TRIP REPORT Jan 27-Feb 4

I've been just an occasional poster but a very frequent voyeur of these boards for the last five years. We just returned from a great trip to WDW. I always enjoy reading other's trip reports, so hopefully anyone reading this will find that same enjoyment, plus some useful information for planning their own trip. I'm additionally compelled to post the details of our vacation, as I get to relive the trip one more time. As I'm sure many of you experience as well, I'm feeling a bit blue now that our trip is over, having to return to the realities of life including the sub zero temperatures on Minnesota.

This was our 5th trip to WDW with our kids since 1997. The previous trips were in 2005, 2002, 2000, and 1997. We always go in late Jan or early Feb to take advantage of the smaller crowds and to escape winter. This time my kids were ages 10, 8, and nearly 6, two girls a nd a boy in that order.

Day 1, Saturday, Jan 27:

In past trips, we always flew down Fri night, after the kids get out of school, so that we could get an extra day in the parks on our trip. However that means not checking into our room until nearly midnight, resulting in exhausted kids (and wife) by the end of the first day. I wisely listened to the mrs. and took a late morning flight that got into Orlando at 3:30p. Tiffany Towncar was efficient as usual, meeting us in the luggage area and geting us quickly out to the Polynesian.

We've always stayed at PO-R or FQ, but decided to splurge this trip. Walking into the Polynesian lobby and seeing the waterfall and all the tropical landscaping was a real rush. Check in went smoothly, the front desk people were friendly enough, and we found our room in the Tahiti Longhouse. All the rooms at the resort were recently refurbished. We got a 3rd floor balcony "garden view" room. The room was great. The view was beautiful, and felt very secluded.

Plans to go swimming didn't materialize,which in retrospect I regret as the weather turned cooler for most days of the trip, but we did go for a walk all around the resort, including down to the beach where the kids(and I) got excited seeing Cinderella's castle across the lake. As everyone says, the grounds of this resort are truly beautiful. We saw the torch lighting ceremony, visited the shops in the Grand Ceremonial House, and then went to dinner at Ohana's. This was our first time eating here and it exceeded expectations. Festive atmosphere, great food, and a lot of it, and awesome views of Wishes with the music piped into the restuarant from the MK just like they do at the California Grill. I think the desert- Pineapple Bread pudding, topped with vanilla ice cream and hot bananas foster sauce- was probably the best thing I have ever tasted at WDW.

A nice stroll at night in that warm Florida air, surrounded by all the lush vegetation and the torches blazing with fire was an excellent end to our first day. We called it an early night, with plans to hit the parks, begging with DS, the next morning.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 2, Sunday, Jan 28

I absolutely love being at the park first thing in the morning right when it opens. As a kid, my family never did this.

Of course this means dragging the wife and kids out of bed in the morning. Getting the kids up is the easier part. Partially because I went to bed at 9p (only 8pm CT), but also because I was so damn excited like a kid on Christmas morning, I was the first one awake that morning, well before the alarm went off.

We arranged for a wake up call at 7am, and I let my 8yo pick it up so she could hear Mickey telling her to get up. Each of the kids were all over this and took turns picking up the phone each morning to hear the messages.

Some cereal and coffee in the room, and we were off to the Disney-MGM Studios. We were the only ones on the bus (my wife explained to the kids that sane people were still sleeping), and arrived there at 8:30am, a half hour before opening. My 10 and 8 yo daughters and I made our way to the end of Hollywood Blvd and were right at the rope when it dropped.

We walked in a brisk but orderly fashion down Sunset Blvd and headed straight for ToT. My 10 yo had been on it 2 years ago but this was her little sister's first time. RnR Coaster was next. The girls had a blast on both rides, but agreed that RnR was the best of the 2 and that we would have to ride this later in the day so we grabbed a few FPs.

I love going on thrill rides just for the rush it provides. But as I'm sure many of you have experienced or will get to experience, watching your kids "grow up" when they can join you on these rides takes things to a whole new level. You're excited they are coming on the ride but you can't help but worry if they are really old enough yet for it, will they enjoy it, will they be safe? It was just a few years ago when they worked up the courage to go on Goofy's Barnstormer, and now they are riding loop coasters screaming their heads off as loud as dad.

