Disney World June 2011 Recap

Here's a rundown of my most recent Disney trip. More photos to come in a separate post. (They're uploading now.)

The Fantastic
+ Online check in. Quick and easy.
+ Getting a ground floor room in building three. Refurbished and redecorated, close to the main building and the pool.
+ Boat ride to Downtown Disney. It was beautiful.
+ Magic Kingdom Rope Drop.
+ Star Tours 3D. Holy crap is that ride awesome now!
+ Garden Grill. I think they outdid themselves this time. Everything was delicious, and as usual, the character interaction was top notch.
+ Kilimanjaro Safari. There were TONS of animals out!
+ The gorilla strutting out, squatting in front of all of us spectators, and proceeding to show us how he does #1 AND #2. Quite entertaining!
+ Festival of the Lion King. It was fantastic as always. And I was FINALLY in the giraffe section.
+ Dancing with Phineas and Ferb! The line to meet them was long and hot, but we were entertained! And when it was finally our turn? Rock on!
+ Seeing the Torch Lighting ceremony at the Polynesian. (I am determined to stay there someday. I love that place.)
+ Chocolate-covered marshmallows rolled in mini Reese's Pieces. YUM.
+ Aidan and me finding reasons to laugh hysterically in the hotel room, probably driving poor Adam crazy.
+ Living With The Land. Always a neat ride, and we had an entire boat to ourselves.
+ PeopleMover. So relaxing. I'm always sad when it's over.
+ The Memories castle show. OK, they could do without the pictures. Just show us the effects on the castle. So awesome!

The Good
+ Flight was smooth.
+ Aidan falling in love with Pirates of the Caribbean.
+ Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (always awesome).
+ Surprising Aidan with a trip to the LEGO store in Downtown Disney.
+ Meeting nice people in line or on the bus.
+ Liberty Tree Tavern. Good food. Very busy, though.
+ Soarin'. Always a good time.
+ Weather. It was hot, but we had plenty of water and one of those spray fans. We were OK.
+ New music to buy, new earrings to be had.
+ Watching Aidan enjoy Mission Space: Green, and Test Track.
+ All the cool stuff in the store in Japan.
+ I am not as obsessed with getting character photos anymore, so a little less standing in line for that. It made the characters we DID get more special.
+ Sitting in one of those little side streets off of Main Street and discovering a few secrets. :)
+ No rain!
+ Seeing Space Mountain with all the lights on. WEIRD!
+ Naps in Hall of Presidents and Carousel of Progress. I KNOW, but believe me, I needed them!

The Meh
- Whispering Canyon Cafe. Too loud and the food was so-so. Our server, "Lazy Suzan," was nice, though. And the ketchup thing? HI-LARRY-US.
- Chef Mickey's. Food was just OK. Kids running wild and screaming. Character interaction was rushed. Server did what she could, but she was super busy. She did give us a bunch of apple juice boxes and tell us to take them with us. I do not envy her job at all. Adam tipped her well.
- The long queues just for Fastpasses for Soarin' and Toy Story Midway Mania. Holy crap.
- Sunshine Seasons at Epcot. Disorganized, unclear direction for those of us with the DDP, and no good selections for picky kids that didn't cost a billion snack credits.
- Traffic jam on the way to Hollywood Studios.
- Finding out we went to Hollywood Studios on a Fantasmic Day. Crowds! Eeek! Will plan better from now on.

- Flash pictures on Pirates. Blah.
- "High-speed" Internet. Not high speed at all. I finally just gave up. It was slower than dial-up.
- Wondering, as I impatiently waited for more people to get the heck out of my way, why I visited the parks over and over. A lot of the other guests were getting on my nerves!

