Where Happiness Lives--Dreams, Pirates & lots of Pictures Jan. 20-27 Trip Report

[mydogisbo]

Trip January 20-27, 2007
The Background:

I just love Disney’s new marketing campaign that starts “Where . . . .” like “Where the night is as bright as the day,” “Where Dreams Come True,” “Where something Incredible Happens everyday” & so many others. They sucked me in with it to the tune of 3 t-shirts (& would’ve gotten more if I hadn’t already broken the souvenir budget!) Anyway, this was the trip where magic occurred for our family. A wonderful, relaxing, happy time filled with imagination, childhood fantasies, character hunts, YOMD, Pirates & Princesses, some good weather, a bit of rain & a lot of family fun.

We visited WDW last January & had a mostly wonderful time, but I left knowing I wanted to come back this January (2007) & do things a little differently—who doesn’t? So, in June I started planning in earnest.

Cast of Characters/Crew:

Me: 31 (Disney Addict)
DH: 31 (Supports Disney Addict—enabler??)
DS1: 7 (Addict Apprentice) "Stitch"
DS2: 3 (Addict in Training) "Figment"

Also joining us for a few days, my parents—the root of the addiction (well, my dad anyway).

In June 2006 my DH was blessed with a nice bonus from work. We used half to pay for a new HVAC system for the upstairs of our then sweltering home, and the other half to rent DVC points for a lovely 8 day 7 night stay at the Beach Club Villas.

I was so lucky—I happened to check the rental board one day on a whim & there were the exact number of points we needed at a great price, home resort Beach Club. It was wonderful working with my DVC owner—everything went so smoothly & she was so helpful throughout. Now if I could just convince DH to buy in!!

We left home on Friday, January 19 around 1:00 & drove through to Jacksonville. We stayed at a Fairfield Inn on Duval for a great rate (Marriott eBreaks email I received on Monday of the week we left). I had $50 worth of Marriott gift cheques earned through a rewards program, so after taxes we paid about $30 for a very nice room with breakfast.

We headed out of the hotel bound for Walt Disney World by 8:00 that morning (Jan. 20)!! We were SO excited!!!


UP NEXT: BCV, Epcot, Pearls & Whispering Canyon!

 

[mydogisbo]

As we drove onto Disney property the elation began-we’re here!!! We arrived around 10:30. On to the Beach Club. My plan was to check in & park so we could walk over to Epcot. As we pulled up my heart was beating so fast. The resort is so peaceful. We parked to check in & entered the lobby. Art was there to greet us!!! Could this be any more perfect?

I went to the check-in counter, no wait. As I checked in the CM had just a bit of trouble locating my reservation (which made me start to panic—deep breaths), but located it with my reservation #. She said, “You’re room is ready.” What??? From what I had read on here DVC rooms were never ready early! WOW!! She gave us all of our information along with stickers & copies of Disney Adventure Magazine for the boys.

Next, I went to concierge to have our tickets added to our room keys. I had to wait a bit here because there were several people checking out & trying to make airline check-in arrangements.

I purchased our 8 day park hoppers through a MouseSavers newsletter back in August before the rates went up. Once I got to the counter it was no problem & she had them added in no time.

We had bell services bring our luggage to the room & valet parked our car! We’re at Disney!!!

When we got to the 1 bedroom villa I was amazed! It was much larger than I had imagined especially the bathroom. We had groceries coming from Garden Grocer, but just basic food like cereal, sandwich stuff, frozen pizza. I was glad. I don’t think I could’ve cooked very easily there. The counter was extremely narrow & not all of the stuff was in the cabinet that was supposed to be.

The villa was very clean. Though there was a trashcan on the counter when we entered & a mousekeeper came to the door soon after we went in. Apparently, they weren’t completely ready for us to take over the room yet—she also had something in our washing machine. Other than that it was perfect!

The balcony was palatial! It was the full length of the villa with sliding doors in both the bedroom & the living space. We were facing Epcot, but were only on the 2nd floor. At night we could see Illuminations!! The boys absolutely loved it. Figment kept calling it our Green House. He is still asking when we can go back to our Green House—yeah Dad, when can we go back?

Bell services arrived pretty promptly & we unpacked in a hurry. We wanted to get to EPCOT!!!

