Trip Report The Better Late than Never Halloween (and boy can I be stupid) Report

Well, here it goes. I've never done a trip report before, but I'll give it a go. Even though we went 2 months ago. See, after we got home, it was Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas........and on and on. So FINALLY, a free minute.

The Place: Art of Animation Family Suites.

The Players:
myself- somewhere over 50 year old Disney-holic extraordinaire. I can't get enough. Love the place and usually wearing my rose colored glasses while there. Stop telling me about burned out light bulbs and let me live in the bubble! I get to go usually 1-3 times per year. Anytime someone in the family wants to go, I get to be tour guide.
And planner! With very tight schedules, laminated pocket cards with entire schedule, including order of rides, times, and reservation numbers, and in general type A personality. I try to schedule bathroom breaks but the family rebels- but when they do come out with FP+ for the bathrooms, I'm IN! Then I can make them accept the schedule.

my brother Dan and his wife Dottie- both somewhere over 40 (but she's MUCH younger than him), hard working parents of four. Also love Disney but not like me, but that would be hard to achieve. They live life late, and never worry about anything. (hoop de doo reservations in 15 minutes and we're still in the hotel at AoA?- don't worry, we'll make it). Makes for challenges for a type A tight scheduled person to travel with. Fortunately we all love each other, so no blood was shed. Even though it was close at times!

And their wonderful children. Dan, 12, Maeve 10, Patty 6, and Kieran 4.

well, ok, one on one they're wonderful. put four kids together and there's mass chaos and fighting. But again, no blood was shed.


So here goes, we left Philly on Friday Oct 18 at 8 o'clock at night, to arrive at MCO at 10:30 PM. I have learned that it is easier to fly in late at night Friday than Saturday. We leave after work on Friday, the tickets are cheaper, more than pays for the hotel and we have a fresh non-sleep deprived start in the morning. We stay right in the Hyatt at the airport, and the kids enjoy watching the planes taking off and landing from their hotel room.

THIS TIME HOWEVER, was different than any before. And here's where the I AM STUPID thing comes in. Since we had sooooo many people with us (7), we wouldn't all fit in the rental car at the same time as our luggage. (or so I thought at the time- more on that later)
No problem. Little Miss Type A personality can fix anything. We will leave our luggage with bell services at the Hyatt overnight, and I will get up super early in the morning, go pick up the rental car and head out to AoA and drop off everyone's luggage and come back and get everyone to go to Typhoon Lagoon.

Here's the thing, I had so much trouble with MDE before leaving home, that all I had on my mind was going to concierge while I was dropping off luggage and getting things straightened out.
So with this on my mind instead of my assigned task, NOT GOOD!
I got the car, and headed out to WDW, just as I saw this sign

my favorite in the World- I realized that I never got the luggage!
Yup, all the way there without the luggage!
Holy Moly, all the way back to the airport I go

Forty minutes and several dollars in tolls later, I arrive back at the hotel and put all the luggage in the car.

Off again I go to WDW. Saw this sign again...

Yup, I agree with you. Not nearly as exciting second time around, And now one hour behind schedule. And I LIKE SCHEDULES!!!!

So, anyway, check in at Aoa, which I really do love

and go in and talk to concierge, takes some time, but things get straightened out and off I rush to get back on the road and try to make up some of the lost time.

Another 45 minutes back, another set of tolls and I arrive back to get the family and head out.

OK, SO HERE IT IS...........ANYONE ELSE NOTICE?

I FAILED TO DROP OFF THE LUGGAGE, THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP !!!!!
YUP, GOT ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE AIRPORT, TRIED TO PUT PEOPLE IN THE CAR AND THEY DIDN'T FIT! OH YEAH..... THE LUGGAGE!

I WANT TO BLOW MY BRAINS OUT! I'm not normally scatter brained but this MDE thing had my goat!

Well, no way I was going BACK to WDW again! So, I proved that I wouldn't have had to make that trip in the first place. I manage to get 7 people, 7 full size suitcases, 7 carry on suitcases and 1 stroller all into a mini-van at the same time. IT WAS NOT PRETTY!
but it worked, so off we go to Typhoon Lagoon so we can unpack everything so people can crawl out of the minivan. alas, finally someplace fun!

 

[docdebbi]

DAY 1
TYPHOON LAGOON THEN EPCOT (FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL)

I haven't been to TL for years, not since my daughter was little, so it was like a new park to me.
And I behaved like a child.

We split into 2 groups with me going with the big kids and my brother, and my poor sister in law having to play in the kids area with the 6 and 4 year olds.

oh well, I had fun, isn't that all that matters?

