Disney 2009... Day 1

The kids and I were beyond excited to head back to the most MAGICAL place on Earth! After months of scrimping and saving, listening to our "Songs From the Park" CDs for hours on end, and pouring over guidebooks and websites (my favorite is http://www.allears.net/) , the time of our departure had finally arrived.

A few months earlier I had booked a nine day stay at the Pop Century hotel. (I had received a special email with a ridiculously good offer--including free dining for the length of our stay.) It was our first experience with a Disney value resort...and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ammenities and service!

The resort features a retro theme with each section of the resort representing a different decade of the past 50 years. Larger than life icons, vivid colors and eye-catching graphics surrounded us on every side. It wasn't long before we were settled into our 4th floor room in the 1970's building (we had registered on-line from home, so check-in was a breeze).

The room was small, but very clean and comfy. Really...what else do you need when you plan to spend all your time in the parks?

I ordered groceries on-line a week or two before arriving (http://www.gardengrocer.com/) and we were so happy to find our food waiting in the room for us. (I was relieved that I didn't have to haul the two flats of water bottles myself!) Those groceries allowed us to eat most of our breakfasts in our room...and munchies when we needed a snack in the afternoons or evenings.

The kids quickly changed into their swimsuits (packed in their carry-ons) and we headed down to the food court for a bite to eat at Everything's Pop. Our free dining plan allowed us one table service, one counter service, and one snack every day. That was MORE than enough to keep us fat and sassy!

We ate several meals at our resort's food court, they offered a surprising variety and everything we sampled was delicious! (Bonus: the cast members come out to dance "the Twist" at 8 am and "the Hustle" at 6 pm...how fun is that?)

My favorite icon...can't you almost smell that Play-Doh?

We knew we were almost "home" when we saw the giant Mickey phone...turn right and take the elevators right up to the top floor!

After our first meal we wound our way over to the "Computer Pool" in the '80-'90s courtyard. I sat under a palm tree (ahhhh) and made phone calls while the kids swam. They were having so much fun, it was nearly impossible to convince them to get out!

The nighttime crazies...you could almost set your watch by it. Every night the kids would start laughing and getting silly when we got back from the parks (right about the time when it was time to call Daddy--he could barely understand us on the phone!). The very first night was no exception...here is Sagey running up and down on the "keyboard" near the pool. I wish I had that much energy!

When we got back to our room we discovered that our bags had been delivered from the airport (via the Magical Express)...thanks Mickey!

Disney 2009... Day 2

The day started off EARLY with a birthday phone call from Goofy. It was Reagan's day to celebrate! (I let each of the kids choose one day to be their special birthday day--their choice of park and restaurants.)



We had early breakfast reservations for "The Crystal Palace" in the Magic Kingdom. We were ushered in before the park opened and got to enjoy a nearly deserted Main Street!


It was our first time at this beautiful eatery...so bright and airy...a perfect way to start our day!

Since I had made reservations in advance (you really have to these days) they were already expecting us and had sprinkled confetti on the table for the birthday girl!

We enjoyed a scrumptious buffet and all of the Pooh characters came around for hugs and photos.

Reagan got a birthday cupcake and this card signed by all of her friends in the 100 acre Wood.

It's tradition to ride Dumbo first...

It was fun to track down some of the more unusual characters that we've never met before.

We were so surprised to see the White Rabbit!

Why do we get up at the crack of dawn? To get to the attractions before there are lines! We walk right onto the rides in the morning and head back for a rest in the early afternoon when the parks get really crowded.

This is the game...see how crazy fast you can spin that tea cup while Mom takes photos (from her own gently swirling tea cup).

Probably our favorite character interaction of the whole trip...the evil stepmother and stepsisters were truly hilarious!

Woody and Jesse were hanging out in Frontier Land.

"The Princess and the Frog" movie was released the first week of our trip. We just happened to catch "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee"... a riverboat musical featuring songs from the show.

There she is...Princess Tiana!

How much do I love my crazy kids??? They were racing around trying to EAT (yes, eat) the bubbles in Adventureland. (I can't believe the photo turned out...I was laughing so hard I was shaking.)

The piano player outside of Casey's sang Happy Birthday to Reagan...one of her favorite memories of the day!

Look at this GINORMOUS Christmas tree at the entrance of the park! 65 ft. tall and decorated with beach-ball sized ornaments and strings of popcorn.

After a busy morning (starting before 6 am) we were ready to head back to our room for a little rest and relaxation.

The kids posed for photos in the groovy letters in front of our hotel.

After a dip in the pool (and maybe a nap? I can't remember) we caught a bus back to the Magic Kingdom. Supper reservations at Tony's Town Square on Main Street at 5:15

Confetti and curly ribbons everywhere!

This Italian restaurant was so elegant and refined...Reagan was thrilled with her choice!

Reagan has Mushroom Ravioli (her favorite meal of the trip) while the rest of us enjoyed Chicken Parm.

Dessert? Oh yeah! Pistachio Creme Brulee (Reagan) and Chocolate Bombs. Yum!