 

[mydogisbo]

We left for Epcot around 11:00 I think. I was amazed at how close the International Gateway was. This was perfect for us!

Stitch & I were skipping toward the entrance.

It was a Disney moment. When your heart is racing & you are on such a high—I just kept saying “We’re here, can you believe it?” All of those months of preparing, planning, worrying that someone would get sick, stressing over money . . . . aaah, we’re here! This greeted us at the IG:

We stopped to take our photo by these “Where Dreams Come True” wing things that were everywhere (I wish they had this on a t-shirt . . . .)

First stop, Japan. The kids were going to pick out a pearl each as a birthday gift for me. My birthday was January 5, so this was perfect. I was a little disappointed with the experience here. There was no line, but not much fanfare either. You go to the register, pay the $14 each for the picking, & take your receipt to the lady. Stitch & Figment pointed vaguely to a shell & she opened them. Stitch got a pink-ish 7 ¼ mm & Figment a 7mm champagne. I had them set in the sterling silver cages—had to get 2 different sizes. The cages were around $14 each also. It was to take 10 minutes.

We needed to meet my parents for lunch in Norway, so I was coming back.

We ate at the Kringla Bakery. YUMMY! I’m going to do a separate dining review, but this was perfect for us. Stitch & I shared a sandwich & the School bread was fantastic! Nice quiet spot to eat & prepare for our first Disney Day!! It was nice & warm that day, I think mid-70s, so perfect weather.

Then we rode Maelstrom with no wait & I headed back over to Japan to get my pearls!!

NEXT UP: Epcot Day 1, Whispering Canyon

 

[mydogisbo]

After lunch we headed to Future World. Stitch wanted to track down some characters. First, we went to the Disney Visa Rewards Meet-N-Greet. We did this last year & think it is great. The personal attention + a free photo = good in my book. This time we saw Mickey & Pluto. Pluto was on all Fours & really played with Figment.

Now, I didn’t feel like Epcot was crowded today, but they were out of fastpasses for Test Track & the Soarin’ return times were much later than we were going to be in the park, so we skipped those for today.

Next stop, Character Connection. No wait at all. Stitch & Figment loved getting autographs.

We rounded out our first day with walk-on rides at Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo & Friends (skipped Crush for today), and Imagination. There was a PhotoPass photographer at the entrance to the Seas, so we took advantage of that opportunity to have a big group picture taken with the Seagulls. I really enjoyed the Nemo ride--though I thought it was a little short. The tank effects were really amazing. After riding Imagination we met [the real] Figment with no wait in his little “house.” No wait to pick up our free photo either.

My parents went back to the bus to see if their room at CSR was ready & we walked back through Canada & UK to the Beach Club. When we got in sight of the resort Figment said, “We’re home.”

We walked around the resort just a bit to take it all in & Figment kept saying to everyone “Hi People, How’s your first day?” So cute.

Got back to the room & had a message from Garden Grocer. They had delivered our order. Bell Services brought it up for us & we finished unpacking.

We had a 6:50 reservation at Whispering Canyon & I wanted to go early to take in the Wilderness Lodge. I think we left around 5:45. Took lots of pictures in the lobby of the WL & went up to some of the floors to see the exhibits on fossils & soak in the atmosphere. Checked in at the WCC early & had to wait probably 10 minutes. We were seated in the main part of the restaurant, but at the far end near the kitchen. Our waitress was Head of Lettuce. She was very good at the part. The boys enjoyed the straw throwing, the ketchup bringing & the stick pony race. & they like their food. The grown-up food, however, was a bit of a disappointment.

We had planned to stick around & watch the Electrical Water Pageant, but it would not come by the WL until 9:35 or something like that. We were all sort-of tired & wanted to get up early the next morning to get to the AK at opening, so we left after dinner.

We loved our “Green House” at night:

We also found the self-parking to be very convenient to the Villas & never any trouble finding a good spot.

