WHAT A DIFFERENCE 6 MOS. MAKES (or how I learned to love MK) COMPLETE-WRAP-UP 12/29

[pinkxray]

Theme park view at CR sounds awesome!

We tried Jet Blue last year and it was really nice. Caitlin loved the tv. I don't think she made a peep the whole flight. (She used the portable dvd on southwest and it just wasn't the same) Plus, they have better coffee and snacks

The only thing I missed about SW was the singing and jokes but an entertained kid is far better.

 

[tinacaplan]

What great updates!

First of all....TPV at Contemporary?!? Y'all are going to have such a great vacation in February! Don't forget to let me know when you start your TR for it - I have to know what you think of CR & if the TPV was worth it!

And what a magical morning in the most magical place in the world! I got all teary-eyed reading about your experience with Max on Peter Pan. I so know how you felt! Funny thing is I never liked Peter Pan as a kid, but now that I see how much Reid loves it & I see it all thru his eyes, I love it!

Can't wait to hear about what other fun y'all had that day!!!

Thanks, Amanda. I love sharing them!

It will be interesting to see if the TPV was worth it. I went into our BC stay doubting that staying deluxe would be worth it at all....well...um...yes, I think it might be.

It is amazing to share these things with our kids, isn't it? It was just the most amazing morning. We had a wonderful, magical time.

Well, Tina, this has been quite a rollercoaster ride on your resorts! Sounds like you have some decent reasons for staying at the CR. But I haven't put it in pen yet in my head!

Yes, it has been...mostly because of plane fare and what I am willing to pay. To my way of thinking, I'd much rather give my money to Disney than to an airline. It kills me to see such high prices on Saturday and see it go down to under $100 a few days later. I know why they're doing it but... So because we're going for less time, I'm going for the CR!

May I echo what Cynthia said about teachers!?!
Last year, I told two of my son's 7th grade teachers "Bless you for what you do!"

Thanks, Dee. You have no idea how much a simple thank you means to us teachers.

Great start at MK- an early start in Fantasyland really makes such a difference in the crowds. I'm sure you will find that staying at the CR will make it very easy and convenient to get to MK early.

Love your choice of Peter Pan first thing- this is what we usually do. This is one of my family's favorite rides but we won't wait standby later in the day- the lines get sooooooo long!

If we're going to go for such a short trip, I want to be right there at the MK so we don't waste any time. I got spoiled being so close to EPCOT while we were at the BC and I realized how truly amazing it is to be that close! If were going to be able to go for a slightly longer trip or it was summer, I'd be back at the Beach Club in a heartbeat.

Didn't realize how amazing PP was until I rode it with Max! The Dis has taught me to never wait in a line for more than twenty minutes. That's why I love rope drop!

The WTP play area is so cute!!! How does it work? Is someone in line while the kid(s) play and they rejoin you later. Or is it like a deli, where you get a number?

The Pooh queue is so much fun! Believe it or not, Winnie wasn't all that busy any time we were there. Once you get beyond the tree house section, the play areas kind of run along with the line itself, if that makes any sense. When it was busier, Mark or I would hold our place in line for a bit while Max played.

Yeah, on not losing your camera!!! Everyone was probably so busy dashing to PP and WTP and Dumbo that they didn't have time to scoop it up. Oh, what I mean is "Doesn't that really restore your faith in humanity?"

So lucky! And, yes, it should restore my faith!

Well - your trip keeps getting better and better and you will absolutely love TPV at CR. When I had a view of the castle every morning while staying at BLT, it was breathtaking - morning, noon, and night!!!!

Glad you were able to nail things down with the plane tickets!!!!

Very fun kick-off to your MK day!

Thanks, Mary Ellen. It will be a shorter visit, but each and every second will count. And I should take a look at your TR for your BLT stay.

We fly JetBlue out of Hartford and LOVE it...in fact they are my #1 choice.They are so nice and so on time!

Glad to hear it. I'm looking forward to it.

Terrific update, Tina. I'm glad you found the "magic" of the Magic Kingdom.

Aww...Kathy, I'm touched that you stopped by here on your way out!

