The Smiths go to Disney - Aug 2010 Trip Report

[DoctorK]

We had more magic, more pixie dust, than one family should be allowed to have. Cast of characters:

Me, DoctorK, TGM Member for a couple of years. DW and I have been married almost 16 years. We honeymooned at Disney and have been taking DD7 for the last three Augusts. We also snuck in a surprise February trip this year.

Table of Contents

Day 1 - Arrival and Magic Kingdom (8/28)
Day 2 – Check-in to Kidani and “Let the Adventure Begin” at Animal Kingdom (8/29)
Day 3 - Pixie Dust at Epcot (8/30)
Day 4 - Meeting Long Lost Cousin Joey (8/31)
Day 5 - Our Quest to be Magic Kingdom Family of the Day (9/1)
Day 6 - Epcot and Confusion at the Land (9/2)
Day 7 - Last Park Day at MK (9/3)
Days 8 & 9 - Last Days and Trip Wrap up (9/4 & 9/5)


Day 1 - Arrival and Magic Kingdom

Our flight left from Buffalo at 7:40am. Since the airport is about an hour and 15 minutes from our house, DW and I were up at 4:00am to shower, make a quick breakfast for the trip, load the van, and get DD ready. We were out the door at 5:00, and were at the airport, through security and waiting at the gate by 6:30. The flight took off on time, and we were off!

I had copied some movies and episodes of Kim Possible to my laptop for DD to watch on the plane. As soon as the pilot gave the OK, I set it up for her to watch. My battery must not have been fully charged, though, because it gave out after about 90 minutes – it usually lasts about 5-6 hours – plenty for our two and a half hour non-stop direct flight. So DD listened to Disney Theme Park music on her ipod.



Our flight landed about 10 minutes early. We waited for our bags, then headed down to National to pick out our car from the Executive Aisle. Last year there was a convertible Sebring, but this year, no such luck. We ended up taking a black Jeep Liberty from the regular Emerald Aisle. It had 8,000 miles on it – not the newest, but better than the 18,000 mil SUV parked next to it.

After about a 30 minute drive from the airport – we had arrived!



We always have to take a picture as we drive under this sign. This one came out better than any other we had done – a sign of good things to come, perhaps?

Our first night was at the Pop Century. We had never stayed there before, but got a really good Annual Passholder rate, so before our reservation at the Animal Kingdom Lodge began the following day, we decided to give Pop a try.

The AP rate was only good for preferred views, but when we checked in (around 11:00) we explained that we didn’t really care where were ended up, if we could get into a room sooner. Luckily, the CM found a room in the 70s that was really close to the main building, and it was available right away. We drove over there, dropped our bags off, took a minute to refresh, and went back to Pop for lunch. We had the Quick Service dining plan for this night, and the regular dining plan for the week at AKL.

We had wanted to eat our first CS meal at Magic Kingdom, but because we had eaten breakfast so early, we decided that eating at Pop was the wiser choice. It was really crowded. There were probably a lot of people who were on the free dining promotion, and it was prime lunch time. I really liked the selection – there were a lot of different choices, from burgers, to salads, a pasta station with Chicken Parm and meatball subs, a sandwich station, and a Chinese food station.

After a quick meal we headed off to the Magic Kingdom. Our plan was to stay for a few hours, and because we were arriving so late in the day (for a TGM RD’er), I planned some activities we had never made time for before. But our first order of business was to renew our Annual Passes, which had expired a week before our trip.

We had participated in the Give-a-Day, Get-a-Day promotion, and had each received a free day admission. We were able to upgrade those to DVC Renewal Annual Passes. After it was all said and done, it was about $815 for three 15-month annual passes for the three of us – not much more than three 7-day Park Hoppers would have been! We are planning trips in May and October of 2011, so we plan on getting more than our money’s worth.

The transaction itself went very smoothly, even though the CM at Will Call had never done one before. I had been told to expect 5-10 minutes per ticket as they went through the various redemption and upgrading processes. It did take about 15 minutes, so while I waited at the ticket window, DW took DD over to trade some pins with a nearby CM.



With APs (good until late November 2011) in hand, we headed for the express monorail… which was down for maintenance. The resort monorail was also down, so CMs were directing everyone to the Ferry. We had never taken the Ferry before, and since we weren’t in a huge rush, it was OK with us!



The first thing we did when we arrived was to check the standby and FP return times for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We grabbed a set of FPs for Splash with a return time 40 minutes away. Just enough time to explore Tom Sawyer Island.

DD and I had never been to TSI, but she loves to explore and after all of the time in cars and planes, we figured she could use some running around time. We thought she might be afraid of the caves, but she assured us she was a “big girl, and not afraid of anything (in literary terms, this is known as foreshadowing).”



She actually wasn’t scared at all, and enjoyed exploring. She wanted to go through a second time, but I told her there were more fun things to do… so we bounced a bit on the Barrel Bridge…



…and shot at people racing by on the BTMRR…



After sneaking out the underground escape from Fort Langhorne, we were ready to use our Splash FPs. We’ve been looking forward to Splash since last August. We have the music to Splash from the Disney Park CDs and DD loves to listen to it in the morning before school, so we pretty much know all of the words to “How do you do,” and “Everybody has a Laughing Place.”

We got right on – I was in the front row and DW and DD were behind me. Before our trip I got a Kodak PlaySport video camera, which is waterproof. I had used it underwater at the YMCA during DD’s swimming lessons to test it out, and the quality is pretty good (HD) for a camera that’s smaller than my cell phone. I pulled it out and filmed over my shoulder as we made the big plummet. It wasn’t until a couple of days later when I copied the video over to my computer that we had a chance to see what our crazy kid looks like when going down Splash Mountain. I haven’t had a chance to edit the video yet, but these stills that I grabbed tell the story…

















Everytime we look at those photos or the actual video, DW and I crack up – the way she goes from joy to sheer terror back to joy in about two seconds is so funny. By the way, in that last frame, she’s complaining that she was “so dry.” She wanted to get soaked, but only got splashed.

After Splash, we realized it was about 2:55, and we had never seen the 3:00 parade before. So we picked a spot on the rope across from Pecos Bills, and waited… and waited… and waited… For some reason, I had thought that the parade started in Frontierland and then proceeded to the hub and down Main St. It actually went in the opposite direction.

