IloveJack
01-20-2010, 01:44 PM
Walt Disney World Trip: September 30-October 3, 2009
Cast: Myself, 28, 5th trip
David, 24, 3rd trip
Sammie, turning 1, 1st trip
Thursday, Oct 1: 1900 Park Fair Birthday Breakfast, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
We waited in line for a while at the gate, but people were nice enough to let us keep the stroller in the shade. Sammie has a dark complexion, (she got David's Native American skin) but I didn't want to ruin our vacation with a sunburned baby. At 3:55, they let us in. We got our armbands (I didn't have to get one for Sammie) and headed down Main Street.
We headed straight to the barber shop. I wanted Sammie's first haircut to be here, and she had just enough hair to cut a few locks. Sammie had fallen back asleep and I woke her up when we arrived at the shop. The CM's were great with her! She never fussed at all. I think she was amazed at all the attention on her. They cut her "wings," as I called them, and trimmed her up just a bit. David got my favorite picture of the trip here. The CM, Michael I believe it was, held up a mirror for Sammie to look in. David took her picture from behind, catching the back of her "1st haircut" ears and the reflection of her face in the mirror. They gave us a lock of her hair, wrapped in tissue, and closed with a Mickey sticker; plus a certificate with Baby Mickey and friends. That'll go in the scrapbook!
I wanted to get food before the party began, so we headed toward Tomorrowland to eat at Cosmic Rays, another I'cot piece of advice. We were walking by, and my husband said, “This is the place with the chili!” If you remember my last trip, David's one request for food was that we eat chili at the place where he'd had it as a child. Of course, he couldn't remember where that was, and I had no clue, so we just had chili at the Sci-Fi Restaurant. Anyhow, he was so very happy when he realized it this time, and of course, he ordered chili as soon as we got inside.
After dinner, I changed Sammie's clothes and put her Tinkerbell costume on. It was a size 3 months (and actually was her last year Halloween costume) but as she's so tiny, it still fit her (it was just a little short, but some “fancy panties" fixed that). I was determined that we would see Tink before the party, since she wasn't out during, so we headed straight to Pixie Hollow. We didn't stand in line very long, but the longer we stood in line, the longer the line got behind us. It was as if everyone had the same idea as us.
This was the most magical part of our trip. We were the last of our group to enter the room. We saw Rosetta first, and she was friendly, but “efficient” (for lack of a better word). However, as soon as Tink saw Sammie in her Tink outfit, the entire room seemed to fill with magic. The other visitors had left the room by then, and the CM's didn't allow anyone else to enter behind us. The three fairies (Iridessa was there as well) fawned over Sammie. They got down in the floor and sat in a circle around her. They sang to her, as it was her “arrival day.” They signed her birthday card. They took turns holding her. And Sammie just ate it up. They made our trip. This was what I'd dreamed about Sammie's first trip being.
We left there for Fantasyland. Neither David nor I had ever ridden most of these rides, as we'd always hit the thrill rides. So it was rather nice to ride “new” rides. We wanted to do most of them before the party, so we got in line for Snow White. Sammie didn't like this one very much, but the rest were fine. We took a picture at the stationary Dumbo before riding. All three of us squeezed into one car, which was more fun for us.
Then we got in line for Cindy's Carroussel. We were first in line and I had my eye on Cindy's horse. I'd kept Sammie off carousels specifically so that her first would be at the MK. I wanted Sammie to ride on Cindy's horse, so I could get her picture. However, right before the gates opened, a big group of people begged the CM to take their picture on the ride before it began. I was not happy, as they were in the back of the waiting area, and were ushered right to the front. However, none of them got on Cindy's horse, or the ones beside it! Woohoo! It had stopped right in front of us, so we hurried to it. Sammie enjoyed the gentle ride.
Then it was on to Peter Pan, where we asked the CM checking seating about his pedometer. He told us he typically walked about 8 miles a day, just while he was working that ride. Wow! I need that job. Err... not really.
When we got off Peter Pan, the party had began. I took Sammie to Donald's dance party so she could see Donald and Daisy. Daisy spent some time with Sammie, but Donald was being smothered, so we left. We trick-or-treated some, and then stopped to see Pooh and Eeyore. However, while we were waiting, they left to be replaced by Tigger and Piglet. Funny moment, I called them “Pigger and Tiglet” to David, by mistake. He laughed at me the rest of the trip about that.
