L
lisa70
Guest
100 Years of Magic Trip Diary: May 3 May 10, 2002
Cast:
Lisa 30 something, Disney World Obsessed Mom and Wife; trip planning junkie whos afraid of heights
Chuck 30 something, Disney World Lover; Spouse and Dad
Kayla 2 wks shy of being 5 yr old; adorable princess daughter who loves Disney World
Day 1 (Arrival) :
The trip planning had started several months prior to our trip with lots of surfing the internet. We found some great packages with different Disney resorts. We also found a great deal on Priceline, flying Northwest. 3 Roundtrip tickets from San Antonio were $586. Id have preferred a non-stop flight but there were none available in our price range. Service was great! It was the 1st time wed flown Northwest and I was pleasantly surprised. The employees were very nice. The planes were on time and we received our luggage in a timely manner. The Security was very tight at the airports in lieu of 911. The National Guard was very obvious with their big guns.
Landing in Memphis was a little interesting. Chuck and I had some issues with our ears. It was also quite turbulent. Kayla was a happy camper and thought she was on a roller coaster, complete with hands in the air and her own personal sound effects. Whoa! Whee! I kept reminding her to chew her gum and yawn because I was worried about her ears, but she never complained once. Shes a tough cookie!
The layover in Memphis passed quickly. Its a very nice airport. We stopped at Starbucks and Cinnabon and visited 2 nice, large gift shops filled with Elvis and UT souvenirs. When we went to our gate for the flight to Orlando, I couldnt help but notice all the kids. Young and old, large and small but they all had one thing in common. They were happy! I also noticed all the parents. Every family unit had at least one adult with a folder of some sort in their possession. It obviously held all those important papers you need for the trip. The adults were doling out snacks to the kids, taking them to the restrooms and such and checking up on the status of the homework. Excitement was in the air!
For both flights, we were seated in the rear of the plane. We began our trip strategy on these flights. We waited for almost everyone to deplane before we got up and left. Its much more relaxing that way. Kayla had fallen asleep on the 2nd flight and was still asleep when we touched down in Orlando. We were able to maximize her snooze time.
The Disney Magic began at the Orlando airport. On our way to the luggage pickup, Kayla encountered the Mickey Wall. She ran up to it and hugged as best she could, saying Ah! Mickey! It was priceless. The other travelers around us thought so too. After the brief interlude we proceeded to the train, (reminds me of the monorail) to get to the luggage pickup. I was glad that I had remembered to have $2 handy for the luggage cart rental. From there, we proceeded to Dollar Rental Car. We had reserved our car online for what we felt was a great rate of $164 for 7 days. Service was awesome just like the last time. The rep even gave us a map of Orlando and showed us how to get to our hotel. We had booked the Hampton Inn Airport online for our first night since we were getting in late and didnt want to drive in the dark. $45 for the night including breakfast. The hotel was very nice and very clean. They even had really nice luggage carts to haul your luggage to your room. Our room had a coffee maker, hair dryer and small refrigerator. We walked over to Chilis to grab a bite to eat since it was so close. Then we watched the Spurs playoff game. We were so tired that it wasnt hard to fall asleep. I was so excited about our smoothly our trip had started and couldnt wait for the real fun to begin!
Day 2 (Epcot and MK):
We had a nice breakfast and were quite pleased with all the choices. Express checkout made our departure very easy. Then we were off to Epcot. We had planned on stopping at the Winn Dixie but couldnt find it. I hadnt made time to research the different grocery options prior to the trip. So, we stopped at an Eckerds to stock up on water, sodas and other snacks. The highways in Orlando are very nice. The signs are terrific. Its very easy to find the theme parks. I guess someone has to pay for these great roads and signs. I was glad that I had remembered to have at least $1.50 in quarters for the toll roads. The exact change line is always quicker.
We arrived at Epcot about 9:15. We parked and walked to the entrance. Security is very tight at all the theme parks because of 911. Everyone who has a bag must wait in line to have it checked. The lines were longest on the days we hit the parks at opening. One person could wait in the bag check line and the others could go into the park. I think Disney is handling the security as efficiently as they can.
When we got to Epcot that morning, I was surprised by all the characters near the entrance. Kayla was feeling a little bit shy and decided not to visit with them. She also knew shed be seeing lots of the characters at the different breakfasts wed be having. I was still glad that I had her autograph book and pen in my fanny pack just in case. By the way, Chuck and I both wore fanny packs and found them extremely useful.
We had bought our 5 day Park Hoppers at the Disney Store in San Antonio before we flew out. That way, we didnt have to purchase them at the parks and we could just go right on in that first day. The passes are like credit cards. They have pictures of Mickey, Minnie or Donald. With these passes, you really can hop around the parks, hence the name I guess. The days dont have to be used consecutively which is nice too. If you end up not using a day on the passes, it will never expire. You can keep the pass and return to Disney in the future to use it. When we bought our passes at the Disney Store, we showed our Disney Club Discount Card and that saved us a good chunk of money.
