Trip Report Be Our Guest-a family filled, visitors around every corner trip

I am alive! I know by now I have usually been on the ball about getting these trip reports done but its been a busy few weeks. This in fact is our first weekend we have been home since vacation. Between work, school and getting back to the norm I am just now getting to the report…

Most of you know who I am. But as a reminder here are the players.

Me. Aleisha, 33. mom, wife, hockey nut. Work down in DC doing pretty much what needs to get done.
Andy, my hubby. Daddy, hockey fanatic. Works for the sports teams in the area,
Logan-4 year old. Love of my life. Pretty much the greatest kid around. Loves his mommy and star wars….

Where-AKL Kidani Village
When- Aug. 2nd-10th.

There are also two other people, my brother in law and his wife. Lea and Elliott who joined us for a weekend…you will here more about them throughout the trip.

 

[foreverbelle]

Friday August 2, 2013-Day One

The actual trip started yesterday as we began our track down by car. This time after two long days in the car, a night in a hotel-in Florence SC-and a picnic stop at the FL State border rest stop later, we finally made it to the final turn into the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Kidani Village. For the next 8 nights this would be home. After checking in, we were told the room wasn’t ready but should be in about an hour so we hung around the lobby and as Logan was checking out the artifacts our phone texted us to inform us our room was ready. We had been waiting for 5 minutes! Score.

(*Note-I did not take many pictures on the first day and ca not figure out how to actually post from the ones on my phone. This in fact is the only picture I actually took this day)

Our room was 7650, a good distance from the lobby but not unmanageable by any means. We quickly made our way back, dropped our stuff down and opened the curtains to the most amazing welcoming committee ever. 3 giraffes. Logan decided it was automatically a family consisting of a mommy, daddy, and a baby just like him…He has yet to name them. Pretty sure it is coming.

We have something different this trip! Back in Match, Elliott and Lea moved back to the states from Germany and found themselves in the Tampa area. We came up with the idea to have them stay with us for the weekend as the last time logan had seen them he was barely one. So yes, this go around we have guest. As short lived as it may be. We waited in the room for them to get there which was fine as we had our garden grocer order brought up, and were able to unpack. By the time they made it in, settled themselves in and got a chance to check out the surroundings it was still early evening and none of us were particularly interested in calling it a night. Especially not Logan who had plenty of energy to burn.

There was no reservations set for tonight, as we didn’t know when we were going to be officially getting in. So we were on our own to wing it.

Our first stop of the trip would be EPCOT where we would find Nemo, hit up Mexico and stop at Season’s for dinner. Ironically while we were sitting there eating dinner Andy heard his name and turned to find a former coworker who had just moved to Tampa and joined us for a bit. I was really beginning to wonder if everyone we knew was moving down there. And perhaps this was a sign of some sort.

This will become a theme…hang in there.

But the long drive and late night meant we were all beginning to fade. No worries we still had plenty of vacation

 

[coachwnh]

Looking forward to the full report

 

[WDW_Princess24]

I was actually down there at the same time lol. So glad to see you've got your TR started as I'm still slacking away, can't wait to see what you have in store for us!

 

[Zipadeelady]

I'm in!!

 

[GSP Guy]

Looks like a good looking all American family! Great family pic!

 

[foreverbelle]

Saturday August 3, 2013: Day Two

You would think by now as many times as we have been down to the world the whole excitement of waking up on the first full day would have worn off by now. Umm yeah no.

The good new, Logan slept in, which I am sure both the bro/sis in law were thankful for as they have yet to have kids. The plan originally was to head to Animal Kingdom but Logan was more interested in showing uncle Elliott Star Tours, and so we headed to Hollywood Stuidios instead. At least for the morning.

We seemed to hit the park in perfect timing, the parade was going on allowing us to make a bee-line for Star Tours for what I am sure will be the first of many rides. I am not exaggerating when I say he is currently obsessed with anything Star Wars, so of course he went around the ‘set’ as though he was a storm trooper, gun and all.

Don't I look cute mommy!!!

After our mission we made our way back through the parks to hit up the ride I haven’t ridden since Logan was born. The ‘scary elevator ride’ or so named by little man. Andy is not a fan. I am. And since I don’t do dinasour, he doesn’t do the Tower. It’s a perfect marriage this way. The good news is, both Elliott and Lea love the ride, so I finally got my ride partners. We made our way back, grabbed some fastpasses and decided to kill some time taking turns on single rider lines of Rock-N-Roller Coaster.

We let E&L go ahead while Andy and I waited but while in line, it broke down and after an hour and a half of waiting, and no E&L in sight, Andy and I called it to leave for another day to do, instead we hit up the Great Movie Ride. Say what you will about the cheesy little right but I think what makes or breaks the ride itself is the guide and I have to say our guide (George) was actually perfect for the part and gave a brilliant performance. Even Logan enjoyed it. Though he did watch the alien part from behind his fists.

