The SMURF'S Enchanted Voyage - Updated 3/5 - Chip & Dales and the Great Meltdown

[nextidiot]

Totally endorse your idiot stroller claim. Especially in the heat, with the long hours and the crowds my kids were melting down left, right and centre. The stroller saved us (and them because I was getting pretty frustrated with them as well).

And... they make great tools for navigating the crowd.

Seriously, through, I would have had a very hard time letting Grumpy walk. It is too easy for the little guys to maneuver around herds of people and he could be a mile ahead of us while we are zigzagging through the hoards.

On our first trip in 2004, Brainy got away from Smurfette while I was riding BTMR. This is recounted later in my trippie.

 

[nextidiot]

Day 4 - Magic Kingdom

Any certifi(able)ed DIS lurker knows that with children this small, Dumbo has to be first.

Grumpy is cantankerous even on Dumbo.

Grumpy's Tip: All rides must only end when Grumpy is ready for it to end. Any ride ending prematurely shall face the wrath of Grumpy. Got it?

GOT IT?






Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh are ALWAYS next. Seriously, if you have younglings, hit the big three first.



He who can ride these attractions without a great big grin on his face is he who can live long and miserable.










Then we were off to Mikey's Philharmagic. WARNING: Prerequisite photo:

I loved... LOVED... this show! We missed this when we were here in 2004 because we made the mistake of making It's Tough To Be A Bug Brainy's first ever 3D movie experience.


Bad idea.


It ruined him and he refused to do any more theater attractions for the rest of the week.



Shortly afterwards, it was time for our ADR at Crystal Palace, where Grumpy would get to meet some of his favorite pals, Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, and his favorite, Pigilit (spelled the way Grumpy pronounces it).


On our way over, we passed by the castle just as Dream Along With Mickey was starting. You would think a show like this could EASILY hold Grumpy's attention. Nope.

He's too Grumpy. rotf

On to Crystal Palace. We checked in just as they were opening and we had about a 15 minute wait before they began seating for Lunch. This was our second longest wait for an ADR so I can't complain.



I don't know what they did in the days before the ADR system. I can only imagine the waits for some of these places. Recalling my Tour Guide Mike tip to “wash up” at the restrooms directly beside the Crystal Palace, we take a biobreak.

It is been too long ago but the only thing I can recall that was delicious was the bread pudding. I am a sucker for good bread pudding. I am sure the rest of the meal was just fine, though. Here are some pics:

Grumpy had no idea how big the characters would be. The above shot is a classic example. Prepare your children for larger than TV characters, just in case!

After a fantastic lunch and the character encounters, we ditch the stroller in an inconspicuous place and head for the buses for our afternoon break. The clock runs out. It's HALF TIME! Back to CSR for a rest. We had to be back at MK for Share A Dream.


Idiot OBVIOUS tip: Arrive before the rope drop, take an afternoon break, return and stay until close. This is a very good formula and it never failed us.


We find our terminal number (do you ever feel like you are are constantly being herded from one pasture to another like cattle?) and we herd up. Just then, a bus arrives. The bus service to CSR is really THAT good. I promise.



Up Next: Half Time at the Coronado Springs Resort (pics included)

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Seriously, through, I would have had a very hard time letting Grumpy walk. It is too easy for the little guys to maneuver around herds of people and he could be a mile ahead of us while we are zigzagging through the hoards.

I did run into a little guy who got separated from his parents. It was heartbreaking.

My kids are the type to glue themselves to my leg. Number three is a bit more adventurous (We lost sight of him in the Seaworld playground) but as I am a kindergarten teacher I know I was extremely lucky to have these types of kids. Even now my Eeoyre (DS10) won't go on a different floor of the house than I am on.

Your Grumpy reminds me of my boys sometimes. I know that if I had of taken them to Disney when they was grumpy's age I would have had the same back of the head castle shot and a pacifier in every picture.

Oh we haven't done "tough to be a bug" I doubt if Eeoyre will ever be up for that.

 

[HerdEar]

Getting caught up on the TR. I realized through the pictures you are a fellow Huntingtonian! Keep the posts coming, sounds like you had a great trip!

 

[nextidiot]

Your Grumpy reminds me of my boys sometimes. I know that if I had of taken them to Disney when they was grumpy's age I would have had the same back of the head castle shot and a pacifier in every picture.

Oh we haven't done "tough to be a bug" I doubt if Eeoyre will ever be up for that.

We tried fighting Grumpy over the passie but we just gave up and accepted the fact that it was kind of a security blanket for him. We finally broke him of that habit permanently last spring.

