BigThunderFan
02-11-2010, 05:46 PM
It's finally here. Last day. The day I had been dreading for 7 days. Last day of palm trees, sunshine, and warm breezes. No more Mickey and pals, Big Thunder or magic.
After today that is! We won't let it bring us down! Today will be the bast day yet! Onward!!!
1/29 MK
I woke up early today and spent a little alone time walking through the courtyard and just looking at everything and taking it all in. The day was already beautiful, the sun wasn't up yet and there was mist on Bay Lake and even on the pool at WL. I took several pictures of the lodge, and of the ducks swimming in the pool and falls area. Today was just coffee from Roaring Forks since we were meeting Mickey at 11:20 for breakfast. I let the others sleep in a little, then it was on to our last rope drop. I love the MK opening show, and today the Mayor was running it! It's always special to hear that music and see the train come around the corner, but today was even better. I watched the kids run around and pick up pieces of ribbon from the opening ceremony to take home and smiled. They wanted to remember today too. It's like they knew it would be awhile before coming back.
Again today we wanted to go slow and take it all in, but we still had an agenda. Today was characters and rides, but on a "relaxed pace". We wanted Chip & Dale and knew where they would be so we were first in line. Even DS took his picture with them too. Apparently the animals are ok for him, but the face characters are not? We "leisurely" strolled down Main Street and through Cinderella Castle (which looked beautiful in the morning sun). Today was Dumbo day. I hate standing in line for this one, and even this early it was no different. There were no other people in all of Fantasyland, except in line for Dumbo. It wasn't a long wait, but it always feels like it for this one somehow. We watched Lady Tremaine and the step sisters parade around and mentally noted to meet them later. After Dumbo we rode Winnie the Pooh, and then split as it was around 9:45. DW wanted to take DD to meet Tink & the Fairies so they got in line for the Toontown rope drop and were just a few back from the rope. DS & I rode Buzz, got SM fastpasses, and did a lap on the Tomorrowland Speedway. We then headed over to meet at Toontown, surely the girls are close to finished with the fairies. Nope, so we rode Barnstormer. When we exited we saw the girls and I asked how she liked Tinkerbell. "We didn't meet the fairies, there was a 45 minute wait". How, I asked, since they were so close to the front?!? Well, apparently as they were parking the stroller and getting ready to head in, Mickey Mouse came out of his house, grabbed my daughter by the hand and took her on a guided tour of his house!
Mickey took her through every room and showed her all of his stuff. He was embarrassed at the messy remodel Goofy & Donald did in his kitchen, and showed her that Pluto was not in his doghouse. They then headed over to the judges tent where Mickey proceeded to cover her eyes, when he removed his hands guess who was there? Minnie! The look on my girl's face was amazing. Of course I have only seen pictures, but it was still priceless. After several minutes with Mickey & Minnie all to herself, DD & DW gave them each hugs and a kiss on the nose and told them thank you, then headed out. I am SO disappointed I missed this, but there was a Photopass photographer chronicling the whole thing. I think he took around 40 pictures and they were amazing! Good thing I pre-ordered that CD! And of course by the time they exited there was a 45 minute wait for the fairies. I think it was well worth it to miss them though!
We then took the train around to Frontierland where we got FP for BTMRR and then started through Adventureland. We rode Pirates again and the kids loaded up on loot from the pirate store. Swords, a hook for each, and even princess pirate ears for DD! We rode Jungle Cruise again and then focused on getting to CR for Chef Mickeys.
We rode the monorail to the Contemporary and were seated immediately for our meal with the mouse, of course after our obligatory picture with a statue of Mickey that we would never buy for $32... Breakfast was great! DS stuffed himself with Mickey waffles and we all ate too much! The place was not very busy because it was near the end of breakfast so we had a LOT of time with all the characters. Donald and Goofy had a lot of playful banter back and forth the whole time and it was great. I got a lot of attention since I was wearing my Donald shirt, and Goofy made fun of it because it was Donald in his "fighting" stance. The kids have probably never laughed so hard as they did today.