While we were doing this, mom and my 5yo son headed for the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. We joined them for a short while and then went on Star Tours. This was the "big" ride for my son as he was too scared to go on it last time when he was just 3. He loved it, and declared it his favorite ride at DS at the end of the day.

The High School Musical parade rolled by. My kids are HUGE fans of the movie, but were not too impressed by the performance. As my 5yo shrewdly pointed out, it's not even the same people from the movie! More impressive to him was seeing Lightening McQueen and Mater from Cars driving around.

Lights Motor Action was next. What an awesome show-totally unique, have seen nothing like it before. Even my 10 yo, who is very sensitive to any loud noises(which means half the shows and attractions at WDW) liked the show after she discovered how well foam ear plugs worked. She carried these with her the rest of the trip and made good use of them. I don't know why we didn't think of bringing them before.

After lunch, we yawned through the Chronicles of Narnia-pretty lame, even with it being another one of my kid's favorite movies. The wife and kids came on The GMR for the first time and all enjoyed it-concerns that the ride would be too boring or that Alien would be too scary for my son were unfounded.

We wrapped up the day at 2:30p by watching Beauty and the Beast and by going on RnR one more time. Originally we were to stay the whole day and do all of DS that day but the weather was too nice and with cold weather on the way, it was back to the Poly for some swimmimg that afternoon. Muppets, Little Mermaid, and Indiana Jones would have to wait. Plus this was the last day the volcano pool slide would be open before it went down for refurbishment, so we couldn't miss that.

That night we traveled to Epcot by monorail from the TTC(a 5 min walk from our room in Tahiti). No shows or attractions but we met my wife's sister and husbund and their 3yo for dinner at Sunshine Season Food Fair. The kids were dying to go on Soarin which we were sitting right next to, but I told them they would have to wait one more day with plans to come out to Epcot the next am.

I love walking around Epcot at night with SE all brightly lit up and the sidewalks glittering with little lights. After a monorail ride back to the Poly it was another early bedtime, pleasantly exhausted from our first full day at WDW.

As it is after midnight, I will have to continue the rest of my trip report tomorrow.
 

H20Babie

Well-Known Member
Great report!

I really know what you mean about watching your children grow up with each trip to Disney as they discover new things. I have a 5 year old boy as well, and look forward to reading more before we leave. My DS wants to do TOT, SM, MS and EE! I'm thinking SM, MS Green and EE, but not TOT. He also really wants to ride RnRC, but he isn't tall enough.

Looking forward to reading more!
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Nice report so far - thanks.

Whats the connection between you and Liverpool football club ??

Us Scousers are everywhere!

Despite being born and raised here in the States, I've been a supporter of the Reds since I was old enough to know what a football is. Helps if your dad is from Liverpool. He immigrated here in 1957 in his early twenties. I have tons of family that live in Merseyside, and I've been over countless times to visit.

Not to get too far off subject, but are you a United or City supporter? I'll try not to hold it against you.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 3, Monday, Jan 29

Another 7am wake up with plans to head to Epcot today. Only 32 F this am, with the temp only reaching 58 as a high, but that wasn't going to stop us. Actually with the sun out, it was comfortable enough with jeans, a sweat shirt and a light jacket on.

We specifically requested Tahiti to stay in as it's the closest longhouse to the TTC, and all rooms have excellent views. Only a 5 min walk from the room to the monorail entrance. Aside from being a beautiful resort, the ability to easily get to both MK and Epcot by direct monorail really distinguishes the Poly from other resorts.

We just missed the monorail leaving as we arrived on the platform which at first seemed like a real bummer to have to stand around in the cold, but I quickly realized that would give us first dibs on requesting to ride up front with the driver which we were able to do. Very cool start to the day.

We again were right at the rope for the drop, and headed straight for TestTrack. This was another "first time" for my 5yo. Just like with StarTours, he was too scared to go on it 2 years ago. Like most 5yo boys, he loves cars, and of course, he has been hearing from his sisters for 2 years how cool this ride is. It did not disappoint. Hitting that final banked turn at 64mph is so awesome.