I am going to get confused at some point with all your changes...so you will have to forgive me. But...right now i am not confused right? You are staying at the CR??!!??!! I know how much you want to do this.

Your update was awesome btw. Love that you enjoyed MK - fantasyland. It is a magical area!!!

I know, Ann...this has been CRAZY! We are staying at the CR! I'm so excited. Its beautiful and has been my dream resort. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

Theme park view at CR sounds awesome!

We tried Jet Blue last year and it was really nice. Caitlin loved the tv. I don't think she made a peep the whole flight. (She used the portable dvd on southwest and it just wasn't the same) Plus, they have better coffee and snacks

The only thing I missed about SW was the singing and jokes but an entertained kid is far better.

I think that the sole reason my husband wanted to fly Jet Blue was because of the t.v.. We had the singing and jokes on SW in February, but not in July. Weird, right?

I think CR is going to be awesome! I truly can't wait!

 

[Bellefan22]

Thank you for your trip report! I had so much fun reading it, and your vivid descriptions transport me to the middle of the magic, too. And isn't that a wonderful place to be?

 

[tinacaplan]

Thank you for your trip report! I had so much fun reading it, and your vivid descriptions transport me to the middle of the magic, too. And isn't that a wonderful place to be?

Thanks and I love it when new readers introduce themselves. Makes me feel like I'm not talking to myself! I have no choice but to write well, as I'm not the greatest photographer and forget to take them half the time anyway.

And yes, it sure is a wonderful place to be...isn't that why we love the Disboards?

 

[tinacaplan]

As you all know my tale of woe when it comes to planning our February trip... had tickets on a non-stop with Delta. Delta decided to no longer fly nonstop out of Hartford. Got our money back. Then I watched flights go up..and up...and up some more. Played with the idea of a longer stay at CSR, staying at the BC, different days of the week to fly...and came back pretty empty handed.

Then I went to finally buy our return tickets tonight and the Southwest flight I'd been wanting to snag had gone up. ARGH. So I checked Jet Blue and while it wasn't really cheap, it was cheaper.

Long story short, we're flying round trip on Jet Blue for a total amount I don't even want to talk about. But at least that's DONE! And I'm super excited about flying Jet Blue. Are they really as amazing as they sound? I've never flown them before; only Southwest, Delta, and Airtran.

We're flying into MCO at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, February 20 and checking into the Contemporary. Nope. Not changing that. And we leave at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. I wish we could have flown out on Saturday, but the fares were ridiculously expensive. That said, we'll be able to get a full day in at the parks that Friday before the saddest drive ever returns us to the airport and reality. It will save us money on another night at the CR, too.

So, I feel good...GREAT...about this! We'll get five real days out of this and four wonderful nights to sit on our balcony and watch Wishes! Hoping for lots of this:

And I promise this is NOT turning into a PTR...I really want to get another update up either later tonight or before the weekend is through! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

 

[Missyrose]

What a magical morning of just truly ENJOYING the Magic Kingdom. Isn't it great when you can step back and realize how much fun you're really having?

The plans for the February trip seem to be shaping up nicely. Yes, JetBlue is as awesome as advertised. They're our go-to airline for most places we travel. Great service, nice planes and the TVs are awesome!

Sounds like you guys will have a blast at CR. I'm hoping for the same when we try CR for the first time in just 20 days!

 

[dizneeat]

First off, congrats on getting your airfare!!!!!!!!!!
We got ours last week too.and were pretty lucky with it!

I think I am as excited as you are about your stay at the CR!!! How awesome is it to have the MK view!

Your MK day sounds wonderful - I could just imagine, my little friend Max exploring the WTP play area and flying over London. Can't wait to see you ALL again!
Just 150 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tinacaplan]

What a magical morning of just truly ENJOYING the Magic Kingdom. Isn't it great when you can step back and realize how much fun you're really having?

The plans for the February trip seem to be shaping up nicely. Yes, JetBlue is as awesome as advertised. They're our go-to airline for most places we travel. Great service, nice planes and the TVs are awesome!

