Salute To The Troops Trip Report-Part 1 May 2-7

Salute To The Troops Trip-Part 1​

Yay!! We just got back from Disney and I couldn’t wait to start writing my trip report. If you want to read my others, here they are:
(November 2008) http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=372491
(January 2009) http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=396347


I took a ridiculous amount of pics, and some video that I’ll hopefully be able to download and share in small portions. For starters, why not introduce the vacationers:
DH: Ben, 31 years old, Coast-Guardsman, used to not like the World so much due to feeling like a Sherpa most of the trip packing all of our stuff…but as we need less kid stuff, he’s become just as huge a Disney fan as me!
Myself: Melanee, 28 years old, Super-Mom!!, writer of trip report, part-time can-can dancer(as you'll see later in the report), not afraid to look crazy and immerse herself in the magic…but did NOT wear a pack.
DS #1: Caleb, 9 years old and the star of our last trip report, LOVES Star Wars, Mission:Space and Test Track and cracked up at Universe of Energy
DS #2: Samuel, 5-years old and not afraid to be a ham for the camera, still loves characters but is getting old enough for more intense rides. LOVES Soarin', Kali River Rapids, the Monorails and dancing at Biergarten polka party
DS #3: Aaron, 3-years old and the “baby” of the family. Loves to give mom a work-out by making her pack him around the World. LOVES characters and parades and the Nemo "Mine" birds.

Saturday, May 2nd: So my DH is at flight school out here and we live on the Panhandle of Florida. In a few months he’ll be a CG helo pilot!! Unfortunately the schedule he’s on gives him close to zero time off, so when we get it, we escape!! Disneyworld is usually the destination since we don’t know if we’ll ever live quite so close or convenient to it. We left on Saturday afternoon after our sons’ baseball games and made the 5 ½ hour trek to the World. I made a few last minute ADRs on the way and got into the Hoop de Doo Revue for a dinner show and Chef Mickey’s for a character breakfast. We checked into our hotel and since it was quite late, got right to bed.

Sunday, May 3rd: ANIMAL KINGDOM
We haven’t been to Animal Kingdom since June, 2007, our first ever trip to WDW, so we were due! We got up and at ‘em early because we were all just so darn excited!! We planned on a long, full day with no nap breaks since they closed at 5pm. I was really hoping for dinner at Boma but it was too last minute. L . Oh well, there is plenty more to see and do and we can always do it next time.

Anyone ever notice there's a dragon on the sign? Nowhere in the park did I see a dragon...

I love approaching Animal Kingdom and hearing all the fun jungle music. It gets you in the mood for an adventurous day immediately. First thing we did was head to a ticket booth because we had to purchase our special military salute to the troops tickets there. DH got a free 5-day premium pass and the rest of us scored our 5-day base passes for $99 each, with each adding on water parks for $25 each. This was our first time adding on water parks so we were excited for that!!! And we were really excited knowing we would only use a portion of our ticket days…so we have unused days for later in the year! They are also offering 40% off of hotel accomodations, but we couldn't get in at such a last minute.

Before we could even go through the turnstiles I had to make a beeline for the restrooms because Aaron rubbed sunblock into his eyes. Poor baby, he was just getting over pink eye so his eyes were super sensitive. I ended up sticking his head under the faucet to wash it all out. Lesson learned! After that we were back in business!!
So we started our tour. We walked briskly past the CMs with spiders (which sent a chill up DH’s back-he hates them!) and headed around the Oasis. We saw some pretty parrots on the way:

Then there it was…the Tree of Life!! What an awesome sight! I took a few pics, but we avoided all the photopass photographers this time…

At this point our group split up temporarily. DH took the stroller and the younger boys to get in line for Kilmanjaro Safaris while Caleb and I took the path to get FPs for Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

Day 3: EPCOT

DAY 3: EPCOT RECAP

EPCOT is one of our absolute favorite places!! DH always has so much fun which makes me even happier to be there. We never made it to Spaceship earth or the Imagination Pavilion. There was so much going on during the International Flower and Garden Festival that it is impossible to really experience it all. We did a lot though! Weather was great, 80s, and crowds seemed average, probably 5 or 6. We never had to wait much in line, but we use FPs whether crowds are high or not, just to be sure.

