Where does the time go? 10/1/05-10/8/05 Photos added!!

[momoftriplets]

I can't believe it's been so long since we've returned from WDW. We were there October 1-8, 2005. I have written this report in my head many times and now need to get it down in print. I need to stop reading trip reports and start writing ! I have read some GREAT TRs recently & am a bit intimidated, but I will do my best.

This was actually our second family trip to WDW. ( I had been there approx. 10 years before with a friend & her family.) Our first family trip was in October of 2003. We enjoy October for the lighter crowds & somewhat cooler temps. The first time, we stayed off site, in a time share unit. We enjoyed all of the space it allowed us, but this time we wanted to try on-site. We loved it. We won't even go off site again.

First, the cast:
ME: 40 years old at the time of our trip (I just had my birthday yesterday, but I digress) Over-planner, love Disney

DH: 42 at time of travel, enjoys Disney, tolerates my overplanning, actually leaves it all to me, which I appreciate. He just wants to know the final outcome.

As you can see from my signature, we have triplets. They were 8, almost 9 years old for this trip.

DS: My funny little man, is Mom's boy, not a Mama's boy. Dislikes thrill rides, can't get him on them. We don't even try. When/if he's ready, he'll let us know.

DD1: My adventure-seeker. Loves the thrill rides.
DD2: Tried the thrill rides for the first time this trip & loved them. Little side note about DD2: She's just like me. When she's happy, you won't hear a peep out of her, but when she's mad - watch out! She really is a sweet little girl, she just isn't old enough yet to handle herself when she gets overly tired. This becomes a factor later in our trip.

OK - so I told you I am an over-planner. We, meaning I, planned this trip back in March of 2005. Paid in full. Our original reservation was 1 room at POR, 5 day hopper passes, with water parks and we included the 7 day dining package. After thinking about it for a few days, we changed resorts. We decided 2 adults + 3 children + 7 days in one resort room = NO GOOD! We moved to ASMo with 2 connecting rooms. FABULOUS! Then the Free Dining Package was announced. I seached the boards & couldn't find anything saying "New reservations only". SOOOOO, I called WDW & asked if we could be included in the free option. Mind you, I had already paid for it. Well, I was on hold for at least 15 minutes. I know this for a fact, because I dialed the number & entered all of the prompts while sitting in the parking lot at work, then I started to drive home. I was home for a few minutes already, when the CM finally returned to say, "Sure, we can do that for you!" They refunded our credit card almost $700!!!! I was so excited! I called DH right away. He didn't believe me. "So, we're still on the dining plan?" Yes. "And it won't cost us anything?" No. "But we'll still eat?" Yes. "They're crediting our card?" YES!!! TOO COOL!! What a great start!

Saturday, October 1, 2005:
Uneventful flight from Minneapolis to Orlando. We were complimented on how well behaved our children were. This is always nice to hear. I was sitting next to 2 teenagers who were getting kind of rowdy & the other passengers did talk to their mother about it. I'm still not quite sure how their mother didn't know they were acting up, even if she was sitting in the row ahead of them. Come on, woman, keep track of your kids! After getting off the plane, we were walking from the gate to the tram when DH heard a woman look at our kids & said to her companion, "Cute kids". Again, nice to hear.
We found the CM's with the big Mickey hands without a problem. Check in at ME was very easy. The longest part of this process was the wait for the bus. We had just missed the one to ASMo, so there was a bit of a wait for the next one. Big deal. We were on the bus soon enough. It was great not having to worry about our luggage. With a full bus, we were off. We enjoyed the cartoons that played on the bus during the trip. It went fairly quickly. Probably 20 minutes or so. When we got to the "Welcome to Disney World" sign, everyone cheered. Because we were staying at ASMo, ours was the last stop. Check it took a loooooong time. I stood in line while DH waited with the kids. They watched a few cartoons in the lobby, they checked out the food court, they found the pool. I stood in line. Finally, got to the front. CM's were making balloon animals for the kids. They loved it. Once started, check in was fairly quick. Only one of our 2 rooms was ready, but that was more that we could have expected, since it was before regular check in time. We went to our room, dropped off our carry-ons & changed into our shorts.

