Untitled Hannah, HSM and Dancing at DL trip report

[AZMickeyfans]

Ok now I have my bearings. Day 2 to follow.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Alright, Day 2

So we wake up around 7am and head for breakfast. Unfortunately since the Riverbelle was closed we decide to grab bananas and toast from the continental breakfast. Well, it will have to do.

Normally we would be in line at 7:15am if the park opened at 8am but we decided to approach this trip differently and didnt cross the street until 8:30am. Yes, we slept in missing that prescious half an hour when the park is quiet. We'll have to deal with it. We did everything backwards. No getting to the big rides in the morning, no rushing here and there. I have to say it was kind of nice though. Probably never will do it again but it was nice!

So we enter the gates and my horse obsessed kids want to ride on Big Red's Carriage. Ummm ok. Usually first thing in the morning we would be pulling them to Nemo but what the hey right? So dh pushes the stroller down Main Street while we ride on Big Red. Man, that is one pampered horse. His hair is softer than mine!!! Here is a picture. Jake wouldnt take one because he was a little intimidated by him.

Beautiful Horse.

Ok, so we decide we want to do something big before heading over to DCA. We chose Big Thunder. I could ride this all day. After Big Thunder we hit Pirates AGAIN (hold mommy, arms up, grab fog, throw fog, arms up and little scream over the tiny hump )Now DCA is open and we head over there.

Jake announces that he is big enough to ride on ToT. We have not taken Morgan on this because she is a afraid of everything but Jake is a brave boy. So he and daddy head over to ToT. What do Morgan and I do??? SHOP of course. We were in Animators Palette. I think that is what its called. They have really cute figurines by Jim Shore in there. I wanted to buy them all! I was eyeing a new snowglobe too that I put away in my memory for later.....

So Jeff calls and says they are off. Jake wasn't too sure if he liked it or not but he chose not to go again with me so I figure he was a scared but tried to be brave. We headed to Monsters Inc. This movie used to scare the kids to death. Everyone else thought it was funny but it produced nightmares in my children. They still dont really like to watch the movie but they will go on the ride. Roz must have been having an off day because she asked Morgan if the boy sitting next to her was her brother and then she said the same thing to the car behind us.

Here are a few pictures we took in the car before.

After Monsters Inc we decided to go to Muppets. The kids have not done this in a long time and Morgan thought the cannon was real last time so we have skipped it a few years in a row. We got there in time for the preshow which in my opinion is really the best part of the whole show. I love reading the scrolling sign. This is better at WDW (do they still have it there???) because the exit is like the end of the movie. In DL you dont see that.

There was a group of dancers performing on the stage next to the theater so we watched them for awhile. They were good but mostly hip hop and Morgan doesnt like hip hop so we moved on.

I forgot to mention we grabbed FP's for Soarin' so we head over to do this next. My family loves Soarin'. I have to say its in my take it or leave it catagory. I dont know why. Its really pretty but it just doesnt WOW me like it does everyone else. I know.....flame me if you must!!! I'm a strange cookie.

The kids were begging to go to the Redwood Creek Challenge playground. This thing is AWESOME. I love all the rope bridges. I'm all over it whenever we go. Jake was tall enough to do the zip slide but he wouldn't go. I was testing out my camera on Morgan on it though. Not fast enough to get great pictures but I have some.

I really wish they let adults do this. It looks FUN!

Here is a picture of Jeff and Jake watching from above

We spent an hour playing here and could have stayed longer but we had to get more done in DCA before our BB reservations later in the day. Here are some random pictures of Redwood Creek Challenge

Even though you cant see him very well I love this one.

Its so beautiful in there.

Next we decide to head over to Paradise Pier area. We get FP's to Mulholland Madness! and head to Jumpin Jellyfish. My kids like this ride and I find if you look over between your legs its a little scary!

Here is a picture looking over at Mulholland Madness. If you have never been on this ride do not lets its small stature fool you.

images are full so I'll continue later.....

 

[staley7580]

LOVING IT!! I cant wait to go back!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Next, Morgan wants to ride the Orange Stinger. Ok when I first went on this a few years ago I wasn't expecting much. I thought it was your typical swinging ride you get at a local fair. Well at least to our family it is so much more. Does anyone else feel like they are going to fly right out of there and its a gamble as to weather you make it out of the orange peel or not? I seriously think this everytime I ride. Like Oh man what if I shoot out and don't make it into the water. Ok maybe I'm a little twisted but the up and down motion this ride has while spinning is really intense. My stomach was in my throat the whole time! Here are some pictures of Jeff and Morgan. Again I was messing with the camera trying to get an action shot but they were coming too fast so I kept getting random people.