After we put the kids to bed. So easy in the 1 bedroom!! I told DH I needed to go down to the store to get postcards in the mail (you know, so we don't beat them back). Well, I returned from the Beach Club Marketplace with more than just postcards--HA! I got a great t-shirt, a 2007 bus for the boys, the postcards, and a couple of other do-dads. I have to say, though, I was a bit disappointed with the Marketplace. It was very nice as a one-stop-shop for merchandise & grab-n-go food, but I thought it was a little light on the merchandise. I thought I remembered the shop at Old Port Royale having more "stuff" when we went last year. But, they still managed to get a good amount of $ out of me! Having stayed in moderates before, I will also say that I like the fact that most of my walk to the store at 10:00 that night was inside the hotel. Since we were in the villas, I had a short walk outside under a breezeway, but still very nice.

Next up:
ANIMAL KINGDOM!!

 

[mydogisbo]

Our First Full Day at DISNEY!!

Woke up to this beautiful view & weather:

I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast on our balcony!

Got those postcards in the mail (most people got them on Tuesday, yeah!)

We headed out early & not trusting Disney Transportation, we drove to Animal Kingdom. It didn’t take long & was not difficult to get to, & we had a close parking spot. We entered the park & go to the bridge for the ending of the Awakening (bathroom breaks took up the beginning). DH made his way to Everest to get FP, & we leisurely walked to Africa. Along the way we met some friends:

We walked on the Safari, less than 5 minute wait. Great ride—I just love it. The bumps, I even like the cheesy storyline. The first time we took the boys in 2004 we rode a nearly empty Safari truck during the parade. Stitch got a certificate for helping to save Little Red, so I guess that is why I am partial.

We made our way around to Asia for the EE riders to use their FPs, stopped for some drumming:

DH & my dad enjoyed their Everest ride. We then squirted some people on Kali River Rapids. Although it was a very nice day, I don’t think it would’ve felt as good wet. Then we headed down the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Hungry? We were. Over to Pizzafari. We really enjoyed this place. We went early & it was nearly deserted. Fast service, good food. Especially for picky eater Figment. I also loved the cheery interior.

Over to Camp Minnie-Mickey for a character safari. On this note, for autograph books we used the notecard books that are spiral bound & retractable sharpies. The characters all seemed to be able to use these well & my plan is to tear out the autographs & put them with the pictures for the boys. I got this idea from someone here on the DIS boards. We ended up with about 90 autographs (several duplicates), so it was economical too.

Now we back track over to see Nemo the Musical. In my opinion this was very unorganized. We were about 15 minutes prior to showtime & came across Discovery Island, or is it the Oasis, towards Dinoland & the theater. We’re following the Nemo signs & all of a sudden there is a huge line of people. So, we have to back track into Dinoland to get in the line. There are no CMs or signs saying Nemo line this way, or anything like that. It was a very far distance to back track, but was a little irritating, nevertheless.

Again, we were 15 minutes prior to showtime, AK didn’t seem that crowded, but we were some of the last to get in. It is a huge theater & we were in the back bleacher section. They filled it up even more with standing room only. TONS of people in there.

The show was good. The puppetry is AMAZING. I do think it was a little on the long side. Even back in the “nose bleed” section I could see everything on stage just fine. I think I’m glad we didn’t get in line more than 15 minutes prior, because if we had spent that much time in line & then that much time in the show I would’ve been very disappointed.

Next stop DinoLand. DH & Dad got FP for Dinosaur. Rode Triceratops—I think they waited through one cycle before getting on.

While Dad & DH rode Dinosaur we stopped by to see Pooh & his pals.

We left AK early (after we met this guy on the way out)

We also stopped at the exit & asked the Photopass guy to take our picture with the Wing things. We stopped them everywhere we could. My CD shipped today with 500+ photos on it!! More on that later.

We were back at the Villa by 3:15—tonight is EMH at MK!!!!

 

[disneylove4ever]

Great thread! We were there the exact same days as you were except we arrived on the 19th!! Wasn't it more crowded than you expected?? Keep the post coming!!!

 

[Cory's Gal]

Great TR so far, we were also there the 20th-27th! We had a great time!! Great pics too, keep them coming!!

 

[mydogisbo]

Great thread! We were there the exact same days as you were except we arrived on the 19th!! Wasn't it more crowded than you expected?? Keep the post coming!!!

Actually, it was about what I expected--maybe even lighter. We were there the week earlier last year & it seemed more crowded. It could've been the way we toured this year though. We were finished with most parks by 2:00 each day. We also had a great experience at EMHs timing wise. I did think that by Friday the 26 & Saturday the 27 it was much more crowded than the week days. We did AK the morning of the 26 & Epcot on 27. A CM at Epcot on the 27th said the week we were there was very light--one day only 6000 people visited Epcot & he said that was very, very low.

