We are home now from our first trip ever to WDW. It was myself (42 yo wheelchair user), my DW and our 8 yo son and 2 yo daughter. Our trip was from 10/20 - 10/30.
We thought it was never going to happen as the rental that we had planned on (large van for the luggage, stroller, wheelchair & scooter) was given to someone else and we had no transportation. At the last minute we booked tickets on Amtrak and were on our way.
We left on Friday (Oct 20) at 0500 (thats AM for you non military folks) an climbed onto a Dartmouth Coach (Bus) but when we arrived at South Station in Boston to get the train the lift had broken somehow nad I had no way to get off the bus. Not wanting to miss our train, I crawled down the aisle and off the bus...not happy...but off the bus.
We boarded Amtrak's high speed "Acela" train in Boston and headed to our next stop, Washington, DC. The Acela train was WONDERFUL ! We had accessible seats, an accessible rest room and were right behind the dining car for meals and snacks. The kids were happy because there were electrical outlets for their gameboys and DVD players ! LOL
In Washington we switched to the southbound train to Orlando. We were on the southbound train for about 14 hours. The train was older and not as accessible but we were sleeping for most of that part of the trip so it was okay. We got to Orlando at about 2pm on Sat. (Oct 21)and met our friends who had a 15 person rental van and we made our way to the house we were staying at.
The house was very nice. 4 br/3 baths, pool, game room and very close, like 15 mins to Disney.
I'll give a brief look at each day and then make a few overall comments about the week.
Sunday - Animal Kingdom
The weather was great 80's & 90's and for a New England guy like me thats great. Longest wait was 5 mins. Walked on to most rides/shows. Lunch at Pizzafari's. **found a "Magical Moment" in our diaper bag the next day left while we were on the safari. Met Mickey, Turk, Timon, Pluto, Chip & Dale.
Monday - Epcot
Walked onto Soarin and then the group split and walked onto Test Track & Mission Space and joined back up for the Ellen/dino show (I forget the name). Lunch at the Electric Umbrella and then the kids went around the world pavillion with their passports and kidcot projects while dad enjoyed drinking my way around the world at the Food & Wine Festival.
Back to see Nemo & Crush. Met Mushu, Mary Poppins, Pooh, Tigger, Aladdin, Jasmin, Genie and got to hear Off Kilter !
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom
A little chilly for the locals but still t-shirt weather for me. Stopped on Main St for family pictures and character meets and still walked onto Dumbo, Peter Pan & Pooh with no waiting. Did small world and then off to PoC with only a 10 min wait. Lunch at Pecos Pete's (I think I got the name right) and then we split up again and some did Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain while others did Haunted Mansion, Barnstormer and Buzz. My son and I rode Buzz (literally no one on the ride) 5 times straight since there was no one waiting for the special wheelchair ride car and we got "Magical Passes" good for any ride in the Magic Kingdom. Tea cups, ice cream and more characters. Brier Fox, Woody, Jessie, Bullseye. Took the boat to Fort Wilderness for dinner at the Trail's End and then back for the trip home.
Wednesday - Disney Studios
Back to hot weather !! No sooner did we walk through the gate then we see the cast of "Cars", Donald & Daisy and Pluto. Off to Playhouse Disney for the little one where she was picked to go up and be part of the show.
as we left the show there was Stitch and Goofy. Next it is Star Tours, rode twice in a row (no waiting) as we leave there is Darth freakin Vader and two Storm Troopers ! (My 8 year old needed a change of clothes when he turned the corner and almost walked into his arch enemy Lord Vader !) Lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe then Muppets and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. Woody, Buz and the Green Army Men were out as were the Power Rangers and the Little Einsteins. Grabbed and Ice cream and waited for Beauty and the Beast and traded a stock mickey pin for a LE Mister Toad's Wild Ride pin !! Yes we got hooked on Pin Trading...
Thursday - Ohana Breakfast & MNSSHP W/Dinner @ Liberty Tree Tavern
Early breakfast with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey & Pluto. Downtown Disney for some shopping. Just time enough to to go home and change (so much for that nap) and head back for MNSSHP. The party was VERY cool. Lots of great costumes, mood lighting, mist and spooky music. Lots of CM interaction with the kids. TONS of characters - Capt Hook & Mr. Scmee, Snow White and all 7 Dwarves, Woody, Jessie, Aladdin, Jasmin & Genie, Pooh & Friends and of course all the Villians. Rode Poc and Splash Mtn with very little wait. Got our pins and shirts and headed for Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern with Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale. Watched the fireworks (missed most of them as they scared the daylights out of DD) and then headed for the Parade. Lots of candy and games. Great Parade and then off for some candy harvesting ! Left the park with some very tired kids at 11:56PM.
Friday - Kids voted for a 2nd day at Epcot.
Got a late start after the late night. Walked onto Spaceship Earth and then grabbed luch at Season's in The Land. Off to Test Track (about 30 min wait) but got to ride twice without getting off. Daughter went back to Nemo again and then met Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Chip & Dale again at character connection. Grabbed an ice cream and ran to the Kodak shop to get my PhotoPass CD...here is a suggestion...make a CD Only line...I waited in line for an hour while several sets of parents and grandparents argued over who looked best in which photo and it literally took only me 10 mins to hand them my cards and have them burn a CD. Just a thought. This was the last day in the park and we were all bummed but had so many wonderful memories.
Trip home
Drove from Orlando to Atlanta, GA on the 28th and then took the train at 8pm on Sunday 29th from Atlanta to Washington, DC and on to Boston and the Bus back home by 1am on Tuesday Morning.
General Thoughts - October is a GREAT time to go ! Great Weather, short lines if there are any, lots of Character times since there are less people. The Food & Wine Festival is great and Don't Miss MNSSHP.
