Hubby & Me & Jimmy Make Three: It's Time to Remember the Magic - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Day 3, April 22 (Earth Day)
I didn't rush getting up and neither did anyone else (this is a new pattern for us). When we did all get up and dressed, we headed to the lounge for breakfast. It was extremely crowded (the good news was that I heard a lot of people would be checking out that day so it would be less overwhelming). Just to find a place to sit (and it's not a small lounge) was difficult. After we ate, I had one of the staff take us upstairs to 14 which is where my friend Dorothy works. It was great to finally see her face to face and chat for a little (and this time I took more than one photo with her so that if anything happened to my camera we'd have backups).
We finally got ourselves together and on a bus to Animal Kingdom, arriving there around 10 (I know...this is a whole new thing for me...arriving at a park after opening in the morning!). I had decided we would try to take it easy at AK and not rush around. So we meandered around a bit taking in the scenery and eventually heading towards Camp Mickey Minnie. There we met Goofy and Thumper and Miss Bunny. (Can you believe Jimmy was a bit apprehensive of the bunnies??? Bunnies are scary???).
We decided to do something that we hadn't done in a long time (and Jimmy had never done) and see Flights of Wonder. (Who doesn't love Guano Joe, the tour guide)? I enjoy this show because you it can be unpredictable. (One of the birds did not want to leave the stage!).
Afterwards Jimmy said he wanted to do the Safari, so we headed that way. On route, we passed by DeVine. Jimmy was apprehensive, but also thought she was cool.
The stand by time for the Safari was 35 minutes, but Jimmy wanted to do it and I was trying to go with the flow. Plus while we were waiting it started to rain and at least we were under cover! Also, while on line we got a call from Ken. He and Stephen (his partner) were in the parking lot. So we arranged to meet them after we finished the safari.
It was still raining, but just a little when our safari was through. We met Ken as we exited and then Stephen caught up with us. Again, we didn't have a plan, but I know that Sds likes EE (and I'm only so so with it), so we walked over that way, stopping on the way to get a photo in front (or is that in back?) of the Tree of Life.
Even with single riders, there was a bit of a wait. So I walked Jimmy over towards Dinoland so he could play (and I was hoping that I would get a chance to ride Dinosaur!) We passed by the Nemo show area and the next show was over 1/2 an hour away and the line outside the theatre was HUGE! Oh well...I guess we're passing on that AGAIN! (And I really do want to see it!). Jimmy and I headed for the Boneyard and he played and I climbed after him. I had called Sds to let him know where we were and it wasn't long before he, Ken and Stephen found us. (Apparently Stephen loves climbing around...wish I had known that as I would have let him chase Jimmy around!).
It was after noon by now and we decided to head back to the Contemporary. No bus for us this time! We walked and walked and walked (taking a moment for Jimmy to pose for a photo with Pluto) to Ken's car and he took us back to the resort.
We didn't have any lunch (but we had a late breakfast), but we did have some snacks in the lounge and while the guys talked, I went with Jimmy to the room and tried to get him to take a nap. Notice I said TRIED. We did try. I got the room really dark and we both lay down (quietly for the most part) and rested. He couldn't fall asleep and I think I did make him rest quietly for at least 45 minutes before I gave up. (Well, he rested a little, right?).
We both got into our bathing suits and I had Jimmy find the guys in the lounge and tell them where we were headed. We found "our" table and once again Jimmy raced around and had a blast while I sat at the table, took some trip notes and did some reading. Eventually the guys came down and joined us. Since everyone was having such a good time, I invited Ken and Stephen to join us for dinner and they accepted.
At around 4, I took Jimmy back to the room so we could both shower and change for our dinner at Tony's Town Square. We all met back in the lounge. We had a few appetizers and a drink (well, I did!) and then we walked over the Magic Kingdom. (With Jimmy on salamander patrol. There were a couple out and he loved spotting them!)
Once at the Magic Kingdom, we saw the end of the flag retreat and then went to check in at Tony's. (We had no problem adding two more people to our ADR). We were seated quickly and I had a chef come out to talk to me. I was going to have the lamb, but when the chef told me that I could have the spaghetti and meatballs, I decided to go for that. (As did everyone else but Ken who had the lasagna). The food came very quickly and was only so-so. (Guess I should have gone for the lamb). I had higher hopes for Tony's, but... Also I felt that they were really rushing us. We barely had time to blink before our food was put in front of us and then Jimmy was having his dessert and we were out the door. The whole experience took less than 45 minutes! At least Jimmy liked his spaghetti and ate most of it (of course he hadn't had any lunch so...). I'd say Tony's was one of the low points of our dining experience, but keep in perspective that the majority of our experiences were FABULOUS so...
