Trip Report A Royal Stay

Hello. I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I've read many reports on here prior to our recent trip and I thought it'd be fun to write one myself. I've learned a lot on this forum and would like to share my own experience.

We are a family of 4. My husband and I have 2 little princesses: Riley(4) and Avery(2). Riley just went on her third trip and Avery was on her second. My husband and I lived in Florida most of our lives and have been to Disney as children, teens, and adults. I've always liked Disney, but never really been crazy about it. As I entered my adult years and developed a fear for roller coasters my interest to go diminished...until I had a child. I could not wait to take Riley to go and finally did it when she turned 3, and regretted not doing it sooner. This was less than a year ago and we just came back from our third trip. They all keep getting and better and the girls enjoy it more each visit. Riley is probably as big as a fanatic as I am now. Avery is not as addicted as we are yet but she does enjoy it enough to be excited to go. Since we live in Florida, we take shorter trips than most people and usually only stay 2-3 nights can try to go a few times a year. Hopefully I can keep documenting these trips so I can remember them better.

The Trip - 4/1 - 4/4
We stayed 3 nights this time at POR at their Royal rooms. Did I mentioned Riley is currently at a princess obsessed stage where she literally thinks she is a princess :bored:? Who am I to correct her?
For this trip, we were really "home".

I wanted to try to spend more time at the resort this trip since I feel like we never do. I wanted to use the pool more than once and be able to use more of their facilities. Here's what we did on arrival day:

We (I) woke up around 6 to get myself ready first before waking the crew. Riley woke up shortly after. Since she knew we were going to Disney she was too excited to sleep. Everyone was ready a little after 7 and we loaded the car and was on our way around 7:20. I had made some chocolate muffins for the trip the night before so we don't have to stop to buy breakfast. We only made a short potty stop and was at the resort around 10:40 am. I did not rush this time since we won't be hitting parks today. POR was packed. Since I haven't gotten any text about the room yet we parked the car and was off to our first adventure (no park doesn't mean no fun). We were going to take the girls on their first monorail ride!

I guess resort hopping isn't appealing to kids since my girls weren't all that interested :(. I was probably the only one who wanted to explore the resorts so we cut our resort hopping itinerary short and went to lunch. By then, everyone was starving. I should mention that my girls LOVE food and would eat anything under the sun. I think they're probably just as excited about food and rides (don't tell them about Food and Wine or I'd go broke). Anyway, we stopped at Capt. Cooks for lunch and we all had a great meal. In contrast, my husband and I are not big eaters so we usually share 3 adult sized meals since the kids menu usually only offer limited choices. We had Pulled-Pork Nachos, Thai Coconut Meatballs, and Seafood Curry Stew and cleared everything in no time. Riley suggested (asking about 58 times) to go swimming after lunch and since we have not received our room-ready text, I agreed (It was in the plans anyway ;)). They fell asleep on our way back to POR (which was great because I know once we get there, they would refuse to).

Once we were back the lines were gone so I figured I would check to see if the room was ready, and it was (it was almost 3PM)! When I made the reservation, I made 3 requests: 1) Oak Manor 2) Corner Room, and 3) Ground Floor. We did not get one of them :(. I didn't want to waste time waiting for another room since I wanted to go change and get in the pool so I didn't say anything. Now that I think back I probably should have because a ground floor room would have helped A LOT. The location of the room was great as it was near the bridge to the bus stop/lobby/pool. However, the elevator was NOT. It would not have been a problem if we didn't have a double stroller, but we had to go thru a maze to and from the elevator when our room was literally right there by the bridge in Parterre Place. We ended up asking the girls to get up from the stroller and folded the stroller and go up the stairs many times during the trip (if they weren't sleeping). We have a very lightweight stroller (16 lbs) so we preferred that than walking the maze.

I will post some pictures later! Thanks for reading!
 
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VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Riley woke up from her nap while we were at Gaston's and daddy took her to use the bathroom. When they came back, there were tears in her eyes and daddy asked me for her change of clothes. Apparently, she had gotten her Cinderella dress wet while using the bathroom. I guess she wasn't properly trained on how to use the bathroom with a princess dress on :p. She asked daddy "am I still a princess? :cry:" I had changed her sister back to her civilian clothes earlier because cheese/lemonade/mashed potatoes does not look good on Belle :eek:. I need to take these girls to a Royal Prep School for proper training.

