[cahogbin]

WDW Trip Report - Our FIRST WDW vacation 8 nights 9 days in Florida

Cast:
DH - Clint 40
Me - Chris 36
DS - Shawn 7
DD - Jessie 6

Pre-trip/trip report - I thought some other newbies might be able to get some ideas if I go back a little farther to the planning stages of our trip. We decided to go about a year ahead of time. Pretty early on we decided on our time of year to go, for us we want low crowds, value season and not quite as much heat but enough to be able to enjoy the water parks while we are there so we picked September. Our kids are young enough (Kindergarten & 2nd grade) that missing a week of school won't be a problem. Our trip was planned to include a visit to Kennedy Space Center, Universal and of course WDW. Originally we were trying to squeeze in Sea World but there just wasn't enough time and there is a Sea World in Ohio we can visit maybe next summer.

We decided to go with the All-Star Movies because of the icons for the kids and because we are only going to sleep and shower there. Most of our time will be spent in the parks. So we figured we'd stay at the value hotel and spend the money on more days. We also decided to take the Auto Train because I didn't want the expense of flying with 2 kids. I didn't want to be stuck on the tarmac for some delay with two fidgeting impatient kids. I also didn't want to be stuck in a car on I-95 behind some accident or construction with an impatient DH and 2 kids - "Are we there yet?" :). The train was great for us because we could rest, relax, sleep, eat on the train without having to make pit stops and with the Auto Train we were taking our own car and carseats for the kids so no rentals to deal with. Plus we could pack the car with snacks, water and breakfast foods. I don't want to be stressed out before I even get there just getting there, so the Auto Train fits us best.

I got books from the library and then decided on my favorites and ordered my own 2004 editions (so I could highlight and write in the margins) from Amazon.com - I got Fodor's WDW with Kids, Birnbaum's Official Guide and the Econoguide. All were very good and worth the money spent on them for hard copy reference. Also DS got the Birnbaum's Guide for Kids at the Disney Store and LOVES it. I also bought an online book/membership to Affordabledisney.com which was $50 and now looking back was too much. I got much more from MouseHouseMagic, DisneyCentral, Mousesavers, and Deb's Unofficial Disney Site (allears.com) all for FREE than I got from AffordableDisney.

I made the kids Journals online that I found at Themouseforless.com (thanks Cheryl), we made photo albums with stickers (thanks again Cheryl) so each of the kids could have their own photo album for the pictures they take. I made them activity books (puzzles, coloring, search a word) for the train ride down again from links found at themouseforless.com site. I also made a chain link counter (like Christmas tree links made out of construction paper) found at themouseforless.com site so everyday from 100 days down we take off 1 link and do our "?? days til we go to WDW dance".

Ahead of time we got autograph books, pens, GOH Badges, lanyards and pins to start pin trading which helped get us in the WDW spirit. We also had some great postcard pixies who helped along the way with extra Disney Magic before we're leaving. We also bought some pins in lots on E-bay so we'd have more to trade when we get there.

I did get a AAA membership for discounts in FL. At first I booked a room only and used my AAA card. 20% off I think. Then I watched for the Fairytale package like last year but it didn't come out, instead there was the 5+2 Dream Maker Package so we upgraded to that. Which meant UPH tickets - woo hoo. We also got the Prince/Princess package as an add-on. All of the WDW staff have been great with answering questions and being so helpful.

The AAA membership came in very handy too when I had a flat and was on my way to get it replaced when I got ANOTHER flat. I really thought there would be some catch to get roadside assistance but there wasn't it was all included in the yearly membership price. Definitely worth the $50 a year. We also got discounts on the train tickets from AAA so it has paid for itself before we even leave. Plus I got maps from AAA and Mapquests.com to get us from the train station to Kennedy Space Center to WDW to Universal and back to the train station.

For Universal we bought our tickets online with a special 5 days for less than the price of 2 days. So we can go to US and IOA any days we want while we are there. AAA offers many more discounts at US and IOA so we'll be using the card there a lot for meals and merchandise discounts. I also found a US/IOA message board and got a Fan Club Membership card which is supposed to be worth discounts there too.

I'm a list person. So I've made packing lists, shopping lists, things to see lists, our pins list - which ones we are keeping (by each kid) and which are available for trading. The kids even had me make a list of all the characters so they could check off who they see and get autographs from while we are there so they know who to be on special lookout for. I have a list of reservations/PS's. I also have a Word Perfect document that is over 36 pages of posts from the message boards and hints from Allears and Mousesavers and anywhere else I find hints that I don't want to forget sort of making a "best of....." list. Between my books and my lists I can find out just about anything. :)

I also made Mousekeeping envelopes ahead of time from Heidi's site at http://users.adelphia.net/~heidiw/ma...pes/index.html I also made Thank you cards (business card size) for the Characters and CM's for the kids (and me) to give to those who make our trip more special. I put different characters on them and they all say "Thank you for adding more magic and pixie dust to our 1st Walt Disney World vacation." I made return address labels for each of the kids and then they picked the different characters they wanted and put their own address label on the back. I had read some people got special autographed pictures for doing this so I felt it was a good way to show our appreciation and MAYBE get a little surprise after we get back home. Also on advise from a message board/Disney site I made address labels up for everyone we would want to send a postcard to while we're there so they are ready to just stick on and mail postcards while we are there.

I've got small containers of bubbles and small hand held games (some from the Disney Store) for waiting in lines and passing time on the train. I hit the Disney Store every few weeks and pick up stuff on clearance. I haven't paid full price for any of our shirts, towels, swimsuits or hats.

Also to help the kids save money we got Disney Dollars at the Disney Store and when they got allowance each month they must put some in savings but the rest was their's to do with as they please. They put ALL of it in their own Disney envelopes because they wanted spending money for Disney. DS also has joined Kidzeyes.com and does kid surveys and has earned $15 since January. DD has just signed up but she won't get to earn enough by the time we leave. It has also been incentive for them to sell toys that they aren't using anymore at a yard sale to earn more. We also saved our change and turned it in at the bank. They don't know that they'll get $50 each for the Prince/Princess package when we get there. They've really been saving so they can get a Pal Mickey to share. They know they will divide the money up into how many days we have and they can only spend that amount each day. If they don't spend it all they can carry it over to the next day but no borrowing against an upcoming day. So they have plenty of spending money.

Plus I got the Disney Visa and started using it in January, I had over $135 in rewards dollars before we left. That will pay for a couple character meals at least.

