:wave: (That's me waving at the parade). I'm a new poster who just got back from the World on Sunday morning. Without getting into too much... I don't know if we look like the All-American family (2 kids, a 7 yr old girl and 4 yr old boy) or if it was our excitement that we got autographs from Lilo & Stitch, but we were asked by an MGM Studios CM if we wanted to be Grand Marshalls of the Disney's Stars & Motor Cars Parade!!! The bad news was that it ended up getting rained out on 11/5 and we got soaked (despite the ponchos that the staff gave us). The good news is that they asked us to come back the next day and, despite a little drizzle, the parade went on as scheduled. In a word, "unforgettable" is the only thing I can say. We were treated wonderfully by the Disney staff. Hats with our names, a pin for each of my kids, a beautiful certificate signed by Mickey, Fast Passes (including at Animal Kingdom on Thursday since they felt bad that we had to leave that park early to come back for the parade), used our cameras for pictures and video, and more. The greatest thing is that every CM seemed to know us and were funny and polite. Even several characters in the parade came up to my kids such as Jessie (thrilled that my daughter traded an Ariel pin to get a Jessie pin), MooShoo, Alice, Dale, Cruella (not pleased with my daughter since she didn't have a Cruella pin -- "don't tell me you have all of those princess pins! They have princesses by the dozen around here"), and others. The soldier from Toy Story even saluted us as we got into the lead car.
Before the trip, I was a Disney fan, but I thought many of you were CRAZY. Now, I have to admit that I truly believe in the Magic of Disney and I haven't stopped raving to anyone who would listen.
Some other notes:
- We drove from NJ and it was pretty easy. We went straight through, stopping to switch driving with my DW, and for meals. I bought a portable DVD player for $250 and it kept the kids entertained. Overall it took 18 hours going (1 extra stop) and 17 coming back. I know there is a lot of controversy, but I think it was well worth the savings and ease by going straight through.
- Port Orleans Riverside was excellent. Rooms are nice, grounds are beautiful, pool is awesome, busses were convenient, food court is good except food is not hot enough (we ate breakfast in restaurant on days 4 & 5 which is much better), kids loved the "mystery" of their stuffed animals watching TV, waiting by the window, etc. You really feel like you're away from the craziness of Disney when you are at this hotel.
- All 4 parks were excellent. You all know the highlights. Thanks to recommendations made on this board, we saw both SpectroMagic and Illuminations in one night which was totally worth it. Do not miss Fantasmic! Lion King, Tough to be a Bug, Buzz Lightyear, Tower of Terror also big hits with the family. Mission Space made my wife feel awful.
- Dinner at Chef Mickey's was great! Kids loved meeting the characters who were friendly and outgoing.
- Hoop De Doo was wonderful. My 4 yr old slept through the whole thing but my 7 yr old thought it was the highlight of the trip.
- A plug for a non-Disney park. Seaworld was excellent. I was very impressed by the beauty of the park, the cleanliness, the scheduling of shows, even the way they kept the crowds entertained while waiting for the shows to begin. Feeding the stingrays and dolphins was a highlight for me and my DW.
Sorry I went on so long.
Before the trip, I was a Disney fan, but I thought many of you were CRAZY. Now, I have to admit that I truly believe in the Magic of Disney and I haven't stopped raving to anyone who would listen.
Some other notes:
- We drove from NJ and it was pretty easy. We went straight through, stopping to switch driving with my DW, and for meals. I bought a portable DVD player for $250 and it kept the kids entertained. Overall it took 18 hours going (1 extra stop) and 17 coming back. I know there is a lot of controversy, but I think it was well worth the savings and ease by going straight through.
- Port Orleans Riverside was excellent. Rooms are nice, grounds are beautiful, pool is awesome, busses were convenient, food court is good except food is not hot enough (we ate breakfast in restaurant on days 4 & 5 which is much better), kids loved the "mystery" of their stuffed animals watching TV, waiting by the window, etc. You really feel like you're away from the craziness of Disney when you are at this hotel.
- All 4 parks were excellent. You all know the highlights. Thanks to recommendations made on this board, we saw both SpectroMagic and Illuminations in one night which was totally worth it. Do not miss Fantasmic! Lion King, Tough to be a Bug, Buzz Lightyear, Tower of Terror also big hits with the family. Mission Space made my wife feel awful.
- Dinner at Chef Mickey's was great! Kids loved meeting the characters who were friendly and outgoing.
- Hoop De Doo was wonderful. My 4 yr old slept through the whole thing but my 7 yr old thought it was the highlight of the trip.
- A plug for a non-Disney park. Seaworld was excellent. I was very impressed by the beauty of the park, the cleanliness, the scheduling of shows, even the way they kept the crowds entertained while waiting for the shows to begin. Feeding the stingrays and dolphins was a highlight for me and my DW.
Sorry I went on so long.