I remember feeling a little out of sorts when we entered Epcot. I guess it was all the excitement of finally being at Disney World. At first, we completely forgot to rent the stroller. Im not sure how one could forget something so obvious. Thanks to a helpful CM, we found the stroller rental with hardly any time wasted. On our previous trip to Disney, wed brought our umbrella stroller. Kayla was 3 and a half and that stroller really served us well. Alas, Kayla had outgrown that stroller. We decided to rent strollers at the parks for this trip. Single stroller rental is $7 a day at the parks. They are very nice big strollers with good shade and pockets to hold things. You get a card with your name on it to insert into a plastic flap. Every day, wed keep the nametag and reuse it. It saved paper and saved a little bit of time for the CM (cast member, Disney employee) to have to write it out each time. They give you a receipt, which is a good idea to hold onto, in case someone takes your stroller. Also, if you return the stroller at the end of the night, you get a Disney Dollar (money that can only be used on Disney property). If you do hop parks in the same day, just show your receipt at the stroller rental and you wont have to pay for the stroller again.
We enjoyed seeing the landscaping that was part of the international flower and garden show going on at Epcot. It is absolutely gorgeous. The topiaries of the Disney characters are delightful. I began taking photos right away and posed Chuck and Kayla in front of the fountain with the Mickey topiary and the long uncurled roll of film. Some really nice older ladies stopped and offered to take our family photo. It was such a nice way to start our morning. I took their photo too!
Our first priority was getting fastpasses for Test Track. This was a really cool ride! Kayla loved it! Kids have to be 40 in. You ride in cars that go up to 70 mph. Your photo is taken on the ride. We bought ours because we were in the front seat of the car and the CM had pointed out the hidden Mickey in the photo.
I bought a really nice pin at the Epcot pin trading station, which is near the BIG BALL aka Spaceship Earth. This magical pin lights up during parades and some of the rides. I had a lot of fun wearing it. My intention was for Kayla to wear it but she wasnt interested. Thats just fine, b/c I had so much fun with this pin. It also came in handy on dark rides and shows. You can just wave your hand over it and lights are activated almost like having a flashlight. That way, the kiddos always know where you are, even in the dark. Try to remember to take the pin off if you go on a ride that youll get wet on. I found out that the plastic casing that surrounds it pin will fog up a bit.
There are many, many fountains at all the parks but especially at Epcot. Kayla loves fountains. We have to stop at each one of them. Some of the fountains dance around the kids, splashing them. Some kids get a little bit wet and some get a lot wet but they all have a blast. Sometimes, Id rather move on to another ride or show, but I know I need to let Kayla play in the fountains. She played in the fountains while waiting for our fast pass return time for Test Track. While watching Kayla getting cooled down by the fountains, I couldnt get over how hot and humid it was! It was barely 10:30 and I was really sweating. See, were from South Texas where heat and humidity are a staple of our life, so I was a little surprised by the Fl weather. We just took breaks, drank lots of water and kept having fun. Disney doesnt care if you bring some water and snacks into the parks. I brought both and they never said a word when they checked my bag. I really suggest bringing some water since its $2.50 per bottle in the parks. You might want to get a water bottle strap. It comes in handy to carry the water and is a cute souvenir. You can use it in the future too anytime you go to the zoo or a park.
After Test Track, our plan was to head to the World Showcase and go the nearest country. Mexico was fun! Theres a large temple that holds a beautiful restaurant and a very nice little boat ride that is enjoyable for kids of all ages and adults. The line for the boat was not long. They do not offer fast pass but its probably not necessary. I had fun because my pin lit up on this ride! Norway has a neat boat ride too, but Kayla didnt like it because of the trolls. You have the option of waiting to watch a movie after that ride. Id skip the movie the next time, its just so-so. Kayla had fun playing on the large wooden Viking ship.
The other 2 attractions we did that day were Ellens Energy Adventure and Circle of Life. Ellen is neat. Its a combo movie and ride with large animatronic dinosaurs. Parts of the ride are dark and there are some loud noises. Kayla was ok with it. Ellen is near Test Track.
The Land is on the other side of Future World. It has a couple of attractions and a food court. We all enjoyed the Circle of Life movie that has Simba, Pumba and Timon. It was very well done and cute for the kids. In fact, we were so inspired, we came back and set up a recycling station in our house.
After eating lunch at the land, we went to Port Orleans to check in. There was a huge line and I prepared myself to wait awhile but there were so many CMs that the process turned out to be very smooth and timely. Kayla camped out in front of the TV with a bunch of other kids watching Disney cartoons.