Up next: Checking out the resort, late lunch.

 

[OhMari]

Did you fly NWA out of MN. I've been looking for tickets and I keep getting Milwaukee to MN to Orlando.

Thanks for sharing. I bet your kids loved WDW.

 

[momoftriplets]

Did you fly NWA out of MN. I've been looking for tickets and I keep getting Milwaukee to MN to Orlando.

Thanks for sharing. I bet your kids loved WDW.

We did fly NWA. We were originally non stop. This was right at the time of their mechanics strike & they did end up messing with our flight. They tried to send us from MSP to Detroit, then to MCO. I changed that back to a non stop, just needed to change our times a bit. Good luck with your flights.

The kids did love WDW. Can't post more right now. I will have to check in with you later. Thanks!
Barb

 

[Disney owl]

Thanks for sharing with us

 

[TLinden16]

You're off to a great start! Good choice switching to two rooms. With the kids getting bigger, extra room is always a great thing. Maybe next time you can try one of those family suites at the All Star Music.

Thanks for posting!

 

[monymony3471]

I originally had a family suite booked for our upcoming trip. Then I studied the plans and you aren't getting any more room. Just a change in what's put in the two rooms. If you book just the two adjoining rooms, you actually get more sleeping room. In the suites, you have a kitchenette that replaces a bed. In the other room the beds were replaced by a pull out sofa and a pull out chair. I'm happy to bring our cooler since we are driving so I don't need the kitchenette. I like the thought of having 4 beds that can sleep two each. So after a few days I changed our plans as well. We are staying at the ASMo this November.

Excited to hear more about your trip,
Monica

 

[momoftriplets]

I originally had a family suite booked for our upcoming trip. Then I studied the plans and you aren't getting any more room. Just a change in what's put in the two rooms. If you book just the two adjoining rooms, you actually get more sleeping room. In the suites, you have a kitchenette that replaces a bed. In the other room the beds were replaced by a pull out sofa and a pull out chair. I'm happy to bring our cooler since we are driving so I don't need the kitchenette. I like the thought of having 4 beds that can sleep two each. So after a few days I changed our plans as well. We are staying at the ASMo this November.

Excited to hear more about your trip,
Monica

I was thinking the same thing about the family suites. I'm curious to hear how comfortable the pull outs are. I know some of them in "regular" hotels are pretty uncomfortable & couldn't imagine spending a week on them. We didn't need the fridge, either. It would have been nice, but we managed just fine without one.

To continue with this trip:
After we dropped our things in the room, we did a little exploring. We were in the Fantasia area, felt the upgrade would be worth the extra $ when we were dog tired from spending the day at the parks. We were on the third floor in the first building on the right. Our rooms overlooked the pool. It was always an active place, but we were never disturbed by the noise once we closed our doors. We glanced the Dalmations area as we were walking to our room so we skipped that area for the time being. We really wanted to see Andy's room. We were not disappointed! That was really cool. I got some great pictures of the kids on RC & in front of Buzz. When people are looking at those pictures now, I have to point out the kids specifically, otherwise they would be lost in the photo. It's amazing how tall he is.
We had ADR's for Olivia's Cafe, so we dashed to the bus stop. This was the only day where the bus service was less than stellar. We opted to go to DTD & then to OKW. OMG - Getting from ASMo to DTD was not so bad, but waiting for the bus from DTD to OKW took forever. Normally, we probably wouldn't have gone to such an "out of the way" restaurant, but our DD1 is named Olivia, so we thought it would be fun to eat at "HER" restaurant & get a photo of her in front of it. So we went. I think the CM's were kind of having a harried day, but they came around when they discovered there was an Olivia in their mist. They teased her about wanting a raise. She just smiled. I won't recall all of what we ate while we were at WDW. I'll be lucky if I remember the names of all the CS's we went to. Suffice it to say, because we were on the dining plan, we didn't starve! So after our late lunch, we headed over to the gift shop in OKW where we purchased the autograph books we would need for the next day. I have a tendency to chat with everyone I encounter so of course I was talking with the CM at the counter. I don't recall what I said, but he started laughing hysterically. He ended up giving each of the 3 kids a bunch of stickers from the roll he had in his hand. That was pretty cool.
So we headed to the bus stop to go back to DTD. What a long wait this was. We seemed to be waiting forever, when I looked at DD1 & said, "Olivia - We didn't take your picture!" This was our whole reason for being at that restaurant. (The reason we originally missed the picture is because we went right into the gift shop & came out a different door.) So she & I ran back to take the snapshot while DH, DS & DD2 waited for the bus.

