7 Dizzy Disney Dwarfs Live 7/23-8/6 Update: Finished and we are back!

[DisneycrazedX6]

Doc here,
So far the trip has had a little of everything but as of this moment Sneezy and I aren't about to kill each other yet and everyone seems to be rested and not tooooo crabby. Surprised yea me too. I'm trying to get Happy up for opening at HS. This would be 2 openings in a row wow will miracles never cease. Any hoot I'll check back with some stories for you all later but I hadn't written in awhile so I needed to say HI. supposed to be mid 90's again with chance of thunder storms. Quote for the day "Stay dry and be cool." Although I'm always cooooooooool. Doc out!!!!!

 

[dolly-dawne]

Thanks for the call Sheryl- it kept me happy for awhlie. Glad the trip is going so well- JOhn your pool is good- plenty of water- your house sitters are very nice and think the wolrd of you Sheryl. They want you to know everything is perfect. Its nice to hear no illness, no fighting,no bee stings, no tantrums, I will keep my fingers crossed. I guess the universe wants you to have alot of magic this year. Nice to hear YOUR fastpassses are working well since its not to crowded. Now I need Sam to make me some cheddar cheese soup and pretzel bread. I agree about soaring Jess- I close my eyes the whole time. I am still a bit jeleous that I wont be there ths year but in Nov. I guess I will be sending you the Disney vibe in return for yours now. Have a Goofy candy store rice crispy for me PLEASE -AND SEND ME THE DETAILS. Get back to the fun I am off to teach a class now. Miss you .

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Pictures to come later....

Finally an early morning for us...everyone up by 7:30, out the door by 8:15 and arrived at HS shortly after opening. Not bad for us, most likely wont happen again!!
Breezed throught bag check and the turnstiles, maybe its not going to be too busy today???
Grumpy grabbed the tix and ran to TSM with the 100's of crowds around her.
I take her place in line and allow the family to go ride...Yes, arent I nice!!
I wait, and wait, again.....HELLO...its not that difficult to get the tix!! I am finally up front when the CM noticed the women is from a tour group and has a huge stack of tix. She closes it down and has me and 10 people reroute. OMG-I was soooooooooo.....mad!!! Finally my return time is 11:35-12:35 and I was there at 9:15. It took them about 35 minutes to get through the ride, as for me....I returned phone calls on a nice cool bench!!

Next up: Indiana Jones. We seen it before but everything is all new to Bashful so we figure what the heck. No problem getting a seat, though I think it filled up nicely. Great show as always, its fun to hear the audience react to "the guy in the flowered shirt".

Happy wanted to play in the playground and get wet for awhile, so that was fine by me!!

Lunch was at Prime Time Cafe: Now something you outta know with me. I make these ressies as far in advance as possible. I print out the menus and everyone makes their choice in advance. There are 7 of us this trip and we are trying to do one sit down a day BUT save a bit of money along the way.
Each restaurant someone splits a meal, we get an app. to share and one dessert to share. This is day 5 and all has been fine. So I guess I did not hear our name being called because I was chatting with some lovely people about the outlet shopping. When they got called I looked around for the kids and apparently they were already seated. O.K. ...thanks for coming to get me!!! So they are already to order.. Now , control freak me doesnt know what everyone is getting and what I should order (if anything). So....we all end up with a meal (too much food), no appetizer( I really like their onion rings)and Happy orders a milk shake. Happy does NOT share!!! At the Sci-Fi I told the waiter they would be splitting it and he was nice enough to bring it in 3 cups. If you do not tell Happy she must share, then forget it!! Happy Happy, Joy Joy,,,,NOT!!!! Food was good, Doc inhaled his...Grumpy ate the green veggies, apparently she was hungry and had the tasty fried chix. Smores for dessert which tasted better in my microwave BTW. Finally that was over and ended up being more expensive than Le Cellier.

We split up a bit after that meal!! Fast passes for TSM-I love that ride!! I wish I could ride it again and again....I came in 4th, Grumpy, Doc and Bashful all beat me.

True to my word, reluctantly we left HS to go for a swim. I feel like I am getting nothing done on this trip, too many mid day breaks!! The crowds were manageable, though TSM was 100 minutes and TOT and RNR about 40m

Back to Kidani for a swim....They have a great pool and slide. The waterpark is wonderful for small children, wish I had some....well kinda...

Dopey heree finishing up the postt! Grumpy,Sneezy and I Went back to Hollywood Studios at about 6:30ish.I was getting hungry so we went and got a chocolate milkshake.yummm.We weree suppost to be going into the finale show for the American Idol Experience. But of course no food or drink. No problem we stil got a half hour! We were drinking as fast as we could as the crowds filed in. Sneezy over there says well it looks like its getting to crowded. Okay well we can't let the milkshake go to waste so Grumpy and I decide to gulp it. I gulp one mouthful. BRAIN FREEZE! So i'm over theree holding my head dancing around like an idiot. Grumpy's gulping the milkshake going Dopey help!! I used the trick they show on disney channel about sticking your thumb to the roof of your moouth and it workedd!!! No more brainfreeze so i go to help. Okay well we pretty much finished it so we go throw it away. As were walking in we walk past the thing that tells how many are in there and how many more can fit. About 1,000 more! We gulped that thing for nothing. Now we're all feelingg from drinking it to fast. O'well it passes and we're watching the tv's. Pretty entertaining. They let us in and everyone was amazing. got to go eat breakfast at boma continue later!!!

