How Late is too late for a Trip Report?

I recently discovered this site and really love it! I'm enjoying reading the trip reports and wanted to share my trip from Feb 2012. We took our kids on their first trip to Orlando. I hope it's not bad form to include a trip that's almost a year old. I'm suffering major Disney withdrawal right now! Having kids majorly cut into my vacation budget.

 

[RandomPrincess]

On February 11th we hit the road for our first ever family trip to Disney World!​

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We went and picked up the minivan from the rental place with snow flurries in the air. My husband loaded in the carseats and luggage while I did the last minute item grab. The kids were both really excited. Honey Bunny knew where we were going and had some sort of idea of what Disney World was from videos and pictures. Little Guy was just wrapped up in the excitement that "something big" was going on. We were originally going to hit the road at 10 am but we didn't leave until 11:30 (oops!).​

Kiddos in our rental van ready for the road.​

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Both the kids had brand new car toys or at least new to them . I held back this really cool princess art desk Honey Bunny's great aunt got her for Christmas, iPad and the portable video player for my old iPod all for Honey Bunny's use. I had bought toy arch for Little Guys car seat and we brought our normal bin of car books. My husband had loaded us up with snacks and we were finally ready to go only and hour and a half late.​

First day was mostly uneventful we had to stop every three hours or so. Honey Bunny (2 months shy of her 3rd birthday) was in the process of potty training and Little Guy (11 months) was still breast feeding and refusing most solid foods. This made me a little nervous about driving but it worked out great. We would stop and my husband would take Honey Bunny inside some tourist attraction while I fed Little Guy. When I was done I would go in and take Honey Bunny to the restroom while the guys walked around.​

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We hit the boarder between the Carolinas at about 6:00 pm just in time for dinner. We had planned to eat at South of the Boarder as we thought Honey Bunny would like the neon lights and the classic aka tacky roadside decor.

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We ate at the Sombrero Restaurant which is not in the sombrero shaped building (go figure). It was named for the hundreds of sombreros hanging from the ceiling and located in a building across the street from the neon covered sombrero shaped building.​

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We got to the Sombrero Restaurant and discovered not a single sombrero was to be seen - disappointing. The place smelled like it had been freshly painted with in the past day or so. So I guess they were in the midst of a remodel.​

I don't remember what Honey Bunny got to eat I'm thinking quesadilla and Little Guy munched happily on tortilla chips. My husband got the sampler platter and I got my standby of enchiladas. The food was about what you would expect from a "Mexican" place on the boarder of North and South Carolina. Better then Taco Bell but I make better at home with the Old El Paso Taco Kit. At least I know to add some salsa, cumin and cheese to my canned beans.​

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We hit the road again no more stops until we got to our hotel for the night in Savannah at about 10:30 that evening. Tip for staying in a hotel with kids. Get a room on the bottom floor. With in 10 minutes of checking in we had a complaint come in about the noise. Honey Bunny was running and jumping all over the room and Little Guy wanted to crawl, crawl, crawl. We finally got everyone settled down around midnight with the lights out.​

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Up Next - Destination In Sight - Our first Day on Disney Property.​

 

[Zipadeelady]

I'm in...I don't mind your report being a year old.. To me Disney is Disney I don't care when it happened!!

 

[Kristia]

Never too late for a trip report!

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 2 - Little Cabin in the Woods

The plan was to get up at 8:00 (our normal wake up) time and hit the road around 9:00 but that didn't happen. We all slept in. I blame the awesome blackout curtains at the Savannah Super 8 This picture time stamped at 10:30 am shows the kids watching my husband load our overnight bag into the minivan from our 3rd floor window. So another hour and a half late start.

We had originally planned on hitting a sit down place we had found on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives but we decided to get drive through and hit the road. An hour later we got to the Florida boarder. We had a few stops on the way for gas and lunch the kids were still doing well in the car but not as well as the first day. We hit a snag between Daytona and Orlando TRAFFIC! Slowed us down quite a bit.

I remember seeing our first Disney billboard always a big deal on a car drive - it means we're getting closer. Finally around 4:00 our exit!

As we got close to one of the entrance gates to the property. My husband asked if I wanted him to pull over to take a picture in front of the sign. I wasn't sure that would be safe so we decided to play it by ear. Disney had kindly taken care of that decision for us.

New from our visit in 2007 were these big "No Stopping Signs" with flashing lights. I guess to many people had had the same idea in the past and stopped to take pictures.

Gates as we drove through.
The one thing that gets me every time is how HUGE the Disney World property is! I always marvel at the giant highway going through it and how spread out the everything is compared to Disneyland.

About 4:30 we got to Fort Wilderness to check in to our cabin. The cast member at the desk was helpful at the Online Check In desk but seemed rushed. I think she was technically off the clock when I walked up as she turned away people that came after me. Maybe the only man this desk during the busier check in times? Our cabin was in one of the first loops closet to the check in the exact opposite of what I had requested but as they say they cant guarantee requests. I wanted to be closer to the boat dock - oh well.