Brand new to us was Universe of Energy, and IMO it is definitely one to see at least once. My 9-year-old loved it! It is educational and interesting, and Ellen is very funny. May scare littler ones though. It is a great way to kill time and sit in some Air Conditioning. We also for the first time went upstairs in the Seas which is pretty fun, and worth seeing at least once.

I still can't believe we went all crazy getting KidCot charms. I'm glad we did it but we won't do it again. Once was enough. I did notice that there is no charm station in Test Track anymore. There used to be. BTW, Test Track worked just fine while we were there, we didn't have any problems with rides shutting down this trip.

We love World Showcase. Combine the times we've been to EPCOT, and the only countries we haven't spent substantial time sampling food, drink and culture are Canada(we're from the Pac Norwest:shrug, Italy, China and Norway. We've spent some time there, but not really a lot. When the gets are older, we'll spend time watching the shows and such as well.

What did we miss that I still really want to do:
sampling all the Cokes(and the Beverly)
browsing Innoventions
Wonders of Life(if it ever re-opens)
and plenty more food and fun in World Showcase

I could go on and on about EPCOT, we just love it!!

 

[mouselvrmom]

I'm loving your trip report! All the pictures are great!

It's reminding me a bit of our last trip. It's so nice when everyone is finally old enough to go on rides together, like SM, BTMRR etc. We finally got to that point last October. Looks like you've gotten there too.

 

[Beccone]

Great trip report! I'm a happy to see that I am not the only one who takes a milion pictures, my husband and kids laugh at me because I never put my camera down, lol.

 

[disneygirl1]

Great report and awesome pictures! So glad to see that you had another amazing trip to disney!

 

[blackthidot]

To be honest, I didnt even read the report cause i was so excited to go through all the pics...but the pics told the story. You guys had a great trip...it looks like.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

I'm loving your trip report! All the pictures are great!

It's reminding me a bit of our last trip. It's so nice when everyone is finally old enough to go on rides together, like SM, BTMRR etc. We finally got to that point last October. Looks like you've gotten there too.

I agree, it is nice!! We've been to WDW 4 times since 2007 and every trip has been a little different as the boys grow and change. It is always a different experience as they grow.

Great trip report! I'm a happy to see that I am not the only one who takes a milion pictures, my husband and kids laugh at me because I never put my camera down, lol.

These pics are only a fraction that I took. I use the best pics to tell the story when I write the trip report. Then there's also video that I took...I don't really put my camera/camcorder down much either.

Great report and awesome pictures! So glad to see that you had another amazing trip to disney!

Thanks!!

To be honest, I didnt even read the report cause i was so excited to go through all the pics...but the pics told the story. You guys had a great trip...it looks like.

That's exactly my goal really. When I write the trip report, I use a lot of pics and tell our story. This way, our family can always come back to it to read about our story and our memories. I don't have time for elaborate scrapbooks, but I do have time for a detailed trip report, and I'm always so glad to have it to read over and over when I'm done.

Glad you're enjoying it!

 

[Disney Soldier]

To be honest, I didnt even read the report cause i was so excited to go through all the pics...but the pics told the story. You guys had a great trip...it looks like.

I'm not much of a reader either, probably why I love to tell my story in pictures too.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

Day 4: Blizzard Beach

This morning we woke up pretty tired, understandably. So we took it a bit slower, and since Blizzard Beach didn't open until 10am we were able to sleep in a bit also.

First we drove over to Coronado Springs Resort to pick up or Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue tix for later on that evening. Beautiful resort!!