My wife got back in line with him for a second ride while my daughters joined me on Mission Space. No green line for us. We wanted to experience the full effect. This would be their maiden voyage on MS, and they were definately more nervous for this ride than for ToT or RnR Coaster. I rode MS solo last trip and I must confess it left me a bit disappointed. I think I had set my expectations unrealistically too high last time. I'm not sure what I was really thinking I would experience. So with no expectations this time, I walked off MS realizing that this is truly the most amazing ride I've ever been on. What a blast! In fact, every time I rode it again during this trip, I kept enjoying it more and more. The G forces you feel on take off and during the slingshot around the moon are amazing. My daughters were in agreement, and this was their favorite ride at Epcot. My son was not interested in trying it, even by going in the non spinning green line. I think the WDW trip planning video did a good job scaring him off.

It was then over to the Land where we grabbed FPs for Soarin. It was only a 30 min wait in Stand By but we figured we could squeeze another ride on first. Nemo was experiencing technical problems, so we went to see Honey I Shrunk the Audience. While waiting for the next show, we reluctantly went on Journey into Imagination. It was actually more enjoyable than the last time we went on it 9 years ago, but let's face it, Disney could do better with this attraction. I brought my daughters into the show but I left(I think wisely) my 5yo out on this one. A little too loud and intense for him. My girls loved it especially with the must needed use of the ear plugs for my oldest.

It was then our chance for all 5 of us to experience Soarin' for the first time. Just awesome. Disney hit a home run with this one. Everyone, from preschoolers to great grandparents can enjoy this attraction. At the end of the "flight", the audience broke into applause. Pretty amazing.

It was now noon and the original plan was to eat lunch and return to the Poly for a mid day break with a return to Epcot at night. However, it was too cold to swim, and with the park being so uncrowded and us having such a damn good time, we decided(maybe foolishly in retrospect) to stay the whole day.

We ate fish and chips in England for lunch, and did some shopping and watching of the humorous World Showcase Players. My son learned a new word- it's RUBBISH!! You have to watch the show to understand. I love spending time in the UK pavilion, as the real place is quite close to my heart and brings back good memories.

Over to Canada, more shopping and photos. We never bothered with the movies in WS before but gave O Canada! a try this time. I enjoyed it and I think the kids liked it.

After eating some chocolate crepes in France for a snack and watching the entertaining Serveur Amusante with my son getting to be part of the act, we took the boat back to Future World for repeat rides on Soarin, MS, and TT using FPs we obtained earlier. By now, with our legs tired and feet sore we took the boat back to France and ate at the Chefs de France. It's our favorite restaurant in WS and we make a point to go there every trip. My wife and I enjoy trying to use our French that we took in high school that we have put to such "good" use since then. The girls feeling mighty proud having conquered MS twice, became even more adventurous and joined me in eating(and enjoying) escargot as appetizers. My son took a pass. When I explained what they are, he chuckled thinking I was joking, but when he realized I was serious, he was no longer amused.

If it was up to me, I would have stayed and watched the Chinese Acrobats or the British Invasion, but we were exhausted, and my wife wisely "advised" me that it was time to go. We had some sleepy kids on the monorail ride. But it was a great day, and we were back at the Poly before 8:30p for bedtime for all of us.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 4, Tuesday, Jan 30

Despite 9-10 hours of sleep, that 7am wake up call from Mickey is starting to get a little tougher to deal with. But when the kids remember we are headed to MK today, it's a little easier to get going. We grab some pastries and coffee from the Kona Kafe and jump on the monorail, getting to MK at 8:45 to join my wife's sister and her family. They head to Fantasyland with their 3yo and we head to Tomorrowland.

SM is the first destination and my 5yo shocks us by announcing that he is coming on. My wife shocks me even more when she decides to ride too. The whole family riding on Space together was really special. Afterward, my son describes that the ride got him a little "freaked out", but that he would ride again later. My wife also felt "freaked out", but would not be riding again later.

