How I Survived 11 Days at WDW with a Disney-Resistant Husband **2/20 THE END **

[cdotla]

What fabulous pictures as always! I think the ride photos are pretty great too, looks like you are having a blast! I'm so glad that you had a fun morning considering the not-so-great start the night before. Your descriptions and photos really do make us feel like we are right there again.

Thank you! Yes, it was certainly a great way to kick-off our visits to the Park!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I am giggling over your description of BTMRR as the "perfect intro for preschoolers" since that's about the wildest ride I go on.

Looks like you had a great morning.

I am giddy with anticipation for your arrival at Beach Club!!

 

[seamama71]

Sounds like a nice first day so far - especially given the night before! What a great thing, getting to spend 11 days and not worry about cramming everything in commando-style
I'm so selfishly waiting for your BCV experience -- I can't wait !!

 

[cdotla]

I am giggling over your description of BTMRR as the "perfect intro for preschoolers" since that's about the wildest ride I go on.

Looks like you had a great morning.

I am giddy with anticipation for your arrival at Beach Club!!

So exactly what rides at Disney do you try to avoid Christine??? If truth be told, every time I am on TOT in the elevator box en route to the drop I always have near-panick attacks! The anticipation is the worst!

Sounds like a nice first day so far - especially given the night before! What a great thing, getting to spend 11 days and not worry about cramming everything in commando-style
I'm so selfishly waiting for your BCV experience -- I can't wait !!

Believe it or not - that is precisely the danger of an 11 day trip. Believing that you will have time to do everything you plan. It is amazing how fast it goes. However, we certainly weren't touring commando-style with DH! Not even close! I am not exaggerating when I tell you that in the 2 four day trips I took alone with DD, we got more accomplished that we did on this 11 day trip!

 

[MadiMouse]

Great update! I'm glad you all could ride the "mountains" together as a family! Yay! Great job on such a quick swim/dip in the pool!

 

[vettegirl]

I love your splash mountain pictures, they are awesome!

 

[podsnel]

Wow!! Sounds like a great day so far!!! I love that they rode the two mountains and then went down the slide so many times- it's always great when your kids reach those important Disney milestones!! So exciting!!

I loved that 5 minute walk back from MK to the Contemporary when we were there in November- it is soooooo nice!!

I'm looking forward to the Beach Club!!

 

[cdotla]

Hello Beach Club!!!

After a quick change back into our dry clothes, we left the Contemporary and headed over to the Beach Club.

Once we finished loading up the rental car with all of our stuff, I was so happy that I had the foresight to book us on the Magical Express. There was NO WAY that we would have been able to fit all of our luggage in the car at the airport! We would have been forced to pay a ridiculous fee to upgrade to an SUV or minivan. Instead, ME handled our bags, and we just took our carry-on. This is definitely a strategy I will be repeating on future trips!

I should have taken a picture of the car before Chris took off from the Contemporary - it was too comical! The entire trunk was stuffed, as was the backseat.

We had already planned that Chris would drive over to the Beach Club, and Katie, Declan & I would take Disney transportation over.

Because we hadn't yet ridden on the monorail, we decided to walk across the street to the Magic Kingdom, take the monorails to Epcot, then walk through Epcot to the International Gateway, and then to the Beach Club.

In retrospect, as alluring as it was to take our first ride on the monorail (especially given that Declan could not remember having ridden it in the past), I should have deferred this experience to another time and simply taken the bus to the Beach Club.

By the time we had the car loaded, and bid farewell to Chris, we were already hot. It was sweltering that day!

We walked the 5-8 minutes over to the Magic Kingdom and loaded onto the monorail for our trip to the TTC. While waiting, the kids each got a monorail transportation card from one of the attendants. You generally have to ask for them, but it is a nice little keepsake.

