Groundhog Day at Walt Disney World - New 5/2 - pg. 20 - 3 Updates/new PTR link

[JPFamilyMom]

icky rain but on a positive it made for less crowded lines, I had so hoped it would rain for just a bit on my trip so we could get through fantasy-land a little quicker

Looks like your boys really enjoyed the new Pooh que, it is so much fun
LOVE the zurg pictures

And the CP breakfast, I can't wait to attempt that with my kids, your kids look like they are really enjoying the character interactions

What a fun DISmeet, small world would seem like a great ride to meet up at.

GREAT family pictures in front of the castle

can't wait to see whats next

 

[DisMomAmy]

I do! I do!
Even the one with her face covered.

That's the first time Bella has gone around in a parade with Brooklynn, so it was a fun morning.

The DIS kids were all so cute. We are very, very blessed to have our precious little ones to bring so much joy to our lives every day. What a gift! We don't need birthdays and Christmas or any other kind of holiday to celebrate what we have been given. We have these incredible, beautiful, smart, funny kids every day!

The boat ride for 18 was fun. When Julie, her mom, and Claire got there, we went around again with them. It was fun to see Claire's face as she took it all in.

I'm so glad we got to see old friends again and meet new ones.

It was so much fun meeting you, Jill & the girls! They were so cute at Crystal Palace!

And thanks for the reminder that our children are such blessings... sometimes it's easy to forget at the end of a long day!

I still say do Friday if it works better for the rest of the week. You'll have a game plan for the party....others will not.

I think I'll table the itinerary until I get the official park hours. Too many things still up in the air. I just wish I could have our airfare booked before ADR day... Southwest seems to change the schedule every month so I don't know what to expect for our arrival time.

hey Amy...so I actually read through your 4 poster yesterday while waiting in the doctor's office I have asthma bronchoitcs....seriously

ugh something please take me away....

are you sure you didn't repost pix from jan in there deja-vu huh?...but hey tru Disney folks just go for it in the rain and it paid off for you all! can't belive you didn't have your hat...should have borrowed Tim's since he took his off...that is one of the few pix I think I have seen of him w/out a hat on

Love the Dis meet...what fun that must have been...did anyone ask a CM to take a group shot in the boat or all of you together? and glad you got to meet Julie and the baby too

lot's of splitting up the forces so far...but I guess it works to keep each boy happy

also love the PP pix on the side of the castle very nice...I loved eating at CP too...

as far as your MVMCP question...my instinct would be to go w/ mid week vs the weekend but weigh both Tracy and Heidi's thought and not make a firm decision till the hours come out...or even closer in, in case Disney changes up show times, etc...the parties probably won't move but some other could that may affect your decision...

J~

Yuck about the bronchitis! I hope you feel better soon!

It's funny you mention Tim without a hat...

I'm still up in the air on the MVMCP... leaning toward Wednesday at the moment but that could easily change.

Bummer on the rainy MK morning but you got a lot done, glad it cleared up. The DIS meet pics were cute, how fun to get a whole boat on SW.

Being so early in the party dates I don't know that the crowds would be a HUGE issue but my gut reaction would be to go with the mid-week party. What do the Nov TGMers say?

Unfortunately I'm not getting much help over on TGM either... I think I might get some more advice once the dates are officially released & people are thinking about it more.

icky rain but on a positive it made for less crowded lines, I had so hoped it would rain for just a bit on my trip so we could get through fantasy-land a little quicker

Looks like your boys really enjoyed the new Pooh que, it is so much fun
LOVE the zurg pictures

And the CP breakfast, I can't wait to attempt that with my kids, your kids look like they are really enjoying the character interactions

What a fun DISmeet, small world would seem like a great ride to meet up at.

GREAT family pictures in front of the castle

can't wait to see whats next

Yes - the rain was icky, but luckily it didn't last too long. It did keep the crowds away though.

I definitely recommend a pre-park opening breakfast with Pooh & the gang. Character meals are pretty much the only way we meet characters - we don't do meet & greets very often.

The DISmeet was really fun!

