Hogwarts & HalloWishes - An October Birthday Surprise (Extra Day in the MK)

[FreezinRafiki]

I dashed ahead to grab the first Fastpasses for the day - Peter Pan's Flight.

You may be a first timer, but that's a veteran move right there.

After that initial reluctance, Squeaker enjoyed the ride.

Darn kids. If they'd just listen to us, they would have a great time!

We stopped for an early lunch at Columbia Harbor House, before continuing on to Frontierland. Lunch was good, and CHH was roomy and comfortable.

What did you have? CHH has always been on my "must try" list, but it's kind of tucked up on that corner and I always forget about it. Must be my old age starting to show

I was concerned that she'd be frightened by it, but I found the right "hook" for her on our way in - I told her that the ghosts reminded me of the ghosts at the Death Day party in Harry Potter. Once she had a context, she was perfectly comfortable with the ride.

Nice move, there!

Squeaker didn't even last until he got his ice cream.

Oh yeah, extra ice cream for Daddy!

 

[Rental01]

+1 AJRitz point

WOOHOO!

 

[AJRitz]

You may be a first timer, but that's a veteran move right there.

Thanks. It's what comes of preparing for a trip for 11 months, and obsessively collecting touring information.

Darn kids. If they'd just listen to us, they would have a great time!

I KNOW, right? Squeaker's reactions to rides was interesting. When asked if he liked a ride, his usual response was to mention something on the ride he didn't like. So when asked if he liked The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh, he would answer, "I didn't like the storm part." I'll try to remember to mention some of his comments about other rides as I get to them. We've been talking some about amusement park rides in the car and on the way home from daycare for the last few days, and he says that next time we go, when he's bigger, he'll ride more rides.

What did you have? CHH has always been on my "must try" list, but it's kind of tucked up on that corner and I always forget about it. Must be my old age starting to show

I had the chicken and fish basket with fries. It was good - fried crispy and not too greasy. I think the thing most people talk about from CHH is the tuna sandwich, but I can't stand chunk tuna (though I love tuna in most other forms). I can't get past that, to me, it smells like cat food. It turned out to be in a really convenient location for us, as we were heading from Fantasyland to Frontierland, with a stop for the Bug and me at Haunted Mansion on the way.

Nice move, there!

Thanks. All I knew was that I really wanted to go on Haunted Mansion, so I had to figure out some way to get the Bug comfortable enough to ride it.

Oh yeah, extra ice cream for Daddy!

Yep, but it was pretty tricky eating his ice cream while pushing the stroller and not dripping it on myself/the stroller as we went.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Thanks. All I knew was that I really wanted to go on Haunted Mansion, so I had to figure out some way to get the Bug comfortable enough to ride it.

The first time I took DD on this ride (I think she was 5) everything was going ok until the ride stopped. We were just coming out into the graveyard. Uh oh. My FIL was in the doom buggy with us, and luckily, we happen to be facing the groundskeeper and his dog. We talked all about the dog and what he's doing and all kinds of stuff to keep her distracted from the scary stuff. It worked, she loved the ride and wants to do it again.

 

[AJRitz]

It was clear to me when we got back to the resort that; if we were going to enjoy the parade, fireworks, and maybe a little EMH-evening touring; it was crazy to try and do dinner at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney. So as DW settled the kids down for a nap, I hopped online and canceled our dinner reservation. We figured that we'd just head up to the Concierge Lounge after naps and see was was there for Ahiahi (a/k/a "Evening Service"). If we were still hungry, we could stop in at Captain Cook's on the way back to the MK.

The kids napped HARD for a good three hours, until we decided that we needed to wake them up so we'd have time to get dinner and get to the park to stake out a good spot for the parade. We really weren't all that hungry, and Ahiahi proved to be PLENTY to make a light dinner out of. The Bug had a couple of Uncrustables, carrots and ranch dip, fruit and cheese and crackers. Squeaker enjoyed hummus and pita, fruit and cheese and crackers. DW also had the hummus and pita, fruit, cheese and crackers, and also Kona salad. I had all of the above, plus California sushi rolls and Vegetable sushi rolls, and a Longboard Island Lager. It may have been one of the best dinners we had all week, and it didn't cost us an extra dime.