 

[mydogisbo]

We had a wonderful dinner on our balcony, aaahhh, to be there now. Right now it is going to get down to 13 degrees F tonight—that is very cold for here & I don’t like it!

We headed over to the Magic Kingdom by bus for the EMH!!! Got there around 5:15 & got our wristbands—love how special you feel getting your wristband. Also, love Disney at this time of day—wonderful lighting.

We met my parents (after stopping for some PhotoPass photo ops) at Casey’s where they’d had dinner & headed to Toontown. We’d promised Zeb a rollercoaster ride & Goofy’s Barnstormer was the answer. We did stop along the way for a photo at the Rose Garden Entrance with the Castle in the background (love that PhotoPass). The wait was about 10 minutes & he loved it. After it was over he said “I rode rollercoaster—let’s go back to the room.” He really, really liked that Villa!

Next we got a FP for Buzz (line wasn’t all that long, but why wait when you can ride something else). So we hopped on TTA, or as my family will ALWAYS call it, the People Mover. Then we rode Buzz. The boys loved it!! We rode it in 2004, but last year it was being refurbished when we were there. They both thought it was great (& we all enjoyed it).

Cut back across the hub to Adventureland & squeeze in a ride on the Jungle Cruise before Wishes. The wait was about 15 minutes. I really prefer to ride the Jungle Cruise in the dark. This was the only time we rode it this trip.

Back across the hub to the area near the Noodle Terrace at Tomorrowland. We staked out a spot for Wishes where Tink would fly right overhead. The men went back over to get Ice Cream for Wishes Dessert. They barely made it back in time—the show was starting when the walked up. We’ve watched Wishes here before & I would’ve sworn they turned down the lights. Well, they didn’t this time which made it a little less enjoyable, but we love seeing Tinkerbell right over head!

Now, its EMH & we have things to ride! So back across the hub yet again to ride POTC. 5 minute wait. The CMs outside did ask to see wristbands before we entered the building. LOVE the power of the wristband.

Then we walked through Frontierland (the boys had not yet discovered their affinity for BTMRR) & Liberty Square. We walked right in to Philharmagic—my favorite 3D movie on property (or anywhere for that reason). Then we did Small World & headed for the bus stop by way of the castle & Main Street. It had been a long day.

I was very happy with the bus system for Beach Club, much better than the moderates I had experienced. We had about a 10 minute wait & just a couple of people had to stand. We were back in the room by 10.

What a magical evening!

 

[mousiemom]

We had a wonderful dinner on our balcony, aaahhh, to be there now. Right now it is going to get down to 13 degrees F tonight—that is very cold for here & I don’t like it!

We headed over to the Magic Kingdom by bus for the EMH!!! Got there around 5:15 & got our wristbands—love how special you feel getting your wristband. Also, love Disney at this time of day—wonderful lighting.

We met my parents (after stopping for some PhotoPass photo ops) at Casey’s where they’d had dinner & headed to Toontown. We’d promised Zeb a rollercoaster ride & Goofy’s Barnstormer was the answer. We did stop along the way for a photo at the Rose Garden Entrance with the Castle in the background (love that PhotoPass). The wait was about 10 minutes & he loved it. After it was over he said “I rode rollercoaster—let’s go back to the room.” He really, really liked that Villa!

Next we got a FP for Buzz (line wasn’t all that long, but why wait when you can ride something else). So we hopped on TTA, or as my family will ALWAYS call it, the People Mover. Then we rode Buzz. The boys loved it!! We rode it in 2004, but last year it was being refurbished when we were there. They both thought it was great (& we all enjoyed it).

Cut back across the hub to Adventureland & squeeze in a ride on the Jungle Cruise before Wishes. The wait was about 15 minutes. I really prefer to ride the Jungle Cruise in the dark. This was the only time we rode it this trip.

Back across the hub to the area near the Noodle Terrace at Tomorrowland. We staked out a spot for Wishes where Tink would fly right overhead. The men went back over to get Ice Cream for Wishes Dessert. They barely made it back in time—the show was starting when the walked up. We’ve watched Wishes here before & I would’ve sworn they turned down the lights. Well, they didn’t this time which made it a little less enjoyable, but we love seeing Tinkerbell right over head!

