The best laid plans .were worth it! A great first trip for dd and me! (4/20-28)

[JLR]

After our pleasant time with the fairies, we then took the back path over to Tomorrowland, intending to pick up FPs for Space Mountain. We saw the wait time was posted as 10 minutes, so we hopped on.




Big Mistake!

I think this was the only time this trip that the wait time was WAY off. We did enjoy the interactive game, but not much else of the ride. I thought the last part of the queue was truly unpleasant. Our wait was ultimately about 45 minutes for a very short 3 minute ride. Maybe I was just sour from our long wait, but I didn’t really enjoy the ride. It was recently refurbished, but it doesn’t look like anything is new or up to the standard of other attractions other than the games and the exit. Oh well, it can’t all be pixie dust. We walked back up to Toon town to catch the train and Madeline had a brief splash in Donald’s boat before our transportation arrived. This sweetened her back up. She was pretty sour about the whole Space Mountain thing. We rode around to Madeline’s favorite part of the park – Frontierland!

We grabbed FPs for Splash Mountain and as we were heading over to Pecos Bills for lunch, a nice lady gave us 2 sets of Splash Mountain Fast Passes with a start time right then! Woo Hoo!!!!!! I guess that made up for our Space Mountain hassle. (and then some.) So we took the opportunity to enjoy Splash Mountain. What a fun ride! We got put in the front of the boat and we got drenched.

Madeline was a little disgruntled that I got wetter than she did. Mind you, she was pretty darn wet! I promised she could sit on that side the next time and all was good with the world.

What shocked me was how crowded Frontierland was. I thought today was predicted to be a quiet day!

We headed on over to Pecos Bills for lunch. It was packed!Thank you, unnamed DISer who informed me that they take orders from both sides. We ended up waiting a bit for our food. I don’t remember what we got, what I do remember was that it was way too much! People could easily share the counter service meals. We didn’t though since we wanted all the drinks. We threw out a ton of food. I had not planned on eating here, I had planned to be at Columbia Harbor House, so I didn’t know about seating options in this restaurant. We did find a table outside so we wouldn’t have to freeze our wet selves in the air conditioning.

It was now time for us to……….






You guessed it, pick up FPs for Big Thunder! We picked them up and headed over for our afternoon activities. We arrived just in time at the Hall of Presidents for the next show.

Madeline was anxious to find a hidden Mickey she had read about and to hear President McKinley’s name. (Her school is named after him.) I was impressed by the Animatronics and moved by the presentation. Nice job!

Then we headed over to Philharmagic. My sister told me it was not to be missed. We had planned to see it our first night, but ended up running too late to do that. We only had a brief wait for the previous show to finish up, then it was our turn. Madeline and I really enjoyed the show. Thank you, Leander!

We headed back to Frontierland. I thought it was terribly crowded:

If it really is twice as bad as this in the summer, I don’t think I want to be there! Remember, this is supposed to be a “4” day.

We had 2 sets of FPs for Splash and one for BTMRR. A warning about FPs. They are addictive. They kept us in the parks far longer than we would have. In fact, I had that fast pass euphoria as we came back and I picked up another set for Big Thunder. Then we rode splash again, this time in the back of the boat, so we got nailed at the beginning of the ride and Madeline was happy. We were then able to ride BTMRR twice in a row, since the FP return time wasn’t too horrible. This is when we tried to explain to people entering the stand-by line at the same time as we were, that the FP return time was sooner than when they’d get on the ride by waiting. I reassured them it was free and they said, “Really? Maybe next time.” I felt sad for their hot kids! We enjoyed our rides. We got to sit in different parts of the train. Then we returned for our final Splash before going back to the hotel.

This was after the parade now, and we had 5 pm reservations at Kouzzina on the Boardwalk. We ran to catch the bus and were able to get cleaned up for our dinner date.

 

[JLR]

In our last installment, we left the Magic Kingdom thoroughly plundered and headed back to our hotel.

I must have taken a photo of our building as we came back.

We were on the top floor in that center tower.

This little critter was waiting for us when we arrived.

Madeline and I were dragging, but she is an enormous fan of Cat Cora, the Iron Chef. She had mentioned at some point, before she knew we were going to Disney, that Cat Cora had a restaurant at Disney and she wanted to eat there if we ever went. So I had ADRs for us with initial plans to check out the boardwalk or go back to Epcot that evening. However, those plans were based on the idea that we’d have had a long rest and swim that afternoon. Instead Madeline and I decided to spend the evening at the pool or beach bonfire.

