thewise's Family Trip 12/04-12/13 (*complete in this thread!*)

[erikthewise]

Cast
Self: Family planner. Likes seafood, gets up too early, walks too fast. Thinks that entering a park after the scheduled opening is like walking in on a movie after it’s started. Can accurately estimate the duration of any sequence of activities, and hates being late.
DW: Family photographer. Hates seafood, likes to sleep in, walks too slow. Doesn’t like being rushed. Not a slave to the clock.
DS11: Doesn’t like anything that has a hint of a thrill; doesn’t even like Maelstrom. Loves interactive games, arcades, slow rides, and hamburgers.
DS8: Will ride anything. Has both the enthusiasm and the patience of a forest fire. Doesn’t like anything that isn’t a ride or a meal, unless it’s his idea. Tall enough for Rock’n’Roller Coaster for the first time!

Our agenda for this vacation is a 4-day Disney cruise followed by 4 nights at Beach Club Villas in a one-bedroom suite. Since our cruise begins on Sunday, we are leaving Saturday morning and spending the night at Villas at Wilderness Lodge in a studio.

I have also posted a restaurant report and cruise trip report, so those details will not be repeated here.
restaurant report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=698797
cruise trip report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=699937

 

[erikthewise]

12/04 Sat: Wilderness Tales
We left the house at 5:35AM for our 8:05 Airtran nonstop from Dayton to Orlando. After dropping off everyone and the luggage, I was able to get an economy parking space close to the terminal, and walked back in. We checked five bags and headed for security.

It did not go smoothly. I sent the boys through first, grabbed my stuff and sat down to put my shoes back on. Then I heard DW shout something. They had taken DS8’s backpack for inspection. I was pretty much helpless but struggled to pick up my shoes along with my two carry-on bags and stumbled over to see what was going on. In the meanwhile DW had abandoned most of her stuff to follow the backpack. In the meanwhile her camera was being inspected and taken apart (they removed the case or something).

It turned out that someone (not me!) had put three metal toy cars in his backpack, and of course that set off the detectors. That was cleared up, and I again sat down to put my shoes back on. Now DW starts screaming about the stuff she is missing, and makes two or three trips back to the conveyor belt to retrieve it piece by piece. We survived; later we decide that next time she goes through security first. And we’re not going to put metal items in carry-on bags again, are we?

The 717’s that Airtran flies have 2-3 seating, and by getting online exactly 24 hours in advance I was able to get two rows of 2 seats each near the front. There was a significant delay for de-icing the wings, but once we were airborne they told us we would arrive on time (10:18). We were actually about five minutes late but that’s not bad at all. We retrieved our luggage and headed over to National to pick up a car.

When we reached the fullsize aisle (Terminal A), there were only 5 cars available, 4 Centuries (which I do NOT like) and one Camry LE. Naturally I took the Camry, which turned out to have less than 500 miles on it! It was a joy to drive; it must have been a V6. I had been hoping for an Impala or Intrepid because of their larger trunks, but the Camry's trunk was about the same size as our Accord at home so it worked out OK. In the future I will gladly take a Camry. The fullsize "aisle" was only half an aisle long. In previous years it had been a full aisle. The selection was disappointing.

We arrived at Wilderness Lodge a little before noon and checked in. They had three studios ready and we took the closest one, literally the closest room in the entire Villas! Room 1501 is a dedicated studio that is the very first room inside the first entrance (not the main entrance), and therefore the shortest walk to the Lobby and the parking lot. This was very convenient considering we had to bring in most of our luggage and take it all back out to the car the next day. We usually stay in a one-bedroom suite, but since it was on a weekend and only for one night, I thought we’d save some points by staying in a studio for the first time.

Before going to our room we had lunch at Whispering Canyon. Lots of fun but pretty intense, and you need to be in the mood for it. After lunch DW crashed in our room, and the boys and I rented bikes and rode them to Fort Wilderness and back. There really isn’t anywhere else to go with the bikes, but this gave us a chance to find Pioneer Hall where we would be for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue that evening. On the way back we saw several deer near the bike path; they were not frightened but neither did they approach us. They must have been “Floridian Dwarf Deer” (my term) as they were much smaller than the large deer I see along my favorite bike path back in Ohio.

When we got back we relocked the bikes to the bike rack and returned the keys. Having to unlock all three bikes and relock them on return is a bit of a pain. When I got back to the room I discovered my room key was missing! I returned to the bike rental desk and sure enough they had it. I forgot I gave it to them when I rented the bikes!

