Why yes I am finaly posting our October 2009 First Trip report! MNSSHP land vs. World

[poohnpigletCA]

We had a fabulous first trip to Disney World. Even though it has been several months I thought I would post our trip.

The Players:

Hubby Kevin.

We also celebrated his 40th Birthday on this trip.

You got to love a guy that will push the pink stroller. Hubby is as big of a Disney geek as I am. We have had Disneyland Annual Passes on and off for our 15 year marriage. He always dreamed of going to Disney World but I found it too overwhelming. So for his 40th Birthday he requested a trip to Disney World. How could you say no to that/

Sierra

Our sweet 8 year old. She loves to read so she has always had a special place in her heart for Belle.

Olivia Kate

Our spunky 5 year old. She has some sensory integration issues and has every type of therapy since she was born. We look at Disney as a big sensory environment. I was very concerned that Disney World would be too much for her but with a little planning and much reading of "PassPorter's Open Mouse" she had a great time.

Karen (me)

Neurotic trip planner. I spent many an hour on this site and Tour Guide Mikes planning this trip. I have to say in the end it was worth it. I knew what would and would not work for our family.

Auntie Darla

Our non-traveling member of the trip. She made all of the outfits that the girls wore on the trip. Those on Disboutiquers will know her as Fairygoodmother.

 

[KELLY]

I'm in also. We went the last week in October and I have yet to post a trip report either.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Day1 ~

After many an hour spent in the resort section we finally picked The Wilderness Lodge. I received a pin code for free dinning so I booked our room for Thursday-Friday. However, when I went to book our airfare it was cheaper to fly out on Wednesday so I added Wednesday night at Port Orleans French Quarter.

This was the girls first flight and they were so excited.

The view from Sierra's window.

Sierra ignoring the cool view and playing her ds.

About 3 hours into the flight Olivia got bored and had to get up every few minutes to stretch.

After a very short trip on the Magical Express we made it to POFQ.

There was a towel Mickey waiting in our room.

As was this bird or duck thing.

Even though the entire day was spent traveling Auntie of course made them cute plane outfits.

We had dinner at the food court at the Hotel. Our carry on luggage had what we would need for that night. Since we heard that it could take several hours for the luggage to make it to our room we headed over to bell services to ask them to hold our checked bags for the night. They pulled up our information and told us that our luggage was already waiting in our room.


Day 2~

Our kids get up early so we spent some time in the pool.

Sierra was feeling her inner game show hostess.

We told Olivia she could pick out a cuddle buddy when we got to Disney World. She needed one to fall asleep at night so she picked Marie from the gift shop. Marie was quite large and of course white. Olivia wanted to take her everywhere.

We checked out of POFQ they said they would call the Wilderness Lodge and let them know we would be coming over soon. We checked all of our luggage back in with bell services for them to transfer to WL (this will be important later).

We took a bus to the Monorail and took the monorail to the Contemporary. Olivia asked a CM if we could sit in the back of the Monorail. He replied, "Not until the investigation is complete."
Of course we knew that he was referring to the fatality on the monorail but thought he could have replied with a simple no.

We had lunch at the quick service restaurant next to Chef Mickey's. We were very excited to be checking into WL because then our free dinning plan would start. Paying $40 for a quick service meal got old very quickly, and we only paid for 2 meals out of pocket.

We then boarded a boat to the WL!

Is it just me that thinks the guy over Kevin's shoulder is doing his best to hide?

The girls settled into some cute little chairs while we checked in.

Still to come the only problem we had on the trip......

 

[poohnpigletCA]

We got all checked in at the Wilderness Lodge. It is a beautiful Hotel and I am glad we picked it for our first trip. Not only was our room ready the friendly CM let us know that we had been upgraded to a view room.

The views from our room were gorgeous. The room was near an elevator but still nice and quite.

However, this was our balcony. During all of my (somewhat obsessive) trip planning I had visions of sitting on our balcony sipping coffee. I would look at the nice balconies across the courtyard and I had balcony envy.

I called down to bell services to check on our luggage and also our grocery delivery. The only grumpy CM we encountered on the trip answered the phone and informed me that luggage transfers from resorts "ONLY take place between the hours of 2:00-4:00, and it is not even 2:00 yet!"