We were going to see Snow White and the 7 dwarves, but the line was immensely long, so we went on. We trick-or-treated all through Fantasyland and Toon Town, taking the Mad Hatter's trail back to Tomorrowland. David took some pics of Stitch and Goofy's dance party, but I wanted Sammie to see Buzz Lightyear, so we headed to get in line. Sammie wasn't too sure about him, but didn't cry.
For some reason, David loves the TTA (I can't blame him, it's relaxing), so we rode it next. Sammie got nursed and then fell asleep. She didn't sleep long, however, and was awake by the time we got on the Astro Orbiters next. Neither of us had ridden this, either, and it made for some great night shots of the castle. Oh, and when I got off the ride, I felt something weird on my shoe. I tried to scrape it off and then realized it was metal. I looked down and saw that I had stepped on a pin that someone had left in the car. We traded it later that week for something we wanted.
We went in the Merchants of Venus and bought two of the Halloween pins. Sammie fell asleep again, so we headed to Main Street to watch Hallowishes, hoping she wouldn't wake up and be scared of the booms again.
She didn't, leaving our hands free so that I could video and David could take pictures. Wow! So glad we came to this. We love Wishes and Hallowishes was even better!
We crossed the park then and trick-or-treated through Adventureland, stopping, of course, to ride Pirates of the Caribbean, our favorite ride. We had to introduce Sammie to our love of Pirates! By then it was time for the second parade. I videoed this one also, and found myself wishing we had watched the earlier one, too. I love the soundtrack. I wish iTunes offered it. Sammie slept through this one as well. It was getting rather late, so I wasn't surprised.
David had been begging to ride Haunted Mansion since we got there, but I wanted to wait until the party started, so to get our picture. We headed there next, got the "ghost" picture by the carriage, and then got in line. I tried to take a picture of our visiting ghost, but he sat over David and Sammie, so it didn't turn out too well.
The party was almost over by then, and we had a decision to make: Snow White and the 7 dwarves or Cindy's carriage? The line for Snow White was still really long, so I asked the CM's if everyone in line got to go through. She said no, the characters would leave at 12, and if there was still a line, too bad (only she was nicer about it), so that settled it.
We got in line for the picture with Cindy's carriage with Sammie still asleep. I thought about getting a picture with just David and myself, but that's not what I wanted. So I picked Sammie up and held her for the picture. I'm glad I did it, as it was nice to have the whole family in it.
We trick-or-treated our way out of the park as it was now midnight, found our bus waiting, and went "home" for some much needed rest.
Cast: Myself, 28, 5th trip
David, 24, 3rd trip
Sammie, turning 1, 1st trip
Thursday, Oct 1: 1900 Park Fair Birthday Breakfast, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
We waited in line for a while at the gate, but people were nice enough to let us keep the stroller in the shade. Sammie has a dark complexion, (she got David's Native American skin) but I didn't want to ruin our vacation with a sunburned baby. At 3:55, they let us in. We got our armbands (I didn't have to get one for Sammie) and headed down Main Street.
We headed straight to the barber shop. I wanted Sammie's first haircut to be here, and she had just enough hair to cut a few locks. Sammie had fallen back asleep and I woke her up when we arrived at the shop. The CM's were great with her! She never fussed at all. I think she was amazed at all the attention on her. They cut her "wings," as I called them, and trimmed her up just a bit. David got my favorite picture of the trip here. The CM, Michael I believe it was, held up a mirror for Sammie to look in. David took her picture from behind, catching the back of her "1st haircut" ears and the reflection of her face in the mirror. They gave us a lock of her hair, wrapped in tissue, and closed with a Mickey sticker; plus a certificate with Baby Mickey and friends. That'll go in the scrapbook!
I wanted to get food before the party began, so we headed toward Tomorrowland to eat at Cosmic Rays, another I'cot piece of advice. We were walking by, and my husband said, “This is the place with the chili!” If you remember my last trip, David's one request for food was that we eat chili at the place where he'd had it as a child. Of course, he couldn't remember where that was, and I had no clue, so we just had chili at the Sci-Fi Restaurant. Anyhow, he was so very happy when he realized it this time, and of course, he ordered chili as soon as we got inside.
After dinner, I changed Sammie's clothes and put her Tinkerbell costume on. It was a size 3 months (and actually was her last year Halloween costume) but as she's so tiny, it still fit her (it was just a little short, but some “fancy panties" fixed that). I was determined that we would see Tink before the party, since she wasn't out during, so we headed straight to Pixie Hollow. We didn't stand in line very long, but the longer we stood in line, the longer the line got behind us. It was as if everyone had the same idea as us.
