Four Parks in Two Days with One Disney Newbie: A June 2010 Trip Report!

Hi everyone… I’m back with a quick trip report, but I’ve got something a little different for you all this time around! In mid-June I found out I had to go to Orlando for a work-related meeting, like, the following week! Of course, any good Disney fan called to Orlando for whatever reason, can’t exactly go without at least a quick trip to the parks, right?! While I was super excited about my last minute fortune, I knew Brett wouldn’t be able to take time off work and join me for the fun. What to do!? What to do?!

So I called my mom up… she’d been wanting to check out Disney for awhile and I thought this would be a great way to introduce her to my and Brett’s favorite place. She said yes, just as I knew she would, and I started the crazy last minute planning. I couldn’t get many extra days off from work, so it turns out we’d only have two days in the parks. A two day introduction to the parks is one thing… but in the middle of the summer heat, just days prior to the 4th of July weekend? YIKES! Definitely not the ideal way to introduce someone to Disney, but you gotta work with what you’ve got!

As most of you are already aware, we do a Christmas trip with Brett’s parents every year. But what you might not know is that we also vacation with my parents. Usually those vacays are in the form of a cruise, and the reports get posted on another board because they’re not Disney-related. The most recent one was on the Emerald Princess this past May and if anyone is interested it can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1202436. I have an excellent relationship with my parents and I’m so incredibly grateful for that. My mom is more than just a mom, she’s a best friend. And this summer has been a lot of fun for the two of us because (due to my work-related travel) she’s been able to join me on not only this trip to Disney, but a quick weekend cruise to the Bahamas, as well. Here we are in Nassau:

And because it's one of my favorites, I’m posting this next shot, too. It was taken after we’d been bushwacked in St. Thomas (more on that in the aforementioned cruise report):

Accommodations:
Initially, I booked Pop for two nights using the AP rate, which was shockingly still available. Brett was having none of it! He kept saying “Your mom’s first trip can’t be to a value resort. It just can’t.” He made a valid argument and won me over when he claimed that the values are all fine and well, but when you stay there it feels too much like a theme park with the hustle and bustle and over the top craziness. He wanted my mom to see that there’s more to Disney; he felt she needed to get a feel for the “resort” side of things... and to him, just visiting the deluxes wasn’t enough. I knew he was right. After all, he is the master... I mean, he did make me fall head over heels in love during my first two-day trip (and not just with Disney )! So who am I to argue?! And with that, I called and switched our reservation to Coronado Springs. But I kept it a secret from my mom... explaining the resort tiers, showing her pictures of Pop, and telling her we were staying on the bottom rung! Ahhh... I just love resort surprises!!

The schedule... or lack thereof:
Monday: DTD after my meeting
Tuesday: Resort check-in and DHS in the morning... followed by evening EMH at Epcot
Wednesday: Morning EMH at AK... wrapping up with the perfect evening at MK
Thursday: check out... breakfast at the Kona Cafe

Honestly, the schedule was so bare bones because I was unable to acquire any of the dining I wanted, except for a Kona breakfast on our last morning. Looks like I’d have to improvise as we went. Meanwhile, I had Brett back at home tirelessly checking the online reservation system all day long at work on Monday and Tuesday. With no luck! Aaaarrrgghhhh... you all know how serious I am about my dining, and I really don’t feel as if you can truly experience Disney without it.

I know my mom. That might sound like a dumb comment to make, but I think this is an extremely important aspect of planning a Disney trip for a newbie, especially when you’re not even going to scratch the surface of what Disney has to offer. You absolutely have to know your audience.

So with all that said, the big question is... will my mom fall in love with our beloved WDW?!

 

[KnK]

I get to take a newbie for a couple of days during a work trip during November. Thanks for sharing your experience thus far.

 

[diddy_mouse]

Hooray! :sohappy: I always enjoy reading your trip reports.

We have a weekend trip planned in October for our anniversary (a length of stay I have never done before) and I'm very curious to see how you did four parks in two days. And how fun is it that you took your Mom who's a first-timer? I love it already!

 

[HollyBelle]

Oh Holly I love your trip reports! It is making my 30 day countdown much bearable! I've about read all of the trip reports on here...:ROFLOL:

Thanks, Megan. 30 days? You're so totally almost there! And hey, maybe it will cool down a little bit by then, although I doubt it. :lol: Have fun and I'll be looking for the trip report.

