BrerMama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2000
Cast of Characters:
Kim, just turned 30!, Obsessive/compulsive trip planner; Full-time early childhood special ed teacher; Love to scrapbook
Dan, 32, Truly a kid at heart; in sales; enjoys everything about Disney except the money -- he’s our budget police
Brady, 6, Has really become a daredevil in the past few months; can be very shy
Mykiah, 4, Currenly a mommy's girl; not a shy bone in her body
Chesney, 10 months, Beginning to toddle; a very happy baby in general
Grandpa, 65, Loves his grandkids to death (This trip was his gift for his 65th birthday)
To read about our travel adventures and our description of HIFS click here
Ever been awakened by the sound of multiple fire alarms going off? As if to cap off a horrid day of travel troubles, the fire alarm in both the rooms and the building went off at 3:30 am on the morning of our first full day at Disney. Dan at first thought the alarm was going off and I tried to pull the battery out of the smoke alarm before we realized it was going off all over the building. This continued for at least 20 minutes in our room and even when that one was silenced the building alarm went off for another 10 minutes. It was awful. And of course I was wide awake by then (Dan and the kids can sleep through anything) so I started thinking about all the things I had wanted to do the day before that I hadn't done and how totally unprepared I was for going to the parks. I finally managed to drop off to sleep only to be awakened at 5:45 by the alarm.
Stumbling into the bathroom, I try to figure out the unfamiliar shower controls. No matter how I do turn the handle, I'm not getting any hot water. Finally I realize that the room just doesn't have any hot water. So I stumble out to the phone and call the front desk who promises to send someone up. I wait half asleep in a chair, getting more anxious by the minute because *I'm on a schedule here!* and eventually decide just to go for lukewarm (giving thanks for having cut my hair short a month ago... less hair to wash). I wake Dan and tell him about the hot water problem and he decides the swim yesterday was good enough so we go ahead and get dressed and get the kids and grandpa up. Before we head for breakfast I call the front desk again and they apologize and promise again to send someone up.
HIFS offers a free full breakfast buffet to all guests. There are two main stations: the Club Car dining room and in the main area of the lobby. Each station has two lines. The Club Car opens at 6:30 am and the main area opens at 7:00 am. We were always at breakfast before 7 so we always ate in the Club Car (the Club Car is the only place where you can get pop and Dan and I are addicted to caffeine so it was also our only choice). Breakfast varied but they always had sausage or bacon, fried potatoes or tater tots, pancakes or french toast, and scrambled eggs. Some mornings they also had biscuits and gravy or corned beef hash. There was also a section with yogurt, applesauce, orange wedges, jello (go figure!), and melon; bread for toasting and Fruit Loops and other cereals were available also. The beverage station had orange and apple juice; skim, whole and chocolate milk; and coffee. All the plates, cups, utensils were styrofoam or plastic; to go containers were also available. The food wasn't excellent or even very good but it was edible and free. My kids loved the pancakes and applesauce and the adults always had enough to feel full.
We were at the gates to Disney-MGM Studios at 8 am and waited in line until 8:30 for the gate to open. Then we hustled to the end of Hollywood Boulevard and waited at the rope for the official opening. While we were waiting, I noticed a camouflage van driving down a street and heard the Toy Story music. By the time I had pointed it out to Brady, the van had stopped just in front of us and Green Army Men were climbing out. One came right over to us and played with Chesney in her stroller. Mykiah was scared (and who wouldn't be? They have green faces!) and hid behind her dad which made him feel good because she doesn't usually run to him. Brady posed for a picture and got an autograph and we all watched the antics of the other Green Army Men until their leader called them back to the van and they drove away. This was a great start to our day.
When the ropes dropped we headed to Muppetvision. I've always wanted to see this movie and since it was not scary it seemed a good way to start our day. We waited for a few minutes before the preshow began and Chesney had a lot of fun crawling around the preshow area. She was just beginning to take steps when we left on our trip and it was so hard on her to be cooped up in a stroller all day. By the end of the week she had gotten used to it but this first day was a little trying for all of us.
We all enjoyed the Muppets and as we exited the theater we ran smack into Jessie the Cowgirl from Toy Story 2. Now Mykiah's favorite Disney character (and the only one she had really shown any interest in) is Jessie; she was even Jessie for Halloween. So we got a quick picture and autograph before hustling over to catch the Indiana Jones stunt show. Dan had been really looking forward to this and everyone loved it even though Mykiah kept asking question after question about the show. She's always been one of those kids that has to know why everything is done and how.
