got2travel
Disney lover
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2004
- Messages
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Recap: Trip Details
Dec 8-13, 2004
2 Adults
2 Children
Staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Whos traveling?
Monica (me) Disney lover, frequent traveler, Disneyland AP holder, 2nd trip to WDW
Trevoy (my 9yr old son) Disney lover in the making, frequent traveler because Mom drags him around, Disneyland AP holder, 2nd trip to WDW
Tameka (friend) frequent travel partner, cant understand my obsession with Disney, 2nd trip to WDW although first trip was only 1 day at MK
Dejante (DJ) (friends 8yr old Godson) first time traveler (never been on a plane, never been in a rental car, never stayed in a hotel, you get the picture), first visit to any Disney theme park
Day 2, Dec 9 Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios
Got up early to take advantage of Magic Kingdoms (MK) early entry before our 9:45 PS at Cinderellas Royal Table. Much to my dismay, we were boarding the bus at 7:45, not standing in line at MK like we should have been. Apparently my traveling partners did not understand the necessity to be already at the gates when they open. Then, further dampening my day, I arrive at MK only to realize that I left the breakfast vouchers in the room. I sent the kids and Tameka on into the park to tour Fantasyland while I waited for a bus to take me back to the lodge to get the vouchers. I didnt make it back to MK until 9:15.
I called Tameka about 8:45 to let her know I was waiting for a bus to bring me back to the park and was amazed at her response. Theres no rides here. We rode Dumbo and the Carousel, but theres nothing else here. This reminded me of a post I had seen on the boards, where non-Disney fans would return from a WDW vacation and state that the vacation was not enjoyed because there were no rides. I couldnt understand that. Now someone in my own group was making the same comment. In my amazement, all I could offer was to walk down one of the many paths and youll find more rides. When I had left them earlier and told them to stay in Fantasyland, I really didnt expect that they would think they had to stay right behind the castle at all times.
Well, no worries, by the time I met them at the Castle for our breakfast PS, they had ridden Dumbo, the Carousel, Peter Pan, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Snow White and Winnie the Pooh. Guess they finally started walking around, huh? The first thing they tell me is that they lost Pal Mickey. WHAT!!! In the first hour, at the first park, and you lose him already??? They thought it was on the Tea Party, but when they went back to check, no one had seen him. After breakfast, our first stop will be City Hall to check Lost and Found.
Side note on our priority seating for Cinderellas. I wasnt able to get a table on my 90 day mark. But a fellow poster on Tour Guide Mikes boards had gotten 2 different days and was going to cancel one and was willing to coordinate if anyone else wanted to grab it. We arranged a time, kept in touch via email, and while she was on the phone canceling, I was on the phone with a different CM telling him to check in just a few minutes. Sure enough, the first time he checked there were no tables, but once I got the confirmation that the other person had cancelled, he checked again and there it was. The CM had never heard of this before and was amazed that I didnt even know this other person. All I can say is I love the internet. But more important, I love Disney fans. We all help each other out so much.
So with my son being a Disney veteran, I knew he enjoyed himself so I tried to talk to DJ, who has never been to a Disney park, ever. His response was that he didnt like any of the rides. After I caught my breath, how could any child not like a Disney ride, I tried to get more out of him. Turns out he had never seen any of the classic Disney movies and did not know who Peter Pan, Dumbo, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. were. Oh my gosh, poor child!!
And now Im dreading breakfast because he will not know who anyone is. We got in line to see Fairy Godmother, and he questioned why we wanted to talk to her. Man, this is going to be a long trip. I tried to explain that we like to get their autograph and a picture taken with them so that we could remember our visit. He still didnt get it but stayed in line anyway. The Fairy Godmother is just great. She clues in to the kids so easily and made suggestions to DJ on things he should see. He got a little more enthusiasm after that chat.
Our table is ready, so we head upstairs. It takes so long for our server to greet us, and when he does, he calls DJ a princess. We soon discover that this is going to be a common mistake throughout the entire trip. You see, DJ is an African-American boy with very long hair that is braided. You just look at the hair and yes, your first thought is this is a girl. But if you look at his face and clothes, you can see he is a boy. Anyway, that ticks DJ off, plus the fact that he hasnt enjoyed any rides and he begins to pout. Trevoy is oblivious, he just loves to be anywhere Disney, so hes got his autograph book ready and is scooping which servers have trading pins.
