The "Goodest Vacation Ever" Trip Report! Part 7: The Final Goodbye

[4boysrus]

First of all....

5 days!!



I can't believe it!

Secondly, sick ds seems to be nearly healthy. His fever has been gone since Saturday, and although his neck (a.k.a. throat) still hurts a little, he seems to be headed towards healthy!

Got "the" shopping trip done on Saturday. Gotta go later this week to be a few snacks and drinks for the road, and of course anything that I either forgot or "must" have.

I'm going to laminate all of my info tonight, and spend the middle of the week cleaning the house and making my packing lists.

Then Thursday and Friday I'll be down to washing up all the clothes and then packing them up.

I just can't believe that we are this close to our vacation!!

 

[Blaynexox]

Yay! We are both so close! WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY!

 

[Cmdbuddy]

Your sons are going to loooooooooove Whispering Canyon Cafe. I hope they like ketchup, and if they do, encourage them to ask for some. Just know that the more you ask for, the more fun you will have.

For instance, one time I was going after some unsweet tea like nobody's business. Always sucking it down and wanting more. The next time she came out with my tea, it was in this HUUUUGE class (almost half gallon) and she put about 100 splenda's on the table.

Be sure you bring your camera for that meal. The napkin hats are so much fun too.

 

[4boysrus]

*T*O*M*O*R*R*O*W*



I can't believe it! We are all so excited, and the excitement is building as the day goes on. I've gotten everything laid out, so all that is left is to put it in the suitcases.

Then after that we'll pack it all into the van, so that tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. we can be pulling out of the driveway!

We'll be arriving at our offsite hotel around 3-4 p.m. (that's with figuring in lots of bathroom/sanity breaks since we are travelling with 4 little boys ).

Depending on how we all feel, we'll either hang out at the hotel, or go to Downtown Disney. Then we'll wake up (if we can actually get to sleep tomorrow night! ) and check out and head to Pop to check in and leave our bags. Then it'll be off to MK for a bit, then to AK til closing.

I can't wait to experience my very first Disney trip, as well as watch my family experience their first trip as well.

I'll be back after the trip with a full report!

 

[Blaynexox]

OMGOSH! Im so excited for you I could scream!! We are BOTH going on our FIRST TRIPS! Oh MY! I hope you and your family has the time of your life and I hope that tons of magical things happen to you! Im sprinkling you with some goodluck pixiedust! HAVE FUN FUN FUN! Hope I see you guys there .. I will definitely look for you!

YOU ARE LEAVING TOMORROW!

 

[MomofCKJ]

Oh Melissa! Safe travels and have the time of your life! Take it all in, make lots of great memories and then come back and tell us all about it!

Definately get the refillable mugs at Pop, the frozen Cokes are great!

Allyson

 

[serendipity]

I love your pre-trip report. The gift bags you made are sooooo nice. Very cool! Also, I have 4 counter service suggestions: Flame Tree Barbeque in Animal Kingdom......great bbq sandwiches and chicken plus big portions, Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom, it's very quiet and peaceful on the inside and is a nice respite from the parks, The Mexican stand in Mexico at EPCOT is fabulous and the Flatbread Grille at MGM has great healthy offerings like chicken caeser wraps, etc yumm! Have a great time!

 

[4boysrus]

I guess this thread is now officially a TRIP REPORT, because WE ARE HOME!

The goodest vacation ever, may be a slight exaggeration, but we still had a great time. I'll explain (in detail) all the info starting Monday or Tuesday. Today I've got to do all the laundry and take care of a sick baby (part of the not so good part of the trip ).

I've got tons of pictures to share along with all the stories, so be ready! lol.

 

[4boysrus]

Travel Day-Saturday 2/10/07

I woke up (can I call it that even though I really didn't sleep ) at 5:25. We'd planned on leaving no later than 7, and we had to wake the kids, get them dressed, and put the luggage in the van. Thought I'd be the first one awake, but I wasn't. Michael and Matthew were wide awake sitting in Michael's bedroom floor staring at the clock. I'd told them the night before that I'd wake them at 6, so they said they were waiting for 6. I told them to get dressed, brush their teeth, make their beds, and go downstairs to wait for the rest of us. Then I woke KJ, and got myself ready to go. Then I woke Miles and fed and changed him and got him occupied with some toys. Then I went to wake Max and got him ready. When everything was said and done, we were pulling out of the driveway at 7:00. Pretty good planning, eh?

