UPDATED!! Last Year's TR added!! Celebrating weight loss with DDP!!

[tyandskyesmom]

Signing on...

We'll be there the same time as you...and you're way ahead of me as far as being ready to go!!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Okay, so most of you will remember that we drive to Disney. We live just across the border from Detroit, Michigan and usually take the bridge over the river. We live about 25 minutes from the bridge so we woke the kids up only a little bit early, threw some cereal at them while DH hastily loaded up the trunk and once we made one last trip to the bathroom, we were off. We hadn’t even been driving 10 minutes when DD wanted to know if we were in Florida yet!! But the excitement got to the poor thing and she began complaining of an upset tummy about an hour into the trip. Somewhere in Ohio, we were forced to pull over (after about 3 hours of driving) so that she could throw up. Although she still dealt with some nausea after that until just past Cincinnati, that was her one and only emergency stop.

The kids each had a special car backpack full of toys, colouring items, snacks as well as DVDs and their DSes. We drove about 10 hours that first day to Dalton, Georgia and around 6:30 pm when we were around 1.5 hours from our hotel the backseat was a mess and the DVD remote was good and lost and the DS batteries had long since died. The kids were behaving very well though and didn’t cause us any grief. I was popping pain pills every four hours due to a back injury that had recently resurfaced (I will NOT be reliving that this year, thank goodness) so I nearly cried with relief when we finally arrived at our stop for the night.

I used priceline to book our hotels…ALL of them and got some really nice places for dirt cheap. We stayed at the Jamison Inn in Dalton going down and coming back and enjoyed the fact that breakfast was included in the $40 a night price. Our resort in Celebration, we got for $25 a night and paid like $6 a night extra in resort fees once we got there. While insanely cheap, it was not fun having to pay $13 for parking each time we visited a park and although clean and comfortable, we definitely missed the Disney magic.

Some things in Canada are more expensive…gas for one, so filling up for $25 (even factoring in the exchange rate, this was a HUGE savings) was a nice perk. Dinner that night was at a Chili’s in Dalton and it was crazy cheap in relation to what we pay to dine out here in Canada at similar restaurants. We really enjoyed the “southern hospitality” which we began to encounter in Kentucky and continued to enjoy for most of the remainder of our trip.

Last year the kids shared a lot of meals since neither one had much of an appetite…but the two have recently gone through a growth spurt and they are steadily attempting to eat us out of house and home, so I’m glad we are doing the dining plan this time around.

We stayed at a Holiday Inn express for one night right in the heart of Orlando because our first full day was going to be spent at Kennedy Space Center and we wanted to be somewhere kind of close to that. Not that Celebration is overly far or anything but we just thought a one night stay right in Orlando would be a good idea. It was a priceline hotel as well and I think it was around $40 also.

Kennedy was fun and the kids were more interested than I thought they were going to be but I was a little bored so I was glad when the day was finally over and we were heading to our resort to check in for our 6 Disney days.

The highway tolls were a new experience for us as well. I mean, I knew about it and made sure we had some change and small bills available but it took $3.50 to get from Orlando to Kennedy and nearly $5 to get from Kennedy to our resort in Celebration. In Ontario, the roads are free so this is a bit weird for us…we get why it happens but it’s a bit weird.

Because we each had a lightweight stroller, we had the kids use them most of the time. They’d hop out whenever they wanted but most of the long distance walking was done with them in their strollers. This worked out great for their energy levels as well as for keeping track of them. Also, a bonus was that we were able to store a small bag with essential items (sunblock, drinks and snacks) in the pouch and no one had to carry anything.

After a LOT of debate we decided to repeat this process this year. The kids are bigger and stronger and our pace will be slower but DH still thinks we should have a small umbrella stroller for each one and use them as much as possible. I fought this in the beginning but can see that he is probably right about them being useful and worth the minor inconveniences, so they will be packed again.

Animal Kingdom was our first Disney park. No one in the family had ever been there so we were all REALLY excited to check it out. We made rope drop and caught the tail end of the opening show. When we were allowed to move further into the park we headed straight for Kilimanjaro Safaris.
The wait time was about 30 minutes but since we were walking through the line fairly quickly most of the time, it felt like a lot less. We saw LOTS of animals…hippos, crocs, rhinos, giraffes, lions, elephants and more. DS liked the flamingos, he called them “silly flamingos” for standing on one leg and we made a rhino mad!!