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Okay! So major screw up; we actually missed a day! Oops! On day six we actually went to Blizzard Beach. This'll be quick because I really can't remember this far back. Blizzard Beach was super fun! We got a ton done. We kinda had this system where when we split up we wrote down the time and where we were going next in a notebook so we could find eachother. The groups ended up being Dopey and I, Bashful and Sleepy (no surprise there) and then Sneezy, Doc, and Happy. Dopey and I stayed late in the wave pool at the beginning while Sneezy's group went to kiddie land and the lazy river. Sleepy and Bashful went on the big waterslide, not summit plummit but the other big one! I totally forget what it's called. We went on the River Rapids and then met up to go on the family raft ride, Teamboat Springs. Then we hung out in the wavepool for a little while longer then we left.

We went back to the hotel, showered, then headed back out to Epcot to hopefully catch Elluminations and do the Kim Possible ride. However, the weather was not cooperating and we ended up stuck in Mexico for a wicked long time. I napped! Then when the rain kinda let up Doc, Dopey, Happy and I all went to get fish and chips while mom went to the 2U concert. She said it was absolutly amazing! The fish and chips were also amazing. It was still raining so we ended up leaving early cause we thought Elluminations would be cancelled. Doc and Sneezy stayed. It wasn't cancelled. Darn! So that was that. Byee!

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Doc here sneezy still out and I'm home packing. what's wrong with this picture? But anyways, second day in a row up and out by 8, will miracles never cease! O.k. all 7 are out at the bus stop by 8:05, bus comes about 8:15 through security by 8:50 it's going to be a great morning!!! Something is not right though, no lines waiting to get in (btw up to this point Grumpy in a great mood because we are booking it past the crowds and getting a fast pass to Splash and going on BTRR and splash while we are up there!) but upon further investigation little Miss Disney know it all (alias Sneezy) didn't realize that today was early opening at the MK. Talk about embarrasing and total frustration......As always it was somehow MY FAULT I got over it though.
So we continue with our plan anyways....We split and Sneezy, the little one and the two 16 yr olds head for Dumbo and me, Grumpy and Dopey head for Splash. As it turns out our plan worked anyways and the crowds were actually light and we were done by 9:15. Dopey was hungry so we headed down to meet Sneezy and the others (2 hrs no Sneezy it was a vacation from vacation if you know what I mean!!!) So we get into Fantasyland and Dopey is very, very hungry but Grumpy decides to pop into Mickey's Philamagic and I agree but you would of thought the MK was going to run out of foood. Dopey lost it on Grumpy and me (kind of funny in a sadistic way) so after the big blow out we sat thru MP and I got Grumpy and Sneezy hooked up and Dopey and I went to the Main St bakery for the best cinnamon rolls around, did I say they were THE BEST yet. No better deal in the MK for $2.39. Melt in your mouth frosted just right scrumpdilyicious. I also choked down a ham and egg croissant pretty good tooooo! Alright making myself hungry so I am going to get some dinner and come back and continue soon BRB!!! Sneezy has camera with pix also so we will post some of them later toooo!!! BRB

So we are on our way to meet Sneezy, grumpy and happy and we have to go by the Buzz ride so Dopey and I decide to get some fast passes on the way. It is about 10:24 and we can get another one at 10:30. So I am impatient and try about 6 or 7 times to get the fastpass a little early and Dopey is laughing at me for being in such a rush (Yea dopey the one who is bored in a minute and always has to be doing something yea that Dopey). Also Grumpy is texting me and asking if I'm ever coming back. after the 5th where are you text I think I subconciously slowed down to get her even more mad. So we meet them in toon town and Grumpy and Sneezy happily devour the cinnamon roll while Happy and Dopey jump on the Barnstormer.
We decide to head over to Adventure land from here and on the way catch the Milkshake parade I think (oh i've been corrected the move it shake it parade) at any rate it was entertaining and Sneezy was dancing in the 95 degree weather and sweating her you know what off! Too funny, and we had the Chip and Dale float stop in front of us so they were dancing also. After that we decide to cool off a little in the POTC ride, that we walked on to, Sneezy was a little behind and Grumpy and Dopey were freaked because according to them 100 people went by while we were waiting and we still walked on....so much for that!! We went from there to meet up at SM with everyone with the fast pass from the a.m. and after about a ten minute wait we were on our way through the laughing place and somehow I'm in the front seat (2nd time today) with Dopey and Happy. After I got soaked for the 2nd time when it was all said and done Happy loved the ride and being in the front seat and the picture was awesome everyone happy at the moment including Sneezy. We sent the kid clan to BTRR to use the other fast passes before heading to Tony's for lunch and the missus and I sat at the train station and waited. Allright heading off to bed and someone will continue in the a.m. TTYS..........Doc

P.S. incase you can't read our hand signs on the Splash Mountain picture, mine says "LOL" and Julia's says "WOW"

 

[dolly-dawne]

Hey guys good job so far but it takes some thought for me to figure out what all the abbreviations mean. My wiser sister told me ttys was talk to you soon.
Who knew. Cant wait to hear awhat the heck youve done about he weekend .