Getting caught up on the TR. I realized through the pictures you are a fellow Huntingtonian! Keep the posts coming, sounds like you had a great trip!

Welcome! It is good to have another Herd fan on board!

 

[nextidiot]

Day 4 - Half-Time



Coronado Springs Resort is stunningly beautiful. Like many of the moderates, it has a lake, meticulously maintained gardens and landscaping, and several quiet pools anchored by a themed central pool. We would happily make good use of the pools. They were very pleasant, even in late November.



In 2004, we stayed in a mansion room at PO FakeRiveSide . While Port Orleans is a beautiful resort, I believe it can't hold a candle to CSR. PORS had deplorable bus service (at the time, POFQ had just reopened after their 9/11 closure and buses were stopping there first). Time after time we watched full buses buzz by the stops unable to load additional guests. Not so at CSR! We had amazing bus service all week.




In addition, the room we had at PO had not been remodeled. The bedding was uncomfortable, the refrigerator didn't work well, and one of the doors to the TV stand (the wife called it an armwire ) either refused to stay open while watching TV or would swing open in the middle of the night...Mickey's obstacle course.


By comparison, the CSR room was very comfortable and the firdge worked just fine.



The food at Pepper Market was fantastic--some of the best counter service food we had all week. Contrarily, I hate the stupid system they use at the Pepper Market to pay for your food----not to mention the stupid gratuity add-on.

I always ordered “to go” and carried my food outside to one of the many tables and booths along the beautiful lake. The only problem is you must be mindful of the 1,000 birds hanging around... looking for easy pickins'. Birds like french fries. And banana peppers, apparently.


It is hard to beat the views at this place...

I love this resort. I will not hesitate to go back.




We climb the stairs to our room... I have a feeling having a 2nd Floor room will be problematic later in the week. I requested 2nd Floor because I have heard horror stories about the foot traffic on the lower level. I never noticed any foot traffic. Still, since the place seemed deserted, we seemed to have the whole resort to ourselves.



Grumpy and Brainy fight over who gets to swipe the key to the world card (this happens at EVER hotel we ever stay at a hotel... it's a Smurf tradition). Grumpy swipes the card backwards, upside down, sideways, every possible way but right. Poor kid. It is frustrating sometimes. You are tired, you have your arms full of left over sweet concoctions that you made at Goofy's Heaven on Earth (aka Goofy's Candy Co.), you have to pee, and you are torn between letting him try and getting the relief you are craving... Oh well. You gott let him try if for no other reason than it is entertaining to watch.


Brainy gives it the old college try and after a couple of tries, we enter to find a room devoid of luggage but this was anticipated.


I plug in the HandyCam, grab a soda, change Grumpy, and we bed down for a rest.


A short while later, the alarm sounds and the Smurfs awake excited for more of Walt's creation.


Back to the bus stop and within a few minutes, we were off to the Magic Kingdom for the second half.


Up Next - Back to the MK

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I'm glad you liked CSR.

We weren't fond of POR either. The bus system still sucks (IMO anyway). We were so far away from the main building and the main pool that yes, it was quiet but not convient. We won't be going back there.

 

[nextidiot]

Day 4 - "Magic Kingdom"

I am not a fan of parades at all. I guess I am just too attention deficit to really enjoy a parade. For me, it is too long to stand or sit in one spot. Parades are wet, lather, rinse, repeat.

Around these parts, this is worsened by the fact that they allow ANYONE to be in the parade. This fall, I took Brainy to a local “fall fest” parade. It went a little something like this: Politician as the grand master, firetruck, marching band, politician, firetruck, boyscout group, politician, beauty queen, politician, firetruck, bank..... you get the idea. After about 10 minutes, Brainy and I ditched the parade and headed for the fair rides. After over an hour or riding, we start home only to find the parade STILL going on... politician, daycare group, firetruck, politician, wet, lather, rinse, repeat.

Back at the Magic Kingdom, we return to where we ditched the stroller to find that it had been confiscated by the stroller police—or stolen. I say stolen. Anyhoo, I head back to the stroller rental to get another battering ram and we line up for the Share A Dream parade.

I won't bore you with the pictures. You've seen them. They are exactly the same as everyone else's. It is kind of like pictures of the castle. I have seen pictures of the castle taken from every conceivable angle—even from space. I see no reason to post any more castle pics but I probably will anyway. Grumpy, after all, takes very good pictures.

