I want to ride the cotton ball--A 4th of July family celebration! NEW PTR 8/31!!!

[dddisrunner]

I have to say it again, your boys are SO STINKING CUTE, I love their facial expressions!! Huge bummer about the pirate cruise, I would have been angry too! Glad you got some time in at DHS! WPE sounds great, we will have to try it one day! The Wave looks GREAT, that might be a good choice for us in November as we are staying at BLT! CUTE pictures from the Magic Kingdom, looks like such a fun night!!!

 

[Happydog]

Finally all caught up!

What a fun treat to take the train all the way to Florida. I wish we lived closer to VA, but we would have to make an 8 or 9 hour drive just to get to the train! Maybe some day??

Your villa looks great!! I love our off-property 2 BR villas that we've stayed in, but I also love staying on-property. How great to have both at once!!

Your boys have adorable smiles!! And I love the "cotton ball". Very cute!!

Looking forward to more... and I'll try to keep up with you this time.

HI! Well I will say quite a few families from NY must drive down and catch the train, b/c I saw many out of state licence plates, but that isn't 8 hours, so I think you are better off trying a different route! We were lucky, the room/space made such a difference. Yeah the cotton ball, don't know how that stuck, but it did!!!

Yes DH and I did the Disney Half this past January. We met our best friends there, no kids, and spent 4 days in Disney for the race and then 4 days in the Bahamas to recuperate! LOL! It was great! DH and I were not runners but we started running Spring of 2008 and got ourselves ready. We both finished the race and it was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Right up there under having kids. To go from feeling like it was something I could never do, to actually doing it and finishing, was just incredibly satisfying! I highly recommend it!

Allyson

Wow!! Thanks for sharing... I am really curious. That is good to hear about your training plans... I always worry I have outlandish ideas, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I can't believe the cruise was canceled and the rain NEVER came!

You rolled with it well though! Another great day! And a great evening in the MK! You did good getting into bed a decent times. I'm so impressed.

btw...all this talk of boy's fashion is cracking me up!! DS is particular about his dress these days...

Oh tell me about it! No rain between 10 and 12... and later, so they could have run it, but safety is most important.

We tried to get back to the resort no later than 11pm, and that was a late night, at MK and at Epcot. the other nights we ended up back closer to 10. I needed these guys to get sleep if we were going to be getting up early enough for our plans.


Yes, they are starting to show their fashion sense - less....

 

[Happydog]

I just found your report and it has been a joy to read. Your boys are adorable!

It was a bummer about the pirate cruise but you will definitely have to try it in December. My DS7 loved it on our Thanksgiving trip last year. It gave me and DH a few minutes of alone time to enjoy ourselves. One thing I learned on here is that you can give your child a camera to take with them (disposable is what I recommend!) but Jeremy came back with some cute pictures.

I loved the report on the train. DS7 still loves trains, even at this age. He claims he is going to be a conductor one day! I never thought of taking your car along as well. That would be great! We are surprising him in September and going to Louisville to see the Disney Christmas Carol train. It looks so neat!

Look forward to your next update!

Erika

Hi!! Welcome!!! Thanks for the tip on the cruise, yes I will rebook it, I agree it is nice for them and we have a few hours for something alone too! We tried for breakfast, I think we will still do that, but where will be the question.

Neat! There is a post on another Diser's PTR on the train, It did look neat! The train was truly an experience. I think we are doing the same thing in Dec.

I hate to hear that about the pirate cruise. DS is scheduled for the one at CBR in August.

The wave sounds amazing. We are going in August and cant wait now.

Well, it doesn't typically rain in the morning right?, so hopefully they will not have the cancellations for you... The Wave IS very good. You should try it!

I have to say it again, your boys are SO STINKING CUTE, I love their facial expressions!! Huge bummer about the pirate cruise, I would have been angry too! Glad you got some time in at DHS! WPE sounds great, we will have to try it one day! The Wave looks GREAT, that might be a good choice for us in November as we are staying at BLT! CUTE pictures from the Magic Kingdom, looks like such a fun night!!!

