"It's time to wake up! We're here!"

"...and we're baaaaack (said in my very best Ben Affleck disc-jockey voice from one of the SNL skits with Jimmy Fallon)!"

I know there's a bit of a delay in posting this TR, but I've been preoccupied with sifting thru pictures, mail, Christmas shopping/wrapping, and *clears throat* planning our next trip for June 2013! It's the planning process that gets me through the Disney-blues, which my husband is suffering from as I type. Earlier today, as he sat at the computer listening to the entry music into EPCOT, he sighed a heavy sigh and said, "I miss home." I know exactly which "home" he's talking about...we all miss it!

Also, it would be fair to forewarn all of you that I took 1 measly food photo So, I will try my very best to describe the food we ate at our sit-down restaurants only.


Before I get down to the nitty-gritty, here's a quick re-cap of the "4 W's & 1 H" (the fifth "W" is the trip):

WHO: There are three travel parties, but here's the down-low on my family of four:

Me: Sara. This was my 13th trip (since 2003); a stay-at-home mom, occasionally working as a barista (as a coffee enthusiast, this job is the perfect "mommy time-out"); & DVC member since 2008. Had been looking forward to the F&W Festival, previewing FLE, and experiencing this:




SAM_1093 by journ116, on Flickr

DH: Joel. His 15th trip since middle-school; a germ-a-phoebe, and golf-enthusiast; supports the family's Disney habit as a sales rep in the Baked Goods industry. Got his fish n' chips fix twice ("thank you UK pavilion"), but did not get to indulge much in the F&W Festival as he had hoped to (one of the main reasons for going this time of year).

DSC_0130 by journ116, on Flickr

DD6: Chloe, 6. My sensitive 1st grader, who kindly and enthusiastically informed her classmates at EVERY sharing-time-circle that "We're going to Disney World in ____ days!" (Even her teacher was able to tell me exactly how many days we had to go!) She's never had a haircut and is mistaken for Rapunzel's little sister; was supposed to get her first trim at the Harmony Barber Shop, but...well, you'll find out later. The one thing she looked forward to the most on this trip: trying out new rides! This vacation marked her 11th trip to WDW!

DSC_0088 by journ116, on Flickr

DD2: Eliza, 3. The precocious-peanut of the family, who loved, Loved, LOVED all the meet-and-greets! Also, this kid loves her princess nightgowns; but I was able to reserve them specifically for bedtime and instead, invested in twirley skirts and princess t-shirts to appease her highness! Since she's too tiny for most of the rides, she was compensated in face-painting experiences. Completed her 6th trip, and seriously cannot wait to go back! (The next morning after arriving home, she asked, "We go on plane and bus today?")

DSC_0002 by journ116, on Flickr

Father-in-law, mother-in-law, DH's cousin, wife and DS7 complete the rest of our party.
(You'll see them in a little bit)

WHEN: Oct. 31-Nov. 8, 2012

WHERE: 2-bedroom, standard-view at Kidani Village (our home resort) for 5 nights and a 2-bedroom, lake-view at Bay Lake Tower (our new favorite due to location) for the last 3 nights. (Pictures to follow below)

WHY: Seriously?! It's Disney World, our "happiest place on Earth!"

HOW: Flying via AirTran out of PIT...this was a fiasco (read on to find out why).

 

[TheMouseFan]

Loving your TR! Sorry you weren't feeling well. Nothing is worse than being sick when you have to pretend to feel better than you do! Can't wait to read more.

 

[journ116]

Loving your TR! Sorry you weren't feeling well. Nothing is worse than being sick when you have to pretend to feel better than you do! Can't wait to read more.

Thanks for the kind words! No matter when we go to WDW, someone always gets sick, either prior, during, or right after...it's become expected!

I've been trying to get caught up on your TR as well...loving it!

 

[journ116]

*1 p.m. & Where did the crowds come from??: There were long lines for everything by this point in the day (not "Phase" closing, but anything longer than 30 min. is long for us), except for the Carousel of Progress and People Mover. All, but DH's cousin and his family, went on...and fell asleep! I tried so hard to keep my eyes open because it truly is one of my favorite attractions, but I fell victim to the lulling voice of the Dad animatronic and found myself snoozing just a bit. To wake us all up, we met up with the rest of our party and went to the People Mover...AND, it didn't get stuck once!!!

DSC_0750 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0751 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0754 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0757 by journ116, on Flickr

*Got off the mover and found that Buzz Light Year dropped down to a 10 min. wait time:

DSC_0768 by journ116, on Flickr

*As we were making our way toward the HUB via Tomorrowland, I spotted "the guy" positioning PUSH, the talking trash can! I didn't want to spoil the magic for everyone else, so I non-chalantly said, "Oh, wait just a moment, I want to take a picture of the castle from this bridge!" And out rolls PUSH who scared the begeezes out of two unsuspecting kids!!!

DSC_0770 by journ116, on Flickr
(some guests weren't sure what to make of this...)

**Check out the link below for another video**
http://flickr.com/gp/78237640@N08/6949XS


*We were soon finding our bellies to be empty, so we needed to find food. I think members of our group got Casey's, while the rest of us waited until we walked over to BLT, and subsequently, the Contempo Cafe. However, we were sidetracked by the Main Street shops.

DSC_0772 by journ116, on Flickr
(the boutique windows were still celebrating Halloween...come to think of it, MK was somewhere in between Fall decor and regular decor)

*Eliza likes characters, so when she saw this statue outside of the Town Square Theatre, she had to go meet him:

DSC_0759 by journ116, on Flickr

And, since we were right there, I took her in to see Mickey (kinda forgot to tell my DH that I was wandering around with Eliza...he had a slight panic attack), who only had a 10 min. wait time (which it was):

DSC_0763 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0764 by journ116, on Flickr



PM
*Walked from MK to BLT to check-in: I love the fact that we can walk to a park and not mess with the crowds or busses!