(It's too bad we hadn't considered this option more seriously when making our plans in the first place. I'll consider this probably my biggest "rookie mistake." I hadn't experienced the dining plan before, or our appetites after a full morning of touring. So I didn't realize how not-hungry we were likely to be most evenings. We really could have leveraged the CL much more than we did, and probably saved a bunch of money by paying for meals OOP instead of using the DDP).

In any case, we enjoyed our CL dinner and headed down to the Poly boat dock, to catch this boat to the Magic Kingdom.

I'm not entirely sure if it was us still dragging a bit from the long nap or the time of day overall or what, but though the boat ride was pleasant, our captain was rather surly. He wasn't really mean, but he was barking directions and just generally didn't have a friendly demeanor. Though out of the blue he handed both Squeaker and the Bug stickers (while ignoring another child of similar age nearby - The Bug immediately offered to share her stickers). We were glad to disembark at the MK.

Squeaker was still pretty groggy as we re-entered the park, so DW volunteered to stake out a parade-viewing spot while The Bug and I hit a couple of rides in Tomorrowland (which we had completely skipped in the morning). We grabbed a Fastpass for Space Ranger Spin to use later, and headed to Space Mountain. The estimated wait time was 45 minutes, and that was going to cut close the time we told DW we'd come back to meet at the parade spot. Just as we were about to turn around and consider another ride option, we were sprinkled with pixie dust. A woman approached us and asked if it was just the two of us. When we said yes, she handed us two Fastpasses for Space Mountain.

After Space Mountain, we headed back to Main Street, where DW and Squeaker had camped out on a spot just a few yards up the hill from Casey's Corner. They'd befriended another family staking out an early spot for the parade. Shy, quiet, Squeaker was having a ball with his new buddy Paige. He even swapped toys with her and allowed her to play with his pygmy puff.

The Main Street Electrical Parade was incredibly cool. I'd never seen anything like it. I was especially glad that we got to see the parade with the Pete's Dragon float, as that movie is a favorite of the whole family.

When the fireworks started, Squeaker's view was partially blocked by a tree, so I picked him up and moved us to a new spot. We're all fireworks fans, and seeing Wishes up close was incredibly cool. After a week of Disney fireworks, I fear that we're ruined for "ordinary" fireworks for life.

When the fireworks ended, Squeaker and DW headed back to the resort. The Bug and I were going to take advantage of EMH to get in just a few more rides. First, we used our Space Ranger Spin Fastpasses.

Then, we took another ride on Space Mountain, which was a walk-on during EMH. After that, I gave The Bug a choice. We could head over toward Frontierland for a nighttime ride on Haunted Mansion and BTMRR, or we could head on back to the resort. Showing an unusual level of maturity, the Bug suggested that we head on back to the resort. She was tired, her feet were sore, and we had Epcot World Showcase on tap for tomorrow. We did stop on the way out and pick up a tiara at the Emporium, to top off her Princess Mia costume for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the end of the week.

We learned another interesting lesson when we got back to the resort. It turns out The Bug and I got back all of ten minutes later than DW and Squeaker, despite riding two rides before heading back. Between the post-fireworks crowd rushing for the exits and the crowded monorails, they probably should've just come to Tomorrowland with us, even if it was just to hang out, and we could've all gotten back to the resort together.

 

[dvczerfs]

petes dragon!!! nice update. i nap myself everyday were there. the ddp dont work for use either. believe it or not, we cant eat that much. we have an adr everyday, mostly diners. we eat beakfast in the room or we hit a bakery. we have sandwiches in our room (we have a full kitchen at okw) if we get hungry for lunch or didnt eat much for breakfast. i fiqured out what we spend on food,paying as we go and it is cheaper than going on the ddp for us.trust me, if it was cheaper, id be there. my wife calls me sqeekie! my man sqeakers makin the moves!