I was so excited when I logged on tonight and saw a trip report by you! I can't believe that your mom had never been to WDW considering how much you and Brett love it. i'm really interested to read about what restaurants the two of you were able to get into (Jordan and I are already talking dining plans for our next trip which is currently unplanned). Plus, I love that even though he wasn't there, Brett still influenced your decisions.

I know, right?! Now we just need to get my dad down there, too. When are you and Jordan headed back to the World? Usually Brett and I plan our trips no more than three months out and for the most part we don't have a problem getting the dining we want (with a few minor exceptions). Free dining wasn't taking place at the time my mom and I were there, but it sure felt like it because NOTHING was available.

Have you thought any more about a Disney race?

I get to take a newbie for a couple of days during a work trip during November. Thanks for sharing your experience thus far.

LOVE work trips to the World! And you should have absolutely beautiful weather in November.

Hooray! :sohappy: I always enjoy reading your trip reports.

We have a weekend trip planned in October for our anniversary (a length of stay I have never done before) and I'm very curious to see how you did four parks in two days. And how fun is it that you took your Mom who's a first-timer? I love it already!

I know, it does seem a bit crazy that she is a first-timer, doesn't it? Even though you'll just be there for a weekend, I'd be sure to carve out some time for the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. It's my favorite time of year to go. Brett and I do three and four night trips a lot and it's really not too bad, IF you're both regular park goers. In the case of this trip report, two parks per day was tough!

 

[HollyBelle]

Tuesday, June 29: DHS/CSR Dig Site/Epcot

We woke up rather early on Tuesday, packed up the car, checked out of the Sheraton and headed off for Disney property. I'll admit it, I’m such a Disney property snob! As we drove up to the guard shack at Coronado my mom turned to me with astonishment. She’d done enough research to know we weren’t approaching a value resort! She was so excited… and I think she may have even teared up a bit. I was super stoked… the surprised worked!

We checked in and were lucky enough to be assigned a room right away. It was perfect! We had a ground floor, corner room in the Casitas section of the resort. This is my first time back at Coronado since the room refurb and I really liked it. The new bedding definitely makes CSR feel a little more “deluxe” than the other moderates.

Chip, Dale, and Pluto stowed away for this one!

We stashed our stuff quickly… I was conscious of the fact that I was rushing us right out the door, but I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted desperately to make rope drop at the Studios.

 

[HollyBelle]

We arrived at the Studios around 9:10 am, just barely missing the morning show. Of course, I was in a bit of a panic to get to Toy Story Midway Mania for a decent fastpass return time. That being said, I was still conscious of the fact that this was mom’s first time in the park, and it is really difficult to soak in the magic when someone is dragging you around.

Seriously, I had a fairly well mapped out plan for the morning, which was immediately thwarted by the crowds, and my own anxieties over what little time we had in each park. I was stressing, which made the whole morning a little less fun for the both of us. This is the first time I’ve ever actually planned an approach for the parks. In all actuality, because Brett and I have the luxury of going quite often, the planning stages for our trips are a breeze and now I realize how lucky that makes us. We decide on dining, sometimes based around park hours and such… and then we leave everything else up to interpretation. We NEVER plan out what we’re going to do in each park. Instead, we just take it as it comes.

We made it back to Pixar Place to find an extremely long line waiting for fastpasses, so I quickly made the decision to bypass those in lieu of the standby line. The wait wasn’t too bad (probably 40 minutes or so), and mom was enjoying the queue.

I’m all about firsts… and I’m pretty sure TSMM was a perfect “first” ride for mom!! She loved it!!

On our way to Sunset Boulevard we passed some Citizens of Hollywood.

“Oh, oh… take my picture!”
“I SAID no paparazzi.”

 

[HollyBelle]

When we got to the end of Sunset, we found that the fastpass return times for both RNR and ToT were between 1 and 2 pm… looks like we’d have to decide which of the two e-tickets we’d be hitting up. I let mom decide, and she went with the Tower of Terror! A mighty fine choice. Especially for someone who isn’t exactly fond of heights.

Uggghhh… the line was tremendously long; it was about an hour wait before we hit the lobby, wrapping around the outdoor gardens. Now, heat is very rarely an issue for us; neither of us is really bothered by it. However, the misters in the garden… that’s a whole other story. There was mist, but no fans to blow the mist. So instead of cooling people off, the mist just created more humidity and moisture in the air… the area simply felt muggy and stagnant. NOT REFRESHING in the slightest!

