My really really REAL trip report - Hotter than the face of the sun! August 2010

[LMDisneygirl]

So there we were, just finished with a 9+ hour day in Epcot, and we were headed to EMH at the Magic Kingdom! We hadn’t rushed out of Epcot, so by the time we got to the MK Wishes was JUST ending. Bummer. Greg’s thought was, “If we missed Wishes, let’s not bother going in”. My thought was, “Bummer that we missed Wishes, but we’re here and we can still have fun and then catch it another night (or 2, or 3...).”. Since we were there already, I wasn’t about to leave. So the 4 of us went in. The good news was that as were were walking in the crowds were POURING out! Hurray!

I can’t remember at what point we went to Casey’s, but I do remember that Greg was SO HAPPY to be there. You don’t know him, so you don’t know that he is a great guy. My husband is a really great guy, and he rarely walks around seeming grumpy or down. But he just hadn’t seemed like his normal happy self, let alone his ultra happy Disney self, since we had arrived. But when we were in Casey’s it all changed! In fact, I recall him telling the CM at Casey’s that he loved him! He was just so happy to be there.

I think I can say that it is his FAVORITE non-breakfast meal at Disney (though in fairness we’ve never been to Le Cellier, and the steakhouse at the Contemporary closed). Sitting in the back, watching the cartoons (or not, depending on where you’re sitting), and eating mini corn dogs is just relaxing and fun. And we enjoyed it very much.

We headed over to Tomorrowland and got a FP for Buzz. Then we went to the Monster’s Laugh Factory. This was our first time since it wasn’t open the last time we went, and we LOVED it! We went back and rode Buzz, which we all enjoy. I just wish I could tell where my gun was shooting and which little red dot was mine. It would make it more fun for me. But it’s still a good fun ride. As we walked past Tomorrowland Speedway we noticed that there was NO line. Zero, zip, nada. Fabulous! I had decided that it just wasn’t worth waiting in a long line out in the August sun, so we probably wouldn’t ride it, but this was perfect! Night time and NO line. The boys were thrilled and really loved it!

After the speedway Greg’s feet were really hurting, so he wanted to go back. The boys and I were really enjoying walking onto all of these rides, so we decided to stay. We bid him a safe bus journey back to the Pop, and Jimmy jumped on to the tea cups.

We had a very short wait for Dumbo where we met a really nice man from Australia who was in line with his 1 year old son while his wife waited to take pics. We really enjoyed talking to him. After Dumbo we walked right on to Winnie the Pooh. RIGHT on! Happy Dance!! I love that ride. After that we decided there wasn’t anything else we wanted to do without Greg (Small World was closed during our trip), so we decided to leave. On our way out Jimmy took a pic with Goofy, we stopped at the Main Street Bakery to buy a huge delicious cinnamon roll to take back to our room, and we headed for the bus.

WARNING: The picture below is NOT a beauty shot. It is an “I can’t believe it is THIS HOT at midnight” shot. And let us not forget my "no makeup" decision for the trip.

We were EXHAUSTED when we got back to the room, but our swim the night before was so refreshing and relaxing that we decided to do the same tonight - yes, at 2am! Greg was sleeping, so the 3 of us went. It was fabulous! I hope we aren’t planning an early morning tomorrow! Tune in to find out.

 

[LMDisneygirl]

I’m back! I don’t know what happened to me, but I’m back to share more of our family Disney fun!

In review...... we were sure tired from swimming at 2am Saturday night, going to Epcot from noon to close on Sunday, then over to the MK for evening EMH, and then 2am swimming when we got home! We had planned to get to several rope drops on this trip, but are definitely night owls, and getting up early was not coming easily to us.

We REALLY slept in on Monday, then chilled for a while, ate lunch at the Pop, and pretty much just took our time getting going. I usually find it hard to do that at Disney since I know that there is something fun out there that I am missing, but sometimes you just need to take it easy. That can be fun too!

Lunch at the Pop!

Dessert

Puffles at the Pop Gift Shop (a few ended up coming home with us)

A happy sight when you are waiting at a bus stop!

We hopped on the bus to Typhoon Lagoon, and got there sometime around 3pm. When we arrived they were in the midst of the 2nd weather closing of the day, but we weren’t going to let that stop us from going in since it seemed like the weather was improving. Unfortunately, we realized that we had forgotten our tickets. UGH! So we stood in the very long line of people who were trying to get their money back from the park closing. After a very nice person tried to help us for quite a while, we ended up buying the one day tickets (again), with a plan to take them to guest relations to have them taken off our room charge and have them take away 1 of our WPF & More days from each ticket. Kind of annoying, but it was our own fault, and at least this time we felt pretty confident we could get it all taken care of later. After all, we are at Disney! It was raining a little when we went in, but who cares about that when it’s a billion degrees and you’re in your bathing suit. Even better, the crowds were pouring out!

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN IN THE WAVE POOL! It is one of our favorite things on every warm weather trip to WDW. We had a blast!!!! (Even when Jimmy and I conked his forehead on my skull pretty hard during on of the big waves, it only temporarily dampened our fun) THIS was the feeling I had been looking for. The one I remember from our previous trips. It was amazing and every one of us loved our time at Typhoon Lagoon! IT WAS FABULOUS!!!!! The Water Parks, Fun & More option is a fabulous deal if you are going when you’ll be able to use them. You get one visit for each night you are staying (roughly). We wouldn’t go in the summer without it.

Besides the wave pool, Jimmy went on Humunga Cowabunga when he and Greg accidentally walked up the wrong steps. They realized it when they got there and decided it was faster to slide down than to walk down (I would have walked if it was me). We all went on the family raft ride which was super fun, and to the Storm Slides. While we were at the storm slides a boy came down the slide and was flailing in the pool you dump into. His dad was standing right there, but he seemed to be watching the other slide for someone else. The lifeguard hit the emergency button and dove right in and got him. He was fine. I was pretty impressed at her reaction time. The boys were up at the top and they told us they stopped letting people go down the slide for a few minutes. Apparently when the lifeguard presses the button it signals the lifeguard at the top to stop letting people slide down until they get the all clear. Who woulda‘ thought? Everyone was fine, and we headed off to relax on the Lazy RIver for a while. As we were happily floating along, guess who our inner tubes ran RIGHT into? It was the nice Australian guy we had talked to in the Dumbo line the night before, with his wife and son. How amazing is that?

