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?!

 

[HollyBelle]

We timed it just right and entered the Festival of the Lion King about 5 minutes before show time. There really isn’t a bad seat in that theater. Mom was in awe with the quality of the performance. I think this was the moment she made some comment about how Disney doesn’t mess around!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to meet any of the characters in Camp Minnie Mickey when the show was over. We were on a mission to get to the next showing of Finding Nemo: The Musical. Mom loves Finding Nemo, so I knew this show would be a real hit. After seeing both it and FOTLK she thought they were each so good she couldn’t choose a favorite.

By this time it was after noon and we hadn’t had a thing to eat in our excitement to see and do as much as we could that morning. So after a quick stop in the Island Mercantile we bid adieu to the Animal Kingdom. It was time for lunch!

I just knew the Animal Kingdom would be a success with my mom, and it was; our morning could not have been better. We accomplished the four attractions that I felt were must-dos for her first trip and we even had time to sneak in a meet and greet with Lilo and Stitch!

 

[HollyBelle]

For lunch I decided to take mom over to Olivia’s at Old Key West. I knew she’d appreciate the ambience of OKW and based on experience I figured we wouldn’t have any trouble getting a table. Luckily, this was the case. We were seated right away and quickly ordered up a couple margaritas!! While they were lacking a punch of flavor, they did have a smooth dose of tequila, so who am I to complain?! :ROFLOL:

We split the turkey club with homemade potato chips. It was perfect! And again, I loved having someone to split meals with!

It was 2 pm and time for the Magic Kingdom! FINALLY.

Off we went to the TTC to park the car; we hopped on a tram headed for the Express Monorail:

Barely missing a monorail, I told mom it would just be a few minutes and we’d be on our way. Yeah… not so much. The next one came around and passed on by, which wasn’t too surprising, because they switch them on the tracks every now and then. So we waited. Monorail Orange came around and sat there for awhile with the doors closed, mocking us, before moving on:

When the third one showed up, we boarded (along with a zillion others who’d been waiting) and then we had to sit there while the system rebooted. Eventually, we started moving… no sooner than we passed through the Contemporary, we stopped again. For another 10-15 minutes. Arrggrrgghhhhh!!

 

[HollyBelle]

By the time we actually made it to the MK, we’d lost a full hour. Of all days to lose an hour! Also, this meant we missed the afternoon parade. We took our time walking down Main Street, and unlike in the other parks, I think I did a better job at letting mom savor the moment.

Wait times were crazy all over the park and it was absolutely blazing when we showed up at the Magic Kingdom, so after spending some time in the hub we headed to Philharmagic to cool off a bit. It was a great reprieve from the heat and mom really enjoyed it. I’m not sure which she liked better, Philharmatic or It’s Tough To Be A Bug, but they were both big hits.

We rounded the corner to Tomorrowland for one of my favorites… the Transit Authority! Woo! Obviously, while we were aboard we passed through Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Mom seemed quite intrigued by it so we grabbed our first fastpasses of the trip. What?! First fastpasses, what kind of trip planner am I? Apparently not a very good one.

The heat was palpable and I had just the remedy… dole whips!

On our way over to Adventureland we stopped for a few pictures and caught the tail end of the castle forecourt show.

We grabbed our dole whips (from one of the most unpleasant CMs ever) and gobbled them up as we headed to Pirates of the Caribbean. During this short span of time a crazy wind picked up and the temperature felt like it dropped tremendously. By the time we got to POTC, the sky was looking like this:

 

[HollyBelle]

After the ride it was about 6pm and we were hoping the weather would hold off. Actually, it got to the point where I was just hoping the sky would open up and get it over with. Bring on the humidity. Unfortunately, this isn’t how things happened. I bagged my camera and we headed over to Big Thunder Mountain to grab fastpasses for later. From there we attempted to dodge the rain as we crossed through Frontierland and Liberty Square. I had planned to stop at the Haunted Mansion, but the wait time was ridiculous! Instead, when we got back to Fantasyland we hopped in line for It’s a Small World just as the rain really started to come down.

