My Daughter's Know...But NOT My Nieces:)
- Thread starter kristenrice
- Start date
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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The MB's were sent to my sister's house, as I requested. Unfortunately, they are not packaged in a way that will allow us to reveal them to my family
. They came in two boxes, one box has the bands for Kim, Kevin and Olivia. The other box contains the five bands for the rest of us. Why they couldn't split them 4 and 4 is beyond me
. They included the DVC sliders for all of us so that was a pretty cool addition
. Kim is keeping them hidden in her closet for now and we will hand them out when we get to the airport.
I'm going to call and add the Memory Maker to our account today. I hope I understand it correctly. Here's how I *think* it works...
...Add MM to my MDE account...
...Kim and Brad are listed in my Friends & Family and so are their kids...
...All of our pictures will be added to the account by scanning any of our MB's???...
...When I get home, I can upload all of the photos to my computer and burn a CD so that we can save the pictures and print them at a later time...
I am still a bit confused. Kim's family has a few meals planned without us (Tusker House character breakfast, O'hana character breakfast) and I know that she will have a lot of ride pictures in the parks too. I want to make sure that those pictures will show up in our account just by scanning her MB. We are sharing the cost of the package so I want to make sure that the photos from both of our families will all be included, even when we are split up.
On a different note, my practice pack was successful
...at least for MY stuff. I have plenty of room in my carry on and I should not have anything (not even my sandals) that needs to be checked. That leaves our entire checked bag available for Kevin's stuff and any souvenirs that we bring home. I may be able to loosen my rule of "if it doesn't fit in your fanny pack, you can't have it as a souvenir"
.
I've been perusing the photos of the F&W booths and the reviews look great
. It all makes me so hungry...and disappointed in myself that I did not successfully lose the 10 pounds I was trying to drop. When DH and I did the W&D 1/2 Marathon last year, my training helped me drop down to my lowest weight of my adult life (153 pounds!). When I came back, though, my motivation to train was gone (no RunDisney events on my horizon) so I pretty much stopped running. I gained a bunch of weight (16 pounds!) and I've been trying to get back to 160 before we leave. I'm still right around 165 but I have only myself to blame
. We've been trying to stick to a budget and eat on the cheap, but that has translated into a lot of $5 Little Caesar's pizzas and $1 McChicken sandwiches
. I am planning on a trip next year and it WILL be a RunDisney trip. We are either going to do the Expedition Everest Challenge as a family (assuming that they have it!) or I decided that I will go back on my own in October and try the Tower of Terror 10-miler. Either way, I will have an event to train for
.
...and onto yet another topic...
I purchased EBCI for our return trip this past week. I decided that it was worth the $50 to not have to try and find reliable service and try to check us in from the park on the afternoon before we leave. Kim still hasn't bought hers yet
, but she is only going to purchase it for Brad and Olivia. Since Emilee will be using her car seat, and she is only 2, I would assume that Kim and Em will be eligible for family boarding (between A and B) so there's really no reason to buy EBCI for them. On the way down, we decided to skip it altogether. I don't foresee us having a problem sitting somewhat together on the way down. We are flying out of Flint at 7am on a Sunday...I wonder how many folks will be setting their alarm like me and getting up at 6:30am on a Saturday
. We are hoping to sit like this...
Emilee/Olivia/Kim>>>>Me/Kaedyn/Kamryn
Stranger/Stranger/Brad>>>Kevin/Stranger/Stranger
That way, the girls can keep themselves entertained by sharing their video viewing devices, Kim and I can chit chat across the aisle while keeping the kids in their row, and the boys can be left alone to sleep
If we have to, Kim and I can move to the middle seats and sit between the kids.
That's all for this installment...Time to go surprise Kaedyn at school
. It's her birthday today and DH and I are going to "steal" her from school and take her out to lunch...she has no idea
.