Our room was located in the Mansions. It was nice to see this side of the resort. We had enjoyed Alligator Bayou on our last trip. The landscaping at this resort is beautiful. Our room was near some beautiful rose gardens and gazebos. After bringing in the luggage, we made some time to rest and unpack. I took Kaylas Cinderella dress out of the suitcase to put on a hanger. We had talked about having breakfast with Cinderella and how neat it would be for Kayla to wear Cinderellas dress. I didnt find her crown before we left, but I figured Id get her one from Disney World as a souvenir.
We had dinner at the Food Court and chatted with some more of the CMs there everyone is so friendly. I also went to guest relations to reserve our priority seating for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. We picked the Hollywood and Vine Buffet. After that, we took the Disney transportation bus to Magic Kingdom. It was Saturday night, the only night during our trip for the Spectromagic parade and the fireworks. The park was hopping! There were some pretty long lines to get through bag check, park entry, stroller rental. Obviously, quite a few people had the same idea as us. We went down a thick Main Street crowd to hop over to Frontierland. We got our fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Our original plan was to get fps for Splash Mountain, but they had all been taken and the stand by line was 60 min. We figured wed just do Splash Mountain later in the week. While we waited for our fast pass return time for BTMRR, we did Jungle cruise, Aladdins carpets and the Pirates of the Caribbean. There was no wait for Pirates or Aladdin because the 8:30 Spectromagic parade had started. We decided to wait and see the 10:30 parade because Kayla had a good nap that day and we were still on Central Time. We all had a blast on those rides. They are fun for all ages. When we got off the Jungle Cruise, we overheard a CM telling some other folks that the area right around Aladdins carpets is a good place to the see the fireworks at 9:30. He was right! Its a good view of the castle too and not crowded at all. We didnt want to be on Main Street b/c we knew it would be packed. The fireworks were awesome!
We all had fun on BTMRR. I road in one car by myself with Chuck and Kayla behind me. It takes all my willpower just to get on a ride like this. It is a roller coaster after all, granted a mild one. My head did get a little rattled on this ride. Kayla loved it! She liked the bats. The theming is really cute. Kids have to be 40 in. to ride.
After that, we went to camp out near Liberty Square for the parade. We got there about 9:45 and had no problems with people trying to crowd us or take our seats. We chatted with a young couple from Michigan. This parade was great! Chuck loved the music. The little men with the white faces at the beginning of the parade were interesting. Kayla has a fascination with the Disney villains. So the big, black, bat, serpent thing really intrigued her. She was quick to say, I dont like that bad guy! Our favorite part happened towards the end. Snow White was walking on our side of the street and she stopped and kissed Kayla. It was truly magical! Kayla was so happy.
After the parade, we put our plan into action. We hung back for a while instead of rushing out with the mass exodus. We waited for the bulk of the people to leave and then headed out. I told Chuck that this is the biggest crowd that well have to deal with. The rest of the week will be a piece of cake.
On our way out, we stopped and stared longingly at the castle changing colors. Its a beautiful sight especially with the reflection in the water. Main Street is magical at night, all lit up. We stopped in a few stores and Chuck and Kayla found some quite large Mad Hatter hats to try on. Kodak moments abounded. Kayla was intent on finding a Cinderella crown. I asked a CM and he gave me some good ideas on where to find it.
It was late when we got back to Port Orleans. Kayla had asked during the day about swimming at night. She really gets a kick out of that. So, since were on vacation after all, Chuck and Kayla went swimming while I hung out by the pool looking over the map to MGM and getting the next days plan ready. After a short 20 minute swim, it was back to the room for showers and bed.
Day3 (MGM):
We didnt quite get up as early as we would have liked. Oh well! Were having fun!! Chuck went to the food court and brought back coffee and breakfast while I showered. We let Miss K sleep as long as possible.
A quick ride on the Disney bus and we were at MGM. We had to wait in line a little bit for the stroller. Chuck did that while Kayla and I hung out in the shade. It was already pretty hot and sticky at 10:00 am. Kayla and I got in line for the Playhouse Disney show first. Its a pretty long line but at least most of it is in the shade. You can just sit down and take it easy with kids. There are tvs around that play the shows from Playhouse Disney. This was a must do because Kayla loves Rolie Polie Olie and Stanley. She likes Bear in the Big Blue House and Book of Pooh too. They are all in this show. You do have to sit on carpet no seats for this show. Chuck was getting the fast pass for Rock N Roller Coaster while we were waiting in line. He just joined us at the front of the line when he was done. Kinda gutsy on his part I think.
After that, we were off to The Little Mermaid show. I really, really like this show! There are some cool effects in the show. You dont even have to like the Little Mermaid movie to like this show. They have fast pass for this show but we didnt need it. The marquee said a 45 min standby wait but we walked right in with a big crowd of people. Chuck had gone off to ride the Rock N Roller Coaster. He loves that ride. Kayla doesnt meet the height requirement which meant I was off the hook. WHEW!