About 3:15 we caught the bonus Voluntears Parade, led by Kermit and Miss Piggy. Many of the characters interacted with DD and the other kids nearby. Here’s Dale, who right after this picture came up to me and messed up my hair…



The main parade was pretty much right behind, so we stayed for that too. DD is helpfully pointing out that Dopey is on the float…



Here’s the Queen of Hearts… just in front of her in the parade was Jafar, but he was on the other side of the road, so DD started screaming out “JAFAR!!! JAFAR!!!” She didn’t even see the Queen of Hearts come up and stop right in front of her. The Queen put her hands on her hips and pointed at her with her mean face, so ever-cheerful DD waved at her, and the Queen waved back…



Peter Pan and gang…



Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana…



There was a young girl next to us who had a Birthday pin on, and we were surprised how many people in the parade stopped to say “Happy Birthday” to her. Naveen even did it from up on the float!

After the parade we went over to use our BTMRR FPs. Here’s DD and I – DW asked her if she was excited, and this was her reaction:



I hadn’t planned on us seeing the parade or being able to get onto Splash or BTMRR so easily. Because it was getting late and we were getting tired, we scrapped plans to see the Swiss Family Treehouse and ride the Liberty Belle and headed back for Pop.

DW gave DD a bath while I went over to the food court to get dinner to go. We ate in the room and went to bed early. We were all asleep by 8:00!

General impressions of Pop – we weren’t there long, but here’s my take. We can’t really do the double bed thing. The room itself was OK, recently refurbed. The TV was nicer than what we have at home… the towels on the other hand were not. It was a bit noisy – there was music playing outside our room loud enough that I could hear from the bed, and we could hear our neighbors pretty easily. If we weren’t so dead tired, the noise might have kept us up or woken us up. We thought the food court was great and the food there was at least as good if not better than we got at the Pepper Market at CSR the last couple of years. We might stay there again for one night if we got a really good rate, but not having Queen beds, and the noise situation is kind of a deal-killer.

Tomorrow – I get up early to check in to AKL-Kidani, and we “Let the Adventure Begin” at Animal Kingdom.

[DoctorK]

Day 2 – Check-in to Kidani and “Let the Adventure Begin” at Animal Kingdom

I woke up about 6:00am, showered and headed over to Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village to check in. I had used a similar strategy in February to snag an available room by being early to check in. When I arrived I had to wait about five minutes behind another guest checking in, and then it was my turn.

The front manager was training one of the new Cast Members on the check-in procedure, and he asked if it would be OK if she checked me in with him right there to help. I said it would be fine.

It took a little longer than usual, especially since we had done Online Check-in, but the best news was that we had gotten our request for a room close to the pool on the Sunset Savanna. They told me we would be on the same floor as the lobby, just a handful of rooms away from the Lobby, and that it was a great location. The room wasn’t ready, though, so we’d have to wait to find out exactly what room we’d be in.

Armed with my packet of check-in material, I headed back to Pop Century to finish re-packing, gather up the family, and head over to our park for the day - Animal Kingdom.

We got there about 8:30, plenty of time for a Photopass picture in front of the Animal Kingdom sign. The photographer told us to make claws and growl, so we did. As you can see, I really wasn’t into it so much, while DD give it her all…



We found an unattended but “green arrowed” turnstile where no one was waiting and got in line. It was here we discussed our rope drop strategy.

Leading up to this trip, DD decided that she was a big girl (she turned 7 in May) and would no longer be scared of the rides that had terrified her in the past. At AK, that meant she wanted to ride Expedition Everest (or, as she calls it, “The Yeti Ride”) and Dinosaur.

After they opened the turnstiles, they kind of split off the rope in two sections, to the right and left of the plantings just beyond the turnstiles. That’s where they do the rope drop show now – no more Mickey up near the tree, he gets to ride on the truck now. We lined up on the left, betting that the two groups would converge at the bridge leading to Discovery Island. Most of the crowd lined up on the right, figuring that was the faster way to EE. The show ended about 8:50, and they started walking the rope into the park about 8:53. Turns out we were right, and as both groups converged at the bridge I was able to get one of the first FPs to EE.

I left there and doubled back to Kali… to find DD and DW waiting for me. They weren’t opening it until 9:30. Bummer! We had ridden Kali five times in a row at rope drop last August, and DD wanted to break our record. But with it opening at 9:30, I figured lines would grow quickly enough that we wouldn’t stand a chance.

We decided to see what the EE standby line was like, since it was only about 9:00 at that point. When we got there, the line was snaking all over the place in front of the queue area. We figured out that they hadn’t let anyone in yet (maybe because they opened the park a few minutes early) so we got in line, and they started letting us in almost immediately.

The queue for EE is really neat. It only took about five minutes to go through, and since we were moving pretty fast, we didn’t have a lot of time to look, but it’s really well themed, with the kind of equipment I suspect you’d take when searching for a Yeti in the Himalayas. DW and I had only been through the single rider line in the past, so it was cool to see how detailed it all was (we didn’t take any pictures, so here are some from elsewhere to give you an idea).





Before long we were on the train, ready to go. DD’s biggest fear last year was the Yeti, so we explained that she could close her eyes and she wouldn’t have to see it. Frankly, in its motionless state, I usually miss it with my eyes open. And the shadow part, where you see the Yeti ripping up tracks, we explained was just a cartoon. She didn’t seem apprehensive or nervous as the ride started.



That’s my hand pointing out the great view…



Here we are, pausing at the top, and I’m checking on her, she’s looking back at DW just before we start rolling backwards. She was OK until about three-quarters of the way through where the train starts moving pretty fast. She started saying, “Daaaaaaadddyyyyyy? I think it’s too scaryyyyyyyyyy.” I asked her if it was just too fast, and she said, “tooooooo faaaaaaaaast!” The ride was just about over, so she was able to keep it together and as we were getting off she declared that she didn’t want to ride EE ever again. I told her I was proud of her for trying.