 

[DisMomAmy]

“On our way” to Vistana we took a detour to some mall in Orlando to find a new hat for Tim. The one hat he had brought along had slowly been shrinking each time I washed it and Tim finally decided it was too smal... It took us forever but he got two new hats. Not Disney hats…

When we finally got back to Vistana we just hung out in the villa for a little while. We talked about our dinner plans… I was reconsidering Ohana & Tim didn’t seem to care either way. He got on the ipad and started looking around for an off-site steakhouse! We ended up going to Charley’s, which was more expensive than any of the Disney TS meals we had all week, but it was good & it made Tim happy. For a restaurant that really isn’t geared toward kids, the boys did a VERY good job! They didn’t have a kids menu but had a couple kids choices for us. They cooked up a chicken breast for Alex (which he LOVED) & Zach had a small version of a shrimp meal. He also had several bites of my filet – Tim wasn’t sharing his! I also had a great wedge salad & Tim had some lobster bisque.

After dinner we planned to head right to MK for some more rides & Wishes but took a quick detour back at the condo to give Alex another dose of cough medicine.

We did the usual parking at the TTC, tram to the monorail, wait for the monorail, ride on the monorail, get off the monorail, bag check, turnstile routine. It was pretty cold & breezy out this night & I’d only brought sweatshirts for everyone – we hadn’t changed into pants! We made our way into the park around 7:10 and the memories show was being shown on the castle. We made our way through the crowds toward Tomorrowland:

Alex wanted to ride Space Mountain, but Zach didn’t… so he & Tim turned around and headed to BTMRR. The plan was to meet back up outside Cosmic Rays so we could find a spot for Wishes. As Alex & I made our way out of Space Mountain I got a text from Laura. They were at Cosmic Rays having dinner! Alex & I made our way there, Zach & Tim met up with us and we were able to get a picture of the boys with Laura & her girls:

They were planning to watch Wishes but had been at the park all day so they were headed to the end of Main Street for a quick escape after Wishes. We said good-bye and made our way to a spot between the castle & the rose garden.

This is when Alex started getting agitated that we didn’t have a stroller. Apparently he needs something against his back and was very upset to not have his own space to sit in. Lesson learned… but we made it through the wait & enjoyed the fireworks. Although I don’t think Tink ever came out of the castle. I’m guessing it was too windy. I can’t imagine that I missed it since I chose our spot so we’d be able to get a good look at her. I thought the kids would enjoy it.

Here are a few of my Wishes shots… you can tell how windy it was in some of these:

After Wishes we decided to take a ride on the Peoplemover. This was a first for the rest of the family & they enjoyed it:

Alex hates it when the attention isn’t on him:

Then it was time to cross back over to Frontierland for another ride on BTMRR. First we stopped for few PP pictures on our way… they aren’t great ones:

Finally in Frontierland… There was no line at BTMRR! I rode twice with Zach while Alex & Tim went on Splash. Zach doesn't like how loud it is in the cave area at the beginning...

After BTMRR with Zach, we went over to wait for Tim & Alex.

Of course Zach decided he wanted to ride Splash now too! But it was too late – we were getting tired so we headed out of the park. This time we remembered to stop for Zach’s package!

Up next: DHS- Would the boys get into Jedi Training?

 

[irish dancer]

I have heard that Tink doesn't fly if it is too windy so you probably didn't miss her. We love BTMRR at night, it's so fun with the park all lit up but still pretty dark on the ride.

The steakhouse sounds yummy. I think we might do some off-site dining in June. Any recommendations??

 

[disneyfan61]

More expensive than TS at Disney?? I didn't know there was such a thing.
Glad you enjoyed it.

I think your photopass pics came out good. Aw no Tink?? That's too bad.
Yay for riding BTMR at night. I love it riding it at night. Splash on the other hand I would rather ride during the day so I can dry off after.

 

[Dsnygrl1205]

We've seen Wishes a couple of times when Tink didn't make her appearance and it was kind of a let down. It's definitely my favorite part of the show.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Great Wishes pictures! We've been there when Tink fails to make an appearance as well...very disappointing.

How was the People Mover at night??

 

[mousescrapper]

We love BTMRR at night, it's so fun with the park all lit up but still pretty dark on the ride.

I agree sadly there will be no BTMRR riding for me in Oct Matt doesn't do "coasters" good thing I got a ton of rides in in jan!

I like your night time PP pix the glow wands on the boys are a great idea too! sorry Alex is still struggling but you guys seem to be getting through it...

glad you had a nice dinner off site and that you all liked the People mover...you know it's one of our fam favorites!!!

hope DHS-Jedi training works out...it has me nervous w/ how agitated Alex has been w/ things

 

[Charleston Princess]

Finally had a chance to catch up on your updates, Amy!

