Day 3 Sunday 7/8/01 It's time to ride
Cast of Characters:
Me - Now referred to as Spanky thanks to Cousin Dave at 50's Prime Time. 3rd trip.
Michelle - My lovely wife who has had to endure all the changes that I've thrown at her concerning this trip. Is now starting to understand my Disney obsession. 6th trip.
Devon - An eating machine. Just turned 15 but still my baby. 3rd trip.
Jordan - Loves to have things his way. Just turned 12. 3rd trip.
Camryn - A true princess. 3 almost 4 going on 25. Now also referred to as Sugar Booger. Also thanks to Cousin Dave. Willing to try anything once. 1st trip. She is so excited.
Who needs sleep. We can sleep when we get home. We are on vacation and we have things that we need to do. This is my motto and mine alone. No one else in my family understands. They are all for sleeping in and relaxing. But this is vacation. Anyway, we have to arise early because today we must eat with Cinderella. Reservation at 8:20 for a party of five. I had nightmares that I would not be able to get this PS. On the morning exactly 60 days out I had my regular phone and cell phone both calling the WDW-DINE number. I was surprised and relieved when I had this reservation securely in hand. We get to the bus stop just in time to see our bus leave. Seems we always have this luck. No matter how much we try and plan otherwise, we will always just miss the bus. We arrive at the castle a little after 8 and are immediately seated. Where are the princesses? Not a one to be found. No fairy godmother in the lobby, nothing. I have fretted and stewed over getting this reservation and today of all days, there are no princesses. Our waiter soon brings us our croissants and pastries and gives us our choices for breakfast. Of course we all choose the bacon, sausage, eggs, etc.. None of that healthy grain stuff for us. Then it happens. Snow White makes an appearance. My little princess squeals. Then came Belle. And next it was Prince Charming. My three year old daughter is now actually flirting with Prince Charming. Where do they learn this stuff. She's batting her eyes and acting coy. Ten minutes ago she was beating on her brothers and was the biggest Tomboy there was. And now Cinderella makes her grand entrance. Every Prince and Princess in the restaurant is in awe. She has the most captivating eyes. Occasionally we would hear a crow like a rooster. If you looked quick enough you could catch Peter Pan as he made a dash towards the exit. Once, he snuck up behind Cinderella and crowed making her jump. What a riot. Breakfast was magical. Service was great, food was very good, and the characters were definitely worth the meal alone. Total with tip was $77.70. This will definitely be a repeat next visit.
We were done with breakfast right at 9:00. Just in time for the rope drop at Fantasyland. We immediately head to Dumbo and had a great ride. I had forgotten the joy that some of these rides bring. Having a child along who sees everything new for the first time puts it all back in perspective. After that we head to Peter Pan and sail away into Neverland. What a classic ride, I always enjoy this one. A quick dash to the Haunted Mansion and off we go in our Doom Buggy. I was concerned that my daughter may be scared, but she enjoyed this. Especially the hitchhiking ghost. We then walked over to Splash Mountain, grabbed a Fastpass and were off to BTMRR. My daughter rode this but said she did not want to ride it again. We still had a little time to kill before our Fastpass, so off to the gift shops while the older boys went to ride BTMRR again. By the time they got back, off we went to Splash. Fastpass is wonderful. Standby line was about a 40 minute wait. Nothing like walking past all these people and get right in your boat at the front of the line. As we came off the mountain, Brer Bear and Liverlips were there to greet the kids (and adults). Now we were off to Pirates of the Carribean. Another classic that I always enjoy. As we leave, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee graced us with their presence. We head towards Aladdin and are sidetracked by Aladdin and Genie signing autographs. While my wife and daughter wait in line for this, Jordan and I head off for FastPasses for Buzz. We now head back to find the rest of our group. They have completed their quest for the coveted autographs and now Sugar Booger and Devon have headed for the treehouse. They arrive a little later and we head to Tomorrowland. Still some time to kill before Buzz so we hop on the TTA for a nice relaxing ride and great view of land. We now head towards Buzz and I encounter what is the first of many strange practices associated with Fastpass. People get a Fastpass and then stand in front of the line and block other people from getting on while they wait for their time to come around. Do they not understand that the whole purpose is so that you can go and do other things and not stand around and wait. The CM's need to do a better job about keeping the entrances clear so that people who can ride can get into the attraction. We would ask people