After changing back to a civilian, we were rested and ready again for more rides. I had grabbed a 4th FP for barnstormer earlier since they loved it so much but I got an email saying that Barnstormer was closed due to weather so we had an extra FP for later. Since all the outdoor rides were closed at that time we went to see Mickey's Philarmagic. This was also a first for the girls and Avery really enjoyed this. Just the 3-D glasses were fun enough for her. She kept on trying to catch the 3-D objects in front of her and the girls kept on laughing.
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After the show the rain had stopped so we hopped on the Railroad. Daddy was thrilled to finally get out of Fantasyland :D. We got off at Frontierland and rode the Magic Carpets and my head got soaked :facepalm:.
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By then it was almost Avery's bedtime so she was becoming cranky. But I had a FP for Jungle Cruise so we took a little boat ride and she dozed off half way through. The Skipper was fun and made a lot of jokes but NO ONE on our boat laughed. I wanted to show some appreciation but I had a sleeping child in my arms so I couldn't LOL but I guess it was towards the end of the day and people were tired.

After putting Avery in the stroller we went to dinner at Columbia Harbor House. I couldn't believe Riley was still going strong at this point, it was after 8PM, almost her usual bedtime! This is our favorite place in Magic Kingdom. Daddy and I love lobster rolls (Avery too but you snooze you lose :p). Riley enjoyed some nuggets and fish, plus fries, chips, chocolate milk, grapes, and yogurt.
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I suggested eating outside to watch Wishes. As I was in line getting food, they walked in and daddy said the tables outside are pretty dark and suggested dining inside. What about fireworks???

We heard the show starting so I asked Riley if she wants to go outside for a peek. She said yes so I asked daddy to take her out while I stayed with Avery. I had seen it less than a year ago but he hasn't seen it so I let them go. After exactly 2 minutes they returned. She wasn't that interested and said she wanted to eat. :cry::cry::cry:

We finished up and planned to call it a night. However, Riley was STILL very energetic and hyper. It was past her bedtime but you can tell she had no desire to go to bed yet. So we gave her an offer. "Riley you wanna go on one more ride before we leave?" "YES!" "Ok, you can pick any one you want (thinking there would be no lines by now)". She choose Peter Pan. Ok. Then we looked at the wait time > 80 MINUTES :eek:. What? Isn't the park closing soon? Then I realized I had a Multiple Use FP from earlier and I had a idea. We had never done this attraction before and it's right by the entrance so no detours. This became one of the most memorable attractions of the trip.
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As soon as she heard Mickey's voice, that familiar voice that she's heard since she was a baby, probably the most recognized voice in her head behind mommy and daddy, she started jumping and squeaking and could not believe that this Mickey actually talks! I'm so glad I thought of this. Mickey complimented on her shoes (which had Mickey heads on the side) and thought they looked like bouncy shoes and asked her to bounce for him. He said she bounced like Tigger and it made her so happy! We couldn't wait to tell daddy! Too bad Avery missed this.

By the time we met up with daddy the projection show was on so we watched that for a few minutes. I could not believe we were at the park for over 12 hours.
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I had really hoped to take a break back at the resort on park days but with the girls sleeping at different times, and our CRT reservation at a weird time, it just didn't work out. The good thing is the girls napped very well on the stroller so they were well-rested. The parents, well, that's a different story :hilarious:. Good night MK.
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Following along! We are bringing DS4 next month, and we will be staying at POR in the Royal Rooms - to surprise my son and my wife! Hopefully we get one of our request - Oak Manor and/or Corner Room.

Can't wait to see some picture :)
Your son will love the room! It is not "girlie" despite the princess theme. He will love the fireworks on the headboard! Have a wonderful trip!
 

DonnaOnTheRocks

Well-Known Member
Loving your report so far! Your girls are adorable! Last time I was at CRT (about 2 years ago) we went for dinner and it was SO good! I had a steak of some kind and the dessert was amazing. I remembered hearing negative things about the food so I was pleasantly surprised. If you go again, try dinner!
 

Lyear

Well-Known Member
Really enjoying your trip report. It's very good, especially for a first time poster :p.

We've been fortunate enough to have a 1st floor room on our two trips with our kids, and they do make getting into and out of your room so much easier. I'm sorry that you had to work out getting the stroller either up the stairs or to the elevator.

And your daughter waking up and saying you forgot dinner - how cute is that?

