Disney in July isn't so bad after all!

[Diamondintheruff]

Thanks for posting the website. It's not working at the moment but I am familiar with Steve through TGM. I will check it out there.

 

[Becx N Gav]

Here is the website for live entertainment at WDW and the times for character appearances. It is awesome!
www.pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm

Fantastic, thank you

Gonna check it out now

 

[coachlevy]

Thanks for all of the compliments! I hope you get the website to work because it was so helpful in planning. A little off topic, but I found out today that I'm having a girl. We're all so excited, especially DS who has said all along that he wants a sister! Now here's Day 4 at the parks:
We actually all slept late today and it felt so good! DS woke at 8 which is really late for him. We quickly got ready for the parks and drove to AK. We arrived a few minutes after 9 and avoided the long wait at the gate. Our plan for the morning was a little unusual because we didn’t do any major attractions. This was by choice though. DH dislikes AK so I decided to show him some new things in the park. First stop, Dinoland. DS and DH rode Triceratop Spin together while I snapped some pictures. It’s really the same ride as Dumbo except you’re in a dinosaur instead of an elephant. DS seemed to enjoy it. We really didn’t do much else because DS was too short to ride the other rides.
DS in Dinoland:

We walked towards Africa to catch a train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. We grabbed fastpasses for Kilmanjaro Safari although we didn’t have a huge desire for this ride. DS didn’t really get much out of it in February. In fact, he fell asleep! But we had FP’s in case we wanted to ride. On our way to Planet Watch we spotted King Louie and Baloo. This was an unplanned character sighting, but we jumped at the opportunity. The line wasn’t too bad, although I did take DS across the way to play on the drums while DH waited. DS was playing the drums and laughing when two teenage girls came by and asked to take his picture. It was really funny! DS hugged both characters and screamed their names as usual. We also saw Terk from Tarzan and DS loved every moment.
DS, Louie, and Baloo

After seeing the characters we made it to Planet Watch. Unfortunately, we missed the train by mere seconds and the next one was in 15 minutes. DH did not want to wait so we backtracked to Camp Minnie-Mickey to meet some more characters. We saw a big bear who we couldn’t identify, but the CM told us it was Kenai from Brother Bear. DS greeted him like every other character even though he didn’t know him. He kept saying, “bear, bear” and that was enough for him. After Kenai we saw Guitar Dan singing. This guy is amazing! I can’t believe how quickly he makes up rhyming lyrics about the kids. Last summer he sang about DS and his crazy hair. This year we were lucky enough to have another song about DS and his croc shoes. DS has blue crocs with Mickey, Pooh, Tigger, and a snail. So that’s what the song was about. At first DS was unsure about the whole thing, but when the song was over he wouldn’t stop staring at his shoes and talking about the guitar man.
DS with Guitar Dan

The lines to see Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy were really long so we opted to see Donald. We were first again! We had already seen all of these characters so this was really just a way to waste some time. DS was happy to see Donald and gave a big smile to the camera.
Standard pose for DS

Next we got on line for Festival of the Lion King. We waited about 5 minutes before they let us in the theater. DS immediately started calling for Pumba and Timon. It was quite funny. The show was amazing as usual and DS was completely mesmerized. I just love the music and all of the acrobatics in the show. DS continued to call for Pumba until we were out of the theater. After the show we walked back to Africa. Unfortunately we missed our FP time for the safari ride, but we weren’t too upset. We boarded a train for Planet Watch without a wait and were finally on our way. DH thought the train was the attraction and he started taking video footage. I had to tell him at least 3 times that this was not the ride, but he didn’t seem to understand. Finally he figured out that the train was taking us to the attraction. I happen to really like Planet Watch, although I know some people think it’s a waste of time. I think the petting zoo is worth the trip. When we arrived at Conservation Station we saw the talking recycling bin (I know she has a name, but I can’t remember it). DS enjoyed seeing her although she left just as we took him out of the stroller. He was excited to be out of the stroller and ran towards the building. He remembered a lot of the stuff inside from February. He ran to the rhino and posed for a picture without being asked (what a ham!), and then ran to the tiger statue.
DS and big tiger

