So Many Celebrations! A June 2013 trip report - Updated 11/6 -MK Day 2 About This Page:

[mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince]

When we got to the Beach Club, we decided to check the wait time at Beaches & Cream. We were told that it would be “about an hour,” and we didn’t want to wait. We headed inside and were wandering around, trying to figure out where to have lunch, when a CM from the restaurant in the Yacht Club flagged us down. She asked how we were doing, and if we were coming in to eat. We told her that we hadn't been planning on it, but we were, indeed, looking for a place to eat lunch. We checked out the menu, and found something that everyone would enjoy. The fact that it accepted the Tables in Wonderland card sealed the deal, so we headed in to a practically empty Captain’s Grille.

Since we were not on the DDP, I ordered two appetizers: clam chowder and Hand-cut Salt and Vinegar Fries with roasted shallot mayonnaise. The rest of the family ordered various sandwiches, and DD7 chose the Grilled Beef Kabob. Unfortunately, our waitress was standing behind DD13 when she took her order, and called her “young man.” You may be able to imagine how DD13 felt about that, and it almost ruined everyone’s lunch. Fortunately, the food came quickly and we were able to distract DD13 with lunch. For the first of many meals, DS fell asleep right after we fed him.


The waitress must have felt very badly about her mistake, because she brought us a complimentary dessert at the end of the meal. We all had a couple of bites, except DD7, whose kids meal came with its own dessert. We enjoyed our meal but probably wouldn’t rush back. It was relatively inexpensive, and we saved $15.44 with TiW.



After lunch, we all headed back to the room. DH and DS took a rest, DD13 played on the computer, and the younger two girls got ready to go to enjoy Stormalong Bay. Unfortunately, the minute we got down to where they check IDs, they closed the pool down because of lightning in the area. We were not pleased, but heard a nearby guest mention that they don’t usually close the quiet pools, so that’s where we headed.

Our room is right above the tree on the right hand side, and includes the two windows to the left of that big balcony

It did rain while we were there, but the girls didn’t mind, and since I had a book and an umbrella to huddle under, I didn’t, either. I did a little souvenir shopping at the Marketplace, and saved a little money with my AP discount. Sadly, one of these items did not make it home.


We went down to the dock just after a boat had left BC/YC


The boat was headed to the Boardwalk, so we ran over to catch it at the Swolphin.


We arrived at the Studios about 6:30. The only thing on the agenda was the family’s first showing of Fantasmic; everything else was just frosting on the cake. We checked out the Lines app to scope out the wait time situation, and decided to get FPs for Tower of Terror (return time 7:10-8:10). We saw Muppets next – our first time as a family – and then watched a bit of the Jedi training academy for the first time.

The wait time for Star Tours was low, so DH took the girls while DS and I grabbed some food at Backlot Express. (Side note: the last time we ate here, which was 2001, a seagull swooped down and grabbed a French fry from my tray!) The two older girls split a Bacon Cheeseburger, while DH and I shared the Grilled Turkey & Cheese on multigrain ciabatta with arugula and red peppers. I bought the Power Pack for DD7 (yogurt, apple wedges, carrot sticks, goldfish crackers, apple-cinnamon snack bar, and choice of low fat milk or small water.) She wasn’t thrilled with it, but I knew she’d be getting plenty of fries over the next 10 days, so I went with the healthy stuff.

We’d gotten six FPs for ToT, and didn’t have enough time to use them all before they expired, so DH took the older girls. They used the PP+ card to get another great ride photo. I forget what we non-riders did while waiting. Afterwards, DH and the girls bought some ice cream from Hollywood Scoops. We brought it into Fantasmic so they could enjoy it while waiting for the show to start. I was the only one in the family who had ever seen Fantasmic. I had never wanted to take the kids because of the crowds, and the long wait, plus we are almost never at the Studios at night. There were two shows that evening, and I knew that the second show would be less crowded, but we didn’t want to stay up that late on our first full day. We bought our ice cream at 8:30, and went directly into the theatre, where we were directed to stay to the right and when we got to the top of the ramp, a CM would assist us to h/c accessible seats. It was all very easy, and we really didn’t have much time to wait before the show started.

Something very strange happened before the show. The pre-show was going on, where the CMs get the audience involved in songs and games. My girls were getting all riled up with all the hullabaloo. There was a couple sitting in front of us, and in the midst of this, while our section was making gorillas noises, the man turns to us and hollers at the kids, “Now, that’s enough!” My jaw must have hit the ground, and I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak. The wife quickly turned around and said, ‘Oh, he’s just joking. He’s a teacher.” Then he laughed and joked and I laughed along, but I really couldn’t believe it. Not long after that, maybe even before the show started, they both left. It was so bizarre.

Everybody enjoyed the show, especially the mist coming off the water since it was still warm.


I was concerned about the mass exodus after the show was over, and we did have a bit of trouble staying together, but we made it out okay (even though a girl walked right in front of the wheelchair and practically got knocked over!)


I love the palm trees

We made it to the long queue at the boat dock by 9:45 and only waited 15 minutes for another boat to arrive. 20 minutes later, we were back at the Beach Club and I was in bed by 11:20. The next day was Father’s Day, and I told everybody they could have the morning off.

The weather today was hot.
The best thing today was making it to the Studios for am EMH.
The worst thing today was not being able to swim at Stormalong Bay!
Today we tried Fantasmic. The result was enjoyable, but probably not a must-do every trip.
The most magical moment was when the Animation Academy CM gave DS her drawing.