Breaking All the Rules: Pirates, Pixie Dust, and Pictures... a January 2012 Report

[NLD]

Welcome

Hello everyone, and welcome to the report from a trip yet-to-be-taken!

Note: trip now taken! We're back, and the trip report has started. See the next post for chapter links.

Dates: January 28-February 3, 2012
Resort: Wilderness Lodge
Who: me, my second-grade daughter, my mother-in-law, and my aunt-in-law
Why: a birthday celebration

Yes, you read that right. No, the disboards haven't messed up the time stamps on all posts! And no, this isn't a case of time travel! This is a report from our trip January 28-February 3. I am simply starting this report before we leave. So... this will be a mini pre-trip report and trip report rolled into one.

Why? Well, so I have a place to report live! That's right... if all goes according to plan, I'll use this thread to jot down notes in real time about what's happening in the World.

Then when we get back, I'll launch a full-fledged trip report.

So if you're tired of the snow, sleet, and freezing rain... if you need a break from the slush... pull up a chair, relax, and join us as we head to Disney (and some fabulous Florida weather) in three days!

P.S. UPDATE 2/5: We're home! And the title of this report has changed to Breaking All the Rules: Pirates, Pixie Dust, and Pictures... a January 2012 Report. Read on to find out why!

 

[NLD]

Chapters

BEFORE THE TRIP

Welcome

Introductions

The Basics, plus How This Trip Came to Be

The Christmas Reveal (with photos)

Best Laid Plans: Itinerary

Anticipation and Priorities! (with photos from previous trips)

1 Day


DURING THE TRIP

Update #1

Update #2

Update #3

Update #4

Update #5

Update #6

Update #7

Update #8

Update #9

Update #10


AFTER THE TRIP
(The full and official trip report--with plenty of pictures--starts here!)

Prologue

Prologue: All About the Rules

Picture Preview: All of Us


Day 1: Saturday, January 28, 2012

Think of the Happiest Things. It's the Same as Having Wings. Oh My! We Can Fly!

Tastes Like Summer

Pixie Dust You Say? How About on Arrival Day?

The Mysterious Magic-Maker (and Some Castle Gazing)

Hey! That's My Name, Too!


Day 2: Sunday, January 29, 2012

Look! It's Blackbeard's Daughter!

The Most Magical Moment

The Only One

Again? Of Course!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, Pirates League, Yippee!

Crowds Zig, We Zig

Pool Time

Wishes

Flying, Cruising, and Spinning

Saving the Universe


Day 3: Monday, January 30, 2012

Don't Drive Off with the Speaker!

First Mate Magic

Touring the Stars

Tower and Toy Story without Fastpasses? ? ?

One More Spin Through the Classics


Day 4: Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Camera Catastrophe at Breakfast

You Want How Much for that Camera? And a Serendipitous Meet-and-Greet

Seriously, The Kid Attracts Pixie Dust

Festival of the Lion King: Finale

Safari in the Sun

Just Hanging Out

Pete and Poop

Dinoland


Day 5: Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Following the Sheep

Snoozing... Cruising.. Oh, Living with the Land

The Allure of the Strawberry Shortcake

Figment Fun

Testing, Testing

Just an Old Cell Phone

Kimmunicating and Coloring

Via Napoli

Our Pixie Dust Runs Out


Day 6: Thursday, February 2, 2012

Making the Bed

Wrapping By the Pool

Can't We Just Live at Disney?


Day 7: Friday, February 3, 2012

Scattered Clouds of Melancholy

Last Splash of Fun

Last Disney Meal

Crowd-Gazing in Tomorrowland

Pascal Poses for Pictures

Final Adventure

Goodbyes and Hellos


Epilogue

Epilogue: Final Thoughts

 

[NLD]

Introductions


Mommy and Daughter by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


First thing's first... who's going on this trip? Why would you want to read about us? Who in the world brings their mother-in-law to Disney--willingly--and without even a husband? (Oops, did I give something away there?)

