WHO WE ARE:
Zoe Dog -- Me; 41; went to MK several times as a child and to EPCOT once in late 1980s with DH; compulsive planner, list-maker, and tip-gatherer, but (much to my and my family's relief) was able to be flexible once we arrived
DH -- turned 41 during vacation; late 1980s trip with me was only foray into the World; was a little spooked by memory of how perfect and "Big Brothery" everything was and loved to tease me about my "disney obsession" but is a total kid at heart and began to lurk on the DIS and other helpful sites during the last weeks before departure
E -- DD (11 years) - has an incredibly vivid imagination and so was a bit apprehensive about "spooky" rides, but determined to be a big kid; loves interaction with characters and spotting live animals and noticing all of the little unexpected things
D -- DD (almost 10 years) - wants to do it all and then do it again and again . . . absolutely fearless and utterly enthusiastic
L -- DD (6 1/2 years) - doesn't like to be left behind by the big girls, but is not a thrill seeker; began to swim like a little fish thanks to daily access to warm pools
WHERE: 6 Nights WL; 3 Nights AKL
DAY TWO: Sunday June 23
Stitch woke us up on our room phones at 6:30 (DH and me) and 7:00 (girls). Everyone was excited but tired (tired already? oh oh) and so it wasn't easy to get everyone up and going. After breakfast in the room, we took the boat to the Magic Kingdom arriving at about 8:15. There wasn't a very long line at the bag check station so we were soon in line at the turn-styles. We were excited to be first in our line, however, we waited there until 8:45 (watching all of the lines grow and grow and grow while chatting with our neighbors) only to discover that our line didn't have a CM assigned to it! Luckily, the very nice people in the next line allowed our line to weave its way in so we didn't have to go to the end of the line. What a thrill to wander up Main Street, seeing it through the girls eyes for the first time! It was not crowded at all and the day was bright and sunny -- maybe the weather was turning after all? We waited near the front of the line for the Fantasyland rope drop for about 10 minutes and then -- Yippee! Were here! We walked right onto the first ride of Dumbo, then rode Cinderella's Carousel twice without getting off (but changing to different valiant steeds). Everyone in our family was absolutely beaming by this point. Then we went on Peter Pan, which we also rode twice with no wait. DH and I worried that L might be nervous about the dark parts, but E, who rode with her, took good care of her - we heard them saying: "Nya Nya!" to Captain Hook as he teetered over the crocodile's mouth! And D shouted: "No! We WON"T help you!" in response to his pleas. We went across to Small World -- no wait there either and we were glad of the air conditioning as it was getting hot and very humid. L was still nervous about boat rides but we all managed to keep her mind off of the water by pointing out various scenes to her. Just as we neared the end of the ride she realized (although we had told her as she got onto the boat) that the water was very shallow. The assessment of the depth became her comfort on future water rides "Oh, this water wouldn't even come up as high as my knees!" We then walked across Fantasyland to ride the tea cups before Toon Town opened (still, no waits, although it was beginning to get more crowded). D and DH and I in one and E and L in another - we went around fast!! DH, who loves thrill rides, found that the tea cups were a bit much for his tummy - he wouldn't want to ride that one twice in a row! We snagged a fast pass for Winnie the Pooh, were at the Toon Town entrance in time for the rope drop at 10:00, and walked right onto Goofy's Barnstormer. Fun ride -- fast and silly and just scarey enough to thrill the non-thrill-seekers among us. Next, we wandered through Minnie and Mickey's houses. We really enjoyed all of the little surprises, especially the buttons in Minnie's kitchen. The girls were amused that she has nothing but cheese (many kinds) in her refrigerator and on her grocery list. We next went to the Judge's Tent to see Mickey (almost no wait). We got autographs and had photos taken and then got into line to see Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger - longer line but not too bad (and it was worth it to see Eeyore!) The girls would have liked to line up for other characters but our Pooh fast pass was almost running out so we headed there; very cute ride - we all liked the bouncy cars when we were near Tigger. It was