IASW was on my must-do list because it was the only thing my mom remembered from a short trip to Disneyland when she was just six years old. And I think it holds a special place in her heart!!

We made our way back to Tomorrowland to redeem the BLSRS fastpasses. Mom was a big fan, which is something that surprised me a bit coming out of the trip. Although, I’m sure it didn’t hurt that she beat me! It was a slightly different ride for me too this time, because I was left to control the spinner, which is usually Brett’s area of expertise. After all he does max out the score EVERY SINGLE TIME.

 

[HollyBelle]

We were really in need of some food and I was drawing a blank. Our usual suspects at the MK, like the Plaza and Tony’s, were completely unavailable. I knew this because Brett had tried numerous times over the last two days to score us a table. We wandered into Cosmic Ray’s and neither one of us was really interested in the options. We headed back towards Main Street… where Casey’s came to the rescue! And surprisingly, it hit the spot. Luckily we were able to stake out a table and didn’t have to sit on those awful bleachers to eat.

We took our time, seeing as how the rain was really coming down outside. But eventually we felt guilty sitting there as others tried to eat standing up, so we gave our table to some poor souls and headed out into the downpour. My mood was starting to sour a bit, because it was clear the rain wasn’t going anywhere and the parade and fireworks were looking less and less likely.

We browsed through the Emporium (along with a zillion other people). I love the bobbleheads. I noticed they had a Little Green Man bobble and I got really excited. I thought it would be such a fun gift for Brett. The only problem is this particular one was chipped a bit and I couldn’t find any others. So I made a mental note to check the next morning at the World of Disney.

Eventually, we headed back out into the rain and towards Liberty Square. I figured it would be a good time to hit up the Haunted Mansion. We were pretty well soaked when we reached the bridge, and at that point we stopped to re evaluate our plan for the rest of the evening. I’m sad to say we decided to call it a night. If we’d have known for sure that the parade or fireworks were going to definitely take place we would’ve stayed. But we couldn’t be certain.

Sadly, we walked back to Main Street. To make ourselves feel a little better we stopped in the bakery to pick up a few yummy treats on the way out.

 

[HollyBelle]

While I absolutely hated leaving the Magic Kingdom, especially without seeing either of the night time shows, I have to admit it was probably best that we did because we were able to avoid a mass exodus of the park. And it didn’t take us too long to get back to the resort. Once there, of course, the rain stopped. Ahhhh…. If only!

We took a quick walk around the grounds and enjoyed our pastries by the pool before heading back to the room to pack up our suitcases and prepare for check out.

Personally, I was really disappointed with our time at the Magic Kingdom. We didn’t hardly accomplish anything. I mean, c’mon we didn’t make it to any of the mountains. And other than the castle forecourt show, we didn’t see a single character. Soooooo sad! Of all the parks, this is the first one mom wants to return to because she felt like she missed so much (and she did). So I really can’t wait to take her back for a proper trip!

 

[HollyBelle]

Thursday, July 1: Checkout/Kona Café/DTD

So Thursday morning we got up early, packed up the car and headed up to El Centro to checkout. While I was checking us out, mom grabbed some croissants from Café Rix for us to munch on in the car later. Just FYI, these were super overpriced. Much of the stuff was similar to what they serve at the Main Street bakery, however, there weren’t any prices on anything. The croissants were just about double what they cost in the parks. I’m thinking this must have everything to do with CSR being a conference resort. So beware!

We hopped in the car and made our way over to the Polynesian for breakfast at the Kona Café. We had 8:25 am reservations and were seated right away. Of course we split the Tonga Toast and it made for a perfect last meal at Disney.

After breakfast we headed over to Downtown Disney. We got there just after 9 am, but the shops didn’t open until 9:30, which surprised me a bit. I don’t know why but I just assumed they opened at 9 like the parks. Goofy’s was open early, though!

