Castles, Candy and Quartets - A Birthday to Remember!

[sunny04]

I've never tried a trip report before, but DH loves the Trip Report Board and has bugged me since we got home that I should write one. So I'm going to attempt it. I fear I will not be nearly funny enough after reading reports like Happyhaunts, but I'm gonna go for it anyway (Maelstrom!).

Background info - DH and I are both 25 and went together to WDW for our honeymoon at Christmas 2002. Since then, we have gone at least twice a year because we are in love with it. Our favorite time is Oct. to do the MNSSHP and the F&W Fest. but our recent trip was FOR MY BIRTHDAY! Now, part of this report will also include my mom, sister(Amy) and her daughter(Abby). Abby was asked what she wanted for her birthday this year and said she wanted to go to WDW. My mom and sister had me plan for them and were going to do a big surprise....However, Abby never assumed she would not be going - if that tells you anything about the level of her spoiling. So, they were going to celebrate Abby's 5th birthday, and I was celebrating my 25th. The way we planned it, Mom, Amy and Abby were going the last week of March, and DH and I showed up March 30. So we overlapped 2 days of our vacations and spent time together. So, there is the basic idea of the background. Yay birthday trip!

 

[tchan03]

HI Nice to see your post! Look forward to read the rest of your report !!!
Terence

 

[sunny04]

March 30 -
DH and I drove partway on the 29th and spent the night in a Country Inn & Suites in Lake City(I think...). So this morning, we got up and drove the rest of the way in. We're staying at POFQ again to get the AP rate. We got to the hotel around noon and checked in. After lugging all the stuff to our rooms, we called my mom to see what they were up to. We were supposed to meet at MGM, but we were too hungry after unpacking to wait. So we told my mom we'd call when we were in the park and headed down to Sassagoula (or whatever it's called) Food Court for some lunch. Then we finally headed for the parks.

We got there around 2:30-ish I think and called Mom. She was in BD eating a Cobb Salad - we had ADRs for 5:00. I told her she was crazy, but the Cobb Salad at BD was the one thing she wanted to do on the trip, so she was gonna eat it. Amy and Abby were in the Animation section. So we walked over to the Animation area and waited for them to come out so we could say hi. Abby was so excited and started immediately talking about everything they had done and her autographs. I can't remember what they were going to do, but we split up again. DH and I went to Indiana Jones. We always sit there and try to predict which audience member is the fake. We got it right this time! Then we called my mom again to see where they were - they were inside GMR, actually ON the ride. So we hung out at the exit until they got done. DH and Amy decided they were going to ride RnR (yes! I don't like RnR, but always have to ride with DH as he hates standing in line by himself). But by this time we didn't have much time until our ADR, so there wasn't enough time.

As we were walking back towards the main road, we realized the parade was starting. So we found a spot and watched the Stars and Motor Cars Parade. DH and I haven't watched it since our honeymoon. It really is a cute parade. It was so much fun watching Abby's face as her favorite characters came by - the way her face lit up and she grinned and pointed at them was just priceless. Seeing WDW in a child's eyes is something special.

After the parade we headed over to H&V to try and check in early because we were all hungry, but they were too busy and wouldn't let us get in earlier. So we split up again. Dh and I strolled down past 50's PT and sat on the benches by the water. He bought ice cream and I had some water and we just rested. About this time I kinda realized how tired I was. I wasn't in much of a "ride" mood, I was hungry, I was tired, blah. So the sitting still and drinking cold water was a nice break that made me feel a little better. A little before 5 we went back over and checked in and all 5 of us sat at a table. Abby says to me "Look! I got us 2 cookies to share! A Tinkerbell and an Ariel." They were the sugar cookies that are basically painted with icing. She was so excited to have these cookies to share with me. She talked about them several times, and I don't think we ever ate either one of them. Then Abby pulled out her autographs to show me. Now her autographs were a huge deal on this trip. She was allowed to pick out her own photo album,etc. before the trip. She picked one that had princesses (of course) and planned to put the picture with the character with the autograph together on a page. So they bought colored card stock and cut the whole pack into 4x6 size pieces to get signed. While we were waiting on our meal, Abby sat in my lap and went through ALL her autographs with me. They realized at this point that the autograph of "the fox" (Foulfellow) was missing. This will come up later! Finally we got inside to eat.

