Cross your heart we're going! Cross it!An Unexpected April Adventure! TR Started!!!!

[Angies1274]

Your plans sound great! Shopping is one of my favorite things (unfortunately for my wallet...though I have gotten better, LOL!).

Typhoon Lagoon is fun. I personally preferred Blizzard Beach because the slides weren't as good at TL but I'm sure you'll love it. Crush 'N Gusher seems awesome.

Ooohhh....I love shopping! Especially at Disney!! I'm hoping we made the right decision picking TL. If it was just DH and myself we may have picked BB too... but for the boys TL looked a little tamer to me.

Typhoon Lagoon! We had soooo much fun going there for the first time last trip. Those waves are HUGE! Definately be prepared for a strong tug pulling you back once the waves crash over you and to have a death grip on anyone you're trying to hang onto! For something a little different, sit on the wall at the edge of the pool and let the water crash around you.

The lazy river is perfect for just taking it easy and relaxing. Oh I wish I was there right now!

Bring lots of waterproof disposable cameras. That's the one regret I have is lack of pics. Even the one camera I did bring I kept forgetting to keep it on my wrist. It was in the bottom of our stroller...

I personally didn't like Crush 'n Gusher but that was just the touchie bashing going on... I wasn't sitting on it properly and wasn't prepared for it. George and the kids loved it.

Slather on the sunscreen.... I don't really recall there being much in the way of shade or shelter but we were having too much fun doing everything to stop anyway. Yep, you'll sleep well that night.

Disney Quest, shopping and dinner at DTD will be a nice cap off to the day. Packed, busy day! Pirates is a must do for sure and the Mighty Ducks pinball will have you laughing even if you don't know what you're doing! Make sure you do Buzz Lightyear too. That was a hoot.

Wolfgang Puck..... mmmmmm.

Hey get a funny picture in the mirrors at Goofy's!

Hi Tracy!!!

Thanks for sharing your pictures!!! Love them!! They're soooo good! I remember seeing them on your TR and thought then how great they turned out!! I've already picked up one waterproof camera but I may need to go pick up a few more before we leave!!

Thanks for the tip about the huge waves!! I think that's what I'm most nervous about going to TL. Not so much for me but for the boys. Although, I don't know why I'm so worried..they'll probably love it!

Can't wait for the lazy river!! Now...that's what I'm most excited for!! I wonder if DH would take the boys on the slides a second time while I relaxed for a while in the lazy river!! Hmmm...we'll see.

Ow..that is the second time I've heard about Crush n' Gusher being a little rough. Hmm...I guess I will just have to prepare myself.

Ahh..love that mirror at Goofy's Candy Co.!! You know..I never think to get a picture either!! I'm definitely going to do that this trip!! Cute picture of Demetri!! He must have gotten such a kick out of seeing himself look that way!

 

[eandesmom]

We did have a lot of fun on out TL day in '04. A surprising amount actually given that the E's were 4&5 at the time and neither could swim.

I am not planning it for this trip but that could change once we are there but right now the cost to either upgrade all the tickets or single day for everyone...is too much. I think what may happen one day is we split and some go to the water park and others do something else so we wouldn't really need to upgrade all 9 tickets and can just pay single day for those that do go.

I know the E's really want to but am not sure about anyone else at this point. I keep lobbying that SAB IS a waterpark!

Not sure if I'll end up "selling" that to everyone or not.

 

[Angies1274]

We did have a lot of fun on out TL day in '04. A surprising amount actually given that the E's were 4&5 at the time and neither could swim.

I am not planning it for this trip but that could change once we are there but right now the cost to either upgrade all the tickets or single day for everyone...is too much. I think what may happen one day is we split and some go to the water park and others do something else so we wouldn't really need to upgrade all 9 tickets and can just pay single day for those that do go.

I know the E's really want to but am not sure about anyone else at this point. I keep lobbying that SAB IS a waterpark!

Not sure if I'll end up "selling" that to everyone or not.

Glad to hear you had fun at TL!! I'm sure the boys will love it! Good idea to wait and see if anyone really wants to go before upgrading! They may be content just enjoying SAB!! I've heard such great things about it!

