February Half Term Fun

[rcol]

Well following my highs and lows I have decided to submit a full trip report. Will have to try my best to remember the order of events!

First of all let me introduce you to the cast. Firstly there is me, I'm Rachel, I'm 36 years old and I love disney. My first experience of the magic was in Orlando when I was 16. Next comes Simon my husband. He was very unsure when we first went to dlp (3 years ago now when my son was 2, however this most recent trip is his third one and he is a convert )

Next come the kids. Joseph is 5 1/2, he has enjoyed his previous visits but has been slightly scared of the rides (even It's a small world last time! ) However we discovered that this is due to noise sensitivity and bought some ear defenders (we'll find out later if it worked!!! Bet the suspense is killing you???)

Lastly there is Phoebe (AKA Belle) our little princess. She is 2 1/2 and into disney princesses big style. My main concern for 'Belle' was that she would meet Belle as this was really all she wanted to do. She has had one previous trip to the magic aged 13 months but obviously does not remember that one.

Anyway that's the cast. We set off on February 12 from the West Midlands to London to catch the 'Disneyland Express' on the morning of February 13. We stayed in a family room at the Premier Inn at Kings Cross St. Pancras which I would highly recommend as the location is ideal as is the all you can eat hot breakfast buffet. Great for setting you up for a long journey.

Next installment will be the Disney land express and day one of the magic!!

 

[rcol]

On the morning of 13 Feb we woke up bright and early, ate well at the Premier Inn breakfast buffet and went back to the hotel room to assemble our luggage. We had a LOT of luggage as we had to cater for every weather eventuality given the time of year. In addition to that both kids wanted to take their disney outfits. Phoebe had a Belle dress and a Minnie Mouse one and Joseph wanted to take his Buzz and Pirate one (although in the end he wouldn't wear them -grrrrrr!)

So, fully loaded we arrived at the Eurostar terminal an hour before the train was due to leave. We got through security easily and everyone at the station was in good spirits as most people seemed to be off to Disney .

I bought supplies for lunch at the M&S at the station as we planned to eat lunch before arriving at the park.

The kids were mega excited when they were given there purple disney bag with a colouring book and pencil.

We were told that the train was fully booked with more people boarding at Ebbsfleet and Ashford. We got the luggage on with no problem. We hadn't booked a seat for Phoebe as you don't need to until a child is 4 , however with a fully booked train full of excited children it would have been better with the additional seat. You live and learn!

Once settled on the train a member of staff came and found us at our seats to give us luggage tickets for the baggage transfer and the park tickets so we could go straight to the parks on arrival and the baggage would be in the hotel by 4pm. This service is so convenient. We were also given maps and the programme for the week, plan was easy - first stop Fantasyland! We anticipated that much of the visit would be spent there given the ages of the kids and Joseph's fear of rides.

Anyway soon enough we were there and we took the luggage to the express service counter and hit the parks.

When we arrived it was fairly mild in temperature but we could tell how cold it had been by the fact that the water fountains were still frozen!

Walking up Main Street USA we could see the green boarding/ tents up to get ready for the 20th anniversary celebrations. We are not first timers so it was not an issue for us but I can imagine it would detract from the magic a bit if you were a first timer.

Next post Fantasy land and day one rides.

 

[rcol]

So we arrive in Fantasy Land and the first decision to make is which ride to ride first. Joseph wanted to ride Dumbo, but unfortunately it was not in operation due to the cold weather of the previous few days. We spoke to a CM who said they were hoping to open it on Tuesday if it had thawed out enough.

So next choice was the Mad Hatters Tea cups. We hardly had to wait at all for it which was great. Here are some pictures of my little ones on it.

and

As you can see they both had ear defenders on. This is due to their noise sensitivity and there are great if your kids are sensitive to loud noises. In reality for much of the time they were just 'comfort blankets' but they worked.

After the spinning teacups we thought about doing It's a small world but Joseph was not brave enough for this yet (lol!) So we did the carrousel and then Casey's Train. Casey's train is a fab ride for little ones. My two really enjoyed it. We could see the Story Book boats from the ride but the water was frozen so it was out of use, unfortuantely it remained so for the duration of our visit which was a pity as I would have liked Phoebe to have seen Belle from this ride.

After this we were a bit peckish so we went and bought some popcorn (and a crepe for me from a vendor by Dumbo. The crepe wasn't great but the kids loved the popcorn in the themed pot. At 9 euros they should do

We then discussed It's a small world again and this time Joseph decided he was brave enough, at 5 1/2

We got straight on and all enjoyed it. We reminded Joseph that last visit he blankly refused to do it! lol!

After that we noticed the queue for Peter Plan flight was only 20 mins so we jumped into that and Joseph was feeling brave enough to go on. We all waved to Nana from the boat and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

At this stage I was jumping for joy as it really was touch and go whether Joseph would go on anything. Tip for anyone with a child who is scared or noise or the dark is to look at rides on You Tube before you go, the familiarity makes it much easier for little ones. We have no such worry with Phoebe.