After the show ended, we stopped in the gift shop and found Cinderellas crown. Chuck was waiting for us by our stroller. He had quite a tale to tell us. No, it wasnt about the roller coaster. It was about his bird attack. It happened on his walk back to the Little Mermaid theater after riding Rock N Roller Coaster. He was walking between some dining tables when he said he felt something poking him in the back and then a slap on his shoulder. At first, he was confused thinking it was me poking him. (Remember, Im at the Little Mermaid show) About that time, he looked back and saw a black bird with a long beak flying away to another table. Some folks at a table nearby were talking about how that bird had just attacked him. When he told me about this encounter with the bird, he mentioned that hed seen a warning sign at our resort that the birds were a little aggressive right now. Really, the whole thing was quite funny.
We ate a pretty tasty lunch at Rosies All American Café and then headed to the Tower of Terror. I was not looking forward to this and eating right before is probably not a good idea. Kids have to be 40 in. Sure enough, Kayla got spooked with the theming area you walk through to get to the actual ride. She was a trooper though. We took the normal elevator for chickens while Chuck got terrorized. Whew! Off the hook!
We had fun on the Backlot Tour and Star Tours! I had to close my eyes a few times to prevent motion sickness. Kayla had a blast! We enjoyed One Mans Dream. Kayla loved the Mickey head that projects on the wall and then moves to the floor. She had lots of fun with that. I got a kick out of the Oscars for Snow White with the 7 mini Oscars.
Dinner at Hollywood and Vine turned out to be just what we needed. We were not going to be going back to the resort this day, so the dinner gave us a much needed break. The food was very good and Kayla just chilled out and colored her placemat. The family at the table next to us was really delightful. They were from Canada. Our waitress was very sweet but their waiter was quite a cut up. He cracked us up several times with his antics.
After dinner, we went to camp out our spot for the parade near the beginning by Star Tours. We figured that right after the parade passed, we could scoot over to the Hunchback Show. I decided to have a seat and it wasnt long before my buns were sweltering. Next time, Ill try to remember to bring a beach towel like the other folks I saw had done. Right before the parade started, these 2 Hollywood types come out and start joking around with the audience. The guy is wearing a blue and white pin stripe zoot suit with a smooth looking hat and the girl had on sunglasses, a hot pink dress and a boa. They were cutting up with this family sitting next to us. Next thing I knew, the guy tells the teenage daughter, Michelle, that shes going to be in the parade. I was laughing so hard because it was really funny. Next thing I know, the guy comes over to me and says, Hey, since you think this so funny, I have a surprise for you. So, he motions me to stand up and tells me that Im going to be in the parade with Michelle. We get pulled behind a large wooden gate and some CMs start putting on our costumes. Im in total shock. I cant believe Im going to be in a Disney parade. It turns out me and my new friend Michelle are going to carry the banner for the Stars and MotorCars parade. They dress us up in Drum Major costumes and give us a quick demo on how to carry the banner. I was a little worried about losing my family. Not to worry, some CMs escort them to the end of the parade to wait for me.
So, Michelle and I start walking with the banner. We wave to the crowds and they wave back. One of the CMs guided us the whole way to make sure we werent walking too fast and that the banner was straight. He never stopped smiling the whole time. He should be in one of those Crest White Strips commercials. Those 2 Hollywood types came up to us a few times with microphones and asked us to introduce ourselves and tell where were from. Then, one of them asked me how I knew Michelle and I told the microphone that actually, I didnt know her until just a few minutes ago. I just kept thinking the whole time that this was one of the magical moments that I was never going to forget. Here I was, walking in a parade at Disney World. Unbelievable! When we turned the last corner, I saw my family. Kayla was so excited to see her Mom marching in the parade. We went behind some gates and ditched our costumes. We joined our families and watched the whole parade with them. It was great to see so many characters, especially Jesse the Cowgirl and Mike and Sully.
After the parade, we realized that we were really going to have to book it to make it to the Hunchback Show since wed had a surprise come up. We got to the show and realized there was no one around. We checked the marquee and sure enough we had missed the last show. I guess the times had change from the brochure Id had at the resort. Oh well! We just laughed and figured wed have something else to look forward to on our next trip.
We checked out the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground and did the Great Movie Ride. It was getting close to the time for priority seating for Fantasmic so we headed that way. It was nice to take the backway to the amphitheater and avoid the crowd. We picked our seats and got some cotton candy to munch while we waited for the show to begin. Fantasmic is such a great Disney experience!! The dinner package made the whole experience even better. After the show, we chilled and waited for the crowd to leave. We slowly left the park and made our way to the busses. Instead of getting in the very long line for Port Orleans, we found a bench to sit on. We waited for a few busses to leave and then got in line. It was just more relaxing waiting on the bench instead of standing in the ropes.
When we got back, it was time for a quick swim and then off to bed with sweet Disney Dreams!