We picked out some things in the World of Disney and to my dismay I couldn’t find the Little Green Man bobblehead anywhere. ARrrgghhhh. While I knew I’d be back in less than two months I really wanted to get it as a gift for Brett. I asked the folks at the information desk if they could check the system to see if it was available at any of the resort gift shops. Nope! Parks and WOD only, they said. The gentleman told me MouseGear and the shop by TSMM were the only ones who still had it in stock.

Being the good sport that she is, my mom said she didn’t mind doing guest drop off at one of them. So we jumped in the car and took off for the Studios. I’m not quite sure why I didn’t go to MouseGear instead because guest drop off at DHS is the worst ever. Hindsight 20/20. I busted my butt to get all the way back to Pixar Place, weaving in and out of people, only to find that they didn’t have it and apparently hadn’t carried it in a long time. What?! I was not a happy camper, to say the least. By the time I made it back to the car I was rather mad. The lesson here… the merchandising system isn’t always up to date. If you’re gonna do something like this, have the person your speaking with confirm it at the other location before you go looking for it!

I didn’t want to take a chance on the same thing happening at Epcot, so with that, we buckled up and said our final goodbyes to WDW.

 

[HollyBelle]

Overall there were some rough patches during our trip but I know my mom still felt the magic most of the time. And that is really all I could ask for. As we were driving home I was asking her all kinds of questions about her favorite things and how WDW compared to the expectations she had of it going in (especially after hearing me talk the place up over the last 5-6 years) and one of the comments she made put a smile on my face. She said it really wasn’t like any other place she’d ever been and if someone can’t find something they enjoy at WDW, than they’re not going to be happy anywhere!

While I was super disappointed with some parts of our trip because things didn’t pan out the way I expected/wanted them too, I would still consider it a super success. I mean, after all she’s totally planning a trip that includes my dad as well. And I can’t wait for both of them to join Brett and I for a more well planned out trip… that includes some good dining!

Thanks for reading along everyone! Seeing that Brett and I are leaving in just 5 short days for our August trip, I'll be back soon enough with another report! :sohappy:

 

[HollyBelle]

Yay! I love your trip reports! Such beautiful photos and always a good read. I've always wanted to introduce WDW to a newbie and show them it's not all for little ones.

Agreed! I have never looked at Coronado as a place I wanted to stay. Your photos have changed my mind! And your Mom looks amazing!!

Thanks, DIPSU224! I hope you have a chance to introduce a first-timer! It was a lot of fun to see the place we all love through new eyes. Also, I must say, I totally think my mom looks amazing, too. And Coronado rocks!

Same here. First time I did Astro Orbiters I was 26. Even though I've never had a problem with heights, I was terrified. I'll probably never do it again, but didn't feel like I could call myself a true WDW fanatic if I haven't experienced everything once.

You make a good point with regards to being terrified of the Astro-Orbiter. While I love it, it does give the sensation that you're going to be flung right from your rocket and out into Tomorrowland. :ROFLOL:

 

[TiggerTime]

Thanks Holly for the link...and this great trip report.....glad your Mom (and you) had a nice time. I'm already looking forward to the one from your upcoming trip....and the one on CC for your cruise.

Have a great time and safe travels!

 

[blackthidot]

Good stuff Hol, its great you got to spend some time in The World, just you and mom. A planned trip with Dad and Bret as well and of course some dining will be a lot more fun. Can't wait to look and read that one!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

That was an awesome report, Holly! I'm so glad your mom found the magic even with a rushed trip.

 

[mouselvrmom]

I'm so happy that your mom found the magic, Holly!

Bummer about not finding your bobble head! How frustrating! But how lucky that you're heading back again!

