GADISNEYGIRL
<font color=red>Maelstromer!<br><font color=purple
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2003
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The Whirlwind Trippers Take Their Friends, February 8-11
The Cast:
Me, Rhonda, 32, lover of all things Disney, especially The Prince (that is, The Beast), Sleeping Beauty and Wendy. Getting close to trip #30 together.
DH, Mark, 33, lover of all things Disney, especially the hotties. Thats Jasmine, Ariel, and the MoRockin belly dancer. Getting close to trip #30 together.
DS, Wesley, 4 in less than a week, lover of all things Disney, especially Peter Pan, Wendy, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip. Trip #11.
GF, Colleen, 4, first trip, a little unsure. Likes the princesses best.
Big Sis, Candace, 13, 2nd trip (doesnt remember the first at age 7), very excited, REALLY likes Aladdin.
Michele, 39 (and holding), 3rd trip to WDW. Doesnt remember the others very well. Lover of Pooh.
Keith, 40-something, 2nd trip to WDW. Likes the hotties, along with DH. Otherwise, just along for the ride.
Jen, not telling her age, a very good friend of our familys~we met up with her one night while we were there.
Pre-Trip:
This trips planning stage began back in June or so. After much joking (by them) about the next time we go to Disney, were going with Mark and Rhonda, we finally said, Hey, are you serious about this? Because we can make it happen!! And they said~Yes! And so the planning began. In the in-between time, Mark, Wesley and I made a July trip, Michele and I made a September trip, Mark, Wesley and I made November, December and January trips. There were also a few Enchanted Phone Calls to Wesley and Colleen (and even one to me, actually).
On the Sunday before our trip, Mark left for an out of town meeting. He would meet us at WDW on Wednesday night. After he left that Sunday, Wesley and I started errand-running. We had to make up some special goody bags for the trip down. We found lots of princess-y type items~stickers, in particular~and several other things, including band-aids (which, as it turned out, Candace needed!). We also got some princess dust and pixie dust. Most of this we got at Michaels, the rest at Party City. While at Party City, the girl working the cash register offered Wesley a balloon. Wesley LOVES balloons. He was beside himself with his green balloon. It was an almost Disneypixie-dust-moment! So the green balloon went to the car with us. It stayed in the car while we ran in to Kroger for a couple of last minute things. When we opened the car door after departing Kroger, the green balloon flew away into the sky (it was an extremely windy day). Wesley was devastated. The phrase The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away came to mind, but I wisely refrained from sharing that with Wesley. We went home (Wesley crying most of the way) to get ready to attend a Super Bowl Party (Keith, Michele, and the girls would also be there). We talked to Mark, who had arrived at his destination, and was still sick (had been, pretty much since we got home from WDW). Walked the block to our friends house for the party. Wesley and Colleen colored princess pictures and played all their pretend games. Candace had to open the door several times (they like to play with the door shut, which always makes us a little nervous!). We all left just as the 3rd quarter was starting. Keith and Michele drove Wesley and me home (the whole block!), and Keith went in to de-boogeyman the house for me. Im never scared, exactly, when Mark is away~just a little uneasy. And I NEVER sleep well. I think I finally dozed off around 2:30am.
Monday. Yuck. Is there anyone who actually LIKES Mondays? Even harder for me, since I got only about 4 hours of sleep, and then had to get Wesley ready and to school (which Mark normally does) before I got myself to work. Fortunately, my boss was attending the same out of town meeting that Mark was. Unfortunately, her husband took the day off, and probably noticed that I was 10 minutes late to work. *sigh* I left for lunch early so I could go pick Wesley up from pre-school. Once back at work, he watched Sleeping Beauty and Snow White before it was time to go home. I didnt have an awful lot to do, since the craziness of the last few months had finally calmed down. (No complaints there!) I read trip reports and caught up on email, that sort of thing. Monday night we had Disciple (Michele was leading the class, in Marks absence.) Wesley and Colleen played. Keith followed us home to make sure we got in okay. (We did.) I think I actually went to sleep around 12:30 that night. But Wesley kicked me in the stomach at 4:30, so that was it for my sleeping.
Tuesday not much better than Monday. I was soooo tired! But its only one day til D Day (thats Disney Day, of course!), so no problem, I could make it. Got Wesley to school, painted my toenails at work (no, really, I didnt have anything to do!!), boss called with a little project for me, which I finished before lunch/time to pick Wesley up from school. Got him, he watched Cinderella and something else that afternoon while I read trip reports, checked email, and cleaned off my desk. At home, I started making packing lists/things to do before leaving lists. We ate dinner, then headed to Keith and Micheles for a haircut. The girl who cuts our hair does it at their house. So we arrived, threw pixie dust on the girls as part of our trip preparation, all got haircuts then Wesley and I went home and I bedded him down for the night. I sat up and watched $40 a Day and Iron Chef, while double checking my lists. (Our big packing had been done on Saturday, as Mark took our luggage in his car, but I still had all the little stuff to get together.) Went to sleep around 1am, but woke up at 5am thinking of things I had forgotten to put on my list.
