Nana's 1st trip home! -Where is that bodyglide when you need it?

[averill94]

I am a lurker- Love reading TR's- I aint' no writer this will be informational at best- and a memory keeper for us. Sorry but I cant compete with the others that I love!

Cast:
Me 35 - can’t believe I am a WDW lover. This will be my 4th trip (1978, 2001, 2003). Really fell in love with the magic on our last trip.
DM 56 “Nana” has never been to WDW and I want this to be a magical trip so she will want to return
DS9 I usually don’t tell him when we are going anywhere as he gets so excited for some reason I told him about this trip months ago. For two weeks before I thought he would bust.
DD3- sometimes a good girl- very cute and she happens to love Chip and Dale

DH was all set to go on this trip- We actually planned it this week (9/30-10-7)because of his vacation schedule. LONG story short- he got a call at 12:45 pm 9/29 (no joke) from work telling him that he got a promotion and would be starting on 10/2. He called me at work - I was sick over it. But of course he couldn’t turn down this promotion. We will make the best of it.
Good news WDW credited us some money back- including HDDR and MNSSHP. Jet Blue gave us a credit too.

We got up early, 3:45am, after a sleepless few hours- DS and I were too excited! Picked up Nana and DH drove us to JFK. It was sad to see Rob leave. Our 7:00am flight was great and full. Touched down on time at 9:46am- off to Magical Express- we only waited about 10 minutes for the bus. This was such a great bus ride. They played a movie about WDW of course, at the end they showed a scene with the castle covered in toilet paper (done by Stitch). Coincidentally this was shot during our Oct 2004 trip. When entering MK one morning they were just wrapping up- cameras and toilet paper all over.

Welcome to POP! At first I didn’t know what to think. Very colorful to say the least. Straight to a long line at check in. Nana got the kids some lunch (of course I forgot to tell her about the “mugs”). Check in took a awhile as for some reason my DM was not assigned a room. I was getting nervous as the whole place was booked. The CM Dave did a great job- 50's rooms 2120 and 2121.

Since the rooms were not ready we got our suits on and hit the Hippy Dippy pool. We went to the kiddie area too. That was a ton of laughs for me and DM. They have jets at the kiddie pool and one lady took it upon herself to just lay right across them. We found it funny. One thing about the pools at POP- even with the hotel filled to capacity- we never had a problem with a crowded pool or finding a lounger, there were always plenty. I would like to have seen maybe a few more in a shady area- but that is the only almost negative thing I could say. The pools were fab and pristine, so clean! That amazed me.

Rooms were ready by three. Our luggage came right away DM’s was a little later. Please know that mentally I was all ready to upgrade to a mod if necessary. (DM has never been to WDW and I wanted her 1st time to be great- she has traveled a fair amount and I didn’t know how a value would be) The rooms were very clean- from bathroom to beds to floor. It was actually perfect for our needs. Boy was I relieved as I’d never been to a value.

After freshening up, it was off to Chef Mickeys. We took the bus to MK and walked to the Contemporary. Poor DS3 actually fell asleep on the bus standing up!!! She stayed this way until halfway through dinner. DM really like the Contemporary. Checked in and were seated in 10 minutes- our ADR was for 5:10- we were probably seated right on time. Got some CM food and here they come- Goofy Chip and Dale- all while DD was asleep. They signed her book and took pics any way. When she woke up Minnie, Mickey Chip and Dale came back. It was really great.
I was so happy that DS9 wasn’t too old for this meal. DS was really excited to meet Donald.

We hopped on the monorail after dinner- and took the ride to see the resorts. They are so beautiful. Took the bus from MK to POP. We went to bed to rest up for our first park day.

 

[averill94]

10/1/06

I am an early bird by nature- which stinks in away as I was up long before that 6:30 wake up call.
My boy was up with me- DS takes after her Daddy and loves to sleep in. Today I started my own little tradition of getting DM and I a cup of coffee and bringing it back to the rooms. Connecting rooms worked out so well for us. After everyone was ready we ate at Classic Hall - food was fine.

We waited about 3 minutes for the bus to AK. The bus karma was incredible this trip. Yikes -AK seemed so crowded and it was before rope drop. Off to Dinoland- we met Pooh and Tigger on the way. Triceratop spin was a hit- so was Primevil - just Ds and I went on and we got the special YOAMD mickey ears before boarding. How exciting! This was a wild ride for us! We ran into Chip and Dale on our way to ITTBAB. Well DS3 lasted about 4 minutes and I took her out (I am surprised she lasted that long). DM and DS LOVED this show - it was literally a scream. We took in some scenes and birds ( I said don’t worry we will come back-never did). Off to Kali- this was our 1st time- I wanted to dork out with our ponchos, I was prepared, but there was no line and we were loading so fast! The good news is that it was hot and sunny and we got quite wet. DS caught the worst of it (I now realize that this was probably the beginning of his chaffing, dang where is that bodyglide when you need it). Safari was next- what a beautiful safari it was. We saw many animals- hippos, giraffe, elephants ostrich and the top of a lion. Great Cm- which really can make or break this attraction. The scenery is incredible, we really are in Africa, aren’t we?
We could’ve spent a much longer time on the Pangani Trail as DM and DD are bird lovers- golden weavers, giant parrots. It was really cool. Honestly it’s a smidge creepy to me seeing the netting above the birds- and somebody told me they “clip” the birds wings. Anybody know if this is true?

Lunch was fab at Tusker House- I was the food getter and DM grabbed a table- Hmm how am I getting these 2 loaded trays back to the table? Well a kind CM of course! They offered to help and were so nice. ( I think I will be doing a food report too) Everything was delish. Thumbs up all around.

We did another trail and FOTLK. This was another 1st for us. Just a breathtaking show- not to be missed! The costumes and props- the theater is in the round so even though we were a few rows from the top we were not that far away. The acrobats were fantastic. There were 4 main characters that sang. They had such powerful/beautiful voices. (Don’t even care if they were lip synching! Or not)

Time for a nappy - DM is ambitious and went for a swim!

Refreshed and renewed it is off to EPCOT- the Biergarten specifically. 5:45ADR. If you enjoy German food this was great. We like German food- it was so good. I will definitely be back here. The kids loved the music and dancing- I literally dragged DS off the dance floor. Our server Regina was really accommodating. I even drew a little diagram of the set up in my notes.

After dinner it was getting dark and we thought that it was a little tough to see things in the dark.. We ducked into Norway and thought there wasn’t a line for Maelstrom. Once inside there was a bit of a wait. When we got on my Dm was like what the heck? “You aren’t the 1st.....” (Side note: DM went to the eye dr. two days before the trip and was told that her retina might be tearing- she has been having lots of floaters and flashing that is just about debilitating- its really bad in the dark- What better ride for her than Maelstrom?) Don’t want to spoil it but we laughed so hard- DM’s eye was poppin- DS was scared of the trolls, we roared! DS like it- DM wanted to kill me but we laughed anyway.

Back to POP- left the kids play in the arcade- big hit with DS. Tomorrow is another big day!
DS3 sang Hakuna Matata to bed! (She never even saw the movie yet, this was just from FOTLK)

 

[lexmelinda]

Way to go averill! Got your trip report on, I see! Good job....love it! Don't you LOVE the Lion King Show...It's one of my favorites!

 

[VanniGirl]

Sounds like you had a great time - looking forward to reading the rest.

Sorry your DH could not make it - but congrats on the promotion!

 

[teentoddlermom]

Love your TR. BTW, hope your mom is ok with the eye...My mom had a detached retina, and it came on so fast with no warning. If your mom got the warning from the eye doctor, possibly she should see a specialist. My mom was 65 when that happened to her. How great you were able to have a trip with Nana! My mom is nana too!

 

[averill94]

lexmelinda, VanniGirl, teentoddlermom: thank you so much for reading guys!
So far Moms eye is okay- but on the trip I felt bad for her (Especially since she just found out). So many rides are in the dark and that is when it bothers her the most. I felt bad but we laughed about it a little too.
She kept saying" As long as my eye isnt hanging out of my head I guess I am okay"!

 

[averill94]

10/2

Stitch and Mickey called at 6:30am. We were ready as we had a mission today: SOARIN”
Pop breakfast was fine but for DD a kids meal was way too much food. Just sinful ( I mention this b/ c we are pretty good eaters and this was a lot). I decide I will split breakfast with her not to conserve credits, but not to waste food. Hit the bus stop and got to EPCOT by 8 ? Okay where is everybody? First ones at the turnstile. My DM kept looking at me like I was out of my mind - You really should’ve seen her face as we all “walked” towards Soarin’. I’ve never seen the “opening” here -they chose a real cute little girl for the countdown 10, 9, 8... Off to the land for another rope drop. The CM’s were awesome- played games with the kids and gave out certificates- Mickey and Friends stopped by too. We made it to Soarin got our Fps and then thought we would hop on line- well that line was already long so we got off and were the first ones to get on “Livin with the Land”. Another first for us - we all really liked it. Really educational: hydroponic and aeropanic growing. Fish farms (glad we had eaten our fish for the week) and now I know how they grow those Mickey pumpkins.

Next up was Crush- actually we were a little early. The show was lots of fun- really interactive. I wish I could see the fids faces. DS just had to get the Nemo sock puppet. We will pay for this all day Nemo made a guest appearance in every picture .Totally sweet, dude.

California here we come. Nothing like fast pass- walking passed everybody. I actually felt a little guilty. (But I have to honestly say this was the first trip that we “used” fast pass.) I was concerned about DS as she gets air and car sick. She did not have a problem on this ride. It really was beautiful- the sights, sounds and smells. The desert, Malibu, the Pacific and the awesome ending. We all equally loved it.

Call us pikers but it was already time for lunch. We’ve never been to F&W. It is a blast. We used snack credits and made our way around sampling, Poland, Greece, Turkey and America. Faboo We split each snack and this was a perfect lunch. Does it surprise you that the kids got McDonalds? Unbelievable DD was PETRIFIED of those crazy ducks- talk about moxie. They are right in your face.

At Monaco timing was perfect and we were the first ones to meet up with Jasmine. She asked DS” Where are you from?’ DD said NY. Jasmine said” That must’ve been a really long camel ride”. How cute. She was beautiful and sweet. Unfortunately she was the only character that we saw at WS

We heard a few minutes of “Voices of Liberty- I could’ve used a hankie- they were so beautiful Very sentimental.

How could I forget Test Track- We had FP and made our way to the front. DS3 is 40 so she just made the cutoff but... I thought it would be way too much for her. When we got to the fron the CM said the “parent swapper” would have to go through the line again( UGH we did not want to wait again-even with FP) So a lovely older gentleman said” She will be fine it isnt that bad” I said “Are you a doctor?” He said no- But for some reason I trusted him (He had a few grandkids too) So DD between me and this man and she loved every minute DS and DM loved it too I wish we did it twice.

R and R at POP. I think I need these breaks more than the kids. On the bus DS started chatting with a real pretty, familiar looking lady wearing a Maelstromer shirt. At the time I didnt realize who it was but now I know it was Sheridac! What eyes she has- She also inspired me to buy mickey head earrings- 1 pr for dm and a cheaper pair for DM. My DM is like the energizer bunny so she hung out at the pool.

We headed back to EPCOT for our 7:20 at LeCellier. First we stopped at UK for the British Invasion. They were lots of fun- especially if you are a Beatles fan. Mom is from way back- so I know she really enjoyed this. I wish we couldve stayed for the whole set.

This was our first time by the Canada gardens. Even if you are not eating there it is worth checking out- lush and beautiful. ( I will figure out how to post pics.)
Dinner was divine- short wait- not too crowded. Patrick was our server and he was lovely. Our food was gorgeous in every way.