I have a basic itinerary set up but it can and will be flexible. We have a few Character Meals/Ice Cream Social set up and a couple PS's made. My best advise to anyone for planning a trip is to get a couple books, join allears.com and mousesavers.com for their newsletters. Also join MHM and DC message boards, everyone has been great and SO helpful and informational. You just need to be prepared, I think. I'm not a commando by any means but I want to have a better understanding so I can be flexible and go with the flow and still hit all the important spots.

Now let's see if all this preparation worked!!

[cahogbin]

Thank goodness I had something done before I left as far as a TR goes. We had a GREAT time. We got to do almost everything we wanted to. The kids got to do everything on their lists and I only had a couple things that I didn't get to cross off my list but that's because I spent about 3 hours of my MK time in the First Aide Station being threatened to be sent to the hospital if I didn't perk up soon. If it wasn't for that slight glitch I would say our trip was next to perfect.

Plus when we got to the hotel room our last night there was a message that the train would NOT be taking us home because of hurricane Jeanne so we had to drive home at the last minute. So our Chef Mickey and parasailing got axed at the last minute because we needed the driving time.

Let's see - Just so you all know, no matter how much complaining I may do about my DH in this TR I do love him - BUT - he is the biggest pain in the butt sometimes. You remember the song - "every party has a pooper, that's why we invited you (insert name)" well DH fits that very well. He's very much like Mr. Spock, everything must be logical. And spending $70 for a character breakfast makes no sense to him. So there were some tense moments. At one point we had a "fight" in the car and the kids were so shocked, we just don't fight much. But that was Friday night jut before leaving when we were all tired and getting grumpy.

I promise a FULL TR soon. I don't want to spoil all of the report but DD went to the doctor today and has pneumonia so that explains the pesky cough keeping her and ME awake most nights in FL. She is now thankfully on antibiotics. I also have a sinus infection so I feel like I've been run over a few times and left on the side of the road in the heat.

We did have a great time and I'll try to post a day at a time on here so everyone can read it in order.

[cahogbin]

My parents arrived on Wednesday. They will be house sitting and pet sitting for us. We have a dog, a cat, a rabbit, guinea pig and fish. I finished packing, checking and double checking everything on my list. I cleaned and packed the car of everything but the ice chest and my "last minute" bag that has our bathroom supplies in it that we always finish packing the morning we leave. I packed food for the room, plenty of clothes, extra shoes/sneakers, plates, cups, napkins for the room. All the medicine we could possibly need. Maps, things to keep the kids busy on the train. You name it - I packed it just about. I even somehow managed to get all my typing for work done before we left.

I called and double checked the train status and they were up and running on time. They were finally back on track after Hurricane Frances. We'd been keeping an eye on Hurricane Ivan and he was listening to my pleas to "go west young man". So we were really going to WDW.

Day 1 - Thursday September 16, 2004
We got up and got ready to leave. Everything was packed and we were on our way by 9:30 am for the train station in Lorton, VA. DH always drives and it's my job to take care of the directions. Well, if you've ever ridden with me you would know what a challenge that is. Me and everyone from my 1st grade class that I keep in contact with, which is quite a few, we all have this left versus right disability. We all say the wrong way. I always say to go the way I point and NOT the way I say. I even did an interview on the radio one day for a fund raiser I was working on and gave the directions wrong saying left instead of right. Friends then made a "interview kit for me" with index cards to put in my hands so I could read which way I was pointing so I didn't screw it up again. I did make a mistake and had a turn to early. We still got where we were headed to I-95 just a few miles south of where we expected. The Auto Train station is EASY to find right off of I-95. So we went to a quick mart across the street and filled up our gas tank and got a quick bite to eat. We wouldn't do that again. The food wasn't very good. It was fried chicken and biscuits and we shared it. We thought we would be able to board the train after checking in but they don't do that. You have to check in and then wait until just before the train leaves to board. So we waited for a couple hours there. They did have 1 piece of playground equipment and the kids played on that and we would take turns walking around scoping out the area and trains. Both of the kids love trains. We met several other families. One family was returning home to FL since fleeing before Hurricane Frances. There weren't many families in our "family car". They keep the Senior Citizens in the other cars and families in a car so no one annoys the others. The train actually left almost 30 minutes early because they got the cars attached quickly. The first part went really well on the trip. The kids were doing some homework and playing with stuff in their backpacks. We had dinner for 5:00 PM. It was good. I had crab cakes, DH & DS both had chicken breasts, DD had chicken nuggets chicken choo-choos is what they called them and mac & cheese. Then the movie started at 7:15 pm and it was Shrek 2. The kids and I had seen it already and enjoyed it the 2nd time around. There weren't many people watching it in the lounge car. There weren't many families in the "family car" which was nice. They told us we could move around anywhere we wanted. There were only about 20 people and there were 60 seats or so. There was a family in front of us with 5 children. 4 girls from about 12 down to 2 and then a 2 month old baby boy. Everything was fine before the movie and I thought they would be going to see it. I noticed the older 2 girls were taking care of the younger 2 girls plus the baby. The Mom and Dad weren't doing much. Dad took up 2 seats on his own and spent a lot of time on a cell phone. I think Mom was PPD. When we came back from the movie it was about 9 and time to try to sleep. We started doing bathroom trips and trying to lay down and the one little girl was crying. The mother starts yelling at the older one to shut her up and to spank her and throw her down in the seat. It was horrible. The girl tries to tell her Mom that it's more distracting to everyone else and that all the little one wants is her, Mommy. The Mom is yelling that she's done this for 3 nights now and she was tired and she hasn't had any sleep because of her. Finally the girl gives in and swats the little one which just made it worse, like the older girl predicted. Then Dad shows up. Mad that the older girls aren't making the little one stop crying. So, then he takes her and tries to calm her down. No luck. Then the mother finally gives the baby who was sleeping to the oldest girl and takes the little one. She settled right down. That's all she wanted. I didn't hear a peep out of her the rest of the night. In fact, I was a little afraid she had suffocated her after everything else I heard up there. I really struggled with whether to say anything to her or not. I did pick up that they were moving to FL and taking the train for them to get there and they were having a moving company take everything else down.

Meanwhile, DH has had enough and found seats further back in the train car, even though all the racket had stopped he wanted to move. So we did. We had a really tough time sleeping. DD and I were both hot and couldn't cool off enough to sleep even though we had been cool earlier and put on our jackets they recommended we bring along. DD finally ended up on the floor and fell right to sleep. When DH left DS in a seat by himself he fell asleep too. So DH moved across the isle and had his own seat, I was sleeping over top of DD in my seats.

Day 2 - Friday, September 17, 2004

Breakfast was good, but you had to wait once the dining car was full for them to come and get you to get a seat. Kids had Frosted Flakes cereal. We had hot tea, OJ, muffins, bagels, fruit bowls. It was good. We must have woke up while we were still in GA, because we were almost 3 hours behind by the time we got to Sanford, FL.

Thank goodness, the vans and SUVs are the first vehicles to get unloaded and we were out of the Auto Train station fairly quickly after arriving. I got out my maps and we headed off to Kennedy Space Center. If you've never been there and get the opportunity to go I would highly recommend it. We really enjoyed the tours and looking around. We took a lot of pictures. The kids enjoyed it a lot more than I thought they would. Oh mistake #1 - don't wear jeans in FL. Holy moly, we wore jeans on the train and I was definitely regretting it at KSC. The kids had shorts so they weren't so bad. It was so amazing to touch and walk on the same walkway that the Apollo 11 astronauts had walked on. It's on display there and part of the rocket garden. I wish our train hadn't been late so we could have spent more time there. We did get to see the one 3D movie about the Space Station and Space Shuttles. We closed the place down and never made it to the Astronaut Hall of Fame where the flight simulator is. It was really a lot of fun and definitely a place I would want to spend more time at. The kids really enjoyed it too.

Next stop was the ocean. I've only been to the ocean twice before, Ocean City in 10th grade and Cape Cod for our honeymoon in 1985. DH has only been to the ocean twice too. We stopped just north of Cocoa Beach and payed $5 to go to a beach. It was nice and clean. The kids had a great time. The water was very muddy looking. We can't swim so we only let the kids in holding my hands. They got knocked over by waves and then dug in the sand to watch the waves come in and fill up the holes. Then we went looking for seashells. They got a lot. DS found part of a sand-dollar. Again, another place I wish we would have had a little more time to spend but it was getting dark and we still had to drive to Orlando. We took the toll road and were at the hotel in about an hour.

When we walked in there were about 6 CM's and no one in line to check in. About 3 of them asked at the same time if they could help me. I checked in without any problems. I had sent in a fax on Tuesday requesting a non-smoking room, in Buzz or Woody sections, in a quiet area. We got room 9955 which is a corner room on the 3rd floor against the stairwell but facing Buzz so we could see the characters. So it was perfect. It would be nice if the elevators were closer but we didn't have to deal with too much noise from neighboring rooms. We arrived late and had no opportunity to use our UPH for the day so I asked when we checked in to have it removed and reimbursed. She said she couldn't do it and to come back and ask Guest Services to do it. More to that story later.

Clint took the kids to look around while I unpacked. With 4 of us, there was enough room in the dressers for all of our clothes. I packed an over the door shoe organizer and used it for our bathroom supplies which was great. Thanks to whoever posted that suggestion. I hung it on the clothes rack because that's where we needed it more. I had 12 pairs of shoes/sandals/sneakers against the wall under the window. I had 2 cases of water and a large bag of food, cereal, snacks, a cooler, all between the dresser and the partial wall divider. Then all the luggage fit inside themselves and I put dirty clothes under the sink during the week. I didn't feel cramped at all. Of course, we weren't there that much, mostly just to shower and sleep.

So, the first night we arrived after dark but did get excited when we drove under the Walt Disney World arches getting on property. We got to bed about 11 pm. Tomorrow the plan is MGM for extra magic hour and parade and then to MK for Spectromagic and Wishes.

[BDavis932]

Oh Chris...I love your TR so far....I had never heard of the auto train before and it sounds neat. I feel bad for those poor children having to deal with those parents you encountered...

I can't wait to read about your first day at WDW!!! I'll check back tomorrow...

[cahogbin]

Day 3, Saturday, September 18, 2004

I had our Disney Princess alarm clock from home set for 6 am and I got up and showered and got my backpack packed. I had a fanny pack for each of the kids and me. Kids had autograph books with pens attached with a ribbon. They each would get $15 a day to spend.

OOPs forgot. We had the Prince and Princess package so the kids got $50 Disney Dollars each when we checked in as well as our certificates for the shows priority seating. First thing we did was get our Pal Mickey from the gift shop so we'd have him to start off with in the morning. When I bought him the lady's programmer thing was down. She asked me to go to another check out. I did and they said they didn't have a programmer thing only that other line did. But to just make sure he was turned on when we walked through the turnstile and he would be fine. Meanwhile it was frustrating to be rerouted and wait in long lines while people not in line keep adding stuff to the people in line for them. I tied him to my backpack with the MHM braid Amy sent me. That way I could reach him easier when he giggled or talked to us.

I got DH up at 6:45 am and started to try to wake up the kids. DD finally got up but DS wanted nothing to do with it. I had used the phone to request a 7 am wake up call. So when the phone rang I said to DS to get it. I NEVER let them answer the phone at home. We get a lot of phone calls that are too important for a kid to answer the phone. So he answered the phone and he just sat there all wide eyed. Then he hung up and just went on and on about how Mickey called and told him to get up and that he couldn't wait to see him. It was amazing how fast he got ready then. I had laid out everyone's clothes the night before in little piles and so there was no stress over what to wear. Everyone had some breakfast and I washed up the bowls. Then DH took the kids out and I would check over the room. I would put out the tip envelope for Mousekeeping and then get out the special gifts for the kids.

Oh see - there are going to be lots of OOPS - sorry. I didn't take notes and there was no time to type while we were there. It was go, go, go, go the whole time. I made up some notes from the characters to correspond to little gifts I had picked up for the kids on sale at the Disney Store along the way. I had packed all the gifts in a small bag and had the zipper locked shut so they wouldn't get into it accidentally. Friday night while Clint had the kids out walking around looking at the hotel I put out light jackets for the kids with notes from Mickey and Minnie welcoming them to WDW and telling them some nights it gets cool so here were jackets for them. I waited in the room for our frig to be delivered (no charge because DS has asthma and his medicine needs to be refrigerated some times). So I told them I heard a knock on the door when I was in the shower and the frig was there and so were the jackets.

So..... I left a Buzz Lightyear light up clear doll for Shawn and I don't remember what for Jessie the first day, I think a key chain from Minnie plus the notes.