Well, that's right, this trip involves a mother-in-law. (Gasp!) But don't worry--she's a good one! However, she's not the only one coming, so let's do introductions.

First, there's me. Hi, I'm Nicole. ("Hi, Nicole.") I'm a Disney-holic. ("Keep coming back, it works..." ooops, wrong intro.) I'll be your host through this trip... reporter, writer, and photographer extraordinaire. This trip was my idea. And here's a bit about everyone along for the ride.


Me (Nicole)

Basic info: 32 years old, married, mother, full-time employee. I work in mental health. (No wisecracks, please!)

Interests: photography, literature... in fact I was a lit major in college. (See? If I stick to it, this should be a good report. I can right compleet sentenses and spell rite and use good grammer and everything. aNd I intend to illustrait this report with lot's of pitchers.)

Likes: hot weather, ice cream, visual arts, reading, writing, the TV shows Dexter and Breaking Bad, HGTV, watching movies with my husband, cuddling with my daughter

Disney favorites: Dole Whip floats, Animal Kingdom theme park, Lumiere

Previous Disney experience: many day trips to Disneyland as a child in the 1980s; three trips to Disney World; one night at MNSSHP only (while in Orlando for a work conference)


Sunshine (my daughter)

Basic info: my daughter. She will turn eight years old this Friday, the day before we leave for Disney. She's in second grade.

Likes: New York City, climbing on rocks, writing, shopping, going to school, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, riding bikes with her daddy, cuddling with her mommy, spending time with her extended family

Disney favorites: lava smoothies, Magic Kingdom theme park, Jack Sparrow

Previous Disney experience: one trip, in 2009, at age five


Deb (my mother-in-law)

Basic info: my mother-in-law. Still married to my husband's father after many years together. My husband is her only child. She works in healthcare. Kind, sweet, generous.

Fun fact: My inlaws live a quarter of a mile away from us. We can walk to their house without crossing a street. (So obviously, because we NEVER get to see them and there is SO much distance between us, I just had to invite her to Disney. See, it all makes perfect sense.)

Likes: spending time with her family, shopping, following celebrity news, HGTV, spoiling Sunshine (her only granddaughter).

Disney favorites: unknown

Previous Disney experience: one trip back in the mid-1970s when she was pregnant (with my husband)--that's it! The only park there at the time was Magic Kingdom!


Carole (my aunt-in-law)

Basic info: Deb's sister. Also married, also a mother to an only child (a grown son). In semi-retirement now, after many years working in publishing. Also extremely generous. Carole and my inlaws have done a lot for Matt (my husband) and I over the years.

Likes: the beach, shopping, spending time with family, fashion, spending time with friends

Disney favorites: unknown

Previous Disney experience: unknown... I'll have to find this out. She used to work some in Florida, so my husband thinks she must have been. And she was in Disney's system when I called to add her to the reservation. But any experience she has may have been years ago.


So... that's us in a nutshell. How did this motley crew come together for this trip? And why are we taking this trip, anyway? Ahhh... read on to find out!

Note: the photo at the top is Sunshine and me at Port Orleans in September 2009. Photos of Deb and Carole at Disney will have to come after this trip!

 

[NLD]

The Basics, plus How This Trip Came to Be

First, here are the basics for anyone who wants to know...

Dates: January 28-February 3, 2012
Resort: Wilderness Lodge, standard view room
Who: me, my second-grade daughter, my mother-in-law, my aunt-in-law

(Yes, that's right. Four women sharing one bathroom for an entire week.)

WHY: ahhh, yes. Why? Well, the short answer is--to celebrate my daughter's eighth birthday.

But here's the back story, and the answer to why my mother-in-law and her sister are along for the ride (instead of my husband), for anyone interested.

Late this summer, I realized I'd be in Orlando in October for a work conference.

So, like any good Disney fanati...

