disneykid1961
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 23, 2005
- Messages
- 24
First of all, let me send thanks to all who posted on DisBoards. I lurked a lot in prep for this trip and I can honestly say, our trip was perfect! We couldn't figure out a way to tell our kids (ds 7, dd 3), so we decided to keep it a surprise until the end. Picked DS up at school with DD and MIL, and said we're going to the airport. He thought it was to take Grandma, until we arrived and Grandma stayed in the car. His look was priceless. Earlier that week at bedtime, DH asked him if he could go anywhere in the world, where would it be, and he said "Florida, because that's where DisneyWorld is". A great set-up for this adventure. Flew Song air for $99 RT from LaGuardia. Arrived and used National, which I highly recommend. Very easy to get to, had doubled-up on discounts and joined Emerald Aisle through Mousesavers.com and walked right to the car. We then drove to a 24-hour Walmart and bought everything we needed: autograph books for $1.99, t-shirts, water, food, squeeze-breeze (a must!). We saved a lot, and the kids never asked for food or drink in the parks because we had such a great supply from Walmart. They each picked out t-shirts and souvenirs so we could bypass the gift shops fairly easily.
We decided to stay at the Sheraton Safari, which has a great location if you have a rental car. Driving time to each park was under 15 minutes. Hotel was above average, not spectacular. What made this property great was the pool and the giant python water slide. We are early risers, so each day we were at the park at opening, stayed until approximately 2, then went back for swims and early dinner. Back to the parks at 5:30-6:00 until closing. The swim was a great break. It was hot, no rain (because I packed every possible kind of raincover) but after 6:00 they breeze was cool and manageable.
Day 1: AK. 8:00 PS for Donald's Breakfastsaurous. Success!!! After reading numerous posts regarding missing early seatings because of parking lot not opened, I was nervous. We were the 2nd car at the gate (anxious much!) and the attendant said gates would open at 7:45. Parked and walked right through AK to Donald's, which was great. DH thought it was expensive for a breakfast buffet, but he thought was setting and experience was great overall. Food was hot and bountiful, chocolate chip pancakes were my daughters favorite. And I ate enough for breakfast and lunch. Donald, Mickey, Minney, Goofy and Pluto stopped by the tables for photos, autographs and hugs and it was a terrific start to the trip. The nicest was being in Dinoland when breakfast was over, so we went on all the rides there
without a wait then walked over to FP the Safari before riding Kali River Rapids. It's a Bugs Life, Rafiki's Planet, Boneyard and Dinosaur were all great. Festival of the Lion King -- Terrific! Flights of Wonder was also great, and another nice break in the shade. AK was totally manageble, crowd-wise, and we were ready to leave about 4:00. Went to MK for a first taste, getting on the railroad to Toontown to ride Barnstormer, meet characters, then finish off in Fantasyland for It's a Small World, Peter Pan and Snow White. The following day was our all-day MK "make the kids dreams come true" day, so we went back to hotel and tried to sleep.
Day 2: MK. Kids up at dawn, breakfast in the room (cereal, milk, donuts!)
we were at the gates before opening to see the "mayor" of MK officially open the park. Minney, Mickey and friends ride the railroad to the opening also. I whispered to the kids that today was going to be the best, and we were off. I was so happy to see blue skies and minimal crowds. Longest wait was 20 minutes. We fastpassed when needed, and it helped give us some structure. DS road all the "mountains" and had a blast. DD was able to make to 40" at Splash Mountain, but nowhere else so it must measure a little short. She is fearless and loved it! Made our way from Fantasyland to Frontierland, Adventureland then left the park for our break. Because of the light crowds, we were able to move freely around the park, ferries were easy to get on and off. It was perfect! After swimming and dinner at Steak and Shake next door to the hotel, we were back for Tomorrowland, Space Mountain, Buzz, Transit Authority, Rockets, and Raceway! No real waits. Back to the Mountains for a replay to morning, then proceeded to the Main Street train station to watch the fireworks. The perfect spot, because we had elevated seating, and a quick getaway. Back to the hotel in less that 30 minutes after leaving the park. Not bad for off-site!
