IluvKingLouis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,658
Sorry, I tend to be a bit wordy but I was also writing this to have something for our family to look back on. I hope this is the correct way to post 
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The Group
Elaine Boorstein-Matthes: Mom, 42 WDW veteran/owner of website and graphic design business
Glen Matthes: Dad, 37 WDW veteran/Technical Senior Manager
Linnea: DD not quite three; this will be her third trip
Grandma: third trip to WDW
Travel method: car
Accomodations: two adjoining rooms at Radisson Parkway (now Radisson Celebration)
Dates: Nov 30th - December 3rd 2005
Background
My husband, who grew up in Florida, has visited WDW several times a year as it was just several hours from his home. Shortly after we became engaged (in 1996) we went together; it was our pre-honeymoon honeymoon and my first trip to WDW. (Since our actual honeymoon involved 10 days of hiking and camping throughout Utahs canyon country, Im glad we had had a week of being pampered WDW style).
Since our first trip together, weve averaged a trip a year. Sometimes there would be a few years between trips, and other years, business travel would dictate extra visits. In any case, we consider ourselves regulars.
Our daughter was born in 2003, and we took our first trip with her when she was 9 months. We knew we would be vacationing with a baby, and decided on WDW because of the baby centers and the overall family friendly environment. Linnea was 20 months on our second trip with her. I relied heavily on the trip reports when we started traveling with her, focusing on the ones that involved babies and toddlers. Now Im finally getting around writing our first trip report, as Id like to reassure parents traveling with small ones that its a great experience and a manageable one. Not to mention that its about darn time I wrote a trip report!
Planning
Linnea will still be under three, so no need to be worried about her ticket. My mother will be coming with us, which she did last year as well. We plan to rent a minivan and drive out there from Colorado. This usually takes us 2.5 -3 days. Because my mother is on oxygen, this is the most feasible way for us to travel, as we will need to transport a large oxygen tank.
In the past, weve bought annual passes and have tried to plan two trips per pass. At that time, 10 days was breakeven for an annual pass. We usually were able to plan *two* ten day trips, thus averaging $21.00 per park visit (plus perks --- free parking, dining discounts, etc). Worst case, if we were unable to return within the12 month period, we had hit breakeven on our first trip. (We always viewed trip number two as free --- at least in the sense of park entrance). Now, however, the park hopper passes have come down so much in price (especially the 10 day one), we feel its best to go that route. We will stay for 10 days, so there is no need to buy the non-expiring option. Im still debating on buying just *one* AP for the parking benefit and for the ability to purchase the Disney Dining Experience at a discount. (I probably would not buy the DDE at its full price as its so close to what I expect we would save). The AP costs $170.00 more, of which we would save $90.00 in parking, and $25.00 on the DDE program, and unknown$$ on the DDE savings (above and beyond the breakeven of $250.00). If we were to return within 12 months, those visits would be free to the AP holder. I think this is the way to go but *only* if we know we are returning before the AP expires. If we dont return, I calculate that wed be close to break even +(-) $20.00 ..can you tell I use to be in finance?
We normally stay at the Radisson Resort Parkway. Weve stayed on property only once, while on one of my husbands business trips, during which we stayed at the Dolphin. Ive compared costs to the various Disney resorts, and just cant beat the online rate of $59.00 that Ive been able to get for the Radisson. Another Radisson perk is that they participate in Gold Points. This is a very nice hotel too. Besides being very clean, there are down comforters on the beds, marble and granite in the bathrooms, and its just five minutes from Disney property. The pools and the landscaping are very tropical and have captured the feeling of a Resort property.
Arrived ---arrived late on Tuesday (November 30th, 2005)
Since we were driving to Florida we were uncertain when exactly we would arrive. We had decided since we werent buying annual passes this time that if we arrived late in the day we would just hang out at Downtown Disney.
We checked into the hotel around 4pm. Our room was starting to show some wear and tear. Parts of the resort are undergoing major renovations. I will be asking for a newly renovated room the next time. It was still comfortable, and you just cant beat the location.
We headed towards DD. Linnea was very excited. When she saw the Circ De Soleil tent, she asked us, is that the castle? We told her shed see the castle tomorrow. She is so excited about seeing the Castle and all the Princesses.
We had a great time walking around DD. At the Disney store I found a set of plastic figures from Snow White (with all the dwarves and even the Prince). Linnea has been asking for a Snow White birthday cake for over 6 months, and the grocery stores arent making that one (Cinderella is the Princess du jour). These will be perfect, they are the right size and Im glad I found them in plastic. As a last resort, I had planned to buy a small ceramic Snow White and maybe a few ceramic dwarves.
We ate at the Earl of Sandwich. It was our first time there, and we thought it was a good value and everything tasted great. I had the Cobb salad ( I really liked how they toss it in front of you and I was able to request less dressing), my mother and husband each had a sandwich (I cant remember which ones) and my daughter had the childrens grilled cheese. It was a great location too as there was a lot of entertainment right outside. We listened to some carolers then watched a magician. Linnea was having such a great time. She road the small train (twice --- that girl is train crazy) and then we walked around soaking in the Disney atmosphere.
It was getting late so we headed back to the van. Once in the van, Linnea said in the saddest voice, I dont get to see Snow White. I dont get to see Mary Poppins. I dont get to see Cinderella. I guess she thought that was the entire vacation. We explained to her that wed be going back tomorrow, and for several days after that and wed get to see all her friends. She was fine with that. Its so nice when two year olds get to the point where you can reason with them and theres no melt down!
