The Decoy Trip that turned into a Dream - The End. 7/5, Page 22.
- Thread starter cmp1111
- Start date
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
We had some leftover turkey sandwich, so I sent D. back up to the room to put it away. We were to meet in the lobby. I sent the boys to the restroom, and waited in the lobby. And waited.
D. finally showed up looking sheepish.
He had lost his Key to the World. Looked all over, as he had to have used it to get into the room - remember, I didn't go. He did finally find it - in the refrigerator!
So, now we were really set to go.
The bus stops at the AKL are a ways away from the main door, and I never found a quicker way out. If you know of one, let me know!
We trekked down to the bus, and there was no one waiting at the MK stop. We watched 2 buses headed to the AK, 2 to MGM, 2 to Epcot, and even one heading to DTD and Blizzard Beach before our MK bus came. I still think it was around 20 minutes, though - not too bad.
We had a non-eventful ride to the MK and wound our way around to the entrance. It was, of course, our first experience with the security checks and fingerprint scans, but we did fine!
It was about 4:00 at this point.
It was evening EMH at MK that night, but the regular hours were until 11:00 anyway. I knew we weren't going to last that long, seeing that we'd been up, traveled, and swam already.
The park was fairly crowded, and I didn't really have a good touring plan for starting in the evening. We wandered down Main Street - I admit I teared up a little - and decided to head over to get FP's for Splash Mountain. On the way, however, we passed Pirates, and the boys asked for it. The line was 40 minutes! (This was our first mistake. We still should have gone to Splash and gotten the FP's, but we didn't. Sigh.)
So, we waited in line for Pirates. There was a family of 6 in front of us, and they had been there all day. We had a nice conversation as we walked through the line. The kids were fine, looking through all the windows and dungeon bars, etc.
We did see Capt. Hook and Smee leaving their "holding area" as we wound through the line outside of the building, so that was kind of fun!
We all got in the boat right at 40 minutes later. I enjoyed the new beginning with Davy Jones - pretty cool! - but the boys were a little freaked. Once we got to the first scene with the pirates (rather than skeletons), though, they were great and really enjoyed it. We had tried to learn the song before we left, so everyone sang along.
The ride was a big hit, so we then headed on out to Frontierland for the FP for Splash Mountain. The stand-by line was about 60 minutes, and we got our FP as a return for 7:45 to 8:45. We had dinner reservations at Tony's at 8:15, so we would have to get back there pretty fast, but went ahead and got the FPs. The boys were excited to try it, even after seeing the big hill.
We wandered back out of the back end of the park, and noticed that we could see the Country Bears with just about a 5 minute wait, so we walked on in. Here we are waiting for the show to start:
OK, I HAVE to learn to sit up straight. I am not pregnant, I swear! Hello, belly fat!
That's Buzz with me.
Here are D. and Woody:
As you can see, Woody is getting a little tired already.
We all enjoyed the show. As a side note, I was really surprised by where Country Bears were. In DL, they are more back in a corner over a bridge, and I guess I just still know my way around that park better!
The boys decided that they were ready for Haunted Mansion. We kept repeating that it was "silly, not scary!" and they seemed to buy into it. Woody rode with me, and the funniest thing was that he continued to look for the hitchhiking ghost over his shoulder. He'd look in the mirror, then look behind him in the Doom Buggy, then repeat!
It was about time to head off to Tony's for our 8:15 ADR, so we started out of Liberty Square and happened by It's a Small World. Now, I know I'm a dork, but I love this ride. There was only a 10 minute wait, and the boys seemed interested.
Now, I didn't realize this before, but D. really, really doesn't like IaSW. I knew he didn't want to go on it, but I didn't realize how deep it went. I thought it was just the normal, manly thing about not liking it.
Apparently, though, the one and only time he went to WDW, back in 1985 or so, he was on IaSW when the ride broke down! He was stuck, with the song, for at least a half hour! He really does almost develop a twitch.
We made him go on, though, and the look on the kids' faces was all worth it. They were just entranced. It was very sweet. We survived without any mishaps.
We then dodged the crowds gathered up for the 9:00 Spectromagic parade and headed off in search of Tony's. For the life of me, I couldn't remember having ever seen it, so, although it's right there, we just had to find it!
We found it with no problem, but then I couldn't figure out how to get in!
For some reason, I didn't think we were supposed to go in where the photo center is, and then we couldn't find any other entrance. I finally had to ask a couple sitting on the outside patio!
Once we made our way in, it was just about 8:15. I gave our name to the reception type lady. The waiting area was pretty full, so I wondered how it would go. We did have to wait about 15 minutes, but were seated by 8:30, in the sunroom type area at the front of the restaurant.
D. got the tomato/mozzarella salad and I got the garden salad as our "appetizers" and the kid meals came with a small salad as well. Woody got mac & cheese, his favorite, and Buzz got spaghetti & meatballs - HIS favorite. I ordered the chicken pesto pasta, and D. got the diavolo.
