Trip Reports

Cast of Characters:

Barry (me) 30, attorney, and Disney-freak. Planned the whole thing. Wife says a bit obsessive-compulsive when it comes to planning Disney vacations. ;-)
Linda, 30, wife, teacher. She had the brilliant idea of going this year instead of next year as we had originally planned. Thanks Linnie!
Taylor, 6, daughter. Loves Mulan & Hercules. This is her second trip.
Matt, 2, son. Loves any Disney sword movies (no kidding) -- Sword in the Stone, Peter Pan, and Robin Hood are his faves.
PREVIOUS TRIPS:

I have been to WDW five times, roughly every five years or so since I was 5. The first four times were with my parents, and the last two included my wife, and the last one included my daughter Taylor and her aunts and cousins on a big four family trip in 1995! What a trip report that would have been.

We are taking Matt on his first trip, and yes, I hear other people having problems with young kids, but honestly, on our last trip with Taylor (who was turning 3 at the time just like Matt), we had almost no problems with her except for the first night -- when we stayed out all day, took no rest break at the hotel, and then went to the late, late feature of the Hoop-dee-doo! By that time Taylor was cranky and worn out, and actually fell asleep during the extremely noisy finale--I mean did not wake up at all! The rest of the week we did it right and rested in the mid-afternoon with a nap and a dip at the All-Star Music pools. So Linda and I are determined to do the same thing--that is why I have planned frequent breaks at the hotel room and pool breaks every day. We are going for a week so we knew we would see everything we needed.

One more thing about kids -- I say bring 'em because if you do it right, you will enjoy the heck out of seeing the Parks through their eyes. You just have to understand that you can't see *everything*. For instance, we won't attempt Alien Encounter etal because we know that we've seen it before and will see it again on the next trip. Instead, we are visiting all parks, with an emphasis on three days at the Kingdom, and frequent afternoon return visits to the Kingdom. This is a trip for the kids, and we are treating it as such. That's the way, IMHO, to successfully bring your toddlers to WDW. And to those who say, well a two year old can stay home b/c they won't remember it anyway--the same can be said for their first birthday party, but we do it anyway, because *we* remember the joy on their face as they dive into their first birthday cake. :-)

TRIP PLANNING:

Linda and I missed out on a trip to Colorado for skiing, because of the happy announcement that we are expecting again! So, we were bummed at first not to be in the snow with our family and friends, but Linda looked up from breakfast one day and asked if we could switch our airplane tickets to an Easter trip to WDW instead. Woohoo! No need to ask me twice! I called up RoomFinders (you can find them on Pete Werner's Disney Information Station (DIS) at www.disneyinfo.com) but alas! no availability for that week. Anywhere! Well they had a $350 room at the Boardwalk...but that's a little out of me price range, laddie.

I was bummed! Then a week later, Linda asked, what if we went the first week in June after she got out of teaching? Well, as a Disney fanatic I knew the crowds were as bad as Easter, and the sun hotter, but I couldn't pass up the chance (and we had to use those tix somehow!) So I called up RoomFinders and presto! reservations at Dixie Landings appeared. At $134 a night, it wasn't a bargain but I was happy! Then I saw a notice on the Budget Board at the Pete Werner's DIS that there was an AP special on the Dixie. Called up Kim at RoomFinders (You have got to use these people--it is too easy, its toll free, and they've stayed at every resort and can help you with your choice) and Presto! $99 a night at the Dixie. Even with the upgrade to an AP pass, I was saving tons of money! WooHoo!

Next up Priority Seatings. Here is where I Goofed. I didn't call on the 60th day before my trip--it was like the 59 or something, and Cinderella's Character Breakfast (Royal Table) was booked. Already! I tried every week after that hoping for a cancellation, but nothing. This goes to show you--when they tell you on the boards call at 8:00 EDT on the 60th day before you leave, do it!

I got everything else I wanted so we waited for the day -- with me compiling info and inside tips for the trip. My advice is to keep a little Windows Notepad open, and when you see something interesting from a trip report (Thanks Brian!!) copy and paste right to the file. The few times I didn't, I can never remember exactly what it was I was interested in. Also, I used my old files from two previous trips that got cancelled for ideas on this one!