Whew! Made it. Finally the bus comes & we head to DTD. Now, I know some people love this place, but I wasn't overly impressed. Maybe it's because we were pretty tired, or I had inquired about something & was told, "You might be able to find that -way back there, where you came from." I don't know. We'll have to give it another shot when we go back.
We did Disney Quest while we were there. The kids loved making their own rollercoasters. DD1 (the thrill seeker) made a #5. DH rode with her on that one. He also rode with DD2 on a #3. DS made a #1. (Remember, he's not the thrill seeker.) I reluctantly rode with him. I have slight motion sickness problems in those enclosed spaces. We both did fine. The all rode Alladin's carpets, which they enjoyed. Then they went on the river raft. It was hard for DH because he had to do most of the work himself. The kids weren't much help navigating the rapids! I just watched. After that it was time to head back to the resort. I couldn't believe how far the bus stop was from Disney Quest. After another very long wait, we were finally back at ASMo. YIPPEE! Of course, by that time, the other room was ready. We left the door between the two rooms open all week. Just closed them slightly after the kids went to bed. All of our luggage had been delivered while we were out, too. I decided right then & there - I love ME!

 

[momoftriplets]

Sunday, October 2, 2005
Our first full day at WDW would be spent at Magic Kingdom. I couldn't wait! I was up early, getting ready to go before I woke the other sleeping beauties. Yet another reason 2 rooms was a good idea! We had ADR's for CRT at 8:10. We are by no means a "princessy" family. For us, the main allure was the castle itself. I was excited for the early time because I wanted to see the park before it became so crowded. Happily, there was little wait for the bus. We sat back & enjoyed the ride. We had a contest to see who saw the top of the castle first. That was when we knew, we were *there*. Here's what I bring into the parks: I wear a hip pack. (I know, what a nerd.) I keep our tickets & cash in there, along with my cell phone and my Epi-pen. I also carry a back pack for the autograph books, pens, camera & rain ponchos. DH helps carry this, too. So, of course, I had to get my bags checked before heading into the park. The CM's were 2 older gentlemen, in a happy mood & of course I talked to them. Then I started singing "It's a small world after all..." They looked at each other & said "Great, now we'll have that song stuck in our heads all day!" Sorry! Then, we proceeded to the turnstile. The girls were ahead of me & when the female CM gave them back their tickets, she said "Good Morning, Princess" to each of them. When it was my turn, I asked, "If they are the princesses, does that make me the queen?" The CM smiled & said, "Of course it does! Have a magical day, Your Highness!" Too cute! We all know *that feeling* as we enter Main Street. As soon as I saw the castle, in full view, with so few people in the park, I got teary-eyed. Now, I'm not like that by nature, so even I was surprised. I grabbed DH's arm & said, We're here, We're here! I can't believe we're here! I got a lot of great shots of the castle. Those are some of my favorite of the whole trip.

Looks like Mr. Disney is wearing a crown:

We checked in for our ADR & were sent right upstairs. Alice in Wonderland was running down the stairs as we were going up & she gave us a brief wave. Saw all the princesses, Mary Poppins & Wendy Darling. I was trying to get DS to let the princesses kiss him, but he didn't want to. We would have liked to have sat by the windows, but weren't able to. Oh, well. The food was good, but now that it takes 2 TS credits on the DP, I don't know if we'd go back. My favorite interaction actually occurred with Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). I asked her if she slept well. She said she had, but the best part was that she WOKE UP! I agreed that would be the best part, also. I said at least she gets woken up with a kiss. I don't get that anymore. She looked at DH & said, "Really? I don't suppose you slay dragons, either?" He told her he used to, but now he was getting too old for dragons! The only one we didn't see, who I was hoping for, was Fairy Godmother. Don't know why I was looking forward to her, but I was. She was down in the waiting area when we left, but there was such a long line to see her, we opted not to. The park had just opened & we wanted to get to it!