Now, its EMH & we have things to ride! So back across the hub yet again to ride POTC. 5 minute wait. The CMs outside did ask to see wristbands before we entered the building. LOVE the power of the wristband.

Then we walked through Frontierland (the boys had not yet discovered their affinity for BTMRR) & Liberty Square. We walked right in to Philharmagic—my favorite 3D movie on property (or anywhere for that reason). Then we did Small World & headed for the bus stop by way of the castle & Main Street. It had been a long day.

I was very happy with the bus system for Beach Club, much better than the moderates I had experienced. We had about a 10 minute wait & just a couple of people had to stand. We were back in the room by 10.

What a magical evening!

Enjoying your TR. We were there Jan. 12-21 and we had very warm weather. We also watched Wishes from the same spot, wasn't that AWESOME! We couldn't believe more people didn't sit there. Tinkerbell flew right over our heads and I was videotaping and I got so excited because she was waving to us and she was so close that my camera veered off to the right. Uh-huh. Tink's my favorite!! I was so mad that Test Track was down for 2 days while we were there. So was RNRC and SM! Oh well, we will try back in Sept.

 

[hickchick]

Thanks for the trip report! And all the great pictures.

 

[vpalmer]

I am really enjoying your report! Your boys are so cute and look like they are having a fabulous trip!

 

[ReneeDisney]

Your trip report is wonderful and I LOVE your pictures! Your boys are adorable. I can't wait to read more.
Thanks for sharing your families memories!!!!

 

[krismom]

What a wonderful trip you had! I'm enjoying every word, your family is so sweet.

 

[DisneyJo]

I've been reading your great Dining report and when I spotted this I knew I had to read it.

 

[disneyfreak74]

Love reading you trip report!! Glad to hear that you guys had a wonderful trip!!!

 

[mydogisbo]

Today’s Destination—Epcot!

Just a hop, skip & a jump (maybe not even that much) away from the Beach Club. We loved this. Loved the International Gateway. Nice warm weather, shorts & T-shirts.

My parents came to our villa first thing & we headed over to the park. We probably entered the IG around 9:15. DH & my Dad walked ahead & got Test Track fastpasses & rode Soarin’. They said it was a walk-on, right up to the seats.

We met them at the Land & walked on to “Living With The Land.” I always liked this ride for some reason. I can remember it from my first visit in 1988. I’m a bit disappointed that there is no longer a live CM on the boat, but it was still fun.

Next stop, Turtle Talk. We entered the Seas through the Gift Shop (since we already rode Nemo) & got in line. It was about 5 minutes to show time, maybe not that much. We got in with no problem & the boys took a seat up front. Stitch was mildly disappointed that Crush didn’t call on him since he had been thinking up a challenging question (How fast does the EAC move?). We decided you should wear a hat.

It was time for our Test Track Fast Passes. This one took some convincing. On our last trip Stitch rode Goofy’s Barnstormer & Soarin’ & decided he didn’t like rollercoasters. I kept telling him that Test Track was slower than the speed we went to get to WDW. So, he was nervous, but we got on. The fast pass line was very fast & we all rode. This was actually my first time riding too—it wasn’t quite finished when we went for our Disneymoon, in 2004 the kids were too little & last year it was down for refurbishment. I had a great time! I even enjoyed all of the inside parts—I think it gives a nice build up for the open road (AWESOME) test. And by the way, Stitch loved it too. As you will read, we rode TT MANY times throughout the week.

We headed back over to Innoventions & did the Character Connection. Stitch & Figment both just loved the characters. All of the “usuals” were there in their YOAMD costumes—Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale. We also got to meet Belle in her blue dress. Yay! A princess.

Figment requested that we ride Nemo again, so we obliged. Again, a walk on. It is almost a shame there was no wait—I couldn’t pause to take in all of the great theming in the queue.

Now it is lunch time—we accomplished a lot for the morning! I had a plan to go to France. We walked through WS, stopping to get McNuggets & Fries for Stitch & Figment. We had a delicious lunch at the Patisserie. (See dining review in signature for details). It is definitely something we will repeat.

