Disney 2009 - Day 5 - Magic Kingdom

This was the most amazing day at Disney yet!

We woke up bright and early to get to the Magic Kingdom close to rope drop. Dumbo was top priority! Andrew missed It's a Small World last year, and was excited to see it after reading Kingdom Keepers. We knocked out most of Fantasyland during our Extra Magic Hour.

Then mid-morning, the moms & girls went to Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique. The three girls went into the dressing room to choose their princess outfits from the wardrobes the moms had packed. When they realized they each had a Sleeping Beauty dress, it was a done deal. We had three precious pink princesses!













Hailey & Lilly got started first. But that worked out great for Lauren in the end. Everyone was there to watch & celebrate her big reveal. That was my favorite moment of the entire trip. Lauren's fairy godmother sprinkled some pixie dust, said the magic words, turned her around to face the mirror & see her transformation. Her expression was priceless!

Then we surprised the girls with lunch at Cinderella's Castle. They were beside themselves with excitement! We waited for our names to be called over near Cinderella's fountain. The girls made a wish and tossed in their pennies. Well, Lauren looked around and said, "Where's my cat?" What? "Mommy, I wished for a kitty cat. So, where's my cat?" I was so not prepared for that. I had a hard time choking back the laughter & thinking up a coherent response. It came out something like, "Well, since Mommy is allergic to cats, I'm afraid that's a wish that can't come true. It's a good thing you brought Hello Kitty all dressed up like Sleeping Beauty."

Fortunately, our buzzer went off, and we were whisked inside the castle to meet Cinderella. We posed for pictures individually & as a group. I loved that they let us do that.

We walked up the spiral staircase to the dining room and were seated at our table. The girls sat on the outside of the table, so they could get up and down to meet the princesses easier. The moms sat on the other side with our cameras ready :) Lunch began with a wishing ceremony. All the girls were given a magic wand and a wishing star. They each made a wish and then waved their magic wand over their star. Once again, Lauren started asking about her cat. She climbed around under the table, certain that it must be around here somewhere. She even asked our waiter if he had seen one. Fortunately, the princesses started coming fast & furious. We had just enough time for hugs, autographs & a picture. Most of them fawned over the three matching princesses & the girls just ate it up. Belle was super-sweet and took some extra time with them. And of course Aurora just loved that they all matched!



It was an absolutely magical lunch!

Disney 2009 - Day 4 - Hollywood Studios

We headed back to Hollywood Studios on Wednesday. There were no extra magic hours that morning, so we enjoyed an extra hour of sleep. Hailey wasn't feeling well, so Matt took her to the doctor; they caught up with us later that morning. We went straight to Toy Story Mania, fast-passed it, and rode stand-by. Lauren and I rode together; she scored a big round zero, but had a great time.

Next we went to Star Tours, which had the longest, slowest line of the trip. I'm not sure what happened. It was labeled as a 10 min. wait, but took 40min. Anyway, this is one of Andrew's favorites, and hearing him laugh out loud in the middle of the ride is such fun! Lauren was glad to be one of the big kids and experience it for the first time. Judging by her face, she wasn't exactly having fun; but she's determined to be a big kid and enjoy everything her brother likes.

We headed to the honey, I shrunk the kids playground. It was a zoo that day, but the kids definitely needed to run around. After 20 minutes or so, we rounded the kids up and headed to the Beauty and the Beast show. We met Hailey and Matt at the theatre. She was peaked, but feeling better. Brian had stopped off at RocknRollercoaster for fast passes on our way to the theatre. He was running late, and ended up on the end of the row. I think he was pretty disappointed not to sit next to Lauren. This was our family's first time to see the show. One of my closest friends in school was a B&B fanatic; I can't tell you how often I've seen the movie & heard the soundtrack. Plus Brian and I saw the musical on broadway. So, I was really hoping they would do a good job. It didn't disappoint. They shortened and skipped and rearranged, but all in all, a great 30 min. show. I was glad we had packed teddy grahams, juice boxes & fruit snacks; it was a nice way to recharge on a hot day.