After dinner we decided to shop a little before Fantasmic. Wow...that was interesting. We ended up in the shop on the corner with the Mr. Potato Head and my mom and Amy started looking at how the box thing worked. Then the strategy started - how to fit as much into that box as humanly possible. At first, Mom says $9! Then she says, "Oh, well it's only $4.50 apiece." to Amy, as they are splitting costs for this trip. Amy laughs and tells me that Mom has said this the ENTIRE trip. Everything that seems expensive, she says 'but it's only...' and cuts the price in half. So as Abby plays with the parts creating what she wants and DH stands with the stroller, Mom, Amy and I begin trying to fit every imaginable piece of that toy into one box. The hats are the killer...they are too big to fit more than one - or so it seems. We have a box nearly full with tons of things, and Amy realizes that she can't fit the bride/princess hat into the box, and she wants it so bad(yes, I said Amy wanted it, not Abby ). So I said, well maybe you should do a second one so that Abby can make one a boy and one a girl. Amy gasped in excitement. Mom says, "That would be $18." We remind her, no it would be $9 and she excitedly says "THAT's RIGHT!!" $9 was too expensive originally, but now that's it half price, it's okay. So at this point, we really need to be going to get our Fantasmic seats. Dh and I are sweating it a little because we know how these things go. So they start trying to stuff everything into a SECOND Mr. Potato Head. FINALLY, they're running to the check out counter and Abby is trying to explain that the one she made is the one she wants. We spend quite awhile convincing her that every piece she chose was in those boxes. Then the cashier says "You're boxes are awfully empty." Man, after all that time, what else could we have fit into those boxes???

So, we are finally on our way to Fantasmic - "following the yellow brick road" and get seated. After we sit down, Abby gets out her blinking-pink-mickey-headband thingy (you know the things I mean) and puts them on. Now, Dh and I have sat behind those blinking things at many a Fantasmic/parade/fireworks show and have had several pictures ruined because of them. I'm sorry if you or your child has those and you have worn them in these situations, please don't get offended at my next section. I am a drama teacher, and have been in theatre since 2nd grade and teach at theaters and in an elementary school. I am big on audience behavior. So I explained to Abby that when the show started she needed to take off the headband so that it wouldn't bother people behind her. Now, if you knew Abby as I do, you would not count on this to actually get done. She is, as I insinuated before, a bit spoiled, and very used to getting her way and doing things she wants. But I tried. We got snacks and Amy, Abby and I went to find a bathroom. If you've never done this when on the Fantasmic Package, you really should, just for the fun of having to get back into the section with a password (Crabcakes on this occasion). Abby got to whisper it in the CMs ear, which was funny too. She got a kick out of it. Then I told everyone that in a few minutes the Wave would start. Right on cue...about 10 til, it began. It was a little weak this time, but we enjoyed watching how many babies were thrown up instead of hands. We started counting that as our own game - quite amusing, you should try it. Then, it was time. My sister (the ever spoiler) asked Abby if she wanted her blinking headband, as you could see hundreds of little blinking lights all over the auditorium. Abby started to say yes, and then SHE SAID NO! I hugged her and told her what a good audience she was. Wow. I was amazed.

After F! Mom asked if we wanted to come watch Wishes from their balcony. Here I will have to pause and explain the background on THEIR hotel. Somehow, they seemed to feel that this was a "once in a lifetime trip" that "wouldn't happen again". Now, yes it was Abby's first trip. But what child that asked for WDW for their birthday - AND GOT IT - would not ask for it every year??? Anyway, this was the one-time only trip, and they were going all out. So, they decided to pay the extra and stay at the GF. It was also extremely convenient for them to use the monorail. Most of their activities were at GF and MK anyway, with a little at Epcot and one day at MGM. So this was their choice. They got a really good rate with AAA on a garden view room because they didn't want to pay hundreds more for the water view. When they went to check in, first of all the CM was amazed at the rate they got in the first place, so it was apparently really good. Then, he said "Because you are such a nice family, we're upgrading you." For no extra charge, they had a water view room. Right next to the boat dock. With a balcony. Facing the castle. It was amazing. So, anyway, after F! they were going back to their hotel, and we were too. But then after we rested a bit and gave them time to get to their room, we went over to their room to watch Wishes from their balcony. DH has recently bought a tripod that he has not been able to use yet. He was SO excited to get this chance, so we went to the hotel, got the tripod, rested, then went over to GF to watch from the balcony. He set up the tripod, I checked out the rooms. Abby got out her signatures again to show me. She still could not find Foulfellow. She said "I am going to sit here until I can find it." She literally sat there for at least 30 minutes going through every signature over and over. Finally, Mom comes up to me and whispers "What is the name of the fox? She's about to find that signature." So I tell her Foulfellow and she sneaks off with a card and a marker. DH and I are laughing silently as Abby continues to look. Mom signs the card, and sits carefully on the edge of the bed where all of the autographs are spread out. She puts the card behind her back and slides it under the blanket slightly. Then while Abby is still looking, she pulls back the cover. Abby doesn't notice. So she picks it up and says "What is this one? It says...Foul..fellow?" Abby looks up and says "That's the fox!" Amy walks in and Abby says "Look what Memaw found! It's the fox!" My sister looks at us with a "How did that happen" look but says "Good!" and we go out on the balcony to laugh. Wishes from the balcony was nice. You could even here some of the music from Spectro and a little from Wishes from there. DH got some really cool shots with his tripod. Then, we went back to the hotel to sleep. Which is what I'm going to go do right now. Hope a few people found this somewhat interesting and will read more as it comes!