The princesses plus Aladdin come around and every single one thought DJ was a girl. Each time it would upset DJ, so in all the pictures, hes not smiling. Now I didnt intend on taking every picture with both boys, sorry to be selfish, but I wanted some with just my own son with the princesses. But even though he was upset, DJ still jumped up to be in the picture. I did ask him to move for some, but I felt Id be rude and make things worse if I kept asking him to move. Oh well, the food was good, as usual, and nothing beats being inside the castle. As Disneyland AP holders, being able to be inside the parks castle is a big treat. We also had fun talking to Sleeping Beauty about her house. When she found out we were from California, she told us thats where her home was. We told her we had visited many times, was just there in October, and liked the new paintjob. Her response was that it now matches her dress.
Breakfast is over and off we go to Main Street to check on Pal Mickey. Of course, nothing turned in yet, but the CMs assured me to keep trying and proceeded to tell me about the wallets full of money and diamond rings that have been turned in. They also suggested trying at the ride again.
Next is Tomorrowland. I know this is practically the worst time to head over there since this seems to be the most crowded part of the park this time of morning, but we had promised DJ a ride on the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. It seemed to be the only ride he was interested in. I decided to make good use of our time and sent everyone else in line while I went to get Space Mountain Fastpasses. The Speedway had about a 20 minute wait so I was able to grab the Fastpasses and join my group in line. Each of the boys drove their own car while I drove Tameka and I. She had the video camera going with a commentary as to how poorly I was driving. So of course I hit the rail much more than usual.
It wasnt quite time for our fastpasses, so I decide to check at the Tea Party again for Pal Mickey. The CM we talked to said she saw one on either Pooh or Snow White. Really, someone turned in a Pal Mickey?? We went right over to Pooh, and sure enough, there was our Pal Mickey. At least we claimed him as ours. Trevoy was pretty sure he left him in the teacup as he got off the ride. But hey, a Pal Mickey is a Pal Mickey. Meanwhile, DJ had found Alice and the Mad Hatter, so he was in line for autographs. He didnt know who these characters were either, but he thought the guy with the big hat and big nose was funny.
Pictures taken, autographs written, and Pal Mickey clipped to MY belt, next came Space Mountain. Finally a roller coaster and something the boys would really love, which they did. We then got Fastpasses for Stitch and rode Buzz twice (15 minute wait each time) while waiting for our return time. It was still not time to go to Stitch so we paused for a drink and let the boys play with the ball. Im sorry but I cant remember the name of it, but its a big marble ball that moves every now and then with water circulating around it. Well, time came for Stitch, and even though we had Fastpasses, we still waited probably 15-20 minutes to get in to the pre-show. What a let down this was. I never experienced Alien Encounter, but it had to have been better than this. All of that waiting around just to hear some yelling in my ear and smell a very noxious burp. Well, the kids liked it so thats what matters right? I guess.
Time to head to MGM for our 4pm Fantasmic dinner seating at Hollywood and Vine. Took the Monorail to TTC and the bus to MGM. Trevoy wanted to wait for the front but we were running late, so we just boarded a waiting train. Once at MGM we grabbed Fastpassed for Rock N Roller (RnR) Coaster then hightailed it to Hollywood and Vine. Arrived about 5 minutes late for our PS but were seated within about 5 minutes. The food was ok. Im not a big fan of Hollywood and Vine, but couldnt justify the extra expense for one of the other choices to my friend.
After dinner we rush over to RnR before we head into the theatre for Fantasmic. We were told we had to show up at Oscars no later than 6pm for the 6:30pm show, otherwise we would have to use the main entrance. So we flew back over to Oscars after RnR, another hit with the boys, by the way. Got decent seats, about 10 rows back. I didnt want anything closer although they were available. I just didnt feel like getting hit with all the mist from the water screens. We really enjoyed the show. Fantasmic is one of my favorite Disney shows, although I much prefer the Disneyland version.
I had heard that after Fanstasmic was a great time to see the Osborne Lights because most people will just leave the park. But apparently everyone else had heard the same advice that I did because the line was extremely long. I think because the Fanstamic show was early this night and the park was not yet closed, more people realized they had time to see the lights. So we made a left turn and went to Star Tours and walked right on. This is Trevoys favorite ride. He never gets tired of it. I do it once per trip, then Im done. Im ready for a new movie to go with this ride. The Endor Moon story line is getting old. Next we catch Muppetvision 3D just as they were letting in folks for what I think was the last show. Had to make a quick stop to see the key under the mat though.
After Muppets, we sneaked in through the exit for the Osborne Lights. I had never seen them before, so I enjoyed it just as they were. I know others prefer when it was on Residential Street, but I was not disappointed. The boys loved the snow and we heard some Ooos and Ahs while walking through. It was very nice since there were very few people there with us. I highly recommend going right at the parks closing time. They let us in and didnt rush us at all.