Sounds like you had a great, full day at MK.
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Loving your report so far! Your girls are adorable! Last time I was at CRT (about 2 years ago) we went for dinner and it was SO good! I had a steak of some kind and the dessert was amazing. I remembered hearing negative things about the food so I was pleasantly surprised. If you go again, try dinner!
Thanks for the advise! I didn't think the food was horrible. I guess with everything that was going on, taking pictures, autographs, and wishing star by the time we got to enjoy it it was cold lol..I won't rule out returning since the experience was great. Thanks for reading!
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Precious girls! I love your report so far!
Precious girls! I love your report so far!

Your girls are so adorable! My husband and I stayed in a royal room for our anniversary a couple of years ago and I loved it. I was like a little girl and completely fascinated by the lights in the headboard LOL.

Love this!! Your girls are precious!

Thank you so much for reading!!
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Really enjoying your trip report. It's very good, especially for a first time poster :p.

We've been fortunate enough to have a 1st floor room on our two trips with our kids, and they do make getting into and out of your room so much easier. I'm sorry that you had to work out getting the stroller either up the stairs or to the elevator.

And your daughter waking up and saying you forgot dinner - how cute is that?

Sounds like you had a great, full day at MK.

Thank you for your comment! I had read your trip report and remember having so much to relate to since we both have young children.

I think Riverside was just very full for them not able to grant a single request. Good thing the stairs weren't far away.

Oh this girl never forgets about her food. I guess she was confused because the last thing she remembered we were on our way to dinner and didn't understand why we were back in the room. :joyfull:

I still can't believe we were there from open to close!

Thanks again for reading!
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Monday, April 3rd

Today we left about 15 mins later than we did yesterday but wow what a difference does that make. We are at the Parterre Place building and used the Main bus stop (South Depot) aka the busiest stop. When we got to the bus stop, the stop was totally packed. There were signs pointing you to where to line up for each park. Here's a hint on which park we were heading to this morning:
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Yes, we were going to Arendelle!

Frozen is their absolute favorite. They had a Frozen-themed party on their recent birthdays (their birthdays are 2 weeks apart). They at times call each other Anna and Elsa. They sing the soundtrack on a daily basis. My oldest handed me a map of the US and asked me where Arendelle was :jawdrop: . Needless to say, they were a bit excited.

An Epcot bus pulled up a few minutes later and we patiently waited our turn to board. We realized by the time the bus got to our stop, it was standing-room only. Daddy and I exchanged a look because we knew we might not get on. I told him I'll get on as long as they let me. I can squeeze Avery in my backpack :joyfull:. The CM stopped us as it was our turn :bawling:. We spent the next 15-20 mins trying to keep these girls in place and not running into people. 2 Disney Springs buses came in the mean time and not a soul hopped on (does anyone go to Disney Springs at 8:30 am?). Finally, another Epcot bus pulled up and it was already filled-up. The driver asked everyone to go all the way back to make room but I think only about 10 people in line were able to board.

We made it!
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Elsa met another Elsa while we were in line.

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Little Anna was still a little shy towards characters. She would not pose for a picture.

As it was almost our turn in line, Riley suddenly remembered "I forgot my autograph book!" :banghead:. It was too late to run out to the stroller to get it so I promised her we would come back to visit them again later in the day since we had to return for the boat ride in Arendelle anyway. Whew...

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I also noticed Riley was little shy since she did not say a word to the sisters. I think she was nervous to actually see the "real" Anna and Elsa. I suggested to her for future M&Gs she should think of something to say to them, to make the experience more fun and more relaxed.
 
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gdisneyfans

Well-Known Member
Day 2 - Magic Kingdom

We got ready and I need coffee so I sent my husband to wait at the bus stop with the girls while I ran to the food court. As I arrived at the bus stop I saw him waving at a distance and a bus was waiting, so I ran and we made it on the bus. It was only a little after 8 and the time so we were ahead of schedule.

We got to MK around 8:30 and I knew it'd be a busy day:

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This was 30 mins prior to park opening. I guess people don't sleep at Disney...

After taking some pictures we found a spot to watch the opening show. My husband's reaction was "that was it?" :joyfull:

We immediately made a beeline to Storybook Circus to ride Dumbo and Barnstormer. This was the first time Avery went on it and she loved it! We rode again since there wasn't a wait yet. View attachment 199431
The peace sign was her pose for the trip.

We then rode Under The Seas and went back to Storybook Circus to meet Minnie and Daisy. I had read on this forum that when they open, the characters are the ones to come out and take you back. I thought this was very neat and wanted to see it. When the doors were opened, everyone was so surprised to see Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy at the door. They actually took the hands of the first party in line and escorted them to the M&G area. So adorable!

