VickiVM
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 2,318
Myself (Vicki): Planned this trip long before Lee knew about it
Husband Lee: Finally gave in to my sick Disney obsession (like he had a choice)
The Children -
Alex (8): Not so adventurous and wanted to know before every ride if it was fast and goes up and down
Sydney (6): Hugged all characters like they were long lost sorority sisters
Allyson (4): Dug all the rides (including the ones the older two didnt), but closed her eyes and pretended she was asleep whenever we had a character encounter.
Grandma (my mom): Was a trooper all the way! Probably would have ridden more scary rides if those pesky grandchildren werent hogging all the attention.
Day 4 Monday, Sept. 30th
This was probably the earliest we woke up the whole week. I started waking everyone around 7:15am for our 8:30am PSs for the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway. (I had warned the kids that it would be just like any school week and I would be waking them early.) Of course, The Morenos are morning piddlers and today was no exception. Just like any other morning, the TV went on first thing and the cartoon hypnosis kicked in. After my usual nagging and threats of leaving them behind, we were out the door at about 8:15. We had not yet discovered the secret shortcut from the BCV to the pathway that leads to International Gateway, so we traipse quickly through the BC lobby and on to the entrance to Epcot. We quickly get through security and rent a double stroller and began half walking, half running as 8:30 is only minutes away.
We arrive only a couple of minutes late, but not a problem. Were seated at our table and there is a two-tiered platter of breakfast breads and fruit. Theres actually not enough for the six of us (just a handful of pieces of fruit), but they will bring more if you ask. About 15 minutes later, breakfast is served which is quite delicious. Again, not enough of the French toast sticks (maybe only 4 pieces), so we did ask for more. We finish breakfast in about 20 minutes and still no sign of any of the princesses. We make small talk with our waiter. Alex asks him about his hometown in Norway and gets his autograph. Princesses, where are you?? Finally I spot Minnie making her way through one side of the restaurant. From this sighting, it took approximately 20 minutes until Minnie made her way to us. All in all we waited about 40 minutes from the time we finished eating until we visited with all the Princesses briefly. And the restaurant was not even near capacity. From this experience, I think we will pass on future character meals. It takes quite a bit of time out of your morning (about 1 ½ hours for us) and there were countless opportunities for character encounters throughout the week at the parks. As it was, only Sydney really got her moneys worth. Alex, of course, could take it or leave it. He took photos and got autographs, but it certainly wasnt the highlight of his vacation. Allyson, we soon discovered, has a huge fear of the characters. From the moment Minnie approached our table and Ally freaked out with the most horrific look of fear on her face, to our last day in the park, she just didnt like character encounters. She played this game that when we were approaching a face or costumed character, she closed her eyes and told me she was just going to take a nap because she was sleepy. At first we thought this was cute, but I realized later that this must be very stressful for her so we didnt subject her to any character meetings.
Sydney, on the other hand, approached every single character she could and was so excited to get their autograph. Must be a 6 year old thing. We had given each of the children their own disposable camera and Syd immediately began snapping photos of the Princesses even when they were with other children. I had to explain to her about making that camera last 5 days.
OK, we leave the restaurant and it is just before 10am. We take a restroom break and the kids play on the ship that is adjacent to the bathrooms in Norway. We begin to make our way to Future World and it is then I realize that I dont have a plan. OH MY GOD!! I had planned where, when and how much, but really had avoided a daily itinerary except for meals. OK, take deep breaths, dont panic. I can do this. Ive been here 4 times before. Ive been on the DIS every day for a year. I have literally crammed for this exam and now its finals.
The only thing I know for sure, is that I want to ride Test Track. But first we hit Spaceship Earth. Like just about every attraction that week, its practically a walk on. I do all the parental disclosures Its going to be dark, but dont be afraid. Ill be right here. Remember, Disney wouldnt have a ride that hurts you yada, yada, yada. So on we go. No one is panicking. Good. Well of course the ride stops on the descent down as were on the incline facing upward. Yet, no one is upset. A victory for the otherwise timid Moreno children!! Cool. Rides over and then the time trap catches us. You know, that interactive exhibit sponsored by XYZ corporation that they have as you exit the Epcot attractions. The kids play in the AT&T exhibit for about 30 minutes. I let them. After all, its their vacation also. But after the 30 minutes, I claim back MY vacation! On to Test Track.