 

[pooksma]

I enjoyed your report! Thanks for sharing and more please!

 

[sunny04]

March 31 -
This morning we had the coveted CRT breakfast reserved. DH and I have done the dinner once, but never pulled off the breakfast. We met up with everyone at MK entrance to stand in line. Mom had given Abby "pixie dust" in a crystal looking necklace. And she had a fun time giggling as she sprinkled it on me every time I wasn't looking. So they finally let us in. This was our first time in MK before opening - so cool. We had night pictures with no people in them, but now we have day time shots too. So we spent a little time taking pictures and then checked in. I know this is not a dining report, but as this was a birthday trip, I need to tell you the stuff that made my birthday so special! So I'll have to tell you about some of the restuarants too. At CRT, once we got in, we had to wait for our picture with Cinderella. Abby managed to draw a 4 in. line down the front of her outfit in permanent marker as we waited. (Apparently, this was not the first time of the trip. She would open her marker for signatures and then forget it was open. Then while playing with it/moving it all around, she would draw all over herself.) Needless to say, this was not a great beginning and Abby nearly had a meltdown. Amy had to tell her it was okay and do some convincing on that one. She was okay once we got to Cinderella - and our picture has the lovely marker line in prominent view! Anyway, when we go to our table, it was covered in confetti and streamers. Our CM brought us Magic Moments certificates and pens so that the characters could sign it (Cinderella already had). That was nice. I've never done the autograph thing, but it's kinda addicting. Now that I've gotten the birthday cards with autographs, it makes me want to a little. Anyway, he also brought out little birthday cakes and sang to us. Another unrelated thing that was nice is that he asked if we had any discount cards. CRT is prepaid now, but we had not told as we reserved that we had the DDE card. He took the card and brought us back a gift card with the difference on it. Really nice!

After we ate breakfast we headed straight for Peter Pan. It's one of my favorites and I wanted Mom to ride it. She has recurring dreams about flying and it's one of those things she loves, so I was dying to get her on Soarin' and Peter Pan. (She did Soarin' before I got there and was not too impressed with it somehow. "When I fly in my dreams, I'm not in a seat or anything. I'm flying by myself laying flat.") Of course, again, DH and I know that we need to get as much done as quickly as possible before Fantasyland becomes crazy. Mom and Amy - not in such a hurry. So, we get to Peter Pan and everyone loved it. My mom REALLY liked it and said it was more like her dreams were. Does this strange to everyone??

