Days 1-7 of 8 Days @ WDW - OCD, Characters, EE, Characters, & The Steelers

[KP's Mom]

This is my first trip report – I guess there is a first time for everything. I have been lurking on this board for the past 2 months in preparation for my trip. I must say that reading the various trip reports was more helpful than I ever realized it could be – not to mention entertaining. I was simply amazed that I was at WDW and found myself seeing things and thinking of the likes of Vettechick and Zzub – just to mention a few. You see, my husband and I used to be Vettechik and now we are more like Zzub with traces of Vettechick coming through at times. I hope neither mind my using their names, but for those of you who have spent a great deal of time on this board, that is the best way to describe ourselves. (Granted when we head to Vegas we have no signs of Zzub and are 100% Vettechick – but no kid in Vegas. Anyway, now that you know my background you can continue with this long report. If you do so – it is at your own risk.

ALSO I must add that I am not the person who tried to smuggle beer into the MK. I just read that post and we wouldn't stoop to that level - thought I better clear that up.

Cast me (OCD Planner) – 35
DH (Struck with acute photocitis)– 46
DM (Caught acute photocitis from her DSIL my DH)– 57
DF (in charge of stroller watching and package carrying) – 59
And the star of the show
DD (Previously scared of Chucky Cheese, now suffering from acute character obsession)- 5

The trip began at 8 a.m. on 1-28. Loaded the family truckster and began the 1 1/2 hour drive from Somerset to the Pittsburgh Airport. Trip to the airport was uneventful. Check-in and security as smooth as possible. Quick McD’s lunch and then off to our gate. DD loved watching the planes take off and land and she loved the flight also as it was her first plane ride. Landed in Orlando on time and off to find our driver. We used *********** transportation. I was very happy with their service. 10 minute wait for luggage and we were off in our Cadillac Escalade. We were supposed to have a van but they ran out. Quite a bummer, as we were so looking forward to bouncing around in a van and now are forced to slum it in a Cadillac. We were allotted a 30 minute grocery stop of which we took full advantage. Fruit, junk food, junk breakfast food, beer, wine, beer, and beer. All Star Movies here we come. We prefer to spend our $$ on drinks in the park while staying at a value resort.

Check in at All Star Movies was fine. About a 20 minute wait, but it was 4:00 p.m. so nothing unexpected. We were able to get the adjoining rooms we requested, however, we were not able to “live” in the Toy Story section. We were in the Mighty Ducks section, which wasn’t so bad since the Mighty Duck’s pool was right outside our room. We were pretty far from the bus stop, however, discovered that the AS Music bus stop was about only 100 yards away. Rebels that we are we utilized both throughout the week.

After check-in and 2 beers for my husband, we decided to head to the Magic Kingdom to “check it out.” DD was thrilled with the castle, however, was less than thrilled with the overwhelming crowd lining up to see Spectro. We fought our way through the masses and made it to Tomorrowland. Stitch is my daughter’s favorite character and his Great Escape was calling our name. No wait at all so we proceeded to experience Stitch. I didn’t think the ride was as bad as some do, however, I am a Stitch fan myself, so….Following the Great Escape we headed to ToonTown. We checked out Minnie’s House and then rode Goofy’s Barnstormer. DD wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. She can be a wimp at times. Off to the Hall of Fame. There was a 40 minute wait for the Princesses so we opted for the 10 minute wait for Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. Much to our surprise DD was thrilled to meet Minnie. She was not thrilled about Goofy or Donald. At this point I was disappointed as I began to fear that the entire trip would involve hiding from characters. Fortunately, I was wrong.

The whole crew was hungry since we hadn’t eaten since 11:30 – current time is 7:15 p.m. We headed to Cosmic Rays as we were on the Dining Plan and figured it would be simpler to use a CS. When I handed my husband a Diet Coke he just looked at me. I said, “Did you want Sprite?” He said, “No – beer.” I then informed him that the MK was dry. He was unhappy for a second until he looked at his 5 year old daughter and then he softened up. The food was decent. Not great, not bad, just decent and the amount was more than sufficient. We ate on the patio and were able to see portions of Spectro as they made the turn from Main St. to Liberty Square. At this point everyone was exhausted so we made our way to the Bus Stop for ASM. Only about a 3 minute wait and we were on our way. Cocktails and then off to bed so that we could be at the MK for the “Opening Ceremonies” as described by my DM.

 

[TLinden16]

Welcome to the DIS!

Sounds like you are off to a great start! I can't wait to hear about more of it. Hope the no beer at the Magic Kingdom didn't put too much of a damper on your husband's trip. At least he had that beer back at your resort

 

[dismom9761]

Great first day! I am looking forward to hearing more.

 

[KP's Mom]

Sunday, January 29th – Day 2
Since I was the OCD member of our group I informed everybody that we were leaving our rooms at 7:45. As I had hoped we were gone by 8:10. We had less than a 10 minute wait for the bus. Off to the MK. We were through the turnstiles by 8:45. We hung around and waited for the “Opening Ceremonies.” My 5 year old was very impressed with the show and with Mickey’s arrival on the train.

