Magic Kingdom Day! (March trip report pt. 6)

I think I've decided that the only think I really don't like about Disney's moderate resorts are the buses.  It seems like a person must either have an uncanny ability to be at the bus stop at exactly the right time, or you have to wait for quite a while.  Needless to say, on our Magic Kingdom morning, we were up and at the bus stop really early, and still had to wait too long.  We missed the rope drop ceremony, which is one of my absolute favorite ways to start the day, but we still got there early enough to be through the gates and in the park shortly after opening.  There was a lot of work being done on Main Street, so several buildings had the tarps made to look like buildings.  I'm glad Disney tries to keep it magical, but I have to say, it's just not that pretty.
After getting our picture taken in front of the castle, we headed for Fantasyland to torture my mom by making her ride "It's a Small World."  I warned her that since it was Ari's first trip, she had to ride it, but I think she was secretly hoping I would forget.  I didn't!!  Up next, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  The boys had a great time in the queue, with Ari banging on the drums and Payton testing his strength against the gophers.  Of course, every parent's nightmare, the honey wall, was touched frequently.

If you haven't seen this thing, it is a neat idea in theory, but a germ infested mess in reality.  Disney created these "walls" with digital honey running down them.  If you wipe across them vigorously, you can uncover Winnie the Pooh characters.  So everyone is wiping their hands on them...yuck.  Thankfully, the line started moving fast once we reached this point, so the boys didn't get to do as much wiping as I'm sure they would have liked.  (Mom didn't care for this ride either, but if you are wondering how I got her on it, read the above about It's a Small World...no choice Grams, suck it up!)  I also got a chance to get a few pics of New Fantasyland over the construction walls!
My favorite attractions in Fantasyland were next, Mickey's Philharmagic and Peter Pan.  I firmly believe that Mickey's Philharmagic is one of the best additions to Disney World in a long time.  The 3-D film is amazing, the extra special effects make it magical, and you get to hear some of the best in Disney movie music.  What more could you ask for?!  We had picked up fast passes for Peter Pan before riding on It's a Small World, so we were able to use those now and take a flight over London and Neverland.  I will never get too old for this ride!
We decided to move on out of Fantasyland, so Ari and Grams headed to the Haunted Mansion while Payton and I picked up Jungle Cruise fast passes and did a little shopping.  Payton isn't a fan of the Haunted Mansion and no matter how much I would like for him to love it, I just can't convince him.  Oh well, maybe he'll come to appreciate it when he's older.  We did find some great pins and Payton got a Star Wars pin set.  We met up with mom and Ari and headed to Crystal Palace for our lunch date with the Winnie the Pooh characters.  Lunch was delicious and we had so much fun watching Ari meeting some of his favorite characters.
After lunch, we moved over to Adventureland to try and use our fast passes.  The crazy thing was, the fast pass line was just as long as the regular line, so we opted to skip it and moved on over to Pirates of the Caribbean.  I guess I'm spoiled because I'm used to basically walking on this ride with no more than a 5-10 minute wait, max.  Needless to say, we were in line outside the building for that long, then slowly moved through the building.  It was nice to see some of the details, but it was hard waiting so long.  After Pirates, we made our way over to Frontierland in hopes of a ride on Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain.  Big Thunder was down and Splash had a horrible line, so we opted to catch the train and take a ride around to the front of the park, then back to the resort for a rest and some swimming.

 We decided to try dinner at the Pepper Market at the resort, and it was wonderful!  It was nice to have so many options, and we had a great server who tried his best to help mom, who was losing her voice.  He kept bringing her tea and honey.


We arrived back at the Magic Kingdom just in time to get a great spot for The Magic, The Memories & You castle show, followed by Wishes fireworks.  It makes me teary every time!  We decided to take advantage of being in the Magic Kingdom after dark by spending time in Tomorrowland, which I think is much cooler at night!  We picked up fast passes for Space Mountain, then enjoyed Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress and Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club.

Gotta love that intensity!!