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Mousekeeping had left us a few surprises. These flowers in the living room and these Mickey shaped towels in the bedroom.​

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My husband unpacked the car while the kids explored the cabin. The loved the cabinets and were climbing in and out playing peek a boo. Getting their energy out after a day and a half in the car.​

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The cabin was a nice size I was a little worried about sharing it with my in laws as there was just one bathroom but it was never and issue. The plan was my in laws would be sleeping on the Murphy bed in the living/kitchen area and the kids, my husband and I had the bedroom. Honey Bunny was really excited to sleep on the top bunk of the bed.​

 

[TheMouseFan]

Great start to your TR. As others have said, it's never too late to relive your WDW trip through a TR! I'm glad to hear that you liked the cabins. We have been thinking of staying in one for our next trip. There are 5 of us which limits our room choices. Can't wait to read more!

 

[RandomPrincess]

After unpacking it was time to head over to the The Wilderness Lodge for diner we had 6:15 reservations at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. My in laws were meeting us there. They had been in Florida a couple days already, visiting with family.

It was my first time at Wilderness Lodge. Much nicer then any place we had stayed. The parking lot was right across from the entrance which was nice. They had a valet but we didn't need it as we got a great spot. My husband took Honey Bunny for a walk while I checked in and waited with Little Guy.

Honey Bunny with my Father in Law​

My two Guys​

My in laws arrived just as my husband and Honey Bunny were getting back from their walk. We still had a bit more of a wait. It didn't seem like anyone was leaving. I guess that is one of the downsides of having such a kid friendly restaurant. The were having parades around the restaurant and there was lots of yelling of "Ketchup!" They placed all the ketchup bottles for the restaurant at one table and if another table wants ketchup someone from your table has to carry all the bottle to the table that is calling for it.

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Playing at the Lincoln Logs table with Grandma in the waiting area.​

We were finally seated about 30 minutes past our advanced dining time. The place was really busy and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
We were seated thankfully in a back patio area of the restaurant. It is still inside the hotel but outside the main room of the restaurant. It only had about 4 tables and it was the perfect spot for us. There was a beautiful fireplace and we were near the water feature.

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Drinks were served in mason jars.​

The men folk both ordered the pork loin and my mother in law and I both got the Canyon Skillet. I figured since we had the full kitchen back at the cabin left overs weren't an issue.

Canyon Skillet - Smoked Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Oven-roasted Chicken, Beef Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, Cowboy Beans, and Corn on the Cob, Mixed Greens Salad with Apple Vinaigrette, Coleslaw, and Fresh-baked Cornbread - All You Can Eat.​

Pork Loin Rib Chop with Chorizo-Tillamook Grits, Buttered Chard, Tart Cherry Salsa, and Natural Juices​

The staff was very friendly and had no problems with us sharing the All You Can Eat items with the whole table. They brought out four plates even though we had only ordered two skillets. The skillet items are served family style. All the food was good and we enjoyed the meal.

After we ordered dessert and then Honey Bunny needed to use the bathroom. Tip don't let your kids go to the bathroom alone unless they are older I could see a kid year old getting lost since the hall way the bathroom is in can be accessed by the lobby and the restaurant. It's easy to get turned around and end up in the wrong place.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Banana-Buttered Rum Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream​

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American Beauty Chocolate Cake​

Whispering Canyon S’mores with Warm Dark Chocolate Sauce, Graham Crackers, and Marshmallow Gelato​

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All the desserts were yummy! Honey Bunny and Little Guy liked the s'mores. Honey Bunny loved the marshmallows and Little Guy happily munched on graham crackers. They didn't touch the chocolate sauce.​

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After dinner we went back to the hotel and Honey Bunny discovered the surprise the Princesses had left her. She had a Tinker Bell hair bow, autograph book and lanyard with some starter pins.​

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Up Next - Our First Day in the Parks - Epcot​

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 3 - Around the World in Half a Day

So out of the 222 photos I have collected from this day I have picked a few to represent our first day in the parks. Most things I have read about Disney Wold say that Epcot is the least popular park with small children. Maybe back when it first opened or even 10 years ago but Epcot has stepped up it's game when it comes to kids. Epcot and Magic Kingdom are the two things Honey Bunny talks about the most. I did my research to make "boring" old Epcot fun for her and it most have worked because she loved it!

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To start the day she had a care package from Belle. A note with a new hair bow attached, new princess shoes for wearing in the park and a passport for World Showcase.

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Advantage to sharing a cabin with my in laws they helped entertain the kids while we were getting ready.​

We all piled in out rental van and headed to Epcot. Honey Bunny was very excited and couldn't wait to get there. We had decided to split Epcot into two separate days since we figured the kids wouldn't be able to make it all day without a meltdown.