Of course we loved the monorail ride. Our wait time at the TTC was only about 2 minutes before we were on another monorail headed to Epcot. This is my favourite monorail segment. It is nice and long so you have time to enjoy the ride. You can watch all the cars coming into the Magic Kingdom, and then before you know it, you are entering Epcot.

I am just like a little kid at this part - face pressed to the window watching all the people walking below the monorail track and looking at all of the attractions from the much-different perspective that you get riding through the park on the monorail. I think it is so cool travelling through the Park on monorail. It never gets old for me!

Once we arrived in Epcot, things kind of took a turn. I mentioned it was hot, right? Before we even got down from the monorail station both kids were complaining that they were tired, hot, and wanted to be carried.

I was already loaded down with a backpack with my camera and camcorder, and I was hot too. There was no way I was carrying either one of them for the 1-2 mile distance to the Beach Club.

Just the night before Chris was asking me why I had bothered to rent a double jogging stroller for the trip, which we were scheduled to pick up at the Beach Club once we arrived. This, of course, was complete vindication! I know my kids too well - there is no way either one of them would have lasted in the Parks without that thing! I was just kicking myself at that point that I didn't rent it one day earlier!

Well, if you encountered my family at any point during our walk from the Epcot monorail station to the Beach Club on April 30th, I apologize.

It was an absolute mess!

I had two whining, dragging kids trailing behind me as I begged and pleaded for them to continue on the trek to the Beach Club.

I promised them food, ice cream, Stormalong Bay, pins for lanyards - anything and everything I could. But it was hot. And they were tired. And nothing was going to make it any better.

As we were just hitting Innoventions I had an idea. We detoured into Club Cool. I figured a nice stop in air conditioning and some cool drinks would do us all good.

Great idea! Snapped those cranky, whiny kids into happy beings once again.

Of course, I also took advantage of the opportunity to introduce Declan to his first Beverly.

The kids each found a favourite drink and probably enjoyed about 5 mini-cups full before I decided that we needed to continue on with our trek to the Beach Club.

Within 2 minutes of leaving the air conditioned sanctuary of Club Cool, I was once again subjected to a full-on attack from two whiny, cranky kids. Never has a walk from Future World to Crescent Lake seemed so long, so hot, or so agonizing.

Regardless of how great it was to ride on the monorail into Epcot, I must have kicked myself a million times during that painful 20 minutes for not taking a comfortable, air conditioned bus which would have dropped us off right at the Beach Club.

As we approached the International Gateway, I was praying that a Friendship Boat would come to my rescue and transport us the rest of the way to the Beach Club, but of course, there was no boat in sight. So instead of continuing to subject other guests to my inconsolable kids, I decided to keep going.

You know that slight hill for the bridge on the walkway just between International Gateway and the Beach Club? That was my undoing. I just about abandonned ship and jumped into the canal at that point.

Although my memory is somewhat vague as I almost died of embarrassment, I believe that this is when Katie threw herself down on the ground declaring that she simply couldn't walk any longer. And Declan was not far behind her.

So with Katie on my back (along with my camera bag), and Declan wrapped around my front, I continued on with our trek to the Beach Club in the 100 degree heat and humidity.

Finally, we made it to the Beach Club!

Fortunately, even though we hadn't made plans for exactly where we would be meeting, Chris was waiting for us in the outside sitting area pictured above right as we arrived. I was so, so happy to see him! Of course the kids immediately jumped into his arms telling him of the cruel and unusual punishment their mother had subjected them to on the trek over.

My mother-in-law was also there. She had flown into Orlando from Montreal that morning and taken the ME to the Beach Club. Apparently she was just checking in when DH walked into the lobby.

The kids were so happy to see her, and even better, my mother-in-law had already been able to check into her BCV Studio unit even though we were a couple of hours before the official check-in time!

We immediately headed inside so the kids and I could get a blast of cool air conditioning and pull ourselves together.

I was absolutely thrilled that my MIL's room reservation request was honored. I had requested a 5th floor unit on the Epcot side, along with 3 exact room numbers in order of preference. We ended up being placed in our 1st choice room!