I went to the front desk at WL to ask about transportation to the 5:00 showing of Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, and he told me “they want you there at 4:30”. That made things kind of tight. I had planned to take the boat, but as we couldn’t be sure when a boat would arrive, I insisted that we walk over to Fort Wilderness to make sure we were there by 4:30. When I checked in at Pioneer Hall at 4:25, they told us they would not begin seating until 5:00, and there was no point to standing in line as tables were preassigned. So getting there at 4:55 would have been just as good as 4:25! I was steamed. They say there are lies, damn lies, and statistics, and this was the middle one – that CM knew perfectly well they don’t need us there at 4:30. We could have taken a leisurely boat ride over and had time to spare instead of going on a forced march! I suppose it was my own fault for believing the CM at the front desk. It won’t happen again.

Since we had a half-hour to kill we grabbed four rocking chairs on the porch in front of Crockett’s Tavern. But DS8 doesn’t understand “sitting down”. He kept bugging me to partake in the minimal distractions available near Pioneer Hall. He wanted to try a foot massage machine that took quarters, but I didn’t have any. Then he wanted us to drive around in a golf cart. Then he asked for each about four times more before giving up.

I had noticed there were golf carts near Pioneer Hall but there were no signs concerning their use, so I thought they were for the use of Cast Members or Fort Wilderness guests. So the first time he asked I said no because I didn’t think it was allowed. Slowly it became clear that other people were renting them and driving around in them for fun, but I never did find out where you had to go to rent them – I didn’t ask since I wasn’t going to do it anyway.

The Revue was fine (details in the restaurant review), but at $50 per adult we won’t be going back for a few years, if ever. Cirque du Soleil is a bargain by comparison, even though you don’t get a meal. Afterward we hopped a boat back to Wilderness Lodge; it came quickly and there wasn’t much of a line. Since we had been up since 4:15 that morning, we went to bed soon after we got back, about 8:15(!) The last thing I remember was the dreaded message light on the telephone. If you don’t deal with it, it flashes in your face all night long, but it takes several minutes and a few button pushes to turn it off, and the message is always meaningless. I just shoved the phone down between the end table and the bed and went to sleep.

12/05 Sun: We're Off to Sea, the Wonder
We got plenty of sleep so we got up a little early. I took a shower, then the boys and I went over to Roaring Forks about 7:00 to rustle some grub for breakfast, which we brought back to our room. DW wanted something else so I made a second trip. No problem from room 1501! We packed everything back up, and made a stop at Wilderness Mercantile to see if we could find a replacement battery for DW’s camera, which crapped out yesterday. Sure enough they had it! We rolled and dragged our luggage back out to the car, and set off for our cruise at 9:50!

cruise trip report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=699937

 

[erikthewise]

12/09 Thu: Bare-Legged Gentlemen
We left Port Canaveral a little before 8:00, and arrived at the Beach Club a little after 9:00. We went ahead and checked in. Of course our room wasn’t ready yet, but I peeked at the computer screen and saw that were assigned room 529. We did not see Art the Greeter at any time during our stay; I wonder if he’s still working there.

After checking in, we headed to Epcot through the International Gate, and reached Test Track (DS8’s request) around 9:30. It wasn’t at all crowded, and he and I more or less walked on. DW decided to wait with DS11, who won’t do this ride. I thought DS11 was old enough to wait by himself, and that DW would come with us. If I’d known she was going to do that, I would have offered to wait with DS11 myself.

Anyway it was DS11’s turn to choose, and he chose Spaceship Earth. There was a short line, but it moved quickly and we were on in less than five minutes. The play area at the end of the ride is now gone as AT&T has withdrawn sponsorship, but we spent a lot of time there in the past so I’m not going to cry too hard about it. Nevertheless when you add the closure of Wonders of Life, there is a signiificant decrease in the amount of “play area” available in Future World. No problem for the people who never do anything other than headliner attractions, but it does impact children who enjoy these areas.

We probably should have done Living Seas next, but instead we did Honey I Shrunk the Audience and Journey into Imagination (Figment), which does still have a nice play area at the end. We were too close to lunch to do something else in between, so we were able to spend some time there. This was also the first time we had seen the Kodak preshow at Honey I Shrunk the Audience. In the past our timing had been good and we’d always been able to just walk into a show.

Lunch was at Garden Grill, an annual tradition for us. We’ve eaten there every time we’ve been on vacation in WDW, and we never get tired of it. We were there about 15 minutes early so I tried to call the Beach Club to see if our room was ready, using the number they’d given me. First I tried the pay phone, but it insisted I dial the full 10-digit number, which seemed nutty, so I went back to the podium at the restaurant and asked if I could use their phone. After a couple tries I got through and no, it wasn’t ready yet. After lunch, I tried again and this time it was “not quite ready”. Since we were a somewhat tired after getting up early for our breakfast on the cruise ship that morning, we decided to head back toward BCV.

