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

[dmbfan]

Ughhhh, took me a while to find this thread....and than started from page 1...and can I just say ( cause I can not help but get teary eyed when I see wish family's and GKTW..) I still have tears in my eyes after seeing your pictures....it really brought back so many memories of my son's trip, and I have to say, to come back to the wish dis boards and see such a AWESOME trip report with pictures just makes my heart melt. Thank you for sharing this very speical trip with us all...

 

[praisehisname]

Awesome IOA/US updates! Sounds and looks like you had a ton of fun!

 

[pacrosby]

Oh wow!! That parade looks AMAZING!!

If you are a parade lover this is one of the better ones I think. For me maybe it's the balloons.................don't see those very often and I love 'em

I had almost forgotten about Mardi Gras! That will be on when we go
Now I have to go see if they have the concerts booked yet. Thanks for the reminder!

I thought I remembered you mentioning that was when you'd be going. That should be FUN!

I love reading your updates! Mostly I've been reading from my iPhone at night after I'm done with my homework and it's been the perfect way to finish off a long day, with a smile.
Your kids are super adorable! I can't wait for the next update!

oh you are so sweet, thanx I've got loads and loads (and loads) of px for the next day. Could take me awhile (and I'll be away from the computer all day Sat and Sun). I hope you can wait!

I love your parade photos. The photo of Matty sleeping with his gingerbread man is priceless. Great update!

Thanx Kristen (I think that's what maroo said your name was......am I remembering right?) I saw your photopass px.....they came out awesome! I just finished all the editing on mine last night (at 3 am!). I was thinking of adding some of my own photos (for the extra charge) so I could add some of their borders on them. For some reason I was under the impression that they sent you a photo CD as well as the actual photos but thought I read on your TR that you only got the CD. Guess I was wrong huh? So are you now printing them out on your own printer? Anyway.......how does it feel now that your report is finished? A relief or a bummer

Ughhhh, took me a while to find this thread....and than started from page 1...and can I just say ( cause I can not help but get teary eyed when I see wish family's and GKTW..) I still have tears in my eyes after seeing your pictures....it really brought back so many memories of my son's trip, and I have to say, to come back to the wish dis boards and see such a AWESOME trip report with pictures just makes my heart melt. Thank you for sharing this very speical trip with us all...

oh, welcome!! Thanx for taking the time to read. I can imagine that once I'm done with this and I start to read the reports of those who go after me (especially those families I have come to 'know' here on the board) I will feel similarly. I can't wait to hear about your experience volunteering at GKTW as we hope to the the same at the end of this year. Do you have a PTR for that trip or are you just 'winging it'?

Awesome IOA/US updates! Sounds and looks like you had a ton of fun!

'Fun' would be an understatement




Thanx for keeping me company everyone!!!!!

Pamela

 

[pacrosby]

"Lions, and Tigers, and..........CLOWNFISH? Oh My!"

Part I: "The Lions"



Saturday morning comes quickly for the Crosby family this 12th of December but no one has any difficulty pulling their heinies out of bed because.........we're goin' to Disneyworld!!" (isn't that an old commercial?). It's an 8:30 wake-up call but once the curtains are open we're all feeling good...................it's a beautiful bright Florida day!!! Ahhhhhh, finally. Now Saturday mornings is known as horseback riding day at GKTW but, as my kids have been lucky enough to ride horses before, we decide not to partake. Instead it's straight to breakfast at the ol' Gingerbread House and we're off......................no, not to see the wizard.....................to the Animal Kingdom!!!!! We are pumped and ready for some fun!

