Celebrating my Un-Birthday Disney Style-April 2010-New 5/3 - The TR has started!

[DisMomAmy]

Magic Kingdom:

Favorite Memories:
• Alex on the carousel during our 2002 trip – his first trip
• 2006 – Riding in on the monorail
• 2006 – BTMRR twice in a row with Alex at park opening
• 2007 – MNSSHP & the Boo parade
• 2007 – Zach loving IASW & Winnie the Pooh
• 2007 – Alex singing Pirate song
• 2008 - A brief break in the rain
• 2009 – Wishes while riding BTMRR
• Spectromagic

Wish list for 2010:
• Tom Sawyer Island – first time for all of us!
• Laugh Floor – first time for all of us!
• Space Mountain post rehab – first time for Zach!! Alex rode in 2007 during MNSSHP.
• Hall of Presidents post rehab - I think Alex will love this!
• Wishes – Actually find a spot to sit & watch – saw it from BTMRR/Splash last year.

Things we won’t do:
• Probably won’t see Spectromagic?

Our Plans for 2010:
3rd park day (Wednesday 4/28) – This will be our main MK day. We’ll probably be back at the end of the week when we revisit our favorite parks/attractions (and maybe for park opening breakfast at CRT on Saturday), but we will have the most time on Wednesday. The park closes with Wishes at 9pm. It is a non-Spectro night. We have a 5:00 dinner ADR at Chef Mickey’s. I suspect we’ll take a mid-day break since we play to make rope drop and stay until closing.

We have a lot to accomplish at MK, so hopefully one day (plus a few hours later at the end of the week) will be enough…
We’ll start in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland… to make things easier, I’ll start with Tomorrowland and work my way around, even though we may zig & zag some:

Tomorrowland:
• Space Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (new to us)
• TTA (new to us)

Fantasyland:
• Winnie the Pooh
• It’s a Small World
• Peter Pan
• Mickey’s Philharmagic (new to everyone except me)

Liberty Square:
• Haunted Mansion
• Hall of Presidents (at least for Alex)

Frontierland:
• Big Thunder Mountain RR
• Splash Mountain
• Tom Sawyer Island (new to us)

Adventureland:
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jungle Cruise (haven’t ridden this in a long, long time)

Now that I’ve listed it all out, does this seem way too optimistic for one day? We may or may not take a mid-day break at the condo? We might just take our “break” when we go to dinner at Chef Mickey’s, plus we’ll spend some time unwinding on Tom Sawyer Island. This will be day 3 of our touring. We will probably have a light day the day before with Animal Kingdom and an early night for everyone except me & Tim, who have date night planned. We’ve never done a rope drop to park closing before!

What time do you think we need to get a spot for Wishes? Any suggestions for good spots? I’m thinking the end of Main Street so we can make a quick(ish) getaway.

We all really enjoyed ourselves last year when I was less commando than expected. We slowed down a bit, did what we wanted to do and just enjoyed ourselves. I’m afraid that this one day MK plan won’t allow us to do that so I need to remember this is a rough plan and we don’t HAVE to accomplish everything on this list! Plus, I’m sure we’ll have some time back at MK later in the week. Friday night & Saturday night MK closes at 7pm for Grad Nights so we’ll just have to keep that in mind as we move toward the weekend.

What do you think??

 

[DisMomAmy]

By the way... In 99 days we'll be at DHS!

Now I can really dance!!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Good morning Amy!

Your MK plan looks good. I'm not sure you can accomplish it all AND take an afternoon break....maybe just relaxing on Tom Sawyer Island will be enough of a "break". We like to sit on the rocking chairs at the dock and just watch the riverboat go by.

On the other hand....you do have some time at the end of the week, so if you do need that break you can revisit some of the things you may have missed. I'd probably just plan to play the break by ear and see how the kids seem to be holding up.

On another note....my boys LOVE Tom Sawyer Island (even my big boy)! The caves are nice and cool...a great escape from the heat. And the fort is awesome..the secret passage, the gun towers...a little boy's dream come true! I'm so glad you have it on your plan this trip!

