hezzie
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2002
- Messages
- 269
Cast: Me, DH, DD(6) and DS(4)
Reason for Trip: 10th Anniversary, but Mother's Day and DH B-Day just happened to fall within our trip!!
We arrived on Sunday May 9th around 2:30. We used Tiffany Towncar to get us to our hotel (Old Key West). Tiffany was excellent and will use them again.
Had a 4:40pm Fantasmic dinner package at Hollywood & Vine, so we had to quickly check-in and head over to MGM. As we started our check-in process our room was not ready, but by the time we finished the check-in paperwork and discussion it was ready. So the bellman brought us to our room and we quickly unloaded all our travel stuff and got our fanny packs on and out the door.
We made it to MGM with time to spare. It was now about 4:10 and as we entered the park it seemed as if the masses were leaving (which we did not mind!). Since we really didn't think we had time to catch a ride, we decided to see if we could get into Hollywood & Vine early. After a quick 2 minutue wait, they called our name and we were quickly seated. This was our first time at Hollywood & Vine and enjoyed it very much. There was great variety and everyone enjoyed the meal. After dinner we decided to head over to Star Tours and with amazement, walked right on the ride. We were unsure of how the crowds would be, so we were very happy to walk right on. Needless to say, we did the ride twice. As we exited Star Tours, the parade was just finishing up and we went to Indican Jones and got a great seat right up front. The Great Movie Ride was next and again, was a very short wait. As we exited, the characters were about to come out, so we waited to catch a few autographs. Since DH and I have never been on RNR, we decided to give it a try this time. Afterall, this was our 10th Anniversary Trip, so we were entitled! Well, that sucker MOVES!!! Would like to ride it again now that I know what to expect! It was now 8:15 and we needed to head over to Fantasmic where we enjoyed 45 minutes of the wave! It actually helped pass the time and was fun to watch. After Fantasmic (which was excellent as always!) we headed out with the masses to find our bus stop was the first one! When we got back to our room, I unpacked our clothes and got the kiddos off to bed.
Day 2: DH B-Day. Woke up early thanks to Mickey's wake-up call! Quickly gave DH his b-day cards and got ready to head to the park. When we activated our APs the day prior, the CM gave my DH a birthday pin, so we told him he had to wear it today! We went to AK, where we hit the store to get DS a hat. Although we had intended on getting their for the opening at 8pm, we didn't up arriving until about 8:20. We quickly headed to the safari to see if we could catch some animals up and about. For some reason, we have always gone on this ride later in the day and there were definitely more animals moving about earlier in the AM. After the safari, we grabbed a quick bite at Tusker House where we had an assortment of baked goods (yummy). The Lion King show was next, so DH went to ITTBAB to get fast passes while we waited to see Chip&Dale on our way to Lion King. DH caught up with us and we made our way throught the masses to get to the line for Lion King. Not sure why there was such a traffic jam, but I think the previous show had just let out. Our fast passes were ready for ITTBAB, so we walked over and waited line for a little bit. For some reason the Fast Pass queue combined with the Standby folks at an unusual point. We heard one of the CMs ask another CM if that was correct and the CM indicated it was not and headed off to fix it. Oh well...we really didn't have to wait to long and I actually like waiting inside with all the posters and bugs singing! DS doesn't really care for this ride, so he spent most of the time with his glasses off. It was now lunch, so we decided to get something to eat at Flame Tree and took advantage of the kids meal deal. After lunch we decided to head back to the hotel to hit the pool b/c we had a special dinner planned at EPCOT. We spent about 45min at the pool and went back to the room to get ready for the night at EPCOT. This was our first time arriving by bus at EPCOT and we were a little amazed at how far the bus stops are!! We entered EPCOT, took a bunch of pictures of all the topiaries and then headed over to TT. The standby was 45 min, so we got fast passes and decided to see if we could possibly get into dinner early. I had planned a surprise dinner at the Garden Grill b/c they do the re-hitching ceremony. Since it was our 10th Anniversary trip and my DH b-day, I thought it would be fun. Well, the restaurant didn't open until 5 