. They came in two boxes, one box has the bands for Kim, Kevin and Olivia. The other box contains the five bands for the rest of us. Why they couldn't split them 4 and 4 is beyond me. They included the DVC sliders for all of us so that was a pretty cool addition. Kim is keeping them hidden in her closet for now and we will hand them out when we get to the airport.I'm going to call and add the Memory Maker to our account today. I hope I understand it correctly. Here's how I *think* it works...
...Add MM to my MDE account...
...Kim and Brad are listed in my Friends & Family and so are their kids...
...All of our pictures will be added to the account by scanning any of our MB's???...
...When I get home, I can upload all of the photos to my computer and burn a CD so that we can save the pictures and print them at a later time...
I am still a bit confused. Kim's family has a few meals planned without us (Tusker House character breakfast, O'hana character breakfast) and I know that she will have a lot of ride pictures in the parks too. I want to make sure that those pictures will show up in our account just by scanning her MB. We are sharing the cost of the package so I want to make sure that the photos from both of our families will all be included, even when we are split up.
On a different note, my practice pack was successful
...at least for MY stuff. I have plenty of room in my carry on and I should not have anything (not even my sandals) that needs to be checked. That leaves our entire checked bag available for Kevin's stuff and any souvenirs that we bring home. I may be able to loosen my rule of "if it doesn't fit in your fanny pack, you can't have it as a souvenir".I've been perusing the photos of the F&W booths and the reviews look great
. It all makes me so hungry...and disappointed in myself that I did not successfully lose the 10 pounds I was trying to drop. When DH and I did the W&D 1/2 Marathon last year, my training helped me drop down to my lowest weight of my adult life (153 pounds!). When I came back, though, my motivation to train was gone (no RunDisney events on my horizon) so I pretty much stopped running. I gained a bunch of weight (16 pounds!) and I've been trying to get back to 160 before we leave. I'm still right around 165 but I have only myself to blame. We've been trying to stick to a budget and eat on the cheap, but that has translated into a lot of $5 Little Caesar's pizzas and $1 McChicken sandwiches. I am planning on a trip next year and it WILL be a RunDisney trip. We are either going to do the Expedition Everest Challenge as a family (assuming that they have it!) or I decided that I will go back on my own in October and try the Tower of Terror 10-miler. Either way, I will have an event to train for....and onto yet another topic...
I purchased EBCI for our return trip this past week. I decided that it was worth the $50 to not have to try and find reliable service and try to check us in from the park on the afternoon before we leave. Kim still hasn't bought hers yet
, but she is only going to purchase it for Brad and Olivia. Since Emilee will be using her car seat, and she is only 2, I would assume that Kim and Em will be eligible for family boarding (between A and B) so there's really no reason to buy EBCI for them. On the way down, we decided to skip it altogether. I don't foresee us having a problem sitting somewhat together on the way down. We are flying out of Flint at 7am on a Sunday...I wonder how many folks will be setting their alarm like me and getting up at 6:30am on a Saturday. We are hoping to sit like this...Emilee/Olivia/Kim>>>>Me/Kaedyn/Kamryn
Stranger/Stranger/Brad>>>Kevin/Stranger/Stranger
That way, the girls can keep themselves entertained by sharing their video viewing devices, Kim and I can chit chat across the aisle while keeping the kids in their row, and the boys can be left alone to sleep
If we have to, Kim and I can move to the middle seats and sit between the kids.That's all for this installment...Time to go surprise Kaedyn at school
. It's her birthday today and DH and I are going to "steal" her from school and take her out to lunch...she has no idea.
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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I talked to Kim this morning and she asked me to add the EBCI for her. She is swamped at work and keeps putting it off so I offered to take care of it for her. I successfully added the EBCI to Brad and Olivia's reservation for the trip home. Now, 6 of the 8 of us have it and Kim will board with Emilee during family boarding. This way, we don't have to keep a close eye on the time while we are trying to enjoy the last day at the park.
