DME, WL, and the 1st day

[doncaruana]

Alright gang, I thought I'd throw a little of this out there. I'm sitting on my balcony and figured I'd share...

Flew in early afternoon yesterday (Thursday) and got to the Disney Welcome Center about 1:15pm. Now, maybe I'm denser than most, but it wasn't glaringly obvious to me where in the world we were supposed to go. So, for those of you who don't want to keep asking, follow the signs to "Ground Transportation". That'll mean you'll need to take a shuttle back to the main terminal first.

Anyway, once there, we groaned as the serpentine line was off the carpet. One member per family so DW and DD went to the "waiting area". Amazingly, the line moved really fast and 10 minutes later we were through. Grab the fam, walk to the end of the tile and they directed us to one of several lines, ours shared with CR. By now, it's about 1:30 and in 15 minutes, we were loaded and pulling out. A quick half hour later and I'm checking in at the front desk as WL is the first stop for the bus.

Now, something you should know about the WL is that there is and will be construction for about the next 6 weeks. The courtyard is a construction area, for the most part, and the stream in the lobby is off and partly walled off. There's a bunch of scaffolding all over and, while largely unobtrusive, it is unattractive. I already commented in another thread that these rooms should be discounted during construction, seeing as they're actually typically more expensive (if I remember right). But, I'm at Disney, so we're gonna have a great time regardless...

One further point about WL. I've read comments about beds and let me finally weigh in here: they're rock hard. These are unequivocally the hardest mattresses I've ever *tried* to sleep on. A very slight upgrade from the floor. I've gone down and asked for a remedy and they asked how long I'll be here and I told them "I can't do four hours of sleep a night for the next 8 nights." I'll let you know if and how they get back to me.

Anyway, for our first day, DD (3.5 yo) was getting a little grumpy and we had scheduled the Hoop-De-Doo Review. Over we went on the boat with no problems. I never really understood that the boat makes the first stop at the Fort Wilderness campground. So, you can take a direct trip on the boat back and forth from WL to FW without having to stop anywhere else. Annnyyyway...

While we were killing time, we had just enough time to sneak in a pony ride (they close at 5) so that helped "degrumpy" her a bit and then in to the review. The tables are reserved and people line up, but there really is no reason to (although they tell you to). If you walk out of the lodge an hour before your show time, you should get there at just about the half hour beforehand they recommend.

The food was excellent, the show was very entertaining - but it is more of an adult show. I kinda think we should have scheduled it for later when we might be sick of seeing characters and want to interact with real people. We had no "Dining Plan" issues that I could tell - good service, friendly - the whole nine yards. Actually, regarding the food - the chicken was fantastic, the ribs and baked beans were good, and the corn on the cob was overcooked and waterlogged. The strawberry shortcake (two people split a pan about 6" diameter) was also really good, although I'm not much of a strawberry shortcake person.

That's it for now. Today is a magic kingdom day, so DD gets to finally see the castle, which, for her, is "Disney".

More later...
Don

 

[44sun]

Yay! Thanks for the report! We're going to WL over Thanksgiving, and planning to see HDDR so your experience is very helpful! Keep the info coming, especially about the rock hard beds...groan. Maybe I'll pack the air mattress... Have a wonderful trip and keep us posted!

 

[doncaruana]

Short day today, due to general exhaustion...

We got a late start and headed over to MK today and got there around 10. We split up as DW had our backpack checked and DD and I went in. Oops! We didn't set up a "meeting place" and yours truly decided he'd save time and rent a stroller (PLEASE - if you have little ones - GET A STROLLER!!!). $10 for a single day, $8/day for multiple days (for a single stroller). Just show'em your pass in any park and you've got a rental for the day! Anyway, DW was upset when we finally hooked up again - she was in tears looking for us. So SET UP THAT MEETING PLACE ANY TIME YOU'RE GOING TO SEPARATE!!!

Went to the back and, lo and behold, no real line to speak of at dumbo! DD loved it (we only rode once) and then it was back up toward the Crystal Palace for lunch at 11:30. We stopped at Cinderella's carousel for a quick ride, and, again, no line to speak of. Somebody nabbed Cinderella's horse (it's the one with the gold ribbon on the tail!), but we'll get it another time. Then on the way, we stopped for a quick respite at one of the storytelling sessions (the "Lovely Lucinda") and made a run through the conga line. Cute, short and sweet -- we had fun.