Then we met at the bus stop and in a few minutes our bus for MGM was there. We got there and in just about 5 minutes before rope drop. DH was asking why did we leave so early if we couldn't get in so I had to explain EMH and rope drop to him. With the masses at rope drop we headed towards Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Tower. We opted for RnR first. We all loved it. The kids thought it was so cool that Aerosmith was popular when I was younger. They both like roller coasters. Then it was on to Tower of Terror. Everyone was gung ho until we saw the Twilight Zone movie in the waiting room. DD started to freak a little. Then when we got to the elevators she refused to go. I tried to explain she would like it when it was done but no luck. So DH took her out and DS and I rode it together. I really liked it. He liked it too but didn't ask to do it again. I thought he could go back on with DH and ride it but neither of them was game. So off to see what else we could do.

I had originally made PS's for Beauty and the Beast for Friday night but we arrived too late since the train was late. We went to Indiana Jones and didn't realize it wasn't open yet. My DS who is like me and can start a conversation with anyone started to talk to the CM there. She said we were the first ones to talk to her so we would get to sit in reserved seating when we came back for the show. She took down our names. We tried to do Star Tours but they were experiencing technical difficulties. We went to do The Great Movie ride and saw Goofy heading back inside. He was the first character we saw. He couldn't stop to sign autographs but the CM with him said he would be back out later. We rode the Great Movie Ride which had quite a line. We got the cowboy which the kids liked. Then we went over to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. It was good. The kids liked it. And Indiana Jones signed their autograph books. So he was the first one to sign for them. The kids also got a certificate for being the first ones at the show and having reserved seating. Indiana Jones signed the certificates too. The kids passed out their thank you cards to everyone and every character seemed to appreciate them.

I think we might have went to Muppets 3D next but I'm not sure. It was really cute. Then we saw Star Tours. Those simulators upset both DH and me now. I guess we're showing our age. Now it was about time for our Sci Fi Diner PS's. The kids got driver's licences since they were in the front. Our waiter introduced himself and said hi to the "drivers", "back seat passengers" and "hitchhikers" to the couple behind us in the 3rd row. Kids split the hot dog and french fries meal. DH got a burger and fries. I got the ribs, coleslaw and something else. It was good. I didn't get the PB&J shake because I didn't see it on the menu. I should have asked. On the way out we made a bathroom stop and I had trouble finding DH & DS afterwards. When I did find them they were waving to Sully who was going back inside for a break. So Matt, if that was you, I missed you but you saw my son and husband. We had PS's for Playhouse Disney at 2pm. We didn't have time to do the Little Mermaid show first. DD and I shopped around a little. We saw the Little Mermaid Show. DS didn't want to see it but DH wanted the AC. I was sweating like I've never sweated before. We did do the Backlot Tour and we let the kids play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids area. The kids spent $3 each on those huge lollypops before the parade. Neither one came close to finishing them. That was the last of their money they spent when they realized it was a waste until we went to Downtown Disney on Friday night before we left.

We got spots by the busts near the Drew Carey Show for the parade. It was in the shade and no one was in front of us. We got slurpees to cool us off while waiting for the parade. When the parade started the kids and I went right up to the line. It was great. Jessie came over to the kids and so did Alice and the White Rabbit. They got lots of nods and waves. The MGM parade was definitely a must see.

Shoot, somewhere in there before the parade we were walking along and out came all the characters for a meet and greet by the big hat. Jessie went to Minnie and Pluto. Shawn went to Donald and Goofy. Then Shawn went to Chip & Dale and we went to Pinocchio and Gepetto. Jessie got the balloon for the last one for Pinocchio and Gepetto. DH carried around her balloon all day. It was signed by the characters ahead of time. By the time we finished there everyone else had a balloon so we didn't get to see any other characters up close. The kids did grab a couple characters as they were heading in to say hi or give them a hug but no more autographs. At least DH was easy to find with the pink balloon the rest of the day.

To get the kids out of the HISTK play area I told them Buzz & Woody were supposed to be at Al's Toy Barn. So we headed there and they were just coming back from a break, we were like 3rd in line. Buzz noticed DH had on a Buzz hat and gave him a high 5. We missed Jessie and Bullseye for autographs. After that we were on our way out we saw Miss Piggy and Kermit and got their autographs too. We did everything on our list for MGM except for Beauty & the Beast and Fantasmic. We'll get them later!

I got the kids the Magical Moments pins before we left and they were blinking off and on all day. Pal Mickey was talking to us a lot telling us different things. The kids did a good bit of pin trading in MGM. But were losing pins which was upsetting them. They lost a back off of one and one pin is gone completely. But they really enjoyed the pin trading. They also can spot a penny machine from 100 paces. We got a lot of pressed pennies. But what a cheap souvenir. They had lots of fun with those.

Then we headed to the Magic Kingdom for Spectromagic and Wishes. We had to take a bus to the TTC and then we chose the monorail to go to MK. We waited for 1 turn so we could have a front seat. They didn't get a certificate for riding in the front though which was disappointing but they didn't know about it so they just enjoyed riding up front.

When we got to MK there were a lot of characters out. We saw Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Gideon, Max, The Sheriff of Nottingham and Meeko. As we were walking up Main Street people were staking out their spot for the parade. We found a spot on the edge of a corner on the side walk where it had been roped off. It's the first "street" to the right across from the Emporium where they do the silhouettes and caricatures. So I sat down there with the kids and DH went and got drinks and ice creams for us. DS wanted a balloon really bad I think since DD had gotten her's from the meet and greet time. We talked about how they wasted $3 on that lollypop and couldn't/didn't finish it and how they wanted special things and they'd better save their money and be careful with how they spend it. So we set a limit of $3 on the balloon which I knew wouldn't cover it but we asked and it was $6. He was disappointed but walked away as agreed. Then we saw how the castle was changing colors and took some pictures. I gave each of the kids a disposable camera in their bags too. So he was taking his own pics. Then DD came out and took some too.

Next was Spectromagic. I thought it came from Frontierland and towards the entrance but Spectromagic runs the other direction. It was really nice and we all enjoyed it. Lots of pics were taken. When it finished we filed in behind the crowd and walked towards the castle. DH wanted to watch it from there. I tried to explain that I heard it wasn't the best spot in front of the castle but that's what he wanted. So we all laid down on the ground and watched the show. It was good but would have been better from another spot. The kids were thrilled to see Tinkerbell come out and fly overhead. The Magical Moments pins were lots of fun blinking during the Spectromagic Parade and fireworks. After the show it was crazy trying to get out of there. We made it to our bus stop and in over 45 minutes on 2 buses had come and left. The line was so far back that we easily watched the Electric Pageant on the water. We waited and waited and other buses had several buses coming in and leaving and nothing was coming for us. So DH suggests going to the TTC via ferry or monorail and catching a bus there. We waited a few more minutes then decided to go for it. We were the last family let on for the ferry. DD was very tired and wanted to be carried a good bit. She was so sleepy. Of course only 8 hours of sleep the night before and she's been up since before 7 and it's now well after 10. We look around TTC and can't find any buses. Finally we find some but there were no spots for the hotels. I saw some buses pull in to a holding area and find a driver and ask him. He said to ask someone at the information area but no one was there. We tried that already. I had also tried to ask a Shades of Green driver but he didn't know. Finally a bus came in for Animal Kingdom. We asked him for help and he was so wonderful. His name was Al. He explained you can't get a hotel bus from the TTC (except like Wilderness Lodge and a few MK resorts) only connect to the other parks. So here we are it's after 11 and we're stuck. So he said he usually has at least 1 family a night he finds there late that did the same thing and he would take us back to AS Movies. So BIG LESSON #1 - you CANNOT get a bus to a resort from the TTC. Just doesn't work. You must suffer through waiting in those horrendous lines at MK after the fireworks. We figure we wouldn't have gotten back any sooner because of how long the lines were at MK anyway. That is one thing they really should fix in the bus system. You should be able to go from point A to any point B in WDW without having to transfer somewhere.

So off to bed, a little grumpy from the experience but tomorrow is EMH at MK and breakfast at CRT.

[cahogbin]

Day 4, Sunday, September 19, 2004

I forgot when we got back to the room Saturday night the kids went nutz over presents being left for them by the characters. But Shawn wouldn't stop playing with Buzz when it was time for bed so we had to take it from him. He was trying to sleep with it but he kept talking and lighting up.

OK - the plan is to go to MK for EMH, CRT for 10:20 and then some more MK until parade time then leave for Epcot for Illuminations or MGM for Fantasmic.

I get up at 6 am, get everything ready in my backpack again, have the kids' stuff all ready and get DH up at 6:45 for his shower. Today I get DS out of bed but no luck with DD. Then the phone rings right on cue. I let her answer the phone today and she says, "Hello..... Who is this?" then she hollers, "It's Mickey, Mom, he called me too."

DD has her Princess dress to wear. It's really a Princess petal nightgown with spaghetti straps. Perfect for this hot weather. I had her wear a pair of shorts underneath and had a shirt in the back pack for her. Then I had her wear socks and sneakers. I saw other little princesses in the heavy costumes and shoes you could tell were hurting their little feet and I was glad we opted for the simpler dress up option. We got to MK at 8:05 so we just missed the rope drop. When we got there a bunch of characters were at the front of Main Street. We got autographs and pictures with Baloo, Daisy Ducky, Prince John and Gov. Ratcliffe. The other characters we had gotten before. When we were with Prince John and Gov. Ratcliffe I get a tap on the shoulder. I turn around and it's a friend from WV. They were there too. She asked me if I heard her calling me, which I didn't. But it was so funny to see them there. They said there was a lot of damage up home from Ivan and they had trouble getting to the airport due to flooding. It was the only time I saw them there though. So we walked up Main Street and got pictures in front of the castle. I sure hope they turn out.

We went to Buzz Lightyear first. We just walked on basically. Then I think it was Space Mountain next. I can't remember what order we did things in. But I remember we decided to go to Splash Mountain and get a fast pass so that after breakfast we could just go straight back there. But the lines were so short most rides weren't giving fast passes. We rode Big Thunder Mountain and then headed to the castle for breakfast. We got there and stood in line for the Fairy Godmother. She was sweet and took pictures and signed autographs. Then they called our name. Upstairs we go. We were tucked back in the corner and saw all the princesses making the rounds. Our waiter was very good and the food was great. I really enjoyed it all. Just as we finished up came the princesses to our level. The kids were about to bust in anticipation of them coming to our table. Aurora was our first princess. We teased my husband that she was his favorite because of her long blonde hair. He's always asking for a blonde for Christmas. Next came Belle and Mary Poppins. The kids had been giving out their little thank you cards with their names and addresses on the back to every character and if they had one with the character they were meeting they made sure to give them that card. Well Belle and Mary Poppins were so thrilled about it they said it deserved something special so they went away and when they came back Snow White had just shown up. Well, they sprinkled the kids with Mickey head shaped confetti - PIXIE DUST and everyone was having a great time. Snow White asked for some Pixie Dust too so she could share it. Mary Poppins gave her a hard time about not being prepared, then Belle gave her some of her Pixie Dust. As Shawn was looking at Mary Poppins and Belle I mouthed to Snow White to PLEASE give DS a kiss. So she took off his hat and kissed him right on the forehead with her bright red lipstick marks left behind. Not to be outdone, Belle then kissed him on the cheek with her pink lipstick. He was in his glory. I had a round paper that will be sent away to the Make-it company to have plates made of the signatures. All of the Princesses and the Fairy Godmother signed it and I dated it. We took lots of pictures too. It was so wonderful. We used our free breakfast tickets from the Prince and Princess Package for this breakfast. DH didn't have a problem with this one because I told him it was included in the package for free. This is a definite must for anyone with kids who love the Disney Princesses.

First sign of trouble was I had to go to the bathroom ASAP. Both DH and I have had our gallbladders removed and since when we have to go, we have to go and sometimes a meal will trigger an urgent need for a bathroom. So I didn't think much of it. I changed DD's dress and into her T-shirt and away we went off to ride more rides at MK. DH and I had some communication problems about where to meet. We had those little walkie talkies but so many other people were on them we'd get frustrated and turn them off because we were tired of the noise. We went to Hall of Presidents and I had to go to the bathroom again. When I was in the bathroom with DD at Harbor House (I think that's the name of the restaurant) DH and DS left the Hall of Presidents show. So I was waiting for them at the wrong place. UGGH! Then another time I was waiting for him somewhere and he didn't come back to the original spot. I wanted to throttle him but figured it was too hot for a funeral so I didn't.

We went to Splash Mountain and really enjoyed it. What a sweet ride. The kids loved it since we've read the B'rer Rabbit stories to them before. Please, Please - Don't throw me in the briar patch.

We did get to the Hall of Presidents but it was almost time for the parade and we were supposed to be quiet and I couldn't get Pal Mickey to SHUT UP. He talks sometimes without you pushing his hand or belly and I finally had to leave because he just kept talking about finding a spot for the parade. So I went to the exit to wait for my family and they didn't come out the exit. Instead they went out another way to try to find me. Again, mis-communication made for some frustration. We decided to stay there to watch the parade. We were right near the turn. Some people were in front of the kids and so we put them up on the brick flower beds so they could see better. It was a really nice parade and the kids loved it. Then we decided to head to Big Thunder Mountain again. Then Splash Mountain again. Then we took the train over to Toontown. The kids played at Donald's boat for a while. It was just so hot. I know it felt good when I'd get a shot of water accidentally. Then we went to Goofy's Barnstormer. It was fun, just short. Then we were hungry. We ended up at Cosmic Rays. Then we went to get fast passes at Space Mountain and rode Buzz several times until our fast pass time was ready. It was a couple minutes early but the CM let us go ahead. The kids were fascinated with those balloon balls that they sell. But $30 for a regular ball was TOO MUCH. And over $300 for the big ball was unbelievable. When they heard the prices they quickly stopped asking for one and just would play with them on the air blower every time we walked by. Next we headed to Fantasyland. The kids opted to stay at MK for the day and do something else another time. We went in Mickey's Philharmagic which was my absolute favorite thing there. DH keeps saying it's not a ride it's a show. But I loved it. Then we went to the Haunted Mansion. The kids didn't want to go but DH and I both did so we made a deal that if they didn't see any other kids leaving crying that they would go on it. Of course, no one was crying so that was good. Then we also agreed we'd go to Pooh and Peter Pan when we were done. HM was good, not as scary as I thought it would be. I did find the hidden Mickey in the diningroom. We went back to Fantasyland and the lines for Peter Pan and Pooh were ridiculous. So DH and DS went on Snow White and DD and I went on Cinderella's Carousel. She loves horses and picked a very pretty one that she called "Rain" from "Spirit". We went ahead and left before the fireworks and saw them starting when we were on the bus.

The kids had presents again today but I don't remember what they were. DD got Tinkerbell doll I think and DS probably got a keychain. They love keychains and had been nagging me for them at the Disney Store before we left. I got them on clearance. YEAH for Mom!! They are now convinced the characters are the ones cleaning our rooms and leaving the gifts behind.

Oops -
We did Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise too. DD did NOT like PoC. The Jungle Cruise guide was really funny. Lots of lame jokes but some really funny ones too.

We did the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House too.

The only things we missed were Toontown Hall of Fame, Mickeys and Minnies houses, Peter Pan, Pooh, Country Bear Jamboree. Liberty Steamboat was closed that day for refurbishment and so was Goofy's Jamboree. I knew we'd be back so I wasn't worried.

Oh also we tried to take the train out to the front from Toontown but it stops running at 7:30 so we had to walk out.

We really had a great time. (minus all the pitstops for me - UGGH!)

[llama]

I am enjoying your Trip Report so much! What a good idea to include the pre-trip report too. Thank you for taking so much time and thought with it. Looking forward to the rest.

[cahogbin]

Day 5, Monday, September 20, 2004

During the night Jessie started with a nasty cough. It kept me up a good bit and she ended up coughing until she threw up at one point. She was sleeping through the whole thing. DS has asthma and so I'm used to this sort of thing, but not from DD. We did the outside and then in to the hot steamy bathroom which she hated. She ended up falling asleep and not coughing after 1 am very much.

Today the plan is Animal Kingdom with PS's at Pocahontas, Tarzan Rocks, Lion King and Flights of Wonder. I wanted to do the Safari first. We get there again just a few minutes after 8. We head straight to the Safari and got a fast pass for it for later. It worked out that when we got off of the first trip it was time for the 2nd one. Both trips were amazing. The animals were really out and we saw a lot. On the first ride we saw a stork coming after the car and we were in the back seat. It was a great view. He had his wings spread out and his red mark on his chest showing. The lions were out, we saw lots of giraffe in fact we had to stop for them since they were in the road. We saw a cheetah. It was just great. The 2nd trip the lions were up walking on their rock. The guide said that's the best view he's seen of the lions in months. At the end of the first trip, I took the wrong side of the path towards a waterfall. There was a gorilla taking a nap on a ledge next to the waterfall. It was so cool to see him so close. We went to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and saw more gorillas and lots of other animals. Next on the list was Dinosaur. Again, I'm not sure of exact order of things but we also stopped for lunch at Flametree. I ended up getting 3 kids' PB&J sandwiches which came with drinks and I got a pork BBQ sandwich. The corn on the cob was mushy and not good at all. It's funny, DD loves corn so I offered it to her first and she said "No, restaurant corn is yucky Mommy." Well she was right!! So DH got to eat for a very small price that day. We rode Primeval whirl. We were all in line and when DH saw it spinning so much he said he wasn't going to ride. I said OK, when we get up here just ask for the chicken out line. I meant it nicely but he got his feathers ruffled and refused to not ride it then. He said he was going to puke in my hat if it made him sick. I just giggled and laughed because he was so funny about it. The kids and I rode it again later but he sat out. We also went to the Wooly Mammoth dig site. The Boneyard is closed for refurbishment or - because they found a rare fossil and are trying to remove it without any damage so it's closed right now. The kids LOVED the dig site. If the boneyard were open I'd never have gotten them out.

We ran into Lilo and Stitch at the entrance to Camp Minnie/Mickey but Lilo went away before we could see her. But we still got to see Stitch and got pictures and autographs.

The kids decided they did not want to see Lion King or Flights of Wonder. They said they didn't like how Lion King looked on the video. We went to Kali River Rapids because it was looking like it might storm and we knew they'd close the ride down. It started to sprinkle just a little off and on. The guy next to me on the ride and myself were the ones who got absolutely soaked. There wasn't a dry spot on me. Everyone else got wet but not soaked like me. Next we headed to Pocahontas since we had PS's. Just as we sat down it started to pour. So they canceled the show. They gave us our PS slips back and told us to come back another time. That's when I realized at least in the off season you don't even need a PS. Just your slips to get the seats.

So we put on our ponchos and headed out to the park. We did It's Tough to be a Bug which was cute. The Tree of Life was just gorgeous. Then we did the Maharajah Jungle Trek. It was great. The tigers were out and we could see them really well. The animals like the rain. The kids did a smelling adventure test on the trail. The CM's were great telling us about the animals. So after being in the rain for about an hour it hits me why don't we try to go to the Conservation Station it might be a dry area. On the way there the kids see some African drums and start playing them and I'm not kidding you the rain just stopped. It was so weird. They kept playing on them and it just kept slowing down. By the time we got to the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch it had stopped completely. They had just started the petting zoo part when we got there so the kids were into the goats and sheep. The conservation station was really nice. DH gave me a hard time about not thinking of the Conservation Station when it was raining instead of after it stopped. I told him he was wet already and to quit complaining. MEN! :) I wanted to go to the Safari again but we had PS's for Tarzan Rocks. We had about 15 minutes before the show started and I saw that Pooh, Tigger & Eyeore were signing autographs. So we went down and got in line. Shawn fussed he didn't want to go because what if no one was there. Well all 3 of them were there and we were the last family for pictures and autographs. It was great. He was so glad he went. Plus on the way out Tigger was our last character and he and Shawn and me BOUNCED all the way up the hill to where he had to leave for his break. Not many people get to spend that much time with the characters. Again, another score for MOM!

Our seats there were AWESOME. There are 2 levels and the sound booth is at the top of the 1st level. Then the PS seats are right behind the sound booth so there was no one in front of us and we had a full view of the stage. It wasn't what I expected. The music was very loud and there wasn't as much skating as I expected. But 2/3 of the way through the show DH is sitting with his arms crossed obviously NOT having a good time and he leaned over to me and said, "Why are we here?" I told him because this is something the kids really wanted to do they wanted to see the skating and stuff. So he still sits there with his arms crossed. Then Turk comes on stage and she starts singing. Well then she is up on stage by the sound booth trying to get the audience to clap with the music. I'm clapping and swaying with the kids. DD really loves music. Then Turk jumps off the upper stage and right in front of us. She walks up to DH and I still don't know what she said and he can't remember either but she gave him a rough time about not clapping. I laughed til I almost wet my pants and he was so embarrassed. I told him I would laugh about that for MONTHS. Then whenever she'd come back he'd try to start clapping. SO FUNNY! She shook all of our hands and even stood up on the rail in front of us to get people behind us.

Since we got the AK meal deal at lunch for the kids (and DH) we had our ice cream/popcorn and drink coupons left. DH kept making faces whenever I would bring up my coupons. He decided he wanted something like a burger to eat. So he went for his burger and the kids and I got Mickey bars. Our first ever!! A nice lady took our picture taking our first bite of our first Mickey Bar. We ate them then met up with DH at the burger joint he found. It was a McDonalds in AK. We rode Primeval Whirl again and then let the kids dig in the Wooly Mammoth dig until it was 5 and the park was closed. They were convinced that if they could dig up a bone that the park would put up a sign with their names on it that they found a certain bone and dug it up. And that it would show other kids how fun it was to dig there. They had a great time. That was one of their favorite things to do. All that money and they are content to play in a big sand box. We grabbed the bottles of soda with our coupons on the way out.

Then we're off to MGM again. DH takes DS and they go to RnR and DD and I head to Beauty and the Beast show. We agree to meet up at 7:30 for Fantasmic. The original PS seats for B&B were off to the far right. But since there were no CM guests we were able to move to front and center just before the show started. We were in the 2nd row and was perfect. We both loved this show. We were able to do some shopping before the show. We went to the Christmas shoppe and looked at ornaments. I always get the kids an ornament each year. Usually it's a Hallmark but I thought since we were in WDW this year that would be special. So I let DD walk around and look. I also so a Baby's First Christmas ornament with a baby Mickey on a hobby horse for a dear friend of mine who just had a baby. He was due after we got home from WDW but was born 5 weeks early. So I thought that was something no one else would get him for a gift.

DD also found a Jessica Rabbit pressed penny. They just saw, Who Framed Roger Rabbit a week or so before we left for Disney. DS's friend Justin was over and they were actually wrestling eachother so they could try to kiss Jessica on TV. It was hysterical. So my Jessie got DS the Jessica Rabbit penny and gave it to him when we met at Fantasmic.

I also could have swore I saw a Princess Pressed Penny book but we went back and I couldn't find it. DD was falling in love with a Princess hat. But knew she needed to wait until Friday to get her keepsakes. Back to B&B just in time. Then when it was over. We tried to get on RnR but the time said 20 minutes and we wouldn't make our 7:30 meet time with DH & DS.

We went into Fantasmic together and it was pretty full in the center sections. I decided to walk down to the bottom then across to get the best seat in the bottom side sections. But on the way down I saw a spot for us that wasn't saved yet. So we grabbed it. Row G in the center. WOW!! DH the eternal pessimist at times or just trying to yank my chain starts saying, "it's going to rain". I told him to be quiet. Just as the show starts, I mean within the first 5 seconds it starts to POUR! We get out the ponchos again. For 57 cents each at Big Lots they really held up. It only rained for a couple minutes then the wetness was coming from the splash of the fountains in the show. It was a really good show. We liked it. The kids did buy cotton candy for themselves.

On the way out Jessie started asking about the Christmas shoppe. I told her I didn't think Daddy would want to stop since it was so late. He said, let's get out of this massive crowd. Shopping sounds good. I wasn't sure if someone possessed his body briefly or what but we ducked into the Christmas shoppe. So DD got the star with the hidden Mickey heads in it, a metal ornament which should hold up beautifully. DS picked out the Sorcerer Mickey for his ornament. And I got Baby Brady his ornament to take home for when I see him in a couple weeks when I go to my parents.

Then off to the dreaded bus waiting lines. UGGH!! At least there were several All Star buses there and we didn't have to wait long even though the line was incredible.

Tomorrow was supposed to be Universal but I was starting to get a bit of a revolt and thought everyone could use a day to sleep in. So I changed the plans to water parks during the day and Epcot at night which were our original plans for Wednesday. Then I could also do some laundry in the morning and everyone else could sleep in.

The kids had such a great time in AK. They kept asking when they could come back. I only had 1 day scheduled there and it wasn't enough for us. So when people say AK is a ½ day park I think they are wrong. It was one of our favorites.

[cahogbin]

Day 6, Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Up again at 6 am. This time off to do laundry. Called my Mom which I did most mornings to check in on the house and pets. Plus I bought a bunch of postcards last night (Monday night at MGM) because I had a bunch to send out to family and friends and spread a little Pixie Dust of my own. I also bought the soda mugs at All Stars sometime. DH didn't want them but I did and he let it be known that he disagreed with my decision to buy them. More clutter he calls them. But we definitely got our money's worth from them. I had my little container of quarters ready for doing laundry. I brought some items in a laundry basket so that came in handy. Plus I brought a small bottle of Tide and fabric softener sheets from home. I haven't been to a laundromat in a long time but $2 a load to wash and dry was a bit much. I had 3 loads to wash and I thought I'd be smart and put the colored and whites in the same dryer BUT I still had to put in another $2 to get them dry. So only 3 medium sized loads I spent $14. At least I saved on the detergent and softener sheets.

