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[buffy0214]

Day 3, PART 3--Magic Kingdom Tuesday, Oct 9

Our dinner ADRs were fast approaching. 4:20 sneaks up on you! None of us were hungry but when you have ADRs you have to go. At least when you‘ve already paid $250! I might just . I can‘t believe we paid so much for one meal.

When Pete and I lived in Florida we always tried to eat at the castle, back when it was wierdly named King Stephan’s Banquet Hall. We didn’t know that you had to make ressies months in advance. Doh! It wasn't until I picked up an Unofficial Guide that I began to learn things about Disney that I never. I always thought, as seasoned park attendees, we had nothing new to learn. In fact, I think I picked up the guide because it was our first time going with the kids and I really wanted to eat at the castle. That started me getting hooked on the planning aspect. We were fortunate enough to get our ADR's for lunch back in 2002 and I wanted to have that magic again. While I enjoy eating in the castle because you get to eat in the castle, it is pricey for the food that is served and the way it is served. I expected more formal servicefor dinner.

I spent some time taking a few pics around the castle







Inside there were only a couple of families in front of us and the line moved very quickly. We signed in a waited for our turn with Cindy.










Cinderella was, of course, beautiful and gracious. Since we were a party of 6 we were able to get 2 photo packages. We asked if we could get a picture with just the kids and that was just fine. Just so you know, there is a photo pass number printed on these pictures. Upload them when you upload all your photo pass cards so that you can get them on your CD. I didn‘t see this until after I ordered my CD. Luckily a very nice CM sent me another CD with those pics for no charge. They also ended up sending Calvin's autograph book that he left at Crystal Palace for no charge. Can you believe Disney sent stuff out for free





My DISencounter Before we went upstairs for our meal a CM asked if we were wearing lime green for any particular reason. I gave her the “lime look“ and she laughed and said, “that‘s what I was looking for“. She is a DISer, too, but said she isn’t on the boards as much since she works at MK now. She got the castle job, too. Good for her! If you see Meredith at the castle give her the "look".

We went upstairs and were seating right away. The Disney Gods smiled on us and we got an excellent table near the stained glass windows with a view of fantasyland. The girls got a plastic wand and Calvin got a plastic sword (which broke promptly). Another DISer inspired me to make a slideshow so here is a little food porn video of what we had at Cindy‘s:







The fairy godmother started a little show along with Cindy‘s mice, Perla and Suzy. The only time it is okay to dine with mice is in the Kingdom The show is cute and the Fairy Godmother engages well with the audience but I want to warn those who are going for a special event that it wasn‘t very individual. The Fairy Godmother simply asked if anyone was having a special celebration today and various hands went up around the room. She sang a little song for them and that was it. The show was also quite long, so if you have a little one with a short attention span then I would suggest going to the character meal. I was surprised that Cal handled it so well. Being barely four I would have thought he would be squirmy, but instead he was very well behaved and enjoyed the show. I think the clapping helped. FYI, the Fairygomother did not pose for pics but we did manage to snag some of her and the mice.


The mice slowed down a little for the photo opp.


The fairly godmother sings

A little 3.5 minute video of the show. The first part we are trying to get the lights to sparkle in the castle and then there is the celebration song.




On the way out of the castle, we got a couple more pics.

 

[buffy0214]

After dinner, the itinerary had us touring Adventureland and Liberty Square, but the kids had other ideas. Are we always going to end up on the Teacups after we eat? Here I snagged one of my very fav pics of Becky. She just had such joy on her face. Pete is so good at spinning that cup!



Then back to the Barnstormer! Rachel braves it alone.


We headed on over to the ride Buzz using our Fastpasses. When we got there it was closed and they weren‘t sure when it would reopen. They ended up giving us a pass that would be good anytime we return. We decided to hit the TTA while waiting for Buzz. Indeed it was working when we got off. Thank goodness for us as it made Cal happy. Grandma rode TTA with the kids again while Pete and I rode Space Mountain. Hooray, some grownup time. Then again can you call it grownup time if you are on a roller coaster?