After dinner, we headed towards Liberty Square. Here we were on day 3 and Jimmy hadn't yet been to his beloved Haunted Mansion. And the three of us hadn't seen it since it had been revamped. So we had to go through the cemetery before actually entering the Haunted Mansion. What fun! Jimmy, of course, loved it. Although we could not figure out what do to at the little booth where you communicate with the dead (anyone? What are you supposed to do? A voice kept talking to us, but we were supposed to say something too?). And the new interactive ending at the ride! AWESOME! I was a solo rider and my head got switched with the ghost. Loved it! The Haunted Mansion definitely got a well deserved upgrade and I was so happy to see that it was done so well!
What do to after HM? We headed back to Frontierland and sat down to enjoy the Country Bear Jamboree. Then onto PotC and finally the new (Or should I say old since it's almost back to its original incarnation) Tiki Room.
Ken and Stephen had to go to work in the morning, so they called it a night. As always it was great to see Ken and wonderful to meet Stephen for the first time and get to know him. (And he was so good with Jimmy...another friend who is just one big kid at heart).
Jimmy needed a drink, so I got him an orange juice and bought a little Orange Bird cup/container at the Sunshine Tree Terrace. (The Orange Bird is back! There is a cool Orange Bird poster on the wall as you exit MK on the right hand side of the "tunnel" as you exit along with other attraction posters. They don't sell it, but I wish they did! And maybe they will when they see how popular the bird is!). There was some more Orange Bird merchandise for sale over at one of the shops (believe it was the Island Supply Company). Sds bought himself an Orange Bird t shirt.
After a bathroom break, we decided it was time to find a spot to view the Main Street Electrical Parade. There is an area just to the right of the Liberty Tree Tavern (or to the left if you are exiting the restaurant) that is slightly elevated and you can sit. So we settled in for a 30 minute wait (or so). But Jimmy wanted to do the Haunted Mansion again. So I had Sds take him and I held our places.
It started to get cold and I was wishing I had brought a sweatshirt and was glad I brought Jimmy's jacket for him. (It got chilly at night for most of our stay). While I waited for the boys, I saw some really bad behavior. I know kids will be kids, but one boy was unsupervised (as far as I could see) and was standing on the ledge area (where I was sitting) and was jumping up and down and making faces in the window (I'm assuming his family was inside the LTT eating dinner). Then some boys were running around in the bushes (the area that separates the pavement where the parade is and the elevated section where I was).
Jimmy and Sds came back rather quickly. They had no real wait for HM! We sat down and waited. I could tell Jimmy was really starting to get tired. By the time the parade got to us, he was standing up on the ledge and I was holding on to him so he wouldn't fall. Despite his tiredness, I think he enjoyed it.
And amazingly, after the parade passed by we were able to exit the park, get to the resort monorail and back to the Contemporary before the 10 PM fireworks. (And before the lounge closed for the night). So we were able to get dessert snacks (and there was a special one for me! Yeah!!!), drinks and watch a little bit of Wishes from the lounge balcony (they pipe in the music).
The only reason we didn't watch all of the fireworks is that they didn't hold Jimmy's interest and he was really tired. We went back to the room and got him ready for bed. We kept the room dark and I thought he had passed out, but then when he heard the music from the electrical water pageant, his head popped up and he climbed into bed with the two of us and watched it. Once it was over, he went right back to his bed and fell asleep. Now that's really Disney magic. And a totally priceless moment. There may be plenty of wonderful things at WDW, but I will always hold onto the memory of the three of us, curled up on the bed and just watching the water pageant. A perfect moment and a perfect way to end day 3.
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Great pictures! Unfortunately, Tony's is one of those restaurants with mixed reviews. We've had several good meals there, but I know that hasn't always been the case for everyone!
Day 4, Monday, April 23:
Well, EE into parks are definitely NOT in our future. Jimmy slept in till nearly 8:30! (I think I "slept in" till nearly 7. And for me that IS late! ). In the past I might have freaked out and gotten everyone up and going, but this was a different trip. I was letting go and just enjoying. So while I might enjoy a cappuccino in the lounge in the early hours and check in with my mom and catch up on notes or just talk to the wonderful staff, I let the boy sleep. (My notes even say: We took our time with breakfast before heading out to Epcot).
So you have to figure that we didn't get to Epcot to nearly 10:30. (With breakfast, getting dressed and multiple monorails). Boy was it WINDY!
The first thing we did, Spaceship Earth! It's hard to resist the "Call of the Ball" when you enter (or exit) the park (and it gave us a chance to get out of the wind!) At least for this family. We got stuck for a while (maybe 10 minutes) which made our journey a little longer than usual.
