scanne
<font color=blue>OK, I must have really small ears
- Joined
- May 13, 2000
- Messages
- 5,365
Halloween Surprise Trip
Day 2
Cast: Me 31, DH 35, DS3 and DD1
After a good nights sleep in the WL, we were up early and ready to conquer the day. Our plan was to go to Downtown Disney and get our shopping in first, since this was a short trip, then come back to the lodge for a while before heading to the Magic Kingdom.
I have to say not going to a park first thing was a true deviation of our normal touring style and I was feeling out of sorts. But that soon changed
I got ready, got the kids ready and told DH Id meet him and the kids at the bus stop. I went down to Roaring Fork to grab some breakfast. I got some bananas, froot loops and cruncheroos (Kellogs version of cheerios) plus a juice box for DS. I actually made it to the bus stop before DH and the kids. We didnt wait more than a few minutes when a bus going to Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney pulled up. We gathered the kids and folded the stroller and boarded the bus.
DS was excited to get to go past Typhoon Lagoon. He plays this Disney driving video game and you can drive around different parts of WDW. So he knows his landmarks and attractions! He was talking up a storm on the ride to TL and thought it was cool that he got a glimpse.
After our trek to the water park, we were driven to DD. DH and I remarked to each other how it was so nice to be walking around and not sweating. The weather was warm, but lacked the humidity we were used to during our summer visits.
We went into the scrapbook store first and then the Art of Disney store. If we ever have a disposable income, I know DH would buy many collectibles in this store! He loves it!
Next we took DS into Goofys Candy Kitchen. We got one of those build-your-own-cups. DS chose a Goofy hat and shoes and a green cup. We then had it filled with every flavor they had. It was kind of gross and I wished we had stuck to one or two flavors only.
I wanted DS to make his own candy you know the chocolate dipped marshmallows and such, but he was in sensory overload and couldnt be still enough to pay attention to what I was telling him. So we left the kitchen and worked our way towards Once Upon a Toy. We noticed a $10 and under store on our way and stopped in there. We found a pirate antennae topper along with some other cute knick-knacks.
Finally we were off to Once Upon a Toy. We were on a mission here. We wanted to start our monorail playset collection and I had read on the DIS that the Polynesian and GF pieces were on sale for $19.99 (being clearanced out), so I made a bee-line for the monorail display. I was THRILLED when I saw that they had the Poylnesian and GF. When I had called WDW merchandise two days before this, I was told they werent available. I also asked if they could transfer me to Once Upon a Toy so I could inquire there and the CM I spoke to was like, They are sold out of it, too. Thanks for the pixie dust, dude. Not.
So when I saw that OUAT did have the pieces I wanted, I grabbed them right up! We ended up buying the monorail starter set, extra track and the two resorts. They were shipped to our house so we wouldnt have to worry about how the heck to pack it up and get it home.
After playing in OUAT for a bit, we were all getting hungry, so we decided to try Earl of Sandwich. I got in line (and it was a LONG, unorganized line!) while DH ran down to McDonalds to get the kids some Happy Meals. I ordered the roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce (YUMMY!) and DH had the Hawaain ham sandwich. We shared a bag of chips. DH had an Earl Grey lemonade and I had a diet coke. The kids were satisfied with their McNuggets. While we were eating it rained. And this rain lasted the better part of 30 minutes. It was torrential. This was more rain than we had seen on our trip in July! Luckily the kids were good and DS played with his and his sisters Happy Meal Toys.
Once the rain let up, we went over to the World of Disney. I know that DH and I always lose each other in here, so we picked a meeting time and place. I found some cute things for DD and for my scrapbooking. When I met up with DH and DS, they had found some candy. LOL. DS loves the Mickey candy! So we got in line, had them ship most of the stuff to the room and then headed back to the bus stop. Again, it was a short wait until a WL bus showed up. We were on our way back to the Lodge our 2nd home!