Upon entering the park we headed straight for Fantasyland and Dumbo. Even at 9:10 there was already a 10 minute wait. My DM and DD rode and enjoyed Dumbo. Following Dumbo we walked on to Peter Pan, IASW (my daughter enjoyed it, I can’t say it would make my Top 10, or Top 20, or Top 30, etc), Snow White, Got a FP for Pooh (my first FP ever – in case I didn’t mention this was only my 2nd trip to WDW – the first was 20 years ago.). We then waited for 20 minutes to meet Ariel. It was worth it. My daughter loved the play area, the weather was perfect (low 70’s), and Ariel was great. Well worth the wait when you have a 5 year old. Following Ariel, we took a spin on the Carousel, Mad Tea Party and then utilized our FP’s. My father could not understand why someone wouldn’t use an FP. Lunch was at 11 at PVH as we were too lazy to walk to another section of the park. The food was above average for CS, nothing great though.

Following lunch we hit Philharmagic. I thought it was excellent. DD wasn’t as thrilled. After she took the glasses off she was much better. She just held her ears as it was pretty loud. Following lunch we walked over to Liberty Square to try to find Woody and Jessie. We were successful. Got there just in time for their break. They were back within 5 minutes and DD was thrilled again. More autographs.

As we were waiting for Woody and Jessie DD discovered pin trading. I had purchased a lanyard and some pins from ebay to get her started. She loved it. Of course she attempted to obtain every Stitch pin she could get her hands on. She occasionally threw in a Princess or Minnie for good measure.

We decided to head back to ASM and take advantage of the beautiful weather and the burning desire to have alcohol by the pool. By now it was pushing 80 – or at least it felt like it was pushing 80. My daughter loves to swim and was in her glory. DH swam with her while I worked. I think I forgot to mention that this trip came about as my need to go to Orlando for business. I had to do a 4 hour presentation in Lake Buena Vista. With my company paying for my flight it seemed like a real bargain to take 4 additional people, pay for 8 days of park hopper passes for 5 people, and 16 hotel rooms. But, hey, I got a free flight. Sorry, I digress. Anyway….I desperately needed to spend about an hour preparing so I did so by the pool with the loud ASM music blaring in the background and Sam Adams in my mug. One can imagine how well I concentrated. By the way, I did swim for a few minutes and the pool was not exactly warm.

We had PS or ADR’s or whatever they are at 1900 for the Cinderella dinner. Back to the bus, then the monorail and off to meet Cinderella. We arrived 10 minutes early so we did look around a bit. The Grand Floridian is nice, but not my cup of tea. My DH felt he fit in rather well, however, he did have 4 beers during the afternoon so his judgment was slightly clouded. When we arrived at the dinner Perla was doing a meet and greet outside of the dining room. DD was thrilled. She kept saying, “Cinderelli, Cinderelli” to Perla. We were seated within 5 minutes of arriving. We were told that they had some bad news for us. Prince Charming, Cindy, Suzy, and Perla would be there as scheduled, however, the Fairy Godmother was unable to make it. My daughter was slightly disappointed until they told us that Princess Aurora would be there instead. Again, just as disappointed as when we were forced to bypass the van. Again, I digress. The meal was very good. In fact, I think it was one of my favorites. Suzy, Prince Charming, Cinderella, and Aurora all made it to our table within 45 minutes. My daughter loved it. I will try to post pictures as soon as I have time. The highlight of the evening was when she finished talking with Prince Charming and looked at me and said, “He called me Princess.” The expression on her face and the tone of her voice was priceless.

We left the GF and arrived at the MK around 7:20. Just enough time to enter the park and obtain a decent viewing spot for Wishes. We watched from the Tomorrowland Bridge so that DD could see Tinkerbell. Since DD is not into loud noises I brought earplugs for her. They worked wonderfully. She held her ears, but actually watched the show and loved Tinkerbell. I had an early morning on Monday so we left the park following the fireworks even though it was EMH. Back to ASM and early to bed.

 

[pumba]

what a wonderful time ........I love your DD and I can imagine her face with Prince Charming..........thanks for the report

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wonderful start
cant wait to hear about your presentaiton LOL
cant wait to read more

 

[KP's Mom]

Monday, January 30 – Day 3 – Otherwise known as Daddy’s Day of Glory

The crew – minus me – awoke to pouring rain (I was long gone at 6:30 a.m. – not my cup of tea). Fortunately there were no a.m. plans as they decided to just hang around the hotel until I returned. I had planned to be back between 1-2.