The Ugly
- People who stop in the middle of the entrance to a ride, decide to gather around and confer, and act offended or like *I'm* the rude one for going around them. Why should I have to wait for them to make up their minds?
- I walked into a restroom in AK. Saw that there were stalls open, so walked past the people who were standing there. Then I double backed I asked a girl if she was in line and she said "well.... sorta." HUH? Was tapped on the shoulder by an older lady and informed that they were in line. I was confused. Why were they in line when there were open stalls? Fortunately, this rest room had another side with tons of empty stalls. I left those people to stand in "line" (how are you 'sort of' in line anyway?) and used one of those empty stalls. Seriously, my bladder refuses to wait for people who can't make up their minds or figure out what to do.
- People getting downright nasty when waiting for buses in the morning. Although I guess I can't blame them there. Apparently, everyone and their moms decided to go to Animal Kingdom on Wednesday. When we got to the bus stop, the line was very long. Three Downtown Disney buses and two Hollywood Studios buses came in a row, but no Animal Kingdom. Ariel, the fancy guy dressed in Mardi Gras clothing, called in for an Animal Kingdom bus and it FINALLY showed up. Unfortunately, there was a Downtown Disney bus in the way, so the AK bus stopped by the people who'd just walked up instead of the people who'd been waiting. Much yelling ensued. It was not pretty. One lady came barreling through with her son like "I WAS FIRST IN LINE." I was amused, but then, I am used to letting three trains go by in the mornings before work b/c they're just too crowded to fit another person on. I wouldn't have cared about waiting for another bus.

Park Grades
based on crowd level, fun quotient, wait times, characters, activities, personal experiences
Magic Kingdom: B+
Epcot: B+
Hollywood Studios: B
Animal Kingdom: A-

Random Thoughts
We started out the trip in Magic Kingdom and had fun, but I felt overwhelmed at times. Not sure why that was. I suppose I wanted to get so much out of the way so the "relaxing" could begin. But that day, there was none, really, because there was so much. Rides, parades, shopping, dinner, fireworks, shows. Plus, we stayed for Extra Magic Hours, and Aidan got upset when we tried to get him on the Haunted Mansion. We were exhausted!

Epcot was good. We managed to avoid most of the huge crowds, and the thrill rides were great with Aidan. Soarin' is always a treat! Spaceship Earth makes us smile. Garden Grill was fantastic. I ate too much! And we went back to the room pretty early to recover from Sunday.

Hollywood Studios had its moments. Phineas and Ferb sure were great. Toy Story Midway Mania was fun, too, especially because we got moved up ahead. Aidan beat me, but I came close! We enjoyed the Art of Animation, and we all drew Dopey in the Animation Academy, which I'd never done before. I was pretty convinced I'd screwed up the picture, but I did a pretty good job. :) The food from the ABC Commissary was good and the people working there were nice considering how busy and insane it was in there. Star Tours was super. I got cranky at times, but managed to do OK.

I took the most photos in Animal Kingdom. Pizzafari was yummy. The Kilimanjaro Safari was the best I'd been on. Tons of animals out! More than I'd ever seen. The trails were fun and not too crowded. There is that one section of the park that's always INSANE--that part right before Africa. What is up with that?

That park is beautiful. I never appreciated it until recently, which is a shame. Camp Minnie and Mickey was cool, and we ran into Brer Bear there. We explored it a lot more than usual and I'm so glad we did. Everything from playing the djembes to walking around and enjoying the scenery made the park a great experience.

Finished off the trip with another visit to Magic Kingdom. This time, I didn't feel the pressure to do a bunch of stuff, as we'd already done everything Sunday. So, we relaxed, rode a few of our favorites, tried to get Aidan back on Haunted Manion with no luck (he was done after the stretching room)

A lot of things bugged me way more than they did before. I don't know if it was the heat, I was tired, or that I didn't get to plan as much as I would have liked. I still had a general good time. I'd say my entire trip was a B+. But I definitely felt like some of the magic had dimmed. Maybe I went back too soon. Maybe there were too many other people. Could I be outgrowing it? :( I don't know. I do know that I vacillated between not wanting to come back to Chicago and being ready for a day at home to do nothing. I was sad to leave, so I guess that counts for something.

Will post pix soon. Now, I must sleep. Good night!

!!!

Only one more weekend left before Disney World! And all I've managed to do was buy a bunch of shorts, a bathing suit, some cute tops, and a sun visor. And OK, I never thought I'd own a Kangol, but that's the kind of visor I got. DORK, I know. But it was the only visor they had at the store I was at.