We stopped at Canada to listen to the “Off Kilter” show, good basic rock and roll by “bare-legged gentlemen” (in kilts; wouldn’t that be a great name for a rock band?!) I would have liked to have stayed longer, but it did not agree with DW’s musical tastes, so we moved along after a few minutes. Just yesterday we were looking at pictures from our trip, and DS8 said of them “Do you think they were wearing underwear?”

When we got back to Beach Club our room was ready. And we really did get 529! We couldn’t see Spaceship Earth from our room as we could the last couple years, but we could see much of World Showcase.

It was a good time for me to go shopping and for everyone to relax for awhile. All we really needed was beverages and breakfast food as we had plans for all our lunches and dinners. We had been to the Publix at the corner of 192 and International Drive South a couple times before, but this time I took a good look and the map and found the perfect way to get there from BCV. I took Epcot Resorts Blvd to Buena Vista Drive, turned right and took World Drive South to Osceola Drive East (next exit). I followed this to International Drive South. You can’t miss the Gaylord Palms resort on the right! Turn right here, and very soon you find Publix on the left. Quick and painless, only three minor traffic lights! Much better than taking 192, and I’ll bet it’s quicker than going to the one on Vineland Ave.

After I got back and put the groceries away, the boys and I put on our suits and hustled down to Stormalong Bay at 4:00. Fortunately I remembered to bring all three room cards as we need them to get wristbands. The middle section was closed for rehab, but we usually just use the part nearest Beach Club anyway. We got a (free) life vest for DS8 as he has more fun with it on. We swam for about 45 minutes and then went back to get ready for dinner. DW was not feeling like eating dinner so the boys and I went to our 5:30 PS at Spoodles on the Boardwalk.

After dinner, we headed back to Epcot. We explored the France, UK, and Canada pavilions, saw the 180° movie at France, caught the end of the Father Christmas story telling at UK, and saw the 360° movie at Canada. DS8 was not at all thrilled as these were neither rides nor food, but he survived. When we got out of the Canada movie it was about 9:15. DS8 wanted to go back to the room so DW went with him.

I wanted to stay for Illuminations, and DS11 stayed with me. We were lucky to get a good viewing spot just opposite the Canada Pavilion. It helped that we only needed space for one person, with me standing behind DS11. We saw the special Holiday ending to Illuminations which was new this year; it was very good and of the same quality as the rest of the show. Just as important was the new speaker system installed around World Showcase since last year. It really made a big difference in my enjoyment of Illuminations, my favorite attraction in all of WDW. I used to say that playing my Illuminations CD at home produced much better sound than what I heard in Epcot, but this is no longer true! The sound in Epcot is now CD quality and just as loud as at home, a considerable achievement for an outdoor sound system!

 

[erikthewise]

12/10 Fri: Walk This Way

Today was MGM day. We left our room a little after 8:30 and took the car. Although MGM is about a 3-minute drive from Beach Club, cars entering from Buena Vista Drive are given less-than-royal treatment. You get a complete tour of the parking lot, being routed all over the place, bypassing hundreds of good parking spaces, then finally parked out in right field somewhere. We walked to the park entrance as it wasn’t that much farther than the tram stop, and entered the park right at opening time.

Today was DS8’s first chance to ride Rock’n’Roller Coaster! I was happy to go with him, but DS11 won’t even ride Goofy’s Barnstormer, and DW would not do well on it without a serious dose of dramamine. And DW sometimes complains when I go on a thrill ride with DS8, “leaving them alone”. So I decided we would see Great Movie Ride first after I grabbed fastpasses for Rock’n’Roller Coaster; then we could do something together first. This would be a great plan on a busy day, but this was not a busy day, and everything went wrong!

When I rejoined them in front of Great Movie Ride, DW said “why didn’t you just take him?” (meaning DS8 to Rock’n’Roller Coaster). Honestly, if we go on something and it’s an absolute walk-on, she complains that it takes too long; there’s just no pleasing some people.

We had apparently just missed the first tram of the day as the theatre was empty when we went in. The silver lining was that we got to see just about the entire preshow and also listen to the CM at the turnstile give a little narration along with it. She was a real movie buff. Also we got to sit in the very front row, next to the guide!

The guide was really put to the test today because there were several delays totaling 10-15 minutes. She did a good job of filling the still time with movie trivia, though one delay was so long she had to resort to telling us about scenes we hadn’t reached yet!