We saw Jiminy Cricket and DS couldn’t wait for him to sign his autograph book. We got lucky because it was almost time for Jiminy’s break, but the CM allowed us on line. A few minutes later Rafiki came out and we met with him again. Pocohantas was scheduled to come out, but after 10 minutes we decided to leave.
After our character encounters we headed outside to the petting zoo. I felt bad for the animals because it was so hot. They were all resting in the shade. DS pet a few sheep and then noticed another girl with a brush so we had to get him a brush. The sheep all had haircuts for the summer, but a little patch of hair was left in a familiar shape. I couldn’t resist taking this picture:

We washed our hands and DS’s feet (croc shoes are not good on dirt surfaces) before heading back to the train. DS was getting very cranky also. I bought him some watermelon, but he was still cranky. The heat and late nights were starting to catch up with him. We decided it was time to leave the park and headed towards the exit. DH passed the Pizzafari restaurant and saw a sandwich that he had to have on the menu. I knew DS was in no mood to wait so the two of us went to the car. I gave DS a water bottle to keep him occupied while we walked. The result was a soaking wet boy by the time we got to the car. I changed his diaper and clothes, put the stroller in the car, and strapped DS in the car seat. I figured DH would be back by now, but no such luck. He called me on the cell to say there was a long line and he would be awhile. Great! So I’m sitting with a cranky DS in a hot car because DH needed a sandwich. Finally he arrived and we were off. But returning to OKW is never an easy task. DH got lost again (probably because he was focusing on his food and not the road) and it took us so long to get back. But I can’t complain too much about DH; he did do so many good things during the trip too. Thankfully DS fell asleep in the car. I got some lunch by the pool while DS napped. Today was a short nap for the little guy so we were able to spend more time at the pool. However, DS wanted to play in the Community Room before going in the pool. This seemed like a good idea except that when we wanted to go in the pool it started raining. So we only spent about 10 minutes in the pool. We walked back to our room in the rain and all showered for our evening activities.
The plan was to eat dinner at a counter service in MK. We parked at the Contemporary because we had a reservation at The Wave (we didn’t plan on going there though). It was raining so we went inside the hotel to take the monorail. DH said, “Let’s just see if there’s room at Chef Mickey’s” and I didn’t argue. Chef Mickey’s is one of my favorite places in all of WDW, but we could not get a priority seating at a decent hour for any night. So DH tells the cast member that it’s my birthday and that I’m pregnant. By some miracle they said they had room for us and it would be a 30 minute wait. After only 5 minutes our beeper buzzed and we were seated. I couldn’t believe it. In all my trips here we have always waited at least 15 minutes with a priority seating. I guess it was our lucky night. DS was so excited when we sat down because Mickey was two tables away from us. We took our pictures and then went to the buffet for food. Of course we met with the chef who walked around the entire buffet explaining what dishes were ok for DS. Pretty much everything was peanut free, although he couldn’t guarantee that the ice cream cones weren’t cross contaminated. DS had eaten one in February with no reaction so I felt safe giving him one again (he was fine!). We filled our plates with some healthy and some not so healthy food. I’m like a little kid when I come here and I load my plate with veggies, chicken fingers, and pizza (same for DS). We saw all of the characters (Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald) and did the napkin wave. Ever since DS’s first trip last summer the napkin wave has been a big thing. My mom made loud noises (woo woo) at the restaurant and to this day continues to wave her napkin, noises and all, when we eat dinner with her. If you ask DS, “what do you do at Chef Mickey’s” he picks up his napkin and yells, “woo woo.” So he was ecstatic and ready for the napkin wave and singing. After all the fun we got some dessert. This is really my favorite part of the Chef Mickey’s experience. Ice cream with every topping imaginable and oatmeal raisin cookies…yummy! I always tend to eat too much and feel sick afterwards though. It’s worth it though. While DH was waiting for the bill, I took DS near the dessert bar to move around a little bit. We saw Pluto walking and he stopped for a high 5 and hug. DS decided to sit down next to Pluto but Pluto needed to move to the next room. The result was Pluto tripping over DS and me having to grab both of them to prevent a major accident! Thank goodness nobody was hurt but it could’ve been a really bad situation. Pluto played it off nicely although I’m sure inside he was not too happy.
Chef Mickey’s Pictures:

After our wonderful dinner we stopped by the gift shop to buy a photo album. While we were there we also picked up a $25 frame, 6 pieces of fudge for $18 (a 33% discount!) and a WDW tote bag for the bargain price of $10 because we spent over $40 dollars. The fudge is something I always feel compelled to buy at WDW, but I was too stuffed to even think about it. We kept it in the fridge and finished most of it back home. After our shopping spree we walked to MK where DH found a seat for Spectromagic right outside Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. DS and I went to Toontown Playground which was so crowded. He had a fun time and got to use up some of his energy. We returned to DH at 8:30 and waited for the parade. The cast members have a lot of activities for kids like hula hoops, bubbles, and Disney music. DS had a blast running all over the place. He loved every minute of the parade and kept asking for Genie and Goofy. It helps that we listen to the CD at home all of the time so he knew which characters to expect. When the parade ended we still had an hour before Wishes. DH looked at our Photopass pictures and DS ran in and out of the store to the spot where DH was for about 10 minutes. He was crazy! We watched Wishes from Main Street and it was spectacular as usual. I'm so glad we changed our plans last night in order to see it. DS loved it and kept saying the CD track number for every music change. We also listen to this CD at home and DS loves to push the numbers on the remote control…that’s how he knows all of the track numbers. His favorite part is when the Genie says, “we’ve got some wishes to grant!” and he has a little dance for it. He wanted more when it ended. It was wonderful watching him enjoy the show and it made it more enjoyable for me. What’s better than seeing your child have a happy reaction to Disney? We went back to the hotel and were all asleep by 11. Another long and fun-filled day for everyone. Only one more day at the parks though….so sad!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Woo Hoo, a girl!

 

[irky416]

Wow, you met a lot of characters at MK!

Yay a girl!

We also saw Guitar Dan and were amazed at his songs. That's so nice that your DS got a song about him.

 

[TCKK]

Great report and pictures. Your son is such a cutie!!

Cathy

 

[MEK]

Nice trip. I also get up early to run at WDW, but I'm not pregnant! Good for you.

 

[coachlevy]

Wow, it's been so long since I last wrote! Thank you for your comments. I love reading what people write. Here is our last day at the MK.

I made DH wake up early today to run so I could sleep an extra 30 minutes. After all, I’m the pregnant one! Apparently while I was running DS awoke and freaked out because I wasn’t there. DH didn’t know what to do so he grabbed the car keys, strapped DS in the car seat, and went looking for me. How funny is that? They did not find me since I was running on the trail, but at least DS calmed down. I returned to the room , showered, and got DS ready. We left for MK by 8:30. We had breakfast reservations at Chef Mickey’s but decided not to go since we ate dinner there the other night. We did however take advantage of the reservation and parked at the Contemporary. This is one of our favorite tricks if you haven’t already noticed. DH was nervous about walking in front of the security guard and thought we might get “caught.” I was not nervous and strolled along with DS while DH waited by the car. It helped that there were a lot of construction vehicles blocking the view. Finally DH had enough guts to walk and we all made it safely to MK. We arrived in time to see the pre-show and DS loved the announcer and zip-a-dee-doo-dah song. Once in the park we asked which characters would be appearing in Town Square. We lined up for Chip and Dale because we needed their signatures in our book. We were second on line. DS was very cute and ran up to them with open arms.
DS with Chip and Dale:

Next we went to Dumbo where I watched my guys fly in the air. I don’t understand the appeal of that ride. We went to see Ariel and waited about 5 minutes. Ariel commented on DS’s croc shoes which made him very happy.
DS and Ariel:

Our next stop was Toontown Fair to meet some more characters. Today’s agenda: princesses. We lined up for rope drop at 9:45 with tons of other people. DH made a mad dash with DS to the Judge’s Tent while I parked the stroller. He was not the only one running. It was the funniest thing to see so many people running to get on line for characters. Fifteen people must have passed me while I was walking! I parked the stroller and met my boys on line. DH got a great spot…we were second in line! DS was excited for the princesses and their autographs. Part of my brainwashing was making sure he knew all characters (DH wasn’t too happy about the princesses but he got over it). We saw Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Belle. DS had the same reaction for all and had conversations with them. They were all very sweet and commented on their pictures in the autograph book. Cinderella even wrote DS’s name with her signature. I mention this because I have an autograph book from when I was younger and all the characters wrote my name. I guess in the interest of time they have done away with personalizing the autographs. So it was very nice of Cinderella to write his name. The best encounter was with Belle because DS asked for “Be Our Guest” and she laughed.
DS and Princesses:

After our princess encounter we went to Fantasyland to ride Small World once again. DS remembered all the dolls I pointed out, even the platypus in the Polynesian room. He waved and greeted all of them. Example: “Hi can-can girl, hi surfer” for the entire ride. Next we rode Peter Pan where DS greeted all of those figures. He really likes to talk! As we exited the ride we were approached by the Dream Squad and awarded super Fastpasses that were good on every ride. I was very excited even though I knew we wouldn’t use half of them. DS even got his own! We debated about where to go next, but decided on Pirates of the Caribbean. DH had not seen the new version and DS never went on it either. The wait was about 10 minutes, but it was nice and cool. We boarded our boat and enjoyed the ride. I thought DS might be a little scared but he was fine. I completely forgot about the drop though. It seemed much longer than I remembered and there was no warning. I thought there was a skull or something that said, “dangerous water ahead” or something like that. Thankfully DS was fine and so was the baby. I think Pirates is one of the rides they say to avoid during pregnancy. After the ride we stopped for a snack. DH ate an egg roll from the very popular egg roll cart.
For the entire trip we were debating whether or not to get DS a haircut at the Barber Shop. He had his first haircut there last year, but didn’t really need a haircut on this trip. I suggested that we add color to his hair and spike it. We saw some little boys with green hair and Mickey logos and thought DS would look cute like that. So we went to Harmony Barber Shop to get blue, spiked hair for DS (blue was his request). The whole thing did not go very well. He was very excited when he walked in and loved sitting in the chair. The lady covered him in Mickey stickers, although I’m not sure why because she covered him with the cape. She gave him a Buzz Lightyear spin toy to play with. Of course he shouted, “Buzz” and “To Infinity…” to which we all laughed. We told the hairdresser what we wanted and she suggested light blue so it wouldn’t stain DS’s hair. DS sat happily while she added blue to his hair, a Mickey emblem, and some Mickey confetti. He was all happy and laughed when he saw himself in the mirror. He didn’t even try to touch it. Now here’s the part that bothered me a little bit. The other hairdresser in the shop said that it would take 1-2 hours to dry and that they don’t recommend it in young children for that reason. Also, toddlers have very fine hair and this can damage it if not removed properly. Hello, this would have been valuable information before I put my kid in the chair! I definitely wouldn’t have done it. DS didn’t seem to mind his hair until we stepped outside into the hot, humid air. Immediately he started touching his hair and trying to pull out the confetti. There was blue stuff all over his hands so DS took him to the men’s room to find a hand dryer. It was hopeless, though so we conceded to the fact that DS would be covered in blue and have strange looking hair.
DS at the barber shop:
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While DH dealt with DS and his hair I waited on a long line for Pinocchio. DS was excited to see Pinocchio and posed for pictures. We warned Pinocchio about the wet hair, but he was adorable and tried to tell the other cast member that he wanted hair like that. After Pinocchio we tried for Snow White, but her line was closed. I was kind of glad because it was past naptime and DS was cranky. On the way to the monorail DS said, “Mickey out hair” meaning that he wanted the confetti out. So we sat on a bench and picked out about 100 colored Mickey’s from his hair. I felt bad because we kind of made a mess on the bench. We boarded the monorail and drove back to the hotel. We arrived and I put DS to sleep, still with wet hair. He napped a long time. His hair finally dried during his nap and it felt all sticky, like dried paint. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. It did look cute though. We went to the pool for a quick swim and then showered for dinner.
DS and Pinocchio (notice the hair):