Gee Thanks Diane! Yeah, I was surprised they were not able to keep their stories straight! Oh well. Re WPE, really worth it, IMO. And yes, we got just enough of DHS this first am, without rushing for FPs to TSM in the morning! WE did that a few days later

The WAVE, YES!!!! try it! Go!!! Even for a drink, the bar is nifty! Thanks for coming over!!!

 

[dismagiclover]

I just noticed you'd started the TR this morning. I followed along a bit on your PTR and was very interested in how the Autotrain worked. (We're from MD too and have considered that.) It sounds fabulous! We may have to give it a try! Great report so far. Your boys are adorable All that space in the villas looks fabulous! Think you definitely made the right call on that one! Looking forward to more!

 

[Happydog]

After a great evening at the Magic Kingdom, we were ready to head back to the wild side, and visit the Animal Kingdom...

The park opened at 9am, but I wasn't trying to get there any earlier than 9ish, so we left OKW about a quarter to 9... Today we were going to see Nemo! The show was the big item "must do" today for me, but we also wanted to ride Kali, Everest and the Safari. We also wanted to play in the Boneyard, since we didn’t on our AK afternoon on arrival day. Once in the park, DH headed over to get passes for Everest, and I took the boys over to Dinoland. We rode the Triceratop spin, then went into the boneyard, which had just opened. Once there, they played in the dig site and ran around on the slides.

It was starting to heat up, but the dig site is covered for shade, so it was nice to just let them play without a crowd. DH met us, and we lingered at the Boneyard while he went to ride the Primeveal Whirl, then scooted back to Asia to get FPs for the Safari (his FP window opened at 10:40). We agreed we would meet outside Nemo, so we could then go in to the first showing, which was 11:30... It took a little while to get the boys out of the bone yard, but finally I was able to wrestle them away, talk about corralling cats!! , and we met DH outside Nemo…
This was a great show!!! I love the FOTLK, but Nemo was really special! It was very enjoyable and I loved the puppets and the way the CMs manipulated the puppets. They were very creative with the costumes, etc. The kids loved it. We had good seats, and I was glad we didn’t miss it. I couldn’t get very sophisticated photos, but here are a few!!!

After Nemo, we went to ride Everest. DH and I switched riding with DS7 who went twice, and from Everest we headed to lunch, grabbing FPs to Kali along the way. The boys had lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ. However DH went to the Andapur Café for our lunches while I ordered the Hot Dog meals for the kids at Flame Tree ... and an order of onion rings …
DH came back with Shrimp LoMein and the Honey Chicken… Which we totally enjoyed (as we did this past November!) I would have eaten at Flame Tree, but we were scheduled to eat at the WCC that evening, and I didn’t want two meals of BBQ! We sat in one of the lower patio areas, enjoyed the view and enjoyed our lunch!

We stopped to see the flamingos....

Then we headed over to the Safari! Here are a few shots from that. DS7 used my camera with my help, but did pretty well, actually getting a few good shots in!

Once we returned from our Safari , we decided to get Ice Cream Sandwiches back in Dinoland, and take a bathroom break. If you have not been to the DinoBites stand for these ice cream sandwiches I HIGHLY recommend them. I promise I will do a better job taking food pictures in December! A little sticky, from ice cream and heat, we went straight to Kali. We were hoping for a good shower like we had on Sunday, at least to wash the ice cream away, but we only got a little wet…

At that point we strolled around a little more, but decided it was time to head back to the resort, having enjoyed our AK day immensely! It was close to 2pm at this point, and we had early ADRs (5:15) at WCC, so I wanted to have a break between.

Back at the Resort, I think we hit the pool for a short while -- I can't remember!! But then headed over to the Wilderness Lodge about 4:45...

Next up, BBQ bottomless milkshakes, and some wild topiaries!

 

[Happydog]

So our PTR plan was to go to WCC for dinner, then boat over to Fort Wilderness for the campfire/smores meet and greet with Chip and Dale... The time I selected for our ADR was 5:15, so we would have plenty of time to get there.

We drove over to Wilderness Lodge, and met these guys outside the resort, JUST too cute

We headed into the Lodge, what a beautiful place it is!! I LOVE the Wilderness Lodge, and having stayed there before, it is easy every time I go back to remember why! I love that lobby with the sound of water, the echo, the openess... the windows, the view, the grounds -- it really is my favorite resort...