We then headed for Journey into Imagination where once again Figment sent our imaginations running wild. We had a little time to play in the post-ride area afterwards before heading over to the Coral Reef for lunch. (We don't do Captain EO, or as I call it, Capt. Eeeeuuuu...sorry CEO lovers).
Since we had an early lunch at the Coral Reef we didn't have much of a wait. (They were just opening). Our "escort" started to take us to the 2nd tier, so I asked if it was possible to get something tank side (never hurts to ask). So we were set at the last table by the tank (or maybe that should be first table...as it was right by the stairs that you come down when you enter the restaurant itself. Jimmy is so into sea life (he will be going to Marine Science Camp again this summer -- this time for 2 weeks. It's a day camp at the NJ shore where they get some wonderful hands on marine experience. He LOVED it last year). The cost of this restaurant is offset by the experience (at least in my book).
We were sorry that our friend Chef Eddie was not available (he was closing that night...must have gotten our wires crossed), but Chef Aeran was just as nice. While Jimmy had the pizza (kid is such a picky eater...although he is getting a little better), Sds and I both had the salmon. YUM! (As was the bread/rolls that arrived and that I could eat. We had to have our server bring us more!). Delicious food and a relaxing and engaging atmosphere; a perfect combination for a mid-day respite! I think I like lunch here even more than dinner!
When we finished dining, we did some more aquatic exploring in the Living Seas. So much to see! (Although we didn't do Turtle Talk With Crush). We let Jimmy explore to his heart's content. (Although if we probably let him, he'd stay there all day long!).
After convincing Jimmy it was time to move on, we visited the Land by enjoying a boat trip on Living With The Land and then went back upstairs to see the Circle of Life movie (which Jimmy had never seen before and Sds napped through).
I convinced the guys to do some shopping at Mousegears. Have a love/hate relationship with the place. I love it and could spend HOURS meandering around and making purchases. I hate it because I don't want to spend all of my Disney time shopping and I really don't need to spend so much money and I know the guys are waiting for me! I ended up buying a new wallet (reasonably priced for Disney standards) and a pair of crocs! (But they don't look like Crocs! They are tan slip ons with Mickey on them...a pair of shoes that I can wear to work, almost like deck shoes).
Jimmy wanted to explore Club Cool so we ventured over there where I let Jimmy have a taste of some sodas. He doesn't usually drink soda, so it was a treat for him and he found he really like Mezzo Mix (which I understand has quite a lot of caffeine in it...which probably was a good thing as we still had lots to do!). And I had Jimmy tell his daddy to try the Beverly. Although Sds knows what it is, I thought he'd make a big face when he drank it for Jimmy. To my surprise he didn't make a face at all! He found the bitter taste to be "refreshing" after all the sweet. (Although he did discover later in the week that if he drank the Beverly first, before any of the other sodas, it was horrid. But after all the sweet, he thought it was a good balance). So, then of course, Jimmy had to try it too. And you KNOW what his reaction was!! YUCK! More Mezzo Mix Mom!
We started to head over towards World Showcase, pausing to have our photo taken in front (or is that behind?) the Fountain of Nations (Still one of my favorite things in Epcot. LOVE the Fountain. And while I'm thinking about it, I have to say another one of my favorite things in Epcot is now missing...there used to be these purple "things" [for lack of any term that I can think of to describe them] that were on poles and moved around in the wind. They were made of metal and they were two different shade/shapes. They were on both sides of the "center" of future world. I don’t know if they were just decorative or served some other purpose, but I really liked them for some unknown reason and I just noticed on this last trip that they weren't there anymore. ).
We also took a moment to enjoy Bambi's Butterfly garden.
We wandered through the "right side" of World Showcase, breezing through Canada and the United Kingdom. We did take another photo over by the bridge that leads from the UK to France, but did not go over the bridge. Instead we headed for the International Gateway and took the boat over to DHS. (This was a Jimmy choice and a good one. He wanted to take a boat ride and it's definitely a nice relaxing one, even if the boat was a bit crowded). I know you can walk faster from Epcot to DHS, but I do enjoy the calmness of the boat ride. (Although some day I hope to stay at the Boardwalk and be able to walk to either park...but that won't be for a while for as much as I LOVE Epcot, MK is the predominant park for our family now and I think it's best to stay in that area).
