fairy god aunt
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2003
- Messages
- 141
Cast: Me -aunt of princesses and obsessive planner; MomMom of princesses ("MM")- recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and using a wheelchair for the first time; Sherri ("S") -- mother of princesses, MM's daughter and my sister; Mick ("M") - father of princesses; Princess Marie -- almost 8, 3rd trip to DW; Princesses Christa and Noelle - 3.5 year old twins, 2nd trip to DW
Resort -- Grand Floridian for 6 nights; Rennaissance Orlando for 2 nights
Day 5: EPCOT
Today is our EPCOT day. I know I've planned too much for this day. We have the Princess B'fast, Mickey Ice Cream Social and an Illuminations Cruise. So, the plan is -- early entry whip through everything by 3; go to the ice cream social and then back to the hotel for a nap before Illuminations.
Things start off well. Having thrown up the night before, Noelle looks better and the other two don't have any apparent signs of getting the stomach virus. Nonetheless, we leave late and don't get to EPCOT until 9:00 on the dot -- just when they are letting in the non-resort guests. There are long lines to get through security; then we have to wait for the stroller and ECV. Up until today, we have been pushing MM in a wheelchair and it has been fine. Because of the hills, MM says she'd like to try an ECV today. It is bumpy going at first but she gets used to it. The biggest problem is that she needs to use her hands to drive it and with rheumatoid arthiritis this isn't always possible -- but today she is well enough to do it so she does. While we are waiting M goes to get TestTrack FPs. By the time he returns and we get the ECV and stroller it is about 9:45. Our PS is at 10:20 so that doesn't leave a lot of time. We were supposed to do some of the Innovation attractions and Spaceship earth from 8-10 but that isn't going to happen. We ponder Spaceship Earth and look for the handicap entrance. We only wait about 5 minutes (there wasn't a line yet outside either). We enjoy this classic.
Then it is off to Norway for Breakfast. The twins put on their Belle costumes and Marie wears an Aurora costume. We put our names in early for our 10:20 PS and wait. Our plan is to eat and then do Maelstrom, back track to MExico for the river ride, then do TT and then continue on in the countries. I ask M to get us FPs for Maelstrom. Unfortunately, the place where the machine is located isn't open yet. But, then we see the FP time advancing dramatically. It is now saying FPs aren't available until after 2. What is going on? M learns that there is a FP machine elsewhere and runs to get us FPs. All of my planning, and I missed this? Oh well, the girls start their masks at the kidcot station and get their passports stamped. I heard varying things about whether to go mask or passport or both so we did both. In retrospect, I would choose one or the other. For our kids, the masks were better because they love to color but it does take dramatically more time than just getting the passport stamped. It was amazing to us what a variance there was between countries in terms of the friendliness of the CMs at the kidcot stations. Some were awesome and some were robotic.
Anyway, there appears to be a mix up in the restaurant and there is a long wait for a table. Many people are complaining -- but it is what it is so we just wait. Finally, at about 10:50 we are seated. As we get to our table, before we can even sit down, we are bombarded by princesses all at once and then they are gone. Noelle, who has been looking forward to seeing Belle all week, doesn't even realize she's been there before she is gone. S goes to the front of the restaurant to ask that Belle come back for a picture with Noelle -- but they are kind of rude and tell S that Belle has to get to France by 11 for pictures. But we came specifically for Belle -- too bad. (Luckily, we have Cindy's tomorrow and Belle is usually there.) The service is even worse. They give the girls oj in glasses meant for adults and slap a stand of food on the table. There are 7 of us and we are starving at this point and there isn't enough food. But, we don't see our waiter or anyone for a long time. We feed the girls and the adults pick at the left overs. We see another table of 5 with 2 stands of food! Finally, we ask for more and the waiter rudely says "of what" and I say "the same, you know eggs and stuff". (Very articulate of me) 10 minutes later someone drops off a skillet entirely of scrambled eggs. The table next to us who must have overheard our request says that they asked for more bacon and he brought them an entire skillet of bacon for 2 adults and one child and ask if we would like some to go with our vat of eggs. We politely decline -- a little embarrassed that someone is offering us their food. M grabs another stand of pastries and fruit from another table and we finish. We are so tempted not to leave a tip -- but I just can't. We do, however, only leave 10% with a penny so that he knows it was not an oversight. On the way out S talks to the manager who also doesn't care. I've hear others having great experiences at the end of the PS seating range but I guess that is only if you are seated promptly. I am torn about this B'fast -- it had so much potential and the food was good. We'll probably try again some day.
