Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Day Four: Epcot
Thursday April 5, 2007:
We started our day at rope drop in Future World and followed the crowd directly to Soarin'. Though there were a lot of people in line it moved right along so we were able to board without much of a wait. I was a little bit nervous about this ride not really sure how much motion to expect or how high we would lift into the air after reading conflicting info online. I'm the one who gets nauseaous if someone rocks the gondola while the ferris wheel is loading and unloading! We were lucky enough to be loaded into the front row and, after a few deep breaths to calm myself as we lifted off, I really enjoyed the view! The little bit of motion was nothing to worry about and I really have no idea how far off the floor we were. I loved this ride and wouldn't hesitate to go on it again! We exited Soarin' and the Land Pavillion and headed across the park for Mission:SPACE FastPasses. While waiting for our return time we went to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Somewhere in the back-and-forth we stopped to taste the beverages at Club Cool. I actually liked Beverly, hated the carbonated apple juice, and wouldn't even try the watermelon beverage! We were near the character connection but Kacie wasn't interested in waiting in line for autographs so we skipped it. By now enough time had elapsed that we were able to get our Test Track FastPasses before entering Mission:SPACE.
Tom chose the orange line for the "more intense" Mission:SPACE ride while Kacie and I chose the green line which I referred to as the "no barf zone". This is where I want to say "THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK AND KEEP YOUR PHOBIAS TO YOURSELF!!!" We had a mother and her about 10 yr old son in line behind us. While making small talk the mother decided to mention that the reason they now offer two lines is because someone died after riding this ride. Hello!!! Maybe you don't care if you frighten my 15 yr old but what about your own kid! I wasn't looking at Kacie but that boys eyes got as big as saucers! I quickly reminded everyone within earshot that the person who died had a heart condition and healthy people had nothing to fear then I turned around and ended the chitchat with that woman. So then we get inside and get shunted into the loading lines. While we are doing this another woman starts questioning a cast member about how much motion and jarring there will be. The cast member says that the green ride doesn't have as much motion but goes on the caution that we will be confined in a small space and, if we have a problem with enclosed spaces, we might want to rethink the ride. Kacie started looking a little nervous but I reassured her that she had never had a problem with claustrophobia and, if she enjoyed Expedition Everest, I really didn't think this ride would be a problem. But the woman started babbling about how she was afraid of dark spaces and maybe she shouldn't ride and blah, blah, blah until she went to one loading dock and we went to another. At this point Kacie turned to me and told me she was NOT going on this ride. I told her I wasn't going to make her ride if she really didn't want to and to go find a cast member who would show her to the exit and wait for me there. Well, she grabbed my arm in a panic and made me exit with her. After she calmed down she told me she would wait for me and I could go ride but I had already turned in my FastPass and there was no way I was going to wait in line for an hour-and-a-half to two hours to ride! I was not upset with Kacie but I was VERY upset with those two thoguhtless women for freaking her out! To top it all off Tom told us that, while there were some jarring motions as they dodged asteriods on the orange ride, there wasn't any spinning.
We intentionally held off on lunch until after Mission:SPACE so next we headed to Sunshine Seasons for lunch. After lunch we went to the Honey I Shrunk the Audience show which was enjoyable but not as good as the Bug's Life 3D show in animal Kingdom. And there is one part of the show where mice are supposedly running through the audience and apparently the woman behind her was afraid of mice because she kicked me quite hard in the back not once but twice! At this point we dicided that we weren't all that interested in anything else in Future World and headed over to World Showcase. We had visited Mexico, Norway, China and Germany on Wednesday night before the Princess dinner so we started on the other side and explored Canada, the UK where we saw Winnie the Pooh and got Mary Poppins' autograph and photos, France, and Morocco before we decided we were ready to return to our hotel for a break.