We then headed back to MK for a wonderful -but leisurely- afternoon. The park was very slow today and we were able to walk on everything all day. First we headed to Belle's garden to meet the step-sisters and Lady Tremaine. They are always so funny and do a great job playing their parts! We went to get in line for Snow White but saw Peter Pan by the castle so we ran over there only to be told he was finished until after the show, about 25 minutes. I checked my watch, and gambled. We went to PhilharMagic and immediately upon exiting ran back to the spot where we were first in line. In about a minute Peter Pan was back, and DD even gave him a kiss on the cheek!
We finally rode Snow White and Small World. The kids really liked IASW this trip and I didn't find it to be as horrible as I remembered it:blush:
We got FP for Peter Pan then headed to Haunted Mansion for a couple rides. We had to ride again because I found a hidden Mickey at the end and the kids wanted to see it. :)
We grabbed some Dole Whips and waited for the 3pm parade. I was a little disappointed in the changes made to this one, mostly the song, but we still enjoyed it. DD got to shake hands with lots of characters as they came by and she loved it. We raced over to Pirates again to beat the crowd. When we boarded I finally noticed a strange coincidence from this week: On every single boat ride the entire week we rode in the front row. Every time we rode Pirates, IASW, Jungle Cruise, Fiesta, even Maelstrom we were in the front. I'm sure most of it was coincidence and small crowds, but I like to think it was just another part of that birthday magic we had going on all week!
DW picked up our Christmas ornament in Liberty Square, then we headed to Tomorrowland again. We saw the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor for the first time, and thought it was pretty good. The kids laughed pretty hard too, but I don't think they knew quite what they were laughing at every time... While DW & DS rode Space Mountain, I took DD back on Buzz. Best ride yet. I maxed out my score at 999999 halfway through the ride. First time ever up in that stratosphere! I then rode SM by myself while the others went on TTA. I didn't even need the FP as the standby line got to the merge point at the same time.
At this point we had 4 tired -no, exhausted people. We could leave now at 7:30, or tempt fate and get one more ride on BTMRR in before the end. Well you know that answer! What better way to end the vacation than to ride your favorite ride with your favorite son (of course only son...)?
We had time to pick up a couple items from the Main Street Shops and then get out before Wishes began. I wanted to see Wishes from the water and a boat pulled up just as it was about to start! We loaded on and watched the first few fireworks from there. But he didn't shove off. In fact, he kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I was wondering why!?! Why would he not allow us to get that final pleasure of seeing the fireworks from the water? Was it pure evil? Surely Disney doesn't hire evil boat captains do they? Is it because so many people pay good money to have a fireworks cruise and they don't want us to get the same thing for free?? Why?? Why won't you go? But then just when I felt I couldn't take it anymore, he casts off the line and we are quickly moving into the Seven Seas Lagoon. The left (port) side of the boat is listing a little bit. Apparently everyone wanted to see the fireworks too. I guess the captain was just waiting to make sure we were able to see the best part of the show! In my panic it felt like 10 minutes had passed just sitting there, but it was more than likely just a few minutes and we caught all the best parts out on the water. In fact the grand finale just ended right as we passed in front of the Contemporary and out of sight of the Magic Kingdom for the last time of this trip. Perfect ending, perfect timing, and a perfect trip.
The packing, ME bus to the airport, and flight home were uneventful as you would expect. But I will say I was disappointed 15 minutes before landing when I looked out the window and saw nothing but white on the ground! Did I mention it's still snowing here?
Notes: I doubt we stay anywhere besides the Wilderness Lodge ever again, it was just plain amazing. Not sure we will do the DDP again however, it's just too much food. I think I gained 10 pounds on this trip. But the food was all very good! January is definitely the best time we have ever been, and rope drops plus a good touring plan make lines irrelevent. The weather was perfect and I know we really lucked out as it stunk both before and right after we were there.
Big Thunder Mountain is still the best ride at WDW. Ever. Not even close. No- don't argue with me, it's just that much better than the rest. :)
Thank you all for reading these trip reports and for all your comments. I hope it was as fun reading these as it was for me to write them (and remembering our experiences!).
