Last Full Day

Our last whole day at Disney World.  Ah, drink it in.

The plan was to spend the first half of the day at Downtown Disney and then take advantage of evening Extra Magic Hours at Epcot touring World Showcase which we missed earlier in the week.  More on that decision later.

We headed toward Mexico for our la comida de la noche (evening meal, in Spanish, maybe?).   La Cantina de San Angel fit the bill.  The meals were of decent size, and best of all, we got a great table along World Showcase Lagoon.

The sun was just starting dip on the horizon, but there was plenty of daylight left.  Our waterfront view allowed us to decompress a bit after a busy morning.  Our need for a little respite was obvious because FM#3 was sound asleep by now in MawMaw's arms.  He stayed asleep throughout dinner and beyond.

As we left the Cantina, what character do you think was just taking his place off the walkway next to Mexico?  Who can you normally find in Mexico?  Donald Duck!  This was FM#3's must-see character!

Although he had gotten to see Donald in the parade at Magic Kingdom, he had hoped he would see him up close and personal at the Epcot Character Spot, but Donald was not there. Donald had proved to be very elusive to us thus far.

So, here we were practically walking right up on Donald and Jose!  We were the third family in line so we didn't have much time to rouse our sleeping child.  Alas, he was having none of that.  He slept right through our Donald meet and greet.  The older two boys posed for pictures, and no, we did not mention this to Sleeping Cutie.

Continuing around World Showcase, we spent a few minutes outside Norway, posing in front of the Viking ship.  Good thing, too, because it was slated to be dismantled within the year.

Sniff, sniff.

Ships are cool.  Wooden Viking ships are especially cool.  And how cool would we be if they reassembled that bad boy in our backyard?

No visit to Norway would be complete without a ride on the Maelstrom.  Why is that line always so long?  Oh, well, good thing they have that huge mural to look at.  Hidden Mickey fun!

After drooling over the sweaters and rosemaled plates in the gift shop we found a bench out front from which to view Illuminations.  CB disappeared for a while and returned with a big ole soda and light up Mickey ears for the boys.

Boo yah!

Now, a little tidbit about World Showcase and evening Extra Magic Hours.  Truth of the matter is, World Showcase doesn't exactly do EMH.  The pavilions weren't running at 100%, but we didn't let that stop us.  We toured China, saw the American Adventure, and played in those bright red phone booths in England.  There were very few people back there which was nice.  We were dragging which explains the lack of pictures I have from that portion of the day.  The Cast Member from the America pavilion offered to take our picture in front of the fountain, but I will not post it for two reasons (1) we were dragging and it was obvious, and (2) my Mom would not like me to post that picture of her.

However, Mental Note:  an empty World Showcase at night would make for great pictures.

Kind of like icing on the cake was Soarin' at the end of the night.  We did the Child Swap since FM#3 isn't tall enough so we each had some time to relax in that lounge area where the Fastpass machines are.  And let me just say, everyone should be able to ride Soarin' right before bedtime.

G'night!

Laid Back Day 7

Our plan today was to spend the first half of the day at Downtown Disney and the second half at Epcot.

After getting to bed so late the night before, we slept in a bit the next morning and took some time to feed the birds.  Tuppence a bag.

Magic Moment #13 - Since we were on the first floor and were near a pond, the boys had numerous opportunities to feed all the birds.

This picture doesn't do justice to the amounts of ducks and birds that would come up to our patio.  Once they realized we had food, word spread like wildfire!  There were so many different kinds.  The white, long-beaked ones were so aggressive!  Once the bread was gone, they waddled back to the pond.

Downtown Disney was great fun if only for the Lego Store!  It was our first destination and the only one the boys were focused on.  After well over an hour, we were finally able to get the Legomaniacs out of there!

Italian ices and Ghirardelli chocolate did the trick.  FREE Ghirardelli chocolate!  It's great to walk into that scrumptious boutique and be offered that scrumptious square.

We thoroughly - very thoroughly - enjoyed the World of Disney.  World of Disney had so many interesting displays, obvious and not so obvious.  Coupled with all the different shopping areas inside that one store and the fact that my family was spread out amongst them, there was no way I could concentrate on all that was going on in there.  Must. Go. Back.

And how many times did I go around and around and around looking at all the pins at Pin Trader's?!

Upon leaving the parking lot, one of my boys spotted our Magic Moment #14, a Hidden Mickey in the clouds.

There's that side profile I told you would come up again!

Magic Kingdom Revisited

The skies were promising this day. Perhaps too promising as we decided to leave the ponchos in the car. Giving it further consideration, CB turned back to retrieve them as the rest of us headed for the Monorail. We'd meet up at the stroller rental.

Magic Moment #9 comes to us courtesy of the Monorail.

