TnTWalter
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2005
- Messages
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First, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the wonderful tips to prepare for our adventure. It was definitely Disney magic.
The weater was perfect, the lines were light, our resort was great [POP]...I'm already dreaming of our next trip....
Here's the long version...
WALT DISNEY WORLD TRIP REPORT FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
Jan 2-7 Pop Century Connecting Rooms
PROPERTY
It is a fun, whimsical, family friendly property. It has a nice bar by the pool and plenty of outdoor seating for laying out or eating. The food court is cafeteria style and nice. A lovely walking path around half of the lake [cant go all the way around because the classic years arent complete]. Also a charming bridge [again it stops in the center of the lake because of construction]. Pretty for evening strolls. I was looking forward to jogging around the lake so the fact you cant go all the way around was disappointing.
Lots of great photo opportunities here .
LOCATION & CHECK-IN
We requested Connecting Rooms for us and the kiddos and a room nearby for my folks. 50s or 70s 3rd or 4th floor [based on everyones recommendations]. We received 50s B Building [which is labeled #2 on property], Juke Box, and 1st floor facing the bowling pin pool. Pretty darn far from Classic Hall and buses, but thankfully pool side so not as far as it could have been [basically as far as the first 80s building but 80s is closer to bus stops.]. Now that Ive seen the resort Id say that both 70s buildings are much closer to Classic Hall and buses, but it was nice having a quiet pool to enjoy and the walk was not bad even for my 6, 4 & 3 year olds. But, you really had to think about how badly you wanted to fill up your souvenir mug and not be in a hurry to catch a bus. So, if thats a priority, ask for either 70s buildings close to Classic Hall or just 50s A as preference [but you might get parking lot view]. The 60s really are not worth the extra in my opinion especially if you are lakeside. Being near the kiddie pool would be nice. The 70s buildings do not have their own pool. The 80s have a computer shaped pool.
Check-in was very fast and easy. Our rooms were all ready at 1:30 pm when we arrived and they had the room next door set up for my parents who were arriving the next day.
THE ROOMS
They were clean [although not as clean as could be; same piece of candy sat on the carpet entire time we were there] and fun. It was nice having the connecting rooms. My parents hoped to get a king but received a double room. They found out later that only 10% are King on the property, so if thats a must for you, Id look elsewhere. It worked for us and was fine for them.
We never heard others around us. My parents heard my 3 year old crying in the middle of the night once. You did hear toilets flush and showers running but it was not atypical. I could hear people walking by the rooms on occasion. We were here when weather was too cold for evenings in the pools, otherwise we probably would have heard people in the pools but it was a quieter pool than the 60s one.
BUSES
MAGICAL EXPRESS
It was a great way to get to WDW. We checked our bags in at our airport curbside and didnt worry about them again until they appeared in our room about 1 hour after our arrival. Nice! I had packed bathing suits and change of clothes so we could head right to the pool after check-in. What a treat! On the way out, if youre flying one of their preferred airlines, you can just pack your bags and they appear at your home airport, and I think they check you in. Ours was not so we had to lug our bags to the bus and then check them at the airport where we also had to check-in. We could have checked in online using Tims PDA [POP charges you to use their computer] but POP charged $1 per page for a fax and DH didnt want to pay [hes a little tight and it irritated him that they would charge! ;o)].
Buses to and from the parks .we did have some waits up to 15 minutes, some less than 5 minutes, and several times we had standing room only. Overall, it was much nicer than driving to the parks and walking miles from the lot. POP always seemed to be the farthest bus stop when leaving the parks. ;O) The rides were quick to and from the resort.
You really need to budget time for the buses when planning for your meals. There were a couple occasions where we were 5 minutes late to a meal, another where we did not have time to go home and change as planned, etc.
I was pleasantly surprised because I was dreading the buses based on reviews. There is definite room for improvement; Im sure when the Legendary years open theyll have separate bus systems for Classic and Legendary sections like Port Orleans does. There were other resorts that had multiple buses arrive and depart while we were waiting for our one to show up [Caribbean beach and Port Orleans come to mind].
DINING ON PLAN
Overall, this was a great experience. We definitely saved money than doing the same meals without the plan. We probably wouldnt have done as many expensive meals off the plan nor had the appetizers and desserts all the time, but it was a nice treat. The snacks were a pain in the tush though. Things are not labeled as some reviews mentioned. Some items were not considered snacks which was frustrating [dole whips for example]. Once we figured it out, it got much easier but there was still some finagling that had to be done. I could see getting frustrated and just paying out of pocket, which my DH would not do! And we had 2 rooms, so we had to use 2 separate cards which the waiters needed to know to divide our receipts. [Once we figured out to tell them up front, it was fine].