We took a long rest and didn't return to the park until after 6:00. We headed straight for the Japan Pavillion to see Miyuki, "The Candy Lady", but just caught the tail end of her show/demonstration so Tom and Kacie found a seat near her booth the wait for the next show and watch the drum show that was about to start while I went into the store. I knew that they sold Mikimoto pearl jewelry there and I had been searching for the perfect pearl earrings to wear with my Ren garb so I searched out the Mikimoto pearls. I knew they wouldn't be cheap and was prepared to spend $200-300 but when I saw prices in the thousands I turned right around and walked back out! I watched the rest of the drum show with Tom and Kacie then Miyuki was ready to begin her demonstration. If you've not heard of her, she makes the most fantastic creations from a rice sugar paste that looks like taffy while she is working with it but dries hard as a rock. She usually creates 4-6 lollipops that she gives to children who are waiting in front of her cart though I do know one adult who told me she was lucky enough to get one. She made the most amazingly detailed shark, tiger, unicorn, dragon and giraffe. When she asked Kacie what she would like Kacie hestitated so Miyuki suggested a monkey. Part of her charm is listening to her heavily accented banter while she works. She commented about the "very expensive banana" she put in the monkey's hand and painted yellow and also made a comment that I didn't catch as she painted the monkey's butt red! The monkey is not quite as detailed as the other things we watched her make but it is a wonderful keepsake of our trip all the same. Since the Mikimoto pearl jewelry was clearly out of my price range I went back into the store and did the pick-an-oyster thing. I got a nice unblemished 7mm white pearl so I chose a white gold pendant setting for it. Tom had promised Kacie a pizza for dinner after leaving the park but we were all hunf=gry and in need of a snack by this point. Now you would think that they would be a little more adventurous in the World Showcase and try something they had never eaten but, no, Tom and Kacie wanted chicken strips and fries from the American Pavillion. :rolleyes:
While waiting for and eating our food we were able to hear the Paul Revere and the Raiders concert taking place at the American Gardens Theatre for the Flower and Garden Festival. As we exited the American Pavillion we put on the rain ponchos we had brought along because it had turned chilly and windy and was begining to sprinkle a little. We went back to Japan to pick up my pearl pendant then we claimed a bench in that area to wait for Illuminations to begin. Oh, I almost forgot!: Kacie had been eyeing a Tinkerbell spinning light toy all week and we kept talking her out of it but this night she finally spent the last $13 of her souvenier money to buy one and played with it while waiting for Illuminations. Tom and Kacie seemed to enjoy the show but, honestly, I can take it or leave it. If you decide that you need to skip one of the night-time shows this would be the one. After the show we started to do a bit more exploring but the rain started to come down so we headed toward the exit. We never did ride Test track so I save the FastPasses for my scrapbook.
We started our day at rope drop in Future World and followed the crowd directly to Soarin'. Though there were a lot of people in line it moved right along so we were able to board without much of a wait. I was a little bit nervous about this ride not really sure how much motion to expect or how high we would lift into the air after reading conflicting info online. I'm the one who gets nauseaous if someone rocks the gondola while the ferris wheel is loading and unloading! We were lucky enough to be loaded into the front row and, after a few deep breaths to calm myself as we lifted off, I really enjoyed the view! The little bit of motion was nothing to worry about and I really have no idea how far off the floor we were. I loved this ride and wouldn't hesitate to go on it again! We exited Soarin' and the Land Pavillion and headed across the park for Mission:SPACE FastPasses. While waiting for our return time we went to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Somewhere in the back-and-forth we stopped to taste the beverages at Club Cool. I actually liked Beverly, hated the carbonated apple juice, and wouldn't even try the watermelon beverage! We were near the character connection but Kacie wasn't interested in waiting in line for autographs so we skipped it. By now enough time had elapsed that we were able to get our Test Track FastPasses before entering Mission:SPACE.
Tom chose the orange line for the "more intense" Mission:SPACE ride while Kacie and I chose the green line which I referred to as the "no barf zone". This is where I want to say "THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK AND KEEP YOUR PHOBIAS TO YOURSELF!!!" We had a mother and her about 10 yr old son in line behind us. While making small talk the mother decided to mention that the reason they now offer two lines is because someone died after riding this ride. Hello!!! Maybe you don't care if you frighten my 15 yr old but what about your own kid! I wasn't looking at Kacie but that boys eyes got as big as saucers! I quickly reminded everyone within earshot that the person who died had a heart condition and healthy people had nothing to fear then I turned around and ended the chitchat with that woman. So then we get inside and get shunted into the loading lines. While we are doing this another woman starts questioning a cast member about how much motion and jarring there will be. The cast member says that the green ride doesn't have as much motion but goes on the caution that we will be confined in a small space and, if we have a problem with enclosed spaces, we might want to rethink the ride. Kacie started looking a little nervous but I reassured her that she had never had a problem with claustrophobia and, if she enjoyed Expedition Everest, I really didn't think this ride would be a problem. But the woman started babbling about how she was afraid of dark spaces and maybe she shouldn't ride and blah, blah, blah until she went to one loading dock and we went to another. At this point Kacie turned to me and told me she was NOT going on this ride. I told her I wasn't going to make her ride if she really didn't want to and to go find a cast member who would show her to the exit and wait for me there. Well, she grabbed my arm in a panic and made me exit with her. After she calmed down she told me she would wait for me and I could go ride but I had already turned in my FastPass and there was no way I was going to wait in line for an hour-and-a-half to two hours to ride! I was not upset with Kacie but I was VERY upset with those two thoguhtless women for freaking her out! To top it all off Tom told us that, while there were some jarring motions as they dodged asteriods on the orange ride, there wasn't any spinning.