The presentation I was doing was for the Plant Managers who work for the same company that I do. It was their Annual Meeting and I was one of the people sent to torture them. I knew that they were through with meetings at noon on Sunday and were heading to EPCOT. Knowing the PM’s as I do coming into the meeting I assumed that at least half would be hung over. I was correct in my assessment. Due to flight changes for 2 of the guys I had to be finished by 11 a.m. Worked out well for me. I cut the meeting short and made it back my 12. I took a cab to and from the presentation. Since I was going to break out of WDW my DH requested that I find some reasonably priced beer while I was on the outside. Only we will stay at a value resort so that we only pay $53 for a room and at the same time rent a refrigerator that costs us $11.00 per night for the sole purpose of keeping beer cold (My husband did make a small space for my daughter’s juice, that’s my guy.) We are always looking for a value. Anyway…I was at the LBV Marriott Village and had no trouble finding a cab for my return trip (I called for the cab to take me to the presentation, I wasn’t too concerned about how I was getting back). When I asked the cab driver to stop for beer he just looked at me, I thought that he may not have understood so I began, “Beer, Wine, Sangria, Booze.” As I was saying this I was making a drinking motion and he started to laugh. He said, “I understand what you mean.” I said, “Well you sort of looked at me strange.” He replied, “Well, it isn’t everyday that you pick up a business lady (he called ME a lady – funny enough right there) and she asks you to stop for a 6 pack at 11 a.m.” I just smiled and thought to myself, “Baby, I’m getting more than a 6 pack, we have 6 nights to go.” He wheeled into a 7-Eleven and I began the dash for beer. “Wait, No Yuengling, they had it at the grocery store so I know they have it in this area. What do I do? Do I disappoint my husband and buy him something else, or do I try another store? The meter’s running and we are thrifty.” I decided to go with Sam Adams for him. That is what I drink and if he didn’t want it I would just have to take care of it. Miller Lite for Pops. After I take my time contemplating this decision I rush to the counter and start pulling money out of my purse. The lady just kind of looked at me. While choosing the beer I was in no hurry, however, now that the choice was made I had to get back to my cab to save $$. When I came out with my 2 6-packs and 1 12 pack the driver just smiled. We were at ASM in no time, but for some reason my cab fare was $25. I still feel the extra $10 was justified – that is less than $.45 a beer – I think. Well worth it. My next dilemna occurred when I arrived at ASM. As I stated we were in the Mighty Ducks Building. Pretty dang far from the lobby. It was lightly raining and I was carrying a briefcase, purse, and 24 beers (not neatly packed into a case mind you). My arms were numb, but somehow I made the endless trek to my room. I was greeted with a big smile from my husband and not even one complaint about the brand of beer. I knew it would be a good day.

While I was gone the rest of my clan decided to head to the ASM FoodCourt for breakfast. Apparently it was very average or maybe slightly below average. Whatever, small kink in the plan. My mother and daughter toured the ASM resort when the downpour became a drizzle. They proceeded to take pictures with the giant Woody (does that sound right?), Buzz, and the rest of the Toy Story items. They also managed to build a crown at the resort store – Donald’s something or other.

After I returned we headed to EPCOT. We entered the park around 1:15. After obtaining a stroller I parked the crew near the Character Connection and obtained FP’s for Soarin. We only had an hour to burn. We then entered the Character Connection. It was excellent. No lines whatsoever. DD met Minnie – again, Mickey, Chip/Dale, and Pluto. She loved it. By now we had the procedure down to a science. I remove the lid from the pen, open the autograph book to the appropriate page, and hand the Photopass to the Photographer. DH and DM begin snapping pictures like maniacs. Upon the signing of the autograph I enter the scene and grab the book so that we will not risk the book covering any essential portion of the official picture. DF just stands there with the stroller. By the end of the trip we were like robots.

Innoventions East was our next stop. Nothing there thrilled any of us until….the virtual baseball game. I saw my husband and father both immediately come to life. They were going to send the 5 year old DD to the plate to show off her stuff. There were 4 kids in line in front of her, probably a 10-minute wait. That didn’t matter, we can’t wait for the Princesses, but this is baseball and this 5 year old girl can play. OK, I will admit that mom is rather sports oriented too and the need to show my kids stuff was also eating at me. There was a little boy who hit before my DD – he was about 7 or 8 and he was good. Very impressive to watch that swing. Anyway…the 5-year-old steps up to the plate, looks at Daddy, he nods his head and she assumes her stance. She did miss the first two but after that hit the ball rather well. She had two homeruns and those walking by were impressed – or at least they pretended to be impressed by clapping. As we exited the building Dad was doing everything in his power to keep from smiling. Enough competitiveness, back to some Disney Magic.

We had time to hit Figment prior to our FP’s for Soarin. DD liked it. Esp. the skunk smell. She likes Princesses, sports, and the smell of skunks. We can’t quite figure her out. Off to Soarin. Again, my father could not understand why people did not obtain FP’s. The wait was 50 minutes and he felt bad walking past them. I had no problem with it. I don’t know if some people are afraid the machine will eat their little card and they will never see it again. If anyone has a good answer to this question please advise. BTW Test Track was closed and Mission Space had a 10-minute wait so I can’t imagine they already had an FP for another ride. We loved Soarin – surprise. We put this on our list of must repeat attractions.

It is now 3:30 and we decided to head to Canada for our 4:00 ADR at LeCellier. While waiting we picked up a passport for my daughter and visited the Kidcot Stop. She simply colored her mask while we waited for our table. It worked perfectly. LeCellier was great. I would go back without hesitation – provided I was on the Dining Plan again. DM, DF, and I had the Cheese Soup appetizer and it was as good as everybody on this board has claimed it is. My husband ordered a salad. Since DD was entitled to an app we ordered her the shrimp cocktail. Wow, the cocktail sauce was great. Absolutely great. Entrée’s were good also. I had the Petite Filet, as did DM, we both really enjoyed it. My father had the salmon and said it was good. DH had some big honkin steak as he felt the 7oz filet would not be sufficient. He said his steak was average. I tried to explain quality over quantity but as usual in one ear out the other. Desert was decent too. I must mention that we really enjoyed the beer and wine. I loved the Pale Ale they had on tap. I loved it 3 times actually. I determined that this was my night to cut loose. Work was over and it was time to relax.

Following dinner we began our journey around the world. We managed to hit each Kidcot Stop and my daughter completed her mask, passsport, and obtained the official congrats certificate from Goofy. The Kidcot Stops are a great idea. They really kept her interest.

When we entered the UK we discovered Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Alice at the Toy Store in the UK More autographs and pictures. DD is now thrilled to death and looking in every corner of every store for characters.

Next stop is France where DM and I decide wine is in order. I have no idea what I had, I just know that it went down rather well.