Two days before the trip, per recommendations from the DIS, I called the DxL resort room controller, and double-checked on my reservations. They did not have the refrigerator, but added it. They had me down for non-smoking, late-check-in, and Bldg 14. Now, I will see in two days whether or not this strategy works. Also, I'm allergic to stuff like cats and cigarette smoke, so I put in a good word for my non-smoking room. Otherwise, I'll be sneezing for a week!

Linda and I hit the local Walmart and stocked up on film and batteries before the trip--its unbelievable the prices charged for sundries at WDW.

Again, with hints from the DIS, I booked transportation to and from MCO through Tiffany's Town Car. There's an on-line coupon that saves $5, putting the cost at $70 for round-trip. I asked for and received 30 minutes to shop at the Publix grocery store, which I've heard is much cheaper than the Goodings or the one at the Marketplace. We'll stock up on grits, poptarts, milk and nutrigrain bars to save money for breakfast and sandwich material (no boudin of course) for lunch, and snack stuff for munching.

THE TRIP:

Left Lafayette Regional on-time and arrived at DFW on-time. Taylor and Matt made friends with some pre-teens who were also on their way to Orlando and just happened to sit behind us. The trip to MCO was uneventful...and Tiffany's Town Car was waiting for us with a sign at the baggage. We stopped for some groceries and some floaties for Matthew. We arrived at the hotel around 7:00 EDT, and loved the view! DxL is lushly landscaped, and themed everywhere. We picked up our mugs and bought a pizza -- which was the only really decent meal we had at DxL the whole week. My little girl and I tried out the quiet pool near Bldg 18 for a late night rest.

THURSDAY (Scheduled: MK and MGM)

Morning:

My wife is pregnant and gets morning sickness *every* morning like clockwork...so although we tried each day, we were only able to make it to the parks early on one morning. This would have been one, but another Goof by Dad....We arrived at the Magic Kingdom in time for the surprise morning (which was scheduled for 8:00) about 10 minutes early when I suddenly realized I had forgotten two of the tickets I had pre-purchased at the hotel! Ugh. Suffice it to say that it was not a good start for a vacation. Back to the hotel and back to the MK took about an hour...so we finally made it in around 8:45 and proceeded to Dumbo. Big mistake! If you are not one of the first people there, we learned, during the busy times you will have a 25 minute wait at least. That doesn't sound so bad, except that parts of the line are directly in the hot sun.

We toured the rest of Fantasyland in relative ease, but bummer! Pooh was not yet open (Being one of the first on Pooh's ride was a big priority for us). No more than 10 minute waits on any attraction. We headed to the race cars, but they were down for the afternoon. Our plan was to tour until noon and head back to the room. We walked right onto the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribean and then called it quits. Our lunch was sandwiches back at the hotel, and after a trip to the big pool at Old Man's Island, which has a slide and a waterfall that my kids loved, we took a nap.

Afternoon:

We scooted over to MGM, and noticed the crowds were thinning out. We walked onto Star Tours, Muppets, Little Mermaid, Hunchback, and the Great Movie Ride, with no waits at all. Then we made a tactical error ;-) My little nieces, who are younger than Taylor, both loved the Twilight Tower of Terror last year, so we figured at near 7, she would like it too. Nope. She hated the ride from start to finish, and was terribly upset by the drops. This little girl loves Star Tours, All three mountains, and Body Wars, but the Tower was too much. So that is something to think about for those out there with fearless little ones. I personally think it is the new drop sequence that scared her--she kept complaining that the drops just kept coming and coming.

My wife watched the Mulan parade while we were on the Tower, and said it was fantastic. A bus driver gave us a good tip for viewing--stand in front of the entrance to the Great Movie Ride, and you will have a great, unblocked view of the entire parade. We ate at the Backlot express--empty--and then went back to the hotel around 10:00.

FRIDAY (planned AK day)

Morning:

We got to the Animal Kingdom about 20 minutes before rope drop. Big line in front of the entrance. Per a tip somewhere we headed to the RainForest Cafe entrance where there was absolutely no line! The CM laughed as we headed through and asked her where the line was. She said "Why it's right over there at the main entrance, of course."