While my companions were waiting for the monorail I went to find a Cast Member to inquire if anyone was waiting to ride in the front compartment. The attendant said, "You are!" So I jogged back to retrieve my party and share the good news. Unfortunately, only four people can ride in the front compartment. It does not matter how large or small they are. Four. Only four. So MawMaw sat in the compartment behind us.

It never occurred to me that people were allowed to ride in the front compartment and I never would've known to ask if not for the Unofficial Guide! [Love that book! It's sitting beside me right now!]

Here we are going into the Contemporary. This further confirmed my love for the Monorail. When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, the Monorail driver gave the boys official Monorail licenses.

We met up with CB, got FM#1's chariot, and embarked on our hot/sunny/humid day. But to that we were accustomed. We're from Texas, after all.

Due to the improved weather from the previous day, the crowds had increased a bit, plus this day had Extra Magic Hours.

Our park rotation started in Adventureland again because we wanted to ride Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Pirates. Today we started out with the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

While waiting in line we noticed that, to go along with the Arabian theme, jewels were embedded in the concrete. Oooh! Aaah! This ride was similar to Dumbo except not only can you make your magic carpet rise and fall, you can make it tilt and pitch. And there's a camel that will spit on you.

Right across from Aladdin are tikis that squirt water. The boys enjoyed a bit of refreshment and then we headed to Pirates! While they were in the Pirates gift shop - again! - trying oh so hard to make their way to the queue, I ran down to Splash Mountain and Big Thunder to get Fast Passes. On my way, Woody and his friends were just wrapping up their parade through Frontierland so I paused for that.

He's the rootin-est tootin-est cowboy in the wild, wild west!

Knowing not everyone would ride both Splash and Big Thunder Mountain, I split our six tickets, 3 and 3, between the two Fast Pass machines and ran back to the Caribbean. We had a longer wait this day because of the crowds, but it wasn't too bad. The people behind us kept trying to squeeze in front of us, but we spread out shoulder to shoulder. Don't mess with Texas.

The boys got another adventure through Pirate land and noticed new and different things this time around. Again, back to the gift shop. CB wanted to surprise the boys at Christmas with a gift from here since they loved it so much. FM#1 got a flag which is hanging in his room. FM#2 got a set of metal jail keys that he uses as part of his various costumes. And FM#3 got a sword set that came with sound effects, a dagger, an eye patch, and a parrot.

We bid farewell to Pirates ("the coolest ride ever") and walked quickly (much to the disapproval of my party) to Splash Mountain where CB and I were the only ones wanting to ride. I donned my rain poncho because I just wasn't in the mood to get wet on such a hot day. Good thing, too, because when we got to the bottom of the Big Drop, a huge sploosh of water kerplunked on me at the bottom of the hill before rounding the corner. (I was sitting on the right side of the log, if anyone is interested.)

From here we trotted next door to Big Thunder Mountain where three of us jumped aboard. We not only used our Fast Passes, but we got a Child Swap so we could Fast Pass it again. On our way out of the ride a lady handed us each a packet and said something about Year of a Million Dreams.

Yes, Magic Moment #10! When we got outside we saw that we had received Year of a Million Dreams trading pins and matching lanyard. Cool! Little did we know when sitting in Pinocchio's Village Haus Restaurant the previous day oohing and aahing over that family's perpetual Fast Pass, that we'd get our own surprise in the Year of a Million Dreams.

Now we'd have to start getting pins.

At this point we had convinced MawMaw that Big Thunder Mountain wasn't a roller coaster and that she should definitely ride it so me and FM#1 took her on it using the Child Swap pass. She wasn't amused. As we zigged zagged along the track I kept looking back at her and she would say, "This IS a roller coaster!" She clearly does not know what a real roller coaster is like for Big Thunder is not one. She survived anyway.

From here we went to a MawMaw favorite - Country Bear Jamboree! She loves these corny bears. We enjoyed the respite, A/C, and goofy show and exited across the breezeway for lunch at Pecos Bill's Cafe. Bill serves up burgers and taco salads, but what is unique about this place is that they have a fixin's bar. You can add the usuals to your burger, but they also have sauteed onions and mushrooms and salsa. Yum.

Magic Moment #11. Upon exiting the restaurant we stepped out onto the sidewalk and the afternoon parade was in full swing. We had a front row seat. What timing! And FM#3 got to see Donald Duck! So many things would come together during this vacation.

As the last float went by we found our stroller amid the sea of blue and pointed ourselves toward the Haunted Mansion, Round Two.

From this picture all you can see is Gracey Mansion. If you look at aerial maps of Disney World...what?

You've never seen Disney from the air?

Wh-, wh-, I just don't understand. Don't you spend inordinate amounts of time looking at the Wonderful World of Disney on www.bing.com/maps? Is it just me?