We took a short break in our room before venturing out to the MK. I restocked the diaper bag and packed some extra snacks for later. We got to the dock and had to wait a bit for the boat. At least now they have a rope on the dock so that people can get into a somewhat organized line. DS and I were very disappointed that they took away the fish food! He loved feeding the fish and I never found out why they took it away.
We got to the MK around 4pm. Ah, I was finally here. The castle brought tears to my eyes, as usual, and DS was excited as ever to see it! We went into Fantasyland. DS played at the new Winnie the Pooh playground for a while, then we got in line for Its a Small World. DS is at the age where things are scary to him and he didnt want to go on. We reminded him that he had ridden IASW three times on our last trip and that he loved it. It took some coercing, but he did go on and he loved it again. DD loved it too. She was so cute going oooh! and wow! We have it on video. Im so glad we captured that!
After IASW, I rode the Haunted Mansion with DD. DS was NOT going on his favorite attraction. He loves the HM, but refuses to ride right now. He knows all the words to Grim Grinning Ghosts and knows the ride inside out and backwards, but doesnt want to go on. Hopefully that will change next year
I love the HM and was happy that there was no wait. DD and I settled in to our Doom Buggy for our not-so-scary journey through the mansion. The one thing I was disappointed with was that the Donald chair was STILL missing! When I exited the ride, I asked a CM and he said its out being refurbished and he doesnt know when it will be returned. Im hoping its back by next year.
After our brief Liberty Square adventure, DS wanted to go see the Pirates! So we trekked into Adventureland. I got us a ressie at El Pirate y el Perico we really wanted to try this new buffet. We had about 40 minutes before our time, so we all went on POTC. DS loved it once he was on it, but was a bit hesitant when we got to the loading area. But once we got to the town and the song started, he was singing along and having a great time!
Next was dinner. We were very hungry. The restaurant wasnt full, but we still had to wait to be brought back to our table. Finally we were seated and began our meal. I like the idea of this place and I think if Disney tweaks it a bit, it could be very good! However, I noticed several things lacking.
1. The lighting was awful. We were placed at a table that was NOT under one of the recessed lights. So it was kind of dark.
2. I asked for milk for the kids and was told they didnt have any. We learned later that this was just misinformation. I asked a manager if she could get us milk and she said it was no problem. So I just chalked this up to it being so new and new CMs that just didnt know. (The cm we spoke to said she was a banquet server, though. Maybe Disney brought in outside help? This one had us baffled).
3. The glasses that they served soft drinks in were small! They were like wine glasses. DH were so thirsty and felt bad we were downing our drinks so quickly. But there really was only about 6oz. Per glass.
Other than that, we enjoyed the food. I liked the ribs and the potatoes they were like thick cut steak fries. The corn bread and sweet butter were good too. The bbq chicken was good and thats what my DD ate. DS ate the macaroni and cheese. The desserts were very good. I tried a bit of the cheesecake and a few bites of the chocolate cake. I had eaten more than my share of cornbread and was getting full when it was time for dessert.
I think if they make this a character meal and improve the lighting and service, it could be a winner!
After dinner DS was in his glory playing in the Tikis. You know, the ones that squirt water at the unsuspecting guests? My DS could spend HOURS here! We finally were able to pull him away and we walked around to Frontierland. There was only about a 3 minute wait until the Country Bear Jamboree began, so we hopped into the waiting area.
The kids loved the show. The last time DH had seen it, DH fell asleep! He didnt sleep through it this time, but I know its not one of his favorites.
As we exited CBJ, SpectroMagic was starting. So was the rain. We were under a canopy off of CBJ so we were able to watch the parade without getting too wet. DS loves this parade and was very excited that we were able to watch it.
After the parade we decided to go back to the WL. We should have just stayed in the park and watched the fireworks because we didnt realize that the boats dont run during the fireworks. So instead of being in the MK watching Wishes, we were at the dock where it was awfully hot and muggy waiting endlessly for the boat. It was here that DH agreed that the extra money for a monorail resort is sometimes worth it! But now we know how to time our exit from the MK when staying at the WL.
We got back to the WL around 10pm and all fell to sleep rather quickly. Ah, it was another packed day at Disney. The only way we like to do things.
