"What I learned from the DIS" - Spring Break 06 - **5/12 Final Day w/pics, Page 9**

[J and R's mom]

Heck, after a few hours in the parks, I need a stroller!

 

[PaulDavid's mom]

Just Subscribing!

 

[kpk89]

Nicolemarie, I love your report. I have a plan in mind for our next trip ... and it involves Breakfastosaurus and EE. Thanks to you!

Just in case anyone is wondering, purple striped socks are the only right ones. If you are putting your child in any color socks OTHER than purple striped, you are obviously at best, ignorant, and at worst you might actually be committing pediatric podiatric abuse. Think about it. I'll be starting a thread about this on the "Who thinks they're the best parent and everyone else sucks" board. Where is that again?

Up for discussion: stroller age limits, milk: does it really do a body good?, and sock color as it relates to IQ. See you there!

 

[Angelrose]

I have laminated some and others I just glue back to back to make them sturdier. I think I like the laminated ones best.

 

[mommyceratops]

Subbing!!

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Okay, first off, because this SHOULD be all about YOU NicoleMarie - great installment . . . I'm really enjoying your trip report. Will you write mine? I promise I'll even drive the notes to MacTown . . .

That said - I have to give props to the following for making me laugh out loud and spit my adult beverage all over my plasma screen:

Did anyone throw up? And if so, where? How much? Color? Texture? etc.

He's asking for it people - don't think that EVERYONE isn't going to know this. . .

Just in case anyone is wondering, purple striped socks are the only right ones. If you are putting your child in any color socks OTHER than purple striped, you are obviously at best, ignorant, and at worst you might actually be committing pediatric podiatric abuse. Think about it. I'll be starting a thread about this on the "Who thinks they're the best parent and everyone else sucks" board. Where is that again?

Well . . .duh!

Until then . . .MAELSTROM!

 

[Grammyof2]

I would say this was a good read, but I gotta run to Wallyworld and get striped socks, then over to the CB and defend myself for renting a stroller for my Pal Mickey.

 

[nicolemarie]

Yesterday left us with a birthday at Animal Kingdom and dinner with friends at the California Grill. The satisfaction of a good vacation, a good meal and good friends. I guess if I am going to even acknowledge the birthday that will take me out of my “mid-30’s”, it would be with a day like yesterday. Good times.

So we wake up this morning for our final park day and I am depressed. Tomorrow we will pack up, check out, have breakfast at Boma, and take the Trail of Tears home. Interstate 75. Headed NORTHbound. It’s more than I can take. Until DH dangles a little carrot out there. He says “I have a thought – but it has some conditions.” OK – shoot. He continues, “What if we book an extra night for tomorrow night, but still don’t do a full park day tomorrow. We’ll just take it easy. We could sleep in, hang out by the pool, and maybe do dinner and Illuminations. BUT we have to get up and out really early Sunday morning because I want to make my 3:00 tee time.” For those of you who don’t golf, I realize that sounds ridiculous. For those of you who DO golf, it probably sounds ridiculous. But my husband is the oldest of three boys – all of them golfers. And each year the three brothers and my FIL go on a golf trip to see who will carry home The Smith Cup. (Smith is not our last name, but in the interest of anonymity, I am using it to replace ours.) There really is an actual cup – with each year’s winner inscribed. This “tournament” of sorts is the first weekend in May and they all take this very seriously. So Disney has been great, but now he needs some practice. No problem – I can DEFINITELY be out early Sunday for an extra day at Disney! Woo Hoo! I’ll call down RIGHT NOW! As quickly as my depression was lifted, it returned with a vengeance when they said – with no remorse that was apparent to ME – sorry, but the Yacht Club is sold out. Now I am not only depressed about my ORIGINAL vacation ending. Now I have to realize Disney could care less about me. Dadgum money makin’ machine. We are being replaced. Our home for the week, Room 4179 – OUR beds, OUR balcony, OUR Mickey lamp – has another family waiting in the wings to stake claim to it. They will probably be waiting in the hall laughing at us when we depart.

But I force myself to be happy and excited about the remaining day and a half we have left. And I surge into true commando mode, because today we will go out in a blaze of glory with a FULL day at Magic Kingdom. No sissy naps for our crew. We can hang. All of us. We won’t be flimsy plastic hangers, or even cheap wire hangers. We will be WOODEN hangers – the kind that you hang your BEST clothes on. The kind that last. We will absorb all of the magic that is the Kingdom with energy and substance. This is our last day and we don’t want to miss a minute.