As we enter the park we see a beautiful Christmas tree decorated top to bottom with an AK theme. I must say that throughout our trip I am repeatedly astonished by the sheer size of these trees and how thoroughly decorated they are. Definately a sight to see. Unfortunately dh doesn't manage to get a px of the WHOLE tree (sometimes the "big picture" - no pun intended - is lost on my wonderful dh) but I suppose you can see a handful of the decorations in this one

After making our way through the turnstile and securing our stroller we grab a map and decide that Camp Mickey/Minnie is a good place to start our day. As we make our way over we poke our heads in here and there to catch a glimpse of a few of the animals in their 'natural' habitat. Suddenly we see THIS looming in the distance:

Now THAT'S what I call a tree Apparently, though, they never got around to decorating it for the holidays Even though we would love to go check it out up close NOW we promise each other we will come back later and continue along the path to Camp. On our way we snap a photo of this cute little family:

and, in just a few more steps, we are there. Character heaven!! Of course we have the usual first experience most Wish families have where we 'try' to get in line but are immediately ambushed by a very nice CM who slaps us on the knuckles and lets us know that we should "never to do that again!". What a bonus I tell you. We could easily have spent 2 hours getting autographs that morning if we had had to wait in those lines. Grateful is an understatement.




First up.................Chip and Dale:

Donald Duck:

Goofy:

Minnie Mouse:

and of course the Mickster himself:

Happily satisfied with hugs and hellos (not to mention autographs to boot!) we check the time only to find that there are only minutes to spare Over to the entrance we race where another very nice CM notices our buttons and takes us right up front. Oh, didn't I tell you where we were going? The title of this segment should give you a clue. To see the Festival of the Lion King!!!!! A truly spectacular feast for the eyes and ears, between the dancing and the props and the costumes and the music. I could go on and on but instead will let a few px and videos tell the story:

 

[pacrosby]

Part I: "The Lions" - cont'd

Towards the end of the performance one of the dancers begins to scan the crowd looking for alittle audience participation and.....................whatta ya know...................looky who gets pulled on up:

Brennan decides that perhaps this is just a tad bit more exposure than he'd like. He returns to sit with us but the other three are up for the adventure:

I think the smiles on their faces in that last photo kind of says it all.




Here's a couple of videos for those who may not quite be ready to get back to that to-do list (tsk tsk):


ya, I know, I know, this first one is a little long at 4 minutes 5 seconds BUT it does include the final songs of the performance including "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "The Circle of Life"

http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt122/pacrosby2009/?action=view&current=20091212122512.flv


this one is only 1 minute 9 seconds and includes the final minute of the kids' 3 minutes of fame

http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt122/pacrosby2009/?action=view&current=20091212122350.flv





Wow what a great way to start the day. I had heard that the Lion King was an incredible show but really didn't know what to expect performance wise. Although only 30 minutes it rivaled 'any' 30 minutes of 'every' Broadway show I have ever seen. Definately being put on my "what not to miss on my NEXT trip to Disney" list! Anyway, sadly, before we know it though the show is over and it's time to go. We follow the herd out of the theatre. Map check. What to do next??? Hmmmmmm. Initially I thought that it would be easy to cover Animal Kingdom in less than a day but at this point I'm starting to have second thoughts. It's already after 11 and we've only managed to see one show. Plus we have reservations for lunch. YIKES! I decide it's time to think about priorities. After alittle hemming and hawing we agree that an open air Jeep jungle trek is number one on the list and over to Africa it is. On the way my dh, "photographer extraordinaire", finds a Christmas tree that he thinks he can fully capture in his lens and so my beautiful Livilu strikes a pose:

oh well, beggars can't be choosers huh? (I'm talking about the tree not the pose)




oh, and we see this:

does that qualify as a hidden mickey???




Sorry, got off track. Anyhoo before we know it we are there in Africa and we quickly locate the Kilimanjaro Safaris. After winding (and winding and winding) our way through the maze we eventually get to the front. Oh my goodness the boys are stoked!!! "We get to ride in that?!" I hear more than once. Why what do they see you wonder? THIS!!!

Their eyes are dancing and they are besides themselves with excitement (that's one 'woohoo' for each boy). Honestly they probably couldn't care less if they didn't see anything bigger than a mosquito - they get to ride in THAT and that is just toooooooooooooooo cool!!




