Trip Report SURPRISE SEPTEMBER TRIP REVEALED.... BUT WAS IT A SURPRISE?

This is my first trip report and I hope I can compare to the high standards of some of the trip reports I read before our trip, during my research period. Thank you by the way to all who indirectly made this a magically and memorable trip.

We did manage to make it to WDW and back home safely. Been home for about 6 days now and still working at cleaning/organizing everything after the trip. Especially all the photos taken. I had a personal count of about 2200 pictures/videos of my own. Now mind you most of those were similar. By that I mean, my cameras have the option of taking up to 3 photos in a row. I thought best to use this feature in order to acquire the perfect shot, instead of being stuck with only the 'one' picture of someone looking elsewhere or with their eyes closed. And of course there were those few shots taken of the ground that always appear to happen. Not to mention just over another 1000 photos in my Memory Maker account. I think this was a very good investment on my part.

I guess I should start by back tracking a little.

Why? Besides the answer of why not, this trip started to flourish by the kids last year asking if we could go to WDW. I promised we could in two or three years but we would have to cut back on some of our spending and start saving for it. So, true answer, promise made.

How? Things just ended up falling into place to go this September, about a year in advance. I was able to receive some severance from a project I was helping with and thought our WDW trip would be a good way of using it.

When? I was originally thinking of going around March 2017, near to DD's birthday, but further research provided information September provided some of the lowest crowd levels. This would be an extra benefit for someone who has not been to WDW in about 40 years to be able to get around. September provided some extra benefits besides the lower crowds, lower costs and free dining. I would happen to have the children for a 3 week period in September and would allow flexibility to when we would fly. (Only later to decide we would be driving instead, but still allow us to be at WDW longer than the normal 7 days I have the children.) It would also be DS's birthday during this 3 week period and who won't want to celebrate their birthday at WDW.

I decided we would drive down (more due to trying to keep it a secret longer), departing Canada on Monday, September 12th taking the scenic route to WDW. We would arrive at WDW on Thursday, September 15th and depart on Friday, September 23rd. This would give us newbies 7 full days in the parks to explore.

I should add that while I was organizing the above, the children were planning a trip for the three of us to go to WDW July 2017 for my birthday. I know I am mean in being so deceitful, but I actually did give them the option to help plan 'a trip I was planning' but they wanted it to be a surprise. So, really it is their own fault.

Who?

Me- Paul

DS - Daniel

DD - Christina

I think I will end it here for now. I will be back soon to report our departure and our first leg of our drive.

 

[Scoppin]

SATURDAY, SEPT 17 CONTINUED...

As mentioned above we were already late for our 1:35 pm GC ADR before we even left MS and taking a wrong turn didn't help. We finally made it to our destination at 1:50 pm and I was certain being this late, which felt like we were actually later, we would be told we missed our window. I apologized to the CM for being so late and explained being our first time I took the wrong turn out of MS and ended up in WS before being able to find our way there and asked if we still had our ADR. The manager was also there and she stated it was okay. She also asked if we would like some water. She must have noticed the sweat pouring from our foreheads. I don't think I had mentioned it was another warm day. A CM brought our water shortly afterwards. I think I downed my fairly quickly.

DD noticed the basket of pins and asked if she could trade for she liked. DS took a look but didn't make a request. The manager noticed and asked me if he would like to trade. I mentioned he didn't bring his pins as I had stated I thought it was only done at MK. The manager offered DS to pick one he liked. She may have noticed his birthday button, I can't remember her actually wishing him a happy birthday. DS mentioned he didn't see anything he liked and stated it was okay. The manager left and returned shortly and handed a piece of paper. She added DS could pick out a pin of his choice at any of the stores or pin kiosks. The piece of paper was a certificate good for a Disney pin.

We didn't have to wait long before our indicator lights went off and were seated at our table. Our CM, Ryan, stated the meal and asked for our drink orders. And yes, this time I did remember to take pictures. Maybe a little late but I remembered.
First we received our buns, which didn't last long.

DS chose to have the turkey and cranberry. As you can see, this didn't last long either. And he went for seconds.

DD went with the Mac&Cheese. Surprise! I just took the whole bowl and put it in front of her. She did finish it.

I had the roast beef, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. I went for seconds and thirds. It was really yummy.

This is what the platter looked liked after our first dip into it. There was much less when we were done with it. The sausages were still there.

I forget the choices for dessert. A platter with three different items was put in front of us. I may have forgotten what they were, but I do remember it was yummy.

DS had his special birthday dessert/card specially delivered.

Think he was worried he had to share.

Or just wanted a picture of his favourite dog.

