tyandskyesmom
07-05-2007, 03:19 PM
July 2, 2008 -- Monday
The wake-up call came at 6:30am and while i was anticipating Mickey and Stitch...I got instrumental music...nice but a let down! The Ostrich are out on the savanah and the moon is setting above them near the level of the top of the logdge through the haze (it is very humid this morning) and looks really cool! The weather forcast is up to 88 degrees and 78% humidity. Supposedly we are to get rain this afternoon and then clear up for the evening...we'll see! So to set a record for us...we are all up and ready by 7:30am...oh I forgot to tell you what we are doing today!!!
Well, the day before we left, my dad called from their vacation in Colorado and said he just cannot see taking the kids that close and not going to any parks so he would pay for a one day base ticket!!!! You cannot imagine how excited the kids were...I was scarred! I have listened to all the horror stories of this time of the year and was afraid of what we might find! So I carefully chose this day as our best opportunity to hit the Magic Kingdom with the least amount of people! I figured that most people want to spend the third and/or forth of July in MK so they would be spending the second elsewhere. I also have listened to all of you who say to get out early and you get more done. So, even though it is generally against our nature to get up that early at Disney World, in fact, we have never been to a park at opening, we were all up and ready by 7:30am.
We ran up to the lobby (which is actually on the third floor and our room on the second) to get the base ticket added to our room keys (which we were kinda disappointed in because we wanted a picture card!). The kids and I ran into the gift shop to get rain ponchos that we do actually have at home...somewhere. I couldn't find them before we left. And I also got a pen because the sharpies I though I brought were unable to be found...until we were leaving and I found them in a pouch on the suit case that i did not think I used! Then we all met up and we ran to The Mara for a cinnamon roll and fruit loops for Skye, a glazed donut for Ty, and a crossaint for me...oh, and to re-fill our mugs. We got to the bus stop and there was only one other family there. That could be a good thing or a bad one...either we just missed a bus and will be waiting a while or there really aren't that many people heading to MK today! We started munching on our breakfasts when the bus showed up! So in the bag they all went. I think two more families showed up and boarded the bus and we were off!
We arrived at the MK about 8:30am. We paid for a single stroller for the day...just figured if it was going to pour on us we did not want our stroller all wet for the rest of the trip...plus the kids like 'em and i actually think they are easier to maneuver. Now, there were a lot of people waiting but we were in the right pretty much next to the window where you pay for the EVCs and such so we were not too far back. This was the firs ttime we have been there this early and the kids did not get what we were doing. That is until, the train came around!
We debated about what to do first and finally came to this...we went to the right of the castle and hit the bathroom. Then we headed around towards Fantasyland! The tea cups were fun, Pooh was a walk on (even in slow times when we usually go Pooh is a Fast Pass ride for us!), Snow White had no wait and Dumbo was about 20 minutes...that's about as good as it gets right? We then went to see the Mermaid in her grotto! Skye gave her a huge hug and I did not think she was going to let her go (Kathy, you gotta see the picture!) and she got a red kiss in the forhead! Then we grabbed FP for Peter Pan as it was at about a 20 minute wait...I know, that's nothing but we did not want to! It was now about 10:30am so we headed towards Haunted Mansion. Yes, we knew it was closed but I think my guys were hoping my information was wrong so they just had to see it for themselves! The big wooden gate was closed with a note from Master Gracey. So we went to Columbia Harbor house for lunch. It was empty. I had the tuna sandwich and potato chips (which we saved for later), Lou has fish and chips, and Ty had chicken strips with apple sliced and an order of fries. Skye was boycotting lunch because she did not want to stop riding! But she did end up eating some apples and fries. All of it was really good! I even liked Lou's fish as much or more that England's in Epcot...don't tell him that though! We were upstairs and all by ourselves! It was our first time there but i don't think it will be our last! by this time our FP for Peter Pan were up so we went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for FP. We knew Skye would not be big enough but apparently she didn't...she was so upset! Then we headed back for Peter Pan, It's A Small World, the Carousel, and Philharmagic. We looked around at Sir Mickey's mostly for the little bit of air conditioning it supplied! It was not yet time for our other fast passes so we cut thru to the Tiki Room and Pirates. We got the front seat (much to Tyler's dismay!). Unfortunately the Davey Jones effect was not working...that would have been very cool in the front seat! I got soaked! Pirates was our longest line all day...about 40 minutes.After a trip through the pirate stope the guys headed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to use the fast passes and Skye and I went for a potty break. On the way, we saw Wendy and Peter but Lou had the camera...she was mad. While in the bathroom I remembered I had my cell phone so we waited in like to get Wendy and Peter's autographs. Now we just have to figure out how to print the picture off of my phone! Just as we were coming arounf to