Our holiday trip to Ft. Wilderness cabins w/pics

[Liz]

Cast of characters:

Me: Obsessive Disney planner suffering from stress overload. I'm the type of person who sighs with disappointment for the families on Extreme Makeover Home Edition when they don't get sent to Disney World!

Paul: DH, happy to go along on our Disney vacations

Jeff: (19) Raised on Disney and loves it through and through. Just finished his first semester of college

Laura: (17) Senior in high school, also a Disney girl.

The Prequel

We try to make it to Disney World once a year or two. I was born and raised in Jacksonville and my parents still live in the area so that's a good excuse to go back (as if we needed one!) As with everyone else, these trips are carefully planned and greatly anticipated! This trip was maybe even more so. It has been a rough year. Laura was really sick early in the spring. She has struggled with health problems all her life and this time it was particularly life threatening. Then in the fall our oldest, Jeff, left home for college. He was a little over two hours away but it seemed like a million miles. I don’t think he ever got homesick but I was terribly “Jeff-sick”.

I am known as an ultra-planner extraordinaire, but this is the first trip we have taken since going back to work full-time after being a stay at home mom for 16 years. My stress level was over the top and my respect for working mothers is at an all time high. I’m usually totally packed a month before departure (at least) except for the clothes we wear on the plane! This time I did the majority of our packing the night before we left home!

We were scheduled to leave home December 17th and would be celebrating Christmas at home on the 16th. So I had to be all ready as if it were December 25th on December 16th, along with cooking a big dinner for my in-laws and stepdaughter and her family the night of the 15th.

On top of all this, our cat was sick and put on medication and my perfect packing list that made getting ready for trips a breeze was now totally lost on an old, non-working computer.

And did I mention the weather people kept predicting a major winter storm for the weekend we were leaving Utah! All this added up to one, huge ball of stressful excitement!

 

[Liz]

December 17 - Travel day


The great day was finally here and just as was predicted, we woke up to snow. It didn’t seem like a major storm but it was sticking to the roads. My brother-in-law was supposed to be at our house between 7:00 and 7:30 to pick us up. I figured with the snow he’d be here at 7:00 so I made sure we were ready. At 7:10 I was nervous and asked Paul to give them a call. Good thing he did because dear-BIL was still IN BED!!! He lives 15 min. away in the direction of the airport, which meant he would have to backtrack to our house to pick us up. We quickly called him back and said we would drive to his house.

Jeff was driving up and down our street because he wouldn’t be able to drive for two weeks since he wasn’t old enough to drive the rental car. I guess you have to be 19 for that to make sense.

Our trunk was stuffed and our laps were full as we left home in a very hectic manner! The only good thing about our quick departure was it prevented the whole emotional, crying, “I’m going to miss you” scene that usually takes place between us (okay me) and our pets. This time I don’t think I even said bye because I was just worried we had grabbed everything at the last minute!

The roads were bad but not horrible and when we got to DBIL’s house we transferred all the luggage into their van and he drove us to the airport. We made it with time to spare and I began to relax as it became obvious the snow wasn’t bad enough to prevent our plane from taking off on time.

We had a non-stop flight from Salt Lake City to Orlando, which we love to take whenever possible. Our flight was uneventful, as all flights should be. Then we heard the sentence that always brings a smile to my face “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’d like to welcome you to Orlando, Florida!”

If it’s possible to love an airport, I love Orlando’s. It’s so pretty compared to others I’ve had the pleasure or displeasure to be in. But as much as I love it, the goal is always to get out of there and on our way as fast as possible.

After gathering our 8 pieces of luggage (4 carry on and 4 checked) and oh yes, one Christmas tree, we went to the National lot to pick out a car on the Emerald Aisle. We looked for the biggest vehicle with the biggest trunk. Most of the cars were Chevy Impalas and we chose a silver one. Our rate was $366 for two weeks, which I think was an okay deal. On previous trips I would be checking the rate every few days and rebooking if it went lower, but this year there just wasn’t time to do that more than once or twice.

I had read a few posts on the Transportation board just prior to our trip that law enforcement was out in force and people were being stopped for speeding. So prior to our leaving home I appointed Laura as speed limit monitor. It was her job to alert the driver any time she noticed a speed limit sign so we didn’t get caught going over the limit.

We followed our Mapquest directions to a Winn Dixie, which was not far from Downtown Disney. It was then I realized the first thing I didn’t have that I had carefully prepared for the trip – my shopping list. I had the list broken down into refrigerated items, non-food items, produce, etc. so the shopping trip would go quickly and we could get to our resort. I don’t know how I ended up without it but it wasn’t anywhere to be found. No worries, we got what I could remember and overall I think the only thing we didn’t get that was on the list was yogurt.

After spending about $40 at the store, we went through the drive through of McDonalds to get something to eat. We were starving!

We attempted to follow the Mapquest directions to the back entrance of Ft. Wilderness, and perhaps if it was still light outside we could have found our way better. But we ended up going down a toll road and we had to turn around and go back through the toll again. I started talking about all we were going to do and all the fun we were going to have but Paul said something like “let’s just get there”. I said I was just trying to make the best of the situation and not get stressed over a little detour.

At the toll booth we asked for directions and still missed the road we should have turned on so we did what we should have done to begin with which is get back on I-4 and follow the directions to Magic Kingdom resorts.

We went through the big, overhead WALT DISNEY WORLD sign and I guess everyone else was getting tired because I was the only one who wahoo’d with any enthusiasm.

 

[Liz]

December 17 - pt. 2 - Arriving Ft. Wilderness

We finally made it to the guard shack at Ft. Wilderness and found our way to the Outpost to check in. This was our first time as guests of Ft. Wilderness and we would be staying in a cabin. Usually I decide where we are going to stay based on discounts available, what we can afford and what would be fun for our family. Most recently we stayed at Pop Century and on other visits we have stayed at Coronado Springs, All Star Movies, Dixie Landings and the Dolphin.

Jeff graduated high school in the spring and he got to have a major say in our Disney vacation this year. He chose a cruise. Obviously we were not cruising anywhere from Ft. Wilderness, except maybe to the Magic Kingdom, but that’s not what he had in mind! We actually had a Disney cruise to the Western Caribbean booked for mid-October but ended up canceling a few months prior to departure. Jeff’s post high school plans originally were not to go straight to college. When he decided to attend college in the fall, we all felt the cruise conflicted with too many days of school so we cancelled, or I should say postponed it because some day in the future we hope to go on a Disney cruise. As a result of not getting to cruise, he got to decide (within reason which meant less than $200 per night) what Disney resort we would stay at. He chose the cabins at Ft. Wilderness.

In the back of my mind I was thinking of another very important document (besides the shopping list) that I might have left at home. Our itinerary! Steve Soares updates his entertainment schedule for the week on Saturday nights. I was waiting to check his website one last time for updates and planned to print out a final itinerary just before we left home. I knew I had forgotten to do this but I was hoping a previous draft of the itinerary was in my binder. It wasn’t. This was just unbelievable after all the work I had put into perfecting it! I knew I could get guest services to print out a copy of our dining reservations. Also I was thankful for all the nights when I couldn’t get to sleep so I went over the itinerary in my head. Unfortunately there were far too many nights when I only got through “fly to Orlando, get our luggage, get the rental car, stop at the grocery store, check in at Ft. Wilderness” before falling asleep!!!

We were assigned cabin 2772 on the purple bus loop. I got our Hoop De Doo tickets and a print out of our dining reservations. When we left the Outpost we weren’t sure where to go because it was confusing in the dark but we found our cabin without too much difficulty. We had a good location within our loop, as we were the last cabin out so it was a close walk to the bus stop.

We really appreciated the fact that we could park right at the cabin and not have a long trek with luggage (and a Christmas tree!) Jeff and Laura both said they thought the cabin would be bigger. I thought it was perfect!

