Caitsmama's First Ever Turkey Day TR - with Pics!

[Caitsmama]

Cast of Characters: Nov. 17th-25th 2007
Me (30)
DD (6 - almost 7!)
MIL & FIL (50's)

DH stayed home ( we missed you honey!!)

Background:
This is my first ever WDW TR. This year marks our 4th consecutive trip for Thanksgiving week to WDW. This year, our hotel of choice was the Poly - it was our first stay at this hotel.

On with the report---------------

I am up early - 4:30 am to be exact, and i go wake up my dd - to be ready at 4:45 when my inlaws pick us up for the airport - our flight was due to leave Providence at 7:20 am.
We are up, dressed, and ready to go in no time -- after all-- it is the day we leave for WDW!!!
Here is a pic of my dd and my FIL at the Providence airpt.

We boarded and took off on time - and actually landed in Orlando about 15 min. EARLY!! We then checked into the Magical Express, and waited for the bus, and we arrived at the Poly by 11:30 we were headed to the Concierge check in.

We were escorted to the Hawaii building to check in via golf cart, and were told our room was ready! Score!! So, we head up to the room (3rd floor, lagoon view), as we enter, we see the most AMAZING view i have ever had at a resort..

Yup, i think i can make this work for the next 9 days..
For anyone who has never seen the new rooms at the Poly, they are GREAT..

We settle in, unpack and are ready to head off to the MK!
More to come: Up next MK

 

[Tink_and_Eeyore]

Hi Caitsmama! I'm anxious to read your TR about Thanksgiving at WDW. We're planning a Thanksgiving grand gathering for next year so I'm very excited to hear from someone who spent the holiday there.

 

[Caitsmama]

Ok, so we go explore the Poly, and immediately my dd finds herself a nice comfy spot..

I think in all honesty, this picture ended up being my favorite of the whole trip - as strange as that may sound, there are no characters, no castle, no fireworks.. just my dd and a hammock, but i just LOVE it.. it totally speaks of how great this week was.

Ok, so later in the day , we head off to the MK, and Toontown.
We go thru Minnie and Mickey's house ( a lil background, my dd gets her picture taken in this chair in Minnies house every year, it has served as our "WDW growth chart" for her.. LOL I will insert a scrapbook page that i had done last year after our trip, that shows my dd from 2004-2006 in this chair)

And, here is THIS years pic,

I love to see how she has changed each year. She was 3 in the first pic!

Ok, can i just say how pretty the castle looked all lit up! Here it is:

Pretty huh?! (As Jiminy would say!)

We stayed to watch Wishes, then headed back to bed, as we were exhausted!

Up next - MK day 2!

 

[Caitsmama]

Ok, something i forgot to mention on MK day(night) 1, was , that we waited in line at the characters tent in TT to see Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto, for about 30 min, and when we got into the room, we happened to be the first family in that room with the characters.. (just a forwaring that being that last one cut off at the rope can be a GOOD thing!) Anyway - when my dd was done meeting all the formentioned characters, a man approached her as we were leaving, and asked if she had met "his boss" yet.. (aka Mickey) and my dd replied "no, not yet, the line was too long", So, he asked her if she would like to get a VIP access to him now..
Obviously we were happy (you know how long that Meet Mickey line can get!!) and the man asked me if we had anyone else in our party outside waiting - so i said yes, my inlaws, so we walked out of the tent and got them.. then this wonderful CM walked us down the Toontown street escorting my dd, and right into the back of Mickey's Judges Tent.. he then opened the back door and brought us right into the room with the boss! (aka Mickey! ) and we had our pics taken, and then the CM gave her a wonderful dreams pin.
I wish i would have paid attention to that CM's name, but i was so overwhelmed and excited (oh, and exhausted) that i didn't!! So, to whoever you are -- THANK YOU. That was a wonderful lil' dream come true! And a great way to start our WDW trip!
Here is our fam pic with the boss:

Ok-- MK Day 2 (up early and rested!)

We got to walk right on to Aladdin's carpets, POTC, Splash Mt. , BTMRR. It was GREAT!! Then we had some quiet time to meet some characters without long lines:

And, as you can see, my dd picked out herself a new hat. (she has to get a new one each trip.. LOL)

We then headed back after lunch - to swim, it was a beautiful 78-80 degrees! And that volcano pool was calling my dd!

We decided to hang out at the Poly and watch Wishes in the concierge lounge while we had a snack, then my dd decided she wanted to go to AK the following day for am emh -- ya, well, did i mention that AK opened at 7am! Yikes.... ok.... so we go to bed about 10pm.

Up next, AK up and early.... VERY EARLY..

 

[Caitsmama]

Day 3 - AK VERY VERY early..
We woke up and grabbed a bite to eat and headed down to get a bus by about 6:30am (ya, who decides these hours anyway??? ) and we waited... and waited.... finally, some not so happy non-morning people called and complained that they were waiting for 40 min for a bus (we personally wern't waiting that long , these people must have been there long before me and my dd got there)
And the Poly called a bus down... finally about 5min later one came - bad news, it was already 7am.. So we totally missed getting to the park BY 7.. we got there about 7:15 and went right on EE. We love this ride.. No pics though sorry!!
Then we went on Dinosaur, and then my dd realized something i was praying she didn't -- she was finally (After 3 years) tall enough to go on Primeval Whirl. Well.. ya, guess who had to take her.. yes, me, who HATES spinning rides.. especially at 8am!! Sorry, but i HATE that ride.. and won't do it again. Give me EE at 7am anyday over this ride..
Anyway, at least she can say she did it.
We then headed on the Train to Rafiki's Planet Watch, and as soon as we entered, guess who i FINALLY saw (after 3 years!)
.............................................................