I am with Heidi -- ever since she instilled that particular superstition in me -- the left tunnel freaks me out. LOL!

Boo to a rainy start to your morning, but I am glad it cleared up later.

I felt like you had a celebrity spotting when I saw the picture of Brooklyn and Bella! Much the same feeling I had when Jill posted the Small World DIS meet pic of the kids on Facebook. That, "I know them!" moment.

The new interactive line for Winnie-the-Pooh looks like a lot of fun! I bet the Haunted Mansion will be just as cool.

Oh, how I would love something to eat from Pecos Bill's or CHH right now! Yum!

As for a party date, I don't think any of the parties that week will be super busy since it is so early in the season.

 

[DisMomAmy]

I have heard that Tink doesn't fly if it is too windy so you probably didn't miss her. We love BTMRR at night, it's so fun with the park all lit up but still pretty dark on the ride.

The steakhouse sounds yummy. I think we might do some off-site dining in June. Any recommendations??

I guess we'll just have to go back to Wishes to see Tink another time.

We love MK at night!

I don't really have any off-site dining recommendations. This was the only time we've done it...

More expensive than TS at Disney?? I didn't know there was such a thing.
Glad you enjoyed it.

I think your photopass pics came out good. Aw no Tink?? That's too bad.
Yay for riding BTMR at night. I love it riding it at night. Splash on the other hand I would rather ride during the day so I can dry off after.

Charley's was super expensive but it was very good... and it was nice to get away from the Disney dining crowds. It was almost completely empty since it was a week night.

I definitely don't like Splash at night!

We've seen Wishes a couple of times when Tink didn't make her appearance and it was kind of a let down. It's definitely my favorite part of the show.

Definitely a little bit of a letdown to miss Tink! Honestly I didn't think it was a real person until I saw her in January with the Spectrum Moms!

Great Wishes pictures! We've been there when Tink fails to make an appearance as well...very disappointing.

How was the People Mover at night??

The Peoplemover was pretty cool at night - fun to see the lights. I rode it during the parade last fall & that was pretty neat.

I agree sadly there will be no BTMRR riding for me in Oct Matt doesn't do "coasters" good thing I got a ton of rides in in jan!

I like your night time PP pix the glow wands on the boys are a great idea too! sorry Alex is still struggling but you guys seem to be getting through it...

glad you had a nice dinner off site and that you all liked the People mover...you know it's one of our fam favorites!!!

hope DHS-Jedi training works out...it has me nervous w/ how agitated Alex has been w/ things

At first the kids had the glow sticks on necklaces but I was afraid they'd get strangled by them so I just tied them to their sweatshirts - it worked out well.

I'll try to get to our DHS day this weekend.

Finally had a chance to catch up on your updates, Amy!

I am with Heidi -- ever since she instilled that particular superstition in me -- the left tunnel freaks me out. LOL!

Boo to a rainy start to your morning, but I am glad it cleared up later.

I felt like you had a celebrity spotting when I saw the picture of Brooklyn and Bella! Much the same feeling I had when Jill posted the Small World DIS meet pic of the kids on Facebook. That, "I know them!" moment.

The new interactive line for Winnie-the-Pooh looks like a lot of fun! I bet the Haunted Mansion will be just as cool.

Oh, how I would love something to eat from Pecos Bill's or CHH right now! Yum!

As for a party date, I don't think any of the parties that week will be super busy since it is so early in the season.

Glad you found some time to catch up Jackie!!

The rainy morning worked out OK - I just wish we'd been able to take a leisurely stroll up Main Street.

Winnie the Pooh was a lot of fun - I hope Haunted Mansion will be great too! I just read that they are going to expand the Peter Pan queue - I hope they add some fun interactive elements.

Mmmm... I was just thinking about what to make for dinner... Pecos Bills' or CHH would be great options.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

sounds like a fun evening.

Did the earphones stay on while riding BTMRR? Jack had his on when he rode too and they kept slipping but I think part of that was the way I was holding him. It is pretty loud on that ride but not as loud as test track.

can't read your next day

 

[DisMomAmy]

sounds like a fun evening.

Did the earphones stay on while riding BTMRR? Jack had his on when he rode too and they kept slipping but I think part of that was the way I was holding him. It is pretty loud on that ride but not as loud as test track.

can't read your next day

I was worried about the headphones slipping off, but they stayed on throughout the ride. I tried to take them off Zach's head after we passed through the first cave area but he wanted to keep them on. It's funny... he didn't mind the noise at Test Track. Actually he never complained about the noise on BTMRR and didn't wear the headphones the first few times... he just asked for them at one point, then wore them every time after that.