Okay the pictures above were not exactly in order, but are our food pictures. Character pictures to come. As well as more smiles.

 

[Scoppin]

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 - CONTINUED..

I should give an update on the camera situation before I continue with our character interactions. And there were plenty. As mentioned, I had difficulty with the one camera. The one I am currently using in the GC. It is very convenient as it is small and I can carry it around in my pocket and not have something large dangling around my neck like my other. Not to mention, I like the continuous feature on it. I am able to take up to 3 pictures continuously. I thought this would come in handy as there are many times you take a picture and they are blinking or looking somewhere else. I didn't want this to happen here. There was no way I would be able to take a retake. This trip/memories was too special. The way I fixed the problem from the day before, put in the old memory card. This appeared to have solved the problem and we were back in business. My only fear was when the memory card would become full at some point during our stay. Hence the reason for the new memory cards. My solution for this, was to bring the old memory card from the other camera as well. And hopefully I would have time to switch them out when the first card became full.

Okay back to our lunch character M&Gs. And I think I found out a way of being able to update more often. I can upload the pictures at night or early morning and then add the text at work. This could speed up my report writing.

First to come by was Dale. I think this is where the fun started with the chipmunks. DS asked where Chip was. It appeared the two chipmunks were not getting along today. Not to mention the other days we met them as well. Dale's response to DS's question, he pinched his nose with his fingers and waved with the other hand. DS responded by saying Chip stinks! He got a very vigorous nod from Dale.

Next to come was Chip. This time DS asked about Dale. He got the same response from Chip as he got from Dale.

We then had the second visit from Mickey. And you need to be careful as to who may be behind you.

Picture with Mickey.

DS selfie with Mickey.

DD selfie with Mickey. It was at this meal DD decided she would ask the character she met at meals for a selfie, but not the other ones. I think she was thinking of the time and others in line.

Pluto was back again. DS liked meeting Pluto and wanted to meet him more often throughout our trip. He was disappointed he wasn't able to meet him as often.

Mickey was back for a third time. First DD going in for a big hug.

Face wash for DS while trying to get a selfie.

Mickey playing with Mini Mickey and Mini Minnie. This would not be the first time this would happen. But again, this is the reason why I bought them for the kids and reason the kids brought them to the parks.

 

[Scoppin]

Chip was back once more, this time for a selfie with DS.

Chip giving DS a huge hug, not letting him out of his chair. Hugs like this can't but bring huge smiles.

Mickey was back again. This time a picture of DS, Mickey and Mini Mickey

I was starting to feel left out so my turn to get in a picture with Mickey, Mini Mickey and Mini Minnie.

We had a great CM, Ryan. He was always checking on us to see if we were okay, needed anything, brought us refills and asked if the characters had come by to see us. He was so good, the kids asked to have a picture with him. This would be the highest compliment to be bestowed upon a CM by the kids.

So, our lunch has come to an end, finally. Finally we can continue on with my agenda which now has taken a beating. First by me taking us the long way to lunch and then a 2 hour lunch. Yes, that is correct 2 hour lunch. Okay maybe not exactly 2 hours but it was awfully close. We had arrived at about 1:50 and didn't make it to our final FP until 3:40. But in all honestly, it was all fine. The meal was good and the kids ate. But the kids had an awesome time. Priceless actually and you can't buy that. This lunch would not have happened if it were not for two things. First, the longer hours at AK which allowed this half day become a E/HS day.

And second, and maybe more importantly, the rave reviews given by @blgauger for this ADR. If it wasn't for these reviews I probably would have chosen somewhere else to have eaten. The kids, still to this day, speak/reflect back to this dinner more than any of the other ADRs we went to. Well there may be one other, but that is coming later.

To be honest I do have to confess one thing. I had learned that any character dinner would be about an hour. That would be fine for normal people, but not if you had a mouse within our party. Actually a mouse would probably eat faster that DD. She can be an awfully slow eater. For this reason, I usually allotted an hour and a half for any of our meals in order to give us a buffer. And if we were done dinner sooner than better for the agenda. However, that was not usually the case.

So, now we are headed out to our final FP, Test Track. And yes, this time I lead the kids the correct way, the most direct/quickest route. The route which took us past Epcot Character M&G. It was so, so much quicker this way. But we were still past our one hour window, but within the extra time window.

But first had to stop to take a picture of the stand by wait time. It didn't turn out to well, maybe to far back or the angle. But if memory serves me well it was at 80 minutes.

The single rider line was not doing much better at 20 minutes.

The kids liked the queue and being able to design their own concept vehicle. DS made most of the designs with input from DD. They would have loved to have a little more time to finish their design as they didn't spend much time on the look of the vehicle. But it did preform well on the test track.