Like everything at Disney, it is a bit of a hike, but we arrived on time for our reservation. I asked a gentleman to take a photo of us standing in front of the restaurant, but didn’t check it. I don’t think he pushed the right button, because there is no photo.

We enjoyed sitting next to the show kitchen.

We ordered 2 appetizers and an entrée to share: The flat bread with the dipping sauces, the calamari, and the flank steak. I also ordered the white wine flight. You get three different wines, but the volume adds up to one glass.

The food was delicious, but right there in the middle of that fine meal, it happened.


We hit the wall.

I started feeling ill and soon thereafter, so did Madeline. We had the steak boxed up and the waitress offered to put the wine in some sort of cups, but I just left it. I wasn’t feeling great, but I was functioning, but Madeline was getting sicker and sicker as we walked back to the BCV. It is a really long walk when you feel sick.

I did snap a few photos on our way back.

We both drank a lot of water, and I went down to the gift shop and picked up tums and pepto. (TMI alert: Nothing really helped until she finally lost the contents of her stomach.) Then she was able to lay down and go to sleep. I had left her instructions about how to get a hold of me, because sick or not, I needed to do laundry! We packed lightly with the intention of washing clothes. Between the physical exertion, the wet rides and the changes, these clothes had to be washed. Fortunately, she stayed asleep and I got the clothes washed and poured myself into bed.

I did not set the alarm, even though we had planned EMH at Disney’s Hollywood studios. I think I half hoped we wouldn’t have to go.

Would Madeline still be sick? Would we make it? Stay tuned……..

 

[Dugette]

Dugette - you will love the BCV. It was perfect for the two of us. How nice, I assume you'll get to hit the food and wine festival. That will be great!

You are correct...that trip is for Food & Wine! I'm glad to hear you liked the BCV studio. I love the pics of Beach Club!

You are making amazingly quick progress on this TR! I am really enjoying all your updates! What great memories your daughter will have from this trip! I really hope you both are feeling better the next morning! Believe me, I know that being sick at Disney is no fun!

 

[skier_pete]

Boy, your really ripping through this TR! You make me feel guilty that I haven't even started my TR! I promise soon!

A few comments on your trip from a veteran of the parks. AK can be really hard regardless, especially if you want to get FP for things. The park is soooo spread out and everything is spread away from everything else. One trip I looped the entire park twice by 10 AM for FP. (We started the day at the boneyard, and I got FP first for the Safari, came back, and then again for EE...yikes!)

But, the fact that so many people don't use FP is both funny and sad. I've had a hard time *giving* them away in the past. We were able to get FP for Buzz at 5:30 PM for a 6:15 return time. (The return time is almost never less than 40 minutes away.) I think a lot of people just resign themselves that visiting Disney means waiting in lines. I don't even bother trying to talk people into them...it's a bit greedy, the "more for me" attitude.

I hope you weren't sick for too long...the go-go-go of Disney can really wear you down, especially first trips where your trying to squeeze in as much as possible. That's one thing I do really like about going once a year (or more), you get to the point with some things where it's like..."Oh, we'll just catch that next year."

 

[gallmcduck]

Loved the reveal it was too funny that she thought about one of her friends and not getting to the mall!. I haven’t been on DIS for a few days so I have missed the beginning of your report but I am all caught up now I love what Madeline did for the little girl on carousel so thoughtful What a great idea when your camera battery ran out I would never have thought about that I will keep that in mind for this trip in case the scenario arises.

I think you are doing a really great job with your trip report and you have covered so much already It takes up a lot of time writing and then uploading the pics so I am well impressed with what you have covered so far. I love pics so the more the merrier for me. Sorry to hear that you both got sick hope it doesn’t last.

Loving your report

 

[JLR]

You are correct...that trip is for Food & Wine! I'm glad to hear you liked the BCV studio. I love the pics of Beach Club!

You are making amazingly quick progress on this TR! I am really enjoying all your updates! What great memories your daughter will have from this trip! I really hope you both are feeling better the next morning! Believe me, I know that being sick at Disney is no fun!

I am jealous. I imagine that World Shocase would be perfect for the food and wine festival! Some day........ I'm glad you are enjoying the updates. I know I am rushing things but I want to get this done before I get distracted by other projects.

Boy, your really ripping through this TR! You make me feel guilty that I haven't even started my TR! I promise soon!