Since yesterday’s discovery of the best way to get to the parks early, I had tried several times that day to obtain an ADR at Crystal Palace. Only 8:00 would do. Any later and the point would be moot. We’d be caught in the chaos that is character meals, while the FP return for Space Mountain was moving later and later into the morning. I had called WDW-DINE, visited the YC concierge – both to no avail. They were booked solid. I’ve already been shot down by Central Reservations on an extra night at YC, but with one last ray of hope, I pushed the “dine” button on the phone in the room. I was immediately connected to a CM who assumed I was calling for a seating at CRT in September. Nope. I’m looking for today – Crystal Palace. She pauses. “Hmmmm, it looks like they are…no, wait. I have a cancellation for 8:00. Will that work?” Yes ma’am – that will be PERFECT. We’ll take it. Again the kids escape the fate that is Poptarts and boxed milk and we depart for the Magic Kingdom. It’s not quite the excitement I would have had if we weren’t going home tomorrow, but it’s at least a consolation prize.

We arrive at the MK shortly before 8:00. Aaaahhhh…this is the first time I have ever been in the Magic Kingdom before official opening. It is a really cool experience. Aside from the few families heading to breakfast, no one is on Main Street. No one is in front of the castle. The streets are still a little damp from being washed. The park is as clean as a whistle, all shined up and ready to welcome this day’s many Magic Kingdom guests.

I snap a pic of the kids in front of the castle, and we head to Crystal Palace. The meal is fun and the buffet is good, although no real surprise because we’ve done it many times before. Here is a little background. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was not really into Disney. And we had decided not to find out whether she was a boy or girl during the pregnancy. So baby showers presented somewhat of a challenge for guests. There are not many baby items that are gender neutral – aside from diapers, and we got LOTS of those – so toys and books were popular gift choices. You only need so much of that sort of thing, so after each shower, I would sort through the gifts and return the things I really didn’t think I would use. I’d get a credit or a giftcard that I could use after the baby came. So one of these “returnable” gifts was a large, stuffed Tigger. Like I said, I was not into Disney, and actually thought sweet Tigger was tacky. Yes friends, it makes me sad to say it, but I thought it was tacky. So I set out to return him. At every store, the clerk would scan the bar code and say he did not come from their store. So after failing at Baby Depot, Target, and Babies R Us, I finally decided to stash Tigger away in the top of the closet in my daughter’s nursery. She was a year old when she saw him up there one day and HAD to have him. He was almost as big as she was, but she fell in love, and has cuddled him EVERY night since that one. And we fell in love, too. We bought “The Tigger Movie”. It was the beginning of us “getting” Disney. Our Tiggy is more brown than orange now, and his fur is worn away in some places. But he is her Tiggy, and she would never go anywhere without him. In fact, last summer she went away to camp for the first time and the packing rules were very explicit. “NO valuables or sentimental items. It is inevitable that these things get lost.” The first thing I thought was how devastated she would be if something happened to Tigger. And so would I. But she PROMISED she would take good care of him and said if he couldn’t go, she didn’t want to, either. Case closed. Soooooooo, all this to say – we have been to see Tigger at Crystal Palace many times. We love him.

After breakfast, we were perfectly positioned to be among the first guests in Tomorrowland. We did not stray from the successful plan we had devised earlier in the week, which was to hit the SM and BL fastpasses, then go on to ride the Astro Orbiter. Our friends that we had dinner with last night (we’ll call them John, Julie, Sarah and Jack) were to be at Magic Kingdom today also, and my daughter was beside herself to find Sarah and ride some rides together.

So I walk up to the line for SM fastpasses, and there is a guy up in the front having some issues with the machine. This guy CLEARLY does not know what he is doing…has he just gotten FP’s at Buzz or something? Come ON, people!! He turns around and it is our friend, John. His poor non DISsin’ self. I’m embarrassed for him. You wanna know what he had done? Let the fam sleep in at the Grand Floridian while he waited in line at the turnstiles, then hightailed it to SM for what HE THOUGHT would be fastpasses for everyone. Not. If you haven’t actually entered the park and activated your ticket, it will not produce a fast pass for you. Know how I know? ‘Cause I DIS. And I posted this question before we left. Just in case I could ever send MY honey for some FP’s while the rest of us chill.