After this it was gone 5pm and the parade had already started and we were tired so we decided to go and check in as we had a meal booked at The Parkside Diner at 7.30 pm. We snuck back walking along the arcade beside Casey's corner.

 

[tinkerbells mum]

love the photos with the ear defenders!! we were there the same time as you so really looking forward to hearing all about your trip xx

 

[rcol]

Ok so next step was check in at Hotel New York. It was very fast and easy and we were soon in our room which was lovely except for a broken toilet seat

In the end I couldn't be bothered to complain about it as the break was at the back but ultimately you can tell the rooms are in need of a refurbishment now. I didn't ask for a lakeside view but got a view of the lake and the balloon so that was a bonus.

We had dinner at the Parkside Diner. It was ok but we were very tired by the 7.30 reservation and it was busy. I had smoked salmon and salad for a starter followed by more fish from the buffet for the main. The kids ate pizza and dolphin and crab shaped 'fish fingers'. We were not there long before we went to bed.

Here is a picture of the kids in the HNY yellow taxi (where the character meet and greets normally take place)

So next we are on to day 2 - Valentines day and lunch at the Auberge

 

[jothp]

A great start to the trip. Looking forward to hearing the rest.

 

[Ms Poppins]

Lovely start - love the ear defenders! What a great idea for lo's who are a bit unsure. My ds is like that too - getting over it now though, but wish I'd thought of that when he was younger.

Look forward to more

 

[rcol]

Lovely start - love the ear defenders! What a great idea for lo's who are a bit unsure. My ds is like that too - getting over it now though, but wish I'd thought of that when he was younger.

Look forward to more

It was at a firework event last october that I realised how sensitive DS is to noise, in fact I am too so I do understand. With DD I'm not sure if it is real or if she copies her brother!

 

[rcol]

A great start to the trip. Looking forward to hearing the rest.

Thanks!

 

[rcol]

Day 2 Auberge and more fantasy land/ princesses

We started the day fairly early with the breakfast buffet. We opted for the cold option today knowing that there would be lunch later. The breakfast room was decorated for Valentines day which was nice with paper hearts and heart shaped chocolates which was really really nice.

After breakfast the kids just wanted to see characters so we went to the hotel lobby to see who was about. We found pluto and Donald.

After seeing them we went to the magic kingdom and decided to ride Buzz's lazer blast first. We loved this ride on the first trip when Joseph was 2. When he was 4 he found the noise a bit of an issue so the ear defenders worked a treat for him on this ride.

Simon was gutted that I beat his score (only level 4 but nevertheless!) Phoebe did well achieving level 2

After this ride we went over to fantasy land to see if Dumbo had reopened and it had. We queued an hour for this ride as the kids really wanted to do it which would have been ok if it weren't for the fact we were queuing next to a mum who was trying to force her unwilling daughter to ride it!

We had hoped to ride Peter Pan again after but it was nearly 11am and I was booked for the Auberge for 12 and had left Phoebe's Belle dress in the hotel so needed to race back to get her changed.

We just about managed in time to get to the auberge at 11.50 (I know I was fast!) so that we were first there and could request a table at the fireplace.

Unfortunately no Belle but we had Cinderella, Snow White and her Prince and Sleeping Beauty along with Suzy and Perla.

Phoebe was a bit frightened of Suzy and Perla but Joseph enjoyed the interaction with them.

We really enjoyed the princess meal (despite the lack of Belle). We had told Phoebe that Belle wouldn't be there as she was Belle lol, which she accepted so the fact that Belle wasn't there was not a disappointment to her.

Simon and I enjoyed the meal, we are quite into food. We both had the lamb for the main course which was really very nice. Joseph wasn't so sure, he normally likes Salmon but he wasn't sure about the cream sauce.

The puddings were fab with white chocolate Cinderella lollypops which I will show a picture of later.

Any how here are a few photos to show you the interaction

Snow white talking to Phoebe

Cinderella with Joseph and Phoebe

Sleeping Beauty with Joseph and Phoebe

The best thing about the interaction was the way in which the characters made your child feel the most important. Joseph was the prince and Phoebe was the princess. They told her she was beautiful and that they loved her and were just so very very lovely.

Phoebe ran up to Cinderella just before we left to ask her where her prince was. Here is a picture of that moment.

We found the service to be excellent. We had a fab waiter who was amusing Joseph by talking in a Donald Duck voice. Joseph spilt a full glass of lemonade which was replaced with no problem and generally it was what you would expect for the price of the experience.

Here is a photo of the lamb and a photo of the chocolate lolipop I mentioned earlier.

So all in all it was an excellent lunch enjoyed by all of us, even Joseph who doubted if he would enjoy a princess lunch.

Oh and it is worth asking for a table by the fireplace. It is lovely to see the princess dancing.

Anyway I will continue with after lunch later......

 

[HappyPanda]

Awww, so glad you had an amazing meal (despite the lack of Belle!).

We were initially relectant to spend the amount of money that the Auberge meal costs, but reading so many trip reports reporting the amazing character interaction, I think it's a must!