DH was not impressed with the choice of drinks in France so he held off another 50 yards until he got to Morocco. The Moroccan Amber Beer is good. While watching the drummers in Japan my DM discovered that she did not have her camera. Following the French wine she thought she left her camera in the restroom in Morocco. The 50-yard dash begins as my DH and DF had no clue what we were doing. We checked the restroom – no camera. She thought she hung it on the door. I left the restroom and entered the Tangierine Café and inquired about a lost camera. They all started to smile and produced the camera. DM was so grateful. They (all who worked in the Café) insisted on a picture. They were a great bunch of people. The camera was brand new and could easily have brought in over $200. We dodged a bullet on that one. That could have really put a damper on our trip.

Quick trip through America and Italy then off to Germany for more – you guessed it – beer. We then hit China and did decide to ride Maelstrom in Norway. We all enjoyed it. No wait, walked right on. When we hit Mexico we decided to ride El Rio since there was no wait there either. I also thought that was decent.

At this point we have had it so we drug ourselves back to the BusStop and back to ASM.

 

[dismom9761]

It sounds like you had another wonderful day. My DDs liked the kidcot stations too.

 

[KNEIPPK]

great cannot wait for more

 

[KP's Mom]

January 31, - Day 4

This is the day DD has been waiting for. Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. Actually, our entire twisted family loves Stitch. We can relate to him. ADR’s at 9:20. Plans to leave by 8:15. That didn’t happen. It was 8:40 when we left our room and the lines for the bus to the MK were extremely long. We were about 2 buses away from departure. At that point I spotted a taxi and asked the driver if he could take 6 to the Polynesian. 15 minutes and $20 later we are at the Poly with time to spare. A quick walk through one of the shops and my DD and DM began to conspire regarding the purchase of a hula outfit for DD. That would have to wait – the clock is ticking. We had managed to avoid Stitch prior to this breakfast so I was very excited to see my daughter’s reaction. You would have thought she spotted Elvis. We had an excellent breakfast – both the food and the atmosphere were fantastic. Characters were around often. We saw Mickey, Pluto, and Stitch. Lilo was simply doing the goodbye thing at the door. When it came time to do the parade (or whatever it is) my daughter got to lead with Mickey. Again, another highlight. 55 pictures and 60 minutes later we are beyond full and on cloud nine. Back to the Hula Skirt shop for the ultimate purchase of the trip. It is extremely cute. A little more $$ than I would spend on such a thing, but Grandma’s are Grandma’s. Not much I can do about it.

After leaving the Poly, which I loved, it puts the GF to shame IMHO, we headed to the MK. We arrived just in time for Cinderellabration. I thought it was ok at best. Not really my thing. DD made it through ¾ of the show and then decided she had enough so we started the journey to Adventureland. The wait for Aladdin was less than 10 minutes so DH, DD, and DM rode. I scouted the area in search of Aladdin and Jasmine and managed to find them. After exiting the ride my daughter patiently stood in the line to meet A&J as we began to call them. She even got a kiss from A. Again, she was thrilled – Stitch, Aladdin, and a hula skirt in one day. What more could a little girl want?

The Jungle Cruise was next. Our guide was actually pretty funny, at least my whole crew thought so. It was enjoyable, but I would like to experience it at night sometime. Following the JC we spotted Peter Pan and Wendy. Again, pictures and autographs. At the time DD wasn’t sure if she wanted to visit Mr. Smee and Captain Hook so we took a ride on POC while she made up her mind. We planned to watch the parade in Frontierland and had some time to burn so we decided to take the train to Toontown to check out the Princess line. As we were entering the station the following characters appeared at the side of the building beside the train station – Abu (big highlight), Rabbit, BaLoo, Prince John, and Mr. Smee. This was quite a find as there were only about 5 kids around.

We decided we better hop the next train to get to our parade viewing spots. Again, no Princess Room. While Daddy and Pap secured our vantage point, DM, DD, and I went in search of Captain Hook. DD had decided that she wouldn’t be afraid of him. We were successful and obtained another autograph and, of course, more pictures.

DD really enjoyed the parade. The character interaction during the parades is much better than I could ever have imagined. Simply excellent. Following the parade we decided to catch the Country Bears. DD caught a nap while we waited. She did enjoy the show though.

We decided to head over to Epcot for our 5:30 ADR’s at The Coral Reef. On our way out DD spotted Goofy so we went through the routine again. Pinocchio and Gepetto (please excuse my spelling) appeared also. More autos and photos. As we exited the park Minnie and Mickey were posing for pictures in front of the Train Station – on the outside. I didn’t know they did this. Anyway, more photos.

We hopped the monorail to Epcot and had just enough time to hit Spaceship Earth. My daughter really enjoyed journeying inside the golfball.

Dinner at Coral Reef was pretty good. Nothing that special though. The atmosphere was excellent, however, if I had not been on the Dining Plan I would not have been happy with the prices. Overall I supppose it was a pleasurable experience. Bar bill alone was $65. Seems a little steep considering nobody was even remotely buzzed.

Following dinner DD had had enough. My parents took her back to the hotel and my DH and I headed over to the ESPN Zone to watch the Pitt Basketball Game. We stayed for one pitcher of Killians and one half of the game as we were exhausted too and our team was looking pitiful. We were entirely too lazy to take the boat back to EPCOT and walk back through FW so we went taxi hunting. Didn’t take long and we were on our way home.