It was just after 11 am by the time we exited the Tower of Terror and we were in desperate need of a cold coke. We picked one up at the Scary Apothecary and made our way towards the back of the park. On our way we passed the characters out around the Hat. Now, one of my goals for the morning was a meet and greet with Minnie. Over time, in looking at Brett’s and my pictures, it had become clearer and clearer to me that Minnie was my mom’s favorite. Of course, the 11:00 set had been cut off so I made a mental note to get there early for the last set of the day. So we made a quick tour of the Muppet Courtyard and Streets of America before heading back towards the front of the park. We got there around twenty to 12 and decided to hold up the railing where Minnie would be.

Just before the characters were supposed to come out, a CM approached us to say that Minnie had taken off for the Kingdom. Really, Minnie?! Of all days for you to blow off work! :lol: Oh well… as the characters started coming out we moved over to line up for Chip and Dale:

After meeting the munks we said goodbye to the Studios and made our way out of the park in search of lunch. The attraction we missed that I really wish we would’ve had time for? Definitely Muppet Vision 3D!

 

[HollyBelle]

I’m not gonna lie, it was a bit of a rough morning… between the crazy crowds, melt-your-face-off heat, and my personal stress level, I knew I was going to have to take a different approach with the rest of the trip. Obviously, I was already aware that we wouldn’t be able to see and do everything on this trip, but after our morning at DHS I had to accept that we wouldn’t even come close to doing all the things I was planning. So with that… I decided to change gears and focus on simply enjoying the things we did get to do. Luckily, this made the rest of our trip much smoother.

I thought Beaches and Cream would be a great place for lunch for a couple of reasons. It’s well-themed, provides an opportunity to check out the Epcot resort area, and they don't accept reservations so there was a good chance we'd actually get a table. Unfortunately, we had to wait over thirty minutes for our table, and then we were graced with the slowest server EVER. Lunch was delicious, but by the time our server finally returned with the change, it was closing in on 2 pm and we were ready to get back to Coronado and relax a little bit.

Back at Coronado, we mixed up some yummy adult beverages and meandered over to the dig site. It was so hot out the pool felt like bathwater, but it was still nice because it wasn’t crowded at all… another reason to forego the value resorts, as I’m just betting those pools were packed.

 

[HollyBelle]

After relaxing at the pool we wandered around and took some pictures of the property before going back to the room to get ready for our evening at Epcot.

It was probably sometime in April, or early May, when Brett and I began planning a “hypothetical” trip for August. This is common for us… it starts with us talking about feasible dates, then we make a short list of the places we’d like to dine, next thing you know we’ve got the dining into some sort of schedule with an idea of where we’d like to go each day. By this point, the term “hypothetical” is kind of a joke. However, it’s not until AP rates come out and we actually book the room that we truly know we’ll be going. So we’ve had a “hypothetical” trip planned for August 12-17 since the first of the summer… well, as mom and I are out wandering around CSR Brett calls to tell me he booked the room for our August trip! Mwahahahaha… I’m so sneaky! It only took me going to Disney without him to get our trip booked! :ROFLOL:

 

[HollyBelle]

We made it to Epcot just before 6pm. Luckily, it was an EMH evening so we would still have a decent amount of time in the park. First up, I checked the tip boards and confirmed what I had already expected… fastpass distribution had closed for the big rides, namely Soarin. After our stressful morning, I had narrowed my definite must-dos to only two things in this park: Illuminations and Soarin.

With that, we took off for the Seas with Nemo and Friends followed by Turtle Talk with Crush. Mom is a huge Finding Nemo fan so I figured this was as good a place to start as any. She thoroughly enjoyed both attractions. We had an excellent time with Crush Dude. He was on point and made much of the show revolve around Buzz Lightyear after a young boy asked Crush if he knew the famous galactic hero!

We took our time exploring the aquariums before heading towards the Land. I figured Soarin’ would have to be an EMH attraction and the posted 90 minute wait confirmed as much. I briefly considered the Nine Dragons for dinner because you can always get a walk-up, but as much as my little foodie heart hated to admit it, I knew we’d be wasting too much time with a table service meal. So we grabbed a sandwich and some potato salad from Sunshine Seasons, which is one of the more reputable counter service locales in my opinion. Dinner was just right (especially after our big lunch). And cheap!! Seriously, I mean, it was so fun to have someone to split meals with. Brett and I usually only split entrees when we’re getting an app, too. And there are so many meals at WDW where I would be much better off with a half-size portion. So this was great for me!