Wednesday Was awake at 5, though I didnt actually get up til almost 7:30. At 7, my dad called to tell me that my mom was having surgery this week (Friday). That got all my stress juices flowing. Dont get me started on family issues. Lets just skip over all that, except to say that I think thats why I ended up getting sick. At noon, I left work, picked up Wesley, and started crossing things off my lists. Keith and Michele were to pick us up between 2:30 and 3. By 2, we were mostly done, and Wesley was watching Cinderella, I think. Talked to Mark, who was already on his way to Orlando. Wesley played Hatter Says on his Alice DVD. They arrived, and we began packing all of our junk into the car. Called Mark to say we were leaving, piled in, and were on the road just about 3pm. The kids had lots of goodies to play with and kept themselves entertained for a couple of hours. We didnt actually put on a movie until we were already in Florida, I think. Then they watched Pocahontas. We stopped at a Mickey Ds for dinner, and by then my throat was decidedly sore. I got some lemonade, hoping it would help. It didnt, at least, not much. Mark called to say he was there, and had checked in, and he was off to Bomas for dinner. After Pocohontas, the kids watched the Magic Kingdom and Epcot videos wed bought on one of our past trips. And then, we were there!!
Day 1 (Arrival night):
Mark had told us which building we were in, so we called him to come help us unload. We were in Magnolia Bend, Building 95. The rooms were great. I would definitely stay here again. And Wesley had a green balloon waiting for him! (Remember, the one he lost on Sunday was green.) I was exhausted, and we had to be up early so we unpacked, got organized, made plans to leave at 7:30, and I went to bed. I did sleep pretty good that night, but woke up still feeling not-so-great.
Day 2 (Epcot: Princess Storybook Breakfast, Le Cellier):
Mickey (and Stitch) called at 6:30. Oh, how I wanted to stay in the bed!! Mark got up and took his shower first. I dragged myself out about 7. He got Wesley up and dressed while I got ready. We were pretty close to being on schedule. Got to Epcot about 7:45, as I remember, so had to wait til the parking lot was open at 8.
All tickets worked fine (always a bit stressful when you first use your ticket~or try to use it again for the first time), and we were soon on our way to Norway. The other family was very excited about everything, and we were loving seeing Epcot while it was so empty. Colleen had a Cinderella outfit to wear, but she decided she didnt want to wear it, so no biggie. She was a little unsure of the characters, though we thought shed do okay with the princesses.
We had to wait about 20 minutes, but then we were one of the first to be seated. It was different than the last time wed been here (September 2004), and we liked it much better. Maybe it was where we were seated, Im not sure. Anyway, we went in and first had our picture made with Belle~in her yellow dress!! Wesley went first, to show Colleen, and Belle said, Wesley, havent I seen you before? Yes, she has seen him before~but she was Cinderella then, not Belle. She gave him a kiss and posed for pictures. Next it was Colleens turn. She did great! Got pictures with Colleen and Candace, then were shown to our table. We were right by the door where the princesses come out, which was perfect!! I cannot for the life of me remember our servers name, but she was very nice, and pretty prompt, as I recall.
First princess out was Jasmine. Keith and Mark were a little distraught, because one, she had on her cloak (it was cold!!), and two, they were sitting in the corners, and couldnt get out for pictures. But then, who needs pictures with Jasmine when she has her cloak on? Pictures with Wesley, Colleen and Candace, and she signed the girls shirts. We didnt do any signing for Wesley this trip, since he pretty much has them all. Next was Mulan (one of the few who hadnt signed Wesleys shirt, but oh well). Then came Snow White. More pictures and shirt signing.
And then~out came Princess Aurora. You must remember, surely, that Princess Aurora is Wesleys favorite princess? And also, perhaps you recall that weve had some splendid times with various Auroras that weve seen over the last couple of years? One of the best was in December of 2004, when we saw Aurora in the little garden in France. She had the hiccups, which was priceless! And there was no one around Wesley had her to himself for about 15 minutes. They talked about all kinds of things, like the fact that he had asked Santa for a kitchen, and would cook Aurora a hot dog if he got his kitchen. We wrote a letter about her, she was so wonderful with him, and treated her hiccups so royally but had not seen her since. So imagine our delight to see that this was OUR Princess Aurora!! After pictures and signing, I asked if she remembered our meeting when she had the hiccups. She did!! She called Wesley Hiccup Boy because she couldnt recall his name. And she thanked us for the letter we sent, gave Wesley a kiss and asked Wesley to please come visit her in France later in the day. Hooray!! Our day was already made!
After breakfast (I was on lots of drugs, so I was making it), Mark and Keith rushed over to get FPs for Soarin. We were to meet them at Living With The Land. But no, Mark tries to read my mind and cut us off somewhere, which then resulted in us searching for one another for about 20 minutes. Honey, just do what I tell you to do, okay?? So we finally got together and headed for Character Connection. Saw Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and Donald. Waited a few minutes, and saw Max, Mary Poppins, Rafiki, and Goofy. Colleen did great, though she was a little unsure of Rafiki. Goofy liked Candace. A lot. Made her give him three kisses. Acted as though he were taking her away we all thought this was hilarious. Candace, not so much. (Ah, if only it had been Aladdin!)
I didnt take notes for this report, so I may be making all of this up. Well see how mine tallies with Marks. But this is MY report, so this is what I *think* happened.