 

[Native NYer]

Love your trip plans.

Yay for 99 days

 

[mousescrapper]

That was a great update and lots of fab photos! It is fun to remember past vacations. We signed up for the linus project, and I am off to get some material this weekend end.

Is this when you make blankets for children in the hosipital I think so...when my little one was in the hosipital w/ pnemonia before Christmas...the day we left we were given a beautiful pink fleece blanket w/ the Linus Project label on it

Amy I'm making comments in the quote and below...

Magic Kingdom:

I'd actually zig-zag....I know it's crazy but may work to your advantage

We have a lot to accomplish at MK, so hopefully one day (plus a few hours later at the end of the week) will be enough…
We’ll start in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland… to make things easier, I’ll start with Tomorrowland and work my way around, even though we may zig & zag some:

Tomorrowland:
• Space Mountain see my PM on this
• Buzz Lightyear
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (new to us) Do early so you don't get in the back up of lines...there is the 1st line to go in the holding area and then you wait in there to be seated. see my PM on this too...
• TTA (new to us) we LOVE this ride...is a great break and filler don't need to do in the morning IMHO

Fantasyland:
• Winnie the Pooh
• It’s a Small World
• Peter Pan
• Mickey’s Philharmagic (new to everyone except me)

Is this your order? I'd actually start in FL 1st and do PP, WTP, IASW then move on and come back to do MPHM later...

Liberty Square:
• Haunted Mansion
• Hall of Presidents (at least for Alex)

I'd head here next and do HM then go over to do TSI...it is a great break, but don't wait to long into the day cause it does get crowded and hot in certain spots. if this is a goal I'd do it early, bring a snack from your condo or something in the park too...does anyone know if the CS/snack place is open again?

You should be at lunch by now and then do Hop and fill in your other top things from the other areas...

Frontierland:
• Big Thunder Mountain RR
• Splash Mountain
• Tom Sawyer Island (new to us)

Adventureland:
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jungle Cruise (haven’t ridden this in a long, long time)

Now that I’ve listed it all out, does this seem way too optimistic for one day? We may or may not take a mid-day break at the condo? We might just take our “break” when we go to dinner at Chef Mickey’s, plus we’ll spend some time unwinding on Tom Sawyer Island. This will be day 3 of our touring. We will probably have a light day the day before with Animal Kingdom and an early night for everyone except me & Tim, who have date night planned. We’ve never done a rope drop to park closing before!

It does seem like a bit too much Amy... I guess decide what at MK do you REALLY want to do if this is your main day here. I agree w/ others who said consider your CM time your break. You figure you'll need to head out of MK before 4:30. Maybe leave at 4 ish and find a quiet spot in the lobby of CR to rest and chill before checking in for your 5:00 pm ADR...JAT

What time do you think we need to get a spot for Wishes? Any suggestions for good spots? I’m thinking the end of Main Street so we can make a quick(ish) getaway.

What do you think??

Ok here is my HMO....

I'd get a spot not on MS...you'll have to wait longer and it will be more crowded...Try for a spot on one of the spokes of the lands...ie Tomorrowland see Tink better or Adventureland. Then after Wishes wait...and then move toward some seating say by Casey's or the Plaza then wait it out, you'll have a car so you won't have to wait for buses...can you park at CR or TTA then that day and maybe walk back over to CR and get to your car from there?

as far as waiting time...on Main Street 45-60 min ahead...other spot you may be able to get by w/ 30-45 min ahead...you may just have to play it by ear based on crowds...but I'd be back in the park no later than 7:45 pm that night.

hope that helps...

J~

 

[Charleston Princess]

Woo hoo for double digits!!!

Your MK plan looks good -- like you said, just try and do some of it -- don't get too upset if you don't cross everything off your list.

I have heard/read that watching Wishes from the train station on Main Street is pretty neat!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

We watched Wishes from the Rose Garden and it was perfect!! Tink flew right over our heads and we all just adored it from that view.