 

[AJRitz]

OK, a little background is probably in order here. The decision to go to the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes fireworks show had caused a major shuffling of our plans. Part of that shuffle meant that this particular day was all kinds of problematic. I ended up, against my better judgment, deciding that we'd go ahead and make this an Epcot day, despite that it was an EMH morning and both Tour Guide Mike and TouringPlans.com listed it as a park to avoid on this day. I figured we were going to sleep in, and just go to World Showcase (which opens later anyway), so the EMH wouldn't really affect us, right?

Well, let this post serve as both a warning to others and an apology to my own family for not heeding the advice of the professionals. Don't get me wrong. We enjoyed our day at Epcot. But the crowd made it more difficult, and we weren't able to enjoy as much of World Showcase. But I'm getting ahead of myself . . .

We let the kids sleep until they woke up on their own, got dressed, and headed for the monorail to Epcot. The idea for the day was to just ignore Future World (we'll be back in a couple of days for that) and head to World Showcase. But we got to Epcot before World Showcase opened, so there was time for a bit of Future World first. DW and the kids jumped on Spaceship Earth while I headed for Soarin' Fastpasses to use on our way back out later (and made a quick stop at Innoventions to pick up a Kimmunicator reservation). The kids loved SE so much that they wanted to ride again when I got back with the Fastpasses.

After Spaceship Earth, we headed toward World Showcase, but couldn't resist a pit stop for a drink or two at Club Cool.

Hmmmmmmm, what could DW have possibly tasted here?

I also managed to just catch The Bug's reaction

Squeaker wanted nothing to do with the Beverly, but he couldn't get enough of the Mezzo Mix (a mixture of cola and orange flavors from Germany). And he was none too pleased to go back out into the heat to continue on to World Showcase (and leave behind his Mezzo Mix refills).

The plan for World Showcase was to build our touring around Kim Possible missions (The Bug is a huge fan, and Squeaker has become a fan after getting stuck watching the two seasons of Kim Possible available for Netflix Instant Viewing over and over again with The Bug). Our Kimmunicator reservation sent us to Germany, so we took a friendship boat across the lagoon. The Bug got her hands on my good camera on the boat, and snapped these shots:

Picking up our Kimmunicator was quick and painless, and the Mission was fun. If you follow the clues correctly, pressing a button on the Kimmunicator causes items in the pavilions to react - I'm going to skip the details, so as not to spoil the adventures for others. The downside was that we only picked up one Kimmunicator. I had assumed that Squeaker wouldn't be ready to do the actual missions. While that was probably a correct assumption, the adventures did involve chances for two things Squeaker finds irresistible - cell phones and annoying his big sister. He wanted to see the clues, though he can't actually read them. And if The Bug didn't share the screen, he would get upset. We completed missions in Germany and China, and then decided it was lunch time. The Bug convinced DW to buy her a Chinese umbrella with her name written on it in Chinese, and we stayed just long enough for The Bug to meet one of her favorite characters - Mulan.

The kid's meals on the menu at the counter service spot in China were disappointing (the kids were really hoping for Lo Mein noodles) so we headed for Norway for lunch. We filled up on sandwiches and pastries from Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe. The original plan was to enjoy tastes from Food & Wine Fest booths for lunch, but the crowd meant long lines at the booths, and the kids didn't have the patience to piece together a meal with a bite here and a bite there. Lunch in Norway was excellent, and we all had a fresh burst of energy.

We told the kids we could do one last mission, and I dialed up the mission that I'd heard good things about, and we headed for Japan. It was a long walk back around World Showcase, and there were drums along the way - so of course Squeaker found them:

And it was worth it when we finally arrived in Japan. The Japan Kim Possible mission was terrific, and as a bonus we arrived just in time to see/hear the ceremonial drummers performing. Once we'd completed the mission, it was time to start the long walk back around and through Future World. We continued on around toward the Land Pavilion side of Epcot and used our Soarin' Fastpasses. I'm in love. There were a lot of highlights of this trip, but riding Soarin' with the whole family together may have been the highest of the highlights. We all loved the ride, though of course when we asked Squeaker if he liked it his response was, "I didn't like the helicopter or the fireworks."