After getting off EE, it was about 9:20, so we went over to wait for Kali to open. We were in one of the first boats – we like to poncho it up in line so we can board without delay…



Aside from wearing ponchos, a couple of other Kali tips, to make your post-Kali day at Animal Kingdom more enjoyable:[ul][*]Put your purse, backpack, fanny pack, etc. in a XL Ziploc before putting it in the center storage bin. That sucker is always wet, and usually has standing water in the bottom, so it won’t keep your stuff dry.[*]Put your feet up on the bar in front of you. Unless you get hit with a huge wave, your shoes will stay mostly dry. If you keep them on the floor, you’re guaranteed to be sloshing all day.[*]Moisture-wicking, quick-dry clothing is the way to go. Even though we wear ponchos, we still get pretty wet, but we don’t stay wet for long.[/ul]
We were able to ride three times before the line grew and we had to get off. We were even able to convince some of the other people on our boat to ride it again with us! We were sad that we didn’t get to break our record, but it was still a lot of fun to stay on for three straight rides.

Since this was our third trip in 12 months, we were trying, at every park, to do something we hadn’t done before. For AK, it was the Flights of Wonder show, which started at 10:30. By the time we got off Kali, dried off and put away the wet ponchos, it was a little after 10:00. I left DD and DW to watch an owl handler who was answering questions in front of the theater, and I went to get some snacks and FPs for the Safari.

When I came back with some pretzels and drinks, DW informed me that DD had been raising her hand repeatedly and offering helpful facts about owls (rather than asking any questions). DD loves animals and knows a lot of facts about them. Not shy about sharing. Apparenly I missed:[ul][*]“An owl’s ears are so good, they can hear mice running.” [*]“An owl can see so well, they can see a bunny from a mile up.” [*]“I know why you’re wearing a glove – it’s so the owl doesn’t cut you with its sharp talons.”[/ul]
Thankfully, they opened the theater shortly after I arrived, and we were able to give the patient CM a break. Here he is after the show, probably fearing a bunch of parrot facts…



This bird is smiling at me (and coming right at us)!



We really liked the Flights of Wonder show. There was just enough humor mixed in with cool bird demonstrations and audience participation.

From there we conquered another of DD’s fears by watching “It’s Tough to be a Bug.” It helped that the soundtrack to it is on her iPod, and she knew the script word-for-word, so there wouldn’t be any surprises (other than the old acid in the face). We had lunch at Pizzafari (originally planned to eat at Flame Tree, but it was down for refurb), and then headed up to Africa to help Wilson stop some poachers.

There were two recent additions out on the savanna – a baby giraffe…



(really, that’s a baby)

…and a baby elephant, conveniently hiding behind a rock. If you look closely, you can see part of his ear and back…



DW took these pictures with our “real” camera, and I let DD use our Kodak PlaySport to take some, not expecting much… and I wasn’t disappointed…













…actually, she did get the best picture we’ve ever had of the male lion (he’s the thing that looks like a rock, sleeping under the tree)…



After the Safari, I checked my phone and we had received a text – our room was ready! Wwe were getting hot and run down anyway, so we decided to hit Dinosaur and head out. The wait time was posted as 10 minutes, so we got in line. It was about a five minute wait – not bad at all. For the record, Dinosaur is back on the list of rides to avoid – DD was scared out of her wits. “Too loud and scary,” she decided. We had an ADR at Akershus, so we headed over to AKL to unpack and freshen up for dinner.

Our room was five off the lobby, with a great panoramic view of the sunset savanna.





After a quick unpacking and refreshening, we headed over to Epcot for dinner with the princesses in Norway. We were running a bit early, and since we weren’t sweaty, so we stopped for pictures…



Our reservation was for 5:15, but we checked in about 4:40 to see if we could get seated early, since we were still a bit tired from the long day yesterday. We didn’t realize, but the restaurant doesn’t open until 4:45. Luckily, we were one of the first families called and seated right at 4:45.

The last time we went to Akershus, Belle was the princess who you met before sitting at your table. This time it was Princess Aurora.



The four princesses making the rounds were Jasmine, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel.









We like the food at Akershus. DW and I both got the Traditional Kjottkake, which is a little like Meatloaf with gravy. Dinner portions are bigger than the lunch portions we got a couple years back, so we were stuffed by the end of the meal. We were really surprised and happy that we were able to get seated early. There’s really nowhere to wait after you check in, and unless you get seated right when they open, you’re likely to sit in the sun for 15-20 minutes. My tip would be, if eating around 5:00 is OK for your family, make an ADR but get there early if you can.

After dinner, we drove back to Kidani and were asleep before 10:00.

Coming up, the pixie dust really starts flying at Epcot…

[DoctorK]

8/30 – Pixie Dust at Epcot

After the room-shuffling of the previous morning, it was nice to be able to just wake up, have some breakfast and get ready for Rope Drop at Epcot.

Staying in a DVC studio means having a kitchenette, which includes a medium-sized refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee maker (picture courtesy of allears.net).



We use the Disney Dining Plan for lunch and dinner, and prepare a light breakfast in the room – usually bagels or english muffins, cereal, some fruit, that kind of thing. What’s unique about having breakfast at Animal Kingdom Lodge is doing so overlooking the savanna.



Apparently they take the giraffes inside in the early morning to check on them, figuring that most people are leaving for the parks at that time. But we usually had something to look at while we ate…



After breakfast we left for Epcot. Again we used the “unattended turnstile with a green arrow” strategy of getting right up front. And we were rewarded this time by a Cast Member who came through the turnstiles to hand out some Mickey-head “pixie dust” to the kids in front.



As they counted down to opening the turnstiles, DD got ready and then threw the pixie dust into the air and in we went, making our way for the rope, which was set up (as usual) in front of the fountains.

The rope drop show at Epcot, which we’ve seen many times, includes the Fab Five, and usually some other helpers like Chip & Dale, who come up to the rope to shake hands with the people waiting. They don’t linger, so if you’re not right on the rope, you kind of miss out on the impromptu interaction. Luckily, we got a prime spot.



Shortly after DW took this picture, the crowd started building behind us. While we were waiting, a woman in a Test Track uniform came up to us and started chatting. She admired DD’s homemade Kim Possible shirt…



…and then asked me if it was just the three of today. After I said, “yes,” she asked if we would like to be their Family of the Day and help open the park. We were shocked (and said “yes,” of course)!

Our plan for this trip was to try to be Family of the Day at Magic Kingdom, which is a real long shot, so being Family of the Day at Epcot was never on our radar screen.

After she let us under the rope, she had the three of us pose in front of the fountain for some pictures. It was nice that they had PhotoPass photographers taking pictures so we could enjoy the moment.



