DVC Firsts - BCV, MNSSHP, '09 Members Cruise, Kidani

[BigDogHU75]

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom a little before 6:00 p.m. CMs were directing MNSSHP guests to the right where CMs were giving out bracelets and bags for the candy. Before we got our bags and bracelets we took a couple of pictures.

We then headed over to get our bags and bracelets. We each received a bag and bracelet. DS did not need a bracelet since he was under 2 but the CM gave him one since DS saw we had one. We proceeded inside and took some more pictures.

Before we proceeded down Main St., DS spotted a CM with hula hoops. Of course, he wanted to play with the hula hoops (something he learned in a program at school called Jump Bunch). So, we stayed there for a few minutes so he could play.

We then headed down Main St. snapping a few pictures along the way.

We reached the hub at Main St. and discovered that there was a parade/party going on. So, we stayed to watch.

DH wanted some funnel cake and I had a hankering for it as well. DH remembered that he and his brother were able to get some near the castle when we were at MK in Feb. He led the way and we were soon in Liberty Square ordering our two cinnamon sugar funnel cakes and drinks.
Here are some pictures from the little shop where we placed our order. I believe it is called Sleepy Hollow.

I have to go back a little bit. While we were in line waiting to place our order, this young man was in front of us trying to take a picture/video of the CM at the cash register. The first time he tried the video was not on so he tried again. We waited patiently and were soon able to place our order. We then sat down and he sat near us. He started talking to us and asked if we were staying for the MNSSHP. We told him that we were and that this was a first time at the party. He further asked if we were planning on riding any rides before the party. We told him we were if we were able to. He then gave us 6 FPs for any ride that used FPs and the FPs did not expire until Sept. 15, 2009. He then proceeded to tell us that the best place to watch the parade during MNSSHP was in Frontierland and the best place to watch the fireworks was on Main St. He also told us to stay for the second parade because while other people are watching the first parade, the lines for the rides and characters are usually lighter. He told us that MNSSHP had the best fireworks and parade. We thanked him profusely for his kindness. I asked him his name and I believe he said it was Ben. He was just getting off of work. So, CM Ben “thank you.” He gave FPs to two other ladies sitting near us since it was one lady’s birthday. They did not want to accept them but he told them to take them anyway. After he left, they in turn gave the FPs to us since they were leaving the park and it was their last day at DW. We thanked them as well. While we were eating, we heard a spooky voice announcing that MNSSHP would be starting in thirty minutes.

After eating our funnel cakes and relishing in the Disney Magic, DH stated that he wanted to see the Hall of Presidents. Since we were not far, we headed over there. When we arrived, the doors were opening for the next show that was about to begin. Score! DH rushed to park DS’s stroller and we all headed inside. The show was very nice. It was amazing to see all the presidents on the stage. The animatronics were great.

When we left the Hall of Presidents, we proceeded to Fantasyland. By that time, the party was about to start, the spooky voice was telling us so. CMs were also checking to see if we had the purple bracelets. By the time, we got to Fantasyland the party was starting. CMs were handing out candy. We were able to get our first candy of the evening much to DS’s delight. By the time I put my bag on his stroller, he had reached into his bag and bit into a chocolate. The paper was still on it! I wish I had taken a picture. I took the wrapper out of his mouth and allowed him to finish eating what was left of the chocolate.

 

[BigDogHU75]

The first characters we saw were Donald and Daisy. They were about to lead the crowd in dancing. Of course, DS wanted to join in.

They were not signing autographs but were taking pictures. The Photopass photographer was not there though. It was very entertaining. The DJ was very good.

After running around with DS on the dance floor, I asked DS if he wanted to ride Dumbo which seemed to be his favorite ride back in Feb. He did. So, we walked over to Dumbo and were able to hop on. We rode Dumbo twice.

Since DH was not able to get a picture of DS while riding Dumbo (DS had to sit on the inside of the ride), we went over to the stationary Dumbo and snapped some pictures.

From a distance, we saw that Tigger and Pooh were out in the costumes and then Piglet came out. DS did not want to stand in line for their autographs. He wanted to play in Pooh’s playful spot. This was DS’s night.
Brief aside: In February, I had planned out the entire trip and was somewhat disappointed when things did not go as planned. For this trip I did not do much planning. My motto was “Go with the Flow.”
DS had a ball in Pooh’s Playful Spot.

