Hicks on Holiday Pt. 2 - Pixie Dust A Go-Go! (MGM)

[DisneyMom5]

Me - 37 yo homeschooling mom/obsessive Disney planner.

Ninja Guy - 35 yo dh, and yes, he has studied to be a ninja. Just made him a lot sneakier. LOL
(You'd recognize him from this smilie. Same glasses.)
Princess - 11 yo dd, also obsessive Disney-phile
(I am so proud, sniff...)
Chef C. - Ds, turned 9 on this trip, wants to cook for a living
(but is as skinny as a stick)

Dash - 6 yo ds. Looks just like Dash Incredible. Quite a lady-killer w/ dimples.

Mon-Ink - 4 yo ds. Named for how he says his fav. movie. When he was in the hospital (see part one) we watched Monster's Inc. EVERY day.

Danger Girl - 2 yo dd, Dash's female mini-me. If there is trouble, one of the two is likely involved.

Bitsy - 1 yo dd. First trip to the world.


So, we spent our first night a Pop Cent., and I had warned them to go to sleep early, because I would be getting them up early. Very early.

Ninja Guy barely moved when the alarm went off at 6:30, but I was up and around. MGM opened at 9, and I wanted to be there WAY ahead of time.
I had put out the matching orange t-shirts the night before, now it was just a matter of getting their little selves into them.

I was able to sweeten the pot by whispering about Mickey Mouse in their ears. That got their attention.
Finally ready, and at some point Ninja Guy managed to extract himself from the bed. He is with the program! Onward and outward, we load up the drink bag, fanny pack and back pack (3 in diapers, need I say more?) and dbl stroller and head for the bus stop.

Pretty empty at the bus stop, but that just made me happier! Bus came quite promptly, bus buddies were utilized (Ninja Guy's bus buddy is the folded dbl stroller) and we were off to MGM.

We get through the bag check and realize there are only about 20 people there with us. Awesome. Now what do we do for 45 minutes?
Apply sunscreen! Ok, well that only took 10 minutes. So how about we argue with our siblings and generally make a nuisance of ourselves? Well, that does take up time, but I don't recommend it.

We were right up next to the turnstiles, looking sweaty buy cute in our matching orange shirts (except for Ninja Guy who doesn't own one.)
Suddenly a nice young CM named Les (hi Les) comes up and asks dh for our passes. Another CM puts them all through the ticket scanner (without our finger scans) and lets us through the gate. Ninja Guy is saying thanks as if he thinks it is time for park opening, but I am looking around and realizing that no one else is entering the park.

Pixie Dust Alert

Les tells us "You are the first family for today! You get to open the park!"
I give Ninja Guy the "How much do you love me now?" look, and follow Les up the street for our complimentary picture of us and the hat, and an empty street. We were taken back to the Guest Services, given stickers and fast passes to star tours and mermaid.

It was an awesome way to start the trip.
We joined the crowd at the ropes, and as they all headed to RnR & ToT, we went the other direction. We had a great day, and, other than LMA stunt show, which we never got to see, we had very little wait for anything, used the fast passes, had a less than great meal at Sci Fi, and decided to call it quits before Fantasmic, head back to the hotel and swim.

LMA is a nightmare. We couldn't get a fast pass for the first show, as we had an ADR for that time, and then didn't get back over there until the last show, which had a 30 min. wait posted, but when we got around the corner of the bldg. and saw the massive crowd, in the direct sun and heat, we said no show is worth this.

Discovered that Ninja Guy had no intention of doing the baby swap at any time. BUT, as I didn't get to ride any rides last visit (pregnant w/ Bitsy) he let me go on all the rides. Did convince him to go on a couple after me when there was no wait, but really wanted to see how that baby swap thing worked.

Hick favorites: Indiana Jones, Beauty and the Beast, Star Tours, Muppet Movie, and Great Movie Ride. Danger Girl and Mon-Ink LOVED Playhouse Disney. We also got to meet Mickey and Mike and Sulley, and all of the Toy Story crew (Mon-Ink's other favorite.)

Least Fav.: Back lot tour was just ok, and Sci Fi - not so good.

More later....

Hicks on Holiday - pt. 1

 

[MN Dis Fans]

This is a great review! Congrats on opening the park! How awesome!!!

 

[6IrishDisneyKids]

Your trip report is great! I am loving it. I thought doing Disney with 4 children was an adventure...but you are my hero! Keep the great story coming (as much as 6 children and a ninja allow, that is.)

Kristina,
Mommy to and

 

[MazdaUK]

Another great day - how cool is opening the park??!!

 

[agotta]

I am really enjoying reading your reports and just wanted to tell you that I was shocked when I read that a CM named Les interacted with your family. Les is one of my best friends!! We met working at MK back in 99'. He was working at MGM at Guest relations and doing special VIP tours but now works over at Typhoon. He occasionally comes back to MGM. I was so excited that you met him. He is just a truly awesome person!!

I will have to dig out some old photos but here are some from this past April:

Dh and Les at O'Hana

Me, Dh, Les and my old roommate Michaela

 

[DisneyMom5]

I am really enjoying reading your reports and just wanted to tell you that I was shocked when I read that a CM named Les interacted with your family. Les is one of my best friends!! We met working at MK back in 99'. He was working at MGM at Guest relations and doing special VIP tours but now works over at Typhoon. He occasionally comes back to MGM. I was so excited that you met him. He is just a truly awesome person!!

I will have to dig out some old photos but here are some from this past April:

Dh and Les at O'Hana

Me, Dh, Les and my old roommate Michaela

That's him!!! He really was soooo nice. If you talk to him tell him that we are not jaded Disney goers, that it really, really was a special thing to us.
We saw him again at Epcot giving tours (well dh did, I was on soarin) and I guess he remembered us. Really nice guy.