The salads arrived right away, but then Spectro started coming down the way. The main courses arrived fairly quickly, but the boys were standing over by the windows watching the parade. It was pretty late by this point. We got them back to eat a bit. Woody declared that he "didn't like the mac & cheese" which worried me for the rest of the week, as I knew it was all the Stouffer's stuff throughout the parks. Buzz ate a good portion of his spaghetti. We finally gave up and just let them watch the parade - there were no tables filled by the windows at that point, so they had an unobstructed view with the bonus of not bothering anyone. They watched the parade as D. & I ate. Our stuff was fine, nothing too special, but nothing too awful. I am a pesto fan, and it wasn't pesto-y enough for me, but it wasn't bad.
The waitress brought the kids ice cream sundaes without us really saying. That would normally be OK, except that Buzz doesn't like chocolate and won't even eat the ice cream that isn't touching the chocolate sauce. Oh well.
D. ordered the tiramisu, and I got the Chocolate Bomb. They were good! but we were pretty full, and didn't eat them all.
As we were finishing up, Woody said, "Can we go home to the hotel now?"
We had planned on trying to go back and use our FP for Splash, late, but the wisdom of the 5 year old prevailed.
We put the boys on our shoulders and headed out to the bus. We got a bus just about 10 minutes later, and headed on home. Both boys fell asleep on our laps on the bus ride. We carted them in through the gift shop door (it was just that much closer.)
We put the boys to bed, after some discussion of what our plans were for the next day. D. returned to the gift shop to get a bottle of wine. He and I sat on the balcony, watching the giraffes and the bongos, drinking our wine. It was a lovely end to a long, but happy day!
D. finally showed up looking sheepish.
He had lost his Key to the World. Looked all over, as he had to have used it to get into the room - remember, I didn't go. He did finally find it - in the refrigerator!
So, now we were really set to go.
The bus stops at the AKL are a ways away from the main door, and I never found a quicker way out. If you know of one, let me know!
We trekked down to the bus, and there was no one waiting at the MK stop. We watched 2 buses headed to the AK, 2 to MGM, 2 to Epcot, and even one heading to DTD and Blizzard Beach before our MK bus came. I still think it was around 20 minutes, though - not too bad.
We had a non-eventful ride to the MK and wound our way around to the entrance. It was, of course, our first experience with the security checks and fingerprint scans, but we did fine!
It was about 4:00 at this point.It was evening EMH at MK that night, but the regular hours were until 11:00 anyway. I knew we weren't going to last that long, seeing that we'd been up, traveled, and swam already.
The park was fairly crowded, and I didn't really have a good touring plan for starting in the evening. We wandered down Main Street - I admit I teared up a little - and decided to head over to get FP's for Splash Mountain. On the way, however, we passed Pirates, and the boys asked for it. The line was 40 minutes! (This was our first mistake. We still should have gone to Splash and gotten the FP's, but we didn't. Sigh.)
So, we waited in line for Pirates. There was a family of 6 in front of us, and they had been there all day. We had a nice conversation as we walked through the line. The kids were fine, looking through all the windows and dungeon bars, etc.
We did see Capt. Hook and Smee leaving their "holding area" as we wound through the line outside of the building, so that was kind of fun!
We all got in the boat right at 40 minutes later. I enjoyed the new beginning with Davy Jones - pretty cool! - but the boys were a little freaked. Once we got to the first scene with the pirates (rather than skeletons), though, they were great and really enjoyed it. We had tried to learn the song before we left, so everyone sang along.
The ride was a big hit, so we then headed on out to Frontierland for the FP for Splash Mountain. The stand-by line was about 60 minutes, and we got our FP as a return for 7:45 to 8:45. We had dinner reservations at Tony's at 8:15, so we would have to get back there pretty fast, but went ahead and got the FPs. The boys were excited to try it, even after seeing the big hill.
We wandered back out of the back end of the park, and noticed that we could see the Country Bears with just about a 5 minute wait, so we walked on in. Here we are waiting for the show to start:
OK, I HAVE to learn to sit up straight. I am not pregnant, I swear! Hello, belly fat!
That's Buzz with me.Here are D. and Woody:
As you can see, Woody is getting a little tired already.
We all enjoyed the show. As a side note, I was really surprised by where Country Bears were. In DL, they are more back in a corner over a bridge, and I guess I just still know my way around that park better!
The boys decided that they were ready for Haunted Mansion. We kept repeating that it was "silly, not scary!" and they seemed to buy into it. Woody rode with me, and the funniest thing was that he continued to look for the hitchhiking ghost over his shoulder. He'd look in the mirror, then look behind him in the Doom Buggy, then repeat!
It was about time to head off to Tony's for our 8:15 ADR, so we started out of Liberty Square and happened by It's a Small World. Now, I know I'm a dork, but I love this ride. There was only a 10 minute wait, and the boys seemed interested.
Now, I didn't realize this before, but D. really, really doesn't like IaSW. I knew he didn't want to go on it, but I didn't realize how deep it went. I thought it was just the normal, manly thing about not liking it.
Apparently, though, the one and only time he went to WDW, back in 1985 or so, he was on IaSW when the ride broke down! He was stuck, with the song, for at least a half hour!
He really does almost develop a twitch.We made him go on, though, and the look on the kids' faces was all worth it. They were just entranced. It was very sweet. We survived without any mishaps.