After the show we decided to cross the park and see Bear in the Big Blue House. On the way we noticed several characters in front of the Great Movie Ride so we stopped and visited with Donald. Brady was in line for Genie and just as he got to the front of the line, Genie took a break. A little disappointing, but we did see him later in the trip.
The line for Bear was huge and we were stuck in the sun but once the theater opened, it moved quickly and the line behind was much longer than the line ahead. We were seated near the front but to the right side of the stage which made it a little difficult to see. Dan had Chesney and she absolutely adored Bear. She clapped her hands and bounced around.
It was so fun to see the joy on her face. The kids know that I love the Goodbye song with Luna so Mykiah crawled into my lap and sang along with me.
We were all a little parched by this time so we stopped at a drink cart in the main plaza and paid outrageous prices for small cups of Coke. While we were sitting, I suggested that we go on the Great Movie Ride. Neither of my big kids was too sure about this, especially when I told them that it may be scary in some parts. Now Dan thinks I was wrong to warn them because it increased their anxiety, but I think that children need to be prepared. So the kids and I made a deal: we would ride and when I knew it would be scary (during the Alien scene) they could put their heads in my lap and close their eyes. And that's exactly how it worked and both of them actually opened their eyes during the scariest part just because they felt safe.
By this time we had about half an hour until our priority seating time at Prime Time Cafe but I couldn't think of anything that we could do in that time frame that sounded interesting so we just went to the restaurant and checked in. They warned me that it may be awhile, but we found a seat in the living room and relaxed while Chesney had a chance to explore. I had told the kids about the "theme" of the restaurant but we had all decided to surprise Grandpa so the kids were bursting with excitement. "The Lund Kids" were finally called to be seated (at about our scheduled time) and were taken to a room with 3 other tables. Our server was Cousin Harry and he was very good. We were the last to arrive in the room and everyone else was getting their food as we were ordering so most of the harassment was directed at the other families but we did enjoy watching. Grandpa had the meatloaf, Dan ordered the pot roast, and I had the fried chicken with a chocolate milkshake. Brady wanted chicken strips and Mykiah wanted a hamburger so we ordered them each a meal although we usually just have them split a meal because neither one eats a whole lot. Cousin Harry managed to get me and Grandpa for having our elbows on the table and Grandpa had his hat on at the table and was ordered to remove it. I wasn’t sure how much the kids were understanding until I looked over and Mykiah was stuffing her face with food. She was scared to death that Harry was going to pick on her for not cleaning her plate so she was just shoving it in!
Once I assured her that he wouldn't embarrass her, she slowed down and wound up eating most of her meal. Dan and Grandpa both cleaned their plate and got stickers (Grandpa didn't even realize he had one until he got back to the hotel; he thought Harry was just patting him on the back). Chesney had fallen asleep in my arms just before the food came so it was a little difficult to eat my chicken but I did manage most of it and Harry didn't hassle me about what was left. And thank heavens he didn't see the mess I made trying to pour more milkshake from the tumbler into my glass.... Yuck! I covered it with a napkin and got out of there quick!
With lunch behind us, the Mulan parade was close to beginning. We shopped a little on Hollywood Blvd then found a place along the street to watch. We had watched the parade two years ago at Disneyland at night and really enjoyed it. It was entertaining again this year but I liked the atmosphere of the night parade more. As soon as the parade was over, we left and went back to the hotel.
At the hotel, we swam for a bit in the family pool which was fun but very cold. We also made a quick trip to the Publix down the street and stocked up on pop, juice, beer for Gramps and snacks. Tonight we went to sleep early and had no nasty fire alarms to disturb our slumber. Plus we had hot water!!
Mykiah quote of the day: "We're really going to Disney World Brady" -- as we drove under the *Welcome to Walt Disney World* gates
"This is the most fun until I die" --at the family pool
To read Day 3 (Animal Kingdom) click here
Mom to 3 goobs
1992 Disneyland (offsite)
1995 WDW (offsite)
1998 Disneyland (offsite)
12/1/2000 WDW -- HIFS
[This message was edited by BrerMama on 12-10-00 at 02:09 PM
[This message was edited by BrerMama on 12-10-00 at 03:50 PM.]