We gawked at the Tree, and then lined up for the big race at the rope drop. Once it dropped, we headed over to the Safari's, and learned that Linda would not be able to ride. Using our Motorola walkabouts, we split up, and Taylor and I hit the Safari. We loved it! I shot lots of film, although the ride was so bumpy I'm sure that they will be quite blurry. We caught up with Linda in Camp Minnie-Mickey (she had just done the Pocohontas Show with Matt, and said it was boring.) After meeting with some of the characters in the little walkways, we lined up for the Festival of the Lion King. Fantastic! Worth the price of admission alone! PROBLEM! We had to wait in line for the show to open, and it is almost entirely in the sun. Something needs to be done about this line...it was almost too hot to wait. The show was interrupted by a poor fellow having a diabetic seizure. They paused the performance until he was taken care of by the quick response of the Disney medics. Our prayers are with the fellow.

By this time we were hot and hungry, so we hit the Flaming Tree BBQ, near Dino-land. I had the pork, and Linda had the beef. We both preferred her beef sandwich. They do serve children's meals here. We then toured the Boneyard...great for kids, and only has one exit. However, it is so large of a place, that anyone with very young children, like our two-year old, might think of splitting up and keeping an eye on them. We used the walkie-talkies extensively, because poor Matt would lose his sister, and then get nervous amid all the running and happy screaming of the other kids. This place is not a normal little playground. It is huge!

We were tired after this so we called it a morning. Leaving at around noon-ish was helpful, because our batteries needed recharging!

Evening:

Today was the E-ride night...which is the option to buy a wristband for the Magic Kingdom allowing you to stay for three hours after closing and ride 9 of the biggest rides. We purchased ours, and then headed to the MK around 6:00 fully rested after a nap and a swim at Old Man Island. We hit Fantasyland again, but long lines for most rides moved us over to TommorrowLand. The Race Cars had been down on Thursday, but the lines were now prohibitive for this ride--I mean its okay, but not worth more than a 10-15 minute wait.

We tried the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square--bad move, because my little girl was still shook up over the Tower of Terror, and so she hated this ride. Maybe next trip. Because of that experience, we hit rides that she would enjoy...making a trip back to Small World and other quieter rides.

When we got close to closing time, we headed over to City Hall and exchanged our E-ride vouchers for wristbands. We then headed to Buzz Lightyear and rode it three times in a row with minimal waiting. We hit Pirates with no waiting (again a little too dark this close to ToT--but they would warm up to the ride later). By the third trip, E-ride night had started so we headed to Thunder Mountain. Taylor didn't like this too much, but more so because by this time it was dark and she couldn't see anything--another after effect of the Tower scare. We did Splash Mountain twice in a row--again with absolutely no waits--and Taylor said this was her favorite ride. She looked up me during the second ride near where the birds are fishing, and said, "I like this one daddy cause it has a story." Isn't that why Disney parks are better than most other parks? She hit the nail on the head.

Space Mountain was next--again no waits. Linda was taking a break with Matthew (in a stroller) who had fallen asleep just after the Buzz rides. By this time it was nearing midnight, and even though we had another hour to go, we decided to call it a night. Overall, the $10 for the tix were win-lose. It was good because Taylor and I rode as much as we could handle with no waiting at all. It was bad, because Linda couldn't ride anything except Buzz & Pirates, and there were no lines right before closing for them anyway--due to the Main ST. Elec Parade. So my advice? Buy tix only for those who want to ride--they never checked Linda's band to just sit around on park benches enjoying the fireworks and music. Back in bed for 12:30 a.m and we crashed!

SATURDAY (planned: sleep late and hit EPCOT)

We knew this was GayDay for the Magic Kingdom, and for various reasons wanted to avoid this park. So the E-Ride night worked out perfect. We had stayed out late the night before, and just slept in until about 10:00 a.m. After breakfast in the room, we headed to EPCOT around noon. Boy it was hot at this park. There isn't much in the way of shade to walk around, but of course you stay in the pavillions in the shade for longer. This day we had a PS for a lunch at the Garden Grille over in the Land with Farmer Mickey and Friends. I can't recommend this character meal enough! The food was the best we had all week--beef and chicken and fried fish--all were excellent. The restaurant is fun for kids, with the revolving scenes, and the booths make it seem a little more secluded than it is. We got pictures and autographs from Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale, and it was worth every penny of the roughly $50 we spent.