A picture just before we were about to take off.

And one of our final concept vehicle score. I do believe we did really well. A little low in one category, but I do believe it was the highest score amoungst the other vehicles. There might have only been only one other vehicle which made it with a 200+ score.

We didn't spend much time looking at the cars after the ride. It was beyond the time for us to head over to HS. I had planned on heading over to HS shortly after 3:00 and be there in time for the 4:00 show of Voyage of the Little Mermaid show. But considering it was already 4:00, this was not going to happen. Next plan was to try to get to HS before the next scheduled event, Beauty and the Beast Show and scheduled for 5:00 pm.

Before arriving at WDW, I was only aware of two methods of getting to HS from E, walk or boat. However, when we arrived at E I had noticed a bus titled HS so apparently there was a third option. The other thing I was aware of was the boat and walk would take about the same amount of time, unless there were extra circumstances such as a storm. One may not want to walk in the rain and find cover. The boat may pull over in order to wait out the storm. Well, there was thunder in the air. Not to mention a very large threatening dark cloud. Decision made to take option number 3, bus. As we were making our way out off TT towards the main entrance we heard the following come over the TT PA system, 'sorry TT is currently out of service due to weather.' We all looked at each other and I think it was DD who stated, 'we are really lucky to have finished the ride.' Some of our timing throughout our visit was spot on. We were able to make it to the HS bus shelter before it really started to come down. We didn't wait to long, maybe 10 minutes, before the bus was there to take us to our next destination. The bus ride was just about the right length of time. The rain stopped just before we arrived.

We were short on time so we didn't stop for any entrance pictures. I don't think we had any issues entering the park either. Slipped right through security and DD had no issues. By this time it was just before 5:00 pm. I knew the Beauty show was up towards ToT. And it was an open air show. Which could mean the seats were wet and we could get wet again. But here again my rookieness shown through. I had never been and by looking at the resort maps it appeared the theater was way up the street. I would not find out until later that night it was not actually that far. So, instead of missing the beginning of the show I decided to skip Beauty and move to the next thing on the agenda, Frozen Sing Along. We made our way to Frozen. I did have a small discussion with the CM there regarding which to do; Frozen or Beauty as I stated I wasn't sure how far Beauty was and didn't want to miss both shows. She wasn't of much help. But then again I don't blame her and if it didn't work out I could have blamed her. Which I am sure happens a lot by some. We had a wait before making it into the theater. Which now I know we would have been able to make it to Beauty and if not able to get in make it back to Frozen. Oh well, lesson learned for next time. If there is a next time. But sad thing is, we were not able to see Beauty. We also were not able to squeeze in Mermaid either. The kids don't really miss it as they didn't really know it was on the agenda and they had fun with the adjusted 'go with the flow' agenda items.

Up next in the next update, Frozen Sing Along Celebration.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Finally catching up! Great report so far. Looks like you guys had a blast. Terrific reveal, by the way. Makes me want to think of a way to surprise our kids next time.

 

[Scoppin]

Finally catching up! Great report so far. Looks like you guys had a blast. Terrific reveal, by the way. Makes me want to think of a way to surprise our kids next time.

Thank you. We did. The kids didn't want to leave. We crammed in a lot in the time we were there.

Thank you. It was hard keeping it a secret that whole time and took some interesting maneuvering at times. It did really help with the experience and enjoyment at WDW. It would have been nice to have their input with the planning but they may not have been of much help as they didn't have any experiences either and may have just made the planning more difficult. I don't think they are complaining about our trip. Well maybe a couple. But that will have to wait as well.

You should. It could make things interesting. It will depend on how far you would like to take it. I took it to the extreme.

Thank you for following.

 

[Scoppin]

SATURDAY, SEPT 17 - CONTINUED

We were able to find seats near the middle of the theatre and the show started shortly afterwards. I have heard different things about the show, but mostly about the 'historians'. From what I read, we got the right pair.

They were quite funny and the way they interacted with each other and other characters was very enjoyable to watch. I forgot why he tossed his top but it was funny. Just look at the expression on his face.

The crush on the lead actor.

The happy couple.

DD enjoying the show and snow.

DS also admitted he enjoyed the show saying it was very funny.

Closing song by the sisters.

After the show, I can't remember if it was stated by the CM directing us out to our left or by other visitors, but it was mentioned Olaf was just around the corner. He was on our plan, but wasn't sure if going right after the show would be wise. I decided why not and started to direct the children in the right direction. We got to the Celebrity Spot soon afterwards and the wait listed was not bad. I believe it was listed as 10 minutes. It was longer than 10 minutes. May be because the line was not moving, so maybe a Sun break for Olaf. Once the line started moving it moved fairly quickly and soon we were by Olaf's side.

