nicolemarie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2005
- Messages
- 804
Someone started a thread a while back about what you do when you first arrive at Disney. We are of the unpacking mentality. Lets make it home away from home nope, we arent DVC but we still like to get all situated as my DH puts it. So I unpack the gross Lil Milk and put it in the fridge. Quick aside: This morning I gave my kids the last of the Lil Milks for breakfast before school. DD7 asked if I could keep buying them. She said they were really good. I took her word for it. Im not trying them. Anyway, back to unpacking. Everyone gets a drawer and before long all suitcases are empty, toiletries line the bathroom counter, and the pillows from home are on the bed. We are good to go. After I unpack the bread and peanut butter for sandwiches to actually take into the park. In a Tupperware container so they dont get squished in my backpack. If that aint redneck, I dont know what is. But then again Im from Georgia. Born and raised. Go Dawgs. Go Braves. Go Nascar. I actually have an uncle who wears a t-shirt that says Im a Redneck and proud of it. Thats a true statement.
We are on our way to Epcot for lunch, a quick check of the crowd levels (this is our first busy season trip), and to pick up my DDE card. That can only be picked up at the entrance to Epcot this I also learned from the DIS. Then we can ride the monorail (DS3s favorite ride) over to MK and pick up some fastpasses to be used later after dinner at California Grill. Now all you Fast Pass return-time Nazis, go ahead and flame away. Yep, I said it. We went to MK, got FPs for SM and BL and gasp! did not use them until about 11:00 PM. And it was a brilliant move!! A move we exercised the ENTIRE week for just about EVERY attraction that has FP.
Lunch was uneventful burger at the Electric Umbrella. And then disaster struck. My sweet little DS wanted to ride the golf ball. DH is a big golfer loves the sport, plays frequently, has a low handicap and has shared this love with DS. So when you are three and you see a huge white ball with dimples in it, what else do you think it represents? Another aside here: My little man has my heart. Now DD is my best buddy we share a love for shopping, princess movies, girly things and shoes. She is compliant, a pleaser, and quality time with me is, for right now, one of her favorite things. Quit laughing all you parents of teens I know my time is coming. Anyway, my DS is just a joy. In a different way. I say the sky is blue, he says its red. Because thats his first favorite color. DH and I affectionately, behind his back of course, call him delusional. He comes up with the strangest things to say. But I love him immensely and I already dislike his future wife. I look at girls in his preschool class as hoochies that will eventually take him away from me. So if my little guy wants to ride the big golf ball so be it. We hop on. Its a walk-on. We all know why.
Forty-five very precious, and yet wasted, minutes later, we are walking down the stairs from the top of Spaceship Earth to exit a ride that has broken down while we are on it. We head to the exit to shake off the frustration by riding the monorail to MK. Por favor, mantanganse alejadro de las puertas. Im sure I botched the spelling, but I LOOOOVE that. It makes me smile. DD7 and I always mouth it together we look like the ultimate Disney geeks when we do, and DH has asked that we stop, but no can do. I have to. Well, we get to the TTC, switch monorails and ask to ride in the front SCORE!!! No one has asked and we are granted seats in the front where the monorail driver gives us the most valuable tip we get all week. Sorry I know that Im really doing you wrong, but if I tell you the tip, Id have to kill you. And theres a whole lot of you. Actually not so much actually reading this report, but you know what I mean.
We arrive at the MK and I ask the first CM I see, What time is the 3:00 parade? Hee Hee. He says 3:00 and we head over to SM and BL for out FPs. We double score using our tip from the friendly CM on the monorail, and ride the TTA as our inaugural MK ride weak, I know but it was crowded and that was all we could do.
Back to the YC for a nap, and then, bundled in our ski resort finery, we are on the bus to MK to have dinner at California Grill and watch the fireworks. Despite all the poor-mouthin of CG I have heard on the DIS, we have a great experience. We are seated almost immediately, by the window, great service, great meal. It is far too cold to watch Wishes from the observation deck, so we watch while we eat, pay our check that is discounted by 20%, and hop the monorail for the Kingdom. We arrive just as the best parade music of all time is starting up. Spectromagic. I love it I studied music in college and I think one of the things I appreciate the most about Disney is the quality of the music. From the movie sountracks, to the parade music, to the ride music, even the music on the website everything is good, quality stuff. I even blasted the Spectromagic soundtrack this morning in my car as I drove to meet my running buddy. It will be on my MP3 player by the end of the day. Good stuff.
But Spectro is not on the agenda tonight even thought it is 11:00pm and we practically have the parade route to ourselves. We go to the Astro Orbiters because DS really wants to and that line is typically really slow during the day. Next thing you know, we are flying over the Magic Kingdom, watching and hearing Spectro from the air, with 7 full days ahead of us. Life is good. I am blessed. I look at my family and thank God for them and how much He has blessed us. I am overflowing with joy.
After a ride on SM and BL, we happily hop on the bus to the YC and turn in for the night knowing that we can sleep in the next morning. We only have the Hoop Dee Doo on the agenda and tomorrow promises to be fun. Sweet dreams, sweet family.