Once he was done there, we headed over to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. On our way, we saw all of the seven dwarfs. They were hamming it up for the cameras.

We spent most of the evening here and in Fantasyland. We did not ride many rides. I did notice, however, that there were no lines for most of the rides. Many appeared to be walk-ons.

In February, Mickey was being very elusive coupled with the fact that DH did not want to stand in line for Mickey. This trip I was determined that we would see Mickey. But first, DS wanted to ride the train better known as the Barnstormer. At first I was surprised he wanted to ride it but then I remembered his recent fascination with trains. I told DS that I did not know if he would be able to ride since this ride has a height minimum. Well, to my surprise, he was tall enough. My little baby is growing up. DS was able to ride his first roller coaster.

I stood in the entranceway to let him watch it and hear the sound it made. He was still up for the challenge so we walked right up and hopped on. Going up the first hill was startling for him and he told me he wanted to get out. But, once we went down the hill he was fine. He wanted to ride again but Mommy was feeling a little dizzy.

After the ride, we were off to see some characters. I wanted to see the fairies but mistakenly hopped in line for the princesses. The line was not too long. I believe we were the second or third in line. The CM allowed only a few in at a time. The fairies line was a lot longer but still it did not look too bad.

DS about to meet his first princess (Mommy is the queen)

DS was not in the mood to see any princesses but I was all smiles.

I did not press my luck with the fairies though. We were off to find Mickey & Minnie and to get some more candy. First, we went to find Minnie. While getting ready to go into Minnie’s house, we saw Alice running around the street looking for someone. She was very animated. Once Alice disappeared, we toured Minnie’s house

but she wasn’t inside, she was standing in her garden gazebo. We waited in line for approximately 10 minutes.

Now, it was time to find Mickey. He too was standing out in his courtyard surrounded by his garden. The wait was not too long, again, about 10 minutes. While we were standing in line, Mickey needed a cheese break but he was back in less than a minute. He sure eats fast.

 

[BigDogHU75]

Since it was getting close to fireworks time, we headed towards Main St. via the Alice in Wonderland trail (the trail that leads from Toontown to Tomorrowland) getting candy all the way. Now, I have neglected to mention, until now, that though it did not rain, it was pretty humid out. We had stopped to get some water since I forgot our water bottles. But, by the time we started walking this trial I was not feeling well. The humidity was kicking my butt and I began to feel dizzy. I stopped along the trail to regain my composure and to finish up the rest of the water. The water hit the stop but I knew I would need more. I was glad I was holding on to the stroller. We eventually made it to the end of the trail. I was feeling a little better when I spotted a photo op and had to stop for pictures.

Once we made it to Main St. we realized that we were not only thirsty but hungry. DH went to Casey’s Corner to order some food while DS & I went to look for a seat. There were no tables available around the restaurant but I did find a bench on the porch in front of Crystal Palace. I called DH to tell him where we were and while we were waiting for DH I change DS since he was hot. In no time he returned with 2 orders of corn dog nuggets, fries, and 2 sodas. That really hit the spot. The fireworks started while we were eating. Turns out the benches were a great spot to see the fireworks and plus we had a seat.

The fireworks were fantastic and the castle was pretty. DS was amazed. I tried to get some decent pictures but my camera does not do any justice to what we saw.

After the fireworks were over, we headed over to Frontierland, via Adventureland, collecting candy all the way. DS was not in the mood for riding in rides. I could tell he was getting tired. However, when we arrived in Frontierland, he seemed rejuvenated. I think it was because he saw hula hoops and wanted to play. We positioned ourselves near Splash Mountain then DS and “I went over to where the hula hoops were.

Once CMs began roping off the area, we moved back to our position to watch the parade. We were right near Splash Mountain. We could see people coming down the hill. We were standing near the start of the parade so we were able to see the people coming out of the gate. First, came the headless horseman. I tried to snap a good picture but …

Did you see him? He wasn’t going too fast but my camera does not do too well at night. I did not take too many pictures. Here are a few.