After a great show, we went back over to toy story mania. I rode with Lauren again, but this time, she scored 100 points. She was SO proud of herself! We posed for pics with Lightening McQueen & Mater. Then it was off to Pizza Planet for lunch. It worked great to go upstairs and do bathroom breaks while the other parents ordered the food. Lunch was yummy & we were ready to head back out into the fray.

At Fantasmic, Sam Maurer had been excitedly telling Andrew all about his new favorite ride: RocknRollercoaster. Andrew was fresh off the thrill of Everest, and ready to tackle the next big challenge. We decided to take turns with the Millers, so they took Lauren to the Little Mermaid show; we took Andrew to RnR. Sadly, he was just shy of the measuring stick. We encouraged him to stand up straight: he's taller than Sam & Sam was able to ride. But it was not to be this year. He didn't handle it all that well. This was a definite low point. Brian talked him down & sent me on to ride in the single rider line. Then we switched out. I thought Andrew might enjoy doing a ride no one else was doing, so I encouraged him to try the Great Movie Ride with me. But something rubbed him wrong about the queue, and he threw a huge fit: an on the floor, two-year-old tantrum. Not our finest moment. But I was desperate for him to have something to redeem the day. Fortunately, we ran into a green army man outside Toy Story. Andrew mimicked his pose & they saluted the camera. Then Andrew asked for an autograph. All we had was an orange sharpie, and the green army man made a big deal about having to write with orange ink. Andrew was laughing again, and all was well.

We rejoined the Millers, and took the kids to the Playhouse Disney show while they rode RnR. It was fun to see the cousins dancing around; they all enjoyed it. We got to meet a few Little Einsteins, and that reminded us to take some photopass pics. Ben passed out in Stephs arms, but we've got pics of the eight of us; each family separately; and each with Stitch.

It was an exhausting day. The highs were Beauty & the Beast, Lauren's high score on TSM, and Andrew meeting the green army man. The biggest low was Andrew's disappointment & meltdowns over RocknRollercoaster. Ah well, now it's time to hit the pool and chill for a while.

Disney 2009 - Day 4 - Date Night

After a wild day at Studios, Brian and I were definitely looking forward to our date night. The kids were going with the Millers to Whispering Canyon Cafe, which we had heard would be lots of fun. I told Matt to ask for extra ketchup, refills, etc. I love these pics of the kids at dinner; Ben had clearly had enough!



Brian & I had decided to book Citricos at the Grand Floridian. They first seated us at a table right by the kitchen. And it's an open kitchen, so you hear chefs shouting, pots banging, etc. It was not the romantic atmosphere we were gunning for. So after about two minutes of stewing, I asked our waiter if we could move to a quieter table... much to Brian's deep embarrassment.

I wish I could say it was worth it. We were seated at a lovely table right by the big windows. However, our neighbors were a rowdy group - from Spain maybe - celebrating a birthday. The children in the group were running around & the whole party was just loud. So, despite Disney's best efforts, it still wasn't the quiet evening for two we had hoped for.

The food was fine. I started with the cheese plate (my fav!) & Brian had a salad. We both ordered the Sicilian filet. And we wrapped up with cheesecake and creme brulee. Everything was good but not unbelievably amazing. I'm sure that's due in part to the restaurant noise. I think next time we'll try a different restaurant. Disney has so many fun ones to choose from.

Disney 2009 - Night 3 - Epcot Fireworks

Tuesday night was the Miller's date night at Chefs de France. Brian and I planned to take the four kids to Biergarten. Originally, Brian's folks were planning to join us on the trip, but were unable to do so b/c of health reasons. I thought it would be great to hit Germany & learn more about Papa's heritage and all that. But now with only two adults, it seemed a bit dicey. But the kids were in a great mood and we were feeling brave, so we went for it. I'm so glad we did!