 

[Scoppin]

DD forgot to take off her hat to show him her Olaf hair clips.
But there was something else to get his attention, a mini Olaf. We had a little Olaf figure which he admired.

Admired so much he even signed the bottom. He would have started a trend.

Picture including Mini Olaf.

Family shot.

Sometimes they like to take pictures.

Have I mentioned they can be hams.

Well that goes well with the poster.

Now came the actual meeting with Minnie. She loved seeing her mini me.

Apparently there were no individual pictures taken from what I can see.

Oh that actually looks like a smile coming from me.

 

[Scoppin]

SATURDAY, SEPT 17 - CONTINUED ....

We are now off to see the grand pooba. But first another note regarding my rookieness; namely traveling from Celebrity Spot with Olaf to the Red Carpet M&G with Mickey and Minnie. We went around the long way by Star Wars Tours in order to get to the Red Carpet. It was not until we were waiting in line that I noticed people using the walkway beside it and the washrooms. I think I mentioned to the kids if only I had known about the pathway we could have gotten here sooner. Okay, maybe it wasn't a huge short cut, but it was good to know if needed to get to the other side quickly.

The wait time for the Red Carpet stated 20 minutes. It did feel longer. There were some kids in line who were not in line, if you know what I mean. I will have to say this though, the CM was entertaining. He was good with the kids and like doing his Chewbacca impression. DD challenged him to an impression duel. Her's didn't come off very well, but sure it was due to the fact she was still recovering from her cold.

Okay, back to Mickey's M&G.

The presentation of mini Minnie.

Mickey was so happy to see her. But if you notice closely, DS has mini Mickey hidden at the moment.

A mini Minnie kiss for DS.

Now Mickey was ecstatic to see his mini self.

A smooch for the mini mes. This wasn't the only time he was entertaining. The CM came to get the clip boards and markers so hands could be free for pictures. Mickey didn't want to give up the marker. The CM had to tell him to behave. These types of added interactions did enhance the experience.

Amateur shot of the kids with Mickey.

And the professional one.

Not sure what was up with DS's expression. Guess I'm not suppose to get in on his action.

Me and Mickey.

The one character DS really wanted to see on the trip was Mickey. Today we saw him twice. And there are more to come. In fact, I think we experienced every possible opportunity to meet Mickey. Even added a 'fake' one as well.

From here it was off to visit with Buzz and Woody. But first we had to stop for a snack. To be honest, I don't remember stopping for dinner this evening. And by this time it was close to 7:00 pm and the kids should be getting hungry. But when you are all excited and full of energy you sometimes forget about food. We stopped at a food cart out front of the Chinese Theatre. We were only going for some ice cream. The kids wanted a Mickey ice cream and I wanted a Mickey ice cream sandwich. The line was a little slow going and there wasn't much of a line. We came to find out why the delay and were okay with the reason. Apparently the cash register was down. So, instead of closing the food cart down, everyone was getting everything for free. Mind you, I was getting it for free anyway, considering the dining plan. And this would come into play later into our trip. I knew the snack portion would be an issue as I didn't want DD to fill up on snacks and not be hungry for the ADRs. But when I wanted to use a snack credit I couldn't. But I guess there were worse issues to have to deal with other than free ice cream. I got a couple of cup lids for the kids to use. Why you ask? Got this one from a friend back home. Turn the lid upside down and put the stick of the ice cream through the hole for the straw and you now have a catcher for any dripping ice cream and hopefully a cleaner kid. I also got a stack of napkins as I know my kids.

We made our way over to the Pixar M&G. I devoured my ice cream fairly quickly. To the point I am sure the kids asked what happened to it and what you are already done. I had to reply I don't mess around with ice cream. The kids were still working on theirs when we arrived at our destination. I asked the CMs at the door about the kids ice cream and being allowed in. Their response was we didn't see anything. We continued on however didn't go much past the doorway. DD was making a complete miss of her ice cream and that is with the lid. It had all fallen apart and laying on the lid. Well, I guess it was good we had the lid as otherwise it would have been all over the floor. We waited by the door, letting people pass us until DD had finished her ice cream. I know the CMs let us go, but I couldn't in all good conscious go in with the possibility of DD spilling her ice cream on the floor and having people stepping on it.

I will have to come back later with pictures from this experience. The line was very very slow moving. Like basically stopped, slow moving. The kids made the best of the situation. Did I mention they can be hams? Pictures coming to prove it.