Day 1 --- Wednesday (December 1st, 2005)
We decided to head into Magic Kingdom, primarily because I knew Linnea had her heart set on seeing the castle and princesses. As we were taking the monorail in (we were riding backwards) I told her to turn around so she would be able to see the castle. She did, and gasped. I believe its the first time Ive heard her do that.
We saw Pluto as we were entering the park. Linnea started to run right up to him. We had to catch her and explain that we needed to wait our turn in line. She was good about the whole line thing once it was explained to her.
We secured spots for the second showing of Cinderellabration. While we were waiting I went to get fast passes for Winnie the Pooh. We waited a bit longer. The main entrance to the castle became clear again (it was blocked off from the first show), which revealed the carousel. So my husband and DD headed off to ride the carousel. By the time they were done the castle was blocked off and they had to walk around the long way.
The show was great. My DD sat on my husbands shoulders, and I have never seen her with such big eyes. When Snow White came walking in, she gasped, and whispered to herself Snow White!, .I have to admit I got teary. I was glad we were able to alleviate her disappointment from the night before. Just wait until she actually has lunch and breakfast with her friends!
Afterwards we did Winnie the Pooh. We then did the teacups. I wasnt sure if she would like it, but she sure seemed too. We then went on Mickeys Philharmagic definitely my favorite 3-D movie and the wait was just 10 minutes. Next we headed to Small World, which she loved. We then made the mistake of going on Dumbo. The line time said 45 minutes, and my husband was prepared to stand there for that length of time. After about 45 minutes, and once they were close to the front of the line, the ride kept breaking. It would go up and down twice, then everyones elephant went straight up for a rotation then came down and stopped. The ride operators were on the phones trying to figure out what to do. To make a long story short, after waiting for over an hour, my husband and daughter had a ride that lasted less then 20 seconds. We decided we would not do that ride again for the duration of the trip.
We headed over to Cosmic Rays for lunch. By this time it was close to three, and they werent too busy. My husband and daughter had chicken tenders, my mother had a chicken sandwich and I had the vegetarian wrap. I highly recommend the vegetarian wrap, but I really like hummus and not everyone cares for it.
We bought DD a hat at Merchant of Venus to help keep the sun out of her face. We walked around a bit more but the crowds were really picking up and we decided to head back to the hotel.
My husband, daughter and I had dinner at Giordanos, a restaurant my husband and I ate at in the Chicago area 8 years ago. The pizza was very good, and the guy walking around making the balloon animals was great. He made my daughter a parrot that was orange and green, just like our real parrot, Tico. She was thrilled that she had Tico to play with, as we have all been missing the little guy.
Day2 --- Thursday (December 2nd, 2005)
Today we headed to Epcot. We would be meeting up with my husbands sister, her husband and their little girl (a year older then Linnea). We started our day at the Character Connection. Linnea got to see Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Turk and Donald Duck. I was a little sad that they eliminated the Character Parade, but I do think this works out better for the kids that have their hearts set on meeting the characters one on one.
We went on the Imagination ride, and then headed into the World Showcase. We went on the boat rides in Mexico and then Norway. Then we headed over to Mission Space, as that was our meeting area. As a group we visited for a while, said hi to both Mickey and Pluto dressed in space suits. After that it was on to Ellens Energy Adventure. Linnea did better then I expected during the ride portion with the dinosaurs. We had told her that everything was pretend, and if she got scared, she could close her eyes and put her head on Daddys lap. That worked out well, and she did do that a few times on that ride.
We split up shortly afterwards, and the four of us (mom, DD, DH, and myself) decided to head over the Canada for lunch. Glen and I had eaten there during a visit in 1998 and really enjoyed it. Upon arriving we found out reservations were definitely necessary. I guess its now become quite a popular restaurant. Our next plan was to head out to Boardwalk and go to the Big River Grill and Brewery for lunch. I still had a coupon for 10% off with no expiration date, and its really pretty good food. I had the grilled tuna sandwich, and everyone else had burgers.
After lunch we walked around the Boardwalk area, and took the boat over to the other side. We stopped at the beach area so that Linnea could play in the sand. Its amazing how at this age they can take such delight in something that does not involve a park hopper pass!
We spent the rest of the day in Epcot. We caught up with Linneas cousin and let the two girls play in the maize in England. Linnea got to see Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger and Mary Poppins. One of the CMs in England called to see where other characters would be appearing. Belle and Beast were about to make an appearance in France so we headed there next. Afterwards, we continued to stroll around World Showcase. We stopped at the African Outpost and Linnea played drums along with the entertainers (and other children). That may have been the highlight of her day. We went on the boat in Mexico again. Lastly we went on Spaceship Earth, then went back to our hotel.
For dinner, we went to Ruby Tuesdays on Irlo Bronson. Im hooked on their salad bar. It was nice and relaxing there. I know some folks like to stay at the parks the entire day, but I really enjoy a nice quiet dinner away from all the noise.