We walked right on Buzz. After the ride I'm relieved to find out I'm still the champion Space Ranger in the family, but the kid's scores are getting pretty close. I can celebrate now, but I know my days are numbered. We all go soaring on Astro Orbitors in the freezing Florida sky, and then ride the Indy Speedway, still a favorite for all the kids. After a spin on the Mad Teaparty, we head to Mickey's Toontown for a ride on Goofy's Barnstormer when it opens at 10. The park is so empty we get to ride a second time without getting off as there is no one waiting on the platform.

In Fantasyland we go on Peter Pan(with a 10 min wait at 10:30 am!), and then head for the Haunted House. My wife and son sit this one out. We all go on Small World which was closed for refurbishment 2 years ago. At this point I realize that 8-10 yo is truly about the best age a kid can be to experience WDW. Just yesterday, my girls were having a blast on MS, and here they are enjoying IASW nearly as much.

Pooh is down for refurbishment, so we wrap up the morning by watching Philarmagic-another home run by Disney. We love this show with some of our favorite characters and music and great special effects. Again my 10yo enjoyed it much more with her friendly foam ear plugs in place.

We met up with my sister-in-law and family at Cosmic Rays for lunch, and were suppose to again return to our hotel for a mid day break. My sister-in-law and her husbund and 3yo did just that, but we once again decided to stay. It was again too cold for the pool at 62 F. Plus MK was absolutely empty and we are completely insane, so it made sense to stay. During all the previous trips to WDW in late Jan/early Feb, I truly have never seen any Disney park as quiet as it was that day. I'm not sure if it was the cool weather, or just a fluke, but we made no complaints.

After another ride on Buzz, my wife did some shopping on Main Street while me and the kids ran around Tom Sawyer Island for 40 min. Too cold for Splash so we all went on Big Thunder-even the wife likes this one. We rode Aladdin, Pirates, and Big Thunder one more time, had some dole whips as a snack, and then watched the Castle show before going on Space Mountain again.

No plans had been made for dinner, but with the sister and brother-in-law and their 3yo back in the park, we checked to see if we could get into the Liberty Tree Tavern for a character dinner. No problem getting a table for 8 at 6p as a walk up. My sister and brother in law were not sure if their daughter would take to the characters, as she was scared to meet Santa this Christmas. However, she was in heaven meeting Minney, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip and Dale. Her mom and dad were also in heaven watching their little girl getting so much enjoyment.

As for our kids. This was a very, very different trip than previously when it came to characters. In the past all 3 had their autograph books flying all over the place wanting to meet every character they could find. This time they were not as interested, even the 5yo. It some ways it was a bit sad thinking that those innocent days are gone, but when it came down to it, the wife and I were actually quite relieved that this craziness is no longer with us. With that said, there sure were some big smiles from them when Dale came over to give them all hugs. I think my son even got lost in the moment getting really excited talking with Goofy and Pluto, acting like he was meeting the "real" charcaters. Maybe those innocent days are not completely gone.

It was late, but still time for one more ride on Indy Speedway that night, especially since we knew it was going down for refurbishment the rest of the week. Instead of the monorail, we rode the ferry and arrived at the TTC right at 8p when Wishes started to go off. We stood there and watched the whole show from across the lake. It was another great, but tiring day, and luckily, my wife was still talking to me at this point.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 5, Wednesday, Jan 31

After the wife and kids went to bed, I spent last night mapping out how we were going to conquer all of Future World and part of WS at Epcot today. A small reprieve on the 7am wake up call. We "slept in" until 8:30am that morning. The intention was to take the whole am off from the parks for a rest, but we ended up securing a 10:20am reservation for the Princess Character Breakfast at Norway in Epcot. So much for the morning off.

Barely made it to Norway in time after a few delays on the monorail, and a rather brisk walk across Future World. Grabbed FPs on the way for riding TT later in the day. The breakfast was good, the setting was nice, and the princesses were all in good form. But this is probably our last breakfast with the princesses. We did Cinderella's Royal Table the last 2 trips, and meeting the princesses just isn't as magical for the girls as the old days.

