degrapevine
Has a serious Disney watch addiction!
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2003
- Messages
- 586
Hi, everyone!
Sorry about the delay in posting more trip reports ... It's just been crazy!
Cast of Characters:
DH (David), 38; Myself (Rose), 35; DS10 (Eric); DS (Patrick); and DD4 (Gina).
Thursday, June 23rd
(This was to be our EE Day, but DL had changed it to Wednesday, so we'll use ours on Monday.)
6:30 Wake up, time to get ready!
7:00 Breakfast
7:30 Shuttle
Arrive at gate, pick up stroller (free!) and head to Matterhorn.
We decide to do the FL side first, since I had read that it was tamer and our DD might not want to go on both sides if she rides the TL side first!
Great ride, wonderful theming - I like the glowing crystals! Of course it's bumpy and has sharp turns, but that's to be expected from a coaster like this one (an oldie but a goodie!) ... We really enjoyed it! Nice views and fun to ride with my DD in my "lap."
Next, on to Dumbo - We positioned ourselves in line to be first to get the golden one ... Got a real cute picture! This ride always makes me feel like a kid - Nice touch with the water underneath.
Peter Pan - Waiting in line, I remembered to look for the evil queen above SW. Snapped a picture - A lot of people in line looked over, too - I will never be surprised at the amount of people who spend $$$$ on a vacation and just don't do any research and walk around clueless! Sweet ride - Glad we got it done early - That line is nuts!
Mr. Toad - As wild as I remember it! One ride was enough (the plunging into Hades at the end is a little much for DD), but I'm glad I was able to ride it again since it was replaced by Pooh at WDW.
Canal Boats - Quickly became one of my favorites (on my must do again list!). I just loved going through Monstro's mouth and seeing all the quaint little houses and villages (and of course the HUGE ducks attacking!) - Very sweet and a nice "old fashioned" ride.
Alice in Wonderland - Wow - This one I REALLY wish we had - I know that DD will be looking for it the next time we go to WDW. I'm a sucker for black light effects and I just had to laugh at the parade (march?) of the cards! Too cute .. ended up going on this at least 3 times during our trip.
Took a picture on the gold carrousel horse by Casey - It's nice that there are some of these on display for photo-ops outside the rides.
Casey Jr. was great - Glad I took the suggestions of DIS'ers and went on it after the Canal Boats. I knew what I was looking at, but saw some different views. The "I think I can" is so cute - A fun ride and we saw Mickey climbing the Matterhorn as we rode!
Headed to the Blue Bayou for our PS - I had called almost 90 days out for our PS, but couldn't get 11:30, so we had a 12:00 PS. I knew we probably wouldn't be able to get a water view (can you even with a party larger than 4?), but that was okay. We were seated about 3 rows from the water, which was fine - There seemed to be some rowdy teens on the ride being really loud and my kids tend to be easily distracted during meals! Our server Charles was wonderful and we ordered salad (DH) and Gumbo (Me). The Gumbos was delicious! I don't like overly spicy food and this was perfect! The kids got the pasta and chicken nuggets, which they devoured. David and I shared the Roast Pork - so yummy! Then, the kids got their "gelatin" - Mickey shaped jello (my family thought I was so weird taking a picture). David and I shared the Chocolate Treasures dessert - so rich, but perfect for 2! This meal was superb - $63.26 before tip.
Left BB and took a quick picture of the Club 33 door, then into the pin shop for Gina's first pin (a Tink one) - This is going to be an expensive hobby!
We decided to take the train for a round trip, listened for the telegraph sound at the train station, then saw the dioramas (Grand Canyon Suite is one of my favorite pieces and the selection playing was even the best part with the bass clarinet solo [my instrument]) and then got back off to ride Indy again (had FP).
Gina and I went over to Tarzan (again - will she ever tire of climbing?) and met Jane at the bottom. I have to agree with some other posters that the characters really need handlers. Poor Jane was just being pushed at from all sides - We were waiting patiently and were cut in front of several times, then finally when the child in front of us moved out of the way, I quickly brought Gina up. You just have to be assertive (I tend to be a pushover, not a good trait at theme parks!). This Jane was WONDERFUL - she had the whole act down pat. Really sweet and didn't seem flustered with the heat (in that dress!) or the crowd.
The boys got off Indy and I took Patrick back on (yeah - Child Swap!). We were the next in line and the ride broke down - The vehicle just pulling into the queue went off the tracks and they had to turn on the lights and evacuate the whole ride (wish I could have seen some of the behind the scenes!). They gave us front of the line passes for any ride in the park (except Buzz) for any time today - great, we'll go on Matterhorn again!
Went over to Toon Town, since we wanted to see the Snow White show.