Day 3 ---Friday (December 3rd, 2005)
Today we headed back to MK. We knew they would be taping for the Christmas Parade, and felt it was a good chance to get on a lot of the Fantasyland rides without the crowds. It turned out we had guessed correctly, and enjoyed walk on rides (occasionally a 10 minute wait) for the first few hours. We went on Snow White, and Linnea told us that it was too very scary with the witch. Peter Pan, however, was a hit and we did that twice in a row. Next we did Its a Small World, twice in a row as well.
For lunch, we went to Harbor House. I had the vegetarian chili. It was a little on the soupy side but it tasted good. My mother had the salad, and my husband and daughter had chicken strips.
After lunch we asked Linnea if she wanted to go on the Haunted Mansion, but she had already decided it would be too scary, and we didnt want to push it. We went on the Country Bear Jamboree, and got to see their Christmas version. It was a big hit. We went on the Pirates of the Caribean, and Linnea seemed to be ok but didnt want to do it a second time. Just as well, as there was a bit of a wait to do that one. Jungle Cruise had short lines (that usually is not the case) so we went on that one. We had a great CM, and we all enjoyed that ride.
We did the Tiki room, which is a little scary at the end. I really miss the original show. I feel the original show was a bit less scary.
The line for the Magic Carpets was pretty short, and we did that one twice in a row. Its a much better queue then the Dumbo ride. I think the fact that you get assigned a carpet while in the queue helps with the efficiency. After our second trip on the Magic Carpets, Aladdin appeared. Linnea was so happy to meet him!
We treated ourselves to an ice cream break. Mom, DH and DD had ice cream at the stand next to the Magic Carpets. I had heard about the Dole Pineapple whips, and decided to find that stand. Im glad I did. I had the pineapple soft serve float (served in fresh pineapple juice), it was very good.
Linnea and DH went on the Tree House twice. My daughter really loved that one. I remember going on the one at Disneyland when I was 4 and thought it was really neat.
It began raining, so I had the *bright* idea to take the train from Adventureland back to the main entrance. All would have gone well, but the train broke down at Mickeys Toontown Fair. So we ended up walking in very heavy rain back to the entrance.
It was getting crowded and cold, and we had done so much that we were all in agreement that it was a good time to leave.
We went back to the hotel to relax, and decided on Ruby Tuesdays again.
Day 4---Saturday (December 3rd, 2005)
Today was our Princess lunch day in Norway. When we arrived at Epcot, we went to the Living Seas. We wanted to see Crush, but there was such a long line. So instead we just looked at the fish. We let Linnea wear her Snow White dress since she would be having lunch with the Princesses. She really enjoyed being a princess.
We headed over to the Land to do the Living with the Land boat ride. The posted time, given the length of the line was 45 minutes. Ironically, Fast Pass return time was in 45 minutes so we did that instead. I headed over to Soarin and we decided to meet up in roughly 40 minutes. I loved Soarin! It is one of my new favorites. After the ride I thought about getting a fast pass, but the line for the fast pass was huge! We all met up and went on Living with the Land. Its one of my moms favorite rides, and I think its pretty neat too. Linnea enjoyed seeing all the produce being grown. This ride always inspires me to garden!
We were starting to get hungry, and our lunch reservations were for 2:50, so the four of us shared two pretzels to help tie us over. I went on Mission Space (I think this is my favorite ride and I like that they have a singles line), and then we headed into the World Showcase. We went on the boat ride in Mexico again (I think we did it twice). Upon leaving they had musicians playing outside the Pyramid. Linnea found another little girl and the two of them danced together. She is definitely not a shy girl!
We headed over to Norway, and there was music there as well. This time Linnea found another little girl dressed as Cinderalla and the two of them held hands and danced together. They were drawing quite a bit of attention from folks that had gathered around. It was very cute.
Eventually it was time for lunch! I should mention that Akershus has always been my favorite WDW restaurant. I have a Swedish mother and have spent time in Scandinavia so this is food I truly enjoy. I was very disappointed when they turned it into a character meal restaurant for all three meals. Usually we would eat here twice on our trips. Now itll never be more then once, and the atmosphere is not at all relaxing like is use to be. The food is still good (to my taste anyway) as I enjoy all the fresh salads and fish. I had the trout, and it was pretty good. I was hoping to have the salmon, but they only serve salmon as a sandwich now. Linnea met Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle. She had her picture taken with Arial upon arriving. Linnea thoroughly loved the experience and our waiter was terrific. He and my mother spoke a combination of Norwegian and Swedish to each other. Both languages are similar, and most Swedes learn a little Norwegian and visa versa. I was uncertain about the character meal at my favorite restaurant along with the higher price for essentially the same food. But I have to say the extra $10.00 is worth it, as it now includes beverage and dessert and my daughter loved the experience. (Id be happy if it went back to the way it was, but thats just not going to happen as they are able to pack this place even though most people think the food is weird).
We walked around World Showcase, did Spaceship Earth on the way out, and went back to the hotel.
For dinner we went to Publix and had some sandwiches made for us at the deli and picked up some snacks. We had a nice relaxing evening back at the hotel.
Day 5---Sunday (December 4th, 2005)
We headed to Animal Kingdom today. For the first time ever, we went to camp Minnie Mickey. We saw the Lion King Festival. It was amazing. I can see why this show gets such high marks. Linnea has never seen the movie, but she seemed to really enjoy the show. We also saw Christmas Mickey and Minnie.
