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

[princessjv]

Great installment. Need I be greedy to ask...WHERE are all of these pic's you speak of? We want to see some!

 

[momoftriplets]

Great installment. Need I be greedy to ask...WHERE are all of these pic's you speak of? We want to see some!

I would LOVE to share photos with you all. However - I am not that computer savvy. I will make that my homework for the weekend. I have to warn you, though. If it works, I will send them all through at one time. Be prepared!!!

Will post more later.

Thanks for reading!!
Barb

 

[burly]

Great report so far, love reading it. I second the request for pictures.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

I'll be back for the rest of your report, and hoping you can get your pics up.

 

[momoftriplets]

OK I tried scanning photos. Couldn't figure it out. I will have to wait until my more computer savvy friend gets home from her long weekend to see if we can figure it out together. Until then -----

By the time we got back to our rooms at ASMo, after EMH at MK, it was about 1:00 a.m. We all fell into bed & were asleep before our heads hit the pillows!!

Thursday, October 6, 2005
We were planning on going to Typhoon Lagoon for the day & then Maya Grill at CSR. Because we had been up so late the night before, we let everyone sleep in this day. And boy, did we! By the time we were up & moving, we didn't have breakfast until 10:30!! We gave the kids 2 options: 1) Head to TL for a few hours before coming back to the resort around 3:30 to get everyone showered & changed before heading to CSR for our TS that we had missed the night before, OR 2) hang out at ASMo for the day. It was unanimous. We were staying at the resort for the day. After our marathon day at the parks the day before, we needed this down time. So we missed Typhoon Lagoon. (See, we really need to go back!) DD2 swam most of the day (with a completely new attitude, I might add. See she really is a sweet girl), DS swam & played his gameboy & DD1 did a little of everything because she doesn't sit still for long. DH & I supervised, taking turns with them at the pool & in the room. Our room overlooked the pool so DH & I could chat with each other over the ledge when we needed to. Cell phones worked well here, too. I used this time to check out the resort a bit more. (We hadn't done that yet.) I still didn't get as far as the Herbie section. I hear it's there, though!

After our day of relaxation, we changed for our ADR's at Maya Grill. We took a bus to AK & then another to CSR. We had to pass CSR to get to AK. We should have just jumped off the bus!!! If I forget to tell you ---- On the way back from CSR, we were the only ones on the bus. As it turned left to go to AK, DH asked the driver if he would just turn right, to take us right to ASMo. He actually thought about it for a second. He said if it was ASMu, he would, but because it was ASMo - further away - he couldn't chance it. Shoot!

Anyway, we ended up being early for Maya Grill so had to wait a bit. They had the menu posted & DD2 & DS complained there was nothing on the menu they wanted. I asked the check - in CM if chicken fingers were an option. Sure - no problem. REMEMBER THAT! If kiddos don't like something at a TS restaurant, ask for chicken or mac & cheese. When we ordered, CM didn't bat an eyelash at the request for chicken fingers. DD1 was more adventurous & had the fried ravioli. Said it was pretty good. Don't remember what DH & I had, but I know we enjoyed it. The meal was really long, a few hours, in fact. We don't feel that the service was slow, by any means. We just needed that much time to get digest & get through each course. There was a lot of food!

Waddled back to our room in time to relax a bit more before bed time.

Up next: Our last full day at WDW , 50"s Prime Time & "Where are the kids?"

 

[MagicMe]

Great trip report!

Thoroughly enjoying it! Can't wait for the next installment!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[momoftriplets]

Before I move on to our last full day at WDW, I have to give you an update. I asked about the photo of our family taken at BB while on Teamboat Springs. (See post #23) I posted the same question over on the Theme Parks section & got an answer. BB does put their logo in the bottom right corner. DH is so relieved!!!!

Friday, October 7, 2005
As I said, this was to be our last full day at WDW. We were going home the evening of the 8th. This was going to be a full day, also, but we really hadn't expected it to be.

