Our magical trip...Or I could have sworn I saw Walt Disney following us. About This Page:

[arielsmom]

Day One-Arrival night

Cast:

Sherrie (that's me)
Geoff (that's my DH)
and Taylor (DD whose 8th birthday was the prompt for our trip this year)

Dates: October 18-October 23

I am feeling better so here goes our magical tale:

OK, our flight does not leave Charlotte, NC until 5:10 pm so I took the day off to make sure everything and everybody was ready. So far, so good, as things go off without a hitch. I pick up DD from school and we meet DH at airport around 3:30 pm. I'm never going to be at an airport 2 hours before my flight, just isn't going to happen I don't care what the experts say. We go on a tour of the airport looking for the father of DD's best friend who has guard duty there now. I won't let her ask each one she sees as I know their job is a serious one, but the few she does manage to speak with get so tickled. She tells each of them that she wants to make sure "Mr. Billy" knows she is at the airport and getting ready to go an airplane and she isn't scared because she is going to Disney World and nobody could hurt you if you are going there. (I must say I really want to believe that sentiment. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] )
The flight down was very uneventful and we were pretty much on time. As someone else has already mentioned, I really didn't think that the "extra" checks at the airport were very effective, but I still felt as safe as I always have.

We never told DD exactly how we were getting from the airport to Disney. We kept telling her we would find a bus or taxi once we got to Orlando. (Magic Moment#1) Imagine her surprise, when we are going down the escalator to the baggage claim and she sees the Transtar driver holding up a sign with her name on it. I thought she was going to pass out right then and there. She said, "Mommy, Walt Disney sent somebody to pick me up, now how are you and Daddy going to get there?" I asked if we could bum a ride with her LOL and she happily agreed. After we got our bags, the driver informed us he would have to go and get the car while we waited for him. As we were waiting, a limo pulled up in the shuttle space next to ours and she admired and said how much she wanted to ride in one. (Magic Moment #2) (Now, keep in mind when I booked this they told me it was a towncar.) This little mini-stretch limo comes pulling out of the deck and rolls into our space. Out pops our driver, DD's face lights up like its Christmas and she hops in the backseat like a diva-in-training. We are pulling out of the airport and she looks all around the car and promptly declares, "This is Paradise!!" She was so excited to tell someone she was riding in a limousine, that I let here call my mom and explode into all the details. It was pretty darn cute, if I say so myself.

As it was close to 8:00 pm as we were pulling into AKL, it was hard to take in the outside area of the lodge. Even so, it was a beautiful sight, once we pulled up to the front. We went to check in and had to wait maybe 5 minutes as there were a few guests ahead of us. Once, we got to the CM, she informs me that we have been "upgraded" to a pool view, at which point DD pops up. The CM acknowledges her and her birthday (another mystical experience to behold as the child cannot figure out how everyone knows her by name and that we are celebrating her birthday, wink wink) and DD then says that she can't wait to look out her room and see the animals. Now, after that, I turned to the CM and promptly said I was told our room was a standard savannah view with animals and not a pool. She says that is not what we have, but I pull out my voucher which says that IS what we have and she works her magic to get us a room on the outlying savannah (sorry I can't remember the name at this point) but it is room #2214 which is not too far from the main lobby and down one floor. We could certainly smell Boma everyday, yum yum!!. Our room was very nice and the birds were still hanging out for us to see even at night. The only thing missing, was that a CM that had helped with our reservations had sent DD a birthday card that was supposed to be delivered upon arrival. As we got there so late it would not be done until the next day, which as you will see turned out to be even more special!!

Next time...I am sure that Walt Disney must be following us

[ 10-31-2001: Message edited by: arielsmom ]

[bfth]

Glad to hear about all the magic. Can't wait to hear more!

[Beth L.]

I LOL at the diva-in-training part, your daughter sounds like quite the little charmer! Looking forward to hearing more of your report.

[arielsmom]

Day 2 Epcot


Cast:

Sherrie (that's me)
Geoff (that's my DH)
and Taylor (DD whose 8th birthday was the prompt for our trip this year)