The park was getting busy and crowded so I ran ahead to get Fast Pass tickets to Kilamanjaro safari ride. It was so packed! I have never seen AK this busy. Mom, my husband and DD finally caught up to me. By then we only had about 20 minutes before our Fast Passes kicked in. We loved the ride. Its one of my moms favorites. Its nice for Linnea as there is really nothing scary and lots of animals to look at. After we got off the ride the park was so packed it was hard to move. I dont believe Ive experienced Fantasyland this packed before. It was just too much for us, so we headed towards the front of the park. We decided to eat at Rainforest Café. I had a cobb salad, which is pretty good. Afterwards we decided to leave as it was just too crazy. I was a little disappointed as we didnt get to do Dinosaur or Its Tough to be a Bug.
We went to Walmart to pick up a few items that we needed, and to get some Disney tee shirts for Linnea.
All in all it had been a very short day at the park. So we (except for my mom) decided to go back to Epcot for the fireworks. Unfortunately Linnea went to sleep right before the show, and we were unable to wake her. Oh well, the two of us enjoyed the show.
Day 6---Monday (December 3rd, 2005)
Today was an MGM day. We did the Muppets 3-D first thing. Linnea really enjoyed that one. We saw Buzz and Woody, as well as Sully and Mike. Next we caught the Beauty and the Beast show. Linnea was mesmerized and declared after the show she wanted to see it again. (Sadly we were unable to catch a second show). I managed to sneak in a ride on Star Tours. Its the best walk on ride in Disney. I can remember waiting in line for Star Tours in Disneyland right after it opened and the line was over an hour long! We did Muppets a second time.
We knew the next few days were going to be cold and rainy and started to kick around the idea of adding the no expiration feature to our tickets and leaving with three days left that we could carry forward. We figured wed either be back in May, or possibly October. But with the no expiration feature we didnt have to worry about a time frame. In the past we would often buy an annual pass then we knew we needed to get back in eleven months or so to fully take advantage of the pass.
For the first time we went to The Brown Derby for lunch. Mom and I had the famed Cobb salad. I have to say that I dont care for how finely chopped it was. It was a little like eating baby food. I know a lot of people really like this salad, but I was just lukewarm on it. I really liked the atmosphere, and might try it again. Is it just me or does it seem like the Disney sit-down restaurants are air conditioned on the cold side? It seems that right after you are done, you really dont want to linger as it starts to become uncomfortably cold!
After lunch we went on the Great Movie Ride. We walked around a bit and stumbled onto a parade. I thought about going on Tower of Terror, but the line was too long and they dont have a singles line.
We took the boat from MGM to the Boardwalk area and walked around. We looked at the gingerbread display at the Swan.
Mom and I were still full from lunch, but Glen and Linnea needed some dinner. One of our best kept secrets is Tubbis Buffeteria in the lower level of the Dolphin. The food is quite good, reasonable, and there is never a crowd. Its such a nice quiet get-a-way. Even though you are ordering food from a cafeteria line, the tables feel more like a sit down restaurant. Its a nice break from most of the hectic counter service at Disney. Linnea had a grilled cheese sandwich and DH had a hamburger. By the way, they do have a good vegetarian burger here, which I had several years ago when we stayed at the Dolphin.
We took the boat back to MGM, and saw the Osborne Family Christmas lights. This has been our first trip to WDW during the holidays and its been a lot of fun. The weather has been perfect. I should qualify that by saying I like it when its just a tad brisk out. We rarely slipped on jackets.
Well back to our hotel. Tomorrow morning its breakfast with Lilo and Stitch.
Day 7---Monday (December 3rd, 2005)
We parked at MK and took the resort monorail to the Polynesian for breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. It was cold out! Very cloudy and looked like it would rain any minute.
The breakfast was a huge hit! Linnea loved it and the parade was a wonderful idea. Linnea went up to participate in the parade but was not quite aggressive enough to reach into the basket to grab a maraca. Stitch, seeing this, grabbed her hand and they shared his maraca. He was leading the parade so the two of them, hand in hand, marched around the room with everyone else following behind them. It was adorable.
I should mention that the food was pretty good. The fruit was very fresh, and they brought extra grapes to the table for Linnea. When Stitch came to our table to visit, I asked him how high his bad meter was today. He lifted both hands over his head. He then took a grape from Linnea and squashed it on the table! She didnt know what to think. We had to explain to her that he was just being a rascal. Now its all she can talk about, We had breakfast with Lilo and Stitch and Stitch squashed my grape. He is such a trouble maker!
After finishing breakfast we made the tough decision to not go into the parks today, but to preserve four days on our passes for a trip in the future. It was still cold, and it made more sense to return for a four day trip then a three day one. Ironically, the weather seemed to improve after we arrived at that decision.
We ended our trip by walking around the lobby at the Grand Floridian and admiring the life size gingerbread house. The very last thing we did was add the non expiration feature to our passes. The gal at the ticket booth was new, but had a very experienced manager behind her who thoroughly kept us entertained by quizzing us with Disney trivia. Boy, they sure know how to make spending more money painless and entertaining!
Im not sure exactly when we will be back. In fact its likely we may make it to Disneyland in the interim. At least we have passes that wont expire.
All in all it was a great trip. The only downside is that our next trip to WDW will be just a four day excursion and weve never spent such a short amount of time there. It will seem a little strange. The plus side is it will encourage us to explore other nearby attractions which we rarely get to do!