 

[eandesmom]

No good advice on Wishes. Given the time of year and temperature, depending on crowds you could actually do all that but there are a lot of variables. If you take a break, probably not.

I'd probably Zig Zag too to make sure I got in the "must do's" and then everything else is gravy.

TSI is fabulous but can eat up a chunk of time. In a good way but just something to bear in mind.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Good morning Amy!

Your MK plan looks good. I'm not sure you can accomplish it all AND take an afternoon break....maybe just relaxing on Tom Sawyer Island will be enough of a "break". We like to sit on the rocking chairs at the dock and just watch the riverboat go by.

On the other hand....you do have some time at the end of the week, so if you do need that break you can revisit some of the things you may have missed. I'd probably just plan to play the break by ear and see how the kids seem to be holding up.

On another note....my boys LOVE Tom Sawyer Island (even my big boy)! The caves are nice and cool...a great escape from the heat. And the fort is awesome..the secret passage, the gun towers...a little boy's dream come true! I'm so glad you have it on your plan this trip!

TSI was on our to-do list last year, but it didn't happen so I really want to make it there this year. If we take a break it may not, so I hope we can do without the break and visit TSI instead. Even if we don't go back to the condo it will be like two breaks if we do TSI & CM for dinner.

Love your trip plans.

Yay for 99 days

Thank you!!

Is this when you make blankets for children in the hosipital I think so...when my little one was in the hosipital w/ pnemonia before Christmas...the day we left we were given a beautiful pink fleece blanket w/ the Linus Project label on it

The Linus project sounds great!!

Amy I'm making comments in the quote and below...

Ok here is my HMO....

I'd get a spot not on MS...you'll have to wait longer and it will be more crowded...Try for a spot on one of the spokes of the lands...ie Tomorrowland see Tink better or Adventureland. Then after Wishes wait...and then move toward some seating say by Casey's or the Plaza then wait it out, you'll have a car so you won't have to wait for buses...can you park at CR or TTA then that day and maybe walk back over to CR and get to your car from there?

as far as waiting time...on Main Street 45-60 min ahead...other spot you may be able to get by w/ 30-45 min ahead...you may just have to play it by ear based on crowds...but I'd be back in the park no later than 7:45 pm that night.

hope that helps...

J~

Hi Julie - The order that I listed things is not our touring plan... those are just the attractions we want to visit in each land. I figured we'd either start in FL or TL... I'll post a more detailed touring plan for each park when we get closer to April.

I like your idea for Wishes - anything that can reduce our wait time would be great! I'm sure the TL spoke is popular since Tink flies over so maybe another would be good. We could get a snack on the way out to kill some time while the crowds thin out... do you think the snack carts stay open after Wishes? What about the shops on Main Street? I would think they would stay open to make some more money!

Woo hoo for double digits!!!

Your MK plan looks good -- like you said, just try and do some of it -- don't get too upset if you don't cross everything off your list.

I have heard/read that watching Wishes from the train station on Main Street is pretty neat!

Ooo... The train station station sounds like a cool idea! Do you think it's really crowded there? Would we have to get there super early??

We watched Wishes from the Rose Garden and it was perfect!! Tink flew right over our heads and we all just adored it from that view.

I'd love to see Tink close up, but I bet you had to get there early??

No good advice on Wishes. Given the time of year and temperature, depending on crowds you could actually do all that but there are a lot of variables. If you take a break, probably not.

I'd probably Zig Zag too to make sure I got in the "must do's" and then everything else is gravy.

TSI is fabulous but can eat up a chunk of time. In a good way but just something to bear in mind.

I suspect there will be some zigging & zagging - we'll want to do all the big rides in the morning, have lunch, then slow down and add the "gravy" later in the day.

 

[jordanyosh]

Must dance for double digits first:


2nd: MK day...hmmmm....I'm an advocate for a mid-day break, but since you are driving you have to take travel time into consideration. Also parking at the TTA also can add anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on where you park, trams, etc. so perhaps the mid-day break may not be a great option especially since you have an early ADR.

