Casey's mom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2000
- Messages
- 163
Monday, March 12
Cast:
Me: 34, obsessive Disney planner (but I try to keep that to myself)
DH: 43, tolerates WDW, but would rather go windsurfing (outnumbered on this point, however!)
Casey: 4-1/2, not the most adventurous but loves going to WDW!
Chrissie: 3, almost always happy, loves dinosaurs, the color purple and visiting Disney
Also joining us today: our friends Carolyn and Larry and their kids Leigh (4) and William (2).
Mickey called again at 6:30 and we happily scurried to get dressed and meet our friends downstairs for an EE day at the Magic Kingdom. We caught a 7:20am bus from the Yacht Club and made it to the gate of the Magic Kingdom about 20 minutes later. I donâÂÂt know what time they opened the gates and started letting people on rides, but we were able to walk right in and up through the castle and into Fantasyland. I wish I had known what time things got rolling on an EE day as I would have gotten us going even earlier (I am a big proponent of line avoidance!). We waited about 10 minutes to get on Dumbo, which wasnâÂÂt bad considering how awful the line for this ride can be. I rode with my 2 DDâÂÂs, Larry rode with Leigh and William, Carolyn was videotaping all of us and Kerry was eating breakfast. Dumbo was a ball â one kid wanted to go up, the other wanted to go down, so we bounced up and down in circles the whole time.
After Dumbo, we marched over to the Tomorrowland Speedway (another ride that can have a terrible line â so much so that we have never been on it before because the line always looks so long). This was CaseyâÂÂs favorite ride of the trip! I have to admit, it is a great ride for a not-so-courageous 4 year old. She drove the car, I handled the pedal and we made it around the track. It was a little bit jerky as she had a hard time keeping the car track from getting us back in line. Chrissie and daddy (behind us) had fun as well, but when I looked behind us to see how they were doing, all I could see was the very top of ChrissieâÂÂs head (which means, of course, that she was driving blind). She still loved the ride!
As an aside, as this was our third trip to WDW in 3 years, people ask me frequently whether I think my kids are old enough to enjoy Disney World or to âÂÂappreciate itâ â whatever that means. My view is that the kids see a different WDW every time we visit. Right now, they love meeting characters, riding the tamer rides and swimming in the pool at the hotel. Pretty soon, Chrissie will be jetting around on Space Mountain with me and I canâÂÂt wait! They try new things each year and they always have a ton of fun! Last year, Casey would not even try Dumbo and this year she was whipping around on a roller coaster. As a mom, it gives me great joy to see them grow and experience life and I feel blessed that I am able to share things like trips to Disney with the kids when many others are not so fortunate.
Anyway, our group tried the Buzz Lightyear Ride next. This is just a really fun and clever ride and we all enjoyed it. We were not a high scoring group, but we had a blast! Carolyn had a strong NEED to visit the Haunted Mansion, so we headed back through Fantasyland and stopped at ItâÂÂs a Small World along the way. While IASW was not exactly thrilling for me, the kids found a lot to look at and chatted the whole way through the ride.
Casey and Chrissie had been working up their courage to visit the Haunted Mansion for a long time before our trip. We talked a lot about what was going to happen and what they would see. I didnâÂÂt want to give too much away, but at the same time, I wanted them to know what to expect (at least somewhat) so they wouldnâÂÂt be petrified when we got inside. All was well with Casey throughout. Chrissie started to cry a little when we got into the room with the creepy pictures and the room goes dark (âÂÂThere are no doors or windows in this chamberâ¦..âÂÂ) . I think she was just reacting to the sudden darkness more than anything. Once we got in a car she kept her eyes open the whole time (I know I sure didnâÂÂt on that ride when I was 5). She got nervous a few times later on when our car stopped, but she enjoyed the ghost party and the dancing ghosts in the party dresses and by the end we were laughing as the ghosts and monsters popped out at us. When we now ask her about the ride, she tells us she was scared, but when we ask her what rides she wanted to try if we go back, the Haunted Mansion is always on the list, so I guess it was OK.