A few comments on your trip from a veteran of the parks. AK can be really hard regardless, especially if you want to get FP for things. The park is soooo spread out and everything is spread away from everything else. One trip I looped the entire park twice by 10 AM for FP. (We started the day at the boneyard, and I got FP first for the Safari, came back, and then again for EE...yikes!)

But, the fact that so many people don't use FP is both funny and sad. I've had a hard time *giving* them away in the past. We were able to get FP for Buzz at 5:30 PM for a 6:15 return time. (The return time is almost never less than 40 minutes away.) I think a lot of people just resign themselves that visiting Disney means waiting in lines. I don't even bother trying to talk people into them...it's a bit greedy, the "more for me" attitude.

I hope you weren't sick for too long...the go-go-go of Disney can really wear you down, especially first trips where your trying to squeeze in as much as possible. That's one thing I do really like about going once a year (or more), you get to the point with some things where it's like..."Oh, we'll just catch that next year."

Don't feel too guilty, I don't go back to my real job until Monday. The twins are enjoying looking at pictures and videos of mommy-n-madeline-n-mickey-n-minnie-n....... I have my laptop set up right where my children are playing, so I can write in between books and Mrs. Potatohead. Even as I reply to this, my children are hanging on me knee enjoying the . Oops, he stops dancing when you select him. I could imagine that it would be eaiser to be relaxed if you can visit regularly. The killer for us is the airfare. The next time we come as a family, I will be lucky if I can get all our tickets for $3000. That makes it hard to plan to come very frequently. Oh well, we should be able to come again 2012. We can look forward to that, and if I can swing it we may try to stay 2 weeks so we can really relax and also have fun. It will be a very different trip with (then) 4 year olds!

Loved the reveal it was too funny that she thought about one of her friends and not getting to the mall!. I haven’t been on DIS for a few days so I have missed the beginning of your report but I am all caught up now I love what Madeline did for the little girl on carousel so thoughtful What a great idea when your camera battery ran out I would never have thought about that I will keep that in mind for this trip in case the scenario arises.

I think you are doing a really great job with your trip report and you have covered so much already It takes up a lot of time writing and then uploading the pics so I am well impressed with what you have covered so far. I love pics so the more the merrier for me. Sorry to hear that you both got sick hope it doesn’t last.

Loving your report

Thanks! I was hoping you'd check in. I am trying to get as much done as possible while my memory is fresh, before it warms up enough to spend time outside and garden, and before i start a new project at work. I bulk uploaded everything on photo bucket, so you can start it and then play with your kids while it is thinking. The videos I did more piecemeal but again, I'd start them uploading (they sure do take a lot of time), then play with the babies until they were done and start another. Then I just follow along my photos and tell the story. I'd like to make things entertaining or suspenseful like smithpack, girlbomb, great biscuit, or skierpete, to name just a few, but I decided just to capture our memories with a lot of pictures. I am old enough to know myself well enough to know high expectations = procrastination, and also it is always better for me to get things done before the next distraction comes along. I have a lot of uncompleted scrapbooking projects as reminders of that! This way I've got a fairly complete record for when i get around to scrapbooking again!

Anyway it is is nice to know that others are enjoying my efforts.

OK - I hope that DIS accepts this post - it has taken me about an hour to write it around making and serving lunch!

 

[gallmcduck]

I am so glad that I have spent some time today catching up A bit like yourself it has been in between play and washing but definaltly worthwhile . I love the way you have written your report and your uploading techniques have definatley been good, I need to keep this tip in mind

 

[MsHershey]

Fun installment. I can't wait to read what's next.

 

[JLR]

I am so glad that I have spent some time today catching up A bit like yourself it has been in between play and washing but definaltly worthwhile . I love the way you have written your report and your uploading techniques have definatley been good, I need to keep this tip in mind

Fun installment. I can't wait to read what's next.

Thanks! the twins are in bed and I'll see if I can get some of the next installment up.

 

[JLR]

When last we reported, the wall was hit, the sick child was sleeping and the laundry was done.

Oh – another suggestion, don’t forget the Shout. That Disney ketchup is powerful stuff and one of Madeline’s shirts was stained. It is having a really long soak now, but I don’t know if it’ll come out having been through the dryer.

We both woke up at about 6:30 am rejuvenated by our good night’s rest. Halleluiah! the sickness was gone!

I had our trip to this point very thoroughly planned (in case that wasn’t obvious). Today and Tuesday were Madeline choice days. I had hoped to go back to Epcot or MK or AK today. I initially had ADR at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, but had cancelled those. We now had plans to meet my friend PV from graduate school that evening. She would be driving up with her family from Fort Lauderdale and we’d have supper at Restaurant Marrakesh. So, being at EPCOT by 7 pm was the only thing I really had to worry about.