We ended up not getting back to the resort until nearly 3 p.m., a full hour later than planned. It had been a hot day, and we were all wiped out. I asked Squeaker, who was wearing a pull-up, if he was wet. He answered, "No. Are you wet?" Sigh. I didn't think the sarcasm muscle was so well-developed yet in three-year-olds. So we crashed for a couple of hours back at the Poly before our 6 p.m. dinner reservation at Boma.

Dinner at Boma was kind of a blur. Squeaker was tired and cranky, and The Bug was lethargic. I had mentioned on our reservation that DW and the kids don't eat pork or shellfish, so the chef very kindly came out and gave us a tour of the buffet, pointing out which items contained pork or shellfish. The buffet has a wonderful variety of foods, and I tried a bit of everything. But it's hard to recall specifics. As I mentioned, Squeaker was a handful (we almost had to just take him out of the restaurant). And then, just as we got Squeaker calmed down, The Bug excused herself to go to the bathroom.

She came back from the bathroom and informed us that she'd just thrown up.

I don't think it had anything to do with anything she ate at Boma. I think she might have been suffering from heat exhaustion. In any case, we cut our dinner at Boma short and headed back to the Poly, getting everyone to bed earlier than we had since that first night at the Hard Rock Hotel. Guess it's a good thing we hadn't planned on going back to Epcot for Illuminations.

 

[dvczerfs]

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I ended up, against my better judgment, deciding that we'd go ahead and make this an Epcot day, despite that it was an EMH morning and both Tour Guide Mike and TouringPlans.com listed it as a park to avoid on this day.

This is why I don't like to check out crowd calendars and projections. I'd spend way too much time worrying that we were going to the wrong park or that we would have such a better time at a different one. Yup - fat, dumb and happy is the way to go through life!

Hmmmmmmm, what could DW have possibly tasted here?

I know later you said that DW and the kids don't eat pork or shellfish. Umm, it hate to break it to you, but do you actually know what the Beverly is in Beverly?

the adventures did involve chances for two things Squeaker finds irresistible - cell phones and annoying his big sister.

Oh good, it's not just my kids that do this, then.

The original plan was to enjoy tastes from Food & Wine Fest booths for lunch, but the crowd meant long lines at the booths, and the kids didn't have the patience to piece together a meal with a bite here and a bite there.

Good call on an actual lunch. We did the Food & Wine sampling for dinner one night. First of all, you have to go into it knowing you will be spending more money than just getting a meal somewhere. Add in all the walking and the fact that my kid's palate doesn't extent very far beyond Mac & Cheese and chicken fingers, it can make for a pretty challenging culinary experience.

I asked Squeaker, who was wearing a pull-up, if he was wet. He answered, "No. Are you wet?" Sigh. I didn't think the sarcasm muscle was so well-developed yet in three-year-olds.

Just answer the question, AJ.

She came back from the bathroom and informed us that she'd just thrown up.

I don't think it had anything to do with anything she ate at Boma. I think she might have been suffering from heat exhaustion.

Oh no! Nice job getting the bathroom, Bug! We've been there, too. Hot days, lots of walking. I hope she got better quick!

 

[AJRitz]

The original plan for this day was to spend it in Hollywood Studios. But I really wanted another full day at the Magic Kingdom, and the more I looked at our plans, the more it seemed we could be happy with a 1/2 day at the Studios. I was a little worried that we'd have a hard time getting going in the morning, after The Bug's issue from the night before. But apparently we did a good enough job making sure everyone was hydrated before bed, because everyone was in good spirits and ready to roll for another rope drop at the Magic Kingdom.

This time, we decided to start in Tomorrowland, so I made my rope drop dash for Space Mountain Fastpasses. Then I met back up with the rest of the family to get in line for Tomorrowland Speedway

Let's just say that I'm happy to wait AT LEAST another eight years before worrying about The Bug driving a real car. Next up was Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, and this time, Squeaker was ready to ride with us. All of a sudden, he couldn't wait to, "shoot all the Zurgs!!" What should we stumble across as we walk out of of Space Ranger Spin? Stitch is just strolling by -- and Squeaker RUNS up to him and gives him a huge hug! The kid who has been hiding from characters for the last five days was suddenly thrilled to hang with Stitch for a couple of minutes!