This was an increadible first trip for us that we will never forget and we are already planning for the next one.
Here is a link to our pictures on SnapFish.
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=140023088/a=77324514/t_=77324514
We thought it was never going to happen as the rental that we had planned on (large van for the luggage, stroller, wheelchair & scooter) was given to someone else and we had no transportation. At the last minute we booked tickets on Amtrak and were on our way.
We left on Friday (Oct 20) at 0500 (thats AM for you non military folks) an climbed onto a Dartmouth Coach (Bus) but when we arrived at South Station in Boston to get the train the lift had broken somehow nad I had no way to get off the bus. Not wanting to miss our train, I crawled down the aisle and off the bus...not happy...but off the bus.
We boarded Amtrak's high speed "Acela" train in Boston and headed to our next stop, Washington, DC. The Acela train was WONDERFUL ! We had accessible seats, an accessible rest room and were right behind the dining car for meals and snacks. The kids were happy because there were electrical outlets for their gameboys and DVD players ! LOL
In Washington we switched to the southbound train to Orlando. We were on the southbound train for about 14 hours. The train was older and not as accessible but we were sleeping for most of that part of the trip so it was okay. We got to Orlando at about 2pm on Sat. (Oct 21)and met our friends who had a 15 person rental van and we made our way to the house we were staying at.
The house was very nice. 4 br/3 baths, pool, game room and very close, like 15 mins to Disney.
I'll give a brief look at each day and then make a few overall comments about the week.
Sunday - Animal Kingdom
The weather was great 80's & 90's and for a New England guy like me thats great. Longest wait was 5 mins. Walked on to most rides/shows. Lunch at Pizzafari's. **found a "Magical Moment" in our diaper bag the next day left while we were on the safari. Met Mickey, Turk, Timon, Pluto, Chip & Dale.
Monday - Epcot
Walked onto Soarin and then the group split and walked onto Test Track & Mission Space and joined back up for the Ellen/dino show (I forget the name). Lunch at the Electric Umbrella and then the kids went around the world pavillion with their passports and kidcot projects while dad enjoyed drinking my way around the world at the Food & Wine Festival.
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom
A little chilly for the locals but still t-shirt weather for me. Stopped on Main St for family pictures and character meets and still walked onto Dumbo, Peter Pan & Pooh with no waiting. Did small world and then off to PoC with only a 10 min wait. Lunch at Pecos Pete's (I think I got the name right) and then we split up again and some did Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain while others did Haunted Mansion, Barnstormer and Buzz. My son and I rode Buzz (literally no one on the ride) 5 times straight since there was no one waiting for the special wheelchair ride car and we got "Magical Passes" good for any ride in the Magic Kingdom. Tea cups, ice cream and more characters. Brier Fox, Woody, Jessie, Bullseye. Took the boat to Fort Wilderness for dinner at the Trail's End and then back for the trip home.
Wednesday - Disney Studios
Back to hot weather !! No sooner did we walk through the gate then we see the cast of "Cars", Donald & Daisy and Pluto. Off to Playhouse Disney for the little one where she was picked to go up and be part of the show.
as we left the show there was Stitch and Goofy. Next it is Star Tours, rode twice in a row (no waiting) as we leave there is Darth freakin Vader and two Storm Troopers ! (My 8 year old needed a change of clothes when he turned the corner and almost walked into his arch enemy Lord Vader !) Lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe then Muppets and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. Woody, Buz and the Green Army Men were out as were the Power Rangers and the Little Einsteins. Grabbed and Ice cream and waited for Beauty and the Beast and traded a stock mickey pin for a LE Mister Toad's Wild Ride pin !! Yes we got hooked on Pin Trading...
Thursday - Ohana Breakfast & MNSSHP W/Dinner @ Liberty Tree Tavern
Early breakfast with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey & Pluto. Downtown Disney for some shopping. Just time enough to to go home and change (so much for that nap) and head back for MNSSHP. The party was VERY cool. Lots of great costumes, mood lighting, mist and spooky music. Lots of CM interaction with the kids. TONS of characters - Capt Hook & Mr. Scmee, Snow White and all 7 Dwarves, Woody, Jessie, Aladdin, Jasmin & Genie, Pooh & Friends and of course all the Villians. Rode Poc and Splash Mtn with very little wait. Got our pins and shirts and headed for Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern with Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale. Watched the fireworks (missed most of them as they scared the daylights out of DD) and then headed for the Parade. Lots of candy and games. Great Parade and then off for some candy harvesting ! Left the park with some very tired kids at 11:56PM.
Friday - Kids voted for a 2nd day at Epcot.
Got a late start after the late night. Walked onto Spaceship Earth and then grabbed luch at Season's in The Land. Off to Test Track (about 30 min wait) but got to ride twice without getting off. Daughter went back to Nemo again and then met Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Chip & Dale again at character connection. Grabbed an ice cream and ran to the Kodak shop to get my PhotoPass CD...here is a suggestion...make a CD Only line...I waited in line for an hour while several sets of parents and grandparents argued over who looked best in which photo and it literally took only me 10 mins to hand them my cards and have them burn a CD. Just a thought. This was the last day in the park and we were all bummed but had so many wonderful memories.
Trip home
Drove from Orlando to Atlanta, GA on the 28th and then took the train at 8pm on Sunday 29th from Atlanta to Washington, DC and on to Boston and the Bus back home by 1am on Tuesday Morning.
General Thoughts - October is a GREAT time to go ! Great Weather, short lines if there are any, lots of Character times since there are less people. The Food & Wine Festival is great and Don't Miss MNSSHP.
This was an increadible first trip for us that we will never forget and we are already planning for the next one.
Here is a link to our pictures on SnapFish.
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=140023088/a=77324514/t_=77324514