Elaine from Colorado
eb@lionfishsolutions.com
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The Group
Elaine Boorstein-Matthes: Mom, 42 WDW veteran/owner of website and graphic design business
Glen Matthes: Dad, 37 WDW veteran/Technical Senior Manager
Linnea: DD not quite three; this will be her third trip
Grandma: third trip to WDW
Travel method: car
Accomodations: two adjoining rooms at Radisson Parkway (now Radisson Celebration)
Dates: Nov 30th - December 3rd 2005
Background
My husband, who grew up in Florida, has visited WDW several times a year as it was just several hours from his home. Shortly after we became engaged (in 1996) we went together; it was our pre-honeymoon honeymoon and my first trip to WDW. (Since our actual honeymoon involved 10 days of hiking and camping throughout Utahs canyon country, Im glad we had had a week of being pampered WDW style).
Since our first trip together, weve averaged a trip a year. Sometimes there would be a few years between trips, and other years, business travel would dictate extra visits. In any case, we consider ourselves regulars.
Our daughter was born in 2003, and we took our first trip with her when she was 9 months. We knew we would be vacationing with a baby, and decided on WDW because of the baby centers and the overall family friendly environment. Linnea was 20 months on our second trip with her. I relied heavily on the trip reports when we started traveling with her, focusing on the ones that involved babies and toddlers. Now Im finally getting around writing our first trip report, as Id like to reassure parents traveling with small ones that its a great experience and a manageable one. Not to mention that its about darn time I wrote a trip report!
Planning
Linnea will still be under three, so no need to be worried about her ticket. My mother will be coming with us, which she did last year as well. We plan to rent a minivan and drive out there from Colorado. This usually takes us 2.5 -3 days. Because my mother is on oxygen, this is the most feasible way for us to travel, as we will need to transport a large oxygen tank.
In the past, weve bought annual passes and have tried to plan two trips per pass. At that time, 10 days was breakeven for an annual pass. We usually were able to plan *two* ten day trips, thus averaging $21.00 per park visit (plus perks --- free parking, dining discounts, etc). Worst case, if we were unable to return within the12 month period, we had hit breakeven on our first trip. (We always viewed trip number two as free --- at least in the sense of park entrance). Now, however, the park hopper passes have come down so much in price (especially the 10 day one), we feel its best to go that route. We will stay for 10 days, so there is no need to buy the non-expiring option. Im still debating on buying just *one* AP for the parking benefit and for the ability to purchase the Disney Dining Experience at a discount. (I probably would not buy the DDE at its full price as its so close to what I expect we would save). The AP costs $170.00 more, of which we would save $90.00 in parking, and $25.00 on the DDE program, and unknown$$ on the DDE savings (above and beyond the breakeven of $250.00). If we were to return within 12 months, those visits would be free to the AP holder. I think this is the way to go but *only* if we know we are returning before the AP expires. If we dont return, I calculate that wed be close to break even +(-) $20.00 ..can you tell I use to be in finance?
We normally stay at the Radisson Resort Parkway. Weve stayed on property only once, while on one of my husbands business trips, during which we stayed at the Dolphin. Ive compared costs to the various Disney resorts, and just cant beat the online rate of $59.00 that Ive been able to get for the Radisson. Another Radisson perk is that they participate in Gold Points. This is a very nice hotel too. Besides being very clean, there are down comforters on the beds, marble and granite in the bathrooms, and its just five minutes from Disney property. The pools and the landscaping are very tropical and have captured the feeling of a Resort property.
Arrived ---arrived late on Tuesday (November 30th, 2005)
Since we were driving to Florida we were uncertain when exactly we would arrive. We had decided since we werent buying annual passes this time that if we arrived late in the day we would just hang out at Downtown Disney.
We checked into the hotel around 4pm. Our room was starting to show some wear and tear. Parts of the resort are undergoing major renovations. I will be asking for a newly renovated room the next time. It was still comfortable, and you just cant beat the location.
We headed towards DD. Linnea was very excited. When she saw the Circ De Soleil tent, she asked us, is that the castle? We told her shed see the castle tomorrow. She is so excited about seeing the Castle and all the Princesses.
We had a great time walking around DD. At the Disney store I found a set of plastic figures from Snow White (with all the dwarves and even the Prince). Linnea has been asking for a Snow White birthday cake for over 6 months, and the grocery stores arent making that one (Cinderella is the Princess du jour). These will be perfect, they are the right size and Im glad I found them in plastic. As a last resort, I had planned to buy a small ceramic Snow White and maybe a few ceramic dwarves.
We ate at the Earl of Sandwich. It was our first time there, and we thought it was a good value and everything tasted great. I had the Cobb salad ( I really liked how they toss it in front of you and I was able to request less dressing), my mother and husband each had a sandwich (I cant remember which ones) and my daughter had the childrens grilled cheese. It was a great location too as there was a lot of entertainment right outside. We listened to some carolers then watched a magician. Linnea was having such a great time. She road the small train (twice --- that girl is train crazy) and then we walked around soaking in the Disney atmosphere.
It was getting late so we headed back to the van. Once in the van, Linnea said in the saddest voice, I dont get to see Snow White. I dont get to see Mary Poppins. I dont get to see Cinderella. I guess she thought that was the entire vacation. We explained to her that wed be going back tomorrow, and for several days after that and wed get to see all her friends. She was fine with that. Its so nice when two year olds get to the point where you can reason with them and theres no melt down!