This was our view:

That's the Canadian Pavillion in World Showcase in case you don't recognize it - obviously something near and dear to our Canadian hearts.

We could also see Spaceship Earth, but for some reason I don't think I took a picture of it.

While our family would be checking into our 1 Bedroom Unit the next day, we would be spending one night in the Studio with my MIL. Katie and my MIL shared the pull-out sofa (which my MIL said was just like sleeping on a real bed), and Chris, Declan and I shared the queen bed. I had been dreading this, but it turned out fine. Granted, I would not want to spend more than 1 night like this, but given that we got home late that night, and were out early the next morning, for one night it was completely fine.


UP NEXT: Lunch at Hurricane Hanna's & Checking out Stormalong Bay

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Oh goody! We're here! At the Beach Club!! I was alternately laughing (with you, of course) and cringing at your description of the walk over. Did you really carry both of them? Well at least you made it!

Would you be willing to PM me the room requests you made? Where/how did you research this? And one more question... did you/your MIL do online check-in? I always wonder whether that impacts one way or another getting your requests.

Almost forgot.. the Beverly pictures are priceless!

 

[beyondblessed]

Thanks to the links I was able to read your entire trip report (so far) from start to finish. Your kids are adorable...I just LOVE Declan's hair. Too cute! I can't wait to read more. I'm also excited to read about your thoughts on Beach Club. We have never stayed on "that side" and I would really like to attempt an adults only (Epcot focused) trip.

 

[LilAnn]

Yay, you made it to the Beach Club! We have loved staying there. Sorry to hear that your kids were melting down on the walk over. That can be a long walk, even for an adult, in the heat. It was so hot! The frozen drinks at Club Cool can be a lifesaver in that kind of heat!

 

[Christyo72]

What a great view! I am happy you got all your room requests

I felt so sorry for you walking all that way in the heat. I don't know how you made it. It probably felt like walking across a vast desert to a distant oasis. I am glad you rented that stroller! My sister had to eat some words the first year we went. She had a "just turned 5 year old" and swore that she was old enough to walk the whole week. It didn't last but a couple of days before she broke down. It really helped all of us have a much better time.

 

[declansdad]

quite the walk! Glad you made it over and I love the view of home.

 

[Queenofallthings]

I felt your pain reading that report!! The August heat just about does us in....I can't imagine doing it with one child on my back and one of the front....I might have opted for the canal bless you for being a great mom!!

The view from your room is nothing short of fantastic.....stunning

 

[dismagiclover]

That can definitely be a long trip from the Contemporary to the Beach Club. On our trip last summer I had the bright idea of going from the Beach Club to Chef Mickey's in that way. And that was the grumpiest my kids were the entire trip. Lesson learned for me (and now for you too.)

Awesome that you got you room request for the studio. Hope you are that lucky with your 1 bedroom.

 

[shordiebecka]

hi! just found your TR. Can't imagine doing the walk from the front of Epcot to the BC by myself in that kind of heat...let alone with 2 young kids! holy moly! can't wait to hear more! I loved the beach club when I stayed there in December!

 

[kcandbella]

Oh my goodness that is a long walk! And with no stroller! I think I probably would've jumped into the canal. At least your MIL was already checked in and waiting for you. And that she got the room you had requested!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Oh my, from the highs of loving the water slide at the Contemporary to the lows of dragging two hot tired kids all the way from the Epcot entrance to the BC! I'm so happy that your MIL had already been given her room and you guys were able to cool off and regroup. Your view is spectacular!

 

[BippityBoo]

OH my goodness!!! I felt your pain through the whole experience! What a nightmare! I am so happy that you all got a chance to cool off in your amazing room---what an excellent view for people from Canada!!! Can't wait to see what you do next

 

[pinkle]

This is so much fun Enjoying someone else's misery......what a great story.....please continue....................i'm hooked.
Declan is soooo adorable