We met up with my dad and his girlfriend for brunch around 10:30. This was our first stop so we didn't rush to get back on the road. We ate at Cracker Barrel so we spent some time browsing. Then I had to make a stop to by sunglasses since mine broke earlier in the morning. We were back on the road at 12:40. We stopped again at 3:30 for a quick potty break, about an hour away from our first destination, Comfort Suites Maingate. We checked in there at 4:40. We were really happy with the place. The room was clean and smelled clean (always a plus!). The staff was nice, and the grounds were well maintained. We unpacked our Saturday night bag, and rested for about an hour, and the we took the boys swimming. It was a really nice way for them to unwind after having been in the car for so long.

After swimming, KJ and the older 3 went to Burger King and grabbed us some dinner. Everyone took baths and tried to get some sleep. Try is definately the key word here! We were all in one room/suite. KJ and Michael shared a bed, I shared with Max, Matthew took the coach, and Miles was in a pack -n- play next to my bed. KJ didn't want to go to bed at 8:30, so he was watching TV (he atleast had it turned down really low!). This wasn't a problem for Max because he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. It took Michael and Matthew a while to go to sleep, but they finally did. Miles on the other hand, was not a happy camper. He did NOT want to be in the pack -n- play and he thought it was party time since we were all in the same room together. He finally fell asleep about 10:30, and woke up off and on through the night. He was up at 5:30 when the older 2 woke up. Unfortunately, this pattern would continue for the next several nights. I was one tired mommy!

First Day at Disney-Sunday 2/11/2007

So, once again we were all up bright and early. We got everyone up by 6, and dh took a shower. I got everyone ready to go. The excitement was at an all time high as were we going to be in Disney World within hours.

We checked out of Comfort Suites at 7:30, and grabbed breakfast there since it was free, so by the time we were done it was 8:15. I had planned on getting to Magic Kingdom as close to opening as possible, and we still had to get to Pop and check in first. I'm not sure what happened with the directions that I had written down from Comfort Suites to Pop Century, but let's just say that it wasn't a nice drive. Once we officially entered Disney World, it still took a few turnarounds to find Pop. As you can imagine at this point, KJ and I were not in the best of moods. He dropped me off at the door and drove around while I checked in. It was after 9 at this point. There was a line, of course, so by the time I was done getting us checked in, it was nearly 10. Our rooms weren't ready so I was given a number to call after 2:30 to get our room numbers. After I got back in the car, we headed straight to Magic Kingdom. Although we were running later than I had hoped, we were all in a good mood once again. We got to the TTC parking lot about 10:30 and caught the tram. Then we rushed to get on the monorail to get to MK. We were the 2nd family in our car, but I swear 100 more people crowded in behind us, and there was barely breathing room. At this point KJ and I changed our minds about driving to the parks. We decided we'd give the buses a try and choose the more bearable of the two. So, we finally arrive at MAGIC KINGDOM. We have great video of the boys just running and smiling, pure excitement!

So, we go in, and it wasn't "too" badly crowded considering it was 11 a.m. As we round the corner, we see "it". THE castle. It's nearly breathtaking. So beautiful!

Since it was so far past opening I didn't have high hopes of getting to ride much. We headed to Tomorrowland, nonetheless, and were surprised to see only a 20 minute standby for Buzz and Space Mtn. We got FP for Buzz (to return 1 hr later), and went to Space Mtn. We got our Parent Swap, and KJ, Michael, and Matthew got in line. They were done in less than 30 minutes, so I used to Parent Swap and Michael and Matthew joined me. We got off just in time to catch Buzz. Max was really excited about this ride. We all liked it and had a lot of fun on it. Too bad we aren't that good at shooting! After Buzz, we headed to Cosmic Rays for lunch. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. By now, it was after 1, so we headed to Mickey's Toontown Fair to look around. The lines were too long to ride anything or to meet the characters so we just walked through Mickey's house and let the boys play in Donald's Boat and in the play area. Afterwards we went to walk around Fantasyland. We got FP for Philharmagic, and then got in line for It's A Small World. The sign said 20 minutes but it was more like 15 probably. Michael and Matthew didn't care too much for this ride, but Max and Miles loved it. Miles especially. He didn't take his off of anything!

It was now time for Philharmagic. OH MY GOSH, what fun!! We all *loved* this. I could have sat there all day and watched. It's really cute! At this point it was 2:30 so we decided to head back to the van and then to Pop. As we came out from under the castle, I realized that the parade was about to begin. We got a front row viewing spot, and waited. The boys joined in some games in the street before the parade started. Then it was time! Our very first glimpse of the main mouse!

It was cool getting to see all the characters, and we are glad that we did see it, but we won't go back to this parade again. It was kind of boring for us. Now it was really time to get back to the van. We called and got our room numbers, but unfortunately they forgot to give me a resort map at check in and the lady on the phone wasn't much help, so it took us a few minutes to find our building. We finally could see if off in a distance. Quite a trek from the parking lot. UGH. This would help with our decision to take the bus. It was closer from our room to walk to the buses than it was to the van. As we got the room the boys were excited to see this in the window.

They were even more excited when they got in and saw their gift baskets from "Mickey and Friends". Sarah (www.memoriesbysarah.com) did a WONDERFUL job! The boys loved everything in their baskets.

We settled into the rooms for a bit and then headed down to Everything Pop for some dinner. We really, really liked Pop, and Everything Pop was great too. The food was pretty good, and the people were friendly. We headed back to the rooms, gave everyone a bath, and had them in bed at 9. Miles once again had other plans. He finally fell into another night of restless sleep around 10:30. I had a feeling it was going to be a loooooooooooong week.

 

[4boysrus]

Day 2-Monday 2/12/2007

The day started pretty early for me. Miles decided to wake up at 4:30 , but thankfully after a bottle he went back to sleep til 6 when the other boys woke up. I wasn't so lucky. I made the mistake of checking the weather while I was up and it said RAIN. So, I lay there trying to figure out what we were going to do. The plan was to go to MK first, but I just wasn't sure if it would be a good idea with the rain. By the time everyone was up at 6:30 I went outside to check the weather. It was a very light misting rain. We made the decision to head on to MK. We had decided that we'd try the bus today since we weren't pleased with all the getting on/off with a stroller. We figured doing it once for the bus ride was easier than for the tram and then for the boat or monorail. We got to the bus stop a little after 8, and arrived at MK around 8:50. We missed the opening show, but we were at the Fantasyland rope before 9. Due to the weather, it was not crowded at all. The rain was so light that we didn't even get out the ponchos. KJ and Miles went to get FP for Peter Pan (which we ended up not using), while me and the other 3 rode Dumbo. We missed his first flight of the day by only 3 people. After Dumbo, we went to Pooh. I LOVED POOH! Such a cute ride. It was another thing that I could have done over and over. After Pooh it was only 9:20, so we decided to do one more thing before heading over to Mickey's Toontown Fair for its opening at 10. Michael and Matthew wanted to do Snow White and Max wanted to do the Carousel. So, we split up. I took the older ones to Snow White and KJ took the younger ones to Cinderellas Carousel. We walked right onto Snow White and got to ride it 2 times before they were done with the Carousel. It was only 9:35, and Max had decided he wanted to ride Snow White, so him and KJ jumped on for a quick ride. We made it to Mickey's Toontown Fair at 9:45.

There weren't many people waiting so we felt like we were in good shape. There was a family waiting with a Dream Team member. Not sure what they had won, but we saw them several times that day. The rope finally dropped at 10:15 and I had to rush Max to the potty. Poor guy had waited 15 minutes longer than I had told him he'd have to.

After the potty stop, we went straight to see Mickey. We waited maybe 5 minutes. You can tell in the picture that the boys had been jumping in puddles all morning.

After Mickey we got in line for Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and a surprise guest. The wait was maybe 10 minutes. Not too bad.

The boys wanted to see Pooh, Tigger, and Donald, but we decided we'd catch them later in the week. We had reservations at 12 at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and the plan was to take the boat, so we needed to be leaving the park by 11:15.

We stopped by Goofy's Barnstormer and there was like a 5 minute wait. We were doing good on time so we got a Parent Swap pass, and then KJ and the boys hopped on. The boys LOVED this ride! Max had said that he didn't want to ride anything fast, but we had a hard time getting him away from this ride, lol. I jumped on with them with the Parent Swap pass. It was a pretty fun ride, if I do say so myself!

At this time it was 11, so we started heading towards the exit. I was in serious need of something to cover up my hair since the misty rain had stuck it to my head, so we made a quick stop so that I could by a hat. Afterwards we went to the docks and caught the boat to WL. It was a nice, relaxing ride. We got to WCC at 11:50, and were seated just a few minutes after 12. WL is just WOW! BEAUTIFUL! If we ever get to stay Deluxe, I think we'll stay there! We enjoyed our lunch at WCC. The boys did the stick pony parade, and we got to see 2 guys ride the ponies through the lobby of the resort singing happy bday to themselves. It was fun, and the food was good. Our server was nice, but not a prankster, so we didn't really get any of the "fun". After lunch we caught bus to Epcot and then from there we hopped on the Pop Century bus. We got back to Pop a little before 3, and rested for a bit before heading off to MGM.

We arrived at MGM around 4:45. We headed straight to ToT and RNRC. Both had standbys of 20 minutes so the plan was that KJ and Michael (Matthew was too short) would ride RNRC and then me and Matthew would ride ToT (Michael wasn't interested). We grabbed Parent Swap passes for both to use later in the week when we came back to MGM. We wanted to get to Pizza Planet before 6 so that we'd have time to eat before closing. So, while KJ and Michael rode RNRC, the rest of us wasted time. Matthew was LOVING the decor because he is really into music. He has 2 guitars and loves to sit in his room and play them. He's only 5 so he really doesn't know what he's doing, but I think we are gonna put him in lessons soon.

Finally, KJ and Michael exit with a hilarious picture of Michael at the rides "take off". The look on his face was priceless. We all head over to ToT for me and Matthew to ride. I wasn't really looking forward to this ride, but I was willing to ride it for Matthew, because he wanted to. Or so he thought. We got in line, and he was already nervous. Then we get to the room with the movie, and that about did him in. We start our walk to the elevators and he's asking if we can just turn around and walk out. I told him no, that we had to continue on. I knew that there was the "chicken" elevator at the top, and I wanted him to be sure that he wasn't going to ride before we just left. He was near tears at the top and asked me to ask the people if there was a way out. Poor guy. I asked where the exit elevator was and we were whisked away back to the main floor. I was kind of relieved because I really didn't want to ride anyway.

We headed to Pizza Planet. We were in a hurry and didn't really know where we were going so we stopped and asked a CM. It was 5:50, and she told us that Pizza Planet closed at 5:30. I had 3 very disappointed kids at that point, but we promised them that we'd come back to eat there in a few days. So, we boarded the bus back to Pop Century, and had dinner there. Again. Atleast they have a wide variety!

 

[Pryncesa]

Hi! Just wanted to say that I enjoyed your pre-trip report and am enjoying your trip report (and pics) so far. Looks like you all had a great time!

 

[JJBEAN]

Subscribing...don't want to miss any of your great TR!! Loved the baskets...thanks for Sarah's webpage. We leave in a few months...I may have to look into them for our kids.

You two are brave parents taking 4 young kids to Disney...kudos to you both!! From what I've read you have a great system of keeping everyone happy and entertained. Looking forward to more!

 

[deide71]

I know this sounds wierd...but your vacation will become better the further out you are from it.

It seems right after we get back we are still so overwhelmed from the logistics of navigating (in our case 3, you 4) the little ones through all of the travel that we are a bit exhausted.

Once we have been home for a bit we see the pics, and reflect on all of the great moments we had on the trip. The marathon-like effort, the lack of sleep, and the minor annoyances fade in our memories.

Enjoying your trip report. Hang in there!

 

[4boysrus]

I know this sounds wierd...but your vacation will become better the further out you are from it.

you are so right. while on the trip my oldest had such a negative attitude about nearly everything when he didn't get to do what he wanted, and i was sure it'd ruin the trip. now, i can barely even remember it. We've been dealing with this at home too, ugh, and since we don't give in to him it can get pretty frustrating.

Thanks for reading.

Thanks to everyone for reading!

 

[sharonW]

Lovin your TR. Your boys are adorable! Can't wait to
hear more!

 

[4boysrus]

Day 3-Tuesday 2/13/2007

Once again the boys were all up at 6. At home, this isn't a good thing, but on vacation, it actually worked in our favor! It's easier for me to get up and get everyone ready when they are at my bedside ready to go.

We had 8 a.m. reservations with Donald & Friends at AK. We boarded the 7:30 bus and arrived at AK about 7:55. After a LONG walk to Restaurantosaurus, we checked in at 8:10. We waited like 2 minutes and then we were seated. We had a great server, and the characters were just entering the first room, so we had time to fix our plates and get back to the table before they made it over. The boys were really excited about seeing Donald since they'd missed him the day before. Miles was really liking all the characters (and they all gave him *lots* of attention), but Donald was the first one to make him smile. He even reached over and grabbed Donald's tail when he was at the table beside us.

This was our first character meal, and we really liked it. The food was pretty good, and the characters were very interactive. They didn't really hang out at the table for long, but since they don't talk, and you can only hug them and shake their hands so many times, we didn't mind. We left the restaurant just before 9. I took the boys to the bathroom to clean up, and KJ jumped on Dinosaur just as it opened. Matthew was the only one of the boys that had wanted to ride it, but after KJ rode it we decided against letting him this time around. After we were all done, it was decided that KJ and Michael would go ride Everest and I would hang around DinoLand a little longer with the younger ones. Matthew didn't want to ride Everest so he stayed with us. We all hopped on Triceratop Spin and went for a quick ride, and then headed over to Everest to wait for KJ and Michael.