DSC_0774 by journ116, on Flickr
(can anyone tell me what '90's sitcom used this angle for their trip to WDW?)

DSC_0776 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0782 by journ116, on Flickr

We did stay at BLT during our last trip, but only a studio: my DH and I vowed we'd never stay there again because the room was in need of a reno, and there were dead bugs on the balcony. However, we decided to give the resort a reprieve for the sake of location. And, we're glad we did!

*Check-in under "whose name?": When I went to check us in AT BLT, which was a recently new feature, neither mine nor my DH's name was on the reservation. Here, the DVC rep who made the ressie for me (since it was too complicated to do online), had put it under my DH's cousin's name. O.K., a slight and forgivable hiccup...let's get going to our room!

DSC_0783 by journ116, on Flickr

We were on the 7th floor with a lake/partial theme park view! The majority of us preferred the lightness and modern decor of this particular room vs. our room at AK-KV. The living area seemed bigger...probably has something to do with that massive window (check out the beginning of this TR for pics)! Shortly after entering the room, I called down to Bell Services to get our luggage (it was 2:45 p.m. by now), and was told that they hadn't received any deliveries from AK, and to try back at 3 p.m.. The time came and I called again: still no bags...try again at 4 p.m..

*Everyone, take a load off, while we get our new mugs (again) and some grub: My DH, cousin, and myself walked over to the Contemporary via the Skywalk, and onto the Contempo Cafe.

DSC_0792 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0793 by journ116, on Flickr

*Returned to the room to eat, call for bags, and decide our next move: By this point, it was 3:55 p.m., so I called down to BS and found out that our bags had finally been delivered and would be sent up shortly. Then, we sat down to eat a very late lunch/early dinner (depending on how you look at it). Everyone's blood sugar was low, so it was a good thing we took a couple of hours to just chill and eat. We were debating on whether to go to DHS to view Fantasmic! and enjoy the evening EMH, or see Illuminations at EP....

DSC_0797 by journ116, on Flickr

*Decided to go to EP and enjoy the fireworks (decision made at 5 p.m.): With the exception of my DH's cousin and his family, we all have seen Illuminations before and had a favorite viewing area. But, since we had some time to waste, we decided to walk around a bit. While the majority of our party got Fish n' Chips in the UK, I took the girls over to meet Alice:

DSC_0800 by journ116, on Flickr

Then, we met back up with the group in the garden area of UK, where the band gazebo is located. We let the kids find their way thru the maze around the gazebo, in the dark nonetheless. Whatever keeps 'em busy! A quick check of the cellphone and noticed it was 8 p.m.. Time to close up shop and find our viewing spot in Canada! Waited a tad too long and found our spot was taken, but no matter: a spot opened up not too far away that could accommodate our entire party!

*Snacks, bathroom breaks, meet-and-greet, and glow-necklaces time!: I remember reading on a couple other forum members' TRs of buying $1 glow-sticks, and how it kept their kids busy while waiting for parades. This never left my memory bank, so right before our trip, I stocked up at Target: glow-sticks, necklaces, and masks (it helps that Halloween was so close). Eliza quietly ate her bowl of vanilla ice cream, while the older kids excitedly "shook" their glow-sticks to make a massive necklace. Seriously, the best $10 investment I ever made!! Thank you forum members...you know who you are!!!

DSC_0809 by journ116, on Flickr

*ILLUMINATIONS: By far, one of my favorite firework displays...every adult in our party was teary-eyed by the end! Too bad we were a few days shy of the holiday-themed one.

DSC_0804 by journ116, on Flickr

*"Thank goodness we're staying at a monorail resort, because look at the herd leaving!"...or so we thought: Got out to the front entrance and found that the monorail was down...bullocks!! We saw a crowd at the TTC bus stop, but did not want to stand in that line, so we thought we were being smart by going over to the empty Wilderness Lodge stop. We were halfway to the stop and noticed that the monorail was finally moving: MOVE IT PEOPLE was my groups' motto (reminds me of Velda Plendor from "Troop Beverly Hills" moving her troop along in the race: "C'mon...c'mon").

*Boarded the monorail and made it back to our resort by 10 p.m.: Day ends here with lights out...we didn't even change into pj's, that's how tired my little family was!

Up next: another trip to EP and MK, Election Day, an Anniversary Celebration, and my birthday!

 

[Disneydreamer23]

loving your trip report!!!!

 

[journ116]

Onto DAY 7 (only 3 more days, including this one, to report on )

Tues., 11/6: My birthday, celebrate my in-laws 43rd Anniversary, & Presidential Election Day!
AM
*I was up before the sun, and today, I was feeling 60% like myself...and...it was my 31st Birthday!! (oh, and Election Day, if you're into that sort of thing ) By 7:30 a.m., I was all ret-to-go, with my b-day button proudly pinned on my coat, and then woke up my DH so he could get ready. I let the girls sleep for another 20 min., while I readied our park bag, stroller, got fresh cups for the girls' water, and prepared breakfast (i.e. bowls of cereal and a banana).

*DHS, here we come:

DSC_0813 by journ116, on Flickr

We were out the door and down to the bus stop (at the Contemporary) by 8:25 a.m.. Our plan was to get there at park opening and send me to get everyone a FP to TSM, and then I'd meet up with everyone in the Streets of America.

DSC_0830 by journ116, on Flickr

*Oh dear heavens...the crowds! (I must be slipping as to what park to visit which day or TouringPlans was a tad off in their estimates): As I was walking and sidestepping strollers and gawkers, I had to stop dead in my tracks by One Man's Dream...that's how far back the FP line for TSM was! Crud...I wanted an early FP time because we had 2:25 p.m. ressies at EP, and due to the crowds, we weren't about to get in the Stand-By lines. After 12 min. in line, it was my turn: CM's were there and were taking charge of getting the FP's. So, I handed over 9 park tickets and received 9 FP's for a return time of 1:15-2:15 p.m....kind of cutting it close.