After Peter Pan, DH and I wanted them to ride BTMR. Abby loves roller coasters! While I don't enjoy them very much, BTMR is one of my favorite rides. Mom is going to go do Philharmagic - She doesn't do roller coasters. So we're telling Amy to run. She got all huffy and says "You dont' run with a 5 year old." I'm like, huh? I was running with her earlier. I say "She's 5. If you tell her to run, she'll run." Amy pulls out the ever popular "When you have kids, you'll see." I hate this one. I've been teaching kids since before Amy had a kid of her own. I know kids. I know how they behave and often why they behave that way. Abby insists on her way, because SHE GETS HER WAY! So I say "I have 400 kids!" And she's like "And do they all listen to you?" And I say "YES!" So DH and I speed up to leave them going slow behind. About 30 seconds after we speed up, Abby says from the stroller "Mommy, I want you to go fast like Cassie." So she speeds up with us. We get to the ride and Amy is standing there in confusion trying to figure out what to do with the stroller. There is a huge section of strollers sitting in front of her. I'm not understanding the problem and people are SWARMING onto the ride. "Just put the stroller there and let's go!" Well, Amy didn't like being rushed and snapped at me a bit. We ride BTMR and go on as if nothing happened. Why get mad and ruin our trip? So we go on, this time with ME pushing the stroller. It goes faster that way. Dh convinces Amy to ride Splash with him. He tells her she won't get that wet, which to be fair we have not usually gotten very wet on this ride. So he finally convinces her and they go to ride it (yes! Another big drop I get to avoid!). Abby and I go into the Splash Mountain gift shop to look around. Abby starts trying the silly hats, which is hilarious. She picked up one of the HUGE goofy hats and it was too big, so it fell down over her eyes and she couldn't see and almost fell over. It was priceless. Then we move outside of the store to a little open spot of sidewalk and I sat while she rolled herself in circles in her stroller. (We were not in the middle of the sidewalk, so she was not in anyone's way.) Then some of the ducks walked over, and we spent the rest of the time watching and trying to feed the ducks. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Amy and DH come back out and Amy has one entire side that is SOAKED. The water hit the wall, and bounced back onto them. She's not very happy about it, but is good natured about that sort of thing. Off we go back to Fantasyland.

We stop at the bathroom in between Frontierland and Adventureland....and take pictures inside. There are such pretty little mirrors in there, that I made Amy take pictures of Abby in the mirrors. Only my family? Probably.

As we hit Fantasyland, Dh and I want to do IASW which they did already on their trip. So we're planning to split up again. Abby wants to ride with us. So Amy goes to meet up with Mom while we ride IASW with Abby. It was fun listening to her point out her favorite parts - I love that ride. When we were done with that, Mom and Amy were waiting and we went on the Carrousel. Woohoo! DH doesn't like rides that spin, so I've never made it on this ride yet. So he waited and took pictures while we rode. We got on our horses and Mom pointed out that the number on my horse was 25 for my birthday, so they had to take pictures (none of them came out), then DH took pictures of us leaning over so he could see all of us (which are hilarious) and then the ride actually started! I still haven't found 'Cinderella's horse' with the gold ribbon. Oh well.

I'm not really clear on the order of the next couple things, but I'm pretty sure we did Pooh, and then Snow White. In Snow White, Abby rode with me. Once we got to the witch scene, she covered her eyes and said very calmly "Tell me when the scary part is over." So when we got to the cottage, I told her it was okay. We got through the cottage into the next dark part and she promptly covered her eyes and said "Tell me when the scary part it over." So she kept her eyes covered until I knew we were heading into the final scene and I told her it was okay. Of course right then, we got into the pitch black section and the car stopped, so she covered her eyes again!! When it was over she said "That was a little bit scary."

Then we headed into the gift shops next door and looked around. We decided that Dh was going to go get FP for Space Mountain for him and Amy while they went to Toontown. So we did that, and then we did HM without them. After that we were getting hungry. So we called and let them know we were going to eat at CHH. They didn't want to come eat, so they stayed in Toontown. I have never seen CHH so packed! It's always busy, but WOW. It was insane. We went upstairs to eat as always, where it is nice and peaceful. When we were done we called Mom and planned to meet at the entrance to Toontown to head over to SM. We get to the entrance, and they aren't there. I call, and they decided not to wait. They were passing the Indy cars - the BACK WAY. So we walk to Tomorrowland (grumbling all the way) and ask where they are. She is under one of the metal palm trees. I tell her to STAY THERE. So we find them. Why they couldn't meet where we agreed to meet, I don't know. But we are there finally. It wasn't quite time for their FP, so we rode TTA. Man, DH and I love that ride. Then it was time for SM, so Dh and Amy went to ride that one and me, Mom and Abby went to do some actual shopping.

So we went to get a shirt Amy wanted and the CM started talking to my mom about where they were staying, etc. She found out it was Abby's birthday and said "Oh! Has Goofy called you at your hotel? Well he's been trying to reach you. He's so goofy, sometimes he needs our help to find people." She dialed a little number on the phone and hands it to Abby and it was Goofy singing Happy Birthday to her. We walked down to Main Street and into the Confectioners to find my mom something to drink. Of course, then Abby needed candy. Dh called when they got out and we met at the Emporium to leave for our afternoon break.

