nzdisneymom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2003
Who: Cindy D., Gary, Nathan and Zachary
When: Friday, May 18 - Sunday, May 20
Where: Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Studio 4539
Why: Early 11th birthday trip for Nathan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We live in north Florida, so we always drive to WDW, usually taking I-10 east to I-75 south to the turnpike. But with the fires burning in the Lake City area, we opted for a different route, taking US 27 / alt-27 southeast to Ocala. What a fabulous drive! Four-lanes the whole way, 65 mph most of the way, slow down for a few towns, way less traffic and a nicer over-all drive!
We stopped at the rest-area at Fanning Springs for a stretch, and then again in Ocala at Fazoli's for dinner. Our local Fazoli's both closed over a year ago, so the boys were psyched to eat there, and DH and I were psyched to not have to eat McDonalds
From the turnpike, we took 429 down to Western Way into WDW. It was sprinkling when we arrived around 8:30 p.m. so we were trying to decide if we'd go to Epcot which was open until midnight for Extra Magic Hours. The Hess station by the Swan had gas for $2.89, so we filled up and then headed over to Wilderness Lodge where we self-parked after scoring a prime spot in the first section just past the disabled parking.
Check-in was uneventful (that's the best kind, right?) and we went right on over to our room on the 4th floor, woodview in the Villas. The last time we stayed at VWL we had a 1st floor room which was fine but we really wanted a balcony vs. a patio so we had requested a higher floor.
The room was clean and fully-stocked, everything in working order. So we went to get our luggage which when you only go for a weekend is minimal And because we were parked so close, it was easy enough to go to the car to get our stuff. When we got back to the room, we had balloons and a card tied to the doorhandle for Nathan's early birthday (his birthday is in June when our season tickets are blacked out). And now as I'm typing this, I realized that we forgot to get his card to bring home...
After a quick unpacking, we headed back to the lobby to borrow a DVD (Pocohantas II), make ADRs, and get ice cream from Roaring Forks and then get ready for bed. While in the shower I realized that I forgot to pack the kids' toothbrushes, so I called the front desk and they said to walk over and we could get toothbrushes there, so DH went to fetch them.
Saturday morning we got up around 8 a.m. and had a quick breakfast in the room before taking the bus over to the Magic Kingdom. It was Nathan's day to plan, so he lead the way. We arrived during the pre-show and then went in the park where we were held up by the rope at Adventureland, so we got a couple of pictures while waiting. Then we had to wait at Frontierland with the rope and while waiting, the CM told us that Big Thunder was down for a bit, which was too bad because that's right where we were heading.
But it worked out fine because DH and Zachary wanted to go on Splash Mountain so they did that while Nathan and I got fast passes for Big Thunder for later, and then we went into the Briar Patch store and sat in the rockers near the front and chatted with the CM. We'd never been in there so that was our "new" thing for the day. We timed it right to walk over to watch Splash Mountain so we were able to see the first people come down in the boats, and I was able to get a photo of DH and Zachary coming down and then again when they got to the curve by the bridge. We met them at the restrooms outside Splash Mountain to continue our day.
Haunted Mansion, Mickey's PhilHarmagic and Snow White. A water break at Cosmic Rays and then FP's for Buzz and a visit to the Laugh Floor which wasn't as funny as it was during Spring Break. The crowd just wasn't into it. The TTA and Buzz were both "down" after the Laugh Floor, so we went for my mid-morning nap at Carousel of Progress. I really like CoP but often doze off in there. TTA was still down but Buzz was open so we did that and then headed back over to Fronteirland to check on Big Thunder before our lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. It was open so we did that and then checked in early for lunch.
We always enjoy lunch at LTT, especially the rolls they'll bring out upon request. DH had the Pilgrim's Feast as usual and I had the cheeseburger. Kids shared a kid-plate of mac/cheese and fruit with ice cream for dessert. I love that pound cake with the warm walnut sauce on it. Mmmm...
Our friend Beth works as a CM in Adventureland (Tiki Room and Aladdin) and we knew she was coming in at 1:45, so we had about 15 minutes til her shift so we could go say hello. We stopped in the restroom tunnel between FL and AL (no, not Florida and Alabama - hee hee) and while the guys were waiting for me, she just happened to come through, so we got to say hey then. She was working late, so we told her we'd see her later.
Nathan decided we should head over to Epcot since it was getting busy at MK and we needed to pick up a Flower Festival pin for a friend at home. We took the monorail and got to ride in the front.