After the Fab Five finished greeting the folks at the rope, they came over and greeted us with hugs and handshakes, and posed for a group shot.



After that they pulled up the Test Track car and had us climb inside.



They explained that we would be leading the crowd to Test Track and would get to ride it first, before anyone else was allowed in. She also said there were a few other surprises planned for us.

We could hear the rope drop countdown behind us as we pulled away and drove to Test Track.



We walked straight through the pre-show and got right onto the ride. As we came back around to the unloading zone, the first people were coming out of the pre-show and getting ready to board. The operator asked us if we wanted to ride again, so of course we said, “yes!”

After the ride we were told we could have a free printed copy of our Test Track ride, which was a great surprise! But we weren’t done yet… they walked us over to Mission:Space, and brought us upstairs into the private HP lounge. It’s a quiet lounge with couches, a wet bar, cable TV some video games and an attendant. HP employees can arrange to use it when they’re visiting Epcot – it’s part of what HP gets by sponsoring Mission: Space.



After 10-15 minutes in the HP lounge to cool off and enjoy a cold beverage, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of Mission: Space – no pictures allowed. We got to see the actual control room for the ride, where they monitor the equipment to make sure everything is working properly. They also brought us into the fake NASA control room where they let DD play with the various switches and knobs, which don’t really do anything (picture courtesy of collectspace.com).



After that we rode Mission: Space (the green version), and that was the end of our “Family of the Day” experience. They gave us two passes for a “Priority Entrance to One Attraction,” since it was after 10:00 am now, and we missed out on the early FastPass return times.



We used one at the Character Spot – because even though we had the great group picture with the Fab Five, we didn’t have the chance to get their autographs (we saved the second one for a souvenir).

Next we got FPs for Soarin, which were only 40 minutes out because crowds were so light. While we waited for our FP window, we went over to catch the next Turtle Talk with Crush show. On the way we rode the Living Seas with Nemo, and got DDs picture in Bruce’s mouth…





When the show was over, it was time to use our FPs for Soarin. After that it was getting to be lunch time. On our way to World Showcase we grabbed a FP for the Kim Possible mission we wanted to do after lunch. We had 12:10 ADRs at Teppan Edo, a real favorite and probably DD’s favorite of all WDW restaurants. We took the boat across the lagoon (DW and DD rode outside while I tried to absorb whatever air conditioning was inside).



As always, Teppan Edo was great food and great entertainment. We enjoyed talking a little with the other people at our table.



After lunch DD helped Kim and Ron save the world…



And then we left Epcot to head back to Animal Kingdom Lodge for some swimming and rest. We had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express at Downtown Disney, which is one of the best Counter Service credit values to be had. Then back to the room for bed, and to get ready for tomorrow’s day at Hollywood Studios.

Coming next, catching up with Cousin Joey.

[DoctorK]

Day 4 – Reunited with Cousin Joey 8/31

The plan for the day is to do a three-quarters day at Hollywood Studios. Unlike the other three parks, it’s tricky to take a midday break at DHS. That’s because the various shows and performances are staggered in such a way that you can’t do more than one or two unless you stay a while. At the same time, because more of the in-park time at DHS is spent watching shows and performances, it’s not as draining a day as the other parks.

We started the morning off with breakfast on the balcony, overlooking a relatively vacant savanna.



We arrived pre-rope drop and found a turnstile all the way to the right that was uncovered with a green arrow – but it was not staffed by a cast member. This is usually the sign that the turnstile will, in fact, be operational once the park opens. Typically, no one lines up there, since it’s not readily apparent that the turnstile will be open. We are usually the first people to form that line, and we have never been left in the cold.

After we staked our claim, a woman and her two sons got in line behind us, a little sheepishly. We soon discovered that it was another member of TourGuideMike’s August Vacation Club. We chatted a little bit as our daughter contemplated trading pins with her sons. Soon enough, we were let into the park.

My task was to get up front and get to the Toy Story Fast Passes ASAP, while DW and DD would take a little less hectic route toward TSM standby, and we’d meet up at the queue and ride standby together. I positioned myself toward the center of the street, while DD and DW waited all the way to the right (that’s DW looking back toward the turnstiles).



DW told me later that while she was waiting, the same TGM family ended up behind her, and mentioned that they were going to redeem their Give a Day vouchers for Fast Passes, and offered to “add us to her family” (each voucher was good for up to 6 family members). It was a gracious offer – one that DW didn’t really understand at the time, and one that we probably would have declined anyway because it would have meant missing out on the first TSM ride of the day. Still, it was such a generous offer – thanks so much!

There was no pre-show on this day – not sure why – but once the rope dropped I jockeyed and defended my position, got jammed with several strollers, elbowed and pushed, but I made it out alive and quickly with a set of TSM Fast Passes. I met up with DW and DD at the standby queue and we made our way through.

The line was moving at a moderate pace, but began to slow down as we approached the Carnival Barker Mr. Potato Head.



We soon realized that the line was already backing up, and hardly moving. When we got to the bridge that overlooks the ride track, we realized why. A couple of weeks before, Disney had installed gates to control guest access to the ride vehicles. Apparently a cast member or guest had fallen onto the tracks at some point, and adding these gates would prevent that from happening. They also had the effect of preventing quick loading and unloading of the cars. Additional cast members were standing by to try to hurry guests onto and off of the ride when the gates opened, but the whole process took a lot longer than in the past.

As a result, by the time we got off the ride, our Fast Pass window was just about open again. We decided to wait in the area and grab another set. To pass the time we made pressed pennies at the gift shop across the street, and DW bought a Mr. Potato Head T-shirt that she regretted not buying on our last trip (the “Don’t make me get out my angry eyes” one). DD also spent a couple of minutes playing with CMs trying (and failing) to catch a bounced ball with Mickey hands…



With our second set of TSM Fast Passes in hand, we headed down Sunset Blvd. to Tower of Terror. This was another ride that DD informed us that she was old and brave enough to try again. DW and I were dubious but didn’t want to dissuade her courage, so with great trepidation, we got on board. I don’t have any pictures from the ride because most of it consisted of us telling DD that it was almost over. Turns out it was just a little too scary after all, so we won’t be riding that one with DD again anytime soon…

Back out on Sunset Blvd., a Streetmosphere show was about to begin, so we decided to use this as an opportunity to take turns riding Rock n Roller Coaster using the Single Rider Line. I can’t remember the details, but famous director Alberto Dante was holding a shareholder’s meeting with help from Paige Turner and Bucky Greenhorn. About halfway through, DW came back and I left to catch the super stretch limo to the Aerosmith concert.

