[KP's Mom]

This is my first trip report – I guess there is a first time for everything.
Cast me (OCD Planner) – 35
DH (Struck with acute photocitis)– 46
DM (Caught acute photocitis from her DSIL my DH)– 57
DF (in charge of stroller watching and package carrying) – 59
And the star of the show
DD (Previously scared of Chucky Cheese, now suffering from acute character obsession)- 5

The trip began at 8 a.m. on 1-28. Loaded the family truckster and began the 1 1/2 hour drive from Somerset, PA to the Pittsburgh Airport. Trip to the airport was uneventful. Check-in and security as smooth as possible. Quick McD’s lunch and then off to our gate. DD loved watching the planes take off and land and she loved the flight also as it was her first plane ride. Landed in Orlando on time and off to find our driver. We used Quicksilver transportation. I was very happy with their service. 10 minute wait for luggage and we were off in our Cadillac Escalade. We were supposed to have a van but they ran out. Quite a bummer, as we were so looking forward to bouncing around in a van and now are forced to slum it in a Cadillac. We were allotted a 30 minute grocery stop of which we took full advantage. Fruit, junk food, junk breakfast food, beer, wine, beer, and beer. All Star Movies here we come.

Check in at All Star Movies was fine. About a 20 minute wait, but it was 4:00 p.m. so nothing unexpected. We were able to get the adjoining rooms we requested, however, we were not able to “live” in the Toy Story section. We were in the Mighty Ducks section which wasn’t so bad as we had a pool right outside our room. We were pretty far from the bus stop, however, discovered that the AS Music bus stop was about 100 yards away. We utilized both throughout the week.

After check-in we decided to head to the Magic Kingdom to “check it out.” DD was thrilled with the castle, however, was less than thrilled with the overwhelming crowd lining up to see Spectro. We fought our way through the masses and made it to Tomorrowland. Stitch is my daughter’s favorite character and his Great Escape was calling our name. No wait at all so we proceeded to experience Stitch. I didn’t think the ride was as bad as some do, however, I am a Stitch fan myself, so….Following the Great Escape we headed to ToonTown. We checked out Minnie’s House and then rode Goofy’s Barnstormer. DD wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. She can be a wimp at times. Off to the Hall of Fame. There was a 40 minute wait for the Princesses so we opted for the 10 minute wait for Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. Much to our surprise DD was thrilled to meet Minnie. She was not thrilled about Goofy or Donald. At this point I was disappointed as I began to fear that the entire trip would involve hiding from characters. Fortunately, I was wrong.

The whole crew was hungry since we hadn’t eaten since 11:30 – current time is 7:15 p.m. We headed to Cosmic Rays as we were on the Dining Plan and figured it would be simpler to use a CS. Food was decent. Not great, not bad, just decent and the amount was more than sufficient. We ate on the patio and were able to see portions of Spectro as they made the turn from Main St. to Liberty Square. At this point everyone was exhausted so we made our way to the Bus Stop for ASM. Only about a 3 minute wait and we were on our way. Off to bed so that we could be at the MK for the “Opening Ceremonies” as described by my DM.

[Dana]

So far so good. Can't wait to read more.

[Princess Tessa]

Awesome so far! Can't wait to read more...

[DayDreamer]

Originally Posted by KP's Mom

I was very happy with their service. 10 minute wait for luggage and we were off in our Cadillac Escalade. We were supposed to have a van but they ran out. Quite a bummer, as we were so looking forward to bouncing around in a van and now are forced to slum it in a Cadillac.

I wish someone would force me to slum it! Great report, look forward to hearing more. Pics??

[Maria]

Great first day! More please

[mistikbunny]

Sounds like an awsome trip so far! Can't wait to read more.

[dac921]

More... More...

Can't wait for MORE!

[KP's Mom]

Sunday, January 29th – Day 2
Since I was the OCD member of our group I informed everybody that we were leaving our rooms at 7:45. As I had hoped we were gone by 8:10. We had less than a 10 minute wait for the bus. Off to the MK. We were through the turnstiles by 8:45. We hung around and waited for the “Opening Ceremonies.” My 5 year old was very impressed with the show and with Mickey’s arrival on the train.

Upon entering the park we headed straight for Fantasyland and Dumbo. Even at 9:10 there was already a 10 minute wait. My DM and DD rode and enjoyed Dumbo. Following Dumbo we walked on to Peter Pan, IASW (my daughter enjoyed it, I can’t say it would make my Top 10), Snow White, Got a FP for Pooh (my first FP ever – in case I didn’t mention this was only my 2nd trip to WDW – the first was 20 years ago.). We then waited for 20 minutes to meet Ariel. It was worth it. My daughter loved the play area, the weather was perfect (low 70’s), and Ariel was great. Well worth the wait when you have a 5 year old. Following Ariel, we took a spin on the Carousel, Mad Tea Party and then utilized our FP’s. My father could not understand why someone wouldn’t use an FP. Lunch was at 11 at PVH as we were too lazy to walk to another section of the park. The food was above average for CS, nothing great though.