If you stay all day and take a break for Chef Mickeys, Carousel of Progress is a great nap ride as is Hall of Presidents. Both will get you between 15-20 minutes of rest.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Must dance for double digits first:


2nd: MK day...hmmmm....I'm an advocate for a mid-day break, but since you are driving you have to take travel time into consideration. Also parking at the TTA also can add anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on where you park, trams, etc. so perhaps the mid-day break may not be a great option especially since you have an early ADR.

If you stay all day and take a break for Chef Mickeys, Carousel of Progress is a great nap ride as is Hall of Presidents. Both will get you between 15-20 minutes of rest.

I know, it's a tough call, isn't it??
I think we'll have to play it by ear and see how we are all holding up. We have Hall of Presidents on our list so we'll get a little break there. I'll keep CoP in mind too. I was thinking Zach would want to skip HoP, but he likes a cool, dark, quiet(ish) place to calm down sometimes so maybe he'll like it too!

 

[jordanyosh]

I know, it's a tough call, isn't it??
I think we'll have to play it by ear and see how we are all holding up. We have Hall of Presidents on our list so we'll get a little break there. I'll keep CoP in mind too. I was thinking Zach would want to skip HoP, but he likes a cool, dark, quiet(ish) place to calm down sometimes so maybe he'll like it too!

HOP is perfect.

COP ain't bad either.

Universe of Energy is my favorite nap ride-30-45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep...it is noisy though.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Ooo... The train station station sounds like a cool idea! Do you think it's really crowded there? Would we have to get there super early??

That I am not sure about. Maybe a little bit earlier than other spots.

 

[KathyRN137]

Magic Kingdom:


Now that I’ve listed it all out, does this seem way too optimistic for one day?
...We’ve never done a rope drop to park closing before!

Plan your little heart away... just resolve to be flexible if the time comes!


Kathy

 

[DisMomAmy]

HOP is perfect.

COP ain't bad either.

Universe of Energy is my favorite nap ride-30-45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep...it is noisy though.

That I am not sure about. Maybe a little bit earlier than other spots.

Hmmm... I'll have to keep that on my short list!

Plan your little heart away... just resolve to be flexible if the time comes!


Kathy

Thanks Kathy!! That's exactly what I'll do!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I'd love to see Tink close up, but I bet you had to get there early??

A little early but not that bad. We grabbed something to eat from Cosmic Ray's and ate while waiting to pass the time.

 

[DisMomAmy]

A little early but not that bad. We grabbed something to eat from Cosmic Ray's and ate while waiting to pass the time.

That's a good idea - we will have eaten at 5ish at Chef Mickey's so we'll be ready for a snack. We could grab some snacks & park ourselves in a nice spot.

 

[DisMomAmy]

This year we'll be visiting one of the Disney waterparks for the first time. I went to River Country in 1982, but the only memory I have is my mother & brother being rescued by the lifeguard. My father wasn't a strong swimmer so my mom went down first. I was second. Mom made sure I made it safely to the side, then my 6 year old brother went down. He wrapped himself around my mother, around her arms & around her legs! They started to sink! That's when the lifeguard stepped in and dragged them out of the water with a lifering. So for me, I guess this will be a re-do!

Sitting home in a snow storm with 6+ inches of snow already on the ground makes me lean toward Typhoon Lagoon today… but really I am open to either. If J & K are with us they may have an opinion as well.

Here are the factors I am considering:
• How many multi-rider rides are there? Zach probably won’t go down slides alone.
• How many rides have height restrictions? If Zach doesn’t reach the 48 inch mark (barefoot) by the time of our trip he won’t be able to ride those rides (some multi-rider have 48” limit).
• Where can we get chicken nuggets?
• What’s unique to that park?