I mean, like any adult who is basically normal but a-little-weirdly-obsessed-in-a-sort-of-"off"-way....

I MEAN, like any good mother... I immediately started wondering how to make a family vacation of it.

So I talked to my husband. Could he get the time off work? Tack on a few days before the conference? Then fly home with our daughter afterwards?

But he, alas, is not a Disney freak... I mean... oh, you know what I mean! He wasn't jumping at it, for a variety of reasons. Therefore, I resigned myself... no proper Disney trip in 2011.

But now the wheels were turning. I'd gotten my hopes up, and had visions of Sunshine playing in the Florida sunshine, enjoying the parks, trying new experiences she'd missed on her first trip. The idea of taking Sunshine back to Disney, and SOON, would not simply go away.

So a new thought took shape--if not in October, then January! For her birthday!

I knew my husband wouldn't want to go. At first I thought I'd just get his agreement to take her myself. But then it occurred to me... why not invite some other person who is special in Sunshine's life? This is her trip, to celebrate her birthday, after all. So the more the merrier, for a celebration trip, right?

My parents had been to Disney themselves in 2011. They like the place okay, but aren't in love, and they tend to use their vacation time for mountain visits... to the Canadian Rockies, to the southwest. My sister had just been with me in 2010. But my mother in law... she hadn't been since 1976. And she had done so much for Matt and me, over the years... and really, we owed her. What if I invited her to come?

I actually talked to my mother-in-law (Deb) before Matt. She seemed thrilled with the idea. She actually squealed and smiled and clapped her hands. I swore her to secrecy though, saying it was just a thought at this point, I hadn't even talked with Matt, and that Sunshine knew nothing yet.

After a few weeks, I talked with Matt, obviously asking if he'd want to come but also suggesting, if he didn't, that I could bring his mother. He literally gave me no answer for days. Just didn't even acknowledge that I'd asked the question. (This is just his mode of operation, when he has to process something. He wasn't being rude--it's one of his quirks, and I understood.) However, when I couldn't stand it anymore, I asked again what he thought of the idea. As expected, he did not want to go himself, but he gave his blessing to spend the family finances on the trip and to invite his mother along.

And so.... the planning began!

I booked the trip in early October. Deb is so easy-going, she was completely open to any resort, in any category. At first we booked at Coronado Springs with free dining. But then a room discount came out, and the temptation was too great--I switched us to Wilderness Lodge under the room discount (with no dining plan).

(Background: Wilderness Lodge is where we were originally booked for our 2009 family trip--Matt, me, and Sunshine--but we ended up downgrading to Port Orleans, to save $. But I'd always been sad about that. So this time around, Wilderness Lodge is a dream deferred--now come true!)

Through all the planning, Deb, Matt and I kept this a secret from Sunshine.. and from anyone else who might let it slip to Sunshine. My plan was to surprise her ON her birthday, which is the day before the trip. You know... let her open a birthday gift and have balloons popping out with a sign, "SURPRISE! You're going to Disney World TOMORROW!"

But as time wore on, I started to rethink this plan. What if she needed more time to process? She'd be missing school AND most importantly leaving her Daddy behind for a week, after all.

After talking it over with Deb, and with Christmas fast approaching, I finally decided to reveal the trip at Christmas, instead.

The surprise reveal went well. (I'll do another post about that.) On Christmas morning Sunshine was thrilled, and after we opened presents and she discovered her birthday trip, we all went to Grandma's (Deb's) for the extended family lunch.

Of course, when we arrived, Sunshine was bursting with the news that she, Grandma and Mommy were going to Disney! And it was at that point that Carole (Deb's sister) said cheerily, but jokingly, "Well why am I not going too?"

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled and said, "We have room in one of the beds, come along!"

A few days later, Deb stopped by, saying she wanted to talk. She asked about the conversation and wanted to know if I was serious and would be okay with having Carole along. I WAS serious. Carole had said it jokingly, but I had weighed my response and given it with the idea that if she truly wanted to come, she could. I did doublecheck with Sunshine, since it was her birthday trip--but Sunshine knows Carole well and loves her, so of course she was fine with it.