Day 1 --- Wednesday (December 1st, 2005)
We decided to head into Magic Kingdom, primarily because I knew Linnea had her heart set on seeing the castle and princesses. As we were taking the monorail in (we were riding backwards) I told her to turn around so she would be able to see the castle. She did, and gasped. I believe its the first time Ive heard her do that.
We saw Pluto as we were entering the park. Linnea started to run right up to him. We had to catch her and explain that we needed to wait our turn in line. She was good about the whole line thing once it was explained to her.
We secured spots for the second showing of Cinderellabration. While we were waiting I went to get fast passes for Winnie the Pooh. We waited a bit longer. The main entrance to the castle became clear again (it was blocked off from the first show), which revealed the carousel. So my husband and DD headed off to ride the carousel. By the time they were done the castle was blocked off and they had to walk around the long way.
The show was great. My DD sat on my husbands shoulders, and I have never seen her with such big eyes. When Snow White came walking in, she gasped, and whispered to herself Snow White!, .I have to admit I got teary. I was glad we were able to alleviate her disappointment from the night before. Just wait until she actually has lunch and breakfast with her friends!
Afterwards we did Winnie the Pooh. We then did the teacups. I wasnt sure if she would like it, but she sure seemed too. We then went on Mickeys Philharmagic definitely my favorite 3-D movie and the wait was just 10 minutes. Next we headed to Small World, which she loved. We then made the mistake of going on Dumbo. The line time said 45 minutes, and my husband was prepared to stand there for that length of time. After about 45 minutes, and once they were close to the front of the line, the ride kept breaking. It would go up and down twice, then everyones elephant went straight up for a rotation then came down and stopped. The ride operators were on the phones trying to figure out what to do. To make a long story short, after waiting for over an hour, my husband and daughter had a ride that lasted less then 20 seconds. We decided we would not do that ride again for the duration of the trip.
We headed over to Cosmic Rays for lunch. By this time it was close to three, and they werent too busy. My husband and daughter had chicken tenders, my mother had a chicken sandwich and I had the vegetarian wrap. I highly recommend the vegetarian wrap, but I really like hummus and not everyone cares for it.
We bought DD a hat at Merchant of Venus to help keep the sun out of her face. We walked around a bit more but the crowds were really picking up and we decided to head back to the hotel.
My husband, daughter and I had dinner at Giordanos, a restaurant my husband and I ate at in the Chicago area 8 years ago. The pizza was very good, and the guy walking around making the balloon animals was great. He made my daughter a parrot that was orange and green, just like our real parrot, Tico. She was thrilled that she had Tico to play with, as we have all been missing the little guy.
Day2 --- Thursday (December 2nd, 2005)
Today we headed to Epcot. We would be meeting up with my husbands sister, her husband and their little girl (a year older then Linnea). We started our day at the Character Connection. Linnea got to see Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Turk and Donald Duck. I was a little sad that they eliminated the Character Parade, but I do think this works out better for the kids that have their hearts set on meeting the characters one on one.
We went on the Imagination ride, and then headed into the World Showcase. We went on the boat rides in Mexico and then Norway. Then we headed over to Mission Space, as that was our meeting area. As a group we visited for a while, said hi to both Mickey and Pluto dressed in space suits. After that it was on to Ellens Energy Adventure. Linnea did better then I expected during the ride portion with the dinosaurs. We had told her that everything was pretend, and if she got scared, she could close her eyes and put her head on Daddys lap. That worked out well, and she did do that a few times on that ride.
We split up shortly afterwards, and the four of us (mom, DD, DH, and myself) decided to head over the Canada for lunch. Glen and I had eaten there during a visit in 1998 and really enjoyed it. Upon arriving we found out reservations were definitely necessary. I guess its now become quite a popular restaurant. Our next plan was to head out to Boardwalk and go to the Big River Grill and Brewery for lunch. I still had a coupon for 10% off with no expiration date, and its really pretty good food. I had the grilled tuna sandwich, and everyone else had burgers.
After lunch we walked around the Boardwalk area, and took the boat over to the other side. We stopped at the beach area so that Linnea could play in the sand. Its amazing how at this age they can take such delight in something that does not involve a park hopper pass!
We spent the rest of the day in Epcot. We caught up with Linneas cousin and let the two girls play in the maize in England. Linnea got to see Winnie the Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger and Mary Poppins. One of the CMs in England called to see where other characters would be appearing. Belle and Beast were about to make an appearance in France so we headed there next. Afterwards, we continued to stroll around World Showcase. We stopped at the African Outpost and Linnea played drums along with the entertainers (and other children). That may have been the highlight of her day. We went on the boat in Mexico again. Lastly we went on Spaceship Earth, then went back to our hotel.
For dinner, we went to Ruby Tuesdays on Irlo Bronson. Im hooked on their salad bar. It was nice and relaxing there. I know some folks like to stay at the parks the entire day, but I really enjoy a nice quiet dinner away from all the noise.
Day 3 ---Friday (December 3rd, 2005)
Today we headed back to MK. We knew they would be taping for the Christmas Parade, and felt it was a good chance to get on a lot of the Fantasyland rides without the crowds. It turned out we had guessed correctly, and enjoyed walk on rides (occasionally a 10 minute wait) for the first few hours. We went on Snow White, and Linnea told us that it was too very scary with the witch. Peter Pan, however, was a hit and we did that twice in a row. Next we did Its a Small World, twice in a row as well.
