"Mom, Dad, 3 Kids & a Gingerbread Boy" Matty's Wish Trip December 10-18, 2009

[noahsketomom]

Hi,
I'm joining in here and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your trip report! We're going in April, from Rhode Island, and also have four kids ages 3-9! It's great to hear that you are having fun with all the little guys!!! I love the pictures and i dont' think I'll look at a gingerbread man the same way again! Warms my heart!

Keep it coming!
Best,

 

[pacrosby]

You are quite the night owl!

I love that the Grinch would not take a pick with Mickey Mouse!

And the tea cups?!?!? What was up with that?!

You know...did you go in the VIP entrance? Maybe they thought you were famous!

yeah, that Accelatron experience was just so...................IDK, strange. I did notice she was not speaking English so perhaps she just was unaware of proper Tea Cup Etiquette when in the US Of course I do like your 'famous' theory as well.

Another great update. The breakfast with the characters looks great. I loved the pictures of the Whos and the Grinch. The kids are all smiles and seem to really be having a blast!

Did you guys go to the Seuss Landing? I'm thinking not............I don't remember any px. The characters at the breakfast were really fun. It was nice that they 'talked' for a change so you could really interact with them. My kids have a hard time with the characters who don't talk.................they love them but just don't know how to keep the interaction going so they just kind of giggle and smile which only goes so far.

Love the title!

Great pic with you and the Grinch and no Mickey! I did notice Olivia was singing with the whos - too cute!

Can't wait for Part II!

You should have heard him dissing Mickey. It was hilarious. Thanx for sticking with me (and posting.............according to the numbers it would seem that I've got alot of followers but very few seem to be coming out lurkdom)

oh, and if you just go ahead and start that community thread for december I promise to jump in We'll have to commisserate (is that two 's'es or one?) on a good title. Hmmmmmmmmmm

Hi,
I'm joining in here and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your trip report! We're going in April, from Rhode Island, and also have four kids ages 3-9! It's great to hear that you are having fun with all the little guys!!! I love the pictures and i dont' think I'll look at a gingerbread man the same way again! Warms my heart!

Keep it coming!
Best,

hi there! Welcome. And from Rhode Island!!! My old college roommate is from Barrington and now lives in Warren with her family. We are not that far from the RI border. We love taking all the kids places together, they've all been dragged along on our adventures since infancy. Granted we have our moments but we just make it work and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanx for reading and chiming in. Do you have a PTR? I'll have to go find it




Pamela

 

[noahsketomom]

hi there! Welcome. And from Rhode Island!!! My old college roommate is from Barrington and no lives in Warren (I think that's right). We are not that far from the RI border. We love taking all the kids places together..............granted we have our moments but we just make it work and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanx for reading and chiming in. Do you have a ptr? I'll have to go find it
Pamela

We're from Portsmouth! I will hopefully get my PTR up this weekend....at least that's the GOAL!!!

In the meantime, I'm just enjoying reading everybody else's!!!

 

[Momofwishkid]

Im loving the pics with the Grinch! I think my kids may be the same way with the non-talking characters. We'll see though, it will be fun to watch!

 

[noahsketomom]

Quick question for you on the autograph books.....

Were you happy you had four with you? I wondered if it would get crazy carrying them all around or not.

I'm debating as to whether I need to get four, or two (one for girls, one for boys), or one for the whole crew.

I will probably be doing ONE scrapbook later, so I had originally only thought of getting one. Is this silly?

 

[pacrosby]

Quick question for you on the autograph books.....

Were you happy you had four with you? I wondered if it would get crazy carrying them all around or not.

I'm debating as to whether I need to get four, or two (one for girls, one for boys), or one for the whole crew.

I will probably be doing ONE scrapbook later, so I had originally only thought of getting one. Is this silly?

I personally was glad that each child had his/her own book to claim. They seemed to really enjoy getting their individual books out and getting all ready for the autograph (especially the 'little' one). I bought inexpensive Disney tote bags at the Walmart near GKTW and put all the books together in one bag (with 6 pens!!....one for each and a couple extra in case we lost one or two) so I didn't find it too cumbersome. I don't think there's any right way to do it though. Have you asked your kids what they think???

Matty will be getting his own scrapbook and then I'm thinking of trying to do a more general family one. Don't ask me how I'm going to find the time to do all this of course. This Trip Report is taking me forever!!!!


Pamela

 

[noahsketomom]

I personally was glad that each child had his/her own book to claim. They seemed to really enjoy getting their individual books out and getting all ready for the autograph (especially the 'little' one). I bought inexpensive Disney tote bags at the Walmart near GKTW and put all the books together in one bag (with 6 pens!!....one for each and a couple extra in case we lost one or two) so I didn't find it too cumbersome. I don't think there's any right way to do it though. Have you asked your kids what they think???

Pamela

I love the tote bag idea! That might make it doable. I was just thinking of digging through my backpack every time they got tired of it, or wanted it, or whatever.

They say they'd be happy with a "girls"/"boys" one, since they share rooms anyhow and they are very close. Not to mention --- my younger two can get shy around "characters" so they might need the older two to show them how it's done anyhow. Thanks for the ideas!!!!

And yes, can't wait for more of the TR!!!

 

[rosedolph]

Love it! Keep it coming!

 

[ladybugmom]

What a fun character breakfast!! It looks hysterical!! I love that the Grinch put his dog in front of Mickey! And the Whos are sooo cute!!

 

[dawnandnala]

You should have heard him dissing Mickey. It was hilarious. Thanx for sticking with me (and posting.............according to the numbers it would seem that I've got alot of followers but very few seem to be coming out lurkdom)
Pamela

Hi Pamela! You have convinced me to fimally delurk on a trip report I have been loving following along with Matty and the rest of the families adventures.

That was SO weird with the lady and the teacups!

 

[pacrosby]

Love it! Keep it coming!

Thanx for following along!!

What a fun character breakfast!! It looks hysterical!! I love that the Grinch put his dog in front of Mickey! And the Whos are sooo cute!!

I kept staring at the Whos' noses trying to figure out the makeup. It was seamless. The Grinch's makeup was pretty amazing too. I kept wondering what he looked like in his human form I don't know, call me strange, but that kind of stuff fascinates me.

Hi Pamela! You have convinced me to fimally delurk on a trip report I have been loving following along with Matty and the rest of the families adventures.

That was SO weird with the lady and the teacups!

AHA!! It worked I was hoping that line would coax a couple of folks out of lurkdom. Thanx so much for saying hi!

Yeah, that lady was a bummer. She ruined our tea cup ride




Pamela

 

[pacrosby]

"A Cat and a Who, Betty Boop, Dudley Do, a BIG Dinosaur, and Thing 1 and Thing 2"

Part II: Betty Boop and Dudley Do
Now online pictures of Toon Lagoon, while in the planning stages of our trip, were yet another reason for me to get excited about US/IOA as well as another reason for me to scratch my head everytime I heard someone say they really had no interest in going to these parks. Maybe it's my age. I actually remember watching these cartoon characters on tv. Maybe it's just my attraction to whimsy. IDK.....I just can't fathom how anyone could not be interested in exploring THIS:

We walk along just taking in the atmosphere. Can't help but be in a good mood surrounded by such obscure silliness. Olivia and I are big time Betty Boop fans and enjoy 10-15 minutes browsing related merchandise in the cutest of shops. Once we emerge we can't contain ourselves Why? Take a look:

A few steps away are a couple more of my childhood cartoon favorites........Popeye and Olive Oyl! The kids of course don't know who the heck these people are but decide that any opportunity for a picture and an autograph should not be overlooked:

This guy looks kind of familiar but I can't quite put my finger on him. Matty and Nick however don't care who he is. They just think he is very silly and worthy of a photo op:

I stop to take a picture of this very handsome dude:

and then notice Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, a white water raft ride, beckoning from just across the way:

Now this looks like big fun! It is an unseasonably warm day (low 80's) so we're up for the adventure but I do have some concerns about just how much fun it's going to be when we exit the ride dripping wet. We have no change of clothes! As luck would have it we notice that the merchandise cart directly in front of the attraction is selling rain ponchos. Yeah, rain ponchos at.................8 bucks a pop????? That starts to add up. But then Momma, frugal fannie that I am, has an idea Instead of buying six ponchos we can buy three and just ride the ride in two groups. Am I smart or what???? Here are the boys with their fancy new slickers:

and here we are on our raft getting ready to meet our destiny

As promised, we get wet. Well, maybe wet is an understatement. We get SOAKED. But having had the good sense to purchase a little protection we don't care and have so much fun that we decide to ride it THREE times!!!! As we take off our ponchos I can't help but discreetly snicker at our fellow raft riders who had been (not so discreetly) snickering at us wrapped up in plastic like last night's leftovers. THEY are dripping wet. We on the other hand are dry as dry can be

 

[pacrosby]

Our ponchos removed and laid out atop our stroller in such a manner that they can drip until dry, we head stage right, towards the Toon Lagoon exit. Brennan, on the other hand, has other plans as he spots a very large vessel looming in the distance.................in the opposite direction! We acquiesce and follow our little chatterbox as he excitedly leads us to:

Me Ship, The Olive a multi-story play structure with opportunities to hoot and holler and run and slide and.....................................even play a piano:

The children spend about 20 minutes creating utter chaos. The boys particularly enjoy shooting the water guns off of the bow thereby soaking unsuspecting raft riders on Popeye and Bluto's Barge as they pass below Liv just seems to enjoy the freedom to run aimlessly. And Dh and I spend some time just sitting, watching the kids play, and soaking up the sun. Wow.......are we actually relaxing Oh,no no no.............no time for that! We swiftly round up the chickens, resume the race and in short order find ourselves an indication of great things to come. We pose with anticipation:

Anyone recognize my buddy Dudley????? We are excited. Such an artistic rendering on the side of this particular building can mean only one thing...................that Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is in the immediate vicinity. Only a few short steps and we see that our hunch is correct We don our now dry ponchos and once again take our turns......................TWICE!!

This log flume ride gets the big ol' thumbs up from my clan however I'm not so sure my Nicholas appreciated getting STUCK IN THE LOG!!!!!!!!!! It took a full 15 minutes for him to get out as his safety bar would not release. Hilarious to us, not so hilarious to the riders in the logs behind us. Actually, if you must know the truth, after 15 minutes the bar still wouldn't release, it's just that at that point Noodle and I got the bright idea that he might actually be able to squeeze out from under it Hey, don't laugh at us too hard though............................4 different IOA employees didn't think of it either!





to be cont'd..........................

 

[jessica52877]

What wonderful updates! The breakfast looks like tons of fun and I was thinking the same thing about the Grinch. I would love to know what he really looks like.

I love that your rode the barges and ripsaw falls. I love that part of US and remember watching the cartoons too! They were old cartoons in my day (and I assume yours too) but they were so fun to watch.

That is odd about the teacups as I'll call them! I can't imagine hopping in a teacup with another family! The hulk is alot of fun but I can't remember how jerky it is. I always get off rollercoasters now thinking I must be getting old! LOL!

Can't wait for the next update! I have really enjoyed reading your TR.

 

[maroo]

awesome update!

You are making me WANT to go to Universal.

 

[Momofwishkid]

Awesome update! Your pics are really making me want our trip to hurry up!

 

[buzz for boys]

Brill updates !!! Love the fact you wore ponchos we were the idiots that thought it was going to get us a little wet and we got drenched !!!
We put nearly $25 into the dryer outside the ride so ponchos are a bargain compared to the human dryer

 

[pacrosby]

What wonderful updates! The breakfast looks like tons of fun and I was thinking the same thing about the Grinch. I would love to know what he really looks like.

I love that your rode the barges and ripsaw falls. I love that part of US and remember watching the cartoons too! They were old cartoons in my day (and I assume yours too) but they were so fun to watch.

That is odd about the teacups as I'll call them! I can't imagine hopping in a teacup with another family! The hulk is alot of fun but I can't remember how jerky it is. I always get off rollercoasters now thinking I must be getting old! LOL!

Can't wait for the next update! I have really enjoyed reading your TR.

You are right, alot of those cartoons were original to the 30's. Funny that they were still being broadcast thirty/forty years later. I am always picking up videos/dvds of old favorites of the 60's and 70's (which were frequently original to decades earlier). My kids are well-versed in Pink Panther, , Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Tweety, Casper etc.

I talked to someone that said the Hulk is actually pretty smooth (he had back issues too) so I'll have to put it on my list for later.

awesome update!

You are making me WANT to go to Universal.

Awesome update! Your pics are really making me want our trip to hurry up!

It'll be here before you know it

Brill updates !!! Love the fact you wore ponchos we were the idiots that thought it was going to get us a little wet and we got drenched !!!
We put nearly $25 into the dryer outside the ride so ponchos are a bargain compared to the human dryer

LOL We saw people using those dryers. My dd was begging for money just so she could experience them. We hemmed and hawed about buying the ponchos (I can be such a cheapskate) but were oh so glad we did.




Pamela

 

[ladybugmom]

Great character pics--how cute!! And great idea to wear the ponchos on the water ride!!! I bet everyone else wished they had thought of that!!

 

[dawnandnala]

"

LOVE this picture - adorable!!!