Anyway, on the Crystal Palace. Food was great and service (thank you Bill!) was phenomenal. Still watching for the dining plan bias I've heard of but have yet to see it. Allthough, DW booked this as dining plan, Bill brought us a regular "bill" (I made a funny!), but we told him it was dining plan. No problem, said he, so I left him an additional $5 anyway. He earned it. In the meantime, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore and Pooh all came by and signed DD's autograph book and took pictures. They were all great, but Tigger was my favorite. He really captured the Tigger "attitude". All tolled, it was about an hour and we only had to wait a couple of minutes for Piglet to round it out after we finished eating. And they called us right on the button for our reservation, too, so call this one a very positive experience!

We decided to go back to Mickey's Philharmagic which had a "5 minute standby" wait. Of course looks are deceiving... we had a little more line than it appeared, but I'd say we waited somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes to get seated. I'm not complaining though! Anyway - to the show. I have a dominant eye so the traditional red/green 3d glasses never work on me (the old "watch the image shift when you close one eye or the other" doesn't work on me because of the dominance by the left eye). They have new technology! Donald stuck his butt right in my face - I was close enough to grab a tailfeather, I tell you!! I even got splashed (real water!!) and of course we could smell the pie -- and we were about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way back from the front! (You actually enter on the side of the theater instead of the back). Anyway, DD loved it (we all did!) and we'll be going back again. It was actually quite a cool show, although I think it was only about 10 minutes long.

After that, we decided to head to Ariel's grotto. DD and I played in the water spouts for about a half hour while DW stood in line and chatted. I have to say that the otehr patrons are polarized - they're either really rude or extremely nice. So we got wet while DW chatted with another family and compared notes and then we finally came in for the "cave" part. I got a *great* shot of DD looking up at Ariel - just BEAMING! That about made the whole trip worth it! Anyway, of course Ariel was wonderful (all the characters have been SO nice!!!) and DD couldn't stop talking about it!

Deciding to begin back for our afternoon rest, we again stopped at a storytelling event, this time with Belle. They grabbed several folks out of the audience and told the story of Beauty and the Beast. Also very cool (except for the rude people who don't give a rip if your 3yo can see as long as *they* get video - I asked them to please move!). Anyway, she enjoyed it so it was all good!

On the way out, a CM grabbed the stroller and returned it for DW so no issues there. But of course, DD was passed out so daddy had to carry her out to the boat launch and all the way back to WL!

Back to the room and they had put an egg crate on the bed. I *think* it'll help, but the jury's still out. I laid down for a bit, but we see how well that went - I'm typing this! Of course, the other unfortunate factor was the construction. It's a necessary evil, but it is loud. Lot of banging and such in the courtyard. Everyone's been nice, so we'll see how it goes.

Oh yeah, when we got back to the room, we had a towel animal!! Very cool and DD just loved it! (Yep - got pictures!)

Also, DW said she learned a lesson and the rest of today is pool time and she was able to change our reservations from someplace at MK (can't remember) and get in at Whispering Canyon for dinner. We made extra time for ourselves and we're quickly learning we need to take advantage of it!

More later!
Don

 

[44sun]

I'm getting excited!!! What a wonderful, albeit short, day! And we were right there with you! We LOVED Philharmagic...the best 3D show ever!

Still worried about the bed...glad to hear your concerns to the front desk didn't fall on deaf ears! Is your room a remodeled one? How's the view?

Looking forward to reading about tomorrow...where are we going next?!?

Happy travels to your DW & DD - and Don, from a former Michigander, set up a meeting place! LOL

 

[doncaruana]

Okay, first let me get the issue of what the room view looked like. I posted pics for that over in another thread, here: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=14895691&postcount=23

Now, on to the trip...

We had dinner at Whispering Canyon and that was fun. DD was a little cranky but came out of it. Of course I had to lope along with her on the pony ride, but she got her little certficate and a kick. The waiter was fun and lively and really enjoyed him. Food was good - ribs were a lot better than HDDR and all the food was god - especially the cinnamon tortilla. He was fun, but a little slow in spots - but I still haven't seen any dining plan issues - it was just busy. At one point, DW jokingly said she was going to kick my a$$, which prompted our waiter to yell out to the restaurant to cover the ears of anyone under 18, as there was a potty mouth in the room (pointing at DW!). We really had a good time!