 

[Angies1274]

Hi Everyone!! Hope you had a great weekend! We had car problems here...ugh..what is about the weekends and us lately? Oh well....on the brighter side, I do have some exciting news to share!! We got Mickey mail!!! We got our Disney maps in the mail on Friday and the best news.....we got or Disney Magical Express stuff on Saturday!!! The trip is feeling so much more real now especially when I can say that next month "We are going to Walt Disney World!!!!"

Since I only have a little over a month to reveal our plans I need to get busy...huh? So today I thought I would look back at our Magic Kingdom trip in 2008. Ahhh...what can I say about Magic Kingdom that hasn't been said before? It's such a great park and soooo Disney! The welcome show at opening gets me every time and if you have never had the chance to see it...go! It really is a wonderful way to start the day! It's amazing that every visit when I round the corner to get my first glimpse of the castle it like I'm seeing it for the very first time. I just love that feeling!

So on with the flashback.....back to 2008 our very first visit. We have such great memories of that visit and believe it or not on that visit we didn't see Spectomagic or Wishes. Noah was scared of very loud noises and fireworks back then and we thought it would be best to catch them another visit. He loves them now....or anything loud with explosions, or fireworks...it's so funny the change a couple years can make!! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Magic Kingdom 2008--

There were so many pictures to choose from and it was so hard to pick a few of my favorites. As you can tell we didn't see too many characters in the park that year...but we did visit a couple character meals that year-- A Crystal Palace Breakfast and a dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern (when they had the characters)

Like I said it was a great first trip..wonderful in fact. I'm so excited to go back next month and really try and see a few of the things we have missed on previous trips and of course see some old favorites as well.

Before I go though...I'm hoping all of you can help me with something. As you know when this PTR started we were only going to 2 parks...MK and Epcot, now we have added AK!! So I have been trying to figure out ways to make it to DHS. I know since we only have 5 days or actually 4 days not counting arrival day plus we are adding the waterpark it's become a challenge to figure out where to fit it in. We thought the first night but quickly decided against as we would rather spent some time at Pop when we arrive. After checking the schedule for Fantasmic (a show we have been wanting to see...especially the boys!) I may have figured out a way we could do DHS!! Unfortunately, it may impact our MK plans a little. So please tell me about Fantasmic!! I know it's super crowded that day and you have to get there really early but is it worth it? Especially if you have never seen it before? Help!

Next up--Looking Back....Magic Kingdom 2009

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Oooo, tough question. I guess it all depends on what you'd prefer to do in each park. Fantasmic is definately a great show and is a favorite of ours, but yes, you do have to get there early and if it rains it's either a cut short version or cancelled. Would you have to get a park hopper then? Are you all OK with cutting short MK ? If the weather co-operates and you're excited to see it.... short answer, in my opinion, is yes, it's worth it.

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Did you change your ticker?

 

[Angies1274]

Oooo, tough question. I guess it all depends on what you'd prefer to do in each park. Fantasmic is definately a great show and is a favorite of ours, but yes, you do have to get there early and if it rains it's either a cut short version or cancelled. Would you have to get a park hopper then? Are you all OK with cutting short MK ? If the weather co-operates and you're excited to see it.... short answer, in my opinion, is yes, it's worth it.

If we decided to go to DHS, then we would get the park hopper. I probably wouldn't add it until we get down there to give us a better idea of the weather and crowds. The boys are okay with cutting MK short...they really want to see Fantasmic!! DH and I are on the fence. We would probably stay until after the afternoon parade at MK and then head over to DHS for the rest of the night.It's so funny because when I look over my MK plans for night time there is a big question mark. We really hadn't plan to watch Wishes from Main Street this time anyway, since we saw it twice last year. We were staying late to ride rides or do anything we missed earlier in the day. We thought it would be really cool to see Wishes from Dumbo or BTMRR. So it would be a new experience. But....then the idea for Fantasmic came up and now the thought of being able to make it to DHS after all since we missed it in August makes me rethink things entirely....ugh! I'm glad to hear you think Fantasmic would be worth it! Just seeing your last TR post about DHS made me really wish we could go back!

 

[Angies1274]

Did you change your ticker?