The Millers returned to the World Showcase with us. Once we checked in at Biergarten, Matt & Steph headed off to enjoy their evening. We were seated at a table on the front row next to the water wheel. The show was in full swing when we arrived, so there was lots for the kids to watch. Brian and I took turns filling plates at the buffet. I think Andrew only ate pretzel bread and apples, but the rest of the kids enjoyed the sausages, etc. I certainly wouldn't return for the food, but we had a great time on the dance floor with the kids.

Afterward we popped the kids in the double-strollers and headed for the gate, only to realize that Illuminations was about to begin. Since the night was going so well, we decided to stay. We wandered back over to Germany and some nice folks made room for us right at the front. The kids just sat in their strollers and enjoyed the view. Biergarten & IllumiNations: two more firsts for the kids.

Disney 2009 - Day 3 - Epcot

Lauren was tall enough for Soarin' this year, and we were super-excited about our family getting to ride this one together. We fastpassed it and then rode it stand-by. Lauren was definitely nervous, but it turned out to be her favorite ride at Epcot. And her favorite part was not the flying thru the air, or seeing Tinkerbell in the fireworks, but the smell of the orange groves. She is super-sensitive to smells, and just loved that scents were incorporated into the ride.

For some reason, they opened Epcot in stages this morning, so while we had hoped to head over to test track & mission space, they were delayed another hour. I think we did spaceship earth next. And then we split up. The moms took the girls and ben to the living seas while the boys did mission space. We rode Nemo, saw Turtle Talk with Crush and then met up with the guys at the aquarium. Then we headed over to Innoventions and checked in for a Kim Possible mission.

At this point, the three families split up for lunch. We headed into the World Showcase. I picked up ham & cheese baguettes for Brian and I in France. Then we saw Belle. She called Andrew a handsome prince and showed him how to bow to a lady. He was smitten. Lauren asked for her autograph and Belle asked her a favor. She told Lauren that when she visits her friend Mulan to give her the message 'Tag- you're it!' The kids thought this was so funny. But unfortunately, we didn't make it over to China...

Next we headed over to the USA pavilion for lunch. Brian and I ate our french sandwiches while the kids ate hot dogs and chicken nuggets. We got to see the fife and drum core & learned that the colony of Georgia had a snake on it's flag originally. Andrew thought that was pretty cool.

After lunch, we began our KP missions. One took us to Germany, where we visited Volks Kunst for clues. The kids thought this was so cool. Brian and I were really impressed with how they incorporated clues into the countries - esp. the clocktower in Germany. Our next KP mission took us to the UK on the trail of Duff Killigan. There we took a few pics with Alice, and then headed back to Future World for one last ride: Test Track. Andrew & Brian had ridden this last year, but it was Lauren's first time. She was not a fan. To redeem the situation, we headed back to Soarin' and ended on a high note. She just loved the orange fragrance.

We remembered to get some family pictures on our way out. I love the ones of Andrew 'holding' the Epcot ball & Lauren holding Tinkerbell.

Disney 2009 - Night 2 - Chef Mickeys

After some downtime at the hotel. (And oh my goodness - I loved having two bedrooms!) We were excited to take the kids to Chef Mickeys. Brian and I had been with LTR in 2008, but it was the kids first time. I knew it would be a hit!

Somehow, Andrea and I got our wires crossed on the time of our ADRs. (Did I mention that she scored our reservations for Chef Mickeys, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Cinderella's Royal Table? So awesome!) Anyway, the Volks & Millers arrived thirty minutes early for Chef Mickeys, so we shopped around for a while. We bought the kids an autograph book to share & that turned out to be a big hit.

At Chef Mickeys, we were seated right across from the kitchen on a curved banquette. Not ideal, but the characters came right to our table. Andrew & Lauren worked out a deal that he would get the boy characters' autographs; she would get the girls. At dinner, the kids scored all of the fab five's autographs. They really got into the napkin twirling and character interactions... and icecream sundaes. I vaguely remember drama - needing to get ice for one of the kids - i'll have to check with Brian. Mostly what I remember is the kids laughing and smiling and hugging the characters. And I'm kicking myself for not getting the picture of our whole group. It turned out to be the only picture of all thirteen of us together.

