June 9-18 Mother/Daughter trip *Days 1-7 up

[cmsnyder77]

Cast:

Me, 28 Fourth trip to Disney; 1 trip as a child, 1 short trip in high school
with marching band, last year with DD.

DD, 6 Second trip to Disney; into princesses, of course, and loves the
antics of Chip and Dale.


As I mentioned above, we took a 6 day trip to Disney last year, and I found that there were many things I didn't feel we had time to do; therefore, I extended it by a couple of days this year. Of course, at the end of this trip, there were still many things we didn't have time to do. But I feel that I did plan much more effectively this year, largely because of the time I spent reading the DIS boards.

I am a single (divorced) mother, and many people seemed surprised to hear that I was taking this trip alone with my daughter. A frequent question when I mentioned the upcoming trip was, "Who all is going with you?" When I replied just me and my daughter, they would either say, "Good for you" or "I wouldn't be brave enough to do that". My response is that I am not going to waste years away sitting at home when I could be making memories with my daughter. Why do I need a man to take a trip?

So ..... I began planning this trip around January, made airline reservations, ADR's, and finally it was June. We left after my DD's last day of kindergarten. Our flight left Charlotte at 4:10 and we touched down at MCO at 5:40. We arrived at the Magical Express line at 6:00 and were on the bus at 6:10. After one stop at OKW, we arrived at POFQ at 7:00. After locating our room, my DD changed into her swimsuit and I let her swim for a while (she loved the slide!) then we shared chicken strips from the food court. We were back in the room for the night at 10:00, and our luggage was waiting.

I liked the room at POFQ. Last year we stayed at Pop, and this room seemed bigger. I liked the decor. The biggest difference I noticed between POFQ and Pop was the noise level. While I liked the theming at Pop, it was so loud, even late at night with kids running to their rooms and playing at the nearby pool. At POFQ, I never heard any of neighbors. I know there were people staying in the rooms around us, but I would never have thought so by the noise level. That made it much more relaxing.

We went on to bed to prepare for the next day .... morning EMH at Animal Kingdom, and my 29th B-day!

 

[cmsnyder77]

delete

 

[lookingforward]

Looking forward to your report. My daughter and I (she is 7) do a mother daughter weekend to WDW each year in December for her birthday. She has two teenage brothers so it is our time to have a fun girls weekend. I cherish those short trips.

 

[TLinden16]

I love the POFQ, and you descried the difference between it and Pop exactly how I do. I can't wait to read about more of your trip.

Thanks for posting.

 

[PoohGal05]

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[jeepgirl30]

I'm looking forward to it as well. I'll be doing a mother/daughter trip in Sept. Good for you! Your daughter is lucky to have a strong mother as a role model.

 

[cmsnyder77]

This am was EMH at Animal Kingdom. I had the wake-up call set for 6:10, but I found myself wide awake at 4:45 and could not get back to sleep. Totally not like me to wake up early - I work third shift and usually have a hard time waking up on my days off, but I guess it was anticipation. So, I went ahead and showered, took some video of the view of the river from our building (building 7), and waited until I could wake DD. Also watched a little of the Weather Channel, where they were beginning to talk about some tropical storm I hadn't yet heard of named Alberto (I would become acquainted with him in a couple of days, unfortunately).

I wasn't too good about writing a lot of details in my notes, thinking I would be able to remember everything . I guess I'm not as sharp as I thought. I think we ate at the food court this am, and DD had chocolate chip pancakes, and I had a Mickey waffle with strawberries. We then caught a bus with little wait (not much wait time at all for buses to/from POFQ the entire week) and arrived at AK just after 8:00.

I know most people head directly to EE or the safari, and I had planned to do this, but DD really wanted to go to Dinoland. We were only at AK 1/2 day last year and missed Dinoland, so I decided to hit this area. It worked out well, as we were able to ride Triceratops Spin 3 times and Primeval Whirl 2 times with no wait. DD really enjoyed Primeval Whirl; it was just the right amount of "thrill". She actually is 47 1/2" tall, but she met the 48" requirement with her shoes on.

Now, since I had not spent much time at AK in the past, I was not totally familiar with all the rides. I recall reading something about Dinosaur and how scary it was, but decided to ride anyway. Not the best decision I made, because DD was terrified, keeping her head buried in me for the whole ride. I didn't care for it either .

We then headed over to EE. The wait was not too bad (sorry, I can't remember how long! ), so we grabbed FP for later and got into line. DD was excited and had been telling everyone she was going to ride all the "big" rollercoasters this year. Turns out, this one didn't turn out to be the best introduction to big coasters. She was scared by the darkness and the fast turns. I have to admit, I didn't care for it that much either .
I know everyone loves it, and I'm not a total wimp, but I'm not a huge thrill rider either, and I just found it a little too intense for my liking. Needless to say, we didn't use our FP's.

Lesson learned: do not take 6yr old that is not super brave on Dinosaur or EE.

After recovering from these rides, we decided to grab an early lunch at Tusker House. I had the rotisserie chicken - it came with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. DD had kids drumstick with mashed potatoes, carrots and applesauce. We both really enjoyed this meal. Definitely one of the best counter services.

After lunch, we took the train to Rafiki Planet Watch, looked around a little, and DD did several of the Kids station activities. Spotted Pocahontas and DD got her first autograph of this trip.

We then headed back to the room to get ready for 4:35 appointment for DD at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We took the boat to DD and went to check in. We received a beeper and a brochure with the different styles to choose from, then browsed World of Disney until DD's turn. She chose the Fairytale Princess style (I was glad she chose this one; it was my favorite). I was so, so glad I decided to take her here. It was a very special place, and the looks on all the little girls' faces were priceless. We did the package with hair, nails, and makeup, and it was worth every penny for the experience. DD has long, very thick hair, and her fairy godmother commented again and again on this, and the other fairy godmothers were also making comments on it. She did a great job, though, and used a TON of hair gel and hairspray. It was very effective, and I was able to leave her hair up until Tuesday.

As I mentioned earlier, today was my 29th b-day . One of the reasons I decided to be out of town on this day was that I do not like acknowledging my birthdays. I know, 29 isn't that bad, but I was feeling really old. (don't know how I'll deal with 30). However, I had gotten a birthday button at AK that morning, and did enjoy how people noticed and wished me a happy birthday. That was nice. We had made a reservation for Rainforest Cafe for that evening, with plans to get the Chocolate Volcano for dessert. I know Rainforest hasn't gotten the best reviews, but as soon as DD heard of it and the Volcano, her mind was made up that this is where we definitely had to go for my b-day.

It turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. Our ressie was for 6:00, and we were seated right away. Service was quick, and food was good. I had a seafood combination dinner with stuffed flounder, crab cake, and coconut shrimp. I thought it was really good. DD had mac-n-cheese. We did order the chocolate volcano, which was HUGE, of course, but good. It was perfect for me and DD, as we are both avid chocolate fans.

As we were sitting at dinner, I told DD that this was the best b-day I had ever had. And it really was. The day just seemed to go perfectly, and seeing her at the BBB really capped it off. I couldn't think of a more special way to spend the day.

After dinner, we did some shopping before heading back to the room.

Up next: Day 3, breakfast at CRT.

 

[tkd lisa]

Happy "belated" birthday!

I'm enjoying your report. I like your attitude about single parenthood. I'm also a single parent, and the kids and I enjoy lots of trips to Disney.

Looking forward to more.

 

[missummer]

I am enjoying your trip report so far! I, too, am a single mother to a 6 year old and was planning to do just the two of us at Disney, but DD really wanted Grandma to come, so it will be nice to have the help.
Did you buy a costume for your DD for BBB or did you bring one with, or go completely without? My DD outgrew her Cinderella costume, and am at my wit's end trying to find a new one. We might just have to go without!

 

[cmsnyder77]

Thanks for the replies!

No, DD didn't wear a costume to BBB, mainly because we had breakfast planned the next morning at CRT and she was going to wear her Cinderella dress then. When I mentioned this, she was agreeable. She just wore a sundress. I wanted her to have something on a little bit dressy for the pictures, but since it was a hot afternoon, I figured she would be more comfortable not in a costume. As I recall, I don't think the majority of the girls at the BBB were in costume.

 

[pumba]

hearing what a great time you had because of your daughter brought tears to my eyes......thanks for recapping your special day too

 

[GottaGetToDisney!]

Great trip report! I was thisclose to doing a mother/daughter trip this summer, too. But, now that my 3 yr old DS has also been to DisneyWorld (and talks about going back all of the time!) I wasn't sure if I could handle the guilt trip! I also wasn't sure if my DD could keep such a huge secret from him (come on, SHE gets to go to DW and HE doesn't! Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah! No way could she keep that in! LOL) Instead, I've decided to save up and take both of them next summer!

Keep those updates coming, I'm really enjoying them!

Gotta Get To Disney!

 

[OhMari]

Happy Belated Birthday!
I had a really hard time turning 27, I have no clue why. After that I never had a problem with my birthday, except I don't like anyone to know either.

Good for you taking your dd to WDW!

Looking forward to reading the rest of your Trip Report.

 

[HaleyB]

I think it is too sweet that you brought your daughter to BBB for your birthday! What a good Mommy you are.

When my daughter was six we went to WDW (with her two brothers and my DH) We ditched the boys twice, once for CRT and once for the Storybook breackfast. It was so much fun to have girl time. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

 

[cmsnyder77]

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Chocolate Volcano at Rainforest Cafe

 

[cmsnyder77]

I had been fortunate enough to nab an ADR for Cinderella's Royal Table this am. I was surprised, considering that I called much less than 180 days out. Our ADR was for 9:35. We arrived at MK at 9:10 and made our way to the castle. After having DD's picture taken with Cinderella, we waited only a few minutes before being called upstairs.

DD was presented with a pink wand and a "wishing star" with blinking lights. We were served OJ, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a basket of pastries/croissants/muffins. DD enjoyed a cinnamon roll and blueberry muffin. I had a croissant and fruit.

Our regular plates arrived shortly. DD ate only the french toast sticks off of hers, and also had a second serving of them. My favorite item on my plate was the potatoes and stuffed french toast. Most everything was greasy, but it was pretty good.

Present at the meal were Snow White, Belle, Wendy, and Fairy Godmother.
They all interacted well with DD, and she enjoyed the experience. There was a special wishing ceremony where the children used their wands (swords for boys) and wishing stars to make a wish. It was cute.

After breakfast, we headed to Fantasyland, where we rode the carrousel, grabbed FP's for Peter Pan, rode IASW, Snow White, Philharmagic, then Peter Pan. Peter Pan is one of my very favorite rides; unfortunately this ended up being the only time we rode it this week due to such long lines. MK was not way too crowded this day; wait times were manageable when also utilizing FP.

We then headed over to grab FP's for Splash at DD's request, as this is one of her favorite rides. We took the train to Toontown and rode the Barnstormer with a 10 minute wait and toured Mickey and Minnie's houses.

We rode TTA, then train back to Splash to use our FP's. We got soaked as we passed on the side of where the boats come down. Splash was fun as always. When we started the ride it was sunshiny, but when we exited (it was 2:30), the sky was overcast and the wind was blowing fiercely. It didn't take long for a torrential downpour to begin. It took me a little while to get to a stopping place where we could put on our ponchos, so we went from being partially soaked to completely drenched. We made our way to Main Street where many people were trying to seek shelter. Went into Casey's and grabbed a hot dog. Tried to waste more time by browsing a store. I bought a poncho there, since the one I had was a 99cent one that was completely useless - less durable than a cheap garbage bag. The rain tapered off slightly, so we headed to the bus stop.

After dressing in dry clothes, we waited for the rain to stop, then headed to Epcot at 5:30. We rode Spaceship Earth, went to the Living Seas, then rode Figment. DD really enjoyed the Imagination station. We then headed to World Showcase, getting DD some McDonald's chicken nuggets on the way. I then stopped in UK for fish n chips, of which DD ate most of the fish. Eventually we ended up at bakery in France, where DD had dark chocolate cake, and I had chocolate mousse (yum, yum) and some kind of flaky pastry with chocolate in the middle (also very good). We watched Illuminations and headed back to POFQ for a good night's rest.

Up next: MGM .... in the rain.

 

[KathyRN137]

Luv the pics; your dgt is so cute!

 

[byoung]

Great report and pictures, thanks.

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent ~ Looking forward to reading more.

 

[NatalieO]

We seem to have alot in common I am single mother as well and went to Disney 19 May- 26 May and celebrated my 29th birthday there! I was also alone with my kids. I guess the main difference between us is I have 3 kids DD-8, DD-7, DS-5 ! Challenging but I wouldn't do any other way!