Afterward DS8 and I went to Rock’n’Roller Coaster. When we do a thrill ride without the other two I always give DW a suggestion about what she and DS11 could do, but she said they’d just wait for us. It turned out to be such a short line that they weren’t even taking fastpasses (good but a little annoying). When we got out, the other two were nowhere to be seen! So what did we do? What any sensible Disney freaks would do – we went again! The line was a little longer this time but still no more than 10 minutes. This time they were waiting for us when we got out; apparently DW had been down at the corner doing a little shopping.

That makes three times I’ve ridden it now. Each time I see Steven Tyler, I say to him mentally, “Thank you, THANK YOU, for Liv!” Next year I’m sure DS8 will ask to do Tower of Terror. He hinted at it this year. I’m not sure that I want to do it. Next year no doubt I will be doomed to go on it with him.

DW is a big Millionaire fan, and the boys wanted to go the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, so we split up again. I took the boys to the playground and said we’d meet her at the Millionaire exit. While we were in the playground somehow I managed to rip a scab off the side of my knee from an injury a couple weeks old. I didn’t notice it until two women (obviously a mother and grandmother) told me my leg was bleeding! One of them offered me a bandaid of exactly the right size. I thanked them and complemented them on their preparedness, and left the bandaid on until we got home, as I didn’t have a replacement for it.

It turned out that Millionaire had a fire alarm go off while DW was in there, and they evacuated the theatre! We had a 12:00 PS at Mama Melrose’s , and there wasn’t time to do another attraction in between, so we wandered over toward the restaurant and got there about 15 minutes early. Everyone was pretty tired by then; DS8 was crabby, DS11 wanted to eat a Sci-Fi or Pizza Planet (which we usually do but I wanted to try something different this year). DW was grousing about how both of the things she did had problems. It was clear we would be going back to our room after lunch, and so we did, but we took the boat back.

After relaxing in our room for a couple hours, we took the boat back to MGM; our car was still there! DW wanted to catch the 5:15 Millionaire show, and so she did. The rest of us went to Star Tours, and managed to squeak in One Mans Dream (movie only) before meeting her at 5:35. We decided to go see Muppets 3D and then the Osborne Lights. However we made the mistake of trying to cross NY street to get to the Muppets. It turned out that New York Street was roped off for Osborne Lights traffic control, so we couldn’t get to the Muppet Theatre from there. Even though we were only 50 feet away, we had to claw our way upstream against a surging crowd entering New York Street from the north to see the lights (which weren’t yet lit). So it took us 10-15 minutes to make a miserable roundabout trip to Muppets instead of the 2 minutes it should have taken. While we enjoyed Muppets, when it was over we had no stomach for fighting the crowds again to see the lights. Maybe next year. We took the car back to BCV.

We still had big plans for that evening! But first things first – we still needed to eat dinner. This was the one meal for which we had no advance plans, but I figured we would try Beaches & Cream, and if that was busy (what else?) we’d go to Yacht Club Galley. When we reached Beaches & Cream, I asked at the podium outside how long a wait they had. “It’s an hour wait for a table, (“We’re outta here”) but I can seat you immediately at the counter.” (“Wait a minute! Say that again!?”) So we ate at Beaches & Cream at about 7:00.

We had booked an Illuminations Cruise for that evening. There were six other passengers on our boat for a total of ten, which kept the cost reasonable. We met at the Yacht Club boathouse about 8:30, and departed about 8:45. The pilot liked to joke with us, especially with our boys, as they were the only children on the cruise. Both of them got to “drive” the boat for awhile. We made a leisurely trip down the canal to MGM and back, and about 9:15 we parked underneath the bridge between the international gateway and France in Epcot. I love Illuminations and had no problem seeing it for the second night in a row. It was a good viewing spot though not necessarily any better than many places in World Showcase. But there were no trees or other people blocking the view, and we had comfortable seats, and most importantly the smoke did not blow in our direction! The only downer was that DS8, the only one of us who hadn’t yet seen Illuminations, slept through most of it.

 

[erikthewise]

12/11 Sat: Separate Lives

Even in the best of vacations, people need some time apart…

Just kidding, but today was DW’s day for the Yuletide Fantasy Tour. Taking tours is difficult for families with children, but we decided to do a couple this year. I offered DW the option to take a tour by herself while I took the boys somewhere, and she chose this one. Why was I being so thoughtful? Because secretly I wanted to do the Segway Tour in Epcot. But it turned out there was no good time to do it, so I never reserved it for myself.

The Yuletide Fantasy Tour starts in Epcot, and they drive you all over WDW to check out decorations, including the main holiday decoration workshop behind Magic Kingdom. Since the tour meets at the main entrance at 8:45, we drove there from Beach Club. Without a rental car, DW would have had to convince the CM’s at the International Gate to let her through about 8:30, as there is no Disney transportation from Epcot resorts to the main entrance.