After dinner we rode the monorail around the loop and watched the fireworks in the distance. We put the kids to bed smiling; it was a great day.

Disney 2009 - Day 2 - Animal Kingdom

After a late night at Fantasmic!, the 6am alarm came early. But I'm a rope-drop girl. There's just so much more you can see & do if you arrive early. Don't get me wrong; i look forward to having pre-teens who like to stay out late & sleep in. But with pre-school & early elementary age kids, we arrive early.

I like to give the kids little gifts on our Disney trips. Today, I gave them a starter pin trading set. It was a lanyard that came with two pins. My kids were a little hesitant to trade, but not Hailey. She was all about her princess starter set. So, they followed her lead and tried something new. The baby princesses were definitely Lauren's favorite. I have a feeling they will really enjoy this even more next year.

So after the rope drop show, i ran to get Everest fast passes while the rest of the Volk & Miller crew made there way to the Safari. We met up and had a great safari: lions, hippos, zebras, even the cheetahs! along with a very slow moving ostrich who decided to hang out in the road for a while. It was so fun to watch the kids. Andrew was the self-appointed expert. And Ben was super-excited.

We let the kids run around awhile at the Boneyard while the grown-ups rode Everest. I was so proud of Andrew - he rode with Brian & his Aunt Stephanie. Then Matt & I took a turn. He was so impressed with the theming and the ride. We might have ridden it twice using the single rider line too...

And then we hit a bump. After the momentum of Everest, we decided to try Dinosaur. Wish we hadn't. It really freaked the kids out. Lauren refused to open her eyes. Andrew wanted to get off. And the rest of the trip, they talked about how awful that ride was. Oh well, we'll try again in a couple more years.

Then we headed over to meet up with the Maurers at the Nemo Show. I just love that show. I sat with Hailey, and it was great to see it through her eyes. The Maurers tried Flametree BBQ for lunch, but we returned to our old standby Pizzafari with the Millers. And then it was off to Festival of the Lion King. I was craving a frozen lemonade and made everyone late I'm afraid. Brian reminded me that that's the second year i've done that... but we got in.

We had talked about riding Kali River Rapids this year. Matt & I had even tried to score fastpasses after lunch, but they were out. Note to self: fastpass Kali before lunchtime. But as we left Festival of the Lion King, it started to rain. Not a downpour, but significant. We took that as a sign that it was time to leave. All in all, a good day. High: Everest, Low: Dinosaur.

We still have yet to try Kali Rapids, Primeval Whirl or take the kids to Tough to be a Bug. That's what I love about Disney: so many fun opportunities! We also forgot to get pics this day. But we did some pin trading :)

Disney 2009

The Volks returned to Disneyworld, this time with the Maurers and the Millers. Andrew (6) and Lauren (4) loved going back to WDW with their friends Will (9), Sam (6) & Lilly (3) as well as introducing their cousins, Hailey (5) & Ben (2), to the magic of Disney.

We stayed in the AllStar Music Family Suites this year. While we missed some of the extras - especially the water slides - it was fantastic to have two bedrooms & bathrooms plus a kitchenette.

The Maurers went down a day early to hang out with neighbors at Hoop De Doo. We met up with them Sunday night at Fantasmic. But before the show, we made a stop off to see the Mouse himself.















Lauren ran right into Mickey's arms -- so sweet! After a few more pics with the Incredibles, we headed toward Rosie's & Eddie's to get take-out to eat at the Fantasmic Amphitheatre. The boys got the food; Lauren & I met up with the Maurers who were holding seats for everyone. We had fantastic seats: front & center. Despite a tray of food getting dumped onto another party, the plan worked pretty well. We occupied the kids with glow necklaces & candy, and prepped them for the scarier storylines of the show. Everyone engaged & seemed to enjoy it. I'm so glad we were able to fit in Fantasmic!