Following lunch we hit Philharmagic. I thought it was excellent. DD wasn’t as thrilled. After she took the glasses off she was much better. She just held her ears as it was pretty loud. Following lunch we walked over to Liberty Square to try to find Woody and Jessie. We were successful. Got there just in time for their break. They were back within 5 minutes and DD was thrilled again. More autographs.

As we were waiting for Woody and Jessie DD discovered pin trading. I had purchased a lanyard and some pins from ebay to get her started. She loved it. Of course she attempted to obtain every Stitch pin she could get her hands on. She occasionally threw in a Princess or Minnie for good measure.

We decided to head back to ASM and take advantage of the beautiful weather. By now it was pushing 80 – or at least it felt like it was pushing 80. My daughter loves to swim and was in her glory. DH swam with her while I worked. I think I forgot to mention that this trip came about as my need to go to Orlando for business. I had to do a 4 hour presentation in Lake Buena Vista. With my company paying for my flight it seemed like a real bargain to take 4 additional people, pay for 8 days of park hopper passes, and 16 hotel rooms. But, hey, I got a free flight. Sorry, I digress. Anyway….I desperately needed to spend about an hour preparing so I did so by the pool with the loud ASM music blaring in the background. One can imagine how well I concentrated. By the way, I did swim for a few minutes and the pool was not exactly warm.

We had PS or ADR’s or whatever they are at 1900 for the Cinderella dinner. Back to the bus, then the monorail and off to meet Cinderella. We arrived 10 minutes early so we did look around a bit. The Grand Floridian is nice, but not my cup of tea. My DH felt he fit in rather well, however, he did have 4 beers during the afternoon so his judgment was slightly clouded. When we arrived at the dinner Perla was doing a meet and greet outside of the dining room. DD was thrilled. She kept saying, “Cinderelli, Cinderelli” to Perla. We were seated within 5 minutes of arriving. We were told that they had some bad news for us. Prince Charming, Cindy, Suzy, and Perla would be there as scheduled, however, the Fairy Godmother was unable to make it. My daughter was slightly disappointed until they told us that Princess Aurora would be there instead. Again, just as disappointed as when we were forced to bypass the van. Again, I digress. The meal was very good. In fact, I think it was one of my favorites. Suzy, Prince Charming, Cinderella, and Aurora all made it to our table within 45 minutes. My daughter loved it. I will try to post pictures as soon as I have time. The highlight of the evening was when she finished talking with Prince Charming and looked at me and said, “He called me Princess.” The expression on her face and the tone of her voice was priceless.

We left the GF and arrived at the MK around 7:20. Just enough time to enter the park and obtain a decent viewing spot for Wishes. We watched from the Tomorrowland Bridge so that DD could see Tinkerbell. Since DD is not into loud noises I brought earplugs for her. They worked wonderfully. She held her ears, but actually watched the show and loved Tinkerbell. Since I had an early morning on Monday we left the park following the fireworks even though it was EMH. Back to ASM and early to bed.

[Princess Tessa]

thats so great, I just love what magic it can bring to a little girl when a character or a CM - or anyone - calls her a Princess

[Erin]

I see Disney Magic is at work for you on your trip! I can't wait to read more!

[daisyd]

Great TR so far KP's Mom My DD will turn 5 when we are there in October, and 1900 Park Fare is on our list, so I'm glad to hear your family had such a good experience.

I look forward to reading more

[jo-jo]

" I think I forgot to mention that this trip came about as my need to go to Orlando for business. I had to do a 4 hour presentation in Lake Buena Vista. With my company paying for my flight it seemed like a real bargain to take 4 additional people, pay for 8 days of park hopper passes, and 16 hotel rooms. But, hey, I got a free flight. "

Makes perfect sense to us.

Great TR, more, more!!!

[MissDisney]

This is a great TR!!! ... See how that OCD planning pays off??? LOL

[KP's Mom]

Monday, January 30 – Day 3 – Otherwise known as Daddy’s Day of Glory
The crew – minus me – awoke to pouring rain (I was long gone at 6:30 a.m. – not my cup of tea). Fortunately there were no a.m. plans as they decided to just hang around the hotel until I returned. I had planned to be back between 1-2. I cut the meeting short and made it back my 12. Anyway…they decided to head to the ASM FoodCourt for breakfast. Apparently it was very average or maybe slightly below average. Whatever, small kink in the plan. My mother and daughter toured the ASM resort after the rain ended. Pictures with the giant Woody (does that sound right?), Buzz, and the rest of the Toy Story items. They also managed to build a crown at the resort store – Donald’s something or other.