I had originally planned to spend the morning at Animal Kingdom, which would be our only visit there this trip. But DS8 lobbied hard for Magic Kingdom. Normally we never go to MK on a Saturday, but since DS8 was not going to have a good time if I forced him to go to Animal Kingdom, I gave in. After making sure DW found her tour group, we took the monorail to the TTC. I suggested taking the ferry, which the boys have never done, but DS8 insisted on the monorail.

The express monorail stopped short of the Contemporary and waited for about 10 minutes. We could see what was happening – another monorail was waiting to enter the track from the spur that goes to the monorail hangar. I don’t know why it took them until 9:15 to figure out they would need another monorail; hey guys, it’s Saturday! While we were sitting there waiting I saw the ferry going past.

We finally entered MK about 9:30. It wasn’t as crowded as I had feared. In fact by choosing our rides carefully, we were able to do quite a bit. The top priority was the new Stitch attractions, so we headed for Tomorrowland and grabbed fastpasses for Stitch’s Great Escape, then got in line for Buzz Lightyear. Except there wasn’t much of a line at all and we got on fairly quickly.

Next we went to Adventureland, which was open even though it was still a little before 10:00. Last year Adventureland didn’t open until 10:00; I hope that’s a thing of the past now. But even at 10:00 Adventureland was almost deserted. DW doesn’t like Pirates of the Caribbean or Jungle Cruise, so DS8 had never been on either one; this morning was a good time to do those. We went to Pirates of the Caribbean first, which was a walkon, then backtracked to Jungle Cruise, where we had to wait about ten minutes. Jungle Cruise has to be the lamest ride in WDW bar none, but it’s fun due to the boat pilot’s droll pun-filled narration. Still it would be really nice if Disney decided to do something more up-to-date with this ride. DS8 enjoyed both of these rides. I was not sure if he would since they are not thrill rides.

It was time to use our fastpasses for Stitch, so we returned to Tomorrowland, only to find it was out of operation! No Stitch today! We rode the Blue Line (Tomorrowland Transit Authority) instead. The final stop for today was Tom Sawyer Island. Since we would be having a late lunch, we needed to get a snack first. DS11 was picky and rejected the offerings from an ice cream stand and Cosmic Ray’s. We finally settled on the chocolate chunk cookies at Mrs. Potts Cupboard.

Tom Sawyer’s Island is an oasis of peaceful fun in the middle of MK. No lines, no hassles, no frazzled tourists, no overstressed parents or whining kids. Everyone there always seems to be having a good time. It probably helps that it is free of people trying to “get their money’s worth” by doing as many headliner attractions as possible. All this makes it a great place to spend 45 minutes late Saturday morning. I’ve heard that the fort on Tom Sawyer’s Island in Disneyland has been changed, not for the better, and the same could happen at WDW. I encouraged the boys to play there just in case it is changed in the near future.

We were planning to meet DW for lunch, and had a PS at Chefs de France in Epcot at 1:30. Getting from one place to another in WDW is always a multi-step process, and everything takes time. So around noon we left Tom Sawyer’s Island. You never have to wait long for a raft back to the “mainland”, but the crossing does take about ten minutes altogether, as does walking back to the park exit.

On the way we stopped so I could get a Dole Whip I’d heard so much about on these boards. I was confused when they asked “What flavor?” Who’d have thought Dole Whips also come in chocolate and vanilla? DS8 helped eat it.

Get your hands stamped on the way out! Then up to the express monorail station, wait for one to arrive, get on and ride back to TTC. Then cross over to the Epcot monorail, wait for one to arrive, get on, and ride back to Epcot. Then we have to reenter Epcot, going through security, etc., and walk through Future World. At this point we have already done a lot of walking, so we decide to take the boat across the lake. It takes longer than walking, primarily because those boats wait forever for passengers. We get off in Morocco, right next door to France. By the time we get to the podium at Chefs de France, it is 1:18. Perfect timing! (See personal description in the first post!)

But where is DW? Just now she calls on the walkie-talkie to say she has just arrived back in Epcot! The tour is advertised as “3 ½ hours”; fortunately I have read reviews that said this tour always runs overtime, which is why I left another hour before our lunch reservation. But even still, running 50 minutes late is out of line. Why can’t they just say 4-4.5 hours? We are seated soon, and I let the boys order as they are not used to waiting this long for lunch. DW arrives at 1:35 and then the two of us order and enjoy a nice leisurely lunch.

