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!

Still Learning After All These Trips

If you've stuck it out with me over the summer, you've read an in-depth trip report from our Disney Dream Cruise and Star Wars Weekend vacation.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read the report.  It is my sincere hope that it entertained you and possibly even gave you some good ideas for your own future vacation.

That being said, I think it's time to wrap it up.  As I did with the cruise portion of the trip, I want to share some things that I learned from our time at Walt Disney World.

1.  Taking it slow really is the way to go!
Now I know that many might argue this one with me, but I have to say, even with the madness that was Star Wars Weekend, this had to be one of the most relaxing vacations in Walt Disney World that we have ever had.  Granted, we've visited many times, and we plan to visit many more.  So we didn't really feel the urgency to rush around and "see everything" as so many travelers do.  If you are able to visit WDW this way, then please take the time to do it.  Figure out one or two "must do" things in each park, then take your time.  Meander a little.  Enjoy the view, the atmosphere, the people around you.  Enjoy each moment.  Savor your lunch rather than snarfing it down and running to the next thing.  You'll be surprised how relaxing WDW can actually be.

2.  The Force was with us.
When we decided to go to Star Wars Weekend, I was excited but I was very nervous.  I knew that the crowds would be bad.  I knew it would be hot.  But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would be so much fun!  If you are a Star Wars fan or have a Star Wars fan in your house, you need to do this at least once.  And though the crowds were pretty intense at times, and yes, we did encounter a few fans who probably needed a tranquilizer dart to the backside, overall everyone was having a great time and the energy was awesome!  We met some really cool people in lines waiting to meet characters.  And it was so much fun having the interactions with the Star Wars characters!  They really got into it.  And honestly, it didn't get stressful.  We utilized the divide and conquer strategy, enjoyed some relaxing meals, and made the best of a torrential downpour.  If we are able, we will definitely do it again.  And this time we will go to more of the shows!

3.  We love the dining plan!
So I know that there is much controversy out there right now about whether or not Disney's dining plans are worth the money.  I've heard many a person say that they could eat much cheaper than that or that the plan should go back to including appetizers and tips.  What I can tell you is this:  because we didn't have the dining plan this year, we might have saved a little bit of money, but the stress was not worth it.  We agonized over absolutely every dining decision.  When we finally got to to to Le Cellier, we ate burgers.  Not steak, burgers.  Now I love my burger, don't get me wrong, but it's a steakhouse.  I wanted steak.  But I couldn't bring myself to pay that much in cash, knowing that it was our first day at Disney and not knowing what we might need to spend that money on later.  We nickled and dimed ourselves to death on the food.  When we finally broke down near the end of the trip and went to Boma because we love it, I nearly cried after we payed for it.  For our family, having the assurance that our food is paid for before the vacation, and that with a very few exceptions, I can order absolutely whatever I want without concern of the cost, is worth it to me.  So bring on the dining plan for our next vacation.  I'm tired of worrying about food!

4.  Take time to swim.

Now for many, this might sound sacrilegious.  You are at Walt Disney World, you have four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, and a partridge in a pear tree.  Why on earth would you hang around at your resort?  Because it's magical, that's why!  If you stay on property especially, your resort can be just as magical sometimes as visiting a park (or at least as magical as Downtown Disney).  We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Animal Kingdom Lodge this year, and spent far more time in the pool than we have on previous trips.  In fact, one night while we were in the pool, the staff brought out an inflatable movie screen to show "The Aristocats."  Now yes, we did stay at a deluxe resort, but honestly, every Disney resort has some fun and relaxing options for you.  Swimming pools with amazing themes, arcades, gift shops, activities for kids and adults, and the amazing atmosphere that Disney is known for.  And guess what's great...everyone else is at the parks!  Resort time during the daytime is quiet and relaxing.  And so worth it.

(borrowed from flickr & edited)

 5.  Revisit the classics.
I think probably one of my favorite things we did this trip is take Payton on some of the "classic" Walt Disney attractions.  When you visit WDW often, sometimes you tend to gravitate toward what's new.  But it was truly a joy to get back on The Jungle Cruise again (esp. at park closing, it was kinda creepy!) and to sit and enjoy the Carousel of Progress.  We cannot predict what Disney will keep long term and what they will decide to change, so be sure to take in some of the true Disney classics.  I can't wait to get back and see the original Enchanted Tiki Room now that it's been restored to it's truest form!

There are so many other things I could say, but many would be a recap from the trip reports so I'll just close with this:  no matter what your plans are when you visit Walt Disney World, don't let them get in the way of the magic.  Take a breath.  Hug your kids.  Hold hands with the one you love.  And let Walt's dream soak in through your skin.  Play, have fun, and keep the magic alive.

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!