We got there about 9:30 and the park opened at 9:00 so we didn't do to bad. We were able to park in the 2nd section back, near the main walk way. People were lined up for the tram but it was an easy 3 minute walk. Much faster then waiting for a tram. Honey Bunny was so excited when we cleared the bushes and she saw the Epcot "Ball" aka Spaceship Earth she wanted to run the whole way there.

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There was a bit of a line to get through the turn styles. We finally got into the park at about 10:00. The plan was to go straight to World Showcase which opened at 10:00, so we were right on time but on the way there I saw the line for the Character Spot was only 15 minutes. I knew that Mickey and some of his friends were in there so I figured we could get 2 or 3 characters done with little wait.

When we walked in to get in line we could see Mickey and Pluto in their little alcoves and we could see a third alcove but not who was in it. We got in our first line and Honey Bunny waited as patiently as a almost 3 year old can. She enjoyed talking to the other kids as we snaked out way through the line.

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We finally got to the front of the line and it was shift change. All the characters left at the same time and a minute later they all came back out. So we got a brand new fresh Mickey. Honey Bunny was very excited and walked right up. Mickey bowed to her and kissed her hand. Then posed with her for a more formal picture. She got her very first autograph and then it was Little Guys turn.

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He seem fine with Mickey from afar. No smile but he was checking Mickey out. The second Mickey leaned in for a kiss he lost it. We quickly moved on to the next character.

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Next up was Pluto because of the shift change Pluto was ready and waiting for us. Little Guy was still wary from Mickey and I could tell he was tired so we didn't get a really good shot but no crying.

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Next up was Minnie and as we walked to her alcove we had a short wait just one family in front of us and one taking pictures. I could finally see around the curve to the rest of the space and we could see Donald and Goofy were out too. Honey Bunny got her picture and autograph and Little Guy grumpily allowed us to take a picture of him near her. And no that is not my bra in the picture. I was wearing a tank underneath.

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Next was Donald again just a few families in front of us. Little Guy was fading fast so I didn't really get him in for a good shot.

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Our last stop, Goofy. He had a bit of a back up and we had to wait about 5 minutes. Honey Bunny was a little intimidated by his height but she did well. The Photopass photographer at Goofy was the least engaged with what was going on - and surprise, surprise he had the worst shots of our meet and greet.

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When we were done and walking out the door Honey Bunny asked me "Where is Daisy?" I knew where Daisy was doing Meet and Greets at the entrance of the park. So we high tailed it back under Spaceship Earth. Low and behold Daisy was gone but the photographer told us she was fixing her makeup and would be right back so we were first in line. Apparently Daisy is Honey Bunny's favorite. Who knew? Honey was very excited to meet Daisy and was getting amped back up while we were waiting in line. When Daisy came out she ran to her and gave her a big hug.

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We saw Stitch hanging out near by with no line but Honey bunny didn't know who he was so she had no interest.​

 

[RandomPrincess]

Epcot Part 2

So after our character detour that was totally worth it - 6 characters in 30 minutes! We headed to World Showcase. Our first stop was Canada. I personally think the garden in front of the Canada pavilion is the prettiest in Epcot.

My in laws went inside to watch the Canada film while I fed Little Guy in the shade and Honey Bunny and my husband went to the first Kidcot Fun Stop to color a Duffy Bear fan and get the first stamp in her passport. Please ignore the bite mark in her passport at some point during the day she had it in her mouth and since it was homemade she accidentally put a hole in it.

The neat thing about World Showcase is the cast member working in each pavilion are actually from that country. They wrote Honey Bunny a note in their native language and would give her a stamp in her book.

As luck would have it I was done feeding Little Guy at the same time as my in laws finished the film and Honey Bunny was gone getting her passport stamped so we headed into the shops to poke around.
I found the pressed penny machine and Honey picked out which design she wanted. She had fun watching the penny get made. She called it her treasure.
Next was the United Kingdom we poked around in the shops and I peaked in to the garden to see which characters were out it was Mary Poppins but Honey Bunny is to young to know her yet.

After UK we walked over the bridge to France. We passed Marie on the way into the pavilion I tried to get honey Bunny to pose for a picture on behalf of my sister who loves Marie but no dice. We headed into the pavilion and my husband went into the bakery to get a snack - Apple Turnover. It was yummy! Then it was passport and pressed penny time.

My husband went to the bakery and got an apple turnover which was really yummy - he did not use his snack credits. A theme for the week.

Next it was princess time. I wanted to get a picture of Honey Bunny with Belle since she was in her Belle dress and we had perfect timing. My in laws took Little Guy and the stroller and sat in the shade. Little Guy had passed out. We got in line to meet Belle.​

Showing Belle her new shoes​

Honey Bunny was soooooo excited to meet Belle much more excited then meeting the characters earlier. She talked up a storm and the woman who played Belle was great! She made it so special for Honey Bunny (and everyone else in line). The photographer took a bunch of pictures and we thought the visit was over so he gave us back our card. Then Honey Bunny and Belle started dancing together. It was so cute!