about 11:30 when we left Pooh and was really beginning to get hot. We decided we wanted to see what the wait was for Haunted House before heading back to the hotel, but by the time we had walked across Fantasyland to Liberty Square we were beginning to get a little grumpy from the heat and humidity. It was only about a twenty minute wait for a fast pass return time, so DH got them and we headed into Columbia Harbor House for some air conditioning and fries and air conditioning and lemonade . . . and did I mention the air conditioning there was really wonderful? By the time we'd finished our snack, our fast pass was ready and we went to the Haunted House. One thing happened in the short line that we all found upsetting -- a little boy (about 8 or 9?) was nearly hysterical before going in, but his mother was insistent that he go on the ride. The girls were all wide-eyed as they heard the mom tell him she'd slap him if he didn't stop hanging on her. I'm sure that the mom thought she was doing the right thing by "encouraging" him to go, but we heard him shrieking throughout the entire ride. It was really the only time during our stay that we saw a child quite so upset, -- we all felt really sorry for him. And it reinforced our resolve not to force the girls to do anything they couldn't stomach even if it meant sitting something out ourselves. That being said, I was a little unprepared for just how spooked E and L were by the Haunted House. We had told them before some of what they could expect and had explained it as "fun spooky" rather than "scary spooky." I sat between them while DH rode with D. L clutched her little flashlight and shone it down onto her lap, where she'd look if things got a little too intense (often!). E clutched me and, I expect, had her eyes closed a good deal of the time. As she told me afterwards, she realizes that the special effects were all pretend, but it was just the sort of atmosphere where real ghosts would show up if they wanted to appear somewhere. I think that they were glad that they went, but neither has any desire to go again. D, not surprisingly, loved it and would go again in a heartbeat. Hungry and happy with our fun-filled morning (and getting a little too hot again) we headed toward the hub to wander down Main Street and back to the Wilderness Lodge -- only to come upon the Cinderella show in front of the castle -- lots of singing and dancing and surprises with princesses and villains and Mickey and the gang too. Back to the WL, lunch in the room, and the pool!!
In the late afternoon we headed to the World Showcase in EPCOT. We had just arrived at Mexico when the rain began again. Really dreary, dispiriting rain. But we all liked the indoor market. We snacked on some nachos and DH and I shared a frozen Margarita, and then we headed to Norway. E and D and DH rode the Maelstrom in Norway, but L was not in the mood for a boat ride, so we had a pleasant wait in the little fishing village at the exit. We shared some sweet pretzels and the girls explored the Viking ship. We took our time browsing in China and Germany as well (munching on pretzels there). We kept hoping that the rain would let up, but it was a steady downpour. The first parade was cancelled and then the second parade and there were no street performers. The girls were enjoying the kidcot stops where they made their masks and chatted with young people from the countries and had their passports signed, but I was getting more and more glum as the rain beat down on my head and the poncho stuck hotly to my arms - it just seemed so unfair that we had waited so long for this trip and we weren't able to really experience the atmosphere and beauty of Epcot. And then (!!!), just as we were reaching the Italian pavilion, DH noticed that "Blast II - Shockwave" was scheduled to begin in the America area. We had seen a videotape of the original Blast production a year or so ago and had hoped to catch the live show at Epcot (but had convinced ourselves that long lines would probably make it impossible) -- so we hustled on over and, just as it was beginning, were able to get good seats within the covered area (no rain on our heads - yeah!). What a fantastic performance!!! Spirits soaring, we left the arena in a somewhat lighter drizzle and headed towards the UK to watch Illuminations. Loved that too. Totally satisfied with a perfect -- albeit soggy -- end to a magical day, we wandered toward the exit (the girls loved the sparkling sidewalks), caught the bus back to the Wilderness Lodge after a very short wait, and fell gratefully into our beds.