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It was then time for our first FP! I was very excited for Riley about this one. She had only rode Barnstormer before and I didn't know how she would like it. Daddy rode with her while I waited with Avery. I actually saw them go down the drop! I kept yelling her name like a crazy mom. She was so excited when she came out and wanted to ride again! What?? That means I have to ride? I asked daddy to get a rider swap just in case so I guess now I have to take her. I haven't been on roller coasters for years because the last time I went on the Dualing Dragons at Universal I got so sick and the last time I went on Space Mountain I thought I was going to die. So I said I wasn't going on roller coasters ever again. I know this isn't the same in terms of thrill levels, but I was a little nervous. My 4 year old kept telling me "Mommy, I promise you it'll be fun and it's not scary." :in pain:

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I didn't look scared, right?

It was a very fun ride, actually. I would ride again next trip. Hopefully Avery will be tall enough bc I know she'd love it!

We then rode the carousel (Avery's favorite our last trip), It's a Small World, and Peter Pan before Avery passed out.
Your daughters are adorable, but Riley's modeling pose:inlove:
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
After meeting the sisters Daddy and I were starving. The girls had the last of the chocolate muffins but daddy and I did not have breakfast so we made a quick stop:
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None of us really liked the school bread. But the salmon and egg sandwich was yummy! Avery asked me what was inside that sandwich and I told her it was fish. She said she wanted to try. I have never given them smoked fish but I figured what the heck. This crazy 2-year-old girl loved it and asked for bite after bite.
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We had to head back to Future World after breakfast since nothing was open in WS.

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Avery was actually excited about meeting Mickey & Minnie. She also asked to give them the autograph book, which we remembered this time. She also posed for pictures and did her usual peace sign ;).

However, she specified she only liked Mickey and Minnie and did not want to take a picture with Goofy. She leaned against the wall and waited.
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Goofy refused to give Riley back her autograph book and she loved him because "he was silly".
 

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LeighM

Well-Known Member
That's the reason I don't use the south depot at Riverside to go to theme parks. The first theme park bus stop is actually the west depot in the alligator bayou section. It only took me 3 trips to figure this out LOL. So for my trip last year, I specifically requested a room close to west depot. It was only a 2 minute walk from our room and the bus was always empty when it got to the depot. To be the first on an empty bus was such a relaxing way to start the day!!
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
That's the reason I don't use the south depot at Riverside to go to theme parks. The first theme park bus stop is actually the west depot in the alligator bayou section. It only took me 3 trips to figure this out LOL. So for my trip last year, I specifically requested a room close to west depot. It was only a 2 minute walk from our room and the bus was always empty when it got to the depot. To be the first on an empty bus was such a relaxing way to start the day!!

Now I know! We debated using the East Depot since that was the second closest but that was the third stop so it would not have made a huge difference I guess. Spring break crowds also made it worse. Thanks for reading!
 

LeighM

Well-Known Member
Now I know! We debated using the East Depot since that was the second closest but that was the third stop so it would not have made a huge difference I guess. Spring break crowds also made it worse. Thanks for reading!

Yeah when we stayed in the royal room, we tried the east depot a few times and it was a hit or miss. Some times we could find a seat and other times it was already standing room. Mostly, we had to use the closer to us South Depot because we were typically running late :) That's when I made up my mind about Alligator Bayou. We don't really like the theme of the rooms but the location worked best for us that trip since we didn't have plans to eat at the resort so proximity to the lobby wasn't important.
 

VincciL

Active Member
Original Poster
Yeah when we stayed in the royal room, we tried the east depot a few times and it was a hit or miss. Some times we could find a seat and other times it was already standing room. Mostly, we had to use the closer to us South Depot because we were typically running late :) That's when I made up my mind about Alligator Bayou. We don't really like the theme of the rooms but the location worked best for us that trip since we didn't have plans to eat at the resort so proximity to the lobby wasn't important.

I'll keep that in mind for the future if I can ever get the girls to stay in the "non-royal" rooms! :joyfull:
 

bee

Well-Known Member
I'm dying at how adorable your girls are in their sister dresses. And that they call each other Anna and Elsa sometimes at home??? TOO CUTE.

I don't blame Riley for being nervous about meeting the "real" Elsa and Anna! When the sisters first came to the Epcot M&G, my wife and I saw them exiting to backstage through The Puffin's Roost and we were totally starstruck! They waved at us and said, "hello," and we could barely manage a wave back.

I'm enjoying reading your report!
 

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