We then head for Toontown, the ultimate tourist trap.
Grumpy absolutely loved Mickey and Miney's house. Brainy loved it, too, but Grumpy was just beside himself to be in Miney's house, especially. He loves Miney. He absolutely adores her. He played with her answering machine, popped some popping corn (see what I did there?), and baked a pie in her oven. He was just tickled pink.

Then, we head over to Mickey's. Holy Smurf! You would have though we had just won the lottery the way Grumpy and even Brainy was reacting. They both lost it when they saw Mickey's kitchen in 7 kinds of disarray.

I got a big kick out of the stockings hung by the chimney and Pluto's house “out back”. Very cute.

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Next, we rode The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm, which is too long a name for a kid's ride, so like the rest of the real world, we'll call it Goofy's Barnstormer. K? This was Gumpy's first trip on a “real” roller coaster. Let me tell you, this is a MUST hit for the little ones. Grumpy screamed and laughed all the way around the Wiseacre Farm and when the plane landed, he pitched a fit. He wanted to ride again! So we obliged and rode a second time. Grumpy screamed and laughed all the way around the Wiseacre Farm and when the plane landed, he pitched ANOTHER fit.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It was getting late in the evening and a MVMCP was slated for tonight so the Magic Kingdom closed early. Plus, we had an ADR for Whispering Canyon at 7:20, we he head for the boat launch.
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Up Next: Whispering Canyon and Another Miscue
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[Diamondintheruff]

I'm not a parade fan either.

Although I do live in a small town and my kids are usually in the parade. At least it is a small town so it's a small parade.

We did watch the Pirate and Princess parade last year and one of the pirate ghosts interacted with my daughter. That was it. All the kids are freaked out about parades now so I guess I'm off the hook about Disney ones.

 

[nextidiot]

All the kids are freaked out about parades now so I guess I'm off the hook about Disney ones.

That's good considering that during the parades, you can just about walk on any ride in the park.

 

[nextidiot]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Day 4: Whispering Canyon Miscue
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I booked Whispering Canyon because I though it would make for excellent entertainment for Smurfette and the little Smurfs. I purposely kept Smurfette in the dark about the antics that transpire at the WCC in hopes the she and the kids would be totally caught off guard..... recall, I am Jokey Smurf. Anything I can do to embarrass Smurfette...

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]This had been a pretty long day and the kids were exhausted. This would lead to quite a miscue. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We arrive at Whispering Canyon for our 7:20 ADR at about 7:10. The host indicated he would have us a table very soon. The kids, like a magnet to an anvil, head for the Lincoln Logs.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before long, they start fighting over who is using this piece or that piece... you know, the kind of fighting siblings do when they are exhausted. Strike One.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Turns out, we didn't get seated until close to 7:40, or about a half-hour. This would be fine if we weren't already tired and on each other's ever loving last nerve. So.... Strike Two
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We take our seats and order drinks. I ordered a large diet coke... I very much emphasized LARGE to in hopes of getting the antics going right away but the server just wasn't having it. He was a dud. I don't recall his name---good thing because I would recommend asking for ANYONE but this guy. I am seriously glad they are now having to earn their tips. I haven't been back to the World since the dining plan changes but I'll bet service improved a great deal. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We ordered our food and sure enough, Brainy ordered some chicken nuggets or something. He fell right into the Ketchup trap. I knew he would ask for Ketchup and he did. [/FONT]
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Do you know what he got? He got one bottle of Ketchup. ONE SMURFFING BOTTLE! COME ON! Who gets only ONE bottle of Ketchup at Whispering Canyon? Strike THREE!
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Oh well. I guess better luck next time is a good rule of thumb here. Brainy did get to participate in a good ol' fashion horse race.
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[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Grumpy just grumped. He had had enough for today. Daisy Duck, herself, could not get a smile out of this kid right now. He was pooped.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]They had a lot of fun even though they were missing 90% of the Whispering Canyon experience. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After dinner, we were left waiting at the table for our deserts for quite a while so I just asked the server to fix them up to go. Brainy was getting antsy and Grumpy was, well, grumpy, so Smurfette gathered the Smurfs and headed out to the amazing lobby in the Wilderness Lodge, while I waited on the deserts and the check. And I waited.... and I waited..... and I waited. Strike four, five, and six.