We intentionally held off on lunch until after Mission:SPACE so next we headed to Sunshine Seasons for lunch. After lunch we went to the Honey I Shrunk the Audience show which was enjoyable but not as good as the Bug's Life 3D show in animal Kingdom. And there is one part of the show where mice are supposedly running through the audience and apparently the woman behind her was afraid of mice because she kicked me quite hard in the back not once but twice! At this point we dicided that we weren't all that interested in anything else in Future World and headed over to World Showcase. We had visited Mexico, Norway, China and Germany on Wednesday night before the Princess dinner so we started on the other side and explored Canada, the UK where we saw Winnie the Pooh and got Mary Poppins' autograph and photos, France, and Morocco before we decided we were ready to return to our hotel for a break.
We took a long rest and didn't return to the park until after 6:00. We headed straight for the Japan Pavillion to see Miyuki, "The Candy Lady", but just caught the tail end of her show/demonstration so Tom and Kacie found a seat near her booth the wait for the next show and watch the drum show that was about to start while I went into the store. I knew that they sold Mikimoto pearl jewelry there and I had been searching for the perfect pearl earrings to wear with my Ren garb so I searched out the Mikimoto pearls. I knew they wouldn't be cheap and was prepared to spend $200-300 but when I saw prices in the thousands I turned right around and walked back out! I watched the rest of the drum show with Tom and Kacie then Miyuki was ready to begin her demonstration. If you've not heard of her, she makes the most fantastic creations from a rice sugar paste that looks like taffy while she is working with it but dries hard as a rock. She usually creates 4-6 lollipops that she gives to children who are waiting in front of her cart though I do know one adult who told me she was lucky enough to get one. She made the most amazingly detailed shark, tiger, unicorn, dragon and giraffe. When she asked Kacie what she would like Kacie hestitated so Miyuki suggested a monkey. Part of her charm is listening to her heavily accented banter while she works. She commented about the "very expensive banana" she put in the monkey's hand and painted yellow and also made a comment that I didn't catch as she painted the monkey's butt red! The monkey is not quite as detailed as the other things we watched her make but it is a wonderful keepsake of our trip all the same. Since the Mikimoto pearl jewelry was clearly out of my price range I went back into the store and did the pick-an-oyster thing. I got a nice unblemished 7mm white pearl so I chose a white gold pendant setting for it. Tom had promised Kacie a pizza for dinner after leaving the park but we were all hunf=gry and in need of a snack by this point. Now you would think that they would be a little more adventurous in the World Showcase and try something they had never eaten but, no, Tom and Kacie wanted chicken strips and fries from the American Pavillion. :rolleyes:
While waiting for and eating our food we were able to hear the Paul Revere and the Raiders concert taking place at the American Gardens Theatre for the Flower and Garden Festival. As we exited the American Pavillion we put on the rain ponchos we had brought along because it had turned chilly and windy and was begining to sprinkle a little. We went back to Japan to pick up my pearl pendant then we claimed a bench in that area to wait for Illuminations to begin. Oh, I almost forgot!: Kacie had been eyeing a Tinkerbell spinning light toy all week and we kept talking her out of it but this night she finally spent the last $13 of her souvenier money to buy one and played with it while waiting for Illuminations. Tom and Kacie seemed to enjoy the show but, honestly, I can take it or leave it. If you decide that you need to skip one of the night-time shows this would be the one. After the show we started to do a bit more exploring but the rain started to come down so we headed toward the exit. We never did ride Test track so I save the FastPasses for my scrapbook.
Epcot I
We visited Epcot on the first day of the Flower and Garden Festival and loved seeing all the character topiaries! Here are just a few.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Day 3: Downtown Disney and Princess Storybook Dinner
Wednesday April 4, 2007:
Wednesday was our morning to sleep in with no plans to "make rope drop"! Of course I still woke up early but I took the time to enjoy the peace and quiet, sip my coffee, and spend a little time on the computer before Tom and Kacie got up. (btw- If you notice more than the usual number of typos it's because the "P" key is acting up so that I have to really punch it to get it to work!) I decided it would be a good idea to do some laundy, too, especially since we had our dirty RenFest garb from the weekend before arriving at WDW. I decided there wasn't time to dry the clothes and still make it to Kacies' appointment so I had Tom carry the wet laundry back to our room and we hopped in the car and headed over the Downtown Disney for Kacie's appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!