We then dodged the crowds gathered up for the 9:00 Spectromagic parade and headed off in search of Tony's. For the life of me, I couldn't remember having ever seen it, so, although it's right there, we just had to find it!
We found it with no problem, but then I couldn't figure out how to get in!
For some reason, I didn't think we were supposed to go in where the photo center is, and then we couldn't find any other entrance. I finally had to ask a couple sitting on the outside patio!Once we made our way in, it was just about 8:15. I gave our name to the reception type lady. The waiting area was pretty full, so I wondered how it would go. We did have to wait about 15 minutes, but were seated by 8:30, in the sunroom type area at the front of the restaurant.
D. got the tomato/mozzarella salad and I got the garden salad as our "appetizers" and the kid meals came with a small salad as well. Woody got mac & cheese, his favorite, and Buzz got spaghetti & meatballs - HIS favorite. I ordered the chicken pesto pasta, and D. got the diavolo.
The salads arrived right away, but then Spectro started coming down the way. The main courses arrived fairly quickly, but the boys were standing over by the windows watching the parade. It was pretty late by this point. We got them back to eat a bit. Woody declared that he "didn't like the mac & cheese" which worried me for the rest of the week, as I knew it was all the Stouffer's stuff throughout the parks. Buzz ate a good portion of his spaghetti. We finally gave up and just let them watch the parade - there were no tables filled by the windows at that point, so they had an unobstructed view with the bonus of not bothering anyone. They watched the parade as D. & I ate. Our stuff was fine, nothing too special, but nothing too awful. I am a pesto fan, and it wasn't pesto-y enough for me, but it wasn't bad.
The waitress brought the kids ice cream sundaes without us really saying. That would normally be OK, except that Buzz doesn't like chocolate and won't even eat the ice cream that isn't touching the chocolate sauce. Oh well.
D. ordered the tiramisu, and I got the Chocolate Bomb. They were good! but we were pretty full, and didn't eat them all.
As we were finishing up, Woody said, "Can we go home to the hotel now?"
We had planned on trying to go back and use our FP for Splash, late, but the wisdom of the 5 year old prevailed.
We put the boys on our shoulders and headed out to the bus. We got a bus just about 10 minutes later, and headed on home. Both boys fell asleep on our laps on the bus ride. We carted them in through the gift shop door (it was just that much closer.)
We put the boys to bed, after some discussion of what our plans were for the next day. D. returned to the gift shop to get a bottle of wine. He and I sat on the balcony, watching the giraffes and the bongos, drinking our wine. It was a lovely end to a long, but happy day!
disneymoon_0307
Disney World is my 2nd home!!!
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
It sounds like y'all had a productive day. I love Spectro...there's just something about the music. Your boys are adorable. The wine on the balcony...sounds so romantic.
I can't wait to here more. I hope your boys loved Splash Mountain.
I can't wait to here more. I hope your boys loved Splash Mountain.
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
It sounds like y'all had a productive day. I love Spectro...there's just something about the music. Your boys are adorable. The wine on the balcony...sounds so romantic.
It went pretty well for a half-day with no plan! The wine worked well. I don't particularly love sleeping in the same room with the kids, in hotels or visiting relatives, because their little noises bug me.
The wine and the balcony worked well, both to give them some quiet inside the room, and us some "down time" on our own before trying to sleep! The beds at AKL were comfy, by the way!
DisneyJo
Missing my tags!
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
In the fridgeHe had lost his Key to the World. Looked all over, as he had to have used it to get into the room - remember, I didn't go. He did finally find it - in the refrigerator!
It does get you doesn't it
Awww so sweet, they do look real
Bless
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
luvfigment
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2005
I just got started on your Trippie and you are off to a great start!!! I love the pictures of AKL!!! Looking forward to your next day.
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
The next day the alarm went off bright and early at 7:00 a.m. It was Monday, Memorial Day, and we had anticipated the parks being pretty full. It was EMH at AK, though, and we were headed to MK, so we had some hopes of "not so crowded."
The boys were ready and eager to get up. I had packed a duffel full of snacks, granola bars, and a box of Cheerios and some paper bowls. The boys enjoyed their cereal on the balcony, and this bongo got beyond what I had assumed was a barrier of some sort and was right under our window.
D. ran down to Mara and grabbed us some coffee and himself a banana, and we were good to go. I had loaded up my Bagallini the night before, but I must have forgotten something (I don't remember what) and so D. & the boys started off to the buses without me. I think it was just after 8:15. I race-walked to catch up to them, and they were just about to get on a bus to MK - no waits!
We arrived at MK at about 8:30 and there were already some folks lined up inside the ticket areas. I went over to the newstand and purchased some autograph books for the kids. Woody was getting impatient for the park to open, but he did OK.
We saw the opening show with the lady (can't remember her name) and then all joined in the countdown to open the gates.
We took off down Main Street, heading straight for Dumbo, but stopped to get this picture near the castle.
Dumbo was posting a 10 minute wait, and the boys had spotted Mickey ears on a little cart next door. We had half-heartedly looked at them the night before but didn't get them after dinner since we just left instead of doing more things. So, I ran and got Mickey ears - red for Woody, black for Buzz. When I got back to them in line, Buzz was having an awful time. He tends to rub his eyes a lot anyway, but with the sun and having sunscreen on his face and hands... Sting city!
