March 9th, 2009 - WDW Day 5

Ok, so no more late nights. The girls had horrendous nights, taking turns with meltdowns that would last for hours. What seemed to have gone well obviously had a larger impact that we could see, so out the window went plans for Fantasmic and Illuminations (We had discussed each going to one alone, but would later decide that it wasn't worth the hassle). Oh, well! It's a new day now, so we were off...

We were actually heading through Epcot to the Magic Kingdom (so not an efficient way to travel, as I learned on my solo trip, but nice when you have twin girls who freak out getting in and out of a stroller ), but got distracted. I ducked into Club Cool for my almost-daily dose of Kinley and we noticed it was perfect timing to hit the Character Connection. Were there not multiple characters there in previous years? It was always Mickey & Friends now, apparently. This was fine, but not what I was expecting. Anyway, we waited about 10 minutes (love the queue area with classic cartoons!) and had a great time with all of the characters. The photopass folks and handlers were great, too, taking tons of wonderful pictures as the characters interacted with my girls, with both their cameras and mine! That is, of course, until my camera batteries died. Oh, well.... we'll just have to buy photopass ones. Aaaand this would be the bad timing would kick in. The last two photographers would take 1 or 2 poorly-composed, "posed" shots. No fun. Still, there were some cute moments overall.

Finally, we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom via the monorail. We had brought along two little Tinkers, so we headed straight for Pixie Hollow to see if it was doable after arriving so late.

We grabbed a FP for Buzz on the way (which we'd waste, but not really miss) and got there as the wait times were listed at 15 minutes (Princesses) and 45 minutes (Fairies). I tell you what, I'm thinking the princesses are glad to have some people with which to share the load, no?

We decided the girls wouldn't care either way (and we have the next size Tinkerbell costumes too ), so we hit the Princess line. In about 2.5 minutes flat, we were in! Hmm..... a little off on the wait time! The girls enjoyed the princesses,

but were mostly just in awe of their dresses

Since the line was only slightly longer for the Fairies, we figured there would be no way it would actually take 45 minutes to get back there, so we hopped in that one as well. Hooray!

We were right, it didn't take 45 minutes. It took about 65. With hungry girls, who we thought would be out long before lunchtime

Still, it made for some cute photo ops, and Tinkerbell was FABULOUS. Just PERFECT. She talked with Emmersyn and Hartley about their training, and playtime and snacks and all the fun things they would learn from her. "How many seasons are you?" (8 months) "Ooh, you're brand new Tinkers! We're going to have a long time to spend together!"

We made a pit stop at Pete's Garage (bad pun intended), then sat on Minnie's Porch and fed the girls. We made a quick run into her house, but it was SO crowded that we headed back out as quickly as we had entered!

As we went through Fantasyland in search of lunch, we stopped to grab a FP for Pooh. What do you know?!

I was so exicted, I practically ran to catch up with Zach and show him. It's the little things.....

From here, we headed to Fronteirland for Peco's Bills. Zach loves their burgers (and the fixin's bar), but we don't eat there often because I don't really like anything on the menu all that well. Still, I'm glad we went. The self-serve ordering stations made my day! (Again - the little things...) The girls slept while we enjoyed our lunch. My favorite part, added mostly for the benefit of my DH when he reads this was watching Zach spend several minutes meticulously building his masterpiece of a burger, only to watch it immediately topple all over (his plate, not the ground (thankfully)). Crush had said it so well: "... And when something happens that is totally bogus but somewhat humerous, 'Duuuuuude'." (Love you, Zach )

After lunch we watched Philharmagic (do you think the girls noticed that everything was blurry? ) and then rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The girls loved it, as we expected. I loved watching Zach remind Emmersyn and Hartley of all the stories we had read from the Classic Pooh Treasury before our trip as we traveled through them

What a morning! We had accomplished so much already, at least at the pace the trip had been going! We stopped for another Dole Whip on the way out of the Magic Kingdom. For the record, if you are ever at Aloha Isle and you see me, go to the line that is furthest away. It NEVER fails that something goes dreadfully wrong in whatever line I pick, and the entire park gets served before I do. This is not that much of an exaggeration. You've been warned.

Still, the end result is ALWAYS worth the wait, and I enjoyed it very much as we rode the monorail back to Epcot.

When we got there, the girls were sleeping so Zach and I wandered through Innoventions for a little while. There is a lot there that is new since the last time we went! We took our time walking back to the resort, even waiting on the Friendship Boat (just for the heck of it). It had been a long, hot morning and we needed to relax in the room for a while!

In the late afternoon, we headed back into Epcot for dinner. The girls were in pleasant moods, it was a bit breezier (so not as hot as the morning, thankfully, although the weather was SO beautiful the entire trip that I can hardly complain!), and we were starving! Too bad we were going to San Angel Inn

We are determined to eat at every restaurant on property at some point, so we usually don't repeat TS restaurants that frequently. This might change, because we're running out of really good ones! I didn't notice until the end of the trip that (aside from The Wave, which is obviously new) there is a reason we hadn't eaten at a few of the "new" restaurants on our list!