Day 3 is MNSSHP. You wont want to miss that!
Day 2
Cast: Me 31, DH 35, DS3 and DD1
After a good nights sleep in the WL, we were up early and ready to conquer the day. Our plan was to go to Downtown Disney and get our shopping in first, since this was a short trip, then come back to the lodge for a while before heading to the Magic Kingdom.
I have to say not going to a park first thing was a true deviation of our normal touring style and I was feeling out of sorts. But that soon changed
I got ready, got the kids ready and told DH Id meet him and the kids at the bus stop. I went down to Roaring Fork to grab some breakfast. I got some bananas, froot loops and cruncheroos (Kellogs version of cheerios) plus a juice box for DS. I actually made it to the bus stop before DH and the kids. We didnt wait more than a few minutes when a bus going to Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney pulled up. We gathered the kids and folded the stroller and boarded the bus.
DS was excited to get to go past Typhoon Lagoon. He plays this Disney driving video game and you can drive around different parts of WDW. So he knows his landmarks and attractions! He was talking up a storm on the ride to TL and thought it was cool that he got a glimpse.
After our trek to the water park, we were driven to DD. DH and I remarked to each other how it was so nice to be walking around and not sweating. The weather was warm, but lacked the humidity we were used to during our summer visits.
We went into the scrapbook store first and then the Art of Disney store. If we ever have a disposable income, I know DH would buy many collectibles in this store! He loves it!
Next we took DS into Goofys Candy Kitchen. We got one of those build-your-own-cups. DS chose a Goofy hat and shoes and a green cup. We then had it filled with every flavor they had. It was kind of gross and I wished we had stuck to one or two flavors only.
I wanted DS to make his own candy you know the chocolate dipped marshmallows and such, but he was in sensory overload and couldnt be still enough to pay attention to what I was telling him. So we left the kitchen and worked our way towards Once Upon a Toy. We noticed a $10 and under store on our way and stopped in there. We found a pirate antennae topper along with some other cute knick-knacks.
Finally we were off to Once Upon a Toy. We were on a mission here. We wanted to start our monorail playset collection and I had read on the DIS that the Polynesian and GF pieces were on sale for $19.99 (being clearanced out), so I made a bee-line for the monorail display. I was THRILLED when I saw that they had the Poylnesian and GF. When I had called WDW merchandise two days before this, I was told they werent available. I also asked if they could transfer me to Once Upon a Toy so I could inquire there and the CM I spoke to was like, They are sold out of it, too. Thanks for the pixie dust, dude. Not.
So when I saw that OUAT did have the pieces I wanted, I grabbed them right up! We ended up buying the monorail starter set, extra track and the two resorts. They were shipped to our house so we wouldnt have to worry about how the heck to pack it up and get it home.
After playing in OUAT for a bit, we were all getting hungry, so we decided to try Earl of Sandwich. I got in line (and it was a LONG, unorganized line!) while DH ran down to McDonalds to get the kids some Happy Meals. I ordered the roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce (YUMMY!) and DH had the Hawaain ham sandwich. We shared a bag of chips. DH had an Earl Grey lemonade and I had a diet coke. The kids were satisfied with their McNuggets. While we were eating it rained. And this rain lasted the better part of 30 minutes. It was torrential. This was more rain than we had seen on our trip in July! Luckily the kids were good and DS played with his and his sisters Happy Meal Toys.
Once the rain let up, we went over to the World of Disney. I know that DH and I always lose each other in here, so we picked a meeting time and place. I found some cute things for DD and for my scrapbooking. When I met up with DH and DS, they had found some candy. LOL. DS loves the Mickey candy! So we got in line, had them ship most of the stuff to the room and then headed back to the bus stop. Again, it was a short wait until a WL bus showed up. We were on our way back to the Lodge our 2nd home!
We took a short break in our room before venturing out to the MK. I restocked the diaper bag and packed some extra snacks for later. We got to the dock and had to wait a bit for the boat. At least now they have a rope on the dock so that people can get into a somewhat organized line. DS and I were very disappointed that they took away the fish food! He loved feeding the fish and I never found out why they took it away.