Despite “Let’s meet at Jungle Cruise – we are headed there now” actually meaning “We’ll be at Jungle Cruise in 45 minutes – after we stop off for ice cream” – and several other similar instances, we enjoyed spending part of our day with the Browns. (Not their real names either.) The girls squealed their heads off on Space Mountain and Big Thunder, and because the Browns informed us they didn’t get wet on Splash Mountain, me, DH and DD rode it for the first time ever. It’s a great ride. We saw the 3:00 parade - surprisingly, it started at 3:00 - and finished our last day at Disney with Spectromagic. We had done everything we wanted to do and had a great time doing it.

We did not return to the YC for a swim and naps – we soaked in the Magic all day. We took it all in trying to make the memories stick. They will. I will never forget my son’s excitement as he rode around in the “rocket” convinced he was really flying. I’ll never forget the sticky faces as ice cream melted on my kids while they waited on the parade. I’ll never forget their laughter as we saw a “hitchhiking ghost” in our Doombuggy. I’ll never forget my husband letting my tall 7 yr old ride on his shoulders because she wanted to and he can’t say no at Disney. I’ll never forget how my daughter put her arm around her brother as they rode a ride together for the first time – Goofy’s Barnstormer. Tigger jumping up and down when he hears that my daughter has had HER Tiggy since she was one. My husband doing everything possible to make sure the vacation is perfect for all of us. My son being so excited because he got 550 points on Buzz Lightyear. All of us realizing that at Disney, we are always happy. Realizing that ten – maybe even five – years from now, my kids may not feel the way they do now about family vacations. Realizing that God’s most precious blessings are going to grow up and leave our home sooner than I can imagine. So we’ll take trips to Disney as often as we can. No matter how much things change, no matter how much more money it will cost, Disney will always feel familiar and magical – and we will keep going back. It will ALWAYS be worth it. Some things are just priceless.

Next Up: Saturday - Will we get an extra day? And, our thoughts on Boma

What I learned from the DIS:

1.That those of us who “get” Disney come from all walks of life. We are truly all over the world. We have different income levels, different family demographics, and different hobbies and interests. Our views are vast on everything from politics and religion to refillable mugs and stroller rentals. Some of us “commando” our Disney vacations, some of us take it easy eating, drinking and taking it all in. But we can all agree on one thing. For us, Disney is magical. For us, it is a place we will keep coming back. Before we go, we’ll hit these boards to discuss our plans. After we return, we’ll write a trip report to recap all the details. And our DIS friends will read it. And really enjoy it because they, too, can understand our excitement. A few months ago, I would have argued that this type of interest in something was ridiculous. And lest I sound that my priorities are out of whack, I’d like to confirm that God and my family will always be number one for me. But now I get it. Disney can just enhance what is already great. It can be a place that me and my family can enjoy God and each other without the responsibilities of our real life. You all have informed and excited me about Disney in a way that has changed my perception of the World. I have become a Disney geek and I am proud of it. Thanks so very much.

 

[calstitcher]

Great trip report! Can't wait to hear if you get that extra day!!!!

 

[frankenpooh]

All of us realizing that at Disney, we are always happy. Realizing that ten – maybe even five – years from now, my kids may not feel the way they do now about family vacations. Realizing that God’s most precious blessings are going to grow up and leave our home sooner than I can imagine. So we’ll take trips to Disney as often as we can. No matter how much things change, no matter how much more money it will cost, Disney will always feel familiar and magical – and we will keep going back. It will ALWAYS be worth it. Some things are just priceless.

Now you made me weepy, Nicolemarie! You expressed that so well.

But hey, we real Smiths are a little sensitive.

 

[paslea_pooh]

We arrive at the MK shortly before 8:00. Aaaahhhh…this is the first time I have ever been in the Magic Kingdom before official opening. It is a really cool experience. Aside from the few families heading to breakfast, no one is on Main Street. No one is in front of the castle. The streets are still a little damp from being washed. The park is as clean as a whistle, all shined up and ready to welcome this day’s many Magic Kingdom guests.

This IS a really cool experience. We got to do it when we did CRT last time. If feels like you have the MK all to yourself, even if it's for just a short bit.

Here is a little background. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was not really into Disney.

GASP!!!! I'd go back and edit that part NM. ........ I'm only thinking of your safety.