I ask the kids whos going with me on Test Track. Of course they have no idea what it is and when we get to the attraction and they see and hear the cars whizzing by, they chicken out. So thats when we start the No, you go and Ill stay with the kids debate. I let my husband win and me and mom go on Test Track. The line is about 25 minutes long, but I think the ride must have stopped temporarily because when we first got in line, a couple went in the Fast Pass line and they joined us when we finally made it to the cars. While we wait in line I get Lee a Fast Pass. Loved this ride, even if I did close my eyes during the fast turns. I would have liked to do this one over, but time just did not permit.
Lee is in the GM (I believe) exhibit with the children and when we finished the ride, I take over while he goes to ride. I guessed he liked it. He seemed non-plussed.
Time for a very expensive ice cream break. Oh, its vacation. We then head over to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. That familiar Debate kicks in again as Lee is fearful that Ally wont like this attraction. He seemed insistent that he win this one again, but it just didnt seem fair that he sits out with the kids so me and mom can go on all the attractions. We asked Ally if she wanted to stay with Daddy and play or go on the attraction with us. She decided that she wanted all of us to stay and play with her. (She has her own agenda, but until shes 38 and finances her own Disney Vacation shell have to abide by our choices. Famous last words )
Well, after the heated debate (and I sugar coat this), we all go into HISTA. The kids arent thrilled with this attraction. They refused to wear their 3-D glasses and freaked out a bit. They didnt scream, which was my fear, but definitely not a repeat attraction for them probably ever. Well, still a little miffed about the prior debate, we decide to go back to the room for lunch and a nap.
After the mid-day break, we re-group. Around 4:30 Alex and Lee go back to Future World to play the video games. Mom, the girls and I go back to Future World around 5:30. The sky is getting darker and heavier and Im fearing rain. The plan was to meet up at The Land at 6:30.
The Girls go to the Living Seas and watch the various fish and manatees. As we leave the building it has rained, but fortunately I parked the stroller under a large tree and so it was relatively dry. We move on to The Land. Were about to go on the Living With The Land boat ride when Ally tells me she has go to the potty bad! OK, the ride is a walk on, so no problem. After the potty break, I realize that we have about 30 minutes until Future World shuts down. I radio Lee that were meet them at 7pm instead. Food Rocks starts in 1 minute so we caught that show next. The girls loved it. (About a dozen people in the theatre!) After that, we move on to Living With The Land. The girls thought that was pretty cool, too.
We met the Boys outside and begin moving on to World Showcase. We see my brother and his family who are on their way to the character dinner at The Land. We exchange our daily reviews and they move on. Were getting hungry again and decide to go to the American area for burgers for dinner. My brother runs back and asks my mom if hed like to join them, so off she goes. We catch the boat across the bay and eat dinner. After dinner, we make a stop at the pin cart where Lee makes a trade for a Cast Member Only distributed pin of the three cats from The Aristocats. Lee and the CM are chit-chatting for quite a while when the Tapestry of Dreams parade begins. What a magical parade!! Im not sure about the earlier parade, but I imagine this one to be much more magical and exciting in the dark evening hours. The kids are digging this one, except Ally who, of course, is sitting in the stroller with her eyes closed. I picked her up to hold her to help her feel more secure, and she did blow kisses to the many characters. We then head over to Italy to watch Illuminations. What a spectacular display of fireworks!! It wasnt until it was over that we realized that Sydney had been crying almost the whole time. Apparently, she was watching the fire erupting from the barges and was thinking that it was coming closer to us. Ally and Alex, on the other hand thought it was way cool.
We walk back to the room and gave the children quick showers and put them to bed. Mom was already in the room so Lee and I then walk over to the Boardwalk. It was DEAD! No activity. We go into the ESPN club and watch Monday night football and ate nachos. Hand in hand, we take the quiet walk back to the villa and enjoyed all the lights. We walked through the gift shop very thankful we had the van to go off-site for groceries.
MGM was up for the next day. I called for a 6am wake up call since it was a Surprise Morning at MGM and we go to bed around 11:30. What started as a somewhat tense day ended very nicely. Thank you, Walt, for easing the stress! And Thank You, Lee, for driving 1200 miles for us!! (This became our mantra the rest of the week).