After lunch, DW was pretty tired from her tour and went back to our room, but the boys want to see Ellen’s Energy Adventure. So we walked all the way across Epcot to see it. This is one attraction for which you definitely want to “go before you go”, especially after a lunch with french onion soup and diet coke! It lasts 45 minutes and there is no way to exit after the first ten or fifteen minutes. Afterward we were pretty tired and decided to head back; we’d done a lot of walking that day. So we missed our last chance to see Turtle Talk with Crush at Living Seas; you just can’t do everything in four days. Both yesterday and tomorrow were busy days so today had to be a rest day. We left by the main entrance, and after hunting a little managed to find our car and drove back to BCV.

I had planned for us to see the Tree Lighting Ceremony in Epcot at 6:00, but at 5:30 nobody had any energy. We did manage to get to Morocco for our 6:45 dinner PS. I’d been wanted to eat here for three years, and this year we finally got around to it. Restaurant Marrakesh has beautiful architecture, good (if uneven) food, and live entertainment with a belly dancer! The belly dancer at one point invited a woman seated near to dance with her, and she was pretty good too! I was also seated right next to the dance floor, but she didn’t invite me to dance with her (sigh). If we’d eaten here for a Candlelight Processional package, it would’ve cost $106. But with our DVC discount it only cost $65 including tax and tip; and I even ordered the Royal Feast! I look forward to returning.

We had a big day in Magic Kingdom coming tomorrow, so after dinner we went right back to our room and watched Mickey’s Magical Christmas on DVD.

 

[erikthewise]

12/12 Sun: Polynesian Parking Patrol Paralyses Paranoid Parent Pursuing Party Parking Place

This was our big MK day, with a Family Magic tour in the morning and MVMCP in the evening. As we have the last couple years, we headed to MK for early entry at 8:00. DW complained “why do we have to drag our butts over there so early if the tour isn’t until 10:00?” The idea was to get the boys tired enough that they would take a nap in between and so be able to stay up late for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). Not until later in the day did DW tell me she had a cold.

So we left our room at 7:15 and drove to the Magic Kingdom parking lot, parked in the very first row, and walked to the monorail entrance. Last year we learned that early in the morning, when you enter the express monorail ramp, you still end up on the resort monorail! I suspect (but have never checked) that the ferry is not even running that early. So the monorail stopped at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. Even still we were in line about five minutes before 8:00. They began letting people through the turnstiles almost immediately, four minutes early!

We went to Fantasyland first and immediately DW wanted a restroom. Actually I needed one too. So we headed to the restroom on the other side of Peter Pan’s Flight as we wanted to do that ride first. A CM tried to stop us as he thought we were trying to go to Frontierland, but let us by when I explained our destination. Even with the pit stop, there was no wait for Peter Pan, and only a short line at Winnie the Pooh when we got there. Small World was closed, and the boys don’t seem to be interested in Dumbo or the Carousel anymore. (Actually I’d like to ride the Carousel again some time!)

As we entered Tomorrowland at about 8:35, DS8 wanted to go on Space Mountain. I had planned to let DW go with him while I stayed with DS11 (who won’t even do Barnstormer), but DW said she needs to take Dramamine and wait half an hour. (Why couldn’t she have taken it before leaving?!) I thought about explaining how right now there will be a 10-minute wait, but half an hour from now it will likely be twice as long. But instead I just suggested that I go with him now, and she go with him tonight at MVMCP. She was not happy, but acquiesced.

I timed it and it was actually 11 minutes from entering the Space Mountain line until we got into our car, not bad considering it takes about five minutes just to walk that far! For the third time in a row we were in seats 5 and 6! DW and DS11 rode Buzz Lightyear while they were waiting for us.

The four of us then headed over to Stitch’s Great Escape and this time had better luck – a show was just about to begin! I got separated from the rest of the family because of numbskull guests who didn’t move across the rows. The entrance was dark enough that you couldn’t easily see where there were vacant seats. So the other three ended up at the end of one row and I had to go find a seat somewhere else. Once my eyes adjusted I could see there were plenty of empty seats in the theatre. The show is harmless but not very entertaining for adults; I liked Alien Encounter a little better. But DS8 is a big Stitch fan and he got a kick out of it, and DS11 enjoys anything that doesn’t involve violent motion.

It was now about 9:10, and we were supposed to meet our Family Magic Tour on Main Street near the entrance at 9:45. This didn’t really give an opportunity to do another attraction without risking being late for the tour; in particular Tomorrowland Speedway can be a death trap in that situation! So we slowly migrated over toward Main Street and arrived at the meeting point around 9:40. This was good as we needed a break with a two-hour (or longer) tour ahead of us.