We spent $58 out of pocket total on Planet Hollywood kids, appetizer & drinks below and souvenir mug at POP [plus extra tips for exceptional service]. We were able to share some appetizers, meals, & desserts with my folks, and I brought home 10 rice crispy Mickey ears!
Day 1, we used our vouchers for dinner at Planet Hollywood and paid for the kids meals, our drinks and appetizer out of pocket. It was quite good and the restaurant kept the kiddos entertained. The free souvenir was a tiny key chain, but it was free, so its all good. We had 2 rooms so we received 2 meal vouchers and 2 souvenir vouchers. I had made an ADR for 5pm. $45 out of pocket. It was fun to roam around downtown; the kids loved the Lego area.
We had a water bottle that attached to the camera bag that we refilled at water fountains throughout the day. Very convenient and free.
Day 2 We ate breakfast in our room [brought fruit cups, juice boxes and danishes from home]. I bought a $12 souvenir mug for the dreaded Nescafe coffee, which wasnt too bad [of course I add cream & equal].
We were at AK so we ate lunch at Tusker House. Delicious and Huge amount of food. Wow. We saved cakes for later.
Snacks got kids some frozen OJ bars. Nice treat and love that included in our plan!
Later, we ate the cakes while watching the parade from an outdoor eating area near the pin trading station.
Dinner was at Chef Mickeys. This is a really nice buffet dinner and the characters came around for good interaction. Our favorites were the salmon, turkey breast and Mickey ravioli. The celebration songs throughout with the waving napkins were fun for the kids. Everyone loved the ice cream bar.
Day 3 Breakfast with Cinderella at the Castle. We took pictures and chatted with Cinderella, and Snow White, Wendy, Belle [in blue & white] and Aurora [in Pink] greeted us while we dined upstairs. This was awesome, such a lovely setting. This was our first time at MK and to go right to the castle was incredible. The kids were dressed as Snow White, Ariel and Prince Phillip. We were ushered to the line to take our picture with Cinderella. If you have a later ressie, Id try to arrive early for this so that you can eat around the time you planned. [As we were leaving around 10am the line to greet Cinderella was quite long!] My son [3] gave her a picture he had scribbled so she gave him extra attention [she even signed a piece from my girls autograph book for him with hearts and kissed it ;o)]. They were all in awe of her. Then we were ushered upstairs to dine. All the princesses came by and were so sweet. And the food. . .Oh my! Delicious and plentiful. My folks and I received the healthy fair which was a large bowl of fresh fruit yogurt and granola with caramelized bananas on top. Yummy and we had a side of the stuffed French toast! There were bowls of fresh fruit and the kids had delicious eggs, bacon, and I think waffles. Really good service and attention here. Of course they bring a beautiful 8x10 picture with 4 4x6s in a beautiful folder with a poem and picture of the castle its about $31 [ouch] but we had to have it. [Maybe this is what theyre including when the price goes up Feb 1?]. We tipped extra here. This breakfast is a must do!
FYI we rented a locker so we could change them into everyday wear for the rest of the day.
Lunch at Cosmic Rays. This was the most disappointing meal of the trip. Food was ok but it was difficult to order with 3 different kids menus depending on which station you went to. Not impressed and would not return.
We werent very hungry at dinner time so I used snack credits for grapes and big milks at POP and we ate cakes we had saved from Cosmic Rays.
Day 4 Breakfast at Ohana with Mickey, Pluto, Lilo & Stitch. Can I just say that I loved the boxed eggs? Yummy! And the fried potatoes were quite good too. Again, lots of delicious food and great service. Lovely view also! And nice trip to MK afterwards!
Ice Cream before leaving MK for snack credits. Late lunch at Pop Century. It was ok.
Dinner @ Epcot Coral Reef. This was the best bang for our dining plan as it now is 1 TS instead of 2. Our dinner [2A, 3C] would have been $150! We split our 5 appetizers and desserts with my folks, kids just had their meals which they enjoyed. The kids were relatively entertained by the aquarium and theres not a bad seat in the place. Service was also excellent here. The downside was the walk to see the Illuminations afterwards the CSM when I booked this dinner was convinced Illuminations was 9:30 so my 7:30 ressie would be fine, well, of course Illuminations was 9:00 pm. We missed the first 5 minutes and obviously didnt have the greatest view, but they were nice.
Day 5 MGM day. Hubby and I had CS breakfast at Pop Century, it was ok, plenty to eat. Kids had danishes and such in the room [from home].