When we leave we notice that Maelstrom is open with no wait so we do it. We expected more -- I don't know why. When we get off of the ride, we find ourselves in a theater. S and M are having some words; S asks if we are staying. I say I have no particular interest and we are on a tight schedule so let's go. Wrong decision. S starts to lay into M -- saying if we are going to do a ride, you do the whole ride not just half. I explain that there are lots of shows and we can't do them all and if she wanted to see it all she had to do was say so and stop being passive aggressive. Apparently, M had suggested that we skip the show and this annoyed S and she expected I would back her up. When I didn't, S got even more annoyed.
Next, we do the river ride in Mexico. We didn't expect much and it was nice. Christa announces that both rides were too slow. MM didn't do it because she was confused as to where it was and didn't want to manuever the ECV through the Mexican market area. She seems a bit annoyed. Onto TT. On the way, S stops to relotion the girls -- Can't you do that in line at TT, I ask? She has attitude, I'm already annoyed that she made us late this morning and we are both annoyed by bfast. For the next half of a day, we all bicker about who is being *****y. Truth is -- we all are, although S has not relaxed since we got here and has to learn to talk to people like they aren't idiots just because they disagree with her.
At TT we can only do 6 to a car so I volunteer to go solo. I sit with two teenagers and enjoy the ride. It was better than I remembered. When the twins get off of the ride, Christa announces that it was too fast. They weren't too scared by S and M really bad to hold their heads during the ride because it is so jerky. Getting out of the car, Marie slips and hits her wrist on the car. It starts to swell and we are off to First Aid again. We get ice and go back to the countries.
We cruise through as many as possible but can't get them all in before we need to haul it over to the LAnd for the Mickey Social. We consider passing but decide not to. We don't get to see any of the shows at the countries but do most kidcot stations. The kids really enjoy it and one of these days, we'll have to do the countries better.
We check in at the Garden Grill for the Mickey Social at 2:55. We aren't seated until after 3:20. We ask for drinks and the waitress tries to talk us out of them because they are extra -- we don't care, we want them. Still, it is forever until she brings them. At least two characters (Pluto and somebody else) pass our table without stopping. We ask the waitress what is up and she says we aren't guaranteed to see anyone other than Mickey who will be coming by. This makes no sense to me. If the characters are there and visiting tables, we can't they visit ours. The kids aren't upset but are confused as to why they are being snubbed. The ice cream is fine. The moving table coupled with the aggravation of the day and the heat, makes me a little dizzy. I regret rushing to get here and we won't do it again. It really isn't much more money to do a full character meal expecially if you also get drinks even after being scolded not to and the interaction at Chef Mickeys can't be compared to this event. All in all, the worst character experience we had by far.
MM and I consider just staying here until the cruise and getting a good dinner but I am exhausted and could really use a nap. We return to the GF, grab dinner at Gaspirallas and take a cab to the Yacht Club for the cruise.
We look around the Yacht Club and are impressed. (M inquires re prices and announces he'd like to stay here next time. A very good sign for coming back -- S thought they wouldn't be able to come back for a few years). They have a pearl stand where you can choose your own oyster and give birth to a pearl that is then mounted in a piece of jewelry. Marie decides this is how she'd like to spend her $50 that MM and Poppop gave her before the trip. She picks a dolphin pendant. The pearl is beautiful and it is a highlight of Marie's trip. What she doesn't yet know is that I have planned for her to spend an extra two nights in Orlando with me and MM to go to Sea World and feed the Dolphins. I tell her I have an early birthday surprise for her but she'd rather wait until Friday to know what it is.
We have the Breathless reserved for Illuminations. The pre-Immunations cruise is nice except the driver makes a crack about the Boardwalk being just like Atlantic City except for the drugs and crime. HELLO -- we are from right near AC so that isn't winning you any points, buddy. Other than that, our driver is fine but dull. The Illimunations cruise is wonderful with one very large exception. The ashes blew right into our eyes. I was prepared that smoke could be an issue and so I made sure MM had her inhaler and that S and M were prepared to cover the girls' nose and mouth but I wish I had known about the ashes so that we could have brought glasses. Nonetheless, we still enjoy the cruise except for MM who can't get an ash out of her eye. She also hurt herself getting out of the boat. MM is now in a complete freak out mode -- hey we all got ashes in our eyes -- deal. We buy visine in the Yacht Club store and head home.