I must note that today began my husband’s official Steelers week at Disney. He began sporting Steelers gear and thoroughly enjoyed giving the thumb’s up, high fives, Here We Go Steeler’s, and every other thing that guys do to many of the other football obsessed father’s. It was kind of neat. It gave my husband and father something to really look forward to. Steeler Fan Spotting. When we got back to the room we had to inventory his clothes. Could he possibly make his 4 Steelers shirts – one of which was dirty – last until Sunday? We reassured him that we would do laundry at some point. He smiled, finished his beer, and slept like a baby.

Day 5 @ MGM coming up.

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoying reading your reports ~ Thanx for posting.

 

[KP's Mom]

February 1 – Day 5
MGM Day – This is the one day that I had trouble planning. For example, choosing the day, the restaurants, etc. Things had not come together as well as they had during the previous 3 park days.

We had decided to sleep in and head to the park at our leisure. Surprisingly everybody was ready to head to the bus stop by 8:45. The bus stop was empty except for the MGM line. It was 2 buses deep. Considering it was not an EMH day, I found it mysterious. We waited approx. 20 minutes and a bus finally arrived, however, the crowd had doubled. As we were debating whether or not to squeeze onto the bus another pulled up. We opted to head to that bus. We really never found out what caused the problem. Fortunately this was our most unplanned day so it worked out just fine.

We arrived at MGM around 9:30. When we entered the park we intended to head to Playhouse Disney to try to see the first show. As we were venturing in that direction my daughter spotted Minnie and Goofy. Since we had seen the two of them a number of times I convinced her and the rest of our crew that we should just head to the show. I figured there would be plenty of opportunities to see them later.

As we turned the corner I spotted Donald and Daisy. I said, “Come on, move it. Daisy and Donald are right over there.” The rest of my entourage just stopped and looked at me. DH, “I thought we needed to get to Playhouse Disney.” Me, “Don’t you people know anything about Disney. Daisy is rare, she is one of the hardest characters to find.” DM, “Why, How do you know that?” Me, “I just do, I read it on some website.” Now this is where I lied. I just wasn’t ready to face my family and tell them that I am completely addicted to this Disney Discussion Board. Anyway…we headed for the Daisy line. After about 10 minutes the CM or CH or whatever they are announced that Daisy and Donald would be taking a break in 10 minutes, but Goofy would be there. I immediately began counting people. Would we make it? As I began to glare at the parents who just didn’t have the autograph book/photo routine down to a science I noticed that the lady in front of me was doing the same thing. We then shared all of our sarcastic comments. It really did help during such a stressful time. She was a former Disney CM during college – worked in a candy store. The stress of the situation did not allow me to completely focus on our conversation; thus I am lacking details. We were fortunate and got to meet Daisy with about 2 minutes to spare. Stroke of luck.

Due to the change of plans my DH and I sent my parents on TGMR while we waited for the coveted photo and autograph. We had some time to spare before we were meeting them at Playhouse Disney – now opting for the 2nd show of the day. We simply walked around Animation Courtyard (I think that is what it is called) and did some shopping. We had pretty decent seats, or should I say spots, for Playhouse Disney. DD really enjoyed it. I believe she was the perfect age. Another year or two and I don’t know if it would have had the same allure.

Following Playhouse Disney DH was hungry – we hadn’t been eating breakfast, just something light in the room, the early lunches were working out for us. As I mentioned, our meal plan for Day 5 was rather screwed up. My mother desperately wanted to go to Mama Melrose for dinner and I had previously told my daughter that we could get pizza at TSPP. We figured we could handle the similarities, although none of us are big carb eaters – not that you would know it to look at us. TSPP was decent and DD loved the atmosphere.

After lunch we walked around the corner to check out the Toy Story characters. There were only 2 other kids over there. Buzz, Green Army Man, Woody, and Jessie were all there. DD loved it. This was one of my highlights of the trip. The Green Army Man signed her autograph book, “Green Army Man.” I thought and still think that is hilarious. I know it makes perfect sense, but to me it is very funny. In fact I am laughing right now.

We walked in to the Beauty and the Beast theater (whatever it is called) 15 minutes before show time. We had pretty decent seats and Four for a Dollar began their performance about 30 seconds after we sat down. It was perfect timing. DM loved the show, DD liked it, DH, DF, and I thought it was ok.

Following B&B we walked over to check out TOT. RNR had a 5 minute wait (I must note that MGM was not issuing any FP’s – none were necessary.) so DM, DF, and I decided to ride. We walked on. I liked it a lot, esp the beginning. In fact, it ranked as one of my favorite roller coasters ever. Please note that rank lasted less than 24 hours as I got to ride EE, but that info will come later. For some reason we decided not to ride TOT, it also had a 5-minute wait. After we left the park I asked DM why we didn’t ride TOT and neither of us have a clue.

Next was VOTLM. I really enjoyed this show. I thought it was excellent. DD also loved it. Actually I think everyone did. The guys definitely enjoyed it more than B&B. Apparently we are not the most cultured folk.

DD is now begging to go back to the TSPP Arcade. Thank God MGM is the smallest park. We passed the hat a number of times. After a few games at the Arcade we went to the HISTK Movie Set Adventure. I was not impressed. It was virtually impossible to watch a kid. We had 4 adults trying to keep track of 1 child. I even rode the slide while trying to keep her in range. Not pretty. We didn’t stick around very long.