Typhoon Lagoon:
Pros:
• 2 multi-rider rides – Crush n’ Gusher (3 different slides) & Gang Plank Falls
• Shark Reef
• Crush n’ Gusher is a “rollercoaster” – you go uphill!
• Chicken Nuggets at Typhoon Tilly’s
Cons:
• Crush n’ Gusher has 48” height requirement (which would eliminate a lot for Zach)

Blizzard Beach:
Pros:
• Ski lifts!
• 2 multi-rider rides – Teamboat Springs & Runoff Rapids (3 different slides)
• Ski Patrol Training Camp (play area for 12 & under)
Cons:
• No chicken nuggets! (Alex might eat a turkey leg if we cut it up on a plate – he hates dirty hands – turkey legs at Avalunch.)

What else do I need to know about the waterparks? I’d love to hear about your experiences … what is unique about each park? How much is there for kids under 48” to do? Will the teenagers have a preference? Where do you think we should go?

 

[pipersmom]

I don't have any advice for you on which one to pick, Amy, but am curious to see what people say as well. Piper has been making noises about going to a waterpark while we're there, I just don't know where we'd fit it in!

 

[mousescrapper]

I like your idea for Wishes - anything that can reduce our wait time would be great! I'm sure the TL spoke is popular since Tink flies over so maybe another would be good. We could get a snack on the way out to kill some time while the crowds thin out... do you think the snack carts stay open after Wishes? What about the shops on Main Street? I would think they would stay open to make some more money!

I am not sure about the snack carts...I know they are open prior to Spectro beginning but never noticed if open prior to Wishes, w/ it being a non Spectro night you may be in luck. I'm pretty sure the MS shops are open for 1 hour or less after official park closing time...

HOP is perfect.


Universe of Energy is my favorite nap ride-30-45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep...it is noisy though.

Yes my dad would agree to that Jordan...he slept there during our visit last yr.

This year we'll be visiting one of the Disney waterparks for the first time.

OK didn't we have this conversation during the planning of another trip I guess I had forgot you still have not gone...

I went to River Country in 1982, but the only memory I have is my mother & brother being rescued by the lifeguard. My father wasn't a strong swimmer so my mom went down first. I was second. Mom made sure I made it safely to the side, then my 6 year old brother went down. He wrapped himself around my mother, around her arms & around her legs! They started to sink! That's when the lifeguard stepped in and dragged them out of the water with a lifering. So for me, I guess this will be a re-do!

I remember you telling us this




Typhoon Lagoon:
Pros:
• 2 multi-rider rides – Crush n’ Gusher (3 different slides) & Gang Plank Falls
• Shark Reef
• Crush n’ Gusher is a “rollercoaster” – you go uphill!
• Chicken Nuggets at Typhoon Tilly’s
Cons:
• Crush n’ Gusher has 48” height requirement (which would eliminate a lot for Zach)

Blizzard Beach:
Pros:
• Ski lifts!
• 2 multi-rider rides – Teamboat Springs & Runoff Rapids (3 different slides)
• Ski Patrol Training Camp (play area for 12 & under)
Cons:
• No chicken nuggets! (Alex might eat a turkey leg if we cut it up on a plate – he hates dirty hands – turkey legs at Avalunch.)

What else do I need to know about the waterparks? I’d love to hear about your experiences … what is unique about each park? How much is there for kids under 48” to do? Will the teenagers have a preference? Where do you think we should go?

Ok I have been to both w/ kids but back in '05 plus went to TL as adults only in '98 so it's been awhile for me.

My advice:

* What WP compares best to the WP's you've been to in NH? that may help!

* Read Gabrielsbigtrip (Carol) last TR her son is on the spectrum and they went to BB

* I think BB would have more overal options of stuff for adults, teenagers and the boys in particular Zach

* as far as the nuggets (and I agree w/ the no dirty hands thing...YUCK I hate meat on bone and I'm thinking of booking HDDR ) can you bring a small soft sided cooler in? w/ a sandwich or something else Alex would eat from the condo? I want to say when we were there in '05 we brought in snacks and drinks from our resort...

Hope that helps.

J~