Had Lunch at ABC Commissary. Food was average. But it was fast and easy.
Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package. Our ressie was 4:00 pm and we thought wed have plenty of time afterwards! We headed to Muppet 3-D and then made it to the show by the skin of our teeth. The food was excellent though. It was just like she forgot about us for quite a while and then we ordered dessert and she forgot about us even longer. Oh, and Im not sure about the necessity of the priority seating, maybe depends on time of year. When we arrived, 6:40 ish, they had already started letting everyone in. We couldnt figure out what priority seating we received, but we still had great seats [but I dont think there really is a bad seat]. I was surprised I didnt read any warnings about possibly getting wet. I was so glad that people warned us when my kids decided front row would be nice. We moved [it was very cold that night] and just were misted. It was FANTASMIC!
Day 6 Last day. We ate at Pop again. Food was ok again. Its good and convenient. I then bought 10 rice crispy Mickey ears to use up my snack credits, figuring theyd make cute gifts.
PARKS & RIDES
ANIMAL KINGDOM
We were very surprised that so many people skip this park as it was one of our favorites. Of course, it was also the first park for us at WDW, so maybe thats why. It was sprinkling in the morning when we arrived [we missed the opening parade by a few minutes, darn bus! ;o)] so we decided to do the Its Tough to be a Bug even though I had ruled it out because of the fear factor. There was no line and it was indoors, so we headed inside the tree of life and admired the carvings along the way. My 3 year old son LOVED it but my 6 and 4 year old girls left with daddy. Go figure! {I thought it would be too scary for him, not them.)
When we exited, the sun had come out and the rain had stopped. Hubby FPd the Safari while we headed to Camp Minnie/Mickey. He caught up to us as we discovered minimal lines for all the characters!! Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale Wow! What a great way to start our trip! Then to Primeval Whirl and Triceratops Spin. Dad and 6 year old did the Primeval whirl and loved it and the little ones and I enjoyed the Triceratops Spin. Then off to the Lion King show. It was awesome! One of our favorites of the trip. Time for our Safari. This was also fun. The kids enjoyed it. Then we spotted more characters to greet Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore, Piglet! Woo Hoo. We ate at Tusker House which was delicious and so much food. While we dined, we were treated to music and dancing. We did the Planet Watch so kids could pet the animals. My 6 year old loved the little stage show that they put on. My 4 year old waited to meet Rafiki. We got back in time for the parade which was fun with the music and characters. Then we had to head directly to our dinner @ Chef Mickeys .
We were there a little over 6 hours and were able to do everything we wanted to do. Awesome. Our first day was a very Disney Day!
MAGIC KINGDOM FANTASYLAND
Arrived in time for opening Ceremony. Fun way to start our morning .headed right to castle for breakfast with Cinderella Awesome [see dining review] then directly to Fantasyland.
Hubby got FP for Peter Pan and we went directly to Philharmagic with little wait. It was great fun! Of course the kids had to do the Carousel which was short and sweet. Then it was off to Peter Pan which we enjoyed. I had to do ISW which everyone also enjoyed. I couldnt avoid Dumbo, even though there was a 30 minute wait [our longest wait the entire trip!]. We were entertained in line by Cinderellas court, a saxophone quartet, which helped a lot. The kids enjoyed it. We then went to Pooh. This was very LAME and it ends in a shop which I found tacky. My 3 year old enjoyed the 100 Acre playground but my 6 and 4 year old girls thought it was too little for them. My 4 year old met Tweetle Dee and Dumb.
We were able to catch Belle in Fairytale Garden telling her story. Its audience participation so try to get close. The kids enjoyed this and we enjoyed the rest. It was charming. And afterwards, it was so nice to avoid the line of kids waiting to get her autograph since we had already met her.
Hubby FP Space Mountain for him and 6 year old, and learned that Buzz Lightyear is closed until February! So disappointed because I really wanted to do this with my 3 year old son. The lines were long to greet characters so we decided to try again when we came back the next day. Headed to scope out spot for parade. It was cute; the characters were in snow globes. At some point, everyone but me [motion sickness] enjoyed the Mad Tea Party.
I headed back to POP with little ones and Grandma to swim [myself and 4 year old] and nap [grandma and 3 year old] while hubby and 6 year old rode Space Mountain with Grandpa. They loved it. Then they did Stitch which 6 year old liked but dad and Grandpa thought it was disappointing. They all enjoyed the carousel of Progress.
We arrived at 9am had a little over an hour breakfast and a short 30 minute lunch at Cosmic Rays [not recommended, see review]. Little ones left after 3:00 parade while big ones left around 5pm.