I ADORE the Mexico Pavilion. It brings back such special memories for me, and is one of my favorite places in the World. Apparently, however, not as a place to eat. The restaurant was packed in so tight that we could hardly hear our own conversations over those coming from surrounding tables. The food was probably not even good enough to be labeled "mediocre", but it's cool. We've been there, and we don't have to go back

After dinner we rode the 3 Caballeros Gran Fiesta Tour, which the girls loved. Emmersyn especially was hysterical to watch. She stood straight up on Zach's lap, and turned her head side to side (and practically in a circle at times) to see what was going on around her. So sweet!

We rode again so I could get some pictures of Hartley watching as well, because she enjoyed it just the same. Unfortunately, she was content to stare out her side, so most of the pictures are of the back of her head :-P

A note on the ride -- I had ridden it dozens of times as El Rio Del Tiempo, and shared some of the same concerns as others might have when they refurbed it and added characters. Then, when I rode, I was pleasantly surprised that the feel of the ride (and subsequently the capturing of Mexican culture) was still fantastic. No disappointment from me, which I posted on various threads here. Oh my gosh though, after purchasing and watching (more than once) the film, along with Saludos Amigos, the Imagineers couldn't have been more right in the changes they made. It is BEYOND relevant, and I challenge anyone who thinks otherwise to PM me to discuss... but only if you've seen the films.

Now, where was I?

The girls were in such fabulous moods after dinner that we took our time strolling through the World Showcase and along the Boardwalk. We even played for several minutes in the Baby Care Center (shocking, I know), with a new friend Cindy. She was such a sweetheart, and the girls loved her!

On the way out, as Hartley was catching a catnap in the stroller, Pluto made a surprise visit! Any bets on at what age she will look at pictures and say it's "not fair!" that Emmersyn got the bonus?

It was absolutely the most gorgeous night thus far, and the Boardwalk was The Place to Be. We watched a few buskers before heading upstairs, and the girls remained so content. They played a while in the room before going to sleep at about 8:30. What a great day!

It was at this point in the trip that I realized our list of "If we get to its" had grown entirely too long for the number of days that were remaining. I desperately wanted to get back to the Animal Kingdom (namely for a few things like the Affection Section and Festival of the Lion King, as well as others), but the other parks still had so much more to offer for the girls, that we made a decision not to try and squeeze anything else in. What a bummer! Alas, we'd be back.... and in fact, I pulled out a calendar that same evening and began planning our return trip in October!

Next: March 10th, 2009 - WDW Day 6

March 8th, 2009 - WDW Day 4

As we woke up for the first time on Sunday, we looked at the clock and saw it was nearly 7:00am! The girls hadn't made a peep, and - thanks to Daylight Savings Time changes - they wouldn't be ready for a nap at the exact time the parks would start to open! Sure, we lost an hour at Disney... but if it makes for a more enjoyable trip, I'd have given up a few!

On our way to Epcot, I grabbed a Blueberry Mickey Muffin at the Bakery and Zach grabbed a mug o' coffee at Boardwalk Joe's. We took our time and still strolled in just a few minutes after 9. As we headed toward Future World, we could see that the race was still in full swing. The later start time had a lot to do with it, I'm sure, but it actually worked out well. I don't know if people were avoiding Epcot because of the event or what, but the park was empty! We weren't sure how long it would last, but we were going to take advantage of it while we could.

Our first stop was the Land Pavilion. I had been dreaming of riding Soarin' again, and was so desperate to do so that I could practically smell the Orange Groves when I listened to the soundtrack at home. I grabbed a fast pass and then "waited" (walked right on) in the Standby Line, grabbing a rider swap pass on the way. We might both get to ride twice, with very little or no wait!

Every time I ride it, that ride is every bit as good as the first time. It was made more sweet by sitting between two first time riders, too!

While Zach was riding, the girls decided to wake up. They played with their Mickey and Pluto plushes while we waited, and as soon as he returned we strapped the girls in their carriers, left the stroller behind, and headed for the Seas! Maybe Hartley and Emmersyn would get to enjoy something, too!

We walked immediately onto The Seas w/Nemo and Friends, which the girls found moderately interesting. I'm sure it pales in comparison to some dark rides, when you are too distracted by things like jacket zippers to notice fish in distant aquariums They actually enjoyed the aquariums in the pavilion after the ride much more, because they had time to notice and watch the fish.

Turtle Talk was just about to begin when we exited the ride, so we walked in to see if the girls would make it through the show. They did well, and Hartley was actually captivated by Crush! Emmersyn couldn't have cared less, and wanted to get out and go somewhere else, but she stayed very quiet. Thank you, Cheerios.