After this, we did Food Rocks--boring, although Taylor liked it--and then split up. Linda went shopping at the Centorium (which we didn't know was under repairs and had only scant selection) while we did the Wonders of Life pavilion. Body wars was excellent, and with no line, we did it twice in a row. We met back up with Linda, who had just done Spaceship Earth, and so we split up again. I took the kids on Spaceship Earth (Matt's favorite Epcot ride) while she did some more shopping next to the big ball.

By this time EPCOT was getting very crowded...so we grabbed some ice cream and headed back home. We needed a break after the long night before. We decided to eat a nice dinner at BonFamille's over at Port Orleans.

We made reservations easily for the restaurant, which included a 10% Annual Pass discount, and took a bus over to Port Orleans. Some of you might know that there is water taxi service over to the resort and to Downtown Disney--unfortunately, any time rain clouds came out, the service was suspended, and even on good days, the line always seemed about two-three boats long. So we were never able to take the cruise.

We arrived at Port Orleans and toured around a bit before our reservation. Obviously, being from Louisiana, we found it to be a santized version of the city...sort of an impression of the city rather than a replication. No matter. The landscaping and pool area were beautiful, and the resort seemed more compact than Dixie. It also had the feel of an adult resort, unlike Dixie where kids were everywhere.

The restaurant was a disaster. Our service was slow, and the food was horrible. We went there mainly for the discount ;-) but also because, as a native Cajun, I figured a Cajun restaurant, while never coming close to actual Cajun tastes, would at least put enough seasoning to satisfy my taste buds. No way. The pork tenderloins were bland, the steak Linda had tasted as if it had no seasoning on it at all, and it was burnt--despite Linda ordering it medium. The kids meals were "Burger Bites" but they tasted more like microwave soybean burgers than actual patties. At the prices you pay at this restaurant, shouldn't you expect a marinated steak, and some real hamburger patties? I think so. The total came out to around $65, and we left extremely disappointed.

We decided to head over to Downtown Disney to see the changes. We debated waiting in line for the boat, but luckily for us we used bus transportation. I say luckily, because I learned once getting to DD that apparently the water taxi drops you off on the West Side---and most of the shops are on the Village Marketplace side--which is a looooong way from the West Side. For someone with a pregnant wife and two small children, the bus was the better choice. The marketplace was crowded beyond reason, and only got worse as the night wore on. We went over to the World of Disney--the largest Disney Store on the planet--and purchased a few souvenirs before heading home tired after a long day.

SUNDAY (plan: Magic Kingdom day)

I read Sehlinger's unofficial guide religiously before the trip, and by all accounts, was expecting Sunday morning to be the quietest time in the parks. I've heard that if you get there early enough, the park is basically empty. That was way off!

We made the rope drop at the Magic Kingdom around 7:40...Linda got cinnamin rolls over at the bakery while we waited in line. Once the rope dropped, we headed quickly over to Fantasyland for the opening of Winnie the Pooh. Here's a tip. If you want to see WTP first, go to the rope drop just to the right of the castle and to the left of the rope drop for TommorowLand. That's the shortest walk IMO to WTP. Also, stand on the left side of the ropes...because they opened up the ropes from our perspective left to right. We and two other families were the first ones there, yet because we lined up in the shade on the right side of the lane, and had to endure two different rope drops, we ended up in the middle of the pack. Only some concentrated fast-walking ;-) got us back into the lead for WTP.

We were the third group on the ride. Wow! What a ride! We are all big Pooh fans, so to be one of the first to ride this brand new attraction was cool indeed. To compare this ride to a TZTOT or somesuch isn't fair. But if you compare it to the best of the 'kiddie' rides in Fantasyland, this stacks up as the best. It has the imagination and creativity of the Peter Pan ride, it has better special effects, and it is just bouncy enough to give our six-year old a fun experience.