He nearly charged the jeep, I think we startled him…he was in the middle of the road and although the driver slowed right down to pass gently, he jumped and tossed his head in the air and then lowered it and charged the jeep. He veered off at the last second though so no contact was made. I had a front row view of this since it was my side of the jeep (fairly near to my row) that he was charging!! It was awesome!! DH maintains TO THIS DAY that it wasn’t as close a call as I make it out to be but I’m telling you, I was RIGHT THERE and he was all the way at the other side of the bench, so what does HE know??

We then hit the Pangani Exploration trail…the gorillas were neat but otherwise I was a bit bored. The kids liked looking for the different fish though and spent a bit of time in front of the Komodo dragons habitat. We shopped a bit in the Harambe Village and stopped to play the drums but although DD was game, DS wouldn't get out of the stroller to try it.

We then headed to the Maharaja Jungle Trek. DD LOVED the architecture here. She was fascinated by the “ruins” and wanted to explore the building interiors that were clearly off limits.

We spent a long time investigating this area looking for tigers. I love tigers.

The best ride of the day for our family was the Kali river rapids!! We got soaked and the kids LOVED it!! As soon as we were done DD was yelling “again, again!!” We promised to come back if we had the time but wanted to move on to other things.

Next up, we checked out the Asia village before heading to Dinoland USA!! We changed the kids…mommy and daddy suffered with damp clothing and ate lunch at Restaurantosaurus. Then we headed to the Boneyard and hung out here for quite a while. We had to pull them away to get in line for Nemo but it was full and we didn’t make it in. We thought an ice cream break was in order (gotta love those mickey bars!!) and then went on Triceratop Spin. DS claims this was his favourite ride, DD voted for Kali river rapids like me and DH thought the Safari was the best. Of course he would love to go on Safari in Africa for real so that doesn’t surprise me.

Next we explored Discovery Island and checked out IABL, which was a mistake because it scared the bejeebles out of my kids and DD didn’t want to do ANYTHING 3D after that. But they sat in our laps and hid their faces until it was all done and DH and I thought it was great!!

Up next, FOTLK and MAN did we love that show!! DS fell asleep during it though…poor little fellow was quite tuckered out and so I had to hold him with a sore back on those uncomfortable benches. If the show hadn’t been so amazing I would have been miserable but DH offered to take him and after a bit I let him so I could give me aching back a bit of a break. DD was mesmerized the entire time.

Tried Nemo again after this and actually got in this time. I didn’t care for it and neither did DH. I think after having just see FOTLK, Nemo pales in comparison. The kids enjoyed it though and DD still remembers the “Just keep swimming” song. We left after this and picked up Taco Bell for our dinner and made PB&J’s back at the hotel for the kids. Then we went for a dip…but it was a bit chilly so we weren’t there for long. When we finally headed to bed we were all wiped OUT!! It was a great first day though!!

Sorry for the lack of pics, what with the fact that I can't have any that the kids are in and that my DH uses the camera to video things a lot, there weren't many still shots to chose from. Maybe I "need" my own camera for this trip for my DIS obligations...

 

[stayhomemom77]

Welcome tyandskyesmom!!

Yes, my DH regularly tells me I have problems regarding trip planning. He's a very "last minute...go where the wind takes us" kind of vacationer whereas I need structure.

Although I HAVE gotten him to admit that my knowledge does come in handy frequently when we travel. We avoid A LOT of trouble, confusion and disaster when I am at the helm!!

I love planning and researching though because I can live off of the excitement for ages...that's the main reason I do what I do as soon as I do.

That way the Disney magic lives for ages...

I'm gonna check out your TR's and stuff now!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

We experienced our first catastrophe of the trip this morning in the form of a clogged toilet which overflowed dirty water all over the bathroom floor. It was 7:10 a.m. and yes, I was the culprit (I would have plunged had there BEEN one) and my DH wouldn’t let me call the front desk until the kids woke up. Thankfully I only had to wait about 23 minutes and they were stirring so I jumped on the phone right away and both maintenance and housekeeping were there in a jiff.