DSC_0879 by journ116, on Flickr

*Breakfast round 2 and Meet-and-Greets: Met back up with my group and decided that I would take Eliza with me to wherever, while everyone else wanted to beat the crowds and get some m&g's in with Phineas & Ferb, and Mater & Lightning McQueen. I decided to go into the Writer's Shop to get some coffee and let Eliza watch some toons (this is one of our favorite spots to relax at DHS...it's rarely crowded). My FIL stayed behind with me and Eliza, so all 3 of us went inside and found that 2 other families had the same idea. I let Eliza pick out a pastry, got one for Chloe, DH, and myself, along with a non-fat vanilla latte. You know what I've noticed EVERY time I go in there: sweet, friendly, older people work there...so, although your coffee is served with a warm smile, it's a little slow. Eliza picked a book to read and plopped down on the leather love-seat next to her Pap Pap. We waited for a good 30 min. until the group met back up at the shop.

DSC_0820 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0825 by journ116, on Flickr

*Star Tours and Face Painting: The crowds on this side of the park weren't bad at all, I think it was just that initial rush of people going toward TSM that threw me. Anyways, with the exception of me, Eliza, MIL and FIL, everyone else took advantage of the 15 min. wait time for Star Tours. My DH rode it during our last trip and LOVED it and was convinced Chloe would love it (I rode it once in 2003 and haven't looked back). To appease little Miss Eliza, she got her face painted right outside the ride's exit.

DSC_0832 by journ116, on Flickr
(before)

DSC_0833 by journ116, on Flickr
(good thing I remembered to work in "Face Paintings" into our WDW budget!)

The group came out of Star Tours via the Tatooine Traders (where Chloe picked up a miniature R2D2 with a Goofy Hat), and had nothing but rave reviews of the ride...save my DH's cousin (his equilibrium was off that day). Chloe saw Eliza's face and wanted her face painted as well!

DSC_0836 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0837 by journ116, on Flickr
(quite pleased with the outcome!)

*Animation Courtyard: Days earlier, I had heard that Wreck-it-Ralph and Vanellope would be available for m&g's, so my DH's focus was getting the kids (including him) over to see 'em inside the Magic of Disney Animation pavilion. But, before we could go in, it was time for a potty break. As usual, I took the girls in with me, and DH was in and out in 3 min.. By the time we came out from the restroom, DH had parked the stroller and done a little shopping. Let's go Ralph...I mean, meet Ralph!

DSC_0839 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0841 by journ116, on Flickr
(this is what my DH bought: Ralph, to meet Ralph)

DSC_0842 by journ116, on Flickr
(and when Vanellope caught sight of Ralph's mini-me and made a big fuss over it, everyone giggled!)

DSC_0843 by journ116, on Flickr
(I'm not sure why all the kids decided to stand where they stood, but clearly Chloe was weary of Ralph, and clearly Ralph was like, "What the hey man?")

DSC_0848 by journ116, on Flickr
(much better!)

*After meeting Ralph and Van, we were about to walk out when out pops some Incredibles! Chloe didn't want to meet them, so she opted to wait outside with my MIL.

DSC_0854 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0855 by journ116, on Flickr

 

[journ116]

*Apparently, while Chloe and her Mimi were waiting for us, Princess Aurora wandered out and began chatting with Chloe...good thing my MIL had her camera:

100_1404 by journ116, on Flickr

100_1406 by journ116, on Flickr

*After a few minutes inside with some Incredible men, we met up with Chloe & MIL to an even bigger surprise: Cinderella was out and just waiting to meet some princesses and princes.

DSC_0860 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0861 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0865 by journ116, on Flickr
(look who's gate crashing?!)

The sun was almost overhead, so it was shining in the Princesses faces...just as Eliza was getting ready to meet Princess Aurora, her handler came over and told us that "things were going to move inside." So, Aurora gently took Eliza by her hand, and led her inside.

DSC_0869 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0874 by journ116, on Flickr

 

[journ116]

*Time check: 11:30 a.m.. Thinking that maybe some of the crowds may have subsided, we skipped out of the pavilion, played hide-and-seek with our stroller, by-passed Disney Junior Live on Stage and Ariel's show (which we finally got to see on our last trip), and headed toward TSM! "Hey, let's check the Stand-By time to see if we should ride it now...oh...it's 120 min. already...oh...it's down." Not sure what to do next, we made our way back over to the Streets of America:

DSC_0884 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0888 by journ116, on Flickr
(this group was out and entertaining the crowd)

DSC_0893 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0880 by journ116, on Flickr
(DC7 decided that he wanted his face painted as well...turned out pretty grrrrrrreat!)

*Another time check: 12:15 p.m.. As a group, we discussed on whether or not to stay for our FP's to TSM to be good or start heading over to EP? EP won. On our way out, we found a family of 6 and a family of 3 to give our FP's to...needless to say, they were very happy!

DSC_0896 by journ116, on Flickr
(look, our first Christmas Tree sighting!)

My DH and I said that we planned on walking over to EP via the Boardwalk path, but when the rest of our party saw that the Friendship Boat was at the dock and little crowds, they decided to set sail over to EP.

DSC_0897 by journ116, on Flickr
(see you over there!!)

DSC_0898 by journ116, on Flickr
(we much prefer the walking path than the boat...it gives our kids time to really burn off some energy and we get to take in some sights)

DSC_0903 by journ116, on Flickr
(our June 2013 trip will include a stay at BWV, so we'll be taking full advantage of this)

DSC_0904 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0918 by journ116, on Flickr

*We beat the boat: Even with stopping to take photos and letting the girls walk, we still managed to get to the International Gateway ahead of the boat. I love this entrance...hardly ever any crowds and we end up closer to our favorite pastry place....mmmm...strawberry tart.....