 

[Scoppin]

SAT. SEPT 17 - CONTINUED

So, we are currently waiting in line to see Woody and Buzz. I am sure the pair had gone out for breaks several times while we were there. We waited at least 30 minutes. There were two things we were doing during this time. Okay, one was only me. I was time checking as our next stop was Fantasmic!. This was going to be another one of those close calls between attractions and a little speed walking. The other thing we did was talk pictures of/with the props in the queue.

First a 'serious' picture in Buzz's command ship. And yes, Buzz and Woody were along for the ride.

Recreating the scene from the claw machine.

Look out Woody, the claw is going to get you!

DS being one of Sid's victims.

DD's turn to be Sid's victim with DD trying to hold on as it takes off.

LOOK OUT! ZURG!

Look out Stinky Pete is going to get Woody.

On the set of the Woody show.

Cut!

Buzz and Woody enjoyed seeing their mini mes.

Coming up more pictures with Buzz and Woody.

 

[blreinsel]

Finally all caught up! I'm so glad that the kids loved Garden Grill! My stomach is actually growling from your food pictures! Lol. That tells me that I do need to change my ADR's for my upcoming trip to include Garden Grill again.

 

[Scoppin]

SAT, SEPT 17, 2016 - CONTINUED

Before we actually got to meet Buzz and Woody, we got talking with a couple from Dubai whose young son wanted to get in on the pictures with the kids. I joked around that he wanted to join our family. The couple appeared to be okay with the offer.

Now back to our M&G with Buzz and Woody. Buzz does sign but takes the easy way out.

Kids happy with the real deals and the mini mes.

Family shot with the happy best buds.

Can't really see it but Buzz wanted a special hand shake.

Big hug for DS from Woody.

Big hug for DS from Buzz. Hey, how come only have pictures for DS getting hugs. Think it was his birthday or something. I am sure there are some of DD getting some hugs. I didn't take these by the way. Just saying.

Now it is time for out to exit Pixar area and make our way to Fantasmic! We did have to pick up the pace and do some zig zagging in order to find where we were going. Fantasmic! is located at the end of the street according to the park maps. And that is where my focus was and I almost missed the Fantasmic! entrance. I noticed a sign stating Fantasmic! entrance, but I was confused. We weren't even past ToT let alone the Aerosmith ride. So, I made a quick stop and asked the CM in order to confirm that this was truly the Fantasmic! entrance. She confirmed it was so we entered. We made our way up the hill but we first had to make two stops before finding seats. The first stop was to allow us to be able to seat comfortably during the show without having to get up to miss some of it. The second stop was to get some ice water in order to re-hydrate. I got in line at one of the kiosks above the seating areas. As I was coming out with the drinks I stated to DS to find us some seats. I must say, he did a great job at finding us just about the best seats in the house. I am not sure if it was because DS just walked his way into the section or the fact there were plenty of seats available the the lights had gone down. But he found us seats in the special designated dinner package section. I really don't think we took anyone's seat. There must have been at least 6-9 rows which were basically empty. No use them going to waste. I praised DS in finding us awesome seats.

These are about the only pictures which really turned out from our viewing of Fantasmic!.

We really enjoyed the show. The kids thought it was awesome. We just sat in our seats for some time after the show and let the crowd dwindle down during the mass exodus. There really was no sense in trying to battle through the crowd. We took this time to figure out what we wanted to do next. I suggested two options; 1. go back to Sports or 2. go back to Epcot and catch Illuminations the Epcot fireworks show. It was decided to go back to Epcot.

 

[Scoppin]

Finally all caught up! I'm so glad that the kids loved Garden Grill! My stomach is actually growling from your food pictures! Lol. That tells me that I do need to change my ADR's for my upcoming trip to include Garden Grill again.

They really did enjoy the experience. The smiles do say it all. This would not have been possible if not for your rave review of GG. This was an ADR which I did not have in my original plans and included it when I added the half day at Epcot. I am sure we will have to include GG if we are able to go back.

The only down side I would have to say there was, was the length of time it took. Almost 2 hours. But want am I going to do when the characters just keep coming. It was all about the experience on this trip. I do have to admit, I don't think this was our only 2 hours dinner.

Thank you for the suggestion and for following along.

 

[blreinsel]

They really did enjoy the experience. The smiles do say it all. This would not have been possible if not for your rave review of GG. This was an ADR which I did not have in my original plans and included it when I added the half day at Epcot. I am sure we will have to include GG if we are able to go back.

The only down side I would have to say there was, was the length of time it took. Almost 2 hours. But want am I going to do when the characters just keep coming. It was all about the experience on this trip. I do have to admit, I don't think this was our only 2 hours dinner.