I made my DH tip them both right away and a lot (what a gross thing to have to deal with) but both gentlemen were kind and friendly. I felt bad!! Another memory I had repressed (see jennbear123’s current TR for the other one). Thankfully due to the prompt attention from these men we were not put behind schedule (we had to be there to have them come in and fix the problem) which was good because it was HS today and we had a lunch date with June and Leo!!!

We walked right onto Star Tours and this ride got mixed reviews from the kids. I think they weren’t sure if they liked it or not although now they say that they DID like it and are looking forward to going back again this time. We then caught the Jedi training show and I had to take DS off to take a look in Tatooine Traders before it ended because he was too hot standing there in the sun and began to complain about it. They got their pics taken on the speeder and then we wandered down to the Muppets area and looked around. A CM tried to entice us into getting in line for the show but DD can read and knew that it was 3D and said “no way!!” so we passed.

She was brave enough to get her pics taken with McQueen and Mater but although DS loves cars, he could not be induced to stand in line with DH and DD. I had to sit with him (in the shade at least) a little ways away until they were through.

Next we checked out the HISTK play area and they played happily for a bit until the sound of the bees paralyzed the both of them and they insisted we beat a hasty retreat. Fast passes for TSM were going quick by this time so we thought we’d better get them while they lasted as the standby time was up to 90 minutes—yikes!!

Then we caught the Little Mermaid show, I guess I thought it was pretty cool…that’s what I wrote in my journal but looking back I equated it with Nemo…not great!! We then hit Indiana Jones and DS (who LOVES Lego Indiana Jones) claimed he didn’t like that he could feel the heat of the fire explosions and that it was too loud!! I thought it was boring…just like I did when I was 13 and saw it for the first time, but whaddyagonnado??
We strolled around looking and shopping for a bit to kill time until we could check in for our Hollywood and Vine lunch date. The food was okay, nothing to write home about but I enjoyed myself and we all ate our fill. DS was terrified of the characters and wouldn’t let any of them come near him. DD wasn’t scared but didn’t care for anyone but June. She went up and danced with June at the beginning (I had to go with her though and stay nearby) and then she gave June a big hug later when she visited our table.

The Block Party Bash was going on as we were finishing lunch so we caught most of it and each kid got a ball from fellow parade watchers that had been thrown into the crowd. Some adult surrendered one to my DD and then my DS started to cry (because he didn’t have one) so another nice lady gave him hers. I was embarrassed that my kid would carry on like that but of course he quit as soon as he got a ball too. Where are they now??? Haven’t the faintest clue!! Isn’t that just how it goes??

DH realized when we were down getting in line for BATB that he had left his sunglasses back at the restaurant so he ran back to see if he could retrieve them while the rest of us made a pit stop and watched a bit of a show being performed on the street. The kids were bored of it but I guess it was something to do since they wouldn’t let me move along after they criticized it. DH had found his glasses so he returned triumphant!!

We all liked BATB but again…what’s with the bleacher-type seating…SO uncomfortable!!

We then headed over to the Animation Studios to watch Mushu (loved it!!) and then we went into the 25 minute training session on how to draw Minnie Mouse at the Animation Academy. This was great!! DD loves to draw and she was particularly tickled at this little treat.

The animator who led our class had done Mickey in the session right before us so he signed Minnie for DD and gave it to her and then was going to give the Mickey to DS but he messed up his signature so he pulled us aside (a new animator was leading the next class) and quickly drew DS a brand new one!! What an amazing bit of Disney magic!!

It was then time to use up our TSM fastpasses so off we went. This was the highlight of the day for our kids. They LOVED this ride. If we’d have been able to, we would have done it again but the standby time was reading nearly 2 hours by this time so we regretfully had to pass.

We headed back to Tatooine traders to purchase light sabers for the kiddies and then we headed out!! We made our own subs for dinner back at the hotel with subs fixings that we had purchased at the local Publix. This was a great day!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Hooray for the Magic Kingdom!! Although unfortunately, there is very little in the way of visual documentation...we sort of just experienced everything and didn't take many pics or footage at all to prove it. Sorry!!