Sounds like you guys will have a blast at CR. I'm hoping for the same when we try CR for the first time in just 20 days!

It was amazing! I'll be looking forward to hearing all about your experience there, especially how the CMs and Mousekeeping are. The CMs at the Beach Club spoilled us...so warm and helpful. And Mousekeeping was great...came back to towel animals and thoughtfully arranged stuffed animals almost everyday!

First off, congrats on getting your airfare!!!!!!!!!!
We got ours last week too.and were pretty lucky with it!

I think I am as excited as you are about your stay at the CR!!! How awesome is it to have the MK view!

Your MK day sounds wonderful - I could just imagine, my little friend Max exploring the WTP play area and flying over London. Can't wait to see you ALL again!
Just 150 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks...I wouldn't say we were lucky, though. I think we flew round trip in July for what we're paying to go home in February. Cannot believe how much further the money goes in July than during Pres. Week.

Well...you definitely have to come and check out our view. I have four whole blissful nights of prime viewing for Wishes! And having experienced the crowds on Main Street this summer, I'm totally OK with being a little far away from the action.

Oh, Karin...it was just...totally magical. And there's at least one more installment about our time at MK that day to come.

Believe me, we can't wait either! It really is the icing on our cake, for sure. Mark and I were just talking about you last night...all good stuff! Promise!

 

[annmarieda]

As you all know my tale of woe when it comes to planning our February trip... had tickets on a non-stop with Delta. Delta decided to no longer fly nonstop out of Hartford. Got our money back. Then I watched flights go up..and up...and up some more. Played with the idea of a longer stay at CSR, staying at the BC, different days of the week to fly...and came back pretty empty handed.

Then I went to finally buy our return tickets tonight and the Southwest flight I'd been wanting to snag had gone up. ARGH. So I checked Jet Blue and while it wasn't really cheap, it was cheaper.

Long story short, we're flying round trip on Jet Blue for a total amount I don't even want to talk about. But at least that's DONE! And I'm super excited about flying Jet Blue. Are they really as amazing as they sound? I've never flown them before; only Southwest, Delta, and Airtran.

We're flying into MCO at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, February 20 and checking into the Contemporary. Nope. Not changing that. And we leave at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. I wish we could have flown out on Saturday, but the fares were ridiculously expensive. That said, we'll be able to get a full day in at the parks that Friday before the saddest drive ever returns us to the airport and reality. It will save us money on another night at the CR, too.

So, I feel good...GREAT...about this! We'll get five real days out of this and four wonderful nights to sit on our balcony and watch Wishes! Hoping for lots of this:

And I promise this is NOT turning into a PTR...I really want to get another update up either later tonight or before the weekend is through! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

It is a good feeling to get airfare squared away.... even if is it more than what you wanted to pay.

 

[tinacaplan]

It is a good feeling to get airfare squared away.... even if is it more than what you wanted to pay.

Yeah, it is! It means your trip is really happening, you know? Disney reservations can always be modified, changed, or cancelled all together, whereas flights are usually nonrefundable. Not backing out now! Although, we could probably all take bets as to whether or not we'll change our resort again. OK, no we won't. Not with only four nights. That's how I'm justifying it.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Too bad you didn't keep your ADR, you could've gotten cool pictures of an empty main street, though I love the ones you got of the entrance and the "Let The Memories Begin" sign! So nice without a ton of people put into the picture But you got in for rope drop at least!

I think you were definitely smarter in going on PPF versus Dumbo. How long that line can get... ride it when the line's short and your son wanted to ride it anyway, go figure I'm so glad your opinion of MK has changed your first few moments in Fantasyland, it is such a great park and has been my favorite from day one. The magical quality it possesses, it's real and really makes for a unique experience

Can't wait to read more!

 

[PirateKate]

That's a lot of resort changes! I'll be very interested to see whether or not you stick with CR. I know airfare is booked now, but it's never too late to switch resorts.

Isn't it fun watching little guys on rides? They have the best time and it's pure magic to see the expressions on their faces when they see their favorite characters. I'm glad Max was having such a good time with the MK this trip.