So we checked in for dinner, and a few minutes later we received our buzz to get our table. We had a very nice server, and he served us up a pair of margaritas straight away, and with BBQ they really hit the spot! Everyone in our party had the skillet, and the kids had milkshakes -- I also ordered one to share with DH, and he ordered a cappaccino with dessert, which we actually had boxed directly, because there was no way we could eat it and enjoy it after that food fest!! I thought the food was good, I loved having salad! and the mashed potatoes were yummy. To me BBQ is pretty standard, the ribs were not the best I have had, but overall no complaints, it was a fun place besides... DS7 was able to participate in the "race" ...

And we saw ketchup pass around at least four tables!

We payed the bill, went to the arcade to use our card and a card we had from our November visit, then went outside to walk around the grounds... Maybe because we were full, maybe because we had just been camping the weekend before and had eaten more marshmallows than I care to remember, but we were just not feeling the camp fire event. We did decide to take the boat over to Fort Wilderness because we hadn't before (even though we had stayed at Fort Wilderness for one night several years ago), but the evening just became a night of this and thats. I had already decided earlier that we were not going to go to a park that evening, and I didn't want to change that plan... we had EMH the next morning at DHS, and I wanted the boys to get a good nights sleep, so we just decided to do whatever until we were ready to go. So watching for the geyser, riding the boat, playing around at the playground, and walking the Wilderness Lodge pathways, was the total of our evening... here are a few random picks ...

On the boat ride I got a great glimpse of BLT... I cannot WAIT to stay here...

Here we are at Fort Wilderness, there are these "foot massage" machines... the boys were pretending to be asleep in the final photo...

We got back to the resort, boys got baths, we all ate dessert, watched illuminations from the balcony, and the boys were in bed right after. DH and I made a few changes to our itinerary for the next two days, and we called it a night!

Next up.... DHS and Toy Story Mania, and some pretty amazing fireworks!

 

[Happydog]

I just noticed you'd started the TR this morning. I followed along a bit on your PTR and was very interested in how the Autotrain worked. (We're from MD too and have considered that.) It sounds fabulous! We may have to give it a try! Great report so far. Your boys are adorable All that space in the villas looks fabulous! Think you definitely made the right call on that one! Looking forward to more!

Well Hi there! Welcome!! the Auto train was great! we totally loved it. We are going back to WDW in December for Christmas and are already booked again.

Thanks! Yes, the space was truly a great thing. Especially to come back to after being at the park.. Kids go to bed before we do, and it was nice not to be stuck in the dark!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

The foot massage machines are genius! They should have those all over WDW!

WCC sounds like fun. I've never been there. Can't say the skillet really appeals to me but the atmosphere sounds fun.

Wilderness Lodge is on my wish list of places to stay!

Your day at AK sounds like fun. I've only been on Kali once and got SOAKED. To the point it wasn't so pleasant. Not sure it's on my list for next time.

So Nemo was a hit, huh? May put that on the list as well.

 

[TxRabbit]

I so wish we had gotten to see Nemo! Ah well. There's always next time! Gotta have something to look forward to!

I loved those bison in front of WL! And I too, can't wait to try out BLT! If I ever get to of course!

Those foot massages would be heaven. I didn't know they were there. I might have taken the boat over there just for that!

Love seeing your pictures. Your boys really are cute.

 

[lmillercrew]

Oh my GOODNESS! I have missed so much already. Your train trip sounds very interesting and has me curious about looking into it for us. I think it's fantastic that you could take your car on the train! GENIUS!
Sounds like you guys were having a fantastic time. And, if you only had one meltdown from a 4 yr old for a whole week, you're did well!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Love this and the dangling feet in the air!

I think we'll take DS4 to the Boneyard this year while my older two are on Dinosaur. I think he'd enjoy himself much more digging for bones than dodging teeth.

Nemo is such a great show and we lucked out with great seats our last time. We were beside the stage that runs up the centre and the characters would run up and stop right beside us.