Today, Aidan and I talked a long time about what we're going to do at Disney World. I dared him to yell YAY as loudly as he could once we walked in the gates. :D He also told me that he wants to ride the Carousel of Progress 42 times.

Last time I took him, he was timid and scared of a lot of things. Now he says we've "gotta" ride Pirates of the Carribean. I am stoked about that. I am so excited to show him everything. Oh and he also asked for Disney Dollars. I ALMOST forgot about that. Fortunately, I work right around the block from a Disney Store, so I can pop in during a lunch break and get that handled.

I dunno. I just want to make this trip extra special for him because he's at the age where it's awesome. He's not too embarrassed to be seen with me yet, but he still has a sense of wonder about him. It's going to be so much fun! :)

Wow. I can't believe it's coming up so soon.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH CRAP I NEED TO BUY MY PHOTOPASS PRE-VACATION CD!!! *off to see the wizard*

Night!

This Is Bananas!

Less than a month from now, I will be playing in the Magic Kingdom. I can't believe it's coming up so quickly. I've only recently managed to find time to transfer my dining information to my iPhone! It just seems like it was just February and more than 100 days left to go. Time is flying!

I am so eager to feel the sun on my skin. To hear the music and smell (and eat!) the cookies. I got a new camera, and I am so excited to use it in the parks.

Warning: excited rambling coming up!!

I haven't even made a list of stuff I want or need to buy for the trip. I HAVE gotten a few new outfits and a new pair of Keens (that it's not been warm enough here to wear out except once), and as I mentioned, my new camera (and zoom lens!). I am thinking of getting a bucket hat for me and one for Aidan. Or a baseball cap for him so the sun won't be in his eyes. OK, I'm done thinking about it. I am DEFINITELY getting him a baseball cap. And I need another one of those fan/spray bottles. I think I'll just buy the ones they sell there. Expensive but I know it works (unlike the cheapo-chang Walgreens one we had a couple years ago), and if it breaks for some reason, I understand they'll replace it free of charge.

I just got word from my travel agent that she's received our travel documents! When I saw the email in my inbox, my heart skipped. Trufax. Because you know that once the documents are here, it's time to really buckle down with the planning! That means I need to start making lists yesterday! I need to actually UNPACK the bright pink carry-on bag that still has stuff in it from my last Disney trip and oh God, laundry is essential. THIS IS CRAZY, y'all! Crazy in a good way.

There really isn't much to say right now, except that I'm sorry I've been absent. My job is demanding, I've started working out (go me!), and the days are almost a blur (Except when I'm in the office. Then they crawl. Isn't that typical?). I hope time slows down while I am actually AT Disney World, so I can enjoy my trip without feeling like the days are flying by.

I need to go to bed, although I know I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep. It's OK though because DISNEY WORLD in less than a month!

Now is when it starts to get REAL.

Milestone!

We've hit the double digit mark! Fewer than 100 days until Disney World!!
Aidan's really excited. Maybe we'll even get him on Big Thunder Mountain this time. (Not really counting on that, and I know for sure that Tower of Terror is out of the question.)
I know it's still a long ways away, but it's just a little bit closer every minute.

Looking Ahead

This winter is not letting up. Every day it gets worse. More snow. Colder temps. Greyer skies. So depressing. Even the thought of Disney in June isn't cheering me up now, because June may as well be a million years away at this point. *sigh*

But at least I have a Disney World light at the end of the tunnel, right?

As promised, I am going to give more details about the upcoming trip. I'll be doing things a bit differently this time around. For the past four times I've gone, my routine has been similar to this:

Sunday - Arrive, drop off stuff in resort room, hit Magic Kingdom, soak up Extra Magic Hours
Monday - Back to Magic Kingdom. Get bored by midday. Hop if I have a Park Hopper, endure if not.
Tuesday - Epcot. OH YES Garden Grill!
Wednesday - Hollywood Studios
Thursday - Random whatever, go home

There was usually at least one character breakfast mixed in, and two character and/or sitdown dinners. I always wanted to fit in the parades and the fireworks. This has worked for me every Disney trip since 2005. But I want to switch things around a bit. Shake things up. With more frequent parades, I can do it. It's time.