Next stop was the Imagination Pavilion, to introduce the girls to our friend Figment. They enjoyed the ride, but were - as you might expect - scared silly with the Blast(!)

We stopped in the Kodak Labs to send a quick hello to the grandparents, and were disappointed to find most of the options for silly postcards had been removed! Oh, well. 3920483 takes later, and we were all at least looking at the camera. It would have to do!

So here we were, before lunch, and we'd already ridden three rides AND posed for a postcard. What was happening?! All the excitement left the girls exhausted, so they got a bottle and settled back into the stroller while Zach rode Soarin' on the FP. A series of unfortunate events, crabby (nay, hysterical) babies, etc would leave me unable to ride again, but it's ok. We'll go back I took them to the companion restroom to change diapers, then for a walk around FW West to calm down until Zach met up with us.

We would have loved to hit Sunshine Seasons for lunch at this time, but it would have obviously been impossible while the girls were asleep, since there are no strollers allowed downstairs. Electric Umbrella it is! Oh, well, I thought. I secretly love WDW Chicken Finger meals, and haven't had one in several trips! Except that the Electric Umbrella is apparently closed. Seriously, where did the Planner in me go?!

At some point during the trip thus far, we had decided we would just do our best to hang out wherever we were if the girls fell asleep somewhere on the go. This day, it meant wandering around Mouse Gear until they woke up. This girl had no complaints about that! I do, however, have a complaint about the new Vinylmation ..... things that we first saw there. Um, what? Perhaps I'm just not cultured enough or something, but .... what? They weren't for us, anyway

We grabbed lunch at the Lotus Blossom Cafe on the way back to the hotel, eating quickly so we could get back and swim when the girls were awake. Someone remind me what they might have served for dessert in a previous trip... the smoothies on the menu aren't an option (which I don't recall having anyway) and your choices are two different ice creams. We each got a different flavor, and the Caramel Ginger ice cream tasted EXACTLY like a spa treatment. I live for said Treatments, and the aroma that fills the entire room at a local day spa I (sort of) frequent (though not nearly as often as I would like) is somehow instantly relaxing to me. Via my nostrils, not my taste buds. It was the strangest thing to taste, and I just couldn't do it.... Zach's Red Bean stuff wasn't much better. Oh, well, chalk it up to a new experience!

Since the girls had caught a pretty decent (read: 40 minute) nap in the stroller, we thought it would be the perfect time to go for a swim!

We quickly found out they were just a few inches too small to sit in the baby pool on their own, so most of our time was spent motoring them around the Luna Park pool. They loved every minute of it, even the (multiple) times we took them underwater. What can I say, Zach used to teach lessons and I have swam since I was younger than they are... they had no choice! Swim lessons here we come!

We stayed in the pool for about an hour, then headed to the room for baths/showers and naps. As I sat in the room listening to the whimsical sounds of the Boardwalk (even that blasted, obnoxious seagull!), the Resort TV music playing softly in the room, and the girls snoring away (remnants of pneumonia and all ), I realized that the trip had passed the "break even" point to "I'm (finally) at least glad we came". Perhaps it would even end up a "good" trip, after all!

 

Before long, it was ready to head to dinner with Pooh and friends at the Crystal Palace! When we got there, there were dozens of people filling the porch, the walkways all around the restaurant, etc. Seriously, where did everyone come from? Still, the girls enjoyed playing (out of the stroller) while we waited, and we were seated in about 15 minutes.

It also gave me opportunity to get pictures of their adorable outfits

It was during this dinner that we learned Emmersyn and Hartley really DO like the characters, so long as they haven't been up since 4:30am traveling. They loved every bit of interaction with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore. They loved feeling them (I'm sure the fact that they are like giant plush helps!). They watched as each one approached the table (including staring as they visited tables before us),

interacted with them the entire time they were with us,

and watched as they walked away and until they were out of sight.

After dinner (which wasn't bad either ), I took Hartley to the Baby Care Center to get changed and wait for Zach and Emmersyn. We made lots of wonderful CM friends, and soon the 4 of us were heading down Main Street to grab a spot for Spectromagic afterall.

For whatever reason, things had worked out today and - even though the crowd situation wasn't ideal - we'd get to see Spectro & Wishes after all! I literally had tears in my eyes as it started, I was so excited.

Emmersyn tried her darndest to stay awake for the parade,

and Hartley woke up for a minute here and there.

They seemed to be as enamored of it as I am, from what I could tell. We got one of my favorite spots for Wishes, too. What a beautiful night!

It was utter chaos trying to leave, as we expected, but the girls slept and we were actually transferring them to the car by 9:45pm. We were all exhausted when we got back to the room, but couldn't have asked for a better day. Finally

Next: March 9th, 2009 - WDW Day 5