Cal snoozed a little on the TTA but was able to have an icee with his sisters at the Lunching Pad. With the kids settled, Grandma and I rode Space again. Pete told me that Cal had spilled it on himself and he didn't know what to do since we didn't have a change of clothes. This event caused us to make unfortunate decision to try and head out before the fireworks ended. We knew that there would be a mass of people exiting and, tough, I wanted to see Wishes, I was overruled. The kids were really wiped out. No Wishes again this trip. I will see it one day.

People were, predictably, crowded around the castle and we were trying to get through.

The CMs were trying to keep a path open and were pretty much pushing people through. The wouldn’t allow us to stop so we had to trudge on. Pete had the double stroller and a child jumped in front of him and he almost hit him. Some guy then said something really rude to Pete (which I will not repeat but it was really mean) and neither he nor I heard him, but my mom did and she told the guy “we are all trying to do our best here“. To quote Billy Crystal, "I'M ON VACATION" We pressed on. I know it wasn‘t the best idea to try and get through the crowd but once we started, the CMs wouldn‘t let us stop. I‘m not sure if they are required to keep a path open for fire safety or something.

Whew! We made it to the busses and we were able to get on the next one back to our sanctuary, Old Key West. I‘m pretty sure Pete took the girls swimming again and we prepared for an early day on Wednesday.





Next up, Animal Kingdom.

 

[winkers]

Great castle pictures!

 

[mikymouse]

What is the "Lime Look"... can you please explain. I have been tempted to attach a lime green mickey head to my stroller but then deceided against it.

 

[Beast0214]

For those of you who are new to this report, Pete is always sent out on a hunt for Fastpasses so that is why he is not in the pictures

Here is how Pete’s morning went…

1. Go to Splash mountain get a FP and ride it.
2. Go to Space Mountain get a FP and ride it.

This day really started out well for me. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind running errands (and having a little fun at Disney)!

 

[devinfl]

I am really enjoying reading your trip report! Your scrapbook pages are great, as a fellow scrapper, those got my attention I think I may scraplift a few if you dont mind Love the tye dye shirts going to try to make some for our upcoming trip, I know DH will not wear one but me and DS can

 

[nts4wdw]

Love the pictures of your dinner at the castle!! I love eating there, but the children aren't so crazy about it anymore. Maybe I could convince Chuck to go in December. It would be romantic!

 

[buffy0214]

Great castle pictures!

Thanks, I finally took the time to take some.

What is the "Lime Look"... can you please explain. I have been tempted to attach a lime green mickey head to my stroller but then deceided against it.

Basically, it is a way for Dis'ers to acknowledge a sighting. I can't explain it any better than in this thread...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1399648

You just need to read the first entry to get the idea.

This day really started out well for me. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind running errands (and having a little fun at Disney)!

Now I know why you volunteered for the job

I am really enjoying reading your trip report! Your scrapbook pages are great, as a fellow scrapper, those got my attention I think I may scraplift a few if you dont mind Love the tye dye shirts going to try to make some for our upcoming trip, I know DH will not wear one but me and DS can

Scrablift away! I'm glad you enjoyed them. As far as the tie dye, I say go for it! It really added to the fun

Love the pictures of your dinner at the castle!! I love eating there, but the children aren't so crazy about it anymore. Maybe I could convince Chuck to go in December. It would be romantic!

I was thinking that as much as I enjoy the characters, they should have a "character free" time there for the grownups. Maybe like after 8pm or something. I would love to go back with just Pete but it would be nice to have a quieter time.

 

[buffy0214]

Day 4 Animal Kingdom, Wednesday, Oct 10

We had to get up extra early today for the Breakfastosaurus in Animal Kingdom. I‘m glad we were able to go since they aren‘t having it anymore. We arrived a couple minutes past 8 and found a huge line outside the gate. We thought it was people arriving early for AK, but it was for the Breakfast. Evidently, something was going on with a truck arriving late or something and everyone had a late start for their breakfast ADRs. Finally we were allowed in and we made our way to the Breakfastosaurus which was quite a hike. Pete got a little frustrated because we ended up waiting an hour before we were finally seated. We were hoping to be finished by 9 and instead we were just starting. Ugg, not fun.