We waited for about 5 minutes before they exited. Before now, I had been against riding this ride. Once as a teen, I'd hurt my back riding a roller coaster backwards (a promo at a local six flags), and had sworn I'd never do it again. Well, they got off and had LOVED it, so we went to see if we could get a Parent Swap pass even though they had already rode it. The nice CM remembered Michael and his shirt, so he gave me the pass. While we rode, KJ and the 2 little one headed to Africa to pick up our FP for the Safari to use later in the day. I got in line with Michael, and we talked Matthew into coming along. Michael swore that Matthew would love it, and I figured he would, so I made him a deal that if he didn't like it I'd give him $5, but if he did I'd give him $1 for being brave enough to try. I wasn't worried about being fooled, because this boy can NOT hide his emotions. He was a little nervous, but he was very excited. WHAT A RIDE! Michael loved it more his 2nd time around, and Matthew and I loved it too. I was really starting to like coasters again. It'd been so long since I'd been on a real one, I'd forgotten how fun they could be!

Prior to our going seperate ways, we'd decided to meet on Discovery Island, so we headed that way. We arrived a few minutes before the others so we looked around a little. Once we all met up, we went straight to It's Tough To Be A Bug. I didn't remind the boys of all the little "tricks" at first because I didn't want them to back out of it. I knew that once they got in there, they'd love it. I was right. They really enjoyed it, and even though the "sting" and the "maggots and roaches" leaving made them jump, they thought it was hysterical. Typical boys I guess. lol.

After this we went on search for some characters. We met up with Lilo & Stitch first of all.

Then we came upon Flik.

It was getting pretty hot so we decided to make our way to the safari so that we could sit for a while. The FP line was really quick, and we were on our 2 week journey before we knew it. Michael heard the tour guide say this, and he was worried til I explained that it was all part of the show. Our tour guide was great, we really enjoyed her. We got to see a lot of animals out. Perhaps they were enjoying the sun after the cloudy, rainy day the day before.

That giraffe was so close to our truck, that KJ could have reached out and touched it. We all liked the safari a lot! Afterwards, we grabbed ice creams and headed for the exit. We didn't do any of the other animal exhibits for 2 reasons. We were hot and tired, and we have a membership to Zoo Atlanta so we get to see animals several times a year.

Upon arriving at Pop, we stopped and ate a pizza, and then headed to the rooms. We made the boys lay down and rest for 30 minutes and then we told them that KJ would take them swimming. You would have thought that they'd won the lottery. Unfortunately, by the time they got to the pool it was closed off (storm in the area) so they went to the arcade for a while instead. I stayed in the room with Miles, and was able to get him to take his first *real* nap of the trip. He'd only been taking cat naps. I laid down and took a little nap myself. KJ called about 4 and said that they pool was opened and that they were headed there. Miles and I rested a bit more and then we went down to watch them swim for a bit.

We left the pool area and went back to the room to get ready to go to Downtown Disney for dinner and shopping. This turned out to not be the best of ideas. The boys were worn out from swimming, so our trip to DD was cut short. We ate at Earl Of Sandwich (YUMMY!), and visited World of Disney (spent way too much $$) and then went back to Pop to get some sleep. We totally forgot about the Lego Store. Luckily, everyone (even Miles!) went right to sleep when we got back to the rooms.

I had hopes that the week of no sleep was going to turn around!

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

Just wanted to tell you I'm really enjoying your TR. Your boys are sooo cute!!!

 

[MomofCKJ]

Enjoying your report Melissa! The kids are so cute all decked out in their Disney shirts. I can't wait to hear the rest. So glad you rode Everest, it is just one of the best rides there!

Allyson

 

[princessjv]

I'm jealous...The animals like you better! We had no luck seeing them on our trip! You all must smell better than my clan.

So glad things are on the upity up so far...I have a scary feeling that there are some hiccups on the way! OH NO!

 

[4boysrus]

I'm jealous...The animals like you better! We had no luck seeing them on our trip! You all must smell better than my clan.

So glad things are on the upity up so far...I have a scary feeling that there are some hiccups on the way! OH NO!

even the tour guide said that the animals were not usually so out in the open.

hmmmm.....i won't elaborate just yet, but you could be right about something coming up!