 

[DisMomAmy]

I'm going to post an update but I'm close to my bandwidth limit on photobucket so my pictures might disappear... but I'll be reset on the 10th.

Wednesday 3/2 – Today started with the sound of Alex coughing at 5:45am! I got up shortly after him and we let Tim & Zach sleep. Tim got up around 7:15 and we had to wake Zach at 7:45. We wanted to get to DHS for rope drop to get the kids into a Jedi Training show. Alex definitely didn’t seem like himself this morning. He eats the same thing every morning – a gluten free chocolate chip muffin… mostly muffin with a few chocolate chips thrown in. (He was on a gluten free diet for three years and this is one of the things he still likes to eat regularly even though he isn't on the diet anymore.) I’d made a batch at Jeff’s and frozen them when we arrived in Orlando. I took one out of the freezer each night to be thawed for breakfast. Today Alex didn’t finish his muffin. Hmmm… The coughing & lack of appetite should have been a sign… but we put on our Disney blinders & got ready for our day. We headed out and stopped at Dunkin Donuts. Again Alex didn’t want anything.

As we drove to DHS Alex says, "I think I’m going to throw up!" I find a plastic bag and throw it back to him just in time! Now what… here is where relying on a car for transportation was a problem. Tim starts to turn the van around but we decide that I’ll drop him & Zach off at DHS then take Alex back to the condo. He turns the van around again. Zach decides he doesn’t want to go without Alex. He wants to go back to the condo and play basketball or swim. Tim turns the van around again! We got Alex to lay down and watch Despicable Me on the ipad while Tim took Zach to play Bball. I threw in a load of laundry. When Tim & Zach got back I ran out to Walgreens, again, to buy a thermometer. I wanted to keep an eye on Alex’s temperature. I didn’t think he had a fever but I wanted to make sure. While I was there I picked up info about their drop in clinics as well as their phone number in case we needed to get a prescription.

As the morning progressed, Alex said he felt much better & he looked better too. He was also hungry and had a couple snacks. So around 10:30 we decided to attempt heading back to DHS for our 11:30 ADR at Sci Fi. We’d see how that went & figure out what to do after that. I think Alex had thrown up from the coughing – too much junk from his lungs got in his stomach & his stomach didn’t like it. Plus he’d had cough medicine on a fairly empty stomach. Once he got some food in there he felt much better.

When we arrived at DHS we decided to rent a stroller. I pre-paid for four days and this was a GREAT idea because it really helped with Alex’s cough! Last year Zach rode in the stroller & Alex wanted nothing to do with it but this time it was mostly Alex who rode in there. We strolled by the Jedi Training area to check on the shows but they were all full for the day – we kind of figured they would be. Oh well… Luckily we hadn’t made a big deal of it to the kids. On to Sci Fi… First they couldn’t find our reservation but they located it and said we would be in a car after I asked. I had heard that anyone with an ADR could have a car, but I just wanted to make sure. I also asked about getting chicken nuggets, which weren’t on the menu. They said we should ask our server. I asked if we could find out ahead of time because we might not eat there if we couldn’t get them. So the CM at the front, rolled off in his roller skates & returned to tell us that, yes, the chef would get some from next door & cook them up fresh for us. All was well… I went back over to the rest of the family waiting on the benches & Alex told me he’d have a burger! Go figure! So when we were seated, I asked the server to thank the chef but that Alex was up for trying something new (or that he hadn’t eaten in years).

As you can see, Alex was feeling much better:

We were seated just as you enter the restaurant, the far back left car as you are looking at the screen. It was a good spot for us to keep Alex & his cough out of the middle of everything. He actually wasn’t coughing much at this point – which was amazing since he probably threw up the cough medicine he had that morning. Everyone enjoyed the restaurant but there were mixed reviews on the food. I had the beef & blue salad and enjoyed it very much. I’m a picky eater in like to inspect my food, which was hard in the dark restaurant, but I gobbled most of it up without any trouble. Zach hated his pizza but I shared some of my beef with him so he was OK. Alex really enjoyed his burger but Tim said his was just OK. He did like his milkshake & onion rings. The boys really liked the atmosphere so I’m sure we’ll go back but probably not next time.