Parade time – we found a decent spot, in the shade, close to the beginning of the parade. I thought this was an excellent parade with good character interaction. We all enjoyed it, or I should say we all enjoyed watching DD. Following the parade we realized that JoJo and Goliath would be available from 4:15-4:45. No choice but to track them down. My DH did request beer on the way, which I found at Min & Bill’s or Min & Someone’s Dockside Beerhouse. We made it to JoJo right on time. A short line had already formed. Auto’s & pictures and movin on.

We had some time to spare before our 6:00 ADR at Mama’s. We had opted to skip Fantasmic, as we weren’t sure if DD would enjoy it – plus we were all looking forward to an early night. We decided to take in LMA. DH really enjoyed it; DF, DM, and I also liked it. DD thought it was a little loud. I would have to agree with her on that observation.

DM wanted to ride Star Tours before dinner. DM, DD, DF, and I rode. DH just did his usual – hung out. None of us were impressed.

We were seated immediately at MM. DM enjoyed her meal. I was glad as she really wanted to eat there. My food was good; I just wasn’t in an Italian mood. I think my DH and DF felt the same way I did.

Following dinner we went back to the resort. DM decided to do some laundry. DD, DH, DF, and I went to the arcade. We had a nightcap, or 2, and early to bed as we wanted to be at AK by 8:45.

Steeler Fan Spotting Note – With only 5 days remaining until the SuperBowl we were required to sport our AFC Champions tee shirts. Of course my DM made sure we all had one. Now we were the people hearing, “Go Steelers, Here We Go Steelers, Big Ben Rocks, etc.” DH and DF were having the best vacation ever.

 

[Melissa0575]

Yea!! Here We Go Steelers! (I'm originally from Greensburg,PA) I plan on wearing all my Steelers championship garb when we go to Disney in May.

 

[KP's Mom]

February 2 – Day 6
Animal Kingdom is on the agenda for today. AK was scheduled to close at 5:00 p.m. so we wanted to get there as soon as possible. I was extremely excited to go to AK. MGM was a disappointment to me and I figured AK would be the same. My assumptions could not have been farther from the truth. AK is an excellent park.

DH was excited as we were all wearing our football jerseys. Hines Ward, Willie Parker, Heath Miller, and (2) Ben Roethlisbergers were at the bus stop bright and early.

We arrived and were inside the gate by 8:50. As we were entering a CM yelled, “Hey since you are Pittsburgh fans I am going to let you ride EE today.” I looked over at him and he said, “Actually anyone can ride it today. I’d get there early though. We aren’t sure how long we are going to keep it open.” Since this trip was about the kid I figured that riding EE probably would not happen as I was anticipating 30+ minute waits.

We were able to see the opening/rope drop. It was cute. DD really liked it. When we entered the park everybody either headed to Asia or Africa. We decided to go to Dinoland. DD immediately wanted to ride Triceratops Spin. Absolutely nobody else there so she and DM, and DF walked-on. Following that ride DM and I decided that we wanted to ride Dinosaur. We sent DD, DF, and DH to the Boneyard Playground. I actually liked Dinosaur. DM thought it was ok. DD would have hated it. She would probably still be in shock. Glad she skipped it.

We then headed to The Boneyard. Couldn’t find any of our people. As it turns out they couldn’t find The Boneyard. Simply amazing. Nobody around and they couldn’t get from TS to The Boneyard. After searching for DH and DF we then had to spend a few minutes in the playground. IMHO it was a much better play area than the MGM HISTK play area. Much easier to keep an eye on little ones.

We decided it was time to head to KS. The high temp was to be mid-80’s and we wanted to experience the safari before it was too warm for the animals to be out and about. On the way we came across EE. The wait was only 10 minutes and the CM said it was actually less than that. DM, DF, and I decided to ride. What the heck? Well, let me tell you it was awesome. The best coaster ever. We all loved it. DM and I decided we would ride again if it were still open later in the afternoon. DD and DH waited patiently. I must say, for a 5-year-old she was very patient during the few times we wanted to ride something.

The next plan was KS. We were going to FP, but the wait was only 5 minutes. The Safari was nice. Everyone enjoyed it. We did a quick walk through the MJT. Also, nice.

11:30 and time for lunch. DH is a big rib eater so I planned on eating at FTBBQ. The weather was absolutely perfect so eating outside was not an issue. DH and I had ribs, DM and DF had chicken sandwiches, and DD had a hot dog. This was by far the best CS we had during our trip. The desert was excellent. When we ordered the chocolate cake we assumed it would be the same prepackaged cake we got at the other parks. Not the case at all. It was great. And beer too. It is imperative when eating ribs, that beer be available to wash it down.

I must note that DD got to meet Flik near the TOL during our mid morning travels. Again, a highlight we didn’t expect.

After lunch we walked to Camp Minnie Mickey. FOTLK was scheduled to begin at 1:00 and it was 12:40. We decided to get a few autographs before the show, as there were so few people in the park we figured we would not have any trouble getting a seat. 2 characters from Brother Bear were there along with Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Chip & Dale, and Pluto – all within 15 minutes. DH was happy, as we were able to get group pictures with Mickey. He was determined to get the abovementioned picture since we were sporting Steeler gear.

We walked in to the 1:00 FOTLK show just in time. The show was excellent. Everyone enjoyed it.

Character Landing was next on the agenda. After meeting, Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet (the first time she met Piglet) we decided that another ride on EE might be in order before the parade – if the wait is not too long. As we were attempting to make a plan a gentleman in a Heath Miller jersey came up to us. “I have FP’s for EE. We aren’t staying. Since you are Pittsburgh fans I thought you might want them.” Pittsburgh fans ain’t fools. We thanked him profusely and took the FP’s. FYI – for those non-football obsessed readers, Heath Miller is Pittsburgh’s rookie TE.