Day 3: Epcot. My son, the explorer, said this was his favorite. Again, at the gate at opening. We followed the double-decker character bus while walking toward Fast track, took a quick autograph break, then got in line. No waiting, but the line filled up quickly. DD too little to ride, but loved the kidcot station there. Went to Mission Space next, then on to Soarin' which was one of my personal favorites. It was amazing!!!! Another note: rider swap was the best -- DS really made out because he got to ride twice, and there is no time limit on rider swap passes, so it's like having a open-ended FP. One parent rides the ride, the other parent could go back with child at any time and ride again using the FP line. It really works!
After Soarin', we went the Living Seas where DD fell in love with Crush. Went for our swim break, and returned refreshed to visit the World Pavillion. I had gotten an Epcot Passport on Ebay before leaving and DS had the best time getting it stamped in each country and a personalized note written by a castmember from each country. I think this will be his favorite souvenir of the vacation. He loved River of Time in Mexico, Maelstrom in Norway. The World Pavillion is good for the afternoon because these two rides give you a break from the sun. Continued around the countries to end in Canada where we staked out a great spot to watch Illuminations. Quite different and more dramatic than Wishes, but everyone loved it. A quick walk to the car from Canada and we said goodbye to another wonderful day.
Day 4: Disney MGM, and one last hurrah in MK! Saturday, and the Star Wars Weekend made this seem like the business park and day of all. But we were prepared. Went immediately to Tower of Terror, got the rider switch, but this was one ride my son would not ride again with Dad. No tears, he just said he didn't like it much. I thought the concept was terrific, a blast back to the Twilight Zone, but the actual elevator ride was too short. While DH rode without DS, I FP'd Rock n'Roll Coaster. We had a 2 hour wait until the FP was good, so we walked all around, saw Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, rode Star Tours (GREAT!), saw Beauty and the Beast (another great show in a shady spot), and PlayHouse Disney and Ariel. Then we walked toward Planet Pizza to meet the characters from Toy Story, and got autographs from Woody, Buzz and Jessie.
Returned to ride Aerosmith roller coaster which had my son in a state of excited bliss. If I could capture his smile and giggles...we had a great time screaming our way through it. Went on the Great Movie Ride next, okay for DH and myself, bored the kids to tears. More characters and enjoying the park, then off for our afternoon break, so we could have a last hurrah at MK. Kids decided they wanted to go back there, in leiu of Fantasmic. I didn't complain since it was Saturday and MGM seemed really full, so I knew we'd have to stake our our spot for Fantasmic quite early, and we decided against it. but we had a plan to watch the fireworks while riding Dumbo, and it worked. Timed it just right, so we were at the front of the line just as Wishes began, and we were in the air during the fireworks. Before that grand finish, we went back to Toontown where DD waited for 30 minutes (our longest wait of the entire trip) to meet the Princesses. Totally worth it, and they could not have been prettier and more cordial. I know why it takes so long...they meet everyone individually and pose for pictures and are very gracious, even with the smallest guest. DD was beside herself and the photos are perfect. Use Photopass...it's great! We should have done it more.
Went back to ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, watched a bit of SpectroMagic Parade from Frontierland, then went back to Fantasyland for Pooh, Small World, Peter Pan and Teacups before ending with fireworks and Dumbo. Meandered back to Space Mountain for a final ride, and headed down Main Street at 10:50 because the park closed at 11:00.