Thank you for the suggestion and for following along.

I'm so thankful for this site because I never would have considered GG otherwise! I'm happy to share my awesome experience with all who will listen! Our dinner took a good chunk of time too, but I've come to enjoy the relaxed ADR's. It's a good break from the hustle and bustle of the parks and the heat. My outlook has changed greatly from when I first started visiting regularly!

 

[Scoppin]

SAT. SEPT 17 - CONTINUED

Before we actually made it out of DHS we had to stop for a few pictures with ToT in the background.

First I took a couple of my goofy kids.

Some more goofiness.

Then a real picture.

From here we made our way out the entrance gates. We made our way to the boat dock as the weather was much better than when we arrived and we hadn't rode on the boats as of yet. We missed the first boat, but there was a nice line in front of us. We were however, able to make the next boat which arrived about 15 minutes later. The boat was full and we had to stand until the second stop where we were able to find some seats. I do believe it was 9:15 pm when we left DHS.

A discussion was had regarding our plans. DS suggested and DD seconded the motion of going to see Baymax, Joy and Sadness instead of Illuminations. I mentioned they may be closed by the time we get there as their locations was up near the front of the park and we would have to move quickly in order to try adding I wasn't sure when they stopped meeting people. I was outvoted even with my arguments and they wanted to give it a try. Baymax, Joy and Sadness were scheduled for first thing the next morning on my schedule, but I was going to have to already make some adjustments so what were a few more.

The boat docked at Epcot at about 9:40 pm and we were challenged we a couple of added stumbling blocks before starting our trek through Epcot. First the kids needed to make a rest stop first. Now, before I continue I want to state there were not many people who came off the boa at Epcot and just a few around when we arrived at security. And yes, I got asked to go through the scanner. I had to empty my pockets in order to ensure it didn't go off. It was at this time I decided not to carry any change in my pockets but put them in a baggie in the backpack.

While taking this extra time with security, we took advantage of it by asking if anyone knew when the Baymax, Joy and Sadness M&Gs closed. There was a various amount of answers, even coming from the CMs but no one really appeared to know for certain. So, the dash was on and this time I used our earlier detour around WS to go up past the Canadian Pavilion as this was the way we went on our extended journey to GG and knew the M&Gs were in the area.

We arrived at the M&Gs just before the doors were to close. Now we had a choice to make Baymax or Joy & Sadness as I was certain we didn't have time to see both. I suggested we see Joy & Sadness for the simple reason they have the longer lines and the Baymax line moves quicker as he doesn't sign. So, we made our way to the Joy & Sadness line however we were poised with a question by one of the CMs. He asked if we wanted to see Baymax. I replied we do but didn't think we would have time to see both. He suggested we go see Baymax first and then Joy & Sadness. I looked at him and confirmed we would be able to get into the Joy & Sadness line after visiting Baymax. He did and we moved our way to see Baymax first. If they are going to allow us to see Joy & Sadness after the doors close then I am going to take advantage of that and strike two more things off our agenda.

We were told to remove our pins and anything else which may be pointed which may pop Baymax's suit. DS went the further step and removed his hat as well.

DS going in for a big hug. He really was looking forward to meeting Baymax.

Where did he go?

DD for the hug. I told you there were some of her getting hugs.

Kids with Baymax.

I didn't want to be left out.

The kids said bye to Baymax and we made our way across the hall to visit Joy & Sadness.

 

[Scoppin]

SAT SEPT 17 - CONTINUED BUT THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE DAY

I don't think we had to wait very long for our turn to see Joy & Sadness. There might have been 2 families in front of us and maybe one behind us. This was another M&G the kids were looking for. And it was nice to ensure it was completed. Bonus, not to have the line I had been reading about.

DS giving Joy a high five.

DS trying to cheer up Sadness with one of his big hugs.

DD getting a hug from Joy.

The kids working on getting their autographs. But if you look closely, Sadness became very attached to DS. Her left arm is on his back as DD is coming to her for her autograph. More evidence of this to come.

Serious business going on here.

As I mentioned above, Sadness got very attached to DS. I wasn't sure if I was going to be to get him away from her in order to take him home.

I had to get in there to help console Sadness and hopefully get her to loosen her grip on DS. I was telling her it was all going to be okay.

I believe it was at this time I mentioned to both Joy and Sadness thing will be better soon as their day will be coming to an end shortly and then they could rest. Joy appeared to be very joyous with this news. Sadness, not sure if it affect her. Just me being silly and adding to the interaction.

Our last picture of the night.