We had been cautioned by members of the DISboards that it might be a good idea to arrive a little early so we checked in at the BBB desk about 11:45 for the 12:00 appointment. We were given a brochure that said "Princess Kacie" on the front and a beeper and told that there was a short wait. We wandered around the World of Disney store for a bit (the BBB is inside the store) and picked out a rhinestone tiara with a skull and crossbones on it. At just about noon the beeper went off and we were escorted into the boutique and introduced to Jamie, our Fairy-godmother-in-training (as the stylists are called). Chatting with Jamie we found out that she is also from Michigan, a student of Henry Ford college, and working at WDW through their college program. She is also the youngest FGIT at only nineteen. Kacie had looked at photos online before our trip and decided that she wanted her hair done in the "Disney Diva" style which involves having your own hair pulled back and having fake hair with long curls and streamers with Mickey heads attached as well as bobby pins with rhinestone Mickey heads. Jamie even searched out a strawberry blonde hairpiece to match Kacie's hair. This style does not include a tiara but, when Kacie requested the addition of the skull and crossbones tiara, Jamie was happy to oblige. While Jamie was finishing up the hair, another FGIT painted Kacie's nails with glitter polish then Jamie applied makeup. (Note to older princesses: The makeup included lip gloss, blush, and eyeshadow only so you might want to bring your own mascara. We wished we had.) The final step was telling Kacie to close her eyes and make a wish while she was sprinkled with fairy dust and turned to face the mirror. I think this was Kacie's highlight of the whole trip and I wouldn't hesitate to take her again. It was $35 very well spent! Her hairstyle actually stayed in until we got home late Sunday with very minor touchups each morning. Who knows how long it might have lasted with all that gel and spray if she hadn't washed it out before returning to school. LOL
After the BBB we had lunch at the Earl of Sandwich then spent the afternoon shopping in DTD. We stuffed a box with Disney character Mr. Potato Head parts at Once Upon a Toy, picked up some things for Easter and got a slurpy in a cup with Minnie Mouse ears and shoes at Goofy's Candy Company, picked up some Christmas presents for Jason at the Lego store (Boy, do I wish I could have taken him there when he was about 10. He would have been in seventh heaven!), and we bought Kacie a silver ring with her name carved into it from one of the carts. We also made a stop in the photgraphy studio to get photos of Kacie with her fancy hair and tiara added to the PhotoPass. As you may have noticed in the photos down the page, Kacie was wearing a t-shirt we bought the day before that said "NO PHOTOS PLEASE" and the photograher got such a kick out of it that, in addtiton to the standard shots, she also did a few as if Kacie were trying to avoid the paparazzi! LOL Then we headed back to the hotel for some rest before dinner. Well, Tom and Kacie rested. I still had laundry to dry.
We arrived at the Epcot World Showcase about an hour or so before time to check in for our 8:00pm dinner reservation so we spent a little bit of time wandering through Mexico and China before returning to Norway and checking in at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) was greeting guests in the entrance hall so Kacie stoped for an autograhp and photo. They do not put this photo on your PhotoPass card and, while I did take a couple myself, I forgot to flip up the flash so mine didn't turn out so great. We were a little concerned about whether or not we would like the Norwiegan food but this was the only option we had for a princess dinner during our trip since Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom and 1900 Park Faire in the Grand Floridian resort were booked solid that week. We need not have worried because there were plenty of options other than the traditional Norweigan foods and, if you have a really picky eater in your group, there is the option of ordering from the childrens menu. Tom chose the ribs covered in lingonberry sauce as his main course and Kacie and I both chose a chicken and pasta dish that was very much like chicken alfredo. The meal also included a salad and cold appetizer bar with traditonal american foods as well as some unusual cheeses, and fish dishes from Norway. We found plenty of theings we liked and tasted a few things tht were new to us. Dessert was a platter with lingonberry cheesecake, a chocolate cream cake, and rice pudding with strawberry sauce to be shared faily style. I also ordered a Viking coffee (cofee, Bailey's, & Kahlua) with dessert. Then there was the reason we were there: the princesses! First to make the rounds was Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Of course for this occasion she had legs and was wearing a beautiful aqua gown. I was a bit disappointed that she spent no more time than absolutely neccessary at our table and had already moved on before I noticed that I hadn't raised the flash on my camera so the photo was dark. I tried to politely get her attention to ask for another photo but, though I'm sure she could hear me, she chose to ignore me completely rather than politely decline if her schedule was so important.:( The next princess to come around was Belle in her blue "town dress". By this time I had the flash ready to go and got several nice photos of Belle signing Kacies autograph book as well as the posed photos. The next celebrity to come to our table was not technically a princess but she is a princess in my book because she was so nice! Alice (from Wonderland) was so sweet and funny teasing Kacie about her "NO PHOTOS PLEASE" t-shirt in her perfect British accent and letting me take a ton of photos that she more than made up for Ariel's quick visit! The last princess at dinner that evening was Jasmine. I must say that girl had the most beautiful eyes and eas erfect for the role! She was signing Kacie's autograph book and complimenting out handmade book when Alice came running back to our table! She had to make sure that Jasmine noticed what Kacie's t-shirt said which turned into a conversation that icluded all of us about where we got it and how we had enjoyed our day at MGM. I got some great photos of both of them talking with our family. About this time many of the diners left to catch the Illuminations show but we opted to enjoy our dessert and watch the show another evening. I forgot to mention that the photograher came round during dinner with the photos taken with Aurora which of couse I bought for a whoping $35! We left the restaurant just as the fireworks were ending and enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the exit.