The boys decided to get their own car for Space Ranger Spin, so mom & I battled for the high score (I got it!).  I was so proud when both boys began singing along to "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" during our ride on Carousel.  We all laughed like crazy at the Laugh Floor.  Then it was on to Space Mountain.  Mom was nervous about riding, and I wasn't too excited myself (I've had some bad experiences on this ride, I'll tell you about it some other time).  But we soldiered on so that the boys could ride it.  Ari got the front car, followed by Payton, myself and mom.  Mom kept asking if Ari was in tight enough.  He kept saying, "I'm fine, Grams!"  Needless to say, the cast member sensed mom's anxiety and triple checked him just to make sure.  Then it was launch time.  Ari was seriously excited!  I could hear him whooping and giggling and counting down.  The ride was a lot like I remembered, and made me a little queasy with a bit of a headache.  Mom wasn't feeling too great after either.  I don't know if it's just the ride that does it though, because I always start feeling yucky as I go through the building to get to the ride.  Might be the air in there combined with the lighting that starts my downward spiral.  Who knows?  But the boys loved it and that's all that mattered.  I can say this, next trip, Payton can ride it with his dad, and I will do some shopping or eat some popcorn and wait for them outside!!
We decided to wrap up our ride experience of the night with a spin on the People Mover.  It was nice and cool and we were able to relax and just enjoy the views around Tomorrowland and of the castle.  After the People Mover, we headed back to Main Street, stopping for a photopass pic in front of the castle.  I made everyone walk nice and slow and take it all in.  The crowd had thinned out significantly, so we just enjoyed our stroll and looking in the various windows.
We were even there for the Kiss Goodnight!  (If you aren't sure what that is, check out this link:  Kiss Goodnight.

After a very magical night, we made our way back to the bus, and both boys managed to doze a little on the ride back to the resort.  Unfortunately, they are way too big to carry, so they both had to wake up just enough to get to the room and roll into bed.

So what do you think so far?  Do you enjoy the parks more in the morning or at night?  Please leave comments for me and stay tuned, coming up next is our full day at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Wordless Wednesday 2/22

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!

 Since I missed a Wordless Wednesday for Valentine's week, I figured it was time to share a little Disney Romance thanks to Snow White & her handsome Prince!

Birthday Bucket List - Disney Style

Well, yesterday was my birthday, another year has passed and I'm another year closer to 40.  Thought about posting this yesterday, but hey, it was my birthday!  So instead I enjoyed some chocolate covered cashews and a good book.  Anyway, having a birthday so close to the New Year is really great, because it gives me an opportunity to really look at setting goals for myself, both for the New Year and for life in general.  I'm continuing with my goal of making changes in my life that will help me be healthier and happier.  I also started toying with the idea of a bucket list. 

Now I've primarily heard of the bucket list idea as being all the things you want to do before you die.  Well I'm sorry, but that seems a bit morbid to me.  I don't even like putting that vibe out into the world that I have to hurry up and do some things before I die.  So I look at a bucket list as more of an ultimate wish list.  A wish list that I plan on doing as much as I can to make into an accomplishment list.  Check those babies off!

So I thought I would share with all of you my Birthday Bucket List as it relates to Disney (which works out great since a large portion of my bucket list has to do with Disney anyway...go figure!)  Here we go!

1.  Visit Disneyland (& Disney's California Adventure):  As a true Disney geek, I feel a great pull to go west, to walk where Walt walked, and to see his park.  I've heard so many people say, "oh you won't like it as much as Disney World," or "You'll be underwhelmed, it's not very big you know."  Well, that might be the case for the average visitor, but I guarantee you, it will take all the strength this Disney girl has to not shed tears while looking at Sleeping Beauty castle or Walt's apartment above the fire house. 

                On top of that, there is so much excitement going on at Disneyland these days.  I've heard AMAZING things about World of Color, the newest night-time spectacular.  And DCA is getting Cars-Land!  Woo hoo!  I'm hoping to check this bucket list item off sooner rather than later.

2.  Take a Disney Alaskan Cruise:  I've already marked a Disney cruise off my bucket list, so now it's time to get specific.  Although I have to admit that so far, I prefer my adventures on land rather than sea, this cruise intrigues me.  The photos I've seen are incredible, and it would give me a chance to explore areas of the United States that I would never thought I could visit.  I think it would be a great adventure for my family.