We unpacked a few things and mostly just put the groceries away. I had a moment or two when I felt like something was missing (besides the grocery list and itinerary!) Our last trip to WDW in June of ’05 was with our good friends from Utah. It was their first visit to the world and we loved showing them around. So at first when I was feeling like something was missing I realized it was our friends and I was wishing they were there. The thought entered my mind that I’m going to be really mad if they have spoiled it for us and I’m unable to enjoy Disney World without them!!! It didn’t take more than a few minutes for me to put aside the feeling of missing them and be happy with my family.

We took off to explore the resort a little. On our way out I looked at the barbeque grill on the deck. I had debated and debated whether we should cook steaks on the grill for one meal. Based on a recent report from another DISer that their grill wasn’t in the best shape, I decided not to take the chance. When I saw our grill I was glad I hadn’t taken the time or spent the money to buy steaks or burgers. It looked dirty and the bottom had a bunch of cigarettes in it. I never looked at it again so I don’t know if the cigarettes were ever cleaned out.

According to the itinerary, we were supposed to attend the campfire program tonight but the grocery stop took longer than planned and getting lost several times took even longer.

We caught a bus to the Meadows area, saw the pool and looked around the shop. Laura bought some toe socks with Tinkerbell for a friend back home. We saw where the Bike Barn was and walked over to the campfire. Lady and the Tramp was playing. Some people were still roasting marshmallows but all our stuff was back in the cabin. After walking all around the Meadows area we took a bus back to our cabin. These were taken while waiting for the bus:

We stayed at the our cabin the rest of the evening.

The Survivor finale was on so we had both TV’s tuned to it. It was hilarious watching the two women try for over an hour to light a fire!

It was just a relaxing evening in the cabin getting ready for bed, unpacking, putting up the Christmas tree (one ornament didn’t survive the trip) and decorating it with the Disney themed ornaments I had brought, etc. Paul thought bringing the tree was a waste of time and space but even he admitted it was a nice addition to the cabin.

The cabin was really wonderful as far as space to spread out. The bedroom had a double bed and bunk beds along with a TV and closet area.

It also had a very small cabinet area with approximately 4 drawers. I had read on the DIS that storage space for clothes was an issue for the cabins so I was prepared to deal with that. I emptied three suitcases of everything and placed them on the high shelf above the closet to get them out of the way. In the closet I hung anything bulky like sweaters, hoodies, jackets, etc. There was a large, deep shelf at the foot of the bunk bed. I made two stacks of my clothes (pants and tops) in the back of the shelf and did the same thing with Jeff’s clothes at the front of the shelf.

Paul chose to just leave his suitcase packed and get what he needed out of it each day. He kept that in the bottom of the closet.

Laura’s clothes I put on a shelf in the living room with the stack of pants and tops. Having a stack of clothes in the living room wasn’t necessarily ideal but it worked out fine.

Our shoes we lined up like little soldiers at the foot of the double bed.

In the bedroom I used one drawer for our medicine kit (band aids, Pepto, thermometer, etc.) another for our rain ponchos and another for all our chargers and things that needed plugs. I don’t think we even used the bottom drawer at all.

Our four carry on suitcases we had no problem tucking away in a corner of the bedroom.

I really appreciated having the evening to get everything in order. So many times we are on the run from the moment we arrive till the moment we leave that I’m constantly trying to organize and straighten. By taking the first evening to get everything set up we had a stress free time finding everything we needed the rest of the week.

It was supposed to be an early evening to bed but we went to sleep about 11:30 PM (9:30 Utah time). Before we left home I would have guessed that Jeff totally would have chosen the top bunk but he wanted to sleep in the Murphy bed.

Laura took the top bunk for herself!

 

[swillis]

Can't wait to read more! We are staying at the cabins in June for the first time, so I am eagerly awaiting the rest of your trippie!

 

[tink's girls]

Enjoying your trip report! Can't wait to hear more about your Christmas in WDW!

 

[Liz]

December 18 - MGM & Epcot

Getting up the first few mornings are always interesting, considering the time change. We were supposed to get up at 6:30 but we rolled out of bed at 6:45 (4:45 AM by our body clocks). Pretty good I think. After a breakfast of toaster strudel we left for MGM at 8:00. We usually always take Disney transportation to the parks but with the car parked right outside our door we almost always drove and it was nice.

We were at MGM before the park opened.

I traded in my AP voucher for a real annual pass. I was the only one in our family with an AP, which we got mainly for the discount on the cabins (final price was $189 including tax). We also got the DDE card. It will be a bonus if we can use it for another trip before it expires.

When the park opened, Paul and the kids headed for RnR and ToT, two rides which I do not do. During this time I got a wheelchair for Laura and paid for 5days ($40). In the past we haven’t gotten a wheelchair at the start of a trip and only get one when she gets worn out. This time I decided we’d try a new strategy which was getting a wheelchair from day one to keep her from getting worn out. I hoped by not letting her get to the point of total exhaustion it would help her stay well too.

After getting the wheelchair I walked down to find a bench between RnR & ToT to wait for my family. I had a nice lady to visit with who was from the Florida panhandle and on her first visit to Disney World with her husband and son. The time I spend waiting while my husband and kids are on RnR & ToT is always enjoyable. I like to people watch and just think how grateful I am to be there.

From there we went on the Great Movie Ride and rushed over to Lights, Motor, Action. We were about 5 minutes late but they let us in. This was the second time we saw this, the first time being soon after it opened in 2005. In 2005 it was a really hot day and I didn’t enjoy the show all that much. This time the weather was much nicer but I still was wishing it didn’t last so long. Jeff enjoys it a lot though so I would happily sit there just to be with him. Although maybe next time I will take that opportunity to explore some of the shops (or benches) in the LMA area.

From there we went on the Backlot Tour, the highlight of which was seeing the props from Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The tour guide said the large balls made out of bones “held Johnny Depp” but when we watched the movie after returning home we realized Johnny (or Capt. Jack Sparrow) never was in those balls. Maybe he meant Orlando Bloom. Still it was fun to see!

I remembered from the itinerary that we didn’t want to see Beauty & the Beast today because Four for a Dollar wouldn’t be there. We always enjoy them. I had on my itinerary for us to see “Mulch, Sweat & Tears” today but I forgot about that without having my list. Maybe another time we can catch it. I’m not even sure what it is exactly.

We ate lunch at the Flatbread Grill and the food was really good but expensive for what we got. I got the chicken wrap, which was delicious but it wasn’t large by any means (definitely not big enough to share) and it didn’t come with any sides at all ($6.49). Laura had the hot dog and chips ($6.19), Paul had the chicken with rice and beans ($6.49) and Jeff had the pork sandwich with chips ($6.49). Everything was delicious.

After lunch we left for Epcot. On the way out we stopped to watch some street performers who did a “That’s Italian” routine. It was pretty funny. In the past we have always rushed to this or that attraction and I could tell already that this trip was going to be more laid back and relaxed. Maybe leaving the itinerary at home was a good thing.

We drove from MGM to Epcot. I picked up the temporary DDE card at Guest Services and that was really quick and easy. We got another wheelchair for Laura and were on our way.

As we went by Innoventions I thought it was about the time of day for the Disney VISA character meet & greet. Since I didn’t have my itinerary I couldn’t be sure! The only thing I remembered was it was by a fire engine. I couldn’t remember if it was Innoventions East or West but when we entered the door we were right by a fire engine! What luck! I asked a CM where we needed to go for the picture and he pointed me in the right direction. I didn’t tell my family what we were doing, but they trusted me that if I thought it was worth doing it would be (my family is awesome!) There was only one group ahead of us and we went in to find Mickey & Minnie in blue outfits.

My kids aren’t little but they definitely can get into the whole character thing, which is fun. We had several pictures taken and left. We won’t wait in long lines for characters but when we have opportunities like this its great.