Before exiting the building we thanked all the CMs for their help and then headed to the part entrance in order to grab a bus. We were however, able to view the tale end of illuminations by the fountain, before exiting. I don't remember having to wait long for our bus and I am certain we were back at Sports within a half hour of exiting Epcot. For the second night in a row, DD feel asleep on the bus and I had to carry her to our room. DS was good to help by carrying our backpack.

I emptied our backpack and got started on putting away our things from today while the kids got ready for bed. The one thing I made sure to put away each night were the autographs the kids got during the day. I put them in a designated area for each. The main reason I wanted to do this was because I didn't want any to get lost/damaged if they remained in their clipboards. And considering the rate we were going, there won't be any room in the pocket for the signed sheets.

Once the kids were in bed I headed back to the main building as I needed to do a few things. First get blue powerade in order to re-hydrate.

Second, try to resolve a lingering issue, our Akerhous ADR. Yes, this was still not resolved and it was scheduled for tomorrow night. So, my second stop was the front desk. I explained to the CM the back story on our reservation however she mentioned there was not much she could do as it was a reservation issue and suggested I speak with a reservation CM located beside her, however they were currently closed and I would have to see them in the morning. I really wanted to get this resolved but appeared it was not going to be easy and eat into my agenda for tomorrow.

Third, head into the gift shop in order to get some gift cards. I had brought money from the kid' account for them to be able to spend and then I won't have to worry about stressing about the debate between expenses and souvenirs. This money would already be put aside for this purpose. I knew souvenirs are a part of a trip and if they had their own money, I couldn't really say much (okay I was still going to put in my two cents on certain items if I didn't think it was a wise purchase). Not to mention they could learn to manage their own money as I told them once it was spent it was all gone and they won't be able to purchase anything else. I really didn't want to walk around with all the cash in our backpack/pockets which could just float away so thought gift cards was a better way of going. They didn't just have the money I brought from their accounts but also my mother and their mother gave them some. So, they did have quite a bit of money at their disposal the following day. Some of you may be thinking why I waited so long to get the gift cards. Well the main reason was I wanted the kids to have some time in the parks, not to mention the shops, before getting into purchasing mode. Let them browse for a couple of days first. As I know how they are and they would have started their spending spree on the first day and spent the majority of their money on the first things they saw. This way, they got to look around a few shops first getting ideas as to what to purchase and maybe changing their minds after each stop.

Then it was back to our room, but after another stop for a quick drink refill. I had some majority agenda adjusting to make as our agenda for the next day took a huge beating with all we were able to accomplish today. We didn't need the FP for spaceship earth as we actually made our FP for it this morning. Not to mention, we won't have to revisit Baymax, Joy and Sadness in the morning either. So, basically our following morning was totally done and open for some new adventures. I had spoken to the kids regarding some of the other options at Epcot and the kids were really interested in the Ellen attraction. Both to the kids really like Ellen. I will have to be honest in that I did try to talk them out of it as it is a really long attraction and would take up the majority of the morning. But the kids wanted what the want so I tried to make it happen while they slept. So, how did I do on the new and improved agenda for our third park day? Well, I am sure you know the answer to that question.... you will have to wait until we start our 3rd day to find out.

 

[Scoppin]

I'm so thankful for this site because I never would have considered GG otherwise! I'm happy to share my awesome experience with all who will listen! Our dinner took a good chunk of time too, but I've come to enjoy the relaxed ADR's. It's a good break from the hustle and bustle of the parks and the heat. My outlook has changed greatly from when I first started visiting regularly!

I would agree. This was a very helpful site. Not just by reading everyone else's reports but posting separate threads of things I wanted/needed to find out. I appreciated everyone who, including yourself, shared their experiences and knowledge which I either used, took into consideration or modified to mold into our ultimate WDW experience.

I would agree it is a nice way to relax for a while and not to mention nice break from the heat. The only thing that would have been in the back of my mind would be the fact this was our first trip and I was trying to get in everything I could to make the most of it as I am almost certain this will be our only visit.

 

[blreinsel]

I would agree. This was a very helpful site. Not just by reading everyone else's reports but posting separate threads of things I wanted/needed to find out. I appreciated everyone who, including yourself, shared their experiences and knowledge which I either used, took into consideration or modified to mold into our ultimate WDW experience.

I would agree it is a nice way to relax for a while and not to mention nice break from the heat. The only thing that would have been in the back of my mind would be the fact this was our first trip and I was trying to get in everything I could to make the most of it as I am almost certain this will be our only visit.