It was now noon. After a ride on Maelstrom, we headed to The Seas with Nemo, grabbing FPs for Soarin' on the way. Turtle Talk was closed. A castmember explained, quite literally, that "Crush is on vacation for 2 weeks". This was a bummer as we had never seen the show before and from all I've heard it's "like totally excellent". I guess something to look forward to next trip. They have done a nice job with the Nemo ride, very enjoyable. The kids liked walking around the aquarium, and we easily could have spent a lot more time in here.

Now 1pm and over to ride Living with the Land as the kids had never been on it. There was no wait, just walked onto the next boat! It's an interesting attraction but I still don't get why it's always been such a big draw. Come on, it's a boat ride through a green house!

Keeping an eye on the clock, we rode Soarin' again, and then went across to Universe of Energy, and did yet another ride on MS and TT using the FPs.

It was now 4p, and I was hoping to squeeze the American Adventure in before our dinner reservation at 5:30p in Morocco. I'm a big fan of history and love this show as does my oldest. However, my sister in law and her husbund were meeting us for dinner and we wanted them to have a chance to ride Soarin' while their 3yo could wait with one of us, so we headed back to The Land instead for one more ride. This was now our fourth ride, and every time was as enjoyable as the first(although we felt being in the front row of seats really adds to the experience).

This was our first time eating in Morocco. Great atmosphere. The belly dancer added to it, although she only performed for about 10-15 min. The food was good, although some of the pieces of meat on my shish kebob were not very tender. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal, although we probably will not try this restaurant again on future trips.

We grabbed some desserts to go from the Boulangerie Patisserie in France and despite my pleas to my wife to go to the American Adventure, or the Chinese Acrobats, British Invasion, etc, she informed me the night's over. I think I did a good job totally exhausting her the last 4 days. To add insult to injury I could hear the Beatles songs being performed as we walked through the UK pavilion without stopping. I at least convinced her to ride SE before we walked out, so at least the conquering of Future World was indeed accomplished.

That night, back at the Poly, she finally snapped. The wife informed me and the kids that she had had enough. We would go to MK in the am as planned but going back to DS in the afternoon to finish up what we had missed on Sun was out! She also was threatening to cut out going back to Epcot Thurs night for the dinner we had planned in Italy. She only agreed to do it so long as we would only see the Chinese Acrobats, then dinner, and then back to the hotel. No American Adventure, no Impressions of France, no Reflections of China, and no British Invasion. Unfortunately, the two young ones sided with her, and my oldest and I were out voted, and left in tears(my daughter literally). I comforted myself by having a couple Coronas out on the balcony after everyone else had gone to bed.

Maybe we should have taken those afternoon breaks.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 6, Thursday, Feb 1

Just to make things even more interesting, it was EMH that am at MK. Do I actually suggest waking up at 6am?? Would I have risked my wife smothering me in my sleep? I reluctantly agreed to set the alarm for only 7am. The kids did a good job quickly getting dressed and eating their pastries from the French bakery that am, and we made it out to MK via the monorail just shortly after 8am. Walking down Main Street and going through Cinderella's castle put smiles back onto our faces (or at least 4 of the five faces).

We rode Dumbo and again Peter Pan, and then hopped on SM and Buzz in Tomorrowland. At 9am when the park opened to all, we headed to Frontierland and the 4 of us rode Big Thunder, and then Splash. We got soaked. Luckily it was to get up into the 70's that day, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. Another ride on PoC, and a fun time on the Jungle Cruise closed out the morning. After lunch at Pecos Bill's, we hopped on the WDW Railroad at Frontierland and rode to MainStreet. We said our good byes to my wife's sister and her family, and then we rode the monorail back to the Poly for the much needed break.

The return of warm weather was great, and we had a wonderful time playing with the kids on the beach and going in the pool. We even rented a Surrey Bike. What was initially thought of as punishment by the wife turned into a great afternoon.

We made it out to WS at Epcot just in time to see the 5:15p Chinese Acrobat show. When they announced the Reflections of China would be starting right after the show, I briefly got my hopes up as we did have time before our dinner reservation, but it wasn't to be. We did however get to see Sergio the juggler in Italy before going in for dinner.

