That's one of my favorites, and I dearly missed riding it this trip!!

 

[teekathepony]

AAAWWW! Baby gorilla! He's so adorable with his little hand stand!
The boys look so psyched about getting soaked!
Great morning at AK, nice job getting there for EMH rope drop!
And a nice day at DTD too.

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

AAAWWW! Baby gorilla! He's so adorable with his little hand stand!
The boys look so psyched about getting soaked!
Great morning at AK, nice job getting there for EMH rope drop!
And a nice day at DTD too.

Thanks! Yes, that baby gorilla was too cute for words! And just imagine if Missy and Franklin had been with us - then everyone might have actually seen the gorilla's face!

The boys definitely loved Kali, I wish I had been able to video their reactions on that ride because they were definitely priceless!

We usually were pretty good about getting up and getting out in the mornings. The boys are early risers, and I am too when I'm at Disney! I'm seriously like a little kid on Christmas morning - I bolt out of bed, and I'm ready to go in record time!

 

[Missyrose]

We were up bright and early on Day 5. We were packed and we had to take our checked luggage down to Resort Airline Check-in and our carryons to bell services to hold for the day. This was our first experience with RAC and we were very impressed. Everything was done quickly and smoothly, it is a very cool perk Disney offers to its guests.

On each trip to Magic Kingdom from CR on this trip, we’d walked. But on the last day of the trip, my feel were so sore, so we took the monorail. We were also in a bit of a hurry. We had a pre-opening ADR at Crystal Palace, and we wanted to take full advantage of an emptyish Main Street!

When we arrive, people were lining up for rope drop but we veered left we breezed through entry in the ADR line!

Franklin was like a kid in a candy store. He was very excited to get to snap all these photos with practically no one else on Main Street messing up his shots.

We also stopped at every Photopass photographer on the way up Main Street.

Look a magic shot! I’m definitely going to try for more of these in March.

Our ADR time was rapidly approaching so I scooted over to CP to check in, while Franklin kept happily shooting away.