Rode Roger Rabbit - kind of incoherent, but cute. Love the taxis!
Got a seat for the SW Show - wonderful! Great singing, super special effects, and very funny. My boys even put up with the "mushy" stuff!
Took a quick ride on the Carrousel - got the gold horse!
Some more FL rides - Pinocchio, so adorable and Snow White - don't forget to touch the top of the apple!
Went on to the Matterhorn, rode again (TL side) with front of line passes (led us in through exit) - Yikes - that side is wilder! Lots of fun, though.
Over to the Tiki Bird show before finding a spot for the fireworks.
The "Under New Management" show at WDW stinks! I want the original back - Had to buy the CD set (only the 2 not the 6 - I was really blowing our souvenier budget!) with the soundtrack on it. The garden show was a great plus ... the kids walked from statue to statue listening to it. Great show - Don't take it for granted (and put up a fight if they ever plan on changing it!).
Headed toward hub (45 minutes before fireworks) to find a spot. Asked CM if it's "okay" to just sit in front of people - They said as long as they're not saving spaces or are spread out, anwhere is up for grabs. We got a space on the left side of the hub, not the best (that darn tree!), but I was just not going to push my way across the top part! David tried to find some Mickey bars for the kids, but all the carts were sold out! Oh well, we'll get some tomorrow. Wall to wall people, pushing and crowding. But I know it'll be worth it. The fireworks start (Julie Andrews is perfect as the narrator) and everyone goes crazy! When the ride part starts, it's fun to listen as we recognize the soundtracks. Great music, awesome effects. Love the pirate flag on the Matterhorn with the "fighting" going back and forth. Fire during Indy and lasers during Star Tours. Tink is unbelievable! Projections on the castle were great and the whole thing was just awesome. My favorite part was the pinwheel sparklers during Pooh and Roger Rabbit, especially the huge ones - too cute! So the fireworks end and we decide to get over to the side and let the crowds get by. Once it's cleared out a little, we head to the exit.
Back to the shuttle and the hotel.
Park closed early for Grad Nights and the kids are still wide awake, so we get in our suits and go down to the pool. Thank goodness it's heated, but it's freezing when we get out!
Back upstairs and into our jammies for bed.
Legoland tomorrow - We don't need to leave until 8:00, so we get to sleep in a little.
Another great day ... More to come!
Thanks for sharing our memories!
Rose
Sorry about the delay in posting more trip reports ... It's just been crazy!
Cast of Characters:
DH (David), 38; Myself (Rose), 35; DS10 (Eric); DS (Patrick); and DD4 (Gina).
Thursday, June 23rd
(This was to be our EE Day, but DL had changed it to Wednesday, so we'll use ours on Monday.)
6:30 Wake up, time to get ready!
7:00 Breakfast
7:30 Shuttle
Arrive at gate, pick up stroller (free!) and head to Matterhorn.
We decide to do the FL side first, since I had read that it was tamer and our DD might not want to go on both sides if she rides the TL side first!
Great ride, wonderful theming - I like the glowing crystals! Of course it's bumpy and has sharp turns, but that's to be expected from a coaster like this one (an oldie but a goodie!) ... We really enjoyed it! Nice views and fun to ride with my DD in my "lap."
Next, on to Dumbo - We positioned ourselves in line to be first to get the golden one ... Got a real cute picture! This ride always makes me feel like a kid - Nice touch with the water underneath.
Peter Pan - Waiting in line, I remembered to look for the evil queen above SW. Snapped a picture - A lot of people in line looked over, too - I will never be surprised at the amount of people who spend $$$$ on a vacation and just don't do any research and walk around clueless! Sweet ride - Glad we got it done early - That line is nuts!
Mr. Toad - As wild as I remember it! One ride was enough (the plunging into Hades at the end is a little much for DD), but I'm glad I was able to ride it again since it was replaced by Pooh at WDW.
Canal Boats - Quickly became one of my favorites (on my must do again list!). I just loved going through Monstro's mouth and seeing all the quaint little houses and villages (and of course the HUGE ducks attacking!) - Very sweet and a nice "old fashioned" ride.
Alice in Wonderland - Wow - This one I REALLY wish we had - I know that DD will be looking for it the next time we go to WDW. I'm a sucker for black light effects and I just had to laugh at the parade (march?) of the cards! Too cute .. ended up going on this at least 3 times during our trip.
Took a picture on the gold carrousel horse by Casey - It's nice that there are some of these on display for photo-ops outside the rides.
Casey Jr. was great - Glad I took the suggestions of DIS'ers and went on it after the Canal Boats. I knew what I was looking at, but saw some different views. The "I think I can" is so cute - A fun ride and we saw Mickey climbing the Matterhorn as we rode!