Husband Lee: Finally gave in to my sick Disney obsession (like he had a choice)
The Children -
Alex (8): Not so adventurous and wanted to know before every ride if it was fast and goes up and down
Sydney (6): Hugged all characters like they were long lost sorority sisters
Allyson (4): Dug all the rides (including the ones the older two didnt), but closed her eyes and pretended she was asleep whenever we had a character encounter.
Grandma (my mom): Was a trooper all the way! Probably would have ridden more scary rides if those pesky grandchildren werent hogging all the attention.
Day 4 Monday, Sept. 30th
This was probably the earliest we woke up the whole week. I started waking everyone around 7:15am for our 8:30am PSs for the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway. (I had warned the kids that it would be just like any school week and I would be waking them early.) Of course, The Morenos are morning piddlers and today was no exception. Just like any other morning, the TV went on first thing and the cartoon hypnosis kicked in. After my usual nagging and threats of leaving them behind, we were out the door at about 8:15. We had not yet discovered the secret shortcut from the BCV to the pathway that leads to International Gateway, so we traipse quickly through the BC lobby and on to the entrance to Epcot. We quickly get through security and rent a double stroller and began half walking, half running as 8:30 is only minutes away.
We arrive only a couple of minutes late, but not a problem. Were seated at our table and there is a two-tiered platter of breakfast breads and fruit. Theres actually not enough for the six of us (just a handful of pieces of fruit), but they will bring more if you ask. About 15 minutes later, breakfast is served which is quite delicious. Again, not enough of the French toast sticks (maybe only 4 pieces), so we did ask for more. We finish breakfast in about 20 minutes and still no sign of any of the princesses. We make small talk with our waiter. Alex asks him about his hometown in Norway and gets his autograph. Princesses, where are you?? Finally I spot Minnie making her way through one side of the restaurant. From this sighting, it took approximately 20 minutes until Minnie made her way to us. All in all we waited about 40 minutes from the time we finished eating until we visited with all the Princesses briefly. And the restaurant was not even near capacity. From this experience, I think we will pass on future character meals. It takes quite a bit of time out of your morning (about 1 ½ hours for us) and there were countless opportunities for character encounters throughout the week at the parks. As it was, only Sydney really got her moneys worth. Alex, of course, could take it or leave it. He took photos and got autographs, but it certainly wasnt the highlight of his vacation. Allyson, we soon discovered, has a huge fear of the characters. From the moment Minnie approached our table and Ally freaked out with the most horrific look of fear on her face, to our last day in the park, she just didnt like character encounters. She played this game that when we were approaching a face or costumed character, she closed her eyes and told me she was just going to take a nap because she was sleepy. At first we thought this was cute, but I realized later that this must be very stressful for her so we didnt subject her to any character meetings.
Sydney, on the other hand, approached every single character she could and was so excited to get their autograph. Must be a 6 year old thing. We had given each of the children their own disposable camera and Syd immediately began snapping photos of the Princesses even when they were with other children. I had to explain to her about making that camera last 5 days.
OK, we leave the restaurant and it is just before 10am. We take a restroom break and the kids play on the ship that is adjacent to the bathrooms in Norway. We begin to make our way to Future World and it is then I realize that I dont have a plan. OH MY GOD!! I had planned where, when and how much, but really had avoided a daily itinerary except for meals. OK, take deep breaths, dont panic. I can do this. Ive been here 4 times before. Ive been on the DIS every day for a year. I have literally crammed for this exam and now its finals.
The only thing I know for sure, is that I want to ride Test Track. But first we hit Spaceship Earth. Like just about every attraction that week, its practically a walk on. I do all the parental disclosures Its going to be dark, but dont be afraid. Ill be right here. Remember, Disney wouldnt have a ride that hurts you yada, yada, yada. So on we go. No one is panicking. Good. Well of course the ride stops on the descent down as were on the incline facing upward. Yet, no one is upset. A victory for the otherwise timid Moreno children!! Cool. Rides over and then the time trap catches us. You know, that interactive exhibit sponsored by XYZ corporation that they have as you exit the Epcot attractions. The kids play in the AT&T exhibit for about 30 minutes. I let them. After all, its their vacation also. But after the 30 minutes, I claim back MY vacation! On to Test Track.