Dinner in Italy at L'Originale Alfredo di Roma was excellent, and better than I remembered it to be the last time we were there 11 years ago. The food was great, the atmosphere festive, and the accordian player/singer was outstanding.

With dinner over, we walked in the warm night air around WS. I love Epcot and WS at night when it is all lit up. We passed the American Adventure with one final plea from my daughter that fell on deaf ears. The British Invasion was between shows, so doing a little shopping in the UK did not help me sneak a peak at the show. Off Kilter was going strong, so it was nice to catch a glimpse as we walked through Canada. One final stop for souvenirs as this was our last time at Epcot this trip, and then it was to the monorail, and back to the Poly.

This night, after all went to bed, and since it was still balmy out, I took my Coronas and relaxed in one of the hammocks at the beach, watching the Electrical Water Parade go by and staring up at the palm trees and stars in the sky. Not a bad way to end the day.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 7, Friday, Feb 2

We had not hit AK yet and this was our day to do it. A short wait for the bus, and we were out to AK right before 9am. I ran ahead and unnecessarily grabbed FPs for EE just like the Unofficial Guide told me to do. I'm sure this is more necessary in summer when the placed in mobbed. My wife(who at this point is not even speaking to me) and kids met me at Triceratops Spin, and then I took the girls on Primeval Whirl. While my son and wife played in the Boneyard, I took the girls on Dinosaur. I knew this ride is terryfying, but I forgot just how terryfying it really can be. My daughters took it in stride, I think I was the one more shook when we came off.

We then strolled over to EE. Even though he enjoyed SM and Big Thunder, I left my 5yo off this one, and I don't think he minded too much. It was an excellent ride, both the theming and the thrill. That backward drop through the dark was the best especially when you hit the curve. I didn't want the ride to end. What Disney did recreating the Himalaya mountains in just incredible. The views of Mt Everest from the bridges around AK are nothing short of spectacular.

We skipped the bird show, but walked around the Maharaja Jungle Trek which was worthwhile. After lunch at Pizzafari, we went on Kilamanjaro Safari which was as enjoyable as ever. I think both girls shot a whole roll of film of all the animals we passed. After the Safari, we caught the Lion King Show, which I still enjoy every time I see it. For the first time, we caught the Pochohontas Show, but unfortunately about half way during the performance, when a light rain began to fall, Pochohontas bizarely ran off the stage, and it was announced that the show had to be prematurely stopped because of the "inclement weather". The little people in the front rows were all confused, and a couple of them were having some tears. Pochohontas must have it written in her contract that she will simply not work under such conditions. I'm sure there is a more practical reason-maybe because of the live animals in the show? Anyway, life goes on, and I guess we still haven't seen the Pochohontas Show.

After this, we all went to see It's A Bug's Life. This was a first for all us. We had always skipped it because I heard it was frightening for kids. I was a bit shocked to see so many 3 and 4 year olds in the pre show area. I was even more shocked that my wife decided to come on this as she is terrified of bugs. Maybe she was feeling guilty and felt she deserved a little punishment.
Anyway, you wouldn't believe the hysteria in the audience during the show. Kids all over the theater were screaming and crying. The little one in front of me was in tears right from the start of the show. Hello, do these parents not read the warnings posted everywhere. Personally, I thought the show was hillarious, better than Honey I Shrunk the Audience. My kids were in agreement that it was more freaky than enjoyable. My wife still has not recovered from the ordeal.

After snacks and a little more playing in the Boneyard, we caught Finding Nemo-The Musical. Even though AK was not crowded, the show was packed. A huge line began forming 30 min prior to the show, so get there early. The show was great, very creative, with catchy tunes. I think it is as well done as the Lion King Show.

With AK closing at 5p, we had 90 min left. We had earlier pulled some more FPs for EE, so we got to do this one more time. The 2 younger ones wanted to go on Kali River Rapids even though it wasn't that warm out. I was all over that, so on went the ponchos, and on we went. A walk through the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and some pictures in front of the Tree of Life closed out the day.

We blew off the reservations we had at Boma(next time), and thought it wiser to head back to the Poly where we just grabbed something at Captain Cooks. We relaxed back at the room, and I mapped out the our final day in the parks beginning with DS in the am and ending with MK at night.
 