Madeline really wanted to see Disney Hollywood Studios. Today was an EMH for DHS. I had tentatively planned that if Madeline wanted to go, that we could spend 2 hours or so at this park then move on to another park. I had packed my Give-a-day voucher in my bag for use later today. We showered and I just braided our hair wet. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before last night. It saved a lot of time.

It was a beautiful morning. Clear and comfortable. I’m not sure why I don’t have any pictures of the walk down to the dock to catch the Friendship.

As we walked down to the dock, Madeline expressed that she really, really wanted to try out Toy Story Mania and check out this park. Uh oh. I didn’t really have a plan. I had thought we’d go in, Grab a FP for TSM, ride Rock’n roller coaster, Tower of Terror, then ride Toy Story and leave. The only other thing I was interested in was Muppetvision, but that was closed for refurbishment. Oh well, Madeline’s choice is Madeline’s choice. I decided to use the GAD FP for this park, and given the initial mistake of going on an EMH day, it did really help. We had heard from others that DHS was very quiet except TSM earlier in the week.

We just missed a friendship so had a little wait at the dock. We struck up a conversation with a nice mom from Canada and her two teenage daughters. We invited them to be our companions so we could share the GAD fast passes. When we got to DHS there was no line at will call, just one family at each of the three open windows. Well, we waited, and waited, and waited………….. we heard park opening and finally got to go up. I’m not sure why it took 20 minutes for all of the previous families. (Yes really, 20 minutes!) because we were out in about three minutes. I felt badly for making our companions miss the park opening, but they didn’t seem concerned. This was not their first trip. We bid them adieu and hit the park. DHS is very beautiful and architecturally interesting. But of course I did not see fit to photograph any of that. It’s funny what you wish when you get home. We did get this shot.

They were doing some character greets at the hat. We had already seen most of them except Daisy. Madeline wanted to go over and see Daisy, but I thought that would be a poor use of EMH, and there was already a line. I’m mildly sorry about that decision. I don’t think it would have made a big difference in our touring day, and we never saw her anywhere else. The park didn’t look so bad until we descended the stairs by Pixar place. There was a huge line – for the fast pass machines! I was really glad I had our GADs and turned down toward the other headliners.

We picked up fast passes at ToT because I thought the FP return time would be very short. 35 minutes, not bad. Then we headed over to Rock’n Rollercoaster to ride standby.

I put some ear plugs in Madeline’s ears. I had heard this ride was very loud.

The theming of this ride is really cool. I was glad there was at least a short wait (about 5 minutes) so we could check out these cool things. I think Madeline wants a door like this:

Before we knew it we were here:

And here awaiting our limo:

For me, this was the most thrilling ride of the whole trip. I loved it!

When we got off I went to pick up a FP for a second ride later and got “this is not a valid fastpass.” I was confused and almost tried to track down a cast member. Then I looked at the TOT fastpasses we had. They said 9:35, not 8:35 ! Doh!

Oh well, we were able to check in here without any reservations:

It was still nearly a walk on. We had enough time to enjoy some of the details in the lobby before being escorted to the elevator. We were in the front row. Sorry, my redneck photo of the ride photo did not come out well. I really enjoyed the ride, and I thought Madeline did too until she realized in the gift shop that she had lost her first visit button (again!) This was perhaps the fourth time she had forgotten or lost her button. I had been giving her my button, but learned you can usually get another one in the gift shops. Well, apparently not at DHS. The CM in the gift shop gave us a blank stare and sent us back to unloading. They had not found one and told us to get another in the gift shop. I guess I would rather use the pixie dust for finding a fanny pack rather than a replaceable pin. There were no other CMs to check with so we moved on. We asked at one or two other shops that day, but no one had them. I let Madeline wear mine again until I could get her another at the hotel.

Madeline was surprisingly upset about this. Perhaps she was still feeling some of the effects of yesterday’s hitting the wall. I can’t complain as a mom, though. Madeline was extremely good this trip. Just a few moments here and there of pouting or attitude, but otherwise good spirits and flexibility. We headed on over to Toy Story to get our magic FPs before the park opened up to regular visitors. Other people were pointing and staring as we kept using the same 2 cards to get 3 sets of FPs. I think they thought the FP dispenser was malfunctioning and we were taking advantage of it!

We ran across the toy soldiers performing outside of TSM. They are really cool!