If anyone had told us about the transfer times I would have kept the swimsuits with us. So now we are in our room with a perfect view of the pool and no swim suits. We decided our best option was to head to Downtown Disney. We were going with the "out of site out of mind" theory.

We had 5:00 ADR's at Whispering Canyon so after exploring Downtown Disney we decided to head back to our room to get freshened up for dinner. Bell services said that they would put our luggage in our room once it was transferred.

We got back to our room at about 4:20 and there was no luggage. I quickly called Bell Services and they said they would "look around" and get back to me. At this point the panic began to sink in. Of course Auntie had made special dresses for them to wear to Whispering Canyon and our ADR was quickly approaching.

Luckily our luggage did arrive and the nice bellman let us know that the time it took for the transfer was the exact time it took for them to drive from POFQ so he thinks they just forgot our luggage. No harm no foul. We had the luggage so after a quick change we headed down to Whispering Canyon.

I was worried that this restaurant would be too loud and rambunctious for Olivia. Once she understood what all of the yelling and shouting was about she did really good. Then the pulled out the horses.

Olivia loved galloping around the restaurant.

Sierra also had a great time.

Having a nice relaxing day at the Hotel and doing Whispering Canyon for dinner worked out great! I am not sure if I would do Whispering Canyon if I was not staying on site. For sure we would not do WC if we were paying out of pocket. We LOVED the Disney Dinning plan ~yes it was free but I would do it again even if we had to pay for it. This dinning experience was a perfect example it was worth one dinning credit each. It was not worth the $130. it would have been if we were paying out of pocket.

Since we now had our luggage we decided to go swimming before bed. The girls really enjoyed the size of the pool and slide. We got Olivia a life vest and was able to keep it in our room for the entire trip. Once we got back to the room we all showered and got ready for bed. The girls quickly fell asleep.

At about 9:30 we heard some noise outside so hubby and I headed out to the balcony.

Just above this building we could see the fireworks! This is were I lost my balcony envy. I was in my jammies but because we had the solid balcony wall I went outside and enjoyed the fireworks.

Coming up next Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
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[fairygoodmother]

balcony envy -- hahahahaha! but how nice to be able to view the fireworks in your jammies!

Good start to your TR! It's about time. I'm so anxious to see the girls in all of their lovely outfits. They are such lucky little people, aren't they??

Bring it on...more please.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

You know Fairygoodmother I could just bring the pictures over to your house. I think you are the only one reading.

We have come to our first day in the Magic Kingdom.
We got there at rope drop. After a ride on Peter Pan we headed over to the carousel.

I turned around and saw them holding hands and it just melted my heart.

We were heading over to The jungle Cruise and look who we bumped into by the castle.........

First character we saw on the trip and it was the Fairygodmother.

We made it over to The Jungle Cruise.

Pirate of the Caribbean was closed but we found some pirates. We got the girls shirts st Disneyland they say "The beatings will continue until morale improves". When we did get to ride Pirates Olivia wanted to know where the rest of it went?

By Pirates they have a captain Jack Sparrow area. He was not there so the girls put themselves into a "pirate pose."

Here they are again in their pirate pose.

We ate lunch at Pecos Bill and rode a few more rides. Olivia fell in love with Splash Mountain. We rode it twice then headed back to the Wilderness Lodge. I wanted to get the girls out of the heat and rest a bit. We had dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table followed by Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.

 

[Disneylvr]

Count me in, I am reading! I love your daughter's adorable outfits!!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

You know Fairygoodmother I could just bring the pictures over to your house. I think you are the only one reading.

You're not alone! I'm here too and am dying to see what the Fairygoodmother came up with! I'm also dying to hear what you thought of the World compared to the Land!

 

[fairygoodmother]

You saw Fairy Godmother FIRST? You didn't tell me that!! It's an omen...I just know it.
I absolutely love the pic of Kevin holding Olivia's hand. So sweet -- he's such a great Daddy, isn't he?
Their skirts look cute -- but why is neither of the girls standing in First Position? Miss Kate would be so disappointed!

