Our first full day began Thursday, May 29, which was early entry day for MK. In the past, weve avoided early entry because none of us are morning people, but wed always gone in early to Mid-May and I was worried about the crowds this time around. So
.I had everyone up around 6:30 7:00 in order to make it to MK by 8:00. But somehow it always seems to take longer getting ready for the parks the first day. Im not a very organized person and with 3 kids, it takes a while to get a routine going. After finally getting the girls screened and our supplies for the day packed and loaded into the stroller (and much whining and complainin from DH who HATES getting up early, especially on vacation), we headed to Gasparilla Grill to pick up a quick breakfast and then caught the monorail for the first trip to the MK. There is something about that first monorail trip that I absolutely love
the anticipation and knowing that you are just beginning the vacation, looking back at the GF from a distance...it's so beautiful! thats one reason I like to make MK our first park of the trip.
After arriving at the park, admiring the castle, and taking some pictures, we headed to Fantasy Land and Dumbo. I got the privilege of riding with my 2-year-old on her first WDW ride while DH stayed on the ground and took pictures. What a joy that was to see her face as we soared above WDW! This was actually her first time ever on any kind of ride, so she didnt know quite what to think of it at first but it clear that she loved it! Afterwards, we did Small World, Peter Pan, and the Tea Cups. DH gets motion sickness on spinning rides, so he sat this one out. I took Ashleigh in a separate teacup because I wasnt sure how she would handle the spinning, while the 2 other girls rode with their Aunt! All the girls loved this ride I think it is their favorite in Fantasyland (mine is Peter Pan!).
By about 10:00 we were finished with Fantasyland and headed over to the Haunted Mansion. At this point, I think DH was secretly thanking me for taking advantage of early entry. We had finished Fantasyland and practically walked on to Haunted Mansion. DH, Ashleigh, and myself rode in one dune buggy while my sister rode with the other 2 girls. I was a little worried that Ashleigh would get scared, but she did OK. That is, right up until the end where the ghosts pop up and scream (Id forgotten about that part). DH tried to take her mind off it by yelling at the ghosts to go away and be quiet! It helped, but we realized on this trip just how much she dislikes loud noises.. When we finished the ride, my sister told me that Cassidy (DD5), kept looking next to her for the hitchiking ghosts and was puzzled when they werent there! I thought that was too funny!
Next came the big test: Cassidys first big ride Splash Mountain. DH stayed with Ashleigh while the rest of us went on the ride. This sounds awful, but I decided to let Cassidy ride with my sister because I did not want to be sitting next to her if she freaked out! Cassidy is always very brave beforehand but gets scared and freaks very easily and its not a pretty sight I figured my sister could handle it better than I could. (LOL, I get my payback the next day at AK, though!). I was so worried about how Cassidy would handle the drop at the end that I didnt enjoy the ride as much as I could. And Brittany (DD11) didnt help much by building the anticipation .here it comes .you better hold on tight, Cassidy .its a BIG drop so hold on really really tight! What a relief when it was finally over and she was laughing she loved it! I then took Ashleigh while DH and Dina took the girls on BTMRR and once again, Cassidy LOVED the ride! BTMRR is one of my favorite rides, and I would have liked to go on it as well, but crowds were starting to build and since Id have an opportunity to ride on E-night, we decided to move on. Next we did Pirates of the Carribbean, another one of my favorite rides. I had read on one of these boards that if you say GEORGE 3 times in the fire scene, something strange will happen. (Apparently George is a worker who was electrocuted during the construction of the ride and supposedly haunts the attraction!). Well, of course, we had to try it (people mustve thought we were nuts) and of course, NOTHING happened! Next we did the Jungle Cruise and Aladdins magic carpets. By this time, stomachs were starting to growl and I was so disappointed the taco place in adventureland was closed! I always try to be in that vicinity around lunchtime because thats about the only counter-service place in MK I like. So instead, we went to Pecos Bills for overpriced hamburgers where I think DH got his moneys worth in mushrooms alone from the food bar.
Brittany had been dying to ride Space Mountain, so our next destination was tomorrowland . I was somewhat relieved when I measured Cassidy before we left because she was just shy of the 44 inches for Space Mountain so I didnt think it would even be an issue. DH stayed with Ashleigh, who by this time was asleep in her stoller, while my sister, Brittany, and I got in line for SM. While we were waiting, DH found a CM and had Cassidy measured for the ride somehow, she just squeezed by (mustve been a combination of the shoes and the hairdo).
YIKES! I had no idea how she would handle this ride. It was totally in the dark plus shed have to ride alone. I explained as well as I could what the ride was like and stressed that she would have to ride ALONE in her own seat. Neither her aunt nor I would be riding next to her. Asked her if she was sure she wanted to ride it and she said she was. Sigh OK. (Can you tell Im more nervous about them riding than they are?) So anyway, by this time the wait was about 30 minutes and wed been standing in line for about 20 minutes when someone once again mentioned something about her riding alone. All of a sudden she got this horrified expression on her face and started to cry! She said she didnt know shed have to ride alone! As if I didnt stress this and repeat it time and time again before we got in line! She said she didnt hear that part. I told her she didnt have to ride if she didnt want to, it wasnt too late to back out and she could wait and see the ride and make a decision then. She was still vacillating right up to the last minute but in the end decided to ride. (At this point, I was a nervous wreck but at the same time so proud of her for being brave!)
Brittany rode in front (as always), and I rode in back with Cassidy in the middle. I decided that I would try to hold on to her in order to reassure her if she got scared. Not that I thought I was doing anything to prevent her from flying out, I just figured it would give her some reassurance. I guess Id forgotten how wild that ride can get, because by the end, there was no way I could keep my hands on her shoulders and I gave up and hoped for the best. Brittany said that at the end of the ride she looked back and Cassidy had this terrified look on her face but when she got out, she started to smile and said she loved it and wanted to go on again! This blows my mind because Brittany is the real daredevil of the family, but for some reason the first time she rode SM (3 years ago, at 8), she cried for about 30 minutes afterward. She went on it again many times that trip and loved it, but the first time scared her (she said it was because it was dark and she had to ride alone). DH had gotten fastpasses while we were riding, so they were all able to go on it again while I looked after Ashleigh.
By this time, it was close to 2:30 and I figured we probably needed to be making our way to Main Street to watch the parade. I was dreading fighting the crowds and didnt think wed be able to find a spot at this point, but DH insisted he knew where we could find a spot. We picked up some popcorn and cokes and, sure enough, DH knew what he was talking about. Right next to City Hall near the end of the parade route there was NO ONE there. It wasnt the best place to view the parade, but at least it was relatively shady and we didnt have to worry about crowds or people pushing their way in front of us. Of course I think I missed most of the parade anyway because I was so busy watching the expressions on my DDs faces and trying to capture them on film. I just cannot describe the expressions of wonder and delight .especially the younger 2!
By the time the parade was over, it was 3:30 or so and we decided we might as well go back to the resort and freshen up for dinner. We had PS at 6:30 at San Angel Inn at EPCOT and I wanted to get there early. We took the boat back and DH quickly bathed the girls while my sister and I freshened our makeup and hair, then we were off again to EPCOT. We got to EPCOT at around 5:30 so we went to the cantina outside of the Mexican pavilion for margaritas for the adults and smoothies for the girls. We let the girls wander around a bit (within our sight, of course) while we sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the atmosphere. EPCOT is my favorite park. I love MK, but there is something about the atmosphere of EPCOT, particularly the world showcase that is so relaxing and tranquil. It was nice to have that time to just enjoy being in such a magical place. DH checked in around 6:00 and requested a table by the water. I figured that might be tough to get, but they said no problem and were seated about 6:20 10 minutes early! We started off with queso fundito and another round of margaritas. The chips and salsa were wonderful! DH and my sister had the mexican plate and I had the mahi mahi veracruz. DDs had their usual hamburgers/chicken fingers. The service was great, the atmospere incredible. After dinner, DH took the girls on the boat ride while my sister and I finished our margaritas. We were watching for them and as they rode through the restaurant they yelled out Thank you for the trip Mommy! (remember this it will come up again on Day 4).
After dinner, we went outside and found a spot for Illuminations. Illuminations is my favorite show in WDW I had planned our dinners so that we would get to see it 3 times. I never get tired of this awesome show! Unfortunately, Ashleigh was not quite so fond of it. The beginning was too loud and scared her, so I wound up rushing her away from the commotion and missed the first part. I held her ears from then on and she was fine the show was, as always, absolutely breathtaking and I can think of no better way to end our first magical day at Disney.
A summary:
The weather was perfect, not too hot (although, admittedly, Im not the best judge on this since Im always cold, but my sister cannot tolerate heat at all and she wasnt complaining about it too much.) The crowds were not nearly as bad as I expected. My one disappointment was that it seemed we did not see nearly as many characters out and about for autographs. I don't know if it was bad luck with the timing or what, but it seemed as though they were few and far between. The girls did incredibly well. I was worried about Asheligh...afraid she'd get cranky or that we'd have to take her back for a nap, but she was happy all day and napped peacefully in her stroller when she got tired. We had brought along a stroller for Cassidy but did not take it to the park because I really did not want to haul around 2 strollers. I figured if she got tired, wed just rent one, but there was never a need. Shes a bundle of energy, but I figured the long day, the heat, the excitement, and all the walking would get to her, but as we headed back to the resort, she was bouncing along just like she was at the beginning of the day. By the time we got back, though, I knew they would all sleep well and hopefully have happy dreams about their wonderful first day at WDW.
Next day: Animal Kingdom and another early entry!
I'll try not to be so long-winded next time! I'm not a great writer, so thanks to anyone who read this far!
Kim
After arriving at the park, admiring the castle, and taking some pictures, we headed to Fantasy Land and Dumbo. I got the privilege of riding with my 2-year-old on her first WDW ride while DH stayed on the ground and took pictures. What a joy that was to see her face as we soared above WDW! This was actually her first time ever on any kind of ride, so she didnt know quite what to think of it at first but it clear that she loved it! Afterwards, we did Small World, Peter Pan, and the Tea Cups. DH gets motion sickness on spinning rides, so he sat this one out. I took Ashleigh in a separate teacup because I wasnt sure how she would handle the spinning, while the 2 other girls rode with their Aunt! All the girls loved this ride I think it is their favorite in Fantasyland (mine is Peter Pan!).
By about 10:00 we were finished with Fantasyland and headed over to the Haunted Mansion. At this point, I think DH was secretly thanking me for taking advantage of early entry. We had finished Fantasyland and practically walked on to Haunted Mansion. DH, Ashleigh, and myself rode in one dune buggy while my sister rode with the other 2 girls. I was a little worried that Ashleigh would get scared, but she did OK. That is, right up until the end where the ghosts pop up and scream (Id forgotten about that part). DH tried to take her mind off it by yelling at the ghosts to go away and be quiet! It helped, but we realized on this trip just how much she dislikes loud noises.. When we finished the ride, my sister told me that Cassidy (DD5), kept looking next to her for the hitchiking ghosts and was puzzled when they werent there! I thought that was too funny!
Next came the big test: Cassidys first big ride Splash Mountain. DH stayed with Ashleigh while the rest of us went on the ride. This sounds awful, but I decided to let Cassidy ride with my sister because I did not want to be sitting next to her if she freaked out! Cassidy is always very brave beforehand but gets scared and freaks very easily and its not a pretty sight I figured my sister could handle it better than I could. (LOL, I get my payback the next day at AK, though!). I was so worried about how Cassidy would handle the drop at the end that I didnt enjoy the ride as much as I could. And Brittany (DD11) didnt help much by building the anticipation .here it comes .you better hold on tight, Cassidy .its a BIG drop so hold on really really tight! What a relief when it was finally over and she was laughing she loved it! I then took Ashleigh while DH and Dina took the girls on BTMRR and once again, Cassidy LOVED the ride! BTMRR is one of my favorite rides, and I would have liked to go on it as well, but crowds were starting to build and since Id have an opportunity to ride on E-night, we decided to move on. Next we did Pirates of the Carribbean, another one of my favorite rides. I had read on one of these boards that if you say GEORGE 3 times in the fire scene, something strange will happen. (Apparently George is a worker who was electrocuted during the construction of the ride and supposedly haunts the attraction!). Well, of course, we had to try it (people mustve thought we were nuts) and of course, NOTHING happened! Next we did the Jungle Cruise and Aladdins magic carpets. By this time, stomachs were starting to growl and I was so disappointed the taco place in adventureland was closed! I always try to be in that vicinity around lunchtime because thats about the only counter-service place in MK I like. So instead, we went to Pecos Bills for overpriced hamburgers where I think DH got his moneys worth in mushrooms alone from the food bar.
Brittany had been dying to ride Space Mountain, so our next destination was tomorrowland . I was somewhat relieved when I measured Cassidy before we left because she was just shy of the 44 inches for Space Mountain so I didnt think it would even be an issue. DH stayed with Ashleigh, who by this time was asleep in her stoller, while my sister, Brittany, and I got in line for SM. While we were waiting, DH found a CM and had Cassidy measured for the ride somehow, she just squeezed by (mustve been a combination of the shoes and the hairdo).
YIKES! I had no idea how she would handle this ride. It was totally in the dark plus shed have to ride alone. I explained as well as I could what the ride was like and stressed that she would have to ride ALONE in her own seat. Neither her aunt nor I would be riding next to her. Asked her if she was sure she wanted to ride it and she said she was. Sigh OK. (Can you tell Im more nervous about them riding than they are?) So anyway, by this time the wait was about 30 minutes and wed been standing in line for about 20 minutes when someone once again mentioned something about her riding alone. All of a sudden she got this horrified expression on her face and started to cry! She said she didnt know shed have to ride alone! As if I didnt stress this and repeat it time and time again before we got in line! She said she didnt hear that part. I told her she didnt have to ride if she didnt want to, it wasnt too late to back out and she could wait and see the ride and make a decision then. She was still vacillating right up to the last minute but in the end decided to ride. (At this point, I was a nervous wreck but at the same time so proud of her for being brave!)
Brittany rode in front (as always), and I rode in back with Cassidy in the middle. I decided that I would try to hold on to her in order to reassure her if she got scared. Not that I thought I was doing anything to prevent her from flying out, I just figured it would give her some reassurance. I guess Id forgotten how wild that ride can get, because by the end, there was no way I could keep my hands on her shoulders and I gave up and hoped for the best. Brittany said that at the end of the ride she looked back and Cassidy had this terrified look on her face but when she got out, she started to smile and said she loved it and wanted to go on again! This blows my mind because Brittany is the real daredevil of the family, but for some reason the first time she rode SM (3 years ago, at 8), she cried for about 30 minutes afterward. She went on it again many times that trip and loved it, but the first time scared her (she said it was because it was dark and she had to ride alone). DH had gotten fastpasses while we were riding, so they were all able to go on it again while I looked after Ashleigh.
By this time, it was close to 2:30 and I figured we probably needed to be making our way to Main Street to watch the parade. I was dreading fighting the crowds and didnt think wed be able to find a spot at this point, but DH insisted he knew where we could find a spot. We picked up some popcorn and cokes and, sure enough, DH knew what he was talking about. Right next to City Hall near the end of the parade route there was NO ONE there. It wasnt the best place to view the parade, but at least it was relatively shady and we didnt have to worry about crowds or people pushing their way in front of us. Of course I think I missed most of the parade anyway because I was so busy watching the expressions on my DDs faces and trying to capture them on film. I just cannot describe the expressions of wonder and delight .especially the younger 2!
By the time the parade was over, it was 3:30 or so and we decided we might as well go back to the resort and freshen up for dinner. We had PS at 6:30 at San Angel Inn at EPCOT and I wanted to get there early. We took the boat back and DH quickly bathed the girls while my sister and I freshened our makeup and hair, then we were off again to EPCOT. We got to EPCOT at around 5:30 so we went to the cantina outside of the Mexican pavilion for margaritas for the adults and smoothies for the girls. We let the girls wander around a bit (within our sight, of course) while we sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the atmosphere. EPCOT is my favorite park. I love MK, but there is something about the atmosphere of EPCOT, particularly the world showcase that is so relaxing and tranquil. It was nice to have that time to just enjoy being in such a magical place. DH checked in around 6:00 and requested a table by the water. I figured that might be tough to get, but they said no problem and were seated about 6:20 10 minutes early! We started off with queso fundito and another round of margaritas. The chips and salsa were wonderful! DH and my sister had the mexican plate and I had the mahi mahi veracruz. DDs had their usual hamburgers/chicken fingers. The service was great, the atmospere incredible. After dinner, DH took the girls on the boat ride while my sister and I finished our margaritas. We were watching for them and as they rode through the restaurant they yelled out Thank you for the trip Mommy! (remember this it will come up again on Day 4).
After dinner, we went outside and found a spot for Illuminations. Illuminations is my favorite show in WDW I had planned our dinners so that we would get to see it 3 times. I never get tired of this awesome show! Unfortunately, Ashleigh was not quite so fond of it. The beginning was too loud and scared her, so I wound up rushing her away from the commotion and missed the first part. I held her ears from then on and she was fine the show was, as always, absolutely breathtaking and I can think of no better way to end our first magical day at Disney.
A summary:
The weather was perfect, not too hot (although, admittedly, Im not the best judge on this since Im always cold, but my sister cannot tolerate heat at all and she wasnt complaining about it too much.) The crowds were not nearly as bad as I expected. My one disappointment was that it seemed we did not see nearly as many characters out and about for autographs. I don't know if it was bad luck with the timing or what, but it seemed as though they were few and far between. The girls did incredibly well. I was worried about Asheligh...afraid she'd get cranky or that we'd have to take her back for a nap, but she was happy all day and napped peacefully in her stroller when she got tired. We had brought along a stroller for Cassidy but did not take it to the park because I really did not want to haul around 2 strollers. I figured if she got tired, wed just rent one, but there was never a need. Shes a bundle of energy, but I figured the long day, the heat, the excitement, and all the walking would get to her, but as we headed back to the resort, she was bouncing along just like she was at the beginning of the day. By the time we got back, though, I knew they would all sleep well and hopefully have happy dreams about their wonderful first day at WDW.
Next day: Animal Kingdom and another early entry!
I'll try not to be so long-winded next time! I'm not a great writer, so thanks to anyone who read this far!
Kim