Next was Morocco and a visit with Aladdin and Jasmine. Honey Bunny knew who Jasmine was from our princess story books and was very excited to meet her. Aladdin was just some guy hanging out with Jasmine.

My husband waiting for in line. I thought it was cute he had Honey Bunny's sunglasses tucked in his pocket.

Honey Bunny passed the time talking to the kids in line in front of us. She was really cute and the kids played along with her. She even got them to do jumping jacks with her.

Finally it was our turn to meet Aladdin and Jasmine. Honey Bunny was really excited and showed off the lights on her new shoes by jumping for them. The guy who played Aladdin was AMAZING! The best character we met on our trip. Honey Bunny became a huge Aladdin fan after meeting him at Epcot. The woman who play Jasmine was very nice but was overshadowed by the greatness the was Aladdin.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Epcot Part 3 -​

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Next was Japan. My favorite pavilion for shopping! My father in law asked if Honey Bunny wanted to the pick a pearl but she had no interest even with all of us encouraging her. My mother in law bought Honey Bunny a pen. We had been looking for a good pen for signing autographs since I had forgot to get one. She found a cute wooden one decorated to look like a lady in a kimono on it. As we were leaving the pavilion The Taiko Drummers were starting. We stopped to listen for a bit.

Next was the American Pavilion. My least favorite. It just seems odd to me I guess because I'm an american. We just got Honey Bunny's passport stamped and hurried on. My mother in law found a jumbo sized Princess pen here and got that for Honey Bunny as well.

Next was Italy and Little Guy was finally starting to wake up. As we approached the pavilion there was a big crowd watching a juggler. I sat down on some steps to feed Little Guy while the rest of our family went to see the juggler.

When Honey Bunny tired of watching the show my husband took her to get her pressed penny and passport stamp. At that point it was almost time for our late lunch at Nine Dragons in the China Pavilion. So we bypassed Germany for now and headed straight to China. As we walked past I saw Snow White and prayed that Honey Bunny didn't see her. She didn't.

On the way we discovered that World Showcase has a draw bridge. We saw them bringing a new passenger ferry out. We got to China at 2:00 right on time and got seated right away. All the food was good. The dish that I remember being really good was the Spinach Noodles. This was our 3rd time eating at Nine Dragons and we haven't been disappointed yet.

Cute pictures of the kids trying to eat with chop sticks? Check! Honey Bunny did manage to get some of the sticky white rice into her mouth.

Pot Stickers - Sautéed Pork and Vegetable Dumplings served with Cilantro-Soy Dipping Sauce

Sweet-and-Sour pork With lightly Spiced Spinach noodles​

Fragrant Five-Spiced Fish Light but flavorful – Sautéed Whitefish Fillet with our special Five-Flavor Sauce​

Cake of some sort.​

I don't know what kind of cake my husband ordered for dessert (and desserts aren't on the online menu) because I was in the restroom but my daughter loved it.

She's always asking for helping eating her food but we got distracted figuring out the bill and turned around and she had eaten the whole piece she barely had a crumb on her face. When she wants to apparently she can feed herself just fine.

After lunch we got Honey Bunny's Stamp while my father in law checked out the acrobats performing out front.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Epcot Part 4 -

After the show was over we walked back to Germany and my husband got a beer and a pretzel. I saw the Werther's Caramel Shop and wondered in. They had a full sweets counter with lots of yummy caramel and chocolate treats. I picked up a milk chocolate and caramel dipped strawberry. So good! If I had known how many Snack points we would have left over at the end of the week I would have walked back in a got half a dozen to go.

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Snow White was back out but Honey Bunny wasn't interested in visiting with her. I could tell she was fading fast. Only two countries left so we pressed on.

At Norway there was a 10 minute wait for Maelstrom so we decided to ride. This was both kids first Disney World ride and Little Guy's first Disney ride ever.

Honey Bunny didn't like the mean troll that sent us backwards ove the hill. "He was mean". She still talks about the mean troll. We hurriedly got our passport stamp and moved on to the last country.

Outside the Mexican Pavilion we saw Donald and I wanted to have Honey Bunny take a picture with him but she wasn't interested. I asked mother in law if she would snap a picture of Donald just because he looked neat in his outfit.

Little Guy was out so my in laws and I took Honey Bunny on the Gran Fiesta Tour which she really enjoyed despite the fact she was exhausted. I love The Three Caballeros film so it was neat to see the make over and sing along. We got her final stamp and were ready to go.

On the way out my husband wanted to stop int he big gift shop to buy a "buddy" aka Stuffed Animal for Honey Bunny. I had not brought a buddy from home since she hadn't really been sleeping with them anymore. So of course she had asked for one when we got to Florida. Thankfully she wasn't upset when I told her we hadn't brought one. I looked through the hats and found a reversible one I like for Little Guy.