But, this is the day that my DD has been waiting for!! The kids were excited to ride the train so we actually bypassed Main Street and hopped aboard the choo-choo!! We rode right around to Toontown and disembarked there. We checked out Mickey’s place and then Minnie’s house and although the kids were given the option of getting in line to meet the characters, they passed. So we shot across the street to Donald’s Boat House and then DS and DH went on Goofy’s Barnstormer while DD and I waited on a bench and then checked out the little play area there.

Then we headed to Fantasyland!!! First we got fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh and bonus passes shot out good right then for Mickey’s Philharmagic!! Score!! So we went right over there to check it out and because of the 3D fiasco from the AK, DD refused to wear her glasses and had no use for this show. DS and I, however LOVED it…we thought it was great. Both kids loved the next ride, IASW but only DD gave Peter Pan a thumbs up. By this time we were able to use our fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh which DS tolerated and DD RAVED about!! This is her favourite ride of all time and STILL talks about how excited she is to go on it again this time.

We enjoyed a great little rest with our lunch at Columbia Harbour House(that place is great and the air conditioning was quite welcome at the time) before heading out to line up for the parade. I had been lucky up to this point with the back pain not being much of an issue but day 3 (day four actually counting Kennedy) was too much for me and I was hurtin’ by this time. Here is a fabulous picture of me just after the pills had been popped but long before they had kicked in. See the grimace?? We were waiting on the parade here...

So, I popped a back pill and it kicked in just before the parade started (hooray!!). We were back fairly far (there were at least three rows in front of us) and the kids couldn’t see. We don’t believe in pushing our kids up front so we threw them up onto our shoulders (yes, I DID have a 40 pound kid on my shoulders right after popping a back bill…I never said I was smart) and although they were delighted both DH and I suffered through it...me more than him obviously but it was hot and sticky and DD weighs more than DS so neither one of us was feelin' the magic. I hate parades anyway and so does DH so we were glad the one parade we had committed to watching was now over. I know that sounds like Grumpy talking but it’s the truth, I’m afraid. (Although I AM looking forward to watching Spectromagic this year!!)

We shopped for a bit and played for a WHILE in Pooh’s Playful Spot (seriously my kids are too old for this but they are adamant that we are going to spend an equal amount of time there again this year...what can I DO??) Then we rode the train back to the entrance and left for the night. Were you paying attention to that…we bypassed Main Street both on the way in AND the way out on our first day in the Magic Kingdom!! I have only vague memories of what Main Street looks like based on my trip there 21 years ago!!

Dinner was take-out but I can’t remember where from, which we brought back to the hotel and ate while we nursed our sore feet and went to bed early. Seriously, I was sleeping at like 9:45 pm...but we needed the rest because next up was....





EPCOT!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Took the kids to the park yesterday and asked them where we should go on our next family vacation....

DD said France (what a shock, she ALWAYS says that)


DS said DISNEY (he always used to say Japan or China)

THEN DH said that there's a Disney in Paris and one in Tokyo too!!! What the??? Was he trying to sell them on these other trips by dangling more Disney in front of them?? 'Cause DD was already SOLD on Paris and NOT for Disneyland, so... Whatever...I'm not going to complain, just thought I'd share.

Maybe he's really a closet Disney lover and just thinks he can't admit it 'cause he's too cool!?!!?





Apparently I've corrupted him!!

Anyway, DS wants to start saving for the next trip already. He's no fool...he's already figured out that the sooner we start saving, the sooner we can afford to go. I had to promise to start the jar again as soon as we get back and if we have any money left over (yeah, right!!) from our cash this time...it's going in the jar too.

Too funny!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

DH is an adventurous eater but I still have the tastes of a little kid in many ways. So up until this point in our lives together we hadn’t ventured too far outside of my comfort zone. He always puts the comfort of his family before his own so when I suggested making dining reservations somewhere in Epcot and trying something new and different, he said NO!!