 

[tinacaplan]

After Winnie, we backtracked a bit. We had a Peter Pan FP to get back to, as well as the obligatory ride on IASW and a spin on the carousel.

First up was the carousel. Mark rode with Max, while I hung back to take pictures. Something about going round and round doesn’t appeal to me all that much.

Here’s Mark and no Max. No idea how I got that picture!

While Max and Mark rode the carousel, I got in line to meet Mary! Shouldn’t this really be her carousel? I mean, Cindy has an ENTIRE castle. Sheesh!

I love getting to meet her, even if this particular one doesn’t look anything like Julie Andrews. She was great with Max, too.

“Are you shy?” she asked him, as he stood behind me, peering around my waist at this oddly dressed woman. “You’re doing a very good job of pretending to be. You can come out now. You know us nannies spend a great deal of time coaxing children not be shy.”

She was practically perfect in every way; never breaking character.

Next stop...London! Again! Here’s Max in the queue:

I did not often get him took directly at the camera. Oh well...


From there, we continued on our way back to Peter Pan. But first we stopped for IASW, one of the few rides Max seemed to really enjoy on our last trip. Since then we’ve spent a great deal of time singing the song, as its one the Four Parks, One World CD we purchased back in February.

And, yes, out of all things I could have taken a zillion pictures of, I took a zillion pictures of this:

And we’re off...

When we were done here, we’d had enough fantasy for the morning and headed over to Adventureland! Along the way, Max had gotten hungry...had we eaten yet? Strangely, I don’t remember anything about breakfast that morning. I know that Max had a protein bar and some juice on the way out of the resort, but I’m not sure what Mark and I had done. I do know that being at Disneyworld gets me so excited that I don’t need coffee. Go figure...in the real world, I can barely function without it!

Along the way there are all the little carts on the path from Fantasyland as you walk through Liberty Square and on into Frontierland so we tried to find Max a pretzel. No dice! All of the pretzel selling carts were not open yet. Oh, and by the way, I hear tell of cream cheese filled pretzels in MK...where are they, exactly?
We procured a Mickeybar for Max and I think we must have gotten FPs for Jungle Cruise, otherwise the remainder of our MK morning doesn’t make sense, but no matter...

And another important thing I learned on this trip: yes, they really ARE that good. It had never even occurred to me before to try one. Sad, I know.

We did NOT go for a magic carpet ride. Alladin is the one Disney movie (OK...probably not) I’ve yet to see.

Besides, Max had a Mickey bar to get all over his face!

“Sure, Mom, I’ll look right at the camera...now that I have chocolate all over my face!”

We stopped off at Adventureland stroller parking and I must have cleaned up Max’s face.

And we headed for...

Everyone had suggested we see this movie before this trip. And we did! And Mark and I loved it! Max is still a bit young, although wants to be, in his words, “Captain Jack Sparrow,” for Halloween this year. And would you know? Disney has a great costume, including a wig/hat combo.

It was great to see how the movie had pulled things directly out of the ride and vice versa. It made a really great ride even better.

As we were getting off the ride, Max said, “Pirates was scary, Mama.” Max was distracted by the swords in the dump shop, so he AND Mark got swords, as well as a hook. They will come in “handy” later.

Now, I think we must have gotten FPs for the Jungle Cruise, because I know we did not wait in line and otherwise, why would we have gone to Pirates first? I don’t remember.

Getting aboard, we met a young ride operator who was from our hometown; he was very excited about that. One thing I’ve noticed is that it seems that the most enthusiastic CMs we met were either in the college program or appeared to be retirees who were working at Disney part-time.

We were right at the front of the boat and had a great little journey through the jungle.

Now it was about 11:45 and we were HUNGRY. Knowing that we had better counter service options befoer we left the park, we strolled across the way and ventured in Tortuga Tavern. I liked this place a lot.

Mark had a beef burrito, I had the taco salad, and Max had a cheese quesadilla.

It was very good and certainly hit the spot. I really liked heading over the toppings bar and loading up my salad.