Wednesday was our morning to sleep in with no plans to "make rope drop"! Of course I still woke up early but I took the time to enjoy the peace and quiet, sip my coffee, and spend a little time on the computer before Tom and Kacie got up. (btw- If you notice more than the usual number of typos it's because the "P" key is acting up so that I have to really punch it to get it to work!) I decided it would be a good idea to do some laundy, too, especially since we had our dirty RenFest garb from the weekend before arriving at WDW. I decided there wasn't time to dry the clothes and still make it to Kacies' appointment so I had Tom carry the wet laundry back to our room and we hopped in the car and headed over the Downtown Disney for Kacie's appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!
We had been cautioned by members of the DISboards that it might be a good idea to arrive a little early so we checked in at the BBB desk about 11:45 for the 12:00 appointment. We were given a brochure that said "Princess Kacie" on the front and a beeper and told that there was a short wait. We wandered around the World of Disney store for a bit (the BBB is inside the store) and picked out a rhinestone tiara with a skull and crossbones on it. At just about noon the beeper went off and we were escorted into the boutique and introduced to Jamie, our Fairy-godmother-in-training (as the stylists are called). Chatting with Jamie we found out that she is also from Michigan, a student of Henry Ford college, and working at WDW through their college program. She is also the youngest FGIT at only nineteen. Kacie had looked at photos online before our trip and decided that she wanted her hair done in the "Disney Diva" style which involves having your own hair pulled back and having fake hair with long curls and streamers with Mickey heads attached as well as bobby pins with rhinestone Mickey heads. Jamie even searched out a strawberry blonde hairpiece to match Kacie's hair. This style does not include a tiara but, when Kacie requested the addition of the skull and crossbones tiara, Jamie was happy to oblige. While Jamie was finishing up the hair, another FGIT painted Kacie's nails with glitter polish then Jamie applied makeup. (Note to older princesses: The makeup included lip gloss, blush, and eyeshadow only so you might want to bring your own mascara. We wished we had.) The final step was telling Kacie to close her eyes and make a wish while she was sprinkled with fairy dust and turned to face the mirror. I think this was Kacie's highlight of the whole trip and I wouldn't hesitate to take her again. It was $35 very well spent! Her hairstyle actually stayed in until we got home late Sunday with very minor touchups each morning. Who knows how long it might have lasted with all that gel and spray if she hadn't washed it out before returning to school. LOL
After the BBB we had lunch at the Earl of Sandwich then spent the afternoon shopping in DTD. We stuffed a box with Disney character Mr. Potato Head parts at Once Upon a Toy, picked up some things for Easter and got a slurpy in a cup with Minnie Mouse ears and shoes at Goofy's Candy Company, picked up some Christmas presents for Jason at the Lego store (Boy, do I wish I could have taken him there when he was about 10. He would have been in seventh heaven!), and we bought Kacie a silver ring with her name carved into it from one of the carts. We also made a stop in the photgraphy studio to get photos of Kacie with her fancy hair and tiara added to the PhotoPass. As you may have noticed in the photos down the page, Kacie was wearing a t-shirt we bought the day before that said "NO PHOTOS PLEASE" and the photograher got such a kick out of it that, in addtiton to the standard shots, she also did a few as if Kacie were trying to avoid the paparazzi! LOL Then we headed back to the hotel for some rest before dinner. Well, Tom and Kacie rested. I still had laundry to dry.