After that, last night was not pleasant. DW forgot the phone charger (the cells are our 'lifeline' to each other) and I decided to try and get one at Downtown Disney, based on a conversation with a person at the Virgin Megastore. Off I went and an hour later (20 minutes to wait for the bus, 35 minutes for the ride) I was at downtown Disney. Went off in the wrong direction twice, finally found the store - and no chargers that fit! Disgusted, I took a cab to the Super Walmart, bought a charger, and took thecab back to WL (total cabbie fare, $33). And the charger was defective! So, I'm home at midnight, exhausted, and, to top it all off, some shirts we bought just before the trip were mislabeled and don't fit. When will it end? Certainly not with the bed. The egg crate didn't help...

Most of the CMs at WL are very nice. I think the night staff on Fridays (at least this Friday) leave a little to be desired. Or a lot. I dealt with 3 before 9am and was less than pleased with each. But it *does* get better.

Last night I asked to change my room. I told them I didn't care what other room or bed, as long as I didn't get a handicap access room. So this morning, I had to go up to the desk to tell them we had our stuff out. I talked to a nice gal at the desk (after 9am!) who took care of that and also told her about the cell phone plight. She said they'd see if anyone had left a charger behind. And we went off to MK again. More later.

A little more crowded today (Saturday) than yesterday, but we headed in and hit the mad hatters tea cup ride. DW and DD loved that and we started toward the back. Stopped to FP the Pooh ride and went on back towards Dumbo. Whoops! It's packed, so we'll hit the carousel again. *This* time we got Cinderella's horse! (Notice the gold ribbon on the tail)

We were going to see Ariel again, but after DD and I played in the water a bit, we decided to ditch the line and go to the Small World ride, with no line. DD got a big kick out of that and we came out and headed back to Pooh. She was a little scared when it got dark and especially with Pooh's clearly mushroom-inspired dream. But she was happy at the end and we hopped back out to see what we could hit next, which turned out to be lunch at Cosmic Rays. Just burgers - but they were good!

We decided to head toward Toon Town and took a spin through Minnie's house and loafed in the shop (I bought an Ariel pin - curse whomever came up with this infernal pin trading thing!).

After a couple of character photos (Abby Mallard and Chicken Little), DD started showing signs of crankiness so we made our way back to the lodge.

Upon arriving at the lodge, I went up to check on our room. Hey - the day staff have their smiles! Dealt with a delightful young lady at the front and, while she was getting the room info for me, the lady I talked to earlier walked by and said "Did you get your phone charger?" My eyes lit up as I told her we just got back. While this was going on, they called a bellman over and he met us at the desk! (As opposed to the early morning when the front desk girl just told me I had to take my own stuff out front - when I was specifically asking her what my options were - thanks for suggesting, or even calling, the bellman, ms. night shift grump!). Anyway, we got our room key after being told that the charger had already been delivered there, while the bellman said he'd meet us up there.

So, when we walk in, we see this!!

And an envelope with the exact model charger we needed that says "Keep it if it works"!

We're now on the outer courtyard-

And, to top it all off, the bed is even softer!!!

Daddy is gonna sleep well tonight, thanks to a charged up cell, a softer bed, and a little "extra magic"!!!

Don

PS - I called down to the manager and thanked him for turning the day/trip around for me. I gave him the names of all the nice folks I mentioned above - I told him about the cranky ones, but not their names. He was appreciative.

 

[44sun]

I don't know what it is but I'm riveted to your report. Thank you again! Your DD is beautiful - She looks so proud on the Cinderella horse! I'm so happy that you got some magic ...it helps to communicate! The hard bed still worries me, oh well.

More! More! I can't wait for more! How long did you say your trip is? Feed me!

BTW - Happy Anniversary!

 

[happybratpack]

I'm really enjoying your report! I don't blame you at all about asking to move rooms...I'm not a huge "view" person but think I would have broke down in tears w/ your first view!

 

[Minnie]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

Though u have no way of knowing it those pixs and the idea of the noise just took care of my missing the WL doldrums that I've been ever since we ended not booking the WL and rented an OKW 2 BDR at a great deal.

The great deal I was up for but man I was missing the WL big time. I don't think I'd want to stay there with the construction going on though and the pix from your balcony was NOT what I consider MY WL.