 

[sunny04]

March 31 Cont.
After our afternoon break, we had to meet up again at GF for dinner at 1900 Park Fare. We were trying to get there early so we could see the restaurant open at 4:30, but alas we left too late from our hotel. We were rushing as fast as we could, but those boats to the hotels are NOT quick from MK. So, we got there a few minutes late. Mom, Amy and Abby were checking in and mom was telling them it was our birthdays. (Our server was not good here. She hardly came by and didn't even notice the birthday note. Oh well.) This meal was special because my sister has a thing for Prince Charming. She is a Cinderella girl all the way - she has loved that movie forever and even has a Prince Charming toy that sits on top of her computer. She was looking forward to this part of the trip. He shows up, and he looks like he's 18 (she's 30) and is not so charming. He did not seem very comfortable as his character. Amy gave me a look, but we all still took our pictures with him anyway. After dinner we went out into the lobby and took some pictures. There was a pretty little chair that I had Abby sit in and take pictures holding a flower. Then we got silly and convinced my mom to sit in the chair for a "serious" picture. Amy starts turning the camera like a photographer and saying "Give me wistful! Give me wistful!" Mom couldn't stop laughing long enough to make a "wistful" expression. It was so funny. We have pictures of laughter and finally got the comic "Wistful" Look! It was fun. Then we went back up to their room for a little while. Abby proceeded to cover DH in every piece of jewelry she had with her(which I got a great picture of!) and then we took the monorail back over to MK.

 

[Disney owl]

Great report, thanks

 

[sunny04]

We find a nice spot for Spectro next to a trashcan. I always find spots next to a trashcan. It means I can scoot a little away from it to start with and no one will crowd into the space. That way, when things get crowded, I can scoot a little and have more room. Anyway, we find this great large space, big enough for Abby's stroller and all of us. Dh and I sit. The rest decide they want to go back to ToonTown for more characters. Dh goes to get popcorn. So here is little me (I'm like 5' and 115 pounds) trying to hold down an entire space for my whole family. Right. So it's okay for awhile. DH comes back. It's getting to be like 45-30 min. before the parade and we start getting a little antsy. I call my mom and try to explain the urgency of them getting back while there is a spot for them. So finally, they show up again and miraculously, there spot is there and we never had to defend it. I'm not sure how that happened. Abby is asleep already, but wakes to share DH's popcorn. The parade had like 4-5 high school bands playing before it started, so I judged them based on their uniforms. One of them was really nice. When Cinderella's carraige went by with Prince Charming Amy declared that she wanted to me THAT Prince! Once the parade was over, DH and I had to move so he could get his pictures. He always feels the need to STAND in the middle for Wishes with the crowds of others. So we told my mom, Amy and Abby goodbye in case we couldn't find them again(they are leaving in the morning). And went to find our spot. We had a nice spot except for the girls next to us were using their cell phones to take pictures, so we ended up with a cell phone held up in half of our pictures. Nice. Once Wishes was over DH and I walked by my family again and said bye as we headed over towards the Plaza to find seats by the water. We sat for awhile as everything cleared out. Then we headed out. We tried to shop, but it was so crazy in the shops, it was like a riot in every section. So we gave up on that and decided to leave. But man-o-man! I have never seen the lines for the monorail like that either! We dont' ride the monorail often, so I maybe it was normal. We went back inside and sat by City Hall for awhile longer and just rested and waited. Eventually we left anyway, long line and all. It was shorter, but moved kinda fast. So off we went to the hotel.

 

[sunny04]

April 1
Today was our Epcot day. We usually have 2 days at Epcot, or at least 1 and a half. This trip we were only making it for 1, so we had to make it good! We got there a little later than we planned - 9:00 or 9:30 I think. We stopped to get my birthday pin. Then we headed straight for Soarin' to get a FP then did Living with the Land. We love that ride. Then headed over to Test Track. We have gotten to where we always do single rider on this ride now. We still get to stand in line together, but it goes SO FAST. It takes like 5 min. to get into a little room this way. After the refurb, this ride is back to how it was when we first rode it! The screens in the cars and the speakers work! Everything is working again and the circle felt faster! It was great! We stopped by Club Cool on the way back toward the Land. It's a little disappointing that they took all the character out of it. We drank some coke. I like the watermelon flavored one. Is it Italy maybe? Can't remember. Then we went to Figment. I know Figment is in need of some serious help, but I still love it. That purple dragon makes me happy. Then we went back to the Land to eat at Sunshine Seasons and wait for our FP time. We looked at the Times Guide and saw the new format. I don't like it - DH does. Go figure. When it was time for Soarin', we decided to ask for the top middle section and DH told me to ask since it's my birthday. So I did, and they said it would be an extra 10 minutes. So we went back to the spot the line was to wait. Then another CM came out and asked if it was anyone's birthday and everyone sang to me. Then we got on (top middle) and it was great! That's the best spot by the way. Then we headed to the World Showcase.