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Okay, Grumpy is taking back over after what seems like forever! So after Tony's which was absolutly fantastic. My favorite all trip. (Sneezy told me a lot of you guys didn't like it which I totally don't understand.) Anyhow, have you noticed I always get off track when I bolg? Well, I have. & I'm doing it again right now, so again anyways, we left there and went to Buzz, well everyone but Bashful and Sleepy they went back to the hotel. We got on that and got out with five minutes to spare before the three o'clock parade. (which is at three o'clock for all of you who didn't know ) We watched that from kinda far away since we wanted to stay in the shade, it was incredibly hot that day, and it was pretty good. It's also new as far as I know. So that was fun, then Doc left us to go find a rental car and we headed off to catch a monerail. We decided it was a good day to ride the loop and check out the hotels plus go swimming at the Polynesian.
So we get there and hop in the pool for about five minutes until the lifeguards start freaking out, kicking everyone out of the pool. We get out completely confused, it looked like a storm was coming so we thought they saw lightning, but no someone apparently pooped in the pool. AGAIN. Yes, that's the second time this trip that's happened. Just our luck. We all go off and chill while they clean out the pool; I was napping to be perfectly honest. About twenty minutes later they start letting people back in and then guess what? It rains! Really just our luck! Like what are the odds? We decide swimming is out of the question in the rain so we go back to the hotel, change, then get back on the loop. Grand Floridian is next and mom is on a mission to find her mickey hair clip. No such luck there, so we move on to the Contemporary. We have no where to go after that so we hang out there for awhile. They play in the arcade and I nap, again Maybe I should be sleepy, but really anyone who isn't tired after getting up early everyday for the first time all summer is messed up! After we decide the rain is never going to stop we leave and get back to the Magic Kingdom. We hop on our bus from there and get back to the Hotel. Finally. So end of that day.
OH RIGHT!: So Sleepy decided that he was to lazy to blog and I just have to mention his major "epic" hop from Eluminations to Wishes. They apparently got both done in one night with great seats on both. Amazing, I can't seem to catch Eluminations when it's not pouring. Lucky them!

NEXT!! DAY EIGHT!!​

So we get to sleep in, shocker, right? Well, not so much since I still had to get up at nine, but wayyyy better than seven in my opinion. It's a packing day because we're leaving Kidani (sad face!) and heading off sight to visit the relatives for a few days. So we pack up, well they pack up, I ditch my responsibilities by showering til it's time to leave for our 10:30 Boma reservations. Smart in my opinion! Boma was excellent! Then we notice there are these people behind us who have there own like chef who keeps bringing over a bunch of good looking food. We're curious of course, I mean why don't we get one, so we keep walking by pretending to be looking out the windows trying to figure out why they get so much food. They have like donuts and muffins and mickey waffles (we think we saw those, but we're not sure) and a bunch of good stuff not on the regular menu. Plus they also get whatever was out for the rest of us apparently "regular" people. Major jip off in my opinion. (Sorry if I'm reusing phrases this is a long blog!) So anyways, we finish that and get out of there and go to the arcade. I waste the rest of our points on the stacker game me and my friends back home have an obsession with, and I ended up winning a small prize, but I hit the wrong button and continued to try and get the major one, but I lost. Okay if you didn't understand that and have no idea what a stacker game is ignore that; it's not all that important. We leave the arcade and we all head over to the Animal Kingdom to do Everest which we haven't done yet cause everytime we go there it rains!
We arrive and Doc and I go directly to Everest, hop in the single rider line, and are off in about ten minutes. If you've been on before and don't mind going with random people I really suggest that. Basically no wait, ten minutes top! While we were on there Dopey and Happy go to the boneyard because they both won't do any huge roller coasters like that. We go and meet up with them and chill out while finally Sneezy joins us. (She stayed late at the Animal Kingdom Lodge/Jambo House.) Then we start to head over to Kali because Dad got fastpasses for that on our way to Everest at 'It's A Bug's Life'. I think that's a pretty good idea, having all the fastpasses in one place, by the way. So we get there and as we're showing the guy our fastpasses he tells us they're not for Kali. Apparently, Doc got the fastpasses for the Safari like the idiot he is! Oh boy I was mad about that for awhile because it was so HOT there and I was dying to go on. Oh well I guess. So instead we go see the big fruit bats in that little walk around safari thing. (I totally forget the name and no one's around to tell me.) We get to see the bats, and the tigers, and what not while I cool down. After we go to Dinosaur and Happy rides it for the first time while I go on Everest again because I HATE THAT RIDE! Why? I don't know really, it scares me I guess. While I'm on Everest the rain starts and it was cool while I was on the ride, but running to Dinosaur in it was not. So I'm drenched by the time I get there and I wait for a good twenty extra minutes before they finally get off and that's with a fastpass. We hang out there for awhile before the rain lets up enough for us to leave. So we leave there, hop on Prime Evil Whirl while people are still hiding from the rain, and then leave the park. We then start our journey to Sarasota, but someone else can fill you in on that. This took me like a half hour! bye!