 

[momoftriplets]

So we were loose in MK! For some reason, we ALWAYS make Peter Pan's Flight our first attraction. After we do that, THEN, we're really on vacation & the sky's the limit. Now, by no means will I ever remember what order we did the attractions, but I will hit the high points. I do know we did Mickey's Philharmagic right after Peter Pan. We were waiting for the doors open, when DH noticed what was written above the doors: "Caution: Doors will open AutoMAGICALLY". We thought that was a pretty cool play on words. TOTALLY, TOTALLY, TOTALLY enjoyed this attraction. I think we ended up seeing it at least 3 times over the duration of our trip. The only part I couldn't watch, was when Alladdin & Jasmin were on the carpet "flying" through the streets. Things like that make me sick. Loved the rest of it. Thoroughly enjoyed watching all of the kids in the audience trying to grab the jewels! Here's my question for that type of attraction,though: Why does Disney always feel the need to get us wet? Mickey's Philharmagic, Honey, I shrunk the audience, It's tough to be a bug. They all spray you with water. I'm not anti-water, but come on. Enough!
When we did IASW, I didn't notice too many changes since it was refurbished. Granted, it had been 2 years since I had been there & I am certainly not an expert on that attraction. It was nice as usual. We headed over to HM. DD2 did not want to go on this ride. Doesn't like the dark & the noises. I assured her we would to a kid swap. WRONG! We found out the hard way there is no kid swap on HM. After we went through the "story" part of it, I asked the CM where the kid swap was. They only have it on rides where there is a height restriction. Since there was no height restriction on HM, there was no kid swap. She proceeded to tell DS2, "It's more funny than scary. You'll be fine" as DD2 is crying hysterically. CM did nothing to help. So we were pushed along with the crowd to the doom buggies. I was trying to tell DD2 to just close her eyes & cover her ears. She wouldn't hear of it & cried even harder. I'm sure those around me thought I was the worst mother in the world, making this terrified child go on this ride. Yikes! What to do? THANK GOD!!!! There was a janitor CM at the end of the cue line, just as you make the last turn to get onto the doom buggies. I begged him, "There has GOT to be a way you can get us out of here." He looked at DD2 & said we should just wait where we were. Of course, DH, DD1 & DS were holding up the line & got yelled at by the other CM's to KEEP THE LINE MOVING!!! I waved those 3 past us & said we'd meet them at the end. The janitor CM continued to tell DD2, "You just wait, honey, we'll get you out of here." (I'm getting chills just thinking about how wonderful he was to her.) When everyone had gone past us, he led us through a couple of doors & down a little hallway. We were out in the bright Florida sunshine before we knew it. YIPPEE! I wish I had thought to get that CM's name, but I was so concerned about getting DD2 out of there, it didn't dawn on my. We did meet the others at the exit & then DH waited with DD2 while I rode with DD1 & DS.

 

[AC7179]

I'm loving these! Keep them coming!

 

[VanniGirl]

Looking forward to more!

 

[momoftriplets]