We were spending the day at Disney MGM Studios. Had our normal breakfast fare at the food court & got to Studios at a fairly decent time. Again, I'm not certain what order we did what attractions, but I will hit the highlights. We all went on Star Tours. YIKES!! I think they've changed the "story" relating to this attraction, but the ride itself is still the same. (See previous posts about my slight motion sickness. I do just fine with rollercoasters & the like, but can't handle things with a screen & movement.) Everyone knows I dislike this attraction, but I go on it one time with the rest of them, just to say I've been on it. After that, DH takes the kiddos on it. When we were there in 2003, I think they went on it 4-5 times. DD1 usually hangs out with me when the others go on this. She enjoys the attraction, but I think she feels Mom needs some company. I try to tell her Mom will be just fine on her own for 20 minutes. Please GO!!! Doesn't work. I'm convinced she was MY mother in another life. Sorry. I'll get back on track now.

We headed over to our favorite attractions at MGM. RnR & ToT, of course!!! This was the DD's 1st time on ToT & DD2's 1st time on RnR. DS sat out on both of them. DH took DD's on ToT while I waited with DS. This is the one attraction where DH always comments on the theming. He is so impressed by the whole "boiler room" theming. Like he says, WDW could just put lines in there to get everyone through & they'd still go on it. But they take the extra step & really make you feel like you're in an old hotel. Girlies came off that attraction totally laughing their heads off & were quick to get back on with me. Side note: I will never forget this: When I was at WDW in 1996 with a friend & her family, ToT had just opened. We were too chicken to go on, but others in our party did. We didn't know where to meet up with them after they rode, so I asked a male CM, "Where do our friends get off this ride?" He answered, in a deep Lurch-like voice, "THEY DON'T!!!" I played along & rephrased my question. "OK, Assuming they SURVIVE THE FALL, where will they exit the ride?" Normal, cheerful voice, CM said, "Oh, that's right over here."

Went on RnR right after. Again, DD's loved this one. DD2 sat with DH & screamed the whole way. That's half the fun, you know. We aren't really into the shows too much & saw them last time, so we skipped them this time. DH & DS were off doing something while the girls & I went to Sounds Dangerous. Gotta tell you - didn't think much of this attraction. We knew it would be in the dark, of course, but the water thing really bugged me again. Did it once, not doing it again.

DD2 & DS wanted their faces painted. (Remember, DD1 had her hair wrapped instead.) They were done near the Indiana Jones show. Very friendly CM did great work. Because of the daily afternoon showers, I asked the CM if the paintings were waterproof. She said they did pretty well. But she also gave me a tip that I will pass on to you: After the kids have their faces painted, they can be re-touched at any of the face painting stations, at any of the parks, for the rest of the day. You just can't wash it all off first. The CM has to be able to see that there was face painting done that day. Good tip. This would be useful later, too. DS & DD2 loved it. It's a spendy treat for them, but big deal. Their smiles are worth it.

We had lunch ADR's at 50' Prime Time Cafe, so we headed over there. This was one spot DH picked out. We put in our names & went to wait in the "living room". Loved the kitchen setting. We waited for quite a while, even though we were right on time for our ADR's. There was a line out the door of people wanting to get in. One of the CM's went out there & gave these instructions: "If you have reservations, we only need one person from your party to come to the counter to check in. If you don't have reservations, WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW!!" They were that busy.

OK- telling you about our experience at 50's PT will take a while, so get comfy. Don't say I didn't warn you! We were seated back a ways in the restaurant. Our CM was Manny. Great guy. If you get there, ask for him. You'll see why. We had heard that the CM's here will play up or down, depending upon the cues they get from the guests. I was in a goofy mood & decided to play it up. DH is generally more subdued, but does play along. DD1, who is 9 going on 16, if you get my drift, tends to be easily embarassed by her parents. I can't sing or dance in public around her. The nerve. Anyway, Manny told us the rules: No elbows on the table, no tattling, no talking with your mouth full, you must eat your veggies. If you do any of these things, you will have to write sentences or stand in the corner. BUT - the kids can do what they want & need to let Manny know if the parents are out of line. Kiddos loved the thought of this. We ordered drinks with the light up cubes, which were a big hit. DH mistakenly put his elbows on the table. Kiddos - "We're going to tell Manny!" Well, they decided not to, so I said that I would tell Manny. DH, "Why will you tell Manny?" "Because I want to see what he does when I tattle on you." So Manny comes back. "Manny, Manny, Dan put his elbows on the table." Manny: "Ma'am, it's not polite to *******" "But he....." "No tattling." So it starts......