A few days before we left Missouri, we ordered Chinese food (for Christmas) and Sage wound up with a fortune cookie that said something like, "Focus on the color purple for the rest of the week and you will have good luck." She took the advice seriously and we spent the trip trying to find purple things for her... even Cinderella's castle!

We had intended to leave before the park closed, but I misjudged the time and we wound up way back in Fantasyland when the Wishes show began. We had an interesting vantage point, behind the castle...fireworks above and on every side of us! Very cool. But it took us a full TWO HOURS to get back to our resort after the show. Eeesh. We only made that mistake once!

Disney 2009... Day 3

Good morning Sawyer! Time to get up...it's your BIRTHDAY!

Off to Epcot to hit the Future World rides (Soarin' is the BEST!) before an early lunch at the Coral Reef restaurant.




So glad I called ahead and told them about Sawyer because we snagged a seat on the first floor RIGHT NEXT to the Living Seas aquarium (large enough that Spaceship Earth --the iconic EPCOT "ball" -- could float inside of it!).



We dined on ribs (the girls), strip steak (me) and lobster ravioli (Sawyer) while sea turtles, fish and SHARKS glided past us.

Da dum...da dum...da dum...

Sawyer's Chocolate Wave dessert was accompanied by a sprinkled cupcake and dark chocolate birthday banner!

I was amused to see the monoral STOPPED on the tracks above us. I told the kids it was posing for my picture. Later that night we saw on the news that three of the monorails had experienced electrical failure and stalled on the tracks...some of the people were stuck in there for over three hours and had to be rescured by a firetruck with a ladder!

Another tradition...climbing on the Norway troll. I have pics of the kids doing this all the way back to our first trip when the twins were two years old!

Sawyer chose the Garden Grill for supper. The entire restaurant rotates giving you a constantly changing view. The scenery is part of the "Living With the Land" ride located below (which includes a tour of the Disney greenhouses...one of Sawyer's favorite attractions).

The courses were served family style and included flank steak, turkey and catfish. The salad was to-die-for! We had lots of time to interact with the classic Disney characters who dropped by during the meal.

Dale showed up first...

Then Mickey appreared out of nowhere!

Pluto was the best! He stole Reagan's hat (and eventually put it on Sawyer) and really stirred up the silliness.

Hey Chip! (Yes...there are differences between the two Chipmunks. The easiest way to tell them apart? Chip's nose is black...like a chocolate CHIP.)

Disney 2009... Day 4

Happy Birthday Sage...it's your special day!



Off to Disney Studios (used to be MGM)...and we knew we had to be there EARLY. We were there before the park opened and headed right for Toy Story Mania when the ropes dropped. It's a good thing! We still had to wait for 15 minutes in line (the queue was over THREE HOURS long later that afternoon) and our FASTPASS couldn't be used until nearly park closing. But after we rode Toy Story we understood the craziness...it is my FAVORITE Disney ride of all times!

Look who Sawyer met right outside...




The ride is an interactive 4-D adventure of midway-style games featuring Buzz, Woody and the gang. Spring-action shooters throw projectiles (love the pies!) at targets to rack up points.

Lunch at the Prime Time Cafe! It was like walking into the middle of a 1950's sitcom...so retro and kitschy.

We got the *BEST* table in the restaurant...the one they show in all of the promotional ads! Of course we knew to mind our manners (elbows off the table, etc.).

Golden fried chicken...YUMMY... biscuits and (gulp) green beans. Now, we are a family who enjoys green beans. Canned green beans. These were fresh and, ummm, disgusting. Sage and I tried, but couldn't eat ours. We knew we would be in trouble with our "cousin" server, so we took drastic measures. I snuck mine into a plastic baggie in my purse and Sage did the same (except she just wrapped hers in a napkin, eeeew!).

Sawyer didn't eat his beans either, so he suffered the consequences! Our "cousin" fed him a bean with the dreaded airplane technique. THEN, when the rest of us were served our S'mores desserts Sawyer's plate of beans was brought back out to him...topped with whipped cream and sprinkles! Too funny!

Sassy Reagan (who wisely ordered corn) shows off her "Clean Plate Club" sticker.

The dessert menu was on a View Finder...weeha! Do you want to know what was surprisingly delicious? The peanut butter and jelly shakes...yummo.

Sagey sneaks her beans into the trashcan outside. Shwooo...we didn't get caught!

Hey birthday girl! Sage was presented with a cupcake and a card signed by nearly everyone in the restaurant! lol It had been passed around and around and total strangers signed their names as "sister" or "brothers". Hilarious!

Alrighty then...time for an adrenaline rush! The Lights, Motors, Action show featured incredible stunts and car chases. Who could have guessed that it would be Sagey's favorite attraction of the trip??

Look who we found at the Disney animation studios...Frozone!

Anyone hungry? Time for supper at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. We noshed on barbequed ribs, home fries and shakes in our 1950s convertible while movie clips rolled on the big screen in front of us.

Sage nearly died when her cheesecake was served alongside a ice-cream birthday sundae. She was SO FULL already!