So after our "ordeal" at HM, we went over to Frontierland &hit Splash Mountain. This was our first time on this ride. I'm not big on this type of attraction. The only thing worse than wet socks is wet underwear & both were a very real possibility on this attraction. Because DS didn't want to go on SM, DH took the girls while I waited with him. The girls loved that we did kid swap often. They got to ride twice then! Anyway, SM was OK. Luckily, we didn't get soaked. My socks & skivvies were safe. We headed over to BTMR. DS ended up LOVING this ride. Needless to say, we went on it many, many times over the course of our stay. Something interesting happened while we made our way to this attraction. I have never seen this on any of the boards so I will share with you now. As we were entering the attraction, something was beeping. The CM took what looks like the Keys to the Kingdom card & swiped in at this machine. It was attached to a lanyard. He then put the lanyard around DS's neck. We had no clue what this was for, so the CM said Just give it to the person who puts you on the ride. We figured out this was how the got the "Wait Times". It took us X number of minutes to get from the entrance to the actual ride. So THAT's how they do it! Mystery solved. We actually had this happen to us twice during this stay.
After riding BTMR & promising DS we would come back, we realized we were hungry. We headed to Pecos Bill's. (I think that's the one.) DD1 & I had their chicken salad wrap sandwich. Boy was it good. I think the others had burgers. While the kids & I were finishing our lunch, DH went out for a smoke. He called me on my cell phone. (When we were packing for our trip, he wasn't going to bring his cell phone. I said, oh yes you are. We need a way to find each other if we get separated in the parks.) Anyway, he discovered the parade was about to start & was holding a great spot for us, but we needed to hurry. We hustled over there & watched. Great!
By this time, we were ready to head over to Tomorrowland. We stopped for Pooh & Snow White first. In Tomorrowland, of course we did Space Mountain. This was DD2's first time on it. I could hear her laughing as they rounded the last corner to get to the exit. Buzz is also a favorite. This time around, DH discovered that if he shot at the back of my head (I was in the car in front of him) he would earn 200 points! NO FAIR!!! I think I should have gotten those points! Thanks for shooting me in the head, honey! We also did Stitch. We were not impressed by this at all. Totally disappointed with it. Only did it that once & then was done with it.
I think that pretty much covers our first day at MK. The park was closing at 6:00 for MNSSHP, so we headed out. The next day was AM EMH at EPCOT & we wanted to be up early for that.
When we got back to our rooms, Mousekeeping had struck! The kids had brought too many stuffed animals to count. Of course Mousekeeping had arranged them on the bed with the TV on & one of the animals was "holding" the remote. The kids just about died! This was done just about every night we were there. The kids would race to the room just to see what their toys had been doing while we were away. We had to make a rule. No opening the door to the room until everyone was there. We all wanted to be the first to see.
Up next: Mission: Space & Soarin', plus missing part of IllumiNations.

 

[mercydisney]

My older DD is now 10, It's so nice to hear trip reports that involve kids that age. She also hates HM, just refering to the ride she gets upset .

Can't wait to read more!

 

[mercydisney]

My older DD is now 10, It's so nice to hear trip reports that involve kids that age. She also hates HM, just refering to the ride she gets upset .

Can't wait to read more!

 

[momoftriplets]