Dates: October 18-October 23


OK, back to my story....Day two is really our first day in the parks and we decided to do EE at EPCOT. I did not factor in that the Epcot Food & Wine would begin on Saturday and we were there on Friday, so quite a few of the carts were not open, which meant no kaki gori or beaver tail on this trip. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] They had also started limiting the entertainers so there were very few street performances going on. But hey, I look at that as a prime reason to plan my next trip, don't you know. Anyway, back to what we did get to do and see!! At rope drop we ran like fools to Test Track. You people had put the fear in me that if I didn't get there and get a Fast Pass first thing I would never get to ride [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] SO out of breath we get to the ride, I pull out my passes ready to do my first Fast Pass of the trip and the CM says," Number One, there is no wait for this ride and Number Two the Fast Pass is being rehabbed and is not available." So, I guess I looked happy and sad. But I'm not stupid, we head immediately for the door and are the first riders of the day, YIPPEE!!! DD wasn't too sure about this ride, but she had heard DH and I talking about the long lines and how people really like this ride, so she swallowed hard and got in her car. We had a front seat and off we went. It was a great ride and as soon as it was over, DD said, "I've got to do it again so I can hold my hands up on the speedway". So, you guessed it...we go around to get on again and get right in. We could have ridden this several times before a line even formed. Now granted later in the day, the line looked to be at least 45 minutes to an hour and with no Fast Pass I would not have waited that long. Next as we were close to Ellen's Energy, we went on the adventure and DD liked the moving benches best, enough said. Next we went to Wonders of Life and did Body Wars (a whole lotta shakin' going on) and Cranium Command. After we leave the area, my DH says, "you know, I see alot of people wearing these pins and I think DD would really enjoy doing this, what do you think?" Well I think, that I mentioned buying some pins before we left Charlotte so we would have some cheap traders and he told me that there was no way DD would want to "trade her stuff for somebody else's". Yeah, right. So next stop, back to pin trading station to get a starter kit(lanyard with 2 duplicate Mickey and Minnie pins, one set to trade and one to keep if you want those pins). Future World is starting to pick up a little and as I am anxious for World Showcase to begin we head over to the area for rope drop. We only had to wait for about 5 minutes for the character caravan to arrive and although there were alot of people waiting to meet and greet, we got to see all of the characters but Mickey, Pooh and Tigger in the short time they were out. So it still is not very crowded over all. As soon as the rope drops we head to Mexico. I thought about going towards Canada as many have suggested, but I really wanted DD and DH to get into the "FUN" of World Showcase and I really thought that DD would appreciate the rides along with the shops/food, which worked out well as she really did get into it. Now DH, on the other hand, got into something else entirely. He started collecting flag pins for each country we visited. He actually didn't start until Norway and had to back track to Mexico, but I think you see who is really enjoying the pin trading, wink wink. We also got our first pressed penny here and DD had a great time with that all week. (My DH said that 10:30 was a little early for me to start drinking, so I had to come back later that night for a margarita.) Rio del Tiempo was a cooling experience, but as DD put it a little slow for her taste. Do I detect the beginning of a little daredevil attitude here, from the queen of screams on the kiddie coasters? ( I will take her up on this challenge, later in the week.) She liked the Maelstrom a little better, I think she had a thing for one of the trolls. And although I feel sorry for the Norwegians, I'm glad they've made the movie a pass through attraction. We really moved through the rest of the countries up to Japan, pretty quickly. As I mentioned, no acrobats, no musicians, just a lot of vacant carts posted with the next days tastings and prices. I will remember to wait until the Food & Wine begins to do World Showcase, if we get to come back at this same time. Now at this point it is approaching 1:00 pm. I'm getting hungry, my feet are a little tired and I'm thinking breaktime from the park. This is when my main game plan was shot to pieces as I made the critical error of asking my DH if he would like to go back and do pool/lunch at the AKL and come back later in the day or just stay in the park and keep going. He and DD both looked at me like I was a two-headed alien when I suggested taking a break. So for the remainder of this trip it was Commando all the way. ( I did lose 5 pounds while we were gone.) When we hit Japan the Kidcot had opened. If you have the chance I strongly recommend letting your children make the dreamcatcher mask. During T of D that evening it really made a difference for DD. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We did see the living statues in France, but didn't get the chance to interact this time ourselves. By the time we made it around to Canada, the skies were clouding and we decided to head to HISTA. This was really cute, but we found the thing that DD did not like for the rest of the trip, 3-D. Once, the movie got under way, she was exit bound. My DH was guffawing about this, once we got home and were reminiscing about the trip. She could have been the poster girl for the exit speech, each time we went to a 3-D. Obviously, we aren't that cruel, we just told her not to wear her glasses when we went to the shows. Once we got out of the show, the rain was on, so we decided to keep with the shows and did the Land and Living Seas next. What started as an oddity for us continued throughout the day...no matter where we went we always seemed to get to a show or ride right when it was starting so we got to see some of the pre-show but usually just a minute or two. It was great!!! After, the Living