At 5:30 we left the hotel for our 6:10 reservation at Crystal Palace. We parked at our favorite spot, the Contemporary and walked to MK. We arrived a few minutes before our priority seating and still waited 30 minutes! It was really crowded…I guess because it’s inside the park. I have never been to the Crystal Palace and was excited to try it. I’ve never gone because I love Chef Mickey’s and never want 2 buffets in the same trip. But I thought we’d give it a try because Chef Mickey’s wasn’t available when I made reservations and DS likes the Pooh characters. The wait seemed very long because I was hungry, DS was hungry, and the cast member at the door wasn’t very nice. I was trying to keep DS occupied so we walked into the restaurant to look around. She informed us that we had to wait outside and was not very Disney like when she said it. But the food inside made up for the long wait. I was really surprised at the quality of the food. It was better than Chef Mickey’s, although the dessert didn’t even come close (Chef Mickey’s will always hold that spot for me ). DS ate everything in sight and had so much fun. He loved seeing the characters. Pooh even wrote his name in his autograph book which was cool. We got some really nice pictures. DS missed the little parade because he needed to use the bathroom, but he danced to the music while on line in the bathroom. It was a very fun dinner for all of us.
DS at Crystal Palace:

We left CP after 8 and stopped by the Jungle Cruise. We used our super fastpasses and waited less than 5 minutes. DS enjoyed the ride and so did DH. The cast members are really funny on the boat ride. Our favorite comment was that if you forget your child they glue them to it’s a small world, force them to learn the annoying song, and then send them back home to sing it for you. DH thought this was hilarious. Next we planned to ride Peter Pan, but DS saw Small World and needed to ride it again. As we exited the Fourth of July fireworks were beginning. We watched them from Liberty Square which was not the best location. I wish we were on Main Street but it was a great show anyway. The fireworks surrounded you in every direction and were really cool. They played all patriotic music and there was some narration too. It was what you would expect from Disney for the 4th of July. However I prefer the shows coordinated to music, like Wishes and Illuminations. I think DS agrees because he was a little bored with the show. We walked a few steps to Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan after the fireworks. I think everyone else in our vicinity did the same thing because the line went from a 10 minute to 60 minute wait in a matter of seconds. Thankfully we had our fastpasses and didn’t have to deal with the crowds. Peter Pan was relaxing and then we had to take another ride on Small World before leaving. The seventh time is definitely the best! We were all really tired and left MK at 10:15. We said our goodbyes to our favorite park and left our wishes to return soon (the plan is April or next summer…not too far away!). DS fell asleep in the car. What a long day for the little guy. I packed a few things before going to sleep, knowing that I could sleep a little later tomorrow. Tomorrow we leave the happiest place on earth, but still have some fun in the morning.

 

[jmskinner]

Can't believe the TR is almost over. Can't believe that about the coloring at the barber shop. You would think there would be warnings posted. I actually wanted my DS(9) to color his, but he wouldn't have it. Just wanted a cut. Even got mad that the barber put the confetti on his head. They did a great job though.

Glad you liked Crystal Palace. We ate there two years ago, I remember a long wait also.

The pics are wonderful. Your DS is so cute!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

My DS got stripes painted in his hair along with the mickey head and confetti. It took many hours to dry. Luckily he was 8 so understood the need to not touch his head. But is was hard for him (and let's face it me too. I kept saying "let me just check if this is dry").