All things considered, it wasn't a bad day but certainly could have been better.
Next: Return to Magic Kingdom and Cindy's Breakfast
Resort -- Grand Floridian for 6 nights; Rennaissance Orlando for 2 nights
Day 5: EPCOT
Today is our EPCOT day. I know I've planned too much for this day. We have the Princess B'fast, Mickey Ice Cream Social and an Illuminations Cruise. So, the plan is -- early entry whip through everything by 3; go to the ice cream social and then back to the hotel for a nap before Illuminations.
Things start off well. Having thrown up the night before, Noelle looks better and the other two don't have any apparent signs of getting the stomach virus. Nonetheless, we leave late and don't get to EPCOT until 9:00 on the dot -- just when they are letting in the non-resort guests. There are long lines to get through security; then we have to wait for the stroller and ECV. Up until today, we have been pushing MM in a wheelchair and it has been fine. Because of the hills, MM says she'd like to try an ECV today. It is bumpy going at first but she gets used to it. The biggest problem is that she needs to use her hands to drive it and with rheumatoid arthiritis this isn't always possible -- but today she is well enough to do it so she does. While we are waiting M goes to get TestTrack FPs. By the time he returns and we get the ECV and stroller it is about 9:45. Our PS is at 10:20 so that doesn't leave a lot of time. We were supposed to do some of the Innovation attractions and Spaceship earth from 8-10 but that isn't going to happen. We ponder Spaceship Earth and look for the handicap entrance. We only wait about 5 minutes (there wasn't a line yet outside either). We enjoy this classic.
Then it is off to Norway for Breakfast. The twins put on their Belle costumes and Marie wears an Aurora costume. We put our names in early for our 10:20 PS and wait. Our plan is to eat and then do Maelstrom, back track to MExico for the river ride, then do TT and then continue on in the countries. I ask M to get us FPs for Maelstrom. Unfortunately, the place where the machine is located isn't open yet. But, then we see the FP time advancing dramatically. It is now saying FPs aren't available until after 2. What is going on? M learns that there is a FP machine elsewhere and runs to get us FPs. All of my planning, and I missed this? Oh well, the girls start their masks at the kidcot station and get their passports stamped. I heard varying things about whether to go mask or passport or both so we did both. In retrospect, I would choose one or the other. For our kids, the masks were better because they love to color but it does take dramatically more time than just getting the passport stamped. It was amazing to us what a variance there was between countries in terms of the friendliness of the CMs at the kidcot stations. Some were awesome and some were robotic.
Anyway, there appears to be a mix up in the restaurant and there is a long wait for a table. Many people are complaining -- but it is what it is so we just wait. Finally, at about 10:50 we are seated. As we get to our table, before we can even sit down, we are bombarded by princesses all at once and then they are gone. Noelle, who has been looking forward to seeing Belle all week, doesn't even realize she's been there before she is gone. S goes to the front of the restaurant to ask that Belle come back for a picture with Noelle -- but they are kind of rude and tell S that Belle has to get to France by 11 for pictures. But we came specifically for Belle -- too bad. (Luckily, we have Cindy's tomorrow and Belle is usually there.) The service is even worse. They give the girls oj in glasses meant for adults and slap a stand of food on the table. There are 7 of us and we are starving at this point and there isn't enough food. But, we don't see our waiter or anyone for a long time. We feed the girls and the adults pick at the left overs. We see another table of 5 with 2 stands of food! Finally, we ask for more and the waiter rudely says "of what" and I say "the same, you know eggs and stuff". (Very articulate of me) 10 minutes later someone drops off a skillet entirely of scrambled eggs. The table next to us who must have overheard our request says that they asked for more bacon and he brought them an entire skillet of bacon for 2 adults and one child and ask if we would like some to go with our vat of eggs. We politely decline -- a little embarrassed that someone is offering us their food. M grabs another stand of pastries and fruit from another table and we finish. We are so tempted not to leave a tip -- but I just can't. We do, however, only leave 10% with a penny so that he knows it was not an oversight. On the way out S talks to the manager who also doesn't care. I've hear others having great experiences at the end of the PS seating range but I guess that is only if you are seated promptly. I am torn about this B'fast -- it had so much potential and the food was good. We'll probably try again some day.