if they were waiting in line and they would say no that they were just waiting for their time to come around. So we brave it past the lost souls waiting on the clock to move and hop on Buzz. Now I must have had a defective gun. That is my story and I will stick with it because the only person I managed to outscore was my three year old. I've read all the hints and performed them all on trying to achieve the million point score. It had to be the gun. Why don't they fix this so my gun works right!! So now we head over and get a Fastpass for Space Mountain. Return time was 2:00 - 3:00 so we have time to do a lot of stuff between now and then. Off to Carousel of Progress. Sugar Booger must be exhausted because she is now in a comatose sleep. She is gone. After the show we load her sound asleep into the stroller and head to our PS at Tony's for lunch. On the way we run into Dopey. We get Dopey's picture with the sleeping princess. He was so cute nuzzling on her trying to wake her up but with no success. At Tony's my wife and I share a salad and the Scalopine di Pollo al Limone. Quite tasty. Between the two of us we couldn't finish it. Devon had Panino con Pollo sandwich. Jordan had the Calamari appetizer for his meal. Halfway through lunch the princess awoke and was served a cheese pizza. Just a couple of weeks earlier they stopped making the Mickey shaped pizza and replaced it with the plain round variety. Devon had a smoothie for dessert but the rest of us were just to full. I've never had a bad meal here. Total with tip was $60.76.
Big Hint Here Folks: Every time you are on Mainstreet, stop in the camera shop next to Tony's. There are almost always characters in the back with a very small line. We have even seen Cinderella and Snow White in the back. One of the little hidden treasures that most people don't know about.
Time to head to Space Mountain. Just as we get to the loading area they shut down the ride. They tell everyone to leave as it may be quite awhile and our Fastpasses will be good for the rest of the day. We leave and then I get the idea that if we get on TTA we just might be able to see Space Mountain with the lights on. On the way we pick up another Fastpass for Buzz. So off we go and we are duly rewarded. The lights are on and we get to see the entire structure in all of its glory. Back to Buzz and my score has now improved. They have fixed my gun. I got in the 40,000 range. Next we head for a quick trip on It's a Small World. The lines are now starting to build and we decide to head out pretty quick. But first, let's stop by Space Mountain just to check and see if it is running. We see the line forming back at Space Mountain so we assume that the ride is running again. As we get to the loading area I am trying to convince Sugar Booger that she does not have to ride this. She is positive that she wants to ride, so we let her. A great ride but the Princess has now found another attraction that she says she does not want to do. The amazing part is that she is not upset at all, just did not enjoy the ride. I know I would never have ridden it at her age. As we exit Space Mountain the heavens erupt. It's gonna rain now. Oh boy is it gonna rain and rain and rain. We hang out in the Arcade until it looks like it is going to let up. We make a dash for it and make it as far as the overhang around Alien Encounter when Round 2 starts. We hang out hear for awhile and discover one of life's little secrets. If you run down the street in the rain cheering like you are having a good time, people will follow and also cheer. We enjoyed recreating this scene throughout the rest of the week. We finally make it to our bus loading area and head back to the Dolphin for some dry clothes. A very productive day so far. Lots of rides, very little waiting. I can only hope that our luck will hold out.
We rested for awhile and dried out. The weather cleared and we headed off to grab a quick bite before our Illuminations Cruise. We ended up at Beaches and Cream and we decided to just have dessert now and dinner later as it was getting close to time for the Cruise. Five scoops of Ice Cream plus tip came to a grand total $15.20.
We met up with Bill and Sue, their kids, and Bills parents. We had contacted each other through the DIS board. We had a great driver who let each kid have a turn at the wheel driving the boat. We cruised down to MGM before heading back to EPCOT and anchoring under the bridge. We all really enjoyed the show. I'm glad we did this once. I'm not sure I would do it again but it was a completely different perspective from the boat. No crowds and a comfortable place to sit with an unobstructed view.
Our driver dropped us off back at the Boardwalk and we decided to grab a quick bite at ESPN before turning in for the night. Michelle and I shared the Chicken Zingers and Fries. Devon had the Home Run Hot Dog. Jordan and Camryn each had Chicken Fingers and Fries. Food was o.k. and we were tired. Total with tip came to 40.00.
Time to get to bed and see what Devon will do to us tomorrow as it is his day to call the shots.