For lunch, we went to Harbor House. I had the vegetarian chili. It was a little on the soupy side but it tasted good. My mother had the salad, and my husband and daughter had chicken strips.
After lunch we asked Linnea if she wanted to go on the Haunted Mansion, but she had already decided it would be too scary, and we didnt want to push it. We went on the Country Bear Jamboree, and got to see their Christmas version. It was a big hit. We went on the Pirates of the Caribean, and Linnea seemed to be ok but didnt want to do it a second time. Just as well, as there was a bit of a wait to do that one. Jungle Cruise had short lines (that usually is not the case) so we went on that one. We had a great CM, and we all enjoyed that ride.
We did the Tiki room, which is a little scary at the end. I really miss the original show. I feel the original show was a bit less scary.
The line for the Magic Carpets was pretty short, and we did that one twice in a row. Its a much better queue then the Dumbo ride. I think the fact that you get assigned a carpet while in the queue helps with the efficiency. After our second trip on the Magic Carpets, Aladdin appeared. Linnea was so happy to meet him!
We treated ourselves to an ice cream break. Mom, DH and DD had ice cream at the stand next to the Magic Carpets. I had heard about the Dole Pineapple whips, and decided to find that stand. Im glad I did. I had the pineapple soft serve float (served in fresh pineapple juice), it was very good.
Linnea and DH went on the Tree House twice. My daughter really loved that one. I remember going on the one at Disneyland when I was 4 and thought it was really neat.
It began raining, so I had the *bright* idea to take the train from Adventureland back to the main entrance. All would have gone well, but the train broke down at Mickeys Toontown Fair. So we ended up walking in very heavy rain back to the entrance.
It was getting crowded and cold, and we had done so much that we were all in agreement that it was a good time to leave.
We went back to the hotel to relax, and decided on Ruby Tuesdays again.
Day 4---Saturday (December 3rd, 2005)
Today was our Princess lunch day in Norway. When we arrived at Epcot, we went to the Living Seas. We wanted to see Crush, but there was such a long line. So instead we just looked at the fish. We let Linnea wear her Snow White dress since she would be having lunch with the Princesses. She really enjoyed being a princess.
We headed over to the Land to do the Living with the Land boat ride. The posted time, given the length of the line was 45 minutes. Ironically, Fast Pass return time was in 45 minutes so we did that instead. I headed over to Soarin and we decided to meet up in roughly 40 minutes. I loved Soarin! It is one of my new favorites. After the ride I thought about getting a fast pass, but the line for the fast pass was huge! We all met up and went on Living with the Land. Its one of my moms favorite rides, and I think its pretty neat too. Linnea enjoyed seeing all the produce being grown. This ride always inspires me to garden!
We were starting to get hungry, and our lunch reservations were for 2:50, so the four of us shared two pretzels to help tie us over. I went on Mission Space (I think this is my favorite ride and I like that they have a singles line), and then we headed into the World Showcase. We went on the boat ride in Mexico again (I think we did it twice). Upon leaving they had musicians playing outside the Pyramid. Linnea found another little girl and the two of them danced together. She is definitely not a shy girl!
We headed over to Norway, and there was music there as well. This time Linnea found another little girl dressed as Cinderalla and the two of them held hands and danced together. They were drawing quite a bit of attention from folks that had gathered around. It was very cute.
Eventually it was time for lunch! I should mention that Akershus has always been my favorite WDW restaurant. I have a Swedish mother and have spent time in Scandinavia so this is food I truly enjoy. I was very disappointed when they turned it into a character meal restaurant for all three meals. Usually we would eat here twice on our trips. Now itll never be more then once, and the atmosphere is not at all relaxing like is use to be. The food is still good (to my taste anyway) as I enjoy all the fresh salads and fish. I had the trout, and it was pretty good. I was hoping to have the salmon, but they only serve salmon as a sandwich now. Linnea met Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella and Belle. She had her picture taken with Arial upon arriving. Linnea thoroughly loved the experience and our waiter was terrific. He and my mother spoke a combination of Norwegian and Swedish to each other. Both languages are similar, and most Swedes learn a little Norwegian and visa versa. I was uncertain about the character meal at my favorite restaurant along with the higher price for essentially the same food. But I have to say the extra $10.00 is worth it, as it now includes beverage and dessert and my daughter loved the experience. (Id be happy if it went back to the way it was, but thats just not going to happen as they are able to pack this place even though most people think the food is weird).
We walked around World Showcase, did Spaceship Earth on the way out, and went back to the hotel.
For dinner we went to Publix and had some sandwiches made for us at the deli and picked up some snacks. We had a nice relaxing evening back at the hotel.
Day 5---Sunday (December 4th, 2005)
We headed to Animal Kingdom today. For the first time ever, we went to camp Minnie Mickey. We saw the Lion King Festival. It was amazing. I can see why this show gets such high marks. Linnea has never seen the movie, but she seemed to really enjoy the show. We also saw Christmas Mickey and Minnie.