One thing I will say about Honey Bunny is she doesn't ask to buy lots of stuff or go crazy if you offer to buy her something. My husband took about 10 minutes showing her every buddy in the store and she didn't seem taken with any of them so she left empty handed that day and she was fine with that. We told her we would keep looking. We were back to the cabin around 6 and fed the kids dinner and put them to bed early. My in laws decided to return to Epcot to see Illuminations and got some nice shots.

Next Up - Magic Kingdom - 'Punzel, hair cuts and my parents join the trip.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Disney World Day 4 Part 1 - Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair

This day started off around 7:30. Honey Bunny got a note from Mickey today with two bows and Rapunzel and a Valentine's Day bow.​

What a better way to start the day then with some cupboard exploring.​

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Today Little Guy is wearing a special shirt. It's about 3 decades old and belonged to my husband. That vintage look is in style so it fits right in.​

We decided to take the boat from Fort Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom. We got on the bus at 8:45 after a very short wait. We were on the boat to the Magic Kingdom at 9:00.​

The kids loved the boat ride. It was neat - we cruised past The Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary on our way to the Magic Kingdom. It took about 15 minutes to get to the dock in front of Magic Kingdom. So grand total was about 30 minutes to get from our cabin to the park. It only took us about 5 minutes to get through security and the turn styles.

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Obligatory photo - the sun was awful so everyone in the picture is very squinty.​

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The photographer also took some pictures of Honey Bunny on her own. This is the only one where she is smiling. She was on a mission. I had told her we would see Rapunzel today. I guess I should have been more clear. I meant sometime today. She meant NOW!​

Waiting outside to meet Rapunzel​

We hurried over to Rapunzel and the wait said only 15 minutes so we got in line. The way they have it set up (I'm assuming it's the same now that Merida is there) is they let in a group of about 20 families at a time then you have to wait some more inside (unless you are first in your group). We were towards the back of our group. Unfortunatly it was not a 15 minute wait it was a 30 minute wait. We finally got inside and we had to wait another 20 minutes before we met Rapunzel. Normally I wouldn't mind but we were supposed to be meeting my parents at the Harmony Barber shop at 10:00 for the kids hair appointments and we just got inside the Meet and Great area at about 10:00. I called my mom and she went over to the Barber Shop to get our appointments moved back to 11:00.​

Once we were inside the Meet and Greet area they had coloring pages and crayons set up at the table to help keep the kids entertained.​

The kids playing in line.​

Finally after a 20 minute wait we got to meet Rapunzel.​

My one regret I didn't have Honey Bunny's hair fixed the original plan was to get her hair done at the Barber Shop and then go meet Rapunzel. I didn't have any hair bands with me to get her hair out of her face.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 4 Part 2 - Magic Kingdom​

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After we were done meeting Rapunzel we had a much happier Honey Bunny and we made our way back down Main Street to get the kids haircuts.​

This was my first time going to the Harmony Barber Shop. I was really excited to get Little Guys first haircut! We got to the Barber Shop around 10:30 we had a short 5 minute wait. While we were waiting out front We got a visit from one of the Main Street performers.​

10 minutes later both the kids were in the chair ready for their cuts. The barbers do an amazing job with the kids. They handed Little Guys some stickers and he was fascinated. He kept switching the stickers from hand to hand trying to figure it out. They gave Honey Bunny one of those light up toys they sell at night while everyone is lining up to watch the parade and fireworks. It was a Minnie Mouse whose skirt twirls around and lights up.​

Little Guy doesn't have much hair so he's cut was very quick. Part of the first hair cut is a special pair of Mickey Ears.​

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Another case of good timing right as Little guy was done with his cut the Celebrate Street Party floats were coming out. I was fun to see the floats go by as they made their way to the Hub for the party.​

Honey Bunny was able to see the floats go by as she got her hair done. She was finishing up with her trim and ready to get her hair put up and sparkled.​

It was about $30 for both kids plus tips and it was worth every penny. finally it was time to ride some rides. I could tell the Honey Bunny was a little muted today. She was VERY tired but not tired enough to take a nap or be a brat she was just worn out.​

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 4 - Part 3 - Finally some rides!

We decided to head over to Pirates of the Caribbean as our first ride of the day.

Love this picture of Little Guy with my In Laws​

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We made it over to Pirates and I got Little Guy in the sling. He was exhausted and ready for a nap.​

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Honey Bunny seemed ready to for the ride and happy to take her two grandfathers on.