We arrived at the Epcot World Showcase about an hour or so before time to check in for our 8:00pm dinner reservation so we spent a little bit of time wandering through Mexico and China before returning to Norway and checking in at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) was greeting guests in the entrance hall so Kacie stoped for an autograhp and photo. They do not put this photo on your PhotoPass card and, while I did take a couple myself, I forgot to flip up the flash so mine didn't turn out so great. We were a little concerned about whether or not we would like the Norwiegan food but this was the only option we had for a princess dinner during our trip since Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom and 1900 Park Faire in the Grand Floridian resort were booked solid that week. We need not have worried because there were plenty of options other than the traditional Norweigan foods and, if you have a really picky eater in your group, there is the option of ordering from the childrens menu. Tom chose the ribs covered in lingonberry sauce as his main course and Kacie and I both chose a chicken and pasta dish that was very much like chicken alfredo. The meal also included a salad and cold appetizer bar with traditonal american foods as well as some unusual cheeses, and fish dishes from Norway. We found plenty of theings we liked and tasted a few things tht were new to us. Dessert was a platter with lingonberry cheesecake, a chocolate cream cake, and rice pudding with strawberry sauce to be shared faily style. I also ordered a Viking coffee (cofee, Bailey's, & Kahlua) with dessert. Then there was the reason we were there: the princesses! First to make the rounds was Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Of course for this occasion she had legs and was wearing a beautiful aqua gown. I was a bit disappointed that she spent no more time than absolutely neccessary at our table and had already moved on before I noticed that I hadn't raised the flash on my camera so the photo was dark. I tried to politely get her attention to ask for another photo but, though I'm sure she could hear me, she chose to ignore me completely rather than politely decline if her schedule was so important.:( The next princess to come around was Belle in her blue "town dress". By this time I had the flash ready to go and got several nice photos of Belle signing Kacies autograph book as well as the posed photos. The next celebrity to come to our table was not technically a princess but she is a princess in my book because she was so nice! Alice (from Wonderland) was so sweet and funny teasing Kacie about her "NO PHOTOS PLEASE" t-shirt in her perfect British accent and letting me take a ton of photos that she more than made up for Ariel's quick visit! The last princess at dinner that evening was Jasmine. I must say that girl had the most beautiful eyes and eas erfect for the role! She was signing Kacie's autograph book and complimenting out handmade book when Alice came running back to our table! She had to make sure that Jasmine noticed what Kacie's t-shirt said which turned into a conversation that icluded all of us about where we got it and how we had enjoyed our day at MGM. I got some great photos of both of them talking with our family. About this time many of the diners left to catch the Illuminations show but we opted to enjoy our dessert and watch the show another evening. I forgot to mention that the photograher came round during dinner with the photos taken with Aurora which of couse I bought for a whoping $35! We left the restaurant just as the fireworks were ending and enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the exit.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Okay, So...
I really don't know when I'll get around to finishing this trip report. It seems I alternate between being too busy with other things and being too tired to think clearly enough to work on this. Here's a couple of scrapbook pages to hold you over until the next installment. :)
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Day Two: Disney-MGM Studios
Tuesday April 3, 2007:
Another early morning with DH & DD heading straight for the Tower of Terror while I picked up Fast Passes for the Rock-n-Roller Coaster. (Um...yeah...I'm sooo not into thrill rides so I had no problem being our FP runner. LOL) DH realized his cell phone was missing and DD had a bit of an upset tummy after ToT so she and I got a bite to eat and sat on a bench while DH retieved his phone from the car.
We encountered the nicest Cast Member! He was stationed at the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards (I'm so sorry that I didn't make note of his name. :( . He noticed DD's 1st timer button as we were entering and asked where she was headed first. The next time we walked by he asked her how she enjoyed her ride on ToT and offered advice for settling her upset stomach. When he saw us again he asked if she was feeling better and gave us Fast Passes for the Indiana Jones show. It was so nice that he remembered us and showed concern when there were thousands of guest in the park! :)
Once DH caught back up with us, we headed to the back of the park to pick up FPs for Lights, Motors, Action!, then went on Star Tours which was one of the rides we remembered from our previous visit in 1990. As we exited Star Tours we saw the High School Musical parade in progress and followed it to the area in front of the Sorcerer's Hat for the show. This was DD's highlight of the day and she actually got a better view of the show by following the parade than many of the kids sitting waiting for the parade to arrive. Of course she knew and sang along to all the songs!
After breaking for lunch at the Backlot Express it was time for the Lights, Motors, Action show! This was DH's highlight of the day. I guess it's a guy thing, though, because DD and I did find it interesting but didn't think it was a "must-see" and it took a big chunk of time out of our day. We missed the Stars and Motorcars parade that took place while we were watching this show.
By this time we all agreed that it was time to go back to our hotel for an afternoon break. We intentionally didn't spend any time on the Playhouse Disney stuff having no preschoolers in our group but I would have liked to have seen Sounds Dangerous and done the Great Movie Ride. Oh, well, I have an excuse to go back (and skip Lights, Motors, Action next time. LOL) As we made our way toward the exit we came upon Mulch, Sweat, and Shears performing and paused to enjoy a few songs.