After leaving Sci Fi we headed to Toy Story Mania a took a ride. Here are the boys squeezed into the stroller. For anyone wondering, they are both just over 4 feet – Alex is probably 4’3” and Zach is about 4’1” or 4’2”. Zach weighs about 50-55 pounds, Alex about 60. They didn’t ride together very often.

Onto TSM:

Next we headed toward RnRC… we knew Alex felt better if he wanted to ride RnRC after lunch! I decided to speedwalk ahead to use the restroom while Tim maneuvered the stroller through the crowd (which wasn’t too bad). I snapped a few pictures on my way:

I ran into oOJulieOo, Claire and her mom as I walked down Sunset Blvd. We said a quick hello then I was on my way. I took care of business then met up with the boys at stroller parking near RnRC.

We rode RnRC twice then made our way over to see the Indiana Jones stunt show. I knew Zach would like it and hoped Alex would tolerate it. Luckily he had his Guide to the Magic book and my phone to keep him busy. We stopped at a few snack stands on the way to get everyone what they wanted. Alex wanted his Itzakadoozie popsicle, Zach wanted a frozen lemonade and Tim & I split a pretzel. He had a coke, I had a Vitamin water. It was a nice break. Zach loved the show and has since watched the first Indiana Jones movie. Alex was bored but has asked if we can go see it again next time! That’s sort of how he works… he tolerates something the first time then likes it later.

A few shots from the show:

Continued next post...

 

[DisMomAmy]

Continued from previous post...

After Indy we rode the Great Movie Ride.

This time we got the cowboy!

Zach really enjoyed this scene after seeing the stunt show:

After the ride we rode RnRC one more time and bought the photo!

I'll post a photo of the photo later.

The boys also bought a couple souvenirs. Alex got a RnRC Mickey & Zach bought that glow in the dark spinning string thingy.

We stopped at the candy shop & I ran in and bought some fudge, a slushie for Zach, cotton candy & taffy. Not all to eat now…

After leaving the park we drove all over looking for a McDonalds and a bathroom! I thought there had been a McDonalds at DTD at one time but apparently not anymore… Zach & I ran into DTD for a bathroom but with no McDs we ran back out and headed back toward the condo – running into a McDonalds just past DTD. Tim & the boys got dinner there but I wasn’t feeling like grease so I had a bowl of cereal back at the condo. Don’t feel bad for me… I had fudge & wine after the kids went to bed.

It was still pretty early when we got back. The kids wanted to play basketball but we said no & just hung out in the villa. We didn't want to push our luck with Alex seeming to have turned a corner with his cough. The stroller really helped & after we made it through the morning, he seemed much improved. We got the kids to bed early.

Up next: What should we do today?

 

[irish dancer]

So glad Alex seems to be turning a corner with the cough, yuck on the throwing up though. Deirdre has had that before, too much post nasal drip.

The McDs at DTD closed, that is where they put that Pollo Campero. I think there is another big one with a playland just don't remember where.

How do your boys do with the noise on RnR? That is the one thing that Daniel can't tolerate so he usually skips it.

Hmmm, wonder what you'll do tomorrow.......

 

[mommytothreeboys]

So sorry to hear about Alex and his tummy issues. It's never fun to throw up and especially not on vacation!

Glad to see the boys liked Sci Fi. My boys did too. We haven't been back since 2007, but they still talk about the movie clips!

Fudge and wine...what a nice way to end the day!

What's next??

 

[disneyfan61]

Poor Alex not feeling so good. Good thing you had the plastic bag! So glad he felt better by mid day. Sounds like you made the most of your time at DHS. You got to ride RNRC 3 times & other things so that's good!!

Probably a great idea to head back to the condo & get some rest.

Yay for some fudge & wine. Both sound great to me.

 

[MEK]

I'm glad that Alex didn't stay sick very long and that you were able to make it to HS. I cracked up at the sight of the two of them in that stroller. When my boys were that age they still sat in my jogging stroller from time to time (and I would actually run with them). Talk about a work out. It was sad when I realized that the two of them would no longer fit.

Glad you like Sci-Fi. I think you had a great day. to fudge and wine. I would pick that any day over grease!

 

[Dsnygrl1205]

Bummer about Alex. Being sick at Disney World is the worst! Glad he was feeling better and you got to enjoy your day though!

I loved the Beef and Blue Salad at Sci Fi!! Going back for it on our next trip!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Poor Alex throwing up and not feeling well. I am glad he felt better later in the morning so you could enjoy your lunch at Sci-Fi and ride some rides!