*2:25 p.m. reservation at Le Cellier, but we have a little over an hour to make do with: Apparently on the boat ride over to EP, DC7 had fallen asleep and did not like being woken up...all that walking around and early mornings had finally taken its toll. I tried to persuade my DH's cousin and wife that their son could take a nap in the stroller if he wanted. Chloe was walking and Eliza was about to doze off, leaving the other seat unoccupied. In the end, DC7 and his mom skipped Le Cellier and went back to the resort to rest. This decision making time had eaten 15 min. into our wait time, so we had just under an hour to waste.

*"Let's check in early:" We had wasted enough time and decided to try our luck and check-in at Le Cellier 45 min. early...

DSC_0919 by journ116, on Flickr
(I love being a DVC member, but I hate seeing these kiosks popping up all over the place)

DSC_0922 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0926 by journ116, on Flickr

The CM's at the check-in desk were really nice, especially with us trying to check in really, really early, cutting our party down to 7, and asking if it would be alright if I could push the stroller up to the table if my youngest was still sleeping? He paused at the last request and said, "sure, but we would need to wait for at least 30 min. before we could be seated." No problem,. I was given a buzzer and sat outside next to the entrance with Eliza in the stroller (which was covered with a blanket to create a darker environment); DH and his cousin went to take some pictures; and Chloe, FIL, and MIL went over to KidCot to color another cardboard cutout.

*Whoo-hoo...buzzer goes off after 10 min.: I called everyone on their cells to let them know it was time to be seated. I kindly reminded the CM about the stroller, hoping that we'd get a table out of the way. As we were led to our table, I was shocked to find us in the middle of the restaurant...crap! I didn't say anything because I figured that the CM's were aware of our particular situation and would work around it. I pushed the stroller up as close as I could, but not too close in case Eliza woke up and banged her head off the table. In fact, I moved the table closer to me, to allow the stroller to be pushed in even more. There was only one "hurumph" from a CM trying to get to her tables, which isn't bad given the set-up...I am so sorry!

*Lunch at Le Cellier: I had been waiting a whole year to return here, and have been talking it up to our party members ever since I planned the trip...so, I was hoping the Cellar wouldn't let us down. We had a very attentive server who had dual citizenship from Canada and the US. She was born in Canada to a Canadian father and an American mother, but grew up in FL! Moving on, here's what was ordered and brought to our table:

-2 bowls of Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, with extra pretzel bread sticks (always a success)
-Fried Rock Shrimp (oh my goodness, they melted in your mouth)
-2 Filet Mignons (another piece of meat that melted in your mouth)
-NY Strip Steak (I'm not sure how this was because my DH's cousin got it and I wasn't about to ask, "Can I try a piece just so I can write into my TR?")
-Kids meal: apple slices, pasta, ice cream, and a chocolate milk served in an Ariel cup with a light up Ariel figurine

In all, the meal took us an hour, with Eliza waking up as we were about to leave (I am so thankful that she was asleep the whole time, that way I could enjoy my meal there for once). However, before our server brought the check, she asked if we were interested in dessert, but I quickly and kindly declined because: we going to the DESSERT PARTY at MK!!! Despite the bill (which came down 20% due to our TIW card), we left her a very generous tip.

*Time to meander: As we were walking over to Future World, we saw Duffy was out. The girls hadn't met him yet, so we decided to hop in line.

DSC_0932 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0935 by journ116, on Flickr

I had bought a Duffy Bear and Duffy book for my nephew for Christmas and remembered to bring the book with me. So, I had Duffy sign the book, which was a nice touch for my almost 1-year-old nephew's gift!

*Bellies still full, one wide-awake kid, one drowsy kid, and missing the other members of our group: We headed back to BLT via the monorail, so we could rest and re-group.

DSC_0939 by journ116, on Flickr
("Good-bye EPCOT!")

 

[Berry91]

Loving the TR! Also glad you started feeling enter being ill on vacation is horrible!

 

[sam_disney]

Just read up to date!

Loving your report and all your pics xxx

 

[s&k'smom]

Your pictures are gorgeous, what a wonderful family.

 

[journ116]

Loving the TR! Also glad you started feeling enter being ill on vacation is horrible!

Thank you! By DAY 7, I was really starting to feel like my 'normal' self again...weird thing is, a couple days before we left, I was reading another members thread and she was asking for advice on what to do about going to WDW with a cold? I thought to myself, "Aw man, that stinks! Hope that doesn't happen to me!" I must've done something bad to Karma...

Oh, and thanks for reading!

Just read up to date! Loving your report and all your pics xxx

I know that this TR is a lot to take in, so thank you very much for reading along! And, I must give credit to my awesome camera, a NIKON D40X, for the spectacular shots!

Your pictures are gorgeous, what a wonderful family.

Thanks for such kind words and for reading along, as well! I have so many pictures to choose from, and credit is due to my NIKON camera!

More of the TR coming soon!

 

[journ116]

Part 3 of our day: BLT and MK
*Original Plan: Take monorail directly from EP to MK (with a stop at TTC of course).
*New Plan: We had a little bit of time before we had to check-in for our Wishes Dessert Party at MK, so we went "home" for a couple of hours.

*Arrived at the resort around 4 p.m. and found DC7 and his mom completely refreshed from their nap (which was highly needed). I unpacked the stroller and re-organized the park bag, taking out 1/2 of the stuff in there. I love that we're so close to a theme park and can walk over and back in the matter of 10 min. if we really needed to get anything!