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I'd had enough. I went to the host stand and let them know that I did not receive a check and that I wasn't waiting any longer. The manager immediately headed for the kitchen and returned immediately with my server with the bill and my deserts. Go figure. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Idiot Tip: If you have little ones, try Whispering Canyon for lunch instead of dinner.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I met back up with the other Smurfs and headed for the boats to go back to MK to transfer to a bus to CSR. I seriously wanted to call a cab but I knew Smurfette would be more comfortable backtracking the way we came so I decided to just go with it. Smurfette is not very trusting of public transportation.

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It took some time but we did make it back to the room in time to unpack before heading off to sleep. I am so glad our luggage made it.
[/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Up Next: Epcot
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[Diamondintheruff]

We went there for dinner last trip too. I also kept my family in the dark about the possible antics. It was just as well because we didn't get much. So it was only me that was disapointed. They all enjoyed themselves and would go back again.

 

[nextidiot]

We went there for dinner last trip too. I also kept my family in the dark about the possible antics. It was just as well because we didn't get much. So it was only me that was disapointed. They all enjoyed themselves and would go back again.

I wonder how service is now that tips are no longer included in the DDP.

 

[nextidiot]

Day 5 - EPCOT

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Epcot morning would be a slight variation of my Idiot formula of arriving at rope drop, taking a break, returning to the park and staying until close. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Today, we had originally planned to go to Animal Kingdom and decided yesterday to switch to Epcot. On our last Disney trip, we made it to Epcot but we never even made it to World Showcase. This time, we decided to set aside plenty of time solely for World Showcase. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As a result, we decided that we would get an extra hour of sleep and stroll in at about 10 AM. I figured this would give the park enough time to absorb the rope drop crowd but it was still early enough so we did not have to rush through the turnstiles and the battering ram rental process. Yesterday, I made us a lunch reservation for Teppan Edo, which means I had to drop O'hana. I did not want a repeat of our WCC experience so dropping O'hana and concentrating on more quiet, laid back establishments would be better suited for these over stimulated smurfs. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We pull into the bus depot and head for the security check. Easy breezy. We were once again able to smuggle in some illegal Pepsi products in the back pack. [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We head for the turnstiles and do our bone density scan. Brainy's was normal, Smurfette had to try a couple of times, but my calcium levels are running low and, apparently, I have high cholesterol. Thanks Mickey. This was just the news I needed to hear since I am on the dining plan and all... [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We stop in front of the golf ball to take some prerequisite pictures.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I am glad they got rid of the wand. It ruined the whole “floating sphere” effect. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We had some time to kill before our 12 o'clock ADR for Teppan Edo so we decide to head over to the land pavilion to grab some fastpasses for Soarin before the supply runs out. What did people do before fastpasses? :jaw drop:[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Fastpasses in hand, we head over to find Nemo. We found him just past some very strange seagulls, who were roosting just outside. Anyone know what the deal is with these seagulls?
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We all enjoyed Nemo but Grumpy was definitely buggin (borrowing a term from Buzz) over the Bruce scenes and was turned off by the darkness. Plus, Grumpy is not that familiar with Finding Nemo as he had only seen bits and pieces of it... poor kid... he has the attention span of a gnat when it comes to watching feature length movies. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We take a another prerequisite photo...[/FONT]


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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Brainy looks ginuinely scared. Grumpy looks like he may be filling his diaper.

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Next up.... Crush!
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Turtle Talk was fabulous. I was very impress with the magic that is Crush. It was cute when one child in the room asked Crush, “How long do turtles live?” Crush answered with “about a hundred years, dude.” When he called on the next kid, the kid couldn't come up with a question so he just repeated the previous kid's question, “How long do turtles live?” Crush first just stared in disbelief with the funniest expression.... I lost it. I don't believe I have ever laughed so hard at something seemingly so trivial but it just fit Crush's personality so well. Finally, he shrugged (as sea turtles often do) and repeated scarcastically, “About a hundred years, dude.”
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]By the time we finished with Crush, we were starving. We were a little early but we still made a bee line right for Teppan Edo, which I was pretty sure was in Japan. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Man... that's a lot of countries to have to go through just to get some hibachi... [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After a brief wave to the Canadian border crossing guards (they're easy), we head south into the United Kingdom. We were harassed by a customs agent who didn't speak our language... you know, American English. Once I assured him that was, indeed, a fan of Sir Elton John, he graciously allowed us entry into his country. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Next, France. Oh boy. I was dreading French customs. Fortunately, after declaring that French Fries were invented in France, even though I know they were actually invented in [/FONT]Belgium[FONT=Times New Roman, serif], the Smurfs were permitted to pass. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]We passed through Morocco with ease, which is a good thing because my only knowledge of Morocco was gained through a PlayStation game. While there, I sought out the closest Moroccan and kindly requested that they STOP lobbing hurricanes at us.. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Then, we finally arrive in Japan. Land of the rising sun. Home to some of my favorite ethnic food. I love me some Japanese steak, hibachi chicken, shrimp, rice, you name it. I love it. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]While we were a little early for our ADR, we were seated within minutes next to a group of younger travelers. It is tradition for Brainy to grab his chop sticks, break them, and immediately morph into Ringo Star. It's tradition.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]About that time, the server, ever so graciously, took Grumpy's chop sticks and used a rubber band to create some tongs. I was impressed but I was still using my fork. Sorry. I don't get the whole idea of using chop sticks.
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The teppanyaki chef impressed with a well done show complete with flying shrimp, disappearing eggs, a volcano made out of stacked onion rings, and the whole nine yards. The food was really good, as well, and I was so pleased that it made up for the half-@ss job the Whispering Canyon guy did last night.