 

[coachlevy]

So sad…our last day is here! DS woke up late today (8 AM) so we all got to sleep late. DH went for a run while I fed, bathed, and dressed DS. The bath was not fun because of DS’s blue hair. It didn’t come out in the first attempt, but at least it became softer and more manageable. DH returned from his run and I went to the fitness center to use the elliptical. My guys stopped by to say hi and then I met them at the pool. The pool was not crowded at all and they had huge speakers playing Disney music. OKW was setting up for the 4th of July festivities which included snowcones, popcorn machine, parade, and dance party. Unfortunately we would have to miss all the fun, but we enjoyed the music and watching the staff set up for the party. DH left the pool to pack and shower so DS and I walked around a bit. He discovered the numbers on the shuffleboard court and spent about 15 minutes running back and forth. We walked back to our room and made a quick stop in the lobby. I wanted clean maps of the parks to put in my photo album at home. DS had been playing with the other ones all through the trip and they were crumpled and ripped. Back in the room I gave DS a shower to get out all of the blue goo. It’s fine to walk around Disney with blue spiked hair, but I’m pretty sure we’d get a lot of weird looks in the airport and surrounding areas! Finally after 1 bath, a dip in the pool, and a shower, DS had clean hair. We left the hotel at 11 in order to return the clothes I bought to Walmart (remember the lost suitcase?) We probably could have enjoyed some snowcones and popcorn if we didn’t have the Walmart detour. Oh well. Walmart can be fun too. Luckily our wait in Walmart was minimal and we had a lot of extra time before our flight. We stopped at Subway for lunch, got gas, returned the rental car, hopped right on the shuttle, and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. We stopped in the Disney store and looked for some tattoos but had no luck. I had seen them at MK and made a mental note to buy them before we left but it never happened. I actually ordered a bunch from Ebay when I returned home and probably saved a lot of money too! I let DS run around a little while before boarding the plane. I hoped it would tire him out and he would sleep. Our flight was at 2:30, well past his nap time, so I figured he’d sleep without a problem. More on that later though.
When it was time to board the plane DH was watching DS while I held the stroller (it has a great strap that makes it easy to carry). DH handed the tickets to the agent and let go of DS’s hand. DS, like any curious toddler, ran down the ramp toward the plane. To make matters worse there were 2 wheelchairs that were going down the ramp at that time. As any mother would do I dropped the stroller and ran after my kid. The agent started screaming, “ma’am” over and over again because I hadn’t handed him my ticket…DH gave all the tickets together. Of course I can’t hear this as I’m halfway down the ramp and trying to keep my kid from getting hit by the wheelchairs. DH called my name and I returned with DS to a very unhappy agent. I personally handed him my ticket and everything was okay. I gave DH a piece of my mind too because he was watching DS. Thankfully it all worked out fine…nobody got hurt and I wasn’t arrested for trying to board the plane without a ticket!
We boarded the plane and I tried to keep DS occupied with an assortment of toys. I had silly putty, books, ABC stickers, coloring books, a magna doodle, and some other stuff. DS was very cranky and not easy to please. He would play with something for a few minutes and then want something else. He also wanted to eat the entire time, a sure sign that he was bored and tired. After about 2 hours he had a meltdown and screamed/cried for a few minutes before falling asleep. It was 4:30 now, way past his nap time and he was so upset. I felt so bad for him as well as the people around us. He slept until we carried him off the plane, only a short 40 minutes. He was so tired and cried for about 10 minutes. I carried him, wheeled him in the stroller, and carried him some more until he settled down. He did not fall asleep again, but did perk up after awhile. He was happy to see our car and his car seat. I sat in the backseat with him hoping he would fall asleep, but no such luck. We drove to my in-laws house for a 4th of July party and talked about Disney the entire time. People asked DS, “how was Disney?” and he answered, “awesome!” It was the funniest thing coming from the little guy, but he was exactly right. The trip was many things-spectacular, awesome, amazing, I could go on and on with adjectives. We still talk about Disney every day and now we talk about how “baby sister” will join us on the next trip (probably in April). I’m sure DS will want to teach his sister all about our favorite place on earth. Hopefully the love of Disney will be natural for my little girl, just as it is for DS. It is so wonderful to share that love and make wonderful memories with your family (I hope I didn’t get too mushy on you). I thank you all for reading and enjoying WDW with my family. I wish you all many returns and to the happiest place on earth.

 

[jmskinner]

So, you'll have a little pirate and princess next time you go. That will be fun.

I enjoyed reading your TR and look forward to the next one!