I am a little wussy and didn’t want to get stuck in an Illuminations “crush”- so a little bit after it started we made our way out. I had to carry DD3 as she wet herself while sleeping and the stroller was soaked. With all the explosions going off my DM was yelling “I feel like I am leaving Saigon” It was pretty funny at the time.

Tonight we actually had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus We waited 7 or 10 and it is a pretty quick ride back to POP.

After two park days we will need some rest tomorrow

How could I forget- Today was the first time that DD3 met somebody else with her name, Georgia. It was very sweet- they met in Mouse Gears It was cute for her to say “Goobye Georgia”


Day 4 up next HDDR and where is the bodyglide when you need it?

 

[lexmelinda]

How sweet is that....Goodbye, Georgia. Love that name!! Poor you! That's a long way to carry a 3 yr old. Doesn't it feel like they pick up a couple of pounds every hundred yards or so. Sounds like a fab day! Good job! If you need help with pics pm me.

 

[averill94]

lexmelinda-thanks for reading! I will pm you

 

[averill94]

sung to the tune of :There'sa whole lot of shakin goin on!

10/3

Where is that Bodyglide when you need it? Poor ds was in a bad chafing way! For some reason when I was getting ready for this trip I asked DH if I should buy some he said no and I didn’t.
Well I got ds some desitin and vaseline and that really fixed him up! He hated it but he had to put it on. Thank goodness today was a “rest” day.

My Dm just had to go to Wolfgang Pucks (she has purchased 3 of his panini makers from HSN and feels like she knows him). We had a 12:00 - so we checked out Downtown Dis it was so nice and quiet. What a pleasure. The lunch was incredible- I still think about it often!

Had the kids silhouettes done. The artist was so talented, snip snip snip and waalaa.
I think this is a great buy. It was $20 for two separate silhouettes and they come in triplicate!
So I have a pair, DM has a pair and I will give a pair to DM. Awesome souvie!

Rather than go back to POP. We felt it was shorter transportation wise to go to the HDDR straight from DTD. This worked out really well! If you havent been to it and have young kids it is must do for sure. These actors blow me away. I made the ressies 6 months ago and our seats were too good. Right up against the stage! My DS loves this show- his laughter was non stop. The red head even commented that she loved his laugh. The food happens to be great. Laughing, clapping singing -it would be hard not to have fun and leave uplifted.

It was a full moon and made for a scenic boat ride to MK. We had to get back to POP as we had an 8:05 breakfast date with Pooh and the gang. Little did we know that the Keys of the Kingdom fam had a date with the entire MK!

Lots more vaseline for ds.– Please if you think you might need it bring the bodyglide! I had everything else I swear- the moleskin is sitting in my med chest just waiting for another trip.

 

[lexmelinda]

Hey, there you are. Don't know how I missed this installment. Did you guys eat at WP Cafe or WP Express? I was wondering how the cafe is since we ate at Express and it was great! Keep going!

 

[averill94]

Hi Lexmelinda!
I believe we went to the Wolfgang Puck Cafe- it was a beautiful sit down meal. The server was about the best we had all week (and we had great servers!) I think his name was Josh. The food really is top notch.
The last time we went was 5 years ago and it is still just as good!

Thanks for reading~
I don't know if I have any more "in me"- oh phooey, if I type it up I will post it!

Margaret

 

[nicolemarie]

On the bus DS started chatting with a real pretty, familiar looking lady wearing a Maelstromer shirt. At the time I didnt realize who it was but now I know it was Sheridac! What eyes she has- She also inspired me to buy mickey head earrings- 1 pr for dm and a cheaper pair for DM.

I'll tell her she was mentioned in your report. In addition to being pretty, she's quite sweet, too.

Love your report. I'm sorry your DH didn't get to come with you, but it sounds like you had a great time anyway! Keep it coming!

NM