One thing I forgot when I booked Teppan Edo, Grumpy is horribly afraid of fire... especially large fires 6 inches from the tip of his nose. He knew it was coming, too, as we have been to similar restaurants before. As soon as he saw the teppanyaki chef wheel in his little cart, Grumpy started buggin' again. We have the procedure down pat.. Whenever they are about to "light" the grill, we take Grumpy for a walk until the cooking is well under way.

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Smurfette and I both had “[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Nihonbashi [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]- sirloin steak and chicken breast”, which was just right. The Ginger cake for desert was awesome, too.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Idiot ENdorsement: Teppan Edo[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey at Paula Dean's, we head for The United States of America.
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Up next: More EPCOT and some rock throwing.
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[kismet1003]

I am loving your TR!!!

 

[nextidiot]

I am loving your TR!!!

Welcome!

Thanks for reading!

 

[nextidiot]

Day 5 - World Showcase

Belly's full, we head due east to The United States. As with the rest of Walt Disney World, The American Adventure was adorn with Christmas decorations galore.

I must say... of all the Christmas trees at WDW, this one was the ugliest. Seriously? WTH? It looks like it was decorated by Goofy after a hit of pixie dust.

We stopped in the souvenir shop in American Adventure to pick up our EPCOT passports. I thought it would be perfect to include a completed passport with Brainy's journal he is doing for his class while at Disney.

I believe this is also where we officially started the Smurf's pressed penny collection. We got them pressed pennis at Kennedy Space Center but hadn't committed to collecting these until Grumpy spotted the machine in the souvenir shop and nearly ran over a little old lady to get to the machine.

From that point forward, we new we would never be able to pass a pressed penny machine again.

Something I didn't know about was the little masks the kids can color and collect “parts” from each Kidcot station. This was a great idea. The Smurfs loved stopping at each Kidcot station and collecting passport stamps, masks “parts” and coloring their masks.

American Adventure was also where Mr. And Mrs. Kringle, aka Santa and Mrs. Clause were hanging. I queue the Smurfs and we take some pictures. This will save us a trip to the mall for sure.

After a prolonged discussion about Grumpy's behavior, we thanked Mr. And Mrs. Clause and headed for the Italian border. Before crossing into Italy, we pause for a picture or two:

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it was Italy where we ran into this amazing street performer.

His show was great and he had caused quite the crowd to gather.

Brainy always seems to find his way to the front. 9 times out of 10, he becomes the show.

This is where Grumpy would narrowly escape becoming a permanent part of the Italian street scape as he was nearly ran over by an @ss on a ECV... you know, the electric vehicles for those of us who consume a few too many Mickey bars.... you know who you are.

They guy was apparently in a hurry and he was in no mood to navigate the crowd, which had gathered to watch the performance. Grumpy, who had been patiently watching the show became bored and was playing around one of those oversize baskets of flowers and not paying any attention when along comes jack @ss and his ECV and nearly plows poor Grumpy over. Instead, jack @ss ran into a flower pot sending it careening. Jack @ss shot me this smug look and shook his head is disgust at Grumpy's presence. I just shot him a smug look right back, pointed to the flower basked he knocked over and asked him if he was going to pick those up.

The street performance made for a very nice spontaneous moment. It wasn't planned. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time. To me, it also underscores how not necessarily being an expert on all things Disney can add to the experience.

Next, the Smurfs head East through Germany, which I believe is where the awesome miniature railroad layout is located. I have always had a love for model railroading. While it isn't the biggest layout, the fact that it is outside make this layout particularly special.