The parade was great. The graveyard diggers and the dancers were wonderful. And, since we were near the ropes, we received candy from the CMs at the end of the parade.
Once the parade was over, we headed towards the bus stop. Since we had only been collecting candy in two bags I started collecting candy in the third bag. DH thought we had enough and did not need anymore; but, one can never have too much candy.

By the time we reached the front of the park, the parade was winding down. We waited outside the gates on benches until the crowd headed towards the buses died down. While we were waiting, I collected more candy from the CMs standing outside the gate.

The bus ride home was uneventful. DS almost fell asleep during the ride. Needless to say, he was very tired. We headed to our room and immediately fell asleep. The next day, I took a picture of our loot.

Overall, we enjoyed MNSSHP. We had fun and the crowds were low. Once DS gets a little older, we would go back and experience more rides.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I enjoyed reading your MNSSHP report, and seeing your pictures. It's a great party, isn't it? Your DS really held up well!

We've enjoy sitting in the same area to see the fireworks. Sometimes having a seat is worth missing some of the fireworks due to trees, at least for me, it is.

Bobbi

 

[BigDogHU75]

I enjoyed reading your MNSSHP report, and seeing your pictures. It's a great party, isn't it? Your DS really held up well!

We've enjoy sitting in the same area to see the fireworks. Sometimes having a seat is worth missing some of the fireworks due to trees, at least for me, it is.

Bobbi

Thank you. It is worth having a seat to see the fireworks especially when it was so hot and humid.

 

[wltdsnyfan]

Hi Marsha!

I am here a little late but here.

Great report and pictures. Charles looks like he was having a blast.

take care
flo

 

[Kris10luvsDisney]

great TR! Sounds like a great trip and your son is so adorable
Can't wait to hear about your cruise, I just booked the same cabin for our "first" Disney cruise in Feb. 2011. Can't wait to hear what you thought about it!

 

[WDWLVR]

Great report Marsha! Thanks for sharing it all with us.

 

[El&Asmom]

Lovin' the TR. Your son is adorable. Can't wait for the DCL report as we are going in January on our first cruise.

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[manascarfan]

Great report Marsha, what great memories.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

really enjoying your trip report - I have now added a MNSSHP to my ever growing wish list!!

 

[dizney4us]

great trip report, beautiful family! Can't wait to read more!

 

[lah3hh]

This is a great TR. It brings back fond memories for me as well. We were at the same MNSSHP the same night you were there. It was fantastic.

We were also on the DVC Member cruise. Isn't it funny how there are so many people on the cruise that you never even see? With all of us on the ship for 4 days you would think we would run into each other at some point...but that is just not true!

I look forward to our report on the cruise & Kidani portion. I am staying tuned...

 

[lisareniff]

Thanks for the trip report!

 

[BigEeyore]

Great update! Do you happen to know if the princes were just out for MNSSHP? Or are they at the princess meet and greet all the time?

 

[BigDogHU75]

Hi Marsha!

I am here a little late but here.

Great report and pictures. Charles looks like he was having a blast.

take care
flo

Hi Flo! You are right on time. Thank you for stopping by.

great TR! Sounds like a great trip and your son is so adorable
Can't wait to about your cruise, I just booked the same cabin for our "first" Disney cruise in Feb. 2011. Can't wait to hear what you thought about it!

Thank you. I think DS is adorable as well but of course I am biased. This trip was really wonderful. We had a great time. I will have pictures of the cabin. I really liked the location. Though we were near the elevator it was very quiet.

Great report Marsha! Thanks for sharing it all with us.

Mary, thank you for reading it and a big thank you for all you did to make this cruise so wonderful.

Lovin' the TR. Your son is adorable. Can't wait for the DCL report as we are going in January on our first cruise.

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

The cruise portion of my TR will be coming up soon. This was our second cruise on DCL but might has well been our first since we last cruised in 2002. We had a blast. I am sure you will enjoy your cruise. If you have any questions, please ask.

Great report Marsha, what great memories.

Dave, thank you for stopping by. We definitely made some great memories.

really enjoying your trip report - I have now added a MNSSHP to my ever growing wish list!!

I am glad you are enjoying the TR. And, MNSSHP is a must do. Don't wait too long to cross it off your list. Once you experience it once, though, I am sure you will want to do it again.

great trip report, beautiful family! Can't wait to read more!