So.... Deb talked to Carole and invited her... and she accepted. And there we were, in early January, only a few weeks away... adding another person to the reservation, re-doing the ADRs, and in general having a blast sending emails back and forth as we planned for our mid-winter get-away!

Now it's January 25th, and we are almost there! THREE DAYS UNTIL DISNEY!

 

[annnewjerz]

Count me in! I need something to help pass the time before DH and I head down on February 10th and this sounds like the perfect thing! Me, my D90 and bag-o-lenses are very jealous you'll get to be there first!

Looking forward to seeing what shots you come back with and keeping my fingers crossed that you have great weather while you're down there.

Ann

 

[saintstickets]

Sign me up. We will be staying at VWL in May so I'm interested in your opinion of the place. You have an interest in photography and no pictures of the cast of characters?! Looking forward to your TR.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm in Nicole!

I'd LOVE to see some live updates.

"Tarps Around the World" is under way!

 

[NLD]

Count me in! I need something to help pass the time before DH and I head down on February 10th and this sounds like the perfect thing! Me, my D90 and bag-o-lenses are very jealous you'll get to be there first!

Looking forward to seeing what shots you come back with and keeping my fingers crossed that you have great weather while you're down there.

Ann

Hi, Ann! Eagerly looking forward to seeing your photos when you're back, too! (Now if we can just get NatenLogansDad and mom2rtk to post more TR updates, we'll have a regular photography board TR extravaganza!)

Sign me up. We will be staying at VWL in May so I'm interested in your opinion of the place. You have an interest in photography and no pictures of the cast of characters?! Looking forward to your TR.

Welcome, saintstickets! Exciting about staying at VWL. And May should be beautiful weather! I'm jealous. January's not my first time of choice to go, but it IS when Sunshine's birthday happens.

Where are you staying--studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom?

As for the photographs--I know! Will add some later. Pics of the Christmas morning reveal are coming, though.

I'm in Nicole!

I'd LOVE to see some live updates.

"Tarps Around the World" is under way!

Hi mom2rtk! Glad to see you here. Only hoping I come home with a few photos as good as yours.

"Tarps Around the World..." sounds like a song, does it not? "Tarps, if you want to. Tarps around the World...." (Sung to the tune of "Roam.")

 

[NLD]

The Christmas Reveal

Dear Sunshine,
This isn’t just a Christmas gift.
It’s for your birthday, too.
We’ve kept it secret for a while
And now it’s time to tell you.
Soon you’ll be turning eight,
And that’s a time to celebrate!
So get ready for a big surprise
When you open this box and see what’s inside!

Christmas morning arrived, and Matt and I awoke to Sunshine hollering with glee and prodding us to get out of bed.

Sheesh. Doesn't the kid know holidays are for relaxing? Sleeping in? Right?

Oh yeah. Presents.

Overnight, a few new presents had been added to the pile under the tree. One of these was a mid-sized box, which Sunshine noticed immediately. It was wrapped in plain red paper.

She went to it right away. (How do kids know? Seriously.) "No, that's one for last" I told her. Now she really knew something was up with that present... but she complied, and turned to other gifts.



Selected Holidays 2011_small versions-8645 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

After the unwrapping frenzy, and the faux-"big" gift (a bike!), it was time for the red box.

Now, what could top a new bike for Christmas?

Ahhh, you all know! But Sunshine was clueless.

So she turned to the red box. So small compared to that big shiny new bike. But wait, there was something attached to it. A note. So she opened it, and read the poem (found at the top of this post).


Selected Holidays 2011_small versions-8652 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Now her curiosity was overflowing. A combination Christmas / birthday gift? Something we've kept secret from her?

She ripped off the red wrapping paper.


