COMPLETED! I've been converted; I'm a believer! Trip Report July 2010

[MissJanice]

As day three began my husband wanted to kill me. Uh-oh. It seems that I read the EMH worng and I woke them up and got them out of the room by 7:25 for no reason. MK EMH is tomorrow morning. Okay, we can recover! I swear. We decided to head on over to MK, park and ride the monorail to Poly or CR to eat breakfast and then come back. Well, we haven't ever seen CR so off we go. (After getting the BEST parking spot in history! It was a closer walk to the TTC than to the tram. AWESOME, especially with the stroller!) So, off we go to CR for QS breakfast and to watch the monorail and see spy on Chef Mickey! Imagine my disappointment when I discover that Contempo Cafe does not have Mickey waffles! This is my favorite thing in all of the World and I have yet to have any! (I usually just get a kids breakfast with waffles, grapes and milk. No better $5 IMO!) So, I choose oatmeal (awesome! DD stole some of that.) DH and DS have French Toast (which is really more like toast. Not good.) We decide to walk back to MK, rather than take the monorail all the way around again. (It was almost 9:00 by then.) Wonderful walk, it was much quicker than taking the monorail back. So we get there right at the end of Rope Drop show. We go strait back to Fantasyland! I'm not sure what order, but by 11:00 we had ridden Peter Pan (loved by all), Small World (too long for my crazy DD2), Pooh (DD2s favorite), Pirates, FPs for Splash Mountain, and BTMR. We have NEVER gotten that much done...ever! Now it is lunch time and we need to maximize QS credits. Off to Cosmic Rays. I had totally forgotten about this place. And you know what, I LOVE it. But it was crazy busy!!!I'm talking they had turnstiles to get in, would let you back to order once you sat down unless you go back through the turnstiles. No saving seats! But I had chicken-ribs combo with potatoes and green beans and chololate cake. All delicious and SO much food. (We will go back for day visits and have this to share.) DH had a hot dog. He is SO NOT good at maximizing those credits! We had already gotten FPs for Buzz and it wasn't time yet, so we rode TTA love: this ride. It was DD and DS first rides. It is so relaxing and comfy and cool! )

Then we left the mob scene to go back to the hotel to SWIM!

To be continued:

 

[MissJanice]

Day Three Continued:

Notice DS6's face in the last two pics? We are not swimming. We are listening to thunder! And watching lightning. He is NOT happy. We wait while and see what is up. And is finally safe to swim. Once again no pics. Need a new point and shoot!

After swimming the plan was to go back to MK for Summer Nightastic, which we did at like 6:00. I love Disney. I love fireworks. I love the rides and stores. I do NOT love crowds. I do not love pushing a stroller in the crowds. I do not love sitting for hours to see the parade and fireworks in the crowds. We will save the parade for later in the year on a day trip. Not the middle of July! So, we have dinner at Cosmic Rays, again! I know, crazy. Nothing else sounded good. We walked around Toontown. DS became a superhero at Pete's Paint Shop (first time he has ever let anyone touch his face.)

His eyes look crazy good i in the make up!

We played in the toon town play are for awhile (We really miss Pooh's , though. This one is SO crowded now. I really hope that there will be a play area somewhere when they close Toontown before they open new Fantasyland because all kids need a place to just run and climb in the parks. It will be awful if in the interim there isn't one!)

See the little Mickey in her had. This was her new toy. Everytime she went down the slide she would sit him right next to her to slide down too. Or she would put Mickey on his tummy, let him slide down, then she would go on her tummy. It was so absolutely hilarious! I was cracking up.

Also, BTW my son is a very sweaty little kid. So July is not a good time to get a face paint. It was dripping down his face in about 15 minutes; or he was smearing it because his face was itchy. I told him he could get painted again in November for his birthday...if it was cooler!

