mickeymom629
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2002
- Messages
- 2,579
We just got back from a quick spring break trip: DH and myself (46), DS16, DS11, DD14 and her friend, almost 14. We were supposed to go to HH for 5 nights, but 3 weeks ago I changed our DVC plans to 4 nights at OKW. Didn't make any ADRs this trip. We ended up having the most beautiful weather - very breezy and sunny with some clouds and in the 70's.
The friend had never been, but ended up loving the thrill rides. Unfortunately, she didn't appreciate the other attractions. I would definitely count this in favor of taking your kids as young as possible to the Magic Kingdom, and then again through the years to the other parks to experience Disney. My kids' first trip was when I was pregnant with my 4th and the others were 2, 4 and 6. WDW is like our second home and we have been fortunate to have gone so often.
Anyway, we stayed 4/8 at Quality Suites Maingate East (after waking at 2 a.m. and driving straight from MD). Nice. Kids slept in the two double beds in the separate bedroom. Kitchenette and bathroom separated them from the main room with the sofa bed. DH and I slept there. Complimentary wine, beer and soda 5-7 p.m. by the pool. Ordered Dominos room service (# on roomkey). Complimentary breakfast next a.m. Definitely a good place to stay for one night.
4/9-4/13 OKW. Woke up early on 4/9 (lightening/rain during the night) and drove to MGM. Got there before opening. Very uncrowded morning. RnRC, Mermaid, ToT, GMR, Muppets, Backlot tours, animation - drew Mickey, Stunt Car show. Everyone else did a few more rides on RnRC with FP's, but I went to the buses to check in to OKW. Didn't have FDP and didn't want to wait for Fantasmic!, so unfortunately we didn't see it this trip. My family has seen it quite often, so it wasn't that big of a deal to us. Plus, it was quite windy, so I'm not sure how the "water movies" would have been, anyway.
DTD and ate at McD's. Shopped. Bed at a decent hour.
Monday, we got to EPCOT right before they opened the gates. Much more crowded than MGM yesterday! Family went to TT while I got FP for SOARIN'. They only waited 10 min., while SOARIN' was already 45 min. for standby! We ended up staying all day (I won't go into details about our itinerary, but there wasn't much we missed!) The only thing we really kept missing were the acts in the countries. My family has seen them all at least once, but I was hoping for the friend to see some. Plus, not being a thrill ride person, the entertainers are so much of what I love about EPCOT. I did see the Jammitors. We also found the place in China that your voice echos for only you, and we watched the Hummel figures come out of the clock in Germany - both first times for us. Lunch at Electric Umbrella and sat outside to watch the fountain that "dances" which is one of my favorite things to do. DH and I did SOARIN twice that day (still can't believe how many people wait in the standby!) and the kids did TT about 4 times. My two sons did M:S. Friend loved Illuminations "better than any 4th of July" she's ever seen. My DS16 told her she wouldn't believe the 4th of July here, since we came last summer for the first time and we were all WOWed!
Best bargain for wine - Sunshine Food Fair. 16 oz. bottle of chardonnay for $9.95. I ended up also getting wine in Italy and China and it's $4.50 for barely 4 oz. it seems. We all got something to eat in China's counter service and watched Illuminations by Norway.
Tuesday we were at AK moments after the gate was opened at 8 a.m. Parked so close, no tram necessary. My family rode EE 5 times, thanks to me getting FP's asap. They did Primeval Whirl twice without getting off. EE was the highlight of the entire trip for everyone but me. They loved it! I rode DINOSAUR! for the first time - with earplugs! - and I'm now sorry I never tried it before. I screamed and I still haven't gotten my voice back, but boy was it fun! And I DO NOT like thrill rides. It was like a scary Safari ride to me, just a little crazier driving. I'm still afraid to do Kali RR. We walked through both trails this trip for the first time.
We saw the 2:00 Lion King show (we had gotten there at 12:50 for the 1p.m. and it was SRO, but I think we should have tried to get in because I've never seen anyone actually stand during the show). One more FP for EE and then we went back to OKW.
Watermice boats hard to come by, so DH took the kids out in a pontoon. I always enjoy a coffee and shower in the p.m., alone.
Wolfgang Puck Express for dinner. Order your food through a line and then sit at a table with a number. A waiter brings your food and waits on you the rest of the meal. I got cheese quesadilla, though everything sounded great. DH got tortilla soup, which I tasted and it was very good. DD got pasta, DS got ceasar salad. I forget what everyone had, but we all enjoyed it. I really love Wolfgang Puck's Cafe, but this hit the spot, too.