Now I'll go with an open relieved mind to the OKW and be ready for a week at the WL next summer fully renovated.

Thanks again! Hope the rest of your trip is filled with

 

[doncaruana]

This was just a "WOW" day...

First, right after my last update, I get a phone call - they want to deliver something and will someone be able to accept it. They bring this awesome basket of goodies for us! Two bags of cheetohs, a bag of bbq baked lays, regular baked lays, skittles, some crackers and two mouse rice crispy treats! And a note from the WL staff - Happy Anniversary! An indication of things to come!

Now, unfortunately, DD was too busy swimming and didn't get her nap in, but out we go to our 6:35 dinner reservations at Tony's (the restaurant from Lady & The Tramp), which is just inside MK. Another quick boat schedule note - before 3pm, the route is WL, MK, FW. After 3pm, they reverse it - WL, FW, MK. Anyway, guess who passed out on the way over? We woke her up as we were seated and our girl is quite grumpy when first awakened! But where else are they more used to cranky kids than Disney World?! Our waiter was fantastic (*still* no dining plan issues!) and I had the beef and spinach canneloni, which was great. DW had the chicken pasta which she said was good, but unremarkable.

Out of there and we've got a strategy so we head for Mickey's Toontown Fair on a dead run. We've decided that we're going to see what we can see while everyone is lining up for spectral magic and we get in line for the princesses about 7:45. The line is considerably shorter than it was earlier in the day, but it still takes 45 minutes. I'm fairly convinced though, that there was a break or a switch in characters because no one moved at all for a very long time and then - whoosh! Anyway - for anyone with a little girl - you MUST take her to see the princesses!! DW and I were almost in *tears* DD was so excited!!! She was wearing one of those blinking tiaras and Snow White, who was the last of the three (they take you back to a separate room, one family at a time, so there's only about 6-7 families queued there going from princess to princess) was waiting for the next family to finish with Belle (we had, in order, Cinderella, Belle, and Snow White). So Snow White notices DD and walks over and starts talking to her while she's standing in line. She asks her her name and comments on how pretty she is and her tiara (which, of course, has Snow White as the centerpiece!) and I wish had not been too dumbstruck to grab the camera. The sheer joy on DD's face made the entire trip worth it - and it was just about to get even better! By now, she's so excited she can barely contain herself. Now, what takes a bit of time - and what makes this a must-do event - is that the princesses take a little time with everyone. So, DD has a little chat with each of them (some GREAT pictures!) and then, this is the shot that says it all to me - check out DD's face as she watches Snow White sign her book!

Now that DD is as excited as she's been the entire trip (words CANNOT capture it!!), let's take a quick spin through Mickey's house with ALMOST NO LINE TO SEE MICKEY!!! It's 8:30 , after 10 minutes with the princesses, she's still on a high! Must have been another changeover as the line stalled for a short time, but this time we get a family shot and Mickey makes a point to reach out and shake my hand - okay, I'm gettin' into it too! We come out of there and there's a play area right there, so we hunker down, let her run around in the play area (she's thrilled to do so!) and wait about ten minutes for Wishes. They tell a story, and it's only 10 minutes long, but she's just squealing!

After Wishes, we start wandering back towards the castle and stop at Goofy's barnstormer. DD and I got in the very front but I had my arm wrapped tight around her since the bar won't come down far enough with daddy's girth in the way. Anyway, DW sat behind us and as the ride ended asked "Was she alright? Was she scared?" I said, "Are you kidding? She had a BLAST!" She just squealed with glee through the ride (she thought it was 'crazy') and we ran down the exit and back up for another pass. You gotta love this no line thing!!

By now, it's time to get ready for Spectral Magic, although I did pause to get this shot:

After a couple of sort of annoying "false starts" and the "In 5 minutes", "In 10 minutes", "In 5 minutes" the parade will start announcements, it finally did start. And more gleeful squealing! We were right in the circle in front of the castle and DD really enjoyed it. Except the end. Then she started crying because it was over! DD really likes the Mad Hatter's Tea Cup ride, but she told us she was too sad and the ride would dry her tears so she didn't want to go on it.