Selected Holidays 2011_small versions-8654 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Hmmm. It's a Disney box.

She opened it and looked inside. A stuffed animal and a tee shirt? What does this mean? I told her to read the tee-shirt. She did, but she still wasn't getting it... or couldn't quite believe it.


Selected Holidays 2011_small versions-8656 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

So I handed her a card. The card spelled it out in no uncertain terms, and attached dates so she'd know it was for real--it said she was invited to come to Disney World with Mommy and Grandma on January28-February 3.

She read the card...


Selected Holidays 2011_small versions-8657 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Stunned silence. And then...

"REALLY? REALLY?" And suddenly she threw herself at me, a flying whirlwind of pink bathrobe and cupcake jammies and excitement, hugging me and declaring, "You are the best Mom in the world!"

At last, the excitement had hit, the reality had set in. She was going to Disney World... in only a month!


Selected Holidays 2011_small versions-8658 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

 

[NLD]

Best Laid Plans: Itinerary

This will be a dry post, but every pre-/trip report needs an itinerary, right? Here's ours:

For the record, we have seven-day base tickets.

Friday, January 27: Sunshine's birthday. She's going to school. I have the day off, and will spend it preparing for the trip. That evening we're having a birthday dinner with Deb and Bob (inlaws).

Saturday, January 28: Arrival day! Our flight leaves BWI (Baltimore) at 12:30 p.m. We arrive at MCO at 2:55. Take Magical Express to Wilderness Lodge and check-in. Then we have a completely unscheduled night ahead of us. We'll decide once there what to do. Maybe chill at the resort, maybe meander to Downtown Disney, maybe hit a park. Epcot is open until 9 pm, Magic Kingdom until midnight.

Sunday, January 29: Magic Kingdom (open 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m., including night EMH). Pirate's League appointment at 11:30 a.m. Dinner at Whispering Canyon. (HEY! 1:00 a.m. now? I just got that from the Disney website and it's an hour later than it used to be!)

Monday, January 30: Hollywood Studios (open 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., including night EMH). Lunch at Sci-Fi.

Tuesday, January 31: Animal Kingdom (open 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) Breakfast at Tusker House with Donald.

Wednesday, February 1: Epcot (open 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.) Dinner at Via Napoli.

Thursday, February 2: Open day. Completely unscheduled, so we'll go where the wind takes us!

Friday, February 3: Departure day. Again, unscheduled. We'll have to catch Magical Express about 4:00 p.m., but it's anyone's guess what we'll do before then!

Will we stick to the plan? Who knows. Hopefully it's a nice balance of structure plus unscheduled time... but we'll see once we're there if that theory translates to reality.

 

[saintstickets]

Welcome, saintstickets! Exciting about staying at VWL. And May should be beautiful weather! I'm jealous. January's not my first time of choice to go, but it IS when Sunshine's birthday happens.

Where are you staying--studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom?

As for the photographs--I know! Will add some later. Pics of the Christmas morning reveal are coming, though.

We have a 2br for DW, myself, DD & DD's fiance and we also have a studio for DS and his new bride (couldn't ask the newlyweds to sleep in the same villa with us! )

 

[NLD]

We have a 2br for DW, myself, DD & DD's fiance and we also have a studio for DS and his new bride (couldn't ask the newlyweds to sleep in the same villa with us! )

Nice! Sounds like you'll have plenty of space. What a fun trip!

 

[NLD]

Anticipation and Priorities!

I don't have a must-do list for this trip. The only absolute must-do is to have fun. And I am willing to abandon the itinerary to make that happen.

That said, here are a few things we're looking forward to:


Splendor by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#1. Hollywood Studios

This is a priority because Sunshine has never been. On her first trip, we kept changing plans on the fly, with the end result that DHS got squeezed into one evening. And then... when that evening came... dh and dd slept through it. They had laid down for an afternoon nap and could not be roused. So I went by myself for an evening EMH, and they missed it completely.