I have never gone to the parks in June before. I've gone in January, May, August, and September. (So far, my favorite has been May and September, but if I want to take Aidan, those are out of the question.) We're going the very first week, so I am hoping the crowds won't be terrible and it won't be too humid. I'm looking forward to the sun warming my skin, but my husband and son will melt if the humidity is too stifling.

This will be the first time we're flying in on a Saturday night and not going to any parks. We're flying Airtran, and I ALWAYS expect delays with them. By coming in Saturday night, I won't feel like we're missing out on park time when the inevitable delay happens. We can just go to Port Orleans and relax.

In the past, I've always wanted to be wherever the evening EMH were. I am a night owl and therefore being at Disney World at night is awesome. However, I'm going at a busier time of year than I am used to, so I want to avoid large crowds any way I can. I plan to do Rope Drop every day (I usually sleep in), and have early evenings relaxing by the pools and stuff. Well, after the fireworks and everything. Midday breaks will be utilized if needed. I'm skipping the Park Hopper. I rarely use it. I also plan to spend more time in Animal Kingdom. On our last trip, Adam and I enjoyed the park a lot more than we anticipated. He LOVED the safari and Expedition Everest.

So. This time, it's going to be like this:

Saturday - Arrival
Ride the Magical Express to the resort, check in, chill out in the pool and/or hot tub, or hit Downtown Disney. I'd like to try the boat ride to Downtown Disney from the resort. I hear it's really nice.

Sunday - Magic Kingdom
It's important to me to go to Magic Kingdom on my first day in the parks. I have to see the castle, smell the scents of Main Street, hear the music, watch the parade. The difference is that I'll be dragging Aidan out of bed so that we can do Rope Drop. Magic Kingdom will have evening Extra Magic Hours, so I figure we can ride all the awesome stuff in the morning, have lunch, go back to the resort and relax, and then hit Magic Kingdom in the afternoon for the parade and then evening hours. I love the evening EMH at Magic Kingdom. The park empties out. It's quiet. The castle is changing colors. It's gorgeous. P

Monday - Epcot ...and GARDEN GRILL!
For the rest of the trip, I will be avoiding any parks with EMH, so instead of going to Epcot on Tuesday, we'll be going on Monday. (Usually, I hit Magic Kingdom a second day.) It's going to feel weird, but I think I'll be fine. And hey, Garden Grill a day earlier than normal is always a welcome change to the ole routine. God, I love that place, and the character interaction there is my favorite.

Tuesday - Hollywood Studios
I've heard weird stories about the bull run to Toy Story Midway Mania at Rope Drop so people can load up on FastPasses. I like TSMM, and I'd really like Aidan to experience it, but the idea of that bull run kind of scares me! I think I'll do it anyway, because I think Aidan would love the ride. Tower of Terror--I doubt I'll get a chance to ride it this time around, unless I can get up the courage to ride it alone. I don't think Aidan will ride it, and we could do the parent swap (maybe?), but we'll see. I'd love to ride Rock N Rollercoaster just once. It's a rough one, but it's super fun. For dinner, we'll bus it to Wilderness Lodge for Whispering Canyon Cafe dinner (I am excited!).

Wednesday - Animal Kingdom
We're going to try to spend the whole day here. I really hope Aidan is over any fear of coasters by then because Expedition Everest is so fun! The safari should be fun, too. And maybe the giraffes will be out again. Then, dinner at Chef Mickey's.

Thurday - OPEN
We leave that evening, so we'll just pop into whatever park we want, eat a counter meal, and relax until time to go and wait for the Magical Express.

We've decided that sit down breakfasts cut into precious Rope Drop time, so we're going with all dinners this time. Breakfast will be a quick snack (cereal, cinnamon roll, etc.) procured from the food court the night before) so we can just GO. Also, we get the dining plan, and the dinners are a bigger value when using the dining plan.
I'm eager to see how this new plan will work out. Come on, June!

Til next time!