We left CC and went to Soarin. This turned out to be just about everyones favorite, I think. We got FPs for Living with the Land, got a snack from Seasons, and went to ride Figment. Played for a while (much longer than we would have ordinarily, but Candace and Colleen were really interested in all of the stuff in there). Time for the Land, which everyone thought was neat. Michele really liked the Mickey Mouse Cinderella Pumpkins. Then we headed to the Living Seas for Turtle Talk with Crush. We had to wait a while for this, but this was another favorite. Crush didnt talk to any of us, but it is still a really neat show! From there, I *think* we went to have our Disney Visa picture made. Then we rode Spaceship Earth and picked up our picture, which turned out great.
Is it finally time to go back to World Showcase?? Candace wanted to ride Mission: Space, but none of us did, so Mark said hed ride with her. They went that way, the rest of us went to Mexico, and rode El Rio del Tiempo. We met up with them in front of Mexico, and went on to Norway to ride Maelstrom. In Germany, we stopped for a picture with Snow White, and got pretzels (K,M and the girls) and wine (Me and Mark). In France we saw Belle and Beast (same Belle from this morning). Sleeping Beauty wasnt out at the time. From here, I really dont remember everything. I know that we went back to France not long after that, because Aurora WAS out, and we saw her. Got some great pics of her and Wesley. We also saw Pooh and Tigger in the UK (Michele got a stuffed Pooh for him to sign). Beyond those stops, I really think we just walked all the way around to Canada, because we had a 5:40 ADR and we were going to try and get in a little early, which we did.
Le Cellier was a highlight, mealwise, and we were glad of that. They had chosen it, because they love steaks, and we were worried they wouldnt like it, would think it was over priced, etc. No worries! Everyone loved their food. All the adults got the 7oz filet with mashed potatoes. Kiddos got grilled chicken (Colleen) and hot dog (Wesley). Mark and I had wine with our dinner, and the cheese plate to start. K/M had the Tomato Stack appetizer. I didnt think the cheese plate was as wonderful as the one they used to serve, but it was still very good. Much better than the one we had in France. For dessert, Wesley had the moose thing, Keith and Candace shared the Chocolate Cake, Mark also ordered the chocolate cake and shared with Michele, Colleen and me, and Michele had the Chocolate Vanilla Martini, which we all tried, and it was fabulous. Everything was kind of lost on me, because my taster was off, and I wasnt feeling all that great, so Mark got to eat about half of my dinner, also. But I was really, really glad that they enjoyed the meal so much.
We stopped back by Morocco, where all the girls got to see Aladdin (the boys had gone to get Soarin FPs, I think). This was the highlight of the trip for Candace!! Then came the highlight of the trip for the boys: MoRockin! Wesley and Colleen were dancing, and the belly dancer chick asked Wesley to dance with her, but he refused. So she got another little girl to dance with her. Then after their set, we got pictures of the kids with her~and the boys with her. Keith and Mark were very happy!! Afterwards, I believe we stopped in Mexico to ride again, since Candace and Mark had missed it the first go-round. Then it was off to Soarin once more. Still a favorite!
Then it was time to find a place for Illuminations. We had a great spot right at the International Gateway. Illuminations was grand, as always.
We finished out the evening at Mouse Gear, with a little shopping. Then back to our rooms to sleep and get ready for a great day at the Magic Kingdom!
Day 3, (Magic Kingdom: no set meal plans):
We wanted to be there in time for Park Opening, and by taking the ferry, we just made it. We strolled in, and headed straight for Fantasyland. Peter Pan was a walk-on. I think we did PhilharMagic next, which we love. Not sure Colleen liked it too much, though. Next up was a visit to Ariels Grotto. Surprisingly, the boys didnt insist on a picture with Ariel. Maybe they were too busy enjoying the view to think of it. Then we made our way to Toon Town, and got in line to see the Princesses (on the way, we stopped to get FPs for Pooh). We were hoping to see Dinah again, and maybe, just maybe, she would offer to take their shirts to have them signed. She was there, and she did!! In the princess room we saw Aurora, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Snow White. Then we all went to ride Snow White, except Mark, who took off for FPs for Buzz Lightyear. We agreed to meet him in front of Pooh. After riding Pooh, we decided it was time for lunch. We thought Cosmic Rays would be a good choice, and after standing in three different lines to get our food, we all met at a table. After lunch everyone was feeling much better. Off to Buzz Lightyear! From there, I think we got FPs for Space Mountain and then went to Adventureland to ride Pirates of the Carribean (grabbed FPs for Splash Mountain before we left). Then, as I recall, we backtracked to Tomorrowland to use our FPs for Space Mountain. First Mark, Candace and I rode, then she rode again with her mom and dad.
Now it was time to get a spot for the parade. We were right in front of the Barber Shop, and the parade wouldnt be to us for a while, so the girls took the opportunity to shop in the Emporium while the boys let their barkin dogs rest with a little sit down. We saw Terk, before she went to have a banana, and Robin Hood, then Wesley and I went back in to the store, with Michele and the girls. In the store, we ran into our friend Jen, talked for a little while, then made plans to meet up later. Then it was parade time, which was a lot of fun. Colleen enjoyed it, too, because she could wave at a distance, and they werent right in her face.