Cast:
Lisa 30 something, Disney World Obsessed Mom and Wife; trip planning junkie whos afraid of heights
Chuck 30 something, Disney World Lover; Spouse and Dad
Kayla 2 wks shy of being 5 yr old; adorable princess daughter who loves Disney World
Day 1 (Arrival) :
The trip planning had started several months prior to our trip with lots of surfing the internet. We found some great packages with different Disney resorts. We also found a great deal on Priceline, flying Northwest. 3 Roundtrip tickets from San Antonio were $586. Id have preferred a non-stop flight but there were none available in our price range. Service was great! It was the 1st time wed flown Northwest and I was pleasantly surprised. The employees were very nice. The planes were on time and we received our luggage in a timely manner. The Security was very tight at the airports in lieu of 911. The National Guard was very obvious with their big guns.
Landing in Memphis was a little interesting. Chuck and I had some issues with our ears. It was also quite turbulent. Kayla was a happy camper and thought she was on a roller coaster, complete with hands in the air and her own personal sound effects. Whoa! Whee! I kept reminding her to chew her gum and yawn because I was worried about her ears, but she never complained once. Shes a tough cookie!
The layover in Memphis passed quickly. Its a very nice airport. We stopped at Starbucks and Cinnabon and visited 2 nice, large gift shops filled with Elvis and UT souvenirs. When we went to our gate for the flight to Orlando, I couldnt help but notice all the kids. Young and old, large and small but they all had one thing in common. They were happy! I also noticed all the parents. Every family unit had at least one adult with a folder of some sort in their possession. It obviously held all those important papers you need for the trip. The adults were doling out snacks to the kids, taking them to the restrooms and such and checking up on the status of the homework. Excitement was in the air!
For both flights, we were seated in the rear of the plane. We began our trip strategy on these flights. We waited for almost everyone to deplane before we got up and left. Its much more relaxing that way. Kayla had fallen asleep on the 2nd flight and was still asleep when we touched down in Orlando. We were able to maximize her snooze time.
The Disney Magic began at the Orlando airport. On our way to the luggage pickup, Kayla encountered the Mickey Wall. She ran up to it and hugged as best she could, saying Ah! Mickey! It was priceless. The other travelers around us thought so too. After the brief interlude we proceeded to the train, (reminds me of the monorail) to get to the luggage pickup. I was glad that I had remembered to have $2 handy for the luggage cart rental. From there, we proceeded to Dollar Rental Car. We had reserved our car online for what we felt was a great rate of $164 for 7 days. Service was awesome just like the last time. The rep even gave us a map of Orlando and showed us how to get to our hotel. We had booked the Hampton Inn Airport online for our first night since we were getting in late and didnt want to drive in the dark. $45 for the night including breakfast. The hotel was very nice and very clean. They even had really nice luggage carts to haul your luggage to your room. Our room had a coffee maker, hair dryer and small refrigerator. We walked over to Chilis to grab a bite to eat since it was so close. Then we watched the Spurs playoff game. We were so tired that it wasnt hard to fall asleep. I was so excited about our smoothly our trip had started and couldnt wait for the real fun to begin!
Day 2 (Epcot and MK):
We had a nice breakfast and were quite pleased with all the choices. Express checkout made our departure very easy. Then we were off to Epcot. We had planned on stopping at the Winn Dixie but couldnt find it. I hadnt made time to research the different grocery options prior to the trip. So, we stopped at an Eckerds to stock up on water, sodas and other snacks. The highways in Orlando are very nice. The signs are terrific. Its very easy to find the theme parks. I guess someone has to pay for these great roads and signs. I was glad that I had remembered to have at least $1.50 in quarters for the toll roads. The exact change line is always quicker.
We arrived at Epcot about 9:15. We parked and walked to the entrance. Security is very tight at all the theme parks because of 911. Everyone who has a bag must wait in line to have it checked. The lines were longest on the days we hit the parks at opening. One person could wait in the bag check line and the others could go into the park. I think Disney is handling the security as efficiently as they can.
When we got to Epcot that morning, I was surprised by all the characters near the entrance. Kayla was feeling a little bit shy and decided not to visit with them. She also knew shed be seeing lots of the characters at the different breakfasts wed be having. I was still glad that I had her autograph book and pen in my fanny pack just in case. By the way, Chuck and I both wore fanny packs and found them extremely useful.
We had bought our 5 day Park Hoppers at the Disney Store in San Antonio before we flew out. That way, we didnt have to purchase them at the parks and we could just go right on in that first day. The passes are like credit cards. They have pictures of Mickey, Minnie or Donald. With these passes, you really can hop around the parks, hence the name I guess. The days dont have to be used consecutively which is nice too. If you end up not using a day on the passes, it will never expire. You can keep the pass and return to Disney in the future to use it. When we bought our passes at the Disney Store, we showed our Disney Club Discount Card and that saved us a good chunk of money.