Monday, October 3, 2005:
EPCOT was having early EMH this day. DH wanted to do Mission:Space before breakfast, so we got up & headed out to the bus stop right away. Even though we were "early" we STILL missed rope drop. I swear, next time we go, I'll set our alarm extra early so we hit at least one rope drop. Anyway, headed over to M:S right away. DH is the only one brave enough for this attraction. I refuse to go & won't let the kids on, either. I tend to by mildly claustrophobic so this would not be a good thing for me to do. I should also point out that watching a screen with motion is no good for me. (Remember my problem with Philharmagic?) I can't do IMAX theatres, Star Tours makes me nauseous. You get the hint. So, the kids & I waited in the interactive area while DH got his fix. They had a great time there. DH thought the attraction had been "tamed down" a bit. (This was before they had 2 versions of it.) He tried to convince me I could handle it. Not a chance.
Since we were in the area, we headed over to Test Track. The line was really short, because it was EMH, mind you. We did kid swap on this one, too. I know DS would like this attraction if he would just try it, but no go.
OK Enought Already - get me to SOARIN'! I had heard so much about this attraction, I had to see it for myself. I was a bit leary about it, though. (Due to condition mentioned above. ) Anyway, the stand by line was about 30 minutes, so we got FP, which gave us an extra hour. We still hadn't eaten breakfast, so we went to the CS in the Lands. Just had muffins & the like. (I know, you really DO care about what we ate! ) After Breakfast, there was still some time to kill be for FP to Soarin', so we hit Figment. What a fun attraction, this is! It had been one of our favorites on our last trip, & it didn't disappoint this time, either. The kids love the "smells" area of it. They say they want to keep riding until they get the skunk smell. I tried to tell them it would never happen, but they don't believe me.
Now it was time for SOARIN'! By this time, the stand by line was reading 70 minutes. YIKES! So glad we had those FP's. We "sailed" right through the line. When we got to the actual seats, we were towards the back. I think this helped me in some small way. Maybe I didn't feel like I was such a part of the actual picture. There must not have been anyone sitting in my seat for the previous showing, because the belt was buckled & wouldn't unlatch for me. I was left standing while everyone else was sitting. Not a CM to be found. I'm sure they were checking those in the front of the room & making their way back to us. So as I'm standing there, my kids are convinced I will be left behind. Poor things. Just wave to Mom from way up there. I'll sit down on the floor & watch Sure enough, a CM came back, saw me standing, pushed a little button on his wall & VIOLA! The seatbelt was undone. As we took off, DS was a bit afraid, but as we got going, we all loved it. Couldn't believe the scents associated with the sights. At one point I looked up & just laughed at all the feet dangling above me. We thoroughly enjoyed this attraction. We would have liked to have gone again, but the wait times were so long after that, we didn't get to it. Definately a Must See.
Finishing up Future World, we hit Honey, I Shrunk the Audience & Spaceship Earth. I think we rode this 6 times when we were there in 2003. This time, I think we only did it 3 times. I was excited because I actually found a Hidden Mickey! YAHOO!!!! (I also found one at MK in Peter Pan's Flight a few days later, in case I forget to tell you!) DD's wanted to do TT again, so DS & I went to check out Ellen' Universe of Energy. (I Think that's what it's called.) We had just gotten to the "movie" portion of it when they closed it down. There were seemingly thousands of people exiting that building. They just never stopped! DS & I cooled off in the misters while waiting for DD's & DH. Cell phones came in handy yet again, because they couldn't find us when the exited TT. I think that sums up FW. Hope I haven't bored you to tears yet. If not, stay tune.
Up next: World Showcase, Dinner & missing part of IllumiNations

 

[monymony3471]

So you didn't get sick on Soarin', eh? You and I sound a like in the getting motion sick department. I'd love to try it, but I was afraid last year of getting that horrible sick feeling that just ruins the rest of your day.

I did go on Space Mountain and did everything in my power to keep it down. I had to be able to say, "Yes, I've ridden Space Mountain."

Would like to say the same for Soarin'.

 

[momoftriplets]

So you didn't get sick on Soarin', eh? You and I sound a like in the getting motion sick department. I'd love to try it, but I was afraid last year of getting that horrible sick feeling that just ruins the rest of your day.

I did go on Space Mountain and did everything in my power to keep it down. I had to be able to say, "Yes, I've ridden Space Mountain."

Would like to say the same for Soarin'.

I didn't get sick on Soarin'. Absolutely loved it. I would recommend you try it. I would also try to sit near the back so you're lower on the attraction. Again, don't know if that was one of the reasons I was OK with it, but it's worth a shot. The "horrible sick feeling" you describe is the exact reason DH wanted to do M:S before breakfast. In 2003 he did it shortly after lunch & didn't feel well for a few hours after!
I will try to post the rest of our day at EPCOT tonight. Have to work now!
Barb

 

[FergieTCat]

Fun trip report.

I'm the same -- I didn't get sick on Soarin', just panicky because I'm afraid of heights. The grandmother (who wasn't even my grandmother ... I never met the lady before!) held my hand for most of it.

M:S also made me sick for hours. I had a splitting headache and will never ride it again.

 

[momoftriplets]

So we had lunch at the Electric Umbrella. OMG! I swear everyone from the park was at that CS at the very same time! We had evening ADR's at Teppenyaki (sp) so didn't want to have a late lunch, but, gosh, it took forever to get through the line & then, of course, came the "Hunt for a Table". I searched while DH stood in line. Found one upstairs & plopped the kiddos down. Had standard CS fare. Burgers & the like. Big whoop.