The park was getting busy and crowded so I ran ahead to get Fast Pass tickets to Kilamanjaro safari ride. It was so packed! I have never seen AK this busy. Mom, my husband and DD finally caught up to me. By then we only had about 20 minutes before our Fast Passes kicked in. We loved the ride. Its one of my moms favorites. Its nice for Linnea as there is really nothing scary and lots of animals to look at. After we got off the ride the park was so packed it was hard to move. I dont believe Ive experienced Fantasyland this packed before. It was just too much for us, so we headed towards the front of the park. We decided to eat at Rainforest Café. I had a cobb salad, which is pretty good. Afterwards we decided to leave as it was just too crazy. I was a little disappointed as we didnt get to do Dinosaur or Its Tough to be a Bug.
We went to Walmart to pick up a few items that we needed, and to get some Disney tee shirts for Linnea.
All in all it had been a very short day at the park. So we (except for my mom) decided to go back to Epcot for the fireworks. Unfortunately Linnea went to sleep right before the show, and we were unable to wake her. Oh well, the two of us enjoyed the show.
Day 6---Monday (December 3rd, 2005)
Today was an MGM day. We did the Muppets 3-D first thing. Linnea really enjoyed that one. We saw Buzz and Woody, as well as Sully and Mike. Next we caught the Beauty and the Beast show. Linnea was mesmerized and declared after the show she wanted to see it again. (Sadly we were unable to catch a second show). I managed to sneak in a ride on Star Tours. Its the best walk on ride in Disney. I can remember waiting in line for Star Tours in Disneyland right after it opened and the line was over an hour long! We did Muppets a second time.
We knew the next few days were going to be cold and rainy and started to kick around the idea of adding the no expiration feature to our tickets and leaving with three days left that we could carry forward. We figured wed either be back in May, or possibly October. But with the no expiration feature we didnt have to worry about a time frame. In the past we would often buy an annual pass then we knew we needed to get back in eleven months or so to fully take advantage of the pass.
For the first time we went to The Brown Derby for lunch. Mom and I had the famed Cobb salad. I have to say that I dont care for how finely chopped it was. It was a little like eating baby food. I know a lot of people really like this salad, but I was just lukewarm on it. I really liked the atmosphere, and might try it again. Is it just me or does it seem like the Disney sit-down restaurants are air conditioned on the cold side? It seems that right after you are done, you really dont want to linger as it starts to become uncomfortably cold!
After lunch we went on the Great Movie Ride. We walked around a bit and stumbled onto a parade. I thought about going on Tower of Terror, but the line was too long and they dont have a singles line.
We took the boat from MGM to the Boardwalk area and walked around. We looked at the gingerbread display at the Swan.
Mom and I were still full from lunch, but Glen and Linnea needed some dinner. One of our best kept secrets is Tubbis Buffeteria in the lower level of the Dolphin. The food is quite good, reasonable, and there is never a crowd. Its such a nice quiet get-a-way. Even though you are ordering food from a cafeteria line, the tables feel more like a sit down restaurant. Its a nice break from most of the hectic counter service at Disney. Linnea had a grilled cheese sandwich and DH had a hamburger. By the way, they do have a good vegetarian burger here, which I had several years ago when we stayed at the Dolphin.
We took the boat back to MGM, and saw the Osborne Family Christmas lights. This has been our first trip to WDW during the holidays and its been a lot of fun. The weather has been perfect. I should qualify that by saying I like it when its just a tad brisk out. We rarely slipped on jackets.
Well back to our hotel. Tomorrow morning its breakfast with Lilo and Stitch.
Day 7---Monday (December 3rd, 2005)
We parked at MK and took the resort monorail to the Polynesian for breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. It was cold out! Very cloudy and looked like it would rain any minute.
The breakfast was a huge hit! Linnea loved it and the parade was a wonderful idea. Linnea went up to participate in the parade but was not quite aggressive enough to reach into the basket to grab a maraca. Stitch, seeing this, grabbed her hand and they shared his maraca. He was leading the parade so the two of them, hand in hand, marched around the room with everyone else following behind them. It was adorable.
I should mention that the food was pretty good. The fruit was very fresh, and they brought extra grapes to the table for Linnea. When Stitch came to our table to visit, I asked him how high his bad meter was today. He lifted both hands over his head. He then took a grape from Linnea and squashed it on the table! She didnt know what to think. We had to explain to her that he was just being a rascal. Now its all she can talk about, We had breakfast with Lilo and Stitch and Stitch squashed my grape. He is such a trouble maker!
After finishing breakfast we made the tough decision to not go into the parks today, but to preserve four days on our passes for a trip in the future. It was still cold, and it made more sense to return for a four day trip then a three day one. Ironically, the weather seemed to improve after we arrived at that decision.
We ended our trip by walking around the lobby at the Grand Floridian and admiring the life size gingerbread house. The very last thing we did was add the non expiration feature to our passes. The gal at the ticket booth was new, but had a very experienced manager behind her who thoroughly kept us entertained by quizzing us with Disney trivia. Boy, they sure know how to make spending more money painless and entertaining!
Im not sure exactly when we will be back. In fact its likely we may make it to Disneyland in the interim. At least we have passes that wont expire.
All in all it was a great trip. The only downside is that our next trip to WDW will be just a four day excursion and weve never spent such a short amount of time there. It will seem a little strange. The plus side is it will encourage us to explore other nearby attractions which we rarely get to do!
Elaine from Colorado
eb@lionfishsolutions.com