While I was away, Alberto Dante complimented DD’s coordinated outfit.



He also gave her his business card and told her to call him the next time she’s in Hollywood.



DD also got a picture with Bucky Greenhorn (he is Hollywood’s next leading man, you know)…



We all met up again outside the Beauty and the Beast theater. We’ve seen that show a couple of times now, and it’s pretty well done. You can’t compare it to the BatB on Broadway, but they do a pretty good job of condensing the story down to 30 minutes and including the best songs.

After the show, we checked into the 50’s Prime Time Café for our lunch reservations. We were soon seated and met our long lost Cousin Joey.



Joey was great – super service, very friendly and full of energy. DW and I both got the Fried Chicken, and it was great. Way too much food, but I managed to put it all away. And I earned one of these:



If we weren’t on the dining plan we wouldn’t have even considered dessert, but since it’s included, and since Brownie Sundaes are one of my most favorite desserts, we decided to give the menu a look. At 50’s Prime Time, the dessert menu comes on a ViewMaster.





Of course I ordered Dad’s Brownie Sundae, but hardly ate any of it. It’s probably enough for three.



After lunch we spotted a PhotoPass photographer and DW mentioned that we had never had a family picture in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat. So, with full bellies, we managed to scratch another item off her Bucket List.



We weren’t planning on staying too much longer, but had some time to kill since our second Toy Story Fast Passes weren’t good until 2:30. We wanted to end the park day with two TSMs via Fast Pass. So we headed over to meet the Monsters, Inc. guys. There was hardly any line for Sulley, and by the time it was our turn, we were the only ones in line! That meant DD got some alone time to spend dancing with Monstropolis’s Top Scarer.









Shortly after that, Mike came out, and we got a quick picture with him…



…before heading to one of DD’s favorite places in all of Walt Disney World, the Honey I Shrunk The Kids play area, or, as she calls it, the “Bug Playground.” She spent about 15 minutes running around, pretending to be an ant fleeing from the grasshoppers, and getting sprayed by the random squirts from the garden hose.



At this point it was close to 2:30, so we headed back to TSM to use our two sets of FastPasses. We should have known something wasn’t right when we saw the FastPass return line stretched outside the door. We got into the line and after about 10 minutes of waiting, we were still in sight of the door. We abandoned ship and gave up our FastPasses, since that wait, even in the FastPass line, was looking like it would be 45-60 minutes.

My theory was that the FastPass machines were still churning out the same number of FastPasses, even though hourly ride capacity was significantly lower than before the safety gates were installed. The statisticians at TouringPlans.com later confirmed this to be the case and soon noticed that Disney had reconfigured the FastPass system to bring the number of FastPasses issued more in line with the new ride capacity.

We went back to Kidani, swam for an hour or so, then got dressed for dinner. A lot more activity on the savanna in the early evening than there was in the morning:



I wanted to try the fish fry at Cooke’s of Dublin (or “Cookie’s of Bubblin’“ as DD misread the sign), so we headed to Downtown Disney. I really liked the fish and chips. I love that they had plenty of bottles of malt vinegar on the tables – I love that stuff. DD decided to go for battered mini sausages, and thought they were OK. DW chose the battered hamburger, and really didn’t like it. I mean, on paper, the concept of a battered and deep fried hamburger sounds so great! On second thought, even on paper it doesn’t sound so great. And on a bun, it was in fact, not great. So, if you’re keeping score at home, deep fried Snickers bars? Great. Deep fried hamburger? Not great.

After dinner we called it a night. We had to get to bed a little early, because we were planning on getting up extra early the next morning for our Family of the Day attempt at the Magic Kingdom.

[DoctorK]

9-1 Our Quest to be Family of the Day

This was the day we would do everything we could to be the Family of the Day at Magic Kingdom. But first, a little back story…

Before our trip to WDW in February, DW called around to different Disney Reservations phone numbers, to see if she could “schedule” us for being Family of the Day as a surprise to me. Of course, she quickly found out that you can’t reserve that magical experience – you kind of have to get lucky. But we all really wanted to do it. So between our Feb and Aug trips, I did the research and decided that if we were going to try, we were going to give it our best shot.

I found a number of trip reports where families had been chosen as the Magic Kingdom Family of the Day (or “First Family,” as it’s officially known). The experience sounded incredible. Allowed into the park before it opened, greeted in ToonTown by a dozen or more characters. Riding the train with all of them to the front of the park, where the dancers would be singing “Zip a Dee Doo Dah,” awaiting our arrival. Helping Mickey countdown from ten to one to mark the opening of the park.

All of the families had apparently been chosen at random. But I noticed some common threads between them all and started making a list of little things we could try to improve our chances at being selected.

First – they were mostly families with children. Some families without children are selected once in a while, but in most of the stories I read, there were children as part of the family. Some were older, some were toddlers – no consistent pattern there. But already we had met one of the criteria.

Second – they usually wore matching outfits. Now, in August I always, always, always wear a performance-type wicking shirt. The breeze blows right through them and they never get sweaty. But for our mission I agreed that I would forgo comfort for the (potential) experience of a lifetime. I scoured the DISigns thread on disboards.com and found animal-print mickey heads (we love animals and were staying at AKL). We each got a yellow T-shirt on sale from Target, and using transfer paper from amymickey.com (which I had bought for a previous trip) I made the shirts – leopard for DD, tiger for DW, giraffe for me.







I figured the worst case (and most likely) scenario was that we would not be chosen, and I could change after we got into the park.

Third – they were all super friendly and outgoing to all cast members they came in contact with. This would not be a problem. DD is one of the most outgoing, cheerful and friendly people you may ever meet – child or adult. DW and I can be pretty friendly ourselves, but we made a mental note to strike up conversations with any CMs we came into contact with on the way to the park.

I can see where this third point could be crossing a line for some people. Faking interest in someone in order to get them to do something for you is manipulative and wrong. We would be sure that our interaction with cast members would be genuine, not merely being nice as a means to an end.