Time for bed, so we headed back to the AKL, did some animal watching, then crashed.
Dec 8-13, 2004
2 Adults
2 Children
Staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Whos traveling?
Monica (me) Disney lover, frequent traveler, Disneyland AP holder, 2nd trip to WDW
Trevoy (my 9yr old son) Disney lover in the making, frequent traveler because Mom drags him around, Disneyland AP holder, 2nd trip to WDW
Tameka (friend) frequent travel partner, cant understand my obsession with Disney, 2nd trip to WDW although first trip was only 1 day at MK
Dejante (DJ) (friends 8yr old Godson) first time traveler (never been on a plane, never been in a rental car, never stayed in a hotel, you get the picture), first visit to any Disney theme park
Day 2, Dec 9 Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios
Got up early to take advantage of Magic Kingdoms (MK) early entry before our 9:45 PS at Cinderellas Royal Table. Much to my dismay, we were boarding the bus at 7:45, not standing in line at MK like we should have been. Apparently my traveling partners did not understand the necessity to be already at the gates when they open. Then, further dampening my day, I arrive at MK only to realize that I left the breakfast vouchers in the room. I sent the kids and Tameka on into the park to tour Fantasyland while I waited for a bus to take me back to the lodge to get the vouchers. I didnt make it back to MK until 9:15.
I called Tameka about 8:45 to let her know I was waiting for a bus to bring me back to the park and was amazed at her response. Theres no rides here. We rode Dumbo and the Carousel, but theres nothing else here. This reminded me of a post I had seen on the boards, where non-Disney fans would return from a WDW vacation and state that the vacation was not enjoyed because there were no rides. I couldnt understand that. Now someone in my own group was making the same comment. In my amazement, all I could offer was to walk down one of the many paths and youll find more rides. When I had left them earlier and told them to stay in Fantasyland, I really didnt expect that they would think they had to stay right behind the castle at all times.
Well, no worries, by the time I met them at the Castle for our breakfast PS, they had ridden Dumbo, the Carousel, Peter Pan, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Snow White and Winnie the Pooh. Guess they finally started walking around, huh? The first thing they tell me is that they lost Pal Mickey. WHAT!!! In the first hour, at the first park, and you lose him already??? They thought it was on the Tea Party, but when they went back to check, no one had seen him. After breakfast, our first stop will be City Hall to check Lost and Found.
Side note on our priority seating for Cinderellas. I wasnt able to get a table on my 90 day mark. But a fellow poster on Tour Guide Mikes boards had gotten 2 different days and was going to cancel one and was willing to coordinate if anyone else wanted to grab it. We arranged a time, kept in touch via email, and while she was on the phone canceling, I was on the phone with a different CM telling him to check in just a few minutes. Sure enough, the first time he checked there were no tables, but once I got the confirmation that the other person had cancelled, he checked again and there it was. The CM had never heard of this before and was amazed that I didnt even know this other person. All I can say is I love the internet. But more important, I love Disney fans. We all help each other out so much.
So with my son being a Disney veteran, I knew he enjoyed himself so I tried to talk to DJ, who has never been to a Disney park, ever. His response was that he didnt like any of the rides. After I caught my breath, how could any child not like a Disney ride, I tried to get more out of him. Turns out he had never seen any of the classic Disney movies and did not know who Peter Pan, Dumbo, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. were. Oh my gosh, poor child!!
And now Im dreading breakfast because he will not know who anyone is. We got in line to see Fairy Godmother, and he questioned why we wanted to talk to her. Man, this is going to be a long trip. I tried to explain that we like to get their autograph and a picture taken with them so that we could remember our visit. He still didnt get it but stayed in line anyway. The Fairy Godmother is just great. She clues in to the kids so easily and made suggestions to DJ on things he should see. He got a little more enthusiasm after that chat.
Our table is ready, so we head upstairs. It takes so long for our server to greet us, and when he does, he calls DJ a princess. We soon discover that this is going to be a common mistake throughout the entire trip. You see, DJ is an African-American boy with very long hair that is braided. You just look at the hair and yes, your first thought is this is a girl. But if you look at his face and clothes, you can see he is a boy. Anyway, that ticks DJ off, plus the fact that he hasnt enjoyed any rides and he begins to pout. Trevoy is oblivious, he just loves to be anywhere Disney, so hes got his autograph book ready and is scooping which servers have trading pins.