It's almost time to start checking the weather forecast. We are not 10 days out yet so I don't think current weather conditions are indicative of what we have to look forward to. I've traveled in October before and I remember it being cold at night (it was in the 40's at the MNSSHP in 2008
) and fairly warm during the day. This makes it hard to pack because I have to pack a nice combination of summer and fall clothing and hope that I chose the right stuff. It's so much easier when we travel the third week of June...it's going to be hot and wet...tank tops, shorts, a poncho and an umbrella and we are good to go
.
I just looked at the calendar...19 more days until we leave...but that translates into only NINE more days of work (11 if you include the days I plan to go in on overtime
)
It's almost time to start checking the weather forecast. We are not 10 days out yet so I don't think current weather conditions are indicative of what we have to look forward to. I've traveled in October before and I remember it being cold at night (it was in the 40's at the MNSSHP in 2008
) and fairly warm during the day. This makes it hard to pack because I have to pack a nice combination of summer and fall clothing and hope that I chose the right stuff. It's so much easier when we travel the third week of June...it's going to be hot and wet...tank tops, shorts, a poncho and an umbrella and we are good to go.I just looked at the calendar...19 more days until we leave...but that translates into only NINE more days of work
(11 if you include the days I plan to go in on overtime)
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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I know the trip is closing in because the nightmares have begun
. Last night, I had a dream that I was the only one in my family that did not have a boarding pass. We were lining up to board when I realized it so I threw my bag to DH and told him to take the girls and get on the plane. I rushed to the gate counter, only to find out that there was nobody working...so I ran out to the ticket counter and realized that my ID was in my bag that I gave to DH. So there I stood...family on the plane with my ID and me with no boarding pass and no way to get on the plane. I was freaking out and crying
. Thank goodness I woke up
.
. Last night, I had a dream that I was the only one in my family that did not have a boarding pass. We were lining up to board when I realized it so I threw my bag to DH and told him to take the girls and get on the plane. I rushed to the gate counter, only to find out that there was nobody working...so I ran out to the ticket counter and realized that my ID was in my bag that I gave to DH. So there I stood...family on the plane with my ID and me with no boarding pass and no way to get on the plane. I was freaking out and crying. Thank goodness I woke up.
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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I feel like I am sitting in the front seat of the Rock n Roller Coaster...stuck
. You know that feeling???...like you are about to start moving at warp speed, but right now, you're just sitting there??? That's how I feel right now. I feel like I have so much to do, but it is just too soon to start doing it. Between now and when we leave, DH and I have 2 days off together. My sister and I are both off this Saturday and Sunday, but that's it! I want to get packing SO bad, but I just don't know what the weather is going to be like. I looked at this week and the highs were in the upper 80's
, but it's October and that could change, right? I had planned on bringing 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of pants, a skirt, 4 t-shirts and a lightweight jacket. I still think that should be enough for each of us (well, skip the skirt for DH and substitute it with his khaki pants) Does that sound like a "balanced" wardrobe? We plan on doing laundry in our villa every night. That way, we will always have clean clothes in the morning.
I am getting anxiety over the smallest things...what kind of rental car will we get? What group will we board in on our flight? How nice will the pool be at our pre-flight hotel? How much will my sister and her family love Kidani Village?....
The biggest anxiety I am having is WILL THE KIDS LIKE THEIR SURPRISE??? I know, it seems like a no-brainer, but my girls (particularly Kamryn) are getting to an age where the younger kids are "pests". It varies from day to day as to whether or not Olivia is their best buddy or the world's biggest PITA
. DH and I are really hoping that this surprise does not backfire and blow up in our face.
. You know that feeling???...like you are about to start moving at warp speed, but right now, you're just sitting there??? That's how I feel right now. I feel like I have so much to do, but it is just too soon to start doing it. Between now and when we leave, DH and I have 2 days off together. My sister and I are both off this Saturday and Sunday, but that's it! I want to get packing SO bad, but I just don't know what the weather is going to be like. I looked at this week and the highs were in the upper 80's, but it's October and that could change, right? I had planned on bringing 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of pants, a skirt, 4 t-shirts and a lightweight jacket. I still think that should be enough for each of us (well, skip the skirt for DH and substitute it with his khaki pants) Does that sound like a "balanced" wardrobe? We plan on doing laundry in our villa every night. That way, we will always have clean clothes in the morning.I am getting anxiety over the smallest things...what kind of rental car will we get? What group will we board in on our flight? How nice will the pool be at our pre-flight hotel? How much will my sister and her family love Kidani Village
?....The biggest anxiety I am having is WILL THE KIDS LIKE THEIR SURPRISE???