Poor little guy was really having a bad time. I dashed over to the restrooms by Pinocchio's Village Haus and grabbed some wet paper towels. Luckily the line still wasn't through, so we wiped his eyes out and then got him to smile for this picture:
We were on Dumbo short afterwards - orange for Woody and red for Buzz. I rode with Buzz, and we enjoyed the ride.
We were following the UOG plan, so we next were able to walk on to Winnie the Pooh (which the boys like a lot, particularly the Heffalumps and Woozles part) and then Peter Pan. They hadn't seen the movie, but liked the ride anyway.
We then headed over to Frontierland, intending to get a FP for Splash Mountain. The stand-by line, however, posted only 10 minutes, and that was almost all just walking through the queue. We walked right on. The boys LOVED it! (I love this ride. I'd been on it at DL before it opened in WDW and have been in love with it forever.)
So, we did it again.
The wait was maybe 2 minutes longer this time, but still no problems.
We went next door to BTMRR, again thinking we'd get a FP. That line was posting 10 minutes, as well, so we more or less walked right on. The boys liked it, too! Go coasters! So, we did it again as well - less of a line, even, the second time!
And, at the end, a meeting with the Dream Team...
(Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm late for the gym. Back later!)
The boys were ready and eager to get up. I had packed a duffel full of snacks, granola bars, and a box of Cheerios and some paper bowls. The boys enjoyed their cereal on the balcony, and this bongo got beyond what I had assumed was a barrier of some sort and was right under our window.
D. ran down to Mara and grabbed us some coffee and himself a banana, and we were good to go. I had loaded up my Bagallini the night before, but I must have forgotten something (I don't remember what) and so D. & the boys started off to the buses without me. I think it was just after 8:15. I race-walked to catch up to them, and they were just about to get on a bus to MK - no waits!
We arrived at MK at about 8:30 and there were already some folks lined up inside the ticket areas. I went over to the newstand and purchased some autograph books for the kids. Woody was getting impatient for the park to open, but he did OK.
We saw the opening show with the lady (can't remember her name) and then all joined in the countdown to open the gates.
We took off down Main Street, heading straight for Dumbo, but stopped to get this picture near the castle.
Dumbo was posting a 10 minute wait, and the boys had spotted Mickey ears on a little cart next door. We had half-heartedly looked at them the night before but didn't get them after dinner since we just left instead of doing more things. So, I ran and got Mickey ears - red for Woody, black for Buzz. When I got back to them in line, Buzz was having an awful time. He tends to rub his eyes a lot anyway, but with the sun and having sunscreen on his face and hands... Sting city!
Poor little guy was really having a bad time. I dashed over to the restrooms by Pinocchio's Village Haus and grabbed some wet paper towels. Luckily the line still wasn't through, so we wiped his eyes out and then got him to smile for this picture:
We were on Dumbo short afterwards - orange for Woody and red for Buzz. I rode with Buzz, and we enjoyed the ride.
We were following the UOG plan, so we next were able to walk on to Winnie the Pooh (which the boys like a lot, particularly the Heffalumps and Woozles part) and then Peter Pan. They hadn't seen the movie, but liked the ride anyway.
We then headed over to Frontierland, intending to get a FP for Splash Mountain. The stand-by line, however, posted only 10 minutes, and that was almost all just walking through the queue. We walked right on. The boys LOVED it! (I love this ride. I'd been on it at DL before it opened in WDW and have been in love with it forever.)
So, we did it again.
The wait was maybe 2 minutes longer this time, but still no problems.We went next door to BTMRR, again thinking we'd get a FP. That line was posting 10 minutes, as well, so we more or less walked right on. The boys liked it, too! Go coasters! So, we did it again as well - less of a line, even, the second time!
And, at the end, a meeting with the Dream Team...
(Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm late for the gym. Back later!)
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
So, we were walking off the ride at BTMRR, and there were some friendly folks in blue shirts!
We were the lucky recipients of a special Year of a Million Dreams Pin lanyard with two special pins.
We are not pin traders, and the boys weren't big into wearing them after about 5 minutes, but hey, it was something!
It was time to head to Crystal Palace for our date with the Pooh bear... We made it to CP by about 11:20 for our 11:30 ADR. Their microphones were down, so it was a bit of chaos during the seating process, but we were at a table by 11:40.
This was our first encounter with characters, and it went so perfectly. Tigger came by even before our server, and he was just ON.
He spent quite a bit of time with us. Our server came by and took the drink orders, then here came Pooh himself. I have more pictures, but I think this is just too sweet:
Pooh was also great at his job, and generous with his time.
We didn't want to miss Piglet or Eeyore, so D. & I took turns filling both our own plates and the boys'. The boys were very pleased with the chicken fingers and mac & cheese, and I grabbed them some pizza slices as well. They also ate a ton of watermelon!
I was SO pleased with the buffet food. I had a very odd looking plate full of white stuff only, but it was garlic mashed potatoes, a feta/bacon penne dish, corn chowder, and a veggie curry dish on white rice.