The Bug and I went and used our Space Mountain Fastpasses while DW and Squeaker enjoyed another ride on Space Ranger Spin. As The Bug and I came back from Space Mountain, we see that Squeaker is eating ice cream. Apparently, Squeaker had randomly run up to the CM at the ice cream stand near the Speedway and given her a hug. When DW went to pay for his ice cream, the CM said, "nah, this one's on Mickey."

DW and the kids got in line for AstroOrbiters (I'm not much for either heights or spinny rides) while I did a FP dash to the Mountains in Frontierland. I managed to make it to Frontierland and back just as they were coming down the elevator from their ride. The Bug wanted to meet Jasmine, so we headed next for Adventureland. Both kids wanted to ride the Magic Carpets, so they got in line to ride with DW. As soon as they got off, Squeaker wanted to ride again -- which was fine, as just as they were getting off, Jasmine, Aladdin, and Genie came out for their meet and greet. I sent The Bug to get in line and started digging through the stroller pouch for the autograph cards. I managed to find them just in time.

We picked up a quick lunch at Pecos Bill's, and were pleasantly surprised when a CM noticed The Bug's birthday button and led a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday in her honor. But we were having a great park day, so we didn't waste any more time in Pecos Bill's than we had to before heading back out for more rides. Squeaker and DW enjoyed the Swiss Family Treehouse and soaked in some atmosphere while the Bug and I used our FastPasses at Splash and Big Thunder Mountains. The Bug took special notice of a little girl in the seat in front of us on Splash who was not entirely sure she wanted to be on the ride, and did her best to help distract her by pointing out the cool animatronics all around.

We met back up in Adventureland for Pirates of the Caribbean. We continued on our Squeaker enjoying rides roll, and (despite my concerns that it would be too scary for him) Squeaker LOVED it. And his day was made even better when the Photopass photographer outside POC handed him a sword to play with. The photogapher was setting up this picture

but Squeaker kept going after the Captain Hook setup pose, and the photographer kept shooting

We capped the day's touring with a ride on the Jungle Cruise. I'd really been looking forward to this one - it fits my punny sense of humor and it's a classic. Unfortunately, we didn't get a particularly enthusiastic skipper, and the ride didn't seem so much "classic" as "dated". We headed back to the resort for our afternoon break. The Bug was definitely exhausted, but Squeaker was fighting his nap. I told Squeaker that he should rest, so that he wouldn't be too tired for fireworks in the evening. Squeaker answered, "Da-ad. NOBODY'S too tired for FIREWORKS!"

The kids never did really sleep, so we headed to the Concierge Desk and borrowed a movie - what could be better to watch while at the Polynesian than "Lilo and Stitch" - and they did lay quietly and watch the movie until it was time to head to the GCH for dinner at the Kona Cafe. It's hard for me to evaluate the Kona Cafe, because the lack of a real nap caught up with Squeaker BIG TIME at dinner. I think I remember eating a steak of some kind while keeping Squeaker from either ruining other diners' experience to tackling passersby (the Kona's openness to the lobby annoyed me much more than I thought it would. It was clear after dinner that there was no way we were heading back to the MK to watch the fireworks, so instead we watched the fireworks from the Concierge Lounge (and enjoyed a few complimentary adult beverages).

Next up? The Bug's 8th birthday!

 

[dvczerfs]

nice update arron!! thats a good tip, hug the ice cream vendors and get a free ice cream!! im gonna have to start doing that! ive been taking dd on the indy speedway since she been able to sit up on her own. its funny how time flys, i use to work the gas and she would "drive". than she got tall enough to work the gas and i still had to go with her. when she turn 16 and she got behind the wheel for the first time, she looked at me and said,"remember indy speedway"? i started to get out of the car. i still have to go with her on that ride atleast one time still today. looks like you guys are having a great time!

 

[afwdwfan]

Looks like it was a fun day. Glad Squeaker finally came out of his shell and joined the fun... it's just too bad he didn't want to go back into it for naptime. I'm glad to see that he did get into it and enjoy the characters and have some fun though.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The original plan for this day was to spend it in Hollywood Studios. But I really wanted another full day at the Magic Kingdom, and the more I looked at our plans, the more it seemed we could be happy with a 1/2 day at the Studios.