We moved along to try to find a place to eat some more breakfast. The handful of cereal and glass of milk had worn pretty thin by now. Maybe that’s why Madeline was so emotional. This is where my lack of preparation really started to show. Backlot express was not open yet, and Madeline did not want to go back to Starring Rolls. We picked up some little treats at a stand across from TSM and discovered that Madeline had granola bars and other treats in her fanny pack. We found some restrooms out by the Backlot Express, made some more pressed pennies. I have neglected to mention that we have been making these as well. We had a roll of quarters and of pennies dedicated for this purpose. We had a nice conversation with a CM who was originally from Hamilton, IL. This town is across the river from my husband’s hometown of Keokuk, IA. I enjoy these little conversations. We also, not so incidentally got directions to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. Madeline was dying to play there and it was her day after-all. I sat there for a few minutes, aware that our FP window was opening up and I asked the CM if I could leave Madeline there while I ran to get our FPs. Apparently the child only has to be 7 to do that. I checked in with Madeline and she was OK with that as well. In retrospect, I don’t think I would do it again. It is a long, long, walk from that playground down to RnRC! Madeline complained about how long it took when I got back. I was just hoping to save her feet a little. She did enjoy the playground, but was very hot from the web maze.

We did get a few shots.

Now Madeline was very hot. I knew there was a way to cool down, somewhere and I got directions to this place:

Madeline enjoyed it, but thought the water made her hat smell funny.

What would we do next??????

 

[skier_pete]

See, we DID almost cross paths. We were there at DHS for rope drop. We did the dash to TSM - but believe it or not it was DOWN. That explains the enoromous lines at the FP machines...though they are always pretty huge there. We stood around about 10 minutes, and they got it going. We were about 30th in line, it was about 8:15 AM when it started running.

Anyways, details will be in my TR...which is now officially started, see the link in my signature below! (Shameless plug - I tried posting a note at the end of my last TR...but the mods LOCKED IT. )

Our DD, loved the "ant playground" as she dubs it. It is a total nightmare if you have a small child (<5), but for older kids it is great!

SkierPete

 

[JLR]

Up to this point, we had attended an Aerosmith concert, checked into the twilight zone, played with a giant ant, sung in the rain and prepared to repeat if necessary.


Now it was time for the long anticipated:

Please note that the stand-by time at 10:05 in the morning was 60 minutes! I forgot to check the fastpasses, but they were late in the day.

I just learned from skier pete that the reason there was such a monster line for fastpasses at the beginning was that the ride had broken down. Good to know. I thought it was like that every day!

I love the theming of the queue area. My photos do not do it justice.

The game is cute and Madeline got very serious and competitive.

We rode it three times in succession. Although neither of us was very good, we both improved significantly from first to third. Madeline was frustrated that I scored higher than she did. However, she won the better midway prize:

On our third ride, we were pulled aside to the handicapped line.

I love that Disney has designed a ride that someone can drive a motorized wheel chair directly into the ride vehicle and participate with minimal fuss. We had to wait a bit for the special ride vehicle to make its way around, but then it just took about three minutes for the CMs to open up the vehicle (on a separate track so it didn’t halt the ride for other participants) and get the visitor situated. I worked in a home for the physically and developmentally disabled during college and it was a challenge finding things they could do and enjoy as enrichment activities.

Once we were done, this is my take. TSM is an extremely well-designed ride. It really is fun for all ages. However, I would never wait on line for an hour to ride it once. I was glad we had our magic fast passes. Now we had used up all our Donald rides. Madeline did not want to leave. However, she did not want to go back to ride Rock’n Rollercoaster or Tower of Terror. She decided she didn’t like them. I couldn’t figure it out and I was reluctant because I had make such a long trek for that second set of FPs, but it is Madeline’s choice today. We found a nice father and son who were very grateful to get a set of FPs for each ride and headed on down here:

The FP machines for Little Mermaid were closed except for the GAD one. The CM was a bit rude. I imagine she was hot and tired just like the rest of us, but she let us get our fast passes so we could go and get some frozen treats and sit down before getting on line.

After an Itzakadoozie we headed back here:

She let us in the FP line and we went up to the front and the cast member there was even worse! She made some nasty comment about the FP machines being closed and we shouldn’t use our Magic GAD FPs. Then she had us stand there for about fifteen minutes while she let in the standby line and then finally consented to let us into the theater. I thought for a bit that she was going to keep us out of that showing for spite! I worked hard to keep my cool, but it was hard. It was blazing hot at that point.