*Since Eliza, DC7, his mom, and Chloe (she didn't really eat), had not eaten yet, we sent DH over to grab some food at Contempo Cafe. Even though we had stocked the fridge and pantry with groceries we brought over from AK-KV, we really didn't feel like cooking anymore. I cannot remember what they got to eat, but I do remember Eliza eating another bowl of cereal (Frosted Mini Wheats are her favorite). While they were eating, DH and his cousin went to the top and took some photos:

DSC_0945 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0952 by journ116, on Flickr
(my DH was ecstatic that he caught the Avengers-clad monorail)

DSC_0954 by journ116, on Flickr

*My other original plan: Surprise the group AT MK with the Desserts Party...but, I wanted everyone to be prepared for the evening, so I had to "let the cat out of the bag" a bit earlier. We left BLT, with jackets on (yes! I love the type of weather when I can still wear shorts and a light coat) around 5:20 p.m..

*MK crowds: not so bad! and it was decorated for Christmas!

DSC_0965 by journ116, on Flickr

DSC_0966 by journ116, on Flickr

Since we had about an hour or so until we could check-in for the party, we meandered a bit. I took the girls into see Mickey, because he only had a 5 min. wait (the princesses had a 20 min. wait).

DSC_0969 by journ116, on Flickr

*More photos please: As we exited the theatre, we noticed a line forming near the flag pole. Got closer and saw that a PhotoPass photographer was setting up to take pictures with a view of decorated Main Street, Toy Soldiers flanking the view, and Cinderella's Castle proudly anchoring the photo! DH grabbed me and the girls and got in line: this would be a holiday greeting card photo! Then, the girls took another picture with their grandparents, while I waited nearby with the stroller.

*Wait...what's that sound...I've heard it before...no, it couldn't be, could it?...YES, yes it is!...it's 6:15 p.m....the 1st Castle Lighting of the season was taking place right now! Could my birthday get any better?! To say I was exited about this happening would be an understatement! I didn't know what to do, because I was all the way down Main Street and my kids were getting their photo taken...next thing I knew, I was 3/4's of the way toward the castle, leaving everyone behind. And then, I finally noticed that everyone caught up with me and was like, "What's happening?" I told them the good news! The show caught ALL the guests off guard...typically, guests would be swarming the castle stage or the Walt & Mickey statue in the HUB...but, everyone just stopped in their tracks because they didn't know what was going on.

DSC_0978 by journ116, on Flickr
(a bit of a 'fail' moment for the technicians: only 1/2 of the castle was lit and the guests & CM's - who came streaming out of the shops to see the show - knew something was wrong; the rest of the unsuspecting guests were still "oohing and ahhing")

DSC_0986 by journ116, on Flickr
(That's better! There was a very loud "AAAAHHHH" coming from the entire park as the rest of the lights turned on!)

*Still had a bit of time on our hands, so it was off to see what rides we could get on: Buzz only had a 15 min. wait time, so everyone, but me, got on (I cannot wait to show y'all those Photopass Photos). I told the group that I would head over to the Terrace and find out where I was supposed to check in, while they rode. I had read on one of these forums that it was pointless to arrive more than 10 min. prior to your check-in time for this event, because CM's wouldn't let you in until your time came. No problem, I just wanted to see where the check-in booth was exactly. As I turned the corner, I saw a line already forming. And, there were people in line for a 7:15 p.m. check-in time (I was eavesdropping because I had nothing better to do).

*Called the rest of the group to let them know that people were already in line and to "get over as soon as possible." By the time I got to the front of the line, it was 7 p.m. on the nose and I was shown to our tables (which were right next to the dessert bar), despite me being the only one from our party there. A kind CM took the stroller from me (because there's not enough room in the viewing area), while I headed straight for the petite desserts! Oh my goodness...my eyes were on sugar overload! Because more people were pouring in, I decided to grab 2 plates, fill 'em up and then go back up for more. It was during this second trip up that I thought to myself, "I wonder how many dropped plates these poor CM's have to clean up?" As I was loading up my 4th plate with fruit...PLOOP...SMASH! I dropped my 4th plate of food...and I was the only one of the night who did so ! Anyways, the rest of my group arrived (we had 2 tables by the way) and went on up:

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(this is just one plate of goodies...I was too busy eating and dealing with my kids to take any more photos)

*Kids...: Eliza was hungry since she didn't really eat ANY of her food (including her bowl of cereal), so she was becoming a little monster. My DH and his cousin left the party and went over to Cosmic Rays to get the kids a meal. Came back 20 min. later with chicken nuggets, french fries, grapes, and bottled water. Eliza only ate the fries . SIDE NOTE: the cold water that was served at the party was the most foul-tasting water I've ever had. Seriously, it tasted like bandaids!

*Wishes didn't start until 8 p.m. that night and the park wasn't supposed to close until 9 p.m., which is why I picked this particular evening to do this event (not just because it coincided with my 31st birthday, nor my in-laws 43rd ANNIVERSARY - celebrating a week early). This way, we could eat to our hearts content (which we promptly did), watch Wishes, and leave at our leisure around 9 p.m.. However, due to the New FL previews being held, the park wasn't closing until 1 a.m..!! This worked in our favor, because now we could stay and play longer, and then walk home!

*It's time!: People started staking out their spots along the railing about 10 min. prior to Wishes, so we did the same. We ended up picking a spot right next to the dessert trolleys, considering no one else was visiting them and there was only a little bit of food left. Here we go:

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(I love the castle with these lights!)

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(Tink flew, very briskly I might add, right over our heads!)

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(my camera battery was almost totally drained by this point - should've checked it before we left BLT)

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*Camera battery died, so from this point on, no more photos...