Don't remember what Kiddos ate, but DH had a fish sandwich which he enjoyed. I had the potroast - the ultimate comfort food. It was good but a bit salty. Every time Manny came to the table, I tattled on DH for something. After we ate, Manny made us write sentences. I had to write "I will not tattle" 3 times & DH had to write "No elbows on the table" 2 times. At the bottom of the paper I wrote, "Manny stinks!" (Like the mature adult that I am.) So when he came back, DH tattle on me!!!! Here's the kicker - DH didn't get into trouble, I did!!! Manny said, "Ma'am, you need to come with me." Oh, great, now what have I done?! So I played along. Went out into the center of the restaurant. Manny made me stand in the corner!!!! He said I needed to stand there & think about what I had done. Then he told all of the guests, "This is what happens when you don't follow the rules." DH took a picture of me in the corner. (I will try to post it later.) Manny encouraged the other guests to take pictures also. Thanks a heap, Manny!!! This was all too funny! I stood there about 60 seconds, tops. Pouted all the way back to the table, kiddos laughing the whole time.

So we were finishing up our desserts. DH went out to have a smoke while I waited for the bill. Kiddos decided they needed to use the bathroom. Can you wait? No. Great. If you've ever been in 50's PT, you know there are a lot of twists & turns to get to the front of the restaurant, which is where the restrooms are. I told kiddos the restrooms were right over here, around that corner. Here is where our communications broke down completely. I didn't say, I'll meet you back here, or Wait for me there. They took off together. Manny came back & I signed for lunch. Waited a few minutes. No Kiddos. I knew they wouldn't leave the restaurant. I gathered up all of our stuff & headed to the restrooms to find them. Went in the ladies room & called to them. No answer. I immediately turned around & saw them in the dining room, talking to a CM. They had gone around one way, while I was coming the other. I speed walked up to them just at the CM was calling Manny over to her. (They remembered our server was Manny, of course, & he was going to help find me.) By the time I caught up with them, they had been "alone" maybe 45 seconds. DS was sobbing uncontrollably. DD's were looking a bit shaken. So here we are, again standing in front of all the guests in that portion of the restaurant. I tried to calm DS down. First CM, said, "Don't you yell at him. I know adults who get lost in here." Excuse me!!! I am not yelling at him. It's OK, honey, I'm here. Finally got the kids out of there. Sat on the bench right outside of the restaurant, trying to calm DS down. Deep, body-wracking sobs now. More Mommy guilt. I tried to explain to them. You went one way while I was going the other way. I never lost sight of you. You did the right thing by going to the CM. OMG. This was bad. DH comes upon us & asks, "What the heck happened?" "You have to quit smoking!!!" I told him, because it was all his fault, you know. In the midst of all this, Manny comes out. I had left something on the table & he was returning it to us. See, it's a good thing we sat there for a few minutes. Anyway, DS was slowly calming down. I wiped his eyes with my tissue & commented he was smearing his face painting. Well that was it. He decided he didn't want his face painting on anymore. Tried to talk him out of it, but didn't work. He wanted it off. Those of you with 8-9 year olds know, he didn't really want the face painting gone, it was just his "thing" to be upset about at the time. I don't know if that makes sense to you or not. So we distracted him by saying Lights Motor Action was starting soon. He really wanted to see that, so he agreed to go. We finally left 50's Prime Time!! I told you it would take awhile to tell!

We walked over to LMA. It was really hot that day, thankfully we got to sit in the shade. DS really enjoyed the show. THANK GOODNESS!!!! The others did, too. I thought it was OK. I get kind of tired of the whole "show" act. I would rather just see the cars doing their things instead of pretending they were testing for some show. As we left the show, I asked DS if he wanted to get his face painting retouched. FINE!!! DD2 needed hers done also, because her face sweating & she was wiping it.

UP next: More MGM Studios

 

[BeckWhy]

Aww I love the story from 50's. Though I might add, I am not one to play a long with that especially if it's hot out and I'm tired.

When I went in 2002, one of the girls (I was 19, all the other girls were 14/15) kept walking off and we kept losing her. ARGH! We were always getting so mad at her. HAHA

I hear you for the shows. I don't plan on seeing any of them (except Sounds Dangerous) this upcoming trip. We are only seeing Sounds Dangerous because my bf loves Drew Carey.