I just love this guy!!!!

Then we got to see them checking on baby rats (ya, our luck.. rats of all cute and cuddly possibilities.... LOL) but it was cool to see..

By the time we were done and hopped the train back it was getting to be mid morning and warm.. so i did what any mom on vacation would do - ICE CREAM! My dd had her first EVER Mickey bar!

We cleaned off, and headed out - as we wanted to go back and change and swim then had to be at MK BBB appt. for my dd at 4pm..
But on our way out, we met a couple more familiar faces..

Up next: MK BBB and Dinner at 1900 park fare.

 

[Caitsmama]

Day 3 cont. MK BBB and dinner at 1900.

We changed , and headed back over to Mk - got there in time to see the 3pm parade:

Then after the parade, we headed over to the BBB to have dd 's makeover.. (now, background -- my dd's original plan was to get a princess makeover and bring her Cinderella dress, then go to dinner with Cinderella and the Prince at 1900.. well, now she wanted NOT to bring her dress, and NOW she wanted the "pop star" hair.. ok, so there goes a DIS'ers plans! LOL)
So, here are some pics of my dd at the MK BBB..

And, presenting the final product:

We then walked out and met someone very special..

Then, we hopped on the boat, and headed over to the GF for dinner at 1900 Park Fare.
As you walk into the lobby at the GF, you are greeted with this wonderful sight:

Then, we had a nice dinner with Cindy, PC, and the evil stepmother and sis's.. (one whom told my dd it looked like she had fireworks coming out of her head)

Up nextay 4 - Epcot

 

[Caitsmama]

Day 4 - Epcot (Tues)

This will be very short..
We got to Epcot about 9am, got right on TT, then grabbed FP's for Soarin' - then dd decided she wanted to bake cookies after Soarin' - we had never done this, and it was fun.. but i don't think i will want to wait in line for 30 min to do it again..

We met some more characters - pluto, minnie, goofy, chip, dale and mickey.. took autographs and pics.

Waited in line for Nemo for about 20 min, got all the way to the front --- and the ride broke. They had to make us all exit. So, wasted time. (funny part is - that happened to us last year too.)

We stayed at Epcot til about 3pm, then went back to the Poly, went swimming and watched Wishes from our balcony.

Up next: Weds. MK Day 5

 

[Caitsmama]

Day 5 - Weds. MK again

We ate breakfast today at Kona Cafe. I just HAD to find out what all these DIS'ers are raving about with this Tonga Toast... Well, can i just say, i ended up getting it twice this trip... it ROCKS. One of the best breakfasts i have had! My dd got Mickey pancakes. And it was great to have "real" coffee - concierge serves that wonderful (not) Nescafe stuff...

After breakfast i rolled myself on the boat to go to MK -- (love the convienience to go to MK from the Poly, we must have gone to MK almost 7 times)

We then watched the show in front of the castle..

and hit some shops on Main Street - i thought fellow DIS'er Croc's fan's would appreciate a pic of the holiday wreath that they did with all red Disney Crocs.. i thought it was cool..

Then dd wanted to get back b/c she had a "date" with my FIL to ride the small boats at the hotel..

Up next: Thurs - Thanksgiving Day - Back at the MK!

 

[OhMari]

Did you notice anyone at BBB named Angie, she is a DIS member on here and she talks about her new job all the time. She says it is very tiring.

 

[Caitsmama]

Day 6 - Thurs. Thanksgiving Day MK and DTD.

Well, we were once again up bright and early, as MK opened at 7am today! And as nuts as it is, this is an annual tradition for us now.. So, for anyone who wonders what the MK looks like at 7am - here ya go:

Now, i saw the pics of black friday when people goes running thru the doors of shops..well, can i just say that they do the SAME thing on TG day at the MK.. I refuse to run though..

We got on a bunch of rides and met some characters , then left about 11am, and went back to the Poly to catch a bus for DTD..
Here is my dd at the Pin Store:

She then wanted her face painted.. it came out very cool, but man.. $15 for a facepaint..for one day.. Ugh..

Did i mention my dd loves to pose for the camera now?? LOL

We then headed back to the hotel and got ready to leave for our 7pm Hoop De Doo Thanksgiving dinner ADR's. This has now become another annual thing.. no turkey for us! This is our 3rd year at the HDDR for TG dinner.

Up next - Day 7, Friday, MGM

 

[mom2mek]

We were there that week as well - all 16 of us! And we were at Ft. WIlderness for Thanksgiving Dinner tool! Not at the Hoop-dee-doo, but at Trail's End. We ate at 5:30 and were probably done around 7:15 or 7:30. Wasn't the weather glorious that week?

Were you at the BBB on 11/19? We had 5 girls and 1 boy there that morning from 10:00 - 11:00 and we also saw the Fairy Godmother when we left! It's so funny to read someone else's report from the same time period and see the similiarities. I haven't started my report yet, I hope to in the next couple of days though. My pre-trip is in my signature, so it'll probably be moved over to the trip reports thread once I start actually writing the "trip report" portion!

Can't wait to read more of your report. I would love to stay at the Poly someday! Ahhh... dreams to dream!

Sara

 

[corinnak]

Stacy!!!! You didn't mention you were writing a trip report! It must have been tough watching WISHES from your hotel room. And I love the pictures of your DD on Minnie's chair. TOO sweet. What a great idea to do that every year.

Looking forward to the rest!