Your DS and DD are just too cute, I esp. like the ear defenders idea - I'd have never thought of that (and I guess they double up as ear muffs, too!)

 

[rcol]

Awww, so glad you had an amazing meal (despite the lack of Belle!).

We were initially relectant to spend the amount of money that the Auberge meal costs, but reading so many trip reports reporting the amazing character interaction, I think it's a must!

Your DS and DD are just too cute, I esp. like the ear defenders idea - I'd have never thought of that (and I guess they double up as ear muffs, too!)

awww thanks! If you have a daughter it is a must if your budget can stretch to it!

The pavillion is also good though if it can't they still will get lovely princess interaction!

 

[tinks_1989]

Another great review about Auberge makes me so excited for our reservation in 2 weeks time! What a gorgeous Belle!

 

[River<3Mickey]

Enjoying your trip report

 

[rcol]

Another great review about Auberge makes me so excited for our reservation in 2 weeks time! What a gorgeous Belle!

You will have a fantastic time!

Enjoying your trip report

Thanks

 

[HappyPanda]

awww thanks! If you have a daughter it is a must if your budget can stretch to it!

The pavillion is also good though if it can't they still will get lovely princess interaction!

My DD is Princess mad, so we've now officially added a meal at the Auberge onto our inventory! Luckily, she loves all the princesses so hopefully she'll be happy with whoever is there (From looking at everyone's trip reports it seems to be a consistant Snow White, Aurora and Cinderella).

Looking forward to the rest of your trip report!

 

[rcol]

After leaving the auberge we went back on Peter Pan Flight. At this point Simon and I were feeling a bit mellow. We had shared a nice bottle of bordeaux at the auberge so we decided to go and chill out for a bit at the hotel until just before the parade.

Cinderella had told Phoebe she would be able to see Belle at the parade so we knew we would have to return to the park for then. It was already about 2.30 and we wanted to find a good spot for the parade so we knew we would have to be back at the park entrance at 4.45 at the latest.

When we got back we knew that neither of the children would nap so we put the Cinderella DVD on. Here is a picture of them chilling out in our room.

The time soon passed and we were back of to the Magic Kingdom (my third bag check of the day!!) for the parade.

Here's a picture of Joseph and Simon waiting for the start of it.

We enjoyed the parade and Phoebe did see Belle and her prince but was upset that Belle didn't talk to her. At this point I decided to go to speak to City Hall to see if there was any way of guaranteeing a Belle visited. I spoke to a lady who told me to go back in the morning and they would phone to find out if she would be in the pavillion. I had noticed that morning that the queue for the pavillion started at about 9.20 am (for an official start of 10.30) , in fact it transpired that the pavillion opened at 10am so knew we would need an early start.

The kids fancied candyfloss so we went into the sweet shop on main street USA where I experienced my worse ever disney customer service. Apparently I , as did many others, queued the wrong way and when I got to the front was asked to go to the back (after waiting 15 mins!) Anyway I wasn't taking any of that and eventually managed to purchase the final 2 candyflosses after asking to speak to the manager.

Here is a picture of 2 ENORMOUS candyflosses at 4.5 euros each. I had to finish Phoebe's for her. It got everywhere. I didn't manage to get it off her coat and buggy all week!

After that we had a browse in the shops and decided to go back to the hotel when the park closed at 7.

I had brought a loaf of sliced white with me and a pot of peanut butter and the kids had this for tea.

Simon nipped out of the room when they were asleep to pick up a macdonalds and I decided to try the Earl of Sandwhich which was not there last time I was at DLP. I had a beef and blue and it was delicious. This shop is a very good addition to Disney Village in my opinion as the sandwiches are much better than in the other place across the road by the shops (the name escapes me!)

We read our kindles by torchlight and had a relatively early night ready for another busy day ahead.

Next installment Day 3 - The search for Belle continues!

 

[rcol]

It's been a week or two now and I have been busy so I will try my best to remember the rest of the order of events!

We had breakfast and then we saw that Donald and Daisy were downstairs at HNY. We manged to get a rare family photo!

After that we were off to the Magic Kingdom again and I went straight to City Hall to ask about Belle (phoebe was by this point becoming desperate!).

I was told to ask at the pavillion. By the time I got there at 9.30 there was already a lengthy queue. I explained to the CMs my dilemma and was told that the princesses were on rotation system and even if Belle was one of the two when I got to the front there was no guarantee of seeing her. I do find this system with princesses very un- customer friendly esp when children have their hearts set on one princess.

Anyway as chance would have it when I got to the front of the queue the same CM was there that I had spoken to early. she said that she shouldn't really do this but directed me to wait for Belle (who happened to be there).

I was soooooo relieved I can't tell you. Here is a picture.

After seeing Belle I really felt that I could relax a bit more!!

Phoebe and I then met up with the boys and we decided to go to adventureland.

We knew that the Aladdin adventure was due to start so we went through the enchanted passage and then had a meet and greet with Aladdin and Jasmine. Jasmine was truely delightful and paid both of the children a lot of attention.

 

[Ms Poppins]

That's lovely that Phoebe got to see Belle