The topiaries at Epcot were really cool. I have some pics that when I get a chance to upload them, I'll add them here. The kids wanted to do Innoventions East - they love that Opportunity City game and will play at www.hotshotbusiness.com at home every now and then. While they went to play, I went to get the pin for our friend. She wanted Chip and Dale under the tree, so I got it, and while there I saw the Passholder Exclusive ones so I got three of them (all except the Tinkerbell one). Our friend was excited to get the C/D passholder one as she wouldn't have been able to get it herself as a non-passholder, so that was cool for her. The other two Flower Festival passholder pins are for Nathan and Zachary as they both wanted to start collecting "event" pins. I didn't like the regular pins as they have the "hello kitty" faces for the characters and that creeps me out a bit
We hiked up to Mexico to see the new ride which tickled me but the rest of the family were "so-so" about it. By then it was about 3 p.m. and we were pretty tuckered. Zachary wanted to ride Maelstrom but we said we'd try on Sunday as I thought I'd like to see the Butterfly Garden, too, so we headed back up front to leave. We saw that Maelstrom was closed so we were glad we didn't walk up there.
Back to the hotel for a nice rest and snacks and a nap for me after sitting on the balcony enjoying a nice breeze. Saturday was nearly perfect weather-wise.
We headed back over to the MK around 6 p.m. where we stopped for Zachary to jump rope and hula-hoop on Main Street and then off to Adventureland to see our friend who was parking strollers. Everything had a longer line than we wanted to do, so we got FPs for Jungle Cruise and headed over to see about Big Thunder. We had 20 minutes til we could get another FP and the train was right there (a 20-min. ride) so we took the train all the way around. Got FP's for Big Thunder and then headed back to Adventureland where we used our Jungle Cruise FP. Our skipper had a new-to-us joke - when we got in the hippo pool, he got his gun out to scare them away but instead of firing it, he used it to "shoo" the hippos
Beth was working at the Tiki Room so we went in for the last show of the night and she got to sit with us so we got a quick visit in, and then we headed up to Big Thunder which is a great ride at night. We stopped part-way up the second climb but got going again pretty quickly. Time for popcorn and Casey hotdogs for dinner and then back over to Adventureland for a quick spin on Aladdin and then on to Pirates (no wait, not even at loading) followed by another quick spin on Aladdin (for the boys).
By then it was about 9:40 and we still hadn't done the TTA so we headed over towards Tomorrowland. On the way over, Nathan suggested we do the Speedway instead, and it was only a 10-minute line (even though the sign said 20). Zachary had to go to the restroom, so DH took him out of line while Nathan and I did it - which evened up the number of rides we each did that day since we didn't do Splash in the morning. The fireworks started just as we finished the ride, so we headed toward the front to beat the crowd, got our bus and were back to VWL in no time.
We slept in on Sunday til 8:15, packed up and checked out. We had breakfast at Whispering Canyon and then headed over to MGM to see the Indiana Jones stunt show which we haven't done since Nathan was 3 and cried "my truck - they blew up my truck" and I had to take him out. But before we went over, I got Concierge to check to make sure it was playing because I know sometimes it isn't when there are dance events going on and I didn't want to trek all the way over for it and not have it be on. That was nice that they could get the time sheets for the specific park for me at the resort.
We got FPs for Indiana Jones and then did Star Tours while we waited. The kids loved the show. And then we had to do the Great Movie Ride against my wishes - it was a 30+ minute wait which was the longest we waited for ANYTHING the whole trip. I don't enjoy that ride very much anyway, especially if I have to wait more than 20 minutes. But Nathan had recently watched the Wizard of Oz and wanted to do it again and it's one of Zachary's favorite rides, too, so we did it with the promise that it would be our last thing at MGM and we could go over to MK to get Dole whips
We made it over to MK and the TTA was open, so we rode it and then decided to skip Dole Whips in favor of going to eat at Don Pablo's on I-drive before leaving. We used to have a Don Pablo's but it closed several years ago (see a theme? we like a restaurant and it closes....) Beth was working again, so Nathan and I walked over to say goodbye to her while DH took Zachary to VMK Central to turn in his Tomorrowland quest. We stopped in City Hall long enough for me to buy some postage stamps because I needed some and remembered they had the vending machine there... and then we headed back to VWL to leave.
The Ironman event was held on Sunday so the traffic patterns were a bit off but it was uneventful leaving. We had a nice meal at Don Pablo's and then headed for home, coming back the way we came (except we picked up the turnpike off I-4 instead of 429).
Thanks for reading!