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Hey guys....Sneezy here...
So Grumpy caught you up on some stuff and will hopefully add pictures when we get a second, but it's RUN, RUN in Disney ya know...

So Friday we say good-bye to Kidani, but not without a proper BOMA breakfast send off. Our ressies were for 10:40, but do you think we could be packed in time to make that...? Oh course not...Doc stayed behind to wait for bell services as we bussed over to Jambo House. Like Grumpy said...it was Yummy. Waffles are my fave, but I wish they had Mickey ones, they always taste better!! I didnt want to leave the hotels, so after breakfast I stuck around to see the animals as the family went to A.K.

I caught up to them by 2:00 as the sky looked threatening. Everytime we go to this park it rains....WHYYYYYYY????? Happy conquered alot of her fears on this trip and rode Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl and loved them both. The rain kept us in Dinoland for awhile, but the kids read books while John made his way to get us a car...........Now for the car.......We went on vacation without a rental car to take us to Sarasota to visit family. We tried and tried to find a van with NO luck. Even Dawne, back at home, couldnt secure us one. Finally Avis I believe came through at $300.00 for 48 hours....OUCH!! We left A.K.,headed back to Kidani for our luggage and headed to Sarasota.

Loads of cows along the way and of course a stop at McDonalds, Subway and KFC for dinner. Wow....Mc'Ds still has burgers for under a buck!!!! Arrive at Docs sister place and hung out for awhile. She lives in a high rise, 16th floor overlooking the water....it is beautiful!!! Grumpy, Happy and Dopey stay there while the rest of us head for Longboat Key to Docs parents house. They live in a lovely trailer park across the street from the beach.
It was late and we went to bed.
By 10:00 Doc, myself, Bashful and Sleepy were swimming in the Gulf of Mexico with the fishes. The water is beautiful and it was so relaxing. As reluctant as I was to leave Disney, I never wanted to leave this place!!
By 1:00 we were shopping in St. Armands square and having a lovely lunch at an outdoor cafe. We had the best ice cream at Kilwins and then home to swim with the girls. Dinner was dads famous pasta then out for more ice cream and shopping. A wonderful relaxing day, that we all needed!!
Sunday we packed and then headed to the IHOP for breakfast with my cousins and aunt. Crazy that place!!!! We had 3 tables that were all served at various times. The kids were done at least half hour before some of us were served food. Ate and visited and then off to Old Key West..

Arrival time of 3:30....this place is HUGE!!! Check in was easy, got a nice room location close to bus stop and walking distance to main building. We unpacked while Doc returned the car.....had to have it back by 4:00 or additional charge!!!! Bell Services showed up at the door with a birthday gift for Julia. It was 15 candy bars attached what looks like a hat. Awesome gift!!! Very thoughtful!!! The room is large, but needs some help. Ripped carpet in places, stained couches, no towels or bedding....But I do like the lay out and the resort is beautiful!! The girls want to go swimming so I followed along to film. I am anxious to get to Epcot to see 2U's last performance, U-2's cover band. They swim and I wait for Doc who just never shows up. He took the bus instead of the boat and the wrong bus at that. I got aggrevated and decided to go to Epcot myself. But before I go, I drop my mug into the boat mote while trying to call Doc one last time. Oh!!!! What an idiot I am.... no one can reach it, so if you are coming here anytime time soon, look for it, it will still be there. I did get a new one, compliments of Goods to Go and took off for Epcot.

I missed the bus by a second so I took the MK which arrived right after. Got off and on again at the TTC and on again for Epcot. Lots of travel but I love how the monorail goes through Epcot before stopping. Check the guide and see that I can make the second show. Took the boat over to Germany and had time to kill. Beautiful night as I took a walk to France to enjoy a warm ham and cheese croissant. If you havent had one yet, I truely recommend!!
Back to America, front row for concert. They are a fantastic group and fun to watch. They love when you film them, they come right up to the camera for great shots. I decide to shop awhile and take in the last show. I stopped to chat with Christophe from France who was working the show. Very nice CM and told him I would find him later in the week with my family. Also spoke with a CM from Morocco, also very nice. This is my favorite part of Epcot, learning about the culture and meeting new people. last show was great and now off to see Illuminations. Couldnt find Grumpy and Happy who came over to see me, but ran into Sleepy and Bashful on their way to France.
Watched from the gift shop area and it was beautiful as usual. We usual watch from the countries, but this is my new fave. spot. Found the girls and we rushed to the monorail to catch Wishes at MK. Passed Bashful and Sleepy as they were running people over. They made it to the tram before us, and we had to wait....and wait...and wait...did not make Wishes on time, but did catch the end.
TBC-Late Night at MK

 

[dolly-dawne]

Hey all- sounds to good to be true-thanks for all the calls Sheryl, you are really making my days. All is well on the home front, Max did the lawn. I fixed to pool filter as it was all plugged up and needed to be emptied and re-primed. Thats right Jon- I AM AMAZING. Actually its the same filter and pump my dad has on the fish pond so I know it well. I will have everything ready when you get home. Hope the weather holds for your last few days-- again...FOR YOUR LAST FEW DAYS. Have fun, have some more treats for me but dont make yourselves ill doing so. TTYS Dawne