See you real soon!:mickey:
After today that is! We won't let it bring us down! Today will be the bast day yet! Onward!!!
1/29 MK
I woke up early today and spent a little alone time walking through the courtyard and just looking at everything and taking it all in. The day was already beautiful, the sun wasn't up yet and there was mist on Bay Lake and even on the pool at WL. I took several pictures of the lodge, and of the ducks swimming in the pool and falls area. Today was just coffee from Roaring Forks since we were meeting Mickey at 11:20 for breakfast. I let the others sleep in a little, then it was on to our last rope drop. I love the MK opening show, and today the Mayor was running it! It's always special to hear that music and see the train come around the corner, but today was even better. I watched the kids run around and pick up pieces of ribbon from the opening ceremony to take home and smiled. They wanted to remember today too. It's like they knew it would be awhile before coming back.
Again today we wanted to go slow and take it all in, but we still had an agenda. Today was characters and rides, but on a "relaxed pace". We wanted Chip & Dale and knew where they would be so we were first in line. Even DS took his picture with them too. Apparently the animals are ok for him, but the face characters are not? We "leisurely" strolled down Main Street and through Cinderella Castle (which looked beautiful in the morning sun). Today was Dumbo day. I hate standing in line for this one, and even this early it was no different. There were no other people in all of Fantasyland, except in line for Dumbo. It wasn't a long wait, but it always feels like it for this one somehow. We watched Lady Tremaine and the step sisters parade around and mentally noted to meet them later. After Dumbo we rode Winnie the Pooh, and then split as it was around 9:45. DW wanted to take DD to meet Tink & the Fairies so they got in line for the Toontown rope drop and were just a few back from the rope. DS & I rode Buzz, got SM fastpasses, and did a lap on the Tomorrowland Speedway. We then headed over to meet at Toontown, surely the girls are close to finished with the fairies. Nope, so we rode Barnstormer. When we exited we saw the girls and I asked how she liked Tinkerbell. "We didn't meet the fairies, there was a 45 minute wait". How, I asked, since they were so close to the front?!? Well, apparently as they were parking the stroller and getting ready to head in, Mickey Mouse came out of his house, grabbed my daughter by the hand and took her on a guided tour of his house!
Mickey took her through every room and showed her all of his stuff. He was embarrassed at the messy remodel Goofy & Donald did in his kitchen, and showed her that Pluto was not in his doghouse. They then headed over to the judges tent where Mickey proceeded to cover her eyes, when he removed his hands guess who was there? Minnie! The look on my girl's face was amazing. Of course I have only seen pictures, but it was still priceless. After several minutes with Mickey & Minnie all to herself, DD & DW gave them each hugs and a kiss on the nose and told them thank you, then headed out. I am SO disappointed I missed this, but there was a Photopass photographer chronicling the whole thing. I think he took around 40 pictures and they were amazing! Good thing I pre-ordered that CD! And of course by the time they exited there was a 45 minute wait for the fairies. I think it was well worth it to miss them though!
We then took the train around to Frontierland where we got FP for BTMRR and then started through Adventureland. We rode Pirates again and the kids loaded up on loot from the pirate store. Swords, a hook for each, and even princess pirate ears for DD! We rode Jungle Cruise again and then focused on getting to CR for Chef Mickeys.
We rode the monorail to the Contemporary and were seated immediately for our meal with the mouse, of course after our obligatory picture with a statue of Mickey that we would never buy for $32... Breakfast was great! DS stuffed himself with Mickey waffles and we all ate too much! The place was not very busy because it was near the end of breakfast so we had a LOT of time with all the characters. Donald and Goofy had a lot of playful banter back and forth the whole time and it was great. I got a lot of attention since I was wearing my Donald shirt, and Goofy made fun of it because it was Donald in his "fighting" stance. The kids have probably never laughed so hard as they did today.
