[Duchess]

My DH, 3 ½ year old DD and I just returned from a short trip to WDW. Had a magical time! We stayed April 30 through May 5. Keep in mind that I am 6 ½ months pregnant, so I have some fun and exciting tips for expectant moms. But because of my big belly, we moved at a slower pace. I have been to WDW four times, my DH has been about six times, and this is my DD’s second trip. Although, she went wen she was just under two and doesn’t seem to remember her first trip.

We arrived at the Widerness Lodge VERY LATE on Wednesday April 30th -- after midnight, so we headed right to the room. Wonderful room with a courtyard view. Only complaint is we didn’t have a balcony with a railing, but rather one with the stone wall with a cut out window. We had to stand to see out the window. Not that big of a deal since we spent so little time in the room.


DAY 1 – Thursday May 1


Since we arrived soooooo late, we slept in until 9:00 am. GOOD THING since it poured rain all morning! We had breakfast at Whispering Canyon. Delicious and a lot of fun. Once we finished breakfast and headed to the Magic Kingdom at around 11:30, the rain had stopped and we never saw another rain drop the rest of the trip! Bad thing was, we purchased the Disney Ponchos but never used them! It will be fun to use them for walks in the rain at home.

We spent the entire day at the Magic Kingdom. We asked our DD what she wanted to do first. She said the Haunted Mansion, so away we went. She LOVED it! Ended up riding it three times. Walked right in!

Then we headed to Adventure Land, but stopped to catch the Country Bear Jamboree. Then hit Aladdin’s Magic Carpet ride (another big hit with DD), and the Pirates of the Caribbean. Time for the 3:00 parade! We got there kinda late for a decent seat, but an older lady let my daughter and I sit in front of her. She was so kind saying, “She is a child and deserves a better seat than I do.” God bless her! I vow to some day return the favor to another. The parade was fantastic and DD was all smiles the entire time.

After the parade we moved on. My daughter is just 40 inches, so she has never ridden the “BIG” rides. We wanted to “warm her up” with Goofy’s Barnstormer, but she said she was ready just to try Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. She hopped right on and LOVED IT! My husband had to take her, and since I’m expecting I had to hear about it second hand. A real disappointment, but she was so happy coming off that ride!!!! Wait time for Thunder Mountain was only 15 minutes. We decided to save Splash Mountain for a later time.

Next we headed to Fantasy Land. Walking past the castle we saw Minnie and Mickey signing autographs and greeting. HAD TO STOP! My DD was star struck (and so was I). Then we rode Small world. “DOLLIES! DOLLIES!” DD daughter would cry! She sang the Small World song the rest of the trip.

Wouldn’t you know it that it is now already 4:20 and we have 4:30 PS at Crystal Palace! We headed over and got right in. We had a beautiful window table with a castle view. What AWESOME food! I loved the mussels in the Thai Curry sauce. DH loved the Prime Rib. DD loved the salad bar, peel and eat shrimp and dessert bar. But the highlight was Pooh and friends. They were awesome, but kinda rushed. That is one busy and HUGE place, so they had to move quickly. But we still had a wonderful experience. We stayed until 5:45, and by that time the line for dinner was just HUGE! So, having a 4:30 dinner really paid off!

We left Crystal Palace and headed to Tomorrow Land. We rode Buzz Lightyear for the first time. My husband scored only 1600 points. I smoked him with 23,000 points! Not bad for a first-timer! Then on to the Astro Orbiter. Kind of a long wait (20 minutes), but DD loved it.

We stopped for a frozen coke, which is one of my pregnancy cravings (yeah, I know I shouldn’t have the caffeine), and then headed over to Toontown. My DH and DD rode Goofy’s Barnstormer with only a 10 minute wait. Again, she loved it. She has the need for speed! Next we went to see Mickey at the Judges Tent. I love that mouse! My DD needed a little time to play, so we let her explore the playground there (forget what it is called). You have to let them out of the stroller and out of the lines for awhile!!

By now, it is 7:45 and Spectro Magic is starting at 8:30. So we head back to the Castle to get a seat. Of course, it is packed so we get one kind of far in back of the crowd. No big deal, since we have seen it three times before. We still got a great view! Again, DD smiled and laughed the entire time. She loved the Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf the best.

After the Spectro Magic Parade, we headed to the bridge to Tomorrowland to watch the fireworks. I know the trees obstruct a lot of the fireworks here, but you get a great view of Tinkerbell’s flight. I had been telling my DD about Tinker’s big jump for WEEKS, and since Tinkerbell is one of her favorites, she was REALLY looking forward to seeing this. BUT for some reason, she didn’t jump! Don’t know why. The weather seemed OK (no wind), so I’m assuming there were some technical difficulties. My poor DD, though! She cried a bit. And then she said, “Mama, do you thing Captain Hook got her?” I almost cried. I assured her that maybe Tinker just didn’t want to fly tonight because it had rained earlier and her wings were still wet. This seemed to console her a bit, but she talked about this disappointment for the rest of the trip.

After the fireworks, we headed down Mainstreet and enjoyed the sights and sounds. We shopped a little and really took our time. We headed to the boat launch back to the Wilderness Lodge at around 10:00. It was packed! We waited for about an hour for a boat, and we still had a ton of people in front of us! Finally, a CM appeared and re-directed all of us to the TTS ferry since this line was now gone. This one HUGE ferry took the lot of us to the Lodge. The wait was painful, and at the time we were really wishing we were staying at one of the Monorail Resorts! But we made it through.

Back at the Lodge by 11:10. Quick bath, and DD in be and asleep by 11:25. A late night, for sure. But we can sleep this week!

MK Pregnancy tips: Plot out the bathrooms ahead of time! We spent a lot of time in them! When DH and DD rode the rides I could not, I waited for them where the ride exited. There are always benches and SHADE there. This was the time I rested with my feet up (on the stroller) and had a water break. It was actually a very relaxing time. I also got great pictures of my DD coming off the rides with a big smile! People were VERY kind to me, and always gave up their seats to me. I felt kinda bad taking them, but it really helped me.

Crowd levels at the MK on a Thursday in May: Low. We never had to even Fast Pass. Longest wait was 20 minutes.

Best Thing: Watching my DD. She would insist on sitting between us on the rides and hold each of our hands. Also, people treating me kindly by giving up their seats so I could sit.

Worst Thing: The long wait for a boat to return to the WL.

Disappointment: Tinkerbell didn’t make her flight from the castle during the Fireworks.

Weather: Fantastic. Started off with rain, but cleared up by noon. 87 degrees and cool because of the clouds and early morning rain.

What I would do differently this day: Not a thing. It was perfect.


DAY 2 – Friday May 2


We tried to get up early to take advantage of the Extra Hour of Magic at the Animal Kingdom, but it just didn’t happen. So we headed over to the AK at about 8:30. The bus took FOREVER to materialize at the WL, so we didn’t get there until 9:15. Bummer.

We hustled over to see The Legend of the Lion King show. This is one of our favorites, and we were not disappointed. After the show, we stayed for awhile at Camp Minnie Mickey and enjoyed the characters. Lots of opportunities for photos and autographs with a minimal wait. We loved this.

Next we headed to the Tree of Life to catch the It’s Tough to be a Bug show. DD was a bit scared but loved it. She liked it, but declined to see it a second time!

Next on to the Safari. We had to Fast Pass this since the wait was an hour. But this was a perfect time for lunch. We grabbed a quick bit at the Tusker House in Africa. GREAT FOOD and quick counter service! I had salmon, rice and green beans. DH had a grilled chicken salad. DD shared our lunches. This meal and drinks cost $22. Hamburgers would have cost close to this, and this was way yummier and healthier. I highly recommend it!

After lunch, our fast passes were due for the Safari. Again, I’m pregnant and there are warnings for expectant mothers for this ride. The CM out in front even reminded me of this. But I have taken the Safari in the past, and felt it was OK. I asked my doctor and he had been on it and didn’t think it was a problem. So, I chose to ride it. IT WAS FINE! Kind of bumpy, but not bad at all. This was to ONLY ride where I ignored the warnings! I’m glad I did. The animals were out in full force. We had to wait several minutes for a giraffe to get out of the way. He was busy munching right in the middle of the road. It was great.

Next up: The Pagnani Trail. This was wonderful. The gorillas were very active. The entire family hung out with us for a long time. We sat in the shade for awhile and enjoyed them.

We started our way out of the park. But came across more characters. Finally, at 2:45 we caught the bus back to the WL.

At the WL, we changed into our bathing suits and swam. Great pools. Only bummer was a man with a cigar and a cell phone sitting RIGHT NEXT to the baby pool! Can you believe the nerve? All of the young children inhaling that nasty smoke. Cigars take a LONG time to smoke. Plus we had to listen to him loudly make a business deal on the cell phone. But, we still had a blast.

After swimming, we got ready for dinner. We had PS for Alfredo’s in Italy at Epcot. We hopped a bus over and were still late. But we got in (luckily) after only a 10 minute wait. Great food. Then we caught Illuminations. By then, it was time to head home. We leisurely walked back to the exit. The Garden Festival was going on, so we stopped to admire the flowers, topiaries and fountains. We were back at the WL and in bed by 10:45.

AK Pregnancy tips: I brought a pregnancy belt to support my back. Helped a lot. No back pain at all.

Crowd levels at the AK on a Friday in May: Low.

Best Thing: We saw the most characters at the Animal Kingdom.

Worst Thing: Cigar-smoking, cell-phone using jerk at the pool.

Disappointment: Not enough time in the day!

Weather: Fantastic. About 87 degrees with an AWESOME breeze. Didn’t feel hot at all.

What I would do differently this day: I think we would not have gone all the way to Epcot for dinner. Too much traveling. We should have just swam longer and stayed at the WL and had dinner at Artist Point.


DAY 3 – Saturday May 3


We headed back to Epcot this morning. Did the usual. Spaceship Earth. Then fast passed to Test Track. This was my DD first time on Test Track and she loved it. Then on to the Universe of Energy show. Hasn’t changed. Then we went to the Land and had a character lunch at the Garden Grill. I so love this place! The food is great, and the characters spend so much time with you.

We then walked around and enjoyed all of the garden festival exhibits. Then we moved on to the World Showcase – not to tour them but to catch the boat on the International Gateway to MGM Studios. We had never done this and we really enjoyed the ride. The Boardwalk is so COOL!

Once at MGM we went like crazy! Grabbed a fast pass to the Little Mermaid show. Sprinted to the last Playhouse Disney show. Had to wait in line 40 minutes to be sure to get in. They changed the show since the last time we saw it (2 years ago). Diversified it by adding Stanley, Rollie, and the Book of Pooh. DD lost her mind when Bear and the gang appeared! After Bear we had 40 minutes until our FP for Mermaid came up. We RAN to Muppet 3-D (never saw it), got in and LOVED it! But we had precious little time to make it back to Mermaid. Technically, we didn’t but a kind CM let us in. It was wonderful. After Mermaid we jetted over to the Beauty and the Beast show. This is our favorite, and again we weren’t disappointed. After the show folks were already lining up for Fantasmic! We have never seen this and were looking forward to it. But my poor little exhausted DD said, “Mommy, can we go back to the Lodge and swim?” Reality check: we are supposed to be having FUN! I’m afraid we tried too much this day, and she was showing signs of fatigue. So we bagged Fantasmic and headed back to the pool. It was a memorable time with her – we played Ariel in the pool. I was Flounder. Dad was Sebastian. DD was Ariel. At least I wasn’t assigned to be Ursula (although right now I look the part!) She has the dialog memorized and coached us on our parts: “Your not getting cold fins are you?”


Crowd levels at the EPCOT on a Saturday in May: Moderate
Crowd levels at the EPCOT on a Saturday in May: Heavy

Best Thing: Garden Grill character lunch.

Worst Thing: Too much rushing around…

Disappointment: Not enough time to see Fantasmic! Arrived too late at MGM to see any characters.

Weather: Hot. About 90 degrees with no breeze (like the previous day).

What I would do differently this day: Spend the entire day at MGM Studios.


DAY 4 – Sunday May 4

We slept in this morning. The day before tired us out! But we were at the Magic Kingdom by 11:00. The crowds were out! Grad night was the two nights prior and there were a lot of kids about. They travel in packs, and it made it difficult to navigate around/thru them. But they deserve a nice trip so we were glad to accommodate them. We even saw a band form a town just a few miles from our home town! It’s a small world, after all!!!!

We spent this day at MK doing things we didn’t do the first day. Like SPLASH MOUNTAIN! Again, only DH and DD went. DD was luke warm on this one. Didn’t ask to do it again.

Dumbo and the other rides in Fantasyland were packed in the early afternoon. We passed them by, and returned to them at 5:30 and had no waits at all.

DD spent the day requesting “seconds” on the Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain, Goofy’s Barnstormer, Aladdin’s carpet and others. We took our time and enjoyed.

Before long, the day was done. The park closed at 7:00. This was disappointing, since we could have easily gone for another two hours. I’m thinking they closed early because grad night was the previous two nights. Just a guess. Leaving the park we stopped at the Emporium for some shopping.

We had PS at Ohana’s. We caught the monorail over there. We had never been there, but thanks to reviews from my new friends at DC we chose this restaurant for our last supper. We were seated at a window table overlooking the castle. We caught the water parade. It was beautiful. The food was amazing. And DD participated in the coconut race and hula lesson. She loved it. The server gave her four little drink umbrellas and she thought that was pretty amazing! After dinner, we walked the grounds. Beautiful. I believe this may be the next resort we stay at.

Reluctantly, we headed back to the WL to pack.

Pregnancy tip: I brought a heating pad, and this helped soothe the muscles at night. Although I only used it one night. I felt surprisingly well the entire trip!

Crowd levels at the MK on a Sunday in May: Heavy early on, but lighter as the day went by.

Best Thing: Dinner at Ohana’s

Worst Thing: Can’t think of one.

Disappointment: Park closed at 7:00.

Weather: Hot. About 90 degrees.

What I would do differently this day: Somehow hide ourselves and never leave!

Souvenirs: I’m a scrapbooker, so I got a 2003 scrapbook and two kits. DH bought DD everything it seems: Sleeping Beauty jewelry box, a COMPLETE Cinderella costume (dress, shoes, crown, wand-thing, necklace), Brer Rabbit/Fox beanies, Minnie Mouse costume for her doll, two lollipops and a Minnie Mouse brush. The child is so spoiled! But you know, she never asked for a thing the entire trip. (Except some cotton candy.) Makes it easy to spoil her. Her birthday is coming up, and we may hold on to a couple of things for then. I sure hope our spending helps this economy!


SUMMARY

Another great trip. The WL, the food, the weather, the parks – all was just perfect! I’m already missing it! In fact, on our way home from the airport after the long flight back from Orlando, we stopped at the Disney Store! No joke! How sick are we? Only my comrades at DC can understand this….