My goal on this trip was to buy candy from every country of the world showcase. I was very excited. So we headed over to Canada. I bought candy while DH took pictures. Then on to UK. I bought some candy while DH took pictures. (See a pattern?) Then we saw that the Showcase Players were coming soon. We've only caught the last 2 minutes of their show in Italy, and decided to wait and watch. We sat on a little bench to wait. They are HILARIOUS (and rubbish)! We headed on to France. We decided to watch the video because we haven't seen it yet. It was nice, but quite long. Then we searched for candy. I couldn't find any candy. I was very surprised and discouraged. I had failed so soon. We went on to Morocco and found no candy there either. This was not going so great. I knew Japan had candy because I bought some there before. As we reach Japan, DH hears the Fife and Drum from America. He LOVES that. So he gets me to skip Japan and "we'll come back". I told him we would not go back, I didn't want to go back. Since I already had candy from there before I would go on. So we go to America watch a few minutes of them since they are ENDING the show. Then DH gets ice cream and we sit and eat for a second. Then we went to Italy. I went in to get candy while DH (you guessed it!) took pictures. Wow, those Italian chocolates are yummy. Then we went to Germany where I bought Cola Gummies and DH took pictures. I found him in the center section and we sat down. Then I took pictures too. Then on we went. In China we found several intersting items. And they have a video about Tokyo Disney! We didn't watch it yet, but didn't this time either. Maybe next trip. In Norway we rode Maelstrom (naturally) but with no FP. Then bought candy as we walked through the gift shop. The Stave Church had a new Viking Exhibit that we looked at before heading to Mexico. In Mexico we found some non-chocolate candy (Mexican chocolate is not very tasty) and rode Rio del Tiempo. Then it was time for our Soarin' FP.

We headed back to Soarin' where they were calling in a "protein spill" - really gross. Not what you want to hear before they put you IN THE ROOM that they are talking about needing cleaning. Then we realized we hadn't done Spaceship Earth! So we did that on our way out to rest.

 

[fizz13]

Really enjoying your trip report and hearing all about Abby, sounds like you're all having a great time,
Claire xx

 

[bigbabyblues]

Sounds like a great trip to me! We were lucky, our Prince Charming at 1900 PF was really charming, I remember that much about it.

Looking forward to more, your report is great!

 

[sunny04]

Thanks you guys for all your nice comments. I was really worried that my report would be really boring to everyone else. It's nice to know others enjoy it - makes it worth the time and effort! So here we go!

April 1 continued
We had ADRs for LeCellier at 5pm - woohoo! We were excited to try this restaurant! So we got there to check in and DH (naturally) took some pictures of the gardens. There was one lady that would not move during the afternoon while he was taking pictures before and he was so frustrated. Every time we look at those pictures he says "There's that stupid woman". I reminded him that it was HER vacation too...and she had every right to stand and enjoy the gardens. But oh well. So we went in to eat and let me just say it was fabulous. I have already done a dining review, so I'll leave it at that. The server noticed my birthday pin without anyone mentioning it and brought out a special birthday dessert (which DH devoured). We had already ordered the dessert sampler, so we had 4 desserts on our table! So we enjoyed our desserts and then walked around a bit taking pictures and shopping. We weren't done eating until after 6:30, so it was a long meal. I honestly don't remember what else we did before finding a spot for Illuminations. I don't think we sat down until 8, but somehow, there is some extra time in there. So, we found our spot (in between Norway and Mexico) and sat. I was a little sad because I like to get treats from Norway's bakery while I wait, but we were not hungry due to the large meal. So, no Kringla delights this trip. We met a nice family that sat next to us and we chatted until time for the show. Nice evening. Then we sat and waited for WS to clear out and then shopped. Then back to the hotel. This was Sat. the night the time changed, so we were hoping to get to sleep pretty quickly. Florida is already one hour later than we are at home, and the time change was going to make a TWO HOUR difference in our normal schedule. And we had an early start the next day. Yikes.