Seas we decided to finish up with Spaceship Earth and Innoventions. I thought we would do everything in about 45 minutes, but 2 hours later, we have touched on almost every station and are having an absolute ball. Now, since we blew off our break, I make the decision, that I have to have a little down time before T of D and Illuminations. SO we leave the park around 6:00 pm to run bakc to AKL, freshen up and come back for dinner and entertainment. Magic Moment #3-we are leaving the park and see a CM with a lanyard. He looks like he is off-duty and trying to get somewhere rather hurriedly so I tell DD, not to stop him. She on the other hand has become a trading maniac and shakes her tag furiously at him. He politely says he doesn't have time to stop right now and goes on, then turns around and says, "You Know what, you are the first person to stop me today and I have something special to give you that you can't buy anywhere elseand he pulls out part of his lanyard that he had tucked in his shirt and gives her his Imagineer pin. Now from what I've heard these are given to CM's only and are pretty hard to come by. I don't think it is something that they like to trade away. DD just looked up at him, gave him a great big grin and then turned to me and said, "Mom did I just have a Disney moment?" Now, how I made it out of the park from that point on is beyond me, because the tears in my eyes were HUGE!!!! (Magic Moment#4-They are starting to come at an alarmingly quick pace) Now, we get back to our room, open the door and find our room decorated in Birthday party mode...Safari Mickey and "her" baby doll sitting in Mickey Mouse made of towels, confetti all around and a card addressed to Taylor on our table. She opens it up and who should have sent it but Safari Minnie, To Taylor for her 8th birthday. The child that was too tired to walk one more step is dancing, cartwheeling and virtually shouting out to the Giraffes in our savannah that Minnie Mouse had come to see her and left her a birthday card!!! I could not have planned a better end to our first park day. Oh, wait a minute I did plan that, didn't I?!? I think getting the card on her second day really made it more special as she had gotten to meet Minnie in the park that day. Now that we are back in our room, I realized we had no dinner plans for that night. DH says lets try to get a PS in Epcot for Teppanyaki. I figured it would never happen, but I called and they could seat us at 8:15. I took it knowing we couldn't be on the street for T of D but we had a pretty good spot to see Illuminations. Once again, the best made plans go awry. We get to Epcot at 7:30 pm. I tell DH we have to really hurry to get to Japan because they are blocking the streets for T of D and it will be crowded. Well, since the day had been pretty light, he said it won't be that bad,(haha) let's go via Mexico. Now I told him bad idea, but he was insistent. Needless, to say we saw T of D in front of Germany. DD had her dreamcatcher mask and almost all of the puppets that came by stopped in front her and interacted. The other little kids sitting around us were thrilled and I'll bet the next day kidcot was pretty busy!!! We did get some wonderful candid photos and the music is still playing in my head. It was just beautiful. Now once the parade was over, we still try to make it to Japan for dinner. But as we pass America, there is an open area right at the water with a bench, too and DH says, "This is an ideal spot to catch Illuminations, we'll get dinner afterwards." So down we sit and 15 minutes later we are watching one of the most beautiful shows I have ever seen. DD sat on my lap and was just speechless. And when the Globe came out she said that she wished everybody could watch this and see how the whole World can get along. Once again I'm blinded by tears. Isn't it always the simpliest ideas that seem the smartest?
Now after such an enthralling performance I am more than a little hungry and a little tired. So DH says lets just find any cart or restaurant open and grab a bite to eat. I looked at him and said everything closed at 9 pm. He didn't believe me until we started walking and going into restaurants, Japan, France, UK, Canada...starting to get the picture. So my child and I have sprouted our devil horns by now and I threatened him with mutiny if he didn't get us back to the lodge on the very next bus and get us some food and a chair to prop up my two dead dogs. (They had past the point of tired at 1 pm that afternoon.) Lucky for him a bus pulled up right as we came out of the park and it was back to the Mara for a Late night dinner and a good hot soak in the tub with foot salts for me. AAAHHHHHH!!! So ends day two.

Sorry it ran a little long, but it was a very looooong day!! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[ 11-08-2001: Message edited by: arielsmom ]

[bfth]

Not long at all. I'm ready for some more! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[HiddenMickey]

Great Report! Now, tell me, how did you arrange the card thing for her birthday?
And I'm going to take your advise and have TTC use my daughter's name for the driver to hold up. She'll love it! Keep the report coming! -HiddenMickey

[arielsmom]

HiddenMickey-When I booked the AKL, I told the CM that it was DD's birthday (and I had read on these boards that if you asked, the resort would send a signed card to the room). So I asked to have a card waiting for her on check-in to our room. She said that the resorts did not do this and I told her how disappointed I was since I heard this was a provided service. She then told me she would send a card to DD herself. Long story somewhat shorter, when we got to AKL, I asked about the card and they said it showed up as a request, but hadn't been delivered because they didn't know which room we would be in. Then they asked me who her favorite character was and since she brought Safari Minnie with her, I said Minnie.

IMHO, I think if you put in a request for one with the resort or ask at check-in the resort will do it. But maybe, it was just our luck...like I said I would have sworn Walt followed me around everywhere I went that week, because so many good things just "happened" to us, it got a little spooky afterwhile. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]