How sweet of those guys outside the WL to stop and pose for you! We've never been to WCC but I've heard of the ketchup thing It does sound like fun, but how great to just meander about and do whatever.

Fabulous end to the day!

 

[Lady Lallie]

So glad you enjoyed Nemo. It's the best! I can't wait to see it again in the Fall.

I also can't wait for WCC, mmmmm bottomless milkshakes.

This update is making me so excited!

 

[shannn]

Would you be offended or flattered if I said that your DH is a real cutie?

 

[dd50]

Sounds like you all had a great day.

 

[MomofCKJ]

All caught up again! Too bad on the Pirate Cruise and bummer that someone misinformed you on that. Very un-Disney like! You seemed to have had a nice day afterall though! The Wave looks interesting!

And how long is the Nemo show? I have not seen it yet. I had in my head that it was on the longish side and that kept me sort of disinterested the last couple trips. Your glowing review has me intrigued though. I do like FOTLK a lot. Hmmmmm....

And sounds like this was a nice low key, relaxing evening. Sometimes you just need one of those in the middle of a trip!

Allyson

 

[LuvnDizney]

I caught up on your whole trip report, and I am really enjoying it!! Can't wait to read more!!

Melissa

 

[Happydog]

The foot massage machines are genius! They should have those all over WDW!

WCC sounds like fun. I've never been there. Can't say the skillet really appeals to me but the atmosphere sounds fun.

Wilderness Lodge is on my wish list of places to stay!

Your day at AK sounds like fun. I've only been on Kali once and got SOAKED. To the point it wasn't so pleasant. Not sure it's on my list for next time.

So Nemo was a hit, huh? May put that on the list as well.

I know!!! they are kinda funny -- like those "jiggle beds" they used to have in hotels eons ago.... like I remember staying at some random cheap hotel with my parents somewhere in California or Oregon cant recall where they had those... you put the quarter in and they just vibrate!!! Not sure they are much of a massage --- more like a teeth rattling !!

YES, it is on my list of places to stay at again!!! If I do a solo trip, that is where I am shacking up no question.

I love BBQ --- brings out the kid in me, but I have had better... still I thought it was good overall, all the "fixin's" were great... We wanted more mashed potatoes and they brought us a whole plate -- I was a little worried b/c I hate to waste food, but we ended up eating most of them... Hence NO NO NO room for dessert!!! Well... not until later ...

With Kali we did get totally drenched wet like need a dryer for your clothes on that first day we went. It was HOT that day though, so it was actually quite welcomed!! In Nov when we went I covered everyone with ponchos b/c I knew it would not be a welcome! If you end up going up the ramp backwards, you are the "lucky" pair... this we figured out. Still, the kids loved this ride.... don't know that it will be open in December..

You know, the Nemo show was really cool! In the summer I would totally say go, b/c that 45 minutes flew by and the AC is a great break from the heat...
In the fall, still fun, I would still go...

I so wish we had gotten to see Nemo! Ah well. There's always next time! Gotta have something to look forward to!

I loved those bison in front of WL! And I too, can't wait to try out BLT! If I ever get to of course!

Those foot massages would be heaven. I didn't know they were there. I might have taken the boat over there just for that!

Love seeing your pictures. Your boys really are cute.

Aw, there is ALWAYS a next time!!! NO question!! YES the bison were adorable!!! I should have taken more pics of them... I plan to really take photos of the decor on my Dec trip. I am hoping to get a new camera for my B-day... BLT, SIGH, so love the modern decor... right up my decor alley!

See my previous response about the foot massage machines!!!
Thanks! I can't wait to see more of YOUR pics! I love your TR!

Oh my GOODNESS! I have missed so much already. Your train trip sounds very interesting and has me curious about looking into it for us. I think it's fantastic that you could take your car on the train! GENIUS!
Sounds like you guys were having a fantastic time. And, if you only had one meltdown from a 4 yr old for a whole week, you're did well!

HA! Well I was just telling myself I need to finish this by next week because we are off for a two week vacation, and while I can check DIS I don't want to post to a TR or PTR.. YET. Then, when I get back, I will be about 125 days until our DECEMBER trip!!!