 

[mom2rtk]

You saw Fairy Godmother FIRST? You didn't tell me that!! It's an omen...I just know it.
I absolutely love the pic of Kevin holding Olivia's hand. So sweet -- he's such a great Daddy, isn't he?
Their skirts look cute -- but why is neither of the girls standing in First Position? Miss Kate would be so disappointed!

That does indeed sound like a good omen!

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Hi, okay since we have a few readers I will continue. Oh and yes Mom2rtk I do have some thoughts on the land vs the world.

So we had gone back to the Hotel and rested and now we are heading back into the park to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table.

We were heading over to ride Peter Pan when who did we happen to see??/

As soon as he saw Olivia he pretended like he had a crush on her.

He then sat down in front of Sierra and said "Belle you like books tell me a story."

After having fun with the girls and signing their autograph books Peter Pan did then pose for a picture.

It was now our ADR for CRT! First they had their picture with Cinderella!

Then they were given stickers that said they were Princess of the day, or something like that. They got to lead everyone up the stairs. I am not sure how that differs from just walki8ng up the stairs but hey they had a great time. We were taken to a table by the window. Wow we loved this experience!

I had read many a trip report in preparation for the trip. Some people love CRT and others are not big fans. We loved it and would return on any future trips. We were there for dinner so the Fairy Godmother and mice do a show.

Is this Suzy mouse?

Or is this Suzy mouse?

Fairy Godmother was hilarious! Kevin thought he would not like the food and he ended up having a steak that he said was excellent. This experience was well worth the 2 table service credits!

Up next MNSSHP..

 

[mom2rtk]

Is this Suzy mouse?


Or is this Suzy mouse?

We used to have trouble telling the mice apart. But Perla herself filled me in on the trick. Purple starts with P, and so does Perla. So Suzy is in blue, and Perla is in purple.

I"m glad you got to do the Fairy Godmother dinner. It's just fitting, don't you think? In a couple of weeks, the dinner will start having princesses instead of the Fairy Godmother and the mice. It's too bad. I really enjoyed both experiences.

We are HUGE CRT fans here, not surprisingly. There is much that I prefer about the land, but the incredible dining opportunities, including CRT, keep me going back to the World (well.... not to mention the cheaper air fare and free dining!!! )

I hope they keep that Fairy Godmother. I would hate to see her lose her special place at Disney. We did the dinner before MNSSHP this trip too and she remembered us from a year and a half earlier... of course we DO tend to be rather "conspicuous".......

Is it just me, or did that Fairy Godmother remind you of Paula Deen??????

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Yes Fairygodmother did remind me of Paula Dean!

DisneyWorld and Disneyland are very hard comparisons. I think it basically comes down to World has much more to offer, but you will spend much more time navigating.
Disneyland is much easier to navigate especially if you have young children. You can go to the park in the more walk back to your hotel for a nap and then walk to DCA for a character meal.

MNSSHP next. oh and we have been to the Disneyland version twice so there will be comparisons.

 

[Tanzanite]

Hi, okay since we have a few readers I will continue. Oh and yes Mom2rtk I do have some thoughts on the land vs the world.

So we had gone back to the Hotel and rested and now we are heading back into the park to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table.

We were heading over to ride Peter Pan when who did we happen to see??/

As soon as he saw Olivia he pretended like he had a crush on her.

He then sat down in front of Sierra and said "Belle you like books tell me a story."

After having fun with the girls and signing their autograph books Peter Pan did then pose for a picture.

It was now our ADR for CRT! First they had their picture with Cinderella!

Then they were given stickers that said they were Princess of the day, or something like that. They got to lead everyone up the stairs. I am not sure how that differs from just walki8ng up the stairs but hey they had a great time. We were taken to a table by the window. Wow we loved this experience!

I had read many a trip report in preparation for the trip. Some people love CRT and others are not big fans. We loved it and would return on any future trips. We were there for dinner so the Fairy Godmother and mice do a show.

Is this Suzy mouse?

Or is this Suzy mouse?

Fairy Godmother was hilarious! Kevin thought he would not like the food and he ended up having a steak that he said was excellent. This experience was well worth the 2 table service credits!

Up next MNSSHP..

Hi loving your report love outfits glad you had a great trip keep it coming more please

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Mickey's Not so Scarry Halloween Party!