Piglet and Eeyore came by in pretty good time, and that was fun. They weren't quite as "on" - of course, I don't know what you'd expect from Eeyore - he's not exactly bouncy. The kids were very excited, though, and by then the restaurant was pretty full.
Towards the end of the meal, the characters had the kids join them in a parade, and that was fun. We got a little ice cream for the boys and then headed on out. I think we were there so long that they were starting again - Tigger came back by and was still bouncy!
Overall, big for Crystal Palace. The food was way good for a theme park buffet, the characters were on, the atmosphere was fun.
When we left, it was time to head over to Tomorrowland, according to our plan. It was just about 12:40 when we headed out. As we were exiting, we heard the announcement that the Family Fun Day Parade would be starting soon. We didn't much pay attention, but as we started down the sidewalk out of the hub towards the Noodle Station, we were pulled over by a very cheery lady in Main Street-type dress. She asked if we wanted to be in the parade.
Abso-ma-lutely!
We were assigned to the hula hoop section. I was briefly terrified that I would have to actually try to hula hoop,
but luckily, we were to hold them "like steering wheels" and had a simple routine to do when we walked. We had Renee, her first parade, and a guy whose name I've forgotten, but he was also very, very cheerful. He will make a cameo later in the TR! Chip and Dale also walked in our section - there were maybe 5 groups, hula hoops, pom poms, etc. and we marched from the hub down Main Street.
It was a blast. Really, how many times do you get to be in a parade in Disney World??? The sad part is that, since we were all marching, we have no pictures. Anyone there that day (5/28)?
At the end of the parade, we arranged ourselves around the oval in front of the Main St. RR station and sang (or pretended to, anyway) You're a Grand Old Flag and something else, that I know very well, but can't think of. Brain dead moment. We waved flags, while the CMs did a dance routine.
It was really, really cool.
Up next, more easy-peasy times!
We were the lucky recipients of a special Year of a Million Dreams Pin lanyard with two special pins.
We are not pin traders, and the boys weren't big into wearing them after about 5 minutes, but hey, it was something!
It was time to head to Crystal Palace for our date with the Pooh bear... We made it to CP by about 11:20 for our 11:30 ADR. Their microphones were down, so it was a bit of chaos during the seating process, but we were at a table by 11:40.
This was our first encounter with characters, and it went so perfectly. Tigger came by even before our server, and he was just ON.
He spent quite a bit of time with us. Our server came by and took the drink orders, then here came Pooh himself. I have more pictures, but I think this is just too sweet:
Pooh was also great at his job, and generous with his time.
We didn't want to miss Piglet or Eeyore, so D. & I took turns filling both our own plates and the boys'. The boys were very pleased with the chicken fingers and mac & cheese, and I grabbed them some pizza slices as well. They also ate a ton of watermelon!
I was SO pleased with the buffet food. I had a very odd looking plate full of white stuff only, but it was garlic mashed potatoes, a feta/bacon penne dish, corn chowder, and a veggie curry dish on white rice.
Piglet and Eeyore came by in pretty good time, and that was fun. They weren't quite as "on" - of course, I don't know what you'd expect from Eeyore - he's not exactly bouncy.
The kids were very excited, though, and by then the restaurant was pretty full.Towards the end of the meal, the characters had the kids join them in a parade, and that was fun. We got a little ice cream for the boys and then headed on out. I think we were there so long that they were starting again - Tigger came back by and was still bouncy!
Overall, big
for Crystal Palace. The food was way good for a theme park buffet, the characters were on, the atmosphere was fun. When we left, it was time to head over to Tomorrowland, according to our plan. It was just about 12:40 when we headed out. As we were exiting, we heard the announcement that the Family Fun Day Parade would be starting soon. We didn't much pay attention, but as we started down the sidewalk out of the hub towards the Noodle Station, we were pulled over by a very cheery lady in Main Street-type dress. She asked if we wanted to be in the parade.
Abso-ma-lutely!
We were assigned to the hula hoop section. I was briefly terrified that I would have to actually try to hula hoop,
but luckily, we were to hold them "like steering wheels" and had a simple routine to do when we walked. We had Renee, her first parade, and a guy whose name I've forgotten, but he was also very, very cheerful. He will make a cameo later in the TR! Chip and Dale also walked in our section - there were maybe 5 groups, hula hoops, pom poms, etc. and we marched from the hub down Main Street. It was a blast. Really, how many times do you get to be in a parade in Disney World???
The sad part is that, since we were all marching, we have no pictures. Anyone there that day (5/28)? At the end of the parade, we arranged ourselves around the oval in front of the Main St. RR station and sang (or pretended to, anyway) You're a Grand Old Flag and something else, that I know very well, but can't think of. Brain dead moment. We waved flags, while the CMs did a dance routine.
It was really, really cool.
Up next, more easy-peasy times!
DisneyJo
Missing my tags!
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2006
How cool
Ouch nothing worse than suncream in your eyes
How was it? I've got the UG and I'm a TGMer I was going to choose the best of each!
Whooohoooo Splash 2 times in a row and at a busy time tooSo, we did it again.