We exited the Land as the sun was beginning to set and made our way towards World Showcase. I was excited, because I just knew mom would love perusing the countries. We started in Canada and slowly made our way towards France… stopping in England to enjoy a little British Invasion.

 

[HollyBelle]

In France we were lured into the Patisserie for a little dessert! Mmmm… delicieux! :slurp:

I don’t remember what this thing was called but it was absolutely divine and I’m counting down the days until I can get another one!

Mom had the fine idea of getting our pastries to go so we could find a good spot for Illuminations, which worked out perfectly. We moved on into Morocco and established a spot along the wall about 30 minutes before the show was to begin. We enjoyed our desserts as we waited, and let me just tell you… this evening was going much smoother than our chaotic morning at the Studios. Although, I was still learning to let it go and had to keep reminding myself not to try and rush us off to see and do everything. The big difference is… I could feel mom soaking up the magic at Epcot, something I don’t think was truly happening at DHS even though I know she enjoyed herself there.

It had actually been awhile since Brett and I lined up early for Illuminations and nothing beats a front row seat! Mom loved it, which had me even more excited for the fireworks at the MK. Afterwards, we continued around World Showcase, unable to spend as much time in each of the countries as we would have liked, but still enjoying the pace.

Being the huge ‘rita fans we are, all along we’d been planning to get margaritas in Mexico and had been talking about it since the drive down. It just didn’t work out when we got there, but that’s okay... something we’ll have to add to the list for her next trip. :animwink: Which she’s already planning. Wooohoo!

 

[HollyBelle]

After a quick river ride on the Gran Fiesta Tour we made our way back into Future World to find that the wait times for the e-tickets had yet to diminish. Instead we hit up the Character Spot for attempt # 2 to meet Minnie Mouse. It was still a 30-40 minute line, but eventually we made it to the front. You’d think in all that time I would have managed to get my camera settings set correctly… I didn’t. Arrrgggghh. I really need an external flash.

Anyway, here are some of our blurry/shadow filled pictures:

Now, it’s no secret that Pluto is one of my favorites. Turns out he was bound and determined to become one of mom’s favorites as well. Pluto was a riot. First he grabbed mom and started dancing with her…

After which he picked a flower from the cardboard tree and gave it to her…

Then he received a well earned kiss…

That’s my Pluto!!

The elusive Minnie was up next… I could just kick myself for messing this one up.

Thankfully, the photopass one turned out and was worth the purchase:

The ones with Donald and Goofy were really bad… it had been a long and tiring day. I gather you already know what Donald and Goofy look like so we’ll be moving on!

After the Character Spot I knew it was time to bite the bullet and just get in line for Soarin. By this time I believe it was at a 45 minute wait. So we got in the standby line, all the while I kept telling mom how much she would love this ride. I was convinced that this was the most perfect ride ever for her! Boy, was I ever wrong!!! My mom, who had no problem with the Tower of Terror, was freaking out on Soarin, due to what I believe was a combination of her fear of heights and a little motion sickness. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen and I think her eyes were closed through most of it.

As soon as we broke through the clouds at the very beginning I knew I’d lost her. I kept trying to distract her, telling her to smell the oranges and all. My favorite part was when we flew through the scene with skiers coming down the mountain slope. She realized what was coming and kept saying, “I don’t wanna go over the mountain… I don’t wanna go over the mountain.” Seriously, I almost peed my pants. And by the time we got off the ride my abs were hurting from the mini workout they’d received. We were laughing so incredibly hard, both throughout the ride and all the way out through the exit queue. She did say she’d ride again when we came back one day… so I guess it didn’t leave any lasting scars. :ROFLOL:

I mean, really, who doesn't like Soarin'?!

I didn’t want my mom's last image of Epcot to be a ride she wasn’t too fond of, so we high-tailed it over to Test Track at approximately midnight. Although she really enjoyed Test Track, the Soarin’ experience was one of my very favorite moments of the entire trip, and one of those memories that will really stick with both of us over time.

As we made our way out of the park, to the lone car in the lot, I was extremely happy. It was obvious that mom had felt the magic at Epcot. We had a great night, and I absolutely couldn’t wait to hit up the Kingdoms the next day.

 

[HopLow]

Yaayyyy!!!! A HollyBelle Trip Report!! This made my day! :sohappy:

It's great that you got some quality time with your mom and it's unbelievable that she's never been to WDW! I am planning a trip in January with a friend who has never been either, so I totally understand the anxiety of not being able to do EVERYTHING while you're there.