When: Friday, May 18 - Sunday, May 20
Where: Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Studio 4539
Why: Early 11th birthday trip for Nathan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We live in north Florida, so we always drive to WDW, usually taking I-10 east to I-75 south to the turnpike. But with the fires burning in the Lake City area, we opted for a different route, taking US 27 / alt-27 southeast to Ocala. What a fabulous drive! Four-lanes the whole way, 65 mph most of the way, slow down for a few towns, way less traffic and a nicer over-all drive!
We stopped at the rest-area at Fanning Springs for a stretch, and then again in Ocala at Fazoli's for dinner. Our local Fazoli's both closed over a year ago, so the boys were psyched to eat there, and DH and I were psyched to not have to eat McDonalds
From the turnpike, we took 429 down to Western Way into WDW. It was sprinkling when we arrived around 8:30 p.m. so we were trying to decide if we'd go to Epcot which was open until midnight for Extra Magic Hours. The Hess station by the Swan had gas for $2.89, so we filled up and then headed over to Wilderness Lodge where we self-parked after scoring a prime spot in the first section just past the disabled parking.
Check-in was uneventful (that's the best kind, right?) and we went right on over to our room on the 4th floor, woodview in the Villas. The last time we stayed at VWL we had a 1st floor room which was fine but we really wanted a balcony vs. a patio so we had requested a higher floor.
The room was clean and fully-stocked, everything in working order. So we went to get our luggage which when you only go for a weekend is minimal
And because we were parked so close, it was easy enough to go to the car to get our stuff. When we got back to the room, we had balloons and a card tied to the doorhandle for Nathan's early birthday (his birthday is in June when our season tickets are blacked out). And now as I'm typing this, I realized that we forgot to get his card to bring home...After a quick unpacking, we headed back to the lobby to borrow a DVD (Pocohantas II), make ADRs, and get ice cream from Roaring Forks and then get ready for bed. While in the shower I realized that I forgot to pack the kids' toothbrushes, so I called the front desk and they said to walk over and we could get toothbrushes there, so DH went to fetch them.
Saturday morning we got up around 8 a.m. and had a quick breakfast in the room before taking the bus over to the Magic Kingdom. It was Nathan's day to plan, so he lead the way. We arrived during the pre-show and then went in the park where we were held up by the rope at Adventureland, so we got a couple of pictures while waiting. Then we had to wait at Frontierland with the rope and while waiting, the CM told us that Big Thunder was down for a bit, which was too bad because that's right where we were heading.
But it worked out fine because DH and Zachary wanted to go on Splash Mountain so they did that while Nathan and I got fast passes for Big Thunder for later, and then we went into the Briar Patch store and sat in the rockers near the front and chatted with the CM. We'd never been in there so that was our "new" thing for the day. We timed it right to walk over to watch Splash Mountain so we were able to see the first people come down in the boats, and I was able to get a photo of DH and Zachary coming down and then again when they got to the curve by the bridge. We met them at the restrooms outside Splash Mountain to continue our day.
Haunted Mansion, Mickey's PhilHarmagic and Snow White. A water break at Cosmic Rays and then FP's for Buzz and a visit to the Laugh Floor which wasn't as funny as it was during Spring Break. The crowd just wasn't into it. The TTA and Buzz were both "down" after the Laugh Floor, so we went for my mid-morning nap at Carousel of Progress. I really like CoP but often doze off in there. TTA was still down but Buzz was open so we did that and then headed back over to Fronteirland to check on Big Thunder before our lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. It was open so we did that and then checked in early for lunch.
We always enjoy lunch at LTT, especially the rolls they'll bring out upon request. DH had the Pilgrim's Feast as usual and I had the cheeseburger. Kids shared a kid-plate of mac/cheese and fruit with ice cream for dessert. I love that pound cake with the warm walnut sauce on it. Mmmm...
Our friend Beth works as a CM in Adventureland (Tiki Room and Aladdin) and we knew she was coming in at 1:45, so we had about 15 minutes til her shift so we could go say hello. We stopped in the restroom tunnel between FL and AL (no, not Florida and Alabama - hee hee) and while the guys were waiting for me, she just happened to come through, so we got to say hey then. She was working late, so we told her we'd see her later.
Nathan decided we should head over to Epcot since it was getting busy at MK and we needed to pick up a Flower Festival pin for a friend at home. We took the monorail and got to ride in the front.