This was a great trip, in part because we took DS out of school for 3 days, so crowds were so manageable and heat was not intolerable. While we carried a lot of stuff into the parks in terms of food, water and ponchos, I made sure to bring our biggest stroller with a large basket and the weight to support the diaper bag slung across the handles. I would recommend using your biggest stroller, so you could pile a lot on and in the basket. Squeeze breeze was a must, save your money and buy at Walgreens or Walmart. Remind kids the keep drinking. I could tell from their red little faces. Use FP and rider swap if you can, they work! We alternated shoes so no blisters could form, and kept slathering on the suncreen.
Saved money by going to Walmart, using Mousesavers for the National Discounts which were a breeze, and bringing food and water into the parks.
Thanks to all on this board who shared what made their trips great, it really helped us make the most of our trip. We were able to make the kids dreams come true, which was my dream -- to see it all again through their eyes.
We decided to stay at the Sheraton Safari, which has a great location if you have a rental car. Driving time to each park was under 15 minutes. Hotel was above average, not spectacular. What made this property great was the pool and the giant python water slide. We are early risers, so each day we were at the park at opening, stayed until approximately 2, then went back for swims and early dinner. Back to the parks at 5:30-6:00 until closing. The swim was a great break. It was hot, no rain (because I packed every possible kind of raincover) but after 6:00 they breeze was cool and manageable.
Day 1: AK. 8:00 PS for Donald's Breakfastsaurous. Success!!! After reading numerous posts regarding missing early seatings because of parking lot not opened, I was nervous. We were the 2nd car at the gate (anxious much!) and the attendant said gates would open at 7:45. Parked and walked right through AK to Donald's, which was great. DH thought it was expensive for a breakfast buffet, but he thought was setting and experience was great overall. Food was hot and bountiful, chocolate chip pancakes were my daughters favorite. And I ate enough for breakfast and lunch. Donald, Mickey, Minney, Goofy and Pluto stopped by the tables for photos, autographs and hugs and it was a terrific start to the trip. The nicest was being in Dinoland when breakfast was over, so we went on all the rides there
without a wait then walked over to FP the Safari before riding Kali River Rapids. It's a Bugs Life, Rafiki's Planet, Boneyard and Dinosaur were all great. Festival of the Lion King -- Terrific! Flights of Wonder was also great, and another nice break in the shade. AK was totally manageble, crowd-wise, and we were ready to leave about 4:00. Went to MK for a first taste, getting on the railroad to Toontown to ride Barnstormer, meet characters, then finish off in Fantasyland for It's a Small World, Peter Pan and Snow White. The following day was our all-day MK "make the kids dreams come true" day, so we went back to hotel and tried to sleep.
Day 2: MK. Kids up at dawn, breakfast in the room (cereal, milk, donuts!)
we were at the gates before opening to see the "mayor" of MK officially open the park. Minney, Mickey and friends ride the railroad to the opening also. I whispered to the kids that today was going to be the best, and we were off. I was so happy to see blue skies and minimal crowds. Longest wait was 20 minutes. We fastpassed when needed, and it helped give us some structure. DS road all the "mountains" and had a blast. DD was able to make to 40" at Splash Mountain, but nowhere else so it must measure a little short. She is fearless and loved it! Made our way from Fantasyland to Frontierland, Adventureland then left the park for our break. Because of the light crowds, we were able to move freely around the park, ferries were easy to get on and off. It was perfect! After swimming and dinner at Steak and Shake next door to the hotel, we were back for Tomorrowland, Space Mountain, Buzz, Transit Authority, Rockets, and Raceway! No real waits. Back to the Mountains for a replay to morning, then proceeded to the Main Street train station to watch the fireworks. The perfect spot, because we had elevated seating, and a quick getaway. Back to the hotel in less that 30 minutes after leaving the park. Not bad for off-site!
Day 3: Epcot. My son, the explorer, said this was his favorite. Again, at the gate at opening. We followed the double-decker character bus while walking toward Fast track, took a quick autograph break, then got in line. No waiting, but the line filled up quickly. DD too little to ride, but loved the kidcot station there. Went to Mission Space next, then on to Soarin' which was one of my personal favorites. It was amazing!!!! Another note: rider swap was the best -- DS really made out because he got to ride twice, and there is no time limit on rider swap passes, so it's like having a open-ended FP. One parent rides the ride, the other parent could go back with child at any time and ride again using the FP line. It really works!