A little shopping and then to bed.
Wednesday was our MK day. Parked so close, no tram necessary. Got there before the gates opened at 7 for guests. Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland. Did it all. FP's when our time came up, but we saved them for tonight. Pirates was opened and they did it while I got more FP's. (That's my job
, though DH is very good when someone needs to run for one). Lunch at Cosmic Rays when there was an unexpected rain shower (very odd white sky) at 10:30. Burgers, chicken tenders, grilled chicken sandwich and veggie burger. I couldn't talk anyone into carrots instead of fries, or no fries at all. 
Because DD's friend only liked the "mountains", we were easily able to leave the park about 12:45, during the earlier parade. We still had seen a lot. She loved Philharmagic.
We returned about 6ish. Used our FP's. I did TTA a number of times today while waiting for my family. I love that ride! I did get to do Buzz a couple of times, but I'm not too good.
Watched WISHES on bridge under Tinkerbell's flight, near the circle of Main Street. Beautiful view.
Kids ran off to do Splash and Railroad. DH and I used FP for Buzz and then sat on rocking chairs near Jamboree to watch the later Spectromagic. I wished I had gotten someone to take our picture. I don't think we've ever been so relaxed at MK! Kids watched across the street from us. Hardly anyone was watching it along this route. We were very tired by now, so they all got an icecream on Main Street and I got fries at Casey's and then we got our photopass picture that we had taken when we came back this evening.
I bought 4 pictures this trip - my first ride on Dinosaur!, the kids on RnRC, all of them on Splash M. and the last evening in front of the castle. I get the 5x7 and 4 wallets so the kids can have a copy. I love those pictures.
Left OKW at 10a.m. Thursday. Got home by midnight. DH drove straight through.
I really love all the parks, but I think EPCOT and AK were my favorites this trip. I love the way I can walk around and feel immersed in a different place. MK is always special, of course, with all the attractions that I love, and the castle and WISHES. I enjoy the Studios, but I tire there more quickly for some reason. I really missed not seeing Fantasmic! this trip. DD's friend loved AK (because of EE), the best. MGM (because of RnRC), MK and, lastly, EPCOT. I don't think my kids really look at it quite the same way. It's true that, depending on which park has their favorite rides, that's where they want to go. But if you ask them which park is their favorite, they love them all. I really think it's because, in a large part, they've grown up with WDW.
The friend had never been, but ended up loving the thrill rides. Unfortunately, she didn't appreciate the other attractions. I would definitely count this in favor of taking your kids as young as possible to the Magic Kingdom, and then again through the years to the other parks to experience Disney. My kids' first trip was when I was pregnant with my 4th and the others were 2, 4 and 6. WDW is like our second home and we have been fortunate to have gone so often.
Anyway, we stayed 4/8 at Quality Suites Maingate East (after waking at 2 a.m. and driving straight from MD). Nice. Kids slept in the two double beds in the separate bedroom. Kitchenette and bathroom separated them from the main room with the sofa bed. DH and I slept there. Complimentary wine, beer and soda 5-7 p.m. by the pool. Ordered Dominos room service (# on roomkey). Complimentary breakfast next a.m. Definitely a good place to stay for one night.
4/9-4/13 OKW. Woke up early on 4/9 (lightening/rain during the night) and drove to MGM. Got there before opening. Very uncrowded morning. RnRC, Mermaid, ToT, GMR, Muppets, Backlot tours, animation - drew Mickey, Stunt Car show. Everyone else did a few more rides on RnRC with FP's, but I went to the buses to check in to OKW. Didn't have FDP and didn't want to wait for Fantasmic!, so unfortunately we didn't see it this trip. My family has seen it quite often, so it wasn't that big of a deal to us. Plus, it was quite windy, so I'm not sure how the "water movies" would have been, anyway.
DTD and ate at McD's. Shopped. Bed at a decent hour.
Monday, we got to EPCOT right before they opened the gates. Much more crowded than MGM yesterday! Family went to TT while I got FP for SOARIN'. They only waited 10 min., while SOARIN' was already 45 min. for standby! We ended up staying all day (I won't go into details about our itinerary, but there wasn't much we missed!) The only thing we really kept missing were the acts in the countries. My family has seen them all at least once, but I was hoping for the friend to see some. Plus, not being a thrill ride person, the entertainers are so much of what I love about EPCOT. I did see the Jammitors. We also found the place in China that your voice echos for only you, and we watched the Hummel figures come out of the clock in Germany - both first times for us. Lunch at Electric Umbrella and sat outside to watch the fountain that "dances" which is one of my favorite things to do. DH and I did SOARIN twice that day (still can't believe how many people wait in the standby!) and the kids did TT about 4 times. My two sons did M:S. Friend loved Illuminations "better than any 4th of July" she's ever seen. My DS16 told her she wouldn't believe the 4th of July here, since we came last summer for the first time and we were all WOWed!