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On the ride Honey Bunny did well someone snapped this shot of Honey Bunny on one of the scary parts. As you can see Little guy is out.​

Pirate Honey Bunny​

We exited through the gift shop and saw Pirate Goofy but Honey Bunny wasn't interested in going to meet him.​

We walked through Adventureland into Frontierland - Thunder Mountain was closed and no one wanted to ride Splash Mountain so we moved on to The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square.​

We skipped the interactive line and went right on in. No line! I knew she was startled by loud noises so I had my husband carry her in the stretching room and warned her to cover her ears right before the lights go out and all the screaming started. Honey Bunny was fine with the ride. She rode with my husband and she seemed to enjoy it.​

Little Guy waiting for It's a Small world with my mom​

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Next we went into Fantasyland. The first ride you hit is It's a Small World so we lined up. It was about a 15 minute wait. Honey Bunny really enjoyed the ride. After that it 1:15 time for lunch. We went to the Pinocchio Village Hous for lunch. Your standard counter service food. The kids were fading fast so we decided to catch the 3 parade. My parents and in laws went there separate ways to explore the park on their own. I headed down Main Street to get a spot for the parade and feed Little Guy and my husband took Honey Bunny to ride some rides around Fantasyland.​

I headed back to the the corner spot in front of the Barber Shop - my favorite parade spot. While I played peek a boo with Little Guy.​

My husband was spinning around on the carousel with Honey Bunny.​

The kids both enjoyed the parade although Honey Bunny did think the music was to loud. I love this spot the floats come out of the gates next to the barber shop. then head around the hub.

My husband had no interest in the parade so he went into the Emporium and did some shopping while we watched the parade. He got Honey Bunny a Buzz Lightyear Aluminum Water Bottle and a princess purse.

Then it was the boat back to Fort Wilderness. Once again perfect timing we walked right on the boat and were under way in about a minute. Honey Bunny was busy checking out her new buttons. My husband picked her up a "First Visit"button.​

3:18 - The start of our cruise​

3:28 - Out like a light​

Little Guy was exhausted! When we got back to the cabin both kids took a nap. This was Honey Bunny's only true nap of the week.​

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 4 - Part 4 - Downtown Disney​

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In her Valentine's Day Outfit​

We had 6:00 reservations at T-Rex We got to Downtown Disney at 5:30 and wandered around for a bit.​

We me both sets of Grandparents outside of T-Rex and we were seated right away. We we seated at a table near the bar area. Right next to the inside checkin desk. Some random pictures from around the restaurant.​

T-Rex is beautifully decorated lots of neat things to see and look at but it is insanely loud! Honey Bunny hated T-Rex she every 20 minutes or so they have a meteor shower and the light flash and there are rumbling noises and all the animatronics roar. She would get very upset each time this happend. I think it was all overwhelming to her sound wise. We had loud techo music (bar area). People hovering and chatting (check in area) and then all the dinosaur noises.

We eventually had to whip out or Peltor Kids Ear Muffs for Honey Bunny. I had bought them for the fireworks but she ended up needing them for the meteor showers inside the restaurant.​

Once she had the ear muffs she perked up.​

Dinner was okay typical mid level chain restaurant food. Nothing special but nothing was bad. Our waiter was very friendly and we all enjoyed ourselves despite the noise.​

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After dinner my parents took off and the rest of us went to the World of Disney store. They were just starting a show at outdoor the theater so my father in law decided to stay and watch the show. Honey Bunny was really excited my husband had given her $15 to buy a Buddy and Honey Bunny informed us we need a shopping cart.​

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We got her a basket and she started loading it with stuffed animals. We had to explain to her that her $15 was enough for one Buddy.​

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She had a really hard time deciding which one to get. I guess when you are 2 and presented with a room full of stuffed animals it's hard to pick one.​

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While my husband and Mother in Law tried to help Honey Bunny figure out which Buddy to choose I moved on, pushing a sleep Little Guy to the Baby Room to pick out some things for I wanted to get for the kids. I got the kids 2012 Disney World shirts and a stuffed Lighting McQueen for Little Guy.​

After about 10 minutes I returned to see how they were doing and Honey Bunny still couldn't decided and seemed to have lost interest. At that point I just told them to pick out one for her and she would like it. My Mother and Law choose the 2012 Minnie Mouse it's very cute and Honey Bunny loves it. My husband also picked out some plastic bowls and plates for the kids.​

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After our shopping was done we went out front to meet my father in law. They were starting up a dance party so we stayed for a little bit Honey Bunny had a great time. We were back at the cabin around 9:00 and the kids went straight to bed.​

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Up Next - Harry Potter and the Polynesian Resort​

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 5 - Island Hopping

This was a big day (for me). We were heading to Universal Island's of Adventure to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I have been dying to check this out since they first announced the addition to the theme park.

We arrived at the parking garage at 9:00 am and paid the extra money for the up close parking. We figured it would pay off at the end of the day as it's a long walk. The parking garage to City Walk then threw City Walk to Islands of Adventure - no trams etc. They do have moving sidewalks but strollers are not allowed. It's about a 10 -15 minute walk with no moving side walks (at least according to the time stamps on our photos).