Kim, just turned 30!, Obsessive/compulsive trip planner; Full-time early childhood special ed teacher; Love to scrapbook
Dan, 32, Truly a kid at heart; in sales; enjoys everything about Disney except the money -- he’s our budget police
Brady, 6, Has really become a daredevil in the past few months; can be very shy
Mykiah, 4, Currenly a mommy's girl; not a shy bone in her body
Chesney, 10 months, Beginning to toddle; a very happy baby in general
Grandpa, 65, Loves his grandkids to death (This trip was his gift for his 65th birthday)
To read about our travel adventures and our description of HIFS click here
Ever been awakened by the sound of multiple fire alarms going off? As if to cap off a horrid day of travel troubles, the fire alarm in both the rooms and the building went off at 3:30 am on the morning of our first full day at Disney. Dan at first thought the alarm was going off and I tried to pull the battery out of the smoke alarm before we realized it was going off all over the building. This continued for at least 20 minutes in our room and even when that one was silenced the building alarm went off for another 10 minutes. It was awful. And of course I was wide awake by then (Dan and the kids can sleep through anything) so I started thinking about all the things I had wanted to do the day before that I hadn't done and how totally unprepared I was for going to the parks. I finally managed to drop off to sleep only to be awakened at 5:45 by the alarm.
Stumbling into the bathroom, I try to figure out the unfamiliar shower controls. No matter how I do turn the handle, I'm not getting any hot water. Finally I realize that the room just doesn't have any hot water. So I stumble out to the phone and call the front desk who promises to send someone up. I wait half asleep in a chair, getting more anxious by the minute because *I'm on a schedule here!* and eventually decide just to go for lukewarm (giving thanks for having cut my hair short a month ago... less hair to wash). I wake Dan and tell him about the hot water problem and he decides the swim yesterday was good enough so we go ahead and get dressed and get the kids and grandpa up. Before we head for breakfast I call the front desk again and they apologize and promise again to send someone up.
HIFS offers a free full breakfast buffet to all guests. There are two main stations: the Club Car dining room and in the main area of the lobby. Each station has two lines. The Club Car opens at 6:30 am and the main area opens at 7:00 am. We were always at breakfast before 7 so we always ate in the Club Car (the Club Car is the only place where you can get pop and Dan and I are addicted to caffeine so it was also our only choice). Breakfast varied but they always had sausage or bacon, fried potatoes or tater tots, pancakes or french toast, and scrambled eggs. Some mornings they also had biscuits and gravy or corned beef hash. There was also a section with yogurt, applesauce, orange wedges, jello (go figure!), and melon; bread for toasting and Fruit Loops and other cereals were available also. The beverage station had orange and apple juice; skim, whole and chocolate milk; and coffee. All the plates, cups, utensils were styrofoam or plastic; to go containers were also available. The food wasn't excellent or even very good but it was edible and free. My kids loved the pancakes and applesauce and the adults always had enough to feel full.
We were at the gates to Disney-MGM Studios at 8 am and waited in line until 8:30 for the gate to open. Then we hustled to the end of Hollywood Boulevard and waited at the rope for the official opening. While we were waiting, I noticed a camouflage van driving down a street and heard the Toy Story music. By the time I had pointed it out to Brady, the van had stopped just in front of us and Green Army Men were climbing out. One came right over to us and played with Chesney in her stroller. Mykiah was scared (and who wouldn't be? They have green faces!) and hid behind her dad which made him feel good because she doesn't usually run to him. Brady posed for a picture and got an autograph and we all watched the antics of the other Green Army Men until their leader called them back to the van and they drove away. This was a great start to our day.
When the ropes dropped we headed to Muppetvision. I've always wanted to see this movie and since it was not scary it seemed a good way to start our day. We waited for a few minutes before the preshow began and Chesney had a lot of fun crawling around the preshow area. She was just beginning to take steps when we left on our trip and it was so hard on her to be cooped up in a stroller all day. By the end of the week she had gotten used to it but this first day was a little trying for all of us.
We all enjoyed the Muppets and as we exited the theater we ran smack into Jessie the Cowgirl from Toy Story 2. Now Mykiah's favorite Disney character (and the only one she had really shown any interest in) is Jessie; she was even Jessie for Halloween. So we got a quick picture and autograph before hustling over to catch the Indiana Jones stunt show. Dan had been really looking forward to this and everyone loved it even though Mykiah kept asking question after question about the show. She's always been one of those kids that has to know why everything is done and how.