Wow a dream
So adorableI have more pictures, but I think this is just too sweet:
My DD's did that too it's so cute!
Another dream, well kind of, you're so lucky
CMP,
You are doing a great job on this trip report. I love all the pictures and it sounds like the boys were doing great with the rides and the characters. Crystal Palace is one of our very favorite character meals. We haven't done lunch, though. Always breakfast. They have a great buffet and we eat way too much, but then we don't eat again until evening. I wish I had been there to take pictures for you of the parade. Maybe someone will have something. If not, just the memories will do.
Keep up the good job on the TR. Can't wait for the next installment!
Love to all from Illinois!
You are doing a great job on this trip report. I love all the pictures and it sounds like the boys were doing great with the rides and the characters. Crystal Palace is one of our very favorite character meals. We haven't done lunch, though. Always breakfast. They have a great buffet and we eat way too much, but then we don't eat again until evening. I wish I had been there to take pictures for you of the parade. Maybe someone will have something. If not, just the memories will do.
Keep up the good job on the TR. Can't wait for the next installment!
Love to all from Illinois!
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
Ouch nothing worse than suncream in your eyes
Yeah, he was miserable.
It worked great for us! I am sure it helped that we were there for rope drop. I kept flirting with TGM but never did it,
so I can't compare. We just skipped the stuff we weren't into, and, for example, the plan had said get FPs for Splash Mountain, but we felt that riding 2x in 20 minutes was better. But, it was like we just stayed at least 30 minutes ahead of the crowds all day. When we got off BTMRR the second time, the queue for Splash was at 40 minutes or so... I suppose if we'd gotten the FPs we might have gone again, but then you can't get the NEXT ones you want, necessarily, so...
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
Thanks! You know how much I love to edit, but writing...
I'd try CP for lunch sometime, if you have a free meal. It was really yummy!
I kept looking at all the people taking video or pictures during the parade and thinking, "Boy, I wish they had my e-mail address..."
Hugs to everyone. Hope Mrs. G. is hanging in well!
(btrim is going to be a gramma again very soon!)
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
All right. I want to bust the rest of Day 2 out, because I have company coming in tomorrow for the weekend, and I doubt I'll be online at all, let alone have time to write the report.
After our slight detour to be in the parade, we headed back off to Tomorrowland. We ran across the Stitch ride with a 5 minute wait. I'd heard nothing particularly great about it, but hey, it was a short line. We got right in and it was fine. The boys did well with the effects, and that was that.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin had a 10 minute posted wait, so we walked right onto it. I rode with Woody, D. took Buzz. I won, with a fairly pathetic score of 36,400. Woody got 500.
We went and grabbed FPs for Space Mountain. Flame me if you must, be we were unsure about Woody on this one. He'd had his 5 year old checkup just a couple of weeks ago - I think I mentioned it in the pre-trip. He measured, at that point, 43 1/4 inches. Space Mountain has a 44" requirement. We thought he might be OK in his Crocs. Buzz is 45 1/2" in his bare feet, but Woody is the more adventuresome one. He was the one who really wanted to go. So, we got FPs for all 4 of us...
Woody then really wanted to do the Indy Speedway. We found great delight in realizing that the actual Indy 500 was happening at that very moment... The boys are too small to drive on their own, but we let them be "in the driver's seat" and were able to get on with only about a 15 minute wait.
D. turned around and got this picture of me with Buzz.
Has anyone noticed how darn hot it is on this ride? Must be all the concrete (or is it cement? I never remember.) Anyway, Buzz was steering, but I was working the gas. I admit to looking around and bumping Woody & D. HARD. Oops. My fault. Woody was not amused.
There was still no line, and it wasn't time yet for Space Mtn., so we did it again.
We decided to try the Tomorrowland Transportation Authority, and it was good in that it was cool, and also that we saw inside Space Mountain.
We headed over to do the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, and were doing fine in a good sized line, when Woody announced that he had to go to the bathroom. Sigh.
So, we got out of line and headed to the restrooms. Everyone did their thing, and we went back. Luckily, we seemed to have timed it better and got in fairly quickly.
I highly recommend this show. It does use the same technology as Turtle Talk over at Epcot. After having helped Mike keep his job, we went back for another Spin with Buzz Lightyear. I won again, this time with a slightly more respectable score, but still only 43,600.
It was time for our FP return to Space Mountain. We had a little talk with Woody, discussing the possibility of him not getting on, and what would happen if not. Buzz, at this point, not being scared, was pretty in your face to Woody that he would definitely be able to go. Ah, sibling rivalry. However, Space Mtn. was down for "technical difficulties" and so we moved on.
So, we wandered on over to Mickey's Toontown. I was very unfamiliar, not having spent much time there in 2000. We rode the Barnstormer with no wait, but no one was too impressed, seeing as how we'd already done Splash Mtn. and BTMRR. The boys played in Donald's boat for a bit, then we toured Mickey's House.
We found the tent where we could meet Mickey - Buzz had been asking for a while about his whereabouts - and got in to meet Mickey with a very short wait.