*To make a long story short: We were almost out of the park when we decided, "Hey, it's only 9:15 p.m., let's stay and play more. We've got a stroller for the kids to pass out in and the crowds have almost disappeared!" Here's what we got accomplished:
-Chloe, DH, his cousin, and DC7 played Sorcerers for about an hour, while the rest of us browsed the Main Street shops. Yet another thing for them to collect: cards for the game!
-Met up at the HUB around 10:15 p.m. and headed over to the Circus. Rode Dumbo once and Goofy's Barnstormer 4 times in a row, each time with no line!
-I rode Space Mountain by myself, with a posted 15 min. wait time, but it took 30 min.. While I rode, everyone else waited near the exit, playing games.
-Headed back over toward Buzz, but I got sidetracked and got a frozen smoothie, but ended up with an additional iced coffee, because a CM had made a mistake. I only took it because no CM wanted it...believe me, I tried...they should be the first ones to benefit from the mistake before a guest should.
-Buzz had a 5 min. wait time, so we rode it again.
-Then saw that the Tomorrowland Speedway had a 10 min. wait, so everyone, except the in-laws, rode.

*We all hit the preverbal wall and decided it was time to go. We arrived back at our resort, got ready for bed, and had lights out by 11:45 p.m.. That was a long day!!

 

[Berry91]

The dessert party sounds amaaaaaazing!

 

[journ116]

The dessert party sounds amaaaaaazing!

It really was! There were so many delicious desserts to chose from, but they were tiny, only enticing you to go up for more! I'm glad we did it as a group, but I don't know that we'll spend the money if it's just my DH, our daughters, and myself, because the girls barely ate.

 

[journ116]

Wed., 11/7: DAY 8
AM
*Original Plan: Our family was scheduled for another New FL preview via our AP's from 8-11:30 a.m.. Then, it was haircuts and do's for the kids at the Main Street Harmony Barbershop at 1 p.m. Return to BLT to drop off any souvenirs, and then a monorail ride over to EP for EMH.

*7 a.m.: Rise and Shine! As usual, I was up before my little family, and was showered and ready for the day by 7:45 a.m.. Woke up the hubby, followed by our DD's, and having breakfast by 8:15 a.m.. Over breakfast, we discussed which parks we should visit for the day. The itinerary said: MK and EP, but here's what really happened:

*Group split in the morning: My DH, girls, and myself decided that we wanted to walk over to MK and collect more M&G's for the autograph books. The other group wanted to hit up DTD for some shopping. To be honest, I am surprised that it took this long into the vacation for everyone to tour WDW on their own. So, off we went!

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*A character scavenger hunt was afoot: Quite frankly, I was flabbergasted that my DH didn't mind wasting part of his last full day at WDW wandering MK for autographs, and not hitting up rides. I learn something every day! Up first: Princesses at the Town Square Theatre.

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(no matter what camera I use, including pics from the PhotoPass photographer, the pictures inside this venue have a red tint to them...the more red I take out or green I add in, the bluer they become)

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(Eliza and her hugs!)

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(the girls thought this was hysterical...and so did I...Chloe still talks about "holding Rapunzel's hair!")

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(one more hug for the road)

A quick check of character wait times on the Disney Mobile ap, and found that Tinkerbell was only 20 min. (why is it that her wait time is one of the longest?). My girls were super excited for this M&G, because of all the previews for the new movie, "Secret of the Wings!"

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But...before we could get to her, out pops Peter Pan at the intersection by CP, Adventureland, and Liberty Square:

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(Eliza had inadvertently handed Peter her book upside down, and Chloe pointed this out to him. Peter than childishly and enthusiastically stated, "Welp, I guess I gotta sign it upside down then!")

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(still giggling over Peter's antics)

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(Eliza is a hugger...Chloe is perfectly content standing next to you)

Well, that was an unforgettable and loooooong M&G: Peter likes to take his time meeting and chatting with the kids, which is nice...so long as there isn't a long line (which there was).

 

[journ116]

O.K., mission Tinkerbell and her sister, Periwinkle: By the time we got to her nook, the wait time jumped to 30 min., but my girls really wanted to see her.

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(Perwinkle was very interested in Chloe's "shiny things")

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We had to flip thru the girls' autograph book to find out who else we needed...it was all princess: Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Tiana, Pocahontas, and Mulan (well, technically she's not a princess). Welp, we can cross off Ariel, because the New FL was only having previews, and we had missed our chance thrice now! Hmmm...let's try for Tiana here, because all of the others (save Pocahontas at AK), could be found at EP.

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(collecting acorns while waiting for Tiana to arrive)

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(Chloe surprised me when she asked me, "Where's Prince Naveen? I thought we were going to meet him, too.")

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(more big hugs!)

*Let's head on out:

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*Next mission: EP for the princesses...or so we thought. We left MK by 11 a.m., but not before I walked over to HBS and cancelled the kids' appointments (Chloe would later get her hair cut at the salon I go to at home...10 in. lopped off! and it was only supposed to be 1/2 that...ah, well...it's only hair...her hair went from being 2 ft. long from the nape of the neck to the tips, to a little over a foot long) I digress...ooooh, Mary Poppins is out (her M&G would eventually be Santa's spot)

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(my DH and Chloe really loved this adventure! and cannot wait to play it again!)

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[journ116]

Part 2 of 3 of DAY 8 to come later!

 

[journ116]

*Called the in-laws and cousin and found out that they were still at DTD and that we'd meet up at DHS. The park seemed to have moderate crowds, so we decided to go left toward the F&W Festival area. It makes me sad that we didn't get to fully enjoy the F&W Festival in its entirety: i.e. the food kiosks, drinks, and concert series. We got so caught up in other activities that the main attraction at EP this time of year, just fell by the wayside in our plans Well, at least we were gonna take advantage of the Festival Center and the Chase Visa Lounge.