Best bargain for wine - Sunshine Food Fair. 16 oz. bottle of chardonnay for $9.95. I ended up also getting wine in Italy and China and it's $4.50 for barely 4 oz. it seems. We all got something to eat in China's counter service and watched Illuminations by Norway.
Tuesday we were at AK moments after the gate was opened at 8 a.m. Parked so close, no tram necessary. My family rode EE 5 times, thanks to me getting FP's asap. They did Primeval Whirl twice without getting off. EE was the highlight of the entire trip for everyone but me. They loved it! I rode DINOSAUR! for the first time - with earplugs! - and I'm now sorry I never tried it before. I screamed and I still haven't gotten my voice back, but boy was it fun! And I DO NOT like thrill rides. It was like a scary Safari ride to me, just a little crazier driving. I'm still afraid to do Kali RR. We walked through both trails this trip for the first time.
We saw the 2:00 Lion King show (we had gotten there at 12:50 for the 1p.m. and it was SRO, but I think we should have tried to get in because I've never seen anyone actually stand during the show). One more FP for EE and then we went back to OKW.
Watermice boats hard to come by, so DH took the kids out in a pontoon. I always enjoy a coffee and shower in the p.m., alone.
Wolfgang Puck Express for dinner. Order your food through a line and then sit at a table with a number. A waiter brings your food and waits on you the rest of the meal. I got cheese quesadilla, though everything sounded great. DH got tortilla soup, which I tasted and it was very good. DD got pasta, DS got ceasar salad. I forget what everyone had, but we all enjoyed it. I really love Wolfgang Puck's Cafe, but this hit the spot, too.
A little shopping and then to bed.
Wednesday was our MK day. Parked so close, no tram necessary. Got there before the gates opened at 7 for guests. Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland. Did it all. FP's when our time came up, but we saved them for tonight. Pirates was opened and they did it while I got more FP's. (That's my job
, though DH is very good when someone needs to run for one). Lunch at Cosmic Rays when there was an unexpected rain shower (very odd white sky) at 10:30. Burgers, chicken tenders, grilled chicken sandwich and veggie burger. I couldn't talk anyone into carrots instead of fries, or no fries at all. Because DD's friend only liked the "mountains", we were easily able to leave the park about 12:45, during the earlier parade. We still had seen a lot. She loved Philharmagic. We returned about 6ish. Used our FP's. I did TTA a number of times today while waiting for my family. I love that ride! I did get to do Buzz a couple of times, but I'm not too good.
Watched WISHES on bridge under Tinkerbell's flight, near the circle of Main Street. Beautiful view.
Kids ran off to do Splash and Railroad. DH and I used FP for Buzz and then sat on rocking chairs near Jamboree to watch the later Spectromagic. I wished I had gotten someone to take our picture. I don't think we've ever been so relaxed at MK! Kids watched across the street from us. Hardly anyone was watching it along this route. We were very tired by now, so they all got an icecream on Main Street and I got fries at Casey's and then we got our photopass picture that we had taken when we came back this evening.
I bought 4 pictures this trip - my first ride on Dinosaur!, the kids on RnRC, all of them on Splash M. and the last evening in front of the castle. I get the 5x7 and 4 wallets so the kids can have a copy. I love those pictures.
Left OKW at 10a.m. Thursday. Got home by midnight. DH drove straight through.
I really love all the parks, but I think EPCOT and AK were my favorites this trip. I love the way I can walk around and feel immersed in a different place. MK is always special, of course, with all the attractions that I love, and the castle and WISHES. I enjoy the Studios, but I tire there more quickly for some reason. I really missed not seeing Fantasmic! this trip. DD's friend loved AK (because of EE), the best. MGM (because of RnRC), MK and, lastly, EPCOT. I don't think my kids really look at it quite the same way. It's true that, depending on which park has their favorite rides, that's where they want to go. But if you ask them which park is their favorite, they love them all. I really think it's because, in a large part, they've grown up with WDW.
Before we went, she couldn't stop talking about how much she loves all the Disney movies and characters. I warned her it was not all thrill rides. What can you do.
I will definitely make sure that my kids go often enough to appreciate WDW. 