MAGIC KINGDOM ADVENTURELAND
Maybe had we not been to Animal Kingdom, the Tiki Room and Jungle cruise would have been cute, but we all thought they were pretty tired and disappointing. The kids thought they were ok. I wish we had skipped this area and headed to Toontown & Frontierland. We never did get to do Goofys barnstormer, darn it! ;o) The kids enjoyed Aladdins Magic carpet and the line was shorter and faster than Dumbo. We went to Tomorrowland for Buzzs autograph. He was awesome. What a thrill. My daughter had drawn a picture of him and gave it to him and he made a big deal about it and asked for her autograph [well, through a cast member] so he could always remember her. It was sweet. Then off to Cinderellabration which was really nicely done! Just enough time to get mouse ears at The Chapeau, which by the way, they now charge $2 for embroidery, but its worth it. Time to head out and relax at POP before a late afternoon trip to Epcot!
We were there from about 9:30 to 1:30 and rode the ferry for fun. Back to resort around 2ish.
EPCOT
Bus was quick. Woo Hoo. Arrived at Epcot around 5pm and swung by Living Seas to see when Turtle Talk was [every 20 minutes]. Met mom and dad @ Mexico and did the boat ride. It was boring. So we then headed to Norway. Everyone enjoyed this, although my 3 year old said he did not like the trolls. My dad had gotten FP for Soarin earlier in the day [these go quick] for Hubby and 6 year old so off they went while rest of us did Turtle Talk at 7pm. We were glad we went then because it was the last of the night. The little ones enjoyed it. We headed across the way to Coral Reef for our 7:30 ressie and hubby and 6 year old joined us. They loved Soarin. Dinner was delicious and the aquarium was fantastic. Service was excellent. And to top it off, my kids were great! Woo Hoo. A fun time had by all .but we were no way near the fireworks and with 3 little kiddos trying to hike over to the lagoon at 10 till 9pm just didnt work very well. We missed the first 5 minutes and had ok viewing. It was good, but I was a little bummed because we skipped wishes to see this and it just didnt work out as well as I had hoped. Between the idiot CSM who booked my ressie and assured me they started at 9:30 [I knew she was wrong! ;o)] and some tip I read that this was a good place to eat before the fireworks [maybe just for the food, certainly not for proximity! ;o)], I was a tad annoyed. But the food was so good it didnt matter!
We lingered heading towards the bus stop and there was a huge line. Uh Oh but what to my wondering eyes should appear but a second bus before the first one even left! Woo hoo. We were the last to get on this bus and it was standing room only. What little troopers my kids were and thank goodness for the long break in the day.
We were there from about 5 till 9:30 ish.
MGM
Arrived here as close to opening as the Pop bus would allow Roamed a bit and then headed to ABC Commissary. Food was ok, but Id try Backlot Express next time. We saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid with a very little line, which was cute, kids enjoyed it. We headed to Beauty & the Beast which was great, everyone enjoyed. My 3 year old fell asleep. Hubby and Grandpa FP Star Tours for them and 6 and 4 year old and then we had a 15 minute wait for the great movie ride. The gun fire scared my 4 year old but she was fine in my lap. My 3 year old hid on the floor of the car when the alien appeared but overall, it was enjoyable. My parents liked it more than the rest of us. The 4 headed off to Star Tour while Grandma, myself and the sleeper headed to find a good spot on the parade route. They enjoyed Star Tours [its like Soarin but you dont take off, overall opinion was that Soarin is better, but this is fun]. The parade was fantastic!! My 3 year old slept through it which was a shame because it was very boy friendly [star wars, monsters, power rangers, etc.]. My girls were able to shake hands with a lot of the characters. We also did Playhouse Disney which my kids enjoyed [6 year old did not want to go in, but she was dancing with everyone]. Even though my kids dont watch the shows, it entertained them.
4 pm dinner @ Mama Melroses. Good food, very slow service. No time to meet characters @ Als toy barn or do Honey I shrunk kids like planned because we were at MM almost 2 hours! Yikes.
But we had just enough time for Muppet 3-D. Everyone enjoyed. I liked PhilharMagic the best of these type shows. Then it was time to head to the big 7pm show. We really didnt see how our seats were priority so if its a slow time of year like it was for us, Id say you probably dont need the package. Everyone absolutely loved this show. My 6 year old said it was the best part! It was a nice way to end our WDW adventure [and I was a little worried because MGM was more of a show park]. But please be warned if youre towards the front, you may get wet and youll at least get misted. Afterwards, we went back from whence we came to tour Osbourne Lights Wow! And then we happily headed home.
We arrived just after 11am and left about 8:30 pm.