Fourth – they all got to the park really, really early. One family specifically said that, on a day the park opened at 9:00am, they arrived at 7:45 (having walked over from the Contemporary) and were chosen. Another report (two adults) stated they were the first to arrive, before 8:00, but that the second people to arrive (family with kids) were chosen.

So, with those four principles in mind, we finalized our strategy. As I said from the outset – if we were going to try, we were going to go all the way. Knowing that the resort monorail opens at 7am, we planned an early night the night before, woke up at 5:30, changed into our matching shirts, and drove to the MK parking lot, arriving before 7am.

As expected, the express monorail wouldn’t open until 8, but the resort monorail was scheduled to open at 7. However, due to safety checks or whatever, we didn’t actually board until about 7:10 or 7:15. We were the first people in line, though, and for about 10 minutes, had a great conversation with Charlie, an intern from Central Michigan. He told us all about how much he loves working there, and the different type of intern positions Disney has (basically, every position you see, and many you don’t). He was really nice.

Once we got on the monorail, it stopped at the Poly and GF, and it waited a long time at each. I was starting to freak out a little, because I was afraid if someone took a bus from their resort, they would beat us there. We arrived at the MK around 7:30, and we were the only family NOT going to breakfast (big sigh of relief).

After we went through security, we noticed 2 CMs outside the turnstiles talking. We said a cheerful, “Good Morning” to them and as we made our way to the non-breakfast turnstiles, one came over and started chatting with us. She first asked us if we were here for breakfast, and when we said no, she asked why we were here so early. We answered that we wanted to be sure to see the Rope Drop show (we didn’t want to appear over anxious, so we had decided in advance not to mention our desire to be Family of the Day).

Her name was Awilda, she’s been on the turnstiles for 21 years, originally from Puerto Rico. She had been hired to work at the Tomorrowland Speedway, but she was pregnant at the time, and they thought it would be better for her to work at the turnstiles… and she never left. We had a great conversation about working at Disney, the area she lives in, her commute… just a friendly chat.

In the middle of it, she shouted something over to the handful of CMs working the turnstiles for breakfast reservations. People were lining up for that now, and it was getting close to 8am (the earliest ADR is at 8). DW said something to her like, “I’m sorry if we’re keeping you from your job, we don’t want to get you into trouble,” and she replied that it was OK, someone else could work the turnstiles for her, and we continued chatting. A little later she asked us if we wanted to be the First Family and help them open the park. DD put her arms up in the air and started jumping up and down and DW and I were just about speechless.

So, what happens when you’re chosen as Family of the Day?

First, they invited us through the turnstiles, and asked us to wait on one of the park benches on the left hand side as you face the Mickey floral. Several CMs passing by introduced themselves to us, and a manager-type came out of the nearby office. He gave DD a little envelope of pixie dust, and confirmed our name and hometown.

Then another Cast Member, Barbara, introduced herself, and invited us for a drive down Main St. USA in the old fire truck. There were several CMs out, waiting for the crowds when the park opened, and they were all waving to us as we drove by. Barbara stopped many times along the way for pictures (a lot of which that she took with our camera for us).





We slowly made our way to ToonTown, where we posed for a number of other pictures…



…and after our family picture, Barbara had DD pose by herself in front of Mickey’s House – but she was surprised to see someone coming out…



…and the princesses and other characters just kept on coming…





It’s kind of hard to see, but DD is holding an autograph book that all of the characters had signed before they came out, so no time was wasted while we were mingling. It was all so amazing that DW was actually getting a little misty-eyed! DD was loving how every one of the characters wanted to spend time with her (and how they, of course, all called her “princess”). It was really incredible!



And finally, the group shot!



The character handlers were getting antsy so we knew it was almost time to open the park. We boarded the train with Mickey.



We could just barely hear the music playing as we arrived at the front of the park.



Now, up until this point, all of the pictures were taken with our camera, mostly by Barbara. It’s not until you get off the train that they have a PhotoPass photographer on hand to capture the moments. Here we are being introduced…



One of the dancers gave DW and I each a special kind of streamer to throw that is folded up inside of a little plastic cup that attaches to your middle finger. Here she is helping us put them on.



DW and I were so in the moment we only noticed afterwards, looking at the pictures, what a great job DD was doing waving at the waiting crowd.



Believe it or not, someone we knew from the TourGuideMike message boards (Kara_K)was in the crowd that morning, and recorded the entire show. When she found out we were the Family of the Day, she sent us a copy, for which we are eternally grateful (if you skip to about the 3:30, that's when the train arrives).



After we counted down from ten to one, we stayed to wave a while longer as the crowed filtered through and into the park. We then walked through the train station and headed for Main St. USA, Mickey and DD hand in hand.



We stopped on the down ramp for a few posed pictures.



And finally, one last hug from Mickey before we had to say goodbye.



We were given a PhotoPass card, which was loaded up with the pictures of us at the train station, and were told we could choose one picture for a free 8x10 print. And that was the end of our Family of the Day experience.

Along the way, Barbara shared some other insight about how families are selected for Family of the Day:

• You never know what Cast Member will be the one looking for the family. Sometimes it will be a CM who’s up and bright and engaging, other times it will be a CM who is keeping to themselves and kind of checking things out on the sly.
• You have to get there early. She told us that many, many times. You are rewarded for waking up early. She made a big point of this, and used the word “rewarded” many times. She also made a point of taking a picture of me by myself in ToonTown so DW and DD would remember that I was the one who decided to get up so early (even though it was a group decision).
• You should NOT say that you’re there early to be Family of the Day, or that you’re hoping to be Family of the Day. She strongly implied that doing so would lead them to pick someone else. CMs really like to maintain the feeling that they’re spreading magic, and if you’re there with a sense of entitlement, that’s not really magical.

So, with the tips we got from other people’s experiences, and the few we got from one of the CMs, that should be all you need if you’d like to be selected as Family of the Day (oh, and a little bit of pixie dust)!


Coming off the ramp, who should we see but Barbara and her Fire Truck, once again. She invited us for a alow ride up Main St. USA. Our “Dumbo at Rope Drop” plan was out the window, so we figured, “why not!”



As we reached the castle and said goodbye to Barbara one last time, we realized it was only 9:10am. There was so much we had experienced, it felt much later than it really was. We decided to give Dumbo a shot anyway, and the line was so short, we only had to wait a couple of cycles before it was our turn.



