Originally Posted By Autopia Deb My sister’s nephew graduated from High School last week so she, her husband and daughter were all in So Cal for the week. They decided they would take my niece for her first Disney trip. When I found out, I of course volunteered to go along, and not long after, my BIL’s family decided they would like to go as well. So we had me, my son (Kyle), my sister (S), her husband (K1) and daughter (K2), his mother (SA), his brother (T1) and brother’s son (T2), K1 and T1’s niece (SM) and SM’s boyfriend (M). K2 had gone to a baseball game earlier this summer and met the mascot, Diamondback’s Baxter Bobcat. She loved him “Baxer funny!†So we knew she could handle characters. On Thursday June 22, S, K1 and SA took K2 to the character breakfast at Soryteller’s on Thursday morning. I would have discouraged this because it’s an expensive way to discover your toddler is frightened by giant animorphic animals, but K2’s experience with Baxter was encouraging. I am told that although it was very expensive it was the most fun thing they’ve done with K2 and well worth the $$$. While they were in Downtown Disney they did their souvenir shopping and outfitted themselves for the next day. Friday June 23, 2006: Kyle and I got up early, to leave for the park. We left at 7:30 and just missed rush hour traffic so we were able to get to the park, park the car, take the tram and get through the masses at the gates and meet the group at the carousel shortly after 10:00 AM. Not bad time really. There have been times that it’s taken us 3.5 hours or more to make the trip because of traffic. At this point we have S, Ks 1 and 2, Ts 1 and 2, SA, Kyle and me. We took some pix in the Golden Tea Cup and walked over to Dumbo. Every toddler MUST do Dumbo, but I’m not a toddler and neither is Kyle, so we grabbed T2 and went over to Space Mountain for Fast Passes. While we were there we grabbed a pass for T1 as well. On our way back we noticed Buzz had a 15 minute line so we figured 15 minute wait, 5 minute ride, we can make it. We always have fun on Buzz, and T2 had a good time too. The boys rode together so I was shootin’ w/ both hands (and I still only made an L-3 adding both scores together, pathetic). We got back to Dumbo just as they were picking up the stroller. Down to Small World, Kyle grumbled, but I reminded him it was K2’s special trip and he gets to go often. To his credit, he didn’t complain much at all during the long day, despite the dearth of E-tickets. K2 was of course enchanted. Then we went down to Toon Town, where K2 met Goofy and after a long line Mickey! She and Mickey were so cute! The Disney photographer got a really great photo of Mickey leaning down and K2 reaching up to kiss him on the nose. This is the sort of thing Disney could use in ads it looked so good. Poor K1 missed this because he was sitting down in the shade because he wasn’t feeling well. In TT we were all trying to decide where to have lunch. It was agreed that we would head over to the Village Haus and eat there unless it was too crowded. It was, but not badly enough to search out another place. We took a walk after lunch around the back side of BTMRR and got stopped on our way to Critter Country by the barricade of bleachers. We were re-routed through Adventureland and all figured since we were here that we’d do the Tiki Room. When we got in we were informed it was the Tiki Room’s 43rd birthday! There was a time when this attraction was a hidden secret, Kyle’s dad and I used to pop in there mid-day to escape the heat and have the place almost to ourselves. Not any more, we had trouble finding seats for all of us. In fact SA and T2 had to sit in another part of the theater. When we got out SM and M had arrived, but it was about that time that K1 decided he was really sick and left us to go to emergent care. (He returned as we were finishing dinner later and informed us he had a throat infection and they gave him a scrip for anti-biotics and a big dose of ibuprofen). Just about this time our FPs for Space were ready so 4 of us pealed off from the others to ride. This was the first time T1 and T2 had ridden since the refurb and they both had a GREAT time. I had ridden WDW’s Space Mountain a couple months earlier and WOW what a difference a refurb makes. It was SO smooth! Having that comparison helped me appreciate the ride all the more. While we were in TL, the others had taken K2 on Jungle Cruise and she just LOVED it. Communicating by cell phone we discovered they were in line for Haunted Mansion and we got there shortly before we saw them go in. It’s amazing how much quicker entrance to exit seems when you’re in there than when you’re standing outside waiting. I guess while they were in line for HM they were playing “boo†games with K2 so she was laughing and having fun by the time they got to the Doom Buggy’s and she enjoyed that ride too. On our way to HM walking through Adventureland T1 spotted a stuffed parrot and at only $10 he had to get it for our niece. It was waiting for her in the stroller when she got out of the ride; we told her it followed her from the Tiki Room. On to Critter Country where we rode Pooh and K2 charmed the characters. Because she is so little and yet will give them high fives, hugs and kisses and dance with them, they all spent extra time with her. SA said she even saw strangers taking pictures of her. We were all sad her dad had to miss this. My sister decided that she would like to ride the train to Tomorrowland. I told her it would be faster to walk, but she wanted to ride the train as an attraction as well as transportation. The line was probably our longest of the day and we missed 3 trains. T2 had dinner plans with his mother’s family (also in town for his graduation) and needed to leave so we were able to get him on the train in front of us. It would have been quicker for him to walk to Main Street at that point, but he’d waited in that long line to get to the front and he did have the time. When we got to TL we all rode Buzz again. After riding I figured Kyle and I had better get our annual passes processed, so they took K2 to Ariel’s Grotto to meet her first princess and we went off to the old BofA building. It turns out that all though K2 is a bit of a princess herself, she just doesn’t