Next up: Part II of "Lions, and Tigers, ......CLOWNFISH???? Oh My!" - "The Tigers"




Pamela

 

[buzz for boys]

Fantastic Update !!!!
My boys loved it when they called out to be part of the lion king show - everyone needs their 3 minutes of fame now dont they ????
Cant wait to read more x

( Just a side not from my last post - I too Love the snow and yes im in the minority too everyone looks at me like ive grown 2 heads when i say I love it - my family has had a ball in it but now its ice and i hate that !! )

 

[kellyw8863]

Thank you so much for sharing! I am loving everything about your TR. I just showed the Lion King videos to Ali, and I wish you could have seen her eyes light up!

You truly have a beautiful family, and I'm so glad that you all got to experience this.

 

[jenb1023]

Love the characters in their winter/Christmas attire! FOTLK is such a great show! One of our favorites. That is great that the kids got picked to be in the show. They looked like they loved it (except Brennan of course). My DD is such a little performer and ham until she realizes that people will actually be looking at her. Then she becomes a shy little wallflower. The Safari is so cool - if the boys thought the vehicle was that exciting I can't wait to hear/see their reaction to the ride and the animals.

 

[praisehisname]

Great morning so far in AK! I love all the characters in their Christmas outfits. So cool that your kiddos got chosen to participate in FOTLK! Looking forward to hearing about your safari.

 

[StefaniLyn]

Another great update! I love that they ALL got picked to do the Lion King thing.

I can't wit to see your safari ride photos!

 

[kdzbear]

Yes, the bird house is a hidden mickey! Great catch! I love that the kids got to be in the parade during the show! I have pictures of most of the trees at Animal Kingdom and would be glad to email them to you, if you would like. The kids smiles in the parade at the show are fantastic. Great update!

 

[dmbfan]

oh, welcome!! Thanx for taking the time to read. I can imagine that once I'm done with this and I start to read the reports of those who go after me (especially those families I have come to 'know' here on the board) I will feel similarly. I can't wait to hear about your experience volunteering at GKTW as we hope to the the same at the end of this year. Do you have a PTR for that trip or are you just 'winging it'?

Well we did the Disney depression when we came home. But I had followed so many other wish family and their PTR during our waiting time, and once they went, they came home and never came back to share their experienes with the us... I was so bummed...so I love to be able to come back here and see family's still sharing there wish trip. Plus for me, as hard as it was, I felt after all the wonderful ladies at the Big Give, it was the least I could do...just another way to thank them...it is so, sending personal cards and such just do not to show just how thankful we were, we did send them, but to me it did not seem like enough. So I knew if I posted our pictures and wrote about our trip, they would really be able to see how happy they made our family...how extra special the Big Give ladies are.

I do not have a trip report...as we are just doing the Disney parks, and we have 7 day hoppers, so we just have the dates for the Spectro and everything else should fall into place. However I will come back and do a trip report on what it was like to volunteer for GKTW as a returning wish family...I know I would have love to come on here and seen some of those threads, but so far I have not.

Again thanks for sharing your trip....

 

[kayrosek]

That is so cool your kids got picked for the Lion King! We missed that show I'm having to live vicariously through other peoples pic and videos. My son was excited about the Jeep for Safari as well. Can't wait to read more.

 

[ladybugmom]

Fantastic update!!! I love how the characters at Camp Minnie Mickey are dressed for Christmas--sooo cute!! And FOTLK is my favorite show in AK!!! I LOVED it!! How exciting that your kiddos got picked to be in the show!!! I cannot wait to read more!!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Great coverage of the details. Having never been to AK, it's cool to see so much on it.

 

[pipersmom]

Very cool updates, Pamela.. I love the pic of the kids in front of the tree at the entrance, and with Goofy..they just look very casual (ie..no fake smiles, etc). Very neat that they were picked out of the audience for FOTLK. I'm glad you got an update in...but what were you doing up at 2am??? Can't wait for the next update!

 

[maroo]

awesome update!!

Love the Hidden Mickey - I think it qualifies!

Your DH and his big tree pics are cracking me up.

Your kids are precious! And the character interaction looks like lots of fun!

I am so glad they got picked for the Lion King finale!

 

[melanieRN]

I just found your trip report and I am looking forward to reading it. I am a mother of 4 with the youngest having HLHS.