We were a little unsure of what to do next. We got on the Rail Road and headed toward Frontierland. We wandered off toward Adventureland and Pirates. There was no wait, and Woody was most excited to go on it again. Buzz, however, in an odd move, was totally against it. It had been his "favorite" the day before, but whatever. So, Woody & I walked onto Pirates, while D. and Buzz sat quietly.
Buzz had wanted to do the Haunted Mansion again - we had wondered if he thought he could only do HM or PotC, not both - and so we grabbed FP for the Jungle Cruise and then headed back to the Haunted Mansion. We had no wait, and the boys enjoyed it again.
We headed back to Adventureland to do the JC. It was fun. We had a College Program CM named Kristin who was very funny. I think she had some of her own material.. Woody got to "park the boat" at the end and was very pleased.
We left the Jungle Cruise and decided to sit for a moment on a bench to figure out what we'd do as a QS meal for dinner. Buzz was very subdued at this point. I don't know if he was just really tired, ticked that Woody got to drive the boat, whatever. We started discussing Space Mtn. as our next objective, and suddenly he didn't want to do that.
A Dream Team member came along. He joked and talked with us, entertained the kids with trivia about the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and just generally lightened the mood. He must have sat with us for at least 10 minutes. At the end, he told Buzz to close his eyes and hold out his hand. While that happened, Tinkerbell landed and left some pixie dust! It was for courage.
I cannot tell you how helpful that became. Buzz was instantly ready to do Space Mtn. or whatever, and we kept it and it came in useful in other parks on other days, too.
So, we went quickly through Swiss Family (no one much cared - it's never been my favorite) and then headed over to Space Mtn.
We presented our very old FPs, but with no problem, and they didn't even look at Woody's height.
With the FP we were on in a flash, and the boys did OK. We got off and Woody said, "That was too fast." pause "Can we do it again?"
We explained that we didn't have another FP so, no, and it was time for dinner. After checking some options, we decided, sadly, that our best bet was BACK to Frontierland to Pecos Bill's. So, we hiked again across the back of the park. D. and the boys found a table while I gathered the food. We had a fine enough dinner, but it was about the end of our rope. D. took some pictures, to amuse everyone while I was waiting, I guess.
We ate, then headed back out toward Main Street. We had promised the boys a little shopping time. Aunt Dr. Belle had given them some Disney dollars for their birthday, and my aunt who had just visited and some other family members had given them cash as well. Woody was pretty insistent on a "regular" Mickey stuffed animal. Buzz said he really wanted a "stuffed something else" - his actual words. We just headed into the Emporium and showed them the wall of animals. Woody found his Mickey right off, and Buzz chose a Pluto. It was 8:45, and the sidewalks were thick with folks waiting for Spectro. We pushed off to the buses.
I think because people were heading BACK to the park for Spectro and Wishes, a bus came fairly quickly and we were off. The boys again fell asleep on the bus.
We carried them into the hotel, got them in bed, and again sat on the balcony, relaxed, happy, and having a little wine and watching the wildlife. There were a ton of gazelles, antelope-types, and giraffes out that night. Peaceful, serene, beautiful.
I just can't express how absolutely perfect that day was for us. It was truly magical, and not just the Dream Team or being in the parade. Everything flowed, everything was easy. Nice.
After our slight detour to be in the parade, we headed back off to Tomorrowland. We ran across the Stitch ride with a 5 minute wait. I'd heard nothing particularly great about it, but hey, it was a short line. We got right in and it was fine. The boys did well with the effects, and that was that.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin had a 10 minute posted wait, so we walked right onto it. I rode with Woody, D. took Buzz. I won, with a fairly pathetic score of 36,400. Woody got 500.
We went and grabbed FPs for Space Mountain. Flame me if you must, be we were unsure about Woody on this one. He'd had his 5 year old checkup just a couple of weeks ago - I think I mentioned it in the pre-trip. He measured, at that point, 43 1/4 inches. Space Mountain has a 44" requirement. We thought he might be OK in his Crocs. Buzz is 45 1/2" in his bare feet, but Woody is the more adventuresome one. He was the one who really wanted to go. So, we got FPs for all 4 of us...
Woody then really wanted to do the Indy Speedway. We found great delight in realizing that the actual Indy 500 was happening at that very moment... The boys are too small to drive on their own, but we let them be "in the driver's seat" and were able to get on with only about a 15 minute wait.
D. turned around and got this picture of me with Buzz.
Has anyone noticed how darn hot it is on this ride? Must be all the concrete (or is it cement? I never remember.) Anyway, Buzz was steering, but I was working the gas. I admit to looking around and bumping Woody & D. HARD. Oops. My fault. Woody was not amused.
There was still no line, and it wasn't time yet for Space Mtn., so we did it again.
We decided to try the Tomorrowland Transportation Authority, and it was good in that it was cool, and also that we saw inside Space Mountain.
We headed over to do the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, and were doing fine in a good sized line, when Woody announced that he had to go to the bathroom. Sigh.
So, we got out of line and headed to the restrooms. Everyone did their thing, and we went back. Luckily, we seemed to have timed it better and got in fairly quickly. I highly recommend this show. It does use the same technology as Turtle Talk over at Epcot. After having helped Mike keep his job, we went back for another Spin with Buzz Lightyear. I won again, this time with a slightly more respectable score, but still only 43,600.