Well, when you go there - and you will - use the Bird's Eye feature. You'll see that what is in the picture above is only a facade. The actual Haunted Mansion ride takes place in a huge warehouse type building. Does that spoil the magic? Not for me! It's fascinating how they have filled your field of vision with only what is necessary to create the illusion. You are completely convinced that this ride is inside that house! Or at least I was!

After picking up our Ghost Host we threatened the boys with It's a Small World. Mua ha ha! Aren't we fun parents? But their begging and pleading for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin was more than we could bear.

Once in Tomorrowland, CB and the older FM's wanted to try Stitch's Great Escape. My Unofficial Guide strongly recommended to pass up this attraction. When it first came out it was too scary so they toned it down. Now it's apparently just bad. Or 'lame' according to FM#1 and 2. Stitch burps on you at one point and they said it smelled horrible. Not a funny horrible either. Gross, oniony kind of horrible.

So on to Buzz where there was no line! Again, the bad thing about not spending any time standing in the queue is that you miss the little nuances along the way. We did spot a Hidden Mickey and took a picture of it while several people went around us. Can you spot it?

We walked back up Main Street; gazed lovingly at the Crystal Palace where we had enjoyed a yummy breakfast the morning before; peered into the shops; gathered our packages at Package Pick-Up; and headed for the Monorail. Again, we asked to ride up front. This time CB and the boys got the front row seat.

A good end to a good day. But was it the end?

Hint: The Hidden Mickey in the Buzz Lightyear photo is right in the middle. It's not the typical three-circle silhouette; it's the side profile silhouette.

Remember this side silhouette. You'll see it again, Mouseketeers!

MGM Part 2

It was a very pretty drive to Wilderness Lodge. Nice to get away from the theme park atmosphere for a while and in the heat of the day.

We arrived at Wilderness Lodge. Wow! That place was huge! The restaurant was to our left. It was elevated from the main floor and ran practically the whole length of the lodge. We were seated almost right away.

When I made our dining reservations, the girl told me Whispering Canyons was a great choice, super fun and interactive. We would have a great time! She said to be sure and have one of the children ask for a spoon and ketchup.

As I looked over our table that afternoon, there were at least 12 assorted spoons scattered from one end to the other. And we were to ask for more? Okay, I'll give it a go.

I told my eldest to ask our waiter for a spoon to which the other adults at the table started to question my sanity because there were already SO MANY DARNED SPOONS ON THE TABLE!!! I tried not to give it away and insisted he grab the waiter. More resistance. So I asked the waiter for a spoon myself.

What funny thing would happen? What would he bring me? This is so exciting, isn't it?

He brought me just what I asked for. A spoon. Isn't that hilarious?

I had spied a boy at the back of the restaurant marching around his table with a giant fork. You know those big wooden ones that hung in many a kitchen back in the 70's? That kind of giant fork. I suspected our waiter was supposed to bring us a giant spoon. Was he seriously off his game or was it because an adult asked and not a child (as the reservation girl instructed)?

Lesson #4: Children, do as your mother tells you. Husbands, go along with your wife.

As the kids finished up their dirt and worms dessert, the waiter entered into some sort of routine involving bird calls and even though he talked way too fast to completely understand, his routine involved some disturbing rant about his mother-in-law and then he kicked over a chair.

I kid you not.

We just stared at each other, paid the bill, and went out to enjoy Wilderness Lodge's lobby. Which was beautiful! Everything about it screamed "LODGE!" Light fixtures, totem poles, log railings. There was even a "hot spring" that bubbled right up into the lobby. The boys thought this was really neat, especially the "steam" that rose from the water.

We even contemplated staying at Wilderness Lodge in the future. They have villas there, too!

Now, back to MGM! Where we headed straight to the back for the Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show. This was a full-throttle adrenaline rush for the boys. They loved it! Lots of tire squealing and car exhaust fumes.


By the time this show was over, evening was closing in. We ventured over to the Backlot Tour. In addition to the wall of water, fire, and explosions that this ride includes, the boys got to see prop vehicles from Star Wars and the bone cages from Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was getting late and we were starting to slow down so we meandered back to the front of the park. On the way we saw the Power Rangers; the boys played in the rain which was an umbrella that rained water from underneath (Singin' In The Rain); and we got pictures with Herbie from Love Bug.

It wasn't quite 5:30pm, but we made our way to the front of the park for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular! It was the same show they did 16 years ago. But still good. Action, fighting, explosions, gun fire. What more could a boy want?

Unusual for us, we arrived at Indy's show early. Way early. I hate waiting. CB took advantage of this void of time to get our wristbands for Extra Magic Hours.

Lesson #5: Two things are needed for Extra Magic Hours. (1) Your body and (2) your room card. For every wristband issued, there must be a body and an accompanying room card. That way they know you're a Disney resort guest and Extra Magic Hours are only for resort guests.