Loved all your great pictures! Can't wait to be taking some of my own soon! :sohappy:

 

[popsicletrees]

This is one of the reasons, Brett and I started having one of us approach the characters, while the other shoots, and hopes to catch something fun. Then we hand over the camera for a quick picture of the two of us.

This is a really great idea. The only times that we got great candid photos with the characters is when my mom had the camera. I'll have to keep that in mind because Jordan -much to my surprise- really enjoyed meeting the characters.

I really enjoyed your trip report, and I am so excited for your next one! It stinks that your time at the MK was cut short and you didn't get a chance to do many things, but I'm really glad that your mom had a great time. I hope that you and Brett have a great upcoming trip! Looking forward to seeing where the two of you are going to dine.

 

[Tiggerish]

Yippee! What a great surprise to find a HollyBelle trip report!

Loved the story. And the pictures, especially the one of your mom waiting for Minnie at DHS. She looks so excited!

I've taken my mom on two "just us" trips, both of them fairly brief, yet somehow we never felt rushed; sometimes, you just gotta let go and let things be! My mom was very nervous to ride Soarin', but kept her eyes open the whole time and was so proud of herself afterwards!

Thanks for sharing it all, and I'll be looking forward to the next report!

 

[diddy_mouse]

Aww, that's a shame about the MK. But it's good to know your mom felt the Disney magic regardless.

I am putting together my must-do list for our trip...I really want to go with the flow since it's our anniversary And I also know that we won't be able to do *everything* like we usually do.

 

[jhoff3405]

Thanks for the enjoyable reading, and have a great time on your upcoming trip!
Looking forward to your next report. :animwink:

 

[disneygirl1]

I just love a Holly trip report!!! Guess what we leave for Disney on the 12th too!!! Just 4 more days!!! :sohappy: Where are you guys staying??? Super excited! These next few days can not go quick enough!!

 

[Ariel484]

Great trip report Holly! :sohappy: Your CSR pictures are beautiful.

I am going to be taking a similar trip the last weekend of February for the Princess Half...my husband and I are the WDW "vets" and the newbies are my mom and brother (technically not newbies but their last trip was in 1995 so a lot has changed since then!). I can totally relate to the, I don't know, pressure of wanting the trip to be a huge success and wanting to get everything in, in such a short time (we can only be in WDW Friday evening-Monday). It seems like you did a great job, especially right in the middle of summer! If your mom is already planning a return trip that's pretty much all you can ask for.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I so hope your September trip goes as "hypothetically" planned! I'd say you all need it with what's been going on lately. So here's to hoping some pixie dust comes your way!

I'm not gonna lie, I've totally pictured Brett and I having a Disney wedding adventure. With characters! :lol: Plus, I'm not the type that wants a crazy lot of people around. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

LOVE Coronado! Honestly, it feels a little more upscale than the other moderates. No doubt that has a lot to do with the bedding/upgrades. We were in Casitas building 1 which was very close to the central building, probably as close as you could possibly get. Having a spread out resort doesn't tend to bother us because we have the luxury of driving. Actually, the mods and values are much better choices with regards to parking than the deluxes. Mostly because we can always park right outside our building/room. Granted, I realize it's a whole other story when you're relying solely on Disney transport.

That's hilarious that she uses the kiddie strap! :ROFLOL:For my mom I really don't think it was the height that bothered her most... I believe it was the motion sicknesss/tilting of the screen.

From the very start I knew the order in which I wanted to introduce her to the parks and I'm glad I stuck with that. As for Wishes... you'll have to wait and see what happened.

And, ummm, yeah... I hope I look like that when I grow up, too. Her calf muscles put mine to shame! :lol:

Oh dear... Kelly you need to add these things to the itinerary for September. I can just see you, Tracey and the boys on Dumbo! Fabulous picture taking opportunity!