Cast of Characters:
Me - Now referred to as Spanky thanks to Cousin Dave at 50's Prime Time. 3rd trip.
Michelle - My lovely wife who has had to endure all the changes that I've thrown at her concerning this trip. Is now starting to understand my Disney obsession. 6th trip.
Devon - An eating machine. Just turned 15 but still my baby. 3rd trip.
Jordan - Loves to have things his way. Just turned 12. 3rd trip.
Camryn - A true princess. 3 almost 4 going on 25. Now also referred to as Sugar Booger. Also thanks to Cousin Dave. Willing to try anything once. 1st trip. She is so excited.
Who needs sleep. We can sleep when we get home. We are on vacation and we have things that we need to do. This is my motto and mine alone. No one else in my family understands. They are all for sleeping in and relaxing. But this is vacation. Anyway, we have to arise early because today we must eat with Cinderella. Reservation at 8:20 for a party of five. I had nightmares that I would not be able to get this PS. On the morning exactly 60 days out I had my regular phone and cell phone both calling the WDW-DINE number. I was surprised and relieved when I had this reservation securely in hand. We get to the bus stop just in time to see our bus leave. Seems we always have this luck. No matter how much we try and plan otherwise, we will always just miss the bus. We arrive at the castle a little after 8 and are immediately seated. Where are the princesses? Not a one to be found. No fairy godmother in the lobby, nothing. I have fretted and stewed over getting this reservation and today of all days, there are no princesses. Our waiter soon brings us our croissants and pastries and gives us our choices for breakfast. Of course we all choose the bacon, sausage, eggs, etc.. None of that healthy grain stuff for us. Then it happens. Snow White makes an appearance. My little princess squeals. Then came Belle. And next it was Prince Charming. My three year old daughter is now actually flirting with Prince Charming. Where do they learn this stuff. She's batting her eyes and acting coy. Ten minutes ago she was beating on her brothers and was the biggest Tomboy there was. And now Cinderella makes her grand entrance. Every Prince and Princess in the restaurant is in awe. She has the most captivating eyes. Occasionally we would hear a crow like a rooster. If you looked quick enough you could catch Peter Pan as he made a dash towards the exit. Once, he snuck up behind Cinderella and crowed making her jump. What a riot. Breakfast was magical. Service was great, food was very good, and the characters were definitely worth the meal alone. Total with tip was $77.70. This will definitely be a repeat next visit.
We were done with breakfast right at 9:00. Just in time for the rope drop at Fantasyland. We immediately head to Dumbo and had a great ride. I had forgotten the joy that some of these rides bring. Having a child along who sees everything new for the first time puts it all back in perspective. After that we head to Peter Pan and sail away into Neverland. What a classic ride, I always enjoy this one. A quick dash to the Haunted Mansion and off we go in our Doom Buggy. I was concerned that my daughter may be scared, but she enjoyed this. Especially the hitchhiking ghost. We then walked over to Splash Mountain, grabbed a Fastpass and were off to BTMRR. My daughter rode this but said she did not want to ride it again. We still had a little time to kill before our Fastpass, so off to the gift shops while the older boys went to ride BTMRR again. By the time they got back, off we went to Splash. Fastpass is wonderful. Standby line was about a 40 minute wait. Nothing like walking past all these people and get right in your boat at the front of the line. As we came off the mountain, Brer Bear and Liverlips were there to greet the kids (and adults). Now we were off to Pirates of the Carribean. Another classic that I always enjoy. As we leave, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee graced us with their presence. We head towards Aladdin and are sidetracked by Aladdin and Genie signing autographs. While my wife and daughter wait in line for this, Jordan and I head off for FastPasses for Buzz. We now head back to find the rest of our group. They have completed their quest for the coveted autographs and now Sugar Booger and Devon have headed for the treehouse. They arrive a little later and we head to Tomorrowland. Still some time to kill before Buzz so we hop on the TTA for a nice relaxing ride and great view of land. We now head towards Buzz and I encounter what is the first of many strange practices associated with Fastpass. People get a Fastpass and then stand in front of the line and block other people from getting on while they wait for their time to come around. Do they not understand that the whole purpose is so that you can go and do other things and not stand around and wait. The CM's need to do a better job about keeping the entrances clear so that people who can ride can get into the attraction. We would ask people if they were