3.  Visit Marceline, Missouri:  This should be an easy one to cross off!  Missouri is right next door to Illinois, and Marceline is about 6 hours from my house.  That's less than half the time it takes to drive to Disney World.  This quaint little town that served as Walt's home for four years and later as one of his models for Main Street USA has so much charm and history that I feel like it's a must do for a true Disney fan.

4.  Take a behind the scenes tour:  This is something I've wanted to do for so long!  Get up close and personal with the magic that goes on in the Walt Disney World parks.  See the backstage areas, walk through the utilidoors under the Magic Kingdom, ride on a segway through World Showcase, I'm game for almost any of them (except the diving...that is NOT going to happen!).  There are so many amazing people who make the magic happen for my family and everyone who visits the parks every day, and I would love to see those folks in action.  I don't think it would take away the magic for me, just help me to appreciate all the little things I miss because I'm so caught up in the Disney fun.

5.  Spend some quality time in a spa:  So this is one that I know I can do at other places and when I'm not on vacation, but I would just love to have some serious pampering at one of the world class spas at Walt Disney World.  Or maybe on a Disney Cruise ship...either would work for me!

6.  Run a half marathon at Walt Disney World...or two...or three:  One of my general bucket list items is to run a half-marathon.  Just a few short years ago, I never in my wildest dreams would have set this as a goal for myself.  Now that I'm into running, I know I'm going to do it.  I want to have this accomplishment under my belt.  And if I'm going to do it, why not do it at Disney?  The Princess Half Marathon, the Food & Wine Half Marathon, the half at the Walt Disney World marathon weekend, any of those would make me happy.  Now while it isn't a half, I also really want to do the Everest Challenge 5K, obstacle course & scavenger hunt too, as well as the Tower of Terror 10 mile run that was just added to the line-up.  I am ready for some serious Disney Running bling!!

7.  Take an Adventures by Disney Vacation:  While vacations in exotic and amazing locations around the world can be done through any travel agency or even planned on your own, there's something to be said for a vacation having the Disney touch.  You know what I mean if you've been spoiled to the way Disney treats you on vacation, then tried to vacation somewhere else.  Other theme parks really aren't all that "themed" and the service doesn't always feel as warm or professional.  I can only imagine how this plays out when Disney is in charge of taking your family on excursions in Europe, Central & South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, or various places in North America.  I've been to England & Scotland in the past, and I would love to take my family to Europe someday.  I've also got to get to Australia, so I'm so glad that they've started this itinerary.  I just hope it's still around when I can afford to go!!

8.  Buy in to Disney Vacation Club:  There's just something about the idea of owning a piece of Disney, and really being able to feel at home when cast members welcome you "home" that appeals to me.  I just want it.  I want it so that I can visit as much as my points will allow.  I want it so that I have a real reason to be an annual pass holder (something else on the list!).  What can I say?  I just want it! 

9.  50th Anniversary Celebration:  Just this past year, the Magic Kingdom celebrated its 40th Anniversary.  That anniversary is really the anniversary of the entire Walt Disney World resort, because it started with the Magic Kingdom.  I want to BE THERE when we celebrate the 50th!  I really hope that Disney is planning something big for that year!

10.  Vow renewal ceremony:  Kendall doesn't know this yet (guess he will when he reads this!), but I'm hoping that someday, we can do a vow renewal ceremony at Walt Disney World.  If you haven't read this somewhere on the blog before, Kendall and I accompanied a friend to Florida to be in a wedding.  While we were there, I insisted that all of us visit Walt Disney World.  It was at Walt Disney World that we started spending more time together, talking more, and he asked me out on our first date.  After we were married, we spent our honeymoon at Walt Disney World.  And of course since then, we've visited Walt Disney World A LOT.  If I had a "do-over," even though I loved our wedding, it would be to actually have gotten married at Walt Disney World.  So I guess I'm secretly hoping that one day, maybe on a special anniversary, we can mark the celebration with a vow renewal at one of our favorite places on Earth!

Well, even though there are definitely more Disney bucket list items, I'm going to stop at 10.  I managed to squeeze an extra or two into the 10 listed above, so they count!

