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WDW Trip Report
December 14th - 16th
Cindy D. and Nathan (5 1/2 y.o.)
All Star Sports
Nathan and I left on Friday after school to spend the weekend at WDW. It's a 4 hour drive down from our home in Tallahassee. We stopped in Ocala at
Exit 68 on I-75 for gas and a rest stop at the Disney Welcome Center. We were disappointed that they changed the billboards on the way down so that
there are only a couple that have dwarves on them; the others have trivia questions. We always liked looking for the dwarves.
We arrived at 7:15 pm at All Star Sports. The hotel was decorated for Christmas and everything was beautiful. Allison, the CM who checked us in,
was definitely Disney :) She got us checked in quickly, gave us our AmEx hip-pack and was very sweet to my sleepy 5 y.o. We stayed in Center Court,
building 4. We had the $49 Florida Resident rate. Having now stayed at all three of the All Stars, Nathan declared that he likes AS Sports the best!
After getting cleaned up from the drive, we went out to go to the Dolphin to meet friends who were staying there (Audrey who is on MFL and Carol - who I
think is on MFL, too). I've always wanted to go in at the Dolphin but this was the first time. My 5 y.o. was enthralled with the train going around
the Christmas tree in the lobby. We had a visit for about 1 1/2 hours and then as we were leaving, we saw the last of the fireworks to Illuminations.
I didn't realize how close the Dolphin was to Epcot.
Mickey called at 7:30 on Saturday morning. We had breakfast at the food court and then drove over to Animal Kingdom. By having just Nathan with me,
we opted to not use a back-pack and just had my hip-pack that I use for my tickets and money, etc., so the security check was quick and painless. We
went directly to Triceratops Spin (a new ride in DinoLand) and rode it twice without having to get off. We could have stayed for several more turns but
wanted to get fast passes for the Safari and then take the train to Conservation Station.
At Conservation Station, we were too early to do the backyard habitat thing but we did it by ourselves by "spying" different critters that you might
find in your yard. When we went back up to wait for the train, we talked to the Cast Member (CM) for a while and I told her how my boys play
"Packi Train" (which is their name for the train). When we were ready to board, the engineer came and got Nathan and put him in the driver's seat and
had him press the whistle button. It was very cool and yet another bit of magic :) We then rode the train all the way around again.
Our safari ride was great and we saw a lot of animals up close and active. It always makes the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom seem so cheesy :) We
left A.K. around 11 a.m. (just doing the highlights) and drove over to the Magic Kingdom where we were to meet Audrey's family at 2:30 in time for the
afternoon parade.
We rode in the front of the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and the operator gave us monorail co-pilots licenses which are cool :) The MK was crowded so
we rode the train to ToonTown Fair. Goofy's Barnstormer had a seriously long line so we got a fast pass for the Pooh ride and then rode the carousel
and had lunch. There was nowhere to sit at lunch and every time a family would get up, we'd try to sit and a dad would cut us off. People were so
rude. We were about to head outside when I saw a long table with just three people at it so I asked if they were waiting for others to join them. The
man said just his wife (he had his two kids with him as well as their lunch) and before I could ask, he asked us to please sit and share their table.
They were so nice and had a 16 mo old whose name was also Nathan. We enjoyed talking to them and it brought back a bit of the magic that the rude
people had tried to take away.
After lunch we rode It's A Small World and then Pooh and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. It was then time to head over to meet Audrey, so we
grabbed a "Itsakadoozie" ice-pop for Nathan and some caramel corn for me (to share). We found a great place near Country Bear Jamboree for the parade
and then Audrey and her family found us.
When the parade was over, you couldn't stir the people with a stick so we rode the Liberty Belle Riverboat around and then made a plan for the rest of
the day. Audrey's family stopped for a snack while Nathan and I took their tickets and ours to get fast passes for Pooh - but it would be too late so
we got them for Buzz Lightyear instead and just stood in line for Pooh. After Pooh we did Buzz, then the TTA and waited for Mike to catch up with us
(he had gone to do Alien Encounter). The Spectromagic Parade came on so we tried to go behind the crowds to get to Splash Mountain. Nathan was brave
and rode it with me while Maclean and Audrey went (Cynthia was asleep). Then Mike had a turn and the kids just ran around awhile. Our last ride was
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which was great fun.
When leaving the park, we opted to try the Resort Monorail back to the TTC. I'm not sure if it was any faster but it was a more pleasant wait because
there wasn't nearly the crowd of people as those who were waiting for the Express Monorail. So while we were waiting, we didn't have people standing
right on top of us. That made it nicer. Then we were back at the hotel - where I couldn't find a place to park! and Nathan was
sound asleep. He woke up when we went in so I was able to get him a shower (whew!) and off to dreamland for both of us till Mickey called at 8 a.m. on
Sunday.
Sunday morning was a quick trip to MGM Studios where we saw the new Playhouse Disney show and then did Star Tours and the backlot tour. Then
off to Epcot. At both MGM and Epcot, we had the worst luck with parking - about as far from the tram line as you could be down the row. Ugh! We
didn't take Disney transportation because we were leaving that day and needed to have our car available.
At Epcot, we did Spaceship Earth and then got fast passes for Test Track. It was just noon and the return time was 3:10 pm. We were to meet Audrey at
1 at Mexico and if she wasn't there to go back at 2. So we got some lunch and then were early at Mexico so we rode the boat ride there and then caught
the last few minutes of the holiday storytellers. We rode the launch across the lagoon so Nathan could watch the miniature trains which he loved. I sat
on a bench for about 15 minutes while he did that and then we went to Italy to watch the mimes. One of them tried to get Nathan to come play with him
but Nathan didn't want to do it. We found the KidCot station so Nathan made a mask while I watched the masquerade players at Italy who are just
beautiful and magnificent.
We realized the time so we hurried back toward Mexico but did stop at Norway for a kid-cot station and then also at the Mexico one. Audrey saw us and as
it was almost time for the story tellers again, we stopped to listen to them. Interestingly, Nathan's class at school will be learning about
holiday traditions in Mexico tomorrow including the legend behind poinsettas! We also rode the boat ride again and then headed to Future
World.
We explored Ice Station Cool - which was freezing to me and Nathan but felt comfortable to our Canadian friends :) The kids drank drinks and I just had
the Ginger Ale one (we've been enough that I know what I like without having to sample all of them). Then we headed over to Cranium Command which Nathan
thought was cool because of his "brain worker" that he talks about who helps his body work.
It was 3:15 when the show was over and I had told Nathan we had to be in the car by 4 pm to get home. So we went to do Test Track but as we were in the
line, he decided he didn't want to do it. So we got out of line and offered some magic to someone else -- we gave our fast passes to a lady who was in
line to get fast passes for later. So that was fun for us and Nathan really got a kick out of giving back a little magic.
Then we took our tired bodies out to wait for the tram and the long trek back to the car - and a drive home. And that's my report!
Cindy D.
Going back Jan 10 - 13 for the 2nd annual girlfriends' tour :)
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