We got to the MK around 4pm. Ah, I was finally here. The castle brought tears to my eyes, as usual, and DS was excited as ever to see it! We went into Fantasyland. DS played at the new Winnie the Pooh playground for a while, then we got in line for Its a Small World. DS is at the age where things are scary to him and he didnt want to go on. We reminded him that he had ridden IASW three times on our last trip and that he loved it. It took some coercing, but he did go on and he loved it again. DD loved it too. She was so cute going oooh! and wow! We have it on video. Im so glad we captured that!
After IASW, I rode the Haunted Mansion with DD. DS was NOT going on his favorite attraction. He loves the HM, but refuses to ride right now. He knows all the words to Grim Grinning Ghosts and knows the ride inside out and backwards, but doesnt want to go on. Hopefully that will change next year
I love the HM and was happy that there was no wait. DD and I settled in to our Doom Buggy for our not-so-scary journey through the mansion. The one thing I was disappointed with was that the Donald chair was STILL missing! When I exited the ride, I asked a CM and he said its out being refurbished and he doesnt know when it will be returned. Im hoping its back by next year.
After our brief Liberty Square adventure, DS wanted to go see the Pirates! So we trekked into Adventureland. I got us a ressie at El Pirate y el Perico we really wanted to try this new buffet. We had about 40 minutes before our time, so we all went on POTC. DS loved it once he was on it, but was a bit hesitant when we got to the loading area. But once we got to the town and the song started, he was singing along and having a great time!
Next was dinner. We were very hungry. The restaurant wasnt full, but we still had to wait to be brought back to our table. Finally we were seated and began our meal. I like the idea of this place and I think if Disney tweaks it a bit, it could be very good! However, I noticed several things lacking.
1. The lighting was awful. We were placed at a table that was NOT under one of the recessed lights. So it was kind of dark.
2. I asked for milk for the kids and was told they didnt have any. We learned later that this was just misinformation. I asked a manager if she could get us milk and she said it was no problem. So I just chalked this up to it being so new and new CMs that just didnt know. (The cm we spoke to said she was a banquet server, though. Maybe Disney brought in outside help? This one had us baffled).
3. The glasses that they served soft drinks in were small! They were like wine glasses. DH were so thirsty and felt bad we were downing our drinks so quickly. But there really was only about 6oz. Per glass.
Other than that, we enjoyed the food. I liked the ribs and the potatoes they were like thick cut steak fries. The corn bread and sweet butter were good too. The bbq chicken was good and thats what my DD ate. DS ate the macaroni and cheese. The desserts were very good. I tried a bit of the cheesecake and a few bites of the chocolate cake. I had eaten more than my share of cornbread and was getting full when it was time for dessert.
I think if they make this a character meal and improve the lighting and service, it could be a winner!
After dinner DS was in his glory playing in the Tikis. You know, the ones that squirt water at the unsuspecting guests? My DS could spend HOURS here! We finally were able to pull him away and we walked around to Frontierland. There was only about a 3 minute wait until the Country Bear Jamboree began, so we hopped into the waiting area.
The kids loved the show. The last time DH had seen it, DH fell asleep! He didnt sleep through it this time, but I know its not one of his favorites.
As we exited CBJ, SpectroMagic was starting. So was the rain. We were under a canopy off of CBJ so we were able to watch the parade without getting too wet. DS loves this parade and was very excited that we were able to watch it.
After the parade we decided to go back to the WL. We should have just stayed in the park and watched the fireworks because we didnt realize that the boats dont run during the fireworks. So instead of being in the MK watching Wishes, we were at the dock where it was awfully hot and muggy waiting endlessly for the boat. It was here that DH agreed that the extra money for a monorail resort is sometimes worth it! But now we know how to time our exit from the MK when staying at the WL.
We got back to the WL around 10pm and all fell to sleep rather quickly. Ah, it was another packed day at Disney. The only way we like to do things.
Day 3 is MNSSHP. You wont want to miss that!