and it was only 4:30, so we were lucky enough to catch the Nestle cookie class. The kids got to help prepare chocolate chip cookies, which was fun and then they each got 2 cookies and a container of chocolate chips. On previous trips we had tried to catch this and always missed it, so it was kinda funny that we had 30 mins to wait for dinner and the cookie class took 30 min. Perfect!! Once the kids were finished, we all sampled the cookies and the kids ate the chips and we headed up to our PS for dinner (Only in Disney do you each chocolate chip cookies while waiting for a dinner reservation!!). We were seated in one of the lower level tables and had an excellent view of the scenes. Our drinks and dinner was brought to the table quickly, but our waiter seemed to disappear for a long time. I was getting nervous b/c I had planned to do the re-hitching ceremony and our waiter was not the most out-going of individuals. DH was getting a littly annoyed b/c our fast passes for TT were due and he wanted to get going. He was not very impressed with the meal and being his birthday, I felt bad for selecting this place when there are so many great places in EPCOT. Anyway, the waiter finally appears with a cake on a tray, some other waiter comes over and quickly gets us up out of our seats, does his little spiel (very quickly I might add!) and the re-hitching was done. I feel bad that I wasted our time and money on this, but lesson learned. Not everything can be magical. It was off to TT (DH favorite ride). We got on the ride and as we moved to the top section where they check your seatbelt the ride stopped? It was probably only stopped for a couple minutes, but seemed long. Once we got to the seat belt check the very nice CM was talking with us and noticed my DH b-day pin. She wished him happy b-day and off we were! As we were exiting the car, another CM noticed my DH b-day pin and asked if we wanted to ride a second time (this part made up for the disappointing dinner!!) As we waited for our 2nd ride, the nice CM that spoke with us at the seat belt check came over and told us that we actually had to go over to the loading side to get on (which was just up a flight a stairs and over the track). DS decided he didn't want to ride a 2nd time so we waited with the CM as DH and DD made their way to the other side. The CM walked away for a moment and came back and asked if they could announce my DH b-day to everyone (a chance to embarrass my DH....Of course they could!!) She brought us back up to the unloading area so we could see him when they announced his b-day. It was funny b/c he hates things like that!! The CM was so nice, she said they get a kick out of doing things like that!! After TT we made our way over to China to check out the acrobats! This is a favorite of both kids and myself! Those little kids are so talented! After the show, we slowly walked aroung WS, so DH could sample the beers (it was his b-day after all!!). It was off to Germay, America and Canada so DH could get his favorite beers. While DH stood in line for his brew, the kids did the kidcot stops. Folks were lining up for Illuminations, so we took a spot on the bridge just before UK. It was a great spot until the smoke came blowing our way. We expected it b/c the way the wind was blowing, but we didn't want to be on the other side when it was time to leave. To eliminate the looong walk back to the bus stop, we decided to try another route. When Illuminations ended, we got on the boat at the Internation Gateway (2 minute walk from our Illuminations spot). We took the boat over to MGM where we knew the bus stop was just a short walk from the boat dock. Yes, the boat ride did take some time, but it was nice and relaxing and we did not have to walk or carry either of the kids. As we approached the MGM dock it was loaded with folks who had just exited Fantasmic. As we were walking up the dock my DH makes this comment out load "Hope we didn't miss the show". Well, you should have seen the heads turn! It was actually very funny b/c the line for the boat was so long, it was obvious that Fantasmic was done. Anyway, within a matter of moments we were on a bus and headed for our hotel. It probably took a lot longer, but it was a nice ride, the kids enjoyed seeing the Boardwalk and Beach Club and we didn't have to walk!!
I forgot to mention that we were having some trouble with air conditioning (i.e., there was none) in our room and we attempted to fix the problem by turning the unit off for the day. When we returned, we turned the air back on and went to bed in hopes that the room would cool down. It was not unbearable, but we would have had a better nights sleep had it been cooler.