I......oops, I mean WE, did crush n gusher 3 times in a row because there was no line. then mayday falls, humunga cowabunga and keelhaul falls.

then we met up and did gangplant falls- (the family raft ride) and castaway creek.

Patty in castaway creek

Maeve castaway creek

Little Kieran and Dottie

and pretty much all of together

next up was a quick lunch and on to shark reef. something the kids had been talking about since i told them they could swim with sharks. The older kids were all about it, the 6 year old had been trying to convince herself to do it since the beginning but chickened out at the end and watched us through the submarine porthole. It really was fun, and not nearly as cold as people say.

not her best look.....

 

[docdebbi]

Finally time to say good bye to TL and check in to the hotel

Art of Animation here we come

master bedroom

living room

Bruce's submarine bathroom

and the dining room table/bed. actually worked better than I expected, but you gotta pack up your bed to eat breakfast in the morning. a little strange

so after moving our luggage in, we got ready and headed out to the Food and Wine Festival.
had to stop at the photo center to pick up our photopass plus card. of course, the brother and sister in law started shopping and didn't follow the SCHEDULE, bought some stuff and off we went.

quick stop for a photo and try out the photopass plus. first time we used it. I liked it, especially for the on ride photos.


of course, I had a plan. who went to which booth, and got which food, while who played Agent P with the kids. Yup, Mr and Mrs we-don't-follow-the-plan stopped and did "unauthorized" things on the way and we got WAY behind schedule. also, it was about 90 degrees, but 100% humidity. one of those, you can't wipe the sweat off your forehead with your hand because your HAND is drenched days. so a little shopping in the AC and seeing Winnie wasn't objected to by me. but it doesn't change that they didn't follow the schedule!

Mr. Cool was refusing to pose for pictures with characters, so Tigger and Winnie "gently" convinced him he could still be cool and pose. They did a nice job, after that, he conceded and posed whenever we asked. Think he got the idea that everyone is a kid in Disney World.

We did manage to consume an amazing amount of food from the booths despite it being really too hot to have an appetite. A very nice evening.
Then home to bed...and some air conditioning.

 

[Lyear]

Wow, what a start to your trip. I had not picked up on the fact you forgot to drop off the luggage. I'm sure the ride to Typhoon Lagoon must have been a sight to see.

 

[docdebbi]

Wow, what a start to your trip. I had not picked up on the fact you forgot to drop off the luggage. I'm sure the ride to Typhoon Lagoon must have been a sight to see.

oh, have you got that.
we actually tried to take a picture, but no one's arm was free enough to reach a camera!

 

[Jenna]

Absolutely roaring with laughter at the luggage! Love the report so far

 

[LisaBelle]

Can't believe all the luggage trouble! Enjoying your TR so far.

 

[Allym146]

I can relate to the luggage debacle, totally something I would do!! The kids look like they had a blast already. Can't wait to read more!

 

[docdebbi]

So, on to Day 2
and a continuation of sweltering heat and disobedient relatives

Today is Epcot day. First up, Test Track, using the child swap as Kieran is a little short and her parents didn't think it was a good idea to scare the bejesus out of her on her first ride.
I got to play in the car wash with her while everyone else went on the first trip.

and produced this lovely truck

clearly designed by the guys in the group.
the good news is, when i went back with the kids with the child swap, the girls got to do a girly car

we may not have scored well, but it was pretty and that's all that really matters.
oh, and doing the arms in the air thing

told you I won't grow up. (don't know the 2 in the front seat, but that's our kids on trip number 2 in the back seat)

so, with this finished it was time to do Soarin' with our FP+.
oh, did you notice the candy? yes, a little more unauthorized shopping going on.
We have a schedule folks! I have shopping time scheduled later in the week, what's with the unscheduled lollipop licking?

No child swap with this because we cheated.
I bought the little tyke high heels for this ride, one of the few that we felt she could handle without being scared even though she was a little short.

yup, not short now!!!!
had a little trouble walking in them, but worth it. We all loved soarin', as I knew they would.
I took the big kids over to Mission Space with my brother while my sister in law took the little girls to Turtle talk with Crush. Kieran got to talk to Crush, was quite excited, but shy.

We all met up for Imagination and then playing outside in the jumping water fountains. Yes, I scheduled time for the fountains- 7 1/2 minutes. Only kidding, I told them they could have up to 10 !

Then FP+ to meet some character friends

Minnie is my favorite!

Good news, despite some unauthorized candy eating, we had time to add a quick unscheduled trip to SSE before lunch. Achieved the mornings plans ahead of schedule.
See ? I'm flexible! HA HA HA, just ask my brother!