After Soarin', we went the Living Seas where DD fell in love with Crush. Went for our swim break, and returned refreshed to visit the World Pavillion. I had gotten an Epcot Passport on Ebay before leaving and DS had the best time getting it stamped in each country and a personalized note written by a castmember from each country. I think this will be his favorite souvenir of the vacation. He loved River of Time in Mexico, Maelstrom in Norway. The World Pavillion is good for the afternoon because these two rides give you a break from the sun. Continued around the countries to end in Canada where we staked out a great spot to watch Illuminations. Quite different and more dramatic than Wishes, but everyone loved it. A quick walk to the car from Canada and we said goodbye to another wonderful day.
Day 4: Disney MGM, and one last hurrah in MK! Saturday, and the Star Wars Weekend made this seem like the business park and day of all. But we were prepared. Went immediately to Tower of Terror, got the rider switch, but this was one ride my son would not ride again with Dad. No tears, he just said he didn't like it much. I thought the concept was terrific, a blast back to the Twilight Zone, but the actual elevator ride was too short. While DH rode without DS, I FP'd Rock n'Roll Coaster. We had a 2 hour wait until the FP was good, so we walked all around, saw Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, rode Star Tours (GREAT!), saw Beauty and the Beast (another great show in a shady spot), and PlayHouse Disney and Ariel. Then we walked toward Planet Pizza to meet the characters from Toy Story, and got autographs from Woody, Buzz and Jessie.
Returned to ride Aerosmith roller coaster which had my son in a state of excited bliss. If I could capture his smile and giggles...we had a great time screaming our way through it. Went on the Great Movie Ride next, okay for DH and myself, bored the kids to tears. More characters and enjoying the park, then off for our afternoon break, so we could have a last hurrah at MK. Kids decided they wanted to go back there, in leiu of Fantasmic. I didn't complain since it was Saturday and MGM seemed really full, so I knew we'd have to stake our our spot for Fantasmic quite early, and we decided against it. but we had a plan to watch the fireworks while riding Dumbo, and it worked. Timed it just right, so we were at the front of the line just as Wishes began, and we were in the air during the fireworks. Before that grand finish, we went back to Toontown where DD waited for 30 minutes (our longest wait of the entire trip) to meet the Princesses. Totally worth it, and they could not have been prettier and more cordial. I know why it takes so long...they meet everyone individually and pose for pictures and are very gracious, even with the smallest guest. DD was beside herself and the photos are perfect. Use Photopass...it's great! We should have done it more.
Went back to ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, watched a bit of SpectroMagic Parade from Frontierland, then went back to Fantasyland for Pooh, Small World, Peter Pan and Teacups before ending with fireworks and Dumbo. Meandered back to Space Mountain for a final ride, and headed down Main Street at 10:50 because the park closed at 11:00.
This was a great trip, in part because we took DS out of school for 3 days, so crowds were so manageable and heat was not intolerable. While we carried a lot of stuff into the parks in terms of food, water and ponchos, I made sure to bring our biggest stroller with a large basket and the weight to support the diaper bag slung across the handles. I would recommend using your biggest stroller, so you could pile a lot on and in the basket. Squeeze breeze was a must, save your money and buy at Walgreens or Walmart. Remind kids the keep drinking. I could tell from their red little faces. Use FP and rider swap if you can, they work! We alternated shoes so no blisters could form, and kept slathering on the suncreen.
Saved money by going to Walmart, using Mousesavers for the National Discounts which were a breeze, and bringing food and water into the parks.
Thanks to all on this board who shared what made their trips great, it really helped us make the most of our trip. We were able to make the kids dreams come true, which was my dream -- to see it all again through their eyes.