Wristbands are only given out at certain locations within the park. When CB got there, he only had his room card. The rest of ours were back in the room! And all of our bodies were sitting at Indiana Jones. Neither was where they needed to be! What to do?

After the show we trekked back to the front of the park to Guest Relations to have them check that we were resort guests and issue our wristbands. We were a little bothered by this lack of communication -- how could we not know this? Maybe if I paid a little more attention to Stacey and her Top 7. Or The Unofficial Guide should've alerted me to this. But the Cast Members at Guest Relations were so nice and it was air-conditioned!

At this point, FM#2 wanted desperately to ride Star Wars again and this time he wanted to ride it with MawMaw! Maybe FM#3 was asleep or maybe he needed a snack, but CB stayed behind with him and the four of us ran across the park to Star Tours.

It was dark by now and I think everyone had migrated to the other side of the park to see Fantasmic because we walked right onto Star Tours. This is good because there's no waiting, but it also prevents you from noticing the details of the scene they've created in the queue. The part that puts you in the frame of mind for embarking on a space ride! But we were still okay with jumping right on!

MawMaw loved that ride and FM#2 was thrilled to share it with her!

Now it was time for the Tower of Terror!

Throughout the day FM#1 kept asking me if I was going to ride the Tower of Terror. Quite frankly, I just didn't know. I'd figure it out when it was staring me in the face.

After we rode Star Tours, we met up with CB who took off to test the Tower by himself. We needed him to test it out and report back to those of us who were skeptical.

As we waited for him, hoards of people streamed out of Fantasmic for what must've been 15-20 minutes.

Finally, CB came off the ride with a huge smile on his face. He said it was fantastic and that we just had to ride it.

Well, there it was. Staring me in the face.

FM#1 would only ride it if I would. Great.

I really didn't want to. Let's face it. Freefalling isn't my favorite. I don't even like the song by Tom Petty. But I knew I had to ride it. I didn't want to regret NOT riding it and we were only going to be at this park for one day. So off we went.

I was extremely nervous. I kept checking my pulse which, I should probably say now, has been an ongoing concern. It tends to be high.

Aren't these the kinds of things that keep you from getting on rides like this?

Aren't these the kinds of rides that people have had heart attacks on?

Yet here I was. Too late to turn back. The things we do for our children.

The first room you go in is fairly small. It reminded me of the elevator at the Haunted Mansion. It is here that you watch a short clip hosted by what I suppose was a Rod Serling impersonator.

You exit to the boiler room which doubles as a queue. Much pulse checking here.

Once we reached the "I'm next" point, CB told me to sit on the back row - less scary there. So the somber Cast Member put us on the appropriate number for the back row. The elevator doors opened and the rows of theatre style seats stared at me.

I guess I'm really doing this. There's no turning back now.  Was this a smart thing to do? We'll see.....

I moved toward the back of the elevator all the way to the right. I buckled myself in and grew instantly concerned that there was no shoulder harness. I expected some shoulder harnessing here!

Why is there no harness?! All I have are these lousy straps to hang onto?!

This was not going to be good.

Once the elevator started to move, it snaked through hallways, past scenes as the story was told. Extreme apprehension and anxiety filled my body as I didn't know when the doors would open and we'd plummet to the bottom of this ding-dang tower.

When the scary part of this ride starts, there is no mistaking it. Thankfully. I don't like surprises like that. Metal doors open and you enter into utter darkness. You know it's about to start. Brace yourself.

Honestly, the dropping wasn't my favorite, but in short bursts isn't too bad. Screaming helps.  Seriously, go for it. Scream your head off.  It'll make for a great attraction photo.

And when you're catapulted back up the shaft you feel like you're floating which is totally wicked cool awesome!  You vascillate between AHHH, ahhh, AHHH, ahhh.

At some point the doors open and you're looking out over the park. I couldn't tell you much about this, folks, because my eyes were closed almost the entire time! I opened them once and darned if we weren't overlooking the whole bloomin' park!

Oh no! I'm afraid of heights. I'm gonna puke! Quick, close your eyes again!

The last drop is the biggest and about the time I was ready for it to stop dropping, we dropped even more. But it was over and I DID IT! FM#1 and I were very proud of ourselves. What a relief and a surge of adrenaline at the same time!

We bought our picture on this ride. All of our expressions are priceless.

Will I ride it again?

The Magic 8 Ball says, "Ask again later."

After all the lead-up and anticipation and excitement of having conquered the Tower, we were starving! We stopped at the counter-service restaurant, Rosie's All American Cafe, and had dinner outside. FM#1 spied a Hidden Mickey there.

We visited a shop on Hollywood Boulevard and drug our weary happy bodies home to rest up for a second day.