#2. Star Tours

Although I made it to DHS in 2009 and 2010, I did not make it onto Star Tours. I have fond memories of it from my DL childhood days, though. So I'm looking forward to checking out the updated, 3-D version!


SelectedFlorida2010-180 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#3. Dole Whip Float

Does this need any explanation? Simply note it's a float and it's pineapple all the way!


SelectedFlorida2010-188 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#4. Pirates, Pirates, and More Pirates

Sunshine LOVES the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies. So hopefully she'll get lots of pirate fun this trip... on the ride, watching the Pirate Tutorial, and getting a makeover at Pirate's League.


SelectedFlorida2010-462 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#5. Spaceship Earth

Fond memories of Sunshine giggling herself pink on our first ride through SE in 2009.


Can You Hear the Drums Tonight? by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#6. Animal Kingdom (in general)

My favorite park. I just love the ambiance and detailing at AK. It doesn't even matter to me much what we do there--I just love being there. But it would be nice to sit and watch those drummers in Harambe for a while.

#7. Wilderness Lodge

We've only seen it through pictures so far, but it looks lovely, with lots to see and explore. Hopefully we'll make enough time to enjoy the resort. If it's warm enough, a little swimming or hot tubbing.


SelectedFlorida2010-231 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#8. Splash Mountain

Actually, we're not sure about this one. Sunshine tried it in 2009 and was terrified--cried the whole time. Come to find out, she thought the thorns would hurt us at the end of the drop, and she was in the midst of developing a fear of floods. But she says she wants to try it again this trip, now that she's older. Will she follow through?


Pressed Penny by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#9. Pressed Pennies

Sunshine loved these in 2009. She already has her collection book packed, ready to hunt down a few more this year. It's not something we devote lots of time to, but she enjoys finding the machines and pressing the coins.



SelectedFlorida2010-299 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

#10. Fireworks

Wishes, Illuminations... love them both. Nobody does fireworks like Disney!



And of course, overall... we're hoping Deb and Carole in particular (since they aren't Disney vets) have a great time, and get a lot out of the trip. I already know Sunshine and I will!

 

[NLD]

1 Day

There's nothing quite like going to the Disney website and seeing this...



1dayaway by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


And then heading over to the weather forecast and seeing this (in January!)



OrlandoWeatherForecast by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

 

[annnewjerz]

1 Day

And then heading over to the weather forecast and seeing this (in January!)



OrlandoWeatherForecast by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

I feel ya! I'm heading down February 10th and am keeping my fingers crossed that the beautiful weather continues for our trip. It's a mild winter up here in the Northeast...so why not in Disney!? 70 and up we'll swim. 80 and up we'll swim without getting goosebumps when we get out of the pool.

 

[NLD]

Update #1

Here now! Sitting at Wilderness Lodge sipping a Dole whip float from MK. Had some pixie dust in our room tonight. MK was crowded this evening!

 

[NLD]

Update #2

About to turn in for the night. But first... recap of the day.

Traffic: light
Flight: easy
TSA: easy, one pat down
WL: gorgeous
Marshmallows roasted: 2
Dole whips eaten: 1
Attractions: memories castle show, potc, philharm, hm
Disney meals: Roaring Fork (pork bbq flatbread)
Happy birthday wishes given to Sunshine: 11?
Potc cm: same name as Sunshine and gave us first row
Tarps: everywhere, didn't count or take pics yet, though
Crowds: crazy at MK! (8-10:30 pm)

 

[NLD]

Update #3

Hanging out at pool. Sunshine likes the slide. MK was crowded again today. Only did two rides. Will probably go back after dinner tonight.

So far Sept beats January for crowds. We are spoiled.

 

[PoppyGirl]

Really enjoying your PTR/TR/Live report! Thanks for sharing.

I love your screen shots of the computer. How do you do that????

 

[ljcrochet]

I hope the crowds get lighter for the rest of your trip.