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

So where did we leave off???? Doc went to return the rental car somewhere beyond DD and the kids went swimming. The pool was rehabbed awhile back and now has a nicer waterslide. The pool area is nice, it is at the hospitality house which has community hall, gift shop, Olivia's, Goods to Go, and Community Hall. The boats and bikes are available to rental also. I waited there for awhile for Doc to show up by boat, but it never happened. Apparently he caught a bus back, but it was the WRONG bus so he got a lovely tour of Port Orleans. I was getting aggravated and decided to chat on the phone...I put my mug on top of the railing for a second and guess what?? Yes, you guessed it, over it fell crashing on the rocks below. Yikes-did anyone see that?? After the boat captain and maintenance couldnt reach it, I gave up and pleaded my case and got a new mug...Hooray!!! I dont think my girls told you that somehow my other mug got left on the monorail a few days earlier.

Anyways...tired of waiting I headed off to Epcot to check out 2U again. I was in time for the second showing of the night. Hopped on the boat to get across quicker, went to France and grabbed a hot and cheese sandwich (YUM) and found a seat down front. While waiting I met a very nice CM from France (Christophe). We chatted about the concert and Disney of course. The show was really good again and I decided to see their last set which was also their last in Epcot. I think I may have seen someone famous during the show, but not sure. She was alone and sitting in a roped off area in front of the stage. She had on a hat and glasses and this man kept taking photos of her. NO idea who she was....Oh well!!!

I shopped a bit between shows but didnt buy anything...odd for me! I found Christophe and Mohammed from Morrocco and chatted until the show was to begin. Again, another great set!!! Apparently they are going to be following the U2 tour and playing tailgate parties...Cool Huh??

I guess Grumpy, Happy, Bashful and Sleepy came over to watch Illuminations and we were to meet Dopey and Doc at MK for late night. I couldnt find anyone so I watched it alone and then found Grumpy and Happy at the end. We quickly hurried over to MK to catch Wishes...this was going to entail a monorail transfer at TTC. Bashful and Sleepy did it earlier in the week so we felt confident. We get to the archway heading into Future World and out of no one comes Sleepy and Bashful running through the crowds knocking over babies!! Well maybe not babies, but it became a running joke all week. We got out as fast as we could but not fast enough. There they were getting on the monorail and we were NOT!! Darn'it!! We waiting a very long time for the next and did not make Wishes in time. We saw half of it, grabbed an available stroller and took off to find the family. Crowds were not bad once Wishes cleared out. Grumpy and I took off together and gave Happy over to Doc. We stayed until about 1:00 getting everything done that we wanted, while the rest pushed it till 2:00. It was a great night, alot of fun and it was nice to be back in Disney after our day off. It was a NEEDED day off though!

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

O.k....so we let the kids sleep in since they were out sooooo....late. Decided to go to BB again for only a couple of hours. We hit the wave pool, which is soooo....much fun. Bobbed around for a bit before sailing along the lazy river. Got off to ride the family raft ride.....again...so much fun. You have to have at least 4 people on a raft or they will pair you with another party. Happy decided to be brave and try run-off rapids with Doc. Not me....I hate water in my face as it is, so that looked way to scary for me. I watched other people come out of the tubes and some were screaming, some flipped over and some loved it. Doc and Happy came down and out and then Happy fell through the hole of the raft. She went under in an odd way and got really frightened. Doc grabbed her and brought her to shore, but she was totally freaked out. Her heart was racing and she was hysterical. She must had got disoriented under the water and get really scared. Really think twice about this ride with young kids!!

We headed for the wonderful Garbage Pail of ice-cream. This is a smaller version of the Kitchen Sink with ice-cream, nuts, fudge, strawberry sauce, waffle cone pieces, cookies , cherries, and whipped cream of course. This was our second of the trip and will now be a tradition!! I had it after that but the kids wanted to bob a bit, so off they went. We were out by 2:30 or so in order to change and head to DD.

Just off the bus and guess what??? RAIN again!! We waited it out in the room longer than I wanted to then took the bus to DD. The boat does not run in the rain....BOOOOOOO......We checked out some shops and bought some souvies in The World Of Disney. Dinner was at T-Rex. I was very excited about this meal, heard some cool things about it. It WAS very cool, and very loud and very chaotic. The waitress went into this long speech about the menu and the restaurant. She did a great job at up-selling the menu. "I'll have a bronto burger" "would you like fries or chips with that?"
"fries please" would you like bacon and mushrooms?" "sure that would be great".....Up-sell......$1.99 for fries and .99 for bacon and mushrooms. The food was 0.k. at best. Bashful and I both didnt feel well after that meal, not going there again!!! Before we left she told us about the great interactive activies available just outside. We already knew about " Build a Dino" but went to check out the others. They have a fossil site just like at Animal Kingdom and this neat sluce thing. I saw this family doing it and had Happy watch. We felt in the sluce for gems, but there werent any. A CM came out holding bags so I thought she was restocking. NO.....you could buy a bag for $5 which holds 4-6 gems. Of course Happy had to do it, since I showed it to her...fun...BUT...more $$$$$$$.