MKCP 1985

Well-Known Member
Fantastic report, Pan! :) A Disney vacation is an adventure and sometimes nerves get frazzled by adventures. Thank you for sharing this very real account of the highs and lows. :wave:
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 8, Saturday, Feb 3

Our last day in the parks

When I mapped out the orginal strategic plan, our final day was going to be all MK from morning til night. Since DS was cut short on the first day and circumstances did not allow us to get back out there on Thurs afternoon, we decided to head there this am. My 8yo had to ride RnR again and my 10yo just couldn't miss the Muppets.

DS had EMH going, making the wake up time problematic again. I again relented to the 7am wake up call. Noticing that my wife was in no mood to hurry to get ready, I made the wise suggestion that I take the girls and try to get to the park as quickly as possible so we could do ToT and RnR, and then my wife and son could meet us there at 8:30-8:45am, allowing her to have a leisurely cup of coffee in the room. She surprisingly agreed.

We arrived just after 8 and had no trouble getting 1 more ride on ToT and RnR Coaster. My wife and son met us at the Starring Rolls Cafe, and from there we caught Muppetvision. Unfortunately Indiana Jones was closed. Hordes of cheerleading/dance squads were arriving in the park and I think they were using the Indiana Jones stage for their performances. What can I say about the cheerleaders that has not been already said on these boards. I just thank God that we were not staying at the All Star Resorts where I believe they all stay and that we would only have to deal with them for one day.

It was then over to Voyage of the Little Mermaid, but right when we were about to go in to the preshow area, it had to close as it was experiencing technical problems. So not much luck at the Studios this am. I thought maybe I was being punished for dragging my wife around all week? We consoled ourselves with one more ride on Star Tours, then it was back to the Poly at 10:30am.

Not quite warm enough for a swim, so we relaxed in the room, my wife did some packing, and we rented a Surrey Bike-a word of warning to those naive to Surrey Bikes like I was. Don't rent a 4 person bike when it is just 1 adult and 3 children. They claimed they would help peddle, but they lied! That lasted for about 5 min. No problem going downhill or on a level road, but even a slight incline means absolute hell. I was dying after 30 min, dripping with sweat. Hadn't I been punished enough this morning? But the kids enjoyed it and I sort of did too. Next time no nap for mom during the bike ride.

Having successfully rallied the troops, we were back out at MK by 2:30p for the grand finale of our trip. My wife was still annoyed by me, but I think she also recognized that the kids were really having a great time, so she sucked it up and I think she enjoyed the final day in MK. Maybe she was just glad it would all be soon over.

VERY crowded at MK today, nothing like what we had seen all week. I don't think I can even blame it on the cheerleaders. I suspect it was locals out for the day as the crowd really thinned out after dinner. Luckily we had gone on all the rides with big waits earlier in the week, and saved the rides that had shorter lines for today. I also wanted to not run around from ride to ride like we usually do, but just try to savor the atmosphere of being in the MK. I was partially successful at doing this.

In Tomorrowland, we grabbed FPs for Buzz for later, and then rode the People Mover(or whatever they call it now). In Fantasyland, a 15 min wait for Snow White wasn't too bad. While the kids were eating their sundaes from Mrs.Pott's Cupboard, I ran back to grab FPs for SM. We were able to catch another Philarmagic show, saw the Enchanted Tiki Room, and went in the Hall of Presidents. We had always skipped it in the past, but I thought my 10 and even 8 yo would get something out of it, which I think they did. My 5 yo just sat there the whole time wondering when the show was "really" going to start.

As it was getting near 5p and as I had promised to just enjoy the atmosphere that day, we then went to do some shopping at the Emporium for some final souvenirs and shirts. Afterward we used our FPs on Buzz and SM,and then had dinner at 6:30p in Cosmic Rays.

The kids nor the wife and I have never been much for watching the parades-you can see the characters all day up close, why watch them riding on a float- so we used this time to visit Mikey's ToonTown. It was very quiet there since much of the crowd was siphoned off watching the parade. The kids had not yet met Mickey, which we did, and we also met Donald/Daisy-my 8 yo's favorites. My 5yo really wanted to ride the Astro Orbitor at night, so luckily we had just enough time to squeeze out one more ride before Wishes began.