It was time for our FP return to Space Mountain. We had a little talk with Woody, discussing the possibility of him not getting on, and what would happen if not. Buzz, at this point, not being scared, was pretty in your face to Woody that he would definitely be able to go.
Ah, sibling rivalry. However, Space Mtn. was down for "technical difficulties" and so we moved on.So, we wandered on over to Mickey's Toontown. I was very unfamiliar, not having spent much time there in 2000. We rode the Barnstormer with no wait, but no one was too impressed, seeing as how we'd already done Splash Mtn. and BTMRR. The boys played in Donald's boat for a bit, then we toured Mickey's House.
We found the tent where we could meet Mickey - Buzz had been asking for a while about his whereabouts - and got in to meet Mickey with a very short wait.
We were a little unsure of what to do next. We got on the Rail Road and headed toward Frontierland. We wandered off toward Adventureland and Pirates. There was no wait, and Woody was most excited to go on it again. Buzz, however, in an odd move, was totally against it. It had been his "favorite" the day before, but whatever.
So, Woody & I walked onto Pirates, while D. and Buzz sat quietly.Buzz had wanted to do the Haunted Mansion again - we had wondered if he thought he could only do HM or PotC, not both - and so we grabbed FP for the Jungle Cruise and then headed back to the Haunted Mansion. We had no wait, and the boys enjoyed it again.
We headed back to Adventureland to do the JC. It was fun. We had a College Program CM named Kristin who was very funny. I think she had some of her own material..
Woody got to "park the boat" at the end and was very pleased.We left the Jungle Cruise and decided to sit for a moment on a bench to figure out what we'd do as a QS meal for dinner. Buzz was very subdued at this point. I don't know if he was just really tired, ticked that Woody got to drive the boat, whatever. We started discussing Space Mtn. as our next objective, and suddenly he didn't want to do that.
A Dream Team member came along. He joked and talked with us, entertained the kids with trivia about the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and just generally lightened the mood. He must have sat with us for at least 10 minutes. At the end, he told Buzz to close his eyes and hold out his hand. While that happened, Tinkerbell landed and left some pixie dust!
It was for courage.I cannot tell you how helpful that became. Buzz was instantly ready to do Space Mtn. or whatever, and we kept it and it came in useful in other parks on other days, too.
So, we went quickly through Swiss Family (no one much cared - it's never been my favorite) and then headed over to Space Mtn.
We presented our very old FPs, but with no problem, and they didn't even look at Woody's height.
With the FP we were on in a flash, and the boys did OK. We got off and Woody said, "That was too fast." pause "Can we do it again?"We explained that we didn't have another FP so, no, and it was time for dinner. After checking some options, we decided, sadly, that our best bet was BACK to Frontierland to Pecos Bill's. So, we hiked again across the back of the park. D. and the boys found a table while I gathered the food. We had a fine enough dinner, but it was about the end of our rope. D. took some pictures, to amuse everyone while I was waiting, I guess.
We ate, then headed back out toward Main Street. We had promised the boys a little shopping time. Aunt Dr. Belle had given them some Disney dollars for their birthday, and my aunt who had just visited and some other family members had given them cash as well. Woody was pretty insistent on a "regular" Mickey stuffed animal. Buzz said he really wanted a "stuffed something else" - his actual words.
We just headed into the Emporium and showed them the wall of animals. Woody found his Mickey right off, and Buzz chose a Pluto. It was 8:45, and the sidewalks were thick with folks waiting for Spectro. We pushed off to the buses.I think because people were heading BACK to the park for Spectro and Wishes, a bus came fairly quickly and we were off. The boys again fell asleep on the bus.
We carried them into the hotel, got them in bed, and again sat on the balcony, relaxed, happy, and having a little wine and watching the wildlife. There were a ton of gazelles, antelope-types, and giraffes out that night. Peaceful, serene, beautiful.
I just can't express how absolutely perfect that day was for us. It was truly magical, and not just the Dream Team or being in the parade. Everything flowed, everything was easy. Nice.
disneymoon_0307
Disney World is my 2nd home!!!
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
Your day sounds awesome. You gotta love CM's and their magic.
They always are in the right place at the right time and seem to make whatever problem you are having just vanish. I'm so glad that the kids loved Space Mountain. I can't wait to hear more.
They always are in the right place at the right time and seem to make whatever problem you are having just vanish. I'm so glad that the kids loved Space Mountain. I can't wait to hear more.
cmp1111
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
Your day sounds awesome. You gotta love CM's and their magic.
Thanks! It was just such a great day.
I will be out of touch most of the weekend, but look for me Monday afternoon/evening! We still have 4 more days to go!
DebIreland
ಠvಠ
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2005
Hey CE, just getting started - I see you're already on your actual TR but I want to read through the pre-TR first - great stuff so far!
Fine. Be like that.
Yes, we'll be here in a year or two. Unless my dream comes true of hauling our whole island off to just a bit right of Florida.
Can't wait to read more....
Fine. Be like that.
Yes, we'll be here in a year or two. Unless my dream comes true of hauling our whole island off to just a bit right of Florida. Can't wait to read more....
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