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*Experience: The Festival Center was nice, and would've been nicer if my DH and I could've explored it sans kids. There were wine tasting events, merchandise available (from bottles of wine to aprons to posters), and chocolate tasting by Ghirardelli's.
We did enjoy the Chase Visa Lounge, which was inconveniently tucked away by the chocolate exhibit. Eliza was still sleeping and there was no place to park strollers, except for outside the venue (we almost didn't go into the pavilion because we didn't see any strollers..."Wait, there's one! Let's go in!"). There were free refreshments (little cups that you could fill to your hearts content of either soda, water, coffee or tea). There was also a charging station for your electronics and an iPad bar (but we had brought our own). It was nice to get out of the FL sun for a bit, and it really wasn't that crowded. While we were in there, a CM was giving out wristbands for priority seating for that nights' concert: Dennis DeYoung, an original band member of STYX. She was handing them out quietly until one very excited lady yelled over to her friend, "Hey, this woman is giving us special seats for STYX!" And then there was a mad dash toward the lady. From when we got into the lounge, until we left, 15 min. went by, and the CM was clean out of wristbands.

*We need some grub...holy chocolate Batman!: Eliza was waking up and it was getting close to lunch time, so we headed out of the lounge, but made a quick stop to check out the chocolate models

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Then, my DH persuaded me to buy some Ghirardelli's drinking chocolate...I felt it was a little to watery and needed a churro to make it complete (that combo was my a staple in my diet while visiting Spain in 2002). $4 into the trash.

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*"C'mon dad, just one ride?": We couldn't leave EP for the last time and not do a ride...

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We hung around after the ride and explored the aquarium, but declined to participate in Turtle Talk with Crush because we had a bad experience with Chloe 5 years ago (i.e. she had a full-blown, "I'm tired," melt-down). With a quick look at the time, we decided to forego the rest of the princess M&G's and leave the park.

*Picked up a QS somewhere, then walked over to DHS: My DH had to stop in the UK to get his favorite Fish n' Chips, then we headed out to the Boardwalk via the International Gateway. The girls were getting really hungry by this point, so we stopped along the Boardwalk and got 2 slices of pizza and a soda. This kept both kids happy while we walked the rest of the way to DHS. We maybe passed 4 other guests along the path...after 15 min., we arrived close to 1 p.m.:

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*"Hi guys! How was DTD?": The in-laws and cousins got lots o' shopping done and took some pictures...here's one:

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[journ116]

*First on our list: check schedule for Lights! Motors! Action! Perfect, we made it with an hour to go before the last show...but the rest of our party wasn't there yet. So, we took our time making our way over to the Streets of America.

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Lights! Motors! Action! There was where we met up with our party: we could've had just about any seat we wanted, but we needed to save an enormous amount of space so we went far left. With only 5 min. to go, our group showed up, but only after we had some 'Seinfeld' theater moments. (A bit of a side note: have any of you actually seen one of the stunt guys up close? I did while were waiting on one of the benches near the LMA restrooms...and oh my goodness...let me just tell you that the guy I saw, could melt butter right out of the fridge! I kinda forgot my DH was sitting next to me and uttered, "Yes please" when I saw the stunt guy...oops!)

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For some odd reason, I was really nervous for this particular show. I've seen it two times before, but something didn't feel right. My gut was actually very intuitive. During the very first action sequence of the show, there was a small mishap: one of the black cars didn't stop in time and side-swipped the red "hero" car. 'Production' was shut down for 5 min. as the show went thru a reset. The rest of the show went off without a hitch (at least to the guests' eyes), and was as great as I remember! The kids were on the edge of their seats for the entire show!


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(As we were walking out of the show, I spotted this plane. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this Walt's personal plane?)

*Tried to finish up activities we hadn't done before...kind of: This included another go at Star Tours, another peek at TSM's wait time, and standing in line at ToT (only to turn around after a couple minutes because the wait time literally doubled while we were there). The day was winding down, so we decided to hang around the park with our fingers and toes crossed that we'd be lucky enough to catch a preview of the "Osborne Lights"...no such luck! So, we called it a night.

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(Good-bye hat!)

*We arrived back our resort around 7 p.m., and began the lump-in-your-throat task of packing up. I had the majority of the packing complete, girls bathed and ready for bed, and time to just relax by 9 p.m.. Lights were out sometime after that.

DAY 9 up next: saying our good-byes, but not before having a hardy breakfast!

 

[journ116]

DAY 9: our very last day...where did the time go??

Thurs., 11/8: departure day

*I had debated on whether or not to schedule a breakfast this morning or sleep in because we had a 4:40 p.m. flight & 1:40 p.m. DME pick up...yeah right...'sleep in.' Food won! Since we had a somewhat early ressie, everyone needed to be up, ready, and all packed up by 8 a.m.. I didn't want anyone to have to worry about their luggage after breakfast, so the plan was to utilize Resort Airline Check-In and then go over to WL via boat from CT.

*R.A.C.I. process: We agreed to skip the helpful hands of Bell Services and lug the bags down ourselves (all 25 pieces), but not before performing a once over of the room. All clear! We were out the door by 8:05 a.m. and found ourselves behind one family at the R.A.C.I. desk by 8:20 a.m.. Since I had already checked us in for our flight via my iPad the night before, all we needed was our boarding passes printed and bags tagged (and since I upgraded us to Business Class, bags were 'FREE'). All was going smooth until the CM in charge of weighing our bags found one to be 58 lbs., 8 lbs. over the limit...it was my poor MIL's. She had bought so much stuff at DTD the day before (which ended up being everyones Christmas gifts), that she overloaded ALL 4 of her checked bags..."yes, 4 bags!" Somehow, she was able to shift some stuff around and ended up with two 50 lb. bags, two 20 lb. duffle-type bags, and two carry-ons...I've never seen so much luggage for 2 people in my life: "This is the last time I overpack! One bag each for any vacation from here on out...if we go on another vacation," said my exhausted MIL.