I dont know whose feet these are but you can see the strike zone if your swing were to disengage!

Ok now its Mulholland Madness time. The kids sit in front. We hold on in the back. I like this ride A LOT but like everyone else I feel like I'm gonna fly off. Its a little unnerving as a parent to have your kids up front but hey, thats where they wanted to be!!!! I feel safer in the back!

Now we check our watches and we have to head to a PS at the Blue Bayou. The kids and I have been there but Jeff never has. He kept reminding us of how we have come without him in the past and he has missed out. I THINK he wanted us to feel sorry for him. It wasnt working!

So we head back across the plaza into DL and I had to grab a cotton candy. Am I good example or what? Cotton Candy before dinner. Yummy! I realized we had a little extra time so we went to see the Jedi Training Academy. We had never seen this before. I had always just passed by thinking Jake would be scared of Darth Vader. Oh man was this entertaining. He said next time we are there he REALLY wants to do this. So cute. There was this one little girl who looked very serious when she approached Darth Vader. I mean she was going to slay him down no matter what. The Jedi guy(forgot his name) with the microphone was trying to get her to respond to something Darth said to her but she just looked very stern at him with a tight grip on the light saber. The jedi said "Stand back, she means BUSINESS" It was of course funnier when it happened. That girl was about 4 years old and very tiny. She was so cute.


time for dinner We were told we were a little early to check in for our PS's so we headed to the Court of Angels to take some pictures. The kids wouldnt have it. Well, Morgan would but she said she was tired so she just plunked down on the step.

We wander through the crystal shop and the Nightmare Before Christmas shop to see whats new since we were there last. Well, we killed enough time to back to the Blue Bayou. Ok I've eaten here 3 times in recent years and have gotten a water table each time. We've never asked for one. I notice they tell people who request water tables that it will be an additional 45 minute wait. I told Jeff to not ask for one and we will probably get one. Sure enough we were on the water. I love the atmosphere in the restaurant. I'm a really picky eater so I'm not all about the food though. We order Crab Cakes for appetizer. Wow only 2 small ones came out. I was thinking we might get at least 4 but oh well. Dh loves these so he eats them both. We both ordered the MOnte Cristo and the kids ordered Mac and Cheese and the Monte Cristo PB&J. I always thought riding in the Pirate boats that the restaurant must be really quiet but when; you are sitting in there its pretty noisy. It just doesnt carry to the ride. Everynow and then you can hear someone heckling you from the boat. That is always amusing. Jeff didnt know what to think of the Monte Cristo but really loved the crab cakes. I enjoyed mine and the kids liked theirs. The fried PB&J was kind of strange looking though! Well, we had to get the Flying Dutchman so we ordered 2 to share. I would consider going just for this next time! AMAZING DESERT!

So here I am loaded with the flying dutchman and cotton candy and I'm ready to go!!! What do you think Jeff and Jake pick to ride next? You know the drill by now. Same routine as always.

After this we go back to ride Pooh. I keep looking for the moose heads behind the doors that are supposedly there but I have not seen them yet. Anyone else? We ride Haunted Mansion one more time. Even typing this out I have that song stuck in my head. la la la la la lalalallalalalalalALALALA



Ok, Matterhorn is up next on the to do list. Did that and headed to teacups. I decide I've had it with spinning so I pass. Jake passes as well to be with mama. When they were in the little holding area Jake decides he wants to go. Um Ok. what to do. I could have Jeff come over to the fence and hand him over when its their turn to go but I was afraid we would get in trouble. That would have been more sensible than what I actually did. I was standing in that little cutout area in the corner and I could have handed them directly over the fence with no bush interference but like I said I was afraid to get caught. So I go around to the line and there is that hedge that looks like a castle wall. Its about a foot and a half across and the line is lower than where I am. hmm what to do? Well Jeff is calling for me to toss him over the hedge! Not going to do THAT exactly but I he leaned out with his hands out like a dive and I passed him to Jeff. He grabbed his arms and I had his legs. He slithered out of my reach safely into Jeffs arms. Another mom was standing on my side of the fence about 5 feet away busting out laughing. She said it looked like the hedge had swallowed him and it was the funniest thing she had seen all day. I guess it did look kind of funny.

I was eager to experiment with the camera again anyway.

I never really got great pictures of them spinning with the lighting just right. These were the best.

After the Teacups we decide to head back to IASW again. Its so pretty we dont mind.

Usually I stake out Fantasmic! seats but we decided to skip it this trip because of time. We have always had 4 days or so in the past. We did watch the fireworks though. They were really pretty. Then we grabbed some popcorn and headed for the tiki room. Jake passed out in here and Morgan was dragging so we did another no no on our usual vacations and we left before closing. It was freezing and with everyone tired we just decided it was best. We said goodbye to Main Street as I carried Morgan back to the hotel piggy back style.

That night I didnt mind the hard pillows I was so tired. Fred didnt make a peep all night. Maybe he was learning to be quiet!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Ok the next day we wake up around 9am. We are not going to the park today so we take our time packing Fred and getting ready. We have shopping to do! Jeff is a trooper as he will always say yes to any Disney purchases. If its Disney money it doesn't count right? So we head to Jamba Juice for Breakfast. I am ready to face the day with my matcha shot and Berry Fulfilling with an energy boost behind me. Let the shopping begin.

The kids had picked out some cute ornaments in the parks We head to get those first. We had 12 ornaments total. Then I HAD to have the Green glittery sign that says Happy Holidays on it. Oh and I had to have the rope Mckey shaped jingle bells decoration even though Jeff swears I had it at home. (I didnt) It was very cute. We usually get one of the holiday village houses but I couldn't find them and was upset I didnt grab it on Main Street when I was inside. OH well, next year. So we go for a snow globe instead. Jeff and Jake are wandering through the boy sections and they each pick out a hat. I find a new cute Christmas Snow Globe with a train going around it. Perfect! Jeff got a new pirate shirt and the kids each got a toy. Jeff also got a new Pirate flag for the garage. Apparently one pirate flag hanging in our garage is not enough! Morgan grabbed a new t-shirt so Jake had one too. Then they got the giant spiral lollipops that would eventually become weapons in the car! I'm looking at the bag I have and figuring this up in my head. Jeff sees me doing this and he says hes going to step outside while I ring it up. He doesnt mind spending money as long as he doesnt know how much it costs him. You should have seen us all walking across the plaza. First through security and out the other side balancing mounds of merchandise.

We get to the parking lot and the same thing hit Jeff and I at the same time. Fred. How in the world are we getting 7 bags 3 of which are rather large into Fred. This is a packing challenge to say the least. I contemplated ditching the stroller since we only use it at DL anymore but Jeff wouldnt let me do that. Oh man this took an hour to rearrange and squish everyone in for. THEN we headed over to a discount dance supply store that one of the other dance moms had told us about. We were there for over an hour. Morgan scored on the dancewear here. The total was about what we spent in World of Disney. Jeff retreated to the car when they started ringing the stuff up again. I came out with a huge bag of dancewear and supplies at cheap prices! They were easy to squish in cracks in the car.

Needless to say it was a packed trip home. I will NEVER rent a PT Cruiser again. We were so cranky by the time we pulled into our driveway. We all poured out of the car when we opened the doors!

This was a fast trip and much different than our Must see everything attitude of the past trips but it was fun. Spent way to much money of course but whose thinking of that now???

Anyway, thanks for reading my quick trip report. Sorry for the delay in getting the rest of it out. MELODY are you satisfied????

Shawna

 

[Alex2kMommy]

WOOHOO!!!

Great read, Shawna! Your descriptions of the family interaction sounds just like when we go.

So glad you had a great time, so glad you scored big on all he shopping!

 

[XTinabell]

Shawna I loved your Trip Report. I hunted for it and am glad I found it, you make me laugh. I'm still not impressed you forgot to take your picture in front of the L!! Actually I don't really care but I feel like I should.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Shawna I loved your Trip Report. I hunted for it and am glad I found it, you make me laugh. I'm still not impressed you forgot to take your picture in front of the L!! Actually I don't really care but I feel like I should.

Next time I'll get the L!!!! We'll be photographed together soon enough.