I did my postcards while I was waiting for the laundry. I bought the stamps ahead of time for the trip and I made address labels so it would be easier to send out so many cards. I also did a little shopping alone and took pictures of all the icons at our hotel.

DS was up when I got back to the room but DD and DH were still out. I got them up about 8:45 and we headed to Blizzard Beach. I also found our mousekeeper and asked her why she hadn't taken her tip envelope the day before. She said she wasn't sure it was for her. I assured her it was and that I would leave both days for her today. I also asked her if she did any of the towel creatures and she said she didn't know how. I said that was OK. Then asked her for 2 more pillows to help prop up the kids since DD was coughing during the night.

It was cloudy/overcast and a little cooler but not cold by any means. We didn't get COLD but it felt better in the water than out that's for sure. It didn't rain maybe a sprinkle here and there. We got a locker and life vests for the kids. Then we rode the ski lift so Slusher Gusher. It was fun. I got a big time wedgie and definitely understand why they say NOT to wear a 2 piece swimsuit. Not that I have the body for that anyway but it felt like the bottom of my swimsuit was up to my shoulders. Imagine what would happen to the top half of a 2 piece swimsuit. DH is not a water person. Plus the rides were making his stomach upset. So he mainly just watched for the day. After Slusher Gusher back up the ski lift to do Summit Plummet. I SURVIVED SUMMIT PLUMMET!! The kids loved it too. You just don't realized how steep that drop is til you go over the edge. Wow an even worse wedgie and an enema to boot. Off to the bathrooms again I go.

Up the ski lift again to the toboggan racers. DS is a terrible loser and I beat him down so he had a slight melt down. Then we started walking the stairs to do the other racing side. Then walked up again to a different tube ride. Then up the steps again trying to find another ride that you can't get to from that side of the stairs. You have to walk around it and go up a different set of steps that are only for that ride. I forget the name of it but you can go by yourself or 2 people in a tube. We rode a few of them twice but everything at least once. Then we went to do the family raft ride. I told the kids NO MORE STEPS. My calves were burning. We went over to the ski lift and it was closed because of the winds. So up the steps I go, so much for no more steps. We did the family raft ride and then the kids went to the kids' section with the ice burgs which DD mastered quickly. DS didn't have enough patience and kept falling off which made him even madder. DS did get to do the hanging drop thing into a pool of water. He did really well at that. He got to where when he hit the end he could make himself flip.

Then time to eat some lunch. It was after 1. I wanted to go to Typhoon Lagoon so I could do the shark reef. No one else wanted to go. So I had a mutiny on my hands. I was trying to persuade them to do it my way when DH said, "It sounds like that's what YOU want to do." Oh he made me so mad. It's even worse when he's RIGHT! UGGH! So the kids wanted to go to Epcot for Mission:Space and Test Track. So off to Epcot we go.

We got there and saw the tiles that were available with our package too and decided to do that for our gift option. We went to Test Track and got fast passes then to Mission:Space first. It was really fun but I was dry heaving for 5 hours. It was a very bizarre sensation. Then we went to Test Track. Then over to the Living Seas. Then in the Land to eat in the Sunshine Court or something like that it was called. Then on to Imagination for Honey I Shrunk the Audience. I tried to get DH to stop at the Ice Cool Station but after the uprising at Blizzard Beach he didn't want to give in to me while he was winning. We went back to Mission:Space and Test Track. DH got a really upset stomach on M:S too so he just would take DS up and then get in the chicken out lane and wait for him. DD and I rode test track several times. Then on to the countries. We had already eaten so no one wanted to look around that much. We just walked around the lagoon and looked at each country. I took pictures for my Grandma. I talked to her a few weeks ago for her B-day and she said that she had always loved geography and wished that she could have traveled. But she didn't and now her health isn't very good. She said she had thought of going to Epcot to see the different things but never got a chance to so she asked me to take lots of pictures, so I did. In the little outpost section we got a bell/shaker/noisemaker thing. We're building a 2 story rock climbing wall on our barn for the kids and needed a bell so when they get to the top they could ring it to prove they made it. We couldn't find what we wanted before and this new bell thing we got will work perfectly and should withstand the weather since it's made of nut shells or something.

We did go up and look around Canada a little bit. I stopped and thought about a beaver tail but my stomach wasn't better yet really and it looked awfully big. But it smelled good.

After the walk around the World Showcase we tried to go in some of the Innoventions but it was just 7pm and they were closing. So then DH turns to me and says, "what about that soda place you've been asking about?" well it was closed too. Then we did Test Track and Mission:Space again then we went to leave. Then we went into the Electric Umbrella. They were having trouble with their soda machines or something and I waited an incredibly long time for our order. On Monday, DH was upset that I got too much soda and that the kids couldn't finish it all and it was a waste of money. Then tonight he was upset that I didn't get enough soda. I was in a no win situation at that point. We were getting grumpy and the kids were starting to act up. They were trying to make a mess with the ketchup and DH lost it on them. Finally we're headed out. Then DH says, "are you going to do that picture thing or not?" So we took the kids over to get their pictures done. Then we headed out and back to the hotel. On the way back to the hotel he says that I have to get to the room first and take away their "gift from the characters" for that day. He also wanted me to write a note saying it was because they were BAD. He was really grumpy. I agreed to take away the gifts because they felt it was a given and needed a little reminder that they needed to still use their manners and behave correctly but I refused to write the note.

So back to the hotel and just an OHH to no gifts being there. Mousekeeping did leave a towel puppy. He's cute. She must have asked someone else for him. We brought him home. Mousekeeping also started doing funny things with the toys in the room. I can't remember which days she did what but some days there was someone in the window looking out for us. One day they had the toys in the bed on a pillow like they were sleeping with the do no disturb sign. One day they had them on the end of the bed with the remote watching Disney Channel. Another day they had Pal Mickey and Buzz in bed on the pillow with the blankets pulled up under their arms and Tink was sitting on the bed reading them a story out of the Adventures magazine in the room. Really cute things. Sometimes the puppy was in the window looking for us. She was really nice and our room was always spotless.

Later DD said something about no gifts today from the characters and I said maybe it was because they hadn't listened very well today and they should try harder tomorrow to use their manners and be good. She shook her head.

Tomorrow is our first day at Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.