The theater was cold though and the show is entertaining. The puppeteering is marvelous and Madeline loved the ocean spray and bubble special effects. I do love the Little Mermaid music.

Afterward, I was ready to go back to the hotel, but Madeline wanted to see two more shows. She has one classmate who loves Star Wars and another who is a huge Indiana Jones fan, so you know where we were headed:

We caught the tail end of the young jedis in training:

Then we proceeded in for our star tour. It was walk on, so we didn’t need to use our Daisy Fast Pass. We enjoyed our eventful little journey. Madeline thought it was great fun!

 

[JLR]

See, we DID almost cross paths. We were there at DHS for rope drop. We did the dash to TSM - but believe it or not it was DOWN. That explains the enoromous lines at the FP machines...though they are always pretty huge there. We stood around about 10 minutes, and they got it going. We were about 30th in line, it was about 8:15 AM when it started running.

Anyways, details will be in my TR...which is now officially started, see the link in my signature below! (Shameless plug - I tried posting a note at the end of my last TR...but the mods LOCKED IT. )

Our DD, loved the "ant playground" as she dubs it. It is a total nightmare if you have a small child (<5), but for older kids it is great!

SkierPete

Hey,

I went over to check your TR. Beautiful pictures! I'm glad your family all loves disney together.

I heard it has been really hot in upstate NY this week. (My Dad lives south of Albany) It has been freezing here. (Literally - our high was in the 30s yesterday! )

Oh well, I've got to go back to work today. What a nice vacation!

 

[smithpack]

WOW!! I go to visit my parents for the weekend and come back and you practically have your whole TR done. Very Impressive, especially with 3 kids!!

First I want to say THANKS for the callout for thinking my TR was entertaining. I have really been enjoying yours, and I think you are doing a wonderful job. I still have to read day 5. I love all the pictures, especially the ones with Madeline because you can really see the excitement in her eyes and feel how much fun she is having!! I love experiencing Disney through the eyes of a child.

Now, about those towel animals.... I think you may have had a perverted CM making those. I don't know if someone was trying to send you a message or what, but there is only one thing that comes to my mind when I saw the first two.

I think Madeline is a sweetheart. She is so considerate of others. What a thoughtful thing to take those bracelets to give to kids who are upset. I think I will do that the next time. You have raised a very thoughtful daughter. She did something else in the beginning that almost made me cry, but I can't remember what it is because I have been reading everything else. I just remember thinking she is such a sweet girl. Oh, I know what it was. She told the other girl about Cinderella's horse and then let her ride it. That brought tears to my eyes, especially since this was Madeline's first trip.

Alright, I am sure there was more I wanted to comment on, but I want to go finish reading the rest of what you have gotten done.

 

[smithpack]

Ok, just got caught up on day 5. I am glad you got to use your GAD FP's. Did you ever tell her that she got those by making all those kits?

Also, those crowds look like a lot more than a level 4 to me. It's funny that sometimes when we go I think it wasn't too crowded, and then when I get home and see my pictures I think," where did all those people come from?"

Looking forward to hearing more about the trip.

 

[JLR]

WOW!! I go to visit my parents for the weekend and come back and you practically have your whole TR done. Very Impressive, especially with 3 kids!!

First I want to say THANKS for the callout for thinking my TR was entertaining. I have really been enjoying yours, and I think you are doing a wonderful job. I still have to read day 5. I love all the pictures, especially the ones with Madeline because you can really see the excitement in her eyes and feel how much fun she is having!! I love experiencing Disney through the eyes of a child.

Now, about those towel animals.... I think you may have had a perverted CM making those. I don't know if someone was trying to send you a message or what, but there is only one thing that comes to my mind when I saw the first two.

I think Madeline is a sweetheart. She is so considerate of others. What a thoughtful thing to take those bracelets to give to kids who are upset. I think I will do that the next time. You have raised a very thoughtful daughter. She did something else in the beginning that almost made me cry, but I can't remember what it is because I have been reading everything else. I just remember thinking she is such a sweet girl. Oh, I know what it was. She told the other girl about Cinderella's horse and then let her ride it. That brought tears to my eyes, especially since this was Madeline's first trip.

Alright, I am sure there was more I wanted to comment on, but I want to go finish reading the rest of what you have gotten done.

Ok, just got caught up on day 5. I am glad you got to use your GAD FP's. Did you ever tell her that she got those by making all those kits?