Parade over, we went back to Splash Mountain. None of us were keen on getting wet, but we (always prepared~ha, so we thought!!) had ponchos for everyone. I forgot to mention that while we were riding Space Mountain, Keith and Michele had bought Wesley and Colleen big bottles of Sprite. And that Wesley had drunk most of his. So as the ride is ending, and were waiting to disembark, Wesley says, urgently, Ive got to go!!! And were waiting, and waiting, and hitting the boat in front of us, and I just had a bad feeling about it and right before we got off, it happened. Now dont worry, anyone, he had the poncho on, and it basically just soaked his pants. The seat wasnt wet at all. But then we were on a quest to find some dry pants, because we, the always prepared Disney family, had not brought any extra clothes. I took Wesley to Main Street to find pants, and the others went to Toon Town to retrieve the shirts from Dinah. No pants. No where. Well, thats not true. They had size 24 month, and size 8. No toddler sizes. What a pain!! Finally met back up with the others in front of BTMRR. Rode anyway (by now he was drying out somewhat). Enjoyed BTMRR~all of us. Then decided wed buy the Captain Hook costume (which he wanted anyway) for the pants. Finally got that accomplished, and got Wesley changed. We strolled back to Main Street, with the goal being to get a good spot for the last Cinderellabration show. Wesley, Colleen and I parked it in front of the castle, while the others went shopping on Main Street, and then getting our dinner at Caseys. At some point, Wesley again tells me (urgently) that he needs to GO! So I ask the people next to us if theyll hold our place, throw him in the stroller, grab Colleens hand, and RACE to the bathroom between Caseys and Crystal Palace. Whew. Crisis averted. Now RACE back to the castle to retrieve our spot. The others arrived in about 5 minutes. We ate while watching the show. In the middle, two boys stepped over me and our food (knocking some of it on the ground) and stood right in front of Wesley and Colleen. Keith told them to move, and they did, but by then we were so aggravated, what with the spilled food, etc and then Colleen knocked over her drink and it went all over HER food so Cinderellabration wasnt as wonderful as Id hoped. Especially since The Prince was that other, less desirable Prince. *sigh*
Back to Fantasyland, where Michele took Wesley and the girls on the carousel. Then we went on Small World. Where Wesley, once again, had an accident. Good grief! Hes been potty trained for over a year, and the only three accidents hes had have been in the last month!! I was afraid that Mark was going to forget that he was a preacher. He restrained himself, but just barely. We returned Wesley to the still damp original pants, and by now it was dark and getting chilly. Im sure he was uncomfortable.
We found a spot for Wishes, and got comfortable~well, as comfortable as possible, with three of us in not-very-good moods, and one of us, in particular, in very uncomfortable clothing, and the other four kind of wary because of our moods but Wishes was still great!
Then we joined the masses exiting the park. We called Jen and left her a message, and somehow, she found us in the mass of people on Main Street. Made plans to meet at our resort. Then waited forever for a ferry back to the parking lot, and it seemed to take forever to get back to POR.
Once there, I gave Wesley a quick bath and got him in his jammies, while Jen helped Michele with Colleen (who had fallen asleep while waiting for the ferry). Then we all went to the food court. It was pretty late, I was worn out, and stressed out, from all of the drama with Wesley, I hadnt taken medicine in quite a while, and suddenly I realized I was feeling sort of funny. Like, so funny that I had to go sit outside in the cold. Thought I was going to be sick, but I wasnt. So after a while, I went back in. Listened to the conversation for a bit, then had to go back outside. Went in again, then back out. This time I didnt go back in til the others were ready to go. Felt a little better as we walked back to the room. Jen had taken over care of Wesley, so Mark could help me. She came in the room with us, pronounced me dehydrated (I think she was right), and continued taking care of Wesley, even putting him into bed. (At this point, I actually did get sick.) She got Wesley in bed, and told them goodbye, and said she was going to leave so Mark could make sure I was okay. Wow. We need more friends like Jen!
Day 4 (Park Fare, Downtown Disney, home):
After a good nights sleep, I was feeling much better. We loaded up, went to browse in the gift shop, and headed for the Grand Floridian. I drank plenty of water and juice, we all ate our fill (still our favorite character meal), and enjoyed seeing Alice, Mad Hatter, Pooh and Tigger. Oh, and the Fairy Godmother, who had the hiccups. We seem to attract hiccupping characters!
A couple of hours at Downtown Disney, some sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich, and we were on our way. Raced to the cars to beat the rain (missed it by about 3 minutes, but fortunately no one got too wet), got gas at the Hess station, and started north. Two potty breaks, and we were home around 9pm.
Afterthoughts:
We had never before considered going with another family to Disney. We spend half our life with these people, so we know them pretty well, and we were pretty confident that wed have a good time with them. We did, certainly. But it is always harder to travel with other people, who dont know your schedules, routines, etc. It still worked out fine, and we had a great trip.
One thing we hadnt really thought about was having to share the characters with the girls. Wesley is soooo into the characters and we were constantly battling the wanting Wesley to spend time with them versus letting Colleen have a chance, etc. For instance, we would say to Colleen, Tell Mickey so and so and Wesley would jump in and tell Mickey himself. I dont think Colleen minded at all, because she didnt really want to talk to them anyway, but we still felt bad about it, and hoped Keith and Michele werent too upset.
And another interesting thing~Colleen wanted to ride everything with me. That was fine with me, she was no trouble at all, but I didnt want Michele (or Keith) to be upset by that.
All in all, it was a lot of fun, and Mark is trying to figure out when we can go again. We have APs, you know, so well be there again soon, I feel certain!