 

[docdebbi]

Have to take the requisite computer animation pics on the way down, even though they never turn out

and the family on the globe photo

then a boat ride to Germany - a real blessing on a 600 degree day. ok, it only seemed like it was 600 degrees, but that boat sure felt good

then time for what matters most. beer and wine! It is the oktoberfest after all!

hey, wait a minute, he's twelve, trade those mugs back again. There is no time in the schedule for bailing you out of jail

I always get the wine flight even though I know it starts at over-sweet and works it way to sickeningly sweet. Still fun.

Now here is where they really begin to stray from my carefully crafted plan. It is time to go home and the little one nap while the big ones play in the pool. But alas, Dottie wants her girls to meet Alice. Ok, I'll give you 15 minutes while we ride the boat ride in Mexico (notice I went with the indoor air conditioned activity- I'm no dummy).
Girls enjoyed Alice, and she even taught them the proper way to have an imaginary tea party

but it took over an hour. so rest time got really shortened up, but when I saw the smile on the girls' faces and heard the enthusiastic telling of the story, guess I couldn't holler too much. But a little, we have a schedule you know!

After a SHORT break, it was off to beaches and cream for a quick dinner and then a cruise to Illuminations, leaving from Yacht Club. Only problem? I scheduled (there's that word again) 2 hours for waiting for a table and eating, but the wait was over 1 1/2 hours. No dinner there for us. Wow, I expected a wait, but not that. It's off season isn't it? oh well, found some nice food at the Marketplace at Yacht Club, and headed off to the cruise

 

[docdebbi]

If you ever get the chance to do this cruise, it is worth it. They take you around to DHS and Swan and Dolphin before lining up just on the other side of the bridge for the show.

Apparently, the ducks know that popcorn comes from the boats, so the kids had a great time feeding them before the show.

did you ever try taking pictures in the dark from a rocking boat with bright fireworks making your point and shot crazy? Yeah, not real good pics, but the best I could do.

After returning, I still wanted to try beaches and cream. never been there, so I talked them into straying from the plan and getting a late night snack.
we all really enjoyed it, mostly because we all knew we were being bad........makes the ice cream taste better.

 

[docdebbi]

Well, day 3 Hollywood studios

Fortunately had FP+ for Toy Story

are we cool or what?

Next up? Toy Story again. See, last trip we had a little problem and afterwards I wrote a letter. didn't want anything from them, just to let them know they need to pay attention to the problem. They actually called me and apologized and gave us some anytime anywhere fastpasses.

Where better to use them than TSMM? We felt sooo lucky with our "Golden Tickets"
yeah, we're riding high

and yeah, they're actually Golden tickets, well, alright, closer to yellow, but we considered them Golden.

then we split up, big kids- Tower of Terror and Aerosmith RnR

and little kids, Disney Jr and then they saw the Sophia the First meet and greet, not good.

AND HOUR AND A HALF FOR SOPHIA THE FIRST? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? maybe she should spend a little less time with each kid, I'm good with that. I bet all of us would be.

I did not SCHEDULE an hour and a half for Sophia, I did not schedule any time for Sophia, we are off the schedule! oh no! but after standing in line for an hour, as our reservation time at Sci Fi passed, it's hard to tell little girls you gotta go. So...compromise: I left and joined my brother and the big kids at Sci Fi, and they could join us later for dessert. See I CAN COMPROMISE. Well, sort of.
But this was not in the schedule. Good thing I love these girls, and my sister-in-law. THIS WAS AN UNAUTHORIZED AFFAIR!!!

luckily, we asked Sci Fi and they were willing to seat us a little late (like 30 minutes!), so we all made it.
and only a little blood was shed!
behind schedule now, we cut out a couple things, but did make Little mermaid,

Beauty and the Beast- one of my favorites- and a big hit with everyone, even the boys- gotta love anyone who spits! see, something for everyone

 

[docdebbi]

Behind schedule now, we quickly fit in Indiana Jones,

yes, it was THAT hot. we were pouring $4.50 waters over our heads. and worth every penny!
Anybody else think it looks like Indiana is about to whip us for wasting $4.50 water?

anyone else notice the candy in Patty's hands. Yup, more UNAUTHORIZED SHOPPING! SIL does not know how to keep a schedule!

Star Tours

Muppetvision and great movie ride.
then quick dinner at Hollywood and Vine on the fantasmic package and off to fantasmic.

The new LED lights looked great. nice improvement.

Also bought a pair of the new Glow with the show ears, no pics, but fair number of people had them so pretty cool.

then the best part of the day, little kids went to bed, and sister in law and I went to the pool and imbibed.....oops, I mean........took the big kids to the pool.

Cheers to surviving a 600 degree day with 4 squabbling kids! We deserve this........ummm.......trip to the pool ;-)

Late night, and early morning planned. Finally Magic Kingdom, and MNNSHP at night

 

[lbrad]

Looks like a lot of fun!!!
Can't wait to read more

 

[docdebbi]

Finally- Magic Kingdom

any day that starts with monorail is a good day

At last, Mickey's castle.