*Boat to Wilderness Lodge for a 9 a.m. breakfast at Whispering Canyon: 2 weeks before we left for our vacay, I had tried to get a reservation at Chef Mickey's, since we'd only be a walk away. No such luck. Then, I was trying to decide between Whispering Canyon, Kona Cafe, or the Wave...the location was what persuaded me. My FIL and DH's cousin are very much outdoorsy men, and WL is still my FIL's favorite resort, so where better to take them then to the biggest lodge on WDW property! Great call! We arrived 5 min. after our reservation time due to the little hiccup at R.A.C.I. and the simple fact that the group took their time soaking in WL's grandeur.

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*The meal: This place really was the perfect choice: from the food, to the staff, to the atmosphere! We had eaten here back in 2007 as a last minute meal, and were glad to be returning. The kids ordered Mickey Waffles and bacon (my DH and I ate the girls' bacon), while 4 adults split 2 All-You-Care-to-Eat breakfast platters (which got refilled twice), while I enjoyed the House-made Banana French Toast (yummmmmmm!) and my DC's wife ordered a Belgium waffle. Oh, I also ordered the girls a vanilla milkshake...it was our last day in WDW, which meant it was our last day to eat whatever, whenever!

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(I let Eliza wear her nightgown the entire day...why not?)

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(Giddy-up time!)

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Our server was great and very talkative. We had mentioned to him that we were DVC members and had stayed at the Lodge two times, one of which was on points. He told us, if we ever get the chance to stay concierge, we MUST stay here, because it was rated #1 on property. Maybe one day we'll get the opportunity!

*Group split: Since my little family and I had AP's, we decided to visit MK one more time, while the rest of the party went back over to DTD (my MIL restrained herself from buying anything...I think). We parted ways at 10:15 a.m., and planned to meet back up around 1:15 p.m. at the CT lobby.

*One last magical visit: When we arrived at MK (via boat), we found that it was INSANELY busy, and decided our visit would probably be a bust. So, we decided to head over to Tomorrowland and ride the People Mover. After the People Mover, we saw that Buzz was out with not too bad of line. Within 15 min., the girls were meetin'-and-greetin' with Buzz Lightyear:

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(Eliza had decided that she had had enough of socks with her Crocs...well, with shoes in general by this point...I reminded her that, "Buzz doesn't want to smell your stinky toes, so it's best to put your shoes on.")

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(I was amused that Buzz used a stamp to sign books - which we forgot - but thought that it was a great way to keep the signature uniformed and move the M&G's along)

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(HUGS all around!)

Eliza didn't want to go and Buzz saw that...so, he took her by the hand and started to make like he was going to walk off with her...AND she still wasn't letting go!!! "O.K. Eliza, it's time to go find Mimi and Pap Pap!" I told her.

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*The crowds at MK were too much to do any last minute activities, so we ended up leaving the park by 12 p.m. and headed to the Contempo Cafe because we still had 6 QS meals to use!!!!!! My DH, Chloe, and myself each got a meal (Eliza had passed out in the stroller ride over), which left us 3. The kind CM informed me that at the Contempo, guests may 'trade-in' a QS point for 3 snacks = 9 snacks...I quickly got myself and Chloe ice cream, 2 bottles of water (which we promptly consumed), and 5 bags of chips and Cheetos! I made a quick call to the other members of our group to get their location, and found that they were just now getting on the bus to come back to CT...and, that they hadn't eaten lunch yet. The group made it back with just enough time to burn thru some of their QS and snack-exchanges, but we still left with 4 QS meals on the reservation (and we couldn't find any guests to use them on...seems everyone was on the DDP we ran into).

*Stroller drop off/car seat pick up at Bell Services; DME pick up at 1:40 p.m. and a 2 hour long bus ride!: Waived buh-bye to the comfy stroller, picked up Eliza's car seat, and waited in the lobby. The bus came on time and had a nice sized group to pick up: us and 3 other families. We were his first pick up, but had to make 3 more stops. I cannot remember where we stopped, because I had passed out shortly after we picked up guests at the Poly. What I do know, it took an extraordinary amount of time to get to MCO. We arrived with only 60 min. to get thru security, grab drinks, and find our gate.

*MCO experience: EVERYONE and their brother and sister must've been leaving today! The lines were massive and moving slowly at security. I told everyone to get ready for security while we standing in line: take off belts, watches, empty pockets, get your Ziploc baggie out, and make sure no one had any liquids on them. By the time we finally got to security, 25 min. had passed, and it took another 10 min. to get thru (because my MIL had packed an unopened bottle of Hershey's syrup in her carry-on and forgot about it..."I didn't want it to go to waste since we hadn't even opened it at the resort;" my FIL was detained for a few minutes and met up with us quite flustered and Hershey-free..."This is the last time I'm flying," he said). We arrived at our gate just as they made the announcement for Business Class; but, I sent my DH to grab 2 bottles of water first (I hate airline H2O).

*Flight: We left MCO on-time at 4:40 p.m. and arrived at PIT close to 7 p.m.. The flight was uneventful, and most of the adults slept...the kids were too wired, but were all very good travelers, seriously! I wouldn't have upgraded us to Business Class if I wasn't absolutely certain the kids could behave, because I know how angry some travelers get when they see youngins in the front of the plane.

*Picked up bags, found an alternate route home, and hit-the-hay by 12 a.m..: Chloe had a rough ride home; she couldn't get comfortable and found sleeping to be near impossible. I reminded Chloe that she had school in the morning and that I'd let her take in one souvenir from the trip: "How about my pearls?" (I didn't have the heart to tell her that I still hadn't found them). We then reviewed her spelling words for her test and put in: 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' followed by, 'The Gruffalo.' About 9 p.m., we had to stop for potty breaks and food. Finally, by 11:30 p.m. we arrived home in Central PA and unpacked the van, said our "Good-byes" to the in-laws and got the girls ready for bed. I am glad, however, that I had the foresight to ask my DH's vacation route runner to do his route for one more day, that way my DH and FIL could FINALLY get a chance to really sleep in!