The Cast:
Me, Rhonda, 32, lover of all things Disney, especially The Prince (that is, The Beast), Sleeping Beauty and Wendy. Getting close to trip #30 together.
DH, Mark, 33, lover of all things Disney, especially the hotties. Thats Jasmine, Ariel, and the MoRockin belly dancer. Getting close to trip #30 together.
DS, Wesley, 4 in less than a week, lover of all things Disney, especially Peter Pan, Wendy, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip. Trip #11.
GF, Colleen, 4, first trip, a little unsure. Likes the princesses best.
Big Sis, Candace, 13, 2nd trip (doesnt remember the first at age 7), very excited, REALLY likes Aladdin.
Michele, 39 (and holding), 3rd trip to WDW. Doesnt remember the others very well. Lover of Pooh.
Keith, 40-something, 2nd trip to WDW. Likes the hotties, along with DH. Otherwise, just along for the ride.
Jen, not telling her age, a very good friend of our familys~we met up with her one night while we were there.
Pre-Trip:
This trips planning stage began back in June or so. After much joking (by them) about the next time we go to Disney, were going with Mark and Rhonda, we finally said, Hey, are you serious about this? Because we can make it happen!! And they said~Yes! And so the planning began. In the in-between time, Mark, Wesley and I made a July trip, Michele and I made a September trip, Mark, Wesley and I made November, December and January trips. There were also a few Enchanted Phone Calls to Wesley and Colleen (and even one to me, actually).
On the Sunday before our trip, Mark left for an out of town meeting. He would meet us at WDW on Wednesday night. After he left that Sunday, Wesley and I started errand-running. We had to make up some special goody bags for the trip down. We found lots of princess-y type items~stickers, in particular~and several other things, including band-aids (which, as it turned out, Candace needed!). We also got some princess dust and pixie dust. Most of this we got at Michaels, the rest at Party City. While at Party City, the girl working the cash register offered Wesley a balloon. Wesley LOVES balloons. He was beside himself with his green balloon. It was an almost Disneypixie-dust-moment! So the green balloon went to the car with us. It stayed in the car while we ran in to Kroger for a couple of last minute things. When we opened the car door after departing Kroger, the green balloon flew away into the sky (it was an extremely windy day). Wesley was devastated. The phrase The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away came to mind, but I wisely refrained from sharing that with Wesley. We went home (Wesley crying most of the way) to get ready to attend a Super Bowl Party (Keith, Michele, and the girls would also be there). We talked to Mark, who had arrived at his destination, and was still sick (had been, pretty much since we got home from WDW). Walked the block to our friends house for the party. Wesley and Colleen colored princess pictures and played all their pretend games. Candace had to open the door several times (they like to play with the door shut, which always makes us a little nervous!). We all left just as the 3rd quarter was starting. Keith and Michele drove Wesley and me home (the whole block!), and Keith went in to de-boogeyman the house for me. Im never scared, exactly, when Mark is away~just a little uneasy. And I NEVER sleep well. I think I finally dozed off around 2:30am.
Monday. Yuck. Is there anyone who actually LIKES Mondays? Even harder for me, since I got only about 4 hours of sleep, and then had to get Wesley ready and to school (which Mark normally does) before I got myself to work. Fortunately, my boss was attending the same out of town meeting that Mark was. Unfortunately, her husband took the day off, and probably noticed that I was 10 minutes late to work. *sigh* I left for lunch early so I could go pick Wesley up from pre-school. Once back at work, he watched Sleeping Beauty and Snow White before it was time to go home. I didnt have an awful lot to do, since the craziness of the last few months had finally calmed down. (No complaints there!) I read trip reports and caught up on email, that sort of thing. Monday night we had Disciple (Michele was leading the class, in Marks absence.) Wesley and Colleen played. Keith followed us home to make sure we got in okay. (We did.) I think I actually went to sleep around 12:30 that night. But Wesley kicked me in the stomach at 4:30, so that was it for my sleeping.
Tuesday not much better than Monday. I was soooo tired! But its only one day til D Day (thats Disney Day, of course!), so no problem, I could make it. Got Wesley to school, painted my toenails at work (no, really, I didnt have anything to do!!), boss called with a little project for me, which I finished before lunch/time to pick Wesley up from school. Got him, he watched Cinderella and something else that afternoon while I read trip reports, checked email, and cleaned off my desk. At home, I started making packing lists/things to do before leaving lists. We ate dinner, then headed to Keith and Micheles for a haircut. The girl who cuts our hair does it at their house. So we arrived, threw pixie dust on the girls as part of our trip preparation, all got haircuts then Wesley and I went home and I bedded him down for the night. I sat up and watched $40 a Day and Iron Chef, while double checking my lists. (Our big packing had been done on Saturday, as Mark took our luggage in his car, but I still had all the little stuff to get together.) Went to sleep around 1am, but woke up at 5am thinking of things I had forgotten to put on my list.