The topiaries at Epcot were really cool. I have some pics that when I get a chance to upload them, I'll add them here. The kids wanted to do Innoventions East - they love that Opportunity City game and will play at www.hotshotbusiness.com at home every now and then. While they went to play, I went to get the pin for our friend. She wanted Chip and Dale under the tree, so I got it, and while there I saw the Passholder Exclusive ones so I got three of them (all except the Tinkerbell one). Our friend was excited to get the C/D passholder one as she wouldn't have been able to get it herself as a non-passholder, so that was cool for her. The other two Flower Festival passholder pins are for Nathan and Zachary as they both wanted to start collecting "event" pins. I didn't like the regular pins as they have the "hello kitty" faces for the characters and that creeps me out a bit
We hiked up to Mexico to see the new ride which tickled me but the rest of the family were "so-so" about it. By then it was about 3 p.m. and we were pretty tuckered. Zachary wanted to ride Maelstrom but we said we'd try on Sunday as I thought I'd like to see the Butterfly Garden, too, so we headed back up front to leave. We saw that Maelstrom was closed so we were glad we didn't walk up there.
Back to the hotel for a nice rest and snacks and a nap for me after sitting on the balcony enjoying a nice breeze. Saturday was nearly perfect weather-wise.
We headed back over to the MK around 6 p.m. where we stopped for Zachary to jump rope and hula-hoop on Main Street and then off to Adventureland to see our friend who was parking strollers. Everything had a longer line than we wanted to do, so we got FPs for Jungle Cruise and headed over to see about Big Thunder. We had 20 minutes til we could get another FP and the train was right there (a 20-min. ride) so we took the train all the way around. Got FP's for Big Thunder and then headed back to Adventureland where we used our Jungle Cruise FP. Our skipper had a new-to-us joke - when we got in the hippo pool, he got his gun out to scare them away but instead of firing it, he used it to "shoo" the hippos
Beth was working at the Tiki Room so we went in for the last show of the night and she got to sit with us so we got a quick visit in, and then we headed up to Big Thunder which is a great ride at night. We stopped part-way up the second climb but got going again pretty quickly. Time for popcorn and Casey hotdogs for dinner and then back over to Adventureland for a quick spin on Aladdin and then on to Pirates (no wait, not even at loading) followed by another quick spin on Aladdin (for the boys).
By then it was about 9:40 and we still hadn't done the TTA so we headed over towards Tomorrowland. On the way over, Nathan suggested we do the Speedway instead, and it was only a 10-minute line (even though the sign said 20). Zachary had to go to the restroom, so DH took him out of line while Nathan and I did it - which evened up the number of rides we each did that day since we didn't do Splash in the morning. The fireworks started just as we finished the ride, so we headed toward the front to beat the crowd, got our bus and were back to VWL in no time.
We slept in on Sunday til 8:15, packed up and checked out. We had breakfast at Whispering Canyon and then headed over to MGM to see the Indiana Jones stunt show which we haven't done since Nathan was 3 and cried "my truck - they blew up my truck" and I had to take him out. But before we went over, I got Concierge to check to make sure it was playing because I know sometimes it isn't when there are dance events going on and I didn't want to trek all the way over for it and not have it be on. That was nice that they could get the time sheets for the specific park for me at the resort.
We got FPs for Indiana Jones and then did Star Tours while we waited. The kids loved the show. And then we had to do the Great Movie Ride against my wishes - it was a 30+ minute wait which was the longest we waited for ANYTHING the whole trip. I don't enjoy that ride very much anyway, especially if I have to wait more than 20 minutes. But Nathan had recently watched the Wizard of Oz and wanted to do it again and it's one of Zachary's favorite rides, too, so we did it with the promise that it would be our last thing at MGM and we could go over to MK to get Dole whips
We made it over to MK and the TTA was open, so we rode it and then decided to skip Dole Whips in favor of going to eat at Don Pablo's on I-drive before leaving. We used to have a Don Pablo's but it closed several years ago (see a theme? we like a restaurant and it closes....) Beth was working again, so Nathan and I walked over to say goodbye to her while DH took Zachary to VMK Central to turn in his Tomorrowland quest. We stopped in City Hall long enough for me to buy some postage stamps because I needed some and remembered they had the vending machine there... and then we headed back to VWL to leave.
The Ironman event was held on Sunday so the traffic patterns were a bit off but it was uneventful leaving. We had a nice meal at Don Pablo's and then headed for home, coming back the way we came (except we picked up the turnpike off I-4 instead of 429).
Thanks for reading!
I am working on it, though. Maybe one of these years... 
Sounds like a wonderful pre-birthday trip for Nathan. Nice that you were able to catch up with your friend the CM, too.