Also, those crowds look like a lot more than a level 4 to me. It's funny that sometimes when we go I think it wasn't too crowded, and then when I get home and see my pictures I think," where did all those people come from?"

Looking forward to hearing more about the trip.

I hope you had a nice time at your folks'

I thought the same thing about those particular towel animals, but I was on a G-rated trip with my daughter , so I just had to speculate the best I could!

I was very, very impressed with Madeline. Disney really brought out the best in her!

I thought that too about the crowds. Maybe everybody was in Frontierland and the rest of the park was empty?

I am back at work now, so things will go a bit slower. My twins were so sweet this morning. I always get them up and dressed and settled for breakfast before I leave for work. They wanted Mommy to stay home, since I'd spent the last 4 days with them. Oh well, maybe the weather will be nice enough this evening to go for a walk.

 

[JLR]

I'm going to try to post the end of day 5 tonight. There, I've promised, that'll help me deliver!

 

[Dugette]

That's awesome that you got to ride TSM three times in a row! I agree that the wheelchair entrance is pretty cool (we had the same thing happen as you, where they directed us there to get right on). Looking forward to your next update!

 

[JLR]

That's awesome that you got to ride TSM three times in a row! I agree that the wheelchair entrance is pretty cool (we had the same thing happen as you, where they directed us there to get right on). Looking forward to your next update!

I noticed that on your TR. In my case we saw the family, the gentle man had a complete large motorized wheelchair and they configured it so the woman with him could sit and play and his shooter was accessible to him as well. it was kind of interesting to see. it was funny because on the previous ride, I had noticed the car that did not have a back side and wondered what it was for. Then I found out!

I should be able to get the next update up now. I got the photos chosen at lunch, but we had to do supper, a walk to the playground, stories, clean up and bedtime for the twins before I could DIS again. I don't have to put my 9 year old down for another 20 minutes.

 

[JLR]

We picked up a few more frozen treats – it was that kind of day and joined the queue for our final attraction at DHS: the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. I enjoyed the queue. Shady and misty.

Madeline was refusing to wear her hat at this point because of the smell. We got into the theater and jockeyed through all of the requests to squeeze in together. Some audience members didn’t seem to care, but it seemed cruel to refuse to move together and make someone stand, even if it was hot.
The show was entertaining, but I think we were both too hot and tired to give it justice.

We were more than ready at this point to leave DHS! As we headed out though, we saw a balloon guy. Madeline had been begging for a balloon and I ponied up.

We also stopped for the photo shoot that she wanted on the way in but delayed in the interest of making the most of EMHs.

Finally we were able to leave.

Final reflections on DHS.

1. We will never go on EMH days again! (TGM was right!)
2. It is beautiful and well themed. The queue areas for the rides are some of the best we saw (barring Everest).
3. Rock’n Rollercoaster is a great ride!
4. Toy Story Midway Mania is indeed fun for all ages.

All this being said, I wouldn’t mind not going back.

As we headed out our transportation mojo was still not with us. We just missed the friendship and had to wait for another one. There was no seating in the shade. We took the rare opportunity of quiet to call home. It was nice to talk to John, but Elena and Viviana did not want to talk to us. I would have to say that this was a low point of our trip. (That’s how great our trip was that this minor disappointment was the lowest point!) Fortunately, we did not have to wait an entire 20 minutes before the next friendship and we were headed back.

The Swan and Dolphin are beautiful hotels. It would be fun to check them out someday. Soon we caught sight of our dock.

We were both dragging. Hot and tired, all we wanted was some lunch and a swim. Madeline, with her brand new balloon drifted into the bushes and the outer shell popped! I was irritated and she was sad, but I am proud to say that we did not disgrace ourselves with temper tantrums. We just picked up our lunch at Hurricane Hannah’s. There were no available tables, so we went and ate in the Beach Club Solarium in the blessed air conditioning. A family with a little boy passed us several times and he was very taken with the inner balloon that remained. It didn’t bother him that the outer shell was popped. Here is another moment that makes me feel almost weepy. Tired, disappointed Madeline offered her balloon to that little boy. The parents just removed the outer plastic and he was thrilled with the “b-oon.”

Refreshed by our meal, air conditioning, and act of generosity, we stopped for this photo op at the entrance to the Beach Club Villas.

When we arrived, we found this little fellow:

We changed into our swimsuits and headed out to enjoy the pool again.
How I love the SAB pool at the Beach club! I feel like we short-changed it because there were so many other things we wanted to do. We refreshed pretty quickly, and you wouldn’t think it, but the hot tub felt great!