We picked up Fastpasses for Splash Mountain next and then found a place to sit for a little bit while we waited. Our Fastpass times were only 30 minutes later. Leigh, the 4 year old daredevil, couldnâÂÂt wait to try the ride, Chrissie and William were too small and Casey decided that the big drop was just too big for her. We watched people going down the big hill from the little bridge right next to the ride and I have to admit, it looks a little bit scary. She did not like the look of going down a hill into a pile of thorns. We tried to explain the visual trick involved and that you are really just dropping behind and under the thorns, but she wasnâÂÂt buying it⦠So, Carolyn and I watched the little ones (Carolyn is expecting, so she wasnâÂÂt riding), while Kerry, Larry and Leigh went a-splashinâÂÂ. I unfortunately spent the whole wait talking on my cell phone with work. It was a tough week to be away, but I just wasnâÂÂt willing to move the trip. I often try to plan our trips at the last minute so that I know I wonâÂÂt be that busy, but I really wanted to make an effort for the kids this time to plan something in advance so we could have breakfast at CindyâÂÂs (a huge hit!), Chef Mickeys etc. This meant that I spent more time than I would have liked on the phone (still havenâÂÂt gotten my cell phone bill â its going to be ugly!). It wasnâÂÂt perfect, but it worked out OK. I sometimes got up a 5 or 5:30 in the morning and worked til 7 in the hotel lobby (a little hard to concentrate with Toon Disney in the background, but tolerable), then scrambled up to get everyone out the door. Anyway, those who rode Splash Mountain LOVED it and, for the third year in a row, I have missed out. Next time for sureâ¦â¦
Our next stop was the Jungle Cruise. We picked up Fastpasses then grabbed a few tables in the shade and had some lunch. It was only about 11:30 at this point, but the kids were losing steam and we figured we would eat, cruise through the jungle and head back to the hotel for a swim. Even with all the fun at the Magic Kingdom, my girls are always ready for a swim in Stormalong Bay! I canâÂÂt say enough about how great this pool is for families! The Jungle Cruise was a good time for all. The kids really got a kick out of the elephants at the end of the ride.
We took the bus back to the YC for a swim in the pool. To be honest, this was the first trip on which we actually used the Disney buses. I always liked to be in control of our arrivals and departures and didnâÂÂt like the idea of being dependent on a Disney bus schedule. I have to say I was wrongâ¦.. We never waited more than 5-10 minutes for a bus and going to the Magic Kingdom from the YC, we were able to avoid the TTC, so it was a much faster trip. We did drive to the Disney/ MGM Studios from the YC because the drive is soooooo short (2 minutes) and the boatride (I am told) takes about 20 minutes, but the bus to Animal Kingdom (the subject of tomorrowâÂÂs report) was also fast and convenient. Live and learnâ¦
We spent a few hours on the sandy side of Stormalong Bay. The kids played in the sand and swam together. We also went over to the kid pool with the small waterslide, which the girls could not get enough of. Around 4pm, I dragged everyone up to our room and got the girls to take a nap so they wouldnâÂÂt be grumpy at dinnertime and so I could get in a few hours of work. I got them all up (Kerry included) at 6 and we got dressed and met our friends to head over to Ohana at the Polynesian.
I was a little wary about this restaurant since I had read a few mixed reviews before our trip, but it turned out to be a great choice. We were seated at a big table right in front of the massive BBQ area and we could watch them cook all the delicious meat. Our waitress brought us drinks and put bowls full of various appetizers onto 2 lazy susans on our table. There was some salad, rice, chicken wings, dumplings and some vegetables. My DDâÂÂs are not picky eaters (thankfully) and they enjoyed the rice, chicken wings and veggies, I ate most of the salad and Kerry tried a little of everything. There was plenty of food for all of us and they offered to bring us more at any time. Then a few servers came around with very long skewers stacked with various meats, including marinated turkey, steak, pork and shrimp. We found the shrimp and pork to be a little dry, but I got seconds of the turkey and steak. Delicious! Servers came by various times to offer more and more and moreâ¦. You get the idea. To top it off, they brought us sliced pineapples with bowls of caramel dipping sauce. It was an odd combo, but worth trying. Twice during the evening the restaurant had special events for kids. First they handed out brooms and coconuts and had the kids race around the room pushing the coconuts with the brooms and later they played music while numerous girls tried swinging hula hoops. I was amazed at how good some of the girls were at keeping those hula hoops going. That is something I have just never been able to get the hang of!
After dinner, we walked out the back of the hotel to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach. It was my first glimpse of the new pool at the Poly, which looks great, if a little small for the hotel. The pool area is dominated by a big volcano that âÂÂsmokesâ and has a waterslide through the middle of it. We grabbed a row of beach chairs by the water and settled in to watch the castle change colors many times over before the fireworks started. It was a beautiful night and the fireworks were great. We then scrambled back to the YC and watched the Illuminations fireworks from our balcony.
It was just a memorable day for us all and it was nice to share WDW with our friends!
TOMORROW: Animal Kingdom and ChrissieâÂÂs favorite â DINOSAURS!