Yeah....I figured that since there is slight possibility that we may be able to make it to all 4 parks...I wanted my ticker to reflect that! If we change our minds again! Then I'll probably change it back.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Fantasmic really is an amazing show. If your boys have not seen it and are willing to cut the MK short, then go for it! It's a rather big expense to add hoppers though...is it worth it for just an evening at DHS? Not trying to discourage, just putting it out there! Remember, you need to get to DHS in time to get in line for Fantasmic at LEAST 90 minutes early. We arrived an hour before showtime and had to go to the standing room only section.

Love the old character pics. We did Liberty Tree with characters too. Your boys have grown up so much!

 

[dismagiclover]

Love the pictures from the Magic Kingdom! That first time is so magical I've only seen Fantasmic in Disneyland, so I don't have any opinion to offer about if it is worth the park hoppers. Though it was really cool in Disneyland

 

[DisMomAmy]

I thought Fantasmic was amazing when we saw it in 2006 - though a little scary for Zach who was 2 1/2 at the time. We haven't been back to see it since they reduced the number of showings per week. It seems as though the park is mobbed on those days.

I did try to see it in 2008 with my mom with a Fantasmic Dinner Package, but we got rained out.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Yay for your Disney mail! We are both getting so close!

As for Fantasmic, I would say it's definitely worth seeing atleast once. We've done it both ways, going really early and going later. If you do go early it is pretty entertaining because they play Disney music and then as it gets closer to show time people start doing the wave which is probably one of the best parts of the whole night. But it is a fun show. I'm sure your boys would love it!

 

[Angies1274]

Fantasmic really is an amazing show. If your boys have not seen it and are willing to cut the MK short, then go for it! It's a rather big expense to add hoppers though...is it worth it for just an evening at DHS? Not trying to discourage, just putting it out there! Remember, you need to get to DHS in time to get in line for Fantasmic at LEAST 90 minutes early. We arrived an hour before showtime and had to go to the standing room only section.

Love the old character pics. We did Liberty Tree with characters too. Your boys have grown up so much!

Hi Missy!!

I think we may have decided to go for it!! But...the best news is we won't have to add the park hopper option!! I'll share the good news tomorrow!!!

Ahh...we had such a good time at Liberty Tree Tavern!! I wish the characters were still there!!!

Love the pictures from the Magic Kingdom! That first time is so magical I've only seen Fantasmic in Disneyland, so I don't have any opinion to offer about if it is worth the park hoppers. Though it was really cool in Disneyland

Thanks!! You're right...the first time is soooo magical!

I thought Fantasmic was amazing when we saw it in 2006 - though a little scary for Zach who was 2 1/2 at the time. We haven't been back to see it since they reduced the number of showings per week. It seems as though the park is mobbed on those days.

I did try to see it in 2008 with my mom with a Fantasmic Dinner Package, but we got rained out.

Oh, I'm so glad to hear more good things about Fantasmic. I've read a lot of mixed reviews lately and was starting to rethink things again! I wish they would add more shows!! The week we are there it's only being shown twice and it's the week after Easter...what?

Yay for your Disney mail! We are both getting so close!

As for Fantasmic, I would say it's definitely worth seeing atleast once. We've done it both ways, going really early and going later. If you do go early it is pretty entertaining because they play Disney music and then as it gets closer to show time people start doing the wave which is probably one of the best parts of the whole night. But it is a fun show. I'm sure your boys would love it!

We are getting so close aren't we!! YAY!!!

We watched some of the show on You Tube yesterday so the boys would get an idea of what it was like and their expressions were so cute! They really seemed impressed. I think they will really enjoy it!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I wouldn't be surprised if they add more shows. They seem to add additional shows on the same day before adding additional days.

 

[eandesmom]

I'd really love to see it in August...did not plan ADR's around it but it's not impossible either.

 

[Angies1274]

Good Morning!! Hope everyone is having a good day so far! I've had a great day so far!! (well, except for the birthday part...blah!) But...I can't complain too much because I have a reason to celebrate and great news to share!! As most of you know already we have been thinking about adding DHS to our trip. Mostly, because we missed it when we went last August. Although, the trip was wonderful..it felt like something was missing when we came back. I guess I just feel if we are going to pay that much for airfare/room/tickets etc.,etc. then we should try to find a way to experience all 4 parks if we can. The only solution that I could think of at first was to get park hoppers so we could hop to DHS on one of our nights. But.....I was still hesitant because I wondered if paying the extra for park hoppers just for that one night was really worth it??(remember this was supposed to be a budget trip.)and then....the most magical, wonderful thing happened............I got an email!!! But not just any email an email that said this--

A Walt Disney World® Resort offer for some of our best friends.