After some rest and pool time, we returned to the park around 8:30pm. We still had unused FP's from that morning for the Rock-n-Roller Coaster so DH went on it by himself as DD declined after getting nauseous on ToT and I never intended to ride in the first place! I must note that we never had a problem all week using Fast Passes after the time indicated on them. Since there were two Fantasmic Shows we skipped the dinner packages and simply attended the second 10:00pm show getting in line around 9:20 or so. This was MY highlight of the day if not the whole week! Definitely a "must-see"!!! The special effect of the images on the water mist was just amazing! (But very difficult to photograph. LOL)
Another early morning with DH & DD heading straight for the Tower of Terror while I picked up Fast Passes for the Rock-n-Roller Coaster. (Um...yeah...I'm sooo not into thrill rides so I had no problem being our FP runner. LOL) DH realized his cell phone was missing and DD had a bit of an upset tummy after ToT so she and I got a bite to eat and sat on a bench while DH retieved his phone from the car.
We encountered the nicest Cast Member! He was stationed at the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards (I'm so sorry that I didn't make note of his name. :( . He noticed DD's 1st timer button as we were entering and asked where she was headed first. The next time we walked by he asked her how she enjoyed her ride on ToT and offered advice for settling her upset stomach. When he saw us again he asked if she was feeling better and gave us Fast Passes for the Indiana Jones show. It was so nice that he remembered us and showed concern when there were thousands of guest in the park! :)
Once DH caught back up with us, we headed to the back of the park to pick up FPs for Lights, Motors, Action!, then went on Star Tours which was one of the rides we remembered from our previous visit in 1990. As we exited Star Tours we saw the High School Musical parade in progress and followed it to the area in front of the Sorcerer's Hat for the show. This was DD's highlight of the day and she actually got a better view of the show by following the parade than many of the kids sitting waiting for the parade to arrive. Of course she knew and sang along to all the songs!
After breaking for lunch at the Backlot Express it was time for the Lights, Motors, Action show! This was DH's highlight of the day. I guess it's a guy thing, though, because DD and I did find it interesting but didn't think it was a "must-see" and it took a big chunk of time out of our day. We missed the Stars and Motorcars parade that took place while we were watching this show.
By this time we all agreed that it was time to go back to our hotel for an afternoon break. We intentionally didn't spend any time on the Playhouse Disney stuff having no preschoolers in our group but I would have liked to have seen Sounds Dangerous and done the Great Movie Ride. Oh, well, I have an excuse to go back (and skip Lights, Motors, Action next time. LOL) As we made our way toward the exit we came upon Mulch, Sweat, and Shears performing and paused to enjoy a few songs.
After some rest and pool time, we returned to the park around 8:30pm. We still had unused FP's from that morning for the Rock-n-Roller Coaster so DH went on it by himself as DD declined after getting nauseous on ToT and I never intended to ride in the first place! I must note that we never had a problem all week using Fast Passes after the time indicated on them. Since there were two Fantasmic Shows we skipped the dinner packages and simply attended the second 10:00pm show getting in line around 9:20 or so. This was MY highlight of the day if not the whole week! Definitely a "must-see"!!! The special effect of the images on the water mist was just amazing! (But very difficult to photograph. LOL)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Day One: Animal Kingdom AM/ Magic Kingdom PM
Monday April 2, 2007:
Monday morning we got up early to make the rope drop at Animal Kingdom. Even though the park was filled with Easter week crowds we still beat the rush and had a very enjoyable day!
Tom and Kacie headed straight for Expedition Everest first thing while I took the path from "Asia" to "Africa" to get Fast passes for Kilamanjaro Safari. I had my own private magical moment: While everyone else was rushing to the headliner attractions I had the path all to myself to enjoy the serenity! I encountered one CM and no other guests! Such a pleasant way to begin the day. :) Then the three of us headed to Dinosaur where we had a Certifiable Magical Moment as "Time Travel Specialists" meaning that we were chosen to go to the head of the line (though there was no line that early) and got a ride car all to ourselves. Of course that meant that I just had to buy the ride photo for my scrapbook. LOL Next we went on the Safari ride and were lucky to see many animals including a baby giraffe standing so close to the road that I could have reached out and touched it. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera died and my spares weren't any good because the charger didn't work. :( My memory is already failing me and I can't remember if we did the Festival of the Lion King or It's Tough to Be a Bug next. Either way I enjoyed both! I love the music of the Lion King and thought the show was very well done. I thought the special effects for It's Tough to Be a Bug were well done, too, though I could have done without the jab in the back "bee sting"!
We had luch at the Tusker House. Tom and I decided to split a roast chicken meal and Kacie ordered a kids' mac & cheese meal and it was still too much food for us. I'm glad we didn't do the dining plan because it would have been wasteful for us.