Have you made a bucket list?  What's tops on your list?  Any Disney related items?  Please share in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!

Oh, and I'll definitely keep you posted as I cross items off my list!!

Wordless Wednesday 10/19

I love, love, LOVE fall in the Magic Kingdom!

Downtown Disney & The Magic Kingdom: Trip Report pt 6

When Saturday rolled around, we decided it was time to slow things down a little bit and enjoy some time at Downtown Disney and our resort before heading to the Magic Kingdom.  So after sleeping in a bit, we decided that the best way to get the day started was with a swim in the pool!  We headed down after a quick bite of breakfast and enjoyed a nearly empty pool.  The water was nice and warm.  What was really fun was that we were actually in the pool when the lifeguards came to open the slide!  Payton and Kendall both took turns on the slide while I just enjoyed the water.  After a few hours in the pool, I headed up to the room to get ready and the boys followed a bit later.

 Once we were cleaned up, we made our way over to Downtown Disney.  Oddly enough, it's my son who's addicted to this place because he loves to shop!  He was asking right away to visit Once Upon a Toy and the World of Disney store.  I, on the other hand, had only one thing in mind...Babycakes!

We started our morning at the Marketplace side bus stop.  Since it was time for lunch, we stopped at our new favorite DTD eatery, the Earl of Sandwich.  No matter what time of day, this place always has a line, but I have to say, they are extremely efficient and before you know it, you have your food in hand and the hunt for a table begins.  We were able to sit outside in the shade and enjoy some amazing sandwiches.

Now Once Upon a Toy was within visual range while we ate, so that was our next natural stop.  Poor Payton, every time we go there he finds stuff to spend his money on, and every time, we tell him to wait because we will come back by on the way to the bus.  Up next, Team Mickey!  This is Kendall's favorite DTD store, with all the various ESPN and sports related items.  He found a great buy on two ESPN t-shirts, and somehow, my son came home with a San Diego Chargers mini football helmet!  I'm still not sure how that happened!  After the boys made their purchases, we headed on to the World of Disney store.  I love looking around in World of Disney because there is just so much to look at!  Any possible item with a Disney tie-in can be found in this massive store.  There were so many T-shirts that I wanted to buy, and office items, and purses, and I could go on and on...but needless to say, I walked away empty handed.

A quick walk past the Lego store and we had finally arrived at the Pollo Campero/Fresh-A-Peel/Babycakes complex.  I am so looking forward to eating a full meal here in the future.  All of their offerings looked amazing!  We made a beeline for the Babycakes counter and each chose a cupcake to try.  Kendall picked up a banana cupcake, Payton got a chocolate cupcake with mint icing, and I picked out a lemon cupcake.  These were the best things I think I've ever eaten at Disney...and the only things we ate so fast that I couldn't get a picture of them!  If you don't know much about Babycakes, please check out their website at http://www.babycakesnyc.com.  It's hard to imagine that such amazing cupcakes (and everything else in their bakery cabinets) could be gluten free, refined sugar free, wheat free, vegan, etc.  But they are!  It got to taste Payton's but Kendall wouldn't let me near his!!  So next time you are in Downtown Disney, be sure to follow your sweet tooth to Babycakes.  It's totally worth it!

After our sweet treats, we made our way back across Marketplace and back to Once Upon a Toy so that Payton could pick up his souvenirs.  He built another light saber this trip and got a really neat Star Tours 2 poster as a gift.  Then it was back to the bus and back to AKL to rest up a bit for our evening.

The Magic Kingdom was on our agenda for the evening, so we headed over around five-ish, and our first stop was to meet Mickey Mouse at his new location in the Main Street Theater.  I have to say, I LOVE this meet & greet location, far better than Toon Town.  The theming is very well done, and carries over into the exit store.  I hope this one stays for a long time!

Up next, Carousel of Progress.  It had been many years since I had been on this ride, and my son had never been, so it was important to me to share this original attraction with him.  Needless to say, it brought back many memories and created a few new ones (as Payton's new favorite song to sing to me is "there's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow...").  Next it was time for me to smoke the boys on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin...325,700 points!!!