We didn't have enough time to get over to Main Street to watch the fireworks, and ended up on the bridge from the circle to Tomorrowland. This actually turned out to be an awesome spot to watch the show. Tinkerbell flew right over our heads. Wishes was spectacular. I know Fantasmic and Illuminations are great shows, but to me, Wishes is the best. Listening to all those classic Disney songs with fireworks going off behind Cinderella's castle is just as good as it gets.

Now 8:20p and MK closing at 9, we had only 40 min left. The kids had to go on Big Thunder one more time-I love riding it at dark, it gives the ride a very different feel. On the way, we ran up Swiss Robinson Treehouse because we had not done it yet. No time for 1 more ride on Aladdin. Nor any time for the Country Bears-very sad, we didn't get in it this trip. We arrived in Fantasyland at 8:45p. A ride on Cinderella's Carousel all lit up at night ,with all 5 of us riding our own horse, followed by one of the last boats on Small World was a great way to end.

We walked through the castle, down to the circle , and then along Main Street, not wanting to think that our trip was really over. We made one last stop in the Candy Store, and I sat on a bench with my son at the Town Square on Main St, watching other famlies slowly trickling out of the park. We soon joined them, and after a somber monorail ride, we were back in our room at the Poly, ready for bed.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Day 9, Sunday, Feb 4, Back to Reality

I don't like the end of a vacation. I suppose nobody does. Although I've heard many say it will be good to be back home. I've never felt that. The end of a vacation sucks and that is all there is to it. The only consolation I suppose is now you can start planning the next trip.

The end of a vacation at WDW is the absolute worst of all. Where else can you really get lost in complete fantasy and escape the realities of life than at Disney. It's not like my real life is that bad. We are all healthy, I'm a successful MD, we've got smart/good kids(so far), and we have a good marriage, despite what you have read in my trip report. I chose the name Pan(in honor of Peter Pan) because I AM the boy who will never grow up. I am perpetually 12 at heart for the rest of my life, and where else can you better do that than at WDW.

Our final day was simply meeting Tiffany Towncar to take us back to the airport. I did try to cushion the blow by having breakfast in the Kona Kafe that am and was able to try the famous Tonga Toast-delicious and only 3000 calories per serving!

It was - 8 F when we arrived back in Minnesota. That is not 8, that is -8 and that was the high. That is also not a C, but an F, for any of our British readers. I recalled the shivering, bundled up native Floridian working on the monorail platform one night when it had dipped into the 40's. Please.

It's been exactly 1 week since we arrived home. We watched our video of the trip tonite as a family. For any out there concerned, I am happy to report that my wife is speaking to me again and no divorce papers were filed. I've been back at work all week, including this weekend, but writing this rather lengthy trip report has allowed me to "stay in Disney" for an extra week, and has been very therapeutic.

We will probably not go back down to WDW for at least 2 and more likely 3 years. On that trip, my daughters will be 13 and 11, and my son will be nearly 9. He will be able to come on everything(MS,EE,ToT,RnR), just like his sisters could this time. Hopefully my daughters can still enjoy Small World as much as they do MS. If they are like their dad, I think they will.

Until then, I will "stay" in Disney the best I can by reading these boards. I hope this report provided some helpful insight, and was as enjoyable to read as it was to write.
 

Pan

Member
Original Poster
Pan, thanks for using the book.

Len Testa

Your book is the Bible of tourbooks for visiting Disney. I've bought a new copy before every trip we have taken since 2000. The infomation that is provided is pure honesty and is simply invaluable to "master planners" like myself.
 

tink68

Member
Great trip report! You have now made me more excited about our trip I just booked for December. We are staying at the GF and taking our 11 year old and our 2 year old (his first trip). I cannot wait and I agree with you on the end of a trip being awful. I cried at the end of our first trip. This is now our fourth trip in as many years and I still get excited. I cannot wait to get back to the world. Thanks for the report. :wave:
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom