Cast of Characters:
Me ~ Birthday Girl (35)
DH ~ Wonderful man who took me to Disney (40)
Preface: We left our 4 children at home to spend a weekend alone at Disney for my 35th birthday. But before you cry no fair! here are our supporting arguments:
a)We have only spent one night away from the children together ever that was 4 years ago and our oldest is now 10.
b)We are taking the children for another trip in December.
c)Our kids couldnt wait for us to leave, because their cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents were coming over on various days to watch them! I sense a no rules weekend coming
Day Three, Sunday, August 31:
Heaven! My husband and I slept in until after 8. AND we woke up in Disney World! The magic just keeps on coming
After getting ourselves ready and grabbing breakfast, we headed off to MGM this morning. Crowds were very light, and after getting my Birthday Button at Guest Relations we headed off to RnR Coaster. Note to everyone: If you are celebrating a birthday at Disney World, you NEED to get a birthday button. Cast members as well as park guest will be wishing you Happy Birthday all day long. It is so magical!
Rode RnR Coaster 3 times. The last time, I tried REALLY hard not to scream (which was extremely difficult to do because that launch leaves my stomach in the loading area .usually our photos have me with my mouth opened so wide screaming that you can see my gum!) and my efforts were rewarded with an awesome photo. Both my husband and I have our sunglasses on and he has his arms in the air and Im NOT screaming. We bought the photo!
We then tried something I had never done before .Tower of Terror! My husband had ridden on it a few times last year with our 3 older kids (they were 9, 7, and 6 at the time) but I was too chicken to go on it. I freak with big drops and didnt even want to try it. But for my husband (I hope hes reading this and appreciates what I sacrificed for him) I made the ultimate sacrifice and braved this attraction. Oh. My. God. I think I screamed up a lung. But I did live to tell about it .and this wouldnt be the last time I rode it.
We left MGM and made it to Epcot just in time for our 12:20 PS at the Garden Grill. We had never been in the Land Pavilion, so this was yet another first for us this trip. The rotation of the restaurant made me queasy at first (any one else experience this?), but I got over that feeling with time. I was disappointed with the view and the fact that you are really so isolated from the other guests, but I was not disappointed with the food. Both my husband and I thought it was very tasty. You can read my restaurant reviews in the Restaurant Forum. Our server Luis brought out an entire cake for my birthday, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to the tune of Old McDonald, which was very unique. The cake was much too large for my husband and I to eat, so we each cut ourselves a slice and gave the rest of the cake to the family sitting next to us who had several children.
We experienced the Land attraction and found the gardens fascinating. Got another Happy Birthday from our CM tour guide (those birthday buttons are awesome!). Then we also experienced Figment for the first time. We finished out our time at Epcot with Ellens Energy Adventure, which is a favorite of mine. I think Ellen is a great comedienne and never get tired of watching her. Then it was off to the ASMo for a quick swim and to freshen up before our dinner at Ohanas.
Our PS was for 5, but we checked in behind about 20 other people (I kid you not) and waited about 30 minutes to be seated. I browsed the gift shop while my husband inspected the seating. He noticed it was in sore need of some refurbishment. It was worth our wait as we got one of the BEST tables in the whole restaurant .right by the window looking out to the Magic Kingdom. We could see the castle and the scaffolding around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The food was very good, and we had yet another birthday cupcake (although I talked our server Stephanie out of singing Happy Birthday .I had heard it enough by this point). The coconut races and hula-hooping were great fun to watch. A bride and groom even got into the act!
After dinner we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. People were already staking spots for Spectromagic at around 6:45 (show was at 8:15), and as we had already had a VERY packed weekend, we decided that sitting for a while sounded like an excellent idea. We parked our fannies about half way around the hub in front of Cinderellas Castle (well, I parked it and hubby stood until show time his back was bothering him from sleeping in a different bed. I think hes just getting old, but please dont tell him that!), and found our spot to be FANTASTIC for viewing the parade. We got a great spot to see the parade coming, where the floats were stretched out at the curve. Hope my pictures turned out!
Spectro was another first for us, and it was AWESOME! Too bad the kids probably wont see it in December since it has limited showing. After the parade we stuck around in front of the castle and saw Tink fly before the fireworks. Another first .and equally as AWESOME! The fireworks were great too, and Im glad we got to experience them before Wishes replaces FITS.
I really wanted to see the Kiss Goodnight, so we hung around, sitting on a bench right in front of the castle. It was so cool! Note to self: bring kiddos to see this and the camcorder for next trip. What a magical day this has been. What a magical birthday weekend this had been! We strolled down Main Street and found a mob at all the transportation queues. We didnt mind the 45 minute wait at the boat dock for the Poly because it was a beautiful evening, we were in Disney World, and (more importantly) we were alone together without the children.
Our pilot for the launch apologized for the long wait, and I got to chatting with him on the way to the Grand Floridian (first stop). He said Disney underestimated the crowds for Labor Day weekend and that was why they were not appropriately staffed. He said the park count for MK on Saturday was around 55 thousand, and, while he didnt know the park count for Sunday, that in his opinion, it felt like a 50 day. Hmmmm seems like the FTP worked out pretty good for Disney.
After another late night swim, Hubby and I snuggled in for one last night at the ASMo before heading away tomorrow.
Day Four, Monday, September 1: Labor Day
Rise and shine! Up and at em! Time to hit the showers! Well, I hit the shower while hubby grabs a few more zzzzzzs. We pack up and pick up our souvenirs at the Gift Shop before heading to MGM Disney Studios for our last day.
The CMs in the parking lot steer us to the FARTHEST spot EVER from the front gate. It is a MILE to the trams even, so we just walk to the entrance. Weve NEVER had to park so far. No magic here. Oh well. Still in Disney World!
We head for RnR Coaster and ride 3 times. By the third time, I was DONE! Even if I wanted to ride again, I dont think my head could have taken it. I dont know if it was from all the walking or sleeping in an unfamiliar bed (or maybe it was the three times we rode it yesterday) but my head split open each time it banged on the headrest. Even Tylenol didnt make it easier to endure, so I called it quits for this trip! However, we did also ride Tower of Terror three times as well. I think I screamed up my second lung. Especially on the second time when we dropped (I SWEAR) from top to bottom twice in a row in the darkness. I love that ride, but it scares me to death! I hope my husband appreciates all I do for him .
While we were at the Studios, we also enjoyed One Mans Dream. We especially appreciated the Kansas City connection, since we live in a KC suburb. I loved seeing all of the old toys and merchandise as well as the scale models. So glad we experienced this on our trip without kids because they would not fully appreciate it!
Gosh, is it time to leave already? Thank goodness we have a trip planned for December with our kids, so that I can focus on that without feeling blue leaving Orlando. I messed up the time on our flight and we arrived an extra hour early at the airport, but camped out at an overlook where we could watch the planes landing in REALLY comfortable chairs. We really LOVE MCO airport. Well, if youve ever been to the Kansas City airport, youd understand why. Nuf said.
Uneventful flight home. No snoring man this time. More importantly, no drooling man! It was great to see the kids again they even had another birthday cake waiting for me when we got there. But why am I finding all these things in strange places? Wait a minute, I dont think I even want to know what happened to my house while we were away ..it was worth it regardless of what I might find afterwards. It really was Susies Best Birthday Ever and I will remember it as such for the rest of my life!
Me ~ Birthday Girl (35)
DH ~ Wonderful man who took me to Disney (40)
Preface: We left our 4 children at home to spend a weekend alone at Disney for my 35th birthday. But before you cry no fair! here are our supporting arguments:
a)We have only spent one night away from the children together ever that was 4 years ago and our oldest is now 10.
b)We are taking the children for another trip in December.
c)Our kids couldnt wait for us to leave, because their cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents were coming over on various days to watch them! I sense a no rules weekend coming
Day Three, Sunday, August 31:
Heaven! My husband and I slept in until after 8. AND we woke up in Disney World! The magic just keeps on coming
After getting ourselves ready and grabbing breakfast, we headed off to MGM this morning. Crowds were very light, and after getting my Birthday Button at Guest Relations we headed off to RnR Coaster. Note to everyone: If you are celebrating a birthday at Disney World, you NEED to get a birthday button. Cast members as well as park guest will be wishing you Happy Birthday all day long. It is so magical!
Rode RnR Coaster 3 times. The last time, I tried REALLY hard not to scream (which was extremely difficult to do because that launch leaves my stomach in the loading area .usually our photos have me with my mouth opened so wide screaming that you can see my gum!) and my efforts were rewarded with an awesome photo. Both my husband and I have our sunglasses on and he has his arms in the air and Im NOT screaming. We bought the photo!
We then tried something I had never done before .Tower of Terror! My husband had ridden on it a few times last year with our 3 older kids (they were 9, 7, and 6 at the time) but I was too chicken to go on it. I freak with big drops and didnt even want to try it. But for my husband (I hope hes reading this and appreciates what I sacrificed for him) I made the ultimate sacrifice and braved this attraction. Oh. My. God. I think I screamed up a lung. But I did live to tell about it .and this wouldnt be the last time I rode it.
We left MGM and made it to Epcot just in time for our 12:20 PS at the Garden Grill. We had never been in the Land Pavilion, so this was yet another first for us this trip. The rotation of the restaurant made me queasy at first (any one else experience this?), but I got over that feeling with time. I was disappointed with the view and the fact that you are really so isolated from the other guests, but I was not disappointed with the food. Both my husband and I thought it was very tasty. You can read my restaurant reviews in the Restaurant Forum. Our server Luis brought out an entire cake for my birthday, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to the tune of Old McDonald, which was very unique. The cake was much too large for my husband and I to eat, so we each cut ourselves a slice and gave the rest of the cake to the family sitting next to us who had several children.