Before we left we stopped to get mini donuts. They were so hot and SO good! It was near closing time, and I think we even got a few extras. YUM!!!!! We stayed until closing time, and then hopped on the bus back to the Pop to get ready for our evening. By “hopped” I mean, walked to the bus stop in the sweltering heat, stood in line, rode the bus to a couple places, got back to the Pop, and then walked back to our room. Not complaining as much as just pointing out that it always takes more time than you think to take the Disney transportation. It’s not like hopping in your car and going wherever you want. There are advantages and disadvantages to each I suppose. Big advantage for Disney busses - they are FREE!

We got ourselves all ready to head to the Magic Kingdom after our very magical day at Typhoon Lagoon. We were going to see Wishes!!!!! I was so excited (I could see it EVERY night and never get bored!), but I wasn’t feeling very good. Some of the tummy issues I had from the start of the trip resurfaced. Perhaps it was indulgence in far too many of the delicious mini donuts, or the heat, or the.....who knows. But here is a picture of someone in our family actually eating something healthy on our trip.

We were able to watch Wishes from Main Street (our favorite place). It was pretty crowded and hotter than you can imagine or would ever want it to be, but it was a spectacular show as usual. My eyes were leaking. I decided to blame it on the heat, even though we all know that it wasn’t ONLY the heat. I got this picture I liked.

Then I saw that my camera had a "fireworks" setting so I changed it. I got some really strange results!!!!

After Wishes the boys enjoyed ice cream from that ice cream place right at the end of the row of shops on main street (closest to the castle).

Then we took some photo pass pics and the guys rode the tea cups.

I wasn’t feeling so good, and we were hoping to make a rope drop the next day, so we decided to head back.

We JUST missed getting on the first bus that came after we arrived at the bus stop. We were anxious to get into the air conditioning, but waiting meant I could get a seat. Poor Greg always gave up his seat and stood. It was super crowded and we were in the back. About 5 or 10 minutes into the trip we started hearing a strange noise in the front of the bus. It kept happening. Then the bus driver pulled off the road into the little triangle type of area between the road and the exit ramp. So we were sitting there with cars zooming by on each side. Then people started calling to see if there was a doctor or nurse on the bus. There wasn’t. It took a long time before we could figure out what was going on. There was a teenage girl sitting in the front and she started having problems with her breathing. I don’t know exactly what happened. We heard things like asthma, diabetes, and hyperventilating. Not sure exactly which of those were happening. We waited QUITE a while for an emergency vehicle to come. The first person to arrive was a security guard type of guy. From what I could tell, he got on the bus, basically told them to try to keep her calm to help her breathing, and then got off the bus. Oh, really? They should try to keep her calm???? I guess they should stop flashing the disco lights and telling her she is doomed. Really! That just seemed so ineffective to me. I’m sure there was more to it than I realized, and like I said I was way in the back, but we had waited so long for someone to come, and he didn’t seem very helpful. A few minutes later the paramedics came. She was able to walk off the bus, and then I think they put her on a stretcher and wheeled her over to the ambulance. People who were in the front of the bus with her thought she would eventually be fine. The hard part of something like that is you never find out what happened or how they are. We got back at 11:53pm. I took note because a bunch of the people sitting around us had planned to eat once they got back to Pop, and the cafe was closing at midnight. Everyone’s first concern was that poor girl, but they were hoping to be able to feed their families when they got back. We got back in time, and our family ate there too.

Wow, what a night. No swimming tonight. Bedtime! We’re trying to get to our first ever rope drop tomorrow!

 

[jc040404]

I fell behind! Great Epcot day! That's awesome that you were still able to do so many rides when you didn't think you could. TL looks so fun. My four year old begs to go there, but I'm so not a water park person. Were people really getting their money back because of the weather? That just seems nuts to me. I always figured bad weather is jsut a risk you take, especially coming to FL in the summer!

I absolutely LOVE your castle pic with the hearts!! I had to hurry back through my notes on August because we were at MK the same Saturday that you did the last EMH! It was just a day visit for us, so we were long gone before you guys got there. Too bad. I would've had funning scanning my pics to see if you were in the background anywhere.

Can't wait to hear more!!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

Wow, what happened to me? One day I'm trying not to overwhelm everyone by putting too many days of my Trip Report out there at once, and the next day I realize it's been MONTHS and I am in danger of being an unfinished trip report maker!

I'm back now though. I'll post another day's review of our trip today, and then make a point to keep the rest coming! Good thing I kept a good journal of our trip (not to mention taking LOTS of pictures). So I can remember it like it was yesterday!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

I hate to say it, and it was even worse to feel it, but our first couple of vacation days (Saturday & Sunday) did not feel so magical. Things seemed “off”. But they really turned around on Monday, and I was hoping they would continue today!

Plan for today: Rope drop at Animal Kingdom, then a late breakfast at the fabulous Boma buffet at the AKL. I know, some of you who have read my whole report so far are laughing. We are the family that swims at 2am. How in the world will we get up for a rope drop? But here we are to surprise you!

On the bus, ready to go!

We actually arrived at the Animal Kingdom right at 9am. Pretty good for us! Greg & Bobby headed over to get Fast Passes for Expedition Everest, while Jimmy & I went to ride Dinosaur. I love Dinosaur. It is the perfect amount of excitement and fun for me. I was hoping Jimmy would like it too! There was no wait at Dinosaur, so Jimmy & I jumped into our jeep and buckled up for a wild ride! We had a great time! Little did I know that Greg was desperately trying to get a hold of me. There was no line at EE either! Bobby wouldn’t ride it, so Greg was trying to reach me to hurry up and get over there. I can't imagine how frustrated he was with each call I didn't answer, but Jimmy & I were obliviously careening through the darkness trying to escape from dinosaurs and meteors as he waited and waited. As soon as I got his call Jimmy & I headed right over to EE.