Frontierland they were setting up for the parade so Skye and I grabbed a seat right at the beginning of the parade route and waited. Lou called shortly after we sat down and they were on their way over. The ground was very hot! Lou ran for fries and drinks while Ty played rope toss and Tic-Tac-Toe with on of the CMs. Skye just sat and waited. Hhhmmm, parades in July...people are crazy! We had people shoving their kids on top of us to see it! Now why don't people just make sure they are there in enough time to get good seats if they want them instead of trying to steal someone elses? And we were not there more than 15 minutes before it began so it's not like you needed to waste half you day getting a seat or anything! After the parade we went back arounfd to Adventureland and got fast passes for Jungle Cruise and rode the Magic Carpets. It wasn't time for our cruise yet so we headed to Tomorrowland. Lou wanted to eat at the Tomorrowland Noodle Terrace again. We were able to catch it on it's first run and it was great! Today it was only open from 5pm - 9pm. The Monster Laugh Floor was just going in so we jumped in there and really liked it. I don't know that it would be somethng we would need to do more than once in a trip...although Ty's goal it to gwt picked on to be on the big screen so he might go over and over until he gets there! We grabbed fast passes for Buzz and headed back over for our cruise. Ty and a few other kids found the leaping tarantulla in line and could not figure out how it was jumping...it kept them amused! We grabbed a bucket of popcorn in a Pirates tub (the kids collect them and use them to put little toys and things in!) and Ty finished his one left over chicken strip from lunch while on the way over to the Noodle Terrace. We got beef & broccoli, teriyaki chicken and a kids mac n cheese with carrots, grapes and a bottle of water. This place has definately gone down hill...not as many choices, not as good! You do get chop stix with your meal and a fortune cookie. One of my pea pods had a perfect black hidden Mickey on it! Skye was again being difficult about eating so we took a little longer here. We then went to Buzz. Lou won, of course, with about 85,000, the me with about 75,000, then Ty with about 65,000 and then Skye with 1900...which is really very good for her! We hit the TTA and Carousel of Progress and then headed for ToonTown. Skye was so excited to find that she was plenty big enough for this. So Lou took them and I went to check out the character greeting lines...only two of them were open and one was 75 minutes and one was 90 so there was no way that was happening! I sat on a bench and waited for them.
...continued in next post...
The wake-up call came at 6:30am and while i was anticipating Mickey and Stitch...I got instrumental music...nice but a let down! The Ostrich are out on the savanah and the moon is setting above them near the level of the top of the logdge through the haze (it is very humid this morning) and looks really cool! The weather forcast is up to 88 degrees and 78% humidity. Supposedly we are to get rain this afternoon and then clear up for the evening...we'll see! So to set a record for us...we are all up and ready by 7:30am...oh I forgot to tell you what we are doing today!!!
Well, the day before we left, my dad called from their vacation in Colorado and said he just cannot see taking the kids that close and not going to any parks so he would pay for a one day base ticket!!!! You cannot imagine how excited the kids were...I was scarred! I have listened to all the horror stories of this time of the year and was afraid of what we might find! So I carefully chose this day as our best opportunity to hit the Magic Kingdom with the least amount of people! I figured that most people want to spend the third and/or forth of July in MK so they would be spending the second elsewhere. I also have listened to all of you who say to get out early and you get more done. So, even though it is generally against our nature to get up that early at Disney World, in fact, we have never been to a park at opening, we were all up and ready by 7:30am.
We ran up to the lobby (which is actually on the third floor and our room on the second) to get the base ticket added to our room keys (which we were kinda disappointed in because we wanted a picture card!). The kids and I ran into the gift shop to get rain ponchos that we do actually have at home...somewhere. I couldn't find them before we left. And I also got a pen because the sharpies I though I brought were unable to be found...until we were leaving and I found them in a pouch on the suit case that i did not think I used! Then we all met up and we ran to The Mara for a cinnamon roll and fruit loops for Skye, a glazed donut for Ty, and a crossaint for me...oh, and to re-fill our mugs. We got to the bus stop and there was only one other family there. That could be a good thing or a bad one...either we just missed a bus and will be waiting a while or there really aren't that many people heading to MK today! We started munching on our breakfasts when the bus showed up! So in the bag they all went. I think two more families showed up and boarded the bus and we were off!
We arrived at the MK about 8:30am. We paid for a single stroller for the day...just figured if it was going to pour on us we did not want our stroller all wet for the rest of the trip...plus the kids like 'em and i actually think they are easier to maneuver. Now, there were a lot of people waiting but we were in the right pretty much next to the window where you pay for the EVCs and such so we were not too far back. This was the firs ttime we have been there this early and the kids did not get what we were doing. That is until, the train came around!