I remember feeling a little out of sorts when we entered Epcot. I guess it was all the excitement of finally being at Disney World. At first, we completely forgot to rent the stroller. Im not sure how one could forget something so obvious. Thanks to a helpful CM, we found the stroller rental with hardly any time wasted. On our previous trip to Disney, wed brought our umbrella stroller. Kayla was 3 and a half and that stroller really served us well. Alas, Kayla had outgrown that stroller. We decided to rent strollers at the parks for this trip. Single stroller rental is $7 a day at the parks. They are very nice big strollers with good shade and pockets to hold things. You get a card with your name on it to insert into a plastic flap. Every day, wed keep the nametag and reuse it. It saved paper and saved a little bit of time for the CM (cast member, Disney employee) to have to write it out each time. They give you a receipt, which is a good idea to hold onto, in case someone takes your stroller. Also, if you return the stroller at the end of the night, you get a Disney Dollar (money that can only be used on Disney property). If you do hop parks in the same day, just show your receipt at the stroller rental and you wont have to pay for the stroller again.
We enjoyed seeing the landscaping that was part of the international flower and garden show going on at Epcot. It is absolutely gorgeous. The topiaries of the Disney characters are delightful. I began taking photos right away and posed Chuck and Kayla in front of the fountain with the Mickey topiary and the long uncurled roll of film. Some really nice older ladies stopped and offered to take our family photo. It was such a nice way to start our morning. I took their photo too!
Our first priority was getting fastpasses for Test Track. This was a really cool ride! Kayla loved it! Kids have to be 40 in. You ride in cars that go up to 70 mph. Your photo is taken on the ride. We bought ours because we were in the front seat of the car and the CM had pointed out the hidden Mickey in the photo.
I bought a really nice pin at the Epcot pin trading station, which is near the BIG BALL aka Spaceship Earth. This magical pin lights up during parades and some of the rides. I had a lot of fun wearing it. My intention was for Kayla to wear it but she wasnt interested. Thats just fine, b/c I had so much fun with this pin. It also came in handy on dark rides and shows. You can just wave your hand over it and lights are activated almost like having a flashlight. That way, the kiddos always know where you are, even in the dark. Try to remember to take the pin off if you go on a ride that youll get wet on. I found out that the plastic casing that surrounds it pin will fog up a bit.
There are many, many fountains at all the parks but especially at Epcot. Kayla loves fountains. We have to stop at each one of them. Some of the fountains dance around the kids, splashing them. Some kids get a little bit wet and some get a lot wet but they all have a blast. Sometimes, Id rather move on to another ride or show, but I know I need to let Kayla play in the fountains. She played in the fountains while waiting for our fast pass return time for Test Track. While watching Kayla getting cooled down by the fountains, I couldnt get over how hot and humid it was! It was barely 10:30 and I was really sweating. See, were from South Texas where heat and humidity are a staple of our life, so I was a little surprised by the Fl weather. We just took breaks, drank lots of water and kept having fun. Disney doesnt care if you bring some water and snacks into the parks. I brought both and they never said a word when they checked my bag. I really suggest bringing some water since its $2.50 per bottle in the parks. You might want to get a water bottle strap. It comes in handy to carry the water and is a cute souvenir. You can use it in the future too anytime you go to the zoo or a park.
After Test Track, our plan was to head to the World Showcase and go the nearest country. Mexico was fun! Theres a large temple that holds a beautiful restaurant and a very nice little boat ride that is enjoyable for kids of all ages and adults. The line for the boat was not long. They do not offer fast pass but its probably not necessary. I had fun because my pin lit up on this ride! Norway has a neat boat ride too, but Kayla didnt like it because of the trolls. You have the option of waiting to watch a movie after that ride. Id skip the movie the next time, its just so-so. Kayla had fun playing on the large wooden Viking ship.
The other 2 attractions we did that day were Ellens Energy Adventure and Circle of Life. Ellen is neat. Its a combo movie and ride with large animatronic dinosaurs. Parts of the ride are dark and there are some loud noises. Kayla was ok with it. Ellen is near Test Track.
The Land is on the other side of Future World. It has a couple of attractions and a food court. We all enjoyed the Circle of Life movie that has Simba, Pumba and Timon. It was very well done and cute for the kids. In fact, we were so inspired, we came back and set up a recycling station in our house.
After eating lunch at the land, we went to Port Orleans to check in. There was a huge line and I prepared myself to wait awhile but there were so many CMs that the process turned out to be very smooth and timely. Kayla camped out in front of the TV with a bunch of other kids watching Disney cartoons.