Greg & Jimmy rode first, and then Jimmy & I rode while Greg took Bobby to Triceratop Spin (more Bobby's speed!).

Expedition Everest: Oh my goodness! I have ridden it before, but it seemed so much faster and more scary this time! But I LOVED it! I think it was my favorite ride on this trip. Though it’s really impossible to pick just one. On this first ride I was actually a bit overwhelmed. The “middle” part (so I don’t give anything away for those who are about to have their first ride) seemed EVEN MORE intense to me this time. It was CRAZY!!!! I screamed and screamed the entire way, but it was "fun scared" screaming, not "terrified" screaming. It was GREAT though! Jimmy loved it too. You may remember that this was his sort of “graduation” to the bigger rides trip. He rode EVERYTHING we wanted to ride, and he loved them all!

After EE we knew we needed to head over to Boma for our breakfast. Our seating was for 10:45am. But as we walked by Dinosaur we just couldn’t help ourselves but to try to squeak in a ride on our way. I was so happy that Bobby was willing to try it that I just couldn’t pass it by. Remember, Bobby has always been an extremely timid rider in the past. So any time he was willing to try something new I wanted to do it right then, before he changed his mind! I was getting anxious as we waited in line, watching the minutes tick by on the clock. We really should have been heading for the bus to the AKL. We tried to call and make our reservation later, but they said that they don’t seat people after 11am. Oh dear, this was going to be close! We had a great ride on Dinosaur, and Bobby even “sort of” liked it! But now we had to hustle to get to the bus. So, off we went in the bazillion degree heat. I sent Greg ahead in case he could get on a bus before us and get to the AKL and check us in. The boys and I were hot, sweaty, and hungry, and we really had to push to move so quickly to get out of the Animal Kingdom. It is a BIG park - even if you are toward the “front”! And there is really no shade from the exit ALL the way around to the bus stop. It was brutal!

WHY, OH WHY, OH WHY do I always seem to forget that the Animal Kingdom Lodge IS NOT - I repeat, IS NOT - all that close to the Animal Kingdom park? Greg was waiting at the bus stop when finally made it out of the park, so we got on the bus together. We didn’t have a minute to spare, and now I started remembering that it is quite a bus ride to get from the park to the lodge. I’m sure it seemed even longer to us because we were late. Greg wanted to just throw in the towel and forget it, but I had two very hungry and very hot boys with me, and I know that breakfast is Greg’s FAVORITE meal. I was not about to give up - until I had to! We were sitting across the aisle on the bus with a woman and her two girls who were in shorts/swimsuits. They had just come off of Khali River Rapids (which to this very day I have still never ridden). I told the mom of our breakfast plight and how we were trying to get to Boma. As we pulled into the AKL I asked her if this was the stop for the main building, and she said YES, so we got off. SHE WAS WRONG!!!!! Ugh. This was the stop for the Vacation Club main building, NOT for the AKL resort where our lovely Boma breakfast was waiting and slowly slipping out of our fingers by the second. But I am one who perseveres, and I was still not ready to give up. I headed to the concierge, explained our plight, and very nicely and also quite desperately asked if there was ANYTHING he could do to help us (insert faces of sweaty, starving, adorable boys here). I mean, it IS Disney. Why not ask? The very last seating is at 11am. It was now shortly AFTER 11am, and we weren’t even at the right building. But he made a call, talked to a couple people, and got off the phone with good news. If we could be over to Boma within TEN minutes they would seat us. THEN he found someone to DRIVE us over to where we needed to go in a van! Wow, SO SUPER MAGICAL!!!!!!! We were THRILLED!!!!!! My only regret is that I didn’t get the name of the concierge. I would really have loved to written a letter. I bet I still could if I give the date & time we were there.

We had a FABULOUS breakfast at Boma. Have you ever eaten there for breakfast? They have a great buffet. Just about anything you could ask for as a breakfast item. And our waitress was wonderful! The atmosphere is so fun too. African drums beating in the background, a gospel group singing as they walked up the stairs with caps and gowns on. So festive! We were a family of VERY happy campers!

After breakfast we had a nice shopping trip at the gift shop. The AKL gift shop is one of my favorite shopping places on the whole Disney property.

And soon we headed back to the Animal Kingdom park, which felt so very authentic as now it was truly “Africa Hot!”. Sweltering does not begin to describe it. We were very fortunate that we had not gotten much rain during our trip as we had on August trips in the past, but it made it feel EVEN more unbearably hot.

We had never seen the Nemo musical before, so we made it a point to go on this trip. Wow, we sure loved it! It was so good. If you haven’t gone, you should. My only regret is that I didn’t buy the CD. I couldn’t find it anywhere else outside of AK. (Though I did find it on Itunes!) After Nemo we went back to EE. We still had our fast passes we had gotten in the morning but hadn’t needed to use. Jimmy & I went, and then Greg and I decided that the boys were big enough to wait and rest in the gift shop together, so WE were able to ride together! Can I say it again? It was SO FUN!!!!!

Before we left for the day we watched the Jammin’ Jungle Parade. I had heard it was fine, but not worth planning a day around. I agree. We should have gone to the Lion King show instead, but I had misread the times guide and we had missed it. Next time! As I think about the swelter surrounding us, this is a good time to mention that they will give you a cup of ice water, or even just plain ice, at the counter service restaurants. I got one and it was very refreshing! Even just to suck on an ice cube or rub it on my arms and neck was great.

After our day in Africa (or so it felt), we decided a visit to Blizzard Beach was just the ticket! So we went back to the room, got all ready, and then took the bus to BB. We had a great 1 1/2 hours there. We went in the wave pool (I prefer Typhoon Lagoon’s, and don’t love all the tubes in the one at BB, but that’s just my preference), lazy river, and then to the “red slope” slide. Bobby was SO EXCITED to take me on it. I was SO SCARED to go. Water slides just scare me. But he and I rode together, and I screamed the ENTIRE way down! Bobby had developed this very cute giggle/scream that he was doing all the way. It took the edge off my minor terror that we were going to just keep going right up the side of the slide and fly off into "who knows where"! It was fun, but once was enough for me. I prefer rides with seat belts! The boys went back and rode another time or two before the park closed. There really is nothing like being at a water park in August in Florida. It is fabulous!!!!!