DM and I headed to EE after physically taking DH, DF, and DD to The Boneyard. We did make a quick stop at Island Mercantile to see Lilo and Stitch. I was really glad we made this stop as my favorite picture from the trip was taken at this time. My daughter wanted to show Stitch her Stitch doll. He took it and put it in his ear. She loved it. Stitch rocks. We used our FP’s on EE and were able to ride so quickly we decided to ride again, as stand-bye was still only 10 minutes. It was excellent again. We figured thrice was enough so back to TB. I can’t say enough about this ride. It is absolutely the best.

We were thinking about finding viewing spots for the parade when DD announced she really wanted to swim. It was very hot and beer by the pool sounded wonderful. We could have stayed and hit the pool later, but DM was obsessed with seeing Spectro later in the evening. Saturday Spectro wasn’t looking good as it was at 9:00 and we knew we would need to be back early since we were leaving early Sunday.

Back to ASM and to the pool. It was great – relaxing. Around 5:45 we decided to go back to MK to find a spot for Spectro. We got to the park around 6:20 and there was a great spot right inside – it was just calling our names. DD didn’t mind sitting in the stroller, eating popcorn, while we waited for the parade. DM and I did some shopping on Main St. DM loved the parade so we were glad we attended. DD liked it too – we all did, but it isn’t the same character interaction as the other parades. You would think we would have had enough of the characters by now. In retrospect it was a nice parade, I would recommend it for anyone, however, it is not one of my must-sees for my next trip.

We still had not eaten anything for dinner. Cosmic Rays was not an option again, Pecos Bill’s was closed, and Casey’s was packed. We decided to leave the park and come up with Plan B. DM really wanted to go to DTD. We reluctantly jumped on a bus to CS and then a bus to DTD. By now DD was out cold. Earl of Sandwich was close to the bus stop. We were in luck. The place was busy, but not overly crowded. The food was excellent and – they serve beer. The CM’s (are they still CM’s at EOS?) were confused on what was and was not covered on the DDP. We got it straightened out and enjoyed our meal. DD is still out cold. I went in search of a stroller. I could not read that damn map for the life of me. I was everywhere until I found one and then I had to sign my life away to get it.

DM and I shopped in WOD, Team Mickey, Disney Memories (the scrapbook store) and the Christmas Store. DF and DH just sat on a bench while DD slept. Following the shopping we immediately headed back to ASM for some much-needed rest.

 

[vettechick99]

I love making it into trip reports! How about next time you get me a room so I have more screen time?

I look forward to reading your report!

 

[KP's Mom]

I love making it into trip reports! How about next time you get me a room so I have more screen time?

Can you handle All Star Movies? As you know we are value resort people. If you decide to simply sleep in our bathtub we will have more cash for booze and you will have star-billing in my next trip report. You have approximately 11 months to make your decision.

 

[KP's Mom]

February 3 – Day 7
A very steady rain began to fall late last night. No problem, the weatherperson says the heavy rain will be out of the area by 8:00 a.m. We must have been watching the Phoenix weather station, as it rained steadily throughout the day. DD really enjoyed the park opening we experienced at the MK, so we tried to hit it again – remember we still think it is going to stop raining by in the a.m. We arrived at MK in plenty of time, Mickey arrived on the train, but it was raining so no ZipADee junk.

We headed straight to Tomorrowland. DD really wanted to drive the racecars and anytime we were near them the wait was over 40 minutes. I figured we were safe, as no other morons would be driving in the rain. I was right. As we entered Tomorrowland DD spotted, you guessed it, Stitch. A hug, photo, and the two of them then began to jump in the puddles together. Another highlight for DD – and the rest of us. Mrs. Incredible – a.k.a. ElastaGirl – a.k.a. Helen was also there. More pictures and a brand new autograph/stamp. We almost stopped carrying the book as we thought we had just about covered everybody. We would have been in some deep *&(% with DD if we didn’t have the book. Off to the Speedway. DD loved the ride although I think I should have requested maintenance on the car when we were done. She really gave it a workout – less than impressive behind the wheel.

DM wanted to ride SM so she and I headed in that direction while DH, DF, and DD went to ride Stitch. In 1986 I loved Space Mountain, in 2006 I couldn’t wait for it to end. Definitely not on the agenda again, at least until DD is ready to ride. Now it is raining very hard. We had to break out our Ponchos. $2.00 each with a neat fold-up pouch. I don’t think I can say where I purchased them as I hate when my posts get the *** from the moderators. It makes me feel as though I have broken a serious law. Other than speeding I prefer not to break the law. Anyway, I would highly recommend purchasing at home as the Disney version is a bit pricier. PLUS – who wants to look like everyone else? It is boring to wear a clear poncho with the mouse on the back when you can sport a bright red or bright blue version. Let’s just say it was very easy to spot each other.

The plan was to get to ToonTown for rope drop, however, since we were in a torrential downpour the TTA was looking inviting. I actually enjoyed the ride, or maybe I enjoyed being dry. DD loved it. She was very excited that she got to enter SM. All of a sudden Zzub pops into my mind. I began to listen, waiting, then I hear it – near the end of the ride, “Paging Mr. Morrow, Tom Morrow.” I snicker to myself. Still pouring so the COP is the next logical place to go. I enjoyed that too, as did the rest of the adults. DD was not overly thrilled. I tried to get her to take interest in the dog, (another move I learned from Zzub) but the princesses were calling her name.