On the upside, it was pretty neat being inside the park with no one around. I got a few pics of the empty park while we waited to be called.







Calvin, was really getting the hang of pin trading and traded with a cast member. I can‘t remember his name but Pete saw him when he was off-duty and lunching at Earl of Sandwich. He remembered us because of our shirts. Is that a good thing?

They took our obligatory picture and I purchased one for posterity since the Breakfastosaurus was going to be closing.



The food was your standard breakfast fair but our waitress here was super nice. She took pictures of us with the characters and told us to take some of the prepackaged cereal with us when we left.

I took a pic of the napkin holder because it was Donald. Isn‘t Donald missing from much of the parks? That duck is hard to find



The breakfast was fine. I don‘t know why so many people of the DIS don‘t seem to like the breakfast meals at Disney. As far as I‘m concerned, I‘ve never had a bad breakfast. Of course, we are really there for the characters, right?




Mickey wanted a hug from Pete



While we were still eating, Pete ducked out to get FP for Everest. Get it, ducked out! I quack myself up! For those of you still reading after that pun, you will have to find out from him if he rode it when he got the pass. I think he actually waited for me this time, tough.

We emerged from breakfast ready to take on the day.



more later....

 

[buffy0214]

To dinoland we go! The park was pretty empty. The kids went straight onto Triceratop Spin and rode it two more times with no wait.



Rachel and I had been planning on braving the Dinosaur ride so we headed over there. (it was a walk-on ride also) Grandma came with us but she decided against it after seeing the pre-show. It looked too bumpy for her. Well let me just say that this was a smart move on her part. This ride really overrides your senses. It was so loud and bumpy that we just covered our ears and closed our eyes for the whole ride. Since we didn‘t buy the picture we had to fake it…



Mom took the kiddos over to the Boneyard for some quieter entertainment while Pete and I went on Primeval Whirl. It was a first for both of us. We easily walked onto this no waiting ride also. Just as we were about to get onto the platform, we got a surprise from the Dream Team. I knew right away that something cool was going to happen! He said a little speech that went something like this, “You know that Disney is having the year of a million dreams prize giveaway. For people who are in the right place at the right time we are giving away some great gifts. Well guess where you guys are? That‘s right you are in the right place at the right time!”

He gave us the Dream Fastpass for all the good AK rides. I was so excited. I didn‘t care what it was, but these little dreams really made the trip magical. Pete told him that we had other member in the party that weren‘t with us. He explained that he would be right outside the ride for a few minutes if we could round up our party quickly then they would get passes, too. Yes! Score!

The ride was weird. Kinda like teacups with a mind of their own. I would ride it again, but I wouldn‘t stand in line for it. As soon as it was over we high tailed it over to the bone yard and grabbed 4 very confused people and tried to hurry them back over to get our passes. He asked which rides we were wanting passes for, and then wrote us out a pass for them.


Grandma wasn‘t feeling well, and Rachel was still a little tormented from Dinosaur! When Becky stopped in here tracks at the ice cream cart, we didn‘t protest. We had a little downtime


I convinced Grandma to try and hang in and go on Everest with us. The heat was really getting to her, however. AK is a super hot park! I think all those trees keep the heat and humidity from escaping. Anyway, she told us to go ahead on it and she waited with the kids.




Hands down, without a doubt, the best ride at AK. And, maybe the entire WDW resort. Some rides still hold a place in my heart, but this one rocks! We used our FP and rode again! We decided to go through the jungle trek. The kids mostly enjoyed the maps.

I tried to get a few animal shots, but I only got the rearview…



This guy was sleeping so I got a good head shot…


Cal made me take this one….ew, ew, ew, ew


I think I will stick to inanimate objects.