I've had the same experience! Any questions I've ever had have been answered here or on another thread. I'm sure your kiddos will always remember that meal, so anything you may have missed is a minor detail! And who knows, crazy things happen and Disney trips seem to fit themselves into our lives in the most unexpected of ways.

 

[Scoppin]

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 - DAY 3: EPCOT

Spent some time the night before looking over our agenda for today and basically the majority of the morning items were completed the day before: Baymax M&G, Inside Out M&G, Spaceship Earth (FP+) and Disney Pals (which I think is Inside Out M&G). The only thing still needed for the morning was a FP for Epcot Character Spot M&G for 10:30 - 11:30 am.

So, our FPs for the day were:
Spaceship Earth - 9:20 - 12:20
Epcot Character Spot M&G - 10:30 - 11:30
Frozen Ever After - 12:15 - 1:15 (There was no way I was touching this one as I don't remember there being any other openings for the time we were going to be here)

The night before I had decided we could hit the Character Spot first thing and use the FP for something else later. Maybe I should have kept it and done Ellen before hand, but it was done. I also forgot there was one other thing I had to get done which would affect our day. I changed our first two FPs to:

The Seas with Nemo - 2:25 -3:25
Talk with Crush - 3:25 - 4:25

This morning was no different than the other two. I got up first and got ready for the day as the kids slept. I then woke them and as they got ready for the day I got our backpack prepared and then we were off. Well sort of. First had to go to the main building and see about our Akershus reservation. Spoke with a CM at the reservation counter and explained the situation. She asked if I had tried calling. Yes, many times and the dinner is for tonight. The response I received, 'sorry can't help you. Try customer service at Epcot.' Really, can't anyone help me! Can't anyone speak with each other!

Now we are on the bus heading to Epcot. No issues with security but DD still had an issue at the entrance. They even ended up taking her picture in case there were any further issues. But I think I know what the issue was, she was using a different finger than she had before. Wasn't exactly paying attention before. She didn't have any issues afterwards.

First stop, photo op. No. Ride. No. M&G. No. Customer Service. Yes. We made our way over, which is not exactly on the way into the park but off to the right. Felt like we were exiting to be honest. There were a number of other people in line. Some were actually getting their issues resolved. While waiting were spoken with a gentleman from England who was near the end of his trip. Then it was our turn. Again explained the situation and problem of getting hold of someone. Care to guess the response I got? 'Nothing we can do. It is a customer reservation issue and you will have to contact them directly.' Like really can't someone pick up the friggen phone and call to see what the heck is going on with our dinner reservation tonight! I should also add that either last night or early this morning I received an email from customer reservations to contact them regarding our ADR. Apparently this matter is not going to be resolved easily. So, after wasting about an hour of our lives trying to figure out what the heck is going on with our ADR we finally make our way into the park. I know a few other things I would have rathered used that time doing.

Final about to get to our real business at hand; pictures, attractions and M&Gs starting at 9:30 am. So, if it wasn't for everything else we may have been able to be here for rope drop.

Next stop, Epcot Character Spot M&G in order to visit with Mickey, Goofy and Minnie. Being about an hour behind, there was already a nice line formed. The wait time stated 10 minutes, but it wasn't. It was slow moving and ended up being more like about 25 minutes. It was at this point I figured it would have been better to have kept the original FP and have done Ellen first. But it is what it is. When we left the time was adjusted to 20 minutes which was more accurate.

First up, Mickey. DS with a big hug for the big guy. I think we are up to 4 Mickey M&Gs now. He is getting his wish and then some.

Big hugs for DD as well.

Kids with Mickey.

Family shot.

Time to see Goofy. DD had to look way up while she shared her mini Minnie with Goofy.

Kids with Goofy.

Family in nice and tight with Goofy.

Big hug from DS for Minnie. Can easily tell it is heart felt.

Minnie all excited when DD shows her mini Minnie.

Our M&G and greet is not over yet. Still a few more pictures to come.

Sorry for all of the pictures. But there are about 300 pictures for each day to go through. I am trying to pick the best ones that reveal the experience we had. Sometimes one picture just doesn't do it justice.

 

[Tiggerish]

Buzz & Woody queue pictures are awesome! Looks like they had as much fun waiting as they did during the M&G!

 

[Scoppin]

Buzz & Woody queue pictures are awesome! Looks like they had as much fun waiting as they did during the M&G!

Yes, they don't need much to entertain themselves. Sometimes I see those annoyed looks from some people. I just shroud it off as it could be worse, they could be fighting or being really loud and annoying like I have seen some kids. But most have smiles watching them entertain themselves. And at times others will wonder over to join. I fall under the later, smiling at them having a good time while also respecting those around them.

Thanks for following.