We then decided since we were a hop & skip away from the Villa we would go back to see if Figment would rest. My mom has knee problems, so she was going to stay & rest with him. So, we all headed back, started a load of clothes in the wash, and put Figment down for a nap.

DH, my Dad, Stitch & I headed back over to do the World Showcase. Stitch loves the World Showcase—he loves all kinds of things like this. Dad, Stitch & I stopped in to watch Impressions de France while DH went to get more TT fastpasses. Good movie, nice place to sit & rest. France is Stitch’s favorite country, & my dad lived there as a boy in the 1950s, so it was good. Met DH outside France.

Headed to Morocco. Our second mission for the afternoon was to get Stitch’s passport signed. He thought this was so cool. We took in the architecture. Went to Kidcot to sign the book—he was amazed at the “backward” writing. Then we met Aladdin & Jasmine. He says I tricked him into seeing them. I think he was glad.

Now a light rain is falling, so Stitch & I get the DollarTree ponchos out of my Bagallini Bag (loved this bag for Disney).

We made stops along the way to fill in the Passport. Japan was the best. She drew a Mickey in his book. Some of the countries were better than others. In Mexico, for example, the girl hardly acknowledged us & never told us what she wrote—that college Spanish came in handy.

We did have to stop at the Outpost area as they had the walkway raised up to let the fireworks barges through. A brief delay, but Stitch thought it was cool (& so did I).

Epcot was deserted. I guess slow week + rain = no people. We saw the Chinese Warriors. Then headed to Future World.

Time to ride Test Track again! Love the Fastpass.

Then we rode Spaceship Earth—Stitch’s previous favorite ride.

Then we made the long walk back to the other side of the park & headed for the Villa. Guess what? Figment didn’t nap. I didn’t think he would. But—Stitch got his uninterrupted WS time.

We rested for a bit, dried the clothes, then headed for Downtown Disney. My parents went back to Epcot for dinner at the Patisserie (again) & Illuminations.

We drove to Downtown Disney thinking it would be much faster & easier & I am certain it was. We parked right behind the World of Disney store—perfect! We headed over to Earl of Sandwich. Yum! & a great Value. (See dining reviews).

Then we went over to the Toy Shop that was just across the way—Once Upon a Toy—is that right? The boys had gotten some money of their own to spend & this was the best place I could think of. Stitch picked out the diecast monorail & set of diecast busses. Figment selected a radio control Test Track Car. I think we made it out of there with just those things.

Next stop, World of Disney for me!! I love this store. Got 2007 T-shirts for the boys, scrapbook album, “Where Dreams Come True” keychain, 2 frames, 2007 pin for Stitch, hmm, seems like there were some other things. It had started to rain hard outside, so the store became flooded with people about halfway through my shopping adventure. This is also where my obsession with the marketing slogan “Where . . . .” started.

We had a great CM check us out here. I asked her about the Disney Visa discount. All I had to do was show her my Visa Card, she applied the 10% off & I used my gift cards to pay. Awesome!

We had planned to hang around & check out the DTD atmosphere a bit, but the rain & realization that we had been on the go for 3 days hit us. So, we loaded up the car & headed home.

I guess we got back to the Villa by 8:30, because we got the boys bathed & back out on our awesome balcony to watch the fireworks from Illuminations. This was just wonderful. Another great day at Disney!!

Tomorrow: Magic Kingdom & MGM EMH!!

 

[Foladar]

Great report, cant wait to hear more!

 

[mydogisbo]

A Day at the Magic Kingdom must be Magical—right?

We always start our full Magic Kingdom day with Breakfast at the Crystal Palace. I just love it—the characters, the food, the atmosphere—just check out my Dining Review for more information.

I also love entering the MK to a nearly empty Main Street. Awesome for photos. Our reservation was for 8:25, but we arrived about 8:10 for photo ops. Thank goodness my family humors my photography obsession. Well, little Figment not so much, but he’s a good sport.

We were seated very quickly at the Crystal Palace after checking in & enjoyed a lovely breakfast with Pooh & Friends.

After forcing a few more PhotoPass pictures we were ready to go through the castle. But, no, we had to go around. They had it roped off for the stage show. No worry!

Then off to Fantasyland! First stop, Dumbo. I have to admit, I’ve never ridden Dumbo. I was in 6th grade the first time my family went to Disney & I just never rode it. So, I was just as excited as Figment. I got even MORE excited when I saw the lovely CM with the Duffle Bag standing in the loading area.