The princesses plus Aladdin come around and every single one thought DJ was a girl. Each time it would upset DJ, so in all the pictures, hes not smiling. Now I didnt intend on taking every picture with both boys, sorry to be selfish, but I wanted some with just my own son with the princesses. But even though he was upset, DJ still jumped up to be in the picture. I did ask him to move for some, but I felt Id be rude and make things worse if I kept asking him to move. Oh well, the food was good, as usual, and nothing beats being inside the castle. As Disneyland AP holders, being able to be inside the parks castle is a big treat. We also had fun talking to Sleeping Beauty about her house. When she found out we were from California, she told us thats where her home was. We told her we had visited many times, was just there in October, and liked the new paintjob. Her response was that it now matches her dress.
Breakfast is over and off we go to Main Street to check on Pal Mickey. Of course, nothing turned in yet, but the CMs assured me to keep trying and proceeded to tell me about the wallets full of money and diamond rings that have been turned in. They also suggested trying at the ride again.
Next is Tomorrowland. I know this is practically the worst time to head over there since this seems to be the most crowded part of the park this time of morning, but we had promised DJ a ride on the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. It seemed to be the only ride he was interested in. I decided to make good use of our time and sent everyone else in line while I went to get Space Mountain Fastpasses. The Speedway had about a 20 minute wait so I was able to grab the Fastpasses and join my group in line. Each of the boys drove their own car while I drove Tameka and I. She had the video camera going with a commentary as to how poorly I was driving. So of course I hit the rail much more than usual.
It wasnt quite time for our fastpasses, so I decide to check at the Tea Party again for Pal Mickey. The CM we talked to said she saw one on either Pooh or Snow White. Really, someone turned in a Pal Mickey?? We went right over to Pooh, and sure enough, there was our Pal Mickey. At least we claimed him as ours. Trevoy was pretty sure he left him in the teacup as he got off the ride. But hey, a Pal Mickey is a Pal Mickey. Meanwhile, DJ had found Alice and the Mad Hatter, so he was in line for autographs. He didnt know who these characters were either, but he thought the guy with the big hat and big nose was funny.
Pictures taken, autographs written, and Pal Mickey clipped to MY belt, next came Space Mountain. Finally a roller coaster and something the boys would really love, which they did. We then got Fastpasses for Stitch and rode Buzz twice (15 minute wait each time) while waiting for our return time. It was still not time to go to Stitch so we paused for a drink and let the boys play with the ball. Im sorry but I cant remember the name of it, but its a big marble ball that moves every now and then with water circulating around it. Well, time came for Stitch, and even though we had Fastpasses, we still waited probably 15-20 minutes to get in to the pre-show. What a let down this was. I never experienced Alien Encounter, but it had to have been better than this. All of that waiting around just to hear some yelling in my ear and smell a very noxious burp. Well, the kids liked it so thats what matters right? I guess.
Time to head to MGM for our 4pm Fantasmic dinner seating at Hollywood and Vine. Took the Monorail to TTC and the bus to MGM. Trevoy wanted to wait for the front but we were running late, so we just boarded a waiting train. Once at MGM we grabbed Fastpassed for Rock N Roller (RnR) Coaster then hightailed it to Hollywood and Vine. Arrived about 5 minutes late for our PS but were seated within about 5 minutes. The food was ok. Im not a big fan of Hollywood and Vine, but couldnt justify the extra expense for one of the other choices to my friend.
After dinner we rush over to RnR before we head into the theatre for Fantasmic. We were told we had to show up at Oscars no later than 6pm for the 6:30pm show, otherwise we would have to use the main entrance. So we flew back over to Oscars after RnR, another hit with the boys, by the way. Got decent seats, about 10 rows back. I didnt want anything closer although they were available. I just didnt feel like getting hit with all the mist from the water screens. We really enjoyed the show. Fantasmic is one of my favorite Disney shows, although I much prefer the Disneyland version.
I had heard that after Fanstasmic was a great time to see the Osborne Lights because most people will just leave the park. But apparently everyone else had heard the same advice that I did because the line was extremely long. I think because the Fanstamic show was early this night and the park was not yet closed, more people realized they had time to see the lights. So we made a left turn and went to Star Tours and walked right on. This is Trevoys favorite ride. He never gets tired of it. I do it once per trip, then Im done. Im ready for a new movie to go with this ride. The Endor Moon story line is getting old. Next we catch Muppetvision 3D just as they were letting in folks for what I think was the last show. Had to make a quick stop to see the key under the mat though.
After Muppets, we sneaked in through the exit for the Osborne Lights. I had never seen them before, so I enjoyed it just as they were. I know others prefer when it was on Residential Street, but I was not disappointed. The boys loved the snow and we heard some Ooos and Ahs while walking through. It was very nice since there were very few people there with us. I highly recommend going right at the parks closing time. They let us in and didnt rush us at all.
Time for bed, so we headed back to the AKL, did some animal watching, then crashed.