Our room was located in the Mansions. It was nice to see this side of the resort. We had enjoyed Alligator Bayou on our last trip. The landscaping at this resort is beautiful. Our room was near some beautiful rose gardens and gazebos. After bringing in the luggage, we made some time to rest and unpack. I took Kaylas Cinderella dress out of the suitcase to put on a hanger. We had talked about having breakfast with Cinderella and how neat it would be for Kayla to wear Cinderellas dress. I didnt find her crown before we left, but I figured Id get her one from Disney World as a souvenir.
We had dinner at the Food Court and chatted with some more of the CMs there everyone is so friendly. I also went to guest relations to reserve our priority seating for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. We picked the Hollywood and Vine Buffet. After that, we took the Disney transportation bus to Magic Kingdom. It was Saturday night, the only night during our trip for the Spectromagic parade and the fireworks. The park was hopping! There were some pretty long lines to get through bag check, park entry, stroller rental. Obviously, quite a few people had the same idea as us. We went down a thick Main Street crowd to hop over to Frontierland. We got our fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Our original plan was to get fps for Splash Mountain, but they had all been taken and the stand by line was 60 min. We figured wed just do Splash Mountain later in the week. While we waited for our fast pass return time for BTMRR, we did Jungle cruise, Aladdins carpets and the Pirates of the Caribbean. There was no wait for Pirates or Aladdin because the 8:30 Spectromagic parade had started. We decided to wait and see the 10:30 parade because Kayla had a good nap that day and we were still on Central Time. We all had a blast on those rides. They are fun for all ages. When we got off the Jungle Cruise, we overheard a CM telling some other folks that the area right around Aladdins carpets is a good place to the see the fireworks at 9:30. He was right! Its a good view of the castle too and not crowded at all. We didnt want to be on Main Street b/c we knew it would be packed. The fireworks were awesome!
We all had fun on BTMRR. I road in one car by myself with Chuck and Kayla behind me. It takes all my willpower just to get on a ride like this. It is a roller coaster after all, granted a mild one. My head did get a little rattled on this ride. Kayla loved it! She liked the bats. The theming is really cute. Kids have to be 40 in. to ride.
After that, we went to camp out near Liberty Square for the parade. We got there about 9:45 and had no problems with people trying to crowd us or take our seats. We chatted with a young couple from Michigan. This parade was great! Chuck loved the music. The little men with the white faces at the beginning of the parade were interesting. Kayla has a fascination with the Disney villains. So the big, black, bat, serpent thing really intrigued her. She was quick to say, I dont like that bad guy! Our favorite part happened towards the end. Snow White was walking on our side of the street and she stopped and kissed Kayla. It was truly magical! Kayla was so happy.
After the parade, we put our plan into action. We hung back for a while instead of rushing out with the mass exodus. We waited for the bulk of the people to leave and then headed out. I told Chuck that this is the biggest crowd that well have to deal with. The rest of the week will be a piece of cake.
On our way out, we stopped and stared longingly at the castle changing colors. Its a beautiful sight especially with the reflection in the water. Main Street is magical at night, all lit up. We stopped in a few stores and Chuck and Kayla found some quite large Mad Hatter hats to try on. Kodak moments abounded. Kayla was intent on finding a Cinderella crown. I asked a CM and he gave me some good ideas on where to find it.
It was late when we got back to Port Orleans. Kayla had asked during the day about swimming at night. She really gets a kick out of that. So, since were on vacation after all, Chuck and Kayla went swimming while I hung out by the pool looking over the map to MGM and getting the next days plan ready. After a short 20 minute swim, it was back to the room for showers and bed.
Day3 (MGM):
We didnt quite get up as early as we would have liked. Oh well! Were having fun!! Chuck went to the food court and brought back coffee and breakfast while I showered. We let Miss K sleep as long as possible.
A quick ride on the Disney bus and we were at MGM. We had to wait in line a little bit for the stroller. Chuck did that while Kayla and I hung out in the shade. It was already pretty hot and sticky at 10:00 am. Kayla and I got in line for the Playhouse Disney show first. Its a pretty long line but at least most of it is in the shade. You can just sit down and take it easy with kids. There are tvs around that play the shows from Playhouse Disney. This was a must do because Kayla loves Rolie Polie Olie and Stanley. She likes Bear in the Big Blue House and Book of Pooh too. They are all in this show. You do have to sit on carpet no seats for this show. Chuck was getting the fast pass for Rock N Roller Coaster while we were waiting in line. He just joined us at the front of the line when he was done. Kinda gutsy on his part I think.
After that, we were off to The Little Mermaid show. I really, really like this show! There are some cool effects in the show. You dont even have to like the Little Mermaid movie to like this show. They have fast pass for this show but we didnt need it. The marquee said a 45 min standby wait but we walked right in with a big crowd of people. Chuck had gone off to ride the Rock N Roller Coaster. He loves that ride. Kayla doesnt meet the height requirement which meant I was off the hook. WHEW!
After the show ended, we stopped in the gift shop and found Cinderellas crown. Chuck was waiting for us by our stroller. He had quite a tale to tell us. No, it wasnt about the roller coaster. It was about his bird attack. It happened on his walk back to the Little Mermaid theater after riding Rock N Roller Coaster. He was walking between some dining tables when he said he felt something poking him in the back and then a slap on his shoulder. At first, he was confused thinking it was me poking him. (Remember, Im at the Little Mermaid show) About that time, he looked back and saw a black bird with a long beak flying away to another table. Some folks at a table nearby were talking about how that bird had just attacked him. When he told me about this encounter with the bird, he mentioned that hed seen a warning sign at our resort that the birds were a little aggressive right now. Really, the whole thing was quite funny.
We ate a pretty tasty lunch at Rosies All American Café and then headed to the Tower of Terror. I was not looking forward to this and eating right before is probably not a good idea. Kids have to be 40 in. Sure enough, Kayla got spooked with the theming area you walk through to get to the actual ride. She was a trooper though. We took the normal elevator for chickens while Chuck got terrorized. Whew! Off the hook!
We had fun on the Backlot Tour and Star Tours! I had to close my eyes a few times to prevent motion sickness. Kayla had a blast! We enjoyed One Mans Dream. Kayla loved the Mickey head that projects on the wall and then moves to the floor. She had lots of fun with that. I got a kick out of the Oscars for Snow White with the 7 mini Oscars.
Dinner at Hollywood and Vine turned out to be just what we needed. We were not going to be going back to the resort this day, so the dinner gave us a much needed break. The food was very good and Kayla just chilled out and colored her placemat. The family at the table next to us was really delightful. They were from Canada. Our waitress was very sweet but their waiter was quite a cut up. He cracked us up several times with his antics.
After dinner, we went to camp out our spot for the parade near the beginning by Star Tours. We figured that right after the parade passed, we could scoot over to the Hunchback Show. I decided to have a seat and it wasnt long before my buns were sweltering. Next time, Ill try to remember to bring a beach towel like the other folks I saw had done. Right before the parade started, these 2 Hollywood types come out and start joking around with the audience. The guy is wearing a blue and white pin stripe zoot suit with a smooth looking hat and the girl had on sunglasses, a hot pink dress and a boa. They were cutting up with this family sitting next to us. Next thing I knew, the guy tells the teenage daughter, Michelle, that shes going to be in the parade. I was laughing so hard because it was really funny. Next thing I know, the guy comes over to me and says, Hey, since you think this so funny, I have a surprise for you. So, he motions me to stand up and tells me that Im going to be in the parade with Michelle. We get pulled behind a large wooden gate and some CMs start putting on our costumes. Im in total shock. I cant believe Im going to be in a Disney parade. It turns out me and my new friend Michelle are going to carry the banner for the Stars and MotorCars parade. They dress us up in Drum Major costumes and give us a quick demo on how to carry the banner. I was a little worried about losing my family. Not to worry, some CMs escort them to the end of the parade to wait for me.
So, Michelle and I start walking with the banner. We wave to the crowds and they wave back. One of the CMs guided us the whole way to make sure we werent walking too fast and that the banner was straight. He never stopped smiling the whole time. He should be in one of those Crest White Strips commercials. Those 2 Hollywood types came up to us a few times with microphones and asked us to introduce ourselves and tell where were from. Then, one of them asked me how I knew Michelle and I told the microphone that actually, I didnt know her until just a few minutes ago. I just kept thinking the whole time that this was one of the magical moments that I was never going to forget. Here I was, walking in a parade at Disney World. Unbelievable! When we turned the last corner, I saw my family. Kayla was so excited to see her Mom marching in the parade. We went behind some gates and ditched our costumes. We joined our families and watched the whole parade with them. It was great to see so many characters, especially Jesse the Cowgirl and Mike and Sully.
After the parade, we realized that we were really going to have to book it to make it to the Hunchback Show since wed had a surprise come up. We got to the show and realized there was no one around. We checked the marquee and sure enough we had missed the last show. I guess the times had change from the brochure Id had at the resort. Oh well! We just laughed and figured wed have something else to look forward to on our next trip.
We checked out the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground and did the Great Movie Ride. It was getting close to the time for priority seating for Fantasmic so we headed that way. It was nice to take the backway to the amphitheater and avoid the crowd. We picked our seats and got some cotton candy to munch while we waited for the show to begin. Fantasmic is such a great Disney experience!! The dinner package made the whole experience even better. After the show, we chilled and waited for the crowd to leave. We slowly left the park and made our way to the busses. Instead of getting in the very long line for Port Orleans, we found a bench to sit on. We waited for a few busses to leave and then got in line. It was just more relaxing waiting on the bench instead of standing in the ropes.
When we got back, it was time for a quick swim and then off to bed with sweet Disney Dreams!
Great report - 