I know, it seems like a no-brainer, but my girls (particularly Kamryn) are getting to an age where the younger kids are "pests". It varies from day to day as to whether or not Olivia is their best buddy or the world's biggest PITA. DH and I are really hoping that this surprise does not backfire and blow up in our face.
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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We leave in 7 days so I figured it was time. I have today and tomorrow off of work, then I work M-W-F next week. Thursday is my birthday
...but DH works all day and the girls will be in school. I decided that instead of cramming to pack on that day, I will use my alone time to get a haircut and pedicure, then just chill.
I got the girls packed up too and their clothes only took up half of their backpacks! That means that they will have plenty of room for souvenirs and all their electronics. Kaedyn got a laptop for her birthday so if course she wants to bring it
.
I'm going to do my best to chill this week and just let the days go by. It will be very hard not to focus on the trip, but I've got to take my mind off of it or the waiting will drive me crazy.
. I have today and tomorrow off of work, then I work M-W-F next week. Thursday is my birthday...but DH works all day and the girls will be in school. I decided that instead of cramming to pack on that day, I will use my alone time to get a haircut and pedicure, then just chill.I got the girls packed up too and their clothes only took up half of their backpacks! That means that they will have plenty of room for souvenirs and all their electronics. Kaedyn got a laptop for her birthday so if course she wants to bring it
.I'm going to do my best to chill this week and just let the days go by. It will be very hard not to focus on the trip, but I've got to take my mind off of it or the waiting will drive me crazy
.
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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Well here I sit at work....counting the hours (9.25 to be exact) until I punch out for the week...
Back at home, almost everything is packed. I have to stop at my sister's house on the way home and pick up the suitcase. DH is going some final laundry today and I will throw some of that into the bags. By then, it will be about time to hit the hay. I have the alarm set for 6:30am since I will have to check us in for our flight at 6:50am.
We have to drop of the dogs around 10:15 and, as luck would have it, the exit we need will be closed while they replace the bridge. So I have to figure out how long the detour is going to take us. I have to pick up the rental car at 11:30 and then pack it all up. I am planning on being on the road to Flint by about 2:30.
I've hit that last-minute anxiety point...my stomach is rumbling, I have no appetite and I can't sleep! I'm just giddy with excitement and anticipation and sitting here in the ambulance, listening to Disney music, is not making the time go by any quicker...
Back at home, almost everything is packed. I have to stop at my sister's house on the way home and pick up the suitcase. DH is going some final laundry today and I will throw some of that into the bags. By then, it will be about time to hit the hay. I have the alarm set for 6:30am since I will have to check us in for our flight at 6:50am.
We have to drop of the dogs around 10:15 and, as luck would have it, the exit we need will be closed while they replace the bridge. So I have to figure out how long the detour is going to take us. I have to pick up the rental car at 11:30 and then pack it all up. I am planning on being on the road to Flint by about 2:30.
I've hit that last-minute anxiety point...my stomach is rumbling, I have no appetite and I can't sleep! I'm just giddy with excitement and anticipation and sitting here in the ambulance, listening to Disney music, is not making the time go by any quicker...
JAMIESMITH
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I'm really excited for you! Have a fun and safe trip 
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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...and boy, do we have some strange boarding numbers. I opened 4 windows and pre-loaded everyone's information. I started with Kaedy, then Kam, then DH and finally me. When the time came, I clicked the "check in" in each window in order. Then I went back through each window to confirm the check in. Somehow, it checked in DH 3 times, me once, and the girls didn't go through at all. So I had to quickly go back and re-do the girls' check ins and now it's all a mess. I have A36, DH is A39, Kam is A52 and Kaedy is B5! My sister's computer locked up on her so I quickly did hers too. They got B9, B10, B15 and B16. The last two are Kim and Emilee who will do family boarding.