Mom had had enough and so had Cal. She took him back to the hotel for a rest. Mom said he became real upset when the bus driver drove past our hotel room. He knew it because ours was blue. Unfortunately, they had to ride the entire loop before they got back to the room. A PB&J and milk can sometimes work wonders.

The rest of the party went onto Kahli River Rapids using our regular Fps. Man, that ride was a blast, especially in 90+ degree weather! We got soaked, but not soaked enough so we did it again using our dream passes. Even with raincoats, I don‘t see how you can avoid getting wet. The crocs really came in handy at this park.


We ran into a Photopass photographer and got a we family picure. Then, I inquired about the baby Simba pics. They came out to be so adorable.






We were starving at this point as it was well after 1pm but we wanted to ride the Safari first so that we could just eat at the pizzafari on the way to bugs life.

These guys look hungry, too.


Another inanimate object.


Wait, what is that! Could it be! I think it is! I can’t believe I was able to get this picture, truly a lucky shot.

It’s grass! Wow, amazing!

Pete pointed in the sky and asked about some black birds. I started cracking up! They were black birds flying in a circular pattern. Yes, they were vultures. The guide was like, “um, yeah, those are turkey vultures flown in from exotic florida“. Sorry, babe, I know that was at your expense, but it was funny.

The kids were so worn out that they just wanted to go back to the hotel for sandwiches. I was also worried about Calvin as I hadn‘t heard from mom yet that they were back so we went on. In hindsight, tough, I wished we had had lunch and continued on. I think the girls would have been refreshed and Becky could have gone to the petting zoo area like she wanted. A few regrets, no Lion King and no Bugs Life. Bug‘s Life would have been another first for me.

An amazing action packed day. If the sun hadn‘t gotten to us, I think we would have stayed all night for the extra magic hours. I know some people say that they can tour AK in half a day but I just don‘t see it.

We got a frozen slushie on the way out and answered some questions. By the time we got back and I made sandwiches it was after four o‘clock and I was famished. Have you ever been so hungry that you can‘t make up your mind what you want? That is the way I was. I was so tired of burgers and Olivia‘s wouldn‘t let us take out like I thought they would. I ended up going to the gift shop and got a frozen banquet spaghetti for $3. It was the best frozen spaghetti I have ever had. Pete was able to hold out until he went to the Earl of Sandwich at DTD. He loves those sandwiches.

We simply rested for the remainder of the evening. we watched America’s Next Top Model. It was the makeover show. Pete took the kids swimming again and we were happy to have a sleep-in day tomorrow.













Next up, Halloween Party .

 

[nts4wdw]

Great update! Your shirts look so cool!

I, for one, am a fan of character breakfasts. We were a little worried when Donald's breakfast was moved to Tusker House, but it was great and had a whole lot more food!!!

 

[winkers]

Why isn't your mom wearing a matching shirt?

I love primeaval whirl. Don't know why.

What time was your adr for? That's frustraing getting such a late start.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I've never seen the baby simba pictures before. I love those. I'm definitely going to have to have one of those pictures done with my nieces this year.

Can't wait to hear about the Halloween party. I went for the first time this year and had a blast.

 

[buffy0214]

Great update! Your shirts look so cool!

I, for one, am a fan of character breakfasts. We were a little worried when Donald's breakfast was moved to Tusker House, but it was great and had a whole lot more food!!!

I the breakfasts, too. They are actually my favorite character meal. I so rarely take time to even eat breakfast at home but I love breakfast food. I didn't know it moved, I thought it was closing down for good. I'm glad to hear it has a new home b/c AK really need more food areas.

I had different outfits "planned" for the day but the tie dye ones were so comfy and it was so easy to spot your players.

Why isn't your mom wearing a matching shirt?

I love primeaval whirl. Don't know why.

What time was your adr for? That's frustraing getting such a late start.