Reason for Trip: 10th Anniversary, but Mother's Day and DH B-Day just happened to fall within our trip!!
We arrived on Sunday May 9th around 2:30. We used Tiffany Towncar to get us to our hotel (Old Key West). Tiffany was excellent and will use them again.
Had a 4:40pm Fantasmic dinner package at Hollywood & Vine, so we had to quickly check-in and head over to MGM. As we started our check-in process our room was not ready, but by the time we finished the check-in paperwork and discussion it was ready. So the bellman brought us to our room and we quickly unloaded all our travel stuff and got our fanny packs on and out the door.
We made it to MGM with time to spare. It was now about 4:10 and as we entered the park it seemed as if the masses were leaving (which we did not mind!). Since we really didn't think we had time to catch a ride, we decided to see if we could get into Hollywood & Vine early. After a quick 2 minutue wait, they called our name and we were quickly seated. This was our first time at Hollywood & Vine and enjoyed it very much. There was great variety and everyone enjoyed the meal. After dinner we decided to head over to Star Tours and with amazement, walked right on the ride. We were unsure of how the crowds would be, so we were very happy to walk right on. Needless to say, we did the ride twice. As we exited Star Tours, the parade was just finishing up and we went to Indican Jones and got a great seat right up front. The Great Movie Ride was next and again, was a very short wait. As we exited, the characters were about to come out, so we waited to catch a few autographs. Since DH and I have never been on RNR, we decided to give it a try this time. Afterall, this was our 10th Anniversary Trip, so we were entitled! Well, that sucker MOVES!!! Would like to ride it again now that I know what to expect! It was now 8:15 and we needed to head over to Fantasmic where we enjoyed 45 minutes of the wave! It actually helped pass the time and was fun to watch. After Fantasmic (which was excellent as always!) we headed out with the masses to find our bus stop was the first one! When we got back to our room, I unpacked our clothes and got the kiddos off to bed.
Day 2: DH B-Day. Woke up early thanks to Mickey's wake-up call! Quickly gave DH his b-day cards and got ready to head to the park. When we activated our APs the day prior, the CM gave my DH a birthday pin, so we told him he had to wear it today! We went to AK, where we hit the store to get DS a hat. Although we had intended on getting their for the opening at 8pm, we didn't up arriving until about 8:20. We quickly headed to the safari to see if we could catch some animals up and about. For some reason, we have always gone on this ride later in the day and there were definitely more animals moving about earlier in the AM. After the safari, we grabbed a quick bite at Tusker House where we had an assortment of baked goods (yummy). The Lion King show was next, so DH went to ITTBAB to get fast passes while we waited to see Chip&Dale on our way to Lion King. DH caught up with us and we made our way throught the masses to get to the line for Lion King. Not sure why there was such a traffic jam, but I think the previous show had just let out. Our fast passes were ready for ITTBAB, so we walked over and waited line for a little bit. For some reason the Fast Pass queue combined with the Standby folks at an unusual point. We heard one of the CMs ask another CM if that was correct and the CM indicated it was not and headed off to fix it. Oh well...we really didn't have to wait to long and I actually like waiting inside with all the posters and bugs singing! DS doesn't really care for this ride, so he spent most of the time with his glasses off. It was now lunch, so we decided to get something to eat at Flame Tree and took advantage of the kids meal deal. After lunch we decided to head back to the hotel to hit the pool b/c we had a special dinner planned at EPCOT. We spent about 45min at the pool and went back to the room to get ready for the night at EPCOT. This was our first time arriving by bus at EPCOT and we were a little amazed at how far the bus stops are!! We entered EPCOT, took a bunch of pictures of all the topiaries and then headed over to TT. The standby was 45 min, so we got fast passes and decided to see if we could possibly get into dinner early. I had planned a surprise dinner at the Garden Grill b/c they do the re-hitching ceremony. Since it was our 10th Anniversary trip and my DH b-day, I thought it would be fun. Well, the restaurant didn't open until 5 and it was only 4:30, so we were lucky enough to catch the