After that, we rode just about everything in Fantasyland, waiting for our lunch reservations at the Castle. It has always been a dream of mine to eat up there...and in fact, my friends back home (who aren't Disney fantatics but take the occasional vacation in Orlando) were surprised to hear there was even a restaurant upstairs. Well, it IMHO lived up to its expectations. The service was great, the food was average but certainly not anything to grumble about, and the view and decor spectacular. As a bonus, we got to meet and greet with Cinderella and with Aurora after the meal, in the downstairs waiting room.

We rode the Jungle Cruise and POTC, and then went home for our usual mid-day break. Back at the hotel, Taylor and I tried out a different pool in a different section of the hotel.

MONDAY: Matt's B-day (plan: MK and EPCOT afternoon)

It was my little boy's third b-day today...so we planned to go Commando as much as we could bear. After a sleep-in of course.

First up? We hit Winnie the Pooh again, grabbed a ride on the Speedway (the rumor that this would become a Toon-type Speedway is an excellent idea--this just is a big waste of space, and not even that much fun for the kids either. It is outdated.), and then shuffled off to our 10:30 appt at the Crystal Palace. Wow was this place crowded. Expect to get there early and wait a while if you have a late brunch like us on the MK's busiest day. It was definitely the most crowded day in the MK that we had encountered yet.

The Crystal Palace was worth time, effort, and money however. It is a beautiful restaurant, with better-than-average service, and tons of tasty brunch items on the buffet. Plus it is a great opportunity for close-up shots with all of the Pooh Pals, although Pooh stays in the center instead of coming to your table.

My little girl was dying to ride Splash Mountain one more time. Boy the line was so long...but considering the fact that we had only seen one 20+min line all week...I relented. We waited in line for almost an hour--ugh! But it was with a guy with two girls ahead of us the whole time, and we since we were both sports fans, we whiled the time away talking football and baseball. The wait wasn't really that bad with someone to talk to, and Taylor never seemed to notice. I guess little kids don't mind a long wait. By the way, I believe that Splash Mountain was her favorite ride by now...We also grabbed a long, long line for Big Thunder Mt Railway, only 'cause Taylor really wanted to ride again. I know, I know, why would a supposed Disney veteran end up spending two hours for two rides in the heat of the morning? With those walk-abouts, Linda was able to shop and ride cooler attractions, so it was only me that had to stay in the sun with Taylor. Like I said earlier, little kids don't seem to notice long lines...the way I looked at it...we only had four long lines in the entire week, and three were planned (Space, Splash, and Big Thunder all for re-rides). The long wait for the Lion King was the only one that was unplanned. I don't mind spending time in line if it is to ride something *again* on a second round of the park, as long as it doesn't bother the group.

After this, we headed back to the hotel for our afternoon break and to get out of some rain drops...then headed over to EPCOT. On the way, I bugged my wife enough until she let us ride three times on the monorail so that we could ride in front. And we did! The pictures came out terrible but we know we did it. The guide was okay, however, not very talkative.

At EPCOT, we missed out on Test Track again, but saw Ellen's Universe of Energy -- which we loved -- and then it was out to the World Showcase. We started with Mexico, but skipped the boat ride (which I thought was terible last time). This was supposed to be a nice meal for us at Mexico with reservations, but Matt fell asleep. So we ate, and afterwords, the pavillion people sponsored a show where the hunters chased a leopard (all actors) and they let kids in the show. I've got great pictures of Taylor banging a drum and chasing the leopard, and then taking pictures with the main drummer. Excellent show! Right after that, fans of The Donald were ecstatic as he made a quick appearance in Three Caballeros fashion.

We were going to do Norway's great boat ride, but the lines were prohibitive. Instead, we did what we never do in the World Showcase, and what it was probably intended for--just took a slow, leisurely, relaxing walk around the lake. We stopped in every exhibit, took in every shop, explored the nooks and crannies and realism of the pavilions, saw a bunch of great live performers, and had the best time. I'm one to ride-ride-ride...and some of the people we talked to in the pavilions made it very enriching. The Moroccan exhibit people are some of the best--taking pictures with us in Fez(s), showing the kids how to play their musical instruments, and just spending time sharing their culture.

We took a boat back to the front, and slowly walked out of Epcot, enjoying this day as one of the better ones. One last ride on Spaceship Earth, and then we headed home. Or so we should have....