So I walk up to the line for SM fastpasses, and there is a guy up in the front having some issues with the machine. This guy CLEARLY does not know what he is doing…has he just gotten FP’s at Buzz or something? Come ON, people!! He turns around and it is our friend, John. His poor non DISsin’ self. I’m embarrassed for him. You wanna know what he had done? Let the fam sleep in at the Grand Floridian while he waited in line at the turnstiles, then hightailed it to SM for what HE THOUGHT would be fastpasses for everyone. Not. If you haven’t actually entered the park and activated your ticket, it will not produce a fast pass for you. Know how I know? ‘Cause I DIS. And I posted this question before we left. Just in case I could ever send MY honey for some FP’s while the rest of us chill.

And you know this guy?

1.That those of us who “get” Disney come from all walks of life. We are truly all over the world. We have different income levels, different family demographics, and different hobbies and interests. Our views are vast on everything from politics and religion to refillable mugs and stroller rentals. Some of us “commando” our Disney vacations, some of us take it easy eating, drinking and taking it all in. But we can all agree on one thing. For us, Disney is magical. For us, it is a place we will keep coming back. Before we go, we’ll hit these boards to discuss our plans. After we return, we’ll write a trip report to recap all the details. And our DIS friends will read it. And really enjoy it because they, too, can understand our excitement. A few months ago, I would have argued that this type of interest in something was ridiculous. And lest I sound that my priorities are out of whack, I’d like to confirm that God and my family will always be number one for me. But now I get it. Disney can just enhance what is already great. It can be a place that me and my family can enjoy God and each other without the responsibilities of our real life. You all have informed and excited me about Disney in a way that has changed my perception of the World. I have become a Disney geek and I am proud of it. Thanks so very much.

Beautifully said !!

 

[kaceyisme]

Don't you feel bad for those people who don't "get it"??

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Well, I read this right when you put it up, but then never posted. BAD KITTY!

Anyway, the whole going into the MK before everyone else. I set that up too, I thought, on my last trip. CRT for 8:30. When I set it, it was NOT an EMH morning. The week before I went, it was not an EMH morning. The morning I got there, an EMH morning, but no one had told me. It was our last day, and until that point I was the perfect planner extraordinaire. This blew it. My husband was disillusioned.

We arrived at the gates all excited about getting some good pics on Main STreet. I went up to the turnstiles to see about being so very special that morning, and they said, resort guests? no problem. What a bummer!

As it turns out, though, the sun isn't right for early morning pics in front of the castle - we got bad shadows on those pics, so maybe I wasn't so upset. (Who am I kidding. I thought I was going to be extra-special, and then I wasn't. Story of my life!)

anyway - another great installment!

Amy

 

[nicolemarie]

Girl, aren't you sweet to resurrect my report from page 2!

I do that all the time - read and not post. Now that I've written one and know how encouraging the comments are, I will try and do better!

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

sometimes I read, but then forget to tell the writer how much I am enjoying the report. Everyone needs to hear that! I only wrote 1/2 a report last time b/c no one was reading (it really was pretty dry). I hope to do better this year, since the kids will be with us and it won't be so much of a went there, rode that, ate, ate, ate report!

Yours is great, though! I'm taking notes on how it is SUPPOSED to be done!

 

[KerriSue]

Magical, Priceless

Perfect way to describe all things Disney

Love it
Kerri

 

[fizz13]

You did it girl, you made me cry The paragraph with all your special memories from that day that will stay with you forever, it was just gorgeous. You have a way with words, long may it continue,
Claire xx

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wheres the last day??

 

[Credit Man]

Wonderful report! Thanks for posting.

 

[ZZUB]

And lest I sound that my priorities are out of whack, I’d like to confirm that God and my family will always be number one for me. But now I get it. Disney can just enhance what is already great. It can be a place that me and my family can enjoy God and each other without the responsibilities of our real life.

Very well stated! It's important to remember that we don't worship Disney or even that our joy comes from the Mouse. However, God allows us to enjoy rich blessings in life and these blessings are sometimes (frequently?) realized at Disney World. While it's true that we can relax and recharge on virtually any vacation; there's something special about being in Disney World that makes it easier to relax and enjoy our families and the wonder of God's provision for us.

I can't wait to find out how your trip ends although I'm sad your report is nearing its conclusion. I hope you've got another trip planned soon. Like many others, I've enjoyed living vicariously through your report.

Because it means something good. I think.