After the show we decided to cross the park and see Bear in the Big Blue House. On the way we noticed several characters in front of the Great Movie Ride so we stopped and visited with Donald. Brady was in line for Genie and just as he got to the front of the line, Genie took a break. A little disappointing, but we did see him later in the trip.
The line for Bear was huge and we were stuck in the sun but once the theater opened, it moved quickly and the line behind was much longer than the line ahead. We were seated near the front but to the right side of the stage which made it a little difficult to see. Dan had Chesney and she absolutely adored Bear. She clapped her hands and bounced around.
It was so fun to see the joy on her face. The kids know that I love the Goodbye song with Luna so Mykiah crawled into my lap and sang along with me.We were all a little parched by this time so we stopped at a drink cart in the main plaza and paid outrageous prices for small cups of Coke. While we were sitting, I suggested that we go on the Great Movie Ride. Neither of my big kids was too sure about this, especially when I told them that it may be scary in some parts. Now Dan thinks I was wrong to warn them because it increased their anxiety, but I think that children need to be prepared. So the kids and I made a deal: we would ride and when I knew it would be scary (during the Alien scene) they could put their heads in my lap and close their eyes. And that's exactly how it worked and both of them actually opened their eyes during the scariest part just because they felt safe.
By this time we had about half an hour until our priority seating time at Prime Time Cafe but I couldn't think of anything that we could do in that time frame that sounded interesting so we just went to the restaurant and checked in. They warned me that it may be awhile, but we found a seat in the living room and relaxed while Chesney had a chance to explore. I had told the kids about the "theme" of the restaurant but we had all decided to surprise Grandpa so the kids were bursting with excitement. "The Lund Kids" were finally called to be seated (at about our scheduled time) and were taken to a room with 3 other tables. Our server was Cousin Harry and he was very good. We were the last to arrive in the room and everyone else was getting their food as we were ordering so most of the harassment was directed at the other families but we did enjoy watching. Grandpa had the meatloaf, Dan ordered the pot roast, and I had the fried chicken with a chocolate milkshake. Brady wanted chicken strips and Mykiah wanted a hamburger so we ordered them each a meal although we usually just have them split a meal because neither one eats a whole lot. Cousin Harry managed to get me and Grandpa for having our elbows on the table and Grandpa had his hat on at the table and was ordered to remove it. I wasn’t sure how much the kids were understanding until I looked over and Mykiah was stuffing her face with food. She was scared to death that Harry was going to pick on her for not cleaning her plate so she was just shoving it in!
Once I assured her that he wouldn't embarrass her, she slowed down and wound up eating most of her meal. Dan and Grandpa both cleaned their plate and got stickers (Grandpa didn't even realize he had one until he got back to the hotel; he thought Harry was just patting him on the back). Chesney had fallen asleep in my arms just before the food came so it was a little difficult to eat my chicken but I did manage most of it and Harry didn't hassle me about what was left. And thank heavens he didn't see the mess I made trying to pour more milkshake from the tumbler into my glass.... Yuck! I covered it with a napkin and got out of there quick!With lunch behind us, the Mulan parade was close to beginning. We shopped a little on Hollywood Blvd then found a place along the street to watch. We had watched the parade two years ago at Disneyland at night and really enjoyed it. It was entertaining again this year but I liked the atmosphere of the night parade more. As soon as the parade was over, we left and went back to the hotel.
At the hotel, we swam for a bit in the family pool which was fun but very cold. We also made a quick trip to the Publix down the street and stocked up on pop, juice, beer for Gramps and snacks. Tonight we went to sleep early and had no nasty fire alarms to disturb our slumber.
Plus we had hot water!! Mykiah quote of the day: "We're really going to Disney World Brady" -- as we drove under the *Welcome to Walt Disney World* gates
"This is the most fun until I die" --at the family pool
To read Day 3 (Animal Kingdom) click here
Mom to 3 goobs
1992 Disneyland (offsite)
1995 WDW (offsite)
1998 Disneyland (offsite)
12/1/2000 WDW -- HIFS
[This message was edited by BrerMama on 12-10-00 at 02:09 PM
[This message was edited by BrerMama on 12-10-00 at 03:50 PM.]