Because we've been to Disney so many times now, we really tried to do some new things this trip, things we've just not taken the time for in the past.  So we made a bee line toward Liberty Square in hopes of going over to Tom Sawyer Island.  Unfortunately for us, they were shutting it down.  Something to look forward to on our next trip!  Backup plan was Big Thunder Mountain, but it was having some technical difficulties and they weren't sure when it would reopen.  So, since we didn't want to ride Splash Mountain, we decided to take this time and have a bite to eat, and headed on to Columbia Harbour House.  We absolutely love this quick service restaurant!  My guys like seafood, and their chicken is pretty good too, so it works out for all of us.  Plus they have a wonderful seating area upstairs that is generally not very crowded and gives nice views of the park.

After dinner, it was time to head to Fantasyland, since Payton couldn't be convinced to do the Haunted Mansion.  Although we ride all of these rides nearly every trip, I really wanted to see the new queue line at Winnie the Pooh.  A lot of work has been done here to make it more enjoyable for guests.  Unfortunately, that work was really targeted toward the under 5 guests, and we were pretty bored with it quickly.  Also, the noise level was raised significantly in the honey bee section.  The walls of honey were a neat addition (lcd screens that appear to have honey dripping down, and when rubbed, sometimes you find hidden characters) but after exploring them a bit, you suddenly become aware of all the germy, nasty hands that have been rubbing on it before you.  Eww...  Of course, the ride itself is still one of my favorites, but we'll just stick with fast pass next time!

Another attraction that has become a family favorite is Mickey's Philharmagic, so naturally we had to take in a show!  If you've never visited this attraction before, prepare to be amazed.  This has to be the best example of what 4D should be.  You will experience flawless 3D animation along with amazing sounds and smells that leave you feeling like you are a part of the show.  It is well worth the time to see Mickey's Philharmagic!
 

Following the show, we decided to head toward the front of the castle to take in "The Magic, The Memories and You", as well as Wishes.  We found a nice little nook near Cosmic Rays and the boys found a seat while I went to pick up popcorn and sodas.  Once the MM&Y show started, we realized quickly that it wasn't the best viewing location and decided to catch the second showing.  It was nice though to just sit and enjoy our snack!  We watched a little bit of Wishes from that spot, then moved around to the Rose Garden area.  Of course, once Wishes was over, we were caught in the mass exodus across the bridge.  At that point, we just held on to each other and took baby steps as the crowd would allow.  Once we reached the hub, we moved over toward the Adventureland bridge and set up camp there.  We had a fantastic spot to watch the second MM&Y show near the bridge and across from Crystal Palace.  My goal was to move up the the Liberty Square bridge for the second Main Street Electrical Parade, then back into Adventureland following the parade and ride a couple of rides while the remaining masses left the park.  Amazingly enough, that plan worked!  So many people leave the park after Wishes, so if you are able to stay up a little later, I would highly recommend waiting for the second parade and enjoying the park with far fewer people in it!

I have to say, "The Magic, The Memories, & You" is a phenomenal show!  The technology combined with the music and photos of actual families visiting the park makes for a beautiful and emotional experience.  Videos don't do it justice, and mine was not that good anyway, but I've found one to share with you from WDWRadio!

Now the last time I had seen the Main Street Electrical Parade was when I had visited the Magic Kingdom at age 12.  I was so excited to see it again and share it with my guys!  SpectroMagic is amazing, but this parade holds a special place in my heart.  Especially Elliot the Dragon!  We were in such a great spot.  Still in the hub where we had the castle in the background, but right near the bridge with a very close view of the floats.

As soon as the parade was over, we made our way back to the Adventureland bridge as planned and were able to ride Aladdin's Magic Carpets and The Jungle Cruise.  Our cruise into the jungle was just a tiny bit too long and we didn't make it to Pirates of the Caribbean before closing.  So we headed back toward the buses and back to Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Gotta get some rest, another big day of Star Wars Weekend tomorrow!

 Next post, our final day of Star Wars Weekend and the trip home.  Hope you've enjoyed the journey with us thus far.  Please post any comments or questions.  I love hearing from you!