Then off to Blizzard Beach!

We've never been to Blizzard Beach so I had no idea what to expect. Everyone got all sunblocked-up and we headed out to explore. We set up a little spot near the Ski Patrol Training camp and Caleb and I climbed the stairs to check out the two body slides first. I'm not a big fan of heights but I can do them on a rollercoaster, ToT, etc. But the body slides were so intimidating because you are not connected to anything, you are just free-falling. That freaked me out a bit. And there's a moment when you slide down Slush Gusher where as you go down the humps, you get a teeny bit of air. Next we went up to Summit Plummet. I had to close my eyes and just do it. I screamed the whole way down but I'm glad I did it. Caleb went down like a pro, no biggee there. I just have to say, out of all the Disney rides/attractions, that one was the scariest for me. I'll do it again sometime though, I love a challenge.

Then we met Ben, where he was swimming with the younger boys. Thank goodness their lifejackets were free. That was a nice surprise.

DH and Caleb went down the big water slides together and then we all climbed up to go down Teamboat Springs. That was fun!! Next we headed over to Cross Country Creek and Ben took the smaller kids as Caleb and I tackled Runoff Rapids a few times, Downhill Double Dipper and Toboggan Racers. A little tip, the person who weighs the most will probably win, so younger kids shouldn't feel bad if they lose to a "rounder" adult.

Then we met up with DH who wanted to take the whole family on Runoff Rapids. After that, we hopped back onto Cross Country Creek and just chilled. That was one of the best times, just floatin' along with the family. We got off to check out the wave pool, Melt-Away Bay which was ok, but I really wanted to check out Tikes Peak so we went back on CCC to Tike's Peak. DH and Caleb went to the bigger slides again and the little ones and I hung out at Tikes Peak. We were only there for 5 minutes and they shut it down because some kid went potty in the pool. So we left and headed back to our towels and stroller to eat a bit. We got the Garbage Pail and everyone shared it.

Ben and Caleb met up with us and we went down TeamBoat Springs again and caught CCC again and floated along for a while. Then we caught the Chair Lift back up to do Teamboat Springs again and started thinking about heading out. Water Parks are exhausting because they are so physical, and we climbed A LOT of stairs!!

I do have to say Caleb really enjoyed the Ski Patrol Training Camp area and the younger boys loved the medium tube-slides called Cool Runners. I think we made our camp in a good spot in the middle of everything and I know we'll be back! We only used one of our 5 "Water Parks and More" credits on our tickets.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

Day 4: Blizzard Beach/Hoop De Doo Revue

So we left Blizzard Beach and went back to our hotel for a rest. The thing about water fun, whether you are swimming or going down water slides(or in the case of Blizzard Beach, climbing stairs), is that you don't realize how exhausted you are until you hit the car and then the hotel room. We were pooped!!! So we went to the hotel and literally crashed for a few hours.

We got all ready and headed out with plenty of time to spare because we had to be at Fort Wilderness early and before that we had to park and take a boat from Wilderness Lodge. We love Wilderness Lodge. If we get to stay at a Disney Resort during our next vacation, that one will probably be it. We just love that it is what feels like out in the middle of nowhere, and the cool pool and the springs that run from inside the hotel outward. We also love the boats and the docks, etc.

So we got to Fort Wilderness and checked into the show and got our picture taken. These pics are an 8X10 and 4 4X6s and they cost somethign like $30. But we decided to buy them because it isn't often we get a full family picture done.