After I returned we headed to EPCOT. We entered the park around 1:15. After obtaining a stroller I parked the crew near the Character Connection and obtained FP’s for Soarin. We only had an hour to burn. We then entered the Character Connection. It was excellent. No lines whatsoever. DD met Minnie – again, Mickey, Chip/Dale, and Pluto. She loved it. By now we had the procedure down to a science. I remove the lid from the pen, open the autograph book to the appropriate page, and hand the Photopass to the Photographer. DH and DM begin snapping pictures like maniacs. Upon the signing of the autograph I enter the scene and grab the book so that we will not risk the book covering any essential portion of the official picture. DF just stands there with the stroller. By the end of the trip we were like robots.

Innoventions East was our next stop. Nothing there thrilled any of us until….the virtual baseball game. I saw my husband and father both immediately come to life. They were going to send the 5 year old DD to the plate to show off her stuff. There were 4 kids in line in front of her, probably a 10 minute wait. That didn’t matter, we can’t wait for the Princesses, but this is baseball and this 5 year old girl can play. OK, I will admit that mom is rather sports oriented too and the need to show my kids stuff was also eating at me. There was a little boy who hit before my DD – he was about 7 or 8 and he was good. Very impressive to watch that swing. Anyway…the 5 year old steps up to the plate, looks at Daddy, he nods his head and she assumes her stance. She did miss the first two but after that hit the ball rather well. She had two homeruns and those walking by were impressed. As we exited the building Dad was doing everything in his power to keep from smiling. Enough competitiveness, back to some Disney Magic.

We had time to hit Figment prior to our FP’s for Soarin. DD liked it. Esp. the skunk smell. She likes Princesses, sports, and the smell of skunks. We can’t quite figure her out. Off to Soarin. Again, my father could not understand why people did not obtain FP’s. The wait was 50 minutes and he felt bad walking past them. I had no problem with it. I don’t know if some people are afraid the machine will eat their little card and they will never see it again. If anyone has a good answer to this question please advise. BTW Test Track was closed and Mission Space had a 10 minute wait so I can’t imagine they already had an FP for another ride. We loved Soarin – surprise. We put this on our list of must repeat attractions.

It is now 3:30 and we decided to head to Canada for our 4:00 ADR at LeCellier. While waiting we picked up a PassPort for my daughter and visited the Kidcot Stop. She simply colored her mask while we waited for our table. It worked perfectly. LeCellier was great. I would go back without hesitation – provided I was on the Dining Plan again. DM, DF, and I had the Cheese Soup appetizer and it was great. My husband ordered a salad. Since DD was entitled to an app we ordered her the shrimp cocktail. Wow, the cocktail sauce was great. Absolutely great. Entrée’s were good also. I had the Petite Filet as did DM, we both really enjoyed it. My father had the salmon and said it was good. DH had some big honkin steak as he felt the 7oz filet would not be sufficient. He said his steak was average. I tried to explain quality over quantity but as usual in one ear out the other. Desert was decent too. I must mention that we really enjoyed the beer and wine. I loved the Pale Ale they had on tap. I loved it 3 times actually. I determined that this was my night to cut loose. Work was over and it was time to relax.

Following dinner we began our journey around the world. We managed to hit each Kidcot Stop and my daughter completed her mask, passsport, and obtained the official congrats certificate from Goofy. The Kidcot Stops are a great idea. They really kept her interest.

When we entered the UK we discovered Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Alice at the Toy Store in the U.K. More autographs and pictures. DD is now thrilled to death and looking in every corner of every store for characters.

Next stop is France where DM and I decide wine is in order. I have no idea what I had, I just know that it went down rather well.

DH was not impressed with the choice of drinks in France so he held off another 50 yards until he got to Morocco. The Moroccan Amber Beer is good. While watching the drummers in Japan my DM discovered that she did not have her camera. Following the French wine she thought she left in the restroom in Morocco. The 50 yard dash begins as my DH and DF had no clue what we were doing. We checked the restroom – no camera. She thought she hung it on the door. I left the restroom and entered the Tangerine Café and inquired about a lost camera. They all started to smile and produced the camera. DM was so grateful. They (all who worked in the Café) insisted on a picture. They were a great bunch of people. The camera was brand new and could easily have brought in over $200. We dodged a bullet on that one. That could have really put a damper on our trip.

Quick trip through America and Italy then off to Germany for more – you guessed it – beer. We then hit China and did decide to ride Maelstrom in Norway. We all enjoyed it. No wait, walked right on. When we hit Mexico we decided to ride El Rio since there was no wait there either. I also thought that was decent.

At this point we have had it so we drug ourselves back to the BusStop and back to ASM.

[Princess Tessa]

hey! awesome day - and your work is done *phew*
I'm so glad you like Le Cellier and you DD did the Kidcots

Originally Posted by KP's Mom

She likes Princesses, sports, and the smell of skunks

R O F L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds like a great kid!