Extra Magic Hour passes us by.....
Having woken at 2am and 4 am, Christian then sleeps till 7am despite me unpacking around him and putting everything away! Walk over to the Maya grill for the buffet as we are all hungry (except Christian, who toys with one apple and a waffle but drinks 1 1/2 pints of milk). Josef eats enough to keep himself going ALL DAY - by 7pm he's still only slightly peckish!
Decide to go to Epcot as planned and take ages to exchange our Thomas Cook vouchers for our tickets as the nice smiley CM does not know their US partner/trading name. Eventually get inside for the aew-inspiring "golf-ball" - seen so many times on TV without really knowing what it's all about! First mistake - decide not to bother with Fast Pass for Test Track as the wait is only 25 mins. WRONG MOVE! Ride breaks down several times so we actually wait about 1 1/2 hours! The wait area is well themed and quite interesting, and we chat to the other poeple in the line, but by the time we come out the sunshine has gone and it it very overcast. Wander into a shop, go to leave and realise the heavens have opened! DH is determined not to buy ponchos as it is very warm, so we scuttle over to Innoventions to make our robots in the Plastics Factory then, as the rain is slackening, head off to the World Showcase with Christian in the buggy nice and dry and the rest of us slightly damp.
Start in the beautiful atmospheric Mexico market - would love to try that romantic restaurant if weren't still full ffrom breakfast! - and go on the River of Time ride (very clever). Other highlights include Maelstrom ride in Norway,
interesting shops in China and Japan and the American Adventure (great for weary legs!). After a swift beer/icecream break in Morocco headed back for a look at the Living Seas - vastly superior to the expensive Sea Life centres in the UK! The followed our plan of quitting once we started to get tired we went back to the hotel for early dinner and bed.
Next morning Christian was up at 4am. We knew we had to get up early as we had a PS at the Crystal Palace for breakfast just after 8.00, but our wake-up call was booked for 6! The boys did their trip journals and video diaries while I tried to sort myself out - I felt most peculiar, hot and nauseous - then as soon as we had Mickey's wake-up call (which Christian loved!) started to get ready for the park. We'd been advised to get the 7.00 bus to be sure of getting in on time but when we got to MK there was only one other couple in sight and the CMs were still wiping down the strollers and wheelchairs. Gates didn't open until nearly 8.15 - I think they were filming for the HK opening as Mickey and Minnie were doing something with cameras and there was a busload of "VIP CMs" dropped off just before they opened.
Crystal Palace was beseiged with families waiting to be seated and a huge queue of people trying to give their names. We were eventually seated about 8.30 - I still felt most odd so asked for iced water. Everyone else soon got tucked into the buffet (although Christian's piglet waffle could have paved a patio
, and the food was generally mediocre). I ate a banana very slowly. Character interaction was very good - I've just been watching our video footage - and the hourly parade round the restaurant added to the fun (unless you were in a queue for food as DH and Josef were).
Once we finished headed off to do a few rides. I sent everyone else on Pirates of the Carribean
(smaller and not as good as Disneyland Paris) while I rushed for the restrooms to be parted from my banana 
.
Then on the river safari (which we all enjoyed - a bit camp and creaky but still good fun). Then the other three lined up for Stitch's Great Escape while I got FP for Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin and sat people-watching. Once they'd been on Buzz I had to admit defeat and we returned to the hotel. Andy took the boys to Downtown Disney while I lay in bed feeling terrible , then took them to McDonalds and picked up some stuff at the supermarket. Christian was asleep by 6.30 and the rest of us not far behind.
Having woken at 2am and 4 am, Christian then sleeps till 7am despite me unpacking around him and putting everything away! Walk over to the Maya grill for the buffet as we are all hungry (except Christian, who toys with one apple and a waffle but drinks 1 1/2 pints of milk). Josef eats enough to keep himself going ALL DAY - by 7pm he's still only slightly peckish!
Decide to go to Epcot as planned and take ages to exchange our Thomas Cook vouchers for our tickets as the nice smiley CM does not know their US partner/trading name. Eventually get inside for the aew-inspiring "golf-ball" - seen so many times on TV without really knowing what it's all about! First mistake - decide not to bother with Fast Pass for Test Track as the wait is only 25 mins. WRONG MOVE! Ride breaks down several times so we actually wait about 1 1/2 hours! The wait area is well themed and quite interesting, and we chat to the other poeple in the line, but by the time we come out the sunshine has gone and it it very overcast. Wander into a shop, go to leave and realise the heavens have opened! DH is determined not to buy ponchos as it is very warm, so we scuttle over to Innoventions to make our robots in the Plastics Factory then, as the rain is slackening, head off to the World Showcase with Christian in the buggy nice and dry and the rest of us slightly damp.
Start in the beautiful atmospheric Mexico market - would love to try that romantic restaurant if weren't still full ffrom breakfast! - and go on the River of Time ride (very clever). Other highlights include Maelstrom ride in Norway,
interesting shops in China and Japan and the American Adventure (great for weary legs!). After a swift beer/icecream break in Morocco headed back for a look at the Living Seas - vastly superior to the expensive Sea Life centres in the UK! The followed our plan of quitting once we started to get tired we went back to the hotel for early dinner and bed.
Next morning Christian was up at 4am. We knew we had to get up early as we had a PS at the Crystal Palace for breakfast just after 8.00, but our wake-up call was booked for 6! The boys did their trip journals and video diaries while I tried to sort myself out - I felt most peculiar, hot and nauseous - then as soon as we had Mickey's wake-up call (which Christian loved!) started to get ready for the park. We'd been advised to get the 7.00 bus to be sure of getting in on time but when we got to MK there was only one other couple in sight and the CMs were still wiping down the strollers and wheelchairs. Gates didn't open until nearly 8.15 - I think they were filming for the HK opening as Mickey and Minnie were doing something with cameras and there was a busload of "VIP CMs" dropped off just before they opened.
Crystal Palace was beseiged with families waiting to be seated and a huge queue of people trying to give their names. We were eventually seated about 8.30 - I still felt most odd so asked for iced water. Everyone else soon got tucked into the buffet (although Christian's piglet waffle could have paved a patio
, and the food was generally mediocre). I ate a banana very slowly. Character interaction was very good - I've just been watching our video footage - and the hourly parade round the restaurant added to the fun (unless you were in a queue for food as DH and Josef were).
Once we finished headed off to do a few rides. I sent everyone else on Pirates of the Carribean
(smaller and not as good as Disneyland Paris) while I rushed for the restrooms to be parted from my banana .
Then on the river safari (which we all enjoyed - a bit camp and creaky but still good fun). Then the other three lined up for Stitch's Great Escape while I got FP for Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin and sat people-watching. Once they'd been on Buzz I had to admit defeat and we returned to the hotel. Andy took the boys to Downtown Disney while I lay in bed feeling terrible
, then took them to McDonalds and picked up some stuff at the supermarket. Christian was asleep by 6.30 and the rest of us not far behind.