The girls are starting to wake up now and we have to leave in about 90 minutes to get the dogs to the kennel. Then, I will go pick up the rental car and get the last minute stuff together.
. I opened 4 windows and pre-loaded everyone's information. I started with Kaedy, then Kam, then DH and finally me. When the time came, I clicked the "check in" in each window in order. Then I went back through each window to confirm the check in. Somehow, it checked in DH 3 times, me once, and the girls didn't go through at all. So I had to quickly go back and re-do the girls' check ins and now it's all a mess. I have A36, DH is A39, Kam is A52 and Kaedy is B5! My sister's computer locked up on her so I quickly did hers too. They got B9, B10, B15 and B16. The last two are Kim and Emilee who will do family boarding.The girls are starting to wake up now and we have to leave in about 90 minutes to get the dogs to the kennel. Then, I will go pick up the rental car and get the last minute stuff together.
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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Updates...
Out rental is a beautiful Ford Escape....leather, full sunroof, the works! Love it! My DD11 said we need to get rid of my Suburban and keep the Escape.
We made it to the hotel in plenty of time. We grabbed dinner a across the street at a place called What's Shake'n. Yummy! After dinner, DH and the kids went for a swim while I went to Tim Hortons to grab breakfast for tomorrow. The girls got showered and ready for bed and then we all played some cards until Kaedy pooped out. She decided that she was ready to call it a night....at 6:00! By 6:45, Kam was asleep!
It's now 7 and DH and I are going to listen to the Red Wings' game and hope that Kaedy falls asleep soon. She's so tired but she gets so anxious that she has a lot of trouble falling asleep. She had some melatonin so that will help eventually.
Kim and her family are at a different hotel. So far, her kids think the hotel is the surprise! She said Olivia was so excited she almost cried. I can't wait until tomorrow when hey find out they are going to Disney World'
That's all for tonight. It's time to try and sleep...yeah right!
Out rental is a beautiful Ford Escape....leather, full sunroof, the works! Love it! My DD11 said we need to get rid of my Suburban and keep the Escape.
We made it to the hotel in plenty of time. We grabbed dinner a across the street at a place called What's Shake'n. Yummy! After dinner, DH and the kids went for a swim while I went to Tim Hortons to grab breakfast for tomorrow. The girls got showered and ready for bed and then we all played some cards until Kaedy pooped out. She decided that she was ready to call it a night....at 6:00! By 6:45, Kam was asleep!
It's now 7 and DH and I are going to listen to the Red Wings' game and hope that Kaedy falls asleep soon. She's so tired but she gets so anxious that she has a lot of trouble falling asleep. She had some melatonin so that will help eventually.
Kim and her family are at a different hotel. So far, her kids think the hotel is the surprise! She said Olivia was so excited she almost cried. I can't wait until tomorrow when hey find out they are going to Disney World'
That's all for tonight. It's time to try and sleep...yeah right!
disfanforlife
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I can't believe I just found your report on the day you are leaving! I remember talking to you when we were buying the tickets through that ebates deal. I hope you have a wonderful trip!!!
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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So far, everything has been great! We got to the airport about 5 minutes before Kim and we were both running late. While I dropped off the rental car keys, Brad pulled up to the door and dropped off the family. I told my girls to go outside and "help that poor lady with all her luggage". First they resisted, but quickly realized that something was up. Kam looked at me and said, "Mom! That's Aunt Kim!"....then they figured it out
. Their reaction was a combination of excited and mad at me for keeping it a secret!
The flight was great. We ended up sitting Emilee, Kim and Brad in one row with Kevin, Kaedy and Olivia across from them. Kam and I say behind Kevin's row and the middle seat stayed empty. The flight was on time and even landed 20 minutes early.
We are on the DME bus right now. Since we are staying at Kidani Village, we are the last stop. It's all good...the kids will get to see Pop Century and AoA...and Kim's kids still don't know where we are staying
. Their reaction was a combination of excited and mad at me for keeping it a secret! The flight was great. We ended up sitting Emilee, Kim and Brad in one row with Kevin, Kaedy and Olivia across from them. Kam and I say behind Kevin's row and the middle seat stayed empty. The flight was on time and even landed 20 minutes early.
We are on the DME bus right now. Since we are staying at Kidani Village, we are the last stop. It's all good...the kids will get to see Pop Century and AoA...and Kim's kids still don't know where we are staying
JAMIESMITH
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I love that you sent them to help with their aunt and cousin's luggage! Awesome! I can't wait for their reactions at AKV! I would love to stay there myself someday
kristenrice
NOT just an ambulance driver
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Sorry it took so long to get back on this report...
First, the resort...Kidani Village was wonderful. The girls were not as awestruck as I thought they would be, but they really enjoyed the room. We were in the second "bead" from the lobby on the north side. It was not a long walk at all. The only disappointment was that the Uwanja Camp (water play area) was completely closed
. We only swam one afternoon, but it was a little disappointing that the younger kids had to miss out on it. I had no idea it was down for refurbishment.
Let me back up a minute...when we got off the plane and headed for the DME bus, Kim realized that she had LOST Olivia's magic band. There we were in the atrium of MCO, digging through every bag we had, trying to find that magic, yellow band. Unfortunately, we were out of luck. I told Kim that she would get a replacement band at the resort, but it would be gray and not have her name on it. Oh, the horror! Olivia was devastated that she could not have her YELLOW band
.
We arrived at the resort and when we went to check in, we told them about the band. The CM that checked us in went to the back to get a band for her...and came out with a YELLOW one
. I don't know who was more excited, Kim or Olivia. When all that drama subsided, we checked our bags at bell services and headed off to Epcot.
At Epcot, we had FP+ for Mission:Space (the first time in 15 trips that I have ever gone on that ride!), Test Track and Spaceship Earth. We did all of those and even managed to snag some food at ONE F&W booth. We were famished when we arrived at Epcot since it was about 1pm and our dinner ADR wasn't until 4:30. We opted to grab some pineapple chicken at the Refreshment Port and DH went over to Canada for a filet and cheddar cheese soup. That "lunch" cost about $25 total.
We ate at Garden Grill for dinner. The food was delicious and the service was acceptable. There was no "magic" or "pixie dust", but our refills were timely and the food was hot and tasty. I loved the salad, and I am not much of a salad eater, but that was delicious. The characters came around a few times and the younger girls really enjoyed the photo ops and autographs. That was our first visit there and we may or may not be back. The food was wonderful, but Kamryn (age 11) ate a little macaroni and cheese and a couple bites of mashed potatoes. I just can't stomach paying $38 for her when she eats so little. It's much more cost-effective for us to split meals at a la carte restaurants. I paid the bill for the 8 of us since I have the TIW card and it came to $258. That includes the (4) beers that DH had at $6 each
After dinner, we meandered back to the resort to check out our room. We had an order from Garden Grocer that was delivered with our bags. Everything in the order was correct...except they gave us 4 boxes of frozen sausage instead of 2, but that is an error I can live with. We bought eggs from the resort store since they are actually cheaper than they were through GG, and we were all set for the week.
Day 2 (AK): I started the day as the "genius" of the bunch
. We arrived right around 9:05 (and the park opened at 9) to find a huge throng of people at the turnstiles. Then it hit me...there is the "secret" entrance to the park from the Rainforest Cafe
! We walked through the gift shop and found NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON waiting to go through! We all scanned our MB's and walked right in...no waiting
...my DH saw the fruits of my labor from years of reading the DisBoards
. We separated our group after we all rode EE and Kilimanjaro Safaris since Kim's family had a 10:30am breakfast at Tusker House. My family headed for Dinoland and ride Dinosaur...and then the family talked me into "enjoying" Primeval Whirl...
. I have now renamed it "Primeval HURL". I was so dizzy when I got off that ride, I was stumbling down the exit. The kids were laughing at me while DH was trying to hold me up. I knew that spinning rides tended to give me nausea, but I had no idea the vertigo would be that bad. I took one for the team and I will never do it again.
After my head stopped spinning, we decided to grab some lunch before heading over to the Studios. We went to the Yak n Yeti counter-service location and had a great meal. We ordered the honey chicken with rice and a basket of French fries, along with a large soda. We weren't stuffed, but it was plenty to tide the four of us over until dinner. It cost right around $20 and it reaffirmed my decision to forego the dining plan from now on. After that, I was conned into riding Kali River Rapids. I hate water rides and I can't stand walking around in wet clothes, but since it was going to be our last ride of the day, I sucked it up and did it....and of course, I got soaked. We decided to walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek to dry off a bit before heading to the bus stop.
We took the bus to the Studios and rode Rock n Roller Coaster. That ride did me in. What had been a mild headache had blasted into a full-blown migraine right after the first loop. I was so miserable, I had to skip one of my favorite rides, the Tower of Terror. DH rode it with the girls while I hunted down some water and a quiet, shaded place. After they were done, we met up with Kim and the gang at Star Tours...another ride I have to skip due to the motion sickness. Kim had brought my migraine medicine from the room so I downed a few of those and took little Emilee to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground while the rest of the group rode Star Tours. After that, Kevin and Kam went back to ToT again and Kaedy and I went to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I needed a rest and that was the perfect opportunity.
Eventually, we landed at 50's Prime Time Cafe...or "Ma's Kitchen" as my kids call it. We were seated within 5 minutes and our server was perfect. He had the perfect balance of "spiel" without being too over the top. We started with onion rings for our appetizer. DH and Kam got milkshakes for their beverage/dessert. Kaedy and I split the sampler, Kam had the kid's macaroni and cheese and Kevin had the pot roast. For dessert, we shared the Boston Cream Parfait. YUM!! I think our total was around $80 for the 4 of us. After dinner, we were all exhausted and nobody wanted to stick it out with me to watch Fantasmic. Alas, my all-time favorite thing to do at WDW would have to wait until our next trip. I was disappointed, but I still was not feeling my best (those migraine pills really knock me out!) so it was the right decision.
Stay tuned...I'll try to remember Tuesday....
...First, the resort...Kidani Village was wonderful. The girls were not as awestruck as I thought they would be, but they really enjoyed the room. We were in the second "bead" from the lobby on the north side. It was not a long walk at all. The only disappointment was that the Uwanja Camp (water play area) was completely closed
. We only swam one afternoon, but it was a little disappointing that the younger kids had to miss out on it. I had no idea it was down for refurbishment.Let me back up a minute...when we got off the plane and headed for the DME bus, Kim realized that she had LOST Olivia's magic band
. There we were in the atrium of MCO, digging through every bag we had, trying to find that magic, yellow band. Unfortunately, we were out of luck. I told Kim that she would get a replacement band at the resort, but it would be gray and not have her name on it. Oh, the horror! Olivia was devastated that she could not have her YELLOW band. We arrived at the resort and when we went to check in, we told them about the band. The CM that checked us in went to the back to get a band for her...and came out with a YELLOW one
. I don't know who was more excited, Kim or Olivia. When all that drama subsided, we checked our bags at bell services and headed off to Epcot.At Epcot, we had FP+ for Mission:Space (the first time in 15 trips that I have ever gone on that ride!), Test Track and Spaceship Earth. We did all of those and even managed to snag some food at ONE F&W booth. We were famished when we arrived at Epcot since it was about 1pm and our dinner ADR wasn't until 4:30. We opted to grab some pineapple chicken at the Refreshment Port and DH went over to Canada for a filet and cheddar cheese soup. That "lunch" cost about $25 total.
We ate at Garden Grill for dinner. The food was delicious and the service was acceptable. There was no "magic" or "pixie dust", but our refills were timely and the food was hot and tasty. I loved the salad, and I am not much of a salad eater, but that was delicious. The characters came around a few times and the younger girls really enjoyed the photo ops and autographs. That was our first visit there and we may or may not be back. The food was wonderful, but Kamryn (age 11) ate a little macaroni and cheese and a couple bites of mashed potatoes. I just can't stomach paying $38 for her when she eats so little. It's much more cost-effective for us to split meals at a la carte restaurants. I paid the bill for the 8 of us since I have the TIW card and it came to $258. That includes the (4) beers that DH had at $6 each
After dinner, we meandered back to the resort to check out our room. We had an order from Garden Grocer that was delivered with our bags. Everything in the order was correct...except they gave us 4 boxes of frozen sausage instead of 2, but that is an error I can live with. We bought eggs from the resort store since they are actually cheaper than they were through GG, and we were all set for the week.Day 2 (AK): I started the day as the "genius" of the bunch
. We arrived right around 9:05 (and the park opened at 9) to find a huge throng of people at the turnstiles. Then it hit me...there is the "secret" entrance to the park from the Rainforest Cafe! We walked through the gift shop and found NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON waiting to go through! We all scanned our MB's and walked right in...no waiting...my DH saw the fruits of my labor from years of reading the DisBoards. We separated our group after we all rode EE and Kilimanjaro Safaris since Kim's family had a 10:30am breakfast at Tusker House. My family headed for Dinoland and ride Dinosaur...and then the family talked me into "enjoying" Primeval Whirl.... I have now renamed it "Primeval HURL". I was so dizzy when I got off that ride, I was stumbling down the exit. The kids were laughing at me while DH was trying to hold me up. I knew that spinning rides tended to give me nausea, but I had no idea the vertigo would be that bad. I took one for the team and I will never do it again. After my head stopped spinning, we decided to grab some lunch before heading over to the Studios. We went to the Yak n Yeti counter-service location and had a great meal. We ordered the honey chicken with rice and a basket of French fries, along with a large soda. We weren't stuffed, but it was plenty to tide the four of us over until dinner. It cost right around $20 and it reaffirmed my decision to forego the dining plan from now on. After that, I was conned into riding Kali River Rapids. I hate water rides and I can't stand walking around in wet clothes, but since it was going to be our last ride of the day, I sucked it up and did it....and of course, I got soaked. We decided to walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek to dry off a bit before heading to the bus stop.
We took the bus to the Studios and rode Rock n Roller Coaster. That ride did me in
. What had been a mild headache had blasted into a full-blown migraine right after the first loop. I was so miserable, I had to skip one of my favorite rides, the Tower of Terror. DH rode it with the girls while I hunted down some water and a quiet, shaded place. After they were done, we met up with Kim and the gang at Star Tours...another ride I have to skip due to the motion sickness. Kim had brought my migraine medicine from the room so I downed a few of those and took little Emilee to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground while the rest of the group rode Star Tours. After that, Kevin and Kam went back to ToT again and Kaedy and I went to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I needed a rest and that was the perfect opportunity.Eventually, we landed at 50's Prime Time Cafe...or "Ma's Kitchen" as my kids call it
. We were seated within 5 minutes and our server was perfect. He had the perfect balance of "spiel" without being too over the top. We started with onion rings for our appetizer. DH and Kam got milkshakes for their beverage/dessert. Kaedy and I split the sampler, Kam had the kid's macaroni and cheese and Kevin had the pot roast. For dessert, we shared the Boston Cream Parfait. YUM!! I think our total was around $80 for the 4 of us. After dinner, we were all exhausted and nobody wanted to stick it out with me to watch Fantasmic. Alas, my all-time favorite thing to do at WDW would have to wait until our next trip. I was disappointed, but I still was not feeling my best (those migraine pills really knock me out!) so it was the right decision.Stay tuned...I'll try to remember Tuesday....
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