It's obviously getting late so, after consoling her a bit, we decide to meander a bit and try and get her mind off of it and hit Cinderella's carousel again. She's perking up a tad and got Cinderella's horse again. After that, and after wandering through Frontierland, we take a quick cut over to Alladin's Magic Flying Carpet. This gets her in a better mood (a two minute wait keeps daddy in high spirits!) and, by the time we're done with that, it's time to head back to the WL.

Got a little turned around and a CM notices my studying the map and rushes over to ask if he can help. We tell him we're just trying to find the main entrance to call it a day, so he says "I'll just walk on up there with you to make sure you get there okay". And he walks us back to the castle so we can go on home! How over-the-top nice!!

We finally float in around midnight and we're all exhausted. DD is asleep about 3 minutes after laying down and DW and I were not far behind. I, of course, had to make a quick check to see that the Tigers had ousted the Yankees! I hopped into bed, told DW "Happy Anniversary" and went to sleep on my much-more-comfortable new mattress (slept well, thank you!!) as we finished off a TRULY magical day!!

Today, Sunday, is a day of rest, and that's what we're gonna do. The pool, maybe a catch up nap after breakfast, but no parks. And I think we're gonna have fun even doing that!

Don

 

[doncaruana]

Well, we took a boat over to Fort Wilderness and had a nice buffet breakfast at the Trail's End, then went over for a pony ride. DD played on the playset there for a bit, then back to the WL for some swimming!

We swam for a few hours then came up for a nap, which consumed most of the rest of the daylight! Dinner at Artist Point was next. Two table service meals and not really worth it, if you ask me. The service was fine, but for that, it should have been knock-your-socks-off good. DW had the salmon and it was apparently quite good, but I wanted to see her rave about it, and she didn't really.

Anyway, DW wanted to do some laundry so DD and I went out for some daddy-daughter time. Took the boat over to the contemporary and then the monorail the long around MK (DD loves trains). I was gonna continue on, but we got off at MK just in time for the fireworks. We moseyed around and just looked at stuff (the cartoons in exposition hall were vacant except for us). We got our extra magic hours wristbands and DD wanted to do the "It's a Small World" ride again, so we did that. The lines were still pretty hefty on a lot of the rides, but we were able to get on that and then the Tea Cup ride pretty quickly (she LOVES the Tea Cup ride). Then it was getting late so we started toward the front.

The CMs were doing the "See Ya Real Soon" thing and one noticed DDs lanyard and came over and told her to pick a pin she wanted - she gave it to her!! How very awesome! Anyway, we soon after had to double back to the bakery (one of the *few* places you can get milk!) cause DD HAD to have some milk. In fairness, judging by how much she drank, my little girl was EXTREMELY thirsty! Anyway, this was my first really annoying CM experience. Some other CMs, seeing my plight, had told me to double back using a returned stroller (without renting a new one, etc), which was extremely helpful. So, after standing in the line, the CM at the register is talking to two girls who told him they wanted free cookies or something. I don't even think they knew him, but I didn't care - I wanted him to finish ringing me up (I was next). So he starts yelling across the bakery to someone to bring cookies and then proceeds to step around like he's going to go get them! I said "HEY! Can you finish here? I'd like to get my daughter here home!" He apologized and finished us up, but I shouldn't have had to say it.

Anyway, out to the boat launch after that and DD and I were soon snuggled in bed after a very cool, short but fun time.

Don

 

[44sun]

It sounds like you had a wonderful, easy-going day! Thank you for sharing! It's too bad you had to remind the cm about how to take care of a customer... As I read your entry, I envisioned teens flirting.

Looking forward to hearing about today!

 

[doncaruana]

On Monday, we headed over to Epcot after DD and DW played at the pool a bit. We started trying to figure which way to head and wandered into the "Character Connection" and no line to see Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Chip 'n Dale! DD and DW headed over to the Living Seas and I went up to Fast Pass Soarin'. My heart sunk as I looked up at the return times - 4:15 - 5:15 -- and it was only 1pm!! Then, a lady calls out my attention and says "Sir, are there only two in your party?". I tell her yes and she hands me two fast passes for 12:57pm - 1:57pm!! After thanking her, I quickly get DW on the cell and she doubles back to meet me. DW is *not* a ride person, so this is another daddy-daughter and courtesy of the gift fast passes we're flying in no time flat! DD has a blast, calls it "Amazing" and, displaying some insight beyond her 3.5 years, says, "We were in the TV!"