Thank you for the compliment and for reading along.

This is a great TR. It brings back fond memories for me as well. We were at the same MNSSHP the same night you were there. It was fantastic.

We were also on the DVC Member cruise. Isn't it funny how there are so many people on the cruise that you never even see? With all of us on the ship for 4 days you would think we would run into each other at some point...but that is just not true!

I look forward to our report on the cruise & Kidani portion. I am staying tuned...

Wow! I am sure our paths must have crossed. You have to look closely at the pictures to see if you see yourself. If you do, let me know.
I have to agree, MNSSHP was fantastic.

Thanks for the trip report!

You're welcome. Thank you for reading it.

Great update! Do you happen to know if the princes were just out for MNSSHP? Or are they at the princess meet and greet all the time?

Thank you.
Don't quote me but I do not think the princes are at the meet and greet regularly. I think they were just out for MNSSHP. If anyone else knows, please correct me if I am in wrong.

 

[BigDogHU75]

After a good night’s rest we woke up refreshed and ready for the day. DH had hoped to take DS to the pool but it was raining. After getting dressed, we went downstairs for our 10:20 a.m. reservation at Cape May Café. When we arrived, I was shocked to see how many people were in the lobby and in line for breakfast. DH wondered if we would be able to see the characters. I assured him he would be and asked the CM to be certain. She assured us the characters would be around even after 11:00 a.m. We got our buzzer and took a seat. In no time we were being buzzed and were seated.

While I went up to get DS’s food, Goofy was making his rounds at our table. DH was on the ball he took a picture of Goofy and had him sign the autograph card.

I returned with DS’s plate and my plate but he was not interested in the food. He wanted to meet more characters, especially Donald.

Since DS saw us taking pictures, he wanted in on the action. So, his obsession with the camera began. Here are a few shots that he took.

Once he was done with the camera, I went up to take some more pictures of Cape May Café.

I was able to snap a few pictures and then Minnie visited our table.

After Minnie left, I went back to snapping more pictures.

The meal was very good. There was such a variety. DH gave it two thumbs up.

DS was able to visit with the characters at least twice and each time one would leave he would have a conniption. He loves the characters and the one on one interaction. One thing I did not like, however, was the interruptions. In one instance, Minnie was making her way over to a table to wish a little girl a happy birthday and she kept being stopped by parents and teenagers asking for a picture and/or autograph. The waitress had to step in and tell them that Minnie would make her way to their table. One person commented that she had finished eating and she wanted to take a picture with Minnie; but, she did go back to the table.

After a delicious breakfast, we walked around the hotel a little bit, checked out our Photopass pictures from the previous night, and then went back to our room since it was still raining. Once we were in the room we relaxed by watching a little television. We tried to get DS to take a nap but he wouldn’t. I wanted him rested before our DIS Meet at 3:00 p.m. However, that was not going to happen. While we were waiting for the DIS meet to begin, DH’s father called to see if we were in town. He wasn’t sure if he had the right weekend. Now, I had told DH to call his father to let him know we would be in town but he did not. Now, he was on the phone explaining why he did not call. After his explanation, we made a date to meet up with DFIL and DMIL between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. After getting off the phone with his father, DH took a nap. Now, once he is asleep it is hard to wake him but I had to. After some cajoling, we were finally ready to go downstairs to the Solarium.

 

[dvc4life]

Marsha - this is just wonderful. Since we weren't able to go to MNSSHP this year you brought it to me. Thank you so very much. That is my absolute favorite time to be there. The Halloween parade is my favorite. So, again, thank you, thank you.

Can't wait to read about the Dis meet!

 

[BigDogHU75]

Marsha - this is just wonderful. Since we weren't able to go to MNSSHP this year you brought it to me. Thank you so very much. That is my absolute favorite time to be there. The Halloween parade is my favorite. So, again, thank you, thank you.

Can't wait to read about the Dis meet!

You are so welcome. I am glad I was able to bring a little bit of MNSSHP to you.
My next post will be about the Dis Meet.

 

[podsnel]

So happy you had fun at MNSSHP!! Love that your little guy loved every minute!! And the Hallowishes fireworks are AMAZING, aren't they?!!!!

looking forward to more!!