I ask the kids whos going with me on Test Track. Of course they have no idea what it is and when we get to the attraction and they see and hear the cars whizzing by, they chicken out. So thats when we start the No, you go and Ill stay with the kids debate. I let my husband win and me and mom go on Test Track. The line is about 25 minutes long, but I think the ride must have stopped temporarily because when we first got in line, a couple went in the Fast Pass line and they joined us when we finally made it to the cars. While we wait in line I get Lee a Fast Pass. Loved this ride, even if I did close my eyes during the fast turns. I would have liked to do this one over, but time just did not permit.
Lee is in the GM (I believe) exhibit with the children and when we finished the ride, I take over while he goes to ride. I guessed he liked it. He seemed non-plussed.
Time for a very expensive ice cream break. Oh, its vacation. We then head over to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. That familiar Debate kicks in again as Lee is fearful that Ally wont like this attraction. He seemed insistent that he win this one again, but it just didnt seem fair that he sits out with the kids so me and mom can go on all the attractions. We asked Ally if she wanted to stay with Daddy and play or go on the attraction with us. She decided that she wanted all of us to stay and play with her. (She has her own agenda, but until shes 38 and finances her own Disney Vacation shell have to abide by our choices. Famous last words )
Well, after the heated debate (and I sugar coat this), we all go into HISTA. The kids arent thrilled with this attraction. They refused to wear their 3-D glasses and freaked out a bit. They didnt scream, which was my fear, but definitely not a repeat attraction for them probably ever. Well, still a little miffed about the prior debate, we decide to go back to the room for lunch and a nap.
After the mid-day break, we re-group. Around 4:30 Alex and Lee go back to Future World to play the video games. Mom, the girls and I go back to Future World around 5:30. The sky is getting darker and heavier and Im fearing rain. The plan was to meet up at The Land at 6:30.
The Girls go to the Living Seas and watch the various fish and manatees. As we leave the building it has rained, but fortunately I parked the stroller under a large tree and so it was relatively dry. We move on to The Land. Were about to go on the Living With The Land boat ride when Ally tells me she has go to the potty bad! OK, the ride is a walk on, so no problem. After the potty break, I realize that we have about 30 minutes until Future World shuts down. I radio Lee that were meet them at 7pm instead. Food Rocks starts in 1 minute so we caught that show next. The girls loved it. (About a dozen people in the theatre!) After that, we move on to Living With The Land. The girls thought that was pretty cool, too.
We met the Boys outside and begin moving on to World Showcase. We see my brother and his family who are on their way to the character dinner at The Land. We exchange our daily reviews and they move on. Were getting hungry again and decide to go to the American area for burgers for dinner. My brother runs back and asks my mom if hed like to join them, so off she goes. We catch the boat across the bay and eat dinner. After dinner, we make a stop at the pin cart where Lee makes a trade for a Cast Member Only distributed pin of the three cats from The Aristocats. Lee and the CM are chit-chatting for quite a while when the Tapestry of Dreams parade begins. What a magical parade!! Im not sure about the earlier parade, but I imagine this one to be much more magical and exciting in the dark evening hours. The kids are digging this one, except Ally who, of course, is sitting in the stroller with her eyes closed. I picked her up to hold her to help her feel more secure, and she did blow kisses to the many characters. We then head over to Italy to watch Illuminations. What a spectacular display of fireworks!! It wasnt until it was over that we realized that Sydney had been crying almost the whole time. Apparently, she was watching the fire erupting from the barges and was thinking that it was coming closer to us. Ally and Alex, on the other hand thought it was way cool.
We walk back to the room and gave the children quick showers and put them to bed. Mom was already in the room so Lee and I then walk over to the Boardwalk. It was DEAD! No activity. We go into the ESPN club and watch Monday night football and ate nachos. Hand in hand, we take the quiet walk back to the villa and enjoyed all the lights. We walked through the gift shop very thankful we had the van to go off-site for groceries.
MGM was up for the next day. I called for a 6am wake up call since it was a Surprise Morning at MGM and we go to bed around 11:30. What started as a somewhat tense day ended very nicely. Thank you, Walt, for easing the stress! And Thank You, Lee, for driving 1200 miles for us!! (This became our mantra the rest of the week).