By lunch we had ridden Pooh and PP twice, Pirates, the Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, the carousel, and IASW. We were ready to head home. But not before I had my very first Dolewhip float! I know I should have photo documentation of this mometous event...but alas. There are a lot of things that get hyped on the boards, many of which have left me wondering what all the fuss was about. Not this. No way. Delicious. Refreshing. Amazing. Absolutely. Dolewhip in hand, we made our way to front of the park.

Once on Main Street, we watched this for awhile:

And then we started to make our way to the busses. But, first...the men were prepared for battle:

Told ya they would come in handy!

All told, it was an amazing, magical morning and by the end I was seriously in love with Magic Kingdom. When you’re with a small child, the place just can’t be beat. And now that I’ve seen it through Max’s eyes, I will never look at it the same way again.

 

[amandaw]

Yay! for a magical morning! I have yet to try Tortuga Tavern since they are never open when we are there. Oh well, maybe one day. I also have the Dole Whip on my "must do" list for next year. Can't wait to hear how y'all spent the rest of the day!

 

[dizneeat]

Great update, Tina!

You got a lot done that day! So, Max thinks POTC is scary ..... hm, maybe it is?
I love the sword photo at the end ...... like father, like son!

More updates, please!

 

[MEK]

Please don't think I am insane for being up this early. I promised myself I would get right to work on my music ( I have to do an 8am mass and I am not well prepared - hence the early morning hours), but I saw you updated and had to comment.

first - yeah for airline tickets. Sorry they are so pricey. You certainly have a lot of choices for nonstop from Hartford. Not so much here in Philly and BWI. And no jet blue. boo!

Excellent update. Max is too cute with his mickey bar. What a great morning you had. You got so much done and this was summer. I'm impressed! How was the weather - was it ungodly hot?

Lunch looks yummy. That place is never open when I am there. I guess I need to go in July. I would really like to try it sometime. I know it won't be open in December.

Really fun pictures!!! Loved them! Ok - now I really have to get myself in gear hear.

 

[natebenma]

Great update. What a fantastic morning you had at the Magic Kingdom. The Mickey Bar photos are awesome!!!

Isn't it much better when the meltdown is the ice cream and not the toddler!

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[annmarieda]

Great update. You sure did get a lot done that morning. I am impressed.

And yay for trying the dole whip

 

[tinacaplan]

Yay! for a magical morning! I have yet to try Tortuga Tavern since they are never open when we are there. Oh well, maybe one day. I also have the Dole Whip on my "must do" list for next year. Can't wait to hear how y'all spent the rest of the day!

You HAVE to get a Dole Whip. Really and truly one of the things that's not overrated on the Dis that everyone gushes about! Tortuga was good, but not necessarily anything to go out of your way for.

Great update, Tina!

You got a lot done that day! So, Max thinks POTC is scary ..... hm, maybe it is?
I love the sword photo at the end ...... like father, like son!

More updates, please!

Thanks, Karin. And he's already requesting to ride it again...so he didn't think it was THAT scary. He also wanted to be, in his words, "Captain Jack Sparrow" for Halloween and Mark bought him the costume at the Disney Store yesterday. Haven't seen it on yet, but it will be adorable, I'm sure.

 

[tinacaplan]

In just a few minutes, or so it seemed, we were pulling into the Beach Club. Once we hopped off the bus, I took a few random pictures of the resort as we walked back.

The Villas, which are a slightly different color than the rest of the resort:

My happy boy, smiling after a magical morning:

When we got back into our room, this was waiting for us:

My first towel animal!!! I was so excited. They also arranged Max’s stuffed animals:

We quickly got changed and hit Storm Along Bay. It really was just about perfect. We never had a problem gettting a chair, nor did we think it was ever too crowded. Busy, yes, but not overly so, which I appreciated.
After playing on the sandbar for a bit, during which time I floated along the lazy river on my back, we went over to the pirate ship so Max could use the kiddie slide. I think he went down about twenty times!

After a almost two hours at SAB we headed back to the room for naptime, which turned out ot be more sucessful than I had anticipated. We had a quiet night at the resort with an ADR for dinner at Cape May Cafe.