So she fell in love with these Minnie ears. (Minnie hair bow as she called them.) I would not buy them for her because I know she won't leave them on and pretty quickly they would become a weapon or a ball. So she had this massive meltdown. I don't blame her, but we just got her mini-Mickey. But during her meltdown she threw off her shoes (when I was not looking) and they were no where to be found! I'm like come on Baby? Where are they? But they were lost. Someone got some cute pink crocs that I got at the outlet for FIVE dollars. Crocs, real Crocs, in pink, her size $5! Uggh. So, I was like lets go back. Remember the crowds ; remember the stroller? MK at night, ughh, no! Lets go!!! DH is angry. He did not get dressed to come back to MK to eat dinner and play at Pooh. I'm over it. DD has no shoes; DS has paint dripping down his face. I can't push the stroller without running into people not watching where they are going! So DH uses his "Angry Eyes" (TS3), but lets me have my way! )

Then I have an epiphany! (Cue angel singing and light shining down!) You do not have to be in the middle of Main Street to see Wishes! You don't even have to be in MK!! Where can we go with out driving? Where can we have a snack that is oh-so-yummy? Where can we go that the kids can do something while they are waiting? We have a few choices, but now as perfect as POLY!! (Honestly I wish I had this epiphany earlier and we could have seen the Water Parade, but I digress.) So we can watch wishes, while eating a Dole Whip, while the kids play in the sand at the Poly. OMG I am in heaven. First we stop in the gift shop to get DD some shoes (cheap blue flip-flops...not a good choice, more on that Day 4). Off to the beach! Sand, Water, Chairs (MK doesn't have that!) We are there like 45 minutes before show time. Yes! Then I hear the music! (Music is piped in! I didn't know that! Ahhhh!) I am too excited and happy to be eating my Dole Whip, playing in the sand with my kids and talking to my DH (yes you can talk there because you aren't in a crowd of 10,000 people) that I don't want to deal with taking pics! It just gets better! No mass exit to the monorail! (And since Poly is BEFORE MK we get to sit when we stop at MK an continue on with our full monorail!) I am in love with Wishes at Poly. My night could not have gotten better! Back to reality with the tram, though! Uggh! We should have taken the bus to the hotel in afternoon and kept our fantastic parking spot. Oh well. Last night, back home tomorrow.

 

[BsAngel]

Okay, so after some research, I think I can post photos...hopefully!

Me and DH at a wedding in May. I am usually behind the camera. And I don't think that there is one pic of me on this Disney trip. DH is still afraid of my new dSLR and the point and shoot broke sometime during the trip.

DS6 Last week, he loves to play in the rain.

He's all about football and the Chicago Bears (DH did it. Football is NOT my thing!)

DS2 is crazy (as I have mentioned) so it is next to impossible to get a good, in focus picture of her face. So I'll take what I can get!

From Valentine's Day (because this is one of my FAVE pics of her)

That's my family!
And I can't believe I don't have a family picture on any of my cards. In all honesty, most of our family pics are taken by other peeople, so I never have digital copies of them. Oh well, on to the trip report! Four days. Four Rope Drops. Four tired people.

What a beautiful family we are all love disney family too, we also have in common your husband and my brother are both store managers for grocery stores in Florida

 

[MissJanice]

your husband and my brother are both store managers for grocery stores in Florida

Well, the great thing about his job is that he can take off any day during the week to go to Disney! (Me, not so much. But I try!)

 

[Goofy442]

Great update!

 

[TheThomsLuvDisney]

Great Pics!

 

[MissJanice]

Great update!

Great Pics!

Thanks! I love my new camera!

 

[MissJanice]

The last day at Disney. This was a short trip. Only three nights (we usally do 5 or 6 and by that time I am ready to go.) But I'm okay with going home at this point, if for no other reason than to get my ROOM, my BED back. My room with no kids, my bed with no kids! Ahhh. But that is still hours away.