We then headed back to MK for a wonderful -but leisurely- afternoon. The park was very slow today and we were able to walk on everything all day. First we headed to Belle's garden to meet the step-sisters and Lady Tremaine. They are always so funny and do a great job playing their parts! We went to get in line for Snow White but saw Peter Pan by the castle so we ran over there only to be told he was finished until after the show, about 25 minutes. I checked my watch, and gambled. We went to PhilharMagic and immediately upon exiting ran back to the spot where we were first in line. In about a minute Peter Pan was back, and DD even gave him a kiss on the cheek!
We finally rode Snow White and Small World. The kids really liked IASW this trip and I didn't find it to be as horrible as I remembered it:blush:
We got FP for Peter Pan then headed to Haunted Mansion for a couple rides. We had to ride again because I found a hidden Mickey at the end and the kids wanted to see it. :)
We grabbed some Dole Whips and waited for the 3pm parade. I was a little disappointed in the changes made to this one, mostly the song, but we still enjoyed it. DD got to shake hands with lots of characters as they came by and she loved it. We raced over to Pirates again to beat the crowd. When we boarded I finally noticed a strange coincidence from this week: On every single boat ride the entire week we rode in the front row. Every time we rode Pirates, IASW, Jungle Cruise, Fiesta, even Maelstrom we were in the front. I'm sure most of it was coincidence and small crowds, but I like to think it was just another part of that birthday magic we had going on all week!
DW picked up our Christmas ornament in Liberty Square, then we headed to Tomorrowland again. We saw the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor for the first time, and thought it was pretty good. The kids laughed pretty hard too, but I don't think they knew quite what they were laughing at every time... While DW & DS rode Space Mountain, I took DD back on Buzz. Best ride yet. I maxed out my score at 999999 halfway through the ride. First time ever up in that stratosphere! I then rode SM by myself while the others went on TTA. I didn't even need the FP as the standby line got to the merge point at the same time.
At this point we had 4 tired -no, exhausted people. We could leave now at 7:30, or tempt fate and get one more ride on BTMRR in before the end. Well you know that answer! What better way to end the vacation than to ride your favorite ride with your favorite son (of course only son...)?
We had time to pick up a couple items from the Main Street Shops and then get out before Wishes began. I wanted to see Wishes from the water and a boat pulled up just as it was about to start! We loaded on and watched the first few fireworks from there. But he didn't shove off. In fact, he kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I was wondering why!?! Why would he not allow us to get that final pleasure of seeing the fireworks from the water? Was it pure evil? Surely Disney doesn't hire evil boat captains do they? Is it because so many people pay good money to have a fireworks cruise and they don't want us to get the same thing for free?? Why?? Why won't you go? But then just when I felt I couldn't take it anymore, he casts off the line and we are quickly moving into the Seven Seas Lagoon. The left (port) side of the boat is listing a little bit. Apparently everyone wanted to see the fireworks too. I guess the captain was just waiting to make sure we were able to see the best part of the show! In my panic it felt like 10 minutes had passed just sitting there, but it was more than likely just a few minutes and we caught all the best parts out on the water. In fact the grand finale just ended right as we passed in front of the Contemporary and out of sight of the Magic Kingdom for the last time of this trip. Perfect ending, perfect timing, and a perfect trip.
The packing, ME bus to the airport, and flight home were uneventful as you would expect. But I will say I was disappointed 15 minutes before landing when I looked out the window and saw nothing but white on the ground! Did I mention it's still snowing here?
Notes: I doubt we stay anywhere besides the Wilderness Lodge ever again, it was just plain amazing. Not sure we will do the DDP again however, it's just too much food. I think I gained 10 pounds on this trip. But the food was all very good! January is definitely the best time we have ever been, and rope drops plus a good touring plan make lines irrelevent. The weather was perfect and I know we really lucked out as it stunk both before and right after we were there.
Big Thunder Mountain is still the best ride at WDW. Ever. Not even close. No- don't argue with me, it's just that much better than the rest. :)
Thank you all for reading these trip reports and for all your comments. I hope it was as fun reading these as it was for me to write them (and remembering our experiences!).
See you real soon!:mickey: