Princesses, Slushes, LEGOs, and a maxed CC - Sept 2009 1st Timer TR

[longing2Batdisney]

great updates!!! looks like so much fun...great reports on all dining experiences
Thanks! for sharing!!! how awesome the Disney visa experience

 

[WrightFamily06]

Two great updates Love the Epcot shirts , I def have to make us shirts the next time , we go I never knew about those until a couple of months ago . Did you find it hard to make the shirts ? Community Hall looks like it had a lot of fun things for the kiddies to do . Good to know that the Mexico meal was not such a stand out , haven't heard much feed back on it until your TR .

 

[MagicShell]

I really like your Epcot shirts, that is a very cool idea. I would love to stay at Bay Lake Tower some day.

 

[Charlefours]

Thanks for another round of great updates! Love the photo Bridgette with the rainbow! Good to know about the TS restaurant in Mexico--have you done the CS before? Is it any better?

 

[stacikristine]

What great updates!! That really stinks that you weren't able to see the special look-out at BLT. I'm sure it would have been really cool! What a fun time in Epcot! Oh--and I love the shirts--very original! That restaurant looks really pretty, but I don't think I could handle it being so dark--and I'm pretty happy with the Mexican food here and in Texas, so I don't know if I'd like it there. I'm anxious to hear how your family liked Illuminations!

 

[chicagoshannon]

Phew, all caught up! I love those Epcot shirts! How fun that you got to be the first to ride on Triceratops spin.

I'm jealous of the puzzles you got at Epcot. I saw them but couldnt' convince DH to get one.

 

[crocko]

great updates!!! looks like so much fun...great reports on all dining experiences
Thanks! for sharing!!! how awesome the Disney visa experience

Yeah, it was a fun experience. The CM at the front of the line pointed out that with the "normal" Epcot Character Greet, you get quantity (5 characters, I believe)...with the Visa Experience you get quality (3 at once and quite a bit of time devoted specifically to your family)

Two great updates Love the Epcot shirts , I def have to make us shirts the next time , we go I never knew about those until a couple of months ago . Did you find it hard to make the shirts ? Community Hall looks like it had a lot of fun things for the kiddies to do . Good to know that the Mexico meal was not such a stand out , haven't heard much feed back on it until your TR .

Shirts -- not too hard, plus if you use the DISigns that are posted here on the boards, it is really easy.

Community Hall -- was definitely a lot of fun. So much time could have been spent there having a blast.....for older kids, it seems like it could have been even more exciting with all the games available.

San Angel Inn -- yeah, it's nothing special...glad we gave it a try, but won't be going back.

I really like your Epcot shirts, that is a very cool idea. I would love to stay at Bay Lake Tower some day.

Thanks! and yeah, I agree it would be cool to stay there sometime.

Thanks for another round of great updates! Love the photo Bridgette with the rainbow! Good to know about the TS restaurant in Mexico--have you done the CS before? Is it any better?

We did the CS a long time ago during a trip when I was a kid....my guess is that the food is just as good, but less expensive and your meal wouldn't take as long.

What great updates!! That really stinks that you weren't able to see the special look-out at BLT. I'm sure it would have been really cool! What a fun time in Epcot! Oh--and I love the shirts--very original! That restaurant looks really pretty, but I don't think I could handle it being so dark--and I'm pretty happy with the Mexican food here and in Texas, so I don't know if I'd like it there. I'm anxious to hear how your family liked Illuminations!

Good point....in Oklahoma/Texas there are plenty of good Mexican restaurants. Well, Tex/Mex at least (which is what we actually prefer)

Phew, all caught up! I love those Epcot shirts! How fun that you got to be the first to ride on Triceratops spin.

I'm jealous of the puzzles you got at Epcot. I saw them but couldnt' convince DH to get one.

It's really fun. On our honeymoon, Bridgette and I got a big poster made with us having dinner with Belle and the Beast.

 

[crocko]

Day 6 (Epcot, Future World Day)
Chapter 3 -- Illumi-NOT






After Soarin’ the group split up a little bit. My sister and dad went on back to AKL, while my mom, Bridgette, the kids, and I stayed to play longer. So, the next attraction to hit was The Living Seas with Nemo and Friends.

Once again, we had a no-wait entrance onto the Nemo ride and had fun on it again. This time, once we were done, we made plans to go see Turtle Talk with Crush

We were some of the first ones to begin waiting for the upcoming show, so we got positioned up front near Mr. Ray’s tank

Then, time for the show, so we headed on in. Luckily, we were able to get seated on the front row, while the kids went to sit up front.

Yay….it’s Crush!!

As you can see in this next picture, about halfway through, Samantha decided to come stand next to us…..so, just Joshua (who had made himself comfortable) up with the other kids

As always, the show was very funny. I’m still amazed at this technology they use in both Turtle Talk and Laughing Floor. Crush handled the human interaction well and we even got to see Dory, although, she was having a bit of a rough time.

And, toward the end of the show, Samantha decided to go sit by Joshua again

After the show, it was time to go see Bruce! The kids had seen a picture of Bridgette inside Bruce’s mouth, so they knew they wanted their own pictures as well.

Then, a few minutes were spent looking at the fish tanks. I love the effort they put into some of these tanks, filling them up with some of the “real-life” fish from Finding Nemo

And then, to my surprise, we found a Kidcot Fun Stop! Apparently, in Future World there are two more Kidcots. One in The Seas and one in The Land. So, of course, we made sure to do this.

Which meant that we better get back over to the Land so we can hit that Kidcot as well:

Back outside, the kids wanted pictures in front of the cool Soarin’ sign

Then, it was just a little after 8 o’clock, so we went over to MouseGears (which amazingly, we had not been in yet this trip….and it is our favorite of the big park stores). Joshua bought a Vinylmation here (he had been seeing my sister collecting these and decided they were pretty cool). Samantha bought a set of fun pens. I bought a cool dark green, retro Epcot shirt.

After shopping, it was about 8:45, so we decided to head over to the Lagoon and try to find somewhere to watch Illuminations. (Note….8:45 would have been a PERFECT time to call it a night and head home). I was kinda hungry and so was my mom, so I took off after we found a decent spot to find a snack. Not too far off, I found a place that makes “McFlurry”-like desserts, but they come in HUGE cups. You could get a huge one of these along with a candy mix-in for only one snack credit. Awesome! Got back right as the show was starting. At this point, both kids are getting really tired. Neither one is at all interested in the fireworks (which were not very easy to see). So, at this point, everyone is getting a bit fussy and frustrated. Then, some more fireworks start and they are EXTREMELY loud and the kids start to cry a little bit because of the noise.

SO…..forget Illuminations, let’s just go home. No big deal….we gave it a shot. At least, by deciding to leave the show early, we beat the post-show traffic out to the bus stop.

So, headed back to AKL to get some rest and call it a night. What a busy and fun day we had.


Bonus pictures

First, here’s what was on the back of each of our shirts

Second, I found a group picture from our Disney Visa character greeting

Up next: Is that the line for Voyage of the Little Mermaid? Uh….no, no it isn’t.

 

[jenny105]

I'm caught up! Love the shirts!

I agree with you about San Angel Inn. I've been there twice before and really enjoyed it. On this past trip, the food quality went downhill and our server was awful. I am in no hurry to go back.

Curse BLT for keeping you out! I didn't realize security was so tight there!

 

[jenny105]

Just as I posted that, you posted a new update! I'm not a big fan of Illuminations. I think it's outdated. Epcot should give it an overhaul, it's never a must see for us.

The group picture with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy is great!!

 

[WrightFamily06]

Awesome pictures of Turtle Talk w/ Crush , they turned out so clear ! Loved the back of your shirts also , I def need to use the design board next time we go to make shirts . Great Visa group picture , hope it made it in a frame on your wall . Sorry Illuminations didn't turn out well , but it sounds like you got a really good snack in the process Can't wait to read more !

 

[chicagoshannon]

Glad the kids like turtle talk. Was that kidcot on the 1st or 2nd floor? I couldn't find it last week.

In May we left Illuminations early too. It wasn't nearly as neat as I remembered it. We had a hard time seeing anything.

 

[stacikristine]

Awesome pics of Turtle Talk! I'm upset that I didn't get a single picture of the sign, Crush, anything! Oh well.... Sorry the kids were a no-go for Illuminations! But at least you missed the crowd! And there's always next time (if I had a dollar for every time I've said that since our trip...) Oh--and the Kidcot stations are such a great idea--they saved us when my sister was 5!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

great updates. Dont ya just love the stuff you get for snack credits. The slushies and ice cream stuff is the best. I loved your shirts too what a great idea. It makes the group picture look great too. Glad to hear you had a wonderful time at epcot. Sorry illuminations didnt work out for you.

 

[crocko]

I'm caught up! Love the shirts!

I agree with you about San Angel Inn. I've been there twice before and really enjoyed it. On this past trip, the food quality went downhill and our server was awful. I am in no hurry to go back.

Curse BLT for keeping you out! I didn't realize security was so tight there!

yeah, World Showcase seems like the one place where you kind of step out of Disney when it comes to CM's and simply get what that country provides. Now, we had some good CM experience in Mexico (a super-friendly guy who helped the kids play with a cool toy for quite awhile) they just didn't have the best waitstaff.

Just as I posted that, you posted a new update! I'm not a big fan of Illuminations. I think it's outdated. Epcot should give it an overhaul, it's never a must see for us.

The group picture with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy is great!!

Yeah...I'm just not too into Illuminations either.

Awesome pictures of Turtle Talk w/ Crush , they turned out so clear ! Loved the back of your shirts also , I def need to use the design board next time we go to make shirts . Great Visa group picture , hope it made it in a frame on your wall . Sorry Illuminations didn't turn out well , but it sounds like you got a really good snack in the process Can't wait to read more !

Yeah, making shirts is fun....but watch out! It can get addictive

Glad the kids like turtle talk. Was that kidcot on the 1st or 2nd floor? I couldn't find it last week.

In May we left Illuminations early too. It wasn't nearly as neat as I remembered it. We had a hard time seeing anything.

I'm wanting to say that both kidcots were on the 2nd floors of the buildings....

Awesome pics of Turtle Talk! I'm upset that I didn't get a single picture of the sign, Crush, anything! Oh well.... Sorry the kids were a no-go for Illuminations! But at least you missed the crowd! And there's always next time (if I had a dollar for every time I've said that since our trip...) Oh--and the Kidcot stations are such a great idea--they saved us when my sister was 5!

Yeah, the kidcot stations were great.
And yeah, "there's always next time" which means you just GOTTA keep going back!

great updates. Dont ya just love the stuff you get for snack credits. The slushies and ice cream stuff is the best. I loved your shirts too what a great idea. It makes the group picture look great too. Glad to hear you had a wonderful time at epcot. Sorry illuminations didnt work out for you.

Yeah, EPCOT is definitely one huge park with a ton of fun things to do....and we didn't even get to scratch the surface of the cool stuff in Innoventions. Next time we take the kids, we might want to plan some more time in there.

 

[crocko]

Day 7 (Hollywood Studios Day)
Chapter 1 -- Toys, Sorcerors, and Puppets!!



Time to start the Day 7 report. On this day, we were headed back to Hollywood Studios. They had normal 9am opening times this day and we decided not to rush too much. We still got there by rope drop, but only a few minutes before they started letting in.

After entering, I broke off from the group and tried to squeeze my way to as close to the front as I could. I had everyone’s tickets and was focused on getting to the Toy Story Mania fastpass line.

Back on Day 3, I mentioned that there was no pre-rope drop show. Well, there was one today….so, guess they do it occasionally still. ::shrug::


Rope dropped and I quick-stepped it with the masses. Managed to get in one of the lines for an individual FP machine (about 6/7 people back). Took 5-10 minutes to get to the front (I wasn’t the only one getting a handful of FP’s for their group). Got our FP’s and right about that time, the family had caught up with me. So, we went ahead and got in the standby line to ride TSM. I’m glad we did, because this morning, Luxo, Jr. decided to pop out and visit for a little bit.

The standby line today was a little longer, but was probably only 15-20 minutes total….not too bad for such an awesome ride.

Oh and you’ll notice in this next picture that Samantha decided early on that she wanted to wear her Ariel outfit today

We finally made it to the ride and once again, in a group of 7, I was the one left to play by himself. Throughout the game, I felt like I could do better, but I still got a good score.

Samantha even managed to score some points on her own while playing with Mommy.

We got off the ride and headed back toward the center of the park and we got to see how long the FP line was. To quote Quincy from Little Einsteins, “I can not believe it!”
The line just to try and get FP’s for the day stretched all the way back to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. If you’ve been to Studios recently and know where TSM is located. That is one HUGE FastPass line. I could be wrong, but my guess is that FP’s were “sold out” by 10am this day. [Glad we already got ours!!]

For the morning, we decided to split up. Mary and the grandparents went off to do a couple “old people” attractions, while Bridgette, the kids, and I would do some fun stuff with the kids.

At this point, the time was about 9:45. Playhouse Disney first show was going to be at either 10:30 or 10:45 (somewhere around then) and the Animation area would open at 10am. We looked at a nearby store for a little while and then at 10am hopped in to see which characters were out to start. Only one at 10am, but it was none other than Sorcerer Mickey!!
And believe it or not, we actually got to walk straight up (no line!) to see him.

Then, the kids discovered the little computers that let you color your own Disney pictures. They had a blast with these and didn’t want us to make them stop.

While they were finishing up, I took a few shots of posters for movies that will be coming out in the next few years:

(That Prep & Landing Christmas movie looks interesting. Also, there’s a nice shot of Rapunzel’s castle – if they ever build a new Magic Kingdom somewhere, maybe they could use her castle)


And now, off to see the Playhouse Disney show

Samantha stood right next to me the entire show

My thoughts on this show: Well, all-in-all it is a very fun show. You get to see Mickey and friends, Pooh and friends, the Little Einsteins, and Handy Manny + tools. There’s also some times where kids can get up and dance/jump around. The downside is that because they use puppets, the characters don’t come very far above the stage. Well, everyone is sitting on the ground, so it can be difficult to see the characters very well, especially for little kids.

But if you’ve got a toddler in your family who likes to watch PlayHouse Disney at home, then they will probably really like this show.








Up next: A beloved character takes time to give one of us a special hug.

 

[jenny105]

Yes, they still do the rope drop show. I was in it! Not on the day you were there, a couple days before.

Nice TSM score! Joe is determined to break 200K next time we're there.

 

[stacikristine]

We got to see Jenny and Joe in the show!! I can't believe the FP line was that long...I'm so glad we didn't experience that.... Woo-Hoo for getting to walk up to take your pic with Sorcerer Mickey!! And Playhouse Disney looks cute--When my sister was little, my mom took her, and it was when Bear in the Big Blue House was new.

 

[Jenvenza]

Great report! Cannot wait for the next installment!

 

[chicagoshannon]

Is there a separate entrance to the characters or do you have to go through the whole annimation tour? We haven't made it there yet. Madeline loves the playhouse disney show.

That is one long fastpass line!