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[momoftriplets]

So we took DD2 & DS over to the same face painting stand to get touched up. DD2 had a different CM do hers. DS had the CM who did his original painting. She took one look at him and said, "OMG- what happened to you?!" DS didn't answer, so I said, "He got separated from mom & there was a bit of a crying spell." She looked at him & said, very casually, "It happens." Then she hummed & whistled happily, all the while she was fixing his face. Made it into no big deal. I was so glad! I really didn't want to rehash every thing again. She made it into no big deal, so he was OK with it. TG for her.

After everyone's face was fixed, we went to Indiana Jones. DS likes this one, too. Remembered it from last time. Very predictable, but kiddos enjoyed it. Afterwards, we were looking at their little gift shop/cart. DH got some skulls to put in the yard for Halloween. DS & DD2 got 5 foot long rubber snakes. They wore these around their necks the rest of the day. I saw a few people back away when they saw them. I told the kids not everyone likes snakes, so don't be swinging them around when there are people by you. I try to teach them to be respectful of others. Not always an easy task.

We went on the Great Movie Ride. Again, predictable, but a nice break from the heat. We saw Mike & Sully from Monsters, Inc, but didn't get autographs or pics with them.

Kiddos wanted to see Fantasmic! but by the time we rode RnR 1 (or 2) last times, the theatre was full, so we missed it. We still hadn't eaten dinner & coudn't agree on what to eat, so we went back to ASMo & went to the food court. DH had a hot dog, I had a sandwich from the cooler & DD2 had popcorn. Don't remember what DS & DD1 had, but I know they didn't starve.

We spent some time re-packing our suitcases since we were checking out the next morning before heading to Chef Mickey's for breakfast. We were going to hit one more park before we left on ME about 3:30 in the afternoon. DH wanted EPCOT so he could do M:S one more time. I would have loved going on Soarin' again, but other than that, I didn't care. Kiddos really wanted to do MK. I suggested DH go to EPCOT while I take the kiddos to MK. We could meet back at ASMo to catch ME back to airport. DH decided against this. It was better to just stay together.

Up next: GOOD BYE WDW!!!!

 

[momoftriplets]

Saturday, October 8, 2005
This was our last day at WDW. We were going home later that night.

We had 9:00 ADR's for Chef Mickey, then we would be off to MK for a few hours. We finished packing our things & took our bags to the luggage hold area. My suggestion: Don't leave your bags until you know the CM has properly counted them. Our CM kept counting 9 bags (including back packs & such). I kept saying, No, there are 10. Really didn't want to be scrambling to find that extra bag when it came time to leave. We didn't have to check out because we were paid in full. Said good bye to our rooms & luggage before heading to the Comtemporary. CM is always a fun place. It's fun when you can look up into the hallways of the hotel & see the workers waving their "napkins" with the song, too. Food is usually adequate. Didn't get the photo taken this time. Got one last time & DH wanted an updated one, but kiddos were less than enthusiastic about it, so we passed. No sense in purchasing a photo when kiddos had scowls on their faces. DD2 brought her stuffed horse with her. Minnie was the first one to our table. She picked up the stuffed horse & held him while she signed her autograph.

We got great photos of the kids with the characters. Mickey was the last to get to our table. Before he got there, kiddos needed to use restroom. Can you wait? Mickey's almost here, then we can go. Nope, can't wait. I went with them, leaving DH sitting at the table. We came back a few minutes later to see DH sitting with a silly grin on his face. What's up? He showed me a piece of paper, with a note written on it. Seems Mickey came to the table just as we left. DH explained where we were, the Mickey wrote a note to DH. "You were left to pay the bill." Who else has a note written by the big guy, himself? We have the note in our photo album.

So Mickey came back, took pictures, then we left.