The last time we were at EPCOT, we went to the left after entering WS. By the end of the day, we had been sooo tired, we missed the entire "right" side. So this time we went to the right. This was during the Food & Wine Festival, so WS was pretty crowded. Not unbearable, but still the busiest of all the parks that week. First stop, of course, was Canadian Pavillion. Loved it! Had never been back in their gardens. Beautiful! Next time, we will get ADR's for LeCelleir, also. Then we were off to United Kingdom. I think it was there that we happened upon Pooh in the photo area. Got a great shot of the DD's & Pooh.

DH is big no tea, so he had to check out their Twilling store. Got some loose leaf tea that he just loved. Wants to go back just for that. We also happened up the street show in UK. FUNNY! It was something about Lancelot & the royal table. They pulled people from the audience. What a hoot! We participated in the jesting of the performers, with the rest of the audience. From there we crossed the bridge to the beautiful area of France. (Forgive me if I get the countries out of order.) Again, we hadn't seen this area last time & really enjoyed it.

Again, like my title, I don't know where the time goes, but it seems to fly while at WDW. The afternoon was gone before we knew it. Like I mentioned, we had ADR's for dinner at Teppenyaki. DH & I enjoy that kind of food & thought kiddos would like the show. We were quite early for our ADR, about an hour, in fact. We checked in on the off-chance we could get seated early. Not a chance. At that point, we were pretty tired & didn't want to stray too far from the area, so we used the time to check out the tin collection. DH also pruchased some saki. We purchased some Japanese candy with edible wrappers! They were pretty good. The kids watched the fish & checked out the toys at the gift shop while DH & I rested until our ADR was ready. Finally! Our little beeper did it's thing & we went to our table. These are stations that seat 8 so we sat with 3 other people. I forget where they are from, but the chef knew someone from that area, so he talked to them about it throughout the entire "show". We stilled enjoyed ourselves. The kids like watching the food being prepared in front of them. If I recall correctly, the chef even set something on fire, so that was a big hit.

After dinner, we made our way around WS. We checked out the sights & sounds of the other countries before staking a spot for IllumiNations. When we were there in 2003, we absolutely loved IllumiNations. We decided that alone was worth the price of admission! Sooo we staked a spot early near Norway, I believe. The kids played with the trinkets they had picked up along the way. I had also packed small bottles of bubbles for them to play with while we waited. Luckily, there was a gentle blowing from behind us, so the bubbles went out onto the lake, & didn't bother those around us. I had brought plenty of bubbles, so we shared a few bottles with the children sitting next to us. They (& their mother) were thankful!

So it was almost time for the show to start. DD1 & I headed over to the popcorn stand for our snacks. I really need to quit thinking like every other person at WDW. They were all there getting snacks, too. In fact, the cart ran out of popcorn boxes! We were the last ones to get it. LUCKY! By the time we were through the line, the lights had dimmed & the fireworks were about to start. I had 2 popcorns & DD1 was holding one. I didn't want to lose her in the crowd, of course (that would be on another day). So I told her to grab my belt loop. She did & we were off, speed-walking back to our post. About that time, I started having some real problems. You see, I loved dinner, but dinner didn't love me. I don't know if it was MSG, or the oil they use, or my food allergy, but I held out for as long as I could, then told DH not to move after IllumiNations. I would be back ASAP. Well, that took longer than I had hoped, & I spent the remainder of IllumiNations listening to it from the ladies room. What a bummer! By the time I finally felt well enough to leave, the show was over! I was so bummed! I had been so looking forward to IllumiNations & I missed it. I knew we wouldn't get back to EPCOT again before we left, so that was our only opportunity to see it. Oh, well. It wasn't meant to be. We headed for the parking lot with the rest of the masses.
Up next: The "BUS"

 

[mercydisney]

The same thing happened to me when I ate in T a couple of years ago. DH said he still has never seen me run so fast. I'm sorry you missed the fireworks, but yet another reason to return to DW.