THATS ALL FOLKS!
Trish
The weater was perfect, the lines were light, our resort was great [POP]...I'm already dreaming of our next trip....
Here's the long version...
WALT DISNEY WORLD TRIP REPORT FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
Jan 2-7 Pop Century Connecting Rooms
PROPERTY
It is a fun, whimsical, family friendly property. It has a nice bar by the pool and plenty of outdoor seating for laying out or eating. The food court is cafeteria style and nice. A lovely walking path around half of the lake [cant go all the way around because the classic years arent complete]. Also a charming bridge [again it stops in the center of the lake because of construction]. Pretty for evening strolls. I was looking forward to jogging around the lake so the fact you cant go all the way around was disappointing.
Lots of great photo opportunities here .
LOCATION & CHECK-IN
We requested Connecting Rooms for us and the kiddos and a room nearby for my folks. 50s or 70s 3rd or 4th floor [based on everyones recommendations]. We received 50s B Building [which is labeled #2 on property], Juke Box, and 1st floor facing the bowling pin pool. Pretty darn far from Classic Hall and buses, but thankfully pool side so not as far as it could have been [basically as far as the first 80s building but 80s is closer to bus stops.]. Now that Ive seen the resort Id say that both 70s buildings are much closer to Classic Hall and buses, but it was nice having a quiet pool to enjoy and the walk was not bad even for my 6, 4 & 3 year olds. But, you really had to think about how badly you wanted to fill up your souvenir mug and not be in a hurry to catch a bus. So, if thats a priority, ask for either 70s buildings close to Classic Hall or just 50s A as preference [but you might get parking lot view]. The 60s really are not worth the extra in my opinion especially if you are lakeside. Being near the kiddie pool would be nice. The 70s buildings do not have their own pool. The 80s have a computer shaped pool.
Check-in was very fast and easy. Our rooms were all ready at 1:30 pm when we arrived and they had the room next door set up for my parents who were arriving the next day.
THE ROOMS
They were clean [although not as clean as could be; same piece of candy sat on the carpet entire time we were there] and fun. It was nice having the connecting rooms. My parents hoped to get a king but received a double room. They found out later that only 10% are King on the property, so if thats a must for you, Id look elsewhere. It worked for us and was fine for them.
We never heard others around us. My parents heard my 3 year old crying in the middle of the night once. You did hear toilets flush and showers running but it was not atypical. I could hear people walking by the rooms on occasion. We were here when weather was too cold for evenings in the pools, otherwise we probably would have heard people in the pools but it was a quieter pool than the 60s one.
BUSES
MAGICAL EXPRESS
It was a great way to get to WDW. We checked our bags in at our airport curbside and didnt worry about them again until they appeared in our room about 1 hour after our arrival. Nice! I had packed bathing suits and change of clothes so we could head right to the pool after check-in. What a treat! On the way out, if youre flying one of their preferred airlines, you can just pack your bags and they appear at your home airport, and I think they check you in. Ours was not so we had to lug our bags to the bus and then check them at the airport where we also had to check-in. We could have checked in online using Tims PDA [POP charges you to use their computer] but POP charged $1 per page for a fax and DH didnt want to pay [hes a little tight and it irritated him that they would charge! ;o)].
Buses to and from the parks .we did have some waits up to 15 minutes, some less than 5 minutes, and several times we had standing room only. Overall, it was much nicer than driving to the parks and walking miles from the lot. POP always seemed to be the farthest bus stop when leaving the parks. ;O) The rides were quick to and from the resort.
You really need to budget time for the buses when planning for your meals. There were a couple occasions where we were 5 minutes late to a meal, another where we did not have time to go home and change as planned, etc.
I was pleasantly surprised because I was dreading the buses based on reviews. There is definite room for improvement; Im sure when the Legendary years open theyll have separate bus systems for Classic and Legendary sections like Port Orleans does. There were other resorts that had multiple buses arrive and depart while we were waiting for our one to show up [Caribbean beach and Port Orleans come to mind].
DINING ON PLAN
Overall, this was a great experience. We definitely saved money than doing the same meals without the plan. We probably wouldnt have done as many expensive meals off the plan nor had the appetizers and desserts all the time, but it was a nice treat. The snacks were a pain in the tush though. Things are not labeled as some reviews mentioned. Some items were not considered snacks which was frustrating [dole whips for example]. Once we figured it out, it got much easier but there was still some finagling that had to be done. I could see getting frustrated and just paying out of pocket, which my DH would not do! And we had 2 rooms, so we had to use 2 separate cards which the waiters needed to know to divide our receipts. [Once we figured out to tell them up front, it was fine].