We went back and had a late dinner at the Pop, and then Greg & the boys went to the arcade while I rested. We really had a great day today!

 

[goodferry]

I am really enjoying your TR, we were actually there at the same time! DH and I were at the AKL for our anniversary trip without the kids! The heat was dreadful.

 

[LMDisneygirl]

I am really enjoying your TR, we were actually there at the same time! DH and I were at the AKL for our anniversary trip without the kids! The heat was dreadful.

Glad you're here and enjoying the report! When is your anniversary? We had an anniversary trip without the kids in August 2006. We also had our honeymoon at WDW in August 1996. I know there are probably people reading my TR saying, "Hey, you went in August, OF COURSE it's going to be hot!". And that is true! But this seemed to be a different level of hot!

Don't you love the Animal Kingdom lobby and gift shop? The Wilderness Lodge lobby is our favorite, but the AKL gift shop is on the top of my list for hotel gift shops!

 

[goodferry]

We do love the gift shop at AKL AND WL, WL is probably our favorite overall as a family.
Our anniversary is 8/16, we have made a few solo trips, our first one being in 2005, the next in 2008 and then this last trip in 2010, it was our 20th anniversary. We have made multiple trips with the kids, including one in June of 2010. Our trip in 2005 I believe was the hottest! It is always hot in August, but that August was particularly awful.
December is our favorite time to go by far as far as weather, but we do seem to end up there in the summer most of the time

 

[LMDisneygirl]

Guess what! We got a bit of a late start again today. Surprised? I’m guessing not! But hey, we’re on vacation. Today we were heading back to EPCOT. One thing I’ve learned about our family at Disney is that we are definitely NOT a “we already went to EPCOT on this trip, so why would we go back?” kind of family. There is no getting up at dawn, “doing” a whole park for the whole day and night, and then being done with that park and moving on. We have more of a “buffet” style to our trip. A little EPCOT here, with a side of Magic Kingdom that night. Then a little more EPCOT another day, with a visit to Downtown Disney later. We plan around parades, fireworks, EMHs, and closing times, and it’s a bit of a fun game I like to play when I’m getting ready for the trip. Planning and figuring it all out is one of the funnest things for me actually. And THAT’S why we get Park Hopper passes. Not that we don’t spend a good chunk of time at a park when we go, because we do. But once is never enough for us. And let’s face it, every trip to EPCOT is another chance to ride Soarin’! Who's with me here?

So, after a little bit of a leisurely start we headed out the door with our 8 bottles of water. Each morning we took 2 bottles for each of us - one to drink on our way, and one to drink during the first hour or two in the park. I don’t think I took a picture, but I usually ended up with 4 of the bottles in those mickey water bottle holders with the carabiner clips on them clipped to the straps of the mini-backpack I carried. Oh what joy I felt lugging them for the first bit of our journey each day! (Not!) But as soon as the boys each downed one of their bottles, I gave them the other one I was holding for them. Freedom! And while we’re on the topic of water.......the plan of buying a truckload of water at the store and keeping a bunch of bottles chilling in the room in the cooler we bought was working out quite nicely! We’d take 8 bottles with us when we left each day, and then we’d usually go back sometime in the afternoon or evening, and then take 4 - 8 more with us when we went for the evening. And when we got back to the room we had more waiting for us! Very refreshing! And a lot of potty breaks.......

So where were we? Oh yes, on the bus heading to EPCOT. When we got there I, of course, headed directly to Soarin’ for fast passes while the guys went to ride Mission Space.

No wait at Mission Space! Hurray!!! So they rode it again. While they were riding Mission Space I decided to browse in the Mouse Gears gift shop. It’s a great gift shop at EPCOT. And I was liking the chance to look at what I wanted while I was all by myself!

Soon enough we headed over to Test Track. We have a friend who helped us get on without waiting in line, which was SUPER cool (and of course, very top secret! I could tell you, but then.......well, you know). We rode twice. We have been to WDW when Bobby was 3 and when he was 5, and he was not a huge fan of Test Track either time. I was so glad that he liked it better this time! How can you not love that last super fast part when you are turned practically sideways and feeling the wind going through your hair? So exhilarating!

Lunch time already? Yep, that’s what happens when you come late. So we had a late lunch at the Electric Umbrella. We ended up sitting upstairs (which I didn’t even know existed) and had to play the “stalk a table, then steal a chair” game in order to end up with a table and 4 chairs for our family to sit at. At least it didn’t get ugly (like had happened to me at the Pinnochio Haus on a previous trip). And I was stalking from afar. No standing over someone breathing on them and asking how their meal was and if they were ready to get back out there into the action! Next time we need to yell, FREE INSTANT FASTPASSES FOR SOARIN’, and then we’d have our choice of tables. Of course we would feel guilty for the riot we started (and the lying) so I guess we won’t go that way after all.

Back to Mission Space we went. This had become Bobby’s favorite ride.

He was very excited about, and proud of, the medallion we got there for him.
They went on the mild (green) side again. I think it had something to do with me telling Greg that if he took them on the “wild” (orange) side and they were sick afterward, he would be the one going back to the room with them and comforting them as long as they were green, while I continued to have fun at the park. He thinks I’m nuts because he NEVER gets motion sickness. I feel a little queasy if I don’t take a sinus pill before I get on a plane, so I know I’m a bit oversensitive about it, but I’ve read MANY a report of hearty people who were sick all day after riding the orange version of Mission Space, and I really didn’t want to chance it. I didn’t go on it at all, but they all loved it! So there I sat after they came off the ride. In the same space I sat before while they played the simulator game where 20 or more people all play together in 2 teams trying to make parts for their spacecraft.

I was keeping myself busy while I waited for them, but kind of wanting them to hurry so we could leave. And then I decided to jump in and try it with them. Just once. For Bobby. And you know what? It was REALLY FUN! It was kind of addicting too. And I’d say it was one of the funnest surprises of our trip. We spent quite a while there working on teams together and then against each other. (I think Greg was off riding the orange version of the ride by himself during part of it). Super fun!

We also spent some time at Innoventions. The boys particularly loved the part where they got to be the characters in the video game they were playing. First you go to this booth-like thing and you get a video made of you running, and then one of you jumping, and then one of you doing a victory dance. Then you go over to the video game machine to play the game, and the characters on the screen are you (and your friend if you recorded them with you). And you are running and jumping according to the buttons you’re pressing on the game. How often can you see yourself in a video game? Very cool!

After a ride on Spaceship Earth and some time playing the games at the exit of that ride, we went over and rode Soarin’ and (big sigh of relief) I loved it once again! Phew! How can you not? It’s amazing!!!!

Soon enough it was 8pm. Greg wanted to stay for Illuminations. I didn’t. It’s fine and enjoyable enough, but I had sweltered and sweated my way through it once already, and I knew we were going on our last night for the Disney Mom’s Club party, so I really didn’t need to see it that night. I would watch Wishes every night, but Illuminations is Greg’s favorite, so he would watch that just about every night if he could. I love the fireworks and all the fire shooting up, but I just don’t get the fascination with the globe. I know, I know, a lot of people love it. And I could see how it would have amazed me 15 years ago. But it’s just not impressive to me anymore (please don’t leave my trip report or write mean messages to me if you love it. I understand that other people do. I just don’t). So what should we do? The kids really wanted to go back to Disney Quest since they hadn’t had much time there, so I came up with a brilliant plan (that I would later regret) to have Greg stay for Illuminations while the boys and I went to Disney Quest. It SOUNDED like a good plan at the time.

So we’re back to the “really really real” part of my trip report. We were hot. We were sweaty. (Yes, I know, we went to Disney in August.) And we were getting hungry. We got to the bus stop, waited and got a bus to the resort. We rode over, and then we got off the bus and waited at the bus stop at the resort. And we waited. And we waited. And we waited. I don’t know what was going on, but it felt like we waited FOREVER for a bus from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney. Then we finally got to Downtown Disney, and we walked, and we walked, and we walked. We were SO HOT......and when we finally got to Disney Quest ......there was only just over an hour before it closed. SERIOUSLY??? UGH! So, Jimmy wanted to go one way and Bobby wanted to go another way, and we were all hungry, and it was filled with people, and I was not having fun. I told Jimmy to go do whatever he wanted and meet up with us “here” in an hour when it closed. And then Bobby and I went and played a few games. We had some fun (I enjoyed a few games of “centipede”), but it was not worth all the effort it took to get there for the hour they got to play.

When DQ closed we were hungry, but decided to go back to the Pop for dinner. So we walked and walked and walked, and then got on a bus and headed back to Pop. Greg was very thoughtfully waiting for us when we got back shortly before 11pm, but somehow when tired, hungry, annoyed me reunited with exhausted him..... well...... remember how you say “for better or worse” when you get married? In the real world it wasn’t so bad, but in the world of a Disney vacation it was feeling “worse”. Let’s just say that even though neither of us had done anything terribly wrong, it wasn’t a great night between us . I even determined in the middle of my long, sleepless, and annoyed night (made worse by his sleeping very soundly next to me - grrrrr, how is it that guys can just go right to sleep while their wife lays next to them stewing???) that I would NEVER be going back to Disney again with him. (Note: I have since had a change of heart ) I was having a terrible night of non-sleep, and the next day was supposed to be our big fun FIRST EVER ROPE DROP at Magic Kingdom Day. I was exhausted, and I had been going back and forth all night between being angry, and praying that God would help me to be loving and kind so we could have a nice day the next day. Even when the alarm went off I wasn’t sure which had won!

Stay tuned to find out next time!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

So the day hadn’t started out well. I wanted it to be our fun “best day ever” starting off with Rope Drop at the MK, but first I had to get over my annoyance with my husband that had lasted through the night. We talked for just a few minutes before leaving the Pop, and I was determined to just let it go and have a fun day, though I wasn’t quite there yet. We were excited and feeling quite triumphant to be getting on the bus in plenty of time to make it to the MK for rope drop. Yeah us! But as we were about to get on the bus Greg realized that he had forgotten his ticket. So of course I said......... “Oh. Sorry about that. See you when you get there”. And we stayed right on the bus while he got off to get his ticket. And somehow that made me feel much better about the night before. I know, I know, not very kind of me. But somehow it just evened things out between us and I was able to continue on in anticipation of him meeting up with us for a pleasant day!


The boys and I made it to rope drop just in time! I hear there are several styles of the opening “show” at the MK. When we went through the turnstiles they stopped us outside of the train station entrance, and we all stood there and looked up at the train platform to watch the festivities.

It was very exciting. The singer/dancers sang and danced. We felt all excited to be welcomed ......”Zip a dee do dah, zip a dee yay, my oh my what a wonderful day.......!”(sing along everyone!). I did take pictures and video for Greg, so at least he got the flavor of it later. Once we were let in we headed for Tomorrowland where we met up with Greg. My brother-in-law didn’t believe that we’d make it to rope drop, so it was mandatory for me to take a picture of a waving white Mickey hand to prove it!

Since Jimmy was all about the “big rides” this time, it was a must for he and Greg to go right for Space Mountain. They were even able to ride it twice! Jimmy loved it, and further cemented his status as a “big rides” kind of guy!!

Just a note about the picture. I was excited to hear that we could add the Space Mountain pic to our fastpass. But it turned out that it's not like at Test Track where it's FREE to add it. At Space Mountain it was....maybe $11.95 or something to add it.

Bobby and I took advantage of the small lines and rode Buzz Lightyear twice.

It is a real favorite of Bobby’s. I like it too, but you remember hearing my talk in a previous post about wishing I could tell which little red dot was mine. On our second ride we got stopped mid-ride for at least a minute or two. Fortunately for us, we were stopped RIGHT in front of a big target, so we really racked up the points! Bobby hit a big BONUS target too. So he got a pretty great score!

Soon we headed for Peter Pan’s Flight, which I have not ridden in several trips since I never see it as “fastpass worthy”, and the line is always too long. Since it was early, the line was only about 15 minutes long. I was SO GLAD we rode because it was great! It is going to be on my “must” list for future trips. We’ll just have to time it right. We also hit Big Thunder Mtn. RR, which Bobby even went on again, Pirates, and then picked up FP’s for Splash Mountain before heading for the exit to go to the Polynesian for breakfast at the Kona Cafe. Let me take a sidebar here. Greg LOVES breakfast. I am happy with....well, just about anything for breakfast. A banana, a granola bar, a glass of milk. Whatever. I really don’t care. But he LOVES a big breakfast. So I said I’d be willing to do a couple of sit down breakfasts during our trip. Both times we decided to go to a park at opening and then get the latest breakfast seating. It seems like a good idea when we’re planning, but you really end up without having quite enough time before you have to leave the park. And then you’re rushing to get to your seating. (Remember the AKL Boma adventure?) Next time I may plan it differently. But back to today........We had a super yummy breakfast at the Kona Cafe. Greg really enjoyed his coffee too!

Jimmy enjoying breakfast

Bobby testing out how it might look when he is a daddy someday at Disney

We were going to go back into the MK, but (okay, say it with me) it was really getting hot out there. And we were tired from getting up and making it to rope drop. So we headed back to the hotel for a little pool action and a rest.

Once the evening came we headed back to the MK for part 2 of our MK day, and happily it wasn’t very crowded at all!

We rode Splash Mountain with fast passes from earlier in the day. It had been a long time since I had been on it. I didn’t remember how long (in a good way) it was, and how animated. I really really enjoyed it. If I can ride twice next time that would be good. I spent most of the time on this ride wondering when the big drop was coming (“Is this it? Is this it????”) and hoping Bobby wouldn’t be too afraid of the drop. Not that it really matters I guess. I mean, I was a little nervous about it too, but as soon as you realize you are dropping you are practically done!

Bobby gave it two thumbs down, but I think that in his heart at least one of the thumbs was going sideways, or maybe even slightly up. It’s the drop that sent them both down. He must have liked it a little because he got a shirt which is all about how wet you’ll get, and the funny thing is that we came off almost completely dry!

I noted the wait times for the other rides since they were so awesome!
Winnie the Pooh - 5 minutes
Cinderella’s Golden Carousel - No wait

Too hot to enjoy a ride on the merry go round? Not good!
Tiki Birds - No wait (The updates with the Alladin bird were fun, and the boys liked it)
Alladin’s Magic Carpet - 5 minutes (There was a storm moving in and Jimmy was SO worried about going on to Alladin and getting hit by lightning. I got the cutest video of him (“There are dark ominous clouds, and thunder everywhere!”). I assured him that Disney was even more concerned about our safety than we were. Or at least they wouldn’t want us getting hit by lightning if at all possible.)

Mickey’s Philarmagic - No wait
Tomorrowland Transport Authority (and now also the People Mover) - No wait (as is probably pretty usual). Love that ride!
Space Mountain - Fast passes. I went with Jimmy, then Greg went with Jimmy. Boy, it sure seemed faster this time. That seems to be a theme of my trip, doesn’t it? Greg thinks that maybe I’m getting “older” and that is affecting my perception. I REJECT his theory, and am instead believing that Disney has been intensifying the faster rides just a little to make them even more exciting!!!!

Here is a picture of the unsung heroes of the trip - OUR FEET! I spent lots of time pondering, shopping, and trying to decide what footwear we would wear. I will now take a short break from our touring to enlighten you on the decisions and the results.
Greg decided to wear his New Balance Tennis Shoes. He brought two "worn in" pair, and one new pair. His feet did not fair so well. Poor sad very blistered Greg.
I bought brand new pairs of "real" Crocs for the boys. That was a tough decision since I think they cost too much, but I ended up being surprised at the register when they were "buy one get one half off!". Hurray! I'll tell you what though, even if they were full price they would have been worth EVERY PENNY! The boys wore them all the time (sometimes with socks, but mostly without) and never complained about their feet (except when Bobby's got scraped in the wave pool). They didn't have even one blister. Hurray again!!!!
I bought a pair of Teva Mush flip flops (upon recommendation of fellow disboarders), and also a pair of Speedo flip flops for me. I had a pair of the Speedos (from Kohl's) last summer and wore them constantly. They are super cushy. Not so much "soft" cushy like the mush's, but "springy" cushy in the sole. Also, the band across the foot is stretchy, so it doesn't rub. I wore them almost exclusively on our trip and never had a problem. My feet get more sore in my tennies when I'm on the treadmill for 1/2 hour, but were fine in these for LOTS of days at Disney (hey, maybe I should start wearing the flip flops to the gym!). I wore the Mush's a time or two (and it looks like one of them was in this picture), but when they got a little wet my feet were slipping a little on them. I wore them around the Pop sometimes, but they just didn't work as well for me for touring.

We had dinner at Casey’s, which continued Greg’s joy of the day. Sit down breakfast AND Casey’s. Woo hoo! I was starting to wish we would have scheduled a sit down dinner into our budget. But Casey’s works too!

I'm going to admit that I really don't like the way they keep changing the colors on the castle at night. I really would prefer for it to always be white/blue. But the orange really does work in this picture with the border I put on, doesn't it? Still I'd rather keep it "normal" colored!

After Wishes we had ice cream on Main Street and a leisurely walk out.

I need to remember that for next time. It is so nice to just hang out in the park for a while and then not be in the middle of crowds when you leave.

All was forgiven from the night before, and our day at the Magic Kingdom ended up being very magical indeed!

 

[MichMickey]

Just a few quick observations from the Trip Reporters DH, again! First No Honey they did not increase the ride speed however we are 3 years older then the last time we were down for a little Disney Magic! I also wanted to relay that I actually was glad that Lori and the Boys could make the Rope Drop while I double timed it back to our room to get my ticket. I felt bad about my sleeping state the night before that kept DW awake I did end up catching the very next bus after Lori left and I got to MK just as the opening show was ending. I was impressed to see that they were running the horse drawn trolley I guess they only run that first thing in the morning so as not to overheat the horses. The reason I was impressed was that we had never seen that before which as DW has said tells you how late we usually get to the park. Fun was definitely had by all and at the end of the day we were extremely tired but happy basking in the after glow of "Wishes".

I also would like to take this time to revisit DW's entry regarding footwear. I CHOSE WRONG!!!!!! I have wide feet and figured that either a well worn pair of good fitting Tennis shoes was just what I needed and I had a newer pair of the same shoe's which had been worn for about a month prior to leaving as a backup. BAD IDEA. On the first couple of days my feet were sore but not to bad with one minor blister popping up but by the end of this first full day at the Magic Kingdom I had a 4 alarm fire going on in my shoes with blisters the size of a small pet on both feet. I could barely walk out of the park and only the wonderful Disney magic got me home. If I had been home I would have called in sick and gone to see a foot doctor. Bottom line do not ignore your feet if you feel a tender spot on the first day do not keep wearing the shoes you wore that day!! I should have switched to the Crocs I brought along but I hope this note helps some other poor Dad from making the same mistake I did. No worries though my feet did not slow us down for even one minute this trip despite the fact that they only got worse until we got home. It took 2 weeks after the trip for my feet to get somewhat back to normal.

 

[LMDisneygirl]

One more shoes & feet comment, the suggestion of using antiperspirant on spots on your feet was a good one that I used here and there. Maybe that helped. Should have given some to DH. Okay, enough on that topic!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

Wow, what happened to me? Mid trip report, and I disappeared! So much so, that they closed my trip report and put it in the "completed" section! Fortunately the moderator was nice enough to re-open it for me so I can finish.

We're going back in a few weeks for a "no kids" Anniversary trip, and I really want to finish up this trip report (and the scrapbook I'm working on) before we go!

So check back soon for more of my really really REAL trip report!

 

[gumbo1009]

Just read your TR - will be happy to see how it "all ends" (best wishes on your upcoming trip)!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

So I got my TR moved back so I could finish it, posted that I would be putting in another entry soon, and then......crickets! The issue is that I can't find my journal from my trip. I have the pictures, but I want the journal where I wrote down things I didn't want to forget.

So......pray for me to find the journal, and then you will be hearing more about our trip soon!

 

[LMDisneygirl]

Hurray, I found my journal!!

It was Friday morning, and we had just a few days to go on our wonderfully long Disney trip. The annoying issues of the first few days had gone away, and we were in the midst of a “regular” family trip now. You know, with just the regular stuff that comes with being at Disney with your family in the middle of August! Still, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else!!

We had been using Disney Transportation, which is free and can be very convenient. But often times at the end of a long sweaty day in the parks, my husband was standing in a crowded aisle (allowing women, men with babies, etc. to sit) feeling all sweaty and tired, and wishing he was sitting in a nice air-conditioned car. And it was extra HOT today! SO......we decided to rent a car for our last few days.

After a leisurely morning and late breakfast at Pop, we headed for Downtown Disney. Greg dropped us off at the Lego store so the boys could use some of their souvenir money, and he walked over to get the car. What a guy!

The boys had fun making their own lego guys!

Did I mention how we do the souvenir money for the boys? Several months before our trip I went out to the Disney Store website. They have dozens of gift cards to choose from. I let the boys each pick out the one they wanted. Then I purchased them with $25 on each. Over time I’d call and have more money added to each card. Then by the time we left for our trip the boys each had the amount that DH and I had decided on. This would be their souvenir money. This works SO well for us! The boys have the freedom to get whatever they want, but they know that this is what they have to spend. SO......they think more carefully about what they purchase. We are a family that goes into the gift shops frequently. Who can resist a quick respite from the August sun and heat?. Giving them control of their money stops them from asking us if they can have everything that they see. We did end up buying them each a nighttime glowy thing, and also gave them a choice of a shirt or a hat.

Okay, back to Downtown Disney! After some fun at the Lego store Greg decided to take the boys back to Disney Quest for a little while. Fine with me, but I was headed in another direction! I took this opportunity to do some DTD shopping, get a Christmas ornament, and go to lunch at Wolfgang Pucks! They wouldn’t appreciate it anyway, right? Uh, sure. Let’s keep telling ourselves that!

Mmmmm....bacon wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes, onion straws and some yummy gravy! Kind of a heavy meal, but such a nice change after a week of counter service meals that usually consisted of burgers, nuggets, or pizza! I didn’t eat it all, but I sure liked what I had!!

The boys drove down and picked me up, and we headed for Disney Studios. We got there just before the Block Party Bash parade. Someone told us which “movie” stopped at which area, and we positioned ourselves in front of a gift shop door in the “Toy Story section” of the event (second hand air-conditioning is a beautiful thing!).

Here’s my review:
- It was a fun “parade”, though not exactly a parade.
- I thought there would be more dancing interaction with the guests, but it was still very festive.
The Green Army Sargent MADE the whole thing for me. Not that there was anything wrong with the rest of it, but he was HILARIOUS!!!

After the parade we headed for Tower of Terror! Bobby had been saying all along that he wasn’t going on it. Since Jimmy was now the “thrill rider”, he was up for it and was nervously excited.

We kept telling Bobby that he didn’t have to go on it, but kept talking to him in the hopes that he would change his mind.

We ended up in line right next to some much smaller kids who had been on it and told Bobby how fun it was, and finally it all got to him and he decided to ride! Hurray!!!!!

I love TOT, but I’m always nervous getting on it. WOW, what a ride this time!!! We must have gone up and down about a hundred and twenty two times! Maybe it was because I was focused on Bobby being okay, but it seemed much wilder than last time! (Insert comment here from my husband telling me I’m just getting older) Finally we were taken safely to our floor, and Bobby (who did not seem completely traumatized) made it clear that he would not be riding it again. He wasn’t traumatized though, and I was so proud of him for riding! Jimmy loved it!