Cast:
Me: 34, obsessive Disney planner (but I try to keep that to myself)
DH: 43, tolerates WDW, but would rather go windsurfing (outnumbered on this point, however!)
Casey: 4-1/2, not the most adventurous but loves going to WDW!
Chrissie: 3, almost always happy, loves dinosaurs, the color purple and visiting Disney
Also joining us today: our friends Carolyn and Larry and their kids Leigh (4) and William (2).
Mickey called again at 6:30 and we happily scurried to get dressed and meet our friends downstairs for an EE day at the Magic Kingdom. We caught a 7:20am bus from the Yacht Club and made it to the gate of the Magic Kingdom about 20 minutes later. I donâÂÂt know what time they opened the gates and started letting people on rides, but we were able to walk right in and up through the castle and into Fantasyland. I wish I had known what time things got rolling on an EE day as I would have gotten us going even earlier (I am a big proponent of line avoidance!). We waited about 10 minutes to get on Dumbo, which wasnâÂÂt bad considering how awful the line for this ride can be. I rode with my 2 DDâÂÂs, Larry rode with Leigh and William, Carolyn was videotaping all of us and Kerry was eating breakfast. Dumbo was a ball â one kid wanted to go up, the other wanted to go down, so we bounced up and down in circles the whole time.
After Dumbo, we marched over to the Tomorrowland Speedway (another ride that can have a terrible line â so much so that we have never been on it before because the line always looks so long). This was CaseyâÂÂs favorite ride of the trip! I have to admit, it is a great ride for a not-so-courageous 4 year old. She drove the car, I handled the pedal and we made it around the track. It was a little bit jerky as she had a hard time keeping the car track from getting us back in line. Chrissie and daddy (behind us) had fun as well, but when I looked behind us to see how they were doing, all I could see was the very top of ChrissieâÂÂs head (which means, of course, that she was driving blind). She still loved the ride!
As an aside, as this was our third trip to WDW in 3 years, people ask me frequently whether I think my kids are old enough to enjoy Disney World or to âÂÂappreciate itâ â whatever that means. My view is that the kids see a different WDW every time we visit. Right now, they love meeting characters, riding the tamer rides and swimming in the pool at the hotel. Pretty soon, Chrissie will be jetting around on Space Mountain with me and I canâÂÂt wait! They try new things each year and they always have a ton of fun! Last year, Casey would not even try Dumbo and this year she was whipping around on a roller coaster. As a mom, it gives me great joy to see them grow and experience life and I feel blessed that I am able to share things like trips to Disney with the kids when many others are not so fortunate.
Anyway, our group tried the Buzz Lightyear Ride next. This is just a really fun and clever ride and we all enjoyed it. We were not a high scoring group, but we had a blast! Carolyn had a strong NEED to visit the Haunted Mansion, so we headed back through Fantasyland and stopped at ItâÂÂs a Small World along the way. While IASW was not exactly thrilling for me, the kids found a lot to look at and chatted the whole way through the ride.
Casey and Chrissie had been working up their courage to visit the Haunted Mansion for a long time before our trip. We talked a lot about what was going to happen and what they would see. I didnâÂÂt want to give too much away, but at the same time, I wanted them to know what to expect (at least somewhat) so they wouldnâÂÂt be petrified when we got inside. All was well with Casey throughout. Chrissie started to cry a little when we got into the room with the creepy pictures and the room goes dark (âÂÂThere are no doors or windows in this chamberâ¦..âÂÂ) . I think she was just reacting to the sudden darkness more than anything. Once we got in a car she kept her eyes open the whole time (I know I sure didnâÂÂt on that ride when I was 5). She got nervous a few times later on when our car stopped, but she enjoyed the ghost party and the dancing ghosts in the party dresses and by the end we were laughing as the ghosts and monsters popped out at us. When we now ask her about the ride, she tells us she was scared, but when we ask her what rides she wanted to try if we go back, the Haunted Mansion is always on the list, so I guess it was OK.