After lunch I purchased a package of batteries for $16 (Ouch!) and we did the Safari again but didn't see as many animals later in the day. We intentionally skipped the character greetings at Camp Minnie-Mickey and the kiddie carnival rides in Dinoland and choose not to ride Kali River Rapids because we didn't want to get wet so that left plenty of time to explore while waiting for the afternoon parade. We took the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch/Conservation Station where Kacie got photos with Pocahontas, Rafiki, and Jiminy Cricket. Rafiki was just too cute flirting with Kacie and kissing her on the cheek!
After the parade we headed back to our hotel, The Ramada Maingate West, for dinner and some pool time. Since our trip wsa planned at the last minute, I couldn't get us into a Disney Resort but I was not at all disappointed in our hotel. The room was spacious and comfortable, included a fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker, had a nice pool, was only 10-15 minutes from the parks, and best of all- only cost $402 for six nights including taxes!
We headed to the Magic Kingdom around 8:00 to see the Wishes fireworks and the Spectromagic Parade. We arrived while the first parade was still going which did make it a bit difficult to get up Main Street but a little patience went a long way. We were able to get a spot in the Rose Garden to view the fireworks and, while the fireworks didn't live up to my expectations, Kacie got a thrill out of having Tinkerbell fly directly overhead! Most of the crowds either left or returned to the rides after the fireworks so we had no trouble getting curbside seats for the second parade which was spectalcular! All of the floats were beautiful but I especially liked the Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather floats. All in all we had a wonderful first day in Walt Disney World.
Monday morning we got up early to make the rope drop at Animal Kingdom. Even though the park was filled with Easter week crowds we still beat the rush and had a very enjoyable day!
Tom and Kacie headed straight for Expedition Everest first thing while I took the path from "Asia" to "Africa" to get Fast passes for Kilamanjaro Safari. I had my own private magical moment: While everyone else was rushing to the headliner attractions I had the path all to myself to enjoy the serenity! I encountered one CM and no other guests! Such a pleasant way to begin the day. :) Then the three of us headed to Dinosaur where we had a Certifiable Magical Moment as "Time Travel Specialists" meaning that we were chosen to go to the head of the line (though there was no line that early) and got a ride car all to ourselves. Of course that meant that I just had to buy the ride photo for my scrapbook. LOL Next we went on the Safari ride and were lucky to see many animals including a baby giraffe standing so close to the road that I could have reached out and touched it. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera died and my spares weren't any good because the charger didn't work. :( My memory is already failing me and I can't remember if we did the Festival of the Lion King or It's Tough to Be a Bug next. Either way I enjoyed both! I love the music of the Lion King and thought the show was very well done. I thought the special effects for It's Tough to Be a Bug were well done, too, though I could have done without the jab in the back "bee sting"!
We had luch at the Tusker House. Tom and I decided to split a roast chicken meal and Kacie ordered a kids' mac & cheese meal and it was still too much food for us. I'm glad we didn't do the dining plan because it would have been wasteful for us.
After lunch I purchased a package of batteries for $16 (Ouch!) and we did the Safari again but didn't see as many animals later in the day. We intentionally skipped the character greetings at Camp Minnie-Mickey and the kiddie carnival rides in Dinoland and choose not to ride Kali River Rapids because we didn't want to get wet so that left plenty of time to explore while waiting for the afternoon parade. We took the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch/Conservation Station where Kacie got photos with Pocahontas, Rafiki, and Jiminy Cricket. Rafiki was just too cute flirting with Kacie and kissing her on the cheek!
After the parade we headed back to our hotel, The Ramada Maingate West, for dinner and some pool time. Since our trip wsa planned at the last minute, I couldn't get us into a Disney Resort but I was not at all disappointed in our hotel. The room was spacious and comfortable, included a fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker, had a nice pool, was only 10-15 minutes from the parks, and best of all- only cost $402 for six nights including taxes!
We headed to the Magic Kingdom around 8:00 to see the Wishes fireworks and the Spectromagic Parade. We arrived while the first parade was still going which did make it a bit difficult to get up Main Street but a little patience went a long way. We were able to get a spot in the Rose Garden to view the fireworks and, while the fireworks didn't live up to my expectations, Kacie got a thrill out of having Tinkerbell fly directly overhead! Most of the crowds either left or returned to the rides after the fireworks so we had no trouble getting curbside seats for the second parade which was spectalcular! All of the floats were beautiful but I especially liked the Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather floats. All in all we had a wonderful first day in Walt Disney World.
Monday, April 9, 2007
We're Home!
We arrived back in GR around 8:00 last night. Silly me I thought that I would have time to make daily entries while on vacation but I found that I simply didn't have the time. Now that I am home, I will make time to upload more photos and fill in the trip report by the end of the week.
Monday, April 2, 2007
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