Zoe Dog -- Me; 41; went to MK several times as a child and to EPCOT once in late 1980s with DH; compulsive planner, list-maker, and tip-gatherer, but (much to my and my family's relief) was able to be flexible once we arrived
DH -- turned 41 during vacation; late 1980s trip with me was only foray into the World; was a little spooked by memory of how perfect and "Big Brothery" everything was and loved to tease me about my "disney obsession" but is a total kid at heart and began to lurk on the DIS and other helpful sites during the last weeks before departure
E -- DD (11 years) - has an incredibly vivid imagination and so was a bit apprehensive about "spooky" rides, but determined to be a big kid; loves interaction with characters and spotting live animals and noticing all of the little unexpected things
D -- DD (almost 10 years) - wants to do it all and then do it again and again . . . absolutely fearless and utterly enthusiastic
L -- DD (6 1/2 years) - doesn't like to be left behind by the big girls, but is not a thrill seeker; began to swim like a little fish thanks to daily access to warm pools
WHERE: 6 Nights WL; 3 Nights AKL
DAY TWO: Sunday June 23
Stitch woke us up on our room phones at 6:30 (DH and me) and 7:00 (girls). Everyone was excited but tired (tired already? oh oh) and so it wasn't easy to get everyone up and going. After breakfast in the room, we took the boat to the Magic Kingdom arriving at about 8:15. There wasn't a very long line at the bag check station so we were soon in line at the turn-styles. We were excited to be first in our line, however, we waited there until 8:45 (watching all of the lines grow and grow and grow while chatting with our neighbors) only to discover that our line didn't have a CM assigned to it! Luckily, the very nice people in the next line allowed our line to weave its way in so we didn't have to go to the end of the line. What a thrill to wander up Main Street, seeing it through the girls eyes for the first time! It was not crowded at all and the day was bright and sunny -- maybe the weather was turning after all? We waited near the front of the line for the Fantasyland rope drop for about 10 minutes and then -- Yippee! Were here! We walked right onto the first ride of Dumbo, then rode Cinderella's Carousel twice without getting off (but changing to different valiant steeds). Everyone in our family was absolutely beaming by this point. Then we went on Peter Pan, which we also rode twice with no wait. DH and I worried that L might be nervous about the dark parts, but E, who rode with her, took good care of her - we heard them saying: "Nya Nya!" to Captain Hook as he teetered over the crocodile's mouth! And D shouted: "No! We WON"T help you!" in response to his pleas. We went across to Small World -- no wait there either and we were glad of the air conditioning as it was getting hot and very humid. L was still nervous about boat rides but we all managed to keep her mind off of the water by pointing out various scenes to her. Just as we neared the end of the ride she realized (although we had told her as she got onto the boat) that the water was very shallow. The assessment of the depth became her comfort on future water rides "Oh, this water wouldn't even come up as high as my knees!" We then walked across Fantasyland to ride the tea cups before Toon Town opened (still, no waits, although it was beginning to get more crowded). D and DH and I in one and E and L in another - we went around fast!! DH, who loves thrill rides, found that the tea cups were a bit much for his tummy - he wouldn't want to ride that one twice in a row! We snagged a fast pass for Winnie the Pooh, were at the Toon Town entrance in time for the rope drop at 10:00, and walked right onto Goofy's Barnstormer. Fun ride -- fast and silly and just scarey enough to thrill the non-thrill-seekers among us. Next, we wandered through Minnie and Mickey's houses. We really enjoyed all of the little surprises, especially the buttons in Minnie's kitchen. The girls were amused that she has nothing but cheese (many kinds) in her refrigerator and on her grocery list. We next went to the Judge's Tent to see Mickey (almost no wait). We got autographs and had photos taken and then got into line to see Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger - longer line but not too bad (and it was worth it to see Eeyore!) The girls would have liked to line up for other characters but our Pooh fast pass was almost running out so we headed there; very cute ride - we all liked the bouncy cars when we were near Tigger. It was about 