Kids 3-9 stay, play and dine FREE at Walt Disney World® Resort when you purchase a 4-night/5-day Magic Your Way Package with Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan!

Disney Rewards® Visa® Credit and Debit Cardmembers, don’t miss out on this exclusive Walt Disney World® Resort deal. When you purchase a 4-night/5-day Magic Your Way Vacation package that includes room, Theme Park tickets and a Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan for stays most nights March 14, 2010 - August 14, 2010, a child 3 - 9 can stay, get 5-day Theme Park tickets and the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, FREE!


And this is how I reacted!!!

So, of course I immediately called Disney to find out if we could change our existing reservation to get the boys park tickets and dining for free. This is what our original reservation was for--
5 days, 4 nights, Pop Century Resort, 2 day MYW Package w/ Waterpark and more option, and the Quick Service Dining Plan.
This is what we have now:
5 days, 4 nights, Pop Century Resort, 4 day MYW Package w/ Waterpark and more option, and the Quick Service Dining Plan.
The best part.....we are getting 2 more days added on to all our tickets and.......we have a $100 credit back on to our card. (we had already paid the trip off) So, now we can use that extra money for our Tusker House Breakfast!!! We figured between the credit and the fact that we are getting 2 extra days we saved around $400.00!! So, now we can go to all 4 parks and I don't have to add the park hopper option after all!!

But that does leave one more question??? What about our GAD vouchers??? Well....we have decided to get the Fastpass Exchange card instead and I am soooooo excited about this. No running ahead to obtain fastpasses for everyone. Here's how the program works for those of you who don't know--


To get the FASTPASS Exchange Cards, your entire party must be present when you redeem your voucher at the Will Call window at the park, and they must have their park tickets with them. The person redeeming the voucher must have at least a valid multi-day ticket and a government issued photo ID (a copy of a birth certificate is acceptable for a child under 18).

The FASTPASS Exchange Card takes the form of a card that would be inserted into the FASTPASS kiosk instead of your park ticket, and would give you a FASTPASS with a Return Window that starts immediately.

The FASTPASS attractions are divided into two groups. The most recent known list is as follows, but is subject to change. You will receive a list of the attractions with the FASTPASS card:

* Magic Kingdom
o Donald: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain
o Daisy: Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Jungle Cruise, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Stitch's Great Escape!
* Epcot
o Donald: Soarin', Test Track
o Daisy: Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, Living with the Land, Maelstrom, Mission: SPACE
* Disney's Hollywood Studios
o Donald: Rock N Roller Coaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
o Daisy: Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show, Star Tours, Voyage of The Little Mermaid
* Animal Kingdom
o Donald: Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris
o Daisy: Dinosaur, It's Tough to Be a Bug, Kali River Rapids

more info--http://www.oinc.net/disney/fastpass.php#GAD


So, from what I understand--since each of us have a voucher and we only need one for each park because they are good for up to 6 people in your party. We can use our vouchers for the fastpass exchange card for all 4 days. We get to pick 3 rides from the Donald and 3 rides from the Daisy category. So 6 fastpasses per person at each park! It's going to make going during Easter/Spring Break so much more enjoyable!! I'm so excited!! Can you tell??

I'll try to get an update posted later this week of our revised itinerary!!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I don't blame you for dancin' one little bit! You saved money and you are going to all four parks AND the water park! I know that ya'll are all excited.

 

[eandesmom]

That's so exciting! We got the same email this morning and I was telling Jeff it would be a great deal if you had 2-3 kids 9 or under...it's perfect for you guys!

Doesn't help us but it's a nice change from some of the other promotions.

We are hoping to use K&T's GAD vouchers for the fast pass (which reminds me that I have NOT heard back from the organization they want to volunteer at) so I will be excited to see how it works on your trip!

Congrats!!!!

 

[jenniferkeala808]

hello! i'm joining in!! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Angie that's fantastic news! Your trip just got even better, it's still a budget trip and those fastpasses sound great!


Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Nevermind blah.... you're looking fabulous for twenty-nine!