Today we were adding three more people to our group. Some of my husbands family lives near Orlando. One of the cousins has met up with us for the day on almost every trip to Disney World. She has since moved to Miami but flew in for the day to hang out with us. She was joined by her mom and sister. We had a great time hanging out with all three of them. Once we all met up, got our tickets (buy in advance next time), and walked all the way back to "Potterland" it was 10:00. This was the most crowed part of the park. We walked through empty lands all the way back.

We made our way straight back to the big ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. There was about a 30 minute wait - which is very short for this ride.

Everyone went on while my father stayed back with the kids. If you are a Harry Potter fan the line alone is worth the visit. They do offer child swap and you can take your kids threw the line to a waiting area. They also have lockers -free for the first hour that you can put your bags in. No bags are allowed on the ride at all.

The line starts under Hogwarts It's very dark this photo was lit with the camera flash. Check out all the cool details. All the "mold" and "dirt".

Once you make your way through the caverns you come out into the Greenhouse. This is were we did most of our standing in line. We saw a very large section of line off to the side that we were thankful not to stand in. The Greenhouse has a mix of real and Harry Potter plants. It is not air conditioned and it's a little hot (like a real greenhouse) I would not want to wait in this line in the summertime. I actually enjoy standing in line from time to time. It's a great chance to catch up with people. Were were chatting with our cousins and it helped our time in the greenhouse go by quickly.

Once you get the the platform you can start to see some of the neat decorations but the good stuff is once you get inside the building.

The first thing you pass are statues of the founders and the House Points Hourglasses.​

Next is the entrance to Dumbledore's office. It's a great place for a quick photo op as it's on a corner.​

Sorting Hat​

Next was the portrait gallery. Most of the portraits are normal but there were few "moving" ones. They were talking about the fact that Dumbledore was letting Muggles/non magical people into Hogwarts.

Next was Dumbledore's office. He welcomes everyone to Hogwarts. This is where the low crowds be can a down fall. We were basically just walking threw the castle you could tell the they were supposed to stop us in this room let us watch the couple minute speech by Dumbledore then let us on tot he next section. The didn't they were just having everyone keep moving so we missed the story background for the ride.

Another corridor and then we were in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. Once again you could tell this was a holding room you were supposed to file in and watch the presentation. Which is Harry, Ron and Hermione deciding to sneak you out to the Quidditch Match instead of the boring lecture by Professor Binns. Hermione casts a spell to open a secret passage way but in out case the "secret way" was already standing wide open.
Another short line and we were on the ride. You sit 4 to a car and the ride is AMAZING! If you have ever been on the Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure this is similar in ride style. You make your way through real and projected scenes wearing 3D glasses you are on the end of and arm which swoops and moves you are around. We were chased by a dragon, flew around the Quidditch Field, entered the Forbidden Forest, were attacked by Dementors, Giant Spiders went through the Chamber of Secrets and more.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 5 - Part 2 - Hogsmeade

After the ride we explored Hogsmeade for a bit. It was sooooo crowded and no shade to be found. It was only February so it's not that hot or crowded but I found it hot, cramped and overwhelming. The one thing I think they failed on at Hogsmeade was the snow on the roofs. Standing in the hot Florida sun looking at fake snow. It just looks dumb. They should have blanketed it with show just for the holidays not year round.

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Next we headed over to Flight of the Hippogriff. This was my Honey Bunny's first coaster. She was very excited to ride.

I sat in front of my husband and daughter so I could video tape it. I pulled out a few frames so you can see what her reaction was.

Heading up the hill - chatting away excitedly.​

Cresting the hill - Still excited!​

Over the hill - This was a silent scream -​

After the first drop she was fine.​

Honey Bunny said she liked the ride but didn't want to go again. She still talks about it and says she wants to ride again when she is bigger. Next time I will prep her better that the ride will be very fast.
Half the group stood in the very long frozen Butterbeer line. The line for Butterbeer was almost as long as the line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 5 - Part 3 - Seuss Landing

I walked back to Seuss Landing with my kids and parents and one of our cousins. Island's of Adventure is a horseshoe with Hogsmeade is in the center of the horseshoe. Seuss Landing is at one of the ends.

This is basically where ALL the kids ride are located. My parents took Honey Bunny on the Sky High Trolly which is basically a Seussian People Mover.​

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Little Guy was out!​

The rest of our group showed up with beverages and my husband had a surprise for me.​

My dad with Sam I am​

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Lunch at the Circus McGurkus​

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The Lorax came to out table Honey Bunny was not happy about that. But Little Guy was fascinated.​

After lunch we hit some more kids rides. Next was One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. It's a dumbo type ride. You have to listen to the song thought it gives you directions of where to fly your fish to avoid being sprayed by the water. The kids have to sit on the inside so we don't have any good pictures of them riding. A tip for getting good pictures of your kids on these type of rides is to have an adult with a camera ride in the car in front of you and then turn around and take pictures or video. My sister did this one trip and got great pictures of my little cousins. Unfortunately I didn't think of that until it was too late.

As we exited the ride I saw this stage over to the side and I decided to use it as a photo op.​

Next was the Caro -Seuss-cel.​

Little Guy was trying to sit up but I guess he just wasn't quite stable, as he started freaking out a bit.​

Honey Bunny choose to sit on the bench and spent the ride honking the horn.​

After that was the Cat in the Hat Ride. I rode this ride many years ago with a group of adults and we all felt ill after so I avoided this one.

Seuss Landing has lots of neat details for many of Dr. Seuss' books. There are lots of things to look as and explore in this land. I could post about 100 pictures we took.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 5 Part 4 - The Rest of IOA and More Hogsmeade

After Seuss Landing we decided to make the full loop. We walked past the entrance into the Marvel Super Hero Area.
This is where two of my favorite rides are The Hulk coaster is my favorite coaster and The Spider Man used to be my favorite ride until I rode Harry Potter. Unfortunately Spider Man was closed for and update but we hit the Hulk coaster.Once again no line! We walked right on.

After the Hulk we made our way through the islands. No one wanted to ride the water rides in the Cartoon Area.

My husband and his father decided to ride Jurassic Park everyone else pressed on.​

After Jurassic Park is Hogsmeade. We had decided to hang out here and explore some more. As a walked around Hogsmeade I really wished my sister had been able to come with us for our trip she would have loved checking this all out with me. We saw every HarryPotter movie together at midnight.

The village was less crowded but the lines for rides were at least double. It was also cooler as the sun had moved and there was more shade to be found. We watched the short Twi Wizard Tournament show they have. Honey Bunny liked the girls better but there were a lot of women checking out the Durmstrang Guys.

The shops are really neat. The really feel just like walking on to the film set. I recommend not taking any strollers or small children who can't keep their hands to themselves inside. Everything is a tight fit.

t's amazing the amount of detail they put into this place. For example the bathrooms look "filthy" they have "grimy" stone walls with "mold" You can also hear Moaning Mertle from time to time. and if it was just me I could have spent hours exploring everything.​

My father surprised me with an official Ollivander's Wand! By this point it was 3:30 and time to head back to our Cabin. One the way out we had to pass through The Lost Continent .

Then through Seuss Landing. We said goodbye to my parents and our cousin for now. We would see them all again for dinner later. We had 5:20 Reservations at the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Day 5 Part 5 - Poly and Kona Cafe

We arrived about 5:00. I sat down to feed Little Guy on the backside of the lobby while everyone else went up to the second floor to check in. After checking in they hung out at the bar nearby the cafe.

We all were seat on time and this was the only restaurant where we had iffy service. At first we thought he was just laid back and stay out of the way. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. Drinks were never refilled. Items order from the bar took 30 minutes to get. Orders were brought out with the wrong sides. My dad didn't get his entrée until about 10 minutes after everyone else. Despite our service issues we still had a good time and the food was very good.

On to all the food! Everything was awesome!

Wok-seared Pork and Vegetable Dumplings with a creamy Soy-Ginger Sauce.​

Shrimp and Scallops - Panko breaded shrimp and pan-seared scallops with sticky rice and Ponzu, spicy guava, passion fruit, and wasabi cream sauces.

Teriyaki style New York Strip - Sirloin Strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze

Banana-chocolate Creme Brulee​

White chocolate cheesecake

At some point during the meal my husband and his cousin decided to tell the waiter it was my mother in laws birthday. It was NOT her birthday her birthday is in June. They figured they would sing her Happy Birthday when they brought out the dessert she ordered. They didn't and we figured they just forgot.

After we got the bill they came over singing Happy Birthday with a cupcake. It was very sweet and I felt guilty about the free cupcake but my husband figured if we had complained to the manager about our bad service knowing Disney we would have gotten more then a free cupcake.

My mother in law was a good sport about the whole thing. The plate was decorated with a coco powder Lilo giving Stitch a kiss and it said "Happy Birthday". Honey Bunny enjoyed eating it.

After diner we said goodbye to my parents and our cousins for the week and the 6 of us went down to the Poly beach to watch the fireworks. We were about 20 minutes early. They were showing a movie on the beach - Ratatouille. We walked away from the movie area and let the kids play on the beach for a bit.

About 2 minutes before the start of Wishes they stopped the movie and announced the fireworks would be starting shortly. It was beautiful seeing the fireworks over the water. The music from the fireworks was played softly I wish it could have been a little louder and it might have been over by the movie/pool area but it was a great way to watch them and I would defiantly do it again.

After the fireworks we went to the cabin for the evening and Honey Bunny got a surprise.​

Minnie had apparently passed the day reading all of her books. It was very cute - Thanks Mousekeeping!​

Coming up next - Epcot Day 2 - The Future has arrived!