Awwww..thanks, Holly! We can use all the pixie dust we can get. I never complain because I know so many other people have had a much rougher go of things through the big economic downturn than us. We've been blessed in so many ways that I just don't feel like it would be right to allow myself to wallow in self-pity. I hope September (or some sort of fall getaway) works out for us in the end. Mostly I want it for Tracey. The poor dear has been working at least 10 hours day 7 days a week since the middle of June. The only day off he's had since then was July 4th. Even through having a terribly ingrown toenail "doctored" at the podiatrist (he took off for an hour to go let the doc do her slice-n-dice then went back to work) he's been bustin' his rump bringin' home the bacon. And never complains. Plus, I want to compose another adventure story! I even have Ellie Boo fixed up with a killer poolside ensemble!

Ya know, I hear the Disney Cruise Line weddings are much less brutal on the budget than a WDW wedding. And, if I'm not mistaken, characters can be involved. Wouldn't that be just awesome to combine your cruisin' love with some Disney love then sprinkle in some character love and have it all centered around the love between you and Brett??? It's too perfect! ((I hope I'm dooming you to a DCL wedding so I can read your report on that adventure!))

For the "hypothetical" September adventure we're gonna make our journey a road trip. 2 teen/preteen boys, the family dog, Ellie Boo, Tracey, and me all piled into the car for 2 days & nearly 900 miles of fun. No more depending solely on Disney's buses this go around! WooHooo!!! I think that's what got me about the Coronado pics is the upscale feel. Tracey & I stayed at POFQ in May '08 and loved how intimate and peaceful the resort was. The rooms were nice but definitely not on the level of Coronado's. I showed Tracey the picture and the first thing out of his mouth was, "That looks like the bedding at the Contemporary...just take the little runner down the middle of the bed & lay it across the foot and there it is." So true! Were the beds super-comfy like the Contemporary? Hhmmm....

I wasn't there when my mom was having her Soarin' moment but from what she said & knowing what bothers her I think it was mostly the lack of control thing. It's hard to explain. If she's in a situation that doesn't feel okay to her she *has* to be able to get out. There *has* to be an out. I'm sure the motion made her uncomfortable, they were front/center so she was very high up, and there is no way to get off that thing or walk away until the show is over (unless you pitch a fit & cause the CM's to stop the show which I know she would never have done). It's hard to envision not loving that attraction, tho. Seriously. It's up there on our list of must-dos.

Your mom is a IaSW girl??? That rocks! So many people have such a hate-thing going on for the song, etc. but it's one of my all-time favorites. No surprise with my doll *thing*. LOL! Even the song...I love it! I went to grade school in Orlando (Lancaster Elementary...Woot!) so when we learned to sing in round in Music class, guess what we sang??? Yep! IaSW! When you get a large group of children singing both verses in round it's actually very pretty. And when the boys were babies I'd rock them and softly sing that song to them. It's a comfort thing. So if you're ever on a boat going thru that ride and there's some insane annoying chick in front of you singing along, enjoying that voyage entirely too much it's probably moi! LOL!

When I read the line: "As for Wishes... you'll have to wait and see what happened." I totally knew it didn't go off as you had hoped. Ugh! I didn't want to be right!!!! I'm so sorry your mom didn't get to see Wishes with you. Then again, if she's hooked enough to be planning a trip with your dad included there must have been an impression made even without Wishes. Wishes always means more to me when I'm standing there watching with my guys. It'll be that much more special for her to experience it the first time with her dearest and you and Brett all together. At least for me, wishes and dreams-come-true always center around my little family. So from that perspective, maybe it was meant to be for that experience to be saved for a later date.

I love your mom's perspective about WDW as a whole. There IS so much to do & see. If someone can go there and not find a single thing that they like then there has to be something wrong with them. Your mom sounds like a pretty cool chickadee, if you ask me. :animwink: And, yeah! She does have some ripped calves! I'll take those any day!

I so need to make a list of all the things we always say we're going to do and never do. We could probably fill a trip with the list. Off to add the Astro Orbiters, Dumbo, and the Magic Carpets......