OK OK, I know it's cinderella's castle but when i started bringing the grandsons they wanted no part of princesses, but they knew Mickey lived here, so it became Mickey's castle. The oldest is now 5, but they still all think Mickey lives there...........just let it go. Ignorance is bliss, and all that.



We actually made it in time for opening ceremony, I love seeing this, never get tired of it. And we are on schedule......woo hoo. it's 9 o'clock and still on schedule.
no, I'm not being cute, first morning we are actually on schedule. Yay Dan's family!

On our way in, first thing I did was check out progress on Mine Train.

 

[docdebbi]

first, a few artistic shots

my favorite part of getting to the park early is that you can still walk through the castle, before the shows start. and pose for pics while saying good morning to Mickey.

Quick, got to fit in a couple rides before the crowds build, then time for breakfast.

I GOT A DRIVER'S LICENSE !! It's the little touches that make it special.

Potty break......wait, potty break not scheduled until breakfast time.........what are you doing to the schedule? and WHO takes pictures inside a bathroom???? not me, well ok, maybe me. but it's a really cool bathroom.

I LOVE the little knight baby over the changing table

 

[docdebbi]

well, back on schedule, quickly to a few more rides

and then breakfast at Gaston's

we got the lovely little turret room. the cinnamon buns were a hit. swore we couldn't eat a whole one each, but we did ;-)

even the little one managed to finish the whole thing. and in already 90 degree weather by 10 AM, the frozen apple concoction (otherwise known as LeFou's brew) was very refreshing

What to do when your kids want a picture with Gaston but there is no time in the schedule?

perhaps this is why they refer to me as Crazy Aunt Debbie.

then on to little mermaid

 

[docdebbi]

then over to dumbo. we had a FP+ so we went right on the ride,

but the kids wanted to play in the circus tent, so we went back in and played for awhile.
AGAIN, NOT ON THE SCHEDULE, what am I thinking. These kids are bad for my OCD !!
but again, a little AC is a great enticement to cheat on my laminated pocket card schedules.

took the ticket, just to get it, but had no intention of riding again, just wanted to play.

Barnstormer next. did you know that even a LITTLE roller coaster can knock your ears off? fortunately, I caught them in the air! wouldn't want to lose those "little beauties". catch my brother in the back car, photobombing my close up.

Next up.........the first time we trusted the older kids to off on their own anywhere. took some convincing their parents, but I prevailed and they didn't have to sit through Enchanted Tales with Belle. Off they went to Buzz Lightyear, with a previously scheduled FP+ I made for them. I knew I could convince my brother. What better place for your first solo trip out into public than WDW, can't get much safer than there. and I was sooo proud of them, when they finished before us, they texted us where they were going next. = Indy speedway = then texted for permission to use their magic bands to buy ice cream. see, they were mature enough to pull this off.

 

[docdebbi]

so while the big kids were off doing big kid stuff, the three adults took the 2 little girls to Enchanted Tales with Belle. Boy was I glad that I had FP+. the line was crazy long and it was again about 600 degrees.

I have not experienced this attraction before. OMG- the technology is incredible. It was really fun, even though the majority of it is just a glorified M&G.

you start with the armoire,

and move on to where the mirror becomes a door, still don't know how they do that

in comes Belle, and the interaction with Lumiere is cool.

then each child gets a photo with Belle

now time for wedway people mover, then child swap Space mountain

and some real competition on Buzz Lightyear, I won every trip, but that's because I've done it more than them. But who cares, as long as you beat them, that's all that matters!

i think this is my favorite picture of the whole trip, not sure what she was shooting at, but I think she's surprised that she got it.......

now, THIS is a serious competitor

poor Mom, always taking care of the little one.....

then the schedule says- home to rest.
you guessed it, NO, we did not go home. SIL suddenly decided that her son needed a haircut. tired, hot kids got dragged into the barber shop. would have been happy to schedule time for it if I had known, but I didn't.
so, we all stopped for a haircut.

 

[docdebbi]

oh, and on the way.......unauthorized character meets. OOOHHH my careful planned schedule.

but look at that face, i HATE it when they have unscheduled fun!

so, now the unscheduled haircut.
it was actually quick since the place was empty. yes believe it or not, look, they were just standing around waiting for customers

it was a nice haircut, and the ladies even sprinkled pixie dust on the little one, who was happy as a clam about it.

so now, at least an hour late, we headed back to get ready for MNSSHP and our dinner at the plaza at 530 first. nice dinner, still hot as Hades, but it's air conditioned in there, so ok.