Next, my Smurf's found some drums to play.

How is it that kids can always seem to find something to make noise?



We continue through China and hit Maelstrom in Norway and the Gran Fiesta Tour ride starring Donald Duck at Mexico.

The Donald ride provided some much needed rest for all of us as we had been on our feet for a while since lunch. I recall the ride being very cool (we're talking temperature here), which I found soothing. It was a nice reprieve from walking.

Maelstrom was a nifty little ride, which broke the monotony that can be World Showcase, but there isn't much else to say about it other than 1) Grumpy did not like it. 2) Do people really obtain a Fastpass for this?

Speaking of Fastpass, our fastpass window for Soarin' had just opened so we decided to swing by Test Track and get some passes before heading over to the Land to ride Soarin'.

Speaking again of fastpasses... another really great Disney invention that I can't imagine touring the World without is the baby swap pass. :mickey b:

I don't know the official name of this handy little card but it provided all kinds of advantages. Brainy was able to experience many attractions twice. If he decided he didn't want to ride again, it basically became a non expiring fastpass for later.

We took advantage of the ride swap at both Test Track and Soarin.

Up Next: Soarin and Grumpy's Chocolate Fix

 

[nextidiot]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Day 5 - "Nestle Soarin"
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Being our first time on Nestle Soarin, I was very uneasy about how Brainy would handle it. He is plenty old enough to be completely aware of the reality of this ride... you know, the fact that you are not really hang gliding over the Golden Gate Bridge but rather you are safely tucked into one of Mickey's Nestle contraptions and, baring any malfunctions, you will exit the ride in reasonably good condition. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Still, I was concerned.[/FONT]
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At the same time, my anticipation was peaked at 100. Of all the rides at WDW, I was most looking forward to this one. I had read so many positive reviews that I was just really excited to take it for a spin.

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The ride begins and the clouds appear. The wind picks up and Wow. Just WOW! I glanced over at Brainy to make sure he wasn't freakin' out and he was just giggling and cackling like a 6-month-old. Holy cow! The scents, the scenes, the spray from the lake... What an exhilarating experience! Calling Nestle Soarin' a ride is like calling a well cooked Nestle steak a Nestle hamburger.
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[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Nestle Soarin definitely lived up to its hype. Brainy loved it, too, and couldn't wait to “show Mommy.” [/FONT]
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So we hike back to The Nestle Land Pavilion to meet up with Smurfette and Grumpy. We swap... because that's what you do in a baby swap... Smurfette and Brainy headed back to the Nestle Fastpass entrance with the rider swap pass and I took Grumpy to quote, unquote, entertain him. Turns out, he would be quite the entertainer. [/FONT]
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Grumpy, having not really eaten at Teppan Edo, was running low on energy. So we head over to Nestle Sunshine Seasons, which is the food court or counter service hut inside The Land, and I plop down a snack credit for some Nestle Quick, or bunny milk, as Grumpy calls it, and buy him a Nestle Crunch. I am now considering the possibility that Nestle may have the same exclusive choke hold on Mickey that Coke has and I am now pondering a week with no Hershey, Reese's (or Reeseeies if your from West Virginia), or Kit Kats. I digress.[/FONT]
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We had over to one of the many booths in the very uncrowded lunch spot. Grumpy now begins his chocolate fix. From the first bite, he became instantly hyper. I should know better.
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Here a short video clip. Brainy and Grumpy had been watching the Scooby Doo movies. There is a line in the movie where Shaggy asks "Scooby Doo, What's your conclusion?" This is what Grumpy is trying to say.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAO0ycPZr9k

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]With plenty of chocolate on board,

he head back over to the Soarin' exit to catch up with Brainy and Smurfette. Soarin' is one of those rides that no matter how short the line, Fastpass, baby swap pass, whatever... the ride process takes forever. I am not complaining, though, because it is well worth the wait but I can't wait for the days where Grumpy is old enough where we can experience all of these attractions together. [/FONT]
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Grumpy handled it well though. Soon enough, we gathered the rest of the Smurfs and decided to hit Living With the Land and Circle of Life, before heading over to Test Track. Poor Grumpy... He would have to wait out another baby swap.

Up Next: Test Track and Smurfette's Episode

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[kismet1003]

LOVE the updates!!!
You have such a beautiful family

 

[MissBellesMommy]

Looks like you guys had a fab trip... I am loving all the pics! I LOVE the mickey's mantel one with the stockings.. I have never seen that in person before and its on my list lol