Headed to the Blue Bayou for our PS - I had called almost 90 days out for our PS, but couldn't get 11:30, so we had a 12:00 PS. I knew we probably wouldn't be able to get a water view (can you even with a party larger than 4?), but that was okay. We were seated about 3 rows from the water, which was fine - There seemed to be some rowdy teens on the ride being really loud and my kids tend to be easily distracted during meals! Our server Charles was wonderful and we ordered salad (DH) and Gumbo (Me). The Gumbos was delicious! I don't like overly spicy food and this was perfect! The kids got the pasta and chicken nuggets, which they devoured. David and I shared the Roast Pork - so yummy! Then, the kids got their "gelatin" - Mickey shaped jello (my family thought I was so weird taking a picture). David and I shared the Chocolate Treasures dessert - so rich, but perfect for 2! This meal was superb - $63.26 before tip.
Left BB and took a quick picture of the Club 33 door, then into the pin shop for Gina's first pin (a Tink one) - This is going to be an expensive hobby!
We decided to take the train for a round trip, listened for the telegraph sound at the train station, then saw the dioramas (Grand Canyon Suite is one of my favorite pieces and the selection playing was even the best part with the bass clarinet solo [my instrument]) and then got back off to ride Indy again (had FP).
Gina and I went over to Tarzan (again - will she ever tire of climbing?) and met Jane at the bottom. I have to agree with some other posters that the characters really need handlers. Poor Jane was just being pushed at from all sides - We were waiting patiently and were cut in front of several times, then finally when the child in front of us moved out of the way, I quickly brought Gina up. You just have to be assertive (I tend to be a pushover, not a good trait at theme parks!). This Jane was WONDERFUL - she had the whole act down pat. Really sweet and didn't seem flustered with the heat (in that dress!) or the crowd.
The boys got off Indy and I took Patrick back on (yeah - Child Swap!). We were the next in line and the ride broke down - The vehicle just pulling into the queue went off the tracks and they had to turn on the lights and evacuate the whole ride (wish I could have seen some of the behind the scenes!). They gave us front of the line passes for any ride in the park (except Buzz) for any time today - great, we'll go on Matterhorn again!
Went over to Toon Town, since we wanted to see the Snow White show.
Rode Roger Rabbit - kind of incoherent, but cute. Love the taxis!
Got a seat for the SW Show - wonderful! Great singing, super special effects, and very funny. My boys even put up with the "mushy" stuff!
Took a quick ride on the Carrousel - got the gold horse!
Some more FL rides - Pinocchio, so adorable and Snow White - don't forget to touch the top of the apple!
Went on to the Matterhorn, rode again (TL side) with front of line passes (led us in through exit) - Yikes - that side is wilder! Lots of fun, though.
Over to the Tiki Bird show before finding a spot for the fireworks.
The "Under New Management" show at WDW stinks! I want the original back - Had to buy the CD set (only the 2 not the 6 - I was really blowing our souvenier budget!) with the soundtrack on it. The garden show was a great plus ... the kids walked from statue to statue listening to it. Great show - Don't take it for granted (and put up a fight if they ever plan on changing it!).
Headed toward hub (45 minutes before fireworks) to find a spot. Asked CM if it's "okay" to just sit in front of people - They said as long as they're not saving spaces or are spread out, anwhere is up for grabs. We got a space on the left side of the hub, not the best (that darn tree!), but I was just not going to push my way across the top part! David tried to find some Mickey bars for the kids, but all the carts were sold out! Oh well, we'll get some tomorrow. Wall to wall people, pushing and crowding. But I know it'll be worth it. The fireworks start (Julie Andrews is perfect as the narrator) and everyone goes crazy! When the ride part starts, it's fun to listen as we recognize the soundtracks. Great music, awesome effects. Love the pirate flag on the Matterhorn with the "fighting" going back and forth. Fire during Indy and lasers during Star Tours. Tink is unbelievable! Projections on the castle were great and the whole thing was just awesome. My favorite part was the pinwheel sparklers during Pooh and Roger Rabbit, especially the huge ones - too cute! So the fireworks end and we decide to get over to the side and let the crowds get by. Once it's cleared out a little, we head to the exit.
Back to the shuttle and the hotel.
Park closed early for Grad Nights and the kids are still wide awake, so we get in our suits and go down to the pool. Thank goodness it's heated, but it's freezing when we get out!
Back upstairs and into our jammies for bed.
Legoland tomorrow - We don't need to leave until 8:00, so we get to sleep in a little.
Another great day ... More to come!
Thanks for sharing our memories!
Rose
And, of course, we must now ride the golden dumbo, too, and try out both sides of the matterhorn ! - I think I need to add another day to our trip ! 
Loving your trip reports!