Instead, we pushed our luck and went back to the Magic Kingdom. We rode a couple of different things in Adventureland, thinking we could scoot back toward Fantasyland...but watch out for the Main Street Electrical Parde. They blocked off the parade route, and the crowd began to gather. And gather. It was so heavily crowded that it made it almost impossible to go where we wanted to go. After getting a little upset with each other (both of us insisted it was the other's great idea) we decided to cool our heels and just watch the parade. Hey! That was a good decision, cause we enjoyed seeing the parade. I saw it as a kid, and remembered many of the floats. My kids loved the parade, although they were getting tired by this time. After this, we decided to close down the park, since we were already there reallly late. We toured POTC three times in a row (by this time my little boy had bought a toy pistol in Frontierland and would shoot anything scary) but kept skipping the Tiki-birds. Now that I'm back and have heard some good things about the new show, I wish we would have done it.

We finally left the park as one of the last people in all of the left side, and headed out to the buses where a crisis was ensuing. For whatever unexplained reason, there were no buses heading for the Dixie Landings or All Star gates...and so there was a crowd of people backed up almost to the boat launch. I kid you not. We decided to sit on a bench way down at the end of the row instead of standing in that long line. We met a couple from England, and ended up spending an hour and a half (I kid you not!!) visiting with them and keeping the kids entertained. Finally, we got to the hotel dead on our feet. Mistake!!

TUESDAY: Getaway day (plan: waterpark or take it easy)

We slept until about 9:00, understandably after our late night adventure.

We headed out to MGM about 9:30 am and caught Doug Live! (good, but I miss Superstar TV), Star Tours (again!), and Bear in the Big Blue House (we liked it okay..but our two kids loved the show!). I missed the Animation show again -- that's three trips to WDW & MGM and three times I've skipped what everybody tells me is one of the better shows there. One more reason to go back. ;-) We ate lunch at the ABC Commissary...long lines but the sandwiches were huge! Linda did some last minute shopping, and then we headed back to the hotel. Packed, checked with Tiffany for our driver's availability, and then hit the road.

Our driver was right on time...we checked out easily, and headed to the airport. While waiting for our flight, we hit the Disney Store in the airport for a t-shirt I forgot to pick up at the AK. They had some stuff from the parks in there, so if you do forget, you can pick it up there and it will say "Disney World" or something.

TIPS:

IMPORTANT! Get some Motorola Walkabouts before you go or rent them. I can not stress enough how useful these modern-day walkietalkies come in handy for folks like us with kids. Usually, it is tough at WDW to split up the family--like when Taylor wants to ride Space Mt (but Matt's too small.) With these walkabouts (which have a range nearly a mile) it was easy. We just communicated with each other during the split and found each other right away when it was time to regroup. My last trip had four families, and everytime we separated it was an hour of wasted time in the hot sun trying to put the group back together. Tempers can flare in the hot Florida sun, so you will never see me go to WDW without them again. Seriously.
Want to see Donald? Go to Mexico...he visits there many times during the day.
Want to get good pictures of your kids with the Disney characters? Don't chase them around or stand in long lines when you could be touring...spend the extra bucks and get into the character buffets or breakfasts. 10:30 was too late for us...we should have done it a little earlier.
Save money on the price of the late-night pass to MK (which is so worth the money) by not purchasing one for a guest who will not ride (like my pregnant wife) No one asked her for a wrist band since all she did was sit by Splash Mt and watch us scream our heads off.
MISTAKES:

We should never have stayed until closing at the MK that last night...we had a good day up until then, and should have gone home and rested. It is like going to an ice cream shop...try one or two flavors..don't go for all 31 or you'll get sick.
I got us a late flight around 6:30 pm on the last day to let us tour some more...really we should have lounged around the pool in the morning and left early. By the time we got home it was midnight and we were all dead tired after two late days in a row. Next time...I'll get a midday flight, and take the kids swimming while Linda shops or swims with us.
Bringing my little girl on Tower of Terror! Course she loved Big Thunder Mt, Splash Mt, Space Mt and Body Wars & Star Tours. How was I to know the drops and darkness would scare the beezeeyus out of her?
Questions? Comments? email me at pongo@disneyinfo.com

Barry J. Rozas

pongo@disneyinfo.com

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