We had never seen the Lights, Motor, Action show so we decided to go. The last showing was about to start, so we sweated our way across the park to get to it. Wow, did it ever seem like a LONG walk once we got into the stadium area. And we were just getting hotter and hotter and hotter! We finally made it to the concrete heated torture chamber (I mean seats). The show had started. We moved around several times until we found ourselves sort of in front of a fan. That’s what kept us alive! I think I liked it fine, but my biggest memory is trying not to melt.

We ended up looking for characters and found them at the Animation Academy. LOTS of characters, and in air-conditioning too! Jackpot!!!!

The character interaction was great. My favorites were Stitch showing Bobby how to pose,

and Mr. Incredible and Frozone playing games with him. Frozone was playing, and I think Mr. Incredible was trying to get them to stop so they could take the picture. I LOVE when characters have a great interaction with you. I understand that there are lines and time constraints, but it really makes it memorable when they take the time to do some special little thing.

And Greg got the picture with Goofy that he wanted

My other memorable character interaction of this stop was with Mickey.

We had a fun and interactive time with Mickey. And then it happened! Mickey (very innocently trying to kiss me) shoved his nose into my lips. I joked later that I had been assaulted by Mickey, but I know it was an innocent kiss! As I walked away I thought of just how many lips had touched that nose, and it started me thinking. (Warning: This is the part where some of you will be totally on board with me, and some of you will think I am nuts!) Ewwwww!!! So I got out my hand sanitizer and rubbed it all across my lips. That made me feel much better!

Jimmy & Greg had left mid-character-interaction to ride Rockin Rollercoaster again. And Jimmy got the awesome hat to commemorate this very special “thrill rider” step in his life.

Disney Studios (or is it DHS now? Who knows!) closed at 7pm, so we left and went to the Wilderness Lodge for dinner. Just the Roaring Forks counter service, but the WL holds a very special place in our hearts. DH and I stayed there for our honeymoon, and we visit every time we go to WDW. PLUS, we needed to take the mandatory picture of the boys next to the totem pole by the gift shop so we can see how they’ve grown over the years!

Later that night we were back at the Pop for a late night swim and laundry mission. It was quite a trick to find an open washer. There weren’t any available in the 60’s area, so we had to walk over to the 80’s/90’s area of the Pop. The kids and I had fun swimming, and then Greg joined us to finish things up. The only problem was that Security was coming around telling us we had to get out of the pool because there was a big storm coming. We were trying to figure out how we’d get all our dry clothes back to the room “dry”. It all worked out though. And we were off to dreamland - happily tired, but knowing our trip would be coming to a close far too soon!

 

[Stan Solo]

Just found your TR yesterday. Great job on telling us all about your ups and downs in the World! I starting reading your TR because we are going on our first trip this August and was looking for some tips/ideas. Way to go freaking out my entire family with your "Did I mention how hot it was" comments.

Now I'm so confused about what shoes to use. I am planning to use my NB that I've been using to go for walks and the odd jog. Now I don't know what to think .

The biggest tip I think you gave me is to keep track of my keys to the world at all times. I know I would just freak out if I lost that or my credit card.

We are also debating if we should pick up a couple of U.S. cell phones or not. Being from Canada one of our phones won't work in the U.S. the other would have large roaming charges. I'm amazed at how much the two of you spit up in the parks I couldn't picture doing that without cell phones.

Hope you have a magical time on your upcoming trip.

 

[LMDisneygirl]

Just found your TR yesterday. Great job on telling us all about your ups and downs in the World! I starting reading your TR because we are going on our first trip this August and was looking for some tips/ideas. Way to go freaking out my entire family with your "Did I mention how hot it was" comments.

Now I'm so confused about what shoes to use. I am planning to use my NB that I've been using to go for walks and the odd jog. Now I don't know what to think .

The biggest tip I think you gave me is to keep track of my keys to the world at all times. I know I would just freak out if I lost that or my credit card.

We are also debating if we should pick up a couple of U.S. cell phones or not. Being from Canada one of our phones won't work in the U.S. the other would have large roaming charges. I'm amazed at how much the two of you spit up in the parks I couldn't picture doing that without cell phones.

Hope you have a magical time on your upcoming trip.

Hi Stan Solo!

Thanks for checking in! With so many people reading the TR, it's nice when someone comments and says Hi!

Yes, it was super hot when we were there, but we are going back again in a couple of weeks, so what does that tell you? The "magic" outweighs even the heat! Is this your first time EVER? If so, I hope you're getting lots of great tips from the boards.

A couple of hot weather tips from DH and I are:
- Never underestimate the cooling power of a gift shop!
- Drink lots and lots of water (even if the restrooms do end up being one of your most visited "attractions" )
- Get up early and get to park openings if you can, then take that break that everyone tells you about (going back to your resort for a nap or pool break, or whatever), and then go back for the evening. This was our first trip to heed that advice (we're super night owls) and now we are believers!
- Make sure you understand how the fastpass system works, and use it to your full advantage!
- Expect a little rain every day. You might not get it, but usually you do get a short afternoon rain in August. We were shocked not to have rain on this trip. But it is usually a short rain that passes quickly. So don't go running out of the parks. Let everyone else leave while you go to some nice inside ride!

As for separating in the parks, every family is different. We are together most of the time, but sometimes when people want to do different things it works to go our separate ways for a short time. The cell phones were quite handy for us, but it depends on your family.

Have a great time!!!

 

[davebon23]

Glad to see you back and finishing your report. We are going to brave the August heat again also( first time not by choice, my brother-in-laws wedding, which was great also!) Have a nice trip for your anniversary

 

[LMDisneygirl]

Glad to see you back and finishing your report. We are going to brave the August heat again also( first time not by choice, my brother-in-laws wedding, which was great also!) Have a nice trip for your anniversary

Thanks! I'm glad to be finishing too. Have a good time on your "hotter than the face of the sun" trip in August too!