How could we possibly end such a perfect day? There was only one way. By twirling and dancing in the backlot streets with the Specticle of Dancing Lights all around us (yep--you know I cried). Read the history of this remakable display (and the family who donated it) here... http://marciodisney.blogspot.com/2009/11/osborne-family-spectacle-of-dancing.html

Disney 2009... Day 5

You can't go 90-to-nothing EVERY day of your Disney trip. We had things paced pretty well and I knew that we would be ready for a "resting" day half way through our vacation. We slept in...until 9ish. Doesn't sound like sleeping in, unless you figure in the fact that we had been up before 6 am every previous day.

After breakfast the kids tossed on their suits and headed down to the Hippy Dippy pool. I did a little shopping in the Everything Pop! store and we all felt refreshed and ready to go.


We had been looking forward to Le Cellier...we ate there once, but hadn't been able to get back since then (scoring a reservation is like winning the lottery). Located in the Canada pavilion of World Showcase, Le Cellier is famous for it's steaks and decadant desserts.

Reagan and I thought our filet mignon with mushroom rissotto was heavenly, and Sawyer was ALL about those scallops.

Sagey wasn't crazy about her pork chop, but when her chocolate "moose" showed up at the table she was all smiles. (I ordered one too, but was too full to eat it. So our waitress tucked it into a to-go container for me.)

Mary Poppins was strolling around Great Britain. Supercalifragilistic!

Here is my poor chocolate "moose" at the end of the day. Farewell dear (or should I say "deer") friend.

Disney 2009...Day 6

Animal Kingdom...are you ready for us?

Some people consider this park a "half day" event...just taking a few hours to hit the main attractions before moving on to the other parks. (Guilty! That is totally what we used to do. I remember our kids crying when they were little and asking when we were going to go to the "real Disney World".) Not any more. I wish we would have planned TWO days at the Animal Kingdom!


We always start with the Kilamanjaro Safaris (and scoop up a Fastpass while we're there)...




and then it was on to a new destination...Expedition Everest! Reagan and Sawyer are the coaster warriors in our family and they were excited (and a little nervous?) to try out this wicked new ride. They both liked it, but (significantly) decided to not to ride it again.

We found lots of great characters that you can't find anyplace else...

Flik ("A Bug's Life"...the first movie our kids ever saw at a theater)


Baloo ("Jungle Book") who danced and danced with Reagan...



And *YAY* we finally found Jimminy Cricket ("Pinnochio")... we've waited FOREVER to see him!

Rafiki ("The Lion King") is Sagey's new favorite character! We discovered him (appropriately) when we took the train out to Rafiki's Planet Watch. It's in the furthest flung corner of the park...where cast members care for the animals in the park. Very informative (probably a little boring for younger kids).

At the Affection Section the kids picked up brushes and headed over to the animal pens.

The critters loved getting brushed (so much better than petting zoos where you feed the goats and then they practically knock you down trying to get more food).

And guess what else we discovered at the Planet Watch? Penn Jillette! Are you familiar with him? He's part of the Penn & Teller magic act (Vegas, baby). I've seen him one several shows and I recognized him immediately! Of course I was too chicken to actually ask him for a photo (he was there with his family and I didn't want to bug him--it must be annoying to be trailed by people wanting an autograph or photo). INSTEAD Reagan would just stand in his nearby vacinity and I would take HER picture, lol.

When we got home we checked on the computer and guess what we found? http://thedisneyblog.com/2009/12/14/penn-jillette-visits-walt-disney-world/

Both of my favorite Disney shows are at the Animal Kingdom! I couldn't wait to get back to see "The Lion King".

Then we ventured over to "Finding Nemo...The Musical". The dazzling set, imaginative puppeteering and special effects had me entranced (yes, and crying a few times). When the bubbles came drifting down during the finale I knew I had found my NEW favorite!

Only a few minutes left at the AK...do you think we can squeeze in one more thing? How about the "It's Tough To Be A Bug" show INSIDE the Tree of Life. Good idea :) Put on those bug-eyes 3D glasses and let's get going!

Disney 2009...Day 7

I let the kids sleep in a little bit on this day (until nearly 6:30).


Back to the Magic Kingdom! We were there at opening (of course) and guess what we got to do? We hitched a ride on one of the Main Street vehicles (it was the only one out that day) and it only makes that trip once a day when the park opens. Lucky us!



Sage loves to drive the Speedway cars...Sawyer prefers to ride (he hates how the wheel jerks around if you bump against the rail). Reagan will be old enough to get her REAL driver's license next year...Lord help us all.

Cinderella's Golden Carousel... *sigh*

The Disney dining plan includes snack points. Can anyone say CONFECTIONARY?

Sugar...sugar...sugar...

Bottoms up!

Home early for supper at the resort and some more swimming. We were SO fortunate to have good weather for our entire trip. In fact, it was in the 80s-low 90s on most days, about 10 degrees warmer than the monthly average. Perfect pool weather!

It only rained for about 15 minutes on one of the days. Not too bad for a 10 day trip! When we got to the airport it started raining and Florida had a deluge for the next several days. Shwooo...