We spent $58 out of pocket total on Planet Hollywood kids, appetizer & drinks below and souvenir mug at POP [plus extra tips for exceptional service]. We were able to share some appetizers, meals, & desserts with my folks, and I brought home 10 rice crispy Mickey ears!
Day 1, we used our vouchers for dinner at Planet Hollywood and paid for the kids meals, our drinks and appetizer out of pocket. It was quite good and the restaurant kept the kiddos entertained. The free souvenir was a tiny key chain, but it was free, so its all good. We had 2 rooms so we received 2 meal vouchers and 2 souvenir vouchers. I had made an ADR for 5pm. $45 out of pocket. It was fun to roam around downtown; the kids loved the Lego area.
We had a water bottle that attached to the camera bag that we refilled at water fountains throughout the day. Very convenient and free.
Day 2 We ate breakfast in our room [brought fruit cups, juice boxes and danishes from home]. I bought a $12 souvenir mug for the dreaded Nescafe coffee, which wasnt too bad [of course I add cream & equal].
We were at AK so we ate lunch at Tusker House. Delicious and Huge amount of food. Wow. We saved cakes for later.
Snacks got kids some frozen OJ bars. Nice treat and love that included in our plan!
Later, we ate the cakes while watching the parade from an outdoor eating area near the pin trading station.
Dinner was at Chef Mickeys. This is a really nice buffet dinner and the characters came around for good interaction. Our favorites were the salmon, turkey breast and Mickey ravioli. The celebration songs throughout with the waving napkins were fun for the kids. Everyone loved the ice cream bar.
Day 3 Breakfast with Cinderella at the Castle. We took pictures and chatted with Cinderella, and Snow White, Wendy, Belle [in blue & white] and Aurora [in Pink] greeted us while we dined upstairs. This was awesome, such a lovely setting. This was our first time at MK and to go right to the castle was incredible. The kids were dressed as Snow White, Ariel and Prince Phillip. We were ushered to the line to take our picture with Cinderella. If you have a later ressie, Id try to arrive early for this so that you can eat around the time you planned. [As we were leaving around 10am the line to greet Cinderella was quite long!] My son [3] gave her a picture he had scribbled so she gave him extra attention [she even signed a piece from my girls autograph book for him with hearts and kissed it ;o)]. They were all in awe of her. Then we were ushered upstairs to dine. All the princesses came by and were so sweet. And the food. . .Oh my! Delicious and plentiful. My folks and I received the healthy fair which was a large bowl of fresh fruit yogurt and granola with caramelized bananas on top. Yummy and we had a side of the stuffed French toast! There were bowls of fresh fruit and the kids had delicious eggs, bacon, and I think waffles. Really good service and attention here. Of course they bring a beautiful 8x10 picture with 4 4x6s in a beautiful folder with a poem and picture of the castle its about $31 [ouch] but we had to have it. [Maybe this is what theyre including when the price goes up Feb 1?]. We tipped extra here. This breakfast is a must do!
FYI we rented a locker so we could change them into everyday wear for the rest of the day.
Lunch at Cosmic Rays. This was the most disappointing meal of the trip. Food was ok but it was difficult to order with 3 different kids menus depending on which station you went to. Not impressed and would not return.
We werent very hungry at dinner time so I used snack credits for grapes and big milks at POP and we ate cakes we had saved from Cosmic Rays.
Day 4 Breakfast at Ohana with Mickey, Pluto, Lilo & Stitch. Can I just say that I loved the boxed eggs? Yummy! And the fried potatoes were quite good too. Again, lots of delicious food and great service. Lovely view also! And nice trip to MK afterwards!
Ice Cream before leaving MK for snack credits. Late lunch at Pop Century. It was ok.
Dinner @ Epcot Coral Reef. This was the best bang for our dining plan as it now is 1 TS instead of 2. Our dinner [2A, 3C] would have been $150! We split our 5 appetizers and desserts with my folks, kids just had their meals which they enjoyed. The kids were relatively entertained by the aquarium and theres not a bad seat in the place. Service was also excellent here. The downside was the walk to see the Illuminations afterwards the CSM when I booked this dinner was convinced Illuminations was 9:30 so my 7:30 ressie would be fine, well, of course Illuminations was 9:00 pm. We missed the first 5 minutes and obviously didnt have the greatest view, but they were nice.
Day 5 MGM day. Hubby and I had CS breakfast at Pop Century, it was ok, plenty to eat. Kids had danishes and such in the room [from home].
Had Lunch at ABC Commissary. Food was average. But it was fast and easy.
Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package. Our ressie was 4:00 pm and we thought wed have plenty of time afterwards! We headed to Muppet 3-D and then made it to the show by the skin of our teeth. The food was excellent though. It was just like she forgot about us for quite a while and then we ordered dessert and she forgot about us even longer. Oh, and Im not sure about the necessity of the priority seating, maybe depends on time of year. When we arrived, 6:40 ish, they had already started letting everyone in. We couldnt figure out what priority seating we received, but we still had great seats [but I dont think there really is a bad seat]. I was surprised I didnt read any warnings about possibly getting wet. I was so glad that people warned us when my kids decided front row would be nice. We moved [it was very cold that night] and just were misted. It was FANTASMIC!
Day 6 Last day. We ate at Pop again. Food was ok again. Its good and convenient. I then bought 10 rice crispy Mickey ears to use up my snack credits, figuring theyd make cute gifts.
PARKS & RIDES
ANIMAL KINGDOM
We were very surprised that so many people skip this park as it was one of our favorites. Of course, it was also the first park for us at WDW, so maybe thats why. It was sprinkling in the morning when we arrived [we missed the opening parade by a few minutes, darn bus! ;o)] so we decided to do the Its Tough to be a Bug even though I had ruled it out because of the fear factor. There was no line and it was indoors, so we headed inside the tree of life and admired the carvings along the way. My 3 year old son LOVED it but my 6 and 4 year old girls left with daddy. Go figure! {I thought it would be too scary for him, not them.)
When we exited, the sun had come out and the rain had stopped. Hubby FPd the Safari while we headed to Camp Minnie/Mickey. He caught up to us as we discovered minimal lines for all the characters!! Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale Wow! What a great way to start our trip! Then to Primeval Whirl and Triceratops Spin. Dad and 6 year old did the Primeval whirl and loved it and the little ones and I enjoyed the Triceratops Spin. Then off to the Lion King show. It was awesome! One of our favorites of the trip. Time for our Safari. This was also fun. The kids enjoyed it. Then we spotted more characters to greet Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore, Piglet! Woo Hoo. We ate at Tusker House which was delicious and so much food. While we dined, we were treated to music and dancing. We did the Planet Watch so kids could pet the animals. My 6 year old loved the little stage show that they put on. My 4 year old waited to meet Rafiki. We got back in time for the parade which was fun with the music and characters. Then we had to head directly to our dinner @ Chef Mickeys .
We were there a little over 6 hours and were able to do everything we wanted to do. Awesome. Our first day was a very Disney Day!
MAGIC KINGDOM FANTASYLAND
Arrived in time for opening Ceremony. Fun way to start our morning .headed right to castle for breakfast with Cinderella Awesome [see dining review] then directly to Fantasyland.
Hubby got FP for Peter Pan and we went directly to Philharmagic with little wait. It was great fun! Of course the kids had to do the Carousel which was short and sweet. Then it was off to Peter Pan which we enjoyed. I had to do ISW which everyone also enjoyed. I couldnt avoid Dumbo, even though there was a 30 minute wait [our longest wait the entire trip!]. We were entertained in line by Cinderellas court, a saxophone quartet, which helped a lot. The kids enjoyed it. We then went to Pooh. This was very LAME and it ends in a shop which I found tacky. My 3 year old enjoyed the 100 Acre playground but my 6 and 4 year old girls thought it was too little for them. My 4 year old met Tweetle Dee and Dumb.
We were able to catch Belle in Fairytale Garden telling her story. Its audience participation so try to get close. The kids enjoyed this and we enjoyed the rest. It was charming. And afterwards, it was so nice to avoid the line of kids waiting to get her autograph since we had already met her.
Hubby FP Space Mountain for him and 6 year old, and learned that Buzz Lightyear is closed until February! So disappointed because I really wanted to do this with my 3 year old son. The lines were long to greet characters so we decided to try again when we came back the next day. Headed to scope out spot for parade. It was cute; the characters were in snow globes. At some point, everyone but me [motion sickness] enjoyed the Mad Tea Party.
I headed back to POP with little ones and Grandma to swim [myself and 4 year old] and nap [grandma and 3 year old] while hubby and 6 year old rode Space Mountain with Grandpa. They loved it. Then they did Stitch which 6 year old liked but dad and Grandpa thought it was disappointing. They all enjoyed the carousel of Progress.
We arrived at 9am had a little over an hour breakfast and a short 30 minute lunch at Cosmic Rays [not recommended, see review]. Little ones left after 3:00 parade while big ones left around 5pm.
MAGIC KINGDOM ADVENTURELAND
Maybe had we not been to Animal Kingdom, the Tiki Room and Jungle cruise would have been cute, but we all thought they were pretty tired and disappointing. The kids thought they were ok. I wish we had skipped this area and headed to Toontown & Frontierland. We never did get to do Goofys barnstormer, darn it! ;o) The kids enjoyed Aladdins Magic carpet and the line was shorter and faster than Dumbo. We went to Tomorrowland for Buzzs autograph. He was awesome. What a thrill. My daughter had drawn a picture of him and gave it to him and he made a big deal about it and asked for her autograph [well, through a cast member] so he could always remember her. It was sweet. Then off to Cinderellabration which was really nicely done! Just enough time to get mouse ears at The Chapeau, which by the way, they now charge $2 for embroidery, but its worth it. Time to head out and relax at POP before a late afternoon trip to Epcot!
We were there from about 9:30 to 1:30 and rode the ferry for fun. Back to resort around 2ish.
EPCOT
Bus was quick. Woo Hoo. Arrived at Epcot around 5pm and swung by Living Seas to see when Turtle Talk was [every 20 minutes]. Met mom and dad @ Mexico and did the boat ride. It was boring. So we then headed to Norway. Everyone enjoyed this, although my 3 year old said he did not like the trolls. My dad had gotten FP for Soarin earlier in the day [these go quick] for Hubby and 6 year old so off they went while rest of us did Turtle Talk at 7pm. We were glad we went then because it was the last of the night. The little ones enjoyed it. We headed across the way to Coral Reef for our 7:30 ressie and hubby and 6 year old joined us. They loved Soarin. Dinner was delicious and the aquarium was fantastic. Service was excellent. And to top it off, my kids were great! Woo Hoo. A fun time had by all .but we were no way near the fireworks and with 3 little kiddos trying to hike over to the lagoon at 10 till 9pm just didnt work very well. We missed the first 5 minutes and had ok viewing. It was good, but I was a little bummed because we skipped wishes to see this and it just didnt work out as well as I had hoped. Between the idiot CSM who booked my ressie and assured me they started at 9:30 [I knew she was wrong! ;o)] and some tip I read that this was a good place to eat before the fireworks [maybe just for the food, certainly not for proximity! ;o)], I was a tad annoyed. But the food was so good it didnt matter!
We lingered heading towards the bus stop and there was a huge line. Uh Oh but what to my wondering eyes should appear but a second bus before the first one even left! Woo hoo. We were the last to get on this bus and it was standing room only. What little troopers my kids were and thank goodness for the long break in the day.
We were there from about 5 till 9:30 ish.
MGM
Arrived here as close to opening as the Pop bus would allow Roamed a bit and then headed to ABC Commissary. Food was ok, but Id try Backlot Express next time. We saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid with a very little line, which was cute, kids enjoyed it. We headed to Beauty & the Beast which was great, everyone enjoyed. My 3 year old fell asleep. Hubby and Grandpa FP Star Tours for them and 6 and 4 year old and then we had a 15 minute wait for the great movie ride. The gun fire scared my 4 year old but she was fine in my lap. My 3 year old hid on the floor of the car when the alien appeared but overall, it was enjoyable. My parents liked it more than the rest of us. The 4 headed off to Star Tour while Grandma, myself and the sleeper headed to find a good spot on the parade route. They enjoyed Star Tours [its like Soarin but you dont take off, overall opinion was that Soarin is better, but this is fun]. The parade was fantastic!! My 3 year old slept through it which was a shame because it was very boy friendly [star wars, monsters, power rangers, etc.]. My girls were able to shake hands with a lot of the characters. We also did Playhouse Disney which my kids enjoyed [6 year old did not want to go in, but she was dancing with everyone]. Even though my kids dont watch the shows, it entertained them.
4 pm dinner @ Mama Melroses. Good food, very slow service. No time to meet characters @ Als toy barn or do Honey I shrunk kids like planned because we were at MM almost 2 hours! Yikes.
But we had just enough time for Muppet 3-D. Everyone enjoyed. I liked PhilharMagic the best of these type shows. Then it was time to head to the big 7pm show. We really didnt see how our seats were priority so if its a slow time of year like it was for us, Id say you probably dont need the package. Everyone absolutely loved this show. My 6 year old said it was the best part! It was a nice way to end our WDW adventure [and I was a little worried because MGM was more of a show park]. But please be warned if youre towards the front, you may get wet and youll at least get misted. Afterwards, we went back from whence we came to tour Osbourne Lights Wow! And then we happily headed home.
We arrived just after 11am and left about 8:30 pm.
THATS ALL FOLKS!
Trish