With our fastpass return time calling, Elliott Lea and I headed to The Tower. I had forgotten how amazing the ride is! Even better after a five-year break. Andy does not know what he is missing.

By this point we were assuming Logan would need a break, um apparently not. And so instead of doing our afternoon break we decided to push through it and spend the rest of the day at Magic Kingdom since we had dinner reservations at Be Our Guest…

Our first stop-Pirates! Believe it or not, it was a 40 minute wait, which surprised us but we soon discovered the reason, most of the big attractions where down for one reason or another. Including both Big Thunder and Space. Logan once again loved the singing pirates and was ‘so glad’ he decided to still be brave.


But being brave meant he needed to have some fun to, and so he decided it was time to hit up Buzz, where I was once again reminded how much I suck at the game. Yea its not one of my best games I must say. Of course this should come as no surprise but Logan loved it

Fun time with the coolest aunt and uncle!!

It was time to say goodbye to Elliott and Lea for the evening as they headed back to AKL and their dinner reservations at Sanaa, and the three of us to head over to Belle’s Village. And the dinner experience I had been waiting for, for the better part of a year now.

 

[foreverbelle]

Looks like a good looking all American family! Great family pic!

Thank you, that is a amazing compliment...

I was actually down there at the same time lol. So glad to see you've got your TR started as I'm still slacking away, can't wait to see what you have in store for us!

Awesome! Hopefully you will enjoy looking back with me....funny how many people are actually there at the same time. Will dif have to keep an eye out for yours

Looking forward to the full report

Its coming!!! Thank you for reading.

 

[Raven66]

Enjoying your trip report. Your son looked adorable in his little Ewok hat. I can't wait to see how you liked Be Our Guest. We loved it.

 

[imagination30]

logan as a ewalk was funny , yet cute!

 

[LindsayLoves]

Seeing Logan in that Ewok hat just made my day. Thank you! I really needed that today as only 3 hours in and its been a not so great day at work. Hopefully there are more amusing Logan charming the ladies stories to come in this trip, he is a hoot!

 

[6laurac]

Love it! Hope little man Logan got that cute hat or something equally cool.

 

[foreverbelle]

Enjoying your trip report. Your son looked adorable in his little Ewok hat. I can't wait to see how you liked Be Our Guest. We loved it.

It will be posted shortly...thank you. He thought he looked super cute in it!

logan as a ewalk was funny , yet cute!

Yep, it was quite the sight!

Seeing Logan in that Ewok hat just made my day. Thank you! I really needed that today as only 3 hours in and its been a not so great day at work. Hopefully there are more amusing Logan charming the ladies stories to come in this trip, he is a hoot!

Oh I am sure you guys will get at least a couple, as he is quite the entertainer!!

 

[foreverbelle]

Love it! Hope little man Logan got that cute hat or something equally cool.

He didn't get the hat, but just you wait!!!

 

[foreverbelle]

Day two continued

Ah Dinner time! We had reservations for Be Our Guest. Confession time, I have been secretly, or not o for this since we first heard of its creation. And I was more excited than either Andy or Logan when we officially booked our ADRs back in the spring. We arrived a little early, which OK was totally fine with me. It meant more time to check out the place...and yes, take thousands of pictures....

Twins!!!!

Let me say, from the moment they gave me that buzzer, I felt as though we had stepped right into the movie, and I may or may not have broken out into song. . And just as Logan began to get antsy, our buzzer went off and we were seated exactly at our ressie time! If I loved the outside, I was amazed at the inside. To anyone watching I am pretty sure I was a sight to see as I stood in awe of everything. At the ballroom, at the rose garden room. And then they walked us back to the the West Wing, where we would be seated. The room was incredible and so true to the movie that for a moment I had to do a double take, I fell in love with the rose as it sat quietly in the corner. Andy and Logan both seemed to think it was pretty cool, we sat, and ordered pretty easily the chef came around pretty much the moment we sat.

And thats when....

It began to thunder, and our waitress told us to carefully watch the picture when the lightening flashed. We didn't notice it for a bit, but then it thundered and Logan saw it, the moment the prince changed into the beast. and he began to have a fit. Yes my usual goofy all around sweet loving kid began to break down and cry....all of sudden he wanted nothing to do with the place, or his food that came out, and dif not the West Wing. Our food came out, my chicken dish, Logan had the pasta and Andy shrimp all were pretty good, despite having to feed Logan while he tried to hold both his hands over his ears and his eyes....by this point there was no stopping his sobs and I felt so bad. I knew we needed to do something so I walked him out of the West Wing backwards. He did not turn around until he looked up and saw the following:

Now I have to hand it to the cast members here, because they simply were amazing...as we were walking out backwards, Logan crying they stopped us and totally went out of their way to make sure he was OK. One even bent down and said 'you know I am afraid of the west wing too...its dark and scary...but you know the Beast would surely be upset to know he has made you cry....' Even if we weren't on their list, the concern and the hospitality was appreciated. They helped us get through the tables and escorted Logan and myself to the rose room. Of course Andy had no idea what was going on, and he was still eating dinner/dessert but a cast member who had been concerned was able to grab Andy and even made sure Logan's special dessert got over to him! Which was probably his favorite part of the whole meal....actually, this next part is straight from Logan as he asked me to put it in:

'I did enjoy it mommy, I liked the knights that stood watch as the beast greets his guests..I loved the one who sneezed, he was soooo funny, and then the other said God bless you....HAHA.....that almost made forget the west wing...actually mommy I would go back again because I know you love the movie, and Belle is your favorite so I would do it for you mommy...just maybe not the west wing.

Deal...little man, deal.

 

[foreverbelle]

Sunday August 4, 2013: Day Three:

Our welcoming comittee

This would turn out to be a long day, of course we did not know this when we woke up and had breakfast. Which I must always amazed me as we would have breakfast while watching the welcoming meeting in the morning out of our window. But with Lea and Elliott heading back up to Tampa this evening there was no time to waste and so we finished breakfast and decided that their final day with us would be spent at Epcot, for two reasons. They hadn't done the new Test Track and Logan wanted to show his car building skills. And two, because we all wanted to ride Soarin, and since Logan hadn't done it what better way to end the time with both L&E than to all ride it together.

And so off we went....while we drove down we still used the bus system for the better part of getting around. The last time we stayed at AKL was with my family back in 2010. Their one major complaint was the buses, which I must say did seem at the time rather long. This time however things seemed to be improving as the buses were never an issue throughout most of the trip-there will be one story but this will come later-and this morning we had an empty bus, giving us plenty of time to goof off and take some pictures.

Good Morning sunshine!!!

It will go really fast, just like that!!!

As we arrived Lea and Elliott offered to go grab fast passes for Soarin while we picked up a stroller and made our way over to Test Track, which claimed to be only a 40 minute wait at the time....it would actually turn out to be more like 120 plus...which of course made Logan a little apprehensive and began to question the whole ride even if he had been on it before. But by the time we got into the room to create the cars he seemed to suddenly remember the routine and was excited to pimp out his own ride...this was the result of his effort:

And after a brief storm delay, we were off and enjoying our ride. And Logan much like he did in May, yelled and clapped and screamed. 'This is sooo awesome!!!' Elliott and Lea agreed, making him a very happy little man..

By the time we got out, it was now lunch and our fastpasses for Soarin was still a little while away so we all headed to get lunch. While Andy and I headed over to America Logan shocked us by declaring he wanted fish and chips a world departure considering the kid could live off peanut butter and jelly if you let him. Rain began just as we grabbed Logan's lunch and we high tailed it to America, and by high tail I mean we flew to it where we had to wait it out as it got pretty nasty there for a good chunk of time.

But we didn't let the rain stop us, and both Elliott and Andy were determined to get beer in Germany-I guess they missed the country.-we grabbed them on the way over to the land where it was time to stop and smell the oranges, and yes we got lucky as we were the middle section top row. Little man couldn't have asked for a better first ride if you tried. And what did he think of it? Hmmm you guessed it. He thought it was totally awesome!!

The afternoon was fast approaching early evening and we knew we had to get the in-laws back to the resort to say goodbye. But not before a trip around Spaceship Earth where Logan and I created our future which pretty much seems to be the same every time we create it.

Story time my friends:

One of my favorite things to do is see if we can run into people from Virginia...most of the time it doesn't work out all that well. But as we boarded the bus to get back to the resort this family sat beside us wearing the magicbands. I wanted to ask their opinion so I turned to the kid beside me and started a conversation. They liked them. As I went back to staring out the window the little boy asked where we were from, and soon discovered that not only was the family from VA, but the same county, and live five minutes down the road from us....small world...

Since we have been back I keep my eye out but have yet to see them...

coming up, saying goodbye...and hello again.....

 

[PRNCSAurora]

Love the report so far. I think you convinced me (not that I need that much arm twisting) to try to make a reservation at Be Our Guest for our trip next summer.

 

[G00fyDad]

Great report. I have been sort of dreading getting the West Wing for our trip next month, but now I think it will be just as good as the main ballroom.

 

[coachwnh]

Glad you are back to posting! Fun to read along!

 

[ladydi]

So sorry about Logan's experience in the west wing. We had a similar thing happen at the Norway princess dinner. My three yr old loved Mickey and the gang but was afraid of face characters unbeknownst to us. She spent the entire dinner hiding under the table as my husband fed her a hot dog. Every time she came up for air, another princess would walk into the room! We were hoping there were no child protection people seated near us.

How sweet that he's willing to try it again for you. You've got one special little boy!