My heartbeat quickened—maybe even leapt. I knew who she was, but surely if I thought it too hard it wouldn’t be true. & what would it be? So, the ride CM gave us our boarding card & we entered the loading area. As we did the CM with the Duffle Bag, Yes, the Dream Team CM, said Congratulations! As part of the YOAMD you’ve been granted a wish or dream or whatever, I don’t know I was floating. We got awesome YOAMD Pin Lanyards. Stitch was so excited “I can’t believe we won.” Me either!!!

Dumbo was a blast. By the way, we got there around 9:30 I think & it was pretty much a walk-on. Just had to wait for 1 ½ groups to ride.

Then we ran over to Pooh—walk on! Yay!

I wanted to get to Toontown at the Rope Drop, but we didn’t quite make it. I knew we needed to get there early to catch some characters without a very long line.

Chicken Little greeted us at the entrance to ToonTown.

Everytime we’ve gone to WDW we’ve looked for Daisy Duck. Never found her, but I knew she had been out more lately. Stitch was so excited to see she was in one of the rooms.

We waited for maybe 10 minutes to meet Donald & Daisy together. Chip & Dale (they’re everywhere, aren’t they?) & the surprise characters were Prince Philip & Princess Aurora. Bonus! 3 Princesses for us this trip.

I asked the retail CM in the tent if Mary Poppins would be around today. Stitch recently discovered the movie & really enjoyed it. I think it is great that they have a “character hotline” they can call. She told me Mary would be at the carousel at 11:00 (I think it was). So, off we went.

DH went to meet my parents at Buzz—our designated meeting spot. He was also supposed to get FPs, but they weren’t doing them today.

First, we tried to pull the sword from the stone.

We waited by the carousel, a CM at Philharmagic told us exactly where Mary would come. Then Stitch had to go to the bathroom. It was 5 minutes until 11:00. Oh no! Well, we ran, & came back. About a minute later (after we resumed our spot), we saw Mary & Mr. Penguin. If Stitch had taken a little longer (or if I hadn’t rushed him), he might have been chosen to ride the Carousel with Mary, but another lucky little girl was selected on the path we had just walked from the bathroom.

Anyway—we had a great meeting with Mary. She told Stitch he looked like Peter Pan.

By this time, my parents & DH had gotten around to us. The boys wanted to ride the Carousel, so they did & I got FPs for Peter Pan while they rode with DH & my Dad.

Back to Tomorrowland & Buzz. The Boys loved this ride. So did DH. No line, walk right on.

Next we wanted to ride Carousel of Progress. Ah yes, a classic. My dad rode the World’s Fair Version in the 60s. I knew Stitch would like it & he did. Figment did just fine too, despite my worries he would try to escape (maybe he’s actually more like Stitch). Stitch himself, thought the funniest part was the CM’s introduction, “If you find this song stuck in your head, you’ll have to go to IASW to get it out.” “If I catch you sleeping I’m going to send you to the HOP.”

Then, we rode Peter Pan with our FPs. Sweet.

Some members of our party who didn’t have the delicious buffet breakfast are hungry. I suggested Columbia Harbor House since we were so close. It was a nice lunch—see dining reviews for more.

What’s next? Haunted Mansion. Walkon.

Then we headed to Frontierland. After riding Test Track, Stitch decided he was all about rides, well most rides. & Figment is game for anything. So, we got FPs for BTMRR. I think the wait was only about 20 minutes, but we didn’t want to wait in line when we could FP it & ride something else.

Being huge Thomas fans, I knew the boys would enjoy riding the train again this time. We boarded in Frontierland & rode all the way back around.

Time to ride BTMRR. It was a huge hit!

Adventureland. POTC—walk on.

Magic Carpets—walk on

The guys did the Treehouse, Mom & I shopped.

Time to go back to the Villa. Rest a bit & get ready for MGM EMH. We were back there by 4:00. MK was the only time we used bus transportation this trip.

A nice gentleman at the Beach Club took our photo by the car as we entered.

 

[DisneyJo]

Lovely day and YOMD winners too, do you have a photo of your prize? Great tip about the character hotline, my DD's really want to see Daisy Duck too.