Right there by the pool is a salon where you can get your hair braided. Madeline had been wanting this for a while and I was considering it. I had my hair braided on vacation in Jamaica and enjoyed the clacking beads and found it very pleasant not to have to dry my hair. I thought it was make for nicer mornings and so decided to do it. It ended up being a great thing for Madeline. She looked great and felt great. It was wonderful just rinsing diluted shampoo through in the morning and gently squeezing out the water, and done! Now it was convenient for me too, but not attractive. Apparently, my hairdresser could not do the traditional cornrows back away from the face because of how my hair was layered. I was a bit bummed. Also, Disney does not allow their stylists to put beads in the hair. I don’t know why. The colorful rubber bands looked cute on Madeline though. In the future, I would do it again, even earlier in the trip for her, but I’d just French braid my own hair. Again, live and learn. The other thing to remember is that you’ll need to sunscreen the parts. I remembered that from my honeymoon. I didn’t count on the gift shop being out of the spray on sunscreen, though. Not a big deal tonight, but that would be an issue tomorrow.

The process itself was painless. I love having my hair messed with and it is always nice at Disney to be off your feet! It takes a while though, a bit over an hour. Madeline and I were done within minutes of each other. Our stylists were very nice and I left what I hope was a good tip.

Now it was time to go and see my grad school friend! I did not get permission to post pictures of her or her children, and since they are in a lot of the photos for tonight, the photo documentation will be slim. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see our stylin’ hair.

She arrived a little early and we were running a little late. PV texted me to say they were in Innoventions. So we walked over. Once again, Epcot is very close to the Beach Club, but Epcot is huge! Eventually, we made it over there and I could not find them. Although the park was crowded, very few people were in Innoventions. I sat down in some comfy chairs and prepared to text her when she called my name. I turned around and I swear she looks exactly the same as she looked 15 years ago. I don’t know how she can get married, raise 2 kids, hang out in the Florida sun and still look 27! We just hung out in innoventions for a while and talked. The kids played with some of the exhibits and had a great time. I thought Innoventions was all video type games, but these were things I was happy to have my kid do. Soon we had to head on over for supper in Morocco. The boys elected to stay in future world, leaving the girls to go see the belly dancer.

We had picked up a Kim Possible Fast Pass on our way into Epcot and they told us we would be saving Japan, noting that Japan was the “hardest one.” We were running a little late but we took the time to pick up our Kimmunicator in Italy. Both Italy and Morocco are beautiful pavilions and I don’t know why I don’t have any pictures of them. I think I thought we’d have time to go back and see them at our leisure. Disney rule #463 – if you have the opportunity, do it now because you probably won’t have the time to come back (unless you can come more frequently than we can).

We were seated very quickly at restaurant Marrakesh. The restaurant was beautiful but very, very loud, even when the entertainment was not going on.

I had the Mogador Fish Tagine, my friend had the Roast Lamb and the girls had the pasta with Moroccan meatballs. The kids liked the pasta, but not the meatballs. The adult food was ok but it was very, very bland.

We had to wait a bit for the belly dancer. Finally she came out. We did not have the best seats, but no big deal. I had thought of this restaurant – 1. Because it is easy to get ADRs (remember we were going to Mickey’s BYBBQ until about a week previously) and 2. I thought the girls would like to dance with the belly dance which they did. Here is a photo of the back of Madeline. So you can see her braids, sort of. She is the one with the purple watch on one wrist and the wristband (from our pool) on the other.

I guess I do have a picture of Madeline without her little friend. Here she is having her passport signed by our waiter. He wrote her name in his native language.

It was getting pretty late at this point, but we had a date to save the world!

Japan was indeed harder than the other adventures we had done so far. Trying to do it in darkness made it even harder! We had to use a hint for this one. We saved the environment in the nick of time to go out and catch IllumiNations. The girls found a spot up near the fence and my friend and I continued to chat farther back. It was nice and cool now. We strolled on over to the other side or World Showcase lagoon to meet her husband and son.

It was so nice. We sat on one of the walls and chatted, while the kids shared a bag of sour candy and some silly shaped rubber bands that my friend’s husband had bought. I did not want the evening to come to an end but we had big plans for the morning! We hoped to be able to get together the following evening. I didn’t mind cancelling our ADRs for MBYBBQ, but I could not cancel or reschedule Sunday’s activity. So we said goodbye, with hopes we’d get back together the very next evening.

Next stop: Discovery Cove - this is yet another surprise. Madeline doesn't know what we will be doing!