We picked up Fastpasses for Splash Mountain next and then found a place to sit for a little bit while we waited. Our Fastpass times were only 30 minutes later. Leigh, the 4 year old daredevil, couldnâÂÂt wait to try the ride, Chrissie and William were too small and Casey decided that the big drop was just too big for her. We watched people going down the big hill from the little bridge right next to the ride and I have to admit, it looks a little bit scary. She did not like the look of going down a hill into a pile of thorns. We tried to explain the visual trick involved and that you are really just dropping behind and under the thorns, but she wasnâÂÂt buying it⦠So, Carolyn and I watched the little ones (Carolyn is expecting, so she wasnâÂÂt riding), while Kerry, Larry and Leigh went a-splashinâÂÂ. I unfortunately spent the whole wait talking on my cell phone with work. It was a tough week to be away, but I just wasnâÂÂt willing to move the trip. I often try to plan our trips at the last minute so that I know I wonâÂÂt be that busy, but I really wanted to make an effort for the kids this time to plan something in advance so we could have breakfast at CindyâÂÂs (a huge hit!), Chef Mickeys etc. This meant that I spent more time than I would have liked on the phone (still havenâÂÂt gotten my cell phone bill â its going to be ugly!). It wasnâÂÂt perfect, but it worked out OK. I sometimes got up a 5 or 5:30 in the morning and worked til 7 in the hotel lobby (a little hard to concentrate with Toon Disney in the background, but tolerable), then scrambled up to get everyone out the door. Anyway, those who rode Splash Mountain LOVED it and, for the third year in a row, I have missed out. Next time for sureâ¦â¦
Our next stop was the Jungle Cruise. We picked up Fastpasses then grabbed a few tables in the shade and had some lunch. It was only about 11:30 at this point, but the kids were losing steam and we figured we would eat, cruise through the jungle and head back to the hotel for a swim. Even with all the fun at the Magic Kingdom, my girls are always ready for a swim in Stormalong Bay! I canâÂÂt say enough about how great this pool is for families! The Jungle Cruise was a good time for all. The kids really got a kick out of the elephants at the end of the ride.
We took the bus back to the YC for a swim in the pool. To be honest, this was the first trip on which we actually used the Disney buses. I always liked to be in control of our arrivals and departures and didnâÂÂt like the idea of being dependent on a Disney bus schedule. I have to say I was wrongâ¦.. We never waited more than 5-10 minutes for a bus and going to the Magic Kingdom from the YC, we were able to avoid the TTC, so it was a much faster trip. We did drive to the Disney/ MGM Studios from the YC because the drive is soooooo short (2 minutes) and the boatride (I am told) takes about 20 minutes, but the bus to Animal Kingdom (the subject of tomorrowâÂÂs report) was also fast and convenient. Live and learnâ¦
We spent a few hours on the sandy side of Stormalong Bay. The kids played in the sand and swam together. We also went over to the kid pool with the small waterslide, which the girls could not get enough of. Around 4pm, I dragged everyone up to our room and got the girls to take a nap so they wouldnâÂÂt be grumpy at dinnertime and so I could get in a few hours of work. I got them all up (Kerry included) at 6 and we got dressed and met our friends to head over to Ohana at the Polynesian.
I was a little wary about this restaurant since I had read a few mixed reviews before our trip, but it turned out to be a great choice. We were seated at a big table right in front of the massive BBQ area and we could watch them cook all the delicious meat. Our waitress brought us drinks and put bowls full of various appetizers onto 2 lazy susans on our table. There was some salad, rice, chicken wings, dumplings and some vegetables. My DDâÂÂs are not picky eaters (thankfully) and they enjoyed the rice, chicken wings and veggies, I ate most of the salad and Kerry tried a little of everything. There was plenty of food for all of us and they offered to bring us more at any time. Then a few servers came around with very long skewers stacked with various meats, including marinated turkey, steak, pork and shrimp. We found the shrimp and pork to be a little dry, but I got seconds of the turkey and steak. Delicious! Servers came by various times to offer more and more and moreâ¦. You get the idea. To top it off, they brought us sliced pineapples with bowls of caramel dipping sauce. It was an odd combo, but worth trying. Twice during the evening the restaurant had special events for kids. First they handed out brooms and coconuts and had the kids race around the room pushing the coconuts with the brooms and later they played music while numerous girls tried swinging hula hoops. I was amazed at how good some of the girls were at keeping those hula hoops going. That is something I have just never been able to get the hang of!
After dinner, we walked out the back of the hotel to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach. It was my first glimpse of the new pool at the Poly, which looks great, if a little small for the hotel. The pool area is dominated by a big volcano that âÂÂsmokesâ and has a waterslide through the middle of it. We grabbed a row of beach chairs by the water and settled in to watch the castle change colors many times over before the fireworks started. It was a beautiful night and the fireworks were great. We then scrambled back to the YC and watched the Illuminations fireworks from our balcony.
It was just a memorable day for us all and it was nice to share WDW with our friends!
TOMORROW: Animal Kingdom and ChrissieâÂÂs favorite â DINOSAURS!