 

[pacrosby]

Fantastic Update !!!!
My boys loved it when they called out to be part of the lion king show - everyone needs their 3 minutes of fame now dont they ????
Cant wait to read more x

( Just a side not from my last post - I too Love the snow and yes im in the minority too everyone looks at me like ive grown 2 heads when i say I love it - my family has had a ball in it but now its ice and i hate that !! )

As long as I don't have to drive in it (which I rarely if ever do) I love it. I figure if it's going to be cold it may as well snow, it's pretty and fun to play in. Nothing worth than freezing temperatures and a brown barren landscape YUCK!

Thank you so much for sharing! I am loving everything about your TR. I just showed the Lion King videos to Ali, and I wish you could have seen her eyes light up!

You truly have a beautiful family, and I'm so glad that you all got to experience this.

Thanks Kelly! I'm glad to hear Ali enjoyed the videos. Px are great but sometimes you have to see things in action to truly appreciate them YKWIM?

Love the characters in their winter/Christmas attire! FOTLK is such a great show! One of our favorites. That is great that the kids got picked to be in the show. They looked like they loved it (except Brennan of course). My DD is such a little performer and ham until she realizes that people will actually be looking at her. Then she becomes a shy little wallflower. The Safari is so cool - if the boys thought the vehicle was that exciting I can't wait to hear/see their reaction to the ride and the animals.

Actually for the boys I think the vehicle WAS the highlight

Great morning so far in AK! I love all the characters in their Christmas outfits. So cool that your kiddos got chosen to participate in FOTLK! Looking forward to hearing about your safari.

I think it may be as much of a thrill for us parents when our kids get picked as it is for them (maybe even more)

Another great update! I love that they ALL got picked to do the Lion King thing.

I can't wit to see your safari ride photos!

It was nice that they pulled all 4 of them up. Of course Bren wanted no part of it. I don't have a photo but he was crying big time - I don't know what he thought was going to happen but apparently it wasn't good!

Yes, the bird house is a hidden mickey! Great catch! I love that the kids got to be in the parade during the show! I have pictures of most of the trees at Animal Kingdom and would be glad to email them to you, if you would like. The kids smiles in the parade at the show are fantastic. Great update!

We weren't actually looking for the hidden mickeys but I had 'heard' other people talking about them. Isn't finding them sort like a game in and of itself? Thanx for the offer re: the tree px. Dh is just so funny - his idea of what we should take px of doesn't always match mine

Well we did the Disney depression when we came home. But I had followed so many other wish family and their PTR during our waiting time, and once they went, they came home and never came back to share their experienes with the us... I was so bummed...so I love to be able to come back here and see family's still sharing there wish trip. Plus for me, as hard as it was, I felt after all the wonderful ladies at the Big Give, it was the least I could do...just another way to thank them...it is so, sending personal cards and such just do not to show just how thankful we were, we did send them, but to me it did not seem like enough. So I knew if I posted our pictures and wrote about our trip, they would really be able to see how happy they made our family...how extra special the Big Give ladies are.

I do not have a trip report...as we are just doing the Disney parks, and we have 7 day hoppers, so we just have the dates for the Spectro and everything else should fall into place. However I will come back and do a trip report on what it was like to volunteer for GKTW as a returning wish family...I know I would have love to come on here and seen some of those threads, but so far I have not.

Again thanks for sharing your trip....

I'm not surprised alot of trip reports never actually come to fruition. It is such a big job and especially if one waits to do it. I think jumping in right away is key as you're still on that high and it's so fresh in your mind.

I've never planned a trip in my life the way I planned this one and, although I will still wing other trips, I don't think I will ever go to WDW without serious planning efforts. Please do share your volunteer experience as we are looking to do the same

That is so cool your kids got picked for the Lion King! We missed that show I'm having to live vicariously through other peoples pic and videos. My son was excited about the Jeep for Safari as well. Can't wait to read more.

LOL about boys and their big vehicles huh?

Fantastic update!!! I love how the characters at Camp Minnie Mickey are dressed for Christmas--sooo cute!! And FOTLK is my favorite show in AK!!! I LOVED it!! How exciting that your kiddos got picked to be in the show!!! I cannot wait to read more!!