waiting in line and they would say no that they were just waiting for their time to come around. So we brave it past the lost souls waiting on the clock to move and hop on Buzz. Now I must have had a defective gun. That is my story and I will stick with it because the only person I managed to outscore was my three year old. I've read all the hints and performed them all on trying to achieve the million point score. It had to be the gun. Why don't they fix this so my gun works right!! So now we head over and get a Fastpass for Space Mountain. Return time was 2:00 - 3:00 so we have time to do a lot of stuff between now and then. Off to Carousel of Progress. Sugar Booger must be exhausted because she is now in a comatose sleep. She is gone. After the show we load her sound asleep into the stroller and head to our PS at Tony's for lunch. On the way we run into Dopey. We get Dopey's picture with the sleeping princess. He was so cute nuzzling on her trying to wake her up but with no success. At Tony's my wife and I share a salad and the Scalopine di Pollo al Limone. Quite tasty. Between the two of us we couldn't finish it. Devon had Panino con Pollo sandwich. Jordan had the Calamari appetizer for his meal. Halfway through lunch the princess awoke and was served a cheese pizza. Just a couple of weeks earlier they stopped making the Mickey shaped pizza and replaced it with the plain round variety. Devon had a smoothie for dessert but the rest of us were just to full. I've never had a bad meal here. Total with tip was $60.76.
Big Hint Here Folks: Every time you are on Mainstreet, stop in the camera shop next to Tony's. There are almost always characters in the back with a very small line. We have even seen Cinderella and Snow White in the back. One of the little hidden treasures that most people don't know about.
Time to head to Space Mountain. Just as we get to the loading area they shut down the ride. They tell everyone to leave as it may be quite awhile and our Fastpasses will be good for the rest of the day. We leave and then I get the idea that if we get on TTA we just might be able to see Space Mountain with the lights on. On the way we pick up another Fastpass for Buzz. So off we go and we are duly rewarded. The lights are on and we get to see the entire structure in all of its glory. Back to Buzz and my score has now improved. They have fixed my gun. I got in the 40,000 range. Next we head for a quick trip on It's a Small World. The lines are now starting to build and we decide to head out pretty quick. But first, let's stop by Space Mountain just to check and see if it is running. We see the line forming back at Space Mountain so we assume that the ride is running again. As we get to the loading area I am trying to convince Sugar Booger that she does not have to ride this. She is positive that she wants to ride, so we let her. A great ride but the Princess has now found another attraction that she says she does not want to do. The amazing part is that she is not upset at all, just did not enjoy the ride. I know I would never have ridden it at her age. As we exit Space Mountain the heavens erupt. It's gonna rain now. Oh boy is it gonna rain and rain and rain. We hang out in the Arcade until it looks like it is going to let up. We make a dash for it and make it as far as the overhang around Alien Encounter when Round 2 starts. We hang out hear for awhile and discover one of life's little secrets. If you run down the street in the rain cheering like you are having a good time, people will follow and also cheer. We enjoyed recreating this scene throughout the rest of the week. We finally make it to our bus loading area and head back to the Dolphin for some dry clothes. A very productive day so far. Lots of rides, very little waiting. I can only hope that our luck will hold out.
We rested for awhile and dried out. The weather cleared and we headed off to grab a quick bite before our Illuminations Cruise. We ended up at Beaches and Cream and we decided to just have dessert now and dinner later as it was getting close to time for the Cruise. Five scoops of Ice Cream plus tip came to a grand total $15.20.
We met up with Bill and Sue, their kids, and Bills parents. We had contacted each other through the DIS board. We had a great driver who let each kid have a turn at the wheel driving the boat. We cruised down to MGM before heading back to EPCOT and anchoring under the bridge. We all really enjoyed the show. I'm glad we did this once. I'm not sure I would do it again but it was a completely different perspective from the boat. No crowds and a comfortable place to sit with an unobstructed view.
Our driver dropped us off back at the Boardwalk and we decided to grab a quick bite at ESPN before turning in for the night. Michelle and I shared the Chicken Zingers and Fries. Devon had the Home Run Hot Dog. Jordan and Camryn each had Chicken Fingers and Fries. Food was o.k. and we were tired. Total with tip came to 40.00.
Time to get to bed and see what Devon will do to us tomorrow as it is his day to call the shots.