This was the most magical part of our trip. We were the last of our group to enter the room. We saw Rosetta first, and she was friendly, but “efficient” (for lack of a better word). However, as soon as Tink saw Sammie in her Tink outfit, the entire room seemed to fill with magic. The other visitors had left the room by then, and the CM's didn't allow anyone else to enter behind us. The three fairies (Iridessa was there as well) fawned over Sammie. They got down in the floor and sat in a circle around her. They sang to her, as it was her “arrival day.” They signed her birthday card. They took turns holding her. And Sammie just ate it up. They made our trip. This was what I'd dreamed about Sammie's first trip being.
We left there for Fantasyland. Neither David nor I had ever ridden most of these rides, as we'd always hit the thrill rides. So it was rather nice to ride “new” rides. We wanted to do most of them before the party, so we got in line for Snow White. Sammie didn't like this one very much, but the rest were fine. We took a picture at the stationary Dumbo before riding. All three of us squeezed into one car, which was more fun for us.
Then we got in line for Cindy's Carroussel. We were first in line and I had my eye on Cindy's horse. I'd kept Sammie off carousels specifically so that her first would be at the MK. I wanted Sammie to ride on Cindy's horse, so I could get her picture. However, right before the gates opened, a big group of people begged the CM to take their picture on the ride before it began. I was not happy, as they were in the back of the waiting area, and were ushered right to the front. However, none of them got on Cindy's horse, or the ones beside it! Woohoo! It had stopped right in front of us, so we hurried to it. Sammie enjoyed the gentle ride.
Then it was on to Peter Pan, where we asked the CM checking seating about his pedometer. He told us he typically walked about 8 miles a day, just while he was working that ride. Wow! I need that job. Err... not really.
When we got off Peter Pan, the party had began. I took Sammie to Donald's dance party so she could see Donald and Daisy. Daisy spent some time with Sammie, but Donald was being smothered, so we left. We trick-or-treated some, and then stopped to see Pooh and Eeyore. However, while we were waiting, they left to be replaced by Tigger and Piglet. Funny moment, I called them “Pigger and Tiglet” to David, by mistake. He laughed at me the rest of the trip about that.
We were going to see Snow White and the 7 dwarves, but the line was immensely long, so we went on. We trick-or-treated all through Fantasyland and Toon Town, taking the Mad Hatter's trail back to Tomorrowland. David took some pics of Stitch and Goofy's dance party, but I wanted Sammie to see Buzz Lightyear, so we headed to get in line. Sammie wasn't too sure about him, but didn't cry.
For some reason, David loves the TTA (I can't blame him, it's relaxing), so we rode it next. Sammie got nursed and then fell asleep. She didn't sleep long, however, and was awake by the time we got on the Astro Orbiters next. Neither of us had ridden this, either, and it made for some great night shots of the castle. Oh, and when I got off the ride, I felt something weird on my shoe. I tried to scrape it off and then realized it was metal. I looked down and saw that I had stepped on a pin that someone had left in the car. We traded it later that week for something we wanted.
We went in the Merchants of Venus and bought two of the Halloween pins. Sammie fell asleep again, so we headed to Main Street to watch Hallowishes, hoping she wouldn't wake up and be scared of the booms again.
She didn't, leaving our hands free so that I could video and David could take pictures. Wow! So glad we came to this. We love Wishes and Hallowishes was even better!
We crossed the park then and trick-or-treated through Adventureland, stopping, of course, to ride Pirates of the Caribbean, our favorite ride. We had to introduce Sammie to our love of Pirates! By then it was time for the second parade. I videoed this one also, and found myself wishing we had watched the earlier one, too. I love the soundtrack. I wish iTunes offered it. Sammie slept through this one as well. It was getting rather late, so I wasn't surprised.
David had been begging to ride Haunted Mansion since we got there, but I wanted to wait until the party started, so to get our picture. We headed there next, got the "ghost" picture by the carriage, and then got in line. I tried to take a picture of our visiting ghost, but he sat over David and Sammie, so it didn't turn out too well.
The party was almost over by then, and we had a decision to make: Snow White and the 7 dwarves or Cindy's carriage? The line for Snow White was still really long, so I asked the CM's if everyone in line got to go through. She said no, the characters would leave at 12, and if there was still a line, too bad (only she was nicer about it), so that settled it.
We got in line for the picture with Cindy's carriage with Sammie still asleep. I thought about getting a picture with just David and myself, but that's not what I wanted. So I picked Sammie up and held her for the picture. I'm glad I did it, as it was nice to have the whole family in it.
We trick-or-treated our way out of the park as it was now midnight, found our bus waiting, and went "home" for some much needed rest.