Then we took the kids down to the playground to let them play and we waited for the show to start. When it did start, it was cool that there was cornbread and salad already on our table because we were really hungry. After a few minutes, the show started and the performers came on stage. There was a few courses, with shows in between. They recognized those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. It was funny and fun. Then for the last act, a few of the performers quietly went into the audience and picked three "volunteers". I was one of them!!! It was thrilling. So we went on stage (I was nervous, I had no idea what I was there for!)and they introduced us and told us what we were chosen for. The first guy was chosen for his courage, the second guy chosen for his brains and I was chosen for my beauty. I was blushing quite a bit when they said that. Anyway, so once they did that, the show went on and we went backstage. They did a whirlwind of dressing us up and then told us our line(s) and what we were supposed to do. It was crazy because I'm thinking about what I'm supposed to do and say but I don't really know how it fits into the show because I can't watch the actual show. Anyway, when my cue hit, I ran out there as a Can-Can Dancer and shook the dress, did a few things and said my line. It was fun and the crowd loved it!! They took this picture gave it to me for free.

I received this certificate for Bravery Above and Beyond the Call of Duty-:lol:

Funny thing is, I never really thought of being on stage as a dream of mine, but in a way, it came true anyway! It was something I never knew I always wanted to do.


After the show, we moseyed on out toward the boats just as Wishes was going on in the distance. It was wonderful, and we watched on the beach. Then we took the boat toward Wilderness Lodge, but we stopped at the Contemporary first, where they had a huge movie(Bolt) on an outdoor screen playing. Then we had to wait a while because the Fantasy Light Parade was floating by. It was the most perfect night, cool with a warm breeze. It was a magical way to end our last full day of our vacation.

 

[TakeMeThere81]

Very Last Day and Last Throughts

On our last day, I woke up rested but kind of bummed that we were leaving that day. DH had to catch a plane out of OIA since he was going to spend a little bit of his time off at his parents' in Seattle. So while he packed I headed to DTD to do a little shopping and browsing. I went to the Marketplace. I wish I could shop there every time I needed to go shopping!! It has such a great atmosphere even just for a shopping place. I went straight to World of Disney because I really wanted to get a new coffee mug and a few other knick-knacks. I got to check out the Bippity Boppity Boutique which is so cute. If I had a little girl I'd do it for her. I ended up with a few great souveniers. A few of my favorites are:

A Disney Family!

A cute Minnie Mouse Apron

A cookie cutter that we've already used

I got this tote for $10 with my purchase

I also got another Mickey Mouse christmas ball for our Christmas tree

And one of my favorites(which I got at Test Track) was this keychain. The outer metal part with the Mickey Ears spins around the Mickey shaped country flags. I love it.

I also bought some Mickey Shaped plastic ice cubes and some snacks for the ride home. I got DH a vintage Mickey Mouse shirt and a visor for golfing with a little Mickey Mouse on it. It is so cool because he requested those things...a man who a year or so ago was quite the Disney-humbug.

Anyway, after WoD I browsed around, wishing I had more time. I went over to Earl of Sandwich and got myself and DH something tasty for our trips. Then I went to basin to get some fun soap and bath salts.

Anyway, so I've milked my trip all I could, and at this point, I had to meet DH so that he could make his plane. So I left DTD and passed a Welcome to Walt Disney World sign just once more...

RECAP:

We had such a wonderful trip. It went smoother this time than it ever has because the boys are getting bigger I think. They are all familiar with Disney, have tried most everything, and even have their favorites. DH also gets so into the Disney magic that it makes the trip even more fun.

Overall, weather was perfect and crowds were mild, but pretty busy during the middle of the day. Very managable. We have remaining days on our tickets for regular parks and water parks so we are planning a trip for after DH gets his wings. We have to use them before the end of December. Then we'll be celebrating all over again!!

Thanks for reading everyone!:wave:

 

[Southern_Tink]

Awesome Trip Report!!! I enjoyed reading it and looking at your pictures so much. My DH and I are taking our 2 year old son for his first trip in October and reading your report helped me so much in learning what he would probably be able to ride and do while there. You have such a beautiful family and I'm so glad you had a great vacation!

 

[corey154]

I love your trip report. I'm going next week with my 10 year old and 1 year old. i'm getting so excited by reading your story! Thanks for sharing with us!