Nestle cookie class. The kids got to help prepare chocolate chip cookies, which was fun and then they each got 2 cookies and a container of chocolate chips. On previous trips we had tried to catch this and always missed it, so it was kinda funny that we had 30 mins to wait for dinner and the cookie class took 30 min. Perfect!! Once the kids were finished, we all sampled the cookies and the kids ate the chips and we headed up to our PS for dinner (Only in Disney do you each chocolate chip cookies while waiting for a dinner reservation!!). We were seated in one of the lower level tables and had an excellent view of the scenes. Our drinks and dinner was brought to the table quickly, but our waiter seemed to disappear for a long time. I was getting nervous b/c I had planned to do the re-hitching ceremony and our waiter was not the most out-going of individuals. DH was getting a littly annoyed b/c our fast passes for TT were due and he wanted to get going. He was not very impressed with the meal and being his birthday, I felt bad for selecting this place when there are so many great places in EPCOT. Anyway, the waiter finally appears with a cake on a tray, some other waiter comes over and quickly gets us up out of our seats, does his little spiel (very quickly I might add!) and the re-hitching was done. I feel bad that I wasted our time and money on this, but lesson learned. Not everything can be magical. It was off to TT (DH favorite ride). We got on the ride and as we moved to the top section where they check your seatbelt the ride stopped? It was probably only stopped for a couple minutes, but seemed long. Once we got to the seat belt check the very nice CM was talking with us and noticed my DH b-day pin. She wished him happy b-day and off we were! As we were exiting the car, another CM noticed my DH b-day pin and asked if we wanted to ride a second time (this part made up for the disappointing dinner!!) As we waited for our 2nd ride, the nice CM that spoke with us at the seat belt check came over and told us that we actually had to go over to the loading side to get on (which was just up a flight a stairs and over the track). DS decided he didn't want to ride a 2nd time so we waited with the CM as DH and DD made their way to the other side. The CM walked away for a moment and came back and asked if they could announce my DH b-day to everyone (a chance to embarrass my DH....Of course they could!!) She brought us back up to the unloading area so we could see him when they announced his b-day. It was funny b/c he hates things like that!! The CM was so nice, she said they get a kick out of doing things like that!! After TT we made our way over to China to check out the acrobats! This is a favorite of both kids and myself! Those little kids are so talented! After the show, we slowly walked aroung WS, so DH could sample the beers (it was his b-day after all!!). It was off to Germay, America and Canada so DH could get his favorite beers. While DH stood in line for his brew, the kids did the kidcot stops. Folks were lining up for Illuminations, so we took a spot on the bridge just before UK. It was a great spot until the smoke came blowing our way. We expected it b/c the way the wind was blowing, but we didn't want to be on the other side when it was time to leave. To eliminate the looong walk back to the bus stop, we decided to try another route. When Illuminations ended, we got on the boat at the Internation Gateway (2 minute walk from our Illuminations spot). We took the boat over to MGM where we knew the bus stop was just a short walk from the boat dock. Yes, the boat ride did take some time, but it was nice and relaxing and we did not have to walk or carry either of the kids. As we approached the MGM dock it was loaded with folks who had just exited Fantasmic. As we were walking up the dock my DH makes this comment out load "Hope we didn't miss the show". Well, you should have seen the heads turn! It was actually very funny b/c the line for the boat was so long, it was obvious that Fantasmic was done. Anyway, within a matter of moments we were on a bus and headed for our hotel. It probably took a lot longer, but it was a nice ride, the kids enjoyed seeing the Boardwalk and Beach Club and we didn't have to walk!!
I forgot to mention that we were having some trouble with air conditioning (i.e., there was none) in our room and we attempted to fix the problem by turning the unit off for the day. When we returned, we turned the air back on and went to bed in hopes that the room would cool down. It was not unbearable, but we would have had a better nights sleep had it been cooler.