This was an event that we were looking forward to. We have attended for the last 2 years in Disneyland and were excited to see this party at Disneyworld.

So at this point lets talk about the California version:

Mickey's Trick or Treat Party

The very first thing that you need to know about the California version is that it is not held in Disneyland. It is held across the plaza in Disney's California Adventure (DCA) or as the locals call it the AP lounge. There are a few notable rides in DCA Soarin over California, Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania. The rest of the park quite simply is just not Disneyland. There are vast expanses of concrete and not very much charm. The park is currently undergoing a major overhaul.

Lets start with the good shall we? DCA seemed to have more ambiance characters than MNSSHP. I am not talking about recognizable Disney characters theese were more like party helpers.

From 2007 Olivia dancing with one of the characters from the dance party.

From 2008 you can see the same lady in orange in the background.

They have their employee badges on so you know that they are not just other guests.

They also differed but what area of the park you were in. I thought they added to the general festivities. And since they were dipped in Disney magic they were beyond friendly with the girls.

Scarecrows behind the fence that talk to you as you walk by.

One of the Toy Story green army men was talking to everyone that was in line waiting to see Woody.

The other thing that DCA excelled at was the lighting. The entire park is dimmed and there are spiderwebs and other lighting effects throughout the park. This overall look is better achieved in DCA then in Disney world because of the vast expanses of concrete without all of the pesky trees and landscaping to get in the way.

Well now that we have covered the good let us move on to the bad and the ugly.

It is hard to see but you are looking at the bottom portion of the map with the 3 stars in front of it. It reads " Mickey's trick or treat on the street cavalcade Party zone."

Did you get that "Cavalcade on the street." At least they had the good sense to not call it a parade that would be way to grand of a word. There is absolutely positively no comparison between the parade in Disneyworld and the "Cavalcade on the street" in DCA.

Also because Disneyland and DCA are in the middle of housing there are stricter regulations as to were and when fireworks can be done. So needless to say there are no fireworks with Mickey's Trick or Treat party. However in 2009 they did Halloween fireworks in front of the castle in Disneyland so it was included with a regular park ticket.

All right enough with Disneyland let's head back to Disneyworld shall we?

We had just eaten dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table and now had gotten our bracelets for MNSSHP.

First we went and saw the Princesses and fairies. I like that they are all inside out of the heat.

Tink asking Olivia who had shrunk her parasol down to her size. She replied "Auntie." Well sure she sews things she might be shrinking parasols too.

The girls posed themselves with Buzz.

Then the friendly CM put them into position.

Scary!

The girls immediately dropped into a curtsy when they saw the Queen of hearts.

Then she happily took a picture with them.

The villain show was great and the fireworks were wonderful but I can not say enough about the parade. From the headless horseman all the way through that parade delivers. We had out the video camera so I have no pictures. That song does get stuck in your head though.

Overall a wonderful night!

 

[fairygoodmother]

- I'm sure that if I tried really hard I could shrink a parasol!

- Is that the same Belle dress? I can't believe she's gotten two trips, two years apart, out of it!

- so overall, did you say which you prefer? DL or DW for Halloween?

- what's next? Animal Kingdom? Hollywood Studios? More, please!

 

[mom2rtk]

How cool to get the low down on DL vs. DW for Halloween. We live right smack dab in between the 2, so I really thought about going west for our Halloween trip last year. After all, they don't have all that trip-spoiling humididty in CA, right????

But alas, I really wanted to see that dang headless horseman and see that parade everyone kept talking about. Then when I heard about Snow White and her 7 dwarfs... well... I knew we had to brave the potential heat (and HOT it was!).

Cool to see the ambience character cm's. They really didn't have anything like that in the world.

What did the girls think of dining in the castle after all their previous trips to the smaller castle out west?

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Honestly not sure if I prefer DL or DW for the Halloween party. Obviously DW has more but the ticketts to DW cost about twice as the DL tickets.

Yes Darla she is wearing the same gown in 2007 and 2009. You did make her the exact same gown in 2008 for Papa's wedding but we gave that one to her cousin because she never had a homemade costume.

Up next is Animal Kingdom........

 

[fairygoodmother]

waiting......