11:30 when we left Pooh and was really beginning to get hot. We decided we wanted to see what the wait was for Haunted House before heading back to the hotel, but by the time we had walked across Fantasyland to Liberty Square we were beginning to get a little grumpy from the heat and humidity. It was only about a twenty minute wait for a fast pass return time, so DH got them and we headed into Columbia Harbor House for some air conditioning and fries and air conditioning and lemonade . . . and did I mention the air conditioning there was really wonderful? By the time we'd finished our snack, our fast pass was ready and we went to the Haunted House. One thing happened in the short line that we all found upsetting -- a little boy (about 8 or 9?) was nearly hysterical before going in, but his mother was insistent that he go on the ride. The girls were all wide-eyed as they heard the mom tell him she'd slap him if he didn't stop hanging on her. I'm sure that the mom thought she was doing the right thing by "encouraging" him to go, but we heard him shrieking throughout the entire ride. It was really the only time during our stay that we saw a child quite so upset, -- we all felt really sorry for him. And it reinforced our resolve not to force the girls to do anything they couldn't stomach even if it meant sitting something out ourselves. That being said, I was a little unprepared for just how spooked E and L were by the Haunted House. We had told them before some of what they could expect and had explained it as "fun spooky" rather than "scary spooky." I sat between them while DH rode with D. L clutched her little flashlight and shone it down onto her lap, where she'd look if things got a little too intense (often!). E clutched me and, I expect, had her eyes closed a good deal of the time. As she told me afterwards, she realizes that the special effects were all pretend, but it was just the sort of atmosphere where real ghosts would show up if they wanted to appear somewhere. I think that they were glad that they went, but neither has any desire to go again. D, not surprisingly, loved it and would go again in a heartbeat. Hungry and happy with our fun-filled morning (and getting a little too hot again) we headed toward the hub to wander down Main Street and back to the Wilderness Lodge -- only to come upon the Cinderella show in front of the castle -- lots of singing and dancing and surprises with princesses and villains and Mickey and the gang too. Back to the WL, lunch in the room, and the pool!!
In the late afternoon we headed to the World Showcase in EPCOT. We had just arrived at Mexico when the rain began again. Really dreary, dispiriting rain. But we all liked the indoor market. We snacked on some nachos and DH and I shared a frozen Margarita, and then we headed to Norway. E and D and DH rode the Maelstrom in Norway, but L was not in the mood for a boat ride, so we had a pleasant wait in the little fishing village at the exit. We shared some sweet pretzels and the girls explored the Viking ship. We took our time browsing in China and Germany as well (munching on pretzels there). We kept hoping that the rain would let up, but it was a steady downpour. The first parade was cancelled and then the second parade and there were no street performers. The girls were enjoying the kidcot stops where they made their masks and chatted with young people from the countries and had their passports signed, but I was getting more and more glum as the rain beat down on my head and the poncho stuck hotly to my arms - it just seemed so unfair that we had waited so long for this trip and we weren't able to really experience the atmosphere and beauty of Epcot. And then (!!!), just as we were reaching the Italian pavilion, DH noticed that "Blast II - Shockwave" was scheduled to begin in the America area. We had seen a videotape of the original Blast production a year or so ago and had hoped to catch the live show at Epcot (but had convinced ourselves that long lines would probably make it impossible) -- so we hustled on over and, just as it was beginning, were able to get good seats within the covered area (no rain on our heads - yeah!). What a fantastic performance!!! Spirits soaring, we left the arena in a somewhat lighter drizzle and headed towards the UK to watch Illuminations. Loved that too. Totally satisfied with a perfect -- albeit soggy -- end to a magical day, we wandered toward the exit (the girls loved the sparkling sidewalks), caught the bus back to the Wilderness Lodge after a very short wait, and fell gratefully into our beds.
Krissy