Time for Disney Quest....for an hour or two tops ( I hope) Happy likes the create a zone, so we hung out there for a short time while everyone else ran off. We were out of there by 9:30, still not feeling well. Headed for the West Side bus stop only to find there is NONE. Had to walk all the way to Pleasure Island. We waited quite a long time but were back in the room by 10:30. Watched Secret Life and off to bed for HS at 9:00

We never made it to Goofys...no rice crispie treat for me and no Earl of Sandwich. 2 of my favorite things will have to wait till next year.....Boo Hoo!!

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Our last two days so there is no time to wait!! Today we had ressies for CP in the MK at 10 a.m. for breakfast. The choc. chip pancakes are my kids fave and I was looking forward to another Mickey Waffle. But if you remember: I was NOT feeling well after T-Rex so I didnt want to waste the money on myself. I got up and headed to HS to finish up some shopping and told Doc to wake the kids soon for breakfast. I wanted to make opening so I was at the bus stop by 8:00. Half an hour later, I was on my way. I told you OKW has SLOW transportation. Arrived at opening, walked through the gift shops on the left and was right up front for 9:00. The CM led us by rope to TSM and I was 3rd on the fast pass machine. OH NO...card NOT working..people were going by me, the line to get on was growing....CM where are you???? Finally a little assistance and I was in line for a 1/2 hour wait at 9:15. This ride is CRAZY, it is cut throat to get on. What appeared to be a lovely family I was chatting with, by passed me the second they got the chance.
Since I was a single rider I HAD to ride with another single. He kicked my butt, but WOW what a great ride or game I guess. I hung around the park until noon or so and managed to get 3 FP's to give the girls for later in the day.

I called the kids to see how breakfast was going only to find John let them sleep through the ressie. Dopey is going to be mad I thought, this was HER pick!! I continued to shop and planned on meeting them at Epcot. I took the boat over to Epcot which was very relaxing on a hot day.

I arrived before the kids and in the back entrance. I looked around the shops, watched the UK players a bit and met Happy, Dopey and Grumpy at the gift shop while Doc got FP's for Soarin. Our main goal today was to do KIm Possible and have a Kaki Gori, well one out of 2 aint' bad!!!

We rode El Rio Del Tiempo in Mexico and headed for our Mission in China. It was very hot out but Happy and Grumpy were having a ball playing the game. Basically you run all over the country tracking down clues, it was fun. They decided to do one more mission in Norway before we decided it had taken up enough of our time. They take about 1/2 hour to complete.
Now Happy is hot, tired, hungry and thirsty. She is fine when occupied, but after that she loses it!!!! Off to America to eat, while I was just craving a hot ham and cheese from France and a Kaki Gori. Since I cant sit still, I let them eat and I went to watch the show in America, I love the music to this attraction. Finished that and went straight to France, I was starving!! Passed my KG and decided I would come back after my sandwich. BAD assumption....kids met me in France and we continued onward. So, I am eating my sandwich and Sleepy calls me. "Watcha doing" "eating a sandwich" "put the sandwich down" "no, I am starving, why?" "Well dont eat anything else" " But I want a Kaki Gori" "No!!" "What are you wearing" "shorts and a tee" "that won't do, I will bring you clothes" What is going on I am thinking....I guess he was going to take all the kids and go to Beaches and Cream for The Kitchen Sink and send us to the Steakhouse at the Yacht Club. Very nice of him, BUT I was very happy with my sandwich and I really didnt want to waste park touring time. I hope I didnt hurt his feeling too much, I did really appreciate it!!

So after the kids got a snack in France, Dopey and Grumpy take my fast passes for TSM and head to the back entrance of the park to go over to HS.
No more than 5 minutes later the skies open up and we are getting soaked. Doc, Happy and I are scrambling for our ponchos and trying to seek cover in the UK. The girls got stuck on the boat. Whatever happened to 20 minute showers, this one lasted like an hour. Finally it cleared enough to go outside and Doc and Happy headed to use their FP's for Soarin' while I headed to America to catch Petty Theft, a tribute to Tom Petty. The skies looked dark again so I just headed to wait in line. I was all alone, so I chatted with sis awhile. They opened the rope and I headed to the front row center. Out of no where this guy cuts me off and takes my seat. I sit close to him and he tells me he is saving all these seats....UH....NO!!! I waited 30minutes for this seat....Finally he allowed me the first seat and he and his party sat next to me. The show opened up and so did the skies....after 2 songs they cancelled the performance and it rained for over an hour. It rained while the sun was out also, crazy Florida!! Dopey and Grumpy did make it to HS and rode TSM but at 6:30 got shut out of Idol and were on their way back. BUT: Bashful and Sleepy grabbed Grumpy and went for a Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Creme. They showed us the photos later of the empty sink. Doc, Happy and Dopey met me for the last concert, though they sat in the back and ate while I enjoyed the show. They were really good and I love it when I know all the songs!!

The night was coming to a close and Illuminations were next. We werent all together but it was beautiful all the same. We strolled out of the park saying good-by the whole time. I did not ride The Ball, nor any of the shows in World Showcase but America. I missed Off Kilter again, and the Beatles. Did not see Crush but DID see Ellen. Missed Circle of Life, but did see Living with the Land. It is hard to see and do everything with a big family with so many personalities. The rain visited every day for an hour to five hours. I love Epcot and can't wait to go back.