We hit the rest of the Fantasyland rides after that, including Snow White, Peter Pan and Pooh. Our timing was a little off, but the crowds were so small it didn’t really matter. We were recognized a couple of times in the lines by people who saw us open the park. It was kind of neat.

We wanted to get some FastPasses for later in the evening, when DW and I would be coming back by ourselves for a bit, so it was off to Tomorrowland. We rode Buzz a few times:



And DD got locked up with Zurg…



After a few rides on Buzz we realized that our FastPass window for Splash Mountain would be opening up in about the time it took to walk over there. Since we’d be back to Magic Kingdom in a couple of days, with plans to spend more time in Tomorrowland, we headed over, grabbed FastPasses for Splash (with a return time just 20 minutes out!), and rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad standby. It was basically a walk-on, so we went around and rode it a second time.

After that, we used our Splash Mountain FastPasses and joined in a hoedown.



DD had absolutely no idea what the steps were for this dance, and didn’t really mind. She made up her own moves, and when it was done, got a big hug.



We ate lunch at Columbia Harbor House, and sat in one of my favorite places. If you go upstairs, you’ll find what looks like a little side room. It’s actually the bridge that marks the border with Fantasyland. We like to grab a table and look out the window at the people below.

We were quickly running out of steam, with the early morning and all of the excitement draining us pretty thoroughly. We decided to head back to the hotel for a nap, swinging through Tomorrowland for another set of Space Mountain FastPasses to use tonight. While there, DD touched base with her old friend, Push, the talking garbage can.



After a nap and some swimming, we dropped DD off at Simba’s Cubhouse for a few hours. It’s one of the Child Activity Centers on site where they’ll watch your kids for about $11 or $12 an hour. While there, the kids can play videogames, watch movies, do arts and crafts, dress up in costumes – there’s a ton to do, and DD would probably love to spend an entire day in there.

We had a little time before our Kona Café reservations, so we took the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom to use our Space Mountain FastPasses. We wouldn’t have needed them – the ride was a total walk-on. We rode twice before we had to head back to the Poly for dinner.



I got my arms coordinated for the second ride…



We had a great dinner at Kona Café – I think it’s really underrated. We’ve eaten there on every trip, gotten the same entrees on every trip, and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. We replayed the day and went over all of the magical experiences we had been a part of.

I retrieved DD from Simba’s Cubhouse (as per usual, she didn’t want to leave) and we called it a night. We had a “sleep in” morning scheduled for the next day, so we turned the alarms off.

[3Caballeros]

I can not BELIEVE that you all got to be Family of the Day at both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom! That's FABulous! So happy for you all - especially your adorable little girl who looks like a radiant beam of sunshine

Great report - thanks for sharing with us!

[jillyb]

How awesome that you got picked!!!!

[DoctorK]

Epcot – 9/2

Because DD was up past her bedtime at Simba’s Cubhouse last night, we planned for a sleep-in morning and spending the afternoon at Epcot. Indeed, we got up at a leisurely pace and got to Epcot a little before 11:00am. Our first two stops were to grab FastPasses for Soarin’ and the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure.

Because we still had a little time before World Showcase opened at 11:00am, we hopped on Living with the Land, which had its typical 0 minute wait. DW and I hadn’t been on it forever, and DD had never been on it, so it was a great chance for her to learn about growing pumpkins shaped like Mickey ears.

It must have been very confusing to me at the time…



After venturing into World Showcase, we jumped onto the Gran Fiesta Tour con Los Tres Caballeros. Unlike the confusion caused by crops, I guess I found avian mariachi bands surprising.



I don’t have it in my notes when or where we ate lunch. Maybe it was right about now? We usually have lunch in Morocco at the counter service there, Tangierine Café. DW and I like the chicken wrap, and DD usually gets chicken tenders and dips them in my yoghurt sauce. We all agree on the Baklava.

We’d never seen Voices of Liberty or the Spirit of America show, so we headed over to the USA. We caught the very end of the Fife and Drum performance…



…and then moved inside to grab a space in the Rotunda for the Voices of Liberty. As we entered, one of the cast members asked if we were going to be staying for the Spirit of America show. Because we were, and I guess because we were the first ones there, we were named the First Family of the USA! We took an elevator up to the second level and got to watch the Voices of Liberty perform from up there. We also got to sit front and center for Spirit of America. We enjoyed both shows, although the Spirit of America’s retelling of our nation’s history is, as you’d imagine, pretty whitewashed.

DD had been begging to do a Kim Possible mission, so we redeemed our FastPass at the International Gateway and were assigned to the UK. She’s done all of the missions, many of them more than once. Some of the elements change but the basics are the same. I think the UK one is the coolest. There’s a lot more interacting with parts of the scenery than in the others, and the way the mission ends is pretty neat too. One of the tasks required retrieving a special golf ball from a chute hidden in this ordinary-looking phone booth.



Whilst in the UK we caught a show of the World Showcase Players. They’re always funny, but the volunteers they pick to participate usually make the thing hilarious…



By this time we were getting late into the afternoon, so we headed back into Future World to use our Soarin’ FastPasses. We also hopped on Spaceship Earth on the way out, where DD decided that life would be better, down where it’s wetter (under the sea).



When you get off Spaceship Earth, it dumps you into an arcade of sorts. We spent a little time playing a combination virtual shuffleboard/SimCity type game.



With Wii, Kinect and all of the high tech gaming systems in people’s living rooms, the games seemed a bit dated. Very high tech when they first came out I’m sure…

We had 6:35 reservations for dinner at Whispering Canyon Café, or as DD calls it, it’s alternately, “The Cowboy Restaurant” or “The Ketchup Restaurant.” We got there a little early and were seated right away.

If you haven’t eaten there before, understand that there are a lot of shenanigans, the highest profile of which includes what happens when someone in the restaurant needs ketchup. Another tradition there is the Stick Horse Race.



I’ve always gotten the Skillet, which is way too much food. It seems a waste. Maybe the problem is that I order one of the bottomless milkshakes to wash it down. But I don’t think that’s my problem…

After dinner we went back to the hotel for the night. It was around 8pm and getting dark, and the Giraffes were out looking for dinner. I used the Clarity feature of Camera+ on my iPhone to brighten this up so you can see them better…



We said good night and hit the sheets to rest up for our last park day of the trip, heading to Magic Kingdom in the morning.