We knew MK would be extremely busy because it was Saturday. We had a list of attractions we wanted to hit before we left the park. We started with Mickey's Philharmagic. We weren't originally going to do this again because of the anticipated long wait time before the show started. As we passed it, we saw the wait time was 5 minutes!!! Perfect! We walked in the building, grabbed our glasses & then walked into theatre. The timing perfect. What a joy to see again! I forced myself to keep my eyes open during the Jasmin/Aladdin carpet ride. Then we went around the corner to Peter Pan's Flight. The wait time was long, about 30 minutes, but we endured it. I would have liked to see HM again, but that was out of the question. DD2 wouldn't go on it (see previous post) & there was no time to go through the line twice. We headed back to BTMRR. The wait time was long for this, too, but it was the only attraction we were going to do in that area, so we waited, instead of getting FP's. After that, there was only Buzz & Space Mountain left on our list of Must-Do's. We headed to Tomorrowland. The wait times for both were about the same & so were the FP times. We grabbed FP's for SM & stood in line for Buzz. Wait time was about 60 minutes. I'm sure DH won that time, too. I will have to re-read all the hints about that attraction before we go next time so I can beat the pants off him!!! After Buzz, we still had about an hour before our FP's for SM. We hadn't done any souvenier shopping yet, so we headed to Main Street.

Boy, did we drop a pile of money there!! Got the obligatory T-shirts for everyone, Christmas presents for a select few friends & stuffed animals for the kiddos. Note to WDW: You really need to get better re-inforced handles if you are going to use plastic bags. That was the biggest pain. Trying to carry this large plastic bag with no handles. ARG!!!

After our shopping, it was almost time for our FP's to SM. We took a chance. We glided right through. Did the kid swap again. Tried to get DS on it, just this one time before we left, but he wouldn't do it. Then it was time to leave MK. We grapped some snacks because we didn't take time for lunch. Good thing we filled up at Chef Mickey earlier.

So we took the bus back to ASMo, waving sadly to MK as we left. From there, we gathered our luggage & lined up for ME to MCO. There was a large group of people waiting for the ME bus. A few of the people were wheelchair bound, so they were put on the bus first & then, of course, the people they were traveling with. I was getting a little worried we wouldn't get on that bus. I did not want to be rushed at theairport. No worries. We got on the bus & were off. BYE ASMo!!!! Thank you!!!!

This doesn't have anything to do with WDW, but I have to tell you what happened to us at the airport. We had checked in & left our luggage at the counter. Boarding passes in hand, we were headed to the tram. There were NO PEOPLE in that area of the airport, so we were all spread out. DS, then DD1, me, DD2 & DH at the end. DS & DD1 saw that the doors to the tram were open & ran ahead to get on the tram - without us!!! I ran after them, knowing DD2 & DH could catch the next tram to the terminal. So I jumped on the tram after DS & DD1. Well, DD2 had run after me, & DH ran after her. Just as DD2 was getting on the tram, the door started to close on her. I put my hand out to stop the door from closing on her. The door hit my hand - which was holding the boarding passes & I dropped them!!!! Now, if you recall, there is a small open space between the tram & the actual building. The open space goes down to the ground below. The boarding passes fell just onto this slot. I had visions of the door closing, causing the boarding passes to drop all the way down. I quickly & carefully scooped them up. Catastrophe diverted. All of this happened in about 7 seconds. As the doors were closing, DH asked, "What happened?" DD1 said, "That was scary." We had a nice talk with kiddos about not running ahead anymore. They don't usually do that!

We had a blissfully easy flight & were home in our beds before we knew it.

Up next: FINAL THOUGHTS!!!!!!

 

[travelgirl06]

Thanks for posting this trip report. It's been a delight to read, I'm glad that you had lots of great adventures at WDW (and lots of reasons to go back soon)

 

[remfam5]

Great report!

 

[sandybobandy]

Hello fellow Minnesotan! (we live in Bloomington)

DH and I were at Disney last year from 9/30-10/5 so reading your report was like a flashback for me.

Great job writing your report. Hope you can post pictures!!!

Sandy

 

[momoftriplets]

Computers are great when they work, aren't they?
I posted one picture, see page 1. Sorry I couldn't get it smaller. Have been working on it for a few hours now. Will try to post more without them being life size!!! Thanks for your patience.
Barb

 

[momoftriplets]

So I posted a few photos!! Success!!!! I need to scan a few more & will post them ASAP along with the rest of my report.
Barb

 

[BeckWhy]

You think 30 min for Peter Pan is long? I've seen it say 90 min!