 

[anewvance]

Great report so far.. i've really enjoyed it. Can't wait to read the rest.

 

[sunny04]

Hey...for those of you reading my report, sorry it's taking me awhile to get the next sections in. It's been a crazy few days. I'll get the last installments in as soon as I can!

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your reports ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[sunny04]

April 2 -
Well, we started off this day with a bit of a disagreement. We don't like taking the bus, so we drive to the parks. We had an ADR at Donald's Breakfastosaurus for before AK park opening. DH said people had trouble getting in the parks when they drove. I didn't think it would be a problem. We got there and we were stopped at the gates and not let in. So of course DH was angry that I didn't listen, and I was angry that he was making a big deal about my mistake. We were both exhausted due to the time difference (we got up at like 4:30am our time at home..yikes!) and it was just not good. We finally got in, and made it to our ADR in plenty of time (thank you, I was right about that anyway.) and were immediately seated. Now, there are a lot of negative comments about Donald's, but we love it and have never found the negative comments to be true on our visits. We always have great, fun CMs. I got a birthday card signed by Mickey, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy and the CM "took a birthday picture" which was a camera that squirted water all over our table. They also sing a funny little birthday song, which is fun. Donald shook his tail feathers and Mickey kissed me, and a good time was had by all! Then we went to the rope next to the Dig Site to wait for park opening. EE was open and we were ready to try it. Let me just insert here that I really really don't like big scary rides. I never rode roller coasters or anything like it as a kid. However, at WDW, I am determined to ride EVERY ride someday, so I have done ToT, RnR, Mission Space (never again) etc. So EE was a must-do for me too - and definitely for DH. So we waited by the rope and finally were let through. We walked behind the rope - they kept it at a slow pace so that we would be even to getting there with those on the other side. We finally got there and were able to walk straight on through the fastpass line. We were in the first car out that morning. WOW what a crazy ride! On the big trip up at the beginning, if you look to the left you can see the hat from MGM and the Epcot ball. We tried to find MK but didn't have time before we started going down. It was amazing and wild, and fast and scary and takes your breath away. Lots of fun and horrible at the same time for someone like me. Then we got FP for it on the way out for 10am and headed over to Safari. King Louie and Baloo were hanging out with no line, so we stopped for pictures with them on the way. We had like a 10-15 min wait at the Safari and rode it. It was a GREAT safari ride. We FINALLY got pictures of the lions! They were both sitting up looking out at us. We've tried for that picture for like 7 trips in a row, and now we got two great ones! Then we headed back over to EE, stopping in the Maharajah Jungle Trek on the way. DH loves him some tiger pictures. So we always have to walk through and get some shots....boy does he have some good ones too! Then it was time for our FP, so we went back for a second EE ride. This time we were in the back. On the way up I found MK...it's directly behind you, so you have to turn around to find it. Oh man, the back was insane. The backwards drop, you could see into the ride, and the big drop at the end was CRAZY from the back. Yikes! Then we walked around and found some souvineers for DH then walked back to DinoLand. I am a dinosaur lover, so Dinosaur is one of my all-time favorite rides. I literally grin and giggle through the whole thing. The big, scary Carnotaurus tries to eat us - and I giggle. I love it. So we rode Dinosaur and I giggled and we left AK by noon. May I remind you we were exhausted? We somehow managed to eat lunch at POFQ (which was delicious because we were starving) and then went back to the room to sleep. We slept for 4 hours. Seriously. That time change thing really messed us up! We planned to go to MGM that night in time to catch the Stunt Show, so we were lucky we didn't sleep longer. Back to finish the day later.

 

[KathyRN137]

I'm really enjoying your report. I laughed when you discribed your "little disagreement" with your DH...I have at least one of those with my DH every day at WDW!! He makes much ado about nothing, while my motto is "Hakuna Matata!".

Hope you experience Hakuna Matata for the rest of your trip I'm looking forward to the nest chapter!

Happy Birthday!