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Our last day....Boo Hoo....I wish you could see the tears! I was bound and determined to make park opening today. We were up and out by 8:07 and at the stop waiting....AGAIN!!! Slow bus did not come till after 8:30...will we make it??? Yes!!! Doc ran off to get Julia's $79.00 gift card while I got in place for the show. I sang, danced and even cried as the characters pulled up on the train. This is going to be a GREAT day, I can just tell!!

Through the turnstiles we headed straight for the Barber shop, a surprise for Julia. Her and Happy both got pixie dust and colored streaks...they got comments all day!! Today we were to finish up everything we wanted to do! We stocked up on fast passes throughout the day and rode, Buzz,Philharmagic, COP, and saw the castle show and parade before lunch.
Off to the CP for lunch with POOH. Yum, Yum....everything was great and nice interaction, but we only saw Piglet twice and we were there for over 90 minutes. While eating the rain came down again, early this day, before 2:00. Sleepy had a surprise for Bashful that had to be cancelled due to weather. He was going to take her Horseback riding....how thoughtful!!

Well the rain stopped, our bags left on the carriage were wet but on we went. It was time for the parade, so we waited around for that and then left the park for HS. We didnt do many rides, but got the shows done and that is what I like to remember.

It was a nice break to leave the park and we felt a bit more refreshed walking into HS. Our goal was to get into Idol for the final performance. We grabbed some snacks and slushies and people watched for awhile. What goes through minds of people when they get dressed in the morning???

So off we went to IDOL...Grumpy was determined to get on t.v. so she did not let anyone get in front to her. The crowds piled in and we were getting squished. The camera came out and dont you know they photographed from the front row side instead of head on. Boy was Grumpy, Grumpy. We did manage to get in a few shots so she was Happy again. When the doors open up it is a free for all....People get trampled and squished and for what?? There is a seat for everyone. Another thing...why do people stop in the middle of the row instead of going to the end? Yes, they want the center, but this is Disney, seats arent assigned, keep going!!!!!!!!!!

So the show starts, the stars are introduced, the judges are different and they are all lined up on the stage. Usually they have a past star give words of encouragement on the big screen before they start. BUT!!! the contestants are in front of the screen, not off to the side. So when he announced someone has words of encouragemt, he announced Rubin Studdard....and guess what.....he walks in......THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!
There he is 4 rows in front of us, a real IDOL. I would have preferred Adam, but a star just the same. WOW!!! He looked great and I guess it was a surprise for the producers also. We did not see him again and the show went on. Not as good as the past two we saw, but the winner was a cute 14 year old from London I believe.

We say good by to the studios again and head back for Wishes at the MK.
A bite to eat at Cosmic Rays, a spin on the carousel and the magic of Wishes in front of the castle is a fantastic way to end our trip. Julia had a wonderful birthday and spent her money easily. Back to the room for our last night and off to sleep we went.

*First picture is of American Idol Experience Winner Holly, and the second one is of another girl on the American Idol Experience who Grumpy really liked.

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

Up by 7:30 to start packing. We have the room until 11:00 so plenty of time. I enjoy breakfast on the balcony while feeding my pet stork I named after my cat at home...Angie... he likes Saltines soaked in water. Somehow we manage to get everything packed and picked up by 11:00. Take one last look around the resort, a stop in the gift shop for a photo album and some last tears to shed. On to the Magical Express for our 30 minute trip to the airport. I love the good bye show on the monitors on the bus...it brings more tears to my eyes. Plane was on time, we landed early and I got to watch a movie for FREE on the plane so I was happy. The house was clean, my animals were happy to see us and Bashfuls mom made us dinner and dessert.

Now it is Friday morning and I am sitting here in my bathrobe freezing, with NO interest in getting up to start my day. Even laundy and dishes in Disney is vacation, here it is just work. I have NO interest in going to work, or food shopping. Maybe if I sit here long enough it will be time to go on another trip. I feel the stress building up in me already and I realize I am no longer on vacation. The bills will be coming in soon and no prospects to pay them off. Softball for Dopey tonight, Open House for me tomorrow and Cheer for Happy and Grumpy next week. Make time to return calls, food shop and weed through the mail. Unpack, do laundry and dishes. Maybe there is a flight out today.......No......cant do that......suck it up and move on.....why is it so difficult to do that after vacation????????

Final thoughts on the whole trip to come tonight....

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

JET BLUE-Liked the t.v and radio...though Dopeys did not work on the way down and mine did not work on the way back. Roomy enough and comfortable seats. They only come around once for drinks and snacks even though it says you can have as many as you like. It is located in the opposite terminal of Magical Express so get walking....

MAGICAL EXPRESS: Always nice to get a service for FREE. Sometimes your stop is last, so it takes an hour to get to the resort. But sometimes last is good, like on the way to the airport. Comfy seats, they get your luggage and door to door service.

RENTAL CARS: In general...make sure you book before coming down! They will try to upsell you, just turn off your hearing for a moment.

FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND: I loved the cabins!! They are roomy, have a warm authentic feel to them and the beds were comfortable, even the couch. They are about the same cost as two rooms at value, so having the 2 bathrooms may be a bonus for some families, ours included. Not much to eat as far as quick serve and the resort is VERY spread out, tough to do without a car. Internal busses are slow, but the boat to the MK is a bonus. I would love to stay there again, but with a car!! Lot's to do there, like rent a canoe, which we did, kids playground, petting zoo. Rent a bike, go on a carriage ride, campfire and movie, nice pool area and such. Great place to unwind after some heavy park touring....and no mosquitos (at least we didnt see any).

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE-KIDANI VILLAGE: Loved everything about this place!
Resort feels very authentic to Africa, though I have never been. They play music softly throughout the resort and bus stops. The colors are warm and inviting. They have activities going on throughout the day, which unfortunately we didnt get the chance to partake in. The pool area is very nice, with a great play area for young children. The health club is located in that area for a quick work out. The refill station is located at the bar as well as lots of table and ping pong. Bingo and dj were there in the afternoon, very fun. Community Hall had a ton of things for the kids to do and they were reasonable priced. The animals were very cool to see and there were lots of viewing areas. Our room was facing the main bus stop on the highest 5th floor, it had a great view. We had loads of space in our dedicated two bedroom with three bathrooms. Everything was new and clean. The tv's are flat screens, a very nice update. Can't say enough great things about this place, definately will be back as soon as we can. Maybe a negative:but if your room is on the opposite end of the resort, you will have a long way to the pool.

OLD KEY WEST: Very friendly people at check-in, after all it is the original DVC resort. Great room location, close to a bus stop and a short walk to the hospitality house. We had a dedicated 2 bedroom, again very roomy but only 2 baths this time. The place does need a rehab though. The carpet was worn and the couches had stains. It was not as clean and shiny as Kidani but does have a nice comfortable feel to it. The balcony is small but includes a table and chairs. Our view overlooked the golf course and some water. The housekeeping staff werent the most pleasant. We did not have any towels, blankets or sheets for the pull out sofa. When I asked for it, they told me it was already there and I would be charged for another set. I told them it was NOT there and to bring it up. It did arrive quickly though and I did not get charged. The pool is simple and nice and the drink machine is close by. You can rent bikes and boats and DD is close by. The community center has seen better days but they did have activities for the kids. The quick service had a few options, not much for breakfast, but the store had bagels and donuts. It is a nice resort, though very laid out and the buses are slow at times. Points are reasonable here and I am sure we will be back sometime.

Cont' on next page.....

 

[DisneycrazedX6]

ANIMAL KINGDOM: We visited twice on this trp and it rained both times. We still love Festival of the Lion King, it was just walk in. Nemo we did not see, people were in line over an hour in advance. The safari never seemed to have a wait, and it is true the animals are easier to see in the rain. Primeval Whirl seemed to have a wait of 30 minutes each time. Single rider line was the way to go for Everest. The central fast pass machine at Its tough to be a bug, seemed to work for some...(just not us..LOL) We never made it to Kali, so Dopey was unhappy. Crowds were manageable both days. The worst thing over there was a line for food at Restaurantosauras. It was crazy long and not enough help behind the counter.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: We never seem to do much over here, but we find ourselves drawn to the park. Maybe it is the bright colors and the music???
Line for TSM was always out of control. If you do not go first thing in the morning, be prepared to wait. Fast passes at 11:00 are for evening times. Great ride/game, alot of fun. Character waits are long, we waited for Buzz and Woody and the characters from UP. Loved American Idol....get there early for last show, otherwise take your time. HSM3 was fun as was the parade. The kids love the balls they shoot out at the end, try to get one if you can. Crowds were manageable again...maybe 30 minute waits for larger attractions.

MAGIC KINGDOM: Several visits over here, some at late night and some early in the morning. Always crowded and always waits. Use the fast pass machines as often as you can. The new 3:00 parade is worth the time. We arrived 15 minutes after a rain storm and had a curb seat. The smaller parade is also great!! The floats stop near those overhead areas. When the characters come off the float that is where they dance. Wishes is still magical and the best place to be seen is right in the middle of main street. The morning show is very magical and a great way to start the day. Show up at 8:45 so you dont miss it. It was sad to have Space Mtn and the TTA under rehab, but we did alot of other things. If you want to see Mickey and Minnie in Toontown...line up at 9:45 and head directly over there. We waited about 40 minutes in a very cramped area. At 10:00 you may be lucky enough to ride the Barnstormer twice in a row, making it an actual ride!!
Late nights were just as busy as during the day. It is amazing to see sleeping children in Fantasyland while the parents continue to ride. GO HOME PEOPLE!!!!

EPCOT: We never made it to Innoventions, but did manage to do most of the other rides. We didnt spend enough time over there, maybe because we were not walking distance this year. We usually stay at Boardwalk or Beach Club. We conquered shopping throughout World Showcase and I took in a couple of concerts. Epcot is just beautiful and I wish I spent more time there. The kids got everything done they wanted so they are happy. The line for Soarin is still huge but the others were very manageable.

Next up:
Food and Family

 

[Goofy'sFriend]

Just finally catching up......GREAT recap!