 

[momoftriplets]

In no particular order:

Taking the kiddos out of school
I know everyone has their own opinion on this topic. We take them out the first week of October. This gives them 3-4 weeks to get settled into the new school year. We always send a note to the teachers a few weeks before we go, letting them know they will be gone that week, is there anything they can do before they go? So far, it's only been 1st & 3rd grades, (in 2003 & 2005, respectively) so no pre-homework. This last time, they did take some homework with them, which they did on the plane to Orlando. They also had to keep a journal of their trip. That was kind of fun.

Dining Plan
LOVED IT!!! And not just because it was free. Initially paid $700 for our family for the week. Cost for the kiddos would have been $9.99 per kid per day. We knew we couldn't feed the kids as WDW for only $10 a day. We also got to eat at places we wouldn't have normally. When we went in 2003, we all got really tired of CS meals. We liked being able to sit down out of the heat for an hour or so each day. I added up our receipts. If we had paid for all of our meals, it would have cost over $1100!! As I said, we wouldn't have eaten at all of the different TS places, but it was really nice to be able to do. We will most definately use this when we go again. Which leads me to....

Our next trip
Don't know when that will be for sure, but I'm always planning it in my head. If we do WDW, it will most likely be in October 2007. If we do a cruise (DCL maybe????) it will be in March of 2008. Kiddos want to take a warm weather vacation during winter.

Pin Trading
We started collecting a few pins this time. Didn't trade any because we liked all the ones we purchased. Next time I will search the web for pins we can trade.

Extra Magic Hours
Loved this, too. Enjoyed the PM EMH better than the AM EMH, just because they were longer, but it was nice to get to the park before everyone else.

Weather
It was a bit hot during the day. Of course, had the daily afternoon shower. Evenings were great. Not a lot of bugs, like we have in Minnesota. Wouldn't want to go during the summer - would be too hot.

Magical Express
Loved this, too. Loved not having to fetch our luggage at the airport, loved having the luggage in the room when we got back in the evening that first night. Loved not having to arrange other transportation to/from the airport. Will definately use it again.

Onsite vs. Off Site
Now that we've stayed both, we will not go back to off site again. When we were off site, we had to rent a van, pay for gas, pay for parking at WDW, no dining plan, no EMH. Before we switched from POR to ASMo, the cost difference between onsite & off was only about $400 for our family. It increased when we switched to ASMo only because we had 2 rooms, instead of just one. Definately on site for us. In fact, DH & I were talking about our next trip & I mentioned off site as a cost savings issue. He wouldn't hear of it. On site or nothing!

Reasons to go back!!!
Again, in no particular order:
BOMA!!!! - I really want to go there.
IllumiNations - I hated missing most of this. Always worth the expense, monitary & otherwise, just to see it.
Tea at United Kingdom in EPCOT - DH is out & wants more
Expedition Everest - Have heard great things about this attraction, want to experience it ourselves now.
Rope Drop - Need to set our alarms extra-early to see this.
Typhoon Lagoon - Would love to go snorkling again. Missed it this time.
To personally apologize to AK for not knowing what the "Oasis" is called. (See previous report)
Last but not least, Come on!!! IT'S WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!! WHO DOESN'T WANT TO GO BACK???? Even though we have been there twice, now, there is still so much we haven't seen or done. We talk to some people who say, "Oh, I've been to WDW. Don't need to go back." How unfortunate for them. Poor things!!!

That's all from here. Thanks so much for reading!!! I feel as if I've gotten to know a few of you through writing this TR. Can't wait to read everyone else reports!!!

Till next time ------

Barb

 

[tiggerbell]

Loved your report! Thanks for posting!

 

[princessjv]

What a great ending to a great TR! I am so proud of my fellow Minnie-sote-ian, You figured out how to add pic's! And what great Pics they are! Thanks for taking the time to bring me back to WDW, in that very HOT first part of Oct.(we were there the 4-13th) Unlike you, I will not be returning then again, EVER...I guess never say never, who knows, IF I win a trip, I won't be passing it up! heheh

After seeing the pic of your family on the rafting ride, I can see why your DH is RELIEVED about the logo! hehehe

If your Dh needs a tea fix, I can hook him up in Jan...But he's gotta wait 6 months, 1 week and 5 more days....

Thanks Again!

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

Enjoyed reading this! Thanks for taking the time to write it!