Thanks everyone for your comments and for reading! I love coming on here and seeing that you left a note! It is really fun!
So we left off with our arrival at the Wilderness Lodge. I had a twinge of resort envy here I must admit. I was happy to just be onsite and honestly I really, really liked the POP. But walking through this resort and just being in awe of how beautiful it is, well I was wishing we were staying here.
Snap out of it! Be thankful for what you have! Maybe you can make some sort of deal with Grumpy that if you can stay here next time you'll scratch his back every night for a year or something. That was what was going on in my head. Someday I'll make it to a Deluxe stay. Someday....
So we picked our jaws up off the floor and found a restroom because we had brought some clothes to change into. We weren't sure how cool it was going to be so we changed into capris and Goofy got on his "They'll Make a Movie About Me Someday" long sleeve shirt. All freshened up we walked through the lobby. The kids still didn't know what we had planned.
We looked outside and there they were.
Yup we had booked a Holiday Sleigh Ride. You see my girls love horses. I mean LOVE HORSES. More than just about anything, especially Bashful. Both girls have been taking riding lessons for over 2 years now and compete in 4 shows a summer that our barn sponsors. They ride English and just live for Saturday afternoons and their lessons. The only thing Bashful asks for on her birthday and Christmas is a horse. No, we don't own one. I'm not sure if we ever will. Maybe down the road, when they are a little older and can work at the barn to help defray boarding costs. Anyway, I digress but I booked this purely for their love of all things horse.
Luke was the horse and he was an enormous draft horse. We were not allowed to touch him or get too close. Our driver, I can't recall his name I'm afraid was nice. Not over the top friendly but pleasant enough and answered my questions about horses at WDW. There were blankets in the carriage and the 5 of us fit comfortably. The ride was about 25 minutes I would say. You go down the road and then down a wooded path for a while, turn around and go back. Our ride was set for 5:30 but we really started at like 5:15. It was still light out. Once it is dark there would not be much to see at all and I don't think I would enjoy it that much. As it was it was okay. One of those things I was glad to do it once but would not bother to book again. The kids also thought it was okay. They were hoping Luke would gallop (even with a horse it is 'How much faster does this thing go?').
We had an ADR at 6:20 at Whispering Canyon and it was only like 5:40 but we tried to check in. They were cool with that and gave us a beeper. The kids played and we sat. I had a headache coming on, I could feel it. Not good.
We were beeped in 5 minutes and brought to our table. I knew all about this place from reading the DIS, my family not so much. This would be fun!
First thing, bad place to have a headache brewing. Each time the servers came by with their tray stands banging them on the floor, well you know that isn't good for one's head. I rubbed my temples and hoped for the best. Jailbird Jessie was our server and she was great! She was a lot of fun and friendly and made our meal memorable. She explained the menu a little and we ordered. Grumpy and I got the skillet as did Bashful. I can't recall what Belle and Goofy got, something from the Kid's Pick menu. The girls had milkshakes and were excited about those.
The pony races were starting so Bashful and Goofy went to take part. While they were gone Jessie brought our drinks and showered us with straws. I think this took Belle aback. She just looked at me like "what just happened?" and I just smiled. A kid's dream, a place where the adults are throwing things around! By this time we heard our first "Ketchup" cries and got to see that. She thought that was pretty funny too!
The little ones came back and had little Pony Ride certificate things. Jessie checked on us and I needed a refill on my Coke. She came back with this
Being a Coke-A-Holic, I was in Heaven! Side note: Does anyone ever finish one of these? I drank a lot but didn't finish. If you did my gosh would you have to chase that white rabbit!
Dinner was taking a long time to show up and Grumpy wasn't afraid to tell Jessie that. Well you know what that got him?
Yup, in jail.
Finally the food came and yes even Jessie admitted it took a long time. I was having too much of a headache by this point to really enjoy dinner. I had a little but I just wasn't very hungry. I had a few ribs, some corn and I think some potatoes. Grumpy loved the skillet, he thought it was great and got more ribs. Those were his favorite. Bashful enjoyed it too. She really liked the potatoes, she is a potatoe fiend.
We decided to get the adult desserts to go and the kids ate theirs. I think they had worms in dirt? Fuzzy memories. I think we brought home a chocolate cake and an apple something.
Grumpy was wearing a T shirt that caused several servers to stop by our table, read the back and burst, I mean BURST, out laughing. He used to ride a motorcycle and the shop he would get it serviced at gave out these shirts. On the front it says Chip's Motorcycle Clinic which is the name of the shop. On the back it says "I got fixed at the clinic" which makes people think it is talking about a vasectomy. Anyway, it got a lot of laughs from the WCC staff that night.
It was time to go. I wish I had felt better so we could have maybe explored the hotel a bit but I really just wanted to get home. We decided a taxi was in order and it was no wait at all. How he got us from the WL to Pop I have no idea. It was not any way we went on a bus going from Pop to MK all week. It seemed a roundabout way and I wondered if he was just trying to increase the fare by taking a long way but was too tired to really care.
We got home and it was jammy time and a wee bit of TV for the kids. Everyone was tired since it had been a full day.
Tomorrow would be rope drop at Epcot for Soarin' and lunch with the fish!
Allyson
I just wish we had run into each other! By the way, your pictures are awesome! And that son of yours, what a cutie!!! It's no wonder Aurora planted a big kiss on him!
So glad you are enjoying it!