Can't wait to read more! :wave:

 

[mouselvrmom]

I'm glad your mom got to meet Minnie finally! How fun! Good thinking to change your plan of attack and just enjoy yourselves! And happy to hear that you mom is planning her next trip!

Your pictures are fabulous! I love all the Coronado Springs shots! Makes me really want to take some time to just check out the resorts!

Are you going this August? We'll be there the 9-21st! Woohoo!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

That Soarin story was hilarious!! Which row were you on?

Your pics are awesome, Holly! Taking pictures inside those slightly dark character meets is always hard.

 

[mouselvrmom]

Oh, yeah, Tammy reminded me! Your soarin' story was too funny! I know someone who doesn't like Soarin' along with Dumbo! :lol:

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Oh, yeah, Tammy reminded me! Your soarin' story was too funny! I know someone who doesn't like Soarin' along with Dumbo! :lol:

I know her!:lol:

 

[HollyBelle]

Yaayyyy!!!! A HollyBelle Trip Report!! This made my day! :sohappy:

It's great that you got some quality time with your mom and it's unbelievable that she's never been to WDW! I am planning a trip in January with a friend who has never been either, so I totally understand the anxiety of not being able to do EVERYTHING while you're there.

Can't wait to read more! :wave:

Aww, thank you! I really did enjoy every moment of sharing WDW with my mom. I believe I've mentioned this before, but my first trip was with Brett when I was an adult. I'm not sure why it has taken this long to get my mom there. We'll have to get dad on the bandwagon, too.

Good luck with your January trip! I'm sure you'll have a blast.

I'm glad your mom got to meet Minnie finally! How fun! Good thinking to change your plan of attack and just enjoy yourselves! And happy to hear that you mom is planning her next trip!

Your pictures are fabulous! I love all the Coronado Springs shots! Makes me really want to take some time to just check out the resorts!

Are you going this August? We'll be there the 9-21st! Woohoo!

OMG... 12 days?! That is awesome, Jenn. Is Lexie going to be able to handle that much Disney? :lol: We'll be there during the middle of your trip, the 12-17. Maybe we'll cross paths! Where are you staying for this trip?

That Soarin story was hilarious!! Which row were you on?

We were middle/left on Soarin. And I still laugh out loud just thinking of that experience. So fun!

Your pics are awesome, Holly! Taking pictures inside those slightly dark character meets is always hard.

Thanks, Tammy. I'm not a big fan of the Character Spot for a lot of reasons... and the darkness paired with the overhead lighting is one of them. Plus I absolutely hate the backgrounds and think they are so incredibly cheesy. I'm still upset that we didn't catch Minnie at the Studios because the pictures are so much better and more natural when they're taken outside.

Oh, yeah, Tammy reminded me! Your soarin' story was too funny! I know someone who doesn't like Soarin' along with Dumbo! :lol:

I know her!:lol:

Not Dumbo???? Okay, okay... now you have to tell me, who are we talking about?! Is it you, Tammy?!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Thanks, Tammy. I'm not a big fan of the Character Spot for a lot of reasons... and the darkness paired with the overhead lighting is one of them. Plus I absolutely hate the backgrounds and think they are so incredibly cheesy. I'm still upset that we didn't catch Minnie at the Studios because the pictures are so much better and more natural when they're taken outside.

Not Dumbo???? Okay, okay... now you have to tell me, who are we talking about?! Is it you, Tammy?!

Thank goodness you weren't on the top row!!:lol:

It's not me!! I LOVE Soarin!!

I hate to tell you but that is the hardest thing for me on Disney cruises. So many of the character shots are inside. The backgrounds aren't bad, well some non character ones are like the cheesy fake cruise ship behind you while you are standing on deck:lol:, but it's just so dark!! I am not good with my external flash either. I need more practice, but about the only time I get it out is on a cruise!! Then it's too late!!:lol:

 

[mouselvrmom]

Well, we are actually staying at a few resorts this time. We're spending four nights at OKW, followed by two nights at BLT and then six at SSR. I know, crazy! But we're super excited to try out some places we've never been before! I'm picturing lots of resort photos!

I'd love to run into your guys! I'm envisioning a group character shot! :lol:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Kelly! I totally thought of you and your experience leaving the guys behind when I realized Brett wouldn't be joining me. I'll admit, it was a bit weird because in my world Disney is synonymous with Brett.

