Annie'sMom
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
Day 6 - Saturday, November 11, 2000
Me â 42, Single mom and Disney fanatic. The first question my co-workers ask when I return from vacation is, âÂÂSo, when are you going back?â I live in Central Missouri and typically depart from St. Louis Lambert Airport, which is about a 1.5 hour drive from home.
DD â 4-year-old diva. IâÂÂm serious; this girl has a future on the stage or screen. She loves to sing and dance and loves all things Disney, too.
It was another Early Entry Day for the Magic Kingdom. I was concerned about how busy it would be because it was now the weekend following VeteranâÂÂs Day. I wasnâÂÂt too optimistic about the crowds, but I was pleasantly surprised. We arrived at the gates of the MK around 7:25 and were to Fantasyland quickly. We were able to do Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, ItâÂÂs A Small World, Snow White and the Carrousel in a short time. This time DD named her carrousel horse âÂÂBullseyeâÂÂâÂÂor as she pronounces it, âÂÂPullseye.â As you might guess, she is a huge fan of Two Story 2. As a matter of fact, she was âÂÂJessieâ for Halloween. I was also quite proud of DD for riding Snow White two times already. We got in line to meet Ariel and DD played in ArielâÂÂs grotto while we were waiting. She likes that almost as much as meeting Ariel. The little girl in front of us in line was dressed like Ariel, and it was so cute to watch them together. That little girl was thrilled! By this time, the park was opening up.
We headed towards Adventureland and were planning to score Fastpasses for Jungle Cruise and do Pirates of the Caribbean. When we got to Jungle Cruise, there was literally no wait. We walked right on. Our captain was pretty lame, but the ride definitely looks great after its recent rehab. The boats look more like real riverboats. While we were walking through the queue, I was listening to the radio broadcast that plays. It is hilarious! The queue is full of funny signs and jokes. After our cruise through the rivers of the world, we headed towards PoC and again, walked right on. I really like this ride. The other evening when we had been in the MK, I had asked DD if she wanted to ride PoC and her response was âÂÂMaybe later.â I wasnâÂÂt sure sheâÂÂd actually get on the ride, but she did and she enjoyed it, once she remembered what it was like. We took a potty break and headed back to Fantasyland to get a Fastpass for Pooh.
We headed to Pooh and picked up Fastpasses for about an hour later. Then we walked over to Tomorrowland and got another set of Fastpasses for Buzz Lightyear. You may ask how we managed that. Well, the trick is that our Park Passes (APs) were separate from our resort tickets/room keys. Thus, we could get 4 Fastpasses at once. While waiting for the Buzz Lightyear Fastpass, we took a ride on the TTA. I just love this ride. I always hope that Space Mountain will be down when we ride through it, but that has never happened. It is just a nice, refreshing ride. After the TTA, we did a little shopping in Tomorrowland. Prior to this trip, we simply have not spent much time there since the attractions that DD would be interested in and able to do are limited. We looked at the Merchant of Venus and MickeyâÂÂs Star Traders. This was the first place I saw the die cast versions of some of the more popular rides from the Magic Kingdom and the other parks. I bought DD Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. They are really cute and not very expensive. I would love to have the entire collection. I have seen them for sale on ebay since our return. Those of you who are preparing to go to WDW be advised, they are also sold at the WOD store, where you can get your DC discount.
When we finished our shopping, it was time to get on Buzz Lightyear. I love this ride, though I really stink at it. DD was clueless about what she was supposed to do, so she got 0 points. I got 7,800. I know, I know, itâÂÂs pathetic. But I had real problems seeing where my laser beam was going. Anyway, we both enjoyed it and vowed to ride it again. I was in charge of the spinner this time. Next time would be another story! By this time, it was time to get on Pooh. I believe this has become my daughterâÂÂs favorite ride. This would be our 3rd ride on it today. We were able to skip the 60-minute line and walked right on. We were to be seated in the back seats of the Honey Pots, and two guys from the UK were in the front. They both volunteered to sit in the back so that DD could be in front. I thanked them but told them that wasnâÂÂt necessary because this was our third ride this morning! The park, by this time, had become pretty crowded so we headed for the exits. I was certain weâÂÂd see Leslea, but we didnâÂÂt. I looked at all the CMs at the turnstiles, so we left a message at City Hall that we would meet her by the Mickey Flower thing at 5:30.
I had requested early housekeeping and our room was cleaned when we returned. For the first time, the maid had done something cute with DDâÂÂs dolls and animals. They were perched on the pillows and hiding under DDâÂÂs blanket. Woody and Jessie were holding hands and sitting up. DD was thrilled. I had decided to go offsite for lunch, so we headed to McDonalds at the Crossroads. As we drove by Downtown Disney, I had thought briefly that we would stop there to do some shopping; it was apparent that we wouldnâÂÂt be doing any shopping that day. The DD parking lots were completely full. It was a zoo! I found out later that the âÂÂFestival of the Mastersâ was going on. We went to McDonalds and had lunch. We then drove back to the hotel to relax for the afternoon. I had planned to go back to the MK later to see if we could find Leslea. We got there about 5:20 and didnâÂÂt see her. I waited for quite a while and then finally went to City Hall to see if she had left a message for me. Turns out that she hadnâÂÂt even gotten my first message. I was under the misimpression that the message would be delivered to her. Instead, it was left in her computer mailbox and she hadnâÂÂt checked it. I was getting really frustrated at this point, so we decided to just stroll through the park and try to find a place for the first MSEP. NOT! The park was unbelievably crowded. We made one circuit and it took us until about 6:30. I said, âÂÂForget it!â and we returned to the room. When we got there, there was a message from Leslea that she had been at the turnstiles all day and that sheâÂÂd be working the next day from 8:30 until 5:00. <sigh> Looked like weâÂÂd try a quick visit to the MK tomorrow morning before heading to Epcot.
DD had a bath and then played for a while. She went to bed and instantly fell fast asleep. Meanwhile, I got to do some laundry! Yippee! That is one advantage to staying in the Garden Wings; the laundry facilities are very convenient. FYI, it costs $1.00/load for washing and $1.00/45 minutes for drying. I brought detergent and dryer sheets from home. I hadnâÂÂt planned to do laundry again, but I ended up doing more the night before we came home. I must say it is much nicer to come home with a suitcase full of clean clothes, especially since I had to go back to work the day after we returned. I watched a little TV and tried to call Leslea, but she wasnâÂÂt home. I was in bed by 11:00.
Me â 42, Single mom and Disney fanatic. The first question my co-workers ask when I return from vacation is, âÂÂSo, when are you going back?â I live in Central Missouri and typically depart from St. Louis Lambert Airport, which is about a 1.5 hour drive from home.
DD â 4-year-old diva. IâÂÂm serious; this girl has a future on the stage or screen. She loves to sing and dance and loves all things Disney, too.
It was another Early Entry Day for the Magic Kingdom. I was concerned about how busy it would be because it was now the weekend following VeteranâÂÂs Day. I wasnâÂÂt too optimistic about the crowds, but I was pleasantly surprised. We arrived at the gates of the MK around 7:25 and were to Fantasyland quickly. We were able to do Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, ItâÂÂs A Small World, Snow White and the Carrousel in a short time. This time DD named her carrousel horse âÂÂBullseyeâÂÂâÂÂor as she pronounces it, âÂÂPullseye.â As you might guess, she is a huge fan of Two Story 2. As a matter of fact, she was âÂÂJessieâ for Halloween. I was also quite proud of DD for riding Snow White two times already. We got in line to meet Ariel and DD played in ArielâÂÂs grotto while we were waiting. She likes that almost as much as meeting Ariel. The little girl in front of us in line was dressed like Ariel, and it was so cute to watch them together. That little girl was thrilled! By this time, the park was opening up.
We headed towards Adventureland and were planning to score Fastpasses for Jungle Cruise and do Pirates of the Caribbean. When we got to Jungle Cruise, there was literally no wait. We walked right on. Our captain was pretty lame, but the ride definitely looks great after its recent rehab. The boats look more like real riverboats. While we were walking through the queue, I was listening to the radio broadcast that plays. It is hilarious! The queue is full of funny signs and jokes. After our cruise through the rivers of the world, we headed towards PoC and again, walked right on. I really like this ride. The other evening when we had been in the MK, I had asked DD if she wanted to ride PoC and her response was âÂÂMaybe later.â I wasnâÂÂt sure sheâÂÂd actually get on the ride, but she did and she enjoyed it, once she remembered what it was like. We took a potty break and headed back to Fantasyland to get a Fastpass for Pooh.
We headed to Pooh and picked up Fastpasses for about an hour later. Then we walked over to Tomorrowland and got another set of Fastpasses for Buzz Lightyear. You may ask how we managed that. Well, the trick is that our Park Passes (APs) were separate from our resort tickets/room keys. Thus, we could get 4 Fastpasses at once. While waiting for the Buzz Lightyear Fastpass, we took a ride on the TTA. I just love this ride. I always hope that Space Mountain will be down when we ride through it, but that has never happened. It is just a nice, refreshing ride. After the TTA, we did a little shopping in Tomorrowland. Prior to this trip, we simply have not spent much time there since the attractions that DD would be interested in and able to do are limited. We looked at the Merchant of Venus and MickeyâÂÂs Star Traders. This was the first place I saw the die cast versions of some of the more popular rides from the Magic Kingdom and the other parks. I bought DD Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. They are really cute and not very expensive. I would love to have the entire collection. I have seen them for sale on ebay since our return. Those of you who are preparing to go to WDW be advised, they are also sold at the WOD store, where you can get your DC discount.
When we finished our shopping, it was time to get on Buzz Lightyear. I love this ride, though I really stink at it. DD was clueless about what she was supposed to do, so she got 0 points. I got 7,800. I know, I know, itâÂÂs pathetic. But I had real problems seeing where my laser beam was going. Anyway, we both enjoyed it and vowed to ride it again. I was in charge of the spinner this time. Next time would be another story! By this time, it was time to get on Pooh. I believe this has become my daughterâÂÂs favorite ride. This would be our 3rd ride on it today. We were able to skip the 60-minute line and walked right on. We were to be seated in the back seats of the Honey Pots, and two guys from the UK were in the front. They both volunteered to sit in the back so that DD could be in front. I thanked them but told them that wasnâÂÂt necessary because this was our third ride this morning! The park, by this time, had become pretty crowded so we headed for the exits. I was certain weâÂÂd see Leslea, but we didnâÂÂt. I looked at all the CMs at the turnstiles, so we left a message at City Hall that we would meet her by the Mickey Flower thing at 5:30.
I had requested early housekeeping and our room was cleaned when we returned. For the first time, the maid had done something cute with DDâÂÂs dolls and animals. They were perched on the pillows and hiding under DDâÂÂs blanket. Woody and Jessie were holding hands and sitting up. DD was thrilled. I had decided to go offsite for lunch, so we headed to McDonalds at the Crossroads. As we drove by Downtown Disney, I had thought briefly that we would stop there to do some shopping; it was apparent that we wouldnâÂÂt be doing any shopping that day. The DD parking lots were completely full. It was a zoo! I found out later that the âÂÂFestival of the Mastersâ was going on. We went to McDonalds and had lunch. We then drove back to the hotel to relax for the afternoon. I had planned to go back to the MK later to see if we could find Leslea. We got there about 5:20 and didnâÂÂt see her. I waited for quite a while and then finally went to City Hall to see if she had left a message for me. Turns out that she hadnâÂÂt even gotten my first message. I was under the misimpression that the message would be delivered to her. Instead, it was left in her computer mailbox and she hadnâÂÂt checked it. I was getting really frustrated at this point, so we decided to just stroll through the park and try to find a place for the first MSEP. NOT! The park was unbelievably crowded. We made one circuit and it took us until about 6:30. I said, âÂÂForget it!â and we returned to the room. When we got there, there was a message from Leslea that she had been at the turnstiles all day and that sheâÂÂd be working the next day from 8:30 until 5:00. <sigh> Looked like weâÂÂd try a quick visit to the MK tomorrow morning before heading to Epcot.
DD had a bath and then played for a while. She went to bed and instantly fell fast asleep. Meanwhile, I got to do some laundry! Yippee! That is one advantage to staying in the Garden Wings; the laundry facilities are very convenient. FYI, it costs $1.00/load for washing and $1.00/45 minutes for drying. I brought detergent and dryer sheets from home. I hadnâÂÂt planned to do laundry again, but I ended up doing more the night before we came home. I must say it is much nicer to come home with a suitcase full of clean clothes, especially since I had to go back to work the day after we returned. I watched a little TV and tried to call Leslea, but she wasnâÂÂt home. I was in bed by 11:00.