She hates t-shirts. I told her I would dye an old camp shirt or something be she told be not to worry. I bet she wished she had done it, though, because every other ride we went on a CM asked her where her shirt was

I really like how primeaval whirl looks, I think I'm one of the few.

our ADR was for 8am. The CM who was in charge of corraling guests to the photographer was actually pretty good at keeping everyone engaged, he traded pins with lots of kids and that helped distract from the wait. I think it was just a fluke or something, tough, with a food truck not arriving on time

I've never seen the baby simba pictures before. I love those. I'm definitely going to have to have one of those pictures done with my nieces this year.

Can't wait to hear about the Halloween party. I went for the first time this year and had a blast.

Aren't those Simba pics just so sweet I hadn't seem them before this trip, either. It was, of course, the DIS that clued me in. Check out this website from a resident DISser. It's full of great photopass shots and advice

http://stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

 

[buffy0214]

Day 5 BBB and Crystal Palace Oct 11

Today was our sleep-in day which was great. I really need to fit more of these into future schedules. I wasn’t feeling so well this a.m. so the kids just hung out and watched TV while Pete check out the gym. Thankfully, I was feeling better after lunch and took off with the girls to the Magic Kingdom.




We had a day of pampering ahead of us. I had reservations at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for 2:20 so we left an hour before then. We arrived at MK just as the family fun parade was ending. (I think that’s the name)



Main street was, oddly, pretty empty, and we had some time so I strolled around getting some pics. Any of you photogs out there know how to reduce glare? Is it just a time of day issue?

This was one of my favorite times in the entire trip. We had a leisure stroll just soaking up the atmosphere. It wasn‘t as hot today, either, so that really helped. I loved seeing all the princess gear on display. I can never pick a favorite princess, they all have a special place in my heart. Cinderella was a favorite when I was little, the music of Little Mermaid got me through many college stresses, and I identify most with Belle. Not that I’m high maintenance, right, honey?






The boutique is inside the castle and it is decorated in blues. When we arrived the girls were given a brochure with their names on them. Inside were the hairstyles that they could choose from: The fairytale princess, the disney diva, or the pop princess. The dresses were displayed if you are paying for the castle package, it includes hair, makeup, nails, pictures, princess gown, crown, wand and shoes. Priced at $180-230 (depending on the dress, I guess). I made Rachel‘s dress and Becky‘s dress was bought online. Becky is a very picky princess and those Disney costumes are just too itchy for her. Although, Becky didn't want the full package, she did want some sparkly shoes. Here fairy Godmother quickly arrived with Sleeping Beauty's sequined slippers in her size and it was magically added to the bill.

The girls were pampered and glittered and photographed to the hilt. Those photo pass photogs were amazing. They did tons of shots. We headed into Tinkerbell's Treasures to make crowns and they also got offical princess certificates here.

We got a couple more pics in front of the castle then made our way to Exposition Hall to have the photo shoot done. We got tons of photos from this, also, so it really made the photo CD worthwhile.

I made a little slide for the girls to remember our time at the boutique. It was truly a magical experience that all of us agreed we would do again. While we were there a mom was getting her hair done, too. I would have done it, too, if it was so much $$

​

Next up, Crystal Palace and MNSSHP

 

[buffy0214]

Oops! I only meant to preview, not post. Oh well, hopefully there aren't too many errors. I know there aren't enough smilies

 

[mindyd]

We have reservations for BBB in the castle on our next trip so I had my 7 year old daughter watch the video with me and she was all smiles the whole time and said they both look very pretty . I love the pictures from Animal Kingdom with Simba.

 

[buffy0214]

We have reservations for BBB in the castle on our next trip so I had my 7 year old daughter watch the video with me and she was all smiles the whole time and said they both look very pretty . I love the pictures from Animal Kingdom with Simba.

Awesome!! You will really love the boutique as will your 7yo. It was so much fun. You also get a gift bag that has the "leftover" makeup in it.

I learned about the Simba pics on the DIS, of course, they are amongst my favs.

 

[If U Had Wings]

It looks like you had a great time at the boutique. Both your princesses look beautiful!

 

[buffy0214]

Thanks It really was one of my favorite moments on the trip.