Wednesday Was awake at 5, though I didnt actually get up til almost 7:30. At 7, my dad called to tell me that my mom was having surgery this week (Friday). That got all my stress juices flowing. Dont get me started on family issues. Lets just skip over all that, except to say that I think thats why I ended up getting sick. At noon, I left work, picked up Wesley, and started crossing things off my lists. Keith and Michele were to pick us up between 2:30 and 3. By 2, we were mostly done, and Wesley was watching Cinderella, I think. Talked to Mark, who was already on his way to Orlando. Wesley played Hatter Says on his Alice DVD. They arrived, and we began packing all of our junk into the car. Called Mark to say we were leaving, piled in, and were on the road just about 3pm. The kids had lots of goodies to play with and kept themselves entertained for a couple of hours. We didnt actually put on a movie until we were already in Florida, I think. Then they watched Pocahontas. We stopped at a Mickey Ds for dinner, and by then my throat was decidedly sore. I got some lemonade, hoping it would help. It didnt, at least, not much. Mark called to say he was there, and had checked in, and he was off to Bomas for dinner. After Pocohontas, the kids watched the Magic Kingdom and Epcot videos wed bought on one of our past trips. And then, we were there!!
Day 1 (Arrival night):
Mark had told us which building we were in, so we called him to come help us unload. We were in Magnolia Bend, Building 95. The rooms were great. I would definitely stay here again. And Wesley had a green balloon waiting for him! (Remember, the one he lost on Sunday was green.) I was exhausted, and we had to be up early so we unpacked, got organized, made plans to leave at 7:30, and I went to bed. I did sleep pretty good that night, but woke up still feeling not-so-great.
Day 2 (Epcot: Princess Storybook Breakfast, Le Cellier):
Mickey (and Stitch) called at 6:30. Oh, how I wanted to stay in the bed!! Mark got up and took his shower first. I dragged myself out about 7. He got Wesley up and dressed while I got ready. We were pretty close to being on schedule. Got to Epcot about 7:45, as I remember, so had to wait til the parking lot was open at 8.
All tickets worked fine (always a bit stressful when you first use your ticket~or try to use it again for the first time), and we were soon on our way to Norway. The other family was very excited about everything, and we were loving seeing Epcot while it was so empty. Colleen had a Cinderella outfit to wear, but she decided she didnt want to wear it, so no biggie. She was a little unsure of the characters, though we thought shed do okay with the princesses.
We had to wait about 20 minutes, but then we were one of the first to be seated. It was different than the last time wed been here (September 2004), and we liked it much better. Maybe it was where we were seated, Im not sure. Anyway, we went in and first had our picture made with Belle~in her yellow dress!! Wesley went first, to show Colleen, and Belle said, Wesley, havent I seen you before? Yes, she has seen him before~but she was Cinderella then, not Belle. She gave him a kiss and posed for pictures. Next it was Colleens turn. She did great! Got pictures with Colleen and Candace, then were shown to our table. We were right by the door where the princesses come out, which was perfect!! I cannot for the life of me remember our servers name, but she was very nice, and pretty prompt, as I recall.
First princess out was Jasmine. Keith and Mark were a little distraught, because one, she had on her cloak (it was cold!!), and two, they were sitting in the corners, and couldnt get out for pictures. But then, who needs pictures with Jasmine when she has her cloak on? Pictures with Wesley, Colleen and Candace, and she signed the girls shirts. We didnt do any signing for Wesley this trip, since he pretty much has them all. Next was Mulan (one of the few who hadnt signed Wesleys shirt, but oh well). Then came Snow White. More pictures and shirt signing.
And then~out came Princess Aurora. You must remember, surely, that Princess Aurora is Wesleys favorite princess? And also, perhaps you recall that weve had some splendid times with various Auroras that weve seen over the last couple of years? One of the best was in December of 2004, when we saw Aurora in the little garden in France. She had the hiccups, which was priceless! And there was no one around Wesley had her to himself for about 15 minutes. They talked about all kinds of things, like the fact that he had asked Santa for a kitchen, and would cook Aurora a hot dog if he got his kitchen. We wrote a letter about her, she was so wonderful with him, and treated her hiccups so royally but had not seen her since. So imagine our delight to see that this was OUR Princess Aurora!! After pictures and signing, I asked if she remembered our meeting when she had the hiccups. She did!! She called Wesley Hiccup Boy because she couldnt recall his name. And she thanked us for the letter we sent, gave Wesley a kiss and asked Wesley to please come visit her in France later in the day. Hooray!! Our day was already made!
After breakfast (I was on lots of drugs, so I was making it), Mark and Keith rushed over to get FPs for Soarin. We were to meet them at Living With The Land. But no, Mark tries to read my mind and cut us off somewhere, which then resulted in us searching for one another for about 20 minutes. Honey, just do what I tell you to do, okay?? So we finally got together and headed for Character Connection. Saw Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and Donald. Waited a few minutes, and saw Max, Mary Poppins, Rafiki, and Goofy. Colleen did great, though she was a little unsure of Rafiki. Goofy liked Candace. A lot. Made her give him three kisses. Acted as though he were taking her away we all thought this was hilarious. Candace, not so much. (Ah, if only it had been Aladdin!)
I didnt take notes for this report, so I may be making all of this up. Well see how mine tallies with Marks. But this is MY report, so this is what I *think* happened.
We left CC and went to Soarin. This turned out to be just about everyones favorite, I think. We got FPs for Living with the Land, got a snack from Seasons, and went to ride Figment. Played for a while (much longer than we would have ordinarily, but Candace and Colleen were really interested in all of the stuff in there). Time for the Land, which everyone thought was neat. Michele really liked the Mickey Mouse Cinderella Pumpkins. Then we headed to the Living Seas for Turtle Talk with Crush. We had to wait a while for this, but this was another favorite. Crush didnt talk to any of us, but it is still a really neat show! From there, I *think* we went to have our Disney Visa picture made. Then we rode Spaceship Earth and picked up our picture, which turned out great.
Is it finally time to go back to World Showcase?? Candace wanted to ride Mission: Space, but none of us did, so Mark said hed ride with her. They went that way, the rest of us went to Mexico, and rode El Rio del Tiempo. We met up with them in front of Mexico, and went on to Norway to ride Maelstrom. In Germany, we stopped for a picture with Snow White, and got pretzels (K,M and the girls) and wine (Me and Mark). In France we saw Belle and Beast (same Belle from this morning). Sleeping Beauty wasnt out at the time. From here, I really dont remember everything. I know that we went back to France not long after that, because Aurora WAS out, and we saw her. Got some great pics of her and Wesley. We also saw Pooh and Tigger in the UK (Michele got a stuffed Pooh for him to sign). Beyond those stops, I really think we just walked all the way around to Canada, because we had a 5:40 ADR and we were going to try and get in a little early, which we did.
Le Cellier was a highlight, mealwise, and we were glad of that. They had chosen it, because they love steaks, and we were worried they wouldnt like it, would think it was over priced, etc. No worries! Everyone loved their food. All the adults got the 7oz filet with mashed potatoes. Kiddos got grilled chicken (Colleen) and hot dog (Wesley). Mark and I had wine with our dinner, and the cheese plate to start. K/M had the Tomato Stack appetizer. I didnt think the cheese plate was as wonderful as the one they used to serve, but it was still very good. Much better than the one we had in France. For dessert, Wesley had the moose thing, Keith and Candace shared the Chocolate Cake, Mark also ordered the chocolate cake and shared with Michele, Colleen and me, and Michele had the Chocolate Vanilla Martini, which we all tried, and it was fabulous. Everything was kind of lost on me, because my taster was off, and I wasnt feeling all that great, so Mark got to eat about half of my dinner, also. But I was really, really glad that they enjoyed the meal so much.
We stopped back by Morocco, where all the girls got to see Aladdin (the boys had gone to get Soarin FPs, I think). This was the highlight of the trip for Candace!! Then came the highlight of the trip for the boys: MoRockin! Wesley and Colleen were dancing, and the belly dancer chick asked Wesley to dance with her, but he refused. So she got another little girl to dance with her. Then after their set, we got pictures of the kids with her~and the boys with her. Keith and Mark were very happy!! Afterwards, I believe we stopped in Mexico to ride again, since Candace and Mark had missed it the first go-round. Then it was off to Soarin once more. Still a favorite!
Then it was time to find a place for Illuminations. We had a great spot right at the International Gateway. Illuminations was grand, as always.
We finished out the evening at Mouse Gear, with a little shopping. Then back to our rooms to sleep and get ready for a great day at the Magic Kingdom!
Day 3, (Magic Kingdom: no set meal plans):
We wanted to be there in time for Park Opening, and by taking the ferry, we just made it. We strolled in, and headed straight for Fantasyland. Peter Pan was a walk-on. I think we did PhilharMagic next, which we love. Not sure Colleen liked it too much, though. Next up was a visit to Ariels Grotto. Surprisingly, the boys didnt insist on a picture with Ariel. Maybe they were too busy enjoying the view to think of it. Then we made our way to Toon Town, and got in line to see the Princesses (on the way, we stopped to get FPs for Pooh). We were hoping to see Dinah again, and maybe, just maybe, she would offer to take their shirts to have them signed. She was there, and she did!! In the princess room we saw Aurora, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Snow White. Then we all went to ride Snow White, except Mark, who took off for FPs for Buzz Lightyear. We agreed to meet him in front of Pooh. After riding Pooh, we decided it was time for lunch. We thought Cosmic Rays would be a good choice, and after standing in three different lines to get our food, we all met at a table. After lunch everyone was feeling much better. Off to Buzz Lightyear! From there, I think we got FPs for Space Mountain and then went to Adventureland to ride Pirates of the Carribean (grabbed FPs for Splash Mountain before we left). Then, as I recall, we backtracked to Tomorrowland to use our FPs for Space Mountain. First Mark, Candace and I rode, then she rode again with her mom and dad.
Now it was time to get a spot for the parade. We were right in front of the Barber Shop, and the parade wouldnt be to us for a while, so the girls took the opportunity to shop in the Emporium while the boys let their barkin dogs rest with a little sit down. We saw Terk, before she went to have a banana, and Robin Hood, then Wesley and I went back in to the store, with Michele and the girls. In the store, we ran into our friend Jen, talked for a little while, then made plans to meet up later. Then it was parade time, which was a lot of fun. Colleen enjoyed it, too, because she could wave at a distance, and they werent right in her face.
Parade over, we went back to Splash Mountain. None of us were keen on getting wet, but we (always prepared~ha, so we thought!!) had ponchos for everyone. I forgot to mention that while we were riding Space Mountain, Keith and Michele had bought Wesley and Colleen big bottles of Sprite. And that Wesley had drunk most of his. So as the ride is ending, and were waiting to disembark, Wesley says, urgently, Ive got to go!!! And were waiting, and waiting, and hitting the boat in front of us, and I just had a bad feeling about it and right before we got off, it happened. Now dont worry, anyone, he had the poncho on, and it basically just soaked his pants. The seat wasnt wet at all. But then we were on a quest to find some dry pants, because we, the always prepared Disney family, had not brought any extra clothes. I took Wesley to Main Street to find pants, and the others went to Toon Town to retrieve the shirts from Dinah. No pants. No where. Well, thats not true. They had size 24 month, and size 8. No toddler sizes. What a pain!! Finally met back up with the others in front of BTMRR. Rode anyway (by now he was drying out somewhat). Enjoyed BTMRR~all of us. Then decided wed buy the Captain Hook costume (which he wanted anyway) for the pants. Finally got that accomplished, and got Wesley changed. We strolled back to Main Street, with the goal being to get a good spot for the last Cinderellabration show. Wesley, Colleen and I parked it in front of the castle, while the others went shopping on Main Street, and then getting our dinner at Caseys. At some point, Wesley again tells me (urgently) that he needs to GO! So I ask the people next to us if theyll hold our place, throw him in the stroller, grab Colleens hand, and RACE to the bathroom between Caseys and Crystal Palace. Whew. Crisis averted. Now RACE back to the castle to retrieve our spot. The others arrived in about 5 minutes. We ate while watching the show. In the middle, two boys stepped over me and our food (knocking some of it on the ground) and stood right in front of Wesley and Colleen. Keith told them to move, and they did, but by then we were so aggravated, what with the spilled food, etc and then Colleen knocked over her drink and it went all over HER food so Cinderellabration wasnt as wonderful as Id hoped. Especially since The Prince was that other, less desirable Prince. *sigh*
Back to Fantasyland, where Michele took Wesley and the girls on the carousel. Then we went on Small World. Where Wesley, once again, had an accident. Good grief! Hes been potty trained for over a year, and the only three accidents hes had have been in the last month!! I was afraid that Mark was going to forget that he was a preacher. He restrained himself, but just barely. We returned Wesley to the still damp original pants, and by now it was dark and getting chilly. Im sure he was uncomfortable.
We found a spot for Wishes, and got comfortable~well, as comfortable as possible, with three of us in not-very-good moods, and one of us, in particular, in very uncomfortable clothing, and the other four kind of wary because of our moods but Wishes was still great!
Then we joined the masses exiting the park. We called Jen and left her a message, and somehow, she found us in the mass of people on Main Street. Made plans to meet at our resort. Then waited forever for a ferry back to the parking lot, and it seemed to take forever to get back to POR.
Once there, I gave Wesley a quick bath and got him in his jammies, while Jen helped Michele with Colleen (who had fallen asleep while waiting for the ferry). Then we all went to the food court. It was pretty late, I was worn out, and stressed out, from all of the drama with Wesley, I hadnt taken medicine in quite a while, and suddenly I realized I was feeling sort of funny. Like, so funny that I had to go sit outside in the cold. Thought I was going to be sick, but I wasnt. So after a while, I went back in. Listened to the conversation for a bit, then had to go back outside. Went in again, then back out. This time I didnt go back in til the others were ready to go. Felt a little better as we walked back to the room. Jen had taken over care of Wesley, so Mark could help me. She came in the room with us, pronounced me dehydrated (I think she was right), and continued taking care of Wesley, even putting him into bed. (At this point, I actually did get sick.) She got Wesley in bed, and told them goodbye, and said she was going to leave so Mark could make sure I was okay. Wow. We need more friends like Jen!
Day 4 (Park Fare, Downtown Disney, home):
After a good nights sleep, I was feeling much better. We loaded up, went to browse in the gift shop, and headed for the Grand Floridian. I drank plenty of water and juice, we all ate our fill (still our favorite character meal), and enjoyed seeing Alice, Mad Hatter, Pooh and Tigger. Oh, and the Fairy Godmother, who had the hiccups. We seem to attract hiccupping characters!
A couple of hours at Downtown Disney, some sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich, and we were on our way. Raced to the cars to beat the rain (missed it by about 3 minutes, but fortunately no one got too wet), got gas at the Hess station, and started north. Two potty breaks, and we were home around 9pm.
Afterthoughts:
We had never before considered going with another family to Disney. We spend half our life with these people, so we know them pretty well, and we were pretty confident that wed have a good time with them. We did, certainly. But it is always harder to travel with other people, who dont know your schedules, routines, etc. It still worked out fine, and we had a great trip.
One thing we hadnt really thought about was having to share the characters with the girls. Wesley is soooo into the characters and we were constantly battling the wanting Wesley to spend time with them versus letting Colleen have a chance, etc. For instance, we would say to Colleen, Tell Mickey so and so and Wesley would jump in and tell Mickey himself. I dont think Colleen minded at all, because she didnt really want to talk to them anyway, but we still felt bad about it, and hoped Keith and Michele werent too upset.
And another interesting thing~Colleen wanted to ride everything with me. That was fine with me, she was no trouble at all, but I didnt want Michele (or Keith) to be upset by that.
All in all, it was a lot of fun, and Mark is trying to figure out when we can go again. We have APs, you know, so well be there again soon, I feel certain!
There's nothing worse than being sick while on vacation!
He actually did good and didn't forget anything though (thanks to my list)!