The boys needed a snack as we had an early breakfast and wouldn’t be eating lunch until 12:35. There was a popcorn cart conveniently located nearby, and that seemed perfect, so I went over to buy a box of popcorn. You could buy a box of popcorn for $2.50, or for $3.75 you could get a slightly larger souvenir plastic container with a lid. I thought about taking the popcorn on the tour with us, and decided the lidded container would be convenient for that. Besides, anything under $5.00 is completely inconsequential at Disney! So I took it back, and within five minutes the boys had eaten every crumb of popcorn! I ended up carrying the empty container through the entire tour, and we actually brought it home with us.

I won’t completely spoil the tour for you, but I’ll give a brief description. There were 18 people on our tour. Our guide was Adam and though not at all “perky”, he did an excellent job of getting all the children of different ages (3-16) involved. It involves a treasure hunt with an actual treasure map that leads you to nine different destinations throughout MK. At the end we got to meet Peter Pan and Wendy! We spent some quality time with them, taking photographs and telling stories. The funny thing was that Peter was the chatterbox and Wendy the quiet one, unlike in the movie. I think Wendy is my new favorite character!

Then Peter took us to Mickey’s Philharmagic and got us in the VIP entrance to sit in the front row with him! This was very welcome as I wasn’t sure how we were going to fit this attraction in. We got very nice certificates with our names on them. It was all over at 12:30, and we had a 12:35 lunch PS at the castle, right next door! It was true Disney magic, just like they had planned the tour to perfectly fit our plans!

During lunch it became clear that if we were to return for our 5:05 dinner PS at Liberty Tree Tavern, we wouldn’t have much time left for a nap in between. We considered other options and ended up making a 5:20 PS at Kona Café at the Polynesian (and cancelled LTT). It actually allowed us to spend another 45 minutes in our room. When we got back to our room, we pulled out the sleeper couch for DS8 and myself, and DS11 and DW were to nap on the king bed. Last year this worked and everyone got a nap. This year DS8 never stopped squirming for the entire 90 minutes we were down, so I didn’t get any sleep either. I don’t think the others got any sleep either.

We left our room about 4:50 for dinner, again taking the car. DW said we should park at the Polynesian and leave the car there when we went to MVMCP. I told her this was a no-no and I wasn’t going to do it, but in my mind I was waffling. We pulled up to the guard station and said we had a PS for Kona Café. The guard gave us a parking pass, and told us to drive away slowly as she was going to write down our license number! That made up my mind for me! I dropped off the others and headed back to Magic Kingdom parking. It wasn’t until the next day that I looked at the parking pass and noticed it expired at 2100. I’m sure they would have compacted our rental car if it was still in the Polynesian lot after that!

I was hoping to get a parking spot close either to the TTC or the Polynesian, but they were routing traffic way out in left field, and I ended up a spot that wasn’t close to anything! I noted the row number I was in, but not the character for this section of the lot. It was twilight and I’m not sure I could have seen it from my parking spot. It took about 3/4 mile of cross-country hiking to get back to the Polynesian so I was a little late. The others were seated already but I got there in time to order. Kona Café was a good choice; the food was excellent, and a trip to WDW is just not complete without visiting the Polynesian.

We arrived at the Christmas party about 6:45. The first thing we did was head for the family photo station in Adventureland. There was no line and we got that done quickly. We then continued into Adventureland, which was just about deserted, and rode Aladdin’s Magic Carpets with no line. To my surprise DW said we didn’t have to see the first parade, we could wait for the second one; that was my thinking too but when I suggested it last year she insisted on seeing the first one.

It was a cool evening so we didn’t even consider Splash Mountain. DW went on Big Thunder Mountain with DS8, and when they were finished I went with him; it was just about a walk-on. Afterward we went to the Country Bear Christmas Special. This was the first time the boys had seen the Country Bears, and the first time since 1992 for DW and I. With Food Rocks closed, the Bears have to carry the torch for animatronic musical reviews. Actually I liked Food Rocks better.

We headed up to Liberty Square, and grabbed some cookies and hot chocolate at Columbia Harbor House. It was cold enough that hot chocolate actually made sense. Then we did Haunted Mansion, also a walk-on. DW said she thought some things had been changed since last year. I don’t think there were any changes, but it’s hard to be sure. There is so much detail in that ride that you notice different things each time.

We cut through Fantasyland and rode Snow White, which no one but myself had been on before. For a good reason: I had always steered them past it, knowing it was a pretty lame ride. We continued into Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear and the Blue Line (the “people mover”).

It was now about 8:45, so rather than try to do another ride, we walked toward the castle and staked out a spot along the fence for Wishes at 9:15. We managed to get a spot right underneath Tinkerbell’s flight! It was nice to watch the show with no one in front of us. But after the fireworks we realized we weren’t going to be able to stay any longer. Not only were the boys getting tired, but the backpack with their jackets had been left in the car, and it was getting too cold for them to stay without the jackets. We stopped on Main Street for DW to do a little shopping, then left the park about 10:00.

Our car was buried so deep in the parking lot that we had to take a tram back to it, which we seldom do. I knew we were in row 91, and so listened for that row. But at the last stop, our row still hadn’t been called! I ran up to the driver and asked why row 91 hadn’t been called. She said it was near this stop and pointed the way. But for some reason it wasn’t in the range of rows she had announced. They seem to assume you remember both the character and the row number!

Leaving the parking lot, I drove quite a way before DW pointed out the headlights weren’t on! I had been struggling with the headlights on this Camry throughout the trip. It was a three-position switch on the turn signal arm. Both our cars at home have a two-position switch, and I just about had to dislocate my wrist to turn this switch far enough and hard enough to get to the third position, which turned the headlights on. The second position was “auto”, which for some reason did not turn the headlights on at nighttime. Nevertheless we made it back to Beach Club in one piece.

 

[erikthewise]

12/13 Mon: All Good Things

We slept in a little today and took it easy packing up. We left our room about 11:00 and walked over to the Dolphin for our 11:30 lunch PS at Fresh. This turned out to be a disappointment as there was no children’s food available, and DW and DS8 had to go to Tubbi’s to find him something he would eat. DS11 bravely stayed on but couldn’t find anything he liked except lemon chicken and dessert.

After lunch we walked over to the Boardwalk Inn to look at the Christmas decorations. DW was looking for some things she’d heard about on her Yuletide Fantasy tour, and took some pictures. This was the first trip we’d been inside the Boardwalk Inn, so we’ve now at least visited all the Deluxe resorts. We walked back to Beach Club, got in our car and left WDW (sob!). We took I-4 north for about an hour to Deland, where Julia’s cousin Jo lives. Her husband was in Georgia doing something at their vacation home there. We spent a couple hours there, and I booked seats on our return flight.

We took I-4 back down to 417 North and took that to the airport. There is no way on 417 to tell where to find a gas station. There are no signs on the highway, and you can’t see anything at any of the exits until you are past the ramp. I took a gamble on route 434 and found a nice little Hess station close by.

Our rental return at National went very smoothly, and a porter was waiting to help us with our luggage. After checking in at the Airtran counter, we ate dinner at Chili’s Too. I had noticed it last year and decided it would be a better place to eat than the slim pickings that you find after you get off the monorail. But it was not easy to find; we had to ask several people! This time DW went through security first, and we had no problems. Our 8:05 flight arrived on time in Dayton, but we had to wait a little for our luggage, and the boys didn’t get to bed until about 11:45 with school the next day!

But it was a great trip!

 

[Janet2k]

12/25/04

(** Reserved **)

 

[Janet2k]

Erikthewise, sorry to tease you with my prior post (hee hee).

Seriously, I was VERY jealous that you had posted so much of your recent trip report. May I hire you to finish mine (it is taking me forever to complete)?

I loved the name of that future rock band, the “bare-legged gentlemen". What an excellent suggestion (and I can already imagine what their cover art would look like, yowsa). I also enjoyed your airport security tale. It brought back memories of a few of my family's own recent encounters.

I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip. Hurry up and finish it!

 

[erikthewise]

Janet,

No, you can't hire me to finish your report!
I couldn't do it justice, and by the time I finish mine I will have no stomach left for trip reports!

Just three more days to do (huff-puff).

 

[kathymc]

enjoying your report - its funny how different kids can be

time to catch up

 

[erikthewise]

I thought I'd give this a shameless bump :jumping4:

now that I've actually finished it! Be sure to check out 12/12, if only for the title!

 

[jennymouse]

Enjoyed your report, Eric! You all stayed pretty busy, that's for sure. Did your DW like the tour? You've convinced me of one thing, driving is a lot more hassle than taking the buses/boats to get around. We're driving down this time as my uncle is an ol' fart that refuses to fly, but I think we'll be using Disney transportation for the most part. Maybe drive to Hoop Dee Doo and Cirque, but that's it.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Credit Man]

Great report! Thanks for posting.

 

[Del]

Thanks for taking the time to post! Del

 

[Nanajo1]

Great report. Thanks for posting.

 

[amybowles9]

I thought I'd give this a shameless bump :jumping4:

now that I've actually finished it! Be sure to check out 12/12, if only for the title!

BUSY trip!!! sounds fun,,,, wish my husband just wanted to go!!!