Uh-oh, how long until we see your vow renewal trippie? Should we all be taking bets, because I know you're treading in dangerous territory over there. I, too, am waiting patiently for Tom and Sarah's report. He really knows how to build the anticipation!

Awwww...I feel ya on missing your guy. It's weird when that guy is your bestest Disney friend, too. When Tracey & I went without the boys the first day or so felt like we were missing something, like that feeling you get when you know you forgot something but can't remember what it is no matter how hard you try. We got over that, tho. LOL! Being there without any of them paired with being there with a total other set of family was like I had forgotten something really important like to put on a bra or something before heading out ((<--I've never actually done that..I could just imagine the horror)). It just felt so odd. If it's possible for 2 people to be too connected at the hip I'll have to admit it's me & Tracey. As Forrest would say, "We're like peas-n-carrots." Ask any of our family & they'll tell ya we're the most pathetic bunch of people ever. LOL!

Vow renewal. I wish. The downturn in the job market since Tracey's project ended in the spring has been brutal. If the September trip goes off it'll be nothing short of a miracle. ((We do the "hypothetical" trip planning, too!)) This fall is a whole new chapter in our lives with us jumping in on the homeschooling. I think any other challenges thrown in right now would drive me over the edge. Next month will be our 17th anniversary. My sis-in-law has mentioned we should shoot for our 20th but I don't like how predictable those round numbers are. I'd much rather do our 19th or 21st. I'm such a perpetual weirdo! My practical side says doing a vow renewal is just a big silly expense but the hopeless little dreamer of a girl in me (the one who still requires dollies in her daily life) says it'd be fun to dress up like a Princess and shoot for the stars. But...reality...there's the issues with family & all...who to invite or not invite. In all honesty, I think I'd just want it to be the 4 of us. Tracey, however, says he'd want his parents there...then I'd have to invite my parents and my parents + Disney = an element of stress that would make the whole thing not-so-fun for me. A dress sure wouldn't be a problem. I'll have to tell you the story sometime about how my insane husband bought me my "Princess dress" for my 34th birthday just because he thought I should have one. **sigh** For a lot of reasons I just keep telling myself that some daydreams are best left as they are as dreams. The setting doesn't make my dress pretty. It does that all by itself. ..... I wish I could read one of those amazing reports/stories about you & Brett doing a wedding adventure at Disney! Y'all would be so totally adorable. I could so see characters as part of your day....

I've never once given a single thought to staying at Coronado...until I saw this set of pics. Beautiful!!!! The room looks like a spa...sooooo relaxing...I wanna curl up in one of those beds and take a nap. Was your building close to the main/central building? I've always been kinda put off by how big the resort is but now I'm thoroughly intrigued....

I mean, really, who doesn't like Soarin'?!

OMG! The pics of your mom with Pluto are absolutely adorable! These so capture what it's all about! And you can see how your mom 'gets it' which is the coolest thing ever. It may have been stressful and "melt your face hot" but you did a good job of introducing a noob to The World. It's great that you realized so quickly that what you did get to do needed to be enjoyed rather than fussing over what you didn't get to do. That's so awesome that you got to share that with your mom. Very, very cool!

Um, I can answer your question. My mom went to WDW with my brother & my aunt who's a huge Disney fan in late May. She went again in mid-July with my brother & his 2 daughters (the crew from my May '09 report). My mom is terrified of heights. She also has issues if she feels out of control or like she's stuck somewhere she can't walk away from. Apparently, my mother hates Soarin'. The height freaks her out. Being strapped in where you can't do anything about it until the ride is over no matter how short it is didn't sit well with her either. This is contrasted by my mother-in-law who hates heights but loves Soarin'. She's so funny to watch. She uses the kiddie strap when buckling in. Then when the gliders lift off she has her hands white-knuckled on the hand-holds on either side, sucks in a deep breath, and pushes her self back in her seat. That initial lift-off scares her but she loooooves the ride.

I'm lovin' your report! (big shock, right?) I can't wait to read the next installment. I bet Mom is gonna love the Kingdoms. I'll be interested to see if Wishes has the magical effect for her.

Oh! And can I just say that I hope to grow up & stay as in shape as your mom?! Holy crap! She looks like she keeps in awesome shape which I so totally have this thing in my mind that I want to always be that healthy & be able to participate fully in all of life's adventures. Kudos to her!