The one things Jimmy wanted to do (and the reason he really wanted to go to DHS) was to get a rubber snake that he had seen previously when we were there. (Never mind the fact that we have wooden snakes, rubber snakes, plastic snakes, plush snakes of all shapes and sizes at home.) I had said no, but Sds had said yes and I wasn't going to fight it. So once inside the park, we went over towards the Indiana Stunt Show where there is a little shop (to the left of the show entrance). I believe it is Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost. And of course, they have snakes. So Jimmy picked out a king cobra (which he aptly named, King) and he wore it around his neck (had to wrap it several times so it wouldn't drag). The kid was now happy (and you'll probably see the snake once I post photos...not only for today but for the future. Eventually I had to tell him to leave it at the hotel because it was a pain to drag around and I also thought it would get him hot!).
We had just enough time to visit Muppetvision 3D. (Barely...if I recall correctly, I sent the guys ahead while I hit the ladies room and when I tried to go in, the guy stopped be because they were loading and I had to explain that my family had gone in ahead!). After that it was on to Mama Melrose's for dinner. (Stopping only once so Jimmy could pose for a photo with the snowman that is outside the Christmas shop).
We did not have a long wait at MM (although the waiting area is almost always crowded). We had switched our ADR to a Fantasmic package and I forgot that as a result we would be charged a flat rate for our meal. Since we'd had a big lunch, I just ordered the magherita flatbread. It's delicious, but it's also one of the least inexpensive things on the menu! Should have gone for something more expensive to get the best bang for our buck! But no matter! The chef (Julie) took good care of me, as did Lisa our server. (Service is generally very slow at MM. Lisa was not slow, but she certainly didn't rush us either. I would not recommend this restaurant if you were in a hurry. And while Lisa was great, I've had other servers there who were not so great). I was able to enjoy the bread and Sds and I split a 1/2 carafe of Sangria (actually Sds only had one glass...I managed the rest!). Sds ordered the chicken parm and Jimmy had the spaghetti. He LOVES the spaghetti here. He literally licked his plate clean -- there was not a strand of pasta left on his plate! Sds had two desserts (well actually a dessert and a coffee which I believe they credited as a dessert since I wasn't having any) and Jimmy had his standard ice cream. A good meal (if pricey considering what we ate).
After dinner, I thought it would be a good time to check out Phinneas and Ferb. The line was still long, but manageable. So I told Sds to go ahead and ride the new Star Tours and Jimmy and I would wait to meet P&F. The line moved slowly (the man in front of me told me they had tried to meet P&F several times, but had never made it). The line was closing at 7 PM and I thought we'd have plenty of time. We did make it (and Sds got back from riding Star Tours in time for our photo op...he said the single rider line was nil and he had no wait to speak of). We all enjoyed meeting P&F (even King...and P&F seemed to enjoy meeting a rubber king cobra too!). P&F do take their time with you...perhaps too much time if you're in a rush. So just a warning/note for those of you who want to meet the guys, be prepared to wait a while (and enjoy the time you get with them!).
We decided to see if it was possible to do TSMM again, but the standby time was 90 minutes so we had to give that a pass. Although Jimmy did get to meet a Green Army Man (and while I was taking the photo, another one snuck up behind me before going on his way!)
We wanted to do Great Movie Ride, but they were experiencing technical difficulties. So instead we wandered around One Man's Dream and gave Jimmy a little bit of history. We planned on staying for the movie, but just minutes before it was to begin, Jimmy needed a bathroom break, so we missed it. (Better to take a break now rather than during Fantasmic!).
We decided it was time to head over to Fantasmic. We were seated 1/2 an hour before show time, but with the "new" preshow entertainment (or at least new to us) the time went by pretty quickly. And once again we were amazed by Fantasmic. Love this show (although Illuminations still comes in as number one for me, this is a close second).
When the show was over, we had great luck. We were able to walk out and the crowds were manageable. We were let out towards the front of the park. Walked over to the bus stop and our bus pulled up just as we got there! Talk about lucky! We got seats too! And we were back on the 12 floor with plenty of time to get evening snacks and watch part of Wishes from the lounge balcony.
We went back to our room and did our evening ritual of watching the EWP. Then it was a quick bath and bed for Jimmy.
With Jimmy in bed, I ran downstairs to BVG and bought a sweatshirt that I'd been admiring (I was shocked when I had to buy an XXL. But upon reflection, I think it's actually a child's sweatshirt so I guess that's ok. I love it no matter what size it is or who it's meant for!). I also checked out some sundresses, but it was getting late and the wanted to close down so I decided to forgo trying anything on and head back upstairs.
I was in bed by 11:30 and probably asleep by midnight. Tomorrow we were scheduled to head back to MK!
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
We planned on staying for the movie, but just minutes before it was to begin, Jimmy needed a bathroom break, so we missed it. (Better to take a break now rather than during Fantasmic!).
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