We experienced the Land attraction and found the gardens fascinating. Got another Happy Birthday from our CM tour guide (those birthday buttons are awesome!). Then we also experienced Figment for the first time. We finished out our time at Epcot with Ellens Energy Adventure, which is a favorite of mine. I think Ellen is a great comedienne and never get tired of watching her. Then it was off to the ASMo for a quick swim and to freshen up before our dinner at Ohanas.
Our PS was for 5, but we checked in behind about 20 other people (I kid you not) and waited about 30 minutes to be seated. I browsed the gift shop while my husband inspected the seating. He noticed it was in sore need of some refurbishment. It was worth our wait as we got one of the BEST tables in the whole restaurant .right by the window looking out to the Magic Kingdom. We could see the castle and the scaffolding around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The food was very good, and we had yet another birthday cupcake (although I talked our server Stephanie out of singing Happy Birthday .I had heard it enough by this point). The coconut races and hula-hooping were great fun to watch. A bride and groom even got into the act!
After dinner we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. People were already staking spots for Spectromagic at around 6:45 (show was at 8:15), and as we had already had a VERY packed weekend, we decided that sitting for a while sounded like an excellent idea. We parked our fannies about half way around the hub in front of Cinderellas Castle (well, I parked it and hubby stood until show time his back was bothering him from sleeping in a different bed. I think hes just getting old, but please dont tell him that!), and found our spot to be FANTASTIC for viewing the parade. We got a great spot to see the parade coming, where the floats were stretched out at the curve. Hope my pictures turned out!
Spectro was another first for us, and it was AWESOME! Too bad the kids probably wont see it in December since it has limited showing. After the parade we stuck around in front of the castle and saw Tink fly before the fireworks. Another first .and equally as AWESOME! The fireworks were great too, and Im glad we got to experience them before Wishes replaces FITS.
I really wanted to see the Kiss Goodnight, so we hung around, sitting on a bench right in front of the castle. It was so cool! Note to self: bring kiddos to see this and the camcorder for next trip. What a magical day this has been. What a magical birthday weekend this had been! We strolled down Main Street and found a mob at all the transportation queues. We didnt mind the 45 minute wait at the boat dock for the Poly because it was a beautiful evening, we were in Disney World, and (more importantly) we were alone together without the children.
Our pilot for the launch apologized for the long wait, and I got to chatting with him on the way to the Grand Floridian (first stop). He said Disney underestimated the crowds for Labor Day weekend and that was why they were not appropriately staffed. He said the park count for MK on Saturday was around 55 thousand, and, while he didnt know the park count for Sunday, that in his opinion, it felt like a 50 day. Hmmmm seems like the FTP worked out pretty good for Disney.
After another late night swim, Hubby and I snuggled in for one last night at the ASMo before heading away tomorrow.
Day Four, Monday, September 1: Labor Day
Rise and shine! Up and at em! Time to hit the showers! Well, I hit the shower while hubby grabs a few more zzzzzzs. We pack up and pick up our souvenirs at the Gift Shop before heading to MGM Disney Studios for our last day.
The CMs in the parking lot steer us to the FARTHEST spot EVER from the front gate. It is a MILE to the trams even, so we just walk to the entrance. Weve NEVER had to park so far. No magic here. Oh well. Still in Disney World!
We head for RnR Coaster and ride 3 times. By the third time, I was DONE! Even if I wanted to ride again, I dont think my head could have taken it. I dont know if it was from all the walking or sleeping in an unfamiliar bed (or maybe it was the three times we rode it yesterday) but my head split open each time it banged on the headrest. Even Tylenol didnt make it easier to endure, so I called it quits for this trip! However, we did also ride Tower of Terror three times as well. I think I screamed up my second lung. Especially on the second time when we dropped (I SWEAR) from top to bottom twice in a row in the darkness. I love that ride, but it scares me to death! I hope my husband appreciates all I do for him .
While we were at the Studios, we also enjoyed One Mans Dream. We especially appreciated the Kansas City connection, since we live in a KC suburb. I loved seeing all of the old toys and merchandise as well as the scale models. So glad we experienced this on our trip without kids because they would not fully appreciate it!
Gosh, is it time to leave already? Thank goodness we have a trip planned for December with our kids, so that I can focus on that without feeling blue leaving Orlando. I messed up the time on our flight and we arrived an extra hour early at the airport, but camped out at an overlook where we could watch the planes landing in REALLY comfortable chairs. We really LOVE MCO airport. Well, if youve ever been to the Kansas City airport, youd understand why. Nuf said.
Uneventful flight home. No snoring man this time. More importantly, no drooling man! It was great to see the kids again they even had another birthday cake waiting for me when we got there. But why am I finding all these things in strange places? Wait a minute, I dont think I even want to know what happened to my house while we were away ..it was worth it regardless of what I might find afterwards. It really was Susies Best Birthday Ever and I will remember it as such for the rest of my life!
--I'll try to take joy in scapbooking the trip and very secretly planning another (DH thinks this is the only one to WDW we'll ever take....what's that line from Big Fat Greek Wedding? "He may be the head, but I'm the neck"?!!!