[DoctorK]

9/3 MK

Unlike our last trip to Magic Kingdom a couple of days prior, we arrived around 8:30 to grab a good viewing spot for the Welcome show. If you get there early enough, cast members will set out hula hoops to amuse the kids (and parents). It looks like DD is a great hula hooper, but trust me when I tell you that this picture captures the split second between her letting go and the thing hitting the ground…



On our last day at MK we hit Fantasyland right off the bat, so today’s plan was to hit Tomorrowland first. If you want to ride the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway with no wait, that’s the only time to do it. The car drives about 4 mph, and is kept in its lane by an iron bar anchored in the road which your wheels straddle. If you drift too far left or right, you hit that bar, which jarringly forces you back into your lane.

DD isn’t old enough to ride alone, so I get the honor of being her passenger, while DW takes pictures.



Another Tomorrowland ride to do right when the park opens is the Astro Orbiter. It’s basically Dumbo, in rocketships, high up above Tomorrowland. You have to take an elevator to get there, which can really slow the line down once crowds start building. We got right on, and by “we,” I mean DD and me. DW hates this ride, so she takes pictures from below. I don’t know what it is about it but I get really dizzy on that ride. DD loves it though, and keeps the thing as high as it will go. There are some great views of MK from up there, but I’m usually too afraid to let go and take a picture…



From there we went on Buzz Lightyear 3-4 times in a row. That’s another experience which is only possible in the first 30-45 minutes of the park being open. We had to get off the ride at the end but we could walk around and get right back on with no wait.

I was keeping a close eye on the clock, because we wanted to visit the Fairies in ToonTown, and to do so with little to no wait means getting there right when it opens, around 9:45. We had just enough time to ride the Tea Cups. I think this picture shows how much fun DD was having, and also kind of describes how DW and I were feeling…



We got right up to the rope at ToonTown and were the fifth family in line for the Fairies. They really did a good job with the theming, and the fairies each spend a fair amount of time with each child. It makes for a great experience, but also a long wait if you’re not there early. I don’t know how they’re going to handle Fairy meet-and-greets now that ToonTown is closed.

After that we made our way across the park, gathering FastPasses at Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for our return in the evening, and stopping to ride Splash and Big Thunder standby.



Crowds were the smallest of the trip and Big Thunder and Splash were walkons. We grabbed lunch at Columbia Harbor House, sitting in our favorite spot, which Jack Spence spilled the beans on…

After lunch we visited the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and headed back to the hotel by 1:30 for swimming and a nap. We like to take a good break when we’re planning on coming back to stay late in the park.

We returned to MK to use the FastPasses we gathered earlier, then monorailed over to the Poly for dinner at ‘Ohana. DD loves to participate in the parade and help hand out leis.



I love the food – especially the bread pudding a la mode.



After dinner we monorailed back to MK to stake out a place to view Wishes. We stopped on Main Street to get a photo in front of the castle.



We usually watch from a little trail on the right side of the hub. We can stand up against a fence, so no one can stand in front of us, and Tinkerbell flies overhead. We don’t have great pictures of the fireworks, but here are two of the better ones.





After Wishes we headed back to the hotel for the night. Our plans for the next day were to hang around Animal Kingdom Lodge, where my mother would be visiting us from Tampa.

[DoctorK]

9/5 & 9/6 – Last Days and Trip Wrap-up

We slept in a little after being out late the night before. My mother drove up from Tamp in the morning. We spent some time swimming and participating in some of the activities around the resort.

In the evening we ate dinner at LeCellier, which was excellent (as always). DD loves steak and mushrooms (what 7-year-old likes mushrooms – weird kid), so we split a side order of mushrooms, which is way too much for one person, two people and probably three. The mushroom filet and mushroom risotto completed my mushroom trifecta.

After dinner we went back to the hotel to start packing things up. We had an 11:20am flight the following morning. The morning was uneventful and, despite the ridiculous backup at security at the airport (when is that NOT a madhouse?) our travel home went very smoothly.

On the way back home DW and I talked a little about the trip, and we agreed that with all of the special experiences that we had, the fantastic (albeit hot) weather and the nonexistent crowds, there would be no way to top this trip – it simply, and literally, couldn’t get any better. But we’ll certainly give it a try – we’ve got vacations planned for May and October 2011 to get the biggest bang for our Annual Pass buck!

Thanks for reading! I promise to get our next trip report in a lot more timely fashion...

[Janine]

Doc - I had read reports on how people show up early to be FOTD. I figured arriving that early wasn't worth it for the slim chance of being chosen, then I read your report. Your FOTD experience got me choked up, and that night I discussed it with DH and DD5 (well, mostly DH). We decided to give it a try on our 1st MK day.

We were selected to open the park on May 15! We didn't have the same experience, since Toon Town is closed, but it was amazing. Thank you so much for posting your story, if you hadn't, we wouldn't have given it a shot.

[DoctorK]

Wow, what a great story - with such a happy ending! Congratulations for being chosen, and for having the change of mind to give it a try.

[jhalpin76]

A great TR - thanks for posting it! I can't wait to hear about your May trip too.

Don't you love the lack of lines at security in Buffalo? MCO is always crazy.

Your family of the day pics. are great - what an experience!

[dmandaro]

Wow, what a great report. FOTD twice! That is truly incredible. Your daughter is just the cutest!!!!

xoxo

[DoctorK]

Don't you love the lack of lines at security in Buffalo? MCO is always crazy.

We just got back - May Trip Report forthcoming... but we flew out of MCO at night. We got to the airport around 7:30pm and there were NO lines at all! That is the time to fly out, if you can swing it. Flew right through security.

[selena1075]

I'm just reading this since you hinted somewhere about having some pixie dust on this trip. I have tears in my eyes after reading the family of the day stuff. Both parks are pretty awesome but all of the characters at MK just take it over the top. We just might have to try for that. Although, we have 3 kids and will likely have 2 grandparents with us. Ever hear how large of a group they'll choose? I'm guessing not a group of 7!

[DoctorK]

The FotD experience is different now that ToonTown is closed. You still get to ride in the fire truck, but then you go up to the top of Main St Station, and when the characters arrive, you walk through the train to the railing to help with the countdown. Afterwards you get a picture with the dancers but not all of the characters.

I don't know if 7 is too big a group, but I've never seen a group quite that large. Doesn't mean it can't work, though!