When we leave we notice that Maelstrom is open with no wait so we do it. We expected more -- I don't know why. When we get off of the ride, we find ourselves in a theater. S and M are having some words; S asks if we are staying. I say I have no particular interest and we are on a tight schedule so let's go. Wrong decision. S starts to lay into M -- saying if we are going to do a ride, you do the whole ride not just half. I explain that there are lots of shows and we can't do them all and if she wanted to see it all she had to do was say so and stop being passive aggressive. Apparently, M had suggested that we skip the show and this annoyed S and she expected I would back her up. When I didn't, S got even more annoyed.
Next, we do the river ride in Mexico. We didn't expect much and it was nice. Christa announces that both rides were too slow. MM didn't do it because she was confused as to where it was and didn't want to manuever the ECV through the Mexican market area. She seems a bit annoyed. Onto TT. On the way, S stops to relotion the girls -- Can't you do that in line at TT, I ask? She has attitude, I'm already annoyed that she made us late this morning and we are both annoyed by bfast. For the next half of a day, we all bicker about who is being *****y. Truth is -- we all are, although S has not relaxed since we got here and has to learn to talk to people like they aren't idiots just because they disagree with her.
At TT we can only do 6 to a car so I volunteer to go solo. I sit with two teenagers and enjoy the ride. It was better than I remembered. When the twins get off of the ride, Christa announces that it was too fast. They weren't too scared by S and M really bad to hold their heads during the ride because it is so jerky. Getting out of the car, Marie slips and hits her wrist on the car. It starts to swell and we are off to First Aid again. We get ice and go back to the countries.
We cruise through as many as possible but can't get them all in before we need to haul it over to the LAnd for the Mickey Social. We consider passing but decide not to. We don't get to see any of the shows at the countries but do most kidcot stations. The kids really enjoy it and one of these days, we'll have to do the countries better.
We check in at the Garden Grill for the Mickey Social at 2:55. We aren't seated until after 3:20. We ask for drinks and the waitress tries to talk us out of them because they are extra -- we don't care, we want them. Still, it is forever until she brings them. At least two characters (Pluto and somebody else) pass our table without stopping. We ask the waitress what is up and she says we aren't guaranteed to see anyone other than Mickey who will be coming by. This makes no sense to me. If the characters are there and visiting tables, we can't they visit ours. The kids aren't upset but are confused as to why they are being snubbed. The ice cream is fine. The moving table coupled with the aggravation of the day and the heat, makes me a little dizzy. I regret rushing to get here and we won't do it again. It really isn't much more money to do a full character meal expecially if you also get drinks even after being scolded not to and the interaction at Chef Mickeys can't be compared to this event. All in all, the worst character experience we had by far.
MM and I consider just staying here until the cruise and getting a good dinner but I am exhausted and could really use a nap. We return to the GF, grab dinner at Gaspirallas and take a cab to the Yacht Club for the cruise.
We look around the Yacht Club and are impressed. (M inquires re prices and announces he'd like to stay here next time. A very good sign for coming back -- S thought they wouldn't be able to come back for a few years). They have a pearl stand where you can choose your own oyster and give birth to a pearl that is then mounted in a piece of jewelry. Marie decides this is how she'd like to spend her $50 that MM and Poppop gave her before the trip. She picks a dolphin pendant. The pearl is beautiful and it is a highlight of Marie's trip. What she doesn't yet know is that I have planned for her to spend an extra two nights in Orlando with me and MM to go to Sea World and feed the Dolphins. I tell her I have an early birthday surprise for her but she'd rather wait until Friday to know what it is.
We have the Breathless reserved for Illuminations. The pre-Immunations cruise is nice except the driver makes a crack about the Boardwalk being just like Atlantic City except for the drugs and crime. HELLO -- we are from right near AC so that isn't winning you any points, buddy. Other than that, our driver is fine but dull. The Illimunations cruise is wonderful with one very large exception. The ashes blew right into our eyes. I was prepared that smoke could be an issue and so I made sure MM had her inhaler and that S and M were prepared to cover the girls' nose and mouth but I wish I had known about the ashes so that we could have brought glasses. Nonetheless, we still enjoy the cruise except for MM who can't get an ash out of her eye. She also hurt herself getting out of the boat. MM is now in a complete freak out mode -- hey we all got ashes in our eyes -- deal. We buy visine in the Yacht Club store and head home.
All things considered, it wasn't a bad day but certainly could have been better.
Next: Return to Magic Kingdom and Cindy's Breakfast