Without the itinerary, we were kind of winging it. I asked if they’d like to go to the Seas and check out the new Nemo ride. Everyone wanted to so we headed over there. The line was fairly long, about 20 min. Not having ridden it before we didn’t know how long the queue was. We felt the ride was okay but very simple and geared for little ones.

When we came out into the pavilion I asked a CM how long the wait would be if we got in line for Turtle Talk with Crush. The crowd looked pretty big to me and I know the theater is fairly small. But she said the next show was just starting and we would be able to get in. What luck!!! Jeff almost backed out and said he’d wait for us because he thought it was more for little kids but I convinced him to come. He was glad he did because it was funny. Crush is awesome! I can’t imagine how they do it. Disney magic!

After a little shopping in the Seas gift shop we went over to Soarin and flew over California. We definitely wanted to see Off Kilter (we’re big fans!) so we headed over there and got seats. While the kids saved our seats, Paul and I went to the fish & chips place at the UK and got some drinks and chips to share. The guys always put on a great show!

From there we went to Test Track and did a quick spin through the course, followed by some shopping at Mouse Gear. Usually we spend very little time on shopping but I had gotten each of us a $50 gift card for Christmas to get whatever we wanted. At Mouse Gear I bought a Minnie Mouse tree topper ($30). She was wearing a gold/yellow dress that looked like like Belle’s. I had it sent back to Ft. Wilderness so I didn’t have to carry it around.

Next on the itinerary in my mind, was Epcot’s tree lighting ceremony! We didn’t get there as early as I would have liked but we were still very close to the front. We had to wait about 20 min. for it to start and it did get really crowded. That was so incredible and I’m very glad we were able to see it! When it got to the part where we all sang Silent Night and held hands I cried! The person in front of me turned around (to see the lights I think) and looked at me like I was nuts so I sucked it up and tried to control myself!!

We had a 7:30 dining reservation at Rose & Crown and it was now feeling like we had been going, going all day. We headed back towards the UK and stopped again to watch a little bit of Off Kilter. Laura and I walked through all the shops in the UK and then we all sat and waited about 15 min. till it was a reasonable time to check in.

I asked if we could please have an outside table and got the standard speech that it was not guaranteed but they would do what they could. When we were seated we were not on the lowest level but just above that. It appeared we had good seats but there was an umbrella in the way from the table on the lower level. The umbrella was closed but was still in the way a bit.

However, we had a great meal at Rose & Crown. We got the cheese & fruit platter for an appetizer. For our entrees, both the guys got steak. I got cottage pie and Laura got fish & chips. Laura and I should have shared a meal because neither of us were able to eat close to everything we had. Our server kept asking us if we wanted dessert but we were all so stuffed. Our total was $79 before tip and we saved $18.54 with the DDE card.

Usually having a 7:30 reservation at Rose & Crown is perfect for seeing Illuminations. We have done this three or four times now. Well this night Illuminations was at 9:30 instead of 9:00 so we were finished eating a good hour before Illuminations was due to start. And we were freezing! Jeff’s jacket was in the car so he ran out there (luckily we were parked very close to the entrance) to get it. It wasn’t a particularly cold night but I think being close to the water made it seem colder. In retrospect we should have just enjoyed our dinner and left to watch Illuminations from somewhere else but that’s not what we did.

While we were waiting we began to get tired. Our agenda for the following day consisted of a few hours at Animal Kingdom and then we were to return to Ft. Wilderness to rest and have fun till time for MVMCP that evening. I brought up the suggestion of maybe skipping AK in the morning and sleeping in a little (I must have been tired because I was clearly talking crazy talk) and not going to a park till the afternoon when we went to the Christmas party. Nothing was ever decided one way or another other than we’d see how we felt in the morning.

Illuminations was worth the wait, with the exception of the closed umbrella blocking our view somewhat. The finale was the most incredible fireworks display I have ever, ever seen!

We stopped at the Kodak store on our way out to choose our free picture from Disney Visa. Surprisingly there wasn’t a long line at all. We got our photo and were on our way to our car and back to the cabin in no time flat.

Up next: Somebody gets sick!

 

[Liz]

December 19 - MVMCP

I had only been asleep an hour or two before Jeff woke me up saying he was sick. That’s a horrid thing to hear from your child when you are home but even more horrible when you are on vacation. Not going into details about the whole night, but Jeff threw up several times and neither of us got much sleep at all. Therefore the decision was made for us – we would be skipping Animal Kingdom.

I had a lot on my mind this morning while Jeff slept and the rest of my family woke up slowly. I was wondering if I could change our MVMCP tickets for another night if Jeff wouldn’t be able to go because there was no way I would go without him. Even if it meant switching to a busier night, I’d rather do that than go without him. I knew there was no Christmas party the following night (the 20th) and I wondered if the 21st or 22nd might be sold out.

Also I couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before the next person in our family because intimately acquainted with the bathroom. It seems like the stomach bug rarely stops with one person. It was a very sad and depressing morning.

We were scheduled to get a golf cart today. I wasn’t aware that they are really strict when they say they aren’t available for pick up till 11:00 AM. I had Paul drive me over to the Meadows area and drop me off about 9:30. I was told the cart wouldn’t be available till 11:30 or noon. It seemed to take forever to catch a bus and get back to the cabin. My mood was growing darker by the minute.

I decided to do some laundry, even though we had only gone through two days of clothes. We rarely saw anybody staying in the other cabins, but this morning there were quite a few people next door. Some kids were playing in and around the trees between our two cabins. I didn’t see exactly what happened but one of the young girls fell or tripped and started screaming “I broke my arm! I broke my arm!” Someone, who I am guessing was her mother, ran to her and then shouted “she broke her arm again”! It was an awful feeling to watch that scene unfold. There were quite a few adults over there so we didn’t feel there was anything we could do at the moment and left for the laundry.

There was a lady in the laundry room with a British accent who wasn’t familiar with American coins. It was interesting to see how she was surprised our dime was worth more money than a nickel but it was smaller. There was another nice lady I visited with a bit who said she had to go buy her daughter a swimsuit because they weren’t prepared for how warm it was going to be outside.

Laura and I sat by the pool while we waited for the laundry and we saw an ambulance heading towards our cabin area.

Paul and Jeff came down to the laundry room. It was a good sign that Jeff was up and dressed. Paul said he talked to the family next door and asked if there was anything we could do. They thanked him but said no. I thought it would be nice to buy something for the little girl but we never saw anyone over there again and think they must have just gone home.

Jeff was feeling okay but not great. When I told him we were supposed to get the golf cart he was excited to do that. When the laundry was done, Paul dropped Jeff and I off at the Meadows while he and Laura took the laundry back to the cabin.

We got the cart about noon. I had no idea at all how to drive it and they had to show me. "Don't be scared" she said. It was easy and fun. We went back to the cabin to gather the rest of the family so we could do some exploring on the cart.

Jeff said he was hungry. The rest of us were too. We would have eaten at a food court (if there was one) but by default we went to the Trails End to see if we could be accommodated without a reservation. We love Trails End but our moods were still a little like wet blankets. Jeff ate a small amount, which was probably a good thing, but it was an expensive lunch for the small amount of food he ate. That didn’t really matter though. I just wanted him to feel good.

I asked Jeff how he felt about the Christmas party and he said he wasn’t sure. He thought maybe he would stay behind and then meet up with us if he felt like it. I suggested maybe he could come with us and then go home early if he wasn’t feeling good and he said that might work.

After lunch we walked over to the petting zoo and horse barn. Laura and I didn’t go in the petting zoo. The horse barn was very cool! The horses were HUGE! We walked around and looked at each one. There was a sign that we couldn’t touch them, although I would have liked to. And I’m not a horse person at all!

We saw a man giving a horse (King) new shoes. He said the horses are on a schedule and they get new shoes every five weeks. Jeff asked him lots of questions and enjoyed talking to him.

We walked some more and saw where River Country used to be and then walked down to the beach. We went out on a dock, but not the main dock at the marina. There was a black bird perched at the end of the dock and Jeff gradually kept walking closer and closer to it so I could take a picture. A couple of times the bird stood up and wiggled around and we thought any second it was going to fly away but it didn't. Jeff was fairly close and I was just getting ready to take the picture when the bird let off what I can only assume was his defense mechanism! He spewed a huge stream of diarrhea in Jeff's direction, barely missing him by inches!!! It was hilarious!!! This picture was taken right after the dreaded incident:

Then I took a picture of Laura with the bird, however she wisely refused to get too close! Do you think the bird looks guilty??

Jeff enjoyed driving us around on the golf cart. Laura and I rode around in the cart for awhile when Jeff and Paul wanted to walk along the nature trail. Before leaving home I told Laura she would be able to drive the cart because all I had read said you must be 16. When we got the info from the Bike Barn, it said you have to be 16 with a driver’s license. Laura only has a learners permit and the paperwork specifically said a learners permit was not good enough.

We went back to our cabin to rest a few minutes and gather anything we might need for MVMCP. When we left the cabin to head for MK, Jeff went to get in the car. I told him we were taking the cart! He didn’t understand but he smiled and thought it was cool that we were taking the cart to the Magic Kingdom somehow!

Jeff drove and I direct him towards the marina. He figured out what we were doing. We parked the cart and looked for a place to plug it in for a charge but couldn’t find a space available. The boat to MK was just arriving so we parked it and took off. During our stay at the fort we never had to wait for a boat to Magic Kingdom. It was always right there when we needed it!

We got to Magic Kingdom a little before 4:00. I had read that we could get in Magic Kingdom with our MVMCP tickets at that time and we would not use a day of our park passes. I hoped this was true.

Before going in MK I made an executive decision and spent $500+ without consulting my husband! Oh well, that’s just what I do. Okay, not really, but it seemed like a smart move at the time (and still does I think). I gathered everyone’s park hoppers and went to Guest Services. When I purchased the tickets originally I bought 7 day hoppers even though I thought we would probably just use 6 days, with the slight possibility of using 7. The price difference was so small. Now that we hadn’t gone to Animal Kingdom this morning, we would likely only be using 5 days of our 7 on the hopper. I decided upgrading to 10 day non-expiring would be smart.

To upgrade three 7 day hoppers (only 3 since I have an AP) to 10 day no expiring hoppers it cost a little over $500. I thought that was a good deal because we’d be going home with three 5 day hoppers for a future trip for the cost of $500 instead of no passes at all. I think it would cost a lot more than that to purchase them later. My husband was totally lost as to what I was doing but I assured him it was fine and don’t worry. He just heard the $500 total and thought I was paying that so we could get into the park at 4:00 instead of 7:00, the time MVMCP was supposed to start! It was pretty funny. He knows I’m extremely careful with money. I’m in charge of our vacation budgets and always try to get the most bang for our buck.

But anyway, I had a separate itinerary for MVMCP and this one I didn’t leave at home. However, due to Jeff not feeling 100%, I basically ignored it and just went with what he felt up to doing. We entered MK at 4:00 and got our wrist bands. First thing we stopped for a picture in front of the castle and the Christmas tree for the photopass photographer.

Then we toured a lot of Fantasyland, starting with Mickeys Philharmagic, followed by Pooh, Peter Pan and Small World. From there we went to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz and grabbed a bite to eat at Cosmic Rays. Jeff was starting to feel a lot better and we were all filled with Christmas spirit!

Jeff and Laura went on Space Mountain and I went to use the restroom in Tomorrowland. I had on long sleeves so my wristband wasn’t easily seen. I was asked to show my wrist band before being allowed in the restroom! I thought that was cool!

The plan was to see Mickeys Twas the Night Before Christmas show after they got off Space Mountain but I was really the only one who wanted to see it. I watched some of it from the back of the theater (through the bushes) and when the kids showed up I decided we’d move on and see the show when we returned to MK on Saturday.

It was getting close to time for the first parade to start. We were heading for Splash Mountain and passing the Diamond Horseshoe review when we saw a great spot to watch the parade. I said we should stop and then we’d have the rest of the evening to do whatever we wanted without making time to stop for the late parade so that’s what we did.

We got cookies and hot chocolate and enjoyed seeing the Christmas parade for the first time ever. It was so much fun! One of the bell girls who came just before Santa was making some serious eye contact with Jeff. It was pretty funny and he enjoyed it a lot. He even talked about going to the late parade to see her again!

After the parade everyone but me rode Splash Mountain. I think they went on it three times in a row! Between the first and second time they had to get off and get back on but the next time they were able to just stay on. By the time they got off Splash I had the entire inventory of the little store memorized, but that was okay. They had fun and so did I.

Next we all went on Big Thunder Mountain. That’s just as much thrill as I can generally take. It was my first time on the roller coaster in the dark and its much scarier!

At some point in the evening, but I can’t remember exactly when, we also rode Pirates and saw the new addition of Capt. Jack Sparrow. That was fun!

We watched Holiday Wishes in an area in front of the Crystal Palace. A tree ended up being kind of in the way so it wasn’t the best spot but we had fun anyway. We all really liked when it looked like the fireworks were surrounding us!

We stayed at the party till about 11:30 PM. On the way out we stopped to look at our photos. I got in the line but ended up leaving because it was long and the line was moving slow. Paul noticed Santa Goofy was in the back area and there was no one around him so we all went back and got a picture with him. He acted like he was tired or something and didn’t seem into character at all but it was still fun.

We took the boat back to Ft. Wilderness. It was nice having the golf cart right there to take us back to the cabin but it was also really chilly. Just as we turned off the main road on to the road that lead to our cabin, we saw two deer! We turned around and looked at them briefly before going home.

What started out to be a really depressing day ended really nicely. We were tired and planned to sleep in the next morning. The kids commented that my idea of sleeping in and theirs were entirely different. Sleeping in to them meant getting up at 11:00 or noon. To me it means 8:00 or heaven forbid 9:00.

Next: MGM including 50's PTC and Osborne Family Lights

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

Hello! I am enjoying your report! I hope my kids will want to continue to visit Disney World after high school !!

I just started my trip report (with teenagers too!)

Thanks for sharing! and your pictures are great - (yes, that black bird most certainly feels guilty!)

mary

 

[Liz]

December 20 - MGM w/50's PTC and Osborne Lights

We slept in, as promised, and were ready to leave the cabin at 11:00. I had planned on fixing breakfast for everyone (bacon & eggs we purchased at the store) but there was no skillet in the kitchen. I thought when I read the list on All Ears of what was supposed to be furnished in the kitchen a skillet was listed, but I didn’t have the print out with me so I wasn’t sure. So we ate some of the other breakfast foods we had purchased that didn’t have to be cooked.

We had the golf cart reserved for five days but I knew today it would just sit there unused pretty much all day. Also we had used it quite a bit the day before and, while we enjoyed it, the novelity of it wore off pretty quick. I threw out the suggestion to return the cart and just use the buses when we needed to. Also in my mind I was thinking of the money we’d be saving. I was a little surprised to find everyone thought that was a fine plan. I was going to return it right then but I looked at my watch and saw it was 11:00. They said it had to be back by 11:00 to not be charged for another day. I didn’t know how strict they were about the time and decided not to even chance it. We decided to return the cart that evening when we came back from the park.

We left the cabin for another visit to MGM. We rode Star Tours. Laura usually passes on this one but she decided to come with us and she enjoyed it. We then when to Indy, the goal being for Jeff to be chosen as an extra since this was our first trip he was old enough. The odds were very small that he would be chosen but we tried to sit towards the front and he stood up and waved his arms when they asked for volunteers. Unfortunately a guy in the row right in front of us did the same thing and he was chosen. We enjoyed the show anyway. Not quite as much as if Jeff was on stage but it was good. I still wish they would take the whole thing out and replace it with an Indiana Jones ride like they have at Disneyland.