have much interest in meeting Disney princesses. The line for APs was short (we were worried it would be a couple of hours) and since it only took about 10 minutes we went back to the Grotto looking for everyone. They weren’t there so we left the park to meet in our pre-arranged spot, the 1st A in CALIFORNIA. They weren’t at either A and we played phone tag until we discovered they were at the Plaza Inn, I think we walked by them 3 times and didn’t realize they were there. I wasn’t hungry yet so I got Kyle the spaghetti and mooched his bread and drink and my sis gave me the rest of her cheesecake (pretty good stuff). By the time we were ready to leave K1 was back from picking up his meds. Since K2 had so much fun on Jungle Cruise and K1 had missed so much we decided to check out the line before going to DCA. M and SM noticed the original 55 ride sign at the front and I commented that it should have a gold boat. After a short line we were put on the gold boat so of course I had to take pix of everyone on it. It’s been so long since I’ve been on the D-Land version I hadn’t seen the piranhas before, sure is nice to see something new after the dozens of times I’ve ridden over the years. We all headed to DCA, but T1 discovered his park hopper was missing. Because he had bought most of the passes for the others he was able to produce them at City Hall and they gave him another pass. We were able to sneak past the parade to go to DCA. It was 7 and the park closed at 9 so we didn’t have much time there. None of us had ever ridden Monster’s Inc. so we went there first. I was pleased that the line was only about 20 minutes long. We all really enjoyed it, but I ended up sitting behind M, the human equivalent of a wall, so I NEED to ride this again. We walked over to Muppets 1 minute before the doors opened and even though she didn’t wear her glasses K2 had a ball. When we walked in she kept pointing to Kermit and saying “Froggy! Riddit, ridditâ€. So cute! We were getting pretty close to DCA closing so we quickly went to Flick’s Fun Fair. K2, and some of us adults, had fun on the Chew Chew Train. I was snapping pix when we went through the water melon, I had to quickly cover my camera because of the spray, I think they put something in it because we all felt sticky after the ride. She was too small to ride the Tuck and Roll bumper cars, but Kyle, K1, M and SM all rode twice. Last of all we went on Flick’s Flyers, my sister had some health problems earlier this year and they made her kind of dizzy so we only rode once. By this time it was getting kind of late. As we left the Fun Fair we happened upon the Electrical Parade. K2 was entranced, and I admit this is the only parade I can watch multiple times. After the parade it was time to part. Because of where he had to park on returning, K1, K2 and S took the Monorail to get to their car so we walked with them to Tomorrowland. We had to deal with the masses leaving DCA and the further masses entering DL. The fireworks started as we were leaving, and we would have been fine if they hadn’t ended before we reached the entrance to Tomorrowland, but they ended so we had to deal with MORE moving masses. Kyle and I got as far as the Astro Orbiters and we decided it was just too much. So hugs all around and we parted ways with my sister’s family. We had Fast Passes for Splash at 9:55. When I we got to Critter Country I stopped to check our FPs and the time and it was exactly 9:55. We lucked out and the only other people in the boat were 2 kids so we were riding pretty high in the water, at night this is a good thing. On the big drop we ended up with a constant spray and no splash at all. I figured it would be a good time to head to the front of the park and leave before another mass exodus. This was a good idea, because we not only missed a lot of foot traffic we missed the mass of car traffic leaving the parking structure. From getting on the tram to pulling in my driveway it was 2 hours and 10 minutes, I think it was a personal record. Good thing too, I was so tired it would have been hard to stay awake much later. I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun with the park this crowded. Of course, since Kyle LOVES his E-tickets and we only rode 3, I’ll need to take him back soon. We’re going on July 17th, but we have to may make a trip a little sooner.
Originally Posted By alexbook Sounds like a great time. Glad the park hopper worked out. Is K1 okay? I agree that EP is one of the few shows that's still fun after a bunch of viewings. Actually, I must have been just a few feet from you guys during the Electric Parade. You didn't notice a tall guy a with Jedi Training Academy backpack by any chance?
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb K1 is doing fine, the meds are doing their job. I was so busy watching my niece, who is 19 month old, watch the parade to notice any one else. She was so cute sitting in her uncles arms with the lights playing on her face. But I wish I knew you were there, I'd have made a point of saying "hi".
Originally Posted By chickendumpling Oh Deb! Sounds like a great day. I mean, minor difficulties aside (glad to hear things are better there). <<K2 charmed the characters. Because she is so little and yet will give them high fives, hugs and kisses and dance with them, they all spent extra time with her.>> HOW adorable is that?! I love to see kids like that! So cute! I love that you had cheesecake and took the time to mention it! LOL! Thanks for sharing your trip. I love trip reports.
Originally Posted By 4Disnee It sounds like you a had a very special trip. That is so wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing! Glad to hear that K1 is doing better.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 What a wonderful trip report I appreciated all the cute details you included. >>>Every toddler MUST do Dumbo, but I’m not a toddler and neither is Kyle, so we grabbed T2 and went over to Space Mountain for Fast Passes. <<< ^^^LOL, how true I'm glad that your brother in law took the time to go to Urgent Care and was taken care of. Again, great report and thanks for sharing all your fun with us.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Thanks guys! I found writing trip reports helps me remember the day better.