Next up Day Two: A ride on the Surrey Bike (or Ode to Zzub) and Hoop Dee Doo
What I learned from the DIS:
1.That my DDE card has to be picked up from the ticket counter at the entrance to Epcot.
2.That you can return WAAAAAY after the FP return time expires and still get on the ride.
3.That you should ask for a window seat at CG.
4.That Disney can make you happy in ways the real world just doesnt. That it is precious quality time with your family and despite the incredible dent it puts in your budget, it is worth every penny.
We are on our way to Epcot for lunch, a quick check of the crowd levels (this is our first busy season trip), and to pick up my DDE card. That can only be picked up at the entrance to Epcot this I also learned from the DIS. Then we can ride the monorail (DS3s favorite ride) over to MK and pick up some fastpasses to be used later after dinner at California Grill. Now all you Fast Pass return-time Nazis, go ahead and flame away. Yep, I said it. We went to MK, got FPs for SM and BL and gasp! did not use them until about 11:00 PM. And it was a brilliant move!! A move we exercised the ENTIRE week for just about EVERY attraction that has FP.
Lunch was uneventful burger at the Electric Umbrella. And then disaster struck. My sweet little DS wanted to ride the golf ball. DH is a big golfer loves the sport, plays frequently, has a low handicap and has shared this love with DS. So when you are three and you see a huge white ball with dimples in it, what else do you think it represents? Another aside here: My little man has my heart. Now DD is my best buddy we share a love for shopping, princess movies, girly things and shoes. She is compliant, a pleaser, and quality time with me is, for right now, one of her favorite things. Quit laughing all you parents of teens I know my time is coming. Anyway, my DS is just a joy. In a different way. I say the sky is blue, he says its red. Because thats his first favorite color. DH and I affectionately, behind his back of course, call him delusional. He comes up with the strangest things to say. But I love him immensely and I already dislike his future wife. I look at girls in his preschool class as hoochies that will eventually take him away from me. So if my little guy wants to ride the big golf ball so be it. We hop on. Its a walk-on. We all know why.
Forty-five very precious, and yet wasted, minutes later, we are walking down the stairs from the top of Spaceship Earth to exit a ride that has broken down while we are on it. We head to the exit to shake off the frustration by riding the monorail to MK. Por favor, mantanganse alejadro de las puertas. Im sure I botched the spelling, but I LOOOOVE that. It makes me smile. DD7 and I always mouth it together we look like the ultimate Disney geeks when we do, and DH has asked that we stop, but no can do. I have to. Well, we get to the TTC, switch monorails and ask to ride in the front SCORE!!! No one has asked and we are granted seats in the front where the monorail driver gives us the most valuable tip we get all week. Sorry I know that Im really doing you wrong, but if I tell you the tip, Id have to kill you. And theres a whole lot of you. Actually not so much actually reading this report, but you know what I mean.
We arrive at the MK and I ask the first CM I see, What time is the 3:00 parade? Hee Hee. He says 3:00 and we head over to SM and BL for out FPs. We double score using our tip from the friendly CM on the monorail, and ride the TTA as our inaugural MK ride weak, I know but it was crowded and that was all we could do.
Back to the YC for a nap, and then, bundled in our ski resort finery, we are on the bus to MK to have dinner at California Grill and watch the fireworks. Despite all the poor-mouthin of CG I have heard on the DIS, we have a great experience. We are seated almost immediately, by the window, great service, great meal. It is far too cold to watch Wishes from the observation deck, so we watch while we eat, pay our check that is discounted by 20%, and hop the monorail for the Kingdom. We arrive just as the best parade music of all time is starting up. Spectromagic. I love it I studied music in college and I think one of the things I appreciate the most about Disney is the quality of the music. From the movie sountracks, to the parade music, to the ride music, even the music on the website everything is good, quality stuff. I even blasted the Spectromagic soundtrack this morning in my car as I drove to meet my running buddy. It will be on my MP3 player by the end of the day. Good stuff.
But Spectro is not on the agenda tonight even thought it is 11:00pm and we practically have the parade route to ourselves. We go to the Astro Orbiters because DS really wants to and that line is typically really slow during the day. Next thing you know, we are flying over the Magic Kingdom, watching and hearing Spectro from the air, with 7 full days ahead of us. Life is good. I am blessed. I look at my family and thank God for them and how much He has blessed us. I am overflowing with joy.
After a ride on SM and BL, we happily hop on the bus to the YC and turn in for the night knowing that we can sleep in the next morning. We only have the Hoop Dee Doo on the agenda and tomorrow promises to be fun. Sweet dreams, sweet family.
Next up Day Two: A ride on the Surrey Bike (or Ode to Zzub) and Hoop Dee Doo
What I learned from the DIS:
1.That my DDE card has to be picked up from the ticket counter at the entrance to Epcot.
2.That you can return WAAAAAY after the FP return time expires and still get on the ride.
3.That you should ask for a window seat at CG.
4.That Disney can make you happy in ways the real world just doesnt. That it is precious quality time with your family and despite the incredible dent it puts in your budget, it is worth every penny.