We hurried to Beauty & the Beast. I love the show and we all love Four for a Dollar that performs before B&B. We had to sit way in the back but it was still enjoyable.

After the show we got some snacks at the food place across from the theater. The guys got turkey legs and Laura and I got hot dogs.

We had reservations for 50’s Prime Time Café later in the evening so I hoped we wouldn’t get full from our snack.

While the guys were still working on their turkey legs, Laura and I left to wait for them by Mermaid. On the way we stopped to watch some street performers for awhile and called the guys to let them know where we were.

Several times during the afternoon we tried to get into the Little Mermaid but we always just missed the show that was starting. We’d go do something else and check back, only to just miss it again.

We walked through the Narnia exhibit, which was kind of lost on most of us since Jeff was the only one who had seen the movie. He enjoyed it.

This picture was taken right outside the exhibit:

We did some shopping and Laura bought a purse, Paul bought a jacket and Jeff bought a Grumpy hat. I got one of those throws for $15 that were available for purchase if your total went over $60 (I think).

During our visit to the Animation building we found out that Laura was most like Cinderella, I'm most like Mulan, Paul was like Aladdin and Jeff was Buzz Lightyear. We also said hi to some super heroes!

And perfected our coloring skills!

It was time for our reservation at Prime Time Café. We always eat there because its fun and the food can’t be beat. Only this time we weren’t real hungry, especially the guys. I was kind of irritated because I told them not to eat too much earlier. We got Aunt Elaine, who we have had before. She’s a lot of fun! She took a picture of our family with our camera and gave us an address so we could send it to her for the “family album”. The picture ended up being really icky of most of us and the address got lost somewhere along the way so I guess we won’t send it.

Laura and I shared the fried chicken dinner and she had a strawberry shake. Both the guys got milkshakes and shared a child’s chicken dinner. The child’s dinner was Aunt Elaine’s idea. She asked if they were only ordering dessert because they weren’t real hungry and when they said yes, she suggested the child’s portion. It was just right.

Several times we had passed the Osborne lights display during the day and could see the lights everywhere. We were anxious to see them actually lit up and planned to go during the first showing of Fantasmic. We were not disappointed. Wow. It was amazing! We walked around with varying degrees of smiles on our faces or our mouths hanging open in amazement! Then when the lights actually started to “dance” it was even more spectactular! I’d heard about it being shoulder to shoulder people during busy times. While there were a lot of people there, it wasn’t bad at all. In fact it was perfect, every bit of it! Jeff was so funny. Something about being on that street at that time with the lights all around filled him with the Christmas spirit. He was so happy and said it wanted to do this every year!!!

Our video of the lights came out really well but our pictures didn't do it justice:

After the lights we saw the Muppets then went back to look at the lights one more time. Yes, we loved them that much!

We ended the evening with a late showing of Fantasmic. We sat pretty close to the front and got a little bit of mist on us from the water screens. When the river broke into flames the heat felt good! We hadn’t seen Fantasmic in a few years so it was a nice way to end the evening.

We drove back to the cabin and then Jeff and I hopped on the golf cart to return it to the Bike Barn. The barn was closed but they said if we returned it when they were closed to just park it in the front and leave the keys in the night drop box so that’s what we did. Then Jeff and I walked to the bus stop to get back to our cabin.

On the way down the dark path something jumped in front of me. Sorry to all who were anywhere in the vicinity because I’m sure my scream would have woken anyone from a dead sleep! I am VERY afraid of roaches and that was my first thought, even though they don’t usually “jump”! After I screamed and jumped back three feet I yelled “Is that one of those THINGS (translation: roach - - a word not used unless absolutely necessary because even the word sends shivers). Before Jeff could say anything I started running down the path! It seems hilarious now and to hear Jeff reinact the scene is even funnier. There were people on a playground close by. I wonder what they thought! By the way, the thing that made my blood run cold was a frog. Jeff picked it up and it peed on him! Eww!

We caught the bus back to the cabin (and I made Jeff not touch anything with his peed on hand till he washed) and went to bed because our earliest morning of all was just a few hours away. I slept on the Murphy bed tonight because it was essential that we didn’t oversleep. I hadn’t been able to get the alarm clock in the bedroom to work so I wanted to sleep in the living room near the phone and have a wake up call.

Next: What we did that made me smile for 2 hours!

 

[Bee]

I am enjoying your report!!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

lovin it

 

[Liz]

Thanks to anyone who is reading! My trippie feels like a little sappling among giants!

 

[mlill]

I'm loving your report! It's so nice to see teenagers who love WDW. Sometimes my kids feel like they're aliens, because other kids at school think it's 'uncool' to go to WDW with your parents. Not that my kids care what anyone thinks! LOL! The cabins look huge! I remember staying in one a long time ago when I was little! I bet staying at Fort Wilderness is a lot of fun, especially during the holidays! Your pictures are awesome - great shot of Off Kilter! We somehow missed seeing them! Gasp!

I can't wait to read more!

-Michelle

 

[Liz]

December 21 - Epcot including Segway tour, Biergarten & Candlelight Processional

The phone rang about 5:30 AM. It was our wake up call. I was a bit disoriented, I guess, or in a deep sleep. I got up to make that annoying sound stop and crashed into the wall, only to be followed by crashing into the Christmas tree!!! Jeff woke up and said “mom, are you okay?” It was weird. I think I more knocked the phone off the hook than answered it but the noise stopped nevertheless.

Then the thought occurred to me that I’m supposed to be riding a SEGWAY in a couple of hours and I can’t even answer the phone without killing myself and a harmless tree! Oh dear!

We needed to be at Epcot by 8:15. This had caused much stress as I tried to figure out the best way to get us there on time. I didn’t know if we should drive (the parking lot opened at 8:00 if my information was correct) or catch a bus to Epcot. I think driving might have been a better option (hindsight) but I was thinking the Princess breakfast reservations probably started at 8:00 and hopefully there would be a breakfast bus sometime after 7:00. If I hadn’t been so busy with work and Christmas I might have been able to do more research and found out if this was a sensible plan.

We caught a bus to the Outpost and then waited for another bus to Epcot. We were at the Outpost by 7:00. It was cold. And boring. And stressful because we had a LONG wait. I broke out some Hot Hands to help with the cold. We watched the horses being prepared for the day at the stables behind the bus stop. We still had a long wait. I said we should have driven the car to the parking lot at the Outpost and then when we saw that this plan wasn’t working so well we could have hopped in the car and driven to Epcot. Jeff talked about running back to get the car but I figured the bus would probably come while he was enroute. So we waited some more. We had a couple of bus drivers come and go several times and a couple of them asked where we were going. They said the Epcot bus should be along about 8:00.

By the time the bus arrived I’m sure we looked like the perfect happy family on a Disney World vacation. I was sitting on a bench at one end of the bus stop and everybody else was at the other end. I was stressing about the situation we were in and just needed some alone time to think!

Finally at about 8:00, as promised, an Epcot bus came. Of course the drop off point at Epcot is kind of a long walk to the entrance. We were practically running as we went through the bag inspection and then to the Princess breakfast entrance. I had to make a quick bathroom stop on our way to Guest Services. That was the fastest bathroom break on record I think!

We got to Guest Services probably a few minutes late and we were the last to arrive, but it was okay and we were a happy family again. There were forms to sign and we overheard there would be 12 in our group instead of 10 because there were two people who were supposed to be in the earlier tour group who needed a parent signature but hadn’t shown up with a parent. The mother came in while we were there and didn’t seem very happy and acted like she wasn’t aware she needed to sign anything for her minor child.

We were taken to a classroom where we were given helmets and had some instruction on the Segways. We were told if anyone wanted to back out at that time they would be given a refund. I was happy to hear that because I wondered what if someone woke up sick the day of the tour or something. I believe there is supposed to be a 48 hour cancellation notice.

Following the short classroom time we went into the next area inside Innoventions and were told to choose a Segway. Scary!! We formed three rows of four. Paul was in front of me and Jeff was next to him. Laura was behind me. We didn’t do a very good job of ending up next to each other.

Let me just say I am the most klutziest person on earth. Really. Its not an exaggeration. I fall on ice, I’ve fallen in a restaurant by the salad bar, if there’s something slippery I’ll fall on it. I couldn't ride a bike if my life depended on it. I was really nervous. And I was worried about Laura being able to ride it too. I figured Paul could handle it and Jeff is athletic so I wasn’t worried about him at all.

They taught us how to step on the Segways. Paul was first and he did pretty well. Jeff had no trouble at all. Then it was my turn. YIKES. I got on but had a hard time staying still and hoped I didn’t run into anybody! Quickly it got easier! When Laura stepped on she had the same difficulty as me staying in one place but she got the hang of it too.

After learning to step on and off we rode forward about four or five feet, turned around and went back to our starting point. Then we did it again, making sure we turned in the opposite direction we had before.

We divided into two groups. Laura and I were in one and the guys were in another. The guys started learning to go up and down a ramp while we learned to weave in and out of cones. It was really easy and soooooooooooo much fun! When we had all mastered the tasks being taught the groups switched. Then they had us practice going a little faster and making the spaces we had to maneuver more narrow. Nobody in our group had a bit of problem. Soon an hour had passed and it was time to go out in the real world.

Our first stop was the bathroom by Journey Into Your Imagination. Everyone got off the Segways and rested even if they didn’t need the bathroom break. Our legs did feel a little stiff after standing on the Segways but it wasn’t bad and I found it really helped to lift my heels up and down one at a time when on the machine.

We got back on the Segways. I never did master how to get on and off them without feeling nervous and having the rest of the class give me a "can she do it" look. But I did it. We took off towards Mexico with our two guides. We were told each country had some challenges that we could choose to participate in or not. We cruised past Mexico and Norway and then stopped at China for some trivia and our first challenge. We followed a walkway that ended in a bit of an uphill. Laura had some trouble with the last part and stepped off the Segway at the top of the hill. She didn’t fall though, thankfully, and she got right back on.

In Germany the challenge was to ride the little pathway that went through the train display. After stepping off the Segway in China, Laura elected to not do that challenge, which was fine.

In Italy we rode in and out of the columns and in Japan we rode up and over a little bridge and through the pathways followed by riding through the back “streets” of Morocco. I didn’t find any of the challenges to be the least bit hard.

When we were in Italy we had about 10 minutes of “free time” to ride around or get off and rest. Also during that time we were able to take some pictures.

I was a little disappointed in how small the area was that we were able to ride around in. The pavement outside our “safe” area was wet so maybe that’s why we couldn’t go there. It was more fun when we were riding around the countries than we had on our free time, I think.

We completed our tour by going through France, the UK and Canada. All too soon it was time to go back through Future World and our tour came to an end. This tour was so fun! I don't think I stopped smiling for the whole two hours of the tour!!!

We left our Segways and went back to the classroom to return our helmets and receive our treasured Segway pin, that can only be obtained by taking the tour. When she gave us our pins she checked each one to make sure it had a Segway guy on it because “sometimes they come off”. Boy is that true!!!!

As we were leaving I asked our teacher if she had any info on the proposed off road Segway tour at Ft. Wilderness. She said she didn’t know anything about that at all. Our teachers were happy with our class. They said any class where no one falls off is a good class because when someone falls there’s paperwork and they don’t like paperwork!

I attached my pin to my backpack and we went to the Land to get something to eat and also to sit down for a minute. Paul got a child’s French toast meal and the rest of us got croissant breakfast sandwiches. Maybe we were really hungry but those were delicious. By the time we went through the line, paid for our food and sat down one of the kids noticed my Segway guy had fallen off my pin. Sad. I looked around for it but knew it would take a miracle to find it. I thought maybe I could go back and explain to my teacher that my guy was gone but I knew they would be busy with the next class and she had said something about them falling off easy. If I ever get another one I won’t even take it out of the package!!!

After a yummy breakfast and giving our legs a little time to recover, we went on Soarin and Listen to the Land, both favorites of ours. I was disappointed to see there is no longer a CM riding the boat with the guests on Listen to the Land. I felt the recording was greatly lacking in comparison to having a real, live person describing what we were seeing.

From there we went on the Imagination ride and then sent some quick e-mail photos back home.

We went back to the Disney Visa photo place and had more pictures taken. This time it was Mickey, Minnie and Goofy! They are a crack up and we had a lot of pictures taken! This is the one they took with my camera:

We enjoyed some more of Epcot's live entertainment, the Jammitors, which Jeff loves since he's a drummer.

And then made a stop at what used to be called Ice Station Cool. Can't remember what it's called now.

We went to Ellen’s Energy Adventure and now I can’t remember why exactly because I don’t think any of us were particularly longing to see it. Maybe we needed another rest or were waiting for a Fast Pass time. Jeff was talking to his girlfriend on the phone and was telling her this was a boring show. He obviously doesn’t remember how it used to be in its Universe of Energy form. That was nothing more than a long excuse to get out of the heat, rest feet and/or take a nap!

As we were exiting Ellen, the CM’s reminded us all about the Wonders of Life being open and mentioned that it might be the last time opportunity ever to go in there so that was our next stop. It was . . . . odd in there. It was open yet it was like a ghost town. The bikes were still covered up with plastic. There were very few people anywhere. We walked right on to Body Wars and then went right into Cranium Command. When we were watching it I kept trying to think of another place at Epcot or WDW that it would fit because its such a cute show it would be a shame to have it lost forever. We would have gone to Making of Me but it didn’t appear that was open. It was nice to go in there again and sort of say goodbye. I would be wonderful if the powers that be would really invest some money or thought into doing something with that pavilion if they don’t want it open as Wonders of Life.

A stop in Mouse Gear lead to being a test dummy on Test Track and then we ventured into World Showcase.

Jeff entertained himself by playing the bongos in Mexico and then we rode the boat ride, followed by Norway’s boat ride! When we exited the ride in Norway we stopped to watch Norway’s version of Santa, who wasn’t a Santa at all but actually a Gnome named Julenissen!

He was hilarious and the girl working with him did a great job too! That was the only one of the Epcot storytellers we were able to see.

We hurried past a few countries because Laura and I wanted to see the candy lady, Miyuki, in Japan. We saw her for the first time on our last visit in 2005 and this time we hoped Laura would be chosen to receive one of her beautiful creations. We were the first ones at her booth but were quickly joined by lots of people. Laura wasn’t the first one chosen but she did get picked to make an animal. She chose a penguin and Miyuki made a blue one holding a pink heart, which was very appropriate for Laura (who had a heart transplant), although Miyuki had no way of knowing that! We carefully got him back home with only a small part broken off his tail.

I didn't get a picture while Miyuki was making Laura's penguin but took these while Laura was holding it up to dry:

While we were doing this Jeff and Paul watched the Japanese drummers, also amazing and talented.

From there we went back to Germany to wait for our dining reservation. We had a Candlelight Processional dinner package. We had been able to hear a lot of the show just by being in the area of the American Gardens pavilion so I considered not doing the package, but still dining at the Biergarten. I didn’t know if this would be allowed but I asked and found out it wasn’t. There was a two day cancellation policy for the dinner package so we kept the package and enjoyed ourselves.

This was our first time to dine at the Biergarten. Its amazing after 20+ trips to Disney World how many things we were experiencing for the first time. And people wonder why we go back again and again.

Laura and I were a little nervous about eating at the Biergarten. On a trip several years ago we had “snacked around the world”, getting small servings of food from each country and sharing them to experience different things. The only one we didn’t like at all was what we got in Germany. Paul ended up eating it all because no one else wanted any. So it was with that memory in the back of our mind that we were dining at the Biergarten.

Immediately when we went in the restaurant I loved the atmosphere and it looked like it would be really fun! We were seated at a table towards the front right of the stage. The custom of dining with other guests was explained, to the delight of Jeff who would have someone new to talk to! We were seated with a wonderful older couple celebrating their anniversary. They were so nice. We talked about what they had done at WDW so far. The lady strongly warned me against going on Expedition Everest when they heard we were going to Animal Kingdom the following day. I was already nervous and this didn’t help!

I timed our dining reservations so we would be able to see the show and it worked out just right.

Every bit of the performance was enjoyable, along with the food. Yumm! We will definitely be eating here again. The bill was about $140, which is a ton of money but I paid the bill and tried not to think about it. Unfortunately there was no DDE discount with the CP dinner package.

We walked around World Showcase a little bit and went inside the Liberty Inn to see the gingerbread house before getting in line for the Candlelight Processional. Our celebrity narrator was originally going to be Cuba Gooding Jr. but it ended up being Edward James Olmos. He was very good but my kids don’t know who he is and they are familiar with Cuba. The show was really good and the music great. I doubt we’d pay to do the dinner package again though. The batteries on our camera ran out just prior to the show so unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it.

On the way out we stopped at the Kodak store to get our free Visa picture and I also bought two 5 x 7’s from MVMCP. I could have gotten them half price at the party or if I had waited till we got home and ordered them online but we were seeing my mom in a few days and I wanted to give one to her. I also got one for myself just because. We walked to the car and were back to the cabin in no time at all.

Next: Does this roller coaster chicken do Expedition Everest

 

[piglet50]

what a good report. thank you for your great pictures. can't wait for more.

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

Liz, this is a great report! I love it that Jeff loved the Osborne Lights. That was such a nice surprise for me that my son loved it so much too! Your kids really remind me of mine! close in age, and I think similar personalities too!

I hope you did Expedition Everest! Even the que line is amazing!

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Keep posting. We're enjoying the report and the pictures. It is good to see the teenagers having fun. As for the Biergarten-my mother keeps trying to talk us into going there on one of our trips, but she's the only one excited about it. The rest of us are pretty undecided about the food there.

 

[Liz]

December 22 - Animal Kingdom & Hoop De Doo Review

We had been at Disney World five days now and still hadn’t been to Animal Kingdom! Finally it looked like we’d make it today. We were up and out the door early, driving to the park. You know that wonderful feeling when you are fortunate enough to be able to park really close to the tram pick up spot? Well that awesome feeling went to the car right in front of us! We were directed to the veeerrrrrryyyy end of the row. Oh well, you know you never get enough exercise at WDW!!!

The CM working at the turnstile I had the misfortune of entering through, I believe, could benefit from a little more training on how to talk to guests. The lady in front of me had to put her pass in the machine three separate times before the finger scan would “take” and it would let her through. Each time she got denied entry the CM would say “are you SURE you are using the same finger you used last time”. She said yes and then the same thing would happen again followed by him saying “are you SURE you are using the same finger you used last time.” The third time she was able to enter the park.

Then it was my turn with my AP. First time denied. “Are you SURE you are using the same finger you used last time?” “Yes, I’m sure, the same as the lady in front of me was sure”, I told him. I put my AP in again – denied. And unbelieveably he said “are you SURE you are using the same finger you used last time?” The third time I was admitted to the park. After I entered I stopped and turned around, looking back at this guy. I wanted to say something to him like “I know you are just doing your job but you need to get your point across without sounding so accusing.” But I didn’t and we just moved on, but it was an unpleasant way to enter Animal Kingdom.

We quickly got a wheelchair and headed for Expedition Everest. Did I mention I am a ride chicken? I love Big Thunder Mountain but that’s about as scary as I can handle on a roller coaster. I have been on Splash Mountain once at Disneyland and hated the drop. I promised my family I would try it once at Disney World some day but that day hasn’t arrived yet. I’ve never been on Space Mountain either. But I had been psyching myself up that I would try Everest once. I watched a video of it online and read lots of posts about it on the DIS. My research told me if I sat towards the front it would be less scary and also the drop wasn’t as bad as it might seem because the track curves. I knew the only way I could make myself try it was if we walked straight there and I just got right on without looking at it first to see what it would do. We’d never seen EE in its completed form.

We kept going straight to EE, quickly parking the wheelchair, and got in a line which moved WAY too quickly. I was going to ride with Jeff with Paul and Laura behind us. When we got to the roller coaster it looked like we were going to be about 2 or 3 cars from the front. I was crying. Apologies to anyone who was there that day that had to witness it. I’m sure it was an awful sight. Laura kept saying “mom, you don’t have to do this” and Jeff kept saying “it’ll be fine, you can do it.” I knew I wanted to do it but I was scared TO DEATH.

I was strapped in the death vehicle, I mean roller coaster, and I put my glasses in my backpack. I didn’t know if I needed to but I couldn’t risk losing them. We began our trip to see the Yetti and even in my blinded state I recognized the first part of the trip from the internet video. Still crying. The people in front of me turned around to look at me. Hopefully I never see them again. Even if I did I wouldn’t know it because I couldn’t see!!!

There was one part when we were really high and I was thankful my glasses were safely tucked away because I’m very fearful of heights! I must be crazy!

We got to the point where the track is torn up really quickly. Jeff said “we’re going to go backwards now” and I said “no, no, no”, as if it would do some good!!! The backwards part actually wasn’t too terrible. In fact most of the whole experience wasn’t unbearable once I got off!

There was one part that was bad, and I believe that was the portion of the ride captured in the photo. The photo showed my arms straight out in front of me - braced and holding on to a bar for dear life. I was leaning over so far my face was practically on my knees. It was at that point in the ride when I tried to sit up but the forces were hurting my neck and back and I couldn’t sit up so I just stayed in that position until it was over.

Believe it or not when we got off I said I would be willing to go on it again!!! But not at that moment! I was so happy that I didn’t let my fears overwhelm me and I can say I tried Expedition Everest! Wahoo!!

From there we went to Dinoland and on to a ride that is very much my speed – Triceratops Spin! Now there’s a ride that’s fun and no one is going to cry or get hurt! Ha! Paul even went on it in honor of my bravery and he hates any rides that spin!

Our next stop was Dinosaur. We almost bought the picture but didn’t. Now I wish we had because it was so funny. Paul, Laura and I all had our hands over our ears and Jeff’s mouth was wide open in a scream! Hilarious!

We saw a line forming for the new Nemo show and decided to get in it. We had a bit of a wait but it wasn’t too bad. I had heard great things about the show and, in my opinion, anything would be better than the Tarzan show it replaced. We all enjoyed the show but it was a little long (37 min. I think). I still prefer Festival of the Lion King. I would like to see Nemo again but probably wouldn’t make an effort to see it every time we go.

We walked down to the Safari and rode it, never seeing so many active animals before. It must be the cooler temperatures.

We said we’d like to go on it again, but first we ate at Tusker House, which is always really good and an extra bonus that I was able to use my DDE for a discount.

We watched Flights of Wonder then saw DeVine along the path. We got ice cream and smoothies and then rode the train to Conservation Station. Jeff had done this before but Laura, Paul and I hadn’t. Jeff had gone last time when he was off having fun with his friend. I thought it was interesting seeing the animal pens. I’d heard there was a long walk once you got off the train, which was sort of true, depending on your definition of a long walk.

Jeff and Paul went in the petting zoo, while Laura and I rested a bit. Then we went inside the building and got some character pictures with Jiminy Cricket, Pocahontas and Rafiki with no wait at all! Laura didn't want her picture taken with them.