We got all packed up and ready to leave the night before. At midnight, after Wishes at the Poly! So we still decide to wake up at 7:30. We went to Pepper Market for breakfast. Kids Mickey waffles for me and DD and DS. Grown-up Mickey waffle for DH. (I love kids Mickey waffles! )
Then refills for the drive and off to Epcot we go! Woo-hoo! I really like Epcot, but today is beyond hot. So, we knew it would be a very short day. We were there for rope drop. We got in the park early, but still had to stop at the fountain for, like, ever! The plan was for DH and DS to ride Test Track and for me to go get them FPs for Soarin'. Worked awesome. We had FPs for Soarin for 10:30 or so. I was a little nervous though. Epcot seemed to be the park of choice for EVERY Brazilian tour group in Orlando. And there was one group leader guy getting a two inch stack of FPs. PLEASE don't let us come back when they do!

So, prayers said, I headed to MouseGears to do some shopping. We had the 20% of coupon from Cosmic Rays from last night. Actually I had three of them. (Two for lunch, one for dinner.) But they are only good from 9-12 and made DS wait until the last day to buy his treats! But, as we all know, my daughter through her shoes during a breakdown at MK last night and they disappeared in a great Disney black hole. We got the little cheap flip flops but they are giving her blisters! So, I head to the register to hope that the CMs will let me exchange them with not tags and no reciept. She says I have to get a manager. And I wait, and wait, and wait, Yay, he says no problem. Now DD has the cutest little pink and green Mickey Crocs! Aww!

Well, I am a true Florida girl. I only wear flip flops. I wear them at home, shopping, work (teachers don't have a dress code), and at Disney! My flip flops betrayed me. They gave me blisters. I think that it was the combination of the weater (hot, humid), the excess walking, and pushing the stroller every where. But I could not wear flip flops again today. But that is all I brought! What am I going to do??? I had to buy CROCS . I hate Crocs! But it was the only shoe that they had that was not a flip flop! But I must say that they are awesome. I will NOT wear them anywhere remotely not Disney (okay I wore them to Publix yesterday). But they are the perfect Disney shoe. Comfy, dry fast... So, I guess they are my new Disney shoe of choice.

So with my 20% discount I got my new khaki Crocs, DDs pink crocs, DS got a Bucket of Soldiers, DD got a Wheezy (TS), and I got a gray Mickey jacket that was 50% off. I know a jacket in July in FL. Well, I love jackets. I need a new jacket. And school starts in three weeks. Have you ever been in a classroom that was not freezing? So, that's what I wanted! And that's what I got!

We had a pretty uneventful day. It was SO hot and after four days of sun, we were really ready to go. We had lunch at Electric Umbrella (yuck). DH is so not a food adventurer and wouldn't try any WS QS places. Sunshine Seasons had ever Brazilian tour group in there. So, that leaves Electric Umbrella. Oh well.

And only one pic for the day! Such a bad TR day. But as I said we were tired, hot and cranky! Usually Day four would be a R&R day at the hotel, but also it was checkout day!

So home we go! Yay!

 

[MissJanice]

So I named this TR I've been converted; I'm a believer! Here are my thoughts on that.

1. I can do summer Disney trips. Go in knowing what to expect (crowds, heat) and be pleasantly surprised with anything else!

2. Rope Drop is for me! I was always the "It's my vacation. I'm sleeping in." person. BUT, my kids woke us up early anyway. It is so much easier to get the parks done (or enjoy getting the parks done) when you get there at opening! We got all of Fantasy Land done in 2 hours. We got to ride TT and Soarin' by 10:30 at Epcot and had FPs for TT again in our pockets. Our kids are better behaved, more awake, and happier in the am. That is the time to do the parks. After naps it is time to enjoy the hotel.

3. CROCS are awesome. They still look goofy. But I'm not taking pics of my feet and I looked pretty goofy hobbling around in my flip flops anyway!

4. Next year, we will do a week (not at CSR!) and we will have a couple R&R days built right in.

I can do summers, rope drops, and Crocs. I learned all that in 3 nights! Bring on next summer! I can do it!

 

[TheThomsLuvDisney]

Great TR! Funny about the crocs.....I don't know if I could ever wear them either!

 

[MissJanice]

Great TR! Funny about the crocs.....I don't know if I could ever wear them either!

Yeah, if only Disney had better choices for footwear. (If we would have been there longer I would have made a side trip to the outlets for a respectable pair of shoes!)