After that we killed some time in the shops (and DD took a stroller nap) and thought about trying to catch Jasmine in Morocco before dinner. We stopped in for "Honey I shrunk the Audience", which was very cool. Be wary of the snake that bares its fangs at you - that scared DD! Anyway, we came out of that, got a quick pic with Figment, and went on into Figment's ride in imageworks. (Nice and low-key). Anyway, we goofed around in there for a while and ended up getting an awesome shot of DD with the princesses background.

Too late to try to get to Morocco, we headed back for dinner at the Garden Grill. Food was fine, service was great and Pluto, Mickey, and Chip'n Dale came to our table TWICE IN AN HOUR!

Out from there, it was over to Turtle Talk, which was also very cool. Crush actually picks out some of the kids in the audience so they all got a kick out of that. We loafed around the aquarium for a bit and then started out to find a place to watch Illuminations. The fireworks are low, so you need to be by a spot without a building to look over. We eventually ended up over by Mexico, which gave us a good view, despite not being right on the fence.

We headed back and the boats were down or something, so they had us get off at the TTC and take a bus to the WL. We didn't have to wait long but here's a tip - Don't count on your transportation running when you have options!! It was just chance that we heard the boats were down, so make sure and ask!

Running behind and need to get Mickey's party in here (very cool!!), but we're trying to get an early start to MGM today!!

Don

PS - I brought a cheap wireless router with me (no wireless internet at the WL) so I could do things like this on the balcony. The reason I bring it up is firerock looks to be coming online fully as it just spewed maybe 40-50 feet or whatever I assume normal height is.

 

[44sun]

Hey - how's the trip going? I need a fix!

 

[doncaruana]

Day 6
It was time for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, so we loafed around the hotel in the morning and did a little swimming. Finally around 4 we headed over to MK via the boat. We knew Jasmine would be by Aladdin's magic carpet ride (I think she's there most every day), so we decided to head over there for a pic and autograph. After that, we swung over to Tomorrowland to get Buzz Lightyear's stamp (he doesn't sign) and rode a couple of rides, including the Astro Orbiter. A little shopping and dinner at Cosmic Ray's (with DD having her own mini-dance party with some new friends) later and the party had started. We were using our map to navigate the trick or treat spots and wandered into Toon Town when, lo and behold, the last princess we hadn't seen, Aurora, was there! We mostly just wandered around from trick or treat spot to spot and then went over to see the Hallowishes show. Unfortunately, we kinda had a bad spot and didn't really enjoy it as much as I'd have liked. We were by the bridge to Adventureland and there were just too many trees. DD still enjoyed it of course!

After that we moseyed toward Frontierland to finish off our trick or treat stations and because we knew the parade was going to start there. We took up station right at the very beginning of the parade (by the bridge between Frontierland and Adventureland) to watch the 10:30 show. The parade was quite neat and, as usual, entertaining. We did a brief split as I went to check out BTMRR and DD wanted to do the Magic Carpet Ride (she *loves* these types of rides!) As we were trying to reconnect (DD had a potty accident in line!) I stumbled across Woody and Bullseye at the Diamond Horseshoe!! DD loves Toy Story so DW and DD quickly ran over to get in line. We barely got to Woody and they told us Jessie was coming out next! So back in line we went and, after that, we were ready to call it a night.

Unfortunately, with a massive line at the dock, I got a "brilliant" idea to monorail to the Contemporary and boat over from there. Nice going, dad - the boat doesn't run that late from the Contemporary! So we actually ended up rerouting ourselves and on a bus, lesson learned and time for bed, but a lot later than we had hoped. Nonetheless, we had quite a haul of candy (note: ASK for chocolate or risk getting loaded up on raisins!) Once again, I had to carry DD back, but how heavy can Tinkerbell really be, right?