Jeff was able to touch a snake. I was happy to just take the picture.

After the train ride back we went on the safari again. Paul didn’t feel like going on the bumpy safari truck because his stomach was a little upset so we found a place to meet him and the rest of us ventured back into the game preserve. We had an interesting person sitting next to us on this trip, a young man from Italy. He was funny because every now and then he’d shout questions to the driver and he asked Jeff who the driver was talking to on the phone (Wilson). Jeff said it was his friend.

It was time to go back on Expedition Everest. I think my bravery level is in direct correlation with my tiredness level because I really felt like I would do it again when we got off the coaster in the morning. But I was tired and couldn’t muster the desire. So I waited with others to watch and video them as they came down the big hill. Jeff whistled as they went up the incline so I knew it was the train they were on. We didn’t arrange that ahead of time but he was smart to do that because I knew immediately it was them!

We stopped at Kali on our way out, another ride that I usually skip. We were heading back to the cabin after this so if I had gotten wet it probably would have been okay but I also knew I had laundry to do when we returned and I just didn’t feel like potentially getting drenched. When they got off Paul was soaked. It was funny! On the way out he was attempting (unsuccessfully) to dry his pants on lights in the ground! Ha ha!

We had reservations for the Hoop De Doo show at 9:30 and were trying to make sure everyone would be hungry that late. The 9:30 show is the only one where I could get a DDE discount. The kids wanted to swim but it was rainy so they stayed in the cabin and watched TV.

In the meantime, I gathered up laundry and attempted to find the individually bagged laundry soap and dryer sheets I had brought from home. I had used some on my prior laundry trip a few days ago but knew I still had enough for several more loads. We never could find it and came to the conclusion when I did laundry the first time it must have gotten left behind. I hope somebody was able to get some use out of it.

I thought it might be less expensive to buy laundry soap at the trading post rather than in the machine in the laundry room. I hadn’t noticed how much it cost to buy it in the machine but hoped at the trading post they would have a small box of laundry that maybe did 8 or 10 loads rather than having to buy individual boxes. They only had the individual boxes too so I bought three of them at $1.35 each plus a box of dryer sheets.

Paul drove me to the laundry room and I saw that I could have bought the exact same thing in the machine for $1 per box. Darn. I also was short on quarters but had enough to wash and dry three loads. The sign for the dryers said they would go for 30 min. on $2.00 but I found they all went longer than that.

When it was time we caught the internal bus to the Settlement and signed in at Pioneer Hall. We were assigned table 25 and had our picture taken (which we didn’t buy). For as much as it costs for the HDDR, the picture should be included! While we were waiting to enter, Laura bought a Santa Mickey hat at the little store there. They were on sale for 40% off so it only cost her a little over $10.

Our seats in Pioneer Hall were pretty good. We were directly behind the piano player. He was a nice guy and we got to talk to him a little bit. This was our first visit to HDDR and I was interested to see if it was a thumbs up or down for our family.

Our server came, a man, but I don’t remember his name. He said he’d been working at HDDR for 27 years, I think. He was annoying. He spoke so fast with a memorized spiel that was supposed to be funny. When we could catch what he was saying we kind of politely ha ha’d. He got our drink orders (two diet Pepsi’s and two chocolate milks) then moved on to the next table, where we could hear him saying word for word (as near as we could tell) the exact same “funny” spiel he had said to us. We were saying to ourselves that when its spontaneous (more like 50’s PTC) its funny but when its coming out like a recording its annoying.

Laura has a sensitive stomach and she gets full really easy. Since we were having a late dinner we were all pretty hungry. When her chocolate milk came she drank pretty much the whole thing and then she felt sick. She felt so bad I really thought the two of us were going to have to leave. She said she didn’t want to leave but she basically didn’t eat anything else until they were serving dessert and then she ate a few bites of a chicken leg.

I loved the HDDR show and thought it was hilarious, when I wasn’t worried about Laura making it through the show. Jeff loved the show and thought one guy was especially hilarious (the guy with the plaid suit and drum). Laura liked the show and would have liked it more if she had felt better. Paul thought it was stupid, which is really ironic since his family is known for silly humor that makes everyone else shake their heads and groan.

We probably won’t do HDDR again due to the cost, but I wouldn’t mind going again.

When it was over we took the internal bus back to our cabin to prepare for our last full day at Disney World. This would have been one of the times we would have made use of the golf cart, had we kept it, but the little we would have used it wouldn't have been worth $45 or so per day.

Next: A magical day at the Magic Kingdom

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

Yay Liz! My family is sitting in the other room, and they think I have officially cracked up, since I am yelling Yay Liz! at the computer! You did it, girl !! you tackled that big ol Everest! What great pictures! Now Jesse wishes he would have taken the time to pose with the characters when he saw Jeff with Pocahontas! I love that shot of the kids by the tree of life, you oughtta frame that one! And the ones of guys by Everest are really awesome too!

 

[Liz]

December 23 - Magic Kingdom

We’ve never had so many days at Disney World where we slept in as we did this time. Of course we did have several really late nights.

We were sadly approaching the time when we had to leave our cabin for good and I still hadn’t fixed our bacon and eggs breakfast due to there being no large skillet in the kitchen. While everyone else was getting ready for the day I improvised and cooked bacon in the microwave. I made scrambled eggs in a small saucepan that was NOT non-stick. The eggs were cooked and we ate them but the pan was a mess. I scraped as much of the burned portion as I could into the trash and left the pan to soak. Sorry Mousekeeper! I really am!!!

We planned on spending the day in Magic Kingdom and by the time we caught the bus and caught the boat and went through the security area we entered at 11:30.

Laura noticed the Santa hat she purchased outside the HDDR still had one of those security "buttons" attached to it so our first stop was to hopefully find some place to get it removed. Immediately we saw one of those portable carts that sold only hats. The CM there said she didn't have a tool to remove the "button" but luckily at the Emporium we were able to get that taken care of.

Temperatures today were the warmest we had experienced so far. Paul is the only one who brought shorts, the rest of us feeling like we’d be comfortable in jeans and short sleeve tops. It was crowded, which gave me an opportunity to point out why we normally get up early and are at the parks when they open. We had a “what should we do” moment and I was wishing I had my carefully planned itinerary!

We went to Country Bears, which we hadn’t seen in years, and most of us felt we could wait years before going again.

From there we went to Pirates and happened upon the Pirate Tutorial, already in progress. I was so hoping to see this because I had heard great things about WDW's version of Johnny Depp . . . I mean Capt. Jack Sparrow! And boy were they ever right! This guy looked so much like Capt. Jack and even sounded like him.

I was thinking if he stuck around for photos with guests there would probably be lots of women my age waiting to see him, in addition to younger pirates and princesses!

Then we went on, oops I should say “they” went on Splash Mountain while I waited, followed by Big Thunder Mountain. The Christmas parade was going on and I thought we might be "trapped" in the Splash/Big Thunder area but the walkway along the water was open. We stopped along the way to take this picture:

Our stomachs told us it was time to eat and we started to go to Columbia Harbor House but decided to visit the Haunted Mansion ghosts first. We just beat big crowds all heading that way as the parade ended.

The Columbia Harbor House food was good. After having our fill, we had no real plan to follow and somehow ended up in Toon Town. We hadn't been there for awhile and decided to go through Minnie's house. I'd say she likes pink!

After visiting Minnie we had to see where Mickey lives. His house was much more manly . . . or "mousely"!

We found this cool little Hidden Mickey in the backyard:

We were having fun but it wasn’t as good as our last full day should be. So what did we do? We left! We'd only been at Magic Kingdom a few hours and here we were leaving already to return to the cabin! I didn't need the itinerary to know this wasn't part of the plan. I've never been one of those "take a break in the middle of the day" people, but incredibly it was me who suggested we leave.

On the way out I took a few more pictures:

Next: What we did to save the day!