 

[sunny04]

April 2 continued -
After our long nap, we headed back to MGM for the stunt show. DH was starting to feel a bit sick. The nap had helped a lot, but not enough. We enjoyed the stunt show and I finally found the umbrella on the lamp post. And of course, once I finally found it, it wasn't working. But I got a picture with it anyway. Then I think we did Muppets and Great Movie Ride. During this time, DH decided he didn't feel like doing much else. We had not planned a night show for that night, because I had planned it that way. Due to the time change and our full schedule, I thought we might need an early night. So we were going to go back to the hotel. Quicker than anything, DH changed his mind. All of a sudden, we were going to Fantasmic instead. I thought he was crazy, but whatever. So we went and found a spot at about 7:30 for the 8:30 show. Then we got snacks. The nachos were gross. The kid behind had one of those string toys and kept hitting me with it. I don't know how many times the dad told her to quit or she wouldn't allowed to play with it anymore. Yet, somehow, she kept being allowed to play with it, and she kept hitting me with it. Anyway, there was also a funny group of teenage guys that kept yelling things to a group of teenage girls and chanting stuff. It was actually kind of amusing to me. And of course, there was the mandatory wave as always. Then Fantasmic - which I love. And we were right in the middle which was nice. We used to sit in the middle, but don't like waiting more than the package allows anymore. Great show, great weather. Still an early night to rest up for MY BIRTHDAY tomorrow!

 

[sunny04]

April 3 -
Happy Birthday to me.... So before the trip, I made me an iron-on shirt that was a little mickey head with a crown on top and it said "It's my birthday. Feel free to treat me like a princess." Now, I made the picture small, so no one really noticed it, but it made me happy. So I got up and put on my princess shirt and got ready for my fabulous and most magical birthday ever. I had planned our breakfast ADR a little later than normal so I could sleep a little extra for my birthday. We were to eat at Kona and I was very excited as I had heard amazing things about this restaurant. We got to the transportation center and the monorails didn't look like they were all running. We were trying to figure out the best way to get to the Polynesian. We asked one of the CMs who happened to mention there was a path we could walk. It would take a fraction of the time to walk to it than ride. We looked over and realized we were RIGHT NEXT to it. Wow. So we chose to walk. It took like 5-7 minutes to walk over. Nice. This restaurant did not disappoint! Oh man, two words for you - Tonga Toast. Delicious. So we ate lots and I was very happily full of sweetness and ready to head to MK. We got on the monorail to MK. DH was still not feeling great. In fact, he felt horrible. So we took it really slow. I did not mind, because I strongly believe that rest and relaxation makes for a more pleasant trip. On the planning video, I loved the relaxation guy that sat on every bench. I like to just chill and soak in the atmosphere sometimes. So anyway, we did BTMR and then headed to Tomorrowland and got a FP for Buzz. DH wanted a coke to help his sore throat, so we got one, and then tried to go on TTA but you can't take drinks on there. So walked around to find a nice spot to sit. We ended up in the smoking section, not knowing that's where we were at first. But it's a nice little out of the way, quiet spot. We sat for awhile, and saw several musicians coming in a back gate and getting ready to perform. That kept me entertained for awhile. Then when several people starting smoking, we moved to a different location, since the wind was blowing it all right into my face. So we moved to a spot next to TTA and sat some more. I proposed an idea for our day - ride Buzz, split some corn dog bites from Casey's from lunch, then go back to the hotel and rest until tonight so maybe he would feel better. He agreed. Then when it was time for our FP we did Buzz. Gosh we love that ride. We headed over to Casey's and got our food. DH said he knew the perfect spot to eat. So I followed him over to the covered section in the rose garden. It was so peaceful and quiet and the weather was perfect. It was a nice little spot to enjoy our lunch. A bunch of little ducks came waddling by. If I was an animal, I would be a duck, so I could live at WDW. I decided that on this trip. DH decided to take some pictures of the castle with the flowers. While he was taking pictures, all of a sudden I noticed that there were characters inside the fences on the grass with a film crew. They were filming something or another with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. I got DH's attention and we watched and he took some great pictures of the characters. We hung out a lot longer than we had planned just taking pictures and watching them. Then we went back into Fantasyland to buy my birthday present I wanted. I wanted one of those new round pillow-ish things, but they have the cutest little ones of the Pooh characters. So I got a Pooh (which I named Puff-O-Pooh ) and we got me a regular Piglet because he was the last one I needed for my set. I have a Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger little soft plushes and needed a Piglet. They haven't had one for the last year in the same style that matched. This time they did - AND they had a Rabbit. DH told me to get a rabbit. I told him I didn't want a rabbit. So we got my Piglet and Puff-O-Pooh and went back to the hotel to rest.

 

[MomofCKJ]

Loving your report and might have to steal your Candy Around the World idea for Epcot! That sounds fun and boy I love candy! My kids would think that would be fun to do too!

Allyson