We debated about what to do first and finally came to this...we went to the right of the castle and hit the bathroom. Then we headed around towards Fantasyland! The tea cups were fun, Pooh was a walk on (even in slow times when we usually go Pooh is a Fast Pass ride for us!), Snow White had no wait and Dumbo was about 20 minutes...that's about as good as it gets right? We then went to see the Mermaid in her grotto! Skye gave her a huge hug and I did not think she was going to let her go (Kathy, you gotta see the picture!) and she got a red kiss in the forhead! Then we grabbed FP for Peter Pan as it was at about a 20 minute wait...I know, that's nothing but we did not want to! It was now about 10:30am so we headed towards Haunted Mansion. Yes, we knew it was closed but I think my guys were hoping my information was wrong so they just had to see it for themselves! The big wooden gate was closed with a note from Master Gracey. So we went to Columbia Harbor house for lunch. It was empty. I had the tuna sandwich and potato chips (which we saved for later), Lou has fish and chips, and Ty had chicken strips with apple sliced and an order of fries. Skye was boycotting lunch because she did not want to stop riding! But she did end up eating some apples and fries. All of it was really good! I even liked Lou's fish as much or more that England's in Epcot...don't tell him that though! We were upstairs and all by ourselves! It was our first time there but i don't think it will be our last! by this time our FP for Peter Pan were up so we went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for FP. We knew Skye would not be big enough but apparently she didn't...she was so upset! Then we headed back for Peter Pan, It's A Small World, the Carousel, and Philharmagic. We looked around at Sir Mickey's mostly for the little bit of air conditioning it supplied! It was not yet time for our other fast passes so we cut thru to the Tiki Room and Pirates. We got the front seat (much to Tyler's dismay!). Unfortunately the Davey Jones effect was not working...that would have been very cool in the front seat! I got soaked! Pirates was our longest line all day...about 40 minutes.After a trip through the pirate stope the guys headed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to use the fast passes and Skye and I went for a potty break. On the way, we saw Wendy and Peter but Lou had the camera...she was mad. While in the bathroom I remembered I had my cell phone so we waited in like to get Wendy and Peter's autographs. Now we just have to figure out how to print the picture off of my phone! Just as we were coming arounf to Frontierland they were setting up for the parade so Skye and I grabbed a seat right at the beginning of the parade route and waited. Lou called shortly after we sat down and they were on their way over. The ground was very hot! Lou ran for fries and drinks while Ty played rope toss and Tic-Tac-Toe with on of the CMs. Skye just sat and waited. Hhhmmm, parades in July...people are crazy! We had people shoving their kids on top of us to see it! Now why don't people just make sure they are there in enough time to get good seats if they want them instead of trying to steal someone elses? And we were not there more than 15 minutes before it began so it's not like you needed to waste half you day getting a seat or anything! After the parade we went back arounfd to Adventureland and got fast passes for Jungle Cruise and rode the Magic Carpets. It wasn't time for our cruise yet so we headed to Tomorrowland. Lou wanted to eat at the Tomorrowland Noodle Terrace again. We were able to catch it on it's first run and it was great! Today it was only open from 5pm - 9pm. The Monster Laugh Floor was just going in so we jumped in there and really liked it. I don't know that it would be somethng we would need to do more than once in a trip...although Ty's goal it to gwt picked on to be on the big screen so he might go over and over until he gets there! We grabbed fast passes for Buzz and headed back over for our cruise. Ty and a few other kids found the leaping tarantulla in line and could not figure out how it was jumping...it kept them amused! We grabbed a bucket of popcorn in a Pirates tub (the kids collect them and use them to put little toys and things in!) and Ty finished his one left over chicken strip from lunch while on the way over to the Noodle Terrace. We got beef & broccoli, teriyaki chicken and a kids mac n cheese with carrots, grapes and a bottle of water. This place has definately gone down hill...not as many choices, not as good! You do get chop stix with your meal and a fortune cookie. One of my pea pods had a perfect black hidden Mickey on it! Skye was again being difficult about eating so we took a little longer here. We then went to Buzz. Lou won, of course, with about 85,000, the me with about 75,000, then Ty with about 65,000 and then Skye with 1900...which is really very good for her! We hit the TTA and Carousel of Progress and then headed for ToonTown. Skye was so excited to find that she was plenty big enough for this. So Lou took them and I went to check out the character greeting lines...only two of them were open and one was 75 minutes and one was 90 so there was no way that was happening! I sat on a bench and waited for them.
...continued in next post...