The characters are so cute all dressed up......makes them seem more real doesn't it???

Great coverage of the details. Having never been to AK, it's cool to see so much on it.

We definately did not do it justice. I made a big mistake by not allowing more time there. Live and learn huh?

Very cool updates, Pamela.. I love the pic of the kids in front of the tree at the entrance, and with Goofy..they just look very casual (ie..no fake smiles, etc). Very neat that they were picked out of the audience for FOTLK. I'm glad you got an update in...but what were you doing up at 2am??? Can't wait for the next update!

oh, been taking note of what time I've been awake have you LOL????? 2 am is nothing!!!!!! I get all caught up in an update and the uploading always takes longer than I think it will. Believe me, I kick myself when morning comes.

awesome update!!

Love the Hidden Mickey - I think it qualifies!

Your DH and his big tree pics are cracking me up.

Your kids are precious! And the character interaction looks like lots of fun!

I am so glad they got picked for the Lion King finale!

Ahhhh you're back! How was, oh where did you go.....................oh DISNEY WORLD????????

I just found your trip report and I am looking forward to reading it. I am a mother of 4 with the youngest having HLHS.

Hi Melanie! I did my research and found that your youngest is 11!!!! Hope he/she is doing welll! Glad you found me...............thanx for taking the interest


Pamela

 

[pacrosby]

Part II: The Tigers


Although we are only planning a partial day at Animal Kingdom, the Kilimanjaro Safari is on the to-do list and has been from the start. Now we've been to many a zoo and have even been to zoos/parks where you can drive through the park in your vehicle for an 'up close and personal' encounter with the animals. Why during our annual summer soiree to the Canadian mountains (Dudley Do-Right anyone????) we go to a park where animals with MASSIVE heads and antlers come up to your car slobber all over your window and, if you let them, stick their heads in your vehicle looking for a little tasty treat!!!!!! Still, something about riding in the open-air jeep, the Safari theme, made this particular drive through the "jungle" most appealing and a must-do for this trip. Does it live up to our expectations? I'd have to say it does. Certainly for the boys the ride in this monga jeep is a thrill in and of itself. If the only thing they lay their eyes upon is a tree frog they will still be fully satisfied. But fortunately, for the rest of us, there are no tree frogs in sight and instead, we are treated to the likes of these fine folks (as well as many of their friends):

Rhinos, hippos, giraffes, lions, tigers, bears (ooops, no sorry..............no bears), ostrich, crocodiles, flamingos and even an elephant playing with a stick (that was a sight to see). The ride is slow and bumpy just as you would expect. And the driver? Well she is in full character, playing out a prescripted scenario that makes for great fun all along the way. Would we make time to do it again on a subsequent trip? I'd say yes, definately.

Next up....................lunch at the Rainforest Cafe! Funny as it may seem we have always lived within a short drive of this restaurant, in fact have walked passed it in the Mall countless times, but never have eaten there. In truth, restaurants, period, are not places where we Crosby's typically choose to spend our money preferring active entertainment over food. But this trip, being Matty's Wish Trip, we thought it might be fun to do something uncharacteristic; actually enjoy a couple of sit down meals in real restaurants; restaurants that would specifically appeal to a child's sense of fantasy. To me, the Rainforest Cafe seemed to fit the bill, a child's dream. An adult's nightmare perhaps.......................but a child's dream. With the crazy colorful decor and the noise.................oh the noise (noise, noISE NOISE! - get it? Dr. Seuss?). Every 15-20 minutes the restuarant came alive with sight and sound. Distracting (ok how 'bout annoying) as it may be to some we had a sense the kids' would get a great big kick out of it. And boy, were we right, they most certainly did!!!! The service was quick, the food was good, and LOOK......Momma found a coupon for 10 bucks off!!!! For a couple of cheapskates who hate to spend money on something that is gone in 20 minutes and has little lasting value (to us), that was icing on the cake!!!


Next up: Part III: Clownfish.





Pamela

Matty's Wish Trip PTR http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2325607
Matty's Wish Trip TR "Mom, Dad, 3 Kids, and a Gingerbread Boy" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2356739