I kept reassuring him that the kids menus catered to fussy eaters and that they would be fine but he worried about me as well. And the conversation went something like this:

ME: Don’t worry about me…I’m sure I can find something on the menu to have and if I don’t like much and don’t get enough to eat, I’ll just grab something else afterwards.

HIM: No, it’s not worth it. If you hated what you ordered or didn’t like the sound of anything on the menu, then I’d feel bad and neither one of us would enjoy the meal.

ME: But…

HIM: No, SERIOUSLY, I think it’s sweet what you are trying to do, but I’m fine with the plans as they are. I just want everyone to have a great time.

Well, as I mentioned before with the “keep the Pop reservation” conversation, I ignore him sometimes. At least that time it was for his own good!! I should also say that in the last 12 months I have become A LOT braver about trying new cuisine and I’m usually pleasantly surprised so his worries have nearly evaporated. Making ADR’s at more ethnic places for this upcoming trip was an effortless process.

Anyway, about two months before our departure date last year I discovered AllEars, and with its help decided that both the kids and I could handle Marrakesh. I booked the ADR’s and told the kids that we were going to surprise Daddy with it.

Now, normally a secret of this magnitude cannot be entrusted to a four and five year old pair of kids, but my kids are special…I don’t know how or why it happened the way it did, but my kids learned how to keep secrets. At our house, surprises are treated reverently, so despite their ages Daddy never knew anything about it until we chose to tell him.

And it was Mommy who decided that he needed to know when we gassed up in Georgia, right before crossing the Florida border. They wanted to hang on a little longer and wait until the day of to tell him, but I couldn’t stand the excitement any longer so I convinced them while he was pumping the gas that we should tell him as soon as he got back in the car. He was touched and excited and worried…but mostly the first two. I explained all about AllEars and told him that I was actually looking forward to this meal and he decided to trust me and relax. He did then and has for everything on this trip too!

So, there was a great deal of excitement in the air when we got up this morning for our first Epcot day and the secret that we had been keeping for 60 days. We were parking in the lot at 9:15 am and this seemed to work out well for us as we didn’t see any crowds to speak of at all. We hit the fast pass line for Soarin’ first thing and then headed over to Nemo for our first ride of the day. My kids enjoyed the aquarium stuff so we lingered there for a while. DS didn’t want to see Turtle Talk but DD did, so we split up and I took DD in for the show.

I thought it was great but I was nervous because she was up front on the floor and I was in the back row and had NO visual on her. I told her to stay seated while people were leaving and wait for me so we wouldn’t get separated but worried that she wouldn’t remember my instructions by the time the show was done. My little lady has a mind of her own and I was worried that she would follow the crowd and I’d lose her in the crush (HA HA) but she was great and was obediently waiting for me when I finally made it up to the front of the room. So, I guess the mentally rehearsed explanation to my DH of how I had managed to lose our five year old at Disney was an unnecessary exercise. (I still have it though, just in case I need it this year.)

We then hooked up with the fellas and checked out Living with the Land, which was a family favourite. I know this ride is kinda lame and dumb to many but the fact that things are interesting, entertaining as well as educational really appeals to this family of mine so we were in our element. It was then time to use our Soarin’ fast passes and let me tell you….THIS RIDE ROCKS!!!! My total FAV at Disney!! All four of us LOVED it and we were lucky to have been in the front row our first time so we were totally blown away!!

We did Figment next which no one liked, although the stuff after the ride was interesting and appealing. We then moved onto the world showcase but stopped at a play area and the kids wanted to stay here FOREVER!! And for once we didn’t mind, as they had comfortable reclining wooden chairs for the parents to relax in while the kiddies played. We stayed for a fair amount of time and finally dragged our reluctant kids along. It was getting close to our ADR by this time so we only explored Canada and the UK a bit before heading to Morocco for lunch.

We were seated fairly quickly and our waiter was okay…not bad but not great either. We did like the ambiance and décor though and DH was suitably impressed. Having only dined at Hollywood and Vine (very Disney) this experience was a nice and welcome change for him. DD got up and danced with the belly dancer right after we sat down but after about three minutes the lady’s segment was done and DD returned to the table. Neither child enjoyed their meal (HA HA HA...made a TOTAL liar out of Mommy) but both DH and I did.

I got some kind of special of the day, totally can’t remember what it was or what DH ordered but we shared and we were equally satisfied with both choices. (Isn’t that how it goes…the kids didn’t like chicken nuggets and refused to eat them but they ate their sides and this seemed to be enough for them. Incidentally, they didn’t like the nuggets at ANY Disney restaurant but for some reason wouldn’t order anything else. Maybe they kept hoping someone’s would taste like McDonalds.)

We then checked out Morocco, shopping and touring (didn’t buy anything more than a Moroccan flag) but then had to back track as we had skipped France altogether in order to make it to the restaurant on time. We got some pastries (soooo tasty) and DH tried a crepe and shared with the kids.

Then it was on to Japan…we were here for quite a while watching the drummers and the candy makers and shopping for Mario candy (my kids are huge fans) and a flag here too.

We rushed past the American Pavillion (not exotic enough for us, I guess???) and gave Italy and Germany a quick check. We didn’t go into any stores here…just a few pics in Italy and tossed coins into the fountain and then watched the train for a few minutes in Germany. At the African outpost DH had to rush DS back to Germany for an emergency potty break so DD and I decided to buy a frozen strawberry drink and relax at a table while we waited for them to return.

She and I took dainty sips of the giant drink and when they boys had finished their business and returned to us, DH was aggravated with DS. It’s sort of a long story, but DS had been LOOOOONG since potty trained but for some reason regressed on this trip and actually pooped his pants on three separate occasions. Well, this was occasion number three and my husband had dealt with the second and now the third time and wasn’t feeling the love towards DS right at this moment after cleaning up such a nasty mess. He was understandably irritated but fast approaching ill tempered, so I convinced him to sit and relax for a few minutes while we all shared this tasty concoction. He refused to have any at first (is HE the four year old??), but DS happily slurped away and DH (more to prevent my son from drinking it all than anything else) decided it was his turn.

Now, I’m not trying to claim that Disney slurpees are magical or anything but the coolness of the drink must have had mellowed him somehow, because after a reluctant and grudging admittance that the drink was tasty, he helped DS chug it in record time and he was back to his cheerful self!! DD and I did get a couple more dainty sips in but the boys obviously needed the cooling off more than we did so the bulk of the treat went to them.

We moved on and…China was BEAUTIFUL!! We spent a lot of time here too. Both DH and DS have a fascination with Asian culture and DD and I were nearly as interested in what we were discovering at they were. We watched the 360 degree movie and DS was in seventh heaven examining the terra cotta warriors!!

Norway was quick…no shops or Malestrom but we did do the little church and checked out the Vikings before moving on to Mexico. We did the Three Caballeros…the kids compared it to IASW but liked the Donald duck aspect and DS bought some maracas afterward. Then we headed to Spaceship Earth which I really liked and the kids wanted to linger in the “after the ride” area for quite a while. We are science center and museum geeks and having these kinds of things available to check out at Disney thrilled the kids!!

By 8 pm we were back in Mexico for dinner at the quick service restaurant and we staked out spots suitable for Illuminations determined to continue ordering to make keeping our table legit. I enjoyed the food more than DH did…he thought it was like bad Taco Bell but the kids were happy with their choices and everyone enjoyed the show. I had brought glow bracelets with me and had tons so that the kids could share. They went to neighbouring tables to pass them out and DD made a little friend and got a ring from the little princess in return. It was so cute.

I stayed up just past 11 pm to update my journal but I was so happy. Everyone was in good spirits the entire day (my DH’s grouchiness had evaporated with the “magic beverage” so we aren’t counting that) and we did so much and behaved so well. This was my favourite day of the trip!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

No pics today...sorry.

We decided since we had stayed late the evening before that we would sleep in this morning, do laundry while we enjoyed a swim (DH took care of all of it) and then head to Epcot again after lunch to finish off what we hadn’t done. We didn’t get up until 9 am and luxuriated in the pool for quite a long time before drying, dressing, dining and departing. We arrived in the parking lot at 1:30 pm this time and parked only four rows back from where we had been the day before.

This time we were off to a bad start. We headed right to Test Track, which was down with technical difficulties so we went to Ellen’s Universe but it was standing room only so we decided to pass. We never did get to see it. We then checked our Innoventions but we were a little underwhelmed to be honest…I couldn’t find half of the cool things I had been instructed to look for (Velcro frogs, etc) so we’re going to make this a priority this year and see if we have better luck.

Once done we checked on Test Track and it was back up so we got in the standby line. DS changed his mind so I took him out to get fast passes for Soarin’ while we waited for DH and DD. DD was in good humour upon exiting the ride but DH explained that she had been scared poopless and had spent the entire ride with her head in his armpit. She’s not planning on revisiting the ride this year. DS however, is determined!!

We snacked on Mickey bars then while watching the garbage can guys and then decided to split up once again. DH was consulting the kids a lot, giving them lots of opportunity to turn things down. Here is another point on which we disagree. I think the kids should be consulted on what to do UP TO A POINT, but for the kinds of things we are sure they are going to like if they give them half a chance, we should just rely on our own judgment. DS passed (or tried to pass) on a lot of things he actually liked once he’d given it a chance. (See Disney Day Six for further proof of this).

Anyway we split up again, DD and DH off to see Crush again (well DD again, DH for the first time) but since DS still wasn’t interested and DH had given him the option of passing, he and I went on Spaceship Earth for a second time.

We joined back up at the Land and did Circle of Life, Living with the Land and Soarin’ again in rapid succession before deciding to eat dinner at Sunshine Seasons. This place was great…DH in particular liked it because there was something there for everyone and all four of us were satisfied. At home we often eat at the mall food court for a similar experience.

We headed out after this…we contemplated hitting up the showcase again but no one had any particular desire to see anything specific and our shopping had been completed the day before so we decided to pass. It was still a full day, even with the sleep in and the kids were sleeping before 9 pm and Mom and Dad not terribly long afterward. We were determined to be up and about early the following morning for our last Disney day….at the Magic Kingdom.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Our last day at Disney was another magical one!!

Despite all reasonable attempts we didn’t quite make rope drop but went straight to Tomorrowland for BLSRS fast passes and got right into the standby line. LOVED this ride and we then hit the speedway and the Astro Orbiter before returning to use the fast passes. DD suddenly decided to sit this one out so I sent the lads in and we gave our fast passes to a couple at the standby line.

Then we were off to Adventureland to ride the magic carpets!! We lunched then but I have no idea where (??) before cruising the jungle. LAME-O jokes but I did like the ride…very nostalgic.

DS said he didn’t want to go on POTC so I “neglected” to tell him that’s what we were doing next. DH didn’t think we should make him go on it but I told him we should just get in line to see how he reacts. I told him it was stupid to let him say no about a ride that I was sure he was going to love, so we should just test out my theory and deal with the consequences. I volunteered to deal with any hysterics should they come and he reluctantly agreed. We got in line and DS never even questioned it and LOVED the ride (what a shocker!!) so I got to look all triumphant and haughty at my DH (I should have insisted on this type of thing the entire trip!!). We hung out for a bit in the store but no one bought anything and then it was back to Fantasyland.

We climbed into the teacups for a spin and hit up Pooh’s Playful spot again before another split, DH and DD off to Pooh’s Adventure and DS and I back to Philharmagic. We were all fading pretty fast so we decided to finish souvenir shopping and then head out. We hadn’t been on Dumbo…the lines were atrocious and DS protested when informed we were going to be skipping it. We explained gently that it was a very long wait and that Mommy’s back was sore and we were all too tired to stand in line. My little man took it well and subsided at once.

We left and hit a steakhouse for dinner, getting back to the hotel about seven. We rested for a bit and packed up before tucking the kids in and encouraging a good night’s sleep. We were heading to Port Canaveral the following day for a three day Bahamian cruise and wanted to be well rested.
I’m not going to write about the cruise…I need a do over!! Too many extenuating circumstances led to it being an uncomfortable experience. Besides, it’s not Disney. Suffice it to say, it was a letdown after Disney.

The drive home was long and uncomfortable and NOT filled with Disney magic, so I’ll spare you the details.

So, that’s it folks…

We leave on Wednesday for more magical memories…can’t wait.