You are wise, young Padawan.

Let's just say that I'm happy to wait AT LEAST another eight years before worrying about The Bug driving a real car.

Hitting that center rail gets a little old, huh?

. All of a sudden, he couldn't wait to, "shoot all the Zurgs!!" What should we stumble across as we walk out of of Space Ranger Spin? Stitch is just strolling by -- and Squeaker RUNS up to him and gives him a huge hug! The kid who has been hiding from characters for the last five days was suddenly thrilled to hang with Stitch for a couple of minutes!

Your son sounds so much like ours. So ultra-cautious until they finally try it, and then they can't get enough.

. When DW went to pay for his ice cream, the CM said, "nah, this one's on Mickey."

Awesome.

The Bug took special notice of a little girl in the seat in front of us on Splash who was not entirely sure she wanted to be on the ride, and did her best to help distract her by pointing out the cool animatronics all around.

Can she ride with me next time?

We capped the day's touring with a ride on the Jungle Cruise. I'd really been looking forward to this one - it fits my punny sense of humor and it's a classic. Unfortunately, we didn't get a particularly enthusiastic skipper, and the ride didn't seem so much "classic" as "dated".

Yeah, this one really depends on the CM. Total luck of the draw.

It's hard for me to evaluate the Kona Cafe, because the lack of a real nap caught up with Squeaker BIG TIME at dinner. I think I remember eating a steak of some kind while keeping Squeaker from either ruining other diners' experience to tackling passersby (the Kona's openness to the lobby annoyed me much more than I thought it would.

That stinks. We really enjoyed our food there, but it certainly is not a quiet, reserved atmosphere.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

This time, we decided to start in Tomorrowland, so I made my rope drop dash for Space Mountain Fastpasses. Then I met back up with the rest of the family to get in line for Tomorrowland Speedway

Sorry, I've already taken the title of Official FastPass Runner®. But I'm always look for an apprentice. Interested?

Let's just say that I'm happy to wait AT LEAST another eight years before worrying about The Bug driving a real car.

Well, at least actual roads don't have at annoying center rail in them.
Hey Mark - see if you can sneak one of those into your next project, OK?

Next up was Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, and this time, Squeaker was ready to ride with us. All of a sudden, he couldn't wait to, "shoot all the Zurgs!!" What should we stumble across as we walk out of of Space Ranger Spin? Stitch is just strolling by -- and Squeaker RUNS up to him and gives him a huge hug! The kid who has been hiding from characters for the last five days was suddenly thrilled to hang with Stitch for a couple of minutes!

I remember when you put this on Facebook. It's great that he came out of his shell at least for a little bit. How is his memory of the trip? Does he remember everything as a great time and want to go back, or does he remember that he didn't want to do anything?

DW and the kids got in line for AstroOrbiters (I'm not much for either heights or spinny rides) while I did a FP dash to the Mountains in Frontierland.

Associate FastPass Runner™ would look pretty good on a resume. Just send me a letter of intent, 3 personal references and a check to cover tuition.

We picked up a quick lunch at Pecos Bill's, and were pleasantly surprised when a CM noticed The Bug's birthday button and led a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday in her honor.

I could make a meal out of the sauteed onions and mushrooms. Mmm....
Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday to The Bug!

We capped the day's touring with a ride on the Jungle Cruise. I'd really been looking forward to this one - it fits my punny sense of humor and it's a classic. Unfortunately, we didn't get a particularly enthusiastic skipper, and the ride didn't seem so much "classic" as "dated".

That's a shame. The effects and animatronics are certainly on the cheesy side, so it really is the skipper that will make or break the ride. I've had my share of stinkers and outstanding ones, and you can certainly tell the difference.

I told Squeaker that he should rest, so that he wouldn't be too tired for fireworks in the evening. Squeaker answered, "Da-ad. NOBODY'S too tired for FIREWORKS!"

Smart kid. Plus he knows the troller will be there for him to fall asleep in while you fight the crowds out of the park!