YES the car train really was great, and our car was so nice to have... it will allow me to bring all sorts of stuff at Christmas... a tree, for instance
You know it really only was once!! He got a little testy on July 3rd... that is our next post, but when you see the photos and hear the story, I think you will understand why!!!

 

[Happydog]

Love this and the dangling feet in the air!

I think we'll take DS4 to the Boneyard this year while my older two are on Dinosaur. I think he'd enjoy himself much more digging for bones than dodging teeth.

Nemo is such a great show and we lucked out with great seats our last time. We were beside the stage that runs up the centre and the characters would run up and stop right beside us.

How sweet of those guys outside the WL to stop and pose for you! We've never been to WCC but I've heard of the ketchup thing It does sound like fun, but how great to just meander about and do whatever.

Fabulous end to the day!

Oh do!!! It is a great controlled place to chill.. for the adults too!!! Just go on the early or late side... it can get a bit chaotic I think.... like the Honey I shrunk the Kids place at DHS... but not as much, b/c there is more at AK for little people than at DHS... that is probably why. We went just as it opened and we were the only ones in the dig site... more came to the slides, so that first 30 - 40 minutes when it opens is great.

It was a nice meander kind of evening, still so much to do at Disney besides the parks, and I really was trying to make that effort this trip! They do cooperate with photos generally, I didn't get many Photo pass pics though, I think because whenever there was a chance we didn't want to stop, and then when we could, or wanted to, I couldn't find a photographer!!! I gotta spend more time seeking out good spots for them...

Your seats at Nemo sound great! We had pretty good ones, too, they stopped right in front of us for one exchange, we were the second row from the center aisle, so they all ran right past...

So glad you enjoyed Nemo. It's the best! I can't wait to see it again in the Fall.

I also can't wait for WCC, mmmmm bottomless milkshakes.

This update is making me so excited!

Oh, LL, I must confess the milkshakes were one of the reasons why I made the ADR...

Yes, Nemo too cute

Would you be offended or flattered if I said that your DH is a real cutie?

BWAH HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hows that for a response? Yeah, I'll keep him.... Well something clearly caught my eye 13 years ago He is really, really intelligent.... yeah, that's what it was....

Sounds like you all had a great day.

Thanks!!! We did

All caught up again! Too bad on the Pirate Cruise and bummer that someone misinformed you on that. Very un-Disney like! You seemed to have had a nice day afterall though! The Wave looks interesting!

And how long is the Nemo show? I have not seen it yet. I had in my head that it was on the longish side and that kept me sort of disinterested the last couple trips. Your glowing review has me intrigued though. I do like FOTLK a lot. Hmmmmm....

And sounds like this was a nice low key, relaxing evening. Sometimes you just need one of those in the middle of a trip!

Allyson

Yeah, I was a little miffed, if only b/c I wouldn't have made the trip then, you know? The boys didn't quite exactly get what they were missing, so that may have been a good thing -- we are going to try again in December.

Nemo is 45 minutes. In August, I would encourage you to go. We loved that for 45 minutes we were totally captivated and cool... It honestly didn't feel that long, but we love shows... you are going in August, right? And if a rain storm rolls through, it might be a good place to hide out!

Hanging around and taking it easy was really the plan that night and I am glad we stuck to it... made the 3rd and the 4th more pleasant, especially since these were THE days (or so we thought) for mega mega crowds...

I caught up on your whole trip report, and I am really enjoying it!! Can't wait to read more!!

Melissa

Hey!! Thanks!! SO glad you are along for the ride!

 

[MinnieNurse]

I know I have said it before but after those last pictures I just have to say it again. Those boys of yours are absolutely adorable.

 

[Charleston Princess]

You know I love Animal Kingdom days!!! Your pics from the Boneyard brought back fond memories for me -- the first time we ever went to Animal Kingdom, Connor was too short to ride Primeval Whirl, so I took him over to the Boneyard to play and called my mom to chat while Connor ran around enjoying himself. It was such a great time.

I guess I am going to have to buckle down and go see the Nemo musical -- I keep reading wonderful reviews of it.

Love the pic of the boys with the buffalo!