Day 7
After the late Halloween party night, we decided to try and sleep in a bit before heading over to MGM. We got in and, first thing, made a beeline to Playhouse Disney. That was great and DD had a ball! We came out of there and headed over to Streets of America - just in time to see Lightning McQueen and Mater!! Oh, did her eyes light up!! Not planning very well, we headed back over to catch "Voyage of the Little Mermaid". Back over to commissary lane to get Sully and Mike from Monsters and I suddenly realize that the female chipmunk with Chip n' Dale is named Clarice! Yes, that's my daughter's name so now, OCD dad is on a mission. I've got to get her photo/sig with Clarice! I zip over to guest relations and ask and they tell me she's done for the day AND very rare anyway. Crestfallen, I head back to catch up with the girls and Clarice is by the hat!! Hurry, hurry - we get in line. The line is going kind of slow and, desperate, I walk closer to the front and ask if anyone would please let us cut in front since DD shared a name with the chipmunk standing in front of us. If the family that said yes ever reads this, I can't thank you enough!!

DW wanted to see Beauty and the Beast, so we zoomed over there. All the live shows are very good and this was no exception. It amazes me what they can pack into a 15-30 minute show! Now it was time for a late lunch, so back to comissary lane and DD was passed out! About 2 or so, we decided to head over to the central square by the hat to get a spot for the parade. No regrets there as we were right on the "brass line", which we were supposed to be behind (no ropes!). A few of the characters came over and spoke to DD or shook her hand - so she was absolutely thrilled!

After the parade we headed over and I pre-scouted Star Tours. After determining DD would like it, we hopped back in line and walked up (the lines were that short). DD was being a tad "wild" and tripped and fell, needing some consoling. Then the CM came up and said "You're kinda short, why don't we have you sit in the front row." He asked her her name, too and we went on to the ride. My little girl is a thrill-seeker, so she absolutely loved the ride (only thing she doesn't like is stuff in the dark) and then, after the ride, the CM pulled us aside as we were leaving. I don't know if it was random or the little fall she took, but he gave her one of those "Certifiably magic" certificates which I think made me happier than it did her!

Indiana Jones was next and, sad to say, DD was bored. I enjoyed it but we were moments from leaving early. From there it was Muppet Vision 3D which was neat for an old-time Muppets fan like me, but not as good as some of the other 3D shows. It was time for dinner at Hollywood & Vine which was a challenge as DD was starting to become a bit cranky. We made it through (pretty good meal, I thought) and were almost ready to go.

I promised DD a final trip on Star Tours so we headed back that way. Once again we were in the front and, once again, got singled out. As we came off, a CM asked DD if she'd like to ride again! Of course she did and, with that final bit of happiness, we headed back to the WL. We got a brief stint of swimming in and went to bed relatively early - because we were the flag family for the next morning!


Day 8
Being the flag family is just a very cool experience. Ranger Stan took us on up and chatted with us the whole way. We were lucky because he's about to take a brief vacation! I got the honor of raising the US Flag and DD got the Diseny World flag, while DW got the Wilderness Lodge flag. All that and WHAT A VIEW!!!

Anyway, off to the Animal Kingdom next after a quick breakfast...

When we got in the park, I headed over to fast pass everest while the girls wandered the other way. I caught up with them pretty quick and we got in line for the safari (30 minute wait). That was pretty cool and took up enough time for me to head back to everest to use the fast passes from DD and me consecutively. We, of course, stopped at the drums for a few - she loved that, and then continued on to the ride. This is NOT a full stomach ride! The kicker is going backward and up in the dark! But, I survived and we wandered into Dinoland and Restaurantosaurus - but DD was passed out again! The flag morning did her in!

After she woke up, we headed over to the train and Rafiki's planet watch. We caught the animal show and Guitar Dan and did the petting zoo thing, but it was raining from the moment we left the restaurant until after we got back from Rafiki's. The rain broke as we headed to Camp Minnie-Mickey and we got there just in time to catch Donald Duck!! He was really the last one we didn't have an autograph for and then we wandered in for the last show of "Festival of the Lion King". Again a great live show, but it was time to head back. We split up and DW went to Downtown Disney for some shopping (Note: you can only take Disney Transportation to Downtown Disney from a resort - NOT from the parks!). DD and I came back to the lodge and picked up our AAA Storytelling info and hopped on a boat over to the Magic Kingdom. We got there just in time to sit down and get a nice little story read by Fairy Godmother. Not sure DD even knew who she was, but she was happy anyway! After that, the park was kicking us out for MNSSHP, so we came back to the WL for a couple of hours of swimming and then off to bed!

 

[jakenjess]

Sounds like you're having a very magical trip! Thanks for sharing!

 

[44sun]

Ahhhh...better now! Thanks for the update. I have flag family on my ta-do list. My DDs & I are involved with Girl Scouts & I thought it would be a neat experience to do a flag raising the Disney way.