Wait, what do I see? Buzz Lightyear is open. It had been scheduled for refurbishment throughout our entire stay. Wow! I am thrilled at this discovery, however, nobody else in my entourage was enthused. They just didn’t get it. This was another big break for us. Certainly not as big as riding EE, but equal to the Escalade over the van and Princess Aurora over the Fairy Godmother. Lack of pre-trip research = loss of excitement when the unexpected happens. As we are heading to Buzz, Mr. Incredible (Bob) decides to join Helen. We stand in line and I hand my PhotoPass to the photographer. A non-English speaking gentleman shoves his girls at Bob. As the CM is telling them to wait their turn the NES father is pushing them forward. The girls understood the CM as they were fighting to stay back. Before I realize what has happened the PhotoPass photographer has snapped a picture and gives my card to the English-speaking mom of the NES dad. Now I certainly don’t mean to offend anybody who does not speak English, but when a CM is putting her arm in front of your children, you do not push them through and then look confused because you didn’t understand her verbal message. Her physical message was quite clear. As soon as I realize what has happened I approach the mother and tell her she has my card. She just looked at me. The CM says, “Your husband pushed your kids ahead of this little girl and our photographer didn’t realize she did not have your card. Please give this lady (again I am called a lady) her card back.” Now you must keep in mind that we have many, many, pictures on this card and intend to buy the $100 CD so that we may print to our hearts delight. The lady then turns and hands me my card, and her card. She actually had her own. She said, “I don’t know which one I had before she handed me the second card.” Now, I have been so relaxed this trip, overly relaxed, but this was gonna put me over the edge. I simply said, “I’ll just take both.” She said, “OK, I don’t know what it is for anyway.” As it turned out she had just been given the card during Stitch Photos and she could get them retaken. It all worked out, but it could have been a catastrophe. I realize we could have gone to the photo print area or whatever it is, and had the cards read via the computer, but that wasn’t the point. The guy was clueless and I hate clueless people regardless of what language they speak.

Back to Buzz…What an original ride! We all really enjoyed it. Even with my years of video game experience I still stunk the place up. I think I spent too much time gawking at everything and spinning the cart in an attempt to ruin my DH’s score.

DH was hungry, as usual. Due to the excessive rain we deviated from the plan to eat at CHH or PB. Back to Cosmic Rays. The food was ok, but the atmosphere was great – DRY.

Off to ToonTown. We had to visit the Princess Room at the HOF, as this was our last MK day. The line was 20 minutes long, but we had nothing better to do so we decided to wait. For those of you not familiar with the TTHOF there are 3 lines. One line is for Mickey’s friends, the second is for the Hundred Acre Wood gang, and the third is for the Princess Room. We visited the HOF 3 times during our trip and each time the Princess Line was 4 times longer than the others. There was the guy in front of us by himself. We found that odd. Then I notice a little girl waving at him from the first line. She goes into the room and we continue to wait. After 5 minutes she and her mother come running past us as she enters the 2nd line. Again, she waves to the guy in front of us. We are getting very close to entering and I hear commotion behind us. Mom and the little girl are trying to bust through everybody to get to “Dad” who is in front of us. Apparently we were not the only people who realized what was happening as a wall began to form behind us. The lady kept saying, “Excuse Me.” “Dad” kept frantically waving to them and nobody would let them go past. They finally simply jumped into the other line, walked past everyone, and jumped in line with “Dad.” He actually stated that he couldn’t believe how rude the people were when they didn’t let them through. What a *******. Anyway…. in to see the Princesses. We were slightly disappointed when we walked in and saw only 2. Cinderella and Jasmine. We had seen both earlier in the trip and were really hoping to catch Snow White or Belle. Oh Well, DD didn’t seem to mind too much.

The railroad was not operating which foiled my master plan to ride to Main St. Station and get out while we were still semi-dry. We now begin the dash to Main St., to the bus stop, and back to ASM.

At the hotel we spent the next few hours packing and drinking. Hoop Dee Doo was on the agenda for tonight. We wanted to be prepared for the free beer. We figured that if we drank a decent amount of non-free beer prior to the free beer we would appreciate the free beer ($50 per person) even more. Back to the bus stop and back to the MK. Right on time for the boat and we are on our way. At the first stop everybody on the boat was in an uproar. “Do we get off here for HDD? Where do we go? My directions say we need to take this boat, get off at the first stop, and then take a bus. What if we are late?” I just wanted to stand up and scream; “Don’t you people do any pre-trip research. Snap out of it.” Instead I just sat and rolled my eyes. My 4 followers just turned and looked at me and I shook my head. We remained in our seats and had zero panic.

The boat docks at stop 2 and a miracle occurred. The rain ended. Check in for HDD and off to the strategically placed pin traders. 2 pins later and the dinner bell rings. Our waiter was ok. He looked at me like I was crazy when I immediately requested a pitcher of beer. Apparently you have to request a single beer first so that you actually have a glass to use when they do bring a pitcher. Who’d a thought? In college we just passed the pitcher. We all enjoyed HDD. DD loved it. She laughed like, well, I don’t know what she laughed like, but she laughed a lot. Our table was in the back. Perfect, anytime you have free beer you need to be close to the restrooms. It was a great show. Well worth the two TS.

Caught the boat, caught the bus, stopped at the arcade and off to bed.