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[doncaruana]

Quick update as we're trying to enjoy our last day (we leave tomorrow morning).

We had breakfast at Chef Mickey's and I have my first real "merchandising" complaint. They offer to take your picture in front of the plate, but you can't use photo pass (I asked). Then they roll around to your table and offer to sell it to you for $30 - with a bunch of photos, 6x8, etc. Here's the irritating part: after you buy it, they tell you there's a photo pass number printed on the picture "in case you want extra prints". I just think this is a rip-off -- let people use photo pass like they normally would.

Another note on photopass - don't count on them being where you want to be, or even on good photos. The one of us in front of the castle is really washed out and others have various issues. On other occassions, they weren't at character meets, which is where you really want them. It's a convenience, but use it to augment your own photos - don't count on them!!

Okay - down to the pool for me. The girls are already there and my blisters need a break (SO much walking -- gack!)

Don

 

[doncaruana]

Well, after a brief respite down at the pool, we finally headed over to the Magic Kingdom one last time. I have to say the couple who felt they needed to bring their wine glasses on the boat (thus holding the rest of us up as they managed that) were annoying. Just didn't seem very "Wilderness Lodge" to us - we like it because it's not a 'snooty' type place and, I'm sorry if this offends anyone, bringing your wine glasses on the boat is snooty to me.

Annnywaay...
We got in the park around 7 finally and we were going to let DD go on a few final rides. We're heading down main street and people are already lining up for the parade. We wanted to get one last family shot in front of the castle and there was a vendor with about 20 baloons blocking us. So we kept going up to the next photopass photographer and guess who shows up again? She's talking to about 4 other CMs and I go over and ask her if we can get a shot. She looks at me dumbly and says "We move around". I tell her we just moved so if she'll just let me know where she's going to be, we'll get our shot. She says she'll try to move for us. We go back and wait by the photographer again and, after selling a balloon, she continues to stand right there! Worse yet, she's just BSing with the group of cast members! I went over and, quite loudly, said "Can you please move to one side? I asked you nicely once already!" It was one of the very few bad CM moments but one I shouldn't have had to deal with. I wish I had thought to get her name, but oh well. Anyway, we got the shot...

After that, I zipped over to the Peter Pan ride and FP'd tickets, which were a couple of hours out. DD wanted to do the magic carpet ride again so we headed that way and ended up at Pecos Bills for dinner. From there we watched SpectroMagic roll by (a little late) and I wanted to get a better view for one final viewing of wishes.

We tried to get all the way over to Tomorrowland, but were stuck in front of the Crystal Palace. What I really wanted was for DD to see Tinkerbell fly from the castle. And she did!

After that, we finally made it on the Peter Pan ride (why is this ride so popular??) and hit It's a Small World (one of DD's favorites). By now it's getting late and we headed over to Goofy's Barnstormer, another DD favorite. It was a walk through line, so we spent as much time getting back in the line as we did on the ride! I think we rode it about 5 times. The best was the last time, as we just told DD this was our last ride. The operator (thank you Ryan!!) pointed at us as we got off the last time and said "We've got seats open in 2 and 3!". So, DD and I hopped right back in as DW was a little stunned! We caught up and made our sad way to the front and the boat back to the WL.

On Saturday, we packed everything up and got ready. I went down to the desk and insisted that they take back the cell charger for some other hapless guest, even though they had told me to keep it. I also took down the basket, from the anniversary basket they gave us, but it was filled with some snacks that we had bought and not used. I told them it was a treat from us to them.

Using the magical express to leave was incredibly painless and we were picked up almost exactly 3 hours before our plane was supposed to leave.

On the bus, DD was being boisterous and I told her, "Honey, please be a little quieter. We're all busy being sad about leaving the Wilderness Lodge." Several of the folks around me agreed and then we all waved and said "Goodbye Wilderness Lodge".


I have to say that I now truly believe that Disney World *is* where magic lives. I don't know how much she'll remember, but the joy this trip bought to my DD (only some of it captured in pictures) will stay with me the rest of my life. As well